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“I don’t have a lot of time on this planet. I want to do the best I can, and it feels like such a wasted day to have a hangover or have eaten too much sugar.”
Laura Sullivan began her career in social work. But in 2015, she and her husband Tim made a complete life-pivot to launch Sullivan & Sullivan Photography, a wedding and small-business branding studio based in Seattle and Chicago. (They took most of the photos on my website. I now refer to them as “my photographers for life.” I couldn’t adore Laura and Tim more.)
They’re also the co-founders of Moveable Feast Retreats, intimate international adventures focusing on food, well-being, and whatever The Good Life looks like in any given country. When they aren’t hopping on flights to projects or exploring new countries, they’re at home in West Seattle cuddling their rescue pup and kitten and watching the Bachelor (ok that’s maybe not Tim as much). Laura has never said no to a donut.
Laura and I talk entrepreneurship, food, love and relationships, coffee mugs as self-care, and being a recovering people pleaser. Laura also shares a few lessons learned from a recent cancer scare and how it helped her tune back into her body’s needs – even when others didn’t agree with her choices.
Highlights
- Entrepreneurship and the challenges of drawing boundaries with time, energy and relationships (when there’s so much pressure to be productive every minute of the day)
- Laura’s recent cancer scare, how it changed her perspective of healthcare, what she looks for in healthcare providers, and how she learned to listen to and trust her body to show her the best path forward
- Laura and I discuss the “superwoman complex” and how women are often socialized out of listening to their bodies
- The challenges of being a “people pleaser” and how Laura is learning to honor her needs first (while also remaining a kind and generous person)
- How to use entrepreneurship to build a life you love, instead of one that completely exhausts you
- Why a beautiful coffee mug counts as self-care (and the specific mug Laura loves)
- Laura’s bedroom design tips for more restful sleep (and a few other home design tips that will make your home feel like a sanctuary)
- Laura’s personal “North Star” and how it drives her to make health-supportive choices, even when it would be easier to have another glass of wine (or two)
Action Tips
- On deciding which invitations or projects to accept (or not accept): Ask yourself if it’s a ‘hell yes.’ If not, then it’s a ‘hell no.’
- On hustling in business: Hustling out of fear doesn’t feel so great. Hustle because you’re passionate about sharing your work and making an impact. It feels better (and it’s more effective).
- On your surroundings as self-care: Be conscious of the things you let into your home. Loving everything that surrounds you is a form of self-care.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Hasami coffee mugs (Amazon affiliate link)
Connect with Laura: Sullivan & Sullivan Photography | Moveable Feast Retreats | Instagram (photography) | Instagram (Moveable Feast Retreats)
Ready to make your vibrant health a priority? Schedule a no-commitment Discovery Call to explore working with Lara
Thank You for Listening!
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xo,
