Author Archives: michelle

Our San Francisco Rickshaw Tour

We are born adventurers —

This was a striking building which houses women and mothers who have left abusive situations.

Spending two hours this week on Our San Francisco Rickshaw Tour in The Mission to check out all the art in the area (recommend checking out the Airbnb experience with Kai) was a sweet string of colorful moments with Nolan.

The image at the top of this building (and throughout the whole of it) — wow.

I’ve carried a child, but the power of the art for me was connecting to my own mom, as she knew…she knew the story of those inside.

So much of our lives, lessons and understandings start right here in our first womb homes and it’s inspiring to know we can use our experiences (and the experiences of those who have gone before) to create the home within and with others that today we most want.

There’s vibrant life stuff at every turn, rickshaw or no rickshaw. But rickshaw! [Highly recommend Our San Francisco Rickshaw Tour. It was halk full of deep story, meaningful art for our time and even seat warmers.]

Let’s make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…

To the best of the rest of your life.

Life is good.

Mayan Ruins, Women’s Voices

Mayan Ruins, Women’s Voices. Connection. According to the Mayan calendar, known as the calendar of human life, 2021 is the year about wind, one that comes in and clears the old…

Connected to that, this year is also about communication, a wind from our mouths so to speak, sharing what it is that we need to say…to those we love or to the world.

The number associated with this year, the number nine, also represents women.

2021, then, the Mayan calendar says, being about the rising voice of women.

Here I am above with Josh and Nolan at some of the most important Mayan ruins in Guatemala two years ago (me = proudly Guatemalan).

They have their stance and I have mine.

And, maybe, rather simply, this tells a good chunk of the whole story…with the female voice comes a distinct wisdom, tone, clarity, connectivity, a distinct strength and ability to kick up a wind that finally changes what has been asking to no longer stay the same.

If you know, you know. Mayan Ruins, Women’s Voices. #WomensHistoryMonth

Let’s make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…

To the best of the rest of your life.

Life is good.

Success Is In Your Relationships

The work I do holds one core thing or theme at its candlelit center: everything in life is about the relationship you have / hold to it.

Everything in our lives comes back to relationship.

In brand identity work, though it might seem separate, much of what is helpful in growing businesses (or getting clear of the expression of that business out in action in the world) is to look at each of our relationships…

Connected to that, relationships to the people in our life, whether “good” or “bad”, as well as the relationship we have to the past, present or future can be / be-come our identity.

Specifically, the relationship we have to loss, death, heartbreak or disappointment of any kind is a relationship that can get in *between* our human relationships and creative success if we don’t look at each one of them long (look at each one of them loooong)…

No relationship in our lives…the relationship(s) with our kids, partner, friends, not even those with clients will go as deep or last as long if we don’t get on the other side of our traumas or hurts…it’s not possible.

Want more of anything else that you think has little to do with relationship? Nurture a better one (relationship) with how you feel, where that truly comes from and proceed accordingly!

Let’s make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…

To the best of the rest of your life.

Life is good.

Meet My Client Tamika

Women helping other women rise ~ that’s what this share is about today…

She beat me to it. I was going to share this photo of my client and I on Facebook last week singing HER praises, but she got to me first (her love note follows below…).

And that’s exactly what I wanted to acknowledge Tamika Griffin for (one of the many things)…she is a woman FOR other women. She lifts, she advocates, she educates and she brings out the very best in people. Do you know these type of women too?

In 20 years of business, I have had the pleasure of working with amazingly astute, emotionally-intelligent and capable women and Tamika is in a class all her own.

After succeeding at making six figures in nine months in her previous business, she has stepped out to support many other women do the same (this photo shows her stepping out).

Because, as we both know, it’s not about the money, it’s what you can DO with it and HOW and WHO you can affect.

To a woman I love who is all about family first, collaboration not completion-minded and who shows women both the systems in business and rituals in life to succeed and ultimately enjoy the fruits of their talent and labor, I applaud you!

Thank you for the beautiful tribute (below) and for reminding me every time we connect why I love what I do…

IT’S BEEN AN HONOR TO WORK WITH YOU, TAMIKA.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From Tamika:

Every now and then, God sends an angel your way to fuel the fire in your belly, give you the swift kick in your ass that you need to stop playing small.

My coach, Michelle Ghilotti Mandel has been that and so much more. She’s soulful, motivating, inspiring and doesn’t allow you to keep one ounce of what’s inside locked up.

I always tell this story. About 6 years ago, I saw her speaking at a women’s conference and I loved her energy then. I said, ” I want to work with her.” At the time , I knew I wasn’t ready for one-on-one work , but I began working with her in masterminds and retreat based work.

Eventually, like all destiny moments, we worked together, are still working together on some of the dopest things that I have ever imagined.

Michelle you are truly an activator. You have brought things out of me that I didn’t even see for myself. Today, I salute you, my #WCW.

She flew to Houston from California to be with me for my special night. If that’s not LOVE, I don’t know what it is. I value the relationship that we have formed over the years.

It’s more to do. It’s more to become. We are just getting started

Saluté!

————————

Let’s toast in unison as we each do our part to continue to help women rise! Thank you, Tamika, for the work you do and HOW you do it *and* thank you for representing what it means to me to enjoy what I do ~> it’s WHO I get to do it WITH.

Let’s make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…

To the best of the rest of your life.

Life is good.