About Stratejoy


I’m a Life Coach, Speaker and Community Builder for Gutsy Gen Y Women.  I believe in going big, that honesty is the best policy, and that we all deserve juicy, fulfilling, extraordinary lives.

I believe in YOU.

I’m changing the world by teaching women how to value their own happiness and strength.  I have a sneaking suspicion that a world of fulfilled joyful women equals radical acts of goodness, widespread emotional and physical health, creative expression, equality, and core level compassion.

My purpose is to give you support, inspiration and strategies to make your life a reflection of the authentic you. To help you define success on your own terms.  To make sure you’re moving forward, tackling the big dreams and loving every minute of it.

This may or may not come with a little butt-kicking or hand-holding.

About: The Business

Stratejoy is jam-packed for with tools, inspiration, and camaraderie to Rock Your Right Life, Right Now.

Tools? Not only do I write about Positive Psychology, Personal Leadership, and Living with Intention, but I also teach and speak about those juicy topics! I’m currently based in San Diego, but give motivational keynotes, speak on panels, facilitate corporate trainings and host workshops anywhere I’m invited.  There are also personal tools for YOU available: The 30 day Joy Equation Course and Joy Juice: A Yearlong Dose of Positive Journal Prompts and the Create Your Magical Year Download. They help anyone, anywhere design a life on purpose.  They are powerful.  And awesome.  Just like you, I imagine.

Inspiration? In addition to my posts, we have six amazing Bloggers writing about their Quarterlife Crisis on a daily basis.  Season 1,  Season 2, and Season 3, Season 4, were a were a blast! We’re currently in Season 5, and will soon be taking applications for Season 6! (See below for more details) Women just like you share their struggles, celebrations, and lessons learned as they tackle living life on their own terms and conquering their Quarterlife Crisis.  Fact: These girls are inspiring.

Camaraderie? Gutsy Girls need to stick together so we can support each other in being Awesome.  We’ve got corporate go-getters, kick ass entrepreneurs/freelancers, artists of all sorts, world travelers, and millennials just getting started in the “real world”.  We do Joy and Authenticity and Passion and slightly Unconventional in a Big Way.  Join us on Facebook.  Comment on the Blog.  Follow me on Twitter. Join a Group Coaching Session.

About: The People

MOLLY MAHAR, Coach, Speaker, and Stratejoy Executive Director
Mission:  To celebrate life authentically and inspire others to do the same

Professional Bio: Molly Mahar is the founder of Stratejoy, a positive corner of the Internet that provides thousands of women the tools, strategies and camaraderie to lead authentically joyful lives. She is a full-time entrepreneur, coach, facilitator and creator of the online Joy Equation Course,  Joy Juice Prompts, and Create Your Magical Year. A dynamic speaker, Molly has lead workshops for lululemon, The US Army, Ladies who Launch, The Junior League, and CRAVE Business. She helps women live life on their own terms, celebrate their worth, and change the world through individual fulfillment.  With enthusiasm! And action!  Oh, and she was just named to ProBlogger’s Top 20 Bloggers to Watch in 2012 and will be speaking at South by Southwest Interactive Conference this March. Wahoo!

In My Words: As an over-achieving Ivy League grad who suffered a total “Quarterlife Crisis” in 2007 after landing my dream job at a sexy boutique hotel in Seattle, I know how it feels to want something more. So… I quit my job. I traveled around the world with backpack and boyfriend in hand. I sold everything I owned. I began studying Buddhism. I started a successful online business called Stratejoy.  I loved it. Yay! I’ve been teaching and coaching and writing and continuing to travel for the past 4 years. I know the ins-and-outs of creating a life based on passion instead of external expectations ‘cause I’ve done it!  I’m a free spirit with a passion for mindful entrepreneurship and tendency to swear a fair amount.

I Love: being fearless, the mountains, libraries, wearing costumes, making things happen, peanut butter, world travel, deep conversations over red wine in big glasses, laughing until I cry, toddlers in tutus, Jon Irving novels, scuba-diving, dancing and really vibrant wrapping paper.

I Despise: apathy, imitation crabmeat, driving in traffic, orange tang, grasshoppers, playing the comparison game, people who litter and small thinking.

What else? I was born in Montana, graduated from Cornell University, have been a nomad, twice, used to live in Seattle, and am now enjoying sunny San Diego.  I am a lifelong learner, exuberant dancer, horrible parker, and adrenaline thrill seeker. My husband (aka The Big Man), my journal, and my inner circle keep me grounded.  Making a difference in the lives of my clients, readers, and the world keep me fulfilled.  My Life List keeps me moving forward and adventurous!  And I’m expecting a tiny boy person to enter our world on June 2nd.

Want to know more random facts?  Here’s the Season 2 Q&A Post… And here’s the Season 3 Q&A Post… And finally the Season 4 Q&A Post…

Here’s a video from April 2010 (before I was Molly Mahar) that gives you a super-speed personal history if you want to know even more background.

KATIE COLIHAN, Community Manager, QLC Editor, and Season 2 Blogger
Mission: To live life, overcome the struggles, revel in the joys, celebrate recovery, and achieve my biggest dreams, one day at at time.

Professional Bio: Katie is a twenty-something independent consultant and freelance writer born and raised in New Jersey and recently transplanted to Philadelphia.  She’s an amazing writer, cheerleader for our Tribe, and “Big Sister” to the QLC Bloggers.  Katie was a featured blogger in Season 2 and remains closely involved with Stratejoy as the Editor Seasons 3, 4, & 5. She began her role as Community Manager in August of 2011 and is thrilled to answer any of your questions.

In Her Words: Before the Quarterlife Crisis, I was unhappy with no life direction. I spent my days sleeping, crying, and making excuses for why I wasn’t going anywhere. I was stuck.  Then, I found Molly and Stratejoy and my life was “literally changed”. After being honest with myself and realizing what needed to be changed, I redirected my life.  I now spend my days working my way through school to become a high school guidance counselor, and high-fiving myself to self-motivation and success. My current obsessions are inspirational quotes, Dexter, playing Phase 10, Michael Bolton ballads, and Pancakes. You can find me doing the social media thing on Twitter and my blog.

 

 

About: The Quarterlife Bloggers

Mission: To create a vibrant community of courageous honesty– where every woman is accepted, empowered and inspired to live an authentically happy life on her own terms.


 Find out more about the QLC Bloggers.

WANNA BLOG FOR STRATEJOY?

Good news! We want you to blog for Stratejoy. We want to hear your thoughts, experiences, triumphs, rock bottoms, and lessons learned. We want you in our tribe, making new connections, sharing your big dreams, and admitting those scary fears. We. Want. YOU!

We currently have two opportunities for you to blog for us:

Be a Stratejoy Season 6 Blogger:
Love the QLC Bloggers? Do you feel super-connected to their journeys? Have you been wanting to share your story and get some female feedback from a supportive community? We’ll be recruiting SEASON 6 STRATEJOY BLOGGERS in February, just in time for a big March 2012 debut.  Application instructions and more details will be coming soon!

Be a Rockstar Guest Blogger:
Looking to guest post for Stratejoy, but not necessarily make the 5 month commitment? Already rocked your QLC and have some killer tips for the rest of our gutsy women? Are you in a rough patch in your life and feel consistently “stuck”? Are you a Stratejoy Blogger Alum from Season 1-5 and want to check in with a quick update? We’re looking for you!  February will be packed with kick-ass guest posts and there’s plenty of room for YOU!  Learn more about the Stratejoy Essay Contest.

Questions? Concerns? Want more info?  Shoot us a quick line, and we’ll help you out!

About: Team Stratejoy

Mission: To bring additional resources and fun to the community, build the tribe, and be appreciated for our unique talents.  Always taking applications for the Street Team!

Find out more about Team Stratejoy.

About: The Tribe aka YOU!

Want to get involved?  Join our community of Gutsy Girls who’ve chosen to Rock their Right Life, Right Now.

Why?  Because sometimes you’ve got to put your happiness first.  Believe me, it’s the very best thing you can for your relationships, your motivation, and your well being.

By joining the Tribe you’ll be surrounded by other motivated women who want to achieve maximum joy/success/fulfillment on their own terms. These are gals who are conquering the Quarterlife Crisis with a commitment to an Extraordinary Life.  And even more than making the commitment, they’re doing something about it.  They are kicking butt and taking names on their own terms.  How inspiring is that?

There are numerous ways to stay connected and join the Tribe whether you prefer face-to-face interaction or you’d rather mix and mingle via technology.

First, Introduce Yourself.  Hello out there!

I would love to hear from you.  Question, comments, amazing books I must read, women I need to connect with, what have you!  There are several different ways to find me and the rest of the Tribe.

  1. You can leave a message on the wall and join us on the Stratejoy Page on Facebook.
  2. You can @ me on Twitter.  Send me a little shout out & I’ll make sure I’m following you and introduce you around.
  3. You can send me an old fashioned email!  I’ve been drowning in spam lately, but my email address is very obvious — molly (at) stratejoy (dot) com!  You can also just contact me through the site.

Trust me when I say this — I would love to hear from each and every one of you.  If I don’t get back to you right away it just means I’m in Napa.  Or swimming laps.  Or hibernating in the magazine isle at Barnes and Noble.  Or teaching too many workshops at once and need some downtime with the Big Man.

I read every single email that hits my inbox, even if I’m not able to write you back.

Stay Connected

There are many ways to stay connected.  If you haven’t signed up for Jolts of Joy Newsletter, you’re missing out!  The twice monthly emails are full of  strategies for joy, special deals for my Tribe, videos, and hip happenings. You’ll get a free download of my Gutsy Girl’s Guide to Success when you sign up, as well as access to The Inner Circle Resources Page.  All you have to do is enter your name and email at the top of the left column. Oooh la la!

Spread the Love

If you dig the message of Stratejoy, I would love if you’d help spread the word.  Link it up, baby!  And feel free to share posts and events on your own blog or social network.  As long as you give us full credit and send a link back to the site, I’m happy to share.  Want to interview me for your site or blog?  Yes please.  Get in touch!  Together we can fuel this Authentic Happiness Movement.

Invest in some Awesomeness

Read to take the next step?  Dive into the online Joy Equation: A 30 Day Course to Living Life on Purpose or try Joy Juice, a years worth of positive journal prompts!  You can also check out other Stratejoy-approved Books and Course from the Store.

Want to work with me directly? I offer personal coaching for women of all ages, mentor business coaching for creative freelancers, coaches, or online entrepreneurs, and group coaching for those of you interested in either of the above, but are babes on a budget.