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The Road Trip, Part 3

posted 14th February 2011    Written by: Molly Mahar    CATEGORY: Events, Molly, Travel/Adventure

You guys!  It feels like it’s been ages since I wrote a personal post and updated you on what’s actually going on in my life.  HELLO LOVELY!!

So, to really get caught up- we’re going to have to resume the update after my whirlwind time conference hopping in November!  I wrote a bit about how I was recommitting to the trip and then seriously, 2 weeks later, I decided I needed a break from living out of Stella (our lovely car/home).  Not happy!  Not having fun!  Missing quiet time to work!  The final decision came in Florida after a miserable night of being eaten alive by invisible bugs and getting zero sleep and then having to take a cold shower.

I know it doesn’t sound completely tragic, but I was done.

The Big Man wasn’t done however…  With employees helping him keep his business running, he had found a better balance between traveling/playing/working than I had managed, and was having a blast on the trip!  So, although the trip was partly a “honeymoon”, we decided when we flew home to Index (1.5 hours outside of Seattle) for the holidays, I would just stay until I felt caught up and ready to rejoin him.

Why Index?  We don’t have a place in Seattle anymore, so it’s the only real home base we have right now!

Going Home

We had some magical snow and family time in the cabin, and then on January 12th, the Big Man flew back to Miami to rescue Stella from the slightly sketchy garage and head West. I flew off the next day to Big Sky to visit my parents and go skiing.  And then I cozied up in the Index cabin, launched the Season 4 Bloggers, started new coaching groups, got creative with my personal theme and goddess book, began working with 5 new one-on-one clients, and made some substantial progress on my new journaling program.  (Joy Juice!  Coming soonish!)

I also drank green smoothies every morning, meditated, and caught up with my pals and sister in Seattle over dinner parties, coffee dates, and hikes.

Did I get lonely without my husband in a cabin in the middle of nowhere?  Yes.

Did I feel like I got a handle on my business, my plans for 2011, sober January, and my friendships?  Yes.

Back on the Road

So where am I now? Well, at this exact moment, I’m typing this from our Best Man’s pool cabana in San Diego!  I flew down on Thursday to meet the Big Man and Stella and continue the West Coast portion of our trip.  It’s been gorgeous here.  I’ve eaten a million fish tacos, caught up with another sorority sister and her family (Hi Ang!), met all sorts of adorable kids, and cruised Pacific, Ocean, Solana, and Del Mar Beach.

Also, I absolutely love conducing coaching calls poolside.  Win.

What’s next? After being on the road for 3 months, I was “home” a bit over a month and a half, and now it’s looking like we’ve got another month ahead of us!  And then what?  Honestly, I have no idea.  With the flexibility we’ve both built for ourselves (hello location independence!) we could go anywhere…

Do YOU Live on the West Coast? I’m super looking forward to meet-ups in Los Angeles (probably this Thursday!), the Bay Area, and Portland in the next month.  Sorting out details now, but if you’d like to be on the invite list- just shoot me an email (molly (@) stratejoy (.) com) with your phone number so I can text out the plan!

And now…. The Photo Update you’ve been waiting for!

Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  A favorite place, for sure.

I’m a stationary whore.  Letterpress shops are my heaven.


As Fisherman and Geisha, we spent Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts in the middle of the madness.

Eating a block of Tea from 1773 (?) on our walking tour of Boston.

You know where…  Obligatory White House Photo Op!

On the water, just outside of Charleston.  And look!  Short sleeves!

Long Key State Park in the Florida Keys.  This is the Big Man’s version of heaven… Killer campsite, eh?

Good thing we like Long Key…. Got stuck there for 3 more days while Stella went to the “hospital”.


South Beach!  Sunshine! Art Deco everywhere!  Men who still catcall!

From the beach to our cabin in Index.  Shock to the system for sure!


Walking to the Post Office to mail Joy Equation Workbooks!  One of the exciting moments in my day…  :)


Chilling in Pacific Beach with my honey on Friday. And yes, a month was a long time to be apart!


Sunset at Solana Beach.  Love me some West Coast.

p.s.  I’m putting together a hand-picked Get It Off the Ground Group for Tuesday evenings (maybe 7 pm PST), starting in a month.  If you’re interested in applying – I’m doing intake calls this week and next.  I want the right group- really motivated, positive women.  You?  Get in touch.

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The Road Trip, Part 2

posted 29th October 2010    Written by: Molly Mahar    CATEGORY: Molly, Travel, Travel/Adventure

I’ve had a number of requests for more traveling/road-tripping pictures, so it goes!  This is in no ways completely representative of our trip-as I switch between my little Cannon Powershot (where these are from), my phone camera, and the Flip- and half the time I forget any of them!

We’ve been on the road 39 days, put over 5,000 miles on Stella, and have traveled through 16 states.  I’ve crashed with family all over the place, met up with new and old friends (Carolyn! Jason!  Julie & Drew! Kate! Ally! Megan and Mike! Danielle and Heidi!), rocked out with  Gutsy Girls at workshops in Chicago and Portland, and met guest bloggers and coaching clients in person. Love me some connections!

The Big Man and I have done a lot of camping in mostly deserted State Parks and stayed in a roadside motel or two so I can be on point for my Tuesday night Coaching Groups.  (Which are completely rocking my world, by the way!! Seriously, I’m IN LOVE with the women, and the forward movement, and the support.  New favorite offering, for sure!  More to come on future groups in the 2011).

We’ve crashed at a hostel, rented a tiny cottage in Maine, and are currently looking forward to Halloween weekend in Salem, MA with one of my sorority sisters from college.  And then it’s on to Philadelphia and Baltimore before I fly back to Seattle to speak at the Ladies Who Launch Dream it! Launch it! Live it! Conference, and then onto New York to attend Marie Forleo’s Rich, Happy, and Hot LIVE event. Honestly?  I’m a little tired thinking about all of it, but also so, so excited.

And with that…

What’s been my favorite stuff thus far?  Good Question.

Cities: Burlington, Vermont and Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Restaurants: Chino Latino in Minneapolis, Spice Market in NYC, Sonny’s in Portland, The Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, and some great Brunch place in Chicago that my cousin Annie and her hubby Ben took us to- but I can’t remember the name

Wounds: The unexplained Welt, the double-sided knee bruise

Sights: Autumn in New England.  Hands Down.

Parks: Yellowstone (always a classic for me!) and Acadia

We Survived Moments: Getting super sick in NYC (Ever had your tongue hurt?  Mine did…), the bulldogs charging Ken in Vermont (one of who’s name turned out to be Pipsqueak!), talking my sister through the Newark-Shuttle-Train-Subway route to C’s apartment, getting pulled over in Wyoming for speeding but not getting a ticket (my record is still clean! yay!)

And now…. The Photo Update!

Early Morning Bike Ride in East Harbor State Park, on Lake Erie

Having an Adult Beverage with some of the Chicago Gutsy Girls

Tobyhanna State Park in the Poconos (I know!  I’ve always heard of the Poconos! And I was there!)

Tweeting (or Google Mapping…) with my Seestar in Central Park

Hiking on the Appalachian Trail (or Long Trail as they call it in Vermont).  The colors!  Swoon!

The Kitchen!  Oatmeal and Coffee for Breakfast.

The Beehive Hike in Acadia National Park in Maine.  Absolutely stunning.

The Head Light in Portland with Julie, my fabulous workshop host and favorite new friend!

And I have to apologize for the quality of this last picture–The Big Man took it on this iPhone, in the dark, but it just cracks me up.  This is what we did on my 30th birthday….  Ate soup in the rain!  But don’t worry about me- I had a week of festivities in NYC coming up!

p.s.  The answer is YES!  I’m still shipping out Joy Equation Workbooks from the road.  Your postmark could come from anywhere!  If you haven’t taken the online course yet- It is an amazing place to start your Stratejoy Journey.    I just got the sweetest email from Diane in Missouri about her experience and wanted to share with you.  Perhaps it’s time to tackle your own Joy Plan, sugar?

Hi Molly- I had to send an email to personally thank you for the impact that the Joy Plan has had on me- IMMEDIATELY. I just finished the course and it has equaled a feeling of aliveness and excitement that is just. WILD! In the last few days, I’ve made changes and plans, adjustments and goals that have shifted my entire paradigm in a way that I can’t describe.

If you don’t hear this enough, hear it from me, you have created something that fosters strength and action in young women, motivations inside myself that I otherwise never would have tapped into, and strength to be myself, to honor my being and this blessing of existence.

I just HAD to thank you. You. Are. Amazing!

Safe travels, lots of love,
Diane

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The Road Trip, Part 1

posted 27th September 2010    Written by: Molly Mahar    CATEGORY: Molly, Travel/Adventure

Coming to you live from The Road… I’m sitting in the passenger seat of Stella (the attention-getting vehicle in which we’re traversing the country) catching the last rays of South Dakotan sunshine, while the Big Man continues driving on I-90.  This is the first real stretch of major highway we’ve done; the majority of our time has been spent on, alternately, winding national park byways and gorgeous stretches of virtually abandoned two lane highways.

I have a feeling that everything looks the same out here, however–whether we’re speeding along on I-90 or not…   That could be my lack of knowledge of South Dakotan scenery, or just the truth about this part of Middle America.

Either way, the Road Trip has started!  We’re trying to make Minnesota today, to catch friends in Minneapolis tomorrow, family in Milwaukee/Chicago the rest of the week, and still have time to work, coach and write before I teach in Chicago on the 2nd.

I’m not going to make all of my blog posts about this trip, since I realize that my strategy for joy at the moment is fairy unusual.  I mean, seriously, who decides that living out of their car is fun? For a honeymoon?  And a self-funded business tour?  Well, crazy people, like the Big Man and I, who have establishing location independent businesses for the last 2 years (well, he has two and one’s been around for a long time), just so we can DO THIS.

I’m sure we won’t do it forever.  But for now, it’s the open road.  And this blog post?  It’s going to be full of details of the day-to-day thus far so you can imagine what I’m doing. And if you want to see pics and get random updates about what I’m up to in real time- Twitter is the best place for that!

Anyway…

It’s Day 7.  We’ve made it a week on the road.  Nothing has been stolen, and besides a large, itchy, and unknown welt on my ribcage (spider bite perhaps?) we’re in perfect health. A great start to a trip whose length depends on how much we’re enjoying ourselves!

I’ve driven through a double rainbow in the middle of a dusky rainstorm, seen a moose family in Big Sky, taken gobs of pictures in Yellowstone, went country dancing in Cody, Wyoming, watched the evening lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore (and heard the Governor recognize their troops in a very touching speech and movie), hiked in 90 degree weather in the Badlands, and driven exactly 1908.2 miles as of *now*.

So what have I been up to?

We stayed with my parents in Montana for a few nights.  We hiked with my Dad, the Big Man fished, and I hung out with my mum at the school where she teaches.  It was the perfect way to ease into working from the road- I held coaching calls, looking out at the mountains from the back deck, and we had unlimited wi-fi access for 3 entire days!  I can already tell, the guestrooms (and couches!) we’ve been offered around the country are going to be vital for keeping things under control. A home base, a shower, access to a kitchen and the Internet.

Funny how you take them for granted until you don’t have them…

(What’s that?  You have a guestroom?  In Boston?  In upstate New York?  In Atlanta?  In Virginia Beach?  In New Orleans?  Oh, of course we’d love to stay with you!  We even cook and bring wine… Shoot me an email.  We can go to yoga together and plan a tweet up!)

The rest of the time we’ve been boon-docking, which is basically pulling Stella off onto some tiny road in the dark and crossing our fingers no one cares.  And yes, this means, no toilets in case you were wondering.  But, I’m from Montana!  I know how to squat…  TMI?  ;)

So, we’ve spent several nights in Stella (sleeping in the Autohome topper, cozy beneath our down comforter), waking up in a marina in Idaho, surrounded by Wyoming pinnacles, or on the lonely back roads of the Black Hills.  We’re eating diner breakfasts, found by driving through small towns until we find the most happening place at 7:30 am.  Lunch and dinner have mostly been remnants of our Seattle kitchen- leftover crackers, fruit, sandwiches and old cans of tuna and a motley assortment of bottled beer.

Sound glamorous?  You’re right, it’s not. But it’s also perfect for this leg of the trip.   I’m still in beginner mode…  I’m learning what it takes to be a real nomad AND be an effective business owner and coach to my awesome clients.  I’m learning how to truly appreciate the small pleasures in life- the glimpses of beauty that I’m sometimes moving too fast to appreciate…  Like these…

Stormy Dusk light on Highway 2 in Eastern Washington

Sunset in Yellowstone Park, near the Cody Entrance

I’m still trying to figure out how to balance all the various needs and desires I have for this trip… I want to be dedicated to my morning pages and yoga mat AND I want to jump in the car right away to find coffee and a place to brush my teeth.   I want to stay connected to all of you online and not miss a beat with Stratejoy AND I want to take long backpack trips into mountain ranges I’ve never seen before.  I want to be a brilliant speaker, author, and most of all coach- making an impact for women all over the world- AND I want to be anonymous artist, writing for the love of it, while traveling back roads in search of adventure and colorful locals.

Mix in the unique needs and desires of my husband (haha, still getting a kick out of that word!) and you have the recipe for a lot of discussions, compromises, and the occasional, “I seriously don’t care! I have a headache!  I need to get online TODAY!  I don’t care!  YOU DECIDE!!”

But you know what?  That’s what this trip is about.

It’s about figuring out how to make it work for both of us.  Learning to live in the moment.  Giving up some of the control I like to hold onto about what’s happening next… Reaching out to YOU, wherever you happen to live, and figuring out how to get together so we can plot world domination over red wine or soy lattes.

So, that’s the update, Tribe.

Living and learning and hoping that I find a shower at least every other day…

p.s.  There is ONE spot left in the Get If Off the Ground Group, starting next Tuesday!  NEXT TUESDAY OCTOBER 5! And still a few for the Deliberate Living Group (which I’m personally really excited about).  Join me?  You and I (and 5 other radical gals) will get to talk on the phone once a week for 10 WEEKS! And kick some ass with supported forward movement.  And then we’ll have to have a slumber party and braid each other’s hair because we’re going to get that close…  It’s a good thing.  You’ll see!

p.p.s.  I’m starting the amazing  Declaration of You eCourse with Michelle Ward and Jessica Swift on October 25th!  A girls gotta do her own personal work, ya know?  Want to come along?  I’d love to see you over there, alongside me.  (Yes.  Affiliate Link.  I absolutely adore Michelle and Jess and know that whatever they put together is going to rock our socks off, so I’m simply thrilled to share with you… )

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Big Dreams Coming True and Stratejoy Road Trip!!

posted 30th July 2010    Written by: Molly Mahar    CATEGORY: Events, Inspiration, Job/Career/Work, Molly, Stratejoy the Biz, Travel/Adventure

In my own Joy Map (the cumulative page in the Joy Equation Course), circa 2008,  I wrote,  “Big Picture 10 Year Goals:  2 trips a year, get hitched and have babies, own a green home in Seattle with a garden, piano, and studio, have a vacation cabin in the middle of nowhere, be a Seattle 40 under 40 winner, fluent in Spanish, and roadtrip through the US writing a book about extraordinary women and get it published”.

Pretty large living for a girl who was broke, had a tiny business idea that she was scared to share, and didn’t know a damn thing about actually “making it happen”. I’m a dreamer….  What can I say?

Reality check midway through 2010.

THIS IS MY BIG NEWS!

More details will be coming soon, but I couldn’t keep it under wraps any longer.  The Big Man and I are hitting the road in September in our Honda CRV with a Autohome topper to spread our various messages/passions/livelihoods.   His latest venture’s not completely ready to roll, but here’s the sneak peek!

I’ll be continuing to spread the Stratejoy message by teaching workshops like this and this all over, leading coaching groups over the phone (as well as continuing to work with private clients), working on new product launches, and yes, interviewing inspirational women in their 20′s & 30′s for some sort of book/video project.

Stratejoy hits the road! Woo’ freakin’ Hoo!

Home base will be Stella (the CRV),  various couches, national parks, a hotel room here or there, and perhaps, your guest room?  We’ll be on the road for as long as it’s still fun.  Could be 3 months, could be a year… I won’t be gone, though I may shorten my working week to 3 days, so I can play and explore (offline).  So don’t worry, love.  I’m still just a phone call, email, tweet away.

I cannot wait to meet the Tribe.  I can’t wait to eat local delights, take a million photos, and share the passion I have for living life on OUR OWN TERMS, measured by our own definition of success.  I can’t wait to meet you! And hear your story face-to-face.  And share a coffee, or a glass of wine, or an adventure.

I can’t breathe sometimes.  That’s how excited I am.

So, the question is–   How can you get involved?  Well, I’m going to need an rockstar Street Team to help plan the local events. If you’re interested in bringing a Stratejoy Workshop to your town, EMAIL ME  (molly @ stratejoy [.] com) immediately.  I’ll put you on the “inner circle” list.   In fact- title your email “Inner Circle”!!  Details will be going out soon. And of course, nothing is set in stone yet.  You’re not committing yourself by emailing, just declaring your interest in finding out more!

What are you getting yourself into? Here’s a couple of pics from the event I did in DC !

[[  above  ]]  Kimberly Wilson sharing her awesomeness with the group! She is the creative director and founder of tranquil space – named among the top 25 yoga studios in the world by Travel + Leisure, author of hip tranquil chick and tranquilista, and holds a Master’s in Women’s Studies.  She rocked our socks for 60 minutes.

[[  below  ]]  They look all sweet and innocent, but these ladies just spent the day plotting world domination and major happiness.  The battle cry, “Joy for all” rang out, loud and clear.

Other ways to get involved? If you know (or are) a Quarterlifer with an amazing, inspirational story, email me so I can make sure I plan my route to include an interview with you!   Or if you want to take me out for a cocktail at your favorite bar, email me!  Or if you want to hook me up with your uncle who has the killer beach house and loves house guests, email me! Or, or , or!!!   JxesSDFfdseHEeserRs!!!   Can’t talk.   Too excited.  Channeling @nicoleisbetter.

One of the only sad bits about making this dream come true?  Leaving Seattle for an extended amount of time.  I’m teaching my last local workshop on the 15th and have already said goodbye to my amazing, awesome Club ReFresh girls.  Sniff…

[[  below  ]]   Andria fulfilling one of her big dreams: becoming a pro belly dancer and instructor!  You can take a class with her in Seattle.  I’m SOO in when I get back.   Check it out.

Moral of this rather long post?  Dreams come true. We make our own luck, so get clear about what you want, keep your positive intentions handy, and have faith.  Take a step forward, even when you’re scared.  Don’t be afraid of being brilliant, of your amazing juicy life, or working hard to make it all happen.

And if you need some encouragement, I’m here.  In spirit, on the intraweb, and soon enough, in the flesh.

To the Road Trip!

photo credit : daredarlington

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The Fine Line Between Bending and Breaking

posted 18th May 2010    Written by: Nicole Antoinette    CATEGORY: Love/Relationships, Nicole Antoinette, Season 2, What I've Learned

I’ve been thinking a lot about boundaries lately, about the point where I end and everything else begins, and about how to let people in in a way that’s far enough but not too far.

I bring this up in conversation one afternoon, during hour three of a six hour road trip, and he tells me that I’m better at setting boundaries than I think I am.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

He tells me.

While he talks, I drive. I drive, and he reminds me that our entire weekend was a web of boundaries. Emotional boundaries, like deciding to date exclusively. Geographic boundaries, like driving from San Francisco to Oregon to cross another state off my list. Physical boundaries, like trying things in bed that we had never tried before.

As he talks, I realize that he’s right. I also realize that with him, I’ve been able to set warm and comfortable boundaries that inch along as time passes and as we change. I realize that our boundaries are soft enough to be malleable as we outgrow them, but hard enough not to let us grow too quickly.

And I decide that this is the most important part of any relationship: setting boundaries that are tight enough to contain you, but not so tight that you suffocate within them.

Our conversation slips to silence and I think.

I think about the ways in which I am stubborn and the ways in which I am flexible. I notice that I am stubborn about how information is shared; I like to tell the other person things on my own terms. I notice, though, that I am flexible on how I absorb information. Communication is communication when I’m on the receiving end.

We keep driving. City to city, little boundary after little boundary, and I think about which parts of myself I’m willing to bend for other people and about which people I’m willing to bend them for. Then, I wonder where the fine line is between bending and breaking. I ask myself, “When are we holding two sides of the same wishbone, pulling on it gently, and when have we snapped it, leaving each person with only one uneven half?”

He stirs the silence. We talk about the learning curve that comes with removing a previous boundary and establishing a new one. I tell myself that you have to break in new boundaries like you’d break in new shoes, and that the key to making any relationship work is to honor the learning curve and let yourself become naturally accustomed to the new framework.

I nod quietly to myself about all of the times I’ve jumped too soon, all of the times when I went from boundary A to boundary F without touching all the letters in between, and I see that each time, I wound up dizzy and covered in learning curve blisters on the other side.

I realize, though, that I’m stubborn about loving these blisters, the ones that have since turned to scars, because they remind me that we can cross boundaries too quickly and yet still always manage to find our way back.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

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