ART OF THE START: Women led startups rockin’ the creative space. October 29, 2014

I'm really looking forward to an upcoming meetup in Boulder, CO with SheSays BOCO. 

There's always something new to learn and be inspired by successful women in creative.

Some of you may know I'm on the leadership committee for SheSays Boulder Meetup.
We have a new event coming up in October 29, 2014.

The Art of the Start: 

Wednesday, October 29, 2014
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Galvanize Boulder
1035 Pearl St, 5th Floor, Boulder, CO

This month we’re tapping into the powerful creative & entrepreneurial energy that makes up Boulder.  Bringing you inside some of the coolest new companies around that are bridging the gap between technology and art.
Join us, 40 Forward, and Galvanize for an amazing panel of women Founders in the creative space: Ali De John, Founder of The Makerie, Erika Trautman, Founder of Rapt Media and Char Genevier, Founder of The Cotery will be talking about how they started, how they’ve grown, and what they've learned in their journey as entrepreneurs in the creative space.
There’s an art to startups and these awesome ladies definitely have an eye for it.


MEET OUR SPEAKERS
ALI DEJOHN
Ali DeJohn has an unwavering love for anything handmade, homemade and everything cozy. Finding it difficult to carve out concentrated creative time in her own life, she started a creative retreat called the Makerie to give people the precious time she could rarely find.
What started as just a dream in her heart has continued to grow beyond her wildest imagination, igniting and nurturing creative sparks in people around the world. To date, she has produced 12 creative retreats and is now working on several brand new exciting partnerships with fabulous companies to expand the creative retreat idea to broader audiences.
Ali feels incredibly lucky to live in beautiful Boulder, Colorado with her incredibly supportive husband, two amazing young children and the sweetest golden retriever.
CHARLOTTE GENEVIER
A coder since the age of 15, Char Genevier has been building companies for the majority of her life. Char is the CTO and Founder of The Cotery, a platform for fashion designers to design, crowd-fund, and manufacture unique clothing lines without the upfront costs and complications of traditional overseas manufacturing.
Char attended Harvey Mudd College for theoretical math, but left to devote her full attention to building SocialEngine, a white-label social networking platform that she bootstrapped through TechStars Boulder.
Char loved the Boulder startup scene so much that she relocated there from LA in 2011. Char spends a good portion of her free time volunteering for several non-profits in the Boulder area, and is extremely passionate about drawing more women into technical and entrepreneurial fields. 

ERIKA TRAUTMAN
Erika Trautman is passionate about the evolution of online storytelling. With successful careers as a writer, producer, editor, and director, she understands the importance of story in any communication, and yet has been disappointed with online video's inability to rise to its potential. 

So in 2011, she founded Rapt Media to change all of that. Since then, she has built and grown a business that is positioned at the top of emerging video technologies, shared the stage with folks like Sheryl Sandberg, and solidified partnerships with powerhouse companies in media, top-tier brands and agencies and Fortune 500 enterprises. 

Before Rapt Media, she founded and ran an Emmy Award Winning Production company, Outlier Films, and worked as an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Her work has aired on major networks, cable and PBS, and been shown at various film festivals.



WHEN & WHERE   
6:00-7:00 Mingling (Wine & Snacks) 
7:00-8:00 Presentation and Q&A 
 ***@ GALVANIZE BOULDER***  


SUPPORT SHESAYS: SPONSORSHIP WELCOME  
Want to help a great group of ladies in digital in Boulder? You can help us provide quality programming to our group of over 460 women. Let's chat. mandy@beboldstudio.com

 

A little bit about SheSays Boulder

We bring women working in all facets of digital together in a supportive network of creatives, technologists, entrepreneurs, and marketers.

SheSays Boulder is one of over 25+ SheSays chapters around the world. In just 4 years, our Boulder chapter has grown to one of the largest, with nearly 600 women.

SheSays holds events where top females in the digital industry share their ideas while helping each other thrive and advance their careers.

Our goal is to have 50% of company leaders be women. It’s an international organization that holds events where top females in the industry share their thoughts and help other women work their way up.

Our evens are about 2 hours long with one hour for networking and the next hour of content and Q&A with the speakers. Events tend to bring in 35-50 and our larger events have 150+ women in attendance.

SheSays is the only global creative network for women in digital.
London, New York, Sf, La, Boulder, Seattle, Dallas, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne, Brighton, Scotland, Montevideo, Vancouver, Chicago, Central PA

Ninja Yoga - Yoga Adventure - Rock Climbing Colorado

Ninja Yoga - Online Power Yoga Class with Kyle Weiger

It's nice to have options for a new yoga flow. Thanks Kyle at Yoga Download. 

Views from the Yoga Adventure hike at North Table Mountain, near Golden Colorado with Lucy Ann Clark RYT

After 12 years of yoga practice at home it's a good mix to have classes at a near by yoga studio, like The Yoga Pod in Boulder, CO, as well as some mix it up versions for home practice.  I put them on my iPad and play them in my living room. Haven't figured out how to stream to my Playstation 3 or Xbox 360.
Anyone have advice for yoga on those systems? Please write your comments below.

Namaste,
Lucy Ann Clark, RYT.
http://www.santoshaschool.com

Yoga Adventure

I'm offering Yoga Adventure 1/2 day sessions in Golden, CO at North Table Mountain. It's a beautiful hike up to the top plateau. Ask me about your next Yoga Adventure in Colorado.

Steve Thomas Rock Climbing Guide at
North Table Mountain, Golden, CO

Rock Climbing with Steve Thomas

Combine a 1/2 day rock climbing trip with Steve Thomas. What could be better than yoga and rock climbing. It's a perfect Colorado combination. Learn the trails, yoga postures and climb routes.  It's great to be inspired from knowledgeable enthusiasts.  We love this place and want to share it with you.  Visit http://steve.7ucy.com or http://www.santoshaschool.com to contact either of us to set up your next adventure in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico

Yoga on top of North Table Mountain, Golden, Colorado

Lucy Ann Clark, RYT in Ardha Matyendrasana, Lord of the Half Fishes Pose

Tech and business presence online discussions by Lucy Clark

Check out Lucy Ann Clark with the latest free Tech and Business tips from the SEO and Marketing expertise. Stay tuned for more live broadcasts with Google Live. Take advantage of the latest Video SEO assistance with Google Search and Keywords to boost site traffic. I welcome your comments and questions for future broadcasts. Thanks and have an awesome day.

Yoga -- the love-hate relationship in 3 steps

I offer you a very helpful way to discover the love-hate relationship of yoga in easy 3 steps.  

First, we need to understand, it's the union of those opposites.  For all those of you out there that love yoga, that is wonderful and I commend you on your practice.  But we should also understand there will be times when you hate it.  This is a perfectly acceptable reaction to yoga, but there may be more to it.  For those of you at the 'hate' end of the spectrum, who have decided that you do not wish to practice, I say question that feeling.  Then, and only then, can we practice yoga in it's authenticity with equanimity.

Poster created by Lucy Clark to inspire
her yoga students at Santosha School of Yoga.

There is the physical challenge in the yoga class, to 'be' with your body and mind, in all the effort and at the same time, find ease in the postures. To be okay where ever your body allows.  It's not necessarily a matter of 'like'.  There is also a sort of kickass grace that arises, but you may also have experienced an unmotivated instructor, or a poorly designed class on that day.  I suggest you need to evaluate a yoga class.  When you are in class, look to see if your body has been pushed too far toward pain, or if you are not encouraged to listen to your body and rest in child's pose.  Then, perhaps that particular class is not true yoga or beneficial to you.  It may be that it's not suited for your encouragement and growth.  Different classes address different needs.  
I am offering to you this concept: there will be days of hate and of love for your yoga.  That is its nature and that is what will be for you.  Your journey is unique and not like the path of other's.

Second step is to question:  Do you feel less stressed and relaxed afterwards?  Do your muscles ache in places that other fitness programs can't access?  Do you walk taller and more confident?  Do you find there is a discovery of, "Hey, wow, I didn't know my body could do that"?  Does this yoga inspire you to pursue more yoga?  Do you hear words of encouragement or spiritual nuggets of advice from the teacher or yourself?  Are you okay with yourself when you can't do a posture?  Does the ego puff up when you can achieve a yoga posture?  Yoga teaches us to witness.  I am here to remind you, it's a process of being what is, and it's not easy to face ourselves day in and day out on the mat.  I have, on occasion, wanted to run so far away from my mat, from my practice, that I didn't think I could be with myself in that moment, that emotion, that thought, but I stuck with it.  I have grown to appreciate that part of the "hate" process.  In time, you may too, but be prepared for the raw, invasive aspects of the yoga practice.  The proverbial butterfly that set off the tsunami.  I say this to encourage you to stay with it, your discipline and diligence in yoga is worth it.

If none of this strikes a chord for you, don't worry.  I offer for you to stay motivated and try another yoga class or studio.  In fact, try several variations, different instructors, and different times of the day.  The body reacts differently in the AM vs PM.  You may find you have energy for a more strenuous practice in the evening if you're seeking physical results.  The AM will be more for the mind to handle.  Things may come up for you.  As an example: "I know I can do better" or "I know that this shouldn't be so hard" or "I don't feel very flexible".  These judgements and labels don't necessarily serve you.  They may be based on what we feel others would think of our practice. Please know that this is human nature, but I am here to offer another perspective.  Treat yourself with compassion, encouragement and gentleness.  Our own mind is our most severe critic.  Perhaps you can replace that dialog with a more friendly approach.  It's a choice to move toward the positive nature and not let anything stand in your way. Yoga is also like massage therapy; you need to try a few therapists.  Some will beat you up, some will not do anything for your sore muscles and some are just right leaving you refreshed and ready to face the next week. 

Your third step is to find what you relatively enjoy (love/hate) in your fitness and stick with it, it may not be yoga.  You may also question what you are looking for in your yoga.  There's a lot of scientific evidence that it can make you look and feel younger, alleviate illnesses/injuries and give you a more supple, svelte body... but so can a combination of other workouts.  Feed YOUR soul, not the souls of your peep's.  

The 3 steps of yoga. (A shortened version of understand, question and enjoy diligence)
1. Get on your mat. 
2. Be okay with what arises. 
3. Do it again tomorrow. 

Having dedicated 11 years of practice, 6 years to teaching vinyasa yoga, and 3 years producing this blog, can you tell I'm an enthusiast?  Yoga is the journey that will sustain you for a lifetime of truly living.  When you seek to know what makes you tick, when you must see what is over the next hill, yoga gives you the opportunity to let go of your past, not to strive toward the future, but to be in the present moment.  When life gets difficult, yoga will teach you that 'this too shall pass'.   It will give you the courage to face life's challenges and at the same time really enjoy all that you have and don't have.  Be the practice, through the love and hate.

Wishing you love and light, namaste.