Joy First®

I Spent Six Months Fighting Over Three Shades of Grey. Here's Why It Actually Mattered. Picture this: I'm VP of brand at a tech startup, locked in a battle with our UI/UX designer over whether our app's greys should be warm or cold. She's insisting on blue-based greys: Apple does it, all the big tech brands do it, so obviously it's correct for technology, right? Wrong. And today I'm going to de-co...

I spent over a decade searching for a way to ensure when my clients invested in rebranding, ROI was guaranteed. (not just making something new or pretty for the sake of new or pretty) As a serial entrepreneur as well as a branding expert, I've always had extremely high standards for how, where and when brand is worth investing in... and extremely high expectations for the kind of return I want to...

This Week I Discovered Something That Will Change How You Think About Customer Psychology Forever Twenty minutes. That's all it took for me to go from casual observer to completely bought-in advocate of a brand I'd barely heard of before. No pressure tactics, no manufactured urgency, just pure value, delivered with integrity. Last week I experienced the psychology of a Joy First brand in real time...

During the Great Depression, Cosmetic Sales Rose 28% While banks failed and bread lines formed in 1929, the beauty industry became the fourth largest industry in North America. In 2008, as the economy collapsed, Lego achieved record profits. During the 2020 pandemic, the pet industry exploded with 16% growth. What did these industries have in common? They weren't selling products: they were sellin...

This is a special, intimate, informal storytelling episode. After a full season of sharing other peoples' stories of finding Joy First ways of working, I thought I would share mine - especially since as of tomorrow I am now officially celebrating 20 years in business!! Want to watch the Video version? Visit my Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FbNQEVjn5/ Hosted on Acast. See acas...

"You'll Be an Urn Someday" - The Most Beautiful Business Story You've Never Heard I can't wait for you to meet today's guest. Jennifer Waters and I first connected nine years ago when she joined one of my very first online programs. She had a pet photography side-hustle, and she was desperate to escape a toxic marriage and build financial independence as a single mom I knew I really liked Jennifer...

"I Don't Think I Can Do This Anymore" In this beautifully revealing, intimate conversation, Carrie Green opens up about the darkest period of her business journey. In this episode Carrie shares with us the most generous and honest reflection on entrepreneurial burnout that I've ever heard. Having founded the Female Entrepreneur Association (FEA) in 2011 (which she grew into 7-figure business with...

Building a Joy First Career as a Non-conforming Creative Today I'm sitting down with Ruth, the brilliantly creative mind who, when asked what her current job title is, replies with a laugh, "Today we're going with digital product strategist." This sense of fun sets the tone for our entire conversation about what happens when you follow joy instead of rigid business rules. Ruth's journey from corpo...

"If It Ain't Joyful, I Ain't Doing It" Today I'm sharing what might be the most important conversation of this entire Joy First season. I had the incredible honor of sitting down with Rha Goddess – organizational soul coach, author, and one of the wisest voices I've encountered on the subject of intentional, purpose-driven work. This conversation couldn't be more timely. As we navigate economic un...

When You Follow Your Joy, It Won't Steer You Wrong Today I'm chatting with one of my business besties, Nicole, who embodies everything this season of Joy First is about. After spending 13 years as a zookeeper making just over $30K/year at the peak of her career, Nicole started a family which led into a pivot into entrepreneurship. Since those first nervous steps into life as a photographer, she's...

Today I'm breaking my own rules We're spotlighting 5 dudes who've significantly influenced my Joy First ® way of working. I'm 100% committed to amplifying women's voices, but today I'm giving a shout-out to a few men who have shaped my approach to creating the freedom-filled, joy-centered business I run today. From the pioneer of psychology-driven marketing to the spiritual CEO who helped me final...

What if your frustration isn't a sign of weakness but wisdom ? What if your body knows something your mind hasn't yet recognized? In this episode of Joy First, we are diving deep with Human Design business strategist Jazze Jervis into a revolutionary approach to work and life that challenges everything you've been taught about productivity and success. What we discovered might explain why certain...

Is the key to business success hustling harder or focusing deeper? In this episode of Joy First, I sit down with Paige who challenges the frantic, scattered approach that leaves so many entrepreneurs exhausted. We deep dive into her #1 productivity hack (which isn't a hack at all) — and discuss the how's and why's of the freedom it's created for her. During our conversation, Paige shares the momen...

Well Season 1 has come to an end - thanks for joining us! Season 2, 'Joy First ways of Working' will be back March 12th 🧡 Learn more about Founders Circle: https://go.joyfirstworld.com/JFFC Previous Episodes Mentioned: Joy vs. Evil Finding Winter Joy with Colour and Ayurveda 10 Joy Recipes for the New Year Visit the Previous Podcast: Joy Colour Impact & Dogs: ( on iTunes ) & (on spofity )...

Have you ever stopped to think about how the colours you wear, see, and surround yourself with shape the way you feel—and how others see you? Now... how about how they relate to the colour of your skin? Join Dr. Lynne Maureen Hurdle , Justin Nai'im Hurdle-Price and I for a deep, thought-provoking conversation about how colour intertwines with identity, race, culture, and self-expression. Together,...

What can it look like to put joy back in our relationship with Food? In my Joy First journey I've definitely embraced comfort food and that food is a REALLY important part of my joy... so I think this conversation is SUPER important. So today we're chatting with Laura Lacey Nutritionist and Health Coach for Women (specializing in Perimenopause & Menopause) Laura believes in wellness, nutrition...

How about we skip the New Year's Resolutions this year and instead get real about the practical how-to's of finding and prioritizing joy amidst the challenges of entrepreneurship and family life? Today we've got ten road-tested, simple but powerful recipes for making joy easier to find, choose and share each day. If you're ready to shrug off the expectations society, our families and friends put o...

Dr. Janna shares how to navigate darker, colder months that often have a negative impact on our mental and physical well-being. Together we explore the symptoms and causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and we unpack light, colour, and nature's powerful role in lifting our mood and supporting our overall health during winter. Dr. Janna shares her unique approach to well-being, a blending of...

In response to recent announcement, in which it named 'Mocha Mousse' the 2025 Colour of the Year, we've pulled this special episode from our previous show: 'joy, colour, impact and dogs'... In a nutshell, my opinion on about glorifying this delicious shade of brown is: yes please, especially if it takes us further away from our obsession with grey. This topic gets me super fired-up because grey is...

In this episode, I’m exploring the magic of the holiday season and how traditions, colour psychology, and personal expression can help create more meaningful celebrations. As Christmas approaches, I reflect on how the holidays often amplify both joy and stress and why it's so important to redefine traditions in ways that feel authentic to you. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, that’s completely ok...

Today I want to offer some context for joy in the 'fight against evil'. Yeah, it might sound a bit dramatic, but sadly it resonates right now given current events. Where is joy's role in the face of adversity, particularly in the context of political and social turmoil? I want to acknowledge that this episode might feel 'too soon', but I hope you come back to it when you're ready. While it may see...

Episode 3: Colour Joy Your Closet – Unlocking the Power of Intentional Dressing What if the colours you wear could bring you joy, energy, and confidence every day? In this episode, Nic invites you to reimagine “dopamine dressing”—not just as a fleeting trend, but as a meaningful, joy-first practice. Instead of focusing on fashion, we’re exploring how aligning your wardrobe with your personality ty...

Overcoming the harmful 'One Size Fits All' Mythology In this episode, Nic explores the importance of finding 'fit' in marketing, and in life. She discusses the lack of nuance in discussions around how to be more happy or how to leverage the insights from positive psychology. She explains how understanding your unique personality type can give you insight into your personal joy profile, which can l...

Welcome to the very first episode of the Joy First podcast This show starts in the way it means to go in: with science, inspiration and a powerful case for the importance of joy in our individual lives and workplaces, as well as our communities. In this episode, Nic introduces the idea that joy is a revolutionary act and a powerful tool for personal and societal change. Drawing on insights from va...

We live in a world where 24/7 we are sold a million different versions of happiness... ...Nearly all of which require us to constantly be more, do more, and especially buy more . On top of that, we are constantly told that our safety is at stake: politicians, newscasters and marketers use fear mongering tactics to fuel flames of outrage and division… Exploiting our fear of rejection, our fear of f...