Two and half years ago, Laura Milne made the leap into entrepreneurship with her own wellness business and now she is the co-host of the The Luscious Living Podcast; a platform helping millennial women learn how to confidently ditch their 9 to 5 career stress to find purpose and a paycheck in their side hustle. 

Today she's sharing her personal journey on how she created the career and life she wanted and how she’s helping other boss babes break through their mental barriers in order to live lives that are full of optimal health, passion and happiness. So grab a cup of tea, sit back and welcome to Luscious Living - A Gold Lining behind the scenes edition.

Q&A

Can you tell us a bit about your background? I’m was a Bio major and Medical Research Assistant turned Pediatric nurse at a busy Children’s Hospital. I suffered with acute kidney failure as a child and from a young age I always felt it was my place to care for sick kids, and I did that full time for 5 years. Two and half years ago I made the leap into entrepreneurship with my own wellness business and now I co-host The Luscious Living Podcast, helping millennial women learn how to confidently ditch the 9 to 5 career stress to find purpose and a paycheck in their side hustle.  

What was your "gold lining" that lead you down this career path? I made my entrepreneurial leap at 32 weeks pregnant, not exactly an ideal time to take on a second ‘business baby,’ but I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as perfect timing. In fact, I believe overthinking is one of the greatest obstacles to success in life and business. If you wait until you’re ready, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life. The ‘right time’ usually comes right before you’re ready.  

What is your creative process like? What inspires you today? The Luscious Living Podcast was started as a way to share meaningful conversations with other movers, shakers, and goal diggers. Nothing inspires me more than the heartfelt, uncensored girl chats we have on the podcast; sharing hard lessons learned, laughter and badass boss babe ambitions.

What has been the most exciting moment in your career to date? Watching those I mentor experience their own successes. Many people mistakenly think entrepreneurship is about making money, but the money is really just a byproduct of being of service, of helping solve one else’s problem for them.

How has the space changed since you first entered? Do you see any trends within the holistic/wellness entrepreneurial space? Niche is everything, and valuable content is king. Even 2-3 years ago a new health coach or wellness influencer could promote a ‘clean eating’ program, or ‘healthy living’ as their elevator pitch and they’d probably be successful.  That’s just not the case anymore. The market for coaching and wellness services is by no means saturated, but the consumer is far savvier and they want to know that you are going to solve their specific problem. They want to know, like and trust you before they sign on. Niching down to serve a very specific group of people is the key to creating a relevant brand and it’s also way more fulfilling for the coach because you get to specialize and talk about the thing that lights you up.

Can you share more on the "You Economy?" The You Economy is everything, it’s our future in a nutshell.  One Tony Robbins quote that has always stuck with me, “To really get yourself on the road to financial freedom, the first step really is deciding you’re no longer just going to be a consumer. You’re going to be an owner…. You’ve got to decide,instead of being the chess piece, I’m going to become the chess player.”  

The You Economy is about taking stock of your talents, skill set, and passions, and creating work for yourself that is fulfilling and in alignment with your desired lifestyle. Entrepreneurship has existed for thousands of years but never has there been a time of unprecedented opportunity for ANYONE to jump on board like there is today. Technology and social media have made the barrier of entry exceptionally low and the income potential limitless. Millennials make up over 50% of the work force and 2 out of 3 believe that entrepreneurship is their path to security and career fulfilment.Those jumping into the You Economy are enjoying more control over their income and how they spend their time compared to the average employee. New entrepreneurs and side hustlers are shaping our world into a better place because creativity and being of service to others always precedes success in the you economy.

In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up? My number one trick to get myself back on track and out of a self-doubt funk is to express gratitude for how far I’ve come. I’m also a numbers nerd so I always have multiple spreadsheets tracking my profits, social media engagement, and newsletter subscribers, etc. Sometimes your ego just wants cold hard facts, and remembering that I started with a following of zero, negative start up capital, and no sweet clue what I was doing puts my successes into sharp focus and reminds me that I CAN hit my next goal.

You seem like a real seeker when it comes to wellbeing and spirituality, have you always been that way? God no. I grew up going to church every Sunday, but by high school I really didn’t feel in alignment with anything that was being preached. I considered myself an atheist for most of my 20’s and really just completely ignored anything and everything I deemed ‘spiritual’ or ‘woo woo’.  It was the combination of financial stress and overwhelming self-doubt in my late 20’s that really pushed my to seek answers, and understand what is fulfilling to me. My spiritual journey started with reading the works of Eckhart Tolle as well as Byron Katie and from there I fell down the proverbial rabbit hole of personal development. Now three years later, I can barely comprehend the self conscious, ego driven, bitchy sad girl I once was. I used to roll my eyes if someone talked about manifesting goals, now I can’t even start my day until I’ve poured every thought and dream into a journal. Lol.

What’s your best advice for all those people who want to follow in your footsteps? Be patient with yourself. Your business WILL be successful. It will take 3x longer, cost you 3x more and require 100x the effort you thought it would. Even then, It will be worth it.

When it comes to sales, you’re belief in yourself and your sense worth is more important than the size of your email list, or the number of Instagram followers or subscribers you have. Confidence and conviction in your message will resonate to your audience far better than any fancy marketing tricks.

What quotation or saying inspires you and motivates you to be yourself and do what you love? “Being cool has nothing to do with age; it has to do with how solid your identity is.” - Gary Vaynerchuk

Fun Facts

• What's your zodiac sign? Leo!
• Recent discovery? Facial Reflexology!  I have a standing monthly appointment with my reflexologist (we had her on The Luscious Living Podcast Episode #28 to share why facial reflexology is the new botox!) and not only does it do wonders for my complexion and dark circles, but I leave feeling completely in alignment and totally blissed out!
• What is your philosophy on self care? What would you say is your number one self care tip? Self-care is non-negotiable. Before I had my daughter, I thought self-care meant splurging on a massage now and then...oh man, so wrong. Self-care is a conscious choice to honor yourself, your energy, and your purpose throughout each and every day.  My self-care is anchored in my morning routines.  I’m a 5 am club fanatic!  What started out as a way to get a little “me time” before my baby woke up has become my most cherished time of day.  A quiet house, hot cup of tea, my journal, and stillness.  Learning to get up at 5 am wasn’t easy, in a way it still isn’t, but on the rare occasion I don’t get up at 5am I always end up feeling like a hot mess the rest of the day, and I know it’s because I didn’t start out right.  Reading Mel Robbins’ 5 Second Rule was really what pushed me to start getting up at 5am - it’s not a productivity thing - it’s sacred, protected  “me time”.

Interested in following Laura's journey? Head on over to @embraceabundance on Instagram!