I would like to invite you to connect with me on social media on: Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lifestyledesigneroninsta/  Facebook @thelifestyleemporiumtribe  The website:  www.thelifestyleemporium.ch which offers both learning experiences,  personal mentorship and counselling sessions. You can book a FREE discovery call here. You can read the show notes on the Lifestyle Emporium blog. Until next time friends! Music Credits: Still Awake by Ghostrifter Official | https://soundcloud.com/ghostrifter-officialMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unportedhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

The Value of Women Across Generations and How we Need Each Other "Women of all generations I would like to remind you of your worth and the unique gift that you are to the world. This is not a superficial cheerleader pep talk – this is a reminder of your identity and your purpose. It is a reminder of the many battles fought and conquered before. We are women with a mission and meaning far beyond our current situation." For the full podcast transcript, visit: https://www.thelifestyleemporium.ch/blog ACTION: Firstly, take a look at yourself. What are you good at or what resources do you have which could use to bring about something positive in another’s life. Secondly, put your talents to good use. I think it is always wise to start in our home with your family – but don’t just stay there. Make a list of women that you could encourage in a practical way: through a phone call, a note of encouragement, cooking a meal or buying a product from a small business – better yet – making a generous donation or investment. Make the list and make a habit of doing this daily. Yes – daily. Finally, let’s start a conversation. I love hearing what is on heart tell me where you feel stuck, how you have accomplished breakthrough, or how you think you could serve others. I am passionate to connect people with each other or to resources that may be helpful in their journey. Get in touch, I would love to hear from you. Time to Connect I would like to invite you to connect with me also on social media: Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lifestyledesigneroninsta/ Facebook @thelifestyleemporiumtribe : https://www.facebook.com/thelifestyleemporiumtribe.  You can also reach me through my website: www.thelifestyleemporium.ch which offers both learning experiences and mentorship and my contact details should you want to get in touch, ask questions or make a special request if there is something on your heart which we can discuss on this podcast. I look forward to hear from you.

I am delighted to welcome you to episode 5 of the The Lifestyle Emporium Podcast:  Connection, Creativity Faith as an Antidote to Fear. My name is Ellen Meyer This is your new gathering place, a hub of fresh encounters, inspiration, courage and life skills that will help you realize and fulfil the purpose that you have been created for – while living in joy and abundance throughout the journey. Here is an outline of my action plan to wring absolutely every bit of wonderful out of this time that we have been given. I have divided it into three phases: 1) A Time to Connect 2)  A time of Planning and Preparation and 3) Time to Play A Time to Connect: Our thoughts and our words matter. Positivity, optimism and faith will need to replace panic and fear and is the first and most essential utensil in your toolbox. This is a deliberate mindset that we may need to clothe ourselves in every day. If ever there was a time for a family meeting, this is it. I highly recommend talking calmly and openly about the reality of the situation. Encourage each person to talk about what they have on their heart, talk about fears, disappointments, hopes and plans. Make a point to tell each one in your family how much you love them. Manage expectations and don’t let arguments catch you by surprise. Be proactive. A finance conversation needs to be had. Date night does not have to die. Make sure that the kids go to bed on time and then make an effort to spend quality time together.  Planning and Preparation. Planning and preparation is going to be the second most useful implement in your toolbox. After we revel in the novelty of the first few days of being able to sleep in and slouch around in pyjamas, here is how I suggest we design or life to be both fun and fruitful: Create a daily schedule. Get up at the same time daily, put on some mascara and lip gloss and get dressed with intention. If you are a parent, you will likely need to create a structure for the family. Start by creating a daily schedule (by the hour) and an outline of the week and month ahead.   Include in the daily schedule: a time for reflection and meditation In the daily schedule, include in your planning mealtimes, coffee breaks, school work, your personal projects, free time, moments of creativity, exercise, media, and times to connect as a family. Use media for kids sparingly as rewards or maximise it to keep the kids occupied get personal projects done. Let the list – making begin. According to your daily or weekly plan, make a list of the things that you will need. But before you pop those items in the online shopping cart – take an inventory of the grocery cupboard, your art supplies, the toy cupboard. Make a music and a movies - to watch and books to read list. This will create a sense of excitement for what is to come. Shopping. Wherever possible, shop local, support small business. Avoid overspending and emotional shopping. Create weekly highlights: Have things to look forward to. When planning mealtimes, create theme nights and make favourite dishes. You could even get dressed up, set the table, light some candles and put on some music. Pack colourful fun spring picnics and eat outdoors. Let creativity rule! Explore and try some of the things you’ve never had time to do. Painting, photography, knitting or sewing, write a story or your first blog post. Have a competition to see who can come up with the most inventive or artistic project. We may not be able to travel, but now we have no excuse to organise our photo albums either digitally or printed or even create a scrapbook. Create connection. Include the kids’ in meal and activity planning sessions.Family spa sessions complete with facemasks and massages or doing exercise together. Start gardening, or do a DIY project. And how about let’s get back to the art of letter writing? Spring Clean! Tackle room by room, clear the clutter, organise and purge. Maybe there are some items we can share with those in need.

This is an interactive, conversational lifestyle podcast that you can use to lead a life with less overwhelm and anxiety and instead, more fruitfulness, productivity and time for the things which you value the most.

The Lifestyle Emporium Podcast A Cheat Sheet For A Flourishing Marriage – For My Married And Single Friends. My name is Ellen Meyer I am delighted to welcome you to your new gathering place,a hub of fresh encounters, inspiration, courage and life skills that will help you realise and fulfil the purpose that you have been created for – while living in joy and abundance throughout the journey. This is a weekly interactive, conversational, lifestyle podcast – which I created to connect with my girlfriends all over the world.  I would like to accompany you my friend, wherever you are – whether it be on your lunch break, in a traffic jam or folding laundry. Our time together is destined to bring you new motivation and encouragement, to offer you a fresh perspective and give you the tools to alleviate overwhelm and anxiety. For this podcast to truly make a difference – really listen, reflect and engage. There may just be something that you need to be reminded of today. I wanted to prepare today’s podcast in time for Valentines Day, but in true Ellen style – I am late. Thankfully these little truth bombs do not date. Now, I am going to be honest with you – you may not like them all, but they are worth contemplating. This podcast is entirely dedicated to the man who is the bubbles in my champagne and the cream in my coffee; he is my glass of red wine at the end of a crazy week. He is absolutely my better half  - this is a tribute to you my Mr. Meyer - and it is also an apology because I did not buy you a Valentines gift. Sorry babe – so cute that this does not even matter to you, although I know you like surprises. Anyway, I digress - last year we celebrated our 10 -year anniversary.  How on earth this man puts up with me – no how he loves me the way he does - is the greatest unsolved mystery of all time. BUT I was not always loved like this. To recount my failed relationships will take days and I won’t bore you, but when I met Mr. Meyer at the age of 30 – I felt like I have been waiting my whole entire life. So – my single friends – I include something for you as well in this podcast because well – I was once YOU. So without further ado, here is my personal cheat sheet for a flourishing marriage: Point number 1 of 21 is about Valentines Day or any other day that creates… EXPECTATION. Listen to my words of infinite wisdom ladies:  are you ready? Here it is: Have very low expectations of your other half.I kid you not – it is a marvelous strategy to avoid disappointment. So he didn’t get you flowers or he forgot. Get over it, and next time, buy yourself a big bouquet of flowers a lovely bottle French Champagne and celebrate LIFE anyway. They usually feel terrible when they see the big bunch of flowers, which you thank him for. On the more serious side though, talk about your hopes and expectations BEFORE you get married. Single friends – BEFORE you get married. Discuss how you like to celebrate and what you would like to happen on special occasions – or what are you are worried might NOT happen – don’t expect the other person to JUST know. Without discussing these little hopes and expectations, you are setting yourselves up for failure. If you are a few years down the line or already married and you never talked about it before, have a good sit-down and TALK (and record the message because he will forget) and when you’ve communicated - put systems into place – seriously you can even place a reminder on his phone! But then release it and don’t tie your personal worth to the size of the gesture you receive. Birthdays are important to me – and so far Mr. Meyer has never forgotten one. I think it is because he knows, that my present to myself will cost at least double than his present to me! Point number two: Selfishness is not the point of self-care.This is the age where “self-care” is hyper trending – I’m afraid the term is misunderstood and we may be shooting ourselves in the foot. I think the term was originally intended fo

My name is Ellen Meyer I am delighted to welcome you to your new gathering place,a hub of fresh encounters, inspiration, courage and life skills that will help you realise and fulfil the purpose that you have been created for – while living in joy and abundance throughout the journey. This is an interactive conversational lifestyle podcast. I would like to accompany you my friend, wherever you are – whether it be on your lunch break, in a traffic jam, or just looking for some fresh motivation and encouragement. For this podcast to truly make a difference – really listen, reflect and engage. There may just be something that you need to be reminded of today. What I am going to share with you today is a message which I believe is so powerful that it can open your eyes to see your world in a way that you have perhaps never considered it before. I believe this will enrich the quality of your life and transform the way we think about ourselves as women - that is - if we would let it. It is a very simple concept –but one not to be underestimated. I’ve seen and experienced its power and I hope that it will be valuable to you, too. Frustration and Discontentment So here we go: I believe that as I am speaking to you now, there are some of us who are frustrated and deeply unfulfilled.  For some, it is momentary but frequent, for some it is an ever-present discontentment that lingers quietly in the background and for others – it overpowers your entire world. It affects you deeply and may even flow over into your relationships. Everywhere we look, we find “experts” that are trying to tell us what we need to do to or how we need to look to finally feel fulfilled. Ten steps to achieve this or that, buy this book or buy this course and then finally achieve the joy you so long for. This constant unchanging message implies that happiness will not arrive until we have accomplished certain things. It has us convinced that life will get better if we just take certain steps, whether it be to start a new business, change our job or even change your spouse, if the current one is not living up to expectations. However, if joy remains at the endless thread of things to do or to change, this strategy will leave us always thinking that we haven’t done or achieved enough. Because, let’s be honest, how many of us HAVE read that book, or taken the ten steps towards whatever and… fulfilment still remained so distant. In this podcast, I would like to help you evaluate your life, honestly and identify the source of your frustration and what to do with it. It will cost you – the time that you invest to spend on a few deep reflections.  Just to give you a little background on what motivated me to write this: Through no plan or ambition of my own, it so happened that I have lived in different cultures and countries and I am connected to women all around the world. And do you know what…? Regardless of geography, culture or generation – it is astounding how much we actually have in common. For example, the longing to be recognized, to mean something, to have a voice… All of us desire to be heard, all of us want to be affirmed and appreciated in some form or another. Most of us want to feel secure in the outcome of situations and that our lives make a difference. “Making a difference” looks different for everyone depending on your passion, your natural and acquired gifts, and what touches your heart. But all of us want to know that our lives matter. I have also seen a common thread amongst many women - myself included - when it comes to knowing that we are valuable, accepted and affirmed. I will generalize my examples, but this is what I observe: I see women yearning to meet “the one” who will completethem. I see women strivingto prove themselves in the workplace – both in the corporate or entrepreneurial world. Then at home – the hustle and the friction continues with decisions such as whether to start or grow a family – which spouse takes on which role

You are listening to the Lifestyle Emporium podcast episode number 1. My name is Ellen Meyer I am delighted to welcome you to your new gathering place,a hub of fresh encounters, inspiration, courage and life skillsthat will help you realize and fulfil the purpose that you have been created for – while living in joy and abundance throughout the journey. This is the debut episode of – an interactive conversational lifestyle podcast and this is the moment where we get better acquainted with each other and where you receive a glimpse of what you could expect during our time together.  Let me start by preparing you: I am THE imperfect perfectionist. Love things to be perfect, but it has for far too long ruled my life and prevented me from going forward because I found a flaw or imperfection somewhere. My aim is not create a perfectly professional podcast – heck, you may even hear a cow moo as I record from my office in our little Swiss farm village. But it is meant to add value to your life and link our hearts. I see it as a declaration that Progress is better than perfection. Goals for the Podcast I have many goals for this podcast, but by far the most important is to be a companion, a friend AND to connect you with others who are – just like you – hoping to connect and be inspired.  As I share about my journey in finding purpose and joy in doing that which I was created to do – it is my greatest hope that I will be able to help YOU find your reason for being, your perfect design and purpose. I want to help you find your place.  Also, if I am honest, I have realised that for a big part of my life I was often consumed with whatever occupied me for that season. An intense work schedule, moving around, starting new ventures or parenthood often left me pre-occupied and frankly overwhelmed. Looking back now I wonder if all that overwhelm – did not prevent me from being better friend, a better sister or leader. Though there is nothing I can do about the past – I look FORWARD to come alongside you now to walk with you in friendship.  As a bit of a nomad – I have made friends all around the world, but time and distance prevents us from meeting face to face to have a coffee, pour our hearts out, be a sounding board and lift each other up or share advice or even recipes. This podcast is one of the ways I am using to foster that kind of friendship. So to my old friends and the new ones I am about to meet through this podcast, I am reaching out to you today. I would like to hang out with you while you are on your lunch break at work or sitting in a traffic jam, whether you are an entrepreneur girl boss or whether you are steadily working through endless mountains of laundry or nursing your new-born baby.  This is for you single ladies or the married ones, the woman in transition or the trailing spouse. It is for anyone who is hurting and no idea how to cope with the grief… and for each of us with hopes and dreams that just needs someone along for the journey and a little wisdom and encouragement for a new day. If you need someone to accompany you or believe in you, I AM YOUR girl and this – is where you belong. Isolation as a Turning Point The idea for this podcast was birthed during a time, when I experienced the debilitating effects of isolation.I am not talking about the kind of so solitude that all of us need from time to time – the kind where we draw away to be refreshed and are able to strategize ways through the maze in our minds and lives. No – I am talking about isolation. The loneliness where you feel that there is no one to reach out to, the kind that you carry with you whether you are in a crowded room or all alone.  This kind of isolation tells us lies about our life and our value,it leaves us feeling vulnerable and often, instead of reaching out – we draw deeper into our shell. It was during one of these timesthat it became clear to me that I was standing at a crossroads- I was faced with a choice:I could give in to