It’s time for a new episode of The Bibliotherapists, and today’s conversation is a really rather special one, because it features Claire Venus, a huge inspiration to our hosts Tanya and Toni, and the reason this podcast exists.
It’s also a total celebration of taking the time to get to know ourselves and what makes us happy on the inside, in order to be able to best serve and ultimately create success on the outside.
As you’ll hear in this episode, our guest is a shining (sparkling!) example of a ‘multi-hypen’; someone who has successfully combined her love of many things, including; creativity, writing, mentoring, educating, slow living, learning and all things Substack, to create a job - and a life - that she loves, and that inspires thousands of others to work and live in joyful ways that don’t require selling or burning out.
This episode is a love letter to bibliophiles and creatives alike, celebrating the transformative power of words and stories.
Find out more about Claire and her Substack programmes and membership > HERE.
IN THIS EPISODE:
There is - of course - a lot of Substack chat, but there’s also lots of value for anyone looking to work in a more sustainable and joyous way.
We discussed:
* The importance of finding your own pace; creating, consuming, and living at a sustainable rhythm.
* Substack as a digital sanctuary for thoughtful writing and community building (vs the frenetic pace of traditional social media).
* Claire’s love for books as grounding, sensory experiences—from the smell of secondhand bookstores to the joy of discovering books during travel.
* How books have helped her navigate personal challenges (The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle helping her answer some philosophical questions in her 20s, and Beth Kempton's Kokoro provided comfort during a time of grief).
* The transformative - and hugely challenging - experience of co-authoring, self-publishing and promoting How to Build a World-Class Substackwith Russell Nohelty (out next week!).
* Why self-care is a non-negotiable for Claire, how this enhances her creativity and ability to hold space for others.
* Claire’s commitment to personal growth: including her personal goal of writing a book annually for ten years, and how Substack has been a critical platform for her evolution, offering a supportive and inspiring community.
* Navigating Growth and Sustainability: How running a thriving Substack community (with over 12,000 subscribers) has taught Claire to balance growth with sustainability, ensuring she avoids burnout while continuing to deliver value, and love what she does.
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SHOW NOTES:
In this episode Claire references and recommends lots of lovely books, including:
* The Giant on the Skyline by Clover Stroud
* The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
* The Success Myth by Emma Gannon
* Kokoro by Beth Kempton
* TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson
* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
* Matilda by Roald Dahl
* How to Build a World-Class Substack by Claire Venus and Russell Nohelty
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ABOUT THE BIBLIOTHERAPISTS:
The Bibliotherapists, is a new podcast from Substackers and community builders Tanya Lynch (EASE Retreats) and Toni Jones (The Shelf Help Club) exploring the healing power of words.
It's a love letter to reading and writing and storytelling and this weekly digital retreat features conversations with some of our favourite Substack writers and authors, sharing about the the books that have shaped their lives and their relationships with themselves, the books they wish everyone would read, how they use reading and writing to support their mental health, and the books they are reading right now.
You’ll be able to listen to these podcast episodes on all the usual outlets but we’ll only be sharing the video recordings on Substack
https://shelfhelpclub.substack.com/
tanyalynch.substack.com/
Get full access to 💛 The Shelf Help Clubhouse at shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe
