Do you know how to find magic in your everyday? My conversation with the incredible Mattie James will encourage all independent business owners to embrace their own magic. Listen in as Mattie shares how she has learned to find the everyday magic amidst the chaos of wearing several hats and juggling responsibilities as a business owner, wife, and mom. This conversation will inspire you to find and create your own magic.
Mattie is the best-selling author of “Everyday Magic: The Joy of Not Being Everything and Still Being More Than Enough.” She is also a lifestyle expert and founder of Bossfluence, an education platform for social media influencers.
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Finding magic in every season of your life
Mattie’s story includes a long-winding journey that led her to where she is today. She went to school for broadcast journalism but left early to move to New York City to be a singer. After a year in New York, which included an American Idol audition, she moved to Atlanta to be with her ill grandfather. She spent a few years working in retail before landing an internship at a sports radio station, which ricocheted into an internship at a marketing firm. During this time she also got married and won Miss USA Liberia. When she needed a “real job,” she became a showroom manager for a home decor company.
In 2015, Mattie was let go from the home decor company; since then she has been a full-time creator and entrepreneur. She looks back on each season of her life and sees how they helped her in her business today. Her retail experience taught her about sales, her internships taught her about marketing, her showroom experience taught her about merchandising, and her time in New York taught her how to hustle.
For independent business owners, every season of life is a launchpad into the next season. You define what “success” means for you, and each season, even the ones that feel like failures at the time, can contribute to your long-term success.
Creating your own everyday magic
At the same time Mattie was growing her business, she was also growing her family. She fell into the trap of turning her life into a performance for an online audience, which led to a separation from her husband. Through therapy and God, as Mattie says, their marriage survived. Mattie learned the importance of being present in her everyday life, which is how the concept of everyday magic was born.
Everyday magic is a life framework for making every day “meaningful, aesthetically pleasing, goal-oriented, intentional, and consistent.” Mattie made everyday magic the foundation of how she approached life, and she found herself feeling much more fulfilled than before.
The beauty of everyday magic is that it’s personal and looks different for everyone. Your everyday magic might look completely different than someone else’s.
The importance of an aesthetically-pleasing environment
Having an aesthetically-pleasing environment is not about materialism, trends, or having a Pinterest board office space. It’s about creating an environment that you feel safe in. There are science-backed studies that show the impact that clutter can have on stress. Other studies illustrate how something as simple as a high ceiling can boost creativity.
In researching her book, Mattie found that clutter can actually create micro-trauma that prevents you from growing. Setting up your home and workspace in a way that makes you feel safe and supported is an important aspect of everyday magic that should not be overlooked.
Owning your everyday magic
The principles of everyday magic are important, but it’s even more important to remember that YOU are the magic. The principles are there to spotlight the magic that is already within you. It’s natural to feel like you don’t know how to own your magic. When insecurities come up, the best thing you can do is go back to your “why.”
Your why is your purpose, and remembering your purpose will drive your actions. Mattie started her influencer coaching business, Bossfluence, because she was often the only Black creator involved in a campaign. She wanted to create an organization where Black creators could learn and grow.
Your purpose does not have to be deep, but it does have to be deliberate. Zoning in on your purpose will help you own your magic despite your insecurities or imposter syndrome. If you are unsure of what your magic is, take time to journal about your ideas, and take note of what makes you light up.
Creating everyday magic when you feel overwhelmed
As an independent business owner, you are constantly juggling responsibilities, and it’s easy to feel burdened by the weight of it all on your shoulders. When everything feels like too much, you feel like you are not enough. The first thing you should do is take a couple of deep breaths and explore where that feeling of not being enough is coming from.
Next, reach out to your team or community for help. Whether you need help in your business or at home, turn your solo journey into a collaboration.
The feeling of overwhelm can easily take you out of the present moment and have you romanticizing the past or dreaming about the future. Return to the present by writing down what you are overwhelmed about in order to “close the tabs in your brain.”
Mattie’s message to her younger self
Looking back at her journey, Mattie would thank her younger self for being brave and taking bold risks. She would remind herself that her belief in herself would fuel her blind courage and be the catalyst for her success.
The biggest thing that differentiates businesses that succeed from businesses that fail
Businesses that succeed do so because they never gave up. Business owners who are not afraid to admit when they missed the mark but still continue to show up every day and put in the work are the ones who will succeed. When you show up and embrace your gifting and personal magic, you give others permission to do the same thing for themselves. Businesses and brands that show up to serve others are the ones who win and break through the noise.
Important sections of this conversation
- [2:42] Maddie’s journey
- [9:21] Creating everyday magic
- [12:22] The importance of an aesthetically-pleasing environment
- [18:16] Owning your magic
- [25:27] Creating everyday magic when you feel overwhelmed
- [30:19] Mattie’s message to her younger self
- [38:23] The biggest thing that differentiates businesses that succeed from businesses that fail
Sources mentioned in this episode
- How decluttering your space could make you healthier and happier
- The psychology of high ceilings and creative workspaces
- The unbearable heaviness of clutter
- Everyday Magic book
Connect with the guest
- Website: mattiejames.com/about
- Bossfluence: bossfluence.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/themattiejames
