We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tamara Herl a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tamara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a customer success story with us?
Recently I had the honor of working with a small team that wanted to explore their leadership skills through a half day retreat. Initially, I guided them through experiences that helped them open up their senses and connect deeply. They were invited to slow down and really notice who and what was in motion around them. They walked a labyrinth together individually and as a team. And then, they were invited to work together with a limited inventory of supplies to create a raft that could actually float.
The process that unfolded was fascinating. They explored what it was like to delegate, assume leadership, and be resourceful and playful. When the moment to test the raft’s “seaworthiness” came, they watched with baited breath and whooped with delight as their raft took off.
A few weeks later, the team leader had this to say about the experience:
“It really felt like after that day, the team opened up, developed a whole new level of trust, and started to REALLY share their ideas – without fear! I also felt like we were better connected as a team and better understood where each of us was coming from and moving towards!”
And the team is coming back for a full day mask making retreat.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I became a life coach because I wanted to build on people’s strengths. Human beings are whole and resourceful, and when we focus on that, instead of trying to figure out what’s wrong, amazing things can happen. I decided to make art and nature immersion the focus of my coaching work, because over the past 30 years as I have worked with clients using these modalities, they have been able to create the changes they are wanting in life, and the changes last.
I enjoy working with clients both in person and virtually. In a typical virtual client experience, the client and I meet via Zoom to discuss what the client wants to focus on, we co-create the experience together, the client participates on their own in the exercise that we designed, and then we re-convene so we can process what happened. Or sometimes I observe the client while they make art or immerse themselves in nature. When the experience is in person, the process is similar, except that I am physically with the person, guiding them and co-creating the experience with them.
Client sessions can be 1:1 or with a group. I also facilitate incredible custom-designed team building experiences for teams that are ready to connect more deeply and authentically.
Clients who are most attracted to my work, and who get the most benefit from working with me are those who have a nagging sense they are meant to do something more, but they feel overwhelmed, confused, and stuck because they’re not sure how to get started, or what they dream of doing seems out of reach. I show them how to use art and nature to get connected with Divine Guidance so they can feel inspired, supported, and empowered and make the kind of impact they want to in the world.
As a recovering workaholic, I’m proud that I have learned to spend mindful time in nature. This has given me a deep appreciation for the tiny details I see around me and I love to take photographs and make videos about what I see. I often post my photos and videos on social media, and I’m planning a photography exhibit in September.
How’d you meet your business partner?
A few years ago, I began to intuitively sense that I would be getting a partner. I began anticipating who it might be. To my surprise, I discovered during my training that my partner was not another human being, but rather Nature herself. It has been quite an experience learning to trust and work with my partner. For instance, when I facilitate an experience called the Pleasure of Presence, I invite participants to notice things with their senses, such as the sense of touch. Both I and my clients have noticed something interesting that happens. When I ask them to notice how the air feels against their skin, the breeze will blow more intensely. Or, something meaningful to them will happen, such as a butterfly will flit around a person’s head and shoulders and the client will tell me that their mother, who recently passed, loved butterflies. I see these experiences as synchronicities that seem to indicate nature is collaborating with me and those who are present.
Recently after receiving 16-18 inches of snow at our property, I was sitting on a tree stump on the banks of the creek that runs through our property. There were birds walking around several yards away from me on portions of the bank just above the creek. I’d never seen the birds do this, and I thought it was probably because the bare ground was covered by thick snow everywhere else. Thinking about my partnership with Nature, in my mind I quietly said, “if you’re really my partner, have a bird come and play on the bank right across from me.” A few second later, it happened. It was a wonderful confirmation that my partner is ready to help. All I have to do is ask.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
I grew up with a strong work ethic. You get your work done first, and then you can do the things you enjoy. While that is helpful in some respects, I’ve learned that I can always find more work that seems to need to be completed. This leaves me little time for relaxation and my life ends up being out of balance. Last April I decided to remedy this by giving myself a 30-day challenge to go out in nature and spend meaningful time there before I started my other work for the day. Because I struggle to prioritize my time in nature, last year I gave myself a 30- day challenge to spend mindful time in nature each day. Even though things hadn’t started to grow again after the winter, I began to notice subtle differences in the colors, shapes, and textures around me. I began to create what is called ephemeral art—temporary images in nature made with items from one’s natural surroundings. I took photos with my cell phone of what I created, and I began posting the images on social media. People started telling me, “You should make an oracle deck with these,” so I did.
The way this relates to manufacturing, is that I had no idea of how to turn the images I created into cards. I started researching templates I could use, and then companies that would do the work I needed. I loved the company I chose because they gave me a template I could use to make the cards look how I wanted them to, they printed color proofs of the cards, and they sent me samples of the different card stock weights and textures I could choose from.
An important lesson I learned from this experience is: don’t wait. Act on your urge to do something big. I’m proud I didn’t wait to create my oracle deck, like I’ve done in the past when I’ve had ideas, but I just jumped in. Because of this, my cards were published within 6 months of when I first began the process. Don’t put off starting your big project. Don’t expect it to be perfect.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thewilddivine.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamaraherl/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foresttherapyguidecolorado
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-herl-3164b68/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TamaraHerl
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnfbD0LznBKd5iTPFY1MNUw
- Other: Podcast interviews 11-27-20 Quantum Conversations podcast with Lauren Galey: Portals to Guidance https://www.acoustichealth.com/quantum-conversations/tamara-herl-portals-to-guidance/ 3-8-21 Lead Without Limits Stefania Rigo Creativity & Spirituality in the Workplace https://www.spreaker.com/user/ewnpodcastnetwork/lead-without-limits-ep-23 9-16-21 Circle of Change: Spirituality in Leadership Consultinghttps://www.humconsulting.ca/podcast/2021/episode-13-spirituality-in-leadership 3-16-22 Saved by Mother Earth Heather Webster Nature is Acceptance https://www.heatherwebsterwellness.com/podcasts/saved-by-mother-earth/episodes/2147692867
Image Credits
Personal photo by Summer Lajoie Other photos by Kaye Herl and Tamara Herl
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