Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bethany Joy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Bethany Joy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

I traveled a ton in my 20s and also lived in Nicaragua.

Fast-forward to my 30s: I’m going through a painful separation while simultaneously caring for a nursing baby and toddler. I have zero money, yet am craving to have my Spirit fed again through the present-moment-magic of travel.

I make a bold – and risky – decision to organize a retreat so that I can travel. I am a Naam Yoga teacher and my best friend Melissa is a nutrition coach, so we team up and brainstorm. While researching online we stumble upon a retreat house situated on an organic farm in the enchanting surf town of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.

I am determined to go, yet have a nursing baby, so I ask a Nicaraguan friend to join the retreat to help care for my baby while I am teaching.

It was also a huge risk to plan the retreat without ever having visited the retreat house, but we lucked out! We arrived a day before the participants, and when we entered the gated villa we laid on our backs and laughed with joy at the beauty of the retreat house, the view overlooking the Pacific, and the organic herb gardens that surrounded our villa. Beginner’s luck is real!

We sold out this first retreat (15 people) and figured it out as we went. Despite a few hiccups, we improvised – like me having full-on laryngitis the first 2 days of the retreat. While teaching yoga I had to whisper the instructions to Melissa and she would speak them to the group.

It is also super important to me that our retreat participants connect with the “real” Nicaragua, and support the local people. Part of our retreat includes volunteering at the Center for Disabled Children in town. Two of our afternoons are spent painting classrooms, and each of us offers our individual skills to benefit the members. One participant, a hairdresser, offers haircuts, while another, a tutor, assists the kids with their homework. I share my knowledge of movement and yoga with them, among other activities.

Since this first retreat, I have led transformational retreats throughout Latin America and the U.S. I will also co-host a pilgrimage to Egypt this Fall, with pilgrimages to the South of France and Turkey in the works.

In addition, I train others how to create retreats around their area of expertise (it can be anything!) in my best-selling Create & Lead Retreats Course. Witnessing others share their passions, make money while traveling, and transform lives brings me immense joy.

Bethany Joy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I truly believe that everything that has taken place in my life – both personally and professionally – has prepared me for where I am right now. The challenges, heartbreaks, trainings, failures, connections, and the journeys were all initiations to guide me to the space I am in today where I lead and uplift others from love, service, and devotion.

I am a Priestess. What is that, you may ask? A Priestess is a bridge between worlds, a conduit for Divine energy and messages. She serves and leads not from a place of ego, but from a place of devotion…devotion to the healing and wholeness of the world. She assists others in reaching their very highest potential – that which their soul came here to do and be.

And while all of that sounds very esoteric (and it is), it is also extremely practical. When we live as our most authentic self, we are incredibly fulfilled. We only chose jobs that inspire us, we only chose relationships that honor us, and we dedicate our precious and finite life source to only that which benefit ourselves and the Planet.

My clients consist of leaders, change-makers, healers, teachers, and coaches. My retreats and programs have evolved into transformational experiences that assist (primarily women) in shedding the layers of false identity, to allow the shining light of their Essence to run the show. The immersion experiences and programs are a bridge for my clients to integrate and embody their brilliance, creativity, and highest potential.

Most of my retreats are now pilgrimages. They are held in sacred places on the Earth that hold great mysteries and power, such as Machu Picchu, the Mayan ruins, or the Great Pyramids. Those who are drawn to my retreats are usually deeply spiritual individuals who know that there are messages, upgrades, and integrations for them at these specific mystical sites. The transformations and empowerment that occur from these pilgrimages are life-changing.

I don’t have to “sell” my retreats. I receive internal guidance as to where I am supposed to go next, I meditate on who to invite to collaborate or co-lead with me, and then I share the information with my network. As a result, my retreats always sell out, and I am immensely grateful that many participants attend multiple retreats, workshops, and courses, attesting to the tangible transformations they experience.

And where am I today? What has life been preparing me for over the last four decades?
I had a complete inner shift – like everything clicked into place – when I immersed in the Isis-Magdalene Rose Lineage. This lineage encompasses Egyptian and Gnostic teachings, originating from Ancient Egypt and early mystical Christian traditions. Many in our day and time are going back to the source of ancient teachings to re-write – within their own psyche – what they were taught in church or synagogue.

This lineage is what is pulling me to now lead pilgrimages to Egypt, the south of France (where Mary Magdalene had her ministry), and Turkey. To me, this lineage and teachings feel like Home.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My intuition is my guiding light. Over and over my most impactful – and lucrative – programs and retreats were sourced from the expanse of my Infinite Self connected to the Wisdom of All. Aka: my intuition.

Intuition, Source, the subconscious mind, the Void, God… whatever you call it, THIS is where genius ideas are conceived and gleaned. And when creative genius ideas merge with our service and devotion…dammmnnnnn we are unstoppable!

For me, the key to accessing these creative genius flashes is to drop into a quiet space free of fear, anxiety, or lack.

For example, back in 2019 I was needing to generate more income, yet my current projects were tapped out. I asked my inner knowing, “How can I make $20,000 NOW?’.

I immediately saw myself leading a course teaching others how to create, implement and lead the types of retreats that have been very successful for me. This course has generated much more than 20K; and has prepared and empowered many to live their dream life of sharing their passion while traveling and helping others.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

As you can imagine, my retreats ground to a halt during the COVID epidemic. In addition, the yoga studios where I taught yoga, held workshops, and connected with prospective clients had to close their doors. I am a single mom of three, and since my children were home virtual schooling, my work hours were greatly reduced.

I remember feeling panicky and scared. How the heck was I supposed to pivot my business, as well as take care of my children all day??

Luckily I was already familiar with Zoom as I taught a “Meditation for Beginners” and “Self Love, Self Care & Boundaries” online courses. I amped up these courses to stay afloat and shifted to teaching yoga online.

Yet the biggest gift was that COVID was the impetus for me to launch something I had been dreaming of: an online membership sharing the deeper spiritual truths and tools I was learning in the Isis-Magdalene lineage. In 2020 I launched the “Priestesses of the New Earth” membership. This allowed me to expand my client base and offer my services at an economical price.

Had I not had the pressure of the epidemic, I’m not sure when I would have launched my signature membership!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bethanyjoy.net
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/priestessesofthenewearth
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bethany.j.hard