We recently connected with Janel Taylor and have shared our conversation below.
Janel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
I worked in property management for 2 years. The first year was the hardest. I was driving 1 hour plus to work each day and the work days were early mornings that went into the evenings, especially on the weekends. I missed a lot of weekend celebrations like baby showers and birthdays because we only had one weekend off a month. I used to let the work get the best of me and I would stay back at work for 1-2 hours and not make it to happy hours or weekend outings. I would cry because I felt like I was missing so many once in a lifetime moments. The greatest advice I learned is that you have to clear your desk and work on one thing at a time. The other advice I got was it can wait until tomorrow unless it’s an actual fire. What I learned from working that job is that you have to work with a clear space so that you can give your best focus to that one thing. I took that advice into my everyday life. The advice about that most things can wait until tomorrow was true because most residents wanted us to feel like their concerns were fires when they actually weren’t. Although one time there was actually a fire and I handled it like a boss.
Janel, 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 am Janel. I was born on the west coast but came of age on the east coast. I find myself moving further North and I’m not quite sure if it’s a gravitational pull because I prefer warmer climates. I am drawn to wellness, I study relationships, and I am an advocate for community. I am a natural connector, designer, and guide. I desire to practice gratitude and reflection more and I am a soon to be board certified health & wellness coach. I find joy in planning, hosting, & attending events and retreats, music, festivals, concerts, podcasts, YouTube vlogs, nature, and fun drinks. Solange and Tracee Ellis Ross are my spirit animals and signing off – with joy, Janel brings me actual joy.
I was inspired to create a wellness business for various reasons. I realized that wellness was not apart of my upbringing, It hit me when the pandemic hit, I realized that I had never stretched daily, then I started to incorporate fresher food, the outdoors, resting, mindfulness, and wellness energized me so much, and I wanted to hold it close.
I had a women’s organization from 2015 – 2019 called Sunflower Social that was pretty amazing. It was the companion organization to my blog at the time. As I type this, I realize that wellness was always a part of the mission of the organization although at the time the focus was women in their 20’s. Through that organization I was able to connect women through wellness and community. I ended the Sunflower Social due to my own burnout of not putting my wellness first and feeling often like a sinking ship with not much consistent support. How could I have an organization about wellness when I was not treating myself well?
Now, at 30 something, with a new outlook on my wellbeing and how to connect with people I am building Invitation to PAUSE. I call myself a wellness community and experience designer. I curate wellness-based communities and experiences with the guiding pillars of community, joy, and wellness. Invitation to PAUSE is a community breathing space. It’s an invitation to rest, reflect, and retreat. Through the Invitation to PAUSE I offer group wellness coaching, mini-retreats, & experiences that happen virtually and in-person for organizations, companies, friend groups). Invitation to PAUSE is also a newsletter and eventually a directory. A companion community to Invitation to PAUSE is The WELL Connected. What I’ve learned so far in this journey of wellness, entrepreneurship, and life is that we need community, we need support. That is why I created The WELL Connected for wellness/ life / relationship: practitioners, founders, coaches, entrepreneurs, business owners, and organization leaders. The newsletters will be discussing my experience building the Invitation to PAUSE brand and business while spotlighting fellow wellprenuers, resources, & events. Quarterly we will meet we will meet virtually and plan to meet in person at least once every 1-2 years.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The story being written right now shows my resilience. This season of my life I am getting out of my own way. I had let fear of not having it all together or that my business plan wouldn’t make sense. Last year I also lost my first immediate family member, my grandmother and was barely in my apartment. Now I am more stable and I am ready to go full throttle on my business. Being interviewed by CanvasRebel is confirmation that I am headed in the right direction. Sometimes we can feel like we are not ready or good enough to be considered but I’m learning you have to just begin. That is what I am doing and I hope you all follow along for the journey.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
I plan to get my health and wellness coaching certification next year but outside of that, in order to succeed in the wellness field is building my network, reading, watching YouTube videos, and practicing wellness for myself. I have learned that this work starts with me. I have to practice wellness with myself and curate events with my family and friends. Another thing is attending wellness events and learning through observation, taking in the flow of the events and seeing what I can implement in my practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://invitationtopause.substack.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withjoy_janel/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeltaylor/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/withjoy_janel
- Other: https://linktr.ee/withjoyjanel
Image Credits
Quianna Adams photographer for Sunflower Social Retreat