We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joy Spencer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joy below.

Joy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

When it rains it pours. That was my 2014. I quit my job. I went through a breakup. My mom was diagnosed with cancer. But something else profound happened that year. As I sat in the conference room of my job I thought about my life 10 years in the future in the exact same place. And I knew things had to change. But how? I asked myself “What would it look like if were paid to be me?”. The question was life giving where the question about being in the same place 10 years in the future was draining. Those two thoughts sent me off on an exploratory journey to find the answers.

So there I was between chemo treatments for my mom, bandaging up my broken heart, and charging into a new profession as a coach. More than anything I wanted to change the way I experienced work so that it was an outflow of my life and not a pebble in my shoe. I needed my work to support (not just financially) rather than detract and distract from my life. It was a whirlwind but 3 years later I’d built a bring to a new career and learned a secret that became the mission of my business to share it far and wind to change the way we work.

That secret is the realization that your work is not your job or your career. Your work is what you create. And what you create is what will attract the opportunities that are built for you. The most important thing a professional can do is to identify their unique contribution and build a system for consistently creating things and experiences with their gifts. This is more important than scouring job boards for a job that will never fit or take full advantage of all you have to offer. It’s more important than dusting off your resume and climbing the ladder in your career.

I discovered this when creating a workshop and other coaching services while I wasn’t employed began opening up doors. I realized that I always had the tools in my hand to get paid to be me. I just had to have the courage to create something with it on my own. Not having a job couldn’t keep me from it. In a time when so much was out of control in my life it was powerful to have something in my hand that was generative and life giving.

Now I teach others professionals to get this powerful reframe so that the can also get paid to be themselves through mastering the 3 pillars: Create. Own. Storytell. First they must identify and create with their gifts. Then they must learn how to own what they create rather than give up ownership to an employer. Then they must learn to tell powerful stories around themselves, their mission and what they create. This is what helps them make the most powerful contributions and leave a legacy they are proud of. I want this for others as much as I want this for myself.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Reframe to Create offers coaching and workshop services to individuals looking to get paid to be themselves. The Get Paid to be Me is a transformative suite of coaching offers designed to help you do just that by identifying and creating with your gifts, developing a strategy to own what you create, and the skills and products of powerful storytelling to solidify and leverage your brand.

Reframe to Create offers organizations workshops focused on narrative building and storytelling.

I got into my industry by doing exactly what I teach my clients to do. I discovered the power of creating a tangible thing and experience while I was in the middle of switching careers. I wasn’t employed by a job at the time but was able to create opportunities that opened up doors for new work opportunities and another job. This showed me that I always had the power to get opportunities for myself even without a job. All I needed was the courage to create. I show other professionals how to do this so they can liberate their work and get paid to be themselves wherever they are and wherever they go.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

The most important thing that has helped me build my reputation within my market has been hosting my own Reframe to Create Podcast. By consistently showing up in that medium to share my thought leadership I have built up my authority on this topic. Being a guest on other podcasts has also be a powerful way to do this and attract new clients.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

A book that has had the most profound impact on me in recent years is “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown. The two greatest lessons from this book have been to focus on what’s most important and only that. And the other is to protect the asset which is me. This has helped me to remember to prioritize my health on all levels and continually invest in my relationships. In the ups and downs of building a business, these twin pillars serve as the fuel to keep me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://reframetocreate.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-spencer/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReframetoCreate

Image Credits
Claire Harvey Photography