We recently connected with Lola Pickett and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lola, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Last fall, my heart started racing without reason.

Two trips to the emergency room and numerous lab tests shed no light on why I had suddenly developed palpitations and a high heart rate. The doctors reported that my heart was perfectly healthy and my bloodwork was “enviable”… They told me my best course of action was to reduce stress and avoid caffeine.

But I knew exactly what my body was trying to tell me.

My heart was no longer “in” the business I’d dedicated the last few years of my life building; a business that had changed countless lives with online programs, a podcast, and numerous media appearances… A business that was projected to earn more than a million in annual revenue.

Shifting away from that business had felt a little like trying to turn an ocean freighter on a dime, so I’d been avoiding making the decision. But, my heart made it abundantly clear that I could wait no longer to pivot my attention onto something I felt more passionate about.

So, in December of 2021, I began to dissolve that part of my work and focus on what I truly love: designing soulful spaces (residential, commercial, and digital) and styling people in ways that energize, inspire, and nourish.

As a longtime retreat leader, ceremonialist, and the visionary behind my own style + branding for years, I am very excited to bring this “secret” skill of mine to the forefront of my offerings.

Overhauling my entire business model and stepping into a different field have been challenging. But my clients and community have shared how overjoyed and inspired they are to watch me follow my joy.

New work is steadily streaming in, and I anticipate adding team members to my firm as we grow.

The best thing of all? My heart has stopped racing.

Lola, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a designer of sacred spaces.

I partner with homeowners, retreat centers, wellness spas, boutique hotels, and select web projects to create spaces that nourish the spirit, replenish energy, and uplift the mind.

My work brings together a unique combination of intuitive design skills with more than a decade of expertise as an executive life coach and international wellness retreat leader.

For example, in my 10 Realms™ Transformational Coaching Program, I combine a life-changing coaching regimen with two immersive in-person experiences: an interior design and personal styling retreat in my client’s space and a custom-designed wellness retreat in the California desert.

This program ensures that the client’s optimized inner world is supported and amplified by their external environment.

As a result of this internal-external environmental harmony, I’ve witnessed numerous clients accelerate their careers, feel more satisfied and present with their families, and radiate an enviable level of vitality.

Designing a sacred space is a vulnerable, edge-pushing process. It’s a huge investment of time, energy, and financial resources… So I find that, even with design-only projects, clients really benefit from working with someone that knows not only how to design a space, but how to hold emotional space as well.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Full commitment to my vision!

In terms of marketing, this has translated into taking down former aspects of my message that would distract or confuse potential clients – such as old social media content or off-topic blog posts. I am proud of the past work that I created (and had developed a solid fan base around it, too!)… But, to hold onto it could cost me clients in the business I truly want to build.

Full commitment has also translated into me taking action before I feel “ready.” From all my years as a coach, I’ve learned that ready is a feeling, not a fact; and it’s a feeling that often only comes in hindsight! When we take action in the direction of our dreams, we build confidence in ourselves.

So, when my heart told me that it was time to shift focus in my business, I leapt into movement. At every opportunity, I introduced my work in a new way – when meeting parents at my kids’ school, when catching up with friends, when posting online. This very quickly lead to projects, including a full-scale residential interior project, personal styling work, and numerous digital design projects. I also sold out my upcoming group wellness retreat through mostly word of mouth!

Once the momentum builds and people are excited about your work, word gets around… Referrals and recommendations have always been the lifeblood of my business.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When we feel at home in our lives… When we feel at home in our bodies, we feel at home with each other and at home on this planet.

Woven through all the work I do is a deep knowing that our relationship to our personal environments has a huge impact on how we relate to our world at large.

This is why we find such restoration while away at a beautiful retreat center, hotel, or AirBnB… Why a good outfit makes us stand up a little straighter. Our shelters and our style have a huge impact on our mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing!

As Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our dwellings, and afterward, our dwellings shape us.”

My mission is to support people to bring their best selves out into the world every day… To design an outer environment that not only supports and amplifies their inner work, but in many ways, reduces the need for healing to begin with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://iamsacred.space
• Instagram: instagram.com/iamsacred.space