Vienda is a life coach, writer and creative who travels the world, teaching women how they can create their own reality by uncovering your own truth and embodying their full potential. This is where they discover their freedom. Her message has been shared by thousands across the globe in her own blog and platforms such as Cleo Magazine, Tiny Buddha and Roooar Magazine. Vienda has written four books of her own, including the popular guides and courses, and has been featured in 3 other books such as best-seller Love & Oneness.
Tell me what you do and why you do it?
I run a life coaching business that helps women create a life they love, by uncovering their own truth and embodying their full potential. This is where we all discover our freedom.
I believe that when we live our lives from a space of love + soul, a transformational ripple occurs that changes our entire world. Making our planet a better, kinder, more peaceful place.
One beautiful, spirited human being at a time.
Where are you based (I love this story, so please tell me it!)
I’m not reaaaaallly based anywhere. I am permanently nomadic, also known as gypset. I travel the world, really slowly, living in each place for at least a few months a time. In the past 2.5 years since I started my business I have lived in: Amsterdam, London, Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, London again, Goa in India, Noosa and Cairns In Australia, and I am just now moving to Byron Bay.
I was born in Salzburg, Austria – to an Austrian mother and Italian father – and have pretty much traveled my entire life!
How did you build your life/business so you could be based anywhere in the world?
The seed was planted within me about 6 or 7 years ago, when I said to a friend, while strolling through the gothic quarter to Barcelona “I wish I could figure a way to do what I love to, and to get paid to travel”. It took me some time, but I figured it out!
I created my business based and built on my lifestyle. After studying psychology at uni, I spent much of my twenties traveling the world working for international music festivals as an artist coordinator. I came to love the constant travel, spending 2-3 months on location and then moving again, seeing different parts of the world, and having so much freedom in my life. By the time I began to tire of the music festival scene, there was no way I could go back to “normal” life and knew that I had to figure out a way to create the life of my dreams.
I went back to my love of human behaviour and psychology and followed the threads from there. Trust me, there were plenty of tears and I faced some pretty serious limiting beliefs along the way to get to where I am now, but it’s so worth the ride! And that’s what I help my clients with too.
Why did you do this?
We live in this world where we are taught that we can’t have it all; or that to have something you desire, you must give up another. It’s a fantastic way to keep us playing small. The one thing that I both learn and teach, is that there is always another way. That life isn’t black and white, and that we have infinite choices when we open our minds.
In a way, I want to show the world that we truly can create anything we want, if we believe in it enough.
What’s a gypset?
The word gypset is an amalgamation of gypsy and Jetset, which was coined by New York journalist, Julia Chaplin and refers to an emerging group of creative thinkers who are ditching constrictive society. We are people who want to be free to do things our own way, to travel, to live on our own terms. People who belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time. But above all, it’s simply about freedom.
So your whole biz is online?
Indeed! My entire business is online. I run coaching sessions through Skype, have online mentoring programs sent through automated email programs, sell digital products such as eBooks and M3’s and market myself and blog, all online.
It’s spectacular just what an incredible role the digital world has on our lives today. The fact that we can run entire businesses online is still incredible to me. I love it!
Of course, content would have played a role in that … how important is content and writing to your business?
Well, without content, I’ve got nothing! The writing and photography that I do for my blog and social media, as well as the programs that I create and sell are the heart of my business. Without creative content production, I simply wouldn’t have what I do today, and it certainly couldn’t be online the way it is.
Why do you need to constantly create and with that, create new content?
I am absolutely compelled to be creative, every single day. Without creativity, I am not sure who I would be! I need to create new content in order to express what I am constantly learning, processing and teaching – which also happens to be essential to keeping my business consistently moving. New content means my clients always have new material to work with, and I have a fresh perspective on how I market myself.
Why do you write?
Writing is cathartic for my soul! I recommend everyone to write every day, and all of my clients are asked to keep a journal, as it is such a valuable insight into one’s soul and true desires. I write for myself, I write for my business, and I occasionally also write for magazines and guest post for other blogs and ezines.
What does it do for you?
The beauty of language and how we can place together words in ways that paint a scene is soul-stirring and mesmerizing. A well-written book, a blog post that makes you feel understood, and article that solves a problem – all these are so inspiring – both to write and to read. Writing gives us a platform of self-expression that is graceful, mindful and comes straight from the heart.
Why is blogging important for small business/solopreneurs?
Two reasons:
- Because generosity is good for business! When you give away all your best stuff, you attract the best clients. When you are generous with your love, your knowledge, your insights and your tools, people want to work with you. They fall in love with what you have to offer and your brand.
- Because of SEO baby! It’s tiresome to think of, but when you constantly have new content, with good titles to boot, the search engine gods smile down on you kindly and people can find you much, much more easily! Having a blog ensures that people have a reason to visit your site frequently, and are consistently reminded that you have services of products that they want.
What’s your number one tips about content and writing?
Do it from the heart. The most popular pieces of writing are always the ones where we are honest, one and vulnerable. Nothing catches people like an emotionally evocative piece of writing. So don’t be afraid to open up and share a piece of your heart with us. We will love you all the more for it.
What your number tip when it comes to life?
Haha! Also do that from the heart. Live your life from a place of love, and you will always live a life you love! Oprah says ‘I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.’ I agree. So choose love. Every day, every time.
Connect with Vienda at: ViendaMaria.com, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
