From Fire Dancing to Butterfly Trails: Creating a Life That Feels Like Your Own with Cherie Dawn

What happens when you stop living by expectations and start trusting yourself?

In this episode of The FitZen Project, Rachel sits down with author, yoga teacher, and creative spirit Cherie Dawn for a heartfelt conversation about authenticity, intuition, self-expression, and creating a life that feels aligned from the inside out.

From her years as a fire performer to becoming an author, teaching yoga, and transforming a vineyard into a butterfly trail, Cherie shares how small, intentional decisions shaped a life rooted in freedom, creativity, and purpose.

Together, Rachel and Cherie explore what it means to let go of what no longer serves you, embrace your unique path, and trust that the next right step is often enough.

If you've ever felt called to make a change, pursue a creative dream, or simply live more authentically, this conversation will leave you inspired to listen to your own inner wisdom.

In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why authenticity is more important than approval
• How small decisions create big life transformations
• The connection between yoga, intuition, and self-leadership
• Why letting go can be the most powerful act of growth
• How creativity helps us become more fully ourselves
• The surprising story behind Cherie's butterfly trail

Connect with Cherie:
Website: cheriedawn.com
Book: Don't Ugly Cry While Driving

Remember: You are your most important project.

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Transcript

Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Hey y'all, hey! Welcome to the FitzIn Project. I'm your host, Rachel Fitzpatrick, and this podcast is built on one simple belief, and that is you are your most important project. Each week we have real conversations about what it means to be human because we all know growth isn't always pretty, y'all, healing isn't always linear. And sometimes the most important lessons cover the moments we'd rather avoid, and that's that. Around here we're not playing small, we tell it like it is, and we question the stories we've been handed, we challenge the limits we've placed on ourselves, and explore what becomes possible when we start living authentically instead of performatively. My hope is that every episode leaves you with a new perspective, a deeper connection to yourself, and the courage to create that life that feels fully your own. Let's get it, fam. All right, fam, before we dive in, I just want to say thanks for hanging out with me. Like, seriously, in a world full of distractions, nuntifications, endless things competing for your attention, the fact that you've chosen to spend a little time with me today means a whole lot. And honestly, if this podcast has encouraged you, challenged you, made you laugh, or helped you see something differently, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a review. It's one of the simplest ways to help this community grow and reach the people who need these conversations most. And if you're not already on my email list, I'd love to connect with you there too. Uh, that's where I share deeper reflections and my book club updates, upcoming events, and the behind the scenes journey of building a life with intention. So you can find the link in the show notes. All right, let's get it. When I met Sherry

Meeting Again at Kentucky Yoga Festival

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Don at the Kentucky Yoga Festival, I knew there was a story there. Uh, what started as a conversation about books and a butterfly trail quickly became a much deeper conversation about authenticity, intuition, and creativity. Like what happens when you stop forcing life and start listening to it. So, Sherry Dawn is an author, a yoga teacher, a former fire performer, and someone who has intentionally built a life that reflects who she truly is. And not who the world expected her to be. And I love that so much. So I just want to say, like in this episode, we talk about writing and yoga and self-leadership and letting go of what no longer serves you. And what I love the most is why the smallest choice often creates the biggest transformations. You know? So I think you're gonna love this one. And without further ado, here's my conversation with Sherry Don. Alright! Hey Sherry Dawn, welcome to the Fitzin project. I'm excited to have this conversation with you today. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. Me too. I've actually um been looking forward to this ever since we kind of like rekindled at the Kentucky Yoga Festival this year. But what was really interesting about that is it it was two years ago, I believe, when I met you and we had met, and then it was like I knew you looked familiar, but I didn't know from where. And then it hit me like weeks after the Kentucky Yoga Festival, that's where I knew you from was we practiced together.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

Yeah, it is funny. I love how that happens though. You know, sometimes you just you blink and a couple of years go by, and then you can just instantly reconnect with people, you know?

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Yeah, yeah. And what drew me to you was um during the festival this year, you attended my class, which was awesome. But it was really cool because you spoke to me on um you being an author and your strawberry field that you wanted to grow. So I would love to touch on both of those things today.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Let's do it. And they're I feel like they're related too. So

Yoga Teacher Training and Personal Transformation

SPEAKER_00 4:30

even better. Easy to do.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Yeah, even better. So tell us about yourself and what got us here, basically, from your end.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Yeah, gosh. Oh, where did it start? Maybe I'll start with the more recent things and then we can go back as we need to. But, you know, um, I think the thing that immediately connected us for this conversation was your, you know, coming to your workshop. It was the business of self. And I didn't really know what to expect, but it spoke to me, the title spoke to me, and I showed up and it was so moving. And um, I just loved like the physical practice that you had us do with our yoga asanas, and then just the visualizations and things like that. And the reason that that's in line with me in my life is because as an author, it does take that type of work. It takes the physical work and it takes the mental work to get there every step of the way, you know, and it just doesn't stop and you bounce back and forth and you restart and you just like with our yoga practice on the mat, you will do the same thing over and over and over again. And yet it's going to be different every time you do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

I love that you have that practice as not only like a student, but you're also a yoga teacher, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:50

I am. Yeah. I'm one of those classic people who took the yoga training just for um personal development reasons and spiritual development and things like that. And then by the time I graduated from my first um certification, I thought, oh my gosh, I've got to share this with other people. I cannot just keep it to myself. And I've had experience leading movement arts in the past. Um past life thing. I was a fire dancer at one point before that, you know, as a toddler, I did the holy trinity of tat jazz ballet. So dance has just always been with me and teaching and things like that. So teaching yoga was a very natural fit. And I just don't know where I would be without it now. You know, the practice and the teaching.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Yeah. I went through the training myself and I was like, everyone in the world needs this. Like, I've got to you just come out of that and you're just lit on fire, whether you wanted to be a teacher with when you started or not. It's just one of those, if you've got a really good training, that is where it comes from. Did you do in person or online?

SPEAKER_00 6:58

I did in person and it was interesting because I'd been thinking about it for a while. And by while I mean maybe like a year had been thinking about it, but I had two teams at the time and, you know, working full-time and all the things. And then 2020 happened. And all of a sudden, I had the time because everything was closed. I wasn't leaving my house. And I had the money because we weren't spending any money because we were not leaving our house. And so I was able to do the training. We did it in person, but it was very um, it wasn't as like, I don't want to say personal, but it wasn't as touchy as I would like it to be. Like we weren't hugging each other, you know, to say hello or goodbye. We weren't sharing meals, you know, we would eat just like in our own little space, spaced out and things like that. So we made it work. Um, and I'm really grateful because otherwise I don't, I don't think I could have squeezed that into my life. You know, it's so intensive. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

That is wild how 2020 opened up so much for so many people. Like it

From Fire Performer to Author

SPEAKER_01 8:00

was absolutely a devastating time, don't get me wrong. But at the same time, I think both can be true that it was a big space for a lot of growth and in life enhancements as much as it was devastating for a lot of loss. But it did create a bit like a lot of deaths, like ego deaths in turn for it was like a hard churn of a of a wheel, so to speak, for many. So that's really neat that you got to do that during that time. That's that says a lot to me. I don't know about the community in and of itself, just for what I know and experienced and felt. Yeah. That's great. So did that um empower you to be an author or you did that first?

SPEAKER_00 8:48

So I was an author first, and my first novel was Girl on Fire. And that was actually inspired by my experiences as a fire dancer and a tribal belly dancer and a fire eater. It all just was sort of woven together in the way that I performed with different groups. And that came about at an interesting time as well. Um, you know, I was doing the fire arts and performing for about 10 years semi-professionally, which means that I had a day job, but I was doing that on the side and getting hired to perform. Um, but a series of things all kind of happened at the same time, like they do. And the group that I was in, which I'm so close with most of those people today, um, like we all just kind of had life things happening that pulled us away from what we were doing. My kids needed me at home more because, you know, I had been busy like going to rehearsals and going to gigs and things like that. And they just needed me around to be around. Um, and then at let's see, what happened? Oh, yeah. So like those things were happening. And then um the one, the one catalyst that for that time, like that's when I kind of stopped like really performing. I began my semi-retirement as what we called it, is when I had a gig that happened at the same time as my son had a concert performance. And it was a pretty big gig. Like I couldn't just back out of it. You know, we it was like a choreographed piece. We were getting paid by a big institution in Cincinnati. And I was like, well, that's just never gonna happen again, you know. Um, at that time, I really just did not want to miss out on my kids. You know, they just grow so fast. Yeah. And then as they got older, I've decided, like, okay, like now it's just tricky. Like, I'm still gonna do things to live my life. But if I'm gonna commit to something, it's gonna be either something that's flexible that I can reschedule, or it's gonna be worth it no matter what happens. You know. But um, at the time when when all these things were sort of happening um at work during my day job, I'm an online editor, so I do a lot of writing and I was writing so much content about things that I I knew about, but it wasn't coming from my heart, you know, it was coming from research and things like that. And I thought, I if I can

Writing From Real Life Experiences

SPEAKER_00 11:00

write this much for a company, I should be able to write my own words, my own story. And so that became Girl on Fire. And uh it was inspired by true stories that I just, you know, I just kind of stretched them like taffy to turn it into like an instrument interesting novel, you know, with a character arc and things like that.

SPEAKER_01 11:18

That's rad. That's awesome. I feel like that's how the best books are written is from uh passion, like it you could just tell it's a passion project and it's personal as well. So that works in the best way. And you've got to be you got another one. Um, don't ugly cry while driving. Yeah. Let's hear about this one too, because I think this is the one I want to put in my book club. So I want to hear about what your version is of this, and then I want to read it with my book club, and then I want to come back with you with my members.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

I love it. Absolutely. So Don't Ugly Cry While Driving is um that was born out of my blog, the Life Soup blog is what I call it. And I write it once a month. I've been doing that for years now, just because I love to write. And novels take so long. They just take so long. But a blog, um, for me, like also because I'm an online editor by day, it's just so easy, you know, and I'm just always inspired to share these things. And they're usually somehow tied into yoga or yoga philosophy or self-improvement or just, I don't know, like the just it's that element of wanting to share something that I've learned, you know, with other people to inspire them. So I was writing the life suit blog and uh took a vacation and just driving home all the way from Wisconsin to Kentucky. And I thought, you know what, I've got all this content. Like I could, they're like these short little could be short little chapters. And I what I decided to do is rewrite each blog post though, so that it wasn't just like copying and pasting. It was really making it better for a book format. And um, the subject lines became my chapter title. So that was one of my blog posts. And the title for that, um, once I had the title, I knew it had to be a book and I knew I had to go through the work to make it happen. But the fun thing is that every time somebody hears the title, they laugh and they're like, oh, I need to read that. And I'm like, I know.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

Seriously. I'm really looking forward to this one because I I know it's also written on like truth-based things that have happened with you, but I think those are just like the best things that really have you relatable, you know, it and that's really what it is. I uh interviewed a guy not too long ago, Scott Lackey, and he wrote uh Wake Up to Die Again. And I'm reading that right now as also gonna be part of the book club. And um what I loved that he

Authenticity and Creative Courage

SPEAKER_01 14:00

had said was it's the one thing that he put out that he knew like what's the cost, and it was himself, you know. So with this being personal to you and it's a bit vulnerable, do you feel that way as well when you're writing this?

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Yeah, I definitely you you definitely do feel vulnerable when you're sharing the works that you've written. There are all these elements I think that any artist, especially or any creative can relate to. Um, because you don't you don't know what people are gonna think. Are people gonna like it? Are they gonna judge it? And that's like that's one of those things, kind of like with the yoga poses that I mentioned earlier. Like you're gonna go through that every time you write something new. You're gonna have those thoughts. But I think it gets easier, just like our yoga poses get easier to let that thought come and then just be like, well, yeah, there are gonna people, there are gonna be people that don't like it, and there are gonna be people that judge me for it, and that's okay, you know, because it just is what it is. And it just gets easier to not care, you know, because at the end of the day, like it's you're choosing authenticity, you're choosing self-expression, and people are gonna relate to it. And I just I I've heard that all my life, and I so firmly believe it now that when we create something from the heart, there is someone who needs that, you know, they need to see that you did it. And I think it empowers them to either do the same, to write their book or start their blog or anything, and then um just carry it through, you know, know that it can be done and there's a reason for it. I feel like there's a reason that ideas come into our brains, you know. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

I mean, I feel that in my whole body right now, like the hair on my arms just stood up when you said that. So I'm I love when that moment happens because it's just such a confirmation of validation that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now. So thank you. But it it does light up though. Like it lights up yourself, it lights up other people. And you know what I really liked about that is you said not everyone is gonna like it. And the thing about this too is um you're not made for everybody, and not everybody is made for you. And that's a blessing. That is great. Like, how terrible would it be to be made for everybody? Could you imagine how hard choices would be? And like how hard it would be to make a move if you were just made for everybody and expected to be loved by every single person.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

I mean, it would be hard. And you know, there are so many people out there who try to fit that form for everybody. And and we do put on like our different, um, our different, you know, personalities depending on the situation that we're in. Like that's I feel like that's one thing. You just sort of like, you know, that's okay. But as long as you're doing that authentically, you know, and appropriately

Building a Life Through Small Decisions

SPEAKER_00 17:00

and not, gosh, like, isn't it just a relief to know that you don't have to, you don't have to like everyone? And like you can just accept the fact that they are who they are for a reason. And the same with people not liking you, you know, and I mean, obviously, like I want people to like me, people that love me. Right. But the way that I live isn't like that's not for everybody else. And when I say the way I leave I live, I mean living authentically, you know. And my gosh, a friend of mine said recently that she said that I live a Peter Pan life. Yeah, like in a in a loving way, because it's so free. And, you know, I built this life like based on very small decisions that that add up over the years to like choose the job that gives me flexibility and freedom. And, you know, once I left, I left the highest paying job I ever had because it was soul crushing. And I stayed six months and I said, I'm out, you know. So like just having the courage to do those types of things and um always just going with your heart, you know. And again, like when that when an idea comes, like follow it and see what happens, you know. Like, so that could lead to like the the butterfly trail, you know, that we talked about. That yeah. Um, that's a great example of that happening, not to mention the books. Like each of the books have been one of those things. And I hope people find inspiration in that, but with the butterfly trail that was born out of us, well, I guess I could backtrack just a little bit. Uh, we once lived in a different town, and someone posted on Facebook, a friend of mine. She said, um, what is like what's a dream? What is your dream life, something from your dream life that that you want? And I was like, we would love to own some land and just live more in the country. And then, and that was kind of it. And then the next day she posted on Facebook and I saw it and she said, What's the tiniest step you can take toward that goal? And I was like, Oh, well, I guess I could just call the bank, you know, and see where we are with our current mortgage and what can we afford. And I did it. And now, like, we're living in our dream home. And it's not like it's not crazy, fancy, you know, it's we love it though, you know. And I guess everything's relative, right? Like everything's relative. Like we're so content and happy here. And it came with a vineyard, which was unexpected, but we're like, oh, that sounds so romantic, right? Like, yeah, yeah, it's a lot of work. So we managed the vineyard um for about, well, again, about a decade, I guess, that it overlapped with my fire arts, not the same decade, but um we managed it. And as we saw that it was more work than it was giving us any type of benefit, including joy, we I finally convinced my husband to help me cut down all the vines, which was a job. And then we have, I think we can officially say it is a butterfly trail now. And so we're working with the environment, we're working with the earth, we're helping the insects and the deer and the turkey instead of trying to fight all of it. And um, that feels really good.

SPEAKER_01 20:22

I'm gonna reflect some things back to you because there's so much here that you just pulled so many concepts out that I've been working with personally. So I'm I'm gonna talk through those. I'm gonna name them off. So for one, you said the word the way I lead my life on accident, because then you went back and said the way I've lived my life, but you said lead first. And that is like my superpower. Okay. So that happened on purpose, first and foremost. I can't take that away from you or this podcast. So the leading part led you to all of these things, and then you said

Letting Go of What No Longer Serves You

SPEAKER_01 21:00

those um expectations of people and how you're not meant for everybody. And when we were talking about that just a minute ago, and I want to draw that into how that related to your performing and then how naturally you dropped that performance as it was kind of against the grain, and you did it again with this vineyard of taking it out because it was too hard, too much work against the grain. You had to cut it, you said cut it versus fight it. You know, like that's all self-leadership through and through. Like, how does those things, those things came straight from your heart and like you did some internal work? What was that internal work? Because those things don't just happen because your mind said so. That was a body feeling.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

Yeah, definitely, definitely. And thank you for recognizing all those things too. You know, I feel like there's so much packed into language, and that's one of the reasons I love it. It's one of the reasons I love to write. For me, it has been just so many little things, right? So for one, um listening to podcasts like this and finding inspiration and taking notes in my journal about quotes, you know, little things that people say that really resonate me with me. Um, that's one thing. I think um going to something like with yoga, we it really teaches us to listen to our bodies, you know, and listen to our intuition and how we feel and why we feel what we feel. And so I think then taking the next step of acting on it. And I think most of us had have heard the phrase like, if it's not serving you, let it go. And yeah, like it's some people probably think it's a cliche. We hear it all the time, but oh my God, it is so true. It's just true. And so if it's not bringing you joy, if it's bringing you anything that's anything at all that's negative, let it go. Cut it down, cut down, cut down those vines that you're sick of taking over your schedule and your life and you know, and then and plant your own garden or do, you know, that's all that symbolic, obviously. But it's just those little tiny steps. Like it's talking about it, it's writing it down, it's manifesting it through journaling and taking those action steps, you know, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 23:22

Yeah. Uh you said it's a cliche, and I want to talk about that for just a minute because this is something that I read just on the Facebook two days ago. One of my friends had posted a picture of this beautiful girl getting married. It was a beautiful, and it was a modern-day photo, and it was a story actually about a grandma and how back in grandma's years, she served the home, she made all the dinners, grew the garden, tended to the children, did the things without

Strength Training, Discipline, and Yoga Philosophy

SPEAKER_01 24:00

necessarily being made to make the dollar in physical form, but showing up with heart and taking care of the homestead while whoever else, the husband, partner, whatever, was going and making the dollar for physical form. And then all of a sudden that turned into um not good enough, right? And then she'd have to go out and then she'd go get a job. Well, then she still was supposed to take care of all of the things. So you're not taking away, you're adding on. And then that's still not good enough. So then you can't take care of the children, so you have to outsource it to somebody else to then pay them to take care of the children to then continue to take care of the house and make the money and do the things. And then there's no time for the garden, there's no time for the food. So that's not good enough. So then you have to go make more money so you can pay for the restaurants, pay for going out, pay for someone to watch your kids, pay for someone to clean your house, pay for all of these things to then at the end of the day still feel like there's you're not good enough. So as cliche as it sounds, and as old-fashioned as it sounds, if it's not serving you, cut it. Let it go. She was uh good enough already, like already good enough from the get-go. It's not you know, cliche or not, I'm all about cutting it. Like just let it go. And I love how you said I made the most money I've ever made. And then six months it was draining me. I couldn't do it anymore, you know?

SPEAKER_00 25:34

Yeah. And it's recognizing that, you know, recognize like hearing what's going on in your mind with it and just realizing that, you know, you have you like you have the experience, you have the the resources, things are gonna come. And like I've heard a million people say that themselves, that you know, that they quit their job and something even better came. Like it's just the way that the universe usually works for us, you know. It just does.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

It's literally like our partner. It's if we let it be. Yeah, if you can trust it, and it is the way the universe works, but at the same time, you have to take that inspired action and inspired in spirit, and that's part of the and in with the universe, right? Like I um love yoga so much for the methodologies more than even the practice. The practice itself is a beautiful way to physically form the methodologies on the mat. But I also have gotten into um strength training recently and go into a gym for weights just so I can retrain my body in a different way. But the philosophy is the hardcore foundation. Is that yours?

SPEAKER_00 26:48

Yeah, I mean, that's you know, when you can you tie that into yoga easily when we look at tapas, which is Sanskrit for discipline, right? Which is one of the eight lens of yoga. Um, I do strength training as

Relationships, Boundaries, and Self-Leadership

SPEAKER_00 27:00

well. Um, I feel like it's just so good for our bodies. Um, and we just need it. And I I heard that coming up a lot actually, like at the yoga festival and at the playthink festival when I was attending different workshops and stuff. And like, in addition to yoga, we do need strength, especially like I'm 49. I just turned 49, and I cannot forget my upper body, you know. Yeah, right. I would have never known that.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

I was not, but awesome. That's so cool. Yoga. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 27:34

Show me the way, Sherry Dodd. Show me the way. Um yoga, hydration, and I spray my face with rose water once in a while. Yes, same. I try to get that glow. But after sunscreen bogs it down. But anyway, back to you. Yeah, so it is that, you know, it's that discipline, the same discipline that it takes us to to go to the gym. That, you know, it takes that discipline to show up at my computer to write. And, you know, it's it's hard either way, I feel like is the thing. Like, I feel like when we don't follow our intuition, like you can feel it, you know, you can feel that that stuckness, you know, inside. And it's just so much healthier for us, I think, when we are creating, when we're around people who, you know, we resonate with, who support us and that we want to support. That's a big thing for me, is just really um holding tight to the people in your life that that are good for you. And the people who are not good for you, um, you know, slowly let them go too. And you don't have to be mean about it or cut them out, but like figure out a way to set your own boundaries, right? Like boundaries is obviously a really big thing that I mean, just focusing on that alone, I think, can change somebody's life. I agree 100%.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

And I love that you did share your age and I love that you shared your uh passion for these festivals. And I'd love to also talk about how a lot of people that I tell. So I I have corporate America on one side and then my cute little country pumpkin family on the other side, and they think I am nuts. So they're like, you're going to some hippie fest, blah, blah. I'm like, yeah, but these people know shit, you know, like I need to, they they're the ones that I really want to go with, you know. I don't really want this other um toxicity from the corporate America and everything else in between, you know. I like the people who are grounding with nature. So can you talk about like some of these like voodoo things or whatever woo-woo stuff that debunk them, debunk these people. Okay. Help me help you help us.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

Oh, for sure. Well, I think that you know, the biggest thing about coming to something like this, my best friend calls it hippie cam, by the way. Yeah. It gets her to come to one of these ones. Because um, she it's interesting because like she is like my best friend, like my sister friend, and we're total opposites, you know. But it's kind of like that same thing of like, like if I had a friend in the corporate world who I would really want to spend that time with, I would say, like, do this. Because for me, like what these festivals are, are just I think they're they're just like opportunities for such authenticity. And I've been reflecting on that. I'm like, why do I like what do I get out of this? Why do I feel so amazing? And I think it's because nobody cares about what you're doing or what you're wearing. And you can go to like, I don't sing, for example. Like, I don't have a great singing voice, but I can go and sing mantras with people for an hour,

The Magic of Yoga and Conscious Festivals

SPEAKER_00 31:00

and it feels so good. And they don't care if I was flat or sharp, you know, I just got to do it, things like that. Um, and I think being outside for so long is really helpful. I think just that time and just when you're you're connected to the ground, you're with the fire element and the water element and the air elements. So just being outside is so good for us. And just being in community with people, I think a big part of it is being offline. Yeah, you know, like sometimes like there are places where you can like try to get a signal, but once I park my car, I go on airplane mode. I don't care what. And, you know, for four days, I'm not getting distracted by anything else happening in the world or with other people that I care about, but also just just, you know, it's just being present. Yeah. And so those are the things that I think would debunk what's happening. So yes, we're dancing barefoot with bubbles, and yes, we're giving ourselves tempori tattoos, and I still have a feather in my hair. I don't care. But doing those just very human things, I just feel like we're being so human, you know, just being so present with each other and we're dancing and we're singing and we're drumming and we're writing. And um, I wish that everybody could let their like their guard down enough to just experience that. And really, I think it's also just being kid-like again for ourselves, you know. So it's just good for you.

SPEAKER_01 32:31

There's so much play, and there what I feel from these, I love that you brought in the elements because were you at the Kentucky Yoga Festival last year? No, there was a lot of elements there. There was like tornadoes, you know, like, and it you are back to that trusting of the universe and being in partnership, even though there were terrible storms, people's belongings got wrecked, not one person was hurt, and we were all like spared from any type of casualty or no bloodshed whatsoever, right? And then this year, you know, we had the most beautiful weather you could ask for. And it did have the elements too. Like there's a beautiful creek people are down in, and you don't have to go down and wash in the naked, whatever. That's not like the picture that I'm painting here. The picture that I'm painting here is stand-up paddle boards, and we're all down there doing yoga on that, or you're out in the creek. There were um a little bit of everything there, you know, and the elements, you know, we're brought in the fire, of course, and grounding in the nature. But the best part of those things is definitely the community and like meeting people like you and getting to share a sacred practice and a journaling session or a creative session with like-minded people or people who are totally opposite of each other but are sharing that one thing and one time and space. It's really neat.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

It is neat and sharing sharing that with each other like in a way that just holds space for each other and just honors the fact that like we might be different and have different, you know, anything and everything, but you know, it's okay. Like just okay. I think that that's the beautiful thing about it. I I've been in corporate. Um, I've worked for a big media company for 10 years, and now I'm with a different media company that it's more of like a small, it's more like a family feel, you know, even though it's a publishing company. But when I was in corporate, um, yeah, like you just you learn a lot and it's it's just different. It's just a different experience. And I don't know. I guess I'm just saying that I've seen a little bit of everything.

Defining Success on Your Own Terms

SPEAKER_00 35:00

I'm glad I am growing off. That's even better.

SPEAKER_01 35:03

So I want to ask you, um, you know, you st we started our conversation, and I think this is a good way to kind of wrap it into um where we want to go. But you started off saying that you'd attended my workshop, which I'm so grateful you did, and in the business of yourself, what did that mean to you? And what does it mean to you now if that's changed on uh where you are and what's going on with you?

SPEAKER_00 35:31

Well, you know, when we when we were in that workshop, you led us through this really cool visualization where we saw like the dream version of ourselves or like our highest goal achieved and things like that. And it was interesting for me because it was similar to where I am now. And I realized that that means that I'm very content and I'm so happy. And I recognize how far I've come, you know, like as we said this, I'm so grateful for the space I'm in. Isn't it's actually a small cabin that we built for me because I'm a writer. So this is my space, you know. And um a long time ago, I defined success for myself. Like, what does that look like? And like, yes, I would love to have, you know, all of my books be huge bestsellers, right? I want to be on Oprah, right? You want all the things, which is still not out of reach, you know. Like it might just, it might be coming, maybe not today. But um, for me, success is being asked to show up, you know, and those things happen. Like you invited me to be on this podcast, and people invite me to to teach at their events, and that to me means everything. It means everything when I send my newsletter, and every single time someone will write back to me and say something like, I really needed to hear that, you know, and that's success, or like just all those little things. So it tells me that I'm on the path and I can also allow myself to dream even bigger and like really own that. So that's what I think that I would need to do, like based on just like the the workshop that you gave us and like thinking about where my path is. Like, I just really need to own the fact that Oprah's team is gonna reach out to me. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 37:24

Absolutely they are. Why wouldn't they? Right. Um I mean, don't stop believing that.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

Yeah, yeah. Because, you know, at the end of the day, like I'm doing I do what I do because it's my self-expression. Like I feel called to do it. I need to do it, but I know that it's benefiting others, you know? And so that's that's the really exciting other half of that. So yeah. Um, yeah, but that yeah, so that's it.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

That's beautiful. That's really how I feel about doing this podcast too. Like, there's been a lot of times where I'm like, uh, we got another week. What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? Should I even do it? Should I continue to do this? Like, what trajectory? I'm all over the place, blah, blah, blah, blah. And really, I love it. I love being all over the place because we're not so we're, I think we're so conditioned to only have a niche and be in that form for the rest of eternity because that's what everybody expects from us. And where me as a person, I am not the same as I was a year ago. I'm not the same as I was five years ago. I don't even have the same interests. My favorite color changes all the time. Like I'm just always gonna want to talk about something new, something different, something I don't know. So that's the niche. And it's not to fit into everybody's pocket, it's to explore what is possible. So if Oprah listens and her team listens to this podcast, I hope they explore what's possible with Sherry Dawn,

Books, Butterfly Trails, and Following Intuition

SPEAKER_01 39:00

you know, because this is where it's at. Like it's an exploration of self and just a different way to do an inquiry of how good can life get? Like how good can it get, you know?

SPEAKER_00 39:17

And you know, like with you building out your podcast, which I am a fan of now. I've been listening to your previous episodes and I'm so honored to be a guest on this.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

Um you're welcome. Like building it and like figuring it out. It's not unlike writing a novel draft, you know, like you just you have to keep putting your paragraphs down, and then you kind of figure out like, okay, here's where it's going, and you're always learning and things like that. So I'm grateful that you're taking the time the time to do it. I know it takes a lot of work. I know it takes work to prepare for it and you know, before the interview and after the interview. So on behalf of all of your listeners, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 39:56

Oh, thanks. That really means a lot. And I receive that for sure. So thank you. But this has been a really fun conversation, and I can't wait. So I'm I want to circle into your um don't ugly cry while driving. I'm putting that as my second read in my book club. So we start that. I'll be sending out an email this week, and we'll be starting that in August. And I would love if you would circle back with us and be part of our um Meet the Author. And that's gonna be its own podcast too. So I want to have you absolutely, absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

Tell and tell your readers to get their journal ready too, because every chapter has a journal prompt with perfect.

SPEAKER_01 40:46

Those are the types of books I'm taking in right now for this club. So even better, even better. I can't wait to get it. Or well, I have it, but I'm gonna get the hard copy so I can be with the others too. So thank you for that. So all right. Is there any question? I would love to know if you have one question, what would it be for my next guest or that I could even answer on my next solo?

SPEAKER_00 41:11

Okay. Let's see. I did hear you ask this of someone else. I should have been prepared. No, um, my question is okay, can it be this? Because this is a question that I feel like we should all be answering is um, what are you doing for the environment? Is that okay? Yes. Okay. My answer is the butterfly trail. So it's like it's hot on my mind, you know. But there could be many, many different answers, and they don't have to be as big of a project as that, you know.

SPEAKER_01 41:43

Yeah, you know, that's one thing I haven't gotten on my podcast. I've done medical, I've had a few doctors, I've had a few um fitness experts and influencers in that way, many authors and um, you know,

Final Reflections and What's Next

SPEAKER_01 42:00

regular people just doing the best they can. But I've not had an environmentalist topic, and that sounds phenomenal, actually. So either way, I'm gonna work on that. That's my commitment for the next next sessions to come. Well, thank you. I look forward to hearing it. Well, thank you so much, Sherry Don. Is there I will have uh your link to your book, it's on Amazon either way, right? I'll have it in our show notes. And again, it's called Don't Ugly Cry While Driving. And I will uh make sure that that's accessible for everyone listening. And is there anything else as far as joining your um I think you said you have a newsletter and joining that? I do.

SPEAKER_00 42:48

Yeah, thanks for asking. So my website is simply sherry dawn.com. And then from there you can sign up for my Substack. It's monthly, it's free. There is a paid version, so shout out to the people who are supporting it financially. I appreciate you. And um, yeah, I hope to see you there. They can find me on all the socials too. Um, I love to connect with people, and other than that, just you know, take care of yourselves. I love it. All right, well, thank you so much, and we will speak soon.

SPEAKER_01 43:19

I can't wait. Awesome. Thank you, Rachel. Oh, well, what I love the most about this conversation with Cherry Dawn is the reminder that life doesn't have to be built through those giant leaps. And sometimes it's the smallest decisions, the ones that feel aligned, honest, and true, that completely change the direction of our lives. So if you'd like to connect with Sherry Dawn, learn more about our books, or join her newsletter, you'll find all of that information in the show notes. And if you're looking for your next great read, be sure to check out Don't Ugly Cry While Driving. So that's also going to be part of my book club. If that's something that you're interested in joining for when we dive into that book, I'd love to have you, but you'd have to join the newsletter first if you're not already. So either way, as always, thank you so much for spending time with us. And if this conversation resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it. Leave a review, join the Fitzy community through the email list. And until next time, I want you to remember that you are your most important project. Keep showing up, keep growing, and keep creating a life that feels authentically yours.