September 26, 2024 • 31 mins
SULIS: A JOURNEY OF EMPOWERMENT AND COMMUNITY BUILDING
In this solo and heartfelt episode of Anchor Your Dreams, Meghan McQuillan shares her inspirational journey from conceptualizing Anchored Dreams Atelier to creating a supportive community for women entrepreneurs. Meghan delves into the struggles and triumphs she faced while establishing her brand, her evolving vision for a collaborative space, and her passion for empowering women, particularly mothers of children with disabilities. She also explores the significance of her Irish heritage, the meaningful connections in her life, and her future plans to expand her community initiatives. Join Meghan as she invites you to be part of a movement that turns dreams into reality.
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00:00 Welcome to Anchor Your Dreams
00:49 The Origin of Anchored Dreams
01:49 Building the Brand
03:34 The Vision for the Future
04:23 Creating a Supportive Community
07:40 Personal Reflections and Inspirations
09:30 The Power of Names and Identity
14:44 The Concept of Sulis
29:13 Final Thoughts and Gratitude
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Meghan (00:05):
If you are
someone who has a dream, but feelstuck, if you are facing obstacles that
seem overwhelming, or if you just needa dose of motivation to keep pushing
forward, then you are in the right place.
So buckle up dreamers, Anchoryour Dreams is not just a podcast.
(00:26):
It's a community, a community of dreamers,supporting dreamers, women, supporting
women, subscribe, follow along, and let'snavigate the seas of ambition together.
Thank you for joiningme on this adventure.
Get ready to be inspired,motivated, and empowered.
The journey begins now.
(00:50):
The envisioned future.
Anchor your dreams is a taglineI've been saying for years.
I first came up with anchoreddreams as a business name in 2018.
After trying to come up with a name andnone of them landing on my heart, this
one came to me in the middle of the night.
(01:11):
I second guessed it though.
Being the person I am, I needed visuals.
I created logo after logo for allthese other names and still I kept
coming back to anchored dreams.
I remember sharing it somewhereon the interwebs and some feedback
I got was along the lines ofthat sounds more of a negative.
(01:31):
Why would you want to anchor your dreams?
It was then that I knew it had to be it.
I don't think in the box.
My mind has different pathways connectedto ideas which are connected to feelings.
It's not always something I celebrate.
Anchored Dreams Atelier.
(01:51):
Established 2018 with a genericvista print design for my business
cards and marketing materials.
Brand colors blue and gold, feathers.
Here we go again.
Was this the right combo?
What does anchors and feathershave to do with each other?
What do feathers anddreams have in common?
(02:13):
The overthinking spiral led meto done is better than none.
So for the first fiveyears, I kept it that way.
At every market I had no less thana dozen compliments on my sign.
People would say, anchored dreams?
Allowed.
Then peer over to the items on my table.
I saw their minds questioning it.
(02:34):
I think I had a handful ofpeople ask me what it meant, and
here's what I would tell them.
Dreams float away, as does theclouds or a feather in the wind.
They do not sit idle and wait for anyone.
(02:55):
You must take action.
You must anchor your dreams.
Ugh!
So much emotion is, is bubblingup for me while I share this.
right now.
Um, okay.
Trying to compose myself.
(03:15):
Um, once explained, you could feeltheir energy shift like a circuit
just turned on to feed the light.
Anchor Your Dreams is allabout taking action, putting in
effort, being open and curious.
It's about the willingnessto seek joy in the process.
Now that you understand where itbegan, I will share where it is going.
(03:39):
Since 2018, I've taken a fewhiatuses from . This business.
Never truly feeling likeI was on the right path.
Trusting it, yes, and alsoknowing that there was more.
This led me to creating anonline community in 2020 called
the Bravely Anchored Community.
It was a stepping stone, as were allother stones I had used previous.
(04:05):
Yet I knew it wasn't there yet.
I wasn't there.
Yet.
There was more.
More mileage to sail, moreeffort to row, More crew to meet.
So here and now.
I feel that I have figuredout the next anchor point.
Creating a hand up, grant givingentity to support women entrepreneurs.
(04:29):
Specifically, I'd like to support mums
that have a child with a disability.
As a mum myself, with a child that isautistic, PDA, which stands for Autism.
pathological demand avoidance, and ADHD,I can empathize on the low energy and
barriers you yourself face when it comesto being in business for yourself as a
(04:54):
means to have flexibility for your child.
How I plan to get there.
Utilize the percentage of profitsfrom Anchored Dreams Atelier,
specifically Permanent Jewelry, or asI like to call it, Anchored Jewelry.
I will use the Anchor Your Dreamspodcast to promote events, updates,
(05:16):
and endeavors of the charitable entity.
I will also utilize the collective.
I changed the community tocollective as an Oh, EDC
In vision opening a collaboration space.
A permanent venue for womenentrepreneurs where they come for
(05:39):
workshops and events, pop up markets,shops, have a co working space.
Also known as body doubling.
If you are ADHD, I get you.
A quiet space for recordingpodcasts or videos.
The benefits of this space is thatthe energetically charged entrepreneur
is a force to be reckoned with.
(06:00):
When we have a fire going and we arein the zone of genius, we can spread
it out and share it with others.
We can share our expertisein a collaborative way.
We can ask questions of othersto learn and gain knowledge.
We can get feedback andgrow with an open heart.
Interestingly enough, I waslooking back at my notes in my
(06:22):
phone and in 2017, I wrote abusiness idea for a co op of sorts.
There are some dreamsthat don't float far.
They are steadfast and yet in aspace where the anchor just barely
holds them from getting out of reach.
These are the ones that are onmy vision board year after year.
I understand now.
(06:42):
Divine timing.
As the light glows to this, I havelearned more about myself, and others,
in the past year than I ever have before.
I'm more in my heartthan I ever have been.
I'm more aware and critical,yet soft and peaceful.
Trusting the process.
Trusting that I cannot fuckup what isn't meant for me.
(07:05):
Trusting that the naysayersare my ally just as much, if
not more, than I am for myself.
Knowing that life on my terms is aprivilege and that giving back to those in
community near or far deserves a hand up.
My struggle is your opportunity andI wouldn't want it any other way.
I love to help, I love to be of service, Ilove to be in community and for community.
(07:30):
When this space becomes a community,I welcome you to use it as an
anchor point for you and I lookforward to meeting you there.
So I wrote all of this in July.
July was when I was really kind ofat this point and all these emotions,
(07:56):
all these thoughts, all theseideas were just running rampant.
I believe I actually wrote this out quitelate at night, early in the morning.
Um, I'm not sure And here I am now.
If you follow me on Instagram, you mayhave seen some posts regarding this space.
(08:20):
I also had created a survey, which Ishared in a number of Facebook groups, and
that survey has validated for me so muchof what my vision is and why this vision
needs to come, and Be in this community.
(08:46):
I can't really I'm overwhelmedin such a good way.
I'm overwhelmed with joy because so oftenWe sit back and we think we are alone.
We have these thoughts we have thesechallenges and we often Forget that
(09:11):
there are so many other women goingthrough a lot of similar things And yes,
social media does connect a lot of us.
together in that way.
Um, but there's somethingcompletely different about being
in community and in a space.
And so just a little backgroundas well in the beginning of this
(09:41):
Envisioned Future reading that I did.
I did reference my other company,and originally I had an idea of
just having it all branded that way.
But one day, I was with a friend, andthat very friend and I, who also, um,
(10:06):
actually, we were meeting at my mom'splace, which I had been house sitting,
and we got together because we realizedthat there was some disconnect between
ourselves and our visions and what wewanted and how we wanted things to go.
(10:29):
And we got talking about our names.
We got talking about howconnected we were to our names.
And I'll speak for myself.
Um, now is that my name, MeganMcQuillan, McQuillan being Irish.
(10:52):
I have been so connected toit since I was a little girl.
It is part of me that I
My dad was always one to talkabout where our family came from.
It was like, and again,I feel the emotion just
(11:18):
rising up.
It's like,
it was something thathe was very proud of.
It was something that connected my dad,my brother, and I talking about it.
So
(11:47):
to kind of.
Go back to that.
Um, I've always been connected to my name.
My then high school sweetheartnow husband, um, really, really
wanted me to take his last name.
And after so much thoughtabout it, I just, I couldn't,
(12:08):
I couldn't take his last name.
My last name
meant so much to me.
It really, was a huge part of myidentity and I know that there are
(12:29):
people out there that don't have that.
They are not connected to their namein the same way and I understand.
I really do.
I know someone who completely changed herlast name to fit what is reflective of
(12:49):
who she is and how she identifies now.
It's not her maiden name and it'snot her ex partner's name either.
Um, and I love that we can do that.
I love that we We can change ournames to reflect how we identify.
(13:10):
And even with my husband, his legal lastname at the time that we were together
was not the last name he was known as.
So, going back to the connectionto my name, and, um, this
conversation with my friend.
(13:32):
Um, it got me thinking aboutwhat I wanted to call this space.
Um, I had done a deep dive into coworking and spaces and the product
mix of how I wanted the space to look.
(13:53):
Um, and by product mix, that isevents, that is the co working, that's
private offices, shared desks, um,community events, privately hosted
events, all these different things,uh, make up what the product mix is.
And the common thread through it allis women, healing, uh, water, sun.
(14:25):
I love the ocean.
I love lakes, all forms of water.
My sign is Aquarius.
Um, so that brought me intothis whole entire mind mapping,
a brainstorming session.
So one day I was sitting here At mycomputer, and I decided to look up
(14:53):
Celtic goddesses.
So, Macquillan being Irish,Celtic, I thought maybe
there was a connection there.
I thought about the ocean, andhow I love the ocean, and how
serene, uh, it is at times.
Although, Stormy, too.
(15:15):
Um, and that we do need some challenges.
So, all in all, I was looking through thislist, and there was all these common names
that I'd heard before, and then I cameacross this one that was not common to me.
I'd never heard of it before.
And so, I thought, okay,let's look at this.
(15:40):
How does it sound when I say it?
What does it read?
How does it feel?
And this is Solace.
So, the goddess Solace, or deity Solace,and she is known for her healing powers,
(16:04):
and, or healing, um, hot springs.
Some have also said thatshe is sun and of the eye.
So, if you look at the Gaelic spellingand Um, there's connection to the
eye there so all of this to say thatas soon as I read that and I saw
(16:28):
that it just Something came over me.
It was this knowingthat this was the name.
This was what this spacewas going to be all about.
It was going to be about healing.
It was going to be aboutbringing women together.
Um, and it's funny in some ways, butthis is another connection that I made.
(16:55):
Uh, recently I was redoing mywebsite and I I picked a picture
of women in a hot tub to showcollectiveness, to show connection.
Um, so when I thought of the hot springsand a hot tub, again, there's just
(17:22):
another thing that just validated for methat I was on the right path with this.
Um, and then the next phaseof it was figuring out the
branding and going through that.
That's always somethingfun that I love to do.
Um, and
(17:44):
I recently watched Palm Royale, a series,and it, excuse me, I loved the colors.
I love the vibrancy, but the darkness,and I loved everything about it.
And it really brought me into the ArtNouveau, Art Deco, um, sort of themes.
(18:05):
So needless to say, I will have some ofthat sprinkled throughout the branding.
Um, um, And the logo, I narrowedit down to two different logos, or
images I should say, for the logo.
One of them was a palm leaf.
I think it fit really well andwas fun and probably sort of
(18:30):
more on the modern side of it.
And then I found this logo that reallylooks Like, water coming out of a
fountain, and it kinda, at the top, itdoesn't just splash out, it, it comes up
and out and then circles back and aroundand in, and that was important for me.
(18:55):
I wanted to express that.
While we're each our own individualsand on our own journey and on
our own path, we can certainlyhelp each other and circle back.
So that's kind of where I'm at with it.
And also the other part of thisis the stage that I'm at, I
(19:19):
wanted to share with everybody.
So, I think I have a space, I'min talks with somebody for the
space, and I will say that I
humbly, very, very humbly feel that wewill grow out of this space very fast,
um, but I, I am optimistic, I am hopefulthat we will just grow do what we can with
(19:48):
what we have, and the sooner we get into aspace, everything will unfold as it needs
to, and at the pace that it needs to.
So with that said, as well, I didcreate a survey for Women entrepreneurs
to fill out to give me some feedbackof what they are looking for.
(20:11):
That survey can be found.
I will link it in the show notes.
And also I have created a landingpage to continue to, um, have.
Sorry, collect emails for people whoare interested in, um, the space,
whether it's collaborating, um,or potentially being a member and
(20:38):
utilizing the space for yourself.
So I will have varying membershipoptions and amenities for this space.
I'm just, I'm so excited.
I'm so excited how thisis all coming together.
I'm so excited to, um, put it togetherand be part of something and bring people
(20:58):
together the messages, the outpouringmessages from women about the space and
the need for the space and their visionfor what they have for their future.
It's just, It's been incredible, and Ialso am just going to quickly read, um,
a friend of mine's vision that she sharedwith me because it was so in line with,
(21:31):
sorry, just give me, taking a second here,
it's so in line with everything.
Such a wonderful soul andI just love her so much.
She, she has taught mewhoo, these emotions.
(21:54):
Um, she has taught me so muchjust by being who she is and
okay, we have come full circle.
It's, it's incredible.
So this is her.
She loves what she does and explains why.
(22:17):
Deep satisfaction knowing I amhelping women create the financial
security and independence they crave.
I'm a role model to other women inthe industry by offering mastermind
groups, mentorship, and webinars.
Helping move the industry forwardin terms of serving women, looking
for rock solid wealth managementadvice coming from a place of
(22:39):
authenticity, truth, and expertise.
Autonomy over time.
Opportunity to continuallyshift, grow, and evolve.
Allows me to create thefinancial security and financial
independence I crave as a woman.
Grants me the ability to tune to myselfand my needs and ebb and flow as needed.
(23:03):
allows me to raise my children ina financially secure environment.
Now, for her vision.
I honestly got chills when I read this.
Um, okay.
Exhale.
What a journey.
(23:25):
Looking back, what I have accomplishedand what I have created is both
exactly what I was hoping for andnothing what I thought it would be.
I have invested in myself blindly,believed at times, refused
to let fear stop me, overcomeobstacles, and never given up.
I've shown resilience, strength,passion, openness, and literally
(23:47):
put my heart and soul into a careerI knew I was capable of, but didn't
have any clue how I would pull it off.
But I did it, and I will continueto show up for myself, my family,
and all the clients I serve becausethere is something deep within
me, driving me as I learn, grow,create, and live this beautiful life.
(24:11):
I am growing a business built on heart,truth, authenticity, and expertise.
My clients feel it.
It ripples through their beingas much as it ripples through
mine, resulting in referrals andgrowth that seems to just flow.
I continue to invest in myself byattending industry events, ongoing
education, reading, and learning.
(24:33):
I will never stop growing, neverstop expanding, never stop evolving.
By no means has it been an easy road, andI know I will continue to face challenges.
I also know I have what it takesto work through those challenges,
and in the moments I feel I donot have what it takes, there is
(24:55):
always someone by my side to addto my strength and help me through.
By no means am I walking alone.
Over the last five years, I'vebuilt a network of people I
resonate with on a deep level.
We show up for each other, show up for ourclients, and as a result, we all thrive.
My business model is built on workingwith women looking for rock solid
(25:18):
wealth management advice and educationtailored to their unique needs.
I have a growing client base of womenprofessionals, entrepreneurs, and
those going through life changes suchas divorce, retirement, or widowhood.
This client base helps me grow my businessthrough referrals and word of mouth.
(25:40):
My passion is helping women clarify theirlong term financial goals and assisting to
create a vision of their financial future.
Using a personalized financialplan, I instill in them a sense of
knowing that their actions todayare creating the life, financial
stability, and financial securitythey are craving and know is possible.
(26:04):
They walk out of my officeknowing their financial goals
can be and will be realized.
They walk out knowing they aretaking the action needed to live
the financial future they envision.
And in those moments when doubtcreeps in, I am there to remind
and show them they are on track.
They are doing it and theirfinancial future is secure.
(26:26):
As a result, their empowerment spreadsto future generation of women investors.
Women leaning on women to create successand mutually beneficial relationships.
Together we thrive.
So I hope you understand why I feltso good about sharing that with you.
(26:48):
Um,
this friend is also someone who Iexpressed my my vision of this space
that I was creating or wanted to create.
And at the time, we talked all aboutit and I shared it with her and she
(27:09):
was letting me know that she waslooking at hosting different meetings.
And, uh, That sort of thing.
And, um, as often I try to do aftermeeting someone in person, I like to
send them a message later on lettingthem know how much I care about them,
how much I appreciate their timespending with me as a friend and family.
(27:33):
Um, and so I did my follow up textmessage and her response was let her know
when the space and community is therebecause she would love to be part of it.
And
(27:56):
sometimes, you know, it's reallyinteresting because sometimes we have
these people in our lives that, that wereally look up to, that we share all of
our ideas with, and some of them mightland, and some of them don't land as well.
This one landed, and when I got thatresponse from her, I felt like, Yes,
(28:21):
this, this really is my life's calling.
This is where I need to go.
I don't always need to bethe person to host events.
I don't always need to be theperson who puts on workshops.
I love amplifying other women and thatis also why I have this podcast and
(28:45):
that's also why I love to have guests.
I, as much as I enjoy talking andlove talking and can talk about
all things all the time, amplifyingothers and building community and
providing a space, a home for them.
(29:07):
That's why.
where I know my energyneeds to go right now.
So thank you so much forlistening to this episode.
I hope that I will see your email onthe list for information on this space.
In the future, I hope to also providelots of different virtual options
(29:29):
for memberships, as well as events.
I would love to be able to take this,, across the country in a lot of ways.
So thank you so much for listening
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Thank you for joining this week's episode of Anchor Your Dreams.
I hope you enjoyed today'sconversation as much as I did.
A big thank you to our incredible guestsfor sharing their wisdom and insights.
If you resonated with today's episodeand want to explore more about
turning your dreams into reality,Be sure to subscribe to the podcast.
We have a lineup of amazing guestsand valuable content coming your way.
(30:25):
Don't forget to connectwith us on social media.
You can find us on Instagram and Facebook.
Share your thoughts, insights,and your own journey using the
hashtag anchor, your dreams.
Head over to our websiteat meganmcquillen.
com in the podcast section, where you'llfind the show notes, resources, and
information about upcoming episodes.
(30:46):
Before we wrap up, I want to express mygratitude to each and every one of you.
Your support means the worldto me, and I'm thrilled to
be on this journey with you.
Remember, anchored dreams becomegoals, anchored goals become results.
Until next time, dreambig and stay anchored.
If you are
someone who has a dream, but feelstuck, if you are facing obstacles that
seem overwhelming, or if you just needa dose of motivation to keep pushing
forward, then you are in the right place.
So buckle up dreamers, Anchoryour Dreams is not just a podcast.
(00:26):
It's a community, a community of dreamers,supporting dreamers, women, supporting
women, subscribe, follow along, and let'snavigate the seas of ambition together.
Thank you for joiningme on this adventure.
Get ready to be inspired,motivated, and empowered.
The journey begins now.
(00:50):
The envisioned future.
Anchor your dreams is a taglineI've been saying for years.
I first came up with anchoreddreams as a business name in 2018.
After trying to come up with a name andnone of them landing on my heart, this
one came to me in the middle of the night.
(01:11):
I second guessed it though.
Being the person I am, I needed visuals.
I created logo after logo for allthese other names and still I kept
coming back to anchored dreams.
I remember sharing it somewhereon the interwebs and some feedback
I got was along the lines ofthat sounds more of a negative.
(01:31):
Why would you want to anchor your dreams?
It was then that I knew it had to be it.
I don't think in the box.
My mind has different pathways connectedto ideas which are connected to feelings.
It's not always something I celebrate.
Anchored Dreams Atelier.
(01:51):
Established 2018 with a genericvista print design for my business
cards and marketing materials.
Brand colors blue and gold, feathers.
Here we go again.
Was this the right combo?
What does anchors and feathershave to do with each other?
What do feathers anddreams have in common?
(02:13):
The overthinking spiral led meto done is better than none.
So for the first fiveyears, I kept it that way.
At every market I had no less thana dozen compliments on my sign.
People would say, anchored dreams?
Allowed.
Then peer over to the items on my table.
I saw their minds questioning it.
(02:34):
I think I had a handful ofpeople ask me what it meant, and
here's what I would tell them.
Dreams float away, as does theclouds or a feather in the wind.
They do not sit idle and wait for anyone.
(02:55):
You must take action.
You must anchor your dreams.
Ugh!
So much emotion is, is bubblingup for me while I share this.
right now.
Um, okay.
Trying to compose myself.
(03:15):
Um, once explained, you could feeltheir energy shift like a circuit
just turned on to feed the light.
Anchor Your Dreams is allabout taking action, putting in
effort, being open and curious.
It's about the willingnessto seek joy in the process.
Now that you understand where itbegan, I will share where it is going.
(03:39):
Since 2018, I've taken a fewhiatuses from . This business.
Never truly feeling likeI was on the right path.
Trusting it, yes, and alsoknowing that there was more.
This led me to creating anonline community in 2020 called
the Bravely Anchored Community.
It was a stepping stone, as were allother stones I had used previous.
(04:05):
Yet I knew it wasn't there yet.
I wasn't there.
Yet.
There was more.
More mileage to sail, moreeffort to row, More crew to meet.
So here and now.
I feel that I have figuredout the next anchor point.
Creating a hand up, grant givingentity to support women entrepreneurs.
(04:29):
Specifically, I'd like to support mums
that have a child with a disability.
As a mum myself, with a child that isautistic, PDA, which stands for Autism.
pathological demand avoidance, and ADHD,I can empathize on the low energy and
barriers you yourself face when it comesto being in business for yourself as a
(04:54):
means to have flexibility for your child.
How I plan to get there.
Utilize the percentage of profitsfrom Anchored Dreams Atelier,
specifically Permanent Jewelry, or asI like to call it, Anchored Jewelry.
I will use the Anchor Your Dreamspodcast to promote events, updates,
(05:16):
and endeavors of the charitable entity.
I will also utilize the collective.
I changed the community tocollective as an Oh, EDC
In vision opening a collaboration space.
A permanent venue for womenentrepreneurs where they come for
(05:39):
workshops and events, pop up markets,shops, have a co working space.
Also known as body doubling.
If you are ADHD, I get you.
A quiet space for recordingpodcasts or videos.
The benefits of this space is thatthe energetically charged entrepreneur
is a force to be reckoned with.
(06:00):
When we have a fire going and we arein the zone of genius, we can spread
it out and share it with others.
We can share our expertisein a collaborative way.
We can ask questions of othersto learn and gain knowledge.
We can get feedback andgrow with an open heart.
Interestingly enough, I waslooking back at my notes in my
(06:22):
phone and in 2017, I wrote abusiness idea for a co op of sorts.
There are some dreamsthat don't float far.
They are steadfast and yet in aspace where the anchor just barely
holds them from getting out of reach.
These are the ones that are onmy vision board year after year.
I understand now.
(06:42):
Divine timing.
As the light glows to this, I havelearned more about myself, and others,
in the past year than I ever have before.
I'm more in my heartthan I ever have been.
I'm more aware and critical,yet soft and peaceful.
Trusting the process.
Trusting that I cannot fuckup what isn't meant for me.
(07:05):
Trusting that the naysayersare my ally just as much, if
not more, than I am for myself.
Knowing that life on my terms is aprivilege and that giving back to those in
community near or far deserves a hand up.
My struggle is your opportunity andI wouldn't want it any other way.
I love to help, I love to be of service, Ilove to be in community and for community.
(07:30):
When this space becomes a community,I welcome you to use it as an
anchor point for you and I lookforward to meeting you there.
So I wrote all of this in July.
July was when I was really kind ofat this point and all these emotions,
(07:56):
all these thoughts, all theseideas were just running rampant.
I believe I actually wrote this out quitelate at night, early in the morning.
Um, I'm not sure And here I am now.
If you follow me on Instagram, you mayhave seen some posts regarding this space.
(08:20):
I also had created a survey, which Ishared in a number of Facebook groups, and
that survey has validated for me so muchof what my vision is and why this vision
needs to come, and Be in this community.
(08:46):
I can't really I'm overwhelmedin such a good way.
I'm overwhelmed with joy because so oftenWe sit back and we think we are alone.
We have these thoughts we have thesechallenges and we often Forget that
(09:11):
there are so many other women goingthrough a lot of similar things And yes,
social media does connect a lot of us.
together in that way.
Um, but there's somethingcompletely different about being
in community and in a space.
And so just a little backgroundas well in the beginning of this
(09:41):
Envisioned Future reading that I did.
I did reference my other company,and originally I had an idea of
just having it all branded that way.
But one day, I was with a friend, andthat very friend and I, who also, um,
(10:06):
actually, we were meeting at my mom'splace, which I had been house sitting,
and we got together because we realizedthat there was some disconnect between
ourselves and our visions and what wewanted and how we wanted things to go.
(10:29):
And we got talking about our names.
We got talking about howconnected we were to our names.
And I'll speak for myself.
Um, now is that my name, MeganMcQuillan, McQuillan being Irish.
(10:52):
I have been so connected toit since I was a little girl.
It is part of me that I
My dad was always one to talkabout where our family came from.
It was like, and again,I feel the emotion just
(11:18):
rising up.
It's like,
it was something thathe was very proud of.
It was something that connected my dad,my brother, and I talking about it.
So
(11:47):
to kind of.
Go back to that.
Um, I've always been connected to my name.
My then high school sweetheartnow husband, um, really, really
wanted me to take his last name.
And after so much thoughtabout it, I just, I couldn't,
(12:08):
I couldn't take his last name.
My last name
meant so much to me.
It really, was a huge part of myidentity and I know that there are
(12:29):
people out there that don't have that.
They are not connected to their namein the same way and I understand.
I really do.
I know someone who completely changed herlast name to fit what is reflective of
(12:49):
who she is and how she identifies now.
It's not her maiden name and it'snot her ex partner's name either.
Um, and I love that we can do that.
I love that we We can change ournames to reflect how we identify.
(13:10):
And even with my husband, his legal lastname at the time that we were together
was not the last name he was known as.
So, going back to the connectionto my name, and, um, this
conversation with my friend.
(13:32):
Um, it got me thinking aboutwhat I wanted to call this space.
Um, I had done a deep dive into coworking and spaces and the product
mix of how I wanted the space to look.
(13:53):
Um, and by product mix, that isevents, that is the co working, that's
private offices, shared desks, um,community events, privately hosted
events, all these different things,uh, make up what the product mix is.
And the common thread through it allis women, healing, uh, water, sun.
(14:25):
I love the ocean.
I love lakes, all forms of water.
My sign is Aquarius.
Um, so that brought me intothis whole entire mind mapping,
a brainstorming session.
So one day I was sitting here At mycomputer, and I decided to look up
(14:53):
Celtic goddesses.
So, Macquillan being Irish,Celtic, I thought maybe
there was a connection there.
I thought about the ocean, andhow I love the ocean, and how
serene, uh, it is at times.
Although, Stormy, too.
(15:15):
Um, and that we do need some challenges.
So, all in all, I was looking through thislist, and there was all these common names
that I'd heard before, and then I cameacross this one that was not common to me.
I'd never heard of it before.
And so, I thought, okay,let's look at this.
(15:40):
How does it sound when I say it?
What does it read?
How does it feel?
And this is Solace.
So, the goddess Solace, or deity Solace,and she is known for her healing powers,
(16:04):
and, or healing, um, hot springs.
Some have also said thatshe is sun and of the eye.
So, if you look at the Gaelic spellingand Um, there's connection to the
eye there so all of this to say thatas soon as I read that and I saw
(16:28):
that it just Something came over me.
It was this knowingthat this was the name.
This was what this spacewas going to be all about.
It was going to be about healing.
It was going to be aboutbringing women together.
Um, and it's funny in some ways, butthis is another connection that I made.
(16:55):
Uh, recently I was redoing mywebsite and I I picked a picture
of women in a hot tub to showcollectiveness, to show connection.
Um, so when I thought of the hot springsand a hot tub, again, there's just
(17:22):
another thing that just validated for methat I was on the right path with this.
Um, and then the next phaseof it was figuring out the
branding and going through that.
That's always somethingfun that I love to do.
Um, and
(17:44):
I recently watched Palm Royale, a series,and it, excuse me, I loved the colors.
I love the vibrancy, but the darkness,and I loved everything about it.
And it really brought me into the ArtNouveau, Art Deco, um, sort of themes.
(18:05):
So needless to say, I will have some ofthat sprinkled throughout the branding.
Um, um, And the logo, I narrowedit down to two different logos, or
images I should say, for the logo.
One of them was a palm leaf.
I think it fit really well andwas fun and probably sort of
(18:30):
more on the modern side of it.
And then I found this logo that reallylooks Like, water coming out of a
fountain, and it kinda, at the top, itdoesn't just splash out, it, it comes up
and out and then circles back and aroundand in, and that was important for me.
(18:55):
I wanted to express that.
While we're each our own individualsand on our own journey and on
our own path, we can certainlyhelp each other and circle back.
So that's kind of where I'm at with it.
And also the other part of thisis the stage that I'm at, I
(19:19):
wanted to share with everybody.
So, I think I have a space, I'min talks with somebody for the
space, and I will say that I
humbly, very, very humbly feel that wewill grow out of this space very fast,
um, but I, I am optimistic, I am hopefulthat we will just grow do what we can with
(19:48):
what we have, and the sooner we get into aspace, everything will unfold as it needs
to, and at the pace that it needs to.
So with that said, as well, I didcreate a survey for Women entrepreneurs
to fill out to give me some feedbackof what they are looking for.
(20:11):
That survey can be found.
I will link it in the show notes.
And also I have created a landingpage to continue to, um, have.
Sorry, collect emails for people whoare interested in, um, the space,
whether it's collaborating, um,or potentially being a member and
(20:38):
utilizing the space for yourself.
So I will have varying membershipoptions and amenities for this space.
I'm just, I'm so excited.
I'm so excited how thisis all coming together.
I'm so excited to, um, put it togetherand be part of something and bring people
(20:58):
together the messages, the outpouringmessages from women about the space and
the need for the space and their visionfor what they have for their future.
It's just, It's been incredible, and Ialso am just going to quickly read, um,
a friend of mine's vision that she sharedwith me because it was so in line with,
(21:31):
sorry, just give me, taking a second here,
it's so in line with everything.
Such a wonderful soul andI just love her so much.
She, she has taught mewhoo, these emotions.
(21:54):
Um, she has taught me so muchjust by being who she is and
okay, we have come full circle.
It's, it's incredible.
So this is her.
She loves what she does and explains why.
(22:17):
Deep satisfaction knowing I amhelping women create the financial
security and independence they crave.
I'm a role model to other women inthe industry by offering mastermind
groups, mentorship, and webinars.
Helping move the industry forwardin terms of serving women, looking
for rock solid wealth managementadvice coming from a place of
(22:39):
authenticity, truth, and expertise.
Autonomy over time.
Opportunity to continuallyshift, grow, and evolve.
Allows me to create thefinancial security and financial
independence I crave as a woman.
Grants me the ability to tune to myselfand my needs and ebb and flow as needed.
(23:03):
allows me to raise my children ina financially secure environment.
Now, for her vision.
I honestly got chills when I read this.
Um, okay.
Exhale.
What a journey.
(23:25):
Looking back, what I have accomplishedand what I have created is both
exactly what I was hoping for andnothing what I thought it would be.
I have invested in myself blindly,believed at times, refused
to let fear stop me, overcomeobstacles, and never given up.
I've shown resilience, strength,passion, openness, and literally
(23:47):
put my heart and soul into a careerI knew I was capable of, but didn't
have any clue how I would pull it off.
But I did it, and I will continueto show up for myself, my family,
and all the clients I serve becausethere is something deep within
me, driving me as I learn, grow,create, and live this beautiful life.
(24:11):
I am growing a business built on heart,truth, authenticity, and expertise.
My clients feel it.
It ripples through their beingas much as it ripples through
mine, resulting in referrals andgrowth that seems to just flow.
I continue to invest in myself byattending industry events, ongoing
education, reading, and learning.
(24:33):
I will never stop growing, neverstop expanding, never stop evolving.
By no means has it been an easy road, andI know I will continue to face challenges.
I also know I have what it takesto work through those challenges,
and in the moments I feel I donot have what it takes, there is
(24:55):
always someone by my side to addto my strength and help me through.
By no means am I walking alone.
Over the last five years, I'vebuilt a network of people I
resonate with on a deep level.
We show up for each other, show up for ourclients, and as a result, we all thrive.
My business model is built on workingwith women looking for rock solid
(25:18):
wealth management advice and educationtailored to their unique needs.
I have a growing client base of womenprofessionals, entrepreneurs, and
those going through life changes suchas divorce, retirement, or widowhood.
This client base helps me grow my businessthrough referrals and word of mouth.
(25:40):
My passion is helping women clarify theirlong term financial goals and assisting to
create a vision of their financial future.
Using a personalized financialplan, I instill in them a sense of
knowing that their actions todayare creating the life, financial
stability, and financial securitythey are craving and know is possible.
(26:04):
They walk out of my officeknowing their financial goals
can be and will be realized.
They walk out knowing they aretaking the action needed to live
the financial future they envision.
And in those moments when doubtcreeps in, I am there to remind
and show them they are on track.
They are doing it and theirfinancial future is secure.
(26:26):
As a result, their empowerment spreadsto future generation of women investors.
Women leaning on women to create successand mutually beneficial relationships.
Together we thrive.
So I hope you understand why I feltso good about sharing that with you.
(26:48):
Um,
this friend is also someone who Iexpressed my my vision of this space
that I was creating or wanted to create.
And at the time, we talked all aboutit and I shared it with her and she
(27:09):
was letting me know that she waslooking at hosting different meetings.
And, uh, That sort of thing.
And, um, as often I try to do aftermeeting someone in person, I like to
send them a message later on lettingthem know how much I care about them,
how much I appreciate their timespending with me as a friend and family.
(27:33):
Um, and so I did my follow up textmessage and her response was let her know
when the space and community is therebecause she would love to be part of it.
And
(27:56):
sometimes, you know, it's reallyinteresting because sometimes we have
these people in our lives that, that wereally look up to, that we share all of
our ideas with, and some of them mightland, and some of them don't land as well.
This one landed, and when I got thatresponse from her, I felt like, Yes,
(28:21):
this, this really is my life's calling.
This is where I need to go.
I don't always need to bethe person to host events.
I don't always need to be theperson who puts on workshops.
I love amplifying other women and thatis also why I have this podcast and
(28:45):
that's also why I love to have guests.
I, as much as I enjoy talking andlove talking and can talk about
all things all the time, amplifyingothers and building community and
providing a space, a home for them.
(29:07):
That's why.
where I know my energyneeds to go right now.
So thank you so much forlistening to this episode.
I hope that I will see your email onthe list for information on this space.
In the future, I hope to also providelots of different virtual options
(29:29):
for memberships, as well as events.
I would love to be able to take this,, across the country in a lot of ways.
So thank you so much for listening
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Thank you for joining this week's episode of Anchor Your Dreams.
I hope you enjoyed today'sconversation as much as I did.
A big thank you to our incredible guestsfor sharing their wisdom and insights.
If you resonated with today's episodeand want to explore more about
turning your dreams into reality,Be sure to subscribe to the podcast.
We have a lineup of amazing guestsand valuable content coming your way.
(30:25):
Don't forget to connectwith us on social media.
You can find us on Instagram and Facebook.
Share your thoughts, insights,and your own journey using the
hashtag anchor, your dreams.
Head over to our websiteat meganmcquillen.
com in the podcast section, where you'llfind the show notes, resources, and
information about upcoming episodes.
(30:46):
Before we wrap up, I want to express mygratitude to each and every one of you.
Your support means the worldto me, and I'm thrilled to
be on this journey with you.
Remember, anchored dreams becomegoals, anchored goals become results.
Until next time, dreambig and stay anchored.
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