An Inspired Chat with Routh Chadwick of Brooklyn

Routh Chadwick shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Routh, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Up until this point I have been serving individuals in a one-on-one or group capacity, but I am now looking to expand into serving larger organizations. The individual and small group model is my comfort zone – I enjoy it immensely and am successful at it. I have no desire to stop doing it, but I feel that I can also have a significant impact in organizations that may be struggling with low employee engagement, high burnout rates and/or high turnover. Part of my hesitation has been not knowing where to start, but I am intentionally shifting my attention towards fostering those relationships. Instead of fearing the big unknown, I am looking at it as a new adventure!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the Founder and Head Coach of Joie de Vivre Coaching and Community. I help individuals revitalize their lives and careers through a ground-breaking resilience model. What is unique about this approach is the fact that it doesn’t require the client to make any drastic changes or add any new practices into their existing routines (let’s face it – most people are already maxed out!) Instead, it is an inside-out approach to work and life that guides folks toward inner spaciousness so they can get off the exhausting hamster wheel and find more ease and joy in everything they do. People often end up enjoying the jobs they used to hate! Or they give themselves permission to find a situation that is more aligned with who they are. I stumbled upon this framework when I myself was struggling from career disillusionment and burnout, and it has done wonders for me – and now I want to share it. And if I’m being totally honest, this is about something much bigger than simply feeling better (which is enough on its own). But it is really about starting a revolution of health and wellbeing. If more people experienced inner harmony more of the time, the world would not be as troubled as it is.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
There are a couple of things I see that break the bonds between people. One is getting stuck in a particular position (“digging in one’s heels”) and being closed off to another’s point of view, unwilling to change one’s mind, and worse, judging or even demonizing the other for their beliefs. In order to restore bonds, we have to be willing to be wrong, to acknowledge and fully validate another person’s world view, even if we disagree, and to treat the person and their views with respect.

The other thing I see is the fact that we don’t fully understand the paradox that we are all part of the same whole, even as we are experiencing the world through separate realities. If we could really see that we are all connected (and we are all fundamentally the same), it would bring us together. The only thing that keeps us in division is the illusion of separateness that makes us believe others or their beliefs are a threat. Similar to what I said above, restoring bonds involves acknowledging and celebrating our differences. It is much easier to do that in a safe space of unconditional positive regard that fosters listening to truly understand each other. From there we can find common ground again.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
If I’m being totally honest, running a business is such that I have the thought on a regular basis. The unpredictable nature of it, the need to constantly innovate, and the lack of financial stability (compared to a steady paycheck) are all a part of the roller coaster I have chosen. And I question it regularly, but I always come back to the fact that, oh yeah, I chose this path for a reason. It is never dull, it is always an adventure and I can be endlessly creative in it. So I haven’t given up yet!

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
One thing that comes to mind is the fact that as a culture we are very clever but not very wise. The inventions that have come out of the last century are unbelievable, in the tech sector alone. But the “move fast and break things” approach has drowned out the wisdom of a deeper reflective process that we have lost. Wisdom is often found in stillness, and stillness is very hard to come by these days. If more “smart” people learned to reflect in deeper, more intuitive ways, we would be more likely to find solutions to many of our most pressing problems.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel at peace whenever I slow down and am able to take in the beautiful world around me. Sometimes it is a quiet morning when I am sipping coffee outdoors, breathing in the fresh air. Sometimes it is in the evening staring up at a starry sky, wondering about life in other galaxies. Peace comes whenever I am wanting nothing more than this moment. Ultimately I believe peace can come whenever we stop chasing whatever we think we are missing and settle into the perfection of what is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joiedevivre.community/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joiedevivre_community/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/routhchadwick/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RouthChadwick/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@joiedevivrebyRouthChadwick