We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carolyn V. Hamilton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carolyn V., so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
There’s a reason, when you get on an airplane. the first thing they tell you about an emergency where the oxygen mask drops down is “Be sure to secure your oxygen mask before you help children or others.”
This illustrates exactly how I believe we should care for ourselves, so that we have the mindset and ability to help others.
I’ve always been blessed with / created / enjoyed excellent health. My mother always said, “When you have your health, you have everything.” This from a woman who suffered chronic illnesses.
My self-care has always included reading, journaling, meditation and hobbies.
For some years I sewed a lot, then I did needlepoint, even designing my own canvases. As a visual artist, I’ve done colored pencil drawings, acrylic and oil paintings, and watercolors. I’ve explored adult coloring and even published some of my own illustrations in adult coloring books.
One day I was coloring some mandalas I’d created and realized how peaceful I felt in that moment.
This led me to a current internet exploration of art therapy.
I believe that art therapy, with its focus to be present in the moment, can help me to be mindful.
There is a transformative power in making art that lies in its ability to facilitate emotional expression, promote healing, and foster a sense of wholeness and well-being. What a great respite from the worries and stresses of daily life!
For many years I’ve created art journals, and I find just leafing through them again to feel therapeutic. I have over 50 travel art journals, and I’d grab a bunch of them if the house were on fire.
How did I rediscover my artistic skill? I found some black and white line drawn mandalas and decided to color them. I began to keep one on the edge of the dining room table with some Tombow brush pens. A few times each day it would catch my attention, and I’d stop and work on it.
I also begin every morning with Vishen Lakhiani’s 6-phase meditation, He’s created a huge business, Mind Valley, based on the teachings of Jose Silva.
If you don’t take care of yourself, who will? This idea can be the basis of self-care.
When you eat right, practice intermittent fasting, don’t smoke, get enough sleep, walk, spend time with family and play, you have the energy to achieve great things.
That’s been my “secret sauce.”
Life can be that simple.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know.:
I’m just a nice Lutheran girl from Seattle who as a kid wanted to be a fashion illustrator. By the time I made it to commercial art school, photography had taken over the fashion marketing industry. Oh well, I got that AA degree in Commercial Art (that’s what they called it before “graphic design”) from Los Angeles Trade Technical College .
From there I went straight into the world of “Mad Men” and I can tell you it was just like you saw on TV!
With a partner I created a successful (more successful than the partnership itself) Las Vegas advertising agency.
In the 80s I fled from Vegas back to my hometown, Seattle, and got a BA in Liberal Arts from Antioch University while working for a big membership campground company. Suddenly I was responsible for designing and mailing half a million pieces a week. Welcome to direct mail marketing!
Back in Vegas three years later, I created Graphic Communications, specializing in print and direct response advertising. My clients were financial institutions, doctors and lawyers, casinos, restaurants and various small businesses.
As an advising consultant in marketing to businesses through the Nevada Small Business Development Center, I worked with new start up businesses. I also taught classes on sales brochure development, direct mail marketing, and newsletter design at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
In 1995 I became the designer and founding editor of the regional magazine, Nevada Woman, which led to a short career as a free-lance journalist writing about travel, business, celebrities and current topics of interest in the news.
Then I chucked it all to join the Peace Corps. No, really! I did …
Assigned to rural community development work in the South American country of Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana), I lived with my Vegas comedian husband for a year in the indigenous Amerindian village of Pierrekondre on the northeast corner of the Amazon basin. There I admittedly spent a lot of time in a hammock reading novels.
There I also learned to speak Sranan Tongo and count to a hundred in Dutch and became interested in the plight of Amerindians everywhere in the Amazon. This experience inspired my second novel, the adventure/romance, “Hard Amazon Rain.”
My second year in the Peace Corps (after the husband got frustrated and went home) I worked for the Foundation For Nature Conservation in Suriname (STINASU) where I was responsible for layout, editing and printing of “De Wilde Vogels Van Paramaribo/Wild Birds of Paramaribo” and “De Apen Van Suriname/Monkeys of Suriname” and also designed logos for the Brownsberg Nature Park and the Central Suriname Nature Reserve. I continued to art journal and at the Nola Hatterman Art Institute in Paramaribo I taught a class on textile design.
It was in Suriname where I learned the history of Elisabeth Samson, the first black woman in the 18th century Dutch plantation colony to get legal permission from the government to marry white, inspiring my first novel, “Elisabeth Samson, Forbidden Bride.”
Now hooked on writing, I wrote a murder mystery, “Magicide”; an eco-adventure romance, “Hard Amazon Rain”; another Vegas mystery, “Implosion”, my first memoir “Coming to Las Vegas, A true tale of sex, drugs and Sin City in the 70s” and co-authored Cork Proctor’s autobiography, “My Mind is an Open Mouth.”
Along the way there were numerous creative awards as well as the 1996 Greater Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Award in Communications. I served as a founding board member of Las Vegas Women in Communications (WIC), and was nominated for a few Woman of the Year awards. I even garnered a mention in Distinguished Women of Southern Nevada!
As a speaker I’ve presented writing workshops at conferences (including the first Cuenca International Writers Conference) and conventions and produced special events, including the 2012 Cork Proctor Comedy Roast at the SouthPoint hotel/casino in Las Vegas.
Today my passion is to help aspiring memoir writers, which has led to my private coaching program, Memoir to Legacy!
When I’m not traveling, my home base is up here in the Andes in Cuenca, Ecuador, Yes, I’m a real American ex-pat. I love the fact that today’s technology allows me to serve clients all over the English-speaking world.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Mom was right. You can never go wrong with a knowledge of the social graces. Politeness and personal integrity will always serve you well. A personal thank you note and sometimes a complimentary bottle of wine are useful business tools.
Learn to dress appropriately. If I may be so blunt, no cleavage in the workplace. The great Bluesman B.B. King said, “Always dress as if you are on your way to the bank to ask for a loan.” I read once that Frenchwomen usually had only 3 suits and a large collection of scarves with which to coordinate. That sounded so practical to me. Don’t dress like a rock star unless you are a rock star.
Learn to speak without saying “um” “like” and “you know.” Toastmasters is a great training ground for this. Being able to express yourself with confidence and in an articulate way is a skill you can master.
Remember, first impressions do count. You only get one chance to make a positive first impression.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
When I had my Las Vegas company, Graphic Communications, I created a little 4×9 (pocket size) booklet on “How to Increase Your Business With Direct Mail Marketing.” I put a price on the cover (suggested by a friend in the National Speakers Association) even though I planned to give it way to potential clients.
These were the days before the internet, and the company brochure substituted for today’s website.
That little book garnered me all kinds of business. I even had people asking if they could buy copies.
That’s when I learned the power of a book as a marketing tool for a business.
Today, an ideal client for me is a savvy business owner who recognizes how a memoir-style book about one’s business or career journey offers valuable business-building benefits.
When you combine personal anecdotes and professional milestones with sharing your journey, trials, triumphs and lessons learned, you create a valuable gift of education about your business or career. Readers can realize valuable insights by reading about your unique path through the business world. The book also establishes you as a personal brand that resonates with authenticity.
Your business/career memoir demonstrates expertise. It showcases your experience, knowledge, and tested strategies. Your book becomes a unique learning resource.
A well-written business memoir boosts your credibility. It can generate buzz and media interest for your company. Journalists appreciate pre-researched resources, such as your book. It opens doors for speaking engagements and PR opportunities.
When you can craft a compelling core message by combining a professional tone along with your individual personality, your business memoir will leave a lasting impact.
I love helping business clients who understand this, such as footcare specialist, Adrienne Wyman, author of “Gentle Footsteps, Beauty Centric Therapeutic Food Care for Better Health.”
Contact Info:
- Website: carolynvhamilton@gmail.com, www.memoirtolegacy.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksbyCarolynVHamilton
- Linkedin: Carolyn V. Hamilton
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@carolynv.hamilton983
Image Credits
Photos by Carolyn V. Hamilton, used with permission
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
