Meet Julie Cantrell

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julie Cantrell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julie below.

Julie, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

What a great question! My mother and my childhood community taught me the importance of having a generous spirit.

Growing up in rural Louisiana with a single mother who earned a very limiting salary as a public school teacher, I’m sure we were at the lower end of the financial spectrum. And yet … we never once felt “poor.” Everyone around me had a difficult life in many ways, particularly financially, and yet they were the most generous, selfless people imaginable.

I have since lived in many parts of the country and I’ve been privileged to travel around the world a bit. I’ve met people from all walks of life and across all socio-economic backgrounds, and I still believe the most generous people are those who have the least to give. I see it play out in a million ways every day.

Perhaps they understand what it means to “lack” for basic needs and they don’t want anyone else to know that kind of struggle. And maybe they also recognize that material things don’t lead to happiness. We all know very wealthy people who have never really been “happy” in life. And most of us know some people who have worked hard their entire lives and who still struggle to make ends meet, and yet they are truly happy and have learned to live every day with a joyful heart.

Personally, I think the key is GRATITUDE. When we are grateful for every blessing, we can easily recognize that we all have more than enough. More than we could ever need. And more than enough to share.

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?

Story teaches us so many important life skills, from empathy to communication to resilience. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of story, and I find great joy in helping other people bring their stories to life. I still love writing my own books, essays, poems, and screenplays, but I also take great pleasure in teaching, editing, and ghostwriting.

Working as managing director of Story Summit has also been a big gift in my life because we have been building an exceptionally supportive community there for writers of all levels. It’s just a beautiful thing to see people come together from all around the world and connect through a shared story. That’s pure magic, and I’m honored to play any role I can in that process.

If anyone wants help bringing their story to the page, stage, or screen, they can learn more at www.juliecantrell.com or visit Story Summit at www.storysummit.us

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?

Goodness, I could definitely recommend what NOT to do (from making a million mistakes in my own life) … but I guess if we’re looking for things that help me on a daily basis, I’d probably narrow it down to these qualities:
1. Discernment: Learning to discern who has our best interest at heart is such an important life skill, and it may very well be the most important one of all.
2. Empathy: Writers need to be able to see every situation from all points of view. It’s important to be able to enter the world through other perspectives and see the way another person (real or imaginary) sees things. No one is all good or all bad, so it’s those nuanced shades of gray that really interest me. Empathy and compassion allow us to understand the wound beneath the behavior and to see everyone as an equally valued soul of worth.
3. Resilience: We all go through tough seasons, and sometimes our entire lives can be shaken up for a while. But there’ s nothing we can’t overcome in time. If we trust the greater process and anchor ourselves in truth and faith, we can come back stronger and wiser after healing.
4. Gratitude: I’m adding this fourth one here because I think everything comes down to living with a grateful spirit. There’s always always always good to be found, even in the darkest moments. We can all choose to find the good, believe in the good, and be the good.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I’m always open to ideas for collaboration. You never know what can happen when the right people combine skills and dreams. I love helping people shape their story ideas into books, but I’m also stepping into the screenwriting realm now and would love to co-write some screenplays. I’m also interested in leading more retreats in the future, as I really love bringing people together to form real life community. It’s an honor to create safe spaces for writers to explore their creative talents.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

My headshot was taken by Andrew McNeese

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Developing Discipline: Stories & Insights

Many of the most impressive entrepreneurs and creatives in our community exhibit a high degree

Resilience
Where does your optimism come from?

Optimism is the invisible ingredient that powers so much of the incredible progress in society

Leadership Development
Developing the Power of Connection by Communicating Effectively

Effective communication is at the heart of so many successful projects, relationships, and endeavors. Given