Meet Kindle Smyth

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kindle Smyth a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kindle, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

From a young age I’ve been an out of the box person, willing to be the first person to try something. That comes from generations of my family, especially the women, who paved bold paths ahead of me.

The last few years have brought a freedom I’d not known before. One rooted in the true confidence of knowing who I am, what I have been through, what I am capable of, and pursuing the things that truly make my heart sing.

This story begins as I was approaching the start of my fourth decade and a drumbeat of something more was getting louder. I was restless, unfulfilled, and itchy. Each year had become a routine of similar cycles, events, and dare I say, rhythms. The thing is, those rhythms weren’t my drumbeat. I was out of step because it was the wrong beat for my life. And I could hear mine, kinda faint but getting louder, off in the distance.

In response I rearranged everything in my life, everything I knew, and went all in on finding the source of that sound. Or at least I rearranged everything that I had to work with at the time. Turns out, there was more. So much more.

The year I turned forty, I put all of my worldly possessions into storage and set out to explore living in other cities. “A year on the road”, I called it. That journey took me to eight countries and six states, plus the District of Colombia. There were dozens of flights and thousands of miles. There were 184 nights away from home: 72 in hotels, 67 in AirBNBs, 40 nights with friends and family and 5 nights on planes.

Along the way I got my first nephew, first bad hair color and first crown (dental, not royal). I went crabbing for my dinner on a kayak, was kicked off the stage at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, checked of another country to see U2 in and earned a trip to the ER.

I had lots of great dates and turned down lots more. Found love and lost it again. Had more time with my parents than I’d ever had in my adult life. Reconnected with old friends, made countless new ones along the way and worked to keep the rest close even with the distance. Lost one friend to brokenness, surrendered another to heaven. Spent the first half of the year doing a lot of talking and the second half learning to listen more.

At the end of it all I found that everything I need fits into one suitcase and a carry on, with room for treasures to bring home. I took a huge leap forward in becoming the woman I’d always dreamed I wanted to be. I was assured that the God of heaven and earth loves us and is with us every step of the way. And along the way I discovered that each of us, just regular people living our lives, have a longing deep within us that calls us to follow it.

This was just the beginning. Now, years later, I’ve traveled more, written and published a book, and am more certain than ever of who I am. It all started with letting go of who and what I thought I had to be, and pursuing a calling that came from deep in my own heart.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

At my core, I’m a creative and a coach. That’s led to a career in education, and business, and writing a book to help others discover their deep seeded dreams and get brave enough to chase after them. My book, Follow Your Fernweh, is both a memoir and an instruction manual to inspire readers and equip them with tangible steps.
If someone wants more individualized planning to discover their purpose, I offer 1-1 coaching for those seeking to take the next step on their journey. Whether it’s time to level up or even to get started, my hope is leave my clients equipped and inspired for their own adventure.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Willingness to try, and fail. Try small things, even something you know you are a novice at or won’t succeed the first time. Go with a friend or partner. Laugh easily at your mistakes. Then try again.

2. Strategic thinking. Find seasoned sources who have this and learn from them: a mentor (might need to find one), books, podcasts, courses.

3. Build community. Bring people around you who champion you. Those who celebrate your victories and show up on the bad days. Let go of those who won’t.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal coaching client is someone who is ready to get started, even if they can’t yet identify the first step. Someone who has seen that where they are now is not all their life is meant to be and they want a bigger impact, for themselves, their people, perhaps more.

I work with people of all life stages, because as we grow throughout our lives, there are always new paths to be discovered.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.followyourfernweh.com
• Instagram: @followingmyfernweh
• Facebook: @KindleSmyth.author
• Twitter: @followmyfernweh
• Other: Email: followingmyfernweh@gmail.com

Image Credits

Ana Pavesi Studio