We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mykaela Shoaf. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mykaela below.
Mykaela, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Finding your purpose comes from being open to the possibilities of the universe and allowing yourself to be drawn to what sets your soul on fire. It comes from learning to love yourself so hard that you are oozing love to share with others. It comes from letting your walls down, and trying new scary, challenging things. From letting go of your trauma, but also honoring it for making you the person you are today, and using it to inspire and educate others. It comes from being unequivocally honest with yourself and the world.
Truth is, my “purpose” in life has changed many times, and I almost certain will change many more. I rediscover my purpose every single day. The overall theme, however, of the different paths I have taken seems to be one thing; to create and share art with the world in hopes of inspiring others to be their authentic selves.
My art may come in the form of clothing or graphic design, creating wedding decor, or home remodeling and decorating. I express myself through photography, modeling, and video editing, through creating yoga flows or workout sequences.
Sometimes life also brings you your purpose in a less ideal way such as mental or physical illness. I was blessed with a body that doesn’t like to work quite right and it has given me quite the fuss over the years and the only thing I have found relief from is through food. I believe a major purpose in my life is to create and share recipes for people like me who are allergic to what seems like everything. I take it as a fun challenge to create the delicious dishes I crave such as pizza or chicken tenders, but in a way that my body can handle. I hope by sharing my recipes others are inspired to eat for their body too.
The career that I focus on the most, currently, is river guiding. I was introduced to the waters of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon in high school, and it changed my life forever. I strayed from river life for years as I explored other passions, but was ultimately drawn back. I truly believe a main purpose in my life is to share that beautiful place and all its wonders with others.
As you can see I have found my purpose through so many different facets of life that I would have never found had I not been open to trying new things, and just letting the wind direct me. The universe will always show you your purpose; it is just a matter of whether your heart is open enough to receive it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
It is always so hard for me to answer the question, “what do you do?” I always have many different things going on! I am a river guide, yoga instructor, fashion & graphic designer, YouTuber, content creator, social media manager, recipe blogger.
I am most excited to announce the launch of my YouTube Channel, @Wild_Kael. I’ve wanted to start a channel for years but have finally just gotten around to it. It is the most raw look into my life as a wife, dog, chickie, & plant mom. I hope to share my life from all angles so that subscribers get a more personal view into our crazy adventures.
I would also like to announce that I am taking more clients as a social media manager . I absolutely love creating beautifully curated pages using the latest social media algorithms to boost brands account engagements. Feel free to inquire on Instagram @Wild_Kael
My paleo, vegan, and autoimmune protocol diet recipes can be found on Instagram @Myx.it.up
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?
I would definitely tell my younger self a few pieces of advice to making life a little easier if I could. Firstly, finding and establishing a healthy living and self-care routine is the absolute key to long-term success. The whole “sleep when your dead” motto couldn’t be further off. You need to take care of your physical and mental health by eating right, exercising and sleeping regularly, journaling, finding hobbies, keeping your house clean, and getting outside. Find a daily routine that keeps you on track for success and creates healthy habits. Don’t get me wrong you still need to have lots of fun too. This is a huge part of taking care of yourself, finding that work-life balance. While you are achieving your goals make sure to experience as much of life as you can, but don’t let the fun distract you from the end goal.
Don’t be afraid to go for your dreams. It can be super scary and feel overwhelming to even know where to begin sometimes. Don’t let yourself get discouraged. Use that daily routine of yours to set aside daily time to chip away at your dreams. This could mean you are researching, brainstorming, creating, or simply going to work to save up for your dream.
Knowledge is power and the more time you take to educate yourself on your options before making any decision, the better success you will probably find. Don’t rush things either, take your time to fully weigh out all the possibilities and use the people around you as a resource for knowledge. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help.
Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself. Even if you go to college, work one day in that industry and hate it, that’s ok. If you feel strongly pulled to try something, it is worth doing, whether you succeed or fail. Don’t compare yourself to others either, everyone is on their own path and will get there in their own time. You can’t rush perfection.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to simply allow me to be myself. I was introduced to art and creativity from birth. They told us wild fantasy stories and let our imaginations run wild. They took us into nature every chance they could and let us quite literally run wild. They taught me to be authentic and confident in myself.
They encouraged me to try new things and helped facilitate a childhood where that was possible. They supported any new hobby I wanted to try but also instilled the importance of keeping your word. When I would start an activity I would have to commit to it for certain period of time but if I didn’t like it from there I could quit. I often found that if I was not enjoying something but stuck it out, I would choose to continue with it in the end. They wanted us to try our absolute hardest, but never cared if we didn’t win first place.
We didn’t have the fanciest cars or newest toys, but we had experiences. My parents used what money they did have to give us freedom to express ourselves, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wild_kael/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mykaela.shoaf
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC87ko6rJnx_BKZ8fje__F8Q
- Other: Recipes Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/myx.it.up/
