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Join me for a restorative wellness retreat at River Cottage!

Posted on 2019-02-08 at 3:00 pm.

It is with real delight that I can reveal I will be hosting the first ever wellness retreat at the famous River Cottage HQ, deep in the English countryside here in Devon from 17-21 June 2019, and I would love for you to join me.

Your home for the week will be the 17th century farmhouse and 100-acre smallholding made famous by the long-running TV programme featuring chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

This very special intimate residential retreat will be an opportunity to step away from the rush and chaos of daily life and reconnect – with nature, with food and with yourself. Spending five days in this utterly gorgeous part of the world, you’ll have the opportunity to relax, recharge and explore what you really need in your life right now. I would love to spend this precious time helping you get a fresh perspective and practice self-care.

Through expert nutrition advice from gut health specialist Naomi Devlin, yoga with Barbara Mella, guided reflection, mindful outdoor activities, fireside conversations and more, you will get clarity on how to create more space, and make choices that support your own physical and emotional wellbeing. All this while being nourished with delicious organic food prepared by the River Cottage chefs, and hosted by… me!

If you are feeling stressed and exhausted, overstretched and overwhelmed, or lacking focus and direction, you will find this retreat to be a healing tonic. You will be pampered with attention, food, friendship and time, and leave rested, centred and inspired, with new wellbeing tools and renewed intention.

Every detail of this retreat has been designed to support and nourish you. You will laugh, you will probably cry, you will learn, you will connect, and you will go away feeling like a freshly revealed version of your true self.
Over the course of the five days of the retreat (running 17-21 June 2019) you will be treated with:
• Delicious organic food: all of your nutritionally balanced meals and snacks are included
• Daily yoga
• Mindfulness
• Daily inner wellness sessions with me
• Two full days of hands on cookery classes covering topics such as gut health, fermentation, healthy breakfasts and lunches, mindful eating and flavour bombs.
• Coastal walk along the stunning Jurassic Coast
• Kitchen garden foraging
• Lunch cooked on the beach
• Herbal workshop
• Nutritional advice and discussions
• Reading, relaxing, reflecting by a roaring log fire or under a starry sky
• All rooms and bell tents have comfortable beds with luxury mattresses and bedding

I very much hope to see you there. It’s a small retreat so places are very limited, and there are only a handful left so if you want to be part of this magical experience, hop on over to the River Cottage website and book your spot now. Then be sure to let me know you are attending!

Beth Xx

Your home for the week will be the 17th century farmhouse and 100-acre smallholding made famous by the long-running TV programme featuring chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Beth Xx

What I’ve learned since university (as told to 100+ teenagers earlier this month)

Posted on 2018-11-21 at 11:20 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

A couple of weeks ago I stood in a lecture theatre at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, in front of 100+ gathered teenagers who were all thinking about studying Japanese, invited to give them careers advice. It went something like this…

“Who here is 16?” (lots of hands go up)

“17?” (lots more hands go up)

“18?” (lots more)

“In that case you are probably looking at me thinking, she’s well old.” (Cue embarrassed laughter and some shuffling in seats. Gotcha!)

“Maybe you are thinking when I studied Japanese, it was such a long time ago I must have used one of those massive heavy paper dictionaries as there were no apps on phones. In fact, there were probably no phones, or email, or Instagram or any of that. (Oh my, can you imagine?) And you’d be right.” (Cue laughter and uncomfortable glances at each other.)

“And maybe you are thinking that if I studied Japanese so long ago, in a completely different era, there cannot possibly be anything I can tell you that will be useful careers advice.” (Cue more embarrassed shuffling)

“But that is where I hope you are wrong.” (And this bit is for you too…)

“Because if there is one thing I have learned in the past couple of decades it is this… And it has absolutely nothing to do with technology, or the employment market, or the state of the world – The one thing I have learned is that life is one great big adventure, and you have most of what you need to navigate it already inside here.” (Hand on heart)

(Now I have their attention).

The next half an hour, explaining my unconventional decision making methods, winding career path and openness to adventure and opportunity had them spellbound in a way which made me wonder why my own children don’t listen to me like that (ha ha). What I was saying makes so much sense to me – but it’s not what we are taught.

The thing is, many teenagers are taught to give too much attention to other people’s opinions, and not put enough trust in their own life experience, and what their heart tells them. How about you? What career and life choices have you been grappling with lately? And have you been putting too much attention on other people’s opinions without trusting your own knowledge, experience and heart? It’s easily done…

Beth Xx

Next year can be different

Posted on 2018-11-15 at 9:58 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

“I want 2019 to be different.

Less stuff, more soul.

Less hustle, more ease.

Less chaos, more calm.

Less complexity, more clarity.

Less bravado, more truth.

Less resistance, more resilience.

Less control, more surrender.

Less head, more heart.

More time for me. More time for creativity.

More time for life.”

Sound familiar? We’ll show you the way.

For almost a decade we have been designing courses and workshops and writing books that transform lives. We have helped tens of thousands of people to follow their hearts, and live a fuller, more authentic and inspired life doing what they love. Every single one of those resources is based on extensive research and testing, personal experience and a deep understanding of the field.

We never promise it will be easy. We don’t sugarcoat the reality of making different choices. But we know the rewards and understand the challenges better than most. And we really, really want you to fulfil your potential, find a rhythm and lifestyle that works for you, and appreciate the beauty of your wild and precious life.

Once a year we have a huge sale on all our courses, to make them even more accessible and help you plan for the year ahead. This is that sale, and it is your chance to invite a different kind of future. You can get 40% off our powerful, life-changing courses or save a huge 50% off if you invest in one of our multi-course bundles: The Perfectly Imperfect Life Bundle / The Time For A Career Change Bundle / The Set Me Free Bundle.

Sale ends Monday November 26, 2018. This might be the most important investment you ever make. We are honoured to be your guides.

Beth + Paul

Founders, Do What You Love

I have a confession to make… (I wonder if you have done this too?)

Posted on 2018-10-02 at 10:33 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a story about hiding what we have done well, and not celebrating our creative work. It’s a true story, about me. I am embarrassed to share it, but am going to, because I think we all do this to our detriment, and in doing so stop others accessing what we have created with love.

You might have noticed that I wrote a book which came out last month. It is a book about life lessons inspired by ancient Japanese culture and philosophy. What you probably don’t know is:

It has been #1 bestseller in multiple Amazon categories ever since here in the UK.
It hit the top 40 on the whole of thebookdepository.com (which has over 4 million books).
The Sunday Times Style called it “A truly transformational read”
The rights have been sold for nineteen foreign languages
Japanese people have said some incredibly kind things about it, such as “Beth is one of the great foreign writers who truly understand (wabi sabi and Japanese culture)” and “Beth has described (this philosophy) better than a native could”
Tokyo’s biggest English-language bookstore called it “a beautiful book about Japanese culture”

I could go on – there have been many many kind words from all corners – from interior designers to life coaches, and readers all over the world.

And yet since the day it came out, I have not sent a newsletter or even shared it very much here on Facebook, celebrating one of the best creative projects of my life. Why? I have told myself I have been busy, which is true – I have sold a house, been to America to teach, settled my family into a new home and town, and my eldest started school, all in the three weeks since the book came out. But still, deep down I know that’s not the real reason.

It’s because I didn’t want to brag, or show off. Know that feeling? But the whole point of writing this book was to bring this hidden wisdom out of the Japanese language, and share it with all of you so you could integrate its beautiful life lessons to live a more authentic and inspired life. And I really really care about that.

I only realised I had done this when I was stood in front of a room full of female entrepreneurs at the incredible 1440 Multiversity in California a week or so ago, answering a question about newsletters. I mentioned that I rarely use my newsletter or my groups on Facebook to sell things, because I prefer just talking to you about life, and sharing thoughts and inspiration which I hope are of use. What I realised was that I have written a book full of those things, which a lot of people have said is a really fantastic book, and yet I have hardly shared it with you.

So, as of today that is all changing! I am going to celebrate this piece of creative work in three major ways:

(1) I would like to encourage you, in no uncertain terms, to PLEASE READ IT. I promise you will feel more calm, tuned in, and appreciative of beauty in your own life as a result. You can get it in beautiful hard copy or on ebook here (currently at around 30% off on Amazon)

If you are in the US/Canada you can get it at 30% off with free shipping from The Book Depository here.

I wrote it as a precious gift to you and hope it helps you treasure all that is good in your life.

(2) If you have read it, I am going to ask you to PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW! Reviews make so much difference. I am so grateful to have over 200 five star reviews for my first Freedom Seeker, and know they really help people to decide if a book is a good fit for them.

GIFT FOR YOU: As a token of my gratitude for you taking the time to write a review, I would love to send you a small gift in the post, to wherever in the world you are. Please complete your review ASAP and then fill in the quick form here with your address if you would like some delightful personal snail mail from me.

Here are the links for leaving a review: Amazon / Goodreads (if you got it from The Book Depository) / Waterstones

(3) Over the next few weeks I am going to share some of my favourite snippets from the book and the ideas behind the and some personal stories about my journey to writing it, so stay tuned for those!

And I am going to stop being shy about celebrating the things I have worked so hard to create with love for you. I hope you will do the same – this week I encourage you to think about one thing you are proud of, and share it with someone in your family, friendship circle, online community or elsewhere, celebrating your skills, talents and dedication. Please feel free to leave a note in the comments and share it with us too!

Much love,

Beth Xx

How to change your life fifteen minutes at a time

Posted on 2018-09-02 at 10:27 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Big dreams take time, and sometimes can feel overwhelming. In the very last in the series of The Freedom Seeker Chronicles, I am chatting with Kelsey Murphy, who shares how we can achieve anything when we focus on it for fifteen minutes at a time.

Kelsey is a career strategist, certified life coach and founder of Whiskey and Work. Previously the Advertising Director for Nintendo and Elizabeth Arden, she now works with people all over the world to help them create a more fulfilling career and life. Some of her clients include the management of Facebook, Apple and TOMS. She’s also a snowboarder, a dreamer and a fresh air addict, and her positivity is contagious.

LISTEN HERE

Key Moments:

[4m 00s] Kelsey shares the power of 15-minute chunking

[7m 00s] Why you don’t need to choose just one passion to live an inspired life

[11m 00s] Why you might want to pop into a bookshop this weekend

[13m 20s] On living a one hundred year life

[13m 30s] How to think about your life in phases

[15m 30s] What Kelsey wished people knew about her

[21m 30s] The importance of acknowledging when you are living the life you once dreamt of

[24m 35s] What Kelsey had to let go of to discover the life she has now

[28m 10s] The three questions Kelsey most often gets asked by women trying to find their path

[33m 20s] Kelsey’s advice for building your confidence

Thank you to the many thousands of you who have tuned in for this last series. If you missed any episodes you can catch them all here. I’ll be back later in the year with a new series once I have moved house and found a new recording studio!

Beth Xx

Life lessons inspired by centuries-old Japanese culture

Posted on 2018-08-30 at 6:45 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

As the sun rises on the day that my new book ‘Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life’ is released into the world, I find myself transported back to a quiet temple in Kyoto, where I had been staying in simple temple lodgings back in March. I rose early for the morning meditation, then padded barefoot to a quiet room to interview the Deputy Head Priest Reverend Takafumi Kawakami.

One of the things Reverend Kawakami told me, which has stuck with me ever since, was this: “People think Zen is all about calmness and tranquillity and living in some blissed-out space of good vibes. But actually it’s about how you face your challenges: unhappiness, worry, loneliness, difficult emotions. It’s about learning to deal with what life throws at you, and acceptance of actuality is central to that.”

This idea of acceptance is really at the heart of this new book, inspired by my twenty-year love affair with Japan. ‘Wabi sabi’ is intimately intertwined with the idea that everything in nature is transient – it’s all impermanent, imperfect and incomplete, as are we. Just think about that for a moment. Imperfection is our natural state of being. We are not supposed to be perfect. I don’t know about you, but that pretty much turns everything upside down for me, because so much of what we are taught tells us the exact opposite.

With this book I set about discovering the truth of the life lessons tucked away into centuries-old Japanese culture and aesthetics. It takes us on a gentle winding path through nature, deepening our appreciation of beauty and the gifts of simple living, and reminds us why this wisdom has never been more relevant than today. I hope you will read it, and soak it all up.

Researching and crafting this book has been one of the most wonderful creative projects I have ever had the pleasure to bring to life, and as I pick up my bag and head for the early train to London for a day of bookshop tours, full of gratitude to those who helped along the way, I am sending you a quiet wish on the breeze, that you will come to see that you are perfectly imperfect, just as you are.

Beth Xx

Got a book dream? Bring it to life with this advice

Posted on 2018-08-20 at 11:04 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

To celebrate the launch of my new book ‘Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life’ next Thursday August 30, I did a Facebook Live Broadcast from the Headquarters of Hachette on London’s Victoria Embankment, talking about Bringing Book Dreams to Life with my Commissioning Editor Anna Steadman.

You can WATCH THE REPLAY HERE

I know how the publishing world can feel impenetrable when you are on the outside of it, and I also know that many of you have a book dream, so I wanted to make the most of the opportunity of my book launch to lift the veil for you. Anna is the brilliant Commissioning Editor (Non-Fiction) for Piatkus, an imprint of Little, Brown Publishing Group, which is owned by the publishing giant Hachette – not only is she the one who put ink on the contract of my book deal, but also guided me brilliantly in many ways throughout the writing process.My experience with Anna and Piatkus has been absolutely fantastic, and although I have been carrying around the idea for my new book for about two decades, I find it pretty staggering that we took it from concept (i.e. conversation with my agent over steaming bowls of noodles at a ramen bar) to the book being published next week in under a year.

In our ask-us-anything conversation, Anna and I will be talked about:

What makes a great concept for a book
Whether you need an agent
How to pitch your book
The steps involved in taking an idea from concept to publication and beyond
Why Anna commissioned my book Wabi Sabi

WATCH THE REPLAY HERE

On love, art-making, friendship and all the things

Posted on 2018-08-20 at 10:59 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

For many people, making their living as a creative professional is a dream. For today’s podcast guests Kelly Rae Roberts and Mati Rose McDonough, it’s the life path they have chosen. It hasn’t always been easy, but their friendship has played a huge part in keeping them inspired and motivated through the good times and the tough times.

I am especially delighted to have them on the show, together, because of the pivotal role they have played in my life. Get yourself a cuppa and pull up a chair. You’ll feel like you are round the kitchen table with these inspiring ladies…

LISTEN HERE

On getting lost and finding purpose

Posted on 2018-08-15 at 4:46 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

What happens when you chase financial success, achieve it and then realise that things don’t feel quite as good as you thought they would? My guest on the Freedom Seeker Chronicles podcast this week, Brandon Evans, is the CEO and co-founder of 1Heart, a conscious start-up studio who found out the answer the hard way. Brandon previously built two $100 million companies, but after achieving financial success, he woke up one day lost and began a spiritual journey which he chronicled in his first Medium article entitled, ‘Lost on purpose’. That went instantly viral and he has since founded 1Heart with his best friend, with the goal of helping entrepreneurs to find their path and build conscious companies.

I talked to Brandon about finding real meaning, and keeping it real.

LISTEN HERE

Key Moments:

[3m 00s] What Brandon has learned about how to find yourself

[5m 30s] How one particular blog post changed everything for Brandon

[9m 25s] Brandon shares the major turning point in his

[14m 15s] How his experience changed his relationships

[15m 43s] Brandon’s message to his younger, overworked self

[20m 59s] How Brandon’s start up studio is supporting other entrepreneurs

[23m 55s] The mistakes Brandon sees start ups make over and over

[25m 45s] On working with your best friend

[29m 30s] What freedom means to Brandon these days

What do you want to be grateful for, years from now?

Posted on 2018-08-13 at 11:41 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Greetings from a cosy rainy England – such a difference from just a week ago. Right now my mum is building a theatre with our two little ones, and Mr K and I are in a café reviewing our numbers. We do this regularly, checking in on where we are, what’s going well, what has fallen behind, what we want to change, what we want to celebrate. And we each get to do this with one of our favourite people in the world. I am so grateful for the many varied opportunities entrepreneurship has brought to my door, but mostly I am grateful that we get to dream, plan and bring it to life together.

I’ll let you into a little secret. Back in the beginning, when I first started my business, every time Mr K came home from work (he was an civil engineer back then), we would do a high five for every course that had been sold that day. One day, soon after launching our first e-course there were a couple of high fives, a few more the next day, one the next, a couple the next and so on. It became a small but important reminder that it was working – this idea to do something different, and support others wanting to do something different, was working. I’ll never forget the first time we sold over 100 courses in a day, and our hands hurt from all the high fives, and our faces hurt from the grinning. It wasn’t about the money, it was about the freedom. I had created something from nothing, and it was helping people. That still blows my mind today, eight years on.

A couple of years after that day, the business was flourishing well enough for Mr K to quit his job completely and come on board. He started the first Monday after our honeymoon. It took a while for us to find our working rhythm, figuring out how best to use his skills, for me to let go of the need to do everything myself, and for him to get used to a very different way of working. But here we are, more than five years on, and he is absolutely crucial to the success of our business. He also gets paid a lot more than before, to work a lot fewer hours and spend large amounts of precious time with our daughters. We are building a life and future for our family, not just growing a business.

I am thinking about all this because tomorrow sees the start of our brand new online course, co-taught with my Make Art That Sells (MATS) co-founder Lilla Rogers. For the first time ever we are sharing all we have learned about money – in the context of business and life – in an intense and fun three week crash course, MATS MBA (Money BadAss). I love the title of the course because it is so Lilla – she has a brilliant attitude to business, while being both nurturing and fun, and a total badass. We combine strategy, practical guidance, advice on dealing with money stories and of course some woo, to bring you what I think will soon become one of our favourite courses. With daily video lessons, weekly live teaching and an amazing Playbook that provides a Game Plan for your business over the next twelve months. Class has just started but you can still squeeze in here.

Even if you don’t have a business, this week I want to challenge you to answer this question: What do you want to be grateful for having done NOW, in a few years’ time? I’d love to know your answer – come and share over on Instagram @bethkempton.

Have a great week

Beth Xx