An annual event designed to help encourage both men and women to start their own businesses, be inspired in their own established businesses, or follow a creative or career calling, is back in the Byron Shire.

Pursue Your Passion Byron Bay features TV personality Shelley Craft, as well as former Surfing Life and Tracks magazine editor and best-selling surf author Tim Baker, photographer and co-owner of Pampa Victoria Aguirre, and artist and entrepreneur Diana Miller.

Event organisers, co-founders of The Holistic Project (THP), Kristal Brown and Helena Duncan, said in the event’s third year, the diversity of this year’s speakers supported its inclusive nature, open to all people at differing stages of their creative or entrepreneurial journeys.

“This is our first Pursue Your Passion event for both men and women, and it exists for those who are ready to break into their own businesses or new careers, or be motivated to step up the way they are currently doing business,” said Brown. “Led by our incredible MC Shelley Craft, attendees will hear from three inspiring speakers, each well-respected in their fields, as well as enjoy a live musical performance and awesome goodness bags, all in air-conditioned, seated comfort. It’s also a great forum for these likeminded people to connect and encourage each other to be confident in their abilities, create the balance they need in order for a start-up to work, and explore opportunities for collaboration.”

Duncan said the traditionally sold-out event would feature some big take-home tips and a Q&A session with its key speakers, as well as involvement from some highly influential health and lifestyle brands.

“We are very fortunate to be hearing from some of Australia’s biggest success stories across three creative disciplines – all sharing stories from their unique experiences in business and career, as well as bringing their wonderful grounded natures to each of their talks,” she said.

Kristal Brown and Helena Duncan

“Topics covered will include take-home tips on how to create a sustainable lifestyle from following your passions, how to create with purpose, and how to balance the busy demands of a creative career.

“The positive and uplifting nature of the event has attracted several lifestyle sponsors, as well as a proud partnership with mental illness and suicide awareness charity LIVIN.”

Pursue Your Passion Byron Bay is on Saturday, 18 February from 2.30-5.30pm at The Byron Theatre, Jonson Street, Byron Bay, and is proudly sponsored by The Event Shed.

Tickets are $99 and are strictly limited. For tickets and more information visit www.theholisticproject.com.au or contact the Byron Theatre box office direct on (02) 66 856 807.

Caption: Founders of The Holistic Project Helena Duncan and Kristal Brown are bringing inspirational event Pursue Your Passion to Byron Theatre on February 18, featuring some of Australia’s most inspirational creatives.

The post Pursuing Your Passion heads to Byron Bay appeared first on .

Kristal Brown and Helena Duncan from the Holistic Project. Photograph: Ivy Road Photography

Pursuing  your passion can be exciting and scary –  doing what you love and earning a decent living at the same time can be a difficult balance to achieve. But when your heart is in the right place, anything is possible, writes Kristal Brown, of the Holistic Project.

They say the average person changes their career five to seven times over the course of their life. Perhaps that was true in times gone by, but if you’re a creative Gen-Y’er, like me, it’s not unusual to have had more jobs than the digits on both your hands and toes by the time you reach 30.

Not only do the Gen-Y’ers have almost unlimited access to anything their hearts desire, but all of us live in a time of numerous opportunities.  Sometimes though, this works against us, because when we’re bored with one line of work we are often able to effortlessly move on to the next.  So begins a pattern of not really knowing what we want to do with our lives, and settling for what’s currently in front of us.

How do we break the cycle? How do we find what we are meant to be doing with our lives? How can we identify what that long-term career, business or idea choice is really for us? These are questions that require serious consideration if you are somehow feeling unable to shift gear to feeling fulfilled in your work.

If you’ve been asking yourself some deep and meaningful questions, or you are looking for encouragement to live the life of your dreams, or you need advice and tools to connect with your true purpose, then the women’s empowerment event, Pursue Your Passion is for you.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs

Set under beautiful kata tipis in Bangalow, the Frida Kahlo-esque styled event has all the trimmings to help turn your creative passion into a purposeful project.  The event’s speakers come equipped with their own personal experiences, insights, anecdotes and transformational tools to help on your journey.  Featuring TV personality Shelley Craft, Spell Designs owner Elizabeth Briedis, Sacred Women’s Business coach Lisa Fitzpatrick, Essence of Living owner and Yogi Michelle Merrifield; performers Gabriel and Cecilia and Rachel Gilligan, the event is aimed at helping women take centre-stage in their own lives.

Connect with likeminded women, indulge in a take-home goodness bag and re-energise with blissful complimentary yoga in a follow-up yoga session the next day. The weekend is set to provide the creative, entrepreneurial woman with connections, confidence and clarity. You’ll also have the satisfaction in knowing that a portion of your ticket sale will go to a foundation to help underprivileged girls in Vanuatu receive an education.

Author Dan Goldberg says that: “Everything that has happened in your life has lead you to this moment – now.”

Use your past experiences to inform your way forward. Every seemingly insignificant conversation, every job, every lover; every “no” you’ve received, has, and will, lead you to the place you are meant to be. Identifying your passions – what you love doing – will lead to a life of purpose. Take the next step on that journey. We can’t wait to be standing right there beside you.

The Holistic Project is running Pursue Your Passion under the tipis at Bangalow Showground on February 28.  tickets $99 via theholisticproject

The post The Holistic project: giving your passion a purpose appeared first on .