A PRINCE, A PEACH, AND SOME PUDGE: VICKIE POOLE’S OVER HERE SETTING PEOPLE FREE

He was just drifting off after a long day of recording when it hit him.

A whole song. Perfectly complete. Downloaded right into his brain when he wasn’t expecting it.

Prince called his sound guy. 

“Yeah. I know it’s 2:37 a.m. but I’ve got this song. And if I don’t record it tonight, Michael will get the same song downloaded into his brain tonight - and you can bet he’ll record it tomorrow morning.”

Yeah. I said Prince. 

And no. I didn’t interview him. I mean…

And journalistically, that story’s anecdotal. Spurious, even. I can’t find anything to cite. But it’s one of those stories that you hear and you’re like, “Yeah. I can see that.”

Doesn’t matter, really. Because this story’s not about Prince and his creative process. It’s about Vickie Poole, who followed Prince’s precept and became The Enlightened Peach.

Vickie never stood a chance. Raised in a family of entrepreneurs of various ilk, the bug was in her blood from Day 1. Like most entrepreneurs, she’s chased her share of shiny objects; some she polished and profited from for years.

Now, she starts most of her work with, “Your eyes are getting verrrrrry sleepy.” (At least that’s what I like to imagine.) 

In this week’s edition of Entrepreneurs Gone Wild, you’ll meet Vickie, the Enlightened Peach herself. Given what she does now, you either really need her or you know someone who does. You’ll also learn what’s probably the easiest way to get your brain sorted outside - and a quick tip for making sure you never forget another one of your brilliant nature-sparked ideas.

But first… I want to publicly say that Greg Johnson is an imp. There’s a name for what he did, but my parents read this newsletter and I’m not about to get myself grounded for repeating it. You’ll just have to suss that out yourself from this AI artwork. When you get it… check out the dirty trick he played right here.

Now, where were we? A Prince, a Peach, and a pie.

Actually, pie crumbs now.

Every morning, all over the world, a lot of women wake up feeling awful. 

They did it again. The one thing they swore they wouldn’t ever do again. They ate it all. Whatever “it” is for them. Just a smidge became the whole guacamole in the blink of an eye. Again. What happens next depends on their own version of food craziness, aka eating disorder. Some know they’ve got one. Some just want to lose weight. 

Their brains never, ever, ever stop thinking about eating. Or, just as often, thinking about not eating. It’s distracting, to say nothing about what decades of dieting can do to your metabolism, wallet, relationships, and self-respect. (Can confirm.)

“If only someone could just snap their fingers and make my sugar compulsion go away,” some of them say. Others know there’s a Shrek-ton of layers of crazy-making thoughts and beliefs at work. Many start to realize it’s going to take at least half a miracle for them to make peace with food.

Vickie was one of these women, too. Until she wasn’t. 

FREEEEEEEEDOM!

And now this transformational coach and hypnotherapist hands women the keys to the cages they’ve been living in.

This part of Vickie’s path started when she decided to become a health coach. The program she chose was expensive. And that was good for her. Vickie knew if she paid this kind of money and invested a whole year of her life, it was going to work. She’d make it work.

And she did.

Picture Oprah’s “You get a car!” But with Vickie. “You get freedom! And You get freedom! Everyone gets freedom!!” It’s a little like that, crazy as it sounds. 

Of course, it wasn’t really like that to start. Vickie’s early days as a coach sound pretty much standard issue. It’s a leap to get from “person doing stuff” to “person others trust to coach you to do stuff.”

Like most coaches, Vickie started with “practice clients” (aka she didn’t charge much). It was three years from the first paid client to the day she had her first significant coaching client, money-wise. “There were many, many times I really thought, holy moly, am I even… is this the right thing??

Vickie knew she could quit anytime she wanted. But she didn’t want to. She wanted to follow her passion, to get really good at it, and to set people free. “The next five years will pass whether I do this or not,” she reasoned with herself. And they did. And she did.

YOUR COUCH, HOLD THE POCKET WATCH

Hypnotism sure ain’t what it used to be. Like, in the movies. Or like an act at Parents Day in college. You can pretty much forget what you’re picturing. 

Vickie works with her clients over Zoom. Well, at least since the pandemic. It wasn’t a huge, horrible adjustment. Just had to figure out some workarounds - like, normally, she’d touch a client’s forehead just so when it was time to go night-night. Plus, she needs to be able to watch you while you’re in a hypnotic state - “lift your finger if…” But it works on Zoom. 

It also works with groups. No, not a bunch of women clucking like chickens. Picture a bunch of women in a relaxed, hypnotic state. Vickie’s soothing voice is encouraging them to go deeper into the relaxation, to notice their breathing, to know they are safe. 

In a 1:1 scenario, most of the conversation happens long before your eyes start to feel verrrrrrry heavy. Vickie helps her clients peel whatever the next onion layer looks like for them. Unhappy at work? Relationship trouble? Picked up some issues from childhood? Abandonment fears? The weight woes have company.

Vickie chooses the perfect words, the perfect hypnotic suggestions to make when her client’s subconscious joins for a sit-down. Sometimes their minds wander. That’s ok. Usually other parts of the brain listen in, and that’s perfectly fine, too. 

MEL GIBSON’S BLUE-FACE BRAVEHEART, BUT A WOMAN IN THE DEEP SOUTH

FREEDOM! Pretty sure that’s the core driver for entrepreneurs. But also regular humans. 

Vickie’s clients’ lives show a very clear demarcation. Before food freedom and after. Listen to their stories, and it’s like Justus Murimi’s upcoming country album, but played backwards. 

My buddy Justus said if 100 people commented “DO IT” he’d produce a whole country album. He has never done this before. It’s happening. Some of you know him. He also wrote a fantastic book with a horrible title.

The songs they now sing are about feeling at home in their own bodies for the first time they can remember. They’re forming new, healthier relationships. They’re changing what they do for work. They’re nibbling just a few tiny bites from a Hershey’s Kiss and wrapping the rest up for later… without one speck of drama.

Where does Vickie get her best thinking done? Outside, of course. Mountains, lakes, trees, a cozy fireplace - count her in. I’m thinking a hypnosis-filled retreat at Idyllwild Woods sounds pretty awesome.

And check out this tip… You’re going to get great ideas when you get out there and start walking. That’s a fact. But how do you capture them so they don’t slip away or stack up like a log-jam? Without getting sucked into screen time??? Siri! Just ask her to take a note for you. Do a separate note for each idea. This way, you stay screen-free so your brain can keep working its magic - and you don’t lose a single brilliant thought.

Vickie’s got a free Facebook community called Make Lasting Change where you can get a taste of what it’s like working with her. Members have breakthroughs every day. 

You can get in through the magic portal at VickiePoole.com. Or just find @theenlightenedpeach wherever your thumbs do their best scrolling.

WALKING INTO WELLNESS: THE ART OF SELF-HYPNOSIS OUTDOORS

Picture this: You’re out on your regular walk, surrounded by the tranquility of nature. Instead of blasting your favorite tunes or catching up on podcasts, you're tuning into something far more powerful – your own breath and the subtle whispers of nature. 

This, my friends, is where self-hypnosis begins.

Vickie Poole shared some gems on this practice. The key is to start with mindful breathing – think belly breathing, not the shallow, autopilot kind we're all guilty of. Imagine breathing in the serene energy around you and exhaling all that mental clutter.

Now, here’s the fun part. As you walk, engage your senses. Listen to the rustling leaves, feel the breeze on your skin, and soak in the vibrant colors around you. This sensory symphony isn’t just calming; it’s the gateway to your subconscious.

And here's where you get creative. 

Ask God or the universe (you do you) questions about what you need – be it business insights, personal growth, or just inner peace. Then, just walk. Let your mind wander. It's okay if your thoughts drift to mundane things like what’s for dinner. That's your conscious mind doing its thing while your subconscious mind is busy processing those deeper questions.

This isn’t about forcing solutions. 

It’s about opening up space for insights to bubble up naturally. As Vickie explains, in hypnosis, we're addressing the subconscious, but our conscious mind is still present. It’s like having background music; you don’t have to focus on every note to feel the melody.

So, next time you’re out for a stroll, try this. It might feel odd at first to walk in silence, but give it a chance. You might just find it's your new favorite way to reset, recharge, and reconnect with both nature and yourself. 

And who knows? That breakthrough idea for your business might just be a walk away! 🌿🚶‍♀️💭

Wanna see what I do for my day job?