💌 Open the envelope to your future self.

Who else's name is written inside? 💫

Hi folks,

Happy Sunday. I am SO beyond delighted that (fake) Spring has Sprung - we’ve been outside all day for like 2.5 days - BEAUTIFUL.

I wanted to write today on mentorship because when Lex Hearth interviewed me for her podcast she asked me a question I’ve never been asked before;

Have you always had a mentor?

This is honestly one of the reasons I like podcasts as they remind me of things, of stories or pieces of my own inner world.

So to answer the question. Yes! Since being 17 I’ve always had a mentor - I counted and there have been 13 of them…

In name;

Jill, Dezrie, Maddie, Steve, Jo, Jude, Rachel, Sara, Sarah, Mya, Leonie, Denise, Jamie.

Some of these names are people I had mentor relationships with, spent time with, had structured meetings with. Others are people I bought into programmes with and stayed obsessed with. In 2026, there is SO much beautiful mentoring available in so many unique ways.¹

Mentoring is such a beautiful exchange of energy - from my experience one of it’s main jobs is to increase self belief and that’s why I’ve stayed in mentor roles for over 25 years - who wouldn’t want to be that catalyst for someone else? It’s just GORGEOUS work and I must have mentored 1000+ people now - wild.

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When I was working in the cultural sector (in festivals and events) pre 2020, I noticed a pattern in some of the ‘more experienced’ women I asked advice of.

They had embodied the belief there was a ceiling of opportunity, things should be done a certain was. I don’t know where it’s because I’m a millennial and I was looking to Gen-X women or because I was called to a different path BUT I never believed it!

There is NOT a sealed envelope with a letter about your future written inside it - people with self limiting beliefs do not get to determine who you are and how you evolve. Write that letter yourself love!? 💖

Reminder - ANYTHING is possible especially with the healing and tech we have available in 2026.

I always had a thirst for MORE and working in a different creative system. To understand the system you are stuck within you only have to listen to the subtly (and sometimes not so) embodied patriarchy in women.² I was also DOG tired of the feast and famine fundraising cycle and planning my life around whether I could write a good enough funding bid³

Which is why I sought out Leonie Dawson in the pandemic as a new mentor. Leonie does things completely on her terms and has made millions doing so. Learning from her blew my mind.

There was something so beautiful about the timing; the world was quieter, birds were louder, I was growing my daughter in my womb - everything felt possible and impossible all at once.

I remember being in one online class and she was talking about taking out a plain piece of paper and figuring things out. Sounds so simple doesn’t it.⁴

And we do look to teachers, to mentors, to coaches for answers but a GREAT space holder will always leave room for you to unearth the answer. It’s often about remembering what we’re here to do and nervous system work. Being brave you know?

I remember buying Leonie’s online course ‘Money, manifesting and multiple streams of income’ (the first online course I ever bought after hovering over SO many for SOOOOOOO LONG) and it felt stretchy to trust someone I’d never met but I also felt an instant connect and my illustrator friend Katie Chappell was doing it too so we went all in.⁵

Working with Leonie was SUCH a permission slip to dream bigger, to get expansive, to see the opportunities that were already in front of me.

Infact, one of the reasons I started writing here on Substack was because Leonie had opened me up to thinking about being paid in new ways. When I was called to start a membership here, Leonie’s voice was in the back of my brain telling me; You’ll figure it out.

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Maybe it’s your time now? If you feel a bit funny in your tummy reading this then it definitely is!!

In just a few days Leonie is teaching on how to create (and keep) a membership. I remember a colleague telling me memberships were dead and me thinking;

how interesting of you to see the world this way.

She earned three times what I earn, had a team of 11 and embodied wealth the old way - I moved on.

For me the opposite is true - my membership and community is very much ALIVE and a beautiful piece of the business I run.

In 2026, I believe this is one of the most secure elements within a creative business and you can get access by joining the academy (Leonie’s membership) for just USD $99 for an entire year. ⁶

It’s not USD $99 and then loads of payments/ upsells/ confusion it’s literally $99 and then you’re in! Best money I’ve spent in my business year on year!!

If you want to hear more I’m going LIVE on Substack with Leonie to talk about this new programme. You can join us here.⁷

I can’t recommend Leonie enough and have been in the academy myself for five years now. I’ve also been part of ‘grow mastermind’ and taken almost every course inside there. I got good at business by being encouraged that we can ALWAYS figure it out.

If you have a creative brain there is literally nothing in your way but yourself. Foundational work is important both for the energetics and for that day where you open the envelope to your future self.

Cleanse your essence of the old voices that don’t belong. Let’s get clear, determined and creative and build something really special together! Always here for your questions. I hope you can come hear us chat live about it - it will be hilarious and soulful and a really special chat.

Claire

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1. Ask me about the ways I connect with other mentors in the comments - always happy to chat and share.

2. One of my more uncomfortable lessons from Leonie is when she talks about what a ‘straight, white boomer gen man’ would do in business. I’ll leave that there. 🧐

3. I’m actually really good at writing funding bids and I am writing one on a voluntary basis at the moment that isn’t bringing me out in hives. 💫

4. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it - if you come to my Sparkle on Substack membership calls you’ll know how big a fan I am of the plain piece of paper and a fist full of sharpies.

5. I remember turning on zoom at 8.30pm at night and HUNDREDS of other women being in the room with Leonie. Me and Katie Chappell in the comments - I had never seen anything like it. The energy was electric and the laughs were off the scale - I realised I’d been SO serious about everything for like so long.

6. Affiliate link - I receive commission on spots sold through my link but it doesn’t cost you any more to join through my link.

7. Click the link and it will add to your calendar and you’ll get a notification inside the Substack app. I’ll post the recording over on Sparkle on Substack and on YouTube too.