Create Freedom by Empowering Your Feminine with DJ Megan Taylor
Megan Taylor has been a DJ in Chicago for 15 years, even though she set off for college to be an architect and even said "no" to DJing time and time again. She's always had an ear for music but elevates her performances by deeply understanding and playing to the energy in the room. This awareness and sensitivity comes from the exploration of her own energy which has been ongoing, but was intensified when she earned her Masters in Social and Emotional Intelligence in her early 30s. Megan shares much of the wisdom she's developed and tools she's benefitted from in her practice of self-discovery, how her life changed because of it and how she eventually chose to shift out of continuous healing to honor the seasons of her growth, integrate, and recognize that actually, she's good. We talk about how she handles the pressures of performing and how she's stepping into her feminine more fully thanks to the structure from her masculine. I learned so much from Megan, I literally took notes. Listen in to hear more about boredom, claiming your fulfillment, how she physically takes care of herself in a nightlife industry, honoring your intuition and how she continues to evolve and grow her brand.
My Current Obsession: Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life
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Transcript:
00;00;05;13 - 00;00;29;27
Steph
I'm Stephanie Hammond and this is the Fruition podcast on this show. I sit down with passionate people who've brought their dreams to fruition. We'll explore different versions of success and fulfillment and dig in to what was on their minds along the way. With these conversations, I hope we can all expand our sense of possibility. And who knows? Maybe hearing their stories will inspire you to take action on yours.
00;00;30;00 - 00;00;57;23
Steph
Hi. Whoa. So today we have on deejay Megan Taylor, one of Chicago's best deejays. She's been featured in Goop. She's open for Maroon five. She's led events for massive brands like Nike, Google, Chanel. She ran the launch strategy for a new author. And the book hit number one on Amazon. She's done it all. She's a brand sales strategy and event consultant.
00;00;57;26 - 00;01;27;08
Steph
In all of this, variety really comes down to her incredible energy and dedication to continually growing and evolving personally and professionally. We talk a lot about both of those things and how she got into deejaying in the first place when she had planned on being an architect. I love that Megan really broke down for us what she still values from her masters in social and emotional intelligence and how it broke her out of the people pleasing good girl trap.
00;01;27;08 - 00;01;54;22
Steph
It's like increase audibly useful information. Also, I'm so excited because we talk a lot about divine femininity, which I've been thinking about a ton lately, and I've been wanting to explore it more deeply. She breaks down for me how she's worked through building her business, utilizing a more masculine structure so that she can then embrace her more feminine nature of play and creativity and stillness while still feeling secure.
00;01;54;27 - 00;02;23;20
Steph
So it was really useful for me to kind of hear it from her, from her lived experience. Anyways, this is a good one. You're going to like it. My obsession for you is a book called Barbarian Days A Surfing Life. It's a memoir written by the journalist William Finnegan. He was a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1987, and it explores the different phases of his life and the world around him.
00;02;23;22 - 00;02;55;01
Steph
But from the lens of his surfing adventures, he talks about politics, culture, coming of age, writing, love, obsession. It's so good. It's moving. It's playful, it's funny, it's self-aware. It's super detailed. And it dramatically worsened my surf thirst. So that was an issue. But it was so fun to read. I loved it. Starts from his childhood and it goes all the way to present day.
00;02;55;06 - 00;03;17;13
Steph
Highly, highly, highly recommend. It's a fun adventure. Okay. And before we get started, if you know somebody that you think would benefit from this conversation or another one that's resonated with you, please share it with them. It would mean the world to me. And my hope ultimately is that it would support that person in living a more full true life.
00;03;17;20 - 00;03;41;01
Steph
So if you're into that, it could be useful. All right. I hope you enjoy have the best day. And by the way, you are so stunning if no one's told you that today. Thanks for listening. See you on the other side. Oh, Megan. Welcome to the FRUITION podcast. Thank you for coming on with me today.
00;03;41;03 - 00;03;45;22
Megan Taylor
I'm so excited to chat with you and it's such an honor to be here. So thanks for having me.
00;03;45;25 - 00;03;54;28
Steph
Do you stay introduce yourself as I'm DJ Megan Taylor. When you start a show, is it a persona for you? Like, do you feel like you embody a different side of yourself when you are DJ?
00;03;54;28 - 00;04;17;04
Megan Taylor
Megan Taylor I think that's a great question, but I think it's kind of like authentically like who I am. When I started deejaying, which is like over 15 years ago, there wasn't very many examples of women deejays in the field. And in my opinion, they were very either like they had to be very masculine or they had to be very sexy.
00;04;17;04 - 00;04;44;22
Megan Taylor
And they had they were like, it was a lot about the body and not navigates is generalizing, but it really like there was no just like wholesome deejays that were approachable and like, I think that I was like, Yo, I'm just going to be myself and do this. And that really works for me because I could just have a great energy and be upbeat and but I didn't have to be anything extra that I am.
00;04;44;22 - 00;05;06;21
Megan Taylor
And so I think that that's really how I got known. And so that decision was it did make me different at that time. Just to be like my full self because everyone had like a stick, if that makes sense. When they were deejaying, especially women. I remember I got invited to do the Playboy Mansion and I had to take off my top and and I was like, No.
00;05;06;24 - 00;05;15;21
Megan Taylor
Like, I remember like, you know, it's more of like the opportunities that came that pulled me out of who I was that I was had more boundaries around.
00;05;15;23 - 00;05;25;27
Steph
That is so interesting. I want to come back to that whole masculine feminine conversation when it comes to this industry for sure. But I'm curious, what song are you looping right now?
00;05;26;00 - 00;05;34;00
Megan Taylor
I would say Adore You by Fred Again is like my jam right now. It's so good, so good, so good.
00;05;34;01 - 00;05;39;22
Steph
Let's take a step back. First, let's get to know you a little bit. So you have a brother. Did you grow up in Illinois?
00;05;39;25 - 00;06;02;21
Megan Taylor
Yeah, I'm from a very small town. A small town of like 8000 people, 2 hours outside of Chicago. So there's not much happening there. It's called Princeton, Illinois is super cool. Interesting place to grow up. It's actually not far from my parents still there. My family lives there. So that's where I spent most of my childhood, majority of my childhood.
00;06;02;21 - 00;06;07;09
Megan Taylor
And then I moved to Chicago to go to school at DePaul. Okay. When I was 18.
00;06;07;15 - 00;06;13;14
Steph
Okay. Got it. And what was that community like? Was there a certain career path that you thought you might follow just based on what you saw?
00;06;13;16 - 00;06;32;29
Megan Taylor
I mean, I would definitely say that I'm a bit of a unicorn that popped out of that town, Like no one's no one's really follow. Like, I have a very untraditional path. I think one influence was my my dad used to work for Sony Records, but he didn't work with the music side. He worked on the distribution side.
00;06;32;29 - 00;06;56;29
Megan Taylor
So he basically, like manage CDs and VHS and merchandise, getting to stores like Walmart and Target. So like the benefit was that I was like a kid with a bunch of CDs in my basement. So I did have a bit of a pulse on music because of that. But I would say, you know, my my inkling was to go to college for sure.
00;06;56;29 - 00;07;18;23
Megan Taylor
And most of my friends went to college. But a lot of people went to a community college. Some people didn't go to a college. I mean, there was always a desire or an expectation to do that. But I was a little bit limited by my family, too, of just wanting to look in the Midwest and close. And so I sometimes it's hard to regret that because everything worked out coming to Chicago.
00;07;18;23 - 00;07;26;17
Megan Taylor
But like, you know, I would have been really interested to go to a different, you know, to go to like the West Coast or something like that.
00;07;26;21 - 00;07;31;05
Steph
Really. I thought you were going to say New York. So like, would you want to go to L.A. then?
00;07;31;08 - 00;07;50;15
Megan Taylor
Yeah, I would go to California, Yeah. But I had no idea. I thought I wanted to. I wanted to be an architect when I was 18 interested. So I ended up being like a double major of math and art, which really makes sense and this whole world of deejaying. But that was like, I just was like, I don't know.
00;07;50;15 - 00;08;12;21
Megan Taylor
I just had no idea what I wanted to do. I sort of knew what I liked, but the reason and I just sort of gone to California for that, the lifestyle change. But I don't know. I know that I ended up going to a school in Chicago called DePaul, which is like a pretty dope private liberal arts school, and it's in a really great part of Chicago.
00;08;12;21 - 00;08;30;19
Megan Taylor
So even though it was 2 hours away, it was it was definitely, you know, a big a big change for me, too. And it had a lot like my town was like very white Caucasian that I grew up on. And this this is like a very diverse city school. So it ended up being like a pretty big change.
00;08;30;19 - 00;08;39;08
Steph
So what half were you following at that point when you were leaving college? What was your first job out of school? Did you immediately go into deejaying or were you deejaying during college?
00;08;39;12 - 00;09;08;22
Megan Taylor
No, it was a few years afterwards and and I thought really what I wanted to do maybe was do like video production and editing, because it kind of combined the math and the art. And so I started interning at an agency that booked deejays, but I was more on the film and film and video and photography and and I think what was cool, they were very boutique, but there was a lot of I, I had interned at bigger places that were like bigger production companies.
00;09;08;22 - 00;09;29;21
Megan Taylor
This one was a little bit more scrappy, but I just got a lot of hands on experience at a young age. So I started like actually creating video projects. But then I slowly was like moved into sales because I'm great with clients. I'm a good I think sometimes it needs to be an intermediate in between creatives. Oh, and yeah, exactly.
00;09;29;21 - 00;09;48;27
Megan Taylor
And the client, the owner of the agency was like, I think you should, you should come and try and deejay with us. And I was a big know for a long time. But I have an ear. I know, I know music. And so I ended up finally kind of giving giving in, as I would call it. You know, to his credit, he was very good at selling, pushing me into it.
00;09;48;27 - 00;09;57;12
Megan Taylor
And then I did a a there's a very, very prestigious high school here. And I did their homecoming in their school gym with the deejay.
00;09;57;12 - 00;09;58;07
Steph
Fun.
00;09;58;09 - 00;10;21;06
Megan Taylor
At what it was. And it was like, oh, I know, I know what songs to pick. I just didn't know how to blend them or mix some. So I ended up kind of enjoying myself. And that's really how the Doors started opening for deejaying. But it really wasn't probably anything I was going to do until like my late twenties, probably 15 years ago.
00;10;21;09 - 00;10;34;16
Steph
So did he ask you to give it a go because you had that ear like you would swap songs that you liked and kind of gave? Did you get feedback on other DJ sets or why did he think that you would be a good DJ?
00;10;34;18 - 00;10;58;02
Megan Taylor
He's one of his really amazing talent and he's he's a visionary so he can vision anyone into almost anything. Like he can see possibilities. So I don't even think he saw that I was he didn't even probably know my musical ear. He just knew I was like a hard worker, like he would trust me. I just I mean, he I mean, he would put a lot of people in a lot of positions and stuff.
00;10;58;02 - 00;11;18;09
Megan Taylor
And so I love that. Yeah. He's it's really one of his gifts. I mean, it's hard to say no to this man, because I did I did for a while, but I'm here. I am deejaying, but I think and so and then I didn't really go for it for a minute. So I did this event. I was like, Wow, this is fun.
00;11;18;09 - 00;11;37;12
Megan Taylor
You can control the room. Like, I kind of get it. And then I just said yes to a few opportunities to like assist other deejays. Then I took it even more seriously when I was like, Well, if I'm going to do this, I want to really get good and learn how to mix. So at that time, so everything is digital now.
00;11;37;14 - 00;11;59;27
Megan Taylor
Pretty much everything is digital. But I was I literally learned on CDs, you put a CD in on a thing and it's very much like turntables. You can control the speed, but you still had to care on CDs. And so then I switched to vinyl to learn vinyl, which is just a little more technical. And I had I asked deejays in Chicago like, Can I meet with you and can you teach me?
00;12;00;02 - 00;12;24;27
Megan Taylor
And honestly, everyone was really cool. And I have I have mad respect for them helping me. And so I, I just slowly became better and better. And then I found myself in and then I would do an event I would do I was super hungry, but I was like, I would do anything for no money. Little money with deejaying live is like the best, you know, the best way to create new opportunities.
00;12;25;03 - 00;12;50;05
Megan Taylor
People see me. So I was just super aggressive with that piece of it and it just started to roll. And also the agency that at that time they could give me business because they had private events that they could put me on to. Now it's a little bit reverse. I drive all of my business, but at that time I was just experimenting and learning and having no idea that I would turn and turn into this.
00;12;50;08 - 00;12;53;08
Steph
Oh my gosh, I can't believe you were doing it with CDs.
00;12;53;10 - 00;12;54;09
Megan Taylor
Yes, it is.
00;12;54;15 - 00;13;05;06
Steph
How do you even take the CD out fast enough too? Or you would burn a seed. You would put your the set on a CD and burn it and then play that C.D. or how would you switch?
00;13;05;08 - 00;13;12;25
Megan Taylor
So basically, like because you have to so you play you you go one from the other to the other to the other together. So that's how that works.
00;13;12;25 - 00;13;17;27
Steph
Oh, God, I kind of miss CDs. They were so fun. Like we would I was Sharpie on the cities, you know.
00;13;17;27 - 00;13;18;24
Megan Taylor
I miss the city.
00;13;18;24 - 00;13;21;06
Steph
So such a good area.
00;13;21;08 - 00;13;23;21
Megan Taylor
When you can make like, your your best CDs.
00;13;23;22 - 00;13;29;00
Steph
Yes. Oh, my God. Best of summer like 2002 and still have them like.
00;13;29;05 - 00;13;29;16
Megan Taylor
I know.
00;13;29;16 - 00;13;33;07
Steph
I don't have a CD player, but I have the CDs hoping one day.
00;13;33;09 - 00;13;35;01
Megan Taylor
I know it would be so fine.
00;13;35;03 - 00;13;37;01
Steph
So why were you in know for so long?
00;13;37;04 - 00;13;58;14
Megan Taylor
I just thought it was like not I was like, it's late. It's weird. I don't want to be in front of people. I just. I just really wasn't attracted to it at all. And some of those things are very real. Like, there's there's a very unglamorous part of deejaying as well that I could probably, like read into like a little bit.
00;13;58;16 - 00;14;01;05
Megan Taylor
And maybe I was just like, afraid and fearful.
00;14;01;07 - 00;14;07;08
Steph
Okay, okay. Yeah, I totally get that. It is scary to be the one responsible, but it's a lot of pressure to do it.
00;14;07;08 - 00;14;07;25
Megan Taylor
It's so much.
00;14;07;25 - 00;14;08;17
Steph
Better of the.
00;14;08;17 - 00;14;38;26
Megan Taylor
Room. So I have this. This is like so later in my career, I, you know, I'll sometimes carry out really important events. A lot of people, galas. I mean, weddings to me make me nervous because it's their wedding. Yeah. You know, huge 2000 person event, corporate event. So, like, I get really nervous and I feel a lot of pressure and I really just sort of know it comes with pressure, but I've really had a break there.
00;14;38;29 - 00;14;56;29
Megan Taylor
So this is like really jumping into my mindset now of who I am. So because I used to like not that day, I can't really fully function, so I'm just so nervous. But I really had this whole like kind of spiritual awakening around it. I realized like I was trying to be God. That makes sense. Like I was trying.
00;14;57;00 - 00;15;12;17
Megan Taylor
I was like, all night. I think I'm God in the situations of these events. Like if it felt like I if I had to nail it 100% could not get it wrong. It had to be perfect for the event to be good. And if I was a little off, it would it wouldn't be as good as it could be.
00;15;12;17 - 00;15;29;24
Megan Taylor
So and I was like, What am I doing? Like, why am I putting that pressure on myself? And so I really now was so I changed my mindset. And I do this like almost like ritual prayer in the beginning because I, I was like, there's already so much goodwill. There's already like God, like energy, like in that realm.
00;15;29;24 - 00;15;58;14
Megan Taylor
And I just want to be a fucking vessel to, like, play with it and manipulate it and do the best I can. And so I really asked to be used in service of something amazing, but I don't have to be amazing. That makes sense. And it really has shifted me to just take some pressure off and to I'm actually probably like play better in some ways because the perfectionist thing can fuck me up and make me like not in the moment.
00;15;58;14 - 00;16;19;12
Megan Taylor
And like it's such a fine line between really wanting to perform well and service, but also trying to be perfect in my best. And so I've really played with that quite a bit and I changed that because it's just a lot to carry. It's a lot of eyes on you, it's a lot of events. At the end of the day, like I'm not God, I'm not responsible for some of these things.
00;16;19;12 - 00;16;45;17
Megan Taylor
And I've also seen events where like there's been drama or like I work for corporate settings and there's been a lot of tension maybe in internally or maybe with our diversity. And like I used to sort of take that on and I'm just and now I really don't. And I've learned I learned major life lessons through deejaying around caring for not caring, but don't like carry everything, you know, like major.
00;16;45;17 - 00;16;50;17
Megan Taylor
Yeah, yeah. Some major things. It's really taught me like a lot about people in life.
00;16;50;19 - 00;16;56;13
Steph
Interesting care, but don't carry. I love that. Yeah, I've heard that before.
00;16;56;16 - 00;16;57;04
Megan Taylor
It's big.
00;16;57;11 - 00;17;20;04
Steph
Huge. So you say this prayer before your events to be a vessel and to care and notice and pick up on that energy, but then not carry it yourself. So how would you, from a deejay perspective, adapt how you're going to perform or maybe like what songs or what kind of tone you want to set if you're feeling something like tension in the room?
00;17;20;06 - 00;17;51;23
Megan Taylor
I mean, it's so basically like how I look at music. So it's all energy, right? And so like I really play into the energetics of event. And that's why if people are dancing or not dancing, like it doesn't matter. Like it's it's really about the vibe in the room. And so I think one of the things that I really, really, really, really do for especially for a corporate company, is I like where it can become it become tense is because not everybody that's there feels like the music represents them.
00;17;51;25 - 00;18;14;19
Megan Taylor
So I really make sure that I play like the diversity of the room and make sure that everyone feels seen which which is a smart idea for me also, because it wins people over for me. So there's things like that that I will do. There's an energetic way that I'll play with people, but I would say what gets what gets in the way a lot of times is alcohol.
00;18;14;19 - 00;18;38;14
Megan Taylor
And there I can't when people are drinking like that sometimes where it gets a little irresponsible, ugly and with that shit, I can't. There's nothing I can do to like, change that. So sometimes I've been in some situations where it's a bit uncomfortable or it's been like a little bit disaster. I mean, no, no, not a lot. I'm talking like bad situations and in that case, I just really try to take care of myself.
00;18;38;19 - 00;18;39;09
Megan Taylor
Yeah.
00;18;39;12 - 00;19;01;23
Steph
Okay. Interesting. So obviously you're very in tune with your own emotions and your own energy and then the emotions and energy of the room. I want to talk a little bit about your masters. You studied social and emotional intelligence, which is so interesting. I didn't even know that there is a program out there and I want to hear a little bit about what you learned and how that helped you in your deejaying.
00;19;01;23 - 00;19;07;22
Steph
And then just like evolving in the rest of your life beyond deejaying and how it kind of opened your mind up.
00;19;07;23 - 00;19;33;06
Megan Taylor
Yeah, that's a great and actually this story starts a little bit sooner. Like basically in my twenties when I was growing my career, the actually the company that I work for created like videos for a personal growth and development company in Chicago. And so that's how I got introduced. And I did a women's I did a women's weekend when I was out of college, my boyfriend broke up with me and it like it really changed my life in that weekend.
00;19;33;06 - 00;19;58;01
Megan Taylor
I, I just saw how much I didn't know and I saw how much I got feedback about that. I had a lack of self-worth that I had. I didn't know how who I was. And and I, I felt like really seen for the first time, which just led me to getting a life coach when I my twenties. It led me to do some personal growth development programs.
00;19;58;01 - 00;20;29;12
Megan Taylor
So the same place where I got my masters, I had no idea is going to get my masters. I don't even think they launched it yet, but they had these tools and these trainings for personal development that were pretty really amazing kind of out there. And this is now it's very popular. People are everyone's doing personal development. I mean, my friends that I was like joining a cult in my twenties, like I was it was strange to do that and I poured my money into it, but I found that it was so beneficial.
00;20;29;12 - 00;20;51;10
Megan Taylor
I was so meaningful to me. And it it gave me so much more my awareness. And I give it a lot of credit to not feeling like I have to follow this idea of this sort of life plan that everyone else seems to have. It gave me mad permission to know who I was, and the first thing you have to realize is I actually don't know who I am.
00;20;51;12 - 00;21;09;11
Megan Taylor
And then I was on a quest to really find myself. So it was like intelligence. And it was a lot of very spiritual. I when I make spiritual pilgrimages with people, I was very young in the program compared to everyone else. But and then there was some very intensive laboratory programs. I, I just did it. I just kept doing the next thing.
00;21;09;11 - 00;21;27;04
Megan Taylor
And so that really grew me as a leader that grow me as a businesswoman, that growing as a deejay, that grew me, my relationships. And that's it gave me just like a lot of understanding of who I was. And then when they launched a master's. So then I basically had to all the program when I was in my early thirties.
00;21;27;06 - 00;21;52;14
Megan Taylor
So I started to lead programs and then they also launched a master's program. And so since I had already touched it so much, I just went for the Master's and the Masters really gave me an understanding of where all the philosophies and where all of the curriculum is built from an existential perspective, from philosophy, neuroscience, Adlerian. And so the program is so hard for me.
00;21;52;17 - 00;22;09;20
Megan Taylor
There was an application, so you have to write like an essay every week on how you're changing your life in your world, and then you iterate and then you had to write an essay on the stuff you're reading and the readings just really, I'm really good in the world. I'm like, Yo, let's go. I'm going to figure, I'm going to like, apply this.
00;22;09;22 - 00;22;31;04
Megan Taylor
But when it came to reading, I just was like, I just had a lot of trouble. I mean, I was also deejaying. I was in a relationship was a lot like going on a bad time. So I did this master's and it was super hard. And I wrote this final essay about how one knows how one becomes like their own true self.
00;22;31;04 - 00;22;48;14
Megan Taylor
Like, how do we know we're not fully influenced by everything else? And how is it that you are? Which is I feel like it's like my life's work. That's oh, that was all part of my journey. And I think for as a deejay, it gave me it gave me words to talk about things that I already intuitively knew.
00;22;48;15 - 00;23;13;04
Megan Taylor
It gave me a lot of permission to be a leader in this space. So that unicorn I talk about, you know, coming out of my hometown, it's like I'm a I'm definitely a bit of a unicorn in the deejay space and the path that I've carved as well. And so there was just when you talk about service and you talk about it just helped me understand what mattered to me and then start in expressing it.
00;23;13;11 - 00;23;14;03
Megan Taylor
Wow.
00;23;14;05 - 00;23;38;21
Steph
To learn that whole self-worth piece, I'm sure opened your eyes to recognizing that not only is there no one life path, but you are needed on your true individual path. And I'm sure that you started to see the potential of that path. What kind of modalities were you experiencing or experimenting with or learning through this program that kind of opened your eyes?
00;23;38;21 - 00;23;44;11
Steph
Were you meditating like visualizing a future self or you mentioned a laboratory?
00;23;44;15 - 00;24;02;04
Megan Taylor
It was that we did a lot of different things. You know, a lot of it is so it's a lot of it's an emotional source that I'm very emotional on based curriculum. So like the naming or feelings of being in touch with your feelings was was a very big core of it. So the benefit of that is that we have I had such a mask up.
00;24;02;06 - 00;24;27;08
Megan Taylor
I'm either I'm happy or I'm not happy, but I'm not going to express it. So it gave me permission and to understand that sadness, anger, joy, fear are going to pulsate through my body all of the time. And there's such a freedom that comes with that. And there such power that comes with that. There's a big piece on where you actually go and you do your like everyone knows about inner child work.
00;24;27;08 - 00;24;47;20
Megan Taylor
But in this program in the depth so that you would actually go and you'd do it, you would redo your two year old, you'd redo your six year old. And it gave me, wow. It just there's basically you kind of, in my opinion, like split from those pieces of you. So it makes you more whole as a person when you're radical.
00;24;47;20 - 00;25;08;28
Megan Taylor
Permission to go be a four year old again and ask for the things that you did not ask for in a very profound way. And there was a lot on personal power where I learned not to be the nice girl, Like I didn't have to just be nice and really exercising things that were over the top to know you're still safe in your full range and anger.
00;25;09;00 - 00;25;23;12
Megan Taylor
And there was a lot of visioning and there's a lot of purposeful living, a lot of understanding and kind of clearing your family karma and understanding what might limit you there. It's a very, very comprehensive program to how I know.
00;25;23;18 - 00;25;33;18
Steph
All of us how to incredibly profound impact on you. Was there one that stood out that just was Aha. After Aha that just really hit home for you or any that didn't.
00;25;33;20 - 00;25;34;04
Megan Taylor
Like were there.
00;25;34;04 - 00;25;36;08
Steph
Any chapters were like this isn't really.
00;25;36;08 - 00;26;01;02
Megan Taylor
Landing. Yeah. I'm sure there was some of those too. I think the ones that really got me out of my comfort zone around like that saying there's like, like going against the grain, saying no, just it really got me out of the Good Girl model, which challenged me because it's sort of how I knew to be safe, you know, to be it to be like, well-liked, agreeable, you know, And so things like that where you really start.
00;26;01;02 - 00;26;25;11
Megan Taylor
And I think if I did, the program in today's world would be very different. You know, at that time there are similarities, but I almost feel like healing faster now. Like you don't have to go through all of that to get it. My opinion, I've really kind of rethought this whole thing, but at that time, a lot of that those things were were really beneficial.
00;26;25;13 - 00;27;02;07
Steph
Interesting. And how did you show up in your life at this time when you're going through this really transformative program with a lot of people who are aligning with you and wanting to develop, wanting to grow, wanting to discover more about themselves, and then how are you interacting like in the real world, you know, like with your college friends, if you were going out in the city at all while you're deejaying these sets and like, sometimes I haven't done shadow work, probably even remotely close to the extent that you have, but sometimes it's hard to interact with the world when you hide away in a cave for a little bit and peel away the layers
00;27;02;07 - 00;27;13;09
Steph
of yourself and then and then like reemerge, I guess. How did you balance this really intense and immersive program, it sounds like with your day to day life?
00;27;13;11 - 00;27;34;12
Megan Taylor
Yeah, it was messy. Yeah, like it was messy. Like it was like I didn't know how to create context. I think for my friends and family, you know, all of a sudden, I'm like, now have opinions and bringing up things that they had no idea about. And they also I also was trying to like, be this like person doing personal growth.
00;27;34;12 - 00;27;56;06
Megan Taylor
And I was trying to also be the party girl and it just didn't resonate. So I it took me a long time. Like I still would try to fit that old mold that like those boyfriends going out and drinking. But like, it's really hard, in my opinion, to do like growth work and be so conscious, but then have a weekend where you're unconscious, like it just didn't fit.
00;27;56;06 - 00;28;24;15
Megan Taylor
But it took me a long time to really like sort that out. And I remember I'm friends who like, we're like, we don't want to be friends with you. Like, they felt very threatened by it. They felt like I was confiding in other people and not them. So people definitely had opinions about it, I think because I was willing to do stuff that they were and I was willing to talk about stuff they weren't willing to talk about, you know, like so a lot of it was stirred up them and and I was changing the dynamics of things, too.
00;28;24;15 - 00;28;50;15
Megan Taylor
So it felt felt. Ross In it, in hindsight, now it's like, oh my God, everything was really working out for me because I have found other new friends who are like, now my friends are in so much alignment and people that I surround myself with are all have all done a lot of personal work and development, are all what I call lightworkers in their own way, are very out about who they are.
00;28;50;15 - 00;28;59;01
Megan Taylor
And it's I have like a really, really nourishing community and friendships because of that. It just took me a while to get there. Mm hmm. Yeah.
00;28;59;01 - 00;29;28;17
Steph
And some of that process, at least in my own experience, is kind of going over the line of being like maybe a little over boundary or saying like, no, maybe a few too many times and, and taking it a little too far to get out of that people pleaser Good girl base. And yeah, that can ruffle feathers but it shows you who's willing to grow with you and who's willing to like, learn this new piece of you and understand why you're doing that and wants to meet you in your new evolved state.
00;29;28;18 - 00;29;49;18
Steph
So it's it's kind of a beautiful way to see who really is going to show up for you when you're showing up for yourself and then cling on to those people, you know, maybe rework the other relationships or or or you just evolve and grow out of that. And that's okay, too. But it is a very interesting kind of scary process at times.
00;29;49;18 - 00;30;14;25
Steph
And how do you balance not getting too stuck in that, like especially being a part of this program where it's a it's a full blown hobby of yours probably, and you're studying that deeply and you were dedicated to it for years and years and years in a very structured way. Like how did you not get like lost in in the darkness of that inner child healing and and all the shadow work that you were doing?
00;30;14;25 - 00;30;20;21
Steph
How did you find levity and light heartedness at the same time, or did you take breaks? Like, what did that look like?
00;30;20;24 - 00;30;45;08
Megan Taylor
Yeah, it's a really good question. And like how I look at it now is I feel like we have seasons, right? You go through seasons of growth and so I think there's something amazing about fully giving yourself over to the hard like parts of growth and you also like it can be very like seductive and like you can stay there for a little bit too long.
00;30;45;08 - 00;31;10;00
Megan Taylor
And so I think knowing that there are seasons, but when I was doing this stuff, it's like so I was pretty dedicated to this program and but this program also is like the biggest thing about it is it doesn't allow you to stay in like victim consciousness. It's a lot of responsibility. So it keeps that movement, you know, you keep you keep it that it's very dynamic.
00;31;10;00 - 00;31;32;02
Megan Taylor
So you're always on to the next assignment or growth or thing. So in that sense, but it was still a lot of time and a lot of money. I will never probably, ever do anything that ends ups again in my life. It just was an opportunity. It was available. And like I was saying, now what I've learned is that you can labor through healing and you can labor through growth.
00;31;32;02 - 00;31;53;29
Megan Taylor
And I think but I also think we're in a new energy and a new time in our bodies and our atmosphere and the energies where we can also do things faster. And I and I just believe that from my own knowingness. So that's a download that I've been getting to. But I would say recently because after I did that program, I chilled out quite a bit on things when everything was complete.
00;31;53;29 - 00;32;22;23
Megan Taylor
But, but I always have a code I just like to have because I like to talk things out and I like to learn that way. So I and I did a big chunk of healing right around in 2020, like something my whole life with COVID changed because I couldn't deejay. So I left all these events and I ended up getting, you know, doing some plant medicine that stirred up a lot of stuff that I didn't I really had hidden in my subconscious.
00;32;22;25 - 00;32;50;17
Megan Taylor
And so I went through this whole period, like two years ago of having to really deal with some hard things. And in that I really I learned a profound lesson. And I because I was like, it was a lot and I was like, I'm going to kill this. So I was focused on healing this. And I realized in that moment, because I had because I had swung so far the other way at trying to heal, I was like, Dude, I could be healing for the rest of my life, or I can just be like, I'm good.
00;32;50;19 - 00;33;13;24
Megan Taylor
And so there I really was. Like, I just kind of decided that like, I feel good now and I did. And so not that things don't get triggered or come up and I have such that that taught me so much self-love and so much so understanding my own that worthiness thing I talked about before. So I think that we can you can do the shadow work and you can.
00;33;13;24 - 00;33;42;10
Megan Taylor
And I think it's really important too. But when your identity gets stuck in it, it can be a little bit dangerous. And also spiritual. Spiritual bypassing is very real too, you know, and jumping over it. But I think also and this is just like a bridge, I think that in a lot of ways and I've been in this spiritual world for a minute, I've been I've got plant medicines, I've done I read a lot of books, listen to a lot of podcasts like travel, know a lot of people.
00;33;42;10 - 00;34;09;08
Megan Taylor
And it's interesting. And I don't blame anybody in particular, but I almost feel like the spiritual wellness community is very is a little bit co-opt right now. It's a moneymaker. And I think there's a lot of people irresponsibly channeling or irresponsibly creating programs or irresponsibly being coming coaches and teachers. And I feel like it's a little bit dangerous.
00;34;09;08 - 00;34;24;28
Megan Taylor
And so I actually have a lot of opinions about that now. So I've almost like kind of like remove myself in some ways and have way different opinions where I would if it was like all in before around things to watch, which I think just goes with evolution as well.
00;34;25;00 - 00;34;44;21
Steph
Yeah, yeah. I mean, we could probably go down a whole rabbit hole of the things that we've seen of, of programs that maybe keep you in it the way yours did, in the way kept you moving forward and yeah, moving on to the next chapter, there's a lot that kind of keep you going deeper and darker maybe, and not quite finding the light and the solution at the end of the tunnel.
00;34;44;21 - 00;34;54;03
Steph
But having been very conscious of this healing space for so long, what else have you noticed change in a positive way?
00;34;54;05 - 00;35;18;16
Megan Taylor
One of my biggest things that comes to mind is like as understanding what it is to be, to have what the feminine is. So, you know, in men and women, we all have feminine, muscular men. And so I that was crazy to me. So the GE world is very male dominated, but in my opinion, De Jong is so feminine based because it's use it, use intuition, it's it's energy reading.
00;35;18;16 - 00;35;42;17
Megan Taylor
It's it uses the feminine skills and us in such a large way. No men have that as well. I just think that's why I love female deejays because there's such a dance between that person in the room and so understanding my feminine gifts and my almost hostility to my own masculine, how that affects people who I date and people that I am.
00;35;42;19 - 00;36;20;01
Megan Taylor
But understanding the power of the feminine and the divine feminine is such a is then such a game changer, because I think it's really been oppressed, repressed and as as out of balance now in the world. And so the more that I have understood and I went to like I did a pretty profound trip to Egypt with going almost a year ago where a lot of those sort of spiritual pilgrimages have brought a lot of things online codes, as I like to call them, and wisdom of things that are very innate to women that I've just really suppressed.
00;36;20;01 - 00;36;42;06
Megan Taylor
And the latest work that I've been doing is, is understanding that like, like I used to think everything was me. Like, like, like if I had a bad feeling, it was like, oh, it's something's going on with me. And then I've really started to understand like, Oh, wow, we're all vibration. So I pick up a lot of what's other people's stuff and I pick up a lot of what's going on in the room.
00;36;42;06 - 00;37;05;24
Megan Taylor
And it's such a gift. But it's not all me. I used to think, I guess I was too responsible. So now knowing that and a person knowing that, a person understanding that, that we're all like, just like we're little receptors is incredibly helpful because you can protect yourself better. You can notice that you can change that, and you don't have to personalize it so much, too.
00;37;05;26 - 00;37;35;02
Megan Taylor
And so like a lot of a lot of that has been understanding and understanding the way that my past lives. I got, you know, understanding of the way that my DNA and my ancestors affect who I am today, as has been a recent journey. And so like, I'm kind of on a bit of a a quest to like, can I get my DNA back to my original blueprint so I'm not influenced by it by those things and complete things.
00;37;35;02 - 00;38;19;02
Megan Taylor
And the way that I have really found lately, this last year, shout out to Lauren, who's really me, a lot of that this year, she's someone I've worked with is through the body. And so that has been a big important piece that I think people are moving into because so much of our experience is that we leave the body in very unconsciously and coming into this body, claiming a body which then leads to like really feeling really well in things that we eat, how we take care of our body starting to feel Body has been a huge game changer for me and because I can see the way it's so easy for me to like
00;38;19;02 - 00;38;42;25
Megan Taylor
leave and because it's kind of like how I'd say when I do day, I can see the energy of music and I don't even have to, like, really like look at the room. I can just sort of see it out of my third eye. I know what to play next, but all of that is great. But like now do like you chose to come here on earth, like you got to be embodied and then it just really brings it really is a new kind of new way of life has started, of course, through me.
00;38;42;28 - 00;38;52;24
Steph
That is so incredible. Wow, I love. Do you use any chart? Do you do tapping or anything to get you back into your body if you feel like you've left.
00;38;52;24 - 00;39;13;09
Megan Taylor
It at all? That's a great question. I think tapping is really great too. So breathing, breathing is like life. You know? And so and then also, like, I'll do breath work, like I'll go to a class. I kind of like I like to just pay people to tell me what to do because I'm accountable. Like it's it's really like necessary to I also, like, sometimes just ask my body.
00;39;13;09 - 00;39;39;22
Megan Taylor
So this kind of goes back. Something we either talked about on the caller off the call about like I started asking my body what it wants and my body wants something very different than what I want sometimes. And so I was like, Oh shit. So I had a Experian, so a little bit of burn. In the beginning of this year, I was traveling so much and I was I was like in four different cities in airports deejaying.
00;39;39;22 - 00;40;01;04
Megan Taylor
And then I was flying, dilated, deejaying event and oh my gosh, I broke down crying in an Uber. And I was like, I just I called my friend. I was like, I don't want to go. And out. And I was like, I just don't want to go. And this made no sense because this was like a really great client, five star hotel off the cliffs of California, like it was a dope event.
00;40;01;04 - 00;40;28;24
Megan Taylor
But what I now looking back, I was like, I was burnt out and so my body was so tired. I have been so used to overriding body by because I can I can just turn it on. Go, go, go, go, go. But now that I was doing all this work on my body, my body was getting louder. And so I realized, like, I have to rethink how I run my life and how I do my life, because I can't just push myself anymore.
00;40;28;24 - 00;40;51;00
Megan Taylor
It's not sustainable. It's not like really the way I want to live. So I learned a pretty profound lesson on that. And I wrote this post, the other day that we're talking about is like because I realized I was still good, I could do it, but I was at like 70%. I was like 80%. And I realized the cost of my life when I'm not at 100%, especially because it costs my clients.
00;40;51;00 - 00;41;08;06
Megan Taylor
So there's a cost to me. And I was like, What would it look like if I really wanted to maintain 100% in the areas that I show up for? And so what I kind of when I went back on that, the formula was like, I have to really say no, I've got to say no to way more stuff from jobs.
00;41;08;06 - 00;41;28;23
Megan Taylor
And then also in my social life, I have to be like way more discerning and which just led me to realizing what's important to me and what's not important to me. How is competition my body? And then there's just like, I wasn't very good at being bored. And being bored is like a superpower. Like it's good to be bored.
00;41;28;23 - 00;41;47;18
Megan Taylor
And I was deeply uncomfortable with it. And so there are so like the times off isn't just like kind of time off. It has to like deep rest. And what does that really look for and what is that really like nourishment look like? So when you start prioritizing the body and you start sleeping more, my life just started to take on like a little bit of a different.
00;41;47;18 - 00;42;14;21
Steph
BE How have you noticed that show up? I struggle with boredom too, and it's such an interesting thing reframing that from I'm wasting time to this is my space to rejuvenate. And then from that comes so much like there's so much creativity that comes out of boredom and and that deep breath that you're talking about. So have you noticed that show up in like your deejaying or just in feeling better?
00;42;14;21 - 00;42;23;04
Steph
And so operating at a higher level or in coming up with new ideas like where have you seen the biggest changes from that?
00;42;23;07 - 00;42;43;25
Megan Taylor
I love the use of creativity because creative my creativity like can get turned on when I'm bored. When I'm in that space and I was in, I went to Baja and I did this cleanse in July and it is a lot of slowness and I can't tell you how many downloads I got for like new projects, new ideas.
00;42;43;27 - 00;43;16;14
Megan Taylor
I was like streaming, like. And it was such a good example of when I give time for that, what can come through. And I think the other seasons for that, I really spend my winter is a little bit more down. I think those that are feminine codes are deeply interwoven with that as well. Like know really enjoying my bath and enjoying my self and being and having pleasure and areas have are deeply kind of against the matrix of what we're taught.
00;43;16;14 - 00;43;40;18
Megan Taylor
And that's the other thing I think about is that being bored when I, when I would look at that underneath it's feeling like I'm not enough, I'm not doing enough. I'm like, okay, but where does that come from? And in my opinion, that is a belief and that is like a frequency that I'm plugged into that's deeply like engulfed in this hustle culture.
00;43;40;18 - 00;44;15;01
Megan Taylor
And so do I actually think I'm bored or am just trying to believe that I shouldn't be bored. And so that's when you really start to like, realize, like do the rest is liberation. You know, and being quiet is liberation. Because in a lot of ways, I think there's a side of the world that does inside of me that doesn't want me to be you restful because it starts to change the decisions I make, the money I spend, you know, So like, it's really complex when you really it's it's way more than just like deciding to stay in a night.
00;44;15;01 - 00;44;39;16
Megan Taylor
Like there's a deep liberation, I think, for women, especially when they realize that we really take care of ourselves. And also honestly, I mean, I'm not blind, but like also a lot of this is through the lens of privilege. I can make enough money to say no to other things, you know? So, like, I'm also blessed to have that opportunity to kind of create that for myself just with being an entrepreneur, there's now.
00;44;39;16 - 00;45;00;27
Megan Taylor
So I'm kind of in a state of of creating new opportunities, of revenue for myself all of the time. And so somebody who chooses that path, I think that's one of the hardest things, is there's no guaranteed salary and there's no guarantees anyways. But especially as a deejay, it's not like I have repetitive projects. I'm constantly a new client, new client client.
00;45;01;03 - 00;45;21;26
Megan Taylor
It's generally it's like a lot of sales. So it, it's a really weird place to live and work in because you're, you have no guarantee for money and so you're kind of living in trust. The whole time and you're kind of living in this, this surrendering. And also I have built systems to be strategic about it, and I kind of know how am I?
00;45;21;26 - 00;45;40;16
Megan Taylor
Seasons work and I've been in the game for a minute too. But I think that's really hard is just living without knowing where all your money is coming. It's a hard thing to balance, especially, and that's selling packages. You know, I'm not selling like a six month contract. So it's been that's that's a hard thing to do with what I do.
00;45;40;19 - 00;46;19;10
Steph
Yeah. And especially in incorporating deep rest and that divine feminine with maybe I'm sure this kind of insecurity where the next gig is coming from. Like you probably were thinking at times I could be using these moments that I know I need deep breath to be booking new clients to be expanding my business in some way. How have you incorporated femininity into this male dominated industry of deejaying and how have you approached building a business and earning income and building structure around your business while incorporating that femininity?
00;46;19;13 - 00;46;45;17
Steph
How have you infused that into your actual work? Because I think that that's that's a huge struggle for me wanting to be deeply feminine and show up in that way and take care of ourselves and and be deep in pleasure and rest and rejuvenation and creativity, but also having to support yourself and build a business that you can count on within a male dominated industry of DJ.
00;46;45;19 - 00;47;09;18
Megan Taylor
That are really where these are all such good questions. And honestly, like I'm still a student. Yes, I'm still learning. Very much so. But I think one of the things like it's and I, I laugh about that, but one of the things like I think that are super helpful is how I kind of think about is how can I use my masculine in support of allowing myself to be deeply feminine and creative.
00;47;09;18 - 00;47;37;08
Megan Taylor
So I like I'm very, very I'm very, very on my numbers. I'm on my projections of what I'm going to make and so my number game is tight. And so that's how I love. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And it just gives me because it gives me the security to play within, right? So I'm not I don't as much control as I can have or as much projection I can have as what I do.
00;47;37;12 - 00;47;59;24
Megan Taylor
And that allows me then to say no to no to things because and this, this is something I have struggled with. I have a coach and she's like, because I'll be like, Well, I could make this much money tonight, like a why wouldn't I take it? And so it's really been really, really challenging to say no to money and be in abundance because it almost feels like there can never be enough.
00;47;59;24 - 00;48;22;08
Megan Taylor
So like, I had to I'm still working on, like, really, like changing that mindset because it's, it's, it's unknown. Like I can't say no to this client. And so I'm working through issues of that. And then the other thing is, like with a woman and my work with that really tied to my rate. And so I really I've increased my rate really consistently.
00;48;22;08 - 00;48;47;27
Megan Taylor
I'm definitely someone that charges more private events space. I'm on the very high end. So then you send your rate out and you have people, Wow, I didn't know you were that much. Oh, and so you're kind of I'm constantly being challenged with the world feedback on what I'm what their thoughts on my own work. And so it's really been a beautiful exercise because you get to like and I pretty much I feel really good about my rates.
00;48;47;27 - 00;49;05;08
Megan Taylor
I'm going to raise them again because it's like when you when I really value, when I compare myself, I feel like it could be too much. But when I think about what I give and how much I like my life force is given to your event, it's like, dude, like, No, let's go. Like, pay me more so I can give you more.
00;49;05;08 - 00;49;24;16
Megan Taylor
Like it's in. So I just I just basically want the energy exchange to feel super good. And I think that I have learned that I have to be really okay and entitled and on and really okay with receiving a lot at the same time too. So like all of these things are kind of masculine and feminine in support of each other.
00;49;24;16 - 00;49;29;00
Megan Taylor
And these are things that I have like worked on and I've rebuild it and stuff too.
00;49;29;00 - 00;49;50;06
Steph
And you also mentioned offline that you don't actually drink. And so I think that that's something that's probably unique in this space too. How do you physically take care of yourself when you're performing gigs and you're staying up late and you're in these environments that have alcohol or just a lot of stimulation around you, How have you taken care of yourself physically?
00;49;50;12 - 00;50;09;11
Megan Taylor
I know it's so interesting and I've I've struggled with it, especially when I became sober. I quit drinking like during COVID and I had gotten a lot of messages like not to drink. And I got through it, but I really gave it up. And it was like, Dude, my life a lot of magic started happening in my life and I wasn't even drinking that much.
00;50;09;11 - 00;50;31;26
Megan Taylor
But when I gave it up, it it took my life took off in a very creative way. And I was like, I'm just going to roll this as a superpower. And so it really changed my whole thought around alcohol. I also feel like as I got older, I'll have a drink, but I still hung over the next day and I can't I can't afford, in my opinion, to feel like a little off, like I just like to feel good.
00;50;31;26 - 00;51;09;20
Megan Taylor
So a lot of that is the reason why I stopped drinking. Also, like from a spiritual perspective, a lot of gifts started opening up when I stopped drinking and that's like we could do another podcast on. But my one to feel good every day is so important to me and I staying like very, very hydrated, having minerals, having sleep, working out, feeling good, and my body mobility, I'm always like kind of learning more and little, doing some biohacking massages called, plungers, like you name it, like I've told you that.
00;51;09;20 - 00;51;28;09
Megan Taylor
Oh yeah, I would. I know. I wish I could do them every day. Like, those things will make a big difference, right? And so when you're performing and you're on, I just can't walk around basically. So I got to feel really good. And it just it makes it make such a difference, you know? It makes such a difference in everything.
00;51;28;16 - 00;51;30;14
Megan Taylor
Yeah, I it.
00;51;30;17 - 00;51;53;21
Steph
It's hard when you notice when you do reach that level, like, let's say you're on a retreat or something and you do a cleanse and you, you access that piece of yourself that's like really optimal and you notice how good you can feel. It's hard to then do anything different, like you become so much more sensitive to then feeling bad.
00;51;53;21 - 00;52;17;09
Steph
Yes, there's that. I actually can't afford to operate that way because I notice how lethargic I am. I notice how foggy my brain feels. I notice that I'm totally cut off from my emotions or from my intuition. Like, it's not even that that feels bad, but you start to notice what you're giving up. You're giving up too much by not just taking care of yourself.
00;52;17;09 - 00;52;39;23
Steph
Everything opens up in your brain. It's like a door. I know a window opens and everything's different and all of a sudden you can access something so far beyond yourself and it's just not worth it to do anything outside of that. So lately, yeah, a lot about caffeine and how it triggers this like just a really minor feeling of anxiety in me.
00;52;39;23 - 00;52;46;00
Steph
But I love coffee. I'm drinking coffee right now. I'm just I'm debating if it's if it's worth it or not.
00;52;46;03 - 00;53;04;08
Megan Taylor
So, no, I really I did a coffee and no coffee spent and it was like, oh my God, if my anxiety was down, I it's so true. But like, you know, my thing is that sugar, like, it's a fucking about sweet. And so I didn't even.
00;53;04;08 - 00;53;07;28
Steph
Mention that I have an issue with sugar because I don't want to give it up. I'm not there yet.
00;53;07;29 - 00;53;09;04
Megan Taylor
Right there. You know.
00;53;09;04 - 00;53;11;22
Steph
I'm like, how you're like me, not sugar.
00;53;11;24 - 00;53;33;09
Megan Taylor
Yeah, exactly. I know when you're when you're cramping. Terrible. But like, then you got to you got to live, right? And being moderation, what I've read, I mean, if that's the word I would use or whatever, too, but I would just say like, I've changed my ways because I've wanted to and not out of diet or out of scarcity or have to or whatever, that's when the shit works and sticks.
00;53;33;09 - 00;53;54;23
Megan Taylor
Now other, there's just so many modalities that are fun. Like I've been taking these classes on sound healing and understanding of sounds going on, Effects of water in our fascia and which affects electricity in our body. Do like, wow, there's a lot going on that we're not talking about. And I like know it's going to be a really fun 20 years to be alive and the next year is all I can say.
00;53;54;23 - 00;54;06;22
Steph
Especially as a deejay, because I know that you infuse your events with Reiki. I don't know if that's the right word to say, but you incorporate so much more than just your own energy and and the music that you're playing.
00;54;06;24 - 00;54;30;20
Megan Taylor
People like that. Your energy is so amazing even. And I create a ton of playlists and I'll you can have them all for the channel. And it's like people are like, I can fill you in playlist. And I was like, Okay, great. Then I was like, Why does everyone say that? And how could that be true? And it's like when I started to understand, I worked with this Irish shaman and she's like, You can infuse the music with your codes, like with your energy and information.
00;54;30;23 - 00;54;51;11
Megan Taylor
Like, okay, yeah, yeah. But then when I started doing it, I started thinking about it from a, from a quantum perspective. I was like, okay, this makes sense. And this applies that to me. It's we walk around as a vessel of influence and frequency, and so it's I do it in music, but like you get to do it when you walk down the street, you could do with the client.
00;54;51;11 - 00;55;00;25
Megan Taylor
You get to do it when you're with your family, like we are all really vibration. And the more that we know that and all that, we see how it affects, how much we affect each other.
00;55;01;02 - 00;55;34;16
Steph
So as you've learned more about yourself, your business has evolved from having an agency book your gigs in deejaying to then attracting clients to having a steady stream of gigs. You've evolved even beyond Jane to consulting services, Brand consulting services. I saw that you even helped with the strategy of a book launch. Like how have you built this kind of common message or thread through all these very different forms of business and income streams?
00;55;34;16 - 00;55;37;23
Steph
And how have you opened up those those channels along the way?
00;55;37;28 - 00;55;54;08
Megan Taylor
I mean, I think part of it is like I'm just sort of made like as if you if I were going to reading, like I'm sort of like just made to do like seven things, like that's just what I like. I don't like to have one thing. So some people are very different. And so like, I just sort of naturally, like want to evolve and I like new things.
00;55;54;08 - 00;56;12;08
Megan Taylor
And so that's part of it too. But a lot of it was just because I deejay, but I learned a lot about business. So it just I just got a whole, you know, almost MBA just from like living and working and realizing and just have other skills without knowing what's going to be trendy and understanding how things how they work.
00;56;12;10 - 00;56;36;19
Megan Taylor
And a big catalyst, though, was when COVID happened and I could a DJ for like almost a full year, I had canceled it, gave me an opportunity for growth in many ways. But one of the things that came out of that was I was like, I just got to pivot and I tried to pivot and get this big corporate job that that was really fucking epic and that that fell through.
00;56;36;21 - 00;56;52;11
Megan Taylor
And then I was just sort of like desperate. And I started just, just it led me to like, asking things. So I asked my friend, I was like, Why not? You're going to launch your book and hire me and I'm gonna launch it for you. I'm going to figure out the strategy. She's like, Great. So then we started teaming up and doing business together.
00;56;52;13 - 00;57;08;03
Megan Taylor
So I launched her book and honestly, I learned so much about the book world and like, just like anything, sometimes not knowing anything is your biggest advantage because you just come in with a clear set of eyes and ask a lot of questions. And and so we launched her book and then that led us to launching other books.
00;57;08;03 - 00;57;25;29
Megan Taylor
And then we did retreats together. And then that led me to other opportunities with business. So that pause of not making money also just forced me to like figure some other things out too, which gave me really the confidence to, like, launch a new brand that encompasses everything and also how I see my life progressing in my forties.
00;57;26;00 - 00;57;31;23
Megan Taylor
Like I think that I will just introduce other other things and grow in other ways too.
00;57;31;29 - 00;57;51;29
Steph
MM And do you intentionally and proactively market yourself in these different areas or is it more of like a conversation based kind of a grassroots growth that you find yourself with new opportunities and, and allow them to come to you more so than seeking out gigs in these other spaces with other people?
00;57;52;02 - 00;58;11;15
Megan Taylor
It's that I think the best thing is I've had to learn to ask for things and I've had to learn how to like, tell people what I'm looking for because people find me very bright and they want to help. I have so many good people who are like, I want to support you, but unless I really tell them how, it doesn't happen as well.
00;58;11;15 - 00;58;27;02
Megan Taylor
So it's I've really had to sort of define that and like kind of grow and create that and let people in that. I'm interested because and I always I'm not always, which I wasn't super good at, but that's just been, I think, a big piece of my growth is really initiating it.
00;58;27;05 - 00;58;33;06
Steph
How have you evolved your definition of success over your career thus far?
00;58;33;11 - 00;58;57;26
Megan Taylor
That's a really good question. I Think My success was very much like cookie cutter too, like what society teaches us, which is not a bad thing by any means, you know, It was just like the checking the boxes lifestyle that I still like was big. And I also just think it's like a very different era, but it's like for me, one of the biggest things about that is like freedom and time.
00;58;57;26 - 00;59;22;06
Megan Taylor
And so the fact, the fact that I like can really I feel very free to do what I want means everything to me. And it can it has like a shadow side, too. Like I can be like, too free. And I don't want to really like, you know, really commit to anything too. But for the most part, my freedom and my ability to have the time I want.
00;59;22;07 - 00;59;42;26
Megan Taylor
So I feel like time is our biggest currency has is for me what makes me feel so, so, so happy, you know, and getting my obviously getting my basic needs not and like living a comfortable life has been a big piece of it too. But I don't think that I just heard a quote about what happiness is or what success is, but it's not necessarily happiness.
00;59;43;03 - 01;00;15;02
Megan Taylor
And I think that that's a big thing that I've had to like, make sure that I'm not there's a discomfort involved, stretching and growing. So I think that that's a little bit of how I define it is like just the freedom that I have that I'm also like, there's a some girls edges that I have heading, but the rest of it is like a really big, I think a big choice to like decide that it's I'm good and it's good because it's hard and that and then again I think is also like rebellion and liberation.
01;00;15;05 - 01;00;35;10
Megan Taylor
I don't need more. I don't have to be more. I think that really, truly claiming that I'm good now is a very, very powerful thing to do in this. When we're living in the world and the whole world, there's a lot of pointers about how we need more change, more beautiful look younger, look skinnier, like there's a lot of messaging that we should change, right?
01;00;35;10 - 01;01;00;08
Steph
So and it's tempting. It's easy to fall into that trap and go down the spiral and you get to decide when and what that looks like. And I have tricked myself into thinking that that fulfillment means feeling happy all the time. But like you said earlier in our conversation, there's always going to be anger, sadness, joy, excitement, fear running through our blood at the exact same time.
01;01;00;11 - 01;01;23;03
Steph
And there's no state or a time period in your life where you're not going to feel those other things. A lot of times that feeling of fulfillment includes that feeling fear. Like you get so much fulfillment out of feeling fear and doing something anyways, feeling that anger and resolving a conflict with yourself or with somebody else. Like a lot of fulfillment in just the full spectrum of humanness.
01;01;23;06 - 01;01;35;18
Steph
And so often I forget that and trick myself that, well, maybe I'm not there yet because I'm not happy all the time. It's always good to remind yourself of that, that you get to make the choice. Yeah, it's.
01;01;35;23 - 01;01;54;16
Megan Taylor
You're good. Yeah. And, and I just think, like, when I just think about the messaging and I'm not a big like, us versus them. Like someone's doing something to me, but there is a lot and you just have to acknowledge like, dude, like we're not the way that our lives and the humanity has sort of like evolved is like very tricky because we have so much available.
01;01;54;16 - 01;02;14;06
Megan Taylor
I'm so blessed. I can do so many things in the world. But there's also this sense of like more and you know, and I'm a I'm kind of a big abstract thinker, too. So like, that's what really kind of changes me. It's like, oh like if I'm if I'm in this machine, like, who am I going to choose to be, like, in it and stuff.
01;02;14;06 - 01;02;31;04
Megan Taylor
And so there's a lot of personal power in that as well, too. I mean, and believe me, it's it's a it's a journey, right? Like, I'm like, how much Botox, how much filler? Like how it's I don't think you ever arrive. Maybe you do. I'll let you know.
01;02;31;07 - 01;02;50;22
Steph
Yeah. Let me Now, I have one more question for you. Given that you've experimented with kind of like all the different healing modalities and like, looked at it from so many different directions, what is a resource that really sticks with you that was transformative.
01;02;50;22 - 01;03;13;10
Megan Taylor
The the thing that comes to mind is actually like it's the coaches I've had. It's so like I it's the biggest investment that I think I've made is the one on one support. And for me though, it's the best time and it's the best investment I've made. So I have always been very stretched. I feel like whenever I've hired someone to hire someone, that's that will help hold me accountable.
01;03;13;10 - 01;03;39;01
Megan Taylor
That like pushes me, makes me get uncomfortable, like really good people and with that investment, I've made it myself for that one on one time. It just makes me like be able to like timeline jobs. You know, It's for me that's what really, really works for me. And I think a lot of people I see a lot of people reading and listening to podcast and like and not integrating and the integration is where it's at.
01;03;39;01 - 01;03;55;03
Megan Taylor
And so the way I do it is when I hire, when I'm working with one person, it's like you force integration, you force the time you for it. So I would say that the coaching and I've had many different coaches throughout my life has made is definitely the best investment I've ever made.
01;03;55;05 - 01;04;16;03
Steph
Yeah, I think over these last couple of years I've learned that having building out a team for yourself is everything. Yeah, I always thought, Oh, I can do it myself, I can read it, I can consume enough of this free content or whatever it is and figure it out myself. But if you really like it, I want to integrate it and you can integrate faster when you have someone holding you accountable.
01;04;16;07 - 01;04;16;19
Steph
Yeah, and I.
01;04;16;19 - 01;04;34;06
Megan Taylor
Love how you hold that as like a team because that really is that relational thing is like they're there to support me. It's just like I did so much on my own to like and felt embarrassed or ashamed or didn't feel entitled enough to ask for things for a long time. You know, like I could be way better about that now.
01;04;34;06 - 01;04;42;19
Megan Taylor
And I, I would see other people. I'm like, You can do that. You know, it was threatening to me. And like so I think it's such a good skill to have. And like, I love that perspective you have.
01;04;42;22 - 01;05;06;13
Steph
Yeah. If you're thinking of yourself at that time when you started deejaying, so you stop saying no and you're kind of stepping into that version of self. What advice would you give to someone who may be kind of landed on something that feels right for them now? Like they they've opened their mind a little bit and they're like, oh, this is kind of aligned, but I don't totally see how this is going to work out for me in the long run.
01;05;06;13 - 01;05;12;12
Steph
Like this is really scary and I might be stepping away from a false sense of security.
01;05;12;17 - 01;05;34;23
Megan Taylor
I it's this is it's a good question. I think like you really have to like honor that intuitive hit that you have and say like, it's not an accident. And I think we undervalue that curiosity and we undervalue that intuition, like and that is like our birthright of like the internal self trust that it's so it's no accident, right?
01;05;34;23 - 01;06;01;06
Megan Taylor
So like, I think we really have to get better at being like, wow, this is this is this is a message from me that's like, so, so really honoring that too. And then I think you should do things like that, like it takes time to really understand and know if this is something you want to keep pushing. So like there's a curiosity phase that I feel like has always been the thing that has led me to my next thing without needing to know if it's right.
01;06;01;07 - 01;06;20;27
Megan Taylor
How long will I do this without a specific plan? So like, you have to have some grace period around that. And then I also think if you're going to do this to make money, you need to be real strategic. And so like, don't. And the other thing, until you really know that this thing can cover that their base is that you need to understand and look up other people who are doing it and see what the projection is.
01;06;20;27 - 01;06;40;07
Megan Taylor
So like, I mean, I live in a lot of like this spiritual feminine, like heal the body, but like also like I'm a I'm a ninja when it comes to like making sure that like my shirts taking care of that, like my bank statements are correct, that I have accounts like, you know, and I sometimes undervalue. That's just not the world I want to live in.
01;06;40;07 - 01;06;55;07
Megan Taylor
But at the same time, the being smart and strategic about everything and really understanding like what it can look like if you if you want to take it to that next level, I think just be like, take care of yourself in that as well too.
01;06;55;10 - 01;07;08;12
Steph
Such good advice. But thank you so, so much. Megan. This has been really, really already useful to me, so I really appreciate it. I know your vulnerability is going to go a long ways with anyone who listens. So thank you.
01;07;08;15 - 01;07;15;28
Megan Taylor
All. My gosh, you're the best and you really ask amazing questions. So thank you. It was like a journey down my life. Yeah, I appreciate it very much.
01;07;16;00 - 01;07;16;17
Steph
I'm sure.
01;07;16;17 - 01;07;17;29
Megan Taylor
Yeah, exactly.
01;07;18;00 - 01;07;22;08
Steph
You so much. Until next time, we have to talk again. Yeah.
01;07;22;11 - 01;07;24;28
Megan Taylor
Part two. Thanks.
01;07;25;01 - 01;07;48;03
Steph
Hi. Wow. Thank you so much for listening. If you got this far, you're a real one. So maybe you could do me a quick favor if you're on Apple Podcasts, look at your screen click where it says the fruition podcast in purple, and then in the top right hand corner, there's a little button, it has a plus sign and then it says follow.
01;07;48;06 - 01;07;59;16
Steph
If you could just click that, it would mean the world to me, truly, and it would promote the show to other people who might really resonate with these conversations. So thank you.