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November 18, 2015 by: admin

Hey Bus Driver – Appreciating Jo Packham

This post is super special.  Over the weekend I had a bunch of creative friends to my home to celebrate a milestone in my career…the ten page article in Where Women Create magazine.  We called it the Create – Make – Celebrate Retreat and we were so fortunate to have Jo Packham, the founder of the magazine, here to join us.  She is an amazing force of empowerment, love and authenticity.  She is a mover and a shaker and a dreamer and a do-er.  She is my hero.  During her time with us, she shared how she sees herself in our lives.  This is for her… Hey Bus Driver!

Pinterest

Jo explained how much she enjoys supporting women to get to the next level in their careers and lives.  Whether through creativity, cooking or business…she sees herself as a resource to support women in being recognized and seeing bigger possibilities.  She sees herself as a bus driver.  She let us all get on her bus and through her worlds of wisdom, ideas and sharing…she hopes to get us to the next destination in our careers then drop us off.  I am so thankful to be on this ride (with these friends).  Here we all are…

Photo_Square_Headshots

And here is a doodled version that I whipped up to commemorate this memory.

BusDoodle

If you want to color it, you can download it FREE HERE.  I must say at this time that Jo has spent many years encouraging women to color OUTSIDE the lines.  If you download this, I request that you add patterns, add details and add your own creative flair to the doodle.  Please share it if you do as I would LOVE to see your twist.

To show our appreciation for her, we each decorated her a bus cookie.  We learned these techniques at the retreat and were so excited to use them in this way.

Bus_Cookies

It is crazy funny to me that I happened to have a BUS COOKIE CUTTER in my stash.  I see this as a sign and reminder that things always happen as they are meant to.

Bus

She taught us a lot about magazines.  I learned that many of the magazines we see on shelves print WAY more than they will ever sell because they make their money from the advertisements.  These extras end up in dumps.  Sad.  What makes her publications even more special to me now is the knowing that they have over a 95% sell through.  The money is made is the supply/demand and the selling of them!  Here is the opening page to my article with my studio in the background.

Magazine

Here are few photos that were published in the magazine featuring my home studio and work space.  You can grab a copy at Barnes and Noble! Go.  Go Now.  If you made it to this point in this post, you want it.  I promise.

Square1

Work Desk

Work Station

I am deeply honored to be on Jo’s bus.  I appreciate her coming to the retreat, teaching us about what it means to truly care and give and being the gift that she is to me and to women.  I hope she loves her cookies.

You can follow along with Where Women Create on their Instagram HERE account or you can visit their website HERE.

WWC_Jo_Collage

Cheers to the Leaders who Change Lives,

Laura

Related

Holiday Baking with Heidi Swapp
Thanksgiving Word Search Puzzle and Turkey Cookies

Comments

  1. 1

    Midge says

    November 18, 2015 at 1:05 pm

    Thanks for sharing this. I learned and grew so much this past weekend. I love and appreciate you Laura. And am so thankful to Jo for raising women up and for being such an inspiration! <3

  2. 2

    Christie says

    November 18, 2015 at 2:07 pm

    Beautifully said! Spending time with this amazing and talented group of women was one of the highlights of my career as a designer and artist. Meeting Jo Packham was the icing and sprinkles on top! What an elegant and inspirational woman. It was an honor to be a part of your success, Laura, and to create, make, and celebrate with thus powerhouse tribe.

  3. 3

    Laura / Pet Scribbles says

    November 18, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    What a beautifully written summary of our time with Jo during our Create Make Celebrate Retreat – which you lovingly put together for us! I learned so much from everyone, and left with a serene feeling of completeness. I’m so thankful there are women like you and Jo who help other women find their own light and make it shine brightly from within. Thank you for a creative, mind-blowing weekend that I’ll cherish forever!

  4. 4

    Jo Packham says

    November 24, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    Thank you so much for the weekend, for the fabulous post, and for just being “you”. It is because of all of you, and each of you, that Where Women Create is such an inspiration to so many. There would be no “us” without all of you … and I thank you and appreciate all that you do more than you will ever know. I wouldn’t trade this bus driver’s job for anything in the world! Much love always Me

  5. 5

    admin says

    November 25, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    It was totally my pleasure! I can’t wait to do it again!!!

  6. 6

    Ronnie says

    March 3, 2016 at 11:56 am

    Can I come next year? (yes, that in a whine you hear!)

  7. 7

    Ronnie says

    March 3, 2016 at 11:57 am

    “is” (proofreading is very important!)

  8. 8

    admin says

    March 4, 2016 at 10:31 am

    If I do it again. of course!!!!

Trackbacks

  1. Visiting Denver? Go enjoy Southlands in Aurora, Colorado! says:
    November 25, 2015 at 11:28 am

    […] joined us at our retreat! (Laura Kelly wrote a fantastic blog post about Jo’s visit with us, which you can read here. She is beyond […]

  2. Jo Packham Joins the Laura Kelly Design Team says:
    February 16, 2016 at 11:45 am

    […] and Celebrate Retreat in the fall of 2015 and left quite an impression.  You can read about that HERE. and find out why she is driving the bus in the photograph […]

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