“Making Book Magic” with Kelley Knight
10/04/23 • 48 min
In this week’s episode of the UpLevel Podcast, we had an illuminating conversation about the world of mysticism, tarot, and publishing with our special guest - Kelley Knight. As a renowned author and founder of Modern Mystic Shop, Kelly shares her unique journey from spiritual awakening to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
She discusses her book Spells for the Modern Mystic: A Ritual Guidebook and Spell Casting Kit, co-authored with Brandon Knight. We also explored her perspectives on traditional vs. self-publishing routes, dealing with backlash post-publication, co-authorship, and more!
Kelly's story is not just about success; it's about transformation through personal development channels leading to psychic awakening, which changed her life forever.
In this Episode:
- Identify your passion and utilize personal experiences: Identify what truly excites and drives you, and use your own life experiences as the basis for your work.
- Find a mentor or guide: Seek out someone who can help you harness your gifts effectively.
- Understanding publishing vs. self-publishing: Consider both traditional publishing routes and self-publishing options before deciding which is right for you - each has its benefits and drawbacks.
- Get an agent specific to your genre: Find an agent who represents authors in your specific field or genre.
- Craft a compelling proposal: Demonstrate why you're not a risky choice when pitching to publishers.
- Choose the right publisher: Find a publisher that aligns with your vision and can support you throughout the process.
- Weigh the financial implications of different publication methods: Traditional publishing often provides upfront payment but may limit future earnings, whereas self-publication could potentially yield higher profits over time despite requiring more initial investment.
- Identify gaps in existing market offerings: When planning new projects, look at what already exists within the industry and identify areas where unique value can be added without replicating others' works.
- Be open to learning: Embrace new challenges and learnings that come with the publishing journey.
About Kelley:
Kelley Knight founded Modern Mystic Shop in 2016 in an effort to curate and create quality, accessible products for tarot clients’ spiritual practice. What started humbly grew quickly into a well-known brand for spiritual seekers. Since 2014, she has been offering her unique style of reading, which has given her national recognition in publications such as NYLON Magazine. There are now two retail locations; the original store is located in the bustling Ponce City Market in Atlanta, GA, where Kelley resided for most of her life. She opened a second location in the NoLita neighborhood of NYC in 2021 when she returned to the city her ancestors immigrated to in the early 1900s, which has now become her new home. She aims to make mysticism mainstream by imparting ancient spiritual wisdom applied to the modern day.
Business Website: https://modernmystictarot.com/
Her Website: https://kelleyknight.me/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmysti
www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany
In this week’s episode of the UpLevel Podcast, we had an illuminating conversation about the world of mysticism, tarot, and publishing with our special guest - Kelley Knight. As a renowned author and founder of Modern Mystic Shop, Kelly shares her unique journey from spiritual awakening to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
She discusses her book Spells for the Modern Mystic: A Ritual Guidebook and Spell Casting Kit, co-authored with Brandon Knight. We also explored her perspectives on traditional vs. self-publishing routes, dealing with backlash post-publication, co-authorship, and more!
Kelly's story is not just about success; it's about transformation through personal development channels leading to psychic awakening, which changed her life forever.
In this Episode:
- Identify your passion and utilize personal experiences: Identify what truly excites and drives you, and use your own life experiences as the basis for your work.
- Find a mentor or guide: Seek out someone who can help you harness your gifts effectively.
- Understanding publishing vs. self-publishing: Consider both traditional publishing routes and self-publishing options before deciding which is right for you - each has its benefits and drawbacks.
- Get an agent specific to your genre: Find an agent who represents authors in your specific field or genre.
- Craft a compelling proposal: Demonstrate why you're not a risky choice when pitching to publishers.
- Choose the right publisher: Find a publisher that aligns with your vision and can support you throughout the process.
- Weigh the financial implications of different publication methods: Traditional publishing often provides upfront payment but may limit future earnings, whereas self-publication could potentially yield higher profits over time despite requiring more initial investment.
- Identify gaps in existing market offerings: When planning new projects, look at what already exists within the industry and identify areas where unique value can be added without replicating others' works.
- Be open to learning: Embrace new challenges and learnings that come with the publishing journey.
About Kelley:
Kelley Knight founded Modern Mystic Shop in 2016 in an effort to curate and create quality, accessible products for tarot clients’ spiritual practice. What started humbly grew quickly into a well-known brand for spiritual seekers. Since 2014, she has been offering her unique style of reading, which has given her national recognition in publications such as NYLON Magazine. There are now two retail locations; the original store is located in the bustling Ponce City Market in Atlanta, GA, where Kelley resided for most of her life. She opened a second location in the NoLita neighborhood of NYC in 2021 when she returned to the city her ancestors immigrated to in the early 1900s, which has now become her new home. She aims to make mysticism mainstream by imparting ancient spiritual wisdom applied to the modern day.
Business Website: https://modernmystictarot.com/
Her Website: https://kelleyknight.me/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmysti
www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany
Previous Episode
“Crafting Your Story and Sharing It With Ease” with Gail Barker
In this week’s episode of the UpLevel Podcast, our guest is Gail Barker, an entrepreneur and seasoned coach with over two decades of dedication to supporting leaders and aspiring leaders in uncovering and crafting their own meaningful definition of success. Gail believes that finding 'ease' even in challenging situations is the key to successful leadership. Her book "What Matters Now: Lessons On Living With Ease" explores this concept and redefines our understanding of adversity.
Gail Barker shares her insights on writing and creative expression to offer a fresh perspective and highlight the importance of understanding your unique working style instead of blindly following popular norms.
She believes that success isn't solely defined by bestseller status or mass approval. If you have the wisdom to share that can enlighten even one individual, that counts as a successful endeavor too!
In this Episode:
- Understand the difference between 'ease' and 'easy': Acknowledge that a path of ease doesn't mean life is always easy or without obstacles; it's about finding calm amidst difficulties.
- Establish a writing rhythm: By identifying the optimal writing time and environment to foster creativity and productivity.
- Redefine procrastination: Recognize that such activities can stimulate subconscious idea generation, instead of viewing them as distractions.
- Explore different methods for inspiration: Incorporate physical activity into your creative process or try handwriting instead of typing if you find it more effective.
- Silence your inner critics by expressing your unique voice: Remember they are just voices, not truths, and focus on how you want to sound on paper rather than imitating others.
- Manage outer criticism effectively: When seeking feedback, be clear about what kind of input you're looking for so reviewers know their boundaries—this way their input will be more beneficial.
- Honor your own voice amid a multitude of voices: Share whatever message calls out from within you - even if your audience is small because everyone has something valuable worth sharing with the world.
- Pay attention when certain themes repeatedly surface in your thoughts, indicating their significance and need for shared expression; this could indicate an important message that needs to be communicated.
- Remember, being a bestseller isn't everything; there’s more satisfaction gained by disseminating wisdom and allowing others to build upon each other’s insights.
About Gail:
Dynamic, insightful, inspiring, and visionary - these are the words often used to describe Gail Jacob Barker, the renowned author of “What Matters Now: Lessons on Living with Ease.” An entrepreneur and a leadership coach for two decades, Gail has dedicated herself to guiding leaders, aspiring leaders, and their teams to lead at the work they love, without sacrificing their lives on the altar of their leadership. A certified Coactive Coach, and proudly holding the PCC credential through the International Coach Federation, Gail leads public courses for the Co-Active Training Institute and contributes her expertise as a valuable member of the Faculty Development Team at CTI on a part-time basis. Gail is an avid reader, a compassionate listener, and a lover of meaningful human
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Next Episode
“Harnessing the Power of Mindfulness and Intention” with Adam Taubenfligel
In this week’s episode of the UpLevel Podcast, we had a captivating conversation with Adam Taubenfligel, the co-founder, creative director, and responsibility lead at Triarchy. We dove deep into his journey towards mindfulness, the discipline it took to write his book Setting an Intention: 11 Brief Lessons on Achieving Your Greater Good, and how he's using these principles in his denim production practices.
His journey is a powerful reminder that mindfulness and intentionality are crucial for personal growth. Adam also shared some valuable insights about self-talk, breaking negative patterns, and interacting with our younger selves with kindness. His message is clear - anyone with a vision can become a writer! It just takes overcoming self-doubt and embracing discipline.
Tune in and join us as we explore mindful living through intentional action!
In this Episode:
- Learn about Adam's path towards mindfulness, which began with recurring negative experiences leading him to question his life choices. His journey includes meditation, sobriety, and breathwork, which all contributed positively towards achieving clarity in life.
- Discover how overcoming initial hesitation about not being a writer was possible for Adam when he found inspiration from another concise book titled 7 Brief Lessons on Physics.
- Understand the intention behind writing his book—it became more than just readable content but also a handbook for life that can be picked up anytime.
- Hear why Adam wrote this book primarily for himself rather than aiming at reaching thousands or millions of people.
- Find out how reconnecting with his younger self helped Adam break harmful patterns and enhance personal growth.
- A sneak peek into the core concepts of his book is based on eleven lessons inspired by unclear relationships in his life that require deeper understanding.
About Adam:
Adam Taubenfligel is an author and the co-founder of Triarchy, where he serves as the brand's creative director and responsibility lead. His visionary leadership has propelled Triarchy to the forefront of the fashion industry by pioneering innovative and sustainable denim production practices. With a passionate commitment to restoring integrity to the concept of sustainability, Adam has set new industry standards.
Adam's mission is to share this transformative wisdom with the world. He wrote Setting An Intention: 11 Brief Lessons On Achieving Your Greater Good, a handbook designed to teach individuals how to harness intention and mindfulness to attain their personal goals and contribute to the greater good.
Adam's personal quest for self-discovery propels him forward on a journey to understand himself and the world around him more deeply. His ultimate aspiration is to inspire as many people as possible to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery, firmly believing that what can be discovered is greater than what can be imagined.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamtriarchy/
Triarchy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triarchy/
Website: https://triarchy.com/
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