Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Conner.
Hi Jordan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey to where I am today started at birth, of course. When I was a child, I loved visual art, both creating it and watching others create, there is something so magical about being a creator of and witnessing someone else create something that did not previously exist. Visual creativity provided solace, confidence, resilience, and emotional processing that just felt good.
Fast forward into adulthood and I found myself no longer living in that passion. I was in my mid-twenties, with a young son, a supportive husband, and a lack of identity. We had financial security, a beautiful home, and were surrounded by family but I knew something was missing. Work had become pure drudgery, I was on auto-pilot, and had this deep yearning for more in life.
After four long years as a retail manager, I began my journey on the path of art therapist, yoga teacher, and life coach. I moved on to receive my master’s degree in art therapy, trained as a yoga teacher and got certified as a life coach. While on that path, I began to understand the psychology behind those “feel good” emotions and how I could help others to get out of the rut I once knew. I dove headfirst into learning about holistic approaches to counseling and therapy, approaches that recognized the whole person and inherently understood the differences among individuals.
While working at a mental health facility for the next four years, I led art therapy and meditation groups, also helping clients plan their path after graduating from the program. I loved every minute of working with my clients. I share quite humbly that what I do, provides me with passion and aspiration to keep growing and helping one client after the next.
Just as many others in the world, when Covid-19 hit, I ended up at home with my family for many months- months without in-person connection outside of our four walls. My husband and I decided it would be best for our family of four to move back home, where we would be physically closer to extended family.
When I suddenly found myself without any job prospects, I decided it was my opportunity to build a business that housed multiple avenues of holistic health and wellness for women in my community– thus, Wholly Beautiful was born!
Currently offering three different services, including art therapy, life coaching, and yoga, Wholly Beautiful is a safe haven for women and girls alike who struggle with a lack of self-confidence and individual identity. We work together, either in group or individual sessions, to cultivate self-love, self-worth, and beauty that emanates from within. My clients reconnect with creativity, get to know their bodies, process through their emotions, and learn how to consistently engage in “soul care.”
After having worked with clients remotely for the last year, I just opened a physical location near downtown Florence! My hope is to reach more women in Florence and the surrounding areas so that every woman knows their beauty and lives from their worth.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My business has not grown without challenges!
Since I’ve been working from home, I get distracted by all the chores that need to get done. Laundry, dishes, dogs needing to go out, etc. I’m sure MANY can relate to this during Covid shut-downs!
In addition, our world is driven by technology and online interaction, which is not my specialty! I know very little about marketing or hashtags or how to grow a business, for that matter! So, my business has had many ups and downs along the way as I try to learn more about administrative work and marketing.
But it hasn’t just been external distractions that challenge my business. My brain also becomes distracted by the inner critic. To be successful as an entrepreneur, you must be ready to dig up all those things that are normally hidden in the darkest parts of your brain. And, if you don’t get the shovel out, the little fear gremlins dig them up for you.
I’ve had moments when I question myself for taking on such a big dream. I beat myself up when I have yet another month without income. Negative self-talk takes over, reminding me of all my past failures, taunting me with a multitude of mistakes, and even pressuring me to feel unworthy of success. These are the times I really lean into what I teach, provide myself with grace and compassion, brush off the dust, and keep moving forward.
I can’t sit back while my clients do all the hard work themselves! The inner critic must be challenged, difficult emotions must be felt, and we must be willing to accept where we are and take action on what we desire.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
You may not be aware, but anybody can say they are an art therapist in the state of South Carolina, which is why it is so important to vet who you get help from. I am proud to share that I received a master’s degree in art therapy with an emphasis in counseling. It took me 3.5 years and over 1,500 direct client hours to earn the letters for registered art therapist (ATR) behind my name. Because training and education are so important to me, I am also in the process of getting licensed as a professional counselor (LPC) in SC.
As with art therapy, life coaching and yoga are also two fields that have very little regulation. But I am proud to say that I trained in an intensive life coaching program and worked with life coach clients one-on-one for 50+ hours to get certified as a life coach (CLC). I also completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training in order to become a registered yoga teacher (RYT).
Mental health counselors, life coaches, and yoga teachers are pretty easy to find these days, but finding a well-trained art therapist that also does all of these things is another story all together. The American Art Therapy Association has about 5,000 members in the U.S. In order to be considered for registration as an art therapist, a master’s degree in art therapy (or something comparable) is required. I am trained in all of these areas and can utilize each of them separately or a combination of them to help my clients reach their goals.
When clients come to me, they know that I offer support in cultivating self-worth, which in turn, ripples into all other areas of their lives. Consistent self-care, challenging self-deprecating thoughts, and learning about themselves on a deeper level are all part of the journey. While art therapy is my main modality for healing, dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness, and somatic processing also inform my work with clients. I am known for utilizing what is best suited for my individual client based on their needs and personal history.
The process of art-making often facilitates the conversation in a session with me, even in life coaching. The client is provided an art directive, which they respond to in a visual format. As the art therapist, I offer questions and reflective listening that lead to insight for the client. Clients often share feelings of relief that they can finally understand what’s happening internally just by exploring something on the page. In addition, the art provides emotional processing, physical distance, reduction in anxiety and sadness, increased confidence, a sense of responsibility, and so much more.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Perseverance is the most essential quality of any business owner! When I make decisions that lead to failure or mistakes, I must recognize my responsibility to brush myself off and try again. Building a business means taking risks. As Wayne Gretsky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Look at your missed shots as growing opportunities. The more shots you take, the more you’ll miss, and the more you’ll make!
Contact Info:
- Email: jordan@whollybeautiful.life
- Website: www.whollybeautiful.life
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whollybeautiful.life
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/whollybeautiful.life/
Image Credits
Sipper Photography
