It's All Poetry

• "Focus" is a hearth, not a spotlight (with Christina Jones)

  Today I’m joined by the incredible Christina Jones—brand photographer, creative coach, and (fun fact) the first guest I’ve ever met in real life! Christina did my most recent brand shoot, and let me tell you… it was an unexpectedly emotional experience. There’s something deeply vulnerable about being the focus of the lens, and Christina held that space so beautifully.In this episode, we unpack the word focus—in parenting, photography, business, and life—and how it can mean everything from presence to pressure to play. Plus, we get delightfully off-topic in the best way: Jenga, barre class, Instacart, and family dance parties all make an appearance.In This Episode, You’ll Discover…what a fireplace, a camera lens, and your to-do list might all have in commonhow the word focus shifted from warmth and gathering to clarity and commandwhy Christina thinks Jenga might be the ultimate metaphor for intentional attentionhow over-focusing can make your whole life shrink down to the size of your laptop screenthe quiet magic of choosing what you focus on—and what gets to blur in the backgroundWays to Connect with ChristinaChristina’s brand photography and mentoring: christinajonesphoto.comCome say hi to her on Instagram: @christinajonesstudio

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• This “funnel” has holes — marketing, metaphors, and consent (with Cleoniki Kesidis)

  In this episode, Nicole welcomes back her very first repeat guest (🥳), Cleoniki Kesidis, copywriter extraordinaire and fellow funnel-skeptic. The two dig into the uncomfortable origins and metaphors behind the word funnel, asking why such a common marketing term so often feels…well, kinda icky.What starts as a conversation about email sequences and sales paths becomes a beautifully winding journey into ethical marketing, customer autonomy, and a whole lot of metaphors.Let’s talk about the words we use in the marketing systems we build.In this episode, you’ll discover…Why “funnel” might not be the best metaphor—and a few alternatesWhat cows, tornadoes, and Temple Grandin have to do with marketingThe overlooked power of sequencing and why your audience deserves an exitWhy the best funnels feel more like ecosystems (and how to start designing yours)What to do if you find yourself IN a funnel as a business owner (which you will, like, all the time)A few quotes:“It doesn’t feel like a friendly place to exist. It’s like you’re Dorothy and your house has been picked up and you’re being tossed around inside a tornado.”“You want the sand to leave. You’re not trying to catch everybody.”“When we talk about optimizing, it’s not about making every number as high as it can go.”“When you’re an entrepreneur, you are always in a funnel.”Connect with Cleo:Grab Cleo's free resource: Everything You Need to Sell Your Evergreen Course Consistently at cekcopywriting.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cleonikikesidis (she’s so good here)Curious about ethical sales and lead magnets that don’t feel gross? Check out Nicole’s newsletter for prompts and ideas: nicolecopy.com/prompts

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• From clay tablets to AI: What does it mean “to write?” (with Katie Wolf)

  What does it really mean to write? Is it an act or a process? And can AI truly replicate it? In this episode, writer, editor, and book coach Katie Wolf joins Nicole to break down the layers of the word write—from its ancient roots to the modern fear of simply getting started.Katie shares her personal journey with writing, how self-doubt held her back for years, and the unexpected ways she overcame it. The two also discuss AI (of course) and the psychological tug-of-war between writing in private and sharing our work publicly.In This Episode, You’ll Discover…The surprising, ancient origins of the word write (hint: it wasn’t always about, well, writing)Why writing feels both deeply personal and inherently performativeHow our biological fear of being seen still affects writers todayHow ancient storytelling was closer to performance art than private reflection (and what that means for writers today).Whether AI-generated writing is “real” writing—and how it’s already reshaping the creative process.A Few Quotes:"The writing process is loaded with moments of absolute joy—and absolute frustration." – Katie Wolf"The fear of being seen keeps us from even doing the behind-the-scenes work of writing." – Nicole"If you want to write a book, you want to write a book. AI can't do that for you." – Katie Wolf"Writing is just telling the truth—over and over again, in different ways." – NicoleWays to Connect with Katie:🔗 Follow Katie on Instagram & TikTok: @katiewolfwrites🎙 Listen to Katie’s podcast, Your Big Creative Life📚 Explore writing tips & coaching from Katie: thekatiewolf.com

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• Trailer: Season 3 (We're getting weirder)

  Hi, welcome to season three of It's All Poetry.My name is Nicole Cloutier, your host and resident word nerd... and for someone who her whole life has been told how quiet and shy she was and thought she would never ever start a podcast, this is a pretty exciting milestone. So as we enter season three, I find myself re-reflecting on what this podcast actually is, why I'm doing it, why we're all here, what we're creating.I did a lot of journaling, and here's what I've got for you: As you might already know, I run a copywriting studio as my "day job," which is something that I've been doing for more than a decade. And for a while in that business, I've been touting this line: words are magic.And when I say that in marketing, I mean "words are magic" in that they can alchemize into money if you know how to use them towards that end. But I also mean it quite literally, like In the makeup, in the erythral thing that words are made of, they are raw magic. And being human is telling stories with those words. Stories about ourselves, stories about the world we live in. We even tell stories about the words that we use. Take money, for example, which is a word we will talk about this season . What stories do you tell yourself about that word? And these words, they all have past lives, if you will.Some of them carry centuries old stories that we don't even consciously know, but we feel them. So one of our main purposes in this podcast to bring us back to our thesis is to look back at the past lives of words so that we can really understand them AND in doing so, lighten some of the power they have over us.I'm sure you'd love to do that with a word like money, right? I know I would. Or productivity, or even scale, for my fellow business owners. And yes, we are going to be talking about all those words this season. So, here we are. And that's what we're doing, and all I can promise you is that you'll learn something fun every episode, especially if you like words, but even if you don't. And you'll meet my amazing guests who are mostly solopreneurs, small business owners, who use the words that we choose every day. And hey, if you ever want to chat with me about words, please send me an email. I'm always open to having discussions or bringing someone on as a guest Please do not hesitate to, to reach out. And with that, welcome to season three of It's All Poetry. I can't wait to share these conversations with you.

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• 28. What "intuition" looks like (with Lauren Levine)

  Have you ever wondered if you even had an intuition? Or if it was buried under years and years of people-pleasing, shoulds, etc? That’s how I felt …. before this conversation. But not after. Lauren Levine—a movement teacher, psychic medium, and someone whose intuition practically glows—opened my eyes to what intuition really is: a skill. In this episode, we unpack what it means to connect with that quiet knowing inside of us, how to tell the difference between intuition and fear, and why your messy, beautiful life experiences might actually be sharpening your ability to hear it. Tune in to learn… Why intuition isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you can grow. What intuition feels like when it’s real. How movement and mindfulness can help you hear your inner voice more clearly. Why your past experiences might be helping, not hindering, your intuition. (This blew my mind). Resources & Links: Lauren’s Website: Explore Lauren Levine’s offerings in movement and psychic mediumship at LaurenLevineMovement.com. Follow Lauren on Instagram: Daily insights and updates at @LaurenLevineMovement. Resources on Intuition: Learn more about the science behind the caudate nucleus and its link to intuitive decision-making.

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