Episode #251
The Empty Closet Theory: Why There's Never Room for What Matters | Episode 251: Susan McMurray
Episode 251 Susan McMurray spent 30 years in a classroom pouring into other people. This past summer she made something of her own: Kindred & Bloom, a magazine-style devotional for women with contributor articles in the front and a five-week devotional in the back, built to be an excuse to gather. We talk about the magazine she loved that stopped publishing, how the first issue's theme, Abide, came out of a class at her church, the women she asked to write for it, and Create and Connect, the fifth week where you put the reading down and make something with your hands. Susan names the thing under all of it: she read that over half of Americans feel unseen. Then she asks about the empty closet. If there is an empty closet in the house, we fill it with crud, and our schedules work the same way. The fix is margin, on purpose. And she is honest about starting: it was scary to take on something that was just hers, she got up at one in the morning to work on it, and her best advice is one line. Do not despise small beginnings. Meet Susan in person: she and Michelle Bruns of Pinspiration join Nancy for a live podcast in Tulsa on November 10, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, craft and magazine included. Tickets at nancymoore.co/events. The magazine: kindredandbloom.co (Kindred & Bloom Co. on Instagram and Facebook). Today's sponsor: Synergy Benefit Advisors (tulsasynergy.com). Join our free online community: skool.com/sharingpassionandpurpose Chapters: 0:00 Coming up 0:36 Sharing Passion and Purpose 0:53 Welcome: meet Susan McMurray 1:45 The magazine she loved that stopped publishing 2:56 One step further: a five-week devotional in the back 3:51 Create and Connect: doing something with your hands 5:20 How the theme Abide came to be 7:32 Family, hospitality, and community in every season 8:27 Permission to slow down 9:31 Is it surreal to have published a magazine? 9:47 Finding your drivers: writing, beautifying, connecting 11:07 Volume one: four issues, four seasons 12:46 November 10 in Tulsa: a live podcast for two 14:48 Where to find Kindred and Bloom 15:53 A keepsake worth gifting 16:20 Over half of Americans feel unseen 16:38 The empty closet theory, and making margin 18:08 A word from our sponsor 19:27 Trusting an idea God puts in your heart 21:00 Up at 1am, working on the magazine 22:54 Rapid fire 23:31 A theme song for this season 24:21 Best advice: do not despise small beginnings 25:12 One book every entrepreneur should read 26:38 A dream not pursued yet: Kindred and Bloom retreats 28:09 What following your passion means 28:56 A question from the last guest: which season are you? 29:59 Thank you, and the inner circle 30:43 Until next time 31:10 Sharing Passion and Purpose outro ABOUT NANCY Nancy Moore is the host of Sharing Passion and Purpose, a weekly podcast offering career and creative inspiration to help you build a purpose-filled life. Pursuing a career with passion, tapping into your creative potential, and building on your best resource: yourself. ABOUT SUSAN MCMURRAY Susan McMurray is the founder and publisher of Kindred & Bloom Co., a seasonal magazine-style devotional for women whose first issue, Abide, pairs contributor articles with a five-week devotional made for gathering with a few friends. She has taught communication at Oral Roberts University for 30 years and built the magazine over one summer off from teaching. CONNECT & GO DEEPER Join Nancy's free community: https://www.skool.com/sharingpassionandpurpose Podcast website: https://sharingpassionandpurpose.com Work with Nancy: https://nancymoore.co
