IGNITE
“Majo holds up a big, clear mirror to help you see your blind spots and activate your power.” ~ Sophia Amoruso, founder of NastyGal & Girlbos
What is an idea, dream, gift, or creative project you want to leave behind before you die? Is it a book, a service, or a magical space you want to create for others?
Whether this idea is crystal clear or fuzzy around the edges, the truth is too many of us dangerously delay our creative dreams (and true potential) out of fear, good girl conditioning, resistance, waiting for a lightening bolt of “clarity,” and straight-up overwhelm. The result?
We go on with life and feel empty inside
We suspect that we may end up on our deathbed looking back in regret
We burn thousands of waking hours doing work that is meaningless to us deep down
We’re caught in cycles of envy and comparison as we see others expressing their gifts freely
We don’t leave any true creative, female legacy behind
Other people never get to experience the gifts only we (yes, only we) can give
The world misses out on another woman’s voice and we hear from the same old people and voices again and again (how we ended up in the mess, am I right?)
Enough is enough, heroine.
Imagine instead you are living your creative purpose today, no matter what your resistance is telling you. Imagine you are excited AF to wake up in the morning, pouring time, energy, and focus into your creative purpose (instead of someone else’s), finally listening and acting on that quiet dream of yours you’ve been neglecting for weeks, months, and years. Imagine you have way more creative confidence in your ability to make a meaningful difference in the world. Imagine you are leaving a creative, female legacy behind that fuckin’ matters.
I’m talking big stuff.
I’m Majo – author, designer, podcaster, and women’s leadership expert. I’ve dedicated my life and work to helping women share their voices and gifts. I was born to do it. I have a Masters in learning, design, and technology from Stanford University where I trained in design thinking, as well as behavior and life design. I have started my own six-figure women’s leadership business, written a book with a top publisher (HarperCollins), and had the opportunity to interview top creative, female leaders (on my podcast HEROINE) who are leaving major legacy behind – Eileen Fisher, Esther Perel, Sophia Amoruso, Monica Padman, Luvvie Ajayi, Gretchen Rubin, and the list goes on.
“Majo will change your thinking and your life.” ~ Martha Beck, NYT best-selling author and life coach
When I started this journey, I promised that I would tell women the hard, cold truth, no matter how uncomfortable it sounds. That's because I'm in a much bigger game for you – to change your life by you committing to a creative dream you have been delaying for weeks, months, or years.
“Majo’s will help fortify your creative confidence so you can discover and share your gifts with the world!” ~ Jessica Hische, NYT best-selling author
IGNITE is a transformational women’s leadership program that supports women in defining, testing, and ultimately sharing their creative ideas and gifts with the world while working full-time.
What a relief! You do not have to quit your job, make a huge career pivot, or take on a bunch of financial risk to express your creative dreams. You don’t need to commit to business school or an expensive Masters in Fine Arts. In fact, paying thousands of dollars for those programs without clarity is detrimental and a complete waste of money.
What you do need is to learn a process for bringing a idea into form in a way that builds creative confidence and gets results. IGNITE blends the deep inner work of looking at our resistance (fears, creativity scars, good girl conditioning, etc.) and the outer work of design and taking action in order to express our creative purpose. The outer work involves strategic, smart, and action-oriented prototyping that borrows the best from behavior design and design thinking. The inner work involves looking at our resistance as well as mind-body practices such as meditation, embodiment, and rituals that connect us with nature and our deeper capacity to manifest.
IGNITE is unique because (1) it is a blend of practical strategy and internal work and (2) it offers a clear, proven method to help you to go from A to B (see below!)
Stage 1: Shape
In this stage, we begin to define and shape your idea. We bring the ideas out of your head and onto paper. Even if you have a million ideas, we begin to prioritize the most aligned idea given your greater intention. We work with and manage our resistance by beginning outreach to others in order to more deeply understand the problem you hope to solve and the needs you hope to a fill with your unique creativity.
Outcomes:
Your Creative Purpose Project (CPP) 1-Pager and Moodboard
Your Protagonist Archetype, Problem Statement, and Journey Map
Stage 2: Refine
In this stage, you create three prototypes of your creative dream and test them with your protagonists (e.g., readers, listeners, members, clients, etc). We continue to work with your fears and resistance as you really begin to see what works and doesn’t. You’ll learn how to ask for help and feedback, as well as how to filter feedback appropriately to build a healthy layer of skin and refine your idea with integrity. Read carefully: by the end of this stage, you have run three prototypes of your creative dream–! You will have done way more than you have achieved in years.
Outcomes:
Your CPP Prototyping Plan, which includes a timeline, launch date, and three increasingly challenging prototypes that encapsulate your creative purpose.
Plans & Analyses for Prototypes 1 - 3
Stage 3: Express
In this final stage, you come out with your creative purpose in a way that really pushes up against your vulnerability edge. You take a leap from your prototypes and do a celebratory “demo” in front of your protagonists, experts, friends, colleagues, and/or family. This is when we really get to work through our resistance and fear, and realize we are capable of so much. These insights culminate into a 12-month Plan you can carry forward beyond IGNITE.
OutcomeS:
Prototype Synthesis
Final Demo Experience Plan & Script
Blog Post Summary
12-month Creative Purpose Plan
“I am now creating the event I had dreamt up for years.” ~ Randi Eichenbaum, VP of Product at Tradesy
The 8-week journey
Prep Week: Setting Up for Success
Week 1: Define Your Creative Dream
Week 2: Define The Need
Week 3: Design Prototyping Plan
Week 4: Run Prototype 1
Week 5: Run Prototype 2
Week 6: Run Prototype 3
Week 7: Prototype Synthesis
Week 8: Celebratory Demo
“IGNITE is the best program I've ever taken. And I’ve taken a lot of online programs.” ~ Meg Niman, Design Strategist and Leadership Consultant
Features
Weekly group coaching call
A one-of-a-kind curriculum & training with weekly assignments
Access to a community of like-minded mentors
Communication and mentorship between sessions
IGNITE provides training, mentorship, and accountability so you can start living and sharing your creative purpose now (not “tomorrow” or “some day”)
Testimonials
I gave myself permission to invest in making something, not for the sake of putting it on my LinkedIn, but for the sake of realizing a vision I wanted to see in the world.
I had many doubts before enrolling in IGNITE. Mainly, “Should I be spending this much?” I never spent that much on personal development before. My company had always paid for coaching! I also wondered, “Is this where I should focus my time and energy for the next couple months?” It’s not related to climbing my career ladder and I had always done things to gain that credential. But I felt a calling to help people find connection and romance. The idea wouldn’t leave me alone, and I knew deep down, it was something that needed expression, so I said yes even though I was in the middle of job-interviewing. All I can say is that IGNITE was worth the investment. I was worth the investment. I gave myself permission to invest in making something, not for the sake of putting it on my LinkedIn, or having it be a tech career accolade, but for the sake of realizing a vision I wanted to see in the world. Through IGNITE, I ran three successful prototypes, culminating in a final experience that reflected my authentic vision (one person even said it was the best experience they had ever attended in NYC!). I ignited a service I am continuing, and am even partnering with a dating app to bring it to the next level. I gained courage around my voice, and built a habit of talking about my idea in public. And bonus I didn’t expect: IGNITE helped me become a more creatively confident leader at my full-time job too. I am better at processing feedback, and am taking more risks because I just know I’ll figure it out. I know it can feel scary to take the plunge (trust me, I’ve been there–!), but I have absolutely no regrets.
Mindy Zhang, Director of Product Management at Oscar, theslowdate.com
I am now creating the event I had dreamt up for years.
I was initially hesitant about committing to IGNITE because of the time commitment. As a product leader at a tech startup, there were already not enough hours in the day, but the longing to launch a women’s leadership event was building inside of me, and I thought if not now, when? I had worked with Majo one-on-one in her coaching practice, and trusted her as I was embarking on this process, but could not have ever imagined the level of excellence in which she executed this program. The flow, curriculum, and rhythm were perfect, and she managed to fulfill a role of both empowering leader to push us to our edge, while maintaining warmth, kindness, and well, fun. I’m forever grateful for this experience and know it’s just the beginning of a journey.I am now creating the event I had dreamt up for years with female leaders from around the country coming to attend. It’s a really cool and exciting feeling!
Randi Eichenbaum, VP of Product Management at Tradesy
I reached out before I was ready and got a literary agent.
I joined IGNITE because I had a flicker of an idea to write and illustrate a graphic novel memoir for kids. But I found that working a full-time job while trying to fulfill your creative purpose is ridiculously challenging. I tried to make time for the novel on my own, but work always won out at the end of the day. Then I heard about IGNITE, but to be honest, I had never done an online group coaching program so the investment felt like a real stretch. Putting that deposit down and saying yes to myself was the first step in truly committing to this little dream (no more excuses!). Thanks to IGNITE, I reached out to literary agents for feedback before I felt anywhere close to "ready," and actually landed an agent I’m so excited about! And trust me, I felt BIG time resistance before sending out those outreach emails. Who am I to bother these awesome people, what should even I ask them, will this seem offbase and tactless? The program provided the coaching and accountability to take that crucial step I wouldn’t have done on my own. It also provided me with a deeper understanding of my own resistance, fears, and how some of my good girl conditioning was holding me back from sharing my truth and story. As part of my final prototype, I ended up sharing drafts of my work with friends and family and coming out to them about family secrets I had never shared. It took a lot of bravery and I wouldn’t have done it without the support and encouragement of other women in IGNITE. I feel proud and happy to have pushed myself to play at that edge because I've now seen that work pay off. If you want to learn ways to overcome resistance and have real accountability around your creative purpose, take IGNITE.
Cindy Chang, digital product designer and author-illustrator
This is the best program I've ever taken. And I’ve taken a lot of online programs.
Listen, I've taken multiple online courses, but none have come close to the level of engagement, support, learning, and personal growth I experienced in IGNITE. When I started, I wasn't even sure what my creative idea really was or whether I was ready to fully dive into a new project. It all felt somewhat overwhelming and big. Majo encouraged me to jump in anyway. The promise of a structured program, combined with the accountability of the group, seemed different from any previous coaching I had done. I believed I could get more results with that level of support and attention. And I was right! I led multiple workshops which were a huge success and garnered praise from my client, all while spending less time preparing and stressing less than I normally would. By taking action, and observing my emotions and resistance around that action, I was able to articulate clearly where I get hung up. I learned how to move through those hang ups so I actually put my ideas and creativity out into the world. My creative confidence seriously grew in leaps and bounds. Majo does a superb job of creating a container for women to play and grow. The growth we all achieved was astounding.
Meg Niman, Design Strategy and Leadership Consultant
I went from zero to coaching 4 women and launched my new event series.
I was initially worried if I had enough time and energy to put toward this program. It's intense, and designed that way for a reason! As someone who works around the clock, I couldn’t imagine dedicating a few hours a week to something outside of my full-time job. But then I realized I needed to prioritize it. What could be more important than your creative purpose? In fact, I ended up asking my company to sponsor me to take IGNITE as a way to jumpstart my creative juices and hit "reset" since I had been feeling overwhelmed and burned out.
And thanks to IGNITE, I stirred up those creative juices and went from zero to coaching 4 women and launching a new event series. If I hadn’t said yes to this opportunity, I would still just be talking about and daydreaming of my idea instead of making it happen. IGNITE works because it strikes the perfect balance between holding space and pushing you to live on your creative edge. Majo provides a much-needed environment for women to share, grow, learn and be seen. Whether you're starting a new business, designing a product, making art, hosting an event or working on a new creative purpose project, IGNITE will give you a community of support and the accountability to turn your creative dream into reality.
Breean Elyse Miller, Founder & Identity Resonance Healer, http://museandmethod.com
IGNITE is truly one of the best decisions I've made in my life.
I felt little nervous joining because I was taking a big leap and investing in myself, more than I ever had before. In the beginning, it's always a bit scary and a leap of faith. But I have no doubt in my heart and mind that making the decision to do IGNITE is truly one of the best decisions I've made in my life. I honored myself by deciding to invest in my creative dreams. And I’m so proud of what I was able to achieve in just a few weeks with the structure and accountability it provided. Before the program, I had a vague little seed of an idea in my mind. By the time IGNITE ended, I had defined this idea into a clear vision, engaged other women around this idea, and created a proof of concept that solidified this idea and has given me the foundation to take this to the next level.
I one-hundred-percent recommend IGNITE!! It provides so many things... accountability, structure, discipline, action, sisterhood... these things are all so vitally important in the journey to achieving creative dreams. It isn’t just about taking creative action, it’s about taking heart action.
I'm walking away from IGNITE not only with a fresh fire within me to keep pushing toward my dream, but also with a beautiful new community of women who are hungry for the same things.
Heather Baker, creative entrepreneur, coach, and podcaster
FAQ
Who is IGNITE for? Is IGNITE for me?
IGNITE is designed for: A female, creative professional; a leader such as a manager, lead, director, or executive; a woman between the ages of 25 - 60; a woman who wants to make a difference; a woman who longs to creatively express; and/or a woman dreams of becoming her own boss one day.
IGNITE is not designed for: a college or graduate student; a job-seeker who is currently unemployed (stay-at-home moms are welcome though!); someone who thinks spirituality is too “woo woo;” and/or someone who isn’t willing to put in the work.
What if I want to start a business?
I wish I had this when I was starting out! IGNITE will teach you a human-centered design method for testing your offerings and services with the support of my mentorship and an incredible community of other badass women. It’s a safe space for you to experiment and test early ideas of your product and service. IGNITE will help you better understand the first phase of business – desirability – do people want what you’re creating and how do they want it? IGNITE is the perfect precursor and preparation for more formal business training (in which you look to whether your product/service is financially feasible/viable). I have some wonderful business programs I partner with that I can refer you to after IGNITE.
What if I already have a business?
Entrepreneurs and coaches are welcome! IGNITE can help you in two very distinct ways depending on how you want to use the program: (1) you have a new offering, service, or product you’d like to prototype and (2) you’re ready to start giving a true creative dream some air-time – that dream that can enhance your brand/voice/money, but doesn’t make you money. I’m talking about that book, that album, that exhibition of abstract paintings, that jewelry, etc. The juice of life! The expression of you!
What if I have no idea what my creative dream is or I have multiple ideas/directions I could go in?
That’s OK! Because we gain clarity from making and not waiting. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a crystal clear direction in mind. What matters is your willingness to take action and learn, in order to illuminate, shape, and refine your creative dream in real-time. It starts with action. All creative dreams are fuzzy in the beginning. And most of them change in the process of making them a reality anyway, so there is no point in being precious about them. Plus I guarantee that even though you don't know the exact picture, you have been getting some whispers from your intuition about what this is about – some key areas and domains, and we'll use those as our pillars.
I’m terrified to commit to my dreams. Can they really happen sooner than I think?
They absolutely can! The mind loves to delay and convince you you’re “not ready yet,” but it’s a mental trap that is at the core of your resistance. It’s normal to feel afraid. So many women feel simultaneously excited and terrified when they say YES to IGNITE. This excited-terrified feeling is a good sign you’re on the right track. It means you are one step closer to expressing your creative potential. This feeling is more akin to “awe” and it’s a way that our intuition speaks to us from the depth of our psyches. But so many of us avoid this feeling which is why we continue to be in our golden handcuffs and stay in our comfort zones. The beauty of the proven, design-centered method you’ll learn in IGNITE is that you can make your dreams a reality in a fraction of the time than you think as you learn to let go of the impossibly high standards and perfection that is stalling you. As one IGNITEr Kat McKim shared, “I’ve made more progress in this one week than an entire year struggling with this on my own.”
I’m exhausted and burnt out from my 9-5, can I really take this on?
This is something only you can answer. If it’s important for you to take a rest and sabbatical, please do so. IGNITE is a sort of design sprint specifically designed for you to go from a passive/stagnant/avoidant state to an active/activated state/present state, and it requires energy in the form of serious focus and attention. It’s not for everyone. Having said that, I can work with you to put the work/personal boundaries in place so you can shift your energy towards your creative dreams and bring them into physical form.
I have so many competing priorities – between work, family, and other goals. When will I find time for this?
It’s important that designing your creative purpose becomes your #1 priority which means putting the appropriate work boundaries in place so that you can free up your evenings and weekends, and also setting expectations with friends and family that you are embarking on this journey to commit to yourself and your creative dream. This is part of you owning your sovereignty and voice and it’s an empowering, exciting step in the process towards transformation.
What is the time commitment?
4-5 hours a week.
Do you offer scholarships?
Yes! IGNITE offers scholarships to BIPOC. Please specify your identity in the application.
How do you keep the group accountable?
I’m a strict mama bird when it comes to IGNITE because I want you to get results. If you don’t do the work or show up, you get a warning. If you don’t a second time, you’re asked to leave the program. This strictness may be off-putting, but I’ve actually found it’s what women are craving – a kind of external accountability that will hold them when their motivation and willpower wavers. IT WORKS. This simple guideline, coupled with the time and financial investment, WILL HAVE YOU SHOWING UP TO YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS.
One last thing, heroine…
Even if you have tried to take action around your creative dream and failed in the past, you can make it happen for yourself this time. I know you can. Please listen: Even if you know you're not tapping into your fullest potential right now, go easy on yourself. You're not a failure. The one characteristic I've seen in the most successful women: persistence. They did not quit on their quiet, creative dream, even when nobody else cared.
I'm not in the game of a little "leadership coaching" and boosting confidence here and there as Band-Aid solutions, I'm in a much bigger game for you – to change your life by YOU committing to a creative dream you have been delaying for weeks, months, or years.
We, as women, cannot delay any longer. You cannot delay any longer. Every second you delay, a piece of you recoils and gets smaller. It loses light. And the world misses out on another woman's voice.
We want that light to shine out.
We want to hear that voice of yours.
I give you the choice.
What will you do now?
Your next step is way easier than you think – take less than 5 minutes to tell me about you by applying below.