Passion into Action and Shawn Tuttle

“My work through Project Simplify has been fueled by the desire to help people fan their own flames, to remember that they, and only they, are the heroines of their lives.” Shawn Tuttle

Shawn Tuttle is a simplifier. As the founder of Project Simplify she helps people live and work in the flow rather than the clutter. Shawn enables her clients to take control of their experience and live organized and authentic lives. With email overload, social media, the demand for multi-tasking and gadgets galore, Shawn’s timing couldn’t be better.

In addition to following her passion as a Natural Professional and a simplification coach Shawn is an accomplished speaker and writer. We are thrilled that Shawn is leading the workshop, Live in the Flow in the Taking Care of You track at the Passion into Action Conference.

Shawn shares the source of her spark and the true meaning behind passion.

1. How are you putting your passion into action?

My passion is helping people live and work in the flow of their authentic selves (I call this being a Natural Professional). For the last several years, this has meant helping women organize the information that is making them feel ineffective, disorganized, and out-of-control. Expanding on this, the theme this year is the Natural Professional, and I’m on fire with it! I just launched a year-long participatory book project, and will be introducing a six-week online program in the spring.

2. What do you love most about the work you are doing?

Empowering women to take control of their experience. Ironically, while we’ve become socially engrained to separate ourselves from our work, this is exactly the realm of our life where we can develop habits that transform our lives! Rather than settle for being tossed on choppy waves out at sea, we can learn to navigate back to peaceful waters. Whether one on one, writing or speaking, supporting women on this journey is incredibly satisfying.

3. What were the motivating factors that inspired you to get involved and share your passion?

Passion is so interesting–consider it’s Latin origin: to suffer. We each experience hardship in life. Once we’ve made it through a tough situation we realize that by sharing our experience, we might help make someone else’s journey a little bit easier. 

In my case, I got involved in a debilitating situation in which I completely lost touch with my Self–long story. Suffice here to say that once I got out of the situation, I felt like I was about as tall as an acorn. Actually, a pea. And yet, there remained the tiniest flicker of a spark that refused to be extinguished. 

The next several years were dedicated to nourishing that spark into a roaring blaze. My work through Project Simplify has been fueled by the desire to help people fan their own flames, to remember that they, and only they, are the heroines of their lives.

4. Who were the some female role models or mentors that inspired your work and passion?

The inspiring women in my life were, and continue to be, all who have the clarity and courage to sing their song. Looking back, in high school I read Jane Austen’s books. Besides loving her writing, her choice not to marry despite the prevailing norms and legal status of women at the time made a huge impression on me. 

The fact that women of that day (who didn’t have the family support that Jane had) would join a convent instead of marrying in order to pursue their literary interests opened a door in my mind–one that led to an entirely different world where heart-based passion could prevail against confining societal standards.

5. Why is the work you are doing so important for everyday women?

Quite simply, if we don’t learn how to navigate our own daily life, we will be pulled in a million directions. While they may seem minor, effectively dealing with email, handling interruptions, and getting clear on priorities is the way to make space for what’s important to us.

I encourage women to allow the possibility that it can be done differently. That their intuition isn’t just an inner sense that pops up every once in a while, it’s an essential ingredient for creating the world we’ve dreamed possible.

These hint at the values of the Natural Professional, values we don’t get from the mainstream workforce… yet.

6. Why is it so important for women to participate in an event like the Passion into Action Conference?

Making dreams come true in this world can be really tough! What better way to support and be supported, celebrate our journey, and remember that we are working towards common dreams than to get together with this same intention? Big kudos to See Jane Do for planting the seed and holding the space for this event. The energies of every single participant, from attendees to speakers to organizers, will nourish this vision to bloom.

7. What are you hoping will be the biggest take-away for women at the Passion into Action Conference?

My desire is for women to give themselves permission to sing their song a little bit (or a lot!) louder. Whether an idea is sparked, a relationship developed, or determination solidified, may each and every woman gather what she needs to take the next step on her journey.

8. What is your message to women around the world?

Give yourself permission to follow your dreams!! Big steps, small steps, hops, crawls, and jumps – all are good, just keep moving. The world will be richer for it. No need to wait until it’s perfect. Now is the right time. Dream. Do. Be.

The See Jane Do Passion into Action Conference takes place on Sat. January 23rd, 2010 at the Holiday Inn in Grass Valley, CA. The event includes keynote speakers, Nina Simons, Gloria Feldt, and Linda Tarr-Whelan plus over fifteen workshop leaders.