Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Hillenbrand.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Heather. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After experiencing several “awakenings” through spiritual work and self-growth workshops, I began my journey knowing I was going to write a book for parents. This book was to help parents understand how to talk with their children about sex. I began writing. It was pouring out of me. A rehashing of sexuality learned the wrong way from a variety of people as well as my own stories. About halfway through the book, it stopped. There was nothing left to say or at least, that’s what I thought. I couldn’t write so I decided to give myself a break. I told myself, the other half of the book would come to me. I waited, enjoying life as a newlywed for a few months.
Then, one day, I was driving when an NPR interview I was barely listening to said the words ‘magic’ and ‘girl.’ I didn’t know the context of the conversation but everything I had been working toward clicked. Suddenly, I was inspired! Visual images and poetry for a whole different book came to me almost instantaneously. I had to pull over so I could record the poem on my phone. A voice memo that, over the course of the next year would turn into “A Girl’s Magic.”
I began doodling the images with oil pastels. Writing and painting became intertwined. It was completely different from my original book but something inside me said this was the one to create. So I did. I wrote and painted and inspired and created. As I grew into my work, something in my one-year-old marriage cracked. It seemed the more I created, the less my husband and I connected. The project helped me to grow and change. My book was a beginning for me and an end to my relationship. My husband and I went through a divorce at the exact time I was creating and self-publishing.
Most people would have stopped their projects to go through a divorce. But that same voice inside that told me to focus on this book also told me to hang onto my personal dreams. It said one end could be another beginning. Through the heartbreak and devastation of two lives separating, my book was born. The end of my marriage became fuel for the success of my book. After “A Girl’s Magic” was published and began distribution in February 2019, I began developing workshops and offered private sessions. I now work with parents and children together or individually to begin that tough conversation about sex, puberty, and sexuality.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a very bumpy road. A rollercoaster through hell and back. Going through a divorce, not knowing where I was going to live after leaving my husband’s house, and starting a deep job search made the creation of my book and workshops challenging to say the least. I was also working on a dime budget; counting every penny and saving to make sure I covered all of the costs. But I would say these things were the fuel for the fire. The fuel which made the journey richer and also makes me who I am right now.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The business I am creating right now is called Soul Fire Productions. This includes private coaching, speaking, and workshops. I am most known for my book, A Girl’s Magic. The book aids parents in the conversation about sex, puberty, and sexuality with daughters ages 5 – 12. It is one part of a series of books to help parents offer well-rounded sex education in the home.
I am a sex coach, sex educator, and speaker. I work with parents one on one but also offer workshops that give key tools to help create open communication with children about sex.
I think my proudest endeavor at this time is the Ted-style presentation I gave on the importance of sex education for children. I spoke in front of 400+ people and had an amazing response. Click here to view the talk…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgGS33wVPq8&t=21s
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Phoenix is a growing population that has a variety of offerings. The thing is, you have to look for what you want. Phoenix isn’t like New York or L.A. where everything is in your face. If you’re going to start a business in Phoenix, you have to be active in the right channels to get your feet on the ground. Create opportunities, network, and be available when the right person crosses your path.
Pricing:
- A Girl’s Magic (hardback) – $20.00 plus shipping
- A Girl’s Magic (paperback) – $13.95 plus shipping
- Brave Conversations (workshop) – $57.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.agirlsmagic.com
- Email: heather@twoowlsartsandwisdom.com
- Instagram: Heather Raven
- Facebook: Heather Raven, TwoOwlsArtsandWisdom (page)
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