This week on the show, Karen is taking a break from regular programming and presenting you all with a diary-style episode after spending the last week thinking about staying in alignment with your actions, not just in business, but in life. In this episode Karen covers what it means to stay true to your values and creative goals, the importance of avoiding the shoulds, and her top tips for achieving a work-life balance so that you can stay in perfect alignment.    KEY TAKEAWAYS What does it mean to take aligned action? From her experience, Karen discusses what this means to her and how you might be waiting for the right time when it’s now.  One of the best pieces of advice Karen received was to “Stay out of the shoulds.” But what does this mean? How can you do it? And, how can it impact your life? A work-life balance is incredibly important, especially when you work in a creative industry and your job can also be your hobby. Karen talks about how she achieves this balance and how important it is to have one.   Karen has recently lost one of her close friends. As with any bereavement, this has put things into perspective. Karen shares her thoughts on the importance of finding what’s important and living life for the now.   BEST MOMENTS  “Trust your gut, start with where you are and what you’ve got. You can always make changes further down the road.” “You are always going to get more opportunities, so don’t feel bad about the ones you turn down.” “There is no perfect time, the time is now.”   EPISODE LINKS October 5 Day Scent Design Workshop  VALUABLE RESOURCES Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind   ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.  Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.   CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email