Welcome Julie Wise

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The weather is looking a bit grim this morning, but there is sunshine coming in the guise of Julie Wise. The author of Dream Bigger.






Before we sit down with a cup of British tea and have a chat, here is a little about her.





Julie Wise is a professional life and relationship coach who works with people to take their dreams from wishing into reality. She knows from personal experience the challenge of starting over when your dream has fallen apart. Instead of giving up, she learned how to reinvent herself and discovered that there is always a bigger (and better) dream waiting to happen. In her new book, Dream BIGGER: Reclaiming a Life of Joy and Ease, she offers a fresh, practical and hands-on approach to inspire readers to overcome their challenges and achieve their heartfelt desires.


Hello Julie and thank you for coming today. As writers we all get inspired by different things. Mine is life in general. Can you tell us who/what inspires you to write?


Good Morning Margaret. Thanks for having me. I’ve always been a writer. From the moment I saw my first ABC book as a child, I wanted to “do that too”. My father owned a bookstore, so there were always lots of books in the house and I learned to read at an early age. I soon began to create my own books, printing out stories with a big fat pencil and illustrating them with crayons. I’d glue the pages together and then add a cover where I’d proudly print my name in capital letters. It’s interesting to note that, although writing was my passion, I set it aside as I grew up and pursued more “practical” careers. The writing wouldn’t go away though, and kept showing up as poetry, short stories, a few years as a newspaper editor and a columnist, and finally in a couple of unpublished books.

I think every writer has put their pen to one side at one point or another. At the end of the day, unless we strike lucky, another job has to be taken on to pay the bills. So what’s next on your agenda?

In addition to promoting my current book, I’m continuing to coach clients who want to make their dreams happen. I’m also busy writing again. You see, when the idea for Dream BIGGER came to me, I was in the midst of writing a book about Ireland. Dream BIGGER insisted on being written first, so now that it’s published, I’ve returned to writing the Ireland book. It’s the story of my 3-month journey through Ireland in 2008 to connect with the land, the people and my ancestral heritage. And it’s definitely an example of me dreaming bigger – heading to Ireland at a time when I didn’t have work or income, and choosing to travel alone by foot, bus and train. It’s fun to be back writing and delving into the memories and experiences of fiddle music, wild northern coasts, misty rain and rainbows!


I have family from Northern Ireland. My brother in Law being a very proud Orange man. What part did you visit?

I spent some time exploring the south, but was primarily in Northern Ireland because that’s where my grandmother’s family came from – the seaside town of Bangor east of Belfast. When I left there, I traveled north to the Bushmills area where I’d booked a cottage for a month. Every day, rain or shine, I’d be out walking along the roads, cliffs and beaches, savouring the wind in my face and the joy of living my dream. I’d wanted to go to Ireland since I was a child listening to my father tell stories passed down to him by his mother.

I have met many new writers this year battling their way through the mirage of writers loops, publishing houses and the usual trappings for a new writer. Do you have any advice?

Be patient and trust the process. It takes time (often more than we anticipate!) Write every day. Read often. Write about what excites you, whether it’s in a blog, a journal, emails or newsletter. Read and notice how your favorite authors write. By writing you’ll develop your style, and by reading you’ll learn more about what captures a reader’s attention. Creative writing courses can be helpful. I also belonged to an editing circle for a few years. We’d meet once a month, share ten pages of whatever we were working on at the time, and give each other constructive feedback on our material. Being with other writers occasionally can help keep you motivated, since writing is a solitary profession.

Very solitary! I always advocate a good critique circle. Not only does it help with feedback but like you say, it motivates at well. So where do you hang out nowadays?

I have a book blog. It provides updates about where I am on my book tour and a link to my coaching website. There’s also a link to the Dream BIGGER Reinvention Challenge. It’s a cool online contest in which people can post a video about their dream and win prizes to help make their dream a reality. My current dream is to help 100,000 people dream bigger in the coming year, so I’m hoping people will enter the contest and share their dreams with others.



Can you tell us a bit more about your book and provide a short excerpt.

In my coaching practice (and in my own life), I’ve realized that most of us yearn for “something more”. Dream BIGGER meets that need by offering a hands-on guide to rekindle the dream you have for your life, create an action plan, and make your dream a reality. Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we planned and in those moments, it’s hard to have hope for the future. We just want to give up. I believe that’s when it’s time to dream bigger because the dream we had for ourselves wasn’t big enough. The bigger dream invariably connects us to a larger community and has broader impact than what we would have expected when we started out. In the book I provide real life examples of people who have created new lives and directions for themselves. I also offer simple and effective exercises to motivate and inspire readers get to where they want to be.

The following excerpt was taken from the introduction to Dream BIGGER: Reclaiming a Life of Joy and Ease.
“Did you daydream as a child? Do you remember the magic of imagining you could fly like an eagle, or discover new lands like Christopher Columbus, or find a cure for cancer? Perhaps you pictured yourself standing on stage accepting the Nobel
Peace Prize, hearing the thunder of applause or savoring the majestic silence from the peak of Mount Everest.
If you stop for a moment and remember what that felt like, chances are you’d describe a sensation of freedom, joy, and ease as well as a strong sense of accomplishment and a deep connection to who you truly are.
This is what it feels like to live our dreams. And, yes, we can experience that today, even if we’re all “grown up.” That’s what this book is all about—learning how to rekindle the magic of dreaming, creating a road map for the journey and moving past the obstacles along the way.”


Now to go completely off topic lol If you had the choice to be anyone you like, who would you be?
I would choose to be Oprah Winfrey because she’s a woman who truly knows how to dream bigger! She also encourages others to do the same. The focus of my book is to encourage and inspire everyone to make their dreams a reality, by facing their fears and disappointments, taking steps toward their goals and celebrating every moment along the way. Oprah is the living, breathing embodiment of the philosophy behind my book – that there’s always a bigger dream waiting for us than we could possibly imagine, if only we’re willing to take charge of our lives and personal growth. She does everything within her power to provide access for everyone to the information, resources and inspiration to heal and transform their lives. If I could be her for one day, or even partner with her for a day, we could get our shared message out even further in the world and help more people move toward the life of joy and ease that I believe is our birthright. Imagine the possibilities!


Thank you for joining us today Julie and good luck with your book.