The Power of Following Your Dreams
An Interview with Kelly Lydick, M.A. by Peter Maich
Kelly Lydick, M.A. is an entrepreneur, author, and Gateway Dreaming® coach. These are powerful words that stir the imagination and spurn the idea of possibility. For Kelly these goals became her mantra and sparked the process of taking her from avid dreamer to successful businesswoman. We are going to look at this journey and see what gave Kelly her edge in bringing her dreams into reality.
In Kelly’s words, “I have always been a dreamer, book lover, and lifelong learner. The joy of taking this rich inner world into a more practical outer existence has always fascinated me. Dreams are a world of infinite possibility and remind us of the creative potential in the waking life.”
Experiencing some challenging autoimmune issues propelled Kelly into a deeper look at her purpose and direction. During this time she completed training and certification to become a Gateway Dreaming® coach. The lessons she learned throughout the process are now used to coach people using their dreams as a tool for positive change and empowerment in their own lives.
Kelly captures her process as a naturally evolving one: “When I became a Gateway Dreaming Coach®, I already has a background in book publishing as an editor in trade publishing. I had been working and living in the San Francisco bay area and decided to return to Phoenix where my family was living to be close to them. After two company-wide layoffs, I decided to make a go for publishing consulting on my own, alongside my Gateway Dreaming® coaching work. So, I launched The Story Laboratory, a full-service publishing consulting firm that offers concept to distribution guidance and services. That worked so well and the feedback from clients was so great, that I often wondered, why don’t I just publish the books, too? I was offering everything available in editorial and production, and the distribution set-up, but I wasn’t their publisher. After several successful years with The Story Laboratory, I decided to launch Pure Carbon Publishing, a concept I initially developed during college, but didn’t make public until early 2022.”
Kelly’s health challenges also led her to believe she would never have children, but she now has a 5-year-old son. “Children are the greatest teachers any adult could have,” Kelly says. “They meet the world with awe and wonder every moment. They remind us what is means to be fully present—something we easily forget in adulthood.”
At this time, there are three businesses in Kelly’s world: Waking the Dream, The Story Laboratory, and Pure Carbon Publishing. They cover the needs of any creative person searching for both professional and personal development who wants to take that first step into the exciting world of personal growth and empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Kelly adds, “Being an entrepreneur is challenging, and being a parent is also challenging. It’s sometimes hard to balance the two, but for me it helps me stay focused on my ultimate purpose, which is to provide a good life for my son. He’s the driving factor behind my choices to create a life and career that is in alignment with who I am as a person. If I can show him that growth and success can happen despite any challenges, then I can lead by example to show him that he can do the same as he grows. My biggest reminder to him is to always stay true to himself and his heart—regardless of what anyone else thinks.”
Kelly often coaches other moms to help them balance work–mom life and guides her clients to their path of empowerment and purpose.
If you had 2 hours to indulge in whatever you wish, how would you spend that time?
“Snorkeling in the Caribbean or swimming in the Mediterranean, followed by an hour on the sand with a really good book.”
Peter Maich is a lifelong lucid dreamer, ex-commercial fisherman, father of four and currently living in a small town on the West Coast of New Zealand where he runs a private training school for the New Zealand fishing industry. His life is a mix of a rich inner world know to dreamers combined with the drive of an entrepreneur in the logical outer world where he is involved in business and many personal projects. His driving statement is: “Get out of your comfort zone and embrace the future.” His articles have been featured in The New Yorker and Australian Men’s Health.
