Pleasure, Play and My Obsession With Kombucha

We’re kicking off our year of “Openhearted Connection” with the very first Tribe Interview! And it only seemed fitting that Molly pave the way…

You can look forward to a new Q+A every Thursday — real stories, real lives, real women. Diverse in background, dreams and definitions of success, yet radically similar in their dedication to practicing joy day in and day out.

Enjoy!

Tribe Sister! Who are you? What’s your story?

I’m Molly Mahar. I live in Pismo Beach, CA (via Seattle via Montana) with my husband Ken and two littles, Max and Juliet. I’m an entrepreneur, mama, adventurer and gatherer of awesome women.

Superpowers: Telling the truth kindly, drinking copious amounts of bubbly and taking my dreams seriously.

And you might know me as the Founder of Stratejoy…

Let’s do some one word answers. Ready, set, go!

Morning Drink? Coffee with coconut milk.
Indulgence? Monthly massages.
Lusting after? Sequined booties.
Spirit Animal? Puma
Head Space? Busy.
Heart Space? Nourished.
Bloom of Choice? Dahlias.
Turn-on? Smart Conversation.
Go-to Gemstone? Turquoise.
Celebrity Icon? Brené Brown.
Favorite compliment? Badass.

What does practicing joy mean to you?

For me, it means remembering that joy is a choice and it’s one I get to make day-to-day, hour-to-hour. I don’t always choose it, but I can. It’s there, regardless of the situation. Joy is a way of living my life, not a reaction to external events. I use this framework — joy is being me + being present + being grateful — to keep my heart and actions aligned.

What’s your definition of success?

This one is simple for me. Living in alignment with my personal mission to “celebrate my life authentically and inspire others to do the same” and practicing my values of love, freedom, joy, simplicity, devotion, union, authenticity and depth.

Wondering what that might look like on the outside? I’d say nurturing a healthy, loving family who adventures together. Raising curious, kind, spirited tiny humans. Having an intimate connection with my husband, in and out of the bedroom. Creating a thriving 7-figure business that positively changes lives, supports a rockstar team and works with my life, not against it. Spending a good deal of unplugged time in nature, whether that’s the ocean or mountains. Having the freedom to travel and explore the world. Dinner parties and girlfriend gatherings and great live music. Creative expression and freely giving my gifts and leaving a legacy of joy.

Name 3 things from your Life List that light you up.

I think my list is due for an update, but I’m still totally in love with —

#16. Design my own cowboy boots
#30. Take my mom and sister to a spa/yoga/surf camp for a week
#58. Spend a summer road tripping and creating art with my family

What do you do when life gets messy?

Go outside. Cry. Snuggle my tiny humans. Whine on Facebook if I need some community lovin’. Take a bath with a glass of Syrah, candles, and my Spotify meditation playlist. Feel my feelings. Cry to my husband. Journal. Go to bed, knowing life always feels better in the morning.

And then in the morning I remind myself that I am capable. So very, very capable. And then, depending on what kind of messy I’m rolling around in — I’ll do a mega brain dump, just have the hard conversation, make the apology, take things off my plate even if that means disappointing someone, or call a mental health day and hit the foot massage parlor or the beach with a stack of magazines.

What’s your flavor of sexy?

I feel sexy in intense conversation in a dark corner of a moody bar with a dirty Sapphire martini in front of me.  I feel sexy swimming naked in the moonlight. I feel sexy in jeans, pumped up lashes, men’s cologne and lots of turquoise jewelry, making clever comments and talking to strangers. I feel sexy doing the unexpected thing — climbing the mountain in my skirt to make wishes on the brightest star or saying the thing everyone is thinking with a glint in my eye while stealing a sip of scotch.

I love being nibbled on the neck from behind, crowsfeet, men who can sing and overflowing passion for one’s own life.

Biggest life lesson you’ve learned lately?

I feel like I keep relearning this one, but I’m really trying to integrate the fact that I can do anything I want — I just can’t do it all at the same time.

Picking the guiding word “pleasure” this year is one way of reminding myself to unhook from the productivity = self worth cycle. I love getting shit done in my life and in my business (hello activator strength!) but I don’t want to be a woman who makes things happen at the expense of play and pleasure and silence and spaciousness.

Really learning this lesson means I have to stop being scared of true delegation, prioritize my time and energy based on how I feel, and stop trying to “earn” my beautiful life.

3 songs, 3 books, 3 Instagram accounts?
At this exact moment in time, I’m digging…

Songs
Alive Tonight by Grace Potter
Paint a Picture by Tony Lucca
Walking in the Sun by PANG!

Books
Women’s Anatomy of Arousal by Sheri Winston
The Endless Practice by Mark Nepo
My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

Instagram
Eva Kolenko
Pixie Lighthorse
Sunset Magazine 

What’s your personal version of hell and heaven?

Hell. I can only eat imitation crab and drink Orange Tang. Grasshoppers are continually jumping on my legs. My only company is a corporate asshole who can’t stop bragging about his toys and the Real Housewives of Wherever. People litter. A TV playing nothing important is blasting. I am forced to drive in traffic in the dark and rain. The wine fridge is locked. My runny-nosed tiny humans won’t stop tantruming over absolutely nothing. When I try to sleep, I can hear the ticking of watches and my pillow is scratchy and without a cool side.

Heaven. My groceries magically appear in the fridge. I can lucid dream. Everyone I’ve ever loved, admired, or respected lives in our neighborhood of darling houses with the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. We spend a lot of time dancing and cooking and climbing peaks and laughing. The international airport is close with free shuttles to my house. There is always fresh flowers, the smell of coffee roasting, and plenty of perfect-fitting denim. Drinking wine is equally as good for you as drinking water. We film documentaries on the awesomeness of heaven and slam poetry and lovingly care for everyone’s children.

Find Molly Online.  Website | Instagram | Facebook