July 08, 2022Bazaar Babes

LOOKING FOR LADYBIRD

Welcome to the technicolour world of Edwina. She's a vintage lover and collector, living on the sunny Gold Coast in her beachside rainbow abode. Inspiring the youth as a mentor and role model, with a passion for brightening the world through helping others create healthy habits and positive routines with her mental health platform - Looking for Ladybird. Eddie is sunshine in human form with a smile that's contagious. We get to know the woman that's shining a light on mental health in her own unique rainbow style.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF - WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU'RE FROM AND WHAT SETS YOUR SOUL ON FIRE?

Hey! I’m Eddie!

I'm originally from BrisVEGAS. I finished High School in Sydney and lived in New York for a short period. My partner… now fiancé (eep) is from California so I have a bit of a funny accent sometimes. We both talk A LOT and my voice is very vulnerable so people get confused as to where I am from.

Surfing sets my soul on fire! I only became obsessed with it in the last 3 years but I am the biggest frother I know! I love that it’s a mix of meditation, mindfulness, fear, fun and exercise. It certainly keeps me on my toes. Vintage fashion has always been my outlet. I bought my first vintage piece when I was 12 and ever since I've been collecting artwork in the form of clothes! I love looking through all the pieces and translating the beautiful stories they express.

WHAT’S YOUR STAR SIGN?

I'm a Gemini. I'm a classic Gemini as well. I have two sides however, only a handful of (lucky) people get to see the other side haha! I come across as quite extroverted and loud at times however, I prefer my own time and space because I love pottering and hanging out with ME! I am definitely my own best friend!

YOU’RE A TEACHER, HOLISTIC LIFE COACH AND YOUTH MENTOR. TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLATFORM - LOOKING FOR LADYBIRD!

Looking for Ladybird is a whole mix of things! Above all, it's there to inspire and bring joy to others. I do this through self-care tips, relatable rituals and routines, life-coaching, youth mentoring, as well as workshops in schools and in the local community. I love sharing my style on there as that has always been a huge part of my authenticity and self-confidence for me. Halfway through Term 2, I took over a Year 6 class which is great because I can really help set them up before they go off to the battlefield of High School. This is great because I have set Looking for Ladybird up in a way that I can balance both. As long as I am helping young people, I am happy!

LOOKING FOR LADYBIRD INITIALLY STARTED OUT AS A BLOG. TELL US HOW YOUR PLATFORM HAS EVOLVED?

When I was having a rough time with my own mental health as a teenager, I felt there wasn’t a platform or blog out there that was relatable or connected with me. This was before the self-care/mental health boom and the platforms that existed made you feel guilty for being imperfect rather than human. I started trialling different routines and rituals and realised very quickly that I was responsible for my own mental health. I shared these as a blog and was very honest about the ups and downs that I went through. I was one of the only people in my network of friends talking about these kinds of things, even though plenty of my acquaintances were dealing with the same issues.

In 2021, I decided to step away from the classroom and build Looking for Ladybird into a program. I studied to be a Youth Mentor through Shine from Within (an amazing program) and Holistic Life Coach through Mind Body Food Institute. I connected with so many like-minded individuals that wanted to make a difference in the mental health of our youth. It's a great field of work to get into because everyone is fighting for the same cause so it isn’t competitive even though it’s business.

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE AND LEARN AT YOUR WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMS?

The biggest thing for me is to be a role model. Not a role model in the way that I need to be perfect, a role model in the way that me being imperfect is what is inspiring. I am 26 which means I am young enough to connect, inspire and empower young people but wise enough to lead them in the right direction. It’s so important for young people to have a role model or a ‘fairy godmother’ pre-frontal cortex to help them process decisions. If that makes no sense to you, we all have a pre-frontal cortex in our brains however, it doesn’t fully develop until we are about 25 years old. This is the area in the brain that helps us process decisions and inhibits impulsive behaviour. This is why some teenagers can be more rebellious or make irrational decisions (but don’t worry it has its benefits as well!). Helping young people understand their brains, and develop core values, goals and positive routines and rituals is a huge component of my workshops.

It’s so important for everyone to know what their values are. I like to see our values as the flag posts that keep us on track. Our goals are the stepping stones that lead us towards our aspirations and our daily routines and rituals are the fuel that energises us.

Self-confidence and self-esteem are a result of the routines and rituals that I help set teens up with. I found that self-confidence is something that can’t exactly be taught. However, teaching a young person the value of self-care and being authentic then leads to higher levels of self-esteem. I do activities based around self-love and self-care however if you are installing the right routines and rituals, self-confidence is counterintuitive.

WHERE DOES YOUR PASSION FOR HELPING OTHERS STEM FROM?

Trigger alert! When I was a teenager, I suffered from anorexia and bulimia and attempted suicide because I could not keep up with the battle going on in my mind. I went on anti-depressants and whilst I understand why I needed to go on them from a safety perspective, I became frustrated later on. I was frustrated because I was never asked about what food I was eating, if I was exercising, my sleep cycle, my routines and rituals, the goals I had for myself and what my values were? This frustration turned into curiosity and after 8 years of trying to get off anti-depressants, I decided to take a different route. Since my battles as a teenager, I have always made sure that I am in a position where I can inspire, motivate and educate young people about mental health. I don’t ever bring up my story with them as I am very cautious about putting ideas in young minds however, I do love educating them about the power of the brain and how we really can do anything we set our minds to… our brains are very malleable! Responsibility is one of my core values and with that, I know that I have responsibility for my mental health. This is a re-occurring theme in my teachings and workshops.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNT ON YOUR JOURNEY TO PURE HAPPINESS?

The most important lesson I have learnt along my journey is … well there are SO MANY.
However, I will pick three!

1. I found that anxiety for me stemmed a lot from striving to be perfect. This of course is an unattainable aspiration because not only are we imperfect beings but we connect with others through our imperfections. If you get anxious my biggest happiness tip would be to catch up with friends and do things when you are feeling imperfect. Isolating yourself from society when you’re feeling 40% often increases the anxiety and puts a lot of ‘fake’ pressure on yourself when you do go out.

2. Mind your own business. Not in a rude way. In a way that, there is so much ‘wellness stuff’ out there now that not only is it overwhelming but often people think if they aren’t having spirulina and lions mane in their smoothie, that they aren’t doing it right. Steer away from the ‘what I eat in a day’ trends because intuitive eating and exercise are so important (especially for women). Sometimes we feel like a salad and a green smoothie, sometimes we feel like a burger and a chocky thick shake (yum). Make health decisions based on your own intuition and what your body needs at that time.

3. Have a morning routine! Find out what rituals energise you. You won’t know straight away. I have tried every exercise under the sun! Find out what exercise you enjoy and do it in the morning. If you would like some tips on how to make a morning routine, I have some on my Instagram!

DO YOU HAVE ANY DAILY RITUALS OR MANTRAS THAT KEEP YOU HAPPY AND POSITIVE?

1. Gratitude – in the morning, write down three things you are looking forward to in the day! At night, write down three things you are grateful for that happened that day. This actually rewires our negative brains which is so fascinating! Once you get into a good habit of writing it down, naturally your mind looks for the positive in each moment. For example, I don’t want to go to school to ‘I am grateful that I get to go to school and have an education. Make sure our gratitude’s are purposeful and not just to tick a box.

2. Have your core values at your desk! My core values are positivity, creativity, empathy, kindness and responsibility. It's very tricky to choose to be grumpy when you have words like positivity staring at you in the face! Figure out your five and write them down. Display them somewhere, where you will notice them every day!

3. Put your goals on the outside of your shower wall. When you are showering (which is hopefully every day haha!) instead of dwelling on the day ahead or overthinking little things that happened in the day, look over your goals and feel inspired!

4. Create a morning routine that you crave! Have a secret ingredient that gets you up and gets you going. I am one of those weird people that go to bed looking forward to my morning.

Eddie wears the Rodeo dress in yellowstone

WE LOVE SEEING WOMEN IN BUSINESS! WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR STARTING A BUSINESS AND BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR?

1. Find out your WHY. Figure out WHY you want to start something up and from there you can create something really incredible.

2. Doors open in weird ways. One small opportunity leads to another one. Say yes to everything and be okay with doing a lot of things for free in the beginning. In saying that, talk to other people in your field about pricing. Compare your experience with theirs and slowly work your way up. Don’t expect to charge the same as someone who has been doing it for 10 years.

3. Sometimes it feels like the hours of work you put into the business aren’t paying off because you can’t see it as an official output yet. However, through that work, I guarantee you are either getting clearer on your vision or a new idea comes to the surface. It will all make sense in hindsight.

4. Practice your pitch. When I first started, I tried to record an introduction video for Looking for Ladybird. It took over 150 takes and was incredibly frustrating, however, now when somebody asks me what Looking for Ladybird is, I can confidently answer it. In the beginning, you might have so many directions you want to take your business. This is why you need to practice your pitch because if you’re confused, your client will be too.

YOU’RE ALSO AN AVID VINTAGE LOVER. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?

Definitely not simple! I believe more is more rather than less is more! I gravitate towards bright colours, fluffy things and funky prints. I love trying new things and putting things together that are unpredictable. I love mixing vintage with modern and street with class. I don’t like to stick with the one theme. I think it’s because I mix a range of looks into one that I find getting dressed so fun! Getting dressed for the day definitely doesn’t need a rule book, life has too many rules anyway! My personal style is how I express myself but also a creative experience. I love going shopping in my wardrobe and creating outfits. As soon as I see a piece, I very quickly envision a whole outfit in my mind. Hence why I am a bit of a shopaholic… I would like to say I am more of a ‘collector’ which is just a fancy word for hoarder haha! Once I grab the base of my outfit, it is the accessories that piece my look together. I love hats, sunglasses, belts, jewellery, shoes and bags! I’m not afraid of looking like a walking circus. I often get asked, ‘what is the theme of the party you’re going too?’, I think that question in itself sums up my personal style.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE STYLE ICON?

Ooooo my love for fashion and vintage started with Audrey Hepburn. You won’t believe it but I use to wear a lot of black and white. I was full 1950s pearls, Hepburn hats, lace, collars, loafers, and polka dots. I was a classy gal! As I came into my own personality, I began adding bits of colour and once I started, I couldn’t stop! I absolutely love Twiggy, however, I have created my own style now which is so much more fun! My top three style icons would be Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy and Edie Sedgewick.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 STYLING TIPS?

1. Have fun with it. Never dress for a man! Dress for yourself. Naturally, we gravitate towards colours, accessories and looks. Listen to your intuition and go with it! I think shopping is so cool because everyone naturally gravitates to different things. Our senses lead the way!

2. I like to always match my bag with my shoes. This is something that I just find pleasing to the eye, plus it means I can mix and match outfits really easily!

3. Be comfortable. My style has definitely changed a lot in recent years simply because I have to be comfortable. Comfy bra, comfy knickers, comfy shoes. Considering I go to bed at 7:30pm and eat dinner at 5:30pm, I must stick with the nana theme! How sad that it takes us until we are grannies to realise the benefits of comfort! I have officially started.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR EDWINA AND LOOKING FOR LADYBIRD?

Well, I have a wedding to plan which is so much fun! I am pretending it’s a mini fashion show (not that there will be anything mini about it haha!). I'm designing all of the bridesmaids’ dresses and my own! So, stay tuned for a 1960's beach wedding (Hawaiian vibes). I'm slowly turning Looking for Ladybird into a style and wellness blog. So, I will be sharing a lot more of my fashion and style (when I remember to take a photo or can be bothered to ask my fiancé to get a happy snap- he does not like being put in the bf’s of Instagram category). I will have some upcoming school holiday workshops so please send me an email: lookingforladybird@outlook.com or a direct message on Instagram if you are interested! The beauty of being a small business means I can create personalised workshops depending on a particular client's wants and needs. I am also available for one-on-one or group coaching.

Eddie Wears the Mustang Jumpsuit in dusk