Meet Amanda Gibby Peters | Feng Shui Practitioner / Educator / Author / Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Gibby Peters and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, how do you think about risk?
If I had to distill it down to my biggest takeaway, it would be that I am always worth the investment — whether that is in a course / class / coach; a trip somewhere new to me; or ways to grow / try something new in my business.

When I started out 20 years ago, I would worry about every dollar before I spent it, not trusting if the “money spent” would “pay off.” I missed out on some good opportunities early on because I couldn’t see the long term value.

Luckily, somewhere along the way (and early enough on), I realized that every time I expand myself, my business does, too. And now, I am eager to take the course or hire the coach because experience has proven that not only am I going to learn something that propels me to new heights, I am going to improve being in the company of expertise. It makes my success journey more efficient in so many ways..

Similarly, when I travel, I get out of my familiar environment and the change of scenery shifts my perspective enough that good ideas come to me quite effortlessly.

And no matter the investment in my business, that up-front effort and cost always adds to the wealth of resource I am able to show up in the world offering.

So, now, instead of twisting myself with worry, I know the “logic” and “proof” of my decision to invest will absolutely show up, but it usually happens after I’ve said YES.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been practicing shui for almost 20 years now, and there are a few things that give have me beaming with gratitude.

One, I’ve remained insatiably curious and committed to investing in myself every year – which means I continue to be the student. And all of that shows up with me to every Feng Shui conversation, course and client.

Two, all the little decisions along the way that I said YES to absolutely created momentum that, in the moment, I couldn’t feel, much less know would have lingering effects. However, today that current created back then so often carries me now in the present.

So, what started out as posting on my blog eventually led to contributing articles to online spaces, like MindBodyGreen, and soon enough, I was the one being interviewed for places like Lonny and Food52.

Many years ago, I made a few videos on Vimeo and slowly warmed to the camera – a decision that led to me creating a video series of my own and that turned into eventually being more comfortable on stage and in front of a large group of people.

After blogging for-like-ever, I decided to create a bundle of workbooks – and that decision led to writing my first book.

Over the years, I was invited to curate curriculum for other thought leaders and influencers, which in turn, gave me the nerve to start teaching my own Simple Shui classes.

Several years of teaching classes became the catalyst for sharing shui even more, so I launched my own podcast, House Therapy.

And when I decided to finally take the plunge and build a certification program, that decision was carried forward by the momentum of my dedication to education and the opportunities for gaining experience, which led to having the expertise I do today.

Finally, I am so lucky and grateful for my clientele, who trust me in and with their homes. Not only do they challenge me (in the best ways), those collaborations lead to opportunities and solutions that only reinforce how wonderfully potent and promising Feng Shui can be when we co-collaborate with it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My very first Feng Shui mentor and friend, Ellen Whitehurst, had such an enormous influence on my life.

We met when I hired her to do a consultation on our home, and in our very first conversation, she said to me, “If the universe sees you constantly busy taking care of everyone BUT you, it will keep delivering you opportunities to do more of the same. Push PAUSE at least once a week to take a long, hot bath – schedule the time and keep it like an important appointment! When you start taking better care of yourself, the universe will interpret this as ‘I’m worth it’ and replenish you with more opportunities to enjoy your life now.”

All these years later, I still think about this.

After our call, she invited me to start writing about shui for her site and blog. She also extended her spotlight to me during her workshops – something that, when I am thinking about, still gives me a buzz of excitement.

More importantly, though, she was the one who nudged me to get certified.

We were having a conversation one day, and I mentioned how people were reaching out in my blog comments’ section to ask my shui advice, so it was perhaps time I presented myself as a practitioner. And I remember thinking she would absolutely encourage this BOLD step.

BOLD it was, because she kindly but very matter-of-factly grilled me for about 10 minutes, and I was honestly confronted with questions about shui I couldn’t answer. And that made me realize I had a surface understanding of shui – and that if I really wanted to show up confidently, if I wanted to truly help people, I needed to find a program and get certified.

That year, I enrolled in my first certification program. A couple years later, I completed an advanced certification program – and along the way, it’s been a personal commitment of mine to study, to be in the company of a teacher at least once a year. So, that’s almost 20 years of the best kind of education and investments!

Ellen was the one who grabbed my hand, saw something in me, and encouraged and led me far enough down this path that Simple Shui became possible, and truly planted the seeds of what it means to be a teacher and guide.

Website: https://simpleshui.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandagibbypeters/

Image Credits
Olivia Steuer Sarah Mendoza Anastasia Chomlack