64. The Messy Beauty of Blooming Where You Are with Kelly Jackson Crabb, Author of Beyond the Bloom
Are you waiting for permission to chase what makes you come alive? Maybe you've convinced yourself you need more time, more certainty, or more proof that your curiosity is worth following. But what if the real work isn't in achieving—it's in cultivating the conditions for growth?
Kelly Jackson Crabb, author of Beyond the Bloom, joins me to talk about courage, second chances, and the messy beauty of blooming right where you are. Through the lens of her cut flower garden, Kelly shares hard-won lessons about brave starts, the pressure to always be productive, and why slowing down might be the most radical act of all.
Highlights
• Why Beyond the Bloom is part memoir, part pep talk—and definitely not just a gardening book
• The emotive response that became Kelly's breadcrumb to starting a cut flower garden
• How turning 50 shifted Kelly's relationship with "shoulds" and freed up energy for what truly matters
• What we lose when we tie our worth to being in bloom all the time (hint: our humanity)
• The surprising introvert revelation that changed how Kelly shows up in relationships
• Why cultivating your life is more about preparing the soil than forcing the bloom
• Kelly's decade travel tradition and the sacred significance of seeing monarch butterflies in Mexico
• The permission to try things simply because they make you come alive—even if you're bad at them
Chapters
[0:00] Introduction
[1:04] Brave Starts Quote
[3:16] What Beyond the Bloom Is
[5:38] Why She Wrote It
[9:40] Curiosity Versus Distraction
[12:19] Pressure to Always Bloom
[17:01] Goals and Cultivating Life
[19:20] Letting Go of Shoulds
[25:52] Slowing Down and Success
[28:30] 50th Birthday Monarch Trip
[31:18] Decade Travel Reflections
[33:15] Final Takeaways and Where to Find Her
Resources
Connect with Kelly Jackson Crab:
Instagram: @IamKellyCrabb
LinkedIn: Kelly Jackson Crabb
Want to learn more?
Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn
This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.
Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.
