On this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, I’m going to be speaking with Donna Still. Donna is a fellow BNI member, but she is… oh, it’s very difficult to explain. She helps people find their inner reasons, their inner why, their inner beliefs, through the use of breath work. And she’s also heavily into astrology.
Now, as you’re probably aware, I am not into astrology, and I am the least woo woo person on the planet. So I’m going to be trying to understand how Donna does what she does and how it works, even though it’s really not my thing, but let’s find out. So, Donna, your business isn’t the normal business you would expect to find at a networking group, so can you explain to me, very briefly, what it is that you do and how you help people?
Donna Still:
That’s probably my worst nightmare question.
Darren Jamieson:
I like to kick off with a corker!
Donna:
Ah, that’s great, really great. Actually, what I do is I help people to reconnect to themselves, which sounds a bit woolly and a bit… but actually, I use breath work, coaching, and a lot of other tools that I’ve collected in my 20+ years in business.
Darren:
Okay, and when you say breath work, what does that involve? Because, I mean, obviously, I’ve been breathing for 48 years. I’m alright at it, bar one spell in high school when I seemed to pick up a little bit of an issue, where I had a bag over my face for a couple of times. I’m not sure what happened. That went away as quickly as it came. What exactly is it that you do to help people?
Donna:
Well, with conscious connected breath work, it’s a therapeutic approach to helping people to integrate their past experiences using the power of their breath.
Darren:
And what do you mean by past experiences?
Donna:
A lot of people, when they’re going through life, we all have experiences that are potent, well, that have the potential to unnerv or make us more apprehensive, anxious, and sabotage ourselves. So what actually happens is, like, people won’t put themselves forward for promotion. They might not do the things that they secretly dream about doing. You might hear in a conversation, “I’ve always wanted to do that but never done it,” and usually, there’s a reason why they’ve never done it. It’s not because it’s not something they really want to do, it’s something that they don’t believe is possible for them, based on their past experiences.
Darren:
So if someone, for example, has gone for job interviews before and keeps getting rejected, they’ll not want to do it because they’ll feel they’re not going to get it anyway, so what’s the point?
Donna:
Yes, exactly.
Darren:
Or, I mean, I can think of one person in particular I know from my nerd fandom who constantly posts on social media about, “What have you got to do to find a girlfriend?” “What have you got to do to get a date?” And he, I believe, is using his past experiences to make excuses for the fact that he’s not going to do it because what’s the point? It’s not going to work. Is that the kind of thing you mean?
Donna:
Sort of. So he’s obviously telling himself a story. He’s telling himself a story about what he believes it is, and so he won’t ever put himself out in the position to be rejected. His subconscious mind is keeping him locked in that same behavior because it’s a safety mechanism. In the past, he would have experienced rejection, and because he’s experienced that rejection, he will not put himself forward now because that experience is not integrated in a way that would make it useful for him. The wisdom that comes from negative experiences—we learn way more in life from our bad or perceived negative experiences than we do from the positive ones. Positive ones are amazing and really good, and enjoyable, but we don’t actually always learn something from those, whereas we can have the potential to learn something from every negative experience.
Darren:
So could the positive experiences actually have a negative impact on you if they give you a false sense of security or a false sense of confidence?
Donna:
No, I don’t think it gives you a false sense of security or a false sense of confidence. If you’re good at something, you’re good at that, until one day you’re not good at it. It’s almost along the lines of, I don’t know how true this is, but you see it reported in media and press all the time that in schools now, they try not to have winners and losers. They try to give everybody a medal for participating, that kind of thing. If you are given the sense that, “Oh, if I compete in a sports day or I compete in a race or I compete in an art competition,” like I’ve done in school, “I’m going to get a medal,” you’ve got that sense that, “Oh, it’s going to be successful.” That gives you that sense of confidence that, even though you’re not necessarily good at it, you think you’re going to do well at it, whereas you don’t have the negative experiences in the first place, which can shape you and help you.
Darren:
So, like, if you don’t have the experience of not feeling like you’re good enough to do something, then where would the impetus come to improve?
Donna:
Exactly. There would never be any desire there to do anything more, or to do anything better, or to improve in any way. It’s only through the mistakes that we make and through the negative experiences that we can discern what it is that we want to carry on doing.
Darren:
Does that mean to be truly successful, you have to have had negative experiences in some way that have shaped you?
Donna:
Absolutely. 100%. I think there is not one person walking this earth who can say they’ve had only positive experiences. Everyone has negative experiences. Things just don’t turn out how you want them to, and how we represent that to ourselves is down to us.
Darren:
Because I did one on this recently, which was about finding out why I do what I do. It was the fact that all throughout my life, I’d been told I wasn’t good enough. My school teacher in art told me not to do A-Level because he said, “You’re not good enough to do A-Level. Don’t do it.” And I did A-Level, and they told me, “You’re not good enough to do this. You shouldn’t be doing this A-Level.” I ended up going to art college and got a distinction, and then I ended up getting a degree in film, which was art-related—film, animation, photography. And I run a web design agency. That constant being told “You’re not good enough to do it” was my reason to, “Well, I’ll show you. Yes, I am.”
Donna:
Yes, exactly that. Every single experience… I grew up thinking I wasn’t good enough, that I couldn’t do this or couldn’t do that, so I ended up running a painting and decorating company, actually promoting myself as a female decorator, and did that for 15 years. You know, it was like… I would never let anyone tell me I couldn’t do something. To me, it was like a red rag to a bull.
Darren:
But when you look at it across the board, without the negative experiences, like, an airplane can’t take off without the wind, does it? It takes off against the wind, and it gets that uplift.
Donna:
Exactly. And I speak with my hands, by the way, so arm waving.
Darren:
Yeah, for those not watching, Donna’s hands are all over the place.
Donna:
Yeah. So, the feeling of not being good enough is a very good driver for improvement.
Darren:
But I think as well, there are other experiences that people have that can be very traumatic, which mean they just close down parts of themselves, and then they become disconnected from who they are.
Donna:
I say I only just recently realized that about myself. I didn’t really know why I did what I did until the last couple of months, and I’m 48. So I imagine most people don’t know what’s driven them, or how easy it is for them to find out what’s driven them. Is that what you help people with?
Donna:
Yes, and for some people, it can be really challenging. It’s hard to go into their core drivers, but that’s all part of the toolkit I use to help them understand what those drivers are.
Darren:
Okay. So, how do you get them to connect with that?
Donna:
Well, I use breath work to go underneath the radar of the conscious mind and work with the body. It works on that somatic level, helping people to integrate their experiences, so that they can align with what they truly want to do. It’s more than just an intellectual process.
Donna:
For example, I had a client who had had lots of counseling, lots of coaching to help her grow her business. She would get to a certain level of turnover, and then everything would implode. Then, she’d be starting again, like she had to reinvent the wheel to get back to that level again. So, by working purely with breath work and doing the integration process, I got a lot of downloads and information from the energetic field during that session.
Darren:
I thought you might do some woo woo as well, something about you said woo woo…
Donna:
Yeah, during that process, I get a lot of downloads and information from the energetic field, and when that happens, I just vocalize it and give it to the person because it’s for them. So, in that session, she had this huge energetic release. If you’ve ever been in a conscious connected breath work class, it can be emotionally intense. You go through waves, and it’s like a full-on assault for your senses. There’s music, affirmations, and body work as well. I use acupressure aligned with the music and affirmations, which triggers events in the body. That triggers movement in the body, and then what happens is, from a neurological level, the information is integrated. It’s not so much the mind; it happens at a cellular level.
Darren:
Wow, that sounds intense. Can you tell me more about this release?
Donna:
Well, in this particular breath work session, my client had an energetic release. She had experienced a traumatic event when her child, who is now in their early 30s, was only five. She had had nearly 20 years of counseling for this event. It was extremely traumatic for her; she had witnessed a road traffic accident. Even though she’d gone through all this counseling, there was no intellectual connection between the event and the trauma, until this breath work session. The connection became really clear. As a result, she was able to go off and create her dream business working with horses.
Darren:
That’s incredible. So, do people carry these energetic imprints around for years without realizing?
Donna:
Yes, we carry them for years. For some people, it’s even longer. We have no idea what we’re carrying or what’s controlling our lives until we start diving into this work and integrating our past. We allow ourselves to reconnect with who we truly are.
Darren:
So, once someone, like your client, has done all that work, can they leave it behind, or will it always stay with them?
Donna:
What actually happens is, instead of the experience disempowering her, she now uses it as a way of empowering herself and the people she works with. The experience itself, while sad and traumatic, no longer holds any negativity for her. It’s like we can keep telling ourselves a story about how horrid it was, which it was, and nothing can take that away. But the story we tell ourselves about the experience is what we physically embody.
Darren:
So, it’s about reframing?
Donna:
Exactly. It’s just a different way of seeing it. You don’t have to do it at an intellectual level. She tried that for 20 years with counseling, and it only got her so far. It couldn’t get to the physical aspect of it. There’s a lot of scientific research on how the body keeps the score. We’re spiritual beings having a physical experience. We’re in a body, but we are not the body.
Darren:
Right. So, I imagine this whole approach ties in with your other interests in consciousness and spirituality.
Donna:
Yes, absolutely. One of my mentors, Bob Proctor, used to teach this, and when I first heard it, I was like, “What are you talking about?” But when you sit and think about it, you realize that it’s true. Who is doing the thinking? Who are you, really?
Darren:
That’s really deep. So, what’s your belief on it? Do you see it in terms of different religions or ways of viewing the world?
Donna:
Yes, exactly. I look at different teachings, like Zen and Buddhist philosophies, and they ask, “Who is doing the thinking?” There’s the thinker, the thought, and all these different aspects of being. It’s about asking, “Where does the thought originate?” There are many different ways of viewing this, and it’s like wearing a different set of glasses each time.
Darren:
That’s fascinating. So, what do you think people are missing by not engaging with this kind of work?
Donna:
What’s missing is the connection to who they truly are. If people don’t understand their own purpose, why they’re here, they become disconnected from their true self. It’s about tapping into that deeper part of yourself.
Darren:
And you’ve been involved in BNI for quite some time, right?
Donna:
Yes, I joined in August 2019, so coming up on five or six years now. I’m also an Area Director Consultant.
Darren:
And has it worked for you in terms of growing your business?
Donna:
Yes, I enjoy it. I do breath work, coaching, and write books. I’ve written and published five books, and I’ve just finished another one this week.
Darren:
That’s impressive. And what’s your new book about?
Donna:
It’s called The Luna Temple. It’s about new moon or dark moon energy and how to use it for manifestation, or better said, for renewal. It’s about tapping into the ancient technology of the moon and using the moon cycles for bringing things into formation in your life.
Darren:
Is that related to druidism or witchcraft?
Donna:
No, it’s not. I work with plant materials and nature to create altars and rituals, but it’s not about druidism or witchcraft. I’m more about using nature to feel grounded and connected.
Darren:
That’s interesting. How do you use the plants for your rituals?
Donna:
I literally go out into the garden and ask which plants want to be involved in my altar for the month. They literally speak to me. It might sound crazy, but that’s how it works for me.
Darren:
That’s amazing. And you’ve written quite a few books on astrology too, right?
Donna:
Actually, I don’t have a book specifically on astrology, but I do use it in my practice. I offer natal astrology readings to help people understand their life path based on astrology.
Darren:
So how do people get in touch with you?
Donna:
They can email me at donna@donnadonastill.com or visit my website at donnadonastill.co.uk. I’m also on Instagram under Ultimate Life.
Darren:
I’ll pop those links below the podcast in the description for anyone who wants to get in touch with Donna.
Darren:
Donna, thank you for being on the podcast. It’s been a pleasure.
Donna:
Thank you for having me.
[Music] [Applause]
More about Donna Still:
Donna is an experienced life coach who helps individuals reconnect with their true selves through a combination of breath work, coaching, and holistic practices. With over 20 years of business experience, she specialises in guiding people to understand and integrate their past experiences to unlock their full potential.
Donna’s approach is deeply intuitive, blending her knowledge of breath work, NLP, and astrology to support her clients in overcoming barriers and achieving personal and professional growth. A dedicated BNI member, she has built a thriving business that empowers others, particularly women, to break free from limiting beliefs and embrace their authentic purpose. Outside of her professional life, Donna is an avid advocate for the connection between nature, spirituality, and personal well-being, often using plant-based rituals and lunar cycles in her work. She has authored several books and continues to inspire others to transform their lives through her unique approach to self-discovery and empowerment.
You can connect with Donna here:
Website: https://donnastill.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnastill/?originalSubdomain=uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diamondology/?locale=gl_ES
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultimatelife/
Books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B0034PR556/
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/
Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com
Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk
