In my own life and business, I’m always on the lookout for tools I can use to better understand myself, my soul, and my purpose. Recently, I discovered human design, and I’ve been turning to my chart ever since for insight into who I am and permission to be my truest self.

In this episode, I’m chatting with human design reader and copywriter Ariana Joy about finding your path in life and business. 

Ariana is breaking down the basics of human design, a tool for understanding your soul’s purpose and path. She’s teaching you how to use your human design to set goals in your business. Plus, we’re chatting about our experiences manifesting our desires and how you can start doing the same.

What’s in this episode:

• What human design is and what it can tell you about yourself [1:30]
• The different energy types and authorities within human design and what each one means [3:22]
• Why reflectors are the rarest type in human design [10:54]
• How human design affects your physical body as well as your soul [13:40]
• How understanding your human design can help you find ease and joy in your life and work [15:29]
• How to use human design as you make plans and set goals for your business [18:09]
• Why human design gives you permission to be yourself and live in a way that feels authentic [19:13]
• How you can generate your human design chart and understand your type [21:56]
• Ariana’s journey to understanding and eventually teaching human design [24:56]
• How understanding my human design has helped me set healthy boundaries [30:12]
• Why you should use your human design type when writing your copy [32:15]
• Ariana’s business and copy tips for each energy type [34:55]
• What manifestation means and how to use it in your life and business [39:36]
• How your human design can determine how you can best manifest your desires [42:51]

If you want to discover your path through human design and learn to manifest in your life and business, tune into this episode.

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher

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Resources Mentioned

Discover your own human design at MyBodyGraph.com or MyHumanDesign.com

Jordan Younger, The Balanced Blonde

Meet Ariana Joy

Ariana Joy is a human design reader, professional copywriter, and founder of the blog Just Follow Joy. She helps conscious business owners and soul seekers use their Human Design to drop the “struggle and grind” and create what they want in a way that feels good, whether it’s in their marketing, their business, or their lives. Ariana’s goal is to show as many people as possible that “follow your joy” isn’t just a nice idea — it’s literally your roadmap to the success you’ve been looking for.

Connect with Ariana

Visit JustFollowJoy.com

Listen to the Just Follow Joy podcast

Follow Ariana on Instagram

Did you enjoy this episode? Check out another episode from Heidi Hope

Transcript:

[00:00:00] Ariana Joy: There are so many ways to do things. So many ways to do things. And that includes in your business and that includes in your marketing. But I saw so many people teaching the entire opposite of that. They were teaching the strategy du jour or just whatever was really popular or just what everyone told them they had to do. And from the beginning of my career, I’ve always felt incredibly restricted creatively by that. And it really worked against me as a creative, as a writer, because strategy matters. But I always say it’s energy first, strategy second, because if you layer strategy on top of nothing, it’s like you have an empty pinata. You have all the colors, but you have none of the good stuff on the inside that actually attracts people to you. 

[00:00:47] Lisa DiGeso: Welcome to the Art and Soul Show, where we dove into heart opening chats on photography, business, life and that messy in between. I’m your host, Lisa DiGeso, a mom, a photographer and entrepreneur, and I’ll be sharing honest conversations and advice for photographers with insight on mindset, entrepreneurship and creativity. The goal of this podcast is for you to be able to gain insights and strategies that will get you real results. Because, let’s face it, having a photography business can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. This is the place you can go when you need a boost of encouragement, a kick in the pants and inspiration to pick up your camera. This is the Art and Soul Show.  

[00:01:30] Lisa DiGeso: Hello, my beautiful friends. Welcome back to the show. Today I am hanging out with Ariana Joy and we’re talking all about human design. And I actually met her on TikTok of all places, and booked a consultation call in January. And I have been diving into human design ever since and I really am so excited to share her with you. She’s so knowledgeable. She’s the real deal. So without further ado, here is Ariana Joy. Welcome.  

[00:02:00] Ariana Joy: Hello. What a sweet introduction. Thank you. And I’m so happy that you’ve continued to. I mean, I know we haven’t talked about this, but I’m so happy to hear that you’ve continued to learn about human design.  

[00:02:10] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah, it’s just so fascinating to me. So for our listeners that don’t know what human design is, can you share what it is?

[00:02:17] Ariana Joy: Yeah. 

[00:02:18] Ariana Joy: So human design is essentially a system made out of five different systems. So it’s made out of our computer. It’s composed of Western astrology, the Chinese teaching Kabbalah, so the sufferer from Kabbalah, quantum mechanics and the seven chakra system. So basically human design pulls all these things together to create a unique blueprint for your soul. It’s pretty much like your soul’s blueprint, what you came in with on Earth when you incarnated, when you were born. That shows you exactly how your soul wanted to do things in order to hit your goals, in order to make your desires a reality, basically, in order to live your life on easy mode in a way that feels really good to you, even if it’s incredibly different than what we were raised to believe we have to do. It’s basically your personal guide that you can fall back on in like a chart form shown in front of you visually that shows you how you can make your best decisions, how you can create opportunities in the way that’s easiest to you and with the least struggling. Right. 

[00:03:22] Lisa DiGeso: And I love what you do if you really integrate that with business and how you can really bring that and bring that energy. And you like your soul’s purpose essentially into your business. And what I found was a mass. What does that manifest generator. So I know there are, I think, five or six different categories. Can you share a little bit about each one? 

[00:03:41] Ariana Joy: Yeah. 

[00:03:42] Ariana Joy: So Lisa’s a manifesting generator, also known as a man gen or an M.G. So there are five different energy types. And if you I always say if there’s nothing else you learn about human design, the one thing you should learn is your energy type, because that alone is going to change your life. I would also learn about your authority. Those two things kind of go together, but so basically your energy type is the specific way you operate energetically. It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s really the way that you manifest at the end of the day, because manifestation at its core is just about how you leverage your energy to make something come to be in your reality. It’s kind of like how you use your energy energy to make something energetic appear outside life. But so basically your energy type is going to tell you a lot about the way that you work and a lot about the way that you’re going to create success in your life. And also a lot about how you’re going to create opportunities for yourself or accept opportunities. So the five energy types, you know, we’re going well, I would start with your energy type and I have to kind of explain to other ones for it to make sense first. So the first energy type is called manifestos. And manifestos are really built for what we’ve all been traditionally told we should do, which is I have this inner inspiration. I’m going to go make it happen because manifestos get what’s called impulses. I call them like divine messages from sources that they kind of get from within themselves. They don’t know where they come from. They’re just these, I want to do that and I want to do it now and then. They’re just driven like a bullet train to go make it happen. And because of that, they’re some of the most impactful people who just get the ball rolling or are like they’re the initiators, they’re the energetic initiators of human design. So they are the people who are supposed to just kind of start stuff out of thin air and be like, I want this, I’m going to go make it happen. And it’s because of that. It’s for that reason that manifestos are just incredible. Like when I watch my manifesto or friends, suddenly it’s almost like they saw a squirrel and they just go after it. And it’s so funny and it’s so amazing how they can make things happen in such a short amount of time. Thing is because of that, because it’s so internal for a manifester they can often forget to tell people where they’re going and what they’re doing, which is unfortunate because, Manifestors, their problem isn’t going to make something happen. It. Actually dealing with people who accidently get in their way because they have no clue what’s going on. And then, you know, manifestos don’t feel supported. And so the manifesto, his job is to just tell people before they go do something. So after that, we have one of the more popular energy types in the world, which, by the way, these are all these are calculated by what date you’re born on what time where you are. Because it uses astrology, Western astrology. It’s a calculation. So 30% of the world is something called generators. And I’m a generator. And basically how it works for us is we were put on this earth to be, like, really happy, really glowy, really lit up. We’re also the best workers in the world. So we’re meant to come here to do work. And when I tell that to generators, they’re kind of like, Well, that’s shitty. I’m like, You’re basically telling me you’re just like, I don’t know, get the hook and pull this woman upstage. Yeah, but, the thing is, for a generator, all of that work should be stuff that makes you happy. And for a generator, what’s really interesting is we’re the only energy type besides manifesting generators who create more energy by doing something, because we have what’s called the defined sacral center where the only energy types, along with energies, you have that. But the thing is, it’s selective energy that only happens when we’re doing things that feel like a yes, like excitement to us. And so our job to help the entire world, not just ourselves with the entire world, is to make sure that we’re doing things we really like and we’re only following the S’s and dropping the nose. The thing is, because generators love to make the world a better place and because they know they’re supposed to, and also they know they have a lot of energy, it can be hard for them to say no to people. So for a generator, they have to be really good with boundaries and follow what makes them really happy, even if it doesn’t make sense to them at the moment. So then we have Lisa who is a man generator manifesting generator and that’s exactly what they sound like. But the combo specials of human design, so they’re a combination between the manifestor and generator type. So basically, Lisa is a type of generator. So she operates in the same way that I would at our core, we’re both generators, but she’s going to have more of a kick. She’s going to have more of an impulsive nature. She’s going to work more in spikes of energy like a manifester would. Yeah, well, you’re also emotional too. Talk about that, but. Yeah, and so it’s it’s kind of like if we were in the energetic Olympics and everyone had like a sort of sport and generators and manifesting generators or both runners, I would be a marathon runner because I’m a generator and I have that longer lasting energy, whereas Lisa would really excel in that sprinting relay race or something as a as an energy. 

[00:08:25] Lisa DiGeso: I love that.  

[00:08:26] Ariana Joy: Yeah, it’s like. I actually said that to my dad. I like that it makes sense because I’ve always actually liked sprinting more and I was like, This is more of a metaphor, but that’s cool. Do your thing. Then after that, we have projectors who are about 20% of the world.  

[00:08:39] Lisa DiGeso: And my husband’s a projector. 

[00:08:41] Ariana Joy: Really?  

[00:08:42] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah. 

[00:08:42] Ariana Joy: Oh, my gosh. I didn’t. I was actually going to ask you before because we were talking about your husband right before we hopped on. And I was like, I want to know what energy type he is. I don’t know if she knows that. So, yeah, I love my projectors. My sister has a projector, so some of my best friends are projectors, but so projectors basically came down to earth to be our seers in our guides. And that’s because they have this incredible like clarity or eye for efficiency, and they’re supposed to use that to whatever it is they’re passionate about. So what’s important for projectors to know is that no matter what you do, if you’re following what you’re passionate about and you’re putting your energy into that, you’re helping the world move forward in a really big way because that’s what projectors were here to do. They’re actually here to guide us into the new paradigm because in human design we believe that. I know I’m going in a million different directions here, but basically about 200 years ago we reached a big paradigm shift and right around that time we needed some kind of energy type to guide us forward. And so projectors started being born. So they have a really big role here on Earth. The thing is that projectors aren’t like Lisa and I and they’re not like manifestos either. They’re what’s known as non-energy types, which doesn’t mean that they don’t they don’t have any energy, but it does mean that they’re not meant to do a lot. Their gift is seeing and spotting efficiencies and then telling people about that. So the thing is that we live in this world where we’re so everyone’s so valued on their productivity and so projectors look around and say that I can’t work that much no matter how much I do. Like, I burn out and I feel like a loser because of that. Or they’re sharing all their ideals with everybody, but their ideas aren’t meant for everybody. They’re only meant to be for the people who really understand the value that the projector has to offer. So the projectors job is to not force so much. Although that’s hard for a lot of projectors because most of them are super ambitious. They’re super like, Oh, you didn’t hear me? Well, I’m just going to talk louder until you do hear me and I’m going to push until I make it to the top. But a projectors job is really to know that when they value themselves and they see their passions and. They themselves are, you know, really matter. That’s exactly how they’re going to draw people to them so they don’t have to work so hard to be heard or to create success for themselves. Yeah. And then the last type is reflectors. And I love my reflectors. I, you know, they’re kind of like Australians and pretzels. I know that there are probably some I don’t like, but I’ve never met one that I don’t like. And I was thinking that the other day too. Right. So do I. I heard I recently had someone pop in for a reading. And she immediately started speaking with an Australian accent and I was like, Oh well this just got ten times better and she was awesome. But anyway. So reflectors are the rarest type and human design. They’re 1% of the population and they’re known as the oracles of human design because they’re called reflectors, because they essentially are the ultimate empath like everyone is sensitive to energy and most people are some kind of empaths, meaning that they feel energy as their own, but reflectors feel every category of energy as their own because their job is to be a mirror to the world. They’re basically supposed to be the barometer for how well things are going and which way things are going. So it’s kind of their job to be wherever they are, like their identity is where they are, who they’re around. That also means that they take on a lot of energy and they see things really, really deeply. That’s why they’re known as the Oracles. Ra Uru Hu, who founded Human Design, said that they’re sort of the people who are like out of the system, they’re out of the matrix and they can identify other people who are too. But the thing about that for reflectors is that it’s really easy for reflectors to feel very lost in the world and lost about themselves because we’re all told that we need to know who we are, you know, know who you are and be that on purpose, like Dolly Parton said. Right. Which is a beautiful quote for someone like Lisa, who has a defined G center, a human design, which means she has a fixed identity. But for someone who’s a reflector, that’s not their job at all. They’re meant to be a disco ball, lots of different things and not label themselves. And also they need a lot of time to make decisions too because the reflector again picks up all that energy from everybody around them, not only that, but from the stars in the moon, they’re very connected to the moon. They need to let themself go through phases with their decisions. So they need time in order to be their most authentic self and trying to label themselves and fit in with everyone else is only ever going to box them in. It’s only going to box in their magic. And we don’t want that for our reflectors. We need them to show us how they are. But yeah, so those are the five energy types.

[00:13:11] Lisa DiGeso: I love that. What’s so funny is that I love when you talk about efficiency with the projector because I have to share it with you. So what I did right before our podcast interview, my husband asked me to go to Costco because he does all of our shopping to go there, not purchase anything but anything that I wanted, take a screenshot of it or like just to photograph it and then send it to him. So it’s efficient for him. When he goes, he can purchase everything and it won’t waste my time. 

[00:13:40] Ariana Joy: I love that. That is. Yes. Absolutely a projector. Holy moly. And you know what’s so funny about projectors? Are there always people who say that? Like, yeah, they always see things ahead of time. Like, for me, like the other day I went, Oh. This is so difficult. I don’t know if your husband is like this at all, but like, they get so pissed, understandably, when they say something that’s like really smart and really just like, with it. And so it would be so effective if someone just listened. And no one hears them or no one cares. And then everyone goes the wrong way and the projector is like, what the actual – what that guy’s like, I told you so. I was at my friend’s house the other day and she was like, Do you want anything to eat? Do you want any salad? I’m like, No, I’m not hungry because I mean, actually, even human design is funny. My appetite really doesn’t come until I, like, start eating, actually. Do you have that? Let me check your trigger. Yeah. You’re the same way I actually am. Yeah we’ve got a passive digestion so.

[00:14:37] Lisa DiGeso: Capacity of super because I think I’ve had a salad and like a protein shake today and I’m like, I’m fine.

[00:14:42] Ariana Joy: You write me chili, literally. I write jeans and puffy for breakfast, to sound like I’m good. But the thing is it takes us time to realize we’re hungry, too. Yeah. And so she was like, Are you sure you don’t want some food? Like, it’s about 630. Do you want some food? I’m like, not hungry yet and we go for a walk and I’m like, Do you have any food at home? I think I’m kind of hungry. And she was like, I just asked you if you were hungry. Like, I know and I heard you. But anyway. 

[00:15:07] Lisa DiGeso: My husband actually packs a box of protein bars in the vehicle because he knows that I will all of a sudden be hangry and will not have thought ahead. And so he’s got water bottles and protein bars just like she’s going to lose it.

[00:15:20] Ariana Joy: And just lose it. Love that so funny, so good, so good.

[00:15:29] Lisa DiGeso: And so I know because I had a personal meeting with you earlier this year and I loved it so much. So can you share a little bit on why knowing your human design can assist in finding ease and joy in your life and your work?

[00:15:41] Ariana Joy: Oh. There’s so much. Yes. So the funny thing about human design is that most of the time when I give someone a reading, it’s not really that they’ve learned anything new about themselves. Right. Because that’s why people feel so seen by human design. It’s telling them a lot of stuff they already know about themselves. The point of human design isn’t necessarily like unveiling new parts of you. It’s showing you that that’s okay. It’s showing you that you were built to be that way. So your preferences, the secret little things that you like wish you could do, the things that just feel right to you, or the things that other people have always given you, given you shit for, you know, like wanting to wake up late or not wanting to eat a lot of food or not wanting to work until 10 p.m. I’m giving you all things that I do or whatever, you know. However you’re built is that that’s the way that you are meant to do things. And that’s okay. So when it comes to your life and when it comes to just, I don’t know, anything like achieving goals that say it’s I don’t want to give you an example in business yet. Let’s say like it’s losing weight or something like everyone told you it was you were supposed to work out in the morning, wake up at 5 a.m. to work out well, guess what? That’s going to burn out some people’s engines depending on your energy type. Or that you should be working out every day. Or you shouldn’t be working out every day. You know, for people like Lisa and I, that’s actually not how we’re built, where we probably have a lot more energy to burn and to go. And if we hold that in, that’s actually really not good for a generator or manifesting generator. So everyone’s built so differently. Whereas like my sister, she’s a projector, she works out great at the end of the day because she’s picked up so much productivity. Yeah, you and I are like, No, we’re done. We know the first thing out. Yeah, we’ve kicked that out of our system. But my sister, she, you know. I remember when I was at my first job in an office, I was like, I’m going crazy because I got here at eight. I usually work out at ten, and now I have to wait till six, but I’m burnt out. She’s like, Oh, you’ll get used to it. But that’s because my sister picks up productivity energy from the world, and by the end of the day, she needs to get that out of her system. You and I are both the opposite way. Yeah, but anyway. But in your business, what I love is that it shows you that what you intuitively want to do, or the way that you want to do things, can work for you. You can make money doing that. That’s how I make money. You know, like I, for example, like Lisa did find me on TikTok, which is awesome, but now I’m not on TikTok anymore because it makes me feel like absolute trash. But there are going to be so many people out there who tell you that’s the only way. Human design tells you if that thing doesn’t feel good to you, if it’s draining your energy, you don’t have to do it. And that’s a sign you shouldn’t be doing it, actually. And that can even come down to one of my favorite things is like talking about plans in your business. So Lisa, for example, she’s actually built for a little bit more strategy or a little bit more detailed plans further in the future, because the way her mind is structured and the way she conceptualizes things is she can see that clearly into the future. I’m the opposite. I can’t see ten feet in front of me. So my best results have always come from me surrendering to not really knowing exactly what I’m going to do with a five year plan. I always secretly laughed. Whenever people ask me that, I’m like, I could give you that. It’s not going to be real. It’s going to be a fairy tale because it’s going to change. And so whenever I allowed myself to not have so much of a strict plan, things have actually been way better for me than they ever could be. 

[00:18:57] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah, I love that. I’m about one year old. I can give myself like a one year plan, and after that I’m like, Oh, things might change. 

[00:19:04] Ariana Joy: Yeah. Well, you are a manifest generator. So even for one who has. Yeah, I just. I told them not to lock themselves into commitments because things change fast for manifesting.

[00:19:13] Lisa DiGeso: And what’s so interesting is when we spoke at the beginning of the year, I was really struggling with my photography business because I run two companies and really struggling to let it go or just take a press pause. I was really struggling with that decision. And what you had said to me really resonated because you’re like, Hey, you’re like on this planet to, like, do things that you love and and make you happy. Like, that’s like your purpose. So if it’s not making you happy, don’t do it. And I was like. That’s it? That’s easy. I just got permission. The universe told me so.  

[00:19:46] Ariana Joy: It’s awesome. Human side is a giant permission slip. It’s really awesome. I mean, I love to hear that, by the way, too. And the thing about Lisa is that she’s as a manifesting generator, like they’re not because they’re, like multi passionate and they actually like doing a lot of different things and having it’s really healthy for them to have their energy going in a lot different ways. You know, my dad, for example, I got energy and he’s one of my favorite examples because he for 30 years was a tax accountant and also ran a pizzeria full time. And I didn’t realize that that was weird for the longest time growing up. But in life, not everyone can really do that. That’s not something that everyone can do, but an MG absolutely can. But the thing is, they’re also not necessarily supposed to stick to everything they start to. So if you’re bored with it, it’s not bringing you joy anymore as an MG, that’s such a great reason to leave something behind.

[00:20:35] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah, I love that because it’s funny because I’ve been an event planner, a makeup artist, a travel agent, an esthetician, like everything a photographer like now an entrepreneur. And when it doesn’t bring me joy any more, that’s always when I said, I’m out, I’m done. And I always thought I was like, just to give up-y kind of girl. And then I was like, Oh, no, that’s just how I’m hard wired. And that’s awesome. 

[00:21:00] Ariana Joy: I love when MGs realize that because, like, I’m not someone who really, like, deals with that as a generator. My thing is that I’ve always felt like I’m so slow. But for me, when they’re like, you mean that means I’m, that doesn’t mean I’m a quitter? Yeah. Like, Oh, my god, that’s okay. Great. Then you can just move on to that next thing. And something I heard actually from the woman who I like was trained in human design by which she was saying, for me, it’s all about transferable skills. Like, you know, also the fact that you were a travel agent when you said that, I was like, Wait, what? Seriously? But that’s just so MG. That’s just so typical.

[00:21:37] Lisa DiGeso: I was just, like, curious about travel, and I was like, Oh, actually, it was so funny because I got trained right when online booking started happening, so I got hired by this company. They’re like actually, people are now booking online so we don’t have a job for you. And I was like, eh.I’ll find somebody else. Yeah. Oh, good.

[00:21:54] Ariana Joy: And here we are now.

[00:21:56] Lisa DiGeso: Right? I just do what I feel like. All right, so let me see. We drove into mine because I’m a master generator, so we talked a little bit about the other designations. So where can our listeners find out what theirs is?  

[00:22:10] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah, absolutely. So there are quite a few sites that will generate charts for you. My favorite one is and I know it’s just because it’s the first one that I found, it’s like not even necessarily. 

[00:22:22] Lisa DiGeso: Quote unquote. 

[00:22:23] Ariana Joy: The best but I love it is called MyBodyGraph.com. So yeah, it’s in association with the Jovian Archive, which you can also get a chart on. You can go to MyHumanDesign.com And get a chart generated there too. But yeah, you just put in your location, date and time of birth and then it will generate your chart for you. And it’s going to look crazy. It’s going to look wacky. Don’t worry, you can get it explained to you or you can look at it. Yeah, exactly. I highly recommend that you get a human design reading. Not necessarily from me. It’s not plugging just me, but like getting someone to help you with it can be really awesome because the thing about human design is that and I know you didn’t ask me this, but I think I just feel it’s really important to let people know is that it is a system that was founded in the eighties by a man who had an eight day channeling experience. We don’t know if he was on anything at the time. He just came up with a system that really resonates with a lot of people. But the thing is that the traditional language can be very jarring. In fact, that’s kind of what he was going for because he wanted to really wake people up out of what he said was called The Mechanics of the Maya. And Maya means like a fog or illusion. So he was like, people are living in an illusion that one, we all operate in the same way and that energy all operates in the same way. I need people to wake the fuck up. And he was a manifester he didn’t care about. He was like, What’s the fastest snappy way for me to get this out there and just share it with people and then I’m done? You know, he was reluctant at best. He’d rather have spent time with his dog all day. So a lot of the language can be super confusing. It can be. It can sound restrictive. Even so, having someone or, like, just look like finding a way and or a person, whoever, even if you don’t get to read, you just look it up online and find someone who really resonates with you to explain that and just like, don’t get scared away from it just because it looks really funky or weird and like, cause some of the words sound kind of culty and they kind of do. I’m not going to lie like people are like, like, I was explaining it to one of my ex coworkers. Nicest guy, but I was like, explaining to him is to try it a little bit. And he was like, All right, I want you to blink twice if you’re okay. I was like, Fair enough. 

[00:24:38] Lisa DiGeso: Oh. Gosh, I love that. That’s hilarious. It’s so true, though. It’s because it’s a little fringe. And I mean, when I first started talking to people, I was like, yeah, I’m having a human designer. And they’re like, What on earth are you doing now?

[00:24:50] Ariana Joy: And the name alone.The name alone sounds very concerning, and I will admit that.  

[00:24:56] Lisa DiGeso: So how do you find your way into it? Like, how did you find your passion? 

[00:25:00] Ariana Joy: Oh, so I thought about this the other day, actually. So I first heard about human design on a podcast, and the girl was like, so excited to share it and I’m so excited to hear about it now. And she’s like, This is my new love. It’s called Human Design. And so she starts explaining it and I immediately go, I’m sorry, what? This sounds incredibly restrictive. I don’t like this. You’re telling me that I, as a generator, have to, like, wait for things because in human design, every energy type has a success strategy. I didn’t really go deeply into that, but it’s basically how you open yourself up to opportunities, how you get what you want in the easiest way possible. But this is where the language came in, where it was kind of jarring. And it was basically she basically said, like, you know, you can’t do things first, you can’t start stuff. You have to wait for things to come to you and then you decide if you want to do it. And I was like, Well, that sounds dumb. I don’t like that. And I think I listened to the rest of it, but I was like, I was just shutting it off. I’m so over it and that. But I noticed that I kept asking people if they’d heard about it. I was like, This is really interesting. Like, I, I just felt like there was something I was missing or something more to it. And I actually remember something really funny I was telling my friend about. I was like, Have you ever heard about human design? And then I explained to her how it happened and said, Well, this guy downloaded it. He said, Everyone got the download at the same time, but he’s just the one who wrote it down. She was like, Yeah, I don’t really believe in anything like that. And walked away and I was like, okay. And then years later, she’s like my biggest supporter. She likes human design. But anyway, that’s how I was feeling about it. And everyone around me, it was like, No, I don’t like this either. And so I just kept getting drawn back to it like time and time and again. And finally I got a reading from someone who is now like my coach, my mentor, like my really good friend, and it was the most liberating thing. She was like, You’re here to do what you love. You are not here for the heavy and the hard. And then she told me all these other things about myself, which I maybe didn’t realize at the time, but I’ve definitely seen more in myself and grown into you. And I just loved it. I couldn’t stop talking about it. I couldn’t stop talking about the manifestation part of it. And everyone around me was like, When you talk about this, you just seem like you love it and you know so much about it. And I was like, Really? I just learned about it. And it turns out that I was learning stuff really quickly about it because that was what I think I was meant to do. And I just I couldn’t I couldn’t believe how deep it went. Like human design, even if you look at a human design chart and don’t want to freak anyone out too much, you can learn at whatever pace you want to. But even beneath the human design chart that we see, there’s another chart. 

[00:27:29] Lisa DiGeso: No way.

[00:27:30] Ariana Joy: With more stuff. Yeah. Which determines things like the things that we were talking about, passive detection or active digestion, the kind of environment that you’ll thrive in, etc. And I was, and as my profile in human design, which is the closest thing to like your personality type and the way you learn and connect with others is a 5-1, which means that I’m here for like a ton of book learning and investigation and I just went ham. I went down a rabbit hole. I loved it. I couldn’t stop talking about it. So I wrote, I started a blog about it and I was really unhappy with my job. At the time. I was a 9 to 5 copywriter. I still do copywriting sometimes, but I was just like, This was my creative outlet. And suddenly, you know, it just was absolutely what I wanted to do instead. And I was talking to my coach about it. She’s like, Why don’t I just be a human design reader? It’s like, Yeah, why don’t I? 

[00:28:17] Lisa DiGeso: I know how to do this.

[00:28:19] Ariana Joy: Yeah. And so and so now that’s, that’s what I do. And I teach it and I just I’m in love. 

[00:28:25] Lisa DiGeso: I love it, I love it, I love it. I love that story. I love it so much. 

[00:28:29] Ariana Joy: Thanks.

[00:28:30] Lisa DiGeso: Totally meant to it. Well, it’s funny because actually it was funny because I had a reading and two readings within like a week of each other and like we do a psychic and I had a reading with you and it was funny because you only your bullshit detector is just like flying off the chart and I’m like, Yeah, mine, mine is like, I like I’m really intuitive. And I was like that the whole time. I was just like, the guy was like, I feel like maybe this is bullshit. But then your reading, I was like, Oh my God, this girl knows what she’s talking about. I was so excited. I was so excited. I just got off and I was vibrating.  

[00:29:03] Ariana Joy: Oh, my gosh. I love that. As a 5-1, too, like, you don’t know how happy that makes me because like hearing hearing from someone like, wow, what you just taught me made sense and I agreed with that. 

[00:29:13] Ariana Joy: Yes, absolutely.

[00:29:14] Lisa DiGeso: It was a great part. Like, it really just gave me that permission. I was like, nope, if that doesn’t make me happier, it doesn’t bring me joy. It does. I’m not going to be doing that. And that’s like from an I start, like I think we had a reading like at the beginning of 2022.

[00:29:27] Ariana Joy: Yeah. 

[00:29:27] Lisa DiGeso: And like after that I was like, okay, well I guess I’m making my decisions then. I’m close to my business in June, taking a year off and going to see what happens after that. 

[00:29:35] Ariana Joy: So I’m so happy that it’s going so good. 

[00:29:40] Lisa DiGeso: I think what’s really nice is because it’s given me that space to just step back from my photography business and realize it’s not that I actually want to let the entire business go. I just want to do it on my terms and I need the space to figure out what those terms are. And, you know, like I. Product offering prints. I like things that I’ve never really done before. And charging what I should be charging. So it’s giving me that space instead of overloading my schedule without being like, what? Saying yes to everything. So that’s been really just, like, spacious and it’s been lovely.  

[00:30:12] Ariana Joy: I love that. My question is, how has been saying no to more things for you? Have you been doing that?

[00:30:18] Lisa DiGeso: It has been okay. So what’s really crazy is actually probably not crazy. It’s just the universe and how wonderful it is. So my website got hacked. Yeah. My Milk and Honey Photography website got hacked, which means no one can inquire. Which means I don’t have to say no. Like, I completely don’t have a website right now. And I was like, you know, like. At first I was like, oh, my gosh, I couldn’t do this up. What am I going to do? And I was like, no, like, this is just giving me a chance to pause and reset. Like, what do I want the words on my website to say? Like I haven’t changed it since 2013. 

[00:30:54] Ariana Joy: Oh man, okay. 

[00:30:55] Lisa DiGeso: Like, it’s just giving me that spacious opportunity just to regroup that business and say, okay, what am I stripping away? And what am I adding back in? Yeah. And yeah, it’s just been really kind of a fun adventure. Just like if it’s like that, if I had to start my business over, what would I do? And I’m like, I’m actually going to do that.  

[00:31:12] Ariana Joy: So like, I’m just going to break it down and start to. 

[00:31:17] Lisa DiGeso: Do it or who’s going to see what happens.

[00:31:19] Ariana Joy: We’re just going to go for it and do it. I know that’s so funny to you because the other day, like I said, saying no and having boundaries for both generators and manifesting generators is very important because our energy is so selective and will drain ourselves by doing something that’s not a yes for us. This is why I was saying, like, have you been doing that? Because it’s important for both of us. But the same things have been happening to me like I’ve been. I was asked to give a reading from someone who I’m you know, I’m sure she is now, you know, I’m not sure she’s a great person. 

[00:31:48] Ariana Joy: I’m not going to lie. But she didn’t strike me as a great person. If I’m being honest with you, I’m a.  

[00:31:53] Ariana Joy: Libra. I love to love and I have a lot of love for people. But, you know, it didn’t strike me with the greatest energy. And I remember going to bed and being like, I don’t want to give that reading tomorrow. And the next day I woke up and she canceled. She was just like, Right, yeah. And I was like, perfect. 

[00:32:08] Lisa DiGeso: That happens all the time. I know something’s going to cancel before it does. I always know.  

[00:32:11] Ariana Joy: Mm hmm. Yeah. And that’s your. That’s your gate 57. That intuitive clarity.

[00:32:15] Lisa DiGeso: Okay, so let’s talk a little bit about human design and copy, because I know that you kind of marry those two and I’m going to link your show in the show notes. So what advice do you have for using your energy type when you’re actually writing your own copy? 

[00:32:33] Ariana Joy: Oh, I love it because I love talking about this. So one of the things is just to back up a little bit, so like I said, I was a copywriter full time and I teach copy more. I also like to copy power hours where we do the same kind of work. I don’t do project copywriting as much unless it’s like a fantastic set. But when I first left my job, one of the biggest things that bothered me and one of the reasons I love working with business owners so much is that there are so many things, so many ways to do things, so many ways to do things. And that includes in your business and that includes in your marketing. But I saw so many people teaching the entire opposite of that. They were teaching the strategy du jour or just whatever was really popular or just what everyone told them they had to do. And from the beginning of my career, I’ve always felt incredibly restricted creatively by that. And it really worked against me as a creative, as a writer, because strategy matters. But I always say it’s energy first, strategy second, because if you layer strategy on top of nothing, it’s like you have an empty pinata, you have all the colors, but you have none of the good stuff on the inside that actually attracts people to you. Right? Because people can tell when they look at a sales page, we can when they can look at content, whatever, that you’re just doing it to mull it out or like to pump it out and get people to pay attention to you. There’s that actual juice behind you. 

[00:33:55] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah. 

[00:33:56] Ariana Joy: And at the end of the day, that’s not going to help anyone. That’s not going to help you. It’s not gonna help anyone else. And it’s why so many of us feel so shitty about our marketing. And because we’re like, we’re told that our marketing is our business. And that actually held me back and I was a copywriter. And going into starting my own business, it actually stopped me from leaving my job for a while because I was like, okay, well, I have to have a niche in my marketing, which means that I have to have a niche in what I do. That’s, so your marketing is determining what you’re doing for your business? Are you kidding me? Like No. As someone who is supposed to do what I love, that was I just had to throw that out the window. And when I realized that, I was like, Oh, I’m using human design in this. I’m using my design in determining how to create a copy that works. And guess what? That’s how I sell the best is by doing things that I love first and in a way that works for my energy first. And we’re all designed to do that differently, but it’s all supposed to be in a way that works for us and makes us feel really good because it’s all connected. What makes you feel good with your human design outside of business can absolutely apply to your business. So with that said, there are different tips that I use for each energy type and they tend to be ones where the energy type, when they hear it, they’re like, Yeah, absolutely. That’s exactly how I like to run my business, what I like to write. So for manifestos, what I say is, first off, its presence over perfection, very important. So because they’re here for like quick snappy results, so one presents over perfection and don’t worry so much about like all the stuff that’s happening in the meantime, just go for it. And to use really direct language like some manufacturers are afraid that they’re going to come off as too pushy if they say like buy now, do this people. People don’t people. Appreciate that from a manifesto. If you listen, no one’s for everyone, especially not a manifester or a projector. Like you’re just going to have to accept that there are going to be people who don’t want to work with you or like you. And so for a manifester, it’s just to be direct and not hold back. And then if you are a generator, do what you love and do not attach so much to the result. So it’s about the process for a generator. We’re literally meant to put our energy into what in the moment is making us happy and know that even if you were not seeing a quote unquote result right now from what you’re writing about or sharing about, it’s all about the joy. And then you never know how that’s going to come back to you. Like as a generator for me, like I’ve put things out there where I was so excited about it. I loved it. I had the best time making it. Crickets. Yeah. And then. And then, like, a week or two later, suddenly, everyone’s liking this real thing. Like, I got 60 likes and this is real. And someone comes to work with me. Like, how did that happen? What started that? I don’t know. But mostly you have to be you have to understand that I think results might come to you a little bit more indirectly. So you got to just involve yourself in the joy of manifesting the generator. Also presence over perfection. And the thing for manifesting generators that they struggle with a lot is that they will want to talk about a lot of different things. Yes. Yeah. And they don’t know how to pin down one thing. And if I say to them like you don’t want to write emails about a lot of stuff, make a newsletter where you put everything into one like your favorite newsletter. And remember too that as a generator people are buying like your energy and your sparkle and you make you really happy. That’s really what they’re buying from a generator and M.G.. And so finding that underlying thing for manifesting a generator to you super helpful for projectors is… How do I say this? Because there are a few really awesome tips that you can give projectors. I would just say don’t force yourself to over-market yourself as a projector if you feel like you’re pushing out content all the time because you’re not being heard, that’s not going to make you more heard. It’s taking a step back and seeing how because they’re here too. The reason why projectors can’t work so much is because they don’t have to. They have an eye for efficiency, for making things, for getting what they want faster than other people with less work. So as a projector, I would really, really, really encourage you just to step back. And if you’re pushing out and trying to write so much stuff or create so much stuff to market or to write your copy and like to send so many emails, ask yourself what level feels actually good, what and and take a step back too. And another thing else, projectors. I know I’m giving a million tips. I just.  

[00:38:08] Lisa DiGeso: I love it.

[00:38:09] Ariana Joy: It is if you’re going to focus on anything, it’s focus on showing up more, not necessarily pushing to be heard, but showing up and making yourself available. So in your copy, what I say is like, show yourself a little bit more, because what attracts someone to a projector is knowing that they’re the kind of person that this person wants to learn from because they’re guides, they’re also teachers. They’re here to disseminate information. That’s why they’re here to share what they see. So in order to make sure that you’re attracting the right kinds of people to you, interacting more shows up so they see you and then don’t allow the right people to come to you. You’re going to waste so much less energy. You’re going to start feeling more heard and opportunities and sales are going to start coming in a lot faster. And then last for reflectors is in a world that tells you that you have to have a brand and stay with that brand. I really encourage you to show up with all versions of yourself and know that you are your brand no matter what. I always use Jordan Younger as The Balanced Blond. I don’t know if you’ve heard of her. Yeah, okay. As an example, she’s a fantastic example. Jordan talks about whatever she wants to talk about because her brand is Jordan and it likes shifts and transforms. And that’s what people love about her is that she’s very authentically her and whatever moment she’s in, you know, and because of that, she’s reflecting back to a lot of people what she attracts the people who see in her what they want to see in themselves. So as a reflector. Yeah, so as a reflector, that’s, that’s your gift and your power. So if you label yourself and put yourself into a box you are cutting off a lot of that magic which you don’t need to do.

[00:39:36] Lisa DiGeso: Wow, I love that. So for those that might be new to it, can you actually share what manifestation is and how to do it? Yeah, absolutely. 

[00:39:46] Ariana Joy: So, okay. So what people are usually familiar with when we’re talking about manifestation, like I’ll tell you what’s like the broader definition in like the spiritual communities. Basically, if you’ve heard of the Law of Attraction, it’s attracting things into your life. It’s kind of like what people consider that woo woo. Like if you put out a request to the universe, the universe kind of delivers that. That’s essentially what they’re talking about. What’s the time with manifestation? Like I said earlier, the most basic definition of manifestation is literally just making something come to become manifest in your life. And so basically how I explain it is that manifestation is really turning your energy inside of yourself into something outside of yourself. So like whether that’s a desire and in bringing that. Desire into your life. And the thing about manifestation, too, is that it could just be that it makes the path to what you want easier. So you’re still putting an effort, you’re still working towards it. But then, oh my God, this happened so much easier than it ever has in the past. Suddenly, you know, even though I am marketing, it’s easier. I’m not. It feels better. And suddenly more clients are appearing. Or it could be that you just open yourself up to receiving and suddenly clients just start showing up a lot more because you put that intention out there and you’re open to receive and the universe sends it into your life. So sometimes it can seem like it’s just doing things on easy mode and other times it can seem like it’s on really easy mode because it’s just showing up in your life.  

[00:41:10] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah. I think there’s such a confusion a little bit about manifestation too is because a lot of the time people think it’s like, okay, I send out my wish and then I just sit back and do nothing. And it’s like they’re. I feel like there has to be that inspired action with the manifestation in order to to get it like to get what you want. Like, for example, I saw this, this mirror on TikTok, this random mirror, and I felt – 

[00:41:35] Ariana Joy: Wait, can I stop you for a second? 

[00:41:36] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah. 

[00:41:37] Ariana Joy: This is insane, because my friend sent me an Instagram message a while back about her favorite manifestation story. And it was about a mirror that she saw that I’m wondering if it’s the same mirror. Because this must be like a kick ass mirror.

[00:41:51] Lisa DiGeso: It’s like this gold thing. But it’s not the Anthro. It’s on the Anthropologie mirror. It was actually like a Homesense HomeGoods in Canada, which is kind of like Ross I think in the USA. Oh, we had like goods. Yeah. And it’s like this random thing where things go and you buy them at discount prices. And I’m like in the very one of a kind like you don’t usually find them if you see it. I’m like, what are the chances of me actually? So I put it out, I actually sent this to my coach and I was like, I’m going to manifest this. And literally within two days I went into the Homesense store and there was my mirror. And the funny thing was I was like, Oh shit, like, should I buy it? And I was like, Yeah, I’m buying it. So I brought it home. It literally goes with nothing. It goes with nothing. And my husband, he’s like this, like, I don’t know what is with you with this mirror. I’m like, he reminds me of like the mirror, mirror on the wall who’s the fairest of them all kind of mirror? And I was like, Heck yeah, it is. And I’m going to say that every day to myself. 

[00:42:51] Ariana Joy: I love that. Wait. And this is such a beautiful example too. So in human design, they’re actually like anyone who’s familiar with manifestation or the law of Attraction, and even if you’re not very traditional teachings will teach you that you have to get very, very specific about what it is you want to call in your life. So for someone like Lisa, that’s actually incredibly aligned for her, because the same thing that gives her, you know, that eye for strategy more or like having plans that are a little more detailed is the exact same thing that makes her what’s called a specific manifesto. So specific manifestos get what they want. They get closer to finding what they want by getting clear on that thing, getting really detailed, like the kind of people who should like to create like vision boards, they do great with writing down lists and like this is exactly what it’s going to look like. And I want this and that and that gets them closer to the thing, even if they don’t know how it’s going to come into their life like that. Will like getting clearer on that is only going to help the universe be better at delivering it to them. So they have to trust that what comes through for them, even if it’s wild and crazy and everyone tells them they’re never going to get it, is exactly what they need. For me, what’s so fascinating is it’s the opposite. Like I’m supposed to only like I’m supposed to have a vague idea of what I want. Because if I force that, I get stressed out by details. I’m like, I don’t know, how can I possibly know? I don’t even know what to have for lunch today. I don’t know what color I want this dress that I’m going to be wearing to this wedding to be. And so when I actually open up a little bit more and say like, best case scenario, you universe, you know, best fill in the blanks for me, I trust the universe. That’s exactly how I’ve always got like manifested my best stuff, which is just it’s so cool.  

[00:44:23] Lisa DiGeso: I love that. It’s so fine. Like, I’ll do that when I’m shopping and like I’ll be going through the racks. I’m like, Oh, it’s extra large. I’m like, No, this needs to be like a medium or large, you know, more large. And then I’m like medium or large, remember that? And I visualize it in my head and then I find it. Yes, there it is. It’s like always, always. And I love it.

[00:44:41] Ariana Joy: Oh, my gosh. Yeah. 

[00:44:42] Lisa DiGeso: Oh, fun. All right. So you ready to go into our lightning round? Yes, absolutely. Coffee or tea?  

[00:44:49] Ariana Joy: Oh, my god. Wait, this is like this is so much harder than I thought, because today sorry for the troubled child. Yesterday I had iced coffee, and I was like, Oh, coffee is the best. I love coffee. And then I tried matcha. I tried powdered matcha today, and I didn’t even have to look at it or anything. I had it right before that. So which was probably why I’m like, flying off the handle. And I was like, Oh my God, I think Matcha might be my favorite. So this is the hardest cause she kind of just asked me, You know what? I’m going with coffee, though. Coffee is my thing. 

[00:45:16] Lisa DiGeso: I love that. So the most luxurious vacation you’ve ever been on. 

[00:45:20] Ariana Joy: Oh, wow. I one time I went to Italy.  

[00:45:25] Ariana Joy: Which was here. The thing is. Okay, I’m going to put a little corollary to this. So it was such an amazing trip. We went to this small town called Fugue in Italy. It’s like in the mountains. And it was just, like, gorgeous. And but I was also 13 or like 12 or 13, and I totally did not appreciate it the way I should have. So I really want to go back to Italy. I love Italian wines. Love me a good Chianti. I’m trying to get my friend. He speaks Italian to come back with me, so. Yeah, absolutely. That was the best one. I just didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have. 

[00:45:57] Lisa DiGeso: I love that. So what was your favorite TV show as a kid? 

[00:46:00] Ariana Joy: Oh, man, I loved something that I would always like to watch. I remember, like, running home watching Teen Titans, which was like a cartoon. Yeah. Yeah. Do you know that one?

[00:46:13] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah, I did. I yeah. 

[00:46:15] Ariana Joy: Such a good one.  

[00:46:16] Lisa DiGeso: Last thing you did for yourself as an indulgence. 

[00:46:19] Ariana Joy: Okay, well, you know what? I’m going to flip this around and tell you what I’m going to do for myself. I saw a dress at Urban Outfitters, and it made me feel like a garden fairy. And I’m buying that. And you better know I’m going to be the hottest mom at the supermarket in that. 

[00:46:33] Lisa DiGeso: Seriously, do it. Do a shoot with that. Do like to shoot with it.

[00:46:39] Ariana Joy: Oh, my, you’re so smart right now. I have even more, because the thing is, like, I always write it off. I can write it off. That is so smart. Okay, great, great. I’m so happy with that conversation. So that is what I’m going to say it because by the time this airs, I will have bought that dress. 

[00:46:54] Lisa DiGeso: Yeah. And then a matching hat. Do you need a hat with it?

[00:46:56] Ariana Joy: I love it. I love it. 

[00:46:58] Lisa DiGeso: Okay. Morning person or night owl? 

[00:47:00] Lisa DiGeso: Night owl. 100%. As much as I’ve tried to be a morning person, actually, this is another place where human design comes in. I have gate five in my chart with rhythms and rituals and we are not supposed to do things at times that don’t feel good to us. 100% not what we’re built for. So. Yeah, no.

[00:47:16] Lisa DiGeso: What did you want to be when you grew up? 

[00:47:18] Ariana Joy: Oh, I wanted to be like a singer and actor. Yeah.

[00:47:21] Lisa DiGeso: I wanted to have my own show.

[00:47:23] Ariana Joy: Really? The Lisa show? Yeah. Oh, no, she achieved it. 

[00:47:31] Lisa DiGeso: So what’s your go to karaoke jam? 

[00:47:34] Ariana Joy: Oh, my gosh. Okay, so it’s with my friend Bailey. We will always think Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks.  

[00:47:43] Lisa DiGeso: Love that.  

[00:47:43] Ariana Joy: Love that. It’s a killer. 

[00:47:46] Lisa DiGeso: What makes your soul light up? 

[00:47:48] Ariana Joy: Well, I realized that the other day that no matter what kind of mood I’m in, I’m in a cup of coffee or a run or a surf, and then dancing to, like, techno in the sunshine that will always get me on track. All of those things just put me right into a high vibe, super happy feeling. 

[00:48:08] Lisa DiGeso: I love that. What has been the best piece of business advice you’ve ever been given?  

[00:48:14] Ariana Joy: Oh, it’s going to sound so basic, but do what feels good to you. And don’t judge that. Honestly, I don’t like it. I know that that’s basically it. What I. Have been saying this entire time about human design, but that was a game changer to me. Just do what feels good and don’t question that so much. 

[00:48:36] Lisa DiGeso: So where can our listeners learn more from you? 

[00:48:40] Ariana Joy: You can come and learn from me on my podcast, the Just Follow Joy podcast. You can also connect with me. JustFollowJoyHD on Instagram. Yeah. And you can actually get my emails as it is my favorite place to connect with people to weekly emails. There is a lot of free information on there. You can sign up on JustFollowJoy.com And there are tons of free articles there. You can get a free human design energy type guide. So all of what I was telling you about energy types, that is actually the best way to get started because it’s very concise and it’s super easy to use on a day to day basis. 

[00:49:11] Lisa DiGeso: Well, I love to end my interviews with this last question, and it is what are you currently curious about or even artistically curious about who? 

[00:49:21] Ariana Joy: Oh, artistically curious about. Interesting. Curious about. Oh, my gosh, so many things. You know what? So I love true crime. I love it. So I know that’s. Not super. Artistic. But I. I just love true crime. So I’m always curious about, like, the newest story for my creators and also, like, historical true crime. One of my favorite creators on YouTube does like a historical crime podcast and it’s awesome. She talks about the history of bananas, like the dark past of bananas, and just as a history buff to like, yeah, I love that.  

[00:49:58] Lisa DiGeso: I love that. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. 

[00:50:02] Ariana Joy: Thank you for having me. I love you, Lisa.