About 10 years ago, I sat in my paternal grandma’s living room chatting with her about her life. She was 93 at the time and although she walked a little slower, she was just as witty as when I was a kid. That was the day I’d learn how I had followed in her career-woman footsteps unknowingly. She had traveled the world speaking and training salespeople as she achieved high-ranking awards as a top Watkins distributor. 

My Grandma Vi (Violet) was a hard woman who had lived a hard life. She had been clear that she wasn’t going to be much of a grandmother as she had already raised her own children, so I hadn’t spent much time with her growing up.

Her family, the Donkins, had landed in America as German/English immigrants when she was a small child. She had married my grandpa, a prison guard, after her first husband went MIA after the war, leaving her with two children on her own. They moved to Western New York and he built a farm  as he worked at Attica prison while they raised five more children together.

Watkins was an easy way for her to stay at home with her big family. She was able to provide her neighbors with the necessities they couldn’t get nearby, like real vanilla extract, healthy cleaning supplies, and healthy soup bases.

She and my grandpa would travel the world because of the trips she would win. She would also teach other distributors how to build their own community and wealth all over the world. 

As I sat listening to her stories, I was blown away by how little I knew about her life. I had received many of her innate abilities through just being related to her, but never got the chance to learn from her. I kept peppering her with questions wanting to know more about how she became such a decorated salesperson. I had never been nurtured by her, yet it was obvious that these were gifts she passed to me just by being related to her.

At the end of our conversation, I asked her one last question that would shape my future in a way I wouldn’t understand until many years later: “If you could go back to your favorite place one more time, where would you go?” 

Her first response: “I wouldn’t want to go anywhere anymore, the world is too crazy for me at my age.”

Then she reached under her magazine-lined coffee table and easily found a small well-worn travel book obviously from the 1960’s, as if she was waiting of me to ask this question. She handed it to me and said, “Madeira Island, just off the coast of Portugal. It probably still looks just like it did in the photos of this book.” 

Years later I had forgotten the name of this little island, yet found myself talking to my friend and photographer Mary Gardella about her move to a little town in Portugal. I shared that I was thinking of taking a group of my Brilliant Rebels on a special next-level trip there and her immediate response was: “You should take them to Madeira Island.” It all came rushing back. 

My grandma had already passed on just short of her 100th birthday, yet I somehow felt her presence with me. I was never one to believe in past lives or spirit guides, but a short time later I would find out from an Akashic Records reader that my Grandma Violet was one of my spirit guides. This woman I hardly got to know in this lifetime had opted to walk alongside me as I continued on with her magical gifts and abilities. Fascinating. 

The trip to Madeira Island began to come together with more ease than anything I had ever built. I decided to call it To The Moon and created our first Rebel Guide program, knowing I would need the support as we continued to build The Brilliant Rebellion. Four of my Rebels opted in and the Rebel Guide training began. It was as if it was all destined to be, including how easily we were filling our June Brilliant Rebels Experience (where these four would get certified!)

Fast-forward to this past week as we had our final call for the Portugal trip, we took some time to reflect what we know about each person. Not everyone knows each other very well (yet), so I wanted to give them space to share what they knew about each other so far. This isn’t something I usually participate in when I’m leading a group, so I was surprised and delighted when they shared what they knew about me as well. 

“I know you walk ahead of us on the dirt path and light the little fairy lights so we can see where we’re going. Then you wait patiently for us to catch up so you can light the next ones.” 

Being a Fairy Guidemother is my most favorite role of my entire career. To light the path for others to become their next selves on this beautiful journey of life. And now I know I’m not doing it alone. My own Grandmother is also guiding me to support others—women supporting women, even if it’s not in their own lifetime on this earth. 

If you are looking for someone to guide you to your next career move, next version of yourself, or even your next bit of growth, send me a note and see if the Brilliant Rebels Experience is the right fit. I’m thrilled with how these Rebel Guides are stepping into themselves to support you as you do—together. 

Whether we know it or not, we’re all being guided, so let’s walk hand-in-hand as we walk each other home. 

xoxo
Your Fairy Guidemother
Melanie Spring

PSST. Follow me on instagram.com/melaniespring to see clips of our To The Moon trip!