From Military to Life Doula: Creating Space for What Matters Most with Gayle Walker

What happens when you give yourself permission to rest and listen to the signals life is sending you? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Gail Walker, a former Navy veteran turned life doula and decluttering expert, who discovered her true calling during an 18-month sabbatical after retirement.

Gail shares her transformational journey from military structure to entrepreneurial freedom, and how one reluctant favor for a friend in Spain changed everything. This episode dives deep into the art of creating capacity in your life through decluttering your space, accepting help, and designing systems that support your values rather than drain your energy.

This conversation is for you if you:

• Feel overwhelmed by the daily management of your household and life
• Struggle with accepting help, even when you desperately need it
• Wonder how clutter might be masking deeper emotional patterns
• Want to create more presence and connection in your relationships
• Are curious about taking strategic breaks to discover your next chapter

Key Takeaways
On Finding Your Signal

• Why rest isn't laziness, it's the space where new directions reveal themselves
• How 18 months of intentional downtime led to a complete career transformation
• The importance of creating capacity to "receive a new signal" for your life

On Redefining Support

• Why "it's just easier if I do it" is a control lie we tell ourselves
• How accepting help isn't about being unable, it's about being strategic
• The framework: "As your life expands, so should your support"

On Decluttering as Life Design

• Clutter as a mask for deeper emotional states (overwhelm, grief, confusion)
• The "People, Property, and Processes" framework for home organization
• How your physical environment signals what systems need attention

On Living Fully

• Why your home should be designed around your current values, not past versions
• The power of asking for what you need instead of hoping people will guess
• How small luxuries (like prioritizing sleep) create capacity for bigger dreams

Chapters

00:00 Embracing the Present: A Journey of Transformation

09:53 From Military Structure to Entrepreneurial Freedom

19:53 The Importance of Support in Family Dynamics

25:24 Clutter as a Mask for Deeper Issues

26:58 Support Systems in Busy Lives

28:04 The Value of Support for Singles

29:49 Decluttering for Clarity and Peace 

30:59 Collaboration vs. Lone Ranger Mentality 

33:16 Home Organization as a Foundation 

35:05 Decluttering Beyond the Physical 

37:24 Creating Energy and Inspiration in Spaces

39:01 Living Fully and Joyfully 

40:56 Finding Joy in Sleep 

42:49 Saying Yes to Help 

44:30 Life Soundtrack and Motivation 

45:14 Remembering to Live Mindfully

Connect with Gayle

http://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylelwalker

https://www.instagram.com/mylifedoula

https://www.youtube.com/@mylifedoula

https://www.pinterest.com/mylifedoula/

https://bit.ly/DeclutteringPrepGuide 

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share with a few friends so we can all help each other Remember to Live.

To connect with and learn more about me and how I am Remembering to Live, you can find me on Instagram @coreancanty or at coreancanty.com.

To work with me and explore freebies, check out: https://coreancanty.com/links/

If you are ready to re-imagine, re-claim and re-design your life, book a possibility call today.

Transcript

Corean Canty (00:00)
Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Remember to Live podcast. Today my guest is Gail Walker, and I'm so excited for y'all to get to know her a little bit better. Gail is an inspiring keynote speaker, a decluttering expert, and life doula who helps mothers reimagine what support looks like, how to manage their households, and find peace. I wish I had met you like 20 years ago when my kids were young. But...

Gayle L Walker (00:25)
I hear that

a lot. I get that a lot. ⁓

Corean Canty (00:29)
You know, you know.

Thank you so much for coming to the show. I always like to take a moment just so we can get present and settle and be here and nowhere else. So let's take a breath. Especially as busy women and busy mothers, we don't always give ourselves a chance to just be where we are, right? And so I wanna give us that moment as often as possible.

Gayle L Walker (00:57)
I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you.

Corean Canty (00:59)
Yes, yes.

All right, to get us kicked off today, the question I want to start with is, what moment in your life made you realize the importance of living more fully in the present?

Gayle L Walker (01:17)
Mm.

I say the one moment that ⁓ was a big pivot point in my life was when I made the decision to retire from the Navy.

And I woke up one morning and I just knew, I knew it was time. And I'd been struggling with the decision for actually years. And I remember it like it was yesterday. I woke up one morning, I'd been focused on my rest. I'd stopped drinking. I decided to eat better and exercise. So I was in a really good place. And I woke up and I'm like, it's time.

Corean Canty (02:00)
Yeah. Yeah.

Gayle L Walker (02:00)
is time.

And I was so present in my body, I was so present in my mind, and even though things were crazy at work, I had so much clarity in that moment. And I would say it's that moment.

Corean Canty (02:17)
Yeah, well, I mean, that's just a big life moment anyway, right? Like I know I have a few friends who've had military careers and it's a certain type of lifestyle that not all of us experience, right? And...

Gayle L Walker (02:26)
Mm-hmm.

Corean Canty (02:33)
from my understanding because I haven't had a military career, right? It's by default filled with a lot of structure and kind of knowing what you need to do next and kind of structure in your days in a certain way, which can be a really good thing for people. But also sometimes when you're in that level of structure, there's not enough flexibility to pause and think about like,

Where am I really right now? Like, what do I need right now? Like, what is the life that I want right now as we grow and evolve?

Gayle L Walker (03:05)
Yes,

for sure, for sure. And it's making me think about some other very telling moments after getting out of the military, realizing that all of that structure created some layers, layers between who I was in that moment and who I really was internally. And so, yes, that structure is really good in terms of, you know, we all dress alike or one sound.

Corean Canty (03:26)
you

Gayle L Walker (03:34)
You know, we march on the same step. We're together as a team. But I feel like you do, if you're not careful, you lose some of that individuality. You know, when you serve 100 % and give your life to an organization like the military. Yeah.

Corean Canty (03:46)
Yeah.

Yeah. And I mean, sometimes

that happens in corporate careers as well, right? When we work for the same company for many years and you kind of get in that habit of this is what my day to day looks like. And you don't really kind of give yourself an opportunity or a chance to reimagine. And so you went from a very structured, very specific type of career to now, you know, being this life doula.

Gayle L Walker (04:01)
Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Corean Canty (04:27)
and this organizational expert and doing things that might not seem like the logical next step. So share a little bit with us on how did you go from having this military career to all of the amazing things that you're doing now?

Gayle L Walker (04:39)
Thank

Yeah, so I'm laughing because I'm very unstructured right now living as an entrepreneur. So I'm like, ⁓ I'm appreciating the structure of the military right now in my entrepreneur life. ⁓ But I have to say it is all, all divine. Like I am living a very inspired experience. And I was just thinking today, I'm like, okay, God is serving as my agent right now and leading and directing me.

Because I did not leave the Navy with the goal of being a nanny. That was not, you know, what do the young people say? That was not on my bingo card. That was not, it was not in my sights. It was not on my bingo card. I mean, it was not the plan. And so how I transitioned from the military into this encore career, it evolved and it evolved.

Corean Canty (05:21)
Right, right.

Gayle L Walker (05:42)
out of service to a friend who had a young baby and who was a senior executive with a young baby and she needed help. And I graciously agreed, I shouldn't say graciously, I'm not being honest. I reluctantly, yeah, let me be honest. I reluctantly went to help her, but I loved her so much.

Corean Canty (06:00)
There you go. Let's keep it real.

Gayle L Walker (06:11)
that I decided and agreed to help her and it changed my life. Caring for her, caring for her baby literally changed my life. And that was the beginning of what became Life Dula. Serving moms, serving families and taking care of people in their homes. ⁓ From that experience with my friend, I came back to the US because at the time she was in Spain.

I came back to the US and I like, okay, I really enjoyed that. I'd love to do more. And began seeking out opportunities to serve and realized some of the work that I'd been doing was very similar to how postpartum doulas support families in the first three months after they bring baby home. But I was doing it long beyond three months. And I enjoyed it.

My clients loved it. And literally, I was like, something is happening. Something is happening to me. Something's happening for my clients. And this inspired work became like doula.

Corean Canty (07:24)
That's amazing. mean, and we talk about pivots a lot, but that doesn't seem like a pivot a lot of people would even consider, right? Going through this whole career and then kind of falling into being a nanny, that's a really big change. But when we lean into some of these unexpected opportunities in life and stay open to trying new things, we can find these pivots that might just be that stepping stone.

to the thing you're really meant to be doing.

Gayle L Walker (07:56)
Absolutely, absolutely. And the thing that allowed me, the thing that allowed me to answer the call to a friend in need, the thing that allowed me to be really curious is that what started out as a three month break was an 18 month break. And I know that everybody can take a sabbatical for a year and a half.

but transitioning out of the military, you luckily with the military and being eligible for retirement, there's a long off ramp. So I had a year to plan my departure and I'd been thinking about it two years prior to that. And so I planted, I paid off all of my debt. I downsized my life to a one bedroom apartment. Cause I was like, I didn't want to do anything.

Like I'm very capable driven. can do any, almost anything very, very well. I know how to figure things out. And I didn't want to do that anymore. I wanted to do the thing. I wanted to be doing the work that was my purpose. And I had no idea what it was, but I knew without a doubt that I needed to rest. I knew that for sure. And I literally asked strangers,

Corean Canty (08:59)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Gayle L Walker (09:22)
because I was really excited about retiring and I was like, what would you tell someone who's getting ready to retire? Like, what would your number one advice would be?

And Corean when I tell you, and I am not exaggerating, every single person said, take time off.

Corean Canty (09:40)
Hmm.

Gayle L Walker (09:42)
even down to the cab driver in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Corean Canty (09:46)
Mm.

Gayle L Walker (09:48)
take time off. And I kept asking people, because then it became a game. Like someone's going to tell me something different. Every single person, every single person said, take time off. And I said, you know, I could be a slow learner sometimes or a little stubborn. And so I'm going to take time off. Like it was, it was the neon sign. And what initially was, you know, the plan initially was to take three months off.

Corean Canty (09:53)
Right, right.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Gayle L Walker (10:17)
and became four months and then six months and then more time with family, time to travel, more yoga, more sleep. I ended up taking a year and a half off until I went to spend some time with my friend in Spain who was on maternity leave. And creating that capacity to receive a new signal for something different, it started

Corean Canty (10:23)
You

Yeah.

Mm, mm, that part, right?

Gayle L Walker (10:46)
And yes, it was the rest period. It was the rest period, indeed.

Corean Canty (10:50)
Yes. Yes. And I think that's so important.

I think that's so important. And I realized when, you know, I took a break from corporate and stepped away a few years ago, I didn't have anything else planned. Like I was at my limit and I was like, I just need to take a break. I was trying to figure out how to be a caretaker to my mom. And so I was like, you know what? I've done well enough for myself that I don't have to live in a scarcity mindset and I can take this break. Right. And I understand there's privilege in that.

Gayle L Walker (11:18)
Yes.

Corean Canty (11:18)
But I also

understand that I've worked for that too, right? And that if you get an opportunity to take a break, even if it's a forced one, because I know so many people in transition right now, and immediately the scarcity mindset or the uncertainty takes over and they're creating an environment that's just as stressful as the one that they might've come from, instead of realizing like, you know what? Yes, I need to figure out what's next.

Gayle L Walker (11:21)
Yes.

Yes.

Corean Canty (11:45)
Yes, I need to take care of myself, take care of my family, all the things, but we can't pour from empty cups. And so we have to find a way to incorporate rest regardless and take care of ourselves. But when we get these opportunities in life to just live for a little bit, right? Because otherwise, why do we call it making a living if we never do the living part, right? We can't save that for some day. Like I'm seeing real life end of life regrets with my mother. There's things.

Gayle L Walker (12:10)
Great.

Corean Canty (12:14)
she's never gonna be able to do in this lifetime that she never did. She never gave herself a chance to. And I'm like, you mean that someday list might turn into a too late list?

Gayle L Walker (12:25)
Yeah, it's very real, very real.

Corean Canty (12:27)
And that's real, that's real.

That's real. And the part about the signal, that like, you can't pick up the signal when you're just constantly in chaos, especially the one, the one inside of you that's been trying to signal to you this whole time, as we're trying to figure out like, what am I meant to do in this life? And there gets to be a point, regardless of what type of career you have, where the years behind you might be more than the years in front of you. And when that happens,

Gayle L Walker (12:58)
Yes.

Corean Canty (13:00)
you start wondering like, am I really doing? And that desire for meaning and that desire for purpose starts to become front and center.

Gayle L Walker (13:09)
Yeah, for sure, for sure. If I had received the signal to care for children and mothers, even in the three months after retirement, I would not have heard that. And if I'd heard it, I would have rejected it completely, completely. It was only after having this transformational experience, like literally a transformational experience with my friend, that I was able to...

say, okay, this, and it wasn't like this might be it. I was just curious. I'm like, I really enjoyed this. Let me go out and find more experience like this to confirm what I'm experiencing this moment.

Corean Canty (13:45)
Mmm.

Yeah. Yeah.

And so as you had that experience, there's the part that you do where you're, or you helped you or a nanny and you're helping the mom and the baby and those things. then somewhere along the line, you realized like, ⁓ there's this other whole part of recognizing, which many of us mothers know this is true, but we, we just kind of do it that like managing your household is another full-time job. And we try to do everything ourselves, right? We try to.

Be the career person, be the mom, be the wife, be the cook, be the cleaning lady, be the everything. We try to be everything, right?

Gayle L Walker (14:39)
Yes, curate

experience, the holidays, the household management, preparing for guests, cards to the mother, flowers to the... It's a lot. It's lot.

Corean Canty (14:42)
Yes.

And we wonder why we're tired and why we can't find time to take care of ourselves. But like, even for me, even now, I have to like make an effort to allow help. I have to make an effort. Like it's been an unlearning. It's been as a, as a single mom, my whole career, it, it always felt like the whole world was on my, like I'm holding the plates. If I let a plate go, like what's like, there's nobody else to pick up a plate.

Gayle L Walker (14:54)
Right.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Corean Canty (15:20)
even to the point where even when I did even have support at work, but my executive assistant was like, you have to give me things to do. You don't need to do all of it. Right. And I'm like, you know, the thing we tell ourselves, ⁓ it's just, just, it's just easier if I do it. It's just quicker if I do it. It's just easier if I do it. It's just quicker, but it's not right. It's just the, it's the control lie. tell ourselves. Yeah.

Gayle L Walker (15:32)
It's like a tug of war. Give it to me. No, I got it. Give it to me. No, I got it.

Yep, for sure,

for sure.

Corean Canty (15:47)
Yeah, so how did you start kind of putting those puzzle pieces together and offering that type of support?

Gayle L Walker (15:55)
Yeah, so after I began supporting families, like a little bit here, a little bit there, because I was still like, yeah, I kind of like the semi-retired thing, ⁓ clients that I worked with for short assignments, like a two-week assignment or date night assignment, began to call me back. And I had a client who I became their date night sitter.

And they were like, well, do you have time during the week? And I was like, yeah, no, I'm not interested. This little date night thing is perfect for me. And then I just started working for them ⁓ four days a week. So a couple days during the week and their date night sitter. And over time, I began to do additional things. So I'm the kind of person that if the trash is full,

Take out the trash. ⁓ I'm the kind of person, you know, if your two year old is in bed asleep and you're gone for three additional hours, I'm the kind of person that will say, okay, well what else can I do to be helpful? ⁓ And so I just began to take on these additional projects supporting the home. So whether it's cleaning the kitchen, whether it's folding laundry, ⁓ I began to do that during date night.

Corean Canty (16:53)
Mm.

Gayle L Walker (17:21)
and then I was hired to support during the week and then support with some additional things in the home. Well, long story short, I did that for five and a half years for two families. And in my heart, I began to realize that the combination of this effort is serving as a third adult in the home created some really magical moments for the parents to have time with one another.

Corean Canty (17:46)
Mm.

Mm-hmm.

Gayle L Walker (17:49)
the

consistent date night as the CEOs of their home, ⁓ reliable, accountable, safe care for their children. It just created this capacity that translated and created other opportunities for the family to experience and connect with one another. And it took me a while to see that.

Because before I was like, I'm just doing the laundry. I'm just emptying the dishwasher. ⁓ I'm just driving an hour and half picking up two kids in two different locations. And I began to realize it's the accumulation and the combined synergy of managing all of these things that's creating tremendous results, primarily ease and peace of mind for the parents.

Corean Canty (18:35)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Gayle L Walker (18:44)
And so as I began to understand that impact, there was another signal. And the signal was, now you have to share this with others. Now you have to share this with others. Because I kept thinking, well, what is it? Why are people just saying these things to me? Why are people surrounding me at five-year-old birthday parties and saying, you're Miss Gayle. I've heard about you.

Corean Canty (18:55)
Mm.

Gayle L Walker (19:10)
And it took me a while to figure it out. And once I began to understand what was happening, it was like, OK, now that you understand, now you have to share with other more families, me to know this synergy. So, yeah.

Corean Canty (19:25)
Yeah, because those

hours add up, right? Like we don't think about it when we're just going, going, going, doing, doing, doing. But when you're in a household, especially if even when you're partnered, you're like sometimes ships passing in the night because there's so many things to do that you don't have time for connection. And whether your parents are not or even if you're like there's there's things that we need to do for ourselves that if we could just get a few hours back, if we could

Gayle L Walker (19:39)
Exactly.

Yes,

30 minutes. Yes.

Corean Canty (19:54)
Those hours turn into days, turn into weeks,

turn into years of our life.

Gayle L Walker (19:59)
Yes, for sure. mean, I get goosebumps when I talk about it or when I share with other families. You know, I'm like, okay, imagine, just imagine. You know, you have the opportunity to get home before your kids get home. So you have an opportunity to change your clothes, decompress, start dinner, your kids come home. You know, someone is bringing them in the door, helping them with their book bags, helping them get, you know, potty, hands washed.

and then they come to the table and you get to engage about your day. And while you're at the table, someone else is putting the food away, taking care of things in the home. They've already taken care of bath time. So pajamas, towels, all the things are set up and you get to like fully be immersed in present at dinner with your children.

Like just that one exchange, having someone on the front end and the back end supporting that one thing can make all the difference.

Corean Canty (21:03)
especially now, connection as humans is so important and we've made life so busy. I don't even like to use the word busy anymore. We've made life so busy, like this busy as a badge of honor, this feeling like if I'm not being productive, that I'm not worthy or I'm not successful or I'm not like, we don't prioritize time to just be. And so, especially as parents.

Like I realized I watched and learned that I could say whatever I wanted to to my children, but they picked up on what I did more than what I said because they're both adults now. So I'm on the other side of it. Right. So I watch my adult children and I'm like, ⁓ work ethic is a good thing. Maybe you don't need that much, but I see where you get it from. Right. Like maybe you should take a break. Maybe you should, you know, go outside and take a walk even now. And because

Gayle L Walker (21:43)
for sure.

Yeah.

yeah.

Corean Canty (22:02)
The world is so full of technology that we can be on 24-7 and not even realize it.

Gayle L Walker (22:10)
For sure, for sure. Yeah, as you were saying that, it made me think about COVID. We got a lot of information from our children during COVID because our children were watching us work from home. And so when you see your toddler imitate you on the phone and they're holding the phone to their ear and they're saying, yeah, uh-huh, okay, yeah. They see and they mimic often what they see and what they hear, not necessarily what you.

tell them or how you direct them. So yeah.

Corean Canty (22:47)
So there's one thing that I've learned in life and the older I get, the more I need it. And I know this is something that ⁓ you feel very strongly about and that's decluttering. I've learned as I've gotten older that like my outside kind of reflects my inside. So when things are all over the place and mind you, I was the person who like, especially like in college and early in my career,

Like I spread everything out all over the desk. I had to see it or I'd forget. Like I had too much going on. Like I had to be a mom and I had to work and I had to study. And so I had to like see it. And so I kind of built up this, what I call organized chaos, right? But as I got older and I started learning how to remove the chaos, how to remove the stress, clutter began to make me feel anxious. And then I realized, and now if I come home and I see stuff all over, I'm like, oh, what's going on, Corean

Gayle L Walker (23:29)
Right.

Corean Canty (23:46)
We need to clear the outside so the inside could get clear. Right. And I didn't realize what an impact on like my health and well-being. Just clearing space did in like how clearing space allowed my mind to get clear and allowed more ideas in. So can we talk a little bit about this? Because I know you're passionate about this topic too.

Gayle L Walker (24:08)
Yes, please I'm over here like yes my favorite topic

Corean Canty (24:10)
You

Gayle L Walker (24:14)
Yes, I love to declutter. I think I do have a little OCD, but it serves me well. know, things like doors being closed, chairs being pushed in, counters being clear.

Corean Canty (24:25)
There might be a

little bit of that military training too.

Gayle L Walker (24:28)
Well, I have been in the military since I was two. My dad was in the army. He's an army veteran. So I grew up making my bed every day. Literally, you make up your bed every day. When you get out of it, you make your bed and putting things away. yes, at 20 years in the military, Ad being a nurse, ⁓ all of those things have created this decluttering mindset.

Corean Canty (24:32)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Gayle L Walker (24:56)
about cloning this and things being in order. ⁓ So yes, I love talking about decluttering. And one of the things that I'm noticing ⁓ as I help people get decluttered, it's not about the clutter. It's something else. There's always an undercurrent, whether it's having difficulty, let going, wait.

letting go of clothes because it represents a size you used to be. Whether it's messy papers because things got out of order during the loss of a loved one. There's always something else and that something else comes up even when the clutter is gone. And so clutter is a mask. It is a mask for something else. So could be grief. It could be loss.

It could be confusion. And when your spaces are in disarray, it is a signal that something is going on and it's not about the physical thing.

Corean Canty (26:06)
Yeah, I think sometimes even for me, it's as simple as overwhelm. I've put too much stuff on my plate and now I'm just kind of like, ⁓ right? And so then what are the things that we usually let fall off the things we need the most? Well, like take care of everyone else and serve up everyone else. And then we're like, ⁓ but all my stuff is neglected now.

Gayle L Walker (26:08)
Yeah.

Yeah.

for sure.

Exactly. Yes, for sure. And you can see it in busy households. And so I talked to clients about, you're busy. And as your life expands, I tell people as your life expands, so should your support. And when your life is too busy and you don't have good systems and support, it's going to reflect in your environment. It just will. And so sometimes,

Corean Canty (26:32)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Gayle L Walker (26:58)
your environment is signaling, you're either doing too much, which a lot of people are, especially if you have children and parents you're caring for. And so it's a signal for what systems are not in place or have failed. And is it time for an extra set of hands? Because you cannot do it all. You cannot do it all and be present for the life that you're living. Yeah.

Corean Canty (27:25)
Yeah. So I also know a lot of,

you know, busy career women who have built these lives for themselves and they may not be mothers or wives yet or in partnership, right? And they're single and they're like, well, why would I call anybody to come? It's just me. And so they think they don't need the support or the care or they shouldn't because

it's just them or society makes them feel like, you're, you know, you're the single person. You should be able to do this or you shouldn't need any support. But I know that you, you have the model, like you probably need more care than you think, especially as a single person, right?

Gayle L Walker (27:57)
Yes.

Yes. Well, when you think about it, a single person is taking care of all of the household obligations for one person. So when you're thinking about a household that has children and family, it's a volume issue. You have more things. But at the same time, if you're going to cook for one, you can cook for four.

Corean Canty (28:32)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Gayle L Walker (28:33)
If the laundry needs to be done, the laundry needs to be done. So even though you're one person, you still have to do all the things. The laundry, the dishes, buy the food, the supplies, ⁓ change the linen. All the same duties exist. You just don't have the volume. But the same duties exist, and they have to be taken care of by one person. So the life demands are still the same. And again,

I know I tell people you don't have to be a celebrity to get help. You don't have to be a mother to get help. You don't have to have children and other people that you're responsible to say, hey, my life is expanded in this area in this way, whether it's my career, whether I want to get focused on dating because I want to meet my my mate. I want to get out there more. And so whatever it is,

Corean Canty (29:09)
Right.

Gayle L Walker (29:32)
Whether you're writing more, you're writing a book, you're starting a new side gig or entrepreneurship, whatever it is as your life expands, so should your support. And that goes for single people as well.

Corean Canty (29:49)
Yes. And I love how you mentioned starting a new thing, right? As someone who is currently an entrepreneur, who made the decision to have two businesses, which everyone's like, why would you do that? It's like, cause I want to. And who also is a writer and working on a book. I would say that entrepreneurship has been my greatest personal development tool, right? Like I could make excuses for myself.

when I was in my corporate career and even being responsible for a whole company in a corporate capacity, it didn't make me realize how much I can't do it all on my own until you're the actual one person running the whole business in the household. Because in corporate, yes, I did a lot, but I also had a team. And so even if I didn't delegate well, I had people to delegate to.

Gayle L Walker (30:17)
Absolutely.

Corean Canty (30:45)
But when you're starting businesses in the beginning, it's you and you have to figure out a way to do all the things and to be productive. Otherwise you burn out really quickly.

Gayle L Walker (30:59)
Absolutely, you burn out. And here's something that came up for me when I was meditating today, is that I am at my best when I'm in collaboration with others. And I tend to be a lone ranger, where I just dig in and I do it all myself. But when I do decide to connect, to collaborate, to...

network, which you know, our conversations began when you and I had our little coffee chat, and I'm doing more of those. And I wish we had recorded that conversation. It was so juicy. And so I'm learning that, that when I can let go of the things that don't require my genius, and when I make room to be collaborative with others, really good stuff comes out of that.

Corean Canty (31:30)
Yeah.

It was such a good conversation.

Gayle L Walker (31:55)
that may not have come forward on my own. And so it's pushing me to stop doing the things that other people would love to do for me. Just stop doing that stuff.

Corean Canty (32:09)
Yeah, yeah. And

that's the thing we forget. Like there's some things that I don't ever want to do. I do not enjoy it. I don't get out. I to lick any joy out of doing it. And there things you feel like you have to do, but somewhere in the world, there are some of who actually likes doing those things that I don't like to do because there's many things I like to do that some of my friends are like, I don't want to do that. I don't like to do that, but it brings me joy. we've

Gayle L Walker (32:27)
Exactly.

Yeah.

Corean Canty (32:35)
when you can use the mindset of like, I'm robbing someone else of their joy and income for doing the thing I don't wanna do anyway, that opens up space for me to do the thing that brings me joy and income, it's a win-win.

Gayle L Walker (32:44)
Exactly.

Right?

Yes, exactly. Exactly. Yes. Yeah, good stuff.

Corean Canty (32:54)
Yeah. that's awesome.

Is there anything we haven't covered yet that you think is really important for someone to think about or start to explore as they're looking to live fully and live their best life and find the space that we've been talking about to be able to do these things that bring us more joy.

Gayle L Walker (33:16)
Yeah. Well, since we talked about that signal to share more, I would love to share with people that your home base, your home organization, your home base is the foundation for all the things that you're doing out in the

And when your home is organized, it creates capacity. And so part of the framework that I love sharing with people, it's about people, property, and processes. And when those three things are in order, it brings the heart, the ease, the curated experiences, the joy, the presence.

Corean Canty (33:46)
Mmm.

Gayle L Walker (34:08)
that our homes are meant to provide for us. And so I often start with the property, the getting uncluttered, because once you get uncluttered, things are in order. You kicked back the laundry, you've gotten rid of the junk, all your clothes fit in your closet. ⁓ You're able to sit on chairs because they're not covered by junk. The counters are clear and you're able to cook a meal. When the physical environment is clear,

It creates opportunity to one deal with the stuff underneath it. When there are processes in place to sustain the rhythms of the home, you begin to experience efficiency and ease and more connection and collaboration. so, decluttering is not just the, know, does it bring you joy?

Corean Canty (35:04)
Mm-hmm.

Gayle L Walker (35:05)
Is it in the way of something else? Is it a signal for something that's happening, you know, in your mind or even physically in your body? Is it getting in the way of you enjoying your space? And so the more I talk about decluttering, it's becoming less about the thing and more about what's underneath. What is the cluttering concealing? What is it hiding? Yeah.

Corean Canty (35:07)
Mm. Mm. Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

There's a few things. Yes.

There's a few things you said there that really kind of sparked something in me. ⁓ One quick story. So I was at ⁓ one of the networking, many networking things I go to, and I won like a prize to have someone come and like do the closet thing, right?

Gayle L Walker (35:54)
Ooh!

Corean Canty (35:55)
And now

the house I moved into already had all the fancy organization in the closet. And so in my mind, I was like, I don't need this, but I want it so I might as well do it. Like, and I'm telling myself, I don't need it. I already have like drawers and stuff built in my closet. And so, but it's like, you know what? Be open and curious and see. And I said, you know what? I'm doing a lot more speaking. I'm doing a lot more getting out and doing that. said, let me.

Gayle L Walker (36:01)
Mm-hmm.

Corean Canty (36:22)
set my closet up in a way that makes me inspired to like get dressed. I've worked from home since 2015. I have more yoga pants and sweatpants than anything, right? And I was like, maybe it's time to refresh the wardrobe, do a few things. And just the way it was to kind of have someone else come in and help me really think about what it means for my home to be my sanctuary and how I wanted my closet to.

Gayle L Walker (36:34)
Yes.

Corean Canty (36:48)
function for me, like to think about it beyond it just being, that's where I store my clothes. But like, do you get inspired by your clothes when you walk in there? And just even rearranging how some things are so I can see and envision outfits, change the energy. And I'm a big energy person. And I was like, this feels different now when I walk in the room. And so I think we forget that yes, there's ease and yes, there's clarity.

But there's also an energy in your home that you might not be feeling when everything's kind of all over the place.

Gayle L Walker (37:24)
Absolutely, the arrangement of things and determining is this an alignment with my vision? You know, I ask people I know you really love it and I know you were when you went to Cabo for your 40th birthday, but this is still relevant to the thing that is on the horizon and so asking those questions really getting aligned to your values and designing your home so it's aligned with your values.

is another big piece of evaluating the clutter. Even down to, the pictures on my wall serving me? Am I highlighting the people that are really important to me? You know, if it's my grandmother who's had so much impact on my life, where is her picture? She needs to be honored in this space. And so curating your spaces to serve you from a values perspective,

Corean Canty (38:16)
Mm. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Gayle L Walker (38:24)
is also a big part of decluttering and organizing the space to serve your present day life.

Corean Canty (38:32)
Mm, that's good. That's good. I love this because these are all tools that we don't necessarily think about to life better, right? Because that's what we're all really trying to do every day is like figure out how do we life better? How can I set up my life in a way that I have more joy and that I can show up to it and that I'm not constantly fighting for a someday version of it, but like a two day version of it? Like how do we eliminate those end of life regrets now?

Gayle L Walker (39:01)
Yes.

Corean Canty (39:01)
and actions that

we take and the ways we set up our homes and the time we create for each other by using these tools.

Gayle L Walker (39:07)
Yes,

absolutely, absolutely.

Corean Canty (39:11)
I love that. Okay.

I have some questions to ask because I want people to be able to get to know you a little bit better. And I really love just kind of seeing all the different ways people answer these fun questions. Okay. So the first one is what small luxury do you never feel guilty about enjoying?

Gayle L Walker (39:18)
Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, I don't know if sleep, if you consider sleep a luxury. It shouldn't be, it just should be a normal thing. It's essential. Okay, for me, sleep is my luxury and I don't ever feel guilty about it. Like I will leave a party, I will decline, I will decline dinner that starts at 930. Like I just can't do it. So for me, and I don't feel guilty, like people know like, yeah, if it's after eight, Gail's not going. It's like.

Corean Canty (39:40)
Well, it's essential, but there is such thing as luxurious sleep.

Yeah, yeah.

Gayle L Walker (40:05)
We're gonna have to do the early dinner. But I just, I do all the things. I have the essential oils, the sound machine. I put on my orange glasses at night before bed. I have the sleep mask, the dark shades, weighted blanket. Like sleep is...

Corean Canty (40:13)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Yes.

I'm right there with you. Well, for the first half of my life, I didn't get much of it. And once I did, I realized I'm not giving this up at all. So many people ask me because everyone knows I do improv. So many people ask me, you do stand up? And I say, I write it. But stand up is a late night thing. I'm not going to open mics and not sleeping. I just can't do it. I love comedy, but I love sleep more. Yes. ⁓ I love that.

Gayle L Walker (40:28)
Yes.

No, yes!

Yes, the only thing I haven't

done, which I mentioned to you before, is I haven't done the mouth tape.

Corean Canty (41:00)
I do do that. I have mouth taped for five years.

Gayle L Walker (41:04)
So that's the

only thing I haven't integrated into my sleep routine that I'm excited to try.

Corean Canty (41:07)
Mm-hmm. Yes, try it and let's talk about it. had a sleep

expert on a previous episode and we talked about that as well. It really did change the quality of my sleep. Yes. Yes. So what's your favorite way to spend an unexpected free hour?

Gayle L Walker (41:17)
videos.

Okay, I'm curious about that. Yes.

So I, so presently right now, I want to be a voracious reader. And so when I have some unexpected time, I have books all around. So reading, reading, I can't read at night because I get sleepy, I fall asleep. It just doesn't work for me. So when I get unexpected time, I'm like, it's time to read. Me too.

Corean Canty (42:07)
That's why we connect so well. I own more books than anything else. it's it

when people are like, you should, you want to get rid of some of those books? I'm like, absolutely not. Like, no, one day that is my someday list that will always be my someday list. I have some books that someday I'll get to, but I'm not going to get rid of them. It's my, that's my little secret, secret, secret lecture. Yes. Yes. So as you've been in this, you know, pivot, this, the second act, so to speak,

Gayle L Walker (42:16)
No, I'm gonna read that. I know.

That's my list, yes.

Corean Canty (42:37)
in this stage of life as you're learning to be an entrepreneur, what's something you started saying yes to more often that's made your life better?

Gayle L Walker (42:49)
I started saying yes to help. So I hired a VA and I am better at asking people for what I need from them. Because before I'd be like, I'll just do it. I would second guess about asking for things. I know. Well, I have been convicted. And that's like, well, how does Life Dula use her model for herself? And I was like, I need to practice that more.

Corean Canty (43:04)
Right, even though your whole world right now revolves around helping others, it's so hard for us to do it ourselves, right?

Gayle L Walker (43:19)
And so now I'll ask people, like, hey, I need this from you and I need it in this way. Can you? And oftentimes it's yes. And so now it's like, I need this from you. I would really love it if, can I ask you to do something for me? Do you have the capacity to? Yes. And it's been a lot of fun. ⁓

Corean Canty (43:43)
Yeah. I love that. I love

that. And I mean, I'm the same way. can help you get the help you need, but me asking for help is always kind of the last thing on my list. But I love that you said, yes, that you're using your voice more in that capacity. I mean, I do a lot of helping people find their voice and all the way from thought leadership to TEDx stages. But the one thing that I think is the most powerful

Gayle L Walker (43:55)
I'm saying yes to asking for help.

Corean Canty (44:13)
is when they learn how to use it to advocate for themselves and ask for what they need in all areas of life, right? It's so important. It's so important.

Gayle L Walker (44:18)
Yes, yes, it is

indeed.

Corean Canty (44:24)
Okay, here's a fun one. If your life had a soundtrack, what would the title track be right now?

Gayle L Walker (44:30)
Well, right now, in this present moment, would be ⁓ Mariah Carey's Make It Happen.

Corean Canty (44:38)
yes.

Gayle L Walker (44:39)
I know, yes, that is my soundtrack. Just keep going, make it happen. Yes. I'd break out into a song, I know. I won't do it for you. I know, it's in my head and I wanna say it, but I don't wanna do it. ⁓ Not more than two short years ago. Yeah, that one.

Corean Canty (44:47)
All I hear is the high note in my head that I can't ever get to. We can all imagine it in our brains right now. Yes. ⁓ Now I'm have to go pull out some old music

after this. Awesome. Okay, final question. How do you remember to live?

Gayle L Walker (45:14)
Breathing, meditating and breathing. I have recommitted to that and it has made such a huge difference.

Corean Canty (45:15)
Mm.

Gayle L Walker (45:26)
Primarily because it just allows me to reconnect to myself and reconnect to the God in me, my higher purpose and what I'm here to do. And so I am reminded every day that I'm here to serve others and I can't do it unless I'm in good shape. It's harder to do it unless I'm in good shape.

And so you say it all the time, you can't pour from an empty cup. And part of the way, the part of the way I've been able to serve people so well is because I take good care of myself. Like I really do. Like I have a lot of boundaries around my health, my body, my physical space, my mind that I can serve with gusto, like with all of me.

And that's what's creating these experiences because there's I have nothing to hold back.

Corean Canty (46:30)
Yeah. Yeah.

Gayle L Walker (46:32)
And

so I remember when I make time for myself the first, like when I first wake up, I am thankful, I am grateful to be alive and awake. And I pause to get centered. And that is how I remember.

Corean Canty (46:51)
⁓ I love that. Gail, this has been such a great conversation. Tell everyone how they can find you.

Gayle L Walker (46:53)
you

Yes.

Yes. So MyLifeDoula. That's how you can find me. I'm on Instagram, LinkedIn. ⁓ My website is MyLifeDoula.com. ⁓ So that's my handle, MyLifeDoula. So you can find me on TikTok. But I mostly play on Instagram and then on LinkedIn. Those are my two primary sites. That's where you can find me.

Corean Canty (47:24)
So thank you so much.

Gayle L Walker (47:27)
Thank you, Corean.