Madeleine Wober ‘Maddie Sparkles’: The Power of Flexibility; How I Was Able To Pivot To A New Exciting Opportunity Because Of The Pandemic

Celebrate Your Wins — When your projects begin building momentum and you feel extremely proud of yourself, this is great news! Don’t keep quiet about it. Celebrate yourself and let everyone know. This is a wonderful way to model leadership if you do this humbly and gratefully. (Example: I was always brought up NOT to toot my own horn and when I finally published my Inspirational Poetry Book, my programming was telling me to stay quiet and not ‘boast’ about it. I decided to ignore that untruth and I posted a video on Facebook sharing about how proud I was that I had reached this milestone. I did feel vulnerable but also liberated and immensely happy, especially when all the supportive comments started rolling in.

The COVID19 pandemic has disrupted all of our lives. But sometimes disruptions can be times of opportunity. Many people’s livelihoods have been hurt by the pandemic. But some saw this as an opportune time to take their lives in a new direction.

As a part of this series called “How I Was Able To Pivot To A New Exciting Opportunity Because Of The Pandemic”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Madeleine P Wober.

Madeleine P Wober (aka Maddie Sparkles, America’s Scottish Sparkle) delivers Sage wisdom with Childlike enthusiasm. She helps connect people with their Internal Light so they can release their fears, step into their power and live a truly magical life, with a feeling of divine guidance. Using her Empowerment Coaching skills combined with intuition, she helps people find the clarity, inner peace, power, purpose, and positivity in their lives. Having traveled all over the world, connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds, she has over 20 years of experience in uplifting and empowering others. Maddie Sparkles now dedicates her life to inspiring people with her magnetic personality using practical pieces of positivity. She is the author of Inspirational Poetry book “Sprinkles of Glitter, your 12 month guide to a sparkling year” which offers insightful reflections, aspirations and inspirations from the beauty of nature and finding the silver linings around the challenges that color our dreams. Her trademark is her sparkling glitter that she wears on her eyes every day, hence the name Maddie Sparkles. https://www.maddiesparkles8.com/angel-dragon-goddess-readings

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

I was born and raised Jewish in Glasgow, Scotland, the eldest of 3 girls. I was never religious but felt a real affinity with the traditional and cultural aspects of Judaism. From the age of 10, I already felt very connected to non- denominational spirituality, and I wholeheartedly knew I wanted to leave home, travel the world, meet lots of different people, and my big dream was to find my way to America.

This was made apparent, when at 2½ years old, I ran away to the swing park across the main road, about half a mile from my parents’ home. I met a lovely lady who gave me some chocolate, and was having the greatest adventure of my life. I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was, when a policeman brought me back home, to my then frantic parents. This was the beginning of my need to express myself, my passion for travel, the joy of meeting people, and seeing the world. During the rainy days in Glasgow, I grew up watching shows on TV, such as: Charlie’s Angels, Fantasy Island, Magnum PI, and the Kids from Fame, declaring “Yes! That’s where I want to live, either New York, or, a place with sunshine, palm trees, and red sports cars! California!” Some years later, my unconventional, spontaneous, slightly rebellious ways of living my life, made no sense to anybody but me. I wanted to follow my heart, and have as much fun as possible. Even back then at that young age I had no greater delight than making my little sister laugh, or a few years later, bringing in a giant lost poodle named Jason into our non- dog-friendly home, and feeding it crackers until it was sick,(he looked so hungry and I had no idea what dogs ate). I always wanted to be of service, and make the world a better place, uplifting people, talking to strangers, and making new friends.

Oh, and I always dreamed of having a dog of my own one day.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I have so many but this one always comes to mind. “Leap and the net will appear” (John Burroughs). There have been so many times in my life when I have felt paralyzed with fear, because I knew with every fiber of my being, that I HAD to take the obvious next step, even though it was excruciatingly terrifying, and every single time I took the risk, it paid off, and made me feel incredibly confident, resilient, and invincible. Like the time I did the famous AJ Hackett Bungy Jump, off the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand. Even though I have an intense fear of heights, after this symbolic ode to myself, I felt like I could do anything!!! Did my fear of heights vanish? Not at all, but I still, to this day, feel proud of myself for accomplishing this feat, and living to tell the tale.

This example went on to inspire me to overcome extremely challenging decisions in my life when I knew I wanted to take a big risk, for example, walking over hot coals at ‘Unleash the Power Within’, Tony Robbins’ live event. Then there was the time, I decided not to take my connecting flight at the last minute, forfeiting my return flight to the UK, with only £100 left in my checking account. As a result of this risk, I ended up crossing paths with a woman who sponsored me to work, and eventually live in America. My lifelong dream! Each of these choices opened incredible doors of opportunity for me and gave me the strength to trust my intuition.

Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

Again I have so many, but I always come back to the light-hearted movie “SERENDIPITY” starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. Living in Hove, England in 2013, preparing to close that chapter of my life, I was still obsessed with my childhood dream of living in New York City and/or California, trying to figure out how this would ever come to pass, and this movie came on TV, it was all about chance meetings and happy accidents, and New York City was one of the movie’s greatest characters. I was waiting for the guy from the Salvation Army to drive over and accept my beautiful oak table as a donation. As I watched the credits roll up on the screen, I waited to see the name of the person that wrote this amazing script on ‘serendipity’, it was a screenwriter called Marc Klein. I remember thinking it was an unusual way of spelling ‘Marc’. A few moments later, my doorbell rang, it was the guy from the charity shop to collect my table. I was sad to see the table go but knew it would bring someone else great joy. As he was leaving I asked him what his name was. He said “Oh I should’ve introduced myself, I’m Marc, Marc Klein!”. I asked in disbelief, Marc with a ‘C’ or a ‘K’!? He replied “Marc with a ‘C”. This was SERENDIPITY at its best and a real sign for me. Six months later I had been offered a job and was living in California.

Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before the Pandemic began?

I have had a varied and colorful professional background. Years ago I professionally trained as a Beauty Therapist in London, and a Theater / Voice-Over Actor in New York City. I became a Radio Broadcaster and had a couple of radio shows in Scotland, and later became an Empowerment Coach, and Intuitive Healer. My love of writing poetry was always a way for me to connect with my truth and I had my book of Inspirational Poetry published in 2018. The poems were written over a 5 year period while living in Scotland, England and America.

From 2014–2016, I was traveling regularly on business, and my love of people, and rapport-building skills, lead me to earn big bucks for several companies worldwide. I qualified as a Certified Professional Co-active Life Coach (CPCC) with the Coaches Training Institute (CTI) in 2010, and I have used this skill in the corporate world, as well as privately, over the last decade. Before the Pandemic hit, I was successfully working in the Video Game industry, B2B for 5 years. I was based in Marin, California, but traveling constantly, and I wanted, and needed a change due to my MS diagnosis, and inability to keep up the pace. I was leaving the gym one evening, and as I was walking out the door, a lady walked in holding a puppy under her arm. I immediately said something about how cute her dog was and she told me this puppy needed a home. By this point I was desperate for a dog of my own and had been talking to my Doctor about an emotional support dog. The timing was perfect, with no more travel on the horizon. I made some calls, left that job and finally had the dog I’d always dreamed of having. In November 2019, I handed in my resignation, and immediately chose to become a Brand Ambassador for a product that would prove to help me with my MS. After 3 months the Pandemic hit, and I was furloughed.

What did you do to pivot as a result of the Pandemic?

I had to take a step back from the corporate world, which coincided with the timing of the global Pandemic. With more time on my hands to heal myself from burnout, my wee dog, Jasmine, was a true gift, we needed each other, which worked out perfectly since I was unable to work full time as a result of the Pandemic. I wanted to find a way to share positive energy, and help others feel more uplifted, and less alone. So I asked myself, “How can I make the best use of my time?”, “What can I do to be of the greatest service to the world right now, with the innate gifts and skills that I have, in order to make a real difference in peoples’ lives at this time?”

Can you tell us about the specific “Aha moment” that gave you the idea to start this new path?

I always feel fulfilled when I am being of service and feeling confident in my ability to make a positive difference. After meditating on this, one day the answer came from my Guardian Angel. “Combine all your skills from Coaching and Corporate relations, with your love of Spirituality, and offer Angel readings for people”. For many years I had been connecting with, and guided by the angels, and even though I didn’t discuss this with anyone, it always brought me the exact answers I needed, together with a feeling of freedom, and relief, and belief. So I decided to trust this idea and post my offering on Facebook — FREE ANGEL READINGS FOR 6 WEEKS, not fully knowing if I could do this for others, especially people that I had never even met, but I believed in what I was feeling and I trusted the idea that had come to me. Soon people from around the globe were messaging me. They needed hope, direction, inspiration, inner peace, calm, faith and more joy in their lives. Questions about relationships, finances, purpose, next steps, direction, career, health, self- confidence, self- belief etc were all surfacing. I was being called to be the intuitive channel for the Angels’ messages, and with my intuition and insights, sharing the answers from the oracle cards. Each time, the messages were crystal clear and the person left feeling greatly uplifted and at peace. I was delighted and incredibly grateful that I could make a positive difference in this way.

How are things going with this new initiative?

I am repeatedly blown away by the messages that come through during the Angel/Oracle card readings. The angels always give the person the exact message they need to hear at that moment. My clients are constantly sharing the most wonderful testimonials that are incredibly humbling, and I have been able to share these globally, online, which has led to the MADDIE SPARKLES brand and website having a much bigger platform than I ever thought possible. I am growing all the time, and introducing new Oracle decks. I started with 2 decks of cards and now I have 43!

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

The first person that comes to mind is my fiancé, Shawn Tilton. The biggest test of our relationship was when I had to go back to the UK for 18 months while waiting for my Green Card. We had agreed to keep in touch via Facetime and continue our relationship long distance. Three months after I had been back in the UK, I flew to the States to visit on a tourist visa, and had called him to let him know I had just landed in Oakland airport. Shortly after that phone call, I was detained and deported, and sent right back on the next flight to London! But that’s another story. Absence definitely made our hearts grow fonder. He has always believed in me, and has helped me in numerous ways with the Maddie Sparkles brand. I am not the best with technical things and he is a technical wizard, being a 3D character artist, so when it came to publishing my Inspirational Poetry book (“Sprinkles of Glitter, your 12 month guide to a sparkling year”), and creating my animated signature intro and outro for my Youtube videos, and Conscious Conversation series, he was able to make that happen. We.can drive each other crazy at times, and when it gets to be too much, we create space and go into our separate home offices and focus on our creative projects, which bring us individual joy and fulfillment, and an ability to reflect, so when we come back together, it’s with great love and deep gratitude. He has been so supportive while working from home and has kept his career going strong, which has allowed us to maintain our quality of life in our new home in Austin, Texas, and for me to focus my energy on self- care as well as being of service to as many people as possible. I am truly grateful for his support and creativity.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?

During lockdown, our relationship was tested again, while we relocated from California, to Austin, Texas with our pup Jasmine, during the harsh winter storm in February this year. We were stranded on the Interstate for 8 hours, and ended up sleeping in the car in minus temperatures. The next morning we were extremely fortunate to find the one vacant motel room in Junction, Texas, where we had reached on our journey, a place we had never heard of, but it became our sanctuary for the next 11 days, with running water, and electricity, (our very own ‘Schitt’s Creek’ experience). I was able to continue doing my Angel readings and Facebook Lives from the motel room, while Shawn was holding the fort with Jasmine. If we had made it to Austin 2 hours earlier, we would have been truly stuck with no heat or electricity in our new home.

The most interesting thing to me is how much we all have in common, especially during a Pandemic. I have spoken to hundreds of people, both men and women from different backgrounds and different ages, with various professional careers, from millennial students, to housewives, professors, lawyers, doctors, chefs, hairdressers, entrepreneurs, people from all corners of the world, and the burning questions that kept coming up were, ‘Am I on the right path?’, ‘Is what I’m doing making a difference?’

Life suddenly meant something more precious. Our time here, how we spend it, who we spend it with, how we can have the most fulfillment, and make the greatest impact on our families, communities, and those around us that we care about.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my organization” and why. Please share a story or example for each. https://youtu.be/pOvZAfsp_FE

1. Share Your Passion.

What you are about to do is going to bring more peace and joy to every single person you talk to than you could ever imagine. (example: Before each Angel/Oracle reading I would ask the client what area of your life do you need help with? And how would you like to feel by the end of the reading? Without exception, every single person would have their issue addressed and by the end of the session, they would be filled with the exact emotion they had asked for at the beginning. This fills me with such joy and a great passion to continue doing this for as many people as possible. Here’s an example of my most recent testimonial: ‘Maddie is simply amazing. I have had several angel readings with her now over the past year, and the guidance I receive from these always leaves me feeling uplifted, inspired, loved, and ready for the next phase. How she reads the cards is unlike anyone else I know. Her insight and intuition are off the charts, and listening to her offer her wisdom as it relates to my personal situation truly feels magical. The way she describes the cards, and then how she describes what she sees, and the guiding questions she asks, brings me to the understanding I was seeking and the encouragement to expand my spiritual growth. She leaves me feeling positive and more sure of myself and the path I’m on. — If you are seeking encouragement, guidance, more magic or light in your life, I would highly recommend scheduling time with Maddie. You will be so glad you did. ~ Thank you again Maddie. I feel blessed to have met you, and can’t wait for the next time I can do another reading with you’ Kelly, CA, USA

Your message is much bigger than you. Don’t make this about you, this is about being of service and sharing your unique expression with the world. Another one of my favorite quotes is by Martha Graham, the New York Dancer. She sums it up perfectly in this quote: “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” (from The Life and Work of Martha Graham (1991)

2. Release Doubt

When you start to doubt yourself, know this is your ego talking, filling you with Imposter Syndrome, it’s not the truth of who you are (example: We all have days where we question ourselves, but this is just part of the human experience. I have taught myself and others to speak to that voice when it pops up, and say “Hi Ego, I’ve been listening to you for most of my life and while you helped keep me safe then, now you are only hindering me and preventing me from moving forward and sharing my unique gifts with the world. So I’m going to send you on a vacation to Barbados for 2 years. Have fun, I’ll catch up with you sometime in the future. In the meantime, I’ve got work to do!” — it works when we separate ourselves from that destructive inner voice telling us we can’t do something.)

3. Practice Self Care

Always make time for Self Care to avoid burnout. Very often when we are in the corporate world and /or service industries — sales executives, coaches, counselors, healers, etc., we can be so focused on healing and helping others, and achieving our goals, we often forget to take care of ourselves and can burn out. (Example: I really had to set boundaries for myself because I didn’t want to say ‘NO’ to anyone, forgetting that my health and needs are just as important as anyone else’s. If I don’t take care of myself, I won’t be any use to anyone. It reminds me of the oxygen mask on a plane analogy: fill yourself up first, so that you can help even more people and for a longer period. I had already just experienced burnout from my corporate job and had to constantly remind myself to take time to relax and rejuvenate, rest and take naps if needed, without feeling guilty.)

4. Believe It BEFORE You See It

Often when we are starting something new and very close to our heart, we can think, “Is this possible?” I asked myself, “Can I make a living doing something I truly love?” The answer of course is YES! We all come here with our own gifts to share, and while there may be many others doing the same thing, we are all offering it in our unique way. (Example: Every time I have had a goal no matter how big or small, it has been the intention and the power of visualization that has brought it into fruition. By creating a vision board and repeating affirmations, daily, it’s not a matter of ‘IF’, it’s a matter of ‘WHEN’ and it’s usually not on my timing, it’s on the Universe’s timing, and all I need to do is learn to trust that timing, and get out of my own way. Before long the thing you have been visualizing will manifest. I used this technique while I was waiting for my Green Card. I created a digital vision board on my iPhone,with words, pictures, and music. It got to the point that all I needed to hear was that piece of music, and in my mind, my vision was already a reality.)

5. Celebrate Your Wins

When your projects begin building momentum and you feel extremely proud of yourself, this is great news! Don’t keep quiet about it. Celebrate yourself and let everyone know. This is a wonderful way to model leadership if you do this humbly and gratefully. (Example: I was always brought up NOT to toot my own horn and when I finally published my Inspirational Poetry Book, my programming was telling me to stay quiet and not ‘boast’ about it. I decided to ignore that untruth and I posted a video on Facebook sharing about how proud I was that I had reached this milestone. I did feel vulnerable but also liberated and immensely happy, especially when all the supportive comments started rolling in.

It also permitted others to do the same. When you hear of great news and success about another person, it is a sign for you, telling you that you can do it too! Remember ‘celebrating’ yourself and ‘boasting’ are two completely different things.)

So many of us have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. Can you share the strategies that you have used to optimize your mental wellness during this stressful period?

For me, it’s all about MIND/BODY/SOUL. I have a plethora of experience with my own mental wellness having suffered from chronic anxiety, debilitating panic attacks, and severe depression which lead to suicidal thoughts in my mid 20’s, a decade later I discovered I had Ovarian Cancer in my mid 30’s, and more recently I was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) in my mid 40’s. As a result of 3 decades of health challenges, I am deeply committed to my morning self –care ritual: 20 minutes (TM) meditation, Prayer, ‘I AM’ affirmations, and kirtan chanting. I then walk my dog and get fresh air; stretch, practice restorative yoga postures. I also, 3 times per week, alternate between cycling, swimming, and using the gym

Sleep is a big challenge for me because I am a night owl, so I need to have strategies in place to ensure optimal sleep: no technology before bed always requires discipline for me.

I have also been Vegan for 5 years and just recently introduced fish back into my diet. I take several high quality supplements, including liquid Turmeric and liquid COQ10.

I know if I follow this roadmap, my health will benefit tremendously.’ One day at a time’ is my motto. I am also always participating in some kind of learning, or mastermind group, surrounding myself with positive like-minded kindred spirits, and have an active and engaged Facebook Group community, who hold me accountable to do Facebook lives 3 times a week around the topics of Uplift, Inspire, Create, Manifest. All of this, along with my family, close friends and fiancé keeps me feeling incredibly blessed for the good health that I have despite having MS.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

CHOOSE HAPPINESS — UPLIFT *INSPIRE* CREATE *MANIFEST*

Happiness is a choice and we can choose to create an intention each morning that allows us to focus on the direction of our dreams and feeling good!

UPLIFT:

Being open to Angels — we all have a Guardian Angel, no matter our background, and if we ask them for their help, they will start guiding us (If we don’t ask they won’t intervene), and then if we pay attention to the signs that repeatedly materialize, this is one of the most uplifting things we can pay attention to: chance meetings, serendipity, the ease and flow that emerges.

INSPIRE:

Living with an attitude of gratitude, and giving thanks regularly, will make us want to focus on all the things we have, rather than the things we lack. This brings us a feeling of inspiration and leads to sharing pieces of positivity, good news, and focusing on the things that inspire us and bring us joy. Gratitude and Joy help raise the vibration of the planet and the collective consciousness, which, in turn, creates wonderful opportunities, and possibilities, big and small, just waiting for us to accept and claim them. We are then left feeling so inspired ourselves, we become an inspiration for others. We live from a place of inspiration rather than motivation.

CREATE:

Taking responsibility for our actions and reactions — owning that, and then showing up authentically, without judgment of self and others, we can begin creating an expansive, wonderful, unique expression of self. Be it art, music, dance, writing, singing, cooking, baking, gardening, photography, inventing, engineering etc., know that life itself is all about creating. It starts with an idea, the idea becomes an intention, the intention becomes a seed that grows into a beautiful manifestation.

MANIFEST:

In order to manifest, we choose what we focus on with great intention, we start noticing the silver linings in all of life’s ‘seeming’ disasters, remaining open to receiving all the great lessons from any challenges that show up, understanding that we attracted that challenge to learn the lesson we needed to learn. Once we have learned these lessons we make healthier choices and break the cycle of past patterns. From this place of clarity, we are free and ready to manifest the things we truly want.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

I have a few. I would love to have lunch with Oprah and discuss her Super Soul Sunday series. I have been watching her on TV for the past 30 years and I always imagined being friends with her. I love the way she fearlessly yet compassionately interviews people, and her own story is so incredibly inspiring. I have so many different arms and legs for my business and I would love to talk to her about her creative process in bringing all of these offerings to the world on the various different media platforms.

I would also love to have lunch with Lorna Byrne, the Irish author, and peace ambassador, and talk about her bestselling memoir ‘Angels In My Hair’. I have learned so much from her about Angels and she inspires me greatly with her life story.

I would also love to have lunch Marc Klein — screenwriter of Serendipity because he is the brain behind one of my all time favorite movies and topics in life. SERENDIPITY.

Another is Krishna Das, the American kirtan vocalist, and storyteller, who always makes me laugh when I listen to his phenomenal stories about his Guru in India, told with a very grounded and down-to-earth attitude.

How can our readers follow you online?

www.maddiesparkles.com

www.mybrilliantself.com

maddiewober.icanvoice.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2535242876563100/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCztxJ1zozhnxrmFTpi3aeUQ

http://www.instagram.com/maddie_sparkles_8

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!