Meet Julie Harris: Designing Life with Creativity and Intention

When American Julie Harris moved to Paris with no job, no friends and not a word of French, she didn’t just survive—she thrived. Armed with a sense of adventure and determination, she’s carved out an unconventional life for herself both professionally and personally. From “worldschooling” her son to working from a South Pacific Island, and now writing, productivity coaching and designing workshops from her home in the south of France, she’s living life on her own terms and loving it.  

Drawing on her extensive experience designing and facilitating workshops for clients around the world, Julie will lead a workshop on “How to Lead Meetings with Confidence and Creativity” for the INSPIRELLE community on May 29th (details below). 

We caught up with Julie in between her preparations for our workshop and writing a book:

Julie, you have carved out a very interesting career for yourself, including coaching, facilitation, writing, and experience design. Could you share the journey that led you to where you are today?

My path has been one of leaps into the unknown from an early age. At 23, I jumped into the deep end – moving to Paris without speaking French, having a place to live, or knowing a soul. Those challenging early years taught me more than I could have imagined — struggling to communicate, finding my footing, solo parenting, and scraping by. They were some of my greatest lessons. Apart from the cliché stint at Shakespeare and Company, one of my first jobs involved roughly translating French children’s books into English. This was back when my trusty French-English dictionary was my closest companion! 

That willingness to dive into the unknown has driven my journey time and again. I’ve intentionally sidestepped typical career paths to forge a multidisciplinary route as a writer, editor, facilitator, coach, and experience designer. My work at the OECD was particularly enriching (and it still is today!), offering a playground to hone my talents across diverse subjects while beginning to design transformative workshops. 

From the professional to the personal — leaving the stability of a Paris office to work for myself from a South Pacific island, worldschooling my son across continents, and now thinking, writing, coaching and designing workshops in the tranquil vibes of the south of France — the journey has been anything but conventional. These experiences have shaped my current passion: exploring Conscious Relationship Design, which is all about crafting our life stories with intentionality and freedom.

Can you tell our readers a bit more about design thinking and how you use it to help not only companies but also individuals and groups?

Sure, let’s break it down. Design thinking is this incredible approach that centers on human needs and experiences. It’s not just for products; I use it to enhance how we connect and interact with each other. 

At its core, it involves deep empathy to understand different perspectives thoroughly. Imagine routinely swapping roles with others to really walk in their shoes — how enlightening that is! From this foundation of empathy, we explore creative possibilities before honing in on practical solutions. 

Tools like brainwriting and sketching aren’t just artistic; they’re gateways to new ideas that can redefine personal lives and organizational cultures alike. Among the things I do is leading Opportunity Sprints, where we rapidly prototype solutions, whether it’s for someone reinventing life post-cancer or a startup looking to break the mold. 

It’s about making space for vulnerability, curiosity, and co-creation, which, in turn, nurtures personal and collective growth.

Can you tell us about a particular project that stands out in your career or your personal life where your skills turned a difficult situation into a success story?

Sure, I have a few stories that stick out for me. One of my earliest “aha” moments came when I was a young mother hanging out in a Paris bookshop with my daughter. I noticed the children’s section could use a bit of a tweak to make it more comfortable and safer for parents and children to stick around longer – and find books they’d like to buy! I casually shared my ideas with the manager, who liked them so much that he introduced me to a well-known French publisher. The next thing I knew, I was translating children’s books! That was one of my unexpected starts in the publishing world.

Another defining moment was during my late-night tinkering sessions with “word processors” and a modem — this was before the internet had exploded. Those skills landed me a job at the OECD, which was just beginning to appreciate digital competency. 

More recently, when COVID hit, and my freelance work began drying up, I took myself through an Opportunity Sprint. The result? A deep dive into design thinking and sprint methodologies led to a conference in Amsterdam that reinvigorated my career and brought significant educational resources to a rural school in Cambodia.

Each of these moments was a turning point where a bit of creativity and a great willingness to dive into the unknown opened up paths I could never have planned for.

You also offer productivity coaching and courses on “making time” to help people live life more intentionally. What are some common challenges your clients face and how do you help them?

I often encounter clients who are struggling with distraction, stress, and feeling overstretched. They want to live more intentionally but are caught in the cycle of constant busyness and don’t know where to start —or need a restart to refocus on what truly matters to them.

My approach involves over 80 tailored strategies, helping clients carve out moments for genuine fulfillment. We tackle distractions head-on, setting boundaries around technology use and creating routines that anchor their daily lives in their true priorities. 

Imagine starting your day already knowing it will be productive — that’s what we aim for. Regular check-ins and adaptable strategies ensure these aren’t just temporary fixes but lifelong habits. 

Helping people reshape their day-to-day so they’re more present and fulfilled is incredibly rewarding.

You “hacked education” by worldschooling your son. That sounds like an amazing yet challenging family adventure. Can you tell us more about this unique experience and how it impacted your life?

For 10 years, we traded textbooks for temples, classrooms for local villages, and school bells for the sounds of bustling street markets. We traveled across 30 countries, turning each destination into a live classroom. 

This journey was born from a desire to escape traditional educational molds and plunge into the rich world of global cultures. We didn’t just visit places; we immersed ourselves fully, staying with local families and engaging deeply with community activities. 

This hands-on approach not only taught us about the world but also invaluable lessons in empathy, adaptability, and the joy of minimalism. It redefined our sense of home and belonging, emphasizing connections and experiences over material possessions.

As my son steps into the next phase of his life (currently at university in the United States), these experiences have equipped him with a unique perspective and a broadened mindset that will continue to influence him profoundly. We’ve both grown through this journey — not just in knowledge but in spirit. In all its complexity and beauty, the world has been our greatest teacher.

Recently, you’ve been researching and working on Conscious Relationship Design, which you’re also writing a book on. Can you elaborate on this?

Certainly! Conscious Relationship Design (CRD) is about rethinking how we form and nurture relationships. It challenges the traditional paradigms, encouraging everyone to actively design their connections based on personal needs and growth aspirations. CRD involves deep, honest dialogues about desires, expectations, and the often-unspoken aspects of relationships. We explore various formats, from traditional setups to more modern configurations like polyamory or finite marriages, ensuring that relationships evolve as dynamically as the individuals in them. It’s a transformative approach that not only improves relationships but also enhances personal fulfillment and growth.

This month, you’re leading an online workshop to help members of the INSPIRELLE community improve our facilitation skills. As the workshop approaches, what are a few key takeaways participants can expect?

Our upcoming workshop, How to Lead Meetings with Confidence and Creativity, will be a dynamic and practical learning experience that will transform how you facilitate meetings and group interactions. Here are some key takeaways you can look forward to during this session:

• Self-Awareness and Leadership: Learn how to channel your own insights and strengths to lead more effectively. We’ll explore how being aware of your own capabilities and how you can impact others can enhance the co-creative process, making every meeting you lead more productive and engaging.
• Embracing Diversity: Discover strategies to successfully navigate and harness the power of diverse personalities and cultural backgrounds. By understanding and valuing everyone’s unique contributions, you can create a more inclusive and effective meeting environment.
• Fostering Creativity and Connection: I’ll share tips on how to set up an environment that sparks creativity and encourages meaningful connections. This includes creating a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and where those ideas can flourish into innovative solutions.
• Practical Tools for Innovation: Through simulated scenarios, you’ll practice transforming discussions into actionable outcomes. We’ll focus on techniques that help break down conventional thinking, making way for new ideas and driving forward collective goals.

Are you ready to lead meetings more confidently and creatively, whether in person or virtually? You won’t want to miss these invaluable insights I’m excited to share.