Welcome to the High Perch, where we look for the hidden patterns that help creativity and life flourish. Just as vultures transform scraps into sustenance, our stories reveal resilience and wisdom in unlikely places.

Today we’re speaking with Meghan Scanlon—inner-work guide and IFS practitioner—who helps people shift from “coping better” to relating to themselves in a whole new way. Through Internal Family Systems, nervous system work, and the principles of Nonviolent Communication, Meghan invites us to listen differently to our symptoms, honor them as signals, and make space for the wisdom already within us.

Meghan, welcome. Can you give us a little background about you and what you’re creating?

Meghan Scanlon:

The majority of my adult professional life was in design and creative. For many years I worked as a designer in ad agencies, then moved into corporate product and technology work. I spent about eleven solid years in these big corporate leadership roles.

Eventually, about two and a half years ago, I realized I wasn’t prioritizing my own health or wellness. I needed to step back, which sent me into a period of discovery: What do I actually want to do with my life outside of this career path I had been on for so long?

Taking time off from corporate enabled me to focus on my mental health in a way that I had never been able to before. I explored a lot of different healing modalities and I became enamored with Internal Family Systems (IFS for short), which is a holistic therapeutic model that is non-pathologizing and enables individuals to heal symptoms at the root.  After engaging with IFS as a client, I was hooked and knew I wanted to learn how to be a practitioner myself. I first got certified as a trauma-recovery coach—a deep dive into all things trauma—and then went on to train in IFS.

Now I run a private practice working one-on-one with clients who want to get to know themselves in a different way. I’m really interested in helping people break free from the common cultural narratives about what causes our symptoms—anxiety, depression, burnout—and shifting the conversation about mental health and wellness.

Barbara:

We’re going to start with some fun warm-up questions. What’s something you never expected to get away with?

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Meghan:

Honestly? My entire corporate career. I came from a very artistic, creative, slightly rebellious background—never wanted to be part of the mainstream. And suddenly I was working at this huge corporation… and they just kept promoting me.

I never thought it would last, or that I’d get as far as I did. I always had severe imposter syndrome. I didn’t feel like I fit the standard executive blueprint at all. So it was this strange dichotomy: doubts and fears on one side, and on the other, doors just kept opening. I could never have predicted ending up in that world.

Barbara:

If your creative process had an animal guide or creature, what would it be?

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Meghan:

Maybe an octopus.

My creative process pulls from a lot of sources—I’m always researching, observing, noticing patterns, synthesizing behind the scenes. When I start a project, especially writing these days, I might make four different versions. Things morph and shift constantly. So yes… an octopus reaching out in all directions feels right.

Barbara:

A piece of advice you love ignoring?

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Meghan:

“Don’t take it personally.”

People say it with good intentions, but it often asks us to bypass our real emotions. I think we should throw that one out. We’re human—our feelings will get hurt sometimes, and that’s okay. We can acknowledge our hurt in an adult way, honor it, move through it. But the cultural norm is to suppress or steamroll it. And the more we can bring conscious awareness to experiences like these—it’s an opportunity for growth, for ourselves and for the others in our lives. It’s an opportunity to articulate our needs and ask for them to be met.

Barbara:

Tell me about something you let die—in a good way—to make space for something better.

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Meghan:

Definitely my corporate career.

Letting it go gave me the space to do my own healing. I was burnt out, disoriented, and couldn’t keep going on that track. I was turning 50, which felt like a major turning point. I wanted to do something meaningful with my life—something I’d be proud of when I looked back.

It wasn’t just leaving my career. I moved to a new town, immersed myself in a new community, created space for something entirely new. I needed that distance so a different life could grow.

Barbara:

If you could scavenge a skill, talent, or idea from anyone, what would you grab?

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Meghan:

Stand-up comedy.

I love standup comedy, and admire comedians like Sarah Silverman and Tig Notaro. As I’ve gotten older and more comfortable in myself, my own humor has grown too. I’d love to weave more humor into the serious topics I write about—trauma, anxiety, depression. Humor makes hard things more accessible and human.

So I’ve been thinking a lot about how to cultivate those skills.

Barbara:

Where in your life do you feel most creative outside of work?

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Meghan:

At home.

I love being a homemaker. I love working from home. Creating a beautiful home—a sanctuary—has become this blossoming creative outlet. Honestly, in another life I might have been an interior designer. I love planning remodeling projects, whether or not they ever happen. I’ve learned that taking on daily chores to keep the house and living space in order is such a grounding resource for me, and that order in the home helps support my well-being on so many levels. Recently I’ve gotten really into native plants. I live in Southern California and so I’ve been (literally!) digging in on how to transform my little yard into more of a native habitat.

Barbara:

Last question before we land: if you could leave a feather—or a small messy gift—for future creators, what would it be?

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Meghan:

A little messy gift I think would be something about expectations for building or developing a vision.

Building a business takes longer than we expect. There are seasons—droughts included. And just because nothing seems to be happening doesn’t mean roots aren’t growing underneath.

Switching careers and building something new has been tough. I didn’t have a parallel income stream supporting the transition. So I’d encourage anyone creating something new to set realistic revenue expectations… and to make sure you’re able to take care of yourself while building something beautiful and meaningful. If you need to keep a “normal” job going while you build your next dream career, that’s OK. It’s not going to slow you down, it’s going to help you sustain that creative fire longer to nurture your vision—and yourself!

Barbara:

Final question. What’s something delightfully unhinged about your creative process that you hope never changes?

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Meghan:

One thing that feels important is that I am very careful about not asking for feedback during my creative process.

If you put your work in front of six people, you’ll get six opinions. We live in a world obsessed with feedback, but creative work needs fewer external voices, not more. And not all feedback is created equal. I’m not saying there isn’t value in asking trusted mentors for guidance and feedback when it feels needed. But the key word there is “trusted”. Not everyone will truly understand your work, and what nuance you’re working towards achieving. What matters most is your own inner joy and authenticity. Are you learning how to tap into your own taste, your own discernment, your own understanding of the work? That’s ultimately what has value.

I rarely ask for feedback, and I hope that never changes.

Barbara:

Creation isn’t clean—it’s a glorious scavenger hunt. Today, Meghan Scanlon reminded us that inner work isn’t about fixing what’s broken, but uncovering the wholeness already there. From listening to our parts with compassion to reimagining coping itself, she showed us how growth often comes from making space, not striving.

Stay sharp. Stay weird. Keep circling.

Until next time, I’m Barbara Evans, Brand Vulture, and this has been The Vulture Chronicles.

To learn more about Meghan’s work, visit meghanscanlon.com. Her private practice offers 1:1 IFS-guided inner work for people ready to stop bracing and start listening to the wisdom within. You can book sessions, read her writing, and explore ways to work with her directly.