About

Maggie-Kay Starr (now Kay Starr) is an inspirational coach and trainer,

business psychologist, author and presenter.

She founded Thrivecraft in 2003, The Thrivecraft Academy in 2013

and Kay Starr TV in 2022.

Maggie-Kay graduated with a BA (hons) degree in psychology in her native Scotland, then moved to London to train in her initial vocation as an ordained Buddhist minister having discovered the power of meditation age 19.

For the next 18 years (10 in semi-monastic communities and the rest with a young family), she put meditation and ethical principles into practice within Buddhist  ‘right livelihood’ and other businesses as well as leading retreats and classes and mentoring others once ordained.

Maggie-Kay’s business experience includes raising substantial funds and acquiring and renovating properties for a housing co-op during seven years as development manager and turning around a floundering ethical gift shop to create a healthy profit within a year.

More recently, she led the campaign to save her village shop by establishing a thriving community enterprise and helped start an eco self build affordable community housing project. And is now involved helping start a new community enterprise on a Scottish island.

In 2001, having amicably separated from her son’s dad,  Maggie-Kay followed her intuition and moved the family from London to Devon where she soon met her soul mate, Paddy.

The resulting ‘renaissance’ inspired Maggie-Kay to resign her ordination (and some years later, to let go of her Buddhist name, Srimati) to embrace a more universal spirituality and all-inclusive way of helping others.

As her new vocational expression, Maggie-Kay trained and qualified as a life coach and founded Thrivecraft (initially with Paddy, though he now takes a back seat) providing life, business and spiritual coaching to a growing clientelle of mostly well-being, creative and social entrepreneurs.

Maggie-Kay’s first book – Diving for Pearls: A Wise Woman’s Guide to Finding Love (O Books) – published in 2017, tells her inspiring spiritual adventure and true love story, as well as sharing tips and teachings on meditation, intuition and relationships.

After six further years living amidst river countryside in Paddy’s beloved home county of Cornwall (Maggie-Kay’s son, Jamie, remaining in nearby Devon), the couple settled on the Isle of Cumbrae, west Scotland in 2021 – a powerful and delightful homecoming for Maggie-Kay after 36 years in London, Devon and Cornwall.

Once back in Scotland, she reverted to being known as Kay, since her Scottish family had always called her that.

Sadly, Paddy passed away in February 2022 after a long illness.  Kay had dedicated herself to caring for him full time for his last four years, pausing Maggie Kay Wisdom and Thrivecraft to do so.

Being so well supported by friends, family and new island community, Kay is recovering from Paddy’s illness and passing and began formulating her new vocational offering in the autumn of 2022.

On 11.11.22, Kay’s new brand, Kay Starr TV was born.

Kay is launching a televised talk show at the island’s Radio Millport media studio and developing a brand new TV and media hub based there, as well as creating a new Kay Starr TV podcast.

She’ll be interviewing, mentoring and presenting stories of innovation and success – charting the development of amazing projects, businesses and social enterprises on the island and further afield.  And delving into the fascinating personal stories behind them.

Thrivecraft is a registered trade mark.  And a recognised modality and approved training provider with the International Institute of Complimentary Therapists (IICT).