What could you accomplish in your business with a trusted, experienced, entrepreneur mentor and advisor whom you can work out the muck with? Would you gain confidence that things could  be accomplished without consuming your entire day? I am opening an exclusive service that delivers just that.

I am so pleased to introduce to you a new service I am offering called the Tomahawk Takeover.  It's a service I have been quietly offering for years now and am now opening only a few spots for the New Year.  

Seriously, the Tomahawk Takeover is a monthly retainer that creates a high-performing, revenue-generating team moving you from 6-figures to 7-figures by optimizing today's workflow & by adding new revenue streams.

During the Tomahawk Takeover I am going to cut through and cut out the BS in your business so we can focus on driving your business to higher levels.  Higher profits and stronger impact. 

Here's what I know.  Without an ounce of judgement, I know there is a bit of a mess happening behind-the-scenes in your business.  Sure, you present yourself well to the outside world, to your clients and to your team but on the inside, there is laundry list of things that need to get cleaned up AND an even more important list of growth and revenue generating items you want to tackle.  You have opportunities in front of you but fail to act on them. Because why?  Because, at this moment, you don't have the capacity to take on yet another project.  

You don't have time for it.  You don't have space for it.

But man, wouldn't you love to?  

This is where I come in.  

I created this service, the Tomahawk Takeover, to give you time and space to maximize your current opportunities and to add new ones.  Let me be specific - time to add multiple streams of income.

But how I do do it?  How do you create more time to take advantage of more opportunity?

Really, that's the ultimate question.

The first thing I am going to do is talk with you.  No really, we go old-school and we talk.  Now, of course, we talk with intention.  I don't have time to waste nor do you.  

Then I talk with your team.  I work to understand your business as a whole and your people as a whole.  I actually go old-school again and pick. up. the. phone.  You wouldn't believe how much gets accomplished in a 20-minute phone call.  It's life-changing.  Then we add in regular 20-minute conversations and guess what happens.  Everyone is focused. Everyone has answers.  Everyone has marching orders.  You not only become a team again, you become a high-performing team.  

That's just one of the benefits you get when you work on the Tomahawk Takeover.  Oh - and let me be clear, our conversations are not for diddle-daddling along.  They are not for the wishy-washy.  If you have no purpose in my meeting, you are not invited.  Every conversation has an intention and every conversation has a purpose behind it.  

Sounds kind of amazing right?

With those simple activities, you have no idea how many times I hear "I wish you were here sooner" and "thank you, thank you so much". 

So we use our conversations, our capabilities and our workload to produce.  We streamline the activities that are happening, shelve the waste and put our goals in into action.  Our work into motion.  

And then suddenly you realize you can take a breath for the first time in years.  This solid motion allows you to breathe easier because now you know things are going to happen and how.  

Sounds kind of amazing, right?  It is.  

It is actually really, really fun.  

This is what you need.  I have no doubt about it.  It's where I enter and takeover.  Takeover the conversations, takeover the movement.  I get people working in a very intentional, purposeful, clean way. 

BENEFITS OF THE TOMAHAWK TAKEOVER

• You stop wishing for growth and have real revenue coming in.  You will know when it will happen and how.

• You have a "right hand woman" (that you don't have to train) to help you with the execute on your vision

• You have intentional conversations that go where and how they should

• You have a team that delivers on its promises

• You have a trusted, experienced confidant, entrepreneur mentor and advisor whom you can work out the muck with

I have 3 spots available for the New Year click here to secure your spot!

Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you -- the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones, and listen as you work out, do your errands, or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast is via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Rachel Adams is a Realtor, Public Speaker, Coach, Author & Entrepreneur.  She is 32 years old, lives in Northern California, and is the CEO of 4 different companies. In just 3 years in the real estate industry, Rachel hit the top 1000 agents in the country for the Wall Street Journal.  On the outside looking in, her life was perfect.  She had the perfect car, the perfect social life, and everything looked top notch.  You could say she had the perfect "Facebook" life.  But as well all know reality isn't always what it seems.  And then one conversation changed everything.  Rachel decided to start leading her life with full authenticity and intention and everything changed!  She now travels around the United States teaching others and coaching on her life changing book and program, "Lost to Found in 90 Days".

“You can’t be the best person you want to be if you are not taking care of you. ”

— Rachel Adams

“You’re never going to have balance. You’re always going to be in a state of counter balance.”

— Rachel Adams

The Interview:

We talked about so many different things:  

• Being a 100% percenter
• Create enough passive streams of income 
• Investment Company
• Mommy's & Mimosas & Kids & Crafts
• From Limited to Legendary 
• How your personal development directory
• Lost to Found in 90 Days
• Navigating through the messiness
• When fancy makeup was streaming down her face
• Embrace your bounce back ability
• Take 90 days
• Writing Joy & Happy Lists
• Set really clear boundaries with my personal & professional life 
• Reason, Season or a Lifetime
• Editing your peer group
• Eating healthy
• Huge believer in leverage
• Relationship-based businesses
• Breakdowns lead to Breakthroughs
• High-level Mentors
• Where you put your priorities

“The right people are going to come into my life and the right people are going to leave my life. It’s not the wrong people who are leaving your life, like people always say. They don’t deserve to be in your world. Because when you are really leading a life at a high level, you start to crave deep conversations, passionate conversations and people that have big goals and you don’t want to talk about surface stuff anymore. ”

— Rachel Adams

Links

• Nina Rowan Heller

• Lost to Found in 90 Days

• The first 3 chapters of the book

• Chalene Johnson

• Linsey Mataway

“When I cut out drinking I finally hear what my body felt. A diet is what you eat. ”

— Rachel Adams

Rachel's Morning Routine

Rachel shares her morning routine that preps her for a successful day! She does this 7 mornings a week and my body has changed as well as my mindset! Enjoy!

“Breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess, dinner like a pauper. ”

— Rachel Adams

PS: You May Also Enjoy These...

An Online Business Manager (OBM) is your partner-in-crime and your second set of eyes on your business. Sort of your entrepreneur mentor, if you will. They help you travel the muddled road of stuck to un-stuck. An online business manager helps get you to that promised land of doing less and making more. I bet you're wondering why you haven't you heard about this before?

What is an Online Business Manager?

They help you accomplish the things you don't have time for anymore. In order to grow your business, and add multiple streams of income you have to work in the big picture and out of the weeds of your business.  Yet, how does one do that when they ARE the business?  An online business manager will keep you focused on operating your business as a business.  Growth, revenue, profits and efficiencies are the only focus.  The OBM is the one to work with you, in your business, to help you specifically grow your business and to take advantage of all the opportunities coming to you.   Period. 

Does that make sense?  They help you maximize the opportunities in front of you, eliminate the waste and things always on your shoulder, eliminate the hold-ups and then also generate more revenue.  More and more revenue.  You get your shop set up so you can maximize.  

Where Most People Have Fears

It can be scary to hire an OBM.  All sorts of questions immediately arise when you think about bringing someone in to work with you.  

Most people have fears and don't know what to expect.

How will they really help?  Will this add more work for me? Is this another scheme?

Are you ready?

Are you organized enough to have someone come in? Will they really help?

Or will they make it worse? 

What if they want to tear apart what you have built?  What if they want to change ... well ... everything? Change who you are?  

What if they see what a terrible job I am really doing?

The fears are valid.  It would be scary to have someone come in and tell you all the things that you did wrong, are doing wrong.

Tweet: What it's like to work with a powerhouse OBM #entrepreneur #startup http://ctt.ec/12Yg7+

Where Most People Fall Down

Just like my kiddo learning to ride her bike, she is going to fall.  And you are too.  That's how you grow.  You fall.  You fail.  And you get up as fast as you can and try try again.  

So let me tell you where most people fall down in their business.  

1. Not taking advantage of real multi-income stream opportunities.  This happens all. the. time. Admittedly, it's kind of an easy oversight since you are often busy running your business and running your own life.  Adding more work doesn't sound like it's worth the extra effort.  Yet, effort is only temporary.  With the right team and system in place, the effort is minimal and the revenue potential is endless. 

2. Wasting so much time.  You're busy.  I get that.  So is Beyonce.  So is Bethenny.  So is Glennon.   So are Mariah and Ruth and Rosemarie.  It's hard to know where to focus sometimes. It's hard to know how to focus sometimes.  How did they choose?  How do they handle all of the same things coming at them as you have?  How do they cut the waste and hyper-focus on the the revenue and goals as they do?

3. Wasting so much money.  It's easy to throw money at a problem especially when you are out of time.  You just want it to work.  I get it.  So if you can throw money to help solve a problem, then you're going to do it!  I get it.  Absolutely get it.  But then... you realize that just throwing money at the problem won't change things. 

Truth be told most people fall in their business.  Being an entrepreneur, being a business owner is the hardest of hard and isn't for the weak.  The roller coasters are real.  Instead of merely surviving, how do you grow in such a way that you are thriving??

How I Work

I first get to understand the big picture.  What is happening.  What is slow to happen.  What are the dreams.  Then, I talk with your team to really understand what's going on.  No judgement. Just work.  This helps to create and then clean up your big picture.  

I take you out of your weeds and together we work backwards to "make it happen".   I cut the time wasters, return intention to conversations and hold people accountable.  Yes, I babysit too.  

Let me repeat.  I cut the time wasters, return intention to conversations and hold people accountable.  

I keep you focused and moving.  It's that simple and that hard.  

If it were really that simple, you'd already be doing it.  Your business would be generating revenue through multiple streams in an effective and efficient manner. 

That could all sound generic and "yeah yeah" but if you are not doing the work you want to do or if there is room for growth in your business, then you need to work on this here too.  In fact, I would argue you need to work on this first and foremost otherwise you are going to be spinning your wheels.  

You may say "I don't want to do that" it's wish-washy.  And haven't I already created the "big picture"?  

Thing is, you are not at your big dream goal because you want to be because you haven't done this work yet.  It's not easy.  It's not wish-washy.  It's specific work.  Direct and intentional.   Do you want to add multiple streams of income?  Do you want your days to be easier and your time to be used more efficiently?  Do you want to do the work you want to do?? 

What does it mean to "return intention to conversations"?  We are going to cut the email in half.  And cut the reliance on Slack.  Cut the IMing on Skype and texting - oh my!  We are going have real conversations.  Real conversations that will have a purpose behind it.  (Wait, what?) The conversations will either teach, inform or problem solve.  

And then guess what will happen after that conversation?  You will work.  Your team will work. And guess what else.  

You will accomplish.  

Why I Work This Way

For me, this work is a two-step process.  The first step is to understand what you are doing and why.  Once I know your WHAT and WHY, then the next step is as simple as implementation.  And remember implementations are my expertise!  

Just wanting exposure is not enough.  Just having an online presence is not enough.  What are you trying to accomplish?  For what purpose?  Once I have a clear understanding of the what then like a chess game I am a master at I see and know the steps it takes to get there.  Period.  

After I know what we want to do, I have conversations.  I hold and host the most effective conversations out there.  I like conversations, real, live conversations because I get to know you, I get to work with you and together we get to make promises to one another from which we will keep.  

Truly, this is how and where the magic happens.  Conversations, commitments and promises is how the work gets done.  

With that, anything is possible. 

I have only 3 spots available for the New Year.  Click here to secure your spot to add additional revenue streams to your business next year.

Your business is going to hit some snags. No one who has built a business will tell you that success is a smooth, effortless glide to the top– and neither will I. There will be moments when you wish you had a boss to shift blame onto, or rely on to hoist everything back on track… but what fun is that? 

You know you’re starting to lose momentum, and this checklist will help you figure out which are the weak links in your process. When you’re frustrated and want to just throw your hands up and scream, go ahead and do it. Get it all out. But then assess where the holes in your raft are. I’ll help you plug them. 

1. You can’t say no.

We don’t like to hear it, and we don’t like to say it– especially to the people whose business, expertise, or support we depend on. Guess what? It’s part of the entrepreneur, leadership role package. Maybe you didn’t notice it in the fine print when you had a business idea and signed up to be an ambitious go-getter, but it was definitely there. And no matter what your fears are, no one is going to hate you for having the strength to say it. In fact, they’re going to respect you. If a client is always asking to reschedule, it gets to a point where you need to say no. That’s not impatient, it says that you value your time and have important things to do with it. 

2. You worry about what people think

This is such a tough one, because who is actually immune to the judgments, comments, praise, or shady side-eye glances of others? Even celebrities admit that all of that white noise gets to them! The point is to not indulge the voices or seek them out. Don’t invite the opinions of those people that you don’t respect or who may try to purposely hurt you. Even when working with consultants, take every nugget of advice with a grain of salt because ultimately, it’s your opinion that matters most. It’s all a distraction from progress, so worry more about your goals than what people will say when you achieve them.

3. You are too wrapped up in the work

You set your own hours, but do you always know when to call it quits for the day? When I feel like I’m not getting enough done, my automatic instinct is well, okay, I just need to work until I get a lot done. That plan works fine until… I’m too exhausted to continue, my family and social life suffers, I get resentful of the work and lose interest, etc. I truly believe it is better to limit your hours and spend all of that time working diligently than blocking off weeks at a time for strictly work purposes and spending half of them on Buzzfeed or dusting your keyboard. 

4. You need it to be perfect

Your name is going on it, so you want to take pride in the finished product. Understandable. Commendable, also. But running yourself ragged to make something absolutely perfect may be a waste of resources and energy. As an entrepreneur, you need to be able to do at least one thing really, really well– better than your competitors– and consistently. It’s this simple truth that birthed the industrial revolution! Machines could produce quality items much quicker and cheaper than master craftsmen slaving over one item for weeks and weeks, only to sell at a much higher markup. To make money, you need to produce often and, ideally, for a growing client base. 

5. You say yes too many times to your customers

The customer is always right, but are they right to be so demanding? You need them, and you hope that they need you and whatever you’re peddling… but you are a business and not their personal magic genie. Even still, genies only grant three wishes so I hear. Nurture your customer base, but don’t be entirely at their beck and call to the point where it’s taking time away from your work. 

6. You don’t know how to delegate

Your business is your baby. I know how hard it is to put your trust in a babysitter the first couple times, but gosh does it feel good to go to dinner sans diaper bag! You need to let go. You’re the boss and the brains, so stop wasting your time on the little things! Take on some help, even if it’s just part-time or intern-based. Let someone else answer the phone and respond to emails. You can’t push ahead if you’re too busy just trying to stay afloat. 

7. You have your hands and thoughts in every little action

If you’re intent on doing everything yourself, and find yourself worried and anxious when you finally do let someone else take over… chances are, you haven’t delegated to the right person. You need to hire a staff that you trust, or at least one person whom you feel truly grasps your intentions for the business. It’s a process, just like dating, but it pays off. 

8. You answer every email

It amazes me how many random companies and people make their way into my inbox. From persistent sales reps to people pretending not to be selling something (EVERYONE is selling something!) I just don’t have time to read through everything, let alone respond. For people you actually want to hear from, try giving them a keyword or phrase to put in the subject line. For example, when I give my email address out to someone I would like to interview, I tell them to make the subject line say PODCAST INTERVIEW and their name so that it immediately jumps out and can be found with a quick inbox search. 

9. You are easily distractible 

We immediately want to blame iPhones and cute puppy videos on Facebook for getting distracted, but getting distracted is much broader than social media. Making yourself too available to social invites or new business ideas can slow you down even more than constantly updating your Twitter. Write out a mission statement for your business and put in words what you actually hope to accomplish. I know an entrepreneur that wanted to start a website, and before it was even really off the ground, was already setting meetings to go into TV and radio. Don’t let shiny offers lead you astray before you’ve even finished your first project. Commit to your business and your original intentions with an iron-clad focus. 

10. You don’t work on what you need to focus on

There’s always something to be done, business related and otherwise. Some of these tasks will of course be quicker and easier than others, which is usually an indicator that they’re also less important. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize! And then stick to that list! Think of it this way: a giant boulder takes more effort to push down a hill, but it will have more momentum than casting a bunch of tiny stones down the same hill. We want momentum! Real, quality momentum. 

11. You continuously want more from everyone else

Here is some hard truth: expecting too much from people will lead to disappointment. You can absolutely want others to help and support you, but it is so unbelievably rare to find people who will want to work as hard as you for the things you want. Be reasonable in your expectations of others. Putting stock in the unwavering commitment of others is a bad investment. 

12. You jump on the new bandwagon

Trends are tricky. If you’re the one setting them, it’s like striking gold. Joining in once a fad has already begun makes me a little nervous. Here’s why: I like things to be time-tested and proven. I prefer to read about other people’s risks paying off, or not, than to see my own name in the headline. I have worked hard for what I have. As Bruce Springsteen sings in “Because the Night,” 

What I got, I have earned. What I’m not, baby I have learned.

Jumping on the bandwagon of some new idea or business venture is a gamble. Chances are, the person who started the trend is the one who will cash in. Be hesitant of over-glorified options that seem to poof! out of nowhere. Let someone else discover the inevitable pitfalls. It’s better to be inspired by new trends and build off of them to better your company than to follow someone else’s lead completely. 

13. You watch TV

Everyone does. But not everyone runs a business. If your momentum is dipping, ask yourself if you’re keeping up with the Kardashians more than you’re keeping up with your business. I love a good binge-watch, but find I’m much more productive when I limit myself to one episode a day. It comes down to time ladies! Be choosy. 

14. You eat like hell

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but that doesn’t include apple fritters or Apple Jax. I’ll even go out on a limb here and say we should think twice about our coffee choices. All of the little ‘quick-fix, I’ll just go to a drive-thru’ meals take a toll. You don’t need a PhD to research what foods promote energy and brain health. I was so pleasantly surprised to find I could replace my triple-shot macchiato with a chia seed kombucha (and save myself $2) without compromising on my necessary morning energy boost. The littlest switches can make the biggest difference in your energy and work performance. 

15. You don’t sleep enough

I am a truly frightening person when I don’t get enough sleep. Of course, even “enough” sleep (8 hours) never really feels like enough. The health consequences for sleep deprivation are even worse than my crankiness, and much more serious. Your memory, concentration, appearance, and personality all suffer when you burn the candle at both ends and sleep for only a few hours a night. It’s a lot harder now to shrug off an all-nighter than it was in college.

16. You only work

Just ask Jack Torrance. If you haven’t seen The Shining, spoiler alert: all work and no play does not work out for him or anyone within a half mile radius. Your work should be your passion, not your life sentence. You work so hard so that you can have a beautiful life to enjoy when you leave the office. Spending too much time doing only work evaporates any sense of urgency. Knowing that you have a fun activity planned for 7pm makes you fired up to get sh*t done so that you can make it there on time. You need diversity in your schedule. 

17. Your workspace is lacking

Your workspace is crucial for productivity and feeling good while getting stuff done. It should be your absolute sanctuary… somewhere you don’t dread going to, with a vibe that matches your personality and business. I know an executive in the publishing business who spends most of his day reading and thus has a loft office that resembles a library. Because of this, he takes all of his meetings to a restaurant two blocks away instead of having people drop in and out, disturbing the serenity of the place. There is a feature in this month’s Marie Claire (with Nicki Minaj on the cover) that showcases hot new jewelry designer Kendra Scott’s recent office remodeling. It is a stunning dream office with a mani pedi salon included, but what I found most interesting is that her desk is in the shape of a precious gem. Her workspace not only nurtures her employees and makes them feel welcome and cared for, but the design is geared to inspire and provoke new business ideas. Total #goals .

18. Anxiety is getting in the way

A common complaint I hear nowadays is social anxiety slowing people down. Networking events and meeting with investors don’t go so well when you were up all night in a cold sweat over presenting yourself and your business to established, intimidating new people. Some people have anxiety about traveling by plane for work, or even sending emails. There’s no judgment here, but you have to let your determination to succeed overpower your anxieties. Come up with a mantra to repeat to yourself about how powerful you are, how you trust in yourself, and will not be defeated by the hypotheticals swirling in your psyche. Put a lavender oil diffuser in your workspace and breathe deeply. 

19. You’re not marketing

A business needs customers, and customers have to hear about the business to know it even exists. I know that you probably don’t have money to throw around, but advertisingis crucial. Even social media is a pay-to-play game. If you really believe in your business, it will be worth it to make a marketing budget to get your website seen. Of the millions of people out there, someone will want to hear what you have to say. They just might not be able to find you yet. There are some guerrilla marketing strategies that don’t cost anything… like researching online forums and communities that would be interested in your business. On the other end, there are large, professional marketing firms that will do it all for you…for a price. You just need to make sure you’re being seen.

20. You don’t say thank you

With so much big business competition, you want to make sure your customers and employees feel a difference when choosing the little guy (you). Back in the day, I worked as a hostess for a small, locally owned restaurant that opened at the same time as a major chain located directly across the river. My boss insisted that I memorize our customer’s names, preferred seating areas, and thanked them profusely for stopping in, even if they were just looking around. I still remember our customers’ appreciation for these little differences that we implemented. People want to feel valued. Many want to know that their money is going to a deserving entity… or at least a kind one. 

21. You don’t have a set goal

Your business has to have a trajectory in mind. Where are you going with this? What do you hope to accomplish short term and long term? You need to be clear on what you’re working toward, or it is guaranteed that your progress will decline. Breaking your goals into benchmarks can help give your overall dream some plausibility. This week work on crawling. Next month work on walking. By six months figure out how to run, and then work on flying. 

22. You’re not managing your money

Most businesses fail within the first five years. They have either lost their seed money, the excitement-fueled drive of owning a new company, or both. It is definitely discouraging to see your business bank account dwindle, but that is not the time to panic. That is when you need to work your hardest and innovate. There may be times when you, as owner, will not be able to take a paycheck. Owning a business is not always glamorous. Extra cash should be thought of as a way to boost your company further, otherwise you’ll be in the red with a lot of red-bottomed heels and no business to wear them to. 

23. You’re ignoring the victories

The biggest way for a business to lose momentum is for its team to feel like they’re just spinning their wheels. Why work hard for a business that is seemingly going nowhere? I’ve done it, and trust me, even the paycheck stops being worth it after awhile. No one wants to feel like they’re wasting their time. To avoid this, point out the progress and achievements that you and your team have made to boost morale. Even if you have to start really small at first and look realllly closely, there are good things that have happened and victories that should be celebrated. Give yourself and your employees a pat on the back; it will go a long way. 

24. You’re not innovating

Business is hard in a capitalist society. There will always be competition springing up with new ideas to steal your spotlight. You will steal the spotlight, and you will need to fight to remain in it. That means keeping up with recent innovations and always being willing to learn. You might’ve been the best at what you do 5 years ago, but it will never hurt to brush up on your skills– from managing to learning the new Photoshop or Microsoft Office programs. Read everything you can! Attend talks with industry leaders. Never stop learning!

25. You don’t have the right support

Even if you run a one-woman operation, no one can truly go it alone. Emotionally, you need the support of your family and friends to keep you sane and remind you that yes, you can do it! You need the right financial backing, from people who won’t hold it over your head or legitimate banks that (hopefully) have a decent interest rate. And you also need good employee support, from people who believe in your business and not just your hourly rate. 

Are you shaking your head?? That's a lot to digest right?  

Where to begin? 

Okay, it's not so bad.  I promise you.  A few tweaks here, a few tweaks there and you're back in business.  You back with opportunity and momentum on your side.  

I promise you.  

I have only 2 spots left open for 2017.  Click here to secure your spot and start generating revenue from multiple spots!

Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you -- the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones, and listen as you work out, do your errands, or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast is via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

This post may contain affiliate links.

I had the most amazing conversation with Gina Horkey from  Horkey Handbook.  You see, I seek out people with wisdom as I usually need a good grounding and within a few moments of talking with Gina, I knew she was my go-to gal!  Gina, an online business owner and a mom of 2 little ones, knew she wanted to make a shift from her Finance job. She liked the idea of writing, the idea of a flexible schedule and the opportunities in online business.  Gina set a goal, one goal and worked to prove her concept.  Within a matter of months, Gina trained her replacement at her J.O.B. and high-tailed it to freelance work full-time.  The evolution and growth was so interesting to hear including her great nuggets of wisdom was refreshing!   

“Failure isn’t necessarily the end of something rather it’s the evolution of something better.”

— Gina Horkey

She is a married, millennial mama to two precocious toddlers from Minnesota. Additionally, she’s a professional writer and online business marketing consultant with a decade of experience in the financial services industry. Gina enjoys helping other freelancers gear up to quit their day jobs and take their side hustles full-time via her website, Horkey HandBook.

Notable Quotes from Gina:

"It started with one goal and then building off that momentum."

"Networking should be about building relationships and not getting your next client. Clients usually do come from that stuff but it's should be focused on meeting some really cool people that you have stuff in common with."

"You have to have a strong why to have initial motivation and then (use it for) long-term motivation."

"And I don't always know what I'm doing. I think people think either super smart or have my stuff together. When the reality is a lot of the time I am just trying things and putting myself out there and setting myself up to fail.  Because failure isn't necessarily the end of something rather it's the evolution of something better."

"Shut off the firehose when it comes to consuming content and start doing things and trying things and you can see what works." 

The Interview:

We talked about so many different things:  

• From Finance to Freelance Writer to Online Business
• Transitioning into freelance work
• Getting Up First thing
• Proof in the pudding, income goals then doubled
• Doubling down
• Her process of trying new things
• Learning on a surface level vs a deeper level
• Batching conversations
• Knowing how to be flexible
• Mentors
• What's she's interested in learning now
• Her fun new timer!  Think Pavlov
• Her Masterminds
• Keys Conferences 
• Building a community
• Work - Life Balance - It's All Life

Links

• Emily Griffin
• Dave Ramsey
• Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape the Average, and Do Work That Mattes by John Acuff
• 30 Days of Hustle
• 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success
• The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
• Pavlok
• Double Your Freelancing Conference
• Converted Conference
• EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches by Dave Ramsey

More From Gina

• What did you want to be when you grew up?
  • A doctor. ;-) 
• What was your first job?
  • Babysitter, but then my first W2 job was as a dishwasher in a cafe - great for learning work ethic! (But I always smelled like french fries.)  
• What are your go-to books and apps?
  • I really digged Derek Sivers, Anything You Want, I read a lot by Bill Hybels and I have a ton of books sitting and waiting to be read (just need more time!). Apps - Podcast Addict, iHeartRadio, anything Google... I'm not a big app girl. 
• What are your favorite gifts to give?
  • Thoughtful ones - I try to keep mental notes and then use them when searching for just the right thing.

---

PS: You May Also Enjoy These...

Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you -- the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones, and listen as you work out, do your errands, or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast is via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

This post may contain affiliate links.

So many of us are the "Jack of All Trades, Master to None."  It's hard not to be that in today's instant information, instant access age.  There are so many things we can learn, so many things we can do and give ourselves to.  You're a doula, a photographer, a mom - oh my!  That's precisely the story of Cindy Collins from Euphoric Herbals.  Well, part of it anyway. Realizing she couldn't be on call as a doula gig with 3 little ones running around and also realizing she was over editing all those photos, Cindy made a conscious choice to focus one business.  With no time at all, Cindy outgrew Etsy again and again and again.  Now her initial hobby has grown to over $100,000 business with over 10,000 orders in all 50 states and 44 countries.  She's moved from home office to warehouse and produces 600+ orders a month.  She's doing great work and just last month put all 3 kids on the bus!  She's committed to growing and also having time for herself. 

Seriously you will want to listen to this power chic, Cindy Collins!

A few great takeaways:

• Motto - Service before Sales
• Her "Hustle" comes from wanting to create change and make a difference.
• Just start - you can always improve.

More Notable Quotes

The Interview:

We talked about so many different things:  

• Her hobby and side hustle start
• Running 3 businesses with 3 children
• Outgrewing Etsy
• Determining "my 1 thing"
• Doubling Orders in 2 Months
• What she did after Momentum 
• First thing she did when all 3 were on the bus and went to school
• Looking forward to having a nap
• How she got started
• Giving away scholarships
• How her upbringing prepared her for today's work
• Hustle comes from wanting to create change and make a difference
• Her goals
• Mentors and mentoring
• What does her day looks like
• Her thoughts to women pondering...

Links

• B-School by Marie Forleo
• Store Envy
• Shopify
• Dave Ramsey
• Zig Ziglar
• Growing a Handmade Business: 10 Lessons Learned

More from Cindy

• What did you want to be when you grew up?
  • My earliest memory of thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up was a mermaid, and then I remember I wanted to be a writer. 
• What was your first job?
  • My first "real" job was a kindergarten classroom aide.
• What are your go-to books and apps?
  • My favorite business books are: Brewing up a Business and E-Myth. Apps: google analytics, Typorama and 30/30.
• What are your favorite gifts to give??
  • Favorite gifts to give are a french press and the book Half the Sky.

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Balancing work and family is no easy task. As women, we are expected to give 100% to everything and everyone, all the time. If you're not taking care of yourself, you're going to burn out pretty quickly.

“The struggle between work and family is not new. It is one of the most common causes of stress in working adults. More often than not, they are unable to find the golden balance between both. Given different circumstances, there is always a time when either family or work takes priority.”

These are the words of Rosette Obedoza, a blogger, entrepreneur, mother, and the loving wife of a military man. When asked about how difficult balancing work and family can be, she says     “…really stress is an understatement when women are the subjects, or much better let’s just say victims. The tussle is often associated with dysfunctional outcomes including poor physical and mental health, ineptitude at work, and strained family relationships among many other upshots.”

Laura Probert of Huffington Post says "If your expectation is that you must work harder and do more to get what you want, you will have to work harder and do more, which will lead to burn out."  And she's absolutely right!

Now Rosette and Laura are women we can both give the tag “badass mompreneurs”, of course in their own different and little ways. And here’s a list of the things that help define their success stories.

1.     Talk With Your Family

The first thing Rosette speaks of is open communication between yourself, boss at the office and of course the people you love back at home, your family. Listen: “Often I thought I did not need my husband and child to solve my work versus family concerns but I was wrong. So I decided to try and the more I did, the more I realized there is no way to get things done right if you only rely on what you know. For me, this is magical. I think that if you can make your entire family know about your obligations both at home and at work then they can be more understanding. The other bit is your boss. If s/he can understand a little more about you, certainly you hit the first step to a healthy lifestyle.

2.     Respect Your Priorities

If possible, get very clear as to how much time you need off and the impact it bears on your fee. Priority is the other thing. And it is one we know too well. We have stickers all over or don’t we? And in them we have our day’s schedule. So what really is the problem? Well, it happens not all of us respect our schedules and priority lists and yet we need this to be successful mompreneurs!

Sarah Krieger, a mother of three and dietitian in St. Petersburg, Florida says her priority list is a combination of things to be done over the week including; children stuff, business and personal needs. At the end of the day she ensures all is done in good time. Alice Garbarini, a freelancer in New Jersey on the other hand says her to do list is only complete with both work and fun slotted.

The one significance of making a to do list is that we are able to think well and make appropriate decisions before we act; with it you will be able to act on issues much proactively than reactively         

3.     Create Time For Sleep

According to a recent post by Daily Mail, lack of sleep is damaging mothers’ lives. It affects the productivity of close to 82 percent of working moms, makes some 55 percent of them vexed with their babies, and about 70 percent off sex. Perhaps you’re part of the statistics but you want out. It’s simple, create time for yourself either during the day or at night and get a nap. It’s important.

The fact of the matter is that in the short term, good sleep will help improve your ability to learn and retain information, your mood during the day, and your judgment both at home and at work while also helping you avoid little misfortunes, could be errors in the office or knife cut at home.  

This in essence will not only make you more efficient but also more productive, not to forget that in the long term a good 6-8 hour sleep guarantees a healthy lifestyle.

4.     Set and maintain time for Routine Exercise

There’s a physical, mental, spiritual and energetic toll taken from you whenever you work, birth, work and raise children. The toll is huge for any one of these things. Combine them and you’ve got a sure-fire recipe for burn out. The only way other than sleep to recharge your batteries is to formulate a simple exercise routine you can maintain. For more fun, get your partner to try it too.       

5.     Make Easier Mornings

Still at home, try not to get yourself worked out in the morning by making relevant preparations for the day the night before. Pack the kid’s lunches, lay out their clothes, and have them shower. You can also decide what to make for breakfast, repack the diaper bag, purses, backpacks and or the work bags to be placed by the door, alongside the keys so you can grab them on the way out. The importance of a light morning is that you leave to work with enough energy and good mood.  

6.     Seek Help Where Necessary  

Now if you are working 60 or more hours a week, there’s the alert. Even though you still manage to keep together a family despite all the work, you need help. And this again is what Laura speaks of, the expectations we have as women. The society expects us to be 100 percent mothers, wives, and still get a similar score at work.  Yet, how are we supposed to do that?! According to Rosette, one day you’ll be 100 percent mother less other expectations while other days you’ll be 100 percent other responsibilities less a mother. In the end, for a healthy lifestyle, it is only mature to admit there are times you need to be assisted. It's all about balancing work and family. So don’t waste a lot time listening to those saying you are lazy.  Some of my favorite resources are Amazon's Prime and Prime Now.  And of course I love Freelancer.com to help out with all sorts of odds and ends!

7.     Let Go of Negative Energy

It’s hard to please everyone, in fact, it’s impossible. Sometimes you’ll hear things; good and bad, if not how you’re not doing this right then it’s how you’re doing that wrong, sometimes from the extended family, sometimes from colleagues at work. This is part of life. Quite a normal thing in the life of both gender, but more especially for working moms so expect it and don’t allow it in.

According to Chris Talambas of Lifehack.com, negativity affects ourselves and everyone around us. It limits our potential to become great and to live a fulfilling life. Also it has a tangible effect on our health. Now, when we let it go, positivity comes in and then we begin to encounter other situations and people with more similar attitude and thus we begin to live happy and healthy lifestyles.

I am not shy about telling you how much I love this guided meditation.   It focuses my thoughts and efforts and shows me how to forgive myself for my failings (and there can be many!

8.     Listen to Your Body

Unfortunately what needs to be done can be so overbearing that we lose ourselves in it and fail to listen to our bodies. Laura tried to do it all and when she pushed herself harder, the body jammed then she realized you don’t have to sacrifice yourself in the process, you can do it all yes but save yourself; tomorrow needs you. She says, If you feel that you are really tired, run down or a little achy and that you need a vacation — take it because this isn’t a should, it’s a must for self

9.     Let Loose At Times

In Texas, a group of working women (bankers, nurses, and doctors) often let loose by organizing a roller derby. This is a game in which the members of Texas Derby Divas often laced in skates’ takes down local opponents of similarly organized groups and that’s it for them. Kerri Gathright, a member of the divas team says skating is her outlet, that if she’s often in a bad mood whenever she doesn’t go out. Like her Carrie Dopoma, who’s a flower mound mother of two often goes out and for her it’s another role with an added tag, ‘Baroness Von Booty’. She says, “I’m one person at home and a different one on the track. Well, like these diva moms, at times you can go out and let go. Like sleep, letting loose will help you become more productive by improving your mood thus keeping you on the pathway to a healthy lifestyle.       

10.  Celebrate Little Successes

Finally, there are so many ways celebrating little successes in our lives matter. Whether this is a promotion at work, beating a deadline, completing a task/project or just getting a good feedback from your manager, it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate success, however little. See, the whole point of putting in all that effort - working longer hours than normal and really stretching yourself to getting both done right is so you can enjoy the satisfaction of attainment. Otherwise, you’ll be robbing yourself the feeling and sending the message that really your efforts don’t need to be recognized. When we celebrate, we get ourselves ready for the next big job, project or goal.

Briefly, other ways to work and live a healthy lifestyle includes finding quality childcare,  having some “you-time”, staying connected with your partner and other family members during the day, creating special family bonding sessions whenever time allows and finding the balance as well as setting boundaries between work and family, not to leave out creating more time for your partner.

Which of these working mom tips are you committed to implementing? Let me know in the comments below!

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Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you -- the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones, and listen as you work out, do your errands, or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast is via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

This post may contain affiliate links.

“When I shifted the mindset, things just changed.”

— Monica Froese

There is something that happens when you have kids that is inexplicably, irrevocably different in you.  Yes, yes, you love like you never thought possible.  There is also this change in the value of your time.  Your time away from your kids, your time with adults, family, and friends.  Everything is looked at with a new lense.  The meaningless become important.  Things you didn't mind before become important choices in your life.  LIKE that corporate job.  Sure in your twenties you could go into an office, do your thing and hit up happy hour in the evening.  Then you become a mom, a busy mom and your corporate job becomes a means to an end.  And you start a side gig.  You are working for everyone else, your boss, your clients, your family but how - oh - how do you work for yourself??  My conversation with Monica Froese from Redefining Mom was about just this story.  How do you leave your corporate job for you side gig?  Monica's story is pretty amazing and now she's helping others make the shift too!  You are going to love this story.

The Interview:

We talked about so many different things:  

• Started not intending to have a business
• Her visit to the White House
• Passive Blogging
• Her bridge into working full-time
• Busy Moms Building book
• Multiple Revenue Streams
• Going from Information Overload to her Tipping Point
• Bringing in Revenue Streams
• When I shifted the mindset, things just changed.
• Fear of Missing Out
• Learning Overload
• Having to get over the skeptical-ness of myself
• Her mentors & business coach
• Her deep thinking moments
• Her 90-Day plan
• Her next time-management hack
• Her thoughts on Perfectionism & Entrepreneurship

“People can make a business out of anything.”

— Monica Froese

Links

• Flex Jobs
• Ruth Soukup - Living Well Spending Less
• Elite Blogging Academy
• Megan Flatt
• Money Saving Mom
• The Get Paid Podcast

“I was expecting some momentous things to happen where somehow I was going to walk into my corporate salary by doing one thing. That is how you are trained. You do this one job and that’s how you make your money. You can’t be an entrepreneur and thing that way.”

— Monica Froese

More From Monica

• What did you want to be when you grew up?
  • A lawyer.
• What was your first job?
  • This one is gross! My dad got me to work in a butcher shop at 14. It was owned by a distant family member. I am an animal lover and it was not a fun thing to do but it did teach me to appreciate jobs later on.  
• What are your go-to books and apps?
  • I track all of my morning walk/jogs using the app RunKeeper. It gives me a look back of all my runs for the last 5 years! I can't live without my Podcast app. My absolute favorite book of all time is The Notebook. I read it while I was working on the alzheimer's unit of a nursing home when I was 16. It's a very touching story. My favorite recent reads have been Big Magic and #GIRLBOSS.
• What are your favorite gifts to give?
  • I love giving meaningful gifts. I like to think outside the box and get something meaningful for the person I'm buying for. I tend to do a lot of my gift purchasing on Etsy these days.

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Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you - the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones and listen as you workout, do your errands or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

This post contains affiliate links.

I have had the honor and privilege to talk with many women this past year about their businesses.  I have loved every moment our conversations.  Truthfully, today's podcast was just a little bit different.  Meredith Haberfeld, Founder of ThinkHuman leadership development firm, an organization that works with cool companies like Soul Cycle and Spotify, spoke to and of things that have really stuck with me since our recording.  Not only do I connect with some of the things she discussed (business divorce, iterative businesses, wanting to make an impact) I was also inspired by this power, knowledge and confident enthusiasm from within the conversation.  When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up and her answer was Secretary of State, I laughed because it seemed so post on.  Meredith is making waves, no doubt about it. 

My Key Take-Aways

1. Wait, I'm not the only one to go through a devastating business divorce? 
2. Wait, you want to break things on purpose to make them better?  Phew - me too!
3. Wait, how do you help people have personal responsibility, live raw and honestly AND turn that into "quantum results"?
4. Her heart is called to have and make an impact.  She's sorting through the HOW now.  (YES!)
5. More and more the world has become a place where purpose and profit can intersect. (Yes!)
6. Focus on bringing one's legacy true. Focus on fulfilling one's vision. 
7. "Life is messy and humiliating ridden with failure, tell the truth about it all.... (and so becomes the more joyful) path!"

“I was ridiculously privileged to have a dad that thought I could do anything.”

— Meredith Haberfeld

We talked about many things including: 

• Leadership development for fast-growth companies
• Cultivate the best in your own work and your team
• Iterating your business
• The chess pieces in business
• Being a senior leader in a $200 company in your 20s
• connected the dots when people have personal responsibilty raw and honest those dynamics in a an or quantum results
• Her devastating business divorce
• Lifting her head through the mommy fog
• One to many impact
• Current state of her business 
• Want to break things on purpose to make them better.  
• How they're sorting through how to have the impact
• Business is a powerful lever for doing good & how
• Take notes about things in the night
• Her oh-so wonderful mentors
• Inward & Outward pieces of advice 

Links

Bread and Wine by Shauna Neiquist (one of my mentors)

More from Meredith

What did you want to be when you grew up??

• Secretary of State

What was your first job?

• White water river guide for ARTA River Trips

What are your go-to books and apps?

• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Noah Yuval Harvard

What are your favorite gifts to give?

• I live for Etsy gifts

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Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you - the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones and listen as you workout, do your errands or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

This post contains affiliate links.

“Having other women entrepreneurs you can connect with is quite powerful.”

— Malea Anderson

I am always curious how people get into their businesses.  How do they start? How does one decide they are going to create a fitness apparel company?? To me, that would never ever cross my mind.  But when you talk with Malea Anderson from Moxie Fitness Apparel, you see how it fits, how it makes sense, how she created a business and sales off of the things and needs happening in front of her.  In our conversation, she talks about each year, every step, and how she and her business have evolved.  Have you not yet taken "the leap" and want to know how another woman (and mom!) did so?  Have you taken the leap and are still thinking about your own evolution and growth?  Malea talks with me about all these steps, her 3 steps forward, 2 steps back.  Quite frankly, it's inspirational to hear what and where she's going. 

We talked about many things including: 

• Taking what's natural to you and turning it into a business
• Creating additional revenue streams
• Creating relationships with people in the industry
• Evolution of her businesses and sharing her passion
• Primary driver of sales
• Importance of defining your customer and how (in nitty gritty details)
• Process of educating herself during business growth
• How her business has evolved over the years
• Developing relationships with influencers
• Evolving her business whole fit lifestyle
• HOW to live the whole fit life
• Adding more resources
• Mentors
• Loneliness in being a entrepreneur
• Benefits of a mastermind
• How she guards her time
• How she wasn't an entrepreneur herself and became one

“All the awesome education is out there. It’s so neat that we have so many ways to learn right at our fingertips but it can be a little bit overwhelming. You can overload on all of these cool ideas and then run out of time to implement them.... I ahve been on a self-imposed hiatus. No more courses until I implement more. ”

— Malea Anderson

Links

• Chalene Johnson
• Amy Porterfield
• Pat Flynn
• Lewis Howes
• Tiffany Lee Gaston

More from Malea

What did you want to be when you grew up??

• When I was a kid I wanted to be a teacher, a doctor or a veternarian.

What was your first job?

• Ocean lifeguard.

What are your go-to books and apps?

• I love personal development books.  My all time favorite is You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. I am also LOVING Gabby Bernstein's new book The Universe Has Your Back. As for apps, I am usually listening to podcasts or Audible, and I've recently gotten more organized using Evernote.

• I love personal development books.  My all time favorite is "You Are a Badass" by Jen Sincero.  I am also LOVING Gabby Bernstein's new book "The Universe Has Your Back." As for apps, I am usually listening to podcasts or Audible, and I've recently gotten more organized using Evernote. 

What are your favorite gifts to give?

• I love to give cute, girly gifts like fun jewelry, a cute trucker hat, or a fun water bottle.  Something personalized or motivational is always fun to give too! 

---

---

PS: You May Also Enjoy These...

Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you - the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones and listen as you workout, do your errands or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

This post contains affiliate links.

“I think you sometimes hit your stride a little bit quicker if you jump in and start. ”

— Rachel Reeves

Rachel Reeve's is a mom of several, a homeschooler and a business owner.  She's a badass chick with contentment seeping out of her and the conversation was unreal.  Her businesses, Declaration Learning and Attic 17, both celebrate history and are as unique and inviting as she is.  

“I do have this entrepreneur inside me that wants to “push push you can make this bigger, you can grow this, you can reach more people” I also have to be realistic because if I try to do that in my season of life right now I will only be disappointed and it won’t get the results I really want which is to love what I am doing and enjoy it at every step... I am still really satisfied and am doing what I can and am enjoying the process.”

— Rachel Reeves

We talked about many things including: 

• Taking what's natural to you and turn it into a business
• Expanding on your loves
• Turning a stale subject and making it  come alive
• Just jump in an do it
• Businesses she's given up 
• Priority and her time
• Keeping expectations clear
• Her specific time management 
• How she skips past the learning curve
• Her thoughts on Perfectionism
• Her mentors
• Where her caution lay with online business

“There is a time for everything but I can’t do everything all at one time.”

— Rachel Reeves

Links

• Course Craft
• Bean Soup - The Pioneer Woman
• Mary Poppins

“No is just as good of an answer as Yes.”

— Rachel Reeves

Where You Can Find Rachel

• Instagram: rachelreneereeves
• Instagram: declarationlearning  
• Facebook: Declaration Learning
• Etsy shop: Attic 17
• At Home 06 Podcast

More from Rachel

What did you want to be when you grew up??

• I had always wanted to be a Broadcast Journalist.  I even began taking courses during my first year of college.  Who knows... maybe I'll still be on CNN one day.

What was your first job?

• My first official job was working at a candy counter in a mercantile.

What are your go-to books and apps?

• "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is a daily devotional that never, ever gets old.  My favorite work of fiction is "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith and my favorite history book is "The Reagan Diaries" by President Ronald Reagan.  My favorite app would have Five Star because my husband and I love to eat out and you can earn points by eating at your favorite local joints!

What are your favorite gifts to give?

• I love to give candles to everyone because they are one of my favorite things.  I also enjoy finding the perfect book and almost always give a vintage photography instead of a greeting card.

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Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you -- the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones, and listen as you work out, do your errands, or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast is via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

“Good food should not (just) be for the wealthy.”

— Samantha Rodgers

Imagine knowing what you and your family are going to have for dinner tonight.  

You are going to know tonight and tomorrow night and the next night too. 

Imagine knowing that when dinner time comes by all you have to do is open the fridge and prep the meal for about 20 minutes.  

20 minutes until dinner is done!  What?

Sure there are expensive delivery plans that can take care of your meals but, again, they are really expensive.  These meal plans add up!  And I still have to go to the grocery store!  

I loved talking with Mompreneur Sam Rodgers about her new business Eating Clean Cooking Dirty.  Not only is the subscription meal planning a helpful idea to us busy moms, I love how she offers a personal touch with group coaching.  You can connect with her, including text with her if you have questions or need to substitute out some foods!

I love it!  And I loved talking with her about her business.  There are several points that stand out for me from our conversation but mostly I think I loved how she created the business and why which is not quite what you think!  And how she wished she would have started sooner!

Mompreneur on Fire Listeners & Readers get a 30-Day Free Trial!

“For someone who doesn’t want to think about the food part of their life, I can help them.”

“I wish I had started sooner.”

— Samantha Rodgers

The Interview:

We talked about so many different things:  

• Monthly subscription - meal planning
• 30 Day program - group coaching
• Transitioning a natural habit to a business
• good food should not be for the wealthy
• Her big moments in the business
• How her subscription & group coaching business model works
• Where can she connects with people
• How she makes her business work when she's horrible with social media, 
• Managing her schedule in building a business
• Finding time on her own
• Her favorite series to settle her time
• How her upbringing helped her in today's business

Links

• Trello
• Outlander

More from Sam

What did you want to be when you grew up??

• I wanted to be a fashion designer.  Coco Chanel was my inspiration.  I did go to design school in London right after high school, but decided to switch to a business degree with emphasis in entrepreneurship after a year.  I realized that my true goal was to be an entrepreneur.

What was your first job?

• My first job was in a pet store cleaning up after the animals.  I was 15.

What are your go-to books and apps?

• I LOVE Trello and OneDrive.  Both are on my phone and they are awesome!  Go-to books include: The autobiography, D.V., by Diana Vreeland, Miracle Mornings, by Hal Elrod

What are your favorite gifts to give?

• I love to give the gift of food.

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Do you love listening to Podcasts? Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you. It’s perfect for you -- the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones, and listen as you work out, do your errands, or even the dishes late at night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast is via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

“I think sometimes women hit a wall. You have to say to yourself, ‘Do I completely switch directions or do I give this up?’”

— Kate Casey

Kate Casey hit the nail on the head when she said she was a disruptor. She’s a disruptor for women who are under tremendous pressure and need an escape. Those women like me. I relate to that and I go to her for those reasons. 

I have been a fan and follower of Kate Casey from Love & Knuckles for years now. We have mutual friends and I’ve seen her around in town, but I have always felt too shy to talk with her too much. It even took a while for me to invite her on the show, to be honest. But I bit the bullet, and like she says about other things, I wish I hadn’t wasted that time.  

Kate, with four kids, did full-time work in PR and had her comedy hobby blog. This year, she gave up the full-time gig to really make “a go” at her hobby! She seems to be very conscious, intentional, and doing quite well at her new full-time gig!

Today, Kate is doing stand-up comedy, she’s writing all over the place, including doing reality show recaps on her site, writing for the Fashion Police in US Weekly, writing for several other publications, and doing seriously funny parodies on Instagram. (Some of my favorites are below.)

“Unless you take the leap, you can’t give yourself that challenge. You may say to yourself, ‘Why did I waste so much time?’”

— Kate Casey

“It’s a hustle. I’m a one man band.”

— Kate Casey

There were so many good nuggets of information and moments of inspiration from this interview - a few of my favorites are below:

On Building a Business

• She’s a hustler. Never took a maternity leave and never told anyone she was pregnant. That’s the problem with consulting. If you are not available, they will find someone else.
• No matter what you are doing, you have to look at the business side of things. Nicholas Sparks determines what he writes next by what’s missing in the market. 
• The business you need to start is the disruptor. Are you disrupting the system?
• Be more than one thing.
• If you paint yourself in a corner, you're going to come up short.

“I am writing. I take my computer everywhere I go. If I am waiting in the carpool lane, I have my computer with me.”

— Kate Casey

On Life

• Unless you take the leap, you can't give yourself that challenge. You may say to yourself, why did I waste so much time?
• People need to be more mindful of how easy it is to help someone. It's so easy to help someone. Your little introduction could be huge for them.
• We are all too hard on ourselves.
• If you love something, you can make time for it.  

The Interview

• Problems with consulting
• Transitioning her hobby into a full-time job
• Internal struggles of taking the leap
• Business side of comedy
• Her career advice from Travis Kalanick - Founder of Uber
• The real side of blogging and what people don’t understand
• Hustling
• People need to be more mindful of how easy it is to help someone
• Her hardest client
• 2 mentors - I am so grateful. I've got to pass that on.  
• Her Sh*t or Get off the Pot moment
• Logistics of having 4 kids and hustling
• Some frustrations
• Time Management
• Helping people - again

Kate does a parody on of Celebrity Moms often with the title "Same Thing, Right?" (Below are a few of my favorites from her Instagram account.)

Links

• Leslie Jones from Saturday Night Live

More from Kate

What did you want to be when you grew up??

• I always envisioned myself either being a cast member on Saturday Night Live or a politician. 

What was your first job?

• My first job was filling folders at a small investment banking firm. 

What are your go-to books and apps?

• My favorite books are Bossypants by Tina Fey, Revenge: A Story of Hope by Laura Blumenfeld, Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. My favorite apps are Twitter, Instagram, SiriusXM, and A Beautiful Mess for my picture parodies. 

What are your favorite gifts to give?

• My favorite gifts to give are books, monogrammed lucite trays, and photos. 

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When you only have a few minutes to relax, use them! It’s not very often that I have time to take a long, luxurious bubble bath– or even want to use my time to indulge in such a way– and I’m guessing that many of you feel the same. When you need to de-stress from mom life but can’t slow down, try any of these 15 working mom tips & tricks to relax in just 5 minutes– or less!

1.     Cup of Tea

““You know, there really isn’t much that can’t be solved by a decent cup of tea.”

— Louisa Clarke, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Tea is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of releasing tension, and there’s good reason for that. It’s inexpensive, simple to make, and you can feel a difference in the first few sips. Herbal blends with chamomile or lavender get the most press for promoting relaxation, but you’re not limited to those two flavors.

 My go-to is Yerba Mate, a hot tea that is known for providing an energy boost. Unlike coffee, which can give me a jittery, intense burst of energy, this tea calms me down to the point where I can focus better on whatever I’m working on.

2. Walk it Off

In a stressful situation at home or at work, remove yourself for a few minutes and get outside for a walk. Breathe in that fresh air and feel your jumble of thoughts untangle with each step.

When you’re pressed for time, walking is your best bet. Unlike running or an intense workout class, you can go straight back to your routine without needing to change clothes before and after or shower.

3. Phone a Friend

 This works for more reasons than one.

•   It’s a mental break from what you’re working on. All of those things that were stressing you out a minute ago can be forgotten while you focus on catching up with your gal pal and hearing about her life.

•   Supporting someone else makes you feel good. Reaching out to someone and showing interest in their daily goings-on is a great way to show you care, and that kindness and support will not go unnoticed– or unreturned.

•   Complaining is a nice release. If you won’t say it, I will. It just feels good sometimes to vent and let it all out. Most of the time I don’t expect my friends to have a mind-blowing solution to whatever is stressing me out, but the simple act of talking to someone about it seems to lessen the weight of my stress. If nothing else, we can both complain and help each other see the humor in it all.

•   It’s inspiring! Call someone up and say, “Tell me some good news!” Sometimes it’s the mompreneurs on my podcasts, and sometimes it’s friends and family, but hearing about others’ successes is inspiring!

4. Journal

Writing can be so incredibly therapeutic. Even if you’ve never found joy in writing, put your past conceptions aside because journaling may be your new favorite pastime.

 Don’t think “Dear Diary…”

Instead, try writing down the things you’d like to accomplish today, this week, in the next six months. Make a list of the things you have already accomplished this week, last month, in the last six years. Doodle!

5. Queue Up the Ultimate Playlist

I challenge you to not feel more relaxed in five minutes or less when you have your favorite music playing. Shake off the dust from those high school classics and sing at the top of your lungs when no one is around. It’s not just athletes that need to be pumped up. Figure out your fight song (if one didn’t come to mind immediately) and use it to rally against fatigue, stress, and days when you would just rather be at the beach.

6. Focused Breathing

A quick tip I learned from a licensed therapist is that you physically can’t feel panicked if your breathing is in control. If you feel like you’re spiraling in the middle of the day, are having a hard time falling asleep, or just need to get centered, try this quick breathing exercise wherever you are:

Breathe in while you slowly count to 3, then breathe out for 4 slow counts. Inhale 1…2…3… Exhale 1…2…3…4…. and repeat until you feel completely calm. It will happen!

While you count slowly in your head, you’re distracting yourself from the negative thoughts, and the slow, deep breaths will instantly relax you. I love this one because it flies completely under the radar and is virtually unnoticeable by those around me. It is also a great way to begin a meditation session.

7. Pull Out the Foam Roller

If you’ve used a foam roller before, I’m sure you understand exactly why this little activity made the list. It’s a favored tool by those who exercise regularly because it helps break up lactic acid buildup from previous workouts while also getting you loosened up for the next training session. You don’t need to hit the gym every day to experience the benefits of foam rolling, however.

Rolling out your muscles for a few minutes every day can have the same effect as a massage. You might not realize how tight your muscles have gotten from stress or sitting down for long periods of time. Using a foam roller can give you a deeper stretch than doing without, and help posture, blood flow, and the aches and pains of daily life.

8. Look Over Photo Albums

What else can instantly put you in a good mood like seeing all of those happy memories you stored in photo albums? With all of the technology that has come along, actual printed pictures aren’t as popular anymore, but it’s a habit I won’t let go of. I love looking back on forgotten moments from vacations and first days of school, and my kids really get a kick out of it, too. It still works if your pictures are saved on your computer or phone. After all, if you’re going to use most of your phone storage for pictures you might as well take the time to go back and enjoy them!

9. Look Over Favorite Quotes

I’ve always had a ‘thing’ for quotes; a sort of amazement at how someone could take so much wisdom, inspiration, or profundity and squeeze it into a cleverly worded little sentence. I jot down the quotes that have stuck out to me for one reason or another in my journal, on post-its that dot my desk, or clip them from magazines and newspapers to look back on when I need to remember:

•   why I work so hard at the things I love

•   other people have failed and struggled before reaching their goals

•   some of my problems are not as big as they seem, and they can be overcome

•   love is real and it is out there for me

If you haven’t started collecting quotes yet, check out Pinterest and Instagram for some of their many quote accounts.

10. Furry Friends

Petting your dog or cat may seem like it’s for their benefit, but doctors say it is one of the most efficient stress relievers around. If you’re an animal lover, then it already brings you joy to be around your furry friend, but did you know that taking time out to give Fido a belly rub can not only lift your spirits, but lower blood pressure and release a relaxation hormone? And admit it, it feels good to have someone who is always excited to see you no matter what.

11. Aromatherapy

Whether you want to relax or not, there are certain smells that just do the trick. Light a candle, turn on an essential oil diffuser, or lather your hands with an aromatherapeutic moisturizer.

For a more on-the-go solution, I love Aveda’s stress-fix roller ball that I can keep in my purse and discreetly apply to my wrists, behind my ears, and under my nose whenever I feel stress levels rising.

12. Mint Gum

The peppermint herb can have great health benefits when used in teas and tinctures, but don’t overlook mint gum. It might seem like a simple, everyday item, but mint gum can be your secret weapon in stressful situations. Chewing can release some of that tense energy, and the scent of mint is calming. For those prone to stress eating, try chomping on sugar-free gum to avoid consuming mindless calories– a habit that would stress you out more in the long run.

13. Self Massage

I never realize how sore my hands are until I get a massage, and wow what a difference it makes! Massage has long been the poster child of relaxation, but it doesn’t have to be the book-in-advance, expensive, time-consuming outing that you might be thinking of. Try devoting five minutes to just your hands. Take some coconut oil, vitamin E oil, or a glob of moisturizer and really work into that meaty area of your palm between thumb and pointer finger. For the most part, you will just know what feels good, but it doesn’t hurt to Google the location of pressure points so you can hit on those.

For your feet, find a small, dense ball. Golf balls or lacrosse balls work well, but a tennis ball has too much give. Position it under your arch while standing and slowly roll your foot back and forth to get deep into those foot muscles.

14. Surround yourself with green

No, not money–although that would be nice! Getting out into nature does wonders for the mind. There are endless ways to go about it, depending on what activity level you enjoy: walking, hiking, lake activities, golf, or just lounging in a park. The serenity and beauty of a lush, green landscape is the change of scenery that will spark instant relaxation.

15. Creative Visualization

Yes, I love meditation, so you might be wondering why it didn’t make the list. Creative visualization is so similar! I don’t always use meditation to attune my energy and focus to the future. Sometimes it is a way for me to just clear my head. Creative visualization is another way to relax. Sometimes you have so much going on that you don’t want to clear your head. You want to keep that to-do list at the forefront of your attention. Being hyper-focused doesn’t mean you can’t find calm, though! Set a timer for 15 minutes and close your eyes, relax, and visualize how you want things to go in a specific situation– the best possible outcome! Forget the skepticism and worries about things going wrong. Picture your future as you want it to be. When your timer goes off, ask yourself what’s stopping you from the dream you just envisioned? That ‘dream’ might just be your new plan of action.

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

— Kurt Vonnegut

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Do you love listening to Podcasts?  Or do you not really know what one is quite yet?? Let me make it easy for you.  It’s perfect for you - the super-busy-always-running-around woman that you are.  Pull up the podcast on your phone, plug-in your headphones and listen as you workout, do your errands or even the dishes late night!  

CLICK on the LINK Below & Go!

OR another easy way you can pull up the Mompreneur on Fire podcast via the Podcast App that is already. on. your. iPhone.

Today’s conversation on the podcast was with Erica Ziel from Knocked Up Fitness.  I always love to talk with health professionals, to hear their niche and where they think our focus should be.  THEN of course you know that I love to hear all things on how they build their business.  Erica specifically focuses on working with and helping the busy mom move better through the day!

Erica has written a book, produced video content in the form of dvds and digitally.  She consistently working to help the busy mom live a healthy lifestyle be it through easy recipes, exercise moves or ways to create balance in your life.  Having lived the country and beach life her perspective is unique too! 

Now she's focusing on CORE Rehab a program that will help us moms, postpartum strength our core and move better throughout the day!  I especially loved her tip where she references using the high ponytail to help strength up. 

ERICA'S TIP -Walk As though you have a high ponytail to Help You Move Through Your Day

“Figuring out what to say no to and priorities are a big part of figuring out balance.”

— Erica Ziel

We talked about many things including: 

• CORE Rehab Program
• Every year for the last 5 years she's created a new product
• How her upbringing prepared her for entrepreneurial life today
• How she gets help
• Her Mentors 
• Her Training
• How she manages between the kids and building her business
• How she works at balance
• Figuring out what to say No to and Priorities are a big part of figuring out balance
• How she manages when there's always something to do
• How with growth you have to change your mindset and how she does that
• How they handle bumps in the road with raising the kids
• Little Kids - Little Problems, Big Kids - Big Problems

Links

• AMAZING Cassie Piasecki - (She was my FIRST interview!)
• Angela Mader from Fitlosophy
• Sean Croxton from Underground Wellness

More From Erica

• What did you want to be when you grew up?

At one time I wanted to be an architect, and go to the Art Institute of Chicago. Then near the end of high school health, fitness and nutrition became a big part of my life {in some aspects probably too much, but I’ve learned to balance over the years}, and started Iowa State University to double major in Dietetics and Kinesiology but came out with my Bachelors just in Kinesiology and have since added nutrition certs rather then going the RD route.

• What was your first job?

Well I grew up on a farm so I guess you could say it was just working for my dad and maybe got paid a little here and there once I was older, but my first ‘real job’ was crop scouting - yes I used to be able to identify weeds easier then flowers ;-)

• What are your go-to books and apps?

Anything about nutrition, health, fitness. The last book I read was “FASCIA” - yup, your heard me right. Apps, well I don’t really do fitness apps, so it’s more just social media...

• What are your favorite gifts to give??

I love giving practical gifts, things that I know people will use. So if it’s for a pregnant mama I’ll give her a Moby baby wrap or Aden + Anais lotion, for others my favorite candle or chocolate/treat, things that will get used rather then just stuff that sits around. 

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Between servicing clients, attracting clients, taking care of the home, the kids, the laundry, the dishes, the dog, the homework on and on and on and on I go, OH MAN life is full.  It's not easy balancing work and family. If you're going to keep your sanity, something has to give.

Oh man - my life is full. 

Yeah, yeah I am grateful and blessed and sooo thankful for all of the things I have in my life but

OH MAN, my life is full.  

Between servicing my clients, attracting new clients, taking care of my home, my kids, the laundry, the dishes, the dog, the homework on and on and on and on I go, OH MAN my life is full. 

And I know I am not alone with this one.  

This past year I declared it as the "THIS IS MY YEAR" year and I'm not going to lie.  As good as it has been, it's been tough too. 

I have my eyeballs filled to brims with commitments.  

And then I just broke. 

I am not going to Costco every week. 

I am not going to the grocery store every day. 

I am not doing laundry all the time.  The girls have enough clothes that, yes, that can pile up and they can wear what they don't wear.  (SHOCKING, I know.)

There is no need for me run around and bust my butt for these silly things.  

I don't want to be in the grocery store every day.  

And when I started to say NO, guess what happened.  I didn't need to do these things that often anyway.  

Guess what.  We survived not going to Costco.  We have eaten pretty fine without me stopping in the Grocery store every day.  

We are just fine.  Actually, we are doing great.  

And then I was talking with others and they needed to say no too.  So I created a list.  You can print it.  You can print your favorites only.  You can take one or two a day.  

You can say NO without feeling like a jerk and get control back. 

You've got this.

I’ve heard moms around me say it and I know I’ve said it plenty of times: there aren’t enough hours in the day. Typical mom life. Of course, it doesn’t matter how many hours make up a day if you aren’t using them to accomplish your goals.

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““Life is too complicated not to be orderly.””

— Martha Stewart

We can all get sidetracked, distracted, and delayed. Some days, it seems like the world is purposely throwing hurdles in my way to test my focus and slow me down. I combat days like those with this list of tried and true methods for getting more done every day. Stop drowning in mom life and get stuff done!

1. Establish Real and Specific Goals

You have to know what you’re trying to accomplish! Take a moment to think about what your immediate goals are– for the day, the week– and then consider your larger, long-term goals. Looking too far ahead can be daunting, and you don’t want to end up mentally putting things off, so think about a 6-month goal instead of a 6-year goal.

2. Prioritize

One you identify what you want to get done, it’s time to figure out what needs to get done– and in what order. Divide your goals into two categories:

1.     Goals that are important to you

2.    Goals that are important to your business

List #1 would be your personal, lifestyle priorities, such as spending time with your kids. These are the things you want to accomplish to keep you sane, happy, and healthy. They are what matter to you most emotionally.

List #2 might be sitting down to go over finances, meeting with a distributor, or any of the other tasks that you need to make time for this week or this month in order to keep your business on track.

Both lists are important!

3. Set Deadlines

You need deadlines to make sure these priorities don’t fall by the wayside.

Determine a limit for how much time you can spend on each task, or a day that they absolutely must be completed by. You can base this off a client’s actual deadlines, or use your priorities list to remind you of what you would like to come first. But remember, this also means you will need to hold yourself accountable!

4. Create a Checklist of Things That Need to Get Done

I’m a very visual person, so I find that nothing helps me more than to actually see what I need to finish each day. Before I dive into anything else, I write a numbered checklist of tasks on notebook paper and tape it to the wall above my computer in my workspace. Instead of getting overwhelmed by how much needs to get done, I focus on one number at a time, going down the list.

Crossing items off gives a sense of accomplishment that motivates me to get to the end of my list. Be realistic with how much you can get done, and confine the list to only the most pertinent tasks for today and today only. Then add one more to challenge yourself!

5... And Go!

Set a timer as you begin an item on your checklist.  Did you know that not only is there a timer on your phone but if you Google "Timer" one will pop up that you can set.  Just like that.  Set it for 20 minutes and tackle one thing on your list.  You’ll want to work faster knowing that you are “on the clock,” and seeing your results will help you plan more efficiently for the days to come. It’s easy for me to say that I can draw up a proposal in an hour, but my estimations don’t include getting interrupted by my children for snack time and look-how-dusty-my-keyboard-is time. Most cell phones have an easy-to-use stopwatch timer built in. Turn that on and get going. See how long things actually take you so you’re aware of how much you can actually accomplish in a day.

““The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.””

— Stephen Covey

6. Turn Off the TV

My life changed when I stopped watching cr*p tv.  Long gone are the days hours watching people fight with each other endlessly.  (Instead, I just read about them from my favorite funny comedian Katy Casey @ Love & Knuckles!)

Anyway, speaking of distractions, watching television is a good way to zap your time and focus. When you’ve got a full list of tasks to complete and goals to meet, watching TV will likely only get in the way. Save TV time for when you need a break from beating so many deadlines. DVR was made for busy people like us who need TV shows to run on our time, not primetime, and Netflix will wait.

7. Involve Your Family

Recruit the little ones to help in more ways than one:

1. Let them hold you accountable for deadlines. Are you following through with the rules you set for yourself? We can negotiate with ourselves to get out of things, but it’s not so easy to cheat deadlines when you’ve asked your 8-year-old to oversee your completion of checklist #1-5 by dinnertime.
2. Complete tasks. You’re not the only one who can empty the dishwasher or fold the laundry! Delegating can be family time too, right?
3. Keep you on track. Let your family know that you are in grind mode and should not be disturbed for the little things if they can help it! Essentially: “Please don’t ask me to watch a movie with you tonight! Help me keep my deadlines!”

8. Wake Up Early - YES I MEAN THAT

I get some of my best, most efficient work done when I push myself to wake up early. It’s quieter in my house (and the world in general) which is half the battle of staying focused. It also gives me more hours in the day. Yes! Conundrum solved.

9. Meditate

Meditation is like the WB-40 of getting more done every day. Try meditating to figure out your goals and priorities. Download some guided meditations.  It's no secret this meditation is my favorite.  A meditation session at the beginning of your day can help you enter into the focused mindset you need by helping you set your intentions and concentrate your energy.

You will feel unbelievable after you finish meditating and that there is nothing that can stop you!!

You can try it by sitting in silence in a cool, dark room, or letting a Youtube video lead you through the process. There are different types of meditation, depending on what you need help with that day: concentration and focus, relaxation, anxiety relief, falling asleep, or even learning to trust your intuition.

10. Celebrate Successes– Even the Small Ones!

It feels good to get things done, and sometimes you just need to take a minute and really feel the accomplishment. Just as you give yourself deadlines, plan out ways to treat yourself when you reach certain checkpoints. These little celebrations are something to look forward to– besides being successful– and reminders that you can, and should, be having fun along the way!

BONUS! 

Some of my personal favorite resources for staying productive!

• Dropbox - Could not live without it!
• Evernote
• Freelancer - because I could always seem to need some extra help!
• A Good Planner.  And a notebook to keep handy. 
• PInterest of course.  Not everyone understands just how powerful and handy this little search engine is!

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As moms, we experience days when we're severely lacking in sleep, the house is a disaster, and some disgusting smell is lingering from the kitchen. It's especially difficult when you work from home and find that your office has fallen into a black hole. So how can you re-focus on what's important and maximize your time?

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By Ty Schmidt

It’s one thing for us to embrace the concept of cherishing the little things and living in the moment.

It’s something else entirely when you have one of those days. You know the ones – the days that are etched vividly on your memory despite you wishing with all your heart they weren’t.

Especially as moms there are the days when you haven’t slept (or showered) since sometime last week and you watch in horror as your house (which, for me, is also my workplace as a work-from-home-mom) just morphed into something that would evoke nightmares in the minds of nannies and maids everywhere.

The days when canned goods from the pantry are scattered in every room of the house, and when you smell like a mixture of sweat, some sort of baby food goop and a diaper you changed only a few minutes (or maybe it was an hour) prior.

The days when glass was just shattered all over the floor and the garbage was tipped on its side and you think your beloved dog just ate what was left of a chocolate chip granola bar (doesn’t chocolate kill dogs?).

Those are the moments when living in the moment seems about as plausible as finally figuring out how to convince Starbucks to deliver a skinny vanilla latte to your doorstep.

Meditation Means Focusing

There are those moments we could all afford to just pause. To take a breath. To live in the moment.  We need a moment to focus.

Meditation is a great tool to help you learn to embrace these moments and live a more balanced life. I know what you’re thinking? What working mom or mompreneur has time for this?  I know it sounds impossible and that you’re too busy and all that glass you need to pick up before the barefooted children cut up their feet is desperately calling your name.

Who has time to sit down and empty their mind?  But that's not what meditation means.  It is not emptying your mind, it's focusing your mind.

But experts say that is where meditation practices are at their strongest. That is when taking five to 20 minutes to try guided meditation can really make a difference for you, by helping you learn to gain control over those chaotic moments. By helping you remember to breathe.

An overlooked tool to a healthier, happier you

One example I have personally found helpful is from Dr. Joe Dispenza’s “Change from the Inside Out” series.

The “Morning & Evening Meditations” download offers listeners the chance to get to know themselves better, and ultimately notice positive changes to their mental and physical health.

Available for download or on CD, the series begins by getting you in the right mindset to tackle the day and ends with a relaxing opportunity to ease your mind and body into restful sleep.

“It all sounds so simple but it can be really hard,” said Diane Sutrick, a mompreneur of three adult children who owns Peace Yoga Studio in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wis. and has been practicing yoga and meditation for more than 10 years. “In a world where our culture does so many things that are bad for the body and embraces multi-tasking like it’s the best thing in the world, we are losing ourselves and the ability to find balance.”

Meditation means teaching your body to heal

Research shows that meditation, which is a practice that helps calm yourself by quieting your mind, has many physical and mental health benefits that can aid in dealing with stress and anxiety, but also help keep you more focused and present in your daily life.

“I know the struggle for a lot of people is time – there is never enough time,” said Sutrick, who opened her yoga studio about five years ago. “Yet it is in learning to get into the moment and teaching your body how to flip the switch from using the sympathetic nervous system to using the parasympathetic nervous system that we train our body to get the rest and relaxation it craves.”

The ability to fully relax doesn’t come easy to everyone, despite the health benefits research points to in favor of taking some time to regularly reboot.

While cynics and skeptics alike may question the impact meditation can have on one’s daily life, finding a way to maintain balance by whatever means necessary sounds pretty good to a work-from-home-mom like me who all too often puts literally everything and everyone else ahead of simple things (like that yoga I’ve been meaning to pick back up for the last seven years).

Meditation means thinking about yourself and others

It sounded pretty good to Sutrick as well, which is among the reasons she wanted to find a way to help others find peace.

“I’m not an expert meditator by any means, but I am an advocate for moms who I support as they carve out the time to do something for themselves that ultimately benefits the whole family,” she said. “It’s easier for some people than it is for others, for a whole host of reasons, but meditation pairs with yoga to help you find a place to be quiet with yourself and reflect…and find your center.”

Despite the cliché that all moms live in yoga pants, not all who wear yoga actually practice yoga.

“Ultimately all that matters is that you are finding time to think, breathe and simply be in the moment,” Sutrick said. “You can meditate any time – it doesn’t have to be in a class or at yoga or what have you – in fact, it’s almost a sign you’ve learned the practice well when you can apply it to your everyday life.”

Meanwhile, doubters of the practice will try to make the case that busy people (i.e. mompreneurs on fire) don’t have time to get into lotus pose and clear their minds. Believers like Sutrick have these words of advice for them.

1. The benefits of meditation are endless. Meditation is considered a highly effective relaxation technique, and relaxation is linked to a number of proven health benefits. Less stress means a healthier immune system more capable of fighting off all those germs kids are prone to bringing home, helps keep you focused and aids in retaining memory and decision making.

2. Meditation can happen anywhere. Whether you’re wearing yoga pants or not, you can meditate almost anywhere at almost any time to help refocus, clear your mind and be present in the moment.

3. Time is of the essence. Meditation is a practice that helps you let go of the past, live in the present and be ready for tomorrow all at the same time. By clearing your mind and learning to simply be, you are more capable of finding peace amid the chaos.

Because let’s face it. The life can be tough. And not just ‘oh my goodness, I miss happy hour and mani-pedis with the girlfriends tough.

It can mean admitting that yes, you’re having one of those days when you haven’t slept more than an hour or two in the last 72 hours and you can’t keep up with the mess and you really kind of just want to drink an entire bottle of wine when no one’s looking (because that won’t give you a headache or make waking up and doing it all again tomorrow that much more trying).

Maybe we should all just try meditating instead.

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Still Thinking About It?  Here are some other great resources! 

• Changing Beliefs and Perceptions Meditation
• A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength Wisdom & Courage in Any Moment
• The UnTethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself - (Note: At last look this was on sale for $5!)
• Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program

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I know an Amazon business owner that brings in $10s of thousands of dollars a month.  Who would have thought you can make money from home by partnering with Amazon?! This is an amazing business idea for women who are just getting started or ready to start something new.  I have personally done some research on what products the winning companies are selling, who and how.  I have talked with several people and then read about others, about how they generate revenue on Amazon.

This post contains affiliate links.

I sometimes wish it were my “thing” but it’s not.  I am convinced that if you are interested, this is a real possibility to generate a ton of money every month!

Why waste the research and learning though??

here you go:

Amazon is one of the greatest Internet services where you can develop your online business and sell goods (products and items) for great prices. There are more than 20 categories available with many more subcategories. The good news is that Amazon also provides a sales plan for every member and you can choose if you are working as individual or as professional. If you are successful in the first few months, you can expect that you will build your own brand on Amazon in the next few years.

Getting Set Up

First, you need to create Amazon store and choose between individual or professional plan. Register with your e-mail address. Individuals can sell books, toys, electronics, and tools. Professionals have many additional options, including art, beauty products, and clothes. After you register your account on Amazon, you can start listing your products and items and categorize all of them. Amazon will automatically check if there are similar products in the base and if there is no product like yours, you may wait longer to register a new product for the service. You should write all the qualities and features of the item, so it can be added to the catalog and available for purchase.

Finding Products

There are a couple different strategies that people take when finding products.  INSIDER TIP: You want to purchase products for re-sale with an Amazon sales ranking of #8000 or less. 

·       You can research wholesale stores, look up their clearance items and see if there is a good match with Amazon.

·       You can visit stores like Tuesday Morning or TJ Maxx Home Goods to find deals.  Before you purchase the item pull up the item on Amazon and see if it has a good sales ranking.  If it does, can you purchase, resell it cheaper than the lowest price it’s currently offered at AND still make a profit?

·       Research high-end products that do not offer 2-day shipping and determine if there is a high enough sales ranking on Amazon.  A lot of people are starting to pay a premium for items so they can get the 2-day shipping.  So buy it on sale or at regular cost and up the price so you can make a profit and the buyer can win out too by getting the product in 2 days.  I have heard Disney shopping is a good place to look at, but have not personally checked out myself.

Sending Your Goods to Amazon

After you find products and items that you can sell on Amazon, make your purchase and then send them directly to Amazon for Fulfillment by Amazon service.  Fill your Amazon store with the products categorized and subcategorized in the categories and set your price. Be careful to set the price well, because sometimes just a few cents mean that your product can be less popular than others.

In the most cases, customers buy the first product they see, especially if it is Prime eligible. 

When you set your product try to give the buyer options in the “Customers Also Bought These” section.   This is an easy way to direct your customer to buy more from you. 

It may sound cumbersome in the beginning but my understanding is you can quickly get in a rhythm and quickly understand what will sell or not with minimal risk on your end. 

Then after you ship your products, Amazon takes care for the rest.   And start thinking about the next holidays like Black Friday and plan your sales!

Additional Tips:

-        If you can, register as a professional seller, so you can save on fees.

-        If you are a professional seller, you have more categories allowed and that means that your products can easily be found on the service.

-        If you want to register your own brand on Amazon, you should be professional subscriber.

-        Sell with FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon). That means that Amazon will ship the product and also will handle the customer care, refunds, and returns.

-        Set the lowest price with shipping included, so your product comes up first. The buyers will more likely to click on the cheapest product and that may increase your sales and income. Check the prices of the same product from other sellers, so you can make the best combination of price + shipping.

-        Combine more products as a special offer pack, to create a unique product. For example, if you sell books with bookmarks as a set. Buyers love a combined offering.

-        Don’t forget about customer service!  Good ratings are important. Customers want to feel confident in what you are offering them.

-        Describe your product with many details. Customers always want to know what they are buying.

-        Try your best to use high-quality images of the product, photographed on every side and angle possible. The photos should be at least 1000 pixels on a side, so the customers can zoom the picture. Also, try to take the photos on a white background. You can find many instructions on the Internet on how to make the best photos possible.

-        Label your items correctly before you send them to FBA.

-        Learn how to use the Amazon’s keyword tool so you can optimize your store to be in the first results after the customer searches for something.

 

Additional Resources to Help Out 

• The Selling Family is packed with information about selling on Amazon. Jessica Larrew replaced her income within a few months of being laid off and then retired her husband from his job in less than two years.  They have an Amazon Boot Camp that walks you through all of the steps it takes to get from the first steps of starting your new Amazon business to getting your first sales. Plus there are bonus materials on some more advanced strategies, and lots of information that you will need to know along the journey.

• How to Make $1,000 Per Day Clear Profit on Amazon with One Single $35 Product You Choose: - and - How to Become an After-Tax Cash Millionaire in 3 Simple Steps

• Amazon FBA: Complete Guide: Make Money Online With Amazon FBA: The Fulfillment by Amazon Bible: Best Amazon Selling Secrets Revealed: The Amazon FBA Selling Guide

• AMAZON FBA - 2016 Update: Step By Step - A Beginners Guide To Selling On Amazon, Making Money And Finding Products That Turns Into Cash

• Amazon Selling Secrets: How to Make an Extra $1K - $10K a Month Selling Your Own Products on Amazon

If you *do* decide to give it a try - please let me know!  OR If you do have some insider tips - please let me know!!

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Michelle started with multiple gigs to earn pay off her student debt fast and not live paycheck to paycheck. Now, she has 1 gig. She incorporates multiple streams of income into her blog to get things done. Crazy Fast Growth!

This post contains affiliate links.

First, I literally just had an interview with Michelle Schroeder from Making Sense of Cents about her work, how she does what she does, her why, etc.  If you don't know Michelle, she is living this amazing life that she has chosen.  I mean, she sold her home and travels the country with her husband in an RV and blogs about Finances.  I think that in itself is something to be celebrated!

But here's the thing.  When I interviewed her, like, yesterday, she was making $70,000 a month pretty regularly.  That's what we talked about in the interview!  How in the world did she do that?? 

But did you see it? 

The reason for the update is because not only was she making $70,000 a month, but Michelle just earned over $40,000 additional for the month, pushing her monthly income over $112,000!

Aack!  Who does that?? 

And HOW?? 

First, you should understand a little about her.  Here are some excerpts from my original interview with her, and then there are some thoughts, which I have confirmed with Michelle on the big change. 

Can you tell me about your initial side businesses?

At one point, I had many side businesses. I used to blog on the side, mystery shop, babysit, take surveys, sold items on eBay, rented rooms in my home, entered giveaways, and more. Side businesses and jobs pretty much consumed my life, and I still worked full-time as a financial analyst as well.

I did all of this so that I could pay off my student loans more quickly and not be bound by a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle.

I'm so glad I found blogging, because it allows me to make a great full-time living, while also loving what I do.

What are your current revenue streams?

My only form of income now is through my blog. You can find the exact ways I earn a living in my monthly income reports. This includes: affiliate marketing, sponsorships and advertisements, and more. I do a little bit of staff writing every now and then, but not as much as I did last year.

One new form of income that I just recently started earning is through online courses. I just launched my very first course for bloggers, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.

My monthly income totals around $70,000 a month. I expect to be earning $100,000 and above on a monthly basis by the end of the year.

What are your biggest lessons now that you are able to look back?

I thought that creating more websites would help me to increase my income. That was a huge mistake! I have since learned that when I am more focused, I am able to have much more fun with my business, while earning a better living. 

What advice would you offer out to someone else trying to have. it. all?

You can do it! Yes, it may take time and a LOT of hard work, but you can reach your goals. You just need to start.

But now Michelle has made $40,000 more?? HOW??

She created her own product. 

It's that simple and that hard. 

It always comes back to the product, and for Michelle, the additional $40,000 revenue was from her Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course. 

Which I actually bought in a heartbeat once I heard about it, because Rosemarie said I needed to! (And you know I just do what Rosemarie tells me to!)

Truth be told, within a few days of me taking her Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course, I made real cold-hard-cash-money for my own pockets!

What I love most is that the product works for her AND me. 

See, she has built this blog, this business, and has learned a few things or two.  Now she has finally decided to teach others how to do what she does. 

And I have to admit, as an entrepreneur mentor, I read enough business books and follow enough people to know that creating your own product is always the game changer. 

I look forward to the day that I am there, too.  When I have my own product. 

But I am not there yet.  I am okay with that.  I am too busy pulling the rest of ... life together. 

But in the meantime, I am more than happy to learn how I can just make some extra cash doing what I am already doing -- with a tweak here and there -- thanks to Michelle and her $112,000 lessons!

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