One of my very favourite things to do (in both business and life) is to keep learning, keep growing, keep developing.
Learning new lessons and implementing new tactics is almost a hobby of mine. It keeps things fun and fresh. Sometimes these new ideas might flop, but sometimes they FLY. That’s just part of the entrepreneurial rollercoaster.
In my mission to peel back the curtain and show what it really looks like to build a biz your way, I’ve decided I’m going to share each of these trials and tidbits with you. Sometimes I’ll be sharing new marketing tricks I’m trying. Sometimes it might be a new source of inspiration. Sometimes I’ll be sharing books worth reading, or tools worth testing, or discussions worth joining.
I can’t promise that everything will be your “thing”, but I can promise to keep it inspiring, informative, interesting and (anymore “int” words? No?) REAL.
For now, I’m committing to do this every Friday for the next month. It’s a test in itself… let’s see how it goes down!
Start your morning with some pep in your step.
For the past month or so, I’ve been a lot more intentional about how I want to be spending that precious slice of time before I start work for the day… but this isn’t about that delightful (and ubiquitous) morning routine I’ve designed, this is about how I kick off the actual working portion.
If you know you’ve got a lot to do on any particular day, it can feel heavy and overwhelming. The trick is to find something to bring a bit of energy to the mix (and I don’t mean that in a woo way).
For me, that comes from my “Happy Morning” essential oil blend that I pop in the ol’ diffuser (2 drops of rosemary, 2 drops of peppermint, 2 drops of lemon) and a truly joyful “Morning Vibes” playlist I’ve created. You can give it a listen here.
Get serious (and selective) about how you spend your reading time.
A short while ago, I was digging through some old emails I’d saved and I came across one from the one and only Dan Meredith…
In it, he was talking about his winning book habit (and you know how much I love anything book related).
In a nutshell, for years now, Dan has always had 3 books on the go. One work of fiction, one biography and one non-fiction books (in the business/personal development genre). Every day he reads one chapter from each book – a habit he credits to a lot of his current (epic) success. And it’s one that I am absolutely, definitely stealing.
In case you’re wondering, the current books I’ve got on the go are:
- (Fiction) Mistress of Spices by Chita Divakaruni
- (Biography) Flappers by Judith Makrell
- (Non-fiction) Being Boss by Kathleen Shannon & Emily Thompson
If a habit works… STEAL it.
This was another rediscovery from the great inbox tidy up…
One of my fave people to follow online is Sarah Von Bargen. She writes all about habits, happiness and how to have a hell of a lot of fun online (3 of my favourite things!). This particular article actually inspired this new series of mine, so I definitely recommend you have a dig through for inspiration.
That’s what she said.
I am a big fan of a podcast, so I’m always on the hunt for a new listen. That’s What She Said!, with Kristin Kalp, is absolutely the flavour of the month. I’m loving it. Let’s be real, anyone who uses “Harry Potter” as a verb gets an automatic win in my book. There’s a nice balance of magic, mindset and tips on living the mogul life.
These are 3 of the eps I’ve loved recently:
- Don’t drink the unicorn blood!
- Deal with your dementors
- How to sell – a bare bones reference guide for humans.
Let’s talk photos of your FACE.
Yeah. Let’s not.
I’m joking, kind of.
I’ve never been one to feel comfortable in front of the camera. I get awkward and fidgety (much like Chandler in THAT episode of Friends). But after a recent chat with Alex Beadon, I realised that my love/hate relationship with visibility is something I needed to tackle head-on. I can’t achieve all the big, beautiful things I want in my business if half of my brain is focused on staying secret.
So I went straight out and booked a couple of photo shoots. I pitched myself for a few different podcasts as a guest. I started to up my selfie game thanks to selfie coach, Liberty Edwards. None of this feels comfortable, per se, but it feels positive because it’s a sign of massive forward motion.
Yes, GDPR is baffling. No, it won’t kill you.
I can’t even really begin to fathom the madness that is GDPR, and all of these new hoops we now have to jump through. Luckily, I don’t really have to, because I’ve got someone who can take care of everything for me.
Joyce De Bakker is a system consultant and holistic productivity coach who works with female entrepreneurs to unravel the mystery that is TECH and just make it work for us. She’s got a particular grasp on GDPR that makes her an essential friend to have.
Check her website here, or listen to her on the latest episode of Your Biz, Your Rules.
Stop judging yourself for not fitting in the feminism box.*
*Because babe, there ain’t no box.
This is something that’s popped up in a few places online recently, so I wanted to add my tuppence. Check out my failures in feminism and join the discussion here.
Has something given your brain (or business) a boost this week? Share it below 👇
