A Message from the Dime in the Asphalt

Being on a money mind set journey, every time I see a coin I pick it up and express extreme gratitude with the affirmation ‘I am a Money Magnet’ accompanied by a little money dance. I find money on the ground and in various other places all the time – it’s amazing how much this happens. It’s like the more I notice money in all forms, and express gratitude towards it, the more my income or change wallet literally grows. 

So the other day I was biking to work and less than 5 minutes into my ride I noticed a dime lying on the side walk.  I stop, realize it's completely stuck in the asphalt and simply I get back on my bike on my way to work thinking, 'welp, guess that one's not meant for me.'

Later on that very same ride I spot another dime. I'm thinking, 'crazy! Two dimes in one day. Whatttt!' I stop, pick it up, sing my 'I'm a money magnet' song and do a little dance as per the usual routine.

But then something dawned on me, if I had stopped and become preoccupied with the first dime, I would've never found the second one--the one that was truly meant for me. This stuck dime was showing me that a lot of us go about our lives banging our heads on the same wall over and over again not realizing there is a door open a few feet away.

Many of us continually try to pick up our own absolutely stuck and stubborn dimes meanwhile getting our fingers dirty and breaking our nails. Why is that that we don't take a closer look and realize that this dime is nothing but trouble? Why is it that we think if we hop back on our bikes we won't find the dime that was meant for us?

So here's my real question to you: What are you finding yourself breaking your nails over – is it a relationship, is it money, friends, work? The dime in the asphalt could represent anything in your life.

As a business owner, there are potential clients that I want to hold onto – I see their potential and future and want them to step into it but sometimes they are the dime stuck in the asphalt, not ready to change. A hot summer day might come along and move them out of the asphalt and they’ll be able to change their life. Here, it’s a matter of knowing when it’s time to move on and go after something else--move on to the person who is truly ready to transform their life.

In the long run this behavior perpetuates an exhausting, unhelpful cycle--you find yourself stuck swatting on the side of the road next to this annoying dime with filthy hands and broken nails. Don't get yourself stuck when in reality you aren't--it's that thing outside of you that is...

How to make the Grind Bearable

If you have a 9 – 5 job and you feel unhappy or even miserable at work, there are two things that you can do to either re-engage yourself or move yourself in the right direction.

I know a lot of us have this dread when we’re at work – before we get there, when we leave, during the after lunch drag and so on. We've gotten so good at seeing the negative that we don't even know we can choose to set our mind to another setting...this other optional mind-set that is hugely overlooked when it comes to work. I am sure you know that in every part of our life it’s mind over matter. Most of us chose the job that we’re in. We applied, we got excited and then we got a bit disillusioned, unhappy, burned out or even disappointed. If you commit to applying this other mind-set, you can shift how you think about where you are at in order to help you get to where you want to be. You can literally re-engage yourself back into a place of excitement. Here are two easy ways to help you get there:

1.       Re-frame what you’re struggling with

If you’re behind a computer and not feeling like working on another spreadsheet or sending another email, change your thoughts about what you’re doing. Why not allow yourself to be excited that you have this opportunity to streamline a process and realize that if you get it done, you won’t have to do this exact task again. If you work in sales for example and you’re serving the 100th customer or so, re-frame you’re thinking to acknowledge that this is the 100th person that you’ve connected with and helped. This connection could also be a networking opportunity, if you want to get out of there (the dang job that is), to see where that connection might lead you.

If your alarm goes off and you don’t want to get up because you had a late night watching Netflix or you were working on your own stuff, re-frame and gear yourself towards being enthusiastic about your work and your ability to have an impact in this position. So instead of always thinking about how stuck you are, even if you are, start to shift your thinking towards excitement and see how you can use where you’re at as a stepping stone to get to where you want to be.

I find using an anchor thought to be really helpful. If I am really anxious about a meeting or working with a specific person, I prepare an anchor thought ahead of time. An anchor thought is an unchanging thought that can root you and guide you in the direction to what you want. For example – if I have a meeting, I imagine that the meeting went really well and my anchor thought would be: “After the meeting we got up, shook hands and were glad that we connected and had this conversation”. Going into the meeting with that anchor thought shifts the energy that you bring to the meeting. If you are vibrating negative energy and consumed by negative thoughts, the next person will sense that. So re-framing how you approach a meeting or task will get you feeling more motivated but it’s also going to help you have much more meaningful connections with the people that you work with.

2.       Implement the 5 second rule

The 5 Second Rule is a book by Mel Robbins. If you are battling to re-frame your thoughts, try the 5 Second Rule. So you find yourself thinking negative thoughts while you’re at work on that spreadsheet and you start feeling like you hate your job but you have to do it to get that promotion or make money blah blah blah... try the 5 second rule. You count down 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 and SWITCH. If you’re scrolling on Facebook or entranced with gazing into your spreadsheet, you literally switch to something else by physically moving to another task. This gesture launches you into positive action, whether that is a physical task or a shift that can move you into the positive anchor thought you prepared earlier.

I wanted to share these tips as I know a lot of you out there are struggling with finding fulfillment in the day job. If you really apply the two principles above, you can shift your world and transform your situation into a stepping stone towards where you actually want to be.

Need some more guidance? Check out when the next Feeling Salty workshop is to discover how you can re-create your future and make adulting fun. The process includes stream of consciousness writing and a movement meditation (that hasn’t been taught by anyone else).

Spirituality: You're doing it wrong

One aspect of our lives that we tend to talk less about and suppress, is spirituality. There have always been strict frameworks that dictate what being spiritual versus not being spiritual means. In actuality, there is not one way to connect or reconnect to God, the Universe or whatever it is that you believe in. Prayer seems to be one of the most common ways to connect spiritually but it's not the only way, neither is going to church the only way to connect.

Because many of us are lead to believe that there is only one or two ways to reconnect, this week I want to share some different ways to connect that I continually use when it comes to my own spirituality and spiritual practice with the hopes of helping you reconnect if the other stuff isn't doing the job.

1.       TALKING

Talking is a form of prayer where we use our voice internally or externally to connect. So we might say things out loud or silently as if we are conversing with God or a higher power.  Talking could be talking through our spiritual experiences with yourself or someone outside yourself--friends, family, a spiritual guide, God, the Universe, etc. Connecting spiritually through talking and prayer is a very mainstream spiritual practice in our society. It has proven to be effective for many but not everybody can connect deeply in this way, based on their preferences, personality types and learning styles. Not all of us are able to talk or connect and learn through this way.

2.       LISTENING / MEDITATION

The notion that meditation is a way to connect spiritually is often missed.  Meditation is about silence and listening. Prayer is about output – talking out loud or asking God in your mind how to fix this, or make this better or get this or that. We’re so busy asking the creator these questions but do we give time to be silent and wait for the answer? Do we listen for the answer? We might be able to ask this higher power how to make our lives better but an important part of the process is to wait for the answer, to listen to your heart for the guidance and take action based on that. If there is silence, that is a message in itself, but you need to be open and available to hear the silence.

3.       CREATIVITY/FLOW

Accessing Creativity is not based on language, it is based on flow, flow being the idea that you are ‘in the zone.' Your zone might be in the studio painting, creating poetry, writing, rapping or one of the other many creative pursuits out there. Getting into your creative flow is about letting this great ‘thing’ or ‘feeling’ pour through you to let you feel and experience connection on a deeper level and in essence guide you towards stepping into your truest calling. You’re letting this ‘thing’ (spiritual energy) come through your body and manifest itself into a physical creative movement. Obviously you can connect to talking or words through this flow. The only difference between this category and talking is that words that emerge are not products of a controlled cognitive process.

In my experience, spirituality is the most important part of wellness yet it tends to fall by the wayside. If you want to step into yourself more and into the truest version of yourself, you need to find your own unique way of embracing a spiritual practice. Your practice will differ from somebody else’s – acknowledging that this is okay is a great step towards owning your own spiritual practice and not feeling like you need to subscribe to somebody else’s practice or put pressure on somebody else to follow your own practice. As spiritual beings we all have our unique ways of being and doing. Being true to your way will provide you with a huge sense of freedom, happiness & wholeness.

If you're struggling with your own spiritual journey, I'm here to support you. Let's chat. To book a time on my calendar, visit apopstudios.acuityscheduling.com and choose the 'Adult Like a Pro' option. I look forward to helping you step into your highest self. 

-Carlee

Getting Gangsta With Adulting

A while back I spent some time in Florida, with some amazing entrepreneurs, doing some serious grind work for my business! I had an amazing time. Of course I found some time for the beach and to nibble on some delicious treats! I was so excited to indulge in this exotic fruit (on a stick I might add) that I even choreographed a  gangster dance to go along with it. I was so excited for this fruit especially since I was still fairly new to being gluten, dairy & sugar free for the last while.  Everybody was like ‘what the heck is Carlee doing? We’re at a business conference and she’s dancing with her, er …fruit?’ Of course, shortly there after I had one friend dancing next to me and another recording the whole thing.

Fast-forward to when I get back from Florida. I receive a package from my best friend’s mom. I knew the package was coming but I had totally forgotten about it. I was so tired after having to wake up at 3AM to catch my flight back to Philly, that when I got home I was looking forward to getting comfortable and snuggling up with my pillows. It turns out the universe had other plans my my night. I open the package and what did I find? One of the most bad-ass shirts I now own that says: ‘Drink some coffee. Put on some Gangsta Rap and Handle it.’ 

Okay so I don’t drink coffee, but I suddenly found myself so game to ‘Drink some tea, Put on some Gangsta rap, Handle my day and adult like a pro!’ I was super pumped.

I know that many people don’t feel like adulting today or any other day for that matter but here’s the thing, if you shift the way you think about adulting: put your feet down (aka get your ass out of bed), put on your favorite song and handle your day like a gangsta – legally of course - your adulting game will completely transform. Have you ever had those days where you’re walking down the street listening to your song and feeling like yeah, this is my vibe, this is my soundtrack? That is what we need to create for ourselves every. single. day. – getting pumped and excited. In that moment of my gangster fruit dance, I was feeling my own soundtrack--I didn't even need the music! Isn't it time to live a life to your own soundtrack? It'd say so!                     

Real Talk: I can tell you a million and one things that I don’t want to do under the 'adulting' category, but the key to my success has always been getting support when I need it so my question to you is: what do YOU need support around? I'd love to help you step into your highest self. That's why I'm offering you a free Adult Like a Pro strategy session. 

My gluten and diary free dessert dance. @shamaslight

A post shared by A Piece of Positivity Studios (@apopstudios) on Jul 11, 2017 at 3:29pm PDT

Healthy Eating Tips: Feed Your Body, Feed Your Soul

I have always been interested in finding ways to make the process of being healthy fun! Thanks to my Health Coach, I recently realized that I haven’t been putting health and eating healthy into my visualization exercises. So this morning I did this. I imagined feeling super healthy. I went off on a tangent about how I am healthy and how good I feel. During the visualization, a funny thing that I rediscovered is that my body is a temple. We’ve all heard this before, right? But going a bit deeper into this wisdom – I connected with the fact that my body is a vessel for my soul. This realization hit home for me. I imagined that when my ashes are sitting in an urn one day, nobody is going to fill that urn with chemicals or greasy and gross stuff! I wouldn’t want that because I value my soul. My body is the same thing - it’s my vessel that holds something so powerful and so influential to who I am and what I am. Without my body, I wouldn’t be writing this or be able to connect with you!  If I am going to put something in my body, it’s going to be all natural that will make my body and my soul shimmer to be a beacon of light.

I wanted to share this with you because it’s given me new perspective and strength to resist peer pressure and to not let anything tempt me away from my soul. This vessel that is my body is too valuable to let me screw up this one thing that I have that’s been given to me to embody my soul. Without my body there would be no such thing as Carlee Myers or A Piece of Positivity Studios. There would be no such thing as enjoying a cup of tea and having that fuel my soul & inspiration. When I feed my body, I am nourishing my soul. Connecting to this feels like a really important start towards eating healthy from the inside-out, instead of trying to implement a healthy eating plan without connecting to why you’re choosing healthier ways. This wisdom cuts through all the mind games we have to play to convince ourselves to eat healthy and guides us toward doing so organically – pun intended!

With all this said, something that I was struggling with was going to barbecues, because there would be brownies and all sorts of foods to tempt me to put crap in my body. Now that I deeply connect with the truth that my body is a vessel to my soul, I am unlikely to put anything into my body that isn’t going to make my soul and heart better. So it’s going to be much easier to say: ‘No, I am not going to eat that’, and when people ask I’ll say, ‘because I just don’t do that, it’s a part of who I am now’. If we shift the way we think about our bodies, we will be able to really have an impact on the way that we go through life and the way that we feed our soul.

If you are struggling or just want some more support in becoming your highest self, I'm here for you. Visit apopstudios.com and scroll the whole way to the bottom of the page to schedule an Adult Like a Pro Strategy Session with yours truly.

6 Days & 6 Stories about how visualization helped me

Day 6: How Creativity Saved My Psyche & Reconnected me with my Heart

VISUALIZE workshops are 3 hour virtual retreat workshops where I teach people to use visualization exercises, stream of consciousness writing and drawing to get clarity, buildthe life that they want and step into it.

To share how visualization has helped me become the person that I am today, I did a 6 day countdown to my VISUALIZE workshop where each day, I shared a story of how and what I visualized and how it came to fruition. This is the sixth story about how I overcame a traumatic event that was keeping me living in terror.

This is a story very near and dear to my heart that for a long time I couldn’t tell because I felt like it wasn’t mine to tell. When I was a kid, my mom was shot by an ex-boyfriend. She landed up in a medically induced coma. My mom was in hospital for a long time and I ended up living with my dad for a while. What was weird is that I didn’t cry about the incident for a really long time - I was in denial. The result of this denial is that I ended up having chronic nightmares for almost ten years! I didn’t tell my family at all. I would ask my family prying questions to find out whether any of them had nightmares, but I never shared my own. I didn’t really think that having nightmares was something to overcome. I started to think that if nightmares is what sleep is about, then I never wanted to go to sleep again. I felt like I was literally in hell. My body and brain weren’t able to relax and recuperate when I fell asleep. From 12 years old until I was 20, I had horrible nightmares to the point of not being able to move, out of fear that this thing in my dreams would kill me. This fearful thing in my dreams became a huge part of my reality. One day I told my boyfriend at the time about the dreams. I shared that I legitimately couldn’t be the victim of my own mind anymore. I felt like I needed to see somebody or be medicated to solve this horror and save me – if anything out there could. The answer was that there was something that could save me and that there was nothing wrong with me. The problem was that I couldn’t find ‘the thing’ that I needed to find. I tried therapy, religion, X, Y & Z to try and help with this. Finally, I realized that art might be ‘the thing’! I stepped into this idea that art is going to help me and that I needed to dedicate more time towards creating art. I started to ask questions during visualization about what I need to do? I figured out that I needed to get to art school in Philly. I almost didn’t go to Philly, instead, I almost ended up being a tattoo artist which is kind of crazy considering I don't have a single tattoo.

Art was the thing that saved me. Eight years of chronic nightmares started to subside as I got deeper into my creative practice. I started bringing my creative practice into the way I visualized – letting my visualization inform my art and vice versa. It was powerful! I followed my heart because my mind was telling me that there is something wrong with me. My mind was telling me that I am destined to have nightmares for the rest of my life and that I should just avoid sleep. My heart was saying no and guiding me towards making more art because the art is going to show my soul. As I got to realize that the good in my body, in my soul and in the world was so much greater than the negativity and terror, the nightmares became less intense and slowly dissipated. I discovered creativity, which saved my psyche & mind from insanity. In the art making process I started to get more in touch with specific themes and materials that I needed to work with to represent the beauty and positive energy within me. Now I don’t really have nightmares at all with the exception of when I stretch myself thin, am stressed out and/or disconnected with myself.

This story is the reason that I do what I do. I work with women who are struggling to overcome anything - whether you’re in a crappy job, trying to get out of a bad relationship or needing to heal from a traumatic event. It’s all about being happy and reconnecting with yourself to be the best that you can be.  If I can overcome something chronic, that I believed was part of me, than you can overcome anything! I hope that my stories have helped you realize that if you are unhappy right now, you are not this story and that you can step into your heart and become the person you’ve always dreamed of becoming. Stepping into your heart definitely requires support – I have a health & business coach myself...and I went to art school to get even more support in stepping into my highest self! Listening to your heart can help you find the solutions that you need. I guarantee that each and every person holds the solutions to their specific dilemmas. If you hate your job or want to lose weight, you know what you need to do, you just need to find the support and inspiration to get you to do it. Losing 30 pounds isn’t going to be ‘the thing’ that motivates you to get your butt on the treadmill. Picking up a hotty on the street because you got a hot bod, now that’s motivation!

Sharing our vulnerabilities is also important in the process of reconnecting to your heart. We often walk around keeping it all inside and living in a robotic world. Encouraging a culture of sharing our vulnerabilities could help us in solving our problems and healing wounds deep down inside of us.

Thank-you for following my stories over the past while and letting me share them.

Click HERE to start following from the beginning.

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6 Days & 6 Stories about how visualization helped me

Day 4: Using Art to Let Go and Acknowledge How Far I have Come

VISUALIZE workshops are 3 hour virtual retreat workshops where I teach people to use visualization exercises, stream of consciousness writing and drawing to get clarity, buildthe life that they want and step into it.

To share how visualization has helped me become the person that I am today, I did a 6 day countdown to my VISUALIZE workshop, where each day I shared a story of how and what I visualized and how it came to fruition. This is the fourth story about how I use art to let go and to also reflect on how far I have come. Miss the first one? Click here to check out Day 1.

For most of my adult life I have been solely focused on where I want to go instead of where I have been. So, sharing these stories with you has been a great exercise in seeing how far I have actually come. 2 days ago I was rearranging my space for a new studio table and tucked away in a Tupperware container, I came across a side art project that I’d been working on in college. I had tried to create clear paper out of a specific type of glue. And on this weird glue paper, I was recording my emotions every single day and sticking all of the pieces together. I had glued the paper so that I would never be able to see what I was feeling. Except for my career, I knew that it was a dark and unhappy time in my life but I needed to see what I wrote and what I felt, so one by one I started peeling the pieces apart. I was astonished! I ripped one back and it said ‘Lonely’. I ripped the next one back…’Feeling rejected’. The next one, ‘Rejected’…‘Like no-one understands’. I kept peeling. The feelings were a compilation of loneliness, rejection, inspiration and excitement about my artistic practice and where my creative flow was taking me. I realized that art had been the thing that sustained me through many hard times. I had nightmares for a really long time and art pulled me out of that. Art got me out of tough relationships too. When I was feeling like I was not in love with myself and thought no-one understood, art was the thing that kept me going.

When I was in that inspired state I was envisioning a life where I was with a partner who loved and respected me. I was envisioning that I was enough, that I was love and that I was worthy of what I could dream and hope for, whether my envisioning was career related or not. Back then I knew what my career was and I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but I didn’t really know that I had to deal with all this personal stuff – relationships and other crap. But the ‘other crap’ is unavoidable when you want to better your life. I imagined a future where I let go of all the loneliness and rejection in my personal life and started a new project where I was totally okay with looking at those, along with celebrating the fact that I brought self-confidence, happiness and worthiness into my life  and harvested my ability to be alone with myself. For this new project, I put all the pieces of glue paper in a jar of salt water to disintegrate – a symbolic gesture to allow the negative emotions to officially dissolve. The salt water eating away at the glue paper is representative of me saying that I envision a life where I am okay with being alone and when someone doesn’t like me, it’s not rejection anymore.

For a long time I was always seeking love from outside of me and if I had it I was happy and if I didn’t, I was unhappy and disconnected. So to translate this into a new project, 2 days before recording the above video I placed 3 necklaces that I received from previous relationships into salt water. It had only been 2 days and they had already started rusting. This process was symbolic of me being okay with and loving myself and being okay with being alone. The thing about loneliness is that you believe that you are completely and utterly alone and, well, that is just not true. My friends are around and my family is looking out for me. Loneliness is this idea that you don’t love yourself...it's a disconnection with your soul and self. It switches your perception of who you are and what you are and makes you see things or not see things that are not actually there. Instead of seeing all of these amazing people that are surrounding you, you see all of the horrible reasons that they should not be around you. The 3 necklaces in the jar represent relationships that I entered where I was not seeking love in the right way. Through this artistic gesture, I commit to letting go of not getting love from outside of me and letting go of old stories of rejection.

My art and my visualization process is symbolic of how I got out of the bad relationships, how I started my own business, how I lost 30 pounds, how I decided that I am a powerful woman and that I am not afraid to be so. It’s how I became who I am. If it weren’t for visualizing and letting go of my past, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.

I hope you enjoyed my story. Keep your eye on my blog page for upcoming stories or start reading from Day 1: Finding & Encouraging Self-Love.

My VISUALIZE WORKSHOP already took place, sorry you missed it!

Bummed you missed the workshop?

CLICK HERE for a FREE GIFT from me

6 Days & 6 Stories about how visualization helped me!

Day 3: Losing the weight

& gaining a healthier lifestyle

VISUALIZE workshops are 3 hour virtual retreat workshops where I teach people to use visualization exercises, stream of consciousness writing and drawing to get clarity, buildthe life that they want and step into it.

To share how visualization has helped me become the person that I am today, I did a 6 day countdown to my VISUALIZE workshop where each day I shared a story of how and what I visualized and how it came to fruition. This is the third story about how I lost the weight, let go of the baggage and embraced a healthier life!

In 2014 I was 30 pounds overweight and had just gotten out of a 7 year relationship. Everything was happening all at once. My boyfriend at the time and I had broken up 2 weeks before I graduated from college. I found myself newly single and didn’t even notice that I was overweight. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was not in love with the way that I looked and felt, along with how I was putting myself out there in the world. I was blinded and distracted by all the other things going on in my life, like having to complete my senior thesis.

So I get out of this relationship, graduate and realize how unhappy I am with who I am in this moment. Letting go of the relationship and not having a thesis to occupy and avoid, pushed me to see that I had not truly worked on myself in 4 years! I hadn’t been taking care of myself. I wasn’t eating all day and then would binge eat domino’s pizza at night. I was in place where I was feeding my emotions with food. I was totally uncomfortable with sitting with my emotions. I remember walking into my bedroom thinking that I really should meditate and visualize but having to sit and listen to my thoughts was way too painful, so instead I would go and eat some more cereal…I mean I really liked cereal so…?

When I eventually started meditating and visualizing for the first time, it was so hard and scary because I hated what I was thinking. I hated that my thinking would lead me towards eating unhealthy foods. I hated that I had let myself get this out of control into a negative downward spiral. The first time that I sat down to meditate, I had to see the process as a journey and accept that I am overweight and unhappy. The person that I was with at the time mockingly said, ‘You’re gonna meditate, who meditates?’, and I thought to myself that maybe I shouldn’t meditate but thankfully, I decided that I was going to meditate anyways. I moved back to Maryland* for 2 months to stay with my mom and find my grounding so that I could eventually move back to Philadelphia into an apartment. I started meditating every single day. I dedicated at least 10 minutes a day before bed. As the days went by, I realized that I am not my connection to food and I am not my connection to my emotions. These connections are literally an ego mechanism that is separate from me. Meaning that, I would be craving waffles or carbs but actually see that my emotions are craving that, not my body. I started being able to separate the two things from each other. I began visualizing what it would be like to have my ideal healthy body. It wasn’t even about the weight - I wanted to feel healthy and attractive. Once I started to visualize this feeling every day, I started to really get into this feeling and spurring myself on – I was going to look HOT! I felt how great I was going to feel and look. As I started to consciously separate the emotions from the eating, I started to reconnect with what was in me and with what my heart was calling me to do. I ended up moving back to Philly and eating healthier. I visualized and needed accountability, so I started blogging about my health journey. Over time, I reached my goal and maintained it. Ironically, along with the emotional side of eating, I also found out that I am actually intolerant to a lot of foods, like lactose. There are things that we completely ignore but if we pay a little attention and listen to our body, which meditation has helped me do, we will realize that these unhealthy patterns are so not worth it. I have had to learn my lesson over and over again though. Every once in a while I still have cheat days, like this weekend I had vanilla cake with chocolate icing – YUM! Usually when I mediate I tune in with my body and how it’s feeling. So yesterday I felt a bit yucky after the cake but thought that it was no big deal. But when I woke up this morning, I felt awful. Over time it stops being worth it. I used to have favorite foods that I would eat often and not notice that they made me feel gross. I actually didn’t notice that I actually felt gross all the time. Yes, there would be a sense of delight when eating my favorite food, but then two days later I would have a stomach ache.

I envisioned the day when I was 30 pounds lighter and in less than 6 months I found myself there. Now it’s been 3 years and I’ve got muscles and I am doing yoga and things that have shifted my whole lifestyle. My weight loss program was not only about losing weight, it turned into a whole new way of thinking, being and living.

Thank-you for reading my story. I hope it gave you some good ideas. Keep your eye on my blog page for upcoming stories or start reading from Day 1. 

My VISUALIZE WORKSHOP already took place, sorry you missed it!

Bummed you missed the workshop?

CLICK HERE for a FREE GIFT from me

6 Days & 6 Stories about how visualization helped me!

Day 2: Attracting Money & A Better Life

VISUALIZE workshops are 3 hour virtual retreat workshops where I teach people to use visualization exercises, stream of consciousness writing and drawing to get clarity, build the life that they want and step into it.

To share how visualization has helped me become the person that I am today, I did a 6 day countdown to my VISUALIZE workshop where each day I shared a story of how and what I visualized and how it came to fruition. This is the second story about how I visualized the money that I need to create a better life for myself. Missed the first one? Click here to check out Day 1.

Two years ago I visualized having enough money to say good-bye to the roommates, live on my own and travel a lot more. I was living in South Philadelphia in a tiny two bedroom apartment with my best friend. While it was great, it was also rough. I worked three jobs: part time teaching an after school program, part time administration job and part time at a grocery store. Thrown in the mix was a free artist residency, which took up 12 hours of my week. I was crazy busy, waking up at 6:30AM and getting home at 11PM. The apartment we lived in was like a hallway with no living room, it was infested with mice, and it was a 20 minute walk just to get to public transit. Did I mention it was rough!?! To put the cherry on top, I had just received a notification that I had to start paying back my student loans. On the phone with the debt collector and overcome with anxiety, I told the woman on the other end that I literally cannot afford to pay my student loans and requested to pay less for now. That wasn’t an option. I realized that I need to get out of this cycle and step into my truer calling. I was all over the place and had no idea how I was going to make more money. I knew what my general calling was: helping other women to step into their calling. This is when I started visualizing and meditating as a step towards getting out of chaos and step into my truer calling.

A year ago I did my first Facebook live video. It was a tour of my very first roommate-less apartment! Because I had started and committed to meditation and visualization, I received ways to put my dreams into actions. Everything I did in those exercises got put into action. Having my own apartment – hence the video of me prancing around in my very own apartment showing what I achieved without the help of anyone else. Don’t get me wrong, then, it was rough too. I was just starting my own business and still scraping by. I was also adjusting to paying double the rent I was used to. However, I continued to visualize what life is going to be like. I knew I wanted to travel more and express and see life to its fullest. I wanted to take the next big step of independence and fulfillment for the life that I wanted. I wanted to build a life where I could afford milk and eggs and just go out to a restaurant without it being a big financial deal. In addition to this I also wanted to travel, grow my business and have an impact on people’s lives. So I focused, sat down and did these exercises. I focused and said what I want out of life. Visualization is basically being grateful for something before you have it - you’re pretending that you already have it. I affirmed that ‘I am so grateful that I got to travel across the country and see this awesome person, and do this really awesome thing and I got to chill on the beach….’. While actually doing this, I got all of these ideas. I remembered that I do have a friend in San Diego that would let me couch surf. I could totally do a ‘Feeling Salty’ workshop (my signature workshop) and expand my impact that way. I visualized and  imagined what success looked like and reverse engineered it, which means imagining what success looks like then imagining what steps would get me there followed by action. Visualization is very much about the action too!

Now, I am able to live roommate free and live on my own and know that I am doing this, I got it. I am able to travel more and see the things that I want to see all across the country on a regular basis. I envisioned the money to do all of these things and create a better experience for myself. You can too!

Thank-you for reading my story. I hope it gave you some good ideas. Keep your eye on my blog page for upcoming stories or check out my first one here.

My VISUALIZE WORKSHOP already took place, sorry you missed it! 

Bummed you missed the workshop? Attend Feeling Salty instead! 

CLICK HERE for a FREE GIFT from me.

6 Days & 6 Stories about how visualization helped me!

Day 1: Finding & Encouraging Self-love

VISUALIZE workshops are 3 hour virtual retreat workshops where I teach people to use visualization exercises, stream of consciousness writing and drawing to get clarity, build the life that they want and step into it.

To share how visualization has helped me become the person that I am today, I did a 6 day countdown to my VISUALIZE workshop, where each day I shared a story of how and what I visualized and how it came to fruition. The first story is about how I spent the last year visualizing a space where I was fiercely in love with myself and attracted people who loved and respected me in that way.

I used to wake up feeling kind of lonely and not that happy with where I was. I felt like I was not doing enough in my business and not achieving the goals that I wanted to achieve. I’d be going to gym and working on my body but something didn’t feel quite right. In essence, I felt like I was not enough. When I started doing visualization every morning, I would imagine what my life would look like in the future. I would imagine what enough and even more would be like! I would feel the feelings of being so grateful for the fact that I am so in love with myself: I love the way my heart and soul tell me how to be authentic, I love my body, I love that I am creative, I love that I have these ambitions and these dreams and I really love that I only attract people who really love and respect me and view me as equal. If I happened to wake up feeling down or feeling suppressed, I would counteract that feeling with a positive affirmation like,  ‘I feel so expansive and feel so in charge of my life and I am so in love with the fact that I love this’. What happened over time, is that every morning when I did this, I would actually start to feel excited about being expansive and being in love with myself.

Getting to a point of loving myself has been a process of re-programming my brain, switching from ‘I am not enough’ to ‘I am way more than enough’. I literally started to change my automatic thought patterns towards cultivating a truer, deeper feeling of self-love. I shifted from thoughts like: ‘I don’t make enough money from my business so I’m a failure’ or ‘I’m single again so there must be something wrong with me’ to more true thoughts and facts like: ‘Look at all the things that I am doing for myself. I love that I own my own business and I love that I am surrounded by all these amazing people’.

My visualization space became a commitment to myself where I encouraged and pumped myself up for finding the self-love that I could only find from within, remembering that love was not an external thing.  Over time, visualization reminded me that ‘You are what you love and not what loves you’. So I learned and encouraged myself to make my glass over flow because if your glass is not overflowing, you cannot pour that liquid into someone else’s cup. You also can’t ask for liquid from someone else’s empty cup. My growing sense of self-love has had a domino effect.  I love myself because I go to yoga, so I keep going to yoga. I love myself because I am very dedicated to sharing my story. I love myself for my dedication to connection, which is why I connect here and on Facebook live.  

Part of the Domino effect was realizing that, as I fell in love with myself I was weeding out people who actually didn’t love me in the way that I wanted to be loved. As I realized more of my value, I realized that my biggest asset is being expansive, open and vulnerable. A year ago, I remember feeling like I had to be apologetic for things that are typically masculine – like owning my own business. Imagine being apologetic for that!? I felt like I was constantly moulding to what everyone else wanted. I would mould, then be unhappy and then wonder why I was unhappy. Visualization helped me to realize that I don’t need to mold, I can be the puzzle piece where all the people in my life who don’t fit the puzzle, don’t have to be in my life. Through this process, I have made more genuine connections and friends. I have even made friends across the country and have attracted friendships where we can hold each other in an authentic way and help each other up.

Overall, visualization helped me to let go of the idea that I have to be lesser than or repress myself, because I don’t and neither do you. Keep your eye out for my next 5 stories where I’ll go in-depth into stories around health, relationships and what’s been going on in my life.

My VISUALIZE WORKSHOP already took place, sorry you missed it!

Bummed you missed the workshop?

CLICK HERE for a FREE GIFT from me.

5 Things You Need to Know to Create More Time & Money in Your Life

Featured in this week's video: Mala Dukhi has been a CPA for the last 20 years and is the owner of Smart Women Wise Money. She has been trained as a Coach by Dr. Martha Beck (Oprah Winfrey’s Life Coach). Mala loves helping people create financial freedom so they can live a life they love.

Carlee Myers (that's me!) is an expert at helping people who are unhappy at work use creativity to build a work life that is authentic to themselves. As a successful practicing artist, Carlee has worked with many individuals to help them gain clarity about their future through one-on-one coaching and creative workshops.

In preparation for the FREE ONLINE TRAINING that took place on June 13, 2017 on how to create more time and money for the things that you love, Mala Dukhi and I share money tips, stories & teasers surrounding one theme: How to Find Time & Money for The Things that Matter.

1: Discovering what we want to do and what we Love

Mala was coaching someone close to her. Someone who is an empath, intuitive and who doesn’t want to follow a ‘traditional’ life style. She has been depressed as she is trying to fit into the traditional mold of what we should ‘be’ or do’. She has discovered that her path is finding her joy. Ultimately, we’re here to be happy. We’re not here to be sad or live on a hamster wheel. Mala suggests that we need to commit to finding the things that we want to do and the things that we love. What should we be creating more time and money for? How can we do this?

2: Meditation

Until 10 years ago, Mala had no idea what mattered to her and what was joy for her in her life. The biggest thing she did for herself was to meditate. Once she committed to meditating, she got more in touch with herself and figured out what she really loved. What can give you a clue towards what you really love is remembering what you really loved as a kid. After being on the hamster wheel for a really long time, Mala used the meditation space to ground herself and find what brings her joy. Among many things, Mala discovered that she really loved to dance, all day, 24/7!

3. Does mediTation create more time and money?

In Mala’s experience, she was also able to identify things that no longer brought her pleasure. For example, she identified and stopped hanging out with certain friends that were draining her energy. She saved money in this way as she didn’t spend money or time on going out with them. Meditation can also help you identify what is right in your life. It’s a morning ritual not to give up for anything.

In my venture to ‘Get on the island and Burn the Boat’, I dedicated 30 minutes a day towards meditation. One of the things that helped create that time to meditate is realizing all the things that I didn’t have to do.  Before meditation I would sit down and think of all the people I need to call or email and all the things that I ‘have to do’. But then during meditation, I would realize that ‘Oh that project probably doesn’t even align with me to begin with’.

A lot of people say that they don’t have time for meditating, that’s when you need to meditate more: 30 minutes as opposed to 5 minutes a day.

4. You already have time and money in your life!

You already have time and money in your life, you’re just not focused on it right now. Because you’re busy on the hamster wheel, you can’t yet see it. You may just need help in seeing it by peeling away the layers so you can see it. You already have it, we’ll help you access it and be aware of it during the training.

5. You already have the time to start creating space and being true to what you want.

We’ll help you figure out what you want. What your heart is telling you? Sometimes we get clogged up, so we’ll help you de-clog your system. We will talk about how to get into action, how to make the life and build the life that you want and have the time and money to do what you want. Whether you want a vacation, to spend more time with family, get into the studio more – we’ll guide you towards discovering that.

CLICK HERE to get your FREE GIFT from Carlee and to receive updates on future training!

One door closes, another one opens - 3 Ways to Find More Time & Money for the Things that Matter

I have realized that I have an emotional connection with food - it gives me a sense of feeling included when eating and drinking with other people. It’s a type of social bonding that makes me feel connected to others. So when I found out that I shouldn’t be eating gluten, it was a huge slap in the face – I really couldn’t connect to not being able to eat and share delicious food with my friends. But this morning, during my visualization meditation, what came to me was ‘When one door closes, another opens’. Sounds cliché I know, but let me unpack a bit more juice around this simple powerful quote (Gluten free juice that is).

1: Shift your perspective from disappointed to excitement

When I found out that I couldn't eat gluten for the next 6 months I felt disappointed. I was out last night with friends and while all my friends were ordering amazing delicious food, I ate Garlic Spinach. Yep. Say no more. But during my visualization this morning, I realized that, ‘yeah I’m disappointed that I can’t eat certain foods, but imagine all the amazing foods that I’ll get to try instead! What got me excited is that now I get to explore and experience new foods that I would never tried otherwise. I decided that I am going to try one new food item per week and explore how to cook it and what I can mix it with. My perspective shifted from disappointment to excitement because I have never tried this before. It was like a new creative channel opened up.

2: Understand that we get squeezed out of situations to find alignment with our heart & soul

If there is something that you feel really disappointed about in life – the ending of a relationship, dietary restrictions, maybe you just got fired or left a job - whatever you feel is closing in your life and squeezing you out, take a moment to step back and to see that deep down you may really want these changes. We won’t get pushed out of our comfort zone if we are in full alignment with our highest calling. If we are in alignment with our purpose and heart (knowing who we are and what we want in life), we won’t need to be squeezed out of anything. So Instead of being dragged kicking and screaming, say ‘this is my future and I am really excited about it and excited about all these new opportunities’. See it as a game about making life fun and, heck, even making adulting fun!

3: Create more space to live your truth

Change your perspective on the things that feel like a struggle, the things that feel like they are doors closing, and look at the other side. See the potential adventure and creativity ahead. I could not see the other side of this diet, but when I did, it became an exciting potential for adventure – like travelling, but with food! Every time you let go of something, you create space to attract the things that align with you: what is going to make you happy and fulfilled. Everyone wants more time or more money so that you can spend time doing what matters most to you. What do you want more time and money for – kids, nature, art, travel…Creating space will lead you in the direction of having more of what you want from life.

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PS: I referenced a webinar that has since passed in my video (dang, it you JUST missed it :P ), but don't worry, Mala has a gift for those of you who missed our free training. Visit wisewomensmartmoney.com to grab your free gift today.

5 Fun & Easy Tips for Letting Go of Money Guilt

Anne Tipton helps business owners get their financial, legal and wealth building matters running so that they can handle their business. She holds a wealth of knowledge about money and finances. Carlee Myers, founder of A Piece of Positivity, and Anne Tipton talk Money Guilt, Tips on how to overcome the guilt and The Champagne Test, a great tool you can use for FREE.

TIP 1: Create more time and money by letting go money guilt.

Money guilt is when we feel guilty about spending money. In essence it’s pointless because if we spend money with a specific emotion, we’re basically going to receive that feeling back. If I buy food with a sense of guilt, I am going to feel guilty while eating it – where’s the enjoyment in that? In that case, there’s really no point in treating yourself.

TIP 2: Test what you want, to see if you really want it.

The main purpose of The Champagne Test is to spend money and not feel guilty about it. The Champagne test is about testing if whether what you want is REALLY what you want. You might have this idea that you want a convertible.  The the 16 year old inside of you might be the only one wanting the convertible. So why not test it out (renting or literally test driving one) instead of waiting until you’re having a midlife crisis, buying the convertible and then hating it?  You don’t know if you really want that convertible until you actually experience it…

TIP 3: Dip your toe in the water

Dipping your toe in the water is about taking the risks that could help you get a taste for what you think you want and to see how much you want it. It’s investing time and possibly a fraction of money to give yourself the opportunity to get a little taste of what you think you want.  For example, instead of feeling bogged down by wanting to travel internationally, take a train ride to a different city and spend a few nights there and get a taste and feel for a different place. The Champagne Test is about asking yourself: Do you want beer, wine or champagne? Looking at a purchase….sometimes you want the champagne (the high end purchase), but sometimes a nice cold beer can do the trick! Sometimes that beer will satisfy the itch. Sometimes you want the middle option, which is the wine. Try start with beer and work your way up to champagne.

TIP 4: Have a little faith.

Carlee has an urge to travel. One day she decided to invest in a smaller trip by taking a train to Stanford. This experience led her to sign up to a business coaching program, which helped her to build her business. She also met Anne in the process AND ended up winning a trip to LA! So a small 1 hour trip lead her towards a trip across the country. Take that leap of faith because you never know where it might lead you!

TIP 5: Let go of past mistakes with money.

Write down all of your mistakes with debt and where it came from, light it on fire and VOILA!, it disappears. This is a very powerful gesture of letting go.

Letting go of money guilt can be synonymous with skydiving. The scariest part about skydiving is when you’re in the plane, but you’re safe. With money guilt you are safe but all you want to do is to jump out. When holding onto money guilt we’re not actually serving ourselves. We’re stuck. So practice letting of that guilt everyday so that you can enjoy your time and your money.

To get more tips from Anne Tipton, click here to get your FREE DOWNLOAD of The Champagne Test.

Get on the Island and Burn the Boat: A Simple Solution For a Fulfilling Life

After spending an entire weekend in LA filled with inspiring people, what I took away from the weekend besides all the follow your dreams jazz was: if you really want to be this person that you dream of everyday you need to get on the island and burn the boat! So ask yourself, what do you want more of, what do you want to do more of? 

Here's how I got onto the island and burned the boat. I stepped fully into what I felt called to do. Listen to your heart. Let your ego do the ‘Yeah, but…’ babble but step into your heart. What is your heart saying? Your heart might be saying, ‘I want to be a dancer’ and the ego might say, ‘Yeah, but you haven’t danced in 5 years’. Or ‘I want to have more money’, ‘Yeah, but money is the root of all evil’. The point is to hear the ‘Yeah, but…’ and say screw it while stepping into your heart (what you really want).

To REALLY get onto your island you have to write a contract with yourself and if you don’t do what is in your contract, you have to give yourself a punishment. Ironic right, since I own a company called A Piece of Positivity Studios and I am telling you to do something not so positive, but I am totally serious! This contract and punishment helped me step into the person that I want to be. My contract is literally a signed piece of paper with a list of my goals and deadlines – I am taking it seriously!

Before I left for L.A, I wanted to meditate every morning before my day started. I was already waking up at 5:30 am for yoga so waking up even earlier sounded crazy, but it was what my heart was calling for, so I decided that it was not negotiable along with a few other things that I have been wanting to do including: dancing in park, uploading videos for you to see, meditating every morning for 30 minutes, etc. So, you know what it is that you want to step more into AND you intuitively know what you punishment could be. Whatever comes up and you think to yourself ‘Oh, I don’t want to do that, don’t want to even verbalize that… don’t want anyone to know that THAT would or could even be a punishment for me because I really don’t want to do that’ - That should be your punishment. Here is my punishment: If I do not wake up every single morning and meditate for 30 minutes… I have to text  my ex boyfriend and tell them that I want him back! Nobody wants that right?! It could be anything though. One wonderful woman I know, who has really beautiful hair (she could totally be a model for TRESemmé or something...it's crazy), decided that if she doesn’t record her podcast every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 pm her punishment is to shave her head. This is the type of punishment I am talking about, I am not even kidding! Hence I have not missed a day of meditation and I have made it more than two weeks.

Let’s not forget the reward though! If I achieve all of this success what’s the craziest most amazing reward I can think of? For me currently, if I achieve all of this: meditate every single morning for 30 minutes the whole way through my 90 days and upload my vulnerable videos, if I dance in the park at least once, dance intuitively at least once a week and step into my calling…I will be going to Germany. That is my reward. In a nutshell I am getting on the island, burning the boat and then flying off to Germany.

The purpose of getting onto the island and burning the boat is to step into the life that seems scary and difficult.  I can tell you that once you’re in it, it becomes easier - my 30 minute meditation has started to become a habit. I end up getting to sleep earlier because I know I have to wake up earlier and my days go so much better when I am doing the things that my heart is feeling called to do. I fall more in love with myself when I am fulfilling my hearts desires.

I encourage you to answer these questions for yourself: What are you feeling called to do? What are you waking up in the morning for and what do you feel like doing more of? What do you hear yourself saying you wish more for? I wish I had more time to spend in my studio or I wish I had more time or money for myself. Listen to your heart, get on that island and burn that boat!

Want more helpful figuring out exactly what your heart wants? I'd love to see you at VISUALIZE, my 3 hour virtual retreat on June 24th. Click here for more details. 

Four Questions to Ask Yourself to Make Positive Change Stick

There comes a time when all of us feel as if we are in need of a change. Unfortunately, not many people are able to make positive changes stick. This isn’t because that it’s necessarily hard, it’s because we simply don’t have the right tools to do so. We need to get rid of the bullshit in our lives to make room for what it is that will bring that spark back. Are you ready to make these changes that you need to thrive? Here’s four questions that you should ask yourself before you start this journey in order to figure out how to make the changes that you want, need and are desperately longing for.

How can I make this change attainable and not feel like it's far-fetched?

Often times when we try to make a change and it doesn’t work, we think that it was because it wasn’t attainable. While this may be true sometimes, it isn’t always. If there is a change that you are really wanting to make, think about how you can make it reachable and not far-fetched. If you’ve always dreamed of getting in shape, what’s standing in your way? Getting up early and going to the gym in the morning isn’t difficult, but by staying up too late binging on TV, it does make it more difficult. Perhaps go to bed an hour earlier and see if it makes it any easier to stick to working out in the mornings.

What is distracting me from this change? Can I rid of this distraction?

Our lives are all full of distractions. Sometimes these distractions can keep us from making changes. For instance, if you are looking to be more productive at work, you might find that you are having trouble because your phone is the culprit. Simply put your phone away when you are at work and make a commitment to only check it once every 1-2 hours. You might be amazed to find how much more you are able to get done just by putting the phone away.

How can I create more time for <insert the change you want to make here>?

We all have the same 24 hours in each day. If you admire all the things that someone is able to do, sit down with them and ask them how they accomplish it all. If your friend is able to cook healthy meals for her family every night, but you are constantly eating takeout, it might not just be because you are too busy to cook. You might find that you just aren’t prepared properly to make a great meal like your friend is. This may mean that you have to cut out some of your social media time in order to meal plan or prep something to go in the crock-pot.

What feels heavy? What feels light?

You’ll be more motivated to make positive changes if it’s something that feels good. It's easier to chase after the light rather than the darkness. Let what feels light guide you. If you are looking for a little bit of inspiration or just something to give you a jump-start, the 75 day transformation challenge can be just what you are looking for. You will learn a lot of practical advice that you can use to create space in your life and stay motivated throughout this process.

While making changes in your life can be overwhelming at times, the sooner you start the process, the sooner you can create a new spark in your life and a world of new possibilities! In order for changes to stick, you first need to make room for them and refocus your energy on what really matters. Get rid of the bad stuff so that you can allow room for the good stuff!

Transformation Challenge: Day 2 on Ambition and Overwhelm

When you don't finish the to do list created from day one of the challenge and you're feeling kind of guilty about it. It's amazing to me how your idea of future success can change so much in 24 hours.

Exhale the Bullsh*t

Isn't it time to exhale the bullsh*t and inhale the good shit that is an amazing, fulfilling life? Sign up to attend feeling salty on April 25th: www.apopstudios.com/feelingsalty

Happy Hustler Lauren Ramer

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU.

I am graduate of Moore College Design and a Motion Graphics Designer at Aardvark Video Works. I live in a cute, tiny house in Glendora, NJ with the love of my life and my dog Smooch.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR HUSTLE AND YOUR HAPPINESS JOURNEY.

I remember telling myself exactly a year ago (during senior thesis, four part-time jobs, and endless college stress) that it would all get easier and work itself out eventually. And believe it or not, IT DID!

A year later and officially a college graduate, everything started to fall into place. Before graduation, I was a full-time student working four part-time jobs. I was a painting instructor, a wedding videographer, an art department assistant at a stationery company, and a graphic artist at PHL17. I was CONSTANTLY busy... but I knew that it would eventually help me towards my career. One motto that I always tell myself is "jump on EVERY opportunity" because you never know where it could take you. So anyways, after being so unbelievably busy, before I knew it I was sitting at graduation and college was over. Even though it was a bit scary not knowing what was to come, I knew that if I kept pushing and trying to find opportunity ... eventually, I would start my career.

A few months went by and I was still working my four jobs until I soon found myself at in interview for a Motion Graphics interview. Before I knew it, I had my first full-time job - and I was so incredibly excited. Not only did all that hard work pay off, but it landed me at an absolutely amazing company. I am now a Motion Graphics Designer at Aardvark Video Works where I combine my knowledge of animation, videography, editing, graphic design, and more to produce commercials and animations. I've gotten to work on some incredible projects ranging from Toyota and Fiat spots, to local bakery commercials, to corporate web videos.  And strangely enough, all those part time jobs I worked gave me the crucial knowledge I needed, that I use at my job now. I wouldn't be where I am if I didn't take the initiative in college to pursue numerous internships, jobs, and opportunities. 

WHAT DO YOU DO TO DE-STRESS AFTER OR DURING A LONG, STRESSFUL DAY?

After a long day, I like to simply come home, cook dinner, and snuggle on the couch with my dog and watch movies. Or if I really need an escape, I will get lost in some knitting. 

WHERE DO YOU GO FOR INSPIRATION?

I find inspiration absolutely everywhere.. but it usually consists of movies. If I need inspiration, I'll put on a weird independent film or throw on one of my favorites like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. 

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING OR LISTENING TO (PODCASTS, BOOKS, BLOGS, ETC.)?

Recently, the only time I listen to music is on my 1.5 hour commute to work each way. At that time I just listen to the same few artists that get me through my day. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Die Antwoord, Miley Cyrus, and more. As for reading, since JK Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" came out ... and the hype over the new "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" film, I've been re-reading the Harry Potter series getting all excited! 

WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'D GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST STARTING THEIR HAPPY HUSTLE JOURNEY?

I said this already but it's so important! *Jump on EVERY opportunity - you never know where it's going to take you. 

I would never be where I am now if I didn't hop on every opportunity I came across. Not all opportunities are the most alluring or fun... but it can always lead to something more. Even if something presents itself to you that you are unsure of... TRY IT... the worst thing that happens is that you learn from it. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE QUOTES OR WORDS TO LIVE BY?

"Divide and Conquer" - Words that my mom alway said to me when I got stressed. Divide up your workload and conquer what you can. Take it step by step and before you know it, you will have conquered. This phrase basically got me through college. 

IN ONE WORD, SUM UP YOUR LIFE AS A HAPPY HUSTLER.

Delightful

 

WHAT ARE THE THREE CORE VALUES OF YOUR HUSTLE AND HOW DO THOSE VALUES RELATE TO YOUR HAPPINESS?

Three core values I stand by are:

1. Determination

2. Enjoyment

3. Prioritization

These three things are very valuable to me in life. I find that a proper balance of determination and enjoyment will lead to a happy and successful life. You need to have goals, and you need to pursue them... but you also want to make sure that you are enjoying yourself and life. Even if you are the most determined person in the world, if you are not enjoying yourself, it's not worth it. That brings me to my next value: prioritize. Having a full-time job, a house, a family, hobbies, and whatever else you can throw into that mix... can make you feel like you don't have time to do anything anymore. But you need to get your priorities situated so they fit into your balance of determination and enjoyment. Balance it out so you are spending some of your day working towards your goals, and other times doing things you enjoy.. this will lead to feeling accomplished and happy in all areas of your life. 

CONNECT WITH LAUREN

Website //  Facebook //  Instagram // Twitter

Three Things You Should Be Doing to Sell More Art

Feeling a bit lost when it comes to making your practice marketable? Intimidated by pricing and marketing? We’ve broken down some of our best advice to help you get on the track to success.

1) Focus.

Do you ever feel like you’re channeling Dug in Up!? You’re focused, you’re building a relationship talking about why you were hiding under someone’s porch, and all of the sudden SQUIRREL. Well, maybe not the porch part, but it’s easy to let exciting new possibilities pull us from what we’ve already got in the works.

Don’t get distracted. Bring an idea to completion to the point that it is sellable. Otherwise, you’re wasting one of your most valuable resources: your time. Pick the product or project that you think has the most promise, will sell the best, or that you’re the most passionate about. Spend 90 days bringing that project to completion, meaning that it is marketable. Got another idea in the meanwhile? Write it down. Save it for the next 90 days. That squirrel will still be there.

2) Price with confidence.

• Affirm yourself. Remind yourself that what you have to sell is valuable and can make a difference. Take time each day to affirm your work, your process, and what you have to offer to the world. Heck, say it out loud! “This is great! I am powerful! This can make someone’s life better!” It’s a little act that will make a big difference in the long run.
• Determine your pricing in advance of trying to sell your work. It may help to create a price list based on material and scale. That way, you don’t have to deal with individually pricing works, and your customers easily will know your price ranges.

3) Market and sell

• No closets allowed. People in your life should know what you’re doing and that it is for sale. And nothing should be languishing in a closet. You are not a Monsters, Inc. monster. Your success will never come from creeping.
• Create strong social media relationships. Pick one or two social media platforms where your target market is. Don’t spread yourself too thin. It’s better to update one platform consistently than four or five when you finally feel you have the energy to deal with all of them.

Know your customer for that platform. Market directly to them. It helps to incorporate the personal and the professional. Include your face in some photos and in videos to help build your brand. Get customers invested in who you are as a person and a practitioner, so that they think of you when they need your product.

Feeling overwhelmed by all this advice? Start with step 1 and go from there. After all, if Up! Taught us anything, it’s that you can’t launch a house into the sky without blowing up a lot of balloons. Take this one balloon at a time. You’ve got this!