MY BIGGEST DECISION AND GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT EVER

I've taken many breaks over the past couple years from blogging. Breaks due to busy work schedules, health issues and losing my dad. Every break was due to things out of my control, but this latest break has been on my terms for once. I needed to step back to dissect and prioritize who I am and what makes me happy… and I finally figured it out.

It’s funny how life takes you on a fucking roller coaster of experiences, lessons and every emotion under the sun, to simply bring you back to where you started.

Although I wasn’t climbing Mt. Everest physically, I was definitely doing it mentally. I’ve gone through moments of self-doubt and emotionally draining days filled with anxiety and fear. I fought back and finally shut down the negative thoughts and listened to my gut, it was clear as day. I have to create and I’m meant to inspire! What I realized after this past year of soul searching (and turning 42..) is that although I love the business side of things, it lacks creativity and doesn't always set my soul on fire. I’ve been building businesses for over 15 years, and while it’s been so incredibly rewarding to help others achieve their creative dreams, I was squandering some of mine.

So…. I’m happy to announce, I’m launching my very own product line of accessories and gifts!

This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a few years now and after this moment of clarity, I refused to wait any longer! I’m still in the pre-launch phase, as I finalize product design and overall strategy, but the exciting unveiling will take place next month! I can’t wait to share my journey and creations with you al!. As a wardrobe stylist, I’ve built and designed numerous costume pieces, but it was always the vision of someone else. I even had an etsy shop many moons ago when I lived abroad and sold at local markets, but it was more of a hobby and I didn’t give it the attention it really needed to grow. This time, it’s completely different. It’s my vision, it’s my ideas and it’s my style.

This is my greatest accomplishment because I’m finally listening to ME. It feels incredible to finally start fulfilling my needs and wants for a change.

Moral of the story? No matter how old you are or what direction you thought you were going in, it’s never to late to change it up. Re-evaluate yourself more often and if you aren't 100% content, take the time to dive a little deeper and figure it out, because life is too fucking short to be unhappy.

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WHY TAKING A BREAK IS VITAL FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

I’m already laughing at the fact that I’m talking about taking a break for your mental health, but I’m sitting here writing a blog post about it instead of actually taking the break... Let me explain.

This month marks my 11th year as a blogger and 23 years as a business owner. Since starting my blog, I’ve taken off every January to set goals, get creative and make plans for the upcoming year. Last month was the first month I wasn’t able to take the time off. The good news is the reason I couldn’t was because my business, has been growing at rapid speed and I had to dedicate my time to work and clients. The bad news is, it caught up with me real quick and my mental health took a complete nosedive.

I found myself getting annoyed, frustrated, angry and struggled with any sort of motivation. I still got up each day and put in long, work days to get my tasks done but I was anything but happy. As someone that’s been on an intense journey of self discovery over the past few years, I’m grateful that I’m aware enough to recognize when I started to feel unhappy. The irony is, I just wrote a blog post in November about “how to unplug and practice self care during the holidays”, but my anxiety and stress level were so high, I couldn’t even remember. There I was just 3 months ago talking about prioritizing and planning ahead so you don’t get overwhelmed and here I was doing just that.

My breaking point had arrived and if I didn’t step away, I wasn’t sure what would of happened. As much as I would of loved a real break where I escaped to a tropical island off the grid, my business needs me. So I have taken off the past 3 days, minus a few morning work hours, to gather myself. Gather myself and allow my brain to actually think outside of emails and routines. When you don’t allow yourself time to let ideas flow and plan for long-term goals, then you stay stuck in the mundane energy and a stagnant business.

That’s all it took. Dedicated hours to focus on me, my goals and what I’m going to do to get there. Prioritizing is key. I went through lists, ideas, got creative, took a deep breath and focused on what it is I really want in my life. Clarity finally presented itself again. My future felt a bit cloudy, not because I’m not succeeding, but because I felt like I wasn’t sure of what I truly wanted to manifest.

HEY UNIVERSE! DID YOU HEAR ME THIS TIME?

I’ve put in my requests now and I’m visualizing exactly what it is that I want and need. I made my vision board for the new year and my mental state already feels 10x better. Grounding myself mixed with a bit of planning and meditation has been vital.

Set your goals high, but give yourself a break if you need a little detour in order to get there.

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HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR THE TECHIE BOSSBABE

If you are blogger, small business owner or creative entreprenuer then this holiday wishlist is for you! The more busy we get, the more necessary it becomes to fill our lives with cute tech gadgets to keep us going. As an advocate of self-care, enter to win a Kindle so you can enjoy a little downtime and catch up on your favorite books and blogs! Whether you want to give or receive this holiday season, here’s a roundup of some must-have tech gift ideas for the techie bossbabe…

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HOW TO UNPLUG & PRACTICE SELF-CARE DURING THE HOLIDAYS

The holidays are upon us and the pressure and stress is real. Whether you are an entrepreneur trying to promote holiday sales, push out social media content or a 9-5’er that has a big family and big Christmas plans, it can all be a bit overwhelming. But guess what, it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how to unplug and practice self-care during the holidays…

1. Walk over to the power outlet and unplug your phone.

2. Turn off your ringer.

3. Turn off the power button on your computer.

4. Walk into the bathroom and draw a bath.

5. Light a candle, sit in the bathtub.

6. Exhale.

7. Don’t give a fuck about anyone or anything, except you, in this moment right now.

It’s that easy. I know, you expected some long list of tips on how to cope with holiday stress, how to manage your schedule, how to hire holiday help or some meaningful ways on practicing self-care….blah, blah, blah. I’m here to tell you that it’s as simple as just doing it. You can read articles and blog posts on how-to advice, but that is just distracting you from actually doing it. Believe me, when it comes to the pressure of the holidays and running a business, I have over 20 years experience of pulling my hair out and going crazy to keep up. This year, I come first. This year, so should you. Celebrate the holidays, throw lavish parties, travel, shop til’ you drop, but do it after you’ve checked in with yourself first.

My business has grown by leaps and bounds this year and I’m beyond grateful. But, if I don’t put myself first and practice self-love, my business fails and so do I. When I need 30 minutes to decompress or an afternoon nap because I was up half the night working on a client project, I stop what I’m doing and take that time to rest. I spent many years trying to one up myself every holiday by buying a million gifts, creating a ton of content and not enjoying the holidays the way they were meant to be enjoyed.

This is a time to reflect, relax and have fun with family and friends. Soak in the sights, smells and memories. Be good to yourself, give your mind a break and allow yourself to plan for the new year. Think about your goals and dreams and know that they aren’t going anywhere. I promise you they will still be there when you wake up from your Christmas cookie coma.

There is a fine balance of maintaining your mental health and still getting work done. It’s all about prioritizing and planning ahead. So when you feel yourself overwhelmed, anxious or lacking creativity, just walk away. Take a hot bath, take a drive, take a nap or treat yourself to an afternoon movie. Sometimes those little ways we show ourselves love, gives us more energy and enthusiasm to continue our day. Be aware of how you are feeling and most of all, don’t get caught up in comparing yourself or your journey to anyone else.

♥️

…and if you need a little help with your holiday shopping don’t forget to enter to win an $800 Sephora Gift Card! I’ve rounded up a few of my self-care favorites below!

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$800 SEPHORA GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!

The holidays are here and I couldn’t be more excited to start to celebrating! To kick off this festive season, let’s start shopping early and get our glam on! I’ve rounded up a few of my fave beauty gift ideas and giving you a chance to win a whopping $800 to spend at Sephora! Grab all your gifts for your gal pals and snag a few must-haves for yourself!

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