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As we come to the end of March, I sit and reflect about what I've learned this year and how its shaped my plan moving forward. These first three months have been filled with taxes, lots of questions, illness, frustration, constant evaluation, planning, sleeping, and working my butt off.
Lesson number 1: I do not need to try to finish everything at once, and I'm doing myself and my clients a disservice trying to multitask instead of focusing. Lesson number 2: There is always something to learn. Lesson number 3: When people are frustrated, they will say and do anything to throw you off. As long as you have facts on your side, you can always push forward toward the truth.
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Hey everyone! I'm back with new recs. These books are ones that I've picked up throughout the year and are finished or somewhere in between the pages. I hope you enjoy.
Looking for an independent place to shop new and used books? Check out ThriftBooks! Sign up for ReadingRewards using my code and when you spend $30, we both get a free book! #ShareBookLove January 2023
February 2023
March 2023
April 2023
May 2023
June 2023
July 2023
August 2023
September 2023
October 2023
Here's to a prosperous 2022, full of knowledge, growth and happy reading!
January 2022
February 2022
March 2022
April 2022
May 2022
June 2022
July 2022
August 2022
September 2022
October 2022
November 2022
December 2022
January 2021
February 2021
March 2021
April 2021
May and June 2021
August 2021
September 2021/October 2021
November 2021
December 2021
It's January 3rd, 2021. And as I sit here, the realization hit me, I hate New Years. Now I know you're thinking "what is this girl talking about?" And if you know me, you're probably thinking "Lord, what she bout to say now?" But, let me explain. I am very big on growth, exploration and self improvement, and I believe that it's something that should continuously happen, there is no mountain peak. I'm also realizing the amount of pressure that myself (shoutout to therapy) and my peers put themselves through to be great. Now I'm not blaming millennials, but I do think that the immense pressure that we put ourselves under to make a big course correction or correct bad habits at the top of the year does nothing but set us up for failure. Think about it. None of us are strangers to imposter syndrome and we're always looking for ways to put it to bed, but somehow it creeps up on us when we least expect it. I think NYE resolutions are actually a tool that can lead to the waking of the IS beast, because if we don't achieve those milestones, we start to self-attack. Do I think we should move through this life without goals or points of change? No. I do think that we need to remove the stress and pressure around New Years change and give ourselves more grace and room to reset. Especially after the hell of a roller coaster that we had in 2020. You can be successful, your life can be meaningful, you can create change and enjoy life while doing it. But, take the time to step back and lift up some of that pressure to do everything full speed at first. Give yourself a moment to breathe and assess your path forward. It is something that I'm actively working on, and let me tell you, it's not easy. But I am actively working to lift up myself from the world's weight.
I hope you do the same. Happy New Year. If you know me, then you know I have a podcast with Shyriah (hey girl) called The New Kids (go rate us on Apple Podcasts). On that podcast, Shyriah and I talk about many things, but one of our more reoccurring lessons to the listening entrepreneurs is about not selling yourself short and pricing your product/service appropriately. Why is this important? Well, I'm sure that many of us who are full-time, part-time, or sometimes entrepreneurs enjoy what we do, we also do it to make money and when you undercut/undervalue yourself, well, no money. Think about it, I'm sure you put in a lot of time, effort, and energy into meeting your client's needs, with the goal of their satisfaction and compensation for your work. Why shouldn't you be compensated properly for the product/service that you are providing? Many first time entrepreneurs struggle with pricing themselves appropriately, either because they don't want to alienate their customer base or because they are unsure of their worth, so, with many things, the first step that I recommend is to do your what? RESEARCH. Search out similar brands/services in your area or in markets with audiences that you want to attract. Now, I'm not saying that you have to go scope out Target or Amazon, but it's important to familiarize yourself with realistic competition and gauge their price-points. Now, depending on your industry, that information may not be available so gather what you can, ask around, and put the work in to better understand the high, medium and low points for what you're offering to the industry. Next? TAKE STOCK. If you are product based business, think about what goes into getting the product from creation to the customer. What does it take for you to have a finished product, ready to go? Do you have design costs? Shipping? How much time does it take for you to get a product together? How many products are you trying to ship out a day? If you are a service based business, how much time are you allocating to your client? Is it the same for every project? After you've done these steps, it's time to take the next big leap. Think about a financial goal you want to achieve with your revenue. It could be rent, paying off a car, vacation, whatever. How many products would you need to sell or clients you would need to service in order to reach that goal within a reasonable timeframe? Make note of this information to help you set your baseline pricing. Pricing is one of those subjects that I'm noticing a lot of people struggle with. We put so much work into creating something meaningful and enjoyable, but we fold when it comes to setting a standard in which we receive what it is/we are worth. You also need to pay attention to your audience. If your brand/products are luxury based, then you should be working to craft a strategy that focuses on this demographic. It is not easy, but when you think about this big box brands, everyone started from somewhere. You won't see the needle move if you are not putting in the work behind the engine. We've all heard the saying "quality over quantity" and there's even a cute gif floating around the interwebs that highlights the process between cheap, quality and turnaround time. Let it sear into your brain as a lesson for what you want to offer your customer base and how you craft your brand image. You are worth the price.  Didn't catch early book recommendations? Well, you're in luck....
January 2020
February 2020
March 2020
April 2020
May 2020
June 2020
July 2020
August 2020
September 2020
October 2020
November 2020
December 2020
Hey ya'll. It's been a while. I keep saying I'm going to better, life keeps getting in the way. But this time, I mean it. I've been neglecting you all and it's not fair so I'm back in full swing, with something useful, money tips! Now, for those who don't know me, when I tell people I'm an introvert, I get a shocked reaction. If you've seen me out you've seen me moving around, but you may have also not seen me disappear (exactly). I say all this to say, as a busy entrepreneur with my hand in many hats, when I find ways to make some extra funds that require me to interact as little as possible, I'm on it. And I've recently had a lightbulb moment, "maybe others are like me too!" Sooooo...with that in mind, I'm going to share some places I've come across to help those out there trying to fund their business and deal with social anxiety at the same time. 1. freelancewritinggigs.com - I'm not really sure how I stumbled upon this gem, but I'm so glad I did. Freelance writing gigs is just that, a job posting site that provides daily updates on Freelance Writing Gigs across the US and beyond, for all different types of writing jobs. No matter what type of genre, hobby, or interest, FLWG has you just about covered. And the best part? Minimal face-to-face interaction. I've gotten at least 2 writing gigs from this site, and not only did it help my pockets, but my writing skills got a boost too! 2. Fivver - Now, I haven't started advertising on Fivver yet (my client load keeps me pretty busy) but I have checked out their services quite a bit, and I have a few colleagues that have used them as well, and honestly, Fivver seems like the perfect place for the introvert entrepreneur. Once you set up your skill, you have access to a global audience and the possibilities are endless in regards to benefits and exposure. Use it to launch yourself into full-time work, or keep it as your side hustle, Fivver lets you accept clients in your own way. Setting your schedule and getting paid what you want - heavy social interaction = sounds like a win win to me! 3. Paid online surveys - Now, before you roll your eyes, just hear me out. I hate a junky email box just as much as the next person, and I hate using my email to sign up for stuff but there's actually some merit to completing only surveys for cash if you really do the research. Is it going to make you a millionaire? No. But, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get to where you want to go, so why not check it out and see where it takes you? So, to all my fellow introverted entrepreneurs out there, I see you! I feel you, and trust me, I got you. Happy trails, Maine |
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