My next project, The Declaration of You (How to Find It, Own It & Shout It From the Rooftops), is open for info!

OK, I know that’s vague, but really, I can’t tell ya much more than that. What I can tell ya is that this is an awesometastic coolaboration (yes, a “coolaboration”) with my newest favorite friend, Jess Swift, and we’ve been working our buttock’s off for the past few months to put together a lil’ somethin’ somethin’ for our kindred spirits (creative thinkers, artistically inclined, won’t rest until you’re living a life you love, willing to live in the questions, ready to take the “shoulds” from your life & kick them to the curb, the unconventional, the inspirational, the passion-filled) to discover what it means to be truly, fully, honestly you. (more…)

#286 by Things We Forget

“I don’t have all the supplies I need.”

“I need the graphic designer to get back to me.”

“These descriptions have to be rewritten first.” (more…)

I’m thrilled to be the very first interview on the very new blog, Manusmade! Tania is the woman behind the blog / community (and soon to be business!) and I’ve had the pleasure of working with her for the past 6 weeks. She’s the inspirer of the Tough (Question) Tuesday post that asked, “What will you get out of your head and into your hands, literally?”, and she’s doing just that on Manusmade! Hop on over to find out my answer to that very question, as well what inspired me to be inspiring, what I learned from musical theater, my favorite thing about being an entrepreneur, and how I helped her go from zero to launched! Yay, Tania!

Many months ago, I responded to a comment or a post or a something somewhere in the Interwebs about my Vampire. I decided then & there that his name was Vern, he was a hunchback, spoke like he’s a heavy smoker that has lived on Long Island for his whole life (probably at least 200 years), & had an abundance of ear hair. Funny thing was, when I gave my Vampire a name & these ridiculous attributes, I started seeing him in my head. When he’d try to talk to me, I’d remember what he sounded like, & would immediately (a) smile & (b) dismiss him.

Now you & I both know that I ain’t no artist, but Vern was begging to be created on the page. So, today, I drew him:

And yes, now you have to recipriate, & you can do it by naming your Vampire & describing his/her attributes in the Comments section, or by making your own visual, posting it on your blog, & linking to the post using the widget below. Vampire Ridiculors unite!

I really really wanted to be able to post something juicy this week, but time ran away with me this week with getting ready for BlogHer (& I still don’t know what I’m gonna wear)! I know I’m definitely doing to be overwhelmed the next 2 days, but it’ll be with awesomeness, so I’m OK with that. I promise to be back on Tuesday with another Tough (Question), a BlogHer wrap-up, & a wonderful new e-book to tell ya about!

Ooh, and if you’re gonna be at BlogHer, please leave me a comment here or tweet me @WhenIGroUpCoach & let me know. I’d super freakin’ love to meet ya!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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I’ve been flying through the Interwebs lately, & boy, are my arms tired! Come make your connections with me, without putting your lotions into teeny tiny containers. Here’s our itinerary:

• My July 2010 Spotlight on Rise of the Innerpreneur! According to Tara, “An innerpreneur is an entrepreneur who use their business to find personal fulfillment (creatively, spiritually, emotionally) and create social change.” I’m constantly fixated on maintaining & growing my innerpreneurship (plus, it’s such a super fun word) that I’m just super thrilled to be highlighted here.
• I was named a Blogger to Watch Out For: Career Coaches on CRAVE thanks to my lovely friend & client Alexandra Franzen, who you’re all sick of hearing about already but I don’t care. Alexandra is the bomb diggity!
• April of Everything Little Miss devoted lost in thoughts #68 to the lovely ladies that make up our group coaching session, Operation: Creative Career Growth Spurt! This was a group that sprouted from my scholarship contest, & I love coaching these fantabulous women on taking their creative careers to the next level. Check out what April’s getting out of the sessions as well as getting profiles on her “classmates” that give her so much support!
• You’re sick of hearing about this too, but I have to throw out the Next Top Newsletter contest yet again. I made it to the finals & need your vote! Please click here, scroll about halfway down the page until you see my face/name/other revealing facts & gimme a Thumbs Up. If I win, I’ll record myself singing “A Moment Like This” & will post it on YouTube. I kid you not. Contest ends on Aug 2nd, so please hurry!
• I wrote a review of The Fatigue Prescription over on Spring, & we’re giving a lucky commenter their very own copy! Head on over, & while you’re at, take a look around! There’s weekly artist spotlight/giveaways, wonderful guest posts, awesometastic discussions & even vulnerable videos from your favorite co-hosts (not like I’m speaking about myself. Except I am).

Please turn off your electronic devices  & put your seats up & tray tables in the upright position, as we’re getting ready for our landing. But before we do, please listen to the following announcements:

• Juliana Finch needs your help making her next CD! She is an AMAZING (yes, all caps needed) folk singer/songwriter & I need this CD for selfish reasons. Please be a backer for her next CD by contributing on Kickstarter (I did!) before Aug 21st. She also has awesome incentives for backers, so you can get free music, a private living room concert or even a brand new song inspired by your life! So, so cool.
• I’ve decided to stop my Link Love posts for the time being. I know, I know, I loved it too, but it really is time-consuming for me to get that all together each & every month in a timely fashion. So please, follow me on Twitter and/or see my shared items in my Google Reader page & get the links I love in real time.
• My next newsletter is out next week, & it’s gonna be awesometastic. If your Inbox needs a double dose of fantastic-ness (one shot for my free 21-page workbook that you get for signing up & another shot for the newsletter itself), then make sure you step up & place your order.

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Thanks to the Get Real Gals & the song they played in between my segment on 107.1 earlier this month, I did a mad search for “that Day Job” song, & found it! The song rocks, but the video is even awesomer, & I just had to share. Is it legal to adopt this as my theme song? Nah, I’ll just keep my own (did ya hear it? If not, play the first 3 seconds of my Grown-Up Gigs interview with Alexandra!).

You can find Sunshine State on their website, MySpace, & Facebook. Yipee! You are so shaking your hips now. I see you.

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I’m a finalist for the Next Top Newsletter, & if I win I’ll put up a video of me singing “A Moment Like This” on YouTube. Find the deets here! (more…)

There were 160 entries, but I’ve made it to the top 20 finalists in the Next Top Newsletter contest! I totally wanna sing “A Moment Like This” while crying & hugging Ryan Seacrest, so please head to this site, scroll about halfway down ’til you see my lil’ face in the sidebar, & gimme a thumbs up before Aug 2nd at 3p Eastern.

If you’ve subscribed to my newsletter, you know I totally deserve a power ballad moment. If not, you can check ‘em all out here & then subscribe yourself. The next one will be out next week, & I’ll let ya know if I won. Hooray!

Hm. Just found out that I got Next Top Newsletter confused with American Idol. So I don’t get a power ballad, or to pat Ryan Seacrest on the head? Ah. That’s OK. Maybe I’ll sing the song anyway if I win & will post it on YouTube. Yup, that’s a promise. An embarrassing promise. You better make me do it.

Another moodboard by Maggie!

It’s time to announce the winner of the personal e-decorating guide contest from interior designer (& client o’ mine) Maggie Rose! But before I do (so Ryan Seacrest of me, I know), I wanted to pass along this message from Maggie herself:

Hi guys, Maggie here! Well it was VERY hard for me to pick just one winner, but unfortunately a choice had to be made! However, I do want to work with each and every one of you who entered the giveaway! Watch for an email from me – I’m offering each of you a free “Express Package” – a mini design guide that will give you some ideas for getting started on your space and answer a few of your meatiest questions. If you decide that you want the whole-shebang (which would include a shopping list, moodboard, inspiration pics, etc), remember that you can still get the Amazing Michelle deal of $60 per room. I’ll be emailing each of you in the next week to get started on the Express Package and congrats to Kate! You’ll be hearing from me shortly and I can’t wait to get started!

That’s right, Kate Townley Smith – you’re the winner! Thanks to everyone for entering & for your home decor challenges. I’m actually gonna start working with Maggie on sprucing up the bedroom, so stay tuned for the before & after pics right here! (more…)

Bee Your Very Best Self by Hip Heart

I’m on vacation this week & early next, & my clients are doing some Show & Tell! Today I have the lovely Caitlin Donohue, an avid reader and aspiring writer who blogs about her love of books and reading on her blog commonreaders, weighing in on why self-help books rock & which ones prove that point!

Self-help books tend to get a bad rap. I have friends who duck in and out of the self-help aisles in bookstores–not wanting to be caught actually looking for a book on those shelves. There’s a memorable scene from Sex and the City, when Charlotte is looking for a particular title in the self-help section and encounters a number of pathetic, sniffling people crying into their books. I think she leaves without purchasing the book-not wanting to associate herself with “those people”.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. I love self-help books and I don’t think anyone should be ashamed for reading them! The term itself is empowering: helping yourself. By reading these books you are taking steps to arm yourself with information and inspiration to make your life better. There is nothing pathetic about it. Lately, this type of books have begun to fall under the category of “personal development”, which is perhaps a trend to rebrand the genre. (more…)