Having an external deadline (like walking 40 miles in 2 days on October 20th).

Collaborating with someone amazeballs who’s as excited about what we’re collaborating on as I am, and keeps moving forward along with me.

Knowing it’s up to me to make it work (and never have to work for anyone else ever again!).

Delegating the unfun/unknown stuff to someone I trust to the nth degree.

The intention that whatever it is I’m working on (coaching, writing, speaking, etc) helps other creatives through their career transitions. I love being a part of that.

Breaking down my time in my Google Cal and my project in Basecamp. Read the rest of this entry »

Always Remember by Dazey Chic

On Wednesday of this week, I’ll be going in for my Fresh Boobs (which is what Luke calls my bilateral mastectomy + reconstruction surgery). It was supposed to be on May 30th, but I got a call last week that said, “We’re moving it up!” I didn’t even know that could happen, but I did the rescheduling dance with some calls and clients, cleared my schedule almost completely, and freaked a bit about How Much There Is To Do and All The Loose Ends That Need To Be Tied Up.

But really? After coordinating with my Virtual Wizard, Arwyn – who’s taking over loading blog posts and newsletter content, thankyoubabyJesus – I took a look at What Had To Get Done and, really, it’s writing newsletters and blog posts in advance. And when I look at it from afar, if there are 2 blog posts that go up one week instead of 3, will it really matter? And if I miss a week with the newsletter…will I have to go back to Corporate America? No. No I won’t.

What’s important, then? Taking care. Letting go. Getting better. Feeling good. Trusting my support system. Over the next few weeks, that’s my main job.

I won’t lie about being really scared of this huge surgery I’m having (I’ll be under for something like 4 hours) – enough so that I’ve had to take anti-anxiety meds to fall asleep lately – and all the pain I figure I’m gonna be in (enough that they’re gonna give me an epidural pre-surgery to keep it at a minimum when I wake up. Blech!). As you might imagine, I’m not so great with being the patient, or feeling out of control, or, um, having a high threshold for pain (which is why the tattoo I’ve wanted since I was 16 has yet to grace my body)…so this is Big Time Scary, you guys. And no, I don’t have it in me to write a ukulele song about it (yet). Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for..drumroll please…

The winner of The Fire Starter Sessions are:

• from the blog: Erin with the comment “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good.”
• from my Facebook page: Tamarisk Saunders-Davis
• from peeps who tweeted the bit.ly link: Janelle Miller
• from my newsletter subscribers: Heidi (I have no idea what your last name is but you’ll get an email from me!)

Read the rest of this entry »

Choose Happiness fine art photograph by Sandra Arduini Photography

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be discouraged in our jobs, fearful about money or angry when we’re doing something we not only don’t love, but can barely tolerate? It’s easy to put on our poopy pants and complain, ain’t it? And those complaints breed contempt, anger, frustration, and – let’s be honest – total unhappiness.

While I know it’s easier said than done, being happy/positive is a choice. But it’s a choice we often have to fake-’til-we-make, and one that’s usually only learned after years of experience and trial-and-error.

Here’s the Myth: Happiness comes when we reach our desires. Read the rest of this entry »

This is part of the What I Wish I Knew series on Your Super Awesome Life. Thanks to Ashley for asking me to share/join!

While New Kids on the Block and Jonathan Brandis posters hung on my walls as teenager (to be replaced by generic hot guys featured in Jane), I was a total Gleek. My room would often fill with the music of Stephen Sondheim (my Mom was once shocked that the majority of her friends didn’t know who he was. Shocked!), the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Miss Saigon (yes, my mother had to overnight me a new copy of the double cassette to summer camp because I worn mine out playing it over and over and over (and over!) again), the belt of Patti LuPone (she’s more than Corky’s Mom from Life Goes On, ya know). I went from dance class to singing lesson to to acting class to rehearsal to audition, until I enrolled in a Fame!-like school for half the day my junior and senior years of high school, getting to drop science and gym (oh, the sweetness!). I applied to 8 universities and cancelled my auditions to 6 of them when I got into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts  in December of my senior year. “This is it! This is my ticket to Broadway!”, I remember thinking/feeling. I was on a one-way train and I couldn’t have been happier.

16 (!!!!) years later , here’s 10 Things I Wish I Knew (in no particular order)

(Click on the art to be taken to the Etsy listing!):

Letting go of a long-term goal doesn’t make you a failure. Read the rest of this entry »

you can do it…by Helen Dardik

This month continues to be all about support for me. My surgery’s been moved up a week to 5/23 (I didn’t even know they could do that!), and if I didn’t have my amazeballs hubby, Mom, and Virtual Wizard to rally around and offer lots of hands and help, my head would certainly explode. For me, I know I could never cross the Finish Line without a cheerleader or three, a real specific goal (“train for a 40 mile, 2 day walk” *not* “exercise tomorrow morning”), and the time carved out in my Google cal to ensure it happens.

What’s your surefire way to reach your goal? Read the rest of this entry »

Yup. 10 more Nuggets o’ Genius from Ms.LaPorte. You can download ‘em here.

Have ya heard me gush and gush about the one and only Mademoiselle LaPorte? She’s been my mentor/loving “cult leader” since I attended a group Fire Starter session in NYC back in Sept ’09, and she even interviewed me for the digital version of The Fire Starter Sessions in 2010. Although schmemo prevented me from joining the NYC book party this April for the release of the published version of The Fire Starter Sessions – and also prevented me from cracking open my advance copy of the book before this past weekend (seriously, schmemo gives you this brain that is unable to read anything longer or more prolific that an Us Weekly-like article) – I’ve already gotten some Nuggets of Genius in the first 39% of the book (I have no idea what page I’m on – it’s so weird reading on a Kindle sometimes!).

I have to admit, I’ve seen Danielle speak so many times and have read pretty much everything she’s ever written that I’m waiting for the well to run dry. There’s this well-I-know-everything-she’s-gonna-say-so-there’s-nothing-left-to-learn-ness about it, and she proves me wrong Every Damn Time.  I mean, if I write down everything I highlighted just from the first 39% of this book, I’d have you scrolling down for days upon days. But instead, I wanna tell you What’s Stuck as it stands for me right now:

“Your Life is Content. Look at everything as material for your art. The inconveniences, the distractions – life – it all influences what you have to express and how you express it.”  Read the rest of this entry »

Nothing to Fear but Fear by Indelible Ink Workshop

As promised, Rachel Luna’s back with 3 ways to work through fear and uncomfortability (is that a word? It is now!). Yay hooray!

Fear, the worst of all the 4-letter words, is usually the root cause of our stunted growth and progress when it comes to life and business.  But, the most successful people know that in order to achieve the lives of our dreams, we need to push past that fear.  Here are 3 tips on you can use to start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and step through fear to be and do exactly what you wanted to do when you grew up.

#1.  Put yourself on display. Read the rest of this entry »

Stop Faffing And Get On With It by JayHell

Today’s Tough (Question) comes to us from Rachel Luna of The Tailor Made Life. Answer the question today, and then come on back tomorrow to hear her tips to keep on keeping on… 

You have a dream.  You have a burning goal yearning to be achieved.  And yet, you can’t move forward and step into your greatness…

I asked a few of the ladies in my mastermind group this juicy question and the answers, well, I could totally relate!  It was a variation of: “I’m afraid to fail. I don’t have the credentials.  I’m afraid of what people will say/think…” Like I said, totally relatable, right?  We’ve all had thoughts that stop us dead in our tracks when we’re trying to climb the ladder of success. Read the rest of this entry »

Yay hooray! I have almost 4 whole weeks before my Fresh Boobs surgery, and that’s 2 whole weeks more than I was originally told/planning. Know what that means? It means that…drumroll please…I opened up some one-on-one coaching spots to use before 5/24!

If you’re looking for someone who “gets to the heart of what I was trying to say”, “keeps the conversation action-oriented ” and does it “with a powerful mix of a breezy tone, empowering words, and a healthy dose of hilarity” - so you can gain “a ferocious sense of who I am and what I can do” (yup, all the quotes taken from my testimonial page)- then I’m your lady (and you are my maaaaaan…whenever you REACH for me…gonna give all that I – oh, sorry, Celine Dion interruption). Here’s how we can work together:

• via my Singular Sensation package, which gives ya a 60-min call with me and a 45-min session to use as a follow-up within 2 months. This is best for someone who has 1 real specific goal/challenge to reach/overcome, as we have enough time to hone in on it, get some clarity around it, and determine the specific action steps you need to get down to business (figuratively or literally).
• via an Extensive Intensive day, where we actively coach for 2.5 hours of a 5 hour time block (the other time is spent doing homework, recharging, and other human functions like eating). Think of this as a personal all-day workshop, with on-the-spot homework, productive play, and clarity galore. This would be ideal for someone who wants to work through a bigger challenge (i.e. What do I wanna be when I grow up?) or who has a few things they wanna work through (like how to leave your job and launch your biz).
• via a Team Amazeballs membership to The When I Grow Up Clubhouse. Not only are you guaranteed a 60-min session for each month you’re a Team Amazeballs member (yes, even in June when I’m not offering any other coaching times), but you’ll get access to a pressure-free creative community, no-time-to-waste exercises, and all the workbooks I’ve ever written right when ya sign-up. This option is perfection for those that want the accountability and personal attention of having a coaching session every month, while knowing that ya thrive when you have 24/7 access to a group that’ll provide ya almost-immediate feedback, kudos, resources and support. It’s also my most affordable coaching option.

Read the rest of this entry »