Category Archives: launch

A Birthday Gift for My Entreprenurial Friends

Leave a reply

I am all about finding great resources and building your success toolbox. And more often than not, I’m also all about sharing those resources with you guys.

Usually I do this over on the Success for Solopreneurs Facebook page (link) or directly on my business blog (link). I figured that since today is my birthday, that I’d share the gift that I offered up to my friends, fans and followers.

It might not e the sort of thing you’re into – you know, not being an entrepreneur and all – but if that is you’re thing, I do hope you enjoy it. And if you know anyone that could benefit from this great list of resources, feel free to pass it along and share the wealth.

My Gift to You: Solopreneur Resources-Palooza

Image: VintageAdBrowser.com

Calling All You Crazy Cat Ladies

Leave a reply

I normally don’t post stuff like this (in fact, it came through as a comment and I marked it as Spam).  But hey, this is LA where anything happens…including new reality shows.

Good luck to you and your cat(s)!

Casting SINGLE Ladies that LOVE their pet CAT(s) for a New refreshing Makeover/Dating TV Pilot!!!

Emmy-award winning Television Production Company is looking for single women with pet cats who want to get back into the dating scene as soon as possible and receive a free makeover!

Do you know someone that…
•       Prefers to stay home with her pet cat(s) instead of hanging out with her girlfriends on a weekend night?
•       Is worried about leaving her cats at home alone at night?
•       Rejects a date if her pet doesn’t like them?
•       Has more pictures of her pets in her purse, and no one else?
•       Owns a sweater or hat that features a cat (or cat hair)?
•       Dresses up her cat for any holiday?

We want to hear from you!  This is a light-hearted show that will give someone a fresh start in the dating world and offer a few pointers along the way about how to balance pet-care with heavy petting!  We want to give your friend a New Look and a New Attitude on life! We are here to help!

We are looking for women who:
•       Are located in the greater Los Angeles area
•       Are at least 18 years old and over
•       Have at least one pet cat or more

The show will provide her a FREE STYLE and LIFESTYLE makeover!

ACT NOW!!! Email us ASAP! We’re only casting for a couple of weeks, so hurry!

•       Your name (Nominator)
•       Your contact info
•       Nominee’s Name (Cat Lady)
•       Her contact info
•       City the Nominee lives
•       Pictures of the Nominee with her cat(s)
•       Picture of the Nominator
•       A short paragraph that describes her lifestyle and why she would make a great candidate for this show.
•       If this describes YOU, please send all pertinent information above

Allowing For an Imperfect Life

Leave a reply
imperfection is your ally

by Peter John Chen

Well, I could whine and harp about how I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had time to blog in ages. But really, what would that accomplish?

Instead I figure it’s best to acknowledge that I’m by no means perfect (who is?) and just jump right back in and start blogging again.

And of course, now that I say I’m going to do that, I can’t exactly think of something pithy or witty to say. Go figure.

I have realized though that often times, we hold ourselves up to some lofty and crazy expectations. In my case, I recently decided to sign up for a ten week business program with a 2 hour+ weekly commitment.

I knew that this wasn’t the best time. I was already way behind in blogging (both personally and professionally) and I haven’t touched my newsletter in weeks. I was also just finishing up my Beyond Social Media Basics Intensive with immediate plans to redesign and relaunch the program.

On top of it all, I managed to book 4 out of town trips within an 8 week window. One of those trips is yet another business conference. And all the while I need to finishing putting the office back together (some might call it organizing, I’m thinking it’s slightly closer to breaking the pre-hoarding cycle).

And as could only be expected…I feel behind in the (10 week ) program that I paid some good money for.

I could beat myself up about this. But instead, I figured I might as well practice the fine art of imperfection.

I knew before I even started that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it all. No one could.

So instead, I’ve decided to move at my own pace and be grateful for being able to do so. I have to say, once I decided to allow for this (and chose to not beat myself up), it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I’m no longer clenching my teeth. I feel more relaxed.

Which of course makes me wonder…why do we often hold ourselves up to such high and often stress-inducing expectations? Why can’t we just go with the flow and allow stuff…life…to just happen?

As Ieyasu Tokugawa reminds us, “Persuade thyself that imperfection and inconvenience are the natural lot of mortals, and there will be no room for discontent, neither for despair.”

That works for me.

One Step Closer to that Job Now

2 Replies

I heard from the gal doing the hiring for that co-teaching gig.  While I didn’t get a definitive “you got it” she did tell me that she doesn’t forsee much of a challenge covering the two days I’ll be missing.  She just needs to double check with the team tomorrow to make sure it’s doable.

So I’m feeling quite good about everything.  Which is a good thing considering the job would start on Tuesday.

What the Hell, it’s February Already?

3 Replies
The longest
Image by dhammza via Flickr

Where did January go?  Maybe it would seem a bit more like February if we actually had had some cooler January temperatures.  Seriously, 80 degrees in January?!?!  There’s just something seriously wrong with that.  Especially when the rest of the country is dealing with crazy cold temperatures, snow and ice.

Well, I guess I just need to suck it up and welcome dear February.  The good thing about new months, is that it gives you permission to try something new.

Thanks to my bloggie friend and fellow Masterminder, Sarah (otherwise known as  Mar Vista Mom),  I have decided that for the entire month of February (give or take a day or two) I’ll be spending all my time and energy working on my website…not my personal blog, not my business blog or consulting clients, but on my community, its blog and the various ongoing contests.

This is big for me.  For the first time in a long time I feel more in control of things.  For so long now I’d been feeling like I was being pulled in too many different directions and I was never sure what I should be focusing on.  Sarah suggested that I allot a certain amount of time (be it days or weeks, or a particular day of the week, or week of the month, or whatever) and focus exclusively on one thing at a time.  If something pops up – and I’m sure it will since I’ll be doing my best to ignore whatever I’m not working on – I’ll write it down and get to it later.

This is perfect for me.  Why couldn’t I see this myself and figure it out?  Probably because I was too caught up in what seemed to be massive feelings of overwhelm (with possibly a hint of fear thrown in for good avoidance).  This my friends is why you need a good network of friends!

Of course, it means I’ll need to still created at least 4 posts for my business blog since I don’t want that to sit dormant for too long.  But I can do that.  In fact, my goal for today is to address the specific things that aren’t related to the site such as our taxes, phone calls, and those previously mentioned blog posts.

Here’s hoping it all works out the way I’m hoping for.  Wish me luck!

So what have you been avoiding that you could spend some time focusing on this month?

Still Looking for a New Theme

12 Replies

Originally uploaded by me!

Head, meet Wall.

Funny how I can help clients to find a theme that works for them, but I can’t seem to find a theme that I like. Funny thing, it’s not like I’m asking for a lot (might actually be easier if I was). I just want a header that I can customize with a photo or three; a tw0-column format that doesn’t have a whole bunch of extra space on the sides, squishing all the content in the middle; and the ability to format with bullets and quotes and to post photos within the posts. Really, how difficult is that?

Work with me WordPress, work with me please.

PS – yeah, not a fan of this one, but it’ll do for a bit until I find something better. I loked a couple of the others better, but they didn’t bullet-format. Useless I tell ya!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Yikes, I Feel Like I’ve Disappeared Here

Leave a reply

It’s not true though, I assure you.  I’ve just been a little busy with business stuff.  I was invited to a brainstorming session for a friend’s upcoming business on Sunday.  I had another brainstorming dinner for another friend’s business challenges on Tuesday.  And had a power business lunch today which including still more brainstorming.  Gotta love it!

OMG, even in the middle of writing this, only four sentences in and it’s an hour later and I’ve managed to do 3 other things.  Insane!

Okay, back to the point at hand…I might not be around all that much in the upcoming weeks.  Or more accurately, I’ll be around, though it will more than likely be sporadic and filled with random thoughts (yeah, not all that different, I know, I know).

I’ve got a lot going on with coordinating the upcoming giveaways for my site and the corresponding product.  Not to mention the correspondence itself.  I want this to go well for so many reasons and I think I can make some great connections.  Five packages came today already!  Oh and lesson learned…get dressed ASAP now since it’s no fun having to get the “attack” dog away from the FedEx guy whilst in a robe and my hair in a towel!

In the meantime, I’m also working on my business and working on getting a lot of writing completed.  I might even start my book proposal before the year is out (depending on how much time the giveaway-palooza goes).  I also have some interviews I’d like to get done sooner rather than later.

I’ve also decided that now is the perfect time to start doing speaking engagements!  Yeah, what the hell have I been smoking?  I wonder that myself.  Let’s just chalk it all up to forward movement and great attracting and leave it at that 😉

And lastly, we have the amazing Ireland trip to look forward to.  At least with this distraction you’re bound to get some amazing, photos, right?

On that note, I must get started on dinner.  The hubs should be home shortly.

I Hate Feeling Groggy Like This

Leave a reply

Turns out my migraine didn’t exactly leave the other day.  After getting back from the dreaded dentist (where my Xanax didn’t work nearly as well as it should have!) I basically crashed for like three hours. And you have no idea just how much I’ve slept this weekend.  Really, I’m not sleepy at all.  I’m feeling crappy and groggy and achey, but not sleepy.

Even now I kind of feel like I’m in a bit of a daze.  I have no desire to do my pile of dishes (we’re out of forks and cat bowls) or to write my work articles for tomorrow’s newsletter (guess I’ll be taking advantage of some stuff that others have written and made available).

I also have to figure out a little business prioritizing here.  I had this brilliant idea to pitch for some giveaway product via HARO.  My goal was to do a giveaway a day on my site for the entire month of November.  On top of that, I’ve been pitching individually to some of my favorite products. And well, it worked.  Some might say it worked a little too well (if that were even possible).  It now looks like I’ll be able to start my giveaway a day in October and probably run straight through to some time in December.  And while this will be coller than cool, I dread the future post office trips and the post office costs to fulfill the sweepstakes.

Now on top of all that, I’m also going to be taking on a newsletter for my new site highlighting blog posts, contest and giveaways (all while still writing my regular business blog and newsletter).  Which means that for the next three months, my main focus will be on my site and not on my business.  Such a switch for me.

And on top of it all, of course, is our so awesome trip to Ireland in a couple weeks.  The paperwork is in it’s totally 100% booked and official.  I just need to finish shopping, prep and then pack for that.  I have a feeling things might get a little busy and slightly frazzling in a couple of weeks.

Wonder if I can talk the hubs into picking up dinner tonight….hmmmmmmm

I’m an 8-Hour Kinda Gal

Leave a reply

I’m talking about sleep here…and any less than that and I’m just useless.  Thing is, I’ve gotten so used to going to bed late to spend time with the hubs (and to get those Irish B&B responses first thing in their morning) I can’t always get my 8 hours in.

Take today for example.  I had a SCORE event to attend downtown at the LA Athletic Club.  Basically, it was the CEO of See’s chocolates speaking about his successes in business with a bunch of Warren Buffet quotes thrown in for value.  The presentation itself didn’t really do all that much for me, but I did enjoy the Warren Buffet quotes.  I figure I can put them to good use in an upcoming article or newsletter piece.  And well, it’s See’s, so we did get some candy.

But now, I’m exhausted.  The kind of xhausted where it hurts to even keep my eyes open.  Must have something to do with the tossing and turning from midnight to 3:00 and not really falling asleep until after the hubs came to bed around 3:30am.  Five hours just doesn’t cut it.

Times like this it reminds me that moms are amazing creatures.  They can go days, weeks, months, hell, years without a decent night sleep and survive just fine.  Me, I’m a miserable, whiney wreck that can barely function.  Which of course reminds me yet again why we’re child-free – LOL

Off to nap a bit.  Catch you all later where I’ll be well-rested and all ready to wow myself with my amazing copy-writing skills!  It could happen.

Special Report or Blogging Tip of the Day?

Leave a reply

So I finally got around to writing my “special report” to use on my biz site.  I love how I fought myself for hours days weeks months, yet when it comes down to it, I was able to write it up in under an hour (if you rule out twitter and blogging breaks and well, all sorts of procrastination shenanigans in general).

I even managed to avoid writing it to take a break from writing this up to actually write and submit an article on some things I learned about being a solopreneur in response to a pitch.  Go figure.  I’m actually avoiding writing, by well, writing – did I mention that this is a pre-dated post that I wrote while avoiding writing my other stuff?

Anyway (or as they say in Jersey, anyways…).  The more that I think of it, the more I think that it (the first, original article I was writing this post about) might work better as a tip of the day or audio clip sort of thing.  I have seven tips, so I can easily break it out over 7 days.  Or I could add three more tips and it could be a two week e-course sort of thing.

Which would you be more interested in receiving a bonus…a 3-5 page “special report” on x# of ways to improve your blogging, a 5-7day, tip-of-the-day sort of email (audio? email?), or a 10 day e-course in either audio or email format?

And just because I think it bears repeating…please keep in mind, this is my personal blog and I do not practice what I preach.  It’s just for me, not for business.