Think You Want to Work From Home? Here’s the Truth

The idea of working from home always sat in the back of my mind. I was lucky enough to have a few jobs before working for myself that allowed me to work from home as time permitted. You know it sounds dreamy, and people are jealous of it.

But when you are a business owner and work from home on top of being a parent, let’s face it. It’s 1000x harder because you don’t have that accountability.

If you are really making the transition to work from home life, here are some of my BEST TIPS:

TIME MANAGEMENT IS REAL: Do not waste any minute or second of the day. You will want to have a routine and schedule: period. No matter what your career is, set those hours and routines as if you were in the corporate world. You know what you are capable of, how long something takes, and how much time you have, so use that time VERY wisely.
YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF WANTING TO NOT WORK FROM HOME.: You are going to find excuses or reasons. You know, I can do work while the kid watches tv or sleeps. NO. It is never that easy, there is always something, take my word for it. You know that one task will take a whole ten minutes, but the kid is screaming, and the dogs need fed, and you can’t get it done. So, you beg someone to take care of all your problems. Coffee shops, and even the library or a bookstore, are my best friend. I can really DIG IN and tackle the work that matters most.
YOU’LL LEARN TO GET VERY CREATIVE.: You learn that you will find a way. Whatever way that is. I remember when my ex told me he couldn’t take my son to his school on Thursday mornings anymore. Instead of being mad and changing my routine, I was able to create a solution and hire a babysitter. That was my creative choice. You find a way when you need to.

Working from home has its pros and cons like anything else. IF you want to work from home simply to do it, then you won’t be successful or productive. You need to have systems, detailed organization, and time management to truly succeed.

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The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals of 2019.

Amazon Prime is my favorite thing ever… The best part about it Amazon Prime is Prime Day that happens once a year. You can get AMAAZZING DEALS, at amazing prices. I love finding so many great deals and I couldn’t help but not share these great deals.

The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals of 2019.

Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell in Satin Nickel with Echo Dot 3rd Gen (Charcoal Gray) This bundle contains Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell and Echo Dot (3rd Generation). Works with Alexa to illuminate and send announcements to Echo devices when your doorbell is pressed or motion is detected. You can also see, hear, and talk to visitors through Echo Show or Echo Spot.
Fire HD 10 Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free, 10.1″ 1080p Full HD Display, 32 GB, Black Brilliant 10.1″ 1080p Full HD display (1920 x 1200), up to 1.8 GHZ quad-core processor, 2 GB RAM, and up to 10 hours of battery life.
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Tablet, 10.1″ 1080p Full HD Display, 32 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case Up to $99 in savings on Fire HD 10 tablet, 1 year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, and a Kid-Proof Case, versus items purchased separately ─ plus a 2-year worry-free guarantee.
All-New Echo Dot Kids Edition, an Echo designed for kids, Blue Designed with kids in mind – They can ask Alexa to play music, hear stories, call approved friends and family, and explore a world of kid-friendly skills.
Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, streaming media player (Includes $45 Sling TV credit) Amazon Exclusive: Buy today and get $45 Sling TV Credit. Start streaming live TV for as low as $10 a month for 3 months, up to 60% off regular package prices..
Toshiba 50LF621U19 50-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV HDR – Fire TV Edition Toshiba 4K UHD Smart TV – Fire TV Edition delivers true-to-life 4K Ultra HD picture quality with over 8 million pixels for stunning clarity, deep contrast, and vivid colors.
Echo Show (2nd Gen) Charcoal Bundle with free Echo Dot Charcoal and Philips Hue Bulb Premium speakers with Dolby processing let you stream music and books in crisp, stereo sound. With a vibrant 10.1″ HD screen for watching videos, movies, and TV shows—in a new fabric design.
Certified Refurbished Ring Floodlight Camera Motion-Activated HD Security Cam Two-Way Talk and Siren Alarm, White, Works with Alexa A Certified Refurbished Floodlight Cam is refurbished, tested, and certified to look and work like new
Certified Refurbished Ring Video Doorbell Elite A Certified Refurbished Video Doorbell Elite is refurbished, tested, and certified to look and work like new
Braun Series 7 Electric Shaver for Men 7893s, Wet & Dry, Integrated Precision Trimmer, Rechargeable and Cordless Razor, with Travel Case – Silver The Braun Series 7 is a 100% waterproof smart electric razor designed for a close and gentle shave – engineered in Germany to last up to seven years
TWS Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Earbuds Headset SZSAGO W9 True Wireless Earphones for iPhone/Samsung IPX7 Waterproof Smart Bluetooth Headphones [SZSAGO W9 with Innovative exclusive intelligent charging compartment] The ear-buds start charging when the charging compartment cover closed, and the charging compartment is also charged while charging. W9 can be used for 6 hours in a single full charge, the charging box can charge the ear-buds fully in 3-4 times, 6*4=24 hours of continuous sound music, 6*4=24 hours of talk time, 100 hours of standby time and 1H Fast charging allows you listen continues.
Coleman Expandable Shade Shelter | Adjustable Canopy Tent | UPF 50+ Sun Protection | 10 x 10 Feet 10 x 10-ft. shelter expands to offer up to 13 x 13-ft. of cover. Taped seams offer additional protection from rain
Kygo Life A9/600 | Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones, aptX and AAC Codecs, Built-in Microphone, NFC Pairing, Memory Foam Ear Cushions, Memory foam ear cushions for added comfort. Great fit around the ear gives good passive noise cancellation
Rivet Bristol Natural Edge Black Metal Side Table, Walnut With a wood top and metal 3-legged stand, this table is modern yet classic. The wood top is a “natural edge” cut. No two tables are exactly alike; allow for some height variation. This table is a handy landing spot for keys, phones and small table lamps.
Stone & Beam Belgian Flax Linen Bed Sheet Set, Breathable and Durable, Full, Rose The lived-in look and feel of these sheets will envelop you for years of peaceful sleeping. Their subtle texture, durability, and casual luxury will fit into your every day life seamlessly. Belgian flax linen is durable and breathable in warmer months, while hemstitching adds a classic vintage touch. They’re also sized to fit deeper mattresses.
Rivet Mid-Century Swope Curved Arm Swivel Office Chair, 26″W, Felt Grey While designed for the office, this swivel chair adds refreshing style to any room. The Mid-century inspired silhouette features graceful curves and low-profile arms Four metal legs extend outward from the swivel base.
Ravenna Home Parker Coffee Table, 47.2″W, Marble & Gold An eye-catching coffee table ready to display books and décor or to hold snack trays
Monolith 12 Inch Powered Subwoofer – Black | THX Select Certified, 500 Watt Amplifier, 12 Inch Driver for Studio & Home Theater THX Ultra Certified: THX engineers completed hundreds of different scientific tests to ensure the highest audio performance possible.

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Three Things I Outsource

As an entrepreneur, I can’t do it all. No business owner can. You can’t keep all the profit and expect to live a happy life; there’s just no way. That’s why we price items so strategically so we can plan for these moments. Trust me, I know. I want to save and have more profit, but I can’t do that when my time gets wasted. Outsourcing is critical.

I hope to outsource more in the future for sure, but right now, I outsource three things:

Writing and Editing: I have a writer as a contractor who edits and writes as needed; it’s that simple. She is highly affordable and does an amazing job. My gibberish sometimes doesn’t even make sense, so it amazes me how great she writes!
Accounting: Math is my weakness by far, hands down. I have an accountant and a CPA. My CPA helps me get everything ready for quarterly taxes. My accountant does all the other boring stuff!! It is one of those tasks that I hate doing, and will not ever touch again.
Admin Work: I have someone who helps keep business going — from making sure numbers one and two are being taken care of to having a flow from client on-boarding moving into monthly client retention. It’s almost like an assistant, but it is a life saver!

I have systems in place. Plus, I have a fantastic team and will keep growing my team. I hope to continue expanding them the way that they need to increase. It brings me joy to be able to outsource whenever possible. What do you outsource?

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5 Books for Women Entrepreneurs

I have been reading a lot more lately, and I enjoy reading books that actually help me grow mentally, physically, emotionally, and professionally. Being an entrepreneur we always need to grow and keep learning. I know that you all can enjoy these books as well. Let me know which ones are your favorite.

Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 Into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran After failing at twenty-two jobs, Barbara Corcoran borrowed $1,000 from a boyfriend, quit her job as a diner waitress, and started a tiny real estate office in New York City. Using the unconventional lessons she learned from her homemaker mom, she gradually built it into a $6 billion dollar business.
#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso
Body and Soul: Profits With Principles by Anita Roddick The founder of England’s Body Shops explains how she developed her philosophies on greed, hype, caring, and communication, and why she thinks her business can change the world
The Glitter Plan: How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and Turned It The Glitter Plan While working together at a Los Angeles boutique, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor became fast and furious friends over the impossibility of finding the perfect T-shirt. Following their vision of comfortable, fitted T-shirts, they set up shop in Gela’s one-bedroom Hollywood apartment
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes The journal is broken out month by month, day by day, with each month highlighting a theme (“Yes to Doing,” “Yes to Help,” “Yes to Who I Am”). Daily, you can track what you say YES to and keep notes
You will enjoy these books, for sure if you are looking for something different that can help you grow! All of these books have helped me with my mindset and business. You can enjoy them as well!

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Seven Ways Independence Helps Your Business

When you own a business, you have to be very independent. This happens because you need to be very focused and detail oriented. You are in charge and must be able to plan and overcome whatever business might throw at you. I have learned and grown so much in the years of owning my business.

1. Diversify Your Client List

Find 2-3 reliable clients, and keep a few on the radar. These people pay the bills and then some. You don’t want to overbook clients, but rather make sure you can fulfill or outsource before taking on anyone else.

2. Get a Backup Vendor

I always make sure to have a list of connections. I have a backup for backups. This measure is just because life happens, and sometimes someone might not be able to fulfill. Keep a list going so you can provide at all times.

3. Don’t Put All Your Marketing Eggs in One Basket

This precaution is one of the biggest things that I tell my clients day in and day out. You can’t just be solely on social media anymore. You also need to be doing in-person networking and print media. What if social media or the internet doesn’t work tomorrow? You have to rely on other sources.

4. Get Firm in Your Payment Terms

Many times, I have gotten burned. I got burned because I didn’t have contracts in place. I wasn’t specific with payment options. I LOVE Dubsado (enter link) for that reason alone. It keeps me on track and has all the information I need in one place.

5. Be Less Available

Do not let customers know if you work all hours of the day. Set those boundaries and guidelines. I check my email from 10-11 every day, and that’s it. I make sure that people can text or call, but a response can take up to 24 hours.

6. Take Vacations

You need to take a vacation, and you should be able to without disruption. People shouldn’t be calling you and texting you. Have a team ready or accessible, or let them know. You also want to ensure that you don’t have a client list overload for this reason, unless you have a great team.

7. Open Your Mind

Always keep your mind open for opportunities. This tip is one of the biggest things that I can say. I realized first-hand that there are a million ways to connect with someone; it might not always lead to a sale.

You are in charge and have to be able to plan and overcome whatever business might throw at you. I have learned and grown so much in the years of owning my business.

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Three Things Successful Women Never Do

I feel that women are often put down, especially business owners. People do not think that women can be successful for whatever reason. Or maybe they don’t like to see a woman living successfully. Honestly, I am not sure. What I do know is that I have grown over the years of being a business owner + have made changes in my life to become a successful woman. Here are some mistakes that I have learned and seen along the way of what successful women never do:

Successful Women Never Ignore Their Fears: Being a business owner means you deal with a lot of fears and self-doubt. I can’t tell you how many times I was so scared of my business. I kept trying to find ways to get out of my business and trying to talk myself out of it, but instead, my business coach gave me pep talks day in and day out. It is critical to have a tribe for times like these.

Successful Women Never Look At Their Past As A Mistake: I do not have any regrets in life – none. That is right, no regrets at all. Everything has led me to where I am today. It was a stepping stone to get there, and I needed to make all of these ‘mistakes’ to be successful. I have learned along the way and know how to analyze information before implementing.

Successful Women Never Miss Opportunities To Shine: There have been so many times, that I could have passed up times to shine. Presentations and speaking gigs are the first ones that come to mind. Now, I can talk in person or online much better. I am special, worthy, and know that I can shine. I had to put the fear and doubt past me for my business mindset.

People do not think that women can be successful for whatever reason. Or maybe they don’t like to see a woman being successful. Honestly, I am not sure. What I do know is that I have grown over the years of being a business owner + have made changes in my life to become a successful woman.

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What is Success?

“What does success mean to you?” Someone asked me this the other day, and it got me thinking. What does success really mean? Furthermore, what does it really mean to me?

Most people think being happy and having a lot of money is key, but it is not. There is much more than having a luxurious life and money.

Some might define success as not having to work more than 40 hours per week, and another person defines success as having a million dollars in the bank account. I’m somewhere in between, I’d say.

BUT…

I also know that success is meeting MY goals. Success is closing those sales. Success is keeping clients happy and content. Success is providing for my son. Success seeing my son happy and working with him.

I think most can relate to the fact that when you start a business, you come in knowing you want to make six figures plus. My goal was to make what I was making in my corporate job. LAME. I made it in no time. Then what?

Some people want to make millions or billions and that equals success to them. But for me, it’s giving the results that my clients want. It is providing for my son in the way that he needs. It is following through and having full creativity with client work.

YES, money is a great part of success, but think outside of the box. You have to set goals; if you do not set goals, then you can’t ever really define your success. Agree?

Whenever I feel down and out, I make a list of people I admire both professionally and personally. This action helps me to understand success and goals for the future.

So tell me, what does success mean to you? Does it mean having money or having a good job? Or something else? Know that you are successful, and set those goals so that you know you are successful.

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What I Love About Being a Single Mom

You know when you are no longer married or have your best friend near you, you start to find and discover yourself all over again. I married young; I was 20 when I tied the knot. I never fully had the experience and independence that most people do in those years because of being married. For 11 years and then some, I thought he was the one and went head over heels for him.

The truth of the matter is that at first, I was, of course, sad and scared when I realized the divorce was going to happen. I felt alone and mad. Despite that, I had to change my mindset. I had to change what I was thinking and figure out how to overcome and gain closure.

Once I started to work on my mindset, I realized that I love being on my own. I LOVE IT!

Leftovers. I have found that I can save money by eating leftovers. I will actually eat them until they are gone and not mind! Rather than eating them to save money, why waste food?!
No need to cook anything fancy. I don’t need to make full entrees and fancy food that will sit in the fridge for days and be wasted. I used to cook so much, never eat the remainder, and end up throwing it out. Now, some days I don’t really cook at all. We might have sandwiches, pizza, or chicken nuggets. I try to keep our food balanced, don’t get me wrong, but there are days we spoil that a little.
No one to complain. There is nothing worse than coming home after a long day and being nagged. I love being able to wake up in the morning on my own, have those moments alone, and clear my head mentally so I can prep for a great day.
No real need to worry. If the house isn’t clean or the laundry isn’t done, I don’t have to worry about feeling guilty and rushing to tidy. I don’t have to ask for help; I can just do it whenever I get around to it.
Better finances. I know that I don’t go out and spend my money foolishly on anything that I don’t need. The desire to go to the gas station and the store all the time to be happy and spend money vanished. I can manage my money and budget quite well now.
New friendships. When you go through a divorce, you lose friends or remove them from your life because you don’t want to choose sides. You must find new friends that can relate to what you are going through. I have made so many new friends that I couldn’t even imagine living without them.

I have learned to embrace the whole divorce journey and being on my own. You need to find the beauty in a new chapter; otherwise, you will live a miserable life for the rest of your days. I can live the way I want to without feeling bad or guilty about it now.

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My Story: A Single Mom While Raising An Autistic Child

I never thought divorce was in my future. I never did. Here I am now. However, I realize I have been taking care of my son now for quite some time, so it doesn’t feel any different. The only aspect out of the ordinary is that we aren’t living together, and I don’t have the love I did before. Parenting is challenging, period, but it is especially hard when you are co-parenting or being a single mother.

We try to co-parent, but it has been tough. It’s hard to communicate and enforce parenting skills for both of us, especially with an autistic kid. I want to talk more; it is so difficult for all three of us now to be on the same page. What I have come to realize is that we are all human and need to all take care of one another and be adults. Put all the other stuff to the side and parent. Even though we try to co-parent as much as possible, there are still a ton of struggles and elements that are hard as a single parent.

I love my son, would do anything for him, and always will, period. It has been tough trying to manage and juggle his therapy, life, a business, and adulting. You truly start to see all we take for granted. I have learned how to accept things for what they are and do it myself. I can do everything myself and do not need anyone.

When I knew were going through a divorce, I told my son’s school and asked them to watch for clues that he needed help or wasn’t behaving properly. But he seemed to adjust okay, so we didn’t have to worry about that too much. The main focus is making sure we all communicate.

We are on a schedule and pattern; we keep the flow of things going smoothly. I make sure that we all know the importance of our routine. My son is a very structured person, so when something is off, he can sense it and needs preparation for that change.

We use visuals whenever possible. We started using a chart that shows if our boy is going with dad or mom or school. This measure has been such a big factor in helping us all. I make sure to tell him we are going to daddy’s soon, so it helps him mentally and emotionally prepare for it.

Since he is nonverbal, we must always use a lot of sign language. He is smart and understands so much. If you ask questions, he can respond with a yes or no or with what he wants. He has a strong understanding, and we keep learning and growing. I incorporate at home what he learns at his school so that we keep increasing his progress.

If you are nearly a single mother, know that you are not alone. Know that you can handle whatever life might throw at you, from all the issues in the house to kid troubles to work problems. You have it all under control and can do amazing things.

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What’s Holding You Back? In Business Life..

We all face obstacles in life and experience some sort of negativity that brings us down. The other day, I started to think about being successful and what was really holding me back? What does “successful” even mean? What is holding you back from being successful?

Here are my thoughts about what held me back at one time:

Time: There is never enough time. We can plan for things, but there will always be something else. How do I get work done when my son is sick? How do I get the floors cleaned when I have a deadline? How do I manage time for my client work? I use Trello as a way to track my time.
Money: How many times have you said, “if only I had more money, I would do this.” Stop it. Either take a risk or wait, but the timing will never be right. Especially as a business owner.
Clients: I’m not going to take on new clients that don’t pay me well. Truth bomb, you have to build them up. My clients haven’t happened because they started on thousand dollar contracts; no. It’s more along the lines of strategizing first. I have a great on board system and set up automation.
Overworked, underpaid – FIX IT:I will not cut myself short anymore, and I will make sure to charge what I need. I have to pay taxes, software, and so much more, so I need to make sure that I actually make a profit.

Successful is… being able to make changes and adapt. It’s being able to look forward and make the changes you need to make as a person. So many times, people think of success as having tons of money. While yes, that might be true, there is more to it than that. Manage your time better. STOP doing tasks that aren’t making money or can be pushed back for now.

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