the journey to becoming an overnight success

i came across a very inspirational story on twitter about a make-up artist in pursuit of her dreams. 

if you can't see the video CLICK HERE.

no matter what industry you're in, if there's something you've been striving for, but just can't seem to get it - this is for you. read Tatiana's full story on Necole Bitchie's blog.

today's topic | criticism

in case you didn't know, once you start blogging - it gives everybody and their mama the right to tell you how you should be doing it. 

am i guilty of this? absolutely. but my zealous advice comes from a place of sincerely wanting to help. not from the fiery pits of critical hell...although some who've sat down with me one-on-one would beg to differ. 

i made a change to MY blog and this is the feedback i received from a subscriber:

if you can't see the video CLICK HERE.

unsolicited criticism isn't just limited to blogging. all you gotta do is live your life and somebody will insert themselves and proceed to tell you what you're doing wrong. 

and to those people you say what?

My Favorite Part of Blogging

i think these "keep calm" memes are way overdone, but because i needed an image and didn't want to spend hours going through Flickr - i chose this one. it was on the first page of the search results. 

photo credit: hgjohn

Catherine, who blogs at Walking With Cake, has a series she does with another blogger in Canada. each week they answer a question on their blogs and i decided to crash the party. 

What is your favorite part of blogging?

i have total creative control of this space. 

yes, meeting and connecting with people all across the globe is rewarding, but that's not the thing that keeps me going. i love being able to say whatever it is i want to say, when i want to say it, without worrying about filters. and i don't need anyone's permission or approval to do so.

not many people have this option. even as a leader and decision maker in corporate America, my creativity was stifled. stepping too far outside the box was frowned upon...even if it made sense. 

i don't have to worry about those kinds of things here. and because i have all the freedom in the world to do what i want in my own little corner of the internets - it makes it easier to deal with the things i can't control. 

moral of the story: blogging is the perfect outlet for control freaks who like to write and share their life story with complete strangers. for free.

Today's News: Lil Wayne, Carnival Cruises & 19 Kids

I had every intention of not reporting on rappers and reality stars, but when CNN did a segment on Lil Wayne - it left the door wide open for me.  

Here's what's generating buzz around the web and beyond: TMZ practically kills Lil Wayne...twitter reacts. Carnival Cruise should claim bankruptcy - like now. Will you sponsor my uterus?

If you can't see the video CLICK HERE.

Click the links below to read more about the stories featured in this episode:

TMZ Damn Near Killed Weezy

Carnival Cruises Parks Their Boats...at least for the time being

The Duggars Do Asia

Today's News: Sheryl Sandberg - Lean In

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "Damned if you do - damned if you don't". Without putting words into Sheryl Sandberg's mouth, it's probably safe to assume that's how she feels right about now. 

Sandberg is the author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, and her new book is getting alot of criticism. And because I've been known to raise a few eyebrows myself, I totally agree with her message.

If you can't see the video CLICK HERE.

What are your thoughts on the premise of Sandberg's book?

Today's News: Jodi Arias, Martha Stewart & No CPR

It's no secret that I want to work in media. I used to think I wanted to host my own tv talk show, but with the way shows get cancelled these days - I'm starting to rethink that idea. This doesn't mean I don't want it to happen, it just means that a new media production is probably a better option. 

Since I don't have offers coming at me left and right, I decided to utilize the web - and a webcam - and take matters into my own hands. 

A couple of my blogging buddies have weekly series on their blogs where they share their perspectives on what's going on in the world. I decided to join them. Kita and Whitney - thank you both for the inspiration.

Here ya go. Current events and news you can use. From a blogger's point of view. 

If you can't see the video CLICK HERE. 

How many of these do you think I have to produce on my own before the major networks come calling?!

Money In The Mail

My loyalty rewards from my electric company came in the mail last week. I got $70.36...that's a few dollars less than last year's amount but I'm not complaining. At all. 

I had a general idea about what I would buy this time around. Last summer I started pricing webcams due to the fact that my laptop didn't come with one built in. After reading some reviews, it looked like I would end up spending around $50. 

I got a Logitech C310 for $29.99. It was regularly $49.99. I think Best Buy had it marked down because they now price match Amazon. And speaking of Best Buy, due to their horrible service, I had a $50 gift card they sent me and I still had $22 remaining on it. I was saving it to go toward my webcam.

After paying the difference for the webcam and splurging on the kids at Taco Bell, I have just under $50 left on the loyalty rewards gift card. It'll be used for new MAC foundation and a wig. 

Now about this webcam situation and what it means to you:

I'll be posting more videos here. There are things I want to discuss and sometimes "talking" it is better than typing it. Know what I mean?

That's about all I know so far. It'll pretty much be like everything else I conjure up...Do. Then plan. 

And if you haven't looked into loyalty rewards programs offered by your service providers you need to get on that ASAP. 

Healthy Meals for Busy Moms

On any given day, I see a number of busy moms taking to twitter looking for dinner inspiration. But they aren't wanting just any old recipes. They're all seeking the same thing - something quick and its gotta be healthy. 

It doesn't matter if you work inside the home or spend your day slaving away in a cubicle. We're all pressed for time and stretched thin trying to do more with less, especially when it comes to cooking. 

So is it really possible to serve the best of both worlds at the dinner table tonight? Can you whip up a home-cooked meal that tastes good and doesn't call for an hour of prep work and a pantry full of expensive specialty ingredients? 

Of course you can and Debra Shigley shows you how!

photo courtesy of indebskitchen.com

Deb created In Deb's Kitchen with us in mind. She realized the majority of us want to incorporate fresh foods with healthier, packaged options. She also put together a few food rules. Nothing real strict or complicated and some go against the "clean" eating advice you may have heard. 

I could talk about food all day. Go take a look for yourself. Let me know what you think.

CLICK HERE to join Deb on Facebook.

How To Upsell A Cheapskate

Have you ever pulled up to the drive-thru and before you could get your window down, the employee was asking, "Would you like to try one of our triple decker milkshakes today?!" 

And when you politely say no - and proceed to ask for what you came to get - they finish off by saying, "Is that all? Would you like one of your triple decker milkshakes to complete your order?"

Um. Didn't we already have this conversation??

In the past, these kinds of upsells were only limited to fast food restaurants. Now, almost anywhere you go you'll be hit with a million dollar add-on question. And in most instances, the script the poor clerk has been given to recite is all wrong. 

Why? Because it's a script. It doesn't change. They spit out the deal of the day to every customer they encounter. No matter what the person is buying. 

Office Depot got it right though. I absolutely love that place. Not because they try to milk me for extra cash when I go in to get copies made, but simply because when they do - they push something on me that I actually might need. 

The last time I went in for copies, the manager (yes! their managers really do work and don't just stand around with hand-held talking devices trying to look important) glanced at my press releases and said, "Would you like to see how these would look on colored paper?!" 

Well yes I do...and why didn't I think of that??

He walked me over to their selections, patiently let me look at about six different colors, and then he broke it down as to which colors cost what. Maybe he could look in my eyes and tell I was one of those kinds of people. If you give me too many choices, I can't commit. But when you put a price tag on those options, my ass can make a buying decision quick, fast, and in a hurry!

So why didn't he try to direct my attention to the marked down printers right behind me? Duh. I obviously had a printer of some sort and I didn't come in asking for one. I came in wanting copies. It was his job to make me leave with better copies than I knew I wanted. 

That's how the sales process works. You listen. You identify a need. And then you offer a solution specific to that customer. Not a one-size-fits-all lame attempt to merely increase the number of items sold per transaction. 

Is it hard? Not at all. Is it easier to train inexperienced sales teams to recite a script? Probably so. But we all know that easy and effective are not the same. 

Getting More Facebook Likes

The Facebook page for my style blog has grown by 81% in the past three months and I didn't resort to buying "likes" for it to do so. 

Here's what I did to give it a boost:

updated my page more frequently - For me, that means going from 1-2 times per week to 3-4 times. Why not every day? Because it turns into information overload and your messages become diluted. Instead of forcing stuff on my fans on a daily basis, I focus on sharing relevant, quality content I think they'll read, benefit from, and share. 



liked other pages as Discount Thief - This strategy has proven to be super effective for driving people back to my page. In order for this to work, you have to engage ethically on other people's pages. Simply put: no spammy, self-serving comments. Never ever do I mention my blog or my services. If the page owner asks a question, I answer it. If they're making small talk, I chime in. when I read something interesting on their blog, I go to their Facebook page and let them know the value I got from it. It's always about the page owner. Not about me.

Here's what others did to add to my numbers:

publicly recognized my work - The administrator from a group of local bloggers emailed me to let me know I was chosen as the featured blogger of the week. This was a pleasant surprise, especially considering I was no longer an active member of the Facebook group. Keeping with that whole ethics thing, I immediately advised them that I wasn't a member and told them I understood if they needed to rescind. Turns out, since the group is geared solely toward Austin area bloggers - that was good enough for them. Talking about grateful! 



gave me shout outs - Natasha from One Woman's Style and Evolution and Miss Rockwell from Thrifty and Shameless showed me love. Be it blog traffic or growing your social media presence, having people in your corner to toot your horn is priceless. Reciprocating and returning the favor is a must. Promote others and you'll get it back ten fold. 

Are you making progress with your social media efforts? What's working for you?

How Long Should A Blog Post Be?

Last week I participated in the #BlogTrends chat on twitter. The topic for the night centered around ways to  grow our blogs and new technology to aid in the process. 

At some point, somebody asked how long should a blog post be. Now listen. If you've never participated in a chat before this kind of question may seem off topic, but it's not. One of the things I like about twitter chats is that most have an open format. If a question pops in your head - you're free to ask and more than likely you'll get an answer. 

In this particular instance, there were lots of answers. And they were all across the board too. Some folks said they prefer reading longer posts. Others chimed in saying if a post was too short, they felt like it was rushed and half done. 

Here's my advice:

Instead of focusing on how long or short the post should be, focus on what you want to say. 

1. If you're writing a how-to post, have you detailed all of the steps?
2. What's the purpose of the post? What do you hope to accomplish?
3. If a reader lands on your blog for the first time, will what they read make them want to come back?

There's all kinds of blogging tips out there. Some I agree with, but most I don't. 

One thing I know for sure is if your primary focus is on how long your posts should be, you won't have a successful blog. 

What are your thoughts?

Work at Home Fail

There's no better way to start the new year than diving in deep with the intentions of making all the money you possibly can. If you're reading this and you're one of those people who thinks money is a four-letter word, this isn't the place for you. 

I believe in and seek abundance. The more I have - the more of a blessing I can be to others. 

I came across a work from home gig on Facebook. It was posted on a page that I trust by a blogger who specializes in finding legit opportunities. I read through it and set aside some time to start the application process. 

The position entailed calling apartment communities and completing phone surveys. Sounds easy enough doesn't it?! The pay was $10/hour and the project only lasted 4-6 weeks. Not bad at all. And you could even have noise going on in the background while making your calls.

The first thing you have to do is complete an assessment. 

Listen. This was no easy test. There were 30+ questions and almost every one contained multiple parts, which ends up being more like 70+ questions. And these weren't no multiple choice kinds of questions either. It involved reading - thoroughly - and writing out your answers. In sentences. 

After spending about two and a half hours and completing eight questions, I put it down to take a break. All of your reference materials weren't on one document. There were two different places you toggled back and forth to get your answers. I kept telling myself, "If you make it through this test - the work won't be that hard." I started back on the assessment again the next day and spent about 45 minutes on two questions.

Needless to say, I got a headache and tossed that shit aside. Permanently. 

Did I tell you if you miss more than THREE questions you won't be considered?? If this is what work at home jobs consist of - I ain't about that life! 

I totally understand having a process in place to get the right people to ensure the success of your project. But in my opinion, this was a little but too much. I seriously had flashbacks of studying for my real estate exam. 

So in conclusion: this initial work from home attempt didn't quite work out. 

I'll keep you posted on anything else I find.