Month: September 2017

New co-working space will help Birmingham entrepreneurs “Forge” ahead

When Kim Lee started learning more about the concept of co-working spaces she quickly realized that Birmingham-area entrepreneurs, business owners, and freelancers needed a place where they could work and collaborate with others without signing a long-term lease. And eventually, Lee realized she should be the person to create such a space.

“My undergrad is in business and I have a master’s in counseling,” Lee says. ” As I studied and researched co-working more, it became clearer to me that my background is actually perfect for this is a business concept.”

And so the Forge was born.

(more…)

Vive Les Conteurs

Photo by Amy Dobelstein

“Qualified.” Megan Beam is not a fan of this word, especially when it’s used to ask questions such as: “What qualifies me to write what I’m writing?” or “What qualifies you to tell anyone else how to write what they’re writing?” or “How does my work qualify for publishing?” When Beam started her Birmingham–based writing workshop series Vive Les Conteurs in January one of her goals was to strip this word of its value.

“I think that there is this sort of romance around creativity that you can’t really approach it unless you’ve been born with some sort of sparkle,” Beam says. “And I’m not saying that that doesn’t exist but I think that creativity in whatever form it is can save people’s lives and give them a reason to get up in the morning and make sense of the chaos.”

Beam says her primary goal with Vive Les Conteurs is simply to give people a safe space to write so they can finally feel like writers.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Beam for my latest column for B-Metro magazine. Read the complete story here.

 

What to do when you don’t accomplish your goals

I have a confession: I am a bit obsessed with goal setting. I get so excited about the first of the month not simply because it’s pay day, but because a new month means a new set of goals.

My goals keep me motivated. It’s because of my goals that I’m able to get up at 4 a.m. every weekday to work on my writing, my blog, and my business before I head out to teach. It’s because of my goals that I’m able to exercise every evening, even after a long day of lecturing.

Despite my drive and determination, however, I don’t always accomplish all of my goals every month. August was such a month. I didn’t accomplish ANY of my August goals. NOT. A. SINGLE. ONE.

So what do I do when I don’t accomplish my goals for the month?

(more…)