Dreams & Goals

See Jane Scope

SeeJaneScope

I am a purpose-driven blogger.

I’ve realized that if I don’t have a specific objective or goal in mind I just can’t motivate myself to find the time to blog.

My relationship with social media is no different. Without purpose, I don’t post. My philosophy is simple: Be intentional or be quiet.

So I’ve struggled to be consistent with the latest social media craze Periscope, an app that allows you to livestream video from your phone or tablet. Your fans and followers can tune in and watch live and even interact with you and other folks watching your broadcast. People use Periscope to show snippets of everything from concerts and conferences to vacations and the silly things their kids do. Because I’m a nerd, however, I tend to like broadcasts that are like informal webinars.

When I first signed up for Periscope I was obsessed with watching informative and inspiring broadcasts by my favorite bloggers and female entrepreneurs. And I was eager to start doing some Scoping of my own. I’ve done broadcasts on why bloggers should use Periscope (it’s a great way to connect with readers), how to land your first TV appearance to promote your blog, book or business and how to do a good job on that first TV appearance. I also one day randomly did a Scope on spiritual practices. And my Periscope practices have been just that — random.

When it comes to blogging and social media, my greatest sense of purpose comes from See Jane Write. If I’m producing content for the women of See Jane Write I can stick with it! And so I bring to you #SeeJaneScope: Periscope broadcasts designed for the women of See Jane Write.

The first #SeeJaneScope broadcast will be tonight at 7 p.m. CT and it will be a goal setting and planning workshop for writers and bloggers. I hope you’ll join me!

Please note I signed up for Periscope with my personal Twitter account, not my See Jane Write account, so you’ll need to find and follow me at @writeousbabe.

Once you follow me you’ll get an alert whenever I go live on Periscope. You can decide to watch then or catch the replay within 24 hours (Periscope automatically deletes replays in 24 hours). You’ll definitely want to catch this live if you can because I’ll be helping viewers plan their goals for August and taking any other blogging and writing questions you may have.

See you tonight!

3 Reasons You Need to Get a Massage

self care

 

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by LightWorks Chair Massage, but all opinions are my own.

If you’re like me, you’re a juggling your blogging and writing pursuits with a full-time job plus responsibilities to family and friends and community commitments. This leaves very little time to just take care of yourself, and so you don’t. But it’s time to change that and you can start Saturday by simply getting a free chair massage at the Bloganista Mini-Con presented by Laura Vincent Printing and Design. LightWorks Chair Massage will be on site offering free massages to us bloganistas.

Here are three reasons you need to get a massage Saturday and beyond.

  1. You need to be more productive.

Because we women writers and bloggers are so busy working our day jobs and taking care of our families, we usually have very little time to actually work on our writing. So when we do we need to be as productive as possible. Jo Anderson of LightWorks Chair Massage says that research shows that chair massage in the workplace significantly reduces stress and increases focus and productivity.

“Our corporate clients tell us that their 15-minute sessions have made a big impact on employee morale and sick days,” Anderson said.

So chances are massage — whether you get an hour-long full body massage or just a quick chair massage from the folks at LightWorks — will help you be more productive when working on your own projects as well.

  1. You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. 

“There is no doubt that in order to be healthy we have to keep our stress levels low,” Anderson said. “That’s not always an easy task, but knowing that stress increases the risk of heart disease 40 percent and stroke 50 percent can be a great motivator.”

Anderson added that massage improves sleep, soothes anxiety and depression, boosts immunity and relieves headaches.

“Those are huge health benefits since at least 60 percent of all disease is stress related,” Anderson said.

If getting an hour-long massage is just out of the question with your budget right now, try convincing your boss to invite LightWorks Chair Massage to your workplace.

“Many people think they have to get an hour massage to reap the benefits but that isn’t so,” Anderson said. “Even a 10-15 minute massage contributes markedly to one’s health and well being, making it a good fit for the business community.”

  1. You’re breaking your New Year’s Resolution. 

At the start of the year I made a resolution to get a massage every month. We’re now at the end of July and you know how many massages I’ve had — NONE! Self-care is an area in which I constantly come up short and chances are you probably struggle with this too. Chances are you too vowed to take better care of yourself this year and yet you keep pushing self-care to the side for work or the needs of others.

If you’re coming to the Bloganista Mini-Con Saturday I hope you will take advantage of a free chair massage. And I hope that on August 1, the start of a new month and thus a new chance to get things right,  we all will vow again to take better care of ourselves and remember that self-care is not a luxury.

 

Do you have a vision for your blogging or writing career?

What's your vision

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by True North Business Development, but all opinions are my own.

For several months I’ve been wrestling over many questions regarding the future of See Jane Write and my future as a writer and blogger.

Should I make See Jane Write a national organization?

What should I do with my personal brand Writeous Babe? 

Can I grow my writing career and build a business? 

Should I relaunch my magazine? 

How can I and how should I make See Jane Write bigger and better? 

Every night before bed I’d make up my mind about what’s next for me and See Jane Write and every morning I’d change my mind after getting inspired with a new idea.

I asked everybody from my husband and my lawyer to almost complete strangers what I should do. I asked my intern and my closest friends. I asked business coaches and brand strategists. I asked God.

My hope was that everyone would suggest I do the same thing. But, of course, everyone gave different, often conflicting advice. Then one day my intern said to me, “At the end of the day only you can make the decision.” Out of the mouths of babes…

She was right. So then I was faced with a new question: Why on earth couldn’t I make a decision?!

Enter Lois Weinblatt of True North Business Development.

LoisHeadshot2
Lois Weinblatt of True North Business Development

Lois specializes in helping entrepreneurs and organizations define a clear vision for their business and their lives. Last month I attended one of Lois’ workshop and had an epiphany: I HAVE NO VISION FOR SEE JANE WRITE!

I sure thought I did. But what I really had was a mission and that’s not the same thing. Lois explained the difference: A mission is aspirational. It’s why you do what you do but it’s work that will never be done. My mission is to empower women and girls through the written word. That’s why I write, that’s why I encourage other women to write, and that’s why I started See Jane Write. But this is work that will never be over. I will never wake up one day and declare that all women and girls have been sufficiently empowered!

A vision, on the other hand, is “a definition of success at a specific point in the future,” Lois explained. Where do you want to go? When do you want to get there? What does it look like?

“The question isn’t which road do you take, it’s where are you going,” Lois said.

I realized I’d been asking all these people for directions and had no idea where I was trying to go!

Lois explained that once you’ve defined your vision, decision making is easy. If something doesn’t get you closer to your vision, you don’t do it. Plain and simple. And I know this. I preach this to my clients who struggle with time management. But what I didn’t know was that I didn’t have a vision in the first place.

Do you have a vision for your business, blog, or writing career? Do you have a clear definition of success at a specific point in the future? Do you know where do you want to go, when you want to get there and what it will look like when you arrive?

Lois is a sponsor for this year’s Bloganista Mini-Con presented by Laura Vincent Printing & Design and will be at the event to chat with you about the importance of having a vision and the process of defining one for yourself. But, I’ll be honest with you. I would have written about her and this experience even if she weren’t a sponsor. Lois’ workshop made me a true believer in the power of knowing your “True North.” Two weeks after that workshop I hired her to help me with See Jane Write. With Lois’ help I am going to define a clear vision for See Jane Write and for my writing career and I am confident that after that I will be unstoppable!

What’s your vision for your blogging or writing career?

Introducing the See Jane Write Mastermind

if you weren't afraid

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Would you quit your day job?

Would you finally start a blog or use the blog you have to build a business?

Would you write a pitch letter to your favorite magazine or a query letter to the agent you dream of representing you?

Would you write and publish that book you’ve been carrying in your heart for years?

Or have you already written and self-published a book, but you haven’t had the courage to market your work the way you know that you should?

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

I have another question for you: What could be your game changer? 

Consider all your goals, dreams, and aspirations. Now pick one. What goal – that you could accomplish in 6 months – would have the greatest impact on your personal and professional life?

That’s a game changer goal and that’s the goal I want to help you reach.

Introducing the See Jane Write Mastermind, a 6-month personalized coaching program designed to help you achieve your game changer goal.

A mastermind group is a group that offers accountability, support and a safe space for brainstorming to help you achieve your goals.  But the See Jane Write Mastermind program offers this and so much more.

The See Jane Write Mastermind program includes the following:

  • You‘ll get 6 monthly one-on-one consultations, which means we’ll work together to develop a personalized plan to help you achieve your game changer goal and I’ll guide you through each step of that plan.
  • You’ll get 6 monthly live group coaching sessions with the other members of the See Jane Write Mastermind, which means you’ll have the support of a community of like-minded women who will also provide insight and inspiration along this journey.
  • You’ll get access to a private Facebook group to communicate and collaborate with me and the other See Jane Write Mastermind members as often as you’d like.
  • You’ll get free admission to See Jane Write events (excluding Blogging Boot Camps) that take place between June 1, 2015 and November 30, 2015 – including our annual blogging conference, The Bloganista Mini-Con. These events will give you access to even more resources and networking opportunities.
  • You’ll get a free one-year membership to See Jane Write, which means you’ll be able to register early for events with limited seating, invitations to private members-only events, the opportunity to be featured as a See Jane Write Member of the Month, and the chance to be assigned an accountability partner for even more support.
  • You’ll also get additional online training, worksheets, and personalized weekly assignments to help you achieve your game changer goal.

And in December we’re going to party! We’ll have a special event to celebrate what you accomplish during our six months of working together and have a goal setting workshop to help you make plans for 2016.

The ideal mastermind group consists of only 8 to 10 people, so less than a dozen spots are available and I can’t guarantee I will offer this opportunity again.

The See Jane Write Mastermind program will begin June 1, 2015. Registration will close May 31, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Sign up by May 15 and I will also critique up to five writing samples for you during our time together.

Are you interested? Then, let’s chat! I’m offering a complimentary 15-minute strategy session for anyone interested in this program. This session should help you determine if this program is right for you. During this session we’ll decide what your game changer goal should be.  We’ll also discuss the monetary investment for the program.

Click here to schedule your free strategy session today.

How to Move a Mountain

move a mountain

Anyone who knows me well knows I love TED Talks. I show TED Talks to my students at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. When I’m in a long line at the pharmacy I open up the TED app on my phone to see what new talks have been posted online. And last year when I had the opportunity to attend TEDxBirmingham 2014 I was as giddy as a kid on Christmas Day. I literally skipped from the car to the front door of the Alys Stephens Center where the event was held. It would be my first time attending a live TED event. The theme was “Rediscover the Magic “and that I did. I left inspired with a new love for my city, a renewed determination to make it better, and an even greater passion for TED.

Things were different this year. TEDxBirmingham 2015 was just as fantastic, perhaps even better. But this year I felt the giddy girl of last year’s event being asked to grow up. She was being asked to move a mountain.

“Move Mountains” — that was this year’s theme and it was quite apropos. The topics broached this year were as heavy as looming rust-stained rock of iron ore that we in Birmingham call Red Mountain. Human trafficking, our country’s broken health care system, and environmental degradation are just a few of the issues this year’s 12 speakers forced us to face.

When Sunny Slaughter’s 7-year-old daughter was raped years ago by her own husband, Slaughter was filled with a rage that no one would have blamed her for acting on. But she used that fire to fuel the work she does today working as an activist working to end human trafficking. Slaughter hit us with the statistics of the the number of girls sold not just in other countries, but also in America and even Alabama.

In closing, she said, “I’m not trying to shock you. I’m trying to scare the hell out of you.”

But how are we to move a mountain when the sight of it shakes us to our core?

The speakers covered that, too.

“Fear is great soil for growth,” Tracey Abbott said during her talk. “The purpose of life is not to be comfortable but to grow.”And despite her fear, Abbott recently quit her corporate job to found Culture Relay, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering high school girls through cross-cultural exchanges.

So feel the fear and face that mountain anyway. And here’s how you can move it:

Shift the way you see that mountain. Be willing to look at everything in a new way. You make think that our country’s obsession with sports will lead to its demise. But Andy Billings, professor of sports media at the University of Alabama, is using sports to delve into issues of race, gender, and more. Yes, it’s true that very few Olympic swimmers are black, but why is that? Are black people just not good at swimming or could it be that blacks once had little to no access to public swimming pools and thus black parents were hesitant to encourage their children to learn to swim knowing they couldn’t help them do so? And what kind of important conversations about gender can we have simply by looking at how women are portrayed on the covers of Sports Illustrated magazine?

Be willing to be radical. When Venkata Macha was only a sophomore in high school he asked a radical question: “Why isn’t there a urine test to help detect cancer?” Then he did something even more outrageous — he emailed renowned researchers all over the country asking them the same question. The result: he spent the summer before his junior year working in a lab of a Harvard University professor doing research to develop a bioelectronic chip for immediate, non-evasive cancer detection. “Radical approaches could have extraordinary results,” Vekata said.

Your radical idea may be to tunnel through your mountain. If so, just dig and keep digging. While chipping your way through you will be discouraged. But so many speakers urged attendees to see failure only as a detour, not a dead end.

Or maybe you’ll decide that moving the mountain isn’t the best way to get to the other side.

“Sometimes it’s more efficient to climb the mountain than to move it,” civil rights activist and advertising executive Shelley Stewart said during his talk.

Strap on your boots and let’s do this.

Kent Stewart is climbing mountains literally. He is on a quest to hike the Seven Summits — the highest peaks on each of the world’s continents. He only has one, Mount Everest, left to summit.

“What’s your Everest?” he asked the crowd.

To become the first woman to qualify for the finals of American Ninja Warrior Kacy Catanzaro didn’t have to climb an actual mountain, but she did have to scale a 14-foot warped wall and she had to ignore all the voices that said she couldn’t do it.

Remember that moving this mountain isn’t all about you. Kent Stewart can’t climb Mt. Everest without a team of people supporting him. You need a team to climb your mountain, too.

And ask yourself why you want to get to the other side of your mountain in the first place. Shelley Stewart urged us to be mindful of our reasons, relationships, and reputation.

“What’s the reason you really want to overcome this obstacle?” he asked. “If your motive is right your goal is more likely to be accomplished. Relationships are important, he said, because “you can’t effect change by yourself.”

And you shouldn’t do it simply for yourself.

You have the power to change someone’s life simply by clearing the mountain in your path — whether you climb it, tunnel through it, or blast it to bits, you will change the life of another person.

Cross-posted at WriteousBabe.com