I just returned from accomplishing one of my biggest goals in life.  By the age of two, music was an integral part of my life.  I grew up listening to my dad play his guitar every single day and if he wasn’t playing, we had tons of records to tickle our ears.  I knew I would grow up to be a musician.

Last week, I had the privilege to go to music row in Nashville and record my band’s first album.  It’s still like a dream to even get to say that, but it really happened!  I have pictures to prove it!  There’s still a lot to do before the album is actually released, but I feel like I made it to the top of the mountain and it’s all downhill from here.

So what happens next? Read more

There are basically two types of jobs.  One is where you work a number hours and report to someone else in order to get a paycheck.  This could be an hourly job or a salaried career.  Either way you have a pretty set income with maybe a raise or a bonus if you’re lucky.  Most people have this type of a job.

Then there’s the job you design for yourself.  This is the kind of job where you follow your passion and do the things that inspire and motivate you to JUMP out of bed every morning.  Rather then being paid an hourly wage, this kind of job allows you be a creative spirit and still earn an income.  An example of this type of work might be that of an artist.

An artist gets to be creative all day long, designing as much or as little as she wants.  She can then sell her artwork for whatever she deems it is worth and earn an income.  Many types of creative works can also be duplicated, made into prints, digitally copied, etc. and bring in a residual income.  A residual income means you can spend one day creating a design and have it continually bring you income over the course of your life time.  So instead of getting paid say $100 for a day’s work at an hourly job, the artist can earn thousands of dollars for that day’s work over her lifetime.  See where I’m going with this? Read more

Ok so this post just randomly came to my mind as I published Intentional Procrastination Can Boost Productivity a few seconds ago.  Normally I have scheduled writing times, but I’m breaking my normal pattern to bring you this brainstorm…

G O A L S     S U C K !

In the last paragraph of my previous post, I wrote “Just be sure it’s something YOU really want to do.” And I got to thinking about that and perhaps all of the “set your goals for 2010″ posts I’ve been reading in my RSS reader are brewing in my subconscious and I just need to borrow Kelli’s soapbox so I can stand up and tell everyone exactly why their goals suck. Read more

Ever been in one of those awkward situations where someone makes a derogatory statement about someone or something that you are passionate about?  You know you want to speak up but you don’t quite know what to say, and remaining silent might mean you are in agreement.  I have a solution. Read more

Luck is a funny thing. It seems some people have it and some people don’t.  But guess what?  It’s not something we are born with and it doesn’t take magic fairy dust to acquire, but luck is a very real phenomenon.  And you can have it.  Right now. Today.

For those of you who follow my blog, you may think I’ve lost my mind because you’ve frequently heard me say “I don’t believe in luck.”  Well I don’t. But I do believe that some people are luckier than others.  Is that contradictory? Not in my book.  I believe there is a formula for being lucky and here is my theory…

My personality type (INTJ if you care to know) is a scientist, a mastermind – in other words, one who studies.  I study everything.  All the time.  If I don’t have a book in my hand, I’m Googling something on my phone or I’m observing my surroundings.  I like to study happy, successful people and see what makes them tick.  I look for patterns and personality traits.  I watch how they interact with other people.  And you know what?  There IS a pattern.  People who are considered lucky or have the “it” factor or whatever you want to call it, have a few things in common.  In fact, they have some very basic traits that make them successful or “lucky” as we would like to call it.

The good news is that these characteristics are easy to learn.  In fact you can start applying them today and watch your own “luck” factor skyrocket.  Here they are: Read more

At least that’s my theory.

I can’t prove it, but who doesn’t crave McDonald’s french fries every once in a while?  I know, I know…..they’re horribly bad for your health…they make you fat…they have zero nutritional value, but..but…but… but they taste so dang good!

Let me tell you a little something about McDonald’s french fries you already know by experience but probably never thought about.  No matter which of the thousands of Mickey D’s franchises you visit, you are guaranteed that those fries will taste the same.  Every. Single. Time.

Why is that? Because McDonald’s spent a huge amount of time perfecting their business model so that they can churn out food to the masses that results in the same quality, taste and experience.  Every. Single. Time.

We keep going back to McDonald’s because it tastes good.  Every. Single. Time. I mean even the little tiny half-burned ones in the bottom of the bag are still good.  Oh don’t act like you’ve never double-checked to make sure you rounded up all the fries. That’s right you did…don’t lie! Read more

If you’re already subscribed to the Girls Can’t WHAT? newsletter, then you may already know about all the cool changes coming your way on October 28th.

But wait – there’s more!

For starters, the newsletter has been given the official title of “The Challenge”.  Why? Because I thought it sounded cool. And because my superpower is to “challenge women to break stereotypes and achieve their dreams” which is exactly what I plan to do with the new format of the newsletter. So I think the new name fits, don’t you?

Why why why???

Why sign up? If you’re subscribed to the newsletter, it means you care about our community and about encouraging other ladies to break through gender barriers.  You like to celebrate the accomplishments of others and challenge yourself in the process.  I totally identify with that and I want to celebrate and be challenged with you. “The Challenge” will be published every other Wednesday and deliver only the best content from Girls Can’t WHAT? including interviews, featured women, new designs, contests and winners from the Share Your Story submissions.  Each issue will also present a simple challenge for you to work through on your way to achieving your dreams.

If you’re not subscribed already, here are 3 fantastic reasons to sign-up right now:

1. Receive a heads-up on new contests, freebies, coupons and special offers
2. Get the “Featured Challenge” delivered right to your inbox
3. Be entered to win the monthly drawing for a Girls Can’t WHAT? t-shirt

What’s the first challenge?

Sign up for the newsletter, of course!  The sign-up box is in the upper right corner of the screen. Join “The Challenge” and learn to break through barriers and by letting the world know that women can do anything they set their minds to do.

“The Challenge” officially kicks off on October 28th.  Get signed up now so you don’t miss out!

There is one little word that often creeps into our vocabulary.  We don’t even think twice about using it, but it’s power is unmistakable.  You might think it’s harmless and that it doesn’t really mean what it says, but I would disagree.  The power of this one tiny word can change your entire outlook and the reactions of those around you when you simply stop using it.  What is it? Read more

Someone asked me a long time ago to post this and I just never got around to it. Probably because it’s a little embarrassing in my opinion. I know I really shouldn’t worry about it. It’s not like Picasso was born with a paintbrush in his hand and I’m sure his early attempts at art were a total disaster. So were mine. Here is a little play-by-play of how the Girls Can’t WHAT? characters were created… Read more

Did you know that the best way to get what YOU want in life is to make others happy first?  It’s true and the principle behind it is very simple: Everyone wants to be happy.  Even grumpy people are grumpy because for them being grumpy and dissatisfied is their form of happiness.

There’s just not enough to go around.

I think we are all painfully aware of the fact that we have limited time and limited funds to do all the things we want to do in life.  It’s hogwash to say that there is an “abundance” to be had by all.  It’s impossible.  That’s not saying we can’t acquire an abundance of wealth, food or whatever we want to make us happy, but the physical resources are not available to everyone at the same time. So what do we do? Read more