Five Things I'd Tell Someone Starting their own Business

There are a million articles out there about starting your own business. Some are super helpful, some are a little overwhelming - and everything in between! The resources are abundant! However, there are a few things I have learned during the last eight months that nobody told me before I quit my job to start my own business. I thought I'd share a little bit of insight from down here in the trenches. 

1. Know when to walk away. 

Some days, the creative juices just aren't flowing. Some days, you're going to be super antsy and unfocused. Know when to step away from the computer. Take a break. Go for a walk around the block. Do whatever you need to do to clear your ahead.

One of the perks of self employment is being able to work during your prime hours. If you're a night owl, don't feel like you have to be hustling at 6 a.m. If you're like me and you do your best work before the sun is up, don't feel guilty when your brain shuts down at 3 p.m. Find the rhythms that make the best use of your time and brain. 

2. Take advantage of the flexibility. 

You might not see a paycheck for a verryyyy long time. Enjoy the other, non-financial perks, of your new gig. You're also probably going to work some very long hours, grinding away until something only you can do is just perfect. When you have slow days or your mom is in town, enjoy being able to take a break. 

3. You might be tempted to punish yourself for "not having a job."

I still struggle with this one. Some days, I feel like I should do 100% of the work around the house since Chris goes to work and I don't. I feel like I shouldn't ask him for help since I don't technically have the demands of a nine to five. But, the truth is, if you have this attitude, you'll never create the time and space you need to make your small business into a full-time job. So set your work hours and protect them fiercely. If one of your student-schedule friends consistently wants to talk on the phone at 10 a.m., let her know you love her (so much!), but you'd still like to talk during non-business hours. The more you treat it like a business, the more other people will, too. 

4. Slow down and celebrate the little things. 

One of the funny things about working on your own is there are no coworkers with whom you can celebrate. Find someone who will do a little celebrating with you, then celebrate everything. The blogger you didn't expect to reply? Celebrate it. The radio show you didn't anticipate being on? Live it up! Celebrate the wins a little bigger, because the losses hurt a little more when it's your own business.  Take a breath and treat yo self :). 

5. Remember that money isn't everything.

This creative business you're in? It sustains you. It keeps you sane. It makes it so you can breathe deeply, think clearly and appreciate life a little more. Write all of the reasons that you quit your job down somewhere. On days when it's super hard and your budget is tight and your friends are in Ibiza and you're gonna have to settle for camping, look at that paper. Remember that sanity and living in your purpose are more important than a trip to Ibiza. 

PS: You probably already know this, but: you're going to make mistakes, critical feedback and want to quit. Don't quit! It's part of the process. You can do this. On those days, have this book handy. Read it, highlight it, read it again. 

Moringa (or Matcha!) Mint Smoothie

First of all, let me answer the obvious question here: wtheck is Moringa!?

The best comparison I can make is that it's a lot like matcha, but has more powerful health benefits and is more bitter in taste. Also, it provides a natural energy boost, but doesn't have caffeine, which means you won't have that 3 p.m. crash from it. 

If you want to learn more, I think this article does the best job comparing Moringa and. Matcha: Battle of the Greens: Moringa vs. Matcha. And this article does a great job explaining why it's so, so, sooo good for you: 11 Surprising Facts About Moringa And How It Can Improve Your Health.

When Chris and I were in Kenya, we picked Moringa leaves and processed them all the way through to consumption. This meant drying the stalks, pulling the leaves off of them, grinding it to powder (a machine did this part), weighing, measuring and packaging it - and even creating the nutrition label. It was super cool and, obviously, not something we could do in the US for resale because, ya know, health codes. 

This is the Moringa leaf after we picked it from the stalk and dried it in the sun for a few days. After this, we ground it to powder!

We brought six containers of it back, which was really lucky, because I had no idea it's pretty pricey in the US. In Kenya, it's abundant and people eat it constantly. They'd never pay the premium we pay - cost of living adjustments aside! Their access to it is our like our access to refined sugar. 

So, now that you're a Moringa expert, I wanted to share an awesome smoothie recipe. We had an abundance of mint in our backyard (which we planted more than three years ago - mint is crazy!), so it was the inspo for this guy. 

Moringa Mint Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 t. Moringa Leaf Powder (any brand will work, as long as it's powder!) 
1 c. almond milk (Califia Farms is farrr and away my fav)
3 softened dates
1 handful of mint
1 t. vanilla
1 handful of ice
1 c. of spinach

To Make:

• Assemble all ingredients in a powerful blender. I love our Vitamix! 
• Pulverize until consistency is smooth and creamy
• If you like it thicker, add more ice. If you like it runnier, add more milk! Is that obvious? :) Idk smoothies can be tricky to get the consistency right!

I sipped it down in seconds and cannot wait to make it again. 

you can have it all, but not all at once.

In high school, we had a coach who always said: you can have it all, but not at the same time. As an impulsive, impatient 18-year-old, her advice drove me nuts.  Having it all in intervals isn’t really having it all, I’d think.

Last week, I tossed and turned in bed, wondering if I’ll ever master the balance of this life. Will I ever set the right boundaries? Will I ever feel like there is enough time and sleep in my life? I felt stressed as I thought through my impending commitments, wondering if I’d get everything done. Suddenly, her words popped into my head: you can have it all, but not at the same time.

It hit me then that it is about pace.  It’s not about yes or no, but, instead, about now or later.

It took me 12 years (+ some therapy) to finally understand what she meant. You can have all of your hopes and dreams, but they have to happen in intervals. I can freelance, grow The Letter Project, write a book and start a family – but not all at once. I can do some of them in July, some in October and, heck, some of them in a few years. It can all happen, but it can’t all happen at the same time. Because you only have so many hours each day. 

Her advice was less about giving things up and, instead, about patience and hard work. It's about picking what is most important today and what can wait until tomorrow. It’s about trusting that some dreams happen in a microwave and some in a slow cooker.  As much as we want instant success and growth, it doesn't always happen that way. But the ones that take longer? They're almost always worth waiting for. In and in the meantime, the best thing we can do is trust we're exactly where we need to be right now and, when the time is right, we'll find the way to where we're going.

5 Things I'm Loving, Homies!

1. My new swimsuit from Target. It was worth the fight! :)  I got this top and this bottom and am l-o-v-i-n-g them together. I felt very nervous for the high-waisted bottom (am I stylish enough?!), but I love it! I felt like it was way more flattering than something low. Also, I love the top, but if you're more well endowed than I am (B-cup!), it might be hard to wear. It doesn't have a lot of support. It also runs large. I am normally a medium in Target swim and needed a small. 
2. Emily Hearn's music. This girl is on point! And I think she is from Georgia. It's great to work to. 
3. Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo. My friend let me use her's at a bachelorette party last weekend and I couldn’t believe how soft my hair felt. Also, I couldn't stop smelling it. Why is this stuff so good!? Like seriously did they use unicorn juice to make it so wonderful? [Also what is unicorn juice, you ask? I have no idea, but it felt right.]
4. Hoopla! It’s a freeee app that links to your library card. You can listen to or read any book available in your library. For free! 
5. Rising Strong by Brené Brown. I’ve only read about a third but am loving it. I have a feeling it will be one I read over and over because there is so much to learn.

Happy Friday friendy fries!