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		<title>Faux Boxwood Easter Cross</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/faux-boxwood-easter-cross</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/faux-boxwood-easter-cross#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:52:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatoakcircle.com/?p=21749</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Hey! Long time no crafts! I have something so cute and fun to share, so here we go! I didn&#8217;t originally plan to share this, so I didn&#8217;t take great step-by-step photos, but I think we can sort it out together. Here&#8217;s a shopping list of everything I purchased. It&#8217;s all from Amazon except one custom thing from Etsy. AMAZON LIST WHITE ACRYLIC DOVES  I got the 6&#8243; white dove [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/faux-boxwood-easter-cross">Faux Boxwood Easter Cross</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-scaled.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21758" style="width:538px;height:auto" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-225x300.jpg 225w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-150x200.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-600x800.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1207-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Hey! Long time no crafts! I have something so cute and fun to share, so here we go!</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I didn&#8217;t originally plan to share this, so I didn&#8217;t take great step-by-step photos, but I think we can sort it out together.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Here&#8217;s a shopping list of everything I purchased. It&#8217;s all from Amazon except one custom thing from Etsy.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://amzn.to/4jq08oI">AMAZON LIST</a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21753" style="width:532px;height:auto" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-225x300.jpg 225w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-150x200.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-600x800.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1205-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1075987197/acrylic-dove-shape-acrylic-flying-bird" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WHITE ACRYLIC DOVES</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"> I got the 6&#8243; white dove with no hole. You should order this right now, as it ships internationally.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1195-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1195-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21757" style="width:536px;height:auto" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1195-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1195-225x300.jpg 225w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1195-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Use chicken wire to make the cross sturdy and give more room to add greenery. I cut a piece of chicken wire as long as the cross, then rolled it long ways and maneuvered it into the frame. I tucked in the ends if it was a bit too long. I did not secure it, but you could!</li>



<li>Push in the bundles of greenery. I went top down and then bottom up and then both sides. You have some freedom here to make it fuller or whatever. Then fluff it around and make sure the placement is right.</li>



<li>Use wire or zip ties (they come in the kit with the chicken wire so don&#8217;t order more!) to secure things in place.</li>



<li>Use one piece of white to fashion a hook and look to the top to hang your piece</li>



<li>Use glue to adhere the bird to the wreath. I saw a fresh version of this cross on TikTok somewhere (it was so so pretty), and they did the bird to the side, which I loved, so I did it too.</li>



<li>You could glue a piece of wire to the back of the bird then stick it in, you&#8217;ve got options here!</li>



<li>I have a glass window so used the suction cups. Command strips would also work, it&#8217;s light weight!</li>
</ol>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21755" style="width:546px;height:auto" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-225x300.jpg 225w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-150x200.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-600x800.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1196-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21756" style="width:544px;height:auto" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-225x300.jpg 225w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-150x200.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-600x800.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1204-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21754" style="width:541px;height:auto" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-225x300.jpg 225w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-150x200.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-600x800.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1201-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">You could make this larger, you could hang it inside, you could make 2 if you have multiple front doors. It really turned out great! Happy Easter!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/faux-boxwood-easter-cross">Faux Boxwood Easter Cross</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<item>
		<title>Setting your mind on it.</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/setting-your-mind-on-it</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/setting-your-mind-on-it#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Sep 2019 16:09:13 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatoakcircle.com/?p=15705</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve been really really focused on a goal. It&#8217;s more personal than business, and what it is doesn&#8217;t really matter, but let&#8217;s just say, I have had on BLINDERS for this goal. It&#8217;s a 60 day sprint. I listen to podcasts, I check in daily with friends. I&#8217;m telling those in my circle what I&#8217;m trying to do, my desk is covered in a chart with daily scribbles of progress. [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/setting-your-mind-on-it">Setting your mind on it.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve been really really focused on a goal. It&#8217;s more personal than business, and what it is doesn&#8217;t really matter, but let&#8217;s just say, I have had on BLINDERS for this goal. It&#8217;s a 60 day sprint.</p>
<p>I listen to podcasts, I check in daily with friends. I&#8217;m telling those in my circle what I&#8217;m trying to do, my desk is covered in a chart with daily scribbles of progress.</p>
<h4>THIS GOAL IS HAPPENING. In my mind it is happening.</h4>
<p>This goal is what the experts call SMART. It&#8217;s achievable. I&#8217;m not trying to become a Radio City Rockette. Although this was a longtime dream of mine!</p>
<hr />
<p>Each and every day in August I looked for this goal. I started out the day expectant with how God would show up in my day with a tiny or large piece of progress.</p>
<p>He did. It came.</p>
<p>Then the calendar changed to September.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m so tired of plotting and planning and 100% focus. You just can&#8217;t do that forever.</p>
<p>So it&#8217;s September 5 here today and I&#8217;m feeling less than stellar and I&#8217;m sort of complaining and have a little piece of &#8220;this is impossible&#8221; stuck to my shoulder.</p>
<p>I haven&#8217;t charted anything this month.</p>
<p>I haven&#8217;t been expectant each morning.</p>
<p>So I stopped.</p>
<p>I thought.</p>
<h6>I prayed.</h6>
<p>I realized that the goal progress is happening.</p>
<p>God is still showing up.</p>
<p>But the things I saw as divine opportunities for advancement last month feel like mosquitos to me this month (annoying + pointless).</p>
<hr />
<p>A perspective shift later, I am back in the game.</p>
<p>1 more month.</p>
<p>New opportunities each day, they are there.</p>
<p>DON&#8217;T MISS IT! Gosh, Christine, DO NOT MISS IT.</p>
<hr />
<p>So whatever might be on your plate today, whatever you are currently seeing as annoying, I wonder if it could actually be an opportunity that you have longed for. Prayed for. Hoped for. SO OFTEN YOUR KNEES ARE BLEEDING.</p>
<p>It might be dressed up as a little something different&#8230;and it might offer more than you ever imagined possible.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/setting-your-mind-on-it">Setting your mind on it.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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		<title>5 Delicious Autumn Fruits and Veggies and How to Prepare!</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/fall-fruits-vegetables</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/fall-fruits-vegetables#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Sep 2018 17:03:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[guest posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recipes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatoakcircle.com/?p=13524</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>You’ve heard the phrase “eat with the seasons,” but why is that important? Seasonal foods have higher nutrient content . From the moment they are harvested, foods start declining in nutrients. Considering a nonseasonal food could spend up to 5 days of transit, before sitting in a grocery store for 13 days, and then another week (or more) in your refrigerator before eating, that can add up to a big [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/fall-fruits-vegetables">5 Delicious Autumn Fruits and Veggies and How to Prepare!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4>You’ve heard the phrase “eat with the seasons,” but why is that important?</h4>
<ul>
<li>Seasonal foods have higher nutrient content . From the moment they are harvested,<br />
foods start declining in nutrients. Considering a nonseasonal<br />
food could spend up to 5 days of transit, before sitting in a grocery store for 13<br />
days, and then another week (or more) in your refrigerator before eating, that can add up to a big decline. Depending on the food, it can lose anywhere from 15-75% of its nutritional value!<br />
<strong>Pro tip:</strong> shop at a farmer’s market to decrease time between harvest and when the food lands on your dinner plate!</li>
<li>Seasonal foods are typically less expensive . Buying local, seasonal foods cuts down<br />
on the costs associated with travel time, unnatural ripening methods and extra<br />
processing/packaging</li>
<li>Eating seasonally is better for the environment. Allowing the soil to grow foods when<br />
they are in season requires less pesticides and fertilizers, which means less chemicals in<br />
our soil (and ultimately our food). And as mentioned above, foods that aren’t in season<br />
have to travel further to get to us, which increases the carbon footprint on our planet.</li>
<li>Best of all, seasonal foods taste better! Try it for yourself, next time you are at a<br />
farmer’s market, buy something fresh that’s in season. Then find the same food in a<br />
grocery store that came from further away. The grocery store version might be bigger,<br />
but it probably won’t taste as fresh (or have as many nutrients!)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Here are a few of my favorite seasonal autumn fruits and veggies, along with a few tips on how </strong><strong>to prepare them and how their nutrients support our health!</strong></p>
<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13536" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jase-ess-600474-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jase-ess-600474-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jase-ess-600474-unsplash-600x400.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jase-ess-600474-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jase-ess-600474-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jase-ess-600474-unsplash-150x100.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/jase-ess-600474-unsplash-800x533.jpg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />1) Winter squash</h4>
<p>Squash is native to Central America and has been consumed for over 10,000 years! And did<br />
you know that squash is technically a fruit? Winter squash comes in many tasty varieties<br />
including acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, and my personal favorite,<br />
delicata squash.</p>
<p><strong>Health benefits:</strong></p>
<p>winter squash, especially the darker fleshed varieties, are an excellent<br />
source of carotenes, which can be protective against cancer, heart disease and<br />
diabetes. And don’t forget the pumpkin seeds! They are rich in vitamins, minerals and<br />
fiber, especially magnesium.</p>
<p><strong>Ways to prepare:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>as an alternative to the infamous pumpkin spice latte, you can make a pumpkin<br />
pie smoothie instead! Include pumpkin (freshly roasted or the canned version),<br />
coconut or almond milk, banana, pumpkin pie spice and ice cubes</li>
<li>for an easy butternut squash soup, combine roasted butternut squash, chopped<br />
apples, coconut milk and cinnamon (can put in a blender after it’s done to get a<br />
smoother consistency)</li>
<li>roasted squash can make an excellent addition to soups and salads</li>
<li>with some varieties like delicata and acorn, you can eat the skin (which is great if<br />
you want to save time and skip the peeling step)</li>
</ul>
<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13529" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/keenan-loo-27635-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/keenan-loo-27635-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/keenan-loo-27635-unsplash-600x400.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/keenan-loo-27635-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/keenan-loo-27635-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/keenan-loo-27635-unsplash-150x100.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/keenan-loo-27635-unsplash-800x533.jpg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />2) Brussels Sprouts</h4>
<p>As the name suggests, Brussels sprouts were first discovered in Brussels, Belgium in the 1500s<br />
and were brought to North American in the 1800s. They are a member of the cruciferous family,<br />
along with cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and many varieties of leafy greens.</p>
<p><strong>Health benefits: </strong></p>
<p>cruciferous veggies like Brussels sprouts are one of the top anticancer<br />
foods out there. Their detoxification capacity cannot be understated, and studies have<br />
shown that they can help reduce DNA damage! They are also a great source of fiber, B<br />
vitamins, folic acid, and vitamins C and K.</p>
<p><strong>Ways to prepare:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>try grating Brussels sprouts to use in salads instead of lettuce or kale</li>
<li>roast them in the oven with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper</li>
<li>if you are into fermenting foods, you can use shredded Brussels sprouts instead<br />
of cabbage in your sauerkraut!</li>
</ul>
<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13526" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/parsnips-2810706_1920.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/parsnips-2810706_1920.jpg 1000w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/parsnips-2810706_1920-600x400.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/parsnips-2810706_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/parsnips-2810706_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/parsnips-2810706_1920-150x100.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/parsnips-2810706_1920-800x533.jpg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />3) Parsnips</h4>
<p>Parsnips are root vegetables that are sometimes overlooked given the popularity of carrots,<br />
potatoes, etc. They originated in the Mediterranean area and are now grown mostly in Europe<br />
and the U.S.</p>
<p><strong>Health benefits: </strong></p>
<p>Parsnips are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, folic acid,<br />
and several trace minerals. Their fiber and folic acid is much higher than potatoes,<br />
making it a great alternative. Fiber is especially important for keeping our gut bacteria<br />
healthy.</p>
<p><strong>Ways to prepare:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>roast parsnips along with other root vegetables for a colorful, healthy side dish,<br />
try using fresh herbs and/or coconut oil for a different flavor</li>
<li>substitute parsnips in your favorite mashed potato recipe</li>
<li>make parsnip fries! Cut into strips, toss in olive oil, herbs and salt &amp; pepper and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes</li>
</ul>
<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13531" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pomegranate-74928_1920-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pomegranate-74928_1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pomegranate-74928_1920-600x400.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pomegranate-74928_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pomegranate-74928_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pomegranate-74928_1920-150x100.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pomegranate-74928_1920-800x533.jpg 800w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pomegranate-74928_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />4) Pomegranate</h4>
<p>Pomegranates are native to the area between Iran and North India, and are now cultivated<br />
around the world. In ancient Egypt, they were known as a symbol of prosperity and ambition.</p>
<p><strong>Health benefits: </strong></p>
<p>Pomegranate seeds contain powerful antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory effects, making them excellent for joint pain and arthritis. They also can lower cancer risk, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk for heart disease.</p>
<p><strong>Ways to prepare:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>use pomegranate seeds in salads, or add them to roasted vegetables (add after<br />
roasting)</li>
<li>pomegranate seeds can be a colorful addition to yogurt parfaits or chia seed<br />
pudding</li>
<li>try using the seeds in infused water (along with mint or other herbs) or use it in<br />
an autumn sangria</li>
</ul>
<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13533" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vegetable-3569736_1920-1024x611.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="417" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vegetable-3569736_1920-1024x611.jpg 1024w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vegetable-3569736_1920-600x358.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vegetable-3569736_1920-300x179.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vegetable-3569736_1920-768x458.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vegetable-3569736_1920-150x89.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vegetable-3569736_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />5) Jerusalem Artichokes (aka Sunchokes)</h4>
<p>The Jerusalem artichoke is neither from Jerusalem, nor an artichoke! It’s actually a variety of<br />
sunflower found in North America. It is a tuber that resembles a small knobby potato or ginger<br />
root. Jerusalem artichokes have a sweet, crunchy, nutty taste and can be enjoyed raw or<br />
cooked.</p>
<p><strong>Health benefits: </strong></p>
<p>The most notable thing about the Jerusalem artichoke is that it known<br />
as a “prebiotic”. This is due to the high amount of inulin it contains, which is used as<br />
food by the good bacteria in our gut! This has a direct impact on the health of our<br />
immune system and blood sugar regulation. Pretty cool!</p>
<p><strong>Ways to prepare:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Jerusalem artichokes can be prepared similar to potatoes, and are delicious<br />
roasted with fresh herbs and/or paired with meat dishes</li>
<li>use them raw as a substitute for water chestnuts</li>
<li>slice them thin and bake them as chips with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400<br />
degrees<br />
Keep a lookout for these in your local farmer’s market or health food store (for a list of what’s in season where you live, check out <a href="https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this seasonal food guide</a> ). Try something new, or<br />
prepare an old favorite in a new way. What a delicious way to get the most out of the upcoming<br />
season!</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p><i><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-13547 size-medium" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DSC08478-1-300x214.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="214" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DSC08478-1-300x214.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DSC08478-1-600x429.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DSC08478-1-768x549.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DSC08478-1-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DSC08478-1-150x107.jpg 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Summer, founder of Everyday Solstice, is a holistic nutritionist and yoga teacher in the Bay Area.  Through her struggles with emotional eating, body image and anxiety, she has found healing through nutrition and holistic lifestyle practices. She now uses her passion for food, nutrition, and yoga to help others improve their relationship with food and body.  She works with clients remotely via video/phone and offers in-person sessions in the Bay Area.  </i><i>Find out more at <a href="https://www.everydaysolstice.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.everydaysolstice.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536857317093000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHsDfb4BMz3hTzbsI3ELojlg-dT_g">https://www.everydaysolstice.<wbr />com/</a></i></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/fall-fruits-vegetables">5 Delicious Autumn Fruits and Veggies and How to Prepare!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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		<title>Professional Photoshoot Inspiration</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/professional-photoshoot-inspiration</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/professional-photoshoot-inspiration#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Sep 2018 17:30:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://greatoakcircle.com/?p=13519</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Hi there! Let&#8217;s chat about getting those KILLER website photos you see all over the Internet these days. How does your website stack up? Because here&#8217;s the reality, if you don&#8217;t have great website photography, you won&#8217;t be trusted as much as someone who does. Harsh right? But there&#8217;s a tiny tick in our brains that says, &#8220;WOW, this person has an amazing website with beautiful photos, so they must [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/professional-photoshoot-inspiration">Professional Photoshoot Inspiration</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi there! Let&#8217;s chat about getting those KILLER website photos you see all over the Internet these days. How does your website stack up? Because here&#8217;s the reality, if you don&#8217;t have great website photography, you won&#8217;t be trusted as much as someone who does. Harsh right? But there&#8217;s a tiny tick in our brains that says, &#8220;WOW, this person has an amazing website with beautiful photos, so they must be awesome at their job!&#8221; Now we know as professionals with zero time (and possibly zero dollars), that this is not true. We are great at our thing! We just need more time, more help, more money, more chocolate!</p>
<p>I created a really handy giveaway and sent it out to my list (you can still get it when you opt in, and you can also grab it <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/greatoakcircle-CameraReady.pdf">here</a>) that outlines the best tips I&#8217;ve got for nailing that photoshoot! Everything from how to choose a photographer, to what to wear, and what kind of photos are best for the current trends in web design.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-13399" src="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AY0I9088-sized-1024x500.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="500" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AY0I9088-sized-1024x500.jpg 1024w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AY0I9088-sized-600x293.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AY0I9088-sized-300x146.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AY0I9088-sized-768x375.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AY0I9088-sized-150x73.jpg 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve also just spent all the hours on Pinterest curating a few boards for you to help out. Because not only do you need to look your best and have a great office/outdoor/whatever space, but you need some ideas on how to sit, where models should stand, and what to do with your coffee mug! I mean come on, everyone has to have a coffee mug!</p>
<p>You can click the links below to hop over to Pinterest and get totally inspired!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/greatoakcircle/photoshoot-personal-brand-photo-shoot-ideas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Photoshoots for personal brands</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/greatoakcircle/professional-business-photoshoot-ideas-for-models/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Photoshoots with models</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/greatoakcircle/photoshoot-ideas-for-your-business-no-people/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Photoshoots without people, just props and locations</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/greatoakcircle/outdoor-client-photoshoot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Photoshoot ideas for outdoors</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/greatoakcircle/photoshoot-office-location-photo-shoot-ideas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Photoshoot ideas for offices</a></p>
<p>Until next time, get out there and be super productive today! I&#8217;m working on a course and some new blog posts, and prepping for a photoshoot I&#8217;ll have at the end of the month. I also have a style lunch on my cal for Thursday (epp!) and some special girl time with friends on Friday!</p>
<p>Chat soon!</p>
<p>Christine</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/professional-photoshoot-inspiration">Professional Photoshoot Inspiration</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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		<title>When nothing seems to work.</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/when-nothing-works</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/when-nothing-works#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:35:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatoakcircle.com/?p=13401</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s that time again. As we turn the calendar to a crisp, new year, I am both reflecting on the past and planning for things to come. You too? In every area of life, January brings the chance to try again, a fresh year with no mistakes in it (as Anne of Green Gables would say). We research the latest diet, day planner, budgeting app, and online course. We are [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/when-nothing-works">When nothing seems to work.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s that time again. As we turn the calendar to a crisp, new year, I am both reflecting on the past and planning for things to come. You too? In every area of life, January brings the chance to try again, a fresh year with no mistakes in it (as Anne of Green Gables would say).</p>
<p>We research the latest diet, day planner, budgeting app, and online course. We are going to spend less, exercise more, eat healthier, better prioritize and manage time. Our marriage, family and friendships will soar on wings of awesomeness. Our community involvement, giving and gratitude will reach new heights.</p>
<p>By February we&#8217;ve lost our zeal. By March, we are tired. We are eating all the things. We burned a hole in our credit card. We are over committed to everything. But I&#8217;ve been wondering&#8230; in all our planning, have we missed something important. Perhaps something that is the <em>most</em> important?</p>
<p>I&#8217;m wondering if instead of continually looking outward for the latest, best thing, we should look inward at our ability (or inability) to control ourselves.</p>
<p>Yikes. I know.</p>
<p>The amazing new diet only works if we can actually stop eating a dozen donuts for breakfast. Like actually control the food we put in our mouths. The budgeting app is only helpful if we do the math and then stay out of Target (I mean really). The workout only gets killer arms if we actually show up. The online class only grows our business if we do the assignments and trust the process.</p>
<p>What if that&#8217;s why some things don&#8217;t work? I don&#8217;t know about you, but it&#8217;s easier for me to blame it on the thing for not working. That diet was dumb. The class required too many assignments. The app wasn&#8217;t well designed. And on and on. (ps. If you&#8217;re in need of more excuses, email me. I&#8217;ve got them.)</p>
<p>But, what if <em>sometimes</em>, just sometimes, or maybe more than sometimes&#8230;it&#8217;s about our lack of self-restraint.</p>
<p>I read a study once that we have a certain amount of self-control each day. That it can actually be used up. I&#8217;m not sure if that&#8217;s a thing, but it sure feels true. Wonder if that&#8217;s why we can&#8217;t actually accomplish 32 new self-control goals each year.</p>
<p>What would happen if this new year we decided to focus on just a handful of things. And instead of searching the world for the solution, we searched ourselves. And I wonder if we learned self-control in one area, and then two&#8230;would it gradually become a discipline in our life?</p>
<p>So let&#8217;s raise a coffee mug to planning with purpose for the new year. To finding good accountability for our self-control goals. To not being burnt out and maxed out by March. I&#8217;m right here with you. Let&#8217;s do this.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/when-nothing-works">When nothing seems to work.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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		<title>My work and my worth</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/my-work-and-my-worth</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/my-work-and-my-worth#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Sep 2017 18:51:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatoakcircle.com/?p=13354</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s funny how much an email can change your day. Recently I didn&#8217;t successfully nab a job I really thought we would, and it instantly deflated me. For a few reasons, really. Yes, I wanted the job and the income it would bring my team, but also, I get invested in every phone call and estimate. I know I can change the course of someone&#8217;s business with better marketing through [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/my-work-and-my-worth">My work and my worth</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s funny how much an email can change your day. Recently I didn&#8217;t successfully nab a job I really thought we would, and it instantly deflated me. For a few reasons, really. Yes, I wanted the job and the income it would bring my team, but also, I get invested in every phone call and estimate. I know I can change the course of someone&#8217;s business with better marketing through web design. And when they say no, it&#8217;s hard.</p>
<p>And then I reach for a speciality frappe to revive the day and my spirits. Because honestly, what I sometimes do&#8230; I make the rejection about me and my skill set. It could be about their budget, their timing, their red wagon of stuff, or yes, it could be that they didn&#8217;t connect with me and what I bring to the table.</p>
<p>For the entrepreneur or creative, work and worth are often intertwined.  It&#8217;s very personal. So it&#8217;s easy to go to a deep dark place and devalue everything you&#8217;ve EVER DONE IN YOUR WHOLE LIFE.</p>
<h5>Don&#8217;t let the value others place on our work be equal to the value you place on yourself.</h5>
<h5>Some other human not liking what you create does not make you trash.</h5>
<h5>And some other human not wanting to pay what you know you&#8217;re worth does not make you trash.</h5>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Work hard, get better, produce crazy amazing work, and charge what you know you&#8217;re worth.</p>
<p>And I&#8217;m willing to bet that kind of presence and confidence will create just the obsession for your brand that you never saw coming.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/my-work-and-my-worth">My work and my worth</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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		<title>How do I manage email and actually get work done?</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/manage-email-actually-get-work-done</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/manage-email-actually-get-work-done#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2017 12:12:43 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatoakcircle.com/?p=13237</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The receiving, handling and answering of email has become a necessary skill in today&#8217;s market place. Most adults have at least two email addresses and around the clock dings from colleagues, clients and a multitude of businesses vying for your hard earned dollars and promising the best new widget, process, class, running shoes&#8230;or whatever. My team has spent 2 years on various email management tactics, knowing that this is a [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/manage-email-actually-get-work-done">How do I manage email and actually get work done?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The receiving, handling and answering of email has become a necessary skill in today&#8217;s market place. Most adults have at least two email addresses and around the clock dings from colleagues, clients and a multitude of businesses vying for your hard earned dollars and promising the best new widget, process, class, running shoes&#8230;or whatever.</p>
<p>My team has spent 2 years on various email management tactics, knowing that this is a quick place of overwhelm for everyone. Including us! I used to spend HOURS answering emails, troubleshooting small problems that I didn&#8217;t get compensated for, and never crossing any actual work off my to-do list.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s our tried and true tips for email management:</p>
<h4>Try out Trello and Voxer.</h4>
<p><a href="http://trello.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trello</a> is a nifty project management software. You can create project boards and add cards with due dates. It makes getting work done a breeze! It might be better than ice cream. We use this with our team, which is ah-mazing, but even if you work alone, I promise you&#8217;ll get way more done with a list. Plus you can download the app and keep up with everything all the time everywhere. Take emails out of your inbox quickly by assigning tasks with due dates. Then file the email in the client email folder (or just archive it), knowing Trello is going to help you stay on track and get the job done.</p>
<p>Another fun tool for us is <a href="https://voxer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Voxer</a>. It&#8217;s a walkie-talkie communication phone app perfect for teams, and friends! Now when something needs to be explained, we don&#8217;t have to compose an inbox clogging email, we can just Voxer it over. If it relates to a task, then the task is posted in Trello. NO EMAILS. Yay!</p>
<h4>Do work that makes money and moves your business forward.</h4>
<p>I can say with 100% certainty that I could spend my entire work day, everyday, answering emails. If I do that, I design nothing. No projects get moved forward, because I&#8217;m spinning my wheels on small (even if meaningful) stuff. All that &#8220;stuff&#8221; will be in your inbox tomorrow morning too, and the next one. Decide how much time you can reasonably commit to these small fires, requests and newsletters, and stick to it. Maybe it&#8217;s an hour a day and you tackle 4 small things. Then you move on to your genius work and do 4 more small things tomorrow.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve heard lots of business coaches recommend making a list of the top 3 profitable things each day, and get those 3 things done first. Otherwise the money stops, and I don&#8217;t think any of us want that. Plus, it&#8217;s good service to my clients to stay in business, so I can help them in the future. I need to continue to design in order to make money and stay in business. So this must always come first.</p>
<h4>Get an assistant (virtual or local).</h4>
<p>I have a right hand, and she has the keys to my life. And it&#8217;s so wonderful. She manages projects and weeds through and helps control my inbox, assigning tasks in Trello as needed, doing small pieces of work, or answering clients herself as she can. This takes a GIANT sized bag of M&amp;Ms portion of work off my plate. Now I know the things that are in my inbox are actionable items I need to deal with. I spend my free time writing (this post!) or chatting with new clients, or working with existing designs.</p>
<p>Most likely, as the business owner, your best work is not email management. Your best work is whatever your business serves up to clients. SO DO THAT WORK.</p>
<h4>Respond only at certain times of day.</h4>
<p>There are emails I simply must answer myself. I typically run through my inbox at home, on my computer, about 3 times a day. I set aside about 15 minutes to do this, and about 15 minutes to accomplish any task coming out of that list. Any other email checking is only triage, handling things that can&#8217;t wait, or passing quick responses back to clients that I need more info on.</p>
<h4>Think ahead.</h4>
<p>When anyone on my team sends an email, we try to think 3 steps forward. Will this need more explanation? Then we&#8217;ve probably created a pdf and let&#8217;s go ahead and attach it (more on this in a future post). Will this need a phone call? Link is included to my calendly scheduler. This eliminates a TON of back and forth, which no one has time for&#8230;like at all.</p>
<h4>Create good subject lines.</h4>
<p>When you send an email, the subject can not be &#8220;hey!&#8221; The subject should be the topic of the email, so it&#8217;s easily searchable in the future. We also send a lot of training videos that clients want to re-watch, so we type those subject lines in ALL CAPS, so they stand out in inboxes and searches.</p>
<h4>Discuss email communication when outlining your work process.</h4>
<p>Our contract terms indicate that we function during regular business hours. Clients know that they should text me for 911 (which is typically only a down site issue), but any emailing that happens late and night or over the weekend, is a bonus for them, not the norm. We often work at night and over the weekend during a nitty gritty site launch, and customers appreciate the extra love during this stressful time, but they know it&#8217;s not standard protocol.</p>
<p>How do you start this? You just start it. This teaches people your process and work hours.<br />
Treat people how you respond. This can take some time, but it&#8217;s worth it! You have to take your life back, and this is the first step.</p>
<h4>Unsubscribe to random stuff.</h4>
<p>I think those daily roll-up subscription services are a delightful idea, but I&#8217;m still overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they have &#8220;rolled-up&#8221; into one email! It&#8217;s like every single topping at Subway, and I can&#8217;t possibly consume this sandwich. The answer here is less.</p>
<p>Newsletters from 45 life and business coaches? Nope. Clothing stores that have a new style or sale every 15 minutes? Nope.</p>
<p>Be critical about what gets your attention. It can&#8217;t be everything. It. Can. Not. Just like there can&#8217;t be 20 priorities. Give up every single thing you can (even if it&#8217;s me, I hope it&#8217;s not me!) and move everything into a folder that you spend 30 minutes on each Tuesday morning.</p>
<hr />
<p>So now you can stop looking at your phone every 1.2 seconds (I know, me too sometimes), checking email and getting overwhelmed. And start focusing on driving your business forward.</p>
<p>To your success,</p>
<p>Christine</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13322" src="http://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/email.jpg" alt="" width="697" height="647" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/email.jpg 697w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/email-600x557.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/email-300x278.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/email-150x139.jpg 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 697px) 100vw, 697px" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/manage-email-actually-get-work-done">How do I manage email and actually get work done?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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		<title>How do I keep email and social client contact organized and unoverwhelming?</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/email-social-client-contact</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/email-social-client-contact#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2017 17:24:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatoakcircle.com/?p=13223</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Managing communication and client expectation is a big grumbly grizzly bear for the average entrepreneur. As  you check Facebook to view client comments on your latest killer photo, your messenger pops up with an order request.  Your Instagram inbox bulges with questions about your latest story, you just received a sample request via email, and now someone is texting you with an order. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. The internet doesn&#8217;t sleep, and the [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/email-social-client-contact">How do I keep email and social client contact organized and unoverwhelming?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Managing communication and client expectation is a big grumbly grizzly bear for the average entrepreneur. As  you check Facebook to view client comments on your latest killer photo, your messenger pops up with an order request.  Your Instagram inbox bulges with questions about your latest story, you just received a sample request via email, and now someone is texting you with an order. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. The internet doesn&#8217;t sleep, and the simple math of &#8220;ways to communicate + hours of time available for communication&#8221; can flat overwhelm.</p>
<p>But what are you supposed to give up? Your business actually grows and thrives on all of these types of communication.</p>
<p>[bctt tweet=&#8221;Your business actually grows and thrives on all of these types of communication&#8221; via=&#8221;no&#8221;]</p>
<p>A few quick disciplines can totally solve this headache and have you living your day, instead of it living you.</p>
<ol>
<li>
<h4>Respond to all sales requests by email.</h4>
<p>If someone facebook messages you about your coaching services or custom bracelets, respond back kindly, &#8220;I do my best work by email, it&#8217;s so hard to keep track and offer great service here on social media.  I&#8217;m excited to chat soon, where can I contact you by email? Or please email me and give your email address.&#8221;</p>
<p>This response can be a little tricky, as you don&#8217;t want the client to jump through hoops to work with you, but in my experience, when I have mentioned that the communication will be faster and more efficient, they jump on board. Follow this procedure on every single outlet EXCEPT email&#8230;obviously.</p>
<p>I even do this for clients when they phone me without a scheduled call. I say, &#8220;I&#8217;m happy to talk to you by phone, I know sometimes it&#8217;s easier to convey ideas, but I&#8217;m away from my office, and unable to take notes, so if you wouldn&#8217;t mind shooting me a quick email about our chat, I&#8217;ll make sure to answer all your edits on the website build.&#8221;</li>
<li>
<h4>Set aside times that you read and respond to all your messages, everywhere.</h4>
<p>This is especially true for social media, and returning texts and phone calls. The exact hour or how many times a day will vary by need, but set something up like 10am and 4pm each day. THE END. If someone messages you after 7pm, you respond the next day at 10am. If someone texts you at 2pm in the middle of your amazing creative time, you don&#8217;t respond until 4pm.This is helpful for a few reasons.</p>
<p>It does actually make your work easier. You check and respond to each message from your desk, instead of at a red light. If you need to jot notes down, email someone on your team or do research before answering, you can do it all without interruption! Another bonus I&#8217;ve found is that I more efficiently move through work and I answer with more authority and information. It&#8217;s drastically cut down on email back and forth.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve almost totally abandoned answering email from my phone, only utilizing this to kick the can down the road quickly when I&#8217;m waiting on a client response, or if there&#8217;s an emergency. There is no need to answer emails from the car, dinner table, or toilet. Believe it or not, a prospective client will wait a few hours and your response will be so much more settled and efficient, it will probably land you more sales.</li>
<li>
<h4>Use a canned response whenever possible.</h4>
<p>Set aside time to create canned answers to most asked questions and most used processes. Open a fresh Word doc and write the response you give to each person in discipline number one (to get them into your inbox and off Instagram). Add in anything else you say often. I use the same response each time I send someone a training video, so I&#8217;ve added that response to my document. Now I just cut and paste, personalizing as needed.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve also created pdfs and documents to attach to emails as needed, further explaining a process that we used to explain repeatedly. Have someone wanting a custom order? Send them a form with all the details and explanation. Stop typing out a fresh response to each and every email about the same things. This is true insanity.</li>
<li>
<h4>Shorten the back and forth.</h4>
<p>When I respond to a client, I anticipate what they will ask next and advance answer it. If I know what I&#8217;m explaining won&#8217;t be easily understood by email, I go ahead and initiate a phone call, WITH times I&#8217;m available the next day. I&#8217;ve just gotten rid of at least 6 emails&#8230; can you explain this by phone&#8230;when are you free&#8230;what day works for you&#8230;no not that day&#8230;what about after lunch this day? Sometimes I just link to my Calendly appointment calendar, and let them choose. DONE.</li>
</ol>
<h3>A customer expects that you are the leader.</h3>
<p>If you don&#8217;t act like the leader, then they become the leader&#8230;and you become a crazy person.  Explain the way you do business, lay out the process, send the form, act professional, like you have yourself together! This doesn&#8217;t make the client feel put out, it makes them feel cared for and secure in your abilities to handle their money.</p>
<p>**Thanks to my awesome clients who have been sending in questions for me to answer in each blog post. Have one yourself? Send it in! christine@greatoakcircle.com</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13229" src="http://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/april2017-goc-1024x692.jpg" alt="" width="561" height="379" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/april2017-goc-1024x692.jpg 1024w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/april2017-goc-600x405.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/april2017-goc-300x203.jpg 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/april2017-goc-768x519.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/april2017-goc-150x101.jpg 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/april2017-goc.jpg 1646w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 561px) 100vw, 561px" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/email-social-client-contact">How do I keep email and social client contact organized and unoverwhelming?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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		<title>The gym girls, and how they change my workout.</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/life-and-business-relationship</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/life-and-business-relationship#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2016 16:04:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatoakcircle.com/?p=12940</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Working out has made me stronger. Mentally. Physically (Do you have your tickets to the *gun* show??). In more ways then I can even articulate right now, lifting weights has changed my life.  So here&#8217;s what&#8217;s been occupying my thoughts while I do 1 billion burpees. Who I workout with matters. There are certain girls that just make me better. It&#8217;s about more than just chillin&#8217; with the #stronggirls and gettin&#8217; all beefy [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/life-and-business-relationship">The gym girls, and how they change my workout.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Working out has made me stronger. Mentally. Physically (Do you have your tickets to the <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/mf/72694417/welcome-to-the-gun-show_tank-top?utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_source=pla-google&amp;utm_campaign=653472915-d-c&amp;utm_content=36671560247-adid-96354636970&amp;utm_term=pla-255371346160-pid-722527585&amp;productId=722527585">*gun* show??</a>). In more ways then I can even articulate right now, lifting weights has changed my life.  So here&#8217;s what&#8217;s been occupying my thoughts while I do 1 billion <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZQA08SlJnM">burpees</a>.</p>
<h2>Who I workout with matters.</h2>
<p>There are certain girls that just make me better. It&#8217;s about more than just chillin&#8217; with the #stronggirls and gettin&#8217; all beefy (authors note: I am not beefy&#8230;).  There are certain girls that see the best in me, encourage me&#8230;yell at me as needed! When I&#8217;m with these girls I work harder. When I watch these girls, I work smarter, because I learn from how they move through a workout.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12950" src="http://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/workout1-1024x683.png" alt="workout1" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/workout1-1024x683.png 1024w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/workout1-600x400.png 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/workout1-300x200.png 300w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/workout1-768x512.png 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/workout1-150x100.png 150w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/workout1-800x533.png 800w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/workout1.png 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></p>
<h4>Strong girls truth bomb:</h4>
<ol>
<li>
<h5>They commit.  They show up and do work.</h5>
</li>
<li>
<h5>They encourage&#8230;and sometimes yell. Because they know how much I have left in me.</h5>
</li>
<li>
<h5>They notice. They see and congratulate my improvement.</h5>
</li>
<li>
<h5>They improve. They are still on track to get better themselves. They receive coaching well.</h5>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Not just pointing out the wobbly way to the finish line, but lifting up elbows and huffing it alongside. When they&#8217;ve finished the workout before you, they come back to run and clap alongside your final 3 laps to the finish.</p>
<p>Having this type of friend and the gym has made all the difference.</p>
<p>Having this type of friend in business is critical. Someone who lends a hand, leveraging their skills and connections? Who notices you, congratulates you, commits to you and to the continued betterment of themselves? Someone who has either walked the road already, or is in the trenches with you, trying to muck out the same business problems you are?!?!  Sign me up!</p>
<h4>A word about mentorship.</h4>
<p>People are so busy. And even if they&#8217;re not busy, they feel unworthy for the term &#8220;mentor.&#8221; There are a TON of ways to have mentors, and they don&#8217;t all involve personal 2-way communication. You can get extra fitness coaching online in the way of an amazing nutritionist&#8217;s podcast, or a crossfit coach&#8217;s YouTube channel. In business, there is a whole hoard of info about everything from social media to Quick Books on the internet. Taking great online classes, going to events, and reading can all get you mentored up by the best! Then you can rely on those around you, whether ahead or beside, to fill in all the blanks. Making it not such a one-person job! Now doesn&#8217;t that sounds delightful?!?</p>
<h4>Bring on the community!</h4>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-12949" src="http://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_3574-1.jpg" alt="IMG_3574" width="422" height="453" srcset="https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_3574-1.jpg 900w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_3574-1-600x644.jpg 600w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_3574-1-280x300.jpg 280w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_3574-1-768x824.jpg 768w, https://greatoakcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_3574-1-150x161.jpg 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 422px) 100vw, 422px" /><br />
So here&#8217;s your goal for the day. Think about who is mentoring you in business (or heck, anywhere for that matter) and who you are mentoring (because duh, this is also important). Be intentional about these relationships. If you don&#8217;t have them, start to cultivate them! AND start being a cheerleader! It&#8217;s so easy to notice and encourage others. And good gravy, it makes everyone&#8217;s day!</p>
<p>Onward and Upward friends.</p>
<p>(photo curtesy of Iron Tribe)</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/life-and-business-relationship">The gym girls, and how they change my workout.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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		<title>i created instead of consumed. and here&#8217;s what happened.</title>
		<link>https://greatoakcircle.com/i-created</link>
					<comments>https://greatoakcircle.com/i-created#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christine]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2016 02:17:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://greatoakcircle.com/?p=12901</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Remember all those times you opened facebook, gearing up to land a few leads, comment and like posts from your business account, and schedule a few mind-blowing updates? Wait, there&#8217;s a food truck round-up next week? {check&#8230;going} Oh look, Suz had her baby. THOSE DIMPLES. stop. {heart eye emoji} Another funny cat video? {watching that now!} And then it&#8217;s been like 43 minutes and you&#8217;ve done zilch in the way of [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/i-created">i created instead of consumed. and here&#8217;s what happened.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Remember all those times you opened facebook, gearing up to land a few leads, comment and like posts from your business account, and schedule a few mind-blowing updates?</p>
<p>Wait, there&#8217;s a food truck round-up next week? {check&#8230;going}</p>
<p>Oh look, Suz had her baby. THOSE DIMPLES. stop. {heart eye emoji}</p>
<p>Another funny cat video? {watching that now!}</p>
<p>And then it&#8217;s been like 43 minutes and you&#8217;ve done zilch in the way of actual work. So you slop up a few barely interesting content links to your biz page and shut the computer, determined to do the *actual* money-making work for a bit.</p>
<h2>I&#8217;m a freak content consumer. I bet you are too.</h2>
<p>There&#8217;s just so much to read and learn and watch and love. I feel a bit like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqL7jyrXhLs" target="_blank">cookie monster</a>, just trying to shove in all the cookies while they fall out all over the floor.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t think we are the only ones out there drowning in content consumption.</p>
<h4>Did you know that something like 80% of the pins on pinterest are re-pins? So only 20% are fresh new content?</h4>
<p>WHAT?!?!?</p>
<p>This has to stop! You and me? We are better than this!</p>
<p>I decided to give myself a little challenge:</p>
<p>Spend 30 minutes a day creating in place of consuming. Whether instagram photos, blog posts, status updates, or my yummy new online class; I would create for my business for 30 minutes each day.</p>
<p>MIND BLOWN. Not only did I get a crap-ton of content done, I gleaned a few unexpected things about myself.</p>
<h5>When I consume content 100% of the time, I have a hard time finding my own voice.</h5>
<p>It&#8217;s like the tiny ballerina who never makes eyes at the crowd because she&#8217;s peering over her shoulder to get the movements right. She&#8217;s lost. I&#8217;m lost.</p>
<h5>When I create content I zero in on my business goals + dreams.</h5>
<p>I&#8217;m discovering where I shine. Passionate topics and inspired posts that just roll off the fingers. I didn&#8217;t see this one coming at all.</p>
<h5>When I create content, I gain momentum and self esteem.</h5>
<p>There&#8217;s a glimmer of &#8220;practice makes perfect&#8221; fairy dust at work here. Producing consistently brings helpful feedback and increased self-esteem. I even dipped my toe into a few new treats, like Instagram stories&#8230;and {gasp} actually sort of enjoyed creating them!</p>
<h5>When I create content, I boost my business reach.</h5>
<p>It also brings more consistent engagement, because that&#8217;s how social media works, Hun. More original content that keeps getting better, gets liked and shared more, and gets more clients more. more. more.</p>
<p>Crazy right?!?!</p>
<h2>In the end:</h2>
<p>This little breaky from my normal consumption blew me away. I think I&#8217;ll keep it!</p>
<h4>I sorta think you should too!</h4>
<p>Take 30 minutes of your life back! Create something new and watch yourself {and your business} burst into bloom!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com/i-created">i created instead of consumed. and here&#8217;s what happened.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://greatoakcircle.com">Great Oak Circle</a>.</p>
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