Download the MP3  or Subscribe with iTunes

“Career Change Survivor” and Career Change Consultant, Diana Antholis is one of my many super rad Twitter friends.  I (finally) get to chat to Diana about her awesome businesses Enter: Adulthood.

On this interview, Diana tells me about how she started her business, Enter: Adulthood, how she accomplished her Masters Degree in only 10 months (what?!), and about how she helps 20-somethings fresh out of college and people who are seeking a career change how to navigate their lives and find work they love.

About Diana Antholis

“I’m here to help you figure out your life.  Bold statement, huh?  By life, I specifically mean your career, how to change your career, how to deal with your boss, or how to mange work + life.  Name something you’re not happy with and I’ll provide you with solutions.”

Read more about Diana HERE.

Diana is SOOO awesome…

…that she is giving Love Your Work Lifers $10 off her ebook!  Werd.  Just go to Conquer Your Career and enter code “bettyjean” to get the ebook for just $15 instead of $25. Yeah!

(As always, I do not get any kick backs from sweet deals by awesome people I interview.  I am just passing on the goodness to you.  Yes, I DO love you THAT much.)

Links from our conversation:

• Everything about Diana Antholis
• Conquer Your Career Self Assessment (Freeeeeee! Weeeee!)
• Enter: Adulthood
• On Twitter: @DianaAntholis
• By Email: DianaAntholis (at) me (dot) com

Download the MP3  or Subscribe with iTunes

Jolene Brink is bold, daring, fearless… and shy!

(It’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for!)

Jolene Brink is an independent copywriter for fiery, big-personality entrepreneurs. She is living the life of her dreams, making a living doing things she loves, has the freedom to take extended trips with her fiancée, and is looking to go to New Zealand this weekend.  I mean… why not, right?

Is there something priviledged about Jolene and what she is doing?  Are her parents loaded?  Is she a trust fund baby?  Is she just freakishly gifted?

No – she is just awesome.  She takes the fact that her life is a CHOICE and she is asking the world for what she wants and then doing something about it.  What’s awesome is that everything she is doing is replicatable.  You can do this, too!

On this call, Jolene shares some stories about the places she’s been, how she organized a cross country bike ride, took off to India by herself to teach, and then came home to launch her own copy writing business (which is flourishing, by the way!).

Give it a listen, learn from her, be inspired, and then write your big (scary?) dream in the comments section.  To get more understanding about this call to action, give the short, sweet, and awesome podcast a listen!

More Awesome Background on Jolene Brink

I applied for a Fulbright to teach in Thailand my senior year of college, but wasn’t accepted. I found out about the opportunity to teach in India 3 days later. It was a volunteer position that didn’t pay but gave room & board. So going into the Trek, I knew I was going to leave for India almost immediately after the bike tour was over.

I’ve also been with my fiance for 4+ years, and I went to India to prove that I could travel alone … and give him time to adjust to his new job at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. We wanted our own adventures to be sure we were ready to stay together. I would have stayed overseas longer, but I missed him too much.

He’s finishing his second year at the ELC (which is why we’re living in Finland, MN … seriously, Googlemap it), which is why I’m living in the middle of nowhere … which also happens to be right next to Lake Superior.

John was a major supporter of everything I did that year, and continues to be, and is a huge reason why I was sucessful. He never questioned me or held me back … which is why getting married at 24 is just another part of the adventure.

Photos of Jolene Brink’s adventures + her life map from the call!

• At the Taj Mahal Oct 2009
• In the Trek Photo, I’m in the bottom row on the far righ
  
• Click to see Jolene’s life map!
  

Links for Jolene Brink:

• Twitter!!!!  @JoleneWrites
• Subscribe to her blog at JoleneWrites.com !!!
• Shoot her an email at JoleneWrites (at) gmail (dot) com

Download the MP3  or Subscribe with iTunes

Okay folks… this was one of the longer interviews but there was just so much goodness we couldn’t stop ourselves!

This is a MUST listen!  If you are working to make a living (or continue making a living) doing work you love, the first things to look at is how you spend your money to begin with!

What’s really awesome about this interview (besides Adam Piplica of MagicalPenny.com oooobviously!) is that Adam and I talk a great deal more about mindsets, adventure, super-fun parties with high achieving people, and – well – Adam actually SINGS for us!  (Word.)

So, download the mp3 & enjoy it on your drive today! (You can subscribe with iTunes or simply download the mp3 from this post and install it on your favorite music playing device!)

Now, guess what… I have a super fun surprise for you!

I just added a Live Chat feature to LoveYourWorkLife.com so that means, if I happen to be online, particularly during the day, you can hop on over to the site and talk to me LIVE!  If I’m online the chat window will pop up shortly after your page loads.  If I am not online, feel free to click the little “help” button on the right side of the screen and shoot me an email.  I’ll follow up with you shortly!

Why you should chat with Betty Jean LIVE:

Because I would LOOOOOVE to meet you!  That’s why!  Now…

Some links from the Interview

• MagicalPenny.com
• The 5 Reasons not to Invest in Single Shares
• My Crazy Night in Ireland
• LoveDrop.com
• ItStartsWithUs.com
• BudgetsAreSexy.com
• NevBlog.com
• ObliviousInvestor.com
• AscensionSingers.com

Download the MP3  or Subscribe with iTunes

In my attempts to write this blog post and share with you the awesome interview I just did with Bryan Allain, I am consistently distracted by hilarious videos like this one on his main blog site, BryanAllain.com.  All I’m really after is a photo but the videos and other inspirational or humorous content is worth the distraction!

Allow me to re-focus!

Without ever meeting me, Bryan Allain helped me find the mental strength to keep blogging when I first started Love Your Work Life with his article, I am an insecure blogger. It was such a fantastic article that I had to reach out to him and ask him what movtivates him to blog on BryanAllain.com and to create such an inspired and supportive community & course at BlogRocket.com.

Lucky for us, he said, “yes!”  And today, I had the privileged of getting a sneak peak at how and why Bryan Allain does what he does, and what’s inside the Blog Rocket Community & Blog Rocket Booster Course before they launch on May 10th and May 24th respectively!

So if you know Bryan and you are curious about what he’s about to unleash with his dream work, Blog Rocket, or if this is your first time learning about him – take a break, take a listen, a be inspired to take action!

Links from this Podcast:

• BlogRocket.com
• Blog Rocket Community
• Blog Rocket Booster Course
• BryanAllain.com
• I am an insecure blogger
• DreamYear.net

Photo of Bryan Allain with his family.

Download the MP3 [29 minutes]  or Subscribe with iTunes

Never has passion and profits tasted so sweet!

Friends, meet Adeline Rem of CHOCbite.com.

Serial entrepreneur, sales woman, and charasmatic connector finally took the leap and decided to follow her love and turn it into the chocolate business she had always dreamed of.

In this podcast, we discuss the “where?” and “why?” of CHOCbite.com and how Adeline was able to get her passion business covered by The Food Network, Good Morning America, and Gary Vaynerchuk.

While you are listening to this podcast, go to CHOCbite.com and check out her GORGEOUS product so you can fully understand our conversation.  While you are at it, why not create your own bar and give it a taste!  Then, tell me what you think.  I think her work is delicious!

About Adeline Rem & CHOCbite.com

Chief Chocolate Lover

What I do: I make it possible and easy for you to design your own chocolate bar. Then my team and I create it ensuring a perfectly delectable result! In my quest for the perfect morsel of chocolate, I began to realize that I wanted MY chocolate MY way! This obsession with the perfect treat led me to start CHOCbite.

I’m a stickler about details and am involved in every aspect of the business. It’s crucial that all of our ingredients be of a superior quality. I’m always on the lookout for something different and better.

A little more: I’m a born entrepreneur, having created several businesses beginning in my early 20’s — from a nightclub in Bath, England to a construction company in Los Angeles, and now fulfilling my dream — a custom chocolate company in Austin. I have a piece of chocolate each night before I go to sleep!

Photos by Benjy Feen

Download the MP3 [29 minutes]  or Subscribe with iTunes

It feels really good to introduce you to my dear friend, Lauren Fritsch.

Lauren has done a lot of stuff in her life when it comes to entrepreneurship.  I’m happy to say I’ve been in her life the past few years of her journey and we have always been there for each other to share advice, ideas, and sometimes even join forces.

For 99% of the podcasts I produce on Love Your Work Life, the moment we begin recording is usually the very first time I have ever spoken to the person.  It is rare for me to have rapport with the person and to know their history on a personal level.  Because I have personally been involved in Lauren’s life and know her journey first hand, I can attest that if you have a dream of breaking six figures with your Dream business or career, YOU CAN DO IT.  It is NOT impossible.  And I believe in you.

Please take the time to listen to this podcast with Lauren Fritsch and be ready to be newly inspired and learn how she went from zero to $100K in 6 months.

Love,

About Lauren Fritsch

Lauren Fritsch is a business coach who uses entrepreneurship to help her clients live their dreams. Her holistic approach creates empowered, grounded business owners whose businesses serve their lives and not the other way around. She lives, works, teaches yoga and plays in her loft in Richmond, VA.

Links by Lauren

• www.LaurenFritsch.com
• The networking guide Lauren recommends on the call.

Download the MP3 [29 minutes]  or Subscribe with iTunes

Lots of people secretly dream about becoming a baker of some kind.  It is a really common entrepreneurial ambition.  That’s why so many folks try it out.  That’s also one of the reasons competition is so steep and why so many people struggle when they embark on the entrepreneurial adventure.

On a recommendation from a friend, I found Katie Bycura, owner of Hill Country Cupcakes, when I was organizing the SXSW book launch party for Jenny Blake and her book Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want. Not only did her cupcakes fly off the trays, but people kept coming up and asking me who the cupcake sponsor was!  Those cupcakes were DELICIOUS!

But Katie isn’t just making good cupcakes: she is making good BUSINESS.  At the time of this recording, Katie had 90 weddings on the books!  That’s right, 9-0!  That’s a LOT of weddings.  And that doesn’t include the farmer’s markets and other parties her cupcake company does.

So what is Katie doing differently that is launching her to the top of her cupcake dream that other cupcakeries and hopeful bakers aren’t?  That’s exactly what we talk about on this podcast!  So listen up!

About Katie Bycura

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, our owner Katie Bycura graduated with honors from Westlake High School and then studied nursing at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. After a summer in New York City and while finishing school in DC, she discovered several great East Coast cupcakeries.

Upon returning to Austin and working as a pediatric registered nurse, Katie decided to pursue a long-time hobby that had always brought her happiness – baking – and cupcakes, of course, would be her specialty. Her background in health care, while unique in its own right, has encouraged her to create a greener cupcake, one families can feel better about eating together. She has also worked hard to develop special diet cupcake alternatives; everyone should be able to enjoy a cupcake!

Shella, Katie’s amazing mother, has always been her #1 fan. As business has picked up, Shella has stepped up to the plate and truly become an asset to Hill Country Cupcake. Also a Registered Nurse by trade, Shella is equally committed to the same philosophies Hill Country Cupcake was founded upon. An Austin resident since 1976, she knows and loves our community. She also knows how important it is to make life’s moments – and memories – so much sweeter.

Join Katie and Shella. Make life sweeter – one cupcake at a time.

To be successful at making your dreams happen, you have to do it yourself.  BUT… you don’t have to do it alone! STOP empire building all by your lonesome!

Have you ever been to a mastermind meet up?

Have you asked for and received incredible ideas and support from brilliant people who have been where you are and succeeded?  If you have attended a mastermind group with your peers and with people who are more skilled and/or experienced than yourself, then you know the game-changing momentum, excitement, and ideas that often come from it.  Now…

What if you could participate in a group that took the mastermind forum much deeper by giving you round the clock support in helping you actually execute and achieve the ideas and momentum you gained from your mastermind sessions?

Bring your computer, a glass of red wine, & your burning questions! Erika Lyremark and I will be digging into details about the 30-day virtual business coaching class The Morning Whip (the new start date of the first session is May 1!) with TWO parties in ONE night.

Party No. #1

• Momentum building Twitter Chat March 29th @6pm CST
• Use hashtag #morningwhip
• Erika Lyremark & Betty Jean Bell will be helping you create momentum in your business by asking questions and serving up answers and inspiration in this super fast Twitter Chat!

Then, it continues with… Party No. #2

• We’ll jump onto a free, live teleconference @7PM CST (also March 29th) for a more in-depth conversation.
• This call is like a speed mastermind session… on steroids! Get a taste of the extensive, luxurious support of The Morning Whip.

Call in number:  (218) 862-6789
Access Code: 100791

We want to meet you and show you what’s possible!

The Morning Whip is for entrepreneurial women who have a product or a service to sell and are looking for momentum and community + who are tired of building their empire alone + and know the stakes are huge.

RSVP Here if you want to!

• The All-Stars
• The Underdogs
• The Bold and Brazen and Bloody
• The Men and Woman with a BIG dream and a SMALL budget
• The people that want more and are finding a way to create something from nothing but a notion, a hope… an idea.

YOU, my friends, are NOT going un-noticed!  I see your sweat!  I see your determination!  I see your stamina day after day, month after month, and year after year of trying and failing and #WINNING and doing some more.

And I am here to tell you… YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Today, I share with you some confidence, sweat, hope, and MOMENTUM plucked carefully and lovingly from Twitter to show you that, although you may or may not be in today’s list… although I have or have not met you yet… I see you.  I FEEL you.  And I KNOW YOU.

Reach out to your friends in this KeepStream list of people “Gettin’ after it!”  Then…

Tonight, March 24th at 7pm, join me + Erika Lyremark on Twitter at #morningwhip …

…and let’s CELEBRATE our MOMENTUM, ambition, and collective DRIVE to make our Red Carpet Dreams REAL – this month!  Closing out an incredible March and BULL RUSHING into April!

And if you haven’t noticed, you can join the conversation RIGHT HERE in the Retweet@ Twitter Forum at the right of the screen on LoveYourWorkLife.com.  Be here!  Let’s make it happen in April!

Can’t wait to chat to you tonight!

Love,

me

Here’s what’s happening:

Check out the Love Your Work Life calendar to see what events I have RSVPed to and follow me on Twitter for updates.

My Calendar: SXSW Calendar

Follow Me: http://www.twitter.com/bettyjeanbell

If haven’t done it already, RSVP to Books, Brunch, & Mimosas with Jenny Blake, Josh Kaufman, Seth Godin’s Domino Project, and me!

RSVP Here: http://booksbrunchbeer.eventbrite.com

If you are not at SXSW…

I have something AWESOME for you, too!  On Thursday, March 24th at 7pm, join Erika Lyremark and myself for a super special treat for  folks who couldn’t make it to SXSW.  Be inspired, build momentum, and get ready to crack your whip on our very special  Daily Whip Twitter Chat and phone call.  Get the low down here: MorningWhip.com. (This series of special calls and parties are free – we’ll be posting details and info over the next 48-72 hours.  Be sure to bookmark and check back on The Morning Whip.  Yippee!)

No matter where you are, I want to connect with you this month! Get serious!  Get inspired!  And let’s create some serious action and strong relationships!

Can’t wait to meet you on the phone, on the web, and for some of you… in person!  Happy day!

It’s coming… SXSW 2011!  SO many parties and SO many sold out events!

This year I am participating in two events.  The first (already sold out) is The Art of Non-Conformity Party with Chris Guillebeau and Jenny Blake.  You can check out that invite here: http://aoncaustin.eventbrite.com/

The second is one I am fully organizing and it is NOT YET SOLD OUT!  So, snag your seat now before the tickets vanish!  http://booksbrunchbeer.eventbrite.com/

What am I most excited about at the Books, Brunch, & Mimosas Party?  Everything!  Here’s the scoop:

• Free Mimosas (until they run out) provided by @BettyJeanBell.  Also available for purchase:
  • Mimosas $1
  • Bottled domestics $2
  • Draft beers $3
  • several other happy hour drinks available.
• Breakfast Tacos (until they run out)
• Cupcake provided by Hill Country Cupcake (until they run out)
• Book signing by @Jenny_Blake of Life After College (pre-order here; a few copies will also be on site)
• Book signing by @JoshKaufman of PersonalMBA (pre-order here; a few copies may also be on site)
• Amber Rae and Michael Parrish DuDell of The Domino Project, Seth Godin’s new publishing venture, will be soliciting your stories on taking initiative. Check out SXSW Pokes for the latest.
• First release of The Morning Whip by Erika Lyremark (@DailyWhip) – represented by Betty Jean Bell

So, all of that is RAD but, equally rad is the realization I have had over the past couple weeks:

Where’s the party?

I’ve been throwing hugely successful events, promotional parties, and inspiring memorable buzz around products, brands, and bands that people have been talking about for years afterward.  I was throwing all these parties for SXSW and year round for FUN – because I am freakin’ great at it and love doing it.  Then it occurred to me: “Wait a second – people will pay me for this!”  The second I opened my mouth, the business began flooding in.  Word.

So, I am officially announcing Betty Jean Bell Productions.  Want to throw a fantastic party at SXSW?  Want to throw a last-minute party at SXSW?  Want to launch your book or product here in Austin?  Or have a smart, savvy, and maybe even sexy networking event?  No problem.  I can make it happen.  Just gimme a shout.

In the next couple weeks, I will be bringing you more info about party services that create an environment that will inspire a cult following for your brand (if you want it).  And it would be MY PLEASURE to work with you – I just love what I do!

Party with The Whip

I am also proud to announce that I have partnered with Erika Lyremark of The Daily Whip to bring you a super-mega-huge Smart, Savvy, and Whip Cracking new experience… but the details are a surprise.  Over the next several days, I will be working with Erika to unveil a luxurious new business experience like you have never seen or heard of – eva’!

Move in the direction of your dreams

I say it all the time – if you are dreaming of something, it is time to begin taking action.  A year ago, I never dreamed I would be doing what I am doing today and having such a blast doing it!  It’s okay if your dreams are “rough around the edges” as you begin but you need to stop planning everything and start taking some action.

Plans are very important but building relationships that will support you in realizing your dreams is one of the most important first actions you can possibly take.  You cannot realize your dreams alone.

So, what is your dream?  Instead of focusing on tasks and actions, stop for a moment and think about what relationships you need to be building to support you in taking your first steps.  What sort of tools do you have or are you interested in developing to help you begin building your support relationships?  Do you want to build relationships with a blog, a podcast, conventions, networking events?  Perhaps cold calling people?

In your early days, focusing on building relationships can be one of the most important steps you ever take.  When you build strong friendships with people who share or support your vision, those relationships can grow with you – no matter where your dreams end up.

So……….. will I see you at Books, Brunch, & Mimosas?  Perhaps you and I will be the next game-changing relationship in our arsenals of awesome!

Last week I wrote about taking the time to take care of yourself so that your body would work for you on your schedule.  While I thought I was taking good care of my body and even after I implemented an accountability calendar to the site so that I could lead by example, I still got sick. Bummer.

So, the interviews with the brilliant Lorie Marrero of The Clutter Diet and the inspiring and silly Bryan Allain of Blog Rocket are being postponed.  So, look for those later on in the month (and check them out in the mean time).

The moral of the story:

Life simply isn’t always going to go as planned.  But does that mean you need to sit on your laurels and give up?  No way!  If you are sick, take the time to rest and let your body recover so that you can come back 200%.  In my case, I feel fine but my throat is sore and I have no voice.  But I have had a fantastically full day of organizing the SXSWi Meetup for Jenny Blake and myself, strategizing with the unstoppable Erika Lyremark, and doing some collaboration on The 21st Century Youth Project with Emile Cambry.

So, what are YOU doing to expand your circle of influence, honor your body, and make your dreams a reality?

Click here to take the survey.

Yes – I just said Rotary.  As in Rotary International.  As in the Rotary that your grandparents went/go to.  As in old white guys in business suits Rotary.

So what is a hot young 30 year old brunette doing at an old folks private club?

MAKING giant, Amazing, Super-Fun, LIFE-Changing THINGS HAPPEN.

Rotary ISN’T just for old folks anymore!  More and more Gen X and Gen Y-ers are joining and, I think, you should, too.

So why do I even bring it up?  Because, were it not for Rotary, Love Your Work Life would not exist today.  No podcast.  No service.  No compassion for the passions of others and certainly no spreading their good works around for free.

When I first moved to Austin, TX in 2007, I was searching.  I have been wildly successful at everything I have ever decided to do but I wasn’t always happy doing everything I had done.  Almost my entire life I focused on myself to find the answers.  I thought that if I didn’t have the answer, then I needed to study more, ask more questions, do more work, or try more things.  However, everything I tried was focused on me and how I was going to make money doing them.

Then, I started visiting my local Rotary Club.  I got into it because I met a guy with his wife at a rock concert.  They are close to my age and the guy and I hit it off because we liked the same authors.  So, he invited me to his Rotary Club.

When I first started attending, it was wierd.  They start with a prayer, the pledge of allegiance, and then a song (yikes!).  I’m not a religious person and, until that meeting, I don’t know if I had said the pledge since kindergarten, but it was just part of how they start their meeting – just tradition.  Then, they had a weekly speaker.  It might be a local non-profit talking, or a 20 minute talk on leadership, or really anything that might matter to doing business or doing humanitarian work.  The soul or Rotary is not so much in the meetings and how they are conducted, it is more in the people and what we are doing together.

So, I kept attending and attending, wanting to meet more entrepreneurs in the area.  Next thing I know, I am taking some small leadership positions.  Today, however, I am the President of my little club.

Here’s the deal: the only three words you truly need to remember about Rotary are “Service Above Self.”  All those years that I was looking within me for answers to my life’s questions, I found (through Rotary) that the answers will reveal themselves to us once we look outside ourselves.

So, how does one do that – let go and look outside ourselves?  For me, it was active participation in my Rotary Club.  Not just showing up to the meetings and giving money when I could.  That doesn’t give answers.  What changed my life and helped me have the courage to pursue my dreams, start a podcast, and get involved in all that I am in was starting a giant block party here in my diverse community where all the cultures could come together, party in the streets for a day, and build relationships so they could solve their problems collaboratively at the city hall.  The building of our event and the work it took to get the community to take ownership of it (which happened successfully – it is entirely run without our club now… yay!) was what helped me see my strengths, my passions, and figure out what it was I truly wanted to do with my life.

I am still a work in progress but my work in my humanitarian organization is what allows me to practice my leadership, organization, and promotional skills so that I can try them out on my business and in the jobs and contracts I win.

If you are currently feeling lost, trapped, confused, or lacking direction in your life or career, I cannot stress enough the importance of joining a humanitarian organization and taking a leadership position within that organization. Simply joining will not help you or anyone else with anything.  Inspired action and responsibility for the outcome of your involvement is where the growth and clarity will come from.

So, my lost, wondering, passionate friends… in your quest to make a living with your talents, passions, and interests… what humanitarian efforts will you lead today?

So many things in my own work and life are beginning to align and reveal themselves to me that I’m not even sure where to start in telling you my nugget of knowledge today.  So, I’ll start with last night.

I danced my ass off and talked business and silliness with the brilliant Matt Sparks and several of his equally (and in one case “exceedingly”) brilliant fellow Acton MBA classmates.  There are few things I love more in life than dancing to Michael Jackson or Pheonix style dance music and collaboratively discussing and creating business.

I have never met a single small collection of people who are so intensely brilliant, focused, dedicated, and obsessed with their love and passion for creation through business.  I felt as though I had found “my people.”  It was heavenly!

(And for the record, there are only 27 people in this years highly selective class, only 3 of which are women.  I had a conversation with Matt about the situation and it seems not many women with the above mentioned traits are applying.  I know you smart and savvy ladies are out there.  If you are considering an MBA, get with the program, grow some cahones, and apply to Acton!  Make our gender proud!  …and know that the guys there are HOT and you have incredible odds being one of the only smart, like minded, female hotties in the room… it’s a win-win.  Trust me.)

Back to my story…

That was only last night.  The night before, I was collaborating with an old friend on his latest start up over cocktails and dinner.  Earlier that day, I was masterminding with 6 brilliant and successful women at an intimate eWomenNetwork strategy session with the mind-bogglingly charismatic and successful, Ricci Neer (listen to my latest podcast with her here).  During that session, I presented my current business challenges and received clarity that money just couldn’t buy.  When great minds meet to solve a single problem, you cannot begin to imagine the solutions and greatness that will come from your time together.

Additionally this week, I have been talking and collaborating with the great Erika Lyremark, the brilliant boys at Proof Branding, the always inspired Jenny Blake, and the selflessly creative Emile Cambry.

Jenny Blake and I are planning a SXSWi Cupcake Tweetup (with Chris Guillebeau, hopefully Josh Kaufman, and whoever else we run into at SXSW) so stay tuned for that info.  If you intend to be at SXSW, make sure to follow me and all of us on Twitter so you will know where we are and what we are up to.

Also this week, I joined Emile Cambry, Nicole Yeary, and others in collaborating to create an incredible mobile app development project online for children.  It is a giant dream of mine and together we can make it happen.  Learn more about it here.

So, why am I telling you all of this?

Because Love Your Work Life is getting ready to come up on it’s 1 year anniversary.  This project was something that I had been dreaming of for a long time but I didn’t know what it was going to be or going to look like.  So, in April of last year, I just decided to start podcasting, sharing my experiences, insights and wisdom, and seeing what the heck might happen.

During this time, I have reached out and met more incredible people than I ever could have imagined.  Diligent commitment to myself, my passions, and my vision have created an incredibly inspiring work life that honors what I am the best at and enjoy doing the most.  If I hadn’t taken the leap of faith and just started moving in the direction of my dreams I would not be collaborating with all these wonderful people, successfully growing this dream business of mine, getting dream job offers, and living this incredible life and work that I am today.

The moral of the story

Make a plan to move in the direction of your dreams.  It doesn’t matter if you can’t see how it is all going to work in the beginning.

Think of your journey like driving on a foggy road at night.  You studied the map before you left and you have it at your side  - you know where you want to go – but you can only see the yellow dotted lines on the road for a few feet or yards ahead.  You just have to trust that the next few yards will continue to reveal themselves to you when you get there.  With every mile you journey, you will have new clarity.  Just allow yourself the space to move in the direction of your dreams and let the road unfold itself in front of you.

So what is your dream?  What do you want for your life – today and 1 year from today?  What are you going to do today to move in the direction of your dreams?

Rich, successful, fat, happy… and full of Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease.

That’s not what I want.  You?

Here’s the deal: if you don’t make time to work out and eat well, your body will do it for you – and you are NOT going to like the timing or the experience.

Here are three things that are working fantastically for me to keep me feeling super energized, healthy, and are even helping me lose weight:

1.  I’ve (finally) adopted Erika Lyremark’s “Green Drink” every day but I put my own spin on it.

First and foremost, I use a BlendTec Blender and it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE when you are making a smoothie or blended drink.  (Thanks, Dad!  Best gift ever!)  Plus, there is no blender easier to clean up on the planet.  So, the whole experience is a lot nicer and faster.

What’s in my green drink?

• 2 large stems Kale (remove the leaves from the stem and trash the hard stem)
• 1 large handful Cilantro
• 1 large handful Plain Parsley
• 1 tspn Spirulina (in only 1 drink per day)
• 1-2 scoops Standard Process Whey Protein

Sound gross?  It isn’t.  It tastes SUPER clean and is really energizing.  Actually, after drinking one of these in the morning, I have a hard time drinking my delicious coffee.  It is just too much.  So, I switched to Yerba Mate which is wonderful after a Green Drink.  These really set my day in motion now and I enjoy (read: crave) them throughout the day.

2.  I’ve added an accountability calendar to the sidebar of this website – Public accountability.

If I’m going to lead by example, then I’m going to lead by example!

Having a system of accountability that works for you is mandatory if you intend to make any kind of lasting change.
- You might recruit a friend to change a habit with you – maybe even have a contest between each other to keep both of you on track.
- You can keep a journal or daily log of your nutrition, exercise, or whatever habit you want to change.
- Or, if you have an online presence, you could contribute to your blog or a social forum where everyone is working towards the same goal.

I opted for a calendar that syncs to my Google calendar so I can show you when and what I’m eating, when I trained (and what I did), and share results and experiences with you.  Not only does it hold me accountable, but you can learn from my experiences.

3.  I am training LESS.

That’s right – I’m working out LESS, not more.  I have a tendency to over train because of my love of fitness, sweating, and challenging myself in general.  This time around, I am opting to do less.  That is both the recommendation of The 4 Hour Body, which I am currently experimenting with, and the recommendation of my fitness-life coach, Amy Christensen of Expand Outdoors.

Basically, here are my workouts:

• Cycling (mostly indoor lately) for no more than 1 hour 3 times per week.
• Swinging a 35 lbs. kettlebell for 5-15 minutes 3 times per week.
• A fun run with a friend around Town Lake once per week.

It feels pretty awesome.  I feel energized, sharp, and honestly… super smokin’ hot!  There is an extra strut in my step and I’m definitely shakin’ my newly single hips and swooshing my skirts more.

Exercise is a lot more than just good for you.  It will change your entire outlook on life and your day.  If you are like me and find yourself having a hard time pulling away from work to go work out, think about it this way: If you don’t take time to exercise and treat your body right, your body will decide when and where you are going to give it rest.  …And it will NOT be on your schedule.

So look at taking time to work out as actually working: you are taking the time to give your body and mind what it needs so it will keep working for you on YOUR terms.

Have any tricks up your sleeve you’d like to share with the class?

Note: I have no financial interest in any of the recommendations in this article.  I just use and love these things.

Press play or click on “Download the MP3″ to begin streaming audio.   Right click “Download the MP3″ and choose “save as” or “save link” to save this audio to your computer.

Download the MP3 [29 minutes]  or Subscribe with iTunes

Ricci Neer is an award winning bad ass!  This gal started out in 1999 with only a borrowed laptop, a dial-up internet connection, and a dream.  Now, she is making bank and making things happen with her dreams here in Austin, TX and around the world.

In this interview, she tells her story of how she started with no money or experience and built her hugely successful businesses.  She also shares the upcoming tour dates for her Internet Fame Project tour called Passion, Possibilities, & Profit where she will be helping you and your friends with these 4 areas:

★ Marketing secrets from the worlds most successful brands
★ The four critical elements necessary for effective business blogging
★ How to craft your virtual customer experience
★ The business benefits of becoming professionally internet famous
★ The 12 components of an effective social media strategy

Check out her site for tour dates and when she’ll be in your area.  (I feel SO lucky to have her here in Austin, TX.  So cool!)

About Ricci Neer

Internet Fame Coach ™, Ricci Neer, works with smart, savvy professionals to successfully position themselves as experts in their fields.  Starting out with a borrowed laptop on a dial-up internet connection in 1999, Ricci shattered records with her direct sales business, owning the largest distributorship in the United States, soon becoming a corporate internet sales trainer. As the 2009 eWomenNetwork International Business Matchmaker of the Year award winner, Ricci has supported, connected and empowered over 5,000 clients and associates.  She is author of multiple proprietary curriculum for her programs, such as WordPress for Businesses & Marketers, Social Media Marketing Success, and Go Google Local – How to Market your Business for Local & Mobile Search, and is a contributing author to “Networking for Novices” (Social Media Nugget) to be published 2011.

Ricci is an active Managing Director for eWomenNetwork and resides in Austin, Texas with her husband of 16 years.  She has one son, three grown stepchildren and a menagerie of furbabies.

You can also check out this incredible panel that Ricci participated in and that I moderated called Stealth Internet Marketing… in Stilettos at the Internet Marketing Party.

Final Note: When Ricci and I met on the phone to record the interview, I had no idea that she would offer me an affiliate link for her Internet Fame Project.  Normally, I have absolutely no financial interest in my interviews and actually, that is not the goal of this one either, but I was grateful to accept Ricci’s generosity and am now an affiliate for her project.  (Yay!)  So, if you participate in her Internet Fame Project, you’ll actually be helping me keep Love Your Work Life alive – plus, I might just get to see you at one of her events if you are in the Austin area.  Note that I very rarely affiliate with programs or products.  When I do, it is only because they are from sources I use and trust 100%.  Just lettin’ y’all know!

I’ve been chatting with Emile Cambry since last November when Nicole Yeary told me I needed to give him a shout and get him on the podcasting books.  Boy was she right!  (By the way, you can listen to both of my interviews with them by clicking on their names.)

I’ve had a long standing dream to create some kind of MBA style business training for kids ages 8-17.  Well, today Mr. Emile Cambry asked me to serve as a moderator for the online edition of his 21st Century Youth Project and I am elated! You had better believe I said yes.

It all started when one of my enterprising baby brothers asked me if I could help him develop an mobile phone App he had an idea for.  I gave Emile a call and the rest is history.

Take a minute and read Emile’s latest Press Release to learn all about the project and why I am freaking out with sheer glee today because of this wonderful and important project.

Want to support the project?  Please contact Emile and let him know!

Download the MP3 [27:15 minutes]  or Subscribe with iTunes

I’ve read tons of fantastic business and self-improvement books over the years and even interviewed many of my favorite authors.  While many books have helped me get to where I am today, two have had the most substantial impact on my business, my success, my perspective, and my daily life.  They are Tim Ferriss’s The 4 Hour Work Week and Erika Lyremark’s ebook Revenue, Results, & Red Carpet Dreams.

Erika’s voice is one of the most inspiring and motivating I have ever read.  She is funny and serious all at the same time while her methods are clear and deliberate.

The biggest mistake I made was not printing the ebook out sooner and keeping it on my desk at all times.  Actually, it is my new “mouse pad” – always at my right hand so I can access it at any time.

You won’t find another book where someone so honestly shares her fears, her passions, and her incredible insight and strength.

So it is with great excitement (and sheer giddiness) that I bring you my exclusive interview with Erika Lyremark where we discuss her wonderful ebook, Revenue, Results, & Red Carpet Dreams and her journey through life and The Daily Whip. Enjoy!!!

About Erika Lyremark (LEAR-A-mark)

Erika has spent twenty years in the entrepreneurial trenches – abandoning a nine year career in exotic dancing to co-create a multi-million dollar commercial real estate company and launch Daily Whip.

Over the past 3 years, she has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Twin Cities Live, KSTP Channel 5 News, Twin Cities Business Magazine, Metro Magazine, Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, the Michelle Tafoya Show on WCCO Radio and she even cracked the whip on a promo video for Oprah’s Have Your Own Show.

She’s got style…and substance.

Erika holds an Apparel Design degree (Seattle Central Community College 1995 – she can make anything from bikinis to tailored suits to software luggage) and a B.A. in Women Studies, (University of Washington 2000, 3.89 GPA) with an unofficial minor in China Studies, in addition to her professional coaching certification (Adler Graduate School 2005), yoga instruction certification (Core Power Yoga 2007) and commercial real estate broker’s license. Street smarts, book smarts, business smarts, coaching and consulting prowess—she blends all four into a unique, whip-cracking methodology.

She is fanatical about yoga and has a love affair with meditation – daily.

Erika loves spoiling her clients with surprise gifts, congratulation cards and unexpected connections. She want to see you succeed—rapidly, royally and with infinite rewards. She believes that tough love can be luxurious.

And she is deeply obsessed about revenue, results & red carpet dreams.  You can contact her at erika@dailywhip.com.

• Cycle (indoors for now) 5 days a week for 1 hour
• Swing the kettle bell 75 times on M,W,F

Just over a week and a half ago, I purchased my own indoor spin bike (yay!).  Since that time, I haven’t gotten around to going to a bike shop and purchasing the clipless pedals I prefer.  I was stuck using the caged pedals that came with the bike.

BIG mistake.

After having a great coaching session with Amy Christensen I realized that spinning 5 times per week plus the kettle bell 3 times a week might not be necessary.  So, I decided to try to stick to Tim Ferriss’s training regimen (just the kettle bell) more rigidly.

Still, I got 3 hours of cycling in (1 hour on 3 different days).  The results?  TENDINITIS in my right ankle because of the damned caged pedals.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

So now I am in tremendous pain – unable to sleep, certainly unable to work out, and taking benedryl at night to attempt to sleep through the pain.  No bueno.

On the bright side, I am realizing that this is a REAL opportunity to test out Tim’s chapter on “Losing 20 lbs. in 30 days with no exercise.”  I hate that I can’t exercise but… at least it is a new challenge.

My only issue is that my right foot, my driving foot, is the injured one.  So, I haven’t been able to drive to the grocery store either.  Doh!  Admittedly, these are serious complications.  But perhaps I can recruit my roommate to give me a ride.

As soon as I stock my fridge with a refueling of the right foods, the clock will begin ticking.  Can I lose 20 lbs. in 30 days with NO exercise?

Bring it, Tim Ferriss… bring it.