You’re here.
That makes you a star.
You ready to #shinebrightly?
Yeah, me too!
Come see me at the place:
A Star in My Universe
A Slight Change in Addresses
For some time, I have encouraged you to shine brightly without reserve and never hide all that is you. I, however, have hidden much of me behind that encouragement and advice. It is easier to be the message than the voice.
Back to School with Monster High
Our kids aren’t the only ones going back to school. The girls from Monster High are back, as well. Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, and Frankie Stein are sophomores this year and face a new threat along with new classes and new friends. Sounds about right for a school with monster in the name, right?
Just Say You’re Sorry
This past week, social media, politicians, and pundits delved into an ugly discussion surrounding Imane Khelif’s gender. I warily dive into these waters, but to start, I am not talking politics here, I am talking civility.
Open and Accessible
Accessibility means availability to all and profitability for you and your company. It’s also the all around right thing to do.
Why I Love the Olympics
The Olympics has always been a time for me to revisit my personal goals. This time, however, those goals are a little more fun. Check out the Five “pebble” rings.
Up for the Challenge
Let’s be honest, when we decide to run our own businesses, our lives become a series of increasingly enjoyable and difficult challenges, or at least it can feel that way sometimes. So, a good idea for this roller coaster ride is to do all we can from the start. That way, we can ride all the highs and lows more easily, with less panic, and WAY less stress.
Keep it on the Level
Now that I am transitioning from being a “just me” sole proprietor to someone with an actual DBA and other new business acronyms, I’m frankly a little daunted by the world of business rules and regulations. Seriously, just hearing “compliance” makes me want to run for the hills, but I’m learning it’s not as daunting as it seems. Keeping my business in line is absolutely a key part of my roadmap to success. So, I thought I would share some tips I have learned that might help you navigate this complicated maze with a bit more ease. If you have another to share, please do!
Buongiorno, Babbel!
I dream of traveling the world. Moreover, I dream of traveling with some knowledge of the language of the country I am visiting. Of course, I cannot instantly learn every language, so I have to start somewhere.
Minding the Ps & Qs with E-Commerce
In the crazy world of e-commerce, security is not a feature, it's everything. As online transactions grow, so do the risk of fraud and data breaches, therefore it’s vital e-commerce businesses strengthen their digital defenses. Here’s a peek into making your online business more secure, including 3D secure payment systems.
Cutting Your Costs
Running your own business can be extremely expensive. It can feel difficult to stay afloat, especially when trying to keep track of expenses and payments. I know. With all the monitoring of the bottom line and ensuring receipt of timely payments, that you are able to correctly take payments, and find solutions for a hard to place merchant account, it can feel like a lot.
Making the Sale
I’ve been working on growing my traffic, so I can commiserate if you feel as though your hard work getting a great deal of traffic isn’t necessarily resulting in sales. Without sales, however, there is no business. I’ll assume you don’t want to slowly run your business into the ground, and as this is the last thing you want, we want to turn those clicks into ca-chings.
Working with Influence
We often think of customers as the end users of our business; those that define and refine our success. But the truth is that customers aren’t just those who purchase from us, but in some cases, live with our brand.
Put the “Fit” in Fitness
We know it all too well: to reach our fitness goals we need to be consistent. However, if you’re like me, if you don’t like the activity or if the gym is easily accessible or affordable, it can be extremely challenging. And if you follow me, you know that I know that one size does NOT fit all. So let’s talk about how we can stay consistent no matter our personal and financial situation.
Go Thrift or Go Home
My favorite online thrifting source, ThredUp, had a big Earth Month sale including on Premium items. To say I took advantage would be an obscene understatement. Instead, I shall reframe it and say that I used it as an opportunity to demonstrate the quality that is available to secondhand shoppers at ridiculously low prices.
Yeah. Yeah… that’s the ticket.
Happy Beltane!
Last year on “the pebble”, I shared the holiday as a Monday Motivation. While it’s not Monday, the motivation stands.
Wishing you a May filled with inspiration and plenty of fun. Should you need a little motivation, join our movement and become a pebble.
I Believe in Jane
This is the spirit behind the Apple TV+ show, Jane. When the first season premiered last year, I had the great pleasure of talking with the stars Ava Louise Murchison and Mason Blomberg via a roundtable. Aster and Aslyn got in the fun. Inspired by the daily legacy of Jane Goodall, Ava’s character, “Jane” (of course!) and her best friend David take imaginative adventures centering on a different endangered animal in each episode.
Let’s Make Sustainability Sustainable
Talking with Lacie is a bright ray of light. She makes being more conscious and conscientious about sustainability feel sustainable. (See what I did there?) Seriously, though, it’s about doing what you can consistently rather than trying to be perfect and feeling like a failure so you give up. Who’s done that? This girl, for sure!
Earth Day Every Day
All I am asking of us is to do a little better. A pebble’s worth. Since recording this last year, I have struggled in places and learned new ways to do better. It is a constant journey. As Dory said, “just keep swimming”.