Raspberry magazine issue eight by Raspberry Magazine

BLOGGING FOR BRANDS TINY DEVOTIONS THE CONFIDENCE TO BEGIN FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY 101 REVIVE YOUR FACEBOOK REACH FROM JOB LOSS TO BIZ OWNER

shauna haider aka nubby twiglet ©

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issue eight raspberrymagazine.com ISSUE

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hi from alana!

into the deep end From job loss to starting two businesses

showroom brisbane Curated retail space owner, Catherine Roberts

blogging for brands How to write for your fave companies

food styling and photography 5 tips to up your game

how to combat declining Facebook reach Ways to deal with that damn algorithm

shauna haider An interview with the creative director, designer and veteran blogger

make meaningful connections as an introvert How to (quietly) network like a pro

the confidence to begin

tiny devotions An interview with the founder, business maven Diana Charabin

an evening routine for non-morning people

10 lessons from my first year in business

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Hello AND WELCOME Welcome to issue eight!

COVER STAR Shauna Haider PHOTOGRAPHY Made U Look Photography TYPOGRAPHY Jasmine Dowling

We Support

Kiva is a non-profit organisation with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m delighted to feature designer and longtime blogger Shauna Haider, aka Nubby Twiglet, on our cover this month. Her enduring blog and creative design studio Branch are outstanding examples of how hard work and consistency pay off in the long run. Plus, she has pretty impeccable style, too. As always, the women I get to feature are incredibly inspiring. Check over the page for intros! This issue brings a lot of change for Raspberry Magazine - The Raspberry Circle (our insider space for entrepreneurs to meet and mastermind) has just launched, as well as... our APP! Yes, after months of development, you an now read every issue on the Raspberry Magazine app, free! You can download it here (iPhone/iPad), and if you love it please leave a review! Enjoy, hello@raspberrymagazine.com instagram.com/raspberrymagazine

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featuring Katherine Mackenzie-Smith is a life coach for introverts, assistant life coach trainer, writer, and speaker. As a self-confessed quiet achiever and passion-fuelled dream chaser, she’s on a mission to empower extraordinary women to step into their quiet power, discover their energetic secret sauce, and find their own way to shine in life, business, and everything in between.

Kirra Smith is the creator of Archer Mala Beads - meditation beads handmade with the intention of bringing meditation to the modern world through the creation of stylin’ soul treasures. She is also a writer and word wrangler at written pretty.

Catherine Roberts is a blogger, teacher, curator, and boss lady at Showroom. She lives in a sweet little cottage in Brisbane’s leafy south but mostly you’ll find her tending shop at Showroom.

She’s passionate about using words to initiate connection and change.

Laura Claire is a life coach, writer, entrepreneurial cheerleader, speaker and business coach for young women. She is on a heart-led mission to help driven women to create lives they love and ooze passion for; teaching women to live from a place of 100% authenticity and purpose. Through her 1+1 coaching, retreats, workshops and writing, Laura Claire is deeply driven in encouraging and fostering confidence and bold living.

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Diana Charabin is the founder of Tiny Devotions, who sell intentional accessories for dreamers, doers and manifesters all around the world through online and wholesale distribution. She is also the co-founder of Cole and Parker, which makes fun, bright, colourful socks that help entrepreneurs in the developing world through Kiva.

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Jo Anderson is a food stylist, photographer and passionate foodie. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa - she now resides with her husband and baby girl on the Gold Coast. Jo’s styling and photography talents are now sought after for ebooks, cookbooks and recipe apps. Jo is passionate about teaching all that she has learnt along her journey and helping others develop faith in their own foodie talents.

write for raspberry! Our readers are also our contributors! If you think you have a story to tell, check out the Write For Us page for all the important details.

Nicky Rees is founder of The Small Business Marketing Goddess and is passionate about helping female business owners take it to the next level. She wants to share her knowledge in a simple and practical way and create a community so women don’t feel so alone in their business and can share their frustrations, questions and celebrate their successes.

Anastasia Amour is an award-winning writer, digital strategist and body image educator. Based in Western Australia, Anastasia combines her research in psychology with her own experiences to help thousands of women around the world change their body image for the better.

© Raspberry Magazine 2014-2015. All rights reserved. Content must not be copied or reproduced without express written consent. Feel free to quote from this work with a clear link to us as the source, but keep in mind that this is copyrighted material. Although the editor believes the contents to be accurate at the time of publication, and that all photographs and images have been obtained with permission and by legal means, no liability is assumed for them, their application or any consequences thereof. All opinions are those of the specific author. This magazine may include affiliate links for products or services we know and love. This means if you click on them and purchase we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you which helps keep us alive and ready to bring you excellent content in every issue. Thanks for being awesome - let’s do this!

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INTO THE DEEP END Why becoming self-employed was the best gift I’ve ever received.

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INTO THE DEEP END kirra smith Being thrown headfirst into the deep end of entrepreneurialism wasn’t the meticulously planned, get-all-your-ducks-in-a row-first experience I imagined it to be. As it turned out, one hour-long phone call was all it took for me to find myself perpetually stranded on the desert island of entrepreneurialism, with no sight of the shore and no plan as to how I’d swim my way to safety. Dramatic yes, of my own volition sure, but terrifying nonetheless. My first instinct was to scour SEEK, applying for everything from Dishwashing Extraordinaire to Media Manager roles leaving no stone unturned. As news got out, my nearest and dearest lovingly offered words of condolence like “you’ll get a new job soon” and “don’t worry, you’ve go so many skills, everyone will want to hire you”. Comforting, but the little voice in the back of my head would not be silenced. She said, “this is your chance, make it count”, and she got the last word. I was offered a full-time role within a week of being unemployed but, against the (very pushy) advice of my rational mind, I followed my heart and turned it down with the intention of launching my own business into the world. Prior to leaving my job I had been considering the fact that working for someone else was not for me. While I loved the job I had, I wanted the freedom that came with being an entrepreneur, working my own hours, coffee dates with my friends, creating, changing the world, the usual (if only it were that simple). For a long time I had been playing with different business ideas, wondering what would and wouldn’t work, making lists, generally just procrastinating A LOT. I ©

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knew what I was passionate about, but with very little business knowledge and the added excitement of no useful steps having been taken, I had to make a decision, fast.

sane person would, I chose both. Thus, written pretty copywriting and Archer Mala Beads were born.

I had a blog that had been neglected for almost a year, but it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really sit well with who I was anymore. I felt like transforming it could be a simple step toward my dream of being a writer. Becoming a freelance copywriter was something I imagined would work and I was good at it. Done, decided. At the same time though, I had become immersed in the world of spirituality, rediscovering my childhood love of crystals, learning to meditate, ogling sacred geometry and collecting intentional jewellery and books on spirituality like they were going out of style (as my mum would say). I felt the pull, as many of us do, to create a business around my newfound passion and the burning desire I had to create a conscious community based around meditation and encouraging a more peaceful world.

It has been a crazy time. For two months, I worked solidly on my businesses with no steady income, very little savings and the stubbornness of fifty donkeys. Yes, I had support, people I could ask for money if the going got (really) tough, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could go it alone and for those two months I did.

The two ideas battled it out in my head for a while and I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine giving either one up. It was tough; love over money; what I was good at versus something that could be total flop, you get the drift.

Sales came through immediately after launching Archer, people wanted to hire me to write and edit their work and I was able to pay my mortgage, eat and have coffee dates on a regular

After much deliberating and as any ÂŠ

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Prepare, write lists, do what you have to do, but at the end of the day, take a chance on yourself, it’s magic and it’s madness, but that’s life right? Make your choices count.

basis; it was everything I imagined it would be and I felt so free.

very slowly. I wasn’t feeling as sure of myself as I had come too, sales dropped off and fewer writing gigs came through. The tide was turning; lessons were learned.

A typical day consisted of walking the dog to the beach with the laptop for a coffee, responding to emails in the sun and editing eBooks on health and wellness while thanking my lucky stars that it was all going to be okay. I updated my websites copious times, read books on business and created the life I had dreamt of for so long. In the evenings, I would string sandalwood beads while reciting mantras, lost in the meditative state that comes with creating intentional treasures.

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Although it wasn’t ideal, I wasn’t panicking. With the firm belief that I had got this far and that whatever was meant to happen would, I tried not to lose my mind with worry. I knew business wasn’t usually strong straight out of the gate and I was prepared (mentally, not financially) for that. As things tend to do, the plan went a little off track. Today though, I have struck the perfect for-now balance. I work two days a week doing PR for a marketing company and five days a week on both Archer and written pretty. Being able to get out of the house and interact with other creatives is incredible, both

Eventually though, the euphoria began to ebb and flow.

I could feel a shift coming and sure enough, things began to move ©

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for me and for the expansion of my businesses, which are growing steadily. While it may not always be ideal running two businesses, for now, it works. Both sides of my personality are catered for in my work and I have the freedom I always craved to be my own boss while soaking up the knowledge of those around me. Although everyone’s circumstance is unique, mine was such that I was thrown in the deep end and forced to create my businesses quickly, without worrying whether or not they would work, if becoming an entrepreneur was financially viable and what everyone else would think. Through choosing the road less travelled, believing wholeheartedly in myself and taking a spectacular leap of faith, I got two businesses off the ground and humming along happily (now). It continues to amaze me that people are passionate about what I have on offer; that I can in fact, bring joy to people’s lives through my creations.

The lesson comes from now understanding that I can do anything. That all I needed was to believe in myself and follow my heart and in turn, I would gain a life that was even better than I had imagined. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely do not recommend quitting your job this instant and diving into the deep end after me. It was hairy and terrifying and there are still moments when I wonder if it’s worth it, if being financially secure is better than being unsure every single day.

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But wow, is it a ride and the things I’ve learnt, the people I’ve met and the life I now have are irreplaceable.

Follow your instincts was a phrase I never really “got” until it whacked me in the face at a million miles an hour, and it hurt; but not as much as ignoring those instincts would have. Prepare, write lists, do what you have to do, but at the end of the day, take a chance on yourself, it’s magic and it’s madness, but that’s life right? Make your choices count.

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Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it, the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me. Arianna Huffington

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ShowrOom ©

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Canadian-born entrepreneur CATHERINE ROBERTS followed her heart to Australia. 5 years later, she’s the owner and CEO of SHOWROOM BRISBANE, a curated retail and workshop space catering to young creatives.

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Interview CATHERINE ROBERTS

SHOWROOM BRISBANE Let’s jump right in. Catherine, what is your purpose here on this wonderful earth? To love as much as I can, enjoy myself, and make a net positive impact.

How did you come to be where you are right now? I met a Brisbane boy with a twinkle in his eye on a muddy football pitch at Cambridge University. The rest has all been improvised from there.

What does your current business model look like? How did you evolve from blogging to business? I started The Spring Blog when I first moved to Australia almost 5 years ago. I didn’t know anyone except my husband and his immediate family, so blogging was my way of getting to know Brisbane and make new friends. Once I got into lifestyle blogging I realised I couldn’t find the styling props I wanted locally - there was nowhere to buy cast iron skillets, mason jars or kraft paper shipping tags. So I started a little online store and a market stall to supplement it. That went well, so I opened my first pop up shop and that’s what sparked the idea for Showroom.

Was there a conscious choice to build a brick + mortar, in person retail space as opposed to an online one? What challenges has this posed? I quickly realised when running my first online store that bricks and mortar retail is my calling. I love the tangible sense of community that happens naturally around the neighbourhood shops.

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and modern. A simple Falcon enamel camping mug is my idea of design perfection both for its aesthetic qualities and all that it evokes. It’s really important to the customer experience that Showroom presents a clear point of view aesthetically, which mean the curation of products needs to be carefully considered. I have a clear sense of how I want the store to look and feel, and I personally seek out artisans, brands, and products that fit the vision. I’m fascinated by the digital space and the way retailers have been so innovative when it comes to delivering beautiful content and specialised customer service. What I’m most interested in exploring at Showroom is how I can amplify the best of digital trends to deliver a heightened experience in the real world where we as living, breathing humans gather.

How do you select the products and artists that you feature in-store? Is there an over-arching theme you stick to? I’m Canadian and was raised between the city and the woods; I think if you look closely you can see that background in the mix of products I place in store. My style is quite pared back and referential. I love quality materials worked in an unfussy way. I love cleanlined, heritage designs that feel warm

We’re not to everyone’s taste, certainly, but we want the people who do love what we do to love it fully.

You also host co-working and varying workshops in your retail space. How did this evolve, and has it been a successful part of your business? Anyone with experience running events will tell you that getting people to commit to showing up can be hard work! But the open evening, workshops, and the co-working space are all important parts of Showroom’s identity as a place where creatives and design lovers meet. Success depends on one’s definition and I’ll feel our events are more successful when I don’t have to work as hard to sell them out. However, they have been great for getting new people into the shop and raising our profile in the community we’re here to PAGE 15

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serve.

on with behind the scenes projects from my spot in our co-working area. If I’m feeling overwhelmed (which I often do when so many elements of the business are expanding), I like to work as much as I can from home. Away from the buzz of Showroom I can concentrate, prepare healthier meals, and make sure I take the time to rest.

Talk us through what typical day (or week!) in the Catherine Roberts world might look like. I’m not sure I have a typical day, which is one of the things I like about being the self-appointed CEO and editor-in-chief of my little empire. Still, certain routines do punctuate my days.

Down time, and work vs. life balance. How do you make it work?

I don’t set an alarm but tend to naturally wake up quite early. I always start with a cup of builder’s tea. I check in on social media. I check in with my team. Most days I head to the store to help customers or crack ©

Probably not all that well... I tend to work myself really hard, then crash. I wish I had a more optimised selfcare routine so I’d spend less of my precious downtime incoherent and PAGE 16

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exhausted.

it in the design/creative community has been phenomenal.

What three key lessons have you learnt in your entrepreneurial path, which continue to carry you forward?

On the other hand, I don’t know anyone passionately building something significant who feels their life is balanced. So if being slightly manic is the price of getting to do heaps of creative, fun, challenging work, then I’m ok with that.

1. Listen to your gut, even if what it’s saying is inconvenient. 2. Get a good accountant. Even if you’re a super small business just starting out, it’s worth it to have them set up a proper bookkeeping system for you. Make sure they teach you how to use it so you can keep it up to date yourself.

What has been your most rewarding project to date, and why? Without a doubt it’s been the recent move to our downtown location on Edward St. So many people warned me that opening a first floor shop in the city was a dangerous risk - they said no one would walk up. But the space is beautiful and in it I’ve been able to create a truer representation of what I’ve always wanted Showroom to be. I feel proud every time I walk through the door and the reaction to

3. Be direct with your team. Giving negative feedback isn’t fun, but you have to communicate your expectations and preferences clearly to enable the people who work for you to do a great job. Failing to let them know when things haven’t been done the way you need them to be does everyone a disservice and leads to serious disharmony.

What doubts or fears have you had to face during your entrepreneurial journey? I tend to take on conceptually ambitious projects so I sometimes doubt whether I can communicate and/or deliver on what I’ve set out to accomplish. I think with any business there’s the fear that customers just won’t turn up. I still have those worries some days, but (knock on wood!) ©

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people keep finding us.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out? Take yourself and your ideas seriously. Be flexible with your business model. Build a social media following through genuine engagement and generous collaboration. Avoid taking on debt. Watch this Ted talk.

What’s next for you and Showroom? There’s always so much going on! I’m working on an exciting collaboration aimed at promoting the coolest independent businesses in the Brisbane CBD. And we’re scheduling the creative and business workshops that will see Showroom into 2016.

Catherine’s Faves »» Book: In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje »» Website: YouTube. I like to relax watching old episodes of British comedy quiz shows and period dramas. »» Early morning activity: Drinking my cup of tea in the quiet before anyone else is awake. »» Late night activity: A midnight trip to the Alice St. Pancake Manor! »» Gourmet snack: The vegan cannelloni at Vegerama in West End is my current fave.

Catherine Roberts is a blogger, teacher, curator, and boss lady at Showroom. She lives in a sweet little cottage in Brisbane’s leafy south but mostly you’ll find her tending shop at Showroom. www.show-room.com.au

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It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently. WARREN BUFFET

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BLOGGING FOR BRANDS celeste mitchell As brands wake up to the power of content and start the mad scramble to feed the insatiable appetite of their blogs, social media accounts and email lists, there are more and more writing opportunities available for savvy self-promoters and those wanting to make a name for themselves… and yes, they pay. As a journalist, there was a time in my career when writing for a brand would have been the equivalent of serving churrasco at a vegan dinner party. Knives and forks would clang onto the crockery; gasps of utter horror would ensure. By golly, journalists had ethics, they wouldn’t be paid to write in a brand’s voice, or for anyone other than the hardworking, honest, news-reading public! But now, as media outlets continue to whip ever-dwindling staff writers, and smart, savvy, qualified writers watch as their beloved media outlets drop like flies around them, the status quo has most definitely been shaken and just getting paid for your writing can be a battle in itself.

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It’s not all doom and gloom and Y2K Mark II, though you see.

The flipside of this content revolution is that big-name brands and innovative companies have full pockets but not-so-full creative coffers, meaning they’re reaching out to the experts for help!

Whether you’re guest posting, scoring a regular contributor gig, ghost writing, editing or seen as a ‘local expert’, blogging with brands can open up a whole new platform not just for you to build your name and promote your own business or product, but also provide a steady income without diving back into the 9-5. ©

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As the editor of Tourism and Events Queensland’s Hello Sunshine blog, I work closely with the publicity, digital content and marketing teams to curate, compile, create and edit their blog posts every month. I also work on supplementary projects, like the free Great Barrier Reef ebook we created as an opt-in offer for the launch of their new email subscription to the blog, and the compilation of the weekly emails themselves. Keen to know how to score a gig like this for yourself? Here are a few ideas to position you at the head of the freelancer pack.

How to find the gigs While you can sometimes find blogging gigs advertised on Seek, LinkedIn or through your various networks (avoid the $5/post jobs advertised on UpWork), the best way of connecting with the brands you would love to write for is to contact them directly. Suss out where they’re showing up in the online world. Do they have a blog? Is it any good? Does it look like they’re just running free guest posts or are they investing in quality? Do they have an email newsletter? Also look at who is writing their content currently. Do they look like staff members or are they bloggers/experts in their field? Check out their jobs or career section and see if they mention anything about contributing. Tip: Contributor guidelines do not necessarily mean they pay, so you’ll need to dig a little deeper if you’re looking for a paid gig.

Dream brand alignment? Think about which brands speak the same language as you do. You’re going to get over the gig very quickly if you don’t believe in their ethos. Beauty or style blogger? Try Westfield (or even your local shopping centre!), your fave clothing label or cosmetics brand. What about taking it one step further ©

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are there any major online stores that could use your prose (ASOS, I’m looking at you)? Travel writer? Start by stalking the tourism boards (except for Tourism and Events Queensland, they’ll just send you to stalk me) and then expand your reach. Hotel chains, airlines, booking websites, tour companies, travel insurance… I could go on for days! They don’t have to be Australian brands either. Why not position yourself as the Australian expert for a savvy US or UK brand? Health coach? What about trying to work with a health fund provider? A sports brand? A company like Pana Chocolate (payment in chocolate is still payment, people)? Even if the brands you covet don’t have an existing blog or don’t seem like a large enough company to invest in things like “content marketing”, you never know what reaching out could lead to. They may have a project in the pipeline

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and are searching for clever writers to help them tell their story. Figure out who in the organisation might be responsible for the content you see. Usually, the marketing or publicity teams will look after all content marketing, though some larger organisations even have positions like “Chief Storyteller” (Topdeck Travel). Start with them.

Perfect your pitch As with every pitch, make it personal, angle it around how you can provide value for them and solve a problem they might have. Position yourself as the dream solution to their content marketing confusion!

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“But hoooooow do I do that?” I hear you moaning from here, girlfriend. And I get it.

The reality is it’s much simpler to pitch someone than you think.

A short email to introduce yourself, explanation about how you can provide value, some back-up information about who you are and why you’re the perfect candidate (links to examples of your work included) and a suggestion of a phone or in-person meeting will usually suffice. Want to stand out from the crowd? Send a personal video message. Contact them with a clever graphic via an Instagram direct message or go really old school and call them. On the phone! Crazier things have happened.

What brands are looking for If you’re going to write for a brand, expect that you’re not going to have complete editorial freedom and the control to write whatever you damn well please. Save that for your own blog. As well as having an understanding of their business and objectives (usually content will be linked in with their wider marketing plan and there will be LOTS of ©

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stakeholders involved), you need to write in their style, use their brand tone (are they T Swizzle or the over ‘50s crowd) and be able to write to brief. Like any newspaper or magazine commission, there will be a deadline to meet. Usually a word count, too. And they’ll likely expect you to look after the whole gamut from image sourcing, resizing, formatting, SEO, testing, categorisation and tagging and so on. Deliver the type of content they’re craving while also stamping your own personality and interests all over it and you’re onto a winning combination; one that will make you proud to show it off in your portfolio and help to amplify your credibility and align you with other brands (if you want to continue down the path).

Celeste Mitchell is a whip-smart wordslinger & business pimp for entrepreneurs and brands who want to take their online presence from boring to badass. As a journalist, former magazine editor and the founder of The Devil Wears Flip Flops she’s obsessed with flipping clichéd copy on its head and writing words that will make you sit up and pay attention. She created the DIY word-kit, YOU in Words, for anyone who’s ever struggled to write about themselves and is looking for the blueprint to create a kick-ass about page and bio for their biz (without dropping another couple of grand!). www.thedevilwearsflipflops.com

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FOOD STYLING TIPS for food bloggers and food lovers

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TIPS FOR FOOD STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY jo anderson

I started food styling and food photography around 3 years ago now. I spent most of my 20’s working as a cook on yachts around the world and I would pore over beautiful Pinterest photos when I was looking for recipe inspiration.

popped it on auto and started snapping. I got creative. I put a bowl of our cereal and the box on a tray and placed it on my white fluffy bed to give the look and feel of breakfast in bed. I was hooked. What could I shoot next? Yes, pancakes! Oh what a gorgeous shoot it would be, with blueberries, dripping in maple syrup. I began to make them, but they totally flopped. I had a pan full of scrambled pancakes and I just about burst into tears. My fears were true - I was terrible at this. On camera, it didn’t look anything in like it did in my head.

In the back of my mind I told myself I could never even dream of producing images like that. Later, my husband and I moved back to Australia to start our health food business, Food Actually, and I began working in a coffee shop while we were setting up. We were just about to launch our first product and I was telling this lovely man who came in every day how I wanted to get some photos of our cereal. He generously gave me my first camera. A 10-year-old Pentax, sporting a whopping 6 megapixels. I was SO excited! I raced home after work and thought, “Yes I am going to rock this!!”

So, I took to the Internet to learn how to use my camera. I watched countless YouTube videos on photography and began to hound the guys in the camera shop for any knowledge they could swing my way. Most importantly, I began to shoot food. Some shoots turned out brilliantly and exactly like I’d

Problem was, I knew nothing about how to use a DSLR camera so I ©

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imagined; while others, not so much. But I learned even more from the shoots that didn’t work, and I still do today. When I realised this was a passion that wasn’t going away, I upgraded my gear, started The Luminous Kitchen and soon enquiries started flowing in. Previously, doing something I loved didn’t really feel possible. I’m now an experienced food stylist and photographer, and I’d love to share my tips with you! When it comes to still life food shots the real skill lies in making, not just taking, a photograph. A truly great food photo is one that is so visually appealing that your eyes cannot get enough of it. A good photo gives the impression three dimensions. You have to make the viewer feel as though they have tasted, smelled and seen a meal, and the entire aim of the game is to make the viewer think “Damn, I want that now!”

Here are my 5 top tips for food styling and food photography:

1. START Don’t wait until you think you know what you’re doing: just start shooting. The more often you pick up your camera, the more you will learn.

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2. GREAT LIGHTING Lighting has a profound effect on your food photographs. It’s best to use natural light when possible. • Find a window in your house that has lovely indirect natural light. • The best times in the day for natural light is usually in the 2 hours after sunrise and before sunset. • Never use flash, as it makes everything look flat and unappealing. • The same goes for kitchen lights. The overhead direction of light will do nothing to make your food look good and they also tend to give off an unappealing yellowish tinge. • If you want to photograph food in a café, sit near a window. You won’t be able to control the rest of the lighting, but the closer you sit to a natural light source, the more control you will have of the light featuring in your image.

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3. PLAN Great food photos require a bit of planning. Happy accidents do occur, but taking time to really think about your photos and how you want them to look will go a long way in getting the result you want. Although food is considered still life, it is anything but static and can change in an instant. Ice melts, herbs wilt and meat quickly becomes dry, so plan your shoot before you even get your camera out. I like to prepare my set first so I can just place the food down right before I take the shot. The fresher the food looks, the better. Also, make sure to take photos at each stage of setting up.

4. THE YUM FACTOR Always remember the YUM factor. Every dish has at least one aspect that makes it delicious, and you want to highlight what that is. It could be the melted cheesy top of a lasagne or the creamy appearance of a raw dessert that has be out of the freezer for just the right amount of time. When you focus on making the food look great, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a heap of props to make the shot: the food is enough.

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5. GARNISH IT! Use fresh ingredients to garnish and style the shot. By using ingredients that are in the recipe, it helps you to visually tell the reader what the recipe is about. Take note of what herbs and spices are in the recipe and reserve some to garnish and style with. Things like a sliced chilli, crushed salt flakes, peppercorns, torn bread, and fresh flowers can really add to a shot, but stay away from things like whole potatoes and unprepared vegetables. Ask yourself “is it adding to the shot?” and “is it relevant?” If not, it is taking away.

Jo Anderson is a food stylist, photographer and passionate foodie. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa - she now resides with her husband and baby girl on the Gold Coast. After many years working as a cook on yachts around the world, Jo’s styling and photography talents are now sought after for ebooks, cookbooks and recipe apps. Jo is passionate about teaching all that she has learnt along her journey and helping others develop faith in their own foodie talents – something she focuses on in her in-person workshops and upcoming eCourse. www.theluminouskitchen.com

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Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. STEVE JOBS

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HOW TO COMBAT DECLINING REACH ON FACEBOOK nicky rees I often hear from people saying that they’re not getting results from their Facebook page, or their fans just aren’t seeing their posts, and they are so frustrated and confused about what they should do. Unfortunately, organic reach is in decline and it’s becoming harder to get posts seen by followers. But we must remember that Facebook still provides us with an amazing opportunity to get in front of our ideal customers, with 864 million people logging in every day and 5 new profiles being created every second. Frustrations aside, Facebook is an extremely powerful platform. So even with the constant changes and declining organic reach, how can we make the most of our Facebook page and improve results? ©

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Here are my top 7 tips that you can implement today… 1. Encourage Engagement: The more likes, comments, shares and clicks you get, the more Facebook will push your posts out into your fans’ newsfeeds. So make sure you share posts that will encourage interaction. For example, ask questions, post ‘fill in the blanks’ and inspirational quotes (people love to share these). Also, it’s so important to show your personality – people buy from people, so engage on a personal level and they’ll be much more likely to connect and interact with you. You could share behind-the-scenes posts, exciting things you are up to/working on this week, or funny post about your holiday or family dog. 2. Amazing Images: Posts with images get better organic reach and get shared the most. A great free tool to help you create your own images is Canva. It allows you to create professional looking design, and it has a template already set up for Facebook posts – so you just need to add in your image and text and you will have the perfect Facebook post all ready to go!

Search your own page or competitor’s pages. The results show you where your ideal customers are spending their time and what their interests are. Take a look at these pages and their posts – which are getting the most engagement and why? Use this to improve your own posts, and post more on topics that your fans are likely to interact with. 4. Don’t Be Too Salesy: A recent change from Facebook states that if your posts are too promotional, they are unlikely to show it in your fans’ newsfeeds. Facebook want to give their users the best experience possible, not tonnes of promotional posts. So although you should definitely still promote via your Facebook page – don’t overdo it! Try to focus more on giving your fans value – tips, resources, blogs, tools, etc. and remember the good old

3. Get Familiar With Graph Search: Graph search is a Facebook tool that helps you find out more about your ideal customers. Go to your Facebook search bar and type in ‘Pages liked by fans of (insert page name here).’ ©

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80/20 rule – share 80% valuable content and 20% promotional. 5. Share Share Share: The better content you share, the more you position yourself as an expert and gain credibility. Always make sure it’s stuff that your ideal customer is going to love (Tip: sharing content from pages with a big fan base can really help to increase your reach). Mix up your posts by sharing tips of the day, blog posts, videos, quotes and asking questions. Also, consistency is key. I aim to post 3 times a day, which works well for me, but I know lots of people post far more and some less. Have a play around and see what works best for you. 6. Build your list: Always remember that Facebook likes do not equal sales! Once your ideal customers visit your page, get them signed up to your email list. Your email list is truly the most powerful marketing tool you can have and it is so important that you focus on continually building this and sending out regular emails with content that your ideal customers will love. Once people are on your list, you have full control over your marketing. Offering fans something of value for free (an opt-in) is an effective way to build your list. 7. Use Facebook Ads: Facebook adverts allow you to get really specific with your targeting so you can ensure you are getting in front of your ideal customers. Remember our graph search? You can use info you find to target fans of pages that you know your ideal customers already like. You can target based on gender, age, location, interests and much more. You can even use a feature called ‘lookalike audiences’, which allows you to target people who are similar to those who have already liked your page. If you want to go even more in depth, look into Facebook’s power editor feature. Now it’s over to you! Make sure you take action and implement these easy tips today to improve your Facebook page and get better results.

Nicky is founder of The Small Business Marketing Goddess and is passionate about helping female business owners to unleash their inner Marketing Goddess to take their business to the next level. She wants to share her knowledge in a simple and practical way – to save others the hassle and time that she wasted and create a community so women don’t feel so alone in their business and can share their frustrations, questions and celebrate their successes. www.nickyrees.com

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Shauna H

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Interview COVER STAR

SHAUNA HAIDER

creative director, designer and veteran blogger

Shauna, what is your purpose here on this wonderful earth? Wow, that’s a big one! I think it’s always evolving as I grow and learn new things, but right now my focus is on helping creative entrepreneurs succeed. It’s that simple. Working for yourself can be hugely rewarding because there’s nothing more exciting than being in charge of your own career, but it can also be really, really scary. My goal is to help small businesses look good and feel great about what they’re offering using design services at my studio, Branch. Beyond that, I want to offer courses that give them the tools to succeed on their own terms.

How did you come to be where you are right now? It’s been a long, winding path as I’m sure it is for most people. It’s never a straight shot, is it? I started blogging back in 2001 and that opened up a whole new world to me. It allowed me to explore my creativity with no boundaries. I originally earned a degree in business with a minor in marketing and that gave me a firm foundation, but in my heart, I was always a creative person and I needed an outlet that allowed for more self-expression. After building my own design layouts for years in each of my blog posts, I enrolled in a design program so I could gain some professional training. Something clicked - I realized that design was what I’d been searching for all along and it was what I wanted to do with my life. Following graduation, I began working on branding teams at design studios by day, designing for my freelance clients by night and then waking up early to blog. ©

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The experience I gained was fantastic, but after six years of this routine, I hit a point where I couldn’t keep juggling so many things. I felt the constant pressure that I was letting someone down because there just weren’t enough hours in a day. On top of that, I knew I’d never have the time to grow my business to what it was truly capable of unless I let go of some things. Once I gave up my day job, I had the time to take on larger projects, travel more and live a more balanced existence. Now, I’m a lot happier working with clients I adore and setting my own hours. Running a design studio is both the hardest and most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done. Watching small businesses, who my studio has worked with, grow is the best feeling and I finally feel like I’ve found my place in the world.

What does your current business model look like? How did you change it from the days when you freelanced to what it is today? Branch is still very service-based with a focus on small business clients. Over the next year, this will evolve into offering more digital products so we can scale and more importantly, help more people at once.

How did you know when it was time to start hiring people, and which jobs did you start with?

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There’s a point when you hit a wall and have to accept that you just can’t physically do everything on your own. Deciding where to hire first will depend on your strengths. For me personally, I am terrible at bookkeeping so I outsourced that first, then project management and finally, I hired design help. To this day, I love designing more than anything, but once again, there’s only so much I can do with larger projects coming in. Bringing on my design assistant, Samantha, was a necessity once we signed on Rock n Roll Bride magazine over the summer. Producing 160 pages of content every other month requires some helping hands!

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What mindset shifts have you had to go through to level up in your business? What you want is completely possible to achieve. When you have those days of sitting in your office, looking out the window and wondering how everything is going to come together, you have to remember that hard work and perseverance pays off big time. There’s no such thing as a get rich quick scheme and nothing replaces practicing your craft every day.

“

out my business knowledge.

When you have those days of sitting in your office, looking out the window and wondering how everything is going to come together, you have to remember that hard work and perseverance pays off big time.

Have you engaged the services of a coach or strategist to help you grow? Or perhaps a close group of entrepreneurial friends? How has this helped you, and what would you suggest to people looking for something like this themselves? I’ve always been a bit of a lone wolf, reading and researching ideas and strategies as my business grew. I’ve never hired any outside help to coach or consult me on how to grow my business, but I do have a lot of friends in the industry that I chat with. I’m also getting more into podcasts to round ©

Overall, having a network of people who ‘get you’ is great because it gives you a sense of balance when you’re having a hard day or questioning a piece of your process. Sometimes you just need a sounding board and some reassurance!

Talk us through what typical day (or week!) in your world might look like: I usually arrive at my office in Portland between 8am and 9 am. I spend the first 15 minutes on Instagram and catching up on social media and then immediately dive into client emails. Once I’ve taken care of any urgent requests, I get going on my to-do list, which is usually client calls and delivering rounds of work. My work day usually ends between 6pm and 8 pm. Even though I’m the creative director, I still do a lot of hands-on design because that’s what I enjoy most. It’s what got me into the design field in

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the first place so I don’t want to lose touch with that skill set. One more thing - I keep a flat, weekly planner on my desk at all times and this helps me visualise where I have gaps and can fit in surprise calls and meetings. I’m a hugely visual person so it makes a big difference having this physicality out on my desk.

The work vs. life balance deal. How do you make it work? As bad as it sounds, I find downtime a bit boring. I love the thrill of a constant adventure and exploring new places so when I’m not working, I like traveling, visiting new cafes and shops and taking a lot of photos. I think it’s hard for a creative to turn off the switch completely. As far as a work vs. life balance, I’m not so sure that one exists. To me,

work is life and life is work. It’s all the same thing. But overall, it’s important to eat properly and get enough sleep. Get the basics in and you’re probably good!

What has been your most rewarding project to date, and why? I hate choosing so-called favorites because I’m proud of everything I share. I love each project for a different reason but a personal favorite is Rock n Roll Bride Magazine, an alternative wedding magazine based in the U.K. My friend Kat Williams started her business as a blog and it grew into an annual magazine a few years later. Now, my studio designs it bi-monthly and it has a huge distribution across the U.K in stores and newsstands! It’s been amazing watching the growth.

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“

As bad as it sounds, I find downtime a bit boring.

I love the thrill of a constant adventure and exploring new places so when I’m not working, I like traveling, visiting new cafes and shops and taking a lot of photos.

I think it’s hard for a creative to turn off the switch completely.

What three key lessons have you learnt in your entrepreneurial path, which continue to carry you forward? 1. There is no substitute for hard work. Design is not the easiest career path and there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs so if you want it bad enough, just dive in. Effort pays off. 2. Relationships are everything. There may be someone who comes along who is younger, faster, and cheaper than you, but your compassion and caring will keep your clients coming back. 3. Your reputation is all you have so take care of it. Do what you say you’re going to do and be a good person.

What doubts or fears have you had to face during your entrepreneurial journey? I’ve had the same ones everyone else probably does. I’m not sure they ever go away completely. Mainly, they revolve around the comparison trap. Am I good enough? Will people continue to hire me? Can I keep this pace? That’s where your support network comes in – when you have those fears creeping in, they can set you straight!

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your own thing more than you want anything else because it takes a lot of time to get noticed and then, to grow to a point that you’re self-sustaining. I would recommend working for a few design studios / agencies first before going out on your own so that you can get a better idea of structure, processes and company culture. It’s also important to get out and meet your peers face-to-face so you’re more memorable when they’re thinking of someone to refer potential clients to. Finally, perseverance pays off. Working for yourself has constant ups and downs but over time, you’ll find a sense of routine and stability. It’s all about the long haul.

shauna’s faves »» Book: It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden is timeless. »» Website: Pinterest because I need a constant dose of inspiration! »» Early morning activity: Walking with my husband, Joey and dog, Rocky. »» Late night activity: Online shopping, dreaming of new blog posts. »» Gourmet snack: A pastry from a coffee shop. I love trying new ones!

Shauna Haider is a creative director, designer and blogger based in Portland, Oregon. Over the last seven years, she’s built a reputation for herself through developing bespoke branding solutions for a roster of clients including Adidas, Forever 21, Nike, Smith Optics, Solestruck, Virgin Records and The Wall Street Journal. To date, she has successfully collaborated with upwards of 100 small businesses. Shauna pooled her family and friends together to launch Branch in September 2013. At its core, the studio focuses on helping small businesses take their brands to new heights. When Shauna isn’t designing, she travels the world teaching an in-depth branding segment at The Blogcademy. nubbytwiglet.com

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Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is. H. JACKSON BROWNE

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HOW TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTONS AS AN INTROVERT katherine mackenzie-smith

To all the more introverted (or shy, or socially awkward) people of the world, listen up. Just because you scored an ‘I’ on the Myers Briggs personality test, or you identify specifically as an introvert, that doesn’t automatically mean that you don’t like people or you can’t have beautiful friendships and connections with others. What it does mean, though, is that the relationships you have with people in your social or professional network (and how you connect and interact with them) might look different to how we’ve been taught is ‘the right way’ to build relationships. If you’re feeling flummoxed by the whole networking/connecting/meeting new people and you’re bored of feeling that your more introverted tendencies are holding you back, here are some tips to get you started.

1. Avoid ‘networking events’ like the plague. This may seem like terrible advice because networking events are presumed to be an excellent way to meet new people, however, for more introverted beings, these kind of situations are generally outside of our zone of genius. Small talk with lots of people (energy drainer), big rooms of people selling themselves to one another (awkward), connections that are basically the opposite of what we like (creating acquaintances that we will probably never both connecting with again, when we’d rather have deep and meaningful one-on-ones). Ick. Instead of getting sucked into the bright lights of a traditional-style networking event, look out for smaller, more specific events that will attract people similar to

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you without the brain drain of crowded rooms and an urgency to connect with as many people as possible.

2. Reach out online. Have you ever been in the real world and seen someone whose work you greatly admire, but you’ve been too nervous, shy, or tongue tied to express this to them? Reaching out via email to tell someone you dig their stuff is perfect for introverts. It gives you time to craft your words, read over them, and then think through any response you get before replying. No nervous blurt out, no running away without saying anything, and a great way for you to express your sentiments in a way that feels good to you. Still too bold? Share their stuff on social media. You might think the person you want to connect with is too busy and important to notice, but they will notice. And, chances are, they’ll be grateful to have someone else out there pimping their stuff. It’s such a simple and effective way to start building that connection without overthinking it and talking yourself out of it.

3. Connect with other introverted souls. This is advice that came directly to me from PR legend, Selena Soo, when I asked her what her best advice was for introverts who want to create meaningful relationships with others, but aren’t sure how. Introducing yourself to someone who is also standing awkwardly alone at a social event will help ease their discomfort (and yours). In the online world, connecting with others via Facebook groups, Instagram, #hashtags, or other digital communities gives you a common ground to start relating to each other and forming connections.

“

It would seem that after a lifetime of feeling misunderstood, introverts are using the online space to come out of hiding and connect with each other to create beautiful relationships.

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One-on-one, deep conversations are most likely your thing.

4. Embrace and slowly grow your small group of close connections. Do you have a friend, partner or family member in your life who is more extroverted? Chances are they’re always on the go, meeting people, getting texts or calls from others, or just chatting to anyone and everyone they encounter.

“

Maybe you’ve been wondering if it’s a bad thing that your life doesn’t work like this.

Here’s the thing: introverts and extroverts have strong and opposing traits that are neither good nor bad, but they are different. Accepting and understanding this is golden.

Your extrovert needs this kind of fast-paced, heavily connected lifestyle to stay stimulated and energised. You do not. Your energy comes from time spent alone and in quiet. That doesn’t mean you don’t love socialising with others, you just do it differently. ©

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One-on-one, deep conversations are most likely your thing. Your friendships and other relationships will have a different kind of depth to them over the vast network of a more extroverted person.

5. When you are meeting new people, go for quality over quantity. If you’ve been to social gatherings, business or networking events, and you’ve felt bad because you only met one or two people in a full room, you’re not alone. Oh, what a wasted opportunity, your overthinking mind might try to tell you. Especially when you saw others working the room like total pros. Yes, the strength of others may lie in lightning fast connections that they store for future follow-ups but, guess what, innie? That’s probably not your bag. Instead of focusing on who you didn’t meet or talk to, what if you instead pay attention to those you did. Touch base afterwards, follow up, deepen the connection.

“

The more you focus on strengthening the relationships you have forged, the more valuable and meaningful your small, but powerful network will become.

Admire your extroverted friends and colleagues for their unique strengths, but do not dismiss the quiet power you possess to form deep and meaningful connections.

Katherine Mackenzie-Smith is a life coach for introverts, assistant life coach trainer, writer, and speaker. As a self-confessed quiet achiever and passion-fuelled dream chaser, she’s on a mission to empower extraordinary women to step into their quiet power, discover their energetic secret sauce, and find their own way to shine in life, business, and everything in between. Connect with Katherine at katherinemackenziesmith.com and get free instant access to the League of Extraordinary Introverts group. katherinemackenziesmith.com

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THE CONFIDENCE TO BEGIN laura claire SIX KEY STEPS TO AMPING UP YOUR CONFIDENCE AND PUTTING YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL WHEELS IN MOTION. Starting something can be scary. Full of so many unknowns and ‘what ifs’ and barriers. Too often, we can feel so crippled by the thoughts of failure that we don’t even take the first step. When I first started my business, the overwhelm was ever-present, and out came those nagging little voices in my head….”You can’t do that”...”What if you fail?’...”You don’t know how to do that as well as she does”…blah blah blah. Tuning out those voices and putting one foot in front of the other changed everything for me. This is what I preach. Your first baby steps in business don’t have to be perfect. They just have to ‘be’. It’s one thing to devour the blogs, Pinterest boards and Instagram accounts of fearless babes who have gone before; it’s another thing altogether to chase after those dreams yourself. But you’ve got to.

Here are my six keys to getting your confidence up so you can put those entrepreneurial wheels in motion.

1. Write it down Now this may sound incredibly simple (almost too simple), but I speak with so many women who have the beautiful soul-led desires to start a business but haven’t yet put pen to paper. I’m not suggesting you write a 700-page business plan for the next 12 months (hell no!). Just grab a new notebook, dig out that pen and get writing. Here are some prompts to get you thinking: • Describe your business idea in three lines. • What will you sell? (Products or services) • Who do you want to ‘serve’ with your products or services? • What is your burning WHY? (Why do you want to wake up, day after PAGE 48

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day, and devote your life to this?) • How many hours do you want to pour into it per week? • What are the first five things you need to do to get started?

women who inspire you? Go big, go bold and go wild. Make a commitment to revisit this board daily.

3. Focus on the bite-sized pieces

2. Create a business vision board

Starting a business, no matter how small, requires a lot of moving parts. At times your to-do list can be pages long. Picking two or three things on your list, no matter how small, to focus on will get you moving. A business isn’t built in a day or a week, or sometimes even a year – so ditch the pressure on yourself and keep your momentum going by committing to ticking off the bite-size pieces daily.

Our brains reacts subconsciously when seeing the same images over an over; hence, the beauty of a vision board. Whether you grab old magazines or start a new Pinterest board – it’s time to put your business into pictures. What images excite you? How do you see your branding / website looking? Are there other

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4. Shout it from the rooftops! Tell the two or three people closest to you, who you know will be supportive, at a minimum. Having your business out in the open will prompt accountability from friends, and in turn, keep you feeling like you need to take action. Once people know about your plans, you’re more likely to take action on them.

5. Reach out, get support! A network of like-minded, supportive and entrepreneurial soul-sisters is luckily only a click away. Your entrepreneurial adventure need not be a solo one and getting support goes a long way in building your confidence and growing your business. Whether it’s a coach, a mentor, a business group in your community or

a Facebook group online, make sure you’re getting support along your journey.

6. Make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! You are the biggest key to success in your business. Back yourself. Believe it’s possible and make a daily commitment to grow - personally and professionally. Whether it’s learning the art of meditation or gearing up your time-management skills, growing and improving yourself is the best thing you can do. Commit to ‘you’, and watch what unfolds in your business!

You’ve got this business idea bubbling up inside you….isn’t it time you gave it life? What’s the best that could happen?

Laura Claire is a life coach, writer, entrepreneurial cheerleader, speaker and business coach for young women. She is on a heart-led mission to help driven women to create lives they love and ooze passion for; teaching women to live from a place of 100% authenticity and purpose. Through her 1+1 coaching, retreats, workshops and writing, Laura Claire is deeply driven in the gentle art of encouraging and fostering confidence and bold living. www.lauraclaire.com

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DIANA CHARABIN

Tiny Devotions Following her heart to yoga teacher training in Bali, Diana fell in love with mala beads - also known as prayer or meditation beads. She returned home to start Tiny Devotions, her wildly successful accessory company loved by spirit-seekers and intentional women the world over.

ÂŠ

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Interview TINY DEVOTIONS

DIANA CHARABIN

the self-confessed master delegator shares her biz story

Let’s jump right in. Diana, what is your purpose here on this wonderful earth? Wow, you’re really starting with the big one ;) My purpose is to know myself 100%, live authentically, and create amazing products and experiences for people who light them up and inspire them to live to their highest potential and know themselves fully.

Have you always been entrepreneurial? What led you to starting your first business? I come from an entrepreneurial family, so I think it’s in my blood. That said, I ended up going to law school and I realized during my studies that being a lawyer wasn’t for me. I went on a really deep soul searching mission that lead me to a yoga teacher training in Bali and that’s where I discovered my obsession with mala beads.

What is the intention behind Tiny Devotions? Tiny Devotions is all about intentional accessories for dreamers, doers and manifesters. It’s about connecting people to their intentions and helping them manifest their dreams.

How have you dealt with the incredible growth of Tiny Devotions? What difficulties have you faced, and what mindset shifts have you encountered as you and the company expanded?

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The growth of Tiny Devotions has definitely been a spiritual journey - it has had so many levels and so many lessons. Most days I feel like it’s the first day and I’m starting from the beginning - there are always so many things to learn.

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To be honest - everything has been difficult. From our first product collection, to our first website, to first hires! It was all completely new territory.

Every day I feel like my mindset shifts... I feel more expansive, more fearless and I think bigger each day. It’s been a very incremental but slow process :)

What led you to start additional businesses (including real estate, jewelry, men’s accessories and finance), and how have you created the space to explore these new areas? When I met my husband he was heavily into real estate and I got really interested in that space. We ended up doing a real estate development shortly after that and I dived head first into asset management and real estate following his lead. While we were dating we started www. coleandaparker.co because he is super passionate about socks and social enterprise. Finally about a year ©

ago my family got together and put our passions together and started a lending company doing private mortgages for residential, commercial, land and development - it’s so fun as it combines my love for real estate and creatively putting deals together. We saw an opportunity in the market as interest rates were low and banks were getting tight. I love the lending business - it’s so different than anything I’ve ever done and it’s such a rush putting a big deal together. Thankfully, I have a great team, am a master delegator and am really good at time management. That said, I still get burnout and have to invest a lot of time in self-care to do it. Recently, we decided to simplify and let go of some of our properties and projects. I’m PAGE 53

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really intentional about what I say yes to and am very aware of my energy levels so although I do a lot - I have a lot of space too.

Do you feel like your multi-passionate nature has been an asset? Yes and no! I think people with one focus can be way more successful sometimes. That said - it just doesn’t suit my personality and I’ve figured out how to be successful in a few areas at the same time. Not everything I’ve tried has worked out though. Sometimes I test things and see whether they stick or not.

How do you make the work/life balance happen? I do a lot of self-care and I have a big dream team (in addition to great employees)! I have a life coach, business coach, spiritual coach, personal trainer, massage therapist, reflexologist and more! I take daily salt baths, sleep well, exercise and eat really healthy, take most weekends and evenings off! ©

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Besides that, I’m usually hustling really hard!

Talk us through what typical day (or week!) in the Diana Charabin world might look like: Every week is pretty different - I live between a few different places but the similarities are that I usually have a lot of different internal business meetings, social meetings and business development meetings outside of the office. Beyond that you can find me on my computer for many hours of the week, walking my dog, at the gym, on a plane or hanging out with friends drinking a glass of vino. I’m really execution focused so I’m always doing whatever I can do push big deals and projects forward on a daily basis.

What has been your most rewarding project to date, and why? I’m so lucky that my first company

Tiny Devotions has been successful. I know many people have to go through a lot of failures behind finding a success. I’m so proud of what I’ve created at tinydevotions.com and the impact we have had literally creating an entire industry.

What three key lessons have you learnt in your entrepreneurial path, which continue to carry you forward? So many lessons! Top three: 1. Always deliver. Whether it’s shipping a package, responding to an important email or hitting ‘launch’. Don’t delay - always make sure the ball is on the other side of the court. So few people execute that just getting it done will make you so much further ahead than most people. 2. Delegate. You can’t grow if you are doing everything. At the beginning of Tiny Devotions I did everything over time I got really good at finding people who could take on the tasks that I didn’t need to do so I could move on to bigger things. It sounds basic and so many people struggle with this. You can’t grow if you’re still the person doing the shipping and customer service emails. 3. Surround yourself with rockstars. Whether it’s the person you marry, your friends, your employees or your peers. Make sure you surround

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yourself with brilliant people - they will rub off on you and make you smarter, more creative and more successful.

What doubts or fears have you had to face during your entrepreneurial journey? I used to really wonder if I was living my purpose and put too much pressure on myself to find “the perfect thing.” Now I really understand that my purpose is to live the highest expression of myself and grow each day. I’ve put way less pressure on myself to figure out everything. It’s all about progress... not perfection.

What advice would you give to someone who would love to create multiple businesses? Don’t do it! Just kidding. But really - starting one business is hard as it is. Make sure you perfect the first one before moving on to multiple!

diana’s faves »» Book: Loving Cameron Herold’s “Double Double” right now. »» Website: I’m so boring. I kind of like the news. Huffington Post haha! »» Early morning activity: Coffee, journalling, surfing the web ;) »» Late night activity: Watching Prison Break with my husband. »» Gourmet snack: Cupcakes.... chocolate. Yum.

Diana Charabin is the co-founder of Cole and Parker, which makes fun, bright, colourful socks that help entrepreneurs in the developing world through Kiva. They like to say that their socks start businesses. She is also the founder of Tiny Devotions, who sell intentional accessories for dreamers, doers and manifesters all around the world through online and wholesale distribution. She is also a partner and lender at ADJ Holdings. Champion of tennis, attempting to surf and awesomeness. Former lawyer. Lover of Labradors. www.lovetinydevotions.com

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Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive AND GO DO IT. HOWARD THURMAN

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AN EVENING ROUTINE FOR NON-MORNING PEOPLE carla da costa

Let me make a confession. I am a night owl. For as long as morning routines have been associated with blissful states of mind, success and good time management I have found myself fighting against my own natural rhythm. Trying to be a morning person. Setting the alarm clock a little earlier each week. Aiming to wake with the sun to exercise, meditate and start my day off in the best possible way. However, my mind or body has never been at it’s sharpest at 5.30am. Ever. My evenings are when I’m most relaxed and do my best work. It’s when creativity strikes, ideas flow and candlelight or dim lighting makes me feel calm and at peace. When I recently let go of feeling that I ‘should’ be a morning person, I was able to create my own evening ritual; one that supports me in both my work and in my self-care. An evening routine that feels easy, enjoyable and ends my day on a high note - doing what I love in an environment I enjoy.

How To Create Your Evening Routine Turn Off The TV Without realising it, it’s easy to spend your whole evening watching shows that you didn’t even intend to watch. Choose (and plan) to only watch the shows you

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love. It means that when I do sit down to watch my favourite shows that it feels like an occasion for me - one that I actually really enjoy and relish.

Get Comfortable

a screen if I can, particularly as it gets closer to my bedtime. Instead, I make sure I always have a good book on hand and something I want to write, create or study.

Prepare

For me that means a cup of herbal tea, blankets, my favourite music playing in the background, my salt lamp on or a candle burning. Create an environment that suits the mood you want to be in. I aim for relaxed, positive, creative and thoughtful.

Before I head to bed, I prepare my todo list for the next day. Brain dumping my thoughts and to-dos onto paper helps me to relax and unwind â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and it helps me to be more productive the next day.

Read. Write. Create

Unwind, Journal and Meditate

I make a conscious effort to really limit the amount of time spent in front of

We all know the power and benefits of gratitude and meditation. When I

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do go to bed I allow time to meditate for 10 minutes. I also keep a small journal on my bedside table for writing in before I turn off my light. I journal what I am grateful for, my thoughts and affirmations. All of this is done with the intention of going to sleep on a positive note, much like a morning person intends to wake on a positive, composed note. Whether in the morning or the evening, I believe this kind of daily practice is rejuvenating for body and mind.

Lights Out Set a bedtime for yourself. I can’t stress this one enough. I can get several ‘second winds’ if I stay up too late. I find myself up until the early hours of the morning, brain ticking and unable to wind down. It’s not sustainable or balanced. While I like to stay up late, I don’t like or have the opportunity to wake midmorning or whenever I feel like it. Most nights I aim to be in bed by 10.30pm and lights out by 11pm.

“

While being a morning person certainly has benefits, it’s also important to remember that the early bird doesn’t always have to be the one who catches the worm.

Stop fighting your own natural rhythm and start listening to your body.

If you are more creative, productive and relaxed in the evenings, know that you can achieve just as much as any morning person might who wakes blissful and alert with the birds.

Carla Da Costa is a life coach and creative living in Perth, Western Australia. Carla guides women to see the possibility and opportunity already present in themselves and in their lives. She leaves her clients with a greater sense of direction, personal fulfillment, inner happiness, and self-confidence. Carla is also the creator of #instagramforgratitude a photo a day challenge that inspires people with daily prompts to capture the gratitude in their day. www.carladacosta.com

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10 BUSINESS LESSONS FROM MY FIRST YEAR anastasia amour Last year, when I left my agency gig to start my own creative business, I really had no idea what I was about to launch into. I had no strategy, no plan for finding clients and no targets. To say that I was naïve about the process would be an understatement! Now, with a year of business experience behind me, I’ve learned a lot and I’ve learned it fast. Through trial and error, success and failure, learning and unlearning… I’ve built a successful business for myself and begun to craft a life that I love.

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from my first year as a solopreneur: 1. Scheduling is paramount. At first, the prospect of working for myself seemed like one big-ol’ free for all. No pants! Working in front of the TV! Completing my deadlines at my leisure! So much time for activities! But a good 2-weeks of no set schedule soon had me flipping out, wondering where my days went and how on earth I managed to spend 2-hours doing the ironing between my work tasks, but only 1 hour of actual business.

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2. Learning is important, but implementing what you’ve learned is even more important. I wanted to take ALL of the business building courses. I watched lectures upon lectures, had my office filled to the brim with completed worksheets and sported hands and wrists with ink stains from meticulously reworking everything I’d jotted down. But all that left me with was -4 hours per day, worksheets all over my office, messy hands and a business that was still no better off than when I started. I was so relentless in my pursuit for knowledge that I forgot to schedule in time to, y’know, actually put that knowledge into practice. And that brings me to my next point….

3. Don’t let the fear of making mistakes stop you from trying anything. You WILL make mistakes. That’s a fact. But in doing so, you’ll learn and in my experience, you’ll learn the crucial lessons far faster if you dive in fearlessly and make the mistakes than if you sit on the sidelines trying to make sure that everything is perfect. I gathered all this knowledge from courses and lectures and worksheets and theoretically, I knew the lessons back to front. I thought I had everything downpat. But it wasn’t until I actually scheduled some time to put those lessons into practice in my own business that I realised that I needed more work. And in hindsight, I’m so glad I did fail at those lessons – because they reminded me that we’re all in a constant state of learning, failing and trying – and that’s okay.

4. Saying “no” will build you a better business. In my personal life, I’m pretty dang awesome about saying “no” to things: birthday parties, social events, obligations… you name it, I’ve said no to it! But my first few months in business? Oooh boy, was I ever a pushover!

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“

I said “yes” to clients that I didn’t want (because the whole “What if I don’t make money?” fear got to my head), to business partnerships that I knew weren’t right for me, to taking on more than my schedule would allow and to “favours” that soon became unprofitable.

If that niggling voice in the back of your head tells you that you don’t really want to take an opportunity, listen to it. You’re not obligated to take every opportunity that knocks on your door.

(Side note: It’s also okay to say “yes” to opportunities that you feel right about, even if you don’t know what comes next).

5. Be very clear on why you’re doing what you’re doing. It can’t just be about the money. It can’t. Write down your focus and stick it somewhere where you can see it daily – it will help, trust me.

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And don’t fall into the trap of thinking that it’s “too soon” to make long term business goals or that you don’t need them. You do need them. You need them now.

you KNOW you’re worth. Not the cheapest price that you think will hook people in, and not the most ridiculous, overly inflated price that you think Kim K would charge if she were you – but the price that’s justified.

6. Spend time living. It’s pretty natural to feel that the longer that you spend tethered to your computer working on your business, the further you’ll go. But woman: you NEED to go outside. You need to have coffee dates that are unrelated to your business. You need to go shopping. You need to spend time with your loved ones and watch movies and pick flowers and sleep in on weekends. You do. The longer you deny yourself the liberty of doing anything other than working on your business, the more you’ll lose sight of your overall goals and the more you’ll lose that passion and zest that got you started in the first place.

Ask yourself these questions early on.

8. Get comfortable with the gritty, unglamourous elements of business. For some reason, I completely neglected to realise that in starting my own biz, I’d be up to my ears in accounting. Needless to say, it hit me by surprise that there would be elements of business that I’d have to do that I wouldn’t necessarily like.

7. Know your value, and charge it. You want to appeal to people because they see you as a professional and valuable service, right? And you don’t want people to see you as an elcheapo, “you get what you pay for” option… correct? Then you need to charge what ©

To establish this price, you need to do your research – what are your competitors charging? Do you think this is fair? Is the service that you provide better/of greater value than your competitors? What would your ideal client be happy to spend on your service?

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Accounting. Chasing up late payments. Finding leads. All parts of business that I’m not particularly fond of, but they’re necessary. Find a way to make the parts of business that you don’t like fun – and you’ll end up strangely enjoying them in time. ISSUE

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9. Allow yourself to feel stressed. The idea that you’ll be the coolest business owner ever, sipping lattes over an issue of Vogue as you effortlessly breeze through your morning emails is appealing, for sure. And some days might be like that. But don’t freak out if your days aren’t like that. Acknowledge that there will be days where you wake up to a total client shitstorm that needs fixing before you’ve had time to make a coffee or put on a bra. There will be days where you have no emails. There will be days when you’ve got a killer headache and are feeling too thinly spread. That’s okay. Learn from those days. Know what your ideal day entails and find a way to make that happen more often.

10. Master the art of productive procrastination. In those moments where you’re sick of working and just need a break, it’s very tempting to go veg out and do nothing. And while that can work sometimes, more often than not you’ll return from your work break to find that you’re even further behind on your deadlines and more stressed than when you left. If you need to procrastinate a task, do it productively – that is, spend the time on another area of your business that’s “easier” to work on. That way, you’re still achieving things and furthering your business, all while tricking yourself into thinking that you’re taking some time off. Win-win!

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