EDITOR’S NOTES
Kate McKibbin When we decided on this topic, Blog/Life Balance for this the fourth issue of the SBBMag, Carly and I both laughed a little too loud, for a little too long. Because to be really honest, neither of us, no matter how hard we try, have managed to nail this yet. It’s an ongoing work in progress. And it’s a really tricky thing, because all the stuff we do for our blogs – writing, reading, photography, design, playing on Facebook. These all used to be the fun stuff we did to recharge. And yes, we both still love doing all these things, but they do lose a bit of their magical, body& soul-replenishing properties when you HAVE to do them. So, now what? Well one of the biggest things for me, was actually closing down my first blog (Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily), to just focus here on SBB (and you know, have an occasional weekend away from the computer). And I’m sharing exactly why I did that, and why it’s actually one of the best decisions I’ve ever made on page 4. And the rest… well I hear Beyonce-Yoga is now a thing? Maybe I’ll try that!
Carly Jacobs I feel very weird writing an editor’s letter about blog/life balance because I just don’t even know what that is. After chatting to our wonderful contributors this month though, I do feel a bit better about falling asleep with my phone stuck to my face. The internet is hard guys and it’s a big slobbery beast that needs constant feeding. This doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with it though - it just means you need to tame it. Take a digital detox, do something on the internet not blog related or simply do something not on the internet. No one wins if you burn yourself out. This issue is packed with awesome advice from some BIG players who manage to run successful net based businesses without losing their freaking minds. They are very clever but they also know how important it is to take care of themselves. On that note, Kate and I are off to drink some well deserved wine because when you tick off the last thing on your #sbbmag to do list, what else is there to do but wine? Catch you next issue!
Happy blogging, xo 1
CONTENTS
3 4 7
23
GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER A few things to think about this August/September.
29
BULLSHIT RELAXY THINGS
8 16
This month we have the green smoothie goddess Jadah Sellner sharing her wisdom on work life balance and the magic of slamming a glass of green every day.
31 36
WE LOVE…
39
YOU TELL US!
BALANCING ACT We’ve picked out the best balancing apps to keep your life on track.
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INTERNET ABSTAINER
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NOT ABOUT BLOGGING
Carly went without the internet for a full 48 hours. What happened next will shock you…
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BLOGGER
PRACTICAL PERFECTION
Kate made me keep this headline. It’s visceral don’t you think?
GREEN QUEEN
Don’t you just hate super organised people? Well you won’t hate Katrina Springer - she’s a productivity and organisation guru and she’s also super nice. You’ll love her.
Latte darling. Lunch sweetie. Champagne honey. SELFIE!!!!
SAYING GOODBYE TO YOUR BLOG Why I decided to close my successful blog - by Kate McKibbin.
ORGANISATION NATION
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Are you a perfectionist? Is it harder than it looks? Then you’ll love the chat we had with Kelly Exeter who has some awesome tips on how to balance it all when you’re a little Type A.
Studio DIY. Seriously this blog is like you got punched in the face with a piñata.
What do you do to switch off? We asked a few of our boss business ladies how they do it.
HOW TO… plan a digital detox. It’s something I think most bloggers are crap at so I put together a wee little guide.
We get this magazine is about blogging but if you’re sick of talking about blogging these podcasts are just the ticket.
page 8
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WHAT’S HAPPENING?
september & october SEPTEMBER 25 - 27 FOODBLOGGER CONNECT London, UK
SEPTEMBER 11
OCTOBER 10
PATRIOT DAY
CANADIAN THANKSGIVING
United States OCTOBER 16 TEACHER’S DAY SEMPTEMBER 9 – 11 PROBLOGGER CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 31 HALLOWEEN
Gold Coast Australia TAX TIME - AUSTRALIA SEPTEMBER 25 – 27 FOODBLOGGER CONNECT OCTOBER 1 WORLD VEGETARIAN DAY
FALL NORTHERN HEMISPHERE SPRING SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE 3
WHY I DECIDED TO CLOSE MY SUCCESSFUL BLOG Kate McKibbin Today is kind of a big day for me. You see today is the day I "officially" shut down my first blog, Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily. And it's a really happy, and really sad thing.
I was also going through a divorce, so didn't really want to make any more big life decisions right at that time.
So bear with me if this article makes absolutely no sense.
So I just ignored that nagging feeling I kept getting that maybe it was time for a change.
The idea to close down DDG first started to pop in and out of my consciousness about two years ago, after I had just started Secret Blogger's Business (which I was loving every minute of, but I didn't feel like I had the time or mental space to really invest in it like I wanted to).
Time to do the next "big scary thing�. Time to make space for something new.
But DDG was doing so well (we were averaging about half a million visitors a month and growing), I thought I would have to be crazy to even consider getting rid of it, let alone closing it down.
Then weirdly I started to notice a lot of other bloggers, most who had also been blogging for a similar time as me, also starting to wind down their blogs. Or step away. Or change direction completely. Maybe there is a seven-year itch for blogging too? Who knows! But I pushed it down, and carried on. Fast forward about 18 months and that same nagging feeling refused to be ignored any more.
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We were stuck in the middle of working with a total nightmare ad client, the latest in a string of pretty soul-destroying adclient based experiences. And after one particularly unpleasant phone call, I just heard a little voice in my head say "No more!" And this time I listened. Now of course my first impulse was "You have to sell it, you're going to look like a total failure if you don't sell it!" And I did start looking down that path. But again, my gut was just not on board. And I was beginning to see that not listening to my gut never did me any favours. So I realised that while it was no longer the right thing for me to be running my blog anymore, and I would be very sad to see it close, I just couldn't bear the thought of someone else coming and ruining it (or making it more of a success either if I am really honest). Kind of like when you stay friends with an ex on Facebook, and then have to watch him make duck-faces and babies with someone new. It's still always kind of hanging around and I wouldn't get that closure I was craving. Sure, the money would have been nice. But it wasn't about that anymore
And after one particularly unpleasant phone call, I just heard a little voice in my head say "No more!"
I realized. It was about doing what was right for me. And right then I knew what I needed, after nine years of working pretty much 24/7, was peace and a bit of space to re-charge. And more than that (because I do not have an off switch), I needed the space to allow new opportunities and ideas to come my way. And the only way to really achieve that was to say good bye to my first business. The blog that started as just a bit of a "Wouldn't it be cool if..." idea back in 2007. The blog which took me all around the world. Which introduced me to some of my closest and dearest friends. Which forced me to grow, and learn and evolve as a person so much more than I ever would have if I hadn't taken the leap. Hadn't decided, "why not!" And yes.... which made me more money than my full-time job ever could. I even "practised" what it would feel like a bit, when I went to a conference earlier this year, I introduced my self to everyone by saying "I used to run a blog called DDGdaily", just to see how it felt. And it felt really good. So yep, it was time to jump again. 5
And I did. About 8 weeks ago. The worst bit was definitely telling my awesome staff, the girls who have made coming in to work an absolute pleasure these last few years (because yes sadly it did mean some of them lost their jobs as well). But you have to do the tough things in business sometimes. And the moment I did it. After I had that awful meeting I had been dreading. After a few tears and hugs all round. It was like a 100kg weight had lifted from my shoulders and I pretty much skipped out of the office. And while over the next 8-weeks we all worked together to go through the process of shutting down the business (not as simple as you'd think!). I was also going through a bit of a mourning period, and saying my goodbyes. And now, with the last to-do done (announcing it to our readers and fans), well now I feel like a glass of wine, some chocolate and a hug. But I also feel very, very excited for what the future holds. And finally, my gut does too!
In loving memory of Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily - 2007-2016 âœť
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CHERRY TIME - Keep track of your naps with this little cherry bomb strapped to your wrist.
FRUIT PYJAMA SET By ASOS $51.92 asos.cm
PINEAPPLE SOCK by Urban Outfitters $8.06 urbanoutfitters.com
TASTY TOES - Keep your little piggies toasty warm with these pineapple socks. We think they’d look pretty spiffy with a pair of sandals too.
FRUITY WOOZE Get comfy and chillax in these fruity little PJs from ASOS. Pink pineapples forever.
8.59AM By May28th $39.00 downthatlittlelane.com. au
crushin'
FRUITY RELAXY THINGS This issue is all about work/life balance so here’s a bunch of relaxation crap to help you melt your cares away. SPRING DRINK BOTTLE by CottonOn $5.00 cottonon.com
BANANA EYE MASK By hannahdoodle $17.88 etsy.com
PEAR CUSHION By CottonOn Kids $17.46 cottonon.com.
BANANARAMA - Wrap this fruity little light blocker around your noggin and get some serious rest. If you don’t have a sleep mask, get one. Game changer. For real. Rest your wee little head on this cutie. Maybe have some cheese? And wine? Is it Friday yet??? Stay hydrated. WATER-Melon style.
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Green
JADAH SELLNER Meet the green smoothie goddess. Jadah Sellner. She shares her wisdom on work life balance and the magic of slamming a glass of green every day. 8
You’ve launched an incredibly successful business teaching people how to make healthy choices with simple green smoothies how do you stay on top of everything? Something that I always say is that we all have to start at zero but we don't do this alone. I really believe in surrounding yourself with people who not only believe in your dreams but will help you bring those visions to life. For me with Simple Green Smoothies, I cofounded the business with my business partner, Jen Hansard. We were able to move so much faster in serving our community and tribe because there were two of us putting our heart, our sweat, our smarts, our hustle, into making something beautiful and world changing. Currently I am also building a movement around a tribe of world changers, and again I have my amazing right hand, Michele, helping build the foundation of that next level in my business. Build a team to support your strengths and your vision. 'If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.' ~ African proverb.
Tell us more about when you first launched the business? Where did the idea come from? Did you have any false starts? My first business was something my husband and I started together; a brick and mortar business in Kauai called Little Sprouts Playhouse. We didn’t have college degrees, or a background in business or marketing or anything like that. We just had a desire to build a business with the flexibility to spend more time with our daughter. The business did well but it wasn't aligned with what we truly wanted to create in the world. So we shut it down and moved into my inlaws’ house in California. I call this my #worstcasescenario because we moved back home with no money and a lot of debt from starting and closing our first business. That all changed when I was introduced to green smoothies that summer, in 2011. I didn't know that Simple Green Smoothies was actually going to be a business, it became my own healthy habit that I had to share with everyone that I cared about. It wasn't until about a year after I had my first green smoothie that we started an Instagram account called @simplegreensmoothies and started sharing healthy recipes that my family, and my business partner’s family, had fallen in love with. The movement started to spread as we started to engage with our community on Instagram. We originally had a parenting website called FamilySponge.com and realized it wasn’t just moms following Simple Green Smoothies on Instagram. In November of 2012 we created a website to support the movement and the excitement of the community that we had built on Instagram.
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There were many times I should have given up because things were not working out as planned and on my ideal timeline. When we first started, no one was commenting on our social media accounts except my mom and other family members. I believe that when you create something, do not give up on your dream. I knew what I wanted to create and why I wanted to create it. I wanted an online business where I had the flexibility and freedom to spend more time with my family and to travel the world. I was not attached to how it was going to happen or when . Originally the plan was the play and learning center for kids in Kauai, and then it was the parenting blog that I thought would be successful and it wasn't. It wasn't until Simple Green Smoothies that we experienced success, so there were definitely many false starts. Don't get attached to how it will happen and when it will happen. I believe that we should not put a timeline on our dreams. Commit to the journey of creating what you want to share with the world.
@simplegreensmoothies
What are your top 3 tips for keeping a healthy work/life balance? Any unusual things you do to keep yourself at peak performance level? I love to dance it out, get out of my mind and into my body. If I'm feeling stuck and my brain can't think, can't create, can't problem solve, then I like to go to a dance class or put on three of my favorite feel good songs and just dance it out in the living room, really shaking up the energy and moving my body. Another thing that I love to do is kickstart my day with morning snuggles with my daughter. Just hugs and kisses and lots of love, reminding me why I do what I do. I would say the third thing is something that my family and I have started, unplugging together from 6:00pm to 9:00pm during the weekdays. That's our space to really put our time and attention on the family and on the home. Of course, drinking green smoothies keeps me energized and getting those fruits and veggies in my body on a consistent basis.
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How important do you think self care is in running a successful business? How has this philosophy impacted your life as an entrepreneur? I really believe that if you want to stay in the entrepreneurship game for the long run, you have to put yourself at the top of your to do list. I know that it's a consistent pattern for many entrepreneurs, including myself, where we're so ambitious and so committed to serving our community and changing the world that we can get really lost and obsessed with the work that we do. I try to find those moments to pause and double down on selfcare. A few times a year I'll dedicate an entire day to reprioritizing all the things that I need to feel good and take care of myself. It can be making sure I have massages and acupuncture on the schedule, lots of social dates with friends, really connecting and getting stuff on the calendar to spend time with my family, or having that quiet downtime for myself. I’ll make sure that I'm getting my doctor's appointments in and taking care of things that take care of me. Treat your selfcare like you treat your business. Look for coaches who have gotten the results you want and have an accountability group to keep you focused in sharing your wins and your struggles. I’ve recently joined a fitness mastermind group, and it’s been gamechanging for my health. You are the driver in your business and you need that focus and fuel to keep going.
“It wasn't until Simple Green Smoothies that we experienced success, so there were definitely many false starts.”
You run your business with your mate, Jen Hansard what are your thoughts on successful business partnerships and how to keep them joyful and productive? I run my business, Simple Green Smoothies, with my partner in kale and cofounder, Jen Hansard. Successful partnerships thrive on being clear about roles, responsibilities and expectations. When we first started the business, we sent each other an email outlining what we were committed to bringing to the table, so we could run full force in our own lanes. As the partnership became more mature and comfortable, just like in a relationship, you start to create those fuzzy lines of not being clear who makes the decisions on what, which can take up a lot of time in going back and forth. After a couple of years and as we grew in our roles, we reassessed the business needs, hired a team to take some things off our plate that we originally started doing, which in turn created new roles and responsibilities for our day to day tasks. We also work with a business coach that helps us in the soul of our business, our partnership, and our relationship with one another. Then we have a business coach who helps us look at the big picture, the strategy, the numbers and the metrics. It helps to bring people on board to help you with pieces that you may not be an expert in. Some of our most important hires before even hiring business coaches –– customer service support, project manager, and a bookkeeper.
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“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” You have lots of things going on speaking gigs, community management for Simple Green Smoothies, future project development do you have any advice for people who have several big things running at the same time?
creative gifts and talents because the day to day responsibilities of building a business is not always fun and sexy. For me that was starting a side project of growing my personal brand, jadahsellner.com. I love to speak; I love to motivate; I love to share stories and inspire. I’m super passionate Yes. I believe in planning your projects on a about sharing what I've learned and help quarterly basis. We've done this since the people to take imperfect action towards very beginning of Simple Green their own dreams. Smoothies. At the end of each quarter, we decide what one to three big projects we’ll For some people, this will probably look a be saying yes to for the next three months. lot different. It may not be starting an This really helps us say no to everything entirely different project or business. You else. As your business grows there are so want to make sure that you're not many more opportunities that come your dedicating all your hours to your full time way, so really committing and saying out entrepreneurial endeavors –– put some of loud, "Here are the one to three projects that creative energy into other places. You that we're saying yes to," keeps us really want to find things that you’re excited and focused. passionate about outside of the business. It could be pouring time and energy into As a creative, I think it's important to have being a mother, or taking on a new a heart project on the side too. This allows language. 12 you to be in your full expression of your
You don’t have to start a whole separate business to do that. And of course hire help! We’ve systemized many things in Simple Green Smoothies, so that the core of the business can be run by our team, and I have someone who manages my calendar to help me stay on top of all the opportunities that come my way for my personal brand. You can’t work on this many projects without support.
Do you have any killer advice for people starting businesses right now? What’s the one thing they should concentrate on? I believe diving deep into the research phase of getting to know who you want to serve and how you can help solve their problems. This happens through googling, checking out Amazon reviews, looking at leaders in your industry and what their customers are saying, surveying and listening to your ideal customer. A lot of people that I see starting businesses tend to skip the market research portion of learning about what problem needs to be solved, and which problems you're excited to solve. Finding the sweet spot in between those is key. If you have an idea and you think you have a problem that you want to solve, I highly recommend looking at Amazon reviews. Look at those five star reviews of what people are loving about something and then those one and two star reviews of what people are saying isn't great or that they're struggling with or they wish there was more information about. Another way that you can do research is looking at your competitors and going onto their social media feeds and reading their website comments.
“Something that my family and I have started, unplugging together from 6:00pm to 9:00pm during the weekdays.”
See what their readers and followers are saying that they love and things that they're saying they want more of. The last thing I would suggest is hopping on the phone and actually interviewing people. Listen, take notes and really get into their beliefs and the words they use to describe what they're struggling with and what problems they want solved.
Are you working on anything else right now? Any fun stuff in the works? Yes, I'm working on a course called Build Your Challenge to help people grow their tribe with simple challenges that increase community engagement. We've been able to grow our list from 385,000 email subscribers. We did this by effectively spreading the word about our challenges and getting people to commit to drinking one green smoothie a day. I've helped many other people create their own challenges and grow their emails lists too. Challenges are a transformative free experience for people to learn more about your business and how you can help them. I'm really excited to share the step by step strategy on how to love up on your tribe through online challenges. You can learn more about that at jadahsellner.com/buildyourchallenge. 13
QUICKIES My favourite breakfast food is…gluten free avocado toast with a fried egg sprinkled with red crushed pepper, some sea salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. I’m loving watching…Silicon Valley on HBO. It is hilarious. It's by the creators of Beavis and Butthead, really good acting, clever comedy and great actors that are talking about the world of starting a business –– super funny. You couldn’t pay me enough money to… start a business that wasn't aligned with my values and what I'm passionate about. I really believe in building businesses with love and integrity. My perfect evening includes… a night with candles lit, a glass of red wine, a fireplace, and cozy conversations with friends. If I won the lottery the first thing I would buy is… a million dollar home in cash. I have my eye on a few houses in the neighborhood that I live in and love. I want to include a home office studio where my husband could make music and I could record videos and podcasts –– our creative cave!
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It’s only by saying ‘NO’ that you can concentrate on the things that are really
IMPORTANT STEVE JOBS
secretbloggersbusiness.com 15
we love
OUR TOP 5 APPS
TO HELP YOU TOTALLY NAIL YOUR WORK/LIFE BALANCE Yoga Studio Take It With You Yoga This is perfect for travellers or anyone who needs easy, portable and relaxing movement in their lives. It’s easy to use, totally trackable and you can set it at your own pace. Even if you’re not that into yoga, it can be such a positive addition to a travel routine. Dreamdays Countdown App This is a very simple but very effective app. The main premise is that you choose an occasion you’re looking forward to and it creates a count down for you. It might be your birthday, an anniversary, the start of a new job you’re really excited about. The point is that sits there as a gentle reminder that good days are coming. How lovely is that?
Smiling Mind Mini Meditation I’ve tried quite a few meditation apps and honestly, I find most of them hilarious. I only meditate under duress or if I’m really desperate and most guided meditations are just so freaking funny, I can’t cope. If you’re new to meditation or you struggle with it, Smiling Mind is a very accessible and non-scary way of getting into mindfulness. It’s also not distracting at all like some other apps with breathy voiced chants and symbols dinging in the background.
Alarmy (Sleep If U Can) Very Effective Alarm Clock App This one isn’t quite as lovely and soulsoothing as the other ones but I think some of you might find it quite handy. Basically it’s the most annoying alarm in the world. Instead of just turning off when you hit a button you have to choose the correct image, enter a passcode or correctly answer a trivia question. The premise is that it gives you a difficult task to complete to get out of your deep sleep phase.
Negative Shield Positive Thinking Hypnos This one is a bit different to regular meditation apps as it focuses purely on negative thinking. Even the most positive of positive people need a bit of a pick me up sometimes and this app is perfect for helping get rid of those pesky blues. Your mood can affect everything, especially your down time so don’t let a negative work week infiltrate your rest time. Pew-pew that negative energy away with this sweet as app. ✻ 17
WHAT IT’S LIKE FOR A BLOGGER TO GO WITHOUT THE INTERNET FOR 48 HOURS Carly Jacobs PROS You stop caring about your phone really quickly.
I’ve been writing on the internet for 10 years now. That’s a really, really
long time. I’ve never taken long service leave or even a day off unless I’m on a plane overseas or somewhere without internet but I try pretty hard to not go places without internet. I’m a blogger so the internet is like oxygen for me. Recently I decided to try going for a whole weekend without it, just to see if I could. From Friday night to Sunday night - no Facebook, Snapchat, Google, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube. I was super cocky leading up to my weekend off and then I totally panicked, updating Facebook, Twitter and Instagram like a mad woman. Here’s an honest re-cap of how I went.
There are only so many times you can grab your phone and realise the internet is disabled on it. I ended up leaving my phone off the entire weekend and it sat, untouched on a shelf the whole time. Without the internet it’s just a stupid phone and I hate talking on the phone so it became a very expensive decorator item for the weekend. You sleep better. I read books for most of the weekend and watched minimal television so by the time I went to bed both nights I’d had almost no screen time. I haven’t fallen asleep that easily since I was a child. I was quite saddened by this actually and it tightened 18 my resolve to go screen free at 9pm every night.
You get out of bed easily.
Ben - ‘I have no reaction. It’s a cup of tea!’
I don’t sleep with my phone in my room but sometimes I’m a bit sneaky and I’ll go out to the lounge room and bring it back to bed with me. With my internet free weekend there was no option to do this so I just got up and read my book instead. It was so healthy and wholesome I wanted to punch myself in the face.
Me - ‘You never loved me did you, you heartless robot?’
CONS If you do something awesome you can’t tell anyone except the people you’re with If I made a perfect cup of tea, I wasn’t allowed to Instagram it so I’d show my partner. Me - ‘Look at this perfect cup of tea I made!’ Ben - ‘Cool.’ Me - ‘Do you like it?’ Ben - ‘What?’ Me - ‘Does it make you LOL?’ Ben - ‘What are you talking about ?’ Me - ‘What is your reaction to this???’
Real life people suck. You have to trust the people you’re with At one point during the weekend I went shopping with my brother in law and he had to meet me at a shop in 15 minutes time. I told him explicitly that he had to follow through on this, because I had no phone, so he had to be where he said he was going to be. We managed to pull it off but it was pretty intense. Most people suck at being where they say they’re going to be even when they do have internet so this worried me but we nailed it. You might miss a few essential things. I was pretty well prepared but it rained the whole weekend and usually I’d do a YouTube workout if I couldn’t get outside for a run. I ended up not exercising at all and I must be the only person on the planet who was somehow was lazier on an internet ban than not on an internet ban. Do you think you could do it? Give it a go and use the #sbbmag #digitaldetox so we can not follow along while you don’t tweet it. ✻
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Never get so BUSY making a living that you forget to make a
LIFE secretbloggersbusiness.com
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THE BEST
podcasts THAT HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH BLOGGING
99% Invisible
Carly Jacobs It’s so hard when you’re trying to grow your blog or business and everything all the time is blogging. You read blogging blogs, you follow blogging Instagram accounts and you listen to blogging podcasts. You’re a blog binger. Sometimes you just need to get away from the blogging world and take a break. Here are a few podcasts that have absolutely nothing to do with blogging. Enjoy!
Technically this one is about design but it’s about design you don’t see. Like money , basketball rules or hospital lay outs. It’s hosted by Roman Mars in beautiful, downtown Oakland California… and it’s seriously addictive. Take my advice and start from the beginning and keep track of where you’re up to. I started listening to random episodes and I’m totally out of whack. If I had my 99% Invisible time over, I’d be way more organised in my listening habits. Take the advice from someone with a world of regret right now. 99percentinvisible.org 21
Sweet Teen Club
The Dollop
Full disclosure: I’m (Carly!) one of the hosts of this podcast along with Stacey Roberts from Veggie Mama theveggiemama.com. We basically drink wine and talk about 90s stuff. Lip Smackers, Sweet Valley High books, Empire Records, Degrassi High. It’s good fun if you’re a 90s kid and you just can’t find enough people to talk about The Craft with.
Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds pick a topic each week and talk about it. It’s technically a history podcast but they do some hilarious improv in between their story telling. It’s perfect because you learn stuff and it’s funny. It’s the holy grail of education. thedollop.libsyn.com
Sleep With Me This is my latest discovery and I don’t know how I survived without it for so long. It’s basically a guy who tells an hour long, droning, monotonous story every night to listen to as you go to sleep. It’s so ridiculously effective at stopping your mind from racing and going through every possible worst case scenario as you’re trying to go to sleep. It’s awesome. Call Your Girlfriend
sleepwithmepodcast.com
This is a charming podcast with two whip smart girls who just talk about cool shit. Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow are two long distance besties who call each other every week and record their conversation. It’s funny, thought provoking and very smart stuff. Get on it. ✻ callyourgirlfriend.com
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The Headmistress of Productivity and Her School of Organisation
It was over a decade ago when Kat was feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained and totally out of control. She’d just given birth to twins and was really struggling. One day she picked herself up, put some routines in place and started a blog about organisation to help other busy parents stay on top of it all. 23
You are known as The Organised Housewife - so you must be pretty organised - have you always been organised or is it something you've had to teach yourself? After having my first babies, twins, I felt so tired, washing was piling up, clutter was crowding our dining table and I was just emotionally drained. I put on a happy face at times while deep down it was a struggle. I didn’t want to be like this, I had a different vision of motherhood. By changing my mindset and remembering what I wanted in being a parent, I managed to pick myself up and create some routines and schedules that worked for me at that crazy time of my life with two little babies. It was from then that I became organised. You're a huge advocate of work life balance and you have strict rules around the hours you work so you can spend time with your family - how to do you manage your huge workload to compensate for this? I have a work curfew, I switch off my computer at 3pm to pick up the kids from school, run them around to after school sports, do washing, tidy the house, make dinner etc and I don’t work on weekends. I really enjoy blogging, it could very easily consume me, taking all my spare time as
“For me, if I wake up the next day to a messy kitchen, or washing that hasn’t been put away my mind is messy, I get a little cranky and that is not a great start to the day. “
there is a never-ending list of something that has to be done. I switch off despite having tasks that need to be completed to ensure I always have that balance so I am spending quality time with my family and looking after the home. My need for this balance has a lot to do with my mindset, I could spend time in the evening working on the blog, one because I enjoy it and two because there is stuff to do. But if I did perhaps I would have neglected the dishes, washing or quality relaxing time with the family. For me, if I wake up the next day to a messy kitchen, or washing that hasn’t been put away my mind is messy, I get a little cranky and that is not a great start to the day. To help manage all the tasks I have to do I have particular days of the week and month which I dedicate to specific tasks. i.e. a day to create and schedule my social media editorial calendar for the upcoming month, a day to create a month of my daily quotes, time management works best for me to batch tasks. I also create blocks of time each day where I check emails, reply to comments on my blog, check social media and then I write blog posts. If there were 3 business related activities you could choose to never have to do again, which 3 would you choose? 1 - I have a newsletter that goes out to my subscribers daily, I give them a task to complete around their home, to clean, declutter or organise a particular area, big or small. It’s time consuming to create the template and content for the newsletter, I get frustrated sometimes with this task as I know there are other things I want to be doing instead, I should delegate this to a virtual assistant. 2- It would be a dream to have an inbox at 24 0
everyday, I rarely am able to empty my inbox and I get quite anxious when it’s high as it can take me weeks to get through, I’d love somebody to help me clear my inbox. 3- My bookwork, I am very thankful for my hubby, who is a Virtual CFO and he does all this for me, taxes, GST, etc I don’t understand it and don’t have the desire to. What are your top 3 tips for keeping a healthy work/life balance? Any unusual things you do to keep yourself at peak performance level? 1 - As mentioned above, create a curfew, switch off the computer and walk away, don’t allow your to-do list to control the time you need to spend with your family or on yourself. 2 - I put time for me into my weekly schedule. I take one day a week off to get myself out of the house. I make my doctors, physio, hairdresser etc appointment for this day and I always catch up with friends for coffee, I prefer to do this than read about how they are on social media. I also need this break away from the computer. I have been
having many issues with my back shoulders all resulting from sitting at the computer and using the mouse all day, so my body needs a break. 3 - I have the worst memory and so much on my mind I easily forget the simplest of things. So I make sure I put everything into my calendar, from kids fruit days at school, days I need to iron their uniforms, to when I have work deadlines. I have it colour coded for home and work and I sync my home tasks with the rest of the families devices so we are all in the know. I would be lost if I didn’t put everything into my calendar. 4 - For the days where I need to get a lot done, I wear my gym clothes. It’s strange, but I find I work faster when I have my gym pants on, like I”m in a hurry and don’t have time to procrastinate, I’m a big procrastinator.
“Know what you want to achieve from your business and believe in yourself that you will make it happen. If you make a mistake, learn from it.” 25
What are your top 3 performing advice posts on The Organised Housewife? We'd love to get you to weed out your most popular advice! 1 - On the blog I share some tips and ideas that will help you to keep your home clean and organised. Similar to how I like to batch work for the blog, I also do similar batching style tasks around my home and doing this helps me to stay organised: 2 - Weekly meal planning - I don’t like wondering each day what I am going to cook for dinner, I like to plan ahead. I sit down each week and create a weekly meal plan, remembering the after school activities we have and the time I will have available afterwards to cook dinner, this will help determine if it’s a slow cooker meal, something quick or a meat and 3 veg style dinner. I shop once a week and have the fridge full so I don’t have to waste time visiting the grocery store. 3 - Fill the freezer with lunchbox food - I spend a day over each school holidays baking food to fill the freezer for the kids lunchboxes, mini quiches, sausage rolls, muffins, biscuits etc. This saves me time on weekends or during the week. The frozen item gets put into their lunchbox that morning or the night before and it’s always defrosted by midday. 4 - Having a laundry schedule Unfortunately, washing is one of those tedious jobs that is never-ending, you think you have found the bottom of the pile, but the next day it’s back! Having a laundry schedule helps me stay in control of the dirty laundry piles. This helps me to make sure the kids always have clean school uniforms.
If you were going to give advice to someone starting a business right now, what advice would you give them? I really like this quote by Steven Covey “A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by actions makes your dreams come true”. Know what you want to achieve from your business and believe in yourself that you will make it happen. If you make a mistake, learn from it. Do you think work life balance is truly achievable for business owners? Work life balance has changed over the years as my family grows older and commitments change, I’ve learnt it needs to adapt to current circumstances. I give my all to both my business and my family, I’m an all in or all out kinda person. Although it’s easy to switch off the computer and walk away it’s hard to switch off my mind and stop thinking about all the things I want to achieve in my business, that’s the difficult part. It’s all in your mindset and knowing your priorities. For me personally, I know I will burn out if I don’t take time out for me.
“I know I will burn out if I don’t take time out for me”.
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Do you ever take holidays? I haven’t had a proper, get out of the house type holiday in quite some time as we were saving our pennies to buy our new home. We moved into our new home 6 months ago, so we are planning an overseas trip soon, we need to do it, get out and have some adventure!
QUICKIES When I go to a bar I order…water, I’m a cheap date but very proud to say I have not had any soft drink in over 3 years (I was addicted to coke at one stage having 3 cans a day), now I find soft drink far too sweet.
I have always taken most school holidays off with the kids, but being that I am one person that runs the blog I have always taken time out each day to reply to comments, check emails and pop into social media, this type of a break really doesn’t feel like I can unwind from work.
I’m currently listen to… I like the top 50 on spotify and I’m secretly in love with Justin Beiber’s new songs!!
However I am feeling a little tired lately, I need to look after myself and take a proper break. My kids are on school holiday soon and I am going to take time off with them too. I have worked really hard to schedule in all my blog posts, newsletters and social media updates up until a week after they return back to school. I have a friend that will be checking in on my social media and looking after my emails, I won’t be taking photos of the dinners I cook, or cupboards I have cleaned. This will be my very first 100% stepping away from the blog break in 6 years…. I am a little anxious about it, but also really really excited.
If I could ditch one social media profile and have it not affect my business I would choose…twitter… I pretty much abandoned it shortly after I set up my profile honestly.
The one thing I will never order at restaurant is…vegetables as a side, give me fries!
If I was down to my last $5 I would buy… a connoisseur peanut butter with canadian maple ice cream. I usually by them as a pack of 4 from the supermarket, but I am sure the local servo will probably sell just one for less than $5. This ice-cream makes me happy. ✻
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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BLOGGER Carly Jacobs
6am - Roll over in bed. Grab phone. Post the photo you took of yourself in trendy active wear yesterday and pretend you’re outside going for a run. Add hashtags #earlymornings #fitness #fitgirl. Delete comments that suggest the sun is in the wrong spot. Go back to sleep. #haters 7am - Check Facebook.
8.40 - Activate Self Control to block Facebook on your desktop for the next hour.
7.30am - Throw some chia seeds and kale on your kitchen bench. Take a photo for 8.45 - Pick up your phone and check Instagram while trying to keep your left Facebook. over pizza breakfast out of view. 8.50 - Turn phone off. 8am - Check Facebook. 9am - Start writing a blog post. 8.20am - Start reading emails. 9.10 - Try to check Facebook. Get denied 8.25am - Check Facebook. by Self Control. 8.30 - Post on Facebook about the HALAIR-ious PR pitch you got today for a colonoscopy clinic. #poojokes #amblogger 8.35 - Check Facebook.
9.11 - Google that bitch that called you fat in year 9. Find out she is now rather large. Glow a little from smugness. 9.30 Start getting ready for lunch meeting. 29
12.30 - Meet a very pretty girl from a very pretty brand who wants to ‘collaborate’. Have a fake bright and bubbly conversation. Your meeting goal: Get her to give you money. Her meeting goal: Get you to promote her products on your blog for free. Realise neither of you will ever get what you want. Let her pay for lunch on the company credit card and inwardly high five yourself for ordering an exxy glass of wine. Immediately forget her name.
4.30pm - Run outside to get an outfit shot in the ‘good’ light and quickly slip on some high heels so you can pretend you’ve been wearing them all day.
2pm - Watch a shit tonne of Jenna Marbles videos on YouTube until you end up in that weird section of the internet where you can only see videos of dogs greeting their owners after they’ve been away at war.
7.30pm - Go home and live tweet tonight’s episode of The Bachelor. Call it ‘work’.
4pm - Cry and eat your feelings.
6pm - Go to an event for a weird brand of face cream. Listen to a cosmo-skin-sparkleologist talk about peppy-tides, see-bums and alka-greens for an hour so you can get the free goody bag. 7pm - Throw away the goodie bag because it’s shit.
8pm - Binge watch Nashville. 1am - Panic and write tomorrow’s blog post before falling into bed. 2am - Check Facebook until you fall asleep with your phone on your face. ✻
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Ultimate
BLOGGER / AUTHOR / DESIGNER / PODCASTER The internet is a needy little bugger and Kelly Exeter knows this all too well. We’re chatting to her today about how she fits all her internet hats on at the same time while not going completely crazy. 31
You wear many, many different online hats - writer, designer, podcaster - how do you find the time to fit it all in? I live by the rule of scheduling. I have a running to-do list, but each night I sit down and schedule out the next day (ie I literally write out 4.30-5.00am: Flying Solo social media, 5.00-5.30am: Podcast show notes on blog, 5.30-6.45am: Crossfit. I schedule exactly when I'm going to do emails and phone calls. And most importantly, I schedule in buffer zones and 'whitespace' time. Buffer zones are for those things you don't know are coming (like having to spend 30 minutes crafting a response to a narky client email). And 'whitespace' time is time where I have much more time than I need to do the things I need to do. (For example, between 7.30am and 8.15am I have 45mins to do three jobs/chores and it usually takes 20 mins.) And of course, I have time in the day (5pm onwards) where it's not scheduled
“I have a lot of routines that I follow - morning routine, writing routine, exercise routine, afternoon routine, just before bed routine, Sunday afternoon routine which allow me to do daily tasks without having to think too much, or without having to summon willpower. “
You're a massive advocate of the 5 hour work day - how do you prioritise your tasks so you can complete all your work in 5 hours a day? I figure that even when I am in an office for 8 hours, only 5 of those hours are actually productive. With my son at school, I now only have the hours from 9.30am-2.30pm to be productive. The way I make those hours count is to schedule them out as noted above. When I sit down at my desk at 9.30am, I'm not faffing around with a to-do list wondering which item I should do first. I know exactly which task I need to do, and I do it. Then I move on to the next one. If I want to faff (social media, research, non-work-related emails etc) - I do those outside the hours of 9.30am-2.30pm. When you sit down and schedule out a day, you quickly see where and when your to-do list is completely unrealistic ... and this forces you to be brutal with your prioritising. If there were 3 business related activities you could choose to never have to do again, which 3 would you choose? Expectation management, anything related to accounts/financials, meetings of any description. What are your top 3 tips for keeping a healthy work/life balance? Any unusual things you do to keep yourself at peak performance level? 1. Daily exercise is an absolute must from a mental health point of view, but also from a creativity point of view. Every job involves dealing with problems and all problems require creativity to solve. I solve so many problems when out for a run or walk. 32
2. I don't send emails outside of work hours anymore. I might write them ... but I won't send them on weekends or at night. I used to be one for being hyperresponsive - that was my point-ofdifference. It took me about 8 years to realise that as far as sustainable pointsof-difference go ... that wasn't one. 3. Every weekend when my three-yearold has a nap, I have one too. This is so crucial for my energy levels during the working week. If I don't get those weekend naps - the week that follows is never a good one! I also try to prioritise getting good sleep. I think sleep is one of the first things we sacrifice when we get busy when, in fact, it's something we should probably get MORE of when we're busy! In the last few years you've written and published 3 books - on top of everything in else your life how did you manage to get that done? The first one I wrote in 12 days over the Christmas break (my business shuts down for two weeks over Christmas and the New Year. The second one I stopped blogging and wrote every single morning for a month to get the first draft done. I've just written my third book (a business book) over the course of a month. You can only write this intensely and quickly if you have a rock-hard outline and have already done most of your research (or are writing a book that doesn't require a heap of research). While it's the only way for me to get a book written amongst everything else I do, it does burn you out doing it that way. So if anyone was wanting to do the same, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so - but schedule some down time after to deal with the burnout!
If you were going to give advice to someone starting a business right now, what advice would you give them? Anything that you do more than once, write out the steps for doing that thing. Do this from the start. Then when you're in a position where you can afford to hire help - you'll already have processes in place for the everyday/menial tasks you do. Do you think work life balance is truly achievable for business owners? Nope - balance is an inherently flawed concept. It's literally something that only occurs for a moment in time and then BAM, you're out of balance again. I try to abide by the traffic light system instead. There are areas in my life that are important to me (family, work, health, passions) and each day I rate how I am going in those areas as green (good), amber (mostly good), red (not so good). One day in the red for something is not a cause for concern. A week in the red means I need to pay more attention to that particular thing. Same for a week in amber. This system allows me to be kinder to myself and be less of a perfectionist, while also ensuring I am making time and 33 space for the things that matter.
You're also the co-host of 2 podcasts Let It Be and Straight and Curly (with me!) - how do you find the time and research and record them on top of everything else? Well the things I discuss with my glorious co-hosts in both podcasts are things that interest me and I'm already thinking about every single day. When I am researching - I know exactly where to go to find the information I need, so it doesn't take long. And we have also set up some great systems and efficiencies around recording. But choosing to do the podcasts means I choose not to do some other stuff (like, say, learning how to use Snapchat). It's all priorities in the end. Do you ever take holidays? Definitely - I'm actually going away with my girlfriends this week for 4 days, Ant and I go to this conference in the Philippines each year that's also a holiday, and if ever I perceive either of us are feeling particularly burnt out or in need for a break, we head off down south for random weekends here and there. We also always take two weeks off at the end of each year over Christmas and New Years.
QUICKIES When I go to a bar I order… Vodka, Lime and Soda or Soda, Lime and Bitters. I’m currently listening to… a lot of podcasts. The one thing I will never order at a restaurant is… squid ink pasta. Ant ordered that once and I'm still not over it. If I could ditch one social media profile and have it not affect my business I would choose… Facebook. I hate how much time I spend on there. If I was down to my last $5 I would buy… a book. (But the practical part of my brain is saying 'No, you'd buy water you fool! You need water to live!') ✻
“Balance is an inherently flawed concept. It's literally something that only occurs for a moment in time and then BAM, you're out of balance again.” 34
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studiodiy.com
we love
5 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT
STUDIO DIY I stumbled across Kelly’s blog several years ago and did a full on jaw drop. It was right around Halloween so every day she posted a new awesome, super easy costume like an ice cream cone or a donut. Every time I visit, I’m just totally filled with joy - Kelly seems like such a happy soul so I thought she’d be perfect for this month’s blog/life balance issue. Here’s what I love about Studio DIY. 1) The amazing food themed costumes. Design is all about discipline and Kelly knows exactly how to be subtle. Her simple food costumes have me in giggles. I love the hamburger and the cactus. Design is all about going just far enough but not too far and Kelly nails it every time. 2) Their ‘Life’s A Party’ Philosophy.
It’s just such a charming place to hang out. All blogs have their place on the internet but this one is just a delight. There’s cute manicures, themed party decorations, cute outfits and the most adorable recipes you’ve ever seen. It’s just a very mentally healthy place to be you know? It’s like going out for dinner with your mate and she brings her kooky little sister along. Delightful. 3) Their consistent branding. Crisp white backgrounds and solid blocks of poppy colour are the main cornerstone of the branding of Studio DIY. Food, pink and cartoon style illustration also keep this slick blog looking fabulous. There’s also a distinctive summer vibe - they’re based in LA where they say the sun always shines and it certainly seems to always shine in Kelly’s world.
4) The Studio DIY Instagram account.
instagram.com/studiodiy
Stop everything you’re doing and visit their Instagram account! It’s so beautifully styled and it’s one of those incredibly satisfying accounts that always looks well planned out but also organically gorgeous at the same time. It makes me want to make a pineapple cocktail and float around in the pool on a blow up flamingo.
Every time I visit, I’m just totally filled with joy.
5) Their incredible photography. Truth bomb alert: Good photography is really hard to do and so many bloggers underestimate how much effort goes into securing the perfect shot. Kelly presents her life like it’s one big party but you can see how much effort she puts into her photography and styling. She’s quite the genius if you ask me! ✻
Make today your
BITCH secretbloggersbusiness.com 38
HOW DO YOU
switch off? OR RATHER DO YOU SWITCH OFF?
Carly Jacobs Pretty much every blogger, entrepreneur or online business person will at some stage get asked the question - ‘Do you ever just switch off?’. It’s usually met with hearty laughter followed by a flat ‘No.’ It’s either that or the reply is ‘Yes. I allow myself 15 seconds of internet free time before I go to bed at night. #worklifebalance’. I asked a few entrepreneurial friends if, when and how they switch off so you might be able to take some advice from them if you find yourself carting your phone with you to the toilet or catching up on emails while you’re brushing your teeth.
Nhi – ‘I switch off by doing colouring mediation. I like really complex ones.’
booktopia.com.au
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lush.com.au
Emily – ‘I switch off by having a bath – I leave my phone on the kitchen bench and take a good book in with me!’ Anita – ‘Only time I can switch off is to go for a walk without the phone. It's hard as we work around the clock, but planning and prioritising right will set your week right (well, most of the time).’ Sophie – ‘I switch off by going away and visiting other places or reading a book or watching documentaries.’ Katie – ‘I save 30 minutes a week to read the Good Weekend. On a Thursday.’ Sonia – ‘My entrepreneurial spirit is a part of who I am, as much as I am a sister, a mother, a daughter and a wife. I'm always all of those, but my focus shifts when it needs to. I can think of a business idea or task in the middle of playing with my kids. I can ignore my phone and volunteer in my community. But I can't go from work straight to sleep. I need a mental break between the two, like a book or some Netflix.’ Kylie – ‘I switch off by putting my phone on do not disturb from 10pm until I get up the next morning. I schedule in time off and make time to travel, do things with my family and work out my priorities to ensure I am living my life in a way that means the things important to me come first.’
instagram/crochetcoach
Nina – ‘I play board games with my nephew. I can easily do that for a full hour and not think about anything else. Plus I get to see my sister too which is always a bonus.’ ✻ target.com.au
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how to... PLAN A DIGITAL DETOX Every business owner or blogger needs a digital detox every now and then. I know it’s a very scary concept for those who are trying to grow social media followings and build a business but it is so very necessary. I promise. Here’s a little guide to help make it as pain free as possible.
Step 1 – Set yourself some rules. Digital detoxes come in many different forms. You might like to try a social media free weekend, a screen free weekend (much harder as this includes television!) or even just a phone free weekend. Figure out what you have the greatest need for and place your boundaries around that area. You could even try a Facebook free weekend start small! Step 2 – Plan your social media (or plan not to social media). If you’re a business owner or blogger, you do need to be on social media fairly consistently so this means you might have to schedule your social media for your break. It’s very important to be super careful with this. If you’re going to schedule social media and not monitor it, you have to make sure it’s perfectly planned. For example Joan Rivers had an advertisement set to go live on her Facebook page a week before she died. It was super awkward when it went live a day or two before her funeral. That’s obviously a very worst case scenario moment but just be aware of what can happen when you set and forget.
Step 3 – Get all the information you need before you log off. If you need a map, print it off. If you need a book, download it to your Kindle before you log off. If you need to make plans with someone, make sure they know that they can’t change those plans. I’ve done two weekends without the internet and it’s very manageable as long as you plan for it and make sure your loved ones know they can’t just message you whenever they like.
TIP Step 4 – Have an emergency person keep an eye on things. They don’t have to constantly monitor your online presence but just get them to peek at your profiles every now and then to make sure it’s all okay. That way if a scheduled post has accidentally offended someone or there’s a giant spelling error in one of your Instagram photos you can get them to pop in and change it. It’s not cheating - if you have a business you don’t really have a choice so just out source your emergencies if you’re able to.
If you’re a parent or carer and you need to be contactable, try having a phone only weekend but without internet. So you can text and make phone calls but you can still have a break from the seductive lure of the internet! Step 5 – Give yourself a time limit. Make it 24 hours, 48 hours or from Friday 9pm to Sunday 9pm. If you know when it’s going to end, it makes it much easier to plan your time and to plan for any emergencies. ✻
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