For us, we were always concerned that our apartment home would explode into one big baby’s room. We’re happy that we have a little nook in our living room that we could build into a safe space for Luca. Of course, now that he’s crawling everywhere and climbing on furniture (I feel like he’s weeks away from walking!), he doesn’t stay there, but he usually starts out there and when we play with him, it’s there. It lets us feel tidier and feel like we have our own space as adults, also.

However, Luca’s play area is where the big windows are in our apartment and as a result, it’s also where I take all of the photos for Inspiralized. So, my workspace is also the baby’s space. It can be tricky when he’s awake and in the apartment, so I try not to do any of my food photography then, because h tis cute little hands grab everything (which can sometime make for an adorable photo, haha!) I have my camera setup in this area and all of my food styling props are in the media console underneath the TV.

Sometimes, when I’d go to take photos of a recipe, Luca’s toys would be scattered around and my camera didn’t have a designated space, so I’d often feel disorganized when taking photos. I’d spend minimal time food styling, because I’d just want to take the photo and be done with it. I didn’t feel like I had my own space to work.

Recently, I partnered up with HomeGoods and their Go Finding campaign, where they challenged me to get inspired in their stores. I went to HomeGoods, looking for some cute food styling items, like plates, bowls, and serving ware. When I came out, I had a lot more (that always happens!), including a couple great organizational pieces to keep my workspace more organized and less cluttered.

My camera now has a designated bin, and I have a large, matching bin for all of his loose toys. Just adding these two things to that area makes me feel a bit more balanced. And of course, I got some great food styling items to add something extra to my food photos.

For more on how I approached my Go Finding mission with HomeGoods and more behind the scenes, check out my post over on their blog!

Thanks to HomeGoods for sponsoring this post and including me in their Go Finding campaign! 

Photos by Erin Dwyer Photography.

The post When your workspace is also your baby’s space appeared first on Inspiralized.

Inspiralized is officially 5 years old today! Instead of calling this my “blogiversary” (as us bloggers do), I’m calling it my business anniversary, because after being in business for five years, Inspiralized is much more than a blog.

Aside from these super blogger-y, adorable photos taken with my girl Erin Dwyer, I’m celebrating five years by sharing five lessons I’ve learned in five years of entrepreneurship.

First off, if you’re new to Inspiralized, you can read my story of how it all began here. I love that some of you have literally been following since day one – I’m so humbled by that, and it’s you guys especially that inspire me to keep pushing forward and building this brand!

Many of these lessons I’ve learned, I learned early on, but they still hold true- five years later! And I’m not going to bore you with the “You’ll work harder than you’ve ever worked!” or “Don’t compare yourself to others!” lessons, because those are obvious by now. Here are five lessons I’ve learned in five years of entrepreneurship:

1. It’s okay to stall the speed of your success in exchange for some work-life balance.

This was a hard lesson to learn. There were many times when I was discouraged by how slowly my business was progressing, even though I was extremely happy with my life. During the daily operations of my business, I’d think, “Ugh! I should have accomplished X by now!” However, my business was still progressing, profitable, and successful and most importantly, I was HAPPY. I couldn’t figure out where this dissatisfaction came from and then I realized that I was me putting these added pressures on myself and comparing myself to other businesses that weren’t even in my league (like, larger, capital-backed companies!)

I started focusing more on my personal overall happiness as a PERSON, rather than an entrepreneur and then I realized, I much prefer the happiness as an individual rather than being EXTREMELY successful (whatever that means.) I love my life and the legacy I want to leave behind is that I was a kind, happy, loving person – not necessarily that I built an empire. Both would be great, don’t get me wrong – but I’m more conscious of the first one. Most highly successful entrepreneurs I know are sleep-deprived, stressed out, and not even happy even though they have so much success. When you have more, you want more (it’s a vicious cycle!) Plus, slow and steady wins the race, right?

2. Define what success means to you early on and build your business plan around that.

To my first lesson above, I wish I had done this sooner – it would’ve saved me a lot of soul searching in the first couple of years of my business! I think every entrepreneur has their definition of success. For most, it’s money. Whatever it is – define it clearly and build your business plans and goals around that success mission. Otherwise, you’ll be very disappointed.

I learned after about 3 years that money wasn’t my motivator. It was the community. If I made less money than the last year, but my community was stronger, larger, and more engaged, I would be happy and feel successful. I have never said, “I want to make X dollars by X year.” I feel successful when someone recognizes me on the street and tells me I’ve changed the way they eat. That means I’m touching the world – people are listening, and I’m making a (healthy) impact on the world and my community.

If money motivated me more, you’d see me doing a LOT more sponsored posts (which I hope you’ve noticed, I don’t do many), doing more product roundups with affiliate links, being more salesy with the Inspiralizer (I should probably work on that, haha!), and hosting more paid events.

Just define what “success” is to you as a business owner. Save yourself the headache later down the road when you’re dissatisfied and can’t figure out why!

3. You can learn anything on Google and YouTube.

Every time I’m asked, “How did you build this company?” I always respond excitedly with, “Google and YouTube!” Seriously, guys. If you’re looking to start a business, you can literally serach, “How to start a business,” haha! I half-kid, because it’s true. I learned so many things by just watching hours and hours of how-tos on YouTube or reading articles found on Google. I’ve learned everything from food photography to how to edit videos, and I was never discouraged by not knowing how to do something in these past five years, I always knew I could figure it out. Where there’s a will, there’s way. 

4. If something is crucial to the growth of your business and you are really bad at it (after trying it get good at it!), outsource it.

Another lesson I wish I had learned sooner. This is especially true with graphic design. I tried to design my own Inspiralized graphics with Photoshop and spend a couple years on trying to figure out how to make consistent brand images and graphics. Then, one day, I said, “Why am I wasting all this time making inadequate designs for my business, when I have the money to spend it on exactly that AND then I can invest that time saved in parts of my business I’m great at and will grow my business?” It was a heart-to-heart I had with myself and pursuant to lesson #5, I started outsourcing graphic design and it really did help grow my business and make my brand identity more solid.

It’s a fine line – don’t outsource everything! Try to do it yourself first and if you truly fail at it, outsource it. Don’t be lazy and outsource – try to figure it out yourself and then outsource. This is a lesson for beginning entrepreneurs and startups – if you’re in a different financial position and farther along in your business and have the resources to invest, do it!

An example of this for me was food videos. I tried so hard to learn how to do my own Tasty-style food videos (like these) and I literally spent HOURS prepping, filming, and editing (like, 8 hours a day) multiple times per month. After a few months of this, I decided to hire someone to come over and film me so I could eliminate the filming and editing. Then, after losing hours where I could be focusing on my business and knowing I had the resources to invest in a full outsource, I outsourced those videos. So now, if you see those quick-style cooking videos, those aren’t my hands! A lovely husband and wife entrepreneurship duo film them for me! And I have those hours to spend growing Inspiralized! Plus, I could never make those videos as beautifully, so it’s a win-win: better quality content and more time for me to work on other parts of my business.

5. Invest your money back into your business early on.

When I first started off as an entrepreneur, I literally had $3,000 to my name (and that included my last paycheck at the job I had just left.) I was never a great saver and still am not (sorry, Lu!) I pinched pennies to get the business to run. About 6 months in, I was ready to throw the towel in (or at least get a side gig to afford my life) and I had a frank conversation with Lu at dinner one night and he said, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll make it work.” We were just dating (but living together) and he was/is a struggling entrepreneur as well – we didn’t have much money and every dollar counted (it still does, of course!) This made my heart swell for Lu and made me want to work even harder to make my business work.

It’s hard to shake the penny pincher mindset once you start making money. It took me a few years to realize that it’s better to invest (almost) every penny you make back into your business, because that’s what’ll make your business grow – as long as you invest in the right places in your business, of course. I’m not saying to spend money on Post-Its and cute wall decor for your home office, I’m saying invest in graphic designers, your website, SEO consulting, hiring, and marketing materials. Early on, once you first start making money. Looking back, I wish I had invested more money in the first two years. Now, it’s easier, because my business is profitable and there’s money to be invested, but back in the beginning, I regret holding on to my money personally – I should have put it back into the business. You live and your learn, that’s what entrepreneurship is all about!

All photos by http://erindwyerphotography.com.

The post 5 Lessons Learned In 5 Years of Entrepreneurship appeared first on Inspiralized.

I mentioned time blocking on Instagram the other day when I shared a photo of the Inspiralized birthday cards I had made. Time blocking is what helped me achieve this goal (I’ve always wanted to create a little limited edition greeting card line, focused around spiralizing.)

I had a lot of people asking me about time blocking, so I figured I’d cover it in today’s #livinginspiralized feature!

But first, a What I Ate Today!

What I Ate Today, May 9, 2017

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Breakfast

A Daily Harvest smoothie – in a bowl! I made the Banana+Greens smoothie (use code INSPIRALIZED when you check out and get three free smoothies – I really recommend them for those busy people out there!) and added Vital Proteins collagen powder and Justin’s almond butter – to amp up the protein and flavor. Topped with organic blueberries, Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free granola, and some toasted coconut flakes.

Snack

I had a KIND Breakfast Bar – I’m obsessed with their new flavors (Almond Butter is my favorite). I had the Maple Cinnamon one, because that’s all I had left – it has 8g of protein and is made of great ingredients. It always fuels me when I need it – and it has a subtle sweetness that satisfies that craving.

Lunch

I had saved leftovers from the night before and it looked like a big bowl of mush when I took a photo, so instead, here’s the photo of my dinner (I reheated the meal!) It’s a Vegetarian Burrito Bowl – with bell pepper cauliflower rice, a homemade pico de gallo, romaine lettuce, avocado, and a black bean-pinto bean mix. DELICIOUS.

Snack

Had my usual raw nut mixture (cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts) with a pear.

Dinner

I made my Golden Beet Arroz con Pollo – Lu always loves this dish! We ate the entire skillet, no leftovers. No regrets

Dessert

I had a few handfuls of Veggie Stix and about 1/2 cup of Lu’s Halo Top birthday cake ice cream (he’s been loving the stuff and I always steal a few bites – the ingredients actually aren’t terrible, especially compared to some other ice cream brands out there.) It was definitely a mindless munch, and I forgot to take a photo!

Time Blocking: A Busy Person’s Guide to Getting It Done

Time is our most valuable asset. With the proper management of our time, we can get anything done! I truly, really believe that.

One of the business gurus I follow, Gary Vaynerchuk, constantly talks about how people aren’t using their time effectively and thus, aren’t achieving their dreams or their potential. Instead of spending 1 hour each night on a business plan, for example, they’re watching television, playing video games, or scrolling mindlessly on Instagram.

OR, if you are a productive person, you may be trying to accomplish a task, but not even knowing it, you’re also trying to do 3 other tasks at that same time and thus, getting that original task done is taking THREE times as long! If you time blocked, the tasks would be done in 1/3 of the time and it would leave that extra time to complete other tasks as well. Voila – you’re more productive!

So how can we better manage our time and make sure we’re making the most of it? TIME BLOCKING.

How do you time block?

Make a to-do list, but prioritize it

Before you go to bed/end your day, spend 10 minutes on making a to-do list for the next day. This could be a personal to-do list, a work to-do list, or a combination. For example, here’s a sample to-do list of mine:

1. Clear out my Inbox
2. Write today’s blog post
3. Organize Dropbox
4. Build editorial calendar for June
5. Schedule video shoot for May
6. Write proposal for brand X
7. Update Inspiralizer manual
8. Cook 3 blog recipes
9. Sign 500 book plates for HSN
10. Mail out return packages
11. Workout

Then, prioritize this list. Pick a certain number that’s attainable (I like to select 5, it seems realistic) and mark those tasks as priorities. By marking them, this means that you MUST get these tasks done in the day – everything else is just an added bonus if you get to it.

Now for me, I set those 5 tasks as priorities and then I give myself an additional 2 priorities on my personal list – so, a total of 7 tasks per day for me.

So here’s what my priority list looks like, from most important to least important:

1. Write today’s blog post
2. Clean the office
3. Update Inspiralizer manual
4. Cook 3 blog recipes
5. Write proposal for brand X
6. Personal: workout
7. Personal: Mail out return packages

*Note: I always time block e-mail responding, but it’s never on my “priority list”, because it’s something I do everyday regardless of what tasks I have to accomplish each day.

Set aside time for your tasks on your calendar: time block them

Now that you know exactly what you need to accomplish for the day, it’s time to set aside adequate time to accomplish those tasks. And no, this doesn’t just mean saying, “Okay, I’m going to spend 20 minutes today cleaning.” It means actively scheduling the time in your calendar and setting alerts in your calendar to let you know when it’s time to start. I like to set times for everything in my day, so the time blocking flows more. You’ll see the schedule below.

VERY IMPORTANT: I also recommend not time blocking for more than 2-3 hours at a time, because the more time you time block, the more ‘liberal’ you’ll be with your time. “But I have 3 hours to do this tasks, it’s okay if I just check Instagram for a few minutes!” NO. Be realistic about your time blocks. If you know it’ll only take 20 minutes to do something, don’t allot 1 hour to that task – and if the project is much larger than time blocking can afford, break it up into segments. For example, when I’m writing a cookbook, I set 1 hour time blocks 4 hours a day to write – just for writing. But, they’re spread out, so I know I only have a limited amount of time and it’s a feasible amount of time to be zoned in and unplugged from everything else.

Schedule the actual time in “blocks.” Your alerts should simply say, “CLEAN THE OFFICE” – exactly what the task is, and you should take no more than 3-5 minutes to wrap up what you were working on and start the next time block. If you let 10-15 minutes pass by as you finish up an e-mail or whatever, that time adds up to hours throughout the day. Be mindful!

Now, if you don’t use an actual calendar (who are you?!), then write it down on a piece of paper and then manually set the individual alerts in your smart phone.

Here’s today’s schedule, as you’d write it down on a piece of paper:

7:30-8:15am: Get ready, eat breakfast & get to the office
8:15-9am: E-mails, social media message responding and checking, community building
9-10am: Write today’s blog post
10-10:30am: Clean the office
10:30-11:30am: Write the recipes for today’s blog cooking
11:30-11:45am: Check e-mails
11:45-2:30pm: Cook 3 blog recipes (this includes 10-15 minutes to eat lunch for me, since I usually eat a blog recipe)
2:30-2:45pm: Check e-mails
2:45-3pm: Mail out return packages
3-4pm: Update Inspiralizer manual
4-4:15pm: Check e-mails
4:15-5:00pm: Write proposal for brand X
5-5:15pm: Wrap up e-mails
5:15-6:30pm: Workout
6:30-6:45pm: Shower
6:45-7:45pm: Make & eat dinner
7:45 – 10:30pm: ME & LU TIME

At the end of the day (7:45pm), I have time to just relax with Lu, and I know that I’ve had a very, very productive day. If anything ends up coming up, of course, I have to adjust my schedule, but since it’s all in my calendar, it’s easy to adjust and move around.

What’s great about using a calendar is that you don’t even really NEED a to-do list, because your calendar alerts you when it’s time to move on to the next task. So, if I finish a task early, for example, I’ll check some social media messages, respond to e-mails, etc.

During your set time blocks, don’t do anything else but the scheduled task

This is the hardest part about time blocking, and I still struggle with it, because I am a self-proclaimed master of multi-tasking. But, no matter what, multi-tasking isn’t the most efficient way to finish a task.

Time blocking WILL NOT WORK unless you actually BLOCK off the time. That’s why it’s called time BLOCKING. Imagine you’re inside a block and you can’t get out. During that time, put away all your distractions – close out all other browser tabs, put your phone a comfortable but just-far-enough distance away so you’re not tempted to use it. Do not do anything else but the task at hand. Some things you may not realize that add up are texting, checking the news, checking your Facebook feed, reading e-mails, Gchatting, checking how many likes your photo got on Instagram, or making a snack.

The first time you try to time block, you’ll make the mistake of not truly shutting yourself off from the outside world. It’s tough, because our minds race like crazy and we’re so connected.

My advice is to make your workspace as prepared as possible – load up on a snack, water, tea, a blanket, whatever it is that you’d usually get up for. Have it all there and ready, so you have no excuses.

This method is simple but powerful

You will be amazed at how productive you are after a successful day of time blocking. It’s truly life-changing. On the days that I don’t time block (just because the day gets ahead of me and I get distracted, things come up – it happens!), I never feel as accomplished, and I always feel anxious or like I’m trying to catch up all day.

And if you haven’t color-coded your Google Calendar (or whatever calendar you use), DO IT. It’s the best thing you can do for your sanity.

Let me know what you think and if you have any questions – leave them in the comments! I can’t wait to see all you hustlers out there crushing your dreams, thanks to time blocking!

The post Time Blocking: A Busy Person’s Guide to Getting It Done appeared first on Inspiralized.

Yesterday we filmed seven new cooking videos! It was an exhausting but super productive day.

Although I didn’t knock anything off my daily to-do list, I knocked off a step towards my 2017 goal of creating more video content.

Then, it got me thinking about that goal and how I’ve made it happen. So, today, I’m talking all about why simple goal setting isn’t enough. If you want to truly accomplish something, it takes more than just setting an intention. I’m sharing how I accomplish my goals – and it definitely takes more than initial goal setting.

What I Ate Today, April 25, 2017

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Breakfast

I made my Baked Oatmeal with Spiralized Apples on Monday for the blog and saved leftovers. I reheated a big scoop of it with some almond milk to soften it (it gets dry after refrigeration.) To reheat, I placed in a pot with the almond milk and stirred until creamy and heated through!

Snack

While I was filming, I had my bowl of raw nut mixture near me, as always – the same raw blend (pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews) with raisins.

Lunch

Although I was sort of tasting here and there, I made sure to have some toast once my carb cravings came in strong (#preggo.) I made the Cabbage Buddha Bowls from the Inspiralize Everything cookbook and put the chickpea-avocado mash on top of toasted Ezekial for a mini-lunch. And no, that’s not a real tattoo on my arm – it’s from an event on Monday night (it’s a Tattly temporary tattoo.) I have no tattoos!

Snack

At the end of the day, I had an apple (forgot to take a picture) with yumbutter almond butter, and a serving of this Beet Superfood Bowl – a recipe from my first cookbook, Inspiralized. I also made some tea with steamed almond milk and Vital Proteins.

Dinner

Dinner was Turkey Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles! Easy, quick dinner that required minimal prep and tools, because most of our stuff is packed up!

Dessert

I forgot to take a photo, but I had a packet of these Eating Evolved coconut butter cups that I’m OBSESSED with right now. How did I not know about these sooner?!

Why Goal Setting Isn’t Enough

I’m going to get right to it: goal setting isn’t enough. You need to set a goal – with a plan in place to achieve that goal.

Let me explain. Last year, I set a goal of “doing more yoga.” I set this goal in May of 2016. I even wrote it down (yayyyy!) in a cute little notebook by my desk. So how many times did I do yoga May – December 2016? ZERO. Not once! Not a single time.

So why did I fail at this goal? I didn’t make a plan.

This year, as you might now, I set a New Year’s resolution/goal/challenge to do yoga in 2017. BUT, instead of saying “do more yoga in 2017,” I created an actual plan. Nothing extravagant, no spreadsheets, no alarms in my phone. I just set an easy-to-follow plan: once a week.

So how many times have I done yoga in 2017? Once a week since January 1st! Well, I missed about 3-4 classes due to travel schedules and pregnancy fatigue, but overall, I’ve stayed true to my goal – more so than I ever have with any other long-term goal.

Now, don’t confuse goals with intentions. Intentions don’t need action plans – intentions are meant to be more for daily inspiration, mental motivation, and general uplift. For example, “I’m going to eat healthy today” isn’t an intention, that’s a goal. BUT, “I’m going to be happy today” is an intention – you just need to repeat that a few times throughout the day (Write it down, of course) and check in with yourself throughout the day to see how you’re doing. With “I’m going to eat healthy today” you may want to plan your meals for the day, bring a water bottle to work, pack healthy snacks, etc etc. There are actionables that will help you achieve that goal.

Of course, our lives get super busy, and it’s hard to keep on top of our goals (both professional and personal), so here’s what I recommend:

1. Make a goal.
2. Make a plan to achieve that goal.
3. Check in with yourself once a week to make sure you’ve followed the plan. If not, perhaps the goal is unattainable in the timeframe you gave it OR perhaps the plan isn’t practical. Reset the goal, reset the plan, and reset the execution.

For example:

1. The goal: I want to start eating more vegetables.
2. The plan:
   • Make a meal plan every Saturday morning that includes a serving of vegetables at lunch and dinner.
     • Grocery shop on Sundays and meal prep the vegetables so I won’t be tempted to skip it during the week.
   • Drink one green juice or smoothie 3 times a week.
     • Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays
3. The check in
   • Check in once a week (on Saturdays) for one full month.
   • Each week, check in on Saturday and see how the week went. For example, if drinking a green juice 3 times a week is too much, adjust it to once a week.
   • After the first month, make a plan for moving forward – is this doable long-term? Is this lifestyle for me? Is meal prepping hard but I do enjoy eating vegetables? Adjust the plan accordingly.

I encourage you to take 5-10 minutes today (maybe on your lunch break, on your commute home, or before bed) and write down one of your goals that you’ve been meaning to achieve and follow the steps of making a plan with check-ins. Make these goals as big as you like or as small as you’d like, from “starting a business” to “losing 5 pounds” – a goal is a goal, and as long as you plan it, you can make it happen.

Here’s an example of some goals that I currently want to achieve that haven’t been given action plans yet:

• Watch less TV and make more use of my evenings.
• Tone my arms more.
• Get Inspiralized t-shirts made.
• Listen to more outdoor music.
• Drink more green smoothies and juices.
• Read more.
• Make a 5-year plan for Inspiralized.
• Cook more from cookbooks.
• Break out of my lunch rut – each something new everyday.

In the spirit of this post, I’m going to make myself a plan!

The post Why Goal Setting Isn’t Enough appeared first on Inspiralized.

the office is almost complete! I’m just waiting on some artwork for the walls.

of course, you can never stop decorating, arranging, rearranging, etc – but soon, I’ll be doing a full office reveal. for now, you’re just getting the desk, which is the most important part anyway!

shop my office look:

The post new office desk tour appeared first on Inspiralized.

if you haven’t heard the news already, I have officially moved Inspiralized into its very own HQ! I rented out a studio apartment in my building (because it was super convenient and actually a lot cheaper than finding a proper office – and I needed a kitchen!)

I’m loving the space and while I’m still moving in (waiting on a dining table, couch, some kitchen equipment, decor, etc), I already feel more inspired. more to come on that, but in the meantime, a bunch of people asked over on Snapchat about some songs that I had on in the background.

today I’m sharing with you my HQ playlist, where I add more songs every day!

does anyone have any great songs to add to the playlist?

The post current office playlist appeared first on Inspiralized.

for those of you who follow me over at Inspiralized (I’m thinking that’s like, 99.9% of you, right?), you may have heard that I’M FINALLY GETTING MY OWN OFFICE!

oh, it feels so good to say that. I can’t tell you how badly I have wanted this.

in the beginning, when I was strictly a blogger (as in, my only product/worry was my blog), it didn’t matter as much. I didn’t necessarily need an office space, because all of my work was done on a laptop and it was pretty manageable.

then my cookbook came.

then the app came. and tote bags.

then the Inspiralizer came.

then the second cookbook came.

more has come in between all of those bigger product achievements and more is coming that I can’t divulge just yet, but let’s just say, Inspiralized is growing bigger and bigger every day, and home girl needs her own space.

while I take Inspiralized 100% seriously, I do feel like not having a dedicated space (a small desk in our living room does NOT count as a dedicated space) makes me feel like my business isn’t a full-fledged business, more of a side hustle. and there’s no side hustle here, it’s just straight up, 24/7 hustle!

I cannot WAIT to move in. I have a work commitment over this weekend in North Carolina and I get back the afternoon on October 2nd, so pretty much, I’m going to run into my office and start setting up!

I’m waiting until I’m in there and working to buy all the extras/decor (and also because I’m spending an arm and a leg on rent, furniture, etc), but in the meantime, I’ve got all the essentials: rugs, desk, dining table, photo area table, etc.

I can’t wait to share the space with all of you – make sure you’re following on Snapchat for the big move-in day! Snapchat is username inspiralized, I don’t have a separate one for alissandrab.

I’m just so ready for this next stage in my business, and I can’t wait to see what kinda hustle vibes it brings.

shop the post:

The post taking a big step (and investment) with my business appeared first on Inspiralized.

when Lu and I first moved in together, the first thing I took notice of was how many books he brought with him. as I looked a bit closer, I realized that they were almost all entrepreneurship based books.

when we first moved in together, I wasn’t an entrepreneur and I wasn’t even thinking about entrepreneurship (yet!) thus, I wasn’t interested in those books and never really gave them much thought.

now, as an official entrepreneur, I’m more interested in Lu’s books. I haven’t made much time for reading them (I treat books like TV – I like to zone out and give my brain a break.) however, that’s not exactly conducive to growing my entrepreneurial mindset or using my spare time wisely.

so, as of today, I’m turning over a new leaf and reading some of Lu’s current books on his shelf that he swears by and also, buying a few new ones! my goal? read ONE book a month. I think that’s completely doable. if I can squeeze in more, I will – but one is my goal.

here’s what’s on my list for the summer, by month:

may

june

july

august

shop the post:

do you recommend any good books for business owners?

The post entrepreneur reads appeared first on Inspiralized.

as of june 26, 2013, I left the office. I quit my corporate job to pursue my business, inspiralized. with that, I said goodbye to morning commutes, conference rooms, coworkers, lunch breaks and …. an office.

my office started off as my bedroom. yes, true story – for about a year and a half, I spent 90% of my life in my bedroom. I’d wake up, make the bed, wash my face, make coffee, walk Lu out the door and then go back to our bedroom, where my desk was. it was excruciating.

finally, we bought a desk at IKEA and we placed it in the living room, which is where the kitchen is. now, my office is the living room and kitchen (which makes sense, because I need to cook for my blog.)

long story short, I’m someone who works from their home. from this, I’ve adapted to this change of pace and have a few pointers for those of you who may also work from home or simply struggle with being productive when you work remotely.

my first pointer? treat your home like an office, not your home.

wake up like you’re going to an office.

when I first started working from home, my friends would say, “do you just work out of your pajamas? I’m so jealous!” and yes, I was living in my pajamas – well, black yoga pants and a tank top or ratty t-shirt, to be exact. when I was first adjusting to a work-from-home environment, it didn’t make sense to “get dressed.” what was the point? no one was going to see me, but me!

about 6 months into working from home, I was noticing odd habits starting to form. I was becoming messier, letting my workspace become cluttered and disorganized. I was pushing off meetings in person and opting for phone calls. once, I even cancelled a Skype call. why? because I didn’t feel like doing my hair and changing my outfit (well, at least the top, ha!) I also felt myself becoming lazy with work related errands – not having the “energy” to run across the street to mail a package or deposit an important check.

then it hit me: I wasn’t treating my home like my office, when that’s exactly what it is: my office.

recognizing that and making a mental shift to treat my home like my office was key in becoming a more productive, energized working professional.

would you wear your pajamas to work? no.
would you go to work without looking as polished as possible? no.

when you’re starting off in the working world, whether it’s a new position at a new company or simply an internship during your college summers, you always hear, “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

well, I want to be a professional, fierce, driven business woman and a culinary star. I want to work with exciting brands and people to bring positive, inspirational content to the world.

I can’t do all that from my pajamas, now can I?

what if the director of the Food Network randomly Facetimed me for an impromptu interview for my very own cooking show? okay, that’s a little far-fetched, but you catch my drift, right?

always be ready for success – physically and mentally.

start with one physical change

first off: get dressed. I’m telling you, it makes a world of difference.

then: start with one “physical” change. I’m not saying you need to put on full makeup, stilettos and a power suit to work from home. it’s okay to reap the benefits of having the luxury to work from the comforts of our home, but there’s a fine line.

the first change I made was doing my hair and putting on mascara. while Lu showers and gets ready for work, I take about 10 minutes to “do” my hair. I have naturally curly-wavy hair, so when it’s more tamed and straight, I feel less anxious and unorganized. that’s me, so find your one physical change and make it – you’ll notice a shift in confidence and less chaos during the day.

call to action

before you finish your first cup of coffee, make sure you’re dressed and your workspace is cleared.

whenever I get that itch to be lazy and just stay in my nightshirt all day, I tell myself this: what if my old boss was to knock on my door right now? how would I want him to find me? looking organized, composed and polished? or disheveled and sloppy?

exactly.

do you struggle with working from home? or, do you have some of your own tips for working from home?

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