I've Got Confidence

I'm trying something new... I read this article at Inc.com of an interview with former Yahoo executive Tim Sanders. He has written a book called Today We Are Rich. He spent a period of his life in what he calls "sideways years." He wasn't necessarily moving backward in his career but he certainly wasn't moving forward.

He has some good advice in the article and I'm definitely curious to read his whole book. I think we all find ourselves lacking confidence from time to time. Especially as entreprenuers. There are so many things to deal with and it can be difficult when you feel it's just you against the world, fighting for your spot in the market.

Sanders suggests that you give more, in a charitable manner, in order to boost your sense of well being. He even gets a little bit scientific about why it's such a good thing. But the advice I'm going to try out, because it seems such a simple thing, is about media intake.

He explains that the internet is pretty much full of garbage and we should be careful about what we are filling our brains up with every day because it might have a lasting effect on our confidence and ultimately our success. His suggestion: no internet, news, facebook, twitter, email, etc. for the first 30 minutes of your day.

This is exactly what my morning is. Wake up. Grab phone. Check email. Facebook. Twitter. Repeat if necessary.

So, today I tried something new. Actually got out of bed when my alarm went off! Turned on some lovely music (Fleet Foxes). Did some yoga. Ate breakfast. Then checked my email. I definitely feel more calm and collected than usual. It's also sunny today so that might have something to do with it. Either way, I plan to try this for at least the next few weeks and see how it goes. Let me know if you do the same!

How to Decide

Sometimes I find myself sitting in my chair staring blankly into space, trying to figure out what to do next... why are decisions so hard to make? Especially those little ones like when it's 7pm and I'm starving and just staring at my open refrigerator and I end up deciding to just go watch tv instead of eating something. It makes no sense.

Let me make a decision for you, read this article. It contains 5 tips on daily decision making. The tips are surprisingly interesting and useful. Don't overthink it.

Bounce

I've decided to bring this blog back to life! So let's get started...

Do you know how well your website is doing? I have to admit, sometimes I stay up until midnight just so I can check my stats on Google Analytics (is it sad that it might be one of the most exciting parts of my day?). I'm slowly figuring out how the whole thing works, but I've been curious about the "bounce rate."

So, in a short explanation, the bounce rate is a percentage number given to you to show how many people leave your page after only visiting the main page. The lower the number, the better. Why does it matter? Because the lower your number, the higher your google search ranking and we all know that higher google ranking equals more money in your pocket. Also, the bounce rate really seems to reflect the quality of your website. If people find your site confusing and aren't sure where to go next... they probably give up.

I like to think about it in terms of a retail store or restaurant. You probably have something in mind that you are looking for when you walk through the doors. What is it? Once you're inside, do you know where to look?

I often go searching for pretty random things that sometimes can only be found in those evil big box stores... after wandering for what seems like hours sometimes, I often give up. That's what you want to avoid on your website. On my site, Queen B Quilts, people are most likely searching for t-shirt quilting services and what do they want to know? How much is this gonna cost me? So rather than hide that little detail I have the link listed at the top of the page and along the side. Don't make people go through some song and dance to get what they really want.

Gonzoblog has some tips on how to improve your bounce rate. It's good for business and it will probably greatly improve the design of your website as well! Do not overdesign - personal pet peeve of mine!

Coffee

/tea talk/

Get Your Hands Dirty

/miss indie/

Shut Up and Say Something

we come to this world armed with curiosity
and amazement
edit the unsent letters of my life into a one word statement
yes

yes
to romantic flashlight lit dinners when you run out of candles
to handles on pillows so you can hold on to your dreams
to the underdog dog sled teams that use angry cats instead of canines
to landmines filled with confetti

to the steady hands of friends that live like surgeons
operating on our broken hearts
building pacemakers from the spare parts of mercy
we spend most of our lives figuring out what we don't want

we haunt ourselves with regret
because we almost always bet the odds
we play it safe
we waste time wondering
what if we're wrong?
what if we fail? what if we lose? what then?

well
then you're a loser

but you're not alone
there's a legion of us that have been shot down
on a long enough timeline
everyone fails

there's an entire universe made up of the unsent secret crush emails
a hollow sky filled with the lost details of what it feels like to never know
because we go about our lives never having tried
feeling justified in our 'what if' excuses

what if he, she, they, them, that, it
what if it didn't?
and I ask
what if it did?

the kid in me says yes to everything
the love in me says
shut up and say something

Shane Koyczan

Awesome

This talk was equally depressing and inspiring.

Email? I'll get to it later.

As I understand it, most people aren't as crazy as I am about upkeep on email inboxes. These 10 tips about email etiquette seem very useful for those who feel inundated with mail on a regular basis.

Here's to conquering email in 2011!

MySpace

My unsturdy bookcase full of literary gems like Wine Trails of Washington (should probably get the Oregon version now) and Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris.

Yes, that horse is missing a leg.

The blank canvas either represents a world of possibilities or it's a sign of my procrastination.

This picture represents how cheap I am - or rather that I spend all of my money on musical instruments.

Couch made from a moving pallet, some foam from the as-is section of IKEA, wool from the sale bin at the Pendleton outlet and some wine boxes found in my mom's garage.

Coffee table compliments of Microsoft.

Paint by numbers of the ocean, 50 cents at the B Street thrift store in Aberdeen.

Nearly complete set of Seinfeld, won at trivia night.

I'm addicted to Pendleton Wool (curtains, 2 blankets and dust ruffle. Not sure where the rug originated).

I pray every night that these shelves don't fall down.
**UPDATE** The bottom shelf did, in fact, fall down.

The biggest bathroom I have ever occupied. I could probably fit a small bed in here.

Aberdeen

Oh, Hello 2011

I've been thinking for the last 2 hours about how bored I am and that I should just go to bed and then I remembered that I have a blog that needs some attention and here I am!

Needless to say, I'm in a bit of a writing slump. I've had some good ideas of topics to write about lately but I'm feeling less than inspired. I blame the year 2011... or maybe placing blame is a bad idea - don't want to get off on the wrong foot. But, nevertheless, I feel the weight of the year ahead on my shoulders and I've been working up the courage to get started on my many projects and goals.

I've been spending the last week trying to get my new apartment in order. It's coming along slowly. I am most excited about the little office/sewing space I'm creating in one corner (it's a studio, so this work space is far from perfect) of the apartment. I'm hoping this will open the doors to inspiration and some good old-fashioned hard work.

Also, I'm debating many things in my mind as always. Mostly, as far as career and business goes, I would like to get a clear vision for the next year and possibly further in order to decide on some goals and begin the pursuit. But I'll wait until I get the desk set up...

I'm Still Here

Well, I've been busy but it's no excuse. The good news is that I found a place to live in the CITY! So no more long commutes and country living/isolation from civilization. Lesson learned: I'm not a country dweller. I can't do it - mostly because it requires a lot of daily planning. A trip into town takes a lot of effort, so it would always require a great deal of thinking and long lists to make sure I got the most out of each trip. I also learned that my comfort level and general happiness seems to hinge on the distance between my home and a good coffee shop.

So, I'm excited to get to know my new neighborhood Foster-Powell. You'll probably find me hanging out reading some zines at Guapo Coffee or setting up my hammock at Mt. Scott Park.

It's Like Magic!

I FINALLY HAVE INTERNET AT HOME!

Let's celebrate with the best song in the world.

Sun

How can you not?

JK asks,

"It's like, how does anyone start their own business? How is it even possible? How do they deal with the crippling fear and harsh economic realities?"

Some people believe that if you have a good job, you shouldn't start your own gig, because it's foolish to give up a job you can't easily replace.

And some people believe that if you don't have a great job, it's foolish to waste time (and the money you can ill afford to lose) starting something when you'd be a lot better off getting a great job or going to school until you do.

And both groups are missing the point.

The people who successfully start independent businesses (franchises, I think are a different thing) do it because we have no real choice in the matter. The voice in our heads won't shut up until we discover if we're right, if we can do it, if we can make something happen. This is an art, our art, and to leave it bottled up is a crime.

I guess the real question, JK, is, "How can you not do it?"

-Seth Godin

Day of Rest

Working from home can often cause me to work all the time: late into the night, on weekends, at times when I'm tired but I just want to finish one... more... thing. So, today, I'm taking the day off. I put away all of my projects last night (around 11pm) and decided I wouldn't look at them for at least one day. It's been a relaxing day so far.

My life hasn't been all work though...

I went up to Seattle to see Miike Snow at the Showbox a couple of weeks ago. Concerts at the Showbox Sodo are usually a good time. I went by myself, which was a little bit weird since I've never done that before, but I enjoyed it. I really had no idea so many people were such big fans. And there seemed to be a lot of "frat boys" which surprised me even more. Nevertheless... it was great.

Emily (my roomie) and I went on a winery tour at Ponzi Winery's new location, which isn't typically open to the public. I love wineries and this one was at a beautiful location and it was a unique experience to get so close to the wine making process. We got to taste a few of their Reserve wines and had lunch with the tour group.

After the wine tour we stopped at this extremely random farm event with a little pumpking patch, a giant inflatable apple and a couple of farm animals. I really want a goat.

Influencers

INFLUENCERS TRAILER from R+I creative on Vimeo.

Good News

I finally discovered the library and their high speed internet (ps - Starbucks internet is horrible).

Facebook for Small Business

I've been contemplating the endless possibilities of social media as a promotional and community building tool, so this case-study of a South Carolina restaurant, Bistro 17, seemed poignant.

How do you use facebook to promote your business without becoming an annoyance? I've been thinking a lot about that fine line and I'm in the process of developing my full strategy. Mostly, I'm trying to find ways to add value to my products and to the user's experience and of course, building community. It seems Bistro 17 did a really great job of choosing ways to add value to their business and that were targeted specifically towards the crowd they were looking to attract.

Profile Photo

I really like the idea of blowing up a photo... but what seems cute for a 5-year-old might seem more self-absorbed in my case.

(via sfgirlbybay)