by Joey | May 22, 2018 | Devotional Series
I look for God everywhere, in everything. I can find Him in most things. Some might argue I see what I want to, and you know what? I’m okay with that. Because I’d rather see him and believe and be wrong. Because who does that hurt?
I believe he sends us little signs that he hears us. That he’s working on the things we’re so desperate for. I think he sends people when we need them. He makes sure we hear a certain song on the radio, read a certain article, stumble across a specific quote. I find God in the details of my daily life. I see him when I need him. I find him when things are good, smiling down. I trust these things because I have to. Faith isn’t easy. It’s believing with certainty something you cannot see. But I see him. And I’m sure you do, too. You just have to be looking.
I honestly don’t think there’s a true separation between the Christian world and the secular world. Or at least, I don’t believe that there’s supposed to be a separation. I think it’s okay to find God in the Top 40. I think it’s special to find God in the monotony of the day. A friend told me the other day “You always have the best God stories.” And I swear it’s just because I’m always looking for him, in everything.
I can string together a series of events and find the way God showed up. I think that’s the magic of faith. Life is tough and downright miserable at times. But I find comfort in looking back and seeing exactly where God appeared.
Today is my 8th anniversary with my husband. Eight years. In those eight years, we’ve moved six times. We’ve lost three jobs. And for the first two years of our marriage, at any given time, one of us was unemployed. We’ve lost pets. We’ve lost parents. We’ve fought over trash cans and we’ve lost friends. It’s been anything anything but rosy. But I can find God in our marriage. In every step. In every move, in every job loss, in every fight. We’ve grown, we’ve changed, and all the while we’ve thanked God for this incredible gift.
People search their entire lives for a love that’s real. A love that’s true. And I think Tim Keller said it best;
“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”
Everything is hard. But nothing was as hard for me as feeling loved was back in the fall of 2003. But then a boy in a white Chevy truck pulled into the MHS parking lot to check on me. I never knew God’s company truck was a Chevy, but now I do.
Happy Anniversary, Bunny.
by Joey | May 21, 2018 | Creative Entrepreneur
Starting your own business can be both exciting and terrifying. You’re eager to set up shop and slip into the routine of the daily grind. You’ve done everything to get yourself set up for success. You’ve got a killer website, and you’ve narrowed in on exactly what you have to offer. Great! But…now what? How exactly are you supposed to get hired? As an online business, you have to get creative in how you show people that you’re open for biz. How are you going to show your customers that your lights are on, so to speak? Well, you have to tell them (and keep reminding them) who you are, what you do, and why they should hire you.
How to get clients as an online creative entrepreneur
Be consistent in your branding
The first thing you can do to show your customers you’re serious and reliable is to display consistent branding. You expect the baristas at Starbucks to wear their little green hats. Or maybe you’ve made the grave mistake of wearing a red shirt at Target. Consistent branding matters. People need to trust what to expect from you no matter where you’re showing up.
Show up
I’m sorry to say this, but launching a killer website is only one piece of the puzzle. If you’re hoping to see business come rolling in by simply launching a really great site, well, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. You have to keep showing up. Think of it this way: there’s more to the success of a brick & mortar than the merchandise on display and the pictures on the walls. You can walk by and see the lights on. You can see people inside doing the work. You can trust that they’re going to be there for you when you need them because you can see them. Well, you have to do the same thing with your online business. You have to consistently show up. And you do that by adding fresh content to your site consistently.
Showcase your expertise
Just like the sales reps at your favorite stores, you have to put the customer/client at ease with your knowledge. They have to trust that you know what you’re talking about. But they can’t do that if you don’t show them. There are hundreds upon hundreds of people doing the exact same work as you. So why should they hire you over Joe Schmo who may even ::gasp:: offer the same services for less? Well, by posting strategic, fresh content consistently, you can literally showcase your expertise. Your website will soon transform into a resource for your customers and clients. And if you do this right, they’ll start to send their friends and family your way. Over time, you will grow a loyal customer base of people who trust you because they know you know what you’re talking about.
Promote strategically
So you have all your social media channels set up, right? I’m sure you do, it’s 2018. But let me guess, you’ve quickly realized there are only so many *interesting* ways to say Hey! You! Come check out my website! Again, this is where all that fresh, informative content you’re producing over on your site will come into play. You know as well as I do that people are picky about what they let into their newsfeeds these days. But if you’re consistently giving your potential customers a reason to pay attention to you (like, say, giving them the information they’re looking for), then they’ll consistently show up for you.
If you’re ready to get serious and get your online business off the ground, you need to implement content marketing stat. If this isn’t your wheelhouse, don’t worry. I happen to know someone who is an expert at crafting strategic content for small businesses.
Want to do it yourself but don’t know where to start? You should sign up for Blogging for Your Business, a robust content marketing e-course that literally teaches you everything you need to know to run successful content marketing campaigns on your own.
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by Joey | May 17, 2018 | Creative Entrepreneur, How I Work Series
Hi there! My name is Maria Abbe and I’m the creator of RunningMyselfTogether, a blog on faith, running, and mental health. I’m a certified running coach and lead the run club, ARC Running. I’m pretty outgoing, so my schedule is usually jam-packed with fun activities. I love being around people! But I truly value my quiet time. I spend time each morning and night in prayer and reflecting on life, either through reading the Bible or a good book. I also love running and working out. It frees my mind and fills my body with all of those great endorphins. Because I’m so busy, keeping a steady routine helps me accomplish the things that have been placed on my heart and produce good, quality work, while maintaining strong relationships with loved ones.
HOW I WORK
I think of my work in two separate segments. I have my day job work and my RunningMyselfTogether work. During my day job, I work in an office where I’ve purposefully placed a plant, additional lighting, and an oil diffuser to make my workplace as peaceful as possible. I work in PR and Social Media, and must do all I can to keep my brain fresh with creative, new ideas while staying stress-free.
For my RunningMyselfTogether work, you can find me at my little desk in my room, at the kitchen table, or at a coffee shop. I like having a variety of options, because the majority of RunningMyselfTogether is writing, and sometimes a change in scenery helps get the writing juices flowing.
To stay organized, I have a planner where you’ll find my goals for the month, my goals for the week, and my daily responsibilities/to-dos for my day job and RunnningMyselfTogether. I also have my calendar on my phone so I know where to be when, but ultimately, my planner is my one source of truth. I have a separate notebook for my day job and one for RunningMyselfTogether where I capture thoughts, ideas, and to-do lists. I’ve tried using apps and online platforms to stay organized, and what I’ve found the most useful is having a Google Drive with separate folders for each piece of my business and personal life. If I need something, I always know where I can find it.
During my day job, I have an amazing team of folks I work with day in and day out. They push me to be a better person in every way, and I am blessed to work for a company who cares about me as a human being. It sure makes me feel empowered to tackle other goals in my life.
In RunningMyselfTogether I write all of the content (except guest posts), handle all of the logistics and background work, and am the only running coach. It’s a lot! But it’s worth it.
RunningMyselfTogether is a place you can go to when you’re feeling lonely. There are blog posts on a wide range of topics, geared towards running, faith, and mental health. There’s a run club you can attend to meet others in the Charlotte community (hopefully, we’ll have them across the country someday). And you can work with me one on one to help you achieve your running goals.
HABITS & ROUTINES
My alarm goes off at a different time every morning, depending on if my workout is a morning or evening workout. But it typically goes off between 4:45 – 6 AM. I wake up and say a little prayer, check my phone, and hop in the shower or head to my workout. Then, I’ll make breakfast and listen to a soul-enriching podcast while getting ready for the day. Before I leave, I pray, journal, and reflect on the day and set an intention for the day. During my commute, I listen to music (usually my Christian music playlist) and I use that time to think through all of the areas God has blessed me in my life. Which means I usually end up crying with joy and walk into my day job with tear stained cheeks, but they’re happy tears. 😊
When I get into work, I plan out my day using Cal Newport’s method of time-blocking. Because I usually have a long to-do list, I choose three things I must finish and then schedule out the rest of my day. I find this method extremely helpful when it comes to focusing. Because I’ve mapped out when I’m going to get everything else done, I can focus on the task at hand.
I usually listen to music while working. Sometimes it’s pump-up, sometimes it’s quiet and more chill. I love Pretty Lights when it comes to focusing. You can follow me on Spotify to check out what I’m listening to!
On the way home, I either call my boyfriend or roll down the windows and listen to some more music – usually something that will get me pumped up for whatever I have planned in the evening… even if it’s only cooking and cleaning.
LIFE BALANCE
Upon returning home, depending on what I have planned, I usually eat a snack, scroll through social media and check messages. Then I’ll get done whatever I had planned. To truly relax, though, I’ll cook while drinking some wine, watch a good show with my roommate, hang out with my boyfriend, or most importantly, spend time praying and reading. I struggled with relaxation for a long time, thinking that I always had to be on and be working. I’m slowly understanding that spending time with my loved ones helps me be more creative and confident in my work. Taking the pressure off myself has shown me that I can still produce good work while living a full, fun, and happy life. So, if you’ve been looking for an excuse to take that vacation, here it is. 😊
Thank you, Maria, for hanging out with us today and giving us some (much needed) encouragement on how to balance all the things! You can follow Maria’s blog HERE, and be sure to keep up with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
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by Joey | May 15, 2018 | Devotional Series
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
Matthew 21:22
I’ve always been a fairly optimistic person full of hope and faith. And I’ve always believed that things aren’t over until they’re good. But it wasn’t until the last few years that I started to see the above scripture play out in my life. It wasn’t for my lack of faith, but prayer really wasn’t a part of my daily life. It felt foreign and strange and uncomfortable.
There are people out there who are champion pray-ers. They know the exact words to say to make themselves sound worthy of an answer. And that wasn’t ever me. If you’ve been following my Youtube channel or Facebook page, you know I’m not so good with the speaking thing. (What can I say, I’m better behind a keyboard.) But something a friend said to me back in high school stuck with me all these years.
Talk to the big guy like he’s one of your friends, one of your homies. It doesn’t matter what you say or how you say it, it’s just about communicating. I asked that friend then if I could pray through my journal, and he said of course. So I started doing just that little by little. But I’ve made it a much higher priority the last couple of years. Something about quitting my job and launching a company forced my faith to take on a new level. I had to have confidence in something, and I needed to believe that God was on my side.
I’ve asked a lot of things of God the last few years. Big things. Little things. Insignificant things. And because I pray through journaling, I’m able to look back and see that God does indeed hear us. And he does answer in His own time.
My mom has a friend who keeps a prayer list on her fridge. She writes out their name and their need, and when the prayer is answered, she crosses them off the list. I found that so amusing as a child. But what an amazing visual representation of God’s power in our lives.
We’ve been going through some Big Things over here lately. The last 24+ months have been some of the hardest we’ve ever faced. But as I read back through my journal, I can see the prayers being answered one by one.
Life is hard. Really hard. And like a parent with his child, God wants to give us what we want and need. And I truly believe he delivers. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.
So I challenge you today, if there’s something you need, write out the prayer. Ask for it. Hold on to that prayer. And keep faith. Someday, when you’re looking back, you’ll see that the prayer was answered somehow. It may not always get answered the way you initially hoped, but God hears us. And he wants good for us.
by Joey | May 14, 2018 | Creative Entrepreneur
Working from home always sounded like the dream. And trust me, it definitely can be. But there were some things I didn’t consider before blending my work life with my home life. And in the last two years, I’ve found some things that work and some that don’t. And as I’m cruising into this work week battling a nasty sinus infection, I figured this would be a good time to share with you my old faithfuls when it comes to finding productivity while working from home.
Things that help me stay productive while working from home.
I set an alarm.
I know. I know. This isn’t a must-do for everyone, but it is for me. My morning hours are my most productive. If I don’t get up early, carry out my morning routine, and sit down at my computer before 8 AM, I feel like I’ve lost the day. It also helps for me to separate work days from weekends. Structure is my friend if you haven’t already picked up on that.
I work in my office.
On weeks like this one where I’m feeling completely under the weather, it’s really tempting for me to take things to the couch or to the bed. But I try to keep some separation. If I’m feeling sick enough that I need to go lay in bed, the work shouldn’t follow. So I treat my work like a real job (because, uhm, it is). I go into my office and work. I don’t eat my breakfast or lunch at my desk. And I physically walk out of my office when I’m not working.
I leave my phone in another room.
I don’t bring my phone into my office whenever I can help it. Because is that thing really even a phone? No, it’s a brick of distraction. I can receive important text messages on my computer, and if that phone is in my office, I’ll find myself scrolling socials. That’s not productive. At least not for me.
I take [coffee] breaks.
If you worked in an office, chances are you’d stop what you’re working on for a moment to catch up with a coworker. Maybe you’d grab a coffee in the break room or take a quick stroll outside. I try to employ intentional breaks. Calendar blocking helps with this.
I calendar block.
I take the time to create a to do list, and then I plan out my week accordingly. Calendar blocking helps me combat the overwhelm, and it helps me keep structure in my days. I don’t think it really matters how much of a self-starter you are if you don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing with your time. Calendar blocking helps me stay on task and introduce balance into my day.
I wear one hat at a time.
This one is hard. Trust me. It’s really hard to stay focused on work when there’s laundry piled up in the master bedroom. But I do my best to treat my office like an out-of-the-house office. I don’t do the laundry when I should be working. Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t throw a load in on a [scheduled] break, but it is not my priority. Working during working hours is my priority. It’s a little harder when the dog or cat demand my attention (they’re awfully dramatic, I have no idea where they get that from 🙃), but I do my best to keep my home life out of my work life and vice versa.
I have a few actual products and some software that also help me when it comes to working from home. Would you guys be interested in seeing a post featuring those things? Let me know. What’s something you do to help you stay on task when working from home?
