HOW I WORK

I am a mama of two, so my routine varies from day to day, But, every day I always make sure to check my emails, engage via social media and look for potential clients. I have a desk in our office/play room and that is where I work. Or honestly, a lot of the time it is from my iphone that goes any and everywhere with me. When I have photoshoots, I have a backpack with my camera, extra lense, props, and business cards ready to go so I don’t have to worry where everything is! I typically do outdoor photoshoots that vary from family, cake smash, birthday parties, engagement photos, maternity, etc. I also do newborn photos, and those usually take place indoors at the client’s home or hospital if they are doing a Fresh 48 session.

I stay organized by my calendar in my phone. Whenever I book a session, I make sure to add it in my calendar so I get a reminder the day before! I have an ongoing to-do list that is on my desk so I can keep track of anything like that. I created and manage my website and social media accounts so I also make sure I keep them up to date with my most recent photoshoots as well as any specials I am running at the time.

I think that photography is such a beautiful thing. They are images captured at any given time in your life that you are able to cherish for the rest of your life. For me personally, whenever I look at old pictures, it brings me back to that time in my life as well as all the emotions and memories that come from the pictures! I love being able to be apart of creating those lifetime memories for people and their families.

LIFE BALANCE

Honestly, I feel like I am constantly working here or there so it’s not ‘set hours’. If I have work I need to do on my website, I typically save that for after the kiddos are down for the night so I can really focus. I relax by doing yoga. I am blessed to have it at our clubhouse and that is a set event in my schedule every week. I also really enjoy listening to podcasts; my favorite right now is Yoga Girl! She is so inspiring and relatable and every time I listen to her it is relevant to what is going on in my life. I also really enjoy cooking and fun fact…I was a chef in a restaurant before I had kids, and now I am still one just for a smaller clientele. 🙂 I usually meal prep every Sunday to help save time during the week! My favorite show to watch right now is ‘Billions’; that’s currently the show my husband and I are obsessed with.

Thanks for hanging out with us for the day, Lauren! Everyone, be sure to go show her some love on Facebook and Instagram, and keep her in mind for any of your future photography needs!

Like any writer, I’m capable of researching and writing about nearly anything—seriously, I once wrote an entire article all about how fish finders work. But, for the past couple of years, I’ve really found my niche in career advice and other content related to productivity, entrepreneurship, and self-development. At this point, I focus on that almost exclusively.

I’m a Staff Writer and Editor for the popular career platform, The Muse, as well as a contributor all over the web. You may have seen me places like Trello, Toggl, Wrike, The Everygirl, and more. I’m fortunate that my work has also been picked up by a variety of respected publications, including Forbes, Fast Company, TIME, Inc., Business Insider, Mashable, and more.

Whew. How was that for a not-so-humble brag?

I love writing for a living. But, when I’m not cranking out content for my clients, my passion project is helping other freelancers launch and grow their own businesses—whether it’s a side hustle or something they’re planning to leap into full-time.

From how to pitch publications to how to tackle the groan-worthy task of tracking your income and expenses, I author blog posts and create resources on my website (which is, admittedly, currently undergoing a major overhaul). I also have a newsletter and a Facebook community where creative freelancers can get insider insights and connect with one another about the trials and tribulations of the freelance life (come join if you’re a creative freelancer yourself!).

Needless to say, I love to stay busy. Fortunately, over the years, I’ve managed to refine some routines and habits that work well for me—and somehow keep me from tearing my hair out. I’m super excited to share all of that with you today!

How I Work

I know the increased flexibility is one of the greatest perks involved with freelancing. That fact makes me almost embarrassed to admit this: I tend to stick with a pretty consistent schedule every day of the workweek.

Most of the time, you can find me parked at my desk in my home office (with one or both of my rescue pups parked at my feet). While I do tend to head out to coffee shops for some focused work every now and then, I usually prefer to be at my own desk. It means I can work on my larger desktop computer (as opposed to my laptop) while also staying home with my clingy puppers.

I aim to start my workday by 8AM, and I usually ease into things by checking and responding to emails and tying up any other random loose ends. Between 9 and 11AM are some of my “golden hours” (to use a productivity cliché), so that’s a time when I like to focus in on actual writing—as opposed to more administrative work.

When I’ve wrapped up what I’m working on, I’ll return a few more emails (sigh, gotta love it) and then break for lunch around 11:30AM. I’ll take my pups outside for a bit and then watch a show (it’s usually reruns of Gilmore Girls or Grey’s Anatomy) while I dig into my lunch.

After that, I’m back to work until about 3:30PM, at which point I’ll get changed into my workout attire and head to the gym to meet my friend (and workout buddy). I try to make it there about three or four times a week. Since that involves “borrowing” some time from my workday, I typically work from about 6:30PM to 8 or 9PM—a bad habit I’ve been trying to break for years.

In terms of what sort of things I do during a standard workday? You can find me doing any combination of the following:

• Checking and responding to emails (so. many. emails.)
• Doing research for articles that I’m writing
• Scheduling interviews with sources
• Pulling stock photos
• Attending meetings or instant messaging with editors and other team members
• Writing, writing, and more writing

When it comes to staying organized, I’m a traditional pen and paper kind of gal. I have a paper planner that I live and die by, as well as a notebook that I use to jot down my daily to-do lists. I’ll add things to that list throughout the day as they arrive in my inbox or pop into my brain. I’ve learned from experience that if something isn’t written down, it probably isn’t getting done.

I do have some clients who prefer that I work inside their own project management systems—like Wrike, Trello, or Asana—and, I do enjoy those (I even use Trello for some personal projects). But, when in doubt, you’ll probably find me with pen and paper in hand.

I’m fortunate that I also work as a part of some pretty great teams. So, I do spend some time each day connecting with various colleagues all over the globe. In most cases, we use Slack to do that.

Habits & Routines

Unfortunately, I’ve never been a morning person (I so, so wish I was!). I set my alarm for 6:45AM with the purest of intentions. But, after letting out a few choice words and then turning it off, I typically start my morning pretty slowly in bed. Despite the fact that I advise people not to do this very thing, I spend a half hour or so scrolling through social media and checking my emails before eventually rolling out from under the covers, grabbing some breakfast, and getting my day started.

One habit I’m desperately trying to implement is to get myself cleaned up and dressed each morning before sitting down at my desk. For years, I’ve headed straight into “work mode” while I’m still in my pajamas. However, I’ve noticed that when I take a little bit of time to get myself freshened up and changed, I’m far more productive.

I’d also love to train myself to take advantage of my level of flexibility a little more. I do that to a certain extent by heading to the gym in the afternoon and taking things a little easier on Thursdays and Fridays. But, I’m hoping to become even a little less rigid with my schedule and maybe even head out to the grocery store or Target on a random Tuesday morning—gasp! That’s just one less thing I’d have to do on the weekend.

As I mentioned, Thursdays and Fridays are a little lighter for me. I try to get the bulk of my really heavy work done Monday through Wednesday so I can coast a little more at the end of the week. Every Thursday, I head to my parents’ house (they live about 45 minutes from me). I love to grab lunch and dinner with them. And, when the weather is nice, my dad and I will even squeeze in a quick round of golf.

I tend to reserve Fridays for tying up loose ends from the workweek, doing some laundry (again, so I don’t have to do it over the weekend!), and working on any personal projects—such as blog posts, new digital downloads, etc.

Life Balance

About a year or so ago, I came to the realization that I was teetering on the edge of burnout. I was working late every single evening, as well as the entirety of my weekend—and, eventually, it got to the point where I resented what I was doing.

At that point, I knew I needed to make a change. So, I really prioritized my own work-life balance (hence why it’s now non-negotiable for me to head to the gym a few times each week).

When I get home from the gym, my husband, Ty, and I will usually take our dogs on a long walk and then cook and eat dinner together. I’ll head back to my office for an hour or two after we’ve done the dishes, but I try my best to be unplugged from work by 9PM at the latest each night.

We’ll usually unwind by watching an hour or so of t.v. (right now, we’re really into season two of The Handmaid’s Tale, Jessica Jones, and are planning on starting Evil Genius soon!) before heading to bed and then starting all over the next day.

I’ve made a switch to reserve the majority of my weekend as work-free time. So, we’ll fill that with fun things like dinner and drinks with friends, comedy shows, and hikes with the dogs—as well as plenty of DIY projects around the house.

I won’t even try to pretend that I’m the master of work-life balance. But, it’s an area where I’ve seen myself make some pretty major strides over the past year or so—and I’m proud of that. Progress over perfection.

I feel so fortunate to be one of the lucky few who genuinely loves my work. Being a freelancer certainly comes with its fair share of challenges, but it’s so rewarding and—at this point—I really can’t picture myself doing anything else.

Thanks so much for letting me give you a little glimpse into how I work. If you feel like getting in touch or keeping up with what I have going on? I’m most active on Instagram (prepare for an abundance of dog photos) and Twitter. I’d love to hang out with you there. Come say hello!

I launched Sprinkle Pop somewhat on a whim in March of 2017 and haven’t looked back. Through hard work, some lucky PR, and determination I grew Sprinkle Pop into a 6 figure company in 1 year. 9 months in, I got to quit my corporate job to live the sweet life full-time. In May of this year, I moved the business out my home (things were getting kind of cray) into a warehouse in the city and hired an employee. Needless to say, it’s been a crazy year, but I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every second of it and the challenge of growing this business gets me out of bed in the morning and excited to face each day!

How I work

A typical day for me starts with puppy cuddles in bed. Then I get up and get ready for the day. I’m a self-proclaimed makeup addict, but it really doesn’t make sense to get all dolled up to work by yourself most days, so I typically put on some light makeup and put my hair in secure braids. My go too outfit is yoga pants or leggings and a t-shirt. I’m on my feet a lot, so I love my sketchers easy walk sneakers…they are the BEEESSSSTTTT. After I feed my doggies and pack my lunch, I hop in my beloved Yukon and make the 24-40 minute commute to the “office.” I usually listen to a podcast or book on tape on my way in. 

My office is my happy place. I have a sprinkle wall, and a sprinkle couch and sprinkles everywhere. When I get in, typically log on to my email and respond to any pertinent messages, wholesale inquiries and what not. Then I print out our shipping labels for orders that need to go out. My employee, Tisha, comes in Mon/Wed/Fri. She brings her kids with her. One is 3 months and 1 is 4 years. They keep things interesting but are so well behaved and provide some much needed comic relief at times. Every day is a little different, but there are several tasks that may or may not need completing: Filling orders, dying sprinkles, mixing up sprinkle mixes, bottling, labeling, cleaning, planning new sprinkle mixes, take photos for the website or social media. 

Life Balance

To be honest, life balance is not a luxury that all small business owners get. I’m trying to build a sprinkle empire so Sprinkle Pop pretty much consumes my life. In fact, since I moved Sprinkle Pop out of my house, I find myself incredibly bored on weekends. I’m searching for something to work on but all my sprinkles are in town, so I typically try to create some sort of blog post or marketing material or plan for the week. I find time for friends and leisure when I want or need it, but working on Sprinkle Pop makes me happy so I typically spend as much time as possible doing that. Ok, ok… I do watch A LOT of TV in the evenings…while I work…even while I’m writing this I’m catching up on West World! 

So…next time you find yourself in need of sprinkles…you know where to go. sprinklepop.shop

Thanks for hanging with us today, Liz! Be sure to follow Sprinkle Pop on Facebook & Instagram to swoon all over the colorful sweetness! And trust–her sprinkles are so creative that they can make even this amateur caker look profesh!

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I started consulting full time in 2014 after leaving the corporate and startup world. I spent too many years dreaming about and fighting to do what I love to do, which is using digital marketing strategies to help organizations and individuals reach and exceed their goals. After seeing someone I admire quit his high paying job to become a business growth coach, and facing a layoff of my own, I knew it was time to take the leap I’ve dreamt of taking for years. Life is too short to be miserable, get out there and do the damn things.

How I Work

There’s no such thing as a typical workday. I work from my home office with a three-year-old daughter (who proudly wears her VP of Distractions title) so my days and weeks are planned according to her school, activities, and nap schedules. Throw in networking events, volunteer commitments, social life, keeping the house from burning down and feeding the family and, well, I’ve got a full plate.

Owning my own business, managing clients, and embracing motherhood has taught me to be flexible, nimble, and ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. This is why planning for the week ahead is so important.

On Sunday evenings I sit down to make a list of everything that needs to be done for the week and then prioritize and set deadlines for each task. I check my Google Calendar for any upcoming appointments and events and then I lay out my week in my Day Designer daily planner. I use a paper planner for top level daily tasks, Google Calendar for anything that requires me to interact with other people and be somewhere on time (appointments, networking events, meetings, calls, workouts, etc.), and notebooks and digital checklists for each client for more granular tasks.

Planning and preparing for the days and weeks ahead is what keeps me on track, no matter what life throws my way, and allows me to accomplish everything that is important.

I’ve recently started treating my own business, personal brand, and lifestyle blog as “clients” because it’s really easy to let my needs to slide to the wayside when taking care of everyone else. Don’t forget to take care of what’s important to you.

My work days include a lot of small- and mid-sized tasks that lead to big results. Each day includes a mixture of the following for the clients that I work with:

• Creating and managing short-, mid-, and long-term digital and social media strategy
• Creating and managing content and editorial calendars
• Creating brand driven written and visual content and scheduling it out on various social media platforms
• Curating content
• Auditing, assessing, measuring, and testing marketing campaigns and their performance
• Building lists, creating templates, writing copy, and designing graphics for e-mail newsletters
• Engaging with followers, current and potential customers, and influencers on social media
• Utilizing social selling techniques to nurture current and potential clients
• Generating leads to fill sales pipelines
• Reaching out to other business owners to create partnerships and create new profit generating opportunities
• Running contests and giveaways
• Consulting clients on best practices, business opportunities, promotion ideas, and provide business coaching and training on various social media platforms

My clients are diverse and range from small businesses to global B2B companies to franchises to non-profits. My requirement for a client is that they have to give a damn about their business, brand, or product. Passion is contagious.

Habits & Routines

I wish I could tell you that I’m a morning person who wakes up at 5:00 am to read, work out, meditate, and get a head start on the work day but that would be a lie. I’m a night owl and do my best work when everyone else is asleep. It’s also quiet and nobody is asking me to open a bag of Goldfish for them.

I am able to accomplish as much as I do in a day because of my amazing husband, who is my biggest cheerleader and handles more than his fair share of housework and child-rearing duties. His absence is greatly felt when he travels and my workload is adjusted accordingly.📸 JJ Horton Photography

School day mornings go a little bit like this:

• Husband wakes up the toddler and takes her through her morning routine (brushing her teeth, eating breakfast, etc.).
• I begrudgingly roll out of bed after hitting snooze too many times and check my phone. I make sure all of the client posts that were scheduled for that morning went live, check my e-mail, and respond to any urgent matters.
• I pick out an outfit for our daughter, prepare her lunch, and get my first pot of coffee going.
• By 8:30am I am at my desk tackling my inbox and checking off the most urgent items on my to-do list.
• At 10:00am I leave the house to go to yoga. I have a fifteen-minute commute to the gym so I take the opportunity to listen to a podcast, which varies by mood or educational needs. Current favorites include The Dais Podcast by Rachel Hollis and How I Built This).
• After yoga I run quick errands (grocery shopping, checking out a new restaurant for my blog, post office, etc.) before picking up our daughter from school.

Non-school day mornings are a time for play, errands, and adventures.

Naptime is non-negotiable.

Once our toddler is in bed for her afternoon nap, my workday continues. Afternoons is when I have my biggest uninterrupted pocket of time to handle things that require the most brain power.

I take a break around 5pm to play with our daughter after she wakes up, cook dinner, hang out with the family, and relax until about 8pm.

I’m back at work once our daughter is in bed. This is the second pocket of time when I can crush my to-do list. I try not to work past 11:00pm so that I can shower and be in bed in time to watch my favorite late night talk show.

Life Balance

For me it’s not so much about balance but more so about blending. Managing social media for myself and others is a 24/7 job. Days off do not exist and you do whatever it takes to get things done. The reason I am bullish on planning out my week is so that I can be prepared to a) work from anywhere and b) in any situation or time constraint that may get thrown my way.

Arrived early to pick my kid from school? That’s a few minutes to engage with followers or to send a note to another business about a potential partnership.

Kid skips her nap? Concentrate on 5-15 minute tasks and complete as many as possible.

Need a mental break from a project? Check my Twitter feed or start a load of laundry.

I’ve learned a few hard lessons over the past four years from dealing with bad clients, burning out, dealing with anxiety, and so on. I’ve learned the hard way not to bite off more than I can chew. I’ve learned when to scale up and when to scale down. I’ve learned to charge my worth so that I can spend more time with my husband and daughter and family and friends instead of worrying about taking on more work when there’s so little time left in my day. I’ve learned that it’s important to take care of myself. I’ve learned that sometimes the most productive thing I can do is take a 30-minute nap instead of drinking yet another cup of coffee.

Starting a business and having a kid has forced me to finetune my focus, learn to better prioritize my time, and not to put up with other people’s BS. Ain’t nobody has time for that.

I am grateful to get to do what I love to do, working from home, and building a life that I can be proud of. I am grateful to have amazing clients and support system (family and friends) that make every day a good day and bad days better. And I am grateful to show my daughter that she can be and do anything that she wants so long as she believes in it and works hard to achieve it.

Professional links (social media tips, industry news, etc.)

• Website – www.kseniyamartin.com
• Twitter – www.twitter.com/kseniyamartin
• Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/kseniyamartinconsulting
• LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/kseniyamartin
• Instagram – www.instagram.com/kseniyamartin

Lifestyle/Personal (food, kid, out and about, travel, etc.)

• Website – www.birchcollective.com
• Twitter – www.twitter.com/birchcollective
• Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/birchcollective
• Instagram – www.instagram.com/birchcollective

Thank you, Kseniya for taking the time to hang out with us today! You are for sure an inspiration to bad ass mama entrepreneurs! Be sure to go show Kseniya some love! Oh, and if you follow her on Instagram, prepare to get hungry. She takes the best food pics!

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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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How I Work

I work daily from my home office, which I call the AS Home Studio. I’m living my dream every day and that is so amazing to me! I’ve been working from home full-time for about 3 years now, after leaving my corporate creative director position in April of 2015. My home studio is very organized, haha. Fitting for a planner girl, right? I thrive in a clean, orderly surrounding, and it’s one of my biggest priorities to keep my workspace nice and neat. My mind does not handle clutter very well, but luckily I enjoy the process of cleaning and organizing. I love cool colors, so I am surrounded by lots of white, cool gray, aqua, purple, and navy. Those are mostly my brand colors, and it’s so much fun to see them around me!

For daily organization of my business tasks and to-do lists, I use my weekly Ashley Shelly Planner. I created it to be a perfect combo of handling my business and personal life, so everything runs smoothly day-to-day. I have one side of the day laid out for appointments, and the other is a to-do list. I love checking things off! Super satisfying for this type-A personality. If anything doesn’t get checked off for the day, it gets moved to the next day so it doesn’t get forgotten. Even with all of the digital apps and things out there today to track productivity, I still get the most done by writing things down physically on paper. I doubt that is going to change for me.

During an average work day, I typically check emails and respond to anything quick, or star the ones that require a longer response for later in the day. I check in on my Instagram and Facebook accounts, respond to any comments or DMs I’ve received from the previous evening, and usually post a new product image or share a behind-the-scenes sneak peek or story. More recently, I’ve been designing the 2019 line of planners to send to the printer and I’m now waiting on the physical proofs to come in. I always, always get physical proofs of any product I design. That way, I can see it exactly how it will look and make any necessary changes before large numbers get produced. The actual design and proofing process of paper products is probably my favorite aspect of my job. Choosing color palettes and creating new patterns is just way too fun!

Around 1-2PM, I go into my online shop’s order management system and pack up the orders waiting to be shipped. I love packing everything myself right now. One day I might not be able to do it all, so for now, I enjoy taking care of the little details as my company grows. It’s a very special thing for me to put my hands on every order that goes out and thank that person in my mind as well as on social media, as their order gets sent out. I truly believe in putting positive energy out into the world, and I think it matters to be grateful for every sale I make.

Mid-day I always stop for a lunch break. I take my health seriously and definitely enjoy a hearty lunch while catching up on YouTube videos from my favorite channels. It’s a great way to break up the day for me, and I really look forward to that no-rush lunch. After that, I check in on email again, and respond to the starred emails that I saved from the morning. I can definitely focus more after a food break! Haha.

After emails have been taken care of, I work on any design files that need to be continued or finished, or photograph products for my website or social media channels. I do all of my own design work and product photography, so that typically takes up the end of my afternoons. Then, I tidy up my work area to create a great environment for the next day.

I truly feel blessed to live the life I am living right now, as the owner and designer of the Ashley Shelly brand. I never thought as a younger person in high school or college that I’d be right here. I always saw myself working for someone else, but I wouldn’t trade how things ended up. I started creating my products on the side while working full-time. The Budget Notebook was my very first business baby. I made it to help myself keep track of my finances in my mid-twenties, but quickly realized how helpful it would be for other women just like me, who felt overwhelmed in that area. From there, I kept adding products to my line that would truly help women stay organized and live their best days. Each day is a blessing, and I think it should be lived without too much stress. Sometimes we go through stressful times no matter what we try to do to prevent it, but there are ways to get through those moments and enjoy our days even in those times. Every product I make is meant to help create that mindset.

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Habits and Routines

My mornings are very relaxed. I have never been a fan of jumping out of bed in a hurry and rushing around. That thought alone makes my stomach hurt, actually. I am a super night owl and always have been, so I sleep in usually until I feel like my body and mind are refreshed. Being able to set my own schedule is probably the best thing that ever happened to me in this case. I get up about 11AM and have breakfast right away, usually cereal, nothing too sweet though, and watch a little YouTube. Watching the news or TV first thing just depresses me, bleh. I prefer to control what comes into my mind that early. Positive people I subscribe to on YouTube are a much happier way to start my day! I enjoy watching channels like Mimi or Alex Ikonn, Alex and Michael, Franceska Garza, The SacconeJolys, Pretty Neat Living, and a few others. If I want a motivating kick in the butt, I watch Gary Vaynerchuk. And as far as my commute, it’s pretty short, from my bedroom to my office down the hall.

For rituals around my work, I am constantly referring to my planner throughout the day, checking things off as I go. I usually have a YouTube video playing in the background to keep me company, as I work alone, or I listen to a podcast. Some of my favorite business podcasts right now are A Podcast for Creatives, She Did It Her Way, How I Built This, Hack the Entrepreneur, and The Product Boss Podcast. There are some amazing podcasts out there filled with people who are sharing their lives and inspiring others!

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Life Balance

My husband gets home from his job around 6PM. We sit and chat for a bit about our days, and then decide on what to do for dinner. Since we both work, we make that choice together, to either go out for dinner or have something at home. Dinner time with him is special each day and I really enjoy that quality time to just focus on each other.

After dinner, we usually will go walk through a store and look for home décor pieces as we just moved into a new condo, or we’ll come home and relax on the couch with a comedy special on Netflix. Some of my favorite shows lately have been The Bachelor (of course), The Ranch, Fuller House, or Shark Tank. We love the neighborhood we just moved to, so I see a lot of sidewalk strolls in the near future as well. I’m also going to be setting up our balcony to be a cozy relaxation area for us. So far it has two rocking chairs. It just needs an outdoor rug, some string lights and outdoor curtains and it’ll be a special place to chill in the evenings. I love to make a comfort food snack late at night, like a yogurt parfait, or sometimes just a nice cup of hot chamomile tea with honey and cinnamon in it. I also balance that out some nights with Sour Patch Kids or gummy worms! I enjoy my evenings.

When we get ready to go to bed, I bring my planner with me and put it on my nightstand. I check over the tasks for the next day, add anything that needs to be done, and make a mental plan for the day ahead. After I do that, I feel like I can let go and completely relax because I have a plan. That’s just how my mind works. I thrive on routines and being prepared. I know in life there will be lots of moments that I will just have to wing it, but I much prefer to think things through when I have time to.

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Thank you so much, Ashley, for hanging out with us today!

Be sure to give her some love! Her content is inspiring and calm-inducing (and man, couldn’t we all use a little bit more of that in our lives?) I came to know Ashley when I discovered her planner online and purchased one for myself! To say I’m obsessed would be an epic understatement. Do yourself a favor and peruse her shop–you’re sure to fall in love. You can keep up with all the cool things Ashley is doing on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Youtube.

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Before I started working for myself, I was desperate to see how other creative entrepreneurs did things. What did the work look like? How did they manage their time? Where did they spend their days? Even though I’ve been in the entrepreneurial world for a few years now, the curiosity still lingers. I learn so much from seeing how other people operate. And I thought, hey, maybe you do too. So today, I’m here with a behind-the-scenes look at how I work to kick off the How I Work series. Every Thursday, a badass creative entrepreneur will be taking over the blog to share an inside look into their workday!

So, let’s get to it.

For those of you who may be new here, I’m Joey. I’m a Young Adult author, content creator, business start-up consultant, and a boundary and accountability coach. Basically, I help people make things happen whether they’re looking to attract new clients (hello, business blogging), start a business of their own, establish a work process that protects their dream job, or finally tackle that life-long creative dream.

There can be a lot of variation to my work day (said every creative entrepreneur ever). But I do my best to keep some things consistent.

How I work

Most often, I work daily from my home office. I’m an ISFJ, so I prefer to work alone and actually, I typically work in silence though I am a fairly social person. (I realize a lot of you are shuddering right now. 😬) At first, it was a total accident–I’d start my day only to realize halfway through I never put on a playlist, but over time it just became my preference. I nannied for many years, managed young teams, and spent a lot of time in customer service jobs. So silence at this point in my career feels like a much-welcomed change.

On occasion, I’ll crave a change of scenery or I’ll feel the (very rare) urge to be around people. When that happens, I’ll usually pack up and head to a coffee shop. While I’d love to be cool and claim that I frequent some quirky, artsy local place, I have to be honest. Starbucks is close to my husband’s office, and we share a car, so…🤷🏻‍♀️

I log in for the day around 8AM. The first thing I do is take inventory of everything I have going on. While I work completely virtually with clients (I use Asana to manage client relations), I do still like to keep track of things in a paper planner. Studies have actually shown that you’re more likely to remember something if you’ve written it down in your own handwriting. So, I have an Ashley Shelly planner that I keep with me; and I have a large Erin Condren planner that stays open on my desk to track my project goals each week. I do on occasion keep track of my todo list via Wunderlist, but that’s not as common these days now that I tend to stay at a desk.

Usually, the work looks like some combination of writing content, coaching and consulting meetings, and creating course content (yes, so keep an eye out for three VERY exciting course launches coming very soon!). That’s work-work. But I’m also in the middle of writing my second book and promoting the paperback version of my first book, so I keep things pretty interesting on the day-to-day. Calendar blocking is a huge part of my productivity. It’s easy for me to feel completely overwhelmed when things are just floating around in my head, so calendar blocking helps me know that 1) there is time to get everything done and 2) when it’s going to get done. This also comes in huge for implementing my boundaries. But we’ll talk more about that in future content.

Habits & Routines

My early mornings are sacred to me. While I’m sure to listen to my body and allow myself to sleep in when necessary, I typically wake up around 5:30. Quiet time with my coffee and my thoughts is a non-negotiable for me. I’ve just started practicing Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages, which is an exercise where before anything else you write longhand for three pages; stream of consciousness style. I can do a whole separate post on its benefits, but so far it’s been pretty life-changing. Along with that, I sit with my one cup of coffee (Folger’s Classic Roast with way too much Coffeemate Peppermint Mocha creamer) and start to plan my day.

I give myself time in the morning to ease into things. If I feel like catching up on Youtube, I do. (I’m a big fan of vlogs; MoreZoella, FleurDeVlog, LeighAnnSaysVlogs are some of my faves.) If I’m in the middle of a good book, I’ll sit and read for a while. (My TBR list is crazy right now. I really enjoy mystery/suspense type books, but at the moment I’ve been getting back into the YA mindset with a few Sarah Dessen novels.) This time in the morning is to do the things that I want to do. Sometimes that means diving right into a creative project if that’s what I feel like doing. But throughout the rest of the day, a lot of what I’m doing is for someone else. My mornings are for me.

My bedtime routine is pretty consistent, too. I take out my contacts, wash my face with coconut oil (it’s honestly the only thing I’ve found that can control my otherwise crazy oily skin–go figure), and apply my skincare (a Ponds night cream and a L’oreal eye cream because #almost32). I don’t keep my phone by my bed, so once I’ve plugged it in for the night, I’m screen free (say no to the mindless social media scroll). When I first get into bed, I do my Lara Casey Write the Word journal. After that, I’ll read for a bit while my sleeping pill kicks in (yes, I’m a terrible sleeper otherwise). Once I start to get sleepy, I do what everyone says not to and put on the TV to either FRIENDS or How I Met Your Mother. I know it’s a bad habit, but it’s comforting for me.

Life Balance

Here’s the thing. When you’re a creative entrepreneur, it’s really freaking easy to blur the lines between work and life. I’ve made the mistake of putting my work before everything else before. When every dollar you make is attached to the amount of hustle you put in, it can become a very slippery slope. Entrepreneurship is full of sacrifice, we all know that. But listen to me when I say this; you deserve to live your life, too. Because of this new found perspective, I now have firm office hours.

I am “on the clock” from 8-4PM Monday – Thursday, 8-noon on Fridays. Sure, I may carry work over on occasions, but for the most part, client communication comes to a hard stop at that time. I do not keep my email on my phone. And when I’m done for the day, I physically walk out of my office and shut the door. I have a work computer and a personal computer. And I do my best not to blur them.

These days, my evenings consist of taking yoga classes at Lifetime Fitness (can’t beat $30/month), making meals with my husband, reading books, writing, or binging a new show (we like Superstore and Splitting Up Together). I’ve also started making it a priority to spend time and intentionally catch up with friends. Sometimes that means an after work date, a FaceTime wine night, or just a plain old phone call. Either way, I’m making it a priority to keep up with the people who are important to me.

I’m in a place where I’m really enjoying my work. But I’m also very intentional about making sure to enjoy my life, too.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, and you’d like to be featured in this How I Work series, send me an email with How I Work as the subject and we’ll chat!

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