Life = Risk

A few years ago I started a candle company.  I had a chance to sell said company and I did not - even though I knew the company was going nowhere for me as I had lost my passion for it early on.  I had passion for the business side and the ideas that made the company unique, but not for making the dang things.  I didn't really recognize myself as an entrepreneur and this lost opportunity was my first failure in that world.  Regret?  Sure.  But it also excites me - makes me feel like one of the big girls or boys in the business world.  Excitement from failure?  Yeah - who'da thunk it.

See what I mean?


Have a great day!

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Gettin' Mobile Update

I came across some sites to test your mobile readiness.  You can access your site through these emulators and know how it all checks out:

ready.mobi

operamini.com/demo (so far this one is my favorite)

mowser.com

validator.w3.org/mobile

emulator.mtld.mobi/emulator.php

All of them are pretty simple and fun to use.

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Tools I Love for Fun and Inspiration

Here are some tools I enjoy and my short descriptions of them - visit the

sites for more thorough information:

The Secret Memory Game - http://thesecret.tv/memory-game.html
Yes we all know The Secret is marketed out the wazoo and this is more of the same, but it's a fun throwback to the childhood game with great advice to go along with it.

Dream Moods Dictionary - http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/
Ever have a dream that seems to be about nothing, but you can't get it out of your head?  This is a great tool to possibly figure out what's going on. 

Stumble Upon - http://www.stumbleupon.com
This site is amazing.  You create an account, go through a checklist of interests - checking off your faves, then download a toolbar.  Anytime you are bored, need a break, or need some inspiration you can click the 'stumble' button on the toolbar and you'll find sites you never knew existed.  Everything from online games to marketing is listed.  You also get to tell the site if you liked where it took you - so essentially it learns your interests even more.  I recommend this to everyone.  It's pretty great.

Astrology Insight - http://www.astrology-insight.com/astrologyinformation.htm
Okay so don't freak out if you don't believe in this stuff.  Most people - whether they believe or not - read their horoscopes for the fun of it.  This is a good site and although I rarely check my horoscope - I love the personality descriptions.  This site has some of the best.  To get yours - once you click on the site, you will see a pale yellow box to the left - click on your sign and voila.  This site isn't well organized, but content is key.

Okay that's it for now, but I hope someday soon I'll be adding my own site to this little list.

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Gettin' Mobile

This is a simple tidbit I wanted to mention - by no means a literary work of genius - but if you run a website - it is a vital piece of information to know.
The tools that I want to introduce on my website would definitely work well as a mobile site.  Now days, if you have a website, you need to have a mobile site to go with it.  People are accessing the internet more from their mobile devices than desktops and even laptop computers. 

It's interesting to know that if you don't have a specific mobile site - people using these devices are directed to your normal site - which means lots of scrolling and long load times and ultimately people clicking off your site to find a better alternative i.e. your competition - which is definitely just a click away. 

So be ahead of the competition and work on finding how to create and host a mobile site. 

I'll be going through this process myself very soon and will do more extensive research, but in the mean time if anyone has any experience or advice on this - feel free to share.  I would greatly appreciate the input. 

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Why?

Why should Small Goalz exist?  Why am I moving forward with this?  Why do I believe in this so much?

I was lost. 
After rifling through so many ideas of what my future career should be - what I was meant to do with my life...

I got depressed.  When I started thinking I'll never be who or what I want to be...I'll never look the way I want.  Why even try?

The funny part of it was that I did keep trying - to find myself, my profitable talents, my likes and dislikes.  It felt like I kept trying in vain.  I kept delving into self help books.  I lapped up any meaningful quote or speech.  I wanted to hear everything anyone who had started with nothing but rose to success had on their minds.  All the while I let everything else in my life falter. 

I was getting worse and worse at social skills - the few that I did have.  I became a recluse.  The 'pretty' that I worked for after graduating high school was going away - the figure, the fitness...I was after something a little deeper all the while getting more and more depressed because I couldn't have it all at once.  Why couldn't I keep my looks while going on a significantly personal journey toward fulfillment?  I just didn't see how I could do this and that and be here and there all at once...

It was like my mind was going 90 to nothing, but my outward features and personality didn't match what was in my head - my expressions were not my own - they were on auto-pilot.  I dare to say, it was kind of what I think an autistic person is like.  The house (mind) is definitely a rockin' but the outside world is not invited. The difference was, I could still put on a show on the outside that satisfied the public, my friends, and family enough so that they weren't quite ready to commit me.

But I did find what I was meant to do and I'm sure by just skipping to this point - the happy ending, it feels like I'm glossing over a significant piece of my journey - the hardships and lessons that got me to this moment.  Well I definitely am taking a more direct course and summarizing a bit as to not write a whole novel here.  I don't mean to cheat anyone out of the juicy details - but they'll come out as this blog continues and the site takes shape.

The point is - that journey - those thoughts - those lessons...all of it showed me step by step while I was searching that      1.)  I may have eventually found myself, but I didn't do it alone.  and       2.)   Because this process is so exhaustive and emotionally charged - I let other important aspects of my life fly out the window. 

I don't believe I am damaged beyond repair - at least not anymore.  Through the help of some amazing people and resources in my life - I am building back those things I lost during the time of self-discovery - my fitness and general health being the most obvious. 

I typed all of that above - to get to this:

This site I am creating comes from what I needed during that process.  I needed it, but it wasn't out there - believe me, I searched for it.  Even if someday something similar pops up - it can never be the same - this is all from my mind.  Of course if it's a direct copy I'm sure there will be lawsuits involved ha ha.

I know there are people out there just like me and I know there will be more of them.  The housewives who feel like they've given up their dreams, careers, and social lives for the lives of their families (when most of the time our families just want to see us be happy - but that doesn't stop the negative self-talk).  The ADHD teens and adults who feel lazy and stupid, but who definitely are not.  The depressed people who feel like getting out of bed is a chore.  And any combination of those and more. 

If you could have a free tool to bring a spark to your day and make you productive - would you want it?  Would you use it?

Hopefully by October 31, 2011, if all goes well - you'll have it.  And so far - things are going well.  Believe me - I'd love to get it out there right now.  For those out there hurting at this moment or just bored out of their minds, frustrated and overwhelmed - feel free to contact me and I'll let you in on some of the things that helped me.  You can also read this blog - the older posts too - I mention some of the things I do to make things easier. 

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Sickness and Magazines

As most of us Secret watchers/readers know - it isn't good to announce to everyone that you're sick as you are bound somewhat by the thoughts and words you put out in the world.  But this is the last time I will post about it.  I am definitely not feeling well. 

That said - I still have to get some work done tomorrow.  The great part about working for yourself - I get to decide what kind of work I'll be doing. 

During our trip to San Francisco, I picked up some really great magazines at the airports.  Two issues of Entrepreneur and one Harper's.  They have amazing information in them and I overwhelmingly fell head over heels in love with Entrepreneur magazine so as soon as we got home, I subscribed.  The subscription price was so inexpensive for the amount of information you get.  It's less than a dollar an issue.  Between the magazine itself, the magazine's website, and their facebook page - I have my day filled with learning. 

If I can't be a rock tomorrow - I'll be a sponge.

Tomorrow I'm finishing Freakonomics - if I don't finish it tonight.  And I'll be spending time absorbing all information on Entrepreneur mag's sites.  What's amazing about their facebook page is - they ask questions and all the entrepreneurs in various fields and locations give their opinions and wisdom on important subjects.  Real feedback in real time - love it!

I would say Harper's isn't a must have for business - it's just interesting reads, but Entrepreneur - how many times can I say how amazing it is lol.  I'm loving Freakonomics as well.  I can't wait to get into SuperFreakonomics, but have many other books to read before then - I still haven't finished Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  I know - I'm a bad girl ha ha. 

Seriously though - if you're starting a craft business or planning to take over a huge company or anything in between - order this magazine!!!

Bieber, Kardashian, Gaga, TMZ, Trump, Hilton, Oprah

There.  Think my blog will go up in search results? 

In addition to the little (but important) things such as hosting information, schedules, keeping up with various blogs and profiles, some minor networking, and reading business related material...I am now concentrating on marketing. 

The tricky thing is - I'm not actually marketing Small Goalz, but this blog that is about starting Small Goalz. 

*Sigh*

The problem - how do you know a blog is ready?  It's a little scary trying to get the world interested in a blog about an idea.  Will they try to steal it?  Will they get sick of it before it even begins?

I know the avenues of marketing, but where do I begin?  If you catch me in a daydream lately I'm thinking of viral stunts, ad copy, business plans, and defending my blog against criticism (which oddly enough these criticisms adopt the faces of people from my life - you know those people in your life you want to show a thing or two and that you're 100 percent sure are going to be the first ones to rip you apart the first chance they get). 

The thing is - I'm not afraid of criticism - in fact I live for it - a little too much maybe.  I tend to create scenarios that put people in situations where they have to fess up.  Do you love it or hate it?!  Because it's always been black and white with me, baby.  No gray!  If you don't love me, you hate me.  I can deal with the hate, but I cannot deal with someone pretending. 

But the world isn't like that.  There are so many gray areas and learning to thrive in the gray has been my greatest challenge with my own personality and emotions. 

So as I continue through this marketing process,  I am seeing the 'views' of my blog shoot up quickly and on a daily basis - yet I see only a few loyal followers - whom I appreciate more than words can say - and a scant amount of comments.

I immediately begin the inner tirade of what could I have said to spark more interest, is there anything offensive in my post, should I have put more pictures in the blog to engage and grab attention?

But here's the reality:  Asking myself those questions isn't a bad thing - it only sparks improvement.  Blogs also tend to be somewhat specialized.  Even if this site that I am creating goes after a broad array of people, this blog won't be interesting to anyone except those who have similar feelings as I do.

Not everyone is a customer or a reader and that's okay.  And don't mistake that comment for complacency.  I would advertise my blog to everyone and give them the opportunity to take a gander, but I cannot put everyone into the category of LOVE or HATE.  There is the I DON'T LIKE TO READ, BUT IF I DID I'D READ YOUR BLOG group, there's the I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE WRITING group,  there's the WHAT YOU WRITE DOES NOT PERTAIN TO ME SO WHY SHOULD I BE INTERESTED group, and so many other gray areas.  Not everyone is a customer or a reader and that's okay.

But even so, you could follow or click a link for god's sake.  Kidding, kidding.  Learn to laugh :-P

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole 

P.S. I'd love to hear from anyone who has been successful in their marketing endeavors - what worked and what didn't?  : )

The New Look

I am playing around with a few options so the look of the blog may change a few more times.  I haven't messed around with code in a long time and I'm out of practice, but this will be good preparation for adding content to the site.  It's kinda fun once you get going, but code is kinda like a magic eye picture.  You first look over it and it just seems like a bunch of letters and numbers but cross your eyes a bit, stand on your head, and squint and the formulas come to life.

Revealing the Logo

Well - here it is.  I went through sooo many options with this puppy.  I've got all the files saved in photoshop and will probably never let them go because you can literally see the process I went through to get it all.  At one point I got frustrated and created this multi-colored craziness out of sheer frustration and silliness.  It's actually kinda cute but not the right feel for the site. 

Even though I haven't revealed what exactly the site's function is - you can kinda guess with the title and logo. 

Love & Gratitude,

Erica Nicole

P.S.  There were many other similar ones to the final product, this is the only one I went in a totally different direction with, rebelling out of my frustration trying to get the perfect logo going.  I'm not sure what is more frustrating doing graphic design for others or yourself.

I Love You : )

I've been kinda paralyzed in my own thoughts and emotions lately.  It wasn't enough that I wanted to get back to feeling better.  I just couldn't do it on my own. 

So I sat quietly - some would call this a kind of meditation. 

I believe everyone is connected.  And whatever we feel, we project that energy to the rest of the people we are connected to.  So if you are continually feeling drained and tired, negative and irrational - you are putting that out to all of us. 

But if you walk around in a positive attitude such as joy, thankfulness, with a comedic spirit, in a working mind, with determination, etc - you are projecting this out to to all of us. 

So if you want the world to be a better place - begin with yourself.  A simple change in thought and attitude can do wonders and even better yet - purposely projecting that to others in your mind - for them to be happy and have a good day today and then even further - smiling at everyone or at least making them feel a little better about their day - it becomes contagious and pretty soon you've changed a few people for the day.

It wasn't enough that I wanted to change my thoughts and emotions for me today, but as I sat here and thought I am poisoning our world with these thoughts right now - I finally changed them a lot easier than I had anticipated.

: )   I love each and every one of you who read this blog.  May you be blessed beyond anything you've imagined today.  : )  SMILE : ) : ) : )

This is What's Up Lately...

Well I went shopping for curtains for the office - found some amazing ones and luckily they were on sale - I mean super sale - which also meant they were back ordered.  I won't be getting my beauties til November 17th!!  Oh well - the sheet doesn't look that bad - does it?  (see said sheet here)

The projects for tomorrow - (it's the first day of work in the 'new' office)
* Marketing for my blog/sSo far I've just shared the blog with a few family members and friends via facebook.  It's time to get the ball rolling and send it out to the world.

* Day 2 of workout regimen (see other blog)

* Schedules and time managementI actually had an amazing class on this during my medical transcriptionist program and I kept all my notes.  It's not as boring as it sounds.  I'll be creating a schedule and basically taking the class again through all the documentation I have on it with some extra reading on the side. 

* Logo RevealedI have one little tweak I want to make to the graphic - the legal junk.  But after that I can post it up and I can't wait to start using it!  I hope to actually have this done before marketing the blogs. 

* Business Plan and Mission StatementAs I want to be very thorough, I'm guessing this will take a few days and will be constantly revised throughout this year while the process is underway.  I will probably work on one section a day. 

As for anything going on outside of the office...I'm reading Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass on my new kindle and I'll be starting Freakonomics (in paperback) tomorrow as well.  Add in the normal household chores.....and I really want to go to the Halloween store.  We have our same Halloween decorations up from last year and I'd like to expand on them a bit.

The lanterns light up a bit, but it just needs something - don't you think?  I don't want to get gaudy though so if I can't find something good - it can wait til next year - no biggie.  It'll be time to worry about Christmas decorations soon anyway - yikes!

Well that's all I've got.  G'day or evening or night or whatever....xoxo

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Phew

Do you ever have that feeling that you've lost that loving feeling?

Today has been a particularly trying day.  I have come down with a doozy of a cold.  Bad moods are running rampant.  It's just one of those days I suppose.  So glad it's almost over, but I'm going to try to turn my frown upside down before midnight. 

There are a few things I do to change my mindset.  One is writing to a mentor and friend of mine.  Secondly I usually watch something funny or uplifting - sometimes a Kandee Johnson youtube vid or something similar. 

I love my business books too.  They help me get in the right mood for success - all disgustingly filled with ways to stay positive and be an optimist and get more determined. 

I don't normally cry, but this day may call for it.  I had all these plans today.  Lovingly written out in notepad on this computer.  There they sit - incomplete and glaring at me - none checked off.

I'm so tired, yet I can't sleep - head racing, but in a fog.  Okay time to find something funny on tv while I look up some inspiring things on the net. 

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole


Update:  Thank god for Kandee and when I realized I still hadn't turned the tv to something funny - I look up and Blues Brothers was on lol - with all these resources - I got my peace and smiles before midnight.