Three Ways To Take Advantage of Life's Greatest Opportunities

A few months ago, I received an email from my local news station to do a segment on our first annual vision board conference. 

This was a great opportunity for the conference to FINALLY get some coverage on a large scale. Of course, I was happy to get this type of interest for our first event, but instead of jumping for joy, I panicked. 

We'd need to find a location to shoot for the entire morning. I had to set up four different shoots, organize to have some volunteers to help, and have our speakers and sponsor ON SET AT 8AM... and we had about a week to pull it together. If I could describe how I felt in that moment, it was:

10% excitement,
10% headache (thinking about all the new items to add to my ever-growing to-do list) 
80% panic

By the time the camera crew was ready to shoot, we'd somehow made it happen... and went on national TV looking like we had our lives together. 

Opportunities don't present themselves all the time, but when they do, you'd better be ready for them. Here are my best tips for taking advantage of life's greatest opportunities.

call your go-to Girlfriend that helps you dream big

This works best when you're in panic mode. Call that one friend that you admire most. You know, the one that's always managing to pull off the most amazing events, create the most high profile partnerships and moves mountains... all while looking like a runway model.

When I called up my go-to girlboss panicking about all the things on my to-do list she was calm and gladly offered advice and ideas. Then, before getting off the phone, she uttered words that stuck with me to this day: 

You're doing this.

She reminded me that I am going to do this news segment. I just have to figure out the how.  And just like that, the panic went away and I drifted off into strategy mode.

Call in the your personal #ThriveTribe

You will need help creating girlboss magic, especially when you're on a time crunch. Calling your trustworthy friends and family to help you pull things together will take some things off your plate.

With some additional help, you can worry less, work less and things will still get done. This also clears your mind to be more creative and thoughtful, ensuring you don't miss anything important.

While I was busy creating the press release, communicating with the news team and creating the layout for the segment, my #ThriveTribe was hard at work. I didn't have to worry about contacting the speakers or volunteers because they took care of it. After one chat with my aunt, she agreed to let us use her restaurant for the shoot and she also provided some early morning eats for everyone on set. (At this point, I'm like... Panic? What's that?)

Keep Showing Up.

Have you ever wondered why the same influencers, bloggers and Rockstar employees keep getting all the BEST opportunities? They simply keep showing up and keep doing the best they can NO MATTER WHAT. 

If a huge project fails. They show up ready to work.
If they are losing money in their business. They show up for work.
When their web traffic is down AND they're getting no love on social media... they keep showing up for work.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. That show was months in the making.

I'd been calling friends and family for months letting them know how excited I was to be creating the first Vision Board conference in DC and keeping them up to date on each new milestone.

My Dad saw first-hand that I was very serious about this event. I was investing money and a significant amount of time, securing sponsors and booking speakers. Eventually he started to talk to his friends about what his "baby girl" was doing (as parents often do) and one of his friends said she'd be interested in covering the event on her show.

Before we had web traffic, speakers or sponsors, ticket sales or news coverage, it was just an idea. All of those things came because we started showing up EVERY. SINGLE. DAY... ready to work.

What are your best tips to take advantage of opportunities?

If you enjoyed this article, then you might like my book:

Goal Doing: Practical Advice For Goal Setting, Action Planning and Achieving Your Dreams

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

One Mistake Doesn't Define You... 4 Ways To Recover From A Bad Day

I was running up the escalator, heaving my two luggage bags and gasping for air as I struggled to lift them up each step. The entire time I was cursing my upper body strength, or lack thereof since I haven't actually attempted to lift anything slightly resembling a weight since 2013. Still, I was determined to keep going, no matter how much my arms (and now my legs) were growing weary.

I was officially late for my own event. #EpicFail

Once I got to the top, I realized that I wasn't 100% sure which direction to walk in... and I didn't have time to be unsure. My very sporadic memory was failing me, once again. (No surprise there, by the way.)

I started to ask myself... 

Why didn't you leave work earlier? (I scolded myself for being a good employee at my 9-to-5.)
You should've made the event later! (Darn my ability to plan happy hours at a reasonable time!)
Did you really need to spend so much time showering? (Yes, I was really angry at myself for seeking good hygiene... When I'm mad at myself, I'm not exactly logical.)

Everyone's had a day like this, right? 

You know, a day where you had something amazing planned - and something goes terribly wrong. Sometimes, like my situation, it could be something you've been planning for and promoting for weeks and you find yourself running late. You could have been preparing something at work for your team and you completely lose focus in the middle of your presentation. You could've been rehearsing your apology speech to your #MCM in the bathroom mirror for hours and completely forgot what you were going to say when you saw him. (That is a legit example... Your girl is obviously a serious romantic.)

How do you recover from a day from hell?

Pay attention to what went wrong. (Specifically what you did wrong.)

Things will go wrong, but taking time to understand what went wrong can be a huge key to understanding WHAT NOT TO DO in the future. You could even ask for feedback from other people that were present to get different perspectives. 

Create an action plan for next time. 

Nothing is worst than analyzing what went wrong and getting feedback from others than NOT TAKING THE ADVICE THAT WAS GIVEN. Why waste your time, right? Once you have an idea of where you could've done a better job, make a mental note. Better yet, make a physical note (like pen to paper or type it up in Evernote) for how you'll handle this situation when you encounter it in the future. 

Drink a glass of wine and watch Netflix.

This is by far my favorite tip to decompress and begin your recovery from a particularly bad day. Diving into a compelling story with twists and turns can be the best thing to take your mind off your personal problems and into a fantasy world. (Bonus points if you're watching a #Shondaland drama because they're the best to make you feel like your life isn't so bad.)

Treat the next day as a blank slate. 

Honestly, you can treat the next moment as a blank slate. As an over-achieving/borderline-Type-A (or actual Type A?) boss, it's pretty easy to scold yourself when you're not reaching your own bigger-than-life goals. The reality is... you are human and we all make mistakes.

I ended up getting to my event when it was just starting AND I couldn't figure out how to put the music on. I locked the front door and started to set up. I even enlisted some of the early arriving attendees to help out. Unprofessional? Probably. But once the place was set up, the event was successful and the reviews for the Mastermind were overwhelmingly positive.

The key thing to remember is, mistakes are inevitable and how you handle them is 100% up to you. What's your best tip for recovering from a bad day?

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

4 Lessons Every #Girlboss Should Think About Before Starting Their Business

Last week, we hosted our first Mastermind group. The goal of the event was to help millennial women entrepreneurs and bloggers get the answers to their business challenges. Many of the women were running successful blogs or selling coaching services and I had the opportunity to learn a lot from them.

Here are the 4 biggest takeaways from our first mastermind session:

FOCUS

It's very easy to get distracted from your goals by "shiny object syndrome" (aka. that moment you see someone making a ton of cash-money doing something you could totally do with your eyes closed... so you want to abandon your current goal and try your hand at it?).  

About two years ago, I dove deep into ‘Entrepreneur On Fire’ where John Lee Dumas coined the acronym for FOCUS as 

Follow One Course Until Success

This tiny phrase became my entrepreneurial mantra. It reminded me to focus on what I really wanted and if I wanted to become successful I would have to stick with it (no matter how many #epicfail moments I had) because each failure leads to lessons learned. 

FOCUS... Unless it's time to PIVOT.

Sometimes, the path you're going down isn't a particularly lucrative one. There are times when what you have to offer is not what the market wants. In these moments, it may be best to pivot (aka. change gears and follow that shiny object!).

You cannot force people to want your product... but you can create a product people already want.  So.. how do you know what people want? (drumroll, please!)

Get to know your audience. 

How do you really know what people want? You have to take some time to get to know them. Go to the events that they frequent. Ask them out for drinks. Can't get out that much? Don't have the budget? Hang out in the Facebook groups and online forums they use. Talk to your target audience in any form you can until you know them inside and out. 

This will help you visualize them and their specific needs as you're creating. 

Align your personal mission with your company mission. 

After doing anything for a long time, it's very easy to fall into a cycle of habit. You get used to blogging, you get comfortable with what you're selling, you make sure you create blog post images for social media sharing and share, SHARE, SHARE! #SocialMediaStruggle

Maybe you started your small business or blog to create something you were passionate about and over time your beautiful creation has turned into a collection of to-do lists that you complete just because and it no longer gives you life. 

Take a week off... (I know it's hard for us to really take a week off, but it's totally worth it, I promise.) In that week, think about what makes you happy and what impact you want to make on the world. Then, think about why you want to make that impact. Finally, ask yourself what you can change about the way you're currently running your business so that it aligns with your personal mission. (Pro Tip: You know you've hit the nail on the head when you're excited about your business again and "shiny objects" are no longer enticing! #winning)

That's it! Starting (and growing) a business only gets easier when you get started, so go out there and build your empire! 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

So, You've Created a Vision Board... Now What?

I LOVE vision boards. No seriously, I really love vision boards.

I created my first vision board 3 years ago, when I was heartbroken, broke, and unemployed (Yes, I said broke + unemployed. NOT living paycheck to paycheck. NOT barely scraping by. Broke + Unemployed). Hopefully, you can only imagine what that felt like (and if you've ever experienced it first hand and lived to tell the story, let's grab a drink mmm-kay?).

That vision board took me down a path of rebuilding myself from rock bottom, starting a successful freelancing business, going back to school to get a master's and ultimately starting Thrive Lounge. 

How do you effectively use your vision board to give you the most value? In short, how does this little board translate into wins, success, fame and fortune? (Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit with the fame and fortune part... but maybe not! 😃)

1. Find THE BEST place for your board. 

All locations are not equal. Your impeccably designed, totally IG-able reading nook might look like the perfect place for your vision board... But if you only go in there once a month, think twice before you start carving out a space for your big vision. 

The reality is, your big goals are accomplished by the tiny things you do daily. So, the best place for your board is a high traffic area where you will see it every day to remind you to take those tiny steps towards your goals. This year, I placed my vision board above my bed so I can see it every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep.

Last year, when I was in grad school and working freelance online, I pretty much lived on my computer. I put my vision board right above my computer desk so through all of my late nights, I could always look up and remind myself of my big goals.

Pro Tip: No place is off limits. I have my student loan debt payoff chart in my bathroom. #Goals

2. Reflect... with your board. 

Find a time that works for you every day to sit with your board and think about what action item you can do to push that goal forward. Pro tip: If you do it at the same time every day, over time you will form a habit! 

Every morning, I sit and look at my vision board. From far away, it looks like I'm doing yoga, but in reality I'm attempting to meditate but I don't know how to sit still. In the middle of every child's pose, I look at each of my goals and ask myself "Am I living the life I want to live?" This year, I am laser focused on budgeting and paying down my student loans. During these moments of reflection, I think of additional ways to increase my income or decrease my spending. 

I love using my mornings to reflect on what I want out of my life and decide what I want to do for the day that will help me get closer to achieving my goals. In addition to meditation and reflection, the book The Miracle Morning outlines a life-changing morning routine.

3. Share your board with your family and friends.... and associates... and anyone who will listen. 

The more you talk about something, the more you internalize it. Speak it into existence. On top of that, when you tell your family and friends about it, they will start to ask you about it when they see you. 

When I was younger, I told my uncle I was going to be a doctor.... Every time I see him, he still asks me how's medical school - even though I graduated with a master's in something totally different (cue side eye + eye roll), but I digress. The point is, other people will start to hold you accountable. The more people you talk to about it... the more advocates and cheerleaders you will have in your corner. (And every MVP performs better with cheerleaders :)

Creating your vision board is only the first stepping stone is accomplishing your goals. It's up to you to make those dreams come true. Happy Goal Crushing! 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!