Pacing

Since I finished school last year, I've been getting back into running. It's been a great way to get back in shape and to keep my crazy busy life in check. It's the time I think through everything we have going on between Kelly's company, my book I have coming out, planning our wedding and "my baby" – Big Girl Cocktails.

Some days I run an easy 3 to 4 miles and when I'm training for an event, my mileage jumps up to a regular 5 to 6 miles a day with longer 8 to 10 mile runs on the weekend. Outside of clearing my mind and getting as healthy as I can, it's been a goal of mine to get my old time back, which is a 1:45 for the half marathon. So far I've run 3 races since I've started training again back in July of last year. I've taken almost 30 minutes off my first race back in the fall, which is wonderful.

I've realized attaining the goal of getting my 1:45 is a long term commitment. It may take me a year or more to get my time back, but its worth it. I had the realization the other day while I was out on one of my long runs, that Big Girl Cocktails is kinda like that 1:45 race time. It's not something I can achieve overnight. Starting this company is a commitment for the long haul. I need to pace myself. Just as with running, I need to slowly work on increasing my speed. I have created a "big list" of everything I can do on my own, with out investors or a partner.. both I would love to have in the future.

But for now, just like with running, if I continue to train regularly, I'll get there.

- Cheers to all those who are pacing themselves to achieve great things.

The big girl cocktail moment - dress episode

I finally went wedding dress shopping. One of my dear friends (lovely, wonderful, bridesmaid) suggested a "wedding dress tailgate".. as I laughed at the awesomeness of her idea, it immediately became a plan. It was one of my most amazing days ever – having my ladies with me, minus my sisters and other dear friends, including one of my bridesmaids who was out of town. We went to a persnickety bridal shop near Melrose, which I'm happy to say at 39, that I'm mature enough to not let bother me.

They tried to force dresses on me I didn't want, tried to force sales that weren't working.. a nightmare episode of "say yes to the dress" but still like big girls, we took it all in stride, said no thank you and went outside, where we proceeded to tailgate in their parking lot.

I LOVED THAT.

We had champagne and cheese.. (sparkling cider for my maid-of-honor, who will be delivering my nephew #2 in March) Laughing at the wrongness of the situation, we partied in the parking lot like it was the playoffs.. and it was! – my playoffs of womanhood, heading to the big game – "the wedding". That's when I realized.. damn.. this is THE Big Girl Cocktail moment, though I loved the champagne, what a moment for women to share – shopping for their wedding dress with their best friends.. and what a GREAT moment this would be for a Big Girl Cocktail – one of those amazing "women moments" my company is meant for.

Not quiet there yet, I happily settled for champagne.

I did end up getting "the dress" later on that day. What a day it was!

- Cheers to all the best friends, that are there to share the amazing moments in our lives... even if it's drinking in a parking lot in a crappy LA bridal shop.

My company, my friend

I read once that the beauty of having big dreams and goals is not just in achieving them – but appreciating all that happens during the process of achieving them. It's going to sound weird, but one of the best things that has happened to me in this process is feeling like I've developed a a friendship with this thing I've created. I'm used to bouncing from goal to goal, wanting to innately snap my fingers and have what ever I started completed... so I can jump on to the next thing. In developing Big Girl Cocktails, not only have I learned not to do that, but to appreciate the process I'm going through and LOVE this experience and all it is bringing to me, like a great friendship can.

I am continuing to push myself not just intellectually, trying to figure out the ins and outs of starting a business like this, but also allowing myself to get to know what Big Girl Cocktails is – constantly refocusing myself, connecting with what I'm doing... with what my goals are personally and with Big Girl Cocktails. Why I'm taking on a project so tremendous as this? Why has it all become so important to me?  I'm starting to think of this process not just as a goal or a challenge to achieve, but like building a relationship I can grow with.

Big Girl Cocktails has become a huge part of my life and who I am now. I'm constantly thinking of new ideas for "us", how we are evolving – which is so much more than we were when we started this journey together. I love figuring out the possibilities of our future, and am ridiculously excited about all that we can do together.

- Cheers to all those who love their business enough to call it friend.

Yin and Yang of New Years Resolutions

I realized my resolutions this year are opposites... with so many big things coming up in 2012, I am fired up with feelings of "GO BIG OR GO HOME"- which is resolution #1. This new year is full of HUGE life events that I need to give everything thing I have to: launching 2 companies – BigGirl and Kelly's company Emerald World, publishing my book and the big one.. planning our wedding and getting married!

For as excited I am for all those goals and events, I feel I also need to resist the the Sam Hoey style urge to attack them all at once – hence the need for my yang resolution #2, to work on my PATIENCE skills. I need to fight my anxious desire to do a million things at once, and recognize I can break everything down into attainable smaller goals and know if I patiently execute my plan, I'll find success. I know I've discussed this in earlier posts, attempting to manage my entreprenurial efforts in more reasonable chunks, but writing it down in a blog post and forcing myself to actually slow down and not feel crazed over my lofty goals is quite another thing.

Cheers to 2012 and all our goals and resolutions that will make it an amazing year!

Coaching a big girl

As I move along with this process of starting a company - I'm finding such value from the power of coaching. I've met some amazing business, entrepreneurial and life coaches the past few months. I try to make the time to participate in regular calls, tweet-ups and networking events.  They have encouraged me to find my focus, live and work with a grateful spirit, and to embrace my talents and unique vision.

One of the other wonderful effects of being open to coaching, is that it has also really opened my mind to learning from sources all around me.. which is fantastic! I realize that sounds silly being jazzed all over again about learning  – so soon after finishing school – but business school was a focused learning; on specific subjects, goals and in focused environments with classmates and teachers. Now having the ability to be present in situations enough to recognize all the different opportunities for learning around me has been an evolution. After finishing business school, I was afraid my brain may shut down - for some post graduate recovery, but, luckily by meeting and interacting with these amazing people, it has been the opposite.

I'm now feeling the results of great mentoring and coaching experiences: from working with my fiance and his company, from working with my own consulting clients, from groups I've joined, blogs I read and people I interact with. Whether they know it or not, I am finding business and life coaches all around me. I'm grateful that through this process of becoming an entrepreneur, I've found outlets to continue learning, where I can continue to be coached and mentored... and soak their brilliance up like those lovely olives that end up at the bottom of my martini glass.

The best part of the drink is there.

- Cheers to all the coaches, mentors and those who open themselves enough to learn from them.

Balance of FIVE

I've said one of the absolute best parts of being an entrepreneur is finally having the life balance I've been chasing all my career. Even though there is plenty on our plate, I finally have the flexibility to do things like; work on projects, get to the gym regularly, cook at home – actually have personal time. I remember when I was in the corporate world, constantly feeling like I just needed a few moments to even take a breath.. let alone live my life.

I recently read a great book, Masters of Sales. One of the sections talks about finding FIVE things a day to focus on. What are your most important five things to focus on? Masters focus on them daily – so that's what I've been working on doing. I'm juggling a lot these days.. working on starting 2 companies, writing 2 books and we're planning our wedding – as well as maintaining some of my consulting clients. Just as when I was in the corporate world, it's easy to have the day speed past and not give the full attention to everything I intended. The business of daily life is still just as hectic whether home or in an office. Practicing "FIVE Things" daily has really helped me. I try to dedicate an hour to each thing, but even if it's only 20 minutes daily, I feel like I'm making progress on everthing that matters to me. I've found this time so important for my personal happiness – which is were all great interactions start. If I'm happy and balanced, I can give more of myself.. the best of myself.

Every day I make sure to:
Be healthy - Go to the gym or out for a run
Write - Work on my books
Work on Big Girl - Research, marketing, networking, strategy
Make time for my relationships (time with Kelly and connect with friends, family)
Make time for myself (read, paint or just be quiet with my thoughts for a few minutes)

From my days in the corporate world, or when I was in business school, this time would have felt like a luxury.. now I'm grateful to say it's my balanced life.


- Cheers to all who make the commitment to find some balance in their day

Cirque of my LIFE

Kelly took me to see Cirque Du Soleil's Iris for my birthday. If you're in LA and you get a chance to see it, it's amazing. As I looked up in the air, I kept thinking how truly fantastic it all was. If you've ever seen a Cirque show before, there are dozens of things going on at once.. it makes your head spin with the trapeze artists, contortionists, acrobats, clowns, and entertainers -  it seems crazy, but I think that's why I was so drawn to it. Amazing and impressive,  I realized I must have a bit of the "Cirque" within me. I think we all do.

We can all relate, our lives feel like a circus from time to time. We juggle jobs, families, responsibilities, commitments.. or our own choices and needs. We perform incredible feats to get it all done.  I don't know about you, but my life always seems like a "circus" and I love it that way. If I'm not juggling dozens of things at once, I'm not really happy. Personally, I think it's a bit an ADD issue, but also life is just too exciting and amazing not to go for it all. There is something invigorating about following your passions, no matter how many you have. Living life energized by what you do, even if it seems crazy or too much to other people.  Right now, we're starting 2 companies, I'm writing and publishing my first book and starting the second. I'm back on the running circuit, competing in 1/2 marathons.. oh and ... all while we're planning a wedding and our future family. Yes, it's all hectic, and exciting, exhilarating, risky, very entertaining, but mostly.. the best time of my life! I'm like the girls flying through the air, swinging and spinning on the trapeze.. IT's a MAGICAL ride and I love it.





- Cheers to all the trapeze artists, contortionists, acrobats, clowns, and entertainers, you are amazing and inspiring for much more than your show.