On going live

…there is never the right moment ever to start to share your story, but now.

It starts with this very moment. When I first started writing content for Ramen Girl Don’t Hesitate, I kept thinking of many excuses why I had to have this before making it more accessible to the world. In my mind, I had to have a logo. Well, that was in November 2018, and it’s now July 2019. I still do not have one. Who cares. If I wait for the right moment, it will never happen. If I wait for things to be perfect, I will never have the right moment. I will never ever share this story. I remember thinking about how long the title of this website, but I also wanted to make it memorable and fun. Here’s my move, so I came up with this. I am getting myself out of the way. I wanted to get my ego, my pride, my mind, out of the way of my own crazy creative desire to share my silly story in the hopes that someone out there in this thing called the world wide web of stories and dreams, would find joy in it to get empowered to get out in the world and make it happen no matter what.

I have a lot to be embarrassed about if I wanted to go there and be self-deprecating. Believe me, I can make myself go there if I really wanted to make myself sad and miserable. I will share with you the vulnerable side of not having a job lined up, moving to the most expensive part of the United States. What was I thinking? My mind quickly likes to go there at times when I haven’t eaten or rested or haven’t practiced my self-care.

Imagine this. One mid-morning in May, I showed up at my parent’s house thinking it would be a lovely surprise for them. Something that would bring them happiness to finally see me here, near them. The thought of seeing my mom more brought me so much excitement. The idea of seeing my dad and finally getting a chance to go on brewery trips with him, mom and my siblings would be the ultimate dream come true and would spark joy.

I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, California, on May 2018.

You can fill in the blanks of the reality check. You can imagine the energy of this and the ripple effects a girl has caused to her friends and family, her dog Finnegan. Moving to the Bay without a job is CRAZY! Enjoy this run-on sentence stream of consciousness of her mind. “To think that I made a declaration in one evening of December 2017 that I would simplify my life manifesting things to move in the direction of purging stuff that I have accumulated through the years of creating a home and life in Columbus, Ohio; my Honda Fit getting totaled by a Subaru Forrester on my home from lunch on the lightly powdered snow day; falling down my icy front steps that one January freezing morning; Marie Kondo-ing the 3-bedroom house I love, thrive and live in; talking to my boss announcing my move and asking for my resignation. It came in three. That move inspired RGDH. I have some things I have yet to do to for the people I left who helped shape me and help me become the person I am now and continuously becoming.”

I have taken some time off for personal reasons. These pages are helping me explore what is deeply important. I don’t know where I am going. I have no answers, but for those who get a chance to discover these pages, I hope you can find inspiration and no fear to pursue something greater than yourself. Being in California, I see the day to day struggles, challenges, and fantastic impact of many incredible individuals I have encountered; of those who are in the trenches of manifesting their dreams. California is not a comfortable place to live, but one thing for sure, you will find people from many walks of life and experiences beyond what you expect, whose hearts are open and the drive to make something to observe. There will be forces out there that will test your emotions and thoughts. Stay the course, and practice resilience and gratitude. I will forever be grateful for Steve Jobs and his impact in this world. Stay weird and different. Your time will come.

So if you’re struggling with where you want to go, yourself, comparing yourself to others’ achievements, not being perfect, not being pretty; not be good enough; being ashamed; being embarrassed or being uncomfortable…this is a place where creativity happens if you stop and get time to yourself. It begins with awareness, it starts with you, only you, in the struggles and the valleys of sorrow and fear with your heart, mind and soul, there is hope and the desire to move forward, the opportunity to grow and find joy in the world around you even when things are not as you expected, imagined, planned. For this, I present to you my tiny ever-evolving wabi-sabi Ramen Girl Don’t Hesitate.

I was thinking of how space is an opportunity to get down and real. Music is space. There is no perfect time. It is now. Put yourself out there and see how it feels. Brandbeats | SE32 | The Influence of Space on Spotify kiss and celebrating music and the creative weirdos out there. With love and respect.

Your brand is authentic

Let me sit down and take this moment to express gratitude for my dad, who always takes the opportunity to teach us something. He has a way of talking that makes you stop and laugh. If you come from a different frame of mind, soul, and heart or perspective, he can be easily misunderstood. I love when and how he takes out his post-it notes and pencil to share knowledge and wisdom. I can see the joy in his eyes when he writes things down. You can tell he gets all lit up with numbers. Left-handed and writing numbers upside down. Then after a few minutes of writing as he explains ideas and thoughts to me, he realizes and acknowledges, he is better off flipping the post-it around to face him — the right side up. Imagine that for a second. See if you can visualize it. We are sitting at the kitchen table just after having dinner, and this is happening. That energy takes some intelligence and ultra awareness. I always say how he would be a great teacher. Do you sense that?

…Let me take you to another scene, a library full of people from all over the world learning about brand presence from a remarkable woman, Miss Denise O’Brien (aka Queen of Joy), oozing with you guessed it: joy. She starts by taking us on a journey where she takes the wrong exit and explains how she sees an elderly man, who tells the story of a little girl. Can you guess who that little girl he is referring to?

Moments come and go. People come and go. Ideas come and go. Stop and take notice. Who do you talk to every day? Who did you go see today? What have you learned? How does it make you feel learning something new? What are you grateful for? You are the creator. Make. Express. If there is a hesitation, it’s okay. Explore. Write. See where it stems, observe and don’t follow. Feel it. You are the maker. It is a great doorway of opportunity. Much love in your discovery. Feel free to share your story. Thanks for being here.

Spotify playlist that puts you in the zone at this moment: Brain Food

Music is love my friends. I get fired up with music and get in the writing process when I put on my headphones and lose myself to writing. Do you get that way too? #musicislove #ramengirldonthesitate #Aikolove

Experience - Less is More

I have been asked about what things I have done in the last year since I moved to California. My dream is to go out and help build a creative business where I help people thrive, untangle, unlock blocks, see themselves, get vulnerable, purge, discover the desire, pursue their dreams, get out of their comfort zone, you name it. Because people are amazing. Throughout our lives, we accumulate memories, impressions, thoughts, we are merely a heap. It is our power to create an experience that radiates what is inside us. Underneath all that, there is joy within us. Have you noticed that? I was reminded that we are, after all, makers and creators. It is inside us all.

I am knocked down and gratified to have the time, space, resources, location, opportunities to meet new people to go out for ramen and explore. My initial thought of exploring areas has expanded to a deeper level of experience spiritually. I am not getting paid for these, well at least not yet; but I am going to need some help from you, the people I meet on this journey. I am terrified. I am faced with reality checks and society’s narrative of “normal,” but really? Who wants to be so-called “normal” anyway?

My dream is I am not endorsing any places yet although there are so many incredible ramen shops here that are to be celebrated and most importantly, people to be honored and rocked. I am not again advertising, but the thought is there because I am here, after all, to help people, help business be “un-behind-the-scenes” to be honored. It has been helpful for people to ask about pictures of ramen and places. Things are brewing. Can you help?

In this present moment, though. I reflect on what life has brought to me. No job is worth more than this current experience; this opportunity to get to observe and understand to embrace my family. It is an abundant life to be able to have the time of doing nothing to learn what is there; doing absolutely nothing in the heart of Silicon Valley where every turn everywhere you look, people are coding, creating, making, doing, doing, doing. Any time you’re in doubt where the mind takes you to a place where you are comparing or misery wants to flirt with you, take time to be alone, see and watch where it stems from. If you can or if you are visual, make time to write it down on a journal or post-it notes. See it. Is it true? You decide. Remember, the mind is incredible. You can live like a miserable unpleasant human being; wallowing and whinging in self-pity; easily going down the spiral of the rabbit hole of sorriness. The choice and power are yours. The hard part or work is to take time for yourself to be silent, quiet and reflect. You are more amazing than you think. Let’s experience life. I am here. No expectations. Epic love to you. Whatever.

Current song: Monocle Twins - Breathe on Spotify

Personal Playlist: my california - an exploration on Spotify

Labor of Love

If we are going out into the world to be and live our life to create impact into this world through epic servitude, we owe it to ourselves to get into the grittiness of ourselves. Looking inward and deeply embracing what is there. Life happens. We are constantly impressed by someone or something. Sometimes there are moments where we are able to slow down, pause, and events in our life, we are given the opportunity to observe (if we let it) and see this (put something into action). If we are lucky enough, we get to see this raw being we call ourselves. It is a window. Now the next thing is to whether look through or go through; opening it or keeping it closed. You have the power more than you think. Whether you like it or not, we are just hitting the surface. If you want to dig deeper, seek those who will guide; empower, cultivate courage and trust within you, break the limitations for you to discover and explore this to get to love for yourself and to the world. All power to you.

Tilting to a little thing: When we were little girls and boys, what sparked stuff within us? When did you get to sit down with your family or friends, sit quietly and learn to open perspective? When was the last time you did something new and get out there? When was the last time you fell in love with the person talking to you just through listening intently (you not listening to respond but hearing) and allowing them to flower like a lotus flower? So many possibilities. What is your intention for all this? Who do you thank? Who do you celebrate? Who do you respect? Who do you trust? Questions are endless. The spark is within you. You are the creator and designer of your life.

Exercises to start:

Get out in the world. Have dinner with friends and turn off your phone. Talk to random people or with a person you love that you haven’t talked to. Initiate a conversation and bring a vulnerable topic. See what happens when you do something opposite you are told or heard to do.

Playlist: Songs that bring you joy.

Hope you find yourself lit up with this. Remember your mind is powerful. You are enough. You are beautiful. Rock your love.

UX/UI

When I left home for the university. I never imagined years later, I would be sitting like a lotus flower typing about my experience and desire to keep learning something new. I have always had a deep love for Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. It cultivated a quiet appreciation for exploration and discoveries. These discoveries were not just reading unaffordable used textbooks, but meeting people from diverse backgrounds, living frugality, working in retail while putting myself through school to pay for my food and housing; a girl always falling in and out of love, overcoming adversity, fostering friendships, enjoying the moment. It has opened doors to dimensions I could never imagine if I had not taken the leap of faith to just do.

I have been exploring UX Design on my own. As a side note, the fact that I moved to California without a job lined up was a crazy romanticized move. With this newfound experience of a kick in the pants status, rather than pining or lamenting for a formal UX/UI education, I took on a challenge of exploring alternative kinds of learning environments to study it instead of that high-priced tuition from an institution I couldn't financially justify. Right now, the silly thing to be grateful for is that I have the time and space, health, soul and openness to the experience of finding and crafting my own curriculum. My time is valuable, and I want to use it learning something new and getting myself in a new healthy headspace. I realize this is a considerable risk, but why make it safe, with not knowing or if Karl the Fog flirting with me, there is an excellent opportunity for building an emotional connection. After all, I want to find the true meaning of user experience. To build empathy, moments of struggle, frustration must be there. I could make myself miserable by being in pity mode "woe-is-me-mode," or I could have fun with comment bubbles of self-discovery. Adversity is embraced as I open my heart space. In the meantime, lean back, breath, and exhale and let the lyrics of moving this soul be allowed to flourish. Thank you for your space. Thank you for your love of learning. Thanks for embracing this moment. Here we go.

Here’s a start:

uxlore

ui__ux

Interviews - How just caring about your needs isn't so awesome

I am gonna get real and raw. I haven’t fully given up or ruled out doing my dream job for that unicorn company that aligns with my values and purpose; so phone interviews, initially, I never thought this was something I would dread but something along the way, I made it become something to fear and loathe. As a side note, I have been giving interviews and doing them too for years so I love asking questions and helping recruit students and future team members; it was cake. Admittedly, recently, after not being chosen to be on the next round for face to face interaction with this one particular company I have been following, I had to stop and take a hard look at what I am doing to prevent myself from being swallowed by a rabbit hole. Okay, failure is human and it’s a gateway to enligthenment. I realize, and I have been getting better and better at practicing some kind of Jedi mind trick. What?!! Thank you. I see it, and it isn't so great. As I have embarked on this exploration to my next role since moving here in the Bay Area last May 2018, the thought saying the "wrong" things or sounding like a total crazy romantic person has been a frequent visitor in my mind. What was I thinking? Okay, maybe it's just a way to recalibrate.

Somewhere along the way, I have become my own worst enemy and lost track. I have been comparing myself to others and in turn, I forgot to celebrate my contributions and the other important thing is that I forgot to use my love for people. I got kicked in the pants and was humbly reminded to adjust the focus and see who is really important to me. PEOPLE. It is people's needs. The importance of service. The mindset of helping. How I can make my director awesome. How can I make my colleagues, teammates look fantastic, my customers be heard, my company thrive, and my industry proud and constantly evolving to be better each day to increase the experience of humanity. It starts with ME.

The brain is incredible and beautiful. You can wire your mind to be fearful if you want to, miserable and irritable and scolding if you really want to, and you may think you may be unafraid, but you genuinely are. Our physiology or I would call the body has a funny way of making it known something needs a little attention. The indicator is in the sensation in the gut and our breathing. It’s pretty cool.

I always remember my dream of becoming a doctor, how being a student gave me the insight of caring for the learner and their experience; falling in love with education and people.

I am going to pause for a moment for a quick and simple self check. Here's an exercise, are you feeling anxious at this moment about something? Another way is to just stop and take a look at the experience of where things are heavy in sensation or where the breath is effortful and how deep the breath gets longer or shorter when a particular thought comes to mind. When I was in college, I put a lot of investment in my learning and recalled this experience back when I feared to fail an exam. During those years, I thought eating tuna, spinach, and angel hair pasta was something sufficient and healthy, and I made it my staple; accompanied with lots of coffee. Turns out that wasn't an awesome ritual longterm. I went through a phase of anxiety and fear; it was not until I made a change in something fundamental later in my adulting life that I became aware of my body experience. There are so many layers to this story it’s fantastic. I changed what I consumed and my behavior and mindset evolved. Fast forward, I learned to weave self care in my daily ritual.

I will explore the layers later as I go on writing my reflections here.

We can really take our mind where we want to make it; maybe because it has become more comfortable and eventually, more natural. It is also the same for stillness and openness. It’s a practice which takes dedication. One thought maybe can start as the idea of fear of not belonging; not asking the right questions, making mistakes, failing, your list can go on and on; it can be judged and grow even to "loneliness" if we really want to. If we think in our minds that we can't express ourselves and be entangled in our thoughts, it will be like this. Another goes for if we observe our emotions are mere emotions, they come and go; they are not be controlled, pushed away, repressed and yes, not to be followed or identified with, anything is possible.

Here is the lightbulb moment. Phone interviews are a way to open up, see a perspective or two or three and to learn about the needs of the person; perhaps your future director, your customers, your company, your industry on the other side of that line. You will figure it out. Every phone interaction is a blank page on a chapter of the discovery of seeing each others' needs, values, even fears, gaps, and how we can work together to fulfill the need; fill the gap, finding whether our values align. It takes a bit of practice. Learn to notice the difference. Watch and be mindful of your environment. See what you put in your body. See what thoughts you put or follow in your head (mindset). Are you fixed? Are you willing to grow? You are a creator. You are a designer of your life. You are more intelligent than you think. Hope this stream of consciousness helps light something within if you find yourself in a mental block or with the company of anxiety and fear.
Anxiety and fear are not to be judged but observed and not identified with. When they come to your house, check what your body consumes (impressions, energy you surround yourself with, physical, mental, nutritional and medical). This is an opportunity to transcend and grow. Key is radical self-care.

What platform allows you to be in this space? Come to think of it, I need to stop and eat for my body and mind. Hope you the same too. Much love.

My role as an Instructional Designer

I think of the two H's when it comes to the experiences that I have had professionally in medical education. I am humbled and honored that I was chosen to help launch and grow the Lead.Serve.Inspire Curriculum at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Little did I know that it would allow me the space to grow as an Instructional Designer, let alone a person. I was surprised. I did not have a technology or computer science background. I did not graduate with a Masters Degree in Instructional Design nor did I have experience as a teacher. I dove in because there was a great need for one in our growing Medical Education Department.

Someone believed in me and saw how much I love working with people and technology. The love and joy is my driving force. People. And this is how I taught myself to focus on their needs. Because of my respect for people and their uniqueness and gifts, I accepted that learning happens when the user is empowered to drive their own knowledge. The role of the teacher is to provide the information as clear and concise as possible. From my experience with working with subject matter experts (the teachers, in this particular case, the physicians, our teaching faculty), I discovered that the Instructional Designer has a vital skill to harness that beautiful mind of the teacher and learner and bridge the gap between what is being taught and seeing what the learner values and needs. Establishing and cultivating relationships is the key to launching a robust curriculum. The instructional designer creates a safe space for the teacher and the learner. That space allows risk, trust, respect and creativity and innovation in learning new technology or implementing something new or foreign. One sure thing. Change is scary. People at first will resist. This is inevitable. Give them space and be a guiding force without judgment and you would be surprised. There are amazing people in the world. Embracing their uniqueness is fun. Why not have fun along the way.

Exercises:

Sit upright. Close your eyes. Meditate on this. "Change is inevitable." Watch your breath. Notice how deep or how shallow the breath. Watch it. See it, observe it without judgment. No need to follow the thoughts. Keep watching the breath. There is nothing to fear.

For you all technology lovers out there who love to bridge the gap between wellness, meditation, access, technology, it’s been my experience to find an app that works. Apps that are cool and what I enjoy to use for it’s simplicity and design: Headspace

Abundance

Remember my last post about going out to meet people face-to-face?

Aww, San Francisco, since that night at 111 Minna Gallery, I have so much more to be thankful for. I have met countless individuals who are getting out there taking steps toward their dream…a manifestation. I had this feeling of abundance come over me that night. I cannot emphasize enough how going out to meet people and learning about every single person you meet can be a gateway (if you want) to learning about yourself and what is most important to you (value). It is an investment, a currency. No matter how small, it’s the quality of the attempt.

Questions to ask oneself: Who am I?

Things that would help you along for reflection: In terms of headspace, mindset and/or values, where were you...what did you find; how did you view failure? As far as your expectations, how did this impact and/or help you? With what stuff are you vibing? What does happiness look like to you now? How are you going to make it happen? Which tools are helping? Who are the people pumping you up? Fill in the question.

The common denominator is the commitment to discover oneself, and there are so many values out there to be found and explored. It is a great feeling to find out what we hold dear. Staying focused, having a clear vision, and making sure at the end of the day, we create time to stop, rest, have fun and care for our well being so the vision remains clear.

This information will serve as a guide as you manifest your vision, embark on your dream. Fill in the blank. Let this help you get aligned whether it is a job search, career move, change of environment even a move to a place you dream of. You have the power to create your life.

Caveat: Just like a garden, it takes intention, care, persistence, consistency, and time. When things don’t go as planned, adjust, adapt, iterate. Be kind to yourself. Cultivate joy.

Hope this opens things up for you. What’s on your playlist right now? Hope it’s sparking creativity within you that you lose track of time. Cheers. <3

On getting out and meeting people in real life

There is so much power in face-to-face (f2f) interactions, no matter how small it is. It is opening so many fun doors for me to make new connections as I get to discover San Francisco. I am going to mention the evening of Feb 26th. I feel the exhilaration of San Francisco through the physical impact of Caltrain, Uber, General Assembly, 111 Minna Gallery and DaDa Bar in the rain and the people and dog I get to meet in these spaces. At the end of the day, I get to come home to be with my family and experience the windy rainy night with Finnegan. It makes me so happy to be alive and be in this space. I am learning so much about people, their dreams, hopes, fears, vision. My time here is only beginning. So excited. I am grateful for time, space, and most importantly, people.

Takeaways: Say “yes”. Show up. Express gratitude. Reinforce. Create opportunity. Make things. Remain connected. Risk. Trust. Honor. Respect.

Emotions, messages, building a brand beyond product

When was the last time you watched an advertisement, visit a website where you are compelled to tears?

Products are not just products. They have a life; a spirit and a place where they came from. It came from an inherent vision to get to point A to B. That point B is a better place. There are messages that are powerful; telling a hidden desire, a dream, a profound story. So there is the challenge. Unlocking the doors to discover the message. It is freedom. Let this be an inspiration to you. There are people out there, agencies, systems that can help unlock those doors. Why not? So, let us start here, there is a story behind your creation. Many products are great but they can be boundless when we face what is driving it, the reality, the emotion behind why the product was envisioned or created. Music is powerful agent. Images are powerful agents. Let the tears come. It is there.

One of the agencies that inspire me brings dreams and story to life — Get teary and fired up here, drop your impressions and surrender to the dream and energy to move mountains: Basic (https://basicagency.com/about).

This is not a paid endorsement. I LOVE TO discover great dreams and energies. Thanks for listening and dreaming with me.

Discomfort is a door for growth and respect

Have you ever been in a position where you are suddenly in an uncomfortable position? Can you reflect on a moment when it occurred?

This is all about discomfort and how to fall in love and embrace it to grow. It’s a great way to learn how to respond? It’s a great way to practice resilience. It’s a great way to practice gratitude. With that doors open to possibility. Also, it is a practice to respect and value yourself. Learn to have and communicate healthy boundaries and speak up. At the same time, this is a time to be mindful of how we impact those who receive and when things do not go as we expect. What is your inner dialogue? Do you consider these times difficult times or more of a challenge to grow? Every time something happens that looks like it will throw us out of balance, this is a great time to breathe, pause, observe and see thoughts and feelings come and go.

Failure is only failure when we don’t use it as an opportunity to be disciplined to grow from it. Failure is an opportunity to look within, assess gaps and needs to grow. These are moments to shine and not withdraw into comfort. So failure is discomfort that can give us power to make changes and meet our ultimate dream of making things better, you fill in the blank.

Whenever we come across something that necessarily brings a sensation of discomfort, remember, it’s not all lost. We can look at ourselves and examine our actions, thoughts, words, language. Emotions may come that can destroy our spirit, but when we see and watch it, it is just is. So go for it and put yourself in positions of discomfort. It sparks joy.

I would love for you to share your experience where something made you uncomfortable. What did you learn?

Hope this brought you some inspiration and vision. Much love.

We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

On Vision, Willingness and the spirit of Volunteerism

Whatever we decide we want to do in our life, it is a practice to have vision. What is that vision? How will our mindset be? When we step into a space, how will our energy be? Before we start something, be aware of our experience and our headspace. With what are we identified? How does this create openness within us?

It is the spirit of cultivating an energy of willingness. The energy of openness and no ego. The energy of doing what it takes to make things happen, create possibility and opportunity. The minute we categorize and measure that it is good or bad, what do we notice in ourselves? How can we become cognizant of how things feel in our experience?

What daily practice helps you kickstart your day and create a higher consciousness? I hope this inspires you to find a practice where you already find joy right in front of you and expand happiness to community, world, you fill the blank. It is within. Much love.

Culture Add is powerful - let's rock and roll to grow a rockstar team

Going around discovering Silicon Valley exploring places to work on my next professional role and evolving Ramen Girl Don’t Hesitate, the energy of a room can play a huge role in our enthusiasm. I am grateful to have lived in Columbus, Ohio; able to cultivate a spirit of vision, volunteerism, willingness, adaptability, earnestness and resilience. For this, I cannot emphasize enough how thankful I am for my life and that experience of being far away from home and having this inner drive to be with my family. I am now in the San Francisco Bay Area to dig deeper, expand, learn and reimagine the next chapters of my life. If you are reading this reflection, I hope it moves you to tap into your unique and beautiful power and evolve into your own wings well. It will be epic.

As I search and learn about dream teams and unicorn companies to work for, I reflect about “am I going to be a good fit?” What do we notice about this? Is this the question to ask ourselves if we want to find those fellow individuals that work together to better lives? I see that by thinking in the way of “culture fit” can only keep us in one place and not allowing us to take the leap into the beautiful unknown…for our self to grow. We may become risk-averse when we think “fit” especially if we want to create new opportunities. With culture fit, we are limited by our bias. If we are innovating, we need people who think differently. People are amazing, and every individual has the power to add. The role may be selling a product or developing a product, creating a solution, implementing a process, you fill in the blank. Our job is to learn to tap into ourselves (not the external) to build something incredible and practice empowering interactions. So do you think culture fit is what we want if we want to move mountains? It may have been a good way back then, nothing is forever certain but we are continually evolving. That is the beauty of our minds and our hearts. Everyone wants to belong in something greater than themselves. Every individual has value. It is up to us to radiate. We have the power to make the lives of people wonderful. At the same time, we have the power to make people miserable. If you ask someone next to you, what do you want to see in the world? What answer do you get? These are opportunities for connection. Our perspectives and value have the power to impact people’s lives. Our bias can be like blinders that only allows us to see what we want to look at which limits our perspective. So thinking openly and creatively, we want to build a team of individuals who think differently from ourselves; welcoming ideas and challenges to grow. This is thriving. Allowing for questions, dissent, play, creates a safe space of great opportunities of trust, good vibes, and ultimately, beautiful evolution and innovation. Organizations that allow for differences and work to find agreement and solutions have the power to create positive impact beyond the bottom line. What are we selling? We are not just selling products, but ultimately we are selling a profound message. Take a look the companies you support and I am not only talking about companies…how about our favorite basketball team. Do we see how they are created by incredible teams of individuals? It is: Notice each player. Celebrate the strengths. They have a shared purpose.

How amazing it would be to create a space or environment where we radiate? Fitting in keeps things the same and comfortable, fixed. So it’s a small step and a shift in mindset. It is embracing one’s uniqueness. It is self care and deep respect. It is not seeking from an external source. Find ways to cultivate trust within oneself and keep learning new things. My motto I can add: No matter how small. It is an opportunity. It is celebrating differences that are a high culture add to a team. That is a beautiful risk we take in finding what we want and how to make a positive impact in the world. That can be a startup, a non-profit, yourself, you fill in the blank.

Here’s something to spark curiosity within and play with ideas on culture-add: Optimal distinction, Perspective, Rituals, Heuristics, Shared Purpose.

Further learning: Why Not?

LinkedIn Learning: Shane Snow “Building your dream team”

Glassdoor: Hire Fearlessly: Pursue Cultural Add Over Cultural Fit

PSA: Support our local coffee shops and tip graciously, especially when we are using Wifi and electricity.

I hope this post brought joy to you and empowers you to go for your dreams and create impact no matter how small. Much love.

On intentions

New year. New you. Here’s why every day is a great day to set our intentions. It is never too late and it doesn’t have to be New Years. What’s important is that we are taking the step to actually write and put our energy in how we want to be, express, and how we want to create.

How beautiful it is to see my friends and family as 2018 passed and now here is 2019. Why?

Deep down, there is always this desire within us to make things better for ourselves and set goals. What drives us to do this? It is a remarkable thing. Aren't people amazing? Why? We use this time to see that it is a gift to have space, time and the ability to renew ourselves. The new year is beautiful. Each day is an expression. How am I going to be?

Thankful for the year-end and new years to reflect and practice.

Questions to ask oneself:

What is my intention?

Are my actions and mindset in line with that intention?

Why is it important to check oneself?

What steps am I taking to create this space of purpose?

Is it working?

How are you going to be?

It is exciting. It is humbling to observe the mind. Stay open. That is the intention. Lean back to lean in. Trust. Risk. Be open. Thrive. Lead. Inspire.

I am excited and grateful to be one of the chosen women to participate in this initiative. It is called affhermation (https://affhermation.org). Check it out.

Mission of leaving the world a place to be our better selves

I am most grateful for people who start businesses driven by a mission to help companies to create an impact for a better world. The Midwest has a deep place in my heart. I discovered my love for jazz and experienced the budding of romance there. What an excellent time for helping people and their business birth their brand and grow.

Learn about Other Things Creative based in Chicago (https://otherthin.gs).

Simplicity in OTHR based in New York / Copenhagen (https://www.othr.com).

I shall explore this more in the future.

Time, Values, and Sharpening Skills

With the holidays around the corner, friends visiting from out of town, family, job search, social life, there is no reason to not learn anything new. I am always searching for ways to use my time intently so that I can create some balance as I apply a simpler and different approach to my life.

I was asked to create an icon for a mobile app. I found a resource to help me cultivate my evolving goal to be a new designer. Time is super valuable, people are priority, and for this reason, I want to use my energy where it impacts someone’s life for the better no matter how.

I welcome to hear what you’ve used to help you be better your skillset. Let’s visit this again.

On Building Rapport and Trust

When I was attending The Ohio State University, to help pay for my daily living expenses, school supplies, and textbooks, I worked for The Gap. There I learned the pure art of selling. Even to this day, I often refer to what I learned working there as I relate to people who I work with to guide me on how to build rapport. I am forever grateful for that experience of becoming a Denim Expert. I will write more about this later, but I want to share the video “5 Rules on How to Run Your Next Sales Call” because it expands on the idea of building relationships when on-boarding. Self-respect: both self and for our clients plays an impact on how we build trust as we work with people. I have been following a great group of guys in The Futur. The ideas they share resonate deeply. I get pretty excited when I listen to their talks. One of the most important things is fostering the relationship with our client. It is simple. People are important. Building rapport is a practice and a frame of mind where we can cultivate trust and respect, and it centers on people. It is focusing on our client's needs. It is important to ask our clients’ pain point and challenges in order to figure out what product they will need. It is like building a house, using nuts and bolts to strengthen the foundation. This is the connection. A connection is being upfront and honest of your intention. I'll be delving on this some more in later posts.

The Futur is a valuable resource. I am super grateful to founder Chris Doh for sharing and educating so many who are pursuing their dream to launch their own business.

Takeaway gems that I got from this video: Price early. Build rapport. Show don’t tell. Ask more questions. Build trust.

Time

I am grateful for the time the moments we have with family and friends. During the shifting of seasons from summer to autumn, I get anxious about the days getting shorter because time is valuable.

How do we experience our days? Is it with joy? Is it with curiosity? Is it with wonder? Is it with desire?

Our days seem to get packed with plans by the hour before the day even arrives. For this, it shows that time is currency. It is a gift to have moments with family, friends, people and with just us and being fully present. Spontaneity is the gem; the pennies that we save in a piggy bank. Later we realize, those pennies have helped us buy a gift.