Some people seem to have a penchant for putting themselves out there. They can go from phone call to phone call, meeting to meeting, without ever seeming to tire. They can receive a constant stream of rejections without being the least bit phased. They just churn and churn, go and go, nothing seems to derail their determination to make a sale. I am not one of those people. I feel like I’ve had a relatively low threshold for putting myself out there… Maybe it’s because I thriv

We are creatures of habit. And by habit I mean our brains are etched with neural pathways that create these patterned responses we enact every single day of our lives. That’s why you have the same reaction to certain stimuli – like when someone cuts you off while you’re driving. Or when someone utters a word that rubs you the wrong way. It’s just your brain running through a patterned response like a rat running a maze to it’s food bowl. As you begin to be more aware of your

Last fall I did something completely unexpected…I moved my family into a new home. It was an exciting change and as we approached moving day I was eager with anticipation. It wasn’t until after we moved that I started to feel lethargic, fatigued and overwhelmed…turns out moving really is stressful. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt depressed, lost, exhausted, unable to focus… Rather then get sucked into the vortex of over-analyzing the situation by asking questions l

And just like that, we are about to say farewell to another year! I’d by lying if I said this was my favorite time of year. Yes, I love the festive decorations and holiday lights. It is true, I enjoy watching my daughter experience the magic of the stories and traditions we carry forward. And I must confess, I like any excuse to write in my journal (i.e. year end reflections). Despite all of that, I feel a burden from the shorter, darker days. In other words, getting to the h

This past week, we hosted our Annual Rosabella Tea and Cookies community celebration in honor and memory of our namesake’s birthday. I love everything about this tradition. Particularly the fact that it helps keep me grounded and connected to the source of inspiration that has led me down this path. I am also a big fan of Rosabella Tea, the scent of chamomile, spearmint and rose buds is so refreshing and calming. For five years now, we’ve been making and gifting Rosabella Tea

It’s been over a month since I’ve published a blog on my website…therefore I have failed at my goal to consistently market my business this year, or have I? As I’ve geared up to get back in the game of blogging I found myself struggling with feelings of judgment and shame. Such failures have often been triggers for me to fall into patterns of harsh judgment and criticism of myself. And while I dabbled in that realm for brief moments again, I’ve rebounded more quickly and with

Brené Brown is one of my favorite teachers of our time. Her ground breaking research on shame, vulnerability and living whole heartedly has transformed lives around the world. Brown’s authentic delivery of the material is as relatable as it is refreshing. She’s constantly digging deeper into the subject matter both as a researcher and as a lifelong learner. No matter which of her books you decide to explore first, you will be both challenged and encouraged to step into your o

Our bodies make some pretty powerful chemicals! I recently wiped out on my bike and despite being hurt I got up and went on. Right after my wreck I felt fine. Granted, I was a little banged up, but compared to how I would feel just hours, days and even weeks later…I felt like a million bucks. I was pumped up on adrenaline. I’ve heard other stories where people have far worse injuries than my own and have a similar reaction. Sometimes, it’s cool to have a go, go, go response l

courtesy of bulletjournalcollection.com Just over a year ago, I returned from my second solo writing retreat. I felt refreshed, rejuvenated and recommitted to my journaling practice. But I had a nagging question I couldn’t answer for the life of me, how can I take my journal to the next level? Also nagging me was my good friend, Kristen. “Why don’t you try Bullet Journaling already!” She asked me for the n-tenth time. I had to admit, it was because my ego was in the way. I wa

Lately I’ve been having a lot of conversations with people about feeling overwhelmed and stressed. The pervasive sense is that there’s too much that has to get done and not enough time to do it all. With our penchant for keeping busy as a society and the possibility to always do more, these feelings can persist. Compound all that with the desire to be a good person by helping others out, and saying no comes with a heap of guilt that is easiest to avoid by just agreeing. The r

Have you ever procrastinated on having a difficult conversation with your boss or colleague or a loved one? I know I have! It’s a common scenario really. The anticipation of the conversation weighs you down. Some of us fear what the other person will say. While other’s fear how we might show up in the conversation. Either way, the fear creates dread, the anticipation creates anxiety and we experience cortisol pumping through our bodies that tells us this conversation posses a

We tend not to take the time to look back and acknowledge how far we have come. I think this is a common struggle for the Misfit Entrepreneur. There’s always something new and exciting to strive for, as a result we become future focused to a fault. But it is important, necessary even, to take a moment and celebrate past accomplishments and milestones. It gives perspective and resolve to persevere. This year is different, in large part because we have a few huge milestones to

When we were brought in, Water for People was in the midst of many changes. They had new leadership and the organization had been going through tremendous growth, hiring many new staff members. They were preparing to host their Annual Reflection retreat for the second year, and they were rolling out a new 5 year strategic plan. One of the changes that the new CEO brought to Water For People was implementing a Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The BSC is a tool that sets organizationa

Last summer I was scheduled to go on my second writing retreat to finish editing the manuscript of my book when our world turned upside down…instead of escaping to the serenity of a cabin in Peaceful Valley I was sitting in a sterile hospital room fighting back tears while I felt like my heart was breaking. Wondering what was going to happen next and how long we would have together. A cancer diagnosis never gave me hope before, but this time it did. Because this time it meant

The corollaries between parenting and being a leader never cease to amaze me. Here I was processing my own emotions as a parent and feeling a new sense of understanding for a struggle my clients are dealing with…when anger about a situation builds so much momentum within that your emotions are like a run away train; reason, logic and compassion for others vanishes as the stark difference between reality and expectations set in. Here’s the thing, Karla McLaren shows us that em

I learned the hard way that even after you experience success, you still have to deal with rejection and feelings of self-doubt. It doesn’t matter how successful you are, rejection hurts. Even very accomplished individuals experience imposter syndrome. The only difference is, the truly successful professional has routines and rituals for rebounding! Here are four steps for redirecting your negative self-talk so you can maintain forward momentum on your efforts. Step 1: What T

Last week my journaling habit turned 21 years old…its hard to believe that this habit has persisted for the vast majority of my life. There were many times over those 21 years where I didn’t write for months. And yet here I am, journaling up a storm – writing regularly, using my journal to keep myself organized, well planned and sane. It’s not perfect, my journal doesn’t resemble the meticulously groomed images of bullet journals adorning many Pinterest boards! My handwriting

Ariana facilitated a panel on Self-Publishing Without Losing Your Shirt or Your Soul I’ve been speaking a lot at various events in the last few weeks, sharing the Misfit Entrepreneur’s story and encouraging others to be the master of their own entrepreneurial journeys. It’s been thrilling, rewarding and scary (as is always the case when you’re putting yourself out there)! Standing in front of a group of strangers and telling your stories of failure is not typically how peopl

Sometimes I just don’t feel on my game. The weather is dreary, it’s cold outside and there’s a fierce wind whipping around. Then there’s a mixup, a no-show for an appointment I re-arranged my entire schedule to accommodate. Things continue to pile-on, car troubles, computer issues, the rude waiter. After a while, I’m ready to pack my bag, crawl into a hole and wait to come out until it’s spring…if only! Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. As much as I would love to hib

Last year we announced a campaign to promote entrepreneurship and literacy with the release of A Misfit Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building a Business Your Way. The goal was to donate 100 copies of the book to libraries in Northern Colorado and beyond…like any entrepreneurial endeavor, it has become that and more. We have 76 copies sponsored and ready to go to libraries. And we have begun distributing them, as you can see on this handy google map! But we need your help… Request