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

One of the joys in journaling happens when you go back and re-read what you wrote months or years later. It’s amazing the perspective you gain over time and the things you forget that felt so visceral, so painful, so consuming in the moment. I’ve found that routinely taking the time to review my journals has been a great practice for elevating my personal growth and development. Re-reading old journals was one of the many benefits I enjoyed from writing my book. Looking back

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

One sure fire way to de-clutter my mind from overwhelm like that is to do a brain dump. Of course I do this in my journal. In fact, the last pages of my journal are dedicated to brain dumps. Sometimes I’ll fill up over a page in 1 session. Other times I’ll write down just a handful of ideas. Either way, my brain dump pages are the inbox of my journal. Ideas go into my brain dump to ensure I capture them and integrate them into the rest of my planning efforts later. Otherwise

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

Do you ever have those weeks where the same conversation keeps coming up with a bunch of different people? That’s been happening to me lately. It’s like there’s this collective struggle we are all dealing with and it’s nice to know you’re not alone. One moment of profound awakening I had years back was when I realized that the entire notion of being fearless is BS. Fear is always there. It’s hardwired into our DNA and for very good reason. The problem is that all too often we

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

Who doesn’t want to do the smart thing? The opposite would be to do the dumb thing, so of course we all aspire to do the smart thing. Like setting SMART goals. SMART is an acronym and stands for: Specific Measurable Attainable (or Achievable) Relevant (or Realistic) Timely The idea is that when you set a goal, you want it to have all of these characteristics to be a SMART Goal. Otherwise, it is said, that you will probably never achieve it. But here’s the thing. Setting SMART

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

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

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

I rarely feel that way anymore, thanks to the expert guidance of my coaches Jason and Jodi Womack with Get Momentum! And here’s the kicker, I actually get more done now too… It turns out, there is not one simple time management hack that makes these problems disappear. Getting a grip on your time management is more nuanced and personal then a top 10 list of what the most successful people do before 10am. We all have our own work habits, styles, needs and preferences. Managing

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

Ariana presenting on the Business Model Canvas at Fort Collins Startup Week! For the first time since I started publishing weekly journaling prompts on my blog, I’m late! My apologies, this is Fort Collins Startup Week, so naturally I have scheduled all my speaking engagements for Q1 this week…and only two of them are at Startup Week! Anyway, in the spirit of Startup Week, I wanted to share 4 reflection questions to help you get started with your startup. Although, these are

One of the things that I have noticed about how my stream of consciousness journaling has changed over the last few years is that I’ve taken on a new habit. I’ve been writing two words almost daily: “Deep Breath.” Only it’s not just the words, as I write I will inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Sometimes I will breathe in and out deeply and slowly multiple times as I write, “Breathe Deep. Deep Breath. Deep Breath. Deep Breath.” I do this whenever I feel tension rising in my bo

Whenever I tackle a big idea, embark on a totally new project or take on a completely different challenge I inevitably get to a point where I feel frustrated, overwhelmed and unsure I can get it done. Rather than give into those moments of fear and confusion, I write in my journal to process my thoughts and feelings. One of the best ways for me to re-gain my sense of commitment is to reconnect with my purpose. Purpose is defined as: 1. the reason for which something exists o