The other night while lying in bed with my daughter said “I can’t stop thinking about” this thing that was scaring her. I explained that she gets to choose what she thinks about and if she wants to stop thinking about it she can. A few minutes later she laments, “no I can’t.” So, I encouraged her to focus on her heart, to imagine she’s breathing in and out from her heart and to think about things that bring her joy like playing with her friends, going to the beach or running

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

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

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

I’m a list maker. There’s just something really satisfying about sitting down and writing out everything that you have to get done…then crossing things off! A lot of productivity perfectionists bemoan list making. It’s not that writing a list is a bad thing. It’s that there’s no prioritization. So most people either start at the top of their list, or with the easiest thing on their list, regardless of its importance in the grand scheme of things. As a result, the important th

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

As I reach out to you for feedback about these blog posts, I also want to share a bit of my process…specifically how I used my journal! So, here it is, a picture of my journal where I wrote some questions for me to reflect on in preparation for asking for feedback…these are coincidentally the basis of the four reflection questions I am sharing with you today (you’ll notice they’ve been edited to have a more general application)! Your journal = the ultimate momentum making mac

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

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

I’m so fascinated by the correlation between journaling and success that I’ve started interviewing people about their journaling practices. One of the reasons I love journaling is that it deepens my self-awareness. And everyone I have interviewed so far expressed that deeper self-awareness has been one of the benefits of their practice as well. It’s amazing how such a simple act, writing in a journal, can have such a profound impact on how you see yourself and the world. But

I know many people are looking forward to ringing in the New Year and leaving 2016 behind! Before you get too excited for 2017 I am going to urge you to look back over this year first, and then look forward to the next one. Giving yourself the time and space to review and reflect on your past struggles and accomplishments, is an important step for making 2017 a breakthrough year. Most of us are likely to over-emphasize the negative and under-emphasize the positive. There’s a

’Tis the season to take pause and give thanks for the bounty we enjoy. Let us give thanks for being able to read this! Seriously, I think most of us take our literacy skills for granted. The link between reading skills and socioeconomic status is undeniable. Individuals with rudimentary reading skills are more likely to live in poverty. I give thanks to my literacy skills because I know first-hand how hard it can be to cultivate them. I had trouble learning how to read in sch

I am really passionate about helping more people learn how to be successful Misfit Entrepreneurs.  Which is why  I have this wacky vision for getting A Misfit Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building a Business Your Way into the hands of anyone and everyone that’s feeling lost, contemplating breaking out on their own, and open to imagining a better future for themselves and the world.  Why? Because I know firsthand how reading one good book can change your life! Our goal is to promot

To gather Misfit Entrepreneur’s stories I asked Co-Creators to answer 6 reflection questions…they’re real good and they’re a secret!  But I’m going to share the Q&A of the first question each Misfit Entrepreneur submitted.  I want to know, based on their answers to the first question, which stories you are most intrigued to learn more about? So here you go, meet Jerry, Sheila, Kimball, Creg, Jackie, Donovan, Nathalie, Ritika & Ron!  Tell us, which 3 stories you would like to

Such struggles are why it helps to go on long bike rides with friends. And while the Misfit Entrepreneur is on a journey of mastery, focusing to finish on different projects is an essential part of the process.  I wrote this book because of the Co-Creators that have been on this journey with me.  There were a lot of things that happened since I started writing this book in December 2015, that derailed my efforts in some way, shape or form.  Co-Creators held me accountable to

Summer is upon us! Now is a great time to curl up in a hammock under the shade of a tree and read a good book. Like many a nerd, I have a growing stack of unread books piling up, and yet I sometimes struggle to find just the right reading material. While interesting at first, not all books that entice me to crack them open are engaging enough to finish! In fact, my inability to finish non-fiction books was a large source of inspiration for starting EntrepreNerds. I need acc

One of the most profound ways to experience a shift in letting go is changing how your interact with people.  It may come as no surprise to you, but typical conversational behaviors in business are actually unhealthy.  Even though we may intellectually understand this limitation changing our conversational habits takes effort.  It starts with recognizing your own opportunities for improvement. Reflection Questions In what ways are you listening to connect with your customers

It has been almost a year since I first decided to write this book, it is hard for me to believe that the draft is finally almost done.  I just want to take a moment to thank you readers and then we will get back to the regularly scheduled programming.  You may not realize it, but you have been a great accountability partner for me.  I have been easily waylaid on this journey a number of times.  But knowing you are expecting to hear from me has helped me persevere when I othe

The simplest way I can think to describe the Misfit Entrepreneur’s journey to practice detachment more is that you have to go for it with passionate impartiality.  You have to care a whole lot.  Your efforts need to be rooted in something bigger than yourself.  You need to be clear about those roots and the rest you need to let go of.  Allow it to be as it will be, have faith, believe in your deeper purpose. After all, the misfit entrepreneur believes she has the power to det