In my book I wrote that “The hardest part about being a Misfit Entrepreneur isn’t building a successful business endeavor; it’s doing so while being true to yourself.” The challenge is earning an income while filling your cup. This is particularly difficult because the need to earn a living can trump the need to align your efforts with fulfilling your greater purpose. Furthermore, finding that sweet spot doesn’t happen over night. So many of us need to earn a living and so we

One of the things I love about hearing other people’s journaling stories is that they often articulate benefits of their practice that I’ve experienced but haven’t put to words before. One such benefit I heard from a client a year ago was that journaling helped her to find and use her voice so she could stand up for herself. Finding your voice and expressing your deeper needs can be the most powerful final step to take in re-writing your patterned responses to triggers. Recog

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

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 week I had the pleasure of attending a Thought Leader Speaker event featuring Peter Sheahan. He was a feisty speaker, calling out executives for bad decision making and cracking jokes at his own expense. His message was thought provoking, in large part because he encouraged those of us in the audience to reflect on and discuss our own experiences that might be limiting our abilities to effectively navigate change. I always enjoy more interactive talks, it’s easier to pay

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

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

We went around the park, with camcorder in hand. And we now have a home video of bears being super cute and my brother asking every other second, “Did you get that?” Followed by my Dad responding, “Yeah, I got it!” As I reached a new level of putting myself out there with the release of my first book last fall, I felt like my brother in that video. I would send an email, then constantly check to see if I’d gotten a response. Or I’d post a video on social and continually check

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

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

Today I want to explore a topic nobody ever talks about, but all of us feel…loneliness. A few months ago at church there was a sermon where we explored reconciling. During the service we were instructed to text (I know how very 21st century) the things we felt ashamed about in our lives. Then our stories were anonymously woven into the sermon. There were a lot of really heavy and traumatic things shared. But one thing that a number of people wrote stood out to me, they were a

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

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

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

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