7 STEPS TO BUILDING YOUR DREAM CAREER WITH JESSICA NAZARALI

Starting your own business never seemed so easy! Or…that’s at least how we felt after reading this feature! Back with us again is business expert Jessica Nazarali, who is providing us with some pretty easy steps on how to create your own dream job! Too good to be true, right?! Read on for Jessica’s excellent advice on taking the big plunge!

“For years, even before I started working, I knew I wanted to have my own business. I daydreamed of shopping on weekdays over lunch with girlfriends, creating my own beautiful website & brand, and traveling all over the world whenever I wanted to hop on a plane.

Now I live that reality. But I also worked incredibly hard to get where I am.

Dreams are a great foundation, but on their own, they aren’t enough to come true. If you want to take your hopes and wishes for your future business and turn them into day-to-day reality, these are the steps you need to start taking!

Get in the right mindset. Identify any beliefs you have about the amount of money you’re capable of making, the number of clients or customers you could have, or how much success is possible for you. Then turn them into positive goals. Tell yourself affirmations about your potential every time you have a feeling of self-doubt.

Start developing a niche. It’s common to want to pick out the fun stuff – pretty fonts and photo shoots – but before you dive into those details, first establish who your ideal clients or customers are and how you’ll serve them. That will later inform all of the branding and design, so save that fun stuff to look forward to!

Do your homework. Many aspects of entrepreneurship are not taught in school, so start reading books that will inspire you like Think and Grow Rich and The Science of Getting Rich, as well as books about your niche and websites your ideal clients read.

Start writing. This is especially important if you don’t think of yourself as a good writer. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll feel, so I suggest you write a little every day. You can hold onto what you write and later on you’ll have plenty of opportunities to share it, but I suggest starting a blog to grow your following before you have a product. It sets up a strong foundation before it’s time to sell.

Think about products and services. As you get to know your niche market, what opportunities do you see that need to be created? What do your ideal clients need that they don’t currently have? How do you know they need it? Start sharing your ideas with people who fit in your niche and incorporate their feedback.

Start assembling talent. You’re going to need excellent quality photos of yourself (selfies not included), time for customer service, lots of written content, graphic and website design, and behind the scenes technical know-how. You could learn all of that yourself and spend twice the amount of time with results half as good…or you could enlist help from experts who can do those tasks efficiently and effectively. Start looking for help in those areas now.

Put systems in place. One of the pitfalls I see among new coaches and entrepreneurs is a lack of systems to hold themselves and their teams accountable to their goals. Start noting the tasks that it takes to complete projects early on, and build in time to complete them and any infrastructure that will make them easier.

Most importantly…get started now! Don’t wait for your dreams. It’s not going to be any easier to get started tomorrow, next month, or two years from now. And starting now will bring those beautiful daydreams that much closer!

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING // WHY AGE DOESN’T MATTER IN BUSINESS WITH JESSICA NAZARALI

Letting your fears and concerns hold you back is certainly something we’re all a little too familiar with! Here to let us know we’re not alone in these troubled waters is Business Coach Jessica Nazarali, who has inspired women around the world and helps her clients build successful and unique brands. Read on for more on how Jessica got started and how she overcame some of her own vulnerabilities.

When I first started my coaching business I was embarrassed to say how old I was. I was 25 when I began coaching part time while still working at my full-time job. Already, I was coaching women 10, 20, and even 30 years older than I was.

I remember hoping no one would find out I was only in my mid-20’s. I had just gotten married so people assumed I was a few years older than I actually was. And I was perfectly fine letting them think that!

However, that fear quickly went away as it became obvious that I was more than qualified to help my clients.Even at my young age, I had tons of experience around my expertise of making online businesses successful.

A few years earlier, I had started a blog on healthy living and eating. While I had no idea what I was doing at first, I learned the ropes and quickly grew my blog following. After a while, my husband and I co-founded an online health food store that was a natural extension of the blog. Again, it quickly blossomed.

As other bloggers and coaches came to me for advice, they knew what I had yet to accept: it didn’t matter how old I was. What mattered was that I could get results for my clients.

The irony of my clients accepting my young age even when I didn’t, is that I see them struggle with the same thing. It’s the reverse Hollywood problem.

Women in their 20’s and 30’s wonder…

Do I really have enough experience to help others? Do I have enough credibility to call myself an expert? Am I qualified to advise my clients?

Don’t worry if you’re struggling with this! As long as you’re working in an industry that you have experience in AND you’re confident you can get results, then by all means, go out there and start helping people.

One of my favorite expressions is, “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” When you’re just starting out, you really must give yourself a break on the qualities that you see as flaws…and that includes your age.

These days, I embrace my age. I’ve realized that being young helps me stand out from the crowd. I’ve grown a following of young women coaches who are ready to be the next ‘It Girl’ in their industries, and I doubt that would be the case if I had two decades on them.

If you think you’re too young to have your dream job, I’m living proof that the conventional wisdom is wrong and you can have it now. In fact, you can use it to your advantage and gain a reputation as that young phenomenon everyone is talking about.

No one is going to stop us from our dream careers because we’re too young, so why would we stop ourselves?

TALK // THREE TIPS FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN IN 2016 WITH LARA CASEY

Setting your New Years goals may seem easy enough, but we all know the feeling too well of letting them slip by. Luckily, Lara Casey is here with us today to share her top three tips on making it happen in 2016! By following just a few simple steps, you can easily stay on top of your goals this new year – it’s even easier than you think! You will definitely be thanking us after reading this helpful advice, it’s never too early to start setting your goals. Make 2016 your year! Here’s what Lara has to say:

I used to get really frustrated when I would come to the end of a year, look back, and realize I made zero progress on some of my goals. “If I would have just tended to that goal little by little over time, I would have made some real progress!,” I would think to myself. So, I started studying goal setting. How could I make progress and have fun? How could I remove the pressure of traditional goal setting? The PowerSheets were born! I designed them to help women–whether you are a creative, an entrepreneur, a mom, a student, or someone who needs solid guidance and motivation–uncover purpose-filled goals and strategically plan action steps to make what matters happen. After five years of using them, and watching thousands of women make meaningful progress, here are my top three tips for making what matters happen in 2016!

1. START 2016 GOAL SETTING NOW

There is one sure way to start a year a bit cattywompus. How many times have you crammed goal setting into the few days between Christmas and the New Year? That’s four days. Four days when you are likely traveling, with family, or soaking up some rest. You can microwave your goals, or you can dig deeper and set goals that matter to you. A batch of fresh cinnamon rolls tastes a whole lot better when cooked slowly in the oven! You can set goals that are twenty levels below the surface, where the fiery good stuff lives, or you can just make resolutions that get forgotten and tossed aside come February 1. I’m going to start my goal setting now, and I invite you to join me!

2. MAKE A MESS

How many unused journals do you have on your shelf? What about that adorable planner you bought last year and never touched? Good tools are meant to be used. Don’t wait till you have the perfect pen or timing. Forget about perfect handwriting — just dig in to your 2016 goal setting! Making it happen is all about progress, not perfection. In order to plant a garden, you have to get your hands dirty in the soil. It’s the same with growing good things in our lives. Make a mess and get your hands dirty!

3. CULTIVATE WHAT MATTERS

How you spend your time is how you spend your life. It can feel impossible to stop and put the train brakes on in a busy holiday season and think about the coming year. I know this feeling well! But, when you take the time to dig into meaningful goals, you will have a clearer understanding of what to do with your time NOW and in the coming year—and where not to spend your time. So, dig in! Say yes to what matters and be done with all the rest. You will find simplicity and get your time back.

Photography for Best Friends For Frosting by: Robyn Van Dyke (photos 1&4)

Photography for Best Friends For Frosting by: Gina Zeidler (photo 2)

BLOG TALK // TIPS ON BEING YOUR OWN BOSS WITH SHELBY STECKBAUER

We all dream of designing our own business cards, decorating the cutest office, and much much more! Nowadays, it seems like the new version of living that “American dream” is starting your own small business. Making your own decisions, running your own schedule…super easy, right?! Er…maybe not. Here to tell us that the struggle IS real is phenomenal wedding photographer and shop owner, Shelby Steckbauer. Read on for her list of what she wish she had known before taking the big jump!

“When people talk about being their own boss, I think we cover up a lot of the downsides. Of course, you want to tell everyone it’s amazing and it’s the best job ever (which it is!), but there are also pitfalls that I think we don’t ever mention. Before I became my own full-time boss as a wedding and portrait photographer, and owner of an online shop called ShelbyRae Coffee Shop, I’d NEVER heard of the seven things below that I’m going to share with you today. Becoming a business owner and your own boss is a huge transition and these are a few facts I wish I had known beforehand! So here goes nothing…. my truthful list of taking that leap of faith and joining the entrepreneurial life!

You Work In Your Pajamas & Bed

I have no one telling me when I have to be in the office (aka my bed) and what type of outfits I need to be wearing. I wake up in the morning and stay in my pajamas until I have to have to actually leave the house for a meeting or photo shoot! Currently, it is 1PM and I have my glasses on. I am still in my pajamas, my hair is in a crazy side bun & I am sitting in bed with my Goldendoodle next to me. In other words, IT ROCKS! I originally thought I would work in my studio that is attached to my home but WHY would I when I have a comfy bed screaming my name?!

Sunday’s Are Your Best Friends

Sundays, Sundays, Sundays….don’t you remember when you were younger and you just were so sad when Sunday rolled around because you knew you had to go back to school the next day? It is now my FAVORITE day of the week. CRAZY… I know. It is the one day of the week I try to not book anything to shoot or edit. Saturdays are my busy wedding days and then it’s the weekend! HORRAY!

Gaining A “Few” Pounds

A lot of stress comes with the weight (no pun intended) of the world on your shoulders and not wanting to fail at your dream job. You see yourself standing at the kitchen counter, reading an email on your phone and munching on a bag of chips (or donuts, in my case). You sit in bed with your pajamas on ALL DAY. Or the only time you get up is to let your dog out or to grab some more food. Go out and take a walk…even just for 15 or 30 minutes. You will thank me later! I promise.

You Become Your Own Best Friend

It gets lonely when you are your own boss and work from home…very lonely. It always sounds like so much fun to work from home, but you miss the social life that you once had in an office setting with other employees. You learn to eat lunch by yourself, laugh at your own jokes & celebrate the highs alone when something awesome happens (or with your dog, in my case).

 

Saying No To Friends In Order To Tackle Being A Girl Boss

Being your own boss means you can make your own schedule no matter what, right? NOPE! Not always! Once your business gets bigger, you have to wisely pick and choose on when you have your free time. Of course, take time for yourself and to relax. But when you have a massive to-do list and need to get it all done in time, sometimes you have to stay in your office until 2AM while thinking about how much fun your friends were having out at dinner.

You Will Have A Breakdown

At some point you will want to throw in the towel and question everything you are doing with all your “crazy” dreams and the goals you have set out to conquer. You will cry on the phone to your mom in the middle of the night, in the pajamas you’ve been wearing for two days straight. You will want to go work for someone else knowing you have little responsibility and less to lose. But then you will snap out of it and remember you are doing what YOU love and it’s all worth it.

BUT…. It Will Be The Best Job Ever

The days when I officially woke up excited to take on the day is when I knew this is where God wanted me to be. I fall in love with my job and clients more and more every day. I appreciate the days I have off with my family and friends. I enjoy the little things A LOT more then I ever used to. I don’t think I would have realized it if I were not my own boss. Even though there are LONG 12 hour days, headaches from looking at your computer for too long, feeling like you’re not going to make it in your industry, emails that are a mile long, breakdowns late at night, and missing gatherings with your friends…it truly is the BEST JOB EVER.

Photography by: Shelby Steckbauer Photographs