As I heard my 5 children come in the front door and head up the stairs my heart wrenched in physical and emotional pain.

I fell to my knees and began sobbing uncontrollably.

It was right then that I realized as I heard their joyful laughing voices calling “Mom! We’re Home!” that this day could have been so very different.

I thanked my Heavenly Father that my children would find me alive and happy to see them, not seemingly asleep yet not breathing having left them and this life… by accidental overdose.

That’s the day I decided my life had to change and I had to find the joy within myself.

 

Things didn’t change overnight like in the movies. That was not the day I found joy, happiness, and that everything was going to be perfect. It’s not the day that the dementors left me. It was not the day that all of my problems went away.

Without question, it was the day I realized that my heart had stopped beating.

I will always remember that is WAS the day I decided to start living again. The first thing I had to do was to remember who I was. I had spent so many years being only what everyone else told me I should be or that I thought I had to be to be accepted and loved that I didn’t know who I was anymore.

So, it’s time for you to do a self-check.

When is the last time you felt your heart beating? When is the last time you truly felt joy in your life and knew without hesitation who you are, what your purpose is, and how you are going to achieve your dreams and goals?

Here are three powerful steps for how you can do this:

 

Y – YOU! Take care of you every day.

 

The average woman spends only 17 minutes a day on herself. That’s just crazy! Taking care of ourselves is mandatory to feel alive.  How can we care for those we love if we don’t care for ourselves?

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman

 

I’d love to hear you share your “I AM” statement below. Who are you really? Deep down in your deepest soul?

 

E – EXCITED! Get excited about your life and what you’re doing every day.

 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake up excited every morning? If you aren’t doing what you are passionate about your heart won’t be ablaze and you won’t feel anything.

“Unhappiness is not knowing what we want and killing ourselves to get it.” -Don Herold

 

We must choose to do things that get us excited! Do you want to change the world, have a great relationship, have fewer negative emotions? What about success? Chose what you want to do and be in your life and how you want to live and get excited about it!

 

S – START! Don’t wait. Do it NOW!

 

“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted… Do it now.” -Paulo Coelho

 

Someone once said, “The time to have the map is before you enter the woods.” Do you have your map ready?

What are you waiting for? Right this very minute, make a clear plan and make it happen!

 

Y.E.S. You need to get Excited and Start now!

 

Looking forward to hearing from you about how you are jump-starting your life with Y.E.S.! Leave a comment below or message me.

 

A few years ago on KUTV I spoke with Brooke and Caitlin about success. Is it achievable? How do you know you have reached it? Is it possible? How do you manage success every day? They were great fun to chat with! Watch the video HERE on KUTV.

Here’s my own story of success…

In July of 2017, I sat at my desk with a successful career as a digital marketer and online speaker/trainer. I had started as an entrepreneur in 2011 as a virtual assistant working with real estate agents. From there my skills and my business had grown into something that I truly enjoyed doing. Digital marketing along with branding, websites, sales funnels, and basically flipping online businesses was as thrilling to me as racing around a race track is for Indy drivers. I had found a bit of success. Yet…

As I sat there at my desk thinking over the last 5 years it hit me! I had basically created a job for myself. I was my boss and my boss didn’t give me any vacation time and if I wasn’t working I wasn’t getting paid. The name of my business was my name and if I wanted to retire… well, let’s just say that wasn’t going to happen.

Was this what success felt like?

This realization made me step back and take a 30,000-foot view of my business and my life. This is something I do in my own business every quarter and something I have all of my clients do as well.

“Success grows with you and you grow with Success!” – Sheila J Davis

It was true that I had worked with and helped thousands of virtual assistants build their businesses through my academy. I found true joy in working with them.

I loved my clients and enjoyed flipping their businesses. Working with them to create a powerful brand, improving or building their websites for increased revenue, showing them how to automate their business, and creating sales funnels that are powerful and effective.

 

Somehow I felt empty.

Something was missing. It wasn’t just about money, it was about the impact and influence I had on the world. On the women specifically that I felt needed my help to achieve their success.

“If your bucket is empty, and there is a hole at the bottom, it’s time for change.” – Sheila J Davis

I knew something had to change, I just had no idea how fast and how amazing the process would be!

 

Time For a Mentor!

Over the next two months, I went on a journey to find where my success was and how to reach it. I worked with a brilliant and amazing mentor, Brooks Gibbs. He can tell you that my journey to find what success was to me was painful and incredible at the same time.

What Brooks helped me realize was that my passion to help and serve single women, military wives, and women who found themselves in a situation of, “Oh Crap! Now what?!” was possible!

Thanks to his guidance, patience, and willingness to help me serve my purpose in life I had discovered what success was to me! It was creating a network where women could find trusted resources, build relationships, network with each other, and even where I could create a non-profit to provide even more.

Truth be told, we have only just started and we have a long way to go. There is so much more! I’m thrilled, however, that my journey lead me to where I am today!

 

I AM STATEMENT

I’ve been thinking that my I Am Statement has changed my life and I want other women to find the same strength I have by creating their own! So, I got a few of my favorite women together and we made a video of all of us reading our statements. I hope you find it inspiring and I hope you create your own or even submit yours for us to showcase on our next I Am Video!

 

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – John Rohn

 

Our first I Am Statement Video

 

 

Now that you’re on your way and determined to have a food storage… CONGRATULATIONS!! This is a BIG step and honestly, the rest is much easier. Knowing and understanding that this is important to have a food storage will get you so excited. When you start seeing 1, 2, 3 cans of food turn into several shelves of food… well, you’ll just get more excited.

So, what is the next step? You’ll need to find a smart place to store the food. This can be tricky if you have a small apartment or if you are going to be doing a lot of moving. It’s also tricky if you don’t have a lot of money.

How amazing would it be to build or buy shelving that’s perfect for food storage? But, most of us can’t do that, so we have to come up with smart and clever ways instead. Here are some things to consider and keep in mind:

Consider Temperature

This is very important as food will go bad and be useless or even cause harm if not done right. We don’t know when we will need the food storage so we need to plan on storing it for anywhere from 1 month to 2 years.

Heat, cold, dryness, and humidity could all ruin food.

I’ll admit I’m not an expert on this and since it’s so important, I’ve found this information on Family Survival Planning. Be sure to check out this article for even more on storing your food storage.

“If you live in an area that has four seasons, or very high temperatures and humidity, long term food storage can be difficult. If you live in an area where homes do not have basements, food storage must be kept somewhere in your home at a constant temperature (around 70°F). Cement basements are ideal because they are below ground level (for the most part) and therefore, maintain a pretty constant 50-60°F, which is ideal for long-term food storage. Lacking a basement, just know that the higher the temperatures, the shorter the shelf life of stored foods. But don’t let that stop you from getting prepared.

“If you live in a hot and humid area: For the best food storage conditions, a dehumidifier would be a good investment.

“If you live in a hot and dry area: Air conditioning is the most logical solution, but it takes electricity. Right? That’s ok as long as we have electricity. In the days before electricity, people dug root cellars in order to store their garden produce, jerky, and grains in a cooler environment. Is that a possibility for you?”

Find out more about Long Term Storage and Short Term Storage on their website.

Rotate It

 

Rotating your food will keep it fresh and keep your family comfortable with the food you have stored. Then if you don’t have money for groceries for a few months, you’ll already know how to use the food and you’ll know your family loves it.

The old restaurant rule always applies, FIFO, First In First Out. Knowing and planning to rotate your food will ensure that you’re storing it in a way that makes it easier.

Another great reason to rotate is to inspect your storage for signs of spoilage or signs of pet infestations. If cans are bulging or seeping liquid from the seal, they will need to be thrown away immediately. Those are almost sure signs of botulism poising, which could be life-threatening. For jars you’ll want to check to see if the lid seal is still intact by checking to see if it pops back up when you push down on the top.

When you bring home new food to add to your storage or when you take from your food storage to use it, you’ll be able to keep track of your inventory. It would show you how much your family is using, how long the items are on the shelf before they are used, and ensure you have stored the proper kinds of foods.

Remember that list you made of what you need? Be sure to keep that current during rotation. Every 3 months you’ll be able to adjust your purchases to match your families needs.

I’ve tried doing this each time I’ve gone to the store and it can be difficult. So, doing a family inventory about every 3 months is a good idea. If there is one food that you have never used in those 3 months, consider it. Would it be best to keep adding that particular food? Will your family use it? Is there a certain food you can never catch up on? Maybe you run out of it before you have more to add to it?

Another few tips about rotating:

  • Try new foods slowly to see if your family will use it
  • Be sure there are dates on everything, use a Sharpie (the tiny “use by” dates can fade, or be unreadable under certain conditions)
  • Store like things together similar to how the grocery stores do it, this saves searching time
  • Label your shelves if possible to make access, inventory and restocking easier
  • Put the heaviest items on the bottom shelves to prevent shelving falling over
  • Move items that are about to expire in the everyday cabinets to be used quickly
  • To rotate cans easier, use boxes with one row of cans so it’s easy to add to the back, or use tilted shelving where the front is lower so cans move down, Food Storage Made Easy has a great video and a downloadable plan for building a shelf like this
  • Use recipes in your weekly meal plans that include food from the food storage (If you’re storing dry milk be sure your family would drink it. Try mixing 1/2 regular gallon milk you buy with 1/2 gallon dry milk. This way your family gets used to the taste and it saves you money.)

Create and Find Clever Storage

My first food storage was under beds in the boxes they came in. I cut them in half so they were only one can high and slide them under. Dates written on the top, all I had to do was pull out the box, check the dates, add new cans to the back of the box, and take from the front.

I also built storage shelves with cinder blocks and Plywood.

We found a bunch of cinder blocks at a friends they weren’t using and then had the plywood cut at the hardware store where we bought them. Not great for floor to ceiling shelving, but it worked great for 3-4 shelves high in the garage.

Here is a great list of sites that have some super clever ways of storing food. Many of these can be done on a very small budget.

I’d love to see how you are storing your food storage! Leave a comment with a picture or idea below.

Whether you’re saving for a family vacation or you want to buy your first house or you just want to increase your savings, you’re not alone.  It’s more important than ever to have a financial plan in place. For some that may include turning their hobbies into cash. This can be easily done with the right resources and can be a lot of fun; no matter if you’re wanting just a little extra cash or if you want to turn it into a full-time business.

FB LIVE: Turn Hobbies into Cash – Here’s the HOW TO!
KUTV Fresh Living: Top 3 Steps

 

More and more people are becoming entrepreneurs, especially in Utah. Utah is listed in the number one spot on CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has Utah listed #1 for innovation and entrepreneurship and #2 in high-tech performance in 2017.

 

With the economy like it is and with so many people staying home more due to COVID-19, many people are spending less and becoming penny pinchers due to lack of income. We are finding that we aren’t able to have as much fun as we wanted five years ago.

There are a lot of very talented women who could turn their skills and/or hobbies into cash or into a real business. It’s not as hard as you think and there are loads of amazing free resources to help when you’re ready.

 

 

I quit my day job in 2011 when I found the need to be home with my children due to their health.  Now 7 years later I have been providing services for and mentoring and training hundreds of women all around the world on how to start, build and grow their own businesses from home. Many have started virtual assistant businesses, health. life, or fitness coaching businesses, and other businesses as well including small online shops.

 

The Internet is full of amazing people who are ready and willing to help. However,  there are some that just can’t be trusted. More than half of my clients over the last 7 years have told me horror stories of being ripped off by online providers. I myself have been taken advantage of a few times when I didn’t do my research. That’s why I want to help be a resource for women who want to find the right people to work with so I started YES! Women’s Network.

Aren’t sure where to start? Join YES! Women’s Network today for help getting started by meeting women who are already doing what you want to do.

There are a lot of ways you can turn hobbies and skills into cash; and it’s lots easier with trusted resources, free or low-cost training, and inspired connections.  The good news is… you’re in the right place!

Here are some ideas to get you thinking about how you could earn some extra cash:

#1 – Crafts

So many women are blessed with the gift of craftiness. Homemade creations are highly sought after personalized gifts. If you are crafty you could turn this into a surefire way to make money selling your goods. Homemade and vintage items are where many shoppers are turning for original creations. Especially if you are already selling your creations at local festivals and farmers’ markets. How many times I find items that I want to be able to buy more of and when I ask the owner if they are online and they say no. This surprises me! If you are crafty be sure to consider not only offline sales but online sales as well. Before you know it, your homemade creations, whatever they may be, could be the latest Internet craze.

#2 – Shopping

Do you like shopping? I’m not a fan of shopping and I avoid it at all costs, but my daughters love to shop. Becoming a personal shopper could save you money and make you money at the same time. There are so many busy men and women who would prefer to hire out their shopping. If you’re a great shopper you could help your clients with everything from making travel arrangements, finding hotels, buying personalized gifts, or even doing personal shopping like for groceries and household items. Personal shoppers could help their clients find clothing, pick up medicines from the pharmacy, or even just running errands. Personal shoppers could charge anywhere from $15 – $20 an hour or 10 to 15% of the total purchase according to paysale.com.  Just be sure you don’t shop for yourself while you’re shopping for your client or it would defeat the purpose.

#3 – Baking

Baking is a talent that so many busy men and women are envious of. Who doesn’t love a homemade fresh cookie or loaf of bread? Many entrepreneur friends of mine have said that having a personal chef is at the top of their bucket list. If you have this skill you may want to take advantage of it and share your talents with others while making some cash. I see on Facebook several times a week one of my friends selling her cinnamon rolls. She posts that she is going to make x number of pans, how much she wants for them, when they will be ready, and they sell out every week! The majority of people who don’t have time to bake are willing to pay for it, especially if they can pay online and pick it up on their way home. This could turn into catering small events like baby showers, weddings, family reunions, small office parties, or other gatherings. As long as you’re selling baked goods that don’t spoil (like cream pies, etc.) you don’t need a license to sell at most farmers’ markets, although some do require you meet their standards and guidelines to be accepted [source: mt.gov]. If you stick to one or two items and do them well — bread and muffins, for example — invest in a creative logo and packaging, and set up a plate of samples, your products should sell themselves.

#4 Pet Walking & Care

Do you love pets and just can’t get enough? Why not try doing dog walking and pet care? Instead of spending money to get your own why not have the freedom to care for other people’s pets? Most dog walkers charge between $10 and $18 per walk depending o the location and the number of dogs. Overnight dog sitting can be billed for even more according to Christine Rochelle in her article for aol.com.  It’s best to start your business with people who know and trust you. It’s a big responsibility to take care of someone’s pets. Once you have established a small list of clients you could ask them to recommend you to their friends and coworkers.

#5 Organizing and/or Cleaning

“I would pay someone to just come in here clean up and get me organized!” I’ve heard this many times from entrepreneurs who work 10-15-20 hours a day. Many of us spend our days sitting in front of a computer and simply don’t have time to clean out the garage, deep clean our kitchen, or take care of our yards. If this is something you enjoy doing, I can practically guarantee you that you can do this and make some pretty good money. I actually know several organizers personally who are doing pretty well. They are hired to take care of hopelessly unorganized people for a fee. The organizers I know will to and either helps their clients or actually do the work for them. Everything from cleaning out a disorganized closet to shopping and stocking their homes with things like linens, toiletries, and everyday items. Especially around the holidays when they also help with the putting up and taking down of decorations.

#6 Administrative, Writing, Editing, and others

This is how I first got started as a real estate virtual assistant! When I first needed to work from home I wanted to take the skills I had from the Corporate world to start my business. I loved working with real estate agents helping with their paperwork and I knew I could do it from anywhere as long as I had a phone and the internet. From there I grew my skills into being a speaker, digital marketer, coach, mentor, and creating this network. Now, my daughter does editing for many of my clients and I help with building online businesses. If you think about it, anything an administrative assistant does now can be done from anywhere except putting a piece of paper in a folder. An most offices are digital and filing in person isn’t needed. So, if you like writing there are businesses looking for you to help with their blogging. There are businesses looking for help with editing, marketing, data entry, editing websites, research, help with social media, graphic design, and many other administrative skills. There is a virtual assistant academy on YES! Women’s Network that will teach you what you need to know and other resources to get you started as well.

Other hobbies that could turn into cash:

  • Photography
  • Website Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Drawing
  • Music
  • Couponing
  • Blogging
  • Affiliate Marketing (selling other peoples products)
  • Mowing Lawns and Shoveling Driveways
  • Selling from our Garden
  • Canning
  • Garage Sale Flips
  • Tutoring
  • Teaching Classes
  • Decorating Homes
  • Running Errands for the Elderly
  • YouTube – Teach Lessons

Here are a few hobbies turned cash of clients and friends of mine. They are all having a lot of fun. Some are making more money and have turned into a real business than others, but all are making money from home which is super cool!

Lanmom Originals
Ridgetop Virtual Solutions
Pam Bennett
GigiGoes
Tiia Lin
Primary Wellness
The Happy Gal
Everflect
Paula’s Kitchen
Somer Lang
Scrap n’ Things
Love to Bake You Happy
Love You Dear Photography
New Mexico Farm House Designs
Build It Mom
Just One Elle
Romance Enhanced Consulting
1 Sister 2 Sister
Crafty Thrivin LLC
Beyond the Shaker
Hand Picked Daisy

Decide what you like to do and what you want to do then join YES! Women’s Network and let’s find a way you can turn that into cash!  Be sure to join our community and share your ideas with us so we can all pitch in and help you get started today.

Growing your business BIG isn’t just a worthy goal. It’s a necessity for your business to survive and for your financial well-being. There is one thing that has really helped my business grow the most.

CREATE AND BUILD CONNECTIONS!

You’ve heard the saying “It’s not about how much money you have, it’s about who you know.” Well, I have found this to be so true! Here’s the #1 Tip for building your business big.

I talked about this today on Fresh Living on KUTV with Kari and Caitlyn. Check it out!

Here are the two biggest reasons why:

Why #1 Building a Team (Even before you can afford it!)

Having an intern work for you and with you will help you build your business by leaps and bounds! How do you hire someone though when you find yourself in that spot where you can’t afford to hire someone but you can’t afford not to hire someone? Hire an Intern! Or do a Trade!

Hire someone who you know who is looking to learn a skill you have and who needs a way to learn it. I love working with Interns! They get to learn skills working with me that they wouldn’t have an opportunity to learn anywhere else. I show them how to use online tools, how to manage a business, digital marketing, customer service, and other skills.

Once I train them, they can do the work for me in trade for a testimonial or even get hired on in a paid position with me. Mostly I love sending them clients of their own, through my contacts, so they can continue to build their business.

As long as the Intern learns something or benefits in some way and you do as well, then the Internship is successful.

TIP: Be sure to work out the details of what the work entails and what the benefits are for both parties before starting and you’ll be golden!

Why #2 Grow Your Business (With the help of 100!)

People ask me on a regular basis if I know someone who does plans events, does public relations, is a virtual assistant, or has other skills they are looking for. I’m sometimes called “The Connections Fairy God-Mother” and I love it.

By helping people get connected I’m building relationships of my own. They find connections that benefit them and in return often I can reach out and ask them to help me make a connection. It’s a win-win for everyone.

There isn’t a better way to grow your business than to create a list of 100 people that you know, like and trust to refer. In return reach out to these 100 people or businesses, let them know you have them on your list. Then ask if they would be willing to refer you back. If they know, like, and trust you then they won’t hesitate to reciprocate the referring.

Voila! You’ve got 100 people out there on your side helping you to grow your business!

TIP: Download your Core 100 template at https://yeswomensnetwork.com today!

WIN A LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP by joining our group and mentioning that you saw me on KUTV FreshLiving!

As a member of YES! Women’s Network you are able to have a free membership at Blue Bottle Biz. This is super valuable and has loads of benefits! We are blessed to be one of their valued partners.

You’ll find a collaborative learning platform where you have access to more than 50,000 business books and videos. Within the group, you’ll find content recommendations, see what your peers are learning about and more.

This is an open space for women who want to learn, collaborate and share ideas, suggestions, and knowledge. Talk to amongst yourselves and share knowledge! Come join us and find loads of valuable learning opportunities!

What you’ll learn in this awesome recorded training which also comes with a download:

  • Watch this when you are free from distraction, so you can listen for those little tips that will make a big difference in getting organized
  • Before starting the webinar, be sure to print the handout included on this page. You’re going to want to have a pen ready.
  • Ask a sister, friend, or spouse to be your accountability partner to follow up on your organizing progress. After watching this webinar, you will have selected a project to work on, scheduled it into your calendar, and have all of the tools you need to organize it – start to finish. An accountability partner will be the cherry on top. You will be successful at organizing!

CLICK HERE to Download the Handout

Do you want the rest of this training? Grab it now! CLICK HERE!

Are you ready to conquer the clutter? Have everything in its place? Feel in control and excited about life? If you are, then you are going to love these tips! They are simple but powerful tools that can create a real change in your life. And the best part? This isn’t rocket science! You can implement any one of the tips TODAY, and feel an immediate difference. Pick one or two and get started, and then be sure to send me an email to let me know how great you feel. You won’t believe how easy it is to live a happy, healthy,
more organized life.