To celebrate the one year anniversary of Thoughtfully Designed Weddings & Events, we moved into a new studio space! We are so thankful to have a place to meet with clients, strategize with each other, store our growing decor inventory and gather with industry vendors to help plan and design.

I’ve gotten a few questions about my business and career path lately, so I figured I would take the time to share more in depth. The simple look at my careers goes something like this: high school > college > entry level job in my field > mid-level job in my field.

The word balance should be placed next to the word perfection because neither of them exist. Yet, we constantly chase them. There is a lot of talk about letting go of perfectionism, but then, there are people standing on the roof tops shouting about having balance.

This year, I decided to create a template of my own to reflect on 2019 and plan for 2020. When I first created the template, I wasn’t sure if I should separate business and personal reflections and goals, but after some thought I kept coming back to the fact that the two are truly intertwined.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for every blogger under the sun! After a quick consulting session on basic blog post SEO, I figured why not share a simple guide here on our very own blog? Enough with the fluff. Let’s get started.

We hear it all of the time, the term “side hustle.” But what if your side hustle is a full-time hustle sitting on top of the mountain of work pouring in from your 9-5? Great question! I’m posing a few ways to help you not only keep your head on straight, but also kick ass at BOTH of your full-time jobs because let’s be real… owning a business is never a side, it’s a damn steak.

As 2019 rolls around, many of us entrepreneurs are putting our planning hats on. Content marketing isn’t going anywhere in 2019. I’m living proof. About 30 minutes ago I Googled, found the solution I needed and bought a template. That company never would have made the sale if their webpage didn’t show up on the first page of Google. And how, you might ask, did their content show up on that page? Content marketing.

I can devour a good, motivational, entrepreneur or self-help book in one to two sittings. This year, I read (more like listened) to tons of them, and in 2019, I plan to do the same! I’ve been saving Instagram posts of book recommendations the last few months to create my reading list for the coming year. And, since I drive a lot, I’m always looking for audiobooks. My goal for 2019 is one book per month. I far surpassed that this year, but I want to be conscious of taking a break from the screen & actually picking up a book.

So many people dream of working from home. No more cubicle, fluorescent lighting, or rush hour commutes. That dream is a reality for over 1 in 5 Americans according to Forbes. When making this transition, many people neglect to realize that working from home day in and day out can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Sounds depressing, I know, but that’s why we are chatting about it!

I use my backpack ALL of the time. I always travel with it, and I use it to carry my laptop and planner around to coffee shops and such. This week, I am on the hunt for a stylish business bag. Here are some of my favorites laptop bag finds in both backpack and shoulder bag styles! I included some casual options, business casual options, and a couple more professional briefcase styles.

As a business owner you wear A LOT of hats. That can be fun, and it also can be extremely challenging when you feel like you are constantly bouncing from one task to another. That’s where batch working and time blocking comes to the rescue. I discovered it a couple years ago, and find when I implement it, I am highly, highly productive. Who doesn’t feel amazing after a highly productive day of checking things off the list? 

This year, I decided to create a template of my own to reflect on 2018 and plan for 2019. When I first created the template, I wasn’t sure if I should separate business and personal reflections and goals, but after some thought I kept coming back to the fact that the two are truly intertwined.