business

My Newest New Biz … Purium

November 7, 2017 by Kirsten Leave a Comment

So today I started a new business. For those of you who have known me over the past 20 years, this comes as no surprise at all. I am constantly starting a new business or creating new business or making up something that I’m going to do for work that will fit in with my current lifestyle.

I’m sure some people think of this as indecisive, flighty, impulsive, or crazy, but I think of it as my interests are always changing my focus is ever-evolving, and I’m constantly fine-tuning my life and discovering what I want to be when I grow up.

I used to be embarrassed when I started a new business. I would take a few days (or weeks) before I would share it with my friends and family. I would try to figure out the right words to say or make a point not to say it’s a new business, but maybe more like a hobby or something I’m going to help promote or something I’m getting into.

Not anymore!

I’m proud of my decisions, ALL of them!

I’m proud of all the new adventures I decide to pursue.

Starting businesses and coming up with new ideas as a lifestyle entrepreneur has become a part of who I am as a person. I’m at the point in my life, where if somebody doesn’t support me in any decision I make, I really don’t need them in my life. So I’m not afraid to share when I make changes in my life, because I know the people who truly love me trust that I have a reason for doing what I do.

Now I will admit that the majority of my ideas never really come to fruition, and the majority of the businesses I start I quit or they fail, but to me that doesn’t matter. To me what matters is that I’m constantly learning about myself and what I want so that I can live my passions and move toward my ideal life every single day.

My definition of success is waking up every single morning with the choice of what I want to do. My idea of success is to get to choose. I’m constantly looking for new ways to help make that happen.

Over the past two years I’ve become increasingly passionate about being a plant-based athlete and living a truly vegan lifestyle.

The company that I just became a rep for is also passionate about health and wellness, the majority of their products are vegan and gluten-free, and are high quality products that I am already using in my life.
The company is called Purium and it’s a nutritional company. Their vision is in line with mine:

Our vision is to heal the world.
It starts with cleaning up our food system.
It includes expanding financial opportunity through the free enterprise system.
And it’s grounded in a community of caring people who set out to make a difference every day.

AWESOME RIGHT???!!!

The one product that I’ve been using for the past couple months is a product called “Can’t Beet This”. It is a beet powder with added herbs and superfoods. I’ve been mixing it with my Beachbody Performance Energize electrolyte powder and it’s what I’ve been racing and training with over the last two months.

I just got finished with one of the biggest and best races of my life at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. I’m looking forward to next season to see what I can do as I fine-tune my diet, supplements, and wellness, all of which I’ve been working on over the last 10 years. I’m learning more about myself, more about what my body wants and needs, and I’m really excited to see how to incorporate these products into my racing, training, and my overall health.

If you want to check out any of these products, you can find them at https://ishoppurium.com. Use my code “vegandivakir” to order anything. If you end up ordering at least $75 in product, with the same code, you will instantly get $50 off your order. #promo

Reach out with any questions you have! I just ordered probiotics, chlorella, spirulina, tart cherry, aloe vera, and of course more beet powder!

So for those of you think I’m crazy, I may be, but I love myself so it’s no biggie!!

But for those of you think I’m adventurous, or brave, or passionate, THANK YOU!!!! It’s not always easy to start something new. It’s not easy to go outside your comfort zone and put yourself out there to be judged or criticized. One of my words for 2017 is BRAVERY, so I’m being brave!

And for those of you who want to start something new but are afraid, be brave, just do it, and own your decision. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad about doing something you truly believe in.

If you want to start this new adventure with me, message, email, or text me. And we’ll figure this whole thing out together.

Thanks for being part of my life.

See you soon!

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business, business inspiration, purium

What is a Lifestyle Entrepreneur?

September 5, 2017 by Kirsten Leave a Comment

I am on social media a LOT! Partly because I love to connect and build relationships with people from all over the place and partly because I love to share my own experiences with the hope of inspiring or motivating someone else at the same time.

I am passionate about 3 things: being a triathlete, being a vegan, and constantly striving to become a better version of myself. People who follow me on social media are WELL aware of my passions, but it’s come to my attention that most people think I don’t work, that my lifestyle is magically funded by a sugar daddy possibly? Geez I wish!

When I qualified for the Ironman World Championships in June, I had several people message, email, or say to me, something like this: Congrats! I wish I didn’t have to work so I could train more and be as good as you.

When I let people know I do work, they ask what I do, and that’s where it gets a little interesting. I don’t have a “job” like most people so I do have more freedom for my training, racing, traveling, etc, but I do have to make a lot of choices so that I can live my ideal life AND support it financially. I call this a “lifestyle entrepreneur”.

I first heard this term from Lewis Howes who I “met” through his podcast “The School of Greatness” (check it out btw…it’s worth listening to every episode). He considers himself a lifestyle entrepreneur and defines it as this:

An individual that creates a business with the purpose of altering their personal lifestyle and not for the sole purpose of making profits. A lifestyle entrepreneur focuses more on the life rewards provided to people that enjoy and have a passion for what they are doing. There is a possibility that the business will do particularity well since the individual has a passion for what he/she is doing.

I sum it up as basically doing whatever it takes for me to continue living my passions and my life the way I want to.

So when people ask what I do for work, I tell them I am a lifestyle entrepreneur.

I have several businesses. I am a Beachbody Coach, a triathlon coach, a plant-based nutritionist, a swim coach for middle school, a swim coach for a club team, a private swim instructor, a Pure Romance consultant, a fitness instructor, a personal trainer, an affiliate for several companies, and I am not above running random errands or helping with projects, etc for a few extra dollars to help support my lifestyle as an athlete. In fact, for the next 3 weeks I am house sitting for a friend to make money to pay my rent next month!

I have chosen to live simply (renting a room, driving an old car, keeping my possessions to a minimum, making easy meals, etc) in order to keep my expenses and overwhelm down, and incorporate my training into my businesses/work by biking on my trainer 6 times a week, running on the treadmill 5 times a week, adding my drills, mobility, strength, and recovery into the classes I teach, etc.

I choose lower cost races or ones I can get paid for by sponsors, friends, family, etc, and I often sleep in my car the night before a race instead of a hotel to cut expenses. I trade a lot of the products or services I sell for services I need like massage, chiropractic, dog sitting, etc.

It’s not always as simple or easy as I would want it to be, but it’s always worth it in the end. I get to train (almost) as much as I want and work enough to pay for the life I have created for myself.

This has taken years to get to this point, but I finally feel like I am making it work.

I had a friend ask me if I was scared living like this, with no security, plan, future, etc. And I said yes.

Then I asked him if he was scared living like he lives (working long hours, traveling weekly, saving for his future, giving up what he wants now so that in 10 years he can retire and live his ideal life). He said yes.

We are all scared, we are all doing our best, we are all living the way we think we should be living in the moment. One isn’t better or worse than the other. We are all in this together. We are all just walking each other home.

Let’s connect…

www.facebook.com/FoodFitnessFinanceFun
www.instagram.com/VeganDivaKir
www.FoodFitnessFinanceFun.com/Newsletter

And live your life like it’s YOUR life!!

See you SOON!

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: beachbody, business, lifestyle entrepreneur

My Dream Job

February 28, 2017 by Kirsten Leave a Comment

One of the exercises I do with the coaches on my Beachbody team is to help them come up with their dream job. This would be the job you would have if you could do anything but still had to have a job.

This is hard for most people at first because we aren’t taught to “think outside the box” or “dream big” so we typically think of jobs we have had or believe we can have.

These don’t usually work as our dream job because (unless you already have your dream job) if you have had it or believe you can have it, you would probably already have it!!

I ask a few questions like “if money weren’t an issue, what would you do all day” or “do you know anyone who has your dream job” or “what are your favorite things to do” and these help prompt some answers. But usually most people still struggle with coming up with something until I share mine.

My dream job is to get paid to do what I would be doing each day anyway. This includes sleeping, training, racing, helping others build a business, writing out training plans, writing out meal plans, writing blog posts, listening to podcasts, making healthy foods, and helping people online, through social media, and through text reach their health, fitness, nutrition, career, life, happiness, and relationship goals.

All the things I just listed are things I would do each and every day whether I got paid to do them or not. As it turns out, I get paid to do about half of those things! Lucky me right? Nope, not luck! I have been working on the exercise of creating my dream job for about 10 years now, baby steps, and over time my life is looking more and more like I want it to look. Of course there are still things I would change, but I’m working each and every day to change the jobs I don’t want into jobs I do want. And it all started with KNOWING what my dream job is.

The whole reason I was thinking about this today is because of something that happened this past weekend. I ask for sponsorships for races so I can race more. A business or person will pay my race entry fee, and in return I will promote their business or cause in my newsletter, on my social media, and to my network. This is an example of my dream job. I am getting paid to race. For the payment, I do what I would normally do anyway!

I got a message from someone on Facebook wanting to sponsor me for an upcoming race. When I asked what she wanted me to promote, she said “Nothing, I just want to thank you for the help you have given me with my fitness and nutrition.” WHAT? How AWESOME is that??? THIS is my dream job. To do what I was doing anyway (sharing and helping on social media) and get paid for it (in the form of a race entry, which I would have paid for anyway)!! #dreamjob

Take some time today to think about your dream job. If you don’t know where to start, answer the 3 questions I asked earlier. Write down your answers. Make a list of all the things you do each day that you love doing. Start to open your mind to ALL possibilities, not just what you were programed to believe about what a job should look like. Visualize yourself DOING your dream job every single day. And then take action DAILY (even super small actions count…remember baby steps are still steps) in the direction you want to go.

I would love to hear what YOUR dream job is! Comment here or share with our community at…

www.Facebook.com/FoodFitnessFinanceFun

Stay in touch…

www.FoodFitnessFinanceFun.com/Newsletter

See you soon!

Filed Under: Business, Fitness Tagged With: business, fitness

My 100th Blog Post | Fitness, Food and Finance Lifestyle Blogging

October 28, 2015 by Kirsten Leave a Comment

Holy craziness! I can’t believe this is my 100th blog post!!

I remember over 3 years ago my friend, mentor and marketing coach Tara said to me “Kir, you need to start a blog” and I stared at her blankly for maybe a minute and then said “ok?” And yes…that was a question!

I went home and proceeded to do nothing about it…which actually goes against the idea of our monthly meetings which require action.

This same scenario played out month after month for two years. The good thing was that every single time we “discussed it” (meaning she mentioned it and I felt like I was going to puke) it planted the seed in my mind over and over again until one day the seed couldn’t stay under any longer.

“Ok!” I said…this time with an exclamation point, “What do I need to do?”

“Just start writing posts”. And then the questions started filling my head!

Seriously? It’s not that easy!

1. What do I write about?

2. What if people question my opinions?

3. How will I defend myself?

4. What if no one reads them?

5. What if no one cares about my content?

6. What if people laugh at my poor grammar or the way I write?

7. If I even can get out enough words for a full blog post, how do I put it into a blog?

8. How do I set up a blog?

9. How do I learn how to format it?

10. I don’t have time to learn anything new right now.

11. What if I run out of things to say?

12. What if people make fun of me because I’m trying to be a writer?

13. What if I put myself out there and share all I have to offer in this world and it helps no one?????

Better play it safe and put it on the back burner…again!!

Good idea right??? WRONGO!!

Too often we put things off because we are scared. But fear is not real!!! If fear were real we would all be afraid of the same things!! But there are countless people out there who are brave when to comes to what you fear and afraid when it comes to what you embrace!

Many people are afraid of speaking to large groups. I am not, so speaking in public is not a real fear because there are people who love speaking in public.

I have a fear of getting fat, of loving too deeply, of letting people down, of being average, and of not getting to experience all I want to in this life. Not everyone shares all (or any) of those fears. So they are not real fears.

They are things I have made up in my head to keep myself from getting hurt and making sure I am loved and accepted in this world.

Yikes! I went on a tangent there but what I want you to get out if it is simple…JUST DO IT!! You will never know if it will be the best thing or the worst thing in your life if you don’t do it!! And either way you learn and grow as a person.

If you have read my past 99 posts, you will see about half of them are failures…or as I like to now call them since I love myself more…lessons!

So after a few more meetings, blank stares, tears, nervous tummies, and resistance, I decided to just do it. With Tara in my lane for love and support (get one of these, they will help you through all the scary
stuff), I decided to write my first blog post. I have no idea what it was even about, but it didn’t matter. I just sent it to Tara to post for me (oh yeah, did you know you could hire someone to do the technical part of the blog. That pretty much eliminated 50% of my fears immediately! Novel idea to ask for help!!!

Unheard of in my old world. Glad I have evolved!! and waited for all the hate mail to start coming!!

How sad is it that I wrote something from my heart, my opinion, based on my experiences and I was most afraid of people thinking it was worthless.

Well look at me now, 99 blog posts later!! Now I write whatever I feel like. And it actually doesn’t matter to me if 99% of the people who read it aren’t into it. That’s ok…I’m not everyone’s dish. What keeps me writing is the one person every week who sends me an email, text, or Facebook message and says to me, “thank you for writing that”.

So that is why I am not afraid to share my feelings, opinions, embarrassments, failures, and successes anymore. Because there is someone out there who is waiting for me. Waiting for the exact words I wrote to comfort them, inspire them, motivate them, encourage them, or make them feel not so alone in this world.

Now THAT makes all my fears and doubts disappear. THAT makes this all worthwhile!!

So what’s my point? You have something inside you that will help others live an easier life and it’s your responsibility to get over yourself and your fake fears and do that thing you are dying to do!!!

And I want to hear ALL about it!!

https://www.facebook.com/FoodFitnessFinanceFun

OH! And I am so excited about the launch of my new video course on how to create your ideal life!

COMMIT today and I will let you know when it is ready!!

http://www.ItTotallyMatters.com

See you soon!

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business, lifestyle, motivational, writing

Are You 100% Invested in Your Biz?

September 29, 2015 by Kirsten Leave a Comment

Among other things, I am a business coach. I specialize in home-based businesses and direct sales. I help entrepreneurs and business owners become aware of what they want in their business, what they need to do to get it, and what could possibly keep them from getting there. And then, of course, how to overcome those obstacles.

I have found over the past 10 years that most small business owners think they are doing more for their business than they actually are.

Many are stay-at-home moms who in between phone calls and data entry are cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the baby. So 3 small business activities turn into an 8 hour day. Then she feels like she worked 8 hours but only made $20. After 6 months of “full time” biz building and a total paycheck of $100 a week, she gets frustrated and quits saying she’s working all the time and not making any money to show for it.

Another issue I see often is that the biz owner is “wishy-washy” about the service or product they are offering. Like they aren’t quite convinced that this is really a business…maybe more of a hobby…hmmm…”I’ll decide after I start making money”.

It doesn’t work that way. To make money from a business, you have to treat it like a business, 100% of the time. That is the only way a business works.

I like to ask a lot of questions and listen to the answers. This not only lets me learn about my client and what they want, but it also helps them learn about themselves.

The following is an assessment you can take yourself to see how you are treating your business right now.

If your business isn’t where you want it to be, the answer to these questions may give you some insight as to the reasons. Are you truly 100% invested and committed to what you spend over half your waking hours on?

Ask yourself the following questions…

1. Do I get on all training conference calls and webinars for my business or industry?

2. Do I have a weekly coaching call with a business or life coach?

3. Do I have my business name in my voicemail?

4. Do I have my business, email, website, etc. on my email signature?

5. Do I have my company name, email, website, phone, etc. on my car?

6. Do I wear or carry something with my logo or business every day?

7. Do I personally use all the products and services I offer?

8. Do I attend local meetings and networking events to share my business?

9. Do I participate in social media and other online interactions for my business/industry?

10. Do I tell everyone I meet about my business?

11. Do I talk about how much I love my business every single day?

12. Do I carry business cards, catalogs, literature, flyers, etc. everywhere I go?

13. Do I attend every conference and convention in my business/industry?

14. Do I get info to stay in contact with every new person I meet?

15. Do I read all my business/industry books and magazines cover to cover?

16. Do I read from personal growth and development books every single day?

17. Do I have 100% belief in my business or company?

18. Do I have 100% belief in the industry I am in?

19. Do I have 100% belief in the products or services I represent?

20. Do I have 100% belief in MYSELF??

If you answered “NO” to any of these questions, you know where to start to be 100% fully invested in yourself and your business! Talk to others in your industry to learn how they dealt with the question you are stuck on.

If you are not willing to do every single activity listed, think about WHY NOT…what is holding you back??

HAVE FUN learning about yourself and how you can grow belief in what you are doing!

For more biz tips, quotes, and motivation, join us at…

www.facebook.com/WhatItTakesBook

I LOVE WORKBOOKS!!! Here is a great workbook to set you on a path to success…

http://goo.gl/sEgsjg

Re-take the quiz in a month and see how far you have come! PROGRESS ROCKS!!!

See you next week!

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business, business advice, business development, self improvement

10 Personality Traits to Succeed in Business

June 9, 2015 by Kirsten Leave a Comment

I am a small business owner and have been for the past 20 years. I make it a habit to primarily do business with other small business owners, usually the ones I know, like, and trust. I believe I am not the minority and if given the option, most of us would stick to people we know, like, and trust for business.

That means if you are a business owner, you need to assemble an attractive personality so that YOU are the person that everyone wants to do business with.

There are many characteristics that make up a great personality and make you more likeable, this is a list of ones I feel are most important.

These are taken from a list of 25 personality traits Napoleon Hill wrote about in his book, KEYS TO SUCCESS. You can order the book here…

1. Positive Attitude: This is the most important aspect of an attractive personality. It influences your tone of voice, posture, facial expressions, the words you use, the emotions you feel, and every thought you have.

2. Flexibility: The ability to adapt in a constantly changing world.

3. Sincerity: This shows up in everything you do, no amount of acting skill can disguise it!

4. Promptness of Decision: Successful people reach decisions definitely and quickly.

5. Smiling: Don’t underestimate the importance of a frequent and sincere smile in making your personality appealing to others.

6. Tolerance: This is the disposition to be patient and fair toward those whose opinions, practices, and beliefs differ from yours.

7. Sense of Humor: This allows you to relax and remain human in the midst of pressure and change. It keeps you from taking life too seriously.

8. Alertness of Interest: You can pay others no greater compliment than to concentrate your attention 100% on them when they want it.

9. Humility: True humility is the recognition that even the greatest people are still, in the grand scheme of life, only fragments of the whole.

10. Personal Magnetism: This is the only personality trait that is innate and cannot be changed. You have what you are born with, so learn to use what you have!!

So now what??? Some people say you should play up your strengths, some people believe you should work on your weaknesses, so what is right for you? I say BABY STEPS!! Always baby steps! Read through this list and rate yourself on a scale from 1-10 on how NATURALLY good you are at each one. If you aren’t sure, ask a trusted friend.

Anything from 8-10, let it be for now, you are pretty proficient in those.

Anything below a 3, let it be FOR NOW as they would require a LOT of work to improve.

Take your 3-7 and put them in order of what YOU think is most important in your business and your life.

Pick the TOP 3 and come up with one thing you can do each day to work toward increasing your “score”.

You may have to enlist the help of others if you don’t have ideas. Pick someone you think is really good at the characteristics you are working to develop and ask her. Or just emulate her if she is someone out of your circle.

I am happy to help as I have worked to enhance these skills in my own businesses/life over the past 10 years.

Contact me here for suggestions…

www.facebook.com/FoodFitnessFinanceFun

http://goo.gl/2aEzBn

See you next week!

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business, personality traits, success

I Heart Sales | Sales Tips & Training

March 17, 2015 by Kirsten 2 Comments

Currently I run two sales-based businesses where I work on commission only. And I LOVE IT!! It’s interesting to me when I talk with people about sales, I often get the response “I am not a sales person”, “I could never do sales”, or “I am just not sales-y”.

What I think a lot of people don’t realize is that we are ALL in sales. We have all been “selling” since we were kids. Here are some examples from my own life…

It started for me when I was a kid and had to sell my parents on the idea that even though we were dirt
poor, I was going to play Basketball, Softball and Soccer, and do Gymnastics, Baton, and Swim Team.

Then I moved into adolescence where I had to sell some guy on the idea that I would be the perfect girl for him.

I also at that time got a job delivering and collecting on a newspaper that was FREE! Talk about tough. I had to convince people to pay for a free community paper!

At age 14, I got my first “real job” at Burger King. It wasn’t so much selling Whoppers and fries, I made $3.35 an hour no matter how much I sold. It was selling my manager on the idea that I would be the best “Drive Through” girl for the job, after all, “Drive Through” was the cool job at Burger King at that time…and I became the “Drive Through” girl for four years!

I then graduated to waitressing where I worked at several restaurants over the next nine years. Now this is where sales really stared to matter. My pay actually depended on what I sold. Here I learned the value of selling. Here are two examples that stand out…

The first one was a contest I won selling Kahlua. How many of you buy Kahlua at a restaurant? Exactly! Well, for a 5 day all inclusive ski vacation, I sold 500 in a month. And I don’t even drink!

The second was while working at a fine dining restaurant. I waited on a group of friends celebrating. They ordered a $40 bottle of wine. I sold them on a $70 bottle instead.

Over the next six hours, they ordered nine more. Their total bill went from approx $500 to almost $1000 and my tip reflected a percentage of the total bill! That is when I realized sales can really make me a lot of money.

During that time, I also began coaching a swim team. Talk about a hard sell, convincing a group of hyperactive, ADD, hormonal Middle School kids that swimming up and down the pool for two hours was fun…that is sales at its finest!!

Also at this time I began my 17 year career as a Personal Trainer. This was the first job I had where my pay was ALL commission and depended 100% on selling myself, my expertise, and my services to a tough crowd of instant gratification people who want to be fit and lose weight while doing as little as possible.

Maybe you can’t relate to any of my selling scenarios, but I bet one of these hit home…

If you are a parent, you are DEFINITELY in sales! Selling your kid veggies? And bed times? And going to school every single day?

If you are an employee, you are selling your boss on keeping you around because you are worth it.

If you are married, you are selling your partner the idea that you are his/her one and only!

RIGHT!!??

So we are ALL in sales! And as long as we believe in WHAT we are selling or WHY we are selling it, we will be successful. THIS IS KEY TO SALES SUCCESS.

I am a huge movie watcher, and a couple movies come to mind to give you an example of how WHAT and WHY will help your success with selling.

WHAT-“Remember the Titans” or any inspirational movie really. That coach sold his team on team work. He believed so much in WHAT he was selling (team work, getting along, building relationships, equality, etc), that the ENTIRE team ended up buying in … well, except Ray who got kicked off anyway.

WHY-“Pursuit of Happyness”. Selling whatever medical thing he was selling was pretty boring and seemed like a “hard sell” but his WHY was to better his life, feed his kid, and get off the streets. That’s a pretty big why if you ask me, so he was successful regardless of what he was selling.

You know, I have no idea what my point is to this story. I had a conversation with someone today who said “I wish I could do what you do but I suck at sales” and it was weighing heavy on my mind. I truly believe that if you are passionate and believe 100% about something, selling it is EASY. And if you have a strong reason why you want to sell something, you will also be successful. It’s almost like I wish this man would have said, “No thanks, I don’t believe in your product enough to sell it.”

Which reminds me of another awesome movie, “The Invention of Lying”. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone just spoke the truth…but that’s a whole other animal!!

I’m working on adding affiliate marketing to my income earning activities to satisfy my “Lifestyle Entrepreneur” life so check out the RESOURCES page on my site at…

www.FoodFitnessFinanceFun.com/Resources

I ONLY recommend things I use or would offer to my BFFs.

Oh, and I have an awesome Beginner Core Workout video I would LOVE to give you free for subscribing to my weekly blog here…

http://goo.gl/ttIgSn

AND P.S. YOU ROCK!

See you next week!

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business, business advice, sales advice

Business: Stealing is Caring…So get your GEBY on!

September 30, 2014 by Kirsten Leave a Comment

I was listening to the James Altucher podcast yesterday where he was interviewing AppSumo’s Noah Kagan. Noah was talking about how he pulled himself out of a funk by using GEBY (more on that in a sec) and James said he was stealing it. Noah then said “stealing is caring” and after I added my own mantra “caring is sharing” I decided to share with MY friends this “big secret” that helped pull Noah out of depression and hopelessness.

I have been doing something VERY similar that I call my KICK ASS MORNING ROUTINE, but I really want to share GEBY because it emphasizes something that I do automatically (so I don’t need to add it to my routine) but MOST people (especially women) do NOT do.

GEBY stands for…

G-gratitude

E-exercise

B-breakfast

Y-YOU!

I find when I set up a positive morning routine, the rest of my day just feels brighter and more productive. And I want that for all of you…especially since it hurts my heart to see so many of my peeps in pain.

I double dog dare you to try GEBY for 21 days and see how your life improves.

1. Gratitude. Be grateful and thankful for everything you already have in your life. Even if it seems small. Living in the RV makes me appreciate 2-ply thick TP and long hot showers, but I am still grateful I can have a lesser version of each, every single day of my life!

Every morning immediately when you wake up, write down at least ONE thing you are grateful for. I typically do this at night, but I like the idea of being grateful in the morning, before anything “happens” during the day for you to be grateful for…just BE grateful. Today I was grateful for the perfect sleeping weather the late summer mornings in Colorado bring.

2. Exercise. Moving and getting your blood pumping first thing in the morning will give you more energy during the day to get stuff done! Plus, it revs up your metabolism AND wakes you up better than coffee. OK…I can’t prove the coffee thing…but there are no negative side effects of exercise.

After you list what you are grateful for, exercise. This can be taking your dog for a walk, going for a 10 minute jog, doing a workout DVD (PiYo is my new fave), or just doing pushups or jumping jacks in your living room. No excuses! It doesn’t have to cost money and you don’t even have to leave your home! This morning I walked to the park and back.

3. Eat Breakfast. You have all heard it before…breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies show those who eat a healthy, nutrient dense breakfast make healthier food choices for the rest of their day. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

My favorite is Chocolate Vegan Shakeology. I mix it with water so it is cheap, fast, easy, with very little clean up. If something takes me more than 2 minutes to make, eat, and clean, I KNOW myself and will not do it. Some other options I like are: fruit/veg smoothie, whole fruit, natural PB and J on seeded bread, or a raw food bar like Pro Meal. This morning I had more time so I went wild and had a shake with Vegan Chocolate Shakeology, Vegan Vanilla Refresh (protein powder), Almond Butter (bought before the recall), Alkalinize (green powder), Cacao Powder, Ice, and Water.

4. YOU! This is the one I wanted to spend most time on. You are the ONLY person you are going to be with from the time you are born until the day you die…SO TAKE CARE OF YOU! Plan at least one thing every single day that is nourishing, loving, and caring for YOU. It’s not selfish to do things for yourself. The very best way to have the capability to care for others is if your needs are taken care of first.

I find when talking with others, especially women, they typically put themselves last on their “to-do” list. And we all know what happens to the last things on our list right?? It NEVER gets done! I suggest making a list of ALL the things you love to do that feel good to you. And then make sure each and every day you do at least one of those things.

If you are having a hard time coming up with something, here are some of mine…

Nap, massage, walk, shower, plan, organize, text a friend, chill out on social media, get rid of things, watch a movie, listen to a podcast, eat Indian food, walk my dog (RIP Sammers), work on my schedule, meditate, write, read articles, hug my hubby, and anything that has to do with personal growth.

So depending on how much time you can carve out in the morning, this may look a little differently for each of you. If you are super busy (which most of you are), you may do 1 gratitude, 10 jumping jacks, toss down a banana and raw food bar, throw something that you LOVE to do into your schedule and you are off to have a FABULOUS day! That will take you 5 extra minutes and can have a profound effect on the rest of your day. IMO you have nothing to lose and everything to win. Who is willing to go for it?

Oh I LOVE a challenge! I challenge you to do this for 21 days. Post your results. What is easiest for you? What is hardest? And don’t forget that SHARING is CARING so share this with a friend who can use a little “pick me up” today!

If you need a reminder to post daily gratitude, join my free group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/IHeartGratitude/

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business, exercise, GEBY, gratitude, self help

Finance: What I learned about my business while biking 120 miles

July 24, 2014 by Kirsten Leave a Comment

Last weekend I participated in a cycling event called the Triple Bypass. It’s a 120 mile bike ride over 3 mountain passes in the Rockies. Stunning scenery, heart pounding climbs, and screaming descents pretty much sums up the day.

During my 10 hour ride, I was thinking about the lessons I was learning and realized I could also apply these lessons to my business.

1. Don’t compare yourself to others.

We are all at a different place in our lives, all here on a different journey, and have our own reasons for everything we do. There will always be people ahead of you and behind you. Stay in your own lane and focus on what you can do to make YOUR journey most beneficial to you and others.

2. Ask for advice.

When I was getting tired on the ride, I asked a girl if she knew what was coming up, and she did. Her telling me we had 8 miles of rollers until a 4 mile climb really helped me come up with a plan for those next 12 miles. Without the help and advice of others who have already accomplished what we are working to do, we are more inclined to make silly mistakes or have unnecessary setbacks.

3. Enjoy the journey.

You can’t know exactly how ANYTHING will turn out in the end, so you may as well enjoy every step of the way. Always be on the lookout for lessons and learning experiences, but also breathe in your surroundings and be grateful for the amazing life you are living. Whether it’s breathtaking scenery or the relationships you build along the way to your destination, remember to be present and soak in the moment.

4. Everything is better with good friends in your corner.

One of my favorite parts of the ride was running into my friend Wendy and we rode a couple of hours together. But before we met up, just knowing she was out on the course with me and we would be meeting at the end was enough to make me realize how many amazing people I have in my life. I don’t believe in luck, but I will say I have attracted some pretty incredible people into my business AND personal world.

Wayne Gretzky said “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take”. This can apply to sports, business, and life! So stop comparing yourself to others, ask for advice, enjoy your journey, be grateful for the supportive people you have surrounding you, and go out there and take a shot!

Filed Under: Finance Tagged With: business, business inspiration, goals