This quote is a fantastic reminder to find balance in your career

Happy Friday!

Being your own boss and building your own business is equally liberating, as it is challenging. It is not uncommon for sleep to become an afterthought, for inboxes to always be full, and for the work week and the weekend to blur into one. Being tired and overwhelmed is a feeling far too familiar for many of us entrepreneurs. That’s why this week’s #neverstoplearning tip is crucial to sustaining success (and sanity!): find what keeps you balanced.

Many people often ask me how I find balance in my life, whether it’s between managing several different businesses or finding time for myself outside of the world I built within Pink Olive. For me, it’s keeping in touch with three key things: passion, unique ability and faith.

When you find your passion and are truly doing what you love, work doesn’t seem like work anymore. Yes, it may sound cliche; however, I believe there is power in living in gratitude. When you are doing something that brings you joy, you no longer have to resent work. You can live in appreciation for what you get to wake up and do every morning.

Finding your passion leads you to discovering your unique ability, and this often becomes the heart of your business. When you are in your zone of unique ability, you can happily do your job all day, every day. Plus, we often continue to discover new and amazing things about ourselves. Almost a decade later, I still am discovering new ways to utilize my unique ability.

Lastly, trusting in your passion and unique ability would not be possible without faith in yourself, and furthermore, faith in the unknown. When you embrace the unexpected challenges and obstacles that come your way, these roadblocks motivate you to propel forward.

Join us in the #neverstoplearning challenge and tell us on instagram: What keeps you balanced?

xoxo,

P.S. If you are are product based designer looking to build a successful business and sell to more stores, sign up to the Retail Recipes E-Workbook and DIY kit. When you do, you will be entered to win a chance for a FREE one-hour “critique my line” strategy session with moi. Sign up here today and let’s do this.

Image via Pinterest

This print acts as beautiful reminder that we are always exactly where we need to be.

Happy Friday!

Throughout my business journey I have been fortunate enough to celebrate many successes (and overcome failures), one of which is the opening of my fourth Pink Olive retail shop in Manhattan’s West Village. Its doors opened only a couple weeks ago, however, I have been dreaming about a store location in the West Village since Pink Olive was born.

Like any part of life, creating a business is not simple. There’s rarely a direct path to our definitions of success, and the growth of my brick-and-mortar Pink Olive retail shops did not escape this meandering trail of challenges and pitfalls that come with owning a business. Sometimes these obstacles can make us doubt ourselves and our future, however, it’s important to learn how to trust the path we are on. This week’s #neverstoplearning tip is to connect the dots.

In a 2005 commencement speech given by Apple CEO Steve Jobs he said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

I couldn’t agree more with what Steve Jobs shared. Everything happens for a reason. Reflection can give you the confidence to trust in your destiny. While it was a long journey to the West Village, connecting the dots gave me insight into where I had been and kept me headed on a path to my dream location.

Join us in the #neverstoplearning challenge and tell us on instagram: What have you discovered about yourself when you connected the dots?

xoxo,

image via pinterest

This Thimblepress print says it all: hustling smart is way more effective than hustling hard in too many different directions.

Happy Monday!

Many of us creatives have a lot of different interests, and sometimes, it’s hard to hone in on just one goal. But if there’s one thing I learned from my father’s smart business advice, it’s this week’s #neverstoplearning tip: pick one thing, and go all the way.

This doesn’t mean we can’t pursue a variety of passions. After all, I manage three Pink Olive retail shops, the OliveBox subscription service, and Pink Olive School, so sticking to one project is not exactly my style! But every arm of my business falls under one united umbrella: retail.

Whatever your own business goals, it’s important to find the underlying thread that connects them all together. Maybe it’s a very specific philosophy, or maybe it’s a more whimsical vision — but whatever you choose, having a focus will help you pursue the right opportunities for your ultimate goals, rather than getting distracted by ideas that aren’t a part of your path.

Join us in the #neverstoplearning challenge and tell us on instagram: what’s your “one thing” that you’re going all the way with? How has that helped you reach your goals?

xoxo,

Happy Monday!

In my recent interview with Marie Forleo, I shared the juicy numbers that explain why I launched OliveBox, a subscription box for paper lovers, in 2012. At our brick-and-mortar Pink Olive shops, overall business was up 43% at the time, but our stationery category had seen a staggering 70% increase. Though baby gifts had previously been our bread and butter, our customers were clearly craving pretty paper!

It seemed counter-intuitive to dig deeper into the stationery industry in our increasingly digital culture, but numbers don’t lie, so I trusted them. If I hadn’t taken a look at the data, OliveBox might never have become what it is today.

This week’s #neverstoplearning tip is to check the numbers. It’s so important to take a closer look at how your business is doing and to adjust your focus accordingly. You can’t change what you can’t see, and the data will guide you to go after the right growth opportunities.

Join us in the #neverstoplearning challenge and tell us on instagram: what interesting insights can you glean this week from reviewing your biz stats?

xoxo,