Advice, Work, Life, Covid-19 Guest User Advice, Work, Life, Covid-19 Guest User

Ask a Lawyer: I Was Furloughed, Laid Off, or Fired Because of COVID-19—What Do I Do Now?

Nearly 10 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in the past two weeks alone.

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Andrew Neel for Pexels

Here’s a staggering statistic: Nearly 10 million people in the United States have filed for unemployment benefits in the past two weeks alone. To put that into perspective, that’s more than double the population of Los Angeles (which currently has an estimated 4 million residents) and two million more people than currently reside in New York City (with its estimated 8 million residents). Like we said, staggering.

In this installment of Ask an Expert, we tapped two lawyers to answer all your most pressing questions about being furloughed, laid off, or fired in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Ahead, Brenda Schamy, the co-founding partner at DiSchino & Schamy, PLLC, and Tara E. Faenza, a labor and employment attorney, walk us through everything you need to know if you’ve lost your job, including available financial relief resources.

Read on to dive into their detailed answers, then keep scrolling to find out how to tune into our next Ask an Expert conversation on Instagram.

I was recently furloughed. What does that mean? Why do companies furlough? 

Furlough is a mandatory suspension from work without pay,  which can be for any time period at the sole discretion of the company. This is a cost-saving method when the company does not want to terminate the employee but can’t afford to pay them. Furloughed employees may not do any work for the company. If they do any work for that company they must pay them for the day if hourly must pay for hours worked. For salaried employees, they must be compensated. Some companies will block access to email and other resources to ensure that no work is being done. It is important to discuss this with the company or with your employees so everyone understands how the furlough will work.  

Do furloughed employees still get paid? 

No, while furloughed employees will not be paid unless work is performed. (see above). 

Is being furloughed actually better than being fired/laid off? Or is it the same thing? What’s the difference? 

In some ways, yes. Although when furloughed the company is not paying you, the assumption (although the company is not obligated to) is that you will be rehired once the company returns to normal.  This may also eliminate the need to re-apply, interview, run background checks, and more. Unlike a furlough, a lay off is a permanent separation from the company. Whether you were furloughed or laid off, if you are an "at-will" employee, you are free to apply and look for other work during this time.

How long can a company furlough an employee? Why do they choose that option instead of firing an employee? 

The law does not define this time frame. As mentioned above, in some circumstances, the intention of the company is to bring the employee back after things return to normal and the company doesn't want to start the process from the beginning. 

Can I collect unemployment when I’ve been furloughed? Can I still apply for other jobs? What are my rights? 

Yes and yes. Your rights are the same as if you were employed as it relates to discrimination, retaliation, and other employment laws. Unless bound by a contract, you are free to look for other work, whether temporary or permanent. If furloughed or laid off and you have certain contractual restrictions such as non-competes you may want to discuss a waiver of these provisions with your employer. However, all applications for unemployment must be truthful. If you are furloughed but maybe now working part-time or other particular circumstances, you must disclose and correctly answer all questions on the unemployment application.

What steps can I take now that I have been fired, laid off, or furloughed? How can I get financial support while I look for work? What advice can you share? 

Stay positive! Look for work or use this time to polish your resume, start a business you've always wanted or freelance! Update your resume and emphasize your flexibility, tech-savviness, and ability to work from home. Also, the CARES Act will provide for unemployment to be increased by $600 additional per week by the federal government and extend benefits for 13 extra weeks. Many lenders (e.g. credit cards, car loans, etc.) will offer forbearance or temporary holds on accounts to delay bills between 1-3 months. Student loans, for example, are delayed during this time. Additionally, the CARES Act provides for direct financial assistance to Americans in the form of a one-time direct payment in the amount of:

  • $1,200 for individuals earning $75,000 or less, 

  • $2,400 for individuals filing a joint return earning $150,000 or less, 

  • $1,200 for heads of household earning $112,500 or less, and $500 per child.

The U.S. Treasury stated that the administration expects to begin direct payments to individuals within three weeks of the CARES Act being signed into law.

Is my job still available when the company goes back to being in a financially stable position? How will I know that time has come? 

This depends on your company and you. The company may not come back, so stay in contact and protect yourself. Do not assume there will be a job or a company to come back to and even if there is it may not be in the same financial position or have the same staffing needs as it was before. For companies who furloughed or took advantage of the CARES Act, and other government incentives, loans, and grants, there are advantages in the form of loan forgiveness, if they take the employee back and meet other requirements. Your company should communicate with you when you are able to return. Should you feel that your company might not make it, you should consider other employment options as soon as possible.

I’m a small business owner and I think I need to furlough employees. What are the pros and cons? Can employees dip into their PTO or vacation balances to be paid during the furlough? 

Pros are that you can keep valuable employees with certain conditions. Employers should check with their benefits provider to determine what is required and see from a state practitioner what is required for furloughs. When you return to "normal," your uptime is faster, your team is in place and ready to work. Cons are that you may end up losing employees who need money and find other jobs before you can return to normal. You may end up paying for insurance benefits for employees during this time, which is also expensive. 

Employees do not need to dip into their own sick and PTO time. Can they? That depends upon your state laws and company policy. A company is not required to advance paid time off that is not yet earned. 

The company is required to pay Emergency Paid Sick Leave for those either (1) quarantined due to sickness or government order and cannot work remotely or in person or (2) is caring for someone who is sick or a child who is not in school. The maximum is (1) $5,110 (100% of base pay) and (2) $2,000 (2/3 of base pay). Some Companies may be eligible to apply for certain loans (which may eventually be forgiven if certain requirements are met)  like the Payroll Protection Program which may lend up to 2.5X a business' average total monthly payroll if the business meets certain criteria.

How do I go about it? What tips can you share? Are there resources or templates I can use to help? 

You can speak to an employment, corporate, or other attorney for help. Accountants and bankers often help with locating the applications for these various programs. The banks are currently developing processes and applications and those may not be available yet but contact your bank to find out more as things continue to progress. Other .gov websites may offer additional insight on unemployment applications and information regarding the CARES Act and its application.

I was recently laid off due to COVID-19 but I didn’t receive a severance package. Is that legal? What are my rights? 

Federal law and most state laws do not require severance or any kind. Failure to pay severance is not unlawful, in most cases, barring an employment contract or union agreement.

I was laid off at work with no notice. Does my employer have to give me notice before laying me off? What are my legal rights?  

With the exception of large companies under the WARN Act, which applies mainly to large companies, most small or medium-sized companies do not need to give notice.

How do I know if my layoff was illegal? Do employees have any protections from being laid off? Can you fight a layoff? 

An employer who lays off may usually do so without legal recourse. However, if the selection of the person who is laid off is due to age, race, gender, national origin, pregnancy, color, religion, disability, or other protected category, the selection of that employee for lay off (who arguably would not have been laid off) may be unlawful. In other words, layoffs or furloughs do not relax the laws relating to unlawful discrimination and retaliation. 

You would be better off working with an employer, rather than fighting (e.g. temporarily reduced hours or pay), if you wish to maintain that employment relationship. Otherwise, "fighting" a lay off would be no different now than if fired for any other reason. You are still terminated, but you will need to prove an unlawful motivation for you specifically if you wanted to file a claim for unlawful termination. However please keep in mind that each case is fact and state-specific and it's best if you feel you were wrongfully terminated to contact an attorney.

What can I do/what are my rights if I think I got fired for no reason? 

In most states, you can be fired for a "good reason, bad reason, or no reason at all..." and it is lawful. If you believe you were terminated for an unlawful or discriminatory reason, contact an attorney to determine your rights.

About the Experts: Brenda Schamy is a founding partner at DiSchino & Schamy, PLLC. She practices a blend of litigation and transactional work. Brenda concentrates her practice in the areas of entertainment, hospitality, branding, fashion, art, startups, and general business dealings. Prior to founding her own law firm, which subsequently merged to become DiSchino & Schamy, PLLC she was a Miami Dade Public Defender. Brenda is currently licensed in Florida, New York, District of Columbia, and Michigan.

Tara E. Faenza is a labor and employment attorney who represents companies and employees in employment and labor disputes and advises clients in all aspects of employment law, as well as and general litigation matters. Ms. Faenza represents clients in pre-litigation counseling before the EEOC and the FCHR, as well as in state and federal court. Ms. Faenza is an aggressive and skilled federal and state court litigator, having served as a trial attorney and former prosecutor for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, where she tried over twenty cases to jury verdict.

DISCLAIMER: The information here is not legal advice. Legal advice is fact-specific and can differ from state to state.  

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Read More
Business, Work, Small Business, Covid-19 Megan Beauchamp Business, Work, Small Business, Covid-19 Megan Beauchamp

We Talked to 4 Music Industry Insiders About How Coronavirus Is Impacting Their Business

And how they’re pivoting in these unprecedented times.

No industry is immune to the sudden rise of the stay-at-home economy—and the music industry is no exception. With people around the world practicing social distancing, self-quarantining, and sheltering in place, concert venues have been shuttered, music festivals have been postponed, and album tours have been canceled in a concerted effort to flatten the coronavirus curve.

To find out how the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the music industry, we chatted with artists, record-label founders, and even the music partnerships manager at Instagram. Ahead, they fill us in on how they’re adjusting to the new normal, how they’re pivoting to adapt during this period, and what fans can do to help support the industry, even if they don’t have a dollar to spare.

Lizzy Plapinger, aka LPX, Co-Founder of Neon Gold Records

“A

rtists will continue to create and be mirrors and loudspeakers to the world around us, they/we can be light in the darkest of times, or a friend and voice in the void.”

Lizzy Plapinger, aka LPX, Co-Founder of Neon Gold Records

How are you handling the news as the co-founder of a record label and as an independent artist? Are you able to work from home?

While I’m generally a pretty productive person and regular self-starter, it’s been challenging to go about “business as usual” because nothing about the world is “as usual” right now. I’m grateful that, while not ideal, it is actually possible for me to work from home and that I’m still able to freely pivot between my roles at Neon Gold and as LPX throughout the day, but it is a huge adjustment emotionally and mentally. 

Right now I’m focused on regularly checking in with my artists to see how they’re doing and how/if I can help provide them with resources to create, listening to their music and providing feedback. Writing new music as LPX and going through old demos while trying to finish up new releases I have slated for the coming months. Exploring more sync opportunities. Reaching out to people for collaborations, remixes, production edits, features etc. Deep diving on new music for both pleasure and business. Looking at music grants to apply for and share with my community for anyone in need, including myself. Getting creative with DIY video projects. Putting deals together for new artists to make sure we’re continuing to sow seeds of opportunity for the future. Encouraging myself and more women to try their hand at producing and engaging on the more technical side of things. And potentially most importantly, talking to friends, artists, family (and myself) off the ledge in those understandable moments of *wtf is going on.* 

Allowing myself, my colleagues and my artists the space to cut themselves some slack and give them the support they need for their mental well being has and is an important piece of this. In the end, we’re only human and these are unprecedented times. Finding the balance between carrying on and finding a new normal for what a constructive day looks like while also taking care of oneself is going to take a minute to figure out.

How has social distancing and the cancelation of festivals, concerts, tours, and live events impacted your business operations and financials? Can you share some ways that you've pivoted to adapt during this period?

With the live side completely shut down, it feels like losing a limb. Shows, tours, and festivals are a CRUCIAL part of this industry. To take that out of the equation is a detriment to everyone involved (the artists, the fans, the agents, the promoters, and the labels). Financially, it’s a hit for everyone. And an enormous loss to the artists and their fans. 

As LPX, I had two tours on the horizon supporting Maggie Rogers and Carly Rae Jepsen and a headline tour of my own (and two more for the fall to be confirmed), which are now all up in the air. I rely on those opportunities to make money, sell merch, engage new fans and connect with an audience. It’s also the most sacred and important aspect of being an artist to me, so on a personal level, it is emotionally, artistically and financially gutting. 

The emphasis is now on engaging fans on the social side and continuing to release music and take advantage of the people (artists, producers, mixers, writers, etc.) who might have otherwise been too busy or unavailable. Some of our artists are doing live streams and we’re trying to get creative in ways that are genuine to both the artists and the fans. Whether that’s an acoustic set, inviting people into the studio with them, releasing live videos of old performances, showcasing other sides or talents they have on social media. It’s cool to be let into people's creative process or to see a song in the raw etc. But for me it doesn’t come close to replacing the live side—nothing could. 

But artists will continue to create and be mirrors and loudspeakers to the world around us, they/we can be light in the darkest of times, or a friend and voice in the void. I have always felt purpose in music, from both sides, and now more than ever. Nothing will take that away, not even the indefinite halting of shows. 

What advice can you share for fans who want to help support the music industry right now?

There are SO many concrete ways to help support the artists you love, financially and otherwise, and it is NEEDED right now more than ever. Below are a number of ways you can really help the music industry and artists you love:

STREAM their music. A song has to played for at least 30 seconds for it to register as a “play,” and every stream helps show the DSPS (Spotify/Apple/Amazon/Pandora, etc.) that there is a fan while also helping to pay the artist, labels, and publishers. It will also help get them placed on more playlists which will help get the artist more exposure.

ADD songs to your playlists (public and private). This registers behind the scenes in a way that is super helpful for the artist. 

SHARE and PROMOTE the songs and artists you love on socials and TAG them. Introducing new fans to their music is crucial and you are their best and most important asset in doing that. 

BUY MERCH if you can afford to. This helps put money back in the pocket of the artist directly (where they usually sell on tour) and in a lot of cases right now artists are using that money to help give back to their band and former road crews who are currently out of work.

BUY MUSIC online, vinyl, cd, tape if you can afford to.

COMMENT/LIKE/FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE on all socials across the board: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, etc. 

Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums

Our entire industry is taking a hit, so we are all in it together in figuring out ways to support our crew members, the venues, and back-end business representatives.”

How are you handling the news as an artist? Are you able to work from home? How have you pivoted to that schedule?  

As far as the social distancing aspect of all of this, oddly enough, it’s not so far off from my lifestyle anyway. I pretty much stay in the house and work from home, especially when I’m not on the road. I think the main factors for me have been the uncertainty of how long this will realistically be, how it’s going to affect our ability to pay our staff that we keep on retainer when we will actually be able to tour, and when we can have sessions in the same space as other human beings without worrying.

I think with the shift of musicians having their own home studio spaces and making music without having to go to pay hourly locations has made it easier to continue to be creative, COVID-19 can’t really stop that ship from sailing. So where I may pivot from collaboration in the same space as others, I’m able to do a lot of work virtually, it’s just a learning curve because I am forced to engineer my own sessions, which can be frustrating but liberating. 

How has social distancing and the cancelation of festivals, concerts, tours, and live events impacted your business operations and financials? 

We were very lucky in that we got through the majority of our summer tour. A lot of my friends were not so lucky and are having to revise their plans. At this point, all any of us can do is wait it out. Personally, I’ve been trying not to wrap my head around things I cannot control and allowing our teams to strategize and figure out how to best plan the rest of the year. 

However, I am working to help support initiatives that help others. Our entire industry is taking a hit, so we are all in it together in figuring out ways to support our crew members, the venues, and back-end business representatives. I know that the entertainment agencies are working to get some sort of stimulus in order.  A lot of bands and artists are rescheduling tours for later in the season. It’s really a wait-and-see at this stage. IG Live has become a popular tool for many of us, including DJs who can’t work due to venue and event cancelations. 

What advice can you share for fans who want to help support the music industry right now?

I think, monetarily speaking, people can donate to organizations like Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, Music For Relief (which currently has a COVID-19 response fund running to support industry professionals who are most vulnerable to the economic crisis, as well as funding public health efforts), and Plus1, which also has a COVID-19 Relief fund running. Other simple ways are buying band merchandise, especially merch from smaller baby bands and independents, and yes, buying music still matters.

I think people can support in non-monetary ways by supporting artists’ posts, watching their live feeds on IG and FB, commenting just letting us know that you appreciate us, and spreading the word about causes we are trying to support. I would also say by being compassionate towards artists who have to cancel shows. Keep things positive. It is really hard to let our fans down, even harder when we have to read negative comments on our pages. Above all STAY HOME, so we can get through this sooner!  

Lola Plaku, CEO of Lola Media Group & Founder of Girl Connected

Don’t just listen to a song or an album or watch a YouTube clip; share that with someone, even if it’s just two or three people in your immediate circle. Hopefully, your one view can turn into 10, that 10 can turn into 100, that 100 into 1000, and so on.”

—Lola Plaku, CEO of Lola Media Group & Founder of Girl Connected

How are you handling the news as the founder and owner of a leading artist management and branding company? Are you able to work from home?

Over the past year, I have spent most of my time working in the office growing my business and my team. Many of the marketing ideas we execute are online, so working during this time hasn’t been much different.

The methods have shifted slightly, so we’re constantly figuring out how to best deliver messages to consumers without over saturating them. Some ideas we were hoping to implement have been halted due to social distancing and businesses closing down temporarily, so that’s been a little bit tough for the artists and projects that require creative asset delivery. 

How has social distancing and the cancelation of live events impacted your business operations and financials? Can you share some ways that you've pivoted to adapt during this period?

Social distancing has mainly affected the creation of certain content like photo and video shoots, in-studio interviews, and any other creative that requires several individuals to work together. I haven’t had to deal with booking cancellations for talent yet, but I’m sure as the weeks pass we’ll have to plan and adjust accordingly. The company’s Girl Connected initiative for women in the entertainment community produces quarterly events for over 400 attendees, so we have put those events on hold for now and will offer online tools and resources to our group of mentees and community members. 

What advice can you share for fans who want to help support the music industry right now?

I think people are finding ways to create and support from home, and conversation and consumption are two of the biggest driving factors of an artist's success. Conversation is you telling your friends, your family and your immediate and social network about something or someone you like. Hopefully, 10% of those people engage with what you are saying and tell their social circle about that artist, song, album, movie, show, etc. as well. And the circle continues.

If you and the people you are communicating with also decide to stream/watch/talk about said artist, then you have created a domino effect that can turn into financial income for the artist on the backend. While you’re at home, share what you’re doing with others. What are you listening to? What are you watching? Where are you getting information from? Don’t just listen to a song or an album or watch a YouTube clip; share that with someone, even if it’s just two or three people in your immediate circle. Hopefully, your one view can turn into 10, that 10 can turn into 100, that 100 into 1000, and so on. Artists, writers, producers, and managers can make money off streams, publishing, and sales from projects and content that have already been delivered to platforms! 

Fadia Kader, Music Partnership Manager at Instagram

I suggest not only supporting your favorite artists by streaming their music or purchasing merch, but also by being kind to one another and sharing uplifting messages with other fans and the artist directly.”

Fadia Kader, Music Partnership Manager at Instagram

How are you handling the news as the music partnership manager at Instagram?

Going with the flow. It’s important for me to stay on top of the news and find a way to engage with music partners to keep them motivated during these times, which in turn, keeps me motivated and creative. 

Are you able to work from home? How have you pivoted to that schedule?
I am very lucky to have the kind of role that allows me the flexibility to do my job remotely, so the working-from-home adjustment hasn’t been too bad for me, but I do miss interacting with my colleagues in the office. Sticking to my daily schedule gives me a sense of normalcy.

What trends have you been seeing across Instagram and how have artists been using the platform to their advantage? 

With artists not being able to connect to their audiences and fans in person at shows, it’s been really inspiring to see them connect in real-time on IG Live. More than ever, artists are getting more and more comfortable with the feature and realizing the value of connecting directly with an audience in real-time.

What advice can you share for fans who want to help support the music industry right now?

I suggest not only supporting your favorite artists by streaming their music or purchasing merch, but also by being kind to one another and sharing uplifting messages with other fans and the artist directly. Encouraging artists to stay their creative ground and practice self-care in these times. We are all in the same boat and all we need right now is to be there for one another. Even if it's virtual.

Up next: 7 Things a Financial Expert Says to Do to Prepare for COVID-19

Read More
Advice, Career, Work, Life Chelsea Evers Advice, Career, Work, Life Chelsea Evers

Why You Should Follow Up Your To-Do List With a “Ta-Da!” List

Cultivate joy around the process of achieving your goals.

Photo: Christina Morillo for Pexels

Setting career goals is like climbing a mountain. It sounds exhilarating and achieving it will be an amazing accomplishment. Yet there's that point in the middle where it feels like... well, work.

There’s a crucial point of difference between the daily grind and mountaineering, though. Taking a hike offers the benefit of your line of sight and a GPS. Even if you can’t see the destination, you can likely track exactly how far away it is. Whether you’re a tenth of a mile or 10 miles from your landing spot, you can expect to arrive at a certain time. It gives you the opportunity to see—and celebrate—your progress.

Reaching the peak of your career is a little more ambiguous. While you may be able to guess at an amount of time necessary to complete your goals, there are a lot of factors at play, and you may meet resistance along the way. The daily grind can feel repetitive and even discouraging at times. One way to stay on track and be ready to face whatever setbacks you encounter is to keep the right attitude. Mindfulness is a critical component to creating and keeping your goals. This is why you should follow up your to-do list with a “ta-da!” list.

Making a “ta-da!” list isn’t an exact formula, it’s more of a reminder to cultivate joy around the process of achieving your goals. It’s about acknowledging the small steps you’re taking and praising yourself with a pat on the back (or a whipped coffee). Practicing gratitude is commonly associated with better physical health, mental well-being, and increased happiness, according to a recent white paper from Berkeley. Quality of life is a huge component to the emerging field of gratitude research, and work is a big part of how we spend our lives!

Follow these three steps to create effective to-do and “ta-da!” lists, while keeping a positive attitude in the process.

Clearly define your goals, but be willing to go off-course

Putting words to what you want to achieve will help you make an effective to-do list. Whether you’re working a 9-to-5 or trying to build a side hustle, writing out a list of goals and tasks is essential to getting stuff done. However, be willing to pencil in a little room for the unknown. Just as the best view of the mountain might be slightly off the beaten path, the most successful individuals plot out a course and know when to pivot. Maybe it’s an unexpected job offer that will allow you to gain valuable experience, or an opportunity to collaborate with someone you could learn from. Reevaluate your to-do lists regularly to make sure they’re still working for you.

Making a “ta-da!” list isn’t an exact formula, it’s more of a reminder to cultivate joy around the process of achieving your goals.

Write it down

There’s a famous study from Harvard Business School that followed their MBA graduates for 10 years, and the grads who had physically written down their goals had earned ten times more than the others. Your goals and daily “to-do” list will keep you on track to achieving those mountainous goals.

But don’t underestimate the power of your “ta-da!” list. According to the Berkeley white paper, a study found that workplace-specific gratitude was negatively associated with burnout. Just like goals and to-do lists are more effective when you write them down, gratitude works the same way. Write down encouragements for yourself and even positive mantras rather than just drawing a line through the things you’ve achieved. You worked hard, celebrate it!

Celebrate it all

While it’s easy to pop champagne for those huge milestones, the whole point of this exercise is to infuse more joy into the day-to-day. When you look back, most days aren’t memorable on their own, but each one makes up the seasons we’ll someday look back on as stepping stones that led us to the next. Focusing on the wins—however small—will make you less likely to get burned out on the journey. And we’re all here to reach the peak, aren’t we?!

About the Author: Ana Elliott is a writer, photographer, and small business owner residing in Springfield, Missouri. In her free time, she can be found seeking out a good honey latte and/or just trying to keep another houseplant alive. You can find more from her on her personal blog: She Learns Things.

This story was originally published on May 23, 2019, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Advice, Work, Wellness, Life Arianna Schioldager Advice, Work, Wellness, Life Arianna Schioldager

4 Ways to Prevent Work Burnout

Don’t crash and burn.

Free time is costing us more than it seems. Drake knows. And so do we. 

In part, this is because all of our illusory free time has been sucked into the vacuum that is the all-encompassing work life. 24/7 availability is the norm. You aren't taking a mental health day because your car-peer (AKA your career peer) hasn't taken a single sick or vacation day. And you're answering emails from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. But no one, not even your boss, is immune to burnout

So if you're smiling on the outside, crying on the inside, we feel you, and we don't want you to get to that point. We know the usual steps to avoiding burnout (grab a coffee and go for a walk around the block, make sure to fit in a workout, and take your lunch breaks), but there has to be something more, right? There is. 

Here are four ways to keep your mind healthy in the midst of the career grind. 

1. Identify What You Need From Your Career

We have various needs when it comes to work. There are some employees that excel in high-pressure situations. Others need a much more consistent day to day. However, six virtues have been identified as important to keeping our headspace happy at work: 

  1. You can be yourself. Enough said. 

  2. You’re told what’s really going on. Transparency within the workplace makes you feel like you belong and matter to the company. You want to feel like you're an important 

  3. Your strengths are magnified. If you're constantly being told what you're doing wrong, without doing tasks or being given the option to show your strengths, you're going to feel like a failure all the time. And your star is going to burnout when it enters the work atmosphere. 

  4. The company stands for something meaningful—to you. Think about what is meaningful to you. It matters when you hit the hay if you feel like this next point…

  5. Your daily work is rewarding. Feeling discouraged day in and day out is one of the biggest contributors to burnout.  

  6. Stupid rules don’t exist. 

2. Focus on the Rule of Three

To-do lists are as never-ending as the stream of information. If you feel the heat of burnout on your back, narrow your focus. At the beginning of the day, aside from your to-do list, write down three things that you want to accomplish before the moon takes its spot overhead. When you set small challenges that are within reason, you will feel purpose heading into the following day instead of discouragement. 

Aristotle wrote about the rule of three in his book Rhetoric. To simply the concept, the philosopher said that people tend to more easily remember things grouped by threes and that threes are funnier, more satisfying, and more effective. It's a writing rule that you can apply to work. 

3. Switch Up the Order of Your Day-to-Day

We get into the habit of answering emails in the morning, brainstorming in the afternoon, and taking meetings in between. The monotony of doing the same thing can wear on the mind. If you think of your brain like your body, you know that you have to switch up exercise routines to see a difference and avoid adaptation. Your brain is the same, and if you want to get out of a creative rut, or move away from the burnout cliff, make simple switches that workout different parts of your brain at different parts of the day. 

Brainstorm creative ideas in the morning. Creative thinking is facilitated by the interaction between the left and right interior frontal gyri. 

Answer emails around 11 and give your temporal lobe a workout. The temporal lobe is the part of the brain that controls reading and visual recognition. 

4. Take a Break From Tech

I think about Don Draper a lot. And not because I have a thing for Jon Hamm or want to drink at work. Rather, I think about the days he spent sitting in his office, brainstorming ideas, his imagination unrestricted and unfettered by tech. 

When I find myself stumped, I'll scroll Instagram. Mistake. This usually makes the problem I'm stumbling over worse, I get more frustrated and less able to concentrate. If you feel like you've landed in the same brain-melting position, it's time to do what I call "the Draper." 

It's kind of like work meditation. Turn off tech. Hone in on that beautiful brain of yours and don't get distracted by the pinging and the dinging. 

This story was originally published on April 19, 2019, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Advice, Work, Life Arianna Schioldager Advice, Work, Life Arianna Schioldager

6 "Shoulds" to Abandon Right Now

Don’t let them hold you back.

Photo: Anna Shvets for Pexels

The shoulds. Whether you realize it or not, they’re holding you down and requiring you to keep up in a way that steers off your own track

In fact, Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous counsel, “When you adopt the standards and the values of someone else… you surrender your own integrity,” is a fancy way of saying, drop the shoulds. Those rules by which everyone else is living. They are crazy-making. 

There is no straight shot, one path, one-size-fits-all on the career climb. If you’re trying to keep up with a “perfect” ghost, it’s time to let that go and get in the right mindset for business success. So here are six shoulds we *suggest* you drop now. 

Should have known better

Every entrepreneur will tell you about the mistakes they've made and how they were an integral part of the learning and growing process. The mistakes are there to help you learn.

No matter how many mistakes you make, you are ahead of everyone who isn't trying. 

Maybe you hired a friend, sent a slightly too aggressive email, stood your ground when it was time to bite your tongue. You live, you learn, and you adjust. You can't know better without knowing first. 

Should be further in my career

This is a mindset that affects everyone in every decade of their life. We want a better title. A bigger office. A higher-paying salary. And late at night when we're staring at the ceiling thinking about the how, the why, the when of it all, it's because we're bogged down (and kept up) by the idea that we should have had X experience and X success at this point.   

But what are we really comparing our lot against? If it's personal goals where you've missed the mark, think of ways to proactively achieve them. IF however, you are comparing your career to a friend’s, stop and get some shut-eye instead. 

Truly achieving your goals, means your success will not look like anyone else's—that includes time frames. So you didn't write your masterpiece or make Forbes' 30 Under 30 list? 35 is as great a year as 25 to give it your all. 

Should have thought of that first 

Well, you didn't. Or maybe you did, and you didn't act on it. Them's the breaks. So whaddya say we blow off this kind of thinking? The best move you can make is another one (and another one) and stop dwelling on what you didn't do. 

Instead of allowing someone else's successful idea to get you down, use it as aspirational inspiration. Sit down and find your own passion. (That's another thing we've learned. You need to be obsessed with your own idea in order to make your company work.

Should have stuck your neck (or hand) out more 

There are opportunities that cross our paths multiple times a day. Sometimes we take advantage, and other times we shy away from the conversation or confrontation. 

Conference calls when we're silent. Board meetings when we let a colleague take credit for our idea. There are professional moments when it's smarter to take the quiet road (sometimes known as the high road). However, if there is a situation that's haunting you, use it as fire for the next round of opps. You can't change the past, but the future is all yours. 

Should have been a mom by now

Millennials are waiting longer to have kids than ever before. And that's a good thing. You don't need to follow anyone's womb agenda. Period. 

Should have been a cowboy 

Toby Keith has some life regrets. He should have been a cowboy. He should have learned to rope and ride, but the truth is you can still make hay while the sun is shining.  

The point is, it's never too late to be a cowboy or a cowgirl. All you need are the cojones to saddle up and ride right into your future.

This post was published on April 17, 2019, and has since been updated.

MORE FROM THE BLOG

Read More
Advice, Career, Side-Hustle, Work, Life chloe green Advice, Career, Side-Hustle, Work, Life chloe green

What It Actually Means to “Find Your Passion”—and How to Start Acting On It Right Now

Because we spend over 90,000 hours at work over our lifetime.

Oftentimes, we enter our first—or second, or third—jobs and are shocked to find that it doesn’t align with our values, skills, or passions. It’s almost as if we were sold “The Dream,” but ended up drowning in emails instead.

Of course, there are aspects of work that will never be enjoyable—like taxes or back-and-forth scheduling—but given that we spend over 90,000 hours at work across our lifetime, the majority of it should be fun. Interesting. Passion-driven.

Sadly, this isn’t the case for most of us. Over 80% of Americans today say that they are not passionate about their job. So, if you feel like you’re the only one who is confused or frustrated by the lack of passion for your career, you’re not alone.

But, it is possible to do something you love without sacrificing your values, skills, or sanity. Trust me, as a career confidence and conscious decision-making coach, I’ve helped dozens of humans align their passion and purpose into a long-lasting career.

Here are five things you can do right now to get started on that journey.

Look back to your childhood days

Our passion isn’t something that we need to “discover.” Oftentimes, the things we loved doing as a kid are directly aligned with activities that still bring us joy. We’ve just been forced into a certain career or lifestyle because of society’s rules about what we’re “supposed” to do as adults.

So, spend time looking back on your childhood hobbies. Ask yourself: What did I do just for fun? What activities was I really good at—even if I can’t picture it as a career right now?

Reflect on what you can’t stop doing *right now*

Take a step back from your current day-to-day and think about the moments that bring you joy. That you do without anyone forcing you to complete them. That de-stress you or simply make you feel really good.

They can range from giving advice to a friend, or doing watercolor painting. Again, don’t worry about how you can create a business from them just yet.

Give yourself one minute to write down as many ideas as you can be based on your gut feeling. Then, fill in any gaps that you may have missed.

Spend time connecting the dots

Now, it’s time to bring that strategic thinking into play. Spend some time alone, reviewing your two pieces of “homework” from earlier. Become a trend spotter: What similarities are there between your childhood self, and the version of you who is free and uninhibited?

Oftentimes, our truest self comes out when we’re in a childlike state, or have no other purpose than simply having fun. Although “finding” your passion may have seemed overwhelming before, it’s clear that your passion resides somewhere deep inside of you, you just need to listen a little more.

Spend time asking yourself: How can I inject more of this into my career and daily life? If you love connecting deeply with others, assess if your current role allows you to do that often. If you love painting but can never imagine yourself becoming an “artist,” are there ways that you can support others in that space?

Get an accountability partner

Changing your life is downright difficult! It’s okay—and important—to admit that making these changes is hard to do on your own.

Take some time to figure out your best course of action. Is it finding a friend in a similar position and having weekly calls to hold each other accountable? Is it joining a mastermind group? Is it investing in yourself and hiring a coach?

Be honest with yourself and assess what is most realistic for you right now. Most importantly, don’t feel ashamed that this is something you need extra help with.

Take your first step, no matter how small

One of the most difficult parts about discovering our passion isn’t the journey of finding it, it’s doing something about it. This is often where our fear and limiting beliefs come into play. We believe that we don’t have the right skills or enough experience. Imposter syndrome hits us real hard.

Take this as your sign that no matter where you are right now—you are enough to get started. Create a plan to take that first step, no matter how small, towards living in your purpose. Whether it’s writing your first blog post or creating a shop on Etsy, trust yourself.

You’ve got this!

This post was originally published on June 8, 2019, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Advice, Work, Covid-19 Megan Beauchamp Advice, Work, Covid-19 Megan Beauchamp

12 Busy Women Reveal the WFH Hacks That Help Them Tackle Everything on Their To-Do List

You’re going to want to write these down.

Photo: Anna Shvets for Pexels

As we enter yet another week of coronavirus-induced telecommuting, it’s certainly no secret that working from home takes a surprising amount of self-discipline. After all, crossing things off your to-do list is made all the more difficult when breaking news alerts, piles of laundry, and reruns of “The Office” are competing for your attention.

In search of proven ways to boost productivity while working from home, we turned to some of the busiest women we know to find out what tips, tricks, and tools help them eliminate distractions and tackle everything on their to-do list. Scroll on for tried-and-true WFH hacks from the founder of Parachute, the digital content director of Domino, the CEO of Ritual, and more. Trust us, you’re going to want to write these down.

Sarah Paiji Yoo

Co-Founder & CEO, Blueland

The WFH Hack: “I have scheduled, regular breaks that I put on my calendar. For me, it's so I can spend time with my three-year-old son, who I am also currently watching full time as I also work from home full time.”

Why It Works: “For the first week of WFH, I didn't schedule these, and found myself either over-scheduling and feeling guilty that he'd have to go through long stretches without attention. Or I would spend too much time switching back and forth from work and spending time with my son. But I think scheduling breaks (for tidying, Instagram, reading about the latest on COVID-19) would be helpful for people who are not watching a child because it sets aside designated time to allow for distractions and allows for more productive stretches of work time.”

Catharine Dockery

Founding Partner, Vice Ventures

The WFH Hack: "I do a fair bit of work from home even in non-crisis times, so I'm well prepared! My intention is always to set an especially clear schedule when I work from home—if I get distracted at home, I've probably lost a few hours. As much as possible, I really like to vary my workspace and try to keep different areas of the apartment for different tasks. I'm usually at a desk or table to look at financial models/projections, walking around if I'm on the phone, or on the couch if I'm writing.”

Why It Works: "It works for me because I need extra reminders to break the conditioning in my mind that being home means work is over. Moving around helps keep my mind fresh and avoid distractions that might otherwise creep in. This tip really works well for me because my work has an incredible amount of variety without many breaks in between."

Katerina Schneider

Founder & CEO, Ritual

The WFH Hack: "While working from home can be more productive for some, it can also result in more work and less balance as personal and professional time blend together. I've added eating breaks into my calendar to make sure I am scheduling and adding consistency to meals."

Why It Works: "Trying to reduce ordering in, I prep my meals the night before and make sure they are well-balanced with micro and macronutrients. In addition, I'm using Apple's Health tracker to make sure I'm getting at least 10,000 steps a day. Calls that are not on video, tend to include me walking around the block. I also keep a set of three-pound weights on my desk to balance cardio with arm exercises during the occasional video conferencing.”

Jo Davenport

Owner & Designer, La Porte

The WFH Hack: "Listen to yourself, get to know what you need to feel good.

When I'm not in our New York office, I'm working from home in Chicago. As someone who works from home a lot, I learned over time that I thrive with structure of set daily meetings, physical activity, and dedicated quiet time.

If you're used to being in a larger office, use this as a time to take inventory of what you need in order to feel successful in your day. Everyone has different needs, and that's okay. Mornings that used to start with a workout class and coffee dates might mean more leisurely walks outside or virtually meeting up with friends, you can get creative.

Take advantage of the opportunity to listen to yourself and know you can create a framework that works best for you.” 

Why It Works: “During times like this, when we are forced to make changes big or small, it can push us outside our comfort zone. Knowledge is power, and by using these moments to notice and take stock, you set yourself up to create a new normal that you can feel great about.”

Brittany Kozerski Freeney

Owner & Designer, JADE Swim

The WFH Hack: “I'm obsessed with Trello (the website and the app). Imagine a virtual to-do list/bulletin board for you and your team with moveable and editable "post-it" like task boxes.”

Why It Works: “I'm a very visual person, so I love using Trello to make and update to-do lists. I create a business task list (but also a personal task list and a home task list as well). What's great is that you can give others access so they can add tasks, make updates (showing what status tasks are in) and then also leave comments for you to review. It saves a lot of time because I don't have to check in with every team member to see what they're working on or if it’s been completed. All I do is open the app and I can see the status of everything in detail that’s well organized and even color-coordinated.”

Ariel Kaye

Founder & CEO, Parachute

The WFH Hack: “I’ve been trying out time blocking to keep my days more organized and manageable. Much of my day is full of calls and virtual meetings, so when I have a break I take a look at my to-do list, and quickly get down to business. I set a timer, remove distractions and focus on the task at hand to make progress as efficiently as possible. 

I also am scheduling breaks. Whether that is a quick walk around the neighborhood or some light stretching. Fresh air and movement are two things that always make me feel energized.”  

Why It Works: “Time blocking is a great way to get focused and eliminate distractions. It’s easy to lose tracking of time responding to messages on Slack, checking in on social media or taking a break to watch the news. As a mom, now all of a sudden sharing my workspace with a 14 month old, it is especially important to be as efficient and productive with my time so I can concentrate, get things done and be able to give my little cutie some deserved attention.

Scheduling breaks helps me work better. On the days I don’t prioritize breaks, I get lethargic and it’s harder for me to work smart. Physical activity helps to boost endorphins and takes your mind off your stresses. I highly recommend getting some vitamin D and stepping outside to walk and/or do a sun salutation in between tasks.”  

Sophie Miura

Digital Content Director, Domino

The WFH Hack: “Time disappears when I'm working from home (it can feel like all the days blur into one), so I rely on a tight nighttime to-do list more than ever. Every evening before bed, I write down three projects I want to finish the next day. They're tasks that really move the needle—responding to emails or doing usual weekly jobs don't make the edit. In the morning, I book out time on my calendar to action each point so I don't get side tracked by meetings or calls. It really helps me manage my own time and make sure that the important stuff actually gets done!” 

Why It Works: “Slack and email are great for staying in touch with a remote team but they can also be really distracting. Blocking out my own calendar and limiting my to-do list to just three important tasks helps minimize out any 'manufactured emergencies' so I can see what really matters.”

Mallory Solomon

Founder, Salam Hello

The WFH Hack: “I try to stick to what my ‘normal’ morning routine would be. Wake up, drink coffee while reading The New York Times, set aside 45 minutes for an online workout (thank you IG live virtual workouts), shower, and get to work. All that said, with such uncertainty in the world, being patient with yourself is the number one key. If some days you wake up and all you can do is brush your teeth, make a coffee and work that is OKAY. You just have to know some days will be better than others.”

Why It Works: “Knowing you're going to be home all day, it's easy to feel the urge to sleep in, stay in bed, and get a slow start. I find when you do your best to keep a routine in the morning similar to one when we didn't live under such restrictions it puts you in a better, more centered mindset to try and conquer the day ahead.”

Tanya Zuckerbrot

Founder, F-Factor

The WFH Hack: “Set yourself up for success! Create a designated workspace for yourself at home. Set up a seat at your dining room or kitchen table and create a desk environment as you would if you just got a new desk at work. Plug in your chargers and put out a cup with pens and highlighters, a notepad, and anything else you need to do your job. You will be much more productive with everything set up rather than working from the couch or your bed with the TV on in the background.

I'd also say to set a work schedule for yourself. The same way you have office hours at the office, create them for your workday at home. You can be a bit more generous with your lunch break or ending the day earlier. Decide to work from 9 to 12 and then 2 to 5. Use the break to catch up on the news, eat a nourishing lunch, stretch, go for a walk, or call a friend or family member. The break will allow you to recharge and return to your afternoon work with more energy.”

Why It Works: “Creating a workspace increases productivity. When you sit down at your ‘desk’ it signals, this is my time to work: it’s business time. Away from all other distractions and with everything you need set up around you, you will be able to focus and get your work done.

Designating hours that are for work will help keep you on task. It gives you two blocks of time to be productive and ample time in between for you to clear your head and recharge for the afternoon. This will help prevent you from getting burnt out. Creating a schedule for your day will also help keep you organized and provide structure to your day. This will also help prevent you from getting bored.”

Michelle Cordeiro Grant

Founder & CEO, LIVELY

The WFH Hack: “Maintaining my schedule of waking up at 6:30 in the morning has been key. One hack that also really helps with productivity and creativity is taking a walk while taking calls. And lastly, given we are all social distancing, over-communicating via Zoom and Skype has been a game changer for my team.”

Why It Works: '“Trying my best to maintain the schedule I normally operate on has helped me create a structure in my day-to-day. I still get up and workout at the same time, the only difference is I now dedicate my commute time to playing with my kids, which has been an amazing way to start my day.

I truly believe that walking while I'm taking calls is the best way for me to be extremely present and the movement helps create energy in my mind and boost my overall creativity.

When it comes to communicating with my team, I encourage video over audio because it gives us some sort of human connection and it's really nice to see the team smile and see emotion. One thing I'm really encouraging on these video calls is checking in on what our priorities are to ensure we are all on the same page.”

Shea Marie

CEO & Creative Director, Same Los Angeles

The WFH Hack: “I work from home half of the time, so at this point, I have gotten really used to it. It’s not for everyone because it requires serious self-discipline. It’s much easier to be distracted, lazy, and procrastinate when working from home.  Call me old-school, but something I always do is handwrite to-do lists and cross them off as I go through them.”

Why It Works: “There’s something with hand-eye coordination and memory that’s definitely connected. Writing something down rather than typing it not only helps me remember it better, but also seeing everything on a physical list in front of me every day and crossing it off gives me a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. At the end of the week when I look at the list and see everything crossed off, it’s like, ‘Yes! Look what I’ve accomplished!’

Seema Bansal

Co-Founder, Venus ET Fleur

The Tip: “Working from home can often be hard to adjust to. In order to create a more calming and creative environment, I suggest finding a designated space to “work” in outside your normal seating areas. Rather than sitting on your bed or on the couch, which can lessen productivity, create a space that keeps you inspired. I keep my to-do list nearby, books that I can look back through for inspiration, candles, flowers, as well as daily affirmations and reminders to stay positive.”

Why It Works: “It creates the perfect environment for you to stay focused. Creating rules is important when working from home as you can easily get off task and distracted doing other things. Creating a designated work space has helped me tremendously stay on track and feel good about what I’ve accomplished throughout the day.”

Up next: I Have Been Working From Home for Years—This Is How to Do It Successfully

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Advice, Career, Work, Small Business Arianna Schioldager Advice, Career, Work, Small Business Arianna Schioldager

5 Steps to Handling Professional Failures Like a Pro

Onward and upward.

It's our LEAST favorite “f” word: failure.

And yet, it happens to the best, most seasoned, and buttoned-up of us. When a deal goes wrong, we don't get the money we expected, when someone says “no,” or worse, when we get laid off or fired—it's all part of climbing the professional ladder. 

Such failures are rough. We doubt ourselves, our abilities, and what we are doing with our lives. So how do we take these bumps in the road in stride? Here are five ways to make sure that we can move forward in the face of career failure.

And remember, you have to fail to be great. 

1. Take a minute, or two. (A week if need be. As long as you get back up.) 

When something goes wrong in our personal lives we tend to give ourselves more wiggle room, fewer guilt trips. We aren't as hard on ourselves when we fight with a friend or end a relationship, but with work, when the only person we have to blame is ourselves, we tend to take it a little harder. So give it a minute (or a day, or a week). A time frame where you're allowed to feel "bad" about the loss, whatever it might be, and then move on to step number two. 

2. Look at the failure with a fresh set of eyes. 

Sometimes this means asking for someone else to assess what went wrong. Sometimes the time we take away from the issue at hand allows us to address the situation in a manner that's productive. Even though we're talking about failure, rejection doesn't actually mean that you've failed. It means that you need to find a new in-road. Or a new job.

There are very few successful business people where "failure" is not a part of their story. J.K. Rowling was penniless when writing Harry Potter. At thirty years old Steve Jobs was removed from the company he started—Apple. Oprah was fired after she was deemed not "suitable for television." They flopped and then they got back up. 

There's opportunity in defeat, but you need to be able to look at it with clarity. 

3. Talk to those who have failed before. 

OK, maybe you can't call up Oprah, but you most certainly know people who have lost money, who have been unceremoniously fired, and who have suffered professional embarrassments that probably trump what you're going through.

Here's what they'll tell you: you have survived every single one of your worst days so far and every time you've emerged stronger, more capable, and better prepared for the next ring around the non-rosy situation.

Lean on those who've gone through it, and then lean in (à la Sheryl Sandberg) to your next career move. 

4. Watch this TED Talk about being wrong. 

Kathryn Schulz is a writer and public speaker who claims to be "the world's leading wrongologist." She is also the author of Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error. Wrongness, according to Schulz, is the stuff of life.

In the talk, in regards to our mistakes, she reminds us: "The good news: Owning up to them and coping with them forces us to come up with new ideas and strategies that just might work… or not."

Which leads us to the final point...

5. Accept responsibility for where you went wrong, and then let it go. 

If you are unable to see what happened or take responsibility, return to step number one. Blaming your boss or your co-workers is not a step in the right direction. Let your failure refocus your directives. You will never move on without acceptance. 

Onward and upward we say!

This post was originally published on January 2, 2016, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Advice, Career, Work, Wellness, Life Arianna Schioldager Advice, Career, Work, Wellness, Life Arianna Schioldager

Don't Burn Out, Babe: 8 Signs You're Seriously Overdoing It

Don’t let burnout get the best of you.

Today, the modern woman juggles a busy household, a demanding job, an endless to-do list, and, if time permits, a social life (gasp!). We as women… let me rephrase…we as superwomen, often get so busy that we miss signs that our body sends us to tell us it might be time to slow down. 

Below are eight signs that you may be overdoing it. If you continue going at the pace you’re going, there may be serious complications down the road. It’s best to detect these signs as early as possible so you can prioritize and evaluate what needs to be done now, and what can wait until later. Without your health, the endless to-do lists and deadlines may not only be completed inadequately, they may never get done.

It’s vital for us superwomen to take care of ourselves so that we can be the superheroes that we are. Don’t miss the signs of burnout so you can keep your flame alive!

1. “I’m feeling on edge and keyed up.”

We all get stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious as a result of daily demands.

Although these feelings are often a normal reaction, it is important to keep a very close eye on these emotions as they can shift from normal to disordered. Anxiety is often hard to put into words, but those who experience anxiety describe it as feeling “on edge” or “keyed up.”

In addition to endless worries, those with an anxiety disorder may experience muscle tension, disrupted sleep, recurrent headaches and symptoms of panic (short of breath, chest tightness, sweaty and tingling in fingers and toes). It’s important to identify if there is a change in the way you are reacting to stress and to seek help before it impairs your ability to function. 

2. “I’d prefer to be alone tonight”

When we get busy at work, our social lives can sometimes take a hit. That’s ok temporarily, but it’s important to distinguish if it’s because you just can’t fit in a cocktail with the girls this week, or that you’d genuinely rather be alone. Isolation and withdrawing from previous pleasurable activities and relationships can be a symptom of depression.

3. “Sorry, what did you say, again?”

Have you ever been so overwhelmed that when you’re sitting in a meeting you can’t seem to focus on what is being discussed? Is that because your mind is taking you back to the amazing concert you attended over the past weekend, or is it because regardless of how hard you try, you just can’t seem to concentrate? If it’s the later (and a change from your baseline) then it’s time to reflect on your current level of stress and your current mood; a change in concentration can be affected with both anxiety and depression. 

4. “I can’t come into work today….”

An increase in absenteeism from work can be a sign that you’re feeling overwhelmed. People call in sick for both the physical, cognitive, and emotional manifestation of anxiety or depression. Work avoidance can also be a sign of depression. 

As important as it is to make the time to care for your mental health, and increase in frequency of work absenteeism is a sign that you may not coping as well.  It may be time to ask for help and reprioritize.   

5. “….I can’t remember”

When our responsibilities become overwhelming it is normal to have difficulty remembering what your boss wanted done, or what you were asked to bring to your friend’s dinner party. If you start noticing that you’re having more difficulty remembering previously formed memories, you may be experiencing a symptom of depression.

6. “If only I had more sleep”

Whether or not you’re up late perfecting every last detail from the previous day of work, or you’re tossing and turning in bed worrying about everything you need to get done during the following day, it’s vital to get on average 6-8 hours of sleep per night (each individual is different when it comes to the amount of sleep you need, but you will know best).

Consider tracking your sleep on your smart phone or go old school by recording it with pen and paper. When we are overworked, overwhelmed or stressed, our sleep is often one of the first clues that it’s time to slow down. It’s also important to track if you start waking up early (really early, like 4-5 am….and without an alarm clock) as early morning wakening can be a symptom of depression.

7. “No, thank you, I’m not hungry”

When we are stressed, overwhelmed, or just plain busy, we may not just forget to eat, but we can start to lose our appetite. In order for us to be healthy and efficient we need to eat nourishing food throughout the day.

Pack snacks and meals the night before (or the week before) to ensure you get the vitamins and fuel your body needs. If you start noticing a change in your appetite (your desire to eat), it may be a clue that you’re overworked and that your mood could be affected. 

8. “I can’t stop crying”

When we get overwhelmed, our body can react to such stress by taking it out on our mood. Some people may not describe their mood as sad per se, but instead they may find themselves tearful without a strong stimulus. It can be normal to be tearful following a stressful day at work, after a disagreement with a co-worker, or upon discovering you didn’t get the promotion you sought all year. If you find yourself more tearful than normal and you’re experiencing some of the signs above, it’s important you let someone know and seek professional help.  

This post was published on February 25, 2019, and has since been updated.

 

 

About the Author: Blare June is a lifestyle blogger from Halifax, Nova Scotia. What makes Blare June's blog unique is that in addition to fashion she writes about mental illness, empowerment, and overall wellness. When Blare June isn't blogging, she is working as a physician specializing in psychiatry in Halifax. You can find Blare June online at www.blarejune.com or on Instagram: @blarejune

MORE ON OUR BLOG

Read More
Career, Business, Downloads, Work Guest User Career, Business, Downloads, Work Guest User

Drumroll Please... Introducing the Create & Cultivate Marketplace—a Business Toolkit for Women Just Like You

We’ve been working on something special.

That business? Launch it. That blog? Start it. That side-hustle? Build it. That idea? Execute it.

We get it. Starting something is scary. But we want you to turn down the “I’m not-enough” noise, unlock your potential, ditch the fear, and do it anyway, which is why we’re proud to announce the launch of Create & Cultivate Marketplace.

Whether you’re starting a side-hustle, launching a business, figuring out the freelancer life, or cultivating the career of your dreams, our brand-new business and career bundles have the tools, resources, worksheets, and checklists to help you do it all.

We’ll teach you everything you need to know from start to finish so you can build the brand or a career you’re really proud of. We’re big believers in the phrase “progress over perfection” because in our opinion, done is always better than perfect. 

So, what are you waiting for? Don't sit on the sidelines watching others chase and catch their dreams. Isn’t it time you invested in yourself? Let’s grow! Scroll on to explore our current Marketplace offerings and stay tuned for more.

The Self-Care Bundle

Are you hitting your burnout zone? Being an entrepreneur, creator, heck a lady right now is exhausting. But, don't worry because we tapped experts far and wide to have a conversation about self-care in an age of non-stop work. From a self-care check list and strategies to panel conversations, your new wellness ritual is here. So, sit back, light a candle, and dive into all things taking care of you!

$29.99

The Venture Capital Bundle

Angel? Venture? Seed? The Venture Capital landscape can be confusing but we are here to help. From a breakdown on how to read (and craft) a cap table to how to raise initial funds, panels with top VCs, and more—we've got your VC questions covered.

$24.99

The Bootstrapping & Budgeting Bundle

If you're building a small business from the ground-up, we know you're doing everything while you grow. But even if you have an accountant, every founder should know their numbers, and be across every spreadsheet. In this bundle, we show you how to bootstrap your biz with a monthly budget checklist, and more to make sure you're building a financially stable one.

$24.99

The Marketing Bundle

So you're almost ready to launch your business, but before you hit "go" it's time to get clear on your marketing strategy. Don't stress, we show you how to create a killer marketing campaign for launch along, a media kit checklist, and more. Sit back, relax, and get ready to grow.

$24.99

The PR Bundle

Congratulations you have launched your brand or business.... now what? We break down how to get your business out in the world from media-worthy pitches to creating brand collaborations that grow your audience. The time is now!

$14.99

The Branding Bundle

Dreaming of going out on your own one day and launching your own business? Before you take the leap and leave your job, start to map it out first. In this bundle, we show you how to expand on your idea including brainstorming the right brand name, writing a business plan, and crafting the perfect mission statement.

$24.99

The Launch Your Business Bundle

Ready to launch? Before you hit go we have some key information you might want to consider. Have you thought about trademarking? Copyrights? S-corp vs. LLC? Don't freak out! Our starting-your-business bundle has you covered from A to Z.

$24.99

The HR Bundle

Running a small business means you're wearing a lot of hats and if your company is under 50 employees, one of them is HR. That means you have to be across everything from hiring to firing. With our HR bundle you'll be able to onboard your employees, provide performance assessment, prevent workplace bullying, and yes, let a team member go when the time comes so you can build a culture of confidence and success.

$29.99

The Grow Your Instagram Bundle

Get your grid right, girl! We at C&C know the power of a strong Instagram profile. In this bundle, we break down the bio do's and don'ts, presets you need, and our strategy for Instagram success in a pay-to-play world!

$29.99

The Growth Hacking Bundle

Ready to grow your business from a seedling into a forest? Introducing growth hacking. We've outlined some creative, low-cost strategies from SEO to digital media optimization to help small businesses acquire and retain customers, expand your audience and see it thrive.

$17.99

The Job Hunting Bundle

It's time to create and cultivate the career of your dreams, but first up, job hunting. Okay, we know how grueling it can be but it doesn't have to be. We've got everything you need to land your ultimate role from resume templates, interview questions, and the all important post-interview follow-up email—the dream is yours for the taking!

$14.99

The Career-Boost Bundle

If your ambition is getting impatient then you're in luck. We have everything you need to step it up at work from mastering the lingo to ace your next meeting to setting goals (and achieving them)—let's take your career to the next level.

$14.99

Want all of these and more?

Get unlimited access to our entire library of downloads and videos when you join Insiders.

Read More
Advice, Career, Side-Hustle, Work Aly Ferguson Advice, Career, Side-Hustle, Work Aly Ferguson

3 Unexpected Ways Self-Expression Can Help You Achieve Your Career Dreams

It’s all about communication.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

As we move further into the 21st century, communication is becoming more diluted, reliant on technology, and devoid of actual human interaction. Whether in personal relationships or in the job atmosphere, nowadays we often communicate using the evolved version of AOL Messenger: relying heavily on emojis, text messages, and assumptions.  But all of these are inefficient ways of conveying a clear message.

Though communicating through emojis may be acceptable with your BFFs, in the workplace, it’s a bit different. Your career persona is the direct result of the words you use. Maybe you’re seeking a raise that will truly make you feel valued at the job you love, or you’re ready to take your big idea to the next level and want to secure an investment from a venture capital firm. Whatever your current career goal, the result you desire is on the other side of powerful, efficient, and effective communication.

Implement the following tips into your conversational conversation at work to make your career dreams a reality.

Speak with authenticity.

Speaking authentically is the most powerful way to communicate, because there’s no conflict with our intrinsic being. In your most authentic state, you will be able to clearly communicate why you deserve a raise, why your idea will fulfill your purpose as a human being, and get others to see the potential of your dream.

Ask yourself the following questions to reveal the authentic answers that will support you in moving powerfully in your conversation:

“What do I want to accomplish through this conversation?”

“What is my purpose?”

“Is this idea in alignment with my beliefs and the organization's goals?”

Be vulnerable with your ideas.

By choosing vulnerability, the message you communicate is not colored by the thoughts and opinions of others. You’re able to confidently expose your ideas and beliefs, which in turn gives others on your team the permission to contribute and expand upon them.

Through your vulnerability, other people feel empowered to act on what fulfills them and is consistent with who they truly are. This creates a connection that will lead to tangible results that grow the organization and accomplishes the greater goal.

Ask yourself the following questions to remain vulnerable in your communication:

“What am I firm believer in?”

“Why does this matter to me?”

“How can the contribution of others help me win?”

Get curious.

By choosing curiosity, you allow listening to be a major part of your communication. Through listening, you allow others to share their valuable ideas, thought processes, and opinions while giving yourself the opportunity to learn something new. Curiosity is the place where a feeling of empathy becomes alive, results become possible, ideas become tangible, and success becomes inevitable.

Ask yourself the following questions in order to expand your knowledge and develop your ideas:

“How can my idea become better?”

“What don’t I know that others may know?”

“If this idea is to become successful, what is the possible overarching impact on me, my team, and the world?”

What’s possible when communication is clear, concise, and curious?

Everything that you have in life is the result of your communication. The things you dream of, the ideas you cultivate, and the tangible results you create become real through the profound ability to express yourself, make clear requests and convey a concise, yet powerful message. When used effectively, you can enroll others in your ideas and create the relationships that will take your businesses to the next level.

“Communication - the human connection - is the key to personal and career success.” - Paul J. Meyer

About the Author: Sarah Harrigan is a Confidence & Relationship Expert and the founder of Design My Vibe, an international life coaching & events service that helps individuals accomplish their personal & business goals through mindset transformation. Through one-on-one & group events, she helps aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs get off the beliefs that are preventing them from reaching higher heights. She frequently writes about confidence, relationships and effective communication for today’s leaders.

This post was published on March 24, 2019, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More

Ask an Expert: How Influencers Can Keep Their Business Thriving While Social Distancing

The key? Serve a bigger purpose.

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Courtesy of Idalia Salsamendi

If the coronavirus crisis has taught us anything, it’s that no business is immune from COVID-19’s far-reaching economic impact—even one that’s predicated on social media. To find out how influencers can keep their businesses thriving while social distancing, we tapped business strategist and social media consultant Idalia Salsamendi whose client list includes Chriselle Lim, Brittany Xavier, and Jacey Duprie, to name a few.

If you joined us for her Ask an Expert Instagram Live conversation this week, you know that the influencer world is spinning with one critical question in these difficult times: What happens now? Scroll on for the business strategist and social media consultant’s top three tips for how to manage not only your career and business but also your stress, and find out how to tune into our next Ask an Expert segment on Instagram Live.

1. Time to Influence 

In today’s society, the word “influencer” is tossed around so frequently that perhaps we’ve lost focus on what the word actually entails. Our minds are instantly transported to those men and women posing in their latest outfit by a hot pink wall, and/or promoting their favorite skincare brand saying how “obsessed” they are with it. That’s all fine and dandy. I mean hello, I’m the one booking those deals. 

However, since the dawn of the arrival of social media (yup, I’ve been managing influencers, talent, and models for over a decade now), I’ve always instilled in my clients one main thing: serve a bigger purpose. Now more than ever we are truly seeing the rise of the innate meaning of “influencer.” We are seeing men and women around the world donating their resources, voice, and money to the pandemic at hand and guess what, it’s making a difference. I’m noticing a beautiful shift in the paradigm to use this “influence” to do more than to sell an object, but rather to serve a cause. Here’s a beautiful thing though, you could actually do both. Hence point #2...

2. Pitch Smart 

A common question I get asked is, “Idalia, should I even be pitching to brands right now?” My answer as of today, March 26, 2020, is: YES. Please pitch. Please support your small business (remember you are one!). Here’s the clincher though: You have to pitch smart and not be tone-deaf to the global pandemic. Like I mentioned in the first point, you have to use your influence for good, and so do brands. Now is the time to think about how you could make a difference and ask your favorite brands to join you on that journey. 

If you’re self-quarantined, think about brands that speak to that situation... is it your favorite snacks, wine, sweatshirt, book, etc.? Then reach out and tell them you’d like to unite forces and raise awareness around a charity, organization, hospital, etc. Donate a part of your rate to a charity. You can even ask them to chip in, too! You both could raise funds to support your local food drive or raise awareness to a cause... possibilities are also endless here. Encourage the brand, and show them your passion and education about the subject. 

One extremely crucial point to take into consideration when doing this: it has to be genuine. Please do not link yourself to a brand or charitable cause if you feel nothing for it and are doing it to look good. It will bleed into your work, and people can sniff a fraud from a mile away. So really sit yourself down and consider what you care about.

Pssst... If you need a helpful nudge, here are a couple which I’m personally donating and raising awareness for:

And if you’re scratching your head wondering how you can properly even pitch, definitely check out the Powerful Pitch Kit for Influencers, and enjoy 50% off with promo code: CULTIVATELOVE.

3. Say Buh-Bye to Your Comfort Zone 

The chances of you reading this while self-isolating are pretty high, so I’m going to be your cheerleader right now and encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. I get it, we are all locked up and it’s human that at moments we feel disillusioned, hopeless, stuck, confused, angry, sad... the list really could go on and on. Here’s the thing though, you have to push through. Keywords: HAVE TO.

Influencers that have been able to take the quarantine and show different sides of themselves are the ones that are not only the happiest (mental health check) but are also the ones that are getting reached out to by brands (pay-check). Simply taking a pretty photo is no longer the status quo, but rather something that may turn off your followers if you do it too frequently. So I’ll ask you what I ask everyone I work with: what sets you apart as a human being (forget business)? Do you play the piano? Do you paint? Do you do funny impersonations? Do you dance? Do you love to work out? The answers are endless, and what’s imperative to understand here is that there is no right or wrong answer. The end-game is the same: show it to your followers. 

Since the rise of TikTok, I’ve seen influencers that are much more polished and serious on Instagram, let loose and have some fun on the ‘Tok. I’ve seen them without makeup in their sweatpants trying to a crazy dance move. And people are going nuts over it, even when syndicated on Instagram! Moral of the story: people want to see all your wonderful, quirky, funny, inspiring dimensions and now is the time to show them.

I genuinely hope these three tips inspired and empowered you in one way, shape, and form. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for stopping by and reading this. If you’re curious about more of what I’m up to, feel free to check out my website and my podcast.

About the Expert: Idalia Salsamendi is an industry-leading business strategist and social media consultant. With over 16 years of experience in PR and top-tier talent management, Idalia opened her company in 2016 with strategy for both brands and influencers at its core. Known for being selective towards the types of projects and clients she engages, the mantra for her company is to inspire, inform, and empower. Her roster includes Chriselle Lim, Brittany Xavier, and Jacey Duprie, to name a few.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Read More
Advice, Work, Life Arianna Schioldager Advice, Work, Life Arianna Schioldager

There's a Better Way to Say "No" to People

It’s important to create boundaries out of respect for yourself, your time, and your energy—we truly can’t do it all.

Photo credit: Smith House Photography

You have three outstanding assignments sitting on your desk, your phone is lighting up with texts from your friend reminding you that you’re scheduled to have a check-in call, and then your boss Slacks you to ask if you can work late to help out on seven other tasks that need finishing.

Before you can stop yourself, “Uh, sure! I mean, of course,” tumbles out of your mouth. You know full well that you're unable to handle another thing, but there’s just something about saying “no” that’s almost impossible to do. Here’s how to say “no” in a way that’s beneficial to you and your boss.

Have “No” Fear?

If the above situation sounds familiar, it's not surprising—many of us are afraid to say no. Psychology Today offers two main reasons why: We fear conflict and we don’t like to disappoint others. Because of this, we often say yes even if taking on something else isn’t in our best interest. We want to make others feel better—but we sacrifice our own feelings and time in return.

For many, saying no can feel... harsh. But learning to turn down a request is a crucial skill to master. It’s important to create boundaries out of respect for yourself, your time, and your energy—we truly can’t do it all.

So, how do we get better at saying “no?” The answer involves swapping that word for something else entirely. Let us introduce you to your new magic words: “I don’t.”

The Power of “I Don’t”

When we're skittish around the word “no,” we often try to decline requests with an “I can’t”—but “I don’t” is actually the best phrase to use. The reason is this: “I can’t” implies that you want to do something but an external factor is stopping you from doing it. It suggests you could do that task—and it leaves room for people to push back. For example: Saying “I can’t go to the party tonight” leaves lots of room for someone to respond with a “Why not?”

Saying ‘I don’t’ turns a rejection into an affirmation of how you live your life.

“I don’t,” on the other hand, reclaims your authority over your actions. When you say that you don’t do something, it's an iron-clad refusal—you as a human don’t do what's being asked of you, and you don’t do it for your own sake. “I don’t go to parties on weeknights” is much more impactful than “I can’t go tonight.” The phrase turns a rejection into an affirmation of how you live your life, making it powerful and something you own.

Another example: If you have a coworker asking you to step in on the office party planning committee—but you already have the responsibility of organizing the company’s retreat plus 10 outstanding work assignments—you can reply with a simple, “Although I wish I could help further, I don’t take on other projects when I’m behind on my existing assignments.” That statement is a lot harder to argue with than, “I can’t do that right now,” and it’s more thoughtful than a plain “no.”

How to Use “I Don’t” to Motivate Yourself

“I don’t” is also a powerful tool you can use when working towards your goals. If you incorporate it into your self-talk, it can increase your willpower.

When researchers at Boston College and The University of Houston conducted a small study looking into the use of “I don’t” and “I can’t,” they found that participants who said “I don’t skip exercise” rather than “I can’t skip exercise” ended up working out more often than the “I can’t” group. “Using the word ‘don’t’ serves as a self-affirmation of one’s personal willpower and control ... leading to a favorable influence on feelings of empowerment, as well as on actual behavior," the researchers wrote.

Take Control of “No”

Bottom line: “I don’t” puts the ball back in your court. It gives you authority over your no and leads to a powerful but respectful decline—or, an empowering motivational phrase.

It’s a lesson in framing, and it’s an easy way to turn dreaded “no”s into something empowering. Give it a try next time you need to say no but feel yourself about to say yes.

Article by Anna Meyer. There's a Better Way to Say “No” originally appeared on Shine, a free daily text to help you thrive.

About Shine: Shine is a free daily text message experience that makes it easier to live a more intentional life. Each weekday morning, Shine sends curated content and actionable tips across confidence, daily happiness, mental health and productivity. Why? Because we all need a little help to get through the day—and Shine’s got your back. To sign up, text “SHINE” to 759-85 or go to www.shinetext.com to learn more.

Follow Shine on InstagramTwitter & Facebook: @ShineText

This post was originally published on December 26, 2017, and has since been updated.

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

Read More
Advice, Career, Work, Small Business Arianna Schioldager Advice, Career, Work, Small Business Arianna Schioldager

10 Glaring Contract Red Flags You're Not Paying Attention To

A lawyer breaks it down.

Unless you’re a lawyer, navigating a contract is a veritable minefield. Reading the fine print can be daunting, to say the least, especially for content creators who are hustling for every dollar. That’s why we tapped Christopher Dischino, a lawyer who specializes in business law, intellectual property, and corporate transactions, to break down some of the most common mistakes for us.

“Drafting contracts for freelancers often requires a delicate balance of terms, which both protect you and your intellectual property but are not overly onerous to your client,” Dischino tells Create & Cultivate. “When we discuss creating standard form contracts for many of our freelance clients, we discuss not only how they operate but who they are doing business with.”

While it’s important to note that everyone’s particular business operations are unique, below are ten of the most important items Dischino takes into consideration when drafting contracts for freelancers.

Business or Personal

“In order to insulate yourself from personal liability, consider forming a small business corporation or limited liability company and signing all contracts in your company’s name as opposed to individually. Operating through a company may have tax benefits, asset protection benefits, and adds a flair of professionalism to your business.”

Work for Hire

“If you are being hired to create a project or product, it is important to understand who owns it upon completion. Specifically, you should discuss with your client the extent of ownership by both parties upon completion. The U.S. Copyright Act provides that, as an independent contractor, copyright to the work product you create belongs to the creator of the work, unless otherwise agreed in writing. While most clients will expect ownership to be transferred, pay particular attention to any references to “Work for Hire.” If your client expects to receive ownership of the work product, make sure that it is expressly conditioned on payment in full.”

Indemnification Clauses

“Liability is always a concern when completing a project or product for a client. Whenever you see an indemnification clause, read it carefully. Many agreements state that if the work product created infringes on the intellectual property rights of a third party, the party creating the work remains liable for any damages. Likewise, a freelancer should make sure they are indemnified by their client and held harmless if the client utilizes the work in a way, which creates liability due to their own negligence or willful misconduct.”

Choice of Law and Venue

“Almost all contracts will have a clause that establishes where legal proceedings take place, should a dispute arise, and the law that governs the dispute. Make sure that the contract is not governed by laws that you and your lawyer are unfamiliar with and doesn’t require you to show up to court in a faraway land, especially if the dispute is over non-payment.”

Payment Method and Schedule

“Payment terms are often the elephant in the room when negotiating a contract. All too often, individuals or companies neglect to set a payment and deliverable schedule which leads to controversies as time goes on. Moreover, always consider requesting an initial deposit to bill against. Many contracts now require clients to sign a credit card authorization.”

Force Majeure

Force majeure, which means superior force in French, is often an important red flag to be attentive of when drafting a contract. A force majeure or “unavoidable circumstance” prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract. In practice, most force majeure clauses do not excuse a party's non-performance entirely, but only suspend it for the duration of the event. For example, a freelance photographer who setups for a beach photoshoot only to find himself in middle of a hurricane, would benefit from a force majeure clause that excuses his non-performance of the contract due to a circumstance beyond his control.”

Expenses

“Who covers the expenses of creating a work and when will they be paid? It is important to differentiate between payment for your services or work and the added expenses that were necessary for the completion of a project or product. From the beginning, establish if hard costs are included within your fee (and if so, consider a larger upfront deposit) or if costs are up and above your fee (if this is the case, establish what costs must be approved or which are pre-approved). Finally, make sure to define if the expenses will be paid upfront or if you will be paying out-of-pocket and requesting reimbursement.”

Scope of Work 

“When do you start and where do you finish? Often times, projects are taken on or products begin with no true direction or trajectory. This lack of organization and parameters may lead to situations where a client continues to request work beyond the scope of what was originally contemplated. It is important to set parameters regarding the project or product so that you comply with what is requested, but also so that you are properly compensated for your work. The more specific and objective the scope, the better.”

Revisions, Drafts and Changes

“Just as important as the scope of your work is the amount of times you will go back to the drawing board, make changes, edits and revisions. For the sake of compensation (and your sanity), it is important to agree upon the amount of changes a client is able to request prior to the start of your work and the rates (whether a flat fee or hourly) at which additional work is billed.”

Termination Clauses

“It is important to set out the exact reasons or basis for which your agreement can be terminated. Termination clauses should not only consist of the client’s basis to terminate you but also considerations for when you need to terminate your client. It’s especially important to make sure that your client cannot terminate you for any reason or no reason without compensating you in full for the work you completed.”

About the Expert: Christopher Dischino leads Dischino & Company, a Miami-based law firm that provides legal advice and strategic consulting for the modern business, the entrepreneur, the free-thinker and those looking for something outside the box. With a knack for the creative and an entrepreneurial attitude, Christopher specializes in business law, intellectual property, and corporate transactions, assisting private clients and corporate entities to establish and expand their businesses domestically and abroad.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in this article has been prepared for informational purposes only and are not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice.

This story was originally published on April 10, 2016, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Advice, Career, Work, Life Chelsea Evers Advice, Career, Work, Life Chelsea Evers

4 Unexpected Ways to Make Mondays Less Manic and More Productive

It’s less about getting just anything done, and more about getting the RIGHT things done.

Too often we have that dreaded feeling of obligation on Sunday about all of the things we have to do, should do, or don’t want to do at work the next morning. Some people refer to them as the Sunday scaries or the Sunday blues, but no matter what they’re called, feeling anxious and stressed—especially when you’re not working—is no fun.

While Mondays can be notoriously manic, and ending the day with no real work accomplished is definitely a possibility, it doesn’t have to be that way.

In fact, they can be quite productive, which is less about getting just anything done and more about getting the RIGHT things done—the stuff that will help you grow your expertise, your brand, your career, and your business’s bottom line.

So if the weekend has been feeling five days too short, here are some tips to get you excited for your work week.

1. A PRODUCTIVE MONDAY STARTS ON FRIDAY.

Instead of shutting down your laptop early on Friday and daydreaming about how you’ll spend all of your free time, take 10 minutes to debrief how your week went.

Make a list of:

  • Your wins. What went really well? Make sure you celebrate these and enjoy them.

  • Unaccomplished tasks. Are they important enough to be carried over to next week? Does it make more sense to delegate them to a team member? Or is it no longer important at all?

  • Which situations/tasks feel challenging. A great starting point when writing this list is to think about what you’ve been procrastinating on. Oftentimes, just by writing it down, you’ll see why it’s been so difficult and will be able to understand what you need to move forward.

  • Who you want to connect with next week? The success of a small business is all about the community you surround yourself with, so make a note of who you want to reach out to next week and cold-email.

By taking time to review what worked and what didn’t, you can be mindful of your priorities, understand how you can improve your workflow, and get a better idea of what’s been standing between you and that big goal you want to achieve.

2. HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON.

In the early days of my business, I remember being at war with my need for sleep and my ambition to grow my business. I know that many of you feel that same way, especially if you love what you do—but the number one thing you need to have if you want to create meaningful work in this world is endurance. The most effective way to build that is through hitting the pause button.

Take the weekend to practice self-care in whatever form is best for you—go for a walk, reconnect with family, or read that novel that’s been collecting dust on your nightstand.

3. DEFINE HOW YOU WANT TO FEEL.

Ask yourself these two questions:

  • How do I want to feel on Monday?

  • How do I want to feel on Friday when the week is over?

When you take some time for this kind of self-inquiry, you can get crystal clear on what you need to make your week work for you. Visualize your Monday morning with you feeling whatever emotions you chose—excited, focused, passionate—and then visualize what you’ll feel like Friday afternoon.

Visualization is a proactive way to help you have more control over your workweek instead of allowing you to passively get by in a stress-induced state.

4. SAY “NO.”

While many of us struggle with saying “no,” it’s a critical component of increasing productivity. Think about what tasks you dread come Monday morning or during the week and figure out how you can stop doing them.

You can split this list into two sections:

  • What you are able to stop doing today?

  • What are you going to stop doing in the future?

Some things take a little more work to let go, delegate, or outsource. But when you commit to no longer doing things out of obligation, you’ll find that you have more free time to spend on work that actually matters.

Mondays don't have to be manic. They can be our most productive day of the week if we plan for them. Instead of spending your Sundays dreading Monday, take these 5 steps and put them into practice. You'll be amazed at how quickly your view on Mondays turns around!

About the Author: Tara Newman is a Leader of Leaders. Through her podcast, The Bold Leadership Revolution as well as her association, The BRAVE Society, she supports leaders as they embrace their ambition and leave the grind behind. Using decades of entrepreneurial experience and a Master’s in Organizational Psychology, Tara is uniquely qualified to teach leaders to run businesses without sacrificing their health, relationships, or integrity by establishing behaviors, habits, and rituals aligned with their vision of success. Connect with Tara on Instagram @thetaranewman and listen to the Bold Leadership Revolution Podcast on her website.

This story was originally published on May 12, 2019, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Career, Advice, Work Life, Work, Life, Covid-19 Guest User Career, Advice, Work Life, Work, Life, Covid-19 Guest User

I Have Been Working From Home for Years—This Is How to Do It Successfully

“I totally use my phone as a procrastination crutch—it's incredibly helpful to just have it out of sight, out of mind.”

Photo: Lisa Fotios for Pexels

Given that many companies are implementing work-from-home policies to help flatten the curve and prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Create & Cultivate included!), we decided to reach out to some real work from home-office pros to find out how it’s done. Because, as enticing as working from home sounds in theory, it takes a surprising amount of discipline to stay productive and on-task with all the distractions that come with being at home (we’re looking at you, Netflix, pile of laundry, and sink full of dishes).

Ahead, six full-time WFH experts—spanning a senior fashion and beauty editor who’s been working from home for 7 (!) years to an editorial director who’s been working from home for 2 1/2 years to an acclaimed author who’s been working from home for just 8 months—share their tips and tricks for staying motivated and productive while working from home. Keep scrolling to find out how to establish a morning routine that will set you up for success and how to wind down and disconnect at the end of the day.

Sara Tan, Senior West Coast Fashion & Beauty Editor, Bustle

WFH Experience Level: 7 years

What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking? 

I usually wake up between 6:15 and 6:30 am, depending on how many times I hit the snooze button. It's a habit I'm trying to break, but the first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone. My office's HQ is in New York, so by the time I get up, I've gotten a handful of emails and messages already. 

Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday? 

I'll have my morning coffee, turn on NPR to listen to the news, and continue checking my emails and, yes, Instagram. I aim to get to the gym by 7:30 am unless I sign up for an earlier Barry’s or SoulCycle class. Checking my emails and my schedule and fitting in a workout in the morning put me in the best mindset for a successful and productive day. If I don't get a workout in, I'll spend the whole day thinking about how I'm going to squeeze it in later. I feel like it's my way of meditating and having "me" time before what's usually always a busy day.  

When you work from home, it’s easy to just plop onto the couch with your laptop, but I make it a point that the couch and the TV are off-limits during the workday.

Do you have a dedicated workspace in your home? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH? 

I do and I think that's really important! When you work from home, it's easy to just plop onto the couch with your laptop, but I make it a point that the couch and the TV are off-limits during the workday. Making a to-do list and a rough schedule keeps me on task, as well as scheduling in breaks because realistically, I'm going to throw some laundry in or pick up some lunch. But as long as I allot myself a small window of time to do those things, then I don't feel guilty about it — it's just part of my schedule. 

How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day? 

After working from home for 7 years, I still struggle with this. It's really hard to disconnect at the end of the day from work because I work where I live! I really try to make an effort to turn my laptop off and not check my work emails after 6 pm, but I have to say, it's really impossible in the line of work that I'm in. But something I have gotten a lot better at is not working or responding to work emails during the weekend. That has really helped me avoid work burnout. 

How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time? 

I make sure my laptop is out of sight! I take my dog for a walk, I cook, I have a nice, phone-free dinner with my husband, I call a friend. Separating work time from your free time is really about making a schedule for yourself and sticking to it, including when to stop working. 

Nicole Lesmeister, Writer & Editor

WFH Experience Level: 3 years

What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking? 

I wake up around 6:30 am. During this uncertain global situation, I’ve been trying to let myself wake up naturally and get all the sleep I need, but I go to bed around 10:30/11 pm, so my internal clock still gets me up at that time. The first thing I do is (avoid my phone for 30 minutes to an hour) scrape my tongue and do 5-10 minutes of oil pulling to deep cleanse, Ayurveda-style. Wellness truly begins in the mouth!

Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday? 

I then have a tall glass of warm water with lemon, because when you dehydrate overnight, your brain actually shrinks by 20%! Gotta lube up the ol’ noggin. I brew a pot of hibiscus tea or make a matcha if I’m feeling groggy and have a little quiet time with a book or just with my thoughts while I sip it, before I do some movement. 

Depending on the day, I might do a HIIT or some yoga. I have a go-to flow, but when I feel like mixing it up, I’ll look up a Yoga With Adriene video on YouTube. She has a ton of really great free videos, and there are always video workouts on ClassPass you can do at home, too! 

Moving in the morning is really crucial to me for feeling energized throughout the day and avoiding a wandering mind as soon as I open my computer. It gets the blood pumping and something about a good sweat first thing just makes me feel strong and powerful. 

I do some vigorous dry brushing afterwards, hop in the shower, and make a simple breakfast– my favorite is soft scrambled eggs with some sautéed greens like dandelion and kimchi. 

I schedule little breaks, so I try to do a significant amount of work on something before I make an afternoon snack, or go to pilates, take a walk, or run to the grocery store. It’s all scheduled in, so I’m not wandering away from work on a whim.

Do you have a dedicated workspace in your apartment? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH?

I have a desk where I always start work, but after I take a pause for lunch I always find myself rotating to sitting at the higher bar area of my counter. I love the afternoon sun that seat gets; it’s a comfy perch and I feel productive there.

I rely on my daily planner from Oh Deer so much. It’s organized perfectly for me with an objective section, urgent section, list section, notes, and even a little space for doodles (!). I reference my Google calendar to see if I have any calls or meetings scheduled, and make a detailed list here right away, listing them in order from top priority to lowest priority of the day. I do this because I like to make an ambitious list that is still realistic, so if my day doesn’t go as perfectly streamlined as planned (they rarely do, right?) then at least the major objectives are taken care of.  

One thing I make sure to do so that I avoid being distracted by errands and house tasks is to add them to my list if I need to do them. I decide what day I can squeeze them into or what day it makes the most sense, and stick to a day and time that I do them. 

How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?

I set tiny goals for myself, or little deadlines throughout the day. Like, “Let’s do a chunk of this client until noon, and get it done” (or a ¼ of the way done, depending on the project size and deadline, etc). I also schedule little breaks, so I try to be done with something or do a significant amount of work with something before I make an afternoon snack, or go to pilates, take a walk, or run to the grocery store. It’s all scheduled in, so I’m not wandering away from work on a whim.

I also cut myself off from working too late if I have a day in which I start work early, which is ideally most days.  When you WFH, it’s easy to feel like you work a 15 hour day when you don’t account for or schedule in the typical distractions… but even in an office no one works eight full hours. About five true, solid, productive hours a day is typical for the average human. 

If I have a deadline that day, I might work a little later, but essentially I give myself a cut-off time to make dinner and that lights a fire under my own a$$ to get what I need done at a decent time (5 or 6 pm) so I’m not burning out my retinas with blue light into the evening. No one is producing pure gold after dilly-dallying on their computer all day and into the evening anyway. My clients deserve my best self.

How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?

Carving out that cut-off time to prepare a nutritious but thoughtfully tasty meal is my ultimate act of self-care (and love language to my S.O.). It’s meditative, resetting, and gives me unwind time after to rest and digest so I can sleep well and be productive again the next day! Sometimes I’ll start my to-do list for the next day in my planner if I’m feeling juiced about it, but most often I just prep the kitchen for the next morning, set out my tea, fill the kettle. Stuff like that.

Depending on the intensity of the movement I did in the morning, I’ll usually try to take a little walk after dinner or some light stretching or foam rolling. Being a writer requires a lot of sitting, so making sure I move my body in intervals throughout the day keeps me from feeling tight and weighed down by my own poor posture (lol working on it) and gravity.

Because my S.O. and I have our shows we like to watch together for some cuddle time on the couch, I always make sure to read a little before bed in some warm light. Gotta allow the eyeballs some non-screen time so that my circadian clock can recalibrate! About 30-40 minutes is lovely, but sometimes it only takes me 15 to drift off.

Kelly Dawson, Freelance Writer and Editor & Editorial Director, Semihandmade

WFH Experience Level: 2 1/2 years

What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking?  

I wake up around 7:00 am. My alarm is on my phone, which has been a habit I've been meaning to break for a while. But I do keep my phone on the opposite wall, away from my bed, so I have to get up to turn the alarm off. The first thing I do when I wake up is open my blinds, open the window, breathe in the fresh air, and make my bed. Yes, I make my bed every morning, and I do think it helps me start the day on a good note.

Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday? 

Ideally, my morning routine goes like this: I have breakfast, which is shorthand for I drink a strong cup of coffee with food. I watch a few minutes of CBS This Morning while I eat, change, and then do about a half-hour or so of stretches, weights, or cardio—I alternate the days to make it more fun. After that I get dressed, which is always an interesting topic for people who work from home. I know that it's usually perfectly fine if I wear sweatpants, but for the most part, I pick out an outfit, do my hair, and maybe put on makeup. It's nothing that doesn't take 10 minutes or so. I find that if I don't get dressed, I'm not as focused.

Do you have a dedicated workspace in your home? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH? 

I have a desk that I work at every day, and I work between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, give or take. I think the thing that really helps me stay on task is a day planner. Every night before shutting work down I write a to-do list of all the things I need to accomplish for the next day, and I split it into columns. The left side is for the big stuff I have to do—write a story, do an interview, whatever—and the right side is for all the smaller things to get out of the way, like emails to send. I do the hardest ones on the list first, while the caffeine is still flowing, and then move on to the easier ones. I try to keep the list reasonable so that I don't feel panicked about completing everything. And to be fair to myself, whatever doesn't get done carries on to the next day. The goal is to keep from scrambling on Friday, which thankfully hasn't happened yet. I should say that most of my work-from-home schedule is on a weekly basis, which is why I can play with things a little. 

As for email, I only check it at the start of the day, before lunch, and then right before I close up shop. I usually pretend I don't have a TV after breakfast, and I keep my phone either off or out of sight unless I'm using it for work. If I didn't do this it would be a slippery slope into Bravo and Instagram binges.

I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing to do laundry at home during "work hours" if you can swing it. I sometimes use it as a great gauge of time. For instance, like most people, my inbox is a never-ending black hole of notifications. But, I know that my washer takes about an hour to do a standard load. So that's how much time I give to answering emails before throwing things in the dryer and moving on to actual work. The same thing goes for cleaning and errands. If I'm stuck on something, I clean for a bit, run a fast errand, or go for a quick walk. That helps me think things through without staring blankly at my computer or scrolling some site. I still do that, I'm not a robot, but I try to be very aware of how I spend my time. 

When you're in charge of your own work schedule, you can—and should—be flexible. But that flexibility has to have boundaries so that you don't get distracted. If you're more of a morning person, then get up earlier: It'll mean every afternoon can feel like a weekend. If you're more of a night owl, sleep in: It'll mean you can have slower mornings. But tell yourself that you're working, you're not just hanging out at home, and you need to plan accordingly. Of course, I'm saying all of this without children to worry about, which will obviously add a layer of complication to everything. As far as my universal advice goes, just try to be kind to yourself as you figure it out, and do your best to be intentional. I started my work-from-home life as a morning person, spent some time as a night owl, and now I'm in the middle. There are some days that completely get off track, and that's fine too. You'll get back on track tomorrow. 

The thing that has really helped me successfully work from home, minus a day planner, is my community of office and freelance friends. I check in with them daily, and we either tackle a work problem together or just send funny things to each other.

How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day? 

The thing that has really helped me successfully work from home, minus a day planner, is my community of office and freelance friends. I check in with them daily, and we either tackle a work problem together or just send funny things to each other. That helps me feel like I'm not in a little bubble, even if the messages come in little bubbles. On the good days, I'm motivated and productive because I'm really into the work I'm doing and it's all coming together. On the bad days, I motivate myself with things like, "Ok, if I finish this task then I can have some candy or read the new magazine that came in the mail." There's also something to be said about not checking something off my to-do list. Only I would know, but that's enough of a motivator for my type-A personality. If you need someone to hold you accountable, my community also has "motivation buddies." We pair off, and our buddy knows what we need to accomplish and our ideal timeline. Then we check in with each other on how the project's coming along and what kind of support we need to make it happen. 

Work burnout is a real possibility when instead of an in-the-flesh boss, there's just this omnipresent feeling of a boss. That feeling can give you the idea that you have to answer all the emails and do all the things right this second, because this omnipresent "boss" can feed off the guilt and anxiety you have about being at home. First off, working from home is still working, and it doesn't need to be qualified. Working from home is worthy of respect, and it's how a third of the American workforce made its living before the pandemic. At this moment in time, joining our ranks is keeping everyone safer. If you look at working from home as "less than," then you run the risk of wearing yourself out because you're trying to prove that you're just as productive as someone in an office. And we all know a certain someone in an office who makes that thought untrue. 

When feelings of burnout happen to me, I've learned to just let it happen. I try to do the things I have to do for the day, but the rest, I put on pause. No one is going to get mad at you if you don't respond to their email right away, and when you do, it will still find them well. Shut your computer down, keep your phone off, and lay down for a while. Then, call a friend and tell them how you're feeling. Then, make some nachos. Then, listen to a happy song. Maybe two happy songs, depending on what you need. If it's small-scale burnout, it'll pass. If it's big-time burnout, don't be afraid to seek professional help, if you can.

How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?

This is a tough one for me, because if I'm writing and in a groove then I don't want to stop. But the honest answer is: I get hungry. I usually stop working when I need to eat dinner. I make a note of where I wanted to go with whatever thought I was working on, and then sign off. Sometimes I'll write after dinner, usually if I'm on a deadline. But usually once I leave my desk at night the work day is over. Lately I've been trying to separate work and dinner with a cool-down walk in between, so we'll see how that plays out in the coming weeks. 

Another honest truth is that it's tough for me to balance work with free time! I've tried to be better about it since the start of this year, but I fail at it a lot. If there's a quote that's in my head whenever I do fail, it's what Toni Morrison's dad told her when she was struggling at her first job. He said, "Go to work, get your money, come home." Home is where the work is, so it's complicated. But home is where life is, too. And right now, when everything feels uncertain, I'm trying to remember to "come home" to my life mentally and physically. I need the balance probably more than ever.

Kamari Chelsea, Strategic Media Consultant

WFH Experience Level: 1 1/2 years

What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking? 

Typically, I tend to wake up around 7:30 am. If you're working from home with your partner (as I am), it's essential that you try to get on the same page with wake up times to avoid feeling envious or lazy when you see your partner sleeping in.

The first thing I do when I open my eyes (or sometimes even before) is repeat an affirmation of gratitude to myself. When you're self-employed and always hustling to make things happen, mental health is more important than ever. It's critical to start your day being thankful for what you already have so that you aren't overcome with a "lack" mentality (especially during these times).

Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday? 

8 am: My morning routine firmly begins at 8 am because any later makes me feel like I've missed opportunities. I start the day with a hot shower, skincare routine, and picking out a cozy work-from-home look that is presentable enough for any video conferences I may have scheduled. Then, I make a two-minute commute to my office.

9 am: I created a mediation and yoga corner in my office for when I need breaks, but I also use this corner to do a morning meditation and stretch. I set a timer for 10 minutes or play Jhene Aiko's Trigger Protection Mantra for its sound healing qualities; after this, I typically feel safe and ready for what the day may bring.

9:10 am: I make a quick protein-packed breakfast for myself and my husband (usually eggs and a Vanilla Super Coffee). On Fridays, I used to cheat and drive straight to the Starbucks drive-through. Lately, I've been making my own "Starbucks" moment at home using my favorite plant-based coffee mixes.

9:30 am: I log on and feel ready to take on the day!

Do you have a dedicated workspace in your home? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, and running errands while you're WFH?

One of the best investments I have made since I began working from home is converting one of the rooms in my house into a dedicated office space! It allows me to feel like I have a place to go every day to work and a place to leave when I need to separate work from my home life. I close the door to my office when I'm done for the day or on weekends, and I get to have my own life, away from the energy of work.

This way, during my business hours, I am unable to see laundry, the kitchen, television, or any other distractions. And, when I'm watching Netflix or unwinding with a glass of wine, I don't have my laptop and work notes beckoning me to come back to work.

Separation is a huge aspect of maintaining your mental health when working from home. Even if you find a corner that's set apart from your personal space (not in your bedroom), it will make all the difference by creating structure.

When you’re self-employed and always hustling to make things happen, mental health is more important than ever. It’s critical to start your day being thankful for what you already have so that you aren’t overcome with a “lack” mentality (especially during these times).

How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?

Admittedly, when I first started my business, I burned out pretty hard. I was continually working because I felt the pressure to be "on" since my life was now intertwined with my work. Then, I had a conversation with my Dad and he gave me great insight. He said, "If you earn $100,000 in business, but work 100 hours a week, you're essentially making less than $20 an hour with no benefits." I realized then that I have to value every hour of my life because time is our most precious commodity. It was then that I realized to start capping my hours on specific projects based on the rates I was charging. If you're a full-time salaried employer, this should be even easier—set a rule to shut the computer by 6 pm at least three days a week. You'll be giving yourself an instant hourly raise!

To stay motivated and productive, I use standard systems, including a whiteboard with my daily to-dos. I break them up and task myself with achieving half before lunch and half after lunch. I'm strict about being on “Do Not Disturb” during peak working periods, and I'm BIG into not checking email constantly. Inbox zero be damned!

How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?

I love a glass of wine and a trashy reality show as much as the next girl! But first, as soon as I log off, I try to do something physical like spinning, walking, or lifting. This helps burn all the energy of my workday off my body.

Then (and this is admittedly a bit counterintuitive), I guzzle water, take another shower, and wind down (or shall I say, wine down) with my husband by cooking dinner. We rarely eat out, and cooking is a creative task that allows me to feel like I have moments in my day to look forward to doing whatever I want and being super inventive!

WFH Experience Level: 8 months

What time do you wake up? What's the first thing you do upon waking? 

Really late. I've become a night owl in this WFH phase of my career (it's like I'm on Hawaii's time zone now) so I find myself working best between the hours of 3 pm and 10 or 11 pm. I don't get to bed till maybe 2 am. I wake up around 10:30 am, peel myself out of bed, brush my teeth, wash my face and hands (!!!), and guzzle a coffee.

Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday? 

My morning is pretty leisurely. Because my job (writing books) is very solitary with little collaboration and few hard deadlines, I get to set my own pace. As it turns out, that pace requires a lot of warming up. Unless I have to interview a source early in the morning, I start my day with coffee, a small breakfast, hanging out with my dog and two cats, and checking my email/socials. Then, I put on a fresh set of clothes (still loungewear, it's more of a symbol that the day has begun), plug my laptop into my monitor, and review the day's tasks. 

I'm not big into fancy to-do list apps or color-coded schedules—I keep track of everything I need to do for the day in my Google calendar, and I keep my to-do list really streamlined, so I have maybe two or three big work tasks for the day (e.g., write pages 10-13 of the book, pull quotes from the latest interview transcription, call my agent). I never crowd my to-do list, because that feels like I'm setting myself up to fail. My morning routine is all about creating this sense of "I can handle today, today is going to be chill," and approaching it from that relaxed place rather than an anxious one, and usually I wind up being way more productive than I meant to. 

I never crowd my to-do list, because that feels like I’m setting myself up to fail.

Do you have a dedicated workspace in your apartment? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH?

My porch, my couch, or my dining table, where I have a big monitor that I can easily set up and takedown. I never work from bed. I'm embarrassed to say I'm kind of messy and hopeless around the house, so the urge to procrastinate by doing laundry or dishes is pretty easy to resist, haha. I'm lucky to have my dream job—I'm genuinely obsessed with writing books—so to my great fortune, self-motivating isn't all that hard. Long before I was getting paid to do this work, I was doing it anyway. 

How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?

I'm very gentle with myself! If I need a break, I take it. Just like I know eating junk food in moderation won't ruin my body because I generally eat pretty healthy, I know that in the end, having "lazy" workdays will get balanced out by having spurts of hyper-productive days. If I have really terrible writer's block, I get up and take a walk or read a few pages of a great book (in the same genre as the one I'm writing, so I don't cross-contaminate) as a palate cleanser. 

When you transition to working from home, there's an awkward period where you're always questioning if you should be getting more done, but after a week or so (sometimes more, sometimes less), you start to find your groove. And of course, it's different for everyone. My old roommate who worked from home was most productive between the hours of 7 am and noon. My partner has all these time management apps he swears by. At a point, you just have to ignore the prevailing wisdom and figure out what works for you.

How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?

I normally see friends at the end of the day for happy hour or dinner. Wine typically marks the end of the day for me, haha. But again, I'm fortunate that my work is something I love and would be doing either way, and I actually think that in our current age, strict work-life boundaries aren't necessarily the most realistic or productive for everyone. I'm 28 and have no kids... why should I stop working at 6 pm if I'm on a roll? If I'm motivated to write for an hour at midnight, I let myself. I know my work situation won't be so flexible forever, so for now, I just let myself be sort of loosey-goosey. So far, it's working out well.

Kelsey Clark, Freelance Writer & Content Strategist

WFH Experience Level: 5 months

What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking? 

Despite my best efforts, I am still not a morning person. I usually wake up around 8 or 8:30 am (unless I'm going to a morning workout class) and check my email first thing. Coffee and water are immediate seconds!  

Can you walk us through your morning routine? How does it set you up for a successful and productive workday? 

I've only been freelance for five months now, so I'm still perfecting my morning routine. There's definitely an art to it—it can be incredibly difficult to maintain self-discipline when you're WFH. 

Right now, I wake up, check my email, and drink coffee in bed or on the couch, then either shower or complete some sort of small grooming routine (i.e. wash my face, brush my teeth, brush my hair, etc.) depending on when I'm planning to workout that day. I think it's important to stick to a grooming ritual, even if it's as simple as brushing your teeth and splashing cold water in your face. In my experience, this signals to my body and brain that it's time to wake up.  

From there, I apply my skincare/makeup and get dressed. If I'm staying at my apartment, I usually skip makeup and apply some fancy skincare—I've really enjoyed treating my skin to serums, masks, etc. during the day since I don't have to worry about layering makeup on top. 

As far as my outfit goes, it's honestly leggings and a sweater, which is something I want to work on—I very much believe that what you wear influences your mood! If I'm going to a coffee shop (not right now, obviously), I usually wear very light makeup (i.e. tinted moisturizer, boy brow, mascara) and my standard jeans, ankle boots, and a sweater/T-shirt/turtleneck. I'm based in Detroit now, but most of my work is still based in New York, so in-person meetings are few and far between (i.e. I rarely have to worry about dressing up). 

Routine aside, I aim to be actively working and starting the day's tasks by 9 am with the rest of the world! As much as my night owl self would love to work a 10-7 or 8, I think it's important to be online with everyone else; I feel anxious otherwise. 

I totally use my phone as a procrastination crutch—it’s incredibly helpful to just have it out of sight, out of mind.

Do you have a dedicated workspace in your apartment? What helps you stay on task and protect your time from cleaning the house, doing laundry, or running errands while you're WFH? 

Unfortunately, my apartment is too small for a dedicated workspace (I'm moving in a month and can't wait to have a desk!). I do find that I'm more productive if I'm able to head out to a coffee shop, even for just a few hours, but obviously that isn't an option right now. Keeping myself on-task is an ongoing battle, but I have found a few tricks that keep procrastination at bay: 

  • I generally leave Netflix/music off, unless I'm doing something more visual like sourcing imagery where I'm not bothered by distracting sound.

  • Reward myself with small treats, i.e. when you finish this piece or send all these emails, you can make tea or check Instagram. Small victories! 

  • Allot a certain amount of time for each task, i.e. I'll do email outreach until 11 am, then work on this piece from 11 am to 3 pm and the source market from 3 pm to 6 pm, etc. Even if you don't finish each task, it's important to move onto the next or else you can quickly feel overwhelmed/behind. If you stay on task #1 all day, it's easy to feel like your day was a failure. 

  • Reserve certain time slots for any errands or small chores you want to do, i.e. at noon I'll take a lunch break and do the dishes. Or when I commute home from this meeting or outing, I'll stop and grab groceries, etc. 

  • Honestly, hide your phone. I will literally put it in another room or throw it on the other side of the couch, as crazy as that sounds. I totally use my phone as a procrastination crutch—it's incredibly helpful to just have it out of sight, out of mind.  

  • Change your scenery after a while, even if it's just moving from your couch to a chair, or your bed to the couch, or your couch to your friend or significant other's couch. 

How do you prevent work burnout? How do you stay motivated and productive throughout the day?

It's definitely hard to separate work from your personal life when you work for yourself. While I do work the occasional Sunday, I try my best to enjoy my weekends to the fullest and allow myself to take time off and relax just like everyone else. I also have direct control over how much work I take on and which projects to prioritize from a financial perspective, which is really nice. I've had a few months where I was drowning, and the next month, I was able to tweak my schedule a bit to avoid total overwhelm. 

For me, just knowing that everyone else is still working and grinding it out is strangely motivating. I made the choice to go off on my own, and I want to hold myself to the same standards as everyone else in the traditional workforce. It's important to me and my self-esteem to work hard and still feel like an equally productive member of society, even if I'm working from my couch. I want to succeed at my own venture, and I have direct control over that outcome. There's no part of me that decided to go freelance so I could be lazy or sleep in, you know? If anything, the pressure and motivation to succeed are amplified. 

How do you wind down and log off at the end of the day? How do you separate your work time from your free time?

This can be difficult depending on workload, but I think having an after-work activity definitely forces you to log off and signals the end of the workday. For example, my significant other usually comes over after work, so I'm forced to log off and begin my evening wind-down. This can even be as simple as going to a workout class, going to the grocery store, hanging with your roommates, grabbing a drink with a friend, making dinner for yourself, etc. Just some sort of hard stop. These post-work activities also serve as motivation to get your work done throughout the day—i.e. I want to be able to grab drinks with this person, so I'm going to make sure I get all my work done.

Up next: 10 Women Who Have Your Dream Job on How They Fight Burnout, Stay Motivated, and Get Re-Energized for Work

Read More
Advice, Career, Wellness, Work Arianna Schioldager Advice, Career, Wellness, Work Arianna Schioldager

How Putting Your Health and Happiness First Can Improve Your Career

And benefit your company, too.

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) turned their attention to a problem so severe and damaging they called it the “health epidemic of the 21st century.” That epidemic was stress. Fast-forward to 2020, and the WHO has updated its handbook of diseases to include burnout, calling it an "occupational phenomenon" characterized by "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job.”

We are the first to admit that 80 hour work weeks and side hustles are the new norm. While we certainly aren’t going to be the ones to tell you to stop working your butt off if that is what you want to do, that doesn’t mean we don’t acknowledge that putting your health and happiness above your work is necessary for your general wellness. In fact, when you take care of your personal needs you may find that it benefits your career just as much as your well-being. Scroll on to find out how.

What Stress Does to Your Mind

Stress can cause physical maladies such as headaches, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, muscle spasms, heartburn, and nausea, as well as back, neck and chest pain. Even if you are a super human who doesn’t feel the physical side effects of exhaustion and stress, you might be falling victim to non-physical symptoms such as forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion, trouble learning new information, difficulty in making decisions, nervous habits and overreaction to petty annoyances. To top it all off, according to The American Institute of Stress you may also experience reduced work efficiency or productivity.

Carve Out Some “Me” Time

Everyone's wellness needs are going to be different. Some may not feel their best if they don’t take the time to cook healthy meals. Others may be strongly affected by not being able to spend as much time with their loved ones as they would like. Bookworms may feel more anxious if they can’t spend quiet time reading and escaping their troubles before bed. Think about what is important to you and what makes you feel like your best self, then carve out the time to do it. Seriously, add it to the to-do list and make sure it gets done like any other vital task.

Exercise is a great way to take care of both your physical and mental health at once. Physical activity releases endorphins in the brain and is proven to lower stress levels as well as symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. It can also help relax muscles and relieve tension in the body. When you don’t have time to squeeze in a workout, try having a good laugh. Laughing also releases endorphins, which are significantly more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine. If relieving stress and pain isn’t enough to convince you, then consider this: endorphins boost immunity which could save you a lot of out of office days come flu season.

It Benefits Your Company, Too

It would financially benefit companies to look out for their employees’ health and happiness, not to mention be the decent thing to do. In fact, workplace stress costs U.S. businesses $300 billion annually. On top of lost productivity, work-related stress causes 120,000 deaths and results in $190 billion in healthcare costs yearly. If employers value the wellness of their employees they should ensure that they are working manageable hours, taking lunch breaks, encourage time off and create a generally positive work environment.

You are entitled to take a breather, play hooky, nap a day away, laugh, cry, whatever it is that will make you feel lighter. Never skip a doctor's appointment for a meeting, leave a few minutes early to make it to that yoga class, go home when you aren’t feeling well, turn off your phone when you are on vacation. If you do this you will be more creative, in control, calm, productive, focused and most importantly happy.

About the Author: Jacqueline DeMarco is a freelance writer with experience in editorial and news writing. 

This story was originally published on September 2, 2017, and has since been updated.

Up next: 10 Women Who Have Your Dream Job on How They Fight Burnout, Stay Motivated, and Get Re-Energized for Work

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Business, Advice, Work, Small Business, Covid-19 Guest User Business, Advice, Work, Small Business, Covid-19 Guest User

Ask an Expert: How to Adjust Your Business Strategy During the Coronavirus Crisis, According to a Business Coach

“This is a time to be swift, but not reactive.”

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Courtesy of Gretchen Jones

In times of crisis, businesses are put to the test—supply chains are disrupted and profit margins are compromised. And the COVID-19 crisis is certainly no exception. As our founder and CEO Jaclyn Johnson says, a company’s success comes down to how it pivots and responds during times of great uncertainty. However, as one of today’s Ask an Expert pros reminded us, “Now is the time to be swift, not reactive."

For some #realtalk on how to pivot a business, manage expectations, and lead with purpose during a crisis, we tapped Gretchen Jones, a strategic business advisor (she advises our CEO), for a special installment of our wildly popular Instagram Live series, Ask an Expert. Read on for three things you should know about adjusting your business strategy right now. If you missed the conversation, you can watch it in full here, and be sure to tune into our next Ask an Expert conversation on Instagram Live.

1. I want to be proactive during this time of quarantine—what can I do to reach my business growth goals and hit the ground running when things go back to normal?

“Achieving business goals right now is theoretical. More than thinking about growth, work on managing a healthy relationship with your business, not the potential capabilities ahead of you. Look at this slowdown as an opportunity to rise to the occasion, and look at initiatives that you’ve wanted to dive into but haven’t had the time to until now.“

2. I’m a small business owner and I don’t know how much longer I can afford to pay our staff while we’re closed during this time of quarantine. What advice can you share?

“Being a good boss sometimes means that moving through the pain [and going through with layoffs] is doing what is right for your community because you acted with integrity. You holding onto your staff because you’re afraid of laying them off in the future is going to complicate they’re ability to gain access to unemployment benefits. Take care of them now so that they will want to come back and work for you.”

3. How can I be a better, more supportive leader for my team, especially now that we’re all working remotely?

“The first thing is communication. Lead with humanity first in all communication. And, set goals. Real goal setting is about making sure your team knows that they have purpose and value and make sure that the expectations are really clear. Set benchmarks or KPIs (key performance indicators) so that you have really thoughtful ways of checking in with your team. Most importantly, hold yourself accountable by being better and more communicative with your staff.”

About the Expert: Gretchen Jones is a strategic business advisor and public speaker, as well as an award-winning design director, ambassador for sustainability, and NLP practitioner. She works with entrepreneurs and companies to develop future-minded, visionary approaches to ourselves and our work. Her methodology brings a directional, mindful lens of reflection to processes and belief systems, inside and outside of our businesses.

Gretchen has generously offered Create & Cultivators a special discount. Use the code gJLOVESC&C for 33% off Critical Conversations for the next three months. The code expires June 1st and can be up to three times.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Read More
Career, Advice, Work, Life Arianna Schioldager Career, Advice, Work, Life Arianna Schioldager

The First Four Things You Should Do EVERY Work Day

Eat the frog, get ahead, and hit all your goals.

Photo: Burst for Pexels

Photo: Burst for Pexels

If you're working from home and wondering where the week went, don’t worry—we're wondering the same thing. But instead of sitting here thinking about what we haven't yet achieved, we're sharing tips on how to take the next day by the horns. (World domination from there—who’s with us?)

If you're currently lacking in the productivity department, grab some coffee and start making these successful morning habits part of your routine. Ahead, we’re outlining exactly what you need to do to eat the frog, get ahead, and hit all your goals. Feeling pumped? Keep scrolling for more.

1. Eat the frog. 

Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the rest of the day knowing it can’t get any worse. That doesn’t mean you have to go and switch your soy latte for a frog—it simply means you should do your most important assignment first. Studies have shown that you have the most willpower in the morning, so harness your motivation mojo and master your most important task bright and early.

2. Scan for red flags. 

Productivity experts recommend that you not spend your morning reading and answering emails (it can totally derail your good AM intentions). Focus your morning on what you need to get done—not the little things people need from you. Quickly scan your emails to see if there is anything high-priority that will affect your goals for the day, then keep the trains moving. As Julie Morgenstern, author of Never Check Email in the Morning, told HuffPost, “Those requests and those interruptions and those unexpected surprises and those reminders and problems are endless… there is very little that cannot wait a minimum of 59 minutes.” So, if you want to be more productive throughout your day, step away from your inbox in the morning. Seriously.

3. Rally your to-do list. 

Organizing your to-do list might sound like yet another thing to add to the chaos, but doing so is like creating a compass to get you to that golden “closing time” hour. How do you decide which task is “more important” than another? Use time management and productivity expert Laura Vanderkam’s advice and quickly ask yourself five questions: Does it take a step toward a big professional goal? Does your boss say it’s a top priority? Does it make you money? Does it lighten your mental load? Can it only be done today? Once you have your list organized, break down any big tasks into specific actions you’ll take to accomplish them.

4. Check-in with your team. 

It’s small but mighty: Say hello to your colleagues in the morning. Not only will it help you start the day in a good mood, but they’ll be much more likely to help a friendly colleague than a Grumplestiltskin if you need help putting out a fire later that afternoon.

So, there you have it: The four things you should do to accomplish more throughout the workday. Drink coffee, eat a metaphorical frog, and get to work.

About the Author: Elana Lyn Gross is a freelance journalist and founder of the personal and professional development website, Elana Lyn. She has interviewed hundreds of businesswomen for her Career Profile series. Follow her here: @ElanaLynGross on Instagram and @ElanaLyn on Twitter.

This post was published on February 8, 2019, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Pro Tip, Advice, Work, Life, Small Business, Covid-19 Aly Ferguson Pro Tip, Advice, Work, Life, Small Business, Covid-19 Aly Ferguson

6 Tips for Creating a Productive Work-From-Home Environment

Become a boss at working from home.

Working from home. It sounds great in theory, but it actually takes a lot of discipline to establish a routine that makes working from home productive and fulfilling. Given that many companies are currently implementing work from home policies to help flatten the curve and prevent the spread of COVID-19, I feel compelled to share my tried-and-true tips for creating a productive work-from-home environment.

As someone who’s been freelancing and working from home for the past five years, I’ve gone through all of the ups and downs WFH life can present—from feeling lonely and needing to talk to someone to needing to get out of the house and take a break (while practicing social distancing, of course). Scroll on for my tips on how to create a dedicated work space, set office hours, eliminate distracts, and more.

Create a Dedicated Work Space

Find a place in your home that you can dedicate to work. This will be different for everyone, and while I highly encourage having a desk, a dining room table or breakfast bar are great substitutes.

I don’t recommend your workspace be on your couch or on anything where you can recline. While I love being on my laptop and having my feet up on my couch, I am never as productive as I am when sitting upright.

When choosing a space for work in your home, try to find an area that has the following:

  • Natural light

  • Quiet

  • Minimal household distractions (dirty dishes in the sink, children’s toys on the floor, etc.)

Find a space that you can check-in for work and check-out for everything you’d typically do while at home.

Set Office Hours

As a freelancer, it’s incredibly important to have office hours. Not only to manage client expectations but to give yourself structure.

Setting office hours should empower you to develop a routine for yourself like you typically would if you had a 9-to-5 office job. You’d wake up in the morning, enjoy your morning cup of coffee, maybe squeeze in a yoga class before you get dressed, and head to work. The same should be taken into consideration when you work from home.

Freelance life is supposed to allow you to do all of the things you want to do with your time. Don’t let it create an opposite effect where you convince yourself to always be on and working just because you’re able to do it from the freedom of your own home.

Eliminate Distractions

It’s so important to eliminate any distractions from your home that would take you away from getting work done. For me, I need my home to be clean - period. If the home isn’t tidy, I’m not focused.

Other distractions I try to eliminate are:

  • Mindless social media scrolling. There’s a difference between taking time to engage on social media to benefit your business and spending 20 minutes scrolling through videos of pigs taking a bath. Cut the scroll!

  • Noise. If noise distracts you (or a lack thereof), plug in your noise-canceling headphones or put on some white noise to help you regain focus.

  • Pets. I have two dogs who can be very needy for attention. They sleep for most of the day, but every now and then they have a tendency for loudly playing with each other while I’m on client calls. When that happens, or if I think it could happen, I put them in their beds in our master bedroom and shut the door. It’s never for long and it helps calm them down - and helps prevent me from having to apologize to a client for the squeaky toy noises in the background.

If you find yourself being distracted by a common theme throughout your days, find a way to eliminate that distraction so you can stay focused and do your best work.

Get Out of Your PJs

We all have days where we want to stay in our PJs, but it’s important to get out of the jammies and into something that says, “my day has started.”

Most of the time I will change out of PJs and into activewear or comfortable denim. I’ll wash my face, brush my teeth and hair, put on some CC cream and deodorant, and then get to work. It’s a small effort that makes a big difference.

Talk To Someone

One of the biggest things I didn’t realize about working from home is just how lonely it can be.

You are by yourself all day and unless you have clients who love phone calls, most of your correspondence will primarily be done through email. It’s important to talk to someone; anyone. Make time to pick up the phone and call a relative or an old friend. Schedule calls with people in your network so you don’t lose your conversation skills.

I realized a change in myself probably around my second or third year of freelancing, where I would struggle with conversation because I just wasn’t having any. I’d either talk too long or too fast, have difficulty forming sentences, and just felt awkward. This is not me.

Now I talk to everyone.

I am not shy when it comes to conversation and make an effort to have a casual chat with just about anybody I come into contact with throughout the day. That’s people I pass by when I’m walking the dogs, the barista at Alfred’s, Anthony who does my nails at Olive & June, Mary who delivers our mail… AN-Y-BOD-Y.

Get Out of the House

How many of you working from home and reading this typically don’t leave your house during the workweek? 🙋 I get it.

Your home is your office and your office is your home, but it’s still important to get out of the house every once in a while. Keep yourself active and engaged with things happening in your community so you can get out of your PJs, talk to somebody, and enjoy those office hours! (You like what I did there?)

It’s important to get outside and break away from work so you can actually stay engaged in work.

When I spend hours on my computer without any breaks my mind becomes fatigued, and I become less productive. So I’ll take the dogs for a longer walk, do a workout class on my balcony, or take my laptop to the coffee shop down the road and just take in a bit of new scenery to help adjust my internal boss mode.

So if you’re feeling uninspired or having trouble getting anything done, give yourself a break and get out.

About the author: Audrey Adair is a seasoned freelance communications professional and founder of The Scope, a platform providing resources and community to freelancers and the self-employed. Connect with The Scope on Instagram and join their email list to receive your free resource, The Freelancer Starter Kit.

This story was originally published on March 5, 2019, and has since been updated.

Read More