Saturday, December 13, 2014

Danielle Campbell | Re-Post


Danielle Campbell On Kickboxing, Sunscreen, And Apples With Peanut Butter

There’s a show on CW that’s been causing a stir – The Originals – which has proven that the vampire fad hasn’t run its course just yet. In light of the long-awaited mid-season finale tonight, we chatted with one of its stars Danielle Campbell, who we have a feeling we’ll be seeing more and more of.
It’s no surprise we plugged Campbell for all her beauty routines; just look at the shoot. We were also happy to hear she can’t live without chocolate and is constantly coveting the hamburger of the girl beside her…
DANIELLE-CAMPBELL-THENEWPOTATO-4
From start to finish what would be your ideal food day?
It would start with a big breakfast because it’s my favorite meal of the day! A cappuccino and an almond croissant with some eggs. Lunch would be a big, fresh salad. My favorite snack is peanut butter with apples. For dinner, a great fish some veggies and top it all off with anything chocolate.
A beauty mainstay you haven’t changed since your teen years..
Sunscreen! Protecting my skin was instilled in me very early by my mom. And I have always loved using earthy colors with eye makeup.
Morning and nightly beauty routines…
In the morning, I wash my face, and then I put on a lotion with sunscreen and sometimes makeup. At night, I wash my face, then I put on lotion and sleep!
What workouts do you love?
I love to be outside and staying active. I love to hike, run and surf. I also have started kickboxing and can’t get enough.
How do you practice beauty from the inside out?
I truly enjoy eating healthy foods. The way it makes my body feel also makes it worth it. I definitely have a sweet tooth and treat myself, but feeling healthy and active is so important to me to feel good.
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Go-to snacks on set…
Apple and peanut butter.
Best lunch ever on set and why…. 
Fresh omelettes, made right in front of you with anything you want.
What are pre and post shoot routines?
I usually try to get a workout in before I go to set and I go over my lines. After a long day of shooting, I usually make dinner and wind down with a good book or watch a movie with my dog Maximus.
The food you can’t live without…
Chocolate.
The food you don’t get….
Here’s the problem. I get food.
DANIELLE-CAMPBELL-THENEWPOTATO-10
What won’t you travel without?
Music.
Words to both act and eat by…
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
Five things you’re coveting right now…
A Europe trip with my girlfriends, the holidays home with my family, to be surfing in California, a pair of Rag and Bone boots, and the girl beside me’s burger.
A childhood recipe you’ll never forget…
Chocolate mint cookies.
What are your favorite cities for food? What restaurants do you love in each?
The Little Next Door in Los Angeles, and Girl and the Goat in Chicago. And Paris. Anywhere in Paris.
If you could host a dinner party with any five people living or dead who would be there? What would you cook?
Angelina Jolie, John Mayer, Marilyn Monroe, James Franco, and my great Grandmother. I’d make a big salad, marinated flank steak, scallops and many side dishes.
DANIELLE-CAMPBELL-THENEWPOTATO-9
*Danielle Campbell photographed in Rockefeller Center in New York, NY by Danielle Kosann. Danielle wears a Zara skirtFree People shirtVince Camuto boots and Free People hat.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Holiday Gift Guide Under $25 | Lifestyle


1. Love this mug for hot chocolate. ($22)
2. The chicest hair clip. ($16.50)
3. Festive drink stirrers. ($22)
4. RMS lip shine. ($19.99)
5. The best coffee table decoration. ($24)
6. Cute cupcake kit. ($13)
7. Throwback Rodin lip balm ring. ($14)
8. Cozy scent for cold weather. ($18)
9. "Call me" card case. ($20)
11. A new take on pearl studs. ($17.90)
12. The coolest "broken" iPhone case. ($24)
13. Striped soap for a guest bathroom. ($15)
14. Unique bud vase. ($17.50)

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Be Your Own Boss | Nerium International


Have you always wanted to be your OWN boss? Say goodbye to office cubicles and 40-hour weeks. Choose when you wake up, when you have lunch, and exactly whom you do business with while earning:

  • Free iPad
  • Free Lexus
  • Free vacations
  • Cash Bonuses
  • Free Product (we don’t give you a discount – we give it to you for free!)
  • Beautiful Skin


It’s real and possible with Nerium! You can build your business while hanging out with friends, partying, and traveling the world! What would make YOU say YES?! http://ericatreat.nerium.com



Sunday, November 16, 2014

The First 90 Days | Re-Post

The First 90 Days: Secrets to Succeeding at a New Job

The First 90 Days: Secrets to Succeeding at a New Job #theeverygirl

As the saying goes, change is the only constant in life—and in your career too. (Well, we added the last part.)
But the truth is, you may experience all sorts of workplace change when you get a promotion, land a new gig at a different company, or even when your own organization downsizes or merges.
“I view all of those as transitions,” says Michael D. Watkins, co-founder of leadership development company Genesis Advisers and author of “The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter.”
And when you’re in transition, your role is likely to shift too—whether it means tackling new job responsibilities, working in a different environment or reporting to a new boss. Sometimes it can even be all of the above!
No pressure, right? Regardless of your particular situation, it’s a crucial time. In fact, Watkins argues that impressing your manager and colleagues within the first 90 days is not only essential to your success in your current role but also for your overall career.
Fortunately, it’s not as difficult as it sounds—if you know how to make the right impression by following these tips from Watkins.

LearnVest: Why are the first 90 days on the job so important?


Watkins: My research shows that what you do early on during a job transition is what matters most. Your colleagues and your boss form opinions about you based on limited information, and those opinions are sticky—it’s hard to change their minds. So shape their impressions of you to the best of your ability.
Why 90 days, specifically? It’s a quarter, which is a recognized time frame in the business world. Companies often track how they’re doing based on how much progress they make each quarter—and you should too.

What’s a key way to make a good impression from the get-go?


Watkins: I see people focus too much on the technical job skills and not enough on the company’s politics. Build key relationships early. Ask your boss, “Who is it critical that I get to know?” And then invite those people to coffee or lunch and pick their brains. Don’t just focus “vertically” on managers above you—also create “horizontal” alliances with colleagues. You want to have support at all levels.

You’ve mentioned that people can quickly fall into vicious cycles if they’re not careful. What does that mean—and how does it happen?


Watkins: Once the die is cast in one direction or the other, it tends to be self-perpetuating—and it can turn into a negative feedback loop if you’re not careful. For example, if you make early mistakes, people will look at you as ineffective going forward because they’ll be looking at you through a darkened lens. If you’re late your first week, you may be seen as lazy or irresponsible—and that reputation can be tough to shake. If you make a bad call and the company loses money, your judgment may be called into question when it comes to future decisions.

Given that there’s usually a learning curve during a transition, how can you be extra careful to prevent mistakes?


Watkins: Take time to observe the office culture, and try your best to blend in. Always listen before you speak. Sometimes people feel a need to prove themselves early on, so they form an opinion before they really know what they’re talking about.
THROW WORK-LIFE BALANCE OUT THE WINDOW FOR A WHILE. THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR LOGGING THE TIME AND DIGGING IN.
Also, don’t talk about your previous company or put awards that you won at your previous employer on your office wall. Nobody wants to hear or see that, especially if your old company is considered a competitor.
Lastly, follow up. If you promise someone something, make sure you deliver what you said you would on time. That builds trust.

Is there a way to speed up the learning process?


Watkins: Throw work-life balance out the window for a little while. There’s no substitute for logging the time and digging in. This can be especially challenging if you have a family, so see if your spouse or a grandparent can help out more during this time. Or perhaps you can hire someone to help temporarily with childcare.
Also seek a mentor. Is there someone at the company who has done what you’re doing before? Enlist that person’s help and offer help in return. For instance, maybe a colleague can show you how to master the internal computer system and, in return, you can teach that person how to craft an effective tweet. Every networking relationship is an exchange.

You’ve talked about assessing your vulnerabilities within the first 90 days. Why is this important?


Watkins: There’s always a risk you’ll gravitate toward the parts of the job that you enjoy and feel you’re good at—and ignore the parts of the job that you dislike or aren’t as good at. It’s like a right-handed person who favors her right arm—the muscles in her right arm will grow, but the muscles in her left arm won’t. Try to become more ambidextrous, so to speak, so you’re well-rounded.
The first step is to identify your strengths and weaknesses, so make a list. The second step is to force yourself to prioritize job responsibilities in terms of importance, rather than preference. For example, maybe you love giving presentations, but you hate building spreadsheet models. Yet building spreadsheet models is what’s likely to get you a promotion. The concern is that you’ll schedule too many presentations and either put off or outsource building spreadsheet models.
This strategy won’t help you become more well-rounded or get ahead, so create a rule that you can’t schedule a presentation until you’ve spent a certain number of hours building spreadsheet models. By forcing yourself to do this, you might become faster at it and perhaps even learn to enjoy it.

What can you do to make your boss like, respect and trust you from the start?


Watkins: Be proactive because it’s your responsibility to make the relationship work. If your boss doesn’t reach out much, make it a point to check-in regularly. Ask how your boss prefers to be contacted—in person, via phone, by email—and how often.
And manage expectations—bosses don’t like surprises. If something is taking a turn for the worse, let your boss know there’s a problem and how you will solve it. These strategies will help your boss get up to speed and realize you’re reliable.

What are some common pitfalls when dealing with a new boss?


Watkins: Some people try to change their boss but that doesn’t work. You need to be accustomed to your manager’s style and idiosyncrasies. Maybe, for instance, your boss loves meetings and you don’t. If you follow her lead and schedule them, you’re more likely to please her.
It’s also crucial to do work that matters to your boss. Even if you wouldn’t prioritize in the same way, you should prioritize the way your boss does in the first 90 days.
Of course, if your boss asks you to do something unethical or illegal, then you may feel the need to push back immediately. But if you disagree about something less fundamental, like how often to communicate, wait to tactfully bring up your concern after the first 90 days.
AS YOU MOVE UP, RECOGNIZE THAT THE SKILLS THAT HELPED YOU EXCEL AT YOUR LAST JOB WON’T NECESSARILY MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE.
Say: “I’ve been checking in with you daily. It feels to me like we’re doing well together. Do you still think it’s necessary to check in daily, or can we go to a weekly check-in?” When you present it in the form of a question, you’re still respecting your boss’s authority and leaving the decision up to your boss.

Why is it crucial to be flexible and adaptable in a new role?


Watkins: As you move up, recognize that the skills that helped you excel at your last job won’t necessarily make you successful in your current role. Say a great salesperson becomes a manager. Maybe this person can persuade customers to buy products—but doesn’t know what to do when employees come in late or don’t meet quotas.
Recognize what new skills your new job requires—and grow into the position. Some skills will come naturally to you as you spend more time on new tasks, but you may require extra help for others. See if there are any free online programs or books you can read that would boost your knowledge. Then talk to your human resources manager to see if the company offers internal programs or discounts on outside conferences or classes that might accelerate your learning.

In your book, you talk about securing an “early win.” What does that mean?


Watkins: Build credibility by being seen as someone who is learning and connecting with the organization. So if, say, one of your products is struggling, perhaps your “early win” is to push through a decision to either kill it or devote more resources to it and pump up sales. Or perhaps you hire a new manager or arrange an event that boosts morale to quickly turn things around.
I worked with someone in the pharmaceutical industry who was tapped to run a $2 billion company. He decided that he would take 30 days to talk with people in the company before he even started his job. He spoke to everyone—senior people, junior people, support people. And when Day One finally came, everyone felt like he’d already been there. They admired his passion, curiosity and sincerity, and after 90 days, he was seen as being on top of the business.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Stupid Simple Skinny Salmon | Re-Post

salmon4Hello wonderful people!! I’m currently traveling and can’t wait to share my trip recap with you when I’m back! In this post about my top skin foods, I promised you a tutorial on my method for making salmon, so in this post I’m going to show you. I have to admit, I’m a little hesitant to even call this a “recipe” because it’s sooooo freakin simple, but simple is always the most relevant quality of a recipe for me when I’m cooking. The simple dishes and preparations are the things that become staples in my meal rotation. You all know how I feel about fats and different kinds in cooking, so one of my biggest pet peeves is restaurant dishes dripping in oil. I don’t avoid oil or fats by any means, but most restaurants just aren’t using good ones. More often than not, it’s a cheap vegetable oil like soybean or canola that gets thrown into a pan at an extremely high heat in about triple the amount you’d use when cooking for yourself. Salmon is such a fatty fish already (the good fats!) so it renders a lot of high quality delicious oil when cooking. I never understand why restaurants add a shit ton of gross oil on top of that. One way to avoid needing oil when cooking salmon is to bake it instead of cooking it in a pan or skillet. It will stick in a skillet, so the oil is necessary to avoid that. When baking, that’s not an issue and it’s much cleaner because you can line the baking sheet with parchment like I have done in the photo below and throw it away when you’re finished. Here is a step by step description of what exactly I do:


STUPID SIMPLE SKINNY SALMON
1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3) Place salmon on the parchment lined baking sheet.  I like using approx 5-6oz fillets – cooking too large of a piece will make it tougher for an even doneness because the outer edges will cook faster than the thick center. More often than not, I just ask the guy at the fish counter for roughly 1lb of salmon cut into 6 oz fillets. Otherwise, I just eyeball it and cut it myself.
4) Now here’s the super simple flavor secret. Sprinkle a generous amount of coarse sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary on top of the salmon. That’s it. No oil, no sauce, no marinating. Just a healthy amount of those spices. I like to sprinkle a bunch on top, flip it over on all sides and pick up the remnants that fall off. The spices stick really nicely to the salmon and infuse it in the oven with a delicious aromatic flavor. You can tweak it up and do whatever you like though – a squeeze of lemon and dill, fennel oregano, or parsley would be delicious too. It’s really up to you!
salmon3
5) Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending on your desired done-ness.salmon1
6) Using a spatula, put it on your plate, and eat it. I always eat an avocado with my salmon OR an avocado salad. The salmon is always tender and flaky because all of it’s natural oils are released when it cooks and keeps it moist. MMMMM!salmon2Ok! I hope that helps some of you who may not know how to cook fish or have never tried have a super simple and non-intimidating way to start! Try it and let me know what you think!

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Dream | Lifestyle

Hello loves! I hope that today finds you well. I wanted to share a little piece of my heart with you in hoping that it inspires you. All my life I have loved writing stories and daydreaming about all kinds of things. Teachers could never get me to concentrate and I would spend hours in my room filling spiral notebooks with my thoughts. The thought of being a writer was so interesting and luckily the curiosity I found for it still intrigues me to this day. Over the past 10 years I would say that I have started about 100 different stories but never finished any of them. Every few months I will set down again and try to create something else but I always get stuck or get in my head about an idea. Up until now I never really had a direction with it but I think I'm finally getting some clarity. So with that said, I'm going to try to write again. Don't ask me what it's about because I don't know and I probably wont know for a while. I will however keep you updated! I will say goodnight and sweet dreams. XO, Erica

Friday, October 17, 2014

Get To Cleaning | How To

FORGIVE ME!! I feel like it's been ages since I was able to sit down and actually blog. MY schedule has been insane full. How are you love muffins?! Do you know what you're going to be for Halloween?! I'm still going back and forth between a couple of them. I love getting to play around with makeup around Halloween! There are so many good how to's on youtube now days that you can pretty much transform yourself with everyday makeup. The only thing I really need to do before I use them is clean all of my tools. When I found this cute how to I knew I needed to share it with you! XO 

The downside: you shelled out a pretty penny for all those brushes and beauty tools. And unfortunately in the year 2013, self-cleaning makeup tools have not risen to the top of technology’s greatest innovations (a girl can dream, right?). The upside: you can pin this handy dandy infographic and have a how to clean anything cheat sheet available to you at all times. That’s right, ladies, no more excuses! 
how to clean makeup brushes

How to Clean a Makeup Sponge

  1. Wet. Run the sponge under warm water.
  2. Lather. Using a few drops of mild soap or gentle shampoo work any product out of the sponge with your fingers.
  3. Rinse. Rinse the sponge until the water runs clear.
  4. Dry. Wring it out and pat dry with a clean towel. Allow the sponge to air dry, or if you prefer to use it damp, go ahead and put it to work.
  5. Repeat. Makeup sponges should be cleaned after every few uses or once there is no longer a clean, unused section. Rinsing the sponge with warm water after each use will also help keep the germs away and your sponge in good condition.

How to: Clean Your Makeup Brushes

  1. Rinse. Rinse the bristles, always with water streaming down–you want to avoid running water directly into the base of the brush, which can weaken the glue and shorten the lifespan of your brush.
  2. Cleanse. Work a small amount of gentle shampoo (we prefer to use baby shampoo) into the bristles. Lather, rinse, and repeat until the water runs clear.
  3. Disinfect. Now that your brushes are clean, it’s time to disinfect. Mix a solution of 2 parts water and 1 part vinegar in a shallow bowl. Swoosh the brush around in the bowl for a minute or two (again, trying not to submerge it fully). Rinse with fresh water.
  4. Dry. Reshape the bristles and lay clean brushes flat on a towel overnight to dry.
  5. Repeat. Clean your brushes every other week to keep the germs away from your makeup and off your skin.

How to: Clean Your Hairbrush

  1. Prep. Remove as much hair from the bristles as you can. Using a comb or toothpick can help you grab what your fingers may miss.
  2. Soak. Fill a bowl with water and add a few drops of clarifying shampoo. If your brush is plastic, soak it for three to five minutes. If your brush has a fabric head, do not soak it, but dip the bristles in the water a few times.
  3. Scrub. To get those bristles good as new, take an unused toothbrush, wet it with the soapy water and give it a good scrub. Rinse with fresh water.
  4. Dry. Lay the brush bristle-side down on a towel to allow water to drain out of the base. Leave it to dry overnight.
  5. Repeat. Give your brush a bath once a month to prevent product buildup from comprising the quality of your lovely locks.

How to: Clean Your Metal Tools

  1. Wash. For metal tools like tweezers, eyelash curlers, eyebrow trimmers, cuticle nippers, and nail clippers, wash them down using water and antibacterial soap. Pat dry with a clean towel.
  2. Sanitize. Thoroughly wipe down the tool with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. Allow it to dry for a few moments. If the tool comes in contact with your face, rinse it with water (no need to rinse your nail tools). Pat dry with a clean towel.
  3. Repeat. Ideally these types of beauty tools should at least be washed with soap and water after each use, if not sanitized as well. Aim to give them the full treatment every two weeks. Store your tools in a clean container to safeguard your hard work.
When was the last time you cleaned your makeup tools (be honest!)?

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Why You Shouldn't Care What People Think | Lifestyle

post2
Ahhhhh, this quote makes me smile

It feels good to say and good to think. A lot of times, we care waaaaaay too much what people think. We accept the status quo and work hard at pleasing others, often at the expense of our own happiness or true desires. We care how doing certain things will make us look, what people are saying about us behind our backs, what our friends and family will think of us, how we are being perceived, etc etc. But when all is said and done and we do the expected thing we “should” do we aren’t usually that stoked on life. What’s up with that?
 
Living in a way that takes what other people think into the utmost concern before our own personal dreams/goals/desires is a terrible way to live. Not being true to yourself and living out of accordance with your purpose is exhausting. Being a follower because it’s the “safest” and most comfortable way to be slowly but surely chips away at our sense of self and confidence.   About 3.5 years ago, I dropped out of law school. The only reason I really ended up there in the first place was that my dad is an attorney and I wanted to please him and do something he would be proud of and deem acceptable. Plus, that’s just what people do right? They go to college, get a degree, go to grad school, get another degree, go to work, provide for their family, save for retirement, retire, and die. Sounds fun yeah? Yeah….sure. And do they do this because they love what they’re doing or because they’re fearful of what will happen to their life if they don’t? For a few, the former will be true, but for the majority, it’s the latter. And as we know, all of our decisions are made from fear and love.
 
When I dropped out, I cared SO much what people would say and think about me that I just didn’t tell anyone. My parents didn’t know, my friends didn’t know, and nobody other than my school advisor knew. I needed space and time to come to terms with it without judgment or pressure. It all happened when I was studying for finals in the library after months of being completely miserable with my chosen path and started breathing heavily and sweating. I quickly realized I was freaking out. In the middle of the library I was having a full blown panic attack and I couldn’t control how quickly I was losing my cool and feeling totally and completely swallowed up by fear and panic. I got up and made a mad dash to my academic advisor. I asked for withdrawal papers as I was snotting and tearing up all over her. She looked part alarmed/confused/and pitiful of my state and within 10 minutes I had signed my own release forms from law school. My entire direction changed in an instant and all of my hard work was blown to pieces. I walked to my car with an eerie sense of calm and for the first time in months and months, a little hope.
 
The next several months were a blur. I had no sense of direction, so I woke up everyday, got dressed in work-like attire, and took my laptop to Coffee Bean at 8:30am to map out my new life. Did I want to go back to school for something else? Did I want to move back home? How and when would I eventually tell my parents? Should I go to Europe and somehow tell my parents it’s a study abroad for school so they would pay for it until I figured out my next move? Should I get a retail job to kill time and make some money? It became exhausting TRYING so hard to just be happy and figure out what I really wanted my life to be. So, I finally stopped trying and just starting doing what felt good. And that was tons and tons of yoga. I went to classes all day everyday, and 2 months later I was enrolled in a teacher training.
 
I began working at the studio teaching some classes and working the front desk. I always had my cold pressed juice at work because I had started juicing many years ago to deal with the effects of Celiac’s disease and it was an important part of my diet. Celiac’s is an autoimmune intolerance to gluten that I dealt with my entire childhood in the form of eczema, an autoimmune skin rash all over my body. When I was finally diagnosed, I had a lot of digestive trauma and malbsorption issues from consuming gluten for so long without knowing it was the root of my health problems. I began juicing as a teenager to heal my digestive tract and absorb nutrients in an easily digestible way with minimal digestive labor or abrasion. I saw my health take a major turn for the better and was fascinated with nutrition and the healing power of food from then on.
 
Fast forward a few months working at the studio and a guy named Eric walked in to take classes. We were both drinking juice and struck up conversation about it. It turned out he was a raw food chef and we had a major shared interest in nutrition. We geeked out about all things health and quickly became best friends. Over the course of the next year, we built up a home delivery juice business throughout San Diego, and got the attention of 2 investors (now our partners). That home delivery business is now the Suja you know today. When Suja hit shelves, I finally told my parents I hadn’t been in school for quite some time. And nothing ever felt more relieving. It was like I had removed the mask and was showing who I really was. The jig was up and I was free.
 
So, what’s the point? The point is, I could tie up what I’m doing with my life with a pretty pink bow and make it sounds so nice, but that wouldn’t be the true story. I didn’t just graduate, know I wanted to start a juicing business, and run off into the sunset happy as could be. I had NO IDEA I would end up doing this. Sure I had been juicing and extensively researching nutrition for years, but I never thought I could actually make that my “job”. That’s just not typical and not what people do. That was a hobby, not a career. Or so I was raised to believe…
 
The reality is, we are a tiny speck of existence in the big scheme of things and nobody will know our names in 100 years. And if they do, we won’t be around to enjoy it. So why do we care so much what people say or think about us and actively participate in creating our lives in accordance with what’s acceptable or admirable based on society’s standards? Nothing really matters when you realize how small our lives are and how quickly they go by. We can all really do whatever we want. The reason we are here is to live in accordance with our purpose. We all have those things that make us excited, inspired, and invigorated and for some reason we tend to feel they aren’t worthy of becoming our life’s work. I remember being a child and thinking I really wanted to be an artist but believing I couldn’t realistically do that. Because art wasn’t a safe desk job that would provide for a family unless you were a Monet or Picasso. And I couldn’t be like them because I was just average like everybody else. They were famous and special. So, I set out to be like my parents and everyone else around me. And I ended up miserable until I undid it all and got back to me and who I really am and did what really makes me tick.
 
If you love something, do it. If you have a dream, chase it. Don’t be scared to jump. You have to dive in headfirst if you ever want to swim anywhere fun, exciting, and beautiful. It’s for sure uncomfortable and scary to step into the unknown and do things against the grain. And it’s definitely a little tough to brush off what people say or think and the expectations placed upon us. But who really cares what they think? They don’t have to live your life. They don’t have to wake up and be you everyday. So what they say or think doesn’t really matter. How you feel does.
 
If you’re struggling in a situation that’s not right for you or searching for something you feel missing, don’t ignore those feelings. Listen to them closely and take a good look at your life, the choices you make, and why you make them. Is there anything wrong with being a doctor, a lawyer, or an accountant? No! If that’s what you love, do whatever it takes to be that and don’t stop until you’re there. But if you’re doing something because you think you should be doing it, you will never be truly happy in that place. I urge you to stop trying so hard and let the things you’re passionate about take over. Don’t be afraid to make changes and follow your heart. Let judgments, expectations, and negative comments pass right by you. Only you know the right direction for you.

Have you ever let the opinions of others dictate your actions? Do you still?

Monday, October 13, 2014

12 Tips For Starting a Business in College | Re-Post

This month, Her Campus is celebrating its fifth birthday. It's now the number one global community for college women and college marketing firm — and its founders got there with no money, no experience, and absolutely no business education, all while still in college. Here's how they did it.

























1. Follow your passions (and ignore the haters).
If you do what you love and immerse yourself in industries you're passionate about, you'll be the best 
person to see where holes exist that you can fill. The three of us met as undergrads at Harvard while 
working on a student lifestyle-and-fashion magazine that we transitioned online. While some of our 
fellow students thought our site was "fluffy," we realized we had hit on something that had huge 
potential, and we got the idea to launch Her Campus. We knew we could bring it to that full potential, 
because we were passionate about serving college women — and nobody else was engaging that 
demographic in that way at the time.
2. Create a killer team.
It's very difficult to start a successful company all by yourself, from a skills perspective (no one person 
possesses all the skills needed to run a company), a time perspective (there are only so many hours in 
the day!), and a morale perspective. Starting a company is tough and comes with lows only a 
co-founder can dig you out of. It's important to find co-founders whose skills complement your own 
and whom you absolutely love to be around!
3. Pump out a business plan.
When Harvard's business-plan competition came around, we decided to use the competition to turn our 
ideas into a reality. Entering a business-plan competition is a fantastic way to force yourself to flesh out
 your idea and to give yourself a hard deadline. It doesn't matter if you win the competition (although 
it's certainly nice!), because the exercise of writing a business plan is so valuable in itself. We won the 
Harvard business-plan competition and got free office space as part of the prize, which became the 
very first Her Campus office.
4. Find good mentors.
We knew pretty much nothing about any aspect of business, so we set out to find mentors who did.
 Whether it was going to hear relevant speakers at Harvard or connecting with anyone and everyone we
 had met through past internships, we made a point of networking like crazy. While being young can 
absolutely be an advantage, being young also means you're way behind the competition as far as 
knowledge and skills go, simply because you don't have the experience that more seasoned people do.
 Seek out people you admire, and be ballsy about meeting them, introducing yourself, and following 
up, because it will pay off. Find mentors in a variety of areas you know you'll need help with (for 
example, web, marketing, and fund-raising), and make a point of asking for advice from them when 
you run into something you haven't seen before.
5. Put the pressure on yourself.
We spent the summer after winning the business-plan competition living together in a tiny, horrible 
apartment in New York City, each holding internships while working on Her Campus on the side in 
order to launch that fall. We had a completely crazy few weeks and nights leading up to the launch,
 including a last-minute all-nighter, but we did it and HerCampus.com went live on Sept. 16, 2009.
 Give yourself a deadline, and find a way to hold yourself to it, like we did with preprinted flyers!
 Otherwise, you can spend forever planning and researching and literally never launch — or a 
competitor will beat you to it.
6. Associate yourself with big names.
Our first client, Juicy Couture, signed on to advertise with us before the site had launched, thanks to 
Windsor's repeated cold calls to their marketing department! The money we gained from that sale was 
more than enough to cover our initial start-up expenses, so we were profitable before the site had even 
launched. Even more valuable than the advertising dollars we got (which were still pretty minimal) 
from Juicy Couture? The name recognition that came along with it. Once you have one big name 
onboard, that brand's competitors will take notice and want to work with you too. Our first advertisers, 
although not high-paying, allowed us to create powerful case studies that showcased our unique 
marketing capabilities and made Her Campus look legitimate by association with these big names.
7. Use whatever resources are available.
During our senior year at Harvard, we tapped into every possible resource we could to get our business 
off the ground. We had free office space through the business-plan competition and free legal help 
through a program at Harvard Law, and we had friends of ours writing for us for free. The business 
was going well enough that by halfway through that school year, we had decided to pursue Her 
Campus full-time after graduation. It didn't matter that we didn't have investors, capital, or many 
resources. We took advantage of what we did have access to in that year to allow our business to grow.
 Most colleges have resources that can help you; you just need to be resourceful and dedicated about 
seeking them out!
8. Fake it 'til you make it.
Over that first year out of college, Her Campus continued to grow, and we were lucky to be named to Inc.magazine's 30 Under 30 Coolest Young Entrepreneurs, among some other key press mentions.
 Regardless of the internal state of things, we promoted the heck out of every piece of press we got, 
every new advertiser we signed on, and every new partnership we secured in order to portray the 
image that our business was on fire. There can be lots of ups and downs and uncertainties when you're 
running a startup. However, it's critical to make everyone on the outside think you're doing amazing, 
even though you know that on the inside, things can feel like they're on the verge of falling apart at 
any moment.
9. Frugality is key.
Even after we graduated and the company started making a little more money, we stayed practical 
financially. Keeping your money in the business allows you to hire more people and invest in resources
 that will lead to much larger dividends for you long-term. This mind-set is one that we still adopt 
today even now that the business is doing much better financially, because once you start to just spend,
spend, spend, you're no longer running a lean business and you're poised to drive your business into 
the ground.
10. Exercise self-discipline.
As time went on, the business started to run more and more smoothly. Our traffic and campus-chapter 
numbers kept climbing, our editorial system ran like clockwork, and brands were consistently reaching
 out to us, wanting to advertise. At that point, we needed to give ourselves a schedule and deadlines so
 we could be sure not to let the business stagnate and coast. As an entrepreneur, you don't have a boss,
 so it's on you to make yourself work (at least!) a full workday every day and to hold yourself and your
 cofounders accountable.
11. Show patience and perseverance.
Over the next few years, our traffic, campus chapters, and revenues all continued to grow, we brought
 on bigger and bigger clients, and we hired our first employees. But there will always be ups and
 downs, even once your business is well off the ground. There were months when we had to defer our
 salaries, instances when huge projects and partnerships completely fell through, and times when
 something we put a lot of effort into totally bombed. And when things are going well, you can't get too
 comfortable in your success or else things will stagnate. You have to keep challenging yourself,
 creating more work for yourself, always looking toward what's next, and continuously setting higher
 and higher goals for yourself and for your company as a whole.
12. Start today!
Five years after we launched, Her Campus now has more than 250 campus chapters, more than
 3.5 million monthly readers, and our own beautiful office. Our last tip is to start today. You'll always
 be busy, and you're only going to get busier and have more "real" things to worry about as time goes
 on, so just get started on your idea now and let the momentum carry you forward! And don't think that
 you can't do it just because you're still in school or because you're not a business major or because you
 don't have enough in savings — because you can! But if you wait around forever just thinking instead
 of actually doing, you'll never get started. Just start now! We can't wait to see what you accomplish.