Simply Designed Life | Business, Lifestyle Design, and Productivity Tips From Women Entrepreneurs and Gamechangers

  Looking for some zen in your life? Sign up to become a valued member of the Simply Designed Life tribe, over at LoriRochino.com and you’ll receive the free Simply Designed Life E-Course: A 4-Day Kickstarter to Zen-Like, Productive Habits. The 4-day audio course is designed to help you stress less and have more calm and clarity in just 5 minutes a day with short, actionable micro-tasks you could easily implement in your busy day. So how is this going to work? You will receive one email a day over the course of four days in which you will receive a five-minute, easy-to-do exercise on productivity, self-care and personal growth. Plus, you will also receive regular news updates, including the latest podcast episodes from inspiring women entrepreneurs, game changers and creatives. You’ll receive a newsletter in both email and audio form so you have the option to either read on the go or listen while you are commuting to and from work, doing errands or working out. So, if you aren’t part of the Simply Designed Life tribe, please head over to LoriRochino.com and subscribe to become a valued insider, and get the free Simply Designed Life E-Course: A 4-Day Kickstarter to Zen-Like, Productive Habits. Plus get the latest podcast episodes, updates + more! Business and life are not linear at all. There are a lot of stops and starts in both. Trying something new will require a lot of courage as there’s a good chance you won’t get it right the first time. Mastering a new skill, a new habit, what have you will require that you leave the safety of your comfort zone and be open to learning something new. If you’re courageous and try something new, you’re going to learn that valuable lesson you’re supposed to learn, succeed or fail, swim or sink. If you learn in the process you need to pivot and change course, that’s okay because you’ve learned that valuable lesson along the way. That’s interesting because back in Episode 59 social media expert Sarah DeGeorge echoes when she talks about how to take a step back from your business and rebrand, get back on the bandwagon and put yourself out there again. The biggest takeaway from these conversations is, despite having a successful career, if there are other areas of your life that need attention, such as your health, it’s okay to take a step back and refocus your efforts.  But don’t give up entirely, because if you do believe in your work, you should keep going because it is such a gift to the world and that persistence can help others who may feel doubt, who may not be as courageous, and who could use the lessons learned in their own growth. An example of this is with my conversations with married couple author Jennifer Miller and Entrepreneur Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Jason Pfifer. They discuss book and magazine publishing and the importance of not only producing great work but standing up for it. In this two-part conversation, Episode 57 and Episode 58 we learn about having the courage and confidence to stand up for your work, find the opportunity in every challenge that you encounter. Speaking of book publishing, we hear from McGraw Hill Editor, yoga instructor and lifestyle blogger Cheryl Ringer over on Episode 63 on how to get published, the importance of having a compelling hook and establishing a platform. She also dives into her productivity hacks for getting things done despite not drinking coffee which is amazing in my book! I love our conversation not only on book publishing but also her thoughts on yoga and meditation, which is great because I already feel relaxed talking about our conversation.  Now if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed in that you probably love hearing all this great wisdom and getting the information to lead the best life you can, but you’ve got a busy work and family life, work and personal responsibilities, but still would like to implement digestible tips you could incorporate in your day to day to help you be more productive and se...

  Looking for some zen in your life? Sign up to become a valued member of the Simply Designed Life tribe, over at LoriRochino.com and you’ll receive the free Simply Designed Life E-Course: A 4-Day Kickstarter to Zen-Like, Productive Habits. The 4-day audio course is designed to help you stress less and have more calm and clarity in just 5 minutes a day with short, actionable micro-tasks you could easily implement in your busy day. So how is this going to work? You will receive one email a day over the course of four days in which you will receive a five-minute, easy-to-do exercise on productivity, self-care and personal growth. Plus, you will also receive regular news updates, including the latest podcast episodes from inspiring women entrepreneurs, game changers and creatives. You’ll receive a newsletter in both email and audio form so you have the option to either read on the go or listen while you are commuting to and from work, doing errands or working out. So, if you aren’t part of the Simply Designed Life tribe, please head over to LoriRochino.com and subscribe to become a valued insider, and get the free Simply Designed Life E-Course: A 4-Day Kickstarter to Zen-Like, Productive Habits. Plus get the latest podcast episodes, updates + more! I’m super excited to present our next guest, Cheryl Ringer, whom I was able to meet at the BlogHer Conference over in New York City last year. Cheryl is one of those cool people with lots of energy, strong work ethic, but yet has a chilled-out zen presence. Well, it makes sense as she’s got 200 hours of yoga instruction under her belt. While I’m not a yogi per se, I do indulge in the occasional yoga class from time to time and it’s certainly a great, relaxing habit to add in one’s life. Anyway, you’ll hear Cheryl’s amazing story on how she was able to turn a failure into a success so she’s finally in a place to do work that she enjoys. If you’ve ever been interested in traditional publishing, you’ll love this episode as it can give you ideas on how to pitch your book to an editor. Who is Cheryl?  Cheryl Ringer is the creator of and voice behind personal and professional development site, With Cheryl. With Cheryl offers readers practical, fun, and applicable advice to boost their life and career from where they are now to where they want to be. Join Cheryl to gain practical insights and learn about topics including habits, goal setting, organization, mindfulness, productivity, and much, much more. Aside from a blogger, Cheryl is a business book editor, 200-Hour registered yoga teacher, dancer, avid reader, runner, productivity nerd, and constant learner. She lives in New York with her husband. Quotes from Cheryl Make sure that there is a hook, that there is something that differentiates your book from what's out there right now. Say you want to publish within the leadership category in business. There are tons of leadership books out there right now. What is it that's going to make someone say, 'Now that's the one I need to pick up, that's the thing that makes this different from XYZ books that were also published this year in the leadership space.' The second thing I would emphasize is platform. So the more you are getting content out into the world—whether it be through a podcast or writing on your blog, writing for HBR, Forbes, Inc.—any of those big outlets that you can get your content out there, make sure that content also relates to the topic of the book. That's going to be super helpful. (12:46) I'm definitely someone who likes to help other people—so being able to help these authors to get their word out to more people. And then, what I thrive on is to make sure their content is helping other people. So someone who picks up a book on a bookshelf, I want them to be able to transform their lives, and that's what I get excited about, the fact that what I'm doing can help someone to improve something that they're doing. (14:49)

Looking for some zen in your life? Sign up to become a valued member of the Simply Designed Life tribe, over at LoriRochino.com and you’ll receive the free Simply Designed Life E-Course: A 4-Day Kickstarter to Zen-Like, Productive Habits. The 4-day audio course is designed to help you stress less and have more calm and clarity in just 5 minutes a day with short, actionable micro-tasks you could easily implement in your busy day. So how is this going to work? You will receive one email a day over the course of four days in which you will receive a five-minute, easy-to-do exercise on productivity, self-care and personal growth. Plus, you will also receive regular news updates, including the latest podcast episodes from inspiring women entrepreneurs, game changers and creatives. You’ll receive a newsletter in both email and audio form so you have the option to either read on the go or listen while you are commuting to and from work, doing errands or working out. So, if you aren’t part of the Simply Designed Life tribe, please head over to LoriRochino.com and subscribe to become a valued insider, and get the free Simply Designed Life E-Course: A 4-Day Kickstarter to Zen-Like, Productive Habits. Plus get the latest podcast episodes, updates + more! I had the good fortune of meeting Victoria Mavis—a professional magician— at Podcast Movement in Philadelphia last year. One of the things we had in common was having women entrepreneurs in our audience, so we decided then and there to go on each other's podcasts! I appeared as a guest on her show Pure Mind Magic Podcast, which if you’re interested, you can listen to the interview via the link on the show notes at LoriRochino.com/062). Now I’m thrilled to have Victoria over on my show at Simply Designed Podcast. Whether you’re a full-time entrepreneur, creative business owner or side hustler looking for tips on how to break through to your next level or get over those pesky mindset hurdles, you'll love this episode! Who is Victoria?  Victoria Mavis a professional magician and motivational speaker. She is one of only a few professional female magicians worldwide. She started doing magic at the age of 4 and had her first stage show at the age of 7. She is also the creator and host of Pure Mind Magic Podcast. She believes that we each have a superpower with unique abilities. We just may not know how to access and harness it yet. And, there are ways to train your mind to work better—just like a muscle—to turn you into the mind magician of your own life! She believes you can create the reality you have always wanted. This podcast will inspire you to do just that! Pure Mind Magic Podcast also offers practical advice, fascinating stories, and amazing guest expert interviews from people all around the world putting the magic of the mind to work for them. Quotes from Victoria  For sure, you have to have this clarity on your mind, and clarity is power, so you need to know the direction you’re heading and you need a plan to end up there. As I’ve said, when you have a strong “why,” you have this motivation as fuel  and you’re well-prepared to go there but you need this action plan, and you all know that speed of implementation is really important so it doesn’t help when you hold all the information and read a ton of self-help books and business books, and have this all in your mind, but this doesn’t take you anywhere. You have to take action. You have to implement what you have learned. And this is the only way, with the right mindset, taking action, having a plan, how you will end up at the top of the mountain of your own business. (16:50) Illusions are really difficult when it comes for example to making a car appear on stage. There’s really some engineering required, and there’s also doing this reverse engineering like going back from the end result to the very beginning and it’s sometimes really tough because it really requires this thinking and this clear thi...

We’re changing this up here. In the last episode, I mentioned this segment being more of a hybrid solo / mini-interview format and making this more of a bonus episode. In this episode, we’ll dive into the subject of coworking spaces, why one might need one, how one size does not fit all and some things to think about when considering using one. Whether you’re a full-time entrepreneur, creative business owner or side hustler on the lookout for dedicated space to work without breaking the bank, this episode will provide some insight on how to go about finding the right workspace for you. This special episode of Simply Designed Life Podcast will be broken down into three parts. In part I, I’ll be sharing my conversations with both my previous guests from Episode 60 with Kimi Morton and Pua Pakele + Cabot who planted the idea of choosing to work in a coworking space in the first place. They’re based out of Hawaii. In part II, we’ll bring on Katy Comber and Patty Kline Capaldo, the amazing founders of the Creative Light Factory outside of Philadelphia. In Part III, I’ll share my thoughts and insights on the coworking space experience, why one size doesn’t fit all, and what you could do to get started in coworking space journey if that’s what you choose to do for your creative project, side hustle or business at this time. Think of this as a short list of lessons learned and other insights you can take and put into place for your own situation.   Who are Kim and Pua?  Kimi Morton + Pua Pakele and Cabot are the founders of Best Life Ever and BLE Digital, and co-hosts of the Broke-ass to Badass podcast. They are fitness trainers turned corporate productivity coaches turned online business coaches. They are drawn together by a calling — a burning desire to help people fall (back) in love with their businesses and their lives! What started as a fun side hustle, Best Life Ever has grown into more than a business, it's a radical movement to empower people to follow their dreams and expand the way they think, work, and live in today’s modern world. At Best Life Ever, their mission is to support entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs ready to build and grow online businesses for more FREEDOM and FUN! Who are Katy & Patty?  Katy Comber is a graduate of Eastern University with a M.Ed in Mulitcultural Education, a B.A. in English, and a minor in Communications with concentrations in Creative Writing and Theater. Comber founded the website affinitycolabpresents.org, an online arts and lit magazine, and has taught literature and writing for nine years. She recently completed a rough draft of her first novel and participated in her first NaNoWriMo with a different project in 2017. Her works can be found in Paragon Press’ Lagom Journal; Meat for Tea Literary Review, and a self-published collection of poems: 40 Portraits of a Family.  Patty Kline-Capaldo earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and History from Indiana University and teacher certification from Ursinus College. She has hosted the Just Write Meetup for the past six years and also hosts an Artists Way group, Creative Light Circle. Working with these groups spawned the dream of a writer’s room that has manifested in Creative Light Factory. As a writer, teacher, and creativity coach, her passion is supporting writers and visual artists in their creative endeavors and seeing their creative dreams brought to fruition. Patty has been published in four anthologies and is perpetually working on her first novel. Patty lives in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Rich, and their three cats—Sarah, Splash, and Snapple.                             Motivational Monday Mastermind Strategy & Accountability Group Feeling overwhelmed with your projects and need help getting back on track? Want to FINALLY finish writing that book/ market your work to top media outlets/ fill-in-the-blank project?

So you know when you’re having a bad day, and you just need some motivational mojo or SOMETHING to get you going? I’ve got two guests who are able to bring their energy and enthusiasm for business and life. I’m really excited to share their story. We talk fight club, entrepreneurship, energy management, and why getting your first hater might actually be a good thing.   Who are Kim and Pua?  Kimi Morton + Pua Pakele and Cabot are the founders of Best Life Ever and BLE Digital, and co-hosts of the Broke-ass to Badass podcast. They are fitness trainers turned corporate productivity coaches turned online business coaches. They are drawn together by a calling — a burning desire to help people fall (back) in love with their businesses and their lives! What started as a fun side hustle, Best Life Ever has grown into more than a business, it's a radical movement to empower people to follow their dreams and expand the way they think, work, and live in today’s modern world. At Best Life Ever, their mission is to support entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs ready to build and grow online businesses for more FREEDOM and FUN! They serve with joy through their free Best Life Ever Tribe on Facebook, free Broke-ass to Badass weekly podcast, and signature 8-week program, Broke-ass to Badass, which is helping entrepreneurs around the world to create badass online businesses from a foundation of efficiency and productivity.                               Motivational Monday Mastermind Strategy & Accountability Group Feeling overwhelmed with your projects and need help getting back on track? Want to FINALLY finish writing that book/ market your work to top media outlets/ fill-in-the-blank project? Need support and a sounding board from a committed group of looking to “bring it” in 2019? Then this group is for you! Who This is Ideal For Writers, bloggers, authors, creatives, consultants, marketing professionals, heart-centric entrepreneurs who are a) committed to doing the work and following through b) need support in a particular area of business or creative process like actively marketing their creative work or figuring out what the next finished story/project looks like and WORKING it, c) ready to both provide support and receive support for their goals in a safe, positive space. WHERE: Greater Philadelphia Area & Online  WHEN: Every 1st & 3rd Monday starting MARCH 4 / 1:00PM-2:00PM / March-May /  $127 (group only) / $167 (group + full-day workshop party) / Facilitator: Lori Rochino             Words of Wisdom We really coach people to own your schedule so that you are designing your best life ever and having people opt into your schedule rather than … it can be completely vulnerable and overwhelming to have us available be completely available at all times. Scheduling calls and creative work around the times that we have the most energy is a really great time to start. (10:30) The biggest shift I think in terms of listening to our intuition was moving from working with corporations to working with entrepreneurs because we really wanted to follow what really lit them on the inside. (20:17) The more authentic that you are. The more you that you are. The more you fully allow yourself to be yourself, it opens up the floodgates, for people to be attracted to that vibration and you living YOUR best life is exactly what magnetizes clients to you. We actually saw a big jump and expansion in our business when we shifted to becoming more ourselves. And that’s been at every shift that we’ve made in our business. (22:48)   What You'll Learn How Kimi and Pua were able to transition from corporate training to entrepreneurship The importance of energy management in entrepreneurship How to rebrand your business along the journey How to create a life of freedom and fun Events + Resources:

Every new year brings great beginnings! While I’m not a big fan of resolutions or “new year, new you” themes, I’m a fan of shorter-term goals. I’m part of several mastermind and business strategy groups and we tend to follow a 12-week year model. Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to the time allotted, so rather than keep goals at an arbitrary time length with vague goals that is the typical full year, why not work in shorter sprints to get what you need done? In other words, we do our quarterly goals as though they were full years in order to get the most done in less time. The 12-week year is a productivity system created by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington in their book The 12 Week Year, where you, as the subtitle of the book states “get more done in 12 weeks than others do in 12 months." So it’s funny, in some ways our “new year” starts every quarter and we’re constantly setting new goals every 12 weeks. And what an opportunity for the changeup! Which is why I’m excited about our next guest. I had the opportunity to meet Sarah DeGeorge at the BlogConnect event in Philadelphia. Sarah is one of those people who you could sit down with a cup of coffee and have an authentic conversation with and easily lose track of time. I think the biggest takeaway from this conversation was, despite having a successful career, if there are other areas of your life that need attention, such as your health, it’s okay to take a step back and refocus your efforts. Without further ado, let’s get into the conversation.                 Podcasting is a lot of fun! You get to meet really awesome people and get to provide your audience with super useful content that can help them achieve their dreams. While it is fun, some also use podcasting as a business that brings in a full-time income. Imagine if you could make a full-time income just by interviewing one person each week or just doing a solo show. This is a vision that can turn into reality. But only with the right knowledge. So, that's why my friend Marc Guberti put together the ultimate virtual summit (

This episode continues the conversation with Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer. Just to recap to those brand new to Simply Designed Life Podcast just joining in, if you haven't listened to the previous episode, you may want to listen to it beforehand for context. That's episode 057: Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer Part I: On Storytelling & How to Thrive as a Creative. Here we cover their career paths and how they got to where they are today.  In Part II, we continue the discussion on leadership and how to create opportunities out of challenges. Jason and Jennifer will also share their tips and insights on how they manage to be productive with work and personal life—especially in a busy, high-cost-of-living area like New York City. We also discuss their new book, MR. NICE GUY. Inspired by their own time dating and working in New York City media, married couple Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer have written MR. NICE GUY (St. Martin’s Griffin; October 16, 2018), a provocative rom-com set in the world of Manhattan publishing. Taking an insider look at the magazine industry, gender dynamics, and being young and ambitious in an ever-changing city, MR. NICE GUY is the perfect read paired with a bowl of movie popcorn, extra butter. Who are Jennifer and Jason?  Jennifer Miller is a journalist and the author of three books. Her debut novel, The Year of the Gadfly (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), was called “a darkly comic romp” by The Washington Post and “entirely addictive” by Glamour. Jason Feifer is editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, host of the podcasts Pessimists Archive and Problem Solvers, and has been an editor at Men’s Health, Maxim, Fast Company, and Boston magazine. Jason and Jen met on OkCupid. She said "yes" to a date because Jason used a semicolon correctly in his first message to her. Yes, they are super nerds, but hey, it got them featured in the vows column of the New York Times. They live in Brooklyn with their 3-year-old, who they hope will never read this book. Words of Wisdom From Jason: You can choose to see speedbumps and conflicts as opportunities to build trust and to prove yourself. In fact, you're kind of fortunate to have some kind of challenge to go through where you have to sit down with somebody in a position of authority and work through it together and in so doing so show yourself to be extremely trustworthy and valuable to them, and also, in the same way, prove your value to yourself. You should not hope for smooth sailing. What you should hope for are opportunities to prove yourself and to work together above and below you. (10:08) You work with the information and that opportunities that you have. And you can always, always, always find value in whatever's in front of you. It may not be in the original way that you intended, but it could be in something else. (13:51) You could always find some other avenue, it's just about not giving up. (14:28) You just have to start deciding what's really important, and to me, work and family and friends are important and I can get to the other stuff later. (16:06) Don't be afraid to take control, and see the opportunities in front of you as the opportunities that you can command, and that's how we built our careers and that's how we run our days and our families. Once you can internalize that and feel good about that, there's an endless bounty that awaits. (21:45) From Jennifer: I think taking risks is really important and it was definitely a risk for me to get on the phone. I think finding somebody to support you taking that risk is also really important. It doesn't have to be your husband, it could be a colleague, close friend, somebody to talk through how you're going to approach addressing your issue to your superior, whatever that issue that might be. And just BELIEVING in yourself, believing that you deserve to be respected for your hard work, and really not shying away from advocating yourself.

For those finishing up this year's Nanowrimo, we have a treat. To those not in the know, National Novel Writing Month is an annual creative writing project that takes place during the month of November where participants attempt to write a 50,000-word manuscript. I myself have completed the challenge about 5 years ago and attempted it again this year. In this episode, we have a novelist and top magazine editor who will share their wisdom insights on their career paths in media.  Inspired by their own time dating and working in New York City media, married couple Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer have written MR. NICE GUY (St. Martin’s Griffin; October 16, 2018), a provocative rom-com set in the world of Manhattan publishing. Taking an insider look at the magazine industry, gender dynamics, and being young and ambitious in an ever-changing city, MR. NICE GUY is the perfect read paired with a bowl of movie popcorn, extra butter. Who are Jennifer and Jason?  Jennifer Miller is a journalist and the author of three books. Her debut novel, The Year of the Gadfly (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), was called “a darkly comic romp” by The Washington Post and “entirely addictive” by Glamour. Jason Feifer is editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, host of the podcasts Pessimists Archive and Problem Solvers, and has been an editor at Men’s Health, Maxim, Fast Company, and Boston magazine. Jason and Jen met on OkCupid. She said "yes" to a date because Jason used a semicolon correctly in his first message to her. Yes, they are super nerds, but hey, it got them featured in the vows column of the New York Times. They live in Brooklyn with their 3-year-old, who they hope will never read this book. Words of Wisdom From Jason: I think that it is great to have this job without the ambition of this job. I mean there was a time when I developed an ambition to be an editor-in-chief of a magazine. That wasn’t the original intention but I got there at some point. But life doesn’t move in a direct clear path. If you identify something hyper-specific that you wanna do, you will narrow yourself down and turn down all the amazing opportunities that can come along the way.  (8:53) My perspective on work is that you should always be working your next job. So you come into a job and you get good at it and then you look around and say, ‘What opportunities might I have available to me that nobody’s actually asking me to do? What is not part of the role day-to-day and yet could be ultimately the thing that could be the bridge to what comes next?’ (11:42) From Jennifer: Immerse yourself in communities and worlds that are different from what you grew up in, different from the ones you feel you automatically gravitate towards. It just gives you a lot of perspective and it gives you a lot of material. As a journalist I've found that to be extremely helpful for my fiction writing because a lot of the reporting that I do has introduced me to people and communities I would never have encountered otherwise—things like motorcycle riding, Vietnam veterans or Native American medicine men who are at the forefront of new mental health treatments or teachers who are doing really innovative things in their classrooms with technologies, all these things I learned about as a reporter. In various ways I was able to put it into fiction, so I had just a broader menu of things I just felt comfortable writing about. (14:41)  You're continually developing your voice and every book that you write has a different voice but searching for your voice and what is kind of unique about the perspective that you can bring and how you are communicating that perspective, that's actually a big theme in MR. NICE GUY. (16:33) In journalism, especially if you're writing in New York, the publications that tend to pay the best are women's publications, like the Cosmos, and the Glamours and the Marie Claires. You're actually gonna get generally more money writing for...

One of the things that hold people back from reaching and achieving their goals is mindset. Shocker? Not really. If you’ve ever read Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich which is a self-help bible of success there's this segment called “The Spur That Drives to Riches.” (If you don’t like reading books you could also watch the Think and Grow Rich legacy movie on YouTube that does a nice reenactment of some of the stories and concepts from the book. In that segment, in particular, a warrior faced a great army whose men had outnumbered his own, and he knew that if there was a way to retreat, his men would probably perish on the battlefield with an enemy much more powerful than they were. Courage in their hearts was needed and if there was no way for his men to retreat, they would fight like they had nothing to lose. So he ordered the boats to be burned and the men fought like they would win because they had to win otherwise they’d perish. (And of course, they won!) So bringing this back to everyday, modern life, while we don’t have the proverbial boats to burn, we do have a million distractions, from social media, text, mobile alerts, procrastination patterns and other things that we unconsciously allow us to retreat from those goals we set for ourselves. When you lose focus on what your intentions were, it could be a real uphill battle getting back on track. So I'm excited for Britny to share some words of wisdom on maybe not burning boats, but getting rid of those self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that keep us from getting what we want out of life. Listen in on the conversation. Feeling overwhelmed with business and life? Have bright shiny object syndrome and need help with focus? Introducing the Just Finish! Clarity Call for ending 2018 on a good note! For just $37 get 37 minutes of clarity coaching on one goal. As a productivity coach, I’m great at helping people simplify and organize their internal chaos so they can make room for the things that really matter. Imagine feeling more free and accomplished right before the new year! How does this work? 1) Email me at lori@lorirochino.com and in the headline write “I’m ready to finish!” 2) I’ll send you details on how we could work together for 37 minutes at $37 to hold your space. No pitch or gimmicks. We just work on your one thing to get you clear, focused and DONE! Offer good up until Friday, November 16, 2018. Have you ever thought of starting a podcast for your blog or business SOMEDAY? What if you had your podcast up and launched TODAY? Introducing the Simply Designed Podcast Launch for getting your show on the air! Ideal for mid-level content creators (authors, bloggers, coaches, consultants, and influencers) who want guidance and an action plan to get moving! 1) We’ll take 2 of your favorite blogs posts (or best pieces of content). 2) We transform them into your first 2 podcast episodes. 3) We’ll map out a basic podcast action plan with a framework and checklists so you or your team can continue to publish great episodes! Simply Designed Podcast Launch Investment: Original Price: $697 Sale Price: $497 You save $200! Offer good until Friday, November 16, 2018. How does this work? 1) Email me at lori@lorirochino.com and in the headline write “I’m ready to launch my podcast!” 2) I’ll send you details on how we could get this started! Sale price on the Simply Designed Podcast Launch is good up until Friday, November 16, 2018. Who is Britny?  Britny West is a mindset coach & money block healer for women in business who want to make a ton of money doing what they love without self-sabotaging. She helps her clients get out of their own way so they can live a life that's even better than their vision boards. Britny has a bachelor's degree in psychology, a master's degree in public health, and is certified as an Energy Editing® Professional. Her work has been featured in The Huffington P...

As mentioned in the previous Episode 54 with Fadra Nally, I’m happy to say that we've hit a milestone and passed 50 episodes of Simply Designed Life Podcast which I'm excited about! A big thank you to all the guests who’ve participated in making it happen and a big thank you for future guests scheduled to come onto the show. In this particular episode, I will address some of the highlights, and do a sort of retrospective on the last 50 plus episodes, and what's in store for the future of Simply Designed Life Podcast. Who is Lori?  Lori Rochino stumbled upon podcasting two years ago and has been hooked since. She created Simply Designed Life Podcast for entrepreneurs who want to simplify their busy lives in order to make room for the things that matter. She is a podcast & productivity coach with a corporate marketing background. She is the author of Fifty Shades of Simple: How to Prioritize in the Age of Information Overload. Her work has appeared in both national (SUCCESS, Huffington Post, YFS Magazine) and local (Philadelphia Style Magazine and Examiner) outlets. Why did I start this podcast? I had no big intention other than the fact that I was frustrated with the writing medium. I was an English Major with a Minor in Communications and women in business certifications at Chestnut Hill College, I've done marketing copywriting and editing for financial services and startups for about a decade both in-house and as a consultant and had all these communications skills, but I felt I needed something that felt more in alignment. Also, I didn’t feel connected when I did put my written work out there because there’s about 30 million active blogs by 2020, over 400K podcasts, and of course social media and other platforms, so it’s a very noisy distracting world out there in terms of getting any traction with connecting with people in general. The words I took time to craft were eyeball scanned on digital screens, praised here and there, then tossed aside. While feeling burnout from corporate writing, I learned that podcasting could actually complement the communications work that I was already doing. In the end, both podcasting and writing are mediums—one auditory, the other written—and both are necessary for reaching your audience or target market. In a way, podcasting changed me in seeing that perspective. I get to strategize on ways to take branding to the next level, simplify and educate on processes to those unfamiliar with the medium, or just find ways to be more productive to make time for it. You see, when I first started my podcast, Simply Designed Life, I wanted to take what Tim Ferriss said on lifestyle design in the Four Hour Workweek, and make it accessible to real-world people—whether that be busy parents, entrepreneurs, or 9-5’ers wanting more freedom in their lives. I wanted MY podcast to be an informational resource of great conversations about how to create a freedom lifestyle. That was MY mission, MY revolution, and the part of MY world I wanted to change. And the goal is to provide a framework—a simple one that is—where people can create their own version of a successful life that works for them, in whatever life category is the primary focus, whether that be for one's health, family, relationships, work, etc. That could be done by letting go of the things, relationships, situations that no longer work to make space for even better things to come! And so by interviewing amazing people on the show and developing some insights, thoughts, and ideas, I think we could all find ways to create more time, abundance, fulfillment and joy in many areas of life! Quotes from Lori Podcasting can take your branding to the next level in a lot of ways. These days my role now is to simplify the process because there are so many shiny objects out there. You know how it is. There's just so much noise out there as to what to use and I like to simplify things a little bit and also educate those not...

I'm happy to say that we've hit a milestone and passed 50 episodes of Simply Designed Life Podcast which I'm excited about! The last couple of months, I've been attending conferences, learning the latest in the podcasting, blogging, social media marketing and the publishing world. There's so much that's gone on, I'd been able to deep dive topics and connect with people in the industry which is particularly exciting! To update on the PMX Competition from Podcast Movement went pretty well, then on to BlogHer for some networking and educational opportunities and then off to MAPCon or Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference where I had the opportunity to present as a spotlight speaker and got to connect with new faces and reconnect with old friends, also while having the opportunity to have family come with me. So been pretty busy. If you're interested you can check out the Instagram Feed to see some coverage of the events. Who is Fadra? Fadra Nally started her blog, All Things Fadra, in 2009 as a way to showcase her writing and land a "real job." She soon discovered that life behind a keyboard beats a corner window office any day of the week. Since that time, she's built partner relationships with brands like Nintendo, National Geographic, Toyota, Disney, Fandango, and Netflix. Her work has been featured on The Stir, Working Mother, J&J Parents, and even inspired Chapter 10 of the well-known marketing book, Groundswell. In addition to her lifestyle blog, Fadra is also a Founding Contributor at ShesOnTheGo.com, a women’s travel website, and co-hosts a light-hearted entertainment podcast, Stinger, which focuses on TV and movies. Quotes from Fadra I love that I get to have flexibility for my family and I love that flexibility gives me the opportunity to experience things I never thought I would. To go on trips, to meet people, and just have experiences I would not otherwise be able to do. (12:23) I don't know if it's the right way, but I still believe there's something to be said for working hard, working honestly, and supporting your peers and that's what I continue to do. My numbers aren't as big as other people. I still haven't been offered a job on HGTV although I'm open to it. But I still believe in the path and the method by which I am achieving my own success and I stand by that. (15:48) And you look at some of these people who are highly successful and you know the millions of followers on Instagram, I mean it's almost like a modeling shoot. It's not what the platform started out as. You'll find a lot of those people crash and burn because they're tired of their life being posed and on display, and I'm not saying that's true for everybody, but even those people who reach those traditional levels of success find that they weren't finding what they were looking for. (20:18) Don't look at someone else's life based on what they're posting on Facebook or what someone's posting on Instagram because everybody has challenges, everybody is going through personal struggle, personal crisis and also celebrating successes that you may not be aware of so the biggest thing is just to focus on what makes you happy and what works for your family. (31:44)    What You’ll Learn How she realized her side hustle can become a full-time career The importance of resourcefulness in online business How she decided to launch a new podcast The pros and cons of owning a business Tips on how to manage work-life balance Websites: https://allthingsfadra.com/ https://stingeruniverse.com/ Social Media:  Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/        

This episode continues the conversation with Annett Bone. If you haven't heard the first part, please listen to Episode 052: Annett Bone Pt. I: A Dancepreneur's Inner Journey to complete the full story. In the first part, we discussed her entrepreneurship journey and how following her intuition was critical to getting into alignment with her goals. In the second part, we talk about strategic learning. In this day and age of distraction, shiny object syndrome and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). She gives some great tips on how to get focused enough to stay the course. Before we dig in, if you haven't already done so, please subscribe to the show! 1) You'll be able to easily access the first part of the conversation and 2) you'll continue to receive the latest episodes-- all from the convenience of your mobile phone! Just hit the Podcast App on your phone, search for "Simply Designed Life Podcast" or "Lori Rochino" and press "subscribe" to receive the second part and more great episodes to come! Who is Annett? Annett Bone is the founder and host of The DancePreneuring Studio Podcast where she guides her listeners on a journey of transformation inspired by dance, life, and business. The podcast is a reflection of all the lessons learned upon returning to dance after a 20-year hiatus. Because she returned to her passion for dance after giving it up for 20-plus years, she is constantly putting herself in uncomfortable situations where she can grow. She has a Bachelors Degree in Dance from the University of California Irvine, which at the time was ranked third in the nation for dance programs, behind Julliard and New York University. When she's not creating content or doing online marketing work, she can be found practicing yoga or checking out coffee shops other than Starbucks. Fun facts: 1) Korean is her first language. 2) She was once a fan club president for Puerto Rican boy band Menudo—popular back in the '80s. Quotes from Annett It's really interesting, this whole entrepreneurial journey and the educational conferences that are available, which I'm really thankful for now because there's so much to choose from and you can get from it what you want to get out of it.  (11:00) I'm all for women empowerment, but more than that, I'm all for human people empowerment because we're all the same. (15:59) Again, there's that balance of being proud, knowing your value and who you are and where you come from and honoring the amazing cultural backgrounds that people come from, but at the same time, not using that as a crutch. (19:10) You need to be thankful for the lessons that you learned, and you'll find that as you become more thankful and have gratitude for the things you have learned—the good things that have come out of situations—things will change. It might not change overnight. It might be apparent to you as quickly as you want, but just deciding to make that switch of 'I'm not gonna be a victim anymore, I'm going to decide to make these changes whatever it is.' (20:17)    What You’ll Learn How doing the uncomfortable tasks can allow for the most growth in one's personal development journey  How to find that line between taking a strategic approach and getting out of one's comfort zone The importance of conferences for continuing education for one's entrepreneurial journey Personal branding, styles of marketing oneself, especially as a woman, and finding that middle ground between self-promotion, valuing oneself, yet not being overly aggressive How she overcame the whole "victim" mentality in order to get the kind of results that she wanted Productivity habits and rituals that keep her going Websites: annettbone.com Social Media:  Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

The last month and a half have been filled with adventures and much learning. I'd gotten out of my comfort zone by participating in the PMx Competition at Podcast Movement, which is a Tedx style talk with a podcast focus. A big shout out to the organizers and participants I got to meet! While competitive, it was definitely more collaborative and I'm super thankful for both the opportunity and chance to connect with cool people! There's so much to share, and quite honestly I am currently figuring out how to break down all this goodness without the overwhelm. More details to come in another episode! In the meantime, I'm excited to introduce the next guest to Simply Designed Life Podcast, Annett Bone. My conversation with Annett is broken down into two parts. In the first part, we discuss her entrepreneurship journey and how following her intuition was critical to getting into alignment with her goals. In the second part, we talk about strategic learning, which I'm particularly excited about! Shiny object syndrome and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) are very real in this age of distraction. She gives some great tips on how to get focused enough to stay the course. Before we dig in, if you haven't done so already, please subscribe to the show. 1) You'll be able to easily access the second part of the conversation once it goes live. 2) You'll continue to receive the latest episodes--all from the convenience of your mobile phone! Just select the Podcast App on your mobile phone, search for "Simply Designed Life Podcast" or "Lori Rochino" and press "subscribe" to receive the second part and more great episodes to come! Who is Annett? Annett Bone is the founder and host of The DancePreneuring Studio Podcast where she guides her listeners on a journey of transformation inspired by dance, life, and business. The podcast is a reflection of all the lessons learned after returning to dance after a 20-year hiatus. Because she returned to her passion for dance after giving it up for 20-plus years, she is constantly putting herself in uncomfortable situations where she can grow. She has a Bachelors Degree in Dance from the University of California Irvine, which at the time was ranked third in the nation for dance programs, behind Julliard and New York University. When she's not creating content or doing online marketing work, she can be found practicing yoga or checking out coffee shops other than Starbucks. Fun facts: 1) Korean is her first language. 2) She was once a fan club president for Puerto Rican boy band Menudo—popular back in the '80s. Quotes from Annett Not every business model is for everyone and for someone to try to fit you into their box is not honoring to you and not honoring to them because everybody has a different path. (5:37) In terms of the entrepreneurial journey, I didn't honor the signals within myself, of what felt right, what didn't feel right, what didn't agree with my internal compass, and that's one of the biggest mistakes I did. (6:18) For me, that's when things really started to change when I started to change on the inside, and things on the outside started to change—when I started focusing more on that. (12:57) I just never thought that this audio thing would open up opportunities and also help me grow—like you said speaking in front of people and the immediate feedback—you're like 'Wow, I actually made a difference to this person.' I don't know what it was but it's very gratifying knowing that you can have a positive effect on someone by just expressing what has gone on in your life and hopefully giving them something they could implement as well and I think that's what it's all about. (29:35) What You’ll Learn Annett's background growing up with an entrepreneurial family who encouraged her to take the traditional route—go to college, get a job—which didn't resonate with her. It's okay not to fit into other people's idea of an entrepreneurial journey.

This episode is a continuation of my conversation with Joe Pardo. Last time, Joe discussed childhood dreams and business building over at Episode 50. This week’s we continue the conversation with Joe's inspiration for the Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference (otherwise known as MAPCon) where he gives the nuts and bolts of starting and running an event. But before we dive into the conversation, if you happen to be in the Philadelphia area, both Joe Pardo and I will be speaking over at Podcast Movement which will be held over at the Marriott in center city Philly July 23-26. I'll be speaking over at PMx, the Tedx style talk with a podcast focus that Monday, July 23rd. What is PMX exactly? PMx is an adaptation of TEDx talks with a competitive spin. PMx will be on Monday, July 23d from 9am – 3pm EST at the Marriott in Philadelphia, PA. A big Shout out to Cypress Resources who will be sponsoring the competition. Joe will lead a session during the event, so please come out for this awesome event if you're in the area as we'd love to connect!  Who is Super Joe Pardo? Super Joe Pardo is a New Jersey-based, sixth generation award-winning business owner who works with businesses and owners to help them grow by focusing on their team, offer and process. In 2014, Joe left his family’s $100 million business to start his own. Founding the award-winning show, The Business Podcast, his platform helps owners pursue the business and lifestyle of their dreams. Just recently, Super Joe released the much-anticipated Sales Won’t Save Your Business to further help business owners, managers, sales teams and aspiring leaders grow their business by focusing on the acronym TOP (Team, Offer and Process).  Quotes from Joe This is what I love about doing the conference the way we do it. Everyone is in the same room the entire time. That's where you build the jokes. That's where the running jokes come into play—inside jokes—that's where people get to rub elbows with the people that, like the Dave Jacksons, the Rob Greenlees, I don't want to name too many names because I'm going to forget... Mark Asquith, Harry Duran of Podcast Junkies, Jessica Kupferman She Podcasts... now I'm going to have to rattle off everyone's names because I'm going to forget someone and I'll feel bad because I'll forget someone, but they're in the room with you all day. (17:49) Be willing to 'Just do it!' like Nike says. If you don't know how to run speakers, how to put together a website and stuff, find people that do because there are people out there that will get involved and will donate their time, or be willing to invest your time to be willing to do those things. (19:59) Don't be afraid to take action and make mistakes. Everything I've done has not been perfect. We've run into different issues year after year and we tackle them one at a time. Again it goes back to being a professional problem solver. (20:54)  Figure out what it really is that you really love and then do more of it—and just keep doing more of it. Don't let those things hold you back like 'I don't know this, I don't know that'—and you're right. Most people that end up owning businesses and running businesses, they don't know either! I know that if you ask them, they were figuring it out too. Again, it goes back to, 'Am I willing to solve problems for a living?' (26:40) What You’ll Learn Joe's passion for running in-person events stemmed from his childhood experience of attending his family business' vendor nights to coordinating video game parties and discovering his love for bringing like-minded people together. The pros and cons, as well as dynamics between the bigger conferences versus smaller conferences. Joe's insight and experiences on getting sponsors, attendees, costs, space, keeping things simple to start and then growing the event each year as you get some successes going on. For those either aspiring to start or are starting an event,

This month, we’re featuring dads who rock at life on both the home and business front. Last week, Andy Shaw of Instafather shared precious moments on and how he and his wife skillfully manage family life with a kindergartner and 3-year old twins at Episode 49. On this week’s episode, Super Joe Pardo, founder of the Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference and father of two—including a newborn—discuss his entrepreneurial journey and how he manages business and life.  So with Joe Pardo, our conversation is broken down into two parts. This week, we'll discuss his childhood dreams and what led him to where he is today. In part two, we'll discuss his inspiration for MAPCon (again the Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference). But before we dive into the conversation, if you happen to be in the Philadelphia area, both Joe Pardo and I will be speaking over at Podcast Movement which will be held over at the Marriott in center city Philly July 23-26. I'll be speaking over at PMx, the Tedx style talk with a podcast focus that Monday, July 23rd. What is PMX exactly? PMx is an adaptation of TEDx talks with a competitive spin. PMx will be on Monday, July 23d from 9am – 3pm EST at the Marriott in Philadelphia, PA. A big Shout out to Cypress Resources who will be sponsoring the competition. Joe will lead a session during the event, so please come out for this awesome event if you're in the area as we'd love to connect!  Who is Super Joe Pardo? Super Joe Pardo is a New Jersey-based, sixth generation award-winning business owner who works with businesses and owners to help them grow by focusing on their team, offer and process. In 2014, Joe left his family’s $100 million business to start his own. Founding the award-winning show, The Business Podcast, his platform helps owners pursue the business and lifestyle of their dreams. Just recently, Super Joe released the much-anticipated Sales Won’t Save Your Business to further help business owners, managers, sales teams and aspiring leaders grow their business by focusing on the acronym TOP (Team, Offer and Process).  Quotes from Joe On Discovering What You're Passionate About The people that are most inspired are the people doing some form of what they wanted to do when they were a kid. (6:56) For connecting the dots though, you have to figure out not just what you’re passionate about, and what’s gonna make a difference as far as like if I’m gonna start a business or career. That’s why I always asked the question on the show, ’What was your childhood dream?’ Go back to that. (14:01) Always be checking in that you're happy, and that what you're doing is fulfilling your or that need inside of you saying, Hey, remember when you were a kid when you wanted to be a child psychologist? Well you're not doing that now, right? But when I was a kid there was no such thing as a podcast. When I was a kid, I didn't know I could write books and change people's lives. Like I had a limited view of the world at that point. So that's why I want you to get back to that childhood dream frame of mind and just figure out what is the root of what it is you really want to do? (15:18)   What You’ll Learn How Joe had a calling to help children as a child psychologist at just 7-years old  The steps Joe took to transition from family business building to following his dreams The importance of owning your own dreams and visions and what it will take for you to realize them How an intentional approach to time helps get the most important things done Websites: https://superjoepardo.com/ Social Media:  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter Resource Mentioned: Event Mentioned: PMX COMPETITION ON JULY 23, 2018, 9am - 3pm Marriott, Philadelphia, PA http://pmx.podcastmovement.com/   Podcast Movement July 23-26, 2018 Marriott, Philadelphia, PA https://podcastmovement.com/ Other Listening Options:

Here at Simply Designed Life Podcast, we've mostly discussed work-life balance from the female perspective, but what about the male perspective? I think it was around Episode 10 with Jennifer Ghymn on Writing and the Interculture Life around the 14-minute time mark that we wondered how men juggled work-life balance. To follow up on that conversation, and in honor of the Father's Day weekend, our next couple episodes will be dedicated to the male perspective of productivity within the context of work and family life. First up, we have comedian Andy Shaw of Instafather, and then next week it's Super Joe Pardo, who's the founder of the Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference and host of The Business Podcast. We'll hear these "Super Men" discuss their journeys and hacks for getting it all done. At any rate, I'm stoked to introduce our next guest whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the fabulous Blog Connect Conference in Philly, hosted by the amazing Chrystina Cappello and team ;). But before that, I wanted to announce that I am excited and honored to be competing in this year's Podcast Movement's PMx Competition. What is PMX exactly? PMx is an adaptation of TEDx talks with a competitive spin. I will have 15 minutes to give my talk in front of four judges, competing with 11 other contestants for the chance to receive the PMX championship belt, be recognized by the Academy of Podcasters Hall of Fame, and be automatically selected to speak at Podcast Movement 2019.  PMx will be on Monday, July 23d from 9am – 3pm EST at the Marriott in Philadelphia, PA. Less than 40 days until I take the PMx stage at @PodcastMovement - no pressure right? A big Shout out to Cypress Resources who will be sponsoring the competition. According to a Communications Research Study, people fear public speaking more than death, and so for me, this should be an interesting challenge to see whether or not I could rise to occasion, own it, or "Bring it On" like in that cheesy, but feel-good, 2000 rom-com with Kirsten Dunst, but most of all, impact those who share the same fears as myself but take courageous action and speak out in spite of those fears. Anyway, enough about the competition and me, let's get into the conversation with Andy Shaw. Who is Andy? Andy Shaw is a full-time college admissions marketing director, a father of twin 3-year-old girls and a 5-year-old boy, an improv comedian with The Oxymorons, a social media consultant, and an avid fan of Black Mirror on Netflix even though it is terrifying. He's made a goal of helping new dads gain confidence with Instather.com, sharing his own stories and practical advice on fatherhood. He's the upcoming author of The New Mom's Guide to New Dads, a book based on helping moms figure out what dads are thinking and how to get them more involved by raising expectations. While all of these jobs and roles may seem like a lot, Andy has watched his incredible wife give birth to twins so he's just gonna keep quiet. Quotes from Andy On Parenting If I accidentally yell in the heat of the moment, my kids are gonna take that a lot more personally than if I just yelled at a stranger who just cut me off on a highway, right? My kids, I have to see them every day, they just don't disappear right down the highway. (13:17) On Tackling Most Important Things (MIT'S): So Pomodoro, 25 minutes on, 5 minutes off, but also priorities so I can list out my priorities for the day, whether it's for career or at home and I always do them in chunks so I always make sure I'm tackling my biggest priorities for the day. So at the end of the day and the week, I know no matter even if the kids are crazy or everything falls apart, I got some of my biggest tasks done. (16:58) Know Thyself You can't be the best at everything. If you’re trying to be the best at everything, you’re probably the best at nothing. Pick a couple things... The more aware you are of what you like and don’t like, know what your strengths are,

You know the old saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"? That's exactly what my next guest did in transitioning from social work to entrepreneurship. Frustrated with the bureaucracy of the system, she decided to strike out on her own, and the rest, as they say, is history! Not an overnight success for sure and NONE of my previous podcast guests were overnight successes. If they were, they probably wouldn't be on the show. What I really like was the honest break down on the kind of habits and productivity hacks she put into practice regularly to get to where she is today. But, before we get into the conversation, we would love to hear from you! We plan on mixing up the show format within the next few months, to address your frequently asked questions, as well as any tips or tricks you may have implemented from the show that's worked well for you. So yes, we'd also LOVE to air your success stories or questions that would help the Simply Designed Life community. Connect with us over at LoriRochino.com where you could find the link to the Simply Designed Life Facebook page or direct message us your questions or success stories relevant to the show. Who is Nicole? Nicole Liloia provides strategy and mentorship to women entrepreneurs who want to scale their business and income through multiple income streams. After suffering severe burnout in the non-profit world and refusing to ever return to a 9-5, she took time to travel and volunteer in South America. She started her first business in 2013 and has been helping women stop wasting time and start making more money since then. Nicole got her master's in Social Work at Columbia University and has written for Forbes, Huffington Post, and MindBodyGreen. She's obsessed with entrepreneurship, women becoming wealthy, Apothic wine, and never misses a Taco Tuesday. A former city girl (NYC to be exact), she knows what it’s like to live a hectic, go-go-go lifestyle and feel like you’re not truly alive. When you feel “busy” all the time, you can’t really enjoy life. So, she's made her mission to help women like you slow down, reclaim their lives and fill them up with things that truly matter. Quotes from Nicole On Delegating: I think a lot of women really struggle trying to take too much on and feel like they need to learn how to do everything if they have a business. And as a result, they get really stuck and they can't grow. And they honestly get very overwhelmed and that's where the burnout comes in. Because there are so many things in my business that I love but there are so many things in my business that I don't love either and I'm not good at and I don't think I need to become good at. There are people who are much better at it than me and I don't need to be the best in all areas (8:04).  On Goal Chunking: I have a very unique strategy and I actually use this with my clients as well as with my masterminds and programs. It works really well. I get very clear on the goals. I start with goal chunking. So I have a big goal for the year. Usually a big income goal. And then I chunk it down by the different programs and services I want to sell and work on throughout the year, and then based on that I have an overall focus for each month. So maybe it's new client sign-ups, maybe it's new list growth because I'm working on visibility and things like that. I get motivated by numbers so I do it that way. And then I use the overall smaller monthly goal to create my 3-5 most important action tasks for the week. So those are the things that I know that are gonna help me hit my goal and help my business grow, so I make sure to make those a priority at the start of the week. (14:01) #1 Biggest Takeaway Do the stuff that scares you. Do the tasks that are at constantly at the bottom of your 'to do' list that you're writing over and over again. You know, reach out for the podcast interviews, submit the guest blogs, ask people to work with you.

Have you ever shunned certain social media platforms because they just seem like such a waste of time? You may have found yourself endlessly scrolling on your Facebook feed not realizing that a day's gone by and you've just wasted some hours of your life! While many may see social media as a complete time waster—and let's face it, it can be if we're not intentional about how we use it—others have managed to leverage it pretty well, using it as a tool for lead generation and a source of potential revenue. How do you use social media the "right" way? We'll find out from our latest guest Karen Yankovich. But, before we get into the conversation, if you happen to be in the Philadelphia area the last weekend of April, I would love to connect with you! I'm presenting at the BlogConnect event April 29. BlogConnect is a conference about blogging for mid-level bloggers who want to learn more about blogging and social media, connect with like-minded folks, and are looking for some inspiration & motivation in their lives. Registration details are at lorirochino.com/events. Who is Karen? Karen Yankovich is President of Uplevel Media, a social media marketing agency delivering profitable cutting-edge digital strategies. Karen is an internationally recognized LinkedIn Evangelist and Social Media Consultant who is an expert at helping businesses use LinkedIn and a range of other social spaces profitably. Her newest venture, Get Seen Be Heard, provides social media and do-it-yourself PR training to 1000’s of members. A popular trainer and international speaker, Karen’s social media advice and expertise can be found in guest contributions to DailyWorth.com, Huffington Post, Social Media Examiner and Career Talk Radio on Sirius XM. Quotes from Karen LinkedIn is the place to start with digital marketing because it's the place that you can tell the world what you want them to know about you. And people are searching, we don't buy a paper clip without looking for a review, right? (4:15) As a marketer, it's really important to understand what your niche is. And I do a lot of speaking on LinkedIn all over the world, which I absolutely adore. And if somebody said, 'Hey, I need a social media speaker,' 50,000 names would get raised. If someone said, 'Hey, I need a LinkedIn speaker,' 10 people say, 'Call Karen.' The more narrow you can keep your market, the more quickly you're going to build your expertise and your business. (4:38) When you're doing what you love to do, and you're doing what you know you're really good at, you've gotta tell people that because that's where you need to be and that's where a profitable business happens. (18:25) One of the reasons why I did this, why I wanted to work for myself and work from home was because my kids were pretty much grown, but I had grandchildren on the horizon and I really wanted to be around for them... I'm able to do the things that I designed this life to do. (21:22) What You’ll Learn Her entrepreneurial journey starting in technology and transition towards the online marketing and social media space The importance of having a specific niche for search and visibility purposes How women entrepreneurs could more confidently promote themselves and their businesses How she launched her new podcast and the mission behind it Productivity hacks and how she gets things done for work life balance Resources: Website: karenyankovich.com Social Media:  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter Podcast: Good Girls Get Rich Event: Fast Track to Your Next Client with LinkedIn Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

I, like everyone else can be prone to shiny object syndrome, especially when it comes to online courses and offerings that look so appealing and is bound to help me do great things in business or life, like become more productive, create the perfect sales funnel, have stellar content marketing so you could grow your business and live in the beach like what's portrayed in the Four Hour Workweek. Funny enough, I spotted a lady reading that book with its red and orange cover (must be the newer version) while at my son's basketball clinic. Living in the attention economy, a term coined by Matthew Crawford, time is not only a scarce resource but so is the attention from the person whose time you want. So how does go about minimizing the distractions and focusing on what truly matters? What's the return on investment for the attention that you give the product or service being promoted to you? Find out this and more on this episode of Simply Designed Life. But, before we get into the conversation, if you happen to be in the Philadelphia area the last weekend of April, I would love to connect with you! I'm presenting at the BlogConnect event April 29. Registration details are at lorirochino.com/events. Who is Prerna? Prerna Malik is the co-founder of Content Bistro where she serves up finger-licking conversion copy to time-starved entrepreneurs. She has mastered the recipe for copy that balances persuasion and personality with the powers of conversion science ensuring that you get high conversions and profitable launches easily and effortlessly. She's based in India where she lives with her family. Quotes from Prerna It makes a huge impact not just in terms of the money that they make which is great of course, but also the freedom that they have to focus on the things they really enjoy. The emails that I get that make me the happiest, 'Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I didn't have to spend the mental energy doing this.' I was so happy to hear that, it means that you are operating in your zone of genius and I'm making that possible, how great is that! (12:29) The one thing that's worked for us is ensuring that whenever we do a course or sign up to do a course, we know exactly what we want out of it, and then dedicating time to actually going through the course. (16:47) Evaluating ROI that you'll get from a course will be really helpful in guiding your courses future purchase decisions as well. (18:15) You just need to start. You just need to take that first step. It's scary, but doing it is just so worthwhile. If there's a project you've been thinking about, if there's a new business idea, if there's a course you want to launch, I think you need to just get out there and take action on that first step. And after that, getting momentum is so much easier. (25:05) What You’ll Learn Her business beginnings as a side hustle before turning it into a full-time gig How her husband's illness forced them to rethink their work situation How she avoids shiny object syndrome when it comes to courses  The power of teamwork in juggling business and life Resources: Website: https://www.contentbistro.com/ Social Media:  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter One Productivity Tool She Uses - Passion Planner: <br /> Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Where many businesses succeed, many more fail. That said, having sound principles and going back to the foundational—as well as having a little bit of luck and foresight—can make for a successful business. Let's face it, if it were that easy, everyone would start a business. What's great about this next guest is how she's entrepreneurial in every sense of the word as she was able to create opportunities in some of the most serendipitous moments. Before we get into the show, a couple announcements. First off, we're currently rebranding here at Simply Designed Life Podcast. While we're still providing interview style shows, we'll also be releasing short solo episodes by yours truly on my insights and lessons learned in different areas of business from my own entrepreneurial journey as well as answers to commonly asked questions from my audience. First topic of choice revolves mostly on the connection side of things both online and offline as I'm obsessed with this particular component of interpersonal networking. It's been said that it takes a village for anything good in life or business to occur, and these days the lines are blurred with everyday life we've taken for granted in the pre-cell phone days with the digital communities all across the board, whether it be social media, the latest gadget or app and much more. Think of this new component as a short but sweet deep dive into hot topic subjects. Stay tuned for more within the next month or so! Also, if you happen to be in the Philadelphia area the last weekend of April, I would love to connect with you! I'm speaking at the BlogConnect event April 29. Registration details are on my event page at lorirochino.com/events. Who is Pat? Pat Iyer, MSN RN LNCC is a legal nurse consultant, coach, author, ghostwriter and editor. She built a large and successful legal nurse consulting business which she sold in 2015. Pat is also a prolific author and has written, edited or coauthored more than 800 chapters, books, case studies, online courses or articles.  Pat works with legal nurse consultants who want to skyrocket their careers. Through the LNC Academy.com, she provides coaching services for legal nurse consultants. Pat is a past president of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants and assists legal nurse consultants to grow their businesses. Pat is the host of Legal Nurse Podcast. Her weekly shows inform and entertain listeners. Quotes from Pat It's tempting tempting to think that business is going to fall into your lap but it requires effort on your part, connections, being persistent, knowing who to approach and taking the initiative, which is what I did. . (5:45) I think my vision changed two years after I started working as an expert witness. When an attorney called me and said I’d like you to review an emergency department case, I was not an emergency department nurse, I was a medical surgical nurse which were the general units of the hospital. But I had a great friend who was attractive, well-spoken, highly educated, and I connected her with the attorney, and I sat back and thought, ‘Maybe there’s a business referring other experts other than myself.’ It’s like a little lightbulb went shining off my head, ‘Hey Pat, pay attention to this.’ (6:15) And that turned into a multi-million dollar business because it was such a sound model. Other people were producing income from my company and we were consistently making over a million dollars a year over the last five years that I ran the business. (7:54) It was a lot of hard, steady work. I brought cases home as a legal nurse consultant and did those cases at home, at night and on the weekends. When I first started my business, I ran it out of my house, I worked a lot of hours, I had to give up things. I had to give up reading the Sunday New York Times, which I used to do until I found out got up from laying on the couch for two hours reading the Sunday New York Times more depressed than when ...

How do you create a home environment for success? Particularly if you’re someone who works remotely. As mentioned in our last episode with Victoria Mininger (Episode 43) we live in a time where everyone is on the go. Gone are the days where one is tied to the desk at a company for 40 plus years living in one city in one house in one part of the world. With technology and the digital landscape creating more global opportunities, people are on the go. People go to where the jobs are and more times than not, that may mean having the flexibility to move at a company's whim. About 43% of employed Americans spent at least some time working remotely according to a Gallup Survey. Whether you’re a full-time entrepreneur or in a 9-5 working a side hustle, you want to create a space that sets you up for success. And even if entrepreneurship isn’t in the cards for you right now, who wouldn’t want a space and place to be able to be more productive in other areas in your life like health and fitness or family pets? Really it comes down to what will make you happy and creating a space for that which is what we’re all about here at Simply Designed Life Podcast. Our next guest is artist and designer Maggie Miner who is here to chat about how to decorate your space for the kind of life that you want. What’s cool is she’s got a memoir Adventures of a Curious Sculptor which discusses her journey and how she sees design, so check it out on Amazon or below in the show notes. If you need help on how to prioritize to create a space for yourself, you can check out my book too, Fifty Shades of Simple: How to Prioritize in the Age of Information Overload. With spring on it’s way, this is the perfect time to a) declutter your space, and b) decorate it with insight from this week's guest Maggie Minor. Who is Maggie? Maggie Minor believes that what we surround ourselves with has a profound affect on our subconscious and that by simply making a few changes in our home décor we can uplift ourselves and open up our mind to new possibilities. She is the founder of Maggie Minor Designs, a retail outlet with furniture and artwork paired in inspiring rooms for busy bold women like you. In her former life, Maggie spent almost 15 years traveling the world…as a graduate student in Australia, a student and backpacker in Europe, a Peace Corps volunteer in Bulgaria and a humanitarian worker working in Asia and Africa. Her memoir, Adventures of a Curious Sculptor, recounts her long journey from adventurer to artist….and her appreciation for all of the beauty that surrounds us. Quotes from Maggie What came out of it was I wasn’t following my true path. You shouldn’t have to try so hard if you’re in alignment with who you are is what I realize in retrospect. It was awful, but I’m very grateful for it now. (7:24) What I realized in talking with people is that they find art really intimidating. And in this conversation, what came out of it was an even deeper problem that they have is that they’re not decorating their homes to be in alignment with who they are. Like they’re not actually buying things they love. They're just decorating to decorate. (9:35) It's really important to know yourself before you open your own business. It's really important to get to know yourself while you are starting your business too. Because if your personal values aren't aligned with your business, then everything is gonna seem hard. So I think personal growth, all the courses you can take, there's so many great resources out there! I think they should be mandatory for any entrepreneur's journey just because they're so helpful. (16:45) What You’ll Learn The advantages and disadvantages of working for yourself as an entrepreneur. How one should surround their home environment with the things they love and decorate in a way that evokes the positive feelings, things and experiences they want to attract into their lives.

I geek out on productivity hacks and simplicity as defined by the podcast’s show title Simply Designed Life. When an opportunity to chat with entrepreneur Victoria Mininger came along, I decided to pick her brain on how she balances both a family run construction business and a household of four daughters. Not to mention a coolness factor—she and her husband also just recently started a tiny home office / studio trailer business, so I was immediately hooked, considering our last guest Claudia Pennington also mentioned living in a tiny home space. Without further ado let’s get into the show.  Who is Victoria? Victoria is the Founder of Fearless Woman Entrepreneur, mentoring women entrepreneurs to thrive, not just survive, in Business and Life. She is also the Founder and CEO of Bear Creek Enterprises, actively working alongside her husband Brian to provide employment opportunities and a positive work environment within the construction industry. From years spent building and running various business's, to her time spent as a staff writer for a large University, she has honed her skills in the trenches of business and the creative world of writing. Victoria lives in Central Virginia with her husband and four daughters. In her downtime she loves to run, spend time in the outdoors and travel. Quotes from Victoria We were taking time for ourselves to regain our footing. Because it's not easy, you know? You have to battle through depression, you battle through those emotions that come, the failure that comes, you know? And you either have to give into that, give in to the frustration, the anger and resentment, and with all those feelings that come, or you'll decide today I'm gonna pick myself up and I'm going to take a step forward, to rebuild my life  (5:42) I think people just want less. In our world that's moving fast, all the technology you're constantly bombarded all the time by so much stuff, social media, whatever, and I think we're desiring a place where we can just rest, where it's not just so overcrowded and I think the big house is like that. It's more to keep up with and there's more to do so people are gravitating towards the smaller, tiny house. They're looking for a simpler life. There's something deep inside of them that says, 'It's gotta slow down at some point.' (10:22) For the tiny office space, I think our world is just changing, we're not so much an industrial age, we're more on-the-go, people are telecommuting, they're working from home now, they're not always just sitting in an office, and so our needs are changing. And so we've gotta change with that. But again, people like the simple space. They like being able to park something in their back yard and be able to move it with them. People aren't saying in the same space for 30 years like my parents have. They're moving around. (10:56) I think when you give, and you serve your team, and you serve the people around you and not just your clients, but most certainly your team, the money follows because for us it's not about the money. It's about the people and the change we're going to leave long after we're gone. What kind of change are we gonna leave and how are we gonna affect those families? (15:24) You have to be okay to pivot. To be able to say, 'Okay, this is a little bit of a new direction.' But if feels right, seems right... and you never know where you're gonna end up. (18:44) What You’ll Learn Victoria's entrepreneurial journey in wearing multiple hats in different businesses, such as photography, book keeping, construction, and tiny office studio trailers. How she overcame business challenges during the mortgage crisis in 2009. How she and her husband got into the exciting world of tiny office studio trailers. The daily routines that keep her productive and balanced during a busy day. Resources and How to Connect: Websites: https://www.victoriamininger.com/ https://studiotrailer.net/

I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with tiny houses and their potential for maximizing space while minimizing home maintainence AND the mortgage bill. I’ve got Pinterest boards filled with them, have binge watched episodes of Tiny House Hunters and keep getting inspired by their sheer coolness. SO when I found out that our next guest was indeed a tiny home dweller I got pretty excited. I met Claudia Pennington at the NEPA Blog Conference in northeastern Pennsylvania in the fall of last year. It was held in the Scranton area, which is home of TV series The Office and a really cool park with a treehouse—Nay Aug Park where our family once visited my sister’s and took our dogs out to a cool dog festival (kind of like a Doggie Palooza type deal with loud music, lots of local vendors selling dog products, food with wading pools for dogs). I digress. Part of living a Simply Designed Life is assessing your values, goals, and vision for your life, and then making choices in alignment with that—which is exactly what Claudia did for her particular situation. She and her husband Garret (whom I had also met at the conference) had over $200,000 in debt and decided that paying it off, while also downsizing to a tiny house, would be some of the steps they’d take to creating a life that’s rich in time and money for them. Here are some facts: They’ve downsized from a 1,500 square foot home to a 500 square foot home in 2015. They were able to do this by learning everything they could on personal finance through reading lots of books and listening to lots of podcast episodes which helped them pay off all their debt (including their mortgage). Nowadays, they operate two businesses and four side hustle projects in digital marketing. They didn’t do it all at once though, but through a series of simple steps (not always easy though mind you), which you’ll find on their blog and I’ll link to the show notes. While this isn’t a story about the granular details on how to get out of debt, how to have a better money mindset or how to design your life around a tiny house (although those topics are cool too, which I’ll include references to previous episodes and other relevant resources in the show notes), it’s more about getting a glimpse of what life is like on the other side once you’re financially free and have the ability and means to live your version of a simply designed life. Without further ado, let’s get to the conversation! Who is Claudia? Claudia Pennington is a digital marketing coach, consultant, and trainer. With more than a decade’s worth of experience in online marketing, she has become an expert in search engine optimization, Google Analytics, and Google Tag Manager through her work with small and enterprise level businesses. Claudia trains small business owners on how to grow their businesses by leveraging digital marketing and SEO. Additionally, Claudia and her husband Garrett own and operate a business and personal finance blog, Two Cup House which discusses their journey to financial independence by way of tiny house living, minimalism, and entrepreneurship. The millennial couple live with their three cats in beautiful Lancaster County, PA. They’ve been featured on numerous outlets, such as the Stacking Benjamins Podcast, The Motley Fool, CNN Money, New York Post and MarketWatch. Quotes from Claudia I think of myself as having x-ray vision when it comes to developing a marketing strategy for another person and another person's business. So I can see and hear what they're saying. I can see through what's happening today, be able to diagnose any challenges they've experienced and help them structure a strategy, but for myself, I have to treat my own business like a client. If this business came to me on my own with a desire to grow, what would I do differently? How would I structure the marketing plan, what does the target audience look like? So really trying to treat myself like a client ha...

This is a continuation of my conversation with Harry Duran. If you haven’t listened to the previous episode, please go back to Episode 40 to listen to the start of the conversation, which focuses on how cultivating an abundance mentality can help in one’s success journey. Sometimes that starts with investing in yourself and investing in others for personal growth, but without sounding too woo-woo, having that generosity of heart can also lead to more good things in the future. It also discusses how to experience growth outside one’s comfort zone.  In this episode, Part II we dive into how to get into a zen mindset from meditation and being present. We also get into short form and local podcasting and more. Who is Harry? Harry Duran is Founder of FullCast, a full-service, done-for-you podcast production and marketing consultancy. He helps six-figure entrepreneurs amplify their authority and extend their reach through the power of podcasting. As Host of the popular Podcast Junkies on iTunes for the past 3 years, Harry has had conversations with a wide array of interesting and engaging podcasters. Some of his most memorable guests have included Marc Maron, Executive Producer Brendan McDonald, Lea Thau, Host of Strangers, Helen Zaltzman, Host of The Allusionist, and Jordan Harbinger, Host of The Art of Charm, just to name a few. Harry has given talks at podcasting conferences on the importance of finding your voice and the importance of long-term engagement with your podcast guests. Harry shares lessons learned from his first 25 interviews in his first book, Around the Podcast Campfire: Conversations with Engaging Podcasters. As a consultant and coach, Harry empowers clients to augment their content marketing through the power of a podcast. As a speaker, Harry challenges leaders to understand the importance of finding their unique voice. Quotes from Harry I think it's that connection and I always tell people—when I've been starting to speak on stages—I just need to connect with one person. I don't care if there's ten people in the room or one thousand, and so far it's been happening. Like one person or two people would come up to me and be like, 'You know that one thing you said really resonated with me,' and I'm like, 'Done! I'm glad!' Just want to connect with one person because I think too often speakers feel the need to get the standing ovation or get everyone laughing at all their jokes and all that stuff but that just comes with time. Pick one or two people in the audience, make eye contact, have a real one-to-one so you still feel like you're talking to another human being (2:55) I was just aware that I was like making an effort to maintain a connection and it takes a little bit of work and I'm not saying it's something that should be hard but when you're conscious of it, you know, whatever you put your attention to—you know where attention goes, energy flows—that's where I started feeling that's important for me to do, so I was more aware of it during the conferences those few days. I'm like 'okay one real connection, one real conversation.' And then I realized I had a lot of meaningful conversations throughout the course of the week. (6:09) On Starting a Meditation Practice It doesn't have to be a lot in the beginning, you know when people get stressed out, 'Oh, I don't have half an hour or 15 minutes' or 'I don't know what do.' Just take 5 minutes, you can't get it wrong.You literally just close your eyes and if all you do is think about paying your bills for the next 5 minutes, and then you open your eyes, that's fine...you'll keep getting better and better, just keep doing it. It's just one of those things that keeps getting better the more you do it. (9:12) On Starting a Podcast  Don't overthink it. In the beginning, you're gonna have ideas that you might think are silly but there's nothing that says you can't record it and not do anything with it. A lot of times people are like,

A Happy New Year to you! I hope you were able to reflect on your wins and lessons learned from the past year, as well as set intentions for growth in all areas of life for this coming year. My conversation with Harry Duran is in two parts. The first part focuses on how cultivating an abundance mentality can help in one’s success journey. Sometimes that starts with investing in yourself and investing in others for personal growth, but without sounding too woo-woo, having that generosity of heart can also lead to more good things in the future. It also discusses how to experience growth outside one’s comfort zone. I had met Harry at the Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference in the fall of last year, and am thrilled to share this conversation, especially in light of recent events. After hearing Oprah Winfrey’s empowering speech at the Golden Globes, I think there’s an opportunity and responsibility to speak our truths for what’s right on a global and local scale and create safe spaces for personal freedoms. Without getting too deep, as that’s a separate conversation altogether, and you’ll find conversations on that all across the Internet, what I like about my chat with Harry is getting those courage muscles moving like you would at the gym. Because to get to the “new day that’s on the horizon” or in this case a new year as in new year’s resolutions, we need to take that first step and get out of our comfort zones as related to personal growth and development which in the end, is a service to the greater good. With that, let’s get into the first part of the conversation. Who is Harry? Harry Duran is Founder of FullCast, a full-service, done-for-you podcast production and marketing consultancy. He helps six-figure entrepreneurs amplify their authority and extend their reach through the power of podcasting. As Host of the popular Podcast Junkies on iTunes for the past 3 years, Harry has had conversations with a wide array of interesting and engaging podcasters. Some of his most memorable guests have included Marc Maron, Executive Producer Brendan McDonald, Lea Thau, Host of Strangers, Helen Zaltzman, Host of The Allusionist, and Jordan Harbinger, Host of The Art of Charm, just to name a few. Harry has given talks at podcasting conferences on the importance of finding your voice and the importance of long-term engagement with your podcast guests. Harry shares lessons learned from his first 25 interviews in his first book, Around the Podcast Campfire: Conversations with Engaging Podcasters. As a consultant and coach, Harry empowers clients to augment their content marketing through the power of a podcast. As a speaker, Harry challenges leaders to understand the importance of finding their unique voice. Quotes from Harry I had this realization that I need to stop listening to other people and figure out what my voice is telling me to do. (4:45) No podcaster likes their first episode, and their tenth is going to sound better than their first, and their fiftieth is gonna sound better than their tenth and so on and so on and you keep getting better. If you don't start getting on that bicycle and start learning, and take those training wheels off as soon as possible, you're just gonna be stuck and you're not gonna be improving. And if you're a real entrepreneur, you have to be super comfortable with failure, you know. And this idea of failing fast and failing forward as they say, you know you just get up you just dust yourself off. (8:03) I think I heard someone say if you have a coach and they don't have a coach then you need a new coach. (12:44) I looked at my circle and I'm like 'Who are the people who are building businesses?' And I really didn't know a lot of people, and I'm like 'I need to find out who these people are and invest in myself,' and I just continued to have that mindset on a regular basis. (17:37) What You’ll Learn His transition from six-figure corporate earner to full-time podcaster

I first learned about Gabrielle Blair in an HGTV episode of International House Hunters way back 10 years ago when my husband and I were both still living in the Boston area. This was during the earlier stages of blogging and podcasting. I still remember having some abandoned blog from the old “Blogger” platform which in the digital world is considered ancient history! Fast forward to today and there are 19 million active blogs and 200,000 plus active podcasts (according to Hubspot). Who knew we’d be having a conversation about blogging still being like the Wild West in that there is no real standardization because of technology's constant changes. So why blog in the first place? Traditionally blog content was created to inspire, educate, or entertain (maybe a little bit of each). Back in the day, blogs consisted mostly of text and graphic images, although today they have more of a multimedia function. Content can be consumed in text, images, video, audio or a mix of these. All content is usually targeted towards a particular reader, audience, listener or “tribe” in Seth Godin terms. It’s also the start of a conversation or a way to connect with those you or your company's brand would aspire to connect with. It’s about making a difference, impact and in some way transformation, whether on a personal level or at a larger scale. I'm excited to share this conversation with Gabrielle as she was one of the early pioneers in the blogging world. She's been so generous in sharing all her experiences on parenting and designing a life, which is what we're all about here at Simply Designed Life podcast. I mean, how does one go abroad and live in another country with six kids? Tune in and find out in this episode! Who is Gabrielle? Gabrielle Stanley Blair is a founder of Alt Summit, the blockbuster bi-annual conference for lifestyle bloggers and creative entrepreneurs. She is also the founder of DesignMom.com which was named a Website of the Year by Time Magazine, and praised as a top parenting blog by The Wall Street Journal, Parents, and Better Homes & Gardens. Her first book, Design Mom: How to Live with Kids, a New York Times Bestseller, was published in 2015. On her website, Gabrielle covers the intersection of design and parenting, with thoughtful posts on topics like motherhood, family travel, picture books, food kids will really eat, and family-friendly design. Since moving back to the U.S. from France, Gabrielle and her husband Ben Blair, live with their six children — Ralph, Maude, Olive, Oscar, Betty and June — in Oakland, California. Quotes from Gabrielle But the conversations and comments—there’s few places, maybe no places like it on the internet where you have really smart women. My team has done some surveys and the women that read Design Mom are extraordinarily educated. This is like a much higher level of education than the average American. They’re really smart, they’re really forward thinking and a compassionate group too. So these comments sections, I rarely have to delete a trolly comment, it’s unusual. And the conversations are really good, and deep and not fluffy and not surface but just people sharing their experiences without judging the fellow commenters. It’s amazing. (9:49) I really try to be honest and let readers know, 'Hey, if the content is excellent this week on Design Mom, and I find I’m knocking it out of the ball park, then just assume my house is a wreck and you know, the laundry is piled up and we haven’t gone grocery shopping in way too long.' And that’s just the reality. And if my home is doing awesome, and I feel I have everything in order, then I’ve probably been more absent from the blog than I should be. I’ve worked out systems over the years… and even when I need to give my family attention, I have systems in place to keep the blog going. We’re certainly beyond those early stages, but still work life balance is a never ending thing, it’s an ongoing thing. (19:40)

With the holiday season coming up, many of us are feeling the time crunch of obligations from work, family or other things on our "to do" lists. With so much going on, self-care is at the bottom of that list. Want less overwhelm and more calm in just 5 minutes a day? Get the FREE Simply Designed Life eCourse, a 4-Day kickstarter to zen like productive habits! You'll simple tip a day over 4 days on how to declutter your life and zen out during the busiest season of the year! Just enter your first name and email address and get one zen tip right in your inbox at LoriRochino.com. Moving on to our podcast, we at Simply Designed Life podcast are all about simplifying life in order to make room for the things that really matter, and so what I really love about this guest is how she was able to take her background as a nurse in the health care and medical management industry and translate it to an online business so she could be home with her family. What I also loved is her emphasis in finding your own uniqueness. With social media overwhelm, texting, emails, and other distractions, it's very easy to sink into this game of comparisonitis instead of recognizing and acknowledging your own uniqueness. Who is Lisa? Lisa Kimrey, is a registered nurse with a focus on self-care. She has helped dozens of people successfully redesign their self-care plans to meet their goals. She has also helped clients integrate healthy choices into their lives and manage their chronic diseases. She blogs at MyLifeNurse.com, is a wife and a mom of two (a 23-year old and a 10-year old) and a pet owner of one cute puppy. Quotes from Lisa I love that everyday is different, even the challenges, that would be technology. I’m not a technical person, but looking back to where I was when I first started to now, I’ve learned so much and I’m really proud of the fact that I’m essentially working by myself and meeting all these barriers to technology and figuring out through connections online how to bust through them and get to the next goal. (4:26) Stop comparing yourself to everyone else, not just their journey, not just their skills and expertise, but just their goals. My goals are different to everyone else’s. And once I stopped looking around me and just started focusing on what I want to accomplish I have done so much better and I am best when I’m just me. (5:31) My success to me is not again the metrics. It is changing other people’s lives so that they can become successful and that is what brings me joy. (10:46) What You’ll Learn How she was able to successfully transition from medical management to wellness coaching How being yourself will allow you to carve your own path and your own niche Her commitment to healthcare and self-care for total wellness Resources Mentioned and How to Connect: Website: https://mylifenurse.com/ Social Media:  Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

As mentioned in my previous episode, we're changing things up on the podcast and bringing you all in for the journey. Thus, we’ve split this particular episode into two parts. Part I (Episode 36) had addressed Scott’s corporate background and how he transitioned into an elite branch of firefighting known as the Hotshots. Coincidentally enough, a movie based on the Hotshots just came out in theaters in September and Scott mentioned knowing about 17 of the 19 who’ve sacrificed their lives in order to be of service to others. In this episode we continue our conversation on podcasting and gender marketing styles. Please note, these are just generalizations and of course there are exceptions. We dive into the topic of vulnerability to connect to your audience—who you’re meant to serve and who are meant to learn from you. This is Part II of my conversation with Scott Mulvaney. If you haven't listened to Part I, you could listen to it here. If you happen to be in the Philadelphia area, this weekend, Sunday I’m proud to present at a workshop in partnership with PHLBloggers. (Details are below under Resources and Events Page.)   Who is Scott? Scott Mulvaney has a philosophy to help others live The Fired Up Epic Life! He launched the LIVE THE FUEL Podcast in 2016 to help FUEL your health, business and lifestyle. Through years spent in sales, marketing, operations, and management he's here to help you control how you exist in the online marketplace. Scott Mulvaney acquired 20+ years of conquering professional roles in sales, marketing, coaching, training, leadership development, and the fitness space. His fitness niche has spanned 15 of those 20+ years. He is a "Scott of All Trade's" with an adrenaline junkie, athletic, yet techy passion for self-development and lifestyle transformation. Scott embodies the limitless energy necessary for success. This is fueled by his years in the health and fitness coaching space. His lifestyle freedom passions include balancing life with CrossFit, skiing, cycling, skydiving, and travel. Scott balances professional pursuits with philanthropic activities, having served as board member and investing countless volunteerism hours with multiple 501(c)(3) organizations. Scott's diverse background includes having served in public service as a Hotshot Wildland Firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service as well.   Quotes from Scott  You have to put in the reps. Those mistakes, those failures—that's what teaches you the most... If you don't start taking action, or putting in the work, or go get that job, in a couple different roles that may potentially be how you want to run your company, you don't know and you've never made the mistakes in that position. So how are you supposed to learn from that and use that in the future to grow your own business? (4:32) The one thing I learned really fast when we got assigned our first was 'holy crap, here's reality.' They talk about it, they have you study it, they have you memorize it, but it's a whole different world until you get out into that fire line. That goes for business. You think you're prepared for everything until you turn that website on, or you turn your podcast on, or you open the front door of your new studio... if you're not willing to take action and take the risks, how are you supposed to learn? (5:25) You've gotta stop with the comparison stuff. Us guys, we compare stuff too, but we also realize, 'You know what? Forget you, I'm posting it, it's either gonna work or it's not, and if it doesn't I'm gonna learn something from that.' And trust me, there are definitely some ladies that embrace that and get it done. (24:27) What You’ll Learn Advice he got from a previous MAPCon event on how failures and mistakes are critical to learning valuable business lessons Online and offline component to learning along with a visual, auditory or kinesthetic (VAK) approaches How men's web content may appear more confident and aggress...

I had met Scott Mulvaney at the Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference in the Philadelphia area where he spoke about embracing change. What I like about this next episode in particular is hearing not only his transition from corporate sales to public service, but hearing about his own personal transformation and who he became in the process. In my commitment to changing things up on the podcast and bringing you all in for the journey, we’re splitting this particular episode into two parts. Part I addresses Scott’s background and how he got into an elite branch of firefighting known as the Hotshots. Coincidentally enough, a movie based on the Hotshots just came out in theaters in September and Scott mentioned knowing about 17 of the 19 who’ve sacrificed their lives in order to be of service to others. Part II will discuss podcasting and the differences in gender styles when it comes to marketing. Please note, these are just generalizations and of course there are exceptions. And we dive into the topic of vulnerability in connection to marketing and being vulnerable to your audience, who you’re meant to serve and who are meant to learn from you. Actually, this weekend, Sunday in fact I’m proud to present at a workshop in partnership with PHLBloggers in Philadelphia, PA. (Details are below under Resources and Events Page.)   Who is Scott? Scott Mulvaney has a philosophy to help others live The Fired Up Epic Life! He launched the LIVE THE FUEL Podcast in 2016 to help FUEL your health, business and lifestyle. Through years spent in sales, marketing, operations, and management he's here to help you control how you exist in the online marketplace. Scott Mulvaney acquired 20+ years of conquering professional roles in sales, marketing, coaching, training, leadership development, and the fitness space. His fitness niche has spanned 15 of those 20+ years. He is a "Scott of All Trade's" with an adrenaline junkie, athletic, yet techy passion for self-development and lifestyle transformation. Scott embodies the limitless energy necessary for success. This is fueled by his years in the health and fitness coaching space. His lifestyle freedom passions include balancing life with CrossFit, skiing, cycling, skydiving, and travel. Scott balances professional pursuits with philanthropic activities, having served as board member and investing countless volunteerism hours with multiple 501(c)(3) organizations. Scott's diverse background includes having served in public service as a Hotshot Wildland Firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service as well.   Quotes from Scott  I negotiated my own dismissal from my job because I hated it...I was selling retirement plans and stuff like that for ADP and I was the second top salesperson. My boss said,'You want to leave? You're kicking ass, you've only been here a year.' I said, 'Yeah, but I hate it.' So I was like, 'My degree is about to be done and I've got this thing, so I need some time freedom.'  (12:06) I was already hired, whether they liked it or not, I was there, man. Like I'm becoming one of their brothers. In the beginning of that rookie year—I'm also considered 'the old guy,' that's the best part, I'm 31 and I'm like 'really dude?' (16:40)  Here's the crossover that I'm kind of hinting at. I've met some driven Millennials. And the one thing they all end up getting is that they know that they can do more. They don't have blinders on. Whereas, a lot of us in the Gen X World have blinders on. (23:48) Nowadays when I look at the Millennial generation, I love it. There's a lot of drive, there's a lot of passion. They hear and they see thanks to social media that there are people out there getting it done and finding a way to do things outside the box, launch online businesses, launch online successful shopping carts, websites, blogs, podcasts, whatever. (24:50) Have the psychology, have the drive, have the mindset, that you know that you're capable of more,

This week I'm excited to share my conversation with Kelly Roach, who will give us some great takeaways for lifestyle design, business strategy and the mindset and traits one needs to have to achieve success in creating a well designed life.   In some cases, that might mean creating a freedom based lifestyle via a business or other revenue generating vehicle or "muse," whether it be part of your side hustle or full time gig. So for many of you, when it comes to creating a freedom based lifestyle, often there’s a huge learning curve for many new to the game or just learning the basics. The challenges entrepreneurs face is time, money, and certain new skill sets and mindset shifts. It’s almost the same as learning a new to you sport. When you’re learning to play a sport for the first time, there’s a certain mechanics and hand eye coordination that goes on.  About our next guest, first, she’s a fellow Pennsylvanian and fellow podcast host. Second, having been a former NFL cheerleader, she’s had to learn some disciplines which I find is totally applicable in business. I myself remember being a college student, for the varsity lacrosse team had to force myself to get up around 5 or 5:30am for 6:30am practice. While I hated getting up so early, the results of getting up to practice and put in all the hard work were that I did better in games. So how acquiring a new sport relates to entrepreneurship—especially those new or at the beginning of the journey—is you will learn new skills, test yourself, you will do things you don’t necessarily want to do and just get back up. It takes discipline, consistency and a certain amount of relentless focus. Another thing I like about Kelly is the fact that she’s a mom and like every other parent is juggling many things, and so there’s a lot that we can learn in terms of creating success for yourself within the context of family life and how she created that “simply designed” or well designed life for her by making sure that her family came first and foremost and she was able to build her business around it, so a family based business. Part business coach, part family woman, great giver, and a whole lot of energy, let’s get into this conversation. Who is Kelly? Kelly Roach is the host of the top rated podcast Unstoppable Success Radio, an International best-selling author, and the CEO of Kelly Roach Coaching. As a former NFL Cheerleader and Fortune 500 Executive where she was promoted 7 times in 8 years, Kelly brings a powerful combination of proven and profitable business growth strategies coupled with the mindset, wellness and productivity practices required to help entrepreneurs build a profitable business around a life they absolutely love. Kelly’s passion and purpose is in helping entrepreneurs around the world achieve exponential profit, sales and income growth. Kelly is on a mission to help 1 million people become financially free through her RESULTS coaching but also founded Campaign For Humanity, a charity initiative to support our global family with things such as clean drinking water, help for veterans, and food for those in need.  Quotes from Kelly  I wanted to kind of be the orchestrator, or be the designer of my own life and lifestyle and I knew that I couldn’t expect someone else’s dream in a company to do that for me. I needed to go out and take ownership and accountability for that and create that for myself. (5:29) Freedom is not so free. I think there are a lot of misconceptions about what it takes to actually build a freedom based business. Essentially there's a lot of sacrifice on the front end and there's a lot of heavy lifting in those first 3-5 years. (6:49) You really have to have a huge passion for the long term vision of your life. You have to be able to see beyond where you are today to where you're going and wake up every morning and keep putting one foot in front of the other because you have to be able to push through those beginning stage...

Creating a simply designed life in business or life may seem simple in theory, but is not exactly easy in practice. Life happens, things get messy, and not only do we feel the need to manage the day in day out challenges that gets in the way, but also all the mental stuff holding us back from taking the next step towards a positive outcome. As someone in the declutter coaching and productivity space, you’d think I’d be able to have my stuff together, and there very well are times when I do, however, there are times I still struggle like everyone else. But just like putting a timeline on how long I’m allowed to keep an item in the home (and if I don’t use it by a certain deadline I donate or toss it), I also put a timeline in the amount of time any negative energy that does not serve me in fulfilling my higher purpose comes my way. Because confidence does not always equate to being brave. Choosing what’s right and taking courageous action despite the fear is. Creating an ideal, well-designed life different from current circumstances may require courage. This episode will provide insight into confidence and visibility—particularly for women who want to uplevel a new area of business or life. Who is Corinne? Corinne Kerston is a business mindset coach and visibility badass who strives to help passionate, powerful female entrepreneurs get over any fears that are holding their business back and finally succeed. Part mindset, part visibility, lots of business confidence; Corinne helps women kick fear in the ass and build a business that fills their heart with joy. Quotes from Corinne  It took my own mindset and inner work and I finally hit this point where I just realized I cared too much what people thought so I was kind of holding myself back from putting myself out there, so I hit this point where I don't care what people think. You know, I'm gonna be me, I'm gonna put myself out there and that's what I wanna help other people do. I want to help other women to that point where they don't care what people think, just put themselves out there and market themselves completely and fully themselves. (5:04) Find something that makes you happy. Whatever your business, you know if you're just starting out in your entrepreneurial journey don't just pick something because you think it's going to be profitable, or because someone else had made money in it. Do something that you genuinely want to do. (9:37) If you've achieved something, you know more than someone who's just starting out, so there's always someone that you can teach. (12:48)   What You’ll Learn The power of authenticity and how an imperfect, vulnerable blog post led better engagement with her audience  When things start moving in a downward spiral, take a moment and reflect on all the good things you have accomplished in life or business to prove to yourself that you can have successes and to give a more positive perspective How she did a reframe on in viewing dreaded sales calls with it's stereotypical "ick" factor as an opportunity calls to see how she could help someone out Resources Mentioned and How to Connect: Succeed with Confidence Course {Affiliate Link} Website: http://www.corinnekerston.com/ Social Media:  Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

In creating a simply designed life, as per the podcast’s name, we want to empower people to rightsize in all areas of life, meaning you do what’s right for you and your situation. Also realize that almost nothing gets done in a vacuum—it usually takes incremental steps. If you’ve ever heard of Tony Robbins’ wheel of life exercise, he emphasizes categories to consider in the many roles we play such as family, work, personal, health, fitness, relationships, etc. In this particular episode our next guest will touch on both business and fitness and what it means to create balance in life. Who is Nikita? Nikita Ross is a Precision Nutrition, certified wellness coach and professional fitness writer with experience in marketing, social media management, and ghostwriting. An IPA World Champion Powerlifter and self-proclaimed bibliophile, Nikita believes that lifting both barbells and books is the key to self-improvement. She is also the creator of Strong in Body, Strong in Mind and her articles have been published in outlets, such as Nutrition Research News, InBody USA, and The Huffington Post. She lives in Nova Scotia with her young family. Quotes from Nikita You need to have defined goals and you have to stick to that path, and really, it’s a challenging area, entrepreneurship which everyone in that work knows it can be a lot of extra work, you don’t just get the 9-5 necessarily with someone else directing you. You’re really taking everything under your control yourself so my biggest takeaway would be to stay the path, focus on your dream and keep pushing through those hard points. (5:41) Google Calendar pretty much runs our lives. It's a member of the family. If there's a way to project it on my wall and just have a morning meeting with my children before they go to preschool, that would be fantastic! (6:58) We all kind of laughed because we walk in and she hands us the option of 1, 2 or 3-pound dumbbells and I'm with women who can put 200-pounds over their heads, but we had to drop the weights. Like she nearly killed us in that half hour, so you never know. Don't just shrug off someone else's fitness routine because it doesn't make sense to you. Everyone kind of has their journey. (10:06)   What You’ll Learn How Nikita transitioned from corporate to full-time freelance writing and nutrition coaching How she balances work and play—Google Calendar is key Perspectives and tips for starting a weightlifting routine and barre class Resources Mentioned and How to Connect: Website:  www.stronginbodystronginmind.com/ www.indelibleinkwriting.com/ Barre Fitness Beginner's Guide Social Media:  Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

I just saw The Minimalists (Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemes and of the Netflix Documentary Minimalism) in real life on their tour in Philadelphia, got to connect with them and they were talking about having a great fan base in Australia, of which they’ll be touring in the next year. Ironically enough my next guest Salena Knight is indeed Australian AND works in the retail industry, which the Minimalists both had a background in which I found ironic. Maybe at some point THEY could have a conversation, which would be very interesting, but I digress. Just an aside, I’m inspired to change the format for this particular episode after attending the amazing Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference, also held in the Philadelphia area, hosted by Joe Pardo (a shout out to him and his team). So for the first half of this episode, we’ll deep dive into Salena’s background and what makes for a simply designed life, as per this podcast’s theme. Then for the second half, we’ll dig into connecting with people in the age of technology. How do we do it in personal life and business? How do we bring things back to that level where we can relate as humans and have those genuine conversations, like during our grandparents’ time? Who is Salena? Australia based Salena Knight is a retail business strategist, consultant and host of Bringing Business to Retail Podcast. She formed her consultancy in 2015 after becoming frustrated with the lack of reliable information out there for business owners. So many people work in their business, and they just don't know how to find the time to learn new things to grow and to be inspired. Salena’s mission is to teach business owners to have more confidence, get more done, resolve the chaos and maximize profit. Prior to launching her business, Salena worked in the sustainability sector of the government. When Salena’s not helping business owners strategize, she’s playing mum to her daughter. Quotes from Salena As I look back, my whole business is about change, my whole being is about change, you know, what could we change to make this better, what could we change to make this easier? (6:41) What I worked out during that process is that I draw my energy from other people so being in a shop was great because I’d build a constant high because I’d be helping people all the time and now — and I love start-ups and the essence of the start up, getting in the trenches — but I don’t need to create a hundred different start-up businesses, I could just hang out with the start-up people and move them to the next level. (11:06) It's the same with like surf brands, Lululemon or athletic wear. You want to be associated with that culture. I think when you automate a business like Tim Ferris did, there is no culture, you could outsource your blog writing. You could outsource your shipping and your dispatch and you can outsource your web design but somebody needs to be the glue that holds it all together... The book is about making money, not building a brand, building relationships, building the confidence in your customer, maybe that's where we're different... (18:37)   What You’ll Learn Salena's transition from government, to retail, to being a mentor for retailers How a collaborative approach helped improve organization systems to get more things done in her business The importance of taking care of and providing that "wow" experience for customers Connecting in the digital age and the importance of allowing time for self-care to slow down and destress Resources Mentioned and How to Connect: Website:  https://salenaknight.com Podcast and Social Media:  Podcast, Facebook and Instagram Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Who is Tammy? Tammy Pereira is a full-time web designer for over 10-years, and owns Glo Marketing and Syd and Coco. She’s an expert in topics such as: WordPress, digital marketing, web design, tech tutorials, marketing and more. She’s helped hundreds of businesses get online by teaching, consulting and mentoring. She’s grown her business, and now earn a full-time income as a web designer and marketing consultant. Quotes from Tammy I put myself out of the box, it’s a little nerve wrecking to get out there, but it was beneficial for me because I made so many great contacts that still give me great referrals today. (5:21) There are so many moving parts to your business so you have to be really good at a lot of things and if you’re not really good, you have to be willing to invest in those things, what I like to call  "hire your weaknesses."  So one thing for me, I am a creative type person and one really big weakness that held the growth of my company back was accounting and billing and I know that’s a huge one for creatives. (5:39) I'm still learning everyday, it's a journey, it's not perfect. I'm always trying to learn more because as you know with marketing and online marketing it's ever changing. So I think one thing is don't let yourself get stagnant. Always try and educate yourself and if there's something you don't know, either seek out and hire help or there's so many great online programs nowadays, you can get educated for the things you need to learn in order to make your business grow and not become stagnant. (7:46) I think one big thing with success is that you don't want to compare. Don't do a comparison game because it's, like you said, it's a creative journey—our business we're on a journey— and so I think, like a big thing for me with success was I set goals—and I actually set goals all the time. I could have bigger goals that I set for a longer period of time, but I have smaller goals that I set on a weekly and daily basis, and I think that you gotta measure that within yourself and your business. (10:23)    What You’ll Learn How Tammy left corporate marketing and advertising to take care of her kids, got specialized training in web design while raising them, and then branched out as a business owner once they were in school The importance in continuing to invest your business growth in order to keep up with ever-changing industries like digital marketing The importance of hiring a good coach to hold you accountable when taking action steps to uplevel certain areas of your business How not to play the comparison game in business and learn to use your own internal yardstick for success based on your own criteria Resources Mentioned and How to Connect: Website:  www.sydandcoco.com thetechconnect.co Social Media:  Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Who is Genecia? Genecia Alluora Luo is the founder of Soul Rich Woman, and former beauty queen turned business coach and maven who now works with businesswomen to equip them with the right tools and knowledge to excel in their industry of choice. As an entrepreneur, Genecia has learned the ins and outs of starting a business from the ground up in the fields of e-commerce, co-working spaces, beauty and F&B. Her expertise also includes using technology to operate her business and work with different women regardless of their location. She is based in Singapore. Quotes from Genecia I believe that success isn't about glorious wins, it's about behind-the-scenes work that you do with others that matters. It's about helping others keep their focus on their goals and stay motivated enough to do their best to realize their potential. So basically my vision is to lay the groundwork for other women's success and then to take a step back to let them shine as well. (4:28) As a serial entrepreneur it's that constant embracing of change and really having the clarity to want to do something new not for the sake of doing it but to participate fully so that you could leverage and bring the business and knowledge that you have accumulated and that I have accumulated over the years to put into this new business to grow to the next level. (5:33) I personally think that having the courage to do what you want to do and in spite of your self-doubts, take action and have commitment with it because a lot of times, we are all in our comfort zones. We are all in this box that we kind of put ourselves in because the glass ceiling is pretty much the same concept.  (9:58)   What You’ll Learn Genecia's humble beginnings and how each venture (such as beauty contests, skin care, coaching and consultancy) she entered became a progression for both personal and business growth. Challenges of reaching and engaging an online audience of mostly Asian women in her community due to the context of the conservative culture. She'll only get "likes" or comments after they've observed a handful of her social media posts first. Her commitment to choosing courageous action steps to overcome perceived limitations, such as fears and doubts, by writing these out in list form and asking what's the worst that can happen if you choose action. Also how to envision your success from where you are now to where you want to be. How she sets intentions and uses visualization techniques for the day during her morning routine for greater success and productivity. Resources Mentioned and How to Connect: Website:  www.soulrichwoman.com Social Media:  Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Who is Hilary? Hilary Hendershott is the founder of Hilary Hendershott Wealth Management, the leading financial advisory firm for women. Hilary’s mission is to motivate women to be financially empowered. She has worked for more than 15 years with women who want to preserve their wealth, make it grow, and eliminate financial stress once and for all. Hilary is also the host of Profit Boss Radio, a weekly podcast where Hilary and her guests offer actionable advice, inspiration and authentic stories to support women in their financial journey. Hilary has an MBA, and she’s a Certified Financial Planner. She’s a TEDx speaker, and she’s been featured in the Wall Street Journal, NBC, ABC, FOX, DailyWorth, Forbes and Investopedia. She was recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 Entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. With more than 30 television appearances, she’s the go-to personal finance expert in Silicon Valley for the NBC evening news where they call her "The Investor's Voice of Reason." Quotes from Hilary What I discovered is that my business is really about people, that when I meet with clients what we talk about isn’t about the numbers or the reports or the stock market. It’s more their life, their vacations, their families, their health and I’m in a trusted position in their life and my role makes a difference for them, and so that is very meaningful for me and I’m really fulfilled by that work and I just count my blessings everyday to have found a role in life that’s really fulfilling on a daily basis. (4:35) So we all grow up given by these money operating systems and we don’t realize that we’re given by a money operating system—we think that’s just the way money is. So what we do have the opportunity to discover is that if you step back and look at your money operating system for what it is—it’s just a filter or a belief system that isn’t in any way true. Then you can really alter not only your experiences with money but your results around money. (10:30)  Long term success looks like being someone who lives from my principles and values and being someone who achieves the things that I want to achieve. I want to grow this business to a particular size, and I want to serve. I created this mission to empower a million women to become millionaires and it's a big number and I can't really wrap my brain around it but it’s okay to take things on you don't know how to fulfill on. It's really okay, otherwise we never would have put a man on the moon. (17:07)   What You’ll Learn How Hilary's rock bottom experience in dealing with her own personal finances led to her path to learning more about money psychology, behavior, and neurolinguistic language programming for success  How money scripts, or Money Operating System™ mentioned in her Tedx Talk, affects our beliefs, attitudes, actions and results around money Her inspiring mission to help a million women reach and achieve $1 million Resources Mentioned and How to Connect: Website:  http://www.hilaryhendershott.com/ Tedx Talk http://www.hilaryhendershott.com/lessons-from-my-tedx-talk/ Social Media:  Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Who is Maria? Maria Storgaard, along with her husband Mortem, has been happily married for 11 years and has been downsizing since spring 2011. Maria is a creative person, loves to research new space saving possibilities, and is a Youtuber at Go Downsize and One Girl, One Suitcase. She loves design and has studied both architecture and fashion design. She likes to optimize anything she can get her hands on. For relaxation she doodles house ideas and hopes to someday build her own house. Maria has been bit by the travel bug since she was 17, and loves adventure and experimenting. Quotes from Maria Be in touch with who you are. Recognize your dreams, your gifts, your talents, and then try to live out some of that and really use it. (10:08) Be conscious of who you are and what you want to do. There’s nothing wrong with having a house, a steady job, a car, the norm, but it needs to be what you want to do and needs to fit you. If you don’t feel that the shoe fits then try and do something different (11:06) Focus on the most important and impactful thing that’s realistic for you to do right now, and then add the other tasks later. Like focus on what needs to get done today and then do that. (20:46)   What You’ll Learn How Maria and her husband were able to get out of $80,000 in debt by downsizing How to manage a busy YouTube production schedule while on the road with a baby The upsides and downsides of an unconventional lifestyle Resources and How to Connect: Websites:  https://www.godownsize.com/  http://www.onegirlonesuitcase.com/ Social Media:  https://www.youtube.com/user/OneGirlOneSuitcase  https://www.youtube.com/user/GoDownsizeCom https://www.facebook.com/Godownsize/ Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Who is Megan? Megan Hale is a retired psychotherapist and relationship coach who guides women and couples to transformative love, authentic self-expression, and soul shifting freedom built on truth, courage, and integrity. She’s the podcast host of The Enoughness Revolution, a conversation on creating joy in life, work, and love, and the creator of Wild and Holy Weekend, a biannual transformative retreat for women ready to reconnect with who they are, what they want, and take action that honors their soul. She’s a mother, wife, die-hard foodie, and eternal seeker of building trust in ourselves and trust in God as we ebb and flow with life’s magic. She lives in San Antonio, TX, with her husband, son, and two dogs. Quotes from Megan  We know the edges of our comfort zone. Bravery is pushing those edges and stepping over them—and it’s going to be different for all of us. So you can’t compare your bravery to my bravery, your bravery to anybody else’s bravery because we all have different edges. We all have different comfort zones. We all have different dreams. (8:18) Anytime we’re overwhelmed, it takes our power away. My first piece for me is managing overwhelm, and it’s taken me a long time to do that for myself. The things that have helped me is I only think in increments of three days at a time if I have a lot going on. Because if I think to next week or next even two weeks from now, it’s too much time for me to manage cognitively. And I also usually have only three big goals on my plate at a time. (9:55) What You’ll Learn How to take charge of your calendar by scheduling in white space first before work and personal obligations How to "say no" strategies to keep yourself from spreading yourself too thin Having clarity is the first step to understanding what your values are Reflections and tools for cultivating "enoughness" in your life Resources and How to Connect: Megan's Website: http://www.megan-hale.com/ Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and Podcast Resources Mentioned: Brene Brown's Ted Talk on Vulnerability Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Who is Britany? Britany Felix is a 30-something woman who wants to inspire you to live the life you truly want to live—not the one you're conditioned to live. She wants to help you find your freedom! In the Spring of 2016, she and her husband quit the highest paying jobs they’d ever had, sold almost everything they owned (including their home), and began traveling the Western United States in their RV. Britany is the host of the travel podcast, Living Unconventionally, and the owner of Custom Podcast Editing where she helps everyday people discover the power of podcasting and how to get their message out into the world.  Living Unconventionally podcast covers her personal Freedom Journey and features weekly interviews with like-minded people—incredible people who’ve ditched their desk, or traditional life, to chase their passions and explore the world. Quotes from Britany I think success is being happy— whatever is going to make you happy.  If that’s a ton of money in the bank so you can feel secure, then that’s success for you. If it’s having the time freedom or location freedom to work wherever you want, or not work whenever you want, and from anywhere in the world, which is what my version of success looks like. You know it’s different for everybody but when it comes down to it, it’s just being happy with the life that you live on a daily basis. (6:15) You know I started reading these travel blogs and started listening to podcasts and started following entrepreneurs who had businesses around this type of subject and I just consumed so much of it until I believed wholeheartedly that I could do it. If all these other could do it then, why can’t I? And so that’s always what I recommend to other people because they think everyone else can have it but they can’t and that’s not true. So you just have to keep consuming information of people doing what you want to do until it sinks in that it’s possible for you as well. (16:32) What You’ll Learn How inspiration from others living successful, unconventional lifestyles had helped spur her to quit her day job in order to travel with her husband How traits like determination and persistence are necessary to achieve one's means How creating a podcast of her own has changed her life for the better Ironically, she's never read lifestyle design manifesto Four Hour Work Week Resources and How to Connect: Britany's Websites: LivingUnconventially.com, CustomPodcastEditing.com Social Media: Facebook and Twitter Resources Mentioned: ChrisGuillebeau.com, SuitcaseEntrepreneur.com Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Who is Katie GH? Katie is a recent graduate from Northeastern Illinois University, with a degree in Secondary Education and English, and is currently a stay-at-home mom while she tries to land a teaching gig. After having her first baby in May of 2016, she started the New Parent Podcast as a way to give voice to the big, messy, and beautiful transition that happens during the first year of new parenthood.  Quotes from Katie One of the big goals of my podcast is to provide a space where people can reflect on and speak openly about their parenting experiences … without judgment… so that means my show isn’t pushing any particular agenda. (10:57)  As a society we’re trying to just talk less smack I guess about each other and be a little bit more empathetic and mindful about other people have different choices for different reasons. (16:14) I had been like up to my eyeballs in advice that wasn’t working so that’s probably part of the podcast I had created too is—nothing was working that folks had said would work... so I started to just ditch things based on what brought me joy and what didn’t—so my word that I use to keep myself centered and to keep us going forward and happy is to find what brings me joy—lean towards joy. (22:35)    What You’ll Learn The benefits of the podcasting medium for connection and conversation How one manages transportation logistics in a major city with a very young child—subways, cars, walking, oh my! How to connect with your bliss—identify what makes you happy and do that thing (whatever that is) in order to have more opportunities for authentically rewarding experiences How to find unplugged time with family to be more present and enjoy the people who matter most Resources and How to Connect: Katie's Website: newparentpodcast.com Social Media: Facebook and iTunes  Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

The idea of lifestyle design may seem great in theory, but how do you go about achieving your ideal life from where you are right now? A lot of it comes down to clarity, and not just in the generic sense like, I want to be more happy or I want to have more freedom—although these things are equally important. That's why I'm super excited to introduce you to Cassie Parks and her work on lifestyle design strategy and money mindset! She's got some great tools to help you create and realize some of your cherished goals and dreams. Who is Cassie? Cassie Parks retired at age 32, and not because she won the lottery. Cassie leveraged the practical magic of positive thinking, financial education and focus on her goal of financial independence to create the opportunity to walk out of her job for the last time and begin living her dream of being a Life Coach. Although she’s more than a Life Coach. She’s a Lifestyle Design Strategist and a Money Maven. The biggest reason she sees people not experiencing success with money is that they haven’t defined their own version of success. Lifestyle design is about figuring out what’s important to you and designing a life (including financially) that supports that vision. Without a vision (one people think they can attain), people spend aimlessly and continue to live in financial chaos. Cassie is the best selling author of the Champagne Life Series and more recently, Manifest $10,000: Learn How to Manifest $10,000 by Using the Law of Attraction and Improving Your Money Mindset. Quotes from Cassie It’s not about going up to bat thinking that you can, it’s about never thinking that you can’t. The parallel to money mindset is when you really make a shift. You're not trying to convince yourself you can have more money, you're never thinking it's not possible. You just go through the day different when you think that. (4:20) I think the traits of the people that are successful is that they have the ability to get clear and they know themselves because where I see people get off is that they’re chasing someone else’s dream. (10:11) What You’ll Learn Before she became a full time life coach, she did these art of living "as if" practices. She would take a day off every so often and practice being a coach while she was still at her 9-5 job. She would practice waking up later and doing coaching calls so that she would know what that would feel like. The more you step into becoming what you want more of in life, the more you see what’s possible. The importance of having clarity in your own vision. It really has to come from inside and make you feel happy and fulfilled. Getting clear on the details will help you design the life that you want. Focus on what you want as opposed to what you don't want. For example, what are you going to do, be or have once you’re out of debt? Are you going to travel more? Focus on that because then you’re moving TOWARDS or manifesting something rather than pushing AWAY from something. Resources and How to Connect: Cassie's Website: http://manifest10k.com/ Social Media: Facebook, iTunes and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

How do you balance a freelance writing career with the demands of raising and homeschooling eight kids? That's what I wanted to know when I spoke with Lisa Tanner who owns and operates Lisa Tanner Writing. Her kids range from 18-months old (at time of interview) to 15 years of age. I'm surprised at how this super busy lady had time for this interview at all—but we made it short and sweet so she could get back to it! Having the patience and a sense of clarity on purpose has enabled her to design a life that works for her and her large family which should be #SuperInspiring. Who is Lisa? Lisa Tanner loves finding order in chaos. As a homeschooling mom to eights kids and a homesteader with a couple of milk cows, she's well versed in the art of balancing diapers and deadlines. She enjoys helping other moms tame the crazy and find ways to grow their businesses while raising a family.  Quotes from Lisa There really is room for your voice in the market. You're important and you have something worthwhile to share. So believe in yourself, because if you don't, no one else will believe in you. (3:39)  As long as I'm consistently doing my best and taking baby steps to progress, I'm happy with that. And I think to succeed you really need to be consistent, even when times are tough. Just keep going and make it through those cycles where maybe your business may not be doing so well. Just keep pushing through and keep doing something and that will help it grow in the end. (4:04)  Then you have to have patience because it takes time. There are some overnight successes I'm sure, but for most of us, we actually have to keep doing what we’re doing day in and day out, year after year. (4:49) What You’ll Learn How Lisa started blogging on the side for two years before turning her hobby into a business How she overcame challenges of the "imposter syndrome" as she transitioned from education to freelance writing and virtual assistance  How everything is still a "work in progress," yet she still manages to challenge and push herself out of her comfort zone despite the daily demands of raising and homeschooling a large family Resources and How to Connect: Carrie's website: lisatannerwriting.com Social Media: Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Parenting is no easy feat and kids don't come with a guidebook when they're first born. There is obviously no "one-size-fits-all" as everyone grows up in a household with different values, parenting styles and the like. With all the overwhelming parenting advice out there, there's definitely a need for a judgment free space—and Bridget Nolan Manley created the perfect outlet just for that particular purpose. What I love about Bridget's approach is her view on how it takes a village via both online and offline methods for any kind of authentic connection. I also love her candor and rawness in revealing what collectively goes through most parents' minds that get rarely addressed in the everyday.  Listen to how her podcast came to be and the many things she learned from parents of all walks of life who shared their stories with her. Who is Bridget? Bridget Nolan Manley is the host of Birds In A Tree, a podcast about parenting featuring the good, the bad, the hard and the glorious. Through each story, she hopes that listeners will find the bond and similarities that parents can share. This married mama of two kids grew up rural Appalacia and lives in Garrett County, MD. Quotes from Bridget The village is what you put out is what you’re gonna get back. (15:44) I read this great piece just this weekend and it was about what successful people do that other people aren't doing. And of the points that resonated with me (and I was a reporter and news was a big deal to me, even when I was working from home I was able to keep the news in the background) ... going back to this article, it compared time to a pie. And there's only so much pie. And successful people don't have more time than you, but nobody ever says... 'I'm gonna learn to play the saxophone and spend less time with my kids.' (18:03) What the power lies in is listening to someone's story. (20:50) What You’ll Learn How Bridget made the transition from traditional radio to podcasting Her inspiration for starting this podcast arose from the challenges and concerns within the parenting space How her love of interviewing and connecting with other parents helped grow her audience Resources and How to Connect: Bridget's Podcast: Birds in a Tree Social Media: Facebook and Twitter Resource Mentioned: Be the Change Video Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

The beauty of being a business owner is that you can set the rules and choose who you want to work with—you're the boss after all. You also have the advantage of being able to bring your unique personality into your business, which is what Ali Willoughby did. Knowing your strengths is so important so you'll know how to attract the ideal clients who'll love to work with you. In knowing her strengths, she's able to work with top entrepreneur women whose work she respects and admires. Listen to Ali's entrepreneurial journey and the simple steps she took to create a successful online business. Who is Ali? Alison Willoughby, solo business owner and blogger at Ali the Happy VA as well as blogger at the soon-to-be launched mental health blog, Anxious Adventures, has been a work-from-home professional for a decade and a business owner for over three. After an uninspiring stint as a medical transcriptionist, she decided to take the plunge and open up her own virtual assistant business. Since then, she’s worked with popular bloggers, coaches, designers, and other creative women entrepreneurs. She’s now expanded her business to helping new or aspiring biz owners get set up in their own practice. Ali enjoys thrift store treasure hunting with her husband and is still in love with the color pink and all things sparkly. Quotes from Ali Without trying to sound too cliche, I do think you can do it, you absolutely can do it. It's never been easier to start a business and I know there are resources out there to help you free and paid. (10:16) I honestly think that the two biggest traits that are needed to succeed are curiosity and empathy. You always need to be learning things and also need to solve problems (10:37)   What You’ll Learn How she built her business brand around her strengths and what appeals to her. Since social media and simple graphic design work lit her up, she knew they were good directions to go in. There’s no preparation in the requests clients give you—it's a good idea to set boundaries and a "cheat sheet" on how to work together for an optimal working relationship. How she’s glad she ignored advice that she was "unprofessional" when she brought her personality to her work. It just goes to show how the workplace landscape—particularly digital—has changed and how you can find or create opportunities to do work around your personal brand. Resources and How to Connect: Ali's website: alithehappyva.com Social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Resource mentioned: https://12weekyear.com/ Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

I've always been amazed at those who push their limits and break through barriers of fear. I can imagine that's what our next podcast guest, Sarah Williams, had to do in order to complete the Marathon des Sables, a multi-day, ultramarathon event that takes place in the Sahara Desert.  I've completed the New York City and Philadelphia marathons (26.2 mile races), as well as local triathlon events (swim/bike/run combos) so know the hard work and training that goes on behind the scenes. But the Marathon des Sables is a whole other beast altogether. Six marathons in six days, all self-supported with backpacks with 1,200 other competitors in a hot, vast desert. I love how Sarah was able to challenge herself enough to get out of her comfort zone and really step it up to compete and come in ninth place for British women.  But was she always as tough as the course she had to face? Listen to her story as she, like many, came at a crossroads with what to do with her life and job, and how sitting on buses in South America gave her the idea for tough girl challenges as an outlet for personal growth and transformation, including competing in the "toughest footrace on earth." Who is Sarah? After working in finance for eight years, Sarah quit her city job and spent 18 months traveling the world, climbing Kilimanjaro, backpacking around South America and doing a ski season. She used this time to help her decide on what she wanted to do with her life. She set up Tough Girl Challenges as a way of motivating and inspiring women and girls. She’s also the host the Tough Girl Podcast where she interviews inspirational female explorers, adventurers, athletes and everyday women who have overcome great challenges.   She completed the Marathon des Sables in April 2016. This year, she will hike the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles) in 100 days!  Quotes from Sarah I’ve realized recently that I wake up everyday and I’m just so happy because I just love my life, I’m doing exactly what I want to do. (5:35) What amazes me is when I look back on my vision board it’s like, 'Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe I did that!' (9:12) When I was working at my job, I actually spent more time planning my holidays than planning my life and I find it’s very easy to slip into routines and not plan what you really want to do and the days go by, the weeks go by, the months go by and suddenly you look up and 'wow hold on how did I even get here?' If you don’t think about it, if you don’t plan it, if you’re not developing your future and not making it the way you want to see it, you’re going to be living somebody else’s future. (10:10) What You’ll Learn How visualization exercises was key to creating her version of a well-designed life How she created Tough Girl Challenges via a business plan and 200-page manifesto of what she wants to achieve Why she chose the Marathon des Sables as her big challenge How taking action, despite not having all the answers or information, is her default choice nowadays—certainly keeps one from getting stuck in analysis paralysis! Resources and How to Connect: Sarah's website: www.toughgirlchallenges.com Sarah's book: Tough Girl - Sahara Challenge Social Media: Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Leaving a cushy situation isn’t always easy, but having self-awareness, doing the soul searching and creating a logical break-down of steps in the right direction can certainly help in the process. This week, I’m happy to introduce Melissa Ricker of Engineered Motherhood. Melissa found the constraints of her well-paying job challenging on the limited time she had with her young son—and thus she engineered a lifestyle that worked for her and her family combining tactics and strategy. Listen to this episode to hear how you can create a step-by-step process for a well-designed life that works for you.   Who is Melissa? Melissa is a nuclear engineer by degree. She left the corporate world last year to pursue her own business. She started out freelance writing and blogging, but she found her true calling as she began coaching women through the struggles she had recently overcome as a professional working mother. She now runs a coaching business specifically for women who have big dreams but aren't sure how to make them turn into a reality.  Some quirky facts about Melissa: She’s got a master's degree in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M and also lives on a ten acre farm outside of Houston, Texas, with horses, chickens, cats and dogs. Quotes from Melissa I really have that sense of purpose because I know I’m helping other women achieve their biggest dreams. I guess what I really love about my business is the person I’ve become through it. (4:36) While it’s still sometimes challenging for me to put my work down I have to really set boundaries in place, make hard stops in my day, so I can really guard myself from working all night especially since I’m so passionate now about what I do. (6:30) Your thoughts and that voice inside your head is the most powerful tool that you’ll ever have. What you tell yourself your brain believes—so you really have to watch what you say and think about yourself because you’ll just end up getting in your own way and holding yourself back. If you can get out of your own way and change how you think you really can become completely unstoppable in whatever you want to pursue. (7:19)  What You’ll Learn Why mantras are very powerful in creating a more positive mindset Helpful ways to get unstuck from the proverbial rut The importance of detailed planning and being clear on what action items to take everyday The importance of taking action, no matter how small, to build momentum in achieving one's goals Resources and How to Connect: Melissa's website:  www.engineeredmotherhood.com Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest  Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Have you seen the 2008 movie Yes Man starring Jim Carey who challenges himself to say ‘yes” to everything for an entire year? That movie comes to mind when I think of my latest conversation with actress, voice over artist and fellow podcaster Ilana Levine. Although her case wasn’t as dramatic as Carey’s, one of the things I loved was how open she was to all the possibilities that presented themselves. I think sometimes within the context of busy work and life schedules, there’s this tendency stay on top of our “to do” lists that we forget to also stay present and be open to those serendipitous moments. She had this credo for saying “yes” to whatever came her way (within good reason of course), which then led to some pretty cool opportunities in her business and life! As the summer season opens with plans for travel and all, I hope this inspires a sense of openness and self-discovery in your own journeys.   Who is Ilana? As an actress, Ilana Levine has performed on stage and screen to critical acclaim. She has produced films and plays. She is a wife, daughter, mother and activist. On Broadway, Ilana is best known to musical theater fans for her comedic turn as "Lucy Van Pelt" in the Broadway revival of, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. Ilana also starred in the Broadway productions of Jake's Women, Wrong Mountain and The Last Night Of Ballyhoo. She has performed on the Tony Awards. As a voice over artist she has done commercials and audio books. She resides in Brooklyn with her husband, actor Dominic Fumusa, her two children, and their dog, Lola. In May of 2016, Levine joined the podcast universe when she began hosting Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine. Quotes from Ilana On the Hollywood guests she interviews: For most of them, their self-worth wasn’t completely tied up in their careers. They were constantly growing as humans. And the other thing I think, and I don't mean to sound hippy dippy about it but I think it's really true now more than ever, people who volunteer, people who spend their time doing things for others in big and small ways truly are the happiest people. (10:45) On being open: I work very hard at listening, you never know where the idea is going to come from, and it can come from a very unlikely source. So just be open. Work hard, be open, and don’t lose your sense of humor. That’s the hugest thing. (18:30) On defining success: I think for me, a life where creativity, love and being of service are all in play. (22:56) What You’ll Learn How she manages both the business and creative sides of her career How she integrates family in her business Her karmic view of treating everyone from all walks of life with kindness as an assistant one day may be the CEO the next A beautiful, daily ritual she practices that was included in actress Molly Ringwald's book and literally involves turning a new leaf Resources and How to Connect: Ilana's website: www.littleknownfactspodcast.com Social Media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Other: Look Up Campaign / YouTube Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Career transitions can seem like a daunting challenge for the uninitiated. It’s easier to stay in the comfort zone of the familiarity than to make that decision to change what's not working. A desire for more family time led Carrie Madormo to look at alternative career alternatives. Google was her friend and she came across the perfect fit! Using what she knew about health as a registered nurse, she transitioned to medical writing so she could have the option to work from home. In this episode, you'll learn about the steps she had to take to make the transition, the mindset she had to embrace, and how she was able to succeed. Hopefully this will inspire you to take first steps in any area of your life that you want to see positive changes for yourself.   Who is Carrie? Carrie Madormo is a freelance health writer, nurse, and founder of The Healthy Work at Home Mom, where she inspires and teaches fellow mamas how to ditch their 9-5’s and live their passions.  Carrie lives in Milwaukee, WI with her husband Tim and two babes (Charlotte and Jack). Quotes from Carrie This is possible — and you don’t have to accept where you’re at. Or think 'I was a nursing major in college, so that's all that I can ever do.' I was just writing an article about Joanna Gaines on HGTV ... your college major, your first job do not determine the rest of your life and I tell this to my 4-year old daughter now when we she talks about 'what do you want to be when you grow up.' They tell her, 'You could always change it if you don't love it.' It's possible to make a change no matter what point you're at. (4:29)  I love the Four Hour Work Week and that made a big impression on me when I was working as a nurse and thinking about my future. I think the biggest takeaway from that book was so many of us put off all these things we want to do until we’re rich, or until we’ve ‘made it,’ when in reality it maybe doesn’t cost as much as you’d think and you could start doing those things now. And for me that was travel and since we had these two little kids I thought that was not going to happen but if you’re brave enough to say ‘this is what you want,’ and look into it you can make it possible. (9:52) What You’ll Learn How Carrie landed her first writing gig and built her client base from there How just taking all these steps will lead you to the right direction, even if you may not know exactly where you're going How morning routines became a life changer for her. Her routine involves a combination of meditation, journaling and visualization to help jumpstart her day. Her biggest inspiration was from her father who perceived rejection as a part of the creative process and also a part of the success equation Resources and How to Connect: Carrie's website: www.healthywahm.com Social Media: Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

Sometimes we overcomplicate things in deciding to make that big leap. I love how relatively drama free Tracey Osborne's transition was from working in corporate to becoming a full-time business owner. Starting her virtual assistant business as a side hustle and having networking ties in her community were a powerful combination in allowing her to quit her full-time job in just two months' time. What I also took away from the conversation was Tracey's strong sense of discipline which ties in with her love for Spartan racing. Learn how setting boundaries and structures, can help set the stage for your success in business and life!   Who is Tracey? Tracey Osborne is known as The Entrepreneur's Secret Weapon. After specializing in the virtual assistant industry for almost a decade, Tracey coaches and teaches women how to use the skills they have to create a money-making machine working from home as a virtual professional. Tracey is the author of the book, Becoming a VA; The Key to Unlocking the Virtual Assistant Industry. She is a powerful and dynamic speaker and has relaunched her podcast, Coffee With Tracey in April 2017. In her spare time, Tracey can be found training in the gym for her first bodybuilding competition or her next Spartan-style obstacle race. She's an avid hiker and is often found in the woods of Georgia with her husband, youngest kids and of course their beloved dogs, Rylie and Molson. Quotes from Tracey If you don’t continue to grow your skills and if you don’t continue to develop yourself as a person, you just stagnate and your business dies and doesn’t go anywhere. (6:43) I had to create a structure and boundaries and a strict work life balance in order to make it really flow and happen. (10:05) You need to have some kind of balance. Don’t let your phone rule you. (10:43) What You’ll Learn How to set boundaries with clients, even if you're just getting started in your business. It will set the tone for your relationship, put everyone on the same page in terms of expectations and create a space for having a mutually beneficial working relationship. 10 years of experience in the trenches taught Tracey how boundaries are necessary for work and family in order to avoid burnout and longer-than-necessary work days. The importance of a self-care and morning rituals. Tracey starts her day at 4:45 am with creative work. She also works out daily and keeps a healthy eating habit. Resources and How to Connect: Tracey's website: www.Tracey-Osborne.com Social Media: Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter Other Listening Options: Individual player or full player view on website: http://lorirochino.com/podcast-2/

I first came across the term “mastermind” in a beat-up, weathered copy of my father-in-law’s book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Granted, the original masterminds involved an old school hierarchy of founding father types we read about in school text books. Fast forward today and the you’ll find the “mastermind” has evolved into something more flexible, creative, innovative, and value driven. What is a mastermind exactly? From Hill’s book it’s the “coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.” Having a mastermind, particularly for business, is a great place for support and growth. After all, you are the average of the five people you most spend your time with, according to personal development consultant Jim Rohn.  Over the years, I’ve belonged to several masterminds, some free, some paid, some in-person, some online. I found I don’t thrive in huge Facebook groups where it’s easy to get lost. I also do better in groups where other people are committed to growth, and there’s more personalization so was pleasantly surprised with this group I recently joined. In this episode, I’m excited to have a conversation with one of the co-founders Gina Horkey of Mamapreneur Mastermind. (Last week I interviewed the other co-founder Ariel Rule). What I find refreshing about my conversation with Gina is how outgoing, yet low-key her style is for someone in the online marketing world where there tends to be a lot of clutter. :)  So, I hope you’ll sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation. Who is Gina? Gina Horkey is a married, millennial mama to two precocious toddlers from Minnesota. Additionally, she’s a professional writer and online business marketing consultant with a decade of experience in the financial services industry. Gina enjoys helping other freelancers gear up to quit their day jobs and take their side hustles full-time via her website, Horkey HandBook. Quotes from Gina A lot of times we tend to think and over process stuff to a point that we talk ourselves out of even trying because we’re convinced that we don’t have what it takes and that we’ll fail so instead of knowing everything we’re expected to know which is completely impossible especially because everyone comes from a completely unique position and experience. Know enough to get started and learn from the actions you take. (9:42) So I think you should figure out what your goals and dreams are, and what it’s gonna take to reach them, and then you could define your own success, based on your own personal values. End (13:32)  I formed a ton of relationships online and just to surround yourself with people that get you is pretty important and powerful and enjoyable. (20:48)  What You’ll Learn How knowing your top priorities at the moment will help keep you focused. For Gina, they're faith, family, health and business. As the primary breadwinner, business may take the front seat from time to time, and it's totally okay to change priorities as things in business and life change all the time—as long as you're intentional and focused on your end results. The importance of surrounding yourself with people embarking on the same journey, whether entrepreneurial or other life based activity. This is where a mastermind group can come in handy. Last but not least, JUST get STARTED! Mamapreneur Mastermind ***Mamapreneur Mastermind: https://www.mamapreneurmastermind.com/ I'm a proud affiliate! Sign up for the Mastermind by mentioning this Simply Designed Life podcast episode with Gina Horkey, and I'll send you a FREE bonus audio + eBook, How to Get the Most Out of Your Mastermind to Crush Your Goals. Just shoot me an email under the "Comments" section that you've made the purchase and I'll send you your free gift! Resources and How to Connect: Gina's website: https://horkeyhandbook.com/ Social Media: Facebook,