What To Do For Your Business During The Covid-19 Outbreak

How are you holding up these days? It certainly has been a whirlwind two weeks here in California. My entire family is working from home (we have two adult children that live with us) and it’s been an adjustment for me just as much as it has for them. I’m extremely thankful that we are all still working and able to do so.

While some of my clients might have had to temporarily shut their doors, we are still sharing socially, just a little differently. But that still leaves me with some time on my hands, and I’ve been trying to use it in a way that will serve me better when this is over. Here’s what I’ve been doing:

Audit Digital Files

I’m a downloader and saver, thinking I’ll get to it later and rarely doing so. I’ve downloaded tons of PDF’s from masterclasses and webinars that I haven’t looked at after the event. I’ve been going through documents, folders, and images and deleted what is no longer necessary, what is no longer relevant and any duplicates.

Audit Cloud Files

The same applies to my cloud storage, either through Google Drive or Dropbox. I had increased my storage late last year on Dropbox so I’m making sure that I’m utilizing that storage with files that would normally take up too much space on my hard drive and moving them to Dropbox.

Organize Client Files

Taking the time to go through all my client files is time-consuming but I really don’t need three drafts of a holiday campaign from 4 years ago. I’ve found that this is another place I have a lot of duplicate material. Auditing these files also encompasses anything that made its’ way into any of my Cloud-based storage systems.

Take a Masterclass

I recently joined a subscription-based service that encompasses several of my clients who are in the same niche. Yesterday I jumped into the first Masterclass through Zoom and I learned A TON! My expectations were low as it was an SEO class, but I learned more about things I had heard of and how to implement them in ways I had never thought of. It was an hour of my time and completely worth it.

I had also taken another class online a few months ago on organizing a design-based business and now I have some extra time to go back and revisit some of the sections that I need more clarification with.

Set up Systems

If you’ve been thinking about trying an online project management system but haven’t had time to learn the ropes, this is your chance. This is also a great time to set up your business in an accounting system.

Enjoy the Downtime

I realize that I have the privilege of not having to rely on my income to pay our mortgage. I realize that not everyone has that kind of comfort. But we can control only what we can control, and how we react to this unprecedented issue will have many effects on our mental health and immunity. I was listening to a Podcast on a walk last week and a physician was talking about how to boost your immunity. It wasn’t with supplements and gargling with salt water or drinking some kind of tree bark tea. It was three things: sleep, stress and clean food. Eat well, get enough sleep and keep your stress level low. Easier said than done, I know, but this is the time to restart that meditation practice or journaling, or whatever.

One of my biggest fears is the fear of the unknown. Not knowing when this is going to end has been hard. Not knowing how long we’re going to have to live like this has been excruciating. But when I think about a year from now, certainly it will be over by then. 🙏🏼 I think the way people and communities have come together has been amazing, and I truly think we will all be better people when this is over.

Thoughts?

Tools & Resources I Use on the Reg

Happy 2020! 🎉 I’ve already written 2019 about thirty thousand times in the last week, but I’m really excited about the new year and (gasp!) new decade.

Here we are already in the middle of the first full week of the year, and reentry has been hard! But, if you're anything like me, January is the time to organize and get all the processes in place for a successful year.👊 I thought I'd share the ride-or-die tools that help me stay organized and on top of my game.👇🏼

🎨 Canva - you don't have to be a graphic designer to create beautiful graphics, banners or flyers. This platform is available online, and there's a phone app too (perfect for on-the-go), plus the free version has everything you need for professional graphics. I actually just started using this application last year, and it’s already saved me so much time & energy.

🖌 Adobe Photoshop - this is the industry standard and takes a little more time & effort to master. I'll admit right now, I'm not an expert in Photoshop, but I’ve been playing around with it for many years and have taught myself the basics. If you get stuck, there are some great tutorials online that are helpful.

🗓 Later & Planoly - my love of scheduling tools is a topic of great discussion on my Instagram. If you don't do anything else to get organized this month, do this one thing. Your future self will thank you every week.

🏦 Dropbox - for file & image storage as well as sharing documents & files with clients. This is another free platform, although you'll have to upgrade if you’ll be storing a lot of images & videos (it's worth it!).

💾 Google Drive - another cloud-based storage platform. It allows you to access documents from any computer or device, so if you get a blog post idea on the go, you can just start writing.

💻 Squarespace - my website building platform of choice! It's beautiful & easy to use, and I love that it includes hosting as well as domain parking so everything is in one place.

I'm trying out a few new productivity tools this year, and I'll share & review them soon. Meanwhile, what are some of the tools you use on a daily basis that help you stay organized in your business?

Life Update

Oops, it’s been awhile. What happened to Carrie?! Since the beginning of August I added two new clients, did a couple of website redesigns, traveled to Scotland, and lost my dog.

Ok. Back up.

So, work wise, I’ve been super busy and it’s been great. I have a short attention span, and have come to realize that multi-tasking is the devil. I used to think it was a great skill I had, but lately I’ve come to realize that I am way less productive when I’m switching between projects. I’ve been trying to batch task, and that seems to be working well for me and my brain.

In September we traveled to Scotland and spent two glorious weeks road tripping the highlands. If you haven’t been, it should be added to your bucket list. It was cool and rainy, and so beautiful. While we enjoyed the cities, we absolutely adored the small towns and open spaces, getting lost, getting away from the crowds and just enjoying the region. And whisky. Lots of whisky.

A week after our return at the end of September, we had to put our dear Gracie down. She would have been 14 in December, and we are so grateful we got to spend so much time with her. We adopted her when she was 2, from a man who got her as a gift, lived in a condo and had no time for her. She was a companion to our lab, Candy, who left us 5 years ago, and she was the sweetest, best girl ever. It was very sudden - as in, one morning she was unresponsive and it turned out she had a large cancerous mass on her spleen. At her age, we couldn’t put her through anymore pain. We brought her home and as she was held and surrounded by her family, we said goodbye with the help of the at-home euthanasia veterinarian that we used for Candy.

We are heartbroken, and the house is so very quiet. It’s been very hard for me since I work primarily at home, and she would follow me around all day, or sleep under my desk while I worked. I’ve come to realize that there is a certain energy dogs bring to a household that cannot be replicated.

We always said we weren’t going to get another dog for a while after Gracie, but within a week I had submitted applications to two Golden Retriever rescues here in Southern California. I’ve already applied for a couple that we didn’t get, but I do feel that the right doggo will come to us when the time is right.

So that brings us to the end of October and another Indian Summer in So Cal. I was photographing two of my clients this morning and I can’t believe I’m styling Christmas product now! It just seems too soon! The next two months are always such a whirlwind of activity and I’m sure it will fly by! Hopefully the temperature will cool off soon so I can get the sweaters and scarves out - I can’t wait.

Selecting a Color Theme for your Social Media Channels

I'm working with a new client, and it's been very fun. One of the first things I did when I took over their Instagram account is archive ALL their old content. Why? Because there was no rhyme or reason in the posting of images, no editing of photos and no general color theme. Sometimes it works that you can work without these things, but in this case, it didn't. Their engagement was non-existent and the images that were shared did not tell a story about the business. 

Social Media Short: you can seemingly 'delete' photos from your Instagram feed by archiving them. This is good if you want to play around with your theme, test a new posting strategy, or just don't like what you had posted way back when. To do this, on the upper right side of the image select the three dots, and then from the drop-down menu, select archive. 

After spending some time in my clients' shop (it's a home decor/gift shop) arranging, styling and photographing product, I've spent the last week uploading images on a consistent schedule on both Instagram and Facebook and we've seen a noticeable jump in engagement, likes, and followers. Such a great feeling and the client is thrilled!

Selecting a color theme can be difficult and frustrating. When I'm hired to revamp a blog or social media channel, the first thing I do is study what they sell, taking into account the predominant colors they use and any company colors, logo designs, etc. I'm very visual, so I usually know what look I'm going for pretty quickly, and design content uploads to reflect this, scattering in some other content that fits within the scheme. 

There are quite a few websites out there to help you decide a color theme if that's not your thing. Of course, Pantone is the industry standard, and they have handy chip books and color guides you can purchase to help you get started. Many paint brands also have fan guides and you can sometimes get them for free from the retailers (however, I don't think they're doing this all that much anymore). A trip to Home Depot, Lowe's or any other home improvement store that sells paint is also a great place to start. Take a look at the paint chips, and many of them have some complimentary colors that can help you decide on a color theme. It's fun to grab a few ideas and play around with them later. 

One resource I love is Design Seeds, a fantastic website of user-generated images that are paired with the real color codes so you select the actual color when designing in Photoshop, or any other image editing program. One of my favorite color combinations are blues and neutrals, and this palette is perfection.

This particular palette is called Color Wander - see it all here.  If you are a color addict (like me!) take a look at Design Seeds for major inspiration! 

Oh, Hello 2018

We had some amazing sunsets in December here in Southern California. Part of it, I’m sure, was due to the never-ending Indian Summer we experienced. 80+ degree weather in December and scores of wildfires while the mid-west & east coast started their annual freeze.

2017 was an interesting year. It was the year I let go of all expectation, all my preconceived notions of what I thought I should be doing and instead just allowed myself to be and do. I did some soul-searching and came to terms with many things.

Due to chronic pain and an amazing amount of anxiety, I turned to yoga and meditation (and if you’ve been reading the news and lifestyle blogs – so did everyone else). It has made a huge and significant impact on my mental & emotional state, and I really think I’m a totally different person now than I was a year ago. Hopefully for the better. Who knew that getting into my head would allow me to actually get out of it.

And here we are in the second week of the year, and I’ve set my 2018 Intentions. This year, they are much more in line with how I’m spending my time. I’m not chasing more work like I’ve done in the past. I’m pretty happy professionally with what’s currently on my plate. And if something new comes along, I’ll consider it, but only if it truly works for me. That in itself is a wonderful place to be and something I’m so grateful for. So, 2018, here’s what I’m hoping for:

• Travel & explore with Scott: we did very well with this last year, but it was due to a lot of planning and follow through. We traveled to Austin, San Diego, New Zealand, Washington D.C., Ojai, Las Vegas, Napa Valley and countless trips to Palm Desert. We took day trips to Santa Barbara and spent Saturdays & Sundays exploring our favorite places in Downtown LA, West Hollywood Santa Monica, and Venice. I realized that when you make exploration & travel a priority, it can happen.
• Take no shit/drama/power struggles: This is part of my recovery from a toxic relationship that has continued to plague me. I can finally say it is all behind me and it has left me stronger and more comfortable to establish & sustain my boundaries.
• Be present: This has been interesting because my job is social media-centric, but this is another place where boundaries are maintained. When I’m with my people (and honestly, that’s any people), the phone stays in my bag or pocket. Everyone deserves our undivided attention.
• Meditate every day: I started regularly meditating as part of a morning practice this past summer, and it’s a ritual I’ve come to love. Even if my mind is wandering, I still sit there for the length of time I decide on in quiet & stillness. It’s helped considerably with stress & anxiety.
• Expand yoga practice: I started taking a restorative yoga class a couple of times a week at my gym to help with chronic back pain and stiffness. The first few times were agonizingly slow, but now I look forward to that class and go as often as I can. I’m curious to try some other classes and teachers.
• Consider Reiki Training: I had my first Reiki treatment early in the summer and another toward the end. It’s actually what jump started my meditation practice, followed by yoga, and it’s incredible. The feeling of clarity and lightness is such a beautiful thing, and I swear it was more relaxing than a massage. I’d love to learn more about it as a personal practice goal.
• Do art daily: I started drawing again! This was my love early on, but I’m sad to see that the patience I once had for this hobby is not there! It’s a struggle for me to sit and draw, especially when I keep thinking I should be doing something more productive. I need to quiet that voice because art is productive, right?!
• Hike more: I live in a beautiful place with beautiful trails almost right outside my door. When I can, I try to get out on them a couple of times a week. At the very least, I drag Scott on weekend hikes 
• Practice mindful eating: I’m 9 days into another January Whole 30, and it’s a lot harder this time because I had fallen so far off the clean-eating wagon. The good news about that is that I’m reminded just how important whole foods are and how they impact your health. My back pain is almost completely eliminated after cutting out sugar (a big cause of inflammation) and bloating is way down after cutting out gluten.
• Watch sugar, alcohol & gluten: see above.