Which is the title of my favorite album by my favorite band, in case you were wondering...but today's post isn't about the 2003 record release that changed my life. It's just about changing your life.
I know that my business is about beauty, but it's also a business. And a business is more about just what it does, it's also about how it does it. I want to be straightforward in saying that I am absolutely nowhere near where I plan to be when it comes to my business or my personal life, but that doesn't mean I haven't learned some things that might be helpful to share with others. We're a community, right?
I've recently had so many friends, family, and clients (who have been with me since the beginning!) compliment me on my progress with each new accomplishment on my entrepreneurship journey. Over the past few weeks, I've been asked so many questions about how I've done x, how I learned y, or what it takes to do z. It doesn't matter what x, y, or z are in these examples. It all boils down to one thing-mindset.
The cheesy "she believed she could, so she did" quote you see splattered all over Pinterest and the Facebook cover photos of moms & Millennials around the globe is actually the truth. It's really hard to accomplish anything (or even take the plunge to work toward accomplishing anything) if you don't think it's possible for you to do so. That's obvious. But HOW do you continue to work toward something when life gets in the way? When you have responsibilities that take up your whole day or you're not feeling motivated or you're working two jobs or you have terrible credit or zero savings or...okay maybe this is starting to become all about me. Let's reset.
I use many tools to keep me inspired and motivated, and I'm sure you do too, but I specifically wanted to share some of my favorite books. Lately, my husband and I have been watching less TV (except for Ted Lasso now that it's back, if you're not watching it you're making a mistake) and either reading or working on creative projects instead. It's crazy what a time suck TV can be! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely understand that sometimes we just need to shut off our brains. But limiting the unnecessary noise and working toward our goals is the only way to get there. How about some suggestions, eh?
- How I Built This by Guy Raz. I don't know anything about Guy Raz other than what he sprinkled throughout this book, but I quite liked the way he organized the stories of entrepreneurs here. Many of them I'd heard of, many of them I hadn't, but I learned a great deal from all of the successes and failures collected. Lots of examples of how to get into, and stay in, the proper headspace. You don't have to be interested in being an entrepreneur to be inspired by the stories here, but honestly, if you're interested in entrepreneurship at all, this is the book I'd start with.
- Blowing My Way to the Top by Jen Atkin. Jen is a celebrity hairstylist and though I know/care nothing about hair, I picked up this book because of how inspiring I heard it was. Indeed, if you are an entrepreneur or even just working toward a goal, this is a light but well written read that truly inspired me. Though I still haven't picked up a hair dryer.
- Open Book by Jessica Simpson. Jessica was the butt of every joke in the early reality TV days, but she has built a billion dollar fashion empire. I found her...ahem...OPENness really admirable and loved learning about her journey. My favorite line might have been when she told her manager to just give her soon to be ex husband the spousal support he was fighting for because she knew she would make it back- "and I did-give or take a billion." Who's laughing now?
- The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey. Mariah shares her path from a troubled childhood to uh...MARIAH f'ing CAREY. Perfect mix of humble and diva, though I do love a flair for the dramatic so bear that in mind. I loved the "if I can do it, you can do it" aspect in this, all while maintaining the signature Mariah attitude.
- You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. I hesitated putting this on here, because if you've done any research at all on the law of attraction, you'll find this a bit redundant, but I realize that not everyone has watched The Secret 397 times like I have. It's an easy read, and if you struggle with believing that you're capable of accomplishing something, I don't think it can hurt to read this. I've also read the financial version of this, You Are a Badass at Making Money, and it's worth reading if you like this one.
- Mindset by Carol Dweck. If you're interested in reading about fixed mindsets vs. growth mindsets from the perspective of a psychologist in a more case study, science-y way, this is for you. It's not a challenging read, but it's definitely a bit more dry than some of my other suggestions. However, if you didn't trust that the two pop princesses on this list wrote books worth reading (you are incorrect, by the way! I promise they're great!), and you're more into the dry stuff about WHY and HOW the different mindsets work, then give this a whirl.
- Estee: A Success Story by Estee Lauder. C'mon, with a title like that, you know you're gonna learn a thing or two about confidence, what it takes to make your dreams happen, etc. I read this because one of my beloved esthetics instructors recommended it to my class and I absolutely loved it. Estee Lauder is an iconic brand, and hearing the story from her perspective will make it easy to see why and how it got there.
- Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. Honestly? Enough said. It is! Read it.
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