She Did It Her Way

The adrenaline rush of hustling can be insatiable. The payoff even more satisfying. But how much longer can you go? Do you know when to take a step back? Ashlyn Carter, founder of Ashlyn Writes, became very familiar with the adrenaline rush of hustle. Her previous career in corporate PR, and her type A personality, had always pushed her towards perfection. But when the stress from her job as a publicist, coupled with planning a wedding, led to her developing an eating disorder, she knew she had to make a career change.

What was the weirdest diet you've ever tried? What work out infomercial have you bought into recently? If not a super pumped infomercial, what workout trend have you gotten swept up into?  How long did you stick to these? Did they even work? Well today's guest, Nagina Abdullah, has been on the weight loss rollercoaster herself. Always athletic, and trying every diet from Weight Watchers to South Beach, she was never able to achieve the body that she wanted, or keep off any weight she did loose. More importantly, nothing she ever tried got her excited. And so, like every other method, her health and fitness motivation faded. However, her determination returned after she had two kids, and she found that adding certain spices to her healthy meals helped her loose weight without exercise! This eventually led to the creation of her weight loss program and blog, Masala Body.

How much longer are you going to represent a brand that doesn't fulfill you? When will you take the leap and showcase yourself as your own boss, with a business that encompasses your passions? For Britney Kolodziej, founder of JAM Marketing Group, that moment came when she received the message that she was going to be a speaker at a blogging convention in 2016. As head of the marketing department at a fitness corporation, she had been dabbling in the blogging world personally, but primarily professionally as a marketing tool for the company. On a whim she decided to apply to be a speaker for the convention, but when she unexpectedly landed the gig, she began questioning if she wanted to use that platform to represent the company or herself. The opportunity had showed her what she was capable of achieving, and ignited her drive to start her own business.

What is causing you to not believe in your creative dreams? Is it practicality? Is it the fear of taking an entrepreneurial leap? Alisha Byrd specializes in helping the creative woman dissect these questions and come up with a sound business plan to make their hobby or idea into a profitable business. To her, there is nothing that a savvy person can't make money from, and works with clients from authors to dog lovers in monetizing their loves. With her website and blog The Alisha Nicole, she guides clients thoughts so they can gain clarity on their business venture, and acts as a support system so they can overcome their fears as new business owners.

Was your entrepreneurial dream completely different than the careers you had two masters degrees in? When you decided to go for it, did your family hold an intervention to tell you that you were nuts? Well when Michelle Dempsey quit her job as a teacher to become a blogger, this was exactly what she faced. Though instead of letting them act as deterrents, she used them as fuel to her fire and was determined to prove her family wrong, and her gut right. Now a successful and published writer, with a content marketing and brand consulting business (to name a few hats of hers); she provides lifestyle and career advice to readers with her blog, and helps clients rebrand or build their business.

Have you always been someone who promoted unity? Has being able to help others grow by sharing your wisdom and resources something that brings you joy? During her years in fashion PR, Sarah Boyd's real passion was empowering other women, and helping connect newcomers with mentors or professionals who can help them maneuver through the industry. So she launched her brand Simply Stylist that features conferences and workshops that provide a platform, and space for women interested in the fashion and beauty field to come together. Through her brand, they are able to learn the nuts and bolts of the industry, and create and strengthen their networks. Simply Stylist also features Simply Digital Network, that acts as a management agency for celebrity bloggers.

How does your business evolve with you? Have you outgrown it? Is it time to start another one with a different direction, so it aligns with who you are today? These were the tough questions Jessica Zweig, founder of the SimplyBe Agency, was faced with when she decided to end her first business, Cheeky Chicago, that had been running for 7 years. Launching in 2008, Cheeky Chicago was an online lifestyle magazine for women, and was of Chicago's first online destinations for the hottest socialite venues. It soon evolved to include content about dating, fashion, restaurants, buying your first home, and more.

What does success truly look like in your eyes without comparing it to others? In what ways does your business enrich the lives of your clientele? Can you allow your business to act as an extension of yourself and the entiriety of your being? Amongst the flow of wine, She Did it Her Way dives into these questions at the Boss Dinner with a variety of successful female entrepreneurs. The event is a celebration of powerful women with a goal of creating strong networks aimed at promoting and uplifting one another.

As you go through the work day do you find yourself falling victim to those cupcakes in the break room? The lure of the overpriced vending machine? And the ease and quickness of popping a few power bars in your bag in the morning as nourishment for the rest of the day? Rachel Drori is here to change that with her deliverable and organic soups and smoothies from Daily Harvest. Made for people who want to eat healthy but live a busy life on the go, her products come frozen and pre-packaged in single serve cups and bowls with whole ingredients like avocados, dates, and kale, among others. All consumers have to do is add a liquid or broth of their choice and get to cooking or blending! With recipes cooked up by herself, a nutritionist, and a Michellin star chef, she aims to build a transparent brand that consumers know they can trust, and deliver products that truly provide them with the nutrients that they need to perform their best.

Is your career one that you were told would pay the bills? Was it the career path that you were told you should want? Are you living a life that you were told was a 'successful' one? Does it make you truly happy? Currently a career and lifestyle coach, Liz Traines, founder of Liz Traines Coaching, helps women get out of this rut and create careers that they love. Her target audience are women in the corporate field who have given all they can to their jobs, and are left drained. She wants to help them build a career that fulfills them at the end of the day, and doesn't cause them to neglect themselves and their mental health in the process.

How many times have you felt as if the weight of the world was on your shoulders, and when asked what's wrong you said, 'I'm fine!'? How did that affect you emotionally? Why couldn't you say what was wrong? Catherine Grace O'Connell said that this is due to the societal pressures that people, more specifically women, face to keep up a perfect facade. Most women are taught not to acknowledge or express the exhaustion from the stressors in our lives, which could be motherhood or possibly marriage. By conforming to these pressures, we can end up loosing ourselves in the waves that society and life has laid before us. Catherine said the key to finding yourself again is by becoming honest and aware of our emotions and speaking on them so we can begin to effectively heal and gain clarity, as well as empowerment.

Do you feel as though you can't help but contract the energies of your environment? Have you met someone, and with no explanation feel that something is off? Isabel Hundt, a transformation coach, public speaker, author, and Empath Warrior, says these sensations are caused by mirror neurons in our brains. Mirror neurons cause people to feel the same emotions as their peers and can be affected by environmental stressors and energies. Everyone feels some form of this, but someone who is an Empath experiences these sensations to such an extreme that they obtain certain gifts due to highly developed mirror neurons.

In what ways can you take back your joy? How can you take hold of your own destiny and bring positivity into your world? In this episode, Stephanie Dalfonzo shares a multitude of ways for people to harness their energy as well as managing and relieving their stress and anxiety through various self help methods. With her expertise ranging from hypnotist, essential oil educator, intuitive women's coach, among other things, she helps her clients put the power of their happiness into their own hands, and transform their mindsets with techniques such as EFT tapping and her form of affirmations.

Do you feel as though your current job is conflicting with your conscious? Are scared that if you leave, you will have no idea how to put your skills to use in another field? After working for a PR firm as a publicity strategist for six years and wrestling with these questions, today's guest, Amanda Berlin, was laid off. After promoting and representing companies that made her question her morals, she wanted to use her powers for good. So she became a communication strategist and business consultant for businesses and people who help others work on self improvement and promote healthy lifestyles.

Would you refer to your current job as soul sucking? Are you plotting your escape everyday but have yet to take action? After giving the corporate the shot after shot, and never finding fulfillment or excitement in her job, today's guest Molly Rose Daly had finally had enough. She had dreams of traveling and living life at her own pace, with work being able to follow her. She found this fit as a virtual assistant for clients ranging from high-end speakers, authors, course creators, and everything in between.