At Hello Lovely Living, a large part of my work involves helping women start a new business by creating a brand from scratch. Although I do love this line of work, my passion is in helping, guiding, and offering advice in other areas of business and life, which is why this blog truly exists.

I know how scary it could be to enter unknown territory, so if I can offer my experience as proof that you can get through all of the hiccups of starting a new business, I will gladly do so.

With that being said, today’s article touches on just a small piece of the pie when venturing into running your own business. Many of the things that you will encounter are not as frilly and cute as the branding and visual identity of your brand. Much of running a business requires that you take matters into your own hands and develop solutions to an endless amount of problems.

One of those problems that I have encountered is having to figure out the insurance dilemma as an independent contractor. When you work independently, you are responsible for providing yourself with your own insurance. This means that you will have to do a lot of research about how to get the best and most cost-effective coverage as an independent contractor.

This can be a very time-consuming and stressful process in comparison to if you were just simply employed by a company and provided with your healthcare coverage right off the bat. Not to worry, with the market opening up more than ever before to independent contractors with the rise of services such as Uber, Lyft, and Postmates, healthcare coverage is getting more easily accessible to those who are self-employed.

I know just how hard it can get when it comes to dealing with medical expenses when you do not have insurance. I was without healthcare insurance for quite a while and had to pay out-of-pocket. Although it was rare for me to get sick or need care, it was very stressful knowing that if something did happen to myself or my son, we would not be covered. 

If you are on the same boat as I was at the time, here is some advice to keep those medical costs down or a few things to consider that may help you get to your end goal, which is to get reliable healthcare coverage for yourself and your family.

Look for group discounts

As I mentioned earlier, companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Postmates (to name a few) that employ thousands of independent contractors are leveling the playing field for us all. These companies offer access to third-party services at group discounts, making it easy to save on anything from shopping at your favorite stores to health insurance.

Of course, not all of us will fall under this umbrella, so look into membership benefits that are offered through your bank, perhaps. It’s worth looking into online banks that offer discounts on a wide range of expenses.

Know when to make a legal claim

In situations where you may have been injured or made sick through the negligence of someone else, it’s possible that you may be able to make a legal claim. This could give you access to compensation, which you can then use to pay for the required medical treatment.

To increase your chances of getting your claim accepted, it’s worth using a credible law firm such as this company with almost 30 years of legal experience. Online reviews can often give you a good indicator of a law firm’s integrity.

Pay in advance

Some clinics may allow you to pay for treatment in advance in installments. The overall price of treatment may even be reduced if you’re willing to pay far enough in advance.

This won’t be helpful when it comes to emergency treatment, but it could be useful when paying for planned treatment. Clinics may not offer the option up-front, so make sure to inquire about it when discussing treatment with your doctor.

Shop around for treatment

Different clinics may offer different pricing for the same treatment plan. As a result, it’s worth shopping around.

Additionally, getting treatment abroad can be much more cheaper. However, you do need to factor in the flight costs.

You should also shop around for medication, as this can also vary in price. When it comes to over-the-counter drugs, many people stick to the big brands, but it’s likely that there could be a cheaper off-brand available that is just as effective.

Get health insurance

Getting health insurance is definitely the end goal. Like I said earlier, there are many options available for idependent contractors in 2019. The benefit is that by paying monthly installments, all or a portion of your medical bills can be paid for by your insurer.

You may end up paying more in the long run. However, it will be easier to foresee and budget those costs rather than having to pay out-of-pocket for unexpected medical treatment.

Of course, you should always shop around to find the best rates. There are many companies offering health insurance to people who are self-employed. There are even family plans out there that can insure your whole family.

I hope you found this article helpful and that it offered solutions or gave you a few ideas you can launch off of.  

If you are needing help with starting a new business endeavor, get in touch with me! I offer consultations and would love to help you achieve your goals.

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I’m back with another post, and today we’re talking about a few important tips to creating a brand presence that is authentic to you. On this blog, I love to discuss topics that are real and often vulnerable, and in this article, we reinforce the idea of getting outside of our comfort zones.

I often work with women that are starting a brand new blog or website, and if there’s any advice that I try to share with them from the get-go, it is exactly the advice that you will read in this article. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it inspires you to just get out there are share your story (struggles and all), be yourself, and be confident in it all.

We recently got the opportunity to sit down with Debbie Millman: author, educator, curator, and host of the podcast Design Matters, one of the world's first and longest-running podcasts. 

As the host of Design Matters, Millman has interviewed over 400 artists, designers, and cultural commentators. In the 13 years since its inception, the show has garnered over five million downloads per year, honored with a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and designated one of the best overall podcasts by iTunes. 

Debbie is the author of six books and President Emeritus of AIGA, one of five women to hold the position in the organization’s 100-year history. She's a frequent speaker on design and branding and has been a juror for competitions including Cannes Lions, The Clio’s, the One Club and many, many more.

Here, she shares her thoughts on authenticity and vulnerability in branding and life. 

Debbie, tell us a little bit about yourself.  

I am a designer, an author, and an educator at the School of Visual Arts. I co-founded and run a graduate program in branding. I'm also the host of a podcast called Design Matters.
 

What tips can you offer to someone who wants to create a new brand presence for themselves?

Well, I wouldn't recommend that someone ever recreate themselves; I would recommend that they feature who they are on their best day, in a way that feels very authentic and true to their soul and being. People tend to respond more favorably to people that are being themselves, and, in many ways, holding that "freak" flag really high, because they can then relate and be able to connect with them in a much more visceral manner.

So, my recommendation would be to celebrate who you are on your best day, speak from the heart, and offer an opportunity for people to get to know who you really are.
 

A lot of people are hesitant to really put themselves out there. What would you say to them?

Watch Brené Brown's TED Talk about vulnerability. I really, truly believe that vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity, and you can't be creative and say something that is going to touch or reach other people unless you are doing it with your own open heart. So there really is no choice. If you're not comfortable with being vulnerable, my strong recommendation would be to get comfortable being vulnerable, because why else would anybody want to get to know you or pay attention to what you have to say? What are they getting to know, then? Some false friend?
 

How can people get out of their comfort zone and become more authentic?

Take small steps, small moves. You don't have to reveal everything about your childhood in your first email, but if you can share some part of yourself that you feel is worthy of connecting with other people, and people will feel is honest, then why wouldn't you want to do that?

That's what people want to know about you. They don't want to know all of the successes and all of the amazing things you're doing. They want to know how you've struggled, or how you've overcome an obstacle, or what lesson you learned in the process of doing something. And the more you can share that, I think the more value it has, both to yourself and to others.


Specifically, what kind of value does sharing your failures provide?

Well, everybody has experienced failure. And if you aren't able or capable of sharing what you've done wrong, why would anybody care if you're sharing what you've done right? And I feel that if we're putting a face forward that's only positive and only impressive, then we're manufacturing our meaning, because that's only one small part of what it means to be human, and strive, and long for things, and create things, and make things. And there is none of that without failure, rejection, vulnerability, fear. All of those things are just part of the process of being a maker.

Are there any particular failures or struggles that you can recount from your professional career that helped you become who you are today?

Well, almost anything I've done has been fueled by an enormous amount of rejection, whether it be book ideas, business ideas, or new pitches. My past is riddled and littered with rejections and failures. But, there are very few that I can actually look back on now and say, "I didn't either learn something, or overcome something to get to a better place, or create something out of that failure, that then became successful."

And, of course, it's easy to look back on it and say in hindsight, "Well, if that hadn't happened, then that wouldn't have happened, and then that wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't be sitting right here," but I can tell you that it's really true.

Are there any other places that you turn to for inspiration in your career? 

Well, I love to read. I love to learn, so for me, some of the people that I'm either mentored by or inspired by are people like Seth Godin, who is one of the most generous, smartest, kindest people on the planet. And he does a daily blog, seven days a week, and so you can get daily morning inspiration from him. Also, Steven Heller. He's somebody that has also been enormously supportive and helpful to me, and mentored me, and inspired me, and educated me in ways that I could never have imagined. So those are two people, on a daily basis, that I turn to, both personally and professionally, online and offline.

Finally: What's your number one tip for brands who want to create a better connection with their audience?

Think about the benefit you can provide your audience. People aren't really interested in another form, or another flavor. They're interested in what kind of difference you can make in their lives. So, what can you offer your audience that will help them grow, help them become more successful, help them learn something that they wouldn't have expected or had the opportunity to do? What can you offer your audience that no one else can?

Interested in hearing more from Debbie? Check out her podcast, Design Matters! 

I hope you enjoyed that short inspirational post. I know how hard it is to be vulnerable, especially in this online space. I can personally say that I have shrunk back a little just due to a lot that has happened within the past couple years within my personal life. I feel like I have a lot to share, but I don’t know where to start. It can be overwhelming. It IS tough to share our struggles, but at the end of the day, that is what helps us get through them.

Lately I’ve just been feeling the pressure to have it all together. Perhaps this opens a new chapter for me to share more struggles that I’ve been through. This interview really brought me back to why I’m here in the first place. I want to continue to create a space that is inspiring and real. This may be the start for more sharing and being confident in my imperfect story.

A special thank you to Emma for this guest post. They have many amazing marketing resources to help you with your online business. I especially enjoy their Email Showdown series where they compare the email marketing of two brands. I highly recommend their resources, so do check them out if you are needing help with email marketing and want marketing tips from the pros!

In addition, if you are needing help developing your brand, I am here to help you from start to finish. Get in touch with me here for a free consultation.

is being vulnerable something that you struggle with and how? i’d love to have a discussion below.