@hellolovelyliving

When setting up and maintaining your boutique enterprise, buying from wholesale clothing vendors will undoubtedly be the most cost-efficient and profitable method of sourcing items to fill your shop with. Buying in bulk almost always allows purchases to be made at a lower cost per item, so you can turn your attention to growing the choice of clothing available at your shop instead of worrying about the financial side. 

Another great thing about purchasing wholesale women’s clothing is that there is a huge range of choices. Dear-Lover, a leading online wholesale fashion marketplace, sources fabrics for its clothing from over 650 vendors, so each piece is unique and of a bespoke style. 

That said, an extensive collection can make it difficult to decide what to place an order for. Even if you’ve been working in the industry for years, it’s always tricky judging what will sell. This is where it’s paramount to truly understand your customer and their needs. Below are a few top tips to help judge what your consumer wants. 

Choosing the Best Wholesale Women’s Clothes According to the Customer 

There are several factors to consider when making a bulk purchase of boutique clothing, and properly thinking about each one will ultimately help you source the very best selection for your business. 

No.1

Clothing Trends 

Consumers of fashion are largely led by what they see each other wearing, with particular emphasis on the current style of celebrities and others on social media. If you take a walk around your city and see hundreds of people all wearing, for instance, denim shorts or skater dresses, you might feel tempted to follow suit. This is how trends emerge and spread across the population - it’s important to stay attuned to these clothing fads! 

No. 2

Seasonal Dress

Part of selling successfully in your boutique is choosing to source, dependent on the season. You don't want to buy a surplus of cozy, knitted jumpers just as the weather starts getting warmer. Customers tend to buy according to their current desires, as opposed to thinking about their future wardrobe, so you should really maximize your efforts to select clothing that is optimal for the appropriate season and weather.

No. 3

Quality Materials 

When buying wholesale women’s clothes, it’s important to assess the fabrics and materials used in creating the final product. Customers look for clothing that will last—they want to wear and enjoy pieces for several years to come, particularly those hoping to save money. 

No. 4

Versatility 

Customers love buying clothing that can be worn for different occasions and events. To cater to this, try procuring styles that could be dressed up or down such as lace blouses or long skirts. With different shoes, jewelry, and a change of hairstyle, a whole new outfit can be made from the same few clothing items.

Takeaways

Choosing boutique women's clothing can be a time-consuming task, but put yourself in the customer's shoes, and the rest will come easily. It is with a comprehensive understanding of your consumer base and clear knowledge of what wholesale clothing vendors have to offer that your business will have the opportunity to flourish. 

With more than half of the world’s population now online in these current years, data privacy and internet services have become major talking points. That's why it's no surprise a tech giant like Google introduced an initiative called Chrome Privacy Sandbox. It is due to the concerns about privacy protection and accessibility of internet services in specific regions of the globe.  

Naturally, this has led to an increase in VPN usage. A virtual private network is a service or tool that encrypts your connection and keeps you hidden while surfing online. It offers many attractive advantages for online users looking to better their internet experience. Nevertheless, it can come at a considerable cost as there are also drawbacks to this network choice. For this reason, if you’re considering using this service for yourself or your organization, you’ll need to know what to expect.  

And so, we have gathered some benefits and risks of using VPNs. Read on to know them.

VPN benefits

Accessing Geo Blocked Services

One of the main reasons internet users opt for VPNs is to gain access to websites and online content that is blocked in specific locations. It usually happens with popular media streaming services to protect copyrighted material and intellectual property and implement contractual obligations.  

In this case, a VPN can bypass this geo-blocking by hiding your Internet Protocol or IP address. It is the digital signature that indicates the location of your device. The bypass works best when using VPNs optimized for your region, such as Thailand VPN for users in the country. Therefore, with your location obscured, you’ll be able to access the content you want.  

Keep Your Network Anonymous 

Data privacy has been a topic of consumer rights debate over the past decade. Fortunately, this has led to updated policies where websites need the authorization to collect information about your online activity. They use this information to target specific ads towards you while improving your experience interacting with websites.  

However, many internet users still prefer using VPNs to remain completely anonymous and prevent their browsing history and habits from being tracked and analyzed for advertising purposes. Thus, VPNs provide you the freedom to visit your favorite websites without leaving traces or cookies, and you won’t have to worry about being bombarded by ads in the future.  

Private Data Protection 

Another benefit of using VPNs is that they can hide your private and financial information. This security feature is particularly advantageous for people who use the internet for online shopping and e-commerce websites.  

They protect data from being stolen by hackers who could use your credit card details, banking passwords, and impersonations to swindle your money and identity. VPNs do this by using encryption to scramble your sensitive data into an unreadable code.   

VPN Risks

Malware Threats And Cyber Attacks 

While VPNs are valuable security tools for data protection, they are still vulnerable to malware and cyber-attacks such as phishing and DDoS Attacks. These attacks disrupt your network functionality by overloading it with data so hackers can commence their criminal activities. It is especially the case when using VPNs for financial solutions such as online lending.  

In fact, the main aim of many spoofing and phishing attacks is to spread malware. And once this happens, the entire network can be compromised. Fortunately, some modern VPN providers do offer antivirus and malware protection. However, their effectiveness is still being tested.  

Dubious Privacy Policies 

As mentioned, one can use VPNs to circumvent online activity tracking of third-party websites through anonymity. However, this still depends on the VPN provider, as some have intentionally vague privacy policies. It is the case with many free VPN services as the providers may store VPN logs of your data to sell to advertisers, defeating the purpose of VPN altogether.  

This circumstance presents a significant threat to your data ending up with hackers and cybercriminals. It also doesn’t help that VPN providers aren’t bound to government legal policies in some countries, so there are limited solutions to prevent this.  

Account Suspensions 

Many online services such as streaming sites and e-commerce stores have become aware of VPN usage to gain entry to geo-blocked content. Due to this, they have warned consumers not to use them, while other stringent companies have banned VPNs completely. In those situations, it’s to observe legal licensing terms and protect their network.  

And so, using a VPN under these circumstances risks your online accounts being suspended or terminated in the worst cases. Once this happens, you lose access to your account and all its data and assets. You could also face being barred from using the service in the future.  

Takeaways

The benefits and risks of using VPNs revolve around privacy, protection, security, and anonymity of your data. The provider should be the deciding factor in whether your chosen service can minimize the risks while having a reputation for ensuring the benefits.

Most cyber security experts recommend using VPNs with reputable providers and being cautious with free versions shown on web browsers. Ultimately, it’s your choice to decide whether the risks are worth it to gain the benefits.

@design_hunger

Building a business is a demanding and time-consuming endeavor. Once this occurs, it is natural if you have let other priorities go as a result. On the other hand, failure to maintain a healthy lifestyle for an extended period of time may cause undesirable consequences. If you do not maintain your health, you run the danger of being burnt out. In fact, 78 percent of business founders have admitted to having gone through it.

It is critical to establish good habits from the beginning in order to avoid the development of stress-related side effects over time, such as insomnia and anxiety. It is not necessary to wait until your company has gotten off the ground to begin attempting to achieve an appropriate work-life balance. Eventually, you will discover that there is always an excuse to put off taking care of your mental and physical health.

According to statistics, burnout is more likely to occur within the first two to ten years of your company's existence. This is precisely why it is necessary to take quick action in the following areas:

Diet

Grabbing lunch on the run is appropriate once in a while, but the phrase ‘quick and easy’ should never be used to describe your diet. Instead of feeling that you are too busy to enjoy regular, healthy meals, consider the possibility that you require regular, nutritious meals because you are so busy. It goes without saying that food is fuel and that without it, your body is susceptible to a breakdown. The first step you should do is to designate a certain lunch hour for yourself. You must commit to eating during this designated lunch hour each day, ideally away from your work if you want it to be considered a priority.

Rather than consuming sugary meals that provide a rapid burst of energy followed by a crash, choose foods that provide sustained energy throughout the day. This includes proteins, carbohydrates, cereals, and legumes. Preparing nutritious snacks for the workplace, such as nuts and dried fruit, will allow you to breeze through the day.

Everyone has heard it before, and it is still true today: “Breakfast is an essential meal of the day.” No matter how many times you have heard it, it is just a non-negotiable at this point. Set your alarm for a time when you will have enough time to eat so that you may begin your working day in the best possible manner.

Sleep

What is the significance of addressing sleep first? Quite simply, when you have a hectic schedule, it is generally the first area to suffer. This is a serious problem, as the importance of getting enough sleep at regular hours cannot be stressed. After all, getting enough sleep is one of the most crucial things you can do to stay healthy. It is a natural healer that aids in the reduction of stress levels in the body. Sleep deprivation impairs your ability to concentrate, problem-solve, and make judgments, all of which can affect your ability to maintain your business successfully.

A few reasons why you may be sleep-compromised are due to environmental stresses such as noise pollution that occurs when living in the city and urban areas. For example, you may live in NYC, so finding soundproof windows would be of paramount importance for removing up to 95% of outside noise. It will also significantly reduce dirt and drafts that usually can affect the quality of the air in your home.

If you are having difficulty getting a good night's sleep, there are several actions you may take. To begin, the most obvious and, at times, the most difficult step is to decrease your screen usage at night. For computers and mobile phones, this means imposing a rigorous cut-off time when they are used beyond certain hours. You should also refrain from drinking coffee after 3 p.m. and avoid eating large meals immediately before bedtime.

health

When we are busy, we often neglect our existing health concerns and may put them off repeatedly. We think that unless there is something urgently wrong with us, we can wait to speak to a professional or seek help. The truth is that prevention is always better than a cure. Whether it is routine appointments with your medical care provider, or if you have medical conditions such as familial hypercholesterolemia or diabetes that require a medical professional to keep a close eye on you, it is vital that you stay up to date with the medical care you require.

Mental health

Taking care of your physical well-being is one thing. Another thing to remember is to look after your brain. They are, nonetheless, intricately intertwined. Exercise, for example, has been shown to have anti-depressant properties.

Another strategy to maintain a healthy frame of mind is to establish relationships with other people. Working long hours might cause you to become estranged from your family and friends, which may have a negative effect on your mood. What is the solution? Concentrate on carving out quality time with them, and most importantly, put your cell phone aside while you are doing so.

If you have the opportunity to spend quality time with friends or family in nature, even better. Even a limited period of time spent outside can have a significant impact on lowering the risk of developing anxiety, stress, and depression.

Becoming a landlord can both be both challenging and fulfilling. It’s a great way to build passive income. However, you do need to brace yourself for the workload that it entails. Nevertheless, your efforts will be fruitfully rewarded if managed properly. If you have decided to embark on this journey, here is a guide on how to become a landlord.

In becoming a landlord, you actually have the option of enlisting the services of a property management company or managing all the day to day tasks of a landlord yourself. You also need to enlist the services of a real estate lawyer to be aware of the potential issues you may encounter as a landlord. Nevertheless, to become a landlord, you must be prepared to handle several tasks.

Finding the right tenants

In order to become a landlord, you need to have tenants occupy your property. This may entail the need for you to advertise to reach your target market. You can leverage several online platforms in order to do so because this is considered the most cost-effective form of advertisement. You also need to be sociable because you will need to showcase your property to potential tenants. This is the stage where you have the opportunity to shortlist suitable tenants for your property.

Completing legal agreements

In becoming a landlord, you must familiarize yourself with certain legal issues that revolve around the real estate industry, particularly those that involve tenancy. Apart from a rental agreement, insuring your property is also a necessity and a task completed by the landlord. Whether you are renting out a residential or a commercial property, having it insured saves you the risk of shelling out a hefty sum due to unfortunate circumstances.

In a similar manner, whether you have a tenant or not, your property should still be covered by an appropriate insurance. Unoccupied property insurance is especially necessary for properties that are left vacant for more than a month because a standard insurance policy may be insufficient. This is because unoccupied properties may come with a bigger risk of attracting unwanted visitors.

Collecting payments and enforcing rules

And of course, the most important task of a landlord is collecting the deposits and rent of their tenants. As part of this, keeping a record of all the payments for this will be greatly beneficial when you pay off taxes and even in claiming for tax deductions. Aside from this, to become a landlord, you must already have a set of rules that you wish to enforce upon the tenants in your property. Several seasoned landlords divulge that the secret to their success is enforcing the rules rigidly, regardless of who is occupying the property. This makes it fair for all your current tenants. However, you must be cautious with your actions to avoid being labeled as discriminating.

To wrap things up, becoming a landlord entails a huge responsibility. While it can be rewarding, it can also be challenging. If you know that you have the qualities to become a landlord, go on and delve into the business, for in it, you may find success.

CBD flower comes from the industrial hemp plant. It in the very material from which CBD oil and other corresponding products are extracted. Upon separation from the plant, this dried CBD hemp flower bud holds the biggest cannabinoid profile. As a result, you get a hemp flower that’s completely non-psychoactive; meaning you won’t get mild-altering high from its consumption. You can smoke, cook with, consume and do so much more with this herbal offering.

CBD flower is a highly versatile part of the cannabis plant packed with all the essential nutrients including aromatic molecules, therapeutic cannabidiol, terpenes, fatty acids, minerals, proteins, and many other amazing cannabinoids that offer a whole wide range of medicinal benefits.

source

CBD flower buds are supposed to carry 14-20% CBD (Cannabidiol) with almost negligible THC content (carrying as little as 0.3% Delta-9 THC). The fact that it carries such little traces of THC ensures that the user doesn’t get high from its consumption. Since it has a good CBD profile, the very cannabinoid that offers it’s medicinal value is used for fighting inflammation, managing chronic pain, regulating blood pressure as well as managing diabetes and several other chronic ailments. Check out this clinical study performed to establish the relationship between cannabidiol and its potential to cure several mood disorders.

Health Benefits of CBD Hemp Flower

Just like CBD oil, CBD hemp flower bud is supposed to offer several therapeutic effects. Many clinical studies back those claims up. Hemp flower is typically used for alleviating conditions like chronic pain, sleep disorders, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and even diabetes. While most of these benefits have been shared as anecdotes by users around the globe, many controlled clinical studies performed on animals also confirm the following benefits of CBD hemp flower:

• Anti inflammatory properties that can manage chronic pain

• Potential for neuro-protective properties

• Anxiolytic effects that can help with stress and anxiety

These are just a handful of benefits that people have experienced by smoking CBD flower. However, it’s important to mention that smoking hemp flowers may not be the healthiest way to go about it. Anything other than oxygen is not the best thing for your lungs. While many use it for the mild euphoria and achieve feel-good effects, it’s important to remember that a trade of positive and negative effects may be happening at the same.

In terms of effects, people who prefer CBD buds over oils feel that the effects last longer and are more noticeable. That’s because CO2 extraction processes through which CBD oil is obtained, ends up stripping away many of the natural cannabinoid profiles, thus making the effects more subtle compared to the effects of hemp flower.

The real implication/usage of CBD hemp flower comes from an agricultural prospect where farmers cultivate and process it to extract CBD oil or make salves and isolates.

Is CBD Hemp Flower Legal?

CBD flower that comes from hemp is totally legal in the USA. However, the only requirement is that it must contain less than 0.3% THC by drug weight. In fact the 2018 Farm Bill has legalized production of hemp for commercial purpose. It’s completely legal to grow hemp as an agricultural crop which automatically makes CBD hemp flowers legal too. Many cannabis plants other than hemp (such as marijuana strains) may also yield flower/bud that may be rich in CBD and low in THC levels. But, it’s not necessary that those would be federally legal since they don’t originate from hemp.

Economic Potential for Farmers

Up until now, cultivation, distribution and sale of hemp and hemp products remained a huge challenge in the US market. That’s why there’s still a narrow market for farmers and consumers who like to use hemp flower directly. However, thanks to the recent 2018 Farm Bill that has legalized hemp farming for commercial purpose, things are starting to look up.

The market for hemp and hemp production is beginning to pick-up the pace, but it’s still relatively in the initial phases. Therefore, it may offer lucrative opportunities coupled with favorable conditions for farmers who want to grow and sell hemp, and hemp-derived products.

In case you are contemplating investing in hemp farming either as a farmer, distributor of hemp and hemp extracts (including CBD flower, isolates, oil, etc.) or someone who wants to offer land for hemp production; now would be a good time to make the most of it. CBD has huge number of health benefits.

Final Thoughts

Hemp is definitely emerging as a promising crop both in terms of a lucrative farming option as well as for the therapeutic potential it carries. Hemp flower is just one of the ways in which the country can put this beneficial herb to some excellent use. Although we are a long way away from exploring the cannabis plant to its true potential, we are on to a good start.

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Disclosure: The content in this article is from a trusted Hello Lovely Living contributor.

In 2015, the cannabis market was valued at $90 million. According to Grand View Research Inc, that number will jump to $22 billion within the next year - and a staggering $146.6 billion by 2025. A combination of widespread legalization, significant investment and increased research has resulted in a complete shift in the way consumers look at cannabis.

It’s safe to say that CBD is indeed much more than just another trend. But what does this mean for you? Is there some kind of untapped potential that’s worth making a business venture out of, or is it too late? Let’s take a look at the future of the CBD industry and what has made it such a compelling product.

Image Source

Vast Potential

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As you may already know, cannabidiol, or CBD for short, is one of the most well-documented compounds of hemp, which is a type of cannabis plant. It is free from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is what the media and general public usually associate with cannabis due to its psychoactive properties.

A legal limit of 0.3% THC content applies to CBD products in the United States, but most of them contain none at all. As more and more consumers learn this fact, the stigma around cannabis continues to dwindle.

This, combined with an increase in the publication of scientific research around its health benefits, is putting CBD under a positive new light in the eyes of the general public. Its ability to treat an ever-growing list of conditions makes it a compelling health supplement for many people.

This goes a long way in speaking for its potential, as there’s a clear demand for cannabis products. While there are many entrepreneurs who have already capitalized on this, the cannabis industry is far from oversaturated.

Health Benefits

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To better understand why the demand for CBD products is something that will continue to increase, let’s run through some of its better-known and more well-researched health benefits. Keep in mind that we’re far from done when it comes to researching its effects on the human body, so there’s still much to be unraveled.

So far, we know that CBD oil is capable of reducing our risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, bone disease and much more. Its anti-inflammatory properties help protect our skin and reduce signs of aging, in addition to treating acne. This alone means there’s a significant potential for CBD in the skincare industry.

Another major concern that general consumers have today is stress and anxiety. Popular treatments usually involve the use of pharmaceutical drugs with undesirable side-effects. Numerous studies have shown that CBD oil is highly capable of treating anxiety and stress, but without all the negative side-effects.

There’s also depression, something that over 16 million Americans suffer from. Unsurprisingly, we’ve found that CBD oil positively affects our serotonin levels, thus making it capable of reducing depression and other mood disorders. This list can quite frankly go on forever, as CBD oil is also capable of treating sleep disorders and chronic pain, among others issues.

Cashing in

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This exhaustive list of health benefits means there are countless people who can benefit from CBD, which is great news for someone who wants to cash in on this industry while it’s still in its relative infancy. If you’re interested, be sure to check out this post on becoming a CBD oil distributor, which explains in further detail what you can expect.

It should be very clear at this point that now is the best time to enter the CBD industry. With enough persistence and a bit of creativity, you can easily become a key player in helping the world enjoy the benefits of cannabis products.

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Disclosure: The content in this article is from a trusted Hello Lovely Living contributor.

It can be relatively easy to find yourself slipping into a career when you’re fresh out of college. While still trying to get your feet on the ground, you’re forced to make a huge life decision based on little more than the degree you have earned, where you live, and how desperate you are to get some cash in your bank account. You may find yourself taking the first job that you are offered, or perhaps you opt for the position that gives you the largest wage. However, are these really the best reasons to select your first job role? Fast forward a decade, and you may find yourself in a role that you hate, a career that you wish you hadn’t chosen, and a professional existence that you feel stuck in.

It doesn’t have to be this way. There is no such thing as a job for life anymore, and more and more people are choosing to switch careers in their twenties, thirties, and forties. You can do the same. All you need to do is make sure that you are proactive and seek out opportunities that will transform your professional life. Take a look at these three sure-fire ways to get the job that you truly want.

No. 1

Get skilled up

Changing careers will inevitably require you to retrain. This can be daunting, especially if you need to commit to a few years’ worth of study. However, many degrees now, like the ones offered by the University of Southern California, can be completed online rather than by attending a physical campus. This gives you greater freedom to study from home while you are still working in your current role. While this position might not be thrilling for you, it is ideal to ensure that you are still getting paid while you retrain for a brand new career.

When swapping to a career not linked to your current one, you may have to enroll in a variety of courses. People who have slipped into a teaching career and now want to be doctors will need to undertake specific qualifications in order to practice and get the job that they want. Retraining may sound like a lot of hard work, and it’s true that you will need to commit to a couple of years of qualifying rather than simply walking into a role. However, in the grand scheme of things, this is a couple of years out of your life when you have a further thirty years or more of working in a role that you should enjoy.

No. 2

Join a recruitment consultancy

Recruitment consultants are given quite a hard time by those seeking a new job. Job seekers will often provide a recruitment consultant with a concise and nuanced wish list for a role, only to be offered something dramatically unrelated. However, find yourself a good recruitment consultant, and they could be worth their weight in gold. Find a specialist consultancy that only sources for positions in your chosen industry. Go into their offices and meet your consultant in person. Show them your resume, and take their advice on how to enhance it. Complete courses, get the necessary qualifications, and change the formatting as advised.

When a recruitment consultant puts you forward for a position, it’s time to brush up on your interview skills. Follow a format to answer each question. The STAR strategy is effective as it helps you to structure your answers effectively. You will describe the situation, detail the task, explain your action, and demonstrate the result. This keeps your answers focused and nuanced. Some recruitment consultants will even hold a mock interview for you to help boost your confidence and give you a dry run, especially if you haven’t been for an interview for a few years.

No. 3

Gain experience

While work experience can be impossible to obtain, especially when you already have a full-time job, you can shadow a professional in a voluntary capacity. This may require you to take a couple of weeks of vacation to achieve, but this will be invaluable to your resume. Even if you usually work as an advertising executive, for your voluntary shadow experience, you could be working alongside a florist, a teacher, or a lawyer. It’s up to you to find these opportunities for yourself. So, write to local companies that you are interested in working for, and get your foot in the door. Many employers are eager for unpaid help, so you have nothing to lose in sending off some speculative emails.

Takeaways

While you may feel stuck in your current career, don’t feel like you can’t do anything about it. Your career is not set in stone, and it’s okay to shift and morph from one job role to another. Think about what is important to you, strive for a decent work-life balance, and work towards finding your dream job as part of your ideal career path.

To gain experience, you can look for job opportunities on specialized sites like Jooble.

I am back with another article on the topic of careers. If you haven’t read my previous article, Career Growth Tips For The Career Driven Woman, then click over after this one as it will be another helpful article on this topic as well.

Today’s article is all about getting you to take action if you have been on the fence about starting a new career or advancing yourself in your current one. This article is brought to you by a Hello Lovely Living contributor who is sharing this helpful information for all the career-driven ladies out there. I hope you will find it helpful!

Life is full of big and small surprises. Sometimes we may feel like the path we chose, originally, isn’t quite right for us after all, or we might just have closed an important chapter already and feel ready for a brand new one.

Nonetheless, it’s the perfect time to reset your brain a bit and try to think about everything you’ve wanted to do. Going from a stay-at-home mom to starting a small business, for example, can be a huge transition, but it’s also a lot of fun and definitely a risk worth taking.

Similarly, you may want to change your career field after struggling away in the same job for years. While it may seem difficult to overcome, at first, it’s a challenge that will make you grow both personally and professionally.

Here is a handful of ways to get started on something new with your career so that you can feel like you’re heading somewhere more rewarding. It won’t necessarily be easy, and you will have to be prepared to put in a lot of work, but the end result is within reach.

First: Use your contacts

Sure, getting started with a brand new career can’t be done overnight, but with the right contacts, the whole process can be so much easier. If you try to see this whole networking process as a way of making new friends and gaining new acquaintances, it won’t feel that awkward.

Keep in mind that the people you will meet might want to boost their own careers as well. It’s an advantage to be aware of this, though, as it opens up a lot of new opportunities, and it will make it a bit easier to build meaningful connections. Go out there with the intention of helping others as well, listen to them when they talk, and try to be interested in them rather than trying too hard to be interesting.

Just like you, these people are out to make career connections and get ahead in life. Take their needs into consideration as well, and try to see if you’re able to help them. The chances will be much higher that they would like to help you in return if they sense your genuine desire to help from the start. 

Another point to this is that networking is something that doesn’t just happen at regular networking events. You could build a few more connections in the company you’re already in, for example, or reach out to the people you know who are in the field you’d like to break into.

See all the interactions you have with other people in your field as a type of networking, and you might be able to get a serious career boost out of it.

Next: Broaden your knowledge

There is no denying that those with a bit more education tend to have a better chance of getting a job interview. They will also have a higher salary, which should make it even more enticing to pursue that degree you’ve been thinking about. With the availability of online courses, pursuing something that you know is sought-after in your career field is simply a click away.

A particular form of computer literacy, for example, or even a master's in lean manufacturing to build on your existing bachelor of science could be just the advancement you need. The great news is, of course, that you can take many of these courses and degrees online to make it easy to fit into your existing schedule.

The good thing about online courses is that you won’t have to compromise in terms of your full-time job or your family, and it’s going to be much easier to follow through with the goals you’ve set for yourself.

However, to achieve the set goals, you must keep yourself motivated and encouraged. Because pursuing a degree alongside a full-time job may sometimes feel exhausting, therefore, you should do different things to keep your morale high.

For instance, you can buy a degree online that acts as a source of motivation. Moreover, hanging it in your room can act as a constant reminder that you have the ability to accomplish your desired objectives. Similarly, treating yourself to solo outings can be a way to express gratitude for the effort you have invested in enhancing your skills.

If you’re not completely sure about which course or degree you should pursue in order to get that promotion or have a better chance at landing your dream job, it’s a good idea to talk to your current employer or just someone you know who works in the field you’re interested in.

They will have a much better understanding of what’s needed and where their businesses are lacking; plus, it’s going to make it pretty clear that you’re the kind of go-getter candidate that they’ve been looking for.

Feeling stuck? Get a mentor

While it’s easy to cough up a lot of different options in terms of boosting one’s career, it’s not always that simple to pick the right one. Pursuing a new degree or spending time taking a course is going to feel pretty meaningless if you’re not feeling 100% sure that this is what you need in order to get that promotion or land your dream job.

An excellent way around this is, of course, to seek out a mentor. There are a lot of different websites you could try your luck with, or you could just approach someone with a bit more experience in your company.

Let them know that you’re looking to learn a bit more about what they’re doing and that you feel that they would be a great person to shadow or to just ask some questions. It’s more likely than not that they’ll be flattered and willing to help out someone who looks up to them career-wise, and you’ll have someone to turn to in case you should feel a bit stuck sometimes.

Keep in mind, however, that whoever you’d like to have as a mentor already has a lot on their plate. Make sure that they know that this isn’t some obligation that will take up a lot of their time, and try to find someone who you already have some form of connection with. This will make communication a lot easier, and your mentor won’t feel like they have to spend a lot of time guiding you through your career, either.

While figuring out which steps you should take in order to get to where you’d like to be can be tricky, the most important thing you can do is to do something. Anything at all, really, and remind yourself that every little step helps and is much better than doing nothing at all.

I hope this article gave you that extra push you need to go after what you want regardless of where you are at in life. It’s never ever too late!

Have you been considering starting a new career or advancing your current one?

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.