Posted on by junkfoodbyelle

Foodie Friday: Food For Thought: Competition

You vs. You

Foodie Friday: Food For Thought: Competition Elle here!!! I came across this message and it read:

“Your competition isn’t other people. Your competition is your procrastination. Your ego. The unhealthy food you’re consuming, the knowledge you neglect. The negative behavior you’re nurturing and your lack of creativity. Compete against that.”

This made me realize that we often times self-sabotage ourselves and our success by procrastination, our ego, and what we eat. Everything we do effects our total outcome. This message was a reflection of me, and the person I don’t want to continue to be. We all have greatness, yet we unconsciously find ways to F*ck Sh*t up, then we find ourselves stuck and wondering why we have not progresses, why we haven’t hit that height of success we know we can reach. I am truly guilty of this and am working hard to reach new heights every day. So let’s get out of our own way and make it happen for ourselves. After all we are HUSTLERS!!!!

Posted on by Female, Single & Hustlin'

Happy Friday: Bye, August

Elle and I have been talking about the next four months of 2019 for the past couple weeks that it’s become sort of a mantra for us. All we’re thinking about is how we’re going to crush our goals in these next four months so we can have an amazing 2020. At the beginning of every year we’re so full of promise and hope. Are expectations are high as well as our energy. But as things divert from the plans we made, our enthusiasm wanes a little, setback set in and we come towards the of the end trying to find that same energy we started with.

So, goodbye August. We really need to spark that fire because I am well overdo for

Posted on by Female, Single & Hustlin'

She Supports: Elle & J.U.N.K. Food

Once again, I want to shout out my dearest Elle for hard work in sharing her journey in creating a healthier lifestyle through plant based consumption. In her 2nd published book, her first about plant based eating, Elle talks about the importance of eating and why eating raw, clean and unprocessed foods is more than a diet, but rather a pledge to one’s overall well-being.

In this easy read, my girl Elle, explains the pros to eating more foods directly from the earth. We all remember the four groups. In Elle’s J.U.N.K. 101, she dispels that myth. With supporting evidence. And her next book which will be released later this year provide readers the recipe to share the journey with her.

I’m not plant based myself (yet), but I have many of her dishes and I can vouch that what she prepares is delish and worth making the switch over the eating more plants.

So… go ahead and Google her book. You’ll find it on Amazon. If you’re unsure, I included a picture of it right above. Let’s show Elle some love.

Posted on by Female, Single & Hustlin'

This Week’s Goal: Change Web Hosting Provider

My goal this week is a little trivial. It’s not overly exciting or empowering or mind blowing. It’s good ol’ fashioned dollars and cents. Literally. I am in pursuit of a new web hosting so I can – like all of us – save money and maintain my earnings.

Which hustle of mine is this affecting?

My notary business. I’ve been using GoDaddy for years. And now they want to raise my $11.99/mo fee to $20.00/mo. Yeah… That’s an extra $96 a year I’m not okay with giving away. My dollars count. I worked hard for every cent I’ve earned, whether it was as an employee or as an “independent contractor”/ small business owner. When I know of an opportunity to save money or try to save money, I’m all over it like white on rice.

Nothing exciting this week. Just some penny pinching. What’s your goal for this week?

Posted on by Female, Single & Hustlin'

Working 5 to 9: when to lead, when to follow

Have you heard about the many faucets of ourselves? Our work selves versus our personal selves. Our authentic selves versus our world selves. The notion that we can never truly be our full selves because our environment, the people we’re around or some other forces demand a different version of ourselves whatever occasion we happen to be wrapped in. It seems a little hollow of an excuse but it’s actually how we reserve our energy for the right moments.

And the same applies to side hustling.

We have our work selves which we’re doing the job we were hired to do. And we have our hustling selves. The selves that has to step up to the plate and negotiate on our own behalf. The selves that has to be firm on pricing, invoicing and charging clients what we’re worth. These are the selves that have to exude more confidence that we know we possess, whether we feel it or not. We have to be more brave and take calculated risks whether we’re ready or not.

These are the selves very few of those closest to us will ever meet. Our interaction with our closest friends and family don’t require the same selves our hustle selves show. But that doesn’t mean we can’t step up and expose a little of our hustle selves to the world. Take charge, lead a project, reach out, connect, influence or provide advice and guidance.

We may not always be 100% our authentic selves, we can still lead with our authentic selves’ best traits.

Posted on by Female, Single & Hustlin'

Staying Motivated: Helping Others

In the past two, maybe three months, I have been asked to help another aspiring notary with getting her business off the ground. She reached out to meet via one of my Craigslist ads and asked if would I be willing to meet her and help her with some ideas. After several email messages, I agreed to talk by phone.

This woman, Claudia, emailed stating she just got her notary package, and is an Accounting student and wanted to see if I’d take her under my wing. My first thought to her email was, wow. How brave must she have been to reach out and ask if I could help her in pursuit of her career. Which is weird because isn’t that how we’re suppose to approach getting to the next level? Asking for help? Reaching out? Getting advice from people who are already doing what we want to do?

Strange how the right path seems like the weird path to take, huh?

She emailed saying she was in the Long Beach area and wouldn’t mind taking taking clients I received in this area. Well, of course she wouldn’t mind taking on clients further away from my service area as it would business for her. Little does she know, I’ve serviced clients in that area and will continue to do so as long as I’m able to, but if I’m not. I’d be more than happy to hand them off to her. But I understood where she was coming from.

My second thought when I read Claudia’s email was, is there something I’m doing that makes people think I’m successful at it? That’s okay if it is, I’d just like to know what they’re seeing that maybe I’m not. But the truth of the matter is, we are responsible for helping others when we can no matter if we think or success is large, small or nonexistent. I’ve myself have had help along the way. So I can’t deny helping someone else if I’m in a position to do so.

And yes, this means I am helping someone who will be in direct competition with me. Some… what. She may be able to execute notary services according to the requirements of California per her commission, but she can’t do it the way I can. She can’t be me. She can’t come up with the same ideas as I do. She can’t create the same marketing ideas I’ve had. She can only do her and I can only do me.

Even as hustlers, we can’t be afraid to help someone else on their hustle even if it seems like their competition. For all we know, it could be the catalyst for other opportunities as well…

Posted on by Female, Single & Hustlin'

Money Matters: Budgeting Takes Practice

Budgeting takes practice

I don’t know about you, but every time I hear trips and tricks about saving money, the root of it all starts with budgeting. And it sounds simple enough to believe it. Make a list of all my monthly expenses and stick to those costs alone. The idea is that if we can spend less than our take home pay, we can save for a rainy day or that dream home fund. But, what these experts fail to share is that budgeting isn’t some secret ingredient the rest of us didn’t know about. Budgeting takes practice.

And a lot of practice. If you get budgeting down on your first time out, we’re donating your brain to science. Sorry, you don’t have a choice in the matter. I need to know how your mind works.

But if you’re like me and perhaps the rest of us, creating the list of expenses is the easy part. Sticking to it is the challenge. And something as trivial as dinner with friends can throw it all off kilter. Which isn’t fair, but real.

So, then, if budgeting is harder than it sounds because of surprise expenses, how can we be successful at it? Especially if we’re generating a second or third income stream?

Practice. Practice sticking to only the expenses you have to pay. Nothing more. If you’re the social butterfly but still want to budget, one of your expenses line items should either be miscellaneous or entertainment. That way you can include dinners out with friends and going to the movies as part of your budget. Ideally, you want to reduce how often you go out and spend money. If wasn’t made clear earlier, the whole point of budgeting is to save money. And spending money is the direct antithesis of saving money.

But back to the practicing of budgeting. The part we may need real help on: takes time and commitment. Chances are, we’re going to splurge on occasion. Or have an unexpected but important cost come up. It’s called life and she’s not always nice. So start practicing with weekly budgets. See if you can go one or two weeks without calling an Uber and Postmating lunch. Pay off a credit card to reduce an expense.

Want to make it exciting? The money you don’t spend, open up an high yield interest account, put the money you would normally have spent on frivolous things and save it for the end of the year. You can either treat yourself to something posh and outlandish or invest it in yourself or your future. Either way, you’ll have the money and the options to do so.

Posted on by Female, Single & Hustlin'

Money Matters: Lending Money

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I don’t like borrowing money for any reason.   I’m sitting on a mountain of student loan debt which I feel like I am slowing chipping away at and as a result, I HATE borrowing money.  In the investing world, borrowing money is a common thing.  In fact, many experts will tell tell you there’s such a thing as “good debt”.  It’s an investment that can be written off for tax purposes.

I understand the concept.  I just don’t agree.  I’m more of a David Ramsey gal looking to get to the snowball avalanche on my student loans.  But still chipping away at that.

But there’s also borrowing money on smaller, personal level, like between friends and family.  I know I’ve done it once or twice and dreaded having to do it.  More often than not, I’ve had people borrow money from me.  And I’m sure I’ve said it before and probably even posted it before, but I’m going to say it again:

IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE IT, YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LEND IT.

What do I mean by that?  If your closest friend or a relative asks to borrow money and you have it, but you would need them to pay you back right away, then you probably can’t afford to lend them the money in the first place.  The sad thing about borrowing between family and friends is that is can ruin relationships…if you let it.  Till this day, my Nana swears up and down that she doesn’t talk to my uncle, her own son, because he still owes her like $700 on a truck my uncle bought from her husband.  It’s ridiculous.  So my golden rule is, if I’m going to lend someone money — whoever it is — I forget about it.  That money is gone and is never coming back.  Oh, well.  That way I’m not upset or resentful or angry and it didn’t damage a relationship.

However, should someone pay me back – yay — that money doesn’t go back into my checking account from which it came.  It goes to my savings instead.  I already made up my mind that the money was gone forever so when it does return to me, I treat it like an unexpected windfall and throw it right into my savings.  This is way I’m adding to my savings and I’m not spending “extra” money unnecessarily.  It helps me keep the reins on my money better so I have financial more secured future.

So, ladies.  I know we want to help out our friends and our family, but if it will cost you peace of mind, your sanity or even your relationship, it’s better to just say no.  Money isn’t just money to everybody and we can’t expect everyone to treat or respond to money the same way.  If you can’t afford to lend it, you can’t afford to lose it.