Here’s why: I’m an affiliate. If you want to read a review of the program it’s here.

But I’ll give you what I’ve been thinking of late as women have been asking questions about this program.

If you feel at all stuck on who you’re for, target market, signature services and your cash flow, then YOU MUST DO IT.

I wish all my clients did it before they came to me…then we could focus on the next layer of shit!!!

(Mo’Mentum is all about 1:1 marketing strategy that is focused on your niche and your specific goals. A group program can’t give you that…it’s the stuff that you need to grow the biz and the mindset magic that gets you there).

Morning Whip is gonna give you the foundational tools you need to have in place in order to come work with me.

So get your whip on!!! Once you sign up and I receive an affiliate payment, you receive $150. Magic.

Put on your big girl stilettos and sign up for The Morning Whip!

I used to be that girl with like 8 billion to do lists floating around and stuff seemed to constantly fall through the cracks. I tried different time management tools. I tried imposing strict deadlines and that didn’t work either.

So it’s with great excitement that I scheduled this LIVE workshop: Go with the Flow Goal Setting and Effortless Achievement.

If it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t.

Frankly, I’ve taken a mash up of different techniques, sprinkled on my own special sauce, and distilled it into the system that had my mastermind clamoring to use it for their own clients.

The secret? You have to go with the flow!

Now, I want you to join me for the workshop so clicky clicky now and grab your seat! I can’t wait to see you!

P.S. If you’re in NYC you can participate in person. Holler at me and I’ll hook you up.

Part of our day was a guided meditation followed by a new way to look at the past year. After we completed that in person, Emily gave us a great idea: she does an annual recap of her year on her blog- month by month.

So here’s mine.

January-

I got to attend an amazing workshop with Joanna Haymore- a craniosacral therapist and master healer. It was all about the subtlety of touch in healing. And my mom attended too!

For someone who has been teaching yoga for eight years, this was a great introduction to the power of lighter touch. Joanna is bomb- somehow attending her retreat was energizing as opposed to draining after 3 days of information and learning, and her scientific rigor was astounding.

I also hosted an Epiphany party! I love Epiphany- it’s the last of the 12 days of Christmas and is really about discovery and realization of that which is already innately known. Epiphany is January 6.

Also got to appear on Let’s Talk Live! A talk show in Washington DC.

February

I hosted the All You Need is Love Valentine’s day party at my loft in RVA. 

I hosted back to back parties for the Magnetism Factor in DC and NYC on Feb 13 and Feb 14 for Social Media Week too!

This one is from SMW- and Patti Stanger was calling me on Valentine’s Day trying to get a date. Yeah. That’s the millionaire matchmaker. Calling me at 11 pm on Valentines. No joke.

Also met a woman, one Laura Garnett (who is not a matchmaker), who wanted to set me up with someone…

End of the month we had our quarterly mastermind of good times with Alejandra Costello, Kacy Paide and Racheal Cook. It’s where we brainstorm, drink wine, and I believe get pedicures. All in the name of growing our biz!

March

I actually met the man in question on a blind date! We went on our first date in NYC. And our second in NYC. And our third. In Richmond, VA. I also started getting serious about something else: LifeShifted was ready to be born and the Magnetism Factor was in for a little shakeup.

At the very beginning of the month, I attended Lisa Sassy’s Event Profit Secrets, made some new friends and realized the key to profitable events. I’ll share it on a video soon Promise! San Diego was gorgeous after so much time in NYC. This is me and Jimbo Marshall at Lisa’s. He was working but I made sure he took some time to play.

 As a dedicated UVA alum, I love to go back any time I can. My Lawn friends and I descended on Cville in March for a gorgeous wedding. It was a perfect weekend.

April

Ah, my birth month. I didn’t make a big deal of the big day this year, but it was delightful to spend time with my mom and sis in law on my bday in Richmond doing girl things. Headed back to NYC for a conference, another round of dates with my new man, and worked on LifeShifted.

Speaking of the new man…

At the conference, I got to shake my booty, make new friends (holler Jennifer Urezzio) and gear up for what was to be a transformational four months. 

That’s me and Laura Garnett rocking the house with Carmel!

Also had a stunning time in the Outer Banks with my mom and her co-worker (and my new friend) Laura.

May 

Ah May was an interesting. I was in panic mode a lot. I got to go to Fire Island though, and that was bomb.

Also made the decision to live with my man in NYC come summer time. WHOA! Together we get to smooth out our rough edges too. And meanwhile, business was shifting…though that’s what it’s supposed to do!

The fun part was a stunning wedding of a dear friend from college. It was out in Western Virginia, full of wonderful people, and just a lot of fun.

June

June was all about the LifeShifted Virtual Retreat. It was ballsy to launch a brand with an event…and in hindsight I think it was smart. And exhausting. We interviewed peeps for 3 days straight. Live. For serious. If you didn’t catch it, I am going to upload some of the interviews to youtube in the coming weeks.

July 

Started with a delightful sojourn to Costa Rica (yes, with my Man). It’s somewhere I had always wanted to go and on the heels of a big event and a big move, CR was the perfect place to relax.

I was also a newbie (again, third tour of duty here) to NYC. And it was really really hot. We made trips to Fire Island to jump in the ocean. I worked most days and chilled out at night. Got my routine more or less down.

Also started the Morning Whip with Erika Lyremark (highly recommended for you fancy biz ladies out there), and did a coaching marathon to get back in touch with why I do what I do.

August

Ha. Another hot month in NYC, but full of fun times. More Fire Island. And nesting in NYC. We went to Ikea three times and survived.

From a biz perspective, I got to really let things fall into place with LifeShifted. The Mo’Mentum Coaching program was a hit! With Magnetism, I continued working with private clients 1:1 and honing my methodology and language around the process.

Our friends Jocelyn and Troy were in from out of town and did a hugely fun photo scavenger hunt in Williamsburg. Then we did a retro glam photo shoot in Coney Island with a swimmie suit from Malia Mills.

Finally, also took a last minute trip to Hong Kong! Yep! I had so much fun seeing my Asian brother (Chang works for Airbnb in the Asia Pacific region) and wandering around the city. Some days I saw NO white people until I got back to my hotel. Their subway is air conditioned. And I loved all the bubble tea options. Every morning I went to this random community garden and did Tai Chi with the ladies. Then I had a green drink. Heaven. Justin and I also spent one day on a boat with his friends and motored to a restaurant that’s only accessible by boat.

A small child helped us choose our fish and waited on our table. He was adorable!

September

September, too, was magical. It began with an amazing stay at the 4 Seasons Santa Barbara with my mom and Laura and Pam. (They had a sales meeting. I worked from the hotel pool.)

The weather was stunning, the people were great and the pool? Unbelievable. I paddle boarded with two pairs of dolphins on either side of my board for the better part of an hour. (I am not making that up. Jaded locals on the beach were going nuts even.) I scored amazing vintage clothing from a resale shop in downtown SB. And I got to meet some Whipsters in person!  Holler for Monica Park and Alana Sheeran. Yay! SB was great.

I realized that five years after I really embarked on the journey of building a biz that allows me to work from anywhere…it’s happened. And it’s only getting better!

At the end of the month, we had another mastermind- this time in Silver Spring MD at Spa de Kacy.

I think this pic says it all.

Here’s another one of us actually “working.” And by working I mean eating great nummies and drinking wine.

October 

Typically one of my fave months of the year. Business is flowing. It’s so much fun to work with my clients, and the women (and occasional men) I get to meet and coach are really inspiring. I hosted a biz bombshell breakie at my place in NYC. This here is the funniest picture with Melissa Pharr...obvi not a glamour shot. Is she growing out of me? Maybe. 

Here’s a more normal picture with Diana Seo of B Spa Bar and Julie Hwang of Big City Little Sweets.

I think  October was also when Sandy hit. We had no power for five days. It was unfun. I went to Bloomberg every day to have wifi and cell connectivity so I could keep working and it further underscored why I like to work from home. Flourescent lights and people talking all around me! It was nuts. I don’t understand how people in offices can get anything done.

We also discovered that we had spent nine days in a row together with our only breaks being client meetings or bathroom. That’s pretty amazing in my book!

November

Lots of fun work, more delightful people coming into my life, and I’m starting to get the hang of this virtual broadcasting thing!

Very proud of the broadcast Zero to Cash so go watch it on youtube if you haven’t seen it.

Took a little Thanksgiving getaway to the Dominican Republic. There are worse things. Justin’s house there is gorgeous of course! Something to be said for straight up R&R.

December

Ahhhh, now it’s my fave time of year. I just love the holidays. And this December was pretty special. My entire family (except my older bro and his wife bc they were sick) went to Vermont for a little early Christmas and ski vacation. Papa Fritsch brought us all ski gear and we had so much fun!

This is my little bro Charlie. We skied together the whole week so mad lift time gave us plenty of opportunity to chat. The rest of the fam was making delicious food or nursing colds, but we watched Christmas specials each night. Delightful!

Another scene from the Vermont vacay and it’s the perfect way to finish the year (we left for VT the day of the Newtown massacre)- remembering there is hope, faith and love. My message from God that things are gonna be ok has always been a rainbow. On that day we saw a double that is the most vibrant one I’ve ever laid eyes on. God bless 2012, and here’s to 2013. xxoo to you all!

P.S. Can’t help but feel it’s necessary to give a little shout out to some other peeps who’ve made my life magical this year: Vanessa Scotto, Brooke Thomas, Lauren Imperato, Victoria Prozan, Megan Flatt, Nichole Teering, Tina Chambers, Erika Lyremark, Christina Frei, Jalanda James and Luisa Raseij. Hope to see you more in 2013!

P.P.S. Also want to say what a delightful exercise it was to go through and remember the year this way. Sometimes I remember only the tough things…but my gosh how much fun, amazing people and gorgeous places were part of the journey. I feel like I’m pretty transparent about stuff and my challenges, and this coming year I want to be even more so. Thanks for your presence this year!!!

P.P.P.S. Please feel free to take this idea and run with it. Please link back and leave a link to your 2012 recap in the comments below! Thanks again Emily Hudspeth for the idear.

This is what you see on your screen when you use Yogaglo

So I’ve been teaching yoga for about 8 years.* And I live in NYC, arguably the mecca of world class yoga. I have roughly 15 studios within a FOUR BLOCK RADIUS. Yet, I can’t seem to make myself leave my apartment to go do yoga.

Here’s the main reason: a phenomenal product called Yogaglo.**

I’ve been using it and telling everyone I know about it for months. But it seems really underground. How can no one know about this?????

You see, Yogaglo makes it possible for you to stay in your house and take amazing yoga classes of all kinds with some of the best teachers on the planet. All for just $18 (or so) per month.

My favorites are:

Elena Brower. She teaches slow flow with an Anusara back bone (though she’s no longer officially affiliated with it) that also challenges your mind space. I call her “the coach’s yoga teacher” because she’s increasingly bringing in challenging questions and reflections to echo what you’re up to with your body. It’s a great way to integrate. I go to her class in person in NYC as frequently as I can. She also has some mad creative sequencing.

Jo Tastula. This Aussie transplanted to LA is amazing. Her presence is calming and warm. Her flows are fun and her voice is just so soothing. She’s a vinyasa teacher and instructs at a level that is both accesible and challenging without being gratuitously hard. Love her mini-meditations too.

Felicia Tomasko. Here’s the thing: I started out (teaching and learning) challenging, sweaty power vinyasa. When I happened upon Felicia’s classes, I was searching for something to help my immunity during a healing crisis. I didn’t even think what she was doing was real yoga (I wasn’t even sweating). But through the past five months, I’ve been coming back to her flows more and more. Turns out that yin yoga (where you hold the same pose for five minutes without using your muscles really- so the opposite of Iyengar) is the hardest yoga I’ve done in my life. Which means it’s prolly good for me.

So, if you’re a busy biz owner (and I think you might be), then I highly recommend Yogaglo. It’s my favesies.

And, just to seed this with you guys: I really miss teaching (and haven’t taught since I’ve been in NYC) so Ima start putting flows on youtube for you peeps. Yeah!

If you wanna try out some of my mad teaching skills, then please join us for the Virtual Retreat next Friday…we’ll def do a tad bit o yoga

Can’t wait. In the meantime, use Yogaglo.

*That is seriously hard to believe. Perhaps I’ll write another post about how I got roped into teaching it (I was teaching Pilates and spinning and bootcamps at the time) and how it became one of my fave things ever.

** The other reasons are these: I can yogify whenever I please, I frequently don’t want to chance it on an unknown teacher/class, I have good light in my apartment. Most studios are dark. Oh yeah, and I don’t like to pay $20 for the privilege of taking class from some earnest but rather inexperienced teacher who’s just returned from India. I suppose that sounds a tad harsh…but I want to be blissful during class, not annoyed that the teacher is a beginner.

The psychology of naming is actually pretty interesting. Here are a few tips to get you started, more on psychology coming at ya next week!

When I was little, I stayed with my grandparents in Virginia for an entire week every summer. My Nanny and Grandaddy (as I call my mom’s parents) are my faves. Some of the best friends in my life.

As a kid, I putzed around the house with them, helped with kid-friendly recipes, read and colored and later designed and sewed clothing while at their home.

My Nanny is a hoot. She of the 19 inch waist mowing the lawn in hotpants got the smack down (not literal) from my Grandaddy back in the day. She taught Sunday school and had me read the daily Bible passage as well as my horoscope in her small town newspaper.

That habit has pretty much stuck. I still read my devotions (most days) and I still read my horoscope (most weeks)- I’m an Aries sun, moon and rising, apparently.

But sometimes horoscopes are really cheesy general statements that say you’ll interact with a stranger in the coming month. Really? Is that the best they can do with the arrangements of the gaseous balls in the sky? Please. Give me more. And thank you.

At least a decade ago, however, I discovered Rob Brezny’s Freewill Astrology.

A lot of kids raised in the evangelical South might be scared by horoscopes. Fortunately, free will vibes with my Protestant belief system. (Plus, the wise men followed stars…if that’s not astrology, I don’t know what is.)  And Rob’s uncanny ability to link up pop culture, history and literary allusions with the omens of the stars into a multi-layered and beautiful foray into the creativity of the mind and the universe is worth reading whether or not you give a fig about his pronouncements.

For a self-proclaimed intellectual seeker like me, it’s crack.*

And so after years of checking in on his weekly horoscopes for my sign and those of the people closest to me, I decided to splurge and go for the extended audio reading. It’s five bucks.

Whoo boy! Let me tell you what I’ve been missing!!! Seriously. After you read this post, go listen to your own audio. It’s ridonc. Here’s why:

The audios come out every week.

And for some reason, Rob Brezny uses my lexicon. Words that have figured prominently in my journal, in my business plans, in my coaching sessions with clients as well as with my own coaches, are coming at me fast and furious from the lips of a man who’s consulting the sky to give him some guidance on what to say.

Coincidence? Perhaps.

Frankly, though, he’s not telling me that this constellation’s position indicates I need to steer clear of a decision or that some star says stay home on Friday!

Nope. He’s encouraging me to “be big, robust and vivid!”

He’s warning against an addiction to rational thought and logic.**

In a week when I’ve been more than preoccupied by the concepts of potential, success, dreams and my prayers to God, he says “this is the week of the two fisted prayer.”

Rob finishes this week out with a quote from the mystic Andrew Harvey:

“If you’re really listening, if you’re awake to the poignant beauty of the world, your heart breaks regularly. In fact, your heart is made to break; its purpose is to burst open again and again so that it can hold evermore wonders.”

Damn. That’s good shit. It’s terrifying and beautiful and a challenge and a birthright all at the same time.

ALL THIS FROM A HOROSCOPE PEOPLE.

And lest my fellow Christian friends fear for my salvation, the cool thing about Rob’s take on horoscopes is that, for me, it turns me inward and Godward. Not away from the wisdom all around and within. Love that.

I used to be all over the online dating scene. One of my profile go-tos was a recap of the routine my Nanny encouraged. “I read the Bible and horoscopes daily.”

A contradiction? Perhaps. But also a paradoxical fact that brings you into my world. One in which both the stars and the word of God have footing.

When trying to make decisions about our lives (both big and small), sometimes we want the stars, an omen, our intuition, the voice of God to tell us what the eff to do.

Sadly, many belief systems paint their approach (reading animal entrails anyone?) as the superior way.

As my dad always says, “God gave you a brain. Use it.”

But I’m not above checking in with my friend at Freewill Astrology too.

*In a good way. Meaning it keeps me coming back for more. Isn’t that what all good spiritual approaches do?

**  This is most excellent. At this time of year I have a desire to plan and strategize the coming year- the revenues, the launches, the travel- when instead I could be more in flow and in intuition.

Today I want to declare to you what my biggest baddest dreams are for LifeShifted.

My dreams for this brand are: 

1. To continue to work 1:1 with my clients (who inspire me daily with their own work).

2. To build a bigger community for women entrepreneurs who want to do things in a way that honors their taste, preferences, desired lifestyle and overall balance.

3. To be emotionally authentic in my work.

4. To create parties! Whether they’re online or off, I want to curate amazing experiences that both entertain, enlighten, and connect.

5. To have an outlet for my own creativity and defy conventional methods of biz growth and otherwise go my own way.

Those are THE most important things for my business and for myself.
It’s kinda scary to say them out loud to a group of people.

And yes, I also have the dreams of building LifeShifted to be a sustainable force for myself and my future family. To create amazeballs programs (don’t worry, those are in the works), to pack out speaking gigs and write some shit. Yes, those are part of the dream. But those things I put above? Those are the essence. They are more vital (literally, more alive) to me than anything else.

Why are you in business my dear? What are YOUR dreams? Tell me here!

Have you ever read a book at JUST the right time and then it’s stuck with you for, like, always?

From the moment I picked up Sarah’s book The Way of the Happy Woman, I knew it would be a keeper. A classic.

Here’s why in a nutshell, and then Ima break it down for ya.

The Way of the Happy Woman is like a blueprint for the “well life.” Living well, honoring your rhythms and otherwise embracing your womanhood, your connection to nature and your own divinity.

I straightup love it.

One of the most amazing things was to hear how she approaches her Moon Days (the first days of her menstrual cycle). Basically, she was saying that we as women kinda follow the rhythms of the waxing and waning moon.
When the moon is full we have more yang going on, more externally-focused energy and it’s a great time for outward-facing stuff. It’s also when we’re ovulating and fertile. (Get it?)

However, when the moon is a new moon or waning, that tends to be when we start our cycles (if we’re in sync with tides/moons/nature) and it’s when we naturally want to turn inward and chill out and be in our version of the Red Tent.

Now, this is SO fascinating to me because for the past year or so, I have avoided doing ANYthing on the first morning of my cycle. I have felt the need for R&R. So I loved that Sarah defined this for me and gave me that much more permission to take it easy on that day each and every month.

I seriously cannot imagine what it’d be like to have to go to work on those days (you know, like an office) and I don’t even have huge symptoms like cramps and such that other ladies have to deal with. For me, I just feel tired and bloated and want to nap and read and sit on the toilet. (Yeah, it’s very, ahem, cleansing. Sorry if that’s TMI.)

I discovered this book through Lesley over at Wisteria Sunshine (the most lovely membership group ever), who said that she would hang a red scarf over the kitchen doorway during the first days of her cycle so that her hubs and sons would know to be more gentle with her on those days. I LOVE that concept and think it’s a beautiful way to acknowledge the gift of our New Moon.

Here are the other reasons I love it:

1. She’s a yogini who got me to embrace yin yoga.  For a lot of the recent path, I’d been avoiding hard, sweaty exercise (and hard sweaty yoga) like the plague. The LAST thing I felt like doing was getting all hot and working my muscles til they felt like jell-o. Nope. I was all about a gentler way of being. And Sarah gave me permission to embrace that. So I’ve been doing yin yoga.*

2. I have a new autumn smoothie recipe. I have a video with the instructions on how to make it. It’s inspired by Sarah’s recipe.

3. I now no longer feel lazy/self-indulgent when I take the day off during my period. I love not having to be superwoman. Bomb. I love this as a sustainability non-negotiable for myself, my health and my business.

4. There’s a plan for the whole year! Yeah- she spells out how to care for yourself during each part of the year. I love that! Now it’s rinse and repeat (mindfully of course), but this is a model for year round, day-to-day living that rocks.

So, there you have it. Go buy the book now. Or just become one of my clients. Then you’ll get it gratis! Yeah, I love gifting good stuff to my ladies!

*In yin yoga, you pretty much hold a pose for 3 to 10 minutes. Yeah, its’ the hardest yoga I’ve ever done.

Hey hey!

So I really LOVE the period between now and New Year’s Eve. I feel like it’s so bustling, cheerful and full of possibility.
It’s also a time of year when I reflect (mebbe a bit too much?) on the year’s action and what I want to create in the year to come.

And because that reflection is such an important part of my personal and business planning, I thought I’d give you gals a taste of what I do.

So I’m offering a Year In Review Virtual Retreat!  It’s gonna be day long and multi-media/experiential. Ya’ll know I love me some LIVE broadcasting, so it’ll be video instead of a conference call or recordings. The focus will be what you’ve been up to this year, making sense of it, learning from it, loving it and letting it go so that we have a new platform on which to build our vision (and actualities) for 2013.

I’m pumped about it!

Date is December 28. AND, because sharing is caring: you get BOGO. That’s right. You and a friend can enjoy the Year in Review Virtual Retreat for the same price. Holla.

Check out the retreat deetz here.

Yeah!

Ima give you a taste of what we’ll be up to during our retreat so that you could always DIY it.

1. Get your groove on. We spend so much freaking time in our heads that it’s important to get into our bodies. Whether you yogify, shake yo booty or otherwise do something grounding (walk outside perchance?) you might find that if you move FIRST and think SECOND, you get to a whole new level of consciousness. BTW, I learned this concept from my first yoga teacher- Baron Baptiste. I’ll tell the story about it sometime.

2. Practice Xtreme Self Care. You know: wrap yourself in cashmina knits (no uncomfy clothes allowed!), spend the big bucks on a case of Pellegrino and limes, go to the art store and buy a gorgeous new journal and pretty pens, light a candle and brew some tea…now we’re talking.

3. Go with the flow. Set up an agenda perhaps. And then break it. Allow things to expand and contract depending on your energy and your mood.

4. Nap. 

5. Order in for dindin. Make sure you’ve got an amazing gluten free pizza or other delectable goodness and get Yellow Pages on that shizzle (you know- let your fingers do the walking). You are the queen. You do not go OUT to eat while you are retreatin.

Hahahahaha now lest you think that you’re gonna pay cash money to watch me nap, think again! We’ll be up to good stuff AND there will opportunity to make it your own.
So, check out the retreat deetz here.

This is what iconoclast outfits look like, btw.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve given up on the “proven-blueprint-model-strategy-structure”* and instead reverting to a  ”this-is-how-we-do-it”* party-oriented way of running ye olde business.

Say what?

Yeah. I’m pretty much biting my thumb (or is it thumbing my nose?) at the standard bearers of interwebs marketing.

Not because they don’t know what the eff they’re doing. And not because their jenks doesn’t work.

Nope. It’s because of me.

You see, I don’t so much fit into the mold of business. (Geez, have I ever?)

And for me, trying to shove myself into the box of business and online marketing protocol is kinda painful. (It’s a very small box.

Fortunately, I’ve had some peeps support me in going my own way. Lissa Boles was the first person to tell me, “Oh yeah you know you’re never going to be one to maintain a marketing calendar, right?”

Hahahahahaha. Yeah, she’s not kidding. Not because I don’t work hard or I’m not disciplined. It’s more because that’s just now how I roll.

That’s just ONE example of how the currently well-regarded system doesn’t serve me. If I tried to go follow that system, I’d end up a slave to it.

And that, my friend, is not why I’m in business.

I’m in business for the freedom! 

So, ask youself: Why are you in business? 

What “best practices” are no longer serving you?

What conventional and accepted wisdom do you want to challenge regarding how you do things?

I’m not saying put on your iconoclast clothes just to be contrary, unless you like that sort of thing, of course.

I’m saying what would happen if you took every single piece of your biz puzzle out and examined it to see if it really and truly fits?

Does it fit your biz? Your model? Your goals? And most importantly, does it fit you?

And then let me know. I am soooooo curious about what is working for you and what isn’t. So tell me here!

* It’s Friday Night and I feel alright…love that song! Yes I sing it when I type the lyrics.