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Entrepreneurial Journey Life Decisions Year in Review

Highlights of 2015, Part 2 of 4: Hashtagitude + Working With My Coach, Kelly Lynn Adams

For the month of December, I’ll be posting weekly about a couple highlights from this year; granted, these highlights may very well leave out what happens this month, but we shall see what happens! ;) Also, I couldn’t decide on only four highlights, so each post I will highlight two moments/topics from the year. Enjoy!

 

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It was a long time coming for me to finally launch Hashtagitude (formerly known as Hashtag Hustler): I had known for some time that I enjoyed the world of digital marketing, especially social media. However, in 2013, after I had shut down TAOpivot (my first business), I wasn’t quite ready to launch right away into another passion project. My baked goods business came into play more as an interim business as I mulled over my thoughts on being known as a social media professional.

My friends and colleagues were already touting me as THE person to go to for social media though, and at the end of 2014, I decided to finally go all in with my new business.

So far so good–despite the rebranding halfway through the year, business has been going strong! Not only have I been working with so many more clients (and making more money than in the previous two businesses), I’ve also been networking with other social media professionals, including meeting the hilarious and wise Jay Vigilione, who is my co-host on our awesome podcast, Spotlight: Social Marketing Gone Bad.

Tune into our podcast, "Spotlight: Social Marketing Gone Bad" every week.
Tune into our podcast, “Spotlight: Social Marketing Gone Bad” every week.

I am also indebted to my great business coach, Kelly Lynn Adams, who has helped me out SO much since the rebranding of Hashtagitude. I appreciate all of the guidance Kelly has provided, because I really needed direction from someone at the midpoint of 2015–and I knew I couldn’t do it with free self-help materials anymore.

My amazing business coach, Kelly Lynn Adams!
My amazing business coach, Kelly Lynn Adams!

Kelly Lynn Adams has made the second half of 2015 even more phenomenal than the first half–and the first half was already pretty amazing! I feel very confident that 2016 will bring a lot of stellar moments for Hashtagitude as we continue to grow, and–not to sound like a broken record–I am so thankful that I have had the chance to work with Kelly during these past several months.

 

Categories
Year in Review

Highlights of 2015, Part 1 of 4: Financial Peace University & Turning 30

For the month of December, I’ll be posting weekly about a couple highlights from this year; granted, these highlights may very well leave out what happens this month, but we shall see what happens! 😉 Also, I couldn’t decide on only four highlights, so each post I will highlight two moments/topics from the year. Enjoy!

 

I certainly didn’t ask for my 30th year to be so monumental despite the fact that yes, I finally left my 20s and was now embarking upon a new-ish adventure into the next decade of my life.

But turning 30 and experiencing all that I have throughout this year has been very pivotal: I felt like I left behind a lot of things that I didn’t need anymore in my 20s. I feel like I finally got myself onto a better path in life.

Balloons from a joint birthday celebration during the day.
Balloons from a joint birthday celebration during the day.

My 30th birthday party was fun: quiet, simple, yet memorable. We bought a platter of sandwiches from Costco and invited a few friends over to celebrate. My birthday has always been a hit-or-miss with the weather: luckily this year the snow didn’t blow in until later in the night.

One way I got myself onto a better path this year was finally taking Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. I had known of his program for several years already, but never bit the bullet earlier on because I “didn’t have time or money”. I began 2015 with the feeling of, “Well, it’s now or never.” Luckily, Ryan attended with me and we were able to share a kit together.

During the nine weeks of class, we learned a lot about how to properly budget, pay down debt, and what kind of myths to steer clear of in the world of personal finances. Thanks to some situations wrapping up earlier this year, I have been lucky to pay down a lot of my debt to where now I can focus on repaying student loans. Every month, I have been keeping track of my budget via Dave Ramsey’s EveryDollar budgeting webapp and I have definitely spent a lot less money this whole year. It feels good to know that I am in control of where my money goes!

Smiling because we completed Financial Peace University!
Smiling because we completed Financial Peace University!

I’m thankful for the opportunity to take the Financial Peace University program this year because I felt it really helped with clarifying my finances and my overall goals in life. Maybe one day I will consider teaching the class myself. We’ll see!

Categories
Slice of Life

Gratitude Pouring In…

I can’t believe that November is nearly over and that 2016 is around the corner–I know, SO cliche to say, but it’s so true! 2015 has flown by way too fast: many, many ups and several downs throughout the year.

This month has seen both good and bad times, but I’d like to take pause today to say thanks for all that has happened.

Met up with my Spotlight podcast co-host, Jay, while I was in NYC. Just as funny in person as he is online!
Met up with my Spotlight podcast co-host, Jay, while I was in NYC. Just as funny in person as he is online!

A couple weeks ago, I went to New York City for the second time this year. I primarily went to visit family, but I also got the chance to meet with some friends, both old and new. However, it was such a quick trip that I didn’t really get much of a chance to relax! I got back last Monday and feel like even today, I am still ‘catching up’ on work and sleep.

Later tonight, I will be heading up to Fort Collins to celebrate Thanksgiving with my oldest sister and her family: we’ll be with my brother-in-law’s side of the family for the next few days. Weather is supposed to get worse as this day wears on, but hopefully we’ll all have a nice holiday.

Last night, my business coach, Kelly Lynn Adams, sent out an email with a list of 30 things she is grateful for. I’ll end this post with my own list (no real particular order, of course):

  1. God
  2. My very large immediate family all over the country
  3. My very large extended family on both sides all over the U.S. and China
  4. Ryan 🙂 🙂 🙂
  5. Ryan’s family
  6. Passionate Life Church, the wonderful church that Ryan and I have been attending together since July 2014
  7. My health
  8. My cats #crazycatlady
  9. All of the homes I have lived in throughout my life in Virginia, California, and Colorado
  10. My entrepreneurial spirit, most likely ‘inherited’ from my parents
  11. My coach, Kelly Lynn Adams
  12. Friends, both ‘old’ and ‘new’
  13. Social media
  14. Delicious food around the world 😉 #foodie
  15. My leads group at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
  16. Lifelong learning
  17. Technology
  18. Books
  19. Smiles
  20. Hugs
  21. The sun
  22. My life in Colorado
  23. Those who may be cruel to me, but they only make me stronger.
  24. My heritage
  25. My father’s decision to leave China and create a better life for all of us
  26. My business colleagues
  27. Airplanes and the ability to travel
  28. My love for writing
  29. Crafts
  30. Kindness from others

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Categories
#foodie Denver Life

Hopdoddy Burger Bar & Denver Bloggers Club: Fun Times in Denver

Hopdoddy Burger Bar & Denver Bloggers Club- Fun Times in Denver

 

Two weekends ago, I got to attend my first Denver Bloggers Club meetup, which was graciously sponsored by Hopdoddy, an Austin-based restaurant with a hot location here in Denver at Union Station.

Ryan ordered the El Diablo: Angus Beef, Pepper Jack, Habaneros, Serranos, Caramelized Onions, Salsa Roja, Chipotle Mayo. Photo taken by Ryan Kane.
Ryan ordered the El Diablo: Angus Beef, Pepper Jack, Habaneros, Serranos, Caramelized Onions, Salsa Roja, Chipotle Mayo. Photo taken by Ryan Kane.

Now, let me back up the story here a little: I have a hard time describing myself as a blogger, even though I have been more or less blogging since the early 2000s (oh, Livejournal). Since the inception of this website and blog, I have tried multiple times to brand the blog in a certain way, starting with my creative writing and then branching over to a San Francisco theme to a Denver theme to a business theme…and on and on to where now I just consider this blog more or less my musings of the moment, which changes a lot as I grow older. I’m glad that Jenny Finke, the founder of Denver Bloggers Club, finally helped me figure out how to ‘categorize’ my blog: lifestyle! Yes, that’s it!

Even Hopdoddy's Kennebec Fries were delicious and Ryan actually liked them (he doesn't like fries usually). Hand-cut daily! Photo taken by Ryan Kane.
Even Hopdoddy’s Kennebec Fries were delicious and Ryan actually liked them (he doesn’t like fries usually). Hand-cut daily! Photo taken by Ryan Kane.

Anyway, back to the outing: I loved going to Hopdoddy, since I had been to one of the original locations in Austin in 2014 and really enjoyed the burger that I ordered while there; alas, I don’t remember the name of that burger, but I do know that the one I chose two weeks ago was just as tasty: The K-Town Belly! A diverse mix of Korean and American flavors mixed into this burger makes for a delicious and slightly spicy mix. Yum!

K-Town Belly: Grass-Fed Beef, Braised Beeler's Pure Pork Belly, Kimchi, House-made Gochujang, Korean Rice Crispies, Mayo, Basil Leaves. Photo taken by Ryan Kane.
K-Town Belly: Grass-Fed Beef, Braised Beeler’s Pure Pork Belly, Kimchi, House-made Gochujang, Korean Rice Crispies, Mayo, Basil Leaves. Photo taken by Ryan Kane.

The Denver Bloggers Club had the honor of listening to the Denver location’s general manager, Melissa Withem, talk about the history and craft of Hopdoddy, and we even got to view the meat-grinding room and learn what “Narnia” means for each restaurant location. What makes Hopdoddy unique is that they have a huge emphasis on freshly made ingredients, from daily-grinded meat patties, daily-baked bread, to made-from-scratch sauces. Melissa was excellent with her professionalism and vibrant personality, which just added to the overall enjoyable experience that weekend.

Me & Melissa Withem, the general manager for Hopdoddy in Denver. Photo taken by Ryan Kane.
Me & Melissa Withem, the general manager for Hopdoddy in Denver. Photo taken by Ryan Kane.

We bloggers also spent some time discussing about general strategies and tactics with one another about increasing blog traffic: I know I want to do more with my blog soon, so having this group will help me out a lot!

Yum. We had to end our meal with a Caramel Oreo milkshake. Great combination! Photo taken by Ryan Kane.
Yum. We had to end our meal with a Caramel Oreo milkshake. Great combination! Photo taken by Ryan Kane.

Thanks to Hopdoddy for the amazing hospitality and to Jenny Finke for organizing such a fun outing! I hope to stay motivated and active with my blogging through Denver Bloggers Club.

Categories
Life Decisions

Seasons of Change

Ever since I made the decision to invest in myself and Hashtagitude back in July, life has been one crazy journey. Thanks to wonderful people in my life, I have received a lot of clients through referrals/word-of-mouth. I am indeed grateful for wonderful people in my life, especially in this season of Thanksgiving.

Sweet note from colleagues at ImageThink, SXSW friends. Gratitude is contagious!
Sweet note from colleagues at ImageThink, SXSW friends. Gratitude is contagious!

But with the abundance of appreciation and gratitude also comes the time to make decisions on what I can realistically commit to with my time: how many clients can I realistically handle without burning myself out/doing a poor job with all the work?

I have had to step down from a few extracurricular commitments in the past couple of months, and will be stepping down from several more before the end of the year as I find that my work hasn’t been up to my own standards. It’s tough to close certain chapters in life, but I must do this in order to open up more energy for other endeavors.

Last week I spoke with a colleague from a former commitment of mine and she had told me that it was very respectable for me to step down from my volunteering position when I did: “Most people are scared to walk away from commitments, but then they end up overcommitting themselves. It’s better to step away before things become overwhelming and you find yourself doing a subpar job on everything.”

Her words have resonated with me these past few days, which has prompted me to re-evaluate my current commitments and make some tough decisions.

Let’s see how things go after this week.

Re-evaluating your commitments is essential to self-care.

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