Inspire Aspire - Ladies Who Launch

Right, let me just get this out of the way first: my two-year contract at the garden preservation society ended sooner due to the sudden lack of state subsidies (my post was subsidised and the society could not afford to keep me on the books as a fully-fledged salaried member of staff). As much as I had clocked all those extra hours for free I had to call it quits and move on.

And move on... Well, the circumstances have thrown a spanner in my works, despite the fact I knew all along I was on a short-term contract, yet still hoping to be able to turn it permanent. However the society's fragile financial situation didn't allow for this to happen as originally hoped by the Board. Now I might sound a tad pretentious but... redundancy has encouraged me once again in a bizarre twist of synchronicity to take a long hard look at my life and reconsider those secret entrepreneurial aspirations as an opportunity to jack in the day job comfort zone for the 'going solo' adventure.

Right now I am trying to identify which area I want to turn into a business. Thing is, I am passionate by so many things that I find it difficult to pinpoint one area and concentrate on it alone. I feel uncomfortably sat on the razor's edge, or some ejector seat even, with a big clock ticking above my head, reminding me that time is supposedly money. Nagging voices (in my head and around me!) are yacking at me to get real and get a proper job instead of working towards that hypothetical next stage in my life. With supportive friends and allies from afar, and those geographically close trying to discourage me, my support committee right now is thin. That's why I had to seek out all the help I could muster and here's what I've found: fabulous, smart, classy ladies who understand where people like me are coming from, with our doubts, fears and challenges.

Kelley Rosano (pict source: YouTube)

I refer to these ladies as 'The Ladies Who Launch', as they help you launch into self-discovery and business, through their lifecoaching advice and mentoring. And if like me, you're a bit short on support right now, just turn to them for that gentle nudge or kick up your backside to get started with that next stage in your life!

Kelley Rosano - Astrology might not be your thing and I respect that, but before you dismiss it with a shrug, bear in mind that Kelley is no ordinary astrologer! No fuddy-duddy witchy looks, psychedelic tie-dye drapes or New Age lingo here! Kelly infuses her monthly astrological outlooks with passion, drive and positive thinking. The lady radiates like a sun and once you start following your monthly podcast, there is no turning back. She encourages you to take advantage of favourable planetary alignments to go do your thing. Kelly is a spiritual coach and motivational speaker and I guarantee you that you will feel uplifted by the end of each podcast, whether you believe in astrology or not!  [Website - iTunes Podcasts - YouTube Channel]

Jody Jelas (pict source: YouTube)

Jody Jelas - You know how Facebook suggests you follow certain personalities, businesses or groups, based on your current preferences, well I have to thank them for putting me in touch with Jody, an online strategist. In no time I had signed up for her newsletter and each week I get a motivational video in my inbox. Jody is dynamic, nails it on the head with her trademark 'Boom! formula', tricks of the trade to become a video pro, hints and tips about getting your message across, defeating self-doubt and believing in yourself. The lady has been there done that and she says it as it is! [Website - YouTube Channel]

Marie Forleo - Call me an astrology freak, but yeah not only am I a Kelley Rosano devotee, I also happen to be a fan of The Astro Twins, two upwardly mobile sisters from NYC who deliver their astrological readings with upbeat street verve. By a happy coincidence, The Astro Twins mentioned in their newsletter a chat with Marie Forleo on MarieTV back in early December 2012, and that's how I came across Marie, a dynamic business lifecoach who talks about personal and business issues that affect the modern woman. Recently The Astro Twins mentioned Marie again, this time linking their newsletter to an advice-packed affiliate podcast preview about her forthcoming B-School classes on how to break it as an online entrepreneur. Marie's style is as far from stuffy and Ivy League as can be. Here learning is delivered in a fun and light-hearted yet structured, clear and meaningful manner and it works! B-School starts in March 2013 and please count me in! There's also a great online community back-up to bounce off ideas from. [Website]

Marie Forleo (pict source)

These 'Ladies who Launch' are a great start to 2013, to infuse those wobbly New Year's Resolutions with inspiration and aspiration. And by the same token, I have decided to devote more posts to my 'Inspire Aspire' series, as a challenge not only to myself but also to you guys, to help you keep those motivational levels up and feel good in your life! Stay tuned for more!

Inspire Aspire - Pinterest

There might haven't been much going on La Baguette lately, however I am delighted to annnounce that its sister site, Mirabelle Design Inspiration has been rather busy all of last month and has even enjoyed the accolade from American graphic designers who proposed an infographic to be included as a follow-up to my popular article, 'Caught in the Pacific Trash Vortex'. Besides Mirabelle was approached by L.A.-based The Arcadian Home Blog who were interested by my 'In the Mood for White Interiors' post, and proposed to guest-post on the same theme. They produced this beautiful article!

Bohemian Like You

Meanwhile there might have not been much going on La Baguette - agreed - however a lot has been going on in my head! As I am still exploring avenues for the next stage in my life, I have also been looking at ways to jazz up the blog, make it more visual and lighten up the word count, as I believe that in this age of information overload the future of blogs and online press in general is gonna be about being slim and clever rather than thick and forceful. Just look at Tumblr, the visual blog facility where a picture says a thousand words, yet you can still add in your point, make a statement and leave an impression. Communication as an experience, a whole package of sound and vision.

Where I have been scoring a fair level of success lately (and where you are most likely to find me!) is over at Pinterest. Over the last few weeks I have been taking a renewed interest in my mood boards (I'd rather call them mood boards than pinboards), added a few more to the mix and garnered a great following (550+ unique followers and counting!). Amongst my fan-club I have high-profile Pinterest hobbyists who also happen to be interior designers or photographers from the Americas mainly, which in itself indicates a vote of confidence in my choice of pictures.

A little Pinterest gem (Pict source)

I intend to dedicate a post to Pinterest in the coming weeks in which I will get into the nitty-gritty of the ins and outs and give you hints and tips. For the time being, I will just admit that I have developed a bit of an addiction to the social network facility and pinned over 11,000 pictures! If it's not an addiction, then not sure what this is.

For my own defence, I will add that years back when involved with the creative industries, I sometimes had to book stock photography off established photo agencies and I was fascinated by their image libraries. I even applied for a job at Getty Images. With Pinterest it is much easier as there is no royalty fee to fork out and in the space of one click you have transferred a picture from a pinboard account to yours or from a website to yours, with an embedded source link, easy-peasy!

The Grey Goose Kiwi Vodka Cocktail discovered via Pinterest!

I use Pinterest as a stress-buster and a source of inspiration, and inspiration is what I need right now to keep me out there. If you don't already have a Pinterest account, maybe you should give it a try. If you already have one and still can't figure out what the fuss is all about, go back to the drawing board (Ha-ha, I was dying to say this!) and create themed boards that mean something to you, be it American muscle cars, cottage gardens of the world, Missoni patterns or Charles Eames designs!

In my next post, I will share other sources of inspiration with you that are working for me!