Making Lottery Dreams Come True

Making Lottery Dreams Come True no time for crappy thoughts by Betty Turbo Its been a while since we heard from guest blogger 2009 When I Grow Up Scholarship recipient Sarah Ivie, but thats because theres stuff going down in Chinatown! (Um, that means that she halted one business idea launched another!) Sarahs journey started by comparing change to laundry, went to jumping with a safety net, rested on decent-steak-dinner dreams pretty-good-beer wishes. Sarah lands right here, with the question of What would I do if I won the lottery? She doesnt wait for the winning ticket to make the answer a reality. About six years ago I stumbled across the perfect job for me. I was invited to work with two other women to start a community center in rural West Virginia. We were combining community resources, educational and arts programs. We were starting from scratch, even revamping a great building in the heart of a tiny downtown area. We built our own desks, painted the walls, and laid the floor for a dance studio. We rallied recruited volunteers and held fundraising events.  We developed  plans for clubs and workshops.  While waiting for our big grant to come through we worked for about six months for free. I drove over an hour each way, got help from my parents in paying the rent, and worked an additional part time job to help with my living expenses. I was so busy, but so happy and excited about getting up every morning! Then the whole thing fell through. We didnt get the grant, we lost the building, and personal issues destroyed our founder and it was all over. Talk about a bummer! Yup, I moped. My part-time job became more of a full-time job, and I reluctantly began sending out resumes. I couldnt find work anywhere, and through a random series of events I ended up moving to Austin, Texas just a few months later. Within six months Id met a great man, and we were married two years later! I also got a great job with an established non-profit organization, and while Im not on a creative high every day, its a pretty good job. If youre a creative type like me you probably find it hard to just go to work and sit at a computer all day without daydreaming about what youd do if you only had the money. One day, while playing the what would you do if you won the lottery? game,  my husband and I  talked about opening a restaurant. Then thought, hey, why wait? Lets go for it! Six months and a lot of baking later we had a name, a logo, a slew of recipes, and a launch date! This planning process was happening right as I was enjoying my fabulous scholarship from Michelle, and she really helped me keep myself on track during the planning proces. A few weeks before our launch date some money-related issues popped up and managed to postpone our plans.  It was pretty discouraging to get so close to that goal and have it swiped away at the last minute.   Ill admit it, I moped. Out loud. A lot. A friend and coworker, after hearing about the (temporarily) thwarted plans, proposed a new plan. Open a bakery together. Just a few weeks later weve got a website and orders for holiday cookies coming in. We have big plans and are baking our bottoms off! I have to admit, I get a bit nervous, throwing myself into another idea that seems like such a good fit. I want to protect myself from that disappointment if it doesnt work out. But man, I really want this to work out! So Im throwing myself into this and crossing everything! I can pimp out Sarahs baking not only because shes my client, but because she shipped me a plethera of assorted brownies that she baked I almost died of gooey happiness. Go visit Sarah on her brand new site, sweetchicksaustin.com! More content will be added in the coming weeks, but they already have a hilarious blog an active Facebook Fan Page (look at these photos try not to drool. I dare ya). Theyre based in Austin but are taking orders outside the city, so you can have gooey happiness from anywhere! Thats what she said.

Cover Letter and Resume Writing Services - Tips For a Successful Job Interview

Cover Letter and Resume Writing Services - Tips For a Successful Job InterviewHiring a cover letter and resume writing service can be a very simple and easy way to write your own cover letter. No matter how good your writing skills are writing an effective cover letter is not that easy. Most of the time, people feel shy or uncomfortable writing the letter, but with a resume writing service, you just need to get your mind relaxed and your body moving. Writing a resume and cover letter is one of the most important steps in a person's career, and it needs to be done right if you want to succeed.Resume writing services can make your job easier by doing all the hard work for you. They do all the research for you, find samples of sample resumes that are popular and typical among job hunters, and give you tips on how to draft a successful cover letter and resume. These services are highly-recognized, and they will be able to guide you through the different steps that need to be done. If you decide to hire them to write your resume, then you will be paying for someone else's opinion on the matter. For this reason, the writer will most likely charge you a bit more than what you would have paid for your own resume.It is quite possible that you will think of everything that you want to say in your cover letter, and you will completely forget to mention some important information about yourself. You can find a good resume writing service to assist you and will not have to worry about any errors on your part. Instead, the cover letter and resume writing service will give you helpful tips on how to ensure that your resume and cover letter will look professional.In order to impress your potential employer, you need to convince him or her that you are the perfect candidate for the job. You may have exceptional writing skills, but if you don't have the confidence in yourself, you will surely fail at the job interview. To make yourself appear confident in your writing abilities, you can use resume writing services to help you come up with the perfect cover letter. It is important that you come up with a strong and engaging cover letter, which will portray to the reader why you are the best candidate for the job.One of the reasons why hiring resume and cover letter writing services is so popular is because they help you come up with the perfect cover letter. There are many sample resumes that you can get from them. You can get information on how to find them, and how you can take a sample to your job interview. Most of these services make sure that your resume looks polished and attractive, and they will also help you come up with the perfect font for your resume.Some writing services will offer other useful services to their clients. They may offer referrals, which can be extremely useful. This is especially important when you are going to start your own business. By getting recommendations from other professionals, you will know if you are getting a good deal from the company. That way, you will have a reliable cover letter service that can refer you to the best resume writing service that can give you good results.By hiring a resume writing service, you can enjoy the freedom of writing your own resume. Whether you have the money to spend for professional help or not, hiring a cover letter and resume writing service will definitely help you get the job of your dreams. Using a good resume writing service will not only make your job easier, but it will save you time and effort.

How the Mommy Blogger Revolution Became an $11 Billion Industry

How the Mommy Blogger Revolution Became an $11 Billion Industry Before LaShawn Wiltz had more than 25,000 followers on Instagram, she had a blog. Wiltz was part of the “mommy blogger” revolution that formed over the last decade as current, future and experienced mothers took to the internet to share their unfiltered experiences with motherhood, careers, families and everything in between. Wiltz launched a blog titled the “Chronicles of Pookah’s Mom” in 2009, but, with the rise of new social media platforms and other forms of online storytelling, as well as her own lifestyle changes with the growth of her son, the blog has evolved. “Everyday Eye Candy” still chronicles her life â€" but now, she makes a full-time salary through online advertising, sponsored content and a $150-per-person course she offers online for aspiring Instagram influencers. Just a few months ago, Wiltz, 42, quit her full-time job as a nurse to have a more flexible schedule to support her son and husband â€" a decision that would not have been possible, she said, without the income she earned through her “Everyday Eye Candy” platforms. Waltz is one of many parents who have turned their blogging into full-time jobs. These bloggers began the rise of the social media influencer as the market for sponsored content grows and online writers find new ways to monetize their work, marketing professionals told MONEY. Now, these women aren’t just blogging â€" they’re also on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest with tens of thousands to millions of followers and fans following their daily routines. “It’s basically like word of mouth on steroids,” said Danica Kombol, the president and founder of Everywhere Agency, which works with brands to partner them with influencers. Mommy blogging, for lack of a better term, has shifted from storytelling and advice to the development of a vast coalition of female entrepreneurs and influencers set on not just making money themselves, but helping others do the same. These content creators now host workshops, run consulting platforms to help aspiring entrepreneurs earn cash and attend conferences to provide insight on the ever-changing market. Indeed, the term “mommy blogging” is perhaps outdated now when describing what these women do for a living. And even as the tides shift from simply blogging to creating a multi-platform, profitable brand, more women are looking to get into “mommy blogging.” In fact, influencer marketing is expected to grow to a $10 billion industry by 2020, according to Mediakix. The Mom 2.0 Summit, which draws hundreds of bloggers, influencers and marketers from around the country (and world), just wrapped up its 10th annual conference earlier this month with its highest-ever attendance. “Women are at the forefront of the discussion,” John Pacini, a brand marketer and founder of the Dad 2.0 summit said alongside the founders of the Mom 2.0 summit in an interview with MONEY. “This influencer marketing online began with parents, but as it has grown, so many in this community are now influential to others as well.” Here is how the mommy blogging world has changed over the last decade, and where some of its leaders think the community is headed next. A focus on sponsored content â€" and authenticity Heather Armstrong Angie Monsonâ€"courtesy of Heather Armstrong. With the growth of sponsored content, veteran bloggers and new ones, alike, are grappling with similar issues: Will it look like I’m a sell-out? How do I balance my authentic content and the sponsored kind? What if I don’t actually like the product? How do I protect my children? “I was so worried about the public perception of, ‘Am I selling out with sponsored content?’” said Brandi Jeter Riley, who created her blog “Mama Knows It All” eight years ago. “The reality is it’s my job to earn income from this site, and I don’t feel ashamed about it.” Brands like Dove, Minute Maid and dog food brands have sought the help from social media influencers and bloggers to promote their products to their loyal followers. It’s a vital part of making a living off this kind of content creation now. But it also poses issues for veteran bloggers like Heather Armstrong, the Salt Lake City-based creator of “Dooce,” one of the earliest and most popular parenting blogs. Armstrong, known for her brash sense of humor and honest musings about her personal and parenting life, initially struggled to find an earnest way to use sponsored content while keeping her blog authentic. (“I exploit my children for millions and millions of dollars on my mommyblog,” she sarcastically describes herself on Twitter to her 1.5 million followers.) She began her blog in 2001 and it eventually supported her entire family financially â€" but she has had to adapt and change the platform throughout its 17 years of existence. “I still have to infuse my irreverent sense of humor,” Armstrong, who the New York Times dubbed the “Queen of Mommy Bloggers” in 2011, said. “Most women out there are just posting photos and there’s not a whole lot of substance out there aside from my beautiful child frolicking through Central Park.” Armstrong has had demanding contracts with ad networks, and positive experiences with others. She has promoted Canidae, a brand of dog food, for 13 years and is transparent about her partnership with the company in her blog posts. Indeed, her blog doesn’t just cover her life as a parent â€" it also covers other personal elements to her life, like pets, her very public divorce and her experiences with depression. Her authentic storytelling is why she has such a loyal group of followers who, when she paused her blog briefly from 2015 to 2017, begged her to return. Authenticity is key for brands when they choose which influencers to work with, according to Kombol, of Everywhere Agency. “The really successful influencers share the good, the bad, and the ugly. They also clearly aren’t just out there for another sponsored opportunity. We really shy away from working with influencers where every post is a sponsored post and they’re constantly shilling for brands.” The more Instagram-based influencers like Wiltz, who began her blog in 2005 and joined Instagram about a year after it launched, are in luck, too. It’s the most in-demand platform for sponsorship deals, Kombol said, and authenticity sells on there as well. “In the beginning, it was all about showing this perfect version of our lives â€" the highlight reels. Now it’s coming back around to sharing real stories and sharing our lives as they really are,” Wiltz said. “That is having an impact on how we monetize, what we share and when we share it.” Wiltz has a number of sponsored posts mixed into her Instagram page, including one where she drinks Minute Maid with her son. In another, Wiltz poses with a number of Walgreens beauty products like an exfoliating scrub and lotion â€" all while using her caption to tell the story of how her mother always washed her face at night and how that taught her the importance of taking care of yourself. Constantly adapting â€" and in charge of their own careers Courtesy of Amanda Mulherin Amanda Mulherin is not a “mommy blogger” â€" she’s a “mommy vlogger.” The 34-year-old launched her YouTube channel “AmandaMuse” in 2012 â€" a year after her daughter was born â€" in search of a community. She started making money off of it four years in through campaigns with brands, and she only created a blog to serve as a landing page for all of her platforms. While she still posts videos on YouTube regularly, she also does Facebook Live events and posts sponsored content on Instagram as well. Mulherin is one of those content creators who is constantly shifting and adapting to whatever form of storytelling is most relevant. So, next up, she’s starting a podcast. “In order to stay in the space, you have to think about how people are using technology,” she said. “Try new things and do it well,” she added. “You see people fizzle out if they’re unwilling to change.” Other women have used their experience in other ways to adapt to new storytelling methods â€" and their changing personal lives. Riley, who runs “Mama Knows It All,” launched her mommy blog when she was a single mother living in Philadelphia in the spring of 2010. It wasn’t until she met a group of other “mommy bloggers” in the area that she learned she could make some money off of her blogging. Eventually, the income she earned from her jobs at nonprofits and marketing agencies doubled. Now, she’s married and lives in California and has seen her blog traffic change and develop with the rise of platforms like Pinterest, her top traffic driver. “I’m in charge of my earning potential,” Riley said. “I don’t have to wait for someone to give me a paycheck. If I want a bonus this month, I can go sell more products.” Brandi Riley with James and Ayva Courtesy of Brandi Riley. After she found success, Riley created “Courage to Earn,” a platform she uses to help other female entrepreneurs get paid for their work and learn how to develop blogs with potential for profit. Isabel Kallman, who abandoned her Wall Street gig years ago to launch “Alpha Mom,” has found that being her own boss has allowed her not only to do fulfilling work, but also balance parenthood. She spoke to MONEY on the phone just after hiking eight miles in Zion National Park with her son on a Monday. “I always wanted to create my own schedule,” she said. “Before, I had to be at a trading desk at 6:30 a.m.” “Now,” she added, “I’m able to be in Utah hiking with my son. That’s unbelievable.”