I’m taking a small break today from anything serious (because the next two posts coming down the pipeline are serious) to share with you how I make money blogging.
Top 7 Ways to Support Mompreneurs
I’m sharing my top 7 ways to support mompreneurs today because I recently had this moment when I realized just how many of you out there fall into this category.
Fixing
I’ve been feeling it for awhile…..that something needed fixing, but I wasn’t sure what.
And then on Thursday, May 3, 2018, it all started to surface. The way it surfaced was the least desired way imaginable, but nonetheless it happened.
My very first step was admitting – in a real and honest way with myself and in discussion with Ryan – that fixing had to happen.
The problem? I still couldn’t fully put my finger on it.
Part I of this story/process was: Healing vs Wholeness.
Part II is: Fixing.
Fixing
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Even though I couldn’t put my finger on what was happening, what I could understand is the part that said, “everything has become too much.”
I wanted to make a change, but wasn’t sure of the right changes, so I just started.
I closed down paleoishmama stating, “I learned some hard lessons this past week, and with them, decided on ACTION vs. TALKING. One small step and then the next. I started Paleoishmama after someone made the comment to me on my personal Instagram that they didn’t care about food or food I was creating, sharing, and eating. When I separated the “lives,” I only created more (pointless) work. And for who? For what? Certainly not for me. And what happens when you create work like that? Right. It takes away from all the other meaningful (MEANT TO) work you should be doing. @sarahkayhoffman is who I am, and if a food pic, two, or a hundred goes up there, then so be it. I have enjoyed getting to know the paleoish community here, and I’d still love to connect via @sarahkayhoffman (personal) + @agutsygirl (all the gut). But for today, I’m signing off here. Xox
After that undesirable conversation on May 3 happened, I felt like I personally needed fixing. But then I stumbled upon this brilliance from Alexander Den Heijer, and I have read it daily ever since.
I don’t need fixing. My environment; both personally and professionally, though, does need fixing.
It’s been a month of me sitting on all of this, and over the weekend I started making decisions and making plans for how fixing would, could, and will happen.
I started by addressing my professional life (because I already know what needs to be done in my personal life, and that post is coming soon).
I listed out each and every single client, what I do for each, and how many hours per week. Then, I dug deep to realize the pieces of each work that I love doing most.
And what happened?
It became very clear to me that I have far too many clients with far too many tasks. My brain runs with 1,000 tabs open a day, essentially leaving me too empty to give the best pieces of me to anyone.
I began subtracting. I took my list of things I loved doing on a daily basis; those that were most in alignment with this season of life and how I want to grow after it, and kept them. And then, even though it was hard, made the decision to let go of other clients.
I returned to this simple idea:
I am going to learn to be perfectly okay with less clients and less projects, at least during this season of life.
Here’s the thing that’s really interesting about less clients and fewer tabs open in my mind…..when I realized fixing needed to happen, it didn’t start here.
It was never about work – about there being too much or that I don’t love it a thousand fold.
Work was just a product of the chaos and not the chaos itself.
It is completely like healing the gut. Bloating is just a symptom. SIBO is even just a symptom. I have had to (and currently still am) dig super hard and deep to find the root where fixing needs to happen.
Likewise, I think I discovered the root in this area of my life, too.
I’ll share it soon. I can promise it’s not what you think.
p.s. You may have noticed that I skipped the May 2018 Chat Over Bone Broth this month. I’ll be back for it in June.
Xox,
SKH
Health Coaching Rising
Why is health coaching rising? Chris Kresser explained it in a recent email, and I received my own why again last week.
New Spaces
It’s been several months of new spaces for us, and yesterday I entered yet another.
Back in January via my delish 3-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake recipe, I shared that I was looking for an office studio space. I mentioned,
So today, and last week, and every single day until I find it…..I am officially looking for office studio space – a working environment away from the home where I’m able to have a better balance of “work” time then “home” time because it’s something I have not had for years.
Recently, I shared that I had found my space, but that I wasn’t ready to share it quite yet.
I’m glad I chose to wait because the spot I had picked out ended up not completely working out. Not “completely” because it’s not the spot I wanted, but I’m still working with the same owner, and that was also kind of important to me.
Anyways, my original spot was one large open room. It needed work and a lot of clutter removal. I was totally cool with it, though, because the space itself came with charm.
It didn’t work out, and that’s probably okay because the new office studio space I got is much bigger, perfectly clean and ready to move into (today!), and has everything I’ll need for all pieces to my business (clients, photography, styling, other content creation, designing, copy, and then, of course, this blog + the very limited health coaching I still do, and Beautycounter).
New Spaces
Yesterday I got the keys to the new place. It’s a 2 bedroom apartment, complete with a full kitchen and bathroom, and it even has a dishwasher, which I find to be hilarious because our rental house doesn’t even have that.
I went yesterday just to stand in the apartment and soak up my vision for what I want to do with it, and how I want to fully utilize the full space (if I’m paying for it, might as well use all of it).
It’s hard to imagine if you’re not there, but these pictures give a rough idea of what the place looks empty.
Here is what I’m going to do with it:
- The living room: Photography. I love shooting in natural light, and the large window will accommodate that perfectly. That said, because there is just one large window in the room, I can black it out if needed, once I get the appropriate tools to shoot in setups other than natural lighting. A simple table and my shooting gear will live here.
- The kitchen: Recipe development, cooking, baking, clean up. I don’t know how I ever thought I might be able to do without a kitchen at my fingertips. The ease of making something and walking 15 steps to shoot it will be priceless. Also, all that cupboard storage for the multiple food shipments I receive on a monthly basis. You can never have enough kitchen space.
- Bedroom 1: Props storage. When looking for a place, this was one of the things I was most concerned about. In California, all my props lived in several bins on a huge rack we had in the garage. Over the years I’ve collected so many props, and I use them constantly. It was a pain in California, though, because I’d have to gather from outside, bring in to our house, and then return outside again at the end of the day (even if I had more to do the following day). Again, my props will live 15 steps away from where I’ll shoot. My goal is to have all props organized for super easy pulling, depending on the shoot needs. Also, now I can buy more, and I have a vision for that, too 🙂
- Bedroom 2: My office. Yes, my own room and own office. Do you remember seeing this farm table in the kid’s playroom?
I might try to make this my office desk. I always knew that once we moved from California, I’d take it for myself, but I wasn’t sure how. I’m hoping it works as my desk. My office will have all the things I need for day-to-day business like an office would have.
There is this little space in the kitchen for a small table. I’m going to get a table of sorts for this space. Why? Because it can be dual-acting: prepared food extras (for when I need to grab ‘n go for styling) and also for when I want to invite someone over for coffee or lunch. Seriously. It’s going to be quiet in there (which is what I’ve needed), but my plan is to make it cute, cozy, and invite-able.
I am creative, but when new spaces feel cozy and charming, I’m inspired and the creativity runs wild.
Basic. Like any other 2 bedroom apartment in rural Minnesota.
But I finally have a space that’s all mine to separate work and home (and produce, produce, produce!), and I could not be more excited about new spaces. Once it’s all set up (at least structurally, I’m guessing it will constantly be a work in progress), I’ll share what it looks like.
p.s. via a private Studio Spaces Pinterest board, I’ve been saving some ideas, but I’d love yours, too! Do you have your own office space? Where did you find the stuff for it? I’m craving a big, beautiful color wheel, for starters.
p.s.s. Speaking of new spaces, moving into our “new” house is getting closer and closer. I can’t wait to share it with you! In the meantime, I keep adding new ideas to two Pinterest boards you might enjoy: Our New House (I started this one a long time ago, but the recent pins are most relevant) + Kid Rooms (Why do I have only one board for all 3 of our kids? Because I’m not doing any woo-woo “themed” rooms i.e. princesses. I want all their rooms to be a classic, classy, mostly neutral and clean look.)
Xox,
SKH
If you don’t have time to read these posts daily, but don’t want to miss them, be sure to follow via Bloglovin’ and/or join my personal e-newsletter HERE. I am doing my best to send a once per week email recap of prior week’s posts.
These posts will all live under “Wellness+Lifestyle” and also tagged with “101 Days of Blogging.” The 101-day series runs from Monday, January 8, 2018, through Wednesday, April 18, 2018.
If there is a topic surrounding change that you would love for me to include in this series, please just CONTACT ME.
Previous 101-Day Change Series Posts
- Beginnings are Scary
- Change Pain Point
- Making Sense of Change
- Gratitude Journal
- Love Your Baby Girl
- Little Things Add Up
- House and Home
- Sunday Reflections
- Two
- Chocolate Shake
- 3-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake
- Chaos is a Temporary State
- Thirsty Thursday
- Month One
- The Nudge to Connect
- 11 Favorites from 11 Years in California
- One Box at a Time
- Good Enough is Enough
- There is No Dishwasher
- WWDW Number 8
- Move Initiated
- Sharing My Journey
- Back with the Tribe
- Small Town Grocery Shopping Part One
- January 2018 Catch Up Over Bone Broth
- Patsy Clairmont is My Spirit Animal
- Let There Be Light
- Forgot About Rae
- Smiles
- Coconut Oil Makeup Remover How To
- 9 Ways to Embrace Winter
- Escaping People
- Coming Home
- 105 in 1,095
- 40 Before 40
- When Change Was Coming
- Behavior Correction
- Embracing Motherhood
- Two Things for Lent
- Gluten Free Recipe Roundup Six
- Breakdown to Breakthrough
- 18 Things About Me
- Still Hope
- Month Two
- Pain is Not Weakness Leaving the Body
- Too Much Stuff
- Small Changes
- Can Wait
- Seven
- Halfway Mark
- Squad Goals
- Do We Really Change?
- February Catch Up Over Bone Broth
- Unplanned
- 2018 Natural Products Expo West
2018 Natural Products Expo West
The 2018 Natural Products Expo West show is my 5th consecutive one. It’s also the 5th year I’ve been on the Official Expo West Blogging Team.
As part of the official blogging team, I have one main task. That task is to go on a scavenger hunt of sorts and come back with my Top 3 overall picks from the show. It’s not easy. There are over 3,000 exhibitors.
If you click HERE, it will take you to five years of thoughts on the show and products I’ve found.
Natural Products Expo West is my favorite event I attend all year because it hits every single side of my business. In a matter of just a few days I’m able to network with current and potential ‘Content Creation + Digital Storytelling‘ clients, find new products to recommend and brands to work with for YOU – right here on my own blog, meet with amazing and talented individuals who I’ll then hopefully hire for client work, network with anyone and everyone in the industry, and simply just see all my industry friends and acquaintances.
All the things I love wrapped up in a crazy-busy few days.
Here are some pre-show things for this year, and some tips for both attendees and brands that I’ve gathered over the years.
2018 Natural Products Expo West
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Products and People I’m Looking for This Year
- Connecting with both people and brands – on behalf of several clients for both paid and co-marketing opportunities during 2018
- Connecting with both people and brands for my own business(es)
- AIP products
- Low-FODMAP products
- Low-to-no sugar
- more Travel Guide items
- The best bars
- Booch – always booch
- Toddler snacks – obviously since we almost have 3 Toddlers in this house (in May they will be 2, 3, and 4 – eek)
- Flexitarian-ish (ahhhhh…..this is a new term for my blog) I haven’t used it much because my gut was always such a disaster that I was mostly AIP/GAPS/SCD, but now that I’m able to do all the things, I’m looking for more than just meat, meat, meat
Must-See Booths and Teams
- Elmhurst (Booth #5550) – best non-dairy/plant-based/Vegan (whatever you want to call it) milk, hands down
- Lotus Foods (Booth #2117) – launching new line of Ramen Noodle Soup Cups and Moringa Pad Thai
- Nutiva (Booth #1745) – launching USA-Grown Hempseed, and debuting other new products
- Made in Nature (Booth #1724) – more on their single-serve snacks which I love, love, love for my kids because they are perfect for on-the-go, travel, and all the 24 hours of the day when they “just need a snack” (also, I never have to worry about what’s in them and if there are any unnatural sugars because I already know the answer, “Nope.” Most of their Dried Fruit has nothing added, it’s just the fruit, and their other snacks use natural sweeteners like maple syrup, coconut, etc.)
- Delighted By Dessert Hummus (Booth #8914) – After their Shark Tank deal, why would you not go visit them? A little birdie told me they will be debuting a new flavor. I’m dying over this one!
Top Tips: Brands
- Pre-show emails. Stop making them so impersonal and generic. I’ve already received like 1,001 emails, and I’m skipping right over the ones that say, “Will you be attending Expo West this year?” Um, duh. If you’ve taken even 5 seconds out of your time to pre-qualify Expo leads, you’d know that answer and the email tone would have come across vastly different.
- Be transparent without acting rude. Over the last 5 years, I can’t even count the number of times I have asked to see the ingredient label of a product being sampled and gotten so. much. ‘tude. We don’t ask to see ingredients to be a pain in the a#$. We ask it because we need to, for our health of anyone we may choose to recommend the product to.
- Collect business card. The show is nuts, so your best bet is to collect business cards and follow up.
- Follow up fast! I’ve had brands reach out a couple months after the fact. Don’t wait that long.
- How to Pitch Bloggers
- Show a little enthusiasm. Oh, trust me, I know what’s it like to be on your side of the booth. For the past 4 years I worked at the Nutiva booth, and after sitting in for so long, you get tired and cranky. But also trust me that that carries through to how your product and brand is perceived. I only want to work with products and brands that are excited about their products. If you aren’t, why should I be?
Top Tips: Attendees (namely, bloggers)
- Wear comfortable clothes. If you come dressed in a 3-piece suit, you may regret it.
- Wear comfortable shoes. The show floor is huge, and it spans across multiple levels and buildings. Now would not be the time to test those new heels.
- Security. We have been told that security is going to be tighter this year. If you don’t absolutely need to bring it into the show, don’t. You will always need an ID.
- Plan your schedule. From Thursday to Sunday, I put my schedule in 15-minute increments. I’ve learned my lesson over the years that if you don’t plan, you just won’t do and see all the things and people you intended to (the show is so big that you could get caught up forever).
- Eat from the food trucks. OMG. They are so good. My favorite makes these big old rice bowls, and if you like Sweet Potato tater tots, you’ll find them outside, too.
- Eat your way through the show. I eat a light lunch (usually food-truck style) and then I have dinner with a client every single night. The other meals and snacks are straight show stuff because there is so much. You’ll never leave hungry.
- 6 Things Brands Want Bloggers to Know
- Leave space in your suitcase. You’ll likely have a ton of samples and other things to bring home from the show, so leave plenty of room.
Other Pre-Show Posts to Check Out
- 10 Ways to Improve Your Blogger Outreach at Expo West
- Preview of Natural Products Expo West
- 5 Ways to Make the Most of Expo West 2018
- 10 Natural Products Trends You’ll See on the Expo West 2018 Floor
- On the Hunt for Low-FODMAP at Expo West 2018
- State of the Natural Industry Twitter Party March 8 (I’m a panelist, my Twitter handle is @sarahkayhoffman)
- Expo West 2018 and What You Should Know
Make sure to follow along during the show. I will be posting on Instagram (@paleoishmama + @agutsygirl), Facebook, and then right here on my blog/e-newsletter after the show.
I have several meetings, meet-ups, and events planned during the show. The schedule is filling fast, but I’m always happy to consider additions. If you are a brand or have a special event you’d love for me to consider, please contact me HERE (to use your own email client, you can reach me at sarah at sarahkayhoffman.com)
Your turn! —> Is there any brand or company from that you’d love me to check out for you or will you be at the show, too? Comment below or contact me!
p.s. Now that I’m no longer a West coast mama, I am so excited to travel out West for a few days (and then come home, of course)! 🙂
Xox,
SKH
If you don’t have time to read these posts daily, but don’t want to miss them, be sure to follow via Bloglovin’ and/or join my personal e-newsletter HERE. I am doing my best to send a once per week email recap of prior week’s posts.
These posts will all live under “Wellness+Lifestyle” and also tagged with “101 Days of Blogging.” The 101-day series runs from Monday, January 8, 2018, through Wednesday, April 18, 2018.
If there is a topic surrounding change that you would love for me to include in this series, please just CONTACT ME.
Previous 101-Day Change Series Posts
- Beginnings are Scary
- Change Pain Point
- Making Sense of Change
- Gratitude Journal
- Love Your Baby Girl
- Little Things Add Up
- House and Home
- Sunday Reflections
- Two
- Chocolate Shake
- 3-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake
- Chaos is a Temporary State
- Thirsty Thursday
- Month One
- The Nudge to Connect
- 11 Favorites from 11 Years in California
- One Box at a Time
- Good Enough is Enough
- There is No Dishwasher
- WWDW Number 8
- Move Initiated
- Sharing My Journey
- Back with the Tribe
- Small Town Grocery Shopping Part One
- January 2018 Catch Up Over Bone Broth
- Patsy Clairmont is My Spirit Animal
- Let There Be Light
- Forgot About Rae
- Smiles
- Coconut Oil Makeup Remover How To
- 9 Ways to Embrace Winter
- Escaping People
- Coming Home
- 105 in 1,095
- 40 Before 40
- When Change Was Coming
- Behavior Correction
- Embracing Motherhood
- Two Things for Lent
- Gluten Free Recipe Roundup Six
- Breakdown to Breakthrough
- 18 Things About Me
- Still Hope
- Month Two
- Pain is Not Weakness Leaving the Body
- Too Much Stuff
- Small Changes
- Can Wait
- Seven
- Halfway Mark
- Squad Goals
- Do We Really Change?
- February Catch Up Over Bone Broth
- Unplanned