Weigh-in Wednesdays: On a Bender

This week I can honestly say I drank every single day. Every. Single. Day. Not on purpose mind you. It just happened. Each day I met with a different group of people, did some networking, hung out with the girls, went on a date or two. Looking at the next few day’s schedule, today is the only day my liver has to rest until Monday. Might need to drink some cranberry juice to help out the ‘ol kidneys too. I even unlocked the Bender Badge on Foursquare – I was so stoked! I have actually wanted that badge for awhile!

I have to say though that was a really great week. Hanging out with my friends was so therapeutic for me – they made me laugh, helped me realize that I am not alone, and generally, really just get me. Finding people who “get you” is sometimes fairly difficult. I have heard on more than one occasion that either you love me or hate me, there generally isn’t much of a middle ground. I am assertive, dominant, go after what I want, don’t generally have a filter, and am very honest. This doesn’t always go over well with people. I am also very selfless, empathetic, love with wild abandonment, and am a true giver. I haven’t always thought my family understood me so my close friendships meant the world to me. One thing I have been blessed with lately is reconnecting with so many people from my past and forming lasting adult relationships. It has been awesome! I’m trying to open my heart up again and let it heal from past loves. Some days this was virtually impossible, but through my friends’ gentle words of encouragement, I am finding my footing again.

As for as my weight loss journey, I did everything wrong this week. I ran out of Kombucha and still haven’t made it to Whole Foods to pick up more. I ran out of spinach, so I only had my green shake twice. Indulged in a huge craving for Taco Bell and ate a bean burrito no onions and a hard taco. Plus I had at least a glass of wine each and every day. Now I did quite a few things right this week too. I worked out with my trainer twice, did cardio on my own one day, and went for a great hike on Saturday, plus I made it to yoga 4 times. That was a lot for me – some days were even double up days! Every day I tried to make yoga my #1 priority, but when you run your own business, it doesn’t always happen. Happy to say this time though that when I went to Restorative Yoga on Sunday night at Blissful Yoga that there were no tears. This week had a lot of downs, but this time, the ups outweighed them. You can read about the sheer downs of last week in my previous blog post: Weigh-in Wednesdays: Sad & Confused.

Yummy Wine!

Weight Loss:

Lost 2.6 lbs– Seriously!?! The Bender Diet was a raging success! Wine every day is my new motto

What I Did Right This Week:

• Ran 1 mile in 13:39 – that’s 30 seconds faster than last week!!
• Worked out 3x and hiked once
• Went to Yoga 4x!
• Made my Green Protein Shake 2x
• Created a delicious great veggie scramble 2x
• Still ate some of that great Shallot and Garlic Quinoa I made last week.
• Tried to eat 4x a day. Working on increasing this to 6x a day.

What I Did Wrong This Week:

• Drank wine every day. Good wine too, not the crappy stuff. Just Say No to Crappy Wine.
• Drank a can of Pepsi 2x.
• Caved into Taco Bell for lunch one day.

Goals For This Week:

• Pick up more Kombucha
• Make my protein shake 5x.
• Workout 4x and go to yoga 7x, run a mile during 2 of the days at the gym
• Drink more water
• Use my steamer more
• Eat out of my cupboard and freezer without going grocery shopping (ok, I do need a couple staple items)

Emotionally, I was up and down this week. My laptop was infected with a boot sector virus and it took me down for a couple days. Instead of being upset about it, I dropped it off to one of my great friends Phil and then had an early Happy Hour. That early Happy Hour then turned into checking out this great new place called The Garage. I loved it there! Review post coming soon. Since I couldn’t work the next morning, I went to the gym and then to an early yoga session. I actually took some time out for me. I didn’t answer my phone, I barely texted, I just let myself relax. It felt great! I took everyone’s advice and looked at a situation that hurt me financially and set me back on my projects with a different perspective. Having my business shut down for a few days allowed me to walk away and reenergize. Someone asked me to do something in the middle of the day – I went. I wanted to take a nap – I did. I enjoyed this setback. I looked at it from a different perspective.

One thing that was very evident to me after last week’s post was that people care. I had quite a few people write me messages of encouragement and sent positive thoughts to help me get through that darkness. I never know when I write how my words might affect others. I am astounded and touched when people take time out of their lives to read my story and to send their comments in – whether on my blog or to me privately. I appreciate each and every one of them.

I want to clear up something major – I AM NOT ON A DIET! There I said it. I had to get that off of my chest. Yes I am trying to lose weight, but honestly, I want to live a different lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle. I want to be the athlete I was growing up. I want a conditioned body that can go hiking, white water rafting, or skydiving if I so choose. I want to live my life outside, not sitting on my couch. Mind you, I love TV, but I love being outside more. I want to go camping, bass fishing, play baseball, do yoga, run a marathon. Ok, maybe not a marathon. But you get the idea. I also want to eat foods that my body needs. So no, at this time I am not going to try HCG, low carb, low fat, low whatever. I try to eat whole healthy foods prepared in a manner where they are delicious and still very nutritious for me. I appreciate everyone telling me what they did, and I want to hear things that you are still able to do. I want to know those things that you were able to incorporate into your regular life. This is my life and I am ready to live it.

Share on Facebook

Weigh-in Wednesdays: Sad and Confused

A lot has happened in the 7 short days since I last wrote the last post. Last Wednesday I decided to try the yoga wall during my 40-Day Yoga Challenge at Blissful Yoga. While inverted (upside down held by straps) on the wall, my low back started spasming out of control. I righted myself and the instructor came over to see what was wrong. I could barely stand and tears were streaming down my face because of the sheer amount of pain. She tried to get the muscles to relax and release and after 10 minutes they finally did. I tried to do the last stretches with the class as the instructor led us through poses that were supposed to help release the pressure in my low back. I was embarrassed that tears were just pouring down my face. I couldn’t stop crying. I was hurt, felt alone, and just wanted someone to come in and pick me up and take care of me. It honestly hurt to lay flat on my back, hurt to sit, and standing was extremely difficult. How I made it home I don’t know. Took me 20 minutes to climb one flight of stairs. I laid on an ice pack, took Vicodin and ibuprofen and tweeted and Facebooked until the drugs took over and I fell to sleep.

The next day I couldn’t stand longer than 10 minutes and had to ice my back most of the day. How I made it to the opening of The Herb Box I don’t know. I think the wine helped. A lot. I had to cancel my trainer and was told by the yoga instructor to take 3 days off and I was only allowed to go to Restorative Yoga on Sunday. I knew being out of the gym for a minimum of 2 days meant that I really had to watch what I ate.

I was still doing the @gtskombucha Kombucha every day. Since I was getting a little buzz effect from the Kombucha, I reduced my intake to 1/2 a bottle every day. I really like the taste of the stuff even if the floaty things scared the crap out of me. I managed to stay at a 7.0 for most of the week with a couple days dipping down to 6.0. Today though I was at a 5.5 again. Ugh. Trying to remember the best  benefits of Kombucha include better digestion, increased energy, and a clearer mind. Here is the blog on why I was trying it Weigh-in Wednesdays: Are You Acidic and last week’s that was devoted to Kombucha Weigh-in Wednesdays: Kombucha. I’m still waiting on that clearer mind! I so need that!!

My favorite sweater

Weight Loss:

Gained 2 lbs– Seriously? WTF. FML. Oy Vey. m&@!%*! f%$c&@! How can that possibly be?? Frustrated and confused when I weighed in this morning. Very upset.

What I Did Right This Week:

• When I was able to work out again I wanted to time me running a mile. I ran/walked a mile in 14.16 minutes. I think I am going to try and train for a 5k this spring.
• Went to Yoga 5x!
• Made my Green Protein Shake 2x and drank Kombucha 7x.
• Tried Steal Cut Oats for the first time and had that 2x.
• Finally made Quinoa!! Check out this easy delicious Shallot and Garlic Quinoa recipe that I created.
• Made my own meals 85% of the time this week. When I did eat out, I ordered very nutritious meals – plus I only went to places where the chefs put priority on locally grown foods and foods that are cooked healthfully and not saturated in high fat sauces.
• Lots of great salads, lean proteins, and lots of water.

What I Did Wrong This Week:

• Had a couple glasses of wine a couple times when out with friends.
• Drank a can of Pepsi 2x – now that’s serious progress.
• Had chocolate ice cream on Sunday night after a very stressful day.
• Bought too many vegetables and some of them went bad. Very sad for those veggies

Goals For This Week:

• Eat Quinoa and Steal Cut Oats 2x
• Make my protein shake 5x.
• Workout 4x and go to yoga 7x, run a mile during 2 of the days at the gym
• Kombucha every day
• Drink more water
• Use my steamer more
• Eat out of my cupboard and freezer without going grocery shopping

This was another emotional roller coaster week. When I became injured I was really upset with myself and honestly, it was hard coming home and knowing that the only person that was going to take care of me, was well, me. And I did.

One good thing that happened over the weekend was that my cousins @indianabackdoc and @KGIRLTRIS came to town for the P.F. Chang’s Rock N Roll Marathon. I also had @SarahStanley staying with me and she’s a runner and a big proponent of healthy living. Actually all 3 of them are health nuts – this was great for me because I told them what I was doing and gained some valuable insight. I honestly didn’t realize how smart my cousin @indianabackdoc was terms in terms of well, everything! He literally blew my mind and I was really enthralled with how living a healthy lifestyle for themselves and especially for the their kids was a major component of their lives. It was definitely not like that in my household growing up. @KGIRLTRIS was so inspiring – I even loved her Twitter tagline: I swim like a rock, bike like the wind, and run for the hell of it. Hanging with them and other cousins from Indiana recently I really realized how much I missed that part of my family. I need to get my ass back there this year a couple times and see my family!

They are awesome!

It seems like every week something awful happens to me. I feel like I have lived in a shitstorm for the last 2 years. How much loss can one person endure? I’m at my limit I tell you. If you want to read what happened to me last year, and the stress of 2010 here it is: Happy 1st Birthday Orange Dragonfly. I am still fighting with Chase bank to refund me the money that was stolen over the holidays off of my debit card. It is a very stressful battle.

While at the marathon’s finish line I parked with about 100 other cars. After cheering on @indianabackdoc and @KGIRLTRIS all day and hanging with them at the finish area, I was ready to go to the gym then take a nap. Instead, as I was walking to that parking lot I noticed my car on back of a flat bed trailer being towed away! You’ve got to be kidding me! I ran through the middle of the road and asked the driver what was going on. I guessed I parked on private property and there was 1 sign about a block away from where I parked stating such. He told me that they had towed over 100 cars that day! He offered a ride to the tow yard where I had to pay a hefty impound fee to get my car back. I will admit that I lost it. Slow quiet tears started down my face and I couldn’t stop them. Feelings of “why does this shit always happen to me” surfaced.

When I got to the tow yard, and was talking to the dispatcher and realized that this, coupled with the money not being refunded into my checking out, left me very low on cash. What had I done to deserve this kind of luck? I believe in karma so either I am a horrible person or was in a past life, or I am in the eye of the biggest shitstorm ever. As all of this sank in, my emotions took over and I started balling, hard sobs. I couldn’t seem to regain my composure. I cried all the way home, I cried laying on my couch, I didn’t want to talk to anyone and I was slipping into a very deep depression. I decided to fulfill my yoga obligation and go to Restorative Yoga that night. This yoga class is all about restoring your emotional and physical health. There are only a few poses and you hold them for long periods of time. And yes, silent tears streamed down my face during the whole class. I was grateful for the towel they give us to put over our eyes. I was embarrassed and felt very alone and distraught. It was not a good feeling. I am tearing up now just remembering that hollow feeling. It was more than just about money, and more about the feeling of loss, loneliness, and feeling very powerless in this world.

I have been trying the last couple days to really work on my emotional and physical health. I have worked on my friendships and even have set a couple people up on dates. I try to be a good friend to others – sharing information, giving words of encouragement, being there for them to talk about the good and bad things in their lives. I have put more energy into my business and am trying to stop procrastinating on a few projects and get them done already. I am trying to do everything but think about the “whys” of my life. When I do that, I sink into a depression that I don’t want to be in. I am just working on today and what I can do with this present moment. This is the only moment that matters.

Share on Facebook

Shallot & Garlic Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 garlic gloves, crushed
• 1 Tbsp Goat Butter, (sub regular butter)
• 4 cups chicken broth (sub vegetable broth)
• 2 cups Quinoa

Yields: 8-10 Servings

This was my first time making Quinoa and my second time eating it. I have to say that I surprised myself with how good this came out.

In a quart pan, melt the butter and sauté the shallot and garlic until just golden brown. Stir in the chicken broth and the Quinoa. Bring to a boil then simmer on medium for 10-12 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. The quinoa should be tender. Cool slightly, then fluff with a fork.

I mixed in some fresh ground pepper plus sprinkled a little bit of onion powder throughout. It was delicious! I can see adding some chives, lemon, and even cilantro (my favorite herb) to the next batch.

If you are not using Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa, then make sure you rinse it first. This brand is already prerinsed. I found it at Costco for $10 for a huge bag.

Look at the nutrition in Quinoa! It has the most protein than any other grain. You must try this as either a side dish or be creative and make it your main dish tonight!

Share on Facebook

Weigh-in Wednesdays: Kombucha

I took a road trip a few weeks ago with @josephranseth and he was drinking this crazy stuff called Kombucha. It had weird stuff floating it in, smelled a lot like vinegar, and he was drinking it and enjoying it like it would a bottle of Arizona Stronghold’s Nachise. I seriously was wondering if this guy was a little off his rocker. He asked if I wanted to try it. I thought for a second and then took a swig. Tart. Oh so tart. But I have to admit I absolutely love vinegar, so for me it didn’t taste half bad. Joseph was telling me that he drinks it because it is an ancient elixir, drank for thousands of years by civilizations all over the world. Some of the best  benefits of Kombucha include better digestion, increased energy, and a clearer mind. It also helps you change your body from being acidic to alkaline. Did you read my blog on this topic? Weigh-in Wednesdays: Are You Acidic?

I decided to take a 7-Day Challenge to see if I could change my pH level. I bought pH strips and took the 1st reading and it says I was 5.0!! That is the most acidic you can be. Wow. I started drinking @gtskombucha’s Kombucha that first day. The next day I was at 5.5, then 6.0. One week later I am at 7.0 – which is Basic or Neutral. So I am not alkaline yet, but I am also not acidic either! I have noticed better digestion – I have only had an upset stomach once instead of a few times a week. Can’t say I have increased energy or a clearer mind though. I am going to try this for another 7 days to see if there has been any difference.

I haven’t tried any other brand except for @gtskombucha Kombucha. I really love the Cosmic Cranberry and Trilogy flavors, followed by the Gingerberry and the Original flavor. I am way too chicken to try the green algae one. If you are interested in brewing your own Kombucha, try this website: Kombucha Kamp and find them on FB Kombucha Kamp.

Every day I had one of my Green Protein Shakes for breakfast. I have changed the fruit up a couple times with bananas and pears. People look at me drinking this and don’t believe me when I say it is quite sweet. I tried broccoli in it one day. Don’t ever do that. Don’t. Trust me. Gross.

The other crazy thing I started this week was scheduling 2x a week with my trainer AND starting the 40-Day Yoga Challenge at Blissful Yoga. On Monday I started out with my trainer Ivorie and he killed my legs. Then I had 15 minutes to head to Bliss Flow yoga. There was no bliss in my flow at that yoga session. For the past 2 days, I have barely been able to walk. Stairs are a form of an ancient torture ritual. I am in severe pain, laying on a heating pad every night and putting BioFreeze all over my quads. But guess what – I can do this. I am going to complete this challenge and twice a week I will have 2 workouts a day. Go ahead and say a prayer for me now, because it is going to be a brutal 40 days.

That's me on Friday night.

Weight Loss:

Zilch!!!  – How can that possibly be?? Frustrated when I weighed in this morning. Very frustrated.

What I Did Right This Week:

• Worked out 3x and have gone to Yoga 3x!! I have done a lot of cardio and have increased my time on each machine by a minute each time I go in. Progress.
• Made my Green Protein Shake 6x and drank Kombucha 7x.
• Made a delicious Vegetable Stir Fry with a little bit of chicken with balsamic and a little olive oil. Yummy! Promise to post these recipes up soon.
• Made my own meals 75% of the time this week. Lots of great salads, lean proteins, and lots of water.
• Made ground Turkey for the 1st time. I actually liked it. Who knew?

What I Did Wrong This Week:

• Drank heavily once! That’s what happens when you schedule 3 “meetings” on a Friday afternoon at a bar. Thank goodness my sister was there to take me home.
• Drank a can of Pepsi only 3x – progress I know!
• Had movie popcorn – love that freaking stuff but I only had 1/4 of a medium bag. Loved. Every. Kernel.
• Still didn’t try that freaking quinoa!

Goals For This Week:

• Make the quinoa already!
• Make my protein shake 5x.
• Workout 3x and go to yoga 7x
• To drink Kampucha every day for 7 more days
• Drink more water
• Really trying to stop drinking my calories! Very hard.

Emotionally, I have been up and down this week. Trying to figure out the male species has had my mind working overtime. Nope – still not close to any real answers there. Sorry! I realized though that my kindness and open heart gets hurt too easily. My bff wants me to try to be more distant and make someone work to be my friend or to get close to me. I will admit, I am an eternal optimist when it comes to love. Even when a man rejects me or breaks up with me, I still wish them the best and hope that life is kind to them. My friends on the other hand, say I need to get angry and stay that way and not have so much empathy. And the big one – that most men lie. I admit, that is hard for me to understand or to believe. I don’t want to be anything other than who I am, but when every single one of my friends says this to me, maybe I should listen.

Each day before I get out of bed a word comes to me and I try to make that the focus for that day. I have had such words as Focus, Dedication, Follow Through, Smile, and Love come to me. I have been out of focus lately and follow through is like a 4-letter word. So everyday I try to do better. That is all I can do. I am working on me. Making me happy. Completing my life. Spending time with friends and just enjoying the moment.

I don’t have any control over what the future holds. I do have control over my Present. I choose to live in the here and now, not in what might be. This is hard for a dreamer.

In the words of my yoga instructor – Dwelling in the present moment, I know that this is the only moment that matters. Namaste.

Share on Facebook

Weigh-in Wednesdays: Are you Acidic?

My friend @josephranseth recently talked to me about trying to get back to a more alkaline body instead of the acidic body that 98% of Americans have. When he first started talking about this on a road trip with @skinnyjeans to see @ohkatiecookies I thought he had lost is mind. What the heck was he talking about anyways?

Being acidic means that our body’s pH level is less than optimal (optimal pH level is around 7.35-7.45, slightly alkaline). When our blood level is acidic, our cells and immune system are not able to rebuild our tissues efficiently. When this acidic condition persists over a long period of time, it leads to many diseases such as stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease.

An alkaline diet is based on eating food that burns in the body and leaves ash. The incombustible ash or alkaline residue is composed of minerals rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc. The burning, in comparison to the catabolism of food, produces waste. A lot of vegetables are the most potent in their natural raw state and should be eaten with their skins on and not overcooked.

Sounds kind of simple right? So I went out and bought pH strips so I could test my alkalinity. I was a 5.0 on the first test! That is pretty acidic! I next went to Safeway and to Whole Foods and stocked up on Kale, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kiwi, alfalfa sprouts, green apples, limes (my favorite), and bananas. Here is a full list of foods that can help you get back to a more alkaline body:

• Alfalfa Sprouts
• Almonds
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Bamboo Shoots
• Broccoli
• Cantaloupe
• Cayenne Pepper
• Celery
• Dates
• Figs
• Grapes
• Kelp
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mango
• Papaya
• Parsley
• Seaweed
• Watercress
• Watermelon

For the last 4 days, I have had this Green Protein Shake for breakfast. It is actually quite delicious! You should try it!

Weight Loss:

1 pound – Coming out of the Holidays and all the crap that was the month of December, I will take that.

What I Did Right This Week:

• Worked out 4x! That’s right – 3x at the gym and then a great yoga session. I even pushed my cardio up to 35 minutes!! I couldn’t believe it either! Thought I was going to seriously pass out.
• Made my Green Protein Shake 4x and even prechopped the ingredients so I could make it on the mornings where I had little to no time.
• Made a delicious Turkey Mexican Salad – will post the recipe soon! It is so good, you should just thank me now.
• Made my own meals 80% of the time this week. Lots of great salads, lean proteins, and lots of water.

What I Did Wrong This Week:

• Drank wine 2x – but one of those was New Year’s Eve and the other, well, wasn’t.  I can say I had a really great night at The Vig Uptown!
• Drank a can of Pepsi only 3x – progress I know!
• Gave in to the chocolate ice cream that was calling my name in the freezer. It is very seductive you know.
• Still didn’t try that freaking quinoa!

Goals For This Week:

• Make the quinoa already!
• Make my protein shake 4x.
• Workout 4x and do 35 min cardio each time
• To be in bed by 10:00 pm 5 nights
• To release 2 lbs
• To drink Kambucha every day for 5 days!!

Emotionally all I can say is I am so glad that the Holidays are officially over! December was one of the worst months of my life – I was dumped, pulled over for not having current registration, was called Fat, But Attractive (seriously, a must read), had my debit card stolen, went on some ok dates, didn’t have the vacation I so desperately needed, plus other infractions.

On New Year’s Day I sat in quiet reflection alone and thought about all that I had been through in the last year, actually the last couple years. I wrote a post about the birth of my company Orange Dragonfly and tried to think of what I wanted to accomplish this next year. I honestly couldn’t even think of this next year at all. So I allowed myself to just be. To just reflect. To be happy and sad about all that had happened and revel in the sheer amount of changes that I had been through in such a short amount of time. I allowed myself to grieve over what I had lost and to be happy in what I had gained. On this day, I didn’t want to be around anyone, but just to be in my own little world. And I did.

On Jan 2nd, I reentered the world. I went to yoga in the morning, cleaned my place, and talked to friends throughout the day. I even went out with a new friend that night and had a surprisingly good time sharing a bottle of Arizona Stronghold’s Nachise.

I am blessed and cursed with an empathetic soul – I tend to feel with wild abandon, love harder, and hurt deeper than most. I lead with my heart, feel with my soul, and love with every cell of my body. This can be the greatest joy I have ever known and the greatest pain that has ever been felt. One thing that I am very grateful for is that even when I am at my worst and feel low with life, I have friends who reach out to show that they care. We each are on our own journey through life, and the friends we have along the way make the ride so much sweeter.

This year, I plan on embracing my best qualities and loving my worst – because they make me the incredible woman that I am.

Share on Facebook

Green Protein Shake – It’s Yummy too!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Almond milk
• 1 scoop Zrii protein powder
• 1 tsp flax seed
• 1 kiwi
• 1 med apple
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 Kale leaves

Put all the ingredients into a blender. Make sure the lid is on! Blend on medium for at least 1 minute.

~Add cucumbers, zucchini, or celery to the shake too. Use your imagination – and the kiwi and apple make the drink nice and sweet and you can’t even taste all those vegetables! You’re welcome.

Share on Facebook

Happy 1st Birthday Orange Dragonfly

One year ago today I took stock of my life and wondered if 2010 could erase the pain and turmoil that 2009 had brought. I was in Minnesota with my in-laws realizing that my marriage was in a dire condition, and that even though we loved each other, we just weren’t the right fit for one another. I had to close my flower shop at the end of 2008 and honestly, most of 2009 was me trying to figure out my life. What did I want to do? Who did I want to be? What was I good at? The things I knew that I was great at – gardening, especially vegetables and herbs, funky flower arranging, and strangely enough, editing. I used to be an editor and coordinator for a Department of Defense contractor for many years, and as I sat looking out at the snow, I wondered – is there a need for such skills in small business?

The next few hours I spent researching editing websites, what they offered and how much they charged. I did a budget on what it would take me to start this new business and even wrote the rough draft of a marketing plan. By the end of 01/01/2010 I had purchased a new domain name www.OrangeDragonflyBlog.com and a hosting account too. You see, I already owned www.OrangeDragonfly.com and this was my floral website. I downloaded WordPress and started making the site my own. I had been doing article writing and freelance food reviews and knew that I wanted to offer this to my clients as well.  Who knew that in 12 hours, I would research, write a budget and marketing plan, plus start a website? Well, I have been told on more than one occasion I was a born entrepreneur.

Over the next three days, I really felt energized and that I had a purpose. Most of 2009 I wandered around like a lost soul, not sure of who I was anymore or who I wanted to be. When I lost my flower shop in such a traumatic way, I felt I lost my identity, my pride, and my self-worth. It completely devastated me and did irrevocable harm to my marriage and friendships. This editing business was the first business that I didn’t have a 50-page business plan written for – honestly, I was just going to wing it and see what fate brought me. I never would have imagined all that this little business has accomplished in one short year.

I went in my networking meeting on 01/04/2010 and walked away with my first client BottomDollarShopping.com who wanted to be rebranded, needed his web content edited and updated, and needed new business cards and fliers. I had many years experience working with graphic artists and coordinating the work between them and the client – right away this became a new aspect to my business. Through referrals my business started bringing in an income. I was out with the girls one night and my friend Kristi DeWitt said that she was looking for a typesetter and editor for her new book Stories from the Dating Trenches. She had an extremely tight deadline, and by working 12-hour days, we were able to get this fantastic dating book to print on time. I learned many lessons on this project, and I value each and every one of them.

The second week of March I had completed all my editing projects and walked into that same networking meeting on a Tuesday with no future work on my plate. I was the speaker that day and 10 minutes of my presentation was on my editing services, but the last 5 minutes was on Social Media. You see, I had been reading everything on this new topic and was completely fascinated with it. I used Twitter and Facebook for my business and every day I was receiving calls from friends and family asking if I could teach them how to use these tools. On a whim, I put these services on my flier for the presentation. That whim changed my life. I walked out of that presentation with 10 new clients, and gave the same talk the next day at another networking event and picked up 5 more clients. The next day I filed for divorce and moved out of our home. That was the craziest week of 2010 for sure.

In May I kept having clients say how much they wanted to change their websites and have more control over them, but that their Webmasters wouldn’t release the sites. With the increasing popularity of WordPress and blogging sites, this was a trend I saw all of last year. So I was hired to help people move their sites over to their own hosting accounts and use WordPress as the software platform. Another facet to my business was born.

With each of these migrations I had to create new business cards. In September I actually rebranded my entire look to a more 2.0 vision and have received lots of positive response over the transition. In October I went to Las Vegas to BlogWorld which was the largest Social Media and Blogging Conference in the country. I had no idea that so many people used their sites to bring in serious money by doing what they loved. I received so much advice on what I could do to make my site more user friendly and how to make a living writing and maintaining my business. The biggest piece of advice was make OrangeDragonfly.com my main business site and to brand it the same as OrangeDragonflyBlog.com. I have spent the last couple months doing this and am almost finished with all the changes.

These ones above are my newest cards! What do you think?

I can sum up 2010 with one word – CHANGE. I took each day as it came, I tried not to look towards the future, but to live in each moment, to be in the present. I had never done that before in my life. I rode some very big emotional waves, lost my footing a few times, but came out at the end on my own two feet. Thank you 2010 for showing me that I am still valued, loved, and still know a thing or two about small businesses.

Happy 1st Birthday Orange Dragonfly – you really gave me purpose again in my life. I will be eternally grateful.

Share on Facebook