5 Guidelines for Making a Change in Your Life

Hi everyone!

Are you possibly going though a point in your life where you need a new start? Maybe it’s a change in lifestyle, perhaps you want to switch careers, or you simply want to move out of your current city in search for inspiration or new opportunities. These are all big changes that, if you’re willing to work for, might be absolutely rewarding.

It was exactly a year ago that I put in my two weeks notice at my corporate job in search for a more purposeful career and life. I can tell you that my transformation has been phenomenal. I’ve been able to meet more people, make better connections, laugh more and enjoy my time doing the things that I love the most. Has it been easy? Absolutely not. I’ve cried and panicked at times, but thankfully I’m able to remember exactly why I’m doing this.

No matter what your goal is, there are certain things you need to consider before taking that leap of faith. Here are 5 tips for making a change that will help guide you in this journey: Continue reading “5 Guidelines for Making a Change in Your Life”

International Women’s Day

This Saturday March 8th is International Women’s Day!

Happy Women’s Day to all you strong, beautiful and powerful women out there! You are a force to be reckoned with and you deserve all the praise. No matter your age, what you do, where you live or who you are, I’m certain these following links will surely inspire you to be better, be whole and continue to be happy.

Continue reading “International Women’s Day”

Be Right Back!

Hi everyone!

Just like you, I’m back home and relaxed after a nice vacation with my family. I went from 80˚F weather in Puerto Rico to 0˚F in the Northeast but it was lots of fun! We took morning walks on the beach and hit the slopes at Loon, Bretton Woods and Sunday River. There wasn’t much snow on the first day so that means it was mostly ice. I fell… hard… a lot! Ouch!! Freezing my @$$ off while going up the ski lifts is not my idea of fun but it was all forgotten when perfectly formed snowflakes started falling on us! I had no idea you could see them like that! I though you needed a microscope (and a very cold lab) to see them! I included a picture in the slide show below for you to see!

Continue reading “Be Right Back!”

Know Yourself Before Making Your New Year’s Resolutions

By now, every morning show, news outlet, blog and email blast has given you recommendations on how to make your new year’s resolutions last. I bet that they haven’t mentioned one very important thing…

In my opinion, the very first step in creating resolutions is to know yourself. Once you take a moment to analyze your mind, as well as your past actions, you’ll be able to properly and fittingly create attainable goals no matter what time of the year it is. Much easier said than done, huh? What you want to do is ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Now, be honest with yourself and then ask if it fits within your schedule, your personality, and your overall outlook on life. From there you’ll start to build upon your goal and hopefully end up with a solid plan. See my examples below and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Continue reading “Know Yourself Before Making Your New Year’s Resolutions”

Checking In On Week 36

Hi amiguitos and amiguitas!

It’s time to check in on my quest for life’s purpose. Maybe you can relate? The last time I checked in was on August 13th 2013, and you can read that post HERE. Some things have changed: ones have gone better, while others not so much. It’s to be expected. I still have my “freak my freak” moments here and there about work, life and money…but it comes with the territory. Every one of my friends (and my mom) has said, “Better make those big changes before you have any kids, because once they’re in the picture, those decisions become much harder.” Noted. Check.

Here’s a list of the good and the bad since I last checked in. No sugar coating!

  • I’ve only been called for 3 auditions after I booked that commercial. I was actually flown to NYC for one of those auditions, but in the end I didn’t get it. No need to feel sorry for me. I learned from the experience and moved on.
  • I’m still writing on this blog, which I’ve discovered I love to do so much. Now I’m looking into monetizing the blog, while finding more opportunities for growth and development within the content, the design and my skill set. I also surpassed the 50 blog post mark! This is post #73!
  • We shot the second season of Miss Ideas for Yahoo! En Español, but haven’t been renewed for another season. Aww!! I really, really enjoy doing this, and if they don’t renew us at all, I will make my own DIY videos for you.
  • My new music video was recorded and now I’m just waiting for the final copy! Yay!
  • I started my business as an interior decorator: Interiors by Zania.
  • Part of my Services include E-Decorating! Go check out my Services Page above for packages and pricing! Affordable, professional design via the Internet! Can’t beat that!
  • I still need more clients to make a steady living doing what I love!! I’m working on that strategy as we speak.
  • One of my first projects was creating and developing the set design of Tr3s Top 20. See the Before & After HERE.
  • I helped a friend plan a Christmas Bazaar (which I had never done before), and it ended up being fun (plus I made some extra cash!).
  • Attended 3 women’s events where I networked a lot!! They were: “Yo Soy Poderosa”, “Hispana Leadership Summit” and “Women’s Success Summit“. So many fellow female entrepreneurs supporting each other! Love it!
  • Since it’s the Holiday season, I’ve had the best ever “Coquito” selling season yet. I finally figured out the exact recipe. Watch this fun and short video on my coquito process (sans some ingredients, because I don’t want to give the secret away!)  Just in case you didn’t know, “Coquito” is a traditional holiday drink from Puerto Rico.

I have to admit that I’ve had fleeting thoughts about giving up and going back to work in corporate America…but then I laugh at myself and say “that’s not even an option”! So far, my spirits are higher and my energy is brighter. I wake up so energized! (Can you say “annoying morning person”?) That part of me was non-existent before. I was a little robot with a strict schedule. Now I’m an alert human with a conscious routine that I love. I wake up earlier, work out more often, work with passion, eat healthier and rest better. Mega lifestyle change. Totally worth it.

I leave you with this quote from one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Gilbert:

Creativity and fear
Credit: Elizabeth Gilbert Facebook Page

Have you checked in with yourself lately? How are you doing? What’s your path in life? Tell me. I’m here to listen and support. Hope you have a lovely day! Don’t forget to follow me on instagram for lots of fun pics!

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7 Things I Learned About Money at WSS Miami

Hello hello beautiful readers!

How many of you want more money? If you didn’t say “me” then there’s something wrong with you. LOL! We all want more money! And guess what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with saying that. Saying you want more money doesn’t necessarily mean you are greedy. You want more money because you want to put yourself in a position where YOU and your clients seriously respect and value YOU. You want more money because YOU want to provide security for yourself and/or your family. You want more money because having it feels Hella Good! Doesn’t it?

WSS1Then ask yourself this: Are you worth what you’re getting paid? Are you working yourself to the core and not seeing financial results to your liking? What are your thoughts on Money? Ultimately, do you know your financial worth?

All of these questions were addressed last week at the Women’s Success Summit in Miami which is organized by the charismatic and award-winning entrepreneur, Michelle Villalobos. I went to the first summit in May (read that post HERE) and it was so good I had to come back. This summit gives women entrepreneurs the tools and guidance to dream big and help them grow their business. This time, the theme was; “Show Me the Money”. That’s right. Money. I second that. Woop Woop!WSS7Here are 7 quotes and lessons that I found interesting, insightful and helpful. If you follow this advice your money ‘mojo’ will surely change! Most attendees, including myself, had some serious “Ah-ha” moments. I’ve narrowed them down for you here.

  1. When women have money, businesses, communities and charities do better” – Michelle Villalobos. This is so true. You may have read in my post (HERE) about the CNN Movie “Girl Rising” that women are the direct agents of change in developing countries. Why? Women are naturally wired to GIVE. Women are innate caregivers and like Michelle said; “We have the ability to increase power and influence“. Amen sista’. This is why the women of this world need more money.
  2. An important aspect of money is how you think about it. That’s called your Money Mindset. This is most likely what is hindering you from getting more of it. As the powerful Mina Shah states; “Being smart doesn’t guarantee financial success… Working hard is just one ingredient in creating financial success… Making a lot of money doesn’t necessarily mean financial success… Money is neutral” – Mina Shah. How do you look at money? If you fear it, then you have nothing to gain from it. You have to think of it as a neutral, non emotional thing. Don’t fear it. Retrain your brain to look at it differently. During her exercise, I started to see that for me Money = Peace of mind. No need to get nervous, anxious or fearful. Your Money Mindset is crucial in taking the right steps that will lead you to financial freedom. Mina is a powerhouse. You should read more about her HERE.
  3. This money mindset goes hand-in-hand with the quote from Wayne Dyre that speaker Bert Oliva repeated several times for a very good reason, “change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” I love this quote and it is absolutely truthful.
  4. Use philanthropy to tell your story. People will fall in love with you.” – Jessica Kizorek. Having traveled all over the world documenting the calamities, problems and breakthroughs of other towns and cultures,  Jessica explains how telling potential clients about your support for charities lets them know that there’s a higher purpose behind your work. Companies also benefit from this for numerous reasons such as marketing. This will surely help you make more money in the long run.WSS4
  5. Lack of trust makes everything slower and more expensive.” – Joachim de Posada. This is a big one. By taking full control of everything (aka lack of trust, aka micro-managing) you lose money. Whenever that happens, you have set yourself up for failure because one person will never be able to handle what 3 others were hired to do. No one will ever work exactly as you do because there is only one You! Get over yourself! Delegate. (I don’t mean to be harsh, but I’ve seen this one with my very own eyes and it is lethal to your mind, your body and your company). You are not able to do it all. Get help in those areas that you are not good at or hate doing. You’ll reap the benefits in the end. Which is a great segue into…
  6. Sacrifice now to get paid later.” – Joachim de Posada. This is called self-discipline. A million dollars overnight only happens to lottery winners and most of them end up spending it all. This is exactly what I’m doing now, my friends. Sacrificing now to get amazing results later. It is one of the hardest things ever, but I believe in myself now more than ever and I vow to not let myself down.WSS2
  7. And most importantly, “Have a plan” – Jody Johnson. Three little words that will make a hell of a difference. You should try it. It works.

These were some of the suggestions that I took from the event. (There were many more, but these seemed fitting for this post). Now it’s time to implement them. That’s the hard part. It takes a lot of brain power and courage to break down the walls and move forward. In the end, I know my worth. I know the value of my time. I also know how to decorate. So, this means that pretty soon you will see the cost of my services go up. Why? Because I love what I do and I do it well. In the meantime, I’m doing more and more planning. At least you get this blog for Free! LOL!

Did any of the points I mentioned above hit you in the gut? Or maybe gave you an “Ah-ha” moment? Want to learn more about the speakers mentioned above? You can read more about them here:

    • Michelle Villalobos, Founder of the Women’s Success Summit – @Mivi – www.michellevillalobos.com
    • Mina Shah, professional speaker, trainer and strategic coach – @MightyMinaShah – www.minashah.com
    • Bert Oliva, professional speaker, trainer, entrepreneur – @BertOliva @Bowaworld – www.bowaworld.com
    • Jessica Kizorek, video producer and award winning badass business woman – @JessicaKizorek – www.jessicakizorek.com
    • Jody Johnson, Business Coach – www.actioncoachteamsage.com
    • Joachim de Posada, motivational speaker and author of “Don’t Eat the Marshmallow, Yet!” – @JoachimDePosada – www.joachimdeposada.com
    • Watch Joachim de Posada’s insightful Ted Talk Here:

Thanks for reading, and Go out there and make some Money Honey!! Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter in the above column on the right. I promise I won’t send you a million emails. I hate it when people do it to me, so I won’t abuse it.

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Miss Ideas #21 – Decorate With Duct Tape (Part 2) | Decora con cinta para ductos (Parte 2)

Miss_Ideas_Decorate_with_duct_tape_part2_titlecardAnd here is Part 2 of our Duct Tape series on Yahoo’s Miss Ideas! This one is easy to do and can give any table a shocking makeover. Now I want to cover everything in duct tape! Click on the image above to view the video.  To view Part 1 of this series click HERE. Thanks for visiting my page!
To receive these posts directly in your inbox, click on the “Follow Zania.net” button on the right side of this page. 

Y aquí esta la segunda parte de la serie de decoración con cintas para ductos de Miss Ideas en Yahoo! Cuenta con una transformación increíble al cubrir una mesa con estas cintas. ¡Ahora me ha dado fiebre de cubrir todo con cintas! Házle click a la imagen de arriba para ver el video. Para ver la primera parte de esta serie házle click AQUI.   ¡Gracias por visitar mi página!
Para recibir estos posts directamente en tu inbox házle click al botón “Follow Zania.net” en la columna de la derecha. 

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Are YOU a Leader in Your Own Life?

On September 12-14 I had the pleasure of attending the Hispana Leadership Summit at the Disney Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando, Florida. This event promotes the importance of leadership in Hispanic women in all aspects of life. This event surfaced those conflicting and guilt driven conversations we have with ourselves. It brought to life the things we know and talk about but fail to put into action. Speakers, panelists and fellow attendees managed to share their wisdom and experience to help those women who need inspiration and motivation to get back on the horse.

Here are some quotes and thoughts from some of the speakers at the event that struck a chord with me:

“The pursuit of perfection prevents progress” – Luly Balepogi “Balance is Bull$h!t” www.LulyB.com @LulyBTweets

“Live life. Don’t let life live you.” -Bert Oliva “Body Talk” www.Bowaworld.net

“You are not your mind.” Cecilia Ramírez Harris, “The Power of Positive Thinking” Univision Networks “Nuestros Hijos”

“I’m dispatching trucks while tweeting to a fan who’s at Walgreens looking for deals. It’s all about the interaction with people and loving what you do” – Myrah Duque “Latina Blogger Success Stories” www.CouponMamacita.com

“Changes happen. Adapt and overcome” – Irene Zoppi “Courageous Leadership” Commissioner for the state of Maryland

You see, sometimes we lose ourselves in our work, in our families, in our relationships and in our thoughts. I’ve been there before and I bet you have too. We need to find a way to recognize those symptoms and then pull ourselves out and back in control of our life. The choices we make on a daily basis can get us there. Are you making yourself a priority? Are YOU a leader in your own Life? Are you happy?

Luly B. couldn’t have said it better, “Put your oxygen mask on first and then help the person next to you” Sounds simple, but can be so difficult to obtain.

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Feel good dancing during Bert Oliva’s talk
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Putting in my 2 cents during Luly B’s keynote

Take a moment to think and ask yourself; are you a leader in your own life?

Have a great day!

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Checking In on Week 19

What_Am_I_Doing_Instagram_zaniaEvery once in a while it’s good to check in with yourself to see if your goals are in alignment with your efforts at work and in your life. Nineteen weeks ago I left my corporate job to embark on a much needed journey in search for significance in my career and these weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions and challenges (not surprisingly) that have helped me shape the life I want. I knew the transition to freelance & self-employment was going to be difficult but I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve loved this period in my life. That leap of faith hasn’t failed on me yet.

So far, I’ve been able to do everything I set myself to do including some ups and downs. Below I highlight my personal milestones:

  • Getting a talent agency that will actually call me for auditions and boy have they hooked me up! Check!
  • Got booked for my first TV commercial last week. Check!
  • Set out to write a blog and I’ve loved it! Now I’m writing from the heart, learning more about blogging and growing an audience. Check & Working on it! (Thx to you)
  • Participated in another blogger’s blog. You can view my entry about turning 30 HERE. I was crying while writing that entry. So happy I could share it with you.
  • Miss Ideas is going strong on Yahoo! En Español in Latin America and the US Hispanic market. GOOD NEWS: Miss Ideas got renewed for 7 more episodes! YAY! Check!
  • Spending more time with my husband. Check!
  • Working on posting more about my music projects and songs. Pending!
  • Styling the stage for my very own music video! Details soon!
  • I completed my Interior Decorator certification. Check!
  • Started the planning stage of a very awesome project in Puerto Rico for women. Details soon! So excited!
  • New pics for myself to go with my new marketing strategy (like the one seen on this site) By the talented Gaby Sanchez. Check!
  • And so much more!

Writing these down makes me feel so happy and accomplished. Work never felt so good! Needless to say, I do get what I call ‘freak my freak’ moments here and there just like the picture on this post (I found this on a friend’s wall in her office and I thought it was fitting for my situation). I think it’s very important to tell you that my life is not glamourous. It might look like it, but my hubby and I have had to cut back on a lot of spending to adjust to our change in financial situation. (Shout out to my hubs for his unconditional support. Love ya’) There’s a difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ and we are seriously practicing this nowadays. However, life could not be simpler and more rewarding. Finally, I feel like I’m working with a purpose. Gotta love that.

Have you checked in with yourself lately? Tell me about it! I’d love to hear how you are doing and what makes you thrive! Leave a reply to this post and let’s get the conversation going!

Remember to sign up to receive my posts via email by clicking on the “Follow Zania.net” button on the top right of the page. Also, vote for your favorite Miss Ideas episode right HERE.

Thank you so much for reading!
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How do YOU Define Success?

Hello beautiful readers!
For some time now, I’ve been very intrigued by the Huffington Post’s Third Metric initiative to transform the definition of Success. Not so many years ago, success was defined as Money + Power = Success! After a recession that made us reflect our true needs for survival and truth, the definition of success has taken a turn and is not completely seen as the result of Money + Power anymore. We are slowly but steadily shifting the meaning of success. Would you agree? Take a look at the infographic below for example:

Credit: HuffingtonPost.com Third Metric Infographic
Credit: HuffingtonPost.com Third Metric Infographic

Isn’t it interesting? I bet you hear lots of people say that achieving happiness is their ultimate definition of success. However, don’t you think that attempting to reach happiness is somewhat unattainable if you can’t be happy NOW?! If you want happiness in life, then you have to live happy everyday. Look around you and notice the things that give you joy. That’s where you find happiness! I look around and see success in my loving husband, my cute apartment, my morning green tea, the nice breeze and the fact that I am alive. I believe I’m already successful but I must keep working at being successful, at being happy, to remain happy. Just remember, we can only use the present moment to change or improve our future. Now a question for you: How do YOU define success?

Attached are a few links that I found interesting:

Hope you enjoyed this post. I certainly love digging deep into these life conundrums.

Thanks for reading!
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