Laina Turner's Blog, page 35
June 22, 2016
Take Action! Be Awesome!
Today is the 3rd post in my 3 part business plan series. #1 was the goal, #2 the roadmap, and now for #3 – the actions.
Last week I asked you to think about, and then write down your roadmap. The path you are going to take to reach your goals.
Now for the REAL work to begin!
After you create a plan, you need to be ready to act on it. I could come up with plans all day long, but I tend to get bogged down by details and confused about how to begin when it comes to executing the plan. Which pretty much renders the whole thing pointless.
So how do you create a workable strategy from your business plan?
By identifying the actions, you need to take to follow your roadmap.
For example, if I want to make $10,000 this year as a blogger, my actions may include the following:
publishing posts 5 days a week
promoting via social media
interacting with other bloggers
My fiction goal of selling $10,000 in books might include:
writing 1,500 words a day
interacting in author Facebook groups
set up contests to promote my backlist
These aren’t complicated, but I can’t tell you how often I’ve gotten off track to these simple tasks and then wonder why my progress has slowed.
Personally, I’ve tried it both ways. I’ve crafted a plan and flown by the seat of my pants, and I can tell you with certainty that having a plan is the better way to go. On those days where you’re not motivated and want to give up, you can always pull out your plan and recommit to your vision.
I challenge you this week to write down a list of daily activities you need to accomplish to reach your goals.
Then DO them!
Turn your hobby into a sustainable business – buy here for $5 #hustle #beyourownboss
The post Take Action! Be Awesome! appeared first on Laina Turner.
June 20, 2016
TOTALLY TERRIFIC TUESDAY LINK PARTY NO. 89
Hey friends. It’s finally happening. The new cohosts are here and ready for their grand entrance. Please make sure you stop by the blogs and check out what they are all about. This is a great group of ladies and I cannot be more excited about this union. PS. Kaitlyn from Eightpepperberries created all of the new graphics..are they not stunning!?
Stop by and see what your hosts have been doing and give these ladies a warm welcome!
Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter
Facebook // Pinterest // Twitter // Instagram // Google+
Instagram // Pinterest // Facebook // Twitter
Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest
Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook // Google+
__________________________
This party has been growing and growing and it is getting harder and harder to pick features! I am so grateful for all of you talented folks for hanging out and linking up!! Have fun! Don’t forget to stop by the pinterest boards and take a moment to pin a few and help spread the holiday joy by supporting your fellow blogging buddies!
_____________________________
Party Rules
NOTICE: Please try not to link the same content two weeks in a row. If you didn’t do anything new last week, try linking up some older content. This helps you in the long run..if you linked up the same thing 2-3 weeks in a row people wont click on it a second time, so increase your chances of being picked for most clicked by linking up new content every week 
Maxi Dress Ultimate Comfort OOTD
Last week I blogged about the comfort of a maxi skirt. The only thing better is a maxi dress.
Why?
Because it’s one piece and you don’t have to match anything.
It’s also very flattering on all figure types and can be dressed up or down depending on the event. I wore this one to another graduation but I’d also be comfortable wearing it to a softball game or out to dinner. It just takes a change of accessories.
I paired it up for the open house with one of my favorite pieces of costume jewelry.
I love this ring and I don’t even like yellow.
These photos were taken in a park by my house and Matt captured the absolute cutest pick of baby ducklings.
Shop some of my favorites
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June 17, 2016
Wine is a Lifestyle (and other great sayings) T-shirt launch!
Whoo-hoo!!! Not only is it my birthday (YAY) but it’s the official launch of the #WHATSYOURLIFESTYLE tee’s and mugs (and if these go well other awesome merchandise).
I am so excited! You can read about how I got this crazy idea here.
Through the end of the month, I’d like to offer all you fabulous readers a 10% off discount using coupon code junesale. Or sign up for my mailing list here and get 20% off.
Currently, the store is carrying 3 styles of tee’s. All 3 are by Bella/Canvas which is one of my absolute favorites. Their tee’s are super soft and comfy and hold their shape well even after several washings. The only drawback is they run small. Small, small. I went up a couple sizes and would recommend you do the same.
The only drawback is they run small.
Small, small.
I went up a couple sizes and would recommend you do the same.
Make sure to get yours today. The discount only lasts until the end of the month!
Coupon code friends.
The post Wine is a Lifestyle (and other great sayings) T-shirt launch! appeared first on Laina Turner.
June 16, 2016
Weekend Traffic Jam Link up
Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by the Traffic Jam Weekend Linky Party.
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there!
We are happy to have you with us this week. Please spread #trafficjamweekend love on social media. Come on in, link up, share, and learn something!
WELCOME TO
TRAFFIC JAM WEEKEND
LINKY PARTY #49!
For any newcomers to Traffic Jam Weekend, this weekly linky party is all about linking up your old posts so you can get some new comments and traffic. To the frequent TJW visitors, thanks for always linking up.
The lovely ladies bringing this fabulous party to you:
Pictured above on top row (from left to right):
Kimberly from Being A Wordsmith | Facebook (site) | Facebook (book series) | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Laina from LainaTurner.com | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Pictured above on bottom row (from left to right):
Gail from Frugal and Coupon Crazy | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Natasha from Epic Mommy Adventures | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
These are the featured posts from
Traffic Jam Weekend #48…
Laina chose Canned Heat (Jamiroquai) from Gypsy Road. “The basics of canning – this reminds me of growing up at my grandmother’s while she canned.”
Gail also chose this post. “Canning vegetables or fruit is a great way to save money. I wish I had the time or patience.”
Natasha also chose a post from Gypsy Road, Trapped in a Box (No Doubt). “I am a huge fan of subscription boxes for kids – children can enjoy them, and parents get to experience the delight of their children trying new things. This is an amazing list, and many that I didn’t even know about! Thanks for sharing!”
Kimberly chose Baby-Showers…Modern Day Trends from Grandma Honey’s House. “I am a sucker for a themed party, particularly in this post-Pinterest world. Love these baby shower ideas!”
The post with the most views was Is Honesty the Best Policy? from Marriage-Reset.
Thank you guys for sharing! Your posts have been pinned to the Traffic Jam Weekend Linky Party Pinterest board. Please grab a special Traffic Jam Weekend featured button below to display on your blog.
Just a few rules for the party…
Grab a Traffic Jam Weekend button below for your site
Link up as many of your old posts as you like below
Take some time and visit the other posts
Create some traffic jam for the hosts of this party
Share this party on social media with the hashtag #trafficjamweekend
Follow Being A Wordsmith’s board Traffic Jam Weekend Linky Party on Pinterest.*Disclaimer: Adding your link to this linky party gives permission to Being A Wordsmith and co-hosts to share your posts and pictures via social media with a link back to the original source. It also gives Being A Wordsmith and co-hosts permission to contact you via e-mail or social media for networking purposes.
An InLinkz Link-up
The post Weekend Traffic Jam Link up appeared first on Laina Turner.
June 15, 2016
Maxi Skirt – Versatility OOTD
Maxi skirts are about the closest thing you can get to yoga pants but aren’t yoga pants and are a much more acceptable outfit for backyard barbeques and graduation parties.
They are far from yoga pants. Now don’t get me wrong I love my yoga pants (too much), but they tend to show every flaw.
And as someone in my 40’s, there are many of those.
Maxi skirts are figure flattering, comfortable, and easy to take care of from a washing perspective. Again another great thing about yoga pants.
The wash and go aspect.
T-shirts are anther main staple of summer and the two go together amazingly well. I’ve been trying to keep my outfits simple, so I have less clutter in my closet, and spicing them up with accessories. I love this color.
Ok, yes, now my accessories are a bit out of control but they take up less space. I can justify anything.
The black across the body purse is quickly becoming my staple for summer. I can’t cram as much in there but much to my surprise I don’t need everything I normally stuff into my oversized purse and it’s much more freeing.
I’ve worn this outfit with and without the belt. The belt elevates the fancy aspect up a notch but I’ll be honest, when it’s hot, I don’t like it as much. Just not as comfortable.
Have a fabulous day!
You can shop my favorites below!
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The post Maxi Skirt – Versatility OOTD appeared first on Laina Turner.
June 14, 2016
TOTALLY TERRIFIC TUESDAY LINK PARTY NO. 88
Hey friends. It’s finally happening. The new cohosts are here and ready for their grand entrance. Please make sure you stop by the blogs and check out what they are all about. This is a great group of ladies and I cannot be more excited about this union. PS. Kaitlyn from Eightpepperberries created all of the new graphics..are they not stunning!?
Stop by and see what your hosts have been doing and give these ladies a warm welcome!
Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter
Facebook // Pinterest // Twitter // Instagram // Google+
Instagram // Pinterest // Facebook // Twitter
Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest
Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook // Google+
__________________________
This party has been growing and growing and it is getting harder and harder to pick features! I am so grateful for all of you talented folks for hanging out and linking up!! Have fun! Don’t forget to stop by the pinterest boards and take a moment to pin a few and help spread the holiday joy by supporting your fellow blogging buddies!
_____________________________
Party Rules
NOTICE: Please try not to link the same content two weeks in a row. If you didn’t do anything new last week, try linking up some older content. This helps you in the long run..if you linked up the same thing 2-3 weeks in a row people wont click on it a second time, so increase your chances of being picked for most clicked by linking up new content every week
Roadmap To Success
Last week, in the first post of the business planning series, I asked you to write down your goals. Now it’s time to start putting them into a plan because goals without actions aren’t going to get you anywhere.
Think of your business plan is a road map or GPS. A path to follow to get somewhere complete with construction, re-routing, and often HUGE obstacles.
Being an entrepreneur isn’t a linear path and it is easy to get off track you’re your core purpose. Personally, I’ve found it at times to be a life vest. When I’m paralyzed with fear or frustration that maybe what I’m doing isn’t going to work, my plan helps me to put one foot in front of another so I can keep working toward the goal until my mojo comes back.
We all have those bad days, and when you lose ground because of them it makes you feel worse, and that can be a slippery slope. Your plan should be simple. You don’t want to spend so much time writing, re-writing, and tweaking your business plan that you never get around to implementing it and don’t get so married to your business plan that you refuse to alter it.
Even if it’s obviously not working. I know that behavior might sound crazy, but I’ve seen it happen time and time again.
The plan doesn’t need to be perfect, and it’s not set in stone. It’s a working document, one that will give you guidance and direction, but will also need to be adjusted from time to time.
Some common elements to include in your plan are as follows:
Vision – your global goal.
Mission – how you will attain that goal.
Target market – Who is your audience and what do they want?
Products and Services – Are you just going to have eBooks or will you add paperbacks and audio books? You might even think about other products to complement your books. Coffee mugs, t-shirts, swag type things.
Market and Marketing Strategy – Do you have a strategy for getting the word out there? How will you market? What is your budget? What is the best way to reach your audience?
Financial Plan – How much will all this cost? The great ideas, the implementation, marketing, fancy business cards. What’s your expected return? When will you break even and when will you be profitable? If you don’t have any money to invest, that’s OK. Most of us don’t. There are many free tools out there and bootstrapping, building a company with personal finances and revenues from new business – not outside money – is all the rage these days.
While that list might seem overwhelming, it’s not if you break it down in pieces and don’t over-think it. That would be my key advice. Don’t overthink it.
If you’re a blogger, it would be easy to put off writing a business plan until you feel your blog is gaining traction. If you’re an author, you might be thinking you haven’t finished your first book yet. Or you only have a couple of books out, and it’s not yet a business. I have news for you. Yes, it is. You want things moving in the right direction from day one so do it now.
Create that solid foundation before you build your empire, and things will be smoother sailing. It will also help your mindset if you treat what you do as a business and not as “this thing I do.”
You ARE a BUSINESSWOMAN!
Your goal this week is to take those awesome goals from last week and start to write down your framework on how to get there.
It’s the HOW.
HOW are you going to reach those goals?
If my goal is to make $10,000 this year from blogging HOW am I going to do that? How does my vision connect with that goal? What is my target market? I need to know in order to decide what actions are going to get me to connect with that audience and therefore earn money through a revenue stream.
If my goal is to make $10,000 this year from my fictions books it’s the same process. How does my vision connect and keep me inspired and engaged? Who am I trying to connect with as readers? What do they want?
Download this worksheet and get started. Hop on over to the Facebook group if you need help or send me an email.
If you’re ready to start on your business plan you can get my full ebook and companion workbook for $5. But hurry. It won’t stay this low forever.
The post Roadmap To Success appeared first on Laina Turner.
June 13, 2016
What’s YOUR Lifestyle T-shirt pre-launch
#WHATSYOURLIFESTYLE – sign up here for 20% off all merchandise starting Friday!
I am so excited! More excited than I’ve been about a product launch since, well my last product launch. But that was a few months ago. Totally old news at this point.
You may have seen a test post on the Blogging is a Lifestyle tee a month or so ago. I was dipping my toes in the fashion industry, trying to decide if it was a good or a stupid idea to try and sell T-shirts.
You see I’ve wanted to do this since September of 2014 when sitting in my hotel in Philadelphia (love that city) after the end of a blogging conference and I realized how much I LOVED being creative.
I said to Matt, “This is the lifestyle I want. Blogging is a Lifestyle; Writing is a Lifestyle. This is my life.”
He said I should put it on a t-shirt.
That night we came up with about 50 different “lifestyle” sayings that were pure genius in my opinion. Though that thought may have come after a few glasses of wine nevertheless I stand behind it.
I bought all the URLs (not sure why, it’s just what I do. I think I’m up to over a hundred at this point – I seriously have an issue) and was going to start my t-shirt empire on Monday.
And now you’re doing the math, and even a math idiot like me can figure out there’ve been a hell of a lot of Mondays between September 2014 and today.
88 Mondays to be exact.
Ok, not like exact, exact. More like an exact estimate.
What’s been holding me back?
Time. Or if I was being honest, fear. Fear that the idea wasn’t nearly as brilliant as I thought it was and I would waste time, energy, and money on a flop. But as I wrote in my post about not being paralyzed who cares. I’m not attempting brain surgery. I’m just trying to sell a couple shirts here folks and what’s the worst that can happen.
So now 88 (give or take) Mondays later and I’m announcing the pre-launch of my fabulously fun t-shirt line.
On Friday, there will be 7 Lifestyle phrases available to purchase on t-shirts and mugs! Sign up here for your 20% discount.
Being Fabulous is a Skill
Crazy is an Art Form
Writing is a Lifestyle
Wine is a Lifestyle
Not a One Trick Pony
Until then you can help spread the word and be entered to win a free T or mug of your choice. I will be picking 10 winners (5 t-shirts and 5 mugs) on Friday (which is my birthday- yeah!).
You can also help pick which will be the next lifestyle phrase to be released on July 6th.
Sign up here for your 20% discount. The coupon code will be mailed out Friday!
The post What’s YOUR Lifestyle T-shirt pre-launch appeared first on Laina Turner.
June 10, 2016
Fab 5 Friday
Tanesha Awasthi – Ultimate Classic
Some great pictures here to provide some extra inspiration when you’re shopping for that new, summer dress! The detailing and pattern of the featured, checkered shirtdress speak for themselves so the styling stays simple and sleek.
Green Wedding Shoes – Our Favorite Metallic Heels
It’s wedding season! The shoes presented in this collection will do whether you’re a guest or the bride herself – or if you’re not even going to a wedding! Adding metallics to an outfit is a great way to dress up an outfit without fussing with tons of jewlery.
Katie’s Book Blog – One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Review
Beach read anyone? If you’re looking for a new romance, I think I found one. This novel builds off the classic dilemma of a love triangle with a contemporary twist. Taylor Jenkins Reid receives some major props in this review!
Zanita Studio – 5 Things I Learned From Arianna Huffington
This post includes both book recommendations and a shout-out to some seriously successful women! Here are some reminders to help you stay sane and focused during the workweek – especially now that the kids are out of school!
Atlantic-Pacific – FLOWER // POWER
‘Tis the season for flower-themed clothing! Blair Eadie presents a new take on summer florals that’s full of sophistication with just that hint of flirtation. The styling takes her outfits to the next level and the photographs serve to inspire!
What fabulous things did you see this week?
The post Fab 5 Friday appeared first on Laina Turner.
