Ruth Soukup's Blog, page 7

10 Great Ways to Style a White T-Shirt (That You’d Actually Dare to Try)

Looking for ways to dress up a staple in your closet? Here are 9 ways to dress up a white t-shirt for almost any occasion.

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How to Leave the 9-5 Behind For Good (Think It’s Impossible? Think Again!)

What if you could leave the 9 to 5 behind, become your own boss, and start your own business? Don’t miss these 6 steps for turning your passion into profit!

Between the list of hurried morning to-dos and the daily commute, are you stressed out before you even get to the office? For working moms, the struggle is REAL! But we’ve all got to pay our bills, right? But…what if there were another option? What if you could leave the 9 to 5 behind, become your own boss, and start your own business? If you’ve ever dreamed that it might be possible, don’t miss these 6 steps for turning your passion into profit!

Imagine with me, for a minute, this scenario:

The alarm goes off. You jump out of bed and realize you’re already late. You rush to throw on professional(ish) clothes, pull your hair back and throw on a little makeup. Your husband rushes to get through his morning routine and out the door. You grab a granola bar and a frozen entrée and sling them in your bag.

You wake your still-sleeping toddler, change their pull-up and give them a granola bar and sippy cup of milk. Pile your pajama-clad kiddo in the car seat and rush them to daycare. Kiss them goodbye and try not to feel sad as you drive off. Then you battle traffic for 45 minutes as you mentally go through the list of everything you forgot to do as you left the house.

All this stress, before you even get into the office!

And the thing is…..for so many of us, this is our day-to-day reality. Believe me, the struggle is REAL.

Even so, we’ve all got to pay our bills, even if that sometimes means a job we don’t love.

Right?

But what if there was another option?

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It’s not as crazy as you might think.

In fact, thousands of women just like you do it every single day.

I’ve shared my own story of starting this blog as a mom of two toddlers, and how over the past 9 years, it has grown from a part-time hobby to a a full-time 7-figure business.  

But the thing is–my story is not all that unique. Every day there are women out there doing the very same thing–taking advantage of all the opportunities that the online world has to offer in order to leave the 9-5 behind for good.

I know this for a fact, because five years ago, I founded Elite Blog Academy® to share what I’ve learned about creating a successful, profitable blogging business with other online business owners (or those who aspired to be.)  And the success I’ve seen them achieve over the past five years is nothing short of staggering.

But what I’ve noticed is that there are a few steps nearly all of them have taken along the way, so I invited a few of them to share their stories and tips as well. Keep reading to be inspired, then be sure to download our free Small Business Roadmap, which will show you exactly what steps you’ll need to take if you are considering starting your own business, as well as what kind of investments you’ll need to make along the way.

How to Leave the 9-5 Behind For Good

In the meantime, here are the six things you’ll need to start thinking about right away:

1. Discover Your Passion

What do you LOVE to do? I mean, what really makes your heart sing? Is it spending time with your kids? Helping others? Perhaps it’s cooking healthy meals, working out, crafting or photography? The thing you LOVE to do, won’t feel like work, even if it earns you a paycheck. This is the place to begin.

Pick what you love and brainstorm ways to earn money doing it. Of course, I’m partial to blogging, but there are other jobs related to each area of interest as well. For example, if you love kids, maybe running an in-home daycare would help you earn money and feel fulfilled. If you’re a hobby photographer, perhaps growing your photography business is the way to earn money.

The best way to think about it is, “What do I love? How can I use my passion to solve someone else’s problem?” You see, if you love working on your family’s personal finance, chances are there’s someone out there who desperately wants help with her family’s budget. How will you connect with her and help her with her dilemma? The answer is the focus for your business. She is your target market.

“In March 2017 I was earning about $300 from my blog. Now, here I am in November, earning about $3500 per month! The content of Elite Blog Academy® was phenomenal in creating a specific targeted approach to my content and has given me a tremendous push for what my readers want to read each week! While working fulltime, I completed every assignment and it took 8 months of hard work. But the result was amazing. Loved it!”
Brittany Wise
Our Home Made Easy

2. Assess Your Financial Situation

If you’re desperate to leave the 9-5 behind, you must get a handle on your budget. This doesn’t mean you need a fortune to start a blog or another business. In fact, it costs almost nothing to set up and begin. You will however, need a strong handle on your family’s financial picture.

You will need to know exactly what you need to earn to live and pay your bills. You’ll need to know how much money you need to earn before you’re solvent enough to leave your regular job. Understanding your financial picture and plan will help you make wise choices and keep a target in mind.

This is also the time to enlist support from your spouse (even if they’re a little skeptical), friends and family. Let them know of your plans and embrace the encouragement. You may need to take up a few playdate offers and networking assistance, especially as you’re getting started.

3. Invest in Yourself

When you have an idea of what you want to do, learn as much as possible about the field. When I began blogging, I read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on. At the time, there wasn’t much out there, so I decided to share what I was learning in my book, “How to Blog for Profit.” The response was incredible. There were many bloggers out there like me, who were learning the ropes as they went along.

Through conversations with these bloggers, business experts and my own experience, I realized there was a huge need for a comprehensive blogging course. It became a passion project for me. Now, in our 5th year, I’m proud to say Elite Blog Academy® has helped nearly 10,000 bloggers in 60 countries worldwide find success online. Here are a few:

“I started blogging in late February of 2016 when EBA® was open for enrollment. I had no idea what I was doing but this blogging thing seemed like something I wanted to try. So, I bought EBA® and started my blog the same day. I made as much money in one month of 2017 as I did the entire year of 2016 from my part-time desk job. My biggest win is that for the first time in my life I am making an income doing something that I love to do. I have never created something myself that I was proud of before and it feels amazing.”
Carly Campbell
Mommy on Purpose

“Before EBA® I was working 50+ hour weeks, spinning my wheels and getting nowhere. I was THRILLED if I got more than 100 daily pageviews and my highest earning month was $.17 from Adsense. I was burned out beyond belief and ready to quit. And then EBA® came into my life and within 2 months of starting EBA®, I went from 3,000 monthly pageviews to more than 60,000 and then the next month I had 161,000 pageviews! Less than 9 months after starting EBA® I was making a full-time income, and then 14 months after starting, I made $9,665 in a month from my blog.”
Caroline Vencil

Investing in yourself and the right training for your business is the single most important step toward success.

4. Own Your Schedule

When you take on a project, whether it’s blogging or another business, you must take full control of your schedule. You see, friends, time isn’t always on our side. We only have a limited amount each day—we’re all given the same 24 hours. If we spin our wheels and lack focus we may never see our efforts pay off.

If you’re building a home business, while working, “momming” and running a household, the amount of overwhelm is ridiculous. You need your steps clearly laid out in front of you. You may want to experiment with block scheduling or another productivity method to really help you manage each and every minute.

Keep your process and workflow organized. Take each step carefully and focus on each part of the process. Don’t rush yourself or hurry along. It may seem like your goals are far off and you’re desperate to get there, but taking shortcuts will only lead you to big cleanups and issues down the road.

“Joining EBA® is the smartest decision I have made for my business. After initially starting my blog, I was lost. I really didn’t know what I was doing, and it showed in my writing, images, and lack of focus. Then I came across EBA®. I couldn’t wait for the doors to open and the second they did, I was in! Having the steps laid out for me, as they are in EBA®, was just what I needed. It provided all the right strategies to grow a successful business and with consistent effort, I have seen my income grow month by month. EBA® has been worth every penny, helping me make back over 10X my investment, with even more to come. It has truly been a life-changer! ”
Treasure Provost
 

5. Network with Role Models

One of the biggest advantages of blogging and working with bloggers is you’re given a close-knit group of role models. I’ve learned so much from the people I’ve been privileged to work with both through Living Well Spending Less, Elite Blog Academy, and the Do It Scared Podcast. And every time I meet someone, I learn something. I always ask, what can they teach me?

If you want to successfully leave behind your 9-5, connect with everyone you can. Find other work-at-home accomplished moms. Talk to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Connect with local businesses, news and media.

Your network is a powerful tool to lead you through many doors of opportunity. Avoid burning bridges whenever possible. You never know when a previous employer, an old friend or a business connection will reach out and need your services. Keep your network strong.

6. Be Flexible

The number one quality you need to run a small business is flexibility. If you want to work from home and earn money doing a non-traditional job (whether it’s blogging, direct marketing or consulting), you need to embrace flexibility.

That means if something isn’t working, don’t feel afraid to change it. I’ve known bloggers who have rerouted their entire course and business model after going through EBA®. It’s always scary at first, but once they’re on the right path, they almost always accomplish more.

You’ll need to be flexible with your schedule, with balancing time with your family, with discovering pockets of time to work, eat and even sleep. Learn to accept change and roll with the punches. In the end you’ll come out even stronger.

“I started successful blogging in January of 2016. I say successfully because this wasn’t my first time attempting a blog. I had tried a few years before, but I really had no idea what I was doing so it never went anywhere. One day I was only and stumbled across EBA®. As soon as I read the description I knew this was exactly what I was looking for. As I went along EBA® I realized my current blog was not a good fit for me and my brand. I made a huge change in August. A new name, a new theme, and a more focused niche. This was a huge hurdle and one I could not have done without EBA®. From there my numbers began to grow. In January 2017 I was able to quite my part-time job and then just a few months later I closed my in-home hair salon of 13 years and became a full-time blogger. How fun is my life now?!”
Tracy Lynn
Simple Living Country Gal

If you are truly serious about leaving behind the 9-5, I promise it’s possible. Owning an online business has opened so many doors for me I never imagined possible. It’s changed my life and allowed me to do something I LOVE every single day. And if you are ready to do the same, I encourage you to download our free Small Business Roadmap, and to join our EBA waiting list. It will show you exactly what steps you need to take to kick the 9-5 and start living the life of your dreams!

P.S. DISCOVER THE POWERFUL SECRETS THAT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BLOGGERS ARE USING TO FAILPROOF THEIR ONLINE BUSINESSES HERE.

To recap, here are ways on How to Leave the 9-5 Behind For Good

1. Discover Your Passion
2. Assess Your Financial Situation
3. Invest in Yourself
4. Own Your Schedule
6. Be Flexible

PIN FOR LATER

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How To Energize Your Life This Fall

Feel like you need to reenergize this fall? We have a bunch of suggestions, ideas, and tips to help you recharge your rooms, menu, budget, and routine. Happy September! Here at LWSL & Company we can’t help but get excited about the idea that fall is right around the corner. To us, September means cooler […]

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14 Ways to Recharge Your Internal Batteries

Feel like you are running on empty? Taking a mental break to rest and recharge is one of the most important things we can do for our health and our sanity. Luckily "getting away" is easier and less expensive than you might think! Keep this list handy for the next time you need to recharge your internal batteries--your well being might just depend on it!

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Do You Need a Life or Business Coach? 6 Signs You’re Ready (+ 3 You’re Not)

Do you need a life or business coach? Don’t miss these 6 signs you’re ready for a coach (along with the 3 signs you’re not there quite yet!)

Accountability.

Whatever it is that you’re looking to accomplish in your life, whether it is a personal goal like losing weight, a financial goal like becoming debt-free, or a professional goal, like securing your dream job or even starting a business of your own, there’s almost nothing on earth that will get you closer to where you want to be than accountability.

According to the American Society of Training & Development (ASTD), you have a 65% chance of completing a goal if you commit to someone, and if you set up regular check-ins with a person to whom you’ve committed, you’ll increase your chance of success by up to 95%.

Accountability is not just a nice thing to have, it’s almost essential.

And yet, so often, we think we should be able to do it all on our own. We think the fact that we get discouraged or distracted or derailed altogether, we think that somehow makes us weak or incapable of change. And then we start to wonder if those big goals we’ve been dreaming about are maybe just too big.

We forget that it’s completely normal to get off track, and that everyone gets discouraged and frustrated sometimes, especially when they’re trying to accomplish big things. That’s just the nature of being human.

So what’s the solution? And how do you actually find the sort of accountability that is going to help you stay on track and actually make massive progress towards accomplishing your goals?

One really smart way is to hire a life or a business coach, someone you pay to provide the accountability, guidance, advice, and tough love you’re looking for. This can happen in either a group setting, or on more of an individual, one-to-one level.

But like anything else in life, what you get out of coaching is going to depend on what you’re willing to put into it, and how committed you are to doing the work. Thus, before you decide to jump in, you should first take the time to assess whether you are actually ready for coaching.

Do You Need a Life or Business Coach? 6 Signs You’re Ready (+ 3 You’re Not)

SIX SIGNS YOU’RE READY FOR COACHING1. You need clarity on what you actually want.

Maybe you’re in a period of transition—your kids have gotten older and less dependent on you, or maybe even left the nest altogether. Maybe you feel like you’ve spent so much time taking care of everyone else around you for so many years that now you’re not quite sure exactly who you are, or what you really want.

Those are big questions, ones that can be difficult to navigate all on your own, especially when the day-to-day grind of life keeps sucking you in

Part of what a business coach or coaching program will do for you is guide you through a process of getting clarity. You’ll learn how to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, and start giving yourself permission to dream a little bigger.

2. You have goals but you aren’t sure how to reach them

Maybe your problem isn’t a lack of clarity, but a lack of execution. You can see where you’d like to go, but you’ve got no idea how to connect the dots between where you are right now and that end result, and you feel frustrated by your lack of ability to move the needle and actually make it happen.

This is a very common struggle! People tend to fit into one of two camps—you’re either good at focusing on the things that are right in front of you and you have trouble with big goals (about 75% of the population), or you tend to be more visionary, but you have trouble figuring out what the next step should be. (25% of the population

Either way, you’ll probably need help breaking down your big goal into a concrete plan of action, one that translates to everyday action, and that is exactly what the right business coach or coaching program can do for you. It will not only make your goals seem manageable and actionable, but relevant to what you’re doing right now—today—to get one step closer.

3. You struggle with self-discipline

You’ve heard all the things you’re supposed to do, the daily habits you’re supposed to stick to, and you know all the “right” actions to take. And yet, you’re having trouble actually sticking to them on a regular basis. For whatever reason, you just can’t seem to get it done. You might even wonder if you lack the self-discipline gene that is so essential to actually doing hard things.

You’re not alone. So often we think about self-discipline as one of those “you either have it or you don’t” qualities, but that’s not actually true. And part of mastering self-discipline is understanding your own brain and the way you work, and setting up systems that will work with you, not against you

A good coach and coaching program will help you do just that. It’s designed to help you discover your own strengths and weaknesses, to help you figure out how and when you work best—as well as what type of things tend to trip you up—so that you can actually have the discipline to make real progress.

4. You’re feeling stuck, unhappy, or unmotivated

The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again, yet expecting different results, and you feel like that’s exactly where you are right now—stuck in an insanity loop of unhappiness, doing the same things over and over again, yet wishing something was different. You want to love your life, you want to be happy again, and excited to jump out of bed in the morning. But right now, you’re just not

Friend, it’s time to do something different! If nothing else, investing in a business coach or coaching program will force you to start thinking differently, and then to start doing things differently. It will be a jolt to your system that you probably need desperately right now.

5. Your progress has plateaued, and you don’t know why

Perhaps you started out strong. Whatever goal you were going for, whether you were working towards a personal goal or starting your own business, you felt for a while like you were making real progress. You were excited and energized and you really believed that you could make things happen.

But now you’ve hit the messy middle and things suddenly feel a whole lot harder. You’ve had some setbacks. You feel frustrated. You wonder if you’re doing something wrong. You feel like an impostor, like everyone else knows what they’re doing, and you’re just making it up as you go along. You wish you had a mentor to guide you.

This might actually be the point where a life or business coach or coaching program can help you the MOST. The outside perspective you’ll get from someone who is more experienced and who has actually been there, right in that place that you are, and who knows how to break through that plateau is completely priceless. In fact, it’s worth its weight in gold.

6. You’re craving deeper, more meaningful relationships

A recent study by Evite found that the average American adult has not made a new friend in more than five years. And yet, nearly half the respondents in the same study—45%–revealed they would go out of their way to make new friends if they knew how or had more opportunities.

As adults, making new friends—especially growth-oriented friends who will support us in our goals and push us to be better—isn’t all that easy. We tend to get stuck in the circles that we’ve always associated with, which can make change feel even harder.

A good coaching program—especially one that is centered around an actual community—can help to fill that gap. It’s an opportunity to not only get accountability and guidance from the group leader but to forge new and meaningful relationships with other growth-minded individuals who are going after similar goals.

If one or more of these signs feels similar to where you are at right now, then you should strongly consider finding a coach or coaching program to start providing the accountability you know that you need to get to where you want to go.

However, just to be sure, make sure the following signs that you might NOT be ready don’t apply to where you’re at right now.

3 SIGNS YOU’RE NOT READY YET1. You want someone to fix your problems for you

You expect a business coach or coaching program to change your life, just by signing up. You don’t really want to have to do any of the work yourself, and you certainly don’t want it to feel hard or painful. You’re hoping for an instant fix.

Hopefully, this goes without saying, but that’s not how coaching works. When you’re hiring a coach, you’re not hiring an employee or servant to fix all your problems, you hiring someone to show you how to fix them yourself. You will have to do the work. And sometimes it will feel hard or painful, but a good coach will be there to cheer you on and keep you motivated. You won’t get an instant fix, but you will get a lasting one.

2. You hate change

You’re actually pretty content with the status quo. You like things just the way they are, and don’t really see the need to do anything differently. In fact, you don’t want things to be different. This is where you are right now, and this is where you want to stay.

It will be hard to benefit from any sort of coaching if you’re feeling completely resistant to change. And truthfully, if you are completely happy with where your life is right now, and with where you’re at right now, then the benefits of coaching might be minimal.

3. You’re not willing to invest in yourself

You like the idea of having a business coach and accountability, but you’re not that excited about the idea of paying for it. Is it really a worthwhile investment? Can’t you get the same thing for free by joining a Facebook group or listening to podcasts?

Actually, no.

There’s something powerful that happens when you’re willing to actually invest in yourself and your dreams. It’s like a switch happens in your brain, and suddenly you are committed to taking yourself seriously. And that is SUCH an important piece of actually creating the success you want in your life. Not only that, a formalized coaching program is designed to help you make real progress in a systematic way. It includes back-and-forth, give-and-take. And a quality business coach or coaching program will also bring the benefit of real experience, which is worth paying for.

The good news is that there are options for paid coaching at a variety of price points, ranging from monthly memberships in group coaching programs that start at around $30-40 a month to intimate high-level masterminds that require a serious investment of both time and money.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

The next step, once you’ve determined you’re ready for coaching, is to actually find the right coach.

For that, I recommend, first of all, looking for someone whose teaching style works well with the way you learn. Listen to podcasts, read books or blog posts, or watch videos to make sure that the way they teach and explain things actually makes sense to you.

Second, make sure that the person you want to learn from is actually achieving the results that you want to achieve in their own life or business. The sad truth is that a lot of people decide to go into “coaching” because they haven’t been able to create results. Be wary of anyone who talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk.

Finally, look at your budget and determine what type of coaching program will be the best fit for both your budget and your personality. Do you like the community aspect of a group coaching program, or do you want something more intimate and personalized, like a small mastermind, or even 1:1 help? Keep in mind that group programs will always be more affordable but less individualized, while smaller programs will be a bigger investment but often result in faster and more dramatic results.

To recap, here are SIX SIGNS YOU’RE READY FOR COACHING

1. You need clarity on what you actually want.
2. You have goals but you aren’t sure how to reach them
3. You struggle with self-discipline
4. You’re feeling stuck, unhappy, or unmotivated
5. Your progress has plateaued, and you don’t know why
6. You’re craving deeper, more meaningful relationships

… and 3 SIGNS YOU’RE NOT READY YET

1. You want someone to fix your problems for you
2. You hate change
3. You’re not willing to invest in yourself

PIN FOR LATER:

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The Smart Way to Finally Tame Your Laundry Pile (Once and for All!)

Ever feel like laundry is taking over your life? While there is no magic wand that can make the mountain disappear, there are a few tricks that can help lighten the load! Don't miss these 10 smart ways to tame that laundry pile and take back your sanity!

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Easy Lasagna Soup

Looking for a hearty meal that the whole family will love? This Lasagna Soup recipe tastes great, uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients, and can be made in an hour or less! Did we mention it's a perfect recipe for the Instant Pot, too?

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How to Break Down Your Big Goals into a Plan That Works

Need help accomplishing your big goals? These tips will help you create a plan that works to help you reach your upmost potential and find success!

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25 Smart Ways to Save at Whole Foods

Love Whole Foods, but hate spending your whole paycheck? Believe it or not, you CAN shop at Whole Foods on a budget! Don't miss these 25 super smart ways to save at Whole Foods, starting right now! We share EVERY Whole Foods savings hack you need to know!

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Insta-Sauce (The Only Applesauce Recipe You’ll Ever Need!)

Craving a festive treat this fall? This Instant Pot applesauce recipe takes only 2 ingredients and tastes exactly like a slice of delicious apple pie!

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