Q&A Inspiration with... Jenny Blake of Life After College

I can still remember the girl in the year above me at school that I looked up to -  "a good all-rounder" I think the teachers called her, and confident and popular to boot.  A role model.  Fast forward twenty years and Jenny Blake is one of my grown-up equivalents.  With proven success in the corporate world at Google, Jenny took a courageous leap onto her own path to, in her words, "live big" and LifeAfterCollege.org is the result.  Speaker, author, coach and yoga teacher - Jenny tells a little more below...


Tell me a little about you/your blog/your mission!


I blog at LifeAfterCollege.org to help others "Wake up, Live Big and Love the Journey" through a mix of my own personal experiences and practical tools and templates. I recently made one of the hardest decisions of my life - I quit my job at Google after five and a half years to build my own business as an author, speaker and life coach. I was terrified that I'd end up in a van down by the river, but I'm thankful to say that so far, 5 months in, I've broken even. Finally, I love dogs, dancing, music, travel, and cupcakes :) 


What is your vision of your best life? 


In my best life I'm waking up every day, going for a run, reading with a nice, warm cup of coffee, taking and/or teaching yoga class, reading more, and doing meaningful work (not busy work, and not stressing over the small stuff). I feel like I'm closer to that vision now more than ever, so I'm really trying to focus on enjoying and expanding every moment, and remembering to express my gratitude for my life. 

Can you tell us about some of the challenges/obstacles/fears you've faced and how you've tackled them?


My biggest obstacles are usually internal, I can be my own worst enemy. For a while it was the thought that I'm not smart/pretty/original enough, then when I would succeed, I'd have fears that it was all going to come crashing down at any moment. I'm a highly sensitive person prone to over-thinking and anxiety, so that's why exercise and yoga are so important for keeping me balanced. 

Have you ever thought you had everything planned, only for life to show you an alternative?


Absolutely! I thought I had landed my dream job when I was working at Google. I bought an apartment, bought a car, and was working in Career Development. And yet, something was missing from my life. I started to feel over-worked and unhappy. Little did I know that those feelings were planting the seeds for me to soon quit my job, rent out my house, and move across the country from San Francisco to New York to pursue the roller-coaster of self-employment. I left the corporate ladder and the "American Dream" I had created behind in order to live a life of freedom and spontaneity. 


Has there been a 'defining moment' that has changed your life/your view of life?  What has been the nudge in the right direction for you?


I had a terrible case of "book block" and even though I had a first draft of my book written in 2008, I couldn't bear to look at it or see it to completion...for SIX months. I felt horrible - like I was watching my dream die on the vine. Then I decided to "act as if" and attend a local Speaker's Association meeting. While there, I met Michael Larsen, the author of the book How to Write a Book Proposal, and he gave me his copy. I realized it was time to get back on the horse and at least TRY to pitch my book idea to literary agents and publishers. That set me on the course I'm on today, where my book eventually was published by Running Press (after 27 rejections from other publishers) in March of this year. I learned that when something is meant to be, spontaneity and opportunity WILL work in your favor, but only if you meet it halfway with your own conscious effort. 

If you were to look back and offer advice to yourself, what 3 pearls of wisdom would you share?


Don't be so hard on yourself, and release judgment of others. 
Express gratitude often. 
Don't sweat the small stuff. 

What book, piece of music, blog, quote or person inspires you the most?


Martha Beck is an author and one of my personal idols.  She wrote the books Finding Your Own North Star and Steering by Starlight, which I recommend to every single person I know! I love quotes too - one of my favorites is "action is the antidote to despair" (Joan Baez). 


Image: One

YOU can be that change....

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Mahatma Gandhi

Image: One

Q&A Inspiration with... Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge

Christmas has come early for me as I have one of my biggest inspirations, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, here to share for our Q&A Inspiration this week.  A former freelance journalist and contributing editor for House & Garden, New York Home and In Style, Grace started the design blog in 2004.  It now has, she says in her first book Design*Sponge at Home, a daily readership that would fill New York's Madison Square Garden.  While I'm smitten with her enthusiastic, 'have-a-go' attitude that comes across in her writing, I'm in even more admiration of her encouraging, altrusitic spirit.  She's keen to share the platform - Grace has established D*S Biz Ladies, a series of national meet-ups to support budding design enthusiasts, and founded the Design*Sponge Scholarship to assist art and design students in pursuit of their creative endeavours - their best life! 


Tell me a little about you and your blog...

Both my blog and my life (which are pretty intertwined these days) are about trying to live the most fulfilled, creative life possible.

What is your vision of your best life?

A balance between personal and professional- and enjoying both so much that you occasionally lose yourself in either.

Can you tell us about some of the challenges/obstacles/fears you've faced and how you've tackled them?
My biggest challenge is knowing when to take a break. I struggle with it a lot and find the best cure is to surround yourself with people you trust who remind you (and force you) to stop every now and then to appreciate what you have and what you do.

Have you ever thought you had everything planned, only for life to show you an alternative?
Yes, never more so than in 2011. It's been a difficult year for me, but it's been an exercise in embracing life's ups and downs and really, truly remembering it's a journey and not something you have "figured out" right away.

Has there been a 'defining moment' that has changed your life/your view of life?  What has been the nudge in the right direction for you?
My defining moments are usually negatives that turn into positives- moments where I regret a decision I made or see something happen that I never want to have happen for me. I find I best define myself and my life by knowing what I DON'T want more than what I do.


If you were to look back and offer advice to yourself, what 3 pearls of wisdom would you share?
Take a break. One day your optometrist will tell you that you have the eyes of a 60 year old. You can still stop that.

Time is more valuable than money. Don't worry about paying bills- worry about enjoying what you have around you now.
Invest in your friends. They are your family away from home and worth every second of time, energy and love you have.

What book, piece of music, blog, quote or person inspires you the most?
I go back and forth between inspirations, but this quote has been special for me lately (it was originally written to me in a middle school note):


"Barn's burnt down- Now I can see the moon." -Masahide.


It's a good reminder to me that sometimes things that seem terrible can reveal something even better or more beautiful.

Image: One

Q&A inspiration with... English Mum

With a saunter around Becky Wiggins online home EnglishMum, there's evidence a-plenty of the self-professed nurturer at work.  Recipes for soda breads, cinnamon buns, slow-roasted pork and the odd cocktail or two, sit alongside straight-from-the-heart accounts of her home-life and travels.  Home economist, blogger, wife and mum, and deservedly short-listed for the Red's Hot Women Awards, I'm delighted that Becky shared a little about her best life for the spring-cleaned Inspiration Monday!

Tell me a little about you and your blog...

I'm a mum to two teenagers and very proud wife to a pilot.  I work as a home economist, recipe tester and developer, but my blog seems to be taking up more and more of my time! We live in the home counties with a very disagreeable cat and a slightly neurotic greyhound.  I'm very much a home body and you'll find me in the kitchen, usually.

What is your vision of your best life?

I think I'm more or less living it!  As I get older it seems to me that it's less about how much money you make and what material things you have and more about being comfortable in your own skin and happy.

Can you tell us about some of the challenges/obstacles/fears you've faced and how you've tackled them?

We moved to Ireland a few years ago because of my husband's job.  It was tough leaving my family and friends and, although we settled, we missed home.  Recently we've moved back and I'm the living embodiment of the phrase 'home is where the heart is'.  I'm back where I belong!  Sadly we've had to leave our beautiful home behind, but it's made me realise that without the people you love, it's really just bricks and mortar.

Have you ever thought you had everything planned, only for life to show you an alternative?

All the time!   We'd just bought a house and were quite settled when the hubby's job came up in Ireland but we coped, and lived there reasonably happily for a few years.

Has there been a 'defining moment' that has changed your life/your view of life?  Or a series of events?  What has been the nudge in the right direction for you?

I don't know about a 'defining moment', but when my husband lost his job in Ireland he had to come back to the UK without us to find work.  We lived apart for a few months and it really made me realise that what I wanted was to be a mum and a wife, and everything else was secondary.  I'm a nurturer!  Once we were back together, everything fell into place - my blog's continued to grow in popularity and I'm loving my life now.

If you were to look back and offer advice to your younger self, what three pearls of wisdom would you share?

Don't worry what other people think of you. It's important just to be yourself. If they don't like you, they don't like you.  You should never try to change to be what somebody wants.

Cherish the people you love.  It's so easy to take our family and friends for granted, and having lost some of those really dear to me, it's made me really conscious of keeping in touch and making an effort.

Don't stay in a job that makes you unhappy or because it's what somebody else wants.  Pursue something that makes you happy!

What book, piece of music, blog, quote or person inspires you the most?

I have a friend called Erica, who writes a blog called littlemummy.com.   She's an incredible entrepreneur and is really inspiring.  She's also a great sounding board when I feel my life's going a little off track. She always seems full of creative solutions.

{Inspiration} Not one qualification but living the life!! How?

I can't say I fit in with the cool crowd at school.  I tried too hard to be able to carry off the required 'school is for geeks' attitude.  Neither did I set the sports teams on fire.  And, while I did well at school, I certainly wasn't the straight A student either.  This meant I was inconspicuous somewhere in the middle.

I must admit I never even considered doing anything but working hard and "applying myself" at school.  I was a good girl.  So I never quite understood the kids in my year that adopted the laissez-faire attitude with one eye on the end of the school year, the freedom that beckoned (that scared the bejeesus out of me) at the end of it all.  In short, it was drummed in to me that exam results, education, qualifications were the be all and end all.  And I've never questioned that.

Then I read Chris Guillebeau's frank and bare-all admission that he holds not a single qualification to his name and I was forced to open my mind.  What, not one?  And he's achieved so much?  I was in sudden admiration.

As I pack to spend a weekend at a coaching course, I had to stop and question why I was doing it.  This time it is for a big, fat selfish reason - I want to.  But I can't honestly say other 'qualifications', for what they're worth, have been motivated by the same reason.  For the most part, I think a qualification, a bit of paper, has been for everyone else BUT me.  To prove something to everyone else.  "Look, I can do this.  This bit of paper says so!"

And so I am in full admiration of Chris Guillebeau.  It must take a serious amount of guts to NOT take the easy option and conform.  He took the leap and trusted he would fly!  In his case, around the world...... Not a bad life for a school drop-out eh!

Image: Quint Buchholz

{Inspiration} A life of purpose

What's the difference between a job and a 'living'?  Is your 9-5 your purpose?  Or a regular income?  Browsing the lovely Unstitched blog this morning, I discovered this video by photographer Louie Schwartzberg.  Now this is a man with a purpose! 

He describes his love of photography and nature which has seen him enjoy a 35-year career immersed in time-lapse photography.  The video above is a culmination of his work - it is not just a showcase, it has a very clear message, a purpose.  The account from the young girl and the elderly man is really moving - tune it at 3 minutes 44 seconds to watch this.  It's definitely worth a few minutes of your time ....

{Inspiration} @DKNY PR GIRL

If you're a Tweeter you're sure to have heard of one of its most prolific, tell-it-how-it-is and, until recently, enigmatic personalities: DKNY PR girl.  After two years of brand-building tweets, and with an army of 350,000+ followers, @dkny this week revealed her true identity.  

While the fashion and Twitter world seems to be all a-flutter at this revelation, it has been one of DKNY PR Girl's (or should I say Aliza's) most recent tumblr posts that has got my attention.  In it Aliza's talks of her pathway to today: of a Neurobiology and Physiology student that eventually made her name as SVP of Global Communications for Donna Karan. 

I devour stories of people finding their passion, be it a single-minded desire from childhood, an epiphany or a slow awakening, I want to hear how people discovered their 'thing'.  Often, though, it seems on reading these that it leads to a life-changing, 'throw in your cards' scenario that I find it difficult to relate to.  It's not that I'm lacking gumption, far from it - it's just that the rational, good girl in me suggests that life isn't always as rosy as that.  I'm a girl with responsibilities so this maverick behaviour is a little far-flung for me.

What I loved and admired about Aliza's story is the realism, the sheer hard work and determination, and the gutsiness she clealry has in (very bravely) deciding that the medical world wasn't for her ... and believing something in the fashion and magazine world was.  Without a clear direction, but with a boat-load of intuitive sense and a keen-ness, she (along with a side serving of luck) found her footing in the publishing and fashion world.  It's funny how Lady Luck intervenes at the right point though isn't it?!

I know DKNY PR Girl is heralded as a role model for wannabe PR girls but I'm not one of them (been there, done that) - for me, she's the poster girl for gutsiness, going after what you want and then working some elbow grease in making a success of it. 

In the spirit of Aliza, grab a large coffee, sit back and enjoy her story here.

{Inspiration} Real women

What do you get when you take 14 women from across the country and throw them together in a London townhouse for a day ... along with a hair and make-up team? A day to remember!


This week marks a year since I joined the ladies above for the 'Ultimo' experience.  And, while I loved every minute of the star treatment, the reason that day is memorable for me is because of the amazing ladies I met that day and because it taught me a valuable lesson.


I guess I've always believed that friendship is earned and slow-growing, and this has been my experience with my closest girlies, but this bubbly gang were proof of a different pudding. The 'Glasgow contingent' in particular seemed like they'd known each other for decades longer than the reality of their train journey south, and they were quick to welcome the non-'weegies into this fold. Twelve months on they're still doing the Ultimo girls proud and bonding over house parties and a glass of wine or two.


It reminds me of a quote I'd seen and doodled on a notepad years ago: "strangers are just friends waiting to happen".  And so this week I'll be smiling at a stranger or two .... Just try to smile back!


Photo: Ultimo Couture

{Inspiration} Arielle Fierman

I'm completely inspired by people who  know themselves ... and are not afraid to LIVE it!  Live it without fear of being judged by others, or needing to follow a path determined by someone else to be right.  Arielle Fierman is one of these people.

After losing her job, Arielle was given the proverbial kick up the tush to set up her own business and she set about developing an enterprise that combined her interest in nutrition and her love of making jewellery.  At first glance these two areas may seem poles apart but, to Arielle, these two strands both led to one clear purpose - to make women feel beautiful on the inside and out.  'Be Well with Arielle' is the result.

I'm currently lusting after her signature ring, the iloveme ring.  Described as a "gentle reminder to love yourself so you can open up your heart to receive love and share it with others", the ring is available in sterling silver or gold with a 'floating' freshwater pearl or conflict-free diamonds and is infused with reiki.

I can imagine wearing this and feeling like it's my secret weapon.  When life takes over, when people and situations take you off course, one glance at my hand would remind me of the bigger prize.  And I'd be back to being Arielle-well ... and then some!

Photo: iloveme ring

{Inspiration} Madonna

"I am my own experiment, I am my own work of art."

I'm not sure if it's because I'm the eldest child, or it's just my nature, but I've always been a 'good girl'. While my younger, cooler sister occasionally stayed out later than curfew or went to parties she shouldn't, I always towed the line - very 'vanilla'! Even now I've entered my third decade on this planet, I'm still doing what's seen as the right thing, wanting approval, living with my head rather than my heart.  While I don't plan on an all-out rebellion, it might now be time to make a few mistakes, to be brave and take a leap into the unknown, to spread my wings a little.  And so, today's inspiration could only be the poster girl for self-expression personified - Madonna.

Photo: weheartit

{Inspiration} Cocoa & a lot of heart

What did you want to be when you 'grew up'? I had a list as long as my arm when I was a little girl - hairdresser, air hostess, hotelier, teacher, artist, runner (this one is particularly hilarious!).  While I wasn't particularly choosy, the beauty of my perspective at this young age was that I believed I could do anything.  It didn't occur to me that they might not be options for me, I thought I could do or be anything my heart desired.


When did this change?  When does that child-like innocence and freedom gets swapped for a more 'mature' and rational mind? Our hearts' desires get a little diluted by doing the right and accepted thing.


In the past year I've woken up to this optimistic and confident part of my former self, realised that I should follow my heart a little more than my well-behaved head!


With this fire in my belly, it was lovely to see Jen Ramos' Cocoa&Hearts website come to fruition.  I've long been an avid reader of her blog, made by girl, and so was excited to see her new collection of original artwork - it's fun, colourful and full of life. Equally engaging though was the 'about' page of her website where she reveals that painting has always been her 'first crush'.  She has connected with those hopes and dreams and made it a grown-up reality.  Go Jen!


Photo: 'Modesty' @ Cocoa & Hearts

{Role model} for today ... Elle Macpherson

I've got a big day ahead so, as I do when it's time to up the ante, I'm visualising myself with the qualities of my chosen role model - today it's Elle Macpherson.  Sadly this doesn't mean I'm going to morph into "the body" but, instead, take some tips from a woman who has brains as well as her infamous beauty.


Famously ditching Ford Models at the height of her modelling career to establish Elle Macpherson Inc, and since diversifying her business into lingerie and skincare, Elle has had the courage to do the unorthodox, to take a few risks and, above all, reflect her own values.


She says: "I stopped accepting regular fashion jobs and geared my business around loyalties and equity.  I realised early on that no other models had created the kind of career that interested me, so I had to walk to my own beat."


And so today I'm putting my best foot forward, to my own beat...

Photo: EverythingFab @ Pinterest
Quote: Unknown

{Inspiration} Walt Disney

“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.” - Walt Disney

Before the last slice of cake has been eaten, my annual birthday hangover kicks in.  I don't mean the kind that comes from too much wine - this hangover is an 'edgy' feeling I get in the pit of my stomach which forces me to ask myself what I've achieved since the last rendition of 'Happy Birthday'. Does that sound gloomy?  It probably is, though it does kick-start me into action. Forget new year's resolutions - I'm more of a 'I'm a year older, get cracking' kind of girl!

So I'm forcing myself to look back on last year's goals, give them a bit of a dusting down, and refresh the lot for the year to come. And this year I'm dreaming big! Often I start thinking 'I can't' before the ink's dry but I'm taking some tips from Walt Disney who famously said "if you can dream it, you can do it". And after all, the Walt Disney empire was started from "a dream and a mouse".

So here goes..... Do you believe in fairytales?

Photo: Pinterest

{Inspiration} Karen Millen

"I believe that you get out of life what you put into it. I was never scared of hard work; nothing falls into your lap."

Now I understand the definition of 'a labour of love'.  I've been fruitlessly searching for the perfect (and budget-friendly) dresses to flatter my gorgeous bridesmaids, Lol, Jane and Rach, since the turn of the year. As I write this I still haven't found 'the one' though my weekend search brought me to Karen Millen and, as I browsed the new collection for inspiration, my curiosity turned to the woman behind the name.


Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Karen Millen was founded on a loan of £100 which Karen and partner Kevin Stanford used to buy one thousand metres of white cotton.  Though Millen sold the label in 2004, her brand now proudly boasts 84 standalone stores and 46 concessions in the UK alone, and trades in 23 countries across the globe.


Asked about the secret of her success some years ago, she said: "you have such hunger when you're young.  All we lived for was to build the brand and I think we were so convinced in ourselves, and in what we were doing, that we wouldn't let anyone tell us 'no'... We got rejection all the time.  You've got to be pretty tough to deal with that ... and I guess we must have been."


Since quitting the fashion industry, Karen has turned her talents to a "more rewarding" enterprise - working with Hope HIV, which gives fashion skills to young people affected by the disease, and Teens Unite, which aims to improve the lives of young adults who have life-limiting diseases. "I have had time to assess what I've done with my life", she says. "I can think that it's been incredible, but it's nice now to give back."


Source: Northside; Karen Millen 
Photos: UCA

{VIP} Happy Mothers Day

There's not enough words to express how much mum has done for 'her babies' and how grateful we all are to her for her love and support.  Happy Mother's Day mum, we love you!! x

{inspiration} Reese Witherspoon

"I like making bold decisions and putting myself out to dangle in the wind.  Sometimes it pays off. You have to take charge and challenge yourself."

I've got a confession .... I told a lie!  I was recently posed the question "what is your favourite film?" and as I reeled off my favourites I neglected to mention one guilty pleasure - Legally Blonde.  I'm not blonde - in hair colour nor the proverbial sense and I rarely wear pink so, before images of chihuahuas and bedazzled jeans flood your mind, I'm no Elle Woods wannabee.  Well, not quite.

The truth is I love a film with a good moral - and here is the beauty of Legally Blonde.  Having worked in corporate environments where nice girls don't succeed, I find the character of Elle Woods utterly refreshing.  Here's a girl (fictional, I accept) who knows and takes pride in her own identity rather than bow to the norm, who asserts herself in a competitive (and male-dominated) environment with credibility, and who sticks to her morals rather than succumb to the political warfare.

The real role model though, for me, is Reese herself (and what nudges this film into my top five).  Mum of two, award-winning actress, production company owner and self-described Type-A personality, she stands tall against the Hollywood stereotype, shunning 'size zero' pressures and paparazzi opportunities and instead using her fame to promote charitable causes including Save the Children.  Of herself and the infamous character of Elle, she says: "You have to be driven and ambitious to become the person you want to be. Everyone will tell you, 'That's not possible.... That's too difficult.' My response is, 'All right, I'll show you!'"  There's a lot to learn from "the girl in the hot pink"

Who inspires you?  This is the first of my weekly 'inspiration' posts so I'd love to hear about your role models, heroes and heroines.....

Photos: Reese Witherspoon by Fanpop and TBS