My 4 words

My four words

My 2015 amazing Biz and life workbook 

It's that time of year again when I start planning for next year and looking back on the year that was. 

Looking back at my workbooks for the beginning of last year I found an almost forgotten page- my 4 guiding words (or mantra) for my business for the year. Written down in January I don't think I've glanced at them since, but looking at them at the end of the year, I think I chose well and I'd like to keep applying myself to them. I intend to print them out and put them where I'll see them every day 

 1. Abundance

a·bun·dance 

noun

1.

an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply: an abundance of grain.

2.

overflowing fullness: abundance of the heart.

3.

affluence; wealth: the enjoyment of abundance.

I'm aiming for all three (well maybe not the grain, but you know what I mean) Having enough, giving more to others so they feel the abundance, and thereby me receiving abundance from them. The feeling that I've got enough of everything and I'm not going without, not having that panicky feeling that I may not be able top afford a big bill that's on the way (or the unexpected speeding fine that I somehow get every now and then!)

2. Brand

"Unique design, sign, symbol, words, or a combination of these,employed in 

creating an image that identifies a product and differentiates it from 

its competitors. Over time, this image becomes associated with a level of 

credibility, quality, and satisfaction in the consumer's mind. 

Thus brands help harried consumers in crowded and complex marketplace, by 

standing for certain benefits  and value. A legal name for a brand is trademark 

and, when it identifies or represents a firm, it is called a brand name."


Put more simply, a “brand” is what my prospective customer thinks of when he or she hears my brand name.  It’s everything the public thinks it knows about my name brand offering—both factual (e.g. It comes in a robin’s-egg-blue box), and emotional (e.g. It’s romantic).  My brand name (or logo) exists objectively; people can see it.  It’s fixed.  But my brand exists only in someone’s mind.

What does Jacqstar Creations mean to you? What are the first words/ images that come to mind? 

They may not be what I have in mind but that's OK. I'm trying to establish my brand and make it cohesive and easy to understand.

Having said that, it's evolving, as am I and won't be the same in 5 years as it is now. 

3. Learn

I ADORE learning new things and anyone who knows me knows that I'm a font of trivial information (which only comes in handy when you're on my team in a Trivia contest), but I love learning new facts or techniques. And if you run a business you need to keep updating not only your business and financial goals and plans, but also your creative ideas and techniques. 

You never stop learning,  and I never want to lose my child-like fascination with new things.

Things I want to learn this year to enhance my business:

• Wool dyeing techniques
• I'd love to learn to spin my own wool but I'll have to save up to get a spinning wheel
• SEO (search engine optimisation) and general internet-y stuff
• How to build a better blog (gonna learn/ figure out Wordpress this year)
• Pattern designing 

There's more, but it's best not to over commit myself, and  as the year goes on, I'll add and change things.

4. Professional 

I've got a hobby business but I still treat it professionally and expect to be treated with the same professionalism. I'm striving to make things better and more professional, and bit by bit will get there. It's a matter of thinking big :)

From little things big things grow.  

 **********

What are your 4 words?

They don't have to be business related, what simple words/ concepts can you apply to your life for next year?   

If 4 are too many (and I'm wondering whether I'll be able to focus on all four) choose one or two that you'd like  to focus on. 

I'd love to hear your words. 

Jacqstar - a month in the life (part one)

The lovely Jess from Create and Thrive  has organised an Instagram challenge for handcrafters called 'A Month in the Life' in which we post a picture each day of our businesses based on a different theme each day: 

Create and thrive a month in the life

So I thought I'd share my photos and my stories behind them. 

Day 1: Workspace 

Secret Lair (very messy)

                                      

This is the Spare Room. Also known as Jacqstar's secret Lair (I've always wanted a lair- it sounds so cool!), the Creative Cave, or most recently the junk room :)  At the moment, there's stuff everywhere, as I'm in the middle if several projects and working my way through Leonie Dawson's Double your Biz programme. 

Double Your Biz Programme

Day 2: Hands

                           

I didn't have someone Handy (see what I did there???) to take pictures of my hands in action so I improvised. I suppose wool is my first passion, followed closely by paint. If truth be told, I care less abou the medium and more about the colours. Oh how I love colours! 

Day 3: Work in Progress. 

One of my many works in progress

Wow. I started this over a year ago, and it still hasn't progressed much further than what you see here. I have no idea what it's going to be- I don't think it has decided yet. 

Day 4: Raw Materials. 

some of my raw materials

As I've said, the medium is secondary to the colours and textures, but I do love shiny glittery things. I love to feel the softness of the wool. I'm very sensory so as long as it appeals to a couple of senses I'm in love with it! 

Day 5: Sketchbook

a few of my musings on paper

I had forgotten what was in my sketchbook- it's been so long since I've even opened them. Looking at my ideas has inspired me to get back into sketching and getting all the pictures in my head out onto paper. 

Day 6: Action

but she had wings...

I don't have any shots of me in Action. But this is my Action plan. My dream board reminds me of what I want from my business and where I need to go. It's my who what when were and why -  It keeps me moving in the right direction. 

Day 7: Packaging 

brown paper packages tied up with string...

I use old knitting and crochet patterns and wrap them up with scraps of wool that are too short to do much else with. Mum taught me to waste not want not, so I'm the ultimate recycler :) 

That's the end of the first week. See you same time next week for week 2

P.S. follow me on Instagram http://instagram.com/jacqstarcreations/

Love, 

Jacqui xx

...But She had Wings...

Recently I met up with my mastermind group of incredibly talented ladies from Leonie Dawson's Amazing Biz and Life Academy. Our mission for the day was to creation a vision board for how we see (or want to see) our businesses.

I've been giving a lot of thought to what I want the direction for my little biz to be. I've jotted down lots of words, ideas and feelings (both what I want to feel and what I'd like my customers to feel), and then found pictures that seemed to convey those thoughts.

It got me really thinking about where I'd like to be in a year or two or 5 years down the track, and what I can do for my customers. It's all about what I can do for you.

What Do I Have That Can Help You?

Now I'm a bit of a hippie tree-hugger save the planet,  ooh

yeah I love dolphins, rainbows and unicorns kind of girl, and so I really want to integrate that into the future of my business, so that's the kind of ideas I wanted to put into my vision board. I love peacock inspired colours and just colour in general, so there's an element of that.

I've also added inspiring words and snippets from song lyrics (can you pick the song?) that fit into my theme. I'm Allowing my business to be successful and giving myself Permission to receive all the abundance that comes with it.

I want to do my little bit to help the planet, so I want to

use Eco yarns that are Earth friendly and sustainable, don't use fossil fuels, have gentle dyeing processes etc. And I've added those images to remind me of where I want to be and why I'm doing it.

I've also added lots of butterfly and wing images which are aligned with my Butterfly Lady range of inspirational sayings and drawings (which I've made into a series of gift cards) and a snippet from one of my favourite quotes at the moment: 

'When she transformed into a butterfly, the caterpillars spoke not of her beauty, but of her weirdness. They wanted her to change back into what she always had been. But she had wings.' 
-Dean Jackson

OOH I love that quote to bits...

Thanks for letting me share this vision board with you and my vision for Jacqstar. What do you think? Did you spot the song lyric? Have you ever made your own vision board or have wanted to make one? Let me know...

Love always,

Jacqui xx

Always remember to bring your own glitter!

The other day at work, I was chatting with a woman and her little daughter, when I happened to glance down at the child's sparkly shoes and said to her, "Wow I love your shoes, I wish they came in my size!" We all had a little chuckle and my manager, who had been nearby said to me, "you and your glitter!" And it's true, I love my glitter, and sparkly/shiny things in general, it's my thing. But it's not just about wearing sparkly things, I like to think that I bring my own special kind of 'glitter' to work with me. And strangely enough, I had heard this expression only a day or two before, from the ever lovely Leonie Dawson:

No matter where you are and what you are doing

Take glitter. Make magic.

Miracles happen to those who create it.

We're not meaning the term glitter literally (unless of course you'd like to throw some glitter around everywhere you go - hey, that's fine if you do, to each his own), we mean your own special brand of glitter/ sparkle/ sunshine/ happiness/ good vibes. What do you do at work (or at Church, Uni, school, your local mother's group, your weekly AA meeting, etc.) to make everything a little bit brighter? How do you make it a bit more fun and make it more bearable for yourself and your colleagues? 

I'm a joker, I love to have a joke with the customers and my workmates, I'm also an incessant singer, and I change the lyrics of the songs to shoe songs (I work in a shoe shop for those of you who don't know). One of my favourites is, (in my best KISS impersonation) 'I was made for lovin' shoes baby, shoes were made for lovin' meeeeeeee' or maybe a bit of Elvis - 'For I can't help falling in love with shoes...' You get the idea.

You may not be quite so silly. You might be the one who's smile lights up the whole room; who makes everyone else feel like smiling. You might be the only one that laughs at the boss' really bad jokes or doesn't complain at work. You might treat everyone with a little bit more respect than everyone else and that makes the difference!

How can you bring your own unique brand of glitter to the world?

• Bring some home made sweets or biscuits (with smiley faces) to work/ AA meeting/ Mother's Group
• Bring some pretty flowers to brighten up your (or someone else's) office
• Be positive when all around you is negative
• Wear a silly tie that makes people smile 
• Dance
• Sing
• Smile
• Laugh
• Be your own unique self and don't be afraid to sparkle.

and remember...

I'd dearly love to hear your suggestions, and ways you already bring glitter to the world.

Love,
Jacqui xx

2013 - my year in review



Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to you!

I'm sitting cross-legged on my floor in my spare room (also known as the junk room, or as I prefer to know it, the 'craft' room). I'm going through my 2013 Create your incredible year calendar and workbook .

It's time to look back before I can look forward.

I can't know where I'm going if I don't know where I've been and how I've got to where I am today. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, good and bad, and if I don't acknowledge it, I'll never learn from it and move forward.

'Cause that's what life is all about - moving forward.

Getting a bit better every year. (I hope. At least that's the plan.)

I have to say it's been an exciting year. I have an amazingly wonderful boyfriend who supports and encourages me with all my dreams and schemes. My little biz is chugging along, bit by bit, and I've found a group of like minded women in Leonie Dawson's Biz and life academy, who encourage and  run ideas off each other so we can all reach our collective goals.

A few of the goals I have achieved this year (drum roll please...)

* Having Internet free days so I can work on my art and not get bogged
     down by non important things
* 200 likers on  Facebook (at this date I'm actually at 214!)
* Meditation classes - I've been going sporadically this year - must do it
    more regularly next year
* Opening my heart to love (an extremely personal goal) and allowing myself
    to receive the love that was right in front of me. Also being able to
    properly reciprocate that love.

Of course there's plenty I haven't achieved, a few I didn't really start and some things I thought I wanted at the beginning of the year, and now I'm thinking that they don't matter so much any more. That's OK, life is ever changing and your interests and goals should be fluid to reflect this.

So now I move on to setting my goals for next year, and I'm really excited about it. It's wonderful to think about what I will have achieved this time next year when I'm looking back on 2014 in review.

Now it's audience participation time. What are your big (and not so big) plans for 2014 - I'd love to hear about them.

Love,
Jacqui xx



How to achieve your goals

Hello my Lovelies,

 

I've always believed that if you truly want to achieve something, you write it down, and share it with the world. Make it public and it will happen.

 

It's true, try it. Even if it's so big you don't dare to believe it.

 

Even if it's so tiny you think it's not worth putting down on paper or telling anyone about it.

 

Even if you're a bit scared to share it in case someone thinks it's silly (if it's your dream it can't be silly now can it?)

 

Last year I shared my 100 dreams (part 2) (here's part 1 in case you missed it) and number 34 was to learn Burlesque dancing. I had every intention to get around to doing it (one day) but life got in the way and it didn't happen this year.

GUESS WHAT??????????

For Christmas I got this:

A totally unexpected (well, it shouldn't have been unexpected because I wrote it down and made it public and told the Universe that's what I wanted) gift from my boyfriend's Lovely Sister. She did some research and looked at my blog and decided she wanted to give me the Burlesque lessons I wanted.

Thank you
                                Thank you

THANK YOU!

 

It goes to show that you need to write your goals down. You don't have to do a blog and tell the world - put a picture of what you want on your fridge (new car/ cruise/ new dress - whatever) and if you (or others) see it every day there's far more chance of it happening.

 

Don't hide your dreams, put them out on display. It'll happen :)

 

 

all my love,

Jacqui xx

I'm so excited :)

I'm excited!

Can't you tell??

I've done something I've been thinking about for ages but I finally got off my butt (so to speak) and did it. I signed up for Leonie Dawson's Incredible Biz & Life Academy. I've mentioned her before and I've liked her Facebook Page, but my little biz has been going nowhere of late so it was time to make a decision and invest in my future.

For the next 12 months I'll be a part of an online international women's life, soul and business group. I'll be doing e-courses and have mentors and forum groups who will give me the (virtual) kick in the butt I need to get things done. And I'll be blogging about it on my way through, letting you know what I'm doing and how things are going, thereby making myself accountable for some results.

Also, I've signed up to be an affiliate so if you decide you'd like to sign up to the Academy or buy any of her other amazing products through me, I'll get moolah! (I like moolah, it's good) I just wanted it all upfront that I will be advertising how great Leonie and her products are, and why you'll see links to her site pretty much everywhere!

My first e-course starts on the first of October and it's The Business Goddess E-Course It's a 5 week business course on how to make money online, 100+ ways to market magically, mindfully & joyously, and how to stay sane & joyful when business gets BUSY!

I'm so excited to be studying something, I even went to Smiggle and bought a cool folder to put my worksheets in - I'm such a stationery nerd :)

That's it for this update but I'll fill you in on how I'm going week by week with my courses.

Ciao Bella,

Jacqstar xx

my 100 dreams :) Part one

I've been inspired.

The wonderous Leonie Dawson, is teaching me how to be my own Creative Goddess. She's eight shades of crazy in a magical glittery rainbow fairy dust kind of way, but I like that.

(I think I might want to be her when I grow up).

Anyway...

One of the many things I'm doing this year is goal setting. Big ones, small ones, mundane ones like writing down fabric softener on my shopping list so I don't forget it - MAKING the shopping list so I don't forget the fabric softener and only come home with chocolate biscuits. There are so many things I want to do with my life and I've come to realise that if I don't write them down I'll either forget about it or keep pushing things to the background and never get them done, then get totally frustrated that I didn't achieve anything this year AGAIN!

If you write things down you give them importance. It's tangible and if it's somewhere you can see them on a daily basis it becomes a priority. It's constantly on your mind, you're thinking about it, wondering how you'll do it, when you'll do it, in what way you'll do it. And magically, you'll start making plans to actually do it!

SO, one of Leonie's suggestions is to list 100 things you want to do this year. Small, medium, and incredibly huge dreams. Some so crazy you think there's no point putting them in writing cause they'll never come true. Some just  take a bit of planning, or putting on your daily to-do (or grocery) list. Now, 100 is a lot, and I'll let you in on a secret - I'm only up to number 34 so far. I've got a ways to go, but hey, it's only March and I've got the whole year to add more things and cross a whole heap off the list too.

 

What I've decided to do is let you in on my list and share 20 with you every couple of months. I'll also update you on how the last 20 are progressing.

MY FIRST 20 DREAMS FOR 2013 ARE:

 

1. Go to the Melbourne Cup - I've been to Melbourne lots of times, but never for the   

            Cup!

2. Go back to painting lessons

3. Say Yes! (I'm more of a say no then regret it later kind of person)

4. Go to Meditation lessons

5. Keep eating healthy

6. Be involved with three market stalls to sell my products

7. Get my car loan to under $10,000 (have already made a start to this one and have

         increased my weekly car repayment)

8.  Get Jacqstar Creations to 200 likers - If you haven't stopped over and had a look

        at my Facebook page yet please do and help me achieve this goal :)

9. Sing jazz in a jazz club

10. Visit all the Australian capitals (so far I've only been to Brisbane Sydney

        and Melbourne)

11.  Take drawing lessons

12. Go to a wine tasting tour around the vineyards somewhere

13. Release my inner bohemian

14. Go to G.O.M.A three times this year and see the latest exhibits

15. Travel to Egypt

16. Learn to speak Fluent French

17. Travel to France and live there for a while and really learn the language

        and soak up the culture

18. Paint my nails in bright crazy colours

19. Go to the Planetarium.

20. Do the Bridge to Brisbane again this year.

Now, as you can tell, I'm not going to get all of this done this year. Some, like the moving to France are lofty plans, but it's one of my dreams and it if doesn't happen this year it's going on my list of dreams each year until it does come true.

Here's where audience participation comes in. I'd love for you to share some of your goals/wishes/dreams for the year with me. If I can help in any way I will. AND... if you can help me achieve any of mine please let me know.

Now it's your turn...

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