CHEERS TO YOU! YOU MADE IT THROUGH ANOTHER WEEK! As the weeks get colder, it seems like they also get longer. So now’s your time to celebrate. There are always lots of different ways to spend your two days off. For the tech-ier among you, we’ve got (as always) your list of the five best apps you should DL to your phone right now. Spend your weekend learning a new language, trying on some virtual makeup or directing an art film. You’ve got until Monday to play with these new apps.
1. Duolingo: Duolingo just released a new update that will make learning a language easier than ever before. Yes, learning vocab and grammar is important, but most of us want to know how to actually speak a language. The app’s new AI bots simulate conversation so it’s almost like you’re talking to a real person.
DL It: Free on iOS
2. Looks: Imagine if there were Snapchat filters to try out makeup, and you kind of have an idea as to how this new app works. Focus on your face, select which products you’d like to “try out” and see how they look in real time.
3. Charmer: See what your friends really think of you in just three words. This new app lets you select three words to describe all your friends. As each friend selects words about you, your “word map” profile will grow. It’s almost like a personality quiz, but curated for you by your pals.
DL It: Free on iOS
4. Dramatic Ellipsis: We love hyper-dramatic texts. This new iMessage add-on will bring all of your mundane texts to comic book action in a second. Now you can slide into an inbox with a KA-POW!
DL It: Free on iOS
5. Prisma: You’ve definitely seen some Prisma “artsy” profile pictures popping up on Facebook recently, right? Well, the app just issued a new update that will let you add the cool effects to any video you shoot. So now you can turn your home movies into a work of art.
DL It: Free on iOS
Which was your favorite app this week? Let us know @BritandCo!
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.