
Boom! If you’re lucky, you are almost on holiday break right now! Doesn’t it just make you want to throw on a galactic cat-themed sweatshirt and dance your face off to Robyn? (Yes, we’re STILL on a Robyn kick even though it’s been more than three years since Body Talk came out…) In any case, today is a day worth celebrating and what better way to do it than with the BritList?
1. New York Doughnut Map ($8): If you live in New York and like donuts, well, you probably need this map. Then you will have a “hole” donut world right in the palm of your hand!
Galactic Cats for Men
4. Beautiful Hexagonal Wall Storage: Have you ever seen a more awesome storage situation? It’s colorful, geometric, and gets you more organized. #winning
5. Bolt Bench: Speaking of brilliant organization moves, why not turn a few fabric bolts into the back of a bench?
6. Dogs in Cars: Pet photo series are definitely our jam, and these dogs are definitely having an awesome time.
7. Wipebook: The best way to describe this is it’s a whiteboard in notebook form. But, the ink sticks a little more than a dry erase board so you can sketch freely without worrying about erasing your work. When you’re ready for your next brainstorm, use the special eraser to reset the book!
8. Vintage Yuletide on ModCloth: We stumbled into this section of the ModCloth site and just cannot look away. Weird vintage things in a weird holiday setting = awesome.
9. Reverse Photoshop Turns Beautiful Woman into Santa Claus: Ad agency Victor & Spoils have taken Photoshop to the next level. You might recognize this image. It went viral a few weeks ago as an animated gif, showing the retouching process of turning a perfectly beautiful woman into an unrealistic Barbie. And now, they’ve gone in reverse and turned her into a fat and jolly St. Nick!
10. Houndton Tabby Prints ($22): And finally, Downton Abbey in CAT form. Meow!
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.