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about club live contact 🏳🌈
Fatoumata Diawara
Wednesday 5 th February 2020 // 7:00 PM
Hailed as one of the most vital standard-bearers of modern African music, Fatoumata Diawara takes her artistry to fresh and thrilling heights on her new album FENFO.
Boldly experimental yet respectful of her roots, it's a record that defines her as the voice of young African womanhood – proud of her heritage but with a vision that looks confidently to the future and a message that is universal.
Those she has worked with include some of the biggest names in contemporary music. She recorded with Bobby Womack and Herbie Hancock; played Glastonbury and other major festivals; and toured with the Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca. She assembled a West African super-group featuring Amadou and Mariam, Oumou Sangaré and Toumani Diabaté to record a song calling for peace in her troubled homeland; and climbed aboard Damon Albarn's star-studded Africa Express, which culminated in her sharing a stage with Sir Paul McCartney.
Presented by Band on the Wall.
Opens: 7:00 PM
Curfew: 10:00 PM
Price: £18.50 +BF adv
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This week, puppies are sooo much fun. They're getting bigger every day, they play frequently and they're exploring the whole world around them. Of course, the most fun toys are things like empty water bottles and cleaning rags...and each other!


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Home » Blog » The COVID-19 Anxiety Cycle: A Mental Health Perspective
The COVID-19 Anxiety Cycle: A Mental Health Perspective
March 18, 2020 David Smith
In addition to uncertainty over the impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) will have on business, the pandemic is also having an effect on individuals' mental health. David Smith, EHS Commercial Director from our Melbourne office, writes that organizations need to protect the mental well-being of their most important asset, now more so than ever.
After weeks of confusion and a host of ambiguous data from governments, health experts and our social media feeds locking us in echo chambers, many of us are watching the development of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with feelings of concern and uncertainty. The impact of this ambiguity is affecting us all; it's dramatically changing how we live out our daily lives.
When I took my daughter to school this morning and saw the three-quarters empty playground, the ominous quiet and stillness (a far cry from how a playground should sound) and the absence of parent chatter, handshaking, hugs and laughter, I felt sad. We are bombarded with alarming news, with seemingly every other word being "coronavirus" or "COVID-19" and our society is in apparent lock-down – but to actually feel the impact on your community, on the people you have a deep connection with, can leave you feeling very distressed and somewhat helpless.
You can't help but take this feeling with you into your workplace, whether you are continuing to work from an office location or as part of a growing population of workers operating remotely. It can feel like you are not in control; it's so easy for our brains to spin stories of fear and dread.
We may know what to do about COVID-19, but we may not know what to do with our fear. Whether in business, our families, or our communities, we all have a role to play to help deal with that mounting fear and anxiety.
Facts minimize fear
Employers and employees have a joint responsibility to promote health and safety in the workplace. Most employers will have already introduced additional physical controls, such as hygiene measures to help limit exposure to coronavirus or asking their people to work from home. But what about the mental health and well-being implications on our people?
The increasing severity of the pandemic may have many people on edge. And we're currently facing a risk of an "infodemic," in which misinformation spreads; adding to the mounting levels of uncertainty and anxiety. When we can't control our anxiety, that emotional fever spikes into panic. You only have to look at the empty toilet roll aisles in grocery stores all around the world to fully appreciate the unique nature of this crisis and the state of collective panic it is inducing.
In the coming days, weeks and months, this fear and anxiety will likely increase as our lives continue to be disrupted and social distancing and self-isolation becomes the norm. Self-isolation in itself is likely to have a negative impact on some people's mental well-being. The need for human contact is a basic instinct, therefore when you are forced to be alone, it can have a negative impact on well-being and psychological health.
A review of the psychological impact of quarantine published in the Lancet in February stated that, "Separation from loved ones, the loss of freedom, uncertainty over disease status, and boredom can, on occasion, create dramatic effects. Suicide has been reported, substantial anger generated, and lawsuits brought following the imposition of quarantine in previous outbreaks."
When talking about prevention of stress and fear, during a recent Q&A session, Aiysha Malik, a Technical Officer at the World Health Organization's Mental Health and Substance Use Department, called out the need to ensure focus on vulnerable groups, such as those with existing mental health conditions or substance use dependencies.
We need to be clear, honest, open and be communicating often with our people – in fact, all those we interact with. There is no substitution for calm and measured messaging from employers in relation to setting realistic expectations where work is changing and clearly communicating response plans, all of which may help to reduce anxiety in the workplace.
Communicating accurate information, little and often, and embedding a "keep calm and carry on" attitude, will help our people not get caught-up in the waves of anxiety and panic.
Reality for EHS professionals
As EHS professionals, we support our business leaders with nurturing healthy and trusting relationships with all of our employees. If we aren't focusing enough on mental health right now, we will have a mountain to climb as the impacts of isolation, anxiety and uncertainty build in our employee communities.
This is why, in the face of such uncertainty, we should be tapping into our discipline's structured methodology and stepping up to help our organizations and our people.
Our business leaders look to us for leadership during times of crisis – how many times have you heard someone in your company say, "I'm not a Health and Safety person, so you need to tell me what we need to do!" – so what can we do and say? Many of us will have mental health strategies and already established relationships with Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), using these resources as a starting point will allow you to take action quickly and demonstrate care – not just to your people, but to their families as well.
We need to understand the landscape and work within it so that we can counteract its far-reaching implications and disrupting uncertainty. As humans, we crave fairness, certainty and relatedness so let's all do what we can to provide this to our leaders and to our people.
However dangerous this virus proves to be, we need to be cautious of fallout from the panic, stressful aftermath and the chaos of imposed anti-virus measures. This is the long tail and should serve to focus our minds on where to invest our time and resources.
We all need to protect ourselves and in doing so protect others. We cannot wait for a vaccine. COVID-19 is not waiting. We must follow the sensible medical guidelines and since containment has proved impossible, delay is our key defense.
Let us all be leaders in changing behaviors to ensure the approach begins at work and permeates the way our people, customers and stakeholders behave outside of the workplace too. It's time to shift the balance and turn adversity into action, threat into opportunity and fear into courage.
Mental Health resources available:
Manage Anxiety and Stress
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published guidance to manage stress and anxiety for a number of COVID-19 scenarios.
Mental Health Considerations during COVID-19 Outbreak (pdf)
The World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Department developed a resource for mental health considerations as support for mental and psychological well-being during COVID-19 outbreak.
Living With Mental Illness During COVID-19 Outbreak– Preparing For Your Wellness
Mental Health America curated tips and hotline resources for individuals with pre-existing physical and mental illness.
Mind UK
Mind is a mental health charity in England and Wales. Founded in 1946 as the National Association for Mental Health (NAMH)
SANE Australia
A national mental health charity making a real difference in the lives of people affected by complex mental health issues through support, research and advocacy.
See our health & safety resources for EHS professionals to monitor and ensure the health and safety of workers during COVID-19.
Learn more about our Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) solutions.
David  Smith is Commercial Director EHS at SAI Global. A seasoned EHS, sustainability risk management professional and thought leader, David has more than 20 years of experience delivering EHS strategies for leading organizations across a wide range of industries, including energy, defense, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. As part of the EHS portfolio at SAI Global, David utilizes his EHS practitioner perspective to help drive product innovation, the commercial growth of the portfolio as well as helping to identify the needs of our customers to enable them to achieve operational excellence. David has a first Honours Degree in Environmental Science and PG Cert focused in Occupational Safety and Health from the University of Greenwich.
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On October 10, 2018, as part of our annual VIVA Day celebrations, VIVA will launch our first ever FA3 Fun Run to benefit our community. This non-competitive activity is open to all fitness levels and provides an opportunity to connect our employees through giving back to the community we have called home for the last eighteen years.
This is not a race, there will be no timing, just a chance to get out as a group and enjoy each other while helping our neighbors. This year, the FA3 Fun Run will benefit Twinbrook Elementary School.
Check back to see the pictures and see how team VIVA is making moves for our community.
VIVA Celebrates National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day!


Android Tablets If you are using the stock internet browser on a new Android tablet, chances are it doesn't have Flash. The Chrome Browser and Dolphin browser actually have a Flash Player built... 22/08/2013 · Adobe Flash Player on my Windows 8 tablet. Would like to know why we can't install Adobe Flash Player on Windows 8. It is not offered in the Windows App Store and without I can't download the older, original versions of Angry Birds.
In some instances, Flash Player will mistake ancillary content as the primary content and switch everything else to "Click to Play" when encountering a low memory situation. Media: Camera and Microphone support is not included in Flash Player on Android 2.2.


me too. do you have any info????
I have MBA finance degree (3.5year). would i need to present equalance to MS certificate as its mentioned in advertisement?
AoA All. Application process is online and very easy. Go to joinpaknavy dot gov dot pk and Select your branch and after that screen will automatically show criteria. You've to be careful that while applying select 0 in from of marks and total marks of any irrelevant field.
After that your registration will be complete. NAVY will take 2-3 days and after that you can download the slip by putting your NIC number.
Take printout of slip, attach PASSPORT SIZE PIC, TAKE 300RS cash and original CNIC to centre on the test date which is visible on your roll number slip.
After you clear test, experience section and its verification will come after that.
Dear All i have applied in the special brarnch lt/lt cdr . I have dome ms in telecom.
But in the gradustion column there was no option of not applicable few days back. so i wrote 0,0 in the total and obtained narks coulmn. Suddenly to i opend the site of pak navy ab wahsn not applicable ka option arha hai. But ab wahan arha hsi k you are already registered. Graduation pe meri slip pe BE electrical arha hai jo k relavent nai aur marks 0,0 but relavent ms telecom hai woh bhi slip pe arha hai. So koi issue to nai hoga?
Please share test details. How many Q and timings etc.
And all educational documents in original is required when going for intial test??
Bring all educational documents with you in original.
sometimes you win and sometime you learn....!!


I can't believe how cheap this table is - price not quality! They are fantastic for our catering business. We're all women, so we needed something smaller we could carry ourselves. Each one of us can handle one of these, and the adjustable height feature has come in handy on several different occasions. We saw other tables out there like this for $100 or more. And free shipping! They are really heavy duty - we'll have 4-5 loaded crock pots on one with decorations, utensils, and they have no problem at all.


Today I had the pleasure of spending my lunch break chatting with Crafty Devil's Rich Dale about the upcoming demo of their Planzai web app at Showcase. I was aware that they had been working on a tool aimed at helping up and coming bands and musicians get off the ground, what I actually saw simply blew me away.
The project is not quite in stealth mode though I can't say too much yet. A private Beta is planned soon so in the meantime I can hopefully whet your appetite. From the very moment he fired up his Macbook Pro and launched the app in a browser the user interface alone told me that I was seeing something special. First impressions last. This app is still impregnated on my eyeballs.
Planzai is a web app aimed initially at the music industry, which intends to make musicians' lives easier. Planzai helps them achieve their business goals by providing expert content, broken down step-by-step. Each step becomes a task in the user's calender, and our content helps them understand the 'how, when and who' of achieving their goals. The concept is also applicable to other sectors where people need to become experts quickly, avoiding trial and error.
Before seeing it I was concerned that it might be too niche to make a real impact. Niche isn't necessarily a bad thing mind you but my view is that when you are bringing a new product or service to market it's best to have as broad a spectrum of customers and potential applications as possible. Believe me this solution has applications across numerous sectors, countries, market and demographic segments.
That is what really excited me and spurred me into naming Rich Dale as my first Project Athene Geek to God nominee. In my post on Project Athene I talked about elevating our geeks to rock star status. Rich has a head start; he already plays bass. He also has Planzai. When you have a solution that can have applications in areas as diverse as music, marriage, property development and new venture creation to name but a few as well as the potential to go viral it is going to go far. Couple that with its potential for numerous revenue streams, price differentiation, white labelling and ecosystem development that is a recipe for some serious figures.
I am very much looking forward to getting my hands on the Beta so I can see if my hunch is justified. I have a feeling it will. It will certainly be one of the highlights in Derry on the 16th September.
First time I saw this, I was also blown away. I think their idea will change the way we do project management!
Kudos to Rich and the team!
Kudos indeed Matt. Kudos indeed.


Portable mini fire extinguisher canister filled with flame retardant fluid. Non-toxic, environmentally safe & ozone friendly. Great for keeping around key points of your home & car for accidental fires. 500ml Canister comes with a stand & usage instructions.


Marlborough MA funeral homes provide local funeral services. Find more information about Brown and Short Funeral Home , Rowe John P Funeral Home Inc , Slattery Funeral Home by clicking on each funeral home listing. Send funeral flower arrangements to any Marlborough funeral home delivered by our trusted local florist.


It's a truth universally acknowledged that as we age, our health can take a bit of a beating. Bones start to creak, gravity takes hold of our bodies in ways we never suspected could happen, and, to add insult to injury, our risk of cancer rises.
In fact ageing is one of the main risk factors when it comes to cancers like breast cancer and bowel cancer with the majority of people diagnosed with these cancers aged 50 or older.
It's not all bad news though, because as we also know, with age comes wisdom - and retirement - from traditional work at least. More time to contemplate the important things like golf and/or travel and/or grandchildren and/or gardening and/or volunteering.
There's also the fun of activities like the Victorian Seniors Festival which "kicks off" this week.
It's a time when more experienced Victorians are invited to take part in a wide range of activities including lunches, music and trivia, yoga and even tours of historic properties.
And as part of the Seniors Festival festivities, the CYCR team will be spreading the good word about staying healthy and active as you age, eating well and screening for cancers including bowel, breast and skin cancer.
As we've stated above, the statistics here in Victoria show that the majority of men and women diagnosed with bowel and breast cancers are aged 50 and older. And SunSmart reports that two-thirds of Victorians diagnosed with melanoma are aged 55 or older.
Cancer Councils across the country (and the National Health and Medical Research Council which advises the Federal Government) recommend men and women complete a bowel cancer screening test called an FOBT or faecal occult blood test, every two years once they reach the age of 50.
They also recommend women have a mammogram (breast x-ray) every two years from the age of 50 once they've weighed up the pros and cons of screening.
And just because you're older and wiser, doesn't mean you can forget about sun protection or getting your skin checked for melanoma. As SunSmart says, it's never too late to protect your skin.
Over 95% of skin cancers can be successfully treated if found early so getting familiar with your skin is also important. If you notice any unusual spots, lumps or bumps see your doctor.
So, if you have time in between all your seniors' festivities - we suggest you book in for a health check up and make sure you're up to date with your appropriate cancer screening tests.
Is anyone planning anything special for the Victorian Seniors Festival?


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A film by Alison Klayman
in cinemas & on demand 12 july
Follow Trump's former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon through the 2018 mid-term elections in the United States, shedding light on his efforts to mobilise and unify far-right parties in order to win seats in the May 2019 European Parliamentary elections.
coming soon to itunes
The Brink - Official UK Trailer
When Steve Bannon left his position as White House chief strategist less than a week after the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally in August 2017, he was already a notorious figure in Trump's inner circle, and for bringing a far-right ideology into the highest echelons of American politics. Unconstrained by an official post — though some say he still has a direct line to the White House — he became free to peddle influence as a perceived kingmaker, turning his controversial brand of nationalism into a global movement. The Brink follows Bannon through the 2018 mid-term elections in the United States, shedding light on his efforts to mobilise and unify far-right parties in order to win seats in the May 2019 European Parliamentary elections. To maintain his power and influence, the former Goldman Sachs banker and media investor reinvents himself — as he has many times before — this time as the self-appointed leader of a global populist movement. Keen manipulator of the press and gifted self-promoter, Bannon continues to draw headlines and protests wherever he goes, feeding the powerful myth on which his survival relies.
Alison Klayman
Alison Klayman's directorial debut Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry about the Chinese artist and activist premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival where it was awarded a US Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance. The film was released theatrically around the globe and shortlisted for the Academy Award. Her other films include The 100 Years Show (theatrical run at Film Forum) about Cuban-American artist Carmen Herrera, the Netflix Original Take Your Pills (SXSW 2018) and the upcoming short Flower Punk about Japanese artist Azuma Makoto. She also executive produced the award-winning documentaries Hooligan Sparrow and On Her Shoulders.
"Startling"
"Gripping"
"A must-see"
If you like The Brink
Best of Enemies


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Civil liberties are specific limitations on government power to protect our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Never before have these freedoms been so threatened, as the government continues to invade our privacy and circumvent the due process of law. The constitutionally protected rights to freedom of speech, right to a fair trial, and promise of equal treatment under the law must be defended at all costs.
http://www.freedomworks.org/issue/civil-liberties?page=31
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Culture ●
Music ●
People ●
Caribbean Diaspora ●
The Amazing Ms Nicki Minaj
Nigel Telesford traces the rapper's meteoric career from her beginnings in Trinidad and Tobago
By Nigel Telesford | Issue 111 (September/October 2011)
Minaj greets her fans while performing in Trinidad. Photograph by Andrea De Silva
Nicki Minaj. Photograph by D Project Records/Young Money Entertainment
Minaj performs in Trinidad. Photograph by Andrea De Silva
Photograph by D PROJECT RECORDS/ YOUNG MONEY ENTERTAINMENT
Born in St James, Trinidad, in 1984, Onika Tanya Maraj is now the genre-defying, multiple-accented songwriter, recording artiste, and performer known as Nicki Minaj.
She's been featured on MTV in a half-hour documentary, My Time Now, in which she shared her life story, her achievements, and scenes from a trip home that she made late last year. Millions of viewers saw her take charge of her career as a businesswoman and express her talent in the studio and onstage as a spotlight-stealing rapper. They also witnessed her emotional side as she broke down and cried on camera during an emotional conversation about her late grandmother.
It's this combination of music, drama, sex appeal, and multiple personalities that has captivated millions of fans around the world and drawn them to this young MC and singer.
"From the time she was born," her mother Carol said, "I knew she was talented, and by the time she turned 11, she was always performing and doing stuff. Her success at this level still really took me by surprise, but I'm enjoying it. I'm very proud of her."
Minaj's family migrated to the US when she was five. She dealt with a delinquent, alcoholic father while studying drama at La Guardia High School in Queens, New York. After leaving school, she did a few odd jobs before focusing on music and working the mix-tape circuit. But she was turned down by almost all the major recording labels before multi-platinum rapper Lil Wayne scooped her up to join his Young Money crew in 2009. In less than two years, she rose to the top of the Billboard charts and became a star. But that doesn't mean it was easy.
"Hard work is key," Minaj said during her visit to Trinidad. "You'll be surprised how once you start working hard, the stars will align. I had been rejected so much that I didn't want to go to a record company and hear that again. I just did my own thing and let them come to me, so now I have the power of what kind of contract I'm gonna sign. It doesn't matter where you are in life, but when you do your own thing and you master you, they're gonna come…but if you think it's gonna happen overnight, you're gonna fail. I always believed that God was gonna answer my prayers 'cause I'd been praying for this forever. That's my outlook on life."
She also advised up-and-coming artistes, "The Internet is bridging so many gaps. Market yourself and use the Internet. That's what we have at our disposal right now. You don't need a record company, you can do it yourself.
"I'm a Trinidadian artiste and I got this far, so you can do anything you put your mind to. That's how I live my life, that's what I believe."
Minaj is focusing on one aspect of her career at a time. So although she's been receiving and reading various movie scripts, she isn't going to get into that field right away.
"I studied acting for four years," she said, "so yes, I want to explore that. But right now I'm just really focused on my album, Pink Friday, and that's the only thing that my life has been about, so I kind of put acting to the side for now. Right now, it's all about the music."
Minaj also withdrew from performing on Rihanna's "Last Girl on Earth" tour last year to focus on recording her debut album. She knew exactly how she wanted it to sound.
"When I started rapping," she explained, "people were trying to make me like the typical New York rapper, but I'm not that. No disrespect to New York rappers, but I don't want people to hear me and know exactly where I'm from. I wanted the album to be universal and versatile. It really feels like it speaks for every one of my personalities."
Minaj says she's proud of her Trinidad & Tobago heritage and was exposed to Caribbean culture during her formative years.
"One thing I always do, and I'm gonna do more, is just say I'm from Trinidad."
She remembered her mother playing calypso at home.
"But I do remember them playing a lot of Bob Marley when I was little," she added. "I heard the accent. And my aunts would play a lot of calypso in the house. We would also go to Labor Day in New York."
She said she was interested in collaborating with soca performers Machel Montano and Destra Garcia.
"I actually wanted to do a track with Destra and Machel for my album, but we didn't get it together in time. I didn't want to put them on something with me and dilute their true essence. I want it to be an authentic-sounding song. I went on the computer and I googled Machel's stuff, and I really liked the song 'Congo Man'.
("Congo Man", of course, is actually a version of the Mighty Sparrow's 1965 classic, which Sparrow remade with Montano in 2008.)
"I will definitely work with them sometime soon. With Destra, I've never even spoken to her, but I always hear her and I love her voice. I 'rep' Trinidad proudly and once my album comes out, I think I'll be in a better space to bring Trinidad to the world. You know, the music, the culture – everything."
In August 2010, Minaj became the first female rapper to top Billboard's rap chart unaccompanied since Missy Elliot in 2002 with her smash hit "Your Love".
In October, she set a new record as the first artiste to have seven singles on the Hot 100 chart simultaneously. Her collaborations included:
• "My Chick Bad" Ludacris
• "Knockout" Lil Wayne
• "Bottom's Up" Trey Songz
• "Lil Freak" Usher"
• "Letting Go (Dutty Love)" Sean Kingston
• "2012 (It Ain't the End)" Jay Sean
According to Soundscan, these songs amassed over US$4 million in sales and her own single, "Your Love," earned over US$750,000 before she even released an accompanying video.
To round off her breakthrough year, Minaj also won several BET, MTV Video, Underground Music, and BET Hip Hop Awards, and was nominated for Best International Act at the UK's MOBO Awards.
Pink Friday facts
Released on November 22, Pink Friday debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 200 Chart, just behind one of her collaborators, Kanye West. The album straddles various genres as Minaj flows effortlessly from boisterous hip-hop ("Roman's Revenge", "Did It On Em"), glossy pop ("Check It Out", "Your Love") and vulnerable R&B ("Right Thru Me", "Here I Am").
The eclectic list of collaborators includes Will.i.am, Drake, Rihanna, and Natasha Bedingfield, and the CD features production by West, Swizz Beatz, Bangladesh, Drew Money, and Oak, among others.
Praise from her peers
Last December, Rolling Stone magazine crowned Minaj the new "Queen of Hip-Hop".
Jay-Z suggested her to Robin Thicke for their eventual collaboration, "Shakin' It for Daddy".
Kanye West called her "the scariest artist in the game right now". He went on to say: "She has the most potential out of everyone to be the number-two rapper of all time ('cause nobody's gonna be bigger than Eminem)."
The pleasures of Port Antonio, Jamaica
Chris Browne: third world filmmaker


My first paid project was a tri-fold brochure for a local business back in 2000.
My current projects deal with helping businesses formulate content strategies that combine traditional with social media marketing. That means targeting audiences in the right channels and engaging them with lead generating content, as well as planning editorial calendars for clients to use for blogging and social media updates. I also ghost-blog for a limited number of clients, and have just finished co-authoring a band new book entitled: Solving the Social Media Puzzle: 7 Simple Steps to Planning a Social Media Marketing Strategy for Your Business.
That has to be the moment I saw my co-author hold up a newly-printed copy of our book!
I write my "To Do" list every evening before quitting work for the day. Early morning is usually checking email, looking at my Google Reader account for interesting articles to share, and posting updates. My goal is to have scheduling and posting social updates for my clients done by mid-morning, then making any phone calls I have to make.
My best creative time is early afternoon to evening, so I save my writing and editing projects for that time period. It really works best if I can lock the door, turn off the phone, email and other distractions. If not, I sometimes have to work late into the evening! But it's almost like reading a good book – once you're on a roll, you have a hard time stopping. I'm very deadline motivated, so very often I end up working late because I hate to have things hanging over my head.
In between, I schedule client interviews and listen to webinars on industry topics. One day a week I keep a morning slot open for physical networking to get out of the basement and interact with people.
I love the fact that I have a 10-second commute to my basement office, and I have the flexibility to work around the family schedule.
I've owned and operated several small businesses before, but didn't like the fixed schedule and other limitations (not to mention having to work every holiday). I feel much less restrained and free to create now. Also, my husband, who is a graphic designer, joined the business full-time. We work together to create social profiles and content for clients, and he's also my in-house editor for all my writing projects. It's a great partnership!
The best tip I can give is to have a written plan for your day, week, month and year, and schedule your writing time in your calendar every day. You can get much more done if you prioritize your work, schedule no more than 4-5 MUST DOs each day, and don't beat yourself up too much if you don't get all of them all done.
Also, make sure your clients can find you on social channels as well as your website. In this day and age, it's really essential to be active on social platforms. Pick one or two where your clients are most likely to spend time, develop a good profile for yourself that ties into your web brand, and use an editorial calendar to keep yourself on track for posting content. Limit your time on social channels, however, so it doesn't become a huge time-drain. Use an egg-timer and set it for 15 minutes, do what you have to do, and log out.
Once I developed a niche specialty and was able to charge more for my work, it began to be less of a struggle and much more fun. It took a few years to build up a decent portfolio. However, once that milestone was reached, I felt confident that I was delivering real value to my clients and getting paid to do something I don't just like but LOVE. That was it!


Brought some rice and scraps of Jamie's sushi from dinner last night. Had the rice for breakfast.
Lunch was a few bites left from the omelet Debbie took home from KW Sunday.
I'm starting to really get into this scavenger roll. It's very interesting how in tune you become about how much food gets tossed in the garbage every day. I could do a long write up about that.
Sashimi pieces for pre dinner snack at work.
Cheats - Admittedly I had a small bowl of chocolate chips and mini marshmallows (twice). I hope I don't pay the price for this indulgence - meaning a head banger. We'll see. Let's call it a mini experiment to see if my body can handle it.