Holidays can be rough during normal times. As the pandemic continues, feelings of isolation and loneliness can really get intensified during the holiday season as more and more lockdowns are happening again around the world.

It’s so easy to get into a funk but with a little help, it’s easy to start seeing there is a light at the end of this tunnel. So, as my gift to you, I wanted to give you some hope, some inspiration, and some motivation so you can enjoy the holidays in a different way by celebrating you!

Celebration #1 – Pamper Yourself by Giving and Doing for You!

Online stores like Amazon or Michael’s Craft Stores can be a girl’s best friend during these times, helping you pamper yourself with fun things for you to enjoy and do. You can do something as simple as order a book you’ve wanted to read or buy some of your favorite bubble bath gels so you can enjoy a relaxing luxurious bath.

I’ve really gotten into my creativity over the last two years and have made amazing afghans that feel so good to curl up under to watch TV or take a nap.

I also discovered diamond painting. It’s kind of like the old paint by numbers activity we did as kids but with beads instead of paint. I just grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and put on my favorite music when I diamond paint. I find it to be so relaxing and it just clears my mind.

If you’re able to be out and about, consider pampering yourself with a massage, or a manicure and pedicure. Either way, give yourself the gift of doing something special for you every day over the next couple of weeks. You deserve it!

Celebration #2 – Connect with Friends and Family in Person or Virtually

Remember that song by Sam Cooke that starts like this… “Another Saturday night and I ain’t got nobody”?

Saturday nights and the holiday season don’t have to be that way. As a single woman, you need people in your life to share the stories of your daily life with. You can feel really alone when celebrations and tough times are done on your own every day.

To overcome this dilemma, write a list of people you’d like to connect or reconnect with. (They’ll probably be thrilled to connect with you too!)Then schedule a date to either meet at a fun restaurant or pub or connect via Zoom, Face Time, Google Duo or the What’s App for a Happy Hour to catch up.

If you feel comfortable, get all your single girlfriends together and do a Virtual or in person New Years’ Eve dinner.How fun would that be and you for sure won’t feel so alone!

Celebration #3 – Create a Vision Board

If you have some magazines or a printer and access to Pinterest, you can create a vision board. If you’ve never done a vision board before, they are so much fun to do. When I do them, I start by setting up a time span of 5 years for my Vision Board. I put a date at the top like… 1/1/2022 – 12/31/2026. You can also do 1-year or 3-year vision boards as well.

Next, start looking through magazines and cut out pictures that resonate with you. No magazines lying around? No worries. Take some time to browse Pinterest and print pictures or words that feel good to you.

I’m always amazed how many things on my Vision Board come true. I remember tucking one Vision Board way back in my closet. (Today, I have them in my office where I can see them) I’d totally forgotten it was there until one day I was hunting for a sweater I’d been wanting to wear. I looked at that Vision Board and a pink sweater was on it.

Then I noticed I’d put pictures of the Eiffel Tower and a high-speed train on the same Vision Board. Two years prior to finding this board, my daughter had done a college semester in London. When we visited her, we had gone to the Eiffel Tower and had taken the Chunnel Train from London to Paris.

Oh, and one picture I’d cut out was of a man that looked so similar to the man I was dating when I’d found the vision board.

It was really fun to see how the pictures I’d cut out for my 5-year board had come true. This is a really good time for you to start dreaming again and a vision board is the PERFECT way to do it.

Believing in you!

Are you spending the holidays by yourself? Whom would you like to connect/reconnect with? What activity sounds interesting to immerse in? Have you tried diamond painting? How many of the things you’ve placed on your vision boards have come true?

Adriana de Moura’s Blue Cutout Dress

The Real Housewives of Miami Season 4 Episode 2 Fashion

Adriana de Moura’s blue cutout dress has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes me feel some type of way about it. And in this case, I can quickly identify that feeling as true love because when I saw it is sold out, I ended up with a broken heart.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to See her Derek Lam 10 Crosby Talia Dress

Originally posted at: Adriana de Moura’s Blue Cutout Dress

Women are living longer than ever and are remaining vital into advanced old age. As a result, it is possible that we will outlive our significant others and our savings or will need to supplement our retirement income. Additionally, many of us who have aged out of the corporate world are seeking employment that would give our lives meaning.

Perhaps you are already thinking of starting a business by monetizing your passions. Every day, we run across news stories about women who have made millions with simple ideas. Spanx, anyone? However, before you invest valuable time and money, you must ask yourself, “Is there a market demand for my passion?”

You will have to answer this question by doing market research – regardless of whether your business is going to be digital or brick and mortar.

Which questions should you be asking yourself as you do your research? Let’s take a look.

Is There a Market for My Passion?

For example, before I began my website design company, I was a writer. But I am also passionate about art, and I love doing research and solving problems. Website design is a perfect melding of my interests.

I knew my services would be in demand since every business needs a new website, updates on their existing website, or maintenance services. There are also add-on services such as search engine optimization, blogging, and various forms of digital or traditional marketing that I could offer.

Eventually, I could sell courses, templates, affiliate products and the like. Therefore, the answer was yes, there is a market for my passion.

Who Are My Potential Clients or Customers?

One of the key factors in your analysis is to understand your target market thoroughly. The way you brand your business will be determined by the demographic you are targeting. For example, your voice, your value proposition, your brand images, and colors should be targeted to appeal to your demographic from the outset.

Fortunately, the advertising industry has spent billions of dollars researching the preferences of various demographics. You can apply their findings for free.

What should you take into account when determining your target market?

• Age
• Gender
• Income
• Location
• Occupation
• Level of education
• Familial status.

You can build a buyer persona using your knowledge. For example, you want to start a skincare line. The way you package your product and market it will vary depending on your targeted demographic.

Does your audience consist of well-educated urban women over 50 with a substantial disposable income? Then words like “exclusive ingredients,” “rich cream,” “coveted product,” “indulgence,” “ageless,” and “miraculous rejuvenation” tend to go with luxury packaging in colors that will appeal to over-50s.

Is your skincare product green, natural, and holistic? Your offer will be targeting an entirely different market, and your branding must align with the values and aesthetic preferences of that market.

How Big Is My Market?

Is your business going to be local or global? Understanding the size of your market will help you determine how much you could potentially earn.

How Much Is My Market Willing to Spend?

There is no need to second guess. Your competition has done much of the work for you. However, once you find your niche, you must learn how to communicate your value to your customers.

For example, many people can build websites these days. But, as websites have gotten easier to build, being found online has gotten harder. That’s why I don’t simply build websites but write search engine optimized content that helps Google understand what those pages are about.

My background as a writer allows me to tell my clients’ stories in an interesting way while making the content all about what they can do for their own clients or customers.

Who Is My Competition?

Identify your competition. Surprisingly, many business owners can’t correctly identify their direct competition. I recently did some work for a suburban wedding venue that includes traditional banquet halls. I asked them who their competition was so that I could look into their various online offerings.

Surprisingly, they were only correctly able to identify one other banquet hall as their competition. They assumed that a ballroom in a luxury hotel in the heart of the city and a historical mansion that could host boutique wedding parties were also competition. Don’t make the mistake making invalid comparisons. Only compare like with like.

What Are My Competition’s Strengths and Weaknesses?

Take a good look at the competition and:

• Study their website and see how clear they are about their messaging
• Check out their customer service
• Examine their products or services
• Read their reviews
• Use their services
• See if they are using social media or ads effectively.

What Can I Do Better (Which Problems or Pain Points Can I Resolve Better) Than My Competition?

Ask yourself where you can shine or which areas will put you ahead of your competitors:

• A better product
• Better customer service
• Better pricing
• A superpower your competitors don’t have.

Initially when I began my website business, I thought that my ability to write excellent search engine optimized content was my superpower. As time went on, I realized I was branding my clients’ sites to specifically appeal to their targeted demographics.

Since the Covid crises, I’ve been consulting with clients to improve their overall branding, that is, the way a business appears everywhere online from Google business pages to LinkedIn to other social media. These days, a website is only part of your branding and must be integrated into a holistic marketing plan.

Is There Anything Else I Need to Know?

A final question you can ask yourself is – will I market my business as a B2C or a B2B. I’ve run across various types of coaches online who market their services to corporate businesses instead of individuals. Obviously, they can charge big business much more than they can private clients.

Additionally, you can also create packages in the form of online courses, seminars with upsells and the like that would create a passive income for your business in time.

Finally

If you have been able to answer these questions, you are ready to start thinking about financing and then branding. In future posts, I will show you how to brand your business, create a branded website, and get noticed online.

What is your passion and do you think you can monetize it? Have you done some research on the topic? What do you know about online branding and have you utilized it yet?

Alexia Echevarria’s Purple Skirt

Real Housewives of Miami Season 4 Episode 2 Fashion

While I’m having a little trouble keeping track of the male-driven drama in Alexia Echevarria’s life because I’m horrible with names—I mean, Peter, Frankie, Todd, Herman, Herman’s lover…it’s a lot for anyone I would assume—I am NOT having trouble keeping track of her purple skirt. Because while it’s not a piece I would normally pick out for myself, now that I’ve seen it on Alexia I can totally picture myself in it. Especially since it’s on sale and I’ll never forget the name of the man started the brand that designed it.

Click Here to Shop her Helmut Lang Skirt

Click Here for Additional Stock in Lavender and Black

Versace Shirt Sold Out (She may have altered it)

Originally posted at: Alexia Echevarria’s Purple Skirt

There’s a good reason why It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Concealer is so popular. OK, there are a few good reasons. It’s full coverage — but not cakey — and smoothes aging skin, hiding dark circles for up to 24 hours. It’s worth the price tag. But it’s still on the pricey side and folks have been trying to find a dupe for ages. One TikToker thinks she found the perfect It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye dupe. Oh, and it’s on sale for just around $5.

“When I fall in love with a high-end product, there’s a 99.9 percent chance I’m going to try to dupe it,” TikToker @lalaluvbeauty says in her video. She thinks she found it with CoverGirl’s new Outlast Extreme Wear Concealer. They’re both full coverage and waterproof with the promise to cover even the hint of dark under eyes. She tries one under each eye and is impressed with the coverage of both.

Courtesy of IT Cosmetics.

CoverGirl.

CoverGirl has 20 shades and It Cosmetics has 24. CoverGirl is a bit more lightweight, while It Cosmetics’ concealer is a bit thicker. During the wear test, @lalaluvbeauty found both concealers stayed put through a holiday party in humid Florida temperatures. She couldn’t even tell the difference between the two.

Now, this being TikTok, commenters said they could see the difference. Many thought It Cosmetics still had better coverage, though some likes the natural look of CoverGirl’s concealer. One commenter said she would use both: CoverGirl for everyday and It Cosmetics for when she needs a heavier glam.

The general consensus? They’re both really good options — especially for aging skin. And considering CoverGirl’s Outlast Extreme Wear Concealer is on sale at Amazon right now for less than $10, it’s pretty much a must-have in your beauty routine. Hurry before the rest of TikTok finds it and makes it sell out.