Guest Post: Having it all – An Inspirational Journey to Becoming a Superwoman by Ritu Sethi

Featured Photo: Ritu Sethi

Every decision we make leads us down a different path – it is up to you to decide which one. 

You may not be able to change your circumstances, but you can enact change within yourself if you are willing to accept personal responsibility and guidance.

Ritu Sethi – Author “Having it all – An Inspirational Journey to Becoming A Superwoman”

There is an age-old question that plagues so many young women today and it is not a new one. It is one that has been around for decades; ever since women in the workplace became a common sight. However, as increasing demands continue to beg on everyone’s time, this ever-evolving question proceeds to grow.

The question began from whether there was really such a notion as a happy work-life balance for women. This meant addressing the conversation that women often had to choose between their personal responsibilities vs going to work and being the financial provider for their family. 

In this current society, the spectrum of technological advancements accessible to us at our fingertips has meant that women are finding it increasingly hard to merely switch between each area of life unscathed. On top of this, Social Media apps do a great job of constantly reminding us of this presented requirement to have an enviable social life going spare to feel accepted, or to download the newest fitness apps as a pre-requisite for reaching a peak state of health, digital banking apps that must be mandatory if you want for a healthy bank account, or meditation as a spiritual reminder to encourage time out, self-care, and mental health awareness. Not to mention searching for added space and time dedicated to intimate relationships and family time too. No wonder so many women are exhausted all the time!

As a Lawyer, Entrepreneur, Mother, and Wife, I share my strategy for ‘having it all’. It is based on the idea of compartmentalizing all areas of your life into eight accessible sectors and understanding how to balance all these areas. My suggestions are a guide to self-improvement and I want the experience to be a personal journey for you and to encompass all there is in life, as a working woman.

‘Having It All Now’: An Inspirational Journey to Becoming Superwoman’ is my own interpretation of advisory and solution-orientated guidance for women. 

You will feel empowered and equipped  to take charge of each area of your life, including:

1} Self-development. Are you truly happy in yourself or should you step away for a moment and re-evaluate life objectively, just for you.

2} Finance and wealth. How much money do you need to reach financial security and increased financial freedom? How will you do this? One small saving every day (even skipping each morning’s coffee on the way to work) will help you save.

3} Have you experienced the power of intimacy and love? The passion that comes when you least expect it, one that consumes your senses? If you need a bit of guidance here, this book explores the reasons why you are good enough, the uniqueness and qualities within yourself and how to best bring them out and how to be seen. 

4} Stuck in your career? After all, how do you break through an invisible glass ceiling within your professional life? You have the ability to make a conscious decision to break with the imaginary boundaries that are products of years of false conditioning and then the rewards are yours to be had.  We guide you on how to exude the confidence to make it to the next promotion and reap those rewards.

5} You are your own definition of health and beauty.  There cannot be just one definition of beauty in a world so vast and different, but we do know that there is a plan to enjoying total peak health. That one does not just happen on its own.

6} Love is all that a child really wants from their parents, so take 5 minutes to hug them every day, to feel the heartbeat of your child puts the world back into perspective. That support and nurturing is also a steadfast way to encourage them to embrace the world. Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect parent, so why strive to be one?

7} Your social life can only be a reflection of the choices you make, on how you choose to spend your free time, and your ability to be a good friend. We explore how you can surround yourself with like-minded friends who will boost you in your search for balance and happiness.

8} Lastly, spirituality and creativity are your subjective choice, and once you have read through how to dispel many of the demons you may now face, there will be one important light and eye-opener that will be your guide. 

The results you will get is an insight into NOT putting off the  ‘luxuries’ that life has to offer you for another day, and instead to make today the day to stop and reflect on your life balance and Life choices resting in the realization that you can make the subtle changes you need so you too will begin the journey to ‘having it all now’. 

About the author

Ritu Sethi is the Founder and Senior Partner of The Sethi Partnership Solicitors, recently winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in Law 2019. She is also a public speaker, and her book ‘A Woman’s Guide to Having it All now’ was voted ‘Best Inspirational Book’ by IBBF. For further information and to order your copy; visit www.ritusethi.com   Or www.sethi.co.uk 

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So, What is “Gal-Entines” And Why Should It Be Celebrated?!

Featured Image – Bing

Let me share what Gal-Entines is ALLLLLLLL about take it away Leslie!

Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation

Thank you my Gal pal, Leslie. I’ll take it over from here.

Yes, there is such a thing as Gal-Entines! WHICH is to be celebrated today! So happy Gal-Entines to ALL of my ladies out there. As you can see per Leslie (Amy Poehler), it’s a celebration with your gal pals whether you’re married or NOT! Now I know V-Day is officially tomorrow and it’s a day where all the single ladies are either celebrating themselves or a little pa-turd that they’re not getting the roses and the chocolates. I get it, I used to be that way too but hey, why not celebrate ourselves right? After all we deserve it, whether you’re boo’d up or NOT!

Check this post out 👉👉👉 Beware of Coupling Season! Are You A Victim?

I don’t know about you but for the past 4 or 5 years, I’ve always treated “V-Day” like any other day. However, to celebrate the occasion, I’d always go and grab my favorite dish from the Olive Garden, get me a piece of cake from my other favorite place (Confection Connection) and go home to watch a good movie. And there you’d have it, Valentine’s Day was over…

This year, I wanted to do something a little different. After talking to other single gals, I realized that I wasn’t the only one that celebrated this way. There were a plethora of “single” ladies who weren’t boo’d up just like me. So why should I have to stay in the house? My sentiments, EXACTLY!.

I’m unsure how it’s all going to go down, but I’ve planned an event for our singles ministry this year all themed around the “Gals” – there will be arts and crafts, games, food, spoken word and hopefully a lot of laughs and a lot of good times. So, we’ll see how it pans out. I am asking for a small fee for this event (i.e $7) but you’d pay more than that eating out! The event is tomorrow although I know the official “Gal-Entines” day is supposed to happen the day before V-Day I just couldn’t let a Friday go to waste.

Another Good Read 👉 5 Common Mistakes Women Must Give Up, To Get The Man of Their Dreams

As women, we need to celebrate each other, even if you do have a boo. Gal-Entines is all about celebration and good times, something that women don’t do enough of, especially in regards to one another. I don’t know what your plans are for this Gal-Entines day or even tomorrow, but whatever you do, make sure you show the special “Gals” around you, some love and appreciation!

Plan a party, an outing or go to the movies….they have this new movie entitled “The Photograph” starring Issa Rae (Insecure) and Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out) that looks amazing and it comes out tomorrow on Valentine’s Day! (Can someone say, GIRLS TRIP!!) Anywho, no matter what you decide, make sure you get out with your best gal pals either today or sometime during the weekend to check that out or just have a really good time. Andddd It’s not too late to plan…

Listen, us gals just want to have FUN and why not do it together!! – As that’s what “Gal-Entines” is truly ALL about!

Marietta Sangai Sirleaf, better known as Retta – Parks and Recreation

What I learned From Attending A Town Forum & Why You Should Attend One Too.

Featured Picture courtesy of Bing

I’ve often shared many times on this blog that I’m NOT a political person and NO I’m not about to surprise you and say but you know what “I Really Am” – I’m really NOT. However, on my quest of saying YES towards the end of last year, attending a town forum was something interesting I wanted to do in spite of my brain saying NOOOOOOO…

While I wanted to say no, I was somewhat intrigued to go and find out what a “town forum” was all about and if I can be honest, by the end of it, I was very happy I attended.

And Here’s Why …

But before I get into that, just in case you don’t know what a town forum is – let me give you the definition here: Town hall meetings also referred to as town halls or town hall forums, are a way for local and national politicians to meet with their constituents, either to hear from them on topics of interest or to discuss specific upcoming legislation or regulations. It’s a place for town members to communicate with political leaders and those running for specific positions within that community or town.

So now that you know what it is, here’s why I’m glad I participated.

For quite a few years I’ve always seen political signs around my place of residence, town, and county. That’s how I always know when there’s some type of election going on outside of the BIG one where we choose a new president of the United States. Sadly, I’ve never participated in those “smaller” elections just the big ones. However, after attending the town forum – I realized that there are individuals who represent us “more than I knew about” on a smaller level. I mean don’t get me wrong, the President of the United States plays a major role in decision making and how it affects us on a state level. The mayor of our local towns and individuals running for the council seats, represent us on a local/county level.

Attending the forum was informative, for our county – two years were up and it was time to pick a new mayor and individuals who put their name in the hat to sit on the board of elections. You had people that had served for mayor consecutively as well as others who were vying for the coveted seat. There were also individuals who served on the city council consecutively that were running again and those who were giving them a good run for their money in trying to take the seat from them.

The forum was set inside a school auditorium, once you entered you were greeted by registrants who gave you the information in regards to each candidate. They even had snacks, if you wanted those – “Guess these events last for quite a while, I thought.” – While I took my information and bypassed the snacks, I was surprised to see so many people out in support of this event. As I took my seat, there were already people sitting upfront. There was the candidate who was looking to get elected again and the newbie who was looking to get voted in. There was a moderator up reading the questions that the audience wrote down for each candidate to answer – some were specific to the current candidate and others were for the nominee and there were the occasional ones that were for both.

It was interesting to say the least, here are my takeaways in which helped me immensely when it came down to casting my vote!

#1. You Can Put A Name With A Face! – I’m sure you’ve heard this before, It’s one thing to see all those signs around the town of a person’s name. However, it’s even better to put a name and a face together, this is good – especially when you’re looking down at that voting ballot and wondering “Who the Heck is Joe Banana!” lol…

#2. You Get A Good Look At Whose Running & Their Mission/Why Statement – Another thing that will come to your mind looking down at the ballot is what the individual said in the town forum. Did their goals/actions for your community line up with your thoughts? Do they seem like they’ll get the job done? Plus you’ll have time to talk with them one on one afterward – Face and Body language of an individual is KEY!

Gain Knowledge about Your Community – there were things said on the forum that I had no idea was going on within my own community. There may even be things you can do to help out. Knowledge is POWER!

Having gone to the town forum, it made voting very easy for me. I knew the faces, heard the speeches and that’s how I made my determination. Not from a paper just being given to me upon walking into the voting arena but from my own knowledge of what I saw as well as heard. Another thing I learned was what “district” I was actually in. This is very important as everyone that has a sign plastered across the highway may not necessarily be in your district, this is more meaningful when it comes to the ones running for a council seat. So make sure the person you’re rooting for is actually IN your district. As the voting ballot will only display the ones that are.

With the biggest election happening this year, electing a new President of the U.S. I’m not a political person, however, I do vote and feel as though if you haven’t ever done it before? Try going to a town forum or paying close attention to the news of the candidates running for President in both Democratic and Republican parties for yourself. Also, while we’re on the heels of voting for a new President there are also people in your communities who are looking to get your vote as well to either stay in their current official office or the nomination of a newly elected official to take over. Find out today who those people are and see if there will be any forums and etc. going on in your community that you can attend.

You’ll be glad you did. And Surprisingly? I truly was..

It’s A Super Bowl “FOOD” Fest!!

Featured Photo: Cocina Delirante

Are you ready for the Superbowl?

Super Bowl LIV will be this upcoming Sunday, February 2nd, 2020 at 6:30pm ET/3:30 PT it’s the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs! Now I know I’m talking right now as if I’m a HUGE Football fan but in reality, I’M REALLY NOT! – HAHAHAHA!! I mean…

Iyanla Vanzant – Fix My Life

YASSSS, I mean. I just learned what a 1st down was like two years ago…. I know, I know. So, I’m really not the fanatic fan, however, I have watched the game and have learned to cheer along when I saw everyone else cheering, you know I just didn’t want to feel out of place. I will watch it, just know that I will be asking quite a few questions if we watch it together – I warned ya!

So, what could be better than the Superbowl? THE FOOD!!!

I usually go to football gatherings/parties for this reason and this reason alone. The food is amazing and guess what, it’s lots of it. So, while everyone is cheering for the touchdown. I’m touching down in the kitchen to get another plate of wings!

Do you have Superbowl parties at your house or do you like going to them?

If Superbowl LIV is going to be at your house this year and you’re still trying to figure out what to cook up, I have a couple of old and new football party favorites recipes that will get your crowd cheering for the team as well as for the FOOD!

Recipe #1 – Barbequed Lil Smokies

These are very easy to make and one of my favorites, they’re good, small and don’t take up a lot of room in my plate while I’m feeling it up with other goodies!

Recipe #2 – Slider Burgers

Who doesn’t love a GOOD burger? I know I do and when they’re small enough to fit in your mouth, that’s even better for a Superbowl party. I mean you want finger foods and these little minis are not only the perfect addition but the perfect size. I substitute for turkey, but you can fix them however you like.

Recipe #3 – Wings and More Wings Please!

I’m a HUGE wing lover. I absolutely love chicken wings, wingettes, turkey wings – okay, just about anything with a wing, lol! You CAN’T have a Superbowl party with out wings, like it’s just not common and I’m going to have to take your chicken wing card if you do, lol. Wings are the staple for any party, I especially LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the flats. Do you love chicken wings?

Recipe #4 – Loaded Baked Potato Dip…Yum!\

This is a new recipe that I haven’t tried but I’m sure will win your crowd over. I love a good loaded baked potato myself (I mean, I’m just a foodie anyway…sigh) any who, this will be a great addition to any party.

Recipe #5 – Where’s the Chocolate Footballs!

No party is good with a little something to satisfy the sweet tooth and these chocolate football cookie balls looked so delicious. If you wanted to get super creative, you could decorate the outside to display both teams that are playing. Your crowd will be amazed at your talent but most of all happy that you’re not making them choose a side, in which you can just make them generic, that’s your choice as well.

No matter how you choose to celebrate the Superbowl, whether it’s by way of a party or a party of one OR two, it’s all about enjoying the moment and seizing the present with special friends and family. And on that note…

I want to give my heartfelt, sincerest condolences to the family of Kobe & Gianna Bryant, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Ara Zobayan & Sarah Chester. I know a lot of the news has been mainly on 5-time NBA Championship/MVP Kobe Bryant, 41 and I get it, he was the best (outside of Michael Jordan) basketball player of all time. His work ethic, mamba mentality and love of basketball garnered him much success and it looks as if his 13-yr. old daughter, Gianna Bryant was going to carry on that MAMBA legacy in the future for the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) before their sudden and unfortunate demise this past Sunday, January 26th.

Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant

However, there are 7 other families that are hurting as well and from what I’ve been reading, they received the news like everyone else of their family’s demise by the news outlet and not a police official. To hear about your love, one dying through a news outlet, is beyond devastating. I can’t imagine what any of these families must be going through at this time, although I’ve lost a mother, so I know about loss and the dredging feeling of hopelessness it brings. Husbands lost wives, Wives lost husbands, Children lost siblings and friends lost best friends. It’s a tragedy that no one saw coming or even imagined in their wildest dreams.

Tonight, say their and their family’s names in your prayers – it’s going to be a LONG road ahead and they’re going to need every well wish possible to keep forging forward as they all take one step at a time towards healing. Allow this unfortunate tragedy of theirs help you make peace and get closer to the special ones in your life. No more grudges, No more hard feelings. Show peace and love, even if it’s not shown back to you. We only get one life and what we do with it is our responsibility.

May those 9 hearts, Rest in Heaven & In Peace.


Is Your Business Set Up To Receive Money, Honey?

Featured Photo by: Pixabay from Pexels

Last summer, God blessed me to become a solopreneur and while it was liberating to finally get my business off the ground. The blazing trails to making my first 6 figures (Yes, I’m a big dreamer!) have been filled with rocks, turbulence, and strong winds to say the least. Being a business owner is hard work, and that’s saying it lightly. There are a lot of things that you have to do to get your business UP off the ground and running. Now, I have to be honest, you’re not going to have every “i” dotted and every “t” crossed when you open up for business. Most things you’ll learn as you go – but the basics should already be set in stone.

And one of those “basic” things is…….drumroll, please……taking payments! Yessss, now that you’re open for business this is one of the “main” things on your to-do-list that you should have figured out. However, you’ll be surprised that most businesses “DON’T!!” I know, I see your shocked face and trust me – I’m quite a bit shocked myself!

Things we’re not taking out time to implement today, Is Business Lost Tomorrow!

Roshonda N. Blackmon

So, you might ask – Well, what sort of payment system should be set up? I mean, taking cash is good enough, right? And while I’m so inclined to say yes, I have to give you a hard nod in the NO direction. With technology being as BOOMING as it is, I would suggest that every business owner (whether you’re brick and mortar or doing it from the house) you need more than ONE payment system set up to get your hard-earned dough.

After all – you put in the work to get your baby up and running and the last thing you want or need, is to lose money in the process. As Sweet Brown states:

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And you’re right Sweet, nobody has time for that, not even you Business Parent!! So, I’m going to give you 3 suggested payment options that you should have, just in case your ideal client – Doesn’t have CASH on hand.

#1 PAYPAL

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PayPal – Available at the Playstore of Apple store

I absolutely love PayPal and had it set-up for my business before it even got off the ground. PayPal allows you to send invoices to your clients and you can also set up recurring invoices for bigger jobs. Let’s say a project of yours cost $500 and the client doesn’t have all the money at once ( I would suggest always getting a down payment on anything) you can set up your invoices to be sent to them at certain times.

Such as the 1st, 15th or the 30th of the month – this way you don’t have to get into your computer every time and send it manually. PayPal can do it for you! You can also set up taxes and it let’s you create a drop-down list for your most popular services, so that way you’re not inputting the same information every time. Be aware that PayPal does charge taxes for money that comes in, so if you’re charging $15.00 for something – just know that it will take a percentage of it. If your client does pay the invoice, you can ask that they take care of the tax on their end before sending it back. You can also download PayPal for your phone as well, which makes it even simpler.

#2 SQUARE

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Square Reader – Available at the Playstore or Apple Store

Square is a card read that allows you to take credit and debit card payments on the spot. I’ve seen business parents use this system whether they had a brick and mortar or if they’re running their business out of their house. I love square as well – it came in handy when I did a vendor event last year selling my book “Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly Hills Elementary”

Not everyone had cash on hand, so it was nice to be able to pull out my square reader and take a payment instead. With square (which you can download through the playstore on Android or the Apple store for iPhone) you’ll also be able to setup an invoice for your most popular or frequently purchased items. Click on it, put in the amount of the item and ask the client to swipe! and Viola, there your money is – going straight to your bank account! (Of course this depends on how you set it up) You can also send your client a receipt on the spot after they sign for their purchase. And to put a little more cherry on top, if you download the square reader app, you can sign up to get the reader for FREE!!

#3 CASH APP

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Cashapp – Available at the Playstore or Apple Store

Okay, so out of the 3. Cashapp is my all time favorite, I love easy and with cashapp, it’s just that! Once you download it on your phone and set-up your back account information, you’re ready to rock-and-roll! especially if your client has cashapp as well. You can even get your very own Visa/Debit card specifically for the app.

This card came in handy for me when my regular bank card had issues with it’s chip. It was embarrassing holding up the grocery line while I went through the dreaded “three inserts and a swipe method!” However, having the cashapp debit card made it easier because all I did was complete the info to move cash from my bank card to the cashapp card and there you go, it did it immediately (no waiting, no holds) and no headache from me. It was a WIN-WIN! & If your client has cash app, it’ll be a win-win for you as well because you’ll get your money INSTANTLY!

We can’t expect our client to always have cash and if your business doesn’t’ have more than one payment system set up. We run the risk of not only losing money but a potential client whom now will think of your business as….well….not quite put together. Even if we do the right things, we can’t help what people will say, However – we don’t want to give them any ammunition to hold “thoughts like that” against us!

The hardest part with any of the tips above is setting it all up, but let’s not be lazy business parent, as what we don’t take out time to do today, Is money lost for us tomorrow. Remember what Sweet Brown says? Now you might say, I know about ALL these things, but in business? It’s not about what you know – but what you IMPLEMENT!

I don’t know what business you may want to start in 2020 but I pray these tips get you going in the right direction towards getting your “dollars and cents” in order!

Let’s get it right today, So we can be better business parents tomorrow!

I am not sponsored and did not receive any compensation for my statements. Every opinion above is 100% my own, based solely on my own experience with using these apps.