Bash in a Box Team Takes Time to Recharge and Regenerate

Dina and I went on vacation last week. During the trip I spent time reading up on our next luau bash, testing some snack samples for the Zen bash, and sleeping a lot. I came back to work with more energy and focus and took an extra day from my day job to catch up on some backlog for Bash in a Box. I am still trying to learn the ropes of this business and social media in general. In my search, I have found a few really helpful people who have established communities for just that type of education and collaboration. (No affiliation/payment, just admiration and thanks.) I thought I would share these inspirations for those of you who read the blog for the business story. If you are reading this for the party ideas check in for the next blog.

The top four inspirations for keeping this business endeavor going are 1) Dina, 2) Seth Godwin 3) Chris Guillebeau; and 4) Sean Ogle with Location Rebel:

1) Dina, Bash-in-a-Box Co-owner, has really good ideas and centers me when I get overwhelmed with juggling two jobs, a family, and health issues. I often get caught up in my own head with worries and unmet expectations. Strong support is crucial to keeping your sanity and staying on track. This occurs in my day job too. I bounce concerns off my coworkers and check in periodically with them, and my manager, to see if I am on track and providing value.

Identify the support in your life. Sometimes it just takes one conversation over lunch to change your life. 2) Seth Godin is a bestselling author, marketing leader, blogger and speaker. I found him doing an interview on public radio one weekend while I was on business travel. His discussion about the post-industrial revolution really hit home with me. I already provide consulting services - why not provide them for me and my business? Why not do what inspires me, instead of what pays the bills? Why not put my ideas out into the world and get feedback on them so they can grow and evolve?

I quickly ordered his book "What To Do When It's Your Turn" and have lent it to several people to spark their courage to change "anything/everything." I also really like Seth's Blog because it is both thoughtful and motivational. He urges me to keep producing, keep challenging myself, and to focus on what is important, as with the latest blog -"Big questions before little ones: Don't finalize the logo before you come up with a business plan that works.".

I think his ideas work for most people even if you don't have your own business. They help focus on true value. If you are interested you can also catch his TED talk.

Go! Make something happen. 3) And as one thing leads to another, I stumbled across Chris Guillebeau's book purely by accident. I can't even remember the Amazon search I used. But I remember ordering about five books researching how to get the business started. Chris' book, “The $100 Startup," is the only one that stuck with me. Not only have I read it twice but I have lent it to several people and as a result purchased a second copy. Now Bash in a Box has curated party boxes so we have spent much more than $100 sourcing for the party supplies and planning guides, but Chris' book gave me the courage to keep going. It also gave Dina the courage to publish the website - even if it wasn't perfect, and importantly the courage to add this blog to our product website. ;) Chris uses multiple real life stories to explain how you can start a new business in today's economy if you focus on a niche that you love.

The book is really right in line with what Seth is saying, but with more with concrete actions you can take to get there. Chris's book is so compelling I had another friend read it for inspiration and she got some ideas for starting a second career. If you are even toying with the idea of starting your own business you should read this book. It's not a "recipe" book, but there are concrete steps that you can take to do what you love. And if you love what you do you can't go wrong. There is a market out there for everyone. As Seth says, you just have to find your "tribe". I am really excited because Chris is getting ready for a new book release, "Born for This". I'll be sure to do a book review as soon as I get a copy. Chris' web site has a variety of content from personal development, life planning, entrepreneurship, and travel. If you are interested in any of these topics check it out. As Chris says "If you've ever felt like there must be more to life, this site is for you." Do what you love! 4) I found Sean Ogle when I was looking help getting more traffic to the Bash on a Box website. I like his positive attitude and approach to work - life balance. I guess you can say I'd like to be him when I grow up. You see Sean gave up his corporate job and suit to create his own business and now runs Location 180 and works where and when he wants. What I like is Sean's step by step approach to help me with my business issues. He also has concrete tasks to get me connected to a like-minded support community and his videos make me laugh. Check out this one first. Now Sean might not be for everyone, but if you are really into starting your own online business then I really think his support helps. You'd never guess it, but I have considerable reticence in sharing my thoughts. Sean's emails and tasks are helping me to open up my thoughts and, hopefully, my business/marketing skills.

Take real steps, even if they are small, to making your dreams come true.

And that, in a really convoluted way, is my big take away from vacation. I need to believe in myself and my friends. I need to focus on what matters and have courage to do what I love. Finally, I need to take concrete action to make my dreams a reality - one step at a time. I hope this helps inspire you!

Have a Happy Day!

P.S. We received no compensation from these endorsements.

Bash-in-a-Box does not receive payment for our blog posts. We reference books and websites because we find them interesting and they relate to Bash-in-a-Box. We are not responsible for web content at other sites.

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