Blog 36: My Podcasting Tips for Future Podcasters

 Hello Readers! 

Today I want to talk about podcasting, as it is something that has significantly grown in popularity since the pandemic. Podcasts are a great way to quickly learn new information, listen to stories, or keep up with current events. You can listen to them while working out, drawing, or other activities. If you've thought about creating your own podcast, I highly recommend it. It's a great learning experience and helps you learn more about audio editing, writing for radio, as well as story-telling in general. There are thousands of podcasts out there about all sorts of topics, so it's easy to find a place for your own ideas. 

  

 For my podcast, All's Fair in Love and Business, I focus on local female entrepreneurs to the Denver Area, interviewing them about their work and relationships with others. If you're curious to learn more, you can find my podcast on all your favorite platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and others. I've been doing this podcast for only a few months, but the women I have interviewed have incredible stories which have motivated me to continue showcasing their work and making a podcast where people can hear these stories. I always wanted to try podcasting, and finally was able to get started and find a niche that I enjoyed working in. Podcasting can seem daunting, but it's really not. Below are my podcasting tips for any future podcasters out there who may want to start their own podcast, but aren't entirely sure how. 

1. Research to make sure your podcast idea isn't already someone else's podcast 

It's important to make sure that the idea you have for your podcast, isn't already someone else's podcast. Be sure to look on Spotify or Anchor or even just search over Google to check and see if your idea has been done already. If it hasn't, then great! You can make this podcast and not step on anyone's toes 

2. Be sure to have compelling stories that hook your listener right away 

In a world of seemingly limitless podcasts, it's important to be able to hook your listener right away. Whether this is with an interesting quote from an interviewee, a catchy intro song, or an introductory scene, giving your readers something that initially grabs them will help you build your listening fanbase faster. 

3. With COVID-19, your podcast doesn't have to be perfect 

What I mean by that is that since everyone is at home, all of the recordings are being done at home, which means they won't have studio-level quality. It's okay to have noises in the background or some slip-ups. This makes your podcast more endearing and relatable to listeners. 

I hope these tips help you to push your podcast into reality. If you have any other questions or concerns, reach out to me on my social media channels. 

Until next time, 

Katie 

Lifestyle Blog 15: Tips for monitoring self growth

 Hello, my Wonderful Readers! 

Today I want to talk about self-growth, as it's something that is a continual process that all of us are going through. Some people pay more attention and do more things to work on their self-growth, while others have no opinions as to whether they grow or not. I hope to inspire you to look inward and use the tips below to help monitor your own self-growth. Self-growth is beneficial as it gives us progress, and maturity, and experience. These in turn lead to wisdom, which we can use to make better decisions. Looking at your self-growth can help you determine your future goals, and work towards having a more positive life. 

 1. Self-awareness 

Being self-aware is important in monitoring your self-growth. Self-awareness is knowing your impact on others, and the effects your actions cause. Understanding how you come off to other people, can help you to look inward to find ways to come off with more respect and consideration for others. Knowing yourself and appreciating yourself are important first steps in moving towards better self-growth. 

2. Be kind 

You may not have grown as much as you wanted, or be the person you want to be right now, so it's important to be kind to yourself and allow yourself some time to mature. Self-growth is not an overnight process but takes a lifetime. Keep this in mind when looking at your own self-growth 

3. Look back on your goals 

It's important to look back on your goals and see if you reached them or not. This can help you better understand if you have achieved self-growth or not. This can also assist in developing better and more achievable goals for your future. 

I hope these tips help you to look forward to productivity and a better understanding of self-growth. Feel free to reach out to me on all my socials with questions or comments. 

Until next time, 

Katie 

Lifestyle Blog 14: Tips for making your Schedule Suit your Personality

 Hello, my Wonderful Readers! 

Scheduling and working a schedule can be difficult sometimes, especially if you're a procrastinator like me. Sticking to a routine can seem hard, but it doesn't need to be. Below, I want to give tips to make your scheduling easier, by making your schedule suit your personality better. Whether you're a procrastinator or a workaholic, these tips will help you to feel more motivated and right at home within your own schedule. 

1. Make your most difficult tasks during your most productive time of day 

By this, I mean that if you're a morning person, make your hardest tasks due in the mornings when you're most awake and productive. If you're a night owl, make your hardest tasks due in the evenings, when you're more efficient. This way the tasks will be done more effectively and you'll feel better doing them. 

2. If you're a procrastinator, batch your due dates to make yourself more focused 

If you're a procrastinator, it can help to batch all your due dates together, so you're more motivated to get things done, as your deadlines are closer together. This way you also batch your tasks and get them done all at once instead of individually. You'll feel more productive in no time with this method 

3. Find what days of the week you're most productive and schedule meetings/tasks then 

I know for me personally, I can get a bit unmotivated by Fridays in particular, so I try to schedule all my serious business meetings earlier in the week when I'm more focused and motivated. It just helps me to keep better energy for my work, as well as avoid burnout. 

While there are many more tips to help schedule your life to be more productive, I hope these tips helped you. Feel free to reach out on my socials and website if you have any questions or concerns. 

Until next time! 

Katie 

Lifestyle Blog 13: How Not to be Depressed From Watching the News or Social Media

 Happy Monday readers! 

In this current political and social climate of the election, COVID-19 shutdowns, stress, and even Thanksgiving, I think that this blog topic will hopefully be relevant for most of us. It can be easy to watch the news, or scroll through your social media over and over again, and get depressed or anxious about what's happening around you. Often these anxious or depressive thoughts can be triggered by a scary event, or the lack of "likes" you might have expected on a post. The tips I give below about how not to be depressed from watching the news or social media will hopefully be practical and easy enough for you to work on in your daily routine. 

Remember that it's okay to be depressed or anxious when reading the news, or looking at your social media, and is quite common. You're not the only one going through this problem, and you can ask for help and talk to friends and family about it. If you're going through a really hard time, reach out to a therapist or expert that can give you the help you need and deserve. 

1. Understand why you're feeling anxious or depressed 

Going to the root of the problem and understanding what triggers these negative emotions is helpful in moving forward. If you're upset because you didn't get as many likes on a post, or upset because someone posted a negative post about your favorite political candidate, understand why these things upset you. This can help you modify your behavior, and change your expectations about social media. Starting here, and knowing why these things upset you will help you to understand your own motivations for being on social media, or watching the news. 

2. Limit your exposure 

Whether it's to watching the news, or being on Facebook, limiting how much time you spend on each can easily help you with your depression or anxiety. It can be difficult to do, as being on our phones and being on social media, in particular, is quite addicting and has become a norm for conversation, but it will seriously help you to not stress as much. By turning your TV off, putting your phone away, or taking a break from social media, you can allow yourself to relax and spend time with yourself. 

3. Focus on the things you CAN control 

This is specifically for news, but if you're depressed or anxious about what's going on around you, focus on what you can control to help relieve that stress. For example, sometimes I get worried about the environment, so I work on what I can control by using recyclable and compostable products and buying more eco-friendly items. These things will make me feel more in control and happier because I know I'm making a difference. 

4. Try looking for news outlets that are positive 

This can help break up the bad news cycle that might cause you some stress. Finding good news outlets are helpful in boosting your positivity and reminding you there are good people out there. These positive news outlets might be hashtags, like #goodnews #goodnewsoutlet that you may find on social media. Just remember to keep being positive, even if you're looking at negative news 

5. Distract yourself from the news and social media by doing other things 

Distracting yourself from the news and social media can help to decrease stress in your life, but also allow you to focus on things that make you happy, such as hobbies, skills, or learning something new. Take time to read, learn, or spend time with family and friends. This will also help distract you from the news or social media and make you more positive. 

There are plenty of ways to increase your positivity and not get depressed from watching the news or social media, but I hope these tips help you to decrease the stress in your life. Remember that it's okay to ask for help and that you have a support group around you. Feel free to reach out on my social media for any questions or ideas you may have. 

Until next time! 

Katie 

Blog 35: How to Resign from a Job

 Happy Friday Readers! 

Today I want to talk about the best habits to have when you're going to resign from your job. Resigning may seem like a negative step, but for many people, it can be a new beginning. People leave their jobs for many reasons, such as family, change in career, or even things like mental health. It's important however to understand the best ways to leave your current job, so you can easily ask for a reference for looking for any future jobs. Below are the tips I want to give so you can leave your current job respectfully and maintain good relationships with your former employers and coworkers. 

1. Talk to your superior before penning your resignation letter 

The best way to leave your job is to not shock your boss, or leave a gaping hole behind, but to be respectful of the company that has employed you, and give them enough time to find someone else to fill your position. This starts with speaking to your employer, telling them about your thoughts and motivations to leave. Often, they might try to help you stay, even offering some benefits. After speaking to your employer, you can then pen your resignation letter to make it official. 

2. When writing your resignation letter, give a specific time you'll be leaving

People often just write something simple such as: "I quit" for their resignation letter. Instead, make your letter personal. Talk about why you're leaving and what this job has meant to you. Make sure to post when specifically you'll be leaving, and make sure to give your job enough room for them to find someone to replace you.

3. Make sure to sort out and finish any projects you may have 

It's important to not leave your previous company in the lurch when you resign, so make sure you get all your current projects sorted out, whether you finish them, or delegate them to other people. It shows consideration for your current company. 

4. Keep up good relations after you leave 

Make sure to leave in a respectful way, so that you can continue checking in and keeping up a good relationship with your previous employers so that they can easily write you a future reference, should you need it. 

Leaving a job can be stressful, especially if you've made strong relationships with your boss and coworkers. These tips will help you to make the transition between jobs smoother and easier, saving you time and stress. Reach out on my social media or website with any questions you may have. 

Until next time, 

Katie 

Lifestyle Blog 12: How to get Better Sleep at Night

 Happy Monday Readers! 

Sleep is a topic that has become more popular to research and talk about in the last decade. Getting a better night's sleep can plague all of us occasionally, and it's important to have methods on hand to help you improve your sleep. Especially in this time of COVID-19, stress has risen dramatically, and so too has sleepless nights. The tips below on how to get better sleep at night will hopefully help you to relax and recharge your batteries, ready to face the next day with new energy. 

1. No screens before bed. 

This is a common tip given for improving sleep, but one that many people ignore. It can be an easy habit to get into to look at your phone before bed, but the blue light from your phone can train your eyes and brain to feel more awake and sharp. Blue light as well can cause eye strain, so if you have to look at your screens before bed, whether it's your phone, computer, or tablet, be sure to wear blue-light blocking glasses to help give your eyes a break. It's best however if you try to avoid screens before bed, at least a half-hour before trying to fall asleep. This will help you to better relax and get comfortable. Instead, try reading a book. 

2. Drink some tea to help naturally boost sleepiness 

There are many teas that can help you to feel more relaxed and sleepy. Drinking teas such as chamomile, peppermint, lavender, or catnip before bed can help you to relax easier. Tea drinking can also provide warmth and comfort to your body, helping you to calm yourself. 

3. Don't get addicted to natural sleep aids such as melatonin 

Melatonin, and other natural sleep aids, can be helpful in aiding your sleep, but can also be easily addictive to use. Using an external sleep aid for a longer period of time trains your body to depend on these external aids to produce melatonin in your body, the protein that makes you sleepy. If you bring external melatonin to your body for long periods of time, your body reprograms itself to use this external melatonin instead of producing its own melatonin naturally. Make sure to keep your body healthy by only using these natural aids periodically, and not over sustained periods. 

I know there are plenty of more health tips out there for helping you to get better sleep at night. I hope that these tips help you to relax and recharge your energy. Reach out with any questions on my social media or website. 

Until next time, 

Katie 

Blog 34: How to Fit into a New Job

 Happy Friday Readers! 

Today I want to talk about how best to fit into a new job. Having a new job can be exciting, but nerve-wracking if it's your first week and you're not sure how best to present yourself. Settling into a new job can be bumpy, especially if you're unsure exactly what you're doing, or who to report to. But don't worry, everyone has this type of start. The tips below will hopefully help you to transition smoothly into your new position, as well as give good impressions to your new coworkers and boss. 

1. Give off the right attitude 

When you're in your new job, make sure to show you're ready to work, open to suggestions, humble, and friendly. First impressions can help build those relationships with your coworkers, and it's important to get off on the right foot. 

2. Avoid Office Politics 

This can be more difficult than it seems but is crucial in standing out and being successful. Many offices can have competition, drama, or politics, which can be stressful for employees. Show that you're above these things, as a newbie, and that you don't take sides. This will help you be appreciated and respected by all your coworkers, not just a few. 

3. Communicate 

It's okay to ask for help on your first day, or the first even month even. Show that you are an effective communicator by asking clarifying questions of the tasks required of you, as well as asking for help when you're confused. This shows you can communicate effectively with others and will make a good impression. 

4. Be Yourself 

The first days on the job can be rough or make you stressed and nervous. Do yourself a favor and remind yourself to be yourself. Don't put on an act or pretend to be someone you're not. You got this job with your qualities, so be yourself and show people how successful you are! 

I hope these tips help you to better transition into a new job, and to remember to stay positive and be calm. You're going to do great! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me over social media or my website. 

Until next time, 

Katie