***How I Do It All

Disclaimer: Do not try to sue me for medical malpractice after you've read this blog. Every procedure that I did not follow was done so in order to save the life of a person in need.

Now that that's out of the way....

Celebrating with my Day Ones. Note Husband and kid in the back.
#Balance

I recorded a podcast on The Boonie Breakdown last week. Boonie, the host, asked me "How do you find balance?" She wanted to know how I make it all work. How I continue to grow my business, spend time with my family and find time for self care. Up until today, my response to that is always "There is no balance. When you need to focus on something, you have to tilt the scale. It will not be balanced. That's just life. Trying to find balance is a real source of stress for people. It's like a unicorn. It doesn't exist." But in retrospect, that's just not true. I schedule and stick to my schedule. I don't work after certain hours. To make sure I take care of myself, I don't check email until I've completed my morning meditation and workout and I document it on my Instastory for accountability. For the most part, I stick to my routine and have systems in place to eliminate distractions so that I am making the best use of my time. i.e. No notifications on my phone at all. No text notifications. No social media notifications. No email notifications. I check it when I come to a stopping point. Yes, some days I skip my morning work out session to get some work done. Yes, I may let some work sit until the next day so that I can spend time with my son or go on a date with my husband. But today, I realized that my career in healthcare trained me for this entrepreneur life and iainteemknowit.

Can't keep deodorant in stock.

I have someone in my close circle who is just beginning their entrepreneurship journey and has asked me multiple times "How do you do it all? You always seem so happy and not stressed out." I've been telling them "I just do the best I can. That's all I can do. If I've done my best, there's nothing to stress about." Of course I have days when I know I didn't do my best but I don't dwell on it. I forgive myself and use my poor performance as fuel to do better the next day. And there are days when I'm giving it all I've got and nothing seems to be going my way. That's just life. However, I am always making an effort to constantly improve and that is totally different than being hard on yourself. But I never thought about HOW I got that mindset. How did I learn to do that? Like to read it? Here it go...

I worked in the blood bank for all of the 14 years of my career in healthcare. I have seen a lot of tragic situations working in Baltimore City hospitals and in the infamous NIH Research Hospital. There are three types of patients who can possibly bleed to death if they don't get the right type of blood and get it quickly. Gun shot and stab wound victims, certain types of surgery patients, and mothers giving birth. I worked at night for the first 4 years of my career. Two days out of my five day work week, I worked alone. One night, I was working alone and there was a mother of four who had delivered her fifth child. She started to bleed. They asked for 4 units of blood, then another 4. I could hear the panic in the nurse's voice when she was calling me to ask for the third set of 4, making it a total of 12 units of blood they'd be transfusing. That night, in a 250 bed hospital, I knew I only had one patient to tend to, the bleeding mother. I would not have time to deal with any other patients that night. So, I called in one of my co-workers for

My Old Life

back up. We ordered more blood products. We prepped the next batch of blood to go out as soon as they took one batch. We did everything in our power to give the patient care team what they asked for and QUICKLY - including bypass some steps in the procedure. At the end of the night, we had given that lady 21 units of blood, 4 units of platelets and 10 units of plasma. To put things into perspective, a standard transfusion is 2 units of blood, 1 platelet and 2 units of plasma. Transfusing 10 units of blood replaces all of the blood in an average adult body. The women eventually stopped bleeding, recovered and went home to take care of her five children. We did our best. We helped save a mother's life. We felt accomplished and high-fived each other at the end of our shift.

What's the point of that story? I had to remain calm so that I could communicate with the patient care team effectively, make sure I was giving them the correct blood, and properly document where every unit of blood went (cuz you do NOT want to have to be the one explaining to the FDA where you THINK a missing unit of blood went). Imagine if you are the nurse, standing in front of a bleeding patient, a bleeding mother of five, calling for help and the person on the other end of the line is just as frantic as you are. That's not helpful. I spoke with urgency and clarity but never frantic. Praise Jehovah that she survived. There were some nights when the patients did not survive. But EVERY night I "did my best" and that's all I had control over. Imagine how stressed out I would be if I owned every patient death as if it were my fault? Death comes with the territory in healthcare. No one wants blood on their hand - pun intended - but, all you can do is the best you can do and that's it. 

If you give it all you've got and everything comes together perfectly, that's amazing! But if things are spiraling out of control and the tunnel is pitch black, no light in sight, all you have control over is yourself. No matter how bad a situation looks, it always works out in the end. Always give your best performance and be open to whatever the outcome may be. Sometimes it might not be what you had in mind but it's usually for the best.

So there it is, almost 30,000 hours of experience in a blood bank being put in hundreds of situations where I had to be the calm in the eye of the storm, doing my best work to keep someone alive. Even though I knew that they could possibly die anyway EVEN if I "do my best". That's deep. It makes any other thing you go through in life seem trivial. Just thinking "If I panic, someone could die" got me sitting here taking slow breaths. My experience as a Specialist in Blood Banking has trained me to "do my best" and let the chips fall where they may. Who would've ever thought about it that way? LOL! See, this is why it's so important to embrace your journey. Life has so much to teach you if you pay attention.

When you do your best and still lose.

When talking about the 3 stars in the title of  her hit song "Flawless", Beyonce refers to the time the group Girls Tyme had practiced and given the best performance of their lives on Star Search and still lost. She said, “The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens.” She knows that sometimes, you do your best and it's not enough. You don't stop being the best you can be and you don't beat yourself up. You just keep going. Being thankful for opportunity to learn what worked and what didn't. Accept it with grace and enjoy the journey to your best life.

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin manufactures quality products for hair and skin, as well as provides natural hair consults for women who would like assistance on their natural hair journey. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

Milkshake Brings Naturals To The Yard

I created Fancy Free Shea Pomade for Hair & Skin for me and my kinky hair. I couldn't find any shea butter based products that smelled good and were easy to work with an any store. However, as I've become a business woman of sorts, my market research has shown that some prefer a milky/creamy moisturizer for their hair and skin over a body butter. While most Fancy Free faithfuls love the Shea Pomade in the cooler month, they were looking for something lighter in the warm weather. Say no more, I present Fancy Free Milk for Hair & Skin.

The Milk is not as heavy as the Shea Pomade. In fact, the main ingredient is water. This means that you can apply it to dry hair and skin for moisture. What's super cool about the Milk is that we are able to provide a natural alternative to sunscreen with raspberry seed oil as one of the ingredients. Raspberry seed oil offers SPF protection of 25 - 50 SPF. Combined with the SPF protection of coconut oil and shea butter of 4 - 6 SPF each, it's safe to say the Milk will protect your hair and skin from damaging UV rays while you enjoy fun in the sun.

I don't think y'all understand how excited I am about this product. I have been working on it for over a year. More than 52 weeks. 365 days and then some. With the main ingredient being water, and considering oil and water don't mix, I spent a lot of time figuring out the right ingredients and the right manufacturing technique. I legit had to break out my lab notebook. My family were probably sick of me giving them "lotion" that was too thick to squeeze out of the bottle. LOL! But we did it! I say "we" because I wouldn't have been able to do it without their honest feedback and input on texture, smell, shape and color of the bottle, squeeze versus pump...I could go on. They were right. It all came together. 

The final step in this process was to test the whole SPF protection thing out in the real world. I did my research. But sometimes things work in the lab that don't work in the real world. I needed to test but, I'm a small business owner, I do not have lab animals to test my new products on. But I do have friends. LOL! So, I made small batches for them to use while we were on vacation in the Dominican Republic.  I must say, I did not burn while using the Fancy Free Milk. I did tan though.

Nothing brings a business owner more joy than successfully completing a project than completing a project that required them to fight through failure after failure before getting it right. I will be honest and say that it took me so long because I would get frustrated and give up on it for weeks, even months, at a time. The techniques I had to learn to make this work took me out of my comfort zone. But the sense of accomplishment I get when one of my most harsh critics says "This is nice!" makes it all worth while.

My intention was to have the Milk ready for the beginning of the summer but it wasn't quite right and Fancy doesn't do mediocre. I tweak until I get it right and even after that, I'm still adjusting and improving. There's always room for improvement. So, here it is...the Milk. Check out the details and let me know what you think.

Fancy Free Milk for Hair & Skin is a organic shea butter, oils blended with distilled water for a high quality, creamy moisturizer for hair and skin. It offers SPF protection without zinc oxide or other harsh chemicals. Shipping with both a pump and flip top cap for your convenience.

The fresh scent is an invigorating blend of lemon zest, spearmint and eucalyptus softened by rain kissed blossoms and sheer musk. If you like Bath & Body Works' Eucalyptus Tea scent, you'll love Fancy Free Milk.



The Ingredients

• Distilled water: The ultimate moisturizer

• Organic Shea Butter: Seals moisture in, SPF 4-6

• Coconut Oil: Seals moisture in and has a soothing effect, SPF 4-6

• Olive Oil: Hydrates skin and has anti-aging antioxidants

• Raspberry Seed Oil: SPF 25-50

• Emulsified Wax: Because oil and water don't mix. This ingredient keeps it all together

Shameless Plug Alert:

Fancy Free Hair & Skin is the manufacturer of quality products for hair and skin. Our motto is "Keeping you chemical free." Visit our website, www.fancyfreehairandskin.com, to see a full range of our products and services. Sign up for our mailing list to receive natural hair tips and stay up to date on sales and the latest happenings with Fancy Free.

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What Do Your Friendships Say About You?

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Birds of a feather do indeed flock together. If you spend a lot of time with someone, eventually their
habits will rub off on you. Make sure the habits are good ones. Are you surrounded by motivated, positive people? Are you the most successful person in your circle? It is common for people to become complacent with where they are or just accept their current circumstances. It is also common for people to want more out of life but know that their circle of friends are holding her back. What does your role in friendships say about you?

The Ring Leader

You're the leader of the group. Everyone comes to you for advice. You're probably the most successful person in the group. Your whole group of friends cheer you on but they don't have much going on for themselves. Does this make you feel good about yourself? Feeding your ego is fine but having a large ego doesn't do much for personal growth. In order to reach your true potential, you should want to grow, which means you may out grow your circle. Growing pains are normal but need humility so that you can take in knowledge as you expand the network of people you interact with.

The Charity Case

You and your friends are always on a mission to find the "hook up". There is no effort to do things for yourself. A ride. A loan. A shoulder to cry on. Someone to vent to. A recommendation for a new job. Always looking for a way to get over instead of a way to triumph. There is nothing wrong with needing help but try finding your own resources before you ask to use someone elses. Surprisingly, people are more willing to help you when they see you helping yourself. You can do it. You don't need hand outs, you just need to believe in yourself.

The Bad Seed

You encourage each other to do the wrong things. Spend money on things that aren't in budget. Go out partying when you have to wake up early in the morning. Call out of work when you're not sick. Lying to get what you want. Most of the activities involve a flaw in morals. Doing the right thing does not give instant gratification but it does build character. Finding true, long-lasting success requires hard work and strong character.

The Debbie Downer

No matter what the situation, you find something negative to say about it. You hardly ever point out the silver lining during tough times. It's almost as if you don't want others happiness or success. Unfortunately, misery loves company. Perhaps invest in working on happiness. It will help you be able to see the good in situations and offer more words of encouragement. You will be a better friend.

The reality is, health relationships are symbiotic. You should not give more than you take or vice versa. If you surround yourself by four unmotivated adults, you indeed will be the fifth one. If there is even one of the following types of people in your immediate circle of influence, it will spill over on to everyone else.

Fancy Free, LLC. believes in the concept of building relationships that turn into business relationships. We can help you do the same. Contact us at (410) 929-0302 for your complimentary consultation. We would love to help you do the same. Complete the form below to join our emailing list.

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Being Honest - What You Stand To Lose When You Tell The Truth

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Honesty is the best policy. Being honest says more about you than most anything you do. However,
everyone isn't ready for the truth and what the truth means to them. There are consequences to being completely honest. Sometimes telling the truth will result in loses. Be prepared but always be honest.

Things You May Lose When You Tell The Truth 

1. Guilt 
Whether it be revealing your true feelings or telling a business owner about a huge mistake you made with payroll. Telling someone who you love them can relieve lots of guilt if they pass. We know they knew how we felt. There is no guilty feeling of "I never told them that I loved them." Suppose we make an error while processing payroll but do not let anyone know. The havoc associated with bounced pay checks and bank fees might be profound. Imagine how guilty you would feel watching the business owner see the consequences of your error. Knowing that being honest about your mistake could have, at the very least, mentally prepared the owner for what was to come or, even better, take measures to fix the error.

2. Lack of respect 
No matter how harsh it may come out, the truth is always respected. We gain respect when we have the courage to speak on the things that are hard to say. If someone did not respect you, they will after you have been honest about something that most people will not. A reputation for being honest is much more respected than a reputation for being "nice".

3. Weak associations 
 Whether it be family or friends, only weak people do not want to hear the truth about themselves or a situation. Personal growth comes when you work toward becoming a better person, which begins with owning your truth. Everyone is not in that space at the same time. Everyone is not strong enough to face those hard truths about themselves. While it is perfectly fine to accept people for who they are and where they are in life, people who are not ready to face their own issues usually shy away from someone who is completely honest. If you are in a space of growth, associations with people who are not growing can stunt your growth. Be honest anyway and let those weak associations go.

 Honesty is the best policy. Being honest will keep you from feeling guilty about not sharing necessary information. You will also gain respect from many and keep up gain an honest reputation. People who are not strong enough to face their own truth will avoid someone who is. Be honest anyway. It is perfectly fine to no longer associate with people who do not encourage your growth.

Fancy Free, LLC. believes in the concept of building relationships that turn into business relationships. We can help you do the same. Contact us at (410) 929-0302 for your complimentary consultation. We would love to help you do the same. Complete the form below to join our emailing list.

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Secret To Success Is No Secret

There is no secret to success. Huge successes do not happen over night. A lot of sweat equity and sacrifice goes into these seemingly overnight success stories. The interviews, documentaries, biopic, and biographies that chronicle the accomplishments have common themes no matter the industry. One of which is consistency. Being persistent over a long period of working toward goals is one of the things that led to success.

Consistency is a key to success. Being talented is nice but consistently improving, consistently learning more, and consistently marketing your skills is what is going to separate you from the rest of the talented bunch. There are many talented people in sports, entertainment, writing, and business. However, the ones who are consistent in their efforts see the success they want.

If we apply this concept to everyday life, you will notice a differences every area of life. Financial planning, budgeting and saving are a good one because most people struggle with it no matter what their income is. Recognizing the need for a budget and actually creating one are only the first steps financial responsibility. The budget doesn't work if you do not stick to it. There are many great savings plans floating around the internet. No matter how good the plan is, if you do not consistently execute the plan, your savings account will not grow. Getting fit is another area that requires consistency to see results. Committing to changing your diet and regular exercise is awesome. However, you only see the results after an extended time of consistently eating healthy and exercising.

Working toward your goals every day helps improve your skills and shows others that you are dependable. Pushing through obstacles and continuing to work even when you don't feel like it shows dedication and passion. Being persistent even when you aren't getting the results you anticipated shows commitment.

Often times close family and friends will not take you seriously in the beginning of your journey. They are watching you even more carefully than the rest. They may not support you in the beginning when you need it most. Persist anyway. Your consistency shows them that you are serious. Eventually, they will support you. If not, others will.

Being consistent is a common theme in all success stories. Talent is god given but consistency takes discipline and will set the talented apart from the successful. Applying consistency to financial planning and fitness is the only way to see real results, the same with business. Being consistent demonstrates that you are dependable, committed and demands that you be taken seriously.

Fancy Free LLC. is a home based consulting company that helps new people reach their financial and personal goals. Contact us at (410) 929-0302 to schedule your complimentary consultation.

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Finding Balance - Creating Balance Between Work and Personal Life

Everyone wants to have it all. It is possible but has its challenges. It takes planning, discipline and consistency. Some suggest that you can't have your cake and eat it too. Others feel like you can have it all, just not at the same time. When a person's career is going well, their personal life is usually lacking. When your personal life is on point, you may feel like you have plateaued in business or career. Your business and personal can flourish at the same time.
Here are some tips to help support the balance between work life and personal life.

1. Decide what is important to you.
Personal preference is most important. If you have decided that being successful in business while not abandoning your family in the process is important to you, your actions will be in line with your mindset. The way you work will be in line with your vision.

2. Maintaining balance is not easy but worth it.
While there are creative solutions to every problem, sometimes you will have to make career related sacrifices to deal with household situations. Other times you will have to make personal sacrifices to handle business. Know that you can't do everything every time and will have to make difficult decisions. Being mentally ready for these kinds of challenges makes them easier to handle. Having the right mindset will help you manage them with ease. Be open to compromise and also be ready to make sacrifices to support the vision you have for your life. Never panic. Everything works out in the end.

3. Schedule your down time as diligently as you schedule activities.
Burn out is very common for ambitious people. When trying to do it all, it may seem like there is no time for down time. However, there is time if you schedule it in. Make your schedule so that there is at least one day a week where you have nothing scheduled during the day or nothing scheduled in the evening. If that is not possible, arrange your schedule so that you have one weekend a month that is free. Use it how you want to use it but schedule it in. Your mind and body need rest just as much as they need stimulation.

Decide what is most important to you in life. Know that there are creative solutions to most problems and other times you will have to make tough sacrifices. Be mentally prepared to deal with these kinds of challenges. Most importantly, schedule down time to avoid burn out. Let your mind and body rest so that you can tackle your challenges in a clear head space. Applying these concepts will create a balanced work life and personal life that flourish simultaneously.

Fancy Free LLC helps new people everyday reach their financial and personal goals through mentoring, personal growth and leadership training. Call us at (410) 929-0203 to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Excuses - How To Self-Sabotage By Making Excuses

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Making excuses for why you don't have what you want in life does not get you any closer to having it. The best way to not be successful is to find a reason not to do something or make excuses for why you cannot do it. Here are the most common excuses people make.

"I forgot"
In the age of technology, there are multiple ways to remind yourself of something important. There are calendars that sync with your email as well as your smart phone. You can program alerts, notifications and reminders to go off at pre-selected times. Then there is always the good old-fashioned planner. If you have to get it done, write it on your planner. Set your alerts to tell you in time increments that allow you time to arrive to your destination in a timely fashion. If you have the money, hire a personal assistant to help you with those kinds of things.

"I don't have time"
If it's important to you, you will make time. Whether it is waking up early or going to bed late, making time for what is important to you is the only way to get it done. Even if you can only spare 30 minutes, that is 30 minutes of making progress.

"I don't have the money."
Just like making time, you will find money for what is important to you. In some cases, you may not have access to the total amount of money needed for something. However, there is always a work around. There are cheaper options. You can sell some unused items around your house. You can pester that person who owes you money. You can also borrow. There is always money for something you see the value in. Be honest with yourself and ask if that is a good enough excuse for not pursuing whatever it is that you think you don't have the money for.

"I didn't know."
If you have a smart phone or access to the internet, you have access to all the information you could need right at your fingertips. There is no reason to not know anything. The real reason you don't know is that you did not care to find out. There are plenty of free resources available. It's just a matter of deciding to tap into them.

"I'm scared."
Yes, stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something different is scary. But what are you really scared of? Uncertain death? The reality is most things that make you uncomfortable are not putting you at risk of losing your life. Stepping out of your comfort zone will only allow you to grow. Experiences mold you into a well-rounded person.

Success is the result of making intentional actions toward your goals. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for why you cannot do something. Most of the time, you're just making excuses. There are many tools available to you to make sure you remember what you're supposed to do. You will make time and find money for things that you see value in. The internet and public library are at your disposal for free. Take the time to use them and find information you need. Don't be scared to do anything out of your norm, you can only benefit from the experience. No one ever created a success story by staying in their comfort zone. Stop making excuses and start making things happen.

If you are ready to give up excuses and make some new things happen in your life, Fancy Free, LLC. is here to help you do just that. Call us at (410) 929-0302 for your complimentary consultation that could be life changing.

The Definition of Leadership

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The dictionary defines leadership as a person who guides or directs a group. A true leader has a way
of motivating people to move and work toward a common goal with enthusiasm with or without a title of authority. How can you recognize a leader in your life? How can you recognize the leader in yourself?

Leaders Listen More Than They Talk
Listening doesn't always mean hearing what people are saying or complaining about. You can listen with your eyes. Observing people work. Watching when people aren't working. Taking note tasks that stress people out. Usually, when someone is coming to leadership with an idea for improvement, it's a good idea. Why? It's coming from the people who are doing the work. They know what they are talking about because they are doing the work. Leaders will make changes according to suggestions from the team to help improve production. A leader will pay attention to signs of stress and step in to help without being asked. People are more willing to work with or for someone who values their advice.

Acknowledging The Team
One of the benefits of being the leader of a team is that when the team is successful, the leader gets most of the credit. However, it's the team that does most, if not, all the work. The leader is there to give structure, help with trouble shooting, and offer encouragement along the way. It is important to give credit where credit is due. A team is more willing to continue to work and follow your instruction when the leader is able to make to show appreciation. A coach instructs his team on what plays to run and when to run them. The players actually run the play to win the game.

Hold Yourself Just As Accountable As You Hold The Team
True leadership will not make any exceptions for himself. As a leader, you set the tone for how your team is functioning. When the leader does what they say they are going to do, the team follows suit. A leader publicly owns up to any mistakes and makes a plan to fix it. Leaders follow through with commitment, even when it is difficult. The team can count on their leader to keep their word, therefor the team keeps their word.

Telling vs. Showing
You ever notice that when there is an authority that start barks orders, no one listens? And if they do listen, it's begrudgingly? A great leader will show the group what to do. Leading by example creates team morale. A group is more enthusiastic about working along a great person than working for someone who does not show that they know what it takes to get the job done. Being in charge is not about pushing people around, it's about getting people to work toward a common goal.
The dictionary defines a leader as a person in charge of a group or team but we know that all people in charge are not leaders. Leaders listen to verbal and non-verbal communications and make improvements for the better of the team. Leaders acknowledge the team's efforts when there are successes. Leaders are hold themselves accountable by follow through with commitments. Leaders will join the team and show them how to get the work done instead of just giving orders.

Fancy Free, LLC. helps everyday people reach their financial and personal goals through personal growth and leadership training. Call us at (410) 929-0302 to schedule your complimentary consultation.

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How To Succeed In Business - Five Steps To Successful Business

Success can look very different to one person compared to another. To some, success is owning a company worth billions and to others success can running a non-profit organization that helps with adult literacy. No matter what the dollar or intrinsic value of someone's success, they achieved the based on the simple principles. Almost every person who has accomplished any sort of greatness in their lives say the same things. There are no secrets, just simple concepts that can help you get where you want to be.

1. Find your passion.
When you're passionate about something, you will do it for free and it does not feel like work when you're doing it. A business minded person will find a way to monetize that. You will stay up all night working on a project because the result will magnify something that you love to do. Imagine that feeling attached to a paycheck.

2. Establish a relationship with a mentor that is an expert in your field.
College degrees and certifications are great foundations but nothing is more valuable than relationships and experience. Relationships can take you places that having knowledge cannot. A mentor has experience and wisdom. Heeding the advice from someone who has been in your shoes can save you from making costly mistakes and possibly cut time off of your journey to reaching your goals.

3. Maintain consistency.
Consistency is the key to success in anything in life. Be it a fitness routine or growing a business. Successful people are reliable and consistent, even when it's not convenient. Set daily goals and execute them everyday. Continue to execute your goals, even when you feel like giving up.

4. Delegate.
As a business owner, it's likely that you started you're in business because you are passionate about the products or services that you have to offer. That does not make you an expert at running a business. Hire someone you trust to handle the mundane tasks of marketing, branding, bookkeeping, payroll, taxes, employee relations and things of that nature. Doing this will take a lot of stress off of your shoulders and allow you to focus on making the product or service great.

5. Have a winning mindset.
Visualize what success looks like to you and believe that you will make that vision become a reality. When you feel that your efforts are not getting the results you anticipated, remember that building the Roman empire took thousands of years, not one day. It will take time to build your empire. Do not give up. Think of the difficult times as training camp for Olympic athletes, you are training for your victory. See it through. If you can dream it, you can make it a reality.

Find a way to monetize your passion. Listen to a mentors advice. Delegate tasks that need expertise in areas other than your own. Your mindset can make or break you. Persevere and see your dreams become a reality.

Fancy Free, LLC. is a lifestyle company. We specialize in finding vehicles for people to pursue their passion. These vehicles help with personal development while earning residual income. Contact us at (410)929-0302 for your complimentary consultation.

What Are You Worried About?

We all love a good Louis Vuitton but a missing head light
is a safety hazard. Should we be worried about that instead?

The African-American community is always being criticized for something. Usually it's for worrying about the wrong things. You know standing in line for Black Friday but not showing up for Parent-Teacher conference night. Up early to get the latest release of Jordan's but not showing up to vote. Mother's criticized for making sure their weave is tight but there's no food in the refrigerator for their kids to eat breakfast before they go to school. There is nothing wrong with want to look nice and to have nice things but when there's no balance and that's your only concern, we need to assess why we are worried about the wrong things.

I'm not sure if there is a simple solution. As I struggle in helping my younger sisters grow into adulthood, I find myself saying the same things to them over and over. "You are not supposed to have what I have right now. I have paid my dues and have worked hard. You are still working. It will happen, just not now." Social media and reality TV have a lot to do with it. We live in a microwave society. Everyone wants instant gratification for minimal efforts. While healthy competition is nice, there is a problem when you go to great lengths just to "out do" someone. I'm "fancy" because that's just me, I don't live my life trying do something bigger than the next person.

Youngsters want the "Fancy Life" but don't want to go through the years of training and hard work to get it. Worrying about what their lifestyle looks like instead of creating a stable foundation to sustain it. Fast money. Fast cars. Lavish lifestyle. Then it all comes crashing down and we're left in a constant state of struggle. It all starts with exposure. Our kids are being exposed to a lifestyle without being exposed to the hard work, sacrifice, discipline and tenacity it takes to get to live that lifestyle. A phrase I like to use is "shooting in the gym". Ask any successful athlete how much time they spend training during the season and off season and they'll tell you "all day". Like, literally 8-10 hours TRAINING!!! The same goes for any career. You gotta put in that WORK to get ahead at whatever you do.

Sean "P. Diddy" or "Puff Daddy" Combs worked for FREE as an intern before he got his shot. That is work without pay. Modern day slavery. LOL! I kid. But he was getting paid in knowledge. Some people are so concerned with being seen in a certain light that they forget that money comes and goes, just like things, but knowledge is the gift that keeps on giving. Did you know that Kim Kardashian was an assistant to many
celebrities before she became one herself? Let that sink in. Kim Kardashian, the lady with the multi-million dollar empire, was an assistant, running errands and picking out clothes BEFORE she became a household name. It does not happen overnight. But if you push through the times that seem like struggle, you will make it and know what it takes to keep it.

Are you worrying about the wrong things? How you're going to pay your credit card bills that are maxed out from purchasing things? Are you focused on being great at all costs? When you are great, no matter what your specialty is, money will come and you will always be able to buy the things you really want to buy. The Fancy Life is the fruit of our labor, we ain't doing this for the "Gram".

Until next time, continue focusing on being great in your Fancy life.

Are you on the verge of breakthrough? Let us help you map out your plan and "do the work" to help you make your life even more "Fancy" than it already is. Text WOODS to 55469.

But it's hard.....

When I was about 10 years old, I was extremely active. Piano lessons, modern dance, karate, basketball team, girl scouts and let's not forget church activities. I'm talking ushering, choir, and any community volunteering activities offered. I specifically remember aching pains in my knees whenever I participated in any physical activity. It happened so often that my parents took me to the doctor to see what was wrong with me. The doctor diagnosed me with "growing pains". What the heck is that?!?! My grandmother could have told me that. I eventually stopped experiencing that pain in my knees and I reached a disappointing height of 5'4", shattering my dreams of becoming a runway model. LOL! However, life still had some "growing pains" for me to experience. While I stopped growing physically, I had a long way to go in this thing called life. I went through typical high school/teenage girl drama. I learned some valuable lessons about love and money while in undergrad.

When I was 24 years old, I started graduate school. I had taken a year off from school after completing two undergraduate programs and was working full time at night. I purposely took a night shift position so that I could pursue my Masters degree in Forensic Science full time during the day, so not to take longer than necessary to complete the program. This proved to be one of the most difficult times in my life. I had just purchased a house and moved out of my parents' home. So I went from being surrounded by people, love and lots of noise to nothing. Silence. No one to wash my clothes, cook dinner, wash the dishes, talk to, sit and watch tv with. Nothing. I didn't realize how depressing that was, even though my parents checked on my everyday because I had only moved 5 blocks down the street. LOL! I was working at night in a pretty stressful environment. The work itself could be stressful but it didn't help that the people I worked with had preconceived notions about my abilities because of my appearance. You get my drift? The director of my graduate program gave me a hard time about working full time while I was in school. Like, literally called me in his office to tell me that I shouldn't be working while I'm in his program. All of these factors led to a monthly conversation with my daddy about me quitting school. My dad made sure I didn't quit when it got hard. I graduated from graduate school on time.

What did he say in those monthly conversations? To sum it up, he said, "Life is hard. Five years from now, you'll look back at your life and think 'I went through that and it wasn't so bad.' If it were easy, everyone would be doing it and everyone can't be in charge." 

And he was so right. The work and school drama I was going through at the time totally trumped not having a date to my senior prom. And the anxiety of not knowing who I was taking to my senior prom overshadowed the devastation of getting an Unsatisfactory on my progress report for Algebra I in the ninth grade. We live and we grow. It hurts at the time but when we get through it, we have grown in the process. If you aren't growing, you're dying.

I am an ambitious person. I reached my career goals in record time. Now I am on to the next phase of my life. I am working on something completely out of my comfort zone. It is a different kind of challenge. Challenge = HARD!!! But I hold my father's words near my heart. I can see the growth in my personal development and bank account as a result of it, so I know it's worth it. 

If you are dealing with a situation that seems "hard", push through. Congratulations, you are growing! Everything you ever wanted in life is just outside of your comfort zone. If you are contemplating making a change in your life but you are afraid that it may be difficult for you, dive in head first, it will always be hard if you never get started. Whatever it is, being scared of it is a sign that it's something you should strongly consider. Jehovah created us to be great. Remember, the easy thing to do is usually what the majority of people do. But we are living the Fancy Life, so we want more. We are exceptional. We do what's hard now and it eventually becomes easy. We can add these accomplishments to our list and move on to the next set of challenges, building your confidence along the way.

No, living a Fancy Life isn't always easy but it's definitely worth it in the end.

If your are looking for something more but aren't exactly sure what it is, click here, I'm sure we can help you. Text 'woods' to 55469.

Until next time......

"I'm a groooowwwnnn woman, I do whatever I want...."

Have you ever tried something different? And I don't mean a new nail polish color. I mean something reeeeeaaallllyyy different. Like, going from long flowing hair to a really short haircut. Or maybe you decide to quit your job, sell all of your belongings, and move to Madagascar to become a missionary. What reaction do you get from people close to you when tell them your plans? You probably get questions that imply they think you're out of your mind. "You're gonna wear what?" "You're going WHERE for vacation? By yourself!?!?!" "You invested in what? Why?" Sometimes you just have to go with your gut. Take that loving advice with a grain of salt and stick to what you know is good for you. Do what you want to do. Do what makes you happy. What Jehovah has for you, is for you. Your lane is your lane. Sometimes people will deflect their own insecurities on you. In their minds, they are protecting you from certain dangers when in actuality, their concerns are based on their own fears. Take it in stride. They mean well.

In school we are penalized for making mistakes. Growing up we are usually taught not to participate in high risk activities. These are pertinent lessons when involving bodily harm or certain death but it usually spills over into how we process matters of intellect and finance. It is not common knowledge that most successful people in the world failed their way to success because all we see is the end result of all of their hard work. We don't see the idea board full of strategies that didn't work out so well. They took risks that most weren't willing to take, so they can live a life that most cannot even dream of living. Happy people don't let other's opinions stop them from doing what they want to do. Successful people do what they want and make their vision a reality.  Be a risk taker. Wear what makes you feel good about yourself. Stand your ground. Push limits. Don't just go with the flow. Ask why. If you don't like the answer, take strides to change it. Set unreasonable goals and plan to accomplish them. Decide what you want to do and do it.

Doing what you want to do is sooooo important. If you aren't solid in your own decisions, your decisions will become based on what everyone else thinks instead of the desires of your heart. Everyone close to you will be running your life. You will look up one day with someone else's idea of a successful career, sporting a hairstyle you never really liked, wearing a dress your mother picked out, driving a car your husband picked out for you instead of what you really wanted. If you are serious and stick to your guns, they will see why you are doing what you did. The proof is always in the pudding. You can show them better than you can tell them anyway. Then, instead of questioning your decisions, they will brag about how proud they are of you for living your dreams and being an individual.

Keep doing what you want to do, until next time....

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