by Marcela | Aug 19, 2015 | About, Blog 2, Business
Being a Mumpreneur, client referrals and my first year in business
I’m writing today, from a very, VERY hot Cypriot Summer, while my kids play in the living room of our apartment and our cat (Kitty) sleeps on the sofa by my side.
Today is the 10th anniversary of the day my husband and I started dating, back in Abidjan. In just 2 days it will be Luka and Zoe’s 7th birthday (7!!!!) and my mom arrived to Nicosia yesterday to stay with us for 50 days (insert big happy smile here). This is a month full of happy memories and celebrations, when the abundance that we are graced with becomes even more apparent. A month of true joy.
And a great deal of this joy is due to being able to work from home (being a “mumpreneur”) and having let go of the expectations of what my work, success, and our lives, needed to look like. I used to think that I needed to be busy busy busy all the time, or I was not doing enough. I used to beat myself hard whenever I was so tired that I ended up procrastinating on the things I had to do (or thought I had to do), because I simply couldn’t focus. I used to feel that I was never far along enough on the path to my dreams…until I realized that my dreams and goals were acting both as a surrogate to my self-esteem, and as an excuse to beat myself up.
Why am I telling you this?
Because Summers can be wonderful, but they can also be hard for working moms. I know this because, while I’ve always loved being with my kids, I also used to feel constantly guilty. Guilty for not being far ahead enough with my business goals, and guilty for wanting to do something other than just being with my children all day long. When night fell and kids went to sleep, I would rush to the computer to finish the work I had planned in my (always miles long) to do list and I would stay until the wee hours of the night trying to cross things off from it.
It was not sustainable, but I didn’t see it.
And then, with its peculiar sense of humor, the Universe removed all my free day time. The year when Luka and Zoe were home-schooled I learnt the true meaning of “I don’t have time”, and yet, and yet…it was my most productive year.
How is it possible?
This is something I talked about with lovely Laureen Oliphant in THIS INTERVIEW.
We discussed how I had no choice but to go within and set priorities. How I was forced to chop down all goals that didn’t fit into those priorities ( I said sayonara to a gazillion goals, trust me). How I had to make place in my work for my children, and a place in my home school routines for my work (and how I actually achieved this). And how, in order to implement anything at all, I had to put systems in place, so as to minimize the amount of decisions I needed to make daily.
If this sounds easy, let me tell you right now: it wasn’t. I rebelled against it at first, because I’m smart like that (Ha! NOT!. I can be stubborn). But when I surrendered to my new reality, things started to flow and I found more ease in my business and in my life.
Listen to the full interview to learn what’s the best thing I did (hint: it got me all my client referrals and it doesn’t cost a penny!)
by Marcela M. | Nov 18, 2014 | Blog, Blog, Business, CLIENTS, Fotografía, Photography
I can’t even begin to explain how I feel today. If you could peek inside my heart, all you would see is sheer joy.
Today, Life is Messy Kitchen comes out into the World for all of you to see and enjoy. For all of you to cook with and play in the kitchen. Your kitchen: the real, beautifully messy place where you cook for your families. The place where you will make these recipes your own, cooking with your kids, your husband, your mum, your friends…your loved ones.
Life is Messy Kitchen is the first cookbook I photographed. The first job I had as a professional photographer. The first job in which I got to collaborate with an amazing team of professionals who put their heart and soul into bringing this book to life and making it not just a cookbook, but a work of art.
Life is Messy Kitchen is a work of love, and a tribute to messy lives, to things that don’t go according to plan, to tough moments and getting through to the other side. It’s a tribute to friendship and professionalism. A tribute to getting things done to the very best of our ability, no matter what. A tribute to getting back in our feet when life knocks us down, and a powerful statement about the huge power of dreams.
Life is Messy Kitchen is a work of art, because it has over 100 of Mayi Carles amazingly cute, melt-your-heart- funny illustrations, over 200 photographs taken by yours truly, and because it was designed and art directed by the sheer genius of Marbel Canseco who transformed it into a book you will most definitely want in your coffee table, into a book your kids will love, into a book that is bound to inspire you and that you will treasure for years to come.
This book is pure eye-candy and it makes my heart beat faster just knowing that I got to be a part of it.
And Life is Messy Kitchen is an amazing cookbook. I should know, because I made each and every one of the 115 recipes it contains-many of them several times. The recipes, my friends are nutritious, beautiful and, most of all,delicious. As in seriously delicious. And they work.
Because you know those books full of pretty photos but with recipes that are just impossible to make? The ones with cakes that flop, with cupcakes taste like cardboard and the ones where you can never get anything to look as in its pages? This is NOT one of those books.
Each of the Life is Messy Kitchen recipes was made in my family kitchen, styled in a way you may style them at home, without tricks that would make them pretty but inedible, and photographed exclusively with natural light.
What you see is what you get.
And what you get is wonderful. I promise.
The book comes in 3 versions :the digital pack, which includes the full pdf and an interactive guide, the print book (to be shipped in March), and the big bundle, which includes the digital pack, the print edition and an adorable coloring book that was Zoe’s delight when I was photographing it and even comes with bonus printable cards and gift tags.
AND! AND! AND! All versions include also super cute printable menu planners, grocery lists and recipe cardsillustrated and designed by Mayi herself, and access to a community of messy kitchen owners and recipe lovers, just like you and me 
So, my dear friend, come celebrate with me!
-Visit http://www.lifeismessykitchen.com/, check the book’s preview (wiii) , tell me what you think (fingers crossed that you’ll like it)!
– Tell me your messy kitchen stories in the comments below!
– Follow the hashtag #lifeismessykitchen on twitter and instagram not to miss any of the launch party activities-it’s going to be fun, and there are going to be prizes!
– Promise me that you’ll join us for the Life is Messy Kitchen live call (subscribe below to be notified about the exact date and time!)
– If you would like to see the “making of” of this book-well at least how the book was photographed- keep your eyes open because I’ll tell you all about it in my next post!
Have a beautiful Tuesday!
