I'm doing something different today! In celebration of the 100th episode, I asked you all on Instagram for 100 questions to answer, and I'm really excited just to have fun and allow you guys to get to know me on a different level. A lot of these are personal, a lot of them are lighthearted, a lot of them are fun and hopefully some of them you'll find helpful to you and your life. Believe me, you want to listen to the end.

This week, we're going to be talking about how to get the most out of your week with the ideal week exercise.

Let's take a few minutes to dream about life and work and lay out a game plan for the next five years.

Today's episode is short and sweet, and I am talking about why I have a business journal—a work journal.

Yes, a separate journal, completely dedicated to my work. And I'll be telling you why I think you should have one too.

As we were starting to do research and kind of figure out what content we wanted to make when I was just starting this brand and podcast, a friend asked me some really good questions, and recommended this book: The Pumpkin Plan.

It challenged me to push pause on all of my own ideas, to zoom out a little bit, to get some more perspective, and ask better questions, not only of myself, but of my clients, my audience, and my work. I'm really excited to dive in today and share what I learned!

For the most part, mission statements / purpose statements / "what's your why" statements are just too wordy and a bunch of gobbledygook that doesn't help you or clarify your vision.

So if you've never written one for your work, or if you have one, but you can't recite it right now off the top of your head and you don't really believe in it: this episode is for you.

Today's episode is one that I hope you will bookmark and come back to. Actually, I'm almost positive this is one that you will bookmark and come back to. That's because I'm going to share with you the simple steps and how to have a really hard conversation—a crucial conversation—steps that will help you think through what you will say before you say it, and tools that will change your marriage, change your family relationships, your work relationships, all for the better.

Back in Episode 041, I shared my plan to work one day a week this year, which was quite the change after I closed my business last year. This episode is simply a check-in to tell you how it's been going so far.

Today I’m having a conversation with my friend, Shunta Grant, and oh is it good! We talk about how important it is to just to slow down and choose today.

It's time for my takeaways on the latest Nancy Ray Book Club book: Beginner's Pluck. Liz is hilarious and delightful and this book will inspire you to build a life of purpose and passion and impact!

Here are my top three biggest takeaways from the book, When Less Becomes More by Emily Ley.

Today, you get to hear a candid conversation with one of my dearest friends and former Nancy Ray Photography team member, Olivia Suriano, all about our last year in business and what it looks like to finish well.

I know you probably don't want another thing to do to add to your already busy life, but this might just give you the insight you need to see how you're actually spending your days and give you the courage to make the changes that you want to make.

Usually, when I release an episode about one of our Nancy Ray Book Club books, I give my top three takeaways from the book. I’m so excited to get to do this today, while also getting input from the author herself! I truly cannot wait for you to get to hear from Jess today—she has been such a blessing to me and to many.

Of all the books I read last year, this one is probably my favorite simply because it's full of scientific knowledge about the brain and how it works, which is something I really know nothing about, and how God designed us.

I'm going to tell you what I hope for my work to look like this year and then check back in with you in a few months and tell you how it's actually going and what I've learned so far.

Today I'm going to be chatting with my friend, Lara Casey Isaacson. We're going to be talking all about what it looks like to live intentionally in a distracted world and how setting goals can help us do just that. 

Whether you've already set all your goals, or maybe if goals are annoying to you and you never set them, I hope that you'll be able to take one little piece from this episode that will be helpful for your life as you look ahead to the brand new year in front of you.

It's my birthday today! This is a fun episode where I'm answering questions from YOU, so listen in.