Burford Designs

Paid What the Job is Worth

When I was in my early twenties I worked for a large company.  It began as a summer college program (I started when I was eighteen) and turned into not only my summer job but my any time I had a break during school job, and basically whenever I wanted or needed to make some extra cash job.  There was an understanding with the Human Resources director that, if I wanted, I would be hired on after graduation and at the time, that is what I thought I wanted.  Over the years I worked for all of the departments and in various facets learning about the company from every aspect. 

When I was a year away from graduation I began working closely with a lady who was the head of the communications department.  She was an older lady (Jane) who had worked for the company for many years and was the one who had originally hired me.  She had recently remarried and felt that it was time to retire soon and she wanted to train me so that I would take over her position when I graduated.  For months I helped with internal and external communications, press releases, etc.  (This was in addition to working my normal job with the company.) 

 

Jane officially announced her retirement date and the next day I was called into a meeting with her and the head of HR (Teri).  During this meeting we discussed my being hired officially for the position once Jane retired and I graduated (Jane would retire about two weeks after I graduated).  At this time money and employee benefits were not discussed but I didn’t think anything of it I was just happy to have a job waiting for me when I finished school.

 

I continued to work, as I had the past few months, doing my regular job and now being officially trained for the new one.  My days and nights were filled with studying and writing papers for classes, working the two jobs and studying and learning what I could for the new position. 

 

Finally I had graduated and Jane was set to retire in a matter of days.  I went to work early one day to discuss the transition and my compensation.  Teri got a very frazzled look on her face as she told me that a lot of things had changed since we last spoke about this (although she had not said a word to Jane or me) and that, well, I was still going to be placed in that position but I wouldn’t get an increase in pay nor additional benefits.  By this point I had enough sense and wherewithal to know that it was a bad situation that would never change.  And with that I gave my notice and began looking for another job. 

I heard from people that continued to work there that the management was shocked that I had stood up for myself and that they never were able to get someone to fill that position.  I was proud for several reasons… the first being that I had stood up for myself and have never taken on a job where I have accepted less that what I was worth and then less than a year later the parent corporation closed that branch of the company down.  They absorbed most of the management positions, moving them all over the country, but everyone else was simply downsized.

A Letter to Self

I really enjoy having this time between Christmas and New Year’s Day off every year because it warrants me the time to do all of the major and minor things I need and want to do to in order to begin the new year fresh.  For the last several years (probably the last eight years) I’ve have spent one evening during this week to write a letter to my future self.  Usually it is what I want the next year to be… my hopes, dreams, aspirations, however I write it as if it has already happened.

 

I wrote my first one when I was in high school and would periodically write one now and then, but as I mentioned above, for the past eight years or so I have been faithfully writing this letter.  On New Year’s Eve I read the letter that I wrote the previous year… without regret, without judgment.

It’s fun to look over all of my past letters since I only sporadically write in a journal and other than my blogging I don’t really have anything where I write my thoughts and feelings down so that I can read them later. 

 

So tonight, I will turn on some music, go to my room with a nice mug of hot cocoa and write a letter to myself, and then I’ll seal it in an envelope with a note stating not to open until December 31, 2010.

Wishing and Hoping and Thinking and Planning

During the last few days of every year I like to look back while I think ahead.  I look over the current year’s goal list and see what I have accomplished (and sometimes how far I got whether I completed the goal or not) and figure out what I want to add to the next goal list. 

Call them what you will: goals, resolutions, life plans; to me the difference is just semantics.  I like to spend the end of the year creating a new goal list with actionable steps for the upcoming year.  Sometimes they are simple little items like take a vacation or create a new item at least once a month.  Other times the goal may be more significant or cause worthy like losing twenty-five pounds or for many of you something like to stop smoking. 

 

This recent blog entry from Alicia Forest was in my email inbox and I though I would share it with all of you.

 

Happy Planning!

Skip the Resolutions!

Did you take some time recently to think about and perhaps even write down your resolutions for 2010?

To be honest, I'm not exactly a fan of resolutions - really, what's so different about January 1 that's going to make a dramatic difference in whether or not you keep your resolutions? If you just have a list of things you'd like to accomplish, well, the answer is 'not much'. But if you have a PLAN to go along with your list, well, that can make ALL the difference.

What I've done for the past several years, as part of a much larger strategic planning process, is create what I call the Four Pillars. It includes just 4 goals that I want to achieve in my business within the next year. I review the previous year's goals before setting down the next set for the upcoming year, and what I've found from doing this process over and over is this: I've reached AT LEAST those 4 goals within the year (and usually quite a few more). How? Because those were the ones I created a plan around to achieve.

So even though 4 goals may not seem like a lot, if it's 4 more than you usually reach, wouldn't that feel great? :)

This year, instead of creating resolutions for your business, try the following steps to create your own Four Pillars Plan:

1. Create your 1 year vision

One of my favorite exercises is creating a vivid vision of what I want my life to look like over the next year. I include anything and everything I can think of, letting my imagination run wild while my fingers try to keep up with my mind as I write.

If you've done this or a similar exercise before, review what you've written previously. Acknowledge the progress you've made, but don't get stuck on the goals you didn't reach either. Move forward with your new or revised goals for the future.

2. Choose a theme

Usually from the 1-year vision exercise, a theme will emerge about what seems most right to focus on over the next year. It may be finances, relationship-building, or a specific piece of my marketing efforts that I want to implement or increase.

3. Choose 4 goals to focus on within that theme

Choose one goal that follows the overarching theme of your year to work on each quarter. For example, if your theme is 'increase market reach', your first quarter goal may be to get exposure in a media outlet you haven't tapped yet. Your second quarter goal may be to develop 3 new strategic alliances.

4. Break down each Quarterly Goal into monthly, weekly, and daily tasks

Now that you know what you want to focus on each quarter, figure out what you need to do each month, week, and day of that quarter to reach your goal. Then write down those tasks in your planner.

This step is huge - and it's also the step that most people skip. But I promise if you set aside the time to do this, you will reap the rewards. Doing this will almost effortlessly PULL you forward towards reaching your goals.

5. Get support

As entrepreneurs, we have a tendency to want to go-it-alone. But nothing will increase the likelihood of actually reaching your goals more quickly and easily than if you have someone else holding you accountable.

Buddy up with a colleague, or hire a coach, to keep you on track and moving forward. Check in once a week or two to ensure forward progress. And don't forget to celebrate your victories, whether they be big or small, along the way.

I know this sounds simple, but for some reason, we have a tendency to make everything much more difficult than it needs to be. If you follow the 5 steps I've given you, when this time comes next year, you'll be astounded that you actually reached, at the very least, your 4 goals of your Four Pillars Plan.

So what are your Four Pillars for the New Year? Please share your comments below!

(c) 2009 Alicia Forest

About the author:  Alicia M Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create wild abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com

Boo Boo’s Hair

I never thought that my occasional viewing of television shows such as iCarly and Ned’s Declassified would come in handy.  I have caught these shows completely unaware (sometimes when I work at night I tune the TV to Nick @ Nite and watch reruns of “The Nanny”, “Malcolm in the Middle” and/ or “George Lopez”… so the next day when I turn the TV on it tends to be one of Nick’s pre-teen to teenage shows like iCarly.  It has become a guilty pleasure, not that I really feel the need to explain myself. *grin*

 

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, being in the loop about what teens (and pre-teens) watch has been beneficial to my nephew Boo Boo.  When Mommy was visiting them (Older Brother and his family) in California she snapped some shots of Boo Boo and commented to me later about his long hair. 

 

I explained that his hair really wouldn’t be considered long to most people and it was really en vogue if she saw the teen heartthrobs like Zac Efron and Chace Crawford (or anyone on the CW, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, etc).

Now I hear that it is all gone and that he has a buzz cut, high and tight, ahhh Gibbs would be proud (in reference to Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs of NCIS).  

Merry Christmas

It was an easy going day and that made it super nice.  I did end up making Eggs Benedict and they were wonderful.  Everything turned out perfect, not bad since I had poached my first eggs the other day to practice and today was my first time making Hollandaise sauce.  Mommy remarked that this was the type of meal we should serve guests.

 

I made Daddy a hat for Christmas so he could have something to wear when he goes outside in the cold.  Mommy got her main present last month when we went to see The Lion King, but she still got some smaller stocking stuffer presents to open today. 

 

I spoke with Baby Boy on the phone as he readied himself to spend Christmas afternoon with his friend Corks and her fam.  Apparently Boo Boo and Bubba (my nephews) were still busy opening their presents this morning so we didn’t get to talk to them too long on the phone but they seemed to be having and good time and received everything that was sent to them.

 

After the decadent brunch I decided that a healthful dinner was in order so I made grilled salmon burger sliders and a nice green salad.  I thought that I might work on some projects but then I scrapped that idea because sometimes I just need some time off, not doing a lot, not feeling the need to busy myself so other then typing this up quickly I’m spending the evening watching the Encore channel with their big 80’s weekend which kicked off with the documentary tribute to John Hughes called Don’t You Forget About Me followed by The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and then Weird Science.  The list goes on and on all weekend (not all Hughes films though).  I don’t know how much I will watch of it but I know for the next several hours I’ll be catching up with Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall.

 

I hope you all had a nice Christmas (or simply a nice Friday for those who don’t celebrate)!

Santa Baby

Chewie (the Pomeranian pup) has gotten really good at playing photo shoot.  He now knows that if I get the camera out then he will get a treat for sitting there and allowing me to put him through dress up and sitting still while I snap shots.  Until the other night, I wasn’t able to get pictures of Bella and Chewie together.  I got them to sit on the stairs together and at first they were side by side but Chewie had to move down a step (he really tried to take off but I got him to sit on the lower step and allow me to take some photos of the two of them).

After a few pictures I gave them each a treat and they were good to go.  With our first successful shoot under our belts (well, my belt) I got Chewie to sit on a stool under the Christmas tree with a  Santa hat on his adorable little head… he was even okay with that since he knew he would get a treat.  Then I tried to get Bella to sit under the tree, I called her over and told her “up” and as soon as she jumped up on the stool Chewie ran over and knocked her off and sat down posing for another pictures.  I was almost in tears laughing.  I moved him off of the bench and got Bella up there once more and yet again Chewie bumped her off the stool.

 

Mommy had this little Santa hats and I was able to get a few really good shots of both pups.

 

I also learned that both dogs were a lot better with the hats when I began with the hat over their eyes then moved it higher up on their heads. 

 

This picture was my favorite because Chewie looks like a statue.

 

So cute…

Appetizer Buffet

It seems the perfect time to admit another obsession of mine... hors d’oeuvres.  I love them no matter what name or what country they are from: finger foods, appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, amuse bouche, antipasto, dim sum, tapas, etc.  Every since I was a young girl I have collected books, pamphlets, and magazine articles all about these wonderful little creations (appetizers and garnishes that is). 

I actually have the mini Martha Stewart version of her hors d’oeuvres book as well as the humongous Hors d’oeuvres Handbook.  As I look around my room I see no less than ten books on this subject (and that’s just what is visible).  I love exquisite little finger foods and deliciously tempting morsels… it also helps that whenever I wanted to make up an assortment of appetizers Mommy was always on board because she would rather have a bite and taste of many foods then an entire dish of one thing.

My cousins hold an annual Christmas Eve party that is a veritable smorgasbord of dishes from shrimp cocktail, to meatballs and from candies to pies.  I find that with the number of people going to this yearly event it is a lot easier to have an appetizer and dessert buffet then to try something else.

 

So for those of you who still need to get some last minute goodies made I’ve found a few good sources to help you out.

 

There’s a gallery from Myrecipes.com for 12 Savvy Ways to Serve Finger Foods.

  

And of course my go to sites for anything food related: Food Network and Martha Stewart (Classic Appetizer Recipes and Holiday Dips and Spreads).

 

For tonight, I’ll be making California Rolls so I’m off to finish preparing those…

Meringue Mushrooms and a Bûche de Noël

As many of you know I am a list maker.  I tend to have a lot going on inside my head that I need lists to help eliminate some of the chaos and I am a lot more productive when I have a list since I am a goal oriented person and enjoy crossing off completed items.

 

One of my many lists is a list of food items I would like to make.  The item could be an individual item, a portion of a meal or the entire meal.  A few of my top items include: Eggs Benedict, Bagels, Gingerbread Cookies and a Gingerbread House, Eggnog, and a Bûche de Noël .  Looking at this list I just typed I can tell that brunch and holiday foods are really on my mine.

Making a Bûche de Noël (or Yule Log or Birch de Noël à la Martha Stewart) has been on my list for the past several years.  There are various reasons why I haven’t made it (one year we were all “eating healthy” and therefore no sweets, another year I was pretty much by myself so there wasn’t any fun in that then and yet another year (last year) Christmas was so Christmasy (although the house decorations would lead one to believe otherwise)).  But still, every year I scour magazines, television shows, cookbooks and web pages in search of tips, tricks and how-to’s regarding this beautiful creation.

 

This year, just might be the year I actually make it.  I do plan on making Eggs Benedict for Christmas brunch… I did poach my first egg today to practice and it turned out beautifully.

 

What are making this Christmas?

How to Be an Extreme Encourager

This is something I thought needed to be shared...

*~*~*~*

Many years ago, when I first shared my dream of being a songwriter with one of my best friends, she knitted her brows and said, “Huh?”

I can’t say I was deflated by all of the warnings that followed. After all, I had always been surrounded by this kind of “practical thinking.” In fact, I probably shared my dream with her just so she’d talk me out of it.

During this fumbling stumbling time in my life, I met a man who became an unlikely best friend and mentor. He was a brilliant jazz musician, and he could do pretty much anything on the computer.

One night, after he performed at a local jazz club, we were walking towards my car. I told him my dream of being a songwriter. Without even blinking, he said, “Honey (he always called me Honey), you’d be a fabulous songwriter. That’s perfect!” And he meant it.

At that moment, I felt like I was falling into a soft clean bed. I had never experienced such direct and truthful encouragement without a single “practical” warning attached to it. This friend set me free by offering one simple thing:

Encouragement.

Fast forward many years and successes and failures later. I’m surrounded by encouragers. I’m sure there are doubters around. But they don’t register anymore.

Also, I have become an extreme encourager myself.

I’ve observed extreme encouragers. I’ve also recognized some traits that they all have in common. Here they are:

• An extreme encourager lives by example

The best encouragers are the ones who live it. Whether they’re just getting started, or they’re veteran risk-taking creativity-living wild-women – the encouragers are the ones who want a bigger life for themselves and are willing to “go there.” This is why my jazz musician friend could simply offer encouragement when my other friend could not.

• An extreme encourager actively listens

Encouragers know that encouragement doesn’t mean you just tell people to “buck up” or “get over it.” They know how to listen. This means looking at the speaker, listening to her, setting agendas and judgments aside, and honoring the speaker as a wise soul.

• An extreme encourager avoids clichés

Avoiding clichés is actually a result of actively listening to someone. Being an extreme encourager doesn’t mean that you blindly tell people “You can do it!” or “Let go of fear!” It’s deeper than that. It’s seeing the truth of the other person, especially when they cannot.

• An extreme encourager acknowledges the hooglie-booglies, but doesn’t focus on them

We all have the hooglie-booglies. These are the voices that tell us we can’t, or we shouldn’t, or we’ll fail, or we’ll look stupid. An encourager doesn’t focus on those voices because she knows they’re trying to hook her. An encourager simply acknowledges that the voices are there and that you can’t make them go away by arguing with them. An encourager knows that those voices aren’t the truth. They only SEEM like the truth.

• An extreme encourager remembers that no one knows what’s best for anyone else

An encourager knows that we are all wise and that sometimes we make choices that might not seem so wise. An extreme encourager calls out our deepest desires and then helps us see the thoughts and fears that hold us back.

• An extreme encourager accepts miracles, grace and mystery as the deeper truth

Extreme encouragers are often mystics of sorts. They know that the so-called “woo-woo” stuff is more real than the so-called “logical” stuff. They celebrate the divine as a simple fact of everyday existence and don’t get caught up in the “prove it” mindset.

• An extreme encourager knows that you can develop the needed character traits as you go

In other words, she knows you’re ready now, even if you’re not perfect yet! I shudder when I read advice that discourages people from trying something because of character traits “required” in advance. “You shouldn’t blog if you’re not disciplined.” “If you don’t have focus, you can’t be a writer.” Most of the successful people I know developed these traits as they went. I certainly did. Encouragers understand the huge potential for growth in each human, especially when someone begins to follow her heart.

———————-

I’m grateful to the encouragers! And I’m grateful to be able to pass it on to others – either my friends, or to women in my retreats or my coaching clients!

Who has given you the encouragement you needed in your life? And do you pass it on now?

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Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her ‘LiveCreative’ weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

Truffles, Truffles, Truffles

My current obsession is truffles.  I have always enjoyed eating truffles, but I really like just making truffles and giving them away.  Again, I think a lot of this is stemming from working in a handmade candy shop for four years when I was a teenager.  I’ve been on the lookout for recipes from a lot of the candies we used to make in that little shop, although I do have several of the original recipes written down they are packed away in storage… I guess that is one thing I will be looking for next time I go through those boxes.

I plan on making some of these tomorrow so I don’t have any personal pictures yet.  I began researching this topic over a month ago so there are a lot of pictures and links to recipes.

 

I’ll start with a simple chocolate truffle recipe from Simply Recipes then just list the remaining recipes with a comment or two.

Espresso truffles – I LOVE ESPRESSO and CHOCOLATE!  Yum, yum, yum. 

Woman’s Day square truffles – These are the “simple” version I like to throw into my compilations since there is no spooning, no rolling, just slicing.
 

Barefoot Contessa's Chocolate Truffles – Oh, Ina makes everything look so good and delicious… I can’t believe that I don’t own even one of her books; they are all however on my Amazon wish list… some day.

Here’s a twofer from Martha with her Perfect Chocolate Truffles and Chocolate-Champagne Truffles in Sparkling Sugar

 

Grand Marnier Truffles – Mr. Henne, the owner of the little shop I worked at, made these every year and they were my absolute favorite truffle.  Now I just need to get my hands on a bottle of Grand Marnier…

Truffles four ways – How could I resist?  A recipe adapted from Ina’s that uses Grand Marnier (like Ina's) and I am a sucker for simple and beautiful photos.

 

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt – I love a little salt with sweet (Fleur de Sel caramels are a favorite, but I need to get some Fleur de Sel) so this seems like a yummy recipe.

Enjoy!