Money Monday! You are who you hang with

Who are your 5 closest friends?

Over the past few years I've been told by many mentors you are who you hang with; the reflection of your 5 closest friends. Not until the past few months have I really taken this to heart and started making changes. It's not about who makes the most money as many people think it's about the quality of the person you're surrounding your self with.

Here are a few things you can do to determine if you're closest 5 are a positive or negative in your life....

• Take a look at your 5 closest friends write out pros and cons about having them in your inner 5 and evaluate if they are an asset or liability and if their habits, personality or goals line up with yours...
• Pros: Gives good advice, I admire them, does what they say
• Cons: Always late, lots of drama, no goals, bad money habits 
• Do you feel comfortable talking about your dreams, money, passions with your 5? If not this is not a good sign these are important topics when stepping into the unknown
• If you feel drained when get done hanging out with your friends this is a sign they are energy "suckers" you always feel tired after you hang out with them this can be exhausting to you; I suggest limiting your time spent with this person
• Topic of conversation: if you're serious about building a business, having goals and accomplishing them then you have to have quality conversation! If all you can talk about is what is on TV and you don't watch TV it will make it difficult to fit this type of person into your success driven future
• Always think you dream "to much" or they bash your ideas, goals this can be dangerous because you will start to doubt your self and pull away from your dreams and get off track

Now please don't think I am saying never talk to these people again or be mean and nasty to them because they just don't have the same dreams, goals or ideas as you it's ok. These people are still important part of your life they will be your supporters and  you will always need support.

Surround your self with people who you can share ideas with, have quality conversation, feel like you can learn something from them, they have big goals and dreams; motivated there are so many good qualities in people you just have to find the ones that are in sync with you and your goals.

P90x VS Insanity

So many people want to try these programs but are not sure what one to go with well I've done them both and have my personal opinions to help you make a choice.

P90x
I have to say I enjoyed the ab ripper X it's very intense no equipment and will get you results. P90x involves equipment and I only have 5 lb weights. That is the only issue I had with it. Now if you have a few different weights to work with great you will LOVE this routine! You use the weights a good percentage of the time. Very intense work outs; great for toning and feeling the "burn" I enjoyed it because I like to use weights once I get to where I want to be with my weight. I would suggest this to an athlete that wants to take their ability to the next level. If you're brand new to working out I honestly don't see many people sticking with it at that stage of fitness.

Insanity
I love love love insanity! I think anyone new to working out should use this to kick start their weight loss or work out lifestyle. It's very high intensity cardio and will for sure get your hear rate up and sweat glans going! You do lots of jumping and stationary moves; no equipment needed just something to play the DVDS on.

I personally enjoy more high intensity cardio work outs because I want to lose fat. I do know that when you want to lose weight you need to lift weights so once I get a bit more weight off me I will throw in some P90x videos.

It's all up to you these are my personal opinions each have their ups and downs to various people. Chose one DO IT; STICK TO IT; and you will see results!! The key to these programs is the meal plans make sure you stay as close to those as possible or you will be doing all this working out for nothing. Trust me at least look at the meal plans have an idea of how many meal you're supposed to eat each day and know the basics of healthy eating.

MUAH! Momma Micki

Money Monday! Be organized!

Money Monday biz tip is to be organized! As I am journeying into my new entrepreneurial adventure I've noticed that I'm not as organized as I would like to be. I started to notice how important it is to have certain things ready at all times; for example: having a place to take notes either via paper; i pad or some sort of way to take notes quickly; having your business card on hand at all times this is even more important when attending an event always be ready; also have a place for your files or important documents weather it's on your computer or hard copy have them in a certain place so it's easy to access them at all times. These are  just a few simple things to start doing as your develop a system to be organized. It's also helpful to set aside time each week to "re-organize" meaning take a few hours each week on one day a week mine for example is Sunday evenings and Tuesday mornings the reason I chose these days is Sunday evening is a good time to review the week ahead and Tuesday mornings I organize my "admin" items. I split these two up because it's easier for me to plan what admin items need to be done and then get those done while on Sunday evenings I plan the events or activities for the week. Some people knock everything out at once for me it just takes a bit more time then I have during my "get organized" times. Here are a few things you can do to get organized....

1) Get a calendar either via phone, computer, or hard copy one you can have access to quickly
2) Mark important things on your calendar come up with a schedule for your self ( Here are few of mine)
    *Working out
    *Study time: I always take time to study either a new language, more health information, or cooking
    *Appointment times
3) Set-up a filing system; get a filing cabinet to file important documents; then label the folders
4) Create a system for tracking profit and expenses using a spreed sheet or a software like quickbooks
5) Create a morning routine... This is so important to me since becoming an entrepreneur; with out my morning routine to get me up and my day started things tend to fall behind or I get lazy if I don't have an appointment for the day
6) Set goals; this will help you create your schedule now that you have things to get done/ accomplished
7) Make a work space; I work out of my home and I quickly found out that the couch can't be considered a "working environment" so I bought a desk from Ikea an set up a small office space in my room; this made a huge difference in my organization

8) Pick a day of the week that best fits your working schedule to take time to plan for the next 7 days or week it's very helpful to plan head and be prepared this will play a major role in being organized is having a plan and being ready for following week
9) Stay on schedule sometimes things don't go as we planned that's fine but in order to stay organized it's important to stay on schedule! Let's say your 1 pm cancelled find out what can take that place do it and be ready for the 2 pm appointment don't get lazy now that things didn't go as planned.
10) Keeping track of contacts seems easy to some but when you have 10-15 new business cards a day coming at you it will be very helpful to schedule in time to "organize your new contacts" come up with a system. I use google contacts it's simple and easy to sync with my devices.

Those are just a few simple tips to help keep you organized and to start your journey of becoming organized... Hope this helps as it's what I do and I feel I am pretty well organized. Feel free to offer more tips in the comments as I would love to hear what you do stay organized!

Are carbs bad?

When it comes to "carbs" so many people have been misconceived. Carbs are NOT bad we have been brainwashed into believing this! It's the "refined grains" that are EVIL as we say.... the chips, pop tarts, and popcorn are also known as refined grains. The GOOD/ HEALTHY "whole grains" such as brown rice, Quinoa, millet, and kasha are considered good carbs. Now you hear these names and say to your self what is Quinoa?? Well it's time to try something new. I tell you from personal experience since I've been eating these types of grains my "system" is running much smoother.

Cooking whole grains.

1. Make sure you soak your grains over night in water before you cook them. It's important to do this so the grain releases it's nutrients. 
2. Cook in bulk. "Cook once eat twice/ three times"
3. Boil your water cook the grains until they are soft usually takes me about 15-20 mins 
4. ENJOY

There are so many things you can make with rice and it's important to have whole grains in your diet. You will be surprised how much better you feel when you eat whole grains and how much more full you feel.

EAT MORE WHOLE GRAINS....


Here are some details about a few whole grains

Millet is a very small, round grain with a history that traces back thousands of years. It was the chief grain in China before rice became popular, and continues to sustain people in Africa, China, Russia, and India. Millet is an extremely nutritious and hardy crop that grows well under harsh or dry conditions, both of which contribute to its widespread use and popularity around the world.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has the highest nutritional profile and cooks the fastest of all grains. it is an extremely high-energy grain and has been grown and consumed for about 8,000 years on the high plains of the Andes Mountains in South America. The Incas were able to run such long distances at such a high altitude because of the powerful grain. 

Kasha is the name for buckwheat that has been roasted to a deep amber color. It is one of the oldest traditional food of Russia. Despite its name, buckwheat is not actually a member of the wheat family, but rather a relative of rhubarb. of the grains, buck wheat has the longest transit in the digestive tract and is the most filing.

Brown Rice has all bran layers intact and thus contains all of its naturally present nutrients. These layers of bran act to protect the grain and to help maintain its fatty acids. Brown rice contains the highest amount of B vitamins out of all grains. Additionally, it contains iron, vitamin E, amino acids, and linoleic acid. Brown rice is high in fiber, extremely low in sodium and it composed of 80% complex carbohydrates. Because brown rice is a whole food, it takes longer to digest than white rice, providing the body with sustained energy through out the day.

To sum it up we have been brainwashed to believe carbs are bad well the conclusion is clear we need WHOLE GRAIN carbs for energy, good digestion system and nutrition.

References: Integrative Nutrition

Money Monday: Dream Board

Money Monday's biz tip is to create a dream board. 

  Creating a dream board will help you stay motivated! The reason I say to create one is because running a business is not easy and at times we feel like giving up and saying forget about it. I believe if the dream is big enough the drive will be there! The dream board will remind you why you get up at 5 am to get to that meeting, why you stay up late because you have a child and still have emails to return, it will remind you why you have to keep moving forward! Here is a picture of mine :)

Girls day

Gia; Cora; and mommies all went to hang out at the pool... the girls are officially swimming. :)

Special Guest: Tee Mayfield! Owner of B4Fitness & Maydog Promos Mkt

Thank you so much Tee for allowing me to share your story with my followers! You have to hear her story I am sure many of you can relate to the "corporate world" and their friendly ways of operating! Well read below to find out more! My journey to "entrepreneurship"

Tee Mayfield's journey to "mommapreneur" 

Owner of B4Fitness & Maydog Promos Marketing Company

     I never tried to sum up my story on how I got started as a “mom” entrepreneur, so this will be my first try.  My journey to being an entrepreneur was founded off of everything nontraditional.  I have never been married and I have been involved in two horrible relationships that both resulted in 3 beautiful children.  I can remember in my darkest times receiving ideas of me being this important person but I did not take these ideas into account because I felt it was not applicable to me.  In unprofessional terms, I felt like I was shit and those ideas did not apply to me.   My work setting was just about the same as my personal relationships….. Crappy!  I can remember after having my son going back to work to find that my boss had moved my cubicle under the exit sign in the office. Not funny! Okay maybe a little funny.  More the less, I was looked at so bad because my life had took this nontraditional turn.  To really get to how I started, I did not start with money in the bank as a matter of fact I owed the bank.  I did not wait until my kids were older because my son was 8 weeks old and my girls were both under the age of 10.  I did not start by doing a pyramid type business, which there is nothing wrong with that, just not my thing.  I started when I was in the process of not trying to go insane! I was at the gym working out because for so long I had always found the gym as a place for me to think or process my pain better.  As I began to have new outlooks of my situation and shooting down my thoughts of self-homicide, I began thinking about becoming an entrepreneur. Why should I work for those awful people? I began seeing visions of the same people who doubted me admiring me on T.V.  This vision fueled me even more!!! I asked God, “What is it that I would be doing?” I had these visions but he did not reveal “how.” Until one day while working out, this female bodybuilder walked up to me and said, “Wow, what are you doing and whatever it is….. keep it up!”  That comment lead me to go home and really think and when I say think….. I mean I was thinking.  I thought myself to sleep that night to only be awakened by an infomercial chanting my government name: Shantee pronounced “Shaun’ tee.”  I could not believe what I was hearing!  The best way to describe it is that I was having a Sherman Clump experience! I slowly made my way to the living room with a bat of course and it was there I slowly sat on the couch to hear all these testimonies about “Shantee.”  As my name continuously kept being repeated, I was thinking who the “Shantee?” is.  Towards the end, I found out it was Shaun-T hip hop abs! I was relieved because I did not want to experience no creepy television talking to me.  But it was there, I discovered I wanted to help women get over adversities in their life and become the true woman they are meant to be. I wanted to do this by way of fitness and taking self-control instead of losing control of self.  I began to go back to school to obtain my Bachelors in Psychology (Spring 2013) and later my PHD in Clinical Psychology.  I am the current owner of B4 Fitness and Maydog Promos Marketing Company and a mother of three children two girls and one boy!

Money Monday Biz Tip

DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!

The reason I wanted to speak on this today is that in my health coaching online course this weekend I heard a story about a lady that was doing nothing with her life; was hooked on sugar; and had no direction. She said she got involved in becoming a health coach and it built confidence and gave her direction. Once her journey began just as mine did there were alot of people telling her no and that her ideas where not going to work. This brings me to my point. "what you believe you will achieve" we all know this to be true but I don't think many people have a clear understanding of this... I'm saying if you think you will never get a "yes" then you're correct. Just move forward and focus on the vision at hand they might say no to your crazy idea at first but if you show you have not stopped working towards your goals/ visions and that same no person comes back around they will end up wanting you more then you need them!

NEVER TAKE NO AS AN ANSWER! No you can't do that; no you can't do this...
well I am here to tell you they are wrong!! YOU CAN! The answer is YES!!!

Be a guest on Mommapreneur Life

Hey my awesome supporters!!! I'm starting something new and exciting!! Every week or so I'll be featuring a "mom entrepreneur" AKA "Mommapreneur" they will be sharing tips; experiences; and their stories of what it's like to be a mommapreneur! If you would like to be a guest on my blog please email me mickigram@gmail.com or comment below! You can also find me on facebook... Mommapreneur Facebook

Can't wait to share with you all the amazing mommapreneurs stories!! 

Healthy Breakfast