A Journey Back

Going Home

By Sheila R. Rose

When I was a little girl, I would watch the sunset with my mom. She would tell me to send all my greetings to my relatives in Iran with the sun. "That's where the sun is headed next," she would say with a gentle longing in her eyes. Almost wishing she could go where the sun was going.

I would look straight at the sun and begin talking to my relatives. "Tell Uncle Hadi I miss him very much and Auntie Soraya I love her very much. Grandma, I'm doing great in school!"

It's the immigrant struggle. You move your family to a land filled with freedoms and opportunities, yet you also take your family away from the chance to know their culture and be around the people who love them most. Like anything in life you win something and lose something else. A balancing act of sorts.

On Thursday, I get to go back home to my birth country. The soil where I was born. Words seem trite to describe the utter excitement I feel. It's been 10 years since I've seen my relatives. I just want to be around my cousins and ask them about their lives and all that's happened to them in last few years. Their successes, their losses, their heart breaks, their moments of joy. All the memories I never got to share with them or be around to experience with them.

Plus, I get to spend 30 days with my parents. I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have this time with them because when you reach a certain age you realize the frailty of time.

It was a hard decision to make. I mean I'm leaving work (potential work), tasks, dreams, etc. But I think at the end of my lifetime, I don't want to just be remembered for the work I have accomplished, but the lives I've been able to touch.

I am still not sure if I will be able to post while I am gone, but I will certainly try.

Be healthy. Be well. Be happy. Most importantly, be around those you love.

Success Tip of the Week

Be Consistent

By Sheila R. Rose

When we started the LifeStyle Group, I was told Tuesdays would be my posting days.  

Since then I have posted an entry on this blog every Tuesday. Now I don’t fool myself to think my posts change lives. Because if they did this would be a sad world we live in. Ha!

I also write freestyle, so no literary works of genius either.  

Here I share with you how I strive to live out the LifeStyle of my dreams. Some moments I fail miserably while other moments I feel triumphant. However, maybe as I share glimpses into the creation of my LifeStlyle, I may inspire action in someone else. Relating and connecting are extremely important qualities for me to foster in this lifetime of mine.

Basically the above was a long segue to my “thought, tip, rambling (whatever you like to call these posts)” of the week.  

The one thing I have learned to get me to where I want to be is consistency.  

This philosophy falls into all areas of our LifeStyles from family to health to work to hobbies.  

• We have to consistently work on our personal relationships to keep them thriving.
  
• We have to consistently pay attention to our health to be at our best.
  
• We have to consistently focus on our careers to get to the next level.
  
• We have to consistently practice what we love to get better at it.
  

There are some areas of my life where I have mastered consistency. For example, I have consistently worked out on average three times a week for the past seven years. Often times more and sometimes less, but a decent average (if I do say so myself). I have consistently been involved in the arts in some way since I fell in love with it back in fifth grade. I can’t imagine my life without expressing myself through

Other areas of my life, consistency has been lacking. I get an idea and run with it for awhile and then let it go before it has a chance to go somewhere. I have a hard time consistently focusing on specific business endeavors for more than a few weeks at a time. I dream and then rationalize my way out of the dream the first time it doesn’t go the way I imagined. Sometimes I like to blame it on my self-diagnosis of ADHD. (We all know that’s just an excuse.) It’s just my lack of consistency.

So this blog and my posts are my commitment to practice consistency. Every Tuesday for as long as LifeStylers let me express on this forum.

Party of One

Being single is definitely a LifeStyle in itself.  So tonight I embraced my singleness and took myself to the movies.

As I walked into the theatre with ice cream cone in hand, I felt happy.

That’s all that ever matters.

Technology Rocks!

A Video First

By Sheila R. Rose

So I'm not what my friends would call tech savvy, but I like to pretend I am when I discover new mac programs.

Here is my latest technology adventure. Enjoy!!

New Obsessions

The Latest
by Sheila R. Rose

I really want to move to New York, so I can do the Blueprint Cleanse. I wonder if all marketers are suckers for good marketing as much as I am. Since yesterday, I have been agonizing about the fact that they don't deliver to California. And, I'm convinced this is the only cleanse that will get me into my skinny jeans because it's exactly what they say... You know anything marketers says is true, after all.

Also, I want you to know I discovered iWeb. This is dangerous. I'm now a marketer, designer and programmer all rolled into one.

Watch out.

Creature in Green

Faith in a Creature

By Sheila R. Rose

Last Friday, I noticed a big, green cricket starting at me from the adjoining wall outside my front door.

I couldn’t help but to smile when I saw this peaceful creature looking intently at me without making a move. I walked away feeling like maybe something bigger than I can possibly imagine was looking out for me.

Both yesterday and today, I noticed the cricket once again. “Hello, Jiminy!” I said as I walked out my door. Jiminy and I are forming a rare kind of bond. I am beginning to look forward to our daily encounters.

A certain familiar quote stirs in me as I walk away from my new green friend, “When your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme.” Jiminy Cricket.

Live It!

Living Out A LifeStyle

by Sheila R. Rose

As LifeStylers, we don’t just talk about the kind of life we want to live. We actually Strive for it. Attain it. Live it.

But it’s not always easy.

Despite fair warning, I naively imagined that living outside the confines of a 9 to 5 corporate job would feel wonderful all the time. As a fledgling entrepreneur, I would float through my days working on ideas and doing things I loved. However, when the opportunity presented itself, I felt paralyzed. Fear, anxiety, doubt and worry became the kind of emotions that hung out all the time. The monkey in my head would just not shut up.

Yet recently something in me clicked. I realized the voices would never go away, but I could combat them by strengthening my thoughts and actions in a way that better served me.

Here are 5 ways I’m learning to THRIVE.

1. Focus.
It’s so important to dream big, yet focus small. If I get an idea in my head, I can take it from ground zero to international phenomenon in two seconds flat. I love the dreamer girl in me, but dreaming big can hinder functioning well. I get so wrapped up in the enormity of the dream that the steps to get there seem impossible. So now I focus on small steps I can take today to get me to where I need to be tomorrow. It’s so much easier to do what I can actually see ahead.

2. Work hard.
Nothing replaces good honest hard work. When you give 110% of yourself to a project, you walk away from it a better person than when you started. I’m also realizing hard work is addictive. Once you get in the groove, you want to keep on going. This proves that good habits are as easily picked up as bad ones.

3. Be bold.
Take risks and don’t be afraid to make bold moves. The first time we do anything it feels uncomfortable. I, highly doubt, any of us just jumped on a bike for the first time and felt fearless going down the street. As I start my own business, sometimes I have no idea what I’m doing. Like not a clue. So I have to be bold enough to raise my hand and ask questions. I have to be bold enough to approach clients and ask for the job. I have to be bold. Period.

4. Evolve.
Face it. Our desires change overtime. The things we thought we wanted or the things that seemed so important sometimes no longer do. Living a rigid a LifeStyle (even if it is always to live a carefree one) can stifle and suffocate a person. That’s why it’s important for me to see my LifeStyle as dynamic and constantly changing. Evolution requires us to remain flexible.

5. Believe.
There will be times when I’m up and times when I’m down. Sometimes others will praise me and sometimes they won’t. I will face hurdles and stumbling blocks. It’s part of the game and the reality of living life outside the comfort zone. So I have to have an unwavering belief in myself. Stay humble when I’m up and confident when I’m down. Dreams do come true. They happen around us every day. People do live out the LifeStyles of their dreams. You and I can too.

Living out a purposeful LifeStlye is possible. We just have to stop thinking about it and start doing something about it.

Sometimes you gotta survey

August Currents

by Sheila R. Rose

current book: Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger

current music: Ben Harper

current guilty pleasure: incessant cleaning of my pad.

current drink: Kombucha, of course!

current wish-list: Bebe clothes, Gucci purse, Dior sunglasses, Cartier watch (it's a wish list people)

current needs: Windex, Nail Polish Remover and a shower (in no particular order)

current favorite film: Taxi Driver

current favorite tv show: sunset tan (did I just type that outloud? -- I've only seen it once. I swear.)

current #1 blessing: mama bear and papa bear -- always

current bane of my existence: figuring it out, the economy

current color: teal

current news flash: Oh My Gosh!

current confusion: my purpose

M.I.A. Remix

Sasha and I got together on a whim this past weekend and remixed 'Bucky Done Gun' by M.I.A.. I had a DJ gig that night at a bar in Fullerton called Fender and was going through some tunes on the laptop getting prepared.

It's been a while since I sat down and produced. In college I DJed and produced under the name Neosoul with my partner Scott Allen. We played all over the country and concerts, clubs and raves alongside the Dr. Freeclouds crew with the likes of Simply Jeff, DJ Dan, etc. Eventually we began to produce music and put out several records and remixes. The DJ and club scene is so different these days but the making music continues to be an incredible inspiration to me.

So I sat down with Sasha on Garageband and we just clicked instantly, not that it surprised me in the least. When Sasha and I first met I sensed an instant connection with him. I could tell right away that he wanted the same things I did and thought in many of the same ways. We share the same view on music, fashion and business which is a huge reason why The LifeStyle Group began.

Here's the track. Enjoy.

Let's Kombucha

Do you Kombucha?

Part of living a kick-ass lifestyle is through treating our body temples with the utmost care. There is a direct correlation between our success in business and how we maintain our health. With all the information we have at our disposal, there is no excuse for us not to take our health seriously. I mean, come on (pause, pause, pause), seriously.

So every Sunday I shop at Sprouts. Sometimes I like to try new things, and I feel kinda hip and cool when I try a product in what I label the "new agey" category. Last Sunday, I bought what I thought was iced tea. It was $2.89 a bottle. Honestly, it was one of those impulse buy decisions I feel obligated to make as a marketer. It's my "do as I do" philosophy in marketing. If I want others to buy products and/or services based on impulsive decision making, then I should at least do the same.

Monday morning rolls around. I wake up and grab this iced tea concoction from my frig as I'm running out the door.

Snap, I open the bottle. I didn't really realize my iced tea was carbonated. Sip. Ahhh. Tastes surprisingly refreshing. Even a bit sweet, so I check the label to make sure there is no added sugar. Nope. Then I look closely into the bottle and this gooey stuff is floating around. Ewww.

Finally, I start to read the packaging. I realize I am Kombucha'ing. Kombucha is basically a tea made by fermented cultures. The drink dates back to 250 B.C. in China where it was referred to as an "Immortal Health Elixir." It has recently become popular with cancer patients because it has been known to help the body heal. The fermentation process produces traces of alcohol in the drink (0.5 to 1.5%).

While I was impressed to read about its potential health benefits, I actually found this low calorie drink to be quite tasty and refreshing. Way tastier than a Diet Coke.

So I am on a personal mission to make Kombucha this hippest drink around.

The LifeStyle Group : Creating Connections

The LifeStyle Group
by Sheila R. Rose

In my dictionary, “networking” is a bad word. I cringe at the thought of attending a business related function where conversations feel contrived and relationships are formed out of tit-for-tat obligations.

This being said, I revel in “connecting” to people. To me, a true connection is formed when strangers relate to one another based on ideas, beliefs, backgrounds, interests and/or experiences. For a brief moment, life makes sense when you’re talking to someone and you think, “Wow, I get that.”

The LifeStyle Group is about connecting smart, creative, fun and genuine individuals who have an appetite for living life outside of what they know.

Several years ago when I lived in Arizona, I read about an avant-garde artist who saw life as his ultimate art project. Something in me knew I had to connect to him, so I did the unthinkable and e-mailed him. We started a string of e-mails back and forth until we agreed to take our virtual connection and physically meet at a hip coffeehouse called The Willow House in downtown Phoenix.

In many ways, Pete and I were completely different in how we lived life, yet we connected on how we saw life as art. Pete asked if I would like to attend a First Friday Art Walk with him, and I agreed. A few days before the event, Pete e-mailed me to tell me Friday would be my first performance art piece. He instructed me to show up to the event dressed in homeless attire. “He must be kidding,” I thought to myself. But he wasn’t, and I was willing to live out art.

That night two mere strangers walked through various art galleries to see life through the spectacles of “bums.” An open house art night is open to the public. The public includes people of all socio-economic backgrounds, including those who live on the streets. As a girl who has lived life in the upper middle class echelon, I was amazed at how people treated me that night. I was shoved around, avoided, ignored, ridiculed and mistrusted not because of my actions but all because of how I appeared.I learned something that night I will carry with me forever. All because I was willing to connect to someone based on a common interest and take a risk.

As a marketer, I am constantly looking for ways to take myself out of my box and experience life through other lenses. I feel it makes me a better marketer.

I can’t wait to meet you. Hopefully, we will “connect” on some level.

The LifeStyle Group : Founding Story

The LifeStyle Group
by Tim Andren

My story began years ago when I took the leap of faith and became a sole proprietor. I am a graphic designer and marketing professional by trade and have over ten years of experience in the industry. I've worked for a printhouse, an advertising agency and in the corporate world. I realized in 2005 that I had a strong desire to work for myself and founded my first company, Andren Creative.

Over the years one thing continues to impress me is the fact that people and their amazing ideas and energy are the unstoppable current of the business world.

I am an avid reader on the subjects of business, success and psychology. Through acquiring this knowledge it became apparent to me that I wanted to form an 'official collective', an organized group of people who want the same things and are motivated in the same way I am.

I approached a good friend and business partner of mine by the name of Sasha Alms with the idea and together we formed the collective known as The LifeStyle Group.

We all want the something out of life. The members of The LifeStyle Group are business people who want success that accompanies a lifestyle of freedom, health and a reasonable level of comfort. They recognize the importance of building a network of people with a focus on the principles of success. Some of the principles include embracing a positive attitude, focusing on health and appearance, embracing the power of technology and most importantly, how being part of a network of like-minded people can make all the difference in the world.

The LifeStyle Group is organized and meets regularly to discuss ideas, network and enjoy the life that we create. We are very selective about who we include in this group in order to not dilute the message. We believe that good people find good people and there is nothing more powerful than these relationships in any area of the business world.

People + Ideas = Success