It was supposed to be a big night for me. I was going to meet the famed former New York Times restaurant critic and Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichl. As a freelance food writer who had pored over Reichl’s work, I had to admit I was nervous. I had also recently completed a publishing program at Columbia University and was eager to see if we had any mutual contacts in New York.

At the reception, one of the guests and I mustered up our courage, and walked over to meet Ruth together. I immediately tried to disarm her, hoping to find a connection. She chatted politely and charmingly, while my acquaintance grinned widely. Ruth smiled back, then quietly asked, “Can I tell you something?” The lady, awestruck, said, “Of course.”  With a slightly pained look, Ruth said, “You have something in your teeth.” Sure enough, there was a mammoth piece of lettuce wedged between her front teeth. I cringed. Why hadn’t I noticed earlier? And was it just me, or was Ruth giving me a silent reprimand? My acquaintance, with a panicked expression, reached for a napkin, while I was struck dumb.  “How about a picture?” I squeaked to Ruth.

Picture was acquired, but chummy connection talk was not. Because if your idol is too distracted by a wayward hunk of canapé, you may lose all hope of gleaning sparkling advice. But seriously, while we are trying to make a good impression, let’s not forget everyone around us, whether it’s reviewing a résumé or rescuing a friend from an uncomfortable conversation. And remember to check those teeth!

Elizabeth Roach believes in balancing a sense of possibility with the art of savoir-faire, and is not above diving into a slice of cake while on a conference call. A graduate of Furman University and the Columbia University Publishing Program, she has worked in Kentucky government and politics for more than seven years. She is currently Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s scheduling director, and has previously served as his assistant speechwriter and as First Lady Jane Beshear’s press secretary. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Elizabeth is a frequent traveler who writes freelance articles about bourbon, baking, and culinary adventures. She has contributed to The Bourbon Review, The Local Palate, and TheRecoveringPolitician.com, for which she pens a food column (http://therecoveringpolitician.com/category/friends/lizr). Check out her website at elizabethroachwriter.com, and follow her on Instagram @LizRoach7 and Twitter @LizRoach. 

Soon, I will be returning to my university for my senior year where I will be serving as an orientation leader for the incoming freshmen during the month of August. I am ecstatic to have this opportunity because I care deeply for people who are younger than me, which interestingly enough stems from my admiration of people who are older than me. As the youngest child in my family, I was surrounded by older siblings and their friends. When they allowed me to tag along on their adventures or invited me into the inner sanctuary of their conversations, I was on cloud nine. It was in my senior year of high school that I finally felt I was in a position to bestow that same gratification. Now I could be the older one, the go-to person, the mentor.

Although I may be just three years older than the students I will be meeting in the fall, I have much to offer them. I have an in depth understanding of what they are about to experience. They don’t need to be nervous or intimidated about starting college because they can see that I’ve nearly made it through the journey on which they’ve just started. And I’ve survived. I will be able to assure them that the journey is good. It’s worth the time and effort, endurance and growth that it takes to complete. I trust that the young friends I will make will know these things already, but it is my job to serve as the reminder when they lose heart.

Now to my older ones, the ones whom I still look up to with fascination and excitement, thank you from the bottom of my heart for investing in me and my journey. Thank you for allowing me to be the younger, wide-eyed girl. Thank you for guiding me with your life experiences. I only hope to provide my mentees with the same inspiration and passion that you have shown to me.

Elaine Bailey is a full-time student majoring in Writing, Rhetoric and Communication. She also works as a tour guide for her cherished university. She’s in love with every corner of this world, and I end each adventure wondering when the next will begin

I’m a no-growth, order-taking solopreneur.

And proud of it.

But in a business world that tells us success arrives when we lean in, work ON the business not IN it, and scale rather than sustain, “no-growth” and “order-taking” are shame-inducing entrepreneurial dirty words.

So what if we reframe this a bit? What if we expand what it means to be a business owner, with success defined by our passion, work style, and desired lifestyle? For example, I’m a writer who loves to work alone and has never wanted to be anyone’s boss or business partner. I just want to write – from anywhere in the world. For me, success looks like hunkering over my laptop in my home office, a cafe, or the deck of a beachfront cottage.

And what if we give solopreneurs permission to lean back and reap the rewards of blood, sweat, and business development? I spent the first seven years of my solopreneurial decade drumming up business and refining my craft. Those efforts resulted in lasting relationships with clients who call on my expertise when they need it. It might look like order-taking, but to me, it’s my business running itself – allowing me to focus on doing the work and living my life.

There’s nothing wrong with growing your business. There’s nothing wrong with selling, scaling, hiring, and outsourcing. That’s the right strategy for some businesses and some business owners. But there’s also nothing wrong with working hard to build your business, and then working hard to sustain it – especially if you’re a creative who’s passionate about what you’re making. So if you’re lucky enough to find yourself with a nice little pod of repeat customers and you’re living a life you love, feel free to stop the growth and start taking orders.

You’ve earned it.

Nicole Christie is a writer, storyteller, and the principal and creative director of NICO, Inc. – a one-woman firm specializing in fresh, honest, engaging employee and marketing communications for Fortune 500 corporations, leading-edge creative firms, and rapidly growing new technology companies. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and at nicolechristie.com.

“I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.”

~~Henry David Thoreau

Spider monkeys, bananas trees, butterflies, and kids playing soccer like pros.

Poverty, lack of running water, hunger and illness.

Juxtapose the two images and you have a view of the experience Dee Williams portrays when she shares her work in Guatemala helping to build a schoolhouse.

From this life changing trip in a developing country to a life changing health diagnosis of congestive heart failure, Dee Williams makes a decision about the way she lives. In her book, The Big Tiny: A Do-It-Myself Memoir, Williams writes about that decision as she contemplates her mortality and seeks simplicity.

Williams builds herself an 84-square-foot tiny house on wheels using largely recycled materials and her own muscle power. Then she pares down her possessions to 305 items and moves her home to the backyard of friends in Olympia, Washington.

Because her house is so small, Williams has to step outside of it and find community with others. Williams lives deliberately, connected to the natural environment and other people. Written with raw honesty and humor, Williams’s memoir speaks to anyone wishing to slow down, scale back, and pause to pay attention to the important things in life.

“Letting go of “stuff” allowed the world to collapse behind me as I moved, so I became nothing more or less than who I simply was: Me.”

Renee believes we all have a story and advocates continuously for sharing & improving these stories. An educator and activist for eradicating inequities in our world, Renee believes access to quality education is a right for everyone. On the C&W blog Renee explores her creative side by offering thoughts on a variety of books from her book a week reading list.

Renee lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband and two sons.

Twitter: @renee_boss

Blogger:www.reneeboss.blogspot.com

There is nothing that could happen that could make me forget my first heated vinyasa yoga class.

Not knowing any better, and with no one to tell me otherwise, I opted to practice next to the vent where the steam is released – and the thermometer.

I watched the numbers climb…97 degrees, 98 degrees, 99 degrees…and had no sense of how I was supposed to breathe while in a constant flow, a type of yoga I had never done before.

I ended up taking child’s pose and laying there drinking my own sweat, thinking: people actually think this is a fun workout?!

I am about a year into a consistent heated vinyasa practice now, and my attitude and breath – and my pouting face – have changed forever. Here’s what I learned from the best push of my life.

1). Heat creates Conviction. When you’re in hot water, when you’re feeling pain, when you’re dwelling, when you need a change, there is nothing left to do but take action. Action is filled with intention, purpose, and meaningfulness. One class, when I wasn’t sure I could make it, a thought bubbled to the surface of my mind: what if I practiced solely with intention? My limbs became stronger, my breath more powerful, and I only felt the flow. Being at the bottom of a cliff is only a motivation to start climbing back up.

2). Self-forgiveness is the Most Important Forgiveness. When you screw up, or can’t keep up, the person next to you won’t care. The class keeps moving. Society keeps moving. No one will dwell on your mistakes or temporary weaknesses but you. Don’t let yourself dwell on them. Be in the moment.

3). Your Inner Stillness Does Not Leave You.  It’s at the corner of your Body and your Mind. When you use your breath as a tool for synchronicity and transformation, you can get there, every time, any time. This is the only for sure thing, as long as you live. To access it is self-realization. To access it is self-acceptance. To access it is peace.

Namaste.

Meagan Roppo has been a student of meditation and yoga, as well as a 60-hour trained advocate for women, for the past four years. She has dedicated her time and passion to women’s crisis shelters, feminist studies, and writing on women’s issues. By founding She Enlightened in 2014, Meagan hopes to encourage and empower girls & women to bring forth their gifts, voices, and light that are undoubtedly inside of each them. Meagan currently works as Chief Operating Officer of Young Professional Women in Energy, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that works to employ more women in the energy industry.

http://www.sheenlightened.com  @SheEnlightened

An artist? You? Indeed.

If you love your work, you have a good job. But if you put love INTO your work, you are an artist.

Art is a creation of intent meant to provoke thought and feeling. Don’t you do that with your work? Shouldn’t we all?

Great masters spend countless hours toiling, perfecting, WORKING on their art. Some use canvas; some use storytelling; and some use the dance floor. I use my machine to make art.

As a pilot I was taught the skills to start the engines of the plane, to configure the systems for proper operation, to use the controls to get where we should go. There are lists of items to complete during each flight, and prescribed movements to turn and land the plane. But a pilot doesn’t use force. An elegant flight is an artistic endeavor. I ease the craft off of the runway. I look before I turn and maneuver with care. I vary the bank angle and the rate of turn to put her on course. I select switches with intent. I think ahead. I think through the motions of the landing, and then I adjust based on winds, distance, and environment. A wet runway is different than a dry runway. A high altitude field is different than a sea-level airport. They’re all beautifully challenging, and I adjust to the conditions. I work on my art.

I have found the difference between work and art is the following:

1. Art requires a great deal of detail and careful attention to the circumstance at hand.
2. Your own voice is important in your art. Work can be done by anybody. But you are different- unique and unmatched anywhere in the world. Your art will reflect that.
3. Love creates art. Work is done. Works of art are done with intention, kindness, preparation, and care.

Be artistic. It’s so much better than work.

Bethany Miller is an explorer in life and in business. She’s an airline pilot, businesswoman, veteran and world traveler. Fascinated by global issues and the business of business, Bethany is a doctoral candidate at Université Paris-Dauphine in Paris, France, and is researching extraordinary employees in chaotic work environments.

www.GoodGlobalCitizen.com

“Really? You drink Scotch?”

I’ve often surprised people when they discover that not only do I enjoy Scotch, but I prefer it neat. It doesn’t have the soft sweetness of bourbon. It’s more austere and sometimes smokey. The truth is that I gained an appreciation for Scotch in my early twenties, aided by a sense of adventure.

I spent a week traveling on my own around the UK, during which I stayed with family friends in St. Andrews, Scotland. My hostess took me to Edradour, a small distillery near Pitlochry in Perthshire. If you imagine what a whiskey distillery in Scotland should look like, this is it. Edradour’s quaint buildings, sturdy and functional, are nestled beside a small river. There is a sense of purpose and of pride.

It was enchanting, and I’ve never forgotten the deep, earthy smell of malting barley. I tasted a dram and was pleased to discover that I liked the stuff. I also became an instant purist, having heard so recently that ice burns the delicate flavors of a good whiskey. How could I undercut all the effort and the bit of magic that went into the drink I’d just learned to sip and savor?

Over a homemade dinner of Scottish salmon that night, my hosts brought out various types of Scotch to sample. Fine food and fine whiskey, perfectly matched. That day was my ideal introduction to a drink that some find intimidating. Traveling had given me a willingness to explore, and it didn’t seem so farfetched to like Scotch. It also didn’t hurt that I started with the good stuff.

While she’s almost an official New Yorker, now that she has spent the past eight years working for a large investment bank in New York City, Jean Blosser still cherishes her Midwestern roots, growing up in Columbus, Ohio. She is an alumnus of Boston College and enjoys her whiskey neat.

“I don’t like to cook, I wish I did.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this phrase uttered from the mouth of someone who has just found out I’ve dedicated my professional life to food and cooking. I’ve learned to pry into the cooking habits/attempts of these individuals to suss out the reason for their dislike of time in the kitchen. It’s almost always the same reason…they don’t consider themselves good at the task.

Here, in a few easy steps, is how you can put away the excuse and become a brilliant home cook.

1. Choose quality equipment. I cringe when I see a home cook using a dull knife on a cutting board that is slipping all over the place. Of course you hate cooking if you have to battle with your equipment! Investing in a few essentials will make your kitchen a happier place. Prioritize a sharp chef’s knife, a sturdy cutting board, one heavy-bottomed pot with a fitted lid, and one heavy-bottomed wide-mouthed pan.
2. Define what you like to eat. I love roasted vegetables, particularly sweet potatoes and beets. They’re easy to make, yet any meal they appear in seems special to me.
3. Make it a point to have leftovers. Those roasted vegetables I like so much will taste great in the green or grain salads, soups and stir-frys I make throughout the week.
4. Learn a few basic recipes by heart. Start with roasted chicken, basil pesto, salad vinaigrette, sautéed mushrooms and an egg dish such as omelette or Italian frittata. You’ll be amazed how much your cooking improves with these techniques under your belt. And, you’ll find yourself falling in love with cooking in no time.

Marci Cornett is a (mostly) plant-based chef who promotes health-supportive cuisine and the development of sustainable food systems. After graduating from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York, she worked in several professional kitchens including the renowned vegetarian restaurant, Cafe Paradiso, in Cork City, Ireland. She develops and publishes nourishing recipes and writes about the latest thinking concerning nutrition and food issues on her blog, marcicornett.com. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter