Category Archives: Point of View

Our team of columnists share their wise words, business know-how, and unique perspectives with our readers each issue.

Pay For My Words: How to Set Your Speaking Fees

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Words by Marley Majcher
Artwork by Lucy Driscoll

Poorly negotiated speaking contracts can cost you a lot more than a day or two on the road; in fact, they can cost you not only your time, but key relationships and a potential lost income.

Whether you run a multinational corporation or are a solopreneur working out of your spare bedroom, nailing a speaking gig can be great for your brand AND add a nice chunk of change to the bottom line. IF you do it right.

To read the key fee points your speaking contract must contain, order Issue 8 here.

Keeping it Legal When Your Home is Your Office

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Words by Jennifer Monarch
Artwork by Belinda Del Pesco

Since I left my in-the-box job at a mid-sized regional law firm less than two months ago, my productivity and quality of life have skyrocketed (i.e., I get twice the work done in half the time, and I’m never late for happy hour with my girlfriends). The best part? I rarely have to leave the comfort of my plush reading chair, shearling-lined house shoes, and cozy fireplace (my lap dogs, by the way, are loving this new arrangement).

When I first decided to open my own law practice, one of the many questions that continually crept into conversation was where my new office would be located. To be honest, the idea of leaving one square office with fluorescent lighting just to be stuck in another all day left me feeling claustrophobic. So I did what any resourceful, smart, and sweatpants-loving woman would do: I started working from home.

If you’re like me, the idea of working from your abode has only ever elicited thoughts of comfy lounging, daytime television, and mid-day workouts just for the hell of it. The truth is, however, that there are so many other considerations about the legalities and logistics of working for yourself at home that need to be explored.

To read the rest of the article, subscribe to CAKE&WHISKEY magazine or purchase the single issue here.

How the Light Gets In

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Words and Photography by Morgan Day Cecil

My husband and I have a story made for daytime television.

Whenever a new acquaintance asks how we met, I cringe for half a second, anticipating their reaction. I try not to assume they’ll think “Scandalous!” and kiss our friendship goodbye, but I fear it every time. Our “how we met” story is kind of scandalous, and, yes, the soap-opera parallels are obvious.

But our story is also the very thing that shines the brightest in our lives as a beacon of hope and love and redemption.

You want to hear it?

To read the rest of Morgan’s story, subscribe to CAKE&WHISKEY magazine or purchase the single issue here.

Dreaming My Dreams With You

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Words and Photography by Morgan Day Cecil

What was I thinking, sharing my heart with the world?

That afternoon in my daughter’s bedroom, I was ready to border up my sensitive soul, punch a motivational speaker in the nose, and forget about ever making a dime from my passion.

But quitting my dream wasn’t an option. Not because I said so (I was ready to fold), but because my husband said so. That day he knew who I was and what I really wanted better than I did. He knew, because two months earlier I had shared the dream with him.

Flashback to before the scene with the tears. The kids had just been tucked into bed and, curled up on the couch, I shared with him my desire to open an online shop featuring quote prints to start creating for the public what I had been creating for our home and for friends for years. Talking to him about my ideas energized me. I was excited. I was totally lit up. He loved seeing me so alive and told me so.

I carried a wishy-washy version of my small business dream for years, but, once I spoke it out loud and shared it with the person I love and respect most in the world, my dream became an online storefront, stocked in less than a month.

When we are dreaming alone, it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality.

To read more of this article, subscribe to CAKE&WHISKEY magazine or purchase the single issue here.

A View From the Hill

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Words by Ann Sullivan
Artwork by Gooseberry Press

Few sights in our capital city are as breathtaking as the cherry blossoms blooming on the Potomac with our nation’s monuments and memorials as a backdrop. April is the time of the year when the cherry blossoms pop. But the question is when. Timing Mother Nature’s annual Washington festivity is unpredictable and local meteorologists are devoted to predicting when the trees will bloom. The Cherry Blossom Festival depends on it, as does the influx of tourists that boost Washington’s economy in the spring. Conversely, the blossoms do not stay very long and spring rains can make the displays even shorter. Timing is everything.

Those conditions sound much like the environment on Capitol Hill. Timing is everything. Issues do not have a long shelf life and many resources are spent on trying to figure out when the time is right for action, because as we know, policy changes make a big impact on the nation’s economy.

To read more of this article, subscribe to CAKE&WHISKEY magazine or purchase the single issue here.

Curating Your Memories For Better Relationships

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Words and Photography by Morgan Day Cecil

I live in Portland, Oregon, a city full of hip, young artisans, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs who all seem to be curating something.

There are folks in my town who curate donuts. Plenty who curate motorcycles. Lots curating leather goods and Pendleton products. And, of course, coffee and beer.

But curating isn’t unique to Portland. In fact, “curate” has become a marketing buzzword for those with blogs, websites and company Pinterest boards.

My husband and I also curate, leading workshops to help couples create a life of true romance and meaningful adventure together. One of the first lessons we teach is the art of curating memories.

The verb, to curate, comes from the noun, curator, which literally means, “one who manages or oversees, specifically as the administrative director of a museum collection or a library.”

We manage the objects we put on display in our home. We oversee the shoes stacked in our closet. We thoughtfully collect books and wine with the heart’s desire to collect meaningful things so those meaningful things can be properly appreciated.

The mind is a mysterious thing. It possesses so much power and capability and also so much tendency to sabotage. A relationship is made marvelous or miserable first in the mind and then in the home.

To read more of this article, subscribe to CAKE&WHISKEY magazine or purchase the single issue here.