Where I am now? ::Using our energy to move forward ::

Where I am now?

Well, I am in-between. Per usual. 

Between..... here and there. 

Between balancing life and Motherhood. Between finding myself and being lost. Between being myself and trying to recreate who I am. Between writing and taking time off. Between falling apart and building myself back up. 

I feel like I have been in this place for a while now, years maybe. Stuck, seeking a place with relevance to who I am and what I want for my future. It takes time for me to truly settle not because I don't want to settle but because I have not found the place that is a right fit for me.

In life that is... 

But, I think it all comes down to growth and continued learning. 

Does this mean I am a non-conformist? Maybe, a little?  I just want to be in a good place where I can "settle" but don't have to settle for less. It means that no matter what right now, I am making seeking this better place for me, making it a priority and my main focus. 

Have I thought about leaving the blog world? I talk about it almost every year, quitting and not blogging anymore, giving it all up and moving on with my life. But, it hasn't happened yet mainly because every time I try to quit something even more amazing falls into my lap and I have that innate urge to run with it. And, I usually do.

The writing also...... always, brings me back in. 

For almost 5 years now I  have also helped run a group called the Houston Latina Bloggers. Because of it, other amazing projects have come together in collaboration with so many other local women who hustle hard. Not to mention I work an 8-5 p.m. non-social media related position, have two young children, and I have also worked on my professional development and creating workshops to grow my blog and social media side-gig, and oh yeah, I try to maintain a somewhat social life.

In between all this,  I needed a good long pause and found a moment to slow down the Momma of Dos engine. To re-focus. Find my clarity and start over.... 

In a nutshell, I needed a true break. NOW, it's April of 2019 and the fire is back...

This year I want to give my all in a purposeful and genuine way and continue to move forward. This time, I hope it's different. I want to maintain a good focus and I want 2019 to end differently.

So, what will be different? 

Last year I started learning more about channeling into energies, vibes, and the light that surrounds us. I have since tried to truly seek these energies in myself and others. On the flip-side, I never really knew what kind of energy I was giving out to other people or how other people perceive me. But, I've learned to be more in tune and conscious of "my energy, my vibe" and who I am attracting. I know that I'm a person that tries to do as much as possible for everyone and anyone. I also know that I have been the kind of person that will find time to support others and give credit where credit is due. I don't ever really think twice about it, I just do it.

I truly believe in karma... do good for others and don't expect anything in return.

I know that I feed off of other peoples energy.  I feel that everybody has all the things they need to succeed. We choose to do things differently and to follow our own purpose and follow that light and that energy that we each carry. I always try to think about the positive because I definitely feel like I'm a positive person. Which doesn't mean that I don't have dark moments because I have them for sure. I've been in all kinds of situations and I've been hurt and hurt others but you keep going. You push through that energy and you renew it and you renew your life and you renew your vibes.

The difference is direction and intention... I want a new direction and intention for my blog...and that's what I plan on achieving. 

::Building Strategic Partnerships in 2016::

You know how sometimes you make specific plans in your mind for things to go a certain way and then oh yeah. Hello, Life. Well 2016, started with a major plot twist at my job, which could be a great and wonderful change. The universe and the stars were looking out for me and I think I like it. I have for a few years been escaping toxic environments. I love working, I say it all the time. I love my blog, it's become the hidden passion I didn't know I had 8 years ago.  

Having my 8-5 pm merge with my passion, has been in the works for years now. It had not ever worked out. But, now I feel SO much closer than ever before. And, I feel timing couldn't be better, cause it is. 

I also started my year with saying YES, to a lot of great things. I also wanted to remain local with events and conferences, and so far, so good. How did this happen? Well honestly, even though it's not happening as I thought it would, it's happening. The best thing is that I have had this need to tell my story, who I am, where I come from and how I make it all work. Suddenly those doors have opened widely.

All the while, these words remained in my head; strategic partnerships and tell your story or purpose. Today I will share with you how I feel you can build good strategic partnerships.

:: Things to keep in mind with Strategic Partnerships are::

1) Not everything that shines is a star- Don't be blinded by the social media numbers that I rock, well not me but JLo. Obviously, she is a superstar. In real life, we want to not only seek good partners but also be good partners. Just cause people have thousands of followers, are they really superstars or are they duds? Do they really create relevant and useful content? Do they have quality content like you? Does your vision look like theirs? Or is it very similar?

You can't be blinded by the shining lights, you must look past the numbers, and their possible "celebrity" status and figure out if there is depth. If they are all surface or are  they really making the light shine brightly for a reason. 

2) Build relationships (the money comes later)- Really get to know who you want to work with and what they stand for. Do their visions align with yours? Just because someone can potentially make you money, doesn't mean you should work with them. At the end of the day, some of my best partnerships with brands and people have been because I truly like their vision and they truly like my style.

I have repeat brands that come to me regardless of my pitch. Or brands that just come to me without even pitching. Usually, they have studied me and my blog and my style and they like it. The money, perks, and benefits are just that... perks of the relationship being built.

3) Be Supportive- Being supportive is so important. But, being consistent and having mutual levels of support is, even more, important. You can't just support people when it's most convenient for you. Yes, we are both trying to gain something. Whatever that gain might be it can be important too but at the same time, if one side is gaining more than the other, the trust is lost.  I don't ever want to be the person always giving or taking, neither are productive to anyone. You will lose credibility if people realize you are just trying to gain from them and never give in return.

So, supporting one another is not only key for all around success but also for building those relationships that will really allow you to be who you are and create productive partnerships. For women the concept of partnerships is far more important these days. Let's try to support one another and build empires that we can all be successful in!

{Photo Credit: Houston Latina Bloggers Facebook Page} 

Look for tomorrow's post on telling your story, some fun Youtube videos will be required......