Networking for Introverts: The Terrifying Mistake That Created More Freelance Leads

I knew I had to figure out the marketing piece if I hoped to be a successful freelancer, but networking for introverts? and Self-promotion isn’t exactly my favorite thing to do.

Before throwing myself into a crowd of people to drum up business, I thought I’d take a “class” at a local community college on networking to learn how it’s done.

There was just one problem.

The “class” turned out to be a roomful of professionals who all seemed to know each other… well. When I walked in, my mind started spinning and my heart pounding. “If I could just find a seat…”

Finally I did, and that’s when the director looked straight at me: “Stand up and tell us who you are and what your business is….”

“Who, me?” I thought. Cue the sweaty palms, queasy stomach, noodle legs, hands trembling with fear, and an intense desire to pull a bag over my head.

If you’re a fellow introvert and freelance writer, what would you do? Here’s what happened next:

Networking for introverts doesn’t have to be scary

For a few seconds, I was terrified. And then something happened.

I heard myself say, “Hi, I’m Julie. I’m a freelance writer.” Spellbinding intro, no?

Just so happens I’d stumbled into a local networking group, a trip-up that made me feel like I’d climbed to the highest cliff imaginable for an introvert and jumped.

But the truth is my accidental introduction to in-person networking was one of the first big wins for my freelance business. It resulted in three monumental shifts that transformed my idea about networking for introverts.

Here’s how to turn in-person networking for introverts into a positive lead-generating experience:

1. Change your mind about in-person networking

The workshop presenter challenged attendees to meet just one or two people that day. I don’t know about you, but a roomful of strangers sends me ducking for cover.

One or two, though? Not so much. And that’s the switch that flipped for me.

Instead of thinking about all the new faces I might see at a given event, I started expecting to meet just one or two people.

The result? I’ve actually met far more than that, but it’s been way more comfortable than I ever thought it could be.

Do this: If thinking about in-person networking sends your heart racing like mine did or overwhelms you with fear, stop and ask yourself: Can I meet and introduce myself to just one person? Of course you can.

2. Let go of perfectionism

On that first day, I was completely unprepared for a networking event because I thought I’d be sitting in class. I hadn’t given any thought to describing my work or my ideal client.

In fact, my first elevator speech was the spellbinding intro mentioned earlier: “Hi, I’m Julie. I’m a freelance writer.” So far from perfect it barely qualifies as an elevator speech.

Did the leader ask me to leave and never come back because of it? No. Actually, business owners introduced themselves and asked for my card. Normal networking stuff.

Do you have to have an elevator speech? Yes. Does it have to be perfect the first time you use it? No.

Do this: If you’ve filled your recycling bin with loads of scrapped pitches you’re too afraid to try, don’t give up. Start with your name, call yourself a writer, and give a brief statement about the kind of writing you do or the kind of clients you hope to meet. That’s it. Then try it out on the one person you introduce yourself to.

3. Ask lots of questions

The old adage that people like to talk about themselves is handy, and I asked a ton of questions that morning to try and take advantage of this human tendency. Before it was over, I’d learned how the networking group works and who participates in it.

Eventually I got around to giving answers, too. But that morning taught me that being prepared to ask questions effectively shifts my focus toward others and away from my own fears.

Do this: If the thought of small talk with strangers makes you break into a cold sweat, relax. You can prepare for these gigs ahead of time by concentrating on what you want to learn.

Good questions that get people talking are things like the proverbial:

• Tell me about your business
• What do you do?
• Who’s your ideal client?
• Who would be the best referrals to send your way?

These simple shifts of perspective turned events on the calendar like “Leads” and “Business Women’s Networking” into some of my favorite activities to grow my freelance business. And as an introvert, I have to say that’s something I never saw coming.

Show up and introduce yourself

Don’t wait to fall into in-person networking accidentally like I did. Face your fears head-on, and jump-start your marketing efforts.

All you have to do is show up at a local networking event with the goal of introducing yourself to just one person. Come prepared with a simple elevator speech. Ask lots of questions to learn about others. If you can make these shifts, too, you’ll realize there networking for introverts doesn’t have to be scary.

Have you had success with in-person networking? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Julie Johnson is a higher education writer and legal blogger who’s traveled the world, but returned to her southern roots in North Carolina.

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Optimal Places to Place a Bathroom

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

The battle for the bathroom is a common occurrence across homes throughout the world. Even people primarily living alone may run into this issue when hosting guests. When the issue about adding another bathroom to the house comes up, space and cost are usually the biggest concerns; but to the surprise of many, space isn’t as big of an issue as originally perceived.

A 3 by 5-foot area is usually all that is required to fit a toilet and sink. If you have a couple more feet to spare, a 5 by 5 can accommodate a small walk-in shower as well. Some common advantages of an additional bathroom can be convenience, adding value to your home, and the additional privacy of not having guests in your private bath.

Let’s look at where you can add a bathroom in the home – and where they are needed most.

Close to Living and Recreational Spaces

In a lot of homes, the placement of the bathroom is usually located closer to the bedrooms or in a central location between both living and sleeping spaces. The idea of having a bathroom close to the den or living room can be very attractive. And for the ultimate man cave, a toilet close by is an absolute necessity. It’s not uncommon to find a coat closet, staircase or hallway in or adjacent to a living space, as they can be the perfect spaces to install a half bath.

When hosting guests, it can be cumbersome to explain directions to the bathroom multiple times, especially if your home is larger or of unique design. Wouldn’t it be easier to just leave the door to your new bathroom open when unoccupied, so everyone can plainly see and take note when the urge to go arises?

Between Two Bedrooms

A convenient and efficient additional bathroom can be used to link two bedrooms together. This arrangement is commonly called a Jack and Jill style bathroom. This can be great for homes with children. Some well-designed Jack and Jill setups allow the use of private areas like the shower and toilet separate from the sink, counter and vanity area.

This style can be an efficient use of your space. Some standard bathrooms can even be converted in some home layouts. You can also save cash by incorporating this design compared to two separate bathrooms: why build and plumb another bathroom when you can frame in a door for less?

Split Your Pre-Existing Bathroom

This may seem like strange advice, but spend some time thinking about the size of your bathroom. Many homeowners possess bathrooms that can be much larger than necessary. Most of the plumbing has already been ran, allowing you to tap into water and drain pipes without making long and costly runs of pipe; this can be one of the major advantages of splitting your already existing bathroom. Though it sounds silly at first, making use of an over-sized bathroom by splitting it can give you the extra bathroom you need at a lower cost.

An additional bathroom is probably one of the most wished-for additions in smaller and older homes. Even in small homes, where it may seem unlikely to have the space, room can be found to make this addition. These optimal places for a new bathroom can potentially save time, frustration and money, depending on your exact configuration.

 

Contributed by: Perfectbath.com experts in bathroom design and bathroom fixtures.

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Meridian by Townline in the centre of Burquitlam

Meridian by Townline in the centre of Burquitlam, an upcoming luxurious 32-storey residential high-rise tower compromised of 198 carefully crafted intelligently designed 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom homes, along with a limited collection of only a few exclusive two-level 3-bedroom townhomes. Conveniently located at Cottonwood Avenue and Clarke Road; in the centre of Burquitlam’s burgeoning community, adjacent to the Evergreen SkyTrain line and just steps from a plethora of urban amenities.

Opening 2018

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Writing a Pitch: Use These Tools to Build Your Freelance Business

How do you go about writing a pitch?

If you’ve been slaving away in content mills or spending all your time replying to job ads, you might be a bit confused about what writing a pitch actually means.

So you ask Google.

One writer-guru claims that if you master the art of cold pitching, you can land your dream clients.

Another recommends sending letters of introduction, or LOIs, so you can build relationships for ongoing work.

And yet another touts the advantages of writing a pitch to an editor as the way to land an assignment.

So, which of these should you use to build your freelance writing business?

The answer: All of them.

Because all three are powerful tools, proven to help you get freelance writing gigs.

Want to learn the craft of writing a pitch to land more clients? Here are the tools you’ll need:

Use the right tool for writing a pitch

Think of LOIs, query letters and cold pitches like a carpenter’s tools. 

A carpenter uses a saw, drill and hammer to build a house. Yet each of those tools has an individual purpose. 

A hammer drives a nail. A drill fastens a screw. And a saw cuts wood. 

So, I think you’d agree that grabbing a drill to cut a board wouldn’t make sense. 

In the same way, query letters, LOIs and cold pitches will help you build your client roster.

But you won’t use a query letter to pitch the marketing manager of a Fortune 500 company your writing services.

That’s the wrong tool.

So, to help you better understand the differences between these client-generating pitches, let’s break them down one by one and explore when to use each.

Tool #1 – The query letter

Use a query letter to pitch an article idea to the editor of a publication—online or in print. Or if you have an idea for a guest blog post.

Here’s why.

Editors don’t have time to read entire articles that randomly show up in their inboxes. (These are called unsolicited manuscripts and they’re deleted immediately.)

But editors are looking for great stories and competent writers. So, a query letter allows them to find fresh ideas and discover new talent without making a huge time investment.

(The exception to this rule is when you’re contacting the editor of a trade publication. See Tool #3 – The Letter of introduction, below.)

Approach these publications with a query letter:

• National magazines, like Better Homes and Gardens
• Regional magazines, like Nashville Lifestyles
• Newspapers, like the Chicago Tribune
• Blogs that accept guest posts, like Make a Living Writing
• Online publications, like Romper

How to write a query letter:

A query letter has two goals—to sell an editor your article/post idea and to show them you’re the one to write it.

But you only have ONE PAGE to make those things happen. So, a great query letter hooks an editor quickly—within the first few sentences.

Next, it explains why your idea fits their publication.

And lastly, it mentions your qualifications for writing the proposed article/post.

Also, while some publications want you to send a detailed outline, others don’t. So be sure to read the submission guidelines before you write your query.

This query letter landed writer, Erik Episcopo, a $1,200 assignment from an in-flight magazine:

Tool # 2 – The cold pitch

Use a cold pitch when you want to pitch one specific service to a business, brand or nonprofit.

For instance, if you notice that a company you love has a blog that hasn’t been updated recently, send a cold pitch offering to write their blog posts.

A cold pitch also works if you want to offer services like writing:

• Quarterly case studies to the marketing director of an engineering firm
• Email newsletters or lead nurture sequences for a business
• Contributed articles for a local business owner

How to warm up a cold pitch

Just because you’re sending a pitch to someone you’ve never met (thus the name cold pitch) doesn’t mean you have to be icy. So, don’t send mass-emailed, cookie-cutter templates.

Instead, spend time researching the company. Find out who you should address, and try to make a meaningful connection with them—just like you would if you met them in person for the first time.

Because the more personal you are, the more you’ll increase your response rates.

For example, I start the cold pitch below by mentioning my lifelong ties to the cabinet industry:

Tool #3 – The letter of introduction

Use an LOI to introduce yourself and an overview of your services, rather than specifically pitching one project type. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

LOI’s are a great way to start a conversation with your ideal clients, find out if they use outside writers and learn how you might be able to help them.

And, yes, it’s important to personalize LOI’s, too.

Here are several instances when you should send an LOI:

• To stand out when you answer a job post
• To connect with editors at trade magazines (note: LOI’s work well for trade publications because they usually have preplanned agendas—unlike most glossies)
• To connect with marketing agencies that might need help with overflow work
• To connect with a marketing director on LinkedIn who might need your services.

Check out the great response that educational copywriter, Julie Johnson got from this LOI she sent via LinkedIn:

As you can see, LOI’s don’t have to be long to start a conversation. And they can get responses quickly.

But, they don’t always result in an immediate gig. So don’t quit if you get a ‘no.’

Keep pitching

Pitching—no matter which tool you use—is in part, a numbers game.

Sure, there are ways to increase your response rates, but there’s no way to guarantee every person or company you contact will need your services right away—or at all.

So, don’t just send one—or three—pitches, and then stop to obsess as you wait for a reply.

Instead, keep a steady flow of LOIs, query letters and cold pitches going out. It’s the best way to build a pipeline of leads to help you move up and earn more.

Holly Hughes-Barnes creates the magnetic stories marketers crave to power their content marketing strategy—when they don’t have the time or bandwidth to do it in-house.

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3 Ways to Improve Blood Circulation

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Poor blood circulation can cause a number of other problems that you’ll surely hate dealing with. Varicose veins, numbness, exhaustion, and dizziness are only some of the common symptoms you’ll experience, unless you do something to improve your blood circulation. Try any of the following:

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

Soak in a whirlpool bathtub
The combination of warm water and massage jets in a whirlpool promote better blood circulation. They help your blood vessels dilate, or open up, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to flow to major organs. This is particularly beneficial to those who have arthritis. Improved circulation can encourage better movement and less pain and stiffness in your joints. Source: LiveStrong

Don’t forget your roots
Ginger, onions, and garlic are three items that you’ll definitely want to add to your grocery list – not only they stimulate and improve the health of the circulatory system – but also because they’re just good for you.  Fresh ginger root is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, improves digestion, and can soothe all forms of nausea.  Garlic and onions contain organosulfur compounds which help the body to fight off infection, eliminate toxins from the liver and blood, and can even keep biting insects away. Source: NaturalLivingIdeas

Stay active
Anything that aids in general fitness should boost your circulation. When you work out, try both:

• Cardiovascular training. Swimming, biking, running, playing sports, etc. Aerobic activity will improve heart and blood vessel function.
• Strength training. Strength training (lifting weights) will help you build muscle, which in turn increases the effectiveness of cardiovascular and lymph circulation.
• Every hour, get up and try 3 to 5 minutes’ worth of stretching or small exercise. This is especially handy if you’re at a desk all day and barely get a chance to walk around. Try doing little arm circles, touching your hands to your toes, kicking out your feet, or performing small, slowjumping jacks (enough to get your heart rate up). Source: WikiHow

Get yourself a whirlpool bath tub that isn’t only relaxing, but also very good for your health! Find out more about the best options in the market when you call us today.

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Challenge #289 - CAS

Welcome to Wednesday and a brand new challenge!

Yay, it's clean and simple week and we need you to make sure that you keep your creations just that - clean and simple :)

Let's announce our winners for Challenge #287 - Make Your Mark

#74 The Dream Pages

#9 Kajcyika

#21 Shaker Card

#111 Renata K

Congratulations everyone!!

Ok, onto our challenge and let's see what our Designers have come up with to inspire you :)

Valentyna

Monika

Ina

Carol

Carol M

Gwendolyn

Julie

Bobby

Ceal 

Beautiful examples by the DT!

Over to you now and have fun :) 

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Maverick by Tien Sher in Surrey

Maverick by Then Shier is a new five-storey condo development located in Surrey. This project will offer 125 1-, 2-, and 3- bedroom condos unite along with outstanding exclusive amenity space. Get access to Metro Vancouver’s most affordable homes.  Maverick is coming soon to the new entertainment district.

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Ward by Vicini in Vancouver

Ward by Vicini Homes development is a new 3-bedroom townhomes development located in the lovely residential Norquay neighborhood, just steps away from 29th Ave Skytrain Station, and surrounded by parks, bikeways, and great schools. This project will offer 16 unite, sizes range from 950 – 1,070 SF. With kitchens designed for real life & entertaining, you’ll love the sleek European-inspired cabinetry, full-size stainless steel appliances including gas range, and breakfast bar.

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How to Become a Freelance Writer: 7 Traits You’ll Seriously Need

Every week, I hear from people who ask me how to become a freelance writer.

You hate your job, or you can’t work outside the home, or you want to be home with your kids…the reasons vary.

But the glamorous reputation of freelancing has caught your eye. Being your own boss sure sounds great!

Everyone wants to know how this gig works — how to stay home and pay your bills with your writing.

Aspiring freelancers usually have strong writing skills. But there are other strengths you may lack that could doom your chances.

What does it take to be a successful freelance writer? Is this career for you?

Here’s my unvarnished, let’s-get-real list of key traits you’ll need:

1. Business attitude

Many freelance-writing careers begin like this: One day, a friend asks you to write their website, or your former boss wants you to ghost their blog. So you say yes. That leads to another low-paid writing job.

Soon, you’re broke and need to find a day job again.

What I had going for me when I started freelancing in 2005 was the dim sense that I was starting a business. I’d been a business reporter and covered startups, and I realized that I was a new business now.

That meant I would have to run this like a business — do proactive marketing, decide on my rates, send out contracts, set healthy boundaries, chase late payments, turn down crummy offers.

Having that attitude has made all the difference. I never would have earned a six-figure income from freelance writing just drifting along, taking whatever clients wandered over my way and accepting whatever pay they offered me.

It hits many writers like a thunderclap, after years of barely scraping by, that they’re starving because they haven’t taken their freelance goals seriously. Save yourself a lot of grief and put on your business hat on day one.

2. Self-confidence

Ever met someone who’s been dreaming about launching their freelance writing career for oh, 20 years or so? I see writers like this all the time.

They’ve bought every book, taken every class, read every newsletter. But they never actually go out and find clients.

Gah!

What’s up? Many writers are afflicted with deep-seated fears that keep them from going for their dreams. If this is you, find a good therapist and release these demons before you quit your job.

Seriously. Don’t wait 20 years — the world needs your creativity.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking if you sit in your room alone long enough, you will someday magically acquire the courage to write for clients. That doesn’t happen. You gain confidence by going out and doing client work. That’s how you see you can do this, and start to feel strong.

Successful freelance writers go out in the world confident that they have something valuable to offer the marketplace. Low self-esteem is a ticket straight to the land of crummy pay. If you can look in the mirror and see that you have skills and offer a valuable service, you’re well on the way to building a lucrative freelance business.

3. A can-do attitude

In freelance writing, no one is going to hand you great clients or terrific rates. You’re going to have to go out and make that happen. When you hit obstacles, you’ll need to figure out a way around them.

Commit to just keep going until you solve it. Defeat is not an option.

If you don’t know how to do something, ask around in a writer community, or research how it’s done. You’ll need to overcome the learned helplessness so many acquire in academia or in Corporate America, and become a crack problem-solver.

The secret? There is no ‘typical’ or ‘standard’ way things are done in freelancing. So rear up on your hind legs, whip out your machete, and carve your own road. You can do it.

4. Resilience

Are you crushed and lie in bed moaning for a week if your query letter gets rejected? Consider writing a hobby.

Professional freelance writers don’t fear rejection — they prepare for it. Because it’s a normal part of freelance business (see #1).

Not every client will be happy. Articles will get killed (one of my first ones was). And you’ll live to write another day.

Your ability to bounce back and keep smiling, like a figure skater after a bad fall, is important.

5. Hustle

Freelance writing is not a game for the passive or timid. We’re on the hustle all the time — finding clients, finding better ones, raising rates, negotiating deals.

I’ve believe that great freelance writers have a hustler gene. Fall in love with the thrill of the chase, the win of landing a client you went after, and you will thrive.

Yes, you won’t have to hustle as hard once you get established. But you don’t ever want to get complacent and stop prospecting, because no client is forever. Build those hustle muscles and keep them in shape to become a freelance writer who’s never hungry.

6. Self-discipline

How to become a freelance writer? Begin by setting some regular business hours and showing up. Don’t fold laundry, chat with your neighbor, or bop to the drugstore for toothpaste during that time.

No one is going to stand over you and make you get your writing and marketing done. Remember, you wanted to be your own boss! So this is 100 percent on you.

If you just eat Fritos Scoops and binge-watch Netflix when left to your own devices, freelancing is probably not your game.

7. Love service

Paid freelance writing is not about ‘getting your story out there,’ or ‘advocating for a cause.’ This is a common confusion.

If that’s what you want to write, then scribble your novel or send off unpaid op-eds to the newspaper. There isn’t a reliable living in relating your personal travails, or writing about one topic that bugs you, over and over again.

If you really want to know how to become a freelance writer, it’s this: You write well, and love to serve others. You derive happiness from seeing your clients succeed — and you’re willing to write whatever they need.

Your goal is to use your writing to meet their goals.

I recently had a freelance writer tell me they feel really bothered when their work gets edited.

“Why?” I asked. “The only thing that matters is that the client is happy.”

If you’re crushed when your precious words are altered, write poems in your bedroom. Never share them with anyone.

Freelance writing is a service business. It’s about using your creative gifts to help others. The more you listen to their needs and meet them, the more you will earn.

If you can learn to love the challenge of meeting others’ writing needs, this will be a great career for you.

Keep learning

Freelance writing is a world that never stops turning. New trends are always emerging — from longform blog posts to Instagram Stories to…well, whatever’s next.

There’s always something new to learn. If you love learning, building a freelance writing career will be endlessly fun and never boring. Even if you’re writing about seemingly dull stuff like surety bonds or washing machine-technology or chemical ingredients (all subjects I’ve actually written about). Honestly, the years go by in a flash.

If you enjoy learning new tricks and tools, and new ways to use your writing skills, you’ll love being a freelance writer.

What do you think are the traits you need to be a freelance writer? Let’s discuss on Facebook or LinkedIn.

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Tips On How To Have A Comfortable Bathroom

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

 

The bathroom is undoubtedly the most peaceful place in everyone’s home. Perhaps, the greatest ideas and biggest decisions are made in the bathroom. And that is why having a comfortable bathroom is as important as a comfortable pillow.

But then what do you mean by a comfortable bathroom?

We all love our bathrooms and hence it is a bit hard to think about a renovation. But by making your bathroom better you are giving a nod to your own luxury. A comfortable bathroom means you don’t need to keep looking where your towel is when your eyes are covered with shampoo, or feel the like the water has suddenly become colder.

Tips for a comfortable bathroom

By following these easy tips and tricks you can make your bathroom much more desirable.

Buy a rug for the entrance

When you enter the bathroom, make sure the first thing you see is a fine quality rug. It should be smooth for your toe and absorbent as well.

Install corner sinks

Sink is necessary for a comfortable bathroom, and preferably in the corner position. That provides room in the bathroom and disable any kind of traffic!

Use wicker baskets

Wicker baskets are good alternatives to shelves. It also lets you keep more things and they are easily attachable to walls.

Install Downlights

Downlights  or skylights as many people call them are extremely popular nowadays and it makes your bathroom comfortable and stylish. It is easily installable in the bathroom ceiling and the LED downlights can be turned on and off automatically with the movement of bathroom doors. So whenever you open the door the downlights turns on automatically.

Glass jars for small things

It’s good to keep your small things like toothpicks, toothpaste, and toothbrushes in a glass jar. If you do not have a specific space to keep your small things in the bathroom you might need to keep finding it in time.

Use of decorative ladders

You don’t need to dig holes in the wall to create rail to put your towel. Use a small decorative ladder for a beautiful finish instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use mirror in front of your sink as well as in front of the shower

Mirrors can be really helpful to wash you better. When you can have a clear look at your body in the mirror it will make bathing easier.

Use Odonil  

Air freshener smells beautiful and it is a nice way to make your bathroom feel like heaven. Remember heaven smells nice!

Have a window  

Always have a window in your bathroom in the top of your head height. It should be small and only openable from inside. The purpose of the window is to enter sunlight during the daytime to dry out the place.

Skip shower door

If your bathroom has a smaller place, The bathroom skip the glass door of the shower. Even if your bathroom can afford that space it is not really necessary when you already have a door to lock yourself invisible.

These are few of the best tips to make your bathroom comfortable. Even if you don’t believe, your bathroom develops your lifestyle. So make sure to have a comfortable one (be it bathroom or lifestyle).

 

Contributed by: Perfectbath

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Avani Centre at King George Boulevard in Surrey

Avani Centre by Avani Investment Group in Surrey is a new mixed-use condo development located in the heart of Surrey Centre. Avani Centre offers 181 exclusive residences in combination with a hotel by Hilton, allowing for luxury experiences. The Residences at Avani Centre begin on the 8th floor, ensuring that these homes rise above the Medical District and overlooks the core of the city’s University District to the north.The architecturally unique residential tower rises atop a 5-storey hotel, and is close to Surrey Memorial Hospital, Holland Park, Central City Shopping Centre, the SFU campus, King George SkyTrain station, and a future shopping and entertainment complex.

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Holland Row in North Vancouver

Holland Row by PC Urban in North Vancouver is a new 3-storey woodframe rowhomes development located in the new community of Lions Gate Village. This project will offer 23 3- and 4- bedrooms townhouses. Holland Row will offer residents some of the best the North Shore has to offer in urban living amongst nature. Overlooking the Capilano River, the rowhomes boast private back yard, secured parking garages with direct access into your home, premium appliances, refined interiors and sophisticated architecture. All within walking distance of restaurants on Marine Drive, shopping at Park Royal, a new Community Centre being built on Fullerton, the nature trails of West Vancouver and local skiing at Grouse Mountain.

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Bristol Heights at Westerleigh in Abbotsford

Bristol Heights by Polygon is a new collection of townhomes in Abbotsford‘s master planned community of Westerleigh. This project will offer two and three bedroom plus flex homes. Every square foot is thoughtfully designed to give you places to gather and share, and space for everyone to enjoy peace and quiet. Featuring gourmet kitchens, spa-inspired bathrooms, and stylish laminate hardwood flooring, these functional homes don’t compromise beauty. Step outside your door to run, walk or cycle the Discovery Trail or enjoy Club West – Westerleigh’s residents-only clubhouse complete with an outdoor pool, hot tub, cinema, gym, and more!

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Arcola in Highgate Burnaby

Arcola by Kingswood Real Estate is a new townhouse development located at Highgate community in Burnaby. This project will offer 22 units, size ranges from 1,448 -1,496 SF. Live with timeless design and impeccable style at Arcola, the spacious three-bedroom homes convey functionality with well-proportioned rooms and efficient floorplans reflective of a single-family home.

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The Links Residences in Surrey

The Links Residences by Infinity Properties is a new townhouses development located at Guildford Golf Country Club in Surrey. This project will offer 55 units.Knock off 18 holes with neighbours at a moment’s notice or just enjoy the serenity and warmth of a naturally private, resort-style community. At The Links, the grass really is greener. The Links is one of those once-in-a-lifetime locations. Set amid native landscape and adjacent to Guildford Golf & Country Club, these 55 distinguished townhomes are a dream come true.

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Productivity for Freelancers: Could Binge-Watching Help?

The best part of freelance writing—and the worst part—is being your own boss. There’s nobody else standing over you, forcing you to calculate every minute to measure productivity.

It’s up to you to stay motivated and disciplined, even on days when you’d rather scoop the litter box than finish that blog post, write a query, or find new clients to pitch.

How do you keep the words flowing in spite of online and off-line distractions, family responsibilities, and bad days?

Most people aren’t born with a sixth-sense for productivity. In fact, a lot of people, including writers, are notorious for stalling, wasting time, and procrastinating for an infinite list of reasons (ahem, excuses).

That ends now. You can learn productivity habits to help you maximize your time, get work done, and even carve out a little time for binge-watching your favorite show. Here’s how:

Meet two productivity pros & freelance writers

We recently interviewed two writers and productivity experts in the Freelance Writers Den who know all about the headaches, challenges, and excuse-making of pursuing the freelance life.

• Sage Cohen is the author of Fierce on the Page, The Productive Writer, and Writing the Life Poetic (all from Writers’ Digest Books). She is also a poet, copywriter, and coach.
• Laura Stack is a productivity expert and speaker. She is the author of several books, most recently Faster Together: Accelerating Your Team’s Productivity.

Want to make your freelance writing time more productive? Find out how in this Q&A:

Q: What’s the best way to start your day off productively?

A: Cohen: It’s different for everybody. I start by hiking with my dog in the morning, then I spend the first ten minutes at my desk checking personal e-mail to connect with other grownups.

Whatever gets you cranking is the way to go, and you’re not going to know until you experiment. If you’re starting your day with something that gets you off track, try something else.

Q: How do you stay focused when you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck?

A: Stack: I make my own deadlines. My books come out every two years like clockwork, and that doesn’t just happen. There’s a lot of discipline, structure, and deadline-driven work that I’ve created for myself.

Q: How can writers ignite their productivity on days when they’re sick, tired, or dragging?

A: Cohen: First, shake things up. Do the opposite of what you normally do. If you work at home, go to a café. If you walk the dog at the end of the day, try walking the dog at the beginning of the day. Spice things up and surprise yourself.

Second, have an accountability buddy. Tell them you’re committing to have something done, so you have that extra energy boost of knowing that someone is in your corner with you.

Q: How do you schedule your time to be the most productive?

A: Stack: Writers have to understand and organize around their rhythms. Everyone is different. It’s counterproductive to write at a time where you’re low energy.

Block off your calendar. Be proactive around your goals for content creation during high-energy times.

Q: What are your strategies for handling people who don’t respect your work space and time?

A: Cohen: People who are not writers themselves don’t get what we need in the way of silence, space, and boundaries and respect. Our job is to teach them.

We need to be extremely clear about what we need and set ground rules: “I don’t want crumbs on my desk. Look at the sign on my door to see what the office hours are.”

When your family members do whatever you’ve asked them for, thank them. Make it clear how much you appreciate their support.

Q: When should you outsource tasks, and how do you justify the expense?

A: Stack: Do the things only you, uniquely, can do. Outsource things others could do. We fail often as writers because our time is taken up by everything but our writing, doing all the administrative tasks.

I used to struggle with the cost of outsourcing. But every time I did it, my revenue went up. I kick myself now for all of the wasted time and frustration, and low income, that resulted from not outsourcing. You can’t afford not to do it.

Q: What are the top things that kill productivity for writers?

A: Cohen: Listening to the wrong advice. Just because you love someone’s writing, it doesn’t mean what they’re suggesting is well suited to you. Experiment, pay attention to your results, and if you’re not achieving what you hoped, try something else. Don’t assume the problem is you.

In the writing life you are your own boss, you are your own collaborator, you are your own everything. Get to know yourself, and set things up so you can be effective based on what is realistic for you.

Two sneaky faces of fear are procrastination and perfectionism. Just having the awareness that we’re afraid can make a huge difference. Then we need to decide the fear is not in not in charge.

When I wrote my first book, I knew I would spend time telling myself I couldn’t do it and spinning. So I built a month of freak-out time into my schedule. During my normal writing time I watched all the seasons of Six Feet Under. By the end, I was so sick of it that I just got down to work, and I had an incredibly productive six months of writing.

Q: Do you have a writing process that makes you more productive?

A: Stack: I do mind mapping on a big whiteboard. You can do electronically, but I work better on a wall or just a piece of paper.

Write your main topic in the center of your page, then write other thoughts that occur to you. It’s just really a series of bubbles where you allow your brain to go anywhere. Then you can turn it into a written outline.

If you google “mind mapping,” you can find entire process and examples online.

Q: What motivates you to keep your butt in the chair and just get it done?

A: Cohen: We need to stay connected to our big-picture goals, our purpose and passion. What is the end goal? “I need to finish this article, because I’m going to get paid.” Or, “I am improving my craft.” Or, “I am becoming an expert on this topic that is important to me.”

When we can remember why we’re there and sit down with that mindset, it is much, much easier to keep the butt in the chair.

The power of productivity

If you’ve struggled with productivity issues to get work done, you’re not alone. It happens. But take a closer look at your habits, your schedule, and when you do your best work, and you can map out a plan to move up and earn more.

What helps you boost productivity as a freelance writer? Join the discussion on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Maria Veres is a freelance writer based in the Oklahoma City area. She contributes regular Q&A blog posts to Make A Living Writing.

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Tips on Designing a Small Windowless Bathroom

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Feeling cramped due to the lack of space and natural light whenever you have to use your bathroom? Don’t worry! You can still turn that little spot into your very own spa-like haven by following these amazing tips:

Photo by Jonny Caspari on Unsplash

Decorate using plants
If you’ve never considered adding a plant to your windowless bathroom, think again. A small plant can give the space a fresh, spa-like feel. However, you’ll need to find a plant suitable for the low-light, high-moisture environment a bathroom has. Here are a few bathroom plant ideas:

• Potted Grass
• Aloe
• Spider Plant
• Bamboo
• Orchids
• Reed Palm Source: ImproveNet

Add extra mirrors and reflective surfaces
You might think the big one over your sink is enough, but if you’ve got the wall space for it (though maybe not right across from your main mirror so as not to get that infinity mirror effect happening), consider adding some more mirrors to help expand the space. Reflective, mirrored accessories can also be a fun addition. Source: ApartmentTherapy

Choose the right paint
Paint remains a homeowner favorite for bringing about transformations both indoors and out. Never more than in a windowless bathroom, the right color selection can make a huge difference. Choose a light, muted hue, and be sure to stipulate a high-gloss or semi-gloss finish (no satin or eggshell). Don’t forget the ceiling: Because it plays an unsung but key role in reflecting light, a glossy white ceiling can go a long way toward leaving the space lighter and brighter. Source: BobVila

Create a distraction
Move the focus away from the lack of light in your small bathroom by shifting the spotlight on colour, artwork, lighting, and accessories. Cheerful graphics on the walls, elegant wall decals, framed photos, a funky-shaped wall light… these can all grab and hold attention.  Source: Homify

Any bathroom will look classy if you use high-quality fixtures. Take a look at the best ones in the market as you browse our website. Feel free to contact us for assistance!

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Challenge #288 - Holiday

Hi everyone! Thank you for joining in our last challenge - we hope you had fun :)

Time for a brand new challenge -

Create anything that is holiday related!

Let's announce our winners for Challenge #286 Anything Goes

#89 Milka

#124 Janet

#119 Izzy Scrap

#91 Katrina

Congratulations everyone!!

Here is the Design Team with their holiday creations for you -

Asha

Cathy

Susan

Tanja

Monica

Amy

Željka

Jelena Milovanović

Aren't they brilliant!

Ok, over to you now and have fun :)

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Winston South Oak in Vancouver

Winston South Oak by Coromandel Properties is a new 8-storey concrete development located at the corner of 67th and Oak Street. This project will offer 43 1-, 2- and 3- bedroom condos and townhomes, sizes range from 517 sqft to 1,605 sqft. In a neighborhood rich with community spirit and family values, a new vision is shaping south oak. Coromandel properties is proud to be a part of this momentum with the introduction of Winston, a refined collection of homes setting a precedent of bold, modern living.

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Lion’s Gate Townhomes

Lion’s Gate Townhomes by Woodbridge Properties is a new development with 150 townhomes located in Lion‘s Gate Village, North Vancouver. This project will offer 1-, 2-， 3- and 4- bedrooms stacked townhomes in 12 three-storey buildings with rooftop decks. Citimark and Woodbridge are excited to bring new, ground-oriented housing to Lions Gate Village. Close to nearby Belle Isle Park, within walking distance to Park Royal Shopping Centre, and a 15-minute drive to downtown Vancouver, enjoy urban convenience without the city bustle.

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752 Marine by Larcon in West Vancouver

752 Marine by Larco is a new mixed-use 11- and 14- storey building located at Marine & Taylor Way in West Vancouver. This project will offer 143 mixture of studio, 1-, 2- and 3- bedrooms condominiums. The towers, and a separate low-rise commercial building on Squamish First Nation leasehold land will encompass a 3,100 sq ft public plaza, sheltered from the traffic on Marine Drive. The first two floors will function as a street-scale commercial perimeter that includes retail, restaurant, and a childcare space.

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Hunter at Lynn Creek Town Centre in North Vancouver

Hunter by Intergulf Development Group is two new residential towers and 4-storey townhouses development. Located at the corner of Mountain Highway and Hunter Street, walking distance to Lynn Creek Town Centre, North Vancouver. This project will offer 314 studio, two-, and three- bedroom condominiums in two residential towers and 12 stacked townhomes. As the vision for the heart of Lynn Creek Town Centre is to create a focal point for community services and facilities, Hunter will enable the development of a three-level community centre, including daycare with outdoor playground.Other public realm improvements that Intergulf will contribute in the neighbourhood include a rain garden and street parking on the south side of Seylynn Park, the planting of street trees along Hunter Street, construction of a linked multi-use path on the west side of the development, an all-weather bus shelter near the corner of Hunter & Mountain Highway, development of a large public plaza fronting the community centre, and construction of separated bike lanes along Mountain Highway.

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We Got Stung: Must-Know Info for Bloggers Who Offer Reprints

Have you ever wondered if you could sell reprints of your blog posts and make some extra cash? You know, get the posts you’ve written for your personal blog republished somewhere else.

If so, my blog editor Evan Jensen and I have a cautionary tale for you.

Many bloggers seem to believe publishing a post on their own blog — or even on a free platform such as LinkedIn Pulse or Medium — doesn’t ‘count’ as publication. And that they could still get paid selling first publication rights to these posts.

Sometimes, writers don’t even feel they need to disclose the work was previously published.

This can result in an awkward mess, when the blog or publication you resold your work to figures out they’ve gotten recycled goods. I know, because this blog recently and inadvertently accepted previously published content.

As the queen says, we were not amused.

Here’s the story of what happened, and how my guest-posting policy is changing as a result. I’ve also got some important tips for bloggers considering trying to sell reprints.

It begins with lists

Here at Make a Living Writing, we’ve learned one of the most popular types of posts we can offer are lists of paying markets. I mean, obviously — help writers find some paying gigs, hello!

We also found they were tough posts to get written. We pay $75-$150 for these sort of research-based posts, but were having a hard time finding writers we could trust to do the research and bring us up-to-date, fresh listings.

Then one day, Evan got an email from a blogger with experience writing market-list posts. She sent in a list of her blog’s previously published posts, and asked if we’d like to reprint one of them.

Here’s Evan’s response:

Assignment gets a green light. The writer agreed to write us a fresh post. Thinking he’d given a clear edict to research and write us a fresh, new post on the same topic, Evan gave the green light for the writer to move forward on this assignment.

Note: This relationship would grow to encompass three list posts. But Evan would grow increasingly worried that perhaps, we weren’t really getting unique material.

Reprint suspicions

What made Evan start to wonder if posts submitted were original? Sometimes, instructions in the assignment hadn’t been followed.

He found himself doing a lot of quick research and rewriting in a hurry, to meet deadlines, and track down info like editor contact information, and insider tips on how to get published in these markets.

Our big miss

When one of the later posts got turned in, there was a single short line in it that, in the hustle-bustle of serving 80,000 readers a month, got overlooked. We would come to seriously regret that.

As you can see below, it was a hint that in fact, despite being specifically instructed to not give us any reprinted material, the guest post being turned in was at least partly cribbed from one of her existing blog posts:

Houston, we have a problem

Why is the discovery that we’d inadvertently accepted an (at least partial) reprint a problem for the Make a Living Writing blog? Because we don’t reprint anything ever, as a matter of policy (as Evan stated to this blogger off the bat).

My decade-old mission has always been to provide you with fresh content you won’t find anywhere else. So this was a problem.

The trouble with reprints on the Internet

Reprinted content both angers Google — which may view the duplicate content as a sign of a lower-quality site, and serve it up less in search results — and bores readers. Nothing like reading a post you feel you’ve seen somewhere before to make you feel like unsubscribing, yes?

Start digging

Finally, Evan hopped on the Internet and started doing some searches. He turned up not only highly similar posts on the author’s blog, but similar posts she’d published on Medium and LinkedIn Pulse as well.

We confront the author

At this point, we circled back to the author to express our unhappiness with being handed reprints — or at best, what appeared to be re-spun versions of previous content. We were hopping mad to find that we’d paid for first and reprint rights to previously published content.

Her reaction: She was deeply offended that we were offended.

Her contention?

Repeatedly quoting writers’ guidelines from blogs and publications, she said, didn’t make it duplicate content. More importantly, it was fine for her to accept our check for this version of the post, because she ‘retained all rights.’

And that’s how we learned how much confusion there is out there, about reselling blog posts.

Reselling first rights?

This author put herself forward as an experienced professional editor. She knew what she was doing. But here’s the problem…

When you publish a post, that venue has first publication rights. The work has now been published.

You cannot resell or license first publication rights. They only attach once, to one publication. That’s why they call ‘em ‘first rights.’

Contrary to what many bloggers think, your personal blog is a publication. Medium is a publication.

That means we paid good money for rights we couldn’t really have. The rights purchase we state on our writers guidelines page also states that we retain the right to reprint our posts.

But in this case, we couldn’t really own those reprint rights, either. The author assured us that in publishing posts on her own blog, she owned the reprint rights.

We’d been hornswoggled, in Old West terms. Lacking a time machine to go back and simply not do business with this writer, we began grappling with how to make it right.

Unbreaking an egg

First off, I felt seriously upset about betraying readers’ trust that we always provide fresh content.

But I also worried about quietly removing the offending posts, which would break links readers might try to use in the future to reach the market lists. Broken links suck!

At one point, I requested that my payments be refunded, in exchange for which we would delete the posts, after disclosing the problem to our readers. But the author declined to send back my money.

So here’s what we’ve done

• We’ve removed two of the posts. Analysis showed they weren’t continuing to get a lot of traffic, so hopefully that doesn’t bug too many readers.
• On the third one, we posted a disclosure. This one was our bad, as we accepted this post after we received (but missed) the disclosure that — despite being expressly told not to send us duplicate content — the author turned in partly recycled content.

Sometimes, when you mess up, there’s no way to unbreak the egg. But admitting you messed up is important. So that’s what we’ve done.

The truth about self-plagiarism

Some writers believe that it’s OK to plagiarize yourself. After all, who’s going to object? That’s exactly what this writer told us, “It’s OK with me, so it’s OK.”

But that’s wrong. She may own the rights, but many of those rights are no longer available for resale.

Clearly, the first rights to these works were gone, and the author also wanted to retain ownership of the reprint rights. But we thought we’d paid for both of those.

It’s not OK to turn in re-spun content when you’ve been expressly told a market does not accept reprints. That put us in the position of falling short on our mission to always present fresh, original content to our readers.

This author also expressed her disdain that we had the right to care whether her post was partially a reprint, because she felt we didn’t pay enough to earn that right. But paying $1 gives you the right to original content, if that’s what you commissioned.

Can you get stung by plagiarizing your own work?

As it happens, I’ve seen a staff writer fired and marched out the door for self-plagiarizing. She handed in a lightly rewritten company profile twice over — once for a special section, and again to the news department, both at the business journal where we both worked.

The editors compared notes, and she was history. Her reputation was ruined, and she never worked in editorial again. Obviously, a slightly different scenario, but I think it highlights the fact that yes, it is possible to plagiarize yourself — and that everybody’s not OK with that.

If you know a blogger who’s unclear on this, please spread the word.

Self-plagiarism is still plagiarism. And it’s wrong.

It’s doubly wrong when you’ve specifically been told not to do it, but you decide to do it anyway.

A hasty disclosure that you partly cribbed off your own past work, after the fact — when the deadline has arrived and the post is done, perhaps in hopes it will be overlooked, as in our case it was — does not square you.

The exception would be reprinting your content in another free venue that accepts reprinted content. Medium and LinkedIn’s blog are two popular venues for this. Nobody’s been deceived there, and no money changed hands.

Our new policy for guest posts

How can we prevent this duplicate-content problem from happening again?

Maybe we can’t — I know more than one blog that’s stopped accepting guest posts because of the challenges of detecting re-spun junk.

• Here’s an example from Kristi Hines, founder of the popular blog Kikolani, who shut down guest posts there years ago, after discovering she’d been duped with duplicate content submissions. Reporting the trend for the now-defunct BlogWorld conference, she notes that thousands of other blogs have done the same.
• Also, at least one popular blog closed their guest list, and now only accepts posts from their past guest posters, whom they know and trust. Read Copyblogger’s updated guest post guidelines.

I don’t want to end guest posts

I think our guest posters provide vital, fresh voices and innovative ideas on how to earn more. I’ve paid out thousands of dollars annually to guest posters for many years, and want to continue to be a paying market for writers.

But in an effort to prevent self-plagiarism, we’re changing how we work with guest posters.

In analyzing our own process of accepting guest posts, the problem we turned up during these unpleasant revelations is this: We weren’t getting signed contracts from guest posters.

Until now, we’ve allowed our writers’ guidelines page to spell out our rights and rules. We trusted that we didn’t need to get writers’ signature to avoid getting recycled or reprinted material pawned off on us.

That ends now — our guest-post authors going forward will sign a contract for their post. We’re hoping that having to sign a statement that you’re not handing us previously published work will help writers understand how important unique content is to us.

Mea culpa

On behalf of Evan and myself, I sincerely apologize for not keeping a sharper eye on the guest-post content we receive. Trust me, we’re on it now.

I hope going public with our guest-post travails helps bloggers who are also freelance writers to understand the right and wrong ways to go about offering their previously published posts for resale.

Few markets are interested in reprints these days, thanks to the Google/duplicate-content problem. Make sure you’re pitching one, if you’re offering to resell your blog posts.

What else can we do to stop duplicate content? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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