And welcome to my blog…

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I actually paid for this domain name and wordpress site over a year ago. In January of 2020, I was busy preparing to open a business called Lisa’s Living Room, where I would serve local coffee and food and sell fun, unique gifts and books. My business plan was centered around social connection and my ability to bring people together and make them feel welcome. Lisa’s Living Room was to be the place where book clubs, mommy groups, study sessions, board meetings and friends would meet up. Events such as yoga, trivia, wine tastings, high school study sessions, mommy and me toddler playgroups etc were a huge part of my marketing plan.

Before I could get my loan and location, a global pandemic swept the world. As disappointed as I am not to realize this dream, I am lucky I wasn’t a bit faster in executing my business plan. Had I been in the first few months of a risky brick-and-morter business, my husband’s and my nest egg would be gone. Established small businesses are struggling or have closed their doors. My fledgling business wouldn’t have had a chance. A plan based upon social connection is not a recipe for success in today’s climate.

So now what? Well, looking for a job during stay-at-home orders wasn’t super productive. And, honestly, after building a business plan for over a year, the thought of working in a office didn’t appeal much at all. I am not ruling it out, but I want to find the right fit. So, in the meantime, until the perfect job comes along, I am going to find ways to bring in an income.

I have found creative outlets this past year. I love making jewelry and resin creations and have recently done iron-on designs and made glasses and mugs. I made so many items that I will never be able to use all of them. I rarely wear fancy clothes and/or jewelry. I do love making things for my friends. While quarantining, I did porch drop offs of little trinkets that I thought might make people smile. If there is one thing I know I am successful at is making people smile. In the next few weeks, I will be launching my Etsy store, so I can recoup some of the money I have spent on supplies while making even more people smile. I will also be venturing into other side hustles such as selling some of my clothes that I no longer wear.

By far, my favorite side hustle so far is becoming a Cause Entrepreneur (CE) for ONEHOPE Wine. I am truly hoping that this can be more than just a side hustle. So far, so good. ONEHOPE is an awesome company with a mission to do good in the world. They donate a significant amount of money to charity. They have donated $6 million and counting! As a CE, I get to organize fundraisers where 10% of the sales go to a specific non-profit. That is in addition to the money that is given for each bottle. This gig is a perfect fit for me! I love wine. While Kenny and I are fine drinking cheap box wine, getting able to get a discount on the good stuff is even better. We love to entertain, so we love to be able to serve our guests decent wine. I love giving back. I love to volunteer, organize etc. I give to non-profits when I can. When I listed some of my ideal jobs, working for a non-profit is near the top of the list. I honestly think that this part of the business is where I will ultimately shine. I love to share my favorite things. Just ask any of my friends…when I find something I like, you can’t shut me up. Since I love this wine and this company so much, it just seems like a no brainer that I should make some money from it. I love getting together with people. Once we can safely get together in groups, this gig is going to get really fun. I feel like I am having to work pretty hard for the online sales etc. I have had two in-person wine tastings and I felt like I was in my element. I was able to hang out, have fun and expose some non-wine drinkers to some vintages that I thought they would like. The sales from those events not only generated $308 towards two local non-profit organizations, it earned my friends, the hostesses, $308 in free wine. It was definitely a win-win.

So this little blog is going to be my random musings, recommendations etc. I will talk about wine and special deals. As I learn more about wine, I will write about it here. If something makes me smile, I will write about it. I will share some of my favorite things, including what to try at Trader Joe’s, recipes (look for a recipe for my famous jerky and ribs– my friends all love my meat!) and things to do and see. My sister once had a blog called Mama Ragout. The definition of ragout is: 1. well-seasoned meat and vegetables cooked in a thick sauce (which sounds delicious!) 2. mixture, melange. That second definition applies to what this blog is going to be. It is going to be a mixture of a bunch of stuff. So stay tuned and check back. Next up– Lisa’s Meat!!

Welcome to My Life

I actually paid for this domain name and wordpress site a year ago. In January of 2020, I was busy preparing to open a business called Lisa’s Living Room, where I would serve local coffee and food and sell fun, unique gifts and books. My business plan was centered around social connection and my ability to bring people together and make them feel welcome. Lisa’s Living Room was to be the place where book clubs, mommy groups, study sessions, board meetings and friends would meet up. Events such as yoga, trivia, wine tastings, high school study sessions, mommy and me toddler playgroups etc were a huge part of my marketing plan.

Before I could get my loan and location, a global pandemic swept the world. As disappointed as I am not to realize this dream, I am lucky I wasn’t a bit faster in executing my business plan. Had I been in the first few months of a risky brick-and-morter business, my husband’s and my nest egg would be gone. Established small businesses are struggling or have closed their doors. My fledgling business wouldn’t have had a chance. A plan based upon social connection is not a recipe for success in today’s climat.

So now what? Well, looking for a job during stay-at-home orders wasn’t super productive. And, honestly, after building a business plan for over a year, the thought of working in a office didn’t appeal much at all. I am not ruling it out, but I want to find the right fit. So, in the meantime, until the perfect job comes along, I am going to find ways to bring in an income.

I have found creative outlets this past year. I love making jewelry and resin creations and have recently done iron-on designs and made glasses and mugs. I made so many items that I will never be able to use all of them. I rarely wear fancy clothes and/or jewelry. I do love making things for my friends. While quarantining, I did porch drop offs of little trinkets that I thought might make people smile. If there is one thing I know I am successful at is making people smile. In the next few weeks, I will be launching my Etsy store, so I can recoup some of the money I have spent on supplies while making even more people smile. I will also be venturing into other side hustles such as selling some of my clothes that I no longer wear.

By far, my favorite side hustle so far is becoming a Cause Entrepreneur (CE) for ONEHOPE Wine. I am truly hoping that this can be more than just a side hustle. So far, so good. ONEHOPE is an awesome company with a mission to do good in the world. They donate a significant amount of money to charity. They have donated $6 million and counting! As a CE, I get to organize fundraisers where 10% of the sales go to a specific non-profit. That is in addition to the money that is given for each bottle. This gig is a perfect fit for me! I love wine. While Kenny and I are fine drinking cheap box wine, getting able to get a discount on the good stuff is even better. We love to entertain, so we love to be able to serve our guests decent wine. I love giving back. I love to volunteer, organize etc. I give to non-profits when I can. When I listed some of my ideal jobs, working for a non-profit is near the top of the list. I honestly think that this part of the business is where I will ultimately shine. I love to share my favorite things. Just ask any of my friends…when I find something I like, you can’t shut me up. Since I love this wine and this company so much, it just seems like a no brainer that I should make some money from it. I love getting together with people. Once we can safely get together in groups, this gig is going to get really fun. I feel like I am having to work pretty hard for the online sales etc. I have had one in-person wine tasting and I felt like I was in my element. I was able to hang out, have fun and expose some non-wine drinkers to some vintages that I thought they would like. The sales from that event not only generated $124 towards the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center, it earned my friend, the hostess, $124 in free wine. It was definitely a win-win.

So this little blog is going to be my random musings, recommendations etc. I will talk about wine and special deals. As I learn more about wine, I will write about it here. If something makes me smile, I will write about it. I will share some of my favorite things, including what to try at Trader Joe’s, recipes (look for a recipe for my famous jerky and ribs– my friends all love my meat!) and things to do and see. My sister once had a blog called Mama Ragout. The definition of ragout is: 1. well-seasoned meat and vegetables cooked in a thick sauce (which sounds delicious!) 2. mixture, melange. That second definition applies to what this blog is going to be. It is going to be a mixture of a bunch of stuff. So stay tuned and check back. Next up– Lisa’s Meat!!

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.