The Permission to Kick Ass Blog

Misadventures to Make You Feel Good About Life

I believe in eating your own cooking… most of what I’ve learned about how to live a “fearless life” (in quotes because there’s no such thing – people only THINK I’m fearless) comes from making choices (some of them pretty dumb) and taking action. And I’m sharing what I learned (plus any adventures I have along the way) in my blog.

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the dolphins made me do it

June 3, 2022

I spent most of today crying. It’s more “I’m overwhelmed and grateful and damn sometimes life is beautiful” than “wracking sobs of existential dread” so no need to call in the cavalry. (Unless by calling the cavalry you mean bringing me wine and ice cream, in which case please call them in. Call them ALL in.) Part of my waterworks-a-palooza…

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that time I walked into a refrigerator

May 28, 2022

Last year, on a long holiday weekend much like this one…I found myself in HOTlanta. It lived up to that nickname too.I was on a mission to find somewhere I could hang that 1) had air conditioning and 2) wasn’t super people-y.That’s a rather tall order for a holiday, but nevertheless I persisted…I’d heard about this cool speakeasy called Eleanor’s.…

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best biz buds

May 22, 2022

Something a little strange (and a little fun) happened to me a few months back. I was talking with a friend about hosting a business building event that coincided with my travels. He popped off with, “you should call it Eat Play Launch”. As soon as I heard him say it (hi Chris!) I knew he was right… and within…

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procrasturbation

May 14, 2022

Ever heard of the term “procrasturbation”?It’s what happens when you put off that trip to the grocery store until you’re practically starving at midnight and there’s nothing in the house but rice and pickles. Oh, and all the restaurants nearby are closed too!The first time I heard “procrasturbation” was back in grad school, when my habit of putting things off…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: with a little help from my friends (May 9, 2022)

May 9, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I’ve been thinking a lot about the “company you keep” and how it’s impacted me over the years. We often talk about the importance of networking as a means to get ahead, hit goals, advance our careers. But I don’t often hear folks touting the pure human-to-human benefit of having a peer group. I…

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I don’t recommend telling your dad this…

May 6, 2022

Ever had someone believe in you when your faith was really low?I had something like that happen once upon a time, and I 5000% believe it saved my life.Way back at the beginning of my copywriting career, I was struggling.Actually “struggling” is an understatement. I was beating my head against a wall because I didn’t yet have the copy skills.…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: update on the bulldozing (May 2, 2022)

May 2, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… Just over two months ago I started floating this crazy idea of hosting a business building event. I was adamant that this event include this cool bulldozer place I found called Dig This. Incredibly, 10 amazing entrepreneurs (just so happened to be all women and other folx this time around) said yes, before I…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: double-checking… still not cool to set things on fire? (April 25, 2022)

April 25, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I am so ready to get out of this place. I’m already stressing about writing the review for this Airbnb because I’m the first one to stay here and I know the property manager really tried. They were responsive, solved problems, and generally pleasant to interact with. The challenge is… there were a LOT…

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what do you meme?

April 23, 2022

Ever notice how meme-able Nicolas Cage is? Yesterday I played hooky. I went and saw The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, starring the one and only Nic Cage. If you’re wondering if you should see it, the answer is yes. He and Pedro Pascal had incredible chemistry in this weird buddy comedy/spy movie/action-adventure saga with just a hint of LSD.…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: right in the freaking feels (April 18, 2022)

April 18, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… This weekend the world lost someone pretty wonderful, my friend Mary Gilkerson. We haven’t been friends very long in the scheme of things, but even that brief window was enough to let me know I’d found a kindred spirit… someone I aspire to be like if and when I grow up. I had the…

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even Wolverine has a freaking life coach

April 15, 2022

None of us has it all figured out. And that’s OK! Yesterday I was laughing with my friend, Jimmy Parent. We were getting ready to record a podcast episode and I joked about this repeating pattern I noticed when talking to my life coach last week. I guess Jimmy could tell that I still struggle with the idea of having…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: strategic peer pressure (April 11, 2022)

April 11, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I have a confession to make: I break promises to myself. I’m not looking for reassurance or a pat on the back and a “congrats for being human, Angie!” It’s simply a fact. 90% of the time, if I tell myself I’m going to do something or make a big change, I just don’t.…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: vacation kinda kicked my ass, not gonna lie (April 4, 2022)

April 4, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… Ever have one of “those” weeks? I think you know what I’m talking about… everything that could go wrong, does, and does it all at roughly the same time? That was my week last week. It also happened to be the first vacation week I’ve taken in years (much to my chagrin). Over the…

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Angie and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad vacation

April 1, 2022

First, a disclaimer: Indulge me in a little “woe is me” melodrama here. I know there’s a lot worse in the world than what I went through this week, and that I’m incredibly fortunate in the grand scheme of things. And I’m also allowed to have a fucking bad week, so I make no apologies for airing it out so…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: Vegas should be interesting (March 21, 2022)

March 21, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I think I’m gonna enjoy Vegas. It’s already been an interesting weekend reconnecting with all my favorite west coast brands. Del Taco. El Pollo Loco. I even missed the Arco gas station. It’s nice to know after five years of being outside California, the gas prices are at pretty much the same (ridiculously high)…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: nice fight? (Mar 14, 2022)

March 14, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I think I’m locked in an epic battle of wills. Only instead of a fight to the death, it’s like… nice to the death? It started the first week I was in Flagstaff. We got hit with a few inches of snow. Since I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, I decided to just let…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: snowbound and comparing myself to David Lee Roth (Mar 7, 2022)

March 7, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I’ve been struggling a lot with focus lately. It’s to the point that even my trusty old hexagon timer isn’t helping much. It could have something to do with the fact that I’ve been cooped up in the house more than usual, considering the large amount of snow we’ve been getting here in Flagstaff.…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: my new workshop + a weird story about washing clothes (Feb 21, 2022)

February 21, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… In case you missed it, on Friday I announced a brand new in-person event I’m calling Eat. Play. Launch. (hat tip to Chris Orzechowski – HI CHRIS! – for lending his genius to that absolutely fucking perfect name) I’m excited about this one, and not just because I get to write shit like this…

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Sunrise at Mesa Verde

February 15, 2022

At first when I sat down to write this, I was noodling with the idea of transitions, and how they can be difficult but beautiful. And then I decided to just post the damn pictures. Maybe I’ll be poignant later, but for now… my trip to Mesa Verde National Park. Someone recommended this to me when they heard I’d be…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: when (ridiculous) dreams come true… (Feb 14, 2022)

February 14, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I did it. I FUCKING DID IT. This weekend, I put my butt on the Four Corners, as promised. The first image is of me sitting cross-legged in a circle of cement. The second is of a kind stranger who offered to take a picture of me with all four states visible. If you’re…

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your comforter doesn’t go in your washer

February 11, 2022

Fun fact I learned this week: washing big bulky bedding in an average home washing machine can throw off the balance of the machine, cause lumps in your comforter, or even shorten the lifespan of your washer. So where does one wash comforters, if not in the washer? I’ll give you a hint: I don’t ordinarily make trips to laundromats…

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a tale of two remote controls (first world problems, digital nomad edition)

February 10, 2022

You want digital nomad hacks? Here’s a particularly brilliant one I came up with. It solves a vital problem. First, a picture: Can you guess which one is mine? That’s right. I blue-taped that bad boy so I don’t accidentally take my host’s remote by mistake. Other things blue tape is handy for: marking all your cords and cables identifying…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: snow – pretty to look at, sucks to drive in (Feb 7, 2022)

February 7, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I knew it snowed in Santa Fe… I just didn’t know it snowed THIS much. That’s not a complaint, by the way. Especially since I finally understand that whole thing about “it’s a dry cold”. I’ve actually acclimated pretty quickly to snow and ice, all things considered. Generally speaking, Texans don’t do well in…

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Groundhog Day: Angie edition

February 2, 2022

Heeeeeeeeeyyy Feb 2! I forgot all about your fucked up-ness with the fat rodent predicting our weather. But it’s probably the first time in over 10 years that I’ve woken up on Feb 2 with several inches of snow on the ground. Went outside in my slippers to snap a pic because it was pretty. See? Inhaled copious amounts of…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: balloon buddies and hidden opportunities (Jan 31, 2022)

February 1, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I did a “bucket list” thing last Friday… In case you can’t see the images above, that’s me in a hot air balloon suspended over Albuquerque, New Mexico just after sunrise. I’m glad I waited to Google “hot air balloon accidents” until after I got back down on the ground safely. I mean, I…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: but(t) it’s the four corners (Jan 24, 2022)

January 24, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… It’s funny to me how you never really know what will connect with people. Even being in marketing as long as I have… most everything I put out there is an educated guess. I’m never 100% certain how people will react. The reason: humans gonna human. People are predictable only to a point. Beyond…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: ain’t it fun livin’ in the real world? (Jan 17, 2022)

January 17, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… Life happens… have you baked that into your plans? I got a timely reminder of that last week when I came down with a head cold (I blame dry mountain air). At the same time I got a bit of good news… an article I submitted to Entrepreneur LAST YEAR is getting published in…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: commit schmommit (Jan 10, 2022)

January 10, 2022

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… We’re 10 whole days into 2022… has your life changed yet? OK, I’m being bit of an asshole over new year’s resolutions, I get it. My frustration isn’t at the resolutions themselves… having a goal is great, as is aspiring to improve! My struggle is with how we go about deciding to change… by…

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An adventure for Christmas part 4: spider monkeys

January 3, 2022

To read part 3, click here. Something weird happened in the cosmos this year. Each adventure I originally planned with my siblings was canceled. One for a death in the family of the headlining band, and the other for COVID concerns. Dianne (sister) and I had planned on going to see a Broadway-style production of The Little Mermaid in downtown…

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An adventure for Christmas part 3: gatos and golf carts

December 27, 2021

For part two (bodies, butterflies, and butter chicken) click here. My dad and stepmom are big history buffs. Like everyone else in the family, when I first proposed an adventure for Christmas, they were kinda bewildered. But shortly after I shared the castle trip experience (part 1, click here to read), they suggested we visit historic Nacogdoches, Texas. It’s known…

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An adventure for Christmas part 2: bodies, butterflies, and butter chicken

December 21, 2021

For part one (and full context as to why I gave adventures as my Christmas gifts), click here. The very next day, my brother and went on our adventure with his lovely girlfriend Savannah. Originally, I’d planned on taking my brother to a concert. Despite the almost 16-year age difference, he and I have a lot in common… the most…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: Sir Steve, knight of the order of the donut (Dec 20, 2021)

December 20, 2021

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… “I’m sorry but I just don’t know what to pick!” That’s what mom said to me late last week when I again proposed my idea: an “experience” for Christmas instead of gifts. The idea came from me truly not wanting my family to buy me stuff (at least not physical things), because it’s just…

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An adventure for Christmas part 1: castles, blades, ghosts, and sausage

December 20, 2021

At the risk of sounding like a Grinch or a Scrooge… I didn’t give Christmas presents this past year. Not because it was a rough year (it was) or I couldn’t afford it (I could). My reasoning: I didn’t want to have to pack up and load/unload a whole bunch of extra shit, which I’ll have to do if I…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: the gift that keeps on giving (Dec 13, 2021)

December 13, 2021

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… Heeeeeey December. I’m happy for the upcoming holidays, but you can keep your existential crisis bullshit. That’s not really the gift I wanted, yo. I know I’m not alone in that feeling. This time of year can be rough for just about everyone, between the extended hours of darkness, the holiday stress, the Seasonal…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: must stay fully clothed (Dec 6, 2021)

December 6, 2021

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… I saw this at the gym yesterday and it caught me off-guard: Pic is of a freestanding digital scale at my local gym. It has a label on it that says “Must stay fully clothed.” If you didn’t already know, there’s a school of thought that says to get the most accurate reading on…

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I fought the door (and the door won) (Nov 29, 2021)

November 29, 2021

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… So last night I got stuck behind a SLOW AFFFFFFFFFFFFFF driver. Ordinarily it wouldn’t bug me since driving for long stretches is just a thing I do now. But this was on a back country road in the dark (vs a major highway with a bunch of lanes), so I found myself getting more…

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Disney day part two

November 16, 2021

When we left off I’d just made it into Hollywood Studios after nearly high fiving a lady after she threatened her romantic partner for complaining. It was a Saturday and therefore a little busy. Part of my mission included scoring some 50th anniversary gear as well as riding rides… so I meandered through shops while the crowd made a mad…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: I’m playing hooky this week (Nov 15, 2021)

November 15, 2021

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… Last week’s email touched a nerve. I think it was the highest amount of replies I’ve seen in a single email since I started this newsletter. Either you’re really amused by my split email/social media personality, or at some point over your career you’ve struggled with the same thing as me. How much of…

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a random Disney day

November 13, 2021

A few years ago, when I still lived in Florida, a random Disney day would have been a regular thing… not at all surprising to anyone that knows me. I’m not even sure if it’s surprising to anyone now that I no longer live in Florida. Aaaaaaannnnyyyway…. Friday night I was sitting in the recliner at my Airbnb, chatting on…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: mild identity crisis in progress, nothing to see here (Nov 8, 2021)

November 9, 2021

It’s time to Kick Monday’s Ass… It’s important to surround yourself with people you trust to give it to you straight. That much is true in life, and in business. It was certainly true for me last week when my friend Jimmy Parent served me a righteous bitch slap of truth. I was at a mastermind meeting and venting about…

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I have no idea how to pronounce your name, Dunedin

November 8, 2021

Last weekend I went to this funky little artsy town north of here called Dunedin. That was recommended by my good friends Rachel Mazza and Dr. Julie Helmrich. After poking around the farmer’s market and buying an assortment of things (really, a true assortment including sterling silver rings, a reusable glass cleaning cloth, natural mosquito repellent, whole wheat sourdough, two…

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I got yelled at by a guy with a toy bullhorn

November 1, 2021

It was Halloween night, and I didn’t have any plans (nor anything remotely resembling a costume), so I decided to head to Clearwater Beach for dinner. I brought along my book manuscript and figured I’d read/proof while eating by the sea. My friend Rachel Mazza recommended this place, Frenchy’s… and told me to get the crab fries. That was a…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: accepted and rejected by the same place (Nov 1, 2021)

November 1, 2021

It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Today I want to tell you a little story about the time I got rejected by and accepted to THE SAME PLACE. By the time I was thinking about grad school (this was over a decade ago, right as the Great Recession was swinging into full gear), I’d been writing off and on for…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: just in time for Halloween (Oct 25, 2021)

October 25, 2021

It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… A funny thing happened on my way to St Pete this weekend… On the road, I got an invite from a friend to attend a concert later that evening. I responded with a hell yeah when I stopped off at a gas station, and continued on my way, with the ever-yowling cat. By the…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: thanks universe (Oct 18, 2021)

October 18, 2021

It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… I’ve been thinking a lot about timing lately, and the interesting (and often maddening) impact it has on our lives. One year ago, I was barely keeping it together. I was just a week out from the infamous unexpected breakup and in pure survival mode. It was one of those times where I had…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: there’s your subject line (Oct 11, 2021)

October 11, 2021

It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Lately I’ve spent a lot of time with marketer friends. Since we’re all big nerds, we came up with a new game called, “There’s Your Subject Line”. It’s my new favorite game, by the way… because like a lot of folks, when I sit down to write my brain conveniently forgets all the interesting…

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tiny Brazilian badass

October 9, 2021

Today I met the most fascinating person. It just so happened to be the lady ripping out my leg hair. First, let’s get way too personal: I hate shaving my legs. I’m sure my personal grooming habits were something you were DYING to know about me. I mean, I do love smooth legs… but that presents a bit of a…

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Battle of the Beach

October 9, 2021

I got a spot two blocks from the beach because I told myself I wanted to walk near the water every day. The reality is, it’s two weeks into my stay in Pompano Beach and this is the only second time that I’ve managed to make it out to the beach. Even getting here was a battle of epic proportions……

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Kick Monday’s Ass: permission slip (Oct 4, 2021)

October 4, 2021

It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Yesterday I booked my last Airbnb of 2021. That’s such a trippy thing to say. It’s been a year (almost) since the split and 11 months of life on the road… already?! How do I keep blinking and missing my own fucking life? Weird wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff aside, I’ve learned a ton about myself in…

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Kick Monday’s Ass: what are the odds? (Sept 20, 2021)

September 20, 2021

It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Today l’ve got a lot of gratitude. Partially because I got to hang with my family this weekend in a whirlwind trip to Houston and back for my 69-year-old father’s sudden nuptials. But also partially because of the universe’s timing (and sense of humor). My dad said something this weekend that had his new…

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