Kick Monday’s Ass: making smoothies on a wing and a prayer (April 12, 2021)

It’s time to kick Monday’s ass…

Have you ever tried to make a smoothie?

I made my first one on Friday and lemme tell ya… it was an interesting experience. I’d just gotten one of those fancy schmancy personal blenders where the blending cup doubles as a to-go cup with a lid. I couldn’t wait to save money by making my own fruity, nutritious smoothies!

Have you ever looked up smoothie recipes? Turns out many of them talk about the serving size while somehow also neglecting to ACTUALLY mention the size. And size is important when it comes to a smaller-than-usual personal blender, ya know?

So armed with a vague idea of what the hell to do after looking up several “recipes” (more like general guidelines) with how much to use and the proper order of ingredients, my impatient ass decided to wing it.

Stick with me here.

I tossed in a cup of frozen berries because I’m pretty sure one of the sites said put that in first. Then half a cup of frozen avocado, a cup of fresh spinach, and half a cup of cashew milk (my current fave non-dairy coffee additive).

I “pulsed” for 30 seconds, as recommended. Didn’t look like anything moved. I tried another 30. Ok, bottom half inch liquified but the rest was sitting exactly where it started, mocking me.

I pulsed for a whole minute. Bottom inch of the cup was looking smoothie-licious, but the top still looked like a stack of raw ingredients that hadn’t budged. I grabbed a spoon and stirred things, pulsed again. When I took a peek and did a little stir, the top half still contained a large hunks of spinach covered in blitzed fruit.

So… I went back to stirring and pulsing, stirring and pulsing.

Finally I braved a taste of this purple-green goo. Not bad, actually. Not very sweet or fruity though, probably because of all the avocado and spinach. I decided to throw in some frozen cherries, honey, and chia seeds to sweeten it up.

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to add honey to a frozen drink, but if you haven’t… heads up: it becomes a chewy, sludgy, solid hunk. If you MUST add honey because you need the sweetness, promise me you won’t add chia seeds immediately after. And DEFINITELY don’t try to stir it right after doing all this. Your spoon will come out covered in semi-solid honey, wearing a healthy coating of chia seeds.

FINALLY after about 10 minutes of fiddling, I finished making my “quick and easy” smoothie. It wasn’t mind-blowing in terms of flavor, but it was tasty enough. I slapped a lid on that bad boy and took myself to Opryland in Nashville to have an adventure.

Why am I telling you all this?

Building a business is a lot like trying to make your own smoothie. There are lots of folks out there with “recipes” and checklists to help you make the perfect something-or-other.

But their “recipe” might leave out vital steps, or something might get lost in translation – and suddenly what felt like a solid, actionable plan has significant gaps you’ve gotta figure out.

You could wing it, try some things, and hope for the best. Or you could throw out the whole damn thing, frustrated and feeling like it was a waste of your time.

One of those choices will get you closer to your goal.

So if your smoothie business isn’t looking like you want, maybe do a little more stir-and-pulse and see what happens. You could always try a different recipe if it’s not to your taste.

Speaking of trying something new, here’s this week’s video:

Kick Monday’s Ass: You Win or You Learn

 

We’re used to looking at life (and business) through a lens of “win” or “lose”. And while parts of this journey are gonna feel like a race, that doesn’t mean only the person who finishes first gets to call themselves a success. Not only do you get serious status points just for finishing the damn race, you learn a lot about yourself and what to do better next time. Get the full story in the video…

Badass of the Week

Today I want to celebrate Pooja Rai, who takes abandoned tires that would otherwise sit in a dump and take forever to break down… and turns them into playgrounds.

Talk about a creative solution to an enormous problem. No, she’s not going to eliminate all the excess tires with a few play places, but she’s doing a little good while bringing a lot of joy to the world around her.

That’s alright in my book.

(If you know someone who should be featured as my Badass of the Week, leave a comment and tell me!)

New podcast episode!

I’ve never really thought of myself as the star of my own life story. Star in a rock band? Absolutely. But I never really thought of my life as a movie until this conversation with my friend Alix Penning. It might seem a little diva-esque or egomaniacal to think of yourself in this manner, but trust me… you’re gonna want to give it a try after you listen to this one.

Can’t-Miss Moments From This Episode:

  • Are you unconsciously playing the sidekick in the story of your life? How to get back into the driver seat and be the hero in your own show
  • Natural talent is great, but it’s not going to get you to your goals on its own… here’s what will
  • Three questions to ask yourself – these will help get to the root of your fears, so you can punch those fears in the face and get moving again
  • Alix’s “Disney Princess” trick for getting yourself unstuck, whenever you hit a wall or feel overwhelmed (don’t blame me if this one gets Frozen songs stuck in your head)
  • The “S” word I can’t stand… what to say instead of “should” to shut down the automatic fear response that keeps you safe, secure, and stagnating

You don’t want to miss this one. Click here to listen (and subscribe) now!

On Repeat This Week…

 

Something about the bass groove and claps/snaps really speaks to me today. If you haven’t had the pleasure of grooving out to Beck recently, I present to you Go It Alone.
_______________

Down on the corner
See me standing
In a makeshift home
With a dust storm comin’

In a long black shadow
Pull a hammer from a coal mine
Down where your daddy was workin’
Comb my hair back
Strike a match on the bathroom wall
Where my number was written
Driving on the sidewalk
Lookin’ back at the sky
It’s burning in the rearview mirror

I better go it alone
I better go it alone

kickass-angie

ANGIE COLEE

If you’re an aspiring freelancer who’s working up the courage to leave the day job… good news! I’m sharing all the things I WISH I’d known before making the leap so that hopefully your journey goes a little more smoothly than mine.

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