Kristina Karlsson, the woman behind the inspiring global success story, kikki.K, shares personal insights from her amazing journey, from humble beginnings on a small farm in Sweden to the 3am light bulb moment that led her to chase and achieve dreams that are now inspiring a worldwide community of dreamers.
Filled with simple and practical magic – and inspiring stories and wisdom from people who’ve dared to dream big – this book will show you how to harness the power of dreaming to transform your life in small, simple steps.
“The job is what you do when you are told what to do. The job is showing up at the factory, following instructions, meeting spec, and being managed.
Someone can always do your job a little better or faster or cheaper than you can.
The job might be difficult, it might require skill, but it’s a job.
Your art is what you do when no one can tell you exactly how to do it. Your art is the act of taking personal responsibility, challenging the status quo, and changing people.
I call the process of doing your art ‘the work.’ It’s possible to have a job and do the work, too. In fact, that’s how you become a linchpin.
The job is not the work.”
“what we choose to focus on and what we choose to ignore—plays in defining the quality of our life.”
“If you see your creative work as a chore, an obligation, or solely as an item to cross off your to-do list, the work will feel that way to you and anybody who interacts with it. On the other hand, if you see your work as a gift, a privilege, an opportunity to share the truth of what’s in your heart with the world, that’s the experience you’ll have with it. Same work, different perspectives.
The creative process—not the result—is the source of our happiness. We feel the joy of being so immersed and engaged in what we’re doing that we lose track of time. We experience moments of creative daring, beautiful magic, and the unexpected surprises that show up along the way. Fortunately, our commitment to and belief in the process is entirely in our control. We can decide to show up, sit down, and create. If we listen to the process of creativity and stay attentive, it can be our gateway to meaning.”
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw
The least favorite students were the non-conformists who made up their own rules. Teachers tend to discriminate against highly creative students, labeling them as troublemakers.
“Generosity is, by definition, disinterested.”
“It’s all really very simple. You don’t have to choose between being kind to yourself and others. It’s one and the same.”
“Try this experiment. Start with an ordinary situation such as riding in a taxi, buying paper at a stationary shop, or sitting in the train. Then try exchanging a few words with the taxi driver, making eye contact with the salesperson, striking up a conversation with someone on the train. For some of us, that happens spontaneously; others have to do it deliberately. Be fully present in this brief contact, and expect the other to be so as well. Suddenly a change occurs: Something becomes unblocked and energy circulates. It might not be an encounter of two souls. But it surely will be an exchange of vital energy between two people.”
“Like a kid in a candy store” is one of the most iconic images of joy in our culture, expressing the wild, almost delirious pleasure we take in being let loose in a bountiful world. When I first started hearing about the places that give people joy, I realized that many of them evoke this giddy feeling of abundance: carnivals and circuses, dollar stores and flea markets, and giant old hotels like the Grand Budapest of director Wes Anderson’s imagining. The same feeling also exists on a smaller scale. An ice-cream cone covered in rainbow sprinkles is like a candy store held in your hand. A shower of confetti, a multicolored quilt, a simple game of pick-up sticks, have this irresistible allure.
Even the language of joy is rife with excess. We say we’re overjoyed or that we’re brimming with happiness.We say, “My cup runneth over.” And this is very much how it feels to be in a moment of joy, when our delight is so abundant it feels like it can’t be contained.”
Busy is a decision. – Debbie Millman
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Theodore Roosevelt
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. – William Bruce Cameron
Read More
McDonald’s Celebrates Healthcare Workers and First Responders with Free “Thank You Meals”
In appreciation for the healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics who are committed to our health and safety, McDonald’s will offer free Thank You Meals*, between Wednesday, April 22 and Tuesday, May 5, as a token of appreciation for their selfless service.
While the majority of America is staying home, McDonald’s has remained open, with our franchisees and hardworking restaurant employees serving hot meals to communities who need quick and affordable options, especially those on the frontlines such as healthcare workers and first responders. The company is grateful for the ongoing dedication and commitment of McDonald’s employees who enable McDonald’s to stay open to serve our communities during these challenging times.
Each Thank You Meal will be available at no charge via drive thru or carry out at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide through May 5. The Thank You Meal, available during breakfast, lunch or dinner, will feature a choice of sandwiches, drinks, and a side featuring small World Famous Fries or a Hash Brown, along with a note of appreciation. It will be served in McDonald’s iconic Happy Meal box, in the hopes of bringing a smile along with delicious food.
Day or night, these frontline heroes can simply show their work badge to receive one of the below Thank You Meal options:
Breakfast
- A choice of an Egg McMuffin®, Chicken McGriddles® or a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit. All options come with any size soft drink, tea or hot coffee and a Hash Brown.
Lunch and Dinner
- A choice of a Double Cheeseburger, 6-Piece Chicken McNuggets® or a Filet-O-Fish® will be offered. All options come with any size soft drink, tea or hot coffee and small fries.
“As local business owners, we know that our communities need us now more than ever and we’re committed to continuing to serve them,” said owner/operator Bill Barnes . “We are proud to be able support our neighbors who are on the frontlines as first responders and healthcare workers with Thank You Meals.”
During past times of national crisis, McDonald’s has helped and served communities in need, from donating funds to disaster relief efforts to providing food for those impacted by natural disasters. McDonald’s commitment to feeding the nation’s healthcare workers and first responders throughout the current pandemic is a continuation of that dedication. Additionally, McDonald’s local franchises have also been working throughout this crisis to support the thousands of communities their restaurants call home. For example in INSERT LOCAL MARKET, Owner/Operators have INSERT EXAMPLE OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
Serving these brave men and women would not be possible without McDonald’s dedicated and unwavering restaurant employees, who are also doing their part to help during this time. McDonald’s employees are the heart of the business, and their health and safety has been, and will continue to be, the company’s top priority. McDonald’s has implemented nearly 50 new safety measures to ensure the well-being of its employees, and continuing to explore additional safety steps in accordance with guidance issued by local and national health authorities including the CDC.
Nearly all McDonald’s U.S. restaurants remain open and are offering convenient and contactless ways for customers to enjoy McDonald’s favorites through drive thru, carry out, McDelivery, and mobile order & pay with our app.
*Thank You Meals offered at participating US McDonald’s 4/22/20 through 5/5/20. Valid ID required. Limit one per person per day. Menu options may vary by restaurant. Visit McDonalds.com for more details.
About McDonald’s Corp. U.S. COVID-19 Relief Efforts
McDonald’s approach to challenging situations is guided by our belief that we are all in this together, and our system has come together in extraordinary ways to help each other, our customers and the communities we serve. In the U.S. we remain committed to leading by example as an organization, which is why we’ve donated $3.1 million in food to support local communities, made commitments to support truck drivers across the country, donated 1 million N95 masks to Chicago and the state of Illinois and donated $1 million to the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund to ensure non-profits in our home state have the supplies they need during this time. McDonald’s has always been a home base for our communities, and we’re proud to provide calm and comfort to them throughout this crisis. We are here to serve.
Read More“Customers want to know where brands stand on issues. Brands cannot expect to play Switzerland as the rest of the world picks a side. Consumers want the companies they support to harness their power for good, not lay back and let injustices happen.” -Molly deWolf Swenson in this article, which has unfortunately since been put behind a paywall.
Harbor Freight is donating masks, face shields and gloves to hospitals.
LVMH, the world’s biggest luxury company, is switching all of its perfume and cosmetic factories to produce hand santitizer.`
Audible just made hundreds of titles completely free to help during coronavirus crisis.
Read More
Being home so much more during this period of quarantine has me exploring different shows and websites. One of the things I’ve loved is Architectural Digest’s YouTube channel and home tours. I especially liked the one from Dita Von Teese. She has really put together a place that she loves that’s completely unique to her.
Read MoreMONDAY, MARCH 16th RICHMOND VA KEYA & CO Launches a Micro Dining Experience, Delivered To Your Door With Modern Indian Food
It’s Here! From Bombay to your doorstep – the much-anticipated takeout and delivery menu from KEYA & CO has launched.
They say necessity is the mother of invention. In light of the virus imposed quarantine, Keya & Co is making to-go meals available for pick up or delivery! You can order everything from Veg Nan Pizza to her popular Butter Chicken Pop-Tarts to Gulab Jamun Cake Parfaits from You’ll even get free cake pops for the kiddos.
Here’s the message from Keya:
Many of you know me as the owner of Candy Valley Cake Co. In the next two months we were set to cater birthdays, showers, large corporate events, weddings and school events. In light of all of these service workers being worried about a paycheck. We thought this would be a creative way to keep my team going.We’re taking the utmost precaution in preparing these meals and constantly sanitizing and disinfecting our very low-traffic studio kitchen. (Literally -there are only three of us.)
Meals are made for re-heating or cooking, simply pop them in the oven/microwave/stovetop. Each meal comes with written instructions on reheating.
We will also send a free cake pop for the kids in the house!
All meals made Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.
Order cut-off – Tuesday @ Midnight.
Deliveries and/or Pick up available Thursday & Fridays of any given week, between 10am and 6pm.
At the moment we will deliver within 20 mile radius, if you live farther, we’ll be happy to make an arrangement for added delivery fee. Order Online Here
Read More
McDonald’s Shamrock Shake® returned on Feb. 19, marking the 50th anniversary of the legendary treat. To celebrate, McDonald’s is taking the Shamrock Shake nationwide for the first time since 2017 and introducing the new OREO® Shamrock McFlurry® for a limited time. This year, customers have two different ways to enjoy the craveable Shamrock taste they know and love — how lucky is that?
- The one and only Shamrock Shake features creamy, vanilla soft serve blended with our unmistakable Shamrock flavor and topped with a whipped topping for a delicious minty treat.
- The new OREO® Shamrock McFlurry is a twist on a fan-favorite, featuring creamy, vanilla soft serve with our unmistakable Shamrock flavor and OREO® cookie pieces blended throughout for a delicious minty-chocolaty dessert that super fans and new fans alike can enjoy.
“We’ve been serving the iconic, cult-favorite Shamrock Shake for 50 years and it’s become synonymous with McDonald’s ever since,” said McDonald’s Vice President of Menu Innovation, Linda VanGosen. “We’re excited to serve up a new way to experience the one-of-a-kind Shamrock flavor in our new OREO Shamrock McFlurry. Our chefs worked to get the perfect balance of OREO cookies and mint for this new delicious dessert. We can’t wait for customers to get a taste this spring.”
Shamrock enthusiasts can experience the luck of the 50th Shamrock Season at McDonald’s starting Feb. 19 at all participating restaurants nationwide for a limited time.
“Every year customers eagerly await the return of the Shamrock Shake — and over the past five decades, getting a sip of this green legend has become a seasonal tradition for many,” said McDonald’s Archivist Mike Bullington. “The shake’s unique history and wide spread passion for this menu item has qualified the Shamrock Shake as a beloved cultural icon. We feel lucky to have such dedicated Shamrock fanatics, and hope to continue the legacy of this legendary treat for many more years to come.”
The anniversary fun doesn’t stop here. Shamrock lovers are in luck, as we’re revealing even more ways to get in on the golden celebration of the Shamrock Shake throughout the season. Stay tuned for more!
The Legacy of the Shamrock Shake
The Shamrock Shake was created in 1967 by Hal Rosen, a Connecticut McDonald’s Owner and Operator who made the delicious, mint shake in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. It later debuted in select locations across the U.S. in 1970, and was an instant success.
In 1974, sales from the shake helped to build the very first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia. The mission began when the daughter of a Philadelphia Eagles player was being treated for Leukemia. Together with with a local McDonald’s Owner and Operator Hal Rosen, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Eagles, the family raised enough funds through Shamrock Shake sales to help open the first Ronald McDonald House as a way to keep families close during difficult times.
Additional fun facts about the 50-year history of the Shamrock Shake can be found here.
OREO® is a trademark of Mondelēz International group, used under license.
About McDonald’s USA
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook. www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation that creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Through its global network of over 275 Chapters in more than 64 countries and regions, and its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, RMHC helps families with sick children stay together, and close to the medical care their child needs at leading hospitals worldwide. RMHC programs not only provide access to quality health care, they enable family-centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their children’s care. For more information, visit rmhc.org. Follow RMHC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Read More
I love listening to podcasts throughout the day and in the background as I work. I scrolled through my subscription, trying to remember my favorite episodes to share here. I would LOVE to hear your favorite podcasts, too! Shoot me a note here.
Non-Trad Undergrad | I met Sara, the co-host of this podcast, through teaching at VCU. I knew had taken a few years off before going back to school, but I didn’t know until recently when she posted a birthday selfie that announced she’s 41. She’s a Public relations major, and her co-host Jenn is studying English. I love hearing their perspective and how they see college. I was a “traditional” student, starting at VCU and moving into a freshman dorm at the age of 18. In one of my marketing classes, I partnered up with Deb, in her 40s, and we became close friends. Listening to this podcast made me realize I never really thought hard about what it must have been like for Deb. Listening to each episode lets me step into the shoes of students for a few minutes. I’m taking a break from teaching advertising at VCU, but I’m glad this podcast has increased my empathy for students.
Here’s the official show description:
We’re Sara Huffman and Jenn Klee, two non-traditional college students at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. All the resources we found for non-traditional students have been about deciding to go (back) to school, but nothing that delved into the nitty-gritty of being on campus every day, sometimes all day, for at least a year. Because let’s face it, being older than your classmates (and sometimes your professors) is WEIRD. We get it. So, enter Non-Trad Undergrad. Our hope is that if you are a non-traditional student like us, you’ll feel a little less isolated, a little more understood, and a little more connected when you listen to NTU. You’re not alone! Rated “E” for some swearing. NOTE: All opinions are Sara’s and Jenn’s and not affiliated with Virginia Commonwealth University.
DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA | I don’t know that I need to convince anyone to listen to this. Everyone loves Dolly Parton. This is a nine-episode series. It’s fascinating and feel-good. One popular Dolly quote that’s a favorite of mine is: Find out who you are and do it on purpose. I’ve always admired her steadfastness.
GETTING CURIOUS WITH JONATHAN VAN NESS | JVN is one of my favorite people to watch and follow. I love everything about this podcast. The premise is that JVN talks to an expert in a different topic he’s curious about (hence the name). I’ve learned about everything from snakes to sunscreen, but my favorite part is JVN’s unparalleled enthusiasm. This episode with Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller is particularly good.
COFFEE WITH STRANGERS RVA | Local RVA Love. I think this was the first podcast I listened to. Kelli Lemon is an entreprenuer here in RVA and helps make. She films this as a video series with Matt Pochily
DO IT FOR THE PROCESS | I came across this podcast because I love the host, Emily Jefford’s artwork. How magical is this swirly landscape?! Emily talks through what it’s like to run a business as an artist. I dabble in painting, but what I really like about this podcast is thinking about the artists behind all of my favorite work. I think about her episode Creating Authentic Art: Copying in Art often.
HUMANS OF JAMES RIVER | TFB Intern Ava McHugh started this podcast and I’m so proud of her. She was inspired by Human’s of New York. she even learned how to edit the voice of her guests that wanted to remain private. Another exercise in shifting perspective. TEDxYouth RVA
HOW I BUILT THIS | This is another super popular one. I know I’m always hearing people reference this. It’s really cool to hear the stories of some of our favorite companies, straight from the founders. Reminds me of a book Tribe of Mentors. Coming from working at larger companies. I’m used to learning from bosses who worked at large companies. It’s hard to find mentors and people to learn from when you’re first starting out as a business owner. Listening to this podcast helps to serve as a reminder that there are lots of people who have done this before me I liked the Rent The Runway episode.
BEING BOSS | My favorite episode of this one is: Becoming An Enthusiastic Leader.
OPRAH’S SUPER SOUL PODCAST | There are some great interviews on this one PLUS Oprah just launched an archive podcast of some of the most popular episodes of her talk show.
GET BOOKED | Two Book Riot editors chat as they talk through reader questions and requests for recommendations. Readers will talk about a book or category of books they like (think: historical fiction or memoirs) and the two hosts will recommend a book or books that they’d like based on what they read before.
BREAKING BEAUTY | I’ve always been super-interested in the beauty industry. I especially loved hearing from the founder of Isle of Paradise in this episode.
OFFICE LADIES | Eeee! I love this and it’s definitely the most fun podcast on this list. Angela and “Pam” from The Office are best friends in real life. They call this a “rewatch podcast,” and they’re taking you through every episode of the office with their personal backstories.
FOOD PSYCH | This is one of my newest discoveries. Christy Harrison is the author of The Anti Diet, which I mentioned in my last. I love her body-positive message.
CREATIVE PEP TALK | I can’t even begin to tell you all I’ve learned from this podcast. I love it so much. John Mills of Release The Hounds recommended it to me. It definitely takes some getting used to, but I haven’t found anything like it.
YOUNG HOUSE LOVE HAS A PODCAST | My favorite episode is: How Our Lives Together Almost Didn’t Happen. They talked about failures and how they led them to where they are now. They have readers and listeners from all over the world, so it’s really cool to hear when they cover how homes are different in different countries.
HAPPIER WITH GRETCHEN RUBIN | I might’ve unintentionally saved the best for last here. Gretchen Rubin is the author of The Happiness Project, Better than Before and one of my personal favorites, The Four Tendencies. I’ve listened to every single episode from this podcast and couldn’t begin to list everything I’ve learned.
Read MoreThroughout the years I’ve collected a few online tools and apps that make my job easier. here are my favorites and how I use them:
You can use this site to upload a photo of the art and turn it into an animation! https://sketch.metademolab.com/canvas
TOGGL: Productivity & time tracker.
TELEPROMPTER: The ultimate Mac teleprompter.
THE LIGHT & AIRY PHOTOGRAPHER: Eleven presets specifically formulated to enhance phone photos. I use this with the lightroom app on my phone to edit photos quickly. My friend Devin of Play at Whim turned me onto this.
LIGHTROOM APP: Before I got this app, I was using Instagram to edit my photos. This works if the photos are just for Instagram, but it compresses them so they are either too small or blurry when you go to use them other places. I like my photos light and bright, so I either use presets or adjust the exposure and usually the tint.
PINTEREST AND THE PINTEREST SAVE BUTTON CHROME PLUGIN: I love using Pinterest to store inspiration and ideas.
INSTA VIDEOS DOWNLOADER: Simple tool for downloading Instagram Videos, Photos, Stories and IGTV Videos to your device.
BEAVER BUILDER Easily build beautiful, responsive WordPress pages in minutes. Beaver Builder is a drag and drop WordPress Page Builder. (Beaver Builder is what I use to build this site.)
UNSPLASH The internet’s source of freely useable images. Powered by creators everywhere. The photos on this site are beautiful. I’ve used them for client presentations and proposals. They’re completely free for personal or professional use.
STOCKSY Inspiring stock photos + videos driven by creative integrity.
PICWIZARD: High Quality, Free Stock PhotosStunning library of over 1 million stock images and videos.
Royalty free and safe for commercial use, with no attribution required
PEXELS Free stock photos you can use everywhere. ✓ Free for commercial use ✓ No attribution required.
SHARE NOTES IN ICLOUD With the Notes app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac, you can invite people to collaborate on your iCloud notes and folders. Then you can partner on projects, plan a trip, make a grocery list, and more.
CREATIVE MARKET Creative Market is the world’s marketplace for design. Bring your creative projects to life with ready-to-use design assets from independent creators around the world. This site is a gamechanger. If you sign up for their emails, you get free downloads in an email every Monday.
PIC SPLITTER This app allows you to split a photo and generate a grid of photo tiles which contain portions of the larger photo. Upload the generated tiles to Instagram to create the illusion of massive photos on your profile page.
YAYTEXT Super cool unicode text magic. Write 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 and/or 𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑐 updates on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere.
GETMOGI: a free, handy little tool I use for posting emojis when I’m not on my phone.
JOYPIXELS EMOJI KEYBOARD: The world’s leading emoji keyboard extension for Chrome.
COLORZILLA: Get a color reading from any point in your browser, quickly adjust this color and paste it into another program. You can analyze the page and inspect a palette of its colors. It includes a Color Picker, Eye Dropper, and a Gradient Generator. Get a color reading from any point in your browser, quickly adjust this color and paste it into another program. You can analyze the page and inspect a palette of its colors.
FONT FACE NINJA: a browser extension that let you inspect, try, bookmark and buy fonts on any websites.
GOOGLE CHROME KEEP Easily save the things you care about to Keep and have them synced across all of the platforms that you use — including web, Android, iOS, and Wear. Take notes for additional detail and add labels to quickly categorize your note for later retrieval.
Features:• Save URLs, text, and images
• Take notes on saved content
• Add labels to your notes
• Automatically saves to Google Keep
SLIDES GO Free Google slides templates
LOOM Record your screen, voice, and face to create an instantly shareable video
SMALL PDF Easy-to-use PDF tools to Edit, Convert, Merge, Split and Compress PDF files.
FACEBOOK AD LIBRARY Search for any advertiser’s campaigns
how to
APPLE: How to record the screen on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
BUILT VISIBLE: How To Use Talkwalker Alerts for Journalism / PR outreach
NY TIMES: How to use social media in your career.
TFB: How to Make A Shareable Custom Facebook Profile Frame
MAC OBSERVER: How to use How to Use iOS 11 Screen Recording
AMY LANDINO: The Only Video Equipment You Need: This video just might give you the push you need to start incorporating video into your content strategy and marketing. We ordered the mic she recommends.
APPLE SUPPORT How to scan using your iPhone notes app
RECORD AN IPHONE VIDEO WITHOUT PAUSING MUSIC
Read More
Who wouldn’t want a Fairy tan Mother to come to their home and give them glowing skin? We wanted to capture before and after examples of the magic that spray tan can do, so we invited their clients for a photoshoot experience at TFB. TFB interns Karli and Ava worked with Sweetest Stitch Bouqitue on wardrobe-styling and former TFB intern Kim even came back to join us as a model!
Read More
