There are two kinds of people in this crazy world—those that let life happen to them, and those that build the life they want to live and own the heck out of it. Most of us start out as the former.

Then one day, you wake up.

You realize you're tired of living in the shadows and talking about all the things you want to do instead actually of doing them. You're sick of window-shopping the life you want instead of creating it. You know you're capable of amazing things, and it's time to prove it.

A few years ago, things were getting pretty serious between Sam and I (my then-boyfriend, now-husband). We knew we wanted to tie the knot and settle down, it was just a matter of popping that question. Of course being a designer and a bit of a control freak, I insisted on picking out my own engagement ring. It took some serious convincing, but after weeks of persuasion Sam finally agreed.

We stopped at shops large and small. We scoured Jeweler's Row in Philly, but I was looking for a very specific combination of antique style with modern utility. I wanted just the right amount of ornamentation, a simple profile from the top, and to have it fit with a straight wedding band. As it turns out, this was a pretty tall order. Sam continued to be patient with me, even though he admitted at least one nightmare where I looked through an endless wall of rings and still couldn't find the one. Yeah, he's a trooper, my Sam.

After months of frantic searching, I still couldn't find exactly what I wanted. Then, finally, it occurred to me. If I couldn't find the right one, why couldn't I just make it myself? So that's exactly what I did.

A little over a month ago, I decided to participate in my first 30 day Bikram Yoga challenge. Bikram is the type of hot yoga where it's 105° and you practice the same flow of 26 postures each time. Keeping myself fit is super important to me, especially since I spend the majority of my week sitting behind a computer. Nothing seems to help relieve my back and shoulder pain quite like Bikram does. Beyond that, the meditation element leaves me feeling tired yet energized—excited yet calm. Needless to say, I'm hooked.

A 30 day challenge was a huge commitment for me. It was far from easy showing up day after day. But I really wanted it and I wouldn't allow myself to think that I couldn't do it. I just showed up one day, and then the next. It wasn't about dropping everything to religiously do 30 days of yoga. It was about integrating the yoga into my life (not the other way around) and showing up in the best way I could whenever I could. 30 days later, I consider this a serious personal breakthrough.

My Year of Breakthroughs

For me, 2016 has been a year of breakthroughs and 30 days of yoga is just one of them. Blogging weekly was a big one for me, as was taking the leap to start my business. It's not because I have magic powers or unfathomable talents that these things were possible for me. It's because I got sick of living my life in the shadows. I wasn't unhappy, but I wasn't overjoyed either and I want a joy-filled life. I wanted it bad enough, and dared to ask “why not me?” Most importantly, I stepped out from where I felt comfortable and I went for it.

Sure, it's downright terrifying to journey out into the unknown. But if you're not overjoyed with your current circumstances, I say it's worth the risk. I've been thinking a lot lately on what it takes to create your own breakthroughs and after some serious self reflection, I've realized these steps have been key for me. I hope they can bring some clarity to your own path and help you take that essential next step.

I used to have a very different picture of what my life would look like and who I'd be sharing it with. If I'm being totally honest, I always imagined that I'd marry another creative or designer like myself. I had this grandiose plan that we'd join forces and spend our days making incredible things together, with no discernible line between work and play.

Then I found Sam—a hard-working, strong-willed, volleyball-playing, IT guy with the absolute best heart. He wasn't what I'd always considered my “type” to be, but life's funny that way. Sam wasn't what I expected, but he's exactly what I needed.

When Form Marries Function

When it comes to how we operate, Sam and I are polar opposites. IT versus design. Function versus form. Logic versus emotion. I want to make everything beautiful, and he wants it to be as efficient and inexpensive as possible.

Our differences come up constantly, from decorating our home to planning getaways and even making quesadillas (mastering that 1st flip was quite the ordeal). Of course it can be a bit of a struggle, but our differences have also taught us both so much.

As we celebrate our first wedding anniversary and my first 6 months of owning a small business, I can't tell you how much I've grown. I've discovered so many parallels between my marriage and business, and my relationship with Sam has taught me so many priceless lessons I use constantly in my business. So without further ado, I'd love to share a few of my favorites.

The more regularly you practice writing, the easier it will get and the more defined your brand's voice will become. You'll start by mimicking others, but over time, your true voice will emerge as you learn to get cozy in your own brand's skin. My weekly blog posts have been priceless for helping my own growth in this area.

Since blogging is a longer form of writing, it can seem pretty daunting and it's hard to know where to begin. What's helped me is to follow the same steps each time, which makes the writing process a whole lot smoother. I'm sharing these steps with you in the hopes that it will help you jump in and start honing your own voice. Now let's dig in!

There's no question that the right logo and visual identity are essential to your brand. They're the first thing your customers see—that all too critical first impression. But they aren't everything.

Even the most visually stunning brand will feel hollow without the right content and voice behind it. Crafting that compelling tone is essential to effective communication for your brand, and today I'm here to share tips on that very topic.

I'm a firm believer that every mistake and failure we experience teaches us something. However, when it comes to branding I'd love to save you the heartache of making a major mistake if I can.

Brand Positioning

So what is the number one mistake I see business owners make? To be honest, it comes down to just one thing—positioning. Brand positioning is all about how you frame your product or services. Not literal framing of course. I mean the way you talk about what you sell, how your brand sounds, and how you differentiate it from others in your industry.

When you take a misguided approach to positioning, your whole business will suffer. Like trying to play with darts with chocolate chips, not much will stick. So instead, let me drop some knowledge so I can help you sidestep that mess. I know this next truth will be a tough pill to swallow, but it's the key to helping you position your brand for the kind of success it deserves.

A year ago I was working as the creative director at a photography production company just outside Philadelphia. I knew I was bumping my head against the ceiling there, and I'd been getting the itch to start a business of my own for a while now. But with a newly purchased home and our wedding-planning well underway, I knew it would take time and some serious preparation before I could finally take that leap.

Podcasts to the rescue!

At the time, I had a pretty hefty commute that was proving to be one of the most draining facets of my work situation. I mean, few things will make you feel like you're wasting your life away quite like sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic twice daily. Luckily, that's when I finally discovered podcasts.

I adore music, but I'm jamming constantly while I work and I wanted something more productive for my drives. Podcasts really couldn't have popped up at a better time for me. When I was feeling trapped by my circumstances, podcasts were my lifeline. They gave me hope, helped me clarify my brand strategy, kept my outlook positive, and made my daily commutes a lot less dreadful.

So without further ado, I'm sharing my favorite podcasts with you. Some are more serious than others, but all of these podcasts have been total game-changers for me. I hope that they'll be a light for you in your own journey too!

We've made it to the final part of the Instagram series—yay us!! I started this whole thing off by covering why to separate personal and professional content and how multiple Instagram accounts can help. Then we went deep on the idea of curating what you share and why it makes such a profound difference for your brand.

QUALITY & CONSISTENCY ARE EVERYTHING

The more you share targeted content on a platform like Instagram, the more magic it will work for your business. Today's post is all about streamlining how you share so you can post even more killer content without driving yourself nuts. The key is creating standards for quality and consistency, then harnessing systems to support them.

Please note that I'm sharing the apps I use here. There are many other alternatives out there worth exploring. Do some research and play around, but in the meantime these have worked wonders for my brand's Instagram feed. So without further ado, let's dig in!