Insomnia – Elizabeth Ü

April 23, 2018

How to start a business: the Bizzy Lizzy videos

The Xero Video Team set out to create a series of goofy, accessible, vlogger-style videos to support people who are just starting their own businesses. I hope they’re fun for you to watch; we sure had a blast making them!

This one is my favorite because I got to tell the story of starting one of the most influential businesses in my life. It didn’t go exactly as planned because… well, I didn’t have much of a plan, and I certainly wasn’t that clear about WHY I wanted to start a business in the first place. Don’t make the same mistake I did; watch this video for 4 things to do BEFORE you start your business!

When I was back home in California, I tried to shoot a video about the pros and cons of working from home. It didn’t work out as I had hoped, but it also kinda made my point:

Fortunately, we did follow up with a video that covers actual tips on running your business from home! Because as anyone who has tried to do it knows, working from home isn’t always easy:

When your business has grown to the point where working from home no longer works (or when you’ve just had enough of that lifestyle), here’s a video that covers several alternatives to running your business from home… both temporarily, and more permanently:

This one is a companion to the video above. I thought I’d share a little bit more about my personal experiences trying out several different office setups, and how each of them affected my work-life balance. It DOES matter where your office is, and who you share it with!

You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to suffer from insomnia… here’s a video covering the things I’ve found work best when I can’t sleep in the night:

I’m just going to come out and say it: I think the Burgerfuel logo looks like a vulva. Watch this video and let me know if you agree, or if I’m imagining things. In addition to covering some sketchy business decisions, this video contains lots of practical tips for creating a business logo, including advice on how to work with designers:

Waiting until everything is perfect to start your business? Don’t! Here’s some inspiration.

February 11, 2014

Repotting: right in my wheelhouse

20120721_110336 At some point during my journey home on Friday/Saturday, I came across this article about repotting your career. Though the article itself is flavored with a rather Stanford-y perspective that doesn’t totally align with my own way of looking at things, I appreciate both the horticultural metaphor, and the author’s tips for switching things up professionally in a way that “can lead to greater innovation, success, and meaning in your work.” These include (in addition to “Know when it’s time to change…” um, thanks?): Continue reading “Repotting: right in my wheelhouse”

February 5, 2014

Rising again

At 6am, insomniac in the Penn Stater hotel in State College, PA hotel (which means it’s really 3am to my body, still in Pacific Time), I finally rose from the bed and resurrected this blog. I think this is version 3.0? I’m not sure. Shutting down and letting go of those old blogs go was a relief, in the same vein (but nowhere near as cathartic) as having shredded a lifetime’s worth of journals — all 100ish of them — a couple years ago.

A few clicks… and we’re back!

It’s been snowing and/or cloudy since I arrived two nights ago, but this morning the only clouds I can see in the sky are far away on the horizon. Still, there are a few snowflakes drifting gently (no idea where they’re coming from) to land on the dome-shaped skylight that rises glowing from the snowy roof outside my window, the dome a stand-in for the sun that I’m pretty sure will rise just behind it over the hill. Venus rose before I opened the curtains, rising further as the morning brightens.

In a couple hours I go “on,” and will be “on” all day giving an 8-hour workshop and then doing a book signing. Tomorrow, a shorter workshop, another book signing, and the long journey home (weather permitting). I will rise to the occasion. No matter how little I’ve slept the preceding nights, I always do… except when I don’t, but that has yet to happen on a speaking day.

But right now, venus and sunrise and a glowing dome and mystery snow from clear, brightening skies. And me, writing again, on the internets.