Life.Styled. 365 Days a Year

Daisy loves the Lifestylist® philosophy of Life Celebrating Style.  She is also open to any excuse to wear her favorite hats and attract attention.  Mardi Gras Greetings from Daisy the diva dog and the Lifestylist® family!

Seth Godin is my guru. He is so no nonsense but funny at times, intellectual but down to earth, and what I really love about him is that he can get a point across faster than anyone else I know. His Purple Cow book started me on a new road to being more involved in marketing and social media so I’m forever grateful. When I worked on the Purple Cow House Campaign with Patriot Homes I made sure to get permission from Mr. Godin, and we credited him for the phrase (and gave out his Purple Cow Book).

Today I got a great post from him titled “Simple Thoughts About Fair Use“. So timely, and as always so well written. In this new blogging, social world I’m always stunned to see how many people are using other people’s photography, ads, brands, and stories without permission. This article is a must read for anyone who is even thinking about posting on Facebook, Twitter, or a blog and using someones text or images.

I’m fortunate enough to have access to a very talented photographer – Lisa Stewart of Lisa Stewart Photography. The images you see in my blogs, on my Lifestylist Design Facebook page and on my website have been shot specifically for my use. I do that so I’m not using other people’s work and having copyright infringements.

Lifestylist® is a term that I successfully trademarked in 2002 – my registration number is 2583235. I’m very proud of this because I thought I had a good idea and made the extra effort do “do the right thing” and spend the time, effort, and money to trademark it. You would be amazed at how much time I’ve had to spend since them protecting my mark because people haven’t bothered to do their homework and see that it’s trademarked before they use it in their own businesses.

Before you decide that you have discovered the next great phrase, or “borrow” a photo from someone else be sure to read Seth’s post. Wondering where to learn more about these topics? The US Patent and Trademark Office has a great site, and it is also where you can search trademark registrations and applications.

Making goals and resolutions with the start of a new year is such a cliche in some ways , but if it makes people want to better themselves I don’t see them as a bad thing.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have dinner with the very dynamic Geri Higgins – CEO and President of Portfolio Kitchen and Home in Kansas City. Her beautiful new flagship store is a destination, and she is a wonderful role model for business owners everywhere.

One of the things I love about Geri is her attitude. She is always positive and motivating, and having the chance to share my ideas and dreams with her about my business got me even more excited about the opportunities I have in front of me. Geri never looks at things as problems or comes up with 100 objections as to why something won’t work, she sees these as opportunities and actually gets excited about what can be accomplished and comes up with a plan to make things happen.

As a Lifestylist® I deal with a very diverse group of clients – both companies and individuals. When teams or management have objections to every new idea or opportunity no good changes will ever happen. But if they are opening to looking at issues as an opportunity and seeing how they can become a growth area, then you have a company or individual that will succeed and flourish.

So I have a new Lifestylist® goal: instead of looking for excuses and objections as to why I can’t find the time to exercise, or get my office organized I’m going to take Geri’s lead and tackle things head on. I really did start on my office and unearthed this photo of myself mountain climbing in Tucson. I arrived at the top and sunset and it was spectacular. Climbing straight up a mountain on the end of a rope was one of the most frightening but exciting things I’ve ever done – I just had to stop thinking about all of the reasons I couldn’t do it and get out there and give it a try.

Here’s to a new year filled with opportunities!

One of the questions I get asked the most is how I ever decided to become a Lifestylist®, and where did I get my training.

I’ve been called a storyteller many times and it’s an accurate assessment – I use my talents and materials to tell a story in a home. Hopefully this story explains to the potential homeowner why their lives would be better by living in this home, and what they can expect from the community, the builder, and from the experience. To tell the story, I collect thousands of items – old and new – that I incorporate into my LifeStyled homes.

This weekend I decided it was time to go through some of the things I’ve collected, and it’s been quite a trip down memory lane. I discovered a trunk I forgot about that had family photos from the early 1900′s that gave me a glimpse into my family history I hadn’t been aware of. Through this discovery I’m finding I come from a very artistic family full of risk takers. This ostrich photo with my great aunt will now always be one of my favorites.

It seems I’ve been in the media longer than I remembered for my decorating skills. My mother and both grandmothers were very talented in the design fields, and I was lucky enough to be nurtured and inspired by them. This article from 1969 shows me as a 13 yr old showing off some of my skills with my mother and sisters. Apparently I also had my own booth at the church bazaar selling paper flowers and copper enameled jewelry that I made. What’s funny is that after seeing this, I may have to try this again – it’s really a fun idea!

I’m honored to be a Lifestylist®, and I love having the opportunity to help others find their passions in life. This holiday season remember what makes you happy, and share that passion with your friends and family – you might even find a new career by doing it!