Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living

My tips for kids moving to college on GM’s blog

September 1, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

Last week, I received an e-mail from the PR team that supports GM’s Western Region asking me if I would be willing to contribute some tips to their blog.

Of course I accepted, and here’s the post: The Cheat Sheet: Moving Your Kid to College. I wrote from the perspective of a mother with three sons. Dave Barthmuss, the Group Manager for GM’s Western Region, wrote tips about taking his daughter to college.

I have to share an amazing coincidence. A few minutes before I found the GM e-mail in my inbox, I had just read my article from 2009, published in the OC Register blog about taking my son to college for the first time. We loaded a 7′ surf-board and a bike in my husband’s bright yellow Chevy Aveo, a GM car. (photo above)

I want to thank Suzanne Broughton who writes for OC Family and also founded the OC Blog Crush, the largest regional blogging organization, for referring GM to me.

Please jump over to read our tips on: The Cheat Sheet: Moving Your Kid to College, and comment on GM’s blog. That would make me so happy. Thanks Suzanne, Sara, Dave and everyone else at GM and OC Family blogs.

Are you ready to celebrate blog day?

August 29, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

Are you ready to celebrate Blog Day?

Have you heard of blog day?

I had no clue what blog day was until my blogger friend, Barbara Hammond and her other blogstresses, at The Blogstress Network mentioned it last month on their blog talk radio interview.

Blog Day is held on August 31st, and it’s an opportunity to connect with new bloggers from around the world. Here’s what happens:

“Bloggers from all over the world will post recommendations of 5 new Blogs, preferably Blogs that are different from their own culture, point of view and attitude. On this day, blog readers will find themselves leaping around and discovering new, unknown Blogs, celebrating the discovery of new people and new bloggers. “

But something important is happening on August 30th, one day before Blog Day, well it’s my birthday, (sorry I couldn’t resist) but it’s also the day when The Blogstress Network is having a call in show where bloggers can promote one new blog they admire, as well as mention their own blog. You can find the call-in details on The Blogstress Network website. Hope to hear your voices on the show.

Blog Day is not to be confused with Blog World, a large conference being held in Los Angeles this November, 3-5, 2011, where some blogging, social media and marketing experts will be speaking.

Since Blog World Expo is in my backyard, please let me know if you’ll be attending so I can drive up and meet you. I know three bloggers who are hoping to attend this event, and what a fantastic opportunity to finally meet them in person. Annabel Candy and Barbara Hammond are two of them. This event is packed with presentations and workshops on social media, and an opportunity to network with bloggers from all over the world.

Let’s give a boost to all bloggers, in particular bloggers from around the world. I shall try to contact new bloggers in Kenya, Cambodia, Laos, Peru and Vanuatu. I guess I need to start researching.

What about you? Do you have any new bloggers you’ve discovered you’d like to share with us?

Photo credit to woodleyonderworks

What does your face say about you?

August 25, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

Have you ever thought of what your face reveals to others based solely on your facial features?

What if there’s more to the structure of a face than we are aware of? Is it possible to learn some tips that can help us interact with family members, work colleagues, clients and friends?

What if you could figure out how to land a job or a business deal by studying the face of the person who is going to interview you before the meeting?

Could face reading help you with:

a problem child
a difficult spouse
a new relationship
a mother-in-law you can’t figure out
a boss you can’t handle
co-workers who are difficult to work with

Is there a way to improve our relationships with others, or learn who might not be a good fit for us based on what a face reveals?

Most of us may not be gifted in the art of face reading, so let me explain how I became interested in the topic and what it is.

I met Barbara Roberts, author of Face Reading: How to Know Anyone at a Glance, at The Inside Edge, a networking group at the University of California, Irvine. She has been on 50 National and local TV stations, including the Tyra Banks Show and NBC Nightly News. As Barbara explains in the quote from her website below, face reading is not new.

“Face Reading is an ancient psychological system of understanding a person’s character from his (or her) facial features. In looking at more than 6,000 faces in over 300 classes, Barbara has identified specific, psychological meanings for each facial feature. Abraham Lincoln chose his cabinet using this system. Aristotle hand-selected the generals for Alexander the Great by their lower-jaw structure. This approach honors all ethnic backgrounds, ages, and genders.”

Barbara claims that facial features fall into 3 categories:

1, What we’re born with, (high ears, narrow set eyes, etc.)

2. How we like to look, (changing our hair color)

3. Accidents, surgeries, orthodontia, and (plastic surgery falls into this category.)

Barbara decided to give the audience face reading based on two distinct facial features:

Forehead shape
Eyebrow shape

She asked us to pull back our hair so she could make a quick scan of the room and select a few who had those specific features.

Being Gutsy and curious, I pulled my hair back and practically pushed my forehead in front of her eyes so Barbara would pick me, and she did.

There were drawings of various shapes of foreheads on a card, some examples of drawing on Barbara’s website:

round
square
widow’s peak
wispy corners (tiny wisps of hair in the outer corners of the corners/forehead)

I have the widow’s peak forehead, which you can see on page 31 of Face Reading: How to Know Anyone at a Glance

So the psychological meaning for me was:

I like a relaxed lifestyle and to dress casually. That is very true, especially when I lived in Belize (photos taken by me in Belize). I don’t like to be told what to do, (True) and if I were single on a date, the widow’s peak is the type who says, “Let’s explore together what we want to do for our future.” (true for me.) I don’t like to waste time being superficial.

A few other facts, a round forehead means a people person, many long-term friendships, good relationships. Barbara mentioned if you’re applying for a loan, and you have a rounded forehead, show it.

A square forehead, means you’re career driven, work long hours at the office, focused. No time for a personal life.

We also looked at eyebrow shapes, for example, flat , straight eyebrows mean you’re shy and introverted, rounded eyebrows, “creates harmonious relationships, likes a peaceful home environment.”

Every facial feature is covered in the book in great detail, including Botox and plastic surgery, for those of you who might be skeptical.

So what do you think? If you’re having trouble with someone in your personal or professional life would you like Barbara to analyze that person’s face and help you learn how to handle their personality traits?

Her contact information is on her website. Photo of Barbara Roberts above, from her blog.

How to satisfy wanderlust from your couch

August 22, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

I have two favorite places to sit in my house, what about you?

Mine are:

1) In front of my computer

2). In front of my TV

No, I’m not a lazy bum, but I admit that there are two things I love, other than my husband of course (although I don’t mean to call him a thing) and that’s:

The Internet
HGTV’s House Hunters International (preferably with a nice cold glass of Chardonnay.)

As far as the Internet, I’ve taken up way too much time discussing this whole social media thing lately, and just in case you need to make sure you don’t fit in the 6 % category, I urge you to check out Sandra’s step-by-step guide to overcoming digital overwhelm.

Anyway, coming back to my second favorite seat in my house: the one in front of my TV, this is where I could easily spend hours watching HGTV’s House Hunters International, but thankfully the Internet has saved me from becoming a TV addict.

What is House Hunter’s International? and what makes it so exciting?

If you’ve never heard of the program, here’s a brief synopsis:

“House Hunters globe trots from Sao Paolo to Prague. Home hunters and their real estate agents check out all sorts of architectural styles and work through the idiosyncrasies of buying real estate in other countries. In any language, home buying is an emotional experience.“

My explanation of why I love this show is simple; it’s about wanderlust with a twist.

“Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world”

What better way to escape our depressing economy and job market than through “pretending” that we’re on vacation looking at potential homes to buy. Not surprising, the number of viewers has been growing with an average of about 1.37 million viewers between Sept. 28, 2009, and Sept 7, 2010, and here are some reasons why I believe more people are flocking to this show.

we want to escape our busy life
we dream of a vacation home
we’re nosy
we like to snoop around the inside of people’s homes
we like to see how houses are furnished in other parts of the world
we want to immerse ourselves in another culture, architecture, and way of life
we want to see what houses cost in other parts of the world
we want a good deal in a foreign country
we want to taste new foods, meet new people, see new environments and learn from others
we get bored in one place and crave adventure (that’s me and my Gutsy side)
we’re looking for another place we could move to (now that’s my real reason for watching House Hunters International)

The other night I watched several back to back episodes of HGTV’s House Hunters International. The one that interested me the most was a couple from Washington DC, who were looking for a house in Botswana. Now I have a blogger friend, Lauri Kubuitsile, who is a prolific author living in Botswana. I was so excited to see her country and had no clue how beautiful Botswana truly is. Do you really have zebras strolling in your back yard?

Gabarone is the capital with a population of around 186,000. The American husband on the show was offered a teaching job at the University in Gabarone and I turned towards my husband and said, “Duke, couldn’t you get a job teaching business or law there? Perhaps I could teach French in a school in Gabarone.” He didn’t seem too keen.

The three homes they showed in Botswana were gorgeous. It could have been southern California, as far as the vegetation and the outdoor swimming pools, as well as the price tag for renting which shocked me: $1,800- $2,200/month. Then I thought, “Perhaps the teaching jobs pay well at the University.” A little disappointed, I did expect rent to be much lower but often I’m surprised by house prices and the rent they’re asking on these shows. For example, $5,800 in Budapest. All I can say is I have a feeling they inflate the prices for the show. I know for a fact that the price of condos and houses on Ambergris Caye, Belize, where my family lived for a year, are much higher on the HGTV show than when you actually go there, rent a cheap (hut) and become familiar with the island and the local realtors.

I did a search on HGTV for an episode on Belize, and found one video which I think you will enjoy as it shows why so many seek a second place to escape their work life. A stressed out woman from San Diego wants a second home on Ambergris Caye. She wants to unplug from her busy life in the U.S. This video made me want to move back to savor our slower-paced life on Ambergris Caye, where we lived in 2004-2005.

Do you have wanderlust? In what way? Is there a particular country or place you’d like to move to, have a second home or anything else you’d like to share?

Photo credit above (Tambako the Jaguar)

How to become a leader in your field

August 18, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

We all have a desire to be successful at what we do, whether it’s professional, personal or simply making the best of the 24 hours we have been given each day.

In these times of uncertainty we have many questions:

How can we achieve our goals?
How can we take charge and change things for the better?
Where is our world heading?

If you are willing to think unconventionally from a business perspective, you can apply there tools to your own personal growth.

The following article “5 ways to fuel leadership in your organization” was written for business leaders, however I think it applies equally to those of us who are self-employed, have goals to publish our work, or start a business.

So what is the one thing we all need to succeed?

Leadership.

Not just old-fashioned leadership but, bold, gutsy and ambitious leadership.

Now if you’re doing it alone, just like a large business, you must take action and align yourself with other people who are willing to shake things up. A quote from “5 ways to fuel leadership in your organization.”

“Leadership is a bold, confident and deliberate choice you make because you want to add value and make a difference. Take note, the organisations filled with gutsy, bold and confident leaders, those willing to shake things up and charge the hill, will find that the field is uncrowded. Success belongs to those organisations willing to invest in leadership.”

I believe the 5 ways to develop leadership within a company apply equally to us as individuals.

1. Choose to think big and act bold

You need to take charge, connect with others who can help move your small business, publishing goals, or your future in the right direction. Always try to do your best, and don’t allow others to stop you.

2. Define a big, inspiring cause

Perhaps you already have a cause that you’re helping with, and this is fueling you to gain more personal satisfaction with your work. I wrote a previous article on “How Can I Turn My Passion into a job” with Alissa Everett, whom I shall be interviewing shortly about her profession as a photographer, and the non-profit she created: Care Through Action, as a way to contribute and make a difference to our world.

3. Choose to be Gutsy

Just like a large corporation needs to make tough decisions and focus forward, ask yourself:

What can I do?
Where do I want to head?
What do I want to achieve?

4. Celebrate people and projects

Celebrate others and show and tell the ways they are doing this by starting a “Brag Blog.” Success breeds success.

5. Lighten up and start having fun

Just as many companies have become way too serious, so have people. Kevin and Jackie Freiburg state:

“We’ve lost our passion for balancing work and fun… Fun is a major form of differentiation; fun creates energy, stimulates creativity and boosts productivity! Fun makes doing even mundane tasks more pleasant. When people are having fun at work, it’s like adding fuel to a fire.”

One example of someone who decided to become a leader and take charge of her writing career is Amanda Hocking, one of the most successful self-published, indie authors in recent history, who was offered a $2 million book deal. You can read her a summary of her publishing goals in this blog interview.

For my writer friends, I asked Jerry Simmons some specific questions about book marketing, e-books, self-publishing and distribution. He has answered my questions in his newsletter WriterReaders newsletter, which I subscribe to and recommend to all writers.