Jodene is the co-founder of:
and founder of:
Published April 5th, 2012
Every day I wake up and wish that I could change the story I share with you to one that’s a whole lot less financial stressful and emotionally trying because of the pressure that money issues always put on our lives. Yes, there are glimmers of income and we are sitting on so many exciting opportunities, that I know the stories are going to come soon, but in the midst of it, I could so easily fall back into the trap of sounding like a broken record and throwing in the blogging towel.
That’s the only throwing in that might … very slightly … have been up for option. There’s no part of me that nearly close to giving up the fight for my dreams or my business.
A few days ago I had a very big realisation about my blogging and how much I miss the part of me that shares the life’s lessons more than rambles on about the same old, same old events and trials of the day. That epiphany then sparked off another thought that took me to yet another huge change in my attitude towards my life and my dreams.
Greggie and I were chatting about my place in the Social Media community and what I set out to achieve in the world compared to where I am today. I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately and the word ‘thought leader’ has been the one thing that has been weighing on my mind most of all. Yes, I know I’m that, but I think the lines got very blurred about how I got to be that thought leader and find my place in the social media space.
I have to reflect back a few years because I get to my epiphany …
Greggie and I are great fans of Mike Dooley, who started Notes from the Universe. If you aren’t receiving a daily message in your inbox, then I’d change that fast, but in a nutshell, ‘The Universe’ a message every day, that keeps you focused, aware and conscious. When Mike was in South Africa, there was no way we were missing out on him and his seminar was amazing. I’ve learned that there’s always usually ONE thing that stands out and sticks with you forever and on that day Mike spoke about purely focusing on ‘happiness’.
Happiness means something different to everyone and sometimes we don’t even know what happiness means to us. We get fixated on plotting out our goals and making sure that we are following our dreams. All of those things are so effected by everyday life and things totally beyond our control. If we just focus on being happy and knowing that the road might be bumpy to get there, but we wouldn’t be doing anything else that could make us that happy, then everything seems so worth it.
Back to today …
What makes me happy? Teaching … sharing … inspiring … supporting … but mostly, giving people the opportunity to find what they can offer to the world that nobody else can. That’s all I do for myself, every day of my life and that’s how I became who I am in the social media space. Yes, the journey has been amazing and I’m now showing others how to find their uniqueness in their social media space … coz that’s what Lifeology does, but that’s not what made me who I am today.
Focusing on happy made me who I am today. Having faith in waking up and distinguishing between my fears and my happiness has kept me going when things have been the lowest of low. Sharing my ‘project me’ story, that in essence, is all about being conscious of ‘happy’ … that’s what people know me for. That’s what makes me a social influence. That’s where I set my compass when I was a little girl …
That’s my happy!
From as far back as I can remember, when all my friends where on their BMX’s and playing with dolls, my dolls were lined up in a row and I was telling them stories. Not reading them stories, telling them stories. I was teaching them life’s lessons … and I was happy. I hated school, but loved my school projects because I could do anything if I was just allowed to tell a story my way. That’s been the common thread through it all. The compass is set to happy as long as I’m showing just one person in the world that they have their ‘happy’ too … and all they have to do is set their compass.
You don’t even have to know what will make you happy, just know that what you want and deserve … happiness! Then know the difference between fighting on because nothing else will make you happy, even when the moment is sucky and you don’t feel like you feel happy at all. If you’re heart is set to ‘happy’ … you’ll know!
Trust me … you’ll know!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published March 22nd, 2012
When I know what I want I set my sights on it and off I go to get it. I’ve learned that sometimes dreams have to be shelved for the perfect time and then when it’s right, it all falls into place.
I stayed in a holiday home by the coast for a few days and above the bed there were a row of hearts on different coloured ribbon. I fell in love with it on that day and decided that was how I wanted my bedroom one day. Obstacles stood in my way for ages and when Pat and I finally settled into the house I told him how I wanted our bedroom to look. Of course it never happened because other things are always a priority on both our sides.
Then, after we got engaged, my sister gave us the most gorgeous headboard. It was perfect … wood with hearts cut out of it. That was it … I wanted my bedroom. The months of procrastination and other things to do with money crept in. And then it happened. I got a call to ask if I could be interviewed about my perfume collection I had blogged about.
Despite all my bitching and stressing about money, I do have to admit that ‘project me’ has taught me that I do always have what I need and I am always able to make something happen. My mom has also taught me how to do things on a shoestring budget and I’m thrilled with that gene because I made magic on a … well, more than I expected Pat to spend.
He’s been amazing, of course. Once overcoming the hurdle of him not being able to picture it in his head, once the first heart was hung, my special man made it all happen. There are wooden hearts that needed to be covered in paper, photos of our precious moments that needed to be made into sepia and printed. Everything needed to be drilled and hammered and he even tied a few ribbons.
The cherry on top was his coming home today with gorgeous heart tie-backs … the perfect touch to a hearty room.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published March 21st, 2012
I’m still blogging. There’s something in not giving up on a relationship while trying to figure out what the next move is with it. So today I got to wake up super late, which is great seeing as though I’m pumped up on meds to get rid of this nasty spider bite … that only seems to be getting more painful.
I reached for phone (which acts as my clock/watch) and gasped because I thought I had forgotten to organise a guest for Angela’s Sunday morning radio slot of ‘project me’ and the realised … it’s not Sunday. Public holidays are those little gifts for the working peeps, but when you own your own business and there’s burning stuff to be done … like a Tweetup in 6 days time and not nearly enough people, a pubic holiday can be somewhat annoying.
Crisis averted and a few more days to plan the Sunday morning show, but I sent an immediate message to my dear friend, Jarred Orlin AKA the gossip guy and asked him to be my project me guest. Yay, he’s doing it so that’s another week sorted.
So tomorrow I have an interview with the Venus Networks for their product, Estee Lauder and they are coming to chat to me about my perfume collection, which I blogged about not so long ago. That got a bee in my bonnet because Pat and I have had plans to fix up the room after my sis gave us a gorgeous headboard for our engagement, but we haven’t gotten around to it. What better day than a Sun … um … public holiday.
The day kinda went like that. Every once in a while I would want to do something Sunday, like get ready to record the Mnet movie or plan dinner for Monday because I teach at nights. Then it was Wednesday all over again and back to settling into a public holiday, that might be needed but has me frustrated seeing as though I feel like there’s so much to do and so little time.
The Sunday (well, you know what I mean by now) blues have made me realise something a little deeper about my aversion to my blog at the moment. Wait, before I go there I have to stop and thank my amazing readers and friends, who have slowly found time to tell me how much they love ‘project me’ and share their reasons for not commenting. Not that the commenting or retweeting has anything to do with my final decision about the blog … it’s just and excuse to not have to get ‘project me’ real about the space I’m in.
The reality of the space I’m in and I think I’m getting to the nitty gritty of why the blog is getting to me so much, stems for the straw that broke the camel’s back today.
After my dad passed away, I shared a country song with my mom, where the lyrics go: ‘Life’s not the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away’. From that day on, that song has been very emotional for both my mom and I as we both reflect on our relationship with my dad, in our own special way. Money is tight. Money is more than tight and Pat and I are still out there doing everything in our power to live our individual dreams. Our bedroom looks gorgeous, but we’ve done it on a shoestring budget and there are things we know we’ll improve on as the money begins to flow.
Then I was it.
A picture frame with the words of the song written around it. I had to have it. Finances are strained but I still couldn’t walk out of that store without having it for my mom and I had to turn to Pat for help. Help that he really can’t give me, but gave me anyway. That set the tears going and all the frustration that has been building about … let me breathe before I vent …
I have worked so fucking hard and I still can’t by my mom the simplest, yet most precious present that costs only a few hundred rand. That’s it … that’s why I don’t wanna blog anymore … it’s because I’ve been telling this money story since before I even began blogging and I’m trying not to feel like a right royal failure for still not having a decent income after two years.
That’s the truth … that’s the reality … that’s why the blogging currently sucks … that’s why I have the Sunday blues like all hell!!!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published March 19th, 2012
I have an interesting relationship with Mother Nature. As pagan and loving as I am of all creatures, I do prefer if they stay as far away from me as possible. In my pursuit to build my bond with everything around me, I even talk to creatures when they get too close and ask them to keep a fair enough distance. If not, I usually run, screaming. It truly is the upside of having a fiance, who is instructed to remove Mother Nature’s creation and safely transport it to another spot … usually the communal area of the complex we live in.
I don’t throw shoes at, stand on or doom any insect. Okay, I have a mosquito repelling device, but I think even God has one of those. So I shouldn’t have bad karma with insects. Greggie check that with me today and I can’t think of the last insect I … oh wait, there was the centipede when we were away in December, but surely that karma is long paid for.
So then why do I have the mother of all spider bites on my side?
Holy crap, it’s sore.
It’s swollen enough to not be able to lean back on anything and have to sleep on the opposite side that I usually sleep on. It’s not sore enough for me to go to the doc and Google seems to have me sufficiently calm. It’s a joy knowing there spiders have taken their revenge on other innocent souls and the symptoms all seem to be pretty similar.
So in the meantime, while I give it the 4 to 5 days to heal, I’m hurting like hell and do have the one shadowy thought of hoping I rolled over that nasty spider and squished it with my big butt as it bit me!
PS … I think I’ve found the change I needed in the blogging space. I’ve done so much of the courage and consciousness space of project me that now it’s time for that sense of humour. Anyone keen on following the funny side (even when I might slowly be dying of spider bite poisoning) of life.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published March 11th, 2012
Sometimes we have to take a moment and thank ourselves at the very moment that we are thanking someone else. On another amazing milestone day, my 800th blog post, Pat and I are chilling in Sun City thanks to Chef Andrew of the Cabanas Hotel. Today we chilled and tonight we have a meeting about #FollowSA and Lifeology.
It’s far more than 800 days that got me to this point, but the ones I can count have been something worth chilling in a crystal clear pool and reflecting on.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published January 29th, 2012
Meet Drifter, the scruffy, not so helpful horse, who needs to learn a lot about being responsible.
I haven’t spoken about the children’s book, Majestica remembers her magical powers, so quite some time and all of a sudden it has come to life again. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a horse, at the Johannesburg Zoo, who looks exactly like the horse I’ve pictured in my mind for so long.
Thanks to my man, Pat Sloane, who is an incredible photographer and has an eye that spots any moving creature from miles away, I also got the squirrels in the story and some other very cute farm animals.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published January 18th, 2012
I can’t remember when last I felt totally exhausted from excitement but at least I know that I’m not having a heart attack or going to pass out, even though that’s the message my heart keeps sending my very noisy mind after today’s events.
Actually, it’s not just today’s events but a build up that literally began the day Greggie and I got back to work. One exciting meeting after another. One person, with compatible ideas to accompany Lifeology, after another. One amazing opportunity after another.
No wonder my body is so tired that even typing is a blur and all my mind is churning in a dull begging voice is “sleep! sleep” sleep!” I think to night is going to make history for the earliest I’ve gone to be since I was in primary school, but then again I remember how excited I was in school and why the end of the day couldn’t come soon enough to go to sleep.
That’s today … one of those days where life was a fun-filled playground that I tired myself running from one activity to the next. There’s always the last swing ride, where you almost touch the sky or the last spin on the merry-go-round where you feel as though you are going to fall off the world … and then you know your day is complete.
That moment for me was a meeting Greggie and I had with Angela Ludek from Radio 2000. I am already honoured to have a regular 5 week slot on her show where I talk about social media, but today’s proposal from Angela left me so excited that I had to run to the bathroom and do air punches, jump up and down and scream silently into my hands.
I am so grateful to every celeb, entertainer, business person and blogger who has taken the time to do the ‘your project me story’ on my blog. It’s one thing to hear my story, but to have people that we admire take the time to share how they have made themselves their own project has taken my blog to a new level. Here is the link to the people I have interviewed so far: Your project me story interviews.
Trying to contain my excitement and extending the greatest thanks to Angela for believing in project me so much, I’m thrilled to announced that ‘project me’ now has a weekly radio 2000 slot with Angela Ludek starting from Sunday 5th February. Angela will interview the individuals I have interviewed as an extension of the blog and ask them to tell their project me story based on the blog’s interview questions.
*faints*
I’m sure the happy bathroom dance won’t be the first but there’s work to be done, guest blogger’s stories to share and a new chapter of project me to embark upon … and it all starts with a good night’s sleep and a prayer that if starts with thanks and gratitude, and end with a self hug.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published January 9th, 2012
Image courtesy of Sodahead.com
We all have to get back to reality at some point and it was my day today.
It started off with a refreshing and positive attitude considering I have set out so much to achieve this year and am trying very hard not to look back with any doubt or worry.
My first meeting cancelled, which isn’t all that bad seeing as though I haven’t sat behind my desk in three weeks.
#FollowSA is one of my priorities this year. Does it make me money as yet? That answer would be no. Is it giving me the greatest joy and satisfaction? That answer would be yes.
I’ve never denied that I’m ambitious and that everything I do is to forward my career and make my highly successful in the social media arena of South Africa. I’ve also never denied that #FollowSA is now part of my very big career plans and with that in mind I set out to define the concept of a hashtag that is truly making a difference in people’s lives in South Africa. I’m not having the best day so my esteem needs to say that I didn’t make that statement. Instead, the timeline is filled with comments about the impact #FollowSA is having out there.
Sadly, I know all too well that there is always a shadow to everything and the same shadow seems to be lingering even though I thought I had left it way behind last year. There was the online spat with someone I haven’t met and then there were a few people in the industry who said they didn’t want to be associated with me. I found that odd considering we really had few words and I admitted to my foolish actions. But it all became clearer today when another group of people said they needed to distance themselves from #FollowSA.
Thanks to my openness and working hard at being genuine, I gained enough respect for this individual to tell me why the distance needs to be kept. Apparently there are rumours going around about how I’m handling the prizes given to #FollowSA. Once again, I considered how to handle this in the blogging space and opted for my open policy of truth … otherwise why am I blogging?
My fears immediately headed in the direction of no one ever supporting #FollowSA again and no one ever wanting to hire Lifeology, but then a very famous dispute came to mind. It’s so fresh in my memory because I’m currently watching The Celebrity Apprentice and Donald Trump takes any opportunity to be disgusting about Rosey O’Donnell.
To this day, despite all the shocking publicity and negative press and despite all that has been said to each other, in malice … they are both successes in their own right. No one crashed and burned from the incident and no rumours tarnished anyone’s reputation so much that we don’t hear their names in all the right places.
We all need something to comfort our ego and despite comfortably standing in my truth, I still needed an outrageous ‘Hollywood’ story to calm me down and settle my mind on the first day back at work.
This is what project me is all about! This is why I blog and why I share truths about what is happening in the raw and real moment! Because on the very day when we are bravest and boldest and head out into the world with the most determination, that is the day that someone comes along and slaps you with hair piece.
I have decided that project me entail me knowing their are always two choice and throughout this year I want to share those two choices in the moment.
Today I could have either lashed out and told a few people to get stuffed and I would work around them but instead I took some sound advice and bravely took the first step to sort out these misunderstandings.
The toughest part about today was realising that no matter how hard I work at my reputation, I can never change how anyone feels about me or what they say about me. Therefore, I tell my truth, keep my eye on my dreams, have faith that everyone will take the time to see me for who I am and not what they hear and focus on the path I am on so that I don’t trip over anything along the way.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published January 7th, 2012
I hope you have 'that' place in your home where you can leave the world behind ... welcome to mine!
I can’t believe the amazing response I have been getting from people about my picture blog over the much needed December break, that it’s brought about a change for this year’s ‘project me’ story. The break from writing does me good and I know that this year is going to be some sort of busy, which I can’t wait for … so I’m introducing the picture blog into my word on the weekends. A few sentences might be used to explain the picture in more detail although we know that a picture paints a thousand words.
After choosing the worst possible movie under the sun … It’s got Nicolas Cage so I should have known … I left Pat to watch it and ended up back in a place that I realised I just don’t spend enough time in … my very olive green bathroom. Don’t panic … part of my daily visualisation is to buy this house and start renovations on the bathroom first.
It’s filled with dragons, fairies and candles and this year I have promised myself many more beautiful baths and much more pampering!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published December 10th, 2011
It was the second weekend of the Nkosi's Haven food collection and this girl has been a superstar ...
The Twitter community have been amazing during the week and a half of the @nkosishaven food collection and @lindseykin85 Tweeted her way while she drove through the East of Joburg, all the way to Fourways and collected food. You are a superstar hun.
A very big thanks to the guys in Pretoria who opened their hearts to the legacy of Nkosi Johnson and has a food collection day.
The moments don't get sweeter than the warm gesture of thanks from Tiny Koen of Nkosi's Haven
My amazing friend from high school, @figs_home arrived with the sweetest gift I have received in a very long time
Everything that has been done to support me and #FollowSA for this charity drive has touched the depth of my soul, but when one of my oldest friends arrived (for the second week in a row) bearing the most precious gifts … well let’s just say it took a lot to hold back those tears. Thank you so much @figs_home for your unfailing support, your amazing networking ability and the sweetest gesture, with the icing in top.
A cookie with the logo of @indulgence_cafe. Thank you Mandy for so generously welcoming us into your gorgeous cafe to have Tweetups for the food drive.
Oh my graciousness ,,, there's our company logo!
Well isn't #FollowSA just the sweetest thing?
Now this is the greatest hostess of them all! @indulgence_cafe
@TinyKoen from @nkosishaven, me @jodenecoza and Mandy the awesome hostess of @indulgence_cafe
The sweetest moment of all ... @TinyKoen and @MrCellaneous packing the @nkosishaven truck with groceries from the generous Twitter community
Today truly was such a proud and sweet ‘project me’ day, filled with the realisation of what I have managed to achieve from my status on the social media platforms. I have always said the we give charity for our very own, personal reasons and today, while I stood back and watched the kindness of others who came to my Twitter call … I so proudly acknowledged that I have influence enough to give … and encourage others to give … and they arrive with such giving spirits.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
