Savvy Blogger We Love- Amaia Ormazabal

Amaia Ormazabal
Age: 20
Location: Donostia, located in the Basque Country, Spain

Twenty-year-old Amaia Ormazabal is an avid tennis player and dedicated student currently earning a dual degree in Business Administration and Management and Computer Science Engineering. To some she seems to be just another happy go lucky college student but those who know her well are aware of her secret- Amaia's passion is maintaining pleasure in her life.

Amaia is the force behind the blog called JustHedonism. In it, she shares stories of how she practices and appreciates the hedonist lifestyle, which consists of being completely devoted to the pursuit of pleasure.

"It's not the definition of hedonism what has fascinated me since I heard about it for the first time at school," Amaia recalls. "But the idea of actually putting it into practice as a way of maximizing pleasure and being happy." After analyzing the definition of hedonism Amaia realized that people tend to try to change their external situations when they are trying to change our mood. "We are always thinking about how external situations should be to make us happy. But the key to achieve maximum pleasure is inside all of us, not outside. We should try to change ourselves, instead of the environment," Amaia suggests. "I started analyzing the situations of my life which made me unhappy, and thinking about what could I change in my life to be happier. But soon I realized that the problem wasn't actually in my external circumstances, but in my perspective, my way of perceiving and acting in certain moments," Amaia shares. "And this is such a great conclusion! Because suddenly, happiness is actually more on my hand than ever! Now it doesn't depend on the environment, which you often can't change, it depends on me. It doesn't mean this is an easy way, it's not easy to learn, but in my particular case it's been definitely worth it."

Amaia's blog began as a fashion blog but she says its not just about fashion, it's about her pursuit of pleasure every single day. "It's also a lifestyle blog, where I show some of my passions. I'm a tennis player, and I show some of my travels and street and sport outfits in the blog," says Amaia. "People who read my blog are usually women who like fashion and feel inspired with my pictures, but also people who feel identified with my way of thinking and living, cause I also share inspiring videos, songs or quotes that I like."

The pure hearted fashionista believes that fashion is a very important part of the hedonist lifestyle. "How we dress can make us feel comfortable, feel ridiculous or feel sexy. It can even make us feel powerful!" Amaia explains. "It can define our personality and it's the very first impression anyone has of us. I love fashion because you can show lots of things with your clothes, your personality, your mood. for me fashion and hedonism are related, and I use fashion to feel the way I want to feel, or show what I want to show at any time."

Amaia has certainly amassed quite a following of women who enjoy her good spirited nature and love for life. To visit her blog to learn more about pursuing pleasure everyday, please visit Just Hedonism.

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Savvy Blogger We Love- Shelia Goss

Shelia M. Goss is the Dallas Morning News and Essence Magazine Best-Selling author of Savannah's Curse, Delilah, My Invisible Husband, Roses are Thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum, His Invisible Wife, Hollywood Deception, and the teen series The Lip Gloss Chronicles.

Her current novel, Delilah, has created quite a buzz. She's received many accolades, including receiving multiple Shades of Romance Magazine Multi-cultural Reader's Choice awards and Literary Divas: The Top 100+ Most Admired African-American Women in Literature.

What do you love about being a blogger?

I love the interaction with readers. I like having my own platform to talk about a variety of subjects: books, fashion, entertainment and current events. As an author and avid reader, one of my goals for my blog is to make others aware of books by African-American authors.

Why is it important to be a Savvy Sister?

We come from a history of strong women. Many have shed tears and died for us to be able to live our dreams. Let's make our ancestors proud and enhance the legacy they left behind. Quitting is not an option. You will face obstacles. It's not going to be easy. Obstacles may detour you, but don't allow them to stop you.

For more detailed information, please visit her website www.sheliagoss.com

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Savvy Blogger We Love- Jeannette Maw

Jeannette Maw
Master Certified Coach
Libra

Jeannette Maw is founder of Good Vibe Coaching, hosts an online site at Good Vibe University, is the co-founder of Good Vibe Coach Academy, and writes monthly for Catalyst Magazine. She is the author of several law of attraction ebooks and is a contributor to Jack Canfield's Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction.

What do you love about being a blogger?

I love that it's uncensored! I have total freedom to write whatever I want whenever I want! I have been blogging since April 2007. The women who love my blog are interested in self empowerment and manifesting their dreams. They are open-minded with a spiritual bent, and incredibly supportive and generous of others in the community of readers.

How did your life change after you became a blogger?

I felt a more direct connection with my audience. I'd been using email newsletters to get my message out to people prior to blogging and that doesn't allow for an open two way conversation like the blog does. So it felt intimately more connected and also gave me a great opportunity to showcase my products better than I had been.

How do you spend your free time?

I think of all my time as "free time" - because I'm always free to choose how I spend it! So in that sense, I spend my free time connecting with others online through the blog, social media and through my online membership site, etc. But, outside of that, my time is invested in volunteering for local animal rescue groups. In fact, my 8 month old foster puppy was just adopted into his permanent home on Sunday. It's so quiet around here without him! But it makes room for the next foster animal, so it's all good.

What qualities did you have to develop to become a leader in your field?

Confidence. For sure, confidence. You can't share your message effectively without it. Sharing my message also required a willingness to get it wrong publicly. I also had to be open to criticism. But really, I think it boils down to a willingness to take a stand and go public with it. That requires courage and conviction. Passion for the work doesn't hurt, either.

Have you ever had an amusing interaction with a reader?

I was coaching a client on a subject she was struggling with. I shared with her a story that a reader had posted anonymously on my blog. It was a very inspiring story of someone who was empowered with knowing her ability to manifest what she wanted, with details that would have stopped most people in their tracks. But this reader persevered past the obstacles and got what she wanted.

My client was silent for a minute until she confessed to me that that was HER and that she'd forgotten all about that story. Here she is providing her OWN inspiration anonymously through the blog via this coach session with me. I'll never forget that because I think we often forget our past successes when we're so focused on struggling with new challenges.

What is that you really hope to do with your gift?

Inspire deliberate creators! That's my mission! For everyone to know their power to create reality how they want it.

Why is being savvy important to your success?

Being savvy helps me cut through the abstract, airy fairy woo woo approaches we often see in law of attraction material. It gives me a confident, practical, experienced perspective as I support those who are looking to become savvy as well.

Be inspired everyday at Jeannette's Good Vibe Blog

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Savvy Blogger We Love- Adrienne Nixon

Adrienne Nixon

Owner of www.pamperedbyadrienne.com and www.elanphotography.net

Adrienne is the sweetheart behind Adrienne’s Little World which is nearly 6 years old. Her blog details her passion for her family, sewing and living her best life. It’s great to see that the idea of the personal blog hasn’t died as many bloggers have turned their blogs into businesses. Adrienne shares stories about her life journey that draw you in and make you want to be a part of her beautiful family. “My greatest accomplishments have been being a mother to three children (15, 11 and 9) a wife for 14 years and having my own business,” Adrienne said.

What does Adrienne love most about being a blogger? “I love connecting with like minded individuals and meeting new people,” she said. “It's also super fun to go back and see how I've grown. I blog about a whole lot of everything, so it's so easy to see my growth. It's a form of therapy sometimes to just say what's on your mind and leave it at that.”

It seems that all kinds of women and few men love following Adrienne’s life story. “I think one thing that people love about my blog is the fact that I'm open,” she said. “I don't tell specific details but I certainly talk about the different issues I have or the things I've gone through. You NEVER know who it might help or encourage.”

The savvy seamstress encourages her readers, "Always pray and never be afraid to try. Let go of all negative influences in your life and keep God first. You are SURE to succeed!"

To experience the warmth of the spirit of this blogger please visit www.adrienneslittleworld.typepad.com

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Savvy Blogger We Love- Rita Arens

Rita Arens

Age 37

Kansas City

Rita Arens is the assignment and syndication editor for BlogHer.com, a vibrant community of women bloggers. She began her blog, Surrender Dorothy, when she was on maternity leave in 2004. By blogging, editing and writing her first young adult novel, Rita has put to use her graduate education in writing and love for the written word by amusing readers of all ages.

“I had been actively writing short stories and poetry until I was blindsided by motherhood.” Rita said. “Blogging seemed like a good way to keep writing and also connect with other moms. And it was!”

Although she said she tries to provide writing more than information, she experiments with forms from essays to anecdotes to humor to political rants. “I try to switch it up a few times a week depending on my mood and what’s going on in the world. My categories include the publishing industry, parenting, relationships, healthcare, eating disorders, general frivolity, home improvement and a humor segment I did for a while with my daughter called Paging Dr. Arens.”

As the result of her easy-going writing style and wit, she landed her job at BlogHer as well as several speaking engagements and a parenting anthology. “My professional life has been changed 100%. My personal life is pretty much the same. I do not win friends and influence people at my daughter’s elementary school with my blog,” Rita joked.

Blogging seems to run in the family, Rita’s sisters is the mastermind behind Tales From Clarkstreet and their parents read both of their blogs to keep up with their lives.

“I’m not sure what my in-laws think,” Rita admitted. “But they already know I’m odd. My husband sort of knew what he was getting into when he married me. My daughter has grown up knowing I had a blog and wrote about her, so it’s been a way of life for her. She likes the fact she is in my book and used to beg to sit on my lap and hand me books to sign when we did local publicity for Sleep Is for the Weak, which won a 2009 gold award from the National Parenting Publications Association (NAPPA). My daughter would think it was weird if I didn’t write about her at this juncture."

Go ahead and allow yourself a treat today. Visit Surrender Dorothy, by the blogger from Kansas who makes it cool to laugh at yourself.

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Savvy Blogger We Love- The Fab Femme

Aryka Randall is the voice of the lesbian community that actively screams, “I love being who I am!” Her blog, The Fab Femme, is a meeting place to celebrate her love for her sisterhood of lesbian women. “All kinds of women love my blog!” Aryka commented. “Gay and straight, young and old. I think the women who read my blog are strong opinionated women who enjoy things like fashion, politics and music.”

Becoming a blogger places the writer in the spotlight once the word gets out about their writing. “My life changed quite a bit after I started blogging. I've met a lot of inspirational people and made connections with some amazing people within the LGBT community. Blogging has opened quite a few doors for me as far as my future endeavors are concerned,” Aryka said.

Sometimes the things we most aren’t planned, they just happen and we fall in love. For The Fab Femme, becoming a widely known blogger wasn’t a strategic move. She feels that the most important trait that made her successful is her attentiveness. “I'm very attentive and it helps when I'm collecting information for blog post,” Aryka noted. “I hope to help bring the LGBT community together by posting insightful information that everyone can relate to and enjoy. Were all in this thing called life together and sometimes we forget that. My ultimate goal is to have a youth center but that's a story for another day.”

”Being savvy is important to my success because the more energy and time I put into learning my craft and knowing my craft inside out the more creative and inspired I become,” she said. “In turn, my blog is a reflection of the things I've learned and the creativity I've developed over the past two years. I love it!”

Aryka Randall
Student
Gemini
TheFabFemme.com


Visit The Fab Femme to celebrate life with Aryka.

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Savvy Blogger We Love- Patricia Miswa

Patricia Miswa

Age: 25

Current Residence: Kenya, Africa

Writer and Handmade card designer

Patricia Miswa is the editor and founder of AfroElle, an African based online magazine that focuses on encouraging, empowering, entertaining and elevating women of African decent from all over the world.

She has been a blogger for 5 years after blogging anonymously for 3 years as a college student trying to find herself. "Blogging for me was and is still therapy," Patricia said. "Keeping an online journal has helped me in terms of growth as a person. I can easily go back to my posts to remind myself of where I have been, the dreams I’ve had along the way and where I hope to be."

Patricia started AfroElle Blog last year, formerly known as The Ladies Room because she was going through a certain experience and felt like she was all alone. She decided to confide in a friend and realized that they were going through almost the same thing. Through that breath of clarity and enlightenment she realized the power in women talking and sharing.

"I think the most amazing thing about AfroElle is that it brings women of African descent from all over the world together, to talk and share experiences. Through this blog I have met and networked with fabulous women who I would not have otherwise met and that in itself is amazing," Patricia said. "It doesn’t matter if you are an entrepreneur, a stay home mom, juggling school and the corporate world, as women we share a common bond. Most often than not women go through the same struggles and as women, we understand each other’s problems. At one point or the other we have gone through the same things. I know it’s said that we are our own enemies but I believe women can be their greatest supporters. I believe together women can very powerful!"

This 25-year-old blogging icon understands the value of learning, growth and purpose. "I don’t want to live as if I’m groping into the darkness, I take every day as an opportunity to learn, to grow and a step towards reaching my purpose," she said. "I don’t believe in waiting for things to happen, I make it happen. I handle my business. Being savvy is an important part of my life because it helps me live my life to the fullest and helps me towards my purpose on this earth."

Visit her beautiful blog AfroElle to learn more about her work.

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Savvy Blogger We Love- Laurel Delaney (Escape From Corporate America)

Laurel Delaney
Writer/Blogger

Zodiac Sign: Western Libra
Chinese: Horse

If you haven’t heard of Laurel Delaney, you’re definitely missing out. She is the pied piper of the blogging world leading women away from the constraints of the cubicle with her blog Escape From Corporate America. While she describes herself as, “Happily married. A good daughter, caring sibling, respected and trusted business colleague and a friend to many,” My Savvy Sisters wanted to know a bit more about the woman leading this revolution and how blogging has changed her life.

“Blogging is a great way to express yourself,” she explained. “I have been blogging since 2004. The women who love our blog simply want to Escape From Corporate America and eventually create their own destiny be it through starting a business or fueling a passion which might be a hobby that can be turned into a business. The bottom line is this: women want freedom, flexibility, recognition, more money, and opportunities to leave a legacy -- all the things they once thought they would find within corporations and haven't. That's why starting a business is appealing to the vast majority of women right now, especially during such challenging economic times.”

Laurel’s life has had a complete transformation since her blog became synonymous with the word empowerment. “More people know about what we do!” she remarked emphatically. “Hence, we are able to scale faster and help more women achieve their goal of starting a business or nurturing a hobby that may someday turn into a business. And I am a whole lot busier -- productive busy these days!”

From Laurel’s perspective the Top 3 Reasons Women Won’t Plan Their Escape From Corporate America:

1. Afraid of eliminating their security blanket (a fat paycheck -- even though they may HATE what they do day-in and day-out).

2. Lack of confidence. To start a business (or anything new online, for example) you need confidence in your abilities and a certain self-assuredness that your damned good at what you do!

3. Listening too much to what everyone else is saying or doing. Stop analyzing and just do it!

Visit her blog Escape From Corporate America to change your life.


For My Savvy Sisters: Have you ever dreamt about escaping corporate America? What stopped you? Do you know someone who did it and became successful? Share your story.

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Savvy Blogger We Love- The Purse Pixie

Nanci Mackey

The Purse Pixie

“My first purse was clear plastic with rainbow hearts on it,” Nanci Mackey recalled as she laughed. “I used to carry it around my house filled with lip smackers, coloring books and a giant pencil. I loved it.” From falling in love at first with her clear plastic purse sight to her own fashion blog The Purse Pixie, which has blossomed into a full-time business, Mackey is proud to be among the fashion bloggers people trust.

“There was definitely a hole in the market regarding the information readers could get,” Mackey remembered. “ I love all purses but most people can’t afford to get the type of purses they want to get like Louis Vuitton and there are lots of purses out there from lesser known designers that are just as well made and just as nice.”

While The Purse Pixie herself manages rental properties with her husband in Asheville, North Carolina, she has connected with readers across the globe since 2009 as she offers a strong editorial content as well as an opportunity for lesser known designers to be spotlighted. She recommends Etsy, an online marketplace where up and coming designers and artists can sell their wares to the public. “We’re trying to involve Etsy in our blog more by showcasing products by unknown people who really have a talent for design,” she said.

The Purse Pixie offers hand bag give-aways, updates on the latest sales as well as a complete history of the handbag. “Part of being savvy is being prepared,” Mackey offered. “ A lot of people see their purse as their survival kit. It is important to have a purse that’s functional and can carry the things you need. The right purse helps make you look put-together. It’s something that’s overlooked sometimes but it’s an important part of your look.”

Mackey admits to switching purses often but lately she's in love with a Longchamp Le Pliage bag in the graphite color. "I love it because the bag is so light and it is easy to clean if something gets spilled," she said.

You can read all about The Purse Pixie's latest loves on her blog.

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Savvy Blogger We Love- Serenity 23

Valerine Conerly

Insurance Adjuster

Capricorn

Valerine Conerly is a single mom and insurance adjuster who picked up and moved to a new city sight unseen and started a new career. Much of her life transition has been captured in her blog Serenity 23.

“I have been blogging since spring of 2005. I LOVE blogging because it gives me a written record of the growth in my life. It also allows me to invite others to follow along my life path and watch me set goals, grow, reach those goals and just enjoy life. I hope that other women who read my blog leave feeling inspired that they can do anything that they set their minds too and that my blog is like a family. I also show that I am constantly working on my spiritual walk and while I have stumbles and falls, I'm always right back up trying to be and do better,” Conerly said.

Conerly believes everyone has to create their own life path, “Being savvy to me means that I set a goal and it may involve networking, stepping out and taking some risks, finding a support group or a mentor, but I use all my resources to help me reach that goal.”

We love Serenity 23 because she is a dedicated blogger, mother and life enthusiast. You can follow her journey and appreciation for wine, shoes and natural hair by going to http://serenity23.blogspot.com/

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