Freelance Advantage

From the Horses Mouth: 3 Things You Should Know About Crystal Wright's Workshop

3 things you should know about Crystal Wright's Packaging Your Portfolio Workshop for Makeup, Hair, Fashion Stylists and Mancurists.

Jump Start Your Celebrity Styling Career. Classes in NY, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.

 

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See It Through by Edgar Albert Guest

When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it's vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!

Beaten, But Not Broken

Help for someone who wasn't 100% today.

 

To Whom It May Concern:

Life is full of ebbs and flows. We all have them. You're not alone. It's 12:12PM and I'm not dressed yet, nor have I showered, brushed my teeth or done anything else productive. But guess what, discipline is about doing what you know you have to do whether you want to or not.

The joy returns. Joy is a state of mind and you, me, we, all of us have to man-up and make up our minds that we will control them, instead of them controlling us.

My first husband and I hit a rough spot once and there was another woman involved. Going to counseling was the hardest thing either of us had to do, but we had to do it.

I remember after one of the counseling sessions he reached to hold my hand and I pulled it away and said, "You don't have to hold my hand if you don't want to!" In other words, "Dude, don't do me any favors!" He looked at me and said, "I'm just trying to do the things we use to do so we can get back to the place we're supposed to be." Sometimes that's what it takes. Running or walking through the pain until' you get back to the place that you're supposed to be.

There are a lot of people walking with you to 100% today. Just put one foot in front of the other. A little progress is better than no progress at all.

I'm with you. And I'm going upstairs to shower now and then I'm going to sit in my chair and let Joyce Meyer remind me of what I'm supposed to be doing.

Re-read my blog from last week, "Leave This Group." It is all about strongholds. Do not allow Satan to build a stronghold in your life. Do now allow yourself to be beat up because of your finances or your 4lbs. Do not dwell on the things that you are unhappy about. Celebrate the fact that you had the good sense to call a relative that is good with Money and ask for help. That's how wealthy people got that way––advice.

Repeat after me,
"I demolish arguments and every pretension
that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and I take captive
(lead every negative thought and purpose away)
every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Read 2 Cor 10:4-5

Refuse to agree to a negative vision of yourself just because you've had a few bad days or weeks. Make that vision captive to the vision that Christ has of you as a Child of the Living God.

NOW!

––Crystal

 

Crystal Wright has been called many things, most often she's called "Empowerment Diva" because she inspires and motivates others to take responsibility for their choices, leave their excuses at the door, get control of their lives and take their power back.

She is a woman of unbounded energy who isn't afraid to expose her own frailties if it will help someone else change their lives in a positive way. Her friend, Founder of AmberMag.com Marcia Cole calls her a "Game Changer".

Her new book 30 Days at 100 Percent: Changing Your Life 30 Days at a Time challenges the reader to strive for excellence in eight different areas of their lives by tackling one thing every 30 days. You can order 30 Days at 100 Percent online in the CrystalWrightLive Store.

 

PYP Grads Maria Barreda & Julia Elena Get First Tearsheet in Italian Vogue

New Orleans based PYP LA 2010 Grads Makeup Artist Maria Barreda and PYP NYC 2011 Grad Hair Stylist Julia Elena have their work published in Photo Vogue Italia. See it on the VOGUE.IT website. As always MY babies are doin' the darn thing!

CONGRATULATIONS Maria & Julia.

Take a Stand! SUPPORTFreelanceAdvantage.org

I get many wonderful comments about my empowering blog posts. To all of you who read my blog and take the time to let me know your thoughts––I thank you. If you have been motivated and inspired to get control of your professional life and turn that control into success, Right On! That's why I write.

I hope you will continue to be empowered by what I write and have to say.

As the rigors of my schedule have become even more demanding, I will no longer be able to post and repost my blog entries so that everyone in every group that I am a member can read them. There is a much easier way for all of us to enjoy the dedication of those who write, and that is to subscribe. It's FREE and goes a long way toward letting me and others know that what we do is useful and matters.

I encourage you to subscribe to my blog or follow me on twitter (twitter.com/Crystal_Wright) so that you don't miss anything that might encourage you through the day, the week, or the month.

You can SUBSCRIBE to my blog by visiting www.FreelanceAdvantage.org and entering your email address in the space provided (look to the right side of the screen just under "Holla!"). From then on, you will always receive my blog posts.

Thanks in advance for your understanding and support.

Last month I talked about learning how to set boundaries by “Embracing Your Inner NO.”
That was STEP 1.
STEP 2 in the process of taking your power back
comes as you identify, face and dismantle the triggers in your life.
Here is a LINK to todays post about
Taking Your Power Back.

 

Crystal Wright has been called many things, most often she's called "Empowerment Diva" because she inspires and motivates others to take responsibility for their choices, leave their excuses at the door, get control of their lives and take their power back.

She is a woman of unbounded energy who isn't afraid to expose her own frailties if it will help someone else change their lives in a positive way. Her friend, Founder of AmberMag.com Marcia Cole calls her a "Game Changer".

Her new book 30 Days at 100 Percent: Changing Your Life 30 Days at a Time challenges the reader to strive for excellence in eight different areas of their lives by tackling one thing every 30 days. You can order 30 Days at 100 Percent online in the CrystalWrightLive Store.

 

 

Taking Your Power Back Step 2: TRIGGERS & CONTROLS

Last month I talked about learning how to set boundaries by “Embracing Your Inner NO.” That was step 1. Step 2 in the process of taking your power back comes as you identify, face and dismantle the triggers in your life.

TRIGGERS

Triggers take you off your game. Sometimes triggers are things––other times they are people.

In my personal and professional life, if I’m not careful to control my triggers, I can become trapped and unproductive. My success requires that I delegate tasks to support staff, turn down projects and schedule activities. I’m busy for sure, but being busy is not the same as being productive anymore than making money is the same as creating wealth. It’s the law of diminishing returns, basically, doing more while achieving less––that’s what busy is. But I digress…

In order to get out of the trap, it’s crucial that we identify the distractions aka triggers that keep us enslaved to old destructive habits and establish controls to refocus our attention on what’s important in our lives. Controls are what you put in place to get you back on track.

A trigger in my life that can impact how my entire day is going to play out, is my kitchen. When I walk into my kitchen in the morning, I have only one intention––to jump start my day with a great cup of my coffee. If the kitchen isn’t spotless I feel compelled to clean it and those precious minutes of time spent sweeping, washing or placing dishes in the dishwasher or emptying the trash take me right off of my game. Now I’m running 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes late all day long and so are my scheduled phone calls, lunch meetings, and appointments.

I’m lucky. I work from home. But imagine how that fifteen minutes affects those people who still drive to work. The later you leave the house, the more you rush, the worse traffic becomes, the more frustrated you feel, and the more stressed you become. If you’ve ever arrived at your office feeling frazzled and behind the eight ball, you know what I mean.

So what’s the answer? What can you do to eliminate or minimize a trigger? Add a control. In my case, the control is activated when I walk into my kitchen just before I go to bed at night. Anything that is out of place gets put away and crumbs under my bare feet are quickly swept up and disposed of along with the trash if necessary. The result? Peace of mind and power first thing in the morning! 

WHEN PEOPLE ARE TRIGGERS

What about the friend or family member trigger who takes you over an emotional edge each time you have a phone conversation? They have nothing positive to say when you share your plans or dreams, no encouraging words when something good happens to or for you, they’re never supportive when you’re trying to be disciplined, or they simply don’t listen at all and can’t wait for you to finish talking so they can take over the conversation with what’s really important––them.

Life has a way of insuring that these folks are either your best friend from elementary school or your Mom. My Mom, rest her soul was one of those folks whose phone calls––unbeknownst to her––could leave me bereft of energy and shaking my head. I mean, how do you tell your Mom that you are not going to divorce your husband of 14 years because she still doesn’t think he’s right for you? 

While managing this trigger requires a bit more finesse, it can be done. But the first work happens with YOU, not the people you have allowed to make you feel bad about your choices or lethargic about tackling your goals. You must begin to exercise the muscle of refusing to allow people to speak into your spirit, that which you do not agree with. Control Your Triggers!

CONTROLLING LOVED ONES

Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 tell us to, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” But it does not say, that you should stay on the phone with your Mom for 45 minutes until you can’t breathe and only your husband can revive you with a Martini.

After being divorced from my first husband for over 10 years, I extended the Olive Branch (begged his forgiveness) and we started dating again. While talking to my Mom on the phone one evening, I mentioned that we were dating. “You better remember what he did,” she said indignantly. It was at that moment that I exercised control over my trigger for the first time, when I said, “Momma, I love you, but this is my life. If you don’t agree with my choice and you can’t find something nice to say about him, then you and I need to find something else to talk about.” I was respectful, but I made myself clear––we may not be able to talk about this––so, “How about those Lakers?”

Controlling your triggers, like turning your belly into a six-pack, is not an overnight process. That’s why I say, “Exercise that muscle––Speak up Often. Stand up for yourself!” I encouraged and enabled my Mother’s habit of doing or saying whatever she wanted, because I never did or said anything about it until I was 45 years old. I had been living on my own and taking care of myself since I was 22.

Repeat after me. I ______________________am a grown woman/man. I give myself permission to respectfully inform my trigger(s) that my choice is made and I will no longer allow her/him to speak negativity into my life.

If you were born in the 50’s or 60’s, try this first on the phone. Our Mom’s––having had the liberty to say what they please all these years will most certainly mistake this for ‘back talk.’ Just remember, it will probably take several gentle reminders before the concept of you standing your ground takes hold, but done with love and respect, it will finally sink in and you will be stronger and more confident for it.

FACEBOOK

This article would not be complete without mentioning the distraction of the moment––Facebook. I have very few friends who are not addicted to Facebook. I realized that I too was falling into the vortex when I missed an important conference call while playing around on Facebook. I had to do something about this new trigger right away. In my own words:

Inherent in taking control of your life is stating the obvious. It’s time to “Think in ink––write it down.” That’s what I would like you to do. Take a moment to identify and then write down 5 of your triggers using my example above, and then write down the action that you will take to control them by downloading the sample worksheet provided below.

Remember, nothing happens overnight, but your liberation begins with a decision and is followed by repetitious action. Committing your triggers and controls to paper is a powerful thing.
 

Crystal Wright has been called many things, most often she's called "Empowerment Diva" because she inspires and motivates others to take responsibility for their choices, leave their excuses at the door, get control of their lives and take their power back.

She is a woman of unbounded energy who isn't afraid to expose her own frailties if it will help someone else change their lives in a positive way. Her friend, Founder of AmberMag.com Marcia Cole calls her a "Game Changer".

Her new book 30 Days at 100 Percent: Changing Your Life 30 Days at a Time challenges the reader to strive for excellence in eight different areas of their lives by tackling one thing every 30 days. You can order 30 Days at 100 Percent online in the CrystalWrightLive Store.

 

 

 

On Your Mark. Get Set. GO! It's September

On your mark, get set, GO. It’s September. The home stretch. You just came off of one of the most beloved long weekends of the year––Labor Day Weekend. A funny name for such a fun time. The potatoe salad, baked beans, ribs, chicken, pound cake, and apple pie are all gone, or at least you have had enough. And it’s time to get back to business.

But in September, the business is different. Because while the 4th quarter doesn’t start until’ October, those of us who work for ourselves, and especially you freelancers know that a great deal of our business will be done by the end of the first week in December. And the people who make decisions won’t get back to work––mentally–– until’ after the first week in January.

So what does that mean? That means it’s time to Plan the Work and Work the Plan NOW! Kick it up a notch. What you sow in September you will reap in November, so now, today, starting with the energy and excitement of fashion week, kick it into high gear.

Give 100% to your prospecting phone calls and add 5 more. Give 100% to your research, and add 15 minutes so you can dig a little deeper into the 18th century. Give 100% to that workout, and add 10 more sit-ups. Give 100% to your kids, and read them another story. Give 100% to your marriage and go home a little early. Give 100% to your job hunting, and look that resume over one more time before you send it out!

Focus on one thing in your plan––and work it until you perfect it and it becomes part of your new routine. You don’t have to do everything, or fix everything right now. Just commit to kicking it up in one area and watch how the seeds that you sow in September manifest in November and December, to take you over the top! Put something in the pipeline this month so you have something coming out for winter! Squirrels do it, and I know you’re smarter than a 5th grader!

Decide that this economy is a state of mind. Have you seen Vogue? It’s 726 pages. Somebody has your money and their name is Prada, and they have a double page spread. Their name is Ralph Lauren and they have 4 pages. Their name is Fendi and they too have a quad. Heck, GAP has so many pages I lost count.

I’m done!

Go get your money!

2 Cor 9:6 Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

 

Crystal Wright is a former agent to Freelance Makeup Hair Fashion Stylists and Manicurists. Her book, The Hair Makeup & Fashion Styling Career Guide is considered the Industry bible for aspiring and working professionals.Visit her site online at www.MakeupHairandStyling.com.

Visit our store online thestore.crystalwrightlive.com

 

 

 

 

I welcome your thoughts

By Crystal Wright
Author | Freelance Styling Coach | Motivational Speaker

Crystal Wright is a self-help author, educator, motivational speaker and advisor. She is an internationally recognized expert on the subject of career building and marketing and regularly appears as a guest speaker and educator at trade shows and career building events.

Her book, The Hair Makeup & Fashion Styling Career Guide is recognized as the career styling Bible for Makeup Artists, Hair Stylists, Fashion Stylists and Manicurists who want to work in the entertainment and fashion industries.

Crystal's 2-Day portfolio building and marketing workshop has changed the course of history in the lives of many aspiring freelance stylists who wondered, "Is it really possible?"

Former PYP Student, Makeup & Hair Stylist Tania D. Russell is Doin' it Well!

One of my former PYP Grads, LA based Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist Tania D. Russell whose focus and specialty is Lifestyle work for print and commercials is doing GREAT work as usual.

CONGRATULATIONS Tania!

 

 

 

Check out her blog,
the work she did for Pennzoil and much MORE!

So PROUD!
GO TANIA!

Do you have a flexible mind?

From my 16 year old [home-schooled] cousin Danielle:

If you can read this you have a flexible mind:

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Don't miss the last 2 Packaging Your Portfolio: Marketing Yourself as a Freelance Makeup, Hair, Fashion Stylist or Manicurists workshops of 2012.

We have 2 spaces left in NYC on October 15 & 16, and 10 spaces left in Los Angeles for December 3 & 4.

Register at http://crystalwrightevents.eventbrite.com