FOCUSed philoSophie's - Confidence Soars with Collaboration
I met Sarah this past March at ALT Summit. She was my 'first friend' at the conference. We were both trying to find the welcome party. Her easy approach and warm personality was comforting in a sea of new people. As I got to know Sarah I learned that she's a mom of 3 girls and a travel blogger.
She brilliantly merges family and work life together in her travel blog - The Wandering Rumpus. Here she shares experiences and what she and her family learn traveling throughout the US and abroad.
At the summit she stepped out of her comfort zone (see more on that below) and took part in a runway show for fashion designer, Monica Mahoney. I pulled from her collaboration in the show, love of travel and answers to how she finds FOCUS to develop this week's FOCUSed philoSophie's.
Name: Sarah Wilson
Occupation: Writer, Editor and Communications/PR consultant. I founded The Wandering Rumpus wherein my family of 5 share our experiences traveling the world and exploring our hometown of Nashville. We also love to learn and share about other cultures and worldviews through travel, of course, and also through books, food/recipes, activism and participating in our local community.
Instagram: @TheWanderingRumpus
Blog: The Wandering Rumpus
Hobbies/Activities you'd like to share: In addition to travel, I love to read, practice photography, take long walks on our local Greenway with our dog, Moses, try the amazing restaurants in Nashville, teach and model community activism to my girls, share a bottle of wine with family and friends and I also love naps.
How do you find FOCUS?
Find/Keep the Fun in business:
I believe that finding the fun is the key to sustainability in work and life - finding joy in everything we do and invest our time into. One way I keep my work fun is by incorporating my family into it. That may sound a little counterintuitive, but the nature of much of my work includes my family so when I can make it fun for them, it makes the “work” part of it more fun for me.
Opportunities/Optimism
My favorite work opportunities happen when I step out of my comfort zone. I’m a social introvert (is that a thing?) so I really have to push myself to attend social and networking events, conferences or take the lead on new opportunities that push my business forward. But the more I do it, the more amazing people I meet and the more opportunities I encounter.
Confidence:
My confidence soars when I work with other people. Collaborations, mentoring, strong business relationships and friendships. I love the concept of lifting each other up and reciprocating so that I can help others be successful and they can do the same for me. This can be difficult when you work alone and also as an introvert, but I’ve found that when I can share my strengths and find others to support or help out with my weaknesses, my own sense of self is elevated.
deal with the Unexpected:
Ahhh, the unexpected happens daily … sometimes hourly, ha! As a mother, a writer, an avid traveler, I tend to expect the unexpected and embrace it. In my experience, the unexpected moments are often the most magical.
Simplify ( workload, life, etc...) :
I have found that prioritizing is the key to simplifying. My family has a literal list of our “family priorities” that help us focus on how to spend our time and money. It guides our budget, allows us to make time for each other, make time for ourselves and so much more. This applies to our day-to-day lives and my work endeavours too - when I prioritize things, I naturally simplify things. I can decide what and where to focus my time and money in everything I do based on what is important to me.
