10 Expert Tips You Need to Know to Crush Your 2021 Goals
Have you been goal setting yet? 2020 turned a lot of things upside down but hopefully you have held up this far! Since this roller coaster of a year is almost over, I’m thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish before it’s over and how to start 2021 on a high note. In the spirit of getting inspired to set and crush some goals, I got the scoop from Bree Johnson, a digital marketing strategist and speaker. Her mission is to help women entrepreneurs transform their mindset, money, and mental health through business strategies, books, and blogs. Keep reading for more about her tips for female entrepreneurs , setting and achieving your 2021 goals , and conveying a confident image in person and on Zoom!
Tell me about yourself and how you got started as a digital strategist.
I started as a Digital Marketing Strategist back when I was in college after completing my first social media marketing course. After the course was over I started managing people's social media accounts for free to gain experience, while running my own blog and that led me to start what was then TheBreeJohnson.com. In 2018 after working for a national political campaign I relaunched as TBJ Digital Consulting and it's been the best decision ever.
You have a very admirable goal of helping 1 million female entrepreneurs create a profitable marketing strategy. Tell me how you came to that goal and how you plan to accomplish it.
Yes, so my goal is to help over 1 million women improve their money, mindset, and mental health through books, blogs, and business strategies. I came up with it because I wanted to build a village of exceptional women covering things and topics that I've learned in my adulthood – especially about running my business, and mastering my mindset. All of my businesses were built and are committed to women so I know that this goal is achievable through my bookclub, digital consulting company, podcast, and newly launching candle company.
What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to an aspiring entrepreneur?
Challenge yourself to do a hard, scary thing daily. You really want to build that muscle so that when it's time to make hard, scary decisions (like quitting my job in the middle of a global pandemic to pursue my business fulltime) you can be ready and prepared to make that decision because you've done hard things before and survived (maybe even thrived).
We've seen a fair amount of controversy in the past few years around female founders and CEOs. What do you think about "girl boss" culture? *I may not use girl boss, want to research and make sure they won't sue me or something. but leaving it for now for reference of the concept.
Honestly, I don't associate "Girl Boss" to a person. No one gets to own that. I think it's about the community that you choose to surround yourself with and learn from. There are totally some frauds and mean girls out there but that's anywhere. I wouldn't cancel the whole space of black girl magic because of a few bad apples. In fact, I think it's more important to give those bad apples grace so that they can learn how to navigate with other women from a secure place of collaboration vs. competition.
I saw a post on your blog about a 2019 Routine for Success. What would you say for someone looking for build a 2021 routine for success?
Routines are hard! Be more committed to not failing than to being excellent. And give yourself grace as you build a new muscle. You may not get it perfect everyday and that's fine, but commit to not missing your routine twice. Also, start small – build momentum before adding a ton of different steps to your routine. I like to wake up, make my bed, have coffee and take my dog, Benji for a walk and then journal (write to God, write what I'm grateful for, write my manifestations + affirmations), and workout. It sounds like a lot and I'm still building the muscle, but this routine is a game changer!
What fashion/style tips would you give to women in business?
Since Corona, I've being nothing but dresses and comfy lounge clothes and I may honestly never go back to pants ha!
I'm sure you're spending a lot of time on Zoom these days. How do you project a stylish, confident, powerful image when limited to a web cam?
My go to is a comfy and cute dress of some sort with a bold lipstick and lashes. It's an easy look but it comes across (especially on camera) like I put a ton of work into it.
I'm sure you're an incredibly busy woman. How do you manage time for yourself/practice self care?
I am very big on boundaries. I establish my workday/load every morning at 9 am and I stop working when I say I will. I honor my calendar so sometimes I schedule my "no work" times or appointments for things like getting my hair and nails done and use that time to really treat myself without opening my laptop. It's hard but it does work for me. Also, the more that I establish and stick to my boundaries the easier it is for me to establish them with other people.
Do you think women can have it all?
Eh. I think "having it all" is a ridiculous term that a man probably came up with to shame us for wanting many things. I think you can have your heart desires if you work everyday to attain them and get better juggling your priorities from day to day. Somedays your career will be the priorities, other days it may be your relationships – in either case you weren't wrong.
What do you think the future of social media will be?
I think social media is going to continue growing. People say that it will go away -- I really don't think so at all. I think it'll just keep evolving and being integrated into our day to day lives.
3 Lessons I Learned in 2018
It's the last day of 2018! Before I get glammed up to party the night away, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the year, the progress I have made, and the challenges and goals I'm laying forth for myself in 2019. I've never been one for resolutions, but I am excited about some major changes on the horizon that I hope will make my life as enriched as it was in 2018. Here are some of the things I've learned and moments I'm most proud of this year.
I started to harness my own creativity
Being a content creator is fun, yet challenging. When I first started, I relied heavily on professional photographers to create content, but this year I pivoted and took most of my content creation into my own hands. I got better at composition, editing, art direction and location scouting. I'm going to plan a whole post about my new content strategy and why I work with pros less, but right now I'm relishing in knowing that I challenged myself creatively and can get even better as I grow in 2019
I learned to reprioritize my finances, and stick to it
I've known for awhile that I need to save more, but more fun things always got in the way. There was always a trip I wanted to take, a group dinner I wanted to go on, something I wanted to buy. I'm fortunate enough to be financially stable and have enough disposable income to live comfortably but I realized I was being far too comfortable and not saving enough. My emergency fund had been steady, but not growing and my 2019 life plans will require some serious spending on things that are absolutely worth it. I spent the last few months of 2018 making sacrifices to catch up - automating more of my savings, cutting back on dinners out and saying no to A LOT of travel. It was hard but it's time to start adulting and really getting serious about saving for my future. 2019 may end up being the year of no when it comes to travel and social plans, and I'm starting to get ok with that.
I tried to be more body positive and learned it didn't work for me
My body has changed a lot the past few years but I noticed it even more in 2018. Since this was the year of body positivity, I tried to embrace being a few pounds bigger and not being perfectly toned. The change was surely a combination of getting older, travelling more, spending time and sharing meals with the bf, and spending less money on my fancy boutique fitness classes. I went back and forth with feeling confident and insecure, dieting aggressively to drop pounds quickly, then of course putting them back on as soon as I started eating more normal. I told myself I was still in great shape and that being a little curvier for several good reasons was fine, but I really never believed it. Some people do believe you should never worry about your looks, but I've always thought that if you don’t like something about yourself you should change it. So I will be recommitting to the body I want to get back and taking healthy but disciplined steps to get there.
Let me know what you guys learned in 2018 and what you hope to accomplish in the year to come. Wishing you all the happiest New Year!
My 2017 Style Resolutions
It’s a new year, and the perfect time to think about your look. Everyone suddenly becomes obsessed with fitness and workout tips, but I’m really thinking about honing in on my personal style. Every woman’s body changes, but if you nail your look and some core style principles, looking amazing on a daily basis becomes a much more manageable task. Here’s how I plan to step up my style game in the New Year!
1. I’ll find new ways to wear sneakers and comfort footwear.
The days of lugging around flats or suffering in heels all day are over. It may take some experimenting until I figure out enough ways to dress them up for various occasions, but finding the balance between style and comfort is a necessity.
2. I’ll have fun with color, especially on my face.
I love makeup, but have found myself with a seemingly endless array of shimmery neutral eyeshadow palettes, and taupe or blush lip stains. Occasionally I would do a classic red or burgundy lip. However this summer I stumbled upon a cobalt blue liquid lipstick and wearing it was one of my favorite style statements of the year. A bit of bold color on the lips or eyes, or even both is an easy and inexpensive way to make your look pop. I promise to have more fun in the makeup department, even if only on weekends or special occasions.
3. I’ll spend less time shopping and more time shopping my closet.
Working in fashion for almost 10 years has helped me build up a pretty impressive wardrobe, thanks to constant sample giveaways, insider discounts and private sales. I usually adopt a golden rule while shopping – if it doesn’t go with 3 different things I already own, I don’t buy it. I slacked on that rule a bit in 2016, largely due to the sudden emergence of some really exciting trends in Spring and Summer. But in 2017 I’ll channel my creativity, get thrifty, and be more environmentally friendly by inventing new ways to rock some of the amazing things piled up in my closet.
4. I’ll invest in a quality, timeless designer handbag.
I’ve been wanting a bag upgrade for a while, but whenever it came time to bit the bullet, I spend on something else, usually an experience. That approach has brought my amazing memories, but I never stop wanting the bag. This year I will strike the compromise between splurging on a luxury item vs an unforgettable experience by stalking sample sales and the famous Barney’s Warehouse Sale.
What are your style resolutions for 2017?
*This post was originally written for Luxe Radar