Being good at something + having a passion for it is not enough when what you really want is happiness. And by happiness I don't simply mean laughter + mojito parties + sunsets at the beach + Disney World vacations or a fat piggy bank. I mean connecting with something fundamental to your sense of identity + purpose + well-being. I'm talking about self-realization - reaching that point were time passes differently + were you're more vibrant + were you can't imagine being anyone else + were you are your most authentic self in that precise moment.

Like I said, passion + aptitude don't suffice to get you there. The third element that's missing from that equation is attitude.

"It is not what happens to us that determines our lives, it's what we make of what happens." - Ken Robison

Those who simply wait for good things to happen will be lucky to encounter them. That's why, today's Friday Video Time episode is an invitation to take an active role in "getting lucky".  I'll be showing you that there are actually 4 principles that characterize "lucky" people + 4 proactive ways you can turn that knowledge into a lucky charm. 

your turn

In the comments below, I would love to hear:

1. What have you done in the past to turn bad luck into good fortune. Do you remember a time when in spite of stiff opposition, you were able to take control of your ship?

2. What will you do moving forward, to maximize your chance for opportunities + create your own luck? Any aha-moments from today's video or epiphanies of your own?

Remember, you're not simply a victim of chance or a marionette of the Gods above. No. You are meant to do great things… act the part.

Till next time. 

xo, 

Mayi Carles

psst... mark your calendars

On Monday, May 14 at 6pm PST, join me + along with creative superstars April Bowles + Jessika Hepburn + Tara Gentile + Megan Auman for virtual cupcakes + a special live video chat hosted by our favorite host Sriniva Rao of BlogcastFM. The lineup is pretty amazing, covering topics likes creating video content + running your blog like a business + creative collaborations + pricing strategies.

Click here to register. It's free. Not kidding.

By now you know I don't recommend products, like EVER. I'm very picky + extremely protective of you that way. What can I say? It's true.

But today, for the first time in a longggg time, I'm making an exception. If you want to know why, keep reading.

the back story

Since I was tiny I've had a loud internal calling singing, "You are meant to do great things in the world." Call me naive, but I believed it. I honestly think, I have a gift that only I can give + if I don't at least make a serious attempt to pursue it, something magical will be lost + all I will feel is emptiness. In my heart I really believe that + the funny thing is, deep inside, I know, YOU know, that's true for you too.

My problem was, I was trapped in the compulsion to conform - too apologetic + too afraid of "what will they think?" I could blame the Panamanian bubble I grew up in, but that wouldn't be fair. 

So, last year, desperate for a revolution, I enrolled in B-School (you know, Marie Forleo's program?) because there was something about Marie's videos that hit home. Now, I won't lie, I was Haunted House terrified of the investment + was secretly telling myself, "Gosh, you've fallen for another marketing trap. How will you explain this to your accountant (aka your mother)".

But the skepticism flew away as fast as my transformation.

B-School showed me HOW to do, WHAT I WAS BORN to do, with a piggy bank to support my world domination efforts, cuz apparently watching all those episodes of Pinky and the Brain when I was little wasn't enough.

Last year I landed my first 5 figure month by just implementing B-School's free training videos + I've never looked back. But hubby can tell you the metamorphosis not only impacted my Excel spreadsheets + my ability to visit my baby sister in LA more often, but it changed my life. I'm happier + more confident in my ability to love + make a real difference. By "happier", I don't simply mean laughter + happy hours or parties; I mean connecting with something fundamental to my sense of identity + purpose + well-being. By "more confident", I don't necessarily mean less afraid or less vulnerable, quite the opposite in fact; I mean more determined in spite of fear + resistance, to pursue my metaphorical star.

And all it took was an open heart + one Jersey girl.

why am i telling you this?

Because keeping it to myself would be cheating + I don't even do board game cheating, unless, of course, I'm playing Monopoly against my little bother Coco + he's winning by a grand slam.

Because I'm B-School's unofficial self-proclaimed talking billboard.

No, but seriously, the reason I'm telling you this today it's because B-School's registration opens tomorrow, Friday May 11 + I've teamed up with my girl friend April Bowles (gotta love her) who took the program with me last year (call it coincidence + cosmic pixie dust or smarty pajama pants telepathy) to gift every reader that purchases the program with our affiliate link, 3 of our flagship products (Life is Messy Bootcamp + Roadmap + Blogging for your Creative Business) valued at over $500.

All the proceeds are going towards our new collaborative project Bridging the Gaps - a lifestyle revolution for online superstars, like YOU. It's still in it's secret stages, but now, thanks to your contribution + loving support, we really have a shot at making it a reality. WO-HOOO! (Click the banner below to help us spread the word on Twitter!)

free videos training

Whether or not you enroll in B-School, whether or not you use our affiliate link, please promise us that you'll at least take a moment to devour Marie's FREE B-School training videos? Opt-in is required, but it's totally worth it!

* Video 1: 6 Pillars to Reach + Make Millions

* Video 2: 13 Keys To Killing It Online

* Video 3: Common Excuses Killing Your Business

If you're heart is Coco for Cocoa Puffs right now, you're not alone. April + I are flipping too! 

muy importante

If you want to help us make Bridging the Gaps a reality + most importantly, if you want to win a free pass to Life is Messy Bootcamp + Roadmap + Blogging for your Creative Business (valued at over $500), please make sure you use OUR AFFILIATE LINK to enroll in B-School. We cannot stress this enough. We won't be able to give you our goodies unless you use OUR LINK to purchase. It's that cold turkey. Help us, give you your presents using none other than THIS LINK :)

I hate warnings, but with $500 on the line, I think it's worth taking all necessary precautions. 

xo,

Mayi Carles 

PD: If you have any questions about B-School or anything concerning this epic promotion, please don't hesitate to ring my e-mail or Aprils. We know this is a big investment + we want to help you make the best choice for you.

Our brain doesn't pay attention to boring stuff. That's why you can't remember your toilet cleaning episodes or supermarket checkout lines.

Emotionally charged events, are a completely different story. Those the brain holds on to for decades to come. 

Can you imagine how incredible handy this is for us creative entrepreneurs trying to change the world + hoping to get our right people on board our ships? By the way, parents + teachers take note. Can you just see the ridiculous potential this has for captivating the attention of little ones + easily distracted students? 

That's why, in today's Friday Video Time episode I'm sharing a few secrets on how to create beautifully memorable moments + some of my favorite case studies on the matter. OMG + there's also a special guest superstar appearance that you simple can't miss. I won't say more cuz I don't want to ruin the surprise.

After watching, come back + tell me what's the ONE thing about you + about our website + about your next video performance + about your next blog post (pick one) - what's the ONE thing that you will do to leave your audience talking? Craft that holy guacamole moment for me + tell me EXACTLY how it looks like. In the comments. Yes. 

You know where I'll be hanging out.

Oh + if this wasn't boring at all please click here to tweet! 

xo,

Mayi Carles

psst.. i need your help! 

I'm putting together a Friday Video Time music video + I want YOU to be a part of it. That's right. Thank Mr. Blacksburg Belle (aka Kris Olin) for the brilliant idea.

All you have to do to participate is e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  a short video clip (20 seconds max) of you (with the entire family if your want) signing + dancing Friday Video Time. Bonus points for party props. That's it!

Entries are due Monday, May 14. And, of course there will be special prizes for the most original submissions. A Friday Video Time music video wouldn't be the same without you!

I've been rubbing my hand together in anticipation for today's episode. And it's not only because we'll be giving writer's block a knuckle sandwich, but cuz I'm inaugurating my most precious party prop of all times. I'd waited too long for it's perfect debut. 

I know, totally irrelevant piece of information, but had to confess.

Moving on.

If you’re done with staring down the daunting whiteness of a blank document, not knowing how the hell to fill it with black typography; if you're done with research-a-thons that take you down a sad path of reading Kim Kardashian articles + re-organizing 4 times your Pinterest boards; if you're done panicking about your creative slump, it's time to give burnout a sucker punch, 5 to be exact, just in case. 

Go watch.

And why not throw a complementary Blog Burnout Cheat Sheet in the mix too? Abso-freaking-lutely, here you go. Just click here to download + print + make it happen.

Now, things happen pretty fast around here, so be sure to hop on the mailing list so you don't miss a thing. Just fill out the form below + I'll hook you up!

Till next time.

xo,

Mayi Carles

Music Credits

Imperial March (Theme from "Star Wars") / Jack D. Ellitot

Imperial March / London Pops Orchestra

Something about my computer crashing last Monday + being in a coma for 4 days put lots of things into perspective for me.

For starters, it made me realize that I was running my business with no seat belts on. I admit it. I'm one of those people who thinks airplane safety drills are boring + yawns at insurance commercials, specially the GEICO ones cuz they have no consideration for people with lizard phobias. Prevention is smelly. Who has time to think about that, right? WRONG!

Needless to say, I learned my lesson the hard way with 50% of my files smashed for eternity. I now know I need to bullet proof my business for lions + tigers + bears too, so when the Wicked Witch of the West strikes (if she ever dares to come back again), I'm not caught off guard without my glittery red shoes to protect me.

But what most significantly shock my core was realizing that I wasn't free - my 10 little fingers where incarcerated in keyboard land. I had the illusion of freedom, operating my business in my pajamas + in the commodity of my home, but truth be told I had become imprisoned to the very tool that claimed to liberate me. With the crap excuse that I'm an "online entrepreneur", I'd slowly but surely substituted playtime with Mr. Crayola box for clicks + downloads + visits + tweets + sends. Houston, we might have a problem!

How dare did I call myself an artist? To be an artist one most first be free. 

Ever since the accident, I've made a pact with myself to roll up my sleeves + get my hands dirty, at least once a day. The pictures displayed above reveals just a snippet of what happens when I let me, play. I had forgotten how much I needed that. I had forgetten how happy it made me feel.

I know that for most of us a computer crash is a worst nightmare come to life (knock on wood, twice), but I wonder, what would you learn if it happened to you? Do you think it would change anything about the way you run your life + your business? Give it some thought + let me know what comes up. I'm listening.

xo,

Mayi Carles

PS: I'm so excited to officially introduce you to all these hand illustrated goodies I'm creating + turning into notepads + cards + website buttons + printables + all that latin jazz.

I tend to shy away from Google Analytics + pie charts + statistics + anything with a percentage sign in it. Something about em' tele transports me to High School Math class + my "Algebra de Baldor" book + I begin to slowly suffocate + perspire like a marathoner.

But like doing my taxes + cleaning the toilet + shopping for batteries, every once in a while I force myself to check my numbers, even if it's just once a month, to see what's up - check for peaks + trends or anything unusually extraordinary - like finding out my newsletter's open rate is 80% as opposed to the 30%-40% most internet entrepreneurs get. Holy homemade guacamole! 

After doing the victory dance to Beyonce's "We Run the World" song + analyzing the situation with a magnifying glass, the sky cleared + the voice inside my head exclaimed, "Eureka! Wait a second! Shut the front door! No way Jose!" Right then + there I knew I had landed on something big. Surely one of those lightbulb-moment milestones for my business. Something I couldn't believe I didn't know before. 

And then, I got a sudden urge to pass on my findings to you, so you too can increase your open rates + overall conversations. Like the sound of that? 

Bingo! What a perfect story for Friday Video Time, right?

After watching today's episode, all I want you to do is take a cold look at your business practices + make the shift to the new proposed model.

Is there anything you see yourself tweaking right away? Any revelations? Aha-moments? Add your feedback below. I’m so pumped to hear it.

And feel free to click on any of the "Tweet Me Shout Outs" below to spread your favorite quotes from today's vid.

xo,

Mayi Carles

Ahem ahem! I'm interrupting the scheduled Vlogging 101 Series to bring you this kick in the pajama pants episode about, well, overcoming stuck + beating laziness.

As chief executive captain of the Life is Messy Bootcamp + self-proclaimed master organizer of the disorganized, it has come to my attention one peculiarity about us multi-passionate entrepreneurs: we're like Cirque du Soleil jugglers, trying not to miss a beat + trying not to mess up our act + trying so so freaking hard not to let our spectators down. This has got to stop!

Watch today's Friday Video Time clip to get the full scoop.

When you're done, click on the banner above to take the pledge. It's absolutely free. All you have to do is take a proactive stance + commit to the challenge. By doing so, you'll automatically join a movement of doers + world changers. I hope you take me up on the offer.

I've also whipped up this complementary 21 Day End Paralysis Challenge funsheet for tracking + accountability. Just click here to download + print + go + report your progress.

Don't forget, the challenge kick starts this Monday, April 16 + ends Sunday, May 6 (or never). Save the date!

What else? Oh yeah...

quick announcement

In the spirit of giving MORE + going DEEPER + reaching HIGHER + making REAL transformations in the lives of my clients, I've decided to make some BIG changes to my creative business coaching practice. Starting April 15 (that's this Sunday), I will only jam with 3 rockstars-in-the-rising at a time + my rates are going up 40%.

So, if you’re done wishing + consuming your days, I'd like to invite you to bibbidi bobbidi boo with me. All you have to do is click here to save your throne or simply shot me an e-mail at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I'm ready when you are superstar!

xo,

Mayi Carles

Once upon a time, not that long ago actually, in a galaxy not that far far away, there was a girl, let's call her Mayi, who watched too much Pinky in the Brain when she was little + quickly developed acute world domination aspirations. But no superhero cape or shiny career diploma would prepare Mayi for the stiff opposition she would encounter of her way to Mount Everest, filled with hairy monsters + vicious beats + tsunamic blizzards, oh my!

I've been wanting to tell you the full story for so long, but I just couldn't up until now, in spite of my heart palpitations going into cardiac arrest, because I honestly believe that by sharing I can shine light at some life-changing issues that might be surfacing at this stage of your video blogging journey. 

Hit play to watch what happened.

Oh + please do forgive my unmake-uped face + messy hairdo + unflattering wardrobe. I literally pressed the record button when I felt a sudden urge to let it all out, from my heart to yours. True tale. Today's Friday Video Time episode is completely unscripted + totally unprepared. It's the most vulnerable I've ever gotten, ever!

When you're done watching, make sure to download your Vlogging 101: Find Your Voice playsheet to maximize your takeaways + foolproof your quest to the brightest star + turbocharge your climb to the steepest summit.

Really looking forward to hearing what you have to say about this one.

enjoyed this vid?

Be sure to hop on the mailing list to get your weekly pixie dust fix, straight to your inbox + get my sweet TO DO PLANNER. Just fill out the form below + I'll hook you up!

xo,

Mayi Carles

Music Credits

Cobrastyle by Teddybears featuring Mad Cobra

Raise your hands up in the air if you love post-it notes? Make me proud people, I said, "Who's obsessed with post-its?"

Oh my goodness, so the other day I stumbled across this brilliant DIY idea on the interwebs + I said to myself, "This is pure genius. I've just got to try this at home to put my endless batch of post-its to good use." That's how the Daily Post-It Prioritizer was born, with peak-a-boo hand-illustrations. Are you cheering?

As an organizational master, I know the importance of keeping daily to-do's bite size + manageable + also (this is the part that most people miss) stacked in the order in which they need to be tackled. Yes, foolproof to withstand all noise + resistance + shiny objects. Feeling like a rockstar at the end of the day with all your tasks check-marked is the goal - Tweet This!

Now, the beauty of this Daily Post-It Prioritizing system is that you get to write up your goals on post-its (can you see me doing the happy dance?) + then, fix the order in which you want to start nailing your items (most urgent goals first) + when you're done, remove your accomplished tasks from sight.

And my favorite part of all is that you can start this ritual all over again the next day + then the next without having to reprint your sheet. Only thing that's constantly changing are your post-its, just like musical chairs.

I have my Daily Post-It Prioritizer pinned to my cork board already. Ain't it super cute?

Now, who's gonna join me?

xo,

Mayi Carles

PS: I swear I have no affiliations with the post-it people. It's called pure love.

Now, are you ready for some movie magic? Alrighty then.

If you're going HELZ YEAH in your head, then virtual high fives to you my friend. Now, if you have a big question mark in your forehead it's probably cuz you have no idea of all the awesomeness that's been going on in the Friday Video Time HQ. Don't worry, I'll put you up to speed.

This is actually Part III of my video blogging series (click here to watch Part I + here for Part II) + today I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I edit my blog movies. It's a little bit like Disney's MGM Studios expect I don't have any ear chocolate chip cookie sandwiches or a ride where I explode bombs in your face. Bohoo! But wait, I'm doing something pretty amazeballs for you: I'm making this technical video stuff really fun + pain free for you. Just like you like it!

And if you stick around till the end, I have 2 tips that will reduce your video editing process in half. I'm serious.

Heads up, the video editing software I used in today's episode is iMovie, which comes free for Mac users. Have a PC? Not a fan of iMovie? Want to upgrade? Video extraordinaire Bianca Filoteo of Video for Shy People recommends Final Cut Pro, for it's awesome performance + because it works with pretty much the same logistics as iMovie. When I take it out for a test spin, I'll come back to report.

Watch + sing + dance + take notes + tweet this + print your bonus Vlogging 101: Editing Magic Cheat Sheet + before you go, please let me know in the comments how this Vlogging 101 Series is going for you. Any aha moments + transformations + movie struggles? I want to hear from you + I want to start seeing your movies too. Consider me your personal pocket-size video blogging fairy for the next couple of weeks. I'm here superstar!

xo,

Mayi Carles

Psst… next week, I'm bringing you some never before seen (or heard) stories of my vlogging journey - the good + the bad + the ugly + the awesome. This is not a teaser, it's actually my evil alter-ego typing this to hold me accountable cuz she knows I'm too afraid to share. Damn it!