Your Anxiety and You

FYI: I want to start this out by saying I am not a health care professional, I am only stating the things I have learned because I suffer from anxiety, from the research I have done over the years, and what I have learned from doctors.

           I myself have lived with Anxiety for a long time [as far back as I can remember]. When I was younger there wasn’t much for sources, information, or help to tame the beast that I am wasn’t even totally sure what was happening to me. I thought I was alone in fight to overcome whatever was happening to me. Boy, was I wrong. According to ADAA.org 18% or 40 million adult Americans are affected by some form of Anxiety.

          Anxiety is a mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fears that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities. Examples of anxiety disorders are: panic attacks, OCD [obsessive compulsive disorder], and PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder].

          Anxiety develops from complex risk factors, including: genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and/or life events. Symptoms might include stress that’s out of proportion to the impact of the event, inability to set aside a worry, restlessness. Treatments could possible be: counseling and/or medications [usually anti-depressants].

Here are a few of the signs that can help you to know if you should start seeking assistance in helping to work with your Anxiety.

• Whole Body:
  • Fatigue
  • Restlessness
  • Sweating
  • Trembling
  • Nausea
• Behavioral:
  • Hyper vigilance
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
• Cognitive:
  • Racing thoughts
  • Unwanted thoughts
  • Sensation of an abnormal heartbeat
  • Poor concentration
  • Feeling of impending doom
  • Fear
  • Excessive worry

Ages Affected

Getting Help

             Please never be afraid to ask for help! If that means getting your parents, partner, other relatives, a specialist, doctor, clergyman, anyone that you trust and can help to give you some sort of guidance even if that just means comforting you and helping you find someone better qualified to help you find your way though your anxiety. Then, start with a few of these tips to help yourself to get ahead of it, also this helps you to learn to be the one in control of it.

• Self Care
  • Avoid Alcohol
    • May be harmful and aggravate certain conditions
  • Reduce Caffeine Intake
    • Reduces risk of aggravating certain conditions
  • Physical Exercise
    • Aerobics activity for 20-30 minutes 5 days a week improves cardiovascular health.
    • If injured pursuing an activity that avoids the injured muscle group or joint can help maintain physical function while recovering.
  • Stress Management
    • Pursuing an enjoyable activity or verbalizing frustration to reduce stress and improve mental health.
  • Quitting Tobacco
    • Quitting any type of tobacco products can help keep unnecessary chemicals out of your body that may alter you in any fashion.
  • Relaxation Techniques
    • Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, rhythmic exercise, and other activities that reduce symptoms of stress and triggers.
  • Healthy Diet
    • A diet that provides essential nutrients and adequate calories, while avoiding excess sugar, carbs, and fatty foods.
  • Therapies
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
      • A talk therapy focused on modifying negative thoughts, behaviors, and emotional responses associated with psychological distress
    • Meditation
      • Improves mental health and helps relaxation
    • Psychotherapy
      • Treatment of mental or behavioral disorders through talk therapy

Specialists

               Finding someone properly qualified to help you properly can seem like a task – but I promise you will find someone wonderful – DO NOT SETTLE for someone that isn’t a proper fit. If you don’t feel a bit of a professional connection with them, then find someone else! Don’t feel bad about it or like you might have failed or something because that is not true at all. You have to make sure it is a good situation for yourself so that you can come out the other side of all of this better than you went in. Anxiety is nothing to laugh at - it can take over your entire world if you let it. Reaching out for help is the best way to figure out how to work with your anxiety in a positive way to stop the growth of the negative aspects. Do some research online for a doctor who has a good success rate with people who live with Anxiety.

• Clinical Psychologist
  • Treats mental disorders primarily with talk therapy.
• Psychiatrist
  • Treats mental disorders primarily with medications.
• PCP [Primary Care Provider]
  • Prevents, diagnoses, and treats diseases.

 Resource:

www.crisistextline.org

• Text: "connect" to 741741
  • For people of all ages
  • Things they can help you with:
    • Stress
    • Anxiety
    • Suicidal Thoughts
    • Self-harming
    • Depression
    • Grief
    • Eating Disorders
    • Physical/Emotional/Sexual/Mental Abuse
    • Isolation/Loneliness
    • Relationship Issues
    • Bullying

It Is NOT Curable, But It Can Be Manageable

            There is no quick fix cure for anxiety, but with the right treatment for you it can be manageable. I have suffered for a long time - I don't take any meds and never have [that's not to say it won't help someone else] - but having someone to talk to has helped me a lot - and in time I will keep getting better - not that it will be an easy task, but it has been and will continue to be worth it.

             I know many people are nervous or against getting involved with some sort of doctor but trust me, they can be a great source of information and helpful in getting yourself to a much more useful place inside your own head so you can function better in your day to day life.

Helping Your Loved Ones Understand Your Anxiety

            Give those closest to you the info you have learned about anxiety and as you learn the things that help to calm your anxiety. Share that info with the people in your life. Things that have helped me when my anxiety is high or during an anxiety attack (these may not help you) are:

• Just hug me - I just need to know I'm not alone - I don't need questions or even talking, just physical contact.
• Making it known that just because an everyday activity is easy for them doesn't mean it's easy for me.
• Just because I may seem calm or even happy doesn't mean my mind isn't racing and I'm not glancing all around because I have to know who is around me at all times.
• Being on time for things that you've made plans for, it is hard for my anxiety and me when someone is late. It is even harder for me when I am running late for things - as rarely as that happens.
• Learning what my key signs are right before I have an anxiety attack is important to my coping skills.
  • Getting really quiet
  • Can't stop from looking all over
  • My breathing can get a bit labored [not hyperventilating though]

Things Not to Say to Someone With Anxiety or During an Anxiety Attack

• "You haven't always been this anxious"
• "You’re embarrassing me/yourself"
• "Why are you being so difficult?"
• "You are faking"
• "Why are you acting like a psycho/being crazy?"

Things to Remember When Someone You Love is Suffering From Anxiety

• Help us to remember that we are still normal.
• Don't create unnecessary suspense/drama/stress to the situation
• Invite me to do "nothing" with you:
  • Watch TV/a Movie
  • Hang out with me quietly while we do our own things
  • Take me on a drive with loud happy music
• Understand that sometimes we just need some space
• Just listen openly. DO NOT offer advice or try to hurry them along or try to shut them up or watch TV or play on your devices… Just Listen.
• The main thing to remember is act like the person you would want if you suffered from anxiety.

          Anxiety can be scary and can make you feel very alone even in a room full of your favorite people - let them know you are there for them in the way that is the most comforting for them, even if it isn't the most comfortable for you.

          There is no one people exactly like another, we all have things we live with that aren’t exactly how we wish it were. Most of us are doing the very best we can to stumble our way through the dark so that we can come out the other side resembling something of a “normal” human being. Cut people some slack, none of us are perfect.

NPR Interview with Stationery & Beyond Entrepreneurs

This time on No Pants Required we have a pair of successful creatives and business folks from the beautiful state of Michigan. They are the face behind Oh Hello Stationery Co. - they create beautiful and functional stickers, enamel pins, washi tape, greeting cards, mugs, and so much more!

They have carved out their own little corner of the planner world, which is growing bigger and better all the time. They were recently mentioned by a big name in the planner world *coughErinCondrencough* at PlannerCon 2017 in San Francisco at the beginning of March and in just seeing their emotional reaction you know that are extremely appreciative of what they have and who helped them get there.

Without further ado here are the sweet and funny Kayla and Alex!

NPR: Let’s start with how old both of you are?

A: I am 26 as of Feb

K: I turn 25 in June

NPR: What is the theme song for your life?

A: Oh man, one song? I listen to music all day and it changes, right now it is Bruno Mars 24k and That’s what I like. I get in such a good mood when they come on.

K: Anything by the Wheepies. I realize it’s pretty mellow, but I can listen to them forever.

NPR: How did you meet?

A: We met through a former best friend. The short story is they broke up and we ended up dating by almost accident. I was studying abroad and we just started chatting online. By them time i got home 9 months later i realized I really like this girl and I couldn’t even remember what she really looked like.

K: Honestly he found me super annoying when we first started talking!

NPR: You guys got married recently, CONGRATS! How is married life treating you?

A: LOVING IT. I still can’t believe that I conned her into it. I mean have you seen my wife, she is smart, funny, infuriating in all the right ways and not to mention adorable.

K: It’s seriously amazing. I love Alex more now than ever before.

NPR: So let’s get into the planner side of things! When was the first time you realized that what you were creating could be marketed to others?

A: That is a Kayla Question as I like to say.

K: Honestly our business started off with greeting cards and we kind of accidentally fell into doing stickers. I’ve always wanted to have a stationery shop.

NPR: What steps did you take to start making that happen?

A: Honestly Kayla started this thing and I come home one day and she’s hand cutting some stickers and putting them into little bags. It took her two hours for a $4 bag of stickers that we never sold. I knew that was crazy so I have a little bonus money I saved up and bought her a silhouette. Fast forward to the business making more money than me at my job and i hated my job so I went to keep the company alive while i looked for a better job.

K: We constantly are looking for the next way to expand and grow.

NPR: I have heard in your videos on your YouTube channel Above The Telescope that you, Alex are a business major - how has that worked in your favor through the process of getting Oh Hello Co. started?

A: To be honest, not a lick. I actually have two degrees with three focuses (entrepreneurship, business management with a focus on marketing, and finance, management) and not one of those classes prepped me for this. Here is why I am not lying - all those classes (including the entrepreneurship) all talked about handling 100+million companies. There is this gap between nothing and 100 million that never was explained or even touched upon. Our first year our taxes nearly ruined us, we just had to learn fast.

K: I totally agree with Alex. Anything I learned in college didn’t prepare me at all for this kind of work.

NPR: How many hours a day do you work on a typical day? Printing? Packaging? Creating the images? The business side of things?

A: I would say about 12 hours for me but that’s including lunch and dinner. So probably 10 hours a day. And we try to take a day a week off. The thing is that sounds like a ton but if I get sick of printing and cutting, I go design and it’s a totally different passion. For me, I am lucky that this business brings nearly all my passions into one thing.

K: There are so many aspects of Oh, Hello it never feels like we’re doing anything for long. Plus I LOVE working!

NPR: In a vlog it was mentioned that you both make all custom content from the designs to products themselves do you think that gives you a leg up in this corner of the market you are in?

A: It is both our greatest value and weakest point. We add value by making sure we are the ONLY ones who have these stickers and we are able to do things for our customers who just buys clip art never could. Like our dog and cat stickers are made from photos of our Helloigans pets, you can’t do that if you bought the art. The other side is I can only do so much, when making designs I might spend hours on something that is a flop and I can only make one a week. Where if you buy the art you can make a new kit a day. And you have a ton more variety as well, but then anyone else out there can find where you buy your art from a reverse google search and now you have nothing special. So again, double edge sword.

NPR: Do you listen to music when you are creating content? If so, what is your workflow playlist?

A: OH YEA, I go through moods. Right now i’m on this lo-fi hip hop kick (link https://soundcloud.com/xmittens) and it’s great for grinding out work. But I have to throw in different music all day to counteract my moods, so if I get tired i’m pumping Bruno Mars. Then if I need to just do work that i’m not really into I turn on girl talk on Pandora because it’s upbeat and catchy. But a few months ago it was all Simon and Garfunkle. So it bounces around.

K: I actually work in silence most of the time!

NPR: What is your go to snack and drink when you are working?

A: Coffffffeeeeeeee obvs, then water and for snackage its goldfish or nuts if we splurged that week and got some. I would say the flamin hot LIMON cheetos but they stain your hands red like Macbeth and I try not to get that all over stickers.

K: I’m weirdly obsessed with Nutty Butter bars. It’s an addiction.

NPR: What do you do to wind down after a long day of work?

A: I pour two fingers of rum and play overwatch for a few hours. I stream my playing but have literally zero followers and for good reason - I am garbage. But I play almost every day and am always willing to play with people!

K: I don’t really wind down hahaha. Usually my “breaks” are working on blog posts or videos, and that’s still kind of part of my job!

 

NPR: Do you plan to attend Planner Con in 2018?

A: You know it! It was a blast and we are thinking of even doing a similar event in the midwest if we can figure out how to do it!

K: We want to have a booth and be even more involved than we were last year. It was so amazing.

NPR: Where are you looking to take your business over the next couple of years?

A: I think we need to expand into other products and get into retail stores. The stickers market was not here 10 years ago and that means it might not be here in 10 years. For us, we need to find other ways to stabilize ourselves. I mean one day I wouldn’t mind a child but not if we can’t feed it! But currently, I feel really good about the future, and also hope the stickers stay around for 100+ years!

K: I have my eye on craft shows. I think a lot of what we’re getting into would do really well in that market.

NPR: Any new products on the horizon we should be looking forward to?

A: Oh Mayne, so many! We are looking at socks, coasters, koozies, flip flops, clip boards, and shirts. We are even working with some local cut and sew shops to see if we can make leggings and/or placemats. The hard part is that we can get you hand-made unique placemats but we want to compete on price and quality. Having someone hand sew placemats can increase the cost a few bucks and when you can run to walmart and snag placemats that are cheaper and slightly less quality it’s scary. We are doing all this work and it might be something no one wants.

K: I’m most excited for sticker organizers. A collection of stickers all in one place at a fantastic discount. So pumped.

NPR: Any advice for someone else looking to break into a creative business such as what you do?

A: Hope I can swear. START RIGHT FUCKING NOW. I had a friend over last week that makes me look like i’m eating glue compared to how good he is at making art. He works construction and does nothing with that talent. His excuse was lack of knowledge. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! If you make art and that is what it is, ART. I don’t make clipart I make mini portraits of my life. Anyway if you make things and are scared or don’t know how, email me at ohhellostationery@gmail.com We can either help you getstarted or even help make some items with your art on it for you to sell. To be clear I am not going to do the work for you but I can help you not waste time going down the wrong roads. Sorry for the rant, huge pet peeve of mine are people who undervalue

themselves. 7 billion people on spaceship earth and there is a percentage that will think what you do is beautiful or meaningful and want to have that in their lives. The hard part is finding them, i’ll admit that, but they are out there waiting silently for you to come into their lives.

K: Alex gets passionate about this sort of thing so I’ll keep mine short. It doesn’t happen overnight. I have that quote as my desktop image. You aren’t going to become famous and rich with just a few days work. You have to keep at it no matter what.

NPR: Is there anything else that you would like to share with our audience that I might not have mentioned previous to now?

A: Thank you for allowing us to be interviewed it was a really good 

​​interview in my opinion. I hope anyone who spent the time to read about us got something from it. I also would like to say thank you to the many people who do support us in what we do, we have one of the most amazing group of people who call themselves Helloigans and support us. I honestly can’t think about it too hard or i start to tear up (which is the manly way of saying crying) because I live a life I don’t deserve.

K: Thank you so much for interviewing us!!

Thank you both for your time, Alex & Kayla! I’m so glad we got learn more about you and Oh Hello Stationery Co.

Please everyone go check out all of the places they give us content. Leave them some love in the comments!

Website: Oh Hello

YouTube: Above The Telescope

                   Microscope Beauty

Blog:      Microscope Beauty

Instagram: Alex

                     Kayla

Facebook: Helloigans Group

No Pants Required

Book Review: Evermore

                              [Source]


 Imagine your entire life falling apart because you lost your family in a car accident and you were supposed to die with them. In fact, you were halfway to crossing the afterlife bridge with them. Then suddenly, your “soulmate” who has found you for centuries is responsible for you not being able to cross over with them. That’s what happened to a young girl named Evermore, or Ever.

     Evermore by Alyson Noel is an enticing novel that falls in the category of fantasy literature. The possible theme of this book is that ‘Love Heals’. When Ever gets into a battle with Drina and is close to being dead, again, she heals her wounds by remembering how her loving family. Damen informs her that ‘only love heals. Anger, guilt, and fear can only destroy and separate her from her abilities’.

      Ever was on her way to a family vacation when a deer jumped in front of their vehicle. The car spun out of control and she lost her mom and dad, her little sister, Rylie, and their dog, Buttercup. She came out of a coma after the accident and she was rescued by a mysterious man. After the accident, she began developing certain abilities: reading minds, she can see the color of people’s aura, strength, manipulation, and she knows the answers on a test before she even gets it.. Ever was content with wearing hoodies to school and ignoring her peers until he, Damen, moved there. At first she wasn’t all too impressed with them then it was like she could not control it and she fell in love with him. She began to notice that he was different too, and no I don’t mean relationship stereotype of different, I mean psychic different. They fell in love and there is a jealous ex-girlfriend, Drina,  who kills her in every century that her and Damen try to be together. (Read passage from book 296-297)

       I chose this passage because throughout the entire book Ever is faced with issues and she ran from them. She would always hide from them and try to shrug it off. When her parents died, she wore hoodies to school everyday to block out the sounds of anyone making noise to her. In this passage, you can see how she is refraining from running and fleeing in honor of her family and all the lives she’s had in the past. 

This is a review by my 18 year old daughter. She is fantastic! <3 

NPR Interview with a Middle School Teacher

Ladies and Gentleman, It’s my pleasure to introduce you to someone who means a lot to me and so many others! Tanicia Peairs or better known to me as Miss Tee! We have been friends for.. well a long time. We met in our early 20’s while she was in college here in Wichita (she is originally from California and has been back there for many years). Miss Tee is a middle school teacher and truly loves what she does and does it well. She makes teaching fun and interesting and tailors her curriculum to individual students because as we all know not all kids learn the same.

She is a gentle, kind, hilarious, intelligent without letting her ego get in the way (she is a natural teacher for sure), beautiful, a great friend, and inspiring. We all could learn so much from her.

So let’s get into this interview so we can hear from her all about her.

NPR: Let’s start with a bit about yourself, basic stuff - age, area you live in, how long have you been teaching, pets, favorite color, and anything else you would like to share with everyone?

MT: Wow! Fantastic introduction! I'm humbled. I'm 35 years old and have been working with children all of my adult life! Though, I've been teaching officially for 6 years. My favorite color, my POWER color, is Purple. I have a pet dog, named Sadie. She is a 9 year old White Labrador/Pit mix and my fur baby!

NPR: When was the first time you realized you wanted to be a teacher? What about for the age group you teach?

MT: Growing up, many people told me that I should be a teacher; however, I wanted to be a psychologist. When I attended Wichita State University in undergrad, Psychology was my major. For four years, I worked with kids to put myself through college, but never wanting to make it a long term career choice. One summer day in 2004, I was working at a summer camp with a group of 1st and 2nd graders. I was helping them facilitate how to build a tent. I didn't do it for them, but I asked guiding questions, offered encouragement, and when they got frustrated asked them to look at it from a different view. After some time, with a lot of teamwork, and perseverance, the kids put together the tent and lifted it upright. The kids let out a loud cheer of excitement and accomplishment! I cheered with them! That moment I knew I wanted to be a teacher. It was my destiny! I knew because I thought to myself, I helped them to realize that they were capable of putting together a tent. For the rest of the summer, the kids played in the tent, read books, and created a safe space… from their own hands. The tent was theirs… and I helped.

NPR: Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?

MT: My biggest inspiration were some of my own teachers that I had growing up. It is not easy for a kid attending 10 schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade. However, I was blessed with amazing teachers and mentors. My sixth grade teacher, Ms. Bonora, was young, strong, intelligent, and straight to the point. She was a strong female figure and personally told me, and made me feel like I could succeed. My high school French teacher, Mme. Stevens, encouraged and nurtured my French language development. She inspired my passion to investigate and embrace other cultures. She brought her kindness and sensitivity to her instruction, and it made her a stronger educator. Mr. Hallford was my AP English teacher my senior year in high school. His was the most challenging class I ever had to take. I had always been an exemplary student, but not in his class. I tended to earn Cs. However, he challenged me to work hard. I earned every A  I received in his class. Every time I did write an exceptional essay, he made sure that I was recognized for it. Mr. Hallford was tough, no nonsense, brutally honest, with a dark sense of humor. Without his concise critique and ability to encourage me to think analytically and critically, I would not have been successful in college and beyond.

NPR: What is the theme song for your life?

MT: “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve

NPR: Name one thing that changed you so much that it took you a moment to understand what happened?

MT: The shooting of Michael Brown was something that has changed my world view. I know students are complex. They are capable of benevolence and making mistakes. His death was the catalyst for the “Black Lives Matter” movement, but the biggest take away for me was that I felt responsible to prepare little boys and girls of color for the real world. Teaching became a vehicle for social justice to me. I felt compelled to inspire my students to be open minded to people of various backgrounds, to stand up for those who are being bullied, and to thirst for knowledge and education. In addition to teaching my students math and science, I model behaviors that endeavor to get to know, and love, more people who are unlike themselves.

NPR: Recently you took a solo cruise - how was it given that you have introverted side to you like I do?

MT: Making new friendships, and starting conversations with strangers is something that is very hard for me. Many days, I'd be just fine staying home alone and reading a book or watching my favorite television shows and movie. However, when I was a teenager, I realized that in order to successfully navigate the world and have friends, I needed to be outgoing and positive. Extroversion is a learned behavior for me.

 

Over the years, I have gotten better at appearing to be an extrovert and overruling my introvert nature. I try to set goals and challenges for myself to help me to come out of my shell, talk and get to know new people, and allow them to get to know me. Moving to Wichita, meeting new friends, and creating a support system on my own is one example of challenging my introverted nature. A goal I have for myself is to teach outside of the U.S. and discover a culture very different from my own. I felt a way to challenge myself to meeting that goal would be to go on an international cruise, on my own, and meet new people without having friends or family as a social buffer. I was excited, terrified, and determined to meet new people, embrace new cultures, and just have fun! Mission Accomplished!

NPR: On to the teacher side of you: What is your favorite part of your day at school?

MT: My favorite part of my teaching day is around mid morning to lunch. Usually at this point in the day, I have taught a lesson at least once, had time to improve the lesson, add improvements, then deliver new and improved instruction to my students. I feel like I am in the teacher zone! By mid morning, I have found ways to connect the real world, or pop culture, to the math or science concepts I am teaching for the day, and my students are the most receptive to new information. Once my students and I reach this synergy, that's when class starts getting really fun!

NPR: Which is your favorite subject to teach?

MT: Math and Science. However, I teach my students to view math as a science, or a tool of science. So I suppose it's science.

NPR: How would you describe your teaching style in 3 words?

MT: Entertaining. High-Energy. Unconventional.

NPR: If you could pick just one subject to teach for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

MT: That is tough! At the moment I only teach math, so I'll go with that!

NPR: Have you ever thought about teaching older or younger kids? Maybe even be a professor?

MT: Yes! I think all teachers think about the group they would like to teach based on their teaching style. Middle school students suit me the best. I say this with over 13 years experience working with students from Kindergarten to 7th grade. I don't think I could ever be a professor. I don't have much patience for adults and my teaching style wouldn't work for them.

NPR: What is the one thing that you would change about the public school system to make it better for the kids?

MT: I would change the relationship and trust between parents, teachers, and administration. If we all united with the goal of educating all children to live up to their potential, then we would everything possible to make America’s children succeed.

NPR: What is your 1 year plan? 5 year plan? 10 year plan?

MT: In the next five years, I hope to spend some time teaching overseas. In the next 10-15 years, I hope to complete my administrative credential and move into an education administration position. Perhaps vice principal or principal.

NPR: Any advice for people wanting to go into teaching?

MT: Do it because you love children. Have fun. Otherwise don't waste their time or yours. The world’s children deserve the best teachers and mentors.

NPR: Any last pieces of advice, quotes, words of wisdom that you live by that you’d like to share with everyone?

MT: “Nullius in Verba” This Latin phrase was the motto for the British Royal Society. It translates to “Question Everything” or “Take No One’s Word For It.” This is a phrase I teach my students every year in order to encourage them to stay curious and search for proof. Even if that includes questioning me. The extent of human knowledge is always changing, so do not become complacent or stagnant. Rather, my personal goal, and goal as an educator, is to remain flexible and open to new and expanding pursuits of knowledge.

As you know, I adore you and I hope after this interview everyone will be able to even see a fraction of what I and many others do!

Thank you for your time and I hope we get to check in with you soon to see if those plans are coming to light!

-No Pants Required

Stress

 The month of April is Stress Awareness month. We should all be aware of our stress levels all the time, but sometimes it is extremely hard to keep it underwraps, especially when you have piles and piles of crap mounting and no idea how to handle it. Work, school, kids, relationship, home, life - all triggers in various ways. How do you handle your stress? How do you execute keeping yourself from a complete break down? Here are a few of the ways I handle stress and also de-stress so that I can keep going in as healthy a manner as I can.

1. I take time alone with no one at all around where I do things I enjoy, such as watching a movie or TV show I love, scrapbooking, reading a good book, writing, slip my earbuds in and listen to music. Simple things - things that help me to just chill.
2. Spend time with my kids. Sometimes just looking into their faces can remind you that life is much better than it feels at the moment.
3. Going to a coffee shop and having a drink with a close friend that doesn’t demand you to be the only listener the whole time - that will allow you to vent when you need to.
4. Call and talk to my grandma - she is so much fun to talk to and loves and supports me literally no matter what I say or do.
5. Take a drive with a friend that makes me laugh or I go alone.
   
   
   

NPR Interview with a Adult Novelty Saleswoman

 This time on No Pants Required, we have a good friend of mine who is a hard-working mama, fiance, and business woman, plus on top of that she is super sweet and hilarious to boot!
We delve into her business with a company that is doing wonderful things in the romance area of things.

Please welcome Brandi Grandon!

No Pants Required: Tell us a bit about yourself?
Brandi Grandon: my name is Brandi Grandon.  A 32 year old divorced mom of 3. I am outgoing, strong-willed, and sometimes stubborn.

NPR: What do you do?
Bg: I have my own business,  Cloud 9 Parties, a direct sales venture.  I also work a “9 to 5” job,  managing 2 storage facilities and uhaul dealership.

npr: What drew you to this type of business?
BG: I had been in direct sales with another company for 4 years, after some life changes,  I thought I'd look for a new company in the romance field. I researched and requested information from many companies in the US.  I fell in love with cloud 9 parties’ catalog.  The more information I found out in comparison to other romance companies secured my decision to invest.

NPR: How often do you work when you are doing Cloud 9 parties and sales?
Bg: the time I work in front of the public varies. When I do in-game parties,  I try to limit it to 3 hours from the time I arrive (about 30 prior to the party for setup) to me leaving the house after taking orders.  

When I do a vendor event or a fundraiser. I work anywhere from 2 hrs to 10 hrs.

NPR: Tell us more about Cloud 9 as a company?
BG: Cloud 9 Parties is the dream Crysti Sheldon had,  the CEO of C9P. She had been working in the romance field for years and wanted to create a company that was different and unique to the romance industry.  
Our consultants, no matter your rank in the company,  get personalized service.
Our host program is corporate paid,  so having a party is no expense to me, for the hostess’ s shopping spree is really free.
Cloud 9 customers have special buys available.

NPR: How did you get started with Cloud 9?
BG: I contacted the home office and was set up with kim krenkel director of marketing, 1st person under the CEO of cloud 9 parties. I paid for the largest kit available and had my first party within 2 weeks of ordering my starter kit.  

NPR: What was the first thing that drew you to working with Cloud 9?
BG: the catalog and company theme

NPR: How much time are you able to dedicate to your business each week?
BG: 10-30 hrs per week

NPR: What is your favorite part about having your own business?
BG: the freedom to make extra money when needed.

NPR: Any tips for someone who is looking at joining the Cloud 9 team and how to be successful at it?
BG: use the resources in the back office, use your fellow consultants ideas and tips. Attend conference.

NPR: Where do you see yourself going in the future - with or without being a part of Cloud 9?
BG: successful in all that I pursue

NPR: Any last words you’d like to share with everyone?

BG: be a pineapple, stand tall, wear a crown, & be sweet inside! Check out Cloud 9 Parties @ www.cloud9parties.com/bkendall on fb facebook.com/kansascloud9