Jess Lively

For the past two days I have been a bit MIA here on MML due to a migraine. In fact, over the past few weeks I also feel like I’ve been a bit less “me” on MML. And I am deeply sorry for this. As I have mentioned, I am in the process of switching [...]

Yesterday Michelle from When I Grow Up wrote about how she overcame her fears while pursuing her life coaching business. and I think the formula she came up with is brilliant. We can all remember these attributes as we face the worries (aka Vampires) that surface when breaking out of our norm to fulfill our [...]

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I had a great time over the long weekend in St. Louis with Mr. Lively and his extended family. Sleeping in, eating well, and recharging was delightful (and much needed). But now that I’m back, I am turning my attention towards decorating my apartment for the holidays. My [...]

Thankful I briefly thought about writing a post on Black Friday, which gets its name from the stores finally making enough sales to consider themselves “in the black” for the year. But selling a service is a little different from retail, which doesn’t make me the best expert on that subject. Instead I’ll focus on [...]

Happy Thanksgiving! I am spending the next few days in St. Louis with Mr. Lively and his extended family. In honor of this is a day of gratitude, I’ve decided to share the little things that I’d like to keep in mind on a more daily basis. Big things are easy to appreciate, but the [...]

As I get ready to run a new order of iPad cases, I realized yesterday that I have the option of running the color combinations as usual, or add a new option and drop an old option. And I would love your help to decide what to do. Right now our gold/fuchsia, cocoa/coral, gray/canary, and [...]

Since this week is centered on things we are thankful for, I would like to say thank you to the behind the scenes businesses who have helped Jess LC. A business is rarely as successful all by itself, it usually takes a team of professionals to lay the pretty on. Though this list is not [...]

If you’ve been following MML for any measure of time, you have seen Jess LC undergo a bunch of new changes in 2011. In January, I had the bolt of inspiration that led to growing Jess LC from a jewelry company to a lifestyle brand. It has been a string of challenges, one after another [...]

Strengths I spent a week in Chicago and just got back on Tuesday, and yes I got to meet Jess and she is just as charming and friendly in person as you’d expect her to be! We had a lovely time visiting. At coffee, Jess asked about some of my past work experience, namely a [...]

Health with Intention: Foods You’re Just Not That Into [Exercise] You know how sometimes you “forget” that you don’t really like a food when you’re hungry? Or when that food is right in front of you? I’ve found that a lot of people (myself included) don’t really know which foods they’re just not that into. [...]

… After posting this little phrase I tell myself this morning, I found a post by Seth Godin which explains how almost everything can be worth it.   (Also, congratulations to Maddie, Preethi, and Sarah for winning the Craftivore giveaway!)

… Just a little something I remind myself when things feel really hard.   (Image and quote made by Jess Constable)  

For those interested in the Business in the City events (which are happening monthly now), I have exciting news: We are now going to be ONLINE and IN PERSON at our December 13th event! The wonderful people at Next Door who are hosting these free events continue to support and improve this experience. Those in [...]

Each year I look forward to the fall and Thanksgiving for pumpkin flavored dishes. One of my favorites happens to be pumpkin dip. There is a delicious pumpkin dip on AllRecipies.com. But if you are looking for a lighter option, my mom has a healthier version that has a very similar flavor. One 8oz cool [...]

Here in the Jess LC studio we are gearing up for the holidays. Since we are expecting a pretty big turnout in the weeks to come, we are offering a special discount a bit early to those who are planning on some gift shopping for themselves or others during this holiday season. The 20% discount [...]

I’m on the lookout for help with Jess LC! This Friday (the 18th), I need an assistant to help with the set up and running of an evening event for the Junior League in the Chicago Cultural Center. It will just be myself and the assistant for the evening trunk show. The event runs 7:30p [...]

An update on the part-time job front Several weeks ago I posted about my conflicted emotions over looking for a part-time job to help ease the financial burden of only having one steady household income. I didn’t discuss it at the time, but shortly after writing that post we were told that my boyfriend Ryan’s [...]

Over the course of the summer Mr. Lively and I have started to run together and recently trained for and completed a 15k (9.3 miles) Hot Chocolate race here in Chicago last Saturday. It was Mr. Lively’s first official race, and we had a great time training during the week and on weekends. Because of [...]

Hi, MML! It’s Cathy of Fiscally Chic. Last time I was here, I talked about my inner battle between epic and enough. Since then, I decided to go with “epic.” More specifically, I started a new job! It’s scary and exciting. While I’ll still be working in accounting, the position is a bit new for [...]

Today we have an interview by an MML sponsor (and Midnight Hustler alumni), Lauren of Craftivore.com. Craftivore is a site filled with patterns, videos, and tips on how to create dozens of crafts like crocheting, knitting, and sewing. Below Lauren shares how she took her previous job as a video game artist and translated her [...]

Today I have a new use for those fancy candles that smell beautiful, but are less than rosy for the budget. Previously I shared how to re-use the pretty box. And here’s a new way to use the canister itself. (Like Martha says, to get rid of the leftover wax, put it in the freezer [...]

  Since January of 2009, I have been writing here on MML, sharing my journey to design my life with intention. I realized quickly that many people wanted to learn more about how I designed my business with intention as well. So I have laid out much of what I’ve learned from growing Jess LC [...]

One of the intentions I have which has been hard to implement has been saving for retirement… or just about anything else. As I’ve grown Jess LC, I find that the larger investments into marketing, product development, and inventory can drain cash quickly. So the idea of saving while I still have no real idea [...]

Because I’m always thinking intentionally, I generally plan things out, buy what I know I’m going to love, and stay pretty safe with most decisions when it comes to beauty. But two weeks ago I took the plunge and did two things that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I bought a furry vest [...]

Business Bucket List The “Bucket List” is that list you have (formally or informally) of all the things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.” It might mean climbing Mt. Everest, learning the violin, or something more attainable, like skinny-dipping. For my business, I think of the bucket list as all things I [...]

How to Shop Home Goods It’s hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t a fan of Home Goods. When I first started my decorating business, Home Goods was my go-to shop for accessories because it was so convenient and inexpensive. But even now that I have access to trade vendors, I still find myself going to [...]

I hope to see you tonight! 6:30-8:00 at Next Door Chicago. PS – There will be treats!

From the years that I’ve been writing here on MML, I’ve been amazed at the amount of people who want their own business as a part of their life intention. And I have been honored to be able to share what I’ve learned from Jess LC to help people via business advice posts, one-on-one consulting, [...]

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I have been working my way through The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey for about the sixth time in six years. At this point I feel like I should practically be an affiliate for the book since I mention it so often. But seriously, [...]

Today I’m happy to introduce one of MML’s newest sponsors, Easy Canvas Prints. Their specialty is taking digital photos and turning them into stretched canvas wall art. Which is pretty brilliant because I think they make the perfect personalized wedding and baby gifts for my friends coming up. And when I finally get my own [...]