Ashley Jacobs: "Work hard and be kind...words I try to live by every day."

Meet San Diego CBS 8 Reporter, Ashley Jacobs and hear how she wakes up at 2:30am, “juggles” a successful career in the TV industry while raising her two beautiful kids

Ashley Jacobs (Left) and Heather Myers (right) both anchoring the news, CBS 8.

Ashley Jacobs is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter for CBS News 8 and The CW San Diego; in addition to covering the best activities for families to enjoy, sharing DIY hacks and all-things entertainment, Ashley frequently loses her keys, can't remember what day of the week it is and considers boiling water for mac and cheese "cooking," In short, she's a busy working mom blessed to have happy, healthy children. When she's not working or spending time with her kids, Ashley enjoys hiking, a heavy pour of white wine and never fails to record The Real Housewives of Orange County, Beverly Hills and New York. She's not proud of that, but hey... she's honest.

"Self-care is selfish" and other lies...

I pride myself on speaking to other working moms about balance: creating it and enjoying it. Somewhere along the lines I seem to have tricked myself into believing that I live a balanced life. That may be the biggest lie I've ever told myself! Someone shake me, please! I'm actively trying to remove the word balance from my vocabulary and replace it with "juggle." It's far more accurate: I am juggling work, parenting and a social life. Sometimes I manage to impress myself and others...other days I drop all the balls.

Child labor! Shhhh... sometimes Ashley uses her children in her early morning tv segments. It’s a unique element of her strong bond with her kids and a cool opportunity for her kids to see her at work.

Ashley’s son, Lucas Jacobs

My children are 7 and 8 years old, but it truly seems like yesterday I was sitting in the hospital, holding each of them for the first time. While it was a beautiful moment...I have to be honest: it was intimidating. First, it was my daughter, Addison. I was responsible for her life, shaping who she would become, yet I barely knew who I was! I was in my mid twenties...working as a reporter and anchor in Savannah, Georgia. I was insecure. TV is a tough business, like many career fields - it is extremely competitive. So, not only was I still finding my way as a young professional, now I had this huge responsibility as a new parent. What an incredible amount of pressure. Fast forward 17 and a half months later: I was in a different hospital room, holding a different baby (my son, Lucas) with that same overwhelming feeling: How on earth would I be capable of raising a family while still navigating my own challenges? I should add my husband was traveling all of the time when I had our daughter and he was deployed to Afghanistan shortly after I got pregnant with our son. He wasn't even home for the birth or first 3 months of his life. I had a lot of emotions to work through.

And that was the problem: I thought I was responsible for every success and failure in our family's lives...the pressure was on me to take care of the kids, continue contributing to our family financially, keep a clean house, host amazing parties, plan great vacations, lose the pregnancy weight quickly and on top of that post cute pictures on social media proving how perfect our lives were. Our lives weren't perfect and I put all of the pressure on myself....until I didn't.

I think that's huge. You are probably putting too much pressure on yourself too. And you have to be ok with taking some of that weight off your shoulders. Remember that... you will put all of the pressure on yourself... until YOU don't. And you can make that decision today.

I wish I had learned that sooner and that's my hope and prayer for all moms: you're not navigating motherhood alone. You can and should find the strength to ask for help.

I used to think asking for help was a sign of weakness. But it truly is the ultimate show of strength and confidence. Having the humility to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses is admirable. Here's a little example: I have to wake up for work at 2:30 a.m. 5 days a week. Until my daughter was half-way through second grade and my son was in kindergarten, I still tried to do everything all of the other moms were doing, forgetting I went to bed a lot earlier than all of them and I got up a lot earlier too. I literally had fewer hours in my day to make crafts for the parties, volunteer at school, host events and go to dinners. I was sound asleep when most adults were in their prime hours of the evening. Finally, I realized...I have to ask people for help: I needed a cleaning lady and I had to stop signing a line on EVERY sign up sheet that came my way: I couldn't bake goods for the bake sale, I couldn't come to every class party; I had to start saying NO and asking for help at the same time. It was liberating and strengthened relationships: people enjoy feeling appreciated and helpful. I took what I thought was a losing situation and turned into a win-win for our family and many friends.

For years, I also confused self-care with selfishness and so many relationships suffered because of that.

Ashley takes advantage of her unusual work schedule and capitalizes on being able to spend the afternoon with her kids while many working parents are still on the clock.

I thought spending time doing things that make me happy was selfish. I thought taking time to meet girlfriends for lunch or to have a moms night out was selfish. I thought sneaking in a manicure or having that extra glass of wine meant I was putting myself before my children, therefore I was not being a good mom. I missed out on a lot of opportunities to form solid friendships; I lost touch with some of my BEST friends from college, because I didn't make a point to travel for important milestones in their lives, because I didn't want to leave my kids. I didn't make time for phone calls, because I had too many other responsibilities on my plate.

But you can't take care of your family if you're not taking care of yourself. There's an old saying, "You can't pour from an empty glass," and its true. Seriously, think of every time you fly on a plane...they remind you, you MUST put on your mask before assisting anyone else, because if you're not ok...the people closest to you won't be ok either.

How Ashley’s 3am mornings look like.

With children 7 and 8 years old, I thought I'd have it all figured out by now...and I have figured a lot of it out: but there are still so many unknowns. Each year comes with new challenges as not only the kids change and grow, but as women we're constantly evolving too. Gosh, each day can bring new challenges. And I believe being an amazing mom doesn't mean you have all of the answers; amazing moms just try to figure it all out.

You deserve to find happiness in areas of your life outside of parenting: whether its making time to read, have a girls night or exercise. If you can fill your cup, you're going to have so much more love to pour into the hearts of your kids.

Follow Ashley Jacobs:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyjacobstv/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshleyJacobsTV/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ashleynews8

Article Published by: Valerie Tatunay

With a passion for storytelling, Valerie enjoys the art of creating content. When she is not writing, you can find her exploring America’s Finest City with her four dogs. or soaking up magic at Disneyland.

A Brief Guide to Social Media Planning

Whether it be connecting with a friend, influencer or customer, social media is a revolutionary tool in building relationships. For a brand or business, the planning and organization behind each comment, post and story is much more crucial than for the average person posting a selfie.

If you’re new to the social media game or find your brand struggling to reach goals, think about how you’ve been going about the situation. Do you plan out your actions on social media or just go with what feels right each day?

While planning may seem too time consuming, it is 100 percent necessary. A brand can’t expect to build its online presence without the proper foundation. It is an important first step that must be met before your brand decides to jump off the ledge into the world of social media. Here is a basic guideline to use when you start your planning process.

Use P.O.S.T. as a way to break down your planning into smaller steps.

People

First and foremost, focus on who you’re trying to reach. Know who your audience is in every way possible. This includes their attitudes, hobbies, social activities, demographics and technographics. Technographics refer to a person’s online behavior. Are they a creator (making videos, posting content) or do they choose to be a critic that simply comments on other people’s work? Figure out what type of users your target audience is and this will help you decide what your next steps are.

Objective

This second step is pretty straightforward. Decide what your business wants to accomplish. Do you want to increase sales, decrease the amount of customer complaints, or increase awareness of your brand? Your objectives must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based (S.M.A.R.T.).

Strategy

Third, decide what your strategy will be in order to accomplish your objective. How will your relationship with your consumers change? “How” is the key word that drives your strategy. How will you go about decreasing the amount of customer complaints? An example strategy could be “Foster engagement with consumers online.”

Technology

Last but not least in the planning process, you need to consider how technology plays a part in achieving your objective. The information you’ve gathered on your audience, as well as your strategy, should direct you toward your best options. This step involves choosing the specific tools and tactics that will move you toward your end goal. Replying to customer tweets on Twitter or creating an online forum for your customers to connect are just a couple examples of how your business can do this.

Final Note

Social media encompasses a vast range of online tools that brands need to take advantage of in our age of technology. Social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are some of the most popular, but remember that there are so many other areas to tap into. Blogs, online forums, rating sites, virtual worlds; take the time to utilize these online tools and you’ll be surprised at how much they benefit your business.

References

Li, C., Bernoff, J., & Groot, M. (2011). Groundswell. Zaltbommel: Thema.

High Heels and Ponytails , The Necessary Tools for Leaders

“I am a unique woman with who has something great to contribute”

Ever wonder what the secret recipe is to becoming a good leader? It takes a cup of perseverance, a spoonful of guts, and a surprising dash of insecurity and emotion. Seems like an unconventional recipe right? However, this recipe lead Lavi’s Inspirational Woman of the Week, Dr. Julie Ducharme, up the winding path to success.

Dr. Julie Ducharme is a sought-after keynote speaker, author, business consultant, entrepreneur, instructor, and a special consultant in women's empowerment. Dr. Ducharme is the creator, founder, and CEO of Julie’s Party People, JD Consulting, and Synergy Learning Institute a technical vocational college. Dr. Ducharme has been a consultant, instructor and serial business entrepreneur for the last 17 years. Dr. Ducharme has hit the prestigious  Inc Magazine’s top 60 leadership books list with her book Leading By My Ponytail, Why Can’t I wear Pink and Be The President. Dr. Ducharme’s accolades continue with a strong educational background consisting of a Doctorate of Business Administration, to  top national awards, and best papers for IBAM. Recently Dr. Ducharme took her best selling book and developed two e-courses caled Slippers to Stilettos and Combat Boots to Heels. In her spare time, Dr. Ducharme enjoys combining her plethora of expertise, Dr. Ducharme helps college students shape their programs, and help businesses and individuals grow their companies from the ground up.

Despite all of her success, Dr. Ducharme has had her fair share of setbacks. Being a young ambitious woman, Dr. Ducharme heard time and time again that she did not belong and was not good enough based on the fact that she was young and a woman. Instead of ignoring the naysayers, Dr. Ducharme answered the negativity with perseverance. Dr. Ducharme used her belief in herself to persevere and her guts to go after what she dreamed of despite what anybody thought.

Although with many people against her, Dr. Ducharme had a strong village behind her rooting her on. According to Dr. Ducharme, having a strong support system is extremely important but is often the one key tool that many women stray away from. With fear of looking weak, many women tend to not reach out for help when help is needed.  However, in order to succeed, Dr. Ducharme encourages women to reach out to their village as the support needed to break through the barriers that are stacked against them.

Despite society stacking barriers against women, Dr. Ducharme acknowledges that women have superpowers that their counterparts do not have The characteristic that society tends to categorize as negative is actually the one characteristic that Dr. Ducharme encourages other women leaders to embrace, which is emotion. According to Dr. Ducharme, being emotionally intelligent is the cause of what makes women so passionate and motivated to keep going, which eventually leads to the coveted success that everyone (not just women) yearn for.

To all those women leaders out there, Dr. Ducharme challenges you to go out there and embrace your insecurities, embrace your emotions and grow from the experiences that life throws your way. In turn your uniqueness will make you the great woman leader that society needs. Dr. Ducharme encourages you to break out the heels, bust out the pink outfits and go change the world!

Follow Dr. Ducharme at:

Instagram: @leadandempowerher

Facebook: @DrJulieDucharmeCOMMANDERINPINK

Website: http://leadingbymyponytail.com/

Written by: Valerie Tatunay, Public Relations Coordinator

As the Public Relations Coordinator at Lavi PR, with a passion for storytelling, Valerie enjoys the art of creating content. When she is not writing, you can find her exploring America’s Finest City with her four dogs. or soaking up magic at Disneyland.

Contact her: valerie@lavieenpr.com

Empowering Women in Business: Lazer Ladies

More and more in today’s society, women are taking charge of their future and becoming the business titans that, for so many decades, were known only to be men.

The owners of Lazer Ladies, sisters Cindy and Marylou, are no exception to this wave of strong, independent women paving their way into the world of business. Their company, Lazer Ladies, specializes in providing personalized laser-engraved gifts and awards for meaningful events. Originally started in their two-car garage, Lazer Ladies has now grown into a successful business celebrating its 12 year anniversary.

The Lazer Ladies standing next to one of their laser engraved trophies.

Although neither Cindy nor Marylou had experience in business when they started Lazer Ladies in 2007, both women are well versed in hard work and determination. Marylou has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from UC Irvine and a Master’s in Business from the University of Las Vegas. She was also an  U.S. Air Force officer for eight years before being stationed in Las Vegas. Cindy is currently earning her Bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Las Vegas as well, all while helping her sister run the company.

As with any business start-up, the journey to success doesn’t come without its challenges. When Cindy and Marylou first created Lazer Ladies in 2007, the recession hit immediately after. All of their savings and income went back into the business and the sisters were forced to live off of very little. It took them three years, but they were finally able to recover and start earning a profit from all the hard work they were putting in.

Some of the amazing work that Lazer Ladies does.

In addition to the recession, Cindy and Marylou have faced struggles with people underestimating them. Whether it’s because of their size (Cindy 4 feet 11 inches and Marylou 4 feet 8 inches), their gender or their presence in a male-dominated industry, the women have come across all sorts of people undermining their role as businesswomen. Both ladies don’t let these encounters stop them by any means. Instead, they use it as an opportunity to educate those individuals on who they are and what they have accomplished.

It is important to remember that being a woman is a beautiful and empowering experience. We have our own traits or superpowers, if you will, that make us strong. Cindy and Marylou embrace their womanhood in many different ways. They overcome every obstacle put in their path by listening to their gut instinct and trusting it. They embrace their uniqueness as women in the male-dominated field of laser engraving, and do it all in heels. Their resilience got them through the recession and will carry them through any future adversity that comes their way.

It’s a tough world out there, especially when you take the risk and go for your dreams. But in the words of Cindy and Marylou, sometimes, “You have to put on your high heels, smack on some lipstick and take action.”

Follow the Lazer Ladies for more information and inspiration!

Social Media

Facebook: @LazerLadies

Instagram: @lazerladies

Twitter: @LazerLadies

Website

https://www.lazerladies.com/

How To Utilize Social Media

Living in the age of technology, means you need some sort of presence on social media. Social media has moved from a juvenile past time to the new and improved “yellow pages” of our time. But how can you benefit from social media?

Follow these three Cs to utilize your social media account:

Create. Create content that is enticing. Use the different capabilities of each different social media outlet. Create fun Boomarangs for Instagram’s view friendly capability. Create a cheeky status update on Facebook. Create a question and answer session on Twitter. Create eye catching videos for Youtube. Use the capabilities to be creative.

Cultivate.  Cultivate and develop your following. Continuously engage with your followers. Reply to comments and messages in a timely manner. Treat your social media followers as customers that would come into your shop. Do not ignore them!

Consistency. Be consistent with creating and cultivating. Post creative content daily through posts and stories. Engage with your following everyday by commenting and messaging on not only your content but by showing them support on their content.

Whether you are new to social media, or a bonafide Influencer, these three Cs will give your social media account that extra edge.

Written by: Valerie Tatunay, Public Relations Coordinator

As the Public Relations Coordinator at Lavi PR, with a passion for storytelling, Valerie enjoys the art of creating content. When she is not writing, you can find her exploring America’s Finest City with her four dogs. or soaking up magic at Disneyland.

Contact her: valerie@lavieenpr.com

How To Balance A Romantic Relationship and Work Life

Enjoying a romantic evening at Disneyland

Deadlines, projects and emails OH MY! We have all experienced those hard work days when all you want to do is go home and decompress. At times, the stress of our work life is so consuming that we tend to cast our love life to the side, that we find ourselves questioning how can we balance our work life and relationship?

Nina Jolic, Business and Personal Coach

To help find the right balance, we interviewed Business and Personal Coach Nina Jolic to learn about some quick easy steps to give your love life a little T-L-C:

Lavi PR: What is the best way to start to reconnect with your sweetheart?

Nina: I recommend to disconnect in order to reconnect with your loved one. We’re always in this place of being busy. We all need to get our work done but it’s easy to stay stuck at work if you don’t have something lined up.  So, shut down and head home to a pampered evening at home… order in from your favorite restaurant, put candles on the table as your sweetheart turns on the music and opens up your favorite bottle of wine and you both luxuriate in the intimacy of reconnecting.  And if that’s not your thing then how about cuddling on the sofa binging on Netflix and your favorite takeout?

Partaking in a salsa dancing class

Lavi PR: How can a couple step out of the monotony of life?

Nina: Toss out the same old same old! We get bored at work and let’s face it, we can get bored in our relationships, no matter how much you love the person. Maybe you’re staying longer at work to avoid sinking back into a routine at home. So kick boredom to the curb and shake things up a bit! There’s nothing better than getting out and having fun doing something that is purely entertaining. Try something new that you both haven’t done before , or revisit a past time that you enjoyed doing before work and kids took over. Partake in activities that allow you and your sweetheart to interact with each other and work together as a team. I recommend taking a salsa dancing class, cooking class or enjoying a nice romantic evening stroll.

Lavi PR: Going beyond a new fun date, how else do you recommend to spice things up?

Nina: Take it back to the basics and get your sexy on! Work cannot hold a candle to the sexiness of feeling wanted and desired by your partner. And this goes both ways. Send your guy or gal sexy texts with an enticing promise of what’s in store when you get home.  And delicious is it to receive texts and how hot they are is one of the secret spices to a delicious relationship. What about when you’re together? What do you do that makes your partner wild? Is it a five o’clock shadow, sexy lingerie, a lingering touch, enticing kisses, dancing in the kitchen as you make dinner?

Lavi PR: Do you have any last piece of advice?

Nina: Remember that work will always take as much as you will give it so make your relationship a priority because that is the most special part of your retirement plan.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, there is no better time than now to feed your soul and reconnect with your sweetheart.

For more insight and advice from Nina, contact her at https://www.evalign.com/coaching/

Written by: Valerie Tatunay, Public Relations Coordinator

As the Public Relations Coordinator at Lavi PR, with a passion for storytelling, Valerie enjoys the art of creating content. When she is not writing, you can find her exploring America’s Finest City with her four dogs.

Contact her: valerie@lavieenpr.com

How to Get Your Story Straight

Everyone has a story. Whether it is a story about a life-changing childhood experience, or a story about how denial from college lead to a successful career. It is human nature to want to share one’s triumphs and struggles. However it can be hard to work through all the memories to hone in on the real story.

Here are some tips and tricks from Lavi PR’s resident Speaker Coach. Luis Rios:

Speaker Coach for Lavi PR: Luis Rios

1. Tell the story from the heart. Be authentic and genuine in order to connect with your audience. As humans, we have a natural skepticism when we hear people’s stories. Being as heartfelt as possible will draw people in, making for an engaging audience.

2. Timing is everything. Keep your story under 15 minutes. The attention span of an average person is 3 minutes. Keeping your story short and sweet will keep the audience wanting more.

3. Stay relevant. Tell your story in present tense will give your story a relevance and applicability that your audience can relate to. Ultimately staying relevant will make your story timeless.

4. Use the “heroin and villain effect.” Remember, a story cannot have a heroin without a villian. Everyone goes through several challenging experiences before achieving their goals. Taking your audience on the roller coaster ride of triumphs and struggles will have them hanging off the edge of their seats.

Keeping these tips in mind will not only guarantee that your story will be media ready but that it will be heard. Construct your story using the four key points above and your story will be a  timeless “tale as old as time.”

Written by: Valerie Tatunay, Public Relations Coordinator

As the Public Relations Coordinator at Lavi PR, with a passion for storytelling, Valerie enjoys the art of creating content. When she is not writing, you can find her exploring America’s Finest City with her four dogs.

Contact her: valerie@lavieenpr.com

How To Stay Connected

From your local coffee shop, to your gyrm, to last night’s networking event, you are bound to meet many people with a variety of skills that you will need to tap into in the future. So how can you manage all the business cards you acquire and not have those connections lost in the abyss of our messy desk drawers?

Create an organizing system. Organize your business contacts by noting where you met them, why you met them and when you met them. Having those three W’s handy, will allow you to remember each person clearly.

Make a conscious effort to continuously reach out. Don;t let your first hello be your last one. Reach out to your connections from time to time. Shoot them a quick email and/or like a post of their s on social media to make sure that your circles will always remain connected.

Support support support! Support the connections you make. Whether you run in the same business industry or not, provide the support to your connections. Attend their events and promote their business ventures. Having more interaction with your connections will increase the probability of you both remembering one another.

Don’t lose those sacred connections. Knowing who you know will provide you the avenue to the key players in your network.

Written by: Valerie Tatunay, Public Relations Coordinator

As the Public Relations Coordinator at Lavi PR, with a passion for storytelling, Valerie enjoys the art of creating content. When she is not writing, you can find her exploring America’s Finest City with her four dogs.

Contact her: valerie@lavieenpr.com

How To Network Effectively

Nowadays, the saying of “who you know” as opposed to “what you know” is what society has drilled into us. Today, networking has become so imperative, it has been the catalyst that provides one’s success.

Which begs the question, how does one network?

Here are five tips to keep in mind when networking:

Networking from Clever Talks conference

Solidify Your Goals

With so many networking events out there, it is easy to get overwhelmed and not know which one is right for you. Take a minute to solidify your goals and what takeaway you want to walk away with. Having a goal in mind will provide you with a purpose as to why you are attending the event.

Attend the RIGHT Events

After solidifying your goals, attend the RIGHT events that align with your purpose. If your purpose is to look for a job, attend a job fair networking event. If you are an event planner looking to connect with vendors, attend a convention. Attending an event that aligns with your goals and purposes will provide you the right path to the right network.

Dress to Impress

Make a good first impression by dressing professionally. Let executives know that you mean business by dressing the part. Bring out that blazer and slap on that smile, to shine in a room full of people.  

Share Information

Take the opportunity to share your contact information with others. If you don’t have business cards handy, don’t fret you can still get the necessary information by:

• Sharing Numbers

• Sharing Email Addresses

• Sharing Social Media accounts

By getting two channels of communication, you increase the chances of keeping in touch in the future.

Get Personal

In addition to sharing information, don’t be afraid to share a personal story. Share the funny experience you had while walking your dog the other night, or recommend a local cafe to a fellow coffee lover. Getting personal will allow the connections a solid foundation to grow from.

Written by: Valerie Tatunay, Public Relations Coordinator

As the Public Relations Coordinator at Lavi PR, with a passion for storytelling, Valerie enjoys the art of creating content. When she is not writing, you can find her exploring America’s Finest City with her four dogs.

Contact her: valerie@lavieenpr.com

Free Publicity In 4 Easy Steps

As a new business, gaining exposure is vital to your success. You’ve worked hard to get where you are and the time has come to get your product or service out into the world. You’re eager and ready, and let’s be honest, a little nervous. You want to reach your consumer and not spend a lot of money doing so. Luckily, there are many ways to gain publicity for little to no cost. Here are a few tips and tricks to grow your business for free!

1. Getting Involved in the Local Community

        Giving back to a local charity or forming a special event is a great way to get involved in the community and create relationships with locals.  You can offer to donate your product or service, if applicable, to the charity of your choice. Doing so gains exposure for your business while helping your community.

2.  Write A Bad A** Press Release

        After that charity event you volunteered at, it’s time to write a killer press release. An eye catching headline is the most important to the release. A press release should be no longer than one page, if possible. One pagers allows you to provide all the information you need right away. Add a ‘Press’ or ‘News’ section to your website and add photos to accompany the press release. You should also link the press release to your social media accounts, which can double as a post to showcase your “social proof” which will allow the journalist and media outlets to see what you are promoting. This is a great way for potential customers to see your involvement in the community, your newest product, and how your business is growing.

3.  Social Media: Be Consistent and Creative

        Whether you love it or dread it, social media is crucial to gaining exposure. Some easy and effective tips to growing your social media accounts are daily engagement and good, consistent content. Be sure to like, comment, and follow accounts you feel are cohesive with your brand. Engaging with like-minded people ensures you’re creating awareness to the right people. You never know if an account you stumbled upon could be your next loyal customer.

        When creating content, be sure your message is clear and your photos are cohesive. Whether you want to create a theme by content, colors, or photo style; be sure your feed is as visually pleasing as it is informative.

4. Finding the Right Influencer

        While on your daily liking-spree on Instagram, take time to look for accounts that not only fit your brand, but have a large following and good engagement. Many social media users are more than willing to try your product, review it, and share it with their followers. For just the cost of your product, you will gain exposure and potentially new customers. Using influencers to gain publicity is a great way to earn authentic feedback while growing your customer base.

Try these 4 easy tips on your next marketing campaign and remember: “When you learn, teach, when you get, give.” - Maya Angelou.

by Kelsey LaMay