Wow, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve posted on my blog. In all honesty, this is more of a landing page to stay up to date on google and have a real place for people and companies to search me, and a place where I can keep my media kit. However, I’ve recently been hearing that some people don’t fully understand my purpose of all this until they meet me.
I posted an insta story and asked what people wanted to learn more about of me, and so here are the replies that I received, which I will answer 🙂
“What has traveling the world given you in the aspects of insight, culture and/or ideas?”
I believe that once you get the travel bug, it stays inside of you forever. I don’t believe everyone has to go and travel, some people are completely and pleasantly happy where they are, travel a bit, maybe once a year, to the same place. That’s where people get their routines from, work and regulation. My favorite thing to do is to work hard, but smarter not harder, it allows me to plan my day around doing things that I truly want to do.
Traveling has given me the idea that I should be a digital nomad, that I don’t have an office anywhere in particular, so that I can have the luxury of traveling, seeing friends and family, and doing activities I love to do each day that I want to. My husband is actually the same way, which is why I was drawn to him.
My absolute dream was to travel, find love, and become a blogger. I guess that blogger part has become more of an “influencer” but hey, that is life and innovation, but keeping things classic, with actual blogging is what I aim to do in 2019 and beyond. My caption that I posted today was “Life in Motion. Each day of the week always has something special about it, each Monday I wake up feeling like it’s Christmas, because of all the wonderful opportunities that are in my inbox. Cheers to the new week!” I truly feel this way each and every day, to be honest.
BALANCE, I don’t believe you always have to travel to feel full. You can also travel within your community, go to a different state for a day, visit a new restaurant, meet up with friends, all this is a sense of excitement and newness that is a similar sense to traveling. Going away and coming home makes both situations that much better. I love living in Maine, it gives me an opportunity to recenter, have a home base, and keep some sort of rhythm and develop friendships. However, I like the fact that my husband and I can just leave at any minute and go for months, if that’s what we want to do. That is freedom and spontaneity.
It is so imperative to learn about different cultures, to learn about different socio-economic statuses of various countries, to try new food, to embrace the vibes of each city and country, and to research places to go with that delicious sense of anticipation. The more you travel, the more you realize what places seem interesting to visit or not, I use the same strategy when picking restaurants and activities near home. Learning other cultures helps you learn your own culture from a different perspective. It’s also wonderful to have a friend base when you do come back home, it’s a really comforting feeling.
I have absolutely loved everyone I have met in Maine, specifically Portland, where I’ve been so fortunate to have found such a wonderful, well rounded group of individuals. The women here are so aspirational, entrepreneurial, eager to help each other out, and are just so honest with their intentions. The vibe here is so uplifting, and hopeful of what the possibilities are of life. Movers and shakers indeed!
“How do you pack for a fall/winter/spring/summer getaway or wardrobe essentials?
One of my favorite things is being able to partner with various fashion companies, I get to look through their website and hand select my favorite items. I used to buy clothing a lot, always heading to the mall, always online shopping, yet I worked hard for that while working as well. Now I feel my shopping addiction has paid off, and now I really only shop for clothing for my husband during the holidays. That being said,
I also started my company Socialperkz LLC in 2018, today it is 9 months old. I am so fortunate to have experienced the disappointment and the great growth. I think things take time like wine, once you tell the universe you have something special, the universe reacts in ways that really send positive vibes and opportunity. Word of mouth is always a key aspect of this, and so I advise anyone that keeping great relationships is key to everything. We’re not in it alone.
Fashion wise for winter getaways, a fabulous coat that will actually keep you warm, and a perfect pair of vegan leather boots from Thursdayboots.com.
When you pack, it’s always great to imagine exactly what you’ll be doing, and pairing your outfits and mixing and matching. Having separates is a great way to keep your outfit fresh, without making it look like a repeat all the time. When my husband and I went on a place to place trip to Florida, Bahamas, New Orleans, Texas, and Tennessee, I actually only had a backpack of clothing, shoes and bags! When I wore a dress, it was difficult to repeat that in multiple photos. But if you wear layers, it’s more helpful when taking multiple photos that day, so you can take off layers depending on where you are and what you’re doing.
One thing I’d like to add, this year I definitely want to make it a habit to get working out more often, however, I can’t simply have a gym membership, we almost have a full gym in our basement at home. What really gets me motivated is the environment surrounded by likeminded women, who all want to communicate and exorcise. I work from home, so I don’t need to commute at all, making the effort to get to Portland, Maine to work out is honestly a pleasure, since I enjoy the city and the people a lot.
Recently when I’m invited to anything that involves exorcising (and maybe a glass of champagne after) I’m always up for it! I absolutely adore the motivation I get from friends. My friend Abby invited me to Bar Method, I said yes! When my friend Kat invited me to Be Well Fest, I said yes! It really helps to make an event out of it, like a hang out but with a fun, physical activity.
I honestly love going to restaurants, I have since I was very young. Going out, dressing up, feeling fancy, is one of the best feelings. More the merrier when it comes to ordering food at restaurants, and it’s always nice to have company that inspires you to go places. Especially living in Maine, where dressed up could mean a Flannel top. I honestly don’t think I’ve worn a pair of stiletto heels while living here, but maybe that’ll have to change.
So, what’s to come for 2019? It’s already been the best year I’ve ever had, and it’s only February! There’s so many exciting things to come.
-Continuing to build my company SocialPerkz, where I bring more collaboration opportunities to influencers and businesses. I’ve been a social media consultant for years, and so naturally I’ve built a contact database of over 1 million influencers. I often post about the companies that I also help through my company. The best way I’ve been growing is by recommendations, so I greatly appreciate all that has helped.
-Continue to be a social media consultant to my long term clients, and open to new clients to help manage the growth and overall appearance of their profiles.
-My husband has become a pilot this past year, and so we’re buying a plane. This means… plenty more travel to come! Many trips with friends included as well. There’s so much to see in this world, why not explore it?
-Make sure the life balance is there, including peace, tranquility, meditation, seeing family and friends often, and also doing more physical activity. Oh, and eat and drink well!
-My husband and I both work from home, and spend 24/7 together. I think that is a wonderful thing that not many couples can have, however, finding that extra girl time, space in my office, and having individuality is all so important to me. However, I think that making more romantic times with him will greatly benefit our happiness. Like any relationship or marriage, it takes work, understanding, devotion, and realizing that we are partners in life, that we have each other’s back, and we have to take each other most important.
Cheers to another blessed year!
Catherine Wanders 