Jasmine C. Williams: Speaker | Motivator
  • ABOUT
    • BACKGROUND
    • PRESS
  • WORK WITH JASMINE
    • SPEAKING
    • COACHING
  • RESOURCES
    • SPEAKING GUIDES >
      • CONNECTING WITH THE AUDIENCE
      • PREPPING FOR PODCASTS
    • NOTEBOOK
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My Top 10 Gift Ideas For The Blogger In Your Life

11/22/2018

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Disclosure: If you do purchase an item using one of my links I will receive a small commission!
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Have you written your Christmas list yet!? This year, I made it really simple by using Google Sheets to put everything I wanted in one place and then share my list with everyone. 

All your friends and family have to do is pick what gift they want to get you and then delete it off the list, so no one else gets you the same thing! I liked doing this because I could keep my list organized and include my sizes, colors, and even the links. #TypeAProblems

If you're struggling with what to get the blogger in your life, check out a few of the gifts I'm still raving about:
1. Blue Yeti USB Microphone
My mom got me this mic for my birthday and it's perfect for recording interviews, voiceovers, or podcasts. It was really easy to set up and I love that it plugs right into your laptop.
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I used this mic to record my interview on The Glow Up Podcast ​and Getrude Matshe's Podcast, and the sound quality is incredible. It's on sale on Amazon right now, so grab one of these before they run out!
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2. Mic Drop Workshop Public Speaking course
Do you know anyone interested in a future as a paid motivational or keynote speaker? I enrolled in Mic Drop Workshop over the summer, a course focused on getting more women on stage to share their stories.

Check out two of the gigs I've booked since joining:
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If this sounds right up your alley, you can sign up here. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!
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3. Lap Desk
Whether you're a blogger, you work from home, or you're starting your own business, chances are you spend a lottttt of time on your laptop. 

My mom got me this Sofia & Sam lap desk for my birthday and I'm obsessed! The memory foam base is so comfy compared to some of the other lap desks I've used. There's even a component that slides out for a place to put a wireless mouse and your phone. 
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4. Gratitude notebooks
Has anyone else been doing #Last90Days with Rachel Hollis? This was my first year and it has really helped me focus on what's important by writing down what I'm grateful for every day. 

Our family friends gifted me these gratitude journals for my birthday and they're perfect for jotting down alllll the good things in your life. Grab one for you and a friend - they're a steal on Amazon!

​5. A puppy
Come on, every blogger wants a puppy... I call our dog, Duke, my assistant, but fair warning: he does sleep on the job a lot.

We adopted Duke from Blues City Animal Rescue in Tennessee, where he was rescued from a kill shelter. If you're serious about adopting your new best friend, take a look at their website!
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While I absolutely love all of these gift ideas, you'd definitely win the holidays this year with the puppy just sayin'.

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An Empty Seat At The Table

11/18/2018

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The holidays are meant to be a time for celebration. 

College students taking a break after finals, parents enjoying a full home again, professionals sharing their accomplishments, and siblings back to fighting over the best spot on the couch.

But for some people, the holidays aren't all things merry and bright. Although they may be surrounded by family and friends, all they can see is an empty seat at the table.

If you've lost someone in your family, especially if you've lost them recently, the holidays can be an incredibly painful reminder of the people who are no longer here to celebrate with you. 

Sometimes, it may even feel like a betrayal to celebrate such a special time of year when there are people who are missing. But this year, let's change our perspective.
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You can live through something that rocks your  world off its axis. You can survive losing a piece of your heart without losing  who you are. More than merely surviving the loss, you can thrive.

You can do it because it's what you deserve. More importantly, you can survive the loss because living is the greatest honor you can give to the person you lost...

- Rachel Hollis, girl wash your face
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You deserve to enjoy the holidays. You also deserve to miss someone who is no longer here. I believe not allowing ourselves to acknowledge we miss them only hurts us even more.

You are allowed to enjoy this time of year despite the heaviness in your heart and an empty seat at the table. 

Your heart is allowed to be full from hosting Thanksgiving at your house this year, but simultaneously long for the days your own mother prepared the meal before she died. You are allowed to go in the backyard and throw the football with your kids, but still miss playing with your own brother every Thanksgiving Day.


You are allowed to watch the Macy's Day Parade with a mimosa in hand, stuff your face with pie, go shopping with your family, and laugh until hot chocolate comes out of your nose. Give yourself permission to do these things.

We only get so many holiday seasons with our loved ones in this lifetime. This year let an empty seat at the table be a reminder that above all else, we should cherish them while they are still with us.
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My Favorite Family Holiday Tradition

11/11/2018

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2018 has flown by for me - I can't believe it's almost the holidays already! My family has a few holiday traditions, but one of them is really special.

Every year on December 23rd, the night before Christmas Eve, we pick a restaurant and go out to dinner. The catch? No matter how good or bad our service is, we give our server a 100 percent tip.

Yep, you read that right. 100%. So if our dinner comes out to $50, we pay $100 - $50 for our meal and $50 to tip our server.

A big part of the excitement is that our server has no clue the holiday gift we're planning to leave for them. As kids, we used to drop hints when they would come by to check on our table. "We have a BIG surprise for you," we'd say between giggles. I'm sure they thought we stuck gum under the table, so this probably was a pleasant surprise.

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t was important to my mom that our good deed had one single rule: We must tip 100% regardless of the quality of service we receive.

Over the years, we've been to many different restaurants to celebrate the holiday tradition, but there's one I will never forget.

I sat down at the table across from my mom and sister, the three of us were already grinning as the waiter introduced himself.

A few minutes later, he headed back over with waters for us while we read over the menu. Except, we never got a chance to drink them.

To this day, we're still not sure exactly what happened. Maybe he tripped, maybe the floor was slippery, maybe it was divine intervention. But on 100% tip night, our waiter dropped an entire tray of ice waters directly into my lap. 

Yep, you read that right. He dropped the tray directly into my lap, which spilled cold water allllll over me. Let's not forget that this was also in late-December! Needless to say, I was furious. I wanted to go home. I'm cold, I'm cranky, I'm not even hungry anymore. And there's no way in hell this guy is getting a good tip after that.

My sister started to reach for her jacket when my mom finally spoke. "No, we're not leaving. It's 100 percent tip night." 

I was stunned. I couldn't believe she wanted to stay and eat dinner here, let alone tip the waiter at all. But, our tradition only has one rule. We must tip 100% regardless of the quality of service we receive.

In hindsight, I'm sure our waiter was just as shocked as I was that we left him such a nice tip. But our worst 100% tip night also left me with something: an important life lesson on gratitude. 

It's easy to be grateful for the things we have on the good days. It's easy to be grateful for the sunshine, for your Christmas gifts, for your new iPhone.

It's harder to be grateful for the things we have on the bad days. It's harder, after a waiter dumps ice water on ya, to be grateful for a meal with your family, that you have more clothes at home, that you can afford to give a 100% tip.

I think this is one of those lessons that we can't learn from a self-help book, life coach, or inspirational quote. It's one that we have to learn through action, and I'm grateful for that tray of ice waters for bringing me that a-ha moment.

One of our close family friends recently gave me this Gratitude Journal for my birthday and I use it every day! On the bad days, it's a perfect reminder of the things I still have to be grateful for. Things like clean drinking water, an incredible support system, a bed, a working car, money to buy gifts for the ones I love.

After all, isn't that what the holidays are really about? Being grateful for another year spent with the people who mean the most to us, while spreading a little joy a long the way.

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These Are A Few Of My Favorite... bloggers

11/7/2018

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I've had an on-again, off-again relationship with blogging for years now.

Since I know firsthand how intimidating it can be to share your passion and story with the world, connecting with other bloggers has become one of my favorite things.

If you're looking for blogs that radiate resilience and still bring you good vibes - check out the few I'm lovin' right now:

Momma Suz

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I met Susan through a motivational speaking course and we instantly clicked. All I can say is this girl is a powerhouse. There is no doubt in my mind that she is making an impact on the world.

There are so many people whose unbelievable life circumstances have made them cynical, but Susan is not one of them. 

What I like about her content: Susan's story is sooo personal and I think that makes me respect and appreciate her posts even more. Her passion and willingness to be vulnerable to help others are a breath of fresh air.

If you've been really looking for a feel-good story, you've found it with Momma Suz' blog.

What song comes to mind when I think about her brand: ​"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten or "Sweetener" by Ariana Grande!
Subscribe to Momma Suz

The Life OF A Womann

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Tanner has one of my absolute favorite Insta accounts. Her energy wakes you up + makes you laugh on the worst days!

What I like about her content: I'll admit that I am not a makeup or fashion guru, so I love checking out her makeup tutorials. She isn't afraid to take risks and be different, which is refreshing in a world full of seemingly "Instagram-perfect" accounts.

Plus, my girl aaaaalways looks out and posts the latest sales on pieces she loves. ;)


What song comes to mind when I think about her brand: "God is a Woman" by Ariana Grande for the sole reason that I read her blog name to that melody in my head!
Subscribe to The Life Of A Womann
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I'll be honest, there are a fair number of emails that come into my inbox and go straight to trash. Some of the ones I actually take the time to actually read are from The Girl Who Loved to Write.

What I like about her content: Chelsea's blog is one of my favorite's because she's so authentic and real. If you know me, you know I'm a tough love + honesty kinda gal, so I'm here for it! I challenge you to read her posts and find one you can't relate to.

Her entire website is full of pops of color and fun that match her personality so well.

What song comes to mind when I think about her brand: "What Do I Know?" by Ed Sheeran because her blog is all things 'love and understanding, positivity.'

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© Jasmine C. Williams, llc 2022

  • ABOUT
    • BACKGROUND
    • PRESS
  • WORK WITH JASMINE
    • SPEAKING
    • COACHING
  • RESOURCES
    • SPEAKING GUIDES >
      • CONNECTING WITH THE AUDIENCE
      • PREPPING FOR PODCASTS
    • NOTEBOOK
    • CHALLENGE COIN
    • COLLEGE GUIDE
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT