Screw Up Some Recipes

It can be incredibly daunting to try new things, including recipes, because there is an excellent chance that your results won't be perfect on your first attempt. I've had to learn this the hard way, trying out ideas and recipes for this show. We eat them whether or not they come out perfectly, unless they're just inedible. Sometimes they look like real "Pinterest fails." That's okay. Every attempt gets me closer to something I'm proud to share and I would never use a recipe on the show if I didn't think it was really good. That ugly duckling stage is a necessary part of the journey, so don't be afraid to mess up! You're not failing, you're doing research and development!

Test Kitsch-en

You Can't Please Everyone

One of the biggest challenges I've faced on my journey to creating my Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en media empire is knowing that not everyone adores me. Shocking, right? It's in my DNA to be nice to people and I always approach any new person in my life wanting to have a fabulous relationship, whether personal or professional, but sometimes it just wasn't meant to be. Sometimes folks hate you on sight. Sometimes there are professional rivalries, imagined slights or you just resemble someone's abusive boss or cheating wife. There's not much you can do about other people and what they think. All you can do is be kind, be yourself, do the work you want to do and live your life in a way that makes you proud. If someone doesn't like you or what you represent, that's their problem!

At Vidcon last year I attended many panels featuring creators of wildly successful food and lifestyle shows on YouTube and some of their stories were shocking. The abuse and vitriol that even the most popular ones endure is pretty amazing to someone like me, who wants to love everyone. But I took a valuable piece of advice away from more than one panel, which is that you're no one without haters. If you don't have haters, it means you're not putting yourself out there in the world. So thank a hater! Their asinine comments are evidence that your message is being heard!

Here's a little cocktail to enjoy as you build your business, life or just navigate the crazies who are determined to hate everything:

Have A Merry, Mediocre Christmas!

A mediocre Christmas probably sounds awful, but I mean only great things for you when I say that! The holiday season can be a nutty time and, as we've already seen, the pressure to perform in various arenas (gift giving, hosting, being a great friend or family member, etc.) can be a bit much. Therefore I'm urging all of us to go a little easy on ourselves this year. A truncated workout is better than no workout. A nice-but-not-incredible bottle of wine as a host gift is better than no host gift. The fact that you're giving gifts at all is better than none (unless you've agreed to that in advance). An easy Christmas dinner is better than driving yourself berserk and ruining your day. So give yourself a break and enjoy the season by lowering your expectations of yourself when you feel a little batty. I'll bet your "good enough" is actually pretty fantastic!

I call it "Tuesday night in December."