Cristina Romero is a Spanish blogger and I catch up with her and discuss life.

Cristina, a pleasure to interview a fellow blogger. Tell my audience something important about you?

Thank you very much, Jerry. I could be compared with the hands of a clock. In other words, I am always “functioning”. I am a very active person and I don’t stay put. I do not think there are enough hours in a day to do everything I would want to do. I am very human; my heart drives me. I like to help people around me. As a result, I find it worthwhile because that shapes the person I am. In conclusion, I am a woman that is very independent, very devoted to others, with clear ideas on her mind and who doesn’t settle.

Tell me a little about your blog and why did you decide to blog?

My blog is the start of a new phase in my life. After having worked in media and communications, I stopped working full time to take care of a family member.

After two years, I created the trademark “by Tina” and designed a handbag collection of different types of material, which were made in Spain. The fixed costs were high and I did not have any financial backing. I, therefore, decided to pursue something that I liked which is writing and having my own blog.

It was challenging at the beginning and a new world for me. I thought through the whole process and designed the website by myself. I am a perfectionist by nature. I took courses on blogging and www.elblogdetina.es was born.

The blog is about my thoughts, reflections, and state of mind on various topics like a visit to a restaurant, my kids, or just cooking. It is a journey.

What kind of journalism do you specialize in? What do you like about journalism?

I have worked in the press and radio.  I did not like what I saw when I started working for different media companies. To my mind ethics are a key feature of individuals, and this should be even more highlighted when you work in the “fourth power”. When I was faced with the truth about journalism, I was hugely disappointed. My ideas around journalism pictured the great reporter investigating for news but the reality is very different.  The news is delivered to you by the big press agencies and that is a debacle for your ideas.

What does female empowerment mean to you?

I believe women need to have their own dignity, be independent, and have their rights acknowledged. I further think that Spain where I live,  men and women have the same rights and opportunities (at least from a legal perspective, which sometimes plays out differently in practice).

When I was born, I had the same opportunities as my brother and the same is true for my friends. Maybe if you look back two generations it was odd to see the same number of men and women study, but nowadays any child born, be it a boy or a girl, will go to school and have the opportunity to go to university and have a future. I don’t see women as a prejudiced social group in Spain because of being born female.

I think that the word empowerment is fully compatible with women, as the word indicates, gain control over their own lives and circumstances. Maybe it is actually the circumstances each of them faces in her life that makes that woman give up on her professional life (be it because she has kids she wants to raise so that she can be independent in the future or because she has a disabled relative who she needs to take care of or due to other reasons…). And it is here where I see that laws don’t work properly: both a woman and a man should be able to take care of their families and home without giving up on financial independence, but there is no government help for this.

How has social media changed your society?

Social media has allowed people to have a broader view of life.  In other words, not everything is controlled by the same media. Therefore, the freedom to express yourself has substantially increased. It is a great tool to exchange information and has led nowadays to a steep change in mass media.

Spanish society has evolved positively in a lot of ways on the back of social media as it has given everyone a voice. The flipside of this is that it gives rise to abuse, to people manipulating social media to achieve their goals or to professional haters hiding behind the anonymous status a profile gives them, but that can be mitigated by the right of every individual to choose what he wants to read, follow or do.

Help me understand some of the challenges you have faced in life and how did you overcome it?

The first was in the workplace. In order to move up in the media world, I faced, as we say in Spain,  “pasar por la piedra”, It means as a woman if your boss comes and tells you that in order to progress you have to have dinner with him (or do anything, as we have recently seen in the cinema world) and when you say no he makes your professional life unbearable until you quit.

Another tougher challenge was when the CEO of my company told all female employees that he didn’t want any of us to get pregnant and that if we did no one could in “his” company (which wasn’t actually his) apply for a part-time job as is set out by Spanish law. When my second child was born, I decided to focus more on my family, and therefore against the will of my boss I notified HR that I applied for the reduced working hours that I was entitled to. They couldn’t obviously object but they made life difficult until I voluntarily left. That challenge has been very important and thanks to the fact that I actually sent that notice to HR and subsequently left women can (and do) now have different options of working hours in that company and can find a work-life balance.

The third challenge was that I was in a relationship with a male chauvinist. When I wore a skirt, it was too short and he wanted me to wear pants. He did not want me to drive and was emotionally abusive.

He was very controlling, negative and it had a deep impact on my personality. He was very aggressive in his character. I became aware of his negative impact on me and mentioned that I wanted to end the relationship. He became manipulative, by threatening to jump out of the window, screaming, and even broken a door to get into the room I had locked myself in.

However, I decided to quit this toxic relationship, as I would never be happy and called it off. We should be free in a relationship and not be subdued and unhappy. I still have to see him because of certain issues but I have learned to forgive and have pity on him.

Talk to me about Spanish society and is it still patriarchal or an equal society?

Spanish society is undergoing constant change. In the last few years, it has changed significantly and there is a long way to go. Spain has a constitution since 1978. We were coming from a completely patriarchal society, where women’s role was basically to be the wife of someone and raise the kids whilst staying at home (with some exceptions). Women gained the right to vote in the 30s, notably 1933 and it was strange to find women studying in university and having a job linked to their career thereafter. The change was accelerated in 1978 and since then boosted, and it has only been 41 years! It is amazing to see how everything has changed since now we live in an equal society.

As I said, most women are free to decide what they want to do in life and if they want to continue with their career or prefer to devote more time to their family and give up a professional career. But there is still a lot to improve regarding maternity leave and the way back to work once it is finished. Rejoining your job isn’t easy and sometimes your salary is not worth it. A lot has to change. You can of course always decide to start your own business and try to balance family life and work that way, but not everyone has the financial capacity to be able to do that and the government doesn’t, unfortunately, help much. On top of that, not everyone has the personality you need to start your own business and prefers to settle for a company or, if you are a woman after maternity leave, stay at home.

Walk me through some of the best restaurants in your city?

The restaurant scene has exploded in Madrid in the last decade.

There is a choice for every palate and wallet. From eating fantastic pinchos in the San Antón market to a nice plate of pasta in an Italian restaurant such as Don Giovanni, Mediterranean food as in La Ancha or El Qüenco de Pepa, nice fish in el Barril or go to restaurants that are more trendy where fusion food or Japanese food are growing such as Amazonico, Bibo, Sushi 99, Inari and many others…. you can also have a great piece of Brazilian meat in Rubaiyat. This is all on top of your classic paella or other rice dishes like in St. James restaurant, but Spanish food goes way beyond paella.  A very welcoming restaurant where you have great food is La Buena Vida, with one of the best cheesecakes in town. Another one of my favorites is Taberna Laredo. I could go on forever…

What is your city famous for and why should we visit it?

Madrid is 1000 years old, historic and one of the greatest European capitals. It is a thriving, cosmopolitan city with a dynamic cultural scene and amazing weather.

Food is an obsession (not least the Mediterranean diet has been considered the most healthy diet worldwide) and there is plenty to choose from as madrileños tend to go out a lot…

On top of that, if you have enough of Madrid, which is very difficult to happen, you have amazing places nearby, including several world heritage sites like Toledo, or the Roman aqueduct in Segovia, or the walls of Avila…all within less than an hour drive.

How do you find balance in modern-day society and what are your priorities?

I think we have gone very quickly from one extreme to the other, from not having the technology available to having access to everything. New technologies bring with them a lot of good things but also give rise to something that is very bad: social isolation. It is very sad when for example I am having dinner in a restaurant and look around me and see most people with their mobile phones, teenagers meeting their friends and each of them just looks at their mobile, rather than speaking to each other, playing cards… there should be more education on the bad use of technology in order to foster healthy, natural and true relationships.

If when you raise kids you should impose time limitations on the use of technology. At home we have rules for the use of technology (including the fact that when we have lunch or gather with our family or friends we can’t use technological devices) and, to be honest, life is good that way because at the end of the day we are people and personal relationships should still be channeled through conversations and face to face instead of through phones or screens.

Balance in modern life would to me be complete equality of rights between men and women, that we were all free people with the ability to think for ourselves, without being conditioned by anyone and that we could all study and work to be truly independent.

The post Cristina Romero: Spain’s Modern Clara Campoamor appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

I am pleased to announce that Fourcolumnsofabalancedlife has been ranked at number 13 in the Top 100 Women Empowerment Blogs & Websites to follow in 2022 by Feedspot.

Fourcolumns has also been ranked at number 10 in the Top 70 Canada Lifestyle Blogs & Websites to follow in 2022.

I look forward to being part of the best and popular blogs by providing exciting lifestyle content, that empowers women to live a balanced life in the 21st century.

The post Feedspot: Top 100 Women Empowerment Blogs & Websites appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Corinne Woo from Matchaqb, who writes about project management and personal growth talks to me about how to motivate an introvert.

What is Matchaqb all about?

I know everyone is capable of removing their mental roadblocks to create. Matchaqb intertwines personal growth with creativity.  I share tips and tricks that I have embraced through my active journey in experimenting with self-development. I have a lot of fun writing, talking to people about their own personal growth, and that is what drives me to write about how to motivate an introvert.

What is the “Create with Authenticity” video series about?

As creators, ideas come to us, newly born and full of hope. It is crazy, but our minds are wired to criticize and doubt our ability to create. We have the choice to either battle the mental barriers or let the newly born ideas go. In other words, I created this series in hopes of inspiring others to take control over burnout, time management, fear of failure, and authenticity to create their ideas. In this series, I invited a passionate jewelry designer and artist, Giovanna Ngai, to discuss her ability to create with confidence and authenticity. I enjoyed interviewing her and it helped me as an introvert.

How did you start your blog?

It all started with a supportive team of open minds, ready to try out my ideas which helped me build enough confidence to begin this blog. While I volunteered at Mon Sheong, a non-profit organization, I was given the chance to share my ideas in marketing and logistics for a trip to China. When these ideas took flight and made an impact, it dawned on me that my ideas are valuable, that I could create a blog to help others realize their potential as well through sharing personal growth ideas. I like to say that blogging is a team sport because of the endless support I receive from collaborators, coworkers, family, and friends.

What motivates you to keep up with blogging and creating videos?

My first video was a complete flop. I knew it when I received an influx of negative feedback. As a result, it hit me hard as I was making corrections and I was not sure if I wanted to continue down that route.

When my energy hit an all-time low, my sister shared a post. Clobbering me over the head with tough love: Your first video will be awful, but you can’t make your 50^th without making your first. I then realized I learned so much as an active blogger and video editor and that there will be many firsts laced with failures. And that It will only get better with practice. I am more than excited to see how far Matchaqb will grow from here if I continue putting in the work, trying new things, and rolling with the punches (lessons).

New mindset:

I am constantly parallel parking throughout my life. As a result, I am perpetually embarrassed but inching closer to my dreams. In addition, I embrace all feedback.

Your blog is filled with wellness tips, what are your top self-care habits?

Alone Time | Meditation | Dragon Boat

Alone Time (JOMO) – Not many people know this about me because I come off bubbly and full of energy at work, with friends and family, and at networking events… I enjoy spending copious amounts of time on my own. It helps me slow down and listen to myself as I reflect. In these moments, I learn more about myself, laugh at my own dad jokes and spawn new ideas.

Meditation – Before the morning rush begins, I prepare with a moment of stillness. Dedicating this sliver of time to consciously clear my mind, remove distractions, and repeat self-affirmations. Meditation helps me to remain focused and calm. Now I find that whenever I hit a metaphorical speed bump after meditation, I can muster up calmness and continue cruising through the day. It definitely has become a trend and I have seen people shy away from it because of that. However, I have also witnessed my friends benefit from this practice and they tout how they are gaining control over their stress levels.

Dragon Boat (@holyshipdb) – I like combining my social and physical activities through Dragon Boat just to be efficient. Joining the Holyship team meant surrounding myself with highly motivated and supportive people. After experimenting with volleyball, ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, dance, and tennis, dragon boat stuck! I was lucky to find a sport that feeds both my competitive nature and an inner social butterfly and we will be competing starting in May.

Who is your inspiration?

Marie Forleo. She approaches work and life with an authentic and entrepreneurial flair on Marie TV which inspires so many to do the same.

Instead of fitting ourselves into a box, she reminds us that we don’t need to restrict our personalities to what we believe we should be. Her main message encourages all creators to grow and cultivate their multiple passions. I love that at the end of each video, she declares “The World Needs that Special Gift that Only You Have!”

What do you enjoy most about blogging?

Writing! I was not sure if this was my passion at first but I had ideas to share. Through my fascination with words as an avid reader, writing became my number one creative outlet. I am able to move into the “state of flow” when expressing myself through writing. Everything seizes to matter at that moment. At that moment, I lose track of time, and suddenly the urge to check social media and other distractions disappear.

Fun Fact: I was so terrible at writing in high school that I was given a tutor for a crash course on grammar. So, for anyone who thinks they are not good enough to start, trust me, you are. It took many years of practice but I am able to enjoy expressing myself through writing and sharing through blog posts now. It helps me as an introvert to put myself out there.

The post How to Motivate an Introvert appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

I love everything about Puneeta Varma. She is a foodie, blogger, world traveler, activist, and a game changer. Puneeta left her high powered marketing job to become a stay at home mom. That changed soon and today she blogs about food, family and brings a global vision and palate to cuisine which I love and admire about her. Puneeta talks about food like a purist with different layers of taste which I admire. When you get two foodies talking about food, umami happens.

Puneeta,  a pleasure, and honor to have a food blogger on my blog. Please tell my readers about yourself and your blog? What is your story?

I am a writer and mom of two based in Toronto. My blog MapleandMarigold.com is my love letter to India and Canada. Maple represents Canada and our life here, while marigold with its color and significance in Indian traditions represents my roots and heritage in India. I grew up in India and as a result of my dad’s career in the Indian army, we moved homes and cities frequently. That life of a nomad continued even after marriage. Shortly after my husband and I got together, we decided to move to Dubai. What started off as an adventure to explore living life outside of India saw us moving across the world from Delhi to the Middle East to Toronto then Calgary, and finally a few years ago back to Toronto. It’s been a lifetime of moving and Canada finally feels like home. We just may be here to stay.

On the way, we have had two kids, both of whom had their first plane rides when they were just a few weeks old. Today, at 13 and 8, they’ve accumulated more flying miles than many adults I know. People who knew me before the kids came along are shocked that I traded in my beloved and totally high-stress marketing career to be a stay-at-home mom. That didn’t last long when I started blogging and it opened the door to a brand new journey. Blogging helped me have flexibility and be around more for my kids. Through my writing and connecting with readers around the world, MapleandMarigold.com has opened my eyes and provided me with immense creative energy and entrepreneurial challenges.

Did blogging change you? How?

When I started writing my focus was on family, food, and wellness all with a multicultural flair. My life was about sharing ways to make life healthy, happy and delicious and that was reflected in my writing and on social media. Over the years through research and food writing I have become more invested in raising awareness of how important good food and nourishment was for us, our communities and the planet. My blogging journey has evolved the way I think and talk about food, and it has helped me understand how important it is to our very existence.

What is your opinion on good food? What is it?

Good food is about what tastes good and is good for us. But Jerry, food is about more than just flavor and nutrition, right?! It has to be.

Good food tastes good, yes, but it has to also be good for us and our community. It has to always be about more than just us.  Somewhere along the line, in this time of misinformation and overconsumption, we are making choices that are harmful to us and the planet. This became my motivation to start a new initiative, NourishbyNumbers.com. This is a social movement where people come together to demand change in the way we grow, raise, talk about and consume our food. Check out the hashtag #1000waystoNourish to follow along.

How important is homecooked food and eating meals together as a family to you?

On a scale of 1to 10, maybe a 24? I believe the heart of the family beats in the kitchen and making a homecooked meal for your family while it may be an old-fashioned concept, is so important. At the same time, I am not a fan of spending long hours in front of the stove– if there’s a shortcut I’ll find it and since I’m a blogger, I’ll even share it! Sunday evening meal prep, meal planning, grocery shopping with the meal plan in mind, those are all tips that work for my family and help us spend time together at the dinner table.

What is your favorite weeknight meal?

DIY Food. Sounds crazy I know but it’s the one way I know my kids feel some control over what they are eating, and at the same time are making choices that I am happy with. Let me explain!

DIY food is assembling your own dinner, choosing the condiments, how much, what flavor, soup or rice, etc. Think tacos or rice bowls (pho is popular with us). My kitchen is a little bit complicated and runs between food sensitivities, general pickiness and my need to have a side of green chilies with EVERYTHING, DIY works perfectly even on a crazy weeknight. Vietnamese style pho with tofu, rice noodles, bokchoy and crunchy peanuts is a good example, where I cook and cut up everything and the kids take it out to the table and pick and choose.  For tacos I make chicken and red beans, the kids chop the vegetables and lay it out.

Help me understand three ingredients you consciously avoid or eliminate even when the recipe calls for it?

I avoid wheat, dairy, and soy in my cooking as much as possible. I avoid the wheat for my own wellbeing, and I have found good-enough replacements for dairy and soy in most dishes to manage my kids’ allergies. Having said that, I do believe that the nutrition in a bowl of yogurt and the comfort I find a cup of milk at the end of a long day – those are just irreplaceable.

What three ingredients you love using in your recipes?

My cooking is real-world food. Even though I am a blogger, my food isn’t always Instagram-worthy or even pretty. In fact, if brown food was a category, I would probably ace it. I use real ingredients with herbs and spices that render big flavor. You’ll often find me chopping ginger, working with turmeric and coconut milk in my kitchen.

You do not like a particular dish at your favorite restaurant, what will you do?

I will micro-analyze it to death. My husband is quite used to seeing me chew slowly and work my way around trying to guess what exactly it is that I don’t like about the dish. If there is something actually wrong with the dish – burnt milk in the curry base, too much salt, undercooked, etc, I will mention it to the waiter. Staff at restaurants though have a hard enough job as it is and I don’t want to make it harder for them but if that cream in butter chicken is burnt, it has been left on the stove far too long and it deserves to be sent back!

What’s the one superpower wish you had?

Remove all the plastic in the world. When I was little, I used to dream about waving my hand and magically removing all the garbage on the planet. Sadly, magic doesn’t work, we have to actually work together to make it happen.

How important is food faith finance and family in your life?

My family is the most important to me and along with faith. Faith that we can all do better and be better in our lives. We have only a few years to have an impact and influence change and wouldn’t it be amazing if we just worked together for the good for all people?

The post Puneeta Varma: Maple & Marigold appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Carolina Esguerra Colborn earned her MBA from the University of the Philippines and was a former jet-setting executive. She immigrated to the United States, married, and cruised North America in an RV. In a span of four years, Carolina and her husband cruised in their RV a hundred thousand miles across Canada, the US, and a few states in Mexico. Her book Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream talks about her experience traveling and her own experience as a wife, and keeping her identity. Carolina talks about her blog and her life.

Carolina, welcome, and please tell me what your blog is all about. Who is your audience? What is your main message?

As the byline of my blog says: “It’s not only about the obvious journeys, the travels past 70 that make the most sense; it’s also about the inner ones, the fine insights distilled by constant travels.“ I am talking to all travelers. I hope the younger ones are inspired to believe that traveling can be for a lifetime. I also hope the older ones can see how to transition to travels that are more comfortable, more convenient, and more immersive. My main message is this: “You can travel until the end, even when you sway on your rocking chairs or get lost in the comforts of your armchairs. And you can tell us all your stories.”

What made you blog about cruising?

My wedding was on a private cruise ship on Lake Union in Washington. We thought it had to symbolize our cruising into a life of cruising, into a never-ending honeymoon. And what better way to remember all of the happiness than through a blog with words and pictures?

How does writing help you? 

It helps me express my innermost thoughts and feelings about our wonderful cruising lifestyle.

Please tell me about your executive background. You are highly educated. Why give all that up and move to the US?

I didn’t give up anything. I retired early, at 54. I thought I had given enough to my country. Having been a single parent for twenty years, I wanted to experience life with a lifetime partner. There is no divorce in the Philippines so it would have been impossible to find one there. And my first grandson was born in North America. By that time, I have had four sisters, three daughters, two granddaughters. I wanted to take care of a baby boy!

I am sure you have faced many challenges in life. Share some of them and how you have dealt with them and overcame them?

The major one really was the break-up of my marriage to the father of my children. That led me to focus on my career for twenty years, making sure my children were very well provided for. When they were all in careers of their own, I changed my focus and migrated to North America: Canada first where one daughter resides, the US next where the other lives. I visit Australia, the home of my youngest daughter.

Give yourself some advice at 18 28, 38, 48, 58, and 68?

At 18, one must study well. 28, marry well. 38, parent well. At 48, prepare for retirement. At 58, enjoy retirement. 68, decide what to leave your family or the world.

What has marriage taught you?

Life is better shared. It is easier when burdens are divided; more joyful when triumphs are joint.

Talk to me about some amazing countries, places, or cities you have visited and why.

We went in the fall to the Arctic Circle in our RV. The alpine tundra was a majestic carpet of yellow, orange, gold, and reds that blanketed hills and valleys. There was nary a soul and, even with the biting cold of the wind, we felt utmost serenity. It was like we were one of the first people to discover the paradise that is called earth. (Arctic Circle).

The post Carolina Colborn: American Cruising rv appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Sonia from Life With Sonia talks about the challenges she has faced in life and how to overcome them.

Sonia, it is a pleasure to interview you.  I want to know something important about you. 

Thank you for having me. I am a Nigerian born but have lived in the United Kingdom for most of my life. I am a single mother – I have a 5-year-old daughter. I am the eldest out of 3 children; however, I have 2 older stepsisters and 5 half-sisters, and 2 half-brothers. I know, my family is very big. I have 2 disabilities from childhood. I am deaf, I wear 2 digital hearing aids, and my right arm was amputated after a car accident in Nigeria when I was 6 years old. Despite having these disabilities, I have a very positive approach to life, and I have always been a fighter to have my own independence.

Walk me through what life with Sonia is all about? Who is your audience and why should we read it?  

My blog, Life With Sonia, is a lifestyle blog. I initially started blogging to share my personal experiences as I grow as a single parent and start life all over again. Due to the fact that I have a 5-year-old who is about to start primary school, I feel this is when parenting and guidance actually start. When she was a baby, it was much easier and under my control, but now I feel there are going to be a lot more experiences that I have to be ready for and I want to share that with the world. My audience can be anyone really, from high school students to parents. I try to share posts about life lessons from when I was a teenager to the woman I am now. I have been through a lot growing up, which includes, bullying, racism, discrimination, and having no confidence in myself at all. And now as a mother, I also want to give something to my daughter to go back to when she starts school and facing difficult times. Hopefully, someone could learn from it, and hopefully, someone will be inspired by it.

Life is not about finding yourself; it is about creating yourself.  Please comment?

We all have a gift. When you are transitioning from a toddler to an adult, you were finding yourself. You had dreams, you took classes, and you graduate. Now what? You start working, right? 5 years down the line, you realize this was not for you, and then you start finding and building another dream all over again.  At this point, you realize that you have wasted the last 10 years of your life finding and chasing a dream that wasn’t meant for you in the first place. Instead, you should have been working and building yourself to your expectation and not what your families, friends, and society expects from you.

We as a society are caught up in perfection. You talk about stop having this perfect body. What have you learned through the process?

The perfect body has become one of my top blog posts. A lot of the times, we have done things that are beyond imaginable to achieve this ‘perfect body’, and no matter what we do, are never satisfied with we have, we always want to go higher and do better. However, putting your health at risk should not be part of the deal. It’s okay to want to look have some curves, big breasts, big bums, etc. You can work on that naturally, or get cosmetics, but your body has a limit and we are all uniquely designed. With that being said, you can not achieve what you really want, without risking your health.

Gratitude in life is very important. How are you grateful on a daily basis?

Sometimes in life, you don’t need much to stay grateful. Knowing that I am one step closer to achieving my dreams and having my daughter telling me she loves me every day is how I stay grateful on a daily basis.

You write a lot about being a single parent. Name me some of the challenges?

Being a single parent is a challenge itself. I don’t think anyone plans to be a single parent, and want to deal with all the challenges that come along with it all alone. I have struggled with confidence in believing that I can do it all by myself. Managing budget finance was very challenging and it’s still is. I also struggle with self-care. As a parent, you want to give your child everything you have but to do that you have also think about yourself.

Talk to me about some of the tough times you have had to deal with in life. How did you overcome it?

When I was 3 months pregnant, I was diagnosed with HIV. It was the darkest time of my life. I was so confused, asked lots of questions. I was pregnant, and now being diagnosed with HIV? I thought the doctors got it wrong. It couldn’t have been me, no way. I cried a lot, every single night. There were times I had tried to commit suicide because I just couldn’t handle the news. The pregnancy was supposed to be one of the best things that have ever happened to me but now I was facing another challenge. My parents were not as supportive as I would have liked. I felt very lonely and depressed. Couldn’t eat or sleep. Asking myself what’s going to happen in the future? What if the baby has the virus? How’s her life going to be? There were so many negative thoughts going on. When my daughter was born, she was tested negative. That was a big weight off my shoulder. I took it upon myself to make sure my daughter knows that I love her and to create a better life for my daughter and myself. So, when she was 2 years old, I was decided to stop crying and fight hard and went back to further education in hopes to get a good job and live a better life.

Do you want to give yourself some advice on 17 and 27?

I wrote a blog post called ‘Letter to my younger self’. In the post, I spoke about how things are finally coming together. I would tell her not to try to fit in and stop worrying about what other people think about her.

What have you learned through motherhood?

Motherhood has taught me many things about life. I have learned how powerful ‘Love’ is. You have not experienced any real love until you’re a parent.

Why should we visit Aberdeen and what are the good restaurants to eat at?

Aberdeen is a city that welcomes any culture from all over the world. The city is small but has everything to make you fall in love with it. The weather is not great throughout the year, however, with that being said, we appreciate the warm and sunny weather in the summer and white snow in the weather. In Aberdeen, we love to eat. The city center is filled with lots of restaurants, small or big. What I love about it is that we have different food from different cultures. So, everyone is welcome and feels at home.

The post Life With Sonia appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Nicki Egan is an award-winning journalist and former People magazine senior writer who was the first reporter in the country to dig deeply into the Bill Cosby scandal in 2005 when other reporters shied away. Starting from scratch, she was able to quickly become sourced and began breaking exclusive stories. When the scandal bubbled up again in October 2014, she was able to quickly reconnect with those victims and sources and began breaking exclusive stories once again, including the news of Cosby’s arrest on Dec. 30, 2015. She continues to get interviews with accusers who have never spoken and develops leads on new angles.

Nicole Egan’s refusal to back down on the Cosby story is not surprising. She has a 28-year record of going up against the nation’s most powerful people to expose wrongdoing. When she was a political reporter in Washington, D.C., first for States News Service, then as the Washington correspondent for the Philadelphia Daily News, she dug into connections between the congressional delegations she covered and how they spent their campaign money, as well as who was contributing to their campaigns and what they got in exchange for those contributions. She broke several national stories, including an exclusive interview with Teresa Heinz about why she had decided not to run for the U.S. Senate seat of her late husband, John, and former Chrysler Corporation Chairman Lee Iacocca’s rejection of an offer to serve as the interim senator after Sen. Heinz died in a plane crash.​

Egan’s extraordinary work on the Cosby story in 2005 caught the eye of People magazine, which signed her up as a freelancer and later hired her. During her 12 years at People, where she rose to be a senior writer, Egan honed her reputation for obtaining exclusive interviews on some of the nation’s most high-profile crime, human-interest, and medical stories.

I feel like I have known Nicole Egan all my life, yet I have never met her. One of my favorite things to do when I visited the chiropractor, physiotherapist, or my family doctor was to read People Magazine. Nicole wrote some of the most fascinating stories for People.

Here is what I admire about her. On Instagram, I sent her a message that I wanted to interview her. She replied right away. I have to be honest. I was trembling with fear, as I was framing questions for one of the best interviewers and writers of our generations. She was humble and answered all my questions right away. Nicki recently published her first book, Chasing Cosby, and is working on her second book while freelancing and pursuing books, movies, and TV opportunities.

Nicki, I consider it an honor, pleasure, and privilege to have you on board. In all my years going to the dentist’s office, chiropractor, massage therapist, and the family doctor, I must say I have read every episode of the People magazine and all of your articles. Talk to me about your passion for chasing stories that define our time and culture?

Hi there. I’ve always loved chasing the stories no one else is-either by reporting on a big news story and getting an interview no one else could yet or digging into an injustice I found through regular beat reporting and exposing it to readers. My stories at the Philadelphia Daily News freed several innocent men and also led to new laws being enacted. My Cosby coverage of 2005, alas, led to absolutely nothing because of Cosby’s power and influence. He was able to get the rest of the media to back off the story and the DA, for whatever reason, never did a full investigation of the case back then, even though there were 14 women accusing him in 2005.

You are one of the top investigative journalists in the US. People just trust you. They open up to you. What do you bring to the table that has that effect on people?

I work hard to gain the trust of the people I interview and I will not betray that trust for anyone – not even my editors. I also have a lot of empathy and, since I tend to cover very tragic stories, I think that comes through when I’m interviewing people.

What advice do you have for women who want to become journalists?

Go for it! The industry has more challenges than ever but if it’s your passion, you should do it. Just have a backup plan or save your money in case you’re laid off, which happens to even the best, hardest-working journalists these days.

Help me understand what does women’s empowerment means to you?

Women’s empowerment means the freedom to make your own choices – about your career, your marital status, and whether you want to have children.

You have a new book coming out next year. Talk to me about it?

I co-authored it with Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, the subjects of the book. After Denise was kidnapped from his home and Aaron reported it to the police, they questioned him for 17 hours, convinced he’d actually murdered her. Meanwhile, Denise was being held by one of the kidnappers and raped. Twice. And when the kidnapper let her go, the police didn’t believe her either and believed they made the whole story up and even said so in a press conference they held that night. The story is so outrageous on so many levels but Denise and Aaron are true heroes and they prevailed in the end. One of the kidnappers was caught three months later after trying to do the same thing to another couple. Denise and Aaron sued the police for defamation and won but the FBI, which took over the kidnapping case, to this day refuses to acknowledge there were other people involved in the kidnapping and home invasion.

I want to know what you want to be remembered for? What is your legacy?

I believe my legacy is always keeping an open mind on every story I cover, doing all of the research I can do for every story I cover and exposing wronging when I see it, no matter who’s behind it. I was a Bill Cosby fan when the story first broke in 2005. I didn’t want to believe he’d do such a thing but I had to put my personal feelings aside and get to what the truth is. I’ve done that with other stories as well, in some cases where I think the media just flat-out got it wrong – like with the Jeffrey MacDonald case, the Green Beret surgeon who was convicted of murdering his wife and two children in 1970 at Fort Bragg, NC but to this day says he’s innocent. There’s a lot of evidence pointing to intruders being the culprit and a lot of misconduct by prosecutors but because there was a bestselling book (Fatal Vision) about it that painted him as a monster, it’s a hard thing to overcome in the court of public opinion. People are rabid about their beliefs when it comes to this case. And I have to say I, too, believed Jeffrey MacDonald was guilty when I first started reporting on the story in 2012 but after years of doing my own research and reporting, I’m not so sure anymore. But just try to convince those in the media that is possible. I remember going back and forth with my editor at PEOPLE about it and I finally said, ‘Well, no one believed Bill Cosby was a rapist in 2005 either.’ It’s so frustrating. It’s one thing if someone has done their own research and digging and comes to that conclusion. It’s another if they’re basing it on a very, very flawed book that was written before a lot of new evidence became available.

Your stories have won so many awards and the story on Maynard’s death got 16 million hits. Is there a story in the last 2000 years you would have liked to have covered and why?

Nope. I have never enjoyed covering tragedies-it was just my job to cover them- so there is no news story out there I wish I’d covered. I wish I’d had more time throughout my career to just do investigative journalism but I always had to juggle doing it with doing a lot of other stories at the same time.

As a society, we are fascinated with cultural icons. What is it about us that never want to question them, their crime, or motives?

America has a celebrity worshiping culture and interviews with them sell magazines and newspapers and attract viewers. So the public never truly get to see who these people are because these celebrities put all sorts of conditions on their interviews with the media and if you ask a question they don’t like, you and your publication (or network) will never interview that celebrity again. And, since many celebrities are represented by the same agents, it spills over into access to other celebrities as well.

It’s one of the reasons Bill Cosby was able to maintain his squeaky-clean image for decades, even though his first known victim dates back to 1965.

As a journalist, you have eaten on the go a lot. What is your favorite food and why?

Chicken fried rice. The food at the Sky Asian Bistro at the Philly airport is just amazing and I love it when I fly in or out of the terminal where it is.

You have led a busy life. How did you balance food, faith, finance, and family?

It’s tough! My PEOPLE job was 24/7 for 12 years with a lot of last-minute trips to cover horrific breaking news events so it was tough to plan anything because you had to be available to go at a moment’s notice. And since I left there I’ve been very busy on multiple projects so I’m just now catching my breath a little and trying to figure out how to do that!

Photo Credit: Steven Goldblatt

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Ronita Goswami is a writer by profession and by passion. She considers herself to be an introvert, a bookworm, a fitness enthusiast, a perfectionist who likes to have all her ducks in a row. Discipline is important to her. “Recently, more specifically over the last two years, I have been donning the hat of a traveler. I’m picking up a lot of traits from my journeys. Travel has converted me into a minimalist and has made me more aware of different cultures. It has had a huge impact on my personality, my lifestyle, and my creative interests.”

About 3 years ago, she discovered the joy of football (soccer) and has been an Arsenal fan ever since.

Ronita you like soccer (football), traveling, and food. We will get along well. You speak or shout at length in a wild impassioned way and are unpredictable as per erratic rantings. Haha, I love the name of your blog. Talk to me a little about it.

Erratic Rantings came into being in 2018. Before that, I had another blog in my college days where I used to write book reviews. But I hadn’t taken it too seriously back then. And then in 2018, my then fiancé (now husband), Tathagata, talked me into having a proper blog set up. I remember that I had asked him, “What am I going to write about?” He said, “Anything you want.” In fact, he chose the name Erratic Rantings since I didn’t give much thought into the name. That’s how it all began. 

We got married the same year and I wrote the first post on our marriage. In fact, I turned my marriage into a seven-part blog series. It felt good to pen the entire event down. I realized that this blog was like a memory bank where I could relive my experiences any time I wanted. And then I couldn’t stop. There were too many things happening around me that I knew I would want to look back at later in my life. In doing this, I started gathering up a handful of followers who have personally told me that they draw inspiration from my blog and are continuously looking forward to the next post. 

Ronita, walk me through the city you live in, the food, the culture, and some good restaurants?

I’m from, what is popularly known as, the City of Joy – Kolkata. I’ve lived here all my life and somehow have never felt the need to live anywhere else.

Kolkata is located in the eastern part of India. It is a city I hold close to my heart. It’s home and more. The city is famous for its literary inclination, its heart-warming food, and progressive culture. Kolkata’s charm lies in its bylanes, serpentine tram lines, intense ‘adda’ sessions (conversations) over searing hot tea poured into earthen cups, sweets, football, intellectual debates and protests, theatres, libraries, music, poetry, old buildings with a colonial past, sprawling chaos in roadside markets, love for sweets and deep-fried snacks and more.

Kolkata is also a confluence of a variety of cultures. That’s because the city is one of the major business hubs of the country and the cost of living isn’t too high compared to other cities. It’s laidback yet modern. One of the characteristics that are unique to my city is its open-mindedness. It encourages uninhibited and constructive debates instead of silent acceptance. I’m proud to be a product of the liberal landscape of my city.

Being a convergence of multiple cultures, Kolkata is a witness to numerous festivals. But Durga puja outstrips all of them. It’s a grand autumnal festival celebrating the victory of Goddess Durga over evil. It continues for five days officially, but we wait for it all year. In fact, the life of a Bengali revolves around Durga puja. Beautifully decorated marquees are put up to house the idols. The entire city transforms into an exhibition of art and creativity. Residents of the city from all over the world return to their homes and join in on the festivities. In essence, Durga puja is a celebration of togetherness. The end of the festival brings out the worst case of blues among us, Bengalis. That’s when we start the countdown for the next Durga puja.

One of my favorite restaurants in Kolkata is Oudh 1590. Not just for the food but for the décor as well. Oudh 1590 is a recreation of the Nawabi era to provide its customers with a period of the dining experience. Once you step inside the restaurant, you would truly feel like you have been transported to history in a time machine.

Tell me about your favorite place that you visited and why you like it so much?

It has to be Bali. Bali stole my heart from the moment I set foot on the island. 

On the first morning of our stay, we headed to the Git Git waterfall. It was deserted when we reached. The water was gushing down with ferocity, Nature has grown abundantly around it, there were tiny, naturally-formed cave-like structures beside the waterfall and the water was crystal clear. I sat down on one of the large rocks closest to the waterfall and felt the water-laden breeze washing over me. It had started to drizzle. The entire place looked magical. That’s where my mood changed dramatically from head to heart. I felt more awake there than I had all my life.

Bali’s beaches are no doubt beautiful, its people are extremely friendly and the coffee is mind-blowing. Bali taught me humbleness through their uninhibited devotion to their Gods and their gratitude towards what they have been blessed with. I believe if there is any place on Earth where God lives, it’s in Bali.

I see you like Arsenal. Why? You talk that you have a lot in common with them. I want to know the commonality.

Like I said, I was introduced to the world of football and its fanaticism in 2017 by my then fiancé (now husband), Tathagata. He is an ardent Arsenal fan. I knew it the day I met him by the tattoo of the Arsenal crest on his left arm. It started with watching videos of old matches on the phone and then slowly I began to understand the power of ‘The Beautiful Game’. He taught me the different aspects of a football match, the significance of every move or sign in the field, and the true meaning of the sport.

As for the commonality, you have to read my blog post to find out.

What is your ideal romantic date?  How has married life changed your life? Any surprises?

My ideal romantic date would be at the beach at sunset with ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon playing in the background. Both Tathagata and I love the beach. We’ve witnessed countless sunsets at the beach together and it still gives me goosebumps thinking about it. The quiet roaring of the waves is relaxing and that’s when I find myself most calm and at the same time, most lively. I cannot thank my stars enough when I walk along the beach with Tathagata by my side. I feel on top of the world every single time that happens.

We’ve been married for a little over two years now and I have felt a lot of positive changes in myself through this time. A friend told me recently that marriage has brought me out of my shell. It’s true. I am exploring myself a lot more. Like I told you before, I’m donning more than one hat to discover new aspects that I can add to my identity. I’m experimenting more, I’m trying to stretch my boundaries and learning to step out of my comfort zone. I feel more confident and optimistic about life.

I married into a large family. We live with my parents, grandparents and uncle, and my aunt-in-law. Coming from a nuclear family, this was the biggest change in my life. Thankfully, we get along really well. More importantly, living with a large family has taught me some core virtues like patience, resilience, and being less judgmental. Luckily I married into a family that appreciates and practices creativity and art. 

I know you like the beach. What is it about the beach that you like?

It is the sound of the waves that pulls me to the beach. The sea makes me happy. It has a soothing and reassuring effect on my mind. It’s as if the waves tell me that no matter what happens, everything will be alright. I feel like I can draw strength from the ocean. Every time I’m at the beach I make it a point to take off my shoes and feel the sand between my toes. It helps me connect to the sea and relax my mind. It’s always an invigorating experience to sit down at the beach at sunset and just listen to the incessant roaring of the waves. Tathagata tells me, “If you respect the sea, the sea will respect you too.”

You are the modern-day Indian woman. How is that woman different from Woman in the ’80s and the ’60s?

I feel that the status of Indian women has radically changed in the modern-day since the ’80s or ’60s. There have been massive structural and cultural changes that provide equal opportunity to women in education and employment. I’ll give you an example.

My grandmother-in-law, who is now 85 years old, couldn’t complete her school-level education because she had to walk a certain distance to be able to board the school bus. And that wasn’t acceptable at that time. She regrets it to this day. She takes a keen interest in reading and has a brilliant memory. But she feels that no matter how much she reads, it can never compensate for the education she was deprived of and so immensely desired.

On the other hand, my late maternal grandmother who was a statistician by profession was a financially independent woman. Her sister was a headmistress of a reputed school, an ardent traveler, and an excellent swimmer even with a polio-affected leg. So you see, there were opportunities, but only for the extremely lucky ones.

Fast forward to this day, today’s Indian woman has ample opportunities to choose the education she desires, become financially independent, have a voice, and make well-informed decisions about her life. While a certain amount of social norms still govern a lot of Indian women’s lives, we have come a long way from how it used to be about four or five decades ago. But then again, the lesser privileged are still oppressed to the point where they have forgotten that they can have opinions. I think a large part of the cause is the lack of free basic education. But change is occurring every day. The idea is to manage the challenges and make adjustments according to the situation to be able to build a better tomorrow. We are getting there. At least we are trying. That’s what matters.

What does women empowerment mean to you?

Today, we talk a lot about women’s empowerment. But I think there are multiple aspects to it. I feel that the key to women’s empowerment is abolishing discrimination. This is where our society falls short most of the time. People make a lot of hues and cry over women’s empowerment on the surface, but the mentality of people would take a lot more generations to change. Women today, face a lot of adversities in the name of loss of culture. Even today, women are subject to gruesome violence. There are numerous organizations working towards the improvement of women’s status. There’s progress but the mentality needs to change before we can see any large improvement. This is where access to education is necessary. 

Discrimination against women exists in the different stratum of the society – some are visible, some not so much. And quite a lot of times, this discrimination becomes such a force of habit that people don’t recognize it at all. I think one of the most effective ways to empower our women is by teaching our sons about true feminism so that our women do not have to fight for it. We need to teach our sons from a very young age to view women as equals and engage them in abolishing gender stereotypes. Women empowerment is not the fight for women alone, it’s a fight for our men too. To stand as equals with women. Nothing more. Nothing less.

We will do another interview in 5 years. Where would Ronita be and what are your goals and aspirations for the next 5 years?

Hopefully, I would be able to make some developments with my blog, share more experiences, and inspire more people. I am working towards improving my English writing skills since it isn’t my first language. I hope to make progress with my career, try to push myself out of my comfort zone, and acquire more knowledge and skills along the way. Maybe I would be able to add some more beautiful destinations into my travel experiences, get to learn about different cultures, and create better travel videos than my first attempt. 

In the next five years, I see myself growing into a more mature version of myself. I expect to become calmer, more confident, and more in touch with myself. So let’s wait and find out.

The post Ronita Goswami: Blogger and Wanderlust appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Margaret Bourne is a marketing and PR professional, with over 10-plus years of experience in blogging and over 15+ years in PR, digital marketing, and content generation.  Margaret shares adventures, recipes, beauty trends, parenting stories, and blogging tips on her lifestyle blog Suburban Tourist.

Margaret Bourne has included FourColumnsofaBalancedlife in her list of Top Up-And-Coming Canadian Lifestyle Blogs to Follow in 2020.

Margaret comments that “These Canadian lifestyle blogs haven’t been overly pitched, with every blog post being sponsored content. Therefore, they are much more appealing to readers who want authenticity and real insights than a brand push behind it. A fine line! They have fresh ideas and content and they are eager to share their stories and ideas with their readers. Furthermore, they want to be seen and heard. Therefore, getting a boost from others is always welcome.”

I want to thank Margaret for appreciating the authenticity and real insights that I try to bring to the lifestyle landscape.

The post Top up and coming Canadian lifestyle blogs to follow in 2020 appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Amira Irfan is an inspiration to bloggers and to women. She is a successful entrepreneur, lawyer, and business coach, and she runs a successful group for bloggers. I catch up with Amira to get to know her a little bit better and get an understanding of how bloggers can protect themselves.

Amira, a pleasure to have you on my blog. Please tell my audience something important about you.

Thanks, Jerry! Happy to contribute. My name is Amira, and I’m a business lawyer, six-figure blogger, and coach who helps entrepreneurs protect their online business legally. 

I’ve helped more than 10,000 entrepreneurs with my best-selling legal templates and affordable services as a lawyer for 9 years now. I still work full-time as a lawyer while I run a successful online business in my precious little free time! 

What is A Self Guru about?  Why did you start it, and who is your audience?

Great question! When I launched my business and decided on this name, the thought was that you are A Self Guru when you are the master of your own destiny and hence, in charge of your future! This became my blog’s tag line. 

So my target audience is anyone who wants to become their own boss, meaning entrepreneurs like you and me. I started my business because I saw so many entrepreneurs struggling with the legal side of their business, and I wanted to offer services and products that you could actually afford without having to hire a super expensive lawyer. 

That’s why you will find tons of easy business and legal tips to help you along your self-employment journey!

You have a successful blog. Walk me through some of the steps of having a successful blog?

Thank you! I’ve worked day and night with my full-time job to become a six-figure blogger. I can’t outline the exact steps I took because as entrepreneurs, we are constantly evolving! 

There’s always so much to learn and implement but there were a few crucial blogging courses I took in the beginning to start my blog and those were instrumental in my success. 

Since then, I’ve made tons of other business investments that have further propelled my success allowing me to make $35,000 in a single month!

The best advice I would give is to NOT waste time trying to figure out everything on your own. Time is money and treat it like that! 

Whatever you decide to pursue, learn from the best and invest in the right business tools and resources right away because that would speed up your progress and you will get your desired results much faster.

What attracted you to become a lawyer and what advice you have for young girls wanting to become one?

One of the big reasons I became a lawyer was because my father got sued as a business owner when I was still in college studying to become a doctor. Life took a sharp turn and before I knew it, I was helping my dad figure out all the legalities of a $90,000 lawsuit that lasted for an entire year! 

It left us financially broke and my dad had to start his business all over again. That lawsuit left a permanent scar on me, and I didn’t want to see any other entrepreneur, any other family suffer as we did! 

So instead of going to medical school, I ended up going to law school instead and never looked back! Everything about the law has also been much more fascinating and impactful, and I absolutely love working as a business lawyer. 

It gives me a great sense of purpose helping other entrepreneurs avoid the big legal mistakes that could turn their life upside down (like what happened to my dad and our family). 

As for any young girls wanting to be a lawyer, I’d say only pursue it if it’s your passion and you love the law otherwise, you would be miserable. 

Unfortunately, I know tons of unhappy lawyers and when I say I love the law – people look at me funny because it’s rare to meet someone like me. Most lawyers are not happy practicing the law.

So only pursue it as a career if it excites you and keeps you awake at nights because you really enjoy it, not because you have to. 

Tell us about your legal templates for entrepreneurs?

There are 10+ affordable legal templates I sell on my blog that all entrepreneurs need every day for their business. These legal contracts and documents have helped thousands of bloggers and entrepreneurs. 

Some of the most popular legal templates are below, and they all are important for different reasons:

1. The Legal Bundle For Your Website 

The Legal Bundle is an instant download of my 3 best selling legal templates + 9 bonuses you need to comply with the laws, avoid GDPR fines and sleep peacefully at night knowing your online business is protected legally. 

2. Sponsored Posts Contract Template 

You use this contract template to quickly and easily collaborate with brands like a pro to produce sponsored content (blog posts, social media posts or video) and build lasting relationships without getting into legal issues. You also get $500 in bonuses! 

3. Freelance Contract Template 

The Freelance Contract template (also known as the Independent Contractor Agreement) is an instant download of my most popular legal contract you need to avoid lawsuits and sleep peacefully at night knowing your online business is protected legally, PLUS get $550 in 3 special bonuses you don’t want to miss! 

4. Guest Blogger Template 

If you are accepting guest posts on your blog then you MUST have this template that includes all the guest post guidelines and legal provisions you need to protect yourself from copyright violations and more. 

5. Affiliate Agreement Template 

If you have your own affiliate program then you must have your affiliates accept these terms and conditions before they start promoting your products to protect yourself from their legal mistakes! 

6. Confidentiality (Non-disclosure agreement) Template

This contract allows you to protect your business information and secrets before collaborating and sharing your business with others. 

For example, if you are hiring a virtual assistant for your business or someone else to help you with your business, you would want to enter into this NDA agreement to make sure the other person doesn’t steal your business information after learning the ins and out. 

7. Media Release Agreement Template 

You need this contract before you start using someone’s name, image, video and other intellectual property in your business and promotions to avoid getting sued and violating their legal rights.

8. LLC Operating Agreement Template  

You need this Operating Agreement to separate your business from YOU. This is the legal contract that shows to the court that your business is separate from your personal assets so you are not legally responsible for your business debts and lawsuits. 

9. Coaching Agreement Template

Use this contract with your coaching clients while working 1:1 or providing group coaching to protect yourself and get paid and it includes tons of other important legalese and disclaimers you need as a coach to protect yourself from lawsuits! 

10. Interior Design Contract Bundle 

This contract bundle includes my 5 essential legal templates you need plus 10 bonuses to protect your interior design business. It’s perfectly customized for Interior Designers including eDesigners giving you all the legal documents and contracts you need to work with clients. 

Talk to me a little about the city you live in. The food scene and some favorite restaurants?

I live in South Florida, about 45 minutes from Miami. If you have ever been to Miami then you know we are famous for our beautiful beaches and amazing food! There are so many great choices for restaurants depending on what you like to eat. 

Rapid-fire questions

Favorite food Mexican and Italian 

Favorite book Too many! Here’s one – Million Dollar Habits by Brian Tracy

Favorite actor Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey

Any book you are reading now Right now, I’m buried into the blogging courses I’ve bought to grow my business  

Three people you would like to have a meal with and what is one question you would ask them?

1. Oprah Winfrey – what keeps you motivated?
2. Tony Robbins – what are your best tips for entrepreneurs?
3. Amy Porterfield – how do you manage to look so good on camera and connect with your audience effortlessly? 

If you were chosen to go to Mars and can take only 5 personal things what would those be?

It depends on the duration! If I’m just visiting then probably nothing. I’d like to be in the moment and enjoy the full experience

The post Amira Irfan: Lawyer, Six Figure Blogger, Business Coach appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.