But I spent a lot. And had I met my friend Ariane a few months earlier, I might not have had to.

Meet Story Mix, a company that takes your guests’ footage of the wedding (via an app guests can use on their smart phones or provided digital cameras) and makes it into something wonderful- a story if you will.  It’s so great to meet at least one company that’s making something more affordable in the wedding space.  Lord knows, brides need to catch a break whenever they can.

I love the idea of Storymix because there are moments that even two hired photographers and videographers could never catch.  The behind the scenes stuff. The stuff that makes your people, well, your people. The view from the pews at church, the moment Grandma starts dancing with her vodka bottle before the wedding, the moment your college buddies are telling funny stories about you between the reception and ceremony.

Check out these unique wedding day photo ideas and definitely check out Story Mix. Also a great app to use for kid birthday parties, holidays, personal achievements and professional events you want to capture.

PS- This is NOT a sponsored post, I just truly love Ariane and the work she is doing.  She also happens to be a developer and a mother of SIX kids. My respect for her is infinite.

Infographic courtesy of WeddingMix – Capture, Share, and Enjoy Every Photo & Video Memory Plus an Edited Wedding Video.

By: Storymix Media Storymix Media

Age: 39

Location: Boulder, Colorado

Where did you go to college and what did you study?

UC Berkeley, an interdisciplinary major for “Society, Technology, and the Environment”

Tell us about your first job after college. Was it what you expected?

Instead of finding my first job after college, I actually created my first job… and it was not really after college as much as it was more of a “hiatus” during college. When I was 21, a friend and I both took time off from our junior years in college to start one of the first online entry-level job services, JobDirect. It was a crazy experience for many reasons, including that neither of us had any business or computer experience. Yet we were passionate about the idea, and we grew and sold the company 4 years later.

The experience wasn’t what I expected, but that is because it surpassed every possible expectation I thought to have as a college student. I didn’t peg myself as an entrepreneur at the time, so this was a surprise experience in every aspect. One that changed my life for the better in many ways.

Tell us about your company, FlexJobs.com.

FlexJobs is the leading site for finding a job that offers some type of flexibility within professional positions hiring now, including telecommuting jobs, flex/part-time hours, etc. Our staff hand screens each position to guarantee there are no ads, scams or too good to be true offers. As a result, we guarantee each job listed is legit and the site currently has 50+ career fields and has helped over 500,000 job seekers to date.

We are thrilled to have earned quite a few awards, including being named a Top Career Site by Forbes, and cultivated fantastic partnerships, such as one with Working Mother where we serve as their official job board.

What inspired you to start FlexJobs?

I was pregnant with my first child in 2007, and realized I wanted to find a job that would allow me more work flexibility so that I could be more present for my family. I was open to telecommuting, freelance, consulting, part-time or flexible schedules jobs, but in my search I kept running into scams and jobs that just weren’t in my career path.

Having had my experience of starting a successful job service before, and firmly believing that these jobs existed and should be easier to find, I was in a unique position to start a company to create what I was looking for.

What has been the toughest part about growing your company?

Two things – one, staying ahead of growth and not allowing bottlenecks to happen! They first started happening with me, and I quickly realized that I needed to start delegating more. As our team grows, we try our best to hire before we urgently need to, while not hiring too early before the role will have enough to do.

The second is keeping my own work-life balance! The name of our company is FlexJobs, so obviously it’s flexible, but sometimes I can be my own worst enemy in working too much. I have to be very aware of creating a balance for my family and my personal life as well, and not just get caught up in all that I want to do with the business.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start an internet business?

Two differentiators for me between an internet business and an offline business are the ability to use “the cloud” and all of the different online marketing avenues you can utilize. I started FlexJobs as a virtual company, meaning that our entire team work from home offices all over the country, and even one team member in Europe. That means that our team can work from anywhere, anytime, and we can do it because we utilize “the cloud”.

Also, with online marketing, really look at what will work for your business – SEO, SEM, blog marketing, social media, retargeting, etc. There are so many online marketing opportunities to help drive your audience to your website.

What career advice would you give to women who are just starting out after college?

Listen to your intuition. Women often overlook their own gut instinct when it comes to career decisions because of what they “should” do, or what people tell them to do, but it’s important to put real value on what you want to do and what makes the most sense for you.

Also, don’t put too much pressure on every career decision. It is highly unlikely that you’ll only have one job in your career, so each one is just a single opportunity that will lead to others. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll learn from it and move on to the next one.

My/our generation (Gen Y) has been fed a lot of crap from the media and from parents who wish they did things differently when they were young. Sadly, it only ended up hurting us in the end. While you think that filling your twenties with underemployment and a total focus on going out with friends is the only way to spend your time, think again.

Think about the successful people you know.  Did they waste their 20′s? No. They got busy.  They try. They take things seriously.  Yes: perhaps they failed and they changed course. While you might think they are cool as a cucumber, they probably felt they had no idea what they were doing.  They fought with their bosses and co-workers.  They faked it until they made it.  But one thing is for sure: they don’t keep making excuses about how they’ll figure it out when they turn thirty. They set the tone for the rest of their lives in their twenties.

As Dr. Meg Jay says – the marriage, baby, job, house and life you want at 35 or 40 may be totally impossible unless you get started in your twenties. Your twenties truly is a defining decade.

Stop saying “it’s OK, I can hook up with this guy now, it’s not like I’m going to marry him!” Seriously, stop wasting your time on losers and stop fooling yourself.

I know some people feel strongly that one’s twenties is a time of total freedom and exploration. I get it. And yeah, the real world can be “boring.”  But is sitting on the bench for ten years that great of an idea?

I’ve been in some heated debates about this topic since reading the book, and I welcome an open discussion here as well.  Check out Dr. Meg Jay’s Ted Talk below and let me know what you think in the comments section.

In my opinion, if there’s one book you read in your twenties, this is it.

PS- I turn 29 on Monday.  For some reason I feel a huge responsibility of how I handle the last year of my twenties. Who made up this 30 benchmark and why does it feel like such a defining age? I will be doing a few posts about what it feels like going into year 29.  Stay tuned.

Thoughts?

Now Pamela is ready got get started with optimizing her own financial situation. Due to a mortgage, a newish job with a slightly irregular income, and some consumer debt, Pamela and I decided to reorganize and re-strategize her finances before starting a budget. She’s already been doing a fantastic job of saving for retirement, so consumer debt payoff is the goal! Here’s what we plan to do to help make that happen faster:

Consolidate Debt

Owing even small amounts to more than one lender can get confusing for anyone. Not only that, it causes you to pay more interest than you have to, which can really add up in the long run. That’s why Pamela is pursuing debt consolidation. This will enable her to transfer anything outside of her mortgage onto one account, at a lower interest rate.

There are several ways to consolidate debt and – contrary to popular belief – you don’t need a “debt consolidation” company to help you. In fact, the majority of those companies end up being debt settlement or debt management companies, which come with a high risk. So how can you consolidate debt on your own?

1. Credit card balance transfer
   Shop around for a credit card which offers a promotional rate (typically 0% for 6 months to 1 year, depending on your credit score) and apply to transfer all of your other credit card balances onto this new card. Be careful not to make any purchases though! Purchases are charged a higher interest rate and even having the purchases on the new card can skew the way your payments are applied. Credit card balance transfers are a good option only for those who want the lowest interest rates possible  - but trust themselves not to use the card for new purchases.
2. Home equity line of credit
   If you own a home, you can take out a HELOC and use it to pay off your other debt. This is better than a credit card balance transfer if you’re not sure you trust yourself not to spend on the new card. The HELOC has a fixed rate and payoff date. One con to this is that your home becomes collateral on your debt – putting you at risk of foreclosure if you default on your payments.
3. Peer-to-peer loan
   Peer-to-peer loans, such as those from The Lending Club and Prosper, give you the best of both worlds: they come at a much lower interest rate than credit cards and the rate and payoff date are fixed. You don’t run the risk of charging up more debt and there is no collateral on this loan. The con is that they don’t offer 0% interest rates, so you might get a lower rate with a credit card balance transfer. However, if you think you’re better off steering clear of credit cards, then the slightly higher rate is probably worth not having to open any new credit cards again.

Earn Extra Income

Once Pamela’s consumer debt is consolidated, she wants to do whatever she can to apply more money to her debt payoff. Since her current obligations don’t leave her a lot of room in her budget, she decided to look for ways to earn extra income.

I know what you might be thinking, but earning extra income doesn’t have to be a total drag, and just a little bit extra each month can have a tremendous difference on your debt payoff goals! One way to lessen the pain is to find work that you genuinely enjoy and that is convenient to your schedule.

In Pamela’s case, she noticed that her local bar (which is just blocks from her home) is always busy. She mentioned this to the bartender who promptly told her he agreed and that they’re hiring! Since she’d been a bartender before, she had the necessary skills, and she got the job! Now she will spend a couple nights a week working at a bar she already enjoyed hanging out in, while being able to get home in five minutes or less, and earning quite a bit of extra money to boot! Now that’s what I call a boost to your financial plan!

Debt Avalanche

To complete Pamela’s debt payoff plan, she’s going to start on what’s called the debt avalanche method. This method entails paying off your highest interest rate debt first. Some people prefer the debt snowball method, which is paying off your lowest balances first, because they like having those “wins” for motivation. But Pamela’s ready to fight her debt head on in the mathematically fastest way possible.

This avalanche method will be made even easier once her consumer debt is consolidated, and she has extra money from her side job to apply to these loans. Once her highest interest rate debt is paid off, the monthly amount she was paying on that will be applied on top of the minimum payment for the next highest interest rate debt – and so on until she’s debt-free. Hence, the name, avalanche!

A little bit of strategizing on your financial situation can go a LONG way. In Pamela’s case, this new strategy is going to turn her financial situation into something she can easily control and manage. Need a little help strategizing your own finances? Tell us your story in the comments below and I’ll be happy to reply with some pointers!

Beyond Match, eHarmony, ChristianMingle and JDate, here are some of the mainstream sites that are picking up speed and picking up chicks:

How About We- I did try this one… it was a big ole fail. A dating site where users suggest a date for others to accept. With no matches being based on personality, and the range of men who want to “grab a drink” being wide, I don’t really see how this one can be successful.

PoF (Plenty of Fish)- It isn’t super new but it is new to me! Doesn’t seem like anything is special about this site though. Another shirtless guy, another selfie photo’d girl… If I’m wrong… let me know!

Coffee Meets Bagel- Based off of personality, you’re sent a new guy everyday and are notified via text. You can either “like” or “pass”.

Alikewise- Dating based on book types. If you are someone who has a book that “defines you”, this could be a brilliant site. Anyone who also enjoys Letters to Young Poet might have my heart.

Grouper- The site sets up the date, and then the guy and the girl each invite 3 single friends for one big group date. I’ve seen it be both really awesome or really really awkward. I think it is worth the risk.

NerveDating- A dating site without an “About Me” paragraph. WHAT!? CAN IT BE TRUE?? This site takes the nerves out of online dating and tries to make it more natural by asking normal questions… as natural as online dating can be.

Only a Date- Similar to How About We where the date is picked before the man. Again, it’s a bit terrifying to think the range in men that might show up “for a drink.” The key is to get as unique as possible with the date ideas, but that sounds like more work than an “About Me” paragraph.

Cupid With Friends- this site is GENIUS. No one edits their own profile, instead, their friends write it for them. Sounds like a really fun excuse for a single lady party to me!

And while I’m on the topic, here are some really awesome unique dating sites as well:

SeniorMatch- Everyone deserves love, even the small percentage of elderly people who are savy enough to find an online dating website.

H-ype.com- A dating site for people with Herpes. Smart! Maybe just make up a story about how you met.

Veggie Date- Sounds like you are dating a carrot, but it’s dating for vegetarians!

The Big and the Beautiful- Dating for curvy people. A “Top Model” made the site so it’s got to be good right?

Geek2Geek- Awe. Nothing is more romantic than writing HTML code together…

Farmers Only- Standing at the alter: “I, Lauren, take you Farmer Jim and your fifty chicken, 80 cows, and 20 horses…”

2date4love- A site for those who can’t have sex. Whether celibate, sick, or whatnot.

Green Singles- Before we hug each other, we always hug a tree.

And lastly, for those of you who are disgusting or for those of you who find humor in all that the internet offers:

Sugar Daddie- I don’t think I need to explain this one.

Ashley Madison- members are matched up with other married people. Suspicious website names for suspicious activities…

Beautiful People- UGH. Just shut your mouth. You deserve this article: 

Blendr/Grindr- Straight/Gay sites that shows the geographical distance between you and another Blendr/Grindr user. These users are most often found in bathroom stalls.

7 or Better- a site for women who want to date guys that are “endowed down under”.

There truly is a dating website for EVERYONE. Want more examples? Check out the Buzzfeed article here.

Do you have another dating website? Do you have stories from using any of the sites above? I want to hear them! (Except for the 7 or Better stories… I really don’t want to hear those).

Let’s talk.

Happy Thursday y’all!

Dear Ms. Career Girl,

 I have a colleague that flosses his teeth and plucks his nose hairs right in front of me. Is this common in the workplace? There are at least 2 people in the office who clip their nails at work and it’s not only gross, but distracting. If these people are key decision makers, why are they spending time at work on personal hygiene when they’re supposed to be running the business? It would be one thing to do that in your own office, but in a shared space?

Ashley

Unfortunately, there are many “office etiquette crimes” being committed every day in workplaces all over the country.  Inappropriate dress, nail clipping, and talking for hours on the phone with a friend are just some of the offenses that employees may have to deal with at one point or another.

But let’s make it clear: any non-work related behavior in the workplace is never acceptable.  Flossing teeth and plucking nose hairs are not only unacceptable, they’re also disgusting.  There isn’t anything that could justify that behavior.  In my opinion, even doing it in your own office behind closed doors is not acceptable, whether you’re an intern or the CEO.  Personal grooming is something that must be dealt with at home, in private.

How do you deal with inappropriate behavior at work? The best thing to do is to take action immediately.  By letting it go or ignoring it, you are reinforcing the behavior, silently telling your coworker that it’s okay to floss his teeth or pluck his nose hairs.  You don’t want to do that.  Take action immediately by being direct and confront your co-worker.

Find a time that you are both free and go to a private place to talk about the issue.  While being respectful, make sure to be firm and assertive to convey the fact that you are serious about the problem.  Keep your emotions in control and stay calm.  Focus on “I” and “me” oriented sentences, like: “It really bothers me when you floss your teeth and pluck your nose hairs in the office.”  This will keep your coworker from thinking that you are attacking or insulting them.

While having this conversation with your coworker, suggest something that could fix the situation.  For example, you could say: “I feel uncomfortable when you floss your teeth and pluck your nose hairs in the office.  While I understand that these are essential to personal hygiene, maybe you could do this in the bathroom instead? I would really appreciate that.”  Focus on the solution instead of the problem.

If you have made several requests and your coworker still ignores you, contact your supervisor or HR for additional guidance.  Stick to your guns and don’t let it slide unless you want the behavior to continue.

Many people may not opt to be direct to their coworkers because they are afraid of coming off as “uptight”.  Remember that you have the right to be comfortable in your own workplace.  Would you rather risk being seen as “uptight” to your offending coworker but feel comfortable at work, or be not seen as “uptight” to your offending coworker but feel uncomfortable at work?  If a coworker’s actions make YOU feel uncomfortable, chances are your other coworkers feel the same way.

Good luck, Ashley!

Have you ever experienced inappropriate behavior from a coworker at work? How did you handle it?

Jay, 20.

Just by looking at this picture, you can probably tell that Jay is a natural born hippie and a free-spirited gal.

Jay is wearing a beautiful grey and black butterfly-sleeved dress which emphasizes and accentuates curves. She paired black moccasin fringe boots and a black fringe pouch with her ensemble. For girls who have smaller waists and bigger butts and thighs, fitted dresses like the one is Jay is wearing is much more flattering than a boxy or flowy dress.

Outfit Needs:

• Color!!!! Do not be afraid to experiment with bright or pastel colors for the spring. Instead of the black fringe pouch, wear a red pouch for color or add neon pink bangles for flare.
• Also, consider trading in your moccasin fringe boots or UGGS for combat boots. Mixing girly pieces with edgy shoes makes for a more fashionable look.

Next up is Nicole’s sister, Ashley Crimaldi, MCG’s Beauty columnist.

Ashley, 25.

Ashley is wearing a burgundy peplum top that contrasts her dark blue jeans. Everyone must have a peplum top or dress in their wardrobe for the summer! If you have curves, the peplum accentuates the waist and hides trouble spots. If you wish you had curves, the peplum top will give you an hourglass shape – a win-win for all body types! Ashley’s cheetah scarf adds a little spice to her casual look.

Outfit Needs:

• Jewelry!!!! Do not be afraid to over-accessorize with bangles or earrings. Since the colors of Ashley’s outfit are dark, I would add gold or pearl jewelry. Jewelry is unique, not many people are going to share the same accessories as you so do not be afraid to stand out.
• Peplum tops look great with pencil or mini-skirts. The flare of the peplum and the fitted skirts creates an hourglass shape and works as great for a night out.

Nicole, 28.

Nicole’s look is complete. She is creating what I like to call balance. She is wearing a flowy non-fitted navy blue top with dark blue skinny jeans. If you’re wearing a flowy piece on top, wear fitted bottoms to balance out the look. Nicole’s scarf draws in all the colors while breaking up the textures of her outfit. Her gold wedges are all the rage right now for spring and summer fashion. If you want to add something a little different to your look, pull out your 90′s-inspired shoes and pair them with skinny jeans for a casual look, or harem pants for a night out at the bar.

Outfit Needs:

• Jewelry!! Whether it’s three or four gold bangles on one arm or gold hoop earrings, adding accessories is necessary for every outfit. Jewelry will always separate you from any other girl in the room.
• Dare to be different.

If you need style advice or help coordinating an outfit, just email a picture to nicole@mscareergirl.com. I will help you style your look!

Remember: look good and you will feel good. 

Check out National Public Radio’s (NPR) She Works: Note to Self Tumblr page. As part of NPR’s The Changing Lives of Women initiative, this Tumblr page encourages women to log on and create a digital sticky note using advice they’ve learned or want to share with others about work or life in general. Some notes are great, some make you think, and others just make you laugh out loud because you can relate 100 percent.

I think it’s a fantastic and fresh way to bring women in the workplace together. We’re not alone in this crazy world so let’s make use of the (little) free time we have to help others learn from our own experiences. Here are a few of my favorite pieces of advice I saw on the site:

• J.A. from Brisbane, Australia, says: If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.
• E.L. from Rolla, Missouri, says: If you don’t feel pride while explaining your job, it’s time for a new one.
• A.B.H. from Richmond, Virginia, says: Brittney Spears made it through 2007, you will make it through this day.
• M.Y. from Chicago, Illinois, says: Never be afraid of success.
• K.L. from London, United Kingdom, says: Don’t let the bastards get you down.

I must say, there are some brilliant ladies in this world. I think I’m going to bookmark this site and visit it when I’m having a rough day.

If you like your advice a little more “salty”, click here (but please note, it might not be suitable for the workplace). You’ll find some advice that is a little more, shall I say, in your face yet hilariously true.

What about you – what is the best career or life advice you’ve received? Share with us here and definitely make your own sign on NPR’s site. A little advice can go a long way. Here’s the sign I made:

Corbett Barr, founder of ThinkTraffic.net feels this shift in perspective is a career movement. He calls it the “DIY Career” and the concept took him from Fortune 500 consultant to being his own boss (and making 6-figures to boot). Here’s an excerpt from his e-book “18 Months, 2 Blogs, 6 Figures.”

Here’s what I realized on our trip — relying on permission from other people to build your career is so last century.

Compensation based on facetime, employment practices that favor seniority over competence and hard work, and distribution models based on physical media and back room deals instead of fair artist compensation and consumer preference are all dying.

I decided none of that was for me anymore. Instead, I decided to pursue a “Do-It-Yourself (DIY) career.”

I knew I wanted to achieve the ultimate in flexibility  I wanted a business I could run from anywhere, that I could scale up as needed and take time away from when I wanted to.

Corbett’s concept of a DIY career or “lifestyle design” is a definite parallel to MCG’s mission of helping women “Style their Lives.”

So I have a question for you: does the DIY Career appeal to YOU?

Please leave me a comment explaining WHY it appeals to you and what holds you back from styling your life as a solopreneur.

If you’re not quite sure how you feel about it, check out the 5 lifestyle design sites below, then let me know.

If styling your career via an online business is something you guys are crazy about, then I want to provide more content around the subject. I’ll read each of your comments and your emails (nicole@mscareergirl.com).

• IttyBiz
• Chris Guillebeau
• Adam Baker
• Gary Vaynerchuk - one of my personal heroes.
• Marianne Cantwell

I wanted to start up a recurring post.  I was inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s “Happiness Project.”  Each month, Gretchen selects an area to focus on to bring more happiness into her life.  My favorite part of the book was her discovery of the “five minutes or less” rule.  This rule states, “If you can do it in five minutes or less, you do it”.

Whether you pick an outfit for tomorrow’s girls night or reorganize some emails, your life will seem more in order after these little tweaks.  The purpose of this endeavor is to help us all focus on, appreciate, and use the little free time we have each day.  We can all strive to maximize our time, with little additional effort.  It is truly the little things that can make or break a day.

If you have five minutes this week: Keep the kitchen tidy.  Wipe off the kitchen counters and put random dishes in the dish washer.

It’s as simple as that!  See you next week.