4 Insta-Worthy Accommodations in Bali

Beautiful Bali is a world-class island in Indonesia. I happen to be planning a women’s surf and growth retreat this February 2019! It will be my second time over and I cannot wait to share the experience with my guests.

First things first, have you ever been to Bali? If you could ask me one question about my experience, what would it be?

1. Ubud Mana Sari 
My style is very much Boho, shabby-chic and includes pastel pinks, lavender, blue, green and white, mixed with just about anything rustic wood. Imagine the photo shoots to be had by the greenery poolside. Price points are approximately $400 per night, a price I would be willing to pay if it meant laying on that massive king size bed.

Photo credit: Wayan Jay

2. Ubud 4 seasons
Every time I look at this next photo, I want to hop on a flight and get on that bridge and meditate for the rest of my life. You’ll pay anywhere from $600-$5,000 to stay at this piece of paradise.

Photo Credit @mgtenazas – Mikki Tenazas of Barcelona.

3. Ubud Shamballa Residence
Reasonably priced at $255 US per night. This next spot gives you a private pool experience overlooking the lush greenery in the jungle of Ubud. The wide-open white-decored living room is perfect for really crisp photos to be taken.

Photo Credit: Heather Holt

4. Hanging Gardens

Enjoy a floating breakfast in this double-decker pool spread. This destination is at the top of my bucket list for Bali Feb 2019 and I’m really hoping I can simply pay a fee to enter the pool to enjoy this view rather than the $700 per night CAD fees.

Photo Credit: Instagram business page: @hanginggardensofbali

Pro Travel Tip: You can pay to enjoy a day at hotel spas or their pools, simply call to inquire before making the trip, ask locals or even send someone a DM on IG that you’ve seen with a recent post to ask for you.

Which of the four spots would you visit and why?

Challenge. Can you top it! Find a photo of a wicked spot in Ubud, Indonesia and let me know.

 Are you an Instagram Addict looking for your next best photoshoot? If so, you’ll LOVE my new blog. Check it out here >> 4 Insta-Worthy Accommodations in Bali. 

 Try telling me you’re not booking a flight straight to Bali after checking out my latest Blog –  4 Insta-Worthy Accommodations in Bali. 

Goodbye writer’s block & hello 9 strategies to becoming a content creating machine

 

Meet Jacob Mark.
He’s my newest client who simply dreads the task of creating written content for his social media platforms.

He can’t stand creating content, mostly because he has no idea where to begin. He’s outwardly expressed his desire for me to do all of the photography, written and social management for his social media, which I kindly declined last week.

There must be a certain level of autonomy we gift our clients with right? What are your thoughts on this as well, I’d love to know!

#3 Baby steps to becoming a digital nomad

Thinking of leaving your 9-5 desk job and making a hop, skip and one giant leap across the globe to enjoy the luxurious ocean views from places like Tahiti, Hawaii, Sri Lanka and the Maldives?

This is Bali, Indonesia back in 2017 when I spent 1.5 months exploring this fast-paced, exotic island. I’ve dreamed of being able to travel the world and offer my skills and services wherever I am. Some call this survival mode and risky, I call it truly living in the present moment.

Imagine you could wake up to the sound of the ocean and eat fresh fruits every hour of the day, (picked from the trees people!), bask in the hot sun on a daily basis and work on your schedule. Better yet, imagine if you could pick yourself up and make an office out of any destination you chose in the snap of your fingers? I have. I dream about it all the time and slowly chip away at developing my online skillsets to take myself wherever the wind blows me.

Here are three ways to start your journey of becoming a digital nomad.

#1 Education

I’m not saying you need a degree or a diploma, but you’ll want to put a lot of time and energy into studying the field you’re looking to work in. People want results and there won’t be a transaction in your favour if you can’t provide that for your clients. For example, to run your own Social Media Agency, it would be wise to look up, networking, sales, marketing, social media, customer service, and try and look for gaps and common themes by sparking up conversations with business owners. You’ll need to have the belief, better yet personal conviction to pitch yourself and your new business. That largely comes from unshakable knowledge. Hit the web, the books, class, whatever you need to do to soak it in. For example, right now I’m focused on building my IG following –> find me (@jessica.clifford) <– and say hi or  a l o h a  if you’re from class!

#2 Modelling

Nope, not the kind of fashion gig you had in mind. Find someone who has been successful in what you are trying to do and model them. Mirror their behaviours, actions, responses and try to connect with them if possible. My current girl crush and digital nomad is Nadine Rohner who runs the Social Seashells. I am currently studying under her mentorship as well as this course because she is living the life!

#3 Patience

Put yourself out there and offer to work by results. Instead of charging for a job that you’ve never done before, find someone’s brand and social pages that you generally have an interest in, and see if you’d be able to improve on what they have. Since starting my course at Algonquin for Social Media, a few surprise clients have surfaced. I am going to work for free to practice my skills because the last thing I want is to learn a hard lesson with a paying client. We all have to start somewhere and being humble to appreciate where you patient and without expectations of monetary benefit can take the pressure of your first few runs at your new business.

Has anyone ever tried the digital nomad life? What were some pros or cons?

Anyone interested in become a digital nomad and have more tips to share? I’d love to connect and feel free to also find me on FB to continue to the conversation — this is me —

all information shared is based on my own personal experience and seen from mentors in the brand & marketing industries. All photos are my own.

Last question I’m really struggling with, Tahiti or Sri Lanka and the Maldives!? Anyone been before? SOS I need some pros and cons for these places…currently no cons found. #wanderlust #travelislife @digitalnomad

Leverage Social Media to manifest what you want in life. [Photos Included]

What if we chose to use Social Media as a tool for manifesting our own desires?

Ever heard of a Vision Board?

Facebook and Instagram are my digital vision boards (IMO).

What’s a vision board you ask? A vision board is a place where your greatest aspirations and wildest dreams live. Yes, live.

For example, I collect pictures, articles, words, phrases and just about anything that makes me feel excited about life, and piece it all together in one spot. This can be done digitally or on a poster board. Some people even go so far as to frame their vision boards and hang them on their wall! Great idea. For now, I use #photoshop to help me put together aesthetically pleasing collages.

TRUTH BOMB: Being the best version of myself can be tough. In all honesty, sometimes I have to start with baby steps when I get off the wagon. I look for little projects like these vision boards to get myself connected. I envision myself living a healthy, fulfilled, peaceful, fun and balanced lifestyle. The more I explore what that looks like, the more I find myself living it out.

Here’s an example of a photo I would put on a dream board to deliberately attract the kind of life I want.

Here I am.
1. Surfboard in hand
2. On a beach in Hawaii
3. Feet in the sand, sun on my face, beautiful weather, fresh out of the sea – you get the idea.

This isn’t just a holiday for me and a nice picture to cherish as a memory. This picture means a lot more to me. When I look at it, I’m reminded of how peaceful it is in that ocean. I remember how fast my heart races in the brief moments I think to myself there could be a shark coming to eat me right…freaking…NOW! #jawsismylife #jurassicparkbroughtmetohawaii.

This photo reminds me of what I am working toward. It excites me to know I’ve been there and can make it happen again.

Social Media is my platform to leverage what I want more out of my life and here’s how.

1. I share my passions with the world and can make connections with people who will be apart of the journey to achieving my goals. Like attracts like and people feed off of high vibrations.
2. I am accountable to strangers, (since friends let friends eat doughnuts and skip gym days). This means daily/weekly/monthly discipline.
3. I am reminded daily of the vision I have and why I keep doing what I’m doing. (We get what we focus on).In the end, using social media platforms as your vision board is just the starting point to creating a plan of action for yourself. You’ve got to create a roadmap to what you want most in life because dreams can only carry you so far. Make sure you get clear about your goals by making a mental map of where you want to go.

What’s your favourite social space to post your dreams and goals?

Can you take a guess at what my favourite social media platform is?

Some extra tips in addition to using Social Media as your vision board:

1. Get granular (know the nitty-gritty details)
2. Connect to the reason(s) why you want to get to that destination in the first place
3. Create your roadmap to success and get in your car, set your GPS and drive honey!

Want to learn more about goal-setting?

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All photos are my own.