Mental Post-Its

Thoughts, Notes, and General Mental Mayhem

Category Archives: Learn


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My 2018 Reading List

Books I read in 2018One of the other annual posts I love writing, but haven’t had a chance to post yet, is my reading list. Granted, my reading has taken a nose dive over the last couple of years since I started working from home.

That’s because “reading” usually means audiobooks for me. I love Audible! And my commute used to be over an hour, so I’d get through a lot of audiobooks. These days, there is no commute and car time is relatively short, so books have largely been replaced by podcasts. I love podcasts, don’t get me wrong, but I really do miss my audiobooks.

So, though a fairly short list, here’s what I read in 2018:

 

And here are some of the podcasts I recommend:

 

I was even a guest on a few podcasts last year!

 

Need more suggestions?

2017 Reading List

2016 Reading List

2015 Reading List

2014 Reading List

2013 Reading List

2012 Reading List

2011 Reading List

 

Short on time, too? Try Blinkist, which recaps popular books in 10 minutes!

Enjoy!

 

PS: Some links are affiliate links, which means I get a small kick back for introducing awesome people to awesome things. I only promote what I love. 

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Tribe Conference 2018: Notes and Quotes

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Anne and Me

This past weekend, I attended the Tribe Conference for the second time. I loved it so much last year that I signed up on the spot for 2018. And, wow, this year was even better!

It’s mostly a writer’s conference, but there are lots of creative and artsy people there, which makes it even more fun. Plus, my friend Anne of TrueNorth Freedom Project came along this year! I love attending conferences regardless, but it’s always better with friends.

There are a few reasons why I think #TribeConf is a great event, and stands out from many others. First of all, the speakers are very generous. It’s quite common for them to bring freebies for the audience like books and online courses. Second, many of the speakers hang out at the event before and after their talk. They don’t all swoop in and out just for their portion. Third, other “professionals” attend this event. I saw several well-known speakers posting on social media as attendees. Fourth, it’s usually pretty evident that at lot of the speakers are friends of Jeff Goins, the host, and that just makes for a fun and relaxed atmosphere. And, finally, it’s only about 500 people, so you get to meet a lot of people, as well as the speakers.

Since you guys didn’t get to attend with me, I took lots of notes, and wanted to share them with you. I hope you learn something or feel inspired like I did!

 

  • You cannot avoid rejection and do your greatest work.
  • You cannot make work for everyone and someone. Focus on the one.
    • Who is my work for? How will I think about my work?
  • A brand is a promise.
  • You get more opportunities by saying yes to everything.
  • The secret to being a master is to always keep the mindset of an apprentice.
  • Fall in love with the idea of eventually. Don’t give your success live and die deadlines.
  • It’s about time I _______________. (What goal do you need to start working toward?)
  • “We artificially escalate the consequences of failure.”
  • If you’re doing work that matters, you’ll have rough edges.
  • If you do work that is different, you’re doing something dangerous and worthwhile.
  • People will question your differences now, and celebrate them when you succeed.
  • Once we become good at something, it’s easy to embrace COMFORT and stop growing.
    • You can succeed your way into failure.
    • You can accomplish a task and fail anyway.
    • Adopt new ways to challenge yourself.
    • The creative path is one of growth and resistance.
    • Building a body of work: discovery, emulation, divergence, and crisis
      • At crisis, you can either go back and start over, or stay there and let your work die.
    • Where are my comfort traps?
  • Fear holds us back from creating.
    • Where is fear paralyzing you?
    • Fear is often disguised as wisdom, but it also looks like opportunity.
  • Identify your productive passion.
    • Passion has to do with the outcome, not the task.
    • Passion doesn’t mean easy. If fact, it means pain.
    • “Here I stand” is what it represents.
      • What angers you?
      • What makes you cry?
      • What gives you hope?
  • Define your battles.
    • You can’t fulfill them all.
  • Make something you love everyday for someone who will love it. <— THIS!
  • Are you creating a body of work that reflects who you are rather than your compromises?
  • People will always follow your physical cues, and that’s what they’ll believe.
  • Watch the “power stance” TED Talk
    • Fake it till you become it.
  • What’s the problem you solve?
    • What would your audience say? What keeps them awake? What’s their internal monologue?
    • Think several layers deep.
    • What happens if that problem isn’t solved?
    • It has to be their perspective, not yours!
    • Why is this a problem? Keep dialing down.
    • Use their words.
  • Creative Sandbox Way Guideposts:
    • There is no wrong.
    • Think process, not product.
    • Think quantity, not quality.
    • Think tiny and daily.
    • If you are stuck, just start (anywhere).
    • When in doubt, ask WHAT IF?
    • Take the riskier path.
    • Dismiss all gremlins.
    • Spring the comparison trap.
    • Practice self-awareness and self-compassion.
  • Other people see your work for what it is. You see your work for what it isn’t.
  • Avoiding video is like avoiding a handshake in 2018.
  • Don’t keep the best stuff to yourself.
    • Give it away, and people will still pay you for it later.
  • Be relevant, authentic, and advocate for your brand.
  • Choose your channel:
    • Context is important. Every channel doesn’t work the same way.
    • Example…YouTube: You seek out content (video image and title are important to grabbing initial intention)
    • Example…FB: You just show up (it’s auto-play and there is no audio)
  • Sustain Your Strategy
    • Consistency is key.
    • Average lifespan: Twitter (18 minutes), Facebook (5 hours), Instagram (21 hours), LinkedIn (24 hours), YouTube (20 days)
    • YouTube should be done once per week.
  • Content: Think Hub, Hero, and Help
    • Hub satisfies the content you promised, and will be at least 60% of the content.
    • Hero is for mainstream and subscribers, which is the wildly popular stuff that will be about 10% of the time.
    • Help is for subscribers and and a searching audience, and will about 30% of the time. Here is where you’re trying to get shown in search results.
    • Check out Lowe’s as an example, though they don’t follow the percentages precisely.
      • Behind The Design vs The Weekender vs How To
  • One perfect viewer
    • Make someone feel like you made the content just for them.
  • A book is the key that opens the door to Narnia.
  • Books legitimize you in your industry.
  • 70% of books are bought on Amazon.
  • How to find and refine your book idea for maximum impact:
    • No ideas:
      • What is your expertise
      • What are your most popular topics on your blog?
      • What makes you different?
      • What convos do you have over and over?
      • What are the misconceptions in your industry?
    • Too many ideas:
      • What can I finish the fastest?
      • Most likely to finish?
      • Which idea will make me happy?
        • Prioritize the first two questions.
  • How to write a draft in as little as a weekend:
    • Learn to mind map.
    • Write out everything you know on the topic. (words and phrases)
    • Organize ideas in 4-7 groups, and then into 10-12 chapters.
    • Use the sections to organize into an order/sequence.
    • Mind map, outline, write….repeat per chapter.
  • Marketing your book
    • Get a good cover that grabs attention. (Good art and easy-to-read title. Can people tell after looking at it quickly what it’s about?)
    • Build a launch team
    • Get reviews
  • Use the “look inside” feature on Amazon to get subscribers. He does audiobook version for free. Video series is a good idea, too.
    • He likes to say Amazon is for buyers. Google is for browsers.
  • The truth:
    • You don’t need a ton of marketing for your product.
    • You don’t need a traditional publisher.
    • You need to learn marketing.
  • Put yourself into communities, virtual and real life, where you can use your craft.
  • Community will help you succeed.
  • You can’t stand out and fit in at the same time.
  • Show up around your work with energy. People can feel it.
  • Mindset is everything.
  • Celebrate your weirdness.
  • You build something one brick at a time.
  • Craft first, but not craft only.
  • A mindfulness practice is what all high-performers have in common. Learn to fill your mind with good things.
  • Build remarkable – something people will remark on
    • Brand is the gut feeling people have about you and your organization. It’s not what you say it is, it’s what they say it is.
  • Brand design is the intersection of business context, objectives, and story.
  • Make sure your business has a plan.
  • Brand Value Proposition
    • My/our ______ helps ______ who want to ______ by _____ and _____.
      • My/our (products or services) hep (target customer) who want to (relieve pain) by (selling points) and (creating gains).
  • Stay humble.
    • Learn often from outside your circle.
  • Focus on your uniqueness. Be yourself.
  • Don’t argue with your words.
  • Dream big. Start small. Keep moving.
  • The Master Communicator’s Secret Weapon: Improv
  • 3 Improve Concepts
    • Lead with acceptance (Yes, and…)
    • Become a better listener (listen is an anagram for silent)
    • Don’t fear failure
  • L.I.S.T.E.N.
    • Look interested
    • Involve yourself by responding
    • Stay on target (the person you’re talking to)
    • Test your understanding
    • Evaluate the message
    • Neutralize the feelings (ex: heated argument)
  • “Yes, and….” so you can
    • Open doors to new opportunities
    • Empower your team and improve the culture
    • Become open-minded and innovate
  • Listen better, so you can
    • Become a master communicator
    • Make everyone who talks feel special
    • Increase revenue
  • Don’t fear failure, so you can
    • Become a non-conformist and original thinker
    • Become an admired leader
    • Take risks
  • “With God and Google, you are unstoppable!”
  • How to Get What You Want
    • What holds us back isn’t a lack of knowledge, it’s our thoughts.
    • How to overcome procrastination:
      • 10/10/10 analysis
        • Think about something big you want or want to do.
        • Ask yourself, “How will I feel about this in 10 minutes?”
        • …in 10 weeks?
        • …in 10 months?
      • Once you see the benefits increase and obstacles decrease, you can move forward.
    • How to move forward with confidence:
      • Show up.
      • Be real.
      • Love others.
      • Don’t quit.
    • If you keep waiting for your dream to feel easy, you’ll never stop waiting.
  • “Eat This Poem” – blog and cookbook
  • Writing in the margins – finding the spare time to make things happen over time
  • “Follow your curiosity.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
  • Figure out where to prioritize, and be okay with holding off on other stuff, at least for now.
  • Don’t wait for permission to create your work.
  • Most creators don’t have a marketing plan
  • Marketing isn’t about closing a sale, it’s about opening a relationship
  • 3 identities to every brand
    • Visual
    • Verbal
    • Value
    • Does your brand send a mixed message? Think about if you saw a Walmart slogan on a Louis Vuitton ad.
  • “Success is sequential, not simultaneous.” – Gary W. Keller
    • 7 Steps to Build a Powerful Personal Brand
      • Personal story
        • The messenger is more important than the message.
        • Movement —> Marketing —> Money
        • When you work on your movement, marketing is easy.
      • Platform
        • Most people try to start here.
      • Positioning
        • Your relationship to your competitors
      • Product
        • This is determine by the previous steps.
      • Price
        • Also determined by everything above.
      • Pitch
        • Verbal identity
      • Partners
        • People who want to share and recommend you
  • Think about your products or services. Then add a zero to your most expensive one. Market your product at that level, and also know what you could give someone if they wanted to pay you that much money.
  • Live your message. Love your work. Leave your mark.
  • Check out his latest book, “Running Down a Dream”
  • We all have fears around putting our work out into the world, but how rational are those fears?
  • Even people at the top of their game get scared.
    • We always think if we get good enough at something we won’t be afraid anymore, but that’s not true.
    • We can also get bored if we get really good at something.
  • We need to say out loud what our souls are silently screaming, because it may give someone else the courage to do the same.
  • We are supposed to put our work out in the world for those who came before us, as well as those who will come after us.
  • In order to win in the game, you have to be in the game.
  • Know who your audience is.
    • You can even have a less than perfect product depending on who your audience is and what they’ll pay for. They may just be waiting on you to create something.
  • Research
    • What do people want?
  • Validate
    • Will they pay for it?
  • Secret Sauce
    • ex: How to _____ without _____ (people want pleasure without pain)
    • Three things to focus on: who, what, and how (audience, topic, sales)
    • 6 ingredients
      • A deep and specific topic (ex: spray marketed to keep black cars clean)
        • 4 deep technique (ex: writers – self-publishing – software – scrivener) This is how he got to his Scrivener how to product.
      • A real pain or problem
        • They need to really feel the pain!
        • What happens if they don’t ____. (This is the gap you fill.)
      • Urgent in nature
        • If there are seven categories that define problems, strive to hit in the top three.
      • Willing to pay
      • Ability to pay
      • Something you can be passionate about
  • Affiliates
    • Who else will promote?
  • Exponential growth
    • It comes once all of these things are in place.
  • Find the audience, don’t build the audience.
    • Where do they hang out?
    • Listen to them!
    • What are people complaining about?
  • Where you might get stuck
    • I’m not an expert. (ex: Frank Abagnale was asked how he was such a good teacher on a subject he knew little about, and he said he just read one chapter ahead)
    • I’m don’t have time.
      • Find it in bits. It adds up.
    • I don’t have the tools.
      • Start with what you have.
  • Customer + Product = Awesome person who can do great stuff
  • I help _____ so that _______.
  • What’s the problem you solve?
  • Hire a business coach.
  • Mindset is vital.
  • Get okay with being uncomfortable.
  • She used FB ads to give a discount and get them on her list. Then they bought merch.
  • They story isn’t how brilliant you are. It’s the hard and embarrassing stuff.
  • Content
    • I know how that feels. (ex: empathy, what do you feel comfortable sharing)
    • I need to know this. (ex: how to)
    • I know about this. (ex: easy content like yes/no or multiple choice)
    • This is what I think. (ex: opinion)
  • How can you make everything about your audience?
    • She wanted to promote speaking gigs, so she gave behind-the-scenes on how she puts together a talk.
      • Brad talks into 5-7 minute blocks around a point or story and then storyboard them.
    • When sharing new content, try to start a conversation. Then lead into the post, and share it with those who participate.
  • Everything is a content opportunity!
  • Show, don’t tell.
    • Where does your life intersect your business?
    • What are the stories you share repeatedly?
    • Where in your story do people lean in?
  • Tell the stories people want to hear, not the stories you want to share.
  • Works with Millennials and consults with others about them
  • When it’s all too much…
    • Having a good agent wasn’t enough.
    • What would my work look like if I were okay just being me?
      • Sometimes the best strategy is just the one you will follow.
  • Obsessive Comparison Disorder
    • It’s hard to create anything worth creating if you’re expecting to be affirmed and applauded in the process of creating it.
    • The world is desperately hungry for your signature sauce.
    • What are my failures and personal pain revealing to me about my purpose?
    • Failure doesn’t ruin your story. Failure helps you write it.
    • We don’t connect over present perfection. We connect over shared pain. Will you have the courage to go first?
    • Who will I not be able to help if I give up now?
  • “You need to take responsibility for your own success.” – JB
    • I wanted to begin with people who campaigned me, but I needed to put myself first. People came alongside me later.
  • Your book title and subtitle are extremely important in nonfiction. – CA
  • It’s easy to think about the things you haven’t done or success you haven’t attainted. But remember that there was a time when where you are sitting now was out of reach.
  • “Fully Alive” book turned documentary on Netflix
  • Humility is different than denying the gifts God gave you.
  • 1) The greatest characters of a communicator is having a purpose.
    • To communicate effectively, speak with a specific, singular purpose in every presentation you deliver.
    • Great communication is the intersection of your presentation and people’s wants/needs/benefits…and moves them to action.
    • If you don’t have a purpose in mind, one will subconsciously be assigned to you.
    • “A sermon should be a bullet and not buckshot.” – Haddon Robinson
    • Your speech can ONLY be enabling (how) or persuasive (why).
  • 2) Great communicators have a plan.
    • Have a powerful opening and closing.
  • 3) Great communicators communicate with passion.
    • Powerful illustrations
    • Establish eye contact.
    • Maximize the power of your voice.
    • Let your face match your words.
    • Be your own best critic.
    • Have a passion for excellence.
    • Have a passion for life.
  • Think about:
    • What is my ultimate purpose?
    • What is my plan to get there?
    • What do I do next?


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My Amtrak Adventure: Details and Tips

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one of my favorite pics from the trip

I don’t know about you, but train travel across Europe has always been on my bucket list. It was probably inspired at a young age by Murder on the Orient Express. Just me?

Well, unfortunately, that trip remains untaken for now, but the next best (and more affordable) thing was riding Amtrak cross-country from San Francisco to New York. Originally inspired by this blog post, I fell in love with the idea and began planning this journey a couple of years ago.

The goal was to build enough credit card points to pay for the trip rather than paying cash, especially because I wanted the experience of staying in a sleeper car, and I knew that could get pricey. I also wanted to stop off and see friends and cities along the way. So, this trek was getting more complicated (and expensive) quickly.

The other hitch was the timing. I really wanted to ride the rails in the fall, to see the changing leaves, but missed my window last year due to an error I made in building points as an amateur travel hacker. I decided to hold out for an entire year to stick to my desired timeline.

It actually ended up being a great mistake because my best friend from college retired from teaching after 18 years this past May and could now make the trip with me! However, Heather was also on a tight budget, so I knew I’d need enough points for both of us. This required some more careful planning.

All the effort paid off, though, and we had a fantastic trip! Heather was gone for a week, flying home from Chicago, and I was gone for nine days by going all the way to NYC. It was incredible to see an entire cross-section of the country in such a short time, and definitely worth all the details it took to set this trip in motion. (<– pun intended!)

I had to do a lot of research to put this trip together, so I’ll try to give you as much info as I can to save you some time should you want to have your own Amtrak adventure in the future.

I highly recommend it, and look forward to my next train trip! I’m hooked!

(To view the photos and videos from the entire trip, visit my Flickr album.)

 

Day 1: Arrived in San Francisco

I flew in from Georgia and Heather flew in from Texas, so we met up at the airport mid-afternoon. Unfortunately, this left us little time for San Fran site-seeing since we left town again the following morning, but we made the most of it.

First, we checked into our hotel so we could drop our bags off. We stayed at the Hampton Inn San Francisco Downtown/Convention Center, which I also paid for with points (60K Hilton Honors points). This location wasn’t my preference, but ended up being very nice with a super helpful and courteous staff. They even upgraded our room to the floor just below the penthouse because of my points status, so we had great views of the city. (I would’ve rather stayed closer to one of the areas we were going to visit or leave from, but they were unavailable.)

Now we were in full tourist mode. Heather had never been to SFO before, so Fishermans Wharf was on her To Do List. From there, she could also see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz from a distance. We lucked out with beautiful weather and small crowds.

After walking around for a while, we got hungry and were ready for dinner. I really wanted to take her to the Ferry Building to eat, but it closed at 8:00 p.m. and it was already after 7, so we decided to stay down at the Wharf.

On my first trip to the Bay Area in 2010, I found this restaurant called Tarantino’s (unsure of any relation to Quinten), where my friend and I would end up for dinner, watching the Fourth of July fireworks over a foggy Golden Gate Bridge. The following year, I came back to a conference with friends, and we ate there again. So, it just seemed right that I visit a third time on my third trip!

Just as good as I remember, and the staff is wonderful! So, we had a great time there watching the sun set over the water. I love this place, and definitely recommend it.

From there, it was just a short walk over to Ghirardelli Square. This area has definitely improved since my previous visits, and Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate for dessert was an absolute treat!

We walked around there for a little bit and then headed back to the hotel for a good night’s rest.

 

Day 2: Emeryville to Salt Lake City

Emeryville is where the train actually leaves from, and it’s just across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco. It was a very quick and cheap Lyft ride from our hotel. And it was very exciting to see the train pull into the station for the first time!

This entire day was going to be spent on the train, so we wore comfy clothes and settled in for a long ride. This was, of course, after we toured our compartment, took copious amounts of photos, and giggled like schoolgirls.

The California Zephyr line runs from Emeryville to Chicago, so we were some of the first people to board. After we stowed our stuff, we headed to the Observation Car for the best views from the biggest windows.

We were in there for a while, then headed had lunch, and afterward went back to our compartment to work for a couple of hours before dinner. Not the most exciting afternoon activity, but because I am an entrepreneur and so is Heather, it was necessary.

After that it was dinner and bedtime…because we were about to have a very early wakeup call.

 

Day 3: Salt Lake City

So, here’s the downside of stopping Salt Lake City—you arrive and depart around 3:00 a.m! That’s just when the train rolls into town. But the sleeping car attendant knocks on your door about 20 minutes before arrival because they certainly don’t want you to miss your stop.

The downside of this downside meant that I had to get two nights in the hotel—for only two half-nights of sleep. Luckily, I had points for this, too. We stayed the Hampton Inn Salt Lake City Downtown, which was only half a mile from the station. (30K Hilton Honors points per night) It was also nice, as were the staff. And we discovered that our bathroom in this hotel was 1.5 times the size of our entire roommette, ha!

After a few hours of sleep, we went to the enormous and awesome farmers market across the street. It was fun to just walk around, and I even bought a gift and some jewelry.

From there, we jumped in a Lyft to head over to Council Hall and the State Capital to catch the Hop On, Hop Off bus for a tour of the city. It is truly a beautiful area!

After our tour, we went to Bruge’s Waffles and Frites for dinner. It was delicious and authentic Belgian food. (S’mores waffle!) Heather’s parents lived in Belgium for several years, and we were both able to visit. So, it was fun to eat there and talk to the owner.

There wasn’t really anything else to do that evening, so we went to the theater to catch A Star is Born, which was great. It was then time to get to bed for our 2:30 a.m. wakeup call. Oye.

Notes:

  • Neither of us had been to SLC before, but in my research, I learned that it is mostly focused on the outdoors, architecture, and the Mormon culture. So, pretty much all activities fit into these three categories.
  • We just happened to be there during The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints annual convention, ha! So, a lot of the things we wanted to do, like the genealogy center and free Temple Square tour were unavailable, sadly.
  • In some of my research, people noted that the station was in a “seedy” part of town and even the hotel staff told us that outside of the farmers market, that park is normally where a lot of homeless people hang out. I’ll say this: If you travel extensively or spend time around marginalized people, these things won’t bother you. I thought it was the nicest “seedy” area I’d ever been to, and felt perfectly fine walking from the train station to the hotel at 3:00 a.m. We passed maybe half a dozen people at that time of night. SLC is extremely nice and clean, so just keep that in mind. Should you decide to make other arrangements, I don’t hold that against you, but I wanted you to have the facts.

 

Day 4: Salt Lake City to Denver

We were on the train from 3:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and this is undoubtedly the most gorgeous part of the entire trip! I took about a billion photos and videos, but managed to cut them down by a few.

We had the car attendant bring us breakfast rather than going to the dining car. They’ll bring you “room service” at no extra charge, which is nice.

After a few hours, it was time for lunch. I mean, wow! Heather and I just couldn’t stop looking at the scenery. I even told her she’d have to feed me lunch because I couldn’t put my camera/phone down. 😉

Then we decided to spend the afternoon in the Observation Car. We just couldn’t understand how everyone’s jaw was dragging on the floor, and how they could play cards and chat rather than stare wide-eyed out the window as we were doing. It was so gorgeous it didn’t even look real half the time. (Example 1, Example 2, Example 3)

That evening, we rolled into Denver and met up with friends. Joel, Kamee, and Everette were gracious and fun hosts who fed us dinner and let us stay the night.

 

Day 5: Denver

The weather turned cold and crappy when we arrived in Denver, so there were a lot of things we couldn’t do. But our number one priority was to spend time with friends, and that’s exactly what we did. It was so much fun!

Joel is also an entrepreneur, a t-shirt designer and screen printer, and he ended up needing to take a last-minute meeting, so he dropped me, Heather, and Everette off at the mall to wait for him. Kamee has a real job, so she missed out on the fun when she had to go to work.

Everette is nine, and a complete doll. She showed us around her LEGO store, where she picked up a few new additions to her collection, and then we had lunch. After that, Joel met back up with us. Then, another old friend of mine, Annalisa, joined our crew for about an hour. It was so awesome catching up with all these friends I hadn’t seen in years. It reminded me that I need to get back there more often.

After that, we went to a local store to see Joel’s t-shirts on display, Unlisted. And he even gave us one as a souvenir! It was then time to go back to the house and pack up before heading back to the station.

Time with them definitely went by too fast! And Denver is such a great city if you’ve never been there.

As soon as we got on the train, it was time for dinner. This time we tried the surf and turf. By this point, I’d eaten more red meat in a week than I usually do in two months, but other bloggers said to try the steak, because it was surprisingly good for being cooked on a train. And, of course, we just wanted to get our money’s worth with the most expensive items on the menu, ha!

The beds are typically made while you’re at dinner, but we weren’t ready to go to sleep yet, so we went back to the Observation Car. Too bad it wasn’t a starry night, but we still had a great time chatting till almost 1:00 a.m.

 

Day 6: Chicago Bound

Chicago was the end of the line for Heather, so we tried to thoroughly enjoy our last few hours on the train. Breakfast was once again brought to us as we sleepily rolled through the heartland.

After breakfast, we headed back to the Observation Car to clearly see miles and miles of corn and farmland. But it was a clear, beautiful stretch of tracks. There was even an “America the Beautiful” sing-along initiated by one of the passengers.

That afternoon, we got into Chicago. We checked our luggage at the Metropolitan Lounge and headed out on the town. We met up with one of Heather’s former students for coffee, took some photos at the Bean, and strolled through the rainy streets.

Then it was time to head to the ‘burbs to see my friend, Raechel, with whom we were staying. We took the Metra train out to her and enjoyed some deep dish from Giordano’s, which is my favorite of the Chicago pizza joints. It was super yummy!

I was also able to do some laundry at Raechel’s before turning in for the night.

 

Day 7: Chicago

Raechel headed out for a work trip, Heather headed home to Texas, and I got back on the Metra to Chicago.

It was a pretty uneventful day because it was raining hard all day and I needed to get some work done. I’ve been to Chicago multiple times anyway, so I didn’t really feel like I was being cheated. So, I just hung out in Union Station all day. Grabbed a hot dog, walked around, bought a gift and postcards, and plugged away on my laptop.

That evening I got back on the train. This time it was the Capital Limited to DC because there is no direct route to NYC.

This train was a little different. I was given a nice toiletries set, Amtrak magazines, and a fresher menu. Meals were also a bit different because there wasn’t any table service. Instead, you were just making reservations to pick up your food, which I didn’t know at first. You could sit in the dining car, of course, but it wasn’t really community style, just open seating. It felt very different to me (and frankly, I was a little nervous), so I just took my food back to my compartment. But it was the best meal I’d had on the train so far—short ribs and polenta!

We had two really good car attendants. The first was SLC to Denver (hi, Jonathan!), and this was the second, Dave. He was okay with making my bed up later, so I was able to hang out in my chair for a while before switching out my bedding, which was lovely.

It was weird to have all this room to myself now, but also nice in that way. I’m more used to traveling solo, but it was strange to change things up toward the end of the trip. I tucked in for one last night on the train.

 

Day 8: Chicago to New York City (via Washington DC)

My last meal on the train was breakfast, once again brought to me in bed. The rest of the morning I just took in the scenery, which was all woodsy and pretty much the same. It was also another good stretch to listen to my audiobook, Ready Player One, which I started at the beginning of the trip, but hadn’t finished yet.

We got into DC about 1:00 p.m. Lunch wasn’t served on the train due to our arrival time. Technically, you could go grab leftovers if you wanted them, but it hadn’t been that long since I had breakfast, ha! I liked sleeping in for a change.

DC’s Union Station was unusual. The great hall and rooms facing the Capital were quite beautiful, which is what you often see in photos, but the other areas are old and run down. The Acela Lounge is also in desperate need of a renovation, and the snacks and drinks were much more subpar than Chicago. Even though I was switching to a coach seat here, I still had lounge privileges since I came in on a sleeper car.

I only had about two hours, so I just peeked out the door to see the lawn and Capital building. The rest of the time I ate lunch and listened to my book in the lounge.

Here I changed trains to the Northeast Regional, bound for NYC. I only had a coach seat on this train because it was only about a three-hour trip and I didn’t want to use a bunch more points for a sleeper on that short route. But these coach seats still beat an airplane by a mile!

The scenery, however, was nothing special. Lots of industrial parks and some cities. I really wanted to go the northern route through Albany from Chicago, but it was more points. I’m sure it would’ve been much prettier, though.

We were delayed a bit on this route, due to congestion on the tracks, but finally made it into Penn Station a little after 7:00 p.m. My friend April and her mom met me for dinner at Pennsy Food Hall, which was right outside the station. It was great to catch up with her as well, since it had been over a year. And I love a good food hall!

It was a little misty, but I decided to walk through Times Square to my hotel. For my last night, I stayed at the Kimpton Muse Hotel, which was a free night through my IHG credit card. This was a $400+ hotel in a primo area, so I’m glad I didn’t have to pay for it! It was also really nice, as you can imagine.

 

Day 9: NYC to ATL

Last day! Luckily, it was a cool and beautiful day in the City. I started it by having coffee with my friend, Jordan.

From there, I went to the New-York Historical Society for the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition. I found out about it through a PBS special a couple of months ago. I realized it was actually at the British Museum when the aforementioned Rachel and I were in England during the spring, but we somehow missed it. So, I was glad to catch it here.

Even spending about an hour and a half there I felt pretty rushed, but that’s all the time I had. I would’ve like to take a little more time, as well as check out some of the other exhibits, but that’s all I could spare.

I caught a Lyft back to the hotel to grab my overly stuffed (and twice repacked) suitcase, and then it was time to head to the airport. The last few times I’ve been to NYC, I always use the NYC Express Bus, and recommend it.

Sadly, we were delayed an hour or so. Because I knew this was the last, little stretch of my trip, I was ready to get home at this point. But I finally made it back to A-town! It was a fantastic trip, but it was really nice to sleep in my bed again!

 

So, those are the details of the trip. Now, I’ll give you all the tips I can so you can plan your own Amtrak adventure!

 

Expenses:

Because I paid for the train trip, hotels, and my return flight with points, the only expenses I had were tips to train attendants (more on that below), meals off the train, activities, gifts, souvenirs, and ride shares. Overall, we got $3,000+ paid for with points, and my out-of-pocket expenses totaled bout $700.

So, depending on your resources and preferences, you could easily spend more or less than I did.

Note:

  • Since I booked the trip with points, I’m not exactly sure how Amtrak prices work. All I know is that our trip would have cost about $2,000 (because I asked).
  • For the Amtrak portion, I had the Amtrak Guest Rewards Credit Card, which had a 30K points bonus when I got it over a year ago. I also transferred 30K Starwood Points to pay for this trip. Unfortunately, that isn’t an option anymore. Starwood was bought by Marriott earlier this year, and they discontinued the ability to transfer those points on July 31, 2018. Once the programs are fully combined, they may bring back that option in the future, but I’m not sure. So, right now, all you can do is build Amtrak points.
  • I can also refer you to Amtrak Guest Rewards, their main loyalty program, and we can each get 500 points if you take a trip within 90 days of signing up. I have to do this individually, so just let me know if you’re interested in signing up. This is a free program.
  • If your schedule is flexible and you want to save a few bucks, call and book your reservation over the phone with Amtrak. The people I spoke with were incredibly helpful, and helped me choose dates and options to maximize my points (and keep the costs lower).

 

Train Travel Tips: 

  • Another cool thing about riding trains is that you arrive in the middle of the city, unlike flying. This generally makes getting around fairly easy.
  • As I said, the California Zephyr runs from Emeryville to Chicago, but we were also ticketed to get on and off the route in Salt Lake City and Denver. I/we were in each of the five cities for about 24 hours, but you don’t have to ride that entire way. Or you can stay longer in other cities. It’s entirely customizable. There are many, many stops along the way.
  • If you could only choose one route, it should definitely be the one from Salt Lake City to Denver. This was by far the most stunning part of the journey!
  • Every few stops are “fresh air/smoke” breaks, so you can get off the train anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to walk around. I’m not entirely sure, but I think it’s where larger groups of people are getting on and off the train. Some stops are very scenic (Glenwood Springs) and some are not (Reno). But it’s nice to stretch you legs. When possible, ask your car attendant that your meal reservations not to conflict with these stops so you can get out for a bit.
  • Meals on the train are included with sleeper cars—woo hoo! And for lunch and dinner, you get a salad, entree, and dessert! Coffee, tea, juice, hot water, and bottled water are included as well, so the only drinks you’d pay for are alcoholic ones.
  • The meals are better than airplane food, but not as good as actual restaurants. But I will say that the desserts are pretty yummy. The salted caramel cheesecake was our fav. (California Zephyr menu and Capital Limited menu)
  • Mealtimes on the California Zephyr are community seating, meaning it’s always four people per table. So, if you are traveling with less than four people, you get sat with others. But it was a cool way to get to know other people and their stories. We enjoyed everyone we sat with. My second train from Chicago to DC was not this way, so I’m not exactly sure what lines it pertains to.
  • Tipping: I read a couple of other blogs and used their guidelines, which were $2 for breakfast, $3 for lunch, $5 for dinner, and $10 each night for your car attendant. These are per person guidelines.
  • Being in the sleeper cars also allows you access into nicer lounges at the big stops like Chicago, Washington DC, and New York. There you’ll find complimentary snacks and beverages, and of course, nicer places to sit. They’ll also hold your luggage while you sightsee, which is awesome. (Note: not as nice as some airport lounges)
  • In sleepers, they give you two hangers in your (tiny) closet, as well as towels and wash cloths.
  • Get to the Observation Car early! It can get crowded because it’s shared by all passengers.
  • If you’re unsure of things to do when you get off, check out these Amtrak city guides.
  • Strangely, even in 2018, there is no Wifi on the long-distance trains. It was available for free on the shorter, commuter trains, like my DC to NYC train, though. I used Heather’s hotspot for my laptop now and again, but it wasn’t always reliable either. And there are long stretches without even phone service.
  • If someone is picking you up or meeting you at a train station, I recommend they download the Amtrak app. All they need is the train number, and the arrival times are extremely accurate. When you don’t have phone service, this is extremely helpful. Trains easily get delayed because both commuter and commercial trains share the tracks. So, sometimes you have to wait for another train to pass.
  • In a few spots, it’s good to be in the Observation Car for the Trails & Rails guides. The National Parks Service people will come give a little bit of the history of the area you’re passing through, which is fun. Wish there were more of these!

 

Packing and essentials:

  • We didn’t want to check our luggage, but you are allowed two carry-ons and two pieces of luggage per person. Note: These will not all fit in most of the tiny sleepers! However, there is a luggage rack in the lower level each car by the toilet/showers where you can stash bags you don’t want to check but keep handy. This operates on a honor system, but I never heard about any issues with theft in my research. We never worried about our stuff. We kept more valuable stuff, like my laptop, in our sleeper car. More about baggage.
  • There is no lock on the outside of the sleeper compartments. So, you could lock yourself in, but not lock it when you leave. This was kind of strange, but again, you get used to it. I left my laptop under things a couple of times when I didn’t want to carry it into the Observation Lounge.
  • We each carried a purse (mine was large to also carry my laptop), an overnight bag, and a carry-on suitcase. My overnight bag was a collapsable backpack from IKEA, so I only used it as needed. The first two items were in our sleeper car, and the third was in the luggage rack. But it was really nice to have the overnight bag for those strange travel days like Salt Lake City where you’re getting on and off in the middle of the night.
  • Wear layers on the train because the air isn’t always easy to control the temperature. Likewise, bring comfy pants and socks for the long days you may spend in your compartment. You’ll quickly see that it isn’t a fashion show aboard the train! 🙂
  • I recommend bringing ear plugs and an eye mask. I use these whenever I travel, but it’s better to be over-prepared for sleep than under. Heather didn’t use the ear plugs because she said she has four kids and this was quiet enough, ha! Sleeping on the train is not bad at all. Kinda like sleeping on a couch.
  • External battery packs for electronics are always good, especially because your phone battery can drain easily from the lack of service or taking video. Sadly, my portable charger isn’t available any longer, but I prefer one like this that can charge different kinds of devices at once.
  • Have an extension cord for your sleeper! In the Observation Lounge, there are plenty of plugs, but for some reason, there is only one in the sleeping compartment. So, we had an extension cord and power block for multiple devices. 
  • A few snacks are good to have on hand. We went a little overboard here since we didn’t know what to expect, ha! We each had a gallon Ziplock of snacks and then picked up fruit and stuff from the hotels. But I’m not really a snacker, so this was extra stuff I didn’t really need to carry around. I think we each only ate one or two things along the way. So, just don’t go crazy unless you’re a big snacker.
  • Flip flops for shower are essential! 
  • Clorox wipes or (Babyganics wipes, my fav) are good for wiping down some of the surfaces, especially if you have a thing about germs. Nothing looked unclean, but just a precaution. This is what another blogger listed.
  • Safety pins and duct tape are tips I picked up from other bloggers. These could come in handy. For example, we used safety pins to hold our curtain in place on one leg where we wanted some more natural light. I saw other bloggers using duct tape to use the washcloths in their rooms to direct the air when the top bunk person got cold. Just interesting items you wouldn’t think about. Totally optional.
  • I travel with electrolyte powders or tablets. This was a tip from a friend who is a travel blogger, and I’ve been doing this for a few years. I never drink enough water when I travel, so this is helpful.
  • I travel with wrinkle release. I love this stuff. I’d just hang up the shirt I was going to wear the next day, and wrinkle release the heck out of it the night before. Heather sells LuLaRoe and wore that the entire time. Interestingly, that stuff never seemed to wrinkle.
  • Bring books, cards, or whatever else will keep you entertained on those long stretches. However, I absolutely loved having an audiobook! I never got tired of staring out the window, and this allowed me to “read” a book at the same time. (Note: many libraries also have the capability for you to listen to audiobooks now)
  • I always travel with doTerra essential oils. Great for blisters, fighting off sickness, sore muscles, headaches, and pretty much anything else.
  • Love my Envirosax! I keep several in my purse at all times, but I also take them when traveling because they always come in handy. I even use the pouch they come in on trips for cords and things.
  • These Tide sink packets are great for short trip emergencies or long trips when you can’t access laundry facilities or don’t want to pay for them.
  • This silicone flat iron pouch is good for when you have limited counter space and need to rest a flat iron or curling iron on the floor or another surface.

 

Reference posts:

Here are some of the places I found helpful info for the trip.

 

To view the photos and videos from the entire trip, visit my Flickr album.

 

Okay, any questions?

 

(Some links are affiliate links.)


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My Favorite Travel Credit Cards…Right Now

deanna-ritchie-227649I’m getting ready to set out on another big trip in a couple of weeks, and while planning, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to maximize my credit card rewards on this journey.

If you missed my original post back in 2016, I’m a novice travel hacker. Meaning, I look for shortcuts on how to save money for travel. I adore traveling, and it fills me up the way few things do, but because I’m self-employed, I’ve gotta watch the costs. Well, I guess most of us have to watch our dollars, don’t we?

If that’s you too, consider looking into travel hacking. You don’t have to do it to the degree that I do, and I certainly don’t do it to the degree that many others do either, but a few tips can take you a long way—literally.

Most often, we we talk about travel hacking, we’re talking about using credit card rewards. Depending on your relationship (or baggage) with credit cards, you may have some resistance to this technique. I get that. It took more research on my part to fully understand this method as well.

But the gist is that opening multiple credit cards will not damage your credit score. It’s the misuse of credit cards that damages your score. So, keep that in mind.

So, with this method, you’ll open the credit card, meet the minimum spend requirement, use the rewards, and then likely cancel the card. The spend requirement is how much you need to spend in order to get the bonus points or rewards. For example, spend $3,000 in the first three months to get 50,000 points. Make sense?

Before I start talking about my favorite credit card reward cards right now, let me reiterate that there are many other ways to save on travel. In this previous post, I outline several others that may be of interest to you. Or you may also chose to employ a couple of different methods as I do.

One other caveat: There are LOTS of different reward cards available, but I’m only talking about the ones I’ve used. I don’t feel good about recommending any that I have no personal knowledge of. There are also plenty of others that I have used but are not included here. These are my current favs. Additionally, there are other current credit cards that I have at the moment, but they do not have good bonus offers right now, so they aren’t included here either.

 

CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED

I think this was my first travel rewards card, and it’s still my favorite. The points are so flexible, the point values are very fair, and when you book through their site, you save even more money! I love this card, and it’s the one I always recommend.

Benefits:

  • Use the points for airlines, hotels, car rentals, cruises, AND activities. I’ve actually redeemed all of these, except for the cruise.
  • No annual fee for the first year.
  • Zero foreign transaction fees
  • 1:1 points transfer (Meaning, if I transfer to a partner airline, 1 point with either program is the same. This is definitely not always the case!)
  • Click the link for the full list of benefits.

 

STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST

This has been a great card the past couple of years. The point values are very reasonable, and the $95 fee is waived for the first year.

Benefits:

  • Free night with the anniversary of the card
  • Free Wifi during your hotel stays, AND free BOINGO hotspot access worldwide. This is often helpful in airports and places that would otherwise make you pay for access.
  • There are a lot of options for transferring points to other programs, if needed.
  • This card also has zero foreign transaction fees, and it’s the one I took to England, Scotland, and Ireland this year.
  • Click the link above for more benefits.

A quick disclaimer, though, that Marriott now owns Starwood, so that may change some things. I’m not sure what everything will look like when the programs are fully integrated, but so far, it’s been a great card. The plus is that you will, obviously, have more hotels available to use your points!

 

DELTA SKYMILES

This is a very popular card among many of my friends, and I can see why. (Besides the fact that Delta is headquartered here in ATL!) You can currently get a 70,000 point bonus, which is great. I just paid 9,500 miles for a New York to Atlanta ticket, as an example.

Benefits:

  • Get a companion certificate each year. This is the reason some of my friends have it, so that they can travel cheaper with their spouse.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • First checked bag free.
  • Discounted Delta Sky Club lounge access. (These things are a God send on long layovers!)
  • Priority boarding.
  • Click the link for the full list of benefits.

 

HILTON HONORS

This is sort of a new card for me. I used to have the Hilton Honors card when it was under Chase, but it just got bought by AMEX, so I’ve only had the new card for a couple of months. The current reward bonus is 150,000 points! I think they’re trying to get people on board now since this card is still hot off the presses.

Benefits:

  • 6x or 3x for eligible purchases, which is fantastic
  • Complimentary Gold status
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 10 Priority Pass lounge visits (sort of like Delta lounges) – I’m excited to use a couple of these on my next trip!
  • Click the link for full benefits.

 

Side benefit: AMEX cards, like Delta, Hilton, and SPG above, has the best dashboard for looking at account details, benefits, and rewards. It may seem like a strange thing to bring up, but some account dashboards just make it hard to find what you need. The AMEX one is so easy to use.

 

Quick tips for using rewards cards:

Like I said above, I recommend doing your research to fully get your questions answered, but in general, here are a few tips that will help you on this journey.

  • Whatever credit card you’ve had the longest, no matter what type of card—keep it open. This will keep a record of your credit history while you’re switching out rewards cards, and show how responsible you are with credit. Never close this card.
  • Start with one one card and see how it goes. You’ll learn by doing.
  • Put your fixed expenses on your card only. For me, that means things like my rent, health insurance, car insurance, etc. Some people put all of their expenses on their card, and that may work for you. I personally prefer just putting my fixed expenses on my credit cards, especially when I’m trying to make the initial spend. I’m no financial wiz, and it’s just easier for me to track and plan.
  • Ditching the cards after you use the rewards is up to you. I weigh what the renewal benefits are versus what the renewal fees are, and things like that. Some cards I get rid of immediately after using the bonus points, and some I don’t.
  • People often seek out airline cards first, which is understandable, but it really depends on what your travel needs are. Several nights in a hotel can often cost more than a flight, so keep that in mind.
  • One of the more difficult aspects of choosing cards is understanding point values. They vary wildly! For example, one of my least favorite cards was the AMEX Gold. It seemed great to get almost 100,000 points (this was a few years ago), but when I tried to redeem, I realized how little the points actually got me. My friend and I attended a conference in Chicago, which is what I wanted to use them for, but when all was said and done, we had to stay well outside of the city because the points didn’t go very far. So, when possible, it’s good idea to try and research how far the points will actually stretch.

Questions? Let me know.

Happy travels!

 

PS: Don’t forget to check out my original post on travel hacking to learn more about using credit card rewards and other ways I save on travel.

PPS: Traveling solo? I’ve got you covered there, too. Take a look at this post.

(Note: several links are affiliate links. But I only ever recommend what I like and use.)


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Exploring The Enneagram

IMG_8834Are you familiar with the Enneagram? I first heard about it a couple of years ago, but wasn’t given much of a compelling introduction, so I didn’t think much of it. But this year, I heard my friend Sarah’s podcast episode—and it changed everything. She interviewed the co-author of The Road Back to You, a popular book about the Enneagram, and after hearing that episode, I was hooked.

First of all, if you aren’t sure what the Enneagram is, it’s a personality typing system, but the difference between it and others like Myers-Briggs , Strengths Finder, or DISC is that it includes the spiritual component, which is really important to me. So, I was intrigued to hear how my specific personality related to aspects of my faith.

And if you didn’t know, I love personality tests! I’ve written about being an INFJ on this blog before, and have always found exploring my identity a fascinating pursuit. I now know that’s pretty common for my type as well.

The other thing I learned about about the Enneagram is that you shouldn’t take a test to determine your number type. As Suzanne Stabile describes in that podcast episode on Surviving Sarah, it’s an oral tradition. It’s a way of seeing the world. You are supposed to hear your type and recognize it. She also notes that the questions aren’t written correctly in most tests, so your results will likely come out skewed if you just try to Google a test. I found this to be the case for me. I took three tests, and only one came out with the number I’d already resonated with.

So, what’s my number?

I’m a 4. Specifically, I’m a 4 wing 3.

As with every personality type, there are pros and cons. But those who know the Enneagram well often have a slight look of sadness in their eyes when I tell them that I’m a 4. Why? It’s hard being a 4!

There are things that set it apart from everyone else, and Suzanne and some others like her believe there are also fewer 4s than any other number in the world, meaning less people can relate to you. I’ve definitely found this to be the case for me.

And did you know INFJ is the smallest percentage of the population as well? So, combine a 4 with an INFJ and…we’re a rarity. There aren’t many people who think like us and see the world the way we do. Because of that, I even put out a call on social media recently to try and find others. I wanted them (and myself) to know we aren’t alone!

I did manage to find a couple of them, and surprisingly, even found one in my social circle, which was fantastic. We had coffee the other day to discuss what it’s like being us because it ain’t easy. There aren’t many people who could survive a day in our head’s, ha!

So, what’s a 4, you ask?

It was hard to find a good, condensed breakdown of the types that I felt would immediately give you a clear picture, but TheWorldCounts.com talks about the 4 this way:

4’s are described as the Individualist or the Romantic

Dominant Traits:

  • Creative
  • Expressive
  • Sensitive
  • Emotional
  • Introspective
  • Artistic
  • Authentic

Focus of Attention: In Search of What is Missing… the Ideal… the Unattainable.

Basic Fear: To Have No Identity

Basic Desire: To Be Unique, Different

Strengths:

  • Expressive
  • Sensitive to Feelings
  • Self-Aware
  • Appreciative of Beauty
  • Empathetic
  • Compassionate

Challenges:

  • Moody
  • Temperamental
  • Prone to Melancholy
  • Self-Absorbed
  • Self-Indulgent
  • Intense
  • Unsatisfied with What Is

General Behavior of an Individualist

A Four believes that they are unique, and different from the norm. Their whole identity is attached to this belief. They perceive this difference as a gift, because Fours hate to think that they’re ordinary and common. But at the same time, their feelings of uniqueness is a curse which keeps them from enjoying the simpler things in life, the way other people do.

Fours tend to feel superior from everyone else, since they think they’re special. However, deep inside, they feel that something’s missing, and they fear that it might be caused by a flaw or defect in their own selves. Fours, as you can tell, are emotionally complex. A deep feeling of abandonment makes them feel that they will never be happy or fulfilled.

They long for deep connections in their relationships, to be understood and appreciated for who they truly are. For people to see and appreciate their uniqueness. It is easy for them to feel misjudged and misunderstood.

Fours are moody and temperamental. They are often wrapped in their thoughts, analyzing their feelings. They are very self-aware, and in tune with their emotions. This trait extends to others. Empathy and compassion are strengths of this personality type.

Ian Cron often says, “The 4’s don’t have emotions, they ARE their emotions!” And I’d have to agree. There’s a lot going on in here every minute of the day. 😉

You can read more about a 4 here, as well as a quick overview of the other types.

That’s just a little bit about me. Now, let’s talk about you.

Interested in learning more? I suggest starting with Sarah’s podcast episode because Suzanne breaks down the main points of all nine types. If that gets you more curious about the Enneagram, I definitely recommend reading The Road Back to You. It’s a really great book. Of course, I may be biased because the other author is a 4. 😉 But it’s actually a fun read. Not stuffy or super academic like you might expect a book on personalities to be.

From there, here are a few other resources:

  • Typeology Podcast from Ian Cron
  • The Road Back to You podcast
  • Your Enneagram Coach with Beth McCord
  • Attend one of Suzanne Stabile’s events
  • There are also a number of random Enneagram people I follow on Instagram.
  • You can Google and find many, many other resources, but these are the ones I’ve looked into myself.

So, do you know your type? List it in the comments. I’d love to hear!

 

Oh, and a quick warning, exploring the Enneagram is a bit like going to therapy. You can probably tell that from the quick intro the 4 that I listed above. It’s not all pretty! While most personality tests tend to focus on your strengths, the Enneagram focuses on your motivations.

It definitely talks about your strengths and weaknesses, but it’s also meant to help you grow spiritually and as a person, and that can sometimes stir a few things up. But I highly recommend this process! Just give the podcast a listen or read an overview to see what you think before making a decision.