Hi Everyone! Welcome back to my Blogs where I want to share more of what I have learned! Today’s topic is… Podcasts! If you do not know my husband and I recently started a Podcast! Our Podcast name is FYLO, short for “Figuring Your Life Out.” Because we are a young married couple slowly figuring ours lives out together.
Before starting my podcast I always thought it would cost loads of money. Do not get me wrong, you can invest into your Podcast as much as you want to but you do not have to if you are just getting started. So that is why I am going to tell you, how you can start a Podcast of your own with zero dollars!
So first, Write down a Podcast Plan. What Topics will you talk about? Are these topics that you can come up with a new podcast every week. Will you do weekly podcasts, monthly, or daily? You can write out your podcast plan and this will help you with step 2.
Step 2, you want to come up with your Podcast name! Think of something unique, relatable and can picture it on Merchandise. If you love it stick with it! However, you then want to make sure their are no other Podcasts with the same name!
Once you have your name you want to create a cover photo for your podcast! This is what you will see when you upload your podcast and what they will stare at while listening to your podcast. This is something you can invest money into if you would like too. Ryan and I decided we wanted to invest into this, as we wanted it to be something BOLD. So we decided to support a friend and a local artist @barsnetti on IG! HE IS AMAZING AND SO SO TALENTED IN HIS CRAFT! However, You do not have to spend anything for this cover photo. You can go to photoshop and draw something or any adobe app honestly… or use canva.com and create a completely free photo to use as the cover.
Next, you have to decide where you want to host your Podcast! There are so many options. If you decide you want to also film your podcast, Youtube would be your main source to upload video Podcasts. However, keep your eyes open and ready as Spotify is going to start to using video podcasts. But for now audio podcasts can be hosted on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Etc. Ryan and I use Anchor! Anchor is like the one stop shop for podcasts. You just have to tell Anchor where you want it to be uploaded and BOOM you are done. You can add music and edit directly in Anchor as well! It is amazing!
So now you have a name, cover photo, a hosting site and now you need to start RECORDING!!! The best and most exciting part of having a Podcast!
So you may be asking me, “Andrea, don’t you need a $100S worth of Microphones to start a Podcast?” The answer is no! You can use what you have and use everyday… Your Phone! Yes you can record on your Phone using Voice Memos! We’ve tested the quality of a Mic and our iphones and found it so much easier to record on our iPhone than it was on the Mics and honestly the quality sounds almost the same if not better. Once we are done recording I do take the mp3 file and put it into Adobe Audition and put a MutiCompressor called Broadcast on the mp3 file. I feel like this adds to the already good quality and just makes it clearer and better! Again, it is not needed but it is what I do.
So once you have a name, a cover photo, hosting site, and started recording… It is time to post your first Podcast!!!
If you are just starting your Podcast! Have fun, be yourself and get excited to start a community of listeners. Make sure to Comment on this blog post what your Podcast name is so we can all listen and DM me on IG @Jaraandrea and @Fylopodcast . Can not wait to listen to them all! I truly believe Podcasting is the new wave of entertainment and education.
Hope you learned something new from this and do not forget to be you and be happy!
We had our first special GUEST on this Podcast Episode, Andrea's Dad! We talk all about College. Our experiences, Regerts, My Father having a child who went to college and kids who have chosen not to go to college and his beliefs! The world is ever changing and we discuss our opinions on the ever changing world and the "Need" To have a degree or not have a degree. This is an open conversation and we hope you enjoy!
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fylo/support
Andrea talks on her Journey of how she started her Boutique and the steps you can take to start your Business!
Welcome to a part of my world! I recently started my own Boutique called Motishops https://motishops.com/ and I have gotten so many questions on how I started my own Boutique and how you can do it too!
First things first come up with a name! I came up with Motishops as I wanted to have Motivation some where in my store’s name. So Moti is short for Motivation and shops because I did not want to limit myself to only being able to sell one item or type of items. So what ever name you choose, you want to go to sunbiz.org and make sure no one already has your name or trademark!
If your name is taken then I am sorry… but it wasn’t meant to be and think of another powerful name! If your name wasn’t taken then you must register it and create your LLC.
Once you have an LLC, you want to create an EIN which you will need for everything Business related you fill out. I got my EIN on IRS.gov. Be careful as there are websites that will charge you hundreds of dollars to create an EIN and it is risky. I would suggest doing it directly through the IRS and it is free.
Now for the trickiest part of paper work that is needed to start a Boutique. You need a Reseller’s Permit from your state! This was the hardest part for me because I could not find it anywhere on how to specifically get this permit! So I went to https://taxapps.floridarevenue.com/TaxRegistration/ and filled out Florida Business Tax Application and they provide me with my permit which allows me to purchase wholesale and resell and file my state taxes.
After you have all 3 create a Business Email address! You can make a free Gmail with your business name.
After all 4 steps are completed, create a website! I first began my Boutique on Wix.com and after a month I decided its great but with the direction I want to go I wanted to try Shopify. Shopify connects to Instagram and Facebook and allows you to create advertisements and link your items directly on the social media accounts and photos. Shopify was actually cheaper and I love the layout of my website so much more than the original site! I only have had it for a week so I will talk more once I learn more!
So once you have everything set up it is time for you to start your Business! Take it where ever you want to go!
Good Luck with your future Business! Follow your dreams and do not give up!
Since I was a little girl, I always said Santorini was my DREAM destination. I always said that with the mindset that it will never happen… that it was never achievable. That it probably cost thousands and thousands of dollars… AND MAN WAS I WRONG!
If you do not know me, I am terrified of flying. Yes I have an airplane tattoo and that’s just a reminder that I can do anything I put my mind to. But Ryan and I knew if we were going to Europe for our Honeymoon, we were going to make it a trip that would last a lifetime. I am also a super big “fly cheap” kind of person so I will find out if it is cheaper to fly from another City, Country, or etc. Hence why we flew to London to fly back to Miami, USA because rather than a $1,000+ flight from Athens, Greece to Miami. We paid $26 from Athens to London and then $200 to Miami.
So I found a $50 flight from Milan to Santorini, Greece. We flew Aegean Airline to Athens and then a small plane from Athens to Santorini. There is only one Airplane strip on the Island and a tiny airport with one luggage carrier pickup. We also noticed we did not go through any customs from Italy to Santorini. I also forgot to mention that in my Italy Blog… I never got a stamp from Italy because we never went through customs!
As soon as we got to Santorini the sun was beginning to set. We did not book a transfer to our hotel as we did not know how transportation was going to be as many people we know have never flown to the island. So as soon as you leave the airport you will see a few pop up tourism buildings. The best way I can describe Santorini is like being on a cruise. Everyone on the island is hired to work for 9 months straight and then have 3 months off for off season. But… we went to the transfer booth and asked about the transfer to our hotel which was in the city of Oia, the city of the best sunsets. This was about a 30 min drive to the other side of the island. We paid $45 for a private transfer round trip to the hotel and back to the airport. Our driver was the same person there and back and was extremely helpful and kind. We were dropped off at the tourism center where we had to check into our hotel.
When we checked in we were then greeted by a extremely nice gentleman and his dog Roxy, who wasn’t his dog but you will see the island is filled with dogs and cats EVERYWHERE! They seemed to all be extremely taken care of and are allowed in most stores. They helped us carry our bags to our hotel as it was a 10 min walk up and down flights and flights of stairs. The whole island is stairs as it is mostly cave like buildings. We got to our hotel and BOOM! No power! They were experiencing their second power outage on the island. We traveled there mid November which is just about when offseason is going to begin which I did not even know was a thing as well before our trip. When we got there a lot was closed but there were a lot that was opened. The island was pretty empty compared to what you see and read on the island. We did not have to wait to enter any restaurant, bar, or store. We got the best seat in the house, with the best views on the decks. It did not rain but twice late at night the whole trip. We ate at beautiful restaurants and I literally can not say one thing negative about anything I had ate or drank. Even the apple juice was the best!!! They say they grow everything on the island which is how they get the sweetest and greatest flavors.
Restaurant Recommendations-
Our Hotel had the best view and hot tub and was my favorite part of the whole trip! We stayed in the honeymoon suite and was greeted with a note and a bottle of wine! One thing to also remember when traveling to Santorini is since it is an island plumbing is different and difficult. You can not flush ANYTHING! Not even toilet paper… which is really hard to remember when you are half asleep to not throw it in the toilet when you’ve been raised your whole life to do so… So yes it is disgusting but they provide you a trashcan that is inclosed for you to throw away anything. Our hotel provided a coffee bar every morning. We had our own table and hot tub but the hotel also had a beautiful deck with huge chairs and two in ground infinity life pools with an amazing view for all guests to enjoy as well! Our hotel was literally in the center of Instagram photoshoot EVERYONE came a few steps from hotel to take their IG pics with the beautiful water and white and blue churches. Which we also learned on our tour that the churches are blue on top to represent the heavens.
We decided in order to see the rest of the island, as Oia is on the other side of the island and Fria was more in the middle, and that the only way to see the Red and Black beach on the other side was to take a bus tour! We booked it at the same place we checked into our hotel which was at the tourism center. Which I forgot to mention the tourism center is also filled with convenience stores, restaurants and bars. We booked it and a Big Private A/C Short VW Tour bus came and picked us up! We were the only ones at the Oia Bus Stop and was the first of passenger pick ups. We picked up the rest of the passengers which was a lot of fun as the tour guide had everyone introduce ourselves and see where everyone was from we had people from Jamaica, UK, Ireland, America, Canada it was really awesome to get to know everyone and their cultures and come together as a tour group to make our experience the best! Our first stop was at the highest point of the island. We went up a huge mountain and was able to get out of the bus and see the whole island from this point, which was extremely awesome to do!
Our next stop was to the oldest city in Santorini, Greece that was preserved into a museum that you are able to even walk through! This was fun as Ryan is 6’3 and the Greeks are known to be short, our tour guide said the tallest greek person is usually 5’2 which is what I am. So all the doors Ryan had to duck under haha! This was a lot of fun and was an extra $6 but worth it to see original history of the city!
Our next stop after was to the Black Sand Beach, the black sand is made from lava which makes the sand warm! We were able to eat at a nice beach restaurant where Ryan was able to try Greek Octopus! We played in the sand and water after and then headed to one of the world famous Wine Museums! We were able to try Greek Dessert Wine which is what they are mostly know for as their grapes are grown to be sweet and they build unique nest like vines. After our tasting we were able to go into an underground Wine museum where you can visually see how they produce their wine and also purchase wine to bring home. When ever you are drinking wine in Greece they always say “Yamas” which basically means “Cheers!” before every drink or meal!
I really enjoyed this trip and the last stop was Oia which is where we stay anyways but for those not staying in Oia they were able to experience the world’s best sunset! I would highly recommend this tour. It was very well paced and we were able to explore at times at our pace rather than feel like we were being dragged along, very personable and worth it. It was $22 but worth every minute! The tourism center offers different tours all the time as well, for example, they also had a volcano tour as well! Just do your research and make a list of must haves and see what season they are offered at in Santorini. Our main goal was to relax which I think we were able to achieve.
On one of our last days we decided to go down the 300 steps which this is where you can go to see the beautiful sunset if you do not have a villa facing the water. We went down and we decided to walk it ourselves, you can get a donkey but we did not want to do so as they are kinda abused. We walked down and all it was is restaurants and a pier. We just sat down and enjoyed the view and then struggled on the way back up haha We got ice cream to make it worth it as well.. which to me Greece had better Ice cream and Pizza than Italy.
We made friends with lots of locals who worked at stores and restaurants and felt like we were at a home away from home. I can not wait to one day go back to Santorini and even though we went on an offseason with everything not completely open I completely loved it as it was quiet, romantic and wasn’t interrupted by thousands of tourists.
Remember we are two recent college grads and we paid for our honeymoon ourselves. We researched cheap flights and flew to Italy to go to Greece, you do not have to pay $3K to get to this island just be smart and you can travel on a budget!
Hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions I may of not had answered in this Blog I would love to try my best to answer it!
Hope you one day can experience this beautiful Island!!!
Did I feel the special feeling where you cry and say “YES!!!!” to the dress?
YES! But it didn’t happen quickly and easy…
I went to 9 different bridal shops before I said “Yes to the dress!!!”
I went to my first bridal shop and I tried on 3 dresses but at this bridal shop I wasn’t allowed to try on dresses I wanted to try on, only dresses the consultant thought would look good on me and some that she thought I would hate to show that the one she loved was the one I should get. I tried one on and I loved it but I only think I loved it because EVERYONE else loved it and not because I loved it for myself. So I didn’t say yes but I did go back to the shop and try on the dress again to see if my feelings changed… they didn’t I loved it but it just was not the “one” for me. So I began to do a lot more research on bridal shops!
I knew I wanted a more boho wedding dress. I knew I wanted it to be ivory (which is total opposite of what I got haha) and I knew my dress could not be an arm and a leg in price so I looked up wedding bridal shops near me that sell boho dresses for reasonable prices. My parents and I went to 3 Bridal Shops in one day and tried on probably 20 dresses and at this point I just thought maybe I will never feel the spark that other girls do when they find their “Perfect” dress! But then we went to Bacio Bacio in Wellington Florida and we tried on 10 different dresses and I was exhausted. I went in with photos of dresses I loved and wanted to try on but there was one dress I had on my phone and didn’t ask to try on. As I was trying on dresses one of the consultants brought in a dress and it was the dress THAT I HAD SAVED ON MY PHONE AND WAS TOO SCARED TO ASK FOR (scared because it was out of my comfort zone) so I was like okay maybe this is a sign. I try on the other dresses and didn’t love any but then I tried on THE DRESS! And wow I don’t cry over things but I put on the dress and instantly felt beautiful and instantly saw myself getting married in this dress! My eyes watered and my parents loved it but…. it wasn’t a traditional dress, it wasn’t completely conservative and it wasn’t ivory! So my parents had to “think about it” They were gifting my dress so of course I had to respect their opinion. We tried on more dresses at other bridal shops and we all just knew that the dress I loved was the one from Bacio Bacio! So we made another appointment and went back! We made it back to the bridal shop, I put it on and said YES!!!! I love this dress so much and I am so happy I am able to say this was the dress I was able to marry the love of my life on and will be able to show my kids that this is the dress I wore ♥️♥️
I wrote a Blog called My wedding Vendors where I talk about all my amazing vendors and how amazing this bridal shop was during my wedding dress appointment!
If you have any wedding dress questions I would love to answer them!
Our wedding is a little over 7 months away!!! That means Save the dates should be sent out within the next month. I began researching for the best inexpensive ways to create save the dates and here is everything I bought and did for my save the dates.
Where I bought my Save the Dates:
I went to every wedding invitation website and everything was SO expensive… I should probably say also I am not sponsored by ANYTHING posted in this blog I just seriously loved all my purchases. I finally found a website that was also running a sale called Simply to Impress
I paid $58 for 62 save the dates with the envelopes, the save the dates and shipping! That is so insane! I felt like I won the lottery as on other sites I tried to order from were $150-200 just for save the dates. I want to use my money for other things in the wedding and wanted to save money on paper and I was so impressed with the quality as well with the quality of the invitations. They even came in a super cute box and not just a cardboard box where you felt like you just bought a box of envelopes but something more personal. I will purchasing my Invitations for the wedding from this site as well!
Address Stamp:
I did not want to have to write my home address over and over again on every envelope so I went to esty and found a stamp for $12.90 with shipping. It did take 2 weeks to get but totally worth the wait! I also did the inkless one just because I find those easier but here is the link to the shop I bought it from https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1586751697 Totally worth getting one and I had fun stamping haha Its is also SO cute!!!
Sticker:
I felt since I just got plain white envelopes I wanted to add a little touch to them so I was scrolling through etsy and found these super cute stickers and put them on the back of my envelopes to secure the closure of the envelopes! They add such a cute touch and it is the little things that make people excited! Here is the link for the stickers I bought 60 for $11.17 https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1590583022
The one struggle I have with Save the dates is getting everyone’s addresses, I created a google doc to keep them all in but how does one ask so many people for their address haha
I hope these tips or links help you with your future wedding or save the dates. Again this is literally from my heart and experience. Happy wedding planning and do not forget to be you and be happy.
Who am I kidding I am so freaking excited to be done with college and finish college strong with a bachelors degree. However, there were a lot of good times I will miss after I leave. First off to all those people you laughed at when they say “college flies by…” they were RIGHT! When you first start college, four years feels like it is going to be an eternity, and a semester of 12 weeks feels like 2 years. But then you are on midterm/finals week and you think to your self, “where did the time go.” You meet new people every year and watch people graduate and move on with their real adult lives. You congratulate people for getting a full time jobs after college. That’s the dream, to graduate and work. At this moment in time my goal is to work a full time video job until I get married and then travel and save up money to travel more as a married couple after graduation. I want to move to central florida or out of florida. I would only stay in south florida for my family. My dream job is to one day be a show runner and write/direct TV shows and live TV shows. I want to work on the floor and help an idea become a reality. I also want to continue being a freelance videographer and film personal movies and capture memories for people to have forever. Going back to the college idea, I have always been surround by people who did not believe in “college” however, I am so proud I was able to stay committed and stay positive and motivated to finish out my college career. Nowadays it is very hard to stay all four years (or more depending on major) and finish college because life is hard and gets in the way. Sometimes it is way to stressful, trust me I have had my fair share of panic attacks, however, I think college is so important for people to go out and meet people and experience a different view of social life. I have been able to meet so many professional and amazing people who I hold dear to my heart from my sorority, my internships and classes. I also went to a small college where I pretty much know everyone in every class of mine and run into the same people which makes my experience so much better. I believe if someone decides to go to college they should take every opportunity to join any club or take an internship even if that isn’t part of your major. Do not be afraid to make friends because even though college is only four years the people and relationships you make will last a life time. Also take classes that seem like you won’t be interested in because sometimes those are the classes you love the most. I was so afraid to take this class once and I tried to drop and couldn’t find another class but it has ended up to be the most interesting and had actually restarted my passion for film and started my creative flow again.
To my future self, You did it Andrea… well almost you have a little over a month of classes left but you are doing so well and you should be so proud. Where ever you are in life, remember where you started. You got this.
Thanks for reading and hope if you decide to go to college that you enjoy it and have fun!!!
Heed Foods is an online based dog food company that is fit for your dog!!! When you go to order your pups food you will be asked to fill out a detailed but quick survey about your dog, age, weight, allergies, etc. This all helps Heed foods find out what your dog needs in his food to help your dog be the healthiest he or she can be! Once you place your order your Heed Foods welcome box comes super quick straight to your door!!! How easy is that you never have to leave your house and your dog is getting feed and happy!
The welcome package is so cute!!! and Trust me your dog knows what is inside that box! haha As soon as we received it Everest went crazy sniffing the box like share with me PLEASE!!! haha!
Inside the box is all the details you need to know about Heed Foods and also about all your nutritional facts about your dogs food! They also tell you how much they suggest you to feed your pup every day and when to buy your food so you never get left wondering when to get the next bag!
Everest’s Plan was COD, PEAS, AND APPLE! Everest has Hip Dysplasia so I was really happy to see that his plan helps with Joint health but it also helps with Digestion, skin and coat and his Immune system.
I am not evening saying this just to say it but I HAVE HONESTLY NEVER SEEN EVEREST EAT HIS FOOD SO QUICK (BUT NORMAL QUICK NOT TO THE EXTREME HAHA) AND ENJOY HIS FOOD BEFORE!!!
We struggle to find food he enjoys and we are happy that we were introduced to Heed Foods!
We hope Heed Foods brings as much joy as it did to Everest to your Dogs as well!!!
Why I had ankle surgery and why I’m in a cast and will do it again soon…. I explain my story and the reason behind it
Hi, happy new Year! I celebrated the holidays with a beautiful cast on my left leg and a new Ankle! I’ve literally been asked hundreds of times, “what happened to your leg Andrea” and well it’s simple I was born with no ankle joints.
I have a condition called Tolecoalation Coalition, basically I’m missing my ankle joints and my bones literally squash each other and rub against each other… it’s extremely painful.
How I found out I had this…
I’ve always told people I had weak ankles because I always thought I was just weak as I used to do Judo my whole life and always thought, oh maybe all those years I just tired my ankles out. When I started my first job, at age 16, I started to notice my ankles hurt after work to the point where I couldn’t walk. I would go to the doctor and they told me I had tendinitis and gave me pain medicine. I never took the pain medicine because I hate medicine lol but the pain never went away for years and I would keep going to the same doctors and they would put me in a brace and tell me the same thing. Even though I seemed so happy at Disney when I left the moment I sat down I couldn’t stand up again without literally crying in pain, I would literally fall from how bad my ankles hurt. Ryan, my fiancé has almost taken me to the hospital many times because he thought maybe I broke them from how much I would cry and kinda yell in pain lol I wouldn’t even be able to sleep. So finally I said enough I researched the best doctors and I found one an hour away from my house but I was willing to do anything to help my pain. I go to the first appointment and I went with the mindset of, oh he’s just gonna tell me the same thing the other doctors have told me, physical therapy, a brace and medicine. So come to find out after one X-ray that I have no ankle joints and I have arthritis. I originally went in for pain in my left ankle because I always thought my right ankle hurt because I was putting more weight on it since my left ankle hurt but actually I had no ankle joints in there either haha Which kind of explains why I could never walk or stand and do normal things without crying in pain. I felt like I finally found answers and felt so much comfort with what my doctor was saying. I’m super happy with my choose of researching a doctor and even if I have to travel a little more for treatments and surgery I don’t regret it and love going haha
What did they do in surgery
With the opinion of my doctor, we decided on an ankle fusion. I have a scar on the left side of my ankle and on my heel. He basically took out the part of my bone where my ankle would be and put in a bone growth, mixed with some of my bone marrow he took out of my leg. Then he put two screws through my heel of my foot. Again I’m not a doctor so I’m not sure 100% all the technical terms and stuff haha
So now what?
I was in the white cast for two weeks today and yesterday I got moved into this green cast that I will be in for 4 weeks and a half weeks. The whole recovery process is 3-6 months until I see results. So far I’m excited and ready to improve my overall life and go back to walking around Disney eating all the food and taking photos❤️
So that’s my story of how I was born with no ankle joints and the journey I will be on for a little while❤️
It is super unique and not like any other teeth whiting kit. You first create a mold of your teeth with the Catalyst and Base.
Mix the two together, it brings you back to the preschool days when you used to mix all the play-dough colors together haha.
I look so gross but I do not think you are supposed to look cute while doing this haha I used to have braces for 6 years and always remember doing this at the dentist haha. Anyways you will just put the tray in your mouth I took turns doing the top and the bottom and put the 3 min time watch on so you know when you are done.
After 3 mins or 6 mins all together you are done and Smile Brilliant provides you an envelope and postage for you to send your molds to get your custom fitted whitening trays created and shipped back to you so you can begin WHITENING!!!!
Smile Brilliant offers you loads of whitening and desensitizing gels. Each syringe can be used 3 times as you only need a small layer on each tray.
You can whiten your teeth for 45 mins – 3 hours at a time! Then desensitize for 20 mins. Tooth sensitivity is common with whitening, so this is recommended!
This is only after one use and I only did it for an hour!!! I will keep you updated on my teeth whitening journey on my Instagram @jaraandrea
It has been a few weeks but we got our engagement photos done!!! We also had a blast at our party and proposed to our bridesmaid and groomsmen!!! Here are our favorite photos!!!
Andrea M Jara 