5 top ways to be more confident in your career

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

One thing about me, is if I can share my wisdom I will. I do a lot of mentoring in my corporate girlie life. And I also look for opportunities to be mentored. I’ve had a few great mentors over the years who have guided, protected and propelled me – so I really feel passionate about giving back.

Sometimes, those mentors are in my company, in my personal life or even virtual.

So consider me your virtual mentor! I hope these tips can help you exude more confidence in your job, career, big dreams and beyond.

Don’t take personalities or communication styles personally
I find that as adults making friends is a hit or miss. There is such a mix of characters and preferred ways of interacting that we can be friendly with some and frenemies with others. The same applies in the workplace. There is also a mix of personalities and communication styles (cultures and genders can add to the bag). Remind yourself that when people are being direct, it is not personal.
Stop putting others on a pedestals
If you think other people around are better or smarter than you, because of a certain job title, project they are on or experience – they probably arent. And you can prevent the feeling of under confidence by not assuming people are better than you purely based on what you see. Remember everyone is going through something, even if you can’t see it.
Assume you are doing well (unless you are told otherwise)
Managers have a responsibility to have transparent conversations with their employees about work activities and performance. So unless you are being told otherwise, assume everything is going well!
Remind yourself its not that serious
Perspective is important. Remember if it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t spend 5 seconds thinking about it. Zoom out and get a higher point of view. Put in an honest effort, but don’t lose sleep or miss your breaks/PTO because of it.
Reframe your negative thoughts into positive ones
We often think the worse in every situation. It actually takes more effort and energy to negative than positively. If you feel like you are asking too many questions, remind yourself that you want to have clarity. But also if you get feedback that at first stings, take it as an opportunity to improve.

b-roll is life

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Google what b-roll is and you’ll see that “it is essential in narrative features to create a sense of time and place and to add layers of meaning to a story.”

When we think about life, we think mainly about the starting points and accomplishments. But we hear so very often to “enjoy the ride”. The ride could be any combination of the daily mundane, errands, simple pleasures and maybe even stumbles. And it’s the ride that is b-roll. As someone who is a creative and who is constantly documenting life – I know that b-roll is life.

If you want this… practice that

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I was able to get over a summer reading slump with a fast paced thriller – which I thought meant I could then start another book that peaked my curiosity. I love personal success and personal dev books (unfortunately, they are also the cause of me being 1 book behind schedule on my “read 12 books in 2023” self-set challenge).

OOTD, Fit Check, 40s Fashion, Summer Style, Fashionista, Spiritual Advice, Self Care, Personal Success, Printed Skirt, Blazer Vest, Nude Shoes

Skirt & Body Suit – Reitmans | Shoes – Call it Spring | Blazer Vest – Suzy Sheir | Purse – Target

Although I also believe these types of book don’t necessarily help someone, unless that person actually executes on said advice. However, books can be eye opening and for me personally I like to spread the word so to speak. Whether it helps me create content for this blog, a caption for an IG post or an insightful tweet, I feel it lets me help raise the vibration of this planet, even if the wisdom only reaches 1 other human.

Anywho, the reason why I shared that thought process was because if you are out there and you are not sure you should share you idea, opinion or art (remember as long as you aren’t hurting anyone) – you should do it anyway. When we share something, we always put our own unique spin on it – which inherently makes it compliment the millions of other ideas that already exist. So in conclusion – I may not execute on everything I read in a personal success book, but I’m sure to share the wealth of knowledge! But because I want to continuously up my creative game (this?), I need to get more comfortable with sharing (that!)

On the note of sharing… I’m also sharing a quick list on how to raise your vibes when you want to get to the next emotional level/frequency. Want to read more on this topic, check out more from my blog: here, here and here.

Abundance ↔ Gratitude

Joy ↔ Service to Others

Freedom ↔ Laugh More

Calm Mind ↔ Nature Walk

Intuition ↔ Meditation

Peace ↔ Journal

Confidence ↔ Self Compassion

You don’t need perfection to inspire

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Happy Thursday! Lately I’ve noticed a shift in my confidence. In my desire to get out of my comfort zone, meet people, wear all the jewelry, be extra and bold in my style choices & courage in my work and personal goals. So today I’m sharing some words that really resonated with me recently. Along with some fit shots from a few days ago… Enjoy!

Inspire others, progress over perfection, OOTD, Have fun, that girl, Motivate

Imperfection is a form of freedom

Let your process, your struggle and your progress inspire others.

You don’t need perfection to encourage those who are watching you

New York in 4 Days (Day 2)

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Click here to check out my entire NYC in 4 days series!

Although is been almost a month since we went to NYC, I still have 3 days left to cover on the blog (for my memories and for any families out there wondering if they can road trip to NYC with their kids and have a good time – spoiler alert …you can!)

The second day was planned as a full day in Manhattan and it did not disappoint. Our New Jersey hotel was a 30 second walk to the bus stop that went straight to Times Square, so we took advantage of that (with a backpack full of snacks). However, we did purchase tickets to the Big Bus Tour. I got a deep discount for the bus and we were glad we got it. More on that in the next post!

At Times Square we enjoyed all the screens, the people watching and the energy. And a few blocks away was Brant Park and the New York Public Library. Because it was so close – we just walked! Totally do-able!

DSLR Camera, Brant Park, Family at Brant Park, Family in NYC

The NYPL was on quiet hours so we didn’t get to explore any of the book rooms but the kids were just as mesmerized by the interior structure. Another few blocks away was Grand Central. Perfect place for more people watching and Magnolia cupcakes!

We then spent 2 hours at Empire State building LOL. Given that we’ve already seen sky high views at the CN Tower (Toronto) and the Twin Towers back in the 90s – I wasn’t sure there would be anything novel here. However the Empire State had a completely different vibe. Maybe it was the NY history (the story and details of how it was built) or the related culture of the landmark (King Kong move) or how art was incorporated into the experience (helicopter city sketch) – the whole experience was really all encompassing. We could easily have spent another 2 hours there.

After the Empire State building, we grabbed some NY Pizza and hopped on the Big Bus, which ended up being a great way to see some of the sights and learn history about the neighbourhoods. We did get off at the Brooklyn Bridge to take some pictures and get a few souvenirs.

The bus took us back to Times Square, where we grabbed dinner and watched some street performances. The girls did really great given it was a lot of walking and standing. But I think having a place to sit and just take in the sights as they passed through thru a window (without actually having to drive) – definitely helped the whole family.

Next up we have the MoMA, Statue of Liberty and DUMBO!

Current listings on my Etsy Shop – Part 1

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I’ve realized recently that I need to do a better job of sharing more about my shop (my Etsy Shop that is)!

I guess some history to start. In 2016, I participated in the Vaughan of a Kind show #VOAK. I applied as an artisan vendor, with my photography as my art. The application process was pretty involved (application, your story and samples of your work) but overall do-able.

The entire process of applying and being accepted to the fair made me and my photography feel part of something. I felt supported – like making my art and sharing it with the world was safe to do.

With all that said, I wasn’t anticipating how much work it would be to prepare for the show. Although it might have felt like more work as I was a new-ish mom (about 2 years in) so finding time to prepare was a challenge.

I did have a positive experience as a seller at the show, and immediate decided that I wanted to continue selling my photography art. I turned to e-commerce and Etsy was up and coming at the time so I went that route.

And again, I had a rude awakening as Etsy was harder to maintain than I expected, especially as I shortly there after became a mom to two. During those first few years, I did make a couple (read: 2 lol) sales and I shipped off physical products to my customers!

So I let my listings expire… until a few months ago when I decided to switch from a physical product to a digital product.

And now here I am, starting again with a beginner’s mindset who has a little more experience and better time management practices. I’ve been using youtube to learn more about Etsy and leaning into my Digital Marketing education to help me make the most of the online advantage. I’m trying new things which makes me feel good. So without further ado, my current Etsy shop listings!

Bhangra Life PNG/SVG

This a new product type for me but something I’ve wanted to put out there. I have so many ideas in this area, just working on some designs and colours. PNG/SVGs can be used for any personalized products and home printing (like cricut). I love the idea of gifting this to a Bhangra dancer or my husband 😆

Surfer Digital Print

I took this photo during a family trip to San Diego. My kiddo was sleeping as we were driving towards La Jolla, when I realized the sun was setting across the water. While the fam waited in the car, I ran to the shoreline to grab some pics. It was so dreamy that a surfer was there so I had to capture the moment. I love this piece for because with the muted warmth of the ocean and mountain vista it will compliment any space.

Las Vegas Sign Digital Print

Taken again on another family trip! It’s pretty tricky to get a shot at this sign since there is always a long line of people. But thankfully this shot does really well on an angle. Even the power lines don’t look intrusive. This pice will always have a special place in my heart – it was my first Etsy sale!

Dessert Mountain Vista

Also taken on the same trip as mentioned above. We were driving to the Grand Canyon and this camper van was positioned perfectly. Desert shots can be tricky because the brightness can cause over exposure. So I’ve had to post process this a few times and decided on the warmer unsaturated tones. I love this for traveller in your life!