If you’ve been reading since the beginning, we’ve spent lots of time together – cheers to 6 years!
This year brought some exciting opportunities that I wouldn’t have imagined when I started my blogging journey. Being featured in a Mashed article was definitely a highlight! And, attending the Timber Rattlers’ Foodie Event was a wonderful and delicious time. Collaboration opportunities like these are just plain fun, and I’m always happy to participate.
While reflecting on 6 years of blogging, I started to think about what I want year 7 to look like. Here’s what to expect:
Monthly Posts: I’m currently planning 1 new post to share each month. If I do say so myself, I have some good topics on the list. Subscribe to get posts delivered straight to your inbox when they are live.
Niching Down: I’ve updated my blog post categories to be: Adventures, Coffee, Thrifting, and Musings. Those are the primary pillars I typically create around, so I just made it official.
Commitment to Keeping it REAL: This blog has always been and always will be written by me. No AI writing, period.
Thank you for joining me on this creative adventure – talk soon!
We’ve all heard the advice, “Just be yourself.” But what do those three little words really mean? While I do believe this statement holds a good sentiment, it lacks depth.
I recently read Kat Timpf’s book, I Used to Like You Until…, where she says: “self-expression is the key not only to personal happiness but also to connection with those around us.”
That quote resonated with me more than “just be yourself” ever has. Being yourself isn’t something that you just do. It’s who you are, the way you live, what you believe, and how you express yourself.
I agree with Kat: living authentically is key to personal happiness! And, it’s absolutely vital to express yourself in a way that’s true to you. The most meaningful connections come from you showing up as you.
So, how do you show up in a way that’s true to you? Here are a few pieces of advice I’ve found helpful:
Think for yourself. Forget the noise, and think critically to form your own opinions/ideas. This applies to many things, big and small.
Here’s a basic example: When I’m planning content, I think to myself – am I creating based on a trend, or am I creating based on my unique perspective?
Guess what? Creating from my unique perspective always starts more conversation and allows for more connection than simply following the crowd.
Understand what’s none of your business. Others’ non-constructive opinions are not worth your time. It may sound harsh to say, “it’s none of your business,” but it is a good way to separate yourself from unnecessary stress.
Get the piercing or tattoo (or whatever you want). Everyone can make choices for their own appearances that enhance confidence. For example, I consider my Monroe piercing to be a signature element of my personal style. But, obviously, who you are is deeper than how you look. Your style is simply an additional layer to your self-expression.
In summary: Don’t just be yourself. Know who you are and act accordingly.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!
We’ve passed the halfway point of 2025, and many of us are reflecting on (and potentially resetting) resolutions we began the year with. I know I’m currently working to re-focus my energy on certain resolutions that fell a little off the radar. For example, my goal to stop snoozing my alarm hasn’t been the easiest for me to stay true to.
With mid-year reflection and planning on the mind, I recently attended a Caffeinated Conversation, hosted by the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership, which focused on the topic of goal setting. I found this session to be very informative, and it re-energized me to take a look at my goals and progress.
Before the event, we were sent a couple of articles to read and Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” TED Talk to watch. These resources set the stage for the session and discussion.
Here are my key takeaways:
Don’t just define your goals, define the types
One of the articles explained the three types of goals: outcome, performance, and process. Outcome goals are the big picture things that you want to accomplish. Performance goals have to do with how well you are able to do something. Process goals are more tactical; they are the day-to-day goals you have that help you accomplish performance goals and outcome goals.
My goal of waking up when my alarm first goes off (and not snoozing) is a process goal. It’s a “procedural behavior” and completely in my control to do (although, I don’t always like to admit that).
It’s ideal to have a mix of outcome, performance, and process goals. If you only have outcome goals, they can be difficult to obtain without the “baby steps” or behaviors implemented with process goals. If you only have process goals, then you aren’t looking at the bigger picture. And, I see performance goals as very beneficial for ongoing motivation and development! Each goal type plays an important role in helping you get to where you want to be.
Goals and habits work together
When you know what you want, it’s easy to figure out what’s going to help you and what’s going to hinder you. Define the right choices to make and make them habitually.
During the session, we talked about how you won’t enjoy 100% of the process when working towards your goals. But that doesn’t mean the process is incorrect. It can be hard work to break bad habits and build better ones!
Start with why
So, how do you stay motivated to accomplish your goals? Return to your “why”! When we are clear on our “why,” we find motivation for our “how.” Simon Sinek has a great way of explaining this in his TED Talk. I highly recommend giving it a watch if you haven’t seen it before.
But, you may be wondering, “how do I find my why?”. This is a unique experience for each individual, but here are some questions we discussed to consider:
What’s your one-word purpose?
What lights you up?
What brings you joy?
What gets you in a flow state?
Enjoy your current season
While talking about goal setting, it’s easy to fall into a “hustle” mentality. But you can be grounded and ambitious. You can set goals and create a vision for the future while still appreciating and enjoying everything you have now. You know the saying: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
On my first attempt to write this blog post, Bandit ensured that he received more attention than my outline.
What’s a goal you want to accomplish before the end of 2025? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!
This week, I attended the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership annual event: Celebrate! You may remember that I shared my experience attending in 2023 and 2024. Celebrate is an event focused on women’s leadership and career development. It was exciting to be back at The Weidner, this past Thursday, to hear new perspectives and advice.
During the event’s opening remarks, something was said that really stuck with me: “You can walk into any room with confidence if you know who you are, what your values are, and what your purpose is.” I’m paraphrasing, but this was impactful to hear. It was a beautiful reminder to show up authenticity.
Alicia Pelton‘s keynote speech also gave me a lot to think about. While sharing her personal story, she shared her three C’s of leading for change: Commitment, Choices, and Compassion.
Commitment: Simply put, you need to be committed to whatever you hope to accomplish. Consider what your values are and what your purpose is.
Choices: Based on your purpose and values, you have choices to make. Alicia reminded us that all choices do have consequences. It’s important to consider the impact of your actions.
Compassion: If you don’t consider the needs or well-being of others (or of yourself), you may be met with unnecessary friction and burnout. It’s important to have empathy and understanding as a leader.
Alicia also shared these thoughtful questions for all of us to ask ourselves:
What is your mission in this life?
Do you have values you live by?
Do you make choices that align with them?
How can you take one step?
I’m still thinking through how I’d concisely answer each of these questions. But, I will say, I find it especially important to align values and choices. Consistency in what you believe and the way you live will bring the most fulfillment. Each time you act according to your values, it’s like you’re keeping a promise to yourself.
I love to write a post each year to reflect on the year of blogging and what I’m looking forward to. It’s like a time capsule. Each year, I reflect on previous anniversary posts while I create the new one. I enjoy looking back and seeing what was going on in my world during that time.
Most importantly, I got married! You may have noticed that my website title changed from “Megan Roshak” to “Megan Burton.” I made that edit as soon as we got back from our honeymoon.
Coordinating with vendors and curating a wedding day aesthetic takes some serious time and energy! But, I am grateful I had the opportunity to plan our wedding and do all of the fun bridal things.
People always say, “Make sure to enjoy the moments,” when wedding planning and on your wedding day. It’s true: time does fly, so it’s important to take it all in! I feel like Ryan and I were able to really enjoy the whole experience. It’s hard to find the words to describe how special it was.
Nowadays, without wedding planning to-do’s, I have been finding time to write a bit more. After work, it feels good to get cozy and spend some time typing away on my laptop. It has been a good habit to get back into.
In last year’s anniversary post, I talked about creating local content. This is still very important to me, and I love the chance to highlight my favorite local spots. This year, I brought you along on my birthday celebrations in Green Bay, Halloween in Manitowoc, and Valentine’s Weekend in Rothschild. You can expect more of this in the coming year!
This year, I also shared a couple of events with you: The BOLD Fashion Show and Celebrate 2024. I want to challenge myself to write about more events and experiences. I really enjoy putting these pieces together, and I hope you enjoy reading along!
As always, let me know in the comments or on the ‘gram if there’s anything you’d like to see on the blog. I appreciate you for being a reader – cheers to year five!
Did you know that if you comment on other users’ posts before you post on LinkedIn, it can increase your engagement?
I learned this algorithm tip and more during Jess Lambrecht‘s course: Utilizing LinkedIn as an Effective Relationship Building Tool. You may remember the UW-Green Bay Institute for Women’s Leadership from previous blog posts (like this one) – This course was an offering of the Institute.
I had the opportunity to participate in the session with my workplace membership, and I’m happy I did! As someone who is passionate about content creation and social media marketing, I was very interested in the topic. I used LinkedIn here and there prior to the session. Post-session, I’ve been challenging myself to engage on the platform and create more original content.
Here’s a look at my page analytics before taking the course (on October 9th) compared to now (October 20th):
Post impressions went from 141 to 1,297
Followers went from 722 to 741
Profile viewers went from 45 to 66
Search appearances went from 31 to 66
Quite the difference, right?!
So, how was I able to boost my numbers? Well, I put a lot of Jess’s advice into practice. I highly recommend you take one of her courses if the opportunity arises! Below are a few key takeaways I’ve found to be especially impactful.
Make It Personal
While LinkedIn is a professional platform, you can still share what makes you unique. Your profile headline and bio don’t have to be bland. Spice it up and showcase your personality! It’s even appropriate to use emojis (within reason, of course). On LinkedIn, you want to stand out and differentiate yourself from others in your niche.
Consider Your Offer
What value are you providing for connections and followers? Talk about what you offer and how it benefits your audience, and deliver on it! People will be more likely to connect and follow when they see a benefit for themselves.
Quality Over Quantity
The LinkedIn algorithm loves quality content. It favors posts that are easy to read, use proper grammar, and elicit engagement. For example, if you ask a question in your post and users reply in the comments section, LinkedIn will reward you. The algorithm also tends to favor posts that have a visual attached, whether it’s a photo or video. Take the time to put together posts that tell a story.
Consistency
As with many things, consistency is key. If you are actively posting on a consistent basis, your analytics will likely trend positively.
Whether you want to get more active on LinkedIn to promote your business or enhance your personal brand, I hope these tips help!
How active are you on LinkedIn? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on LinkedIn. Let’s chat!
In 2023, I also had the opportunity to attend and hear a great keynote speech. You may remember the blog post I shared that discussed Mariana Atencio‘s Control Framework for living authentically. In case you missed it, check it out here!
This year, the event began with a performance art presentation from The Art-Hop Collective. In just a few hours, a huge wall of art was painted along to the beat of DjRgs. It was really cool to see the vibrant colors and words come together.
I couldn’t resist letting my phone eat first by snapping pictures of the delicious treats available before and after the main program. Certainly, the food wasn’t the most important part of the event (we’ll get into the takeaways shortly!). But, as a UWGB grad, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t geek out a bit for the phoenix-shaped chocolate.
The core of the event featured a panel of four community leaders and a keynote speech from Jeffery Tobias Halter. Between the panel and keynote, there were a few great reminders that I jotted down:
Lean into your strengths – Determine how you can best contribute, and focus on the things you are great at.
You deserve to be where you are – Imposter syndrome can get to all of us. Know that you are where you are for a reason and act with confidence.
Say “yes” to opportunities – When presented with opportunities to advance, take them! Prepare and do the work so you can shine when you have the chance.
Throughout the event, the theme of allyship was very prominent. It’s good to be mindful of how you can support others professionally and otherwise. When I think of this topic, I think of the quote, “Choose people who will say your name in a room full of opportunities.” You can choose to be the person who advocates for others too!
Have you attended Celebrate or an event like it? What did you take away? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!
If you’ve been here since the beginning of my blog, then you’ve been a reader for 4 years! Cheers to that!
Each blogiversary, I like to look back on the content of last year and see the places and things I wrote about. As I look back this year, I see some of the mini-trips that I experienced. I enjoyed bringing you along on my Sheboygan, Door County, and Fox Valley adventures. I also see posts featuring some of my favorite local coffee shops in Green Bay and De Pere. Content that’s close to home is what I want to continue creating!
I’m grateful I started this blog while I was in college. At that time, it gave me a creative outlet in between writing papers, part-time jobs, and attending class. Now, with a full-time career, I still appreciate this space that I can come to and create. It’s a place where I can express myself through writing and share the experiences and things that are special to me.
Little did I know the people and opportunities you get to know through committing some words to a website! During this past year of blogging, I’ve continued collaborating with Goodwill NCW on thrifting content and even got to cover a concert at the EPIC. It has been great to partner with brands that I admire, and I’m excited to see what opportunities may come this next year.
Thank you for being a part of my blogging journey! I look forward to chatting with you soon in the next post!
What would you like to see in year five? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!
A little while back, I had the opportunity to hear Mariana Atencio speak during a women’s leadership event at my alma mater. She’s an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and she has a lot to say about the topic of authenticity. Something that stuck with me the most from her speech was a series of 7 steps that she explained as “the control framework.” She designed it to help deal with uncertainty and take control of authenticity.
I think many of us find ourselves in situations where it may seem easier to just bend to fit a mold than to be our authentic selves. Her speech served as a great reminder of why “faking it” doesn’t actually benefit anyone. So, if you’re ready to take control, here are some steps to consider:
Covering
Mariana describes this first step as identifying what you’re leaving at the door. If you aren’t being your whole self when you walk into a room, what’s missing? What parts of yourself are you covering up or hiding? Think about what you can do to let these parts of yourself shine.
Outlook
When you’re not being your authentic self, are you giving in to some type of external or internal pressure? It’s important to identify your frame of reference and whose lens you’re choosing to view yourself through.
Network
Consider the people that you surround yourself with. Personally, I find this step to be a big one. There’s a saying that you are the average of the 5 people that you spend the most time with. To some extent, I do believe this to be true. I think it’s important to surround yourself with individuals that make you happy, that motivate you, and that embrace who you are.
Time
As Mariana says, being inauthentic is hard work. It can waste a lot of your time trying to be someone that you’re not. Instead, invest time into yourself and develop who you actually are.
Ritual
Think about your habits and your routines. Do they serve you well? If not, make adjustments. If so, think about how you can enhance them.
Opportunity
I view opportunity as finding the spaces where you can thrive. Look for opportunities that align with who you are and what you care about. These are things that will make you feel electric.
Love
Last but certainly not least, you gotta love the authenticity journey and your true self. Taking control of your authenticity is all about caring for yourself in all aspects of your life.
How will you take control of your authenticity? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!
Here’s to another blogaversary! MeganRoshak.com just turned three years old today.
Before starting this annual post, I looked back at what I wrote for year one and two of blogging. It was interesting to open up the digital time capsule and see what I was thinking and feeling at those times. The posts still resonate with me, yet I know so much has changed for me personally from the time those were written to now.
When I wrote about year one of blogging, I was still in college. When I wrote about year two of blogging, I was just getting into the groove of post-grad life. Now, I’d say that I have more of my ish together. I don’t mean to say that I have it all together because that’s just not true, but I feel good about the place that I’m at.
During year three of the blog, you may have noticed some changes too:
I had the opportunity to share way more experiences and dabbled in travel blog posts. My trip to Nashville inspired me to write about travel and capture memories as well as recommendations.
I shared a couple of new Q&A posts with people/brands I admire. For our mostly female community, I found Victoria Lyons’ story especially important to share. I’m glad I had the opportunity to speak with her about her female-first condom brand, Slipp.
I brought you to my home in Wisconsin through a few posts. If you find yourself in Madison or Green Bay, you may recognize some of my favorite places.
In year four, I want to continue sharing adventures on the blog: big and small. You can also expect Q&A posts from time to time with lifestyle and fashion content in the mix. As always, if there’s anything that you’d like to see, you can let me know! I appreciate your ideas and input.
Thank you for following along and celebrating year three with me; I’m happy you’re here!
What would you like to see in year four? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!
Megan Burton 