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42% closer to your dreams: The small habit that’ll change your life

Discover powerful lessons from an architect-turned-entrepreneur. This is how goal-setting, habits and benchmarking will transform your future.

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5 simple steps (and a cheat code) to make your next week insanely productive

As the founder of a goal setting and planning company, I’ve learned a thing or two about productivity. Productivity isn’t a magic formula that can’t be cracked. Here’s my two cents.

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True crime was destroying my family: Why I pressed pause

Hi, I’m Cathryn and I was addicted to true crime podcasts. I rethought my habit to make sure both my daughter and I benefitted from our inputs. I’ll use that time now to create more than I consume.

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Free stuff! How to leverage your credit cards for maximum rewards

Don’t waste the money you spend on your credit cards. Instead, use credit card points to your advantage and get free flights, hotel stays, airport lounge access and other perks. Here’s how:

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How to sell your business for millions

I sold Best Self Co in late 2022.People ask me all the time what the process was like.So how do you find a buyer? Well… Why maybe that’s not the right…

150 150 Cathryn Lavery

2022 Review

It seems apropos that my first annual review since becoming a parent would come out in March.If you’ve been here for a bit you know that I’ve been doing public…

150 150 Cathryn Lavery

How I delegate my life to a VA in the Philippines

When’s the last time you thought to yourself, I just should not be doing this task. I have much bigger, better things to worry about.Yep, we’ve all been there.That’s why…

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How the 1º rule 10x’d my productivity

Stuck with the same habits for years? Expecting great results? Trust me, it’s not going to happen if you continue doing the same thing. Learn about the 1º rule and 10x your outputs.

150 150 Cathryn Lavery

Get way more done in way less time: The ultimate productivity guide for parents

Every entrepreneurial parent says it’s hard to be productive with kids at home. So when I had my first kid, I finally understood. Here are 3 things I’m doing to be more productive.

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How to raise a genius: 4 things I’m teaching my money-wise child

Parenting is hard. But I’m figured out a few things in the first year of my daughter’s life. These are the four things I’m teaching her to become a smart, capable investor and entrepreneur (if she wants to become one).

150 150 Cathryn Lavery

An employee stole $230k from my company: Here are 3 things I learned about people & business

An employee of mine embezzled $230,000 worth of product and cash. Obviously, I made some mistakes. I learned a lot through that experience but mainly these three things about people and business.

150 150 Cathryn Lavery

I just sold my multimillion dollar company: 2 unconventional things I did with the money

No one talks about what to do with a boat load of cash once you get it in an exit scenario. So I asked some smart friends. Here are two unconventional things I did with a big infusion of money.

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How to trick your brain into making BIG gains: Goalsetting with science

You don’t have any problem setting goals. But achieving them? If you’re like me, it helps to have a framework and environment that support you. Here’s how you set, plan and achieve big goals.

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2 genius ways the Ohm Store leveraged their own customers to create stunning social proof

Social proof is powerful. Sure. But the Ohm Store has taken it to another level by leveraging video and viral challenges to showcase their product even better than they could themselves. Here’s how.

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Tough time coming up with next idea? Copy these 3 steps to unleash your creativity & make millions in your business

Coming up with ideas is really hard. Creating a product out of thin air is even harder. Learn my 3-step process for creativity that led to Best Self’s $45 million in sales.

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4 simple steps to treat your life like a video game & instantly level up

Most people live their lives like a movie. But you’re not most people. Take these four steps to live yours like a video game and consistently level up toward your goals.

150 150 Cathryn Lavery

Ditch New Years resolutions: Follow these 5 steps to have the most successful year of your life

My business hit $40 million in sales this year. Thanks to this simple 5-step goal-setting system, I’ve set huge goals and achieved them using this process.

150 150 Cathryn Lavery

Here’s 7 things to do to have a better relationship

Over the last few years, I’ve been reading and studying what it takes to build a successful & happy relationship (Because I never want to get divorced again 💔) Here’s where I went wrong before & the 7 things I’m doing now.

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My journey from my past self to my BestSelf

8 years ago I was an overworked and underpaid architect making $30,000 a year in NYC 😳. I’d never taken a business class or read a personal development book. Cut to now; I own a multi-million dollar ecommerce business BestSelf.co with a team of 10. Here’s my journey

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6 small things I did to change my life

These are the things I did to change my life, and it worked!

150 150 Cathryn Lavery
One of the biggest lifehacks for business owners?
One of the biggest lifehacks for business owners

One of the biggest lifehacks for business owners?

Focus on point multipliers and putting the right expenses on the right cards, Remember you’re optimizing spend, not just spending for the sake of points, Pay off cards every month — don’t carry a balance or you’re going to be paying high APR.

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Why You Should Host a Party to Grow Your Network (And Use Name Tags)
Why treating life as a video game will get you ahead of 99% of people

Why You Should Host a Party to Grow Your Network (And Use Name Tags)

Networking events generally suck. But there is some validity to that old saying about how “Your network is your net worth”… so how do we do it in a fun way? I want to share with you the most authentic networking strategy I know.

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How to buy real estate (or other real-world assets) by leveraging DeFi
How to buy real estate (or other real-world assets) by leveraging DeFi

How to buy real estate (or other real-world assets) by leveraging DeFi

Learn how to use staking and DeFi tools to buy real world assets, without needing to sell your crypto or take a tax hit. This is a tool used by the 1% everyday in the real world that we can do with DeFi tools in minutes.

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My maternity crypto portfolio — Low risk, minimal fees & passive yield
My maternity crypto portfolio — Low risk, minimal fees & passive yield

My maternity crypto portfolio — Low risk, minimal fees & passive yield

In this post I’ll be sharing my “crypto maternity portfolio”. Basically, where I’m putting my coins for yield while I’m MIA with new baby. It’s: low risk & complexity, very low to zero expected IL. I’ll share how to get between 11-45% APY with low-risk/low-effort.

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2021 — Year in Review
Cathryn and Emily's wedding photo

2021 — Year in Review

My 2021 — The good, the bad and the exciting!

474 600 Cathryn Lavery
The Cashflowing Passive Income Blue Chip of DeFi ($CVX)
The Cashflowing Passive Income Blue Chip of DeFi

The Cashflowing Passive Income Blue Chip of DeFi ($CVX)

Today I want to do a deep-dive into Convex Finance and share some passive income strategies you can use to make passive income with the $CVX tokens.

711 400 Cathryn Lavery
NFTs for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
NFTs for Beginners Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

NFTs for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

If you’ve ever wondered what the fudge Non-Fungible Tokens or NFT actually means, you’re in the right place. In this video I’m going to cover what they are & how they work, how you buy them, how you sell them, and everything else you need to get started!

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Intro to Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
Intro to Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

Intro to Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

One of the most exciting developments in finance in the last 5 years is decentralized finance (DeFi). In this blog post, I’m going to explain what you need to know in order to get started with DeFi. From what it is, how it works, stablecoins, lending protocols, wallets & security — this is your DeFi 101.

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My $230,000 Embezzlement Story
My $230,000 Embezzlement Story

My $230,000 Embezzlement Story

Here’s the story of an ex-team member who embezzled over $230,000 from us over the course of nearly 2 years. In this video and article, I’m going to break down how it happened, how it was uncovered and the guardrails we’ve put in place since.

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My 2021 Goals & Habits
My 2021 Goals & Habits

My 2021 Goals & Habits

My 2021 Goals & Habits — this is my plan for the year!

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2020 Review
2020 Review

2020 Review

If I had to describe the year 2020 in one sentence, I would say that it was a year where absolutely nothing went according to plan — and everything unexpected happened.

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Why 50/50 partnerships are lazy and the expensive lessons learned from a toxic business partnership
Why 50/50 partnerships are lazy and the expensive lessons learned from a toxic business partnership

Why 50/50 partnerships are lazy and the expensive lessons learned from a toxic business partnership

The things I wished I knew when taking on a business partner, from qualities to look for, red flags, equity split & vesting to everything you need in your operating agreement.

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Don’t Fall For Free Plants — The Costs & Lenses that influence decisions
Don't Fall For Free Plants — The Costs & Lenses that influence decisions

Don’t Fall For Free Plants — The Costs & Lenses that influence decisions

We all make decisions every day. There’s a cost to every action and decision we make – so how to we understand all the costs involved? Here’s a story about the costs of free plants and how to check your decision filters.

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How to Make Yourself an ROI Positive Person
How to Make Yourself an ROI Positive Person

How to Make Yourself an ROI Positive Person

Why creating a surplus value will future-proof your business, your career — and your relationships. Here’s how to do it in your work, for your team or for your intentional relationships.

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How To Build A Powerful Network (Even If You’re An Introvert)
How To Build A Powerful Network (Even If You’re An Introvert)

How To Build A Powerful Network (Even If You’re An Introvert)

“How do you know everyone?!” Over the past few years, I’ve gotten asked how I’ve grown my personal network and also maintained relationships with so many people — especially given that I’m an introvert. Here’s how I’ve done it.

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I’ll never rent my Tesla Model 3 on Turo again. Here’s Why.
I'll never rent my Tesla Model 3 on Turo again. Here's Why

I’ll never rent my Tesla Model 3 on Turo again. Here’s Why.

A few weeks ago I rented my Tesla Model 3 on Turo on a 1-Day rental. I’ll share exactly how it works, how much money I made and why I’ll never do it again.

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How to Hack your Environment for Deep Work
How to Hack your Environment for Deep Work

How to Hack your Environment for Deep Work

Distractions will always be around. But you can train your brain to focus and do deep work by creating an environment conducive with success. Don’t believe me? I’ll share how J.K. Rowling did this to write the last Harry Potter book.

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2018 Review
2018 Review

2018 Review

Every year I do a public annual review of my year to share the good, the bad and everything in between. Then I share my goals for the upcoming year publicly!

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The 3 Essentials to Crafting a Product Experience
The-3-Essentials-to-Crafting-a-Product-Experience

The 3 Essentials to Crafting a Product Experience

Customer Experience vs. Products: How To Stand Out In A Crowded eCommerce Marketplace. A behind-the-scenes of how our team creates products that hit the market wrapped in a compelling story that breeds an addictively enjoyable customer experience.

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2017 Review
2017 review

2017 Review

Every year, I do an annual review to share the good, the bad and everything in between. I share my goals for the upcoming year publicly! This is my review for 2017.

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Sunday Success System: How to set your week up right
Sunday Success System How to set your week up right

Sunday Success System: How to set your week up right

Even if you’re not a gamer, you’re probably familiar with the energy/life bar that’s usually on the corner of the screen showing how “alive” you are.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
How to Hire Rockstar Talent – and what NOT to do
How to Hire Rockstar Talent – and what NOT to do

How to Hire Rockstar Talent – and what NOT to do

Finding the right people to work with will be the make or break of your company. This is the proven hiring framework we’ve implemented at BestSelf to find and retain amazing talent — templates and examples included.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Core Values: Why They Matter, How We Created Them, and How We Keep Them Top of Mind
Core Values: Why They Matter, How We Created Them, and How We Keep Them Top of Mind

Core Values: Why They Matter, How We Created Them, and How We Keep Them Top of Mind

Hiring the right people is hard, as detailed in my struggles when building our team. Once you hire the work isn’t over as now you need to create or breed a culture that supports the people so they can do their best work. Creating a remote culture is even harder as there’s a lack of an everyday tangible connection to the team.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Elizabeth’s Story: A Full-time Working Mom to over $104,000 on Kickstarter, to appearing on Shark Tank!
Elizabeth’s Story

Elizabeth’s Story: A Full-time Working Mom to over $104,000 on Kickstarter, to appearing on Shark Tank!

Here’s how Elizabeth went from an simple idea to $104,000 in pre-orders in only a few short months. This is the breakdown of everything she did to crush it!

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
2016 Review
2016 Review

2016 Review

Every year, I do an annual review to share the good, the bad and everything in between. I share my goals for the upcoming year publicly! This is my review for 2016.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
How to Run Your Product Launch Like a Presidential Campaign
How to Run Your Product Launch Like a Presidential Campaign

How to Run Your Product Launch Like a Presidential Campaign

How to run your product launch like a presidential campaign so that you can connect with the people who want your product… leave your politics at the door.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Shopify 2016 Build a Business Experience
Shopify-2016-Build-a-Business-Experience

Shopify 2016 Build a Business Experience

A behind-the-scenes look at the Shopify Build a Business Competition – the full experience.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
8 Things I learned from Noah Kagan about Sales, Marketing and Hiring
8 Things I learned from Noah Kagan about Sales, Marketing and Hiring

8 Things I learned from Noah Kagan about Sales, Marketing and Hiring

It’s a new conference by the guys over at Appsumo to focus on your business. Noah Kagan, the Chief Sumo, shared some wisdom around marketing, organization, etc.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Why being comfortable can and WILL hold you back from success
Why being comfortable can and WILL hold you back from success

Why being comfortable can and WILL hold you back from success

If you want to be successful in life, it means getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. I themed this year a year for being uncomfortable and this is what it meant for me.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
The Ultimate Guide to a Great Crowfunding Project Page
the ultimate guide to a great crowdfunding page

The Ultimate Guide to a Great Crowfunding Project Page

Your crowdfunding campaign page is essentially the website of your project, it’s the sales page you use to convert visitors into backers. Whether you go with Kickstarter or Indiegogo, both platforms give you freedom to brand your page as you like – take advantage!

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How To Create A Physical Product 101: Sourcing, Pricing, and Shipping
How To Create A Physical Product 101 Sourcing, Pricing, and Shipping

How To Create A Physical Product 101: Sourcing, Pricing, and Shipping

From idea to shipped; here’s the process behind creating and launching a physical product.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
7 Lessons from 3 Successful Kickstarter campaigns
7 Lessons from 3 Successful Kickstarter campaigns

7 Lessons from 3 Successful Kickstarter campaigns

Lessons learned over 2 years and 3 Successful Kickstarter campaigns — my most successful was with an entirely new brand, product and launch.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Here’s 7 Reasons Why You Should Crowdfund Your Idea
Here's 7 Reasons Why You Should Crowdfund Your Idea

Here’s 7 Reasons Why You Should Crowdfund Your Idea

Got an idea for a product, service, or app? Here’s the 7 reasons why you should SERIOUSLY consider crowdfunding.

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How I validated an idea and pre-sold over $3K on Facebook in 24 Hours
How I validated an idea and pre-sold over $3K on Facebook in 24 Hours

How I validated an idea and pre-sold over $3K on Facebook in 24 Hours

Can you sell an idea before creating anything? I just did. Here’s how.

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Pimp your workspace; every tool, gadget and app I leverage on a 6+ figure business
Pimp your workspace; every tool, gadget and app I leverage on a 6+ figure business

Pimp your workspace; every tool, gadget and app I leverage on a 6+ figure business

I recently visited a friend who was setting up their home office and I was giving them some recommendations of what they needed to get setup right away. Between layout, apps, chrome extensions, online services – I’ve tried everything (I nerd-out on this stuff) and have found the diamonds in the rough.

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What I’m Learning about Marketing from the 2016 Presidential Candidates
What I’m Learning about Marketing from the 2016 Presidential Candidates

What I’m Learning about Marketing from the 2016 Presidential Candidates

In this post, I’m specifically going to dive into the three candidates we’ve all been following the most, Clinton, Sanders and Trump. I’ve signed up for the newsletters of each of these candidates for one reason only – Marketing.

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How to Name and Brand your new product idea in less than 60 Minutes
How to Name and Brand your new product idea in less than 60 Minutes

How to Name and Brand your new product idea in less than 60 Minutes

The steps and methodology I do to go from idea to product name and even brand/logo in less than 60 minutes

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Step-by-Step Guide to Launching a Successful Kickstarter campaign
Step-by-Step Guide to Launching a Successful Kickstarter campaign

Step-by-Step Guide to Launching a Successful Kickstarter campaign

A step-by-step guide to successfully launching on Kickstarter — from idea, to prelaunch to funding. Here’s what we did and what worked.

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My Key Takeaways from 5 Days of Business Mastery with Tony Robbins
My Key Takeaways from 5 Days of Business Mastery with Tony Robbins

My Key Takeaways from 5 Days of Business Mastery with Tony Robbins

My key lessons, insights and takeaways from attending Business Mastery with Tony Robbins (and how much it costs!) 2020 Update: How business went after applying what I learned!

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2015 Review
2015 review

2015 Review

My 2015 Year in review. Every year I do an annual review of my year to share the good, the bad and everything in between. Then I share my goals for the upcoming year publicly!

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
How I’ve spent $40,000 since I Quit my Job
How I've spent $40,000 since I Quit my Job

How I’ve spent $40,000 since I Quit my Job

In this article, we’ll talk about the best recurring ROI I’ve found on spending $40,000 since leaving my job, and why Warren Buffett agrees.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
The Destructive Force That Can Screw Up a 322K Product Launch
The Destructive Force That Can Screw Up a 322K Product Launch

The Destructive Force That Can Screw Up a 322K Product Launch

Ever delayed a launch date, felt like what you’ve created is not good enough? That’s resistance talking, and I’ll share how to defeat it.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Nightly Routines and how to sleep hack your way to a productive morning
Nightly Routines and how to sleep hack your way to a productive morning

Nightly Routines and how to sleep hack your way to a productive morning

A how-to guide to having a great night routine for better sleep, less stress and more productivity. Here’s how mine works (inc some sleep hacks!)

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How creating a meaningful morning routine will make you more successful
How creating a meaningful morning routine will make you more successful

How creating a meaningful morning routine will make you more successful

Being successful starts with everyday actions done consistently – this is how and why I created a morning routine (from someone who was a self-described night owl for the first 26 years of life). If I can do it, anyone can!

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
How to 10X Your Output with a Virtual Assistant
How to 10X Your Output with a Virtual Assistant

How to 10X Your Output with a Virtual Assistant

Ever wish there were plenty of you to run your business? You badly need a virtual assistant! Here are some things you can delegate to get more time back in your business.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
2014 Review
2014 Review

2014 Review

My 2014 Year in review. Every year I do an annual review of my year to share the good, the bad and everything in between. Then I share my goals for the upcoming year publicly!

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Kickstarter Lessons Learned and How I Raised over $50K On My Second Try
Kickstarter Lessons Learned and How I Raised over $50K On My Second Try

Kickstarter Lessons Learned and How I Raised over $50K On My Second Try

Lessons from launching a second crowdfunding Kickstarter project, I share exactly what worked, by how much, why I did it and how I doubled my money

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
22 books to read before you quit your job
22 books to read before you quit your job

22 books to read before you quit your job

Before I allowed myself to quit my Architecture job I set myself a reading list challenge, 22 books across 6 categories; mindset, productivity, business, marketing, sales and finance… best decision ever.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Starting From Nothing: One Entrepreneur’s Journey
Starting From Nothing One Entrepreneur’s Journey

Starting From Nothing: One Entrepreneur’s Journey

Over the past few years, I feel like I’ve gone from dipping my toe in the pool of entrepreneurship to jumping off the highest diving board right into the thick of it all. With that said, I feel like I’ve designed a life that I love, rather than the one I (secretly?) wished to escape from.

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Kickstarter Economics 101: The True Costs of a Successful Project
Kickstarter Economics 101 The True Costs of a Successful Project

Kickstarter Economics 101: The True Costs of a Successful Project

A behind-the-scenes look at the true costs of a successful Kickstarter project and where all the money went (and how much I didn’t make)

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
Funded in 12 hours – How I raised $25,161 on Kickstarter in 30 Days
Funded in 12 hours - How I raised $25,161 on Kickstarter in 30 Days

Funded in 12 hours – How I raised $25,161 on Kickstarter in 30 Days

With only 2 weeks of preparation, this is how I went from zero to funded on Kickstarter, here’s everything I did, how it works — and what mistakes I made that you could learn from.

533 400 Cathryn Lavery
5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was In High School
5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was In High School

5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was In High School

Have you ever wished you could go back to high school knowing everything you do now? I was recently asked to give a talk at my high school, here’s the 5 things I wish I knew back then that would have changed my life.

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