It’s been about 3 weeks since I started the Rise & Vibe mushroom lemonade and it’s quickly become an easy new routine.

The past few years have been tough for me. Between the events of the world, going through loss and grief, and turning to food and alcohol as coping mechanisms, it’s been a challenge mentally and physically.

I lost all confidence, mental strength, motivation, ability to focus, and the brain fog was almost debilitating.

So when I heard about the benefits of the Rise & Vibe combo, I was all in to give it a try – I was ready to try pretty much anything to help pull me out of my slump.

In my first few days, I felt lighter. Happier. More focused. More motivated. More productive. It felt good to FEEL GOOD AGAIN!!

But it’s what happened over the next couple of weeks that really surprised me.

My body is starting to feel more balanced. My gut issues are starting to sort themselves out. I’ve stopped craving coffee, wine and sugar!! (These are HUGE for me!)

And Adam has said to me multiple times. “I finally have my wife back!”?

I’m feeling more and more like me again, with every day!

Sometimes you don’t know how bad you feel, until you start to feel good again.

I’m so grateful for my new Rise & Vibe routine!

I’m a firm believer that when I find something really great that I love, it is my responsibility to share it with others.

My husband, Adam, and I have been taking mushrooms since last fall. Adam had found some research that the Lion’s Mane mushroom was helping people with concussion symptoms. He has had multiple concussions, as a professional mountain bike coach, so he wanted to try it with hopes of finding some relief.

The results from taking a straight lion’s mane supplement were incredible for both Adam and myself!

So when I saw people posting about a mushroom lemonade on social media that contains not only lion’s mane, but also 6 other organic mushrooms, we had to try it!

We have been drinking the lemonade for less than 2 weeks and here is what we have noticed so far:

• Increased ability to focus
• More mental energy and clarity
• Longer attention span
• Increased motivation
• Decreased procrastination
• Better sleep
• Higher productivity
• Brain fog is gone!
• Adam doesn’t need a daily nap anymore to reset his brain!

If you’re like me, your mental energy and mental health have definitely suffered with the events of the last few years. This mushroom lemonade is the first thing that has truly helped me to feel more like myself than anything else I have tried – I’m so grateful to have found it! And even more grateful that is tastes delicious!

If more mental energy, clarity and focus is something you could use more of, CLICK HERE for more info and to order some for yourself. Don’t worry, there is a 30 day empty bottle money back guarantee, if you try it and decide it’s not right for you.

Best wishes and enjoy your mushroom juice!
xo Mariska

LET’S GET INTO IT – What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is marketing online with digital products.

You can market through Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Etsy, Pinterest, YouTube, Emails, and more.

What are Digital Products?

Digital products are downloadable products that can take many forms. Some examples may include:

• Printables
• eBooks
• PDFs
• Stickers
• Planners
• Guides
• Templates
• Journals
• Notebooks
• Graphics
• Stock Photography
• Courses
• Virtual Services
• and MORE!

If you don’t have a digital product ready to sell, you also have the option to purchase ready made digital products that you can resell for 100% profit – just to get you started.

Different routes you can take with Digital Marketing:

• Resell completely DFY (done for you) products with 100% profit – with MRR or PLR
• Create your own digital products to sell for 100% profit. Create it once and sell it again and again.
• Offer personal services like mentoring, profile audits, coaching, one on one calls, etc
• Do a mix of ALL or some of these things.

How can you do this as a complete beginner?
Where did I start?

I completed a comprehensive digital marketing course called THE ROADMAP. The course taught me everything I needed to know about starting, building & profiting from it. It took me about a week to learn enough to get myself set up to start selling so I could earn while I learned.

You can start with the very same course, learn from it, implement what you learn and build your own online profit machine!

You’ll find all the details to The Roadmap HERE, including a few bonuses I’ve included to help give you a leg up on starting your digital business..

FOLLOW @digitaldogmomlife for more digital marketing tips and info for beginners!

Do you know someone who may find this article helpful? Please SHARE it with them!

If you suffer from anxiety, it can be crippling on a normal day. Throw in a worldwide pandemic, and that can blow your anxiety through the roof, even for those of us who don’t normally have anxious tendencies.

Today I’m sharing a few tips with you to help you manage anxiety during these uncertain times. I have come up with my list, both from my own research, and also from crowd-sourcing on social media to learn what others do to help them manage their anxiety through this global stress.

Distract Your Anxious Mind

When you feel your anxiety building to a point of becoming overwhelming, try this exercise to distract your mind away from your triggers:

1. List 5 things you can SEE
2. List 4 things you can FEEL
3. List 3 things you can HEAR
4. List 2 things you can SMELL
5. List 1 thing you can TASTE

This exercise is intended to distract your mind from whatever thoughts are creating your anxiety by bringing your thoughts back to the present moment. I encourage you to try this when you feel overwhelmed.

Turn Off the News

The worst thing we can do right now is to constantly watch or listen to the news. Fear multiplies fear. Uncertainty breeds anxiety. Watching the suffering of others is only going to magnify the anxiety you are feeling.

By turning off the TV and not focusing our attention on news outlets and sources, we can minimize our triggers.

Move Your Body

Exercise is my number one way to reduce my own stress and anxiety. Every afternoon I take my dogs out for an hour-long walk in the woods. The combination of movement and nature ground me and bring my mind back to the present moment, back to reality, rather than allowing my thoughts to wander and overwhelm me with things that may or may not be real.

If you have trouble getting yourself off the couch to get moving, I encourage you to read The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. A simplified explanation is that you count down from five and when you get to one, you MOVE!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 — GO!

Journaling

Writing down our thoughts and feelings is a great way to get them out of our heads and to process what we are thinking. If you don’t know what to write about, just spend 5-15 minutes just dumping your brain onto paper. I find it most effective when it’s through pen and paper, rather than through a keyboard. There is something about the movement of putting pen to paper that connects my thoughts more clearly.

Once you have written your entry, read it and re-read it to help you think about and process what’s going on in your mind.

Practice Gratitude

Our minds cannot focus on worry and gratitude at the same time. By listing off the things we are grateful for it distracts our minds from the things we are worried and anxious about.

Some ideas are to do a gratitude rant – set your phone’s timer for one minute and rant out loud, “I’m so happy and grateful for ____________! I’m so happy and grateful for __________! I’m so happy and grateful for ___________!” Until your timer goes off.

Keep a gratitude journal, and everyday write down the things you are grateful for. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same things everyday, that’s ok! As you do it more and more, you will notice that your list will begin to expand.

Humour!

If you find yourself bogged down by all the darkness and negativity surrounding the current global pandemic, hop on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video and search for your favorite comedy. Laughing is a huge stress reliever, and we all need to be laughing more!

L-Theanine Supplement

L-theanine is an amino acid that is said to help reduce stress, anxiety and even sleeplessness. When paired with caffeine, it has also shown to improve mental clarity and focus.

L-theanine can be found in green and black tea as well as in some mushrooms, or is also available as a supplement. Personally, I drink a collagen coffee (USA coffee link) that contains L-theanine every morning to help manage stress and boost my mental focus and clarity. And if I feel my anxiety creeping in in the afternoon, I drink a delicious natural energy drink (USA energy drink link) that contains L-theanine to help keep it in check. — If you have questions about either of these products, please do reach out.

I hope these simple strategies to reduce anxiety are helpful for you. If you have your own to add to this list, I would love for you to share them in the comments!

Wishing you a happy and anxiety-free day!

Since the pandemic hit about this time last year, more and more people are not only taking advantage of the Gig Economy, for many the gig economy is the ONLY way they have managed to earn an income to survive. Many jobs have been put on hold or have been straight up eliminated from the economy all-together, and people have had to get creative to find another way to earn an income.

What is the Gig Economy?

Think Uber, Door Dash, AirBnB, Task Rabbit, Lyft, Skip the Dishes, network marketing, etc. — How many of these services have you used before? These are all part of the Gig Economy.

The Gig Economy is an online economy that is allowing regular people, who may or may not have a professional education, to earn an income online from anywhere. They are businesses that anyone can start from home from their smartphone.

Many of these businesses are run through apps, like Uber and AirBnB, and some are product companies who, instead of spending their money on overhead for brick and mortar locations and on marketing, they pay fair commissions to people like myself to share information about their products with others. And when someone chooses to try the products, I get paid.

Why Do People Join the Gig Economy?

Some may do it to earn an extra $100-$500/month, and some may do it to replace their full time income and to make a living online from home or from anywhere with wifi. And then there are all sorts of other reasons in between.

For me personally, I looked for an online option a few years ago because of my severe boss allergy and my desire for independence and control over my own time and income. I wanted control of my schedule, I didn’t want to be told when I could eat my lunch, use the toilet, take time off, go for a walk, or be told how many days of vacation I was allowed to take. I didn’t like spending hours in the car everyday commuting to and from the office. And I REALLY didn’t like leaving my poor Roxidoo (my chocolate lab) home alone for 10-12 hours a day while I spent my days at a job that I no longer felt any passion for.

Projected Growth of the Gig Economy

The Gig Economy has become more popular for a variety of reasons, and, in a lot of cases, it has becoming NECESSARY.

Statistics are predicting that by 2027, 60% of the US workforce will be independent.

And the gross volume of the gig economy will grow to $455 billion by 2023 – that’s only 2 years away, and nearly double what it is now!

Now, I don’t know about you, but I see an opportunity in that, and want a piece of that pie!

My Experience in this Economy

I have done the AirBnB thing and it was amazing! Some months it helped us pay a good chunk of our mortgage payment! But the thing about AirBnB, especially during the pandemic, is that it can be very inconsistent income, depending on the location of your rental property.

For me, the answer came in the form of network marketing, and I’m so grateful that I have found a company that I love and am proud to partner with. They are innovative and forward thinking, not only with their award winning products, but also in their business model.

Having worked with a couple of other companies before this one, I can honestly say that I feel like I have gone from the sandbox to the boardroom with this business, and I’m here to stay.

I wanted to leave my corporate office job for all the reasons I listed above. I did it to own my time and create financial freedom. What I did not expect was that I would connect with a community that is kind, encouraging and uplifting. I have found my home.

Another statistic to throw out there: 85% of women have never been asked to take a look at a business opportunity like this one. That blows my mind!

So, with that in mind, I am committed to helping as many women as possible become financially independent through health and online business.

If you are one of the 85% who have never been asked if you’re open to some information, then let me be the first to invite you to take a look. This industry has completely changed my life, and I know it can change yours too! It’s time to take control of your future.

Let’s chat!

We get ONE LIFE, my friend. If you are not happy with something about your life, it’s time to make a change. No more excuses. 

I have significantly changed my life and happiness over the past few years, since firing my boss and working in online from home. It has literally changed EVERYTHING!! 

If you are in a place where you feel stuck, you are in a rut, if you are in the hamster wheel or Groundhog Day of life, if you are drowning in bills, or if you simply have dreams of a bigger life for yourself, then it’s time we had a chat. 

The World is Changing. 

The gig economy is growing. Statistics are showing that 60% of the workforce will be independent by 2027. And the gross volume of the gig economy will grow to $455 billion by 2023. (That’s only 2 years away!)

We can’t continue to turn a blind eye to what’s right in front of us. Business, the economy and income opportunities are changing fast! 

I don’t know about you, by I want a piece of that pie!! And I’m so grateful to be partnered with a forward thinking company that gets it, and is creating innovative solutions to help normal people, like you and me, thrive! 

Sometimes I feel like this life is a dream. We live in such a beautiful place! I could completely imagine living in some other beautiful places, but I know I will always come back to this island – because it’s HOME!

With spring in full swing, I find myself appreciating this place more and more each day.

And I find myself more grateful everyday that I get to spend my days setting my own schedule and taking full advantage of everything my surroundings have to offer.

Life is good. Life is REALLY good!!

Life Wasn’t Always This Way

Life used to be hard.

It was hard for a long long time. Like 8 years of hard before the storm broke and the sun started shining more regularly again.

Before moving back to my Island, life handed me what felt like one bag of shit after another for a long time.

It all started with a nasty breakup after a 5 year relationship with a man I thought, at the time, I would spend the rest of my life with. He had two little girls who I adored with my whole heart, and it completely shattered me to be blindsided by the breakdown of that relationship and to lose them from my life. My heart was broken into what felt like a billion pieces.

It changed me in so many ways that I didn’t even recognize myself anymore. I saw an empty shell when I looked in the mirror, and it took all I had to get out of bed in the morning and face the world.

I moved house nearly every year after that, to a different part of town each time, trying to find somewhere that truly felt like home. I went from owning a home to never really feeling like I had a home to go back to, except when I came back to my Island to visit my parents in my childhood home.

I had a hard time finding work that inspired me beyond a 6-month period.

My love life and dating were a joke. I had one terrible online dating experience after another. The scenarios were so bad that one of my girlfriends actually suggested I start a blog about it! Thankfully, I can laugh about it all now, but at the time, I cried. A lot.

Then yay! I finally met someone great, or so I thought… And then that imploded too. Twice.

There were some good times mixed into these years too, of course. It wasn’t all bad all of the time. I had great friends, I had a new nephew to love and adore, I did some fun things, I traveled to a new place every year… but life was not consistently good for very long periods of time. Something always seemed to happen to mess things up before too long.

The only thing that saved me and kept me sane and gave me a purpose was my Roxidoo, who showed up in my life about 4 months into this whole situation. Roxie has helped me through so much. She was my one constant. My rock. My beastie. My best friend. My love. Roxie is my Soul Dog.

Time For a Change

Then, one day in September 2013, I decided that I had had enough. I felt like Vancouver had chewed me up and was ready to spit me out. I decided to move back to my Island. My home. I needed a fresh start. A clean slate. In a place where I didn’t really know anyone. I grew up there, but I didn’t know very many people anymore outside of my family and a few close friends.

So I just decided one day. Just like that. And 2 days later, before I could talk myself out of it, I gave notice to my Vancouver landlord, sold almost all of my stuff (except some of my clothes, my bed and my car), and a month later I upped and left Vancouver without a second thought.

It Wasn’t Easy

It was hard at first. It was wayyy outside my comfort zone to make such a drastic change without some kind of plan. But something had to happen if I was going to snap out of the cycle of bullshit that life seemed to be consistently throwing my way. I needed a complete change of scenery.

It was like the universe was trying to tell me something. That I didn’t belong where I was. And it would keep throwing more shit at me until I listened.

So I finally did. I listened. I made a decision. I sold my stuff. And I picked up and moved to Vancouver Island.

I found a job and a place to live, and soon Roxie and I met a man and his dog, who would one day become my husband and blended fur family.

Of course much happened in between, but those are stories for another day.

What I’m trying to tell you here is this:

YOU ARE JUST ONE DECISION AWAY FROM A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LIFE!!

If life keeps throwing you shit, it might be the universe telling you that it’s time to make a change. Its pushing you in a new direction, all you have to do is be open and listen. If you don’t, chances are the shit will just keep raining down on you, like it did for me.

One single, quick decision completely changed my life. It’s up to YOU to make YOUR decision to completely change YOUR life.

What are you waiting for? It’s your time to shine, my friend.

Happy New Year, Friends! 

With a new year, a new DECADE, and so many new visitors to my page, I thought it a good time to re-introduce myself. I’m Mariska Richters, and this page is where I share my life adventures, travel addiction, my loveable fur babies, Roxidoo and Cash, health/wellness and positivity tips & all the delicious food my husband, Adam, cooks for me. 🙂

I’m a Dutch/Canadian, a Leo, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a beastie mama of two. I love to travel, love food and wine (especially pink wine with bubbles) and am passionate about location independent business.

Why a Freedom Lifestyle?

One of the reasons I’m so passionate about creating a freedom lifestyle is because I have an allergy to bosses, daily commutes, and being told when I am allowed to eat, nap and pee. 

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, and it has always been my dream to earn my living from anywhere – like a beach!

About 3.5 years ago I stumbled into an online business opportunity that opened my eyes to a whole new way of earning income. I dove in and I haven’t looked back… I never imagined that sharing my story and passions on social media would allow me to help so many people while allowing me to live life on my own terms. It has been an absolute game changer, and now I can’t imagine living life any other way.

I’m a woman that just wanted to find my purpose and live a freedom lifestyle where I was not stuck commuting 2+ hours per day to work in a stuffy windowless cubicle for the rest of my working life. I was sick of feeling guilty for leaving my Roxidoo home alone for 10+ hours a day.

So I found a way to create the freedom lifestyle I always wanted through an online health & wellness business, where I teach busy working women (like you) with no experience how to earn extra cash online by leveraging social media. I help them find their purpose, which creates an online marketing machine! I also love helping people achieve their health & wellness goals, allowing them to live their best and most energetic life.

My goal for 2020 is to support women reclaim their freedoms and power, step into their greatness and to help them create a life they love!

Fun Facts About Mariska Richters

• My biggest loves in life are dogs, travel, wine, fitness and sunshine.
• My biggest fears are heights and water splashing in my face.
• I have a rosé and prosecco addiction. 😉
• I have solo traveled through Thailand, Costa Rica, Bali, Europe, and Morocco.

I started my journey in Online Marketing in 2016 just wanting to pay for my health products – today, I have fired my boss and this business is my main income gig.

Please, be curious!! Ask me about online marketing, how to start a business from the ground up with zero experience, health tips, fitness, travel, how to get back on track after a setback and how to step into your courage when you’re scared shitless!

I get PUMPED to share my hacks of what drove me to create the successful business, impact, positive mindset & freedom lifestyle.

One thing I have realized throughout this journey, is that we REALLY do create our own reality through our thoughts and our language. And I truly love helping others come to the same conclusion, help them shift their mindset and as a result: Change Their Life!

I finally found a way to break out of the hamster wheel of the monday-to-friday 9-5 grind, feeling lost and having no real purpose. So it’s now my mission to help other women do the same.

Now it’s your turn:

• Tell me one fun fact about YOU below!
• Share fur babies’ names with me (and your human kids too, haha!!) 

Fasting has been a norm for humans for centuries. Throughout history, people did not eat 3 meals a day at set hours, plus snacks in between. Today, our eating habits are very different. We no longer have a need to hunt for food, it is readily available and we can pretty much eat any time we like. More recently, intermittent fasting has become a popular topic in health and wellness conversations (especially in the keto realm), and has shown to have many benefits.

What Is Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is where you cycle in and out of periods of eating and not eating.

Although people do experience weight loss with intermittent fasting, it is not so much a diet plan but more of a lifestyle choice to take advantage of some incredible health benefits, some of which are listed in the section below.

Types of Intermittent Fasting

• 5:2 – eat normally five days a week, and then the other two days you are fasting, although you do still eat between 500 and 600 calories per day.
• Eat-stop-eat – You restrict all food for 24 hours, once or twice a week.
• 16/8 (most popular) – You eat all of your daily meals within typically 8 hours, and then you fast for the remaining 16 hours. You can do this every day, or just a few times a week. It can be any 8 hours you choose – a typical schedule could be 11am-7pm, or 12pm-8pm.
• Keto Coffee Intermittent Fasting – resembles the 16/8 method, but with one difference: you drink a cup of keto coffee. (coffee link for Canada)
• in the morning. It’s a clever hack to keep your hunger at bay while still staying in the fasting state.

5 Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

• Helps with Weight Loss and Reduce Belly Fat
  • When you are in the fasting state for an extended period of time, your body goes into a ketogenic fat burning state, where it burns your body’s fat for fuel instead of the food you would otherwise eat.
• Reduces Inflammation
  • Inflammation is at the root of many health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Fasting for prolonged periods, coupled with drinking lots of water and proper hydration, can help eliminate inflammation in the body.
• Boosts Brain Function
  • What is good for the body is often good for the brain as well. Intermittent fasting improves various metabolic features known to be important for brain health.
    IF may improve mental acuity and concentration. According to Johns Hopkins Health Review, IF can improve connections in the brain’s hippocampus and also protect against amyloid plaques, which are found in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Reduces Insulin Resistance and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
  • Case studies have shown that intermittent fasting has helped people with type 2 diabetes to limit their insulin intake, dramatically lower insulin levels and significantly improve insulin sensitivity, as well as significantly lower blood pressure.
• Simplifies Life and Saves Money
  • When you eliminate the number of meals you eat in a day or week, you will find that meal prep becomes much easier, YAY! During eating windows, you can simply eat your regular food and then drink water, tea, coffee, or bone broth while fasting. Easy, right?! This saves you both time and money on food.

How to Survive Your Fasting Hours

There are a few tips and tricks I can give you to survive your intermittent fasting hours. I have learned these over time, as I went, because my stomach normally wakes up before my brain does and I normally need to eat as soon as I wake up.

These tips will help you ease into intermittent fasting, if you are just getting started:

1. You can drink tea and COFFEE!! Just make sure you are drinking either black coffee or keto/bulletproof coffee. (Are you in Canada? click here.)
2. Drink LOTS of water. This will help you feel full and will help keep your hunger at bay. You can add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to it as well.
3. You can drink bone broth. It contains numerous minerals and vitamins and is quite ‘filling’ in terms of reducing hunger pangs. The other benefit is that you can add a good amount of sea salt to it, which will help you stay hydrated.
4. Hunger will often increase into the second day. After that, it gradually decreases – many report a complete loss of hunger by day 3-4.
5. Stay busy to keep your mind off of being hungry and the countdown to your eating window.
6. IMPORTANT: Don’t binge after fasting! This will only counter the benefits and will make the next day more difficult.

I hope this post been helpful to you. If you are interested in joining a super fun informative group filled with challenges, prizes and more, please shoot me a message! 

I used to dread Mondays… 

I used to start thinking about my work week on Sunday afternoons. My entire Monday evenings would be spent stressing out about how much I REALLY did’t want to go into the office the next morning to spend my whole week in a windowless cubicle, in a completely male environment with far too much chauvinistic testosterone flying around. I would become a grumpy, stressy, mess and I probably was not that pleasant to be around…

All I could dream about was how I wanted to, one day, work from home (or from anywhere for that matter), so I could hang out with my dog, Roxie, all day and wouldn’t have to feel guilty about leaving her home alone for nearly 10 hours a day. (Poor beastie!) 

I used to sit in my Vancouver basement suite and dream up ideas on how I would make my income from wherever I wanted, and I even started my own little company at one point, found a few clients, and was slowly working toward being able to leave my cubicle job.

It was HARD!! And eventually I just gave up. 

THEN I saw this girl on Facebook who was doing exactly what I always wanted to do. She had it all! She had the freedom to work from home while raising her baby, and she had the financial freedom to buy her dream home/hobby farm with her earnings! She was doing it!!

So I started to follow her. At first I would silently stalk her posts. Then, as I got to know her online self a bit better, I started to interact with her posts a little bit, and one day I got up the courage to send her a message. 

Let me tell you something: That was the BEST thing I’ve ever done for myself!

This girl inspired me to dream bigger and to believe more in myself and my ability to be, do and have whatever I can dream!

I joined her team and haven’t looked back!

Mondays Look Different Now

I am now living my dream, spending my Mondays and everyday working from home, with my 2 dogs and my husband at my side. I start my days with a workout, make my own hours and can take my work with me wherever I go, so my income isn’t impacted if I want to take a vacation or spend a week at the beach. I no longer need to ask for time off. I no longer work in a windowless cubicle. And I am now surrounded by an incredibly inspiring team of people who motivate me everyday to be a better version of me!

I used to be stuck in a rut of thinking that life had to be about the morning commute and the 9 to 5. I thought that the location independent lifestyle was something only OTHER people could do. I thought I just wasn’t good enough to deserve it for myself.

Boy was I wrong!

All it took was the courage to send one message and it totally changed my life!

What does YOUR Monday look like? And what would you like it to look like? What will it take for you to send that one message that could completely change your life? Are you ready? I’m here for you. 

#thiscouldbeyou #livealifeyoulove