fbpx

Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: Inner Circle

  • Spotlight on Jessica Sabogal’s “Women Are Perfect”

    Spotlight on Jessica Sabogal’s “Women Are Perfect”

    In August, Jessica Sabogal journeyed to Bogotá, Colombia with her best friend to carry out a larger-than-life mission: to paint a mural honoring the struggle of women in her parents’ native country. In her own words, she shares her experience with The Single Diaries, then Catherine gets the exclusive on her process, her inspiration and what’s next for this artist.

    other1

    “Women Are Perfect” begins in Bogotá, Colombia

    I am in Bogotá, Colombia, my father’s birthplace, with the intention of doing something I’ve never done before: creating a 50’ x 9′ mural honoring the group most affected by Colombia’s 49-year long civil war, las mujeres.

    When I learned that 18% of Colombian women—or 489,687 mujeres—were victims of sexual violence between 2001 and 2009, I immediately thought, “That’s half the population of San Francisco.” It was then that I envisioned a piece that would reflect my reality: a world in which women embrace their perfection, a world in which these crimes against humanity cannot exist.

    Over the course of ten days, I teamed up with local artists, figuring out how to collect the supplies I need to transform this vision into something real and somehow explain to my abuela why I’m spray-painting on the streets of this 613 x 613 mile city.
    (more…)

  • Girlfriend Getaways | The Best Places to Party This Halloween

    Inspiration For Your Halloween Girls’ Trip

     

    Halloween Party

    Keeping in touch with high school and college girlfriends can be tough after graduation. Chances are your tightknit group which was once inseparable is now spread across the country. The “real world” comes with a whole new set of challenges not the least of which is maintaining these invaluable friendships from miles and miles apart.
    One thing I have vowed to do to help ease this pain is to plan an annual girls trip that brings everyone back together.  Trips are great, not only because they give your group something to look forward to, but also because they inspire endless group text and email chains to keep the planning excitement going. The entire process of putting together a trip from selecting a destination to squeezing the last pair of shoes into your suitcase lends itself to keeping you closely connected with your gfs.
    Looking for the perfect excuse to put a trip on the calendar? Good news for you: Halloween is just around the corner, and we couldn’t think of a better reason to gather the girls. Chances are you’ve all got costumes from college theme parties and sorority/fraternity mixers gone by that are just beckoning to be worn one last time.  The only thing left is to pick the proper destination to resurrect them.
    To inspire your planning, we’ve put together a list of the best destinations for you and your crew to party it up this Halloween.

    (more…)

  • Unsung Rivalry

    Born in San Francisco, Catherine shares her struggle with calling Los Angeles “home”

    Sf vs LA
    PHOTO: Pretty Stems

    To some in L.A., the rivalry between San Francisco and Los Angeles is nonexistent. I think this rivalry stems from the deep-rooted rivalry between the Giants and the Dodgers in New York City. While only a handful of Angelenos are true fans of the Dodgers, everyone in San Francisco is a Giants fan. (That’s one point for S.F.)

    When I decided to move south for school, I began to discover the difference in the two cultures. L.A. felt cold (in demeanor, not in climate, obviously), and I counted down days until trips home to the Bay Area—the down-to-earth Californian cousin. In college, every time I visited home and returned to L.A. a feeling of dread came over me as the plane approached LAX. I swore I would move back upon graduation. Then I didn’t.
    (more…)

  • Rocking As Fifth Wheel

    Catherine shares her tips on elevating your social status to “superbly single” when you find yourself as fifth wheel.

    The Glitter Guide
    The Glitter Guide

    There are some girls who hate being around couples; I do not. Despite being eternally single (or maybe because of it), I rather enjoy the company of friends who are in healthy relationships. Besides living vicariously through them and learning through observation of their relationships, I find it is another opportunity to shine socially. Who doesn’t love the superbly single girl?

    I love my girlfriends who aren’t in relationships, but remember that girls in relationships can also be “superbly single.” In a room full of girls, it’s easy by default to start wondering aloud why you haven’t met anyone special yet. In a balanced group of guys and girls, the temptation goes away. You also have a chance to learn from your friends and the way they communicate with their significant others.

    (more…)

  • Simple Ways to be a Thoughtful Single Girl

    Simple Ways to be a Thoughtful Single Girl

    Part 1 of 2: Staying close with friends and family when you’ve moved away

    card store

    Two years ago I decided to move Los Angeles, 2,000 miles away from my home in Cincinnati. The final decision was driven by a job, but there was also something deeper that had lured me out to the west coast. Without ever having traveled there, I knew it was where I wanted to be.
    From that perspective, heading to California should have been an easy choice. Weighed against my earnestness to move, however, was the difficult decision to deliberately move away from friends and family. For them, the thought of me leaving was nearly heartbreaking. Though I desperately wanted to leave Cincinnati, in some ways it felt selfish to do something that was so much about what I needed instead of what those closest to me wanted.
    In the end, I made that difficult decision to pack my bags and head west. As single girls we can be pretty independent, yet we have to remember that we do not reach our destinations on our own but with the support of those who love us. When I settled into L.A., I wanted to make sure my friends and family knew my departure did not mean I left them behind. Though I freed myself to live my own life, I needed to find ways they would know I was still thinking of them. It’s been two years since I made my big move, and I’ve come up with a few tricks.
    Read on for my tips for Simple Ways to Be a Thoughtful Single Girl.
    (more…)