Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: Jam with Jen

7 Life Changing Attitudes I Learned in Iceland

This February I had the chance to take a trip of a lifetime; a week in Iceland with my best friend. Why Iceland? I wanted to visit somewhere that would inspire me to take on new challenges in 2016. From all that I’d read about this arctic island, it seemed like the perfect place to test the boundaries of my comfort zone.

While my friend and I had bet on an adventure, we could never have imagined what was in store for us when we arrived. From snowmobiling across a glacier to snorkeling in nearly freezing waters, each day we were met with a new and exciting feat. Over dinner each night, we fell into the practice of recapping the lessons our adventures from the day had taught us. In pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones, we inadvertently began to recognize the attitudes we’d adopted to assure a truly rewarding trip.

When our time in Iceland drew to a close, my attention turned to my life back home. I wondered how things might change for the better if I brought those learned attitudes into my regular routine. While I’d challenged myself to a trip that would leave me inspired, I returned with a new ambition; to develop a truly rewarding life by practicing these 7 attitudes.

Watch now to learn what they are!

Trip Sponsor: Arctic Adventures

April 28, 2016
The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Business This Year

“Eventually it all connects” – Charles Eames

Why do you want to build and grow your business and what are you doing this year to make that happen? In this video I’m sharing the surprising way I answered those two questions.

When I quit my job at the end of 2013, I was feeling stuck. I was clocking in and out of work on a routine that was keeping me from truly experiencing life. I knew I needed to create a career path that set me free not only to explore new places but also to meet new people and discover new ways of living.

While it might seem obvious from the outside looking in, until I sat down to write my goals for 2016 I hadn’t recognized that this career is what I’d begun to create when I launched this site. I’d seen Toast Meets Jam as a way to inspire other young women to build their lives around what makes them happiest but had failed to see that I was also on the receiving side of that message. The reason for putting the work into building and growing the site is not only to inspire others but also to walk alongside them as I trail blaze my own path.

Since travel has always been the thing that makes me feel most inspired, I knew that it needed to be a part of my annual resolutions. I turned my eyes toward Iceland, a country that had topped my list since reading about it on a favorite travel blog of mine a year ago. With the help of the amazing team at Arctic Adventures, I was able to make that resolution come true this February.

Watch now to see how that trip became the best thing I’ve done for my business this year.

–

Music: Of Monsters and Men | Crystals

Trip Sponsor: Arctic Adventures

April 17, 2016
Raise Your Glasses

A Brunch for Women with Vision

It’s nearly been one year since Toast Meets Jam was launched. The past few months have been filled with learning and experimenting. What started as a simple interview series featuring female founders has grown to include so much more. Perhaps one of the additions that most excites me is the launch of Toast Meets Jam brunches.

The idea for a brunch series had existed from the beginning. I wanted a way to bring together all of the badass women I was meeting through my interviews. Thanks to a chance meeting with Megan Ranegar of The Dinner Party Association the idea took flight last June. Together we hosted TOAST: A Brunch for Gals we Raise our Glasses to a backyard soiree that invited female founders and influencers commune over a toast-themed menu.

This past Sunday I had the chance to host a second brunch. Amanda Tice, the female founder behind Hatch Studios, was my fabulous co-host for this second seating. To give our event it’s own unique spin, we played off the theme Raise Your Glasses | A Brunch for Women with Vision.

We hosted the brunch at Hatch Studios the beautiful, boutique co-working space where Toast Meets Jam is filmed.

Joining Amanda and I were nearly twenty incredibly talented women who spanned the likes of entrepreneurs, bloggers, creatives, and influencers.

Instacart kindly sponsored a bagel bar with all of the fixins to serve as the center of our menu. To round out our spread, each girl brought her favorite brunch dish to share with the group.

Of course, no brunch would be complete without a mimosa (or two!). Zico stepped in providing their amazing fresh juices to help us keep our glasses more than half-full at all times.

We wanted to give everyone something they could take home to remember the day and the goals they’ve set out for 2016. So, keeping in line with our theme, we invited all the women to craft together vision boards after our meal.

All in all, I have to say it was yet another successful day filled with great food, new friends, and incredible connections. Now that is something to raise your glasses to!

To see more from our brunch follow @ToastMeetsJam on Instagram and search for #HatchYourVision.

Want to join us for the next Toast Meets Jam brunch? Drop me a line at jen@toastmeetjam.com

A toast to you and your visions too!

Jen

January 26, 2016
A Menu to TOAST

A look at what we served at the inaugural TOAST: Brunch!

Clockwise from top: fruit & nut rye morning bread, sprouted rye bread, jam, honey & walnut from Gjusta; caramelized onion, zucchini, & sundried tomato frittata; rainbow carrot & flower petal salad; photo The Dinner Party Association

Artisanal Toast Bar: avocado & sea salt on sprouted rye, nut butter & truffle salt on fruit & nut rye, ricotta & jam on sourdough baguette, and radish & microgreens on sprouted rye

Mimosa Bar: ice sculpture wine cooler crafted by Troubled Ice; Brut sparkling wine from One Hope Wine; Orange, peach, and mango juices to round out our mimosa mixers

Cinnamon Toast Crunch filled jam jars

Want to learn more about our Toast:Brunch? Take a peak…

July 3, 2015
TOAST: A Brunch for Gals we Raise our Glasses to

When I launched Toast Meets Jam I knew that I wanted this to be a place not only to showcase awesome female entrepreneurs but also a place to bring them together. I had the idea to create a brunch series and invite all of the young women who had been, or would soon be, featured on a Toast Meets Jam interview. We could gather and nosh on some tasty bits and sips while making new friends and building a community with like-minded women.

As luck (or the power of attraction- your call) would have it, just as I was trying to figure out how to pull this off, I was introduced to Megan Ranegar of The Dinner Party Association. Megan’s forte is hosting amazing pop-up parties and backyard soirees. Much to my overwhelmingly appreciation, she offered to team up to help bring my idea to life.

For our series, we chose the theme TOAST: A Brunch for Gals we Raise our Glasses to. Our invite list included top notch lady bosses that crossed both our networks and our menu plans stuck close to theme.

We hosted the brunch at the Toast Meets Jam HQ – aka my house in Venice and were joined by nearly twenty incredibly talented women.

Before we dove in for our meal, the group went around and introduced themselves. From running a PR and branding agency, to producing a top ranking podcast, to owning a healthy cookie company, and beyond, these girls’ have more than earned their #girlboss stripes.

One of these women was Tatiana, the owner and ice sculptor behind Troubled Ice. She was the creative genius behind this jaw-dropping center piece for our Toast Mimosa Bar. To top it off One Hope Wine stepped in and as our amazing sparkling wine sponsor and served up their yummy Sparkling Brut.

Of course this brunch wouldn’t have been complete without a Toast bar. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve likely heard me rave about Gjusta, the bakery/cafe concept from the Gjelina family. This generous bunch offered us their to-die-for breads and spreads to create this fabulous looking tray of deliciousness.

We wanted to send every girl off with one last toast, so we created a special take home treat, a jam jar of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Hallmark also hooked us up with adorable cards from their new Signature collection.

I’d dreamed up an amazing day filled with great food, new friends, and incredible connections. Thanks to Megan, our sponsors, and these women we made it possible. Now, I will certainly #ToastToThat!

Want to join us for the next TOAST Brunch? Drop me a line at jen@toastmeetjam.com

Coming Up Next…

I’ll be sharing a few of our favorite recipes from our TOAST menu… mmm mmm : )

July 2, 2015