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Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: The Single Diaries

  • Life Lessons from Tinder

    One Single Girl shares what she’s learned about herself, others, and how not to date through popular dating app Tinder.

    Tinder
    Photo by Claire Folger – © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

    As many of you online daters already know, there is an approximate 9:1 ratio of scary people to normal people in your pool of options. When my friend called me one evening, explaining the luscious and mysterious world that is Tinder, I denied that it would be the perfect fit for me. He was prepared for my skepticism, my remarks about the ratio, how it’s my worst fear, etc., so he simply said, “Think of all the people you can laugh at.”

    I was sold.
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  • Taking on a Passion for Fashion

    Taking on a Passion for Fashion

    The Single Diaries dishes with Edana Hoehn, on fashion, creativity, and inspiration.

    “I’m inspired by the people and life around me. It’s pretty incredible what you can think up when you take the time to slow down and look around at what really makes people happy and what could make their life better, easier or more beautiful.”

    Welcome back to Single Girl Brunches with the Best—a series of conversations with friends and leading ladies who are fierce, fearless and inspirational.

    In the spirit of New York Fashion Week which culminated yesterday, I caught up with fabulous fashion designer and favorite single girl,  Edana Hoehn,  to talk about her passion for fashion.

    Edana

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  • 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.
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  • I’ll Never Be the Same

    How her volunteer experience has taught Lara Torii to live intentionally and fall in love

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    When I started my first year of volunteer service three years ago in NYC, I was excited that I could continue to wear my fabulous pair of alligator green vintage boots. One of my program’s tenets is simplicity, but no one considered me frivolous for continuing to wear my best clothes to work. After all, my placement, which served runaway and homeless youth, was in Chelsea.

    Now, what seems like a lifetime later, I’m sitting in my single bed in a volunteer house on the edge of rural northeast Thailand. All I can hear outside are insects singing. Nowadays, my wardrobe mainly consists of t-shirts and loose elephant pants. I have about nine outfits that I’ve rotated for two years. But just as I loved putting together outfits for my days in Manhattan, I love the simplicity of my wardrobe here.

    But I’m not here to talk about how my personal look has changed the last three years (though I do love talking about my hair, so perhaps that will be a topic for another entry). This outer transformation is simply an insight into the bigger transformation within. It all happened because I decided, from day one, to live each moment deeply.
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  • A Single Girl’s View on Learning to Embrace Fear

    A Single Girl’s View on Learning to Embrace Fear

    Taking Risks2

     

    Lessons from the Barre

    I started taking dance classes at the ripe age of four.  I remember putting my ballet shoes in my pink bag, pulling on my leotard, and being so excited to get to class. I also remember the butterflies I would get as my mom’s car took its spot in the parking lot each week. By the time she walked me through the door to the studio I would be in full-fledged panic mode, too afraid to step onto the dance floor.

    Week after week this cycle of excitement crashing into fear would recur. Each time my mom would hold my hand, walk me into class, and take her spot at the ballet barre next to me. She stood by me, urging me on, and refusing to let my fear get the best of me. She did this until I finally learned to take my place at the barre alone. Before long I not only learned to overcome my fear but had actually learned to love every dance class, parade, and competition.

    Deciding to Launch

    I think back on that time in our first few weeks of launching The Single Diaries. All those years ago my mom had taught me a valuable lesson in embracing my fear. As we pliéd side by side, she showed me that tackling fear doesn’t have to be done alone. She also made me recognize the value we can bring to each other simply by showing our support.

    For nearly one year I thought about launching the site before I took any action. While I was thrilled by the idea of creating a space where I could connect with like-minded ladies, the thought of going public with my personal stories was (is) intimidating. In my heart I knew it was what I wanted to do but my fear of failure held me back.

    It was my mom’s lessons that ultimately got me over that fear. I started to share the idea with friends (like Catherine!) and got their feedback to push forward.  Once again I was reminded that when you surround yourself with good people they are there to support and strengthen you, not to tear you down.

    There were many reasons for starting The Single Diaries but sharing this lesson – the true value in building amazing friendships with other aspiring women- ranks at the top of the list.

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