radiant republic {blog}

Home Office Space

Erika McMahon — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:11:57 +0000

Last year, I shared a peek into the inspiration for our home office. This year, I’m committed to expanding our office space.

Photo credit: Pencil Shavings Studio

See my ideas and inspiration over at Wayfair! You can read the full post here.

Springtime Pastels

Erika McMahon — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:27:56 +0000

Pastels are everywhere during springtime. Have you incorporated them into your home decor? While I haven’t fully committed, I do adore a painted accent piece.

Photo credit: Dulux

You can see my other favorite pastel-inspired rooms and tips over at Wayfair today!

Jump over here.

Wayfaring with Wayfair

Erika McMahon — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:29:21 +0000

To where will you travel this spring? My list may surprise you.

Have you traveled to any of these far away (and some not-so-far) destinations?

PS that photo below was taken in. our. town. after a recent snow storm.

Read my full post here.

5 Things About Solopreneurship

Erika McMahon — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:59 +0000

Follow me on Instagram here.

I think the term “solopreneur” should be coined “everything-preneur” because on a given day, a small business owner with a team of 1 wears about 1,000 hats. From CEO to accountant to marketing executive to secretary (and everything in between), running a business on your own requires a lot of flexibility and focus. Here are five things I’ve learned about solopreneurship.

1. Develop early habits of work/life balance. I schedule my workouts and personal errands as meetings on my iCalendar. Do I ever cancel that workout when a client or candidate requests an evening phone call? Of course I do. I am deeply connected to my business and love what I do, which makes it difficult to shut down. It’s also tricky to implement an “end of the day” time when my office is a few steps from my living room. But developing the habit of scheduling these personal tasks as I would schedule any important meeting helps me to achieve an important balance between my work life and personal tasks.

2. Expand your professional network. Many solopreneurs become comfortable in their independent role. Too comfortable. It’s important to establish connections with business owners in your industry as well as other markets. Pick up the phone and call owners who are not direct competitors, but exist in a similar market. Identify key influencers (and a mentor) and introduce yourself! Remember, it’s a two-way street. When another business owner is willing to speak with you by phone, respect his/her time and keep the call brief. Follow up by sending articles you think he/she may find interesting and become a valuable contact to that person, too. I also recommend choosing at least ONE professional conference to attend each year. IRL (in real life) connections are the key to developing professional bonds and camaraderie with other influencers.

3. Stretch your marketing dollars. Endless advertising opportunities are available to small businesses, but not all of them are logical. Choose your advertising options wisely (carefully considering target audience demographics, viral capabilities, etc.) before committing. Once you have earmarked your quarterly advertising budget, fill in the rest with social media outreach. Blogs, Facebook business pages, Twitter and Pinterest are all key components of modern social media strategy. And the best part is they are all means of DIY marketing! If you are new to these avenues, you can easily master the learning curve by liaising with social media experts and watching how businesses in other markets are successfully using social media to increase brand awareness.

4. Keep learning. I set aside one hour each day to read industry blogs, news, conduct market research and identify industry trends. Because customer service is the cornerstone of my business, I am constantly seeking new ways to support my clients and their families.

5. Focus. This message may seem to be simple and obvious, but I begin each morning by setting an intention to maintain focus throughout my day. It all begins the night before when I sit down to write my to-do list for the following day. After compiling important tasks, I tear off my to-do “draft” and re-list each item and task from top to bottom and in order of priority. The “hot” items with high levels of urgency will be completed early in my day when I have the clearest mind and highest level of energy. If I am not able to complete every task on my list, the items with the least urgency and lowest priority (i.e. change my cell phone plan or pick up milk) will wait until the following day.

Do you have a small business or are you considering launching one? What do you believe are additional key components of start-up success?

The Green Room with Wayfair

Erika McMahon — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:16:46 +0000

What did you do for St. Patrick’s Day? Andrew and I were flying home from Whistler (pictures to follow soon!) in the middle of all of the celebration. One of my favorite things to do on St. Patrick’s Day is spend time with my Irish grandmother, although I haven’t been able to do that in on that particular holiday in years.

She takes the holiday very seriously, as documented in my latest Wayfair post.

In honor of the holiday, I explored some of my very favorite tips for using green in home decor. Read the full post here! (Remember when House Beautiful asked me to choose my favorite green room? It’s still my favorite color!)

Happy Tuesday!

Introducing Cape Nanny

Erika McMahon — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:03:10 +0000

Andrew and I were unplugged in Whistler last week. Honestly, I have been unplugged from RR a little longer than a week, and with good reason!

I have exciting, long awaited news to share.

You may remember my foreshadowing of a future business I planned to launch this year. It has been in the works for thirteen months and has finally come to fruition. Having officially launched just more than a month ago…

I’m thrilled to announce my new venture: Cape Nanny.

Launching a boutique nanny agency has been a dream of mine since childhood, when I would attend babysitting courses as a middle schooler for fun and post flyers around the neighborhood advertising my “business.”

The concept has evolved immensely and I have spent the past year fine-tuning the business model to ensure exceptional service to my wonderful client base.

And with that… a little news for Radiant Republic, too!

What was initially launched as a hobby has grown into a little business of its own! I adore this space and each of you and hope you will continue to follow this blog’s journey as it rebrands as the soon-to-launch ErikaMcMahon.com. My original web domain will feed into my new site (so you can still access it from RadiantRepublic.com!) and the design will remain similar, with a sophisticated new color palette.

On ErikaMcMahon.com, I will continue to write on interior design inspiration and travels. I will also write about my experiences as a small business owner and tips for leveraging social media to grow your business and brand. You can read about childcare tips and ideas on my Cape Nanny blog here.

Thank you for your support, kind words and especially for continuing to come here each day.

I look forward to many exciting things to come!

Small Space, Big Style

Erika McMahon — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:26:20 +0000

In what type of home do you live? Do you, or have you ever, lived in a very small space? I once lived in an apartment so tiny, I had to turn a pizza box sideways just to walk it into the kitchen.

There is something so cozy and wonderful about a beautifully designed, small space.

Do you have a tip or trick for decorating on the smaller scale? Join the conversation over at Wayfair.com!

Read the full post here.

Valentine’s Day Giveaway {with Wayfair}

Erika McMahon — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:17:48 +0000

*This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner, Raelena!*

Alexandra Ferguson is the designer behind some of my favorite plush, eco-friendly pillows that boast tongue-in-cheek charm. My favorite for this month is her XOXO pillow. See the Alexandra Ferguson collection over at Wayfair!

With Valentine’s Day around the corner (tomorrow, kids), Wayfair is treating you to something sweet! One lucky reader can choose his/her favorite Alexandra Ferguson XOXO pillow color way. The pillow measures 10″H x 14″W, is constructed from organic cotton and recycled felt applique, and is made in the USA!

To enter:

Comment below with your favorite XOXO pillow color! (See them all in the drop down menu here.)

For EXTRA entries (leave additional comments for each!):

Like Wayfair on Facebook.

Follow Wayfair on Twitter.

Like Radiant Republic on Facebook.

Follow Radiant Republic on Twitter.

Rules:

Open to US residents only. Winner will be chosen via Random.org on Friday, February 15th at 12midnight EST. Winner will be contacted via email within 48 hours of giveaway close.

Good luck!

Pink and Red Decor

Erika McMahon — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:49:20 +0000

Can you believe Valentine’s Day is this Thursday? After digging our way out of the recent winter storm, I’m looking forward to a cozy night in with my husband. Do you have special plans for February 14th?

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I’m sharing some of my favorite pink & red-inspired spaces on the Wayfair blog. You can see the full post here.

Photo credit: Patrick Cline for Lonny.

Enjoy!

Pink & Red {with Houzz}

Erika McMahon — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:08:39 +0000

Each month, I curate twenty of my favorite interior decor products over at Houzz. (See all of my Ideabooks here.) While my affinity for pink and red remains constant through the year, I take advantage of the one winter month during which it’s socially acceptable for a woman (over the age of six) to dig this color pair to my extreme extent.

Comprised of pretty pieces from my favorite designers and shops, this curation may be my very favorite yet.

Click the image to view.

Happy weekend!