The post Why you should ADOPT and not SHOP for your next furry friend.​ appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve grown up with animals. We had dogs, birds, bunnies and I always wanted a turtle, but I couldn’t wrangle that one with mum and dad.
I do remember, however, always having a really special bond with all my dogs. Rex the Labrador, Gordon the Beagle, Silje the Pomeranian and now my best buddy; Archie the Cocker Spaniel.
The difference between my three dogs growing up and Archie is where they all came from and the life they lived prior to joining our family. In Denmark dogs roam on farms mostly and are bred in good conditions. I was shocked to arrive in Australia to discover that you can actually ‘shop’ for a dog in a window. It blows my mind that this isn’t labelled as animal cruelty. Imagine being taken away from your mum and placed in a glass-box for hundreds of people to poke and prod you everyday until someone pays the (overpriced) price-tag for you?
When I wanted to look into getting a dog, my good friend Hazal instantly encouraged me to ‘adopt not shop’. It was such a strange concept for me, because it’s so different to Denmark, but nonetheless I took her advice and started the search for my next best friend.
A few months later, I got a call from the pound telling me that and 8-month old Cocker Spaniel called Archie had become available because his family didn’t want him any longer. As soon as I saw him, I fell in love with him and knew he was meant to be by my side.
Archie was pretty traumatised from his last family, especially around hand-movements which led the Pound-staff to believe that his previous family had tried to raise him by hitting him. He was an extremely anxious dog and had severe attachment-issues. I worked with a Dog Behaviourist for a few months to settle Archie into a new space and get comfortable with me. It was like he had to learn to walk again, but a different walk. It took a while, but Archie is the most gentle-hearted and good-natured boy. He spreads so much love and is happy all day long. I’m so extremely happy that I went the adoption-route, because those animals will always have a sincere appreciation and love for you from rescuing them from death which is the reality of many left dogs in Australia.
If you are looking to adopt, then I wanted to share with you the amazing work that PETstock is doing across Australia in terms of adoption and saving animals that would otherwise be put down.
PETstock’s own charity foundation, PETstock Assist’s mission is to make a long-term difference and positive change in the lives of pets and humans. They do this through a number of initiatives including programs that assist abused, abandoned and neglected pets through rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming.
PETstock stores partner with local rescue groups to foster and adopt out animals in need. They also run adoptions days throughout the year, of which over 19,000 rescue pets have been re-homed to date
ALL pets deserve a safe and loving home and many pets enter the rescue cycle through no fault of their own. Working with PETstock, we hope to educate people to reconsider any biases or unfair stereotypes you might have about rescue pets and potentially give them a loving forever home.
Here are some benefits of adopting a rescue animal:
If you are serious about adding a furry friend to your own life or the life of your family, then the PETstock Adoption Hub contains loads of useful info for those looking to adopt or who have recently adopted.
It also has a section where you can search for adoptable pets ready to find their forever home.
I cannot encourage you highly enough to please consider adopting instead of shopping for a ‘new’ dog. There are so many loving animals out there that never got a chance at life and are simply waiting for you to grant them just that.
To find your next forever-love please head to PETstock’s Adoption Hub here.
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]]>The post How To: Decorate a dog friendly & stylish home. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>Yes, there is an initial time when we adopt a new dog into our home – whether they’re puppies or older – that we need to allow them time and space to settle into life and a new routine, however dogs should be able to fit into our lives moving forward and not always the other way around.
I’m a Scandinavian through and through, and it really comes out if you look at how I decorate my home; I keep it simple with a monotone colour scheme, lots of light and spruce things up with a touch of colour. Even Archie is black and white, so he fits well into the colour scheme already (hehe).
The touches of colour I speak about normally comes through art, plants/flowers or Archie’s bedding, toys, leads and more. Because he is black and white, I love that he can wear a bit of colour and still look stylish.
I recently went into my local PETstock store to pick Archie up a bunch of new goodies, not only to spoil him in preparation for the cooler months, but to also co-ordinate my home. He’s utterly obsessed with his new warm beds and matching blankets.
As I work from home and have my office at home, Archie is used to me being home with him most of the day, and with his Cocker Spaniel attachment style, he likes to stay close to me at all times, so I find having a bed/blanket in each of the rooms is really handy, instead of moving everything around all the time.
OFFICE:
I’ve got lots of plants and natural light in my office with creme tiles and white walls, so adding something soft, fluffy and colourful to this room was exactly what it needed. The Grey/Amazon Green fluffy blanket fits perfectly into my office, underneath my monstera. Archie loves to sleep underneath plants and this way, he can snuggle up and keep warm in winter, as my office does tend to get cold.
BEDROOM:
Again, my bedroom is very simple with white bedding and a creme coloured base + lots of plants around. Archie sleeps in my bedroom next to me, so I wanted something he can be extra snug in and curl himself up into a croissant, as that’s his favourite sleeping position. The Buddy & Belle Bolster Bed in Amazon Green is soft and warm with a cool aztec green print which gives the bedroom a bit more oomph without it being too much. If it’s an extra cold night, I’ll add his fluffy blanket to his bed, so he can really snuggle up.
LIVING ROOM:
My living room space is open and full of light. I like to keep it pretty tidy and simple as it’s the first room you walk into in my apartment. The Snooza Cuddler Dune Bed in the Dune colour is literally perfect for this. And because the place for his bed is in a strange angle, the roundness of the bed just works so well! This type of bed is also amazing for dogs suffering with anxiety as the soft material calms them right down which makes for a restful sleep for them.
KITCHEN:
Keeping in line with the simplicity and a burst of colour, I’m really into green at the moment, so I’m extending that into the kitchen with two new ripple bowls for Archie in a cute pastel-mint that are super easy to wash, and helps with his ears not getting into his food as they’re slightly raised. Additionally, I’ve added a Lexi & Me feeding mat in the shape of a bone (how cute, huh?) to make sure his food/water doesn’t stain my floorboards.
I also got a big mint & cream ceramic treat jar because it just makes it easier than having to open/close plastic bags all the time. Now, they’re readily available. Which I’m sure Archie is thrilled about!
Last but not least, Archie loves soft-toys. He’s not big on plastic and, in general, hard toys. He finds soft toys very soothing, so an array of squishy ones that all provides different sensory experiences, is his favourite. I might even steal one to cuddle at night, myself.
This blog-post was created in collaboration with PETstock.
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]]>The post Review: Luxury Escapes x The Amala Estate Seminyak appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>When we booked our flights, we knew that we wanted to spend our 2 weeks in Bali across different places to experience the most of its beauty. We’d both been to Bali a handful of times, and knew we (definitely) didn’t want to stay in Kuta as the days of us partying went years and years ago.
So, we decided on Seminyak to start with. Having never stayed in Seminyak, I had a browse across the web and found The Amala Estate on Luxury Escapes website.
I’d never tried to book with Luxury Escapes, and I think, like some others may think, the prices and places just seem too good to be true. There must be a catch somewhere?
Either way, we ‘put our money’ on The Amala Estate in Seminyak and hoped for a good start to our trip.. Little did we know that this place was going to exceed any expectations or ideas we could’ve hoped for.
From the beginning, we had a lovely driver pick us up from the airport in an amazing (fully air conditioned) car. Transfers are included in the package prize which took another step our of our itinerary that we had to worry about – it was already organised as soon as we booked with The Amala Estate through Luxury Escapes online assistants that are available to help you with anything on email.
We arrived late at night to The Amala, but just in time to get an order in for a late-night dinner in our private villa which we were thrilled about, because we were SO hangry!
We had the luxury of having our own private 2-bedroom villa with our own pool, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen a long with a huge open lounge room as well. This place was just so divine, we couldn’t believe it. In all fairness, the photos actually doesn’t do this place justice – it’s 10 times better in real life!
Further included in the package from Luxury Escapes with The Amala Estate was:
As mentioned above, we also had the luxury of receiving a couple-massage at The Wellness Centre at The Amala Estate. This is – hands down – one of the best relaxation massages I’ve ever had. The ladies working at the spa are so attentive, kind and thorough whether it’s a massage, facial or spa bath.
The Amala Estate also has yoga on twice a week which is more of a breath-focused yoga/moving meditation which anyone can do. It was a lovely way to start the mornings on which we went.
The area in which The Amala Estate is located, is a little further from Seminyak Beach and about a 20 minute walk to Seminyak Village/Square. It’s a little out of the way, but it makes it so much more tranquil and the estate has everything you need if you don’t ride a scooter or have a car. You can easily take advantage of the driver-service as well, if you do wish to head to the beach or somewhere else.
There are some great little cafes and restaurants located around The Amala Estate which will only take you about 5-10 minutes to walk to if you’re wanting a little taste of something other than The Amala. If you can’t be bothered, then kick back and enjoy the very healthy cuisine that The Amala is serving up.
We were genuinely so sad to be leaving The Amala. The Staff there is so kind and helpful, and the villa was utterly amazing. It’s safe to say that we were a little shellshocked coming from a serviced villa to an independent Air BnB, that’s for sure
I can’t recommend trying out Luxury Escapes for your next holiday enough. It’s an incredible platform in which they partner with some of the world’s best known and loved travel brands to change the way you book and experience a holiday.
Another huge thing from Luxury Escapes is that all of their departures are guaranteed so members can book their travel with confidence, knowing their preferred date will run as planned and won’t be changed.
A few messages me on Instagram asking if Luxury Escapes is actually as good as they make themselves out to be?
The answer is really short and sharp; YEP! They really are. And there’s no catch to it either. They’re simply changing the way that we travel for the better.
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]]>The post Why Sustainable Living Is More Important Than Ever. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>Basically, we could apply sustainability to everything in this world and today I want you to take a moment to think about one of the biggest issues we’re facing and that is landfill.
A huge contributor to landfill is furniture – did you ever think about that? Furniture waste is a growing problem and like the rest of the issues we’re facing in this world, it’s here to stay unless we choose to do something proactive about it.
We’ve become a throw-away society with so much cheap furniture available that isn’t built to last, and over 85% of furniture we put on the curb isn’t recycled and is instead simply sent to landfill.
Based on a compositional survey of more than 2,500 households in metropolitan areas, on average each household disposes around 24kg of wooden furniture per year. Approximately a third of this are soft furnishings like sofas and armchairs, and two-thirds other wooden furniture.
“If you think of a population of 2 million households in the Greater Sydney Region, this could add up to 48,000 tonnes of used furniture per year disposed at the kerbside,” Kevin Morgan, Managing Director of EC Sustainable says.
To put that into furniture terms – and figuring in average furniture weights – that’s the equivalent of 800,000 three-seater sofas, 1.65 million dining tables, 3.4 million coffee tables or 6.85 million chairs, thrown away every year.
These numbers are for Sydney only and don’t include other furniture delivered directly to tips by households and businesses or illegal dumping. And the problem is getting worse.
Writing this actually sends chills down my spine. When I started doing research for this article, I got deeper and deeper into this wormhole – a very uncomfortable one, might I add.
Nonetheless, these problems won’t go away simply because we turn a blind eye to what is happening, not only in Australia, but all over the world and no one can fix the problem unless we all collectively add to the solution that is, thinking twice about purchasing new furniture, the lifespan we can utilise it for and, if we need to get rid of it, can we upcycle it in the sense of handing it down to someone who’s in need of furniture and can’t afford to buy new ones themselves?
I want to introduce you to a man whom I met a few months ago. A man who’s very different from anyone else in the furniture business I’ve ever come across. Very down to earth and very passionate about building a lifestyle and home that’ll last you for tens of years to come.
Justin – owner of Crafted Furniture in Rushcutters Bay (Sydney) – can be a key-player en helping solve the issues of fast furniture as he is replacing the term with SLOW FURNITURE.
What is Crafted Furniture’s philosophy behind Slow Furniture? Well, there’s a lot of sides to this, but below I’ll name a few:
The heart of Crafted Furniture’s ambition is to curate unrivalled experiences and quality that places accessible lifestyle design in reach for everyday enthusiasts and designers alike. Every piece is created with human touch and celebrates the essence of craftsmanship & sustainability.
Crafted Furniture has a story that has evolved over 15 years of passionate experience in the design industry, working alongside a number of Australia’s leading designers. Justin and the team continues to be fuelled by their inspired purpose to craft lifestyles, serving clients and the community through impeccable design that is personal to them.
Working with customers on a one-to-one basis allows Crafted Furniture to deliver a product that’s exactly what the customer is looking for. And backing this up with a service-led experience means that customers get access to a huge depth of product knowledge.
As Justin says: “We’re not trying to sell the same sofa to thousands of different customers – our retail experience means that you
get personalised service and a piece of furniture that’s exactly right for you”.
See more about the Furniture at Crafted Furniture here.
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]]>The post Heading Overseas This Winter? These Are My Absolute MUST-HAVE Long-Haul Flight Essentials. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>Personally, and despite growing up in Denmark where our winters can easily hit -10 degrees, and our summers can be a hit or miss, I’m not much of a fan of the cold. There, I said it.. This also means that I’m most likely going to try to visit home (Copenhagen) in July/August & potentially tie it in with a visit to London, because when I’m over that way anyway, it’s nice to get a little ‘holiday’ in.. I know what you’re thinking, but you’ll understand if you’re an expat who visits home frequently – it’s anything but a holiday, said in the nicest possible way.
Anyway, back to the actual point of this article – IN-FLIGHT MUST HAVES! Because, have you ever been stuck on a plane without that one vital thing that could change your flight from being a dream to a nightmare? Yep, me too..
So, I’m here to help rescue you with a quick check-list to make your life easier (& more comfortable).
I thought it’d be best to start out with something simple.. BUT, as much as I thought this was well known, nearly every time I fly there’s someone who has to stop the scanning-queue to bin their water or soda. You can fill an empty water bottle after you clear security, it’s that easy. And you’ll help the environment, too. It’ll also help you save the air-staff’s time, by only asking them to fill your water-bottle a few times on the flight, instead of continuously asking for your plastic-cup to be topped up – it’s annoying for the both of you, if you’re one of those who always makes sure they’re hydrated.
This may seem like an odd thing, but you have no idea how much time it will safe you when you’re needing to go to the flight-lavatory and there’s not as much light or room to move around as you’re used to. Being able to see what’s in your beauty-cases without having to open them up, will both help you on-board and also when you check-in your bags to make sure you don’t have any liquids over 100ml or flame-able items packed.
The world has evolved, and never do you need to run out of battery again! As much as some people enjoy the flights to be ‘electronic-free’ and an escape from everything for a few hours, there are those of us that may need to be able to stay in touch with the world around us whether that’s due to work or simply because you enjoy being reachable.
Investing in a carry-on luggage that double up as a charger for your phone or laptop is a win/win. It also means that when the carry-on runs out of battery, you can use the USB-chord to charge your phone on the plane through the USB-outtake in the headrest in front of you.
Back to the world of technology. And if you’ve ever forgotten your noise-cancelling headphones if you’re used to bringing them on a flight, then you understand when I say they’re a must to help with the noise from the plane and providing you a sense of relief from the ongoing and constant sound when up in the air.
You don’t need to use them to simply watch movies – you could pop on a guided meditation, an audiobook or a podcast to help you with the flight. The world is your oyster, but investing in a pair of good noise-cancelling headphones if you’re an avid traveller is one of my must top-tips you won’t regret putting your money into.
This 3-way combo will save you from looking like you’ve bene out partying all night long, especially if you’re a contactlense wearer like myself. I always bring my disposable one-day contact lenses with me, and as soon as I get on the plane I swap over to wearing glasses. Because the air in the flight is so dry, it’ll also dry out your eyes much quicker. This is where good eye-drops also come in handy to use every few hours.
You may not think about this, but here’s the thing; how often do you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus when you get off a long-haul flight? Yep, my point exactly. Unless you’re flying business class, and even then, your body is sitting still in a small space for a longer period of time – something it’s not really used to. You’re bound to be experiencing muscle soreness and stiffness eventually.
You might even feel a headache coming on? Or maybe you’ve got period pains? A topical magnesium gel or spray will work instantly instead of oral-powders and it’s convenient enough to use simply in your seat or in the flight-lavatory.
Even though you’re often gifted a sleep-mask onboard long-haul flights they just don’t really cut it for me. Either the material is too thing, it doesn’t cover my face or eyes enough or it’s irritating my skin.. So, instead of relying on what I’m given, I simply have invested in my own and bring it with me on-board.
If you can get your hands on a silk sleep-mask, it’ll be one of the best thing you’ve ever invested in for your travels. It feels so soft on your face and doesn’t irritate your skin. Basically it almost feels like you’re wearing nothing which is what I want when I use a sleep-mask.
Can be used for anything. Taking off your make-up, cleaning your hands, wiping your kids face after they’ve eaten if you’re travelling with children, freshening up under arms. There’s no limit. However, I do highly recommend using them to take off your make-up as soon as you step onto the plane. Let your skin breathe to prevent dryness and/or breakouts when in the sky. They’re also easily disposable which is obviously handy.
Depending on how long you’re away for, it will save you lots of space to invest in a little travel-kit of your favourite skincare-regime. Most brands to them these days, because they know how important it is to make space in your luggage for shopping or other necessities.. And if you’re one of those people who uses different cremes, mists, cleansers etc. etc. both day and night, it’ll quickly add up to your overall luggage if you don’t find them in a mini-version.
If you do invest in a travel-kit it also means you can take it on-board with you and cleanse your face as well as moisturise as soon as you set feet on the plane. I recommend doing this as well as investing in a facial-mist to hydrate your face with every 2 hours or so.
You didn’t think I’d do an article without having some type of natural aid included, did you?
Some of my favourite supplements include:
Packing a few of your own snacks is an absolute game-changer. If you suddenly get hungry, it’s nice to know that you have a healthy option waiting for you in your bag if you want it. Or, you may even have a layover, but at an airport that doesn’t offer much else than MacDonal’s or nutrient-less options. Thinking ahead and grabbing a few snacks will save you big time.
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]]>The post A ‘Behind The Scenes’ of How an Instagram Influencer Actually Works.. By an ‘Influencer’. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>The so-called ‘Influencer’ landscape (I really don’t like the word, TBH!) is only growing bigger and bigger as the years go by, however, what you may not know from an outsiders perspective, is the fact that it’s also becoming harder and harder to work within this field because of the many changes that Instagram continue to roll out.
Especially after Instagram was bought by Facebook, the platform has really changed. The reach you have (how many people see your posts on their timeline) continues to go down across the border, because Instagram (FB run & owned) wants you to invest your dollars into advertising for yourself on your platform. It makes sense; everything is a business these days, and just like Facebook transitioned into becoming, not only a social media platform, but also a medium for a more targeted advertising platform – they are now trying to do the same thing with Instagram.. Sadly, yes.
Now, I am here to bust all the myths and tell you all the truths about how we Influencers ACTUALLY work. Now, a fair amount of my friends do work as an influencer or blogger, and I’ve done this for about 6 years now, so I do know how most people work across the border – this goes for influencers AND brands as I have a background & 12 years experience in Digital Marketing & Social Media.
Well, for me, it sort of just happened. After my cancer diagnosis, I truly wanted to change my life in a healthy way. I wanted to be better at taking care of myself – both mentally and physically – so I gave my life an ‘overhaul’, if you can say so.
As I was returning to everyday life, after my diagnosis and treatment, I found it really hard to be a 24-year old that had no interest in partying or living a ‘normal’ youth-like lifestyle anymore. And, also, I couldn’t physically do so. So I turned my attention inwards. I focused on me. What I loved; training, cooking, learning. And I just started my own blog, photographing my food creations and uploading them to there including the recipes. Then I started an Instagram in late 2013 and shared on there too.
That was it.. It started growing from there on in. I didn’t have any plans as to growing into being an ‘influencer’. Back then, that wasn’t even a word and the print publication industry was still thriving. Now, it’s probably the other way around.
I think, because it was never my aim to do what I’m doing today, and I purely did it out of a passion whilst I was working full-time jobs, I’ve been lucky to build up a very nurturing, kind and loving community of followers who I adore and love to speak with adn to every single day.
I’ve bene doing this for 6 years now, but it’s been far from easy, I’ll tell you that.
Well, let me remind you about the above again; I’ve done this for 6 years now. The first 3 years or so, I didn’t get anything for it. I’d be lucky to sometimes be gifted some product or ‘lend’ some. Yep, that’s right. All those people you see on Instagram that flashes all their high-end purchases? Please remember that they don’t always own all of these themselves or have even purchased them. A lot of the time, PR agencies will send influencers items to wear or ‘model’ for events, photographs etc. but expect it back afterwards, which I’m not a big fan of, unless it’s for the below.
For example; if I have an event on, sometimes I’ll ‘borrow’ a dress (or something else) from a PR agency because I don’t want to go out and spend money on a new dress that I won’t wear again, and you end up helping a brand with exposure because people will see you in it – it’s simply a thing of helping each other out. And there’s no money involved, although sometimes a brand can and will pay you to wear a pieces of clothes to an event – I’ve never been asked to do this. (more about this later)
So back to the money part of it, because I know that’s what you all really want to know about..
Because I’ve been doing it for such a long time now, I’ve built lots of great and strong relationships with businesses, brands and PR agencies across Australia. But that’s a big part of it. Being able to build genuine relationships I think is what makes you stand out. I do pride myself on my relationships, because I think there need to be a mutual respects across the border when you work with someone.
A brand might approach me to see if I’d be interested in working together with them.. But just hold up: I know you’re all thinking “how easy is that!”. Well, not exactly. Lots of brands approach you and always want to ‘collaborate’ – this term is more known as; ‘Create content for me for free & brand our products to your audience and we’ll pay you in products’..
Sometimes that’s awesome, but most of the time; it won’t pay my rent or my bills, you know? And, I’m sorry to burst your bubble if you think I’m exempt from those, but I’m not! (Lol, I wish!).
From my point of view, and I can only speak for myself; My integrity is everything to me. When a brand approaches me to work with them we have a long and lengthy conversation about the vision, mission, ideas, what they want out of it, how I want to approach it and how long I want to trial it before I speak about it.. IF I will speak about it. I’ve tried products and services before that I turned down, because, again, my integrity is everything and I will not EVER speak or present you with a product or service that I don’t believe in or think deserve the exposure. Remember this; this is what will set you apart from others if you want to work within this field.
Then we agree on a budget and payment for the agreed amount of work.
Something that I’d love for brands to understand and for you who follows me is how much work actually goes into those few images and stories you see; sometimes it’ could be days of work.
You have to understand – whether you’re a brand or a person – this is what’s being paid for when you ‘hire’ an influencer for a campaign:
As you may be able to see, there’s lots of facets to creating campaigns and content for brands, and it’s a lot of hard work. It’s not for the faint-hearted and you have to develop a bit of a thick skin in order to work in the industry, at least that’s what I think :)
But, this industry has also helped show me what’s really important in life. Even though I do this for a living, it will never take away my core values and knowing what’s truly the most important things in life. At the end of the day; nothing beats coming home to my dog Archie, my boyfriend Pash and just running around in daggy pyjamas. Because that’s real life.
Short answer; I don’t. Ever.. Unless you have ambassador-contracts.I have two of those. With Abundant Natural Health and Ole Henriksen. Otherwise it’s pretty much totally unknown what you’ll earn that month.
To give you an idea of how I ‘got this’; I’ve used Ole Henriksen products since I was 13 years old. Even before I knew Ole personally (I met him for the first time in 2014), I would buy his products monthly out of my own wage. Because I’ve always talked openly and honestly about how I’ve used his products, I think the brand noticed this and saw that it was a good fit. Brands will always want people who authentically use their products – it’s too easy to see through it otherwise these days.
And so this year I’ve signed on as an ambassador for the brand; this means I know what I’ll be paid every month from them when I invoice them. This is where you all need to understand that I get paid for doing this, but I’d hope you know me well enough by now to understand that I’d still use and speak about the products even if I didn’t.
With Abundant Natural Health – they reached out to me last year because Liz who works there had heard about me through friends and we both live in Bondi. After I met both Liz and Shannan (founder) I started trialling and testing out the products. This year, the asked me to be their ambassador because I adore, and wholeheartedly believe in their products and the huge impact they’ve had on my gut-healing journey. Again, with this I know what I’ll get in monthly as I’ve signed on for 12 months with them for now.
But other than that? You don’t know. Ever.. Never!
This industry is a gamble, and if you want to do it full time, you’ve gotta understand and be okay with that some months you’ll be swamped with work and other months you may not get anything through at all. So you need to make your ‘salary’ last.
I’m sure some people get paid the big bucks, no doubt about it, but I’m deemed as a ‘Medium Tiered’ Influencer and to give you an idea; I earn about 1/2 of what I used to when I held my full-time role as Head of Ecommerce for Unilever. I’m definitely NOT doing this for the money side of it, that’s for sure :) I’m doing it for the love and freedom of it. For the connections with people. For the creative outlet.
Nope. Not for me. I’ve been paid to attend 2 events in my entire ‘career’, but that’s because it’s been tied in with creating content and a campaign with the brand and they needed me to attend the event as part of it.
Some people will definitely be paid to attend events, but I’m not one of those (hah).
I solemnly attend events because:
Those are my top 5 reasons as to why I go. If you end up getting work out of it in the long run, that’s of course an added bonus. But it’s certainly not the norm. Also, keep in mind that when we do go to events we take a few hours of our own time to do so, we pay for parking or taxi’s, petrol etc. So events are full-on expenses for us. On average, I’d be spending about $50 going to events + if I’d have to think about the time (avg. 4 hours per event). I had 5 events this week; that’s an expense of $250 in petrol, parking, tolls etc. Just to give you an idea.
Again, nope. I’d say 5% of what I tag on my Instagram Stories are actually paid campaign’s that’s been ‘booked in’ with Instagram Grid Content. The remainder – 95% – is just organic.
This means when I do all my ‘unboxing’ and tag brands, it’s not paid for. I simply want to say thank you to the brands or agencies for considering me, and also show you guys because I think you’ll find it interesting/helpful/beneficial to your lifestyle or health.
I’d say my ratio is about 30% paid work and 70% organic content I simply create for the love of it, and because I want to give back to you all for following me, along with sharing my knowledge in the areas that interest me or that is present in my life.
I want to again, reiterate, that even though I do get paid to do some work, I’d never compromise on my integrity or beliefs, this means that when you do see my sponsored content, please don’t just swipe over it and think negatively about it. Please engage with it, because it’s just as honest and truthful as any other content I create.
I’d love for you to please consider and understand, that in order for me to create that 70% FREE CONTENT I need to be able to pay my bills and live by creating the remainder for money. And not just because of it, because I also love to be creative and help bring brands visions to life.
I know what some of you are thinking now;
“But then why don’t you just take a full-time job and just do free content?!”
Well, because of two things: 1. I love working with brands, and even if I was rich and didn’t have to, I’d still work with the brands I absolutely adore, because it’s fun and it helps their hard work.
and 2. because of aaaaalll the behind the scenes communications you don’t see that I need to and want to dedicate my time to.
To give you an idea; on average I get anything between 75 – 150 direct messagers PER DAY with questions about health/lifestyle/advice/direction/struggles etc. etc. I also get about 25 emails from people everyday where I offer my support those in need who struggle mentally and physically. All of that combined takes a few hours everyday to get back to. I have phone-calls with some women because I believe in helping each other and I will always be a listening ear if you are struggling!
But, please understand that with the above, and if I want to continue to do that, and YOU want me to be there for your questions etc. I am not able to hold down a top-leadership role as I did prior, whilst still doing this.
Which will take me to the next points..
Easy? No! Are you free? Yes, if you’re full-time you set your own schedule – HOWEVER….
To give you an idea; I get up every morning around 6am. I start working around 7am. I don’t close my laptop and phone until I go to bed at 10pm.. I work 7 days a week, almost 365 days a year. When I’m travelling I’m working. When it’s public holidays, I’m working. When you clock off, I’m working. I AM ALWAYS ONLINE.. This isn’t always a good thing, and I do need to learn to be able to say no to somethings, and let it be okay with getting back to some of your queries the next day.
But, I know you think, from the outside that the Instagram life looks glam and easy – it’s not, honeys. It’s hard work every single day. It’s a lot of ‘hustling’ and not in the dishonest way, but it’s about being at the forefront of someone’s mind whenever new campaigns come out if you want to be able to support yourself. It’s thinking ahead. It’s creating great content all the time. It’s engaging with your following.
Also, as I mentioned further up; this landscape is changing. And that’s why I’m also asking for your help if you do want me to continue to share these things and free content; you then have to engage and be open to my sponsored posts :) Because it comes with it.
This is a big misconception; just because we tag brand in stories or instagram posts, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we get stuff given for free. Sometimes it does, but not all the time. I think it’s also up to YOU to follow people whom you think is honest and genuine.
That said; yes some of us do get sent some stuff for free; but in all honesty – do we need it? No. Is it a necessity in life? No. Nothing really is. Do I like to try new products? Yes, definitely.
But, I wish that brands would tell you or ask you when they send you stuff first. Because I can then tell them whether it would be my vibe or not – it would be much more sustainable with packaging and un-used products if I don’t like it. This is definitely something I wish brands would think more about.
I touched on this further up, but a collab is normally where services or products are exchanged for exposure. This means that the brand doesn’t pay the influencer, but ‘pays’ them in services or products instead.
For example we needed washing machine for our new apartment, and last year I bought a Beko fridge for my own money which I really love, so I thought I’d reach out to the brand itself to ask if they’d potentially want to work together on some content in return for me trying out their washing machine and if I like it, I’d create some imagery.
Luckily I liked it, because sometimes it can definitely be awkward when you go back and have to tell brands that their products are just not for you. Eeek. And so I received a washing machine in return for creating imagery for them, which I’m very grateful for.
No, friends. it’s definitely not forever. Neither do I want it to be. I’m also getting older – I’m turning 30 in October and I’ve done this since I was 23. It’s fun, but I know it won’t always last. It’s a lot of hard work and it takes it toll on my health. It’s a very go-go-go industry and my aim is to build something FROM this platform.
My wish is to build my community, a group of likeminded beings who want to focus on their health, good times in life, products than can help them, self expansion and connections. As you may know, I’ve also recently started studying with IIN and I’m starting my own Gut-Health Workshops – taking my community offline – to connect in real life.
I hope neither of this comes across ‘too harsh’, I simply want to lay the facts on the table. I am very grateful for what I do, but I also know that I’ve worked very hard to be where I’m at and nothing has come easily to me.
At the end of the day; my life may look and seem glamorous, but it’s far from it. Trust me when I say that I go through the exact same things, struggles and sufferings as yourself, I am not exempt to these. I suffer heartbreaks and family tragedies, too. I have bad days where I hate what I do, question the future, question myself, question whether people want to listen to me. It doesn’t just go away because you’re on Instagram.
Coming home to my own little modest apartment, with Pash my boyfriend, Archie my dog and skyping my family back home, seeing my friends when I can, creating real and honest communities from Instagram, THAT is truly what matters the most to me, and when I am the happiest in life.
The post A ‘Behind The Scenes’ of How an Instagram Influencer Actually Works.. By an ‘Influencer’. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>The post The Crispiest & Gut Friendly Brussels Sprouts You’ll Ever Taste – Ready in 15! appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>I’m here to change your perception and judgment of the humble brussels sprouts and if you’re already a brussels lover? Well, then I might even make you fall even harder and deeper in love with them with this recipe.
I’ve got to let you in on the secret to getting crispy brussels sprouts in a matter of minutes though – it’s all thanks to the new Ninja Foodi which is literally a comprehensive ‘kitchen-system’ that includes the multiple cooking functions like; grilling, steaming, baking, roasting, pressure cooking, air frying and slow cooking up to 70% faster than traditional methods, without losing the integrity of your favourite flavour-filled dishes.
And although Ninja did contact me to try this new compact kitchen machine out, initially I was sceptic, but I can genuinely say I’ve fallen head over heels with the ease, efficacy and taste that this machine brings to my meals. I’m especially looking forward to using it for winter to cook soups, casseroles and stews that are hearty and warm – especially gut-friendly ones, as cooked vegetables and cooked meats are a must if you’re dealing with a poor digestion (raw food is simply too hard on it) – to come home to after a long day out.
The smart thing about the Ninja Foodi is that it has several functions as described above. But, the other really clever things is that you can cook a whole meal in one go. This is a super smart thing for anyone who doesn’t have extensive time to spend in the kitchen or maybe just don’t want to? It truly does seal in the flavour and moisture like nothing else, and the salmon fillet I cooked with this recipe (below) is one of the most moist fillets I’ve ever tasted.
The one thing I’ve also come to discover is this; the manual is a little overwhelming in the beginning because there are so many different functions and uses to this machine (hence why it’s so comprehensive), but once you actually just start playing around with it, you’ll quickly realise it’s really darn hard to mess it up, even if you try to be really ‘fancy’ and make an inventive meal, it just somehow works. Even Pash can figure out how to operate it and cook when I’m not home to ‘put the bacon on the table’, and it takes only a few minutes to clean with soap & warm water.
I wanted to showcase a recipe that’s in season, because I believe it’s so important to eat what’s seasonally fresh and available to us – both for our bodies but also for the environment around us as it has far less impact on it that way.
In Australia, its’ Brussels Sprouts season currently and they’re super duper cheap – I’m talking a kilo for $5-$7. The same goes for broccoli and then simply adding a (skin off) fillet of salmon to the pot and you have yourself a healthy, gut-friendly and easy meal that can be prepared by anyone.
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]]>The post A Guide To Reading Angel Cards & How To Incorporate Them Into Your Life appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>It was my best girlfriend who really introduced me to angel-cards a few years ago, and now, not a week goes by where I haven’t pulled a card or done a spread at least a few times a week. I find myself gravitating towards asking the angels and spirits for guidance when I feel I need some clarity and understanding as to my circumstances around me, the feelings I’m currently experiencing or something completely third – the questions are completely up to yourself and no question is too much or little to ask the angels.
I think many people are intrigued by angel-cards, but don’t really know what to do with them, how to use them or even feel slightly torn as to whether they actually ‘work’ or not.. My answer to to this is; the more open and inquisitive you are towards the universe and the angels, the more space you’re allowing for the universe to give you answers and guidance.
You have to be receptive towards this practice. You have to dive within. You have to feel the moment, feel the connection to yourself and the question you’re wishing to find guidance for, for this to unfold its magic..
There are so many beautiful Angel Cards out there, but I suggest picking up a deck that you find yourself connecting to or are drawn to when ‘shopping’ around for one. You might feel extra drawn to the colours or the drawings. You might feel warmth in your fingers when picking a deck of cards up or your heart beating a little faster, stronger.
Choose a deck of cards that feel’s right for you, and don’t overanalyse it. Go with your intuition which is normally our first feeling, before we let our brains in on our decision.
First, check your cards for any blank cards & remove those.
Then shuffle them delicately a few times whilst connecting with the question you want guidance with or an answer to.
Recite this question in your mind and make it clear to yourself and the angels what it is you need their help with.
Divide the deck of cards into 3 piles, then gather them again into one pile, knock the deck of cards 3 times with your right hand and then spread them out like a fan.
You’re now ready to pick your cards, depending on the spread you’d like to read.
The most basic reading you can do, but a beautiful one to pull every single day if you just need a little guidance for your day ahead. Simply follow the above instructions under ‘Preparing your cards’ and then pull one card from the set of cards. Tune into your intuition and notice what this means to you and what you’re currently facing.
1st card: Mind, Past, Background
2nd card: Body, Present, Problem
3rd card: Spirit, Future, Advice
Card 1 (centre): Situation, Present
Card 2 (left of centre): Challenge, Past
Card 3 (right of centre): Guidance, Future
Card 4 (down of centre): Focus, Reason
Card 5 (up of centre): Outcome, Potential
1. Where are you in your life right now? (current)
2. How do you project yourself into the world? (truth, perception)
3. What is blocking your desires & goals? (stagnancy)
4. What do you need to do to overcome those obstacles? (acknowledgement)
5. What can you do within yourself to achieve your desires? (internal action/truth)
6. What can you learn from the outside world/others to help you manifest your goals & dreams? (seek)
7. The Projected Outcome (future)
There are so many spreads that can be done with angel cards, and you can’t really ‘operate’ them in a wrong way, as mostly you’ll be guided by your intuition and what’s true for you in that very moment.
Just remember; angel-cards are very powerful so don’t shrug them off or their messages. Angels are always among us to deliver us messages from the universe that we need to receive in order for our next step in this human-life.
Don’t forget that angel-cards absorb all energies, spirits, thoughts and feelings. This means that you shouldn’t be lending out your deck to others, and if you do complete a reading for a friend or family member using your own cards, then remember to ‘cleanse’ them afterwards.
You can cleanse your deck of cards by sage’ing (smudging) them or using Palo Santo. You can also recite verbs or sayings that banishes all evil spirits or negative energies that may have found their way to your cards. Another great idea is to leave your cards out under the full moon when it’s high and mighty as the cards will be even more powerful and accurate when absorbing positive and forceful energy.
As I mentioned before, angel-cards are, and can be, very powerful messages in your life. Trust your intuition when handling your cards and trust that your deck of cards are there to support you on your journey and helps spiral you towards your greater good.
When pulling your angel-cards make sure that you both look at the drawings on the card and also read the booklet where the card is described. Both angel-cards can have negative and positive connotations with a question, so it’s important for you to feel where this angel-card fits into your life currently.
But most of all, ENJOY engaging and connecting with your angels. It truly is such a profound and beautiful practice that can really help you towards your intentions, goals and dreams in this life.
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]]>The post The Sandals You All Ask About + My Favourite Utilitarian Sandal Styles. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>So, with that in mind, I wanted to collate all my favourite sandals into one easy article, complete with links, so you can find the ones that are just right for you.
I know we’re in Autumn here in Summer, but if you’re on the East Coast or further up, you know it’ll be sandal-weather for another few months still. If you’re in Europe, well, then get onto these asap so you’re ready for summer when it hits.
The style that we all wore when we were little (if you were born in the late 80’s or 90’s), made of criss-crossing velcro straps, will be everywhere this year. It’s like the dad-sneaker of the sandal.
The post The Sandals You All Ask About + My Favourite Utilitarian Sandal Styles. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>The post The Podcasts I’m Currently Listening To + My Favourite Episodes. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.
]]>I love podcasts, because they’re so easy to listen to whilst you’re going for a walk, sitting on the train, driving to a meeting or simply just being at home doing something as simple as cooking or cleaning. My favourite though, is to simply walk and be present with the words and learnings from the podcast episode so that I can really go away and implement these learnings afterwards.
That’s another point; implementation. What are the key points you take away from the Podcast Episode you’ve listened to? And how can you implement it into your own life. It’s all great & dandy for us to read 100’s of self-help or spiritual books and listen to the same in podcasts, but if we do not utilise the knowledge for anything, haven’t we just really wasted our time?
That’s also why, if an episode doesn’t catch my ‘attention’ and peak my interested within the first 10 minutes, I won’t spend another 1-2 hours on it. But that’s up to the individual.
Here are the podcasts that I really love & are currently listening to:
I accidentally came across this Podcast through another podcast, but oh am I glad I did.
I’ll be completely honest; it takes a few episodes to get used to Luke’s interviewing style because he’s so laidback and pretty ‘rock n’ roll’ – I absolutely love this now though. This guy is actually an ex-addict, but to me comes across like an absolute genius and has an incredible amount of knowledge in the areas of bio-hacking, spiritualism, relationships, technology & health.
I’m obsessed with the depth that Luke goes into when interviewing teachers and leaders within their field and his episodes are often 2 hours long. Sounds like a lot, but you’re left wanting more at the end.
My favourite episodes thus far have been:
I’ve known Melissa personally for many years, and that time I’ve most certainly seen her go through the many stages of life, but with each one of them, only growing stronger because of it.
I love Melissa’s Podcasts because they’re easy to follow. The interview style is normally the same layout every single time, so you quickly get into what the episode is about and you’re left with key-take aways that inspires you to make changes to your life.
It was also through Melissa’s podcast I had my first encounter with Dr. Josh Axe back in December, which was like a guiding light when I was so sick from my inflamed gut & didn’t know what to do, who to turn to or what steps to take.
I found my first baby-steps through Melissa & Dr. Josh Axe and for that, I’m forever grateful.
My favourite episodes:
Maybe I’m bias, but can you ever go wrong with any Oprah Winfrey?
The reason I love Oprah’s Podcast is mostly because she’s so well-known, admired & respected, that she attracts and calls in great leaders & teachers within their fields. Eckhart Tolle, Byron Katie, Elizabeth Lesser, Wayne Dyer.. The list goes on.
I am not, however, a huge fan of Oprah’s interviewing style as she very often cuts people off when they talk. It get’s a little bit frustrating after a while, but if you can learn to love & let go of that, then you’ll love the diversity of people she has on the podcast.
My favourite episodes:
Marni Wasserman & Dr. Jesse Chappus is behind this podcast and is actually a couple in real life. This is one of the most popular and successful podcasts out there and I can see why.
They make health very simple and easy to ‘digest’ (no pun intended). The people whom they interview are highly regarded within their fields, but Marni & Jesse do a great job at extracting the necessary information in a tone & voice that is easily understood.
They have a new podcast-episode every week and they’ve been doing this for a couple of years now.
My favourite episodes:
I was actually interview by Madelyn only about a week ago and am about to air on the podcast – it’ll most definitely be my most in-depth, raw and real interview I’ve ever done, so I hope you’ll tune in when it’s out (shortly).
The Healthy Hustlers combine health, wellbeing and business with a fresh perspective to share the stories of normal people with inspiring lives who are dedicated to making their hustle healthy. Whether you’re looking for advice and guidance for leading your best life, an engaging easy to digest pep talk OR a boost of healthy enthusiasm to fuel your health and wellness goals, The Healthy Hustlers is a great podcast for just that.
My favourite episodes:
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