How To Be Useful To Others

I was listening to the latest Tim Ferriss Podcast where he interviewed Derek Sivers who I learned was the creator of CDBaby.com. 

I have never heard of Sivers or his website, but I found his interview fascinating, it was one of my favorite ones by far. He had an amazing monologue where he discussed an actionable list he created after reading over 200 books in the past few years. He is creating these lists because he has tons of friends that don't read all the books he recommends but still want to know 'the meat' of the book. 

I really enjoyed this, so I typed it up and am now posting it on my blog.

How To Be Useful To Others 

by Derek Sivers

1. Get Famous

Do everything in public and for the public. The more people you reach the more useful you are. The opposite is hiding which is of no use to anyone.

2. Get Rich

Money is neutral proof that you're adding value to people's lives. So by getting rich you're being useful as a side effect. Once rich spend the money in ways which are more useful to others. Then getting rich is double useful.

3. Share Strong Opinions

Strong opinions are very useful to others. Those who are undecided or ambivalent can just adopt your stance. But those who disagree can solidify their stance by arguing against yours. So even if you invent an opinion for the sole sake of argument boldly sharing a strong opinion is very useful to others.

4. Be Expensive

People given a placebo pill were twice as likely to have their pain disappear when told that the pill was expensive. People who pay more for tickets are more likely to show up to events. So people who spend more for a product or service value it more and get more use out of it. So be expensive. 

24 Hours in St. Louis, MO

On our drive up from Houston to Chicago Ryan and I decided to stop in St. Louis, MO for one night. We have wanted to visit the city for a long time but our scheduling never worked out. Basically my main reason for wanting to go was always to take a photo of the iconic Gateway Arch! We made it to the arch but were very disappointed to find out that there were tons of construction happening in the area. The city is building an entire park around the arch and the entire area is surrounded by wire fences and red construction tape.

We weren't able to get the perfect photo of the Gateway Arch but oh well. I did not know that you can actually take an elevator to the top of the arch! You have to pay for this of course, but I am terrified of heights so that is never happening anyways.

We decided to grab some lunch at Bogart's Smokehouse, Trip Advisor has them rated the #3 best BBQ in the U.S.! The BBQ was amazing and their customer service top notch.

Recommended reading: 

Do’s and Don’ts of Submitting a Resume to a Potential Employer

We currently live in a time when technology rules. We can create and run a business from the comfort of our home, and many times human interaction is sacrificed for the accessibility and ease of the internet. Many of us do our job seeking online and rarely step out into the world and physically go to the places we would like to work for. I am a firm believer that by meeting an applicant in person I can get a sense of their personality and can assess whether or not they can become an asset to the company. Now, turning in a resume in person may not be as easy as dropping it off. Here are some do’s and don’ts when meeting a potential employer and submitting your resume.

DO Print your resume in a nice, medium to lightweight colorless paper. Refrain from any gimmick such as bright colors, crazy fonts or bold letters. Keep it simple, professional and to the point.

DON’T Make your resume longer than one page. Unless you are applying for a position in upper management or corporate, you must limit the information provided to fit one page. Only include information that is directly related to the position you are applying for and keep it as current as possible. A long and “fluffy” resume is more likely to be dismissed and shredded.

DO Provide an attractive cover letter with your resume. Make sure the letter is specifically for the company you are submitting your resume. Being vague is not encouraged. Give specific reasons why you are interested in working for the company and a brief summary of the skills you may possess that make you a great candidate. A successful cover letter is one to two paragraphs long containing only a few concise sentences.

DON’T Include references that lack professional merit. All of your references should be aware that you have included them in your application and should hold reputable positions. Refrain from submitting friends and acquaintances that may have never witnessed your work etiquette. A great reference is a person you have worked for or alongside at a previous position and they have seen you grow and can vouch that the skills you mentioned in your resume are accurate.

DO Ask to see the manager when submitting your resume. They might not be available at the moment, but if they are, they will be more than welcome to come out and chat with you for a minute or two. Always shake their hand firmly, introduce yourself and tell them why you would like to work for them. Keep it brief and friendly, yet professional. Make sure you look your best and if you can, try to incorporate the company’s brand image into your look.

DON’T Provide contact info that lacks professionalism. We all have that fun email address we created for our social media persona or that witty voicemail message that makes your friends laugh. No matter how clever or funny you might think it is, it has no place in your resume. Create an email address that is your name [not a nickname] and log in often in case the employer contacts you. Make sure your voicemail is brief, polite and includes your name.

Applying these few quick tips on how to give a great first impression may be what pushes your resume to the top of the pile. Even if you have submitted an online application and/or resume, it is nice to take the time and visit your potential employer. A resume can be edited numerous times to reach near perfection, but a physical interaction is in the moment and cannot be coerced. The employer will also appreciate your dedication and willingness to take the time out of your day to pay a visit.

Recommended reading:

4 Lessons From Super Entrepreneur Alexa Hirschfeld of Paperless Post

Alexa Hirschfeld, the co-founder of Paperless Post, has innovated on a timeless product to mix the digital world with the old world. She started her online stationery company with her brother with the vision to build a more interesting work life for themselves and escape the grind of the corporate world. Here are four lessons from Alexa Hirschfeld to help keep you focused while building your dream.

Innovation Can Be Simple

There was a gap in the marketplace between paper greeting cards and online communication. Online communication was efficient but there was little design and beauty to it. Paperless Post planed to fill that gap by providing beautiful online greeting cards and invitations that you can customize.

Don’t Always Listen To The Experts

“I would have done a lot less of listening to people who charge you money for their expertise but don’t actually help you build something’ says Alexa in an interview with the Huffington Post discussing what she would’ve done differently if she had to start over.

Stick To it!

Hirschfeld worked diligently building her company for a year and a half while holding down a full time job.  “It felt like, is this ever going to be real? We sat in my parents’ living room and we didn’t celebrate any holidays for two years—we both lost a lot of weight.” says Alexa describing the company's gestation period.  

Collaborate

A few years after establishing themselves as the online source for well designed stationery, Paperless Post started to collaborate with brands such as Kate Spade, Oscar de la Renta and Jonathan Adler. Collaboration helped them evolved their platform and reach new customers. If you don’t have Kate Spade’s cell number on your iPhone, don’t worry, Paperless Post started collaborating with small designers and grew their network from there.

Recommended read for more on Alexa Hirschfeld and her journey into entrepreneurship:

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5 Things To Never Do During A Retail Job Interview

Landing the interview often feels as an accomplishment on its own. You have tailored your resume to match the company’s needs, and have received notice to come in for an interview. Many candidates reach this point, however not many leave a good impression with managers during the interviews. Of course, being under qualified, lacking experience and the skills needed to perform the job are often why a candidate might not receive a call back, but sometimes it is because of a seemingly small mistake that may have ruined your chances of being hired. The following are small mistakes that might seem silly but you might be surprised what you are capable of doing in a moment of high stress as interviews often can be.

1. Leaving your cell phone on

It is incredibly rude to interrupt an interview due to a personal call. Most people know that it is required to silence your cell phone during an interview. What some people don’t realize is that a vibrating cell phone or even a light up screen can be incredibly distracting to an interviewer as well as the person being interviewed. It is best to turn your phone off completely and keep it out of plain sight. The presence of a cell phone can send the interviewer the wrong message, and make you seem uninterested in the job. Leaving your cell phone on might be perceived as if you have more important things to do than to seat through an interview, and that is never the impression you want your future boss to have of you. Turn it off, make it disappear!

2. Describing your previous/current job negatively

You must always remember that when interviewing, you are not yet guaranteed the position. When asked about your previous or current position and the reason why you are pursuing employment with a new company, you should always give a positive answer. Perhaps, you might say you are ready for a bigger challenge, or maybe you are looking for a change. What you should never do is talk negatively about the company, your former boss or any staff members. When doing so, you show the interviewer that you are not mature enough to see a situation as a challenge and not a problem and give the impression that whenever you encounter a less than desirable situation you will respond negatively. All jobs have their ups and downs, especially in retail, but you should never air a company’s dirty laundry to your potentially new employer. Plus the retail world is often close knit, with upper management employees having worked for several companies. You never know if your interviewer may know the person you are putting down and happens to disagree with you. Keep it vague and keep it positive.

3. Going on and on about your multiple other commitments

Managers look for candidates that are dedicated. Mentioning your many extra commitments may give the employer the impression that you are not ready to commit to the position. Retailers invest time in developing their associates to become future leaders and a candidate who has too many personal commitments may seem like they are only interested in work temporarily. I’m not implying not to have outside commitments, as many of us do, or refraining for mentioning some of them to prove you are a well rounded individual. However, creating scheduling difficulties before you even begin the job might become a turn off for the employer regardless of how impressive your resume may seem. Only speak about your outside responsibilities if directly asked and try to maintain a flexible schedule that matches the employer’s needs.

4. Showing up late or too early to the interview

As a retail manager, I am never idle. My agenda is filled from the moment I walk into the office. Most employers have a very limited window of time in which they can perform interviews. Showing up later than the time already determined is completely unprofessional, takes for granted the interviewer’s time and may cause you to lose the interview altogether. This also happens when an applicant shows up too early. Loitering around the store can become distracting to the associates working and might make the interviewer feel rushed. The golden rule of 10 minutes early is on time and on time is late is to be followed. This way you are not too early to make an employer uncomfortable, but you are also readily available once the time for the interview arrives.

5. Asking about the store’s discount policy

Most retailers offer a competitive associate’s discount to keep their staff motivated and to aid them in representing the current trends and brand image of the store. It is professional to negotiate a compensation package during your first interview, but you must be tactful enough to not ask about the employee discount too far in advance. It might be of much interest to you how generous the discount may be, but it can give the employer the sense that you are only interested in working for them because of the amount of the discount. The employer might then rationalize that if the discount policy was to vary, as it sometimes can, you will become disinterested with the job and potentially quit. Retail managers want you to become a customer, but they also want to know your dedication to the job will be intact regardless of what perks come with the position. Leave the question for your second interview or your first day on the job.

As always, make sure you are properly groomed and prepared to give the best interview you are capable of and remember to refrain from these 5 common mistakes that can take you from a great candidate to an interviewer’s nightmare.

Currently Reading: Creative Visualization

I am currently reading Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain. This book was cited in a recent audiobook I discovered which was 50 Self-Help Classics by Tom Butler-Bowdon . I loved listening to the 50 Self-Help Classics so much, it basically gives brief synopsis of some of the best self help books of all time. The audiobook gives short enough descriptions so if you are not too into a specific book it is quite painless to listen through its description. The short overviews are very detailed and insightful and I had the feeling of having a few breakthroughs while listening to this book. There were books mentioned that I am familiar with like Meditations by Marcus Aurelius , The Tao De Ching and even the Bible.

The 50 Self-Help Classics book lists one of Dr. Phil's book as part of their list, which I was a little surprised about, I have never read his first book. I was actually surprised to find out the entire story behind Dr. Phil and how he became a part of the Oprah show. The 50 Self-Help Classics reminded me of books I have read and really liked and also helped me discover a few new books to read, Creative Visualization was one of them.

I am halfway done with the book, it is a super fast read! The book discusses very basic visualization concepts that if you have watched The Secret then you get the basic idea. The book was originally published in 1978 so I am assuming that this topic was perhaps less popular back then. I like the book as a basic guideline for visualization but for someone who has read any law of attraction material the content of this book is very basic. I know that this book predates The Secret and other similar books but the directions of what to do when 'visualizing' are basically the same. The author tells you to do it in the morning after waking or right before going to sleep. She states that you should sit up while visualizing because it allows for energy to flow through your spine more powerfully, I have never heard of this before and am a bit skeptical.

I do believe in visualizing and feel like I have seen proof of it in my own life ever since I was a child, way before I have ever read anything about thie topic. For a time in my early twenties I was practicing visualization a lot and I got strong and positive results from it. Unfortunately after that time I was never again able to maintain a daily regimented practice of it, which I feel is what it takes to achieve some big goals. Lately I have been struggling with some excessive and reoccurring negative though patterns that are frightening and I can't seem to shake. These negative thoughts were what lead me to listen to the 50 Self-Help books in the first place, I like listening to audiobooks when I am doing mindless work or chores.

A topic that Gawain, the author, talks about in the book is prosperity and believing that there is enough for everyone and resources are bountiful. Lately I have really struggled with believing this, maybe that is what is holding me back from achieving some of my goals. It is just hard to believe that there is enough for everyone when the visuals of the world show otherwise. I guess I feel better when I think of it in a different way, that there is enough but all the resources are not all properly allocated and this is what causes lack, pain and suffering.

I also checked out Creative Visualization for Dummies basically by default, I am not sure why I keep trying to read these For Dummies books because I really don't like their layouts. The For Dummies book was written in 2011 and it is pretty dense, so maybe there is some gems of information on there that will be interesting, we shall see.

I love books and am constantly reading 2-3 books at a time, mostly non fiction. I decided to write monthly or bi-monthly about the books I am currently reading. Books have helped me so much in my life, so many times I felt like I didn't have someone to go to with my problems and I found solace in reading.


 Books I recommend:

Interview with Scavenger Life

My partner Ryan and I were interviewed by Jay from our very favorite blog Scavenger Life. We talked about the day to day operations of running our Etsy shops. I have listened to their podcast for a year and a half now and I have learned so much from them! I hope you enjoy this interview!

If you are interested in opening up your own Etsy shop you can get 40 free listings by signing up using my referral link: http://etsy.me/1MRPlSs .

9 FREE Tools For Entrepenuers

When you’re just starting out it is always wise to exhaust all the free tools you can get too before spending money on hiring extra help. Luckily the web is filled with tons of free resources for entrepreneurs and startups no matter how far along you are in your project. Below are some of my favorite tried and true sites that make the day to day of running my business so much easier.

Startupstash.com -This site is a huge directory of tools and resources all caterogirzed so you can easily find what you are looking for. My favorite is the ‘naming’ tab filled with sites that help you brainstorm and come up with the perfect name for your new business or project.

Canva.com - I use this website daily to make perfect sized instagram photos, make collages needed for my business and have used to design all of my logos. It is very easy to use, it gives you professional results that you achieve by simply using their drag and drop tools.

Fiverr.com - Fiverr is a huge marketplace filled with talented graphic designers and marketers that can help you jump start small projects. The best part? Every service has a starting price of only $5, it is easy to find someone to work with without fear of spending too much upfront.

MailChimp.com - Truly one of the best sites for organizing your mailing lists and sending out beautifully dsesigned e-mail. I cannot believe this tool is free!

IFTTT.com - ‘If this then that’ this is a website that puts the internet to work for you. I use it to automate my social media by setting up one of their ‘recipes’. When I post to instagram the image gets added to twitter (via an image post), pinterest, tumblr and facebook!

Squarepace.com/logo - This is an easy logo maker that helps you get something drawn up quickly for your project. The image quality is excellent and no one will know you paid nothing to get a cool logo.

Hootsuite.com - Checking through all of your social media channels can be a pain and often times you forget to check something. Hootsuite is a beautiful platform that organizes and lets you review all your social media happenings in one place!

Wave.com - As an entrepenuer it is critical to stay on top of your accounting and expenses. Wave.com links up to your bank accounts and tracks and categorizes your business expenses. It even lets you make invoices.

Stocksnap.io - This is the perfect site for when you need a beautifully shot photo for a blog post or for marketing materials. All photos are completely free to use and very high quality.

Lessons on Creating a Bad Ass Company from Reformation's Yael Aflalo

You may not recognize the name ‘Reformation’ but you have definitely seen their amazing flowy floral cut out dresses and button front denim skirts being worn by Rihanna, Karlie Kloss and fashion bloggers. Reformation is the newest “It” girl label made even more remarkable by the fact that their manufacturing uses all vintage, dead stock or eco friendly fabrics. Below are some steps Reformation’s founder and CEO Yael Aflalo took to turn her company into fashion’s new must have label.

Have a vision and plan. Yael Aflalo has discussed in interviews how she has a vision board in her bedroom to help her focus on what she wants to accomplish. She is also known for being very structured and organized with her time. Her technique is scheduling tasks at the same time on a weekly basis and setting time limits to her activities. This helps her never having to worry about what to do next, she simply follows her plan.

If at first you don’t succeed...Before Reformation Yael had another clothing line called Ya-Ya, which was a typical fashion brand she ran for 10 years. The label eventually closed due to difficulties during the recession. After running a conventional label for nearly a decade she knew that following the fashion calendar and dealing with overseas factories wasn’t for her. Her experience led her to build her new more innovative and more successful company.

Go against the grain. While in China for a work trip Yael noticed all the pollution around the clothing manufacturing regions. She recounts how in some areas the pollution was so thick it was hard to breath. When she returned home to the U.S. she immediately started researching how to manufacture clothing that had less of a negative impact on the planet. She focused on reducing waste and built her business following Earth friendly principles. This is the exact opposite of what most other fashion labels were doing at the time.

Look for gaps in the marketplace. Eco-friendly clothing is not necessarily known for being fashionable. A lot of green brands suffer from being too granola and often ignore design. Reformation filled this gap by producing clothing that is every bit ‘It Girl’ worthy.

Make it special. Since Reformation uses vintage and dead stock fabrics that come in limited supplies they only make about 200 pieces of each garment. Aflalo says "We want to always make less than what people want us to make so, in that way, it's special. It keeps things exclusive." They also focus on making pieces that aren’t too seasonal and can be worn over and over as Aflalo says “Clothes that are versatile and sustainable."

Travel Guide: New Orleans, LA

Ryan and I found a great deal on tickets from Chicago to New Orleans, so we decided to go for a last minute trip. While in New Orleans our friends showed us around some amazing places to eat! Below is our favorite eats list.

Peche is an amazing seafood restaurant. They serve small plates that are meant to be shared. Everything on the menu is great! I suggest you try as many items as possible.

Shaya serves Mediterranean small plates. They serve you a huge bowl of hummus with endless pita, I had to pace myself not to just eat that. The falafel is great as is their pickled dish.

Elizabeths is a great brunch place serving New Orleans style breakfast dishes. I went the safe route and ordered a strawberry waffle, it turned out to be the best waffle I have ever had!

Powerful Life Lessons from Oprah Winfrey

The women I admire the most is Oprah Winfrey. Her story is incredible and completely inspiring in every way. Whenever I feel a bit lost regarding my business, or just emotionally down, I YouTube one of her interviews. Hearing people tell their stories of triumphing through hardship helps lift my spirits and reconnect to who I am and what I need to do next. Here are my favorite quotes and mantras I have gathered from studying Oprah through the years.

“You have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world” – Oprah Winfrey.

I thought about this a lot when I was contemplating leaving my secure job to embark on my entrepreneurial journey. I spent several years completely emerged in my retail career, I learned every aspect of the industry from A to Z. After six years I knew I learned enough to move on and pursue my dream which has always been to start my own business. I wrestled with this for several months, after all why leave a good job? But in the end I knew inside what I really needed to do for myself and I went for it.

“Start with knowing what you don’t want to do”

This mantra helped me not only in deciding to leave my career path, but also in figuring out what business to open. I knew I wanted to work for myself, so why keep trying to climb the career ladder? I knew then I had to push myself to be an entrepreneur. Regarding what business to open I knew that after years of managing physical retail locations and dealing with hundreds of employees, I needed a break. Knowing that I did not want to initially start my business as a brick and mortar helped me establish the layout for an online shop instead.

“Take care of yourself, keep yourself focused and centered”

Why is this so hard to do at times? I think we all learn this lesson the hard way sometime in our lives. I tend to work non stop, and several times this has caused stress related illnesses that naturally led to even more stress. Now I know I need to take the time to do things that are important to me. I like a clean organized home, it helps me stay sane during stressful weeks, so every so often I take a day to meticulously clean and organize my apartment. When the cleaning is done, I feel great about my space and much more relaxed. Taking care of yourself can come in so many different ways, it’s all about knowing what works for you, it may be taking a yoga class, getting a relaxing massage, or just taking the time to enjoy a good book.

“There are no mistakes, the losses are there to wake you up”

It can be hard to stay motivated when you are going through a rough patch at work or in your personal life. But when you look back on your life, you can clearly see how some wrong turns led you the right way. In an interview Oprah did at Stanford University, she suggested that when you feel overwhelmed, focus only on what is the next move. When you do that, you ensure your next step is in the right direction. Try not to be overwhelmed, and to know that your life is bigger than any one bad moment.

5 Apps That Reduce Stress And Make Life Easier

Originally posted on CareerGirlDaily.com

Sometimes your week is so crammed they have you running around like a crazy person, during these times it can be difficult to do the simplest things and this is when stress piles on. When you are having an intense week at work it can seem like all your brain power is being used up and you can’t even begin to think about simple things like tracking your water intake, there are even humans on this Earth who ‘forget to eat’! Let these five apps be that helpful little voice that reminds you to stay on top of things and relieve some stress from your daily life…

#1 WATERLOGGED

Dehydration can be a scary beast. It can bring terrifying consequences such as bloating, a foggy mind, feelings of hunger when you are actually just thirsty and at it’s worse it can land you in the hospital! Slay this beast by using an app to track your daily water intake. I know you have heard this a million zillion times, but seriously, it is the best and cheapest way to stay healthy.

#2 RELAX WITH ANDREW JOHNSON – MEDITATION APP

It can be very hard to carve out a few minutes during the day to meditate, especially if your mind is buzzing about. I have tried to meditate so many times and within a few minutes I catch myself deep in thoughts of work and what to have for dinner. The best way to stay on track is to practice ‘guided’ meditation, it can be so much easier to just follow the voice in your earphones telling you to take a deep breath and focus. Andrew Johnson’s voice is very soothing, this is one of the best free meditation apps available!

#3 SLEEP BOT – REST EASY

To lead a more stress-free life, it is essential that your sleeping habits are rock solid. The Sleep Bot app will help you track how well you are sleeping by analyzing your movements and even sounds you make while sleeping! It will wake you up at an optimal time that will ensure you feel refreshed in the morning. This is important because often times a conventional alarm clock will wake you when you are smack dab in the middle of REM sleep which can leave you feeling groggy all day long.

#4 MINT BILLS

A month can feel like a really long time, especially when things move a mile a minute at work. I constantly struggled with remembering my monthly bills due date, missing a payment can lead to late fees and affect your credit score. Mint Bills keeps track of your bills and when they are due, you just have to log into one app to make a payment versus multiple websites.

#5 MONTHLY CYCLES

Last but not least an app I would, without a hint of sarcasm, consider life changing. Ladies if you are not using this yet you must start! An app that tracks your monthly cycle is a God send, you can see exactly how many days you have until your period starts and make notes on how you are feeling. If you keep daily notes on the app’s calendar you may start to notice patterns on how certain times of your cycle affect you. I get monthly migraines, a few months into using this app I realized that I always got a migraine during or directly before my time of the month, this was a breakthrough in helping me manage this debilitating monthly headache.

Travel Guide: Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is a place I have been wanting to visit for a really long time, admittedly a few years ago my main reason for wanting to go was to be an 'urban ruins tourist'. Thankfully I have matured and am much more compassionate and understanding of conditions that cause the demise of a great urban metropolis and simply going to photograph abandoned homes felt empty and callous to me. Ryan and I decided to go on a trip to Detroit for his birthday, we planned the trip to make a stop at the Indiana Dunes and Ann Arbor while en route to D-town.

If you are driving from Chicago I highly recommend stopping at the Indiana Dunes, I was surprised at how pretty the park and the natural beach were. Plus it's really fun to go on the trails through the dunes, make sure you are wearing some type of sandal, the sand gets very hot. After our trip Detroit has definitely become one of our favorite places, we are planning on returning soon. There are so many hidden gems in the city and the food was impressively good. The roads are bad, a lot of street lights don't work but at the same time you can see how much is being built up and it feels like an exciting place to be. Below are my recommendations for places to check out if you're in town.

COFFEE
Astro Coffee had out the door lines both times we decided to go there. The first time we decided not to wait as I needed a quiet place to spend some time working, the second time we waited and I am so glad I did. They have an amazing selection of breakfast sandwiches and pastries, the selection was so good I was tempted to ask if it was made in house or if it came from another restaurant in town, which I would definitely want to go to. Unfortunately the line was just too long for me to wait through it again to ask, but hopefully I will next time.

Anthology Coffee was were we went when I wanted a quiet place to work and it was the perfect place for such a thing. It is tucked away in an industrial looking part of Corktown and there is no sign anywhere. I actually peeking in and asked if they were open, they were! It is a very minimal set up, unlike anything I have ever seen before. They don't have many options for snacks but it doesn't matter because their coffee is so freaking good. Every cup is brewed to order, the barista was a super nice guy and the atmosphere was very calm. Loved this place and highly recommend it.

FOOD
Wright & Co was the place we chose to go for Ryan's birthday dinner. Even though it was a pretty busy Saturday night we were able to be seated in 15 minutes, they serve tapas style new American food which is exactly what we were looking for. The decor is pretty cool, there are wrap around windows that let's you see the street traffic. We had steak, shrimp and pork sliders (which were my favorite). For desert Ryan guilted me into sharing their chocolate moose,  it was amazing, I still dream about this desert.

Slow's BBQ - We HAD to go here as it was on every top food list I looked up. The wait was long but we were able to grab a seat at the bar pretty quickly, Ryan had pork belly sandwich and I had an enchilada. It was really good, definitely a must go to place.

Dangerously Delicious Pies - This place was pretty surprising. We went in the middle of the day but it is actually a perfect place to go for dinner and drinks. The pie shop is inside a bar, you can either eat inside or in their outdoor sitting area. We had the gumbo pie and a berry pie - both were delicious.

DRINKS
Sugar House is a craft cocktail bar where the bartenders are really knowledgeable and can serve a stunning number of drinks. This was the only place we ended up going just for drinks but we would definitely go back next time we are in the city.

INDIANA DUNES

DETROIT'S BURK'S IGLOO

DETROIT'S HEIDELBER PROJECT 

BELLE ISLE STATE PARK