How My LaSoul by SNE Business Gave Me Hope and Changed My Life Forever

Hello hello!

At last, I am back from a super long hiatus. Kesian my dear blog. Dulu selalu update, sekarang syukur la kalau ada kena jenguk sekali sebulan. Laaamaaa sudah bohgia sy mau update tapi nda jak terbuat ni. Especially semenjak dua menjak ada business ni kan..

What I'd like to share with you today is my story about Hope and how it has influenced my life. Who knows, it might reach someone out there who is really in need of it.

I am happy to say that my life has changed a lot since you last saw me. In January I got to know of a wonderful business opportunity which is LaSoul Skincare by SNE. I joined it and since then I have been pushed out of my comfort zone again and again. I became surrounded by so many positive and supportive people and it was just so mind boggling to me because I have already gotten so used to being around Negative Nancys. In fact, I had become one of them.

In order to tell this story, I need to share with you how my financial situation was prior to my business. My financial status has been a source of stress to me. After deducting my monthly commitments I am only left with between RM150-RM200 a month. I have to stretch this amount for 30 days. It is what I use to buy food, groceries, fuel for my car, etc. So you can imagine, by the end of the month that amount would be totally depleted. RM10 pun tiada bah kadang2 dalam wallet by the final few days before gaji.

I was in a constant state of worry. Worry that an emergency would occur that needed money in terms of health or the car. To top it off I disliked my job. No, I REALLY disliked my job. BUT at the end of the day it is what pays the bills (Isn't that galling? To REALLY dislike something that feeds and clothes you? Gak!).

Oh and there's frustration. I felt frustrated because I see my peers gallivanting here and there seemingly without worries and traveling overseas (not just other Asian countries mind you but Europe okay). I want to travel too. I want to have savings and insurance for me and Sophia. I want financial freedom. But with my financial situation, what can I achieve?

So can you imagine the kind of life I had being shrouded in state of constant worry, dislike and frustration? I'd look in the mirror and not see myself. I didn't care how I looked like. Pakai baju cukup2 syarat jak, kenapa la nda ngam. Mo matching kasut sama handbag, forget it la. Malar pakai platform flip flops for all occasions dari la pigi kerja, jalan2 dan pigi birthday dinner.

And then in January 2016 a friend introduced me to LaSoul Skincare by SNE. I decided to come on board and started my business in February. Alhamdulillah, the first cheque I got was RM357.77. I don't think I will ever forget that amount because that was RM357.77 more than what I usually have. I got so emotional that I cried.

February Bonus Statement.

You see, the cheque meant more to me than just money. It was my beacon of hope. Hope that with this first step, having savings, financial freedom and travelling is achievable and not just a daydream. It proved to me that change in my life was possible.

That hope helped ease some of my worries away and I started to see myself (as in REALLY see myself) when I looked in the mirror. Ya Allah, rambuutt! Punya bida. I decided to get a haircut which turned out really well and gave me a boost of confidence. From there, I started to put on makeup to work and bila jalan2. I became conscious of how I dress and began to wear heels as well as accessories.

Before my haircut.

After the haircut.

My confidence grew and it showed. Bukan saja teda sudah orang panggil sy "auntie" but siap ada a few guys lagi yang silik2 kunun bah. Hahaha.. Day by day, I feel more like my old self. I feel like I am starting to find Phyllicia again, only this time she is older and in shaa Allah, wiser.

Wearing heels out and about. Totally unheard of for me!

Pakai makeup hari2 sudah... :D

All these changes happened stemming from one powerful thing; Hope. It started in one aspect of my life (financial) and seeped through every other aspects as well. I am happier, more confident and more willing to try new things. I have become an even better mother, daughter and leader because of this in shaa Allah, Amin.

I really, really am grateful to Allah SWT for bringing LaSoul Skincare business into my life. Not just for the extra income or the rekindled friendships and new experiences, but also the positive, strong and motivating people I have had the pleasure of meeting. Semangat kamu memang paling manang!

It has helped me so much and I'd love to help others too. So if you are interested to know more about LaSoul Skincare by SNE and if you would like to start making positive changes in your life, you can:

1. PM me on my Facebook Page
2. Email me at phylliciarobert@gmail.com or



Take care and I will see you in my next post.


Love,
Phy
.

P/S: You can can also contact me as per above if you just need someone to talk to ya.

I Am Officially A Youtube Content Contributor!

Hello lovelies!

I would like to apologize for being MIA for the past one month. I will be sharing why with you in another post but for today, I would like to announce that I am (finally) a Youtube content contributor. Whoo hoo! I have wanted to do Youtube videos for the longest time and I did have a channel up a few years ago but I had to scrap it because the circumstances at that time wasn't ideal.

I have learned a lot about myself during this journey towards being a Youtuber. Again, I will be sharing more about this in the next post. For now, I would just like to unveil my first video ever on my channel.

        .

If you like this video, don't forget to give it a thumbs up. Also comment if you have constructive criticism to share. Would really appreciate your subscription as a support for my newest baby. Thank youuu!! <3 p="">


Love,
Phy

How To: Steadily Gain Loyal Followers On Twitter

Hello hello there…

Today I will be sharing with you tips and trick on how to build a solid follower base on Twitter. Now, this is no “get thousands of followers quick and easy” kind of thing. As with anything worth its’ salt, building a loyal audience on Twitter requires time and effort. If you are willing to do the work, then keep on reading.

Before I start, I would like to share with you a little bit about my experience with Twitter.

In 2014, I had 200++ followers and one day on a whim I just decided to try and build the bulk of my Twitter followers. I didn’t have any strategy at all aside from following almost everyone that was recommended to me by Twitter with the hopes that they would follow me back. Sure enough, my followers increased to 500++ in a month 

Then I hit the 2000 mark on the number of people I was following.

You see, Twitter has a policy where a user cannot follow more than 2000 people until they themselves achieve 2000 followers. This is so as to prevent spammers from following thousands and thousands of other users unchecked. Since I couldn’t find a way around that brick wall I grew bored and decided to forget about Twitter.

Between then and now, I noticed that I would get new followers fairly regularly. In fact, I get an average of 5 new followers a week. The weird thing was, my number of followers seemed to have plateau between 590++ and 600++ when I should have achieved about 800 -1000 by now. This month out of sheer curiosity, I did a little research online and found the reason for that.

Turns out now people are pretty obsessed with getting thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram. Some people use apps and websites while others even resort to buying followers. The majority however would follow random people on Twitter then use sites such as Unfollowers.com to un-follow those who do not follow them back.

There are also those who would un-follow people even if they ARE being followed back. This is so that they would have a higher follower to ‘followee’ ratio. More followers give the impression that they probably have interesting things to say and are worth checking out.

That disheartened me a bit because it’s like lose-lose situation. Even those who ‘help’ each other by following one another randomly are losing out. If you are following for the sake of it and not because you are actually interested in that person’s tweets then nobody is really listening to each other. It’s kind of like having thousands of people in a hall all talking at each other with no one actually bothering to listen. 

So, I asked myself this question: How does one gain large number of followers on Twitter without losing one’s self? Or even better, how do I gain LOYAL followers? I decided to come up with a 'strategy' by doing some research, adding a few ideas of my own and executed it. It’s been 2 weeks and I have since gained almost 300 followers and reduced the number that I am following by about a quarter. 

Here are my tips and tricks on how to gain followers without selling your soul:

1.Establish the Purpose of Your Account

It is really important to take a few minutes and figure out what is the purpose of your Twitter account. Are you just going to post about your day, use it as a tool to drive traffic to your blog or a place to post inspiring quotes,etc.?

This is an important step because it helps to determine your content, the people that would be most beneficial for you to follow and your target audience. In short, it is the ‘lighthouse’ that guides you as you navigate through the waters of Twitter.

2.Set Shot-term and Long-term Goals

The next step is to create short-term and long term goals. This helps to motivate you to do the work required towards achieving them. It also enables you to measure the success of your methods on your own terms in a clear manner.

3. First Impressions Always Counts

A good Twitter profile is essential because it gives a potential follower his/her first impression of you. It makes the difference between that ‘Follow’ button being tapped or not. Create a Twitter profile that reflects you at a glance, make sure to have a photo and fill in the description bar with a summary of YOU.

My profile..

4. Be Active

This is a no brainer. On Twitter, absence does NOT make the heart grow fonder. In fact, you will just be viewed as dead weight. Nobody in their right mind would waste their follow ‘quota’ (which everyone is trying to keep low anyway) on someone who is rarely around to interact.

Also, start as you mean to go on. It is very easy to be overly enthusiastic and be on Twitter 24/7 and then burn out within one week or less. Instead, stick to a frequency that you can consistently maintain. I recommend a minimum of 3 times a day (once in the morning, afternoon and night time). This enables you to respond to any notifications ASAP and have an active presence overall.

5. Add Value To Your Tweets

People go on the Internet for 2 main purposes: to find a solution to their problem(s) or/an to be entertained. In order to get and retain followers, you need to provide content that fulfills one or both of the above criteria while being relevant to the purpose of your Twitter account.

For example if you are using Twitter to drive traffic to your blog, merely posting blog links and follow-me-on-bloglovin’/like-my-facebook-page Tweets is a one-way ticket to Yawnsville. To add value, post interesting articles, jokes, quotes and such that is relevant to the niche of your blog.

6. Network With Others In Your Niche

It’s always a great idea to build network with other Twitter users in your niche. The easiest way to find like-minded users as well as get to know them better is through Twitter chats. 

Usually these chats happen at a set date and time with different individuals hosting them each time. The host would pose a question and participants would answer them. Everyone will be able to see the questions and answers by including the chat hashtag in their tweets. 

By joining these chats, not only would you be meeting people who would be able to relate to you and your interest, you will also be able to learn from each other and be inspired. You might even gain friends for life!

7. Be Friendly and Sincere

Be friendly with other users on Twitter be it the people you follow or your followers. If you like their post then favorite it and re-tweet with a little blurb on why you like it. If they talk about their day, respond if you have something positive to say. Be sincere and be the person that you are offline.

Also, always welcome and thank your new followers. It will make them feel good to know that you took the time out of your day to compose a tweet expressing your appreciation.

Sincere friendliness is a rare thing on Twitter so it does go a long way at catching a person’s attention. Don’t be friendly with a hidden agenda though. Insincerity reeks and people will be able to sense it a mile away.

8. De-clutter Your 'Following' List

De-clutter the list of people you follow. There are a lot of sites that you can use to do this such as Unfollowers.com, Crowdfireapp.com and Tweepi.com. It’s really up to you whether you want to un-follow everyone who is not following you back or if you’d like to manually un-follow only those who do not fulfill your specific criteria. 

De-cluttering doesn’t only leave you more room to follow people who are in your niche, it also lessens the bulk of tweets you receive daily, enabling you to concentrate on tweets from people who you'd actually like to interact with.

9. Zone In On Your Target Pool Of Audience

Your content determines your target audience. One way to find your potential audience is through the influential Twitter users in your niche.

Websites such as Unfollowers.com and Crowdfireapp.com has a ‘Copy Follower’ option in them. The thought behind this option is like this: Let’s say you are in business and you’d like to gain followers who are interested in your product. All you have to do is key-in the name of your competitor’s Twitter profile in the search bar of this option. The site would then give you access to their followers with whom you can interact and hopefully drive to your Twitter profile as well.

Using that same idea you can go to the prominent Twitter accounts in your niche and follow/interact their followers and attract them to your Twitter account. Now some people might view this as an underhanded thing to do so it is really up to you whether you want to do this or not.

10. Gain Visibility

Let’s face it, the Twittersphere is an ocean upon ocean of information. Even if you have awesome things to say and share, being someone who is just starting out makes it difficult to get noticed, let alone getting your voice heard. So how do you go about gaining visibility in the Twitteruniverse? The answer is hashtags and mentions.

I highly recommend making a list of local Twitter accounts of brands and products as well as their frequently-used hashtags that are relevant to your niche/field. This is so that whenever opportunities arise and it is appropriate, you can mention a brand’s twitter user name and use the hashtag in your tweet.

Hashtags are a wonderful thing. When you click on a hashtag, you will find all tweets that use that hashtag and see what people are talking about in relevance to it. Most (if not all) companies have a set of hashtags relating to their brand and name which they use to know what people are saying about them. 

In a nutshell, hashtags allows big names to find your tweets and inadvertently, YOU. What’s more, if they like your tweet, they would respond to it by replying or even re-tweeting it to their thousands of followers! Jackpot!

I mentioned Nescafe Malaysia as well as used some of their hashtags, #NESCAFEMoment as well as #BlendandBrew, on Twitter and they replied to me! 

Nescafe Malaysia's Twitter account has 28.1k followers.

 Now the beauty about mentions is that whenever you mention a Twitter user name, that user will be notified about it. The downside is, well-established brands probably have hundreds of mentions each day and they won’t go through each one. So your tweet would probably still blend together with the rest.

This is why it is important to use both hashtags and mentions. Not only will the hashtags enable you to be found, you are also drawing attention to your specific tweet through mentions. It’s kind of like calling a person after sending them an email. It increases the probability of your email being noticed and not lost in the sea of emails of the receiver. Does that make sense? I hope so.

So there you have it, my tips and tricks on how to gain and build a loyal follower base on Twitter without resorting to desperate measures and dirty tactics. I really hope that you give them a try. It might be a bit slower but hey, slow and steady wins the game right?

Also, I would like to apologize if I seem judgemental on those who use er, alternative methods on gaining followers. I am just a big believer in being honest and true to oneself be it online or offline. When you do that, you tend to draw people who have things in common with you. I have met quite a few people on Twitter that I click with and I couldn't be happier. 

What are your tips on gaining Twitter followers? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and don't forget to check out my Twitter. If you like what you see, don't be shy in hitting that 'Follow' button. :)

Love,

Phy

My Lifestyle & Beauty Lust List 2015

Hello hello..

I'd like to share with you today on things that I have heard so many good things about and would love to have for myself. Some of them are lifestyle items whereas others are (duh!) beauty related. So without further ado, let's jump right into it.


1. Canon Powershot G7X

Source

I started having problems with my camera around December 2013. Half of the screen became blank and when I tried to turn it on again a month ago, the whole screen went fuzzy. After 4 years, it had come to the end of it's shelf life. So the past 1.5 years I have been using my phone to take photos for my blog. Sounds convenient enough but the reality is, it's triple the work compared to using an actual camera and there is always that risk of virus from the computer to the phone. 

I have been hearing a lot of good things about the Canon Powershot G7X. It's a compact camera that  gives quality shots comparative to DSLR minus the bulk. It is only about 300g in weight and can be used to make videos as well. Check out the review done here comparing between the Canon G7X and Canon S120 and you will see just how well the G7X out performs the latter especially in low light and at night.

Price: RM2,199.00

2. Asus Transformer Book T100

Photo Source

As a blogger, being able to post an entry online on the go is obviously a convenience that I'd love to have. For the longest time I have been wanting a tab which I thought would be the best light-weight tool to achieve that. However, I noticed that even with larger tabs, typing on a touch screen can be a challenge. Fortunately nowadays more and more brands are coming out with notebooks that can be detached from the keyboard dock to double up as a tab. 

The notebook that caught my eye is the Asus Transformer Book T100. Unlike most notebooks which is practically a tab that can be attached to a flimsy keyboard, the keyboard dock of this notebook contains internal memory and has a USB port. The screen is 10.1" and has a touch screen surface. Perfetto!

Price: RM1,399.00

3. English Pear & Freesia Cologne by Jo Malone

Photo Source

I am not a total fragrance junkie. I am fine with putting on perfume but it is not something that I strive to put on every time I step out the door. The English Pear & Freesia fragrance by Jo Malone however is so light, fruity and lovely that just makes me want to make it my signature scent. It is indescribable just how perfectly balanced the sweetness and lightness of this fragrance is. If you have a boutique near you, I highly recommend that you stop by and have a whiff of this scent.

Price: N/A 

4. Clarisonic Mia2 Skin Cleansing System.

Photo Source

Who under 40 has not hear about this? Like, really? Everyone and their puppies on Youtube has been raving about this cleansing system for years and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. It's gentle on the skin,claims to  remove impurities 6 times better than just using one's hands which makes it easier for skincare to penetrate the skin more effectively. Oh, and did I mention that it's pink? 

Price: N/A

5.  Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

Photo Source

Having oily skin, makeup just slides/fades off my face like nobody's business. I have been really wanting to try this product since I first heard of it 5 years ago. It claims to help make makeup last for 16 hours and it also prevents makeup from settling into the facial lines, making it look better overall. A lot of beauty gurus on Youtube recommend it, even those with very oily skin so I think it has a good chance of working well for me.

Price: N/A

So there you have it, my very short list on what's on my lifestyle and beauty wish list for this year. What items are on YOUR wish list? So share in the comments section below.

Love,

Phy

Father's Day - My Concern As A Single Mom.

Hello hello..

First of all I'd like to wish all men out there who really work hard at being the best father they can be a Happy Father's Day. For me,Father's Day is bitter sweet. On one hand, I am celebrating my father who has shed blood sweat and tears to raise me the best he can and has been by my side through the darkest moments in my life. Without him, I wouldn't have made it this far for sure.

On the other hand I am imagining a few years down the line, when Sophia will be going to school. Usually, whenever an occasion such as Mother's Day and Father's Day is around the corner, kids are required to make a card in arts class. I can't stop myself from imagining the instant when Sophia would realize that having only Mama, Grandpa and Grandmummy at home is not exactly 'normal'. Honestly, my heart cries every time I think about it and the questions and hurt that would come with it.

All I can do now is to pray to Allah SWT to ease the way in answering her questions the best I can. Most of all, I pray to Allah SWT to help me soothe her little heart. To guide me in letting her know that it doesn't matter what others might think of her, what's most important is what Allah SWT thinks of her. That Allah SWT had chosen her for this and has given her the strength deep within to face the challenges to come. That is doesn't matter where one comes from, it's where one is headed and how one gets there that matters.

To all fellow single mother's out there, I salute you comrades. This life we chose is not easy, often swinging between feeling extreme blessing of having our child(ren) be the light house guiding our lives to be better every single day and utter hell when your child (and you) get hurt by emotionally by the taunts and judgement by society.

That being said, if any of you single moms (including potential single moms) are reading this and ever feel the need to talk (about just about anything really) over a virtual cup of tea/coffee, please feel free to reach out and contact me via email phylliciarobert@gmail.com . I would love to hear from you and hope we can learn from each other, in shaa Allah.

Love,
Phy

Phy Says: Sometimes It Is Those Closest To You Who Twists The Knife Deeper..

Hello all..

I have always prided myself in being as honest as I possibly can especially when it comes to my personal experiences. As I have mentioned so frequently with this 'confessional' type of post, I do it because I hope that it would help someone out there who might be experiencing the same thing know that they are not alone. Being honest requires me to be open and vulnerable about things that truth be told, I'd rather not expose at all if not for I feel that it is important do so.

When I wrote my post about being a single mother, I was prepared to receive backlash and criticism, mostly from strangers. Surprisingly I didn't and in fact, I actually received a lot of encouraging words from friends and family on my Facebook Page where I shared the link.

Then two days ago I received my first negative reaction towards that post and it came in the form of emotional bullying/manipulation. What shocked me was that the person who employed this emotional manipulation is no other that a person who is SUPPOSED to be close to me, who is SUPPOSED to understand the situation more than any other person in the whole planet.

This person went like,"I saw your blog post you know. You said that you'd be spending time with Sophia but you are not doing what you said you will". All because I passed bathing Sophia for having a relaxing cup of coffee  barely 15 minutes  after coming home at the end of a long, tiring day at the office. If that is not emotional bullying, I don't know what is.

To say that I am disappointed in this person is putting it mildly. Where other people chose to try and understand as well as encourage, this person chose to take the knife and plunge it deeper by twisting the knife. Just goes to prove that relations and closeness in distance doesn't necessarily equals to closeness to the heart and emotions.

Will I stop doing 'confessional' types of post because of this? No way. This just fuels my determination to stay true to myself. One stab is not going to deter me from doing what I think is right. It might provide this person (and others for that matter) with more knives to throw at me but then, this person is a bully anyways so it hardly matters no does it?

Have you ever had a person you supposedly could trust turned around and 'stabbed' you in the back? Share your experience in the comments section below.

Sabah Day Of Mourning - Remembering The Ranau Earthquake Victims

Dear all..

Today, 8th June 2015, is a day of mourning for Sabah as we remember and pay tribute to the victims who died on Mount Kinabalu due to the earthquake of 5.9 magnitude that occurred in Ranau at 7.15AM on June 5, 2015 local time. This is the first time that an earthquake has ever resulted in death in Malaysia. So far 18 are found dead and 2 climbers are confirmed missing.

When we in Keningau experienced the 'residual' effects of the earthquake at about 7.23AM, little did we know that disaster had struck Mount Kinabalu and all the climbers, guides and staff as well as the villagers were experiencing the most frightening day of their lives.

A tribute made in Kota Kinabalu City to the victims and a prayer to all those still on Mount Kinabalu whether missing or doing SAR mission.

1. Read about the harrowing experience of one of the climbers who survived the ordeal here. Reading this, I think if it had happened to me I would have just totally lost it earlier on especially the abseiling part as I am petrified of heights.


2. Photos of the Mountain Guides of Mount Kinabalu as they carried the injured and guided the remaining climbers back to the base camp. They are the Unsung Heroes of this tragedy.


3. Remembering the Mount Kinabalu Guides who passed away:

Robbi Sapinggi. He was injured during the quake yet urged the climbers under his care to climb on to safety while he waited for help to come. He passed on from his injuries several hours later. 

Photo Source

Joseph was found hugging two foreign climbers under his care in an attempt to protect them by being a human shield. Unfortunately, all three did not survive. Photo Source

Photo Source

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4. The earthquake caused the Mount Kinabalu's iconic "Dongkey Ears" to break. 

Photo Source

Please lend your prayers and support to the mountain guides, climbers and rescuers still on Mount Kinabalu. If you are so inclined, please read this to know how you can contribute financially to the Mount Kinabalu mountain guides and their families as their source of income will be badly affected with the closing down of Kinabalu Park for an unknown period of time.

Thank you in advance for your help and prayers.

Love,

Phy