little word studio

In the River of Watered-down Oatmeal

didn’t correct him at the time. How could I? We were barely friends. It was a message overheard, like some piece of rotten seaweed floating in the river of his discontent, and I wasn’t about to fish it out then kindly request he stop telling lies. And was it even a lie? Anything can be a lie if it diverts from your idea of truth. Here’s (basically) what was said: I’ll never write for a brand…

In the River of Watered-down Oatmeal

didn’t correct him at the time. How could I? We were barely friends. It was a message overheard, like some piece of rotten seaweed floating in the river of his discontent, and I wasn’t about to fish it out then kindly request he stop telling lies. And was it even a lie? Anything can be a lie if it diverts from your idea of truth. Here’s (basically) what was said: I’ll never write for a brand…

Real Living On Demand Recap: A Live Q&A

he ring light was slightly too far left. The computer, a little to the right. The exactitude of setting up an at-home studio felt far from exhausting, it actually helped build excitement about speaking on air. This time, I was scheduled to talk about content, and how the perks of good content can, like a catchy tune in a dimly lit karaoke bar, make your business sing.    A few weeks ago, the team…

Step Into Your Power

By Gabrielle Katz

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Female Founder Collective’s What’s Next Fest. During the three-day virtual summit, I heard remarkable female leaders share their experiences on the way to success and how to lead once they got there. One session in particular changed my perspective completely. The session, “Owning the Room and Owning Your Future,” gave me a sense of…

Renewing Your Sense of Purpose

By Annaliese Bennett

“It was never about the art; it was always about how you looked while creating it.”

A while back, I decided to purge some of the seemingly endless notes I’ve accumulated on my phone. I’ve developed a habit in recent years of using my notes app as a catch-all for everything from grocery lists to a space where I jot down random thoughts and musings. This simple little reminder…

Failing Forward with the Female Founder Collective’s What’s Next Fest

By Annaliese Bennett

“We have to be able to try things out and to fail forward.”

[O]ut of all the brilliant insights from the many talented women I’ve had the opportunity to listen to over the past few days during the Female Founder Collective’s What’s Next Fest, this simple reminder from Nadia Al Saeed, CEO of Bank al Etihad, has stuck with me the most. (more…)

Financial Literacy For College-Age Adults

By Gabrielle Katz

[C]ollege. The “best four years of your life.” And don’t get me wrong, as a current college student I can confidently say they are, but there’s so much more to the experience than those six words. Over the span of just four short years, you not only learn learn more about yourself but also about how life in the real worldworks. Living on your own, or in my case living 1,800…

California Wildfires: How to Help

[T]hough our team is dispersed from coast to coast, we were founded (and are based) in Newport Beach, California … and with the state currently experiencing devastating wildfires, we want to do our part to help. Gabrielle Katz, little word studio intern, put together a comprehensive list of resources if you’d like to contribute in any way to this cause. (more…)

little word sounds vol. 2

[A]nd for our next trick, a tasty tunes to satisfy even the cruelest of summer hearts. (more…)

How to Fix Your Bike and Solve Your Business Problems

[I]t was a sticky, hot Saturday morning. The back tire of my bicycle had sprung a leak, so I stood sweating outside the local bike repair, an admirably scruffy shop wedged between a bakery and a tattoo parlor. (more…)

The Van That Mrs. Westphalia Bought

[M]rs. Westphalia sipped her tea. She was getting very good, almost expert level, at making tea on the black varnished stove top shoved between the washing machine and her nightstand. (more…)

[I]’ve read the books. I understand the theories but sometimes, it’s just hard to get going in the morning. Yes, a solid morning routine sets you up for a productive day except when the day is the night is the what time is it now??? even the most deeply learned routines begin to fizzle. (more…)

[I]f you can write about anything, why not write about wine? At least that’s what I was thinking when I scripted this six-minute video. Written for Sodaro Estate Winery, a high-end boutique winemaking operation in Napa, California, it tells the tale of world-class wine from grape to glass. (more…)

A Sneak-Peak …

[A] new season … a new house … a new vibe …

Each time I move into a new space, I like to change the vibe with wall color, furniture arrangement and decor to match my mood entering the season. Shifting from a downtown apartment to a suburban house, a jam-packed schedule and – of course – functionality for my kitty, Billi, I’m reinventing my bedroom to make the most comfortable room in my house…

Elemental Women Productions: An Interview on Success, Failure and Weird Hotels

[I] recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by the team at Elemental Women Productions, a New York City-based production  company. Elemental Women Productions creates work for theater, film and other formats that empowers womxn’s voices while exploring, developing and sharing their stories with the world.  (more…)

Thoughts on Spanish Sand

[H]ere you will come undone.

The Thought was odd. Too dark for the cloudless, turquoise morning and even weirder, not my own. The words I could sense, and almost touch if I wanted to, but they didn’t crystallize from my mind. It was as if each time I watched the sailor work the ropes to set his boat free and look toward the hotel on the edge of the Maspalomas Dunes, he was looking at me. Or he…