Category: Kindness

Farm life – Almost did surgery on my turkey

You read that right. I thought he had bumblefoot. I treated with him some antibiotics but it did not get better. My sister came over to help me do the surgery but right before we did anything, we checked him over once more and realized it wasn’t his foot, his leg is hurt somehow. Nothing is swollen, hot, or painful when we touched it. I am back to trying to figure out what it could be and how to help him. He is so sad hobbling around. We now have 2 gimpy turkeys. The other was hurt as a baby.

I live in an area where there are no poultry vets. That means I am the backyard vet. Thankfully I have resources to be able to help treat them the best that I can. I am hoping it is just a sprain but I will not stop until I figure it out. I am a bit tenacious when I care.

I have learned to:

  • Give antibiotic shots
  • Treat heart worms and well all parasites
  • Not take things too personally
  • remember death happens so does birth they are both magical and natural
  • Only name things you want to be attached too aka do no name all the chickens.. do not do it. they are fragile creatures.
  • do chicken math. I have gotten very good at doing chicken math
  • math in general, lots of math used to build, give shots things like that
  • love to be dirty. I mean I am not a girl who even likes beach sand, yet by the time I shower at night I am FILTHY. It also keeps bugs off me way better which leads me too.
  • tolerate bugs. I understand their place in the balance of nature
  • appreciate nature even more than I did. A sunrise or sunset on the farm is magical.
  • slow down
  • be humble

This farm has definitely been a series of challenges. My dad teases me that we are “Gray Acres” instead of “White Acres”. Not in a million years did he think I would buy a farm. Nor get all the animals we got as quickly as we got them. I am a let’s dive in heads first and figure it out as we go kind of girl. I mean. I like plans and processes but sometimes you just have to dive head first and hope it all turns out okay. So far we have been more than okay.

We are happier than we have been ever. The animals make us laugh. They provide love. They help your soul heal. They teach you a lot. I am over here giving shots to chickens, cleaning out wounds, and willing to do surgery to help make these magical creatures better.

The farm makes us better in every way.

  • We get way more fresh clean air
  • We have to figure out how to fix or build something with existing materials. Just call me MacGyver
  • My kids are being kids. They play outside in the woods. the pasture it is amazing to watch.
  • My kids are being exposed to taking care of someone else other than themselves. We know kids can be selfish and so can adults, taking care of someone else helps you be more selfless.
  • Our love buckets are filled every day
  • We sleep due to exhaustion
  • Less screen time
  • More family time
  • Lots of memories being made
  • We make a lot of mistakes and learn a lot of lessons
  • We are happy just being home and being us
  • We get to eat farm to table for a lot of things
  • We get to see nature and wildlife daily that others wish they could see. I mean our sunsets and sunrises are AMAZING.
  • We get to see and hang out with our fabulous neighbors.
  • It is the perfect place to raise boys
  • I love waking up to my horses, chickens, goats, turkeys, cats and dogs. They entertain us so very much.

I could keep going but I think you see the picture. We love farm life, mess, cost, work and all! It makes us better humans.

What do you love about your home?

Let’s talk DISC & Personality tests

I keep getting sucked into personality tests. I think it is to back me up on my choices for my job search.

  1. Customer Success Manager
  2. SDR/BDR Manager
  3. Sales or Rev Ops

Thankfully, the tests are backing me up! I really enjoy taking these every few years to see if I see any changes in myself! I feel like you can learn a lot from these. It helps you grow as a person and shines on the things you need to work on. I have only seen changes for the better.

I loved this one from Square Peg. It was very insightful and did not take long to complete. Here are my results!

Square Peg results

Next I did DISC. I did it 3 times with different test makers. I am definitely an “I”(Influence, in the DISC which again makes complete sense. They also provided me some key behavioral insights

“While you may sometimes tend toward surface analysis, you also display a very keen awareness of important details. This may come as a surprise to others, as they might assume that you only attend to the “big picture” items. You surprise them by contributing information about small details that may impact the project. This shows that, in spite of your easy-going style, you also do your homework.

You have a strong determination toward accomplishing your own agenda and will work to motivate others to that end. You have the ability to promote your own ideas assertively to others, without your message being perceived as a “hard sell.” This comes from your sense of confidence, your verbal skills, and your spontaneous flexibility, and can be of enormous value in negotiations with others.


You show a strong ability to meet others easily and demonstrate social poise in small or large group situations. This is an important strength, and one that the team and the organization should amplify for you. You can maximize this ability by choosing assignments and situations that will illuminate this strength.


You have the ability to handle pressing problems in a casual manner. This is a strength to the team, especially when pressure is running high. You show the ability to turn a phrase or make a quip that eases some of the tension, allowing the team to re-focus on the problem, perhaps in a new way. Likewise, you have the ability to think quickly on your feet, and to express yourself in a verbally fluent way.


You tend to be an easy person to be around, unlikely to deliberately antagonize others. This trait comes from your sincere interest in others, your optimism, and your patience in working with others. As a result, you may be sought after for a variety of committees and working teams. You’ll make sure that the job gets done, and that people are enjoying what they’re doing”

I will say that is pretty spot on. I feel good about that!

Have you ever taken a personality test and if yes what did you get??

Feeling grateful amidst job searching for the first time in 16 years…

I have not searched for job in a very long time. I have always known someone who has a position they think would work for me. My reputation has always been stellar in the work department. I would interview, almost always got that job. It is not that way anymore. The competition is younger, better educated, and willing to take any pay. I feel like I am dating without the dating apps. Maybe I should design a tinder for job searching?? Hmm!!

Back to my story. I know my worth. I know I come with a long list of skills with an amazing attitude. I have a degree, a lifetime of work skills. I have tons of recommendations on LinkedIn and Multiple people have reached out to volunteer to be a reference. I mean this girl feels good about herself. I laugh when I see things like “requirements: MBA, SalesForce Cert, Hubspot Cert, Excel expert, PowerBI Expert, Marketo Cert” for ” 15/hr” or “$55/yr”, Wait what? I applaud the companies paying people their worth, but some of you. Some of you should be ashamed!

I am thankful I am getting interviews. I am thankful that my first few were with people I knew or AI. We have AI interviews now which I kind of dig. I am also thankfully getting interviews with companies I really would like to work for. I have been targeting companies I want to work for then applying for anything that excites me. It should be a choice situation which always makes me happy!

I want to be excited for work again. I loved my old teams and never would have left them. Some of them were like family. The fact still remains, I was slowly losing my excitement for work. It is hard to be excited when you see such horrible practices happening around you to good people. When you see people who do not seem to know how to do their jobs, continually get promotions. While the good ones get glanced over for promotions or let go. It is disheartening. I am thankful I am finding places and jobs that excite me. I am really loving finding positions I know I would be amazing doing at companies who actually make a difference. Companies who are not all about shareholders. Companies that I truly want to be a part of. I know that strategy will pay off for me!

How do you look for a new job?

Gratitude around the farm

I am grateful for this time to get things done around the farm. It is cooling down. There is so much work to do. Sadly a lot need supplies. I am working on anything where I can repurpose items we already have. That has been fun. I also have started pruning and cleaning out some sections of the farm.

This morning, I got to go for a nice trail ride this morning with my old faithful Apache. It was nice to ride with him, get fresh air. He was my Attitude of Gratitude today. He is such a sweet boy. He saw me walking towards him, did not try to get away, put his head directly in the halter, walked alongside of me. He was just such a sweet little gelding gentleman today. Our ride was nice and slow. We did the barrels in the arena, rode around the property of my friend and home. It was a perfect first ride in quite some time. I am just so grateful for him. I am grateful we moved to a farm so that I can wake up every day to my sweet animals. My horses, chickens and goats are just the cutest!

Horse and cat around the barn
‘Horsing around the barn’

What are you grateful for?

New Journal on Amazon check!

I am so excited to bring you my latest gratitude journal, Attitude Gratitude with Animals It is 16.99, filled with images of animals, mostly mine and my sisters, in an artsy manner with inspiration every 3 pages. The other 3 pages are notebook page form, to aid in your creative writing, healing journey or doodles! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it for us.

Here is a sneak peek video as well!

Please let me know what you like the most about my latest journal!

With gratitude

Zen Mama Llama

It has been awhile….

It has been awhile. I put my love of designing to the side this past year in order to buy a farm (see goat pic above) and then later working to master excel while facing a new boss who was quite a challenge.

This past year has had its challenges but I learned a lot. Let’s begin,

I became proficient in Excel and have learned to love it!

I have been studying for my SalesForce Admin Certificate

The farm I have been eyeing, came up for sale. I know I know you deserved a blog post then. I will try to summarize quickly! The farm came up for sale on a Thursday afternoon by Friday afternoon II was approved and got to see it. It was exactly what I dreamed of for the property and I can see how to make the house ours. It’s a cute farmhouse. Sat am I brought my husband and kids to see it. They agreed it’s amazing. By that afternoon we were under contract. In fact this time last year we were under contract. That meant Zen Mama Llama was in the back burner. She wasn’t gone just not updating the blog nor creating any new products.
Our farm started with two turkeys, 4 chickens and now is

4 horses

2 turkeys

35+ chickens

2 goats

2 Great Pyrenees

I have had my hands full before and after work but man am I happy. It is my happy place.

During this time, I got two new bosses and the one I loved left. The new ones are not the mentoring or telling the whole truth kinda gals. It was hard but I focused on my sales teams and was thriving. I hit my stride, my sales teams were my clients and the sales leaders listened to my advice which helped them succeed tjust like I used to do with my clients when I was in a client services role. I have a passion for client / customer service. I love account management so sales operations was an amazing fit. One I never would have thought of. Now I am enrolled in sql classes, studying for my SalesForce admin certification all because I truly love helping people understand how to use technology, analyze data and advise on paths to take based on the data. Telling a story with the data. I feel like all of my roles at Mediware/WellSky have prepared me for a new role, whether that be sales or revenue operations, customer / client success manager or operations, leading a SDR team, working the deal desk or being an executive assistant. They all involve, organizing, helping others succeed, wearing multi hats, continue education, training, coaching and technology. I have a gift for learning softwares quickly and teaching others.

Even with 15.7 years of amazing reviews, sales leaders who fought for me, “a business decision” was made to let myself and a coworker go without proper severance or notice. That stung but was the kick I needed to move forward. The outreach of support and volunteering to be a reference for me has been breath taking. My LinkedIn recommendations are stellar. I am hoping that gets me hired by an amazing company that I can help grow with all of my knowledge from lead generation to keeping the customer happy. I feel like knowing the whole picture makes me a better candidate. Plus I am super nice, work hard, wicked smart, have a great attitude and doggone it people like me.

So for the first time in almost 16 years I am looking for a remote job. Remote because I’ve been remote for 10 years and in a rural area. Needless to say we have been a little busy.

Ps If you know of a job, please send my way. Thanks!
PSS I have a new journal coming to Amazon by Monday!

Cowgirl Jamie

Thank all l so much for your love and support. You bring a smile to my face!

With Gratitude,

Zen Mama Llama

It’s that time of year again

It’s that time of year again. The time when my diagnosis rears its ugly head. Often times with others sharing reoccurrence or mets.. mine can only come back as mets.. not a fact I forget often. No I hold that one in sight at all times. It’s a thin veil that only I can see. It’s there taunting me. Telling me no matter how or what I eat. No matter how natural or what treatment I do, it is there reminding me I am not longer invincible like my inner Little Jamie thought, and still does.

Oh no my body hurts more now. Aches and pains from all the abuse I put it through as a kid. Making me feel older than I am, yet I still feel so young. I supposed the kids do that. When you have kids late in life, you cannot slow down like your body wants too. No, n, no, you must continue on. You must be that pink power ranger and jump through portals. Cancer will not steal that away..

Not today cancer not today. Today I will move my body and believe I am healthy and able to move. Today I will go horse back riding and make my inner little Jamie so very happy. Not today cancer. Not today.

How do you feel today?

Live, Laugh, Love

Live, Laugh, Love! T-Shirt live on Amazon! I am sooo stoked. Even though they make the process very difficult. I am happy one my my designs is live!

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BRCFPRZ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_F7EMFEJZTR12GZXH8WQ7

Kindness is my super power

My shirt is in Amazon now!

Spreading kindness is my superpower T-Shirt
by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BM6FC64/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_CXYP9GYKR95FCQFFEDAT

Get yours today!

Okay now that the sales part is done. Can I share how cool, my kid thinks I am at this point? Like super duper cool mom. He is so proud of me. I love that we have modeled being excited for others. I am his biggest fan and he is mine.

My sister said every time he saw one of my designs in her house he would say, that’s mamas!

oh my heart!

Who is your biggest fan?

Giggles & Inspiration

My newest journal is out. You can buy it on Amazon. It’s fun quotes. All inspirational, some with a little spice. Fun graphics. In fact, here is a sneak peak at some taken with my phone so excuse the low quality. The actual product, will be much prettier.


Zen Mama Llama

You should definitely check it out!