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How to Use Setbacks to Get Ahead in Business and Life

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We all run into setbacks, challenges, and obstacles in business and in life. In the midst of being busy and working through our planned activities, it’s easy to get caught in the routine of normalcy and just having things unfold in the way we believe they should. And, even though we may have intended the best outcomes or results, there is always a chance things will not go as we have planned. Whether it pertains to your business goals or life goals, setbacks don’t mean defeat. Setbacks are reminders for us to slow down, observe, and focus on what we are doing.

Here are 3 tips you can use to overcome any setback you come across – they can help us get ahead.

1. Be Okay with Where you are NOW! One of the biggest lessons I’ve been able to take away from being an entrepreneur and learning new things along the journey is that you have to be good with your current progress. Sometimes we get caught up with not being able to do things within a set timeframe which actually does more harm than good because we’re constantly battling to get things done. I’ve found that working in this way causes a large amount of resistance. What I know now is this, by giving your best effort on whatever it is you’re working on or progressing toward the desired result will eventually appear. But, you have to accept where you are now.

2. Take a Break and Recharge. Setbacks are nudges for us to slow the hell down! For example: have you ever worked hours on end to complete a project to realize in the end that something was missing or maybe you realized it could’ve been better? While some people believe that working longer hours and completing tasks as quickly as possible leads to increased productivity it can just as well lead to inefficiency. What happens when we’re inefficient and racing against the clock? This is what happens: the inevitable burnout leads to disruptions in the assignment or project – the setback. But when things like this happen, use the setback to take inventory of how you’re accomplishing tasks. Don’t hurry to get things done. And take frequent breaks to recharge so that you don’t get frustrated or discouraged.

3. Revisit your Goals. Change takes place whether we want it to or not. People change, places change, the seasons’ change and our plans are also constantly changing. Have you really thought about the things you want to experience? Do you know what it is that you truly want? Sometimes things don’t work out and we meet setbacks because we honestly don’t know or believe in our goals. This is the time to use any challenge to analyze what it is you want in life and why you want it. When was the last time you looked at your goals to make sure they were still in line with your desires? I’ve missed the boat on this lesson several times and each time I remember to revisit my goals, I end up removing some and adding new ones. Take the time to revisit your list of goals.

So, when you encounter setbacks in any area of your life, just remember that there just might be an important message lurking in the wings to help catapult you forward in whatever you wish to pursue. Setbacks are beneficial to progress when we understand why we’re experiencing them.

Epi 61: Lifestyle Design with Hipster Investments Founder Ali Boone

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We are kicking off 2019 with Ali Boone – Founder and CEO of Hipster Investments, a boutique real estate referral agency with a focus on turn-key properties. Ali opens up about her transformation from working in the corporate world to literally freeing up her precious time by living a life of her own design–through real estate. Learn useful advice about turn-key rental properties, and reasons why Hipster Investments can get you on the road to laying down your future foundation.

Show Notes:

  • Ali Boone’s backstory
    • Ali grew up in Georgia and got her Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering
    • Spent 5 years in a corporate job trying to figure out how to leave
    • Hipster Investments has been around for approx. 6 ½ years
    • Ali received 2nd Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology
    • Ali has become a lifestyle designer and travels the world
  • Ali’s journey into real estate
    • Began real estate after watching a random real estate webinar
    • Prefers passive income rental properties instead of flipping properties
    • Ali has a real estate mindset book coming out
  • Why people lose in real estate
    • Many people have a fear of failure
    • People also get knocked down once then lack perseverance
    • Real estate is more of a mental game than a physical game
    • People don’t realize real estate is like taking on a second job
  • Find someone who’s lifestyle you want and learn from them
  • Ali Boone is also a pilot and a retired rugby player
  • How Ali helps others build their businesses
    • Hipster Investments works primarily with turn-key rental properties
    • It takes time to take care of clients and your own personal projects at the same time
    • Introduces clients to turn-key companies and markets and assists them during the buying process
    • Hipster Investments make their money on the buyer side
  • Ali Boone is also doing consulting on her personal side outside of Hipster Investments
    • Ali’s core passions are independence and lifestyle design
  • Ali Boone’s advice on lifestyle design
    • You are not held hostage by a 9-to-5 job
    • Passive income makes having your own lifestyle possible
    • Passive income can come from starting a business and outsourcing, or rental properties
    • Lay your bricks down for your foundation

Key Points:

1.  Pursue businesses and strategies that fall organically into your nature.

2.  Real estate is never about learning about how to do the strategy, it’s about learning from your mistakes.

3. Don’t take advice from someone you wouldn’t trade shoes with.

4. Turn-key properties don’t require rehabbing, they already have tenants, and you are making cash on day one.

Tweetable Quotes:

–    “I really didn’t want bosses, ever in life. I’ve never really been a big fan of anyone telling me what to do.” – Ali Boone.

–       “When you start pursuing something that isn’t in your natural grain, you are swimming upsteam.” – Ali Boone.

Resources Mentioned:

   

Stop Holding on to your Ideas and Start Where you Are Now!

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Stop holding on to your ideas

When it comes to reaching goals you have to start with steps. The first step to completing a puzzle begins with dumping the pieces from the box – then you start working to put it together. You don’t know where one piece will fit until you start working on the puzzle.

And as you go along the puzzle becomes a bit easier to solve. The overall vision, the finished picture is now starting to come together. It may take you some time to finish it, but as you do the work, the puzzle will eventually be complete. But the first step to completing the puzzle solving goal was initiated once a decision was made to start.

To give you a better example of what I’m talking about…

 

Do you have friends or family members who are always talking about their ideas and what they’re going to do and the things they want to do? Ever notice how they’re always happy to discuss their ideas and hyped with excitement as you engage in discussions of their potential?  And the next time you see them nothing has happened – no progress whatsoever, forward movement or action. Then the cycle repeats.

 

You may have this conversation dozens of times and you wonder, “When are they going to stop talking and start doing?”

 

I’ve been in this cycle before – a combination of laziness and procrastination and also fear. Additionally, for me, it also boiled down to the excuses for inaction and simply not bothering to do the work. I felt things needed to be “in order” or the “right time” before I got started. I felt that I needed to be ready and prepared.


But, I later learned the truth.

 

While it doesn’t hinder you to be prepared, being in an indefinite state of preparation keeps you from progressing. You don’t need to align with how you desire things to be before you can get started working on your idea or goal. Starting where you are now is what leads you to the next step in the creative process.

 

Eventually, your snowball gains enough momentum because you got your idea rolling and then before you know it, the snowball has now tripled in size. Then, the magic begins to happen as things start to fall in place. More importantly, the idea that was trapped in your head is now on its way to becoming something tangible — because you finally STARTED!

5 Lessons on Entrepreneurship I’ve Learned from other Women Entrepreneurs

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5 Lessons on Entrepreneurship

Women Entrepreneurs Houston – Over the course of my entrepreneurial journey, I have had the pleasure of meeting some pretty remarkable women who are all flourishing in some area or another in their respective fields.

On multiple occasions, I’ve interviewed women from varied backgrounds for my podcast SOB: Style of Business, connected with them in the gym, during events and collaborated on projects. From the upbeat marketing professional who has built her business on bringing people together through networking to the inspirational fitness entrepreneur who encourages everyone she comes into contact with to always give their best, there is something to be learned from watching the way these ladies operate in the world of business.

While each of them has their own strengths, talents and abilities, I’ve noticed several commonalities that continue to emerge time and time again.

In addition to the handful of lessons that I’ve listed below seeing a group of women support each other through thick and thin has been very inspiring and it motivates me to do the same. It’s been a privilege to regard these attributes as invaluable lessons in which we can all use to our advantage.


Lesson One: Fitness and mental health is extremely important

Whether it’s through quieting your mind during meditation or practicing breathing techniques during yoga making sure your fitness and mental health are taken care of our top priority. In order to excel in anything, having a strong mind and body will sustain you in every aspect of your business. Whether you find yourself in multiple brainstorming sessions with a client or having to haul in a boatload of supplies to your office space, having the strength on both fronts is key.


Lesson Two: There is no try

We all know running a business can be difficult and there are unexpected challenges but having the fortitude to persevere is beneficial for the long game. When obstacles come about you can either choose to move through whatever is holding you back or choose not to do anything at all.

One of the best lessons I’ve learned is this one. You either do it or you don’t. There is no try. Do you try to make it to work on time? You either do or you don’t. One thing I do know is that once you’ve stepped forward in making an effort you’ve made it through half the battle and the rest is a matter of things working out.


Lesson Three: Transitions are completely acceptable

In a world of change, things are bound to take on a different shape, form and even meaning. One thing I’ve taken away from being around other women entrepreneurs is that it’s okay to move on to something new. As we grow and mature, things that once captured our attention or inspired us can quickly turn into something of the past and it’s okay to move on.

For many of us, we get into a routine of always trying to help and please others that we forget about what makes us happy. When we finally realize that we’ve outgrown our space and it’s time to move on, we should accept the change in season and gracefully move forward with smiles on our faces. Transitions and change are a part of our personal growth and development.


Lesson Four: Enjoy what you do

Women Entrepreneurs Houston – We oftentimes start our careers with a sincere passion for making a difference and being able to contribute in ways that allow our creativity to blossom but years of our everyday routines can bring about indifference and a strong desire for a career overhaul.

As discussed above, transitions are okay. In fact, transitions give us an opportunity to start fresh and tap into other things we’re great at. One of the biggest takeaways from starting anything at all or starting something new is to actually enjoy what you do. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing and you think the money will sustain your happiness you’re wrong. That song you’re singing to yourself will only play for so long before you’re begging for a new tune.


Lesson Five: Knowing your Why

Women Entrepreneurs Houston – Just as important as the other lessons, knowing your way is something that most of us don’t figure out until we’ve experienced enough to know what we don’t want. The reason why knowing the why is important is being clear about your goals will help you focus on what’s important and weed out all the crap that isn’t. We can also forget our why.

During times of burnout, I’ve learned it’s important to look inside myself to see if the work that I’m doing is something I enjoy. And more importantly, I had to ask myself why was I doing this type of work and if people were actually benefiting from my contributions. Whether your why is to open a yoga retreat center or to save money for a family vacation, the fact that you know your why is something solid you can rest upon even when distractions come about.

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6 Powerful Strategies for Building Self-Confidence and Positivity

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6 Powerful Strategies for Building Self Confidence

It’s certainly true that some people are naturally more confident than others, nobody is born with endless amounts of self-confidence. So, if you want to boost your self-esteem and become a more positive person, it is something you’ll have to work at.

Here are six simple tips that should provide inspiration on the journey to becoming a more confident person.

1. Surround Yourself With Positive People

Positivity begets positivity. Make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive, confident people, and it will soon rub off on you. Let them be your inspiration as you drive each other toward greatness.

2. Visualize Your Future

Anything is possible in this world, but you won’t get anywhere until you’ve pictured yourself achieving those dreams. Aside from giving you the self-confidence of knowing you can do it, this step will prepare you for those situations once they arrive.

3. Push Yourself Further

A lack of confidence is often characterized by self-doubting and a fear of taking on new challenges. Whether it’s doing something that scares you or learning a new skill, a continued sense of self-improvement will work wonders.

4. Deal With Rejection

Whether it’s your personal life or career, not everyone will agree with you or see value in your ideas. Make a conscious effort not to take things personally, and this immunity will ultimately lead to self-confidence.

5. Take Care Of Yourself

Self-care and self-confidence are very closely linked. Be sure to take care of your physical and emotional health to feel stronger and more positive than ever. Focus on becoming the best version of yourself to unlock heightened confidence.

6. Focus On Achievable Goals

Even if your goal is to accomplish something truly incredible, it’s important to create milestones along the way. Aside from providing guidance, having milestones in place removes the fear that the mountain ahead is unconquerable.

Being self-confident won’t suddenly protect you from all the negative thoughts and episodes of self-doubt, but it will bring positivity to your world. You’ve got this.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Conquer the New Year with These 4 Top-notch Marketing Tools

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Marketing Tools

Digital Marketing is always evolving and there are always new and exciting tools being introduced in the market to make digital marketing more effective. If you have a business, you need to know which of these tools can help you be the best that you can be. The right tools can help you stay updated with the latest trends, help you get organized, and can optimize your efficiency. Here are some tools you need check out this 2018:

Flock

Flock is a communication app for teams. Flock allows you to bring your team together to chat, share information, meet via video conferencing and push efficiency by using its productivity features. You can even integrate all your apps in a single platform. Once you sign up, you can create one big team and hubs for smaller teams. Flock is also faster, slicker and has a more intuitive interface compared to other team communication tools.

Sendy

Sendy is one of the hottest tools in email marketing today. It’s a self-hosted email newsletter application backed by Amazon’s Simple Email Service. Sendy allows you to send attractive emails easily to your email audience and receive a detailed performance report afterward. And the best part is, it’s a lot cheaper than other email marketing apps in the market. You can send 20,000 emails for only $2! If you have less than that, let’s say you only have 10,000 subscribers, the cost can go down to $1. Now, that’s a deal you won’t find anywhere else.

Ptengine

Do you get frustrated when your website visitors suddenly leave and don’t convert? When you have a business website you want to find out why people are leaving your site. Ptengine is a heat map application that records every visit, click, scroll on your site and turns the data into a heat map to help you visualize at what point your customers are abandoning your site. Are they leaving because of usability problems? Pricing problems? Do they find the copy confusing? Once you’ve identified the issue, you can now make adjustments on your site and convert customers better.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a unique tool because it lets you know what people are searching for every day on Google Search. According to statistics, there are 3.5 billion users on Google Search daily and over 50,000 searches every second. Among the 50,000 searches, as much as 20% are from new users, which means that there’s always something new to discover. Google Trends can sift through all the searches and show you, by using keywords, what’s trending worldwide. It will give you an insight on what consumers are really looking for and predict market trends. To see the data, all you need to do is type a keyword or the industry name and press “Enter.” It’s that easy.

Now that you know some of the best tools you can use this year, give one of them a spin and let us know what you think.

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Learn The Most Important Lessons Of Starting Small From Netflix

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Lessons Of Starting Small From Netflix

Most companies are not immediately successful on the market. Indeed, it’s true to say that over 90% of startups will fail within their first year. What’s the lesson here? You need to make sure that you know how to start small and work towards building your business the right way. You shouldn’t jump too many steps ahead because this could mean that your bills grow while profit levels remain the same.

If you are looking at how to start out small the right way, you may want to take a few leaves out of the Netflix logbook. Most people forget that Netflix did not start as the streaming media giant that it is today. The business actually began life as a DVD rental service. How did it become the industry champion that it is today and what can you learn about the path this business took to success.

Embrace Diversification

The first step in the growth of Netflix was to diversify their business venture. While they began to offer a DVD renting service, they would eventually offer a streaming option as well as blu-ray rentals. It’s worth pointing out that once Netflix began to build a streaming service, they did not abandon DVDs or hard media options immediately. Instead, they offered customers several options, diversifying their model. This ensured that if one area of the company failed as it began to during the dot-com crash, other products would remain profitable. Diversification of your business and what you offer is a smart step to take as soon as you began to grow your small company.

To this day, Netflix continues to adopt a solid model of diversification, offering both original contents developed by the business and content that they have purchased streaming rights for from other companies.

Plan For Success

Previous employees of Netflix have shared insight into the mindset of the company and the growth of the business. Ultimately, employees were instructed to build for scale and work on the premise that an idea, product or service was already successful. If a product was successful, it was going to be used by millions, and thus it made sense to plan for this possibility.

According to past employees, this even helped reduce costs. Adding ten or twenty percent during a core development phase in the company was far more beneficial than adding two hundred percent for growth after initial development had been completed.

Think Beyond The Bottom Line

Finally, a lot of people think that growing a small startup is about constantly focusing on the bottom line or the cap table. However, one of the reasons why Netflix reached their incredible level of success was due to their ability to see the bigger picture. Netflix did not shy away from mistakes but rather embraced them and built their company while looking at issues that could impact the overall model, continuing to create products for mass consumption. This is what you should learn when creating your own products and building your own business from the ground up.

Ultimately, your company could become the next Netflix in terms of size and success and you should plan for this possibility.

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Need Sponsors for your Event? Here are 4 Places to Look

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Finding Sponsors for Event

Great events are driven by great ideas, full of ambition and creativity. However, the reality is that the better your ideas, the more funding you are likely to need. For that reason, sponsors are essential, but how exactly do you get them? Here, we’re going to look at four methods of finding the sponsorship your event needs and what it takes to attract it.


Talk to event organizers

You are not the first person to try put an event together. You may have event organizers with some experience on your side. If that’s the case, talk to them about sponsors they have worked with in the past. If you have attended events run by others or are on good terms with other organizers, reach out to them, too. Never underestimate the power of networking. You may even gain some helpful tips and insights along the way. If they’re a direct competitor, they may not be so keen to help, of course.


Look at past events like yours

If you have seen events similar to yours in the past but you don’t know the organizers, you might not want to get in touch solely to ask a favor of them. Instead, you may want to look directly at the sponsors instead. Once you know your event goals and your sponsor criteria, start looking through the sponsor listings for those events. List all the sponsors and narrow them down to the most applicable. Make sure they have a higher potential inclination to sponsor your event, too. Find the individuals from those companies most readily able to make the decision to sponsor an event. Many of these stakeholders can be found easily through social platforms like LinkedIn. Once you find them, send them a personalized pitch detailing your offer.

Market your event widely

You want sponsors with a marketing and advertising department since they can lend plenty of outreach to your event. Those with active marketing teams also tend to have an eye on the marketing in their sector. Put time and effort into event marketing through channels like social media and press releases. The better your marketing, the more likely you are to catch the interest of a marketing head of a potential sponsor.


Use sites built to connect sponsors and events

There are online communities and platforms built specifically for the purpose of connecting event organizers and sponsors to one another. Resources like SponsorMyEvent, SponsorPitch, and SponsorPark not only have active communities but they also have tools that allow you to quickly put together your proposals. It’s a good idea to have set criteria for sponsorship so that any interested parties can quickly see what you have to offer and what you need in return. Besides helping you reach out to sponsors, these platforms can be great for better understanding what your event sponsorship package is going to look like.


Your sponsor (or sponsors) can be a crucial part of your event’s success. Make sure that you have a proposal that is built to catch their interest, clearly outlining the potential reach of your event and the links to their own aims. The more you show the event’s viability, the more interested they are likely to be.

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3 Of The Best Journals For Staying On Top Of Your Goals

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3 Journals For Staying On Top Of Your Goals

In a world where we are constantly surrounded by electronic devices, the idea of carrying a physical, paper journal planner might sound a little… retro. However, many people find that recording their lives in the physical world is more effective than using an app or digital program. There’s something real and tangible about physical journals that is hard to replicate with digital equivalents; a feeling that you hold your plans and goals in your hands, quite literally.


If you are tempted to revert to the “old ways” and try planning your life and goals with a physical journal, here are three options you may want to consider…

Panda Planner

A Panda Planner appears, superficially at least, to be similar to an old-fashioned Filofax. However, this planner is far more than a basic method of organizing your life and monitoring your goals. Panda Planners utilize an in-depth understanding of positive psychology and neuroscience, helping to produce a planner that can – strange as it sounds – genuinely improve your life.

While the Panda Planner is full of innovative features, it has drawn particular praise for its encouragement of gratitude. If you struggle with the daily grind while working hard towards your goals, a Panda Planner can help encourage you to take a second to appreciate the right now in a way that is genuinely beneficial to your mental health and well-being.

Traveler’s Notebook

The Traveler’s Notebook is a thin, leather folio that can hold a variety of different sheets, making it the perfect choice if you’re looking for high-customization options. The convenient purse-friendly size of the Traveler’s Notebook is perfect for daily tasks and to do lists, though it can be pressed into service for a variety of different journal tasks. For example, you can purchase inserts that allow the notebook to be used as a calendar, a monthly planner, or as a bullet journal thanks to the grid paper option.

Something of a cult favorite, the Traveler’s Notebook has also become a style icon in and of itself, and purchasing your own will allow you to join a large Instagram community of devotees who love nothing more than showing off the various uses for this innovative product.

Moleskine 12-month weekly planner (extra large)

Goal setting and achievement tends to be split into two areas of focus: the short-term, and the long-term. This large planner from well-known journal manufacturers Moleskine is definitely more dedicated to the long-term but is incredibly useful for monitoring overall progress.


The large size provides you with the opportunity to assess your life and goal advancement with a bird’s eye view, which is especially helpful if you tend to find yourself struggling with day-to-day issues rather than the bigger picture. Furthermore, as you would expect from Moleskine, the quality is outstanding and the overall design is delightfully classic without feeling outdated; without a doubt, should you invest in this planner, it will take pride of place on the desk of your home office.

In conclusion

If you’re tempted to make the switch (or the switch back) to using a physical, paper journal, hopefully, one of the options above will suit your needs.

5 Spotify Playlists For High-Intensity Workout Sessions

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5 Spotify Playlists For High-Intensity Workout

If you’re planning a high-intensity workout session, you need to be prepared. Water? Check. Comfortable workout clothes? Check. Motivation? Double check. It sounds like you’re good to go, but there’s one final piece of the puzzle that can ensure your workout is as beneficial as it can be: the perfect Spotify playlist.


For many of us, music is an essential component to the perfect workout session. For an intense workout, you need music that encourages you to keep going as you work through your paces – and we think we’ve found five playlists that are more than up to the task…

‘Energetic Run’

For runners with a need for speed, look no further than Energetic Run to keep you focused. All the tracks on this playlist are over 160-165 beats per minute (BPM), so striving to keep pace will push your workout to the next level. While not necessarily packed with the most recognizable of songs, Energetic Run will soon become an old favorite for your running and sprinting workout sessions.

‘Throwback Workout’

If you’re looking for a trip down memory lane as you work out, then Throwback Workout is the perfect playlist choice for you. Classic favorites such as Gold Digger, Yeah! and In Da Club make up a retro playlist that is more than capable of keeping you feeling good during your thoroughly modern high-intensity workout.

‘NTC: High Intensity Training Tracks’

Created by NikeWomen, this playlist is an eclectic mix of artists that you wouldn’t always imagine being placed together – but somehow, it works. Generally upbeat and featuring an inspirational tone that thankfully steers clear of becoming too sickly-sweet, High-Intensity Training Tracks is a great choice if you’re looking for variety from a workout playlist.

‘Beast Mode’

In modern fitness, the term “high intensity” doesn’t just mean fitness: it also applies to strength training, a form of exercise that has exploded in popularity over recent years due to its plethora of benefits. If you’re a fan of strength training, then look no further than Beast Mode when seeking to enhance your workouts. The songs have been selected specifically to appeal to your tough, beastly side, and should help to encourage you to just one more rep – multiple times over. There’s plenty to love on this playlist, with modern options from the likes of Drake and Nicki Minaj combining with old favorites such as Still D.R.E. to create the perfect high-intensity strength training session.

HIIT Workout Playlist

High-intensity intermittent training – most commonly abbreviated to HIIT – is very much the workout of the moment, and if you’re tempted to give it a try, this playlist is a great choice. Due to the nature of HIIT, playlists in this category tend to be short, and this option is no different – it features just 13 songs, less than half the total on the other playlists mentioned above. However, HIIT workouts are all about getting the best results in the shortest possible time, and the HIIT Workout Playlist is more than capable of fulfilling that requirement. With favorites from the likes of Rihanna and Madonna to keep you company, your HIIT workout will be effortlessly enhanced thanks to the careful selection of songs.

In conclusion

With one – or more! – of these playlists to keep you company during your high-intensity work, you’ll see results sooner rather than later, and you’ll have a good time getting there. Enjoy!

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