Piper the Pup brought you a pen so you can take notes. Stolen out of my bag, but its the thought that counts.

By the way, today's blog features some uber awesome home decor shots from the home of Myka Barbato, owner of Wax Studio and blogger over at Highbrow Hippie. I wanted to get my coffee table book photography on and and she was eager to help. Hopefully she's just as eager to help me furnish my future condo :)

*********

A lot of times my friends, and friends of friends will see my work, love it, tell me 'keep it up!' and if there is anything they can do to help, to let them know. Well besides the always valuable donation, there are tons of ways that you probably haven't even thought of that you can help your favorite girlboss keep her hustle intact. From the outside looking in, I'm sure it looks like we all have it together, but the truth is every girlboss you know is probably silently screaming for a little support.

So here are 9 amazing ways to support your favorite boss ladies, and show them that you care about what it is they do, with added commentary from my business besties Porsha, Lynne, Morgan, Jessy and Sydia.

1// Refer, Refer, Refer
So of course a wonderful way to show your favorite girlboss that what she’s doing is badass is by sending potential business her way. Hold up though. Not just any business. Do your best to refer ideal clients or customers. How do you know who your favorite girlboss’ ideal client or customer is? Mmmm...ask her!

Right now, your favorite girlboss is probably buried up to her eyeballs in articles on branding, how to get more likes on social media, how to appeal to the right client, stock photos to keep her website updated, etc. Branding is a big deal so don’t disregard all her hard work by referring a non-ideal client. You might think you’re helping, but you may end up wasting everyone's time.

Read the about me section or her website, pay attention to the products or services that you see (and don’t see) she’s selling. And when the right person comes along and says “hey do you know anyone that does so and so?” direct them to her website so that they can take a look for themselves, and then reach out to her.

2// Share her work on social media every now and then
Sharing content via your social media not only helps it circulate but its also a giant compliment to the author. If your local girlboss has just posted something you think is awesome, share it! Not only will you help her reach a larger audience, but you are sure to increase her forever yo-yoing happiness factor by at least 50%. "Written testimonials are always helpful and can be used in multiple marketing capacities" says Sydia Bell, founder of Sawubona, Boo. They are also easy and free and much appreciated. So go ahead and toss around some positive reviews here and there :) Sharing truly is caring.

3// Help her avoid a Business Lady Breakdown
Sometimes a girlboss just needs to talk to someone who gets it, who she doesn’t have to pretend for, and who she can talk about her business woes with and not have to be all business-like while she does. “I really want to be able to call someone and have a business lady happy hour conference call and shoot the shit about business” says Porsha Thomas, founder of Ladypreneur League. My thoughts exactly. Reach out to your business bff. Let your hair down. Shoot the shit.

4// Align her to opportunities on your radar that she might not be privy too
Girlbosses are constantly consumed with building their business. Especially those of us that work alone. So between product development, photoshopping, marketing, advertising, screaming, reading, instagramming, studying, fb boosting, selling, planning a backup, crying, tweeting, learning, promoting, cleaning, tumbling, stressing, updating, booking, blogging and caffeinating...oddly, sometimes we just cant seem to find the time to attend cool events and meet new people. If you ever hear about an event or opportunity you think your local girlboss would totally benefit from, shoot it her way! 9 out of 10 she’s chained to a desk with her macbook open and will see it almost immediately anyway.

5// Buy whatever she’s selling. Without asking for a discount.
Its always nice to hear “I love what you sell” but feel free to scream it every now and then by actually purchasing whatever it is your local girlboss is selling. I love to shop and support local businesses and chances are your favorite girlboss does too. "A lot of times people take advantage of you because you guys might be friends, but artists and entrepreneurs need backing because they are going after their passion", chirps Morgan Ashley, founder of Eat Here ATL. Read: we cant afford to help you out for free all the time. Lynne Tanzer, co-owner of Hodgepodge Coffee House and Gallery adds, "If we're good friends I'll probably end up offering a discount, but never assume. It's my job. I don't ask you to do my taxes or get my health insurance or whatever you do for free." Girl....yes.

So if you need a new journal or a cup of coffee and you know somebody that works two jobs to support their journal dream or owns a coffee shop, visit her first before you make a beeline for Target or god-awful Starbucks. And when you do, pay her. Nothing says support like helping your friend pay a bill or two. True story.

6// Support her IRL
Sometimes seeing a friendly face makes a lot of hard work seem so worth it. If your local girlboss is putting on an event, sponsoring an event, or posted about an event that she is involved with, its probably super important to her. If you don’t already have any plans, rather than hanging out in bed with a bag of chips, show up to her event! Having friends and family support your endeavors in real life is a most amazing feeling that half the time doesn’t even cost you anything. Show up and make a girlboss’ week. She’s probably had a rough one.

7// If she’s ever done something that empowered you, let her know

A lot of small business owners just want to make a difference, make life a little prettier, or a little more magical in their own personal way. It's called purpose, and we are all compelled to fill ours. On the journey to fulfilling purpose you ask yourself many times “what the hell am I doing?” Before people hit the big time, and before 10 years of hustling finally turns into an ‘overnight success’, entrepreneurs ask themselves crazy questions like this daily. A lot of times in our fear and self-doubt, we fail to see that we are actually succeeding, making a difference, and changing the world through our personal work and dedication. So if your favorite girlboss has ever said, created, or done something that inspired or motivated you in ANY way, for the love of coffee, tell her! Remind her that her hustle is not going unnoticed and to keep going. You probably know at least 10 people you could tell this to right now. And they probably all need to hear it.

8// Invite her out for a play date
It doesn’t have to be all about business to hang with your favorite girlboss I’m sure. And she is probably looking for a reason to add some fun to her schedule rather than the ever important business coffee meeting. “Reminding myself to take a no-creative work day once a week is my biggest challenge right now” says budding videographer Jessy Cardenas. Help your favorite girlboss recharge by inviting her on a hike or hitting up an art gallery or museum for an hour or so. Spending time with her in a fun environment will actually keep her creative juices flowing but most importantly helps keep her from burning out.

9// Visit her blog or website regularly to celebrate her growth
If your favorite girlboss is as dedicated as I think she is, she is probably constantly working on building her brand, maintaining consistency, providing the correct content, and growing into whatever it is she wants to become one day. Stay updated on all that growth by stalking her every once and a while. Visit her website regularly, see what’s new, check out her facebook, read her blog posts. Like, comment on or share anything that moves you. Send good vibes. Co-sign her awesomeness! All from the convenience of your mobile device. So easy, and so appreciated.

To sum up, entrepreneurs are a different kind of breed. And although we can surely go at it alone, it sure does make a world of difference when real friends and supporters are in your corner rooting you on in helpful ways. I think Lynne put it best on why supporting small biz owners matters, "We've decided to dedicate our lives to our crafts/careers. We never stop learning and thirsting for knowledge about our craft. We live it. We breathe it. We embody it." And then we vulnerably share it with you. I'm pretty sure she dropped the mic after that. Or her spatula. She was making dinner at the time. Multitasking like a boss.

Support your local girl gang! #stayfearless

***********

More of Piper sans pen and Myka's amazing digs below!