It's funny how you can connect dots once you look back, but while you are in the thick of it you sometimes feel lost. 

I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I don't know where it came from, but the yearning to run my own business has been the center point of my dreams for as long as I can remember. I entered college as a pre-med student and day dreamed during organic chemistry about my private practice dermatology clinic. One that would be far different from the rest. We would have manicures, pedicures, and massages while you waited for your appointment and upon check-in you would be greeted with champagne and a signature chocolate to start your appointment. Today, these are fairly widely known as Med-Spas, but at the time, there wasn't anything like it out there. 

I realized that although I loved what medicine could provide through helping people, I wasn't as excited about treating patients as I was about the experience they could have to make them feel better, stronger, and pampered by their surroundings. With that, I switched my focus to business. At the time, I felt a bit of a failure. I mean, I had chosen to go to USC specifically for the 8 year Undergrad/MD combined program. Changing from this path felt like a risky move. Would my career choice change be able to fund my student debt? Would I be able to find the right job? So much new unknown was introduced and to play it safe I stuck close to the medical field and upon graduation made my way into biotech. 

I loved what I did! Working in the cancer diagnostics space, I felt a big impact on the technology we were building. Yet, there was still a slight tug that I wasn't doing exactly what I should be. The projects I had the most fun on, were the ones that involved designing custom storage boxes for our freezers and improving workflows and placement of equipment to streamline operations. This was definitely my hearts way of trying to show me the direction of my future, but my logical brain routinely shut it down. 

As I continued to learn amazing business techniques by day, I hustled at all hours beyond the 9-5 clock,to test my passions and improve my capabilities. Barre instructor, Marketing Specialist...I even started my own health and wellness accessories company with a versatile laptop/gym bag as the signature product. I took online courses in sales, social media marketing, advertising, public speaking and so much more. I wanted so badly for my side hustle to become my main hustle and with each sleep that I didn't strike gold overnight, I grew more and more frustrated.  

After letting all the side hustles settle for a while, I tried to narrow my focus and thought what am I actually good at that I can help people with. I woke up one night with the idea to start a blog called "Beyond The Clock". I told my husband, that the one thing that I know I am good at (because I'd done it so many times) is trying new things. I may not know up front if I will be good at something, but I always give it a shot. The blog was set to feature things that I loved  to do outside of my 9-5, like travel, health and wellness, family and my long lost passion for design. At the time, I didn't know that this would become my main focus. I just wanted to have a place, with no expectations of anything but expressing the things I love in my own way. 

Now looking back at how Beyond the Clock has grown, I see all the stepping stones that brought me one step closer to my passion. In fact, taking it all the way back to a kid, I would constantly rearrange my room, trying new ways to place the bed or hang the art. There are so many pieces of this company that I still want to expand and grow, but for now, I'm loving the feeling of late nights that never feel late because I'm absolutely loving what I am doing. 

Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me and your continual support. There is no greater feeling than the feedback I get daily from all of you about the tidbits of inspiration you get from my blog and instagram. I'm excited to share all that is ahead with you. 

Jessica

I’ve always preferred baking over cooking. Maybe it’s because of how sweet the treat is at the end of the process. I even made my two tier wedding cake from scratch (everyone at work loved all the practice cakes leading up to the big day). Anyway, as much as I love baking, I still cannot beat out my husband Brad’s chocolate chip cookies. He has mastered the perfect crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, extra chocolatey chip cookies. There are not many people he shares his recipe with, but I convinced him to let me share it with all of you. Hope you enjoy these classics as much as we do.

• 4 ¼ cup All-purpose flour
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks of butter)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (1 bag) of chocolate chips

 
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Ensure the butter is soft at room temperature. If it’s straight out of the fridge, put it in a microwave safe bowl and melt just barely (20 sec) to keep it soft. Next add eggs, butter, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix it so that everything is mixed in and a consistent golden color. Lastly add in the chocolate chips and mix evenly. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes for the dough to firm up a bit (try not eat all of the cookie dough before bakingJ) Place 1 inch balls on cookie sheet. You should be able to fit about 12 per sheet. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy warm with a glass of milk or let them cool and keep them in you cookie jar for the week! 

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If you've been following the blog for a while, you know that family is a big part of who I am. When me moved to America we really just had each other, no cousins or grandparents around, so any fights and frustrations were resolved pretty quickly. 

My mom and I are fortunate enough to be such good friends. She is one of the most thoughtful, generous and kind people I know. She taught me how to speak up for myself and follow my dreams and always helped us see the positive outlook in every situation. So, although I love treating her on more than just Mother's day, my sisters and I always like to do a little something extra on Mother's Day.

That being said... when it comes to any holidays besides the winter ones, I have to admit, I'm not the best planner.
I normally get a Halloween costume together by rummaging through an old costume box the day of. So if you are like me and want to treat your mom but may have left it to the last minute, I've put a list together for gorgeous go-to's for your mom that will be there in time for Sunday (the 13th for those of you still wondering :-)), 

Jessica