I used to be a Bad Blogger. I’ll get to that. A lot of people ask me about blogging for business these days. Some are excited to learn a new way to use technology. Others are frustrated because blogging is just one more thing they don’t have time for. I feel both ways depending on…
During a radio show interview this morning, I was asked how couples could be successful in business despite challenging life issues that are common to all families. I told them about Kibby and Jay Mitra and Sheri and Rich Schmelzer. During the show, the hosts joked about how an increase in family businesses could result…
Recently, I worked with "Sarah," an hebalist who asked me to review a "corporate identity" proposal she received from a graphics artist. The proposal was for $9,000 to create a logo, business cards, brochure, letterhead and other collateral materials. That’s a lot of money, but the bigger issue for Sarah was whether she knew herself…
Riding high on the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, The Walt Disney Company last year dumped several high level executives who were responsible for labor intensive projects that did not result in lucrative licensing deals. In June 2007, the third installment in the Pirates series took in $43.2 million worldwide in…
To express that it’s difficult to find something, you may say, "it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack." I felt that way a few days ago when someone called and said, "Hi, I found you in the September ’07 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine …" I didn’t hear another…
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The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 76 featuring my interview with Bill and Debbie Brink, the dynamic husband and wife owners of Pure Enchantment. In this special episode titled “Beauty, Business, and Blood,” we delve into the intriguing question…
While at the "Moms Love Lucy" taping yesterday, I shared with several women business owners how a blog could enhance their business. Their number one question was, "How do I know what to blog about?" The answer is simple: go from pillar to post. Bur first, a review. We started out…
I am joining you today from the studios of WUSA-Channel 9, the CBS affiliate in my hometown of Washington, DC. (Go ‘Skins!), fresh from taping "Moms Love Lucy," a show to help the station launch DVM moms.com. Moms Love Lucy will air on Friday, September 1 from 8 to 10:00pm EST, and will feature me…
Donna Maria shares an overview of blogging tools, including Wordpress, Typepad, Blogger and Movable Type.
Time is money, and Indies don’t have a lot of either so it’s important that we invest our time and money on things that yield a tangible business benefit. Yesterday’s post shared some of the benefits of blogging. Today, we discuss the other side of the coin (pun intended …) …
Since I launched Indie Business Blog nearly 4 months ago, I have received many questions from Indies who want to know if blogging can enhance their business, and if so, how to get started. Let’s begin with a high level look at the benefits of blogging for business. 1. Your blog keeps lines of communication…
In football, a blitz occurs when a defensive player charges the quarterback with the goal of forcing the football from his hands by any means necessary. After making decorations for their Crocs with clay and rhinestones, Sheri and Rich Schmelzer and their kids started selling them to family and friends.…
It was exactly sixteen years ago that I took responsibility for my own life. The first step in doing this was creating a business that could afford my sons and me financial independence." So wrote Paula in the introduction to a chapter from her cookbook, Paula Deen & Friends: Living…
Answer: I don’t. (And yes, my life looks like this sometimes.) I get this question a lot. I don’t do it all. If it looks that way, it’s because I set priorities so at least I accomplish as many important tasks a week as possible. Having said that, I don’t always…
Many great spiritual texts start with the creation of the world, summarizing a mysterious process where a great and powerful being made something out of nothing. What passion that reflects! A similar fire burns inside all of us, just waiting for a chance to ignite. Last week, my mother found a copy of my very…
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The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 75 featuring my interview with Jill Iurato. In today’s world, conventional styles of work often leave people feeling unfulfilled. As a response, there is a growing trend of “moonlighting,” where individuals start…
Indie Beauty Network member Jennifer Hardaway of KLEAN Bath and Body is a woman on the move. In addition to holding down a full time job, she makes and sells fabulous products, including this luscious German Chocolate Cake Body Scrub. Decadence in a jar, do you hear me?! Can you stand it? Of course not,…
I used to hate my name. My mother named me Donna because she liked the Donna Reed Show. Great. I’m named after the perfect television stay-at-home wife and mother. Oh well. At least people can pronounce my name. My late father was not so lucky. His name was Acrafare James Coles, but since no one…
My father died in late June. He had been ill for quite some time. Still, it was a jolt like I have never felt before. As the days since his passing have melted into weeks, and now a few months, I have had numerous chances to reflect upon his impact upon my life. I know…
I always get such a thrill when I see Indie Beauty Network member products in shops that I just happen to stumble upon. Today, it was The Olive Branch near my new hometown in North Carolina. I love decorating my home (even though I’m not terribly good at it) and I have noticed the shop…
The new embroidered branded t-shirts I ordered for the whole family are here! Since my husband’s is in the laundry, my son refused to cooperate during my impromptu photo shoot and I don’t look nearly as good in mine as my daughter does in hers, here’s my sweet Vanessa wearing our brand on her sleeve,…