Mango Body Butter Forever!
A life well lived. A passion well executed. Anita Roddick :: 1942 ~ 2007 Get Anita Roddick’s book, Business As Unusual, and be inspired to put your talents and passions…
Donna Maria is an entrepreneur mentor, the founder and CEO of the Indie Business Network, and the host of the Indie Business Podcast and the Indie Business Retreat. She has been recognized as one of the most trusted voices for Makers and Creative Entrepreneurs. Her coaching and consulting enterprise trains thousands of new and evolving entrepreneurs every day.
Indie See, Indie Do
We start out in business excited about the great stuff we’re going to do. But it’s easy to get carried away with all the enthusiasm, and forget how important it is to stick to the basics and keep things as simple as possible. My mom says it’s great to learn…
Mow, Edge and Blow
This morning, I saw a man tending to a neighbor’s lawn. I asked him for a business card just in case I ever need his services. He told me his rates, and then he said, “I mow, edge and blow — for dough.” It reminded me of what we do in our businesses. We mow…
3 Reasons To Host Your Own Radio Show
Since October 2005, I have hosted over 200 episodes of Indie Business Radio, a weekly Internet talk show featuring my interviews with thought leaders and influencers offering practical strategies to help you achieve your goals. I originally launched the show because I was unable to respond to all of the requests from people who needed…
Preparing For Rain
Yesterday, I watched Facing The Giants, a movie about how the coach of a losing high school football team motivated his players to the county championships. In the final scene, they were down 23 to 21, with 2 seconds left to play. To win, they had to kick a 52-yard field goal. The longest field…
Beware The Green Monster
Last week, I talked with a freind who has been very successful in business. Years of 80-hour work weeks, losing sleep, missing out on family time and delaying gratification on all fronts have resulted in her dreams becoming reality. Most of her colleagues are celebrating with her, but some of them have begun to treat…
Beauty Boom Or Beauty Bust
Since everyone wants a business that booms, not busts, I get emails regularly from people asking how to boom in the beauty business. A business is as distinct as a fingerprint, so one-on-one or group coaching is best to address individual details. Since I lead the Indie Beauty Network, many of…
Don't Get Punk'd
My mother is a great money manager. Small investment accounts opened 50 years ago are today worth thousands. She takes care of her money and her money takes care of her. I plan to be like her when I grow up. But they want to ruin it for me. They being the companies whose logos…
Boot Camp Bonanza
Boot camps generally describe workshops that help you do things. Oprah’s Boot Camp will help you lose weight like a rich person. Writers Boot Camp will help find the writer in you. Mushing Boot Camp will help you learn to mush. But if you don’t have time to exercise, write or mush because you have…
Great Eggspectations
It was Saturday morning. All I wanted was to do was scramble an egg and eat it all by myself, along with a biscuit and some fresh cantaloupe. Here’s what happened instead.
The Sooner, The Better
My daughter started kindergarden this morning. I teared up a little, but was mostly all smiles because I want to let her know that I whole heartedly encourage this first step toward independence and self sufficiency. That's why I am baffled as to why some parents and educators disagree with…
All Work Is Good Work
Donna Maria shares a single working mom’s unique perspective on the topic of “work.”
Cousin Buck’s Ribs at the Family Reunion
Last month, I traveled to my hometown of Washington, DC for a family reunion on my father’s side. These folks were brave enough to pose for a picture. My Cousin Bridgette (also an acclaimed opera singer who has performed with Placido Domingo), didn’t waste time once she decided to get the family together. She just…
Bad Blogger
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…
The Family That Grinds Together Binds Together
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…
First, Know Thyself
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…
The Power Of One
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…
A Needle In A Haystack
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 word he said. I had…
Vault Episode #76: Bill and Debbie Brink [Podcast]
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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…
From Pillar To Post (Blogging For Business: Part IV)
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 by looking at several…
Moms Love Lucy!
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…