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.
Congratulations to Indie Beauty Network member Rachel Lane of Barcelona Bath & Body, the best little soaphouse in Texas. (Well, candles, sachets and room spray too, but they messed up my catchy title). Rachel won a copy of Marie Gale’s book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain…
My 5-year old daughter recently said to her 3-year old brother, “When you are 10, you get a cell phone, and when you are 16, you get a boyfriend. Right mommy?” My son responded, “I’ll never have a boyfriend.” (Is that a good thing? Can’t handle it right now …) Meanwhile, there was my darling…
This morning on a whim, I interviewed Vanessa (age 5) to find out what she thinks of all this Indie Business stuff. She was a little shy at first, but if you adjust your volume a little, you can enjoy her sweet view of things here.* After that, Vanessa decided to interview me. You can…
Success. It’s different for everyone, yet everyone wants it. But sometimes beneath the surface lurks an attitude of destructive pride and selfishness which I call Success Excess. Everyone wants to enjoy as much success as possible. Yet success cannot be enjoyed when it is defined by what someone else is doing or not doing. Consider…
Since it was originally published in 2007, this article has been slightly edited to remove dead links and update the formatting. Thank you for visiting! The media devotes much attention to big business success, but not so much to small family business success. Let’s also hear it for the “regular” moms and dads who are…
The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 72 featuring my interview with Francine Silverman. As an expert in promoting businesses from the unique perspective of a book publisher, Francine is the esteemed editor and publisher of “Book Promotion Newsletter,”…
A few days ago, I was invited to be a guest on Growing Your Business Radio with Fred Hueston and Lynna Farkas. The interview was recorded last week and will air on Monday, July 9 at 8:00pm EST at Growing Your Business Radio. Fred and Lynna asked for my impression of the recent Monster.com poll…
Indie Beauty Network member Tammy Doering has a dirty business, and she’s proud of it. As the self proclaimed "Mud Queen," Tammy’s out to change the world’s perception of mud as a dirty, gooey mess that everyone should avoid. As the owner of Dead Sea Bulk Materials in Anniston, Alabama, Tammy shows up at women’s…
While tooling around today, I found a site that allows you to assemble your "visual DNA" by choosing pictures that best represent your personal preferences in a variety of areas of life. Here’s mine. Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™ I am pretty easy going, love to escape to the ocean, believe that…
Life, liberty and the pursuit of Indie! I love living in America because of the opportunity I have been given to pursue the kind of lifestyle that works best for me, my husband and my children. It’s not the easiest lifestyle, and it comes with lots of changes and a certain amount of unpredictability. But…
For many years, I subscribed to Victoria Magazine. I loved it because the photography was beautiful and the editorial staff took a special interest in woman Indie Business owners. Each month, they featured the story of a woman in business and at the end of the year, invited readers to vote for their favorite. The…
I recently confirmed that I will be speaking at the 2007 Conference of Mocha Moms, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia in August. Mocha Moms is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting mothers of color who have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote more time to their families. I serve…
Despite some advertisements and prominent headlines, you do not have to be drowning in profits to be a success in business. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for profit. Make money, yes. But Indie Business owners achieve success in part because they don’t buy into the lie that unless you are a millionaire several times…
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the World Health Organization reported that mental disorders comprise 4 of the top 5 sources of premature death and disability in 15 – 44 year olds in the Western world. Schizophrenia is one of the most devastating forms of mental illness. Of those who suffer, only a…
Parents Of 5 Stir Up Indie Business Success Welcome to Indie Business TV, where we empower you to enjoy your life, build your business and have your way! Today, I am pleased to introduce you to Nikki Rodriguez of Augisa Natural & Organic Beauty. Nikki is a member of the Indie Beauty Network and she…
Taken following my daughter’s pre-K graduation ceremony a few weeks ago (that’s her in the yellow dress), this photo captures the joy of life through the eyes and squeals of several 5-year old girls. Life can be difficult between this stage and adulthood. It can even have a way of stealing the kind of purity…
The feds don’t do much to help today’s family make ends meet and find that elusive thing called work-life balance. But how much do we expect them to do? In my opinion, what we need to be working on is embracing the work-life merger anyway. This morning, a Good Morning America segment reported that the…
I am celebrating today because my friend Jacci Thompson-Dodd’s new book, Whole: Women Healing Ourselves With Loving Energy: 12 Principles For Rebuilding Life After Breast Cancer, is finally available! Jacci is a wife, mother and health care professional whose career has focused on implementing programs to serve the African American community. She has been working…
40 is the new 20, which makes me 24. While I am The New 24, my eyes are painfully unaware of the latest sociological perspectives. So my dear friend and fellow Indie Business owner Kevin told me I needed some reading glasses. He had a pair with green frames, and they looked pretty hip so…
Chocolate is not just for eating. If you don't believe me, try Rendezvous' Chocolate Soap made with real chocolate. When it arrived in the mail, I had a hard time not biting into it. Rendezvous owners Erik and Karen Burgess are a husband and wife team who are raising two kids while making all kinds…