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.
We have all heard the news. We are all experiencing collective fallout. In the wake of COVID-19, the Indie Business Network is facing an unprecedented opportunity to serve our members better as they lead their businesses through this time of freakish uncertainty. At IBN, we’re committed to helping you thrive in these turbulent times. As…
Plan Your Life First is Step 1 of the Emerge Phase of the Indie Maker Method, our step-by-step, entrepreneurial training curriculum that helps you build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. As a result of leading the Indie Business Network for nearly two decades,…
Sadly, Holly Port has transitioned, but you can still click links here to support her family and the Lotion Bar Cafe. If you’ve followed me for any period of time, you know that my favorite thing about entrepreneurship is not the money, but the amazing relationships I have been blessed to nurture and cultivate over…
Welcome to Episode 73 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Melissa Troupe of MochaWhip in West Palm Beach, Florida. Melissa makes whipped vegan body butter with ingredients like cocoa butter, shea butter, and aloe juice. Mocha Whip products can be found online and at dozens of Whole Foods Market locations…
As you may know, last week, I hosted the last and final Indie Cruise, my signature Caribbean retreat for Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. We had a marvelous time snorkeling, sailing, masterminding, dancing, spa-ing, exploring, dining, yoga-ing, and just enjoying being together. Indie Cruise has given me a fantastic 10-year run of leading women (and a…
Welcome to Episode 72 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story features Alana Rivera of Etta + Billie in San Francisco, California. As you’ll learn in this episode, this is not Alana’s first appearance on Indie Business Podcast. After you enjoy this episode, I encourage you to listen to the first episode we did…
Today is the 20th anniversary of the Indie Business Network! Twenty years ago today, IBN was founded with the goal of helping women to maximize their potential through small business ownership, and with the vision that every woman in the universe would know without a doubt that she could support herself and her family by…
In less than 48 hours, I will board a flight headed to the last and final Indie Cruise, my signature Caribbean retreat for Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. If you had asked me 10 years ago when I announced the first Indie Cruise that I’d still be hosting it, I would absolutely told you, “No.” But…
As you may know, later this month, I will host the last and final Indie Cruise, my signature Caribbean retreat for Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. Tickets are sold out, but I wanted to introduce you to some of the amazing presenters who will be sharing their knowledge and expertise with us when we gather in…
As you may know, later this month, I will host the last and final Indie Cruise, my signature Caribbean retreat for Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. Tickets are sold out, but I wanted to introduce you to some of the amazing presenters who will be sharing their knowledge and expertise with us when we gather in…
As you may know, later this month, I will host the last and final Indie Cruise, my signature Caribbean retreat for Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. Tickets are sold out, but I wanted to introduce you to some of the amazing presenters who will be sharing their knowledge and expertise with us when we gather in…
As you may know, later this month, I will host the last and final Indie Cruise, my signature Caribbean retreat for Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. Tickets are sold out, but I wanted to introduce you to some of the amazing presenters who will be sharing their knowledge and expertise with us when we gather in…
Welcome to Episode 71 of the Indie Business Podcast, all about how to make your business support your life! If you’ve listened to even just a few of our interviews with amazing Makers and Creative Entrepreneurs, you’ve surely noticed that most of them have one powerful personal entrepreneurial purpose in common. Here it is: they…
Let Your Customers and Colleagues Know That Your Membership is Current! The new 2020 Indie Business Network member badge is here! Indie Business Network members in good standing can log in and grab the code (without the watermark) for the badge for our 20th anniversary year. After you log in, choose the “Get Your Member…
It’s hard to fathom, but 2019 is nearly over, and with its conclusion comes the time for an amazing celebration for us here at the Indie Business Network. I’ll get to that in a few minutes, but first, I’m excited to reflect with genuine joy and happiness at the pleasure it has been to serve…
Welcome to Episode 70 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Marissa Bethoney of Precious Skin Elixirs in Boxford, Massachusetts. Marissa left a decade-long career as a jeweler to create a business that allowed her to feel better about simultaneously leading a business and being a mother. As you’ll enjoy learning…
We are excited to announce the winner of IBN’s Instagram Pod Holiday Giveaway. Our theme was Holiday Wonderland. It was fun! The IBN members who participated loved it, but no one is happier than our winner, @Tuscon_Vegan, whose colorful Instagram is all about vegan product reviews and deals. She will soon have a delightful collection…
Welcome to Episode 69 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Pam Rodgers of Stella Chroma, a nail polish brand in Richmond, Indiana. Pam started her business in 2012, and today, she manages the business while holding down a full-time job as a nurse practitioner. Since starting Stella Chroma, Pam has…
Following up on yesterday’s announcement, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health today hosted a hearing entitled, Building Consumer Confidence by Empowering FDA to Improve Cosmetic Safety. You can watch the hearing, with time stamps, below. If you are new to this blog, or this issue, new cosmetics laws have been under consideration since…
The House Energy and Commerce Committee will host a hearing regarding cosmetics regulations at 10:00am ET on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. For over a decade, this blog has recounted the journey of multiple pieces of proposed legislation designed to amend cosmetics laws in the United States. This post is the latest in that series. For…
Welcome to Episode 68 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Amber Malcom of Shabby Chick Cleaners in Duncan, Oklahoma. After being in business for just over three years, Amber has already appeared on several episodes of a popular home shopping show, entirely dismantled and re-built her business model, and is…