We’ve known how awesome handmade soap is for decades, but some people are just now figuring it out. Check this video of rapper Kendrick Lamar and NBA great Shaquille O’Neal finally “getting it.” How fun is that? This video is part of American Express’s Shop Small initiative, where card holders can earn rewards when they…
I am pleased to announce the November-December 2016 Indie Business Book Club pick: Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want, by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy. Click here to join the club for free on Facebook. If you’re not familiar with Indie Business Book Club, click here to…
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Welcome to Episode 50 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I introduce you to Meagan Sincock of Wildly Natural in Bennington, Kansas. Wildly Natural is a fun and fairly new mineral makeup company run by a woman who loved makeup so much that she talked her mom into becoming a Mary Kay consultant…
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Welcome to Episode 49 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I introduce you to Ronda Porter-Altema of Soude Haiti, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping the people of Haiti build self-sustaining businesses and become more economically empowered. I recorded this interview just a few short days after Hurricane Matthew left a path…
On Thursday (tomorrow, September 22, 2016), the The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing at 10am EST. The topic of the hearing is Exploring Current Practices in Cosmetic Development and Safety. You can watch the hearing live at this link. If you are a member of the Indie Business Network,…
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Welcome to Episode 48 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I’ll introduce you to Toushonta of Scent_sa-tional Soaps in Los Angeles, CA. As you’ll hear on this episode, Toushonta has had two phases of her business. The first was a warmup phase, which ended when she worked through a bit of an entrepreneurial…
I am sure you are familiar with the acronym, DIY, standing for “do-it-yourself.” But you are probably not familiar with the new acronym I just created, DYI, standing for “do-yourself-in.” One of the biggest mistakes you can make in business is to rely on the Internet to teach you everything you need to know to…
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Welcome to Episode 47 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I’ll introduce you to Andrea Hence Evans, Esq. of The Law Firm of Andrea Hence Evans outside my fabulous hometown of Washington, DC. (Sorry for calling it episode 46 in the podcast recording.) As you’ll hear on this episode, as a former practicing…
Now that you know how a branded Facebook group can help your business grow, it’s time to learn how to lead a successful Facebook group, so it produces the results you want. Leading a successful Facebook group is not complicated, but it requires a good bit of thought. If you’ve ever been a part of…
Did you know that managing branded Facebook groups can help you grow your business? You may have heard a lot about Facebook groups recently, especially since Facebook has forced business page managers to pay a fee to display more than a few of their posts to their fans. As a result of this “pay to…
It’s time for the Summer 2016 30-Day Blog Your Brand Challenge, and we start right now! This is the perfect time for a blogging challenge. It’s July, but we are moving steadily and quickly toward the fall season, and now is the time to attract people to your site for a look-see so you have…
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Welcome to Episode 46 of the Indie Business Podcast! This episode marks a bit of a milestone: it’s the first ever in which I am not interviewing a guest. I am not changing the things permanently. I will continue to bring you the best inspirational stories of Makers around the nation, but I am changing…
One of the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur is that she is a relentless multiplier. The same can be said of any successful person really, but the ability to bring about multiple beneficial business outcomes as a result of a single action is a requirement for everyone who expects to lead a profitable and sustainable…
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Welcome to Episode 45 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I’ll introduce you to Christina Wennstrom of Soap Seas in Redondo Beach, California. Before we dive in, I want you to know that I recorded this episode at my mother’s dining room table on a day when her alarm malfunctioned and my children…
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Welcome to Episode 44 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I’ll introduce you to Khadija Dawn Carryl of Henna Sooq, Elkridge, Maryland. Khadija launched Henna Sooq 11 years ago when she was the mother of four kids under the age of six. Today, her business has multiple income streams, and she credits a…
Today, I’m excited to share that La Shonda Tyree will be a speaker on my 7th Annual #IndieCruise Mastermind Retreat at the beautiful Club Med Luxury Resort & Spa in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on January 15 – 20, 2017. Our block is sold out at the early bird pricing, but there are some regular…
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Welcome to Episode 43 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I’ll introduce you to Jennifer Hardaway of KleanSpa in Burbank, California. As you’ll hear first-hand, Jennifer got the idea for her brand in December 2004 while driving down the street, just minding her business. By 2005, she was making and retailing sugar scrubs…
There are 227 days to go until my 7th Annual #IndieCruise Mastermind Retreat! In case you missed it, we’ll be gathering at the beautiful Club Med Luxury Resort & Spa in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on January 15 – 20, 2017. It will be here before you know it, so if you have not registered,…
Along with you, today, I honor those who served! I have never lost a loved one to war, but I know that many of you have, or you have served with the fallen. As we relax, beach, and barbecue today, I join you in remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we could have…
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Welcome to Episode 42 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this podcast episode, I introduce you to Michelle Smith of MamaSuds, Maker of natural cleaning products in Goodrich, Michigan. Michelle is a former middle school teacher who began making household cleaners for her family after she and her husband began their family. Encouraged by her…
Wondering why you are not getting the results you think you deserve? By focusing on other people, you may be sabotaging your own success. It starts when you are young. Your brother gets a fancy birthday party, so you want a better fancy birthday party. Your sister got an expensive makeover for Christmas, and now…