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.
Welcome to Season 3, Episode 3 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this third episode of my Makers on Main Street series, I introduce you to Jamyla Bennu of Oyin Handmade in Baltimore, Maryland. You’ll be so inspired by how Jamyla has grown her business from a tiny kitchen operation to a retail store with…
I received this fun video via email over the weekend. It’s all about the product that that put in motion the sequence of events that led to the start of the Indie Business network: soap. The first part of the video is about the many varieties of soaps and detergents (key word there) on the…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, I host #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our topic last night was How to Pitch Your Products to Holiday Gift Guides, and my guest…
Welcome to Season 3, Episode 2 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this second episdoe of my Makers on Main Street series, I introduce you to Keith Emmons and Robert Ungemach of Opportunity Market in Dallas, Texas. Keith and Robert are partners in life and in business, and each serves a different leadership role at…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, I host #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our topic last night was 5 Step To Use Instagram to Tell Your Brand Story, and my…
Welcome to Season 3, Episode 1 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this first episode of my third season, I’m thrilled to share the theme for Season 3: Makers on Main Street. Don’t you just love that?! Considering all the talk we hear from lawmakers and media pundits about “Main Street” businesses that are really…
The links in this post have been updated to reflect that registration for Connection Day: New York City is closed. To register for upcoming Connection Day events in a city near you, click here. Thank you for visiting! I am pleased to announce Connection Day 2015: New York City, on September 14, 2015, with hotel…
If you and I have known each other for a while, then you know that I am a big fan of helping people build a personal brand that leverages and supports their Maker brand. Lately, I have had more opportunities to work with people who are more interested in strengthening their personal brand to support…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, I host #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our topic last night was 10 Facts to Know Abut the Personal Care Products Safety Act of…
Find Indie Makers has been replaced by IBN’s official Member Directory. I am pleased to announce the launch of Find Indie Makers, a new website that helps you find and buy the locally made artisanal and handmade products you love so much! Find Indie Makers is a showplace for the products and services produced and…
Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced S-1014: Personal Care Products Safety Act of 2015. You can read it here. This piece of legislation is the latest in a string of proposed cosmetics laws that have been introduced and/or circulated on Capitol Hill since 2008, but which have either never been referred…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, I host #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our topic last night was How to Add New Income Streams to Your Maker Business, and my…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, the Indie Business Network hosts #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our guest this week was ME, Donna Maria! Our topic last night is near…
Today is one of my favorite days of the month because we host our monthly member coaching call this afternoon! I love expert authors and gurus, but peer-to-peer mentoring is the best because you get insights and advice from people who are doing what you are doing. They GET you, so they know how to…
What an amazing Season 02 we had on the Indie Business Podcast! It was thrill to share the stories of how our guests knocked down every fear and every wall in pursuit of their best selves. We are now gearing up for Season 03, the first episode of which will be released on May 6.…
Athough it’s hard to capture seven days of Masterminding and Eastern Caribbean excursions in just a few seconds, this video offers a taste of the awesomeness that was #IndieCruise 2015. Our theme for #IndieCruise 2015 was Unleash Your Awesome: Branding Breakthroughs for Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. From February 8 to February 15, 2015. We had…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, the Indie Business Network hosts #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our guest this week was Rachel Daley, Content Manager at Made Freshly. Made Freshly…
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 12 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this eleventh and final episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I introduce you to Neenz Faleafine of Pono Media in Hawaii. Through her business, Neenz helps entrepreneurs develop “virtual solutions for real-life results.” Some might say she is a social media…
Welcome to #MakerBizChat, the only weekly chat on Instagram! #MakerBizChat is a peer-to-peer networking and mentoring event where Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs come together to learn, share, grow, and meet other like-minded small business owners. #MakerBizChat takes place on Wednesdays from 8-8:30pm ET, and all you need to participate is your mobile phone open to…
This week, for the first time, I invited a guest to deliver one of your Indie Business Tips! Author and speaker Marlon Smith and I met on Thursday to record some video to announce his new “Personal Branding Summit,” coming up in Charlotte next month. While there, I asked him to share a 10-second business…
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 11 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this eleventh episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I introduce you to my friend Lisa Price, the founder of Carol’s Daughter. In 1992, Lisa began making lotions and potions in her Brooklyn kitchen, and selling them under the brand name Carol’s…
