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.
I was fighting a severe cold during this interview, and we had some audio difficulties, but I wanted you to meet Diane as soon as possible so you could have the benefit of her experience right away! Welcome to Season 2, Episode 8 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this eighth episode of our Women,…
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 7 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this seventh episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I introduce you to my guest Anne-Marie Faiola of Bramble Berry in Bellingham, Washington … and boy, are you in for a treat. Anne-Marie is one of the most evolved entrepreneurs I know. She has…
I launched Indie Business TV way back in 2007 when online video was in its infancy and I didn’t know what I was doing and YouTube was only two years old. Fast forward to today, and I am excited to re-launch Indie Business TV at a brand new channel on YouTube. You can subscribe here.…
Yesterday, the Coalition of Handcrafted Entrepreneurs (COHE) launched. Designed to support small businesses in the soap and cosmetic industry, COHE makes it easy for small businesses and the public in general stay up to participate in the legislative process. Among other things, the Coalition of Handcrafted Entrepreneurs features a News Page that makes it easy…
This morning, I had the pleasure of hosting my friend, Melinda Emerson, at the Urban League of the Central Carolinas for a morning of small business networking and learning. You may know Melinda as “Small Biz Lady,” the one who hosts the weekly #SmallBizChat. Here we are cheesing a bit before Melinda took the stage.…
Our member coaching call is coming up later today, and if you’re a member, you need to be there to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs who want to accelerate their growth both personally and professionally. Over the years, I have found that many entrepreneurs, especially newer ones, are afraid to speak up and ask questions. This…
I am doing more traveling than ever these days, especially now that my children are a bit older and I personally feel more comfortable being away from home more. One event I am especially excited about is the Tennessee Soap and Candle Social coming up February 28 to March 2 at Paris Landing State Park…
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 6 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this sixth episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I introduce you to my guest Wardee Harmon of Traditional Cooking School in Sutherlin, Oregon. Wardee and I met online four years ago when I contacted her out of the blue to ask…
You may not be in Charlotte, North Carolina, like me, but even if you cannot attend this event, I still want yu to know about it, and to know about my friend, Melinda Emerson — also known as Small Biz Lady. Click the image below to print out the flyer. Register here. The Indie Business…
We love it when our members use video to tell their stories. If you have a handmade business, you are so lucky that you never have to do much work to create a fun video that can be shared thousands (or maybe millions!) of times during the life of your business. For example, check this…
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 5 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this fifth episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I introduce you to my guest and dear personal friend, Pierre Bennu, of exittheapple in Baltimore, Maryland. Pierre and I first met in 2010 when he joined me and his lovely wife, Jamyla…
Are you telling your brand story? Sure, some storytelling happens by default. You have to have an About page at your website, so people can read about your story there. If you do a trade show, you can tell your story in person. But those are static events. To truly solidify your brand in the…
Here is a positively beautiful bar of handmade soap. It’s Cranberry & Figs from our member over at Hill Country Haiku in Spicewood, Texas. Not surprisingly, it’s cross between the tartness of of cranberries and the sweetness of figs. What may be surprising is what a work of art it is. How gorgeous is this?…
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 4 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this fourth episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, we focus on all things local, rural, and small town with my guest Becky McCray of Small Biz Survival in Alva, Oklahoma … population 4,000 (give or take). Becky and her husband own…
Last month, some of our members were kind enough to send us some of their awesome handmade beauty products as a holiday “thank you” for how we serve them throughout the year. One of the products we received is a wonderful facial cream from our member, Marilene Richardson, at Songcroft Naturals in Monroe, Washington. I’ll…
Remember at the turn of the century when everyone predicted that the advance of the Internet and social media spelled the end of “real” personal communications? The theory was that, since you could connect online, there would be no need to connect in person anymore. Over the years, we have seen that this is simply…
Earlier this month, I attended the American made Show and the Arts Business Institute in Washington, DC. Hosted by Wendy Rosen (pictured in the front with me and some IBN members), the American Made Show is the premier wholesale trade show for handmade American made products. The Arts Business Institute is hosted in conjunction with…
Entrepreneurship can be fun. Well, it is fun. But it’s also messy, really messy. But it’s less messy when you approach your challenges in an environment where you are constantly supported. When people are there to help you, the challenges are less daunting. When you regularly soak up the energy of like-minded people, and share…
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 3 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this third episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I am going outside my comfort zone to introduce you to someone I barely know, but who has had a big positive impact on how I view entrepreneurship. One day, I got an…
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 2 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this second episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I’m sharing an invigorating conversation with a woman I have known for the past decade, and who has become an intricate part of our my life. While our relationship was once all business,…
In 2009, I published a blog post about my then new social networking strategy. My focus was on Facebook, though other social media outlets were mentioned. Recently, a discussion in our Indie Business Network member Secret Facebook Group reminded me of that 2009 post, and how important it is to be intentional about how we…
