Failure is uncomfortable and embarrassing. But it is also empowering, if you allow it to be. For one thing, failure helps you empathize with others. This is good not only in personal relationships, but also in business ones. When you empathize with the failures and challenges of others, you are better equipped to enhance their…
There was once a restaurant on the Atlanta, Ga, campus of Morehouse College called “Delights of The Garden.” Originally owned and operated by Imar Hutchins and some of his college friends, the restaurant was a huge success. The founders eventually opened two locations in my hometown of Washington, DC, one on the Howard University campus…
This is a guest post by John Easton, a recovering corporate executive turned entrepreneur. Through his Charlotte website design company, John helps small business owners create video, web and multimedia tools that turn “browsers” into “buyers.” Follow John on Twitter at @jeaston1. If you would like to submit a guest post for my blog, please…
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The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 185 featuring my interview with David Russo. He is the author of “17 Rules Successful Companies Use to Attract and Keep Top Talent.” David is the founder of a consulting firm specializing in…
Donna Maria extends an invitation to write for INDIE Business Blog!
Donna Maria shares a video where David Allen, author of “Getting Things Done,” provides tips on, well, getting things done. dM summarizes the tips in this post in case you don’t have time to watch the video. This is good stuff!
This is Part 5 in the “How to Turn Unused Space Into a Video Set” series, and am learning a lot as the dry wall goes up in the new Indie Business TV set. In this video, the contractor says we should be ready to paint and decorate in a few days! All it takes…
After our introductory video, I shared how we plan to control the light, a very important part of planning your set. I also told you about the exciting arrival of the dry wall that will cover our set. Today, I want you to see how the dry wall application is going. Since we are a…
For those who may be new here, I am the president of the Indie Beauty Network, a trade organization representing small manufacturers of soaps, cosmetics, candles, fragrances and aromatherapy products. IBN members also make confectionery products and jewelry, and many members provide services to the companies that make products. I am an attorney (though not…
Yesterday, I started using the pedometer given to me as a surprise Christmas gift by Anne-Marie Faiola of Brambleberry. I decided against a morning run so I could prepare for the hearings on the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act, which ran from 3:30pm to 8:44pm EST. According to Kimberly Linton, my guest on yesterday’s…
Today, I listened to the live testimony given in support of and in opposition to the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act (HB 10-1248). I am told that an audio recording of the testimony will be made publicly available by the Colorado legislature and if so, I will post it when it becomes available. Although…
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The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 184 featuring my interview with Kimberly Linton, also known as Washington D.C.’s toughest trainer. Today, she’ll be sharing valuable insights for business owners on how to incorporate fitness into their busy schedules, promoting…
Donna Maria introduces the Indie Business Book Club.
A few weeks ago, I posted about enjoying lunch with my daughter at her school. For such a short post, it generated a lot of discussion, perhaps in part because it struck a nerve with other women who simultaneously perform professionally and as mothers, without compromising either “career”. I’ve posted in depth about these issues…
Yesterday was another fun FaceBook Friday! If you missed the previous FaceBook Friday about ways to attract people to your Fan Page, you can read it here.) This week’s question was aimed at getting a sense of what small and independent business owners consider when decided whether or not to join a competitor’s FaceBook Page.…
As you know, I have been blogging the past few days in my capacity as the leader of IBN about the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act. Below is the text of a draft template you can use to send a letter to the Colorado legislature voicing your opposition to the Colorado Safe Personal Care…
A few days ago, I told you about the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act, which purports to seek to protect people in Colorado from substances in cosmetics that “cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.” I do not like cancer and I do not want children, born or unborn, to be subject to unnecessary hazards. But…
This is Ivette. She is a native Puerto Rican who recently relocated to Charlotte via New York City. Ivette is a newly minted certified Zumba instructor, and she wore me out in tonight’s class. She has lost 20 pounds over the course of the past 23 months. Go Ivette! Sent from my iPhone Posted via…
Earlier this month, I watched part of a CNN’s Black In America 2. In one segment, Soledad O’Brien interviewed Steve Perry, PhD, principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Ct. Born on his mother’s 16th birthday, into a 3rd generation of poverty, Dr. Perry had all odds against him. Today, he is a brilliant…
Next Monday, Kimberly Linton will be my guest on Indie Business Radio. You can see from the photo below, Kimberly means business! I recently stepped up my fitness efforts in order to put a healthy body alongside a healthy business. I plan to start Kimberly’s virtual fitness training program on March 1, and you can…
In November, I shared my views as leader of IBN on the FDA Globalization Act of 2009. This post was followed by a second trip to Washington, DC to meet with Food & Drug Administration (FDA) officials and staffers in the House Energy & Commerce Committee. I have also shared my views on President Obama’s…