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.
A 1983 television commercial depicts “Fred, the Dunkin Donuts Guy,” who arose at 3:30AM daily, and headed to his Dunkin Donuts franchise to make donuts. As he rose from bed, he mumbled, “Time to make the donuts.” He also moaned, “I bet the guys who make super market donuts are still in bed.” I was reminded…
The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 168 featuring my interview with Shel Israel, author of “Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhood.” Shel is a social media journalist and public speaker who has extensively studied…
I am delighted to announce that IBN member and longtime sponsor of my work Anne-Marie Faiola, CEO of Bramble Berry, Inc., has launched the first iPhone application focused on the independent bath and body care products industry. I think it may even be the first iPhone app in the cosmetics industry, period. I am excited to…
Yesterday, I delivered a branding presentation to the artists, crafters and independent business owners at the Arts & Sciences Council of Charlotte, NC. Branding is such a huge topic, and while it was impossible to treat it thoroughly in the hour I had today, I managed to cover a lot of ground, and the students…
In nearly 10 years of serving small and independent business owners, I have made a lot of mistakes and I have seen a lot of mistakes. In fact, dozens of people are sharing the small business mistakes they’ve made right now over at our social networking site. Some mistakes are unique, but over the years,…
Donna Maria interviews Mike Michalowicz on how you can launch and manage your business in ways that maximize your chances of long term success and profitability.
On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (PDF). The Guides were issued pursuant to the FTCs authority, as granted by Congress in Section 5 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45, to protect consumers from deceptive trade practices with regard to endorsements and testimonials…
The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 167 featuring my interview with Mike Michalowicz, the author of “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur: The Tell It Like It Is to Cleaning Up in Business, Even If You’re at the End of…
I wrote my first official blog post on September 29, 2005. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that it has undergone many changes over years. I first used Movable Type. Then, with the help of Tasra Dawson, I switched to Typepad. Later, I switched to WordPress. When things didn’t work…
Donna Maria interviews Thom McKinney about the disciplines and mindset that helped him achieve, first as a military man, then as an actor, and then as a small business owner and speaker.
In this video and summary, Donna Maria summarizes her interview with Erik Qualman, author of “Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live and Do Business.”
The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 166 featuring my interview with Tom McKenney, author of “Play the Game To Win.” Tom’s life journey is marked by his efforts to escape the rule of a very authoritarian mother. He…
The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 165 featuring my interview with Erik Qualman, the author of “Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Ways We Live and Do Business.” Erik is the President of Online Marketing for EF Education,…