I always get such a thrill when I see Indie Beauty Network member products in shops that I just happen to stumble upon. Today, it was The Olive Branch near my new hometown in North Carolina. I love decorating my home (even though I’m not terribly good at it) and I have noticed the shop…
Details
The new embroidered branded t-shirts I ordered for the whole family are here! Since my husband’s is in the laundry, my son refused to cooperate during my impromptu photo shoot and I don’t look nearly as good in mine as my daughter does in hers, here’s my sweet Vanessa wearing our brand on her sleeve,…
Details
At the Mocha Moms conference this weekend, Holly Robinson Peete was the keynote speaker. You may know that she recently shared with the world that one of her kids has autism. At the conference, she spoke on the topic of how parents must fight for their children in all cases, especially in the face of…
Details
Indie Beauty Network member Jamila White is a busy woman these days. In addition to working on a lucrative e-commerce consulting project for the Smithsonian Institution, she serves several clients one-on-one and also runs j.blossom, a bath and body products company aimed at young girls. I caught up with Jamila yesterday at the Mocha Moms…
Details
Today, I spoke at the Mocha Moms National Conference outside Atlanta, Georgia. Without Mocha Moms, my life as a young mother would have been a train wreck. After marrying in May 2000, quitting my job in November 2000 to start my business and delivering my daughter Vanessa (here enjoying her first birthday cake) in October…
Details
This time last year, my family and I sold our home and were packing our life up to move nearly 600 miles away from everything we knew and held dear to the great state of North Carolina. My husband and I were born and raised in Washington, DC, and grew up in the same neighborhood.…
Details
I was in the grocery store the other day and saw this Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) sign from a mile away. The salad dressing I really wanted was full price, so what did I do? I bought my second choice because it was BOGO. It’s easy for a conglomerate with 20 stores in…
Details
If you could be guaranteed Indie Business success just by remembering 3 things, and working according to them, would you be up to the challenge? If so, here is today’s tip: The Indie Business Trifecta.Read it. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Act on it. 1. Make Technology Your Slave.Big topic, I know. But let’s start…
Details
Congratulations to Indie Beauty Network member Rachel Lane of Barcelona Bath & Body, the best little soaphouse in Texas. (Well, candles, sachets and room spray too, but they messed up my catchy title). Rachel won a copy of Marie Gale’s book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain…
Details
My 5-year old daughter recently said to her 3-year old brother, "When you are 10, you get a cell phone, and when you are 16, you get a boyfriend. Right mommy?" My son responded, "I’ll never have a boyfriend." (Is that a good thing? Can’t handle it right now …) Meanwhile, there was my darling…
Details
This morning on a whim, I interviewed Vanessa (age 5) to find out what she thinks of all this Indie Business stuff. She was a little shy at first, but if you adjust your volume a little, you can enjoy her sweet view of things here.* After that, Vanessa decided to interview me. You can…
Details
Success. It’s different for everyone, yet everyone wants it. But sometimes beneath the surface lurks an attitude of destructive pride and selfishness which I call Success Excess. Everyone wants to enjoy as much success as possible. Yet success cannot be enjoyed when it is defined by what someone else is doing or not doing. Consider…
Details
Since it was originally published in 2007, this article has been slightly edited to remove dead links and update the formatting. Thank you for visiting! The media devotes much attention to big business success, but not so much to small family business success. Let’s also hear it for the “regular” moms and dads who are…
Details
Interview with soapmaker Marie Gale, author of Soap & Cosmetic Labeling Book.
Details
A few days ago, I was invited to be a guest on Growing Your Business Radio with Fred Hueston and Lynna Farkas. The interview was recorded last week and will air on Monday, July 9 at 8:00pm EST at Growing Your Business Radio. Fred and Lynna asked for my impression of the recent Monster.com poll…
Details
Indie Beauty Network member Tammy Doering has a dirty business, and she’s proud of it. As the self proclaimed "Mud Queen," Tammy’s out to change the world’s perception of mud as a dirty, gooey mess that everyone should avoid. As the owner of Dead Sea Bulk Materials in Anniston, Alabama, Tammy shows up at women’s…
DetailsWhile tooling around today, I found a site that allows you to assemble your "visual DNA" by choosing pictures that best represent your personal preferences in a variety of areas of life. Here’s mine. Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™ I am pretty easy going, love to escape to the ocean, believe that…
Details
Life, liberty and the pursuit of Indie! I love living in America because of the opportunity I have been given to pursue the kind of lifestyle that works best for me, my husband and my children. It’s not the easiest lifestyle, and it comes with lots of changes and a certain amount of unpredictability. But…
Details
For many years, I subscribed to Victoria Magazine. I loved it because the photography was beautiful and the editorial staff took a special interest in woman Indie Business owners. Each month, they featured the story of a woman in business and at the end of the year, invited readers to vote for their favorite. The…
Details
I recently confirmed that I will be speaking at the 2007 Conference of Mocha Moms, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia in August. Mocha Moms is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting mothers of color who have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote more time to their families. I serve…
Details