Vault Episode #187: Melinda Emerson [Podcast]

The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 187 featuring my interview with Melinda Emerson. She is the author of the book, “Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months”. CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, author, speaker, and small business coach, Melinda…

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Fun and Learning This Week @ Indie Business

Before I get to the fun things coming up this week, I want to share how fantastic I feel after nearly a month of concerted effort to up my fitness game. I have surpassed my goal of 10,000 steps a day. I even took over 18,000 steps on Friday! I am enjoying running, just as…

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Going Out of Business Success Story: Blooming Lotus

Like many small business owners, wife and mother Jen Denslow didn’t know what to expect in 2000 when she launched Blooming Lotus, a natural cosmetics company in Kansas City. But she did know she had a passion for creating organic skin care designed with the health of humans, animals, and the planet in mind, and…

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How Do You Handle Requests For Free Advice?

Yesterday’s FaceBook Fan Page Question of the Day yielded some interesting discussions on the topic of balancing giving free small business advice with the need to guard time and trade secrets. I noticed a few helpful themes in the discussion), so I thought I would share some of them with you. Of course all small…

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How To Fit In Fitness, And Still Get Stuff Done

On March 1, the first day I wore a pedometer, I took under 1,000 steps. Since health experts say that at least 10,000 steps a day are required to maintain an active lifestyle (5,000 steps a day is “moderately active,” and more than 10,000 a day are required in order to lose weight), I knew…

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What Do You Make People Feel?

People will not buy a product a second time if it doesn’t work the first time. But why do people buy a particular product in the first place? It’s hardly ever because the person they buy it from is the only source for it. It’s almost always because of the experience that comes along with…

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Vault Episode #186: Rawn Shaw [Podcast]

The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 186 featuring my interview with Rawn Shaw, the author of “Social Networking for Business: Choosing the Right Platforms to Meet Your Needs.” With a wealth of experience in this field, Rawn is here…

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Tips From the Trenches For Moms In Business

A few years ago, I met the only real, professional concert pianist I have ever known, Angela Jia Kim. Angela owns New York-based cosmetics company, Om Aroma. She also manages Savor The Success, a women’s networking group. While I’ve never met Angela in person, we communicate regularly as fellow mompreneurs. I am also one of…

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Coming Up This Week @ Indie Business

This will be a fun week with lots of excitement, growth and learning. Before I get to that, I want to thank everyone who sent well wishes when I and my children were sick last week. As as I write this, I’m back from a 2.33-mile run on the treadmill (it’s raining outside), and I…

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I'm the New "Mayor" of the YMCA!

Foursquare is a location-based social networking site that allows you to earn rewards for “checking in” at locations in your area. According to a recent post in the Social Media Examiner, FourSquare receives more than 1 million check-ins per week. I enjoy checking in at a variety of places including book stores and coffee shops,…

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3 Tips For Getting Back on the Fitness Wagon After Illness

Earlier this month, my daughter was diagnosed with strep throat. Last Sunday afternoon, my throat began to scratch. Last Sunday night, my son started hacking. My husband and I gave each other that “this will be a fun parenting time” look, and entered the week. Despite the fact that we are all generally healthy, before…

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The Bored and the Restless

I maintained the Lifestyle CEO blog from September 2005 to September 2006. I recently reviewed it for content I could share with you here. It’s interesting to look back and see where my head was 5 years into my business, now that I’m 10 years into it. I hope you are enjoying some of the…

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The "Mommy Penalty"

I maintained the Lifestyle CEO blog from September 2005 to September 2006. I recently reviewed it for content I could share with you here. I was delighted to discover that nearly every post, including this one from September 29, 2005, is more relevant today in some ways than it was when I originally published it.…

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I'm Speaking at the Soap Guild Conference!

One thing that sets a successful business apart from an unsuccessful one is the extent to which the leader of the business makes it a priority to connect with other like-minded business owners. When I launched my first business (which, in case you don’t know, was making and selling soap), the first thing I did…

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Poo Chi: A New Way to Love Your Abs

When I am one of a billion recipients on an email message, I usually ignore it. But I’m glad I didn’t ignore this one. If you need a laugh (or another reminder of the importance of exercise), then you will enjoy this hilarious look at an enlightened way to love your abdomen. This video was…

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