Moms Love Lucy!

I am joining you today from the studios of WUSA-Channel 9, the CBS affiliate in my hometown of Washington, DC. (Go ‘Skins!), fresh from taping "Moms Love Lucy," a show to help the station launch DVM moms.com. Moms Love Lucy will air on Friday, September 1 from 8 to 10:00pm EST, and will feature me…

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Time Is Money (Blogging For Business: Part II)

Time is money, and Indies don’t have a lot of either so it’s important that we invest our time and money on things that yield a tangible business benefit. Yesterday’s post shared some of the benefits of blogging. Today, we discuss the other side of the coin (pun intended …)             …

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Big Blog Benefits (Blogging For Business: Part I)

Since I launched Indie Business Blog nearly 4 months ago, I have received many questions from Indies who want to know if blogging can enhance their business, and if so, how to get started. Let’s begin with a high level look at the benefits of blogging for business. 1. Your blog keeps lines of communication…

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The Jibbitz Blitz

In football, a blitz occurs when a defensive player charges the quarterback with the goal of forcing the football from his hands by any means necessary.              After making decorations for their Crocs with clay and rhinestones, Sheri and Rich Schmelzer and their kids started selling them to family and friends.…

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Why I Love Paula Deen

It was exactly sixteen years ago that I took responsibility for my own life. The first step in doing this was creating a business that could afford my sons and me financial independence."              So wrote Paula in the introduction to a chapter from her cookbook, Paula Deen & Friends: Living…

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Question: How Do You Do It All?

Answer: I don’t. (And yes, my life looks like this sometimes.)            I get this question a lot. I don’t do it all. If it looks that way, it’s because I set priorities so at least I accomplish as many important tasks a week as possible. Having said that, I don’t always…

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In The Beginning Was The Passion

Many great spiritual texts start with the creation of the world, summarizing a mysterious process where a great and powerful being made something out of nothing. What passion that reflects! A similar fire burns inside all of us, just waiting for a chance to ignite. Last week, my mother found a copy of my very…

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Vault Episode #75: Jill Iurato [Podcast]

The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 75 featuring my interview with Jill Iurato. In today’s world, conventional styles of work often leave people feeling unfulfilled. As a response, there is a growing trend of “moonlighting,” where individuals start…

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Your Best Trade Show Now

Indie Beauty Network member Jennifer Hardaway of KLEAN Bath and Body is a woman on the move. In addition to holding down a full time job, she makes and sells fabulous products, including this luscious German Chocolate Cake Body Scrub. Decadence in a jar, do you hear me?! Can you stand it? Of course not,…

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Your Name In Fights

I used to hate my name. My mother named me Donna because she liked the Donna Reed Show. Great. I’m named after the perfect television stay-at-home wife and mother. Oh well. At least people can pronounce my name. My late father was not so lucky. His name was Acrafare James Coles, but since no one…

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A Father’s Choices

My father died in late June. He had been ill for quite some time. Still, it was a jolt like I have never felt before. As the days since his passing have melted into weeks, and now a few months, I have had numerous chances to reflect upon his impact upon my life. I know…

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Ally Kats: Today's Happy Indie Surprise

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…

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Wear Your Brand On Your Sleeve

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,…

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Vault Episode #74: Aliza Sherman [Podcast]

The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 74 featuring my interview with Aliza Sherman, the author of “Everything Blogging Book”. This episode is dedicated entirely to blogging, and Aliza is a true Web pioneer, online marketing expert, and a published…

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