Boot Camp Bonanza

Boot camps generally describe workshops that help you do things. Oprah’s Boot Camp will help you lose weight like a rich person. Writers Boot Camp will help find the writer in you. Mushing Boot Camp will help you learn to mush. But if you don’t have time to exercise, write or mush because you have…

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Great Eggspectations

It was Saturday morning. All I wanted was to do was scramble an egg and eat it all by myself, along with a biscuit and some fresh cantaloupe.              Here’s what happened instead.

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The Sooner, The Better

My daughter started kindergarden this morning. I teared up a little, but was mostly all smiles because I want to let her know that I whole heartedly encourage this first step toward independence and self sufficiency.              That's why I am baffled as to why some parents and educators disagree with…

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Cousin Buck’s Ribs at the Family Reunion

Last month, I traveled to my hometown of Washington, DC for a family reunion on my father’s side. These folks were brave enough to pose for a picture. My Cousin Bridgette (also an acclaimed opera singer who has performed with Placido Domingo), didn’t waste time once she decided to get the family together. She just…

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Bad Blogger

I used to be a Bad Blogger. I’ll get to that. A lot of people ask me about blogging for business these days. Some are excited to learn a new way to use technology. Others are frustrated because blogging is just one more thing they don’t have time for. I feel both ways depending on…

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The Family That Grinds Together Binds Together

During a radio show interview this morning, I was asked how couples could be successful in business despite challenging life issues that are common to all families. I told them about Kibby and Jay Mitra and Sheri and Rich Schmelzer. During the show, the hosts joked about how an increase in family businesses could result…

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First, Know Thyself

Recently, I worked with “Sarah,” an hebalist who asked me to review a “corporate identity” proposal she received from a graphics artist. The proposal was for $9,000 to create a logo, business cards, brochure, letterhead and other collateral materials. That’s a lot of money, but the bigger issue for Sarah was whether she knew herself…

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The Power Of One

Riding high on the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, The Walt Disney Company last year dumped several high level executives who were responsible for labor intensive projects that did not result in lucrative licensing deals. In June 2007, the third installment in the Pirates series took in $43.2 million worldwide in…

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A Needle In A Haystack

To express that it’s difficult to find something, you may say, “it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.” I felt that way a few days ago when someone called and said, “Hi, I found you in the September ’07 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine …”  I didn’t hear another word he said. I had…

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Vault Episode #76: Bill and Debbie Brink [Podcast]

The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 76 featuring my interview with Bill and Debbie Brink, the dynamic husband and wife owners of Pure Enchantment. In this special episode titled “Beauty, Business, and Blood,” we delve into the intriguing question…

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From Pillar To Post (Blogging For Business: Part IV)

While at the “Moms Love Lucy” taping yesterday, I shared with several women business owners how a blog could enhance their business. Their number one question was, “How do I know what to blog about?” The answer is simple: go from pillar to post. Bur first, a review. We started out by looking at several…

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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 …) Blogging is time consuming, and…

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