The February 2015 Coaching Call is Today!

Our member coaching call is coming up later today, and if you’re a member, you need to be there to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs who want to accelerate their growth both personally and professionally. Over the years, I have found that many entrepreneurs, especially newer ones, are afraid to speak up and ask questions. This…

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Donna Maria to Keynote the 2015 Tennessee Soap and Candle Social

I am doing more traveling than ever these days, especially now that my children are a bit older and I personally feel more comfortable being away from home more. One event I am especially excited about is the Tennessee Soap and Candle Social coming up February 28 to March 2 at Paris Landing State Park…

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Season 2, Episode 6: “Women, Wealth and Wow” with Wardee Harmon [Podcast]

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 6 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this sixth episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I introduce you to my guest Wardee Harmon of Traditional Cooking School in Sutherlin, Oregon. Wardee and I met online four years ago when I contacted her out of the blue to ask…

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Join Donna Maria and Melinda Emerson, Your Small Biz Lady!

You may not be in Charlotte, North Carolina, like me, but even if you cannot attend this event, I still want yu to know about it, and to know about my friend, Melinda Emerson — also known as Small Biz Lady. Click the image below to print out the flyer. Register here. The Indie Business…

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How to Make Handmade Lip Balm [Video]

We love it when our members use video to tell their stories. If you have a handmade business, you are so lucky that you never have to do much work to create a fun video that can be shared thousands (or maybe millions!) of times during the life of your business. For example, check this…

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Season 2, Episode 5: “Women, Wealth and Wow” with Pierre Bennu [Podcast]

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 5 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this fifth episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I introduce you to my guest and dear personal friend, Pierre Bennu, of exittheapple in Baltimore, Maryland. Pierre and I first met in 2010 when he joined me and his lovely wife, Jamyla…

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Telling Your Brand Story Through Video [Video]

Are you telling your brand story? Sure, some storytelling happens by default. You have to have an About page at your website, so people can read about your story there. If you do a trade show, you can tell your story in person. But those are static events. To truly solidify your brand in the…

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Hill Country Haiku: Cranberry and Figs Handmade Soap

Here is a positively beautiful bar of handmade soap. It’s Cranberry & Figs from our member over at Hill Country Haiku in Spicewood, Texas. Not surprisingly, it’s cross between the tartness of of cranberries and the sweetness of figs. What may be surprising is what a work of art it is. How gorgeous is this?…

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Season 2, Episode 4: “Women, Wealth and Wow” with Becky McCray [Podcast]

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 4 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this fourth episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, we focus on all things local, rural, and small town with my guest Becky McCray of Small Biz Survival in Alva, Oklahoma … population 4,000 (give or take). Becky and her husband own…

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Handmade Beauty Products from Songcroft Naturals in Monroe, Washington

Last month, some of our members were kind enough to send us some of their awesome handmade beauty products as a holiday “thank you” for how we serve them throughout the year. One of the products we received is a wonderful facial cream from our member, Marilene Richardson, at Songcroft Naturals in Monroe, Washington. I’ll…

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The Internet: a Great Connector of People

Remember at the turn of the century when everyone predicted that the advance of the Internet and social media spelled the end of “real” personal communications? The theory was that, since you could connect online, there would be no need to connect in person anymore. Over the years, we have seen that this is simply…

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Sales Strategies for Artists From the American Made Show

Earlier this month, I attended the American made Show and the Arts Business Institute in Washington, DC. Hosted by Wendy Rosen (pictured in the front with me and some IBN members), the American Made Show is the premier wholesale trade show for handmade American made products. The Arts Business Institute is hosted in conjunction with…

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The January 2015 Coaching Call is Today!

Entrepreneurship can be fun. Well, it is fun. But it’s also messy, really messy. But it’s less messy when you approach your challenges in an environment where you are constantly supported. When people are there to help you, the challenges are less daunting. When you regularly soak up the energy of like-minded people, and share…

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Season 2, Episode 3: “Women, Wealth and Wow” with Kathleen Gage [Podcast]

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 3 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this third episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I am going outside my comfort zone to introduce you to someone I barely know, but who has had a big positive impact on how I view entrepreneurship. One day, I got an…

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Season 2, Episode 2: “Women, Wealth and Wow” with Lela Barker [Podcast]

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 2 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this second episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I’m sharing an invigorating conversation with a woman I have known for the past decade, and who has become an intricate part of our my life. While our relationship was once all business,…

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