Friends
“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” -Jim Morrison My son is on the left, celebrating his 9th birthday this month, with his pals. Happy Birthday, Brooks!
IBN Member Spotlight: How Liana Spiegel of Marmalade Hills Landed a Live TV Appearance
Our member, Liana Spiegel of Marmalade Hills was featured on her local fox news station in Detroit, Michigan, earlier this week! Check it out here … for some views, there’s a short commercial first. Liana’s company operates out of a 2,000 square foot studio in Bloomfield Hills where they make 13 types of cosmetics and…
4 Ways To Encourage Repeat Sales
As your business grows, you will discover that it is far more profitable to earn repeat sales from existing customers than it is to pursue new ones. Of course you can’t slack off in terms of finding new prospects. But as you align your energies with the priority of satisfying existing customers, your job will…
Beyond Growing Pains For #Handmade Entrepreneurs
A few days ago, I attended the first Digital Business Bash here in Charlotte. (In case you missed it, I told you about it in this post.) Here I am (middle) with IBN member Lela Barker of Bella Lucce (left) in South Carolina and Susan Lassiter-Lyons (right) of Investor Insights in Colorado. Our speaker was…
IBN Member Julie Longyear Wins Neighborhood Business Of The Year Award
On October 5, our member, Julie Longyear, CEO of Irie Star in St. Louis, Missouri, was named the “Neighborhood Business of the Year” at the Mayor’s Business Luncheon. The award honors the company’s progress and commitment to the local North St. Louis City community. Here is Julie, looking fabulous, with her award. Julie tells me…
#HandMadeChat No. 23: How To Make Money At Local Craft Shows and Markets
Donna Maria shares Tweets from #HandmadeChat No. 23 to help you make more money at local shows and markets.
La Shonda Tyree, the Soap Coach, Advances In New Jersey’s “Start Something Challenge”
Our member, La Shonda Tyree, aka “Handmade Soap Coach” in Paterson, New Jersey, has been selected to move to the next round of New Jersey’s “Start Something Challenge!” To be considered, La Shonda was required to create a video to showcase how she would invest her financial prize. The winners will enjoy 25,000 in prizes:…
Cooking Up Candles With Small Gunns
This video from our members, Michelle & Diana Stock of Small Gunns in Emeryville, California, shows that handmade candles are not only beautiful when they are made with love, but are also fun. It made us so happy that we just had to share it with you! Like Small Gunns on FaceBook! SMALL BUSINESS COACHING…
Join Me at Charlotte’s Digital Business Bash, Wednesday, October 17
Earlier this year, my friend, Corey Creed, and I saw a need for a professional MasterMind group in Charlotte, North Carolina. We met a few times and then added Nate Kennedy to the group. We hashed out a format and decided to open the group up to others. We have since added a few more…
How To Get Through A Rough Patch In Your Business
Donna Maria shares her best tips for getting through a rough patch in your business, and coming out stronger on the other side of it.
#HandmadeChat: October 2012 LineUp
Each Thursday night at 8pm ET, IBN hosts #HandmadeChat, a weekly Twitter talk show designed to help you sell more of the products you make. If you’ve never attended before, now is the time. It’s fun, informative, and a super supportive environment where you’ll learn so much about making your business more successful. To learn…
#HandmadeChat No. 20: Creating A Membership Program For Your Business
Every Thursday evening from 8 to 9pm ET, I host #HandmadeChat, a Twitter talk show designed to help handmade business owners sell more of the products they make. While the show is aimed mainly at members of IBN, the topics and discussion can empower and encourage the growth of any small business owner. Yesterday, I…
IBN Members Named Minority Enterprise Development Entrepreneurs of the Year
Donna Maria shares the achievement of members Joseph and Laralyn Riverwind of Native Touch, LLC.
Get Listed In IBN’s Handmade Holiday Gift Guide 2012
Limited space is now available in IBN’s 2012 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide! As you can see from the cover, this is one eye-catching, festive piece of media, and we plan to put it in the hands of as many thousands of potential buyers as we can between October 15 and the end of the holiday…
#HandmadeChat: September 2012 LineUp
Each Thursday night at 8pm ET, IBN hosts #HandmadeChat, a weekly Twitter talk show designed to help you sell more of the products you make. If you’ve never attended before, now is the time. It’s fun, informative, and a super supportive environment where you’ll learn so much about making your business more successful. Here is…
#HandmadeChat: July 2012 LineUp
We are trying out a new format for the July 2012 edition of #HandmadeChat. Rather than having a guest “speaker” on our weekly topics, we will have a guest “facilitator.” I will introduce the facilitator and the topic. The facilitator will then lead the discussion, inviting anyone with something to share to join in and…
This Blog Is Being Transferred To a New Host
One of the reasons I’ve been posting less frequently lately is because I have been preparing for a new website launch. More about that later. For now, I wanted to let you know that this blog is currently undergoing a hosting transfer. For the next few days, you may notice intermittent downtime as content is…
Join Me On June 26: My Interview With Author and Feng Shui Expert, Tisha L. Morris
Are you ready to clear the clutter and allow more positive energy to flow through your business and your life? Feng shui offers a powerful, low-cost way to harness powerful energy forces that can transform your life and create a supportive environment where you can thrive. Today, dM will interview Tisha L. Morris, author of…
How To Get Your Kids To Eat Spinach
It’s Monday and I’m ready for another super week. There’s lot of great stuff happening at Indie as we close out June and head into July. For one, Team Indie and I are working hard to launch a new website for you. There are many moving parts to my business and this move will consolidate…
Join Me On May 29: My Interview with Danny Nardo of ABC Shark Tank’s Nardos Natural
If you’re like me, you are a huge fan of ABC’s Shark Tank, the show that airs each Friday night featuring five wealthy investors called “Sharks” who consider pitches from entrepreneurs seeking funding for their business or product. Earlier this year, four brothers from Tampa, Florida, pitched their line of Nardos Natural skin care products…
Asian Kale Salad
I love kale, and even better, so do my kids. It’s a super healthy veggie, and it’s easy to prepare and enjoy without messing up your fitness routine. This weekend, we devoured this easy Asian Kale Salad. Just wash a big, huge bunch of kale, and separate and discard the stems. Chop up the leaves…