I have always loved roses. They smell fantastic and each one is so unique. The petals are soft and delicate. I guess it’s fitting that something so lovely should only last a few days. I got some roses today and this makes me very happy. Whether or not you get roses,…
3 Easy Steps: Teach, Inspire, Do Email newsletters are the most convenient, efficient and cost effective way to use technology to create, develop and enhance relationships with your customers around the globe. My Group Coaching session last night was filled with information on how to launch and maintain an email newsletter to grow your business.…
Indie Beauty Network Member On The Big Idea Even though I don’t ascribe to the belief that making millions is the ultimate small business goal, I do enjoy The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch. I especially like it when my friends are on the show. A few weeks ago, my friend and fellow Mocha Mom…
East Meets West In Wedding Design Business When Dorothy (“Dot” for short) was a child, she and her sisters desperately wanted a video game console. Rather than buy one for her children, Dot’s mother gave them some glue, paper and cardboard and told them to make their own video game. The sisters spent hours assembling…
Smart Philanthropy For Indie Business Owners As Indies, we like the idea of aligning our business with charitable causes that help those in need. As people, we enjoy helping others. As business owners, we enjoy the tax deduction. But how can we be sure that our donations really get to those…
Create Your Own Economy With My FREE Group Coaching Along with dozens of major newspapers yesterday, the New York Times reported that more Americans were laid off in January than in any other month in the last four years. To me, this is much more than a statistic. When my husband was laid off in…
Longtime Indie Beauty Member Struts Her Stuff I am always so pleased with the success of Indie Beauty Network members. Of course "success" is different for all 650+ of our members, but there’s no denying that video makes it easy to share what my members are doing. Today, I’m pleased to present this clip where…
Have Yours Fizzled or Sizzled? It’s the last day of the first month of 2008. Have your new year’s resolutions fizzled or sizzled? Let’s admit it, we Indie Business owners can easily set ourselves up by making resolutions that are a little unrealistic. And while hope may spring eternal, the reality is that specific goals…
… Is No Credit Card A few weeks ago, in response to a reporter’s query, I suggested that the best credit card for Indie Business owners was no credit card. I explained why. I never heard from her again. Presumably, her story ran without my input, but that’s OK becuase I…
I first discovered Carol’s Daughter products when I spoke at a women’s conference in Pennsylvania in 1996. A woman had a booth filled to the brim with goodies made from exotic fragrance oils, herbs and colors taken from natural ingredients like alkanet root and calendula. The first one I tried was Mimosa Hair Honey. Of…
Put The Needle On The Record When I was an attorney representing the business interests of a Fortune 500 company many years ago, my colleagues and I quickly figured out which arguments swayed the regulators to our side and which ones didn’t. As we preapred for a trial or hearing, we knew that, while we…
He Had A Dream So We Could Have A Chance What did he see through that window, this strange, brave black man? Smooth southern sun kissed skin, a broad nose and full lips — all so hated throughout so much of history. Doesn't he know that one person can't change the world? …
Work + Passion = Success There’s a lot of talk about "success" these days. In the business arena, I call it "Success Excess" because it seems as though most people inextricably link business success to financial excess. Consider the television shows which, though inspiring and entertaining, focus to a large extent on making millions, buying…
Indie Beauty Network Member Candles Light Up The World With the increase in the popularity of candles over the past decade, the Indie Beauty Network has experienced an explosion in the number of members making and selling candles. A few members, namely Kandle Indulgence Company in Georgia and Essentials NW in Washington sent me some…
How to Organize Your Coupons For Maximum Savings Save for your kids’ college education? Sock away some more money for your advanced years? Take a vacation to Fiji? Learn to fly jets? I’m not sure I’ll be learning how to fly jets any time soon, but I do want to go to Fiji, and I’m…
Is Your Website Like Cereal Without Milk, Dry, Tough and Boring? Have you ever tried eating cereal without milk? I’m not talking about the bite-sized treats that toddlers eat. I’m talking about real cereal, like granola and shredded wheat. You at least need some water or juice to help wash it down. …
My Grand Plan … Yeah, Right! It’s been nearly 13 years since I left the full-time practice of law to implement my grand plan to make a living manufacturing soap and other fragrant products at Maria Grace. I had no PR experience at the time, but instinctively, I knew that I needed to get the…
How To Get Things Done It’s easy to set goals and make resolutions, but when real life happens, it’s amazing how quickly goals and resolutions become yesterday’s news. Even though I don’t accomplish every one of my goals, the process of setting them ensures that my life and my business continue to move in a…
She Cares And Is Not Afraid To Show It Yesterday, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton choked up at a press conference. In case you didn't see one of the billion replays of the event, you can see it here. Tears Are Real When I lived in Washington, DC, two men who became known as…
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go For It In 2008 Still sitting around waiting for the New Year get up and go spirit to hit you? Then wait no more! If you’re not fired up for 2008, you will be after enjoying this segment where together, we get ready, aim and fire at our business…
… And Do It Now, Before It’s Too Late Yesterday, Netflix announced an agreement with LG Electronics to deliver movies directly to your high definition television set, bypassing the need to use a personal computer. This announcement is not surprising considering that it’s a smart use of technology that makes it easier for Netflix to…