While tooling around today, I found a site that allows you to assemble your "visual DNA" by choosing pictures that best represent your personal preferences in a variety of areas of life. Here’s mine. Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™ I am pretty easy going, love to escape to the ocean, believe that…
Life, liberty and the pursuit of Indie! I love living in America because of the opportunity I have been given to pursue the kind of lifestyle that works best for me, my husband and my children. It’s not the easiest lifestyle, and it comes with lots of changes and a certain amount of unpredictability. But…
For many years, I subscribed to Victoria Magazine. I loved it because the photography was beautiful and the editorial staff took a special interest in woman Indie Business owners. Each month, they featured the story of a woman in business and at the end of the year, invited readers to vote for their favorite. The…
I recently confirmed that I will be speaking at the 2007 Conference of Mocha Moms, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia in August. Mocha Moms is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting mothers of color who have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote more time to their families. I serve…
Despite some advertisements and prominent headlines, you do not have to be drowning in profits to be a success in business. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for profit. Make money, yes. But Indie Business owners achieve success in part because they don’t buy into the lie that unless you are a millionaire several times…
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the World Health Organization reported that mental disorders comprise 4 of the top 5 sources of premature death and disability in 15 – 44 year olds in the Western world. Schizophrenia is one of the most devastating forms of mental illness. Of those who suffer, only a…
Taken following my daughter’s pre-K graduation ceremony a few weeks ago (that’s her in the yellow dress), this photo captures the joy of life through the eyes and squeals of several 5-year old girls. Life can be difficult between this stage and adulthood. It can even have a way of stealing the kind of purity…
I am celebrating today because my friend Jacci Thompson-Dodd’s new book, Whole: Women Healing Ourselves With Loving Energy: 12 Principles For Rebuilding Life After Breast Cancer, is finally available! Jacci is a wife, mother and health care professional whose career has focused on implementing programs to serve the African American community. She has been working…
40 is the new 20, which makes me 24. While I am The New 24, my eyes are painfully unaware of the latest sociological perspectives. So my dear friend and fellow Indie Business owner Kevin told me I needed some reading glasses. He had a pair with green frames, and they looked pretty hip so…
Chocolate is not just for eating. If you don't believe me, try Rendezvous' Chocolate Soap made with real chocolate. When it arrived in the mail, I had a hard time not biting into it. Rendezvous owners Erik and Karen Burgess are a husband and wife team who are raising two kids while making all kinds…
In 5 Reasons To Be Indie, I listed 5 reasons why being Indie is so great: Income, Newsworthy, Destiny, Independence, Equity. Being Newsworthy is all about creating a "buzz" about what you are selling as you simultaneously pursue your passions, help others and support yourself and your family. To create this buzz, you have to…
Swimming with my 5-year old daughter today reminded me of the similarities between Indies and children learning how to swim. When learning to swim, kids need to rely on inner tubes, inflatable arm bands and swimwear with personal flotation devices built in. These "safety nets" empower new swimmers and encourage them to gain confidence in…
The battle lines are being drawn in the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) move to stop Whole Foods Market from merging with Wild Oats. (See June 5 press release.) If you're an Indie business owner selling natural or organic products, you'll want a ring side seat for this one. Why? Because if the merger goes through,…
The Indie Business Radio Show will be back on June 25 with Jen Blackert, the Small Business Marketing & Success Coach. In the meantime, please visit the show Archives to enjoy downloads and streams of other great shows.
As a full fledged Indie business owner, these days, I don’t choose a coffee shop based on the food and beverages it serves. I choose it based on the following cirteria: 1. Do they offer free Wi-Fi for customers?2. Do they have enough electrical outlets in the walls so I can compete with everyone else…
"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!" ~ Lydia M. Child I knew it was coming, but it’s sneaking up on me like never before this year. Father’s Day is right around the corner, on June 17! Don’t settle for the tired old soap on a rope or a…
Due to the sudden hospitalization of my father, today’s Indie Business Radio Show with Dr. Brad Swift has been postponed to a later date, to be announced. In the meantime, you can buy Dr. Swift’s book, "Life On Purpose" at Amazon. A special encore of my show with Jamila White, the "E-Commerce Diva," will air…
Vision is an essential element of any business. If you do not have a vision for what your business will become, you cannot wisely choose which steps to take to achieve anything. This short clip represents the first steps toward implementation of an expanded vision for Indie Business Media. That was the first show introduction…
While I run my business almost entirely online, I am surprisingly awful with computers. I am particularly terrible at using traditional software programs like PhotoShop to edit and load clear, quality images to my websites and blog without pulling out all of my hair (or what’s left of it since I whacked it off earlier…
Here are some pictures from the Conference of Handcrafted Soap Makers held earlier this month. As you can see, I was like the paparazzi flitting around from one Indie to another meeting, greeting and photo-opping. Will post more photos later. L. dM and Brenda Sievers of Oak Court Creations. Brenda sells soap, candle and cosmetic…
As a former full-time attorney, I have several dysfunctions. Apparently, one of them is using 50 words when I only need 28. I was delighted when Marcia Yudkin (pictured) responded to my request for tips on brevity by describing my writing as "strong but repetitive". She then published "Shorter: Say It In Fewer Words," 40…