Spirit Soulfire on SoundclickFor more information go to:http://www.myspace.com/spiritsoulfirehttp://www.myspace.com/kamalsupremehttp://www.soulgriots.comKamal Imani Management201-964-6275cipherkam@gmail.comsoulgriots@yahoo.com
http://www.soundclick.com/SpiritSoulfire
The Economic Message of the Century: Bail Yourself Out
Yesterday, I posted an in depth analysis of how the Emergency (which really isn't an emergency) Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 is affecting "real" small businesses. After yesterday's failed vote on the Act, and after listening to President Bush speak a few minutes ago, the post is even more relevant today. Together, the Act, the vote and the President's morning message point inevitably to one conclusion: you can and should bail yourself out.
Neither you nor I can expect the federal government alone to protect and defend our economic interests. That's true now, and it was true a century ago. Each one of us must climb his own group of stairs, pause at the top and begin to fly under the power of our own economic potential. Here's why you are your own best bail out plan, and what you can do now to start soaring.
1. Don't Panic.
Wall Street is panicking. President Bush is panicking. Maybe even some of your friends and family members are panicking. Don't follow suit. If you have to retreat from the television pundits, debates and talking heads to keep your cool, then do that. Take a deep breath, call on your faith, assess your personal situation and potential and take reasoned, determined steps to move forward in your own life.
More than ever, this reasoned assessment must include starting a business of your own.
2. Start a Business Today. In a segment on this morning's CNN program, the reporter cited a statistic that, between 1974 and 2007, the average income for American males declined 12%. No self-respecting man, whether or not he has a family, can look at that statistic and risk that a traditional job will secure his future. You have to have a business of your own.
I don't care if you start by selling old books out of your attic on ebay, and make a $2 profit. You have to start somewhere. Look around you, there are tons of options. Farrah Gray started selling painted rocks to school friends when he was six years old. Today, he's a successful business man. And look at Oprah. You can create your own brand of success, and you don't have to sell rocks. And you don't have to become mega-wealthy like Oprah.
Why? Because you have technology. If you don't have access to the Internet in your home, then your neighbor does, or your local library does. And yes, you may just have to take the bus there after you get off work. Remember, you have to be your own bail out plan. No one is going to do it for you. Use technology to use social media of all kinds to connect with others. You'll be amazed at the business opportunities that will come you way.
Want more options? Go down the street and offer to mow someone's lawn. Run errands for busy executives. Get a retail sales certificate from your state, buy some bagged potato chips from a wholesaler and sell them to executives downtown. These particular options may not be realistic options for you, but that's no reason not to create some that are.
Think. Think about what is at your disposal. Think about friends and family members who will help and encourage you. And don't tell me you have no options. Farrah started with rocks and no matter where you live, you can always find some of those.
3. Train Your Children to Be Entrepreneurs.
Part of responsible parenting today includes training your children to be entrepreneurs. Of course, we must also teach them to do well in school, graduate, go to college and get a job. But that's only the beginning. They have to know what to do if they lose that job, that is, if they are lucky enough to have one. Make it so that, when your child loses a job, she can come home, open up her laptop, check her shopping cart and make a plan to expand her own empire.
Does your tween have a cell phone of her own? A computer? A text messaging device? Make it a condition of continued use that she pay for it herself. If that doesn't encourage her to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit, nothing will. Believe me, she'll be selling homemade lip balm in no time.
Encourage your teen children to offer babysitting services more frequently and explain to them that the money goes in savings or to pay down any family household debt if that's an area of challenge for your family. The family that grinds together binds together. Train your children to use their skills, talents and areas of expertise to serve others in exchange for a fair sum of money. And then train them to be frugal with every penny so that, even if the financial world is collapsing, the adverse effects on them are minimal.
I'm not talking about becoming a loose canon here, and jumping at the first multi-level marketing opportunity you can find. I'm talking about investing your time and energy in something that you own. I'm talking about a brand of your own.
Every American simply must make it a point to have a stream of income that he or she controls. And we must wean ourselves off of using OPM to make ends meet. That is the only way to avoid being at the mercy of an economy that is rapidly changing, and frankly, not changing in favor of the common American.
Regardless of whether the new Act passes, in its current form or in another form, the handwriting is on the wall. Don't panic. Start a business today. Teach your children to start businesses. This is the ultimate bail out plan, the one that you implement on your own terms. The one you control. The one you love. The one no one can take away from you.
What do you think?
I quit my very well paying job in a Fortune 500 company over a decade ago because working with large companies taught me that business ownership is the key to economic independence for all Americans. Thanks to technology, it's more accessible than ever. But you have to stop watching all the panic on CNN and everywhere else. We all know how bad it is. Turn the television off and start bailing. I did it and let me tell you, my journey has been anything but a piece of cake. If I can do it, so can you. So, are you ready? I've got my bucket and I'm right her with you. Let's roll up our sleeves and start bailing together!
Related Posts
What's Your Hustle?
Financial Contentment: You Can Achieve It
The Best Credit Card
Raising Kids and Profits
My Social Media System
For more news and current events affecting Indie Business owners, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
If you like Indie Business Blog, please share the home page with your friends using this link: http://tinyurl.com/6l5h79.
Love Her or Hate Her, What You Can Learn From Her Journey
Once upon a time, as a small child growing up in the south, Oprah Winfrey had few financial resources. But that was then. Today, she is one of the world’s wealthiest people. This wealth extends far beyond her bank account, for Oprah seems decidedly rich not only in a financial sense but also in terms of her life. So many people love Oprah. So many people hate Oprah.
Whether you're on one side of the fence or another, or are straddling it, if you're Indie, you can learn a lot about business by studying Oprah's career choices. This post outlines the three main things Oprah has done to create a lasting empire -- things Indies can do to manage and sustain our own piece of the American dream.
1. Oprah Owns Her Business and Herself
Earlier this year, Oprah and Discovery Communications announced the Oprah Winfrey Network, or OWN, a multi-media platform joint venture. If all goes according to plan, OWN will launch Oprah into the next phase of her career. The name OWN is no accident of course, and the concept of brand ownership runs deep with Oprah.
When she was hired as the host of AM Chicago in 1984, it was hard to imagine Oprah owning anything, at least if you compared her with the people in America who owned most everything at that time. She grew up poor. She was a brown skinned black American. She was overweight and short. He hair was a little out of control, her lips were beautifully full and her nose was distinctively wide.
By typical American standards, she possessed little outward beauty. But she had an ability to attract women from all walks of life to her talk show, which beat out the Phil Donohue Show within months of its debut. In 1985, when we saw her in The Color Purple, we knew there was something special there. And Oprah knew it too. From the very beginning, she set out to create an empire. And today, she owns all of it.
Oprah owns a variety of profitable ventures. With Hearst Magazines, she launched O, The Oprah Magazine in 2000. Today, the publication boasts a circulation of 2.3 million monthly readers and an advertiser base that most publishers can only dream of. The Oprah Winfrey Show airs in 134 countries and is seen by an estimated 46 million US viewers a week.
Her new series of church-like online seminars and discussion groups, based in large part on one of her Oprah's Book Club choices, has drawn both praise and criticism. Either way, there's no denying that Oprah is a master at using technology to spread her message far and wide.
Unlike many other well-known entrepreneurs, Oprah is not for hire. While people like Paula Deen and B.Smith, popular cooking and lifestyle hosts, attach their names to brands like Bed, Bath & Beyond (Smith) and Smithfield (Deen), the only way you’ll find Oprah’s name on someone else’s product is if she just purchased it or if her name is being used without her permission.
Oprah owns her business and the many brands associated with it in every imaginable sense of the world. There are investors. No multi-million dollar bank loans. No favors. It's all hers. Oprah owns her own brand and maintains tight control over every aspect of them. Do the same in your Indie Business to enjoy maximum profits, flexibility and opportunities.
2. Oprah Knows Her Value
Oprah exerts tremendous control over everything she touches because she knows her value. When her name is associated with something, she wants it to be “just so,” and she wants to profit from it at least as much as everyone else involved. Oprah seems to have understood early on that she had a personality and other assets that would draw people to her in droves. She knew that, if she could draw people, she could also draw advertising dollars. And she knew that if she could draw advertising dollars, she could become a very wealthy woman, and use that wealth to duplicate herself, and make even more money. Hence, her syndicated television show, the “after the show” show, the magazine, the book club, the retail store, the Angel Network, the website chat rooms and the Oprah & Friends satellite radio show.
Oprah seems to have decided that she is not for sale to the highest bidder. Instead, she creates all the outlets she needs to be profitable, and essentially bids against herself. Oprah has created a brand. Not only that, Oprah is the brand. She draws so many people that she does not have to settle for a salary. She knows what she’s worth and she has structured her business ventures so that she can command what she’s worth in whatever situation she finds herself.
Oprah knows her value and every business decision she makes seems to be focused on earning a return on that value. No matter what you sell – be it product or service – acknowledge the value of yourself as nothing less than your businesses’ greatest asset, and seek out and create new and innovative ways to command and keep more of the money you make. Oprah knows her value and she capitalizes on it every chance she gets.
3. Oprah Shares Her Blessings
Oprah says that she knows what it’s like to be poor. By all accounts, that is true. But she is a long way from that these days. Still, Oprah finds inventive ways to use her wealth to make positive contributions to the world. A few years ago, just a few days after launching a child predator campaign on her show, two of the profiled child predators were captured after being recognized by her show viewers. Oprah then offered $100,000 to anyone who provided information leading to the arrest of any of the predators on her list.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Oprah committed $10 million dollars to launch Angel Lane, an Angel Lane, an online gift registry where site visitors buy everything from a picture frame to a house to help hurricane survivors. Oprah’s Angel Network has raised several million dollars to establish scholarships and schools, support women's shelters and build youth centers. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Johannesburg, South Africa, which opened last year, is playing a vital role in the shaping of the next generation of woman leaders from southern Africa.
Earlier this year, Forbes Magazine estimated Oprah's net worth at $2.5 billion. At this rate, she is poised to become one of the most prolific philanthropists in the history of the world. And perhaps this is the best way to conclude this post. With a reminder that sharing our blessings with others is something all of us can do.
Oprah works with what she has. She has always done that, even when she was an overweight talk show host who couldn't stop talking about how Steadman wouldn't marry her. Oprah is a planter. She plants seeds, sows them and reaps a harvest that benefits millions of people. Do what you can with what you have to achieve the same results on a scale that appropriately reflects your resources, your business and your own life missions.
What do you think?
In my experience, business success boils down to these three things: (1) own it; (2) value it; and (3) share it. If you embrace those three concepts in business, you can't go wrong. Is that your experience? I'd love to hear if your journey is consistent with them, and whether you have anything to add based on your own experience.
You can read Oprah Winfrey's official bio here. The information in this post is widely available through public records, but I found many of the details at Oprah.com. I hope she doesn't find it and unleash her legal staff on me to take it down.
Related Posts
Success Excess
Position Yourself as An Expert in Your Field
Boots and Hard Hat Required
Passion, Purpose and Profit
For more Indie Business success tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
If you like Indie Business Blog, please share the home page with your friends using this link: http://tinyurl.com/6l5h79.
Fitness Is Changing My Life and My Business
In late June, I started a healthy lifestyle program. I have to admit that it really wasn't much of a program. More of a more serious desire to be a Fit Indie. At the beginning, I took a sort of relaxed approach to things. I worked out when I could, changed my eating habits a little (but not nearly enough) and began to generally be more conscious about how I was treating my body. Then, in August, my neighbor, friend and sometime walking partner underwent gastric bypass surgery. The next day, she told me she felt like she had been run over by a truck. Sometimes I felt that way and I hadn't even had surgery. And that's not good.
Watching my neighbor go through the gastric thing kicked me into more of a high gear. I didn't want to ever have to go that route. Not that there's anything wrong with it -- I support my friend as she finds her own path to wellness. We have the same general goals, but I felt that surgery was not for me. So earlier this month, I stepped it up. I have lost 6 pounds so far this month.
And I am starting to notice a funny thing on the way to the scale. I am becoming more energized and productive in my career. I have a built-in support system in the 700+ members of the Indie Beauty Network, and that's a plus. Everyone should be so lucky. And things are starting to change for the better.
Candace Sweeney
Last week's newsletter featured IBN member Candace Sweeney in my first Fit Indie Feature. As you can see, Candace has a compelling Fit Indie story. She inspires me and encourages me to continue my path toward fitness. If you are a Fit Indie and would like to be featured in the newsletter or on Indie Business Radio, send an email to me at donnamaria @ indiebeauty.com.
Anne-Marie Faiola
Another great inspiration is IBN member Anne-Marie Faiola of Brambleberry. Anne-Marie tells me that she works out at least 5 times a week, doing a combination of different things like hiking, yoga, Pilates and running. She says she "eats clean," except for the care and feeding of a little cupcake addiction.
Kelly Bloom
Another IBN member, Kelly Bloom at Southern Soapers, hosts a Yahoo group where, in addition to lively discussion about the supplies Kelly sells, members have a periodic weigh in. The "Lose to Win" program started because one of the group members underwent gastric bypass surgery. Kelly tells me that, so far, the group has collectively lost 200 pounds.
Kayla Fioravanti
Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale lost 60 pounds a few years ago and she's kept it off by exercising. She looks great. She tells me that she started off cutting back on her eating and, after a few months, realized she needed to incorporate exercise. Her husband took over some of the morning childcare responsibilities so Kayla could swim before heading to the office. Kayla told me that it was difficult at first, not only to get into shape, but also, to resist the urge to work when she should fit in the exercise.
At the end of the day, we all have that issue don't we? We love what we do, and there's so much to be done and we Indies either do it all or do so much of it that there's little time for us. It's hard to take the time to care for ourselves as we should. But we can and we should and Candace, Anne-Marie, Kelly and Kayla are good examples of that.
Do my Indies rock or what!!?
So, here I am. Working out gives me more energy and affirms my individual power as a woman. Spinning works my legs and core. Zumba works everything and is a fun way to connect with women of all fitness levels who just like moving their curves. Step aerobics incorporates fun dance steps around a step. The activity actually makes me feel somewhat coordinated.
At the end of each class, I've been snapping photos of myself with my fitness instructors to document my progress, hold myself accountable and make it even more fun. I post the pictures to my Twitter page so everyone can enjoy the ride with me. The fun part is easy, especially for Jatrine's zumba class (see photo above) because she is awesome and also because Tay, who takes Jatrine's class regularly, often shows up in costume. Today she was an eggplant.
Can you beat that? Dancing with a bunch of screaming women while one of them runs around encouraging you dressed as an eggplant. Who could afford to miss that? If you're in the Charlotte area, you owe it to yourself to find out where Jatrine is teaching a zumba class and go and sign yourself up. Jatrine maintains a website and a Facebook page so you can easily find her. One zumba class with Jatrine and you'll have to reapply your hips! It's a good thing. You'll be hooked and you'll feel feminine and powerful at the same time. Tell Jatrine that Donna Maria, the crazy woman who chases down fitness instructors with her camera, sent you.
So listen, this is fun. But it's not easy. I have a long way to go but that's OK. Just like in business, we all have to start somewhere. I always advise my clients to focus on their goals and never rest until they are achieved. I've never had a problem doing that in business. Now it's time to do it where my health is concerned too.
What about you?
Maybe you'd like to join me. Do you have some fitness goals you are trying to reach? Leave your comment below and let's see how we can work to encourage and inspire one another to reach our goals.
For more Fit Indie stories, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
How I Maintain My Social Network Without Losing My Shirt
Thank you for the great collection of comments, tips and insights you are sharing on yesterday's post about making connections on Twitter. One of the themes of the comments is that, if you're not careful, Twitter and other social media become colossal time suckers with little to no return. Indie Beauty Network member Anne-Marie wrote, "It can be a bit of a black hole if I follow all the cool links that show up on people's Tweets." And Indie Beauty Network member D'Anna Catterson said, "It can be quite addicting!"
I have found these things to be true. If you don't discipline yourself in any fun social situation, you'll find yourself hopelessly unproductive. Who hasn't experienced staying at the party or talking on the phone so long that some other important detail of life or business is not tended to? We've all done that, so we all appreciate the power of using a system to ensure that our social connections are maintained while our businesses continue to thrive.
Here are my Social Media System recommendations and a little about how I incorporate social media into my business model.
1. Reserve Your Brand At Major Social Media Outlets
Using a popular social media outlet just because I or someone else says you should is a reason to at least make a note to check out the website so you can make a first impression decision about whether it might work for you. If it does not appeal to you, open a free (if available) account in your brand name anyway so that, if you decide to use it at a later date, it's available to you. This prevents others from reserving an account at that site using your name.
2. First, Observe Others
If you decide to start using the account, first watch how other seasoned users of the technology use it. There's no need to schedule this observation time. Just do it as you go throughout your week, hearing about it in blogs, the news, etc. As you learn more about it through your network of business friends and colleagues, you'll develop a framework to prioritize checking it out further.
Take your time. There's usually no need to rush. Look carefully at how the most proficient users of the technology operate. Make mental notes of what they do that is effective and efficient in terms of time. For example, if a successful Indie Tweets 5 times a day on average, and you have a business similar to his or hers, perhaps this framework is a good one for you to consider.
Similarly, if someone blogs 3 times a week, and each blog post is about 5 paragraphs long, use this as a framework for your blog. Do they use pictures? Video? There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Look at what successful people in your field are doing. Listen to what they say about the frequency and manner in which they use the technology and pattern yourself after them. You'll find that you make changes and adjustments as you go to suit your own personal style and business model
3. Use Cross-Posting Where Available
If you decide to take advantage of a new social media outlet, look for ways to syndicate or repeat your content across your different social connections. Most new social technologies are sensitive to the fact that, there are so many of them that users need to be able to do something one time and post it across multiple different networks.
For example, when I post a video to Blip, with the click of a mouse, I cross-post it to my Myspace page. When I post an Utterli audio clip, I choose the option to automatically cross-post it to my Twitter stream. When I post a Tweet, it automatically cross-posts to my Facebook page and to this website in the right column.
Cross-posting allows me to reach multiple people with one activity.
3. Set a Time Limit For Eact Activity
You're busy running a business and a home. You have to fit online social networking into your week, but you also have to set time limits. Otherwise, you'll be closing down the bar every night and waking up the next morning wondering why you have no customers, why you overslept, and why everyone else is bright-eyed a bushy tailed.
Look at your weekly schedule and schedule in time for social connections. Spend the most time at the social outlets that serve your business best. This may change over time.
I receive note regularly from Indie Beauty Network members who say they are tracking new business directly from Twitter through a blog, and then to an e-commerce site. I would say these people need to keep blogging and Tweeting a certain amount each week, and devote smaller amounts of time to other avenues. But again, because business and technology are fluid, not to mention people are fickle, always be on the lookout to change the balance for a good reason.
4. Focus On 3 Social Media Outlets That Work Well For You
As I said earlier, it's important to defend your brand on line, including registering it as a trademark and using it in so many places that the incentive for someone else to do so is significantly diminished.
Having said that, once you're registered for 25 social networking accounts, you can't possibly use them at once unless you hire people to help you. This is a good option if you can afford it, and if you need it, but if not, carefully choose the spaces where you'll invest the most time, and make sure you're getting as much out of it as you're putting into it. Then use other times as available, for other social networks.
For example, you may have found that your blog, your e-commerce website and your Twitter stream form a triple header for you. This is the case for many startup Indies. You Tweet your new blog posts and people comment on them. You comment back to create community at your blog. While your readers are commenting and engaging with you, they also naturally discover links to your shopping cart, so they head on over there with a credit card. Focus on your website, blog and Twitter stream if that works for you.
This is the method I recommend for most Indie Beauty Businesses selling products. As your business expands, add other social outlets that seem feasible and which you can predict hold the most promise of a return. Again, take your cues from your successful industry colleagues.
What I Do
I vary these activities depending on everything from the work load on any particular day, to the volume of interesting and helpful things I discover and want to share with others.
Just Be Helpful!
At the end of the day, connecting with others is all about being helpful. Sure, I do my fair share of Tweeting about a new service I am launching or my next radio show, but the vast majority of my social networking is designed to help others. And I like to connect with people who share my philosophy of using technology to enhance people's lives.
Ask yourself whether the next social media activity you plan to do will help someone else. If it will, chances are it's a good investment of your time. If not, just as you would at a cocktail party, keep your mouth shut and wait for the next opportunity to help another person.
What do you think?
Whatever you do, don't let being a social butterfly interfere with making a profit in your business. On the other hand, in order to be profitable, you have to interact socially. You can't just set up a store or website and wait for people to come to you. You've got to get out there and meet people, right?!
Do you have a system? Feel free to share it in the comments section below.
If you don't have a system and this post is inspiring you to create one, please let me know that too. I want to know whether my articles are helpful to you!
Related Posts
Would You Tweet With Me?
It Takes a Global Twitter Village
Ahhh, the Tweet Life
Who to Follow on Twitter
Tweet With Me
For more fun, Indie Business social media tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
If you like Indie Business Blog, please share the home page with your friends using this link: http://tinyurl.com/6l5h79.
Last week, I accepted an invitation to speak at the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild's 2009 Annual Conference of Handcrafted Soapmakers at the Miramonte Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, California. I am honored and excited, not only because my topic is "Become the News You Want to Be," but also because I get to work with my photographer/videographer husband and co-business and home leader to create another fantastic promotional video for the organization. Here's the one we did earlier this year at their conference in Vermont.
The Soap Guild is an institution in the world of soapmaking. Everyone who makes soap should be a part of the Soap Guild. The people are warm, smart and fun. You'll learn a lot and you'll have a great time growing your business around like-minded people who understand how exciting it is to stand over a pot of water, oil and lye, and watch them slowly transform into a household product that you can use yourself, give away as gifts or even better, sell at a profit. Today, I want you to get to know the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild.
10 Interesting Things About the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild
1. The Soap Guild Was Founded by Barbara Bobo.
Barbara Bobo was the first (and one of the only) handmade soapmaker to be featured in the pages of Martha Stewart Living Magazine. As the owner of Woodspirits, one of the nation's first soapers to have soaps in stores nationwide, Barbara Bobo is an entrepreneurial institution. When I spoke with Barbara last year, she told me that she and her husband had semi-retired to their Canadian cottage where she's enjoying her hobbies of knitting and bouncing grandchildren on her knees. She is the President Emeritus of the Soap Guild. Wherever you are Barbara, we thank you for what your vision has produced!
2. I Was Registered to Attend the First Soap Guild "Conference".
Back when I had a "real" job, I registered to attend the first Soap Guild conference in the Paris, Ohio, in Barbara Bobo's back yard. Two days before the event, I had to fill in for an attorney in a court case. Just my luck. I wasn't in Ohio physically, but I was there in spirit. I have always been proud that my name is listed on the little tri-fold brochure as an attendee at the Soap Guild's first "conference."
3. The Soap Guild Gives Away Spatulas.
When you arrive at the conference registration desk, you are given a huge goodie bag. As it turns out, this is reason enough to come to the conference. You also get a folder containing important papers and a spatula. At the annual meeting, you vote with your spatula. It's hilarious to see a bunch of mostly women from all walks of life discussing business and voting on serious issues -- using huge spatulas.
So if you need a new spatula, there's another reason to come to the conference.
4. The Soap Guild Knows How to Host a Conference.
I already said how great it is to be a member of the Soap Guild, and it's true that there's lots of business inspiration. But I have to say that another reason to connect with them is that you get a discount on one of the most exciting conferences ever.
The Soap Guild conference is not a "gathering." (Not that there's anything wrong with gatherings.) It's a conference in every sense of the word. This year, Elvis was there as you can see from the video. Next year, a great comedy line up is planned as part of a Renaissance Carnival, which will hosted by my friends and longtime Indie Beauty Network members Dennis and Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale.
5. Marie Gale Rocks.
Marie is the president of the Soap Guild. She's also a the owner of Chandler's Soap, a member of IBN and a wonderful example of how to lead a non-profit trade organization. I have often gone into Soap Guild meetings with the expectation that I will see a true leader run a business meeting using Robert's Rules of Order like nobody's business. Marie never disappoints.
Marie has an uncanny ability to stay focused in the midst of chaos. Once at a Soap Guild meeting, the conversation was getting out of hand. After a while, we all heard the voice of Marie roping everyone back to the crux of the matter and announcing that there was no time for extracurricular chatter. She used her Mother Voice. We all sat at attention. And that was that.
Meet Marie and the Soap Guild's current Board of Directors here.
6. Soap Guild Conferences Are Organized.
Have you ever been to a conference run by amateurs? You get there and your name tag is not alphabetized or they had to find you a place to sit at the awards dinner because the volunteer ran out of place cards? Well, that won't happen at the Soap Guild Conference.
First of all, it's organized by Leigh O'Donnell, a soapmaker who is blessed with incredible administrative gifts. Leigh has become a professional event planner (in my eyes) simply through on the job planning of Soap Guild conferences. She coordinates volunteers and motivates each one to work the conference as if they are being paid a million dollars. They are dedicated, helpful and they even wear coordinated uniforms so you can easily spot them and get the help you need no matter where you are in the hotel.
Leigh, can you come help me organize my life?
7. The 2009 Conference Will Be in Palm Springs, California at the Miramonte Resort and Spa.
And so, that's all I have to say about that.
8. The Soap Guild Just Started Twittering.
OK, so you know I can barely do a blog post anymore without mentioning Twitter. Through the Supreme Organizer of the Universe, Leigh O'Donnell, the Soap Guild showed up at Twitter a few weeks ago gathering followers and generally Twittering about how they were working to get the best speakers possible for the conference. Within a matter of about 5 days, they had filled the speaker rostrum with other Tweeters.
Ahem. Do you need to join Twitter?
9. The Soap Guild Donates Soap.
Every year, the Soap Guild conference includes a contest to determine the best soaps in a variety of categories -- best in show, best packaging, best swirl, best fragrance, etc. Each year, they connect with a women's shelter or similar organization in the city where the conference is hosted to donate soaps and other personal care items for their residents. A representative from the shelter is on hand at the awards dinner to accept a donation of all of the soaps in the contest, plus other products donated by members throughout the organization. How cool is that?
I think I'll make some soap next year to donate. On second thought, better leave that to the people who make it more and way better than me. Wouldn't want to give Palm Springs the wrong idea about me and all. (That is to say, I love making soap but my spatula's a little rusty since young kids and the Indie Beauty Network keep me pretty busy. Are those acceptable excuses not to make soap? Be kind when you answer.)
10. One of the Soap Guild's Most Treasured Members is Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake.
A soapmaking nun, yes. Only at the Soap Guild. Sister Cathleen Marie is a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri. In addition to a life of prayer and devotion to God, Sister Cathleen Marie makes and sells handmade soap at Monastery Creations. If that's not the darnedest thing, you know? Check out my video interview of Sister Cathleen.
So that's 10 interesting things about the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild.
What about you?
Do you know anything about the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild and their annual conference? Do you agree that it's wonderful and that Palm Springs can't get here fast enough? Please tell us what you think in the comments section below.
To get to know more fun people regularly, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
You Owe It to Your Business to Enter!
In late 2002, I received a phone call from someone saying they wanted to nominate me as one of the US Small Business Administration's Home-Based Business Advocate of the Year. I had only been leading the Indie Beauty Network for two years at the time, and I wondered why anyone would consider me a worthy candidate for an award. I answered her questions and submitted a package of information by the deadline. A few months later, I was walking (really, waddling since I was several months pregnant at the time) across a stage accepting the award for the SBA Washington, DC office Home-Based Business Advocate of the Year.
Through that experience, I learned that, no matter how unqualified you think you may be for an award or honor, you have nothing to lose by applying for it anyway and putting your best foot forward. In fact, one could say you owe it to your business to give it your best shot. And like they say, there's no time like the present, right?
So, here's your chance. StartupNation is now accepting nominations for their annual Home-Based 100 Competition. Why don't you enter??! There are 10 categories:
You must submit nominations and votes by midnight on September 30. I know tons of great Indie Business owners out there working from home, and so many of you qualify to win this competition. So why not enter today??!
And if you've already entered, please let us know in the comment section below so we can check out your entry and perhaps vote for you!
Before You Work With Your Spouse
As many of you know, I work with my spouse. He's my high school sweetheart, the father of my offspring, a photographer, a super quiet loner type guy and a rabid Washington Redskins and USC Trojans fan. We don't do everything together. In fact, we do a lot separately. And it's a good thing too since our road to Indie Business ownership has not been altogether smooth. But we share common goals. So whether together or separately, our activities generally support those goals, one of which is to have fun as we provide for ourselves and our two children. Emergency funds, college savings, dance costumes, mortgage, our daily bread. You know the drill.
Most couples have the same goals as we do, and there are lots of ways to achieve those shared goals, the most common of which is via a traditional full-time job that matches your talents, educational background, skill sets and interests to a particular job description. If you land the job, you work for a third party, earn a regular pay check, make some new business friends and hopefully enjoy health benefits and opportunities for personal and professional growth. That's great, but for some of us, a regular job is not all it's cracked up to be. Long rush hour commutes, dwindling family time, day care hassles, latch key kids, sick kid nightmares, etc. So what do we do?
We create ways to make a living without the limitations so often imposed by a traditional job. We use technology. We resurrect talents and gifts we forgot we had. We wear many hats and make it up as we go along. This is easier said than done, but frankly, with the Internet, it's not nearly has difficult as it used to be.
The New Family Business
More and more, I'm meeting parents who want desperately to work from home, especially while their children are young. I'm also meeting married empty nesters who, after years of working a traditional job, want to make money together from home.
Single parents (dads and moms) are also demonstrating exceptional creativity when it comes to finding ways to generate income without having to rely solely on child support checks or secure jobs, which, these days are harder to find than a controversy-free Republican vice presidential candidate. (Sorry, couldn't help it.)
For those of you who are married (or similarly attached) with children, or married empty nesters, you may be seriously considering starting a business with your spouse. If so, you may think your biggest question is, "What can we do to make money?"
That's a good question, and one you obviously have to answer. But other questions are far more important. After all, you can always find a way to make money, even if it means having a job you hate.
No, before you go into business with your spouse, you have to ask a much bigger (and harder) question: "Can we successfully make love and money together without ripping each other and/or our business to shreds?" OK,maybe somewhat exaggerated (for some people, it's not), but you get the point.
I've been studying this issue for years, both up close and personal in my own family and by watching others. I've noticed that, time and time again, certain issues present themselves as the most challenging. They are also the most difficult to handle because they are not a lot of fun to address.
My goal with this post is to highlight some of the questions to ask and answer before going into business with your mate. I hope you avoid some of the same problems that I and others have dealt with.
1. Do I Trust Him*?
Kayla Fioravanti is co-owner of Essential Wholesale, an Oregon-based company with 30 employees and well over a million dollars in annual revenues. I asked Kayla why she said she "loved" working with her husband in their family business. I asked her to go beyond the obvious, that it's convenient, fun, great for the kids, etc.
Kayla answered, "Because I know I can trust my husband to lead the company in a direction that's good for our business and our family."
So there it is. Trust. Personal and business trust. It's at the core of everything, isn't it? You've got to be able to answer the question whether or not you trust your partner both personally and professionally before you go into business with him.
Be honest on this one because, frankly, if you don't trust on all levels, a business venture will be risky on all levels. Don't set yourself up for failure. You'll take enough risks in business. Don't make this one of them. If you don't trust him, work on the relationship and address business options when the timing is better.
2. Is She Responsible?
Look at her FICO score, all 3 credit reports, car payment history, college track record, etc. Are her bills paid on time? Did he graduate on time? Does he diligently work to complete work-related projects on time? No? Find out why. If the explanation satisfies you, great. But still insist on a plan to correct past mistakes and turn over a new leaf. Hold her accountable to stick with the plan for a significant period of time before starting a business together.
If the explanations don't satisfy you, keep your day job.
3. Is She Established Career-Wise?
If you and your spouse are already established career-wise, it is a plus. Whether it's as a fast food restaurant night manager or a stock broker with a fancy corner office, an established and consistent career path is a sign of a person's ability to thrive in the business world and will help both of you feel confident and empowered as you hang out your joint shingle.
It will also helps prevent feelings of inequality. If you have a long career as a corporate muckety muck and your spouse has a long career as an award winning street sweeper, that's one thing. But if you had the muckety muck career and your spouse has hated his job for years and was never recognized for his contributions, you may be headed for trouble.
Discuss how prior employment and business experiences may affect your ability to jointly approach a new business venture. Acknowledge baggage and put it in a proper context before moving forward with a business.
4. Is He Confident?
If your spouse walks with hunched shoulders, feels inferior because she can't lose the baby weight or is terrified of speaking a word in public without thinking everyone is looking at her overbite, don't print up the business cards yet. If a person doesn't not feel confident within herself, it's highly unlikely that she will feel differently about her business. This can spell disaster, especially if you expect her to fulfill a social role in the venture.
We all have fears and insecurities. But if they are paralyzing, they will quickly become liabilities for the business. Acknowledge lack of confidence up front and figure out in advance how to deal with it in the business. It must be exposed, acknowledged and minimized so it does not handicap your chances of success. You'll regret it otherwise.
5. Is She Personable?
This is kind of like getting along well with others, squared. Last Friday, my husband went to a networking group meeting. He thought I'd like it, so he called me and told me I should join him there, and to bring business cards. So I dropped everything and headed over, cards in hand. I was greeted at the door by someone who said, "Your husband's here. He's great."
I proceeded to enter a room where everyone already like me. And my business. How cool is that?
A likable personality is a huge plus. It doesn't mean that a person has to be gregarious, the life of the party, or even particularly outgoing. (My husband is none of those things by nature.) What it does mean is that, whether it's a good day or a bad day, he can adjust how he interacts with others for the good of your business (which is ultimately of course, for the good of your family).
6. Does He Appreciate Social Media?
Any business that does not appreciate the power of social media is going to either die or simply never get started. I. Am. So. Not. Exaggerating.
If you consider MySpace an invaluable part of your marketing repertoire but your spouse thinks it's only for teenagers and predators, or if you feel it's important to blog 3 times a week but your beloved thinks it's a total time waster, you have a problem. A big one.
Inquire about the social media your spouse is involved in. None? Might want to find out why that is, and then consider carefully before going into business with her.
7. Can He Multi-Task?
How many things can your spouse do at once? Can he brew coffee, take a business call, look for a lost sneaker and monitor Twitter at the same time? I'm not saying that life is like that 24/7, but if you own a business and are also managing a home (again, especially if that includes the "pitter patter"), both of you simply must be able to do more than one thing at a time.
I remember once, we were in the midst of a very hectic day. Two kids under the age of 4, moving to a new home 600 miles away, saying good bye to family and running the business without taking a day off. It was really hard, but because we could multi-task (and because we clearly outlined who was responsible for what), we made it through.
Embrace multi-tasking as a way of life and don't let anyone tell you there's any such thing as balance. By the way, we also have part-time nanny and babysitting help with our kids. So even though we multi-task, we don't have a coronary trying to do everything ourselves. Ask for help when you need it. Even if you have to pay for it. Help. It's a good thing.
8. Is She Fair and Compromising?
Lisa Rodgers of Cactus & Ivy sells natural spa and body products from her studio in South Carolina. She told me that she is glad she doesn't work with her husband because "we nearly killed each other building our house." Lisa also told me that she loves her husband more than anything. But having said that, all couples have to consider whether working together in a high stress environment is something the relationship can withstand for many years.
Jamyla Bennu of Oyin Handmade in Baltimore, Maryland says that she and her husband successfully work together in their bath and body care products business, thanks to what Jamyla calls a "comfortable pattern of division of labor for household duties according to proclivity and skill." Sound fancy? She clarified: she does most of the cooking, he does most of the cleaning.
When it comes to business, Jamyla says that the patterns established in their personal relationship form the basis for a healthy business working relationship. She puts is like this: "We put the shorthand of our personal relationship to work in our business to help us us communicate and come to a decision about every issue." Fairness is important Jamyla says, to keep any one spouse from becoming overwhelmed.
I have experienced the importance of fairness first hand, especially where our children are concerned. My piece of advice in this area is simple: you are in for trouble if either of you has uncontrolled selfish tendencies when it comes to juggling business and young children.
I can't tell you the number of times we have dealt with this issue. We share a common goal of getting our kids to bed by 8:00pm, but what does that mean? After dinner, I wash dishes while he bathes, reads stories and tucks in on one night, and we switch the next? Sounds good, yes?
But what if on my night to do specific kid-relatedthings, a prospective client calls and wants answers to final questions that only I can answer, and he wants them before signing the lucrative new contract. Now. Hmmm, what to do? Should the person best suited to negotiate the contract do so while the other person takes over parent duties -- even if it means changing the prearranged set up?
Or should we keep to the set up and risk losing the client?
There is no right or wrong answer here. The fact is that, each situation has to be addressed on its own merits. You will make snap decisions like this constantly if you work together. You will have to change quickly, be flexible and sometimes sacrifice your personal desires for the benefit of the business and the family.
Yes, it can get complicated. Unless you and your spouse share a sense of fairness and flexibility where your shared goals are concerned, you'll be at each others throats when you should be enjoying precious family time and creating a strong and long-lasting business legacy.
Like Lisa Rodgers says, building a house is one thing. It's intense and frustrating, and you have to be flexible, patient and compromising when it comes to everything from paint color to the type of kitchen counter tops you get. But when you're building a house, there's a completion date and you both know the pain will be over soon.
In business, it's different. You have to compromise forever. If you don't, the end that may be in sight for your business and your relationship. And you do have to choose sometimes. For an honest discussion of why it is that entrepreneurship spells the end for so many marriages, enjoy my Indie Business Radio Show interview with SBTV host and author of The Girl's Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business, Susan Wilson Solovik.
9. Can She Set Boundaries?
Karen Thomas, an Indie Business owner who asked me not to use her name, told me, "My marriage ended in part because I worked with my husband. Disaster without any boundaries."
Sad but true that some people end up choosing or being forced to choose between the business and the relationship. Regardless of what you may think of that from a moral, ethical or social perspective, it is what it is. To avoid this as much as possible, it's important that both of you be able to set boundaries. Someone's got to be able to step in, with regard to any given situation, and say, "We have to draw the line here."
Michele Keiper of bath and beauty products manufacturer Flower Peddler experienced first-hand the need for boundaries when her husband worked in her company for a short time after he was laid off his job. Michele says it became important early on that they respect each others different work management styles, backgrounds and personalities. Says Michele, "My husband is an engineer so each decision is analyzed and reanalyzed before anything happens. To me, it is a painfully slow process. My Type A personality assesses a situation quickly, makes a decision and gets it done fast and at full throttle."
Michele is quick to point out that neither style is better, it's just different from the other one. She says that they matched their styles with tasks to get the job done. Michele stresses the importance of implementing boundaries around work time and couple time. She says that the experience of working together (which they don't anymore since her husband is employed elsewhere in his field) made them a stronger couple, and gave him a better understanding and respect for what Michele does.
Each person must commit to a specific job description and set of boundaries that do not change. In this way, you and your spouse know exactly what's expected of you, and don't disregard boundaries or fail to fulfill expectations without talking it over with the other person.
(For a detailed look at how one couple draws these boundaries, enjoy my online newsletter interview with Karen and Erik. The couple sold their business, but the tips they provided for successfully working together are priceless.)
10. Is She Forgiving?
When I asked Maggie Hanus, who co-manages with her husband the suburban Austin-based A Wild Soap Bar, what has made her business successful, she said, "My husband and I would have killed each other a long time ago without forgiveness." Maggie would know too, because in addition to A Wild Soap Bar, she and her husband also co-own a landscaping business. He does the labor, she keeps the books.
While neither Maggie nor I are likely to star in an episode of Snapped, the fact is that co-managing a business with anyone will inevitably include disagreements. People will make mistakes, sometimes extremely stupid ones. People will drop balls, become grumpy and irritable, forget to go to the grocery store before it closes and just generally drive you nuts. If you or you spouse are the type to rub in every fault, wallow in imperfection (yours or the other person's) and are just generally unable to forgive and (most of the time) forget, you are in for a bumpy road.
And lest we forget, Maggie reminds us of the importance of a good sense of humor. "There aren't too many situations that a good belly laugh won't improve," she reminds us.
If you think holding a grudge can destroy a personal relationship, it can be just as bad in a business relationship. If he screws up at home today, you have to forgive that. Otherwise, come Monday morning, you will come to the staff meeting with a nasty attitude. You've got to address the point of contention quickly and honestly, ensuring some accountability of course, but still moving on to tackle the tasks at hand.
There's One More Thing
There is this one last thing that I feel constrained to address. It's a touchy issue, but it is a very common one, and unfortunately, one that is not commonly openly addressed.
Sometimes, a significant other finds it difficult to handle the other partner's autonomy and/or business success. There can be millions of reasons for this, but whatever they are, this, perhaps more than anything else, is an almost insurmountable barrier to Indie Family Business success.
If you feel even the slightest bit of controlling behavior, put on the brakes. What do I mean? Let me be blunt. If your partner wants to own and control everything simply because she wants to be in control or pursue a selfish power trip, bow out now. He may not admit it, you know? But we all know it when we see it.
Address this issue openly and honestly. If both of you can't do that, don't prepare your resignation letter. For more information on how to address other issues, enjoy my interview on Indie Business Radio with psychologist and author of Entrepreneurial Couples, Dr. Kathy Marshack.
What about you?
Let me just say to anyone who has read this far (and thanks, because it's a lot of reading!), over here at Indie Business Headquarters, we do not have it all together. But we have experienced all of these issues (and more) so we feel that we can help others.
Our goal is not to share how perfect we are (and those of you who know us personally can attest to that), but to help others avoid some of the problems we wish people had told us about before we went into business together.
Still thinking of going into business with your spouse? Consider printing out this list and using it as a starting point for discussion. (And feel free to forward it to any friends you know who could use it.) If you can't share openly about everything listed here -- the good and the bad -- my suggestion is to put business partnership off until you can.
Business is Hard Enough Without Sabotaging Yourself From the Beginning
There's no way to know in advance whether a business will succeed. There's no way to know in advance if a relationship will succeed. But you can go into each with clear and honest expectations on both sides. That alone will help maximize your chances of success at both ends of the spectrum.
What do you think? Tell us about the business you have with a spouse or significant other. What tips can you offer to help the rest of us? Feel free to leave your comments below.
Related Posts
The New Family Business: 9 Reasons Why Home-Based Business Ownership Works
How to Hire a Family Helper
Raising Kids and Profits: 7 Parenting Skills to Make Your Business Successful
The Family That Grinds Together Binds Together
Family Second, Yet Still First
Family First
*For easy of reading, "she," "he," "him" and "her" are used interchangeably throughout this post.
I recently discovered a wonderful new tool called Utterz. It allows you to easily record short audio messages to people in your circle of influence. You can also add video. I tried it for the first time this morning and am hoping to make it a regular part of my week. My goal is to provide another way for me to connect with you and let you know what's on the radio show, what's new in the newsletter, where I'll be traveling, etc. Click the orange button with the arrow to enjoy my first Utter!
What do you think? Is this useful? Should I keep uttering?Please post your feedback in the comments section below.
To enjoy more of my Utterz and get Indie business tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today. I'd love to get to know you better and know that you're coming back for more!
How I'm Preparing My Kids For Indie Business Ownership
Yesterday, I Twittered about my 4-year old son scrambling his own eggs. A few people thought that was a little young. I used to think so, but now that I have children, I am constantly amazed at the things they can do when we give them a chance. A few private conversations started on the topic so I thought I'd share my motivation for making sure my kids, ages 4 and 6, learn good home management skills while they are young. As you can see, that includes doing some of their own laundry.
But first, I have to tell you about my homeschooling mom friend and mother of 3 boys, Beverly Lucas. Beverly and I have known each other since 1998. At one time, we met by phone on Monday mornings to encourage each other and talk about the week ahead. Toward the end of our time together, every Monday, her boys knocked on her bedroom door and I heard them say, "Mom, we finished our chores. Is there anything else we can do for you?"
Her oldest son was 6 at the time.
I was astonished. Did they even make kids like that anymore? Of course, as a mom now, I know that kids like that aren't made. They're trained.
Over the years, I have looked to Beverly for all kinds of mom encouragement and parenting advice One of the things Beverly helped me do is start teaching my kids solid home management skills as soon as they could walk. I have been amazed at the things they can do, even starting as young as 2 years old.
Like transferring trash from a small trash can into a bigger one, putting their plates on the counter after they finish a meal, sweeping the floor and picking out clean underwear from a pile of laundry and putting it away. These are things a child can do at a very young age. I would never have known had Beverly not taught me.
It's a challenge, I admit. I can sweep the floor much faster and better than my 6-year old daughter. Instead of asking my 4-year old son to take out the recyclables, I or my husband could do it. I could also sort all of the laundry in less than half the time it takes them to do it. I let them do it, and takes much longer. But I do it because I want my kids to have more than just book smarts.
Home Management Skills Are Easily Transferred To Business
I know lots of grown folks with plenty of book smarts, who are incapable of managing a home. I don't want that for my children, and I don't want it for my future kid-in-laws either. My friends and I laugh when I say that I don't want some sad new bride calling me up in the middle of the night in 20 years, complaining that the man I raised can't scramble her an egg. But I digress.
Because I tend to be on the impatient side, it can be painful to supervise my childrens' chore progress. My son always walks through the pile of trash my daughter is sweeping, inevitably starting a fight. He also hates making two trips to do anything, so becomes especially frustrated when he can't carry all of the recyclables at one time. And I'll never forget the time when me and his sister were busy cleaning up the kitchen, and when I reminded him he was supposed to be helping, he said, "But it's just not fun enough for me." (By the way, that was the last time his father ever left me and his daughter in the kitchen to clean it up by ourselves. Sorry, hon. I have to tell it like it is.)
When they load the dishwasher, I always have to go back and re-load it (without them knowing) so more dishes can be washed at one time.
All the while, I praise their achievements, keeping my eye on the ultimate prize of children who are equipped to be leaders in a 21st century world that will not be nearly as welcoming as the 20th century one in which I came of age.
They'll need more than a good resume, a good education and a few summers of volunteer work. They'll need skills. They'll need to demonstrate multi-tasking abilities and be able to engage in quick deductive reasoning under pressure.
And whether or not they have a traditional job, they will need to have at least one income stream of their very own. They will need to be Indie, so their father and I work hard to ensure that they master both home management and business ownership skills.
Three guiding principles help us do it.
1. Home Management First, Then Business Management
When you're Indie, especially if you're also a mom like me, your heart must be in your home first. That doesn't mean that I always choose giving a bath over signing a speaking contract, but it does mean that I check my heart daily to make sure that my home has first place.
Sometimes, this is a tough juggling act. I have to admit that it's often made easier by the fact that my husband is here with me all day and we can trade off on work and business. But as in most homes in America, I am the one managing the home day to day. I decide where and how the money will be spent and I make most of the scheduling decisions. I want both of my children, not just my daughter, to be able to do that when the time comes. I want both of them to be capable of leading a home and a business. And I want them to understand that, if home and family don't come first, then ultimately there may be little to show for your efforts as a business owner.
2. You Get Paid For Business Management, Not For Home Management
Most families these days have some kind of small business at home. When my kids were just 2, they started emptying the trash in the home office for a quarter. This money goes into their money jar right away. I make the chores age appropriate, but remember that they don't really have to accomplish much to teach the lesson.
If my son empties a trash can with 2 sheets of balled up paper in it, or my daughter does something as simple as wipe off the window sills or put all the pens in the pen holder, they still get paid. This teaches them that they have to work for money. If you connect the task to your business, it also teaches them a little about entrepreneurship. (You may also be able to deduct these payments on your taxes. Check with an accountant first.)
We do not compensate our children for doing chores around the house, because life doesn't work that way. Chores are a part of your contribution to the family. Mommy doesn't get paid for sorting the laundry, and neither will you.
But mommy does get paid in her business, and you can too.
3. Because I Said So
Not enough parents say that these days. At ages 4 and 6, my kids are too young to understand everything their father and I have to deal with as we co-lead our home. Yes, you have to clean up your room to my satisfaction before you go outside to play, and yes, the reason is because I said so. I don't have to make my son understand that taking care of his home before he plays with his friends builds character and instills responsibility. He doesn't care anyway at age 4. All he wants to do is ride his bike.
But he can understand unwelcome consequences if he doesn't do what I say he needs to do. That may sound strict and I suppose it is. But we feel that it prepares him for a life where each day starts at zero, and where he and he alone is responsible for whether or not he makes any money.
There will come a time when he will be able to comprehend the big picture. But for now, go take care of business. And yes, because I said so.
My children will not have the job options I had when I finished college and law school. They won't be able to rely as much as I did on a good resume to launch their parachute. They'll need good home management skills.
If you can manage a home, you can do anything, right?!!
What say you?
I'm sure you have some good tips to share to help me and others do a better job of preparing our kids for Indie Business ownership. Please share yours in the comments section below.
For more inspiring tips for home managers and business owners, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today. I'd love to get to know you better and know that you're coming back for more!
Related Posts
Top Ten Tips For Teaching Children About Money
Financial Contentment: You Can Achieve It
Ask Not What the Economy Can Do For You
Making Love and Money: Before You Work With Your Spouse
A Call To Twitter Action
In her book, It Takes A Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us, Senator Hillary Clinton stressed the importance of a group approach to child rearing. She reminded us that, while a family is a distinct unit, each one forms a part of a whole, and that, when an individual unit is lifted, the entire group rises. While Clinton's message was specific to children and families, it also applies when it comes to Indie Business owners.
This was brought home to me in a real way last Saturday when a member of the Indie Beauty Network emailed me in great distress. She's married and the mother of young children. Tina (not her real name) had emailed me several months ago to share that she and her husband were going through counseling in an effort to save their marriage. Things were on a good track for a while, but as of last Saturday, they had fallen apart.
Touching Through Technology
Tina reached out through email to me, a fellow sojourner, a part of her village. A part of her tribe. I responded to her email immediately: "Call me." She did, and while I could not solve her problems or go through her pain for her, I lifted her up and prayed with her because she was open to that. I also reminded her of her intelligence (she has a master's degree), capabilities (her business is going well and she's also home schooling) and encouraged her as a fellow Indie and mother. I reminded her that she is fully equipped to rear her children as a single mom if that is what she is called upon to do.
Like most other Indies, Tina runs her business from her home. She is also a home schooling mom in a community where separation and divorce are taboo subjects. As Tina put it, "Everything is supposed to be perfect." Tina felt especially isolated because she realized that, for years, she had pretended that everything was perfect. Now that she was accepting the fact that things weren't perfect, she was at a loss, afraid for herself and afraid that her children might be unfairly treated once their friends found out that they no longer lived with their father.
Could Twitter Make a Difference?
As Tina and I talked, I pondered the enormous potential of social media in her situation. I found myself suggesting that she join me at Twitter and meet up with some other home schooling mom Indie Business owners who could encourage her and lift her up. Tina is not ready for that yet. But I have seen the power of Twitter and other social media outlets when it comes to building up the global village of women, men and families who are managing homes and businesses at the same time.
I think Tina is a bit skeptical of Twitter and social media in general. I was too. Weren't you? Did you think that anyone who you didn't already know would care one iota how you answered the question, "What are you doing?" Did you think that your life was boring and that strangers couldn't possibly be intrigued enough to read about how you feel from moment to moment throughout the day as you tend to your home and your family simultanously?
How many of you, like me, just didn't get it at first?
Reach Out And Tweet Someone
Tina doesn't yet know about the women I met a few days ago over at Twittermoms. She doesn't know that there's a huge and growing community of Indie Beauty Network members and other Indie Business owners gathering every moring to start the day, discuss breaking news, take their kids to the dentist and do all the things that must be done in order to manage home and a business, without compromising either.
Each One Tweet One
Each of us can pay our social media successes forward by reaching out to at least one or two new people every week. Will you put Tina on your list today? Will you help me tell her about the power of social media? About people like you who are poised to connect and share?
Will you leave a comment below so Tina can know that you are an Indie Business owner on Twitter. Maybe you even home school. Maybe you can tell her that, divorced or not, she's welcome in our community. Please leave your Twitter link so Tina and all of us can connect with you more easily and perhaps even follow you.
And Tina, if you're reading this, there's a wide world out there ready to embrace you and your family and encourage all of you to be your best.
For more inspiring tips for Indies, home managers and business owners, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today. I'd love to get to know you better and know that you're coming back for more!
I am fascinated by attorneys like me who pursue non-traditional career paths. One such person is Tax Girl. Her blog is funny and interesting. Subscribe to it so you can learn stuff you need to know about taxes. Tax Girl has a category at her blog called Getting To Know You. Since I can't think of a better title for this category at my blog, I'm borrowing Tax Girl's.
In my Getting To Know You column, I'm going to share with you ten interesting things about someone I know personally and professionally. Let's begin. My first Getting To Know You column features Jamila White. That's me and Jamila in a photo taken by fellow Indie and IBN member Anne-Marie Faiola while we were on Capitol Hill earlier this month with Lela Barker and Kayla Fioravanti.
10 Interesting Things About Jamila White
1. Jamila and I Once Lived in the Same Town. Jamila and I lived in the same town (Bowie, Maryland) for years before we met through the Indie Beauty Network in December 2005. At the time, I was head of the Bowie (Maryland) Chamber of Commerce's small business committee, responsible for finding speakers to deliver luncheon presentations on topics of interest to small businesses. We met in person when Jamila accepted my invitation to speak on the topic of e-commerce.
2. Jamila Makes a Good TV Show Guest. After that, Jamila accepted an invitation to be a guest on my local cable television show, the Lifestyle CEO Show. Then, I found out we were sorors, members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. By now, Jamila is getting really cool.
3. Jamila Likes Pizza. When I moved from Bowie to Charlotte in August 2006, Jamila came to my farewell pizza party. My house was empty except for a few tables and chairs. We ate pizza and chatted about what a shame it was that we lived so close for so long and were only just then sharing a pizza.
4. Jamila and I Launched a Blog Together. After talking it over with my brother (who is normally really smart but thought it was a lousy idea), I called Jamila in November 2007 and invited her to join me in launching a blog called Bootstrap Babes. Jamila was skeptical at first, but eventually, decided she was as crazy as I was to take on a new project. Within 3 months, were were interviewed for a feature in Entrepreneur Magazine, which came out this month. Read all about it at Bootstrap Babes.
5. Jamila's Sister is in the Media. Not that Jamila needs any help, but hey, it's nice to know someone with a blood relative who produces television shows. I'm always available, just in case you're wondering.
6. Jamila's Mother Lives in Vermont. I spoke on a panel and produced a promotional video at the Handcrafted Soap Maker's Guild conference in Vermont this past April. It was tons of fun. There is a law in Vermont that makes it a crime to disrobe in public. That's no surprise.
But did you know that, in Vermont, it's not illegal to walk around town naked so long as you leave your house that way? I think Jamila's mom must be at least as interesting as her daughter to live in a state with a law like that.
7. Jamila Has 3,497 and 1/2 Businesses. Well, not really, but you know. She's the E-Commerce Diva, a Bootstrap Babe and the brains behind j.blossom. She's got other stuff going on too, but a blog post can only be so long. Besides, she's hosting a free blogging seminar tonight and you need to go sign up.
(Yes, Jamila is also one of my Media Partners (see all Media Partners listed at left). Yes, this is a shameless plug for her blogging seminar. Yes, it's a good blogging seminar even though this is a shameless plug. Yes, you should attend.)
8. Jamila Has Cool Hair. Natural and un-chemical. Just the way I like it.
9. Jamila Stormed Capitol Hill With Me Earlier This Month. Jamila likes to talk. This was a good thing since we were dealing with politicians while we were there. I think a future career for Jamila includes public service. Isn't it fun to tell your friends what you think they should do?
10. When Jamila Opened Her Store, She Forgot Her Camera. Jamila always forgets her camera, so when she had a grand opening for her j.blossom store in 2006, she didn't have a camera. So if you're going someplace you know Jamila will be, please take your camera, snap a picture of the two of you together and send it to Jamila. You'll have a fun memory, and help a fellow Indie. And Jamila will use the photo to plug your business. Yes, she's that cool.
So, that's 10 interesting things about Jamila.
What about you?
Do you know Jamila? Do you agree that she is as interesting as I think she is? Please tell us something interesting about Jamila in the comments section below.
To get to know more fun people regularly, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
