Category Archives: biz

The Dreaded Schlumpa Dump

It appears that I may be in a bit of a slump. Since coming back from Jersey, I just don’t have much of a desire to write anything – on all three of my blogs. The sad part…I’ve posted more here than on the blog that actually makes me the money *sigh* Probably because here I can just brain drain, whereas there my post has to well, be about something (and I’m not that something).

You’d think that having just returned from a vacation, to the land of my youth, that I’d have something to say.  I do have a lot to say.  It’s just that, well, I don’t wanna.  Plain and simple.  Heck, it’s already taken me nearly an hour just to write this much – and to get sidetracked by the phone.

So I think I’m just going to accept it.  I’m not going to stress about this blog or the other two. I can go a week without content.  It won’t kill me.  The blogging police won’t come after me.  Instead, I’m going to continue to focus on my business, and my two (paid!!) client meetings next week, turning my other two consultations into gigs, the LWL workshops I’ve got coming up, finding the perfect location to lead some paid  workshops and making it all happen.  Bring on that magic!

It’s all good…

Busy Little Sinus-y Bee

So this Saturday, I have the LWL LIVE event here in LA. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to be motivated and inspired by all the great and successful women. I can’t wait to shop and visit with all the cool vendors. And while I might be a tad bit nervous, I also can’t wait for my time as an “expert” (or as they’re known in the LWL group…MILLIE).

After running some errands – super, killer brows for me and new shirt & tie for the wedding for the hubs – I basically came home and crashed. I was tossing and turning all last night, so I didn’t get all too much sleep. Needless to say, once I woke up, I felt worse than when I laid down. My eyes hurt, my head was congested and I couldn’t stop sneezing. Two Tylenols and a Sudafed and I’m doing MUCH better thanks.

Finally able to focus on some work.  I made my flier to stand on my table to identify me amongst all the other experts.  I made my giveaway sign to go on my bag so that I can have some follow up with the folks I meet and collect emails for my upcoming newsletters (I’m giving away one of my one-on-one coaching and blogging packages).  Tomorrow I just need to head out to Staples to print them up on a color copier (ours is set to black & white only and well, not exactly super compatible with Leopard so I don’t want to mess with anything – need to look into that and see if they’ve upgraded yet).

Which basically just leaves figuring out what to wear (so glad I’m not alone in this Carrie) and packing up all my stuff.  I’m riding in with a friend of mine (KLEAN Bath & Body) and since she’ll be selling, I’ll be getting up at the crazy ass, crack of dawn.  Seriously, I’ll be meeting her at 6:45ish!!! Dude, that’s mere hours after I go to bed!!!  I’ll work on that.  Should be a long day, but a fun day!

On that note, I have 20 or so minutes to cook dinner and settle down for Lost.  Notice the hubs is not yet home…grrr!  Oh and did I mention that the little guy has puppy dog pink eye?  Poor thing, no wonder he’s been miserable these past couple of days and always wanting us to run his face, ears and well, head.  Pink eye burns like a MoFo.  He has to get drops for the next week.  But he already looks (and is acting) so much better just since the drops the doc put in.

Okay, I’m off.  Happy Lost night!  Oh yeah, did you notice my new blog design?  I got bored and well, just grabbed a new one.  Eventually, I’m going to learn how to at least make some cool headers.  Someday.  You know, when I find the time….

The Best of Intentions

Well, I woke with the best of intentions today. Unfortunately, that seemed to have included a brief little freak out session. You see, I still don’t have a logo just yet. My friend that was making it for me got caught up in other stuff and well, it looked like we were this close to running out of time. Lucky for me, setting some intentions this morning and going with the flow, it’s all working out.

I found another recommended online printing company that has a different printing schedule, a lower price for two sided post cards and is not only local (and allows me to pick up personally thus saving both time and money on shipping), but also has templates if I needed to go that route. The logos are looking so good though that I’m thinking I won’t be using a template. I might still need to tweak things a bit after LWL LIVE event on the 31st, but we’ve got time for that.

Next bit of drama…I realized that I never got around to adjusting my site’s logo for the video interview I did last week. I pulled up the file, but dammit if I couldn’t unlock the layers to get rid of all the unnecessary crap (why I didn’t have a pure, crapless version I have no idea – needless to say, I do now). Luckily, thanks to the Twitter World, I was able to post my plea and Rachael over at antithete.com came to my rescue. Crisis #2 averted!

Then it was on to my main plan for the day…to finally get my interview with Liza edited so I could get that up already. Poor gal, it’s taken me nearly six months to get on it since I kept putting it off. It’s a shame too because not only is the book great, but it’s a great interview as well.

I’m thinking now of editing two versions. One for the site, and a longer, less edited one for my own blog. I know it’s more work (kind of funny that I’m even considering it since I don’t seem to be much of a fan of the editing process), but I’d hate to see some good stuff get cut just so I could make it shorter and easier to listen to.

I had also planned to edit the Lauren & Emira interview from last week as well. Thing is, I just now finally sat down to start the editing and well, dammit if I didn’t completely forget how to use the damn software. So I’ll just have to have my husband walk me through it again (he’ll probably have me use Garage Band instead of Soundtrack Pro – which is probably why I don’t remember how to use Soundtrack Pro). So we all know what I’ll be doing tomorrow.

So yeah, we all know what they say about that road and those intentions…

PS – I just googled my name for the hell of it and lo’ and behold, the article I wrote for the LWL magazine was published this month. Nothing like finding out when the month is half over. Yeah, I’m that behind on my biz & blog reading.

It’s All Business Baby

I was having a recent twitchat with some of my fellow biz friends and mentioned that I had a few book suggestions. I figured it would be easier to just write up a blog post about it, so here we go.

These are the books that have really grabbed me in one way or another:

The Boss of You by Lauren Bacon & Emira Mears – I just did a Skype interview with these two the other day.  I’m about 2/3 of the way through the book and I have to say, I love it.  They’ve got a lot of info about things we should consider about our business before getting started.  They cover all the bases from your business plan, who your clients/customers are and how to reach them, networking, marketing, you name it.  Good stuff and easy to read; just like chatting with friends.  I’ll post the link to my interview once I edit it.

The E-Myth by Michael Gerber – This book came highly recommended by damn near everyone at SXSW the year I went.  I actually drove out that night and picked it up.  Heck, even with our partying and the conference, I think I finished it that weekend.  Easy read and tons of good information about why many small businesses fail or just become overwhelming.

Awakening the Entrepreneur Within by Michael Gerber – I’m currently reading this one.  I was part of a teleconference where Michael was talking about this new book and venture and it was very powerful.  I’ve been dying to read it, but I keep telling myself that I’ll get more from it reading it straight through instead of bit by bit so I keep putting it off.

The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking by Diana K. Danielson – I stumbled upon this book somehow and thought it sounded like a fun topic.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually learned from it.  It’s a super easy read, great to toss in the purse on the way to waiting somewhere.  I really think you’ll learn a tip or too.

Small Time Operator: How to Start  Your Own Business, Keep Your Books, Pay Your Taxes and Stay Out of Trouble by Bernard B. Kamoroff – This book was recommended to Lauren & Emira through the genius behind Sublime Stitching, Jenny Hart (heard her speak at SXSW in ’07 and I was blown away by what she and the other biz ladies had to say about being the boss and growing your business your way – here’s a link from that Boss Lady panel discussion).  It’s rumored to be one helluva handbook and really touches upon the “what now” sort of issues around growth.

The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business by Clayton M. Christensen – This book also came highly recommended (and I’ve yet to read it) from a business workshop I went to a month or so ago.  Our “expert” took the time to bring it with him to show us so that we’d all take the time to read it.  I hear there are some fascinating stories from many startups.

I’m also interested in checking out Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs by Kaira Sturdivant Rouda.  She’s got a real estate background and that’s certainly not me, but it still sounds interesting and useful when it comes to working on that branding thing.

I’ve also started poking around some twitter folks profiles and have found some interesting women in biz blogs and communities that I thought I’d share with y’all. Enjoy.

Divapreneur – this is a Ning community of women in business. First and foremost, what a fun name! They seem to have some fun women signed up and some interesting sub-communities. Might just be worth checking out.

Her Big Idea – these gals also have a podcast that might be worth checking out.

Ms. Biz – I had a lot of hope for this site, but I can’t exactly get past the cartoonish banner. It also seems very momprenuer friendly and they do have a blogroll if you want to find other biz bloggers (or twittergals)

Woman Tribune – this site seems more women-centric than biz women-centric, but it seems to be a pretty good community and gives me some ideas for my own community.

Women Bloggers – another blog ring sort of place where you can possibly find other women bloggers – some biz ladies, some moms, some a bit of everything mixed in.

It’s all a start and just some suggestions.  Hope it helps you out as much as it’s helped me out.

It Went Well

Yesterday was my film debut (ha!) over in Venice. Looking back, I still can’t believe that I wasn’t crazy nervous. It was very casual, and very relaxed. To be honest, I was more worried over what to wear (nice black tee with a mandarin collar and a deep v – with a cami – and some simple jewelry). I was comfortable and I’m sure won’t clash with whatever goes up on the green screen (he threatened that it would be zoo animals).

For the most part, I just talked about what blogging is and how businesses can use blogging to help get their name out there. Basically, the same spiel I’ve been doing now for a couple of months. But way shorter and with less questions 😉 In fact, it went well enough that they even made the comment that it was “too smooth” and assumed that we must’ve forgotten something important – even though we answered every question that was asked. And as one would expect, afterwards I keep thinking of the many things that I forgot to mention or should have said differently. *sigh*

I should see a copy some time in mid-June. The DVDs are going to be handed out at the next meeting on June 7th (but I’ll be out of town) and at all the national meetings from this point forward. They won’t be hosted online, but they’ll be interviewing me again later for my own profile which will be hosted online. Either way, pretty cool.

Today, I interview Emira and Lauren the authors of The Boss of You. I’m just shy of halfway through the book and I have to say, I’m really enjoying it. It’s full of some great information, especially things to consider and plan before you hang up your shingle and call yourself a business. Which of course, many of us don’t even begin to consider until after we call ourselves a business. So my goal today is to write up some questions for them and finish as much of the book as I can. I’ll be recording a conference call via Skype, which is a first for me, so it should be fun.

Thank you everyone for your support through all of this forward movement. I’m so busy, but I’m actually loving it. Of course, it means I’m falling behind on reading my blogs, but I’m doing what I can. I’m usually reading along, just not commenting. And let’s not even mention my (seeming) lack of commenting here please. Just know that I feel the love and fully intend to reply to comments. Really.

PS – No Wordless Wednesday this week. No time to take any new photos. Through truth be told, I haven’t even moved my camera from the desktop in nearly two weeks. Yikes!

Moving Right Along

I can’t believe how well things are starting to fall into place.  I honestly do see now that many times, it really is as simple as just asking.  It’s even better when the Universe works with you 😉

I’ve got my headshot.  The hubs and I went out to the local park yesterday and took a few pictures.  My friend’s narrowed it down to two photos out of the bunch.  Today I cropped them down and asked my friends to pick which one to use.  So mark that task with a check!

My girl friend and I hit the mall for a whirlwind shopping trip for tomorrow’s video taping.  I came home with one pink and four black shirts.  I really feel most comfortable in the pink one, but I keep thinking that black would be the better option.  So I still need to try those on today for a final decision (I need to be in Venice tomorrow by noon).  Of course, the husband won’t really be much help since to him it will just be one pink and four, identical black shirts.  Men!  Times like this, I crazy miss my former roommate – then again, with a roommate, I might not have needed to buy something new thanks to the law of borrowing.

This morning, I chatted with a cookbook author hoping to convince her to become the food and entertainment expert on my site.  As she puts it, she’s definitely “intrigued” and that’s a good start.  I think after BlogHer, I’m going to focus on redesigning the site.  I’m ready for it to take on more of a magazine like look.

Wednesday I’m interview the two gals behind the book, The Boss of You.  My review (and giveaway) copy just got here about an hour ago.  I can’t wait to start reading it.  Believe it or not, this is a book that I’ve anxiously been awaiting publication of (and then forgot about until I saw the gals’ blog tour).  Once I was reminded of the book, I wasted NO time in contacting the publicist.  I’m that excited.

This will also be my first interview that I’ll be conducting via Skype.  So I have to work today on setting up my account and downloading the appropriate recording software.  I’ve used Skype for skype-to-skype calls before, but never as an actual phone line.  It should be interesting.  Of course, I’ll also need to decide if I want to transcribe the interview or edit it for an audio/podcast thingie.  Mind you, I still have Liza’s audio that I need to edit (ASAP dammit, that interview was nearly 6 months ago!!)

So now, I think it’s time for me to step away from the computer a bit and get busy.  I’ve got a lot to get done over the next couple of days (including getting my new website up and writing some giveaway materials…yikes!)

Happy Monday y’all!

I Wasn’t Expecting That: Take II

Holy Cow!  I was just contacted by one of the networking groups I joined.  First they asked me if I could be their expert at the next meeting, but I have my friend’s wedding that same weekend.  Well, he just responded back to me now inviting me to be their expert on a DVD they’ll be distributing at their local events.

How amazing is that?!?!?  Definitely not something I would have ever expected.  Now I wonder, can I be eloquent under pressure????

Not What I Was Expecting

But wow!  I just had my first, full-fledged phone call with a public relations gal.  She was pitching me her clients (and one of her best friends) and wow, they’re some fun and interesting women.  Now I have to sit down and figure out just how to reach out to them and utilize their expertise for my site.  We’re talking a cook and multiple cookbook author, skin care line creators, kid clothing and bath products, you name it.

I’m also reaching out to a batch of authors that I’ve recently become aware of.  Hopefully I’ll get some cool interviews out of it.  I have to say, without blogging, I don’t believe I’d have learned about so many new products and new authors.  Totally awesome!

I’m really excited.  It could even be giveaways galore! This is an amazing opportunity I’ve got. Now I need to create a plan on how best to present it to my membership.  Whew! It’s amazing what can happen when you focus and well, just ask.

And speaking of good authors with some great advice…have you heard about Wear Clean Underwear?  It’s a book on estate and family planning – half story, half guidebook.  Perfect for moms and dads to use to ensure that they’re doing all they can to care for their kids should something happen to them.  It’s not the easiest topic to talk about, death, but it’s still something that needs to be done.  So check out her book – if you buy now, I believe she still has some amazing gifts ($1000s worth) available with proof of purchase.

I’m Just Going to Have to Suck it Up

For the past week or so, my Google Reader has been on over-drive.  It’s not that there’s any more posts than usual to read – though thanks to Twitter, I have found some new blogs to follow.  It’s  more that I just haven’t really had the time or the desire to catch up.

Currently, I have over 450 posts sitting there begging to be ignored read.  And well, I just don’t think I can swing it.  I’m thinking that I’m just going to have to suck it up and just mark them all as read.  I’m sure I’ll most a lot of good biz-friendly stuff since that’s what more than half of it consists of.  But I can’t deal with the pressure and then the guilt of staring at those numbers day after day.

Consider them marked as read…

*whew* now we can start over again!