Category Archives: work

Do You Work From Home?

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What’s your secret?  How do you stay focused?

I’ve been working from home, on and off now for the past 8 or so years.  Basically, since I left teaching and started getting clients while in grad school.  Back then, my working from home consisted of a lot of writing.  Come to think of it, it still does. Only difference, I went from writing client reports and treatment plans to writing articles and blog posts.  Not all that different when you get down to it.

Some days are more challenging than others.  Today for instance…here it is, nearly 1:00pm and all I’ve managed to do is make my todo list, write two blog posts (including this one) and mail out some of the winning CBTL gift cards.  All I can seem to focus on is the fact that the apartment needs a serious vacuuming and I realy, really, really want to get that damn couch taken care of.  But while it’s cooler today, it’s still too hot for me to vacuum.  I’m just not really up for a sweat-fest right now.  Especially when I need to finish my newsletter for tomorrow (and the corresponding biz blog posts for the week) and get my biz autoresponders up and running.

So I ask those of you that work from home, how do you do it? How do you stay focuses and on task when you can see 1001 other things that you could be attending to?

Young Woman No More

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I was looking into joining the Young Women Social Entrepreneurs group.  I figured hey, I’m a young woman, I’m social and well, lookey that, I’m also an entrepreneur.  So I started poking around the site to learn about the LA chapter.  Seems like they do some fun local stuff.  Sounds great.

Then I click over to the membership page.  Turns out it’s only for gals in the their 20’s and 30’s.  While I am still a gal in my 30’s, let’s just say that I won’t be for much longer.  What a sad way to realize that you’re getting older.  I’m aging out of a networking group.  So sad.

Talk About Feeling Overwhelmed

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I just got off of a teleseminar with Adam Urbanski and Coach Deb.  Now I know how folks feel when they leave my workshops on basic blogging and basic social media.  It’s a LOT of information to absorb and process.  I just have to remember that I don’t need to do everything all at once.

Today’s session was an in depth discussion about twitter.  Perfect timing too since I was asked to write up an article for the LWL magazine on twitter basics.  This session really helped to come up with some good, clear examples of how twitter can be an asset to a small business.  Now I just need to break it all down to it’s most simplest, bare bones measures since many of the women in the LWL are just learning about twitter and other various forms of social media.

Adam is running this Contact to Contracts teleseminar for two more days.  We still get to hear from Mari Smith tomorrow about Facebook and Nancy Marmolego about integrating social networking strategies.  The teleseminars are free (which is always a good thing), so be sure to register.  If you think you missed out on Coach Deb’s info, then go ahead and order the VIP package with both audio and transcriptions of the calls.  Good stuff.

Now that’s the massive note taking has stopped, I must find a cure for my hiccups and find some lunch.

Let’s Get Writing

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I’ve been asked by our LWL leader extraordinaire to write up some how-to articles for the LWL online magazine.  We’re thinking to focus on the various, mainstream social media outlets and write up some basic tutorials. She’s hoping that I can write one piece a week starting in July. This won’t be such a bad thing, though the pressure along could likely do me in (lol, nothing like being under pressure to get a gal to write).  The good thing, when all is said and done, I just might have a little ‘ol ebook already written and read to go.

First up, Twitter.  Any suggestions, advice or things for me to consider when starting with the most basics of basics?

The Dreaded Schlumpa Dump

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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…

Whew, What a Yesterday!

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Yesterday was my first LWL LIVE event here in Los Angeles. It was a day full of great speakers, consulting with future clients*, shopping, hanging with the ladies and well, just a full day of everything. It was held at the Dermalogica headquarters down in Carson. They have a beautiful facility, very futuristic and quite Mode/Ugly Betty-ish. Good space and good energy.

I loved hearing Dermalogica’s founder, Jan Wurwand’s story. Even more, I loved her whole “I went to beauty school, not business school” success story. Very inspiring. Daryn Kagan, formerly of CNN and now creates inspirational news stories on the web. I love how she was able to take losing her job and turning it into something beautiful. Paige Adams-Geller of Paige Premium Denim also had an empowering, love your body message that couldn’t be ignored; she wants you to be comfortable in your genes not just your jeans.

My favorite part of the whole event though, had to be the web savvy panel: the ladies from Ideal Bite, Ask Patty, Style Diary (and one more gal that writes for the Huffington Post – I didn’t get a program and the LWL site wasn’t updated with her info). I loved how they’re all web-based, yet all have different business and advertising models. But more importantly, I love who they all supported the idea of blogging, getting yourself out there on social networks, and even using blogs instead of launching an out and out site (all what I preach!).

I wished someone had thought ahead to record the speakers since I missed parts of the web gals panel. Turns out I was stuck in the body of a teenager and well, had a bit of a girlie accident. Yeah, I wore khakis and figured that since I’m an adult, I know my body and I don’t have anything to worry about. Of course, I neglected to consider the fact that I’d be sitting ALL day long – from the crack of dawn drive down until the drive back (nearly 10 hours total). Embarrassing? Oh hell yeah. But hey, at least I was in a room full of women and we’ve all been there a time or two (even if mostly only in our teens).

But it was a great day and one I’d gladly do over – with a few small adjustments 😉 Today I’ve got some Farmer’s Market time with the hubs (if it’s not too late) and book club with the gals. The author will be joining us so I’m pretty stoked!

* my biz site officially launched while I was there – so now I’m all official like.  Thanks Rachael!

It’s All Business Baby

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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.

I’m Just Going to Have to Suck it Up

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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!

Okay, Now I Have Something To Say

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So I registered for BlogHer a while back. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the agenda and have been checking every couple of days. I’ve also anxiously been awaiting some activity on the room-share board. Well, turns out we’re now all fucked.

The BlogHer room deal is already sold out. Now all that can be found through Starwood are $350+ rooms. That’s a per night fee! For three nights! Three hundred and fifty fucking dollars a night!!!! Um, legitimate business expense or not, I won’t be staying there.

This sucks for a few reasons, first of which, I’m really not a fan of San Francisco (I know, I know, I’m just not a city kind of gal and well, that place just freaks me out!). And it kind of sucks that since I’ll be going alone I won’t be staying where all the action is. I want to be part of the cool kids crowd *wahhhh*

Okay, no worries. The husband remembered the last boutique hotel we stayed at while in SF. Turns out it’s right across the street from the St. Francis. And it’s $150 less a night than the St. Francis (and includes the internet fees and tea time). So I’ll be staying there instead and will still be close enough to be part of the cool kids crowd. Since they were sold out of doubles already I just said fuck it and got a room of my own.

I’m thankful that’s all done. All I have left to do now is book my flight. I’ll wait until things get closer to do that though. Heck, we have other flights and rooms to book still in late May and early June. July just seems so far off still.

What Do You Need to Know Before You Buy Your URL?

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Okay, I twittered this, but 1) I haven’t blogged yet today and 2) I’m hoping to get some more answers still.  So here goes…I’ve been asked to write an article about what one should know before even purchasing a business URL, let alone start up a website.

This is a big deal since many people immediately run out and buy a URL because their starting up a business and wind up spending a lot of money they don’t need to spend: paying more for registration, paying for services that you don’t need, spending more on a website than is needed, etc.  So I’m hoping for this to be more of a tutorial/how-to sort of piece.

So I ask, any suggestions for your fellow webbies and bloggers?