I just got around to downloading the photos from our trip to see my mom 2 weeks ago…..hey with twins you do what you can!  Anyhow, I was struck by this photo of them running fearlessly into the HUGE freezing ocean.  While my mom and I were chasing after them, all I could think about was my own fear of them getting swept out to sea. In the moment, I couldn’t see, or feel, their excitement and experience their fearlessness and desire to explore the unknown. In retrospect, I feel like a moment in time was lost for me, but at the same time, this has opened my eyes and reminded me of how fearlessness to step into an unknown situation is such a gift.

So I have been thinking about fearlessness all week since seeing the photo of my twins in the ocean.  Deepak Chopra says there are no coincidences so I take that to heart!  Everything happens for a reason – which leads me to this story.
A friend of a friend called a week ago and asked if we’d be open to housing and feeding a 17-year-old French girl named Marion, in exchange for some babysitting for two weeks.   She wants to experience America and work on her English – which I must say is quite impressive for an 11th grader.  Her father has given me strict instructions to ONLY speak to her in English – I speak fluent French.  Anyhow, Marion arrived last night, tired after a long flight, but cheerful and adorable all the same.  I was amazed at her confidence and ability to be relaxed with total strangers in a new country.  She appeared to be fearless and I admired that in her. She saw an opportunity and jumped on it.
As I offered her a late dinner and we started talking, I was reminded of my own similar experience at 16.   I was bored with my High School and I think my mom knew she needed to save me from myself – or perhaps what might be waiting for me around the corner - or that is my interpretation at least.  During the summer following 10th grade, my mom asked if I wanted to go study in France for my junior year.  She had explored some options and through some friends had found a family for me to stay with in the small town of Carcassonne in southern France.  I immediately accepted and found myself on a plane to Paris on my 16th birthday.  I had studied French for years but really couldn’t put a sentence together.   Here I was, suddenly living with a strange family and trying to communicate while my nose was buried in a dictionary.  I ended up loving my new family and my life there. I had a real transformation from a naive child, into a young woman who had a purpose in life.
Before leaving for France I had never done anything in my life that I considered to be fearless. This moment changed my life forever.  While I wasn’t aware of the fearlessness at the time, because I was terrified, I came to understand later on what the significance of just getting on the plane meant.   I felt very lonely for the first few months as I really couldn’t communicate with anyone.  Being essentially alone really forced me to look my fear in the face and decide that I was bigger. I wanted to succeed for the first time in my life and was prepared to do what ever it took to get there.  This was my first entrepreneurial moment and I didn’t even realize it.
I have often drawn on the strengths that I discovered in myself while living in France.    I know that when I want to make something happen that I just have to acknowledge the fear and accept it.  Once you do that you are unstoppable.
Are you ready to be fearless?
I want you to think about your fears this week.
Write them down, acknowledge them, and accept them as part of your process.

What is holding you back from moving forward?

• Are you procrastinating? Cleaning your desk again?
• Are you afraid to share your idea?
• Are you afraid to take the first step?
• What would happen if you just did it?
• Are you wondering where the money will come from?
• Are you afraid to call a buyer?
• Are you afraid to pitch an editor?
• Are you afraid to be famous?
• Are you afraid to need help?

These are all natural fears, but fears that can stop you from realizing your dreams and living the life you want to live.
Be fearless this week and take a bold step forward.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Have a product-based company?
A “guide” to working with reps

Guest post by Romy Taormina
Nausea Relief Chief/Co-Founder, Psi Bands

What is a rep?

Broker rep. Sales rep. Showroom rep. They go by different names, but their job is the same. They represent your product and the goal is for them to help you get new accounts.

Why would you want/need one?

• Because they might be able to help you get in front of a buyer when you might not have been able to do so on your own.
• They should be familiar with the retailer that you are seeking so they can educate you on what to expect when working with this retailer (their margins, their promo allowances, sales projections, etc.).
• It gives you a sales person. It cuts down the amount of your travel, so it saves you time (and, hopefully, if they are local to the reatiler, it will save on travel expenses).
• It cuts down the amount of communications, because the rep will be handling a bulk of it on your behalf. The more accounts this rep handles on your behalf, the greater economies of scale reached – for you and your rep.

How do I find one?

• Word of mouth
• Through a tradeshow
• Call up and ask a fellow entrepreneur who is in the same category as yours and ask her for a recommendation
• Through your existing retailers
  

What if the rep won’t rep you

If you find a rep that won’t represent you, make sure you understand why. For example, perhaps they rep for Target but in a different category than the one that fits your product. Maybe they know someone who reps in your category at Target. It’s all about the best fit so everyone is maximizing their time.

Sometimes reps and retailers are resistant to working with companies that only have one product/product line. We have found this to be true in some cases, and in some of those cases we have overcome. So, keep plugging away.

Here are some questions that you could ask of the rep (choose those that are appropriate for your situation):

• What is your territory?
• Are you are considering representing me nationally? Can you give me some examples of other companies that you represent nationally?
• You have a wide range of retailers – drug, grocery, mass, catalog and online. Which categories/departments does your team specialize in?
• Where are most of your product lines?
• Do you have products in my category? If yes, which one(s)?
• Can you provide manufacturer references?
• Where are you located in relationship to the retailer headquarters?
• What are your payment terms (retainer, commission, travel expenses, etc.)

Before contacting a rep, make sure you are prepared

You may only have one shot with this rep (treat this as a special opportunity, just as you would the first time you meet with the retail buyer).

• Craft your sales pitch. How is your product unique? Who is your competition? How large is your market? You need to convince your sales rep-to-be that they should rep you.
• Can you fulfill large orders on time?
• How will you support retail sales – in and out of the store (i.e. what are your marketing plans)?

Popularity: 23% [?]

I wanted to include you in on a little secret….  A good friend of mine, Tara Marino put together an amazing guide for moms.  After reading “THE Sexy Mom Summer Survival Guide” I realized I had to get you a copy of it.

Consider this a FREE gift from me to you.  I am sure you will love it.  It is almost like a online magazine just for moms!  This 122 page EASY and FUN to read guide is packed with easy summer style tips, beauty tricks, ways to get slim, great things to do with the kid’s and much much more!

Click here to get this amazing guide for moms

If you are a busy mom who likes easy yet chic styles, and taking care of yourself this guide is for YOU.

I have already started to use many of these tips and ideas and I can’t believe how easy it is.

Here is your present.  You deserve it.

Have a beautiful summer,

xoxox
Sarah

Popularity: 22% [?]

July Fourth Picnic
Guest post by Author and Cookbook Writer Sally Sampson

It’s hard to imagine that after signing The Declaration of Independence, the fifty six lawyers, jurists, merchants, plantation owners, teachers, musicians and printers sat down together and polished off a homespun picnic.  No, instead they went back to their homes, their wives and their children and, in some cases, lost all that they owned, having risked their lives and fortunes to the cause of liberty.

But like most American holidays, time has turned this event into an eating extravaganza. For most Americans July Fourth is about fireworks, barbecues and sales.

At least they didn’t sign in February, when outdoor activities like watching parades, participating in bike, motorcycle and drag races, listening to music and eating fabulous, carefree food in backyards and beaches would not be so appealing. Independence Day comes at the time of year when local produce is abundant and cooking mostly means chopping and assembling.

All three of the following salads can be made the night before, leaving you more time to enjoy your guests!
All of these recipes come from Warehouse to Your House.

Curried Chicken Salad
Yield: about 4 ½ cups

¼ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons mango chutney
1-tablespoon curry powder
1-½ pounds poached or grilled chicken, torn into shreds or diced
2 celery ribs, diced or sliced
1 apple, peach or mango, diced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro and/or basil leaves, plus additional for garnish

Place the mayonnaise, chutney and curry powder in a medium size bowl and mix well.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour and up to overnight.

Annette’s Corn Salad
Yield: about 5- 6 cups

For the salad:
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 15.5 oz can red kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 large garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
½- 1 teaspoon kosher salt

To make the salad: Place all the ingredients in a medium size bowl.

To make the dressing: Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.  Add to corn mixture, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Mustard Potato Salad
Serves 6- 8

3 pounds new potatoes, cut in quarters or halves, depending on size and desire
¼ cup plain low or full fat yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup sour cream
3- 4 celery stalks, julienned
3- 4 carrots, julienned
4 scallions, including greens, chopped
1 cup finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley leaves
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15- 20 minutes.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl to cool to room temperature.

While the potatoes are cooking, place the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard and sour cream in a small bowl and mix well. When the potatoes have cooled, add the yogurt mixture and the remaining ingredients and gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to overnight.

Popularity: 18% [?]

I have been thinking a lot this week how hard it can be to decide to move forward with a new plan of action. The ladies in my current 26-week Tele-seminar are all moving forward with new ideas and it got me thinking about myself and what I am doing to move forward these days since I am not actually designing anything new right now. What I came to realize is that I wanted new solutions - fresh ideas and a new plan.

I too can get stuck and not know what to do next, or how to improve sales, attract new customers, or just feel stale about how I am doing things. I LOVE new ideas and try to always be coming up with something or some new way to do things – but no one is perfect right?

When I first started my handbag line I didn’t have plan of action. I just had an idea and thought it’d be fun to try to make it. As I progressed and my line started to take off, I realized how important a plan is, as well as a support team to help you execute it. Since I didn’t know the first thing about anything to do with manufacturing, selling, promoting or how to build a website I relied on people I met along the way to give me some advice and tried it all myself. I am a big believer in trying it all yourself first so you understand what needs to be done so you can know how to instruct the person helping you do the task.
I realized last week, that with everything I have going on in my life with work, my 17 month old twins, classes I am taking and teaching, that I had sort of let the delegating fall by the wayside – actually off the cliff the truth be told.

I recently met a very interesting man through a mastermind group I go to once a month at Ketchup in West Hollywood. I love this group. I find sitting with other entrepreneurs is so invigorating and gets your creative juices flowing. Anyway – this guy has a company that does market intelligence research to help you determine the best approach for your brand. He states “Information is the key to the market knowledge and success”. I was so taken by his presentation (and the fact that he thought he could really help me get a competitive edge going with my handbag hanger) that I hired him to consult for my Simply Sarah Company. I am so excited by the prospect of all the new information and the ideas he is going to bring me I don’t know how I am going to wait the 4 weeks for the full report! By just taking this ONE step, I feel totally reinvigorated and have a brand new excitement towards my own products.

I feel like I have a new plan of action and am looking forward to implementing it.

* What is your plan of action?
* What can you change about they way you are doing things this week?
* How can you take the first step towards realizing your ideas?
* Can you get something down on paper this week?

Here are a few simple steps to get your new ideas in motion:

Once you are armed with this information you may feel inspired to get an action plan and turn that “big idea” into a real product!

1. Write a description of your idea
2. How did you come up with this idea?
3. What does it look like?
4. How does it work?
5. Does it solve a problem for people?
6. What are the benefits?
7. Do you have a name for it?
8. What makes it unique
9. Who will buy it?
10. Where will you market it?

I want to hear from you – are you inspired?

Popularity: 30% [?]

10 Ways to Use Your Simply Sarah Cosmetic Bags

1. Purse Blunders?- Make sure to keep all your make-up and toiletries in our bags that are coated with plastic on the inside.  When on the go they keep messes to a minimum and style to a maximum!
2. Simple Garden Secret- Keep all your gardening supplies in a large square bag so you always know where your favorite tools are!
3. Arts and Crafts - Make sure your arts and crafts area is neat and tidy! Our assorted sizes of bags will cover all your crafting needs! The large sqaure bags are perfect for watercolors and paint brushes since they are coated on the inside.
4. Spills in the Luggage got you down? No more spills in the luggage for our jet-setting fashionistas with our coated travel bags.
5. Night Stand Styling- Keep a small sasha on your night stand filled with all your bedside essentials
6. Baby Diaper Overload? Make any bag a diaper bag! Fill a large square bag with diapers and toss it in your bag and fill a small sasha with baby powder, creams and everything else.
7. Guests Coming into town? Show some hospitality by giving your guest a sasha bag filled with toiletries on the night stand.
8. Kids toys scattered in your car? Have your kids each fill a large square bag with their favorite toys for car rides.
9. Jewelry All Over? Place a few clutches around the house in the spots you find yourself taking your jewelry off.
10. Summer Fun- Sasha Sets are the perfect graduation gift for the grad heading off to college.  Also the fun bright colors make our cosmetic bags great for children going off to summer camp to keep all their essentials in.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Interview with Carley Knobloch - Creator of Mother Craft Coaching

Q: What is your name? Carley Knobloch

Q: Company name and website? Mothercraft: Coaching the Modern Mom
mothercraftcoaching.com

Q: We launched in: Feb 2007

Q: What is your business or what do you sell?
I help moms manage their crazy schedules, create unique career choices that work for them, parent purposefully, and live extraordinary lives.

Q: Who or what was the inspiration behind your company?
When I became a mom, I felt like I had a lot of resources to teach me how to be a good parent (ie. Mommy & Me, toddler classes, books, etc.) but no one to help me reconcile all the not-so-pretty emotions I was having trying to process my new life as a stay-at-home mom.  Who was I now, without my job? Was I the only one who didn’t love every moment of being a mom? How could I further my own personal development and feed my soul and ambitions without feeling guilty or selfish? I certainly didn’t have any friends who were talking about this! The idea for Mothercraft was born: I wanted to provide a different kind of support system for moms, not centered around parenting, but around a mom’s growth and development as a person.

Q: How did you get started?
Not long after my daughter was born, I read a magazine article about life coaching. I had already been mentoring a few moms I knew on these issues, but didn’t call myself a life coach. When I read that article, I knew that coaching was format I’d been looking for to help me work with moms in the way I had imagined.  I became a certified life and career coach through the Life Purpose Institute, and set out to create the Mothercraft system— my own tools and materials to enable moms to bust through their obstacles and excel at managing their lives.  Created by a mom, for moms.

Q: How long before your business was profitable, or when is it projected to become profitable? I work from home, and do most of my coaching over the phone, so my overhead is very low.  So it was profitable from the time I started!

Q: What significant obstacles (if any) have you faced & how did you overcome them?
So far, my biggest obstacles have been marketing and messaging.  I’m constantly refining how to explain what it is that I do, showing them how a coach can impact— and in some cases revolutionize— their lives.  Even though all my clients have individual situations and needs, we share so many goals and obstacles, so showing people how I can solve their most common problems, and helping them understand how finding solutions can help them earn more money/get more done/give them more time/create more equanimity… that’s the challenge! I’ve learnt a lot and continue to tweak my messaging.

Regarding marketing, it’s really true what they say: It doesn’t matter if you’re the best at what you do if no one knows about you!  It took a while for me to create relationships and systems to help me promote my offerings.  I continue to measure different marketing efforts to see what works for my target market.  Ultimately, my biggest successes have come from speaking engagements and events where people can see me face to face.  In a service-based business like mine, people really respond when they can meet me and interact with me.  They feel more comfortable investing in this process if they get a sense that they’ll like working with me first.

Q: Do you ever feel like giving up at times? If so, what keeps you going?
Totally! When things slow down, and I’m not getting the influx of clients that keep me motivated and focused, the negative talk creeps in: “What are you doing? No one wants to pay for this service… you’d better quit!”  What keeps me going is the response I get back from my clients after our work together.  Just knowing that I can be a resource in what can be such an isolating and confusing time is so rewarding.  When I’m working with my clients, I know I’m doing the work I was meant to, and there’s no better feeling!

Q: What qualities (i.e., family support, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a women entrepreneur? Yes, yes, and yes! Women entrepreneurs are some of the coolest, smartest people I know, and they have mastered countless skills that men never have to even learn! Support, not just from family, but from teachers, neighbors, workmates… it’s all so important.  Our culture has adopted this idea that every woman’s family is “their responsibility”, but we all need to be supporting each other to raise truly great children.  Time management is a big one that I’m supporting a lot of clients with and developing products around right now.  All the life hacks and productivity skills we had before we became moms are relatively useless, and once we become sleep-deprived, mommy-brain-endowed women we have to relearn how to manage our time.  Creating boundaries is a very powerful skill that can be a big guilt-buster women entrepreneurs, especially moms.  Focus on the task at hand, wherever you are.   Create boundaries around your time so that you can work while at work and be truly present with your family when you’re at home.  Even work-at-home moms can accomplish this by creating a schedule and sticking to it.

Q: What is the one thing (book, website, coach, mentor, tool, blog, service, etc) that you value and can say has contributed to your success? The book, “The Growth and Development of Mothers” by Angela Baron McBride was hugely influential and the framework for Mothercraft.  I highly recommend it to anyone who struggles with ambivalence or integrating all parts of themselves into our culture’s very narrow definition of “good mother”.

Yoga and breath work have been lifelines for me.  I became a certified yoga instructor in 2008, and the tools I learned help me be more aware of my body, trust my intuitions and decisions as a mom, and an entrepreneur.  I oxygenate my body, calm my thoughts, and reduce my anxiety level just by breathing intentionally throughout the day.

I love technology and use lots of it to get me through the day. (My iPhone has changed my life and business!)  My most critical tool, however, is still my notebooks. The more I can get out of my head and into a list (quickly!) the less anxiety I feel throughout my day.  So I have little notebooks planted everywhere— in my purse, in my car, on the kitchen counter.  Once every day or so, I go through the notes I’ve made and process them into central lists (I love Gmail tasks or Ta-da List, both free!) that I can reference on my iPhone throughout the day. This way, no matter how much I have going on, I never have “a lot on my mind”.  Mastering this skill transformed the way I get things done.
http://gmail.google.com
http://www.tadalist.com

Q: What was the worst advice someone gave you?
Can’t think of any especially bad bits of advice that I’ve received, but I have some advice about advice! Remember that advice comes from outside you, so extract what you need, and disregard what you don’t.  Surround yourself with smart people, learn from them, but don’t forget to listen to your gut!

Q: What are your business or personal goals for the next year?
I will be launching year-long support groups, online coaching options, my first ebook and a teleclass. Lots of different ways for moms to work with me, support one another, learn and grow!

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship? Don’t get overwhelmed. There is so much to learn and know, and it takes time to grasp it all. Honor wherever it is that you are right now, and take small, incremental steps forward. It’s so worth it to jump in, so don’t let your fears stop you!

Q: is there anything else you wish I had asked?
Both motherhood and entrepreneurship are tough jobs, and very isolating. It’s so vital that you have a positive community around you to succeed on both fronts.  Surround yourself with like-minded people, who cheer you on and don’t drag you down, people who provide a safe environment in which to test ideas, get feedback and take action.  I have experienced the biggest moments of growth in my business and my thinking when I’ve surrounded myself with smart, supportive women. If you don’t have that community, go out and find it… or start your own group! It’s so worth it!

Popularity: 34% [?]

Article By Sarah Shaw | Entreprenette

I have been knee deep in my new 26-week Entreprenette course for the past few weeks and am so inspired by the projects these women are bringing to the world.  And to top this off, I feel like every time I open a magazine or the newspaper these days there’s an article about someone FINALLY taking the steps to launch their “big idea”.  I feel totally surrounded by innovation and creativity.
Do you get as excited as I do when you hear people talking about their ideas?   When I hear ideas, my mind starts to whirl, I start to visualize and get these amazing colorful pictures. I start to see the item in stores, magazines and even on people or in a house.  Sometimes I have to bite my tongue to keep from overwhelming them with my ideas about how they can get started and manufacture it, market it, package it, and get PR……..my mind just starts ticking and I want to teach them everything I know! I have a very photographic mind and when ideas start flowing I can “see” them very quickly  - it has been a very useful tool for me over the years – especially with designing my own line.

Did you know that during the great depression the ideas for the
Twinkie, Monopoly and the Photocopier were born?

What will this recession be remembered for?
What will be created today, tomorrow and the next day?
Will you be one of the innovators mentioned in greatness?
What are you waiting for?
This is the time to launch that idea you’ve been sitting on for years.
Don’t’ let someone else beat you to it.
Did you know:

• Inventors groups have doubled in size.
• Patent filings are going up each day for individuals, while going down for large corporations who are cutting back.
• Licensing companies phones are ringing off the hook.

I read this article in the LA Times about students from The Pratt  Institute in NY who were challenged to create their “big idea” for $1.  How can that be done you wonder? Well I wondered as well and was so impressed by their ingenuity and drive to create interesting products for $1 or less.
You can do it too!
Now is the time to get moving and create that prototype you’ve been dreaming about.
What are you waiting for?
Go ahead – take the $1 challenge.  What can you find, borrow, or get to make this happen?
Start at home – make a prototype with anything on hand.  Use clay, paper, wire, socks, bed sheets, whatever will be easiest for you.  Glue it, staple it, bake it.  Visit the hardware store for more unusual items needed.  Ask friends, a handyman, even your husband, dad, brother, mother, sister, wife or significant other for help if they‘re handy.
OK how does it look?
Let us know – we want to support you.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Posted by Sarah Shaw | Entreprenette | Simply Sarah

I am so excited! I was interviewed on the MS. CEO Radio show earlier this week.
If you want to learn how I launched my first handbag line and got tons of press for myself then tune in to Build it with Buzz.

Popularity: 45% [?]

Interview with Marty Stevens-Heebner  - Creator of Rebagz eco- chic handbags

Q: What is your name? Marty Stevens-Heebner

Q: Company name and website? I have three companies.
Rebagz Eco-Chic Handbags
Half the Sky Designs LLC
Altered Shoes

Q: We launched in: July 2007

Q: What is your business or what do you sell?
Rebagz™ Eco-Chic Handbags are made from colorful hand woven recycled juice packs and recycled rice sacks with vibrant graphics already printed on them.  We’re human-friendly as well as eco-friendly because all our bags are made under fair trade conditions.

Q: Who or what was the inspiration behind your company?
My interest in eco-design and fair working conditions dates back to my human rights work in Chiapas, Mexico amid the aftermath of the Zapatista rebellion. I was amazed by the inventiveness of the artisans in Chiapas, who lacked resources but more than made up for that with their originality and flare.

Q: How did you get started?
Prior to launching my handbag line, I had a small but successful business creating original handcrafted jewelry.  By the fall of 2006, I decided it was time to create an accessories line that would appeal to a broad market, and that’s when I decided to go into handbag design.

Q: How long before your business was profitable, or when is it projected to become profitable? Let’s just say the economic crisis affected our ability to be completely and consistently profitable.

Q: What significant obstacles (if any) have you faced & how did you overcome them?
The economic crisis!  That and time management.  We’re a small company and there are so many different hats I have to wear, especially with my book Altered Shoes coming out a few months ago.

Q: Do you ever feel like giving up at times? If so, what keeps you going?
What entrepreneur doesn’t get frustrated?  But I’ve always been a problem solver, and believe that there are always opportunities in any problem.  I also love what I do!

Q: What qualities (i.e., family support, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a women entrepreneur? All of the above!  I also think it’s important to be very people-friendly because things like customer service can make or break you.

Q: What is the one thing (book, website, coach, mentor, tool, blog, service, etc) that you value and can say has contributed to your success? My publicist Lisa Elia – LisaEliaPR.com and ClearPublicist.com – has been instrumental in getting the word out about us.  Thanks to her, we’ve been featured in dozens of magazines and newspapers.  Not only does this generate buzz, but it also helped us indirectly as well.  The most obvious example is that one small article in a trade publication was read by the person who then became our QVC liaison.

Press is vital!  And Lisa’s one of the best.  The great thing is she teaches you how to do it on your own through ClearPublicist.com!

Q: What was the worst advice someone gave you?
Being told I needed to be in showrooms all over the country.  It’s incredibly expensive to position yourself that way, and there’s no guarantee they’ll really make the effort to sell your product.  I’m very picky about what sales reps I’ll work with because you really need to make sure you’re working with people who have a strong work ethic and enjoy their work.  That’s the trick!

Q: What are your business or personal goals for the next year?
To vastly expand our internet presence, plus I’ll be launching my consulting business via ManufacturingTheRightWay.com.  I want to help entrepreneurs avoid the mistakes I made, so I can save them massive amounts of time and money in the manufacturing process.

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship? Now’s a great time to do it!   The economy’s beginning to show signs of life again, and as people start spending again, you’ll be ready to take advantage.

Q: is there anything else you wish I had asked?
I’m just so flattered you asked in the first place!  Thanks very much for the opportunity.

I will add this: I think it’s becoming increasingly important to make sure that the people who make your product are doing so under fair and decent conditions.  Also the whole environmental movement seems to (finally!) be here to stay.  I hope that being eco-friendly and human-friendly becomes the norm rather than a niche in 10 years or so……….so why not just start off working that way?

Popularity: 49% [?]