Get to Know Vana Chupp of Le Papier Studio Ltd.

The one thing that stood out to me about Vana while interviewing her is how she is following her dream and really believes in her business. Her products reflect her love of her family and, as she says, appreciating the little things and small moments that mean the most. Vana’s enthusiasm and passion show in her products and in her interview – she is definitely one to watch!

Name: Vana Chupp

Hometown: Saranda, Albania

Current Residence: Mount Prospect, Illinois

Education: Master of Architecture (M Arch)

Professional Background:
After graduation from college I worked as a Project Manager for a woman owned Architecture firm. After the birth of my son (now almost 4 years old) I switched doing consulting work as a Project Manager for another Architecture firm. I am happy I was able to work part time while being home with my son. Since March 2008, I have focused primarily working on developing my own business, Le Papier Studio Ltd.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: a writer

What you are: architect and designer

Brief Summary of your Start Up:
The story behind is quite simple: the need of a mom to find a creative outlet at the end of a busy day led her to achieve a dream, running a business from home while enjoying the beauty of motherhood. I find inspiration in the simple moments in life (that being my son blowing bubbles on a summer day, or from a picture taken of him by the beach). My desire to capture the innocence of childhood is captured on the unique line of personalized artwork, stationery, invitations and announcements (for all of the occasions) utilizing custom, one of a kind elegant silhouettes.

Company Website: www.lepapierstudio.com

What inspired you? My son and the moments spent with him

How long have you been in business? A little over a year

How did you fund it? My own savings

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? I don’t know if she is a Fairy Godmother by title but she is a great source of information and advice to me. Her name is Sarah Jane Wright (a lovely, genuine person, a mother and an artist).

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups?
Start Up Princess, Assocation for Women in Architecture, http://twitter.com/lepapierstudio

Current Business Challenge? Marketing my business, hiring some part time help

What are you doing about it? Researching different possibilities

Favorite motivational quote: “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thinking.” By Mother Teresa

Family? Yes, my hubby of 6 years, and our precious 4 year old boy

If so, how do you balance family and business?
My son still naps for a good 2-2.5 hours each day. I work while he is asleep and when my husband comes home from work. Unfortunately this has become a routine for us. I try to work only a few nights a week and spend time with them the rest of the nights. I would like to see this happening more in the future. I don’t work on weekends.

Favorite book?
Don’t really have a favorite, I like reading a book that has received good reviews.

What do you do to relax?
Draw, cook, and take a walk with the family

What do you want to change most about your world?
The stressful life. If I could wish for one thing it will be to slow down the time and enjoy each moment of the day. I feel as if we don’t pay enough attention to the little/simple things in life.

What are you most proud of?
My little boy – his development from a baby to one of a smart, adorable and kind little person.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses?
Start developing your dream today no matter how unreal it may feel right now. If you believe in that dream, you have already surpassed the greatest obstacle. Make a list of steps towards your goal and try to accomplish one step at a time. Sooner or later you will get to the bottom of the list and eventually achieve your goal.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)?
Twitter and my blackberry (it allows me to send an important email even when I’m away from my computer)

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use?
Pearls and diamonds because they are timeless.

Would you be interested in being a Fairy Godmother and writing articles or speaking at Startup Princess events?
yes

What business subjects would you feel comfortable mentoring in? Starting up

Congratulations to Mrs. Utah United States 2009, Karmel Larson, a Startup Princess!

What an amazing competition! 21 beautiful contestants with incredible platforms competed on Saturday April 25th for the title of Mrs. Utah United States 2009. The event brought back a flood of emotions and memories because just one year ago I was competing for the same title (I won 1st Runner up and the Interview award). Two Startup Princess friends competed, Jennifer Griffiths and Karmel Larson and it was a joy to see others I had competed with last year compete again. The whole night I was a nervous wreck which is hilarious since I wasn’t competing! Last year I was complete PEACE, no jitters at ALL!

If it’s ok to admit (no offense to the others, I love you all!) I was cheering the loudest for Karmel because I recommended she compete last year and I’ve been keeping in touch with her training and preparations. When she told me she was going to rent the same gown I wore I said no, you should wear white. And I’m so glad she did! She bought a winning gown from Heather Osmond who was Mrs Utah America 2007. I also gave Karmel a mock interview a couple weeks ago and gave her feedback. I suggested she compete last Spring because I knew her platform would be so strong and it was such a joy to see her go the distance with all of her personal training and preparations. She trained with both Cherie Burton and Liz Rosenbaum like I did, they are wonderful, inspiring women!

When Karmel made top 10 I wasn’t surprised…I hoped she’d make it all the way and she did!! She made her wish and made it happen! I also believe it’s God’s will for her to serve and share her important message this year. Right after she did her “walk” as Utah’s new Queen, I raced up to the stage and gave her one of her first hugs as Mrs. Utah. What a joy that was for me to be a part of that moment!

Karmel is a mom of 4 little ones, busy with service, two businesses, and homeschools her kids! She’s a woman we can all learn from. She’s very structured with her time and I have learned a great deal from watching her and being her friend over the years. Utahns are so blessed to have her!

Karmel’s platform is “Declaring Decency”, (anti-pornography, values in media, and beyond) a platform for our time–much needed!! She has deep roots in her platform as she’s been serving the President of the Utah County Chapter of American Mothers, Inc., County Director for the Parents Television Council as well as running her businesses.

Karmel was on a panel for our Startup Princess Touchpoint Conference in 2008, we’d love to have her back! Congrats, Karmel! Much love and appreciation for having the courage to SHINE, go out of your comfort zone to compete so you can serve Utahns. Best wishes in your preparations for Mrs. United States and also with your role as Mrs. Utah! I’ll never stop cheering for you!

Follow Karmel on Twitter @karmellarson

For more info about Karmel and her platform go to www.KarmelLarson.com

Startup Princess Founder Kelly King Anderson Honored as one of “30 Women to Watch” by Utah Business Magazine

Thank you, Utah Business Magazine for the honor of this beautiful  award. I deeply appreciated the state-wide recognition in the Utah Business April issue and the opportunity to receive more exposure for Startup Princess and the good that we’re striving to do for women entrepreneurs. The presentation was a special luncheon at the gorgeous Salt Lake City, Grand America Hotel, the premiere hotel in our state with hundreds of our state’s top leaders in business with each of us receiving a spotlight of a video (see above). Utah Business really loves Startup Princess, they also featured me on the cover of their January issue and I did a podcast with them as well. THANK YOU!

Among the 30 women honored was the fabulously talented  Rachael Herrscher of TodaysMama.com, Read more

Kickoff Event for Startup Princess’ SLC Royal Court

We’re gearing up for the kickoff event of the Salt Lake City Royal Court, the newest chapter of Startup Princess, on Thursday, April 30th 7-9pm, $15 (paypal Kelly<at>startupprincess.com or bring a check) at the Offices of Richards, Brandt, Miller & Nelson at The Wells Fargo Center in downtown Salt Lake City. 299 North Main Street, Floor 15.

The theme of the event is “What I Learned my First Year in Business” and will include four fabulous speakers, a question-answer panel, and of course plenty of time to munch and mingle with dozens of other Startup Princesses.

Read more

Startup Princess Founder Kelly King Anderson Featured on Startups Live Internet TV Show

This show aired live on Tuesday April 21st. Thank you to Charissa Cowart, host and Dannie McLain, producer of Startups Live!

Twitter for Business

(Originally presented at BYU on March 12, 2009) Listen to the AUDIO here.

What is Twitter?

Microblogging. It’s like a series of Facebook status updates in 140 characters, but better: more interactive, more open. Combines elements of StumbleUpon, Facebook, Email, IM, social/business mixers, and blogging.

Why should I be on Twitter?

It’s the fastest way to share and get information on the web. It takes time at first to build p followers and a good list of followees, but once you’re established, you can do anything on Twitter.

If you want to have any sort of online presence, you should start with Twitter (which can automatically update your Facebook account and your blog, so it’s really not adding too much extra effort).

What can I do with Twitter?

Network. Connect with people across the world (@Kirstyt in AUS) and locally (@sahans in UT). (e.g. Why I’m here instead of @StartupPrincess tonight).

Share stories/pictures/ideas. Send news articles (shorten links using tinyurl.com or tr.im), upload photos (twitpic.com), or take a poll to see if an idea is interesting.

Promote your product/website/brand. Tweet giveaways, events, sales, links to special posts. When people offer to stumble, don’t be shy.

Provide customer service. Set up an RSS feed for your brand name on search.twitter.com (e.g. Chris Brogan).

Build Relationships. Have real people (more than one, if possible) at your company tweet. Be personable and likeable (use humor). Interact, link to other companies.

Find mentors/sponsors. Follow people who are doing what you want to be doing, or who give opportunities to the people who are doing what you want to be doing. (e.g. Leapfrog, @morethanmommy).

Where should I start?

Sign up on Twitter, then explore the different platforms to access Twitter (on the web, on your iGoogle homepage, on your phone, on your desktop). Find an app that works for you. Many people like Tweetdeck and Twhirl. iPhone users like Twitterfon. I use BeTwittered – a gadget on my iGoogle homepage.

Add followers, but do it slowly, trying to keep your followers and followees pretty equal. And tweet – at least once a day, so you don’t look like a bot.

Want to know more? Try these:

How To Twitter (Wall Street Journal) (Note on settings – WSJ is mistaken. You can (now) determine whether you get all @replies or none, or only those that are between people, both of whom you follow).

50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business (Chris Brogan)

Shannon Johnson (Jane @ What About Mom?) is as committed to motherhood as she is to writerhood, which is to say that she should probably be committed. She lives in Utah with her husband Dick and their three daughters.

Meet Kimberley Jones of Vérité

Michelle McCullough, Startup Princess Business Development Director writes, “Kim Jones is one of the most business savvy women I have ever met. I’ve worked for three advertising agencies, a number of media outlets and other businesses, and Kim Jones’ company is the most efficient and productive company of them all. Additionally, Kim diligently keeps up with changing markets and trends and adjusts her company accordingly, without losing its identity. Vérité is a company to watch and Kim Jones is a business owner who proves every day that companies can grow even during the trying times of entrepreneurship.”

Name: Kimberley Jones

Hometown: Toronto, Canada until 10 and then the Bay Area after that

Current Residence: Sandy, UT

Education: Law Enforcement Major in College

Professional Background: 12 year background in sales and marketing of technology organizations prior to Vérité

What you wanted to be when you grew up: Movie Star

What you are: CEO of Vérité

Brief Summary of your Start Up: Vérité is an interactive agency that focuses on communications for sales marketing and training org, produces creative services for both traditional and online campaigns as well as web tools.

What inspired you? I moved to Salt Lake from Silicon Valley in 1990. The economy in Utah was flat, and I went to work as a reseller for Sony Broadcast which gave me a segue out of tech and into media production. I worked in a studio filming for corporations. I went to the president and said that they could put videos on CFrom and they could appeal to a more technical audience and organization like Novell and iomega, etc. The president thought I was crazy and that it would be another 5-6 years before the industry would be ready for that. So I decided to do it myself. I started Vérité on my own in 1993. After a year I hired an assistant. And over time quality programmers and designers. We worked out of my house for the first six years with employees coming and going at all hours. I bought my first office in 1999. And then after we grew to over 15 employees I bought the building we are in now in 2004.

How long have you been in business? 16 years

Company website? www.verite.com

How did you fund it? Self-Funded (and starving)

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? My husband

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Yes. Women’s Tech Council, Westminster MBA Advisory Board, People Helping People Board, USTAR Digital Media Initiative, Westminster College Business Plan Competition, BYU Business Plan Competition, U of U Business Plan Competition

Current Business Challenge? Trying to stay viable and strong

What are you doing about it? Really take a look at your company, what new ideas do you have to come out with? How are you communicating them to customers? Keep up with the internal tasks of communicating your ongoing value proposition. I’m also a nazi when it comes to customer service and I surround myself with employees who are dedicated to giving all they have to customers and their projects.

Favorite motivational quote: Tomorrow is another day.

Family? Married, 2 kids, 1 cute cocker spaniel

If so, how do you balance family and business? First 10 years there was no work/life balance. It’s hard to achieve it with a startup and with a self-funded startup at that. I have more work/life balance today 15 years later, but only within the last 4 years I felt like I could go on vacation without taking conference calls or checking emails.

I have a wonderful team, and I allow them to do their jobs, and I trust them to get the work done and done right, and that helps too.

Favorite book? Gone with the Wind

What do you do to relax? Golf and ski

What do you want to change most about your world? I would like to see more people focused on win-win opportunities rather than the success at the expense of others.

What are you most proud of? I am most proud of our company’s organizational processes and the 15 years it took to get it where it is. We’ve spent a lot of time defining processes for jobs that ensure customers have the same experience with us with each job they do. Processes and organization are made possible by hiring and keeping good people. I’m proud of the people who work for me and for the time they spend to produce quality work time and time again.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Have the utmost tenacity and constantly make your value proposition clear. The tenacity part is the reason why Gone with the Wind is my favorite book. “Tomorrow is another day,” even if today sucked. You get up early to get things done, if necessary. Even though there is new competition, you keep going. See yourself through to the good times. As far as defining and sharing your value proposition, tell people what you bring to the party and why you are valuable. It’s so important to constantly evaluate your value proposition and change the times change – without sacrificing your company’s identity to begin with.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? Google

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Diamonds with a big Sapphire (my birthstone)

Interview conducted by Michelle McCullough, Business Development Director for Startup Princess.

Stepping Into Faith

What is it that keeps so many entrepreneurs from experiencing their greatest success in business, and in their life? I’ve heard a lot of answers to this question, and typically entrepreneurs say it’s because they don’t have the financial resources, their fear stops them, they don’t know what to do (or where to get started) and they don’t fully believe it’s OK to be spiritual AND massively successful when it comes to business and money. (I used to struggle with every one of these reasons.)

But, what’s the difference between someone like me who has struggled with these things for many (and made it to the other side of that struggle) and those who stay stuck in the challenges? Well, for me it comes down to one simple word…faith.

Faith is, quite honestly, the single most significant determining factor in my (or any conscious entrepreneur’s) success. But, how do you step into faith and embrace it as a way of BEing in your business that allows your full expression to shine through? My next book (due out late 2010) is about this very topic, but for now I’d like to share four simple words that have made all the difference to me. (For those of you who attended my ground-breaking Freedom Formula Experience, these words will be very familiar to you.)

1) Breathe
Perhaps it’s the yoga teacher in me that likes this one so much. But, I’ve got to tell you that anytime you start feeling constricted, restricted or gripped by fear… allow yourself (perhaps right now) to BREATHE deeply and consciously. The simple act of conscious breathing immediately calms your nervous system, allowing you to become present within yourself. Deep breathing acts as a reminder of your infinite connection to All that Is and your Oneness with the abundance of the Universe. Your breathing will create space in your body, mind and soul for you to feel a shift, or release, that creates an opening for you to have a different experience in that moment.

2) Smile
The act of turning up the corners of your mouth into a smile will instantly change your emotional state of being. Try it right now. Smile… for no reason at all. And, notice that no matter how you felt before you smiled, when you turned up the corners of your mouth, your emotional state shifted for the better. Now, while you’re smiling and enjoying a lifted emotional state, begin to think of all the things (big and small) that you have to be grateful for. And, let that smile grow. Because, right now, no matter what appears to be going on in the world around you, you have so much to be grateful for. Gratitude helps faith take hold within you.

3) Trust
I love this word! In fact, I have a small stone here in my office with the word “trust” etched on it. So, I’d like to share the Dictionary.com definition of trust, so you can take in the full power of this word: to rely upon or place confidence in someone or something (with what I’m talking about here, it’s about trust in a Higher Power/God/Infinite Intelligence); to have confidence; hope; to reply or depend on; to believe; to expect confidently. Now, imaging living in trust every single day, or at least REMEMBERING to trust when you get scared, or feel yourself retreating from your own greatness. You are here for a Divine purpose; and it’s imperative for you to TRUST this is true so you can remain open to its revelation and expression through you and as you.

4) All is Well
I first learned this expression from Maria Nemeth when I took her Energy of Money course nearly 10 years ago in Sacramento, CA. And, thank God I learned this principle back then (little did I know I was entering into the most challenging years of my life). Enbracing the concept that “All is Well” has helped me pick myself up off the floor more times than I care to remember. It’s the deep knowingness that no matter what’s occurring in your life, it’s all happening for your highest and best good; the glorious successes, the challenges, the big “wins” and the struggles. Every moment is leading you to BE more of who you truly are and with that as your understanding, you can’t help but KNOW that All really is well.

So, the next time you feel yourself on the edge of taking your next step into faith, I encourage you to remember to 1) Breathe; 2) Smile; 3) Trust and 4) Know that All is Well.

© 2009 Christine Kloser

Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know… Before Writing a Word, both of which you can get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

Women Entrepreneurs from Canada, Indiana, Utah, Washington, and Canada Participate in Startup Princess Academy at Disneyland April 17-18

The Countdown BEGINS! We can hardly wait to get to the Disneyland Hotel this weekend! 40+ Attendees, Speakers, and Sponsors will gather from all over the USA and Canada to connect, learn and share…and see Mickey Mouse!

We hate to say “No” to anyone who at the last minute wants to join us so we kept a couple spots open. Let us know if you found a way to attend at the last minute and wish to join us otherwise, we’ll miss you!

If you’d like to follow pre-event conversation on Twitter, follow the #SUPA hastag and get to know attendees and speakers.

Sneak Peak at Alexis Martin Neely’s Presentation at The Startup Princess Academy! A Few Spots Left for Friends!

Here’s your LAST CHANCE!! We’d love have you, Speaker/Fairy Godmother “America’s Family Lawyer” Marketing Genius, Alexis Martin Neely gives a sneak peak of her presentation.  REGISTER TODAY! We’ve held a few spots for friends…that’s YOU!! $225 or 2 for $400!

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