The Balance Marathon

Tanya Boyer, publisher of Rocky Mountain Running & Triathlon Magazine writes the following:

Balance is defined as a state of equilibrium.  An individual living a balanced life must, therefore, give the equal and necessary attention to all facets of life, while keeping everyone happy.

Honestly, does anyone really live in that state?  Is there a declared winner who has found the balance marathon finish line?  If so, I must immediately meet this person and get personal coaching.  Most people I know, myself included, are still frantically searching for the secret to balance.

Through experience I’ve concluded that the balance marathon is about managing chaos and stress, just as a running marathon is about managing the knee-pounding stress and exhaustion of 26.2 miles.  Finding your place at the race starting line is only the first step, followed by pace management, nutrition regulation, and spectator support.  99% of us won’t ever win the race, but if we pace it right, we can be happy, even exhilarated, with our effort.

Understand Your Pace Ability, Don’t Follow the Pack

Let me touch briefly on pace management and leave nutrition regulation and spectator support for another time.  The big problem so many busy women face is the abundance of good things and good opportunities that call for our attention.  Rarely do we have to make decisions about a bad event in our schedule.  However, women who can’t eliminate some of life’s good events and opportunities, but try to keep up with the pack, are running too fast a pace and will eventually burn-out.  The road to burn-out is definitely not balance.

Take a look at a recent few days in my life as an example.  Some events included:

• Family wedding
• Multiple and urgent magazine deadlines
• 2 television segments
• Pack family for a weekend apart – a business trip for myself, a fathers and sons overnight for my husband and 2 boys, and a 2-night sleepover for my daughter at grandma’s house
• Interview and photo shoot with a running club in Las Vegas
• Oversight of gardening class (thankfully I have a very reliable committee)
• Piano recitals
• Religious organization presidency meetings and lessons
• Ice skating dress rehearsals and performance
• Days of sales visits
• Lunch dates with colleagues
• Several late nights working and getting up 5 hours later to get in a workout

Morning piano practice with the kids, carpools, volunteering at the elementary school, homework, laundry, dance lessons, emails, and the myriad of other daily duties continued.

Would you consider any of the above a bad option?  No, me neither.  But would you consider me balanced?  I definitely don’t.  While it may seem I have a variety of events consuming my time, I am certainly not giving the necessary attention all facets of my life. Perhaps I am running too fast.

Set, or Slow, the Pace

To help identify which opportunities you should weed out, and slow down your pace, you must identify your personal priorities.  Ask yourself, “If my life had to revolve around only 1 or 2 things, what would they be?”

The process of identifying priorities can be difficult.  For the majority of women out there, I’d bet our answers would fall into these general categories:  children, spouse, religion, fitness, work, hobbies, extended family, friends, organization, beauty.  Your ability to slow down your pace and avoid burnout depends crucially on your own self-awareness of what really matters to you.

Family was listed as my top priority, and I usually find that my race of life is always better when I have first given my family their needed attention.  I can move on to the next demand, or mile of the race, without doubt and second-guessing.  So much attention to my family may shrink the quantity of opportunities I see and slow my race pace, but it certainly ups the quality and efficiency of each mile.

If I dropped the kids off at school in a mad rush, it’s a bad and guilty feeling that hangs over my head for the rest of the day.  It’s almost like saying to myself during a race, “I should have run mile one and two a little slower so I don’t wear out.”  This mental game could have a negative effect later in the race.

Giving appropriate attention to the top one or two priorities in your life doesn’t mean all other opportunities should be neglected.  While fitness wasn’t one of my top two priorities, it is still very important to me and helps me perform better in all areas of life.  And, after all, I do work in the running and triathlon industry.  It just means that, for me, I only workout in the early mornings or at other times when my husband is home with the children.  It means that a work deadline will come before a 5-mile run, and it means that a school event will push back or eliminate a planned group bike ride.

Finish the Race

The balance marathon can be discouraging if you measure progress on an outward scale of weights and balances.  I suggest that equilibrium is not giving equal attention to all facets of life, rather finding an inner peace with your life priorities and your own race pace and performance.  Your marathon doesn’t need to be pretty, you just need to be able to finish.

Tanya Boyer is the publisher of Rocky Mountain Running & Triathlon Magazine.  Her main job, however, is that of mommy to three young children and wife to the most patient man in the world.  Running and triathlon are her way of staying young and mobile. Rocky Mountain Running & Triathlon Magazine is an information source for runners and triathletes in the Mountain States.  To subscribe for home or office delivery, visit www.rockymtnrunning.com and enter the coupon code PRINCESS.

Introducing Sarah Kimmel, Owner of Technology for Mommies

We are pleased to introduce Technology for Mommies, Sarah Kimmel! Connect with Sarah on twitter and facebook. Enjoy!

Hometown: Newport Beach, CA

Current Residence: Lehi, UT

Education: Brigham Young University

Professional Background: Microsoft Certified IT Manager for a Home Builder and then for a network consulting firm servicing many clients.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A Lawyer!

What you are: Business Owner, IT Manager

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I have a few projects.  One being the software I created Daily Home Planner, which is planning software for busy families.  Then I have my blogs, first a blog dedicated to educating women on technology, and then a blog helping busy families get more organized.

Company Website? www.dailyhomeplanner.com www.tech4mommies.com www.organizedmom.net

What inspired you? My daughter inspired me to create the software.  I wanted to put her on a schedule and use my computer to keep track of it and I couldn’t find the software to make it.  My friends and family inspired me to do the other projects because they were always asking me technical questions that I think everyone should be able to have the answers to.

How long have you been in business? Since Sept. 2007

How did you fund it? Bootstrapping.  It’s software, so the main cost is development.  The person who codes the software is a full partner in the company.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? My sister Amy and I sort of mentor each other and help each other set and keep business goals.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Girls in Tech, Startup Princess

Current Business Challenge? Trying to get versions of the software out that will work on the mobile phones (Palm Pre and iPhone especially)

What are you doing about it? Coding Coding Coding.  It’s hard to find the time to code those versions though when we have other jobs to do (the jobs that actually pay the bills)

Favorite motivational quote: “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” – President Thomas S. Monson

Family? Yes, 2 kids and One husband!

If so, how do you balance family and business? Very carefully.  I try to spend time with each of my kids every day reading or doing something fun.  I have a tight daily schedule so that nothing gets neglected.

Favorite book? The Princess Bride

What do you do to relax? Watch TV shows and movies.  I love to sit down and watch a good movie!

What do you want to change most about your world? I would love to have a bit of extra money so we can just concentrate on getting the software perfect, and available on multiple operating systems.

What are you most proud of? I’m most proud of the product we already have.  There is always a list a mile long of enhancements I want to include in the software, but so far I think it’s very well rounded.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Just go for it! If you have an idea try and make it a reality.  Too many people have great ideas and never do anything with it.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? My Laptop and my Palm Pre

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Diamonds (is there anything else?)

Does Everyone Love You, But They Don’t Buy From You?

Do you find that your readers, fans, friends, colleagues, audiences love you, and yet they aren’t buying from you? How frustrating!

It’s a common hurdle you face as a heart-centered business owner growing your business.

The good news is that you are getting their attention. You are getting feedback about your great content. You are connecting! Now, you need to work on confidently educating, inviting in, and being relevant with your offers.

Here are the 4 most commons traps why your people aren’t buying from you even though they love what you are up to:

1. Do they even know how to work with you?

This might seem like a silly question at first, but really I have to ask the obvious – Are you making offers and inviting people to work with you? I often see heart-centered entrepreneurs putting out lots of content, great resources (for other people), and yet they NEVER mention how their fans can work with them. These days it is all about building trust, rapport and relationships first… AND you also need to let them know how they can work with you.

Sometimes it’s just a simple education process. If you don’t tell them, then they don’t know that you have a product that will help them. They may not realize that you can work virtually over the phone and, therefore, you can work with clients all over the world. They may not have read through your entire website to know that you offer one-on-one coaching and consulting in addition to your programs.

Don’t assume your market knows what you offer and how they can work with you. You have to tell them – each and every time.

2. You are so joy-focused that you avoid the pain.

I hear from many heart-centered business owners, especially women, that they don’t want to talk about the negatives, and they don’t want to market from pain. They just want to focus on the positive and the possibilities. Hey, my whole business is wrapped in the virtue of joy, so I get it! And here’s what I have learned. Only talking about joy doesn’t work very well. You’ll be frustrated with very little success and, quite frankly, it isn’t really doing a service for your clients.

What if your doctor only came from a place of positive and possibilities? Imagine going to the doctor because your throat hurts, and you have a slight fever and a headache. You don’t know if it’s the flu, allergies, strep throat or something else. The doctor doesn’t focus on the negative or the pain. So, he just talks about the possibilities of you feeling vibrantly alive and recommends these fantastic vitamins! Wouldn’t you be appalled, angry, frustrated and maybe even want to turn him in for malpractice?

You have to talk about the symptoms and the pain so that you both can agree on what your client’s problem is. Then your potential clients know you understand them. Then you take them to the hope – the vision – the dream – and YOUR SOLUTION! (which is full of joy!)

3. You aren’t owning your excellence and expertise.

“Don’t brag! Don’t be too big for your britches!” And the one my parents used a lot: “You’re really full of yourself, aren’t you!” (with a tsk, tsk for added emphasis).

These words were meant to protect us when we were small, but now these are the very beliefs that will keep trigger shame and guilt and hold you back. These beliefs will keep your business small. You won’t help as many people if you market with these beliefs in mind. This is a tough place to be when you are an entrepreneur in a service profession where you need to promote yourself to get clients and make money.

It’s imperative to your success and your client’s potential transformation that you shift your beliefs to ones that are life enhancing and focused on business expansiveness. Your clients need you to own your excellence and expertise powerfully and confidently. When you do this, your confidence gives them confidence in you and your services. You can own your career experience, PhD, certification, success in a way that is authentic, in integrity and full of graceful power.

4. There is no reason to buy right now.

Once I was in a workshop with a famous author and psychic intuitive. It was a truly transformative weekend. There were probably 30 of us who were loving the experience and our new-found power. At the end of the workshop, she told us how we could work with her in various programs (yay – see #1), but then she said, “There’s no pressure; we’re here. Whenever you want, just contact us”.

Now I know she didn’t want to manipulate us or put pressure on us to buy now, but there is a better way. First, she could have given us the forms in our hands, and several of us would have gladly signed up because she would have made it easy. She could have given us an incentive or bonus to sign up, and she would have saved marketing time and effort because we’d gladly sign up now. Since there was no reason to buy now – I didn’t. I meant to do it when I got home, and, well, now it’s a year later and I haven’t gotten around to it.

We both missed out.

The same is true when you offer a product or service online. If it’s always available, then why should they buy from you right now? They’ll do it… someday. Hopefully, you won’t be out of business by then.

Looking at these four areas ask yourself, “If I were being a courageous, committed business owner, what would I step into boldly.”

You’ll amazed at how little steps into these important areas will bring new clients, income and opportunities – which means you are making a bigger difference in the world!

Laura West is a certified professional coach, writer, speaker and the President and Chief Creative Officer of The Center for Joyful Business. She is the creator of the Joyful Business Guide, a business attraction system blending law of attraction principles with smart business designed for solo-entrepreneurs and business owners.

Office Depot Providing Free In-Store shredding from May 23 to May 30

Office Depot will provide free in-store document shredding (up to five pounds) from May 23 to May 30 at select retail locations nationwide to celebrate the launch of its new service, Document Shredding While You Wait via the Copy & Print Depot. Office Depot will destroy and dispose of paper and stapled documents for just 99 cents a pound.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year, and cites confidential information obtained from intact or partially-intact documents found in the trash as one of the main ways an identity is stolen. With Office Depot’s smart Document Shredding While You Wait service, documents will be shredded into 3/16” x 2-3/8” unreadable cross-cut particles to ensure destruction of private information. Shreddable items include paper, CD’s, credit cards and stapled documents. Office Depot can also scan documents to a CD so customers can file them for future reference. This service is available for both personal and business-related documents.

How to See Real Progress This Summer

When you know what you want to accomplish & more or less know how to accomplish it, one of the most frustrating experiences can be making No Progress toward that goal. Here’s one of my Schedule Makeover http://www.ScheduleMakeover.com exercises:

The key to accomplishing anything from finishing a project to going on a trip to climbing a mountain is consistent action in the direction of a goal:

1. Write down what you want to accomplish in a place where you will see it every day. (For instance at the top of my calendar, I have a list of the next places I want to travel. You can also put your goals on your to do list, tape them to your cabinet door, put them up as a screen saver. Whatever works for you.)

2. List out the next steps. For instance, if you’re planning a trip, write down these types of activities:

• Look at calendar for potential dates
• Call friends and/or family to see if these times work for them
• Check out flight prices & set an alert to let you know when costs drop
• Think through lodging/transportation options
• Look up the prices online
• Check if you can use rewards points
• Browse the Web or go to the library or bookstore for ideas on activities
• If traveling abroad, check on necessary paperwork/immunizations and start to schedule appointments
• Buy travel insurance
• Decide if you need to make any purchases & make a shopping list
• Put up out of office messages
• Etc., etc., etc.

3. Make note of anything with a very specific deadline or that needs to be done a certain amount of time in advance (like one month). Look over your calendar and set aside specific days when you will have a reminder to complete these activities on time.

4. Start telling people about what you’re doing so you have some positive peer pressure to keep moving forward (or get a coach to keep you accountable–in an encouraging way ;o).

5. Set aside a certain time each week when you will move forward on less time sensitive activities that need to be completed to move toward your goal. For instance, one hour on Saturday mornings. When you get to that time, spend that hour working on whatever is next. (It’s OK if you don’t finish a whole action item, you just need to be making consistent progress.)

6. CELEBRATE your progress! Give yourself some type of reward for moving forward such as a stop at your favorite ice cream place, a call with a friend, or buying a new book. (Whatever you find motivating.)

7. Watch as you accomplish your goal.

It’s amazing how consistent action leads to results.

In just weeks, I’ve seen the world bloom as the little bulbs that put down roots and put up stalks over the past months burst into flower. Seemingly “overnight” results come from consistent effort.

To stop feeling frustrated, get clear on what you want, plant seeds, cultivate them, and watch them grow!

Have a fabulous day!

Elizabeth

About Real Life E®

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time coach who empowers individuals to achieve peaceful, meaningful and productive lives through Schedule Makeovers™ [link to http://www.ScheduleMakeover.com]. Her empowerment coaching frees you from guilt, overwhelm, and frustration!

Discover how you can start enjoying your life TODAY! Look forward to talking with you!

Elizabeth has been featured in Inc magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and on NBC, and is happy to be interviewed for your broadcast or publication.

Introducing Heather Carson, Founder and Owner of Memo Graphic Design

We are pleased to introduce the multi-talented Heather Carson of Memo Graphic Design! Connect with Heather on twitter and view her incredibly cool graphic and interior designs on memographicdesign.com. Enjoy the interview!

Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

Current Residence: Salt Lake City, Utah

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Design

Professional Background: After graduation I worked in a few design departments before taking off on my own. We have moved around a lot with my husbands school and employment. Creating my own design studio has allowed me to keep working in design wherever we land.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A singer. I was convinced I was the next Reba

What you are: A designer.

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I am a freelance graphic designer. I work with clients to create visual memos- the small things that represent your brand to your clients such as logos and branding, packaging, ads, etc. These small things remind people of the longer message of what your business can offer them. I love being a designer because I get to share a little bit in the vision of other entrepreneurs and I love that.

Besides working as a graphic designer, I have been involved with a few other startups of my own. I opened an online home store with my sister in law, have helped my husband open a title agency, a law firm, and we are in various stages of a few other projects. It always starts with the idea that won’t let go. And before you know it, you have a business on your hands.

Company Website? http://www.memographicdesign.com

How long have you been in business? I”ve been a designer for 15 years.  However, I also have a family and some of those years were design project heavy and some were design project light. Most of my children are in school now and I have a few more hours in the day to devote to client work.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? First would have to be my parents. Both creative people who encouraged me to try new things. My father works in media and would bring home cool press kits for me. My mom was always drawing, painting, & practicing calligraphy.

Then maybe my first boss out of college who showed me that design was more than just knowing how to work some software.

Now my mentors would be the other designers that I meet through design events, blogs, on twitter… I’ve had some great conversations with other designers that inspire me to be better.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Startup Princess of course

Current Business Challenge? Time management & ever changing technology that keeps me on my toes.

What are you doing about it? Trying to find methods to keep me balanced and attending continuing education courses to keep up with the changing tech.

Favorite motivational quote: Oh, that’s a hard one I LOVE QUOTES… if you read my other blog http://www.themodernhive.com, you know that

This is not really a quote, but more of a mantra for me- I love the saying “Live your beautiful situation“ It means to take what you have been given, find the beauty in it, and live your life the very best you can no matter the circumstance.

Family? I have six kids. Three girls and three boys including a set of triplets.  My oldest is 12 and my youngest is three.

If so, how do you balance family and business? I have studio time when my kids are in school. I set up a production schedule for myself and try to stick with it.

Favorite book? I love reading. I will read a book in one sitting so I have to be careful about starting new books. When I read, everything else goes out the window.

I did just finish a book called Glimmer by Warren Berger about design and being a design minded person. It was an amazing book. A great read and motivating to think outside the box. I’d recommend it for anyone starting up a business or wanting a nudge out of a creative rut.

What do you do to relax? Read, craft, crochet, go thrifting

What do you want to change most about your world? Can we have more hours in the day? Or the ability to stop time for a bit, catch up, then restart the clock? That’d be cool.

What are you most proud of? Well, besides my family- I’d say the ability to roll with the punches.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Start right : Don’t just start a business, create a brand. Get the best branding you can afford, look professional and put together in all elements where your clients interact with you.

Start small: Pay as you go, find the easiest methods to implement your ideas, take advantage of processes already out there. Don’t pretend you are a big corporation if it’s just you.

Start smart : Do your research. Take time to learn about your market, your business model, the legal issues of starting a business. Learn about marketing- traditional and new social media, have a plan & goals and benchmarks to hit, be adaptable and able to grow.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? My Mac + My Adobe Creative Suite + My Wacom Tablet

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Well, since I love vintage, thrifting, and finding new uses for old things, I’d have so say something maybe that wouldn’t be a precious stone to anyone else but me. Maybe some vintage buttons or found objects?

3 Steps to Free Publicity for Your Business

When you’re a small business, positive word-of-mouth is critical to growth. One of the best ways to get that buzz going is through publicity.  But how do you compete with the big guys, and get publicity?  Here are the only three steps you need to get great publicity free:

Step 1:  Have a great product, service or business.

Most small businesses think that what they sell is great.

Here are some examples of what makes products interesting to the media:

• A truly new product (just launched in the last few months or about to be launched)
• Unique, breakthrough product
• Works well, tastes great, etc. (In most cases the media will test out your product if they are interested in featuring it in a story)
• Colorful packaging / visually appealing – especially important for visual media
• Product ties into trends – organic/green, political, etc.
• Priced right – less than key price points ($100, $50, $25, $10) or priced high if truly a luxury item

Here are some examples of what makes services and businesses interesting to the media:

• New service, company or book (just launched in the last few months or about to be launched)
• Unique, breakthrough service, concept or business
• Provides ways to save money
• Offers something for free
• High rate of revenue and employee growth
• Ties into trends

Step 2:  Approach the right media contact with a great pitch.

You should only approach media that cover your type of product or business.  This means that you’ll need to read, listen to or view these media outlets prior to pitching them.

Once you determine that your business or product is a good fit for their editorial coverage, you need to find the right contact.  You can do this in several ways:

• Call up the media outlet and ask who the person is who covers your area
• Look at the print masthead or producer credits
• Search online
• Buy a list – you can find these online

Then you need to pitch the contact. Include why your product or service is a great fit for that media outlet, as well as a product or service description.  Don’t forget to include your contact information.

You can pitch via phone or email.  If you’d like to see a sample pitch for a product or service business, you can get one here: http://zfpr.com/29minutes.htm.

Step 3: Follow up.

This is the part that trips up most do-it-yourself publicists and even P.R. folks.  Once the media has expressed interest in your product or service, you must be persistent in contacting them.

Often you’ll need to follow-up with them several times, via the phone or email, until you have gotten media coverage.

By following these steps, your chances of getting publicity are greatly increased.  And once you get publicity, you’ll see more buzz, more sales and more credibility for your business.

Margie Zable Fisher is the president of Zable Fisher Public Relations, focused exclusively on growing small businesses.   You can get Margie’s award-winning free P.R. tips at www.zfpr.com.

Time Management – No More Excuses for Freelancers

As a freelancer, I always try to manage my time better; the distractions when working at home can be many, there is housework, pets, gardens, outdoor recreation, not to mention social media. Freelancers have great liberties when it comes to scheduling their time, as long as the job gets done, right?

My normal schedule looks like this:
– 6:30 Wake up, prepare kids lunches and breakfasts, eat breakfast and hustle them off to school.
– 7:30 Check email and social media
– 8:00 Creative work
– 10:00 Exercise (run, yoga etc.)
– 11:30 Lunch
– 12:00-3:30 Working hard
– 3:30 Kids get home from school, eat a snack and help with homework
– 4:30-5:30 Work
– 5:30-7:30 Dinner and family activities
– 8:30 Finish up work, social media

This is a good day, but I also have to throw in mommy taxi, doctor’s appointments, haircuts, grocery shopping, etc and I often end up working late in the evenings to “catch up”. Needless to say I have been studying all the time management tips I can find.

Here are some time management and organizational tips that I want to share:
· Set fixed working hours and stick to them. Do not allow housework, errands etc. into this time.
· Limit time you spend checking email, Facebook, LinkedIn etc., but if you hit a slump in work motivation, get out of your chair and have a snack, do some laundry or socialize for a short time.
· Get an office at home and close the door when you are working. This limits distractions.
· Tell your family and friends about your work hours and ask that they respect them.
· Learn to say no. Don’t take on too much
· Think like a business. Just because you are working from home does not mean you can take on all sorts of volunteer work or help out at school, church etc. all the time. One of the perks with working from home is that you can do this if you want to and have time to, but set limits.
· Organize!!! Create a filing system, both for electronic files, paper, email etc and always use it. Read and file right away. Create a project management system. This can be an electronic calendar, a “traditional” paper calendar, project management software etc. Find something that works for you.
· Create To do-lists and follow them. Prioritize, check off and add new tasks every day.
· Use “The 50 minute focus technique”. Focus intently on a project for 50 minutes without interruption and then unplug and take a 20 minute break.
· Consider hiring virtual assistants to handle administrative tasks and other chores so you can focus more on project work
· Outsource stuff that you are not good at or do not like doing. I for example have outsourced house cleaning and accounting.
· Schedule time to relax. Just as it is important to schedule your work time, it is also important to schedule time to do things that relaxes you and reenergizes you.

These are some of the tips I have learned or collected over the years.
This all looks good on paper, but can be hard to implement in reality sometimes. Recently I got introduced to the website/software “rescue time”. (www.rescuetime.com). Here you can download an application that tracks your time, and if you choose to use the paid version you can also program it to block out certain media during certain hours. I have now used it for a week and it is an eye opener. I easily get sucked in to social media for example, and this software can tell you how much.

The dashboard at Rescue Time shows me my productivity, efficiency and what kind of work and distractions I have been spending time on. I find this tool very useful for documenting my time and hopefully it will also lead to better time management.

If you have any other tips you would like to share, I would love to hear from you at: tess@swedishtranslationservices.com.

Tess Whitty is a native English-Swedish freelance translator, living in the US since 2001. She founded Swedish Translation Services in 2003 and has been living her dream job since. Languages, writing and cultures have always been her passion. Tess also speak a bit French, German Finnish and Italian. Connect with Tess on her website or on twitter.

Introducing Quinn Curtis, Founder and Owner of Limelight Food Photography

We are pleased to introduce the delightful Quinn Curtis of Lime Light Photography! Connect with Quinn on her website and on  Twitter or browse through her mouthwatering photography on Flickr. Enjoy!  

Hometown: Salt Lake City

Current Residence :  Salt Lake City, UT

Education: Through the end of high school and into college I was planning on working as a medical professional and so I did a lot of internships and programs to work within the medical field.  My college education was pre-nursing school requisites before I lost all passion for that path and never went back to college.  All knowledge I’ve gained for my current professional endeavors has been obtained through mentors, practice and other training.

Professional Background: Co-Founder of SassyScoops.com, a local business review/promo group and Founder/Creator of the CreatedByMom.com Chic Boutique

What you wanted to be when you grew up:  Fashion Designer or a Surgeon (yes, total opposites)

What you are:  Professional Food Photographer

Brief Summary of your Start Up:  My mom is an amazing baker and wanted to start offering her cakes for sale.  I took pictures of her cakes and when some artists in our family saw them, they were dying over the quality, telling me “you know, not everyone can take a good picture of food; it’s a real talent and art.”  They encouraged me to do it professionally, but I hesitated and just kept practicing and waiting.  Then one day I finally had the courage to put myself out there.  While other business endeavors were a lot of work to get going, this one came so easily.  I thoroughly enjoy working as a food photographer; it is a real thrill to have finally discovered my true passion.

Company Website? LimelightFoodPhotography.com

What inspired you? I love how food brings people together.  We use food to celebrate our happiest times.  I love celebrating the beauty within each dish I photograph.  I focus on the aspects of the food that I know will bring whomever eats it the most joy.  I love the colors, textures and vitality of food.  My work as a food photographer is continually inspiring me; it’s envigorating.

How long have you been in business? 3 years

How did you fund it? Ever since the beginning I haven’t spent money I didn’t have, so I’ve purchased equipment as I could afford it.  For marketing, I’ve only used social media/online marketing, though more and more of my clients are coming to me because of referrals.

XXDo you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? I have sooo many Fairy Godmother’s and would be nowhere without them.  Kelly Anderson has been my primary mentor throughout all my business endeavors and has become one of my dearest friends.  Other incredible mentors/friends have been Pamela Baumeister and Melissa Chappell.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Startup Princess

Current Business Challenge? Marketing/getting the word out.

What are you doing about it? I’m really working to beef up my website and increase my client base.  I also am overcoming my shyness, being more proactive to open my mouth and share what I do with those I come in contact with.

Favorite motivational quote: “Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, fabulous and talented? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Marianne Williamson

Family? I’m spoiled rotten to be married to the world’s greatest man.  Mother of 3 young children (ages 2, 3, 4) and pregnant with my fourth child.

If so, how do you balance family and business? I stick to a very strict schedule on my working hours.  When I’m working at home, I only work during the naptime afternoon hours.  Because of being so strict with my working time, my family more easily respects when I’m working and I’m able to get a lot more accomplished.  I’m also BIG on using to-do lists and prioritizing each day what needs to be done so that I’m sure to be staying on track.

Favorite book? I love books, so this is a hard question.  I can’t commit to any one book for an answer, though a few of my favorites are “Fablehaven,” “Tuesdays with Morrie,” “Simple Abundance” and “The Secret Life of Bees.”

What do you do to relax? I love to read, especially while soaking in a warm bath.

What do you want to change most about your world? I want to be more fully present in every aspect of my life, rather than so easily distracted, especially by things beyond of my control.

What are you most proud of? I’m proud to be living the life that I want to.  Every day I’m choosing my path and choosing to make it better and better.  I love how my entrepreneurial endeavors have encouraged me to grow and develop myself in ways that improve my abilities to be a better person, wife and mother.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Don’t wait for permission to live your dreams.  There will always be things in the way – especially that little doubting voice inside of you – but take courage and choose to live life beautifully.  And never forget to be genuinely yourself, always grateful for all the help and support you receive on your way.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? Courage and mentors.  I can’t even believe how quickly my business endeavors have grown because of having mentors guide me along my way.  Without mustering up courage to brave the path, these mentors could not have led me like they have.

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? I would take the stones representative of my children’s birth months – my children are my jewels.

From Hello To PR

Public relations is about building relationships and every relationship starts with a conversation. Every hello has potential and in today’s hyper-connected world, you should never run out of people to say hello to.

It’s true today’s conversations are occurring in new forums and across new media, but in the end, the most effective tool available to promote your brand is a good old-fashioned conversation. You still have to write press releases and optimize your site for search engines and analyze keywords but in the end, that’s not how the word spreads.

If you’re an entrepreneur and you don’t have a backlog of people to contact who might be interested in what you’re doing, you’re not doing enough for your brand. No matter what your niche, you can use a few simple online tools that will turn your inbox into a conversation finder. Only you can actually start a conversation, but these tools will help you find people to talk to.

• Google alerts are easy to set up and will help you find bloggers, journalists and other entrepreneurs to talk to. Identify the keywords relevant to your industry and opt for the once daily email. Read these daily emails religiously and you will undoubtedly find people to talk to.
• Blog subscriptions do more than clutter your inbox. When you come across blogs that are particularly relevant to your business, subscribe and take the time to at least glance at them each day. Where possible, subscribe also to the comments because those people are also potential hellos.
• Targeted news subscriptions will vary greatly by industry but choose periodicals relevant to your startup and sign up for the daily email summaries. For my business, it’s the New York Times, The Huffington Post, and Publishers Weekly and these publications serve two purposes – I find people to talk to and I find things to talk about.
• Twitter is probably the best news aggregator online and if you follow the right people (again relevant to your industry), you will see all the important articles each day and you will meet people to talk to. Twitter doesn’t just come to your inbox, you have to go there, but conversations can actually happen 140 characters at a time.
• Facebook is probably the least useful tool on this list for starting conversations but it’s one of the most useful for continuing conversations. Once a conversation starts, remember to find that person on facebook and stay in touch. Gradually these new friends will result in new conversations.

Unfortunately it’s easy to get lost in the miasma of the internet and miss the most important thing available online – people. If you’re doing it right, you should find so many people to talk to that you literally can’t keep up. Of course, none of these tools work if you’re just lurking online without reaching out to the people.

You will also have to strike a balance and learn to scan emails and web pages for relevant content, but you get good at it very quickly. At first, the volume of messages in your inbox might seem overwhelming but you can scan and delete fairly quickly while setting aside or adding a link to your favorites when you stumble upon an interesting person. When you get behind, start a list and gradually chip away, one hello at a time.

Some hellos won’t pan out and some hellos will only result in short conversations, but every hello is an opportunity for your brand and you’ll be surprised how many people respond.

Wanda Shapiro wrote a novel called Sometimes That Happens With Chicken and decided she didn’t need a publisher to sell books. She’s taking literary fiction indie and bringing her debut novel directly to readers. For more information, visit http://www.onegirlonenovel.com where you can learn all about the girl, the novel, the plan, and how you can help. Or find her on twitter @WandaShapiro.

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