AboutOne.com Operation Give Thanks (#ogt) Twitter Party

AboutOne.com would like to invite you to join us for a special holiday event with over $3000 worth of prizes that will be given away as we raise money for a good cause. One Million for $1 Million is a groundbreaking opportunity for you to support Operation Shower in their efforts to make life a little easier for our military families. As part of Operation Give Thanks, our goal is to gather 1 million people at our virtual party and raise $1 million for Operation Shower! Join us December 2nd as we chat about what we are thankful for this holiday season and please donate $1 to Operation Give Thanks to help us achieve our One Million for $1 Million goal. By participating in this Twitter party and making a donation, you will be making a difference in the lives of American heroes. It’s an easy way to express your gratitude and thanks at this special time of year – and have fun! For more information, visit http://www.aboutone.com/ogt/

Party Details

• What: Operation Give Thanks (#ogt) Twitter Party
• When: Thursday, December 2 from 9pm EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Online or on our custom Tweetgrid! (TweetGrid tutorial)
• Topic: What are you thankful for?
• Who: Follow hostesses @AboutOne, @OperationShower, @DoubleDutyDivas, @CoolBabyKid, and @BridgetteLA

Prizes: Over $3,000 in prizes including an Apple iPad, an Amazon Kindle and more Visit our site before the party to answer the scavenger hunt questions.

A Practical Optimist

Guest Author Karel Murray shares the following:

I see it in pallid faces everywhere I go. Uncertainty, hovering over bowed heads as heavy as a rain sodden wool coat. Eyes flickering nervously across a conference room sizing up opportunities and threats. I can feel the palpable, almost compelling, desire to blame someone, something… anything. If there is a convenient scapegoat, the rest of us could feel better knowing at least we didn’t contribute to the current economic meltdown.

Or did we? That’s what is keeping me up at night.

A Great Depression survivor, my mother knew intimately about deprivation, frustration, and exhaustion. By the age of 10, bitterly brutal work consumed her life – caring for her five brothers and sisters, preparing meals, attending school, and scrubbing floors. Planting, weeding and harvesting the family garden was essential to the family’s existence. If their crops failed, it meant the real possibility of starving during the harsh winter months. As a child, I remember staring open mouthed at my grandmother’s basement shelves brimming with preserved pickles, vegetables tomato sauce, peaches. Anything that could be preserved for the winter ended up cooked and stuffed into a mason jar.

Calculating the cost of every expenditure with a cold eye, biting down on a pencil with a determinedly set mouth, my grandmother paid bills and re-calculated the family savings book as my mother looked on. The joys of childhood were considered a frivolous exercise – what good was a child if they didn’t help out the family?

I remember watching my grandfather in his white shirt and suspenders hugging a rotund belly hunched over a machine part he was repairing in his own tool shop. His mantra “work eight hours for your employer, then four hours for yourself” compelled him daily towards reaching the goal of taking care of his family. And only when that commitment had been met for the day, a cold beer in his lawn chair seemed reward enough for a job well done.

Needless to say, these embedded lessons established a work ethic in my mother that eventually transferred to her children. Work hard, conserve, buy only the best so it lasts a long time, and spend money only when necessary. Only go into debt with a well laid out plan. Spend to double your money.

But, my problem is I don’t do well with deprivation.

I am, however, fortunate to have a husband who treasures his conservative Scottish heritage when it comes to money. Heavily investing in a 401K plan before we pay ourselves seemed to be a great plan. Hard, efficiently organized work made sense to us as we applied ourselves toward the accomplishment of our dreams and hopefully a financed retirement.

But a girl just wants to have fun, doesn’t she? And that, I believe is the crux of the issue concerning our economy. Somewhere along the line, I believe people got tired of not having “stuff” and decided debt created a way of acquiring those treasures now since “life is short”. Problem is… we are living longer than ever expected and the costs to “live it up” increase every year. News pundits continually state that Americans are one paycheck away from financial ruin. Our national credit debt load is staggering and is mirrored in the national debt.

Then our recent economy shift reared its aggressively ugly head and livelihoods became threatened. Recently, I asked my husband how our 401K plan was doing – the retirement fund we had been sacrificing for the last 10 years… his normally cheerful mouth hardened into a grim line and he muttered “Don’t ask.”

A nauseating lurch of my stomach, accompanied by a sheen of sweat on my forehead, was ignored as I asked “How bad is it?”

“The portfolio is down by 50%. But, remember, you haven’t lost anything until you sell. We are now buying more mutual fund stocks than ever with our same monthly contribution because of lower stock prices. Retirement investment accounts are for the long run… so we are going to hang on tight and wait for the economy to bounce back… which it always has before. Since I don’t have to retire for another seven years, we should be golden.”

And that is why I love this man. Practical and an eternal optimist. Or he just loves me so much, he doesn’t want me to worry myself sick.

In his words, he reminded me of a simple truth…It is about opportunity…not survival. It’s about staying the course with informed optimism… working eight hours for our employer and four hours for our families – every day. In times of turmoil, I believe we have a tendency to turn inward, hunching protectively against that which wants to do us harms. Opportunity requires we reach out…adjust as needed…recognize the possibilities and persistently refuse to be beaten down.

If business, as we knew it, has been impacted severely, then look for ways to capitalize in another direction. If you can’t visualize it on your own, seek advice from people you trust. Build a mastermind group of competent, positive thinking individuals who will provide a perspective you might not have considered.

Engage in appreciating the positive things in your life… a cat purring in your lap, a child’s laughter, or a cool beverage on a warm summer night filled with the song of crickets… Relinquish worry for a short while everyday and revel in a job well done.

To my grandparents and mom…this one’s for you.

Karel Murray is a Certified Speaking Professional, author of “Hitting Our Stride: Women, Work and What Matters” and “Straight Talk: Getting Off the Curb” as well as a business speaker who helps entrepreneurs and executives resolve interpersonal issues and balance their work/personal lives. Now, you can listen to her exciting, free interviews that will help you maintain and sustain a healthy business and a healthy lifestyle at http://www.JustForAMomentPodcast.com or sign up for her highly regarded free online newsletter “Think Forward!®” at http://www.karel.com

Epson WorkForce 635 Printer Review & Giveaway!

Deadline to enter has been extended to Tuesday, December 7th, 2010!

The Holidays are here.  I’m tickled pink red and green and excited for all that this season offers: beautiful & festive music, decorations at home and everywhere I go and the magical surprises that await including another Startup Princess giveaway – thank you Epson!  Keep reading to find out the details.

The Review: For me, the season began two weeks ago, when this impressive Epson WorkForce 635 arrived on my doorstep.  

In 2008 I did a review of the Epson Artisan 800 and I was thrilled with my very first scanner.  It’s been a loyal friend for the past 2 years and we’ve done a lot of Startup Princess projects on that printer.  Including the printing of our name tags for Touchpoint, Academies and more!

What I realized almost immediately is that this new machine, the Epson WorkForce 635 is designed more for business use than for personal use (though I’m sure it would ROCK as a home printer).  What we’ve been using has been a great personal printer and a work printer, but the new Epson WorkForce 635 is designed to deliver specifically for home-based businesses with fast, top quality printing, copying, scanning, and faxing.  Priced at $229, it has Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, automatic two-sided printing, copying, faxing and scanning – so you can do all of these functions two-sided without ever touching the paper once it’s loaded.  It also includes DURABrite Ultra ink that is water, fade and smudge-resistant.  Also, with the two-sided printing, there’s no bleed-through on plain paper, even if you print a color saturated document.  And this all in one fits nicely on my desk where the old one was.

There are a wealth of other features that the WorkForce 635 offers, and I think it is a great tool for savvy business women like you that want to do their own mailers, print invoices, or do any type of marketing at home.

Best part?  We have a brand new one to giveaway to you: a little magical holiday surprise.

Learn more about the Epson WorkForce 635 Printer here.

Here’s how you can enter to WIN the Epson WorkForce 635 Printer:

Enter a comment below and tell us what business project you would do first with your new Epson WorkForce 635. (Even though the winner will be randomly selected, this is your entry into the giveaway).

Additional entries can be earned by (And leave a SEPARATE comment here after you’ve done any of the following below):

- Follow @EpsonSmallBiz  <www.twitter.com/epsonsmallbiz> on Twitter

- Liking “Epson America” <www.facebook.com/epsonamerica>on Facebook

- Liking “Startup Princess” on Facebook

-   Tweet out one the following Tweets (And include the URL for the tweet when you leave the comment below)

-   Enter to win an Epson WorkForce 635 Printer from @EpsonSmallBiz & @startupprincess http://bit.ly/hmpFJD Please RT

-   Printer on your Wishlist? Enter to an Epson WorkForce 635 Printer from @EpsonSmallBiz & @startupprincess http://bit.ly/hmpFJD Pls RT

All entries must be received by Monday, December 6th at Midnight, MST to be included in the giveaway. Deadline extended to Tuesday, December 7th at Midnight, MST!

Winner will be selected by random.org and announced on Tuesday the 7th on StartupPrincess.com on the bottom of this post and by Twitter.

Fine Print: No purchase necessary to enter. Winner will be notified via email.

Startup Princess, Epson and other contest contributors reserve the right to change or cancel giveaway or giveaway requirements at any time. Upon acceptance of prize, winner agrees that name, likeness and image can be used for promotional consideration. By entering, participants agree to hold harmless Startup Princess, Epson and other affiliates, employees and partners from all liabilities arising in connection with this giveaway and product and promotion thereof.

This post was written by Michelle McCullough, Startup Princess Business Development Director.

Teaching Kids the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Startup Princess Business Development Director, Michelle McCullough shares the following advice:

When I was in 6th grade, I started my first “business”.  I LOVED to babysit and had a ton of experience, but after reading all the “Baby Sitter’s Club” Books (By Ann M. Martin) my friends and I thought we could create a babysitting club of our own.  But, alas, it was a flop.  No one ever called.

That didn’t stop me from trying to find other get rich quick schemes (I also got some great ideas from Zack on “Saved By The Bell”.  He always had a plan up sleeves to make money quick!) or other kid-friendly business dreams.  Fast forward to High School when I took a DECA class (DECA is a national marketing education club) and we also participated in Junior Achievement where we had to create a product, sell it and account for all our costs, profit and losses.  It was a great experience.  I never would have started my first “grown-up” business, Doodads Promotional Products,  if I hadn’t found my love for marketing in High School and then studied it in college, which led me to work at an advertising agency that had promotional product needs.

Where did you first catch the entrepreneurial bug?

What inspired this jaunt down memory lane?

I just watched this fantastic TED video and couldn’t wait to share it with
you!

I love the ideas Cameron Herald offers of ways to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit in kids, and especially love that he’s taught his
kids to look for opportunities to make something better or cleaner in their own home for pay.  How powerful is it to teach your children to LOOK for what needs to be done?

I also love Herald’s reminder to give your kids opportunities to learn how to speak, because communication skills are so important in business.  I really couldn’t agree more.  From a really young age, mom used to make us give talks and learn to put lessons and presentations together on religious topics to share with our family.  I attribute that (and 5 years of competitive debate) to my feeling comfortable speaking in front of audiences and actually really enjoying it.

Click here to see this video
http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_herold_let_s_raise_kids_to_be_entrepreneurs.html

Thanks HP for Small Business (@HP_smallbiz on Twitter and HP for Small Business on Facebook) for sharing this link with me.  It enlightened my day!  My kids are only 2 (almost 3) and 11 months, so I’ve still got time, but I’m already thinking of ways to implement some of these ideals at a young age.

Check out the video, and let us know what ways you help your kids foster their creative business juices or better yet, what things did others teach YOU as a kid that made you the savvy business person you are today?

Michelle McCullough, Doodads Promotional, Michelle has spent the last 11 years working in marketing and advertising. She’s worked in all aspects of the industry from production to creative and sales to management. On top of her full-time jobs, Michelle has cultivated her love for entrepreneurship by running a successful side business, Doodads, a promotional products company. Michelle is also the Startup Princess Business Development Director.

Who is in YOUR Support Tribe?

Fairy Godmother Laura West shares the following insights:

Have you heard the saying, “You are as successful as the 5 people closest to you?” Many business owners wonder why they aren’t more financially successful or are having a tough time keeping a positive mindset when it comes to growing their business. Ask yourself, Do you have the right “Support Tribe” to champion you and your vision? If not, it’s no wonder you are frustrated or feeling alone with your dreams and business vision.

In order to flourish with ease, grace and fun ..and a whole lot quicker…you need to have “Support Tribes” in several areas:

• Positive mindset
• Lifestyle
• Business
• Money & wealth

Notice those people closest to you in your business and among your family and friends. Do they support a positive and creative mindset? I hear from creative entrepreneurs, especially women business owners, that those closest to them don’t always support their view on life. It can be very frustrating and even depressing if you are focused on possibilities and creating a positive impact on the world through your business and those around you are coming from scarcity and dash your dreams! In the first couple of years in my business my dad consistently asked me every time he saw me, “Are you making any money yet”? No questions about my marketing strategies, my systems, my teams, or how the creation of my new product was coming along. He just focused on the money because that is what he knew to ask…and he didn’t realize that comes after you get some of the other pieces in place.

I am asked frequently – “do I have to ditch my friends and family? That’s not what I want to do!” Of course not. What you want to do is put your focus on what you want more of…people who are supporting your dreams and looking at the world from a “yes” perspective! You will start to attract more of them into your life. And, remember you don’t have to share your most sacred dreams with those who may not understand and be able to support them – that’s why you consciously want to attract a positive Support Tribe.

What about a Support Tribe for your lifestyle choices and values? Who are those 5 closest people who you share your lifestyle with? This is about who you are being in your life and what you are doing with your time. Have you grown out of some of your friends? Maybe as you’ve grown, matured, or your life has changed you no longer want to live your life like you used to and want to make some changes. It could be anything from how you spend your time, wanting to party less or “partying” looks different than 10 years ago, wanting to travel more often, the way you choose to raise your children, or it could be making healthy choices. You want people to support you in those choices and not pull you back into your “old ways” of living. Again, this isn’t about judging others…it’s about being conscious of who is around you impacting your energy and dreams.

Who is in your circle of business girlfriends? (or guy friends) I find I rely heavily on my close business girlfriends to talk over marketing strategies, building a team, making decisions and most of all, I need their support as I step into my vision in a bigger, and more visible way. Not many people at the bus stop or the gym might understand this, so you want to look for a mastermind group or a community of like-minded entrepreneurs who understand how exciting it is when you make a big sale or get a big client and they get what it means to put your first video on YouTube! They will celebrate with you and be there to help you move to the next level. So much more is possible with business girlfriends who get you!

Next, look at your Money & Wealth Support Tribe. Among the 5 people closest to you – do you ever talk about money? Is it from an abundance perspective or is it with an edge of scarcity and the sky is always getting ready to fall? If you have hit a ceiling in your financial growth in your business then you need to purposely surround yourself with people who will help you grow in the areas of abundance, success mindset, and tangible business strategies and revenue models. This is one of the biggest areas that most women entrepreneurs lack – any real conversation about money, sales, revenue and profit. If you aren’t having these conversations regularly and openly then it’s time to find a community where you can and do! It will do more to open your mind, shift your intentions and support inspired actions that will directly impact your bottom line.

One last note, your Support Tribes are not just about what you get from them. The circle of life is about “giving and receiving.” The most supportive and powerful tribes are those where you can give freely and without attachment and you are expected to receive. You need the flow of both energies to really have a tribe that is sustainable and successful. If one person is always giving and never receiving then it makes the energy & flow of the tribe unbalanced and it will fall apart soon. And vice versa…

Now, what are you noticing in your life and business as far as your Support Tribes? What type of supportive tribe member would you like to attract? Write down one intention for who you want to attract and in what area. Then note what would be possible for you – what would be different. Notice who comes into your life!

Laura West, Center for Joyful Business, 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. Laura is also a contributing author to the book, Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs, and has been a contributing writer for Motto magazine, Inside Gwinnett newspaper, and Connections, a publication for image consultants. Laura also publishes an award winning blog, Cafe Entrepreneur, and a bi-monthly ezine, Joyful Business.

Introducing Justine Alor, Co-Owner and Head Baker of Everything Sweet!

We are pleased to introduce the scrumptious Justine Alor, newly established co-owner and head baker of Everything Sweet! She is making the world a little tastier with her 100% made from scratch cakes, bars, cookies, and other delicious desserts. Read below to find out more about this sweet tart and her company. Enjoy!

Hometown: Born in Seattle, raised in Orem.

Current Residence: Orem, UT

Education: Utah Valley University, Associates in Science.

Professional Background (brief, please): None. (Is that brief enough?)

What you wanted to be when you grew up: Writer, Singer, Concert Pianist, Photographer, Dancer, Costume Designer, Interior Decorator and Artist.

What you are: Co-Owner and Head Baker

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I had a lot of positive feedback of desserts I had brought to parties and such, realized I loved doing it and went all out!

Company Website? everythingsweetonline.com

What inspired you? Seeing pictures in magazines and online of gourmet desserts and realized that my love of desserts and art could be combined!

How long have you been in business? About 6 months.

How did you fund it? We started from scratch (no pun intended), investing from our own pockets.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? Nope!

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Nope.

Current Business Challenge? Not having a store-front.

What are you doing about it? Working even harder to grow and expand!

Favorite motivational quote: “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” -Benjamin Franklin

Family? Nope.

Favorite book? Sense and Sensibility.

What do you do to relax? Either curl up on the couch with a good book, or eat ice cream while watching a chick-flick.

What do you want to change most about your world? To slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures!

What are you most proud of? My business, it’s the biggest task I have ever tried to undertake in my life and I am so excited to watch it grow!

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Don’t be intimidated to reach for your dreams, even if you have nothing to start with. You can achieve anything with hard work, determination and a wild imagination!

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? The internet!

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Amethyst, definitely, and maybe some little moonstones!

The Spark & Hustle National Tour- The Shortest Path between Your Passion and Your Desired Profit

Tired of wondering where your next client or customer is going to come from—or staying up all night because this brilliant business idea of yours just won’t go away? Whether you’re sick of doing all you know to do to make your business profitable (and still coming up short) or just tired of WAITING to (finally) take the leap, you’ve got to meet Tory Johnson.

Today Tory is the weekly Good Morning America workplace contributor, a New York Times best-selling author, and a millionaire business owner, but she hasn’t always been.

Far from it, in fact.

After being coldly FIRED from her dream job, Tory set out to build Women For Hire —a company that now has a solid presence across the nation. No deep pockets. No family connections. No special education. Just a “do-or-die” need to replace her income to support her family—fast. Now, she’s stretching her entrepreneurial muscle to help others do exactly the same.

With the all-new Spark & Hustle National Tour, Tory’s goal is simple: Provide current and aspiring small business owners with the practical strategies, real-world solutions and support that’s absolutely critical to their success. Her mission: To help YOU create the shortest possible path between your passion and the profit you seek. Our economy is in a state of unprecedented change, which has impacted businesses of all sizes and in all industries. The Spark & Hustle National Tour promises to embrace that reality by giving you ONLY those business building strategies that are proven to (still) work today, and to offer you access ONLY to those experts who are currently in the DO-ing of their business, not simply the TEACHing of their business. We’ll teach you how to avoid business errors that can have a devastating impact on your bottom-line, how to (quickly) identify and leverage new opportunities, how to solve challenges inherent in a recessionary economy and how to strengthen your packaging, pricing, and promotional efforts for income increase!

The truth is that there is MORE (not less) opportunity for the self-employed than ever before. You just need the right information, strategies, examples, and game plans to create this success for yourself. Bottom line: These events are all about RESULTS. No selling from the stage. No gimmicks. No fluff. Just the only results that matter- YOURS. So, if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and hustle, this is one conference you – literally – can’t afford to miss!

Register now to take advantage of the painless payment options created to remove any possible obstacle for you to attend three days of rock-solid, do-this-now, real-world advice designed to help you turn your new (or remake your struggling) business into the BIG success you crave!

Your unique code is: StartupPrincess

This code is worth 10% off any Spark & Hustle events at www.sparkandhustle.com

The 2011 Spark & Hustle National Tour Schedule
Los Angeles ◊ Thursday, February 3 – Saturday, February 5, 2011
Tulsa ◊ Thursday, February 10 – Saturday, February 12, 2011
New York City ◊ Thursday, March 10 – Saturday, March 12, 2011
Dallas ◊ Thursday, March 24 – Saturday, March 26, 2011
Chicago ◊ Thursday, April 7 – Saturday, April 9
Boston ◊ Thursday, May 12 – Saturday, May 14
Orlando ◊ Thursday, May 19 – Saturday, May 21
Atlanta ◊ Thursday, July 21 – Saturday, July 2

Tune In! Startup Princesses featured on Radio Talk Show

We’re excited to be part of KSTAR’s eMedia Revolution Talk Show this Week!
Listen in this Tuesday, November 16th and This Thursday, November 18th
from 11:00AM-1:00PM MST.  Our own Kelly King Anderson will be co-hosting on
Thursday!

We will be featuring Startup Princesses & Friends: Melissa Chappell of Raw
Melissa, Danielle Mahoney of Dream Dinners, Justine Green of Princess
Amera, Kim Smith Flynn of Tutoring Connection, SaraJoy Pond of The Tipping
Bucket, Kate Maloney of Costume Craze, Kelly King Anderson founder of
Startup Princess, Christopher Liechty of Bank of American Fork, Brittany
Ambridge of Aubergine Photography and more!

Even if you’re not in Utah, you can learn business building strategies
from our Startup Princesses online!  Log on to www.planetarystreams.com

More About eMedia Revolution Talk Radio Show:
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mountain Time! Take back your
Power! Duplicate Yourself! Work faster, greener and easier with eMedia!
Join eMedia Strategist and Host Kim Power Stilson as she talks with guests
who share their eMedia savvy and online business success stories.  Carla
Russell  is the “Magnetic Giving”  feature host.  eMedia Revolution
broadcasts Tuesdays & Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mountain Time and is
syndicated to KSTAR 1400 AM, Planetary Streams Talk Radio Network, Web
Campus World Wide, and other Internet Talk Radio Networks.    To listen
online, daily, please visit,
www.powestrategies.TV<http://www.powestrategies.TV>,
www.planetarystreams.com<http://www.planetarystreams.com> and
www.WcWW.com<http://www.WcWW.com>.

About Kim Power Stilson:
Author of the “eMedia Revolution” and the “eMedia in a Box” Boot Camp for
Your Business 5-Step Training Series, Kim Power Stilson, is an eMedia
Strategist who has helped thousands of small business owners share their
message s online.   As a pioneer of Internet Talk Radio, she and Tom Egan
founded Web Campus World Wide.   Kim divides her time between her home in
Utah and her family home in County Waterford, Ireland.  Power Strategies is
an eMedia & PR company which offers the ‘eMedia in a Box” Boot Camp, please
visit www.powerstrategies.TV<http://www.powerstrategies.TV> and
WcWW.com<http://WcWW.com>.  eMail
kim@powerstrategies.TV<mailto:kim@powerstrategies.TV> or Skype:
Kim.Power.Stilson.

About Carla Russell:
Host of “eMedia Revolution’s Magnetic Giving” talk radio show, Carla
Russell is a champion of generous giving practices in successful
businesses.  Carla spent 8 years in the semi-conductor industry, won awards
as a Karate instructor and even tried her hand at plumbing.  Carla speaks,
teaches and instructs the “eMedia in a Box” Boot Camp for Your Business
5-Step Training Series for Web Campus World Wide.  As the mother of 4 girls
and very young grandmother, Carla loves the hearts of people and believes
the key to everyone’s happiness is service.   eMail
<mhtml:{C5F42502-600F-4C84-B0E3-0548623F097E}mid://00000157/!x-usc:https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=bsp&ver=ohhl4rw8mbn4>
carlarussell88@yahoo.com<mailto:carlarussell88@yahoo.com>  or Skype:
Carla.Russell88 Please visit
www.powerstrategies.TV<http://www.powerstrategies.TV> and ,
WcWW.com<http://WcWW.com> and
www.planetarystreams.com<http://www.planetarystreams.com>.

To Listen in Utah! Tune in Daily on KSTAR 1400 AM.

Log on and Listen Globally! Listen daily on the following syndicate sites:

Planetary Streams Talk Radio Network — www.planetarystreams.com

Web Campus World Wide Talk Radio Network — www.WcWW.com

SHOUTCAST Radio Network — www.shoutcast.com

Repeat After Me: I am NOTHING Without My Team

Guest Author Amilya Antonetti, Founder and CEO of AMA Enterprises, LLC, shares the following:

At home, at work, and where ever we go in life, the strength of our teams and our teammates make all the difference.  Yet all of us struggle in life and in business to find just the right mix of people, with the right talents, and the right attitude, to help us along the journey so that we are not just reacting to life but becoming the leaders in our life, so that we can live a life by design.

In my own journey, I learned a key lesson.  As a leader, I am NOTHING without my team.  It does not matter whether it is in my role as an entrepreneur building successful brands, as a mentor to others who dream of taking their ideas from mind to market, as a friend, or as Mom.  Everything I do I approach with a TEAM mentality. Learning how to be the leader in your own life and mastering the art of teambuilding is a key life skill.   It touches everything we do across our community, our businesses, and our families.  It takes a TEAM to win. And not just any team.  You need the right mix of unique ingredients, the right tools, and some easy to follow directions and guidelines. Teams need to know when they are working within them or have stepped out of bounds.  Developing your natural leadership style and learning to building high performance teams does not happen in an instant.  It takes time and practice.  Not to mention a bit of trial and error.  After all, we can’t master what we don’t practice.

Over the past 15 years, I have had the opportunity to share the stories of my journey with live audiences, on television, and on the radio.  Over and over again women asked me,

• “How did you do it”
• “Where can I find great teammates?
• “Why is it important to have people on my team that are different than I am?”

This year, working with my team, we released The Recipe: A fable for leaders and teams to share the lessons we have learned along the way.  Instead of making it a dry business or self help book, we wanted to make it fun and educational at the same time.  Traditional learning techniques are sometimes hard for me but give me a rhyme, jingle, or story that that I can connect with and I remember it.  Show me how something works and I can apply it.  Give me the right tools to work with, and I can master them.  And, please don’t forget the helpful hints and directions.  The best lessons are the ones we can quickly learn, grasp the concepts and implement them for our desired results.  This is the goal my team and I accepted.  We set out to weave these elements into a story that answers How, Where, and Why in a way that makes you smile.

We each bring unique talents and we need each other if we are to succeed. In creating The Recipe my team included talented artists and editors as well as wonderful friends who helped spread the word that The Recipe was a “gem of a book” and together we celebrate its success.  Learning HOW to come together in teams can be the secret ingredient that makes the difference in reaching your goals, and that supports you in creating something great, and in living your best life.

Together all things ARE possible – it just needs the right TEAM behind it.

Amilya Antonetti turned a family crisis into a life changing solution that   launched Amilya’s Soapworks, one of this first household products for the “human and earth friendly” movement which consumers are embracing in waves today.  She’s a business owner, an executive and a Mom to a teen and a tot.  A popular personality on television and radio, Amilya has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, as a regular guest on The BIG Idea with Donny Deutsch, FOX Nightly Scoreboard, MSNBC’s Your Business with JJ Ramberg, Extra, and countless international radio and television shows.  Her latest book, The Recipe: A fable for leaders and teams, shares the lessons that she learned along the way and was released in 2010.

The ABCs of Finding Balance For Busy Women

Guest Author Dena Patton shares the following advice:

“Because we don’t know what is really important to us, everything seems important. Because everything seems important, we have to do everything. Other people, unfortunately, see us as doing everything, so they expect us to do everything. Doing everything keeps us so busy, we don’t have time to think about what is really important.” -Anonymous

Finding balance is easier than you think. Let’s start off with some baby steps and go from there.

Here are the key elements of becoming a well-balanced Superwoman:

1. Implement: The Three B’s: Basics, Balance and Boundaries

2. Incorporate: Fun, Friendship & Me Time

Baby steps-Phase I:

1. You’ve got to know your ‘basics’ which are the top things (roles & responsibilities) that are most important to you. As the quote says above if you don’t know what is important than everything becomes important and you stay tired and exhausted. So start off with listing all the roles and responsibilities that make up your life.

2. Now, take that list and designate the top 4 things in your life and put them in priority order. The twist is that for this exercise is that you must add this ‘my mind, body, spirit well-being’ to the top 4 list. Now that you have your top four we can move on.

3. I want you to spend some time with the list that didn’t make the top 4. I want you to cross out (it’s just an excersise) the things that:

A. Have nothing to do with the top 4

B. That don’t serve your greater self

C. That you could care less about (really)

D. That you feel obligated to do

E. Have nothing to do with your core values or mission in life

4. Now look at what’s left. Do you have items that are still on the list? If so, ask yourself these questions:

A. Do I really want or need this duty

B. Does this serve my greater self

C. Does this honor my core values and mission

D. Does this make me happy

5. If so, add them to your top 4 list. Now you have your BASICS list and can create a life AROUND these essential roles and responsibilities. Next you want to create some BOUNDARIES around your basics so they can be protected and nurtured so they can grow. Boundaries are limits like a fence around a garden. They will help you keep the line drawn so that you don’t get out of control or lose priorities.

6. For 60 days play the 3 B’s game: say no to everything that pulls you away from your top 4 list. This is the time to customize your life with the things that are MOST important to you and live a life you love. So make your top priority list and tape it in a couple spots (your side of the bathroom mirror and on your computer). By simply knowing your basics and having boundaries you will feel more peaceful and joyful. The balance will come in next.

7. Balance isn’t a magical destination. But instead a way-of-being (attitude or mind set) that manages your Basics and Boundaries. If you are BEING balanced in how you make choices, keep to your boundaries and select your basics you will FEEL more balanced. So it really starts with your mindset with a commitment of changing your life from crazy busy to balanced. Then going from there. So lets re-look at your basics list and make some balanced choices. Now you need to make some decisions on how much time and energy goes into each thing on a weekly basis so you can create a schedule that HONORS you instead of exhausts you.

This is how I do it: My priorities: my faith, my marriage, my well being, my baby, my business, my friends. I have prayer/bible time each day with church on Sundays. I have two play days a week with my daughter and one of those days we’ll stay in and the other one we’ll go to Moms club, play date or the zoo. I have two family days with my husband and baby. Then three days a week I work in my home office with my assistant while the baby is at daycare. Twice a month my husband and I have date night and twice a month I have a ‘girls night out or friend time’. I try to get ‘me time’ in on a daily basis before and/or after my daughter goes to bed and once a month I do some kind of ‘treat’ for myself like getting my nails done. So that is how I get my priorities all in and keep things in balance, and I have them in the calendar and they don’t move. If I do anything outside of those I work it around my existing schedule and never over book myself.

Dena Patton is a Life/Business Coach, retreat facilitator and Speaker. She is also the founder of Chat, Chew and Chocolate. She is writing her first book: Powerfully Living, Gracefully Dying which will be out in 2011. There are free downloads for you: a boundaries checklist, a great to-do list organizer, a Gratefulness Journal and a Me Time Study all on Dena’s bio page (bottom/right side of bio page). Info on her programs, retreats and coaching visit, www.TheBoundariesCoach.com. Find her on Twitter @chatchew.

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