Shift Summit Giveaway! Win an Apple TV or Cricut Machine

Our #StartupChat this week features a conversation about creative social media marketing sponsored by Shift Summit.

Shift Summit is a company dedicated to social media and online marketing education.

Next week on October 4th at 12pm MST I’ll be doing a class on “How to be a Rockstar on Twitter” – to sign up click here

We are excited to announce that Shift Summit is sponsoring a giveaway for an Apple TV or a Cricut Machine. The deadline for entering the giveaway is October 4th midnight.

To enter the contest CLICK HERE

For an additional entry follow Shift Summit on Twitter and leave a comment here letting us you know that you did.

What is #StartupChat and How Do I Participate?

#StartupChat is a relatively new program we’re hosting on Twitter each Wednesday from 12-1pm MDT/2pm EST.

The aim of #StartupChat is to provide additional resources, support, tips, strategies, inspiration for Startup Princesses in our community (and beyond!) We feature experts as guests from a variety of industries and have a set of questions we ask them so we can gain their insights and share their wisdom. The wonderful thing about #StartupChat is that it’s FREE, it’s mobile and global! It’s amazing to be participating on your phone wherever you are or at your office.

To participate you need a twitter account. Then search the hashtag #startupchat in your search bar or here: search.twitter.com and then you’ll be set to follow the conversation. You can see the questions from @startupprincess account, they show up like “Q1: what is your best tip…” and then the guests typically answer “A1: my best tip….”

Enjoy getting to know like-minded people and be sure that when you tweet yourself you use the same hashtag #startupchat at the end or within your tweets.

Also Tweetgrid.com might be a helpful resource for you to manage/follow the conversation. That’s what we use!

See you on the chat!

Highlights of #StartupChat “How to Rock Video Marketing”

The latest Startup Princess #Startupchat on Twitter featured Video Marketing. Join us next time: Wednesdays at 12pm MDT/2pm EST. Follow the conversation on Twitter by searching #startupchat

We are currently hosting our Startup Princess Video Marketing Competition so we thought it would be a great idea to hear from experts to share tips & strategies with you!

Our guests included pros in video production & women who use video as a marketing tool. The video experts were @beonscene and @thinksocreative Startup Princesses who use video included @marieforleo and  @boccesbakery . @jrhamel represents Votigo a Video Contest website.

Here’s highlights of the conversation. There were over 300 tweets so this is just a quick snapshot of the Q&A that we had with guests and others who offered their insights.

 

Question 1: What do you love MOST about Video & why?

Be On Scene: Video provides a great medium for storytelling. Facts are validating, stories are memorable.

Startup Princesss: Love video because I can experience the personality of the product/company/service

JR Hamel: It gives your customers/clients the power to tell the story of your brand for you.

Marie Forleo: Video is the closest thing to real life.

Marie Forleo: Video creates the know, like + trust factor for your biz FAST.

Startup Princess: I feel that video gives us insights to the passion behind company words can’t express

 

Question 2: Who does great biz videos?

JRHamel: @kickstarter offers some great inspirational videos/ideas from start-ups

ThinkSo Creative: It is important to create content. Video marketing is a good way to break up the monotony of blogs, pictures, and posts

BoccesBakery: When vid mktg is done well, it can provide a face to ur brand and company.

Be On Scene: @startupprincess that’s a subjective question. I think style is an important component to picking the right production co.

thinkso creative: It’s all relative to ur goals. Are your videos informational? educational? promotional? That affects style.

 

Question 3: What tools or software have been the most helpful in producing your videos?

BoccesBakery: Imovie! I would encourage small biz to take a stab at making ur own movie – u know your brand best! Imovie is easy to use

Marie Forleo:  Best tools: your mac, iMovie, Flip Camera, basic lighting and a glass of wine never hurts!

JRHamel: In the contest/promotional world it’s not as much about the technology/tools as it about the content

 

Question 4: #1 tip to get people to view videos?

Startup Princess: To get more views for video I suggest using your blog, twitter, FB, email list

JR Hamel: In the contest realm: an incentive. Simply speaking of videos: an exciting first 10 seconds – a hook.

Be On Scene: Build your brand advocates first, in private groups, those with strong networks for initial distribution.

Marie Forleo: Best tip to get people to view ur vids is write a killer headline

 

Question 5: What types of “Call to Action” work on video?

Marie Forleo: Getting someone to CLICK on your video often comes down to copy/headlines

Thinkso Creative: In terms of vid mktg, it doesn’t have to be perfect or polished! The homemade feel will still drive traffic.

Marie Forleo:  simple CTAS work – share, subscribe, comment – but make it SPECIFIC #startupchat

BoccesBakery: big lesson learned with 1st video http://t.co/eyFY8Ks was to make the call to action clear! Viewers want to know what to do

 

Question 6: What results have happened for you or your clients as a result of a good video?

JR Hamel: Clients who run video contests see an increase in FB fans & engagement & have material to use in future marketing efforts

Marie Forleo: increase in list, less “selling” needed (what u see is what u get media requests to name a few

Be On Scene: For us – Quality video production = more business. For our clients – credibility, relatability, trust.

 

Question 7: How do you gain more confidence in front of the camera?

Marie Forleo: To gain more confidence: speak to 1 person. don’t try to be confident. it’s ok to flub (I do it all the time)

Marie Forleo:  focus on message, not urself. do a lot of videos. look into the camera.

 

Question 8: What teachers, books, etc. help beginners with video?

Be On Scene: dig up your local DSLR video guys/gals and hang with them, best tool for development is real world experience.

–

Great advice everyone!! Thank you!!

——-

Now that you’ve heard from the pro’s – be sure to check out our Video Marketing Competition, deadline is August 25th

At our 5th Annual Conference http://www.startupprincess.com/touchpoint we’ll talk MORE Video! Carley Knobloch of Digitwirl will be with us, can’t wait!

 

 

 

Highlights of #StartupChat with Daily CandyPR “Being Ready for Media at Any Moment”

Have you heard the good news? We’re doing live weekly chats on Twitter! It’s called #startupchat and it’s every Wednesday at 12pm MDT/2pm EST. Follow the conversation on Twitter by searching #startupchat.

This week we featured a conversation with the talented Daily Candy team. The topic was, “Being Ready for Media at Any Moment” and we had a great time discussing tips and strategies for startups. Plus! We shared the amazing contest Daily Candy is sponsoring right now called Start Small Go Big. Their contest is taking entries until August 5th so go check it out and see how you could be ‘discovered’ by Daily Candy and win all sorts of opportunities, including a trip to NYC and a day mentoring with top industry experts!

Here’s highlights of the conversation. There were over 400 tweets so this is just a quick snapshot of the Q&A that we had with Daily Candy and others who chimed in to offer their insights.

How important is branding to deciding who to feature or not?

DailyCandyPR: Good branding is so important, because that’s the first impression you give.

When choosing a company to feature, what are you looking for with their website?

DailyCandyPR: It needs to be uncluttered and easy to navigate and have a fresh, new design. Also, no spelling errors. (You’d be surprised!)

MichelleDoodads: In my experience, websites provide legitimacy and to see if their branding matches their message.

Lambybiscuits: To understand a great logo read about Paul Rand – father of logos/branding. Simplicity & Readability

TaraHolling: Good content is equally important – validates expertise and credibility

Daily Candy: Yes! spending time on CONSISTENT branding, is just as important as as a clear brand.

Photo Tips?

StartupPrincess: Regarding photos, I’d always hire a pro for your product images ideally who has published their work

DailyCandyPR: For a great example of great packaging and photography, look @boccesbakery. So clean!

DailyCandyPR: Make sure photos are centered on the page and without a lot of clutter and text

What kind of media training do you recommend for a business owner?

DailyCandyPR: Volunteer speaking engagements are a great way to practice- embody your brand. Try it out w/ friends & fam.

StartupPrincess: I recommend stylist, speaking coach, great headshots

StartupPrincess: Learning to speak (and tweet!) in sound bytes is very helpful for being quoted by press

MichelleDoodads: Soundbites are the language of the media. Be able to tell your story in one or two exciting sentences.

LibbyDowd: don’t ever say you dont know…thats 101….I will check into that etc…..

DailyCandyPR:  Make sure you research who you’re interviewing with. If you want them to do their homework, you should do yours too.

DailyCandyPR: Also, when we write about people we’ve often crashed websites! Another tip: make sure your bandwidth is up to snuff.

How do you choose which companies to feature?

DailyCandyPR: what we feature has to be new. It has to be original,& our editors have to want to own & use it themselves.

DailyCandyPR: we have always been a launching pad for new small businesses. Start Small Go Big Contest takes that step further

DailyCandyPR: Some of the insiders we have on-board are @jonathanadler @SPANXinc @alice_olivia @freshfounder & @KateSomerville

–

Thank you Daily Candy for joining us for #StartupChat and for empowering small biz owners to make their dreams a reality. If you have more questions on how to be on Daily Candy, you will love this clever video:

How NOT to get into @dailycandy video (clever!) http://www.dailycandy.com/startsmallgobig/videos.html

Be sure to enter Start Small Go Big! Deadline August 5th.

The Most Liberating Thing I’ve Ever Done – Selling Most of Our Belongings & Renting a Furnished House

Friends, I’m in the middle of a major move only it doesn’t feel so major because many of my belongings aren’t coming with us- they are being sold because we’re moving into a beautiful furnished home. Stuff I’m keeping include antique dishes, journals, books, photos, a box of Christmas decorations, clothes, camping gear, a box of toys for each child and some other essentials. I have a few favorite pieces of furniture that my friend is going to babysit for me if I ever want them back. I feel so freed up by our decision- completely liberated! Even though I completely adored our home and all of the beauty we created, it feels great to share and let go…and do something completely new and different. Here’s my current living room.

Why are we doing this? We decided earlier this year to move 45 minutes north and put our kids in a special private school. To make this happen we had to sell our house which fortunately closes this week. We thought initially we’d buy another house in the area but then as life began to unfold more options and possibilities revealed themselves and now we’re feeling like being super flexible and unattached to a home mortgage.

We are putting trust and faith in God and asking a lot of questions right now such as, “Where do you want us to be?” “What’s possible for our family?” “What type of home do we want to live in?” “What lifestyle do we want?” We will not be tied to a city, a home, a school, etc. We’re playing life day by day and asking what’s next.

I love that Startup Princess and the work I do with doTERRA as a distributor can be done worldwide and there are real possibilities to enjoy and create outside of Utah- our home for the last 14 years. I would love to give my children experiences abroad or in another state. So this year is the year of dreaming and planning…and taking action on what we feel will be best for our family. In the meantime, I love that we are adventurous enough to let go of the control and embrace the beauty of the unknowns and letting God fill in the details.

Because we made this decision to move forward on a rental, an amazing home became available that is beyond my dreams in an upscale neighborhood close to the private school where my kids will attend – furnished by my favorite store even called GateHouse in Utah. The talented owner is an interior designer and has impeccable taste. She too wanted to create something different this year for her family and they are going somewhere special for the school year.  It’s amazing how like-minded people with similar style and needs found each other through a classified ad and we both couldn’t be happier. Not to mention their home backs up to open space, home to deer. It’s super nurturing and lovely. Here’s a photo of their beautiful house.

Since letting go of what I thought was expected or next for us (buying a house) then this blessing came forward and we get to experience something so much more than we would have created otherwise. I feel God’s lining up all the details and can’t wait to see how this will influence all of our experiences as a family and business owners. Already just seeing the tender mercies I’m feeling more confident that living abroad could happen and life will continue to be a gift of wonder and miracles.

Question for you.. Have you ever done something courageous? What impact did it have on your life and business? Please leave a comment on this post. Thanks!

Kelly King Anderson, Startup Princess Founder/Managing Director

Startup Princess Giveaway- Attraction Branding Package for Entrepreneurs

Great news! Rebecca Servoss of Persnickety Graphics (who happens to do all our Startup Princess graphics and design work) and Quinn Curtis (long time Startup Princess friend), serial entrepreneur and amazing branding expert (see here and here and here for a couple of her recent gigs) have recently joined forces to launch a new company, Attraction Branding, an innovative consulting firm to support entrepreneurs with their branding efforts. These ladies pack a lot of talent and experience into their new venture and we’re excited to feature them this week with a giveaway and as guests on our #startupchat (Wednesdays at 1

2pm MDT on Twitter).

Attraction Branding focuses on consulting however they offer something for every budget- ideal for a true startup! I love that they have a home study course too. We’re delighted to share they are giving away an amazing package to a lucky small business owner!

Enter to Win the Attraction Branding Giveaway:

Branding Identity Course & Consultation

5-week home-study course complete with 70-page branding workbook

Clarity Consultation featuring in-depth review of branding workbook results and expert advise for implementing those results

Value: $249

Entry Requirements: (Deadline is Saturday July 23, midnight MDT)

Leave a comment on this post and tell us what branding questions you have

Tweet one of the following:

RT @startupprincess Enter to Win #branding package for your business http://bit.ly/nU3JYm

RT @startupprincess Giveaway! Get Free Branding Consulting http://bit.ly/nU3JYm

Optional Entries:

Here’s some additional ways to enter that are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each item. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed optional entry.

Like Startup Princess on Facebook

Like Attraction Branding on Facebook

Sign up for their Branding Your Business, Irrestistably

Deadline to enter is Saturday July 23, midnight MDT.

 

Startup Princess Giveaway – Touchpoint Conference Ticket!

We’re excited to kick off early bird registration for Touchpoint- our 5th Annual Conference for Women Entrepreneurs!

The conference will be Sept 15-16 in Salt Lake City, Utah and will feature top industry experts in media, fashion, sales, marketing, finance, and more! You won’t want to miss out on the incredible networking and fun, including the Sparkle & Shine Spa Party!  Check out the speakers, and see the  full agenda and details here.

To share our enthusiasm for the event we’re going to giveaway a ticket this week. The deadline will be July 16th, midnight.

Prize:

2 day conference pass to Touchpoint valued at $199 (Early Bird Price).

Entry Requirements:

Answer the following question on this post. Which session are you most looking forward to at Touchpoint?

Tweet the following:

RT @startupprincess #Touchpoint Early Bird Registration is now available http://bit.ly/b4AnE3

RT @startupprincess GIVEAWAY! Win a Ticket to #Touchpoint Conf for Women Entrepreneurs http://bit.ly/nZ76Lq

I’m excited about @startupprincess #Touchpoint Conf for Women Entrepreneurs http://bit.ly/b4AnE3

Optional Entries:

Here’s some additional ways to enter that are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each item. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed optional entry.

Like Startup Princess on Facebook

Follow Startup Princess on Twitter

Vote for Now I Can Organization to Win $10,000 to help children with neuromuscular challenges.

 

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday, July 16. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only.

A Belated Invitation to Spring Clean – Your Life

Summer is here, but it’s never too late to spring clean…your life. Just as our spaces accumulate clutter over time so do the nooks and crannies of lives.  I dare say that if it’s important to occasionally de-junk your garage and clear out your closets and drawers that it would be well worth doing the same for your life. Here are a few suggestions to get your started.

1. Clear the cobwebs from you head. Throw out the negative, self-defeating, fear-driven dialogue and open the windows of your mind to fresh ideas and a bright perspective. Are you struggling with self-esteem, challenged in your marriage or in your role as a mother or entrepreneur?  Change your thoughts. We create our reality from the inside out so as you seek to fill your mind with the positive and uplifting, you will begin to attract all that is good into your life.

2. Toss out habits, behaviors, and activities that are dirtying and cluttering your days. Life is too short to spend our precious time on the trivial and unfulfilling.  So what needs to go? Do you need to reduce screen time (e.g. phone, computer, and TV) so you can spend more time on self-care or with your family? Do you need to make clearer boundaries and say “no” to some of the lesser important activities that aren’t consistent with what your truly value? As you align your schedule with your highest priorities, you will find yourself accomplishing more, stressing less and finding fulfillment in your days.

3. Polish tarnished relationships. The essence of a happy life is found in healthy, loving relationships. When we are struggling with a friend or loved one, clearing the air with honest, open communication is the first step to rebuilding trust.  Apologizing and forgiving past hurts can be like healing balm to a gaping wound. Better yet, look for opportunities to sincerely praise and serve those who are difficult to get along with. Praise and service will change behavior faster than anything negative or punitive.

4. Sort out your finances. Money trouble is without question one of the leading causes of stress and anxiety in our lives.  Rather than taking a reactive approach to your finances, be proactive and create a working budget. Make sure it is realistic and allows enough flexibility so you can stick to it. As a part of your budget, create a plan of action around paying off debt and be sure to invest. Building wealth doesn’t require a big income so much as requires discipline and consistency.

Make spring cleaning your life a part of your regular routine. As you do, balance and success will come to you with ease. You only have one life to live. Live it well!

This post was written by Tara McCausland, Success Coach. Tara has been in the business of teaching, training, and coaching for nearly 6 years.  Tara is a natural teacher and motivator. She helps her clients find the balance, prosperity and fulfillment they are seeking by being their accountability expert, trusted sounding board, and their biggest fan throughout the coaching process. Check out her free download ’4 Tips to make T.I.M.E. Work for You’.

 

Happy 5th Birthday StartupPrincess.com! Celebrations & Reflections

(Fair warning, this is a very long post!) Wow. I can hardly believe it’s been 5 years since I wrote the very first post on StartupPrincess.com (then startupprincess.wordpress.com) it was a seriously boring template, but I was beyond grateful to enter the world of blogging for FREE (almost, had the little hosting bill and godaddy fee). WordPress is great! Where else can you set up shop and bootstrap your way from there? I didn’t even have our logo (that came 6 months later). Discovering how to launch a business/blog with little risk and low investment was a dream come true, especially considering that at the time I was pitching for $1M in funding for a retail concept and was hitting brick wall after brick wall. When I started this site I questioned, “How am I going to facilitate a networking organization/blog when I’m also trying to start another company and be the mother of a newborn and two other young children?” and the answer came, “One day at a time…” and that’s exactly what it has been. (As you might have guessed that retail business never fully launched… and thank goodness, this is the perfect place to be as a mom who chooses to be at home and create an income stream).

At the time I didn’t hardly know what a blog was, what the potential could be, and where I was headed. All I knew is that I felt beyond inspired to write, to share my own experiences as a Startup Princess by my own right and to reach out to mentors I admired and ask them to teach us what they had learned. Within seconds of deciding I’d dedicate this blog to women in startups the name came to me from  heaven and I knew there was a master plan to it all, I felt it from the top of my head to my toes. I purchased the domain name with tears streaming down my face and God showed me that in time women all over the world would be connected through this very site. I trusted and I put one foot in front of the other. I was naive but it was a perfect launch.

My core belief system about how businesses best succeed still remains the same as it was 5 years ago, “Ask and Ye Shall Receive”. Whenever I didn’t know what to do next I asked in prayer (and often brainstormed with fellow startups and mentors) and waited for a door to open — it always did. I envisioned retreats, conferences, generous sponsors, fancy speakers, teleseminars, and giving inspiring messages to women- all of which have happened, but I never envisioned in a million years that I would have the blessing and great fortune to make friends who would share their hearts, dreams, fears, and successes with me- this I treasure the very most. I also never considered that I would be requested as a keynote speaker, a cover girl, a TV guest, or magazine contributor which has all been humbling, exciting and stretching nor did I envision Twitter! (and oh how I love that our icon is on the homepage and recommended in the business category for new twitter users!)

Startup Princess initially was about my desire to give women entrepreneurs a chance to connect with each other and learn together and that wish has been granted over and over again. It is incredibly rewarding for me to hear of collaborations that evolved from women who met each other at a Startup Princess event or because women attended one of our events they were inspired to create their own or expand their business in some way. I love to share about Startup Princesses and what they are doing and how they are contributing.

When I started Startup Princess I was the voice, I wrote all of the posts, conducted the interviews, answered the emails and managed the events then in 2007 a call came from the Small Business Development Center in Orem where they offered an assistant at no cost to help me move things forward to help us organize events and conferences. We started our first Utah County chapter and it became such a powerful network and support for women. There was a real need then, there weren’t women networking events readily available, it felt great to provide that service. We eventually expanded to other chapters and at one time had 4 running by 2010. We quickly realized we weren’t really equipped to manage all of the chapters and make it profitable so we scaled back and decided retreats, smaller events, and our annual conference every September is where we want to focus. We are so grateful so many other online, local and national networks for women in business have popped up over the last few years and are providing excellent ways for women to connect. This week I read Derek Sivers book “Anything You Want” (launching soon on Amazon) where he says that he wouldn’t have continued with CD Baby if all Independent Musicians sold their own music on their own sites…he was there to serve them because there was a need and if the need ever ended so would he. That’s a little of how I feel about why we no longer have chapters for Startup Princess.

Our team over the years has evolved and changed too. At first it was just me and it was hard, so hard. Then Laurie joined me (from the Small Biz Dev Center grant) to help expand with events, a true miracle, the ultimate organizer! Then Leslie Smoot joined us, a woman gifted in business and continually offering excellent feedback and support, she contributed for 18 months and then left to launch her own cooking business- she maintains equity. When Leslie knew it was time for a change she told me a new partner was being prepared and oh how right she was! When she mentioned it I saw Michelle McCullough‘s face in my head and I offered her a position to support us with our 2nd Touchpoint in 2008 and she’s been heavily involved ever since in helping us to expand, launch different programs, run events, retreats, and above all helped me to stay sane, enjoy the journey of it all, and honors our partnership. Crystal Miller also deserves a big shoutout for being our site manager for more than a year and went above and beyond to make this site fresh and new. Sarah Ward was also remarkable as an event planner and supportive assistant. In 2010 Shannon Baker accepted a position to work with me closely for a month and offered tremendous insight. The talented and lovely Sarah Bray gets a huge thank you because when I wanted to expand in 2008 with a revamped site she believed in what we could become and sponsored our redesign which I fully acknowledge as being a major breakthrough for us plus becoming a kindred spirit in the process. Rebecca Servoss has been very involved in our website, graphic design, and branding efforts and feels like a part of our team even though she’s officially a freelancer for us because she cares so much and always turns out excellent work.

Our community has been essential to our success and has given us so much love over the years. Many many thanks to those who have attended and sponsored our events, read posts here, and never stopped believing in the good we were aiming to do- in no particular order… here’s several people I’d love to mention publicly:  Christopher Liechty and the Bank of American Fork marketing team for believing in us and our mission, Janet Thaeler (who on more than one occasion saved this site from crashing due to plugins and taught me many basic wordpress skills), Sarah Jane for being the one I love to brag about the most and for always sharing the good news, Quinn Curtis a true Startup Princess- continually wowing me with her entrepreneurial talent, ambition and sisterhood,  Jason Alba the first to ever call me “Startup Princess” and offer great insight, remains one of my favorite business wizards, Wendy Piersall who truly deserves to be called eMom forever- in the early days it was she who defined what a great blog post meant, how to do it with grace and get paid for it too, Danielle LaPorte for being both an honest mentor, contributor and friend since the beginning and for coming to SLC for Touchpoint last year, Heather Allard who has been a loyal contributor for years (can’t wait to meet in person!), Holly Buchanan, who was one of the first Fairy Godmothers and was there as a mentor and friend early on, Barbara Jones who took time to brainstorm over the years and has always been so generous, Nancy Cadjan who confirmed StartupPrincess was a winning business concept and helped me so much in the start, Jack Hadley for being so darn supportive of me and the entrepreneurial scene, Cary Snowden for doing the SunTweet event and sharing opportunities, Jeremy Hanks for giving me more than my fair share of free biz advice and being a huge advocate of our work, Jeanette Bennett for being the first magazine to do a feature on Startup Princess which launched a whole series of media opportunities, Brock Blake and Alex Lawrence for not laughing at me when I tell them I will be an Angel Investor, Seth Jenks who offered meaningful advice countless times and showed up to serve when I needed him, Nate Bagley who accepted a brief stint here as site manager and helped me to create more systems, Heather Madder who knows my heart, continually invites me to live fully engaged and embrace my mission, Tiffany Peterson who helped me to achieve my most rewarding financial breakthroughs this year, my best friend Deborah Gardner who always cheers me on and lovingly smacked me upside the head when I needed my priorities adjusted, Natalie Goddard who has shown me an enlightened way to give and receive, Pam Baumeister who granted wishes for me and so many more women as editor of Wasatch Woman and has remained a dear friend, Rachael Herrscher who told me when I started in business to “choose the path of least resistance” which echoed in my head for months until I chose StartupPrincess as ‘the business’, Jyl Pattee (along with Rachael) who continually push what I thought was possible in online media and events and has offered appreciated advice, Garret J White for showing mercy and coached me through failure privately so I could win publicly, Kim Flynn for offering excellent coaching and inviting me to play bigger than ever, Gabrielle Blair for saying yes to our retreat and making a huge difference for many influencers there- and inspiring me ever since, and to ALL of our Startup Princess Chapter Presidents and teams who believed, gave it a go and loved participating, and all of the Fairy Godmothers who ever shared a post, spoke at an event, and gave their best selves to help our community, my **family** for believing in what I create and give me the space to do it, Paul Allen for inviting me to share my story through a blog in the first place and Seth Godin who wrote a little post in 2006 and dramatically shifted my world, granted my wish to speak in SLC in 2010, overwhelms me by his generous heart, and continues to walk the talk.

What’s next for Startup Princess? Honestly my answer isn’t any more clear than it was 5 years ago, we’re still evolving! We know more now than we did- the blogosphere is evolving too, so is social media and business educational/networking events…so I will continue to show up to serve women entrepreneurs- challenging them to “Make a Wish, Make it Happen!“, Ask God for inspiration and put one foot in front of the other. I have plans in the next few years to offer grants, scholarships, mentor-based investments as an “Angel”. Exciting plans ahead!!

The biggest news that I’m going to announce is that today, 5 years after being a Startup Princess I’m graduating…and I’m going to fully embrace my role as a bonafide Fairy Godmother in Business, to completely OWN it. Previously I gathered the mentors/Fairy Godmothers and sat at their feet (and sometimes hiding behind their greatness), facilitated the events, spoke occasionally, wrote randomly, but never completely allowed myself the full opportunity to lead …now I am. No apologies. My confidence has grown tenfold in business this year. I know how to win, I know how to switch things up if they aren’t going well and I know how to make money, serious money which now opens doors for others. Business isn’t charity and a Startup Princess needs to know how to take care of herself financially, her family too if needed. I can now more confidently than ever coach women through that process with passion and I love it. I embrace the opportunity to serve in a new way, a bigger, bolder way than ever before because I am accepting who I am and who I am becoming.  To paraphrase Marianne Williamson, when we show up powerfully we allow others to do the same…let it begin!

Make a Wish, Make it Happen!

Kelly King Anderson, Fairy Godmother and Founder

StartupPrincess.com

 

Health is Wealth – My Top 10 Tips

It’s so true! “Health is Wealth”, you hear it and until you’re fading and broken you don’t consider the value of this statement. Today I’m thinking about it.

I can honestly say that I’ve been testing my health to the limits this Spring. I haven’t been eating as well as I know I should nor getting the amount of sleep that I know I need. After quite a bit of traveling and the stress of selling our home, my body is starting to shout at me and tell me to S-L-O-W down. It happens to the best of us, we go-go-go and then our body says, NO MORE!! So I’m obeying, I am saying no to invitations this week and going to be doing a lot more self care. That said, I generally have excellent health and I can’t think of a day I’ve spent in bed (besides food poisoning and pregnancy) in years.

Here’s a few tips that have helped me:

1. I believe in the power of pure, filtered water. 1/2 body weight in ounces a day.

2. I eat primarily a vegetarian type diet. I eat meat very sparingly, once a week. I make a lot of smoothies, especially green ones with spinach or collard leaves. I try to buy organic when possible.

3. I take supplements and love Omegas. I use doTERRA essential oils, in fact I’m a distributor of them and use them to completely replace my medicine cabinet. Feel free to ask me questions about them if you like. simpleabundance (at) gmail (dot) com is my email for that. I also have found it to be an amazing business, I’m making a generous full time salary with part-time effort.

4. I live near nature and spend a lot of time (when weather is good) going on walks and being outside

5. I take time for self-care. I get massages, go to the spa, get my hair done. I wear clothes that are in season, fashionable, and look good on my body type and coloring. I wear makeup. I adore jewelry.  When I feel good on the inside, I feel great on the outside but the opposite is also true, when you feel good on the outside it helps you feel good on the inside!

6. I am a huge believer in therapy. I believe that if we don’t take care of our pain and emotional challenges they will show up in our body and we will pay for it. I go to Deena Jordan for energy work. Deena does sessions over the phone and is very good at identifying the root of our suffering, asking the right questions to release and help the client let it go. I recommend at least 3 sessions to get started. I try to have 1 session a month. I also go to Karyn Grant, she is in Utah County and specializes in music, massage, and aromatherapy to heal the mind, body, and spirit. I’ve gone to Karyn for 8 years and she is excellent at what she does, her work is based in healing through Christ. I have coached with Heather Madder and highly recommend her audios, coaching, and healing work. She has a lot to offer in this area. All these women are very talented, intuitive, and I trust them 100%.

7. I believe in natural health care and recommend Laura Jacobs and team for bio scans at Herbs for Health in Pleasant Grove. With a scan they can identify what is going on in your body, mind, and spirit and see what supplements, dietary needs you may have, and other supportive methods will help you get to feeling better. I have been going every 6 months or so and bring my children as well. They use a variety of natural health products and I’ve had excellent results.

8. I try to SLEEP deeply and well. I take naps at least once a week and I am committed to getting better at this at night!

9. I have found exercise that resonates with me- running/walking in nature, yoga, biking, and horseback riding (although I rarely have the opportunity! i want to create more of this). I have had a personal trainer off/on and I love the results physically from toning up.

10. I am committed to my faith and I know there is power in health when you have a clear mission, identity, and choose to be an instrument for God to do His work. I know that when I pray sincerely, study scripture, attend church and temple regularly I am blessed to fulfill my work at home and beyond with more strength and passion.

It’s always good to review what works for us in regards to our health, what about you? I’d love to hear what has been helpful for you.

This post was written by Kelly King Anderson, Founder  of Startup Princess. Reach her here by leaving a comment or by messaging/following her on Twitter @startupprincess

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