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Laurie Dart, Writing Wisely


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Name: Laurie Dart

Hometown: Otisco Lake, New York

Current Residence (City, State): Portland Oregon

Education: BS in Business, Masters in Public Administration, currently working on Ph.D. in Public Administration – dissertation topic is workplace spirituality

Professional Background (brief, please): Several years working in the public sector as Assistant to Dean, Executive Assistant; the nonprofit sector as Assistant to the Executive Director and Human Resources Manager; the private sector as an Executive Administrator and Association General Manager.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: I always wanted to be a teacher. I used to bring home all the old ditto sheets the teachers wanted to get rid of at the end of the year. I would torture my brothers all summer long with various worksheets and quizzes.

What you are: I am a writer and an educator.

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I provide writing and editing services to soloproneurs and I develop information products designed to help individuals operate their businesses wisely.

Company Website? My company Web site is located at http://www.writingwisely.com.

What inspired you? I was (and continue to be) inspired by strong female role models – two family members in particular – my great, great aunt Etta Shiber and my great aunt Martha McKinney.

How long have you been in business? I have been in business about five years.

How did you fund it? I started my business part-time by doing consulting work on the side and I worked a regular job. I finally quit the job and began working in my business full-time.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? I do, her name is Sharon and I knew from the time I first researched my industry that I wanted to work with her someday. I am proud to say she is a client, mentor, coach, and friend.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? I do. I belong to the Virtual Assistant Revolution, Ryze, VANetworking, and the Alliance.

Current Business Challenge? My current business challenge is obtaining retainer clients. Most of my work is project oriented. I have a lot of repeat clients, but cash flow each month is very unpredictable.

What are you doing about it? I have been trying to entice people into buying hours by offering special prices on blocks of hours. I think once people realize how much I do in a short period of time, they are more comfortable outsourcing their writing and editing needs.

Favorite motivational quote: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

Family? I have a husband, three children and three grandchildren. I have been married for 15 years.

If so, how do you balance family and business? It’s very difficult. I try to set routines and schedules and I really try to follow them. The problem is however that my family doesn’t seem to view my work as “real” so they constantly interrupt me – something they wouldn’t do if I were in an office somewhere. So the challenge is to continually remind them of what I am doing and to set and enforce boundaries.

Favorite book? My favorite business related book is Guerrilla Marketing by J. Conrad Levinson. My favorite read for pleasure (or thrill – LOL) book is Pet Sematary by Stephen King. I love Stephen King!

What do you do to relax? I like to play games and go for walks. I also love Sam Elliott – so I enjoy watching anything with him – his voice, well, I could listen to him read the phone book!

What do you want to change most about your world? I want to change where I live. I live in an apartment and I want to live in a house. I want to garden and hang clothes on the line.

What are you most proud of? I am most proud of my children.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? To always be true to yourself. Never compromise your values or morals and always to the best job possible. Don’t lie and readily acknowledge and accept mistakes.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? Well my favorite tool and resource has to be, by far, my computer. My husband calls it my box, my kids call it that thing and I call it my business and within it I have many friends and colleagues.

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Sapphire – it is my birthstone and is very calming for me.

Would you be interested in being a Fairy Godmother to another woman entrepreneur? (I am working on a secure system to do this, any ideas?) I would. I enjoy giving back and find I often learn as much as those I mentor or advise.

What business subjects would you feel comfortable mentoring in? Most anything – I have a degree and years of experience in many facets of business and marketing.

Would you be interested in going to lunch with other women entrepreneurs for a “networking tea party”? I would – particularly (obviously) in my local area.

  Startup Princess is an international network committed to empowering Women Entrepreneurs by offering resources for women in business to support, mentor, collaborate, learn from, and inspire one another. In 2006, after struggling to raise funding for an initial startup business venture, Kelly King Anderson recognized an important market niche existed for reliable resources educating women desiring to start and grow successful businesses, thus Startup Princess was developed.

Successful women entrepreneurs understand that for every business venture, they are in charge of creating, organizing, developing, managing, and assuming all the risks associated with their enterprise. That can seem quite intimidating but as other women business owners will tell you, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it! Success is within your grasp and Startup Princess is here to help.

First, join as a member of Startup Princess and start building a solid foundation. Membership entitles you to a listing in the Startup Princess Online Directory where we list women owned businesses. You’ll also access exclusive content like articles, videos, and audio straight from your email inbox. Coupled with feature interviews, discounts on events, networking connections, and press opportunities, your Startup Princess membership will give any woman entrepreneur a great start for her business!

Then, take advantage of Touchpoint, our annual business conference for women entrepreneurs. Practical planning meets sky-high inspiration at this high-impact event for women business owners to network and develop their approach to business with wisdom and creative direction from other women entrepreneurs across the country.

Need a little help taking your business to the next step? Wish you had a fairy godmother like Cinderella offering you a helping hand? Now you can! Startup Princess is the home of Fairy Godmother Consulting, volunteer mentors sharing tips and insights to bless the lives of other women entrepreneurs.

Startup Princess can offer many benefits to women in business from future women business owners to successful women entrepreneurs. Please call or fill out our contact form with questions, concerns, or general interest and let us help you by giving you full access to everything Startup Princess has to offer!