Introducing Cindy W. Morrison, Author, Consultant and Speaker

Some people say you can’t have everything, but obviously those people haven’t met Cindy W. Morrison. With an amazing career as a former journalist and now as an author and consultant, Cindy is sharing her wisdom in her new book Girlfriends 2.0. How do women upgrade their life personally and professionally? The answer is simple: surround yourself with positive girlfriends and watch yourself soar!

We are pleased to present Cindy W. Morrison, our newest Fairy Godmother at StartupPrincess. Enjoy!

Hometown: Lubbock, Texas

Current Residence: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Education: Graduate of the University of Oklahoma

Professional Background: Emmy award winning journalist spent 20 years as a mainline TV news anchor and investigative reporter. She worked in Oklahoma City and Tulsa earning an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie Allen award. After a layoff because of the economy in 2009, Cindy successfully reinvented herself by hitting a speaking circuit, writing a book and creating her own consulting business. She now teaches people to reboot and upgrade through networking, social media and branding so they can make more money and live a better life.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: TV news anchor/Journalist

What you are: Former anchor who’s using those talents to help others.

Brief Summary of your Start Up: Helping people reboot and upgrade their personal lives (Girlfriends 2.0) and their professional lives (Reinvention 2.0)

Company Website: www.CindyWMorrison.com

What inspired you: Not letting the economy be the end of a career, but instead the start of an awesome adventure.

How long have you been in business: Since July 1^st, 2009

How did you fund it: Stopped spending and started believing.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? That’s what my book “Girlfriends 2.0” is all about – how you MUST surround  yourself by the best Girlfriends possible to not only survive but thrive our changing times. Fairy Godmothers are everywhere, you just have to open your heart.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups: Absolutely! I belong to my local Chamber of Commerce as well as the National Speakers Association, but of course social networking is king!

Current Business Challenge: Finding time to get to everything. The emails, meetings and demands can be overwhelming, but I’ve found it helps to prioritize and take a deep breath.

Favorite motivational quote: “Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live.” -Joe Montana

Family? I’ve been married since 1991 to a wonderfully supportive man. We have two young kids – a boy and a girl.

If so, how do you balance family and business? Ha! My kids remind me there’s a balance every day! Honestly, I didn’t have much balance when I was working at a TV station 60 hours a week and often at night. Now I work my schedule around my kids. I work like a maniac until 3:30 then take a break when they come home. Then I usually go back to work when they go to bed.

Favorite book? “Girlfriends 2.0”, of course!

What do you do to relax? Sleep! I wish I didn’t love sleeping, but I’m someone who definitely needs to recharge her batteries.

What do you want to change most about your world? I want to empower women to upgrade their lives personally and professionally. We truly can have it all, it just takes a village to do it and working smarter, not harder.

What are you most proud of? I’m the most proud that I didn’t curl up in a ball when I found out my TV station could no longer afford me. Being a news anchor was all I ever wanted to be and assumed I would do that through at least two face lifts. Lol! But I’ve learned change isn’t a bad thing. Suddenly taking charge of my life has shown me a strength I never knew I had and talents I’d never tapped.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Believe in yourself because many people are more than happy to tell you why you can’t succeed. In my book “Girlfriends 2.0”, I tell women to dump Suzie Sabotage, Helen Hater and Negative Nancy and instead make sure they surround themselves with people who will pick you up when you fall and help you keep the faith.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource): Social media! This is a great way to become an “expert” in your field and even set you up for TV interviews and build customer loyalty.

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Diamonds! They go with EVERYTHING!

Nine Successful Online Business Must Haves

Sharifah Hardie is a Startup Princess Fairy Godmother, and the author of the fantastic eBook, The Barter System - Overlooked and Underrated. The following post is one of my favorite exerpts (obviously used with her permission). You can read the whole book here. You can also contact her for professional business consulting advice on her website.

1.) Products & Services – Your products and services must be quality products that you would be proud to offer your Mom. There’s nothing worse than providing a shoddy product that you as the owner wouldn’t even purchase. Your product represents you and your business. There are millions of whole sale companies and quality products to resell or create your own. Do not settle for less than the best!

2.) Web Site – Your web site also represents you and your business. If you have very little web site design experience consider hiring a professional web site designer. There are many excellent web site designers who offer reasonable rates and quality services. Spending the money for web site design will save you time and frustration down the line as you pour advertising money into your business only for your potential customers to come to your web site and turn away because of the unprofessional  appearance. Keep that in mind before using a free hosting company. If you can’t afford roughly $6.00 a month for hosting exactly how good is your business doing? Image is everything.

3.) Newsletter – Every online business must offer either a newsletter or mailing list that gives the owner an ©2004 MarketingOnlineCrashCourse.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED opportunity to follow up with its customers. Newsletters also serve the purpose of announcing specials, updates and important news. Newsletters also can provide additional income by selling ad space.

4.) Stickiness – This is a MUST have that many, many online business owners do not fully utilize. You must offer ways for your customers to “stick” to your web site. Examples of fun sticky offers are contests, games, downloads, tell a friend offers, etc. Give your customers a reason to come back and they will time and again.

5.) Signature Line – As business owners we receive countless emails per day. We also send countless emails per day. It’s so easy and it only takes a few minutes to add a brief, catchy signature line at the bottom of outgoing emails. The email recipient will not be able to resist clicking on your web site URL just to see what your business is all about.

6.) Offline Marketing – Do not be fooled into thinking that just because you’re an online business you cannot advertise offline. By displaying your URL on promotional flyers, license plate frames, your URL posted on your vehicle, newspaper advertising, mass mailings and benches you’ll further increase your exposure. You name it you can promote your business through it. ©2004 MarketingOnlineCrashCourse.com

7.) Articles – Everyone’s an expert on something. If you’re a business owner than it would stand to reason that you are an expert in your business. You can write articles with a brief resource box at the bottom informing others as to how to have a business like yours of their own, how to find items like yours, how you do the services you do, whatever it is there are articles about it. The more you become known as an expert in your field your recognition will grow and as a result increase your business.

8.) Affiliate Program – Ask yourself this question; is it better to spend hundreds of dollars to marketing your business yourself or have others to market your business for you? We all know the answer to this question is to hire others to market for us. By recruiting affiliates you have more people working hard to promote your business, drive traffic to your site, increase your exposure and make more money for you and your affiliates. Five, ten, fifty or even hundreds of affiliates can do so much more work than you can ever do alone.

9.) Specials – Specials should be offered often and generously. If you launch your business offer a special, if you update your web site offer a special, if you overloaded with inventory offer a special, if the sun is shining today offer a special. Your customers love to save money, give them the chance. Remember, you are ultimately responsible for your success or failure. Not your competition; not the President or the economy; but YOU! With hard work and quality services at the best prices you’re success is inevitable.