Fairy Godmothers Come To You – A Limited Time Opportunity

We recorded about 8 hours of Touchpoint magic last September at our 5th Annual event for women entrepreneurs.  We have it available for you to watch at home!  Our Fairy Godmothers can come straight to your home or office through your computer!

We’ve been selling this product for $19.95.  A ridiculously low price, considering people paid $259 to be in the room!  AND considering that one hour with any of these amazing women business owners would be considerably more.

On April 1st, 2012 we’re increasing the price of this product to $49.  So we thought we’d give you one last chance to purchase 8 hours of business wisdom at the $19.95 price.  However, you need to act now!  You must purchase on or before March 31, 2012 at midnight.

Hear:

Ishita Gupta from FearlessStories.com – on being fearless in business!

Tiffany Peterson from TheLighthousePrinciples.com – on your #1 business skill!

Heather Ledeboer  from Mom4Life.com – on Cinderella as your CEO!

Anita Campbell from SmallBizTrends.com– on Bootstrapping Your Business!

Carley Knobloch from Digitwirl.com – on Killer Video Marketing for your Business!

Plus you can hear the discussion groups and other great tips from the event!

Register here to receive the URL and password:

 

 

Touchpoint coming to you – learn from amazing women entrepreneurs from your home or office!

As you know this week is Touchpoint in Salt Lake City.  We’ve had women fly in from all across the country, but even more of you are asking: How can I be a part of it from where I am?

You asked, we answered!  We’re going to provide a Live Stream of the event today.  You can watch today or next week, but don’t miss it.

Hear:

Ishita Gupta – on being fearless in business!

Tiffany Peterson – on your #1 business skill!

Heather Ledeboer – on Cinderella as your CEO!

Anita Campbell – on Bootstrapping Your Business!

Carley Knobloch – on Killer Video Marketing for your Business!

And more!

Women in the room paid $259 to get what we’re offering you for $19.95.  And the best news is you can watch it now, or access it later.

Register here to receive the URL and password: https://startupprincess.infusionsoft.com/cart/?product_id=32

What is Touchpoint?

Startup Princess began in 2006 as a much needed resource for women starting and growing businesses.  Today Startup Princess serves as a connection point offering resources, coaching and events to support women entrepreneurs in every stage of their business.  Now, five years later, StartupPrincess.com was just listed as number four of the top ten resources/sites for women entrepreneurs by forbes.com and @startupprincess is in the top 20 of business people to follow on twitter.  Twittergrader lists @startupprincess as number twenty five of influential women on twitter.  Startup Princess has gone from 25,000 followers on twitter to over 89,000 in just three months.

On the heels of these great honors, Startup Princess is pleased to announce the Touchpoint – The 5th Annual Conference for Women Entrepreneurs presented by Bank of American Fork.  This two-day event is the largest event hosted by Startup Princess annually.  “Touchpoint is a unique event that not only provides education for starting and growing a business, but it provides connections for women to support each other as they walk (sometimes run) the course of business ownership,” says Founder, Kelly King Anderson.

Touchpoint, will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Sandy, Utah on Thursday September 15th and Friday, September 16th, 2011.

Startup Princess continues to bring in top talent from all over the country and are pleased to announce their keynote speakers for Touchpoint 2011.  Our keynote speakers on Friday, September 16th are Anita Campbell, founder of smallbusinesstrends.com from in Cleveland, Ohio; Ishita Gupta founder of fearlessstories.com from New York, New York; Tiffany Peterson, founder of The Lighthouse Principles from Salt Lake City; Carley Knobloch Chief Twirler from digitwirl.com from Los Angeles, California and Heather Ledeboer founder of Mom4life.com from Idaho.  These women not only exemplify what it takes to run a successful business in tough times, but they are everyday women balancing the other demands of marriage, life and motherhood.  Anderson says, “It’s an honor to share the stage with these successful businesswomen.  Their expertise and talent is inspiring and their messages are timely.  Their insights will help our attendees, in any stage of business, grow with confidence and strength.”

In addition to powerful keynote speakers, on Thursday, Startup Princess is hosting an Image and Media workshop in conjunction with Touchpoint.  Attendees will learn how to prepare themselves to be “ready for media at any moment”.  Topics include “Stepping Into Your Power” by past Miss Utah Cherie Burton, “Developing Your Style For Success” with Allison Czarnecki from PetitElefant.com and “How to ROCK Your Next Media Opportunity” with Jeanette Bennett, editor of over a dozen magazines including Utah Valley BusinessQ.  Thursday is sure not to disappoint and will help attendees set themselves up for media success.

This year, Startup Princess is also hosting the 3rd Annual Video Marketing Competition as part of the Touchpoint festivities.  Companies and individuals have the opportunity to submit a marketing video to be judged on creativity and a compelling call to action.  Judges will select five winners who will receive free full conference Touchpoint pass, and attendees will select the grand prize winner as part of the conference events.  The winner will receive a digital video Camera along with other prizes.  For more information about the competition go to here.

Early Bird Registration is $199 for a full conference pass (two days).  This price is good through August 15th, 2011.  Register now to receive this discount.

For the full agenda and registration details go to http://www.startupprincess.com/touchpoint. Additional details can be found at http://www.startupprincess.com.

For more information about Touchpoint or Startup Princess, event details or sponsorship information, please contact Michelle McCullough at 801.592.1101 or michelle@startupprincess.com.

 

The Evening Routine

Heather Ledeboer

As a wife, mom and business owner, my day can get filled up and stressful pretty fast.  In order to prevent it from swallowing me up, I have found that I need to be proactive about keeping things organized.  Surpassingly, what I do before I go to bed has some of the largest impact on how smoothly my day progresses.  Just as you have often heard that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” I believe that the morning hours are the most critical in setting the stage for how the rest of the day will unfold.  As such, the better I can plan for a smooth morning, the more productive and stress free it can be.

In the past it never occurred to me to write about the things I do at night before I go to bed because they have become natural to me and I often assume they are in turn natural to others as well. However, this routine has developed over time and as such perhaps some of you might enjoy a peek into what I do and in turn, have parts of your routine that you would be willing to share with me! Together we can become more organized and productive with our day. Sound good? (Envision us in a small football huddle with our arms out stretched toward the middle ready to cheer) ”Goooooo Team Mom!”

For the purpose of comparative info, Hunter is seven and Ashlyn just turned five. Hopefully this will help you gauge your own kids and how you might be able to adapt this to your own family. Ready?

Evening Routine:

I will start of by saying that putting the kids to bed is potentially the most stressful part of my day. I am not sure why. No one is standing over my shoulder asking if my kids will be in bed by ______? And I don’t have an appointment I need to get to once they are asleep. Perhaps it is the knowledge that once they are in bed “my time” begins and I feel selfish with this part of my day since it is so fleeting. On many nights I am blessed that my husband is an active part of putting the kids to bed which really helps to make it less stressful. I blogged about our typical bedtime about a year ago. A few things that I have found to help us with putting the kids to bed:

-I have recently moved up dinner time from 6:00 to between 5:00 and 5:30. We aim for a 7:00 bedtime with the kids and I found that in starting dinner at six, I was simply asking to feel “behind” before we even got started. The earlier dinnertime has really helped me feel more relaxed and less rushed in moving toward bedtime.

-After dinner I start the dishwasher (if needed) and unload (later, before I go to bed) so that in the morning it is “open for business” which prevents the sink from filling up with dirty dishes.

-When it is time to get ready for bed, I set a timer for Hunter as I found that he responds well to the forced focus of being held accountable to the clock. I give him 3-4 minutes to put on his PJ’s and 2 minutes to brush his teeth.

-Ashlyn does not do well with a timer, in fact it produces the opposite effect for her and she freezes up and can’t seem to do anything as she gets so upset and stressed out by it. For her, I find that giving her one task at a time and having her verbally repeat back to me what she is going to do works well.

“Ashlyn, go put your PJ’s on. Now say, ‘Mommy I am going to put my PJ’s on now.’”

Asking her to repeat back to me what she is going to do seems to help cement in her mind her next action which is helpful as she tends to be a bit “flighty” in her thinking otherwise and is easily distracted. Therefore I think it is best to feel out what works well for your child’s personality here.

-We take a few minutes each night for the kids to go check their room and make sure it is cleaned up. Making a point to straighten their rooms each evening for a few minutes helps prevent disasters from occurring.

-Hunter’s uniform (including socks and underwear) are set out at night so that in the morning he can quickly and easily get dressed without hunting for a missing shirt or sock or. . .

After the kids are in bed (yeah!):

Our bedtime goal for the kids is 7:00PM and I shoot for a personal bedtime of 10:00PM. So on an ideal night I would have three hours after the kids go to bed to accomplish the following and still have some remaining “down time.”

-I pack Hunter’s lunch and put it in the fridge. I include a short handwritten note. He seems to like these . From time to time I will also include a picture that Ashlyn has drawn for him. When he brings his lunch bag home after school and I unpack it, I store the notes in a little box in the cabinet. I think he might enjoy browsing through them some day in the future.

-I clean the kitchen and wipe down the counters and sink. After I clean the sink, I use the same wash rag to quickly wipe down the sink and counter top in the kid’s bathroom before putting it in the laundry. Then I do a general straightening of the house. If I wake up to a clean house, it sets the mood in a much more positive, productive tone and I don’t feel that I am already starting the day “behind”.

-I decide what I will do for breakfast in the morning.  Some popular choices include:

cereal–when I don’t feel like doing anything “fancy” or time consuming.
crepes–these take some time to prepare but are great for making ahead at night and are super yummy!
pancakes or waffles–they can be made ahead and frozen and then simply put in the toaster in the morning. I like to mix up a large batch of my own pancake “bisquick” mix (see recipe at the bottom of this post) in order to use whole wheat.  Although I like my current recipe, I am going to try this soaked version next time and compare.
oatmeal–I chose to soak the oatmeal overnight.  Not only is it better for you (read the link) but it makes it QUICK and easy in the morning.  Below is my oatmeal soaking for tomorrow’s breakfast (I cover it overnight and then simply warm it up in the morning).

-I get the kitchen ready for morning by setting out their dishes, vitamins and a list of tasks that they need to complete before we leave the house for school.

-Ashlyn cannot read much yet but she still gets a list.  It is sort and mostly the same each morning (get dressed, make bed, eat breakfast and put away dishes and brush teeth).  I feel that the repetition of seeing this list helps her learn the words and feel “old enough” to be responsible for her one routine like her older brother.  Hunter’s list is set up to require him to be fully ready for school by the time he is finished and includes things like putting his lunch (from the fridge) into his backpack.

-As a side note: The “do homework” part of Hunters list that he does in the morning includes a daily timed reading list of words (it takes him 1-2 minutes) and writing out his spelling words once (this takes about 2-3 minutes).  Although he could do these things after school, I find that doing them before makes the after school time easier.

-If I have any clean laundry in the dryer (I try to start a load to wash in the morning giving me all day to get it finished and put away) I will fold it and put the piles of clean clothes in the kid’s rooms to be put away the next day (I have them put away their own laundry).

-I set out what I am going to wear in the morning and take a shower if needed.

-RELAX knowing my morning is ready  !

“Pancake (or waffle) Master Mix”
8 cups whole wheat pastry flour (this is soft white wheat for any of you who might grind your wheat)
2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup baking powder (try to find a kind that doesn’t have aluminum in it)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
2 cups shortening that does not require refrigeration (you can use Crisco, but I have switched to using coconut oil because I believe it is much healthier. In the summer months however, I may have to keep my mix in the fridge or freezer though or else my oil will be liquid as coconut oil is a solid for me this time of year but melts at 76 degrees).

In a large bowl, combine flours, wheat germ, baking powder, brown sugar and salt.  Cut in shorting (or coconut oil) until the mixture resembles course crumbs (when using solid coconut oil I mix this all in my food processor and it does a great job).  Store in a large container for up to 6 weeks.  Makes 12 to 14 cups.

To use for pancakes or waffles:
-2 cups “master mix”
-2 eggs
-1 cup milk (or buttermilk)

Beat the eggs, add milk to desired consistency with this master mix, stirring until blended but still slightly lumpy.  Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle or pan. Cook till golden, turning to cook other side.  Makes 8 pancakes.

I love using my coconut oil for frying too by the way.  Here is where I buy my coconut oil and so far this is the best price I have found for the quality (including the shipping cost which is fairly reasonable). I get the 7 pound bottle of extra virgin coconut oil which is $3.90 per pound).  7 pounds may seem like a lot, but because it is so versatile (you can use it in place of any kind of fat in recipes and it is even great as a skin moisturizer or make up remover) that after only 6 weeks I am ready to order another bottle!  In fact, I just realized that my good friend Selina just put up a new post about coconut oil so I will simply encourage you go click on over to her blog and read more if you are not yet using this stuff but are intrigued about why I think you should consider it!

Ideally, something about my routine sparked something in you that will help your evenings (and therefore your mornings) go more smoothly.  If you have any tips of your own, please share!  And if you have any questions, feel free to ask away!

Heather Ledeboer, Mom4Life, Heather Ledeboer is passionate about helping other moms succeed in business. Her passion is directed at finding fantastically fresh mom invented products and offering them on her website, http://www.mom4life.com with free shipping to all US locations. She also enjoys writing on the topic of business and has a particular pet peeve about providing excellent customer service. Twitter @mom4lifecom

Three Steps to Cutting the Umbilical Cord on your Business

Fairy Godmother, Heather Ledeboer writes: I have given birth four times.  Without fail, the umbilical cord has always been cut.  This severing act ends one part of our mother/child journey and begins another.  While we are no longer connected physically, we are indeed bonded to each other.  Over time, my children grow more independent. It is my job to see that process through in the best way I can and with as much love and wisdom possible.

In many ways, being a business owner has proven to be very similar to that process.  Learning when and how to let Mom 4 Life grow and in what ways to step back and let others step in to help has taken time.  However, cutting the umbilical cord of my business has been much different than it was with my children–It has been more of a process rather than an event.  This year I committed to do all that I could to “cut the cord” and run my business rather than allowing it to run me.

Operation “Don’t work all day” had a soft launch last fall when I first carved out an office space for myself in our home.  Given the fact that I have been a business owner since 2003, I figured it was really about time that I took control of my time and set some boundaries so that I had more time for myself and my family.  The formal implementation of my plan took shape about a month ago and I am determined to see it through.

This plan has taken much longer for me to act on than it should.  Because I enjoy what I do and have a tendency to be a perfectionist, I try to stay on top of work around the clock.   However, I have discovered that no matter how much I work, there is ALWAYS more to be done.  I have come to accept that I will never be fully “caught up”.  Every time I hit send/receive I am “behind” again.  In fact, in the area of emails, the more work I do, the more work I create for myself because most emails elicit a reply which in turn requires a reply from me and so on.  I have decided that even if I can’t be entirely caught up, I can certainly be on top of my priorities and structure my day in a way that will encourage professional progress.  Here are the three steps I have taken to “cut the cord”:

Step #1:  Set office hours

• I have a home office (that is also part of my laundry room:).  It isn’t glamorous but it has gotten my lap top off of my kitchen table which is a key part of cutting the umbilical cord to my work.
• I have worked out a schedule with my husband that allows me to work in the morning for 45 minutes while he takes my son to school and again in the afternoon for about an hour while he picks my son up from school (taking our two other children with him each time).  This has become my work time.

Step #2:  Take control of my inbox

• I have set my emails to only send (but not receive) unless I specifically hit the “send/receive” button (which I only do at the start of each work period).  This allows my responses to get out in a timely manner but prevents me from even seeing the emails that are consistently coming in.  This allows me to have an “end in sight” that I can work toward in catching up for the time being.
• I have set up an email automatic reply alerting others of my work schedule.  It says,

“Thank you for your email!  In order to spend the most time with my family (and not answering emails), I only answer emails 1-2 times a day M-F.  You can typically expect to get a reply from me in 24-48 hours.

If your need is urgent and related to Mom 4 Life you can call our toll free number 800-928-4905 and Angela (our customer service assistant) can help you.  Otherwise you can try me on my home number 208-683-3076.

Thank you for your understanding!”

This gives me peace of mind that those contacting me are not only aware of my schedule but expecting me to abide by it.  I also know that if something is urgent I have provided a way to be contacted.

• I set up a separate “personal” email account and gave it to my close friends and family members letting them know it is to be used for non-work emails.  Knowing that I won’t find work related content in these emails allows me to check this email account as desired without worrying that I will get sucked into working during non hours.  This is also the only email account that I have access to via my phone.

Step #3:  Create a system for my to-do list

• If something comes to mind during my off hours that I need to remember to do I email myself a reminder from my non work email and then breathe easy knowing that I will see the reminder the next time I sit down to work.  Another service that can be used for the purpose of sending an email to your inbox via a voice message is Jott.
• I have a spiral binder on my desk that has my to-do list.  There is an urgent and non urgent column.  Each day I check my list and make sure that the urgent list is caught up.  If I finish my emails early then I will tackle a non urgent item on my list.

Perhaps you have a cord that needs to be cut or have successfully installed your own “don’t work all day” plan.  I would love to hear what you have done or plan to do to reach your business goals this year.  Let’s run our businesses (not the other way around) together!

Heather Ledeboer, Mom4Life, Heather Ledeboer is passionate about helping other moms succeed in business. Her passion is directed at finding mom invented products (such as LilyPadz breast pads, WubbaNub plush toy pacifiers, Hooter Hider nursing covers, and  BabyLegs leg warmers) and offering them on her website, http://www.mom4life.com with free shipping to all US locations. She also enjoys writing on the topic of business and has a particular pet peeve about providing excellent customer service. Twitter @mom4lifecom

Announcing the Five Finalists for the Startup Princess Video Marketing Competition

We’d like to announce the five finalists for the Startup Princess Video Marketing Competition. I apologize for the delay in making this announcement, the judges needed extra time. I’m grateful I didn’t have to judge because all of the Startup Princesses did such a great job on their entries and I’d have a difficult time deciding.  I hope everyone who entered learned a lot and is encouraged to use video in their marketing and keep connecting with their audiences in this format.  Click here to see all the videos entered.

Congratulations~

Heather Ledeboer, Mom4Life.com

Justine Green, PrincessAmerah.com

Carrie Lundell ThisIsMeJournal.com

Marcel Walker, Marcel Walker Photography

Amy, LittleAlouette.com

All Finalists will be given a free ticket to the Startup Princess Annual Conference Touchpoint where the attendees will vote on for the WINNER.  They will also receive a MOZY Pro Account for 1 year, a Premium TwitJump Account for 3 months valued at $595.00 and some other fun surprises!

Why Do Mom-Made Products Seem to Cost So Much?

If you are like me you are a bargain shopper. You love to find good deals and save money. But if you are like me you also prefer to support the little guy (or in my case “mom”) rather Read more

From Humble WordPress Blog to Online Magazine

Once upon a time (July 9, 2006) I started a humble and simple WordPress blog with zero budget and zero design… just a great name and a vision to make Startup Princess a world wide site for women entrepreneurs. Read more

Startup Princess Kingdom News * February 1, 2008

REMINDER: Startup Princess Networking Tea Party Feb. 13th, 6:30-8:30pm, $10 Provo Academy Library, Utah featuring Small Group Discusssions & former Mrs. Utah (2004) Cherie Burton. Cherie’s presentation will focus on presenting your most powerful IMAGE (how to look and prepare physically, emotionally and mentally for a media interview, speaking event or business meeting)…as well as “being” your best self! RSVP here.

Miss out on the fabulous 2007 Startup Princess Conference? DVD set available! 2 disc, 6 hour set featuring 14 women entrepreneurs! Click here to purchase.

Business Plan COMPETITIONS info here

Startup Princesses all over the Kingdom have Great News to Share:

Fairy Godmother Heather Allard writes: I’m proud to unveil The Mogul Mom’s new website, new prices and new eBooks coming soon! Come visit me at www.TheMogulMom.com and see how I can help YOU with your mom-owned business.

Startup Princess Emily McCormick of chic clothing company, Shabby Apple writes: We’re launching Shabby Baby, a NEW line of dresses for little girls sizes 0-6 months up to 5T. They’re super fun, funky and most importantly, different from what you can buy anywhere else. The dresses stick to our motto of being easy-to-wear (essential for kids), stylish and affordable (they’re all around $30). We’re also dedicated to giving a portion of the proceeds to help other children throughout the world by extending micro-credit loans to mothers in less-wealthy countries. People will be able to purchase dresses online (of course) or host Shabby Baby trunk shows. (Check out this adorable “Vineyard” dress! Love it!)

Fairy Godmother Heather Ledeboer of Mom 4 Life writes: We were fortunate to be chosen by BabyLegs to feature two exclusive styles. I invite everyone to stop on by and grab their limited edition BabyLegs (Pink/Orange/Red Stripe and Light Blue/Lime Aqua Stripe) while they still can!

Startup Princess Jen Davidson of SnoDaisy did an awesome interview and has been getting airtime on Park City TV! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQUKVS3SNGE[/youtube] Web traffic has spiked and we’ve been getting lots of inquires. Word is getting out! Shred on!

Fairy Godmother Mary Wilson-Burkett writes: I am working with the Orange County Entrepreneur Center to help them build a women’s networking group. The goal is to take business networking to a new level by having a group that actively coaches and mentors one another. Take a look. http://www.ocentrepreneurs.com/women/

Do you have great news to share? Comment below! We LOVE to celebrate how you’ve Made a Wish and Made it Happen!