Where My Marketing Journey Began & Why I Need Your Help

A note from Michelle:

My marketing and business start was from my friend Karen making me sign up for her marketing class in High School.  I was on an arts path (debate, drama, etc.) with my electives, but I decided I could branch out.  It was one of the best things I ever did, and ultimately I credit DECA with starting me on the marketing path that led me here: to be a marketing consultant for entrepreneurs and organizations across the country.  I competed in the DECA career development conference  as a Senior and qualified to the National competition.  My year it was held in Anaheim, CA.  This year, it’s being held “in my backyard” Salt Lake City.  If you are in the area, and could spare a day to mold tomorrow’s business leaders, I would consider it a personal favor to me and I know that day will be electric in the lives of those High School students.  That day for me in Anaheim was life changing.  

DECA Seeks Volunteers to Judge and Evaluate Business and Marketing Students

In April 2012 DECA will host two International Career Development Conferences in Salt Lake City, Utah – bringing approximately 15,000 high school and college students to the state.  These high-achieving, business-minded students will be participating in DECA’s Competitive Events Program in which they will present projects to business professionals or engage in business simulations.  DECA offers over 40 different competitive event categories for students to participate in.  In order for the conferences to operate properly, over 1,000 business professionals from Utah are needed to judge and evaluate student presentations.    Visithttp://www.deca.org/events/judge and complete the appropriate registration form.  Sample video presentations and answers to frequently-asked questions can be found at the site as well. 

All volunteers will receive breakfast, lunch, free parking at the conference site, and a certificate of appreciation to help document community service hours.  If you would like additional information, please contact Shane Thomas, Director of Competitive Events, at shane_thomas@deca.org.

High School DECA International Career Development Conference

Date: Monday, April 30, 2012

Location: Salt Palace Convention Center

Time Commitment: (varies by event) 7:30 AM – 1:00 PM; 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM; 12:30 PM – 6:30 PM

# of Student Attendees: 14,000

# of Volunteer Judges Needed Still:  100

Register as a Judge at: http://www.deca.org/events/judge 

PDF for Judge Responsibility Pamphlet  

What Does Easter Candy Have To Do With Your Entrepreneurial Venture?

If you’re anything like me and most Americans, you are probably on an Easter candy low.  The highs of the previous weekend, and finding cheap gems the day after for 50% off have worn off and you are now experiencing the downside of the Peep rush.

It got me thinking.  Here are some things that I’ve learned where Easter candy and entrepreneurship intersect:

1. Americans especially, love to get caught up in holidays and seasons.  How can you make your product or service relevant through peak seasons?  Now I don’t recommend making cheesy comparisons, just for the sake of trying to attach to the most current holiday (let’s stay away from overly peppy “Hoppy Coaching” Packages, for example or that you’ll throw in a box of marshmallow chicks if they buy your book but think about YOUR product or service and see where it fits in the natural flow of the seasons.  Do you have a gift product that works well around the holidays and Mother’s Day for example? Are you a coach that could benefit from attaching yourself to the New Years Resolution revolution?  If so, start thinking about your “campaign” about 4-6 months in advance, and prep everything to hit your email list, facebook posts and anywhere else you are advertising during YOUR peak season.

2. Can you repurpose your product offerings to make them fit in different seasons?  This works really well in the craft industry.  Perhaps your products could be produced in pastel colors in the spring or bright colors for the summer.  Just as M & M’s has mastered the colors of the holidays with their seasonal bags of chocolate goodness, you too, could take the same product and repurpose it to fit within the colors of the current season.  Again, plan ahead so that you are selling these things 6 weeks in advance.

3. Test your seasonal products or services with focus groups or through other research before launching.  It can be easy to get caught up in the seasonalness and forget strategy.  Whether you are adjusting your marketing to fit the seasons or your products, make sure that you’ve done your research.  It would be sad to see your product in the clearance bin for 75% off because it no longer fits.  You’ll start to feel like a no name, hollow, chocolate bunny that can’t get anyone to buy it for 35 cents.  Now, some of this will take trial and error, but remember the laws of supply and demand.  It’s better to run out and be a hot product during the season, than to be stuck with inventory you have to store for a year or trash.

Let’s connect!  Follow me on twitter.  Follow me on Facebook.  Check out my free video e-course on Working Smarter Not Harder here.

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess.  Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess  in 2008.  She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 3 years she has coached women entrepreneurs and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses.  Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19. And has also spent the last 12 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 Doodads as a successful side business.  Today it continues to thrive.  This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives.  She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success.  You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com.  Michelle has two children ages 4 and 2 and lives in Utah.

Making the Most of Your Blog Posts

Were you on pins and needles waiting for the 3rd installment of the “blogging for business” series?

Well, here is some late night wisdom:

Share your posts.

Yup, sounds like rocket science, doesn’t it?  But it’s surprising how many of my clients write posts and expect people to wake up one day and think, “Gee, I wonder what Michelle blogged about today.”

In my opinion, this is one of the greatest uses for social media.  There are a lot of misnomers about what social media is for and how it should be used, and we’ll save that topic for another day, but you should appropriately share your posts through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other places where you have a community.

There are a couple of tricks to it that I want to share.

Tip #1 Instead of saying, “I just wrote a blog post about….” (they’ll find that out when they click on your link.  Let’s let them be pleasantly surprised you have this in you.)  Share your title (It’s catchy, grabbing and on topic, right?) and a link and that’s it.  Hopefully your post and your title should have the goal to add value so people want to click on over and read what you have to share.

(Insider tip, there are sites that will automatically send  your posts to twitter even without you having to do anything else.  We have used twitterfeed.com before.  Now, here’s a note: if you set this up to feed to your facebook account, it will pull random pictures when it posts on facebook.  Sometimes you end up getting a 3rd party ad [if you have ads on your site like we do].  We stopped doing the facebook feed and now only do the twitter.)

I feel like I’m off on lots of tangents here, but it’s okay to post, “I wrote an article about…” on your personal facebook page.  However, I think a catchy title and a link is best for twitter and on business facebook pages.

Tip #2 Go the extra mile by asking an engaging question in your tweet or post.  For example:

Will Blog for Traffic – 7 Tips to Increase Your Posts For More Site Traffic http://bit.ly/HWSZYc How many times do you blog/month?

(Insider tip, bit.ly is a great site that will shorten your hugely long URLs to make them more user friendly for twitter so you can stay in your character count.  It’s also great for analytics to see how many people you were able to get to click over from your social media efforts.)

The goal is to get people to engage with you.  Some may not ever read the post, that’s okay, it’s still good for building a sense of community, and it also gets people personally invested in your article before they click over.  Having them personally invested is good.

Tip #3 Share your post AGAIN later in the day on Twitter, using all new verbiage.  I don’t suggest you share them again on Facebook, but since the landscape of twitter changes so frequently and since not everyone is on at the same time AND since some people will be drawn to different info try another point of view.  For example:

Did you know sites that blog 20 times per month have on average 5 times more traffic? http://bit.ly/HWSZYc Yes, really.

(Insider tip: I read that updates that have links in the middle are more likely to get clicked, that’s why I put something after the link.)

Tip #4 If your post is about a popular topic add a hashtag to your tweet (but not necessarily to your facebook post).  For example:

Did you know sites that blog 20 times per month have on average 5 times more traffic? http://bit.ly/HWSZYc Yes, really.  #blog (What are you writing about? #cooking #fashion #sales, #marketing, #statistics, etc)

Again, it needs to be relevant, but this will open you up to new networks and increase your chances it will be seen by people searching for posts in that hashtag.

Tip #5 Include pictures in your posts and have the “pin it” button on your site. (oopsy, no picture in this post…) You can pin your own posts, in my opinion, but some people say you shouldn’t pin your own stuff, so at least make the option available for others to do so for you.

Tip #6 Share blurbs to recent posts in your newsletters.  Just because they’re on your list, doesn’t mean they have seen your posts online.  Give your network your knowledge via email, but only a blurb with a link back to your site.  This will help you boost your traffic.

Tip #7 Finally, hopefully you have a way to capture emails when they DO get onto your home court.  Help them become part of your network with ease so that you can send them additional information via email.

Well, there you go.  Do you have any additional success tips for sharing your posts to grow your traffic?  Let’s share!

Let’s connect!  Follow me on twitter.  Follow me on Facebook.  Check out my free video e-course on Working Smarter Not Harder here.

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess.  Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess  in 2008.  She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 3 years she has coached women entrepreneurs and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses.  Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19. And has also spent the last 12 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 Doodads as a successful side business.  Today it continues to thrive.  This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives.  She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success.  You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com.  Michelle has two children ages 4 and 2 and lives in Utah.

Will Blog For Traffic – 7 Tips to Increase Your Posts + Traffic – Part 2 In our Blogging Series

This is part 2 of a 3 part series on blogging.  Check back tomorrow when I’ll share how to make the most of your posts to increase your traffic.

Did you know that sites that blog twenty (20) times a month receive five times more traffic than blogs that don’t?  FIVE. TIMES.  That’s a lot more traffic.  Do you want more traffic to your site?

This month on StartupPrincess.com we’re going to be talking about publishing.  Both traditional and digital publishing.  Though we’ll mostly be talking about helping you birth your books, we’re also going to talk about blogging for success.

Today I want to share with you some valuable tips that can help you increase the number of blog posts you have a month.  Before I share the tips, I want to ask, do you know what kind of traffic you are currently getting on your blog?  If not, you should get “in the know”.  It’s easy to set up a Google Analytics account for your site, and it provides a great 3rd party resource if someone is asking about your traffic (sometimes the traffic numbers from WordPress or Blogger are unreliable).

Now, onto the tips.  Here are the seven tips you can use to blog MORE to increase your traffic.:

1. Keep your posts short and sweet – There is no rule that you have to provide long posts in order for them to be good.  In fact, sometimes the short ones are more likely to be read all the way through.  When people come to your site and see a long post, they may think, “I don’t have time to read that now,” and they’ll skip it and move on.  It will also help you spread out your expertise over a number of posts instead of packing it all into one.  Now, obviously, you’ll have some long posts.  I’m not saying they all have to be short, but don’t be afraid to put out some quick tip and be done with it. Seth Godin is a master at this.  He produces one or two paragraph posts on most days, and they are super high quality.

2. Create a series of posts on a similar subject – Series can be a great way to get people back to your site for a continuation ofinformation.  For example, you could do a Four Part Series on ______ (spring fashion, blogging, marketing, discipling children, etc).  Tell your readers in advance that you are doing a multiple part series and how often you’ll be updating so that they make it a point to come back.  For example, this is a 2-part series on blogging.  Tomorrow I’ll be sharing tips for making the most of your blog posts to increase traffic to your site.

3. Invite Guest Bloggers, where appropriate – You don’t have to do all the writing yourself.  Invite other people in your field or closely related to your field to produce posts for you from time to time.  This has really helped the Startup Princess site.  We have 10 Fairy Godmothers that help provide posts and insights.  It’s great for us to fill our blog feed, great for our readers to hear from experts and it’s great for our Fairy Godmothers to get exposure through a new network.  We also take and post articles from guest bloggers from time to time.  (Note though that you will always want to take UNIQUE posts that haven’t been posted any where else.  Google will ding you for having duplicate content that appeared somewhere else first.)

4. Create a simple “Interview Series” where you can feature your readers or other experts on your site – We do this in our interviews section.  We have a set number of questions that we can ask other Startup Princesses and we feature them on our site.  It’s great to get to know and learn from other women entrepreneurs and because it’s a digital interview it’s easy to email off, and easy to upload.   Get creative.  It doesn’t have to be experts, but maybe a featured reader you can show some blogging love to.  I love Allison Czarnecki’s “What’s In Your Purse Series” on PetiteElefant.com (My purse is famous!  I was featured during week 50). Also, if the person you feature shares the post, it’s great for your site traffic.

5. Create “columns” that you can easily revisit on a weekly or monthly basis – Maybe you have a Marketing Monday, or a Wordless Wednesday (we’ll talk about this more in #6), or a Success Tip Thursday – you get the idea.  Create a couple that make it easy for you to create a schedule and will help you fill your blogging pipeline.   It also helps give you a framework so that you aren’t asking yourself, “What should I write about today?”

6. Use images – Images and photos will help you feel like your post is longer, and if a picture says 1,000 words, then it can help you cut down on your word count as well.  Though this doesn’t always work for Startup Princess and business blogs.  However, having a Wordless Wednesday where all you post is a picture and perhaps a short explanation, can be great for crafters and artistic type blogs.  AND, we’ll talk about this more tomorrow, but images should be included in almost every post, if possible.  Because of Pinterest, and the way people are sharing pictures online, you’ll want to have a visual that’s easy to pass around.

7. Schedule time in your calendar to write your blog posts – Set a regular schedule for writing your posts and uploading them.  If you can get strategic and focused you could write and upload your posts for a whole week in one sitting.  I know some power bloggers that blog a months worth of posts in one or two sittings so that it doesn’t feel like it’s something that overwhelms you each and every day.  Once you create a schedule and make it a habit, you’ll be able to breeze your way through posts.

BONUS: Number 8 – In all of this remember that quality is more important the quantity.  Don’t just produce a bunch of poorly written, inapplicable posts just to hit the 20 post count.  You’ll lose readers if you are producing low quality content.  If you can’t produce 20 posts a month without cutting corners, then create a consistent schedule you CAN stick to.

Want to take the 20 post challenge?  Blog 20 times this month, then share with us how your traffic increased!  The winner will receive a feature on StartupPrincess.com & 8 hours of Fairy Godmother magic for free!

Let’s connect!  Follow me on twitter.  Follow me on Facebook.  Check out my free video e-course on Working Smarter Not Harder here.

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess.  Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess  in 2008.  She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 3 years she has coached women entrepreneurs and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses.  Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19. And has also spent the last 12 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 Doodads as a successful side business.  Today it continues to thrive.  This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives.  She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success.  You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com.  Michelle has two children ages 4 and 2 and lives in Utah.

Life Balance is a Myth – Two Nuggets You Can Use Today For Greater Fulfillment

Life balance is a myth.

I learned this the hard way.  Perhaps you can relate.  I had baby #2 while I was running 3 businesses from home.  When you’re a solo entrepreneur there’s no such thing as “maternity leave”.  Sure, I had sent a bunch of tasks to my assistant, and outsourced some projects, but I had to get back into the swing of things really quick.

And I just never felt “back into the swing” of anything.  I went in search of life balance, and it turns out, the more I strived for balance, the less in control I spent.  It’s just not possible to spend as much time with your family or on your social life as you spend at work. If you have a full time job.  And it’s just not possible to spend as much time working, when you have a newborn baby.

I gave it up.  All of it.  I gave up looking for balance or trying to FEEL balanced.  I gave up beating myself up when things didn’t go the way I thought they should.   I gave up balance, and found something so much better.

I can’t share all my juicy nuggets in one post, but let’s start with these two:

1. Comparison = Despair 

My greatest sadness came when I was comparing myself to other women in business.  ”They have more kids than I do, and they seem to make it work.”  or “She’s prettier than I am, no wonder she’s more successful.”  or “How did she get so popular so quickly?!” My list of comparison thoughts goes on and on.  Truly, your path to fulfillment is just that: YOURS.  What works for you, will not work for someone else and vice versa.  We will always find fault in ourselves as we compare ourselves to others.  Chat your course.  Listen to the whisperings you receive about YOUR direction and go confidently that way.  Your life may not be picture perfect but it’s exactly as it’s supposed to be.

2. Forget about balance and think in terms of PRIORITIES

Danielle Laporte said something to me once that hit me to the core.  ”It’s not about balance, it’s about priorities.”

A light went on.  A burden lifted from my shoulders.  My entire consulting practice changed.  I created a system for myself that was about priorities, and not about balance, and my results were phenomenal.  I doubled my business in 2011, I lost 40 pounds, I increased my paycheck, I dropped one business that wasn’t my core passion and added another business that was truly me.  Most importantly, my relationship with my husband, children and friends improved.

When we think about balance, with think about a constant state of peace in our lives where everything feels perfect.  It  just doesn’t exist..  When we think in terms of priorities and give ourselves permission to let our priorities change, we’re able to focus on what’s most important that day, week or month.

Once I finally gave up on having balance my whole world changed, and so did my coaching program and my approach to consulting clients.  My clients love me for it, and I want to share this wisdom with all of you.

I’ve created a 2 video e-course called “Working Smarter, NOT Harder“.  The principles in this video series are the first step to letting go of the life balance myth and find true fulfillment.  I hope you’ll check it out here.

Until next time, make a wish make it happen!

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess.  Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess  in 2008.  She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 3 years she has coached women entrepreneurs and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses.  Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19. And has also spent the last 12 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 Doodads as a successful side business.  Today it continues to thrive.  This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives.  She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success.  You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com.  Michelle has two children ages 4 and 2 and lives in Utah. Get access to her free video e-cource here.

GIVEAWAY: An Inspirational Restart for 2012

ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS – As selected by Random.org

The winner of the grand prize is #68 – Michelle

The winner of the Fire Starter Sessions Book is #40 – Chynna!  

Congratulations, and good luck to all on achieving your 2012 goals!

It’s that time of year when my clients are all depressed.  Maybe you’ve experienced this, too.  Perhaps your year is starting off slower than you expected or worse, you’ve already “broken” your New Year’s Resolution(s).  (I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions.  But perhaps you know that about me already.

Well, don’t fret.  If you learn nothing else from me, I hope that you learn that you have a gift, and it’s something you get every 24 hours.  You get a new day.  Don’t wait for a new year to kick-off a new you.

To make it interesting, I thought it would be fun to do a little giveaway with some of my favorite RESTART things.  One lucky winner will receive:

  – A free hour of coaching with me, Michelle McCullough (we can talk about your business, or we can talk about personal development or we can talk about BOTH!)  You’ll also receive an hour of free video from me on The Life Balance Myth, sent straight to your in box.  Value $500

- My ebook “Choosing Success” (Released March 15th, 2012) Value $5.99

And I want to share with you some things that other amazing women have taught me, I’m including the following:

- Danielle LaPorte’s new book “The Fire Starter Sessions” (My gift to you, because I heart Danielle, and I’m now the proud owner of 3 [yes THREE] of her books when they come out April 17th, 2012) Value $24.00 (I received my pre-release galley copy in the mail today.  It’s phenomenal!)

- And you’ll also receive: Tiffany Peterson’s Sales Mastery CD.  By far the BEST course I have ever read, heard, or attended.  And I’ve read, heard and attended A LOT of sales trainings. Tiffany and I have been teaching many of the same principles over the last decade.  I just didn’t know it until I really met her last year.  That said, this is hands down the best sales training out there.   And she delighted me by adding one to the giveaway! Value $97

- And because I know that some of you need a restart to get your finances in order, I have secured a free ANNUAL membership to Deductr.  This is a time and expense tracking system that will help you get on top of your business finances.  It was designed BY small business experts FOR small businesses, like yours. Value $299

- For those of you who have “manage my time better” as a resolution, we a set of 4 quarterly planners to set you up for the year from The Success Choice. (Actual prize may vary from the picture) Value $56!

- A free ticket to Monica Shah’s Cash Control tour.  You can attend any location on the tour. Value $97

What do you think about that, folks?  Is that a killer restart or what?

This prize package is valued at $1,065!

How do you enter, you ask?

Leave a comment below and tell us one thing you are going to recommit to or RESTART for the year.  Or you can share one of your Big Hairy Audacious Goals for 2012, so we can cheer you on!

You can earn up to eight additional entries by (please enter a separate comment below for each additional entry):

Following @startupprincess on twitter

Following @speakmichelle on twitter

Following @TheHopeGiver on twitter

Following @Deductr on twitter

Following Startup Princess on Facebook

Following Michelle McCullough on Facebook

Following Deductr on Facebook

If you tweet or facebook this contest, you’ll also receive an additional entry.  You may get one entry for a tweet and one entry for a facebook post.  Please include a link to your post in your comment below.  If you’re interested in these extra entries, please tweet/share the following

I’m getting a RESTART to make 2012 my best year yet! Enter to win $1,000 of inspirational prizes from @startupprincess http://bit.ly/yCWdRQ

Please enter a SEPARATE comment below for each of your entries. 

AND BONUS.  I’m giving one extra winner a copy of Danielle’s Book The Fire Starter Sessions.  We’ll have 2 winners from this contest!

ALL entries must be received by Wednesday, February 29th, 2012 at MIDNIGHT mountain time, in order to be considered.  Startup Princess will randomly draw the grand prize winner and runner up winner using random.org.

Here’s the disclaimer:  Though it’s probably not necessary, We reserve the right to change, alter or adjust the contest or the prizes at any time.  We also reserve the right to use your name, likeness and image in conjunction with the announcing of this prize package. We reserve the right to cancel at any time.  Startup Princess, it’s officers, affiliates and partners are not liable for any damages as a result of this contest.  It’s meant in motivation and fun.  And remember: YOU are the master of your fate.  We make no guarantees to your success, you are responsible for your life and paycheck. We’re just here to cheer you on! Happy Restart!

What is YOUR Sales Funnel? Marketing Strategy – Video 1 (BASIC)

Do you have a defined sales funnel? Share the techniques you use (in the comments below) to move people from prospects to paying customers.

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess. Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess in 2008. She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 3 years she has coached women entrepreneurs and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses. Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19. And has also spent the last 12 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 Doodads as a successful side business. In 2008 when Michelle quit her full-time job to be home more with her newborn son, she moved Doodads to the front burner and doubled the income in 2008 and doubled it again in 2009. Today it continues to thrive. This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives. She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success. You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com and sign up for her free video e-course on “The Life Balance Myth” coming later this month. Michelle has 2 children ages 4 and 2 and lives in Utah.

3 Ways to Make Your Marketing Go Viral and MORE from The Contagious Theory

Startup Princess Managing Director, Michelle McCullough, was invited to speak at TEDxBountiful on January 18th. Here is her TEDx talk. Lots of great juicy nuggets for business and life.

I See a Book In Your Future – Your Big Beautiful Book Plan – Book Review

Ever have one of those creepy moments where you decide to do something and a tool that you need shows up within days?  Well, that happened to me a couple of months ago.   I decided I was going to write a book.  I mention this to a friend and they say, “You need to put together a book proposal.” Honestly, I had never heard that in the non-fiction world people write book plans before they finish books.  Who knew?  I start to panic.  And then, BOOM!  I get an email from a long time mentor and Startup Princess friend, Danielle La Porte about Your Big Beautiful Book Plan.   Like a beacon of light sent straight from heaven. 

I’ve always been a huge fan of Danielle La Porte’s, even before she was the keynote speaker for Touchpoint in 2010 (You can see her keynote from Touchpoint here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9788489), so I knew I’d love her. Linda was a wildcard, since her work wasn’t familiar to me before I got their online book . Ever since I’ve listened to Linda on the audio I thought for sure we could be BFFs (she just doesn’t know yet).

The book (more like an e-course its over 400 pages and hours and hours of video and audio) is A-MAZE-ING.  I’ve been DEVOURING the chapters and soaking up every audio.  I’ve been listening to the audios in the car over and over and there are two main takeaways that I want to share with you.

First of all, these girls know their stuff.  They’ve done it.  They’ve helped others do it.  Their tips are timely, practical and produce results.  They share case studies of themselves and clients, and even share the plans that helped them get agents and book deals.  They really over-deliver in the content department.  Every time I got to a new chapter, I was amazed at how much information and resources they provide.  They take you through section-by-section on HOW to write a book plan, and tell you all the tips and also share the mistakes novices make.   It’s a great straight read, and I have also enjoyed going to back to read certain sections I forgot, or catch an audio that reminded me about a key tool.  It’s like the crystal ball for book plans.

Second, when I read this, I’m infused with confidence that I actually could launch a book deal and that it could work!  The publishing world has always seemed elite, untouchable, complicated and bigger than me, but Danielle and Linda have provided the knowledge we need to break into the publishing world, find an agent and ultimately, produce a book plan that we will feel fantastic about.  The chapters on telling your stories, finding your own voice and sharing your message with confidence have inspired me, and my book plan is underway!

Like anything else, great things take work.  HARD work.  A book plan is like writing a book about your book before you get to write your own book.  However, lots of hard things done with passion produce great results.  Some days are harder than others, but with Your Big Beautiful Book Plan, I have a blueprint to lead me to success.  And since I now know that to do, the publishing world and book success don’t seem scary it seems thrilling, and I can’t wait for what this next year will bring!

Have you read Your Big Beautiful Book Plan?  What were your takeaways?  Please share them below and lets have a little book club right here.

Want to learn more about Danielle, Linda and Your Big Beautiful Book Plan?

I am GIDDY with excitement to announce that we’re hosting a FREE teleseminar on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 with Danielle La Porte and Linda Sivertsen, authors of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan.

To register to receive the call details go here.

3 Ways to Preserve Your Marriage While Growing Your Business

If this message resonates with you, there are 3 upcoming resources for you:

1. Making Love and Money Work Event – Salt Lake City, UT – February 2nd or 3rd. Register here: http://mlmw.eventbrite.com/ Startup Princess is a sponsor of the event, so we’ll be there! Come and say hi! Use code “princess” for 50% off

2. I’m speaking at a Marriage Round-up in St. George, UT on February 11th. I’ll be talking about The 5 Love Languages. The event starts at 4:00 PM. For tickets or for more information, call the USU Extension office at (435) 634-5706.

3. Tara McCausland, one of the former Startup Princess Fairy Godmothers, is hosting a 4 part teleseminar series in February, that begins on the 8th and ends on the 29th.  Register for call details here: http://www.taramccausland.com/happily-ever-after-tele-seminar-series/

Interesting that just as I started doing more work in this area, other experts are stepping up to the plate to provide resources to preserve the marriage of entrepreneurs. I hope this video and these upcoming events serve you!

Share your tips, how have you preserved your marriage while running a business at the same time?

Make a Wish, Make it Happen!

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess. Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess in 2008. She is responsible for event planning, marketing, affiliates, sponsorships and partnerships. Over the past 3 years she has coached women entrepreneurs and helped them grow their businesses from “dream in development” to established thriving businesses. Michelle is a speaker, strategist, success expert and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products when she was 19. And has also spent the last 12 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 Doodads as a successful side business. In 2008 when Michelle quit her full-time job to be home more with her newborn son, she moved Doodads to the front burner and doubled the income in 2008 and doubled it again in 2009. Today it continues to thrive. This year Michelle launched a coaching program called “The Life Balance Myth” to help busy entrepreneurs build thriving businesses AND meaningful personal lives. She believes that life balance is a myth, but she provides practical tools to achieve personal and professional success. You can learn more about Michelle at SpeakMichelle.com and sign up for her free video e-course on “The Life Balance Myth” coming later this month. Michelle has 2 children under 4 and lives in Utah.

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