HELP! How to use assistants so you can make money!

Kelly and I were having a conversation on facebook last week about how to use assistants so that they are actually HELPING you to grow your bottom line.

I decided to turn it into a post.  I learned a key principle when I was in college (over a decade ago) when I was assigned to read the book One Minute Manager Meets The Monkey.  One of the key takeaways is that EVERY task in your company should be done at the lowest possible level.  If you are the visionary, the creator, the seller, or something higher, then you NEED to have someone else doing the admin tasks that are sucking your time away.  Your time should be spent on creating products and content, and tasks that make you money.   If you are a company of one, you’re probably thinking that you should do everything.  WRONG.  Even if you don’t have enough money to hire an assistant full-time or even part-time, bring in key players on a project-by-project basis to help you.  For me, I hire college students and even teenagers in my neighborhood to do things like mail catalogs, put stickers on my catalogs, send mailings, and anything else that THEY can handle for their knowledge level.  I use other, more experienced people for more advanced tasks like distributing press releases, finding key contacts in organizations, updating StartupPrincess.com or my blog, etc.

BEFORE YOU HIRE SOMEONE:

1. Write a detailed job description.  This is for you, just as much as it is for the post on Craig’s List or even on facebook.  What will you have this person do on a regular basis?  On a project basis?   How many hours a week or month will these things take?  How much are you willing to pay to get this done?  (If you don’t even know where to begin with this, keep a journal of all the things you do for a week.  At the end of that week, go through and mark a “K” on all the things you need to keep for yourself and write a “D” next to all the things you could have someone else do.)

2. Figure out what you’re going to do with your time once all of those tasks are being handled by someone else.  This is for YOU.  Always be driven by what that new time will do for you, so that you can stay motivated in keeping that assistant on task.  Write this down.  What will you do with that hour every Monday, if your assistant is now updating your blog, for example?

3. Interview and hire.  This part is very personal to you.  You have to hire the person that is the right fit and only you can decide that.  My only advice here is that drive and willingness is worth a whole lot!

WHEN YOU’VE FOUND THE RIGHT PERSON:

Whether you are using a neighbor kid or a virtual assistant here are some tips for a win-win relationship:

1. Set a regular schedule, even if they can do things away from your home (aka office). Then you know that they’ve set aside time to work on things and you know when you can call and talk to them about tasks and projects.

2. If they’re local have them come to your house at least once a week or month and work on your computer (if they are doing office jobs) so that you can see how they work and so that you can set an environment where they feel comfortable asking questions. It’s also good for you to see how long things take so you can budget accordingly on what tasks to delegate or keep for yourself.  This is also good for projects that should be collaborated on together.  If you set the standard for them to be away all the time, if you ever need them to come in it might not go over very well.

3. Google is a gem. Keep a “To Do List” on Google docs where you can see it and they can see it. Don’t have them delete items, just post “Done” or “Completed” in the designated column. Good online “To Do Lists” will have a task column, a due date column, a completed column and a notes or questions problem.  This will give them clear direction, and you a place to write down all the things you want them to do.  If you have recurring tasks, include that in this list.  I have a section at the top that is “recurring items” and in the due date column I put “Every Wednesday” or “First Friday of Every Month”.  If I use email as to do lists, things get forgotten or dropped through the cracks.

4. “Delegate, don’t dump and drive.” I heard my Biz Diva friend Angela Johnson share this valuable tip that certainly applies here.  Putting it on the “to do” list is not enough for bigger projects.  Take time to tell them what the beginning is and what the end result will be so that they can fill in the gaps and get the project done well.

5. Give them the big picture, not just the details.  Help them to know what their tasks enable your company to do and to become.  Help them feel like a contributor to something awesome and they will feel awesome working for you.

6. Figure out what their currency is, and pay them with that, in addition to what the hourly rate is. Some love praise, some love gift cards, some love treats. Reward for things that are done above average or early (and well done).  It’s amazing what I have been able to get people to do for food gift cards, massages and ski lift passes.

7. Set up a regular evaluation schedule.  At the beginning, tell them that it’s a 30 day trial.  That helps you and them know that if this isn’t working out, we’ll go our separate ways without hard feelings.  After the 30 days, set up appointments to meet every 90 days.  Do this in person.  Tell them all the things they are doing well, and tell them the things you liked them to work on for the next eval.

Finally, remember you have to do the things that work the best for you.  There is no real manual for hiring assistants and employees.  Like a marriage, if you go into it expecting it to be a certain way, you could be horribly disappointed.  However, if you go into it knowing that you can create an environment that works for you, you’ll find great success.

Share with us!  What has worked for you when it comes to hiring out important tasks?

Announcing the 2012 Startup Princess Fairy Godmothers

This was a really tough decision to make.  There are some super impressive women entrepreneurs out there!  Thank you to all who applied.

Our Fairy Godmothers will serve as our experts for the year.  They will share their knowledge and expertise through online posts, teleconferences and will speak at our live events.  We look forward to working with them in 2012 and we look forward to providing you with the resources you need to have a fantastic year personally and professionally!

Here is our list of 2012 Fairy Godmothers!

Kelly King Anderson, Founder of Startup Princess

Kelly King Anderson, the Founder of Startup Princess has always been passionate about making a difference in the lives of others.  Previous to Startup Princess Kelly worked as an Assistant Producer for a Radio Station, Account Executive for a Marketing Firm, and as a Freelance Publicist for an International Tae Kwon Do Champion, helping her client to receive national media attention on Today’s Show, CNN, and more.  Kelly has been featured on the covers of Wasatch Woman and Utah Business magazines, Named one of the Top 30 Women to Watch in Utah Business and has published multiple business articles online and in print. Her specialties are in marketing strategy, PR, branding, life and business planning, and social media. The Startup Princess Twitter account updated by Kelly is considered an Elite account – ranked in the Top 25 of Most Powerful Women on Twitter by Twittergrader with over 130,000 followers.

Work/Life Balance Expert & Marketing Expert Michelle McCullough – Managing Director for Startup Princess

Michelle is the Managing Director for Startup Princess.  Michelle became a partner in Startup Princess (http://www.startupprincess.com/) in 2008.  Michelle has been focusing on 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 coach and a serial entrepreneur. She started Doodads Promotional Products (http://www.doodadspromotional.com/) 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 Promotional Products 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 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 for personal and professional success.

Strategic Entrepreneurship Expert – Adelaide Lancaster of In Good Company from Philadelphia, PA

Adelaide Lancaster, co-founder, is a successful entrepreneur who excels at making business ideas a reality and helping businesses grow to their potential.  Adelaide is both a strategic thinker and a master implementer.  She has spent her professional career dedicated to helping women find work that is meaningful and rewarding. Adelaide was recently featured in the book Upstarts!, as one of 60 Gen-Y entrepreneurs who are rocking the world of business.  Adelaide was co-founder and Principal Partner of Berkman Fives a consulting firm that helped women professionals with career development and advancement and women entrepreneurs with business growth and efficiency. Adelaide also is a contributor to The Huffington Post and Daily Muse.

Adelaide also co-authored the book “The Big Enough Company”.

Sales Expert - Tiffany Walke Peterson of The Lighthouse Principles from Salt Lake City, UT

Before founding her own company, Tiffany worked with and for many popular authors and groups, both selling and teaching the content for Franklin Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Jack Canfield, The Success Principles, and The Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and Robert Kiyosaki, of the world famous Rich Dad, Poor Dad series. The opportunity to be mentored and trained by some of the world’s best authors, teachers, and content has significantly influenced her own successful results and the results she helps others to achieve today.  Tiffany received many promotions in her corporate life experience, managing multiple sales teams and projects, with a responsibility for sales budgets that ranged from $7.5 million to $40 million in annual sales revenue. Due to her record breaking sales achievements, she was sought after to train and mentor her proven sales style, process, and techniques to other sales associates, of which ultimately led her career and her passion for training, speaking, and coaching to evolve into what is now her own business. Tiffany has successfully trained and coached hundreds of sales people, with an average of 30% increase in sales revenue due to her proven methods.   Tiffany is the Founder and President of The Lighthouse Principles, Inc, a training and development firm offering proven methods and strategies to align individuals and organizations in creating success with their own goals, results, and purpose.

Traditional and Digital Publishing Expert - Ishita Gupta of Fear.less Magazine from New York City, NY

She understands the blogosphere, how to build a tribe of supporters, and how to use the power of the Internet to market ideas. She helps both first-time and veteran authors do just that. As Head of Hoopla and Media at The Domino Project, a new publishing house powered by Amazon, she launched 6 bestselling books, and helped market 100,000 copies of the most recent book, Read This Before Our Next Meeting, in the first month. She also launchedLinchpin: Are You Indispensable, one of the bestselling business books in 2010 (and had a page in the book.)  She founded and runs Fear.less magazine, a popular digital magazine that profiles hundreds of bestselling authors, entrepreneurs, artists, thought leaders, and many others on how they’ve overcome fear; The magazine has been called “Fast Company meets Oprah” by its 10,000+ readers.

Product Development Expert - Jude Anker of Anker Consulting from Park City, Utah

Jude holds that innovation simply isn’t as unpredictable as many people think—that intentional innovation in product development is a systematic process. So much so that she’s currently developing a playbook on how leaders and teams can best ideate, conceive, develop, test, roll out, and improve their new market offerings. With focused expertise in both sustainable design solutions and strategic business planning, Jude has guided both corporations and independent inventors, including Little Giant Ladder Company, Connor Sport Court, BullFrog Spas, and Soul Pole ski and trek poles. A true connector, Jude offers a network of potential resources and specialized talent via her relationships with proven vendors in the areas of product design and engineering, business banking, IP law, PR, marketing services, and website design and development.

Branding Expert - Rebecca Servoss of Persnickety Graphic Design of Salt Lake City, UT

Rebecca Servoss is an extremely talented Graphic Designer and Branding Expert. She also has a background in corporate branding and marketing strategies. She graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Marketing and Advertising. Since then she has served as graphic designer, brand manager and creative director at several large companies. After leaving “Corporate America” Rebecca opened the doors of her own successful graphic design and web agency. Her talents and abilities assist clients to not just have a pretty logo, but a powerful identity branding message. Not only does Rebecca have powerful business branding intuition and an impeccable eye for design, she also has a gift for guiding entrepreneurs to discover who they truly are so their essence and passion can be communicated properly in their identity branding.

Style that is accessible and achievable is the cornerstone of Karen Hughes’ mission. With humor and grace, she shows audiences how to connect to that little girl inside, transform your wardrobe, and discover the potential to shop with confidence and dress successfully no matter where they are in their life.  I am a Certified Image Professional and received my training from London Image Institute, SciArt and The Australian Image Company and am a Graduate of Auburn University’s Merchandising and Apparel Program. I’ve been featured in newspapers, magazines and radio programs in and around the Southeast and some recognized business names include: Chick-fil-A, The Boston Consulting Group, Hogan Construction, CNN, Northwestern Mutual Financial, INPO, and Marca Inc.

Public Relations Expert – Cinnamon Bowser of Nail Taxi from Alexandria, VA

Prior to starting Nail Taxi, Cinnamon worked for 14 years in the public relations/communications arena. In the six years that Nail Taxi has been in business she has done all of their PR resulting in FAB coverage! Nail Taxi has received coverage in Family Circle, Entreprenuer, Fast Company, the Fine Living Network, Daily Candy (in multiple cities),The Knot network, Lucky, Allure, CNBC (Donny Deutsch), The Fine Living Network, Nails Magazine, NailPro, Washington Post, Washingtonian, Capital File, Chicago Sun and Tribune, local TV network affiliates, Small Business TV and dozens of web sites. Later this month we have a story coming out in Woman’s World and in the next few weeks Nail Taxi will be on Working Mother.com.

This incredible media coverage has allowed Nail Taxi to grow o cities across the United States and now the Bahamas! PR also increased my visibility and has helped me to win some prestigious awards including the 2008 Home-based business champion of the year for the U.S. Small Business Administration and a 2011 TOP 50 MOMPRENUER award from Babble.com.

Social Media Expert - Mandy Allfrey of The Buzz from Asheville, NC

Mandy is a digital marketing professional, speaker, and blogger, having over 12 years of marketing experience in multiple industries. The founder and CEO of Social Media Architecture Company, The Buzz, of Salt Lake City, UT. Clients located across the United States, Canada, & the Caribbean. Mandy engages with corporations, clients, and groups teaching the value of social media and best structuring the best strategies for your business. She is also the founder of Cafe Grace, a positive, uplifting environment on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cafegrace) that makes a positive impact and creates influence in the lives of others. 

Online Marketing Expert – Desiree Scales from Bella Web Design from Atlanta, GA

Desiree Scales brings over 15 years of expertise in online marketing to customer projects at her award-winning company, Bella Web Design, Inc. With a background as a web designer for a major U.S. corporation, Delta Air Lines, Desiree delivers sound advice and outstanding solutions for her business customers. Her expertise and experience has evolved into a passion to educate people about online marketing and technologies that foster success. She has been a featured speaker at companies, conferences and seminars speaking on topics about web design, social media, online marketing and protecting teens on the Internet. Desiree also hosts The Bella Buzz, a weekly podcast dedicated to online marketing topics, tools and tips for business owners. Her podcast  is popular among business owners around the world. Her company garnered a prestigious Webby Award Honor in 2011. Desiree has provided consulting for many companies including Microsoft, Delta Air Lines, Northside Radiology, Brand Mortgage and Marriott among others.

Revenue Expert – Monica Shaw from Revenue Breakthrough from New York City, NY

Monica Shaw, the business breakthrough specialist, Kellogg MBA grad, and business professor helps women business owners double their income within 12-18 months.  Revenue Breakthrough is Monica’s 2nd six-figure company.  Her corporate and teaching background allow Monica to show business owners how to step into their role as the CEO of their businesses.  She shows them the HOW, every step of the process to grow their businesses to the next level, without going broke or crazy in the process.  Monica is the author of: Creating Your Revenue Breakthrough – Five Steps to Doubling Your Income in the Next 60 Days, and the Money Magnet Kit.  If you would like to monetize your marketing and increase your income be sure to check out her Money Magnet Kit.  Get your copy at www.revenuebreakthrough.com/moneymagnet

 

Now Accepting Applications for our 2012 Fairy Godmothers!

We credit much of the success of Startup Princess to our amazing Fairy Godmothers.  Successful and established women entrepreneurs have served as mentors and friends to the Startup Princess community.  Rachael Herrscher, Danielle LaPorte, and Carol Rice, just to name a few.  These women have provided posts on our site, spoken at our events and coached women in our network. Startup Princess is excited to announce a new Fairy Godmother program!  For 2012, we’ll be selecting 10 women entrepreneurs.  In the past, women have been personally invited based on who we knew in our Startup Princess community.  This year, we’re accepting applications from our broad network!  We will be selecting women based on their level of expertise in their particular fields and we will only have one woman per industry. For example, we will only have one marketing expert, branding expert, success expert, etc.  Though we will only feature ten women entrepreneurs here are some subjects we are interested in: Marketing & Advertising Public Relations Social Media Product Development Success Inspiration Professional Dress & Image Graphic Design & Branding Online Strategies – Website and Email Legal Accounting Human Resources Operations and Business Strategy Customer Service Programs …or create your own! Here’s how it works: Fairy Godmothers will now serve for one calendar year.  Each Fairy Godmother will provide six unique posts during 2012.  They can be written articles or video posts.  Complimenting our editorial calendar, each Fairy Godmother will also be featured during the month where her area of expertise is our content focus.  For example, if the editorial focus for the month is Social Media, that Fairy Godmother will have the featured interview for the month, two or more of her posts will appear that month, she will be a guest host on one of our #startupchat’s on Twitter, and she will be the featured speaker on Startup Princess’s monthly teleconference series.   In addition, our Fairy Godmothers will be invited to participate in our annual conference at the end of the year. Our Fairy Godmothers will receive: – Listing under Fairy Godmothers on our Website - Interview on StartupPrincess.com – A Startup Princess sponsored teleconference during the month her expertise is highlighted. - Bios and pictures on every post submitted by Fairy Godmother with link backs to Fairy Godmother’s site. - Exposure through our social media networks on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Here’s what we’re looking for: - A woman entrepreneur that has seen success in business. – A woman who is an expert in her industry or field.  Or has excelled in a specific area in business.  For example, you can be a marketing expert, even if you – aren’t a marketing consultant.  – A woman who is committed to the Startup Princess community and brand and is committed to helping other women entrepreneurs. If you fit the bill, we encourage you to fill out the form below (or nominate someone you know that would be a good fit!) If you have any questions, reach out to Michelle McCullough, Managing Director of Startup Princess at michelle (at) startupprincess (dot) com Application deadline is Friday, November 18th, 2011. Announcement of our 2012 Fairy Godmothers will be December 1st, 2011, and they will begin their “reign” on January 1st, 2012. Fairy Godmother 2012 Application APPLY NOW Applications Due Friday, November 18th, 2011 First Name * Last Name * City * State * Email * Company * Website * Facebook Page – Company or Personal (enter URL) Twitter Page (enter URL) If you have another URL you’d like us to look at, enter it here: In what topic would you like your Fairy Godmother status? (Select 1) * Tell us why you feel you are an expert in this industry: * Is there any additional information that you’d like us to have as we consider you to be a Fairy Godmother for 2012? * Can you commit to writing six unique posts for StartupPrincess.com in 2012 (they can also be videos)? Yes No

The #2 Question I’ve Been Asked While Working With Women Entrepreneurs

The number 1 question I get asked all the time is, “Michelle, How do I find more clients?”  We’ll talk about that another time in an upcoming marketing series.

What I really want to talk about is the second question I get asked the most:

“How do I have a thriving business without sacrificing my personal life?”

I used to answer ,”If you find out, let me know!” and I was supposed to be the expert!?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed?  Unfulfilled?  Out of balance?  At the end of your day do you wonder where all that time went?  Have a list of to-dos that seems to get longer instead of shorter?  Have you tried to “balance” your life, but easily slip back into old routines?

You aren’t alone! I’ve been coaching small business owners through Startup Princess for the last 3 years.  I discovered that when there is a problem at the office, there’s usually a personal problem as well.  Especially for women.  They’re trying to balance growing a business and raising a family or have a satisfying personal life and wondering, “What’s the secret?  Other people seem to have it all, why can’t I?”

Then it happened to me.  In January of 2010 I was running 3 businesses, heavily involved in my church service, and I had just had my second child.  I was trying to balance having a toddler and a newborn, maintain a happy marriage, keep my businesses afloat and still have time for service and myself.  I kept looking around at other successful women entrepreneurs who seemed to have it all together and I went in search of what they had.   Frankly, things got worse.  Then through trial and error and honestly trying every life balance and time management program on the planet, I still felt like something was missing.  I realized life balance is a MYTH (gasp!) and I decided I needed to create a program that did a better job of focusing on my most important roles and responsibilities.

After tears and inspiration, I created the Life Priority System.  When I share this with clients and friends they love me for it and I’m dying to share it with you, my Startup Princess friends.  I’ve created an event to help you manage your life’s work.  You’ll also learn how to get your loved ones on board with your dreams!  Whether you’re a full-time parent, a full-time entrepreneur, a full-time employee or some mix of the above, my system is designed to help you to bring greater meaning to the things most important to you.

I share these secrets with my coaching and business clients for hundreds of dollars, but in this introductory workshop, I’m sharing my best stuff for $25.  It’s NOT introductory in content.  It’s introductory in price and offering to you.   And really, what is your life worth?  How much would you spend to learn tools that can bring you happiness and fulfillment?

In addition to rich content, you’ll receive the Life Balance Myth Workshop workbook, and additional conference materials.  I want you to have the tools you need to be successful when you leave so I’m pulling out all the stops and putting my best stuff in the materials.

BONUS #1 – I’m hosting a “pre-party” with Stand Up Speed Networking.  It’s been a while since we’ve had an event in Utah County, so I thought it would be fun for all of us to catch up!  Register for the event and get the Networking add on for FREE!

BONUS #2 – The first 30 people who register by Monday, October 17th will receive a 10 page Joy Journal starter kit (both in print and in digital format).

FINALLY, if you enter code: startup you’ll get 20% off.  Since all of this was inspired by Startup Princesses across the country, I want you to get a deal!

AND, if you’re not completely satisfied with the content and tools I share, I’ll give you your money back, no questions asked.  Simply see me or one of my event staff members at the end of the event and we’ll refund your money.

Reserve your spot and register today!

Event Details: Thursday, October 20th, 2011 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Will be available for out of towners the coming weeks.)

Tahitian Noni Visitors Center – Provo, UT – Outrigger Conference Room (No, there will not be a network marketing presentation.  They offer affordable meeting space available for community events and I like their location!)

Michelle McCullough is the Managing Director for Startup Princess.  Michelle is speaker, strategist, success coach, and serial entrepreneur.  Before Startup Princess, Michelle has 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 a successful business, Doodads, a promotional products company.  Michelle and her husband are the parents of two children ages 3 and 1, and live in Utah.  Follow Michelle success tips in her personal site speakmichelle.com

Meet Michelle McCullough, new Managing Director for Startup Princess

Startup Princess is excited to announce that Michelle McCullough is the new Managing Director for Startup Princess.  Kelly will still be active in our community, run #startupchats (every Wednesday from Noon to 1 Mtn on Twitter) & be part of the direction and strategy for Startup Princess with Michelle.  Michelle will assume a larger role than her current position as Business Development Director, which she has been since 2008.  She’ll continue to manage partnerships, sponsorships, affiliates and events in addition to her new responsibilities.

In addition to Startup Princess, Michelle is the owner of Doodads Promotional Products and is a speaker and business strategist.  Please welcome her to her new role and connect! Enjoy her interview.

Professional Background:  I’ve spent the last 14 years in marketing, advertising and sales working in all aspects of the industry. I’ve worked for advertising agencies, a television station, started a newspaper and worked in sales for a large corporation.  I love balancing traditional and emerging tools to share a message.  I also started Doodads Promotional Products when I was 19.  It’s still a growing, viable company and it’s just one way I fuel my entrepreneurial spirit.  I speak for corporations and organizations about marketing, advertising, sponsorships, and public relations (and love to give a motivational speech here are there).  I love helping entrepreneurs fulfill their business dreams and help them take their businesses to the next level, whatever that is for them.  I’ve been with Startup Princess since 2008 as the Business Development Director managing Startup Princess partnerships, sponsorships, affiliates, and events.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A lawyer

What you are: Speaker, Strategist, Success Coach, Serial Entrepreneur

Brief Summary of your Start Up:    I’m a speaker, business strategist, personal success coach and a serial entrepreneur.  I may have come into Startup Princess when it was 2 years in, but I still consider it as one of “my” companies.

Company Website: http://www.startupprincess.com

Personal Website: http://www.speakmichelle.com

What inspired you: When I was in High School and College I was on the debate team.  It was something that I loved and I excelled.  I was always disappointed that there wasn’t a professional debate team like there was professional baseball or hockey.  I told myself I’d be a professional speaker someday.  My favorite thing to do is speak to audiences large or small.  I’ve also LOVED marketing since I took my first marketing class in High School.  Everything that I do today is virtually throwing speaking and advertising in a blender and out comes Startup Princess!

How did you fund your businesses? Bootstrapping

Do you have a Fairy Godmother?  Lots of amazing people have mentored me along the way.  But my most recent coach and dear friend Tiffany Peterson has been really instrumental in helping me develop since I met her 1 year ago this week through Startup Princess!

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Startup Princess, BNI, Chamber of Commerce, The Hub

Current Business Challenge? Growing at a comfortable speed.

What are you doing about it? I’m remembering that raising my family is more important that growing a business.  Though I certainly believe they can co-exist, I’m very careful to ensure that my family doesn’t feel like they are being sacrificed in order to be successful in the business world.  That doesn’t mean that I always do this well, but setting my priorities and shifting them from my family to my businesses (and vice versa) takes a lot of planning, and day-to-day intuition.

Favorite motivational quote: Oh boy.  So many are swimming in my head.  I’ll share this one for now: “That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do.  Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but our ability to do has increased.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Family? Married to my best friend, Aaron.  We have two high-energy and highly-adorable toddlers ages 3 and 1.

How do you balance family and business? Like I said above, balancing family and business is an “act”.  I don’t believe life balance exists.  I believe we have to have a system of figuring out our priorities and know when to shift one into the first position and when to shift another back.  I have a system I use called the Life Priority System.  It’s a role based system that focuses on the things I want to be rather than the things I have to do.  It’s why I created the Life Balance Myth Workshop.  I’ve spent years of research and talked to a number of professionals trying to find the secret.  Now that I’ve found what works for me and other women I work with, I’m trying to share it with the world!

Favorite book?  The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield

What do you do to relax? Read a good book (fiction and non-fiction), scrapbook, watch an 80’s movie, spend time with my family and friends.

What do you want to change most about your world? I want people to be kinder and happier.  I want my kids to grow up being nice and treated the same in return.  I truly believe in the philosophy “Givers gain”, and wish more people believed in that as well.  I think the world, especially the business world, would be a lot better off if we all tried to give a little more and take a little less.

What are you most proud of? Running 3 businesses AND raising a family.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses?  Grow at your own pace.  Stop comparing yourself to others or thinking that someone else has the “secret” to running a business and having a thriving personal life.  They are all trying to figure it out, too.  As I have coached women entrepreneurs over the last 3 years, I’ve found that more often than not, problems in business are because they are struggling to find balance.  They are often working too much, working too little or spending their time on the wrong activities that should be trashed or delegated.  My advice is to do what’s best for you and your business in your current stage in life regardless of what your competitors or friends are doing.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)?  The 2 G’s: God and Google (Kim Flynn planted that in my head and now I couldn’t possibly think of any other favorite resource.)  I rely on both daily.

I’m excited for this new chapter with Startup Princess and look forward to many great opportunities ahead.  If we haven’t met already, I hope to meet you at a live event someday!  Until then, let’s connect virtually.  Follow me on twitter @speakmichelle, find me on facebook here and at my personal website http://www.speakmichelle.com

 

Interview & Giveaway: Meet Jill Blashack Strahan – Founder Tastefully Simple and Author of the Book Simply Shine

It was very exciting to get to know Jill a little bit better and have her take some time to answer some questions for a Startup Princess interview.  She has an inspiring startup story and offers some bits of wisdom for businesses at every stage of development.  And, we’re giving away a copy of her book!  Details are at the end of this post!

How did you come up with the idea for Tastefully Simple?

The idea actually came to me back in 1994. When I decided to close my gift shop called Care with Flair Gifts & Gift Baskets, I was invited to be part of a local Holiday Crafter’s Tour – what some would call a parade of homes. At the last minute, I asked the craft tour organizers if I could offer samples of the food in the gift baskets. They agreed. In one and a half days, I sold $200 in gift baskets and over $2,000 in food.

I went to that event two years in a row, and then I had my “ding-ding moment.” At 3:00 am after reading an article in Entrepreneur magazine about two women who had started a home party company with home décor, I realized, “Ding-ding!” People are not looking for gift baskets. They want quick and easy, high-quality foods … and they want to taste-test. 

When I had my gift basket business, I had actually thought about doing home parties. Then after the Holiday Crafter’s Tour, I suddenly connected back to that idea. I was apathetic about home parties in the past, but this would be a party I would dig attending. Fabulous food, fun and talking with friends? Now I’d go to THAT party!”

Did you bootstrap or seek for investors?

I often say that Tastefully Simple was founded on a dream and a shoestring. And I am NOT exaggerating.

I bootstrapped the business with $6,000 in savings, a $10,000 investment from a silent partner (Joani Nielson, who would later take on an active role as our COO) and a $20,000 SBA loan. And the rest is history!

Back in June 1995, our headquarters was a 1,200-square-foot shed with no running water, and we used a pool table as our packing station. Today Tastefully Simple has grown to become a $100 million-plus company with more than 25,000 direct sales consultants across the country. (And yes, sometimes I STILL need to pinch myself!)

What 2 or 3 things do you feel really helped your business to grow over the past 16 years?

Primarily, it was alignment in three things. First, dreaming it and having clarity about what I wanted this company and its products to be. Second, having the faith and belief that it was going to work. Third, having the willingness to work at it. If any one of those three things would have been out of alignment, it wouldn’t have worked.  Beyond these three things, I strongly encourage participation in a professional support and accountability group. I will be eternally grateful for my participation in Vistage, which I consider the best investment you can make in yourself and your company.

What have you learned along the way?

How much time do you have? One of our favorite phrases at Tastefully Simple is “we reserve the right to get smarter.” There’s a gentle humor about it that puts people at ease, but more importantly, it lets us be authentic and frees us from trying to be perfect.

Mistakes are as much a part of the process of our growth as doing things “right.”  One of the great things about being real is that we give ourselves permission to stumble. As long as we can be honest, not get bogged down, and learn how to move on, there’s always an opportunity to grow. Over the years, I relied heavily on our consultants, our clients and our own intuition to help us figure things out as we went along.

Here are a few of the other key lessons I’ve learned along the way:

Fall in love with change.  Over the last 15 years, I’ve learned that change is a rule, not the exception. From 1999-2003 alone, Tastefully Simple leaped from $4.4 million to $113 million in sales. You can’t experience change at that magnitude without being flexible.

1. Take time to renew. I always think of Stephen Covey’s line: “Ahhh…too busy driving to stop and get gas?” We all need to refuel sometimes. Back in 1995, 1996 and 1997, I was invited to Creative Memories’ conference, but I was always “too busy” to go. I finally attended in 1997, and I can’t even begin to express how it changed my attitude and therefore the success of Tastefully Simple. During our start-up years, Creative Memories was our greatest mentor. They were abundant beyond words.
2. Choose to be different. Try to find that sweet spot. Don’t re-invent the wheel, but don’t be a sheep that will follow the flock wherever it goes. Be true to who you are, even if it means being unconventional sometimes.
3. Be patient with yourself.  We build our business one by one by one. One decision at a time, one sale at a time, one relationship at a time. Jack Canfield said, “Think of the headlights on a car at night only lighting up 200 feet. But the car can make it across the entire country, just 200 feet at a time.” That’s how we achieve success. 200 feet at a time.

What advice do you have for other women in the beginning and development stages of building their business dreams?

Dream it, believe it, work it. Be very clear about what you want, have faith in that vision, and be willing to do the work that’s necessary because the harder you work, the luckier you get! Financing a new business is usually an issue, so I encourage you to check out all the local and regional resources available to help you get started. The loan I received from the Small Business Administration was critical in my ability to transform Tastefully Simple from a dream to a reality.

Tell us more about Simply Shine.  What inspired you to write it?

So often, we settle in life – we don’t dare to set the bar too high.

Back in 1994, I hired a personal coach named Mike Haynie who changed my life. He helped me realize that I did not feel WORTHY of having a life I loved. He was the catalyst that helped me change my thoughts – and most importantly, my actions.

Through an intense journey, I came to believe that I was worthy of my dreams and that I COULD have whatever I wanted. Like Peter McWilliams said, “You can have anything you want in life. You just can’t have everything.”

Today my purpose is to inspire others to go for their dreams, and that’s really what Simply Shine is all about. I believe it’s impossible to shine without self-confidence, and we build that confidence in two ways – through our skills and our will. Simply Shine is about building people’s will. It’s about creating a spark and helping them gain confidence … so they shine and achieve a life they love.

How have you built your business on the abundance mentality?

I’ve come to the firm conclusion that there’s no extracting our personal life from our business life. When we’re happy and fulfilled in our personal life, it flows into our work. When we’re miserable and unhappy in our work, it spews into our personal life. In the same vein, the culture of any company is driven by our personal life, our personal beliefs and our personal values. And for me, these philosophies developed and evolved over time.

Back in 1997, I sat down with our three employees and we brainstormed about what we did – and did NOT – want to be known for as a company. We developed our company’s seven core values. That was crucial because it created clarity in our own hearts and minds – and as our company grew, it ensured there would be no confusion about what our expectations and values are for anyone who comes on board.

We eventually boiled these values down to three principles. The first is the law of abundancy – fostering peace of mind through win-win attitudes. The second one is the law of magic, which is creating positive energy through celebration and excellence. The third principle is the law of realness, which is building trust through humbleness.

These principles are more than words on wall at Tastefully Simple – they are truly the heart and soul of our company and drive every decision we make. They reflect who we are – and who we want to be.

MY REVIEW OF SIMPLY SHINE – by Michelle McCullough

I was initially surprised by how autobiographical this book is.  Though at first I thought it would be hard to read, every page oozes with positive energy, and I couldn’t help but feel inspired as I read it.  Jill’s writing style and story telling makes it easy to get involved in her life, and also made it easy to apply to my own.

I especially love what Jill says about abundance.  I’ve been working some abundance principles into my life and work over the past two years and have really seen a difference in the way I view what I do, what my goals are and also how I view competition in the marketplace.  There truly is enough business for all of us, and the more we connect with abundance in our life and business, the more we’ll attract.  On a surface level as we believe that there is enough for everyone, we all have enough.  Jill goes one step deeper and talks about abundance and defines the Law of Abundance (as she talks about above) as “Fostering peace of mind through win-win attitudes.”  How powerful!  Can you see your life being full without the involvement, love and support of others?  Jill shows us so powerfully that we we are not alone and our lives can be enriched by involving others in our journey and being involved and helping others achieve their dreams as well.

Finally, the last takeaway I want to share with you: Jill’s story illustrates that the pathway to business success is not easy and you’ll have speed bumps and set backs along the way (we cause some ourselves, don’t we?).  However, as we pick ourselves back up, we open doors only commitment, stamina and perseverance have in store for us.

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Now, we have a copy to giveaway to a lucky Startup Princess.  Just answer this question: What principle of success has helped shape your personal or professional life?  Your answers are not judged, but they are your entry into the giveaway.  Winner will be selected by random.org.  Additional giveaway details and conditions are available by contacting us.

Michelle McCullough is the business development director for Startup Princess and handles Startup Princess partnerships and events.  Before Startup Princess, Michelle has 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 a successful side business, Doodads, a promotional products company.  Michelle and her husband are the parents of two children ages 3 and 1, and live in Utah.

Sitting Down With Startup Princess – An Interview With Michelle McCullough

I was interviewed about Startup Princess by 367addisonavenue.com, HP’s blog geared towards small businesses.  We wanted to share the interview with you.  While you’re there, leave a comment.  We’d like to start a little discussion there about work/life balance.  How do you achieve work/life balance?  Are you surrounded by people that support you in your business efforts or is it a constant struggle?  How do you involve your family in helping you reach your business goals?

Other posts I liked that you can check out at 367addisonavenue.com:

The Three Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read – All books I’ve never read.  One is by Rieva Lesonsky, one of our speakers for the Touchpoint tour in Orange County (In my comment there I put in September, but I have since been corrected – oops!).  I’m excited to read her book before the event!

Brand Messaging For Your Business – A quick beginners look at branding for startups.

So far, I’ve found 367addisonavenue.com to cover the basics for startups and do a great job of helping people along who are just getting started in business.  They talk about the basics of marketing, business, social media and sprinkle in articles about HP’s product offerings that pertain to small business (mostly pretty professional and expected and not at all shameless).  If you’re just starting out, it’s not a bad one to add to the blog roll or RSS feed (and not just because they interviewed me .

Michelle McCullough is the business development director for Startup Princess and handles Startup Princess partnerships and events.  Before Startup Princess, Michelle has 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 a successful side business, Doodads, a promotional products company.  Michelle and her husband are the parents of two children ages 3 and 1, and live in Utah.

Plan: The Four Letter Word

Plan.  For some of us it’s a four letter word.  Though some parts of my business, I’ll admit,  are a little fly by the seat of my pants, I’m pretty serious about my yearly planning.

Here’s how I do it (This is how I plan for my businesses, in another post I’ll talk about how I handle my personal annual planning through an exercise I like to call New Years Roles & Goals):

I start with a look at financials and see if I’ve met my money goals.  I dig deeper and then look at how many new customers I acquired in 2010 and look especially at the percent of repeat customers.  I look at customers that have been previous customers but didn’t order at all in 2010.  This provides me a whole lot to look at and spend most of my review time here.

Next, I look at where I spent my marketing dollars and track my return on investment for each of my ads, events, networking groups, etc, individually.  (If you don’t currently track your return on investment for your marketing dollars I suggest you make this a priority this year.  It’s very enlightening.)  When I was studying marketing back in college, I learned that your marketing efforts over time should yield a four times return on your initial marketing investment.  In today’s marketing, you should be excited if you can get a two times return on your investment.  That’s why it’s so critical to see if your marketing dollars are, in fact, turning into qualified leads and customers.

Then, I review my processes and see what can be streamlined, outsourced or delegated.  This is my favorite part.  I get serious about what I want to focus on and what I can have someone else do.  This is where I get empowered in my personal goals and what I want to spend time on in the coming year.

Finally, I set some goals.  I make a vision board, and I post both where I can see them everyday.

This quarter, I’m rewriting my business plan from start to finish.  When I started Doodads 11 years ago the internet wasn’t nearly as beneficial as it is now.  The internet has completely changed how I interact with suppliers, place orders and involve employees (who work from home!).  So, I’m starting with a clean slate to see what I come up with.  I’m excited and scared at the same time.   Send chocolate.

If you haven’t done so already, you’re probably saying, “This is too much work!”  Planning isn’t meant to be daunting, but it’s meant to be thorough.   And it’s meant to provide you a clear view of the past so you can move forward with confidence.   In time, your planning will become something you crave instead of something you curse.

I believe in the adage (that some credit to Benjamin Franklin, though the internet wasn’t clear on final credits) “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  So my charge to you: it’s not too late.  If you haven’t already done your annual review, make plans to do it now.

To keep you motivated, we’ll be posting a few other planning articles in the next few weeks.

I know that this isn’t the only way to plan.  How do you do it?  If you’d like to share how you do it personally or professionally, we may feature you in one of our upcoming articles.  Send your name, company name, website, and a little blurb about how you plan to michelle@startupprincess.com.   We’ll post your planning advice and a link back to your site!

Until then, happy planning!

Michelle McCullough, Doodads Promotional, Michelle is the Startup Princess Business Development Director.  She has 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 a successful side business, Doodads, a promotional products company.

Charitable Holiday Traditions & Project Teddy Bear

Michelle McCullough, Business Development Director/Fairy Godmother writes:

I don’t remember specifics of many Christmas mornings, but there’s one as a teenager that I remember vividly.  My brothers and I ran upstairs in anticipation of all the loot awaiting us in the living room and there were no new presents under the tree.  My mom said, “Get dressed.  We’re going out.”  We drove to the local “Soup Kitchen” and were immediately put to work serving breakfast to the homeless and less fortunate in our community.  After spending the morning seeing family after family who had so little, it was very easy to list all of my blessings.  When we arrived home and had our actual Christmas (Santa hid the presents in my mom’s room until we returned) I remember the feeling being very different.  Each present seemed like a luxury – WAY more than I needed.  Though I don’t remember a single Christmas gift I got that year, this memory was the best gift my mother could have given me.

That wasn’t the first time my mother taught us about the spirit of giving during the holidays.  As a kid, at the beginning of December, my mother got us together as a family and we talked about what we were going to GIVE this Christmas and not what we were going to GET.  We’d pick a family to do a service for or we’d do a “Sub for Santa” for a less fortunate family in our neighborhood.

This is a tradition that I treasure and have tried to instill in my young family.  Though our contributions may be meager, it’s a nice tradition to brighten someone else’s holiday.

Last year I heard about Project Teddy Bear from one of Startup Princess’ partners: Bank of American Fork.  I thought that would be fun thing to do with my then not-quite-2 year old.  We had three stuffed animals that he had received as gifts that were sitting in a box (with the tags still on) and had never been played with. And that was a start of our annual tradition with Project Teddy Bear.  I told him about little boys and girls who didn’t have very much and that they would love a new toy.  He helped me carry them in and set them down in the impressive pile and then looked at the pile and picked up a new one to take home.  I tried to explain that this wasn’t a trade and, luckily, it went over pretty well.  We said, “Bye, bye bears.” And went home.  It took all of about 20 minutes including driving time.

Project Teddy Bear is a community service project sponsored by Bank of American Fork. Customers, employees and community members donate teddy bears and other stuffed animals that are given to the Utah Valley Family Support & Treatment Center in Orem, the Salt Lake County Family Support Center (locations in Midvale, Taylorsville, West Valley City and Sugarhouse) and the House of Hope in Salt Lake City, Provo and Ogden. Last year, Bank of American Fork collected an all-time high of 7,463 stuffed animals and their goal for 2010 is 8,000.

Check out this cool time lapse video of last year’s donations Bank of American Fork Project Teddy Bear

I know I’m not alone in having chartible holiday traditions.  There are many families who at the beginning of every December help their children inventory toys and select 2 or 3 items to donate to Salvation Army, Goodwill or Deseret Industries.  This is also a great tradition of making way for new presents and also giving to those whose budgets may be tight.

I also know of other businesses that host fun projects during the holidays for employees, customers or community members like Sub for Santa.  Utah based, woman owned company, Stampin Up! decided to do away with sending holiday cards to their demonstrators and took the money and donated it to the Ronald McDonald House.

However you do it in your business or in your family, we’d love to hear about your ideas for charitable holiday traditions or hear about other company’s projects, like Project Teddy Bear that are spreading holiday cheer this December.

Michelle McCullough, Michelle has spent the last 11 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 a successful business, Doodads Promotional Products. She also has two kids ages 3 and 1. Michelle is also the Startup Princess Business Development Director.

Teaching Kids the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Startup Princess Business Development Director, Michelle McCullough shares the following advice:

When I was in 6th grade, I started my first “business”.  I LOVED to babysit and had a ton of experience, but after reading all the “Baby Sitter’s Club” Books (By Ann M. Martin) my friends and I thought we could create a babysitting club of our own.  But, alas, it was a flop.  No one ever called.

That didn’t stop me from trying to find other get rich quick schemes (I also got some great ideas from Zack on “Saved By The Bell”.  He always had a plan up sleeves to make money quick!) or other kid-friendly business dreams.  Fast forward to High School when I took a DECA class (DECA is a national marketing education club) and we also participated in Junior Achievement where we had to create a product, sell it and account for all our costs, profit and losses.  It was a great experience.  I never would have started my first “grown-up” business, Doodads Promotional Products,  if I hadn’t found my love for marketing in High School and then studied it in college, which led me to work at an advertising agency that had promotional product needs.

Where did you first catch the entrepreneurial bug?

What inspired this jaunt down memory lane?

I just watched this fantastic TED video and couldn’t wait to share it with
you!

I love the ideas Cameron Herald offers of ways to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit in kids, and especially love that he’s taught his
kids to look for opportunities to make something better or cleaner in their own home for pay.  How powerful is it to teach your children to LOOK for what needs to be done?

I also love Herald’s reminder to give your kids opportunities to learn how to speak, because communication skills are so important in business.  I really couldn’t agree more.  From a really young age, mom used to make us give talks and learn to put lessons and presentations together on religious topics to share with our family.  I attribute that (and 5 years of competitive debate) to my feeling comfortable speaking in front of audiences and actually really enjoying it.

Click here to see this video
http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_herold_let_s_raise_kids_to_be_entrepreneurs.html

Thanks HP for Small Business (@HP_smallbiz on Twitter and HP for Small Business on Facebook) for sharing this link with me.  It enlightened my day!  My kids are only 2 (almost 3) and 11 months, so I’ve still got time, but I’m already thinking of ways to implement some of these ideals at a young age.

Check out the video, and let us know what ways you help your kids foster their creative business juices or better yet, what things did others teach YOU as a kid that made you the savvy business person you are today?

Michelle McCullough, Doodads Promotional, Michelle has spent the last 11 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 a successful side business, Doodads, a promotional products company. Michelle is also the Startup Princess Business Development Director.

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