Conquering Fears of All Kinds
March 29, 2008
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Celebrate with me! I conquered two fears this week (1) Driving Long Distances alone with kids (12 hours RT) and (2) Getting “Judged” in a Swimsuit (my choice, breakthrough any anxieties early I figured!)
Why Vegas? To meet up with my new friend, former Mrs. United States 1997 and Mrs. America 2002, Laurett Ellsworth Arenz. How did I meet Laurett you might wonder? To be honest, it was one of you… a blog reader/online friend who introduced me to his mom via a comment on this site! CRAZY. He likes to be on the downlow about his famous mom, so I won’t tell you who it is, but those of you who know any Ellsworth bloggers, you might figure it out! Ironically Laurett is a member of my church and we have mutual friends, including Cherie Burton who is also mentoring me for the pageant. Laurett grew up in Utah although competed in Maryland for their titles. Before we decided to meet in Vegas we had a couple of phone sessions where we worked on my platform, preparing for the interview, and she gave me a lot of resources for where to find my wardrobe too.
Conquering Fear #1 -Driving 12 Hours on my own
Laurett was in Vegas for a conference at the new, hip and modern Red Rock Hotel so it worked well for us to meet there since I have family in St George (1 1/2 hours north of Vegas) and could stay with them and they could watch my girls while I traveled further to meet with Laurett the next day. I was determined to make it there so I pushed forward any fears of driving the distance alone with my two girls (ages 2 and 4) and set myself up for success. Read more
Parallels of Business Strategy and Playing Solitaire
March 26, 2008
As I was sitting here with a fever of 101, not able to sleep and playing a game of Free Cell, Read more
Get Inspired from The Entrepreneur Story
March 25, 2008
In November 2006, I was frustrated when I observed many startups burning through huge amounts of capital, labor, and time and still not Read more
Mentoring from God, Fitness Training, and More
March 24, 2008
Mentoring from God
On Wednesday I was privileged to speak to a conference of women at church about Charity- the Pure Love of Christ specifically about being a true follower of Christ. It is very humbling for me to speak about such intense and sacred topics and I appreciated the opportunity to study, prepare and deliver the message. I felt guided and mentored by heaven in the process and it increased my desire and hunger to include God more fully in my daily life and efforts in all I do. Read more
Meet Amy Long, Founder of Secure2Me
March 20, 2008
Amy Long had just had her third child when she realized she had a great product Read more
How to Avoid the Perfect Princess Syndrome
March 18, 2008
Today’s Magical Wisdom provided by Startup Princess, Liz Pabon, The Branding Maven and 
author of just released book, The MavHERick Mind , be sure to read the details of her special offer for March benefiting eWomen Network and Women for Hire foundations at the bottom of the post. Check out the great book design too, I enjoyed reading it the other day while taking a long bath!
Recently, while discussing the power of the mind as the strongest muscle and success tool we possess as women in business, the topic of perfectionism reared its ugly head.
Has this ever happened to you?
You launch your business and are about to execute a new marketing campaign, attend a networking event for the first time or try a new way to communicate your brand message but the fear of not having everything “perfect” stops you cold.
There’s no question you have the best of intentions. After all, the better your “stuff” the more powerful your results–right?
Well, not exactly but that’s a topic for another post 
What’s important about what I’ve termed the “Perfect Princess Syndrome” is a distinction many Startup Princesses and entrepreneurial Queens forget–the difference between perfection and excellence.
You see excellence is in your control. It is the way you set and re-set the standards you live by as an entrepreneurial woman. In essence, it is the rulebook you live by and honor.
We forget that as entrepreneurs, we have the freedom to create and design our business and lifestyle. Yet, so many get caught up in the “perfect” elevator pitch or “perfect” flyer that you defeat yourself before you ever get started!
What does perfect mean anyway?
It is merely a standard that someone else has decided on and you chose to run your business (or life) by that standard. In other words, it is not a standard you set it is one set for you. It’s no wonder so many entrepreneurial women want to throw in the towel!
In the battle for success, you have three very powerful allies to rely on: Courage, Discipline and Excellence. It’s excellence that empowers you to do your best and push the limits of your potential in your time, and on your terms.
I feel empowered just typing that–how about you?
And that part of you that is independent, spirited and has the courage to march to the beat of your own drum is the MavHERick™ that lives inside you.
Look around you Startup Princess and identify where you’ve fallen short in your business not because you aren’t destined for greatness, but because you have been trying to live up to an ideal you never bought into.
The best part about choosing excellence over perfection is that it’s within your control–no special permits to register for, no special skills required, no permission necessary.
Every Startup Princess will one day take the throne as entrepreneurial Queen. On your journey towards royal graduation, call on your allies to support you and along the way, create and then break your own record!
I’ve coined March MavHERick™ Magic Marathon month. With each purchase of my book, The MavHERick Mind: How to Win the Battle for Success by Using What You’ve Got to Get What You Want, I will donate proceeds to the eWomen Network and Women for Hire foundations.
Your support of this cause will help empower women from all walks of life remember two things: 1) they already possess the greatest power of all–the power of choice and 2) they are not alone!
Liz Pabon is an award-winning publisher and author. To support her MavHERick™ Magic Marathon movement, visit her at www.MavHERickMind.com.
©Copyright 2008, Liz Pabon. All rights reserved.
Triumphs and Failures on the Pageant Journey
March 16, 2008
Here we are again, another crazy-busy week (for all, I’m sure!) If you saw my kids’ playroom and bedrooms yesterday you’d wonder where their mother’s been…
This week was a full week, not only for me with Startup Princess events and pageant prep but with my son’s school play, Willy Wonka where he’s one of the 110 Oompa Loompas! School plays=long rehearsals and in the charter school where we go, it also means lots of volunteer hours. I was make up girl this week… lots of red cheeks, red lips, eye liner, and making sure kids behaved backstage, etc. It has been a fun and rewarding experience for everyone.
Looking back at the week I can see where I succeeded and well, failed. It’s time to re-evaluate things and plan on a better week! Read more
How to Avoid Big Mistakes in Marketing to Women Online
March 12, 2008
Today’s magical wisdom provided by Fairy Godmother Holly Buchanan, co-author of The Soccer Mom Myth, newly released this week. Congrats to you and Michele Miller for making it to the finish line (or shall we say scoring your goal?) A full review of the book will come soon… reading it while I’m on my treadmill! (not kidding) Anyhow, the following article will give you a glimpse of Holly’s work and research. Enjoy! (BTW, Holly, I need a bigger photo of you…sorry it’s so small here).
Women are shopping online in record numbers. The Internet is the perfect fit for women’s increasingly busy lives.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking women shop the same way online as they do offline. Offline, she is much more likely to browse, look around, see what’s new, even socialize with friends.
Online she is task oriented. She does not want to browse for hours. You must make it easy for her to accomplish her goals quickly and easily.
There are specific things you can do to create a better online shopping experience for your female customers. In my e-book, The 7 Biggest Mistakes in Marketing to Women Online, I look at the top mistakes online marketers make and how to fix them. Here are a few of the top mistakes:
#1 - Believing the Lowest Price Always Wins. Some things actually matter more than price. Providing what she feels is a good value is always important. But she may pay more to find something that is just right.
What can you offer to her that perhaps an online store can not? More selection? More product information? A chance to get to know who you are? (You do have an About Us page that tells your story, don’t you?) A chance to gather information and ask questions without feeling pressured? There are many advantages to shopping online. Make sure you take advantage of those advantages.
#2 - Failing to Establish a Relationship with Her. Have you noticed that most websites leave you feeling cold? You don’t feel like you really know who the company is?
Speak her language. Most websites have copy that is formal and full of clichés - “We’ve been in business since 1987 providing turnkey solutions to take your business to the next level.†Try using a more conversational tone, lose the clichés, and get rid of the techno-jargon. Be clear. This does NOT mean be condescending. It simply means if you have a benefit that sounds technical (think product specs) explain how that feature is a real benefit to her.
Mrs. Utah United States Pageant Training: Chapter 2 (Mentoring by Mrs. America 2002, Energy Therapy, Wardrobe Miracles, Eyelash Extensions, Meeting the Contenstants, Isagenix, and Losing my Mind)
March 9, 2008
Here we are again, Startup Princess Friends! I really do enjoy writing this post each week as a mental release of all the intensity and to download my thoughts and feelings about this time of my life… it really has been a whirlwind of planning, appointments and events and it’s not going to stop anytime soon but I’m up for it, if I can just get myself disciplined to be in bed early…that is my major weakness right now, forget sugar addictions, it’s the time after my kids are in bed, I really should just hop in bed too, but there’s emails to answer, etc. so it’s so tempting to stay up but then I’m dead at 5:30am when my alarm rings to exercise… wish me luck on conquering my staying up late addiction. (Any advice?)
Here’s the recap of last week’s highlights:
My online friend and BYU alum introduced me to his famous mom, Laurett Ellsworth Ardez, mother of 7, whom is so stunning and charismatic that she won not only her state title, but Mrs. United States 1997 and Mrs. America 2002 (the latest one was when her oldest was in college) titles! I had the privilege of chatting with Laurett and she’s agreed to assist me with my preparations. She’s wonderful. I’ll be meeting her in person in Vegas in a couple of weeks for training.
This week I also had the opportunity to have an Energy and Rapid Eye Therapy session with Karey 
Williams, whom also competed in Mrs. Utah (last year and was 7th overall, she had a great attitude and was absolutely adorable on the DVD I watched last night, she is so full of light and confidence, I love it). I met Karey at Cherie Burton’s Women Emergence conference last Fall where I was her “guinea pig” to demonstrate what energy therapy was and I had a great breakthrough in front of the conference attendees so I knew that I’d be able to get even more work done in a one on one session. I went to her specifically to release all negative energy and thought processes from my teen years when I felt unattractive and had self-doubts, fears about my body and skin breakouts, dating/not dating, etc. We had an awesome session and I highly recommend this type of work! I felt like I had lost weight energetically afterwards and genuinely more happy about myself and my appearance, life mission, and the pageant in general.
Ever since I decided to do the pageant I’ve been very nervous about the wardrobe. Cherie Burton, my pageant mentor/friend and I have been emailing each other back and forth possibilities, but it’s been pretty depressing! I knew I needed an absolutely radiant wardrobe, however, I’m petite and it’s challenging to find clothes for my size, and I’m also very determined to be modestly dressed, even in the competition I’ve chosen to wear clothes that cover my shoulders and not too revealing or low cut, etc. I had started shopping a little but was discouraged. I asked God to bring me my wardrobe and He did this week (minus the swimsuit, I am having that made). At the pageant workshop on Saturday Leeja Gammil our pageant wardrobe resource brought several stunning dresses and interview suits that we could rent from her and I was able to find a gorgeous Jovani $900 dress in deep purple that fit my exact needs (plus it was already worn in a national pageant for Miss America and the girl won top 10 with it, so it has already proven it’s a winning dress!), and I get to rent it for only $200. I also found a beautiful coral suit from Paris that I can rent for $100. Both outfits will be custom tailored to fit me better. I also found my black cocktail dress, modest and hip at Macey’s this week for only $29, 90% off the retail price. Love it! I felt God’s tender mercies in hearing and answering my prayers to find wonderful clothes that wouldn’t compromise my values or standards.
Startup Princess Linda Bledsoe of Absolutely Fab-u-lash in Provo/Lehi, Utah sponsored me this week to get a full set of eyelash extensions and I love them! They took 3 hours for her to individually glue each new black mink hair onto my own lashes, but it’s a great effect. No mascara, no glued in fake ones needed for the event! They will look great for my pageant photos and then I’ll keep them up for the pageant in May. I love waking up and feeling beautiful (without the dark mascara smudge residue that sometimes happens when you wake up).
On Saturday we held our first Mrs. Utah pageant workshop where we met the other contestants and heard a few speakers and saw the fashion show of pageant gowns (where I found mine!) We have 11 contestants this year, much lower than last year’s 20, so I guess everyone will make the top 10? I can’t imagine they’ll cut one person. Three of the girls who made top 10 last year are in this year’s event and one is even having a baby next week, amazing (she won the fitness/swimsuit category last year, so I think she’ll do fine getting back in shape). The best part of the event was the speakers. Cherie Burton spoke about her own experience and tips, this year’s Mrs. Utah, Tiffany Berg spoke about how to develop your platform, and Rock Crawler Racer, Clay Egan taught us how to get sponsors. I set a goal of securing $6000 in sponsorship funds to cover my expenses and have enough should I win for nationals 6 weeks following the competition.
Matt bought Isagenix all-natural 9-day cleanse for us both and I agreed to try it because he wanted a diet buddy however, really I was against it because I don’t like liquid cleanses, I generally feel faint and I’m anemic so its hard for me. I got through the first two days where there was shake morning/night and a low calorie lunch of 600 calories, but today’s was all liquid and I really had a hard time with it. I felt so weak and unhealthy. I took a 3 hour nap because of the hard, long week, but in general I had no energy and it was very difficult emotionally and mentally. I’ve decided not to continue with the all liquid days, I’ll do the two shakes/1 meal for a few more days, but I really want to get back to my veggie/protein diet that was going really well for me, then I felt vibrant, healthy, happy, and full of life.
I enjoyed all of my weight training sessions last week with Liz, I did a few Billy Blanks DVD sessions too…those really are a challenge, wow!
I lost my mind a bit because of all of the activity going on… so much to think about and remember, etc. I’m an advisor for the home-based business plan competition/center for entrerpeneurship and we’re in the midst of that, I helped with a charity event last week for African orphans, my son’s in a school play, the pageant activities, and my day to day home maintenance, laundry, kids, etc. as a result I lost my keys, misplaced my wallet one day, and locked my spare keys inside my car while in SLC at a tradeshow last Saturday and the kids and I were stuck there for a few hours until we could get some help breaking into the car with a slimjim….ugh. So, yeah, I need more sleep.
Cure for reclaiming my mind? Read this scripture from 2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind
Today’s Magic Wand: SLEEP. Seriously how much do YOU get a night? I’m aiming for 7 hours at least 5 times this week. Join me in this goal and comment below!
Startup Princess News * March 7, 2008
March 7, 2008
Utah Startup Princesses! You’re Invited to join us Wednesday, March 12th for another FABULOUS event! Come learn tips from members of the media!
Provo City Library - Room 309
(550 North University Ave, Provo)
6:30pm - 8:30pm
$10
This month’s event will feature Jeanette Bennett, editor of Utah Valley Magazine, Utah Valley BusinessQ and UtahValley Bride and Lindsay Adams-Robbins owner of Tapestry Productions. Lindsay’s clients include National Geographic, ABC News, NBC Today Show, CBS News, Entertainment Tonight, ESPN, CNN, HGTV, Park City Television . Come learn what magazine editors and TV producers are looking for in an interview. Ask your pressing media questions, “How do I get considered for a feature? How do I get my product reviewed? How should I prepare for a media interview?” Or…??
Celebrations!
*New* Star
tup Princess Angel Kuo of innovative new company Giftventure announces their special customized and personalized scavenger gift hunt for Easter, featuring letters from the Easter Bunny, check it out on her site, what a fun idea to try with the little ones in your life! Gotta love her branding and graphic design work and illustrations… beautiful work, Angel. Congrats!
Startup Princess Kelly Transfield of Transfield Sculptures (her husband LeRoy is the artist) announces that they’ve updated their site and have new images and designs, check it out. Nice job expanding your portfolio!
Fairy Godmother Laura West of Center for Joyful Business shares that she is partnering with Evana Maggiore, president of the training program Fashion Feng Shui International and author of the book, Fashion Feng Shui, The Power of Dressing with Intention. You can read more about Laura’s experience with Fashion Feng Shui on her blog at Café Entrepreneur.com. Evana’s program is in alignment with the universal attraction principles so it’s an ideal collaboration of supporting her training program with Joyful Business materials and providing her students and graduates with programs that will help them be more successful in their image consulting businesses.
Fairy Godmother Holly Buchanan’s (with Michele Miller) book, The Soccer Mom Myth was just released (I’m reading it now!) Grab your copy and learn about what women really want, why they really buy…! Holly and Michele have spent a few years preparing, researching and writing this very important book, if you sell to women (who doesn’t???) READ IT.
