Featured Interview: Jamie Dadant, Circle of Sentiments

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The following interview was written by Startup Princess Writer, Jessica Cryer.

I absolutely love these charm necklaces from Circle of Sentiments. They are the cutest reminders of the ones you love the most. Jamie Dadant, founder of Circle of Sentiments, quit her job in the corporate world after giving birth to twin boys. By staying at home Jamie was able to make her wish of owning her own business come true. She started on on-line baby boutique that included hand stamped custom made jewelry among other things. The jewelry became so popular that Jamie decided to focus solely on the jewelry and Circle of Sentiments was born!

Circle of Sentiments offers simple chains with sterling silver or copper disc engravable charms. Choose your charms and then have it engraved with your spouse or baby’s name or initial. Or buy Grandma a cute charm bracelet with the initials of all her grandchildren. I love them all, but my favorite is the Birthday necklace also referred to as “Mommy Jewelry.” It’s a sterling silver necklace with two discs; one with your baby’s name and the other for the baby’s birth date. How sweet.

Wouldn’t you love to receive one of these as a gift? The website offers a “drop a hint” link. Provide the name of the product you want and the information on the person whom you’d like to receive your “hint” and Circle of Sentiments will take care of the rest.

Enjoy Meeting Startup Princess, Jamie Dadant!

Name: Jamie Dadant

Hometown: Newark, Ca.

Current Residence: Anaheim, Ca.

Education: BA degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara

Professional Background: Prior to staying at home with my kids, I worked in the Marketing department at the Disneyland Resort.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: Teacher

What you are: Stay at home mom, with a web-based business.

Company Website? http://www.circleofsentiments.com

What inspired you? I’ve always wanted to have my own business. After quitting my corporate job to be a stay at home mom, I started my first business, an online baby boutique. One of the many items sold on my site was a line of hand stamped jewelry that I created. The jewelry became really popular. I’ve since made the decision to switch my focus to only selling jewelry, thus Circle of Sentiments was created.

How did you fund it? My start-up costs were pretty minimal, so I was able to fund it through personal savings. Since then, I’ve taken all profits and put them back into the business in order to continue to grow the business. Read more

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Featured Interview: Celest Benn, Founder of Free Birthday Stuff

Don’t forget to enter our contest this week! Win a Visit with a Fairy Godmother-Get Free Help for Your Startup.

The following interview was written by Startup Princess writer, Jessica Cryer.

I hope your birthdays were the best as a child, mine were. Nothing seemed better than getting presents and becoming a year older. But, as we age things start to change. Presents and birthday parties are limited if any and suddenly becoming a year older isn’t so exciting. Wishing you could make birthdays fun again? Wish granted. Thanks to Celest Benn, founder of Free Birthday Stuff, birthdays are fun again!

Free Birthday Stuff is a website offering discounts, coupons and FREE stuff on your birthday! You can join any time and receive cool products and discounts-even if your birthday is today. You can also make suggestions of products you would like offered.

Even though Celest has barely been doing this a year, Free Birthday Stuff already has over 800,000 members! What potential for growth this company has…she gets to market to EVERYONE. Lucky Startup Princess, huh!? Wish you thought of it, don’t you? The amazing thing is Celest had the savings and foresight to think about the backend of the website…and how to keep track of all the vendors that offer free services and coupons, (she just got Six Flags to sign on last week) online so she didn’t have to do it herself or have the headache of keeping it straight herself. The bulk of her startup costs were spent on the programming of her site before she launched, but this year she will start reaping the benefits as companies begin to pay for their coupons to reach birthday boys and girls all over the country! If our crystal ball is working right, we predict that Celest will start getting offers from major companies to purchase her site in the next year or so…

Enjoy meeting Startup Princess Celest Benn, Founder of Free Birthday Stuff.com!

Name: Celest Benn

Hometown: San Jose, California

Current Residence (City, State): West Hartford, CT

Education: Ph.D. Psychology

Professional Background: I was a simultaneous interpreter (Spanish, French & Portuguese) with the DOD & NASA and then a Sports Psychologist, now I am a stay at home mom and started up www.freebirthdaystuff.com I was tired of all the doom and gloom in the world.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: a simultaneous interpreter I achieved this by the time I was 21 years old.

What you are: A mom, wife and a website founder

What inspired you? Too many glasses of wine at my daughters 4th birthday party. Please go to the site and on the right side 1st drop down you can read the story of how it all began.

How long have you been in business? 1 year, as a beta site and up and running officially as of February 2007.

How did you fund it? By savings and putting money away from paychecks and clipping coupons Read more

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Featured Interview: Cherie Burton, Mrs. Utah 2004 and Founder of Blue Rose Communications

 

The following article was written by Startup Princess writer, Jessica Cryer.

We’re featuring Cherie so we can all get to know her better and also get excited about her upcoming speaking event at the Startup Princess Networking Tea Party February 13th in Provo, Utah. Cherie’s presentation will focus on presenting your most powerful IMAGE (how to look and prepare physically, emotionally, and mentally for a media interview, speaking event or business meeting)…as well as “being your best self!” Cherie’s media experience includes being on Oprah, besides all she did as Mrs. Utah! The event is $10. To RSVP, click here.

Aside from being a wife, mom of three and former Mrs. Utah, Cherie Burton is the founder and president of Blue Rose Communications, a company devoted to helping women and girls discover their personal life missions and ‘divine feminity.’

After graduating with Honors from the University of Utah, Cherie began speaking publicly in schools and juvenile detention centers on adolescent relationships. She has held group therapist positions at a psychiatric hospital, a residential facility for teen boys, and a teen wilderness survival program. In 1997, Cherie began directing a support group for women who placed their children for adoption (birthmothers). For 2 years she directed and produced the Junior Miss Scholarship Program in her area and presented a series of workshops for 16 and 17 year-old girls on Self-Esteem and Confidence.

A self-professed ‘late-bloomer,’ Cherie decided to follow her childhood dream of competing in pageants. In 2004 Cherie was crowned Mrs. Utah with the social platform ‘Inspiring Greatness in Girls.’ She continued to speak about the importance of self-esteem in girls and women. Devastatingly, just three weeks before passing on her title of Mrs. Utah, Cherie’s sister Shawna committed suicide. “It changed everything,” says Cherie. But through this sorrow and grief a self-defining moment was born. Cherie realized she needed to be the ‘voice’ for Shawna and become an advocate for suicide prevention. Cherie has spoken publicly about suicide prevention on several occasions and was recently asked to sit on a State Suicide Prevention Council with the Utah Department of Human Services.

Blue Rose Communications is also a result of her passion to help women recognize their “greatness”. Her company offers a book authored by Cherie about how to cope with depression and even a 12 week personalized reformation program. Cherie has been a regular co-host on television and radio talk shows and has plans to author more inspirational books for women. She continues to teach the ‘lost feminine arts: Etiquette, Self-Presentation, Poise, Character Development, Leadership, Natural Beauty and Personal Mission Discovery.’

Cherie states, “We can create anything, and I mean ANYTHING, that we desire. I believe God implanted within us many glorious passions and gifts that we don’t often recognize as righteous desires. He largely wants for us what we want for ourselves.”

Enjoy meeting Startup Princess, Cherie Burton!

Name: CHERIE BURTON

Hometown: Hmm…I moved 14 times from birth through high school graduation. I’ll claim Douglas, Wyoming, as it’s the placed we stayed put longest!

Current Residence (City, State): Sandy, UT

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Minor Degree in Sociology

Professional Background: Mrs. Utah 2004, Author of the book “Where Depression Ends,“ Motivational Speaker, Mental Health Advocate with several Utah government and private Agencies, President of Blue Rose Communications, Founder of Emergence Training Seminars for Women

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A Mom and a Teacher

What you are: The sum total of my choices the last 38 years of walking this planet! Read more

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Featured Interview: Celeste Gleave Founder of Fyvestar, Inc.

The following article was written by Startup Princess writer, Jessica Cryer.

Celeste Gleave is the President and founder of FYVE STAR, Inc., a company started in her spare bedroom in 1991. The company started out as a small chemical supplier to local businesses. The first sale was a gallon of hand cleaner to a window installer. Celeste made the sale, picked up and delivered the product. She was excited, but with the motto “no job too difficult, no task too great,” this was only the beginning.With her attention to detail and multi-tasking spirit the company began to grow and is now the sole source supplier to the United States military for runway and aircraft deicers. The company sells to military bases all over the world and now has a long term contract with Homeland Security. But with being known as a “serial entrepreneur” deicing products are only one part of what FYVE STAR, Inc. offers. The company has expanded and now handles general contracting projects and even publishes the Utah Preservation Magazine, the premiere magazine of the division of state and history. FYVE STAR, Inc. continues to outsell their previous quarter earnings proving a record year in 2007 and a promising year in 2008. There is a reason Utah Business Magazine named Celeste in their April 2007 issue as one of the “30 Women to Watch.” Celeste was also a Utah 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year nominee.

Enjoy these Magic Wand tips from Celeste Gleave, Founder and CEO of FYVE STAR, Inc!

The best way for me to de-stress is to take some me time for myself, meaning- exercise, YOGA, gardening, art projects.

Staying organized is something that I am very well known for. I go by the book, I am never late for an appointment, I don’t like for people to sit at my desk and rearrange things, I have one way and that’s my way. Those around me know that is the only acceptable answer.

Communication is KEY. When you run 3 companies, things tend to overlap. There must be a very clear line of communication. Control is a major issue. You must always be in control of what is around you, or at least have the access to control.

One tip that I would give is never let anyone see you appear to lack control of your environment. People see you as a strong, positive, outgoing, IN CONTROL individual, and they believe in you and will follow you. When you let your guard down, people around you notice that and you could become very vulnerable at that moment. Timing and environment is essential. Don’t get me wrong, its nice to relax and have fun, but when you are in a work or professional environment ALWAYS put your best foot forward. DO NOT let people see a weak side of you. They will remember that.

You can’t get to the top if you have people holding you down. Help people move up with you and when the time comes they will be there to push you over the top.

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Featured Interview: Jenna Raby, Founder of Laborfair

The following article was written by Startup Princess writer, Jessica Cryer.

Good help is no longer hard to find. So says Jenna Raby, Founder of Labor Fair. Laborfair is an online resource for busy people (like yourself) looking for reliable, affordable help. The mission is simple. Laborfair connects those who need a service with those that can fulfill the service. From landscapers to house cleaners, information is available from the providers themselves. Use the search engine to search for the service needed. Providers can start profiles for themselves as well. And the best part about it is it’s FREE! All you have to do is rate a provider you’ve used using the Laborfair system.

Jenna Raby isn’t the middle man collecting a fee from each transaction. Rather, this down to earth do gooder promises 100% of the fee goes to the provider. This allows a fair wage for providers and a decent price for services for the consumer. The service is currently in the Bay area and northern California and just recently launched in Los Angeles.

Enjoy meeting Startup Princess, Jenna Raby!

Name: Jenna Raby

Hometown: Oldwick, New Jersey

Current Residence: San Francisco, California

Education: University of Virginia (1991 undergraduate English Literature and French Philosophy), Columbia University (2003 masters degree in International Affairs)

Title: Founder, President and Chief Mouthpiece for Laborfair.com. I lead Laborfair.com’s efforts to scale our partnerships and member base and build the structure for our social mission. I have an eclectic background in international business and the non-profit sector having worked as a foreign film buyer, a transportation broker for petroleum carriers in South America, and a program officer at a private family foundation.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: Queen of the Underdogs. An iconoclast. A do-gooder.

What you are: Queen of the Underdogs. An iconoclast. A do-gooder.

Brief Summary of your Startup: Need anything done? Want to find a local service provider with peer-reviews, ratings, and references? Need to know what the fair hourly rate is? That’s Labor Fair.com. Laborfair is the smart, easy and right way to find quality help ranging from a handyman to a personal chef. We connect service providers and people in search of personal help in a way that’s fair, easy and financially rewarding for everyone involved. We’re all over the Bay Area and Northern California, launching into Los Angeles next week.

Company Website? http://www.laborfair.com

What inspired you? I’ve always believed that business can be a phenomenal instrument of positive social change. Look at Seventh Generation, Whole Foods, B Corp, wind and solar power, Toyota’s success with Prius. These are all the businesses taking problems and turning them into profitable solutions for social ills. If you approach and create your business differently, the results will be different.

How long have you been in business? A year and ½.

How did you fund it? I pitched and pitched. A few early angel investors and my best friends. I’m raising more with our growth and success. Know anyone?

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? No, I wish I did. I’m working it out as I go. Women I don’t even know personally have been the greatest supporters of Laborfair and my vision.

Read more

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Featured Interview: Jen Davidson, SnoDaisy Founder and Bobsledding World Champion

The following interview was written by Jessica Cryer, Startup Princess Writer.

We love a princess that isn’t afraid to ask for what she wants (an interview on our site). Wish granted, Jen. We are pleased to feature SnoDaisy founder Jen Davidson. The photo of Jen was taken at Jen’s first Startup Princess event, when she received her Magic Wand and showed off her cool board.

SnoDaisy is a company offering ultra-feminine snowboards and accessories for the “girly-girl” that’s a little adventurous. Light enough for a woman to carry, these boards are eco-friendly and chic. Interested in learning to snowboard? SnoDaisy offers lux snowboarding vacations including spa treatments, chauffeured pickups and delectable dining. This all-girl guided trip includes private lessons and a snowboard to take home with you!

Cool Facts about Jen:

1. She is a six-time high school hurdles state champion and all-state volleyball and basketball star.

2. Jen is also a two-time collegiate hurdles champion.

3. After college Jen focused her speed on winter sports in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics and was a member of the USA Olympic Team in Bobsledding 1998-2002

4. She became the most decorated brakeman in history as a leader on the groundbreaking US women’s bobsled team. Nike, Visa, and Chevrolet signed on as sponsors as she ran on ice - collecting 23 consecutive international medals.

5. The two-time World Championship silver medalist retired from bobsledding in 2002.

6. She learned to snowboard just days after Olympic Closing Ceremonies in SLC.

Enjoy meeting Startup Princess Jen Davidson!

Name: Jen Davidson

Hometown: Pocatello, ID

Current Residence: Heber City, UT

Education: MS, Health, Physical Education, Recreation – Utah State University

Professional Background: Cardiac rehab specialist; member of the USA bobsled team from 1998-2002; Sports Science Technical Coordinator for USA Track & Field; Director of Training for Dartfish software – nothing that has anything to do with my startup.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: an Olympian Read more

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Featured Interview: Wendy Bird, Gifts That Lift

The following interview was written by Jessica Cryer, Startup Princess writer:

Christmas is less than two weeks away and the pressure is on to find that perfect, meaningful gift. Wish Granted. This post provides information on how to get the most beautiful pearl jewelry at amazing prices. And what’s better than beautiful hand made jewelry? How about knowing each purchase you make helps fund a non-profit organization empowering disadvantaged Filipino mothers.

Today we’re featuring Startup Princess Wendy Bird and her company, Gifts That Lift. It began in 2002 when this mother of 5 decided to start a home-based business selling pearl jewelry. The original name of the company was My Princess Pearls and allowed her to sell at home parties and local events. She found a dependable source in the Philippines named Amara Flordeliza to supply the pearl jewelry. Within weeks of starting the business Amara informed Wendy of the horrible living conditions and dire circumstances of the women making the jewelry. Wendy realized the opportunity to help these women and wasted no time starting her non-profit organization Pearls With A Purpose.

Pearls with Purpose provides clothing, food, and educational supplies to 29 villages in the Philippines helping thousands. This mission is clear; to provide immediate relief, long term educational assistance and to teach these mothers skills to positively change their lives forever.

In 2006 Gifts That Lift became the parent company for My Princess Pearls and includes many other products. Gifts That Lift offers shoes, shirts, quilts and other products, but pearls still remain their best-seller. By keeping the cost of their product “fair and honest” they are able to move more product and in turn help more Filipino families. Each time you make a purchase you are helping these mothers, so go ahead and splurge!

Enjoy meeting Startup Princess Wendy Bird!

Hometown: California

Current Residence (City, State): Lehi, Utah

Education: 2 yr BYU, 1 yr- UofU

Professional Background (brief, please): 5 years running a 501c3 non-profit, Pearls with a Purpose Foundation, and two for-profit entities, My Princess Pearls and Gifts That Lift.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: a teacher or a truck driver, I liked to drive and travel, and I love children

What you are: a multi-tasking, brain-racking, running-on-empty, completely-hysterical 40-year old with a passion and a cause

Brief Summary of your Start Up: Began as a direct selling opportunity that turned humanitarian when living conditions were discovered in the area where the pearls were sourced. Non-profit began with the intent to help build and create self reliance through education, donations and training.

Company Website? www.myprincesspearls.com, www.giftsthatlift.net (movie) and www.pearlswithapurpose.org (foundation)

What inspired you? Humanitarian opportunity (the need) and God, and all those voices in my head…they wouldn’t shut up!! JK!! Read more

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Featured Interview: Emily Hill, Co-Founder of Georgie Tees

The following interview was written by new Startup Princess writer, Jessica Cryer

Today’s featured Startup Princess is Emily Hill Co-Founder of Georgie Tees. Emily and her best friend Le Shan always wanted to start a business together…that dream became a reality in June 2005 with a fun, upbeat infant and maternity apparel company. The company is geared to providing humor during pregnancy and motherhood by adding witty comments to their fashionable tees. Think about baby onsies with “I Scream” or maternity tees with “No longer childproof.” While fashion is important to Emily, so is comfort. That’s why all their tees are tagless and made from the softest cotton, says Emily. Emily credits motherhood with the inspiration for her humorous tees.

The Georgie Tee website also offers a link to their blog which features everything from fashion to recipes and information on other ‘mompreneurs.’ It’s an opportunity to get an inside look at the women behind the humorous tees for mom and baby. The humor isn’t just about the business… it’s survival for this busy mother of 4. Great outlook, Emily! Thanks for making us laugh!

Enjoy meeting Startup Princess, Emily Hill!

Hometown: Fremont, California

Current Residence (City, State): Sandy, Utah

Education: B.S. in Business from Brigham Young University

Professional Background (brief, please): Office Manager, Project Manager, Communications Director, Business Owner (current)

What you wanted to be when you grew up: An elementary school teacher, and my name was going to be Miss Nancy (perhaps that came from the old Romper Room show)

What you are: Co-owner of georgie tees (unofficial school teacher, nurse, peace officer, disciplinarian, chef, maid, crisis manager, and all the other “professions” that go along with being a mom)

Company Website? http://www.georgietees.com/

What inspired you? My girlfriend and I wanted to have our own business, do our own thing. The idea came to me, of all places, in the middle of a rather long church meeting. Having kids of our own it was easy to come up with the humorous phrases you’ll find on our tees. Motherhood continues to inspire us. Read more

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Startup Princess Kingdom News * November 30

The Startup Princess Kingdom is expanding…in fact it’s time for a remodel of our Castle to make room for all of our new Royalty! We’re pleased to introduce you to several *new* Startup Princesses whom have shared their startup princess fairytales with us and joined the “Kingdom of Women Entrepreneurs.” Please enjoy getting to know them by reading their inspiring profiles filled with great insight and advice. (Note: many, many more Startup Princesses are preparing for their debut!)

• Amee Janus, Melina J
• Briana Grant, Balanced Steps
• DeBorah Beatty, Consulting. She’s also a new Fairy Godmother!
• Fatma Zaidi, LoveRawFood
• GP Stone, Fish Creek House
• Heather Allard * The Mogul Mom, She’s also a new Fairy Godmother!
• Laurie Tester, Lulu and Daisy
• Lori Harris, Mary Jane’s Shoes
• Jamie Dadant, Circle of Sentiments (this is a new company for Jamie/a new profile page, formerly her company was Crafty Babies)
• Jenifer Schabes, In The Pink Designs. She’s also a new Fairy Godmother!
• Jory Des Jardins, BlogHer
• Karen Burns Working Girl
• Kristen Fischer, Writer/Editor
• Liz Pabon, The Branding Maven
• Margaret Howe, Fashion Mash
• Michal Chesal, Baby K’tan
• Sarah Jane Wright, Sarah Jane Studios
• Shannon Davis, Beyond Motherhood
• Sarah Van Bentum, VANCHI * Our first Austrailian member!
• Shelly Kennedy, Drooz Studio

Startup Princess Celebrations:
Startup Princess Rachelle Knight of Biblio Pages writes, We got our books from China! (Thanks to a connection made at our recent conference,) Startup Princess Barbara Vineyard put my journal in Wasatch Woman Magazine as a ‘Wasatch Wonder’. My books are now in Kings English Bookshop, Sam Wellers Zion Bookstore, the Airport Gift Stores and Dog-eared Books in Afton, Wy.

Fairy Godmother Laura West writes, Just wanted to take a moment and update you with some exciting happenings at the Center for Joyful Business! We are just unveailing a new & improved version our website and its full of exciting new features! I’m always amazed at the quick rate of evolution in our businesses and the website is the first to show it. You can check it out at www.JoyfulBusiness.com One of our new features is a Free Report when you sign up for the Joyful Business ezine and we are offering Joyful Business Products – by popular demand!

Want to be featured next week? Please email us your great news!

What’s your great news? Do you know of any great resources, tips, grants or contests? Please SHARE your Magic Wand Tips with us!

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Featured Interview: Suzy Nettles and Julie Burleson,Young Chefs Academy

It is our pleasure to introduce Startup Princesses Suzy Nettles and Julie Burleson, Founders of the successful Young Chefs Academy (YCA) with over 155 children’s cooking school franchises sold since June 2005.

Suzy and Julie’s 3rd business venture together (partners for 10 years) and aren’t looking for a 4th anytime soon. Their first bu siness was “Backyard Basil” a live plant, culinary, and bath herb shop, which won best business plan at Baylor in 1998 but they soon realized it didn’t’ fit with their lifestyle and family responsibilities so they quit. Their second business was a unique hair clip company however, unfortunately someone helping them with it duplicated the concept. When they told me this as I asked them, “How do you keep your cool?” they replied, HUMOR! Their next business was a catering business but when their kids wanted to help make the food they realized Young Chef’s Academy was the PERFECT business for Julie’s experience as a Chef and Suzy’s experience in elementary education, fulfilled a need in the community (the country!) plus provided an opportunity for their whole family to help. (Now both of their husbands work for them in merchandise production and at the warehouse) not to mention their kids all know when “National Roasted Marshmallow Day” is and enjoy participating in events, including the Disney ones they recently featured for the release of Ratatouille and partnered with Disney for the “Big Cheese Tour” which included free movie tickets, special “Disney approved” recipes, French lessons and a themed Rataouille party for 95 YCA locations.

This special event helped them to turn a corner from some challenges their young company faced and the timing couldn’t have been better for the company’s morale. Initially Suzy and Julie had a third partner and after a year into the relationship realized there was a conflict of interest and bought him out as of May 2007. They also learned the hard way that it’s best to sell your own franchises and not rely on a broker. Since the partner buy-out there has been many tough decisions to make, reinforcing compliant issues and restructuring to do, yet they remain very optimistic and know they can turn things around. One thing that is on their side is they really understand how to run the franchise themselves they were owner-operators of a YCA in Waco, Texas for 2 years before they started franchising.

One of the many key ingredients to making YCA successful is that it isn’t just “how to frost a cupcake” it’s a solid curriculum, where children learn facts about ingredients–where it’s grown, how it’s been used historically and culturally. Suzy’s the brain behind the curriculum and manages the 10-person curriculum staff as a former elementary ed teacher she wants kids to experience cooking and feel joy in preparing and learning. Julie is the COO, over business operations. They describe their partnership with Julie as the “Baker” (concept-driven and detail oriented, refined style) and Suzy as the “Cook” (fearless, creative style).

Suzy and Julie’s Magic Wand Tip: “Choose your partners wisely, get to know them well and find someone that compliments your personality and skills who can fill in the gaps.”

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