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Six Things I Learned at the eWomenNetwork 2011 Conference

on August 8, 2011 in Annual International Conference & Business Expo, Events, Motivation & Inspiration, Relationship Networking, Success Stories, Women in Business

Guest Post by Vikki Loving, The InterSource Companies

This was my FIRST eWomenNetwork Conference! I know, I know what you are saying – “Girl, you have really been missing something special!” You would be so right!

Here is some of what I learned:

Women Power – It has been a long time since I immersed myself in women-only activities. I have many girlfriends, however most of my work has been with men. I forgot what it was like for someone to say, “We need a girlfriend over here!” and up rushes more than one person to help, to hug and to offer a hand.

The Importance of Purpose – “There are two days that are important in your life, the day you are born, and the day you figure out Why”. Sandra Yancey, thank you for that line in your keynote speech! I know WHY I was born. In my role as an Executive Recruiter and as an Executive Coach I will certainly use that line! The power in knowing what you are good at, what you have to sell to others and what you are built to do makes all the difference in how motivated you will be in your life. When you can answer that question the rest becomes an adventure!

Carry a Credit Card – After an evening of Chocolate Decadence you might find, as you are walking back to your room, the opportunity to speak to someone you wanted to connect with at the Conference. For me it was Marcia Wieder! There is something about her that just glows. And as the universe would have it, she just happened to be in the lobby sitting there and available. She still had space in one of her wonderful workshops, an enrollment form in her tiny little purse and I happened to have my credit card securely tucked in my Spanx! I am grateful for the moment to connect with Marcia Wieder and for remembering to carry a credit card.

Structure will Set you Free – Thank you Lisa Sasevich! I know for myself that I love spontaneity and the ability to change priorities as I see fit. Lisa’s main stage presentation showed me the value of structure and the flexibility to be spontaneous all in the same moment. She helped me remember that “you cannot ask others to invest in you at a greater level than you are willing to invest in yourself.” While our many family members back home think we are off at the Conference playing, it really was a BIG week of investing, absorbing all that you can learn and remembering that a commitment of time and resources can set you free.

New Friends – You meet the most amazing people, like Dr. Michelle Robin the author of “Wellness on a Shoestring” and the founder of Your Wellness Connection, a healing center in Kansas City. I met Nikkea Devida, founder of Accelerated Results Expert, a songwriter and a female veteran. Nikkea‘s heart has been moved to write a tribute song to female veterans. She would like to sell the song and have all the proceeds go to the eWomenNetwork Foundation to help the women’s veterans initiative. These are just two of the women I met who instantly made a difference in my life and in the moment of knowing them.

Sell Your Thing – It is not enough to be knowledgeable about what we do for a living. It is important as well to teach others to do what we do and better yet, make money doing it! All the speakers provided us with great content, great ideas, great advice and they were all willing to teach us what they do and how they do it. It made me reflect on the eWomenNetwork saying, “lift as you climb”.

I am back home and busy creating product offerings that I can share with my client companies and with my executive coaching clients. My new post-Conference focus is to teach my clients the process I utilize to find the absolutely RIGHT Person to Hire and the absolutely RIGHT Job Fit. Even though I have recruited for companies ranging from Coca-Cola and Dell Computer to smaller companies with fewer than 50 people, I never once thought about selling them the process I use rather than the service I provide. I LOVE the thought of teaching others how to do what I do!

Thank you Sandra and Kym Yancey for your vision, for your commitment to excellence in all things and for your willingness to bring us those who will put a hand out and help others along the way.

Vikki Loving is a Platinum Member of the Chairman’s Circle

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QR Codes are Worth a Scan

on July 31, 2011 in Education, Marketing, Technology, Women in Business

Post by Kathy F. Catoe

QR codes are popping up everywhere. These strange two dimensional codes are appearing in magazines, on coupons, in television commercials and on websites. You may have even seen them at the doorway to your favorite restaurant or on business cards at the 11th Annual eWomenNetwork Conference & Business Expo. Their adoption is steadily increasing as a marketing tool. This presentation will give you some insights into this exciting new technology.

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Change Your Mind, Change Your Money

on May 7, 2011 in Success Institute, Women in Business

Guest Post by Sherí Taber, Founder and CEO of the Peak Performance Group

What you believe about your ability to be successful and build a successful business completely determines your success. Interestingly, the beliefs you hold at a very deep level drive your thoughts and your actions. One of the greatest contributions to the failure of women-owned small businesses is their mindset.

Throughout history, women have been conditioned to accept that they are first responders to all things domestic and while they may have “permission” to play” at business, the game shouldn’t be so high that it creates a risk of financial loss or failure to attend to the needs of their family. The older you are, the more powerful the conditioning and the higher the expectations. Even women in their twenties and thirties are unlikely to have a mom-preneur role model and have been subject, at the very least, by osmosis to this mindset. Understanding what is at the root of your belief system about being a successful business owner is the key to unlocking the gates to success.

You might say, “I don’t have any limitations embracing and executing what it takes to be outrageously successful!” That’s phenomenal! However, unless you have analyzed your own belief systems about:

Business
Investing in business resources
What you believe should take first place before your business responsibilities

you might be surprised at what could be holding you back.

Historically, women have allowed their families to create the expectations and priorities they must then manage before freely focusing on the responsibilities and priorities of their businesses. Even those who might label themselves as ‘empowered with independence’ naturally feel an obligation to manage family and social business before the priorities of their enterprise.

Research shows women entrepreneurs also struggle with investing in resources such as administrative support, technology and business coaching. A recent study by Kimberly-Clark revealed that the most significant barriers to success were A) access to financial resources (65 percent), B) risk of failure (43 percent) and C) not knowing where to start (36 percent). Barriers A and B would be scalable if they invested in support that helped them know where to start, what to focus on and how to plan for success, how to prepare and position their organization to qualify for funds, if needed, and how to avert risk and prevent failure.

On May 17^th, join Sheri’ Taber on Success Institute as she introduces a framework to help you avoid these barriers to success.

You’ll be empowered to:

Examine and overcome limiting beliefs about business success
Overcome organizational stutters and stammers
Resolve barriers to success
Manage expectations to maximize personal and professional success
Leverage intention over impact to accelerate success
What’s impeding your immediate success? Conduct your own gap analysis

Don’t miss this one if you are serious about business success!

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The Woodpecker’s Secret to Getting What You Want

on April 11, 2011 in Coaching Corner, Motivation & Inspiration, Women in Business

Guest Post by Premier Success Coach Kim Griffith, MA, Parenting & Wellness Coach/Educator

Everyone seems to be teaching the secret to realizing our dreams. The main ingredients are usually:

Vision work
Positive thinking
Taking action

But if it were that easy, wouldn’t we all have what we want?

These ingredients are great, and I use them in my coaching and personal life. But why is it there are times that amazing opportunities and unexpected collaborations open up for me with no effort, then there are other times when I am clear about my vision yet find myself struggling, pushing hard to make forward progress and getting nowhere?

As I was considering this dichotomy, I noticed a woodpecker working diligently on building his home. I’d seen him earlier in the week, but today he was about to reinforce a simple (but not so easy) lesson.

This determined woodpecker seemed to know exactly what he wanted. He was working hard, that’s for sure. But there appeared to be no urgency in his actions even though his project was taking what I thought was a long time to complete.

If he experienced any type of obstacle, I was not aware of it. He just continued on, accepting exactly where he was at every moment. I knew he wasn’t thinking “I have so much to do, and how in the world am I going to get it all done?” or “I don’t know if I can reach my goal.”

Our capacity as humans to feel emotions and question our process is unique to our species. It can come in handy at times, but it can also cause us to struggle, force, worry and control when there’s something we want but don’t have. Resistance is the opposite of acceptance. When you truly accept what is without judgment, you have no resistance. When you have no resistance, a space opens for creative solutions, and your inspired action step will appear.

You can ask yourself — on a scale from 1-10, how much energy am I spending resisting or trying to control my outcome? Acknowledging the truth, the reality of our situation, often brings up uncomfortable feelings, which is the main reason we find ourselves in denial, resisting or pretending we are somewhere else. But avoiding our feelings just creates more resistance, which pushes us further away from realizing our dreams.

Accepting where we are allows us to relax, which naturally creates a pause in our attempts to control. That’s when the magic happens; when “invisible doors” to what’s next are revealed with ease.

I’m sharing my lesson from the woodpecker with you, what I am calling The Woodpecker’s Secret to Getting What You Want:

Know what you want (you may find that it is already hard-wired in you)
Accept exactly where you are right now (don’t judge it, just accept it)
The next door opens naturally (an inspiration, idea, phone call, person)
Then you take action …

Simply continue to repeat these steps from your new vantage point. And just like the woodpecker, knowing what you want and feeling acceptance with where you are assures that what you want is coming your way.

Connect with Kim Griffith at eWomenNetwork or

The Wellness Way

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International FEMTOR™ Awards Deadline—hurry nominate an outstanding woman!

on March 23, 2011 in eWomenNetwork Foundation

The International Femtor™ Awards are one of North America’s most prestigious award honors. Each year nominated leaders are selected to be recognized for their outstanding achievements and the role they play in elevating the stature and well being of women. This year’s awards ceremony, July 15, 2011 in Dallas Texas, promises to be the most exciting event ever!

Past winners include:

Debbie Meyer, inventor of Debbie Meyer GREEN BAGS and HSN TV Star; Sheila Johnson, Co-Founder of BET, owner of Salamander Hospitality, movie producer and impassioned philanthropist; and Marilyn Tam, former CEO of Aveda, former President of Reebok Retail and Best Selling Author.

Debbie Meyer

Sheila Johnson

Marilyn Tam

The term Femtor™ means “a wise and trusted woman providing knowledge, inspiration and practical information to other women.” Femtor™ acknowledges the mentoring work done from a female experience and knowledge base. These experienced women seek out ways to teach, share their wisdom and help other women find their wings.

The eWomenNetwork Foundation is currently accepting nominations in each of the following categories:

Business Matchmaker of the Year: The award recognizes a unique woman who has consistently gone out of her way to help others succeed. She is the consummate connector, who unselfishly looks out for the business needs of others.

Made it to a Million Award: Current research shows that only 2% of women owned businesses generate revenues of $1 million annually. This award recognizes an outstanding woman who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and business skills in the course of starting and growing her company. She must be the owner/CEO of a 51% woman-owned business that has a minimum of 5 full time employees with an annual company revenue of at least $1 million for the preceding fiscal year.

Emerging Leader of the Year: This award recognizes our leaders of tomorrow and the promise of a vibrant and heart-centered future. Applicants in this category are the best and the brightest in the 22-29 age group. Emerging Leaders must have demonstrated extraordinary and significant accomplishments in the areas of education, business and service to their communities.

Grants to Local Non profits: Do you know a small non-profit whose mission includes improving the emotional and financial well-being of women and children? Encourage them to apply for an eWomenNetwork Foundation Grant!

Deadline for all nominations is April 14, 2011.

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Partner with your husband? This is how it is done folks!

on March 11, 2011 in Education, Success Institute, Women in Business

Guest Post by Danelle Brown

I recently put on my Facebook page update something awesome I was witness to. I was in a great goal setting workshop a couple weekends ago. This was an all day thing mind you. You went in at 9:00 and didn’t come out until 4:00. So many great business owners in there ready to take charge of their year. I met a lot of business owners – particularly ones working with their spouses. This does not surprise me because you are all out there!

At the end of the workshop, I was walking outside with a wonderful lady I had met that day and we were talking about – of course – the fact that she worked with her husband. She was excited to read my book and it was a nice conversation. We both approached our cars to find that someone mysteriously had left a single long stemmed red rose on her car window.

One guess who it was.

Later I spoke with her on Facebook and she told me her husband left her that rose in appreciation of her working hard on their business and taking time on a Saturday to get it done.

Wow.

That is how it is done. Little things like that are so simple to implement to not only encourage one another in your business, but also to keep the spark alive. More often than not, you two are the only cheerleaders you have in the business. It is so important to maintain the balance of encourager, supporter, sounding board and even the romantic.

What small steps can you take today to show your spouse how much you support them in running your business together?

Join Danelle Brown on Success Institute, 3.22.11 at 1:30pm CST to learn “How to Run a Business With Your Spouse and STAY Married!”

Original Post from Soulmate Proprietors

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Women Entrepreneurs: What are the Top Three Barriers to Financial Freedom?

on March 4, 2011 in Women in Business

Guest Post by Terri Maxwell

Let’s start with the truth. According to the Center for Women Owned Businesses, there are 10.4 million women-owned businesses that employ nearly 12.8 million people and generate $1.9 trillion in sales. That’s astounding.

The cold hard truth, however, is that most women-owned firms are still one-person shops (10.4 million businesses employing 12.8 million people. That’s about 1.2 employees PER business.) Why is that? Most economists say that women start “lifestyle businesses” so therefore they are not interested in growth. Is that true? I don’t think so!

So, what is it preventing women business owners from aggressively growing their business so that they achieve financial independence?

I asked this question to several investors over the last two years. The response: “Most women just don’t know how to compete.”

My response: “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Their answer did nothing but fuel my desire to find the real truth. Fox Business News thinks “women ROCK as business owners” and cited these points in a 2010 article:

1) Women owned firms contribute $3 trillion annually to the U.S. economy (revenue generated plus investment expenses to grow their business). They also account for 16% of ALL jobs.

2) Women owned firms are projected to create 5 – 5½ million NEW jobs by 2018. For the record, that’s more than half of the TOTAL new small-business jobs that will be created and about one-third of the TOTAL new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This includes jobs in Corporate America.

3) The Fox Business News article states that characteristics such as being customer-focused, community-focused and being servant leaders translates into women who excel in running a business, keeping employees engaged and building a loyal customer base.

The article didn’t mention that “we don’t know how to compete,” just for the record.

So, if we ROCK at business ownership…why does it feel as if we’re just getting by?

In my research, I did find three simple growth-stifling mistakes, that when you put them together explain why there are so many women-run firms who remain small and miss the $1M annual revenue mark.

1) First, we focus on doing rather than “getting it done.”

2) The second biggest mistake women business owners make is that we focus on tasks rather than business priorities.

3) The biggest mistake we make is that we focus on what’s not working rather than what IS working!

So how can we overcome these mistakes? Can you think of other issues that might keep women business owners from growing their companies to their fullest potential? Please share and leave your comments below. And join me on eWomenNetwork Success Institute, March 8, 2011, as we discuss ways to overcome these mistakes and take your business to $1 M annual revenue mark and beyond.

Join Terri Maxwell on Success Institute, March 8, 2011 at 1:30pm CST to learn how to “Overcome the Top 3 Barriers to Financial Freedom!”

Original Post from Succeed On Purpose, Inc.

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10 Ways Successful Entrepreneurs Are Different from Most Small Business Owners

on February 24, 2011 in Education, Success Institute, Women in Business

Guest Post by Stacy Karacostas

The longer I’ve been in business, the more I’ve realized there are major differences between entrepreneurs who are successful, and those who aren’t. So I decided to make a list of the top ten and share these important insights with you…

Successful business owners know there is always something more to learn. They make a point of reading books, taking classes, attending seminars, and looking at what others in their industry (or other industries) are doing.

Or, in the words of Jim Rohn, “Rich people have big libraries;
poor people have big TV’s.”

They understand the power of delegating and outsourcing. You’d be hard pressed to find a millionaire who’s made it there all by themselves. Most have at least one assistant (virtual or in-house), many have teams of people they can rely on.
Powerhouse business-owners are stingy with their time. Sure, we’ve all heard the phrase time is money. But when was the last time you calculated the value of every minute of your day? Or looked at how much time you actually spend being productive versus busy? Once you do, I guarantee you’ll change the way you use your time.
They stay focused on the things that actually make money. You’re just not going to find a $2000/hour consultant doing their own filing or bookkeeping or Web design. Not when those tasks can be hired out at a fraction of the cost. Instead they stay focused on tasks that generate revenue or grow their business.
Super-successful entrepreneurs take massive action. Because massive action produces massive results. By the same token, a little action produces small results. And no action at all…well, you get the picture.
They don’t think in terms of failures and problems, only learning experiences and opportunities. It’s all about taking calculated risks, and if need be, failing forward. But nothing ventured truly is nothing gained. And there are never any guarantees a product, service, program or business is going to be successful.
Smart business owners are always looking for ways to improve their offerings. Most millionaires don’t ever stop and rest on their laurels. Instead they are searching for ways to expand their current market share or break into new markets.
Successful entrepreneurs typically don’t want to be involved in the day-to-day aspects of running a business. But they also know they can’t expect their business to suddenly start running itself. So they create processes, set up explicit expectations and create systems to manage workflow and keep employees and contractors on track.
Savvy business owners pay attention to the numbers so they know when to cut their losses. And they don’t get personally attached to ideas. When something’s not working, not making money, or not helping them meet their goals, they have no qualms about making a change.
Entrepreneurs earning six and seven figures don’t just go about running or growing their businesses willy nilly. They have goals. And they make plans to reach those goals. Which is why they become so successful.

If you want to become highly-successful, then the best thing you can do is mimic those who have already made it big—starting with these ten ideas.

What are your thoughts? Any other traits you’ve noticed? Please do share by leaving a comment below…

Join Stacy Karacostas on Success Institute, March 1, 2011 at 1:30pm CST, for the “Secrets of Outsourcing Your Way to Success without All the Stress “

Original Post from The Unchained Entrepreneur

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Finding Balance in Chaos

on February 21, 2011 in Coaching Corner, Education, Women in Business

Guest Post by Premier Success Coach Kim Griffith, MA, Co-Active Parenting and Wellness Coach

Does this sound familiar?

I had a plan … I was organized and in the flow. I had a deadline to write an article on trauma for a parenting magazine and write this blog post, so set aside 2 full days to complete them. I felt confident and in control of my time.

And then, the biggest ice storm hit Dallas and all my plans came to a screeching halt. My daughter’s school closed so she was home. Then came our power outages, and finally, my husband wrecked his car trying to get out of the driveway! I had to take and pick him up from work (he’s a doctor and babies don’t wait to be delivered)! Although this is an extreme scenario, it expresses how crazy life can get as we are juggling being a mom, wife and running a business. When we love all of them, HOW DO WE FIND OUR BALANCE?

I have found that getting REGULATED (calm and centered) is of the utmost importance. When we are stressed and run by thought patterns that keep us in “survival mode,” our brain is limited to fight, flight or freeze, which shows up as anxiety, fear, frustration, anger etc. No one is getting their needs met in this state of mind, not to mention the toll it begins to take on our physical well-being. When we can take a few deep, conscious breaths and find a sense of calm, we give our brain a chance to tap into creative solutions, increase our energy and have the space to ask some important questions.

Ask yourself, what is the most important thing to me right now in this moment? What do I value the most in my life? VALUES are our road map to making good decisions and living a truly happy life. After getting regulated and asking myself these questions, I was able to regain my sense of calm, and be present in what I was doing. My energy was amazing and I wrote this post in 20 minutes! I felt productive, with my creative juices flowing.

I found my personal balance in this extreme set of circumstances by honoring and being in tune with my values and priorities. And this, I believe, is the first step in balancing meeting our own needs with the needs of our family. What is of highest value and priority to you? Live in alignment with them and your business will flourish!

In summary….1) Breath 2) Regulate 3) Accept 4) Ask what is most important (Values, Priorities) 5) Be Present in what your doing 6) Trust and allow your creativity to flow!

Connect with Kim Griffith at eWomenNetwork or The Wellness Way

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At Home Businesses for Women: Soapbox Warning

on February 17, 2011 in Branding, Coaching Corner, Motivation & Inspiration, Women in Business

Guest Post by Premiere Success Coaches Aly Calvo and Andrea Kulberg, M. Ed., Branding Specialists Coaches

We get it. You work from home, so you have a free pass to spend the day in your pajamas behind the computer while juggling loads of laundry and dishes, right? Wrong. Fair warning, we are about to be on our soapbox and hold you accountable for the way you operate your business. If that makes you uncomfortable…. read on, anyway because we’re calling you out and that means you need it. (Yes, English teacher, we are using the word YOU today.)

With the evolution of the office (thank you, technology), so has come the evolution of opportunities for women, particularly moms, entering the workforce. Put that in a blender with the recent economy, and find for the first time ever that more women are beginning entrepreneurial endeavors than men. The fact is, we really can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan… and do the family taxi-driving, chef duty, housekeeping, bookkeeping, teacher, tear-wiper, nose-wiper, and you get-the-idea-all-at-the-same-time. BUT, if you want to be more than just slightly successful in the bank account department, you must define boundaries for your work space. Physically and emotionally.

If you are working to serve your purpose (and you should), protect that. We are guessing that most you you are not energized or empowered by laundry or scheduling the garage door repair. We also know that if you really are working to your highest potential, your hourly rate is likely higher than the cost of outsourcing house management tasks. Plus, you can feed the economy by employing another person who IS asking for that kind of work. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. That is applicable in both your personal life, and your business.

We are calling it like it is here. There is no excuse for you to be doing anything in your personal life or your professional career that does not serve your strengths, talents, personal joy, or legacy. We coach in detail about how to do this, but suffice it to say, if you are truly ready to be successful, joyful, and fulfilled, we know this is true.

And another thing! Since we are on our soapbox, we have to say it that way. If you want to be successful, you must ACT successful. Expect it. You wouldn’t go to a corporate sales meeting in sweats, so why go to your Starbucks meeting, or even Skype meeting like that? If you are networking, Get UP, dress the part, and put on a little lip gloss!

Our encouragement to you today is to respect yourself first, so you have the authority to demand that respect from others. If you want your family, friends, colleagues, prospective bosses, or potential customers to take you seriously, act like you work. Because you do.

Stepping down now….

Connect with Aly and Andrea at eWomenNetwork

Original Post @ Rock Star U

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