Lifestyle CEO Blog

30 Days To Your Own Book!

2006-09-11T18:56:21Z

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing book marketing expert John Kremer on the Lifestyle CEO Show. According to John, no matter what kind of buisness you have these days, you also need a book. By way of example, he shared how a New York dentist who sells Zellies, a chewable product to clean and protect teeth and freshen breath, uses a self-published book to enhance product sales and promote brand awareness. The book includes information on how to avoid going to the dentist. What a perfect complement to the product she sells! The combination is a powerful 1-2 punch that makes it hard not to buy one when you've already committed to buying the other. What sense would it make to buy Zellies without also getting a book to help you understand how best to use them?

What information do you have that can encourage people to buy your product? Connect these dots by writing for as little as an hour a day for 30 days and you'll have a book and the makings of a new way to get the word out about your products and while generating another stream of income. What's not to love?!

To enjoy John's interview and all of the other Lifestyle CEO Shows, click here.

To Our Valued Employees ...

2006-09-01T02:57:39Z

In a pamphlet entitled, "Preparing for a Financial Setback," Northwest Airlines recently advised employees who are possible targets for layoffs that they should always be prepared for life's little financial emergencies. In addition to the very helpful admonishment to "manage money better," Northwest cheerfully reminded everyone that there is no shame in "pulling something you like out of the trash." Another meaty tidbit encouraged people who might be about to lose their jobs to take "a walk along the beach or in the woods."

For all you corporate leaders who are contemplating similar layoffs, why not give your employees some real advice? Tell them to start their own business.

Don't worry about creating a fancy pamphlet like Northwest Airlines did. A short letter will suffice. To make it easy, I've drafted one for you. Simply insert your company name and cut and paste. Oh, and one more thing! Don't worry about going to the expense of mailing it out via snail mail. Take a tip from Radio Shack, which recently used email to layoff hundreds of employees. Now how easy was that?!

To get your draft letter, continue reading.

]]> Dear Employee:

As you know, the last several years have been difficult here at INSERT COMPANY NAME. We lost a ton of money when the dot com bubble exploded. Then 9/11 came along and forced our overhead costs upward into the stratosphere, so we had to move you from your small office facing the alley into a windowless cubicle in the basement. Health care costs are spiraling upward, requiring us to eliminate health benefits for your spouse and 3 small children, effective last week. Gas prices are outrageous so we will not be able to keep our promise to subsidize your public transportation and parking costs.

Through it all of course, we have somehow continued to give our top level executives hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses, leased cars and country club dues payments. We wish we could share the bounty with you, but even if we did, you wouldn't have time to enjoy it. After all, you do have a 2-hour commute and there's that homework your kids need help with when you get home. Yes, and you are helping your aging parents with household chores, keeping track of prescriptions and that mountain of Medicaid paperwork. You'd be far too busy to spend the extra money so we'll just keep it for ourselves.

Alas, we finally had to admit that despite our best efforts, the bottom line is that we are simply unable (or unwilling depending on which of us is asked) to provide you with a fair return for your hard work. So at our last board meeting, we voted to give you the best piece of advice we can offer: Start your own business. Here are some reality checks to help get you started.

1. We can fire you at any time without giving a reason and you have no recourse.
2. Not only can we fire you whenever we feel like it, but we can fire your colleagues and then make you do their work without a corresponding compensation boost.
3. We are eliminating our pension plan, which by the way is already grossly under funded, because our former employees are living so long.
4. We are no longer able to pay your spouse's and children's health insurance premiums, and you have to pay 50% of yours.
5. We are not required to give you a pay increase, even when you deserve one.
6. If your daughter gets ill after you've used up your vacation leave, the hours spent for your trips to the hospital are on your dime.
7. We can't match your 401K contributions anymore.
8. By law, our first obligation is to our shareholders, not you, so don't be insulted if we make more cuts so that people with more money than you can get a better return on their investment in our stock.
9. If you're lucky, you might get a promotion which of course would mean more money. Bear in mind, however, that the more money we give you, the more of your life you must give to us. So if you are lucky enough to be promoted, don't make any weekend plans.
10. It's our sand box. You just play in it.

We hope that this letter helps you to better understand the nature of our relationship. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to break all the rules, build your own corporate ladder and create the life you love.

And you know where to go for tips on how to do that.

Sincerely,

Executive Board
INSERT COMPANY NAME

A Tip From Mickey Mouse

2006-07-20T15:51:08Z

Tired of being trying to be all things to all people? If so, take a tip from Mickey & Co. (Note: Mickey's photo courtesy of one-time use policy of The Walt Disney Co.).

MSNBC reports that The Walt Disney Co. is dumping high level executives in charge of labor intensive projects that do not result in lucrative licensing deals. Riding high on the success of the Pirates of the Carribean movie franchise, Disney is proof that the power of one good project can far outweigh the benefits of many mediocre ones. Check out the Pirate Goodie Store, where you can buy back packs, tee shirts, watches, lamps, sheets, snow globes and about anything else you can stick a skull and crossbones on.

So the next time you consider adding a new product to your line, think first about whether simply expanding the power of an existing one might be a better strategy.

More money.

Less work.

More family time.

Isn't that what you're in business for in the first place?

And Now, A Word From My Angel

2006-07-19T23:01:21Z

click for larger

I get many requests from people who want to see more pictures of my kids. Of course I love their photos so I'm happy to share them on occasion

Take this one for example. My husband bought our 2-year old son, Brooks, his first bike with training wheels, complete with a sporty new helmet with a frog motif. At nap time, he refused to take it off and the result is adorable. I hope you agree.

Well, since I do more all day than stare at my kids' pictures, it's back to work.

Get A Gig Of Your Own Before It's Too Late

2006-07-13T20:31:15Z

There's a lot of talk this month about the celebration on July 6 of President Bush's 60th birthday. Despite how I feel about his political persuasions, I am consistently impressed with his personal message and example of health and fitness. I wish he were more vocal (and perhaps knowledgeable) about the impact of aging on some of his peers who, unlike him, will have to work well beyond the traditional retirement age of 65. Of course Prez won't have to find sources of income since he can live off of his family's financial investments and healthy checks from Texas and federal government retirement funds. But for most people who are honing on on 40, 50 and beyond, the options are limited. Many are finding that they have to work well beyond age 65 in order to live comfortably, yet the traditional work place is decidedly brutal and unforgiving when it comes to accommodating more experienced workers.

Take the case of 60-year old Richard Rocco ...

]]> Take the case of 60-year old Richard Rocco, a hard working New Jersey sales representative who, according to the July 9 issue of USA Today, was shocked when after 27 years of experience, he was laid off. Rocco could not afford to retire, which he did not plan to do until he was 65, so he sold everything to buy a copying/printing franchise. Now he works 12 hour days and is living off savings since the franchise is not yet profitable. Rocco is caught in a time warp; a victim of the world's transition from the age of traditional "job security" to the age of "free agency".

Of course it's hardly Rocco's fault that he's in his current predicament. It's really no one's fault. But it's clear that we must realize that today's definition of job security encompasses personal responsibility for the course of one's career and lifestyle. Gone are the days of mutually flowing loyalties when you could work for someone for decades and they might consider keeping you on well past your prime if they knew it would result in financial devastation for you.

One man interviewed in the article was quoted as saying, "You work 'til you drop." But that's not necessarily true. If you own a business and you are passionate about the products and services you provide, you may work it until you die, but it's not work. It's you passion. It's your life. And if it compensates you reasonably well, why would you ever want to stop??!

It's time to be your own boss!! Even if you also maintain a full- or part-time job, you need something of your own too. There's just no room for argument about that. I wish Rocco and other like him luck and continued health. For those who are not yet where he is, take note. If you want to minimize the chances of having to walk in Rocco's shoes, start your own gig -- something you are passionate about. If you ever lose the full-time position, or decide you want to move on, you'll immediately be able to turn to an income producing activity that you enjoy.

What's your gig? Is there something holding you back from starting your own business? Don't say you don't have time. We always make time for what's really important to us.

Indie Has More Appeal -- And The Big Boys Know It!

2006-06-13T14:30:02Z

As a small business owner selling products by the hundreds per month that mega-companies sell by the hundreds per minute, do you ever wonder if there are enough people to buy your "indie" product when so many are buying the mega-company brands? If so, stop wondering and just get to work selling your wares. If the microbrewery industry is any indication, indie has more appeal -- and the big boys know it. This means that if you are willing to work hard, you're already a winner no matter what.

]]> I've been watching the upward growth of the microbrewery industry for many years now, particularly since my cousin's brand of "Mojo Highway" golden ale was featured in a major hip hop magazine several years ago. Unfortunately, he did not have the funding to expand his brand and the beer company went under, but his experience demonstrated the clear consumer demand for products made by micro-manufacturers of everything from soap to alcoholic beverages.

An MSNBC article today further confirms this. Mega-company beer sales declined 1.6% last year while micro-brewery sales jumped a whopping 9%. So what are the bigger companies doing? Doling out big bucks to snap up the smaller brands and ward off the competition, that's what!

Think about it. You can buy a product that you see advertised on the side of buses, during championship football game halftime shows and in sleek major department store catalogs. Or you can buy a product made by someone who started his or her business from passion to deliver you the best product imaginable. And to top it all off, she used to work at one of the world's mega-companies and became just as tired and burned out as you are, so she started her own business. Now, she supports her family by making and selling to you the products she feels so passionate about. If the product quality and performance are there (and often times, both are better than the major brands), then which would you choose to buy?

The corporate suction of niche brands is happening all over. Remember back in 2000 when the Hain Food Group - the country's largest health food company at the time, and which is now called the Hain Celestial Group -- bought Celestial Seasonings for close to $400 million? (And it has since purchased many more indie companies including a brand of organic baby food.) Or how about when Disney purchased Baby Einstein from mom and entrepreneur Julie Clark for a reported $25 million?

Big companies' products are convenient because they are ubiquitous. When people want to buy a product at a discount price that meets a physical need, they are there. For example, say you're at a football game and they sell big brew in the stands. Your buddies are buying it by the gallon, so you have some too. Or you're running around like a crazy woman on December 24 trying to finish your holiday shopping and you spot mega-brand company lotion on sale at a 50% discount. What are you going to do?

But when you want to buy a product that fills more than a physical need, you act differently. You want to be inspired by the products you spend your money on. You want to identify with the place from when they came, and when they sprang forth from the heart of a person just like you who is pursuing a life-long dream to get a beautiful product into your hot little hands, which are you going to choose?

Lifestyle CEOs, our time has come. Of course it's not easy. Julie Clark spent a lot of time running Baby Einstein before Disney came along. (You can enjoy my Lifestyle CEO interview with Julie here.) But if you do have a quality product, and there is a demand for it, you can grow it to the point where you will have a lot of options.

You'll be able to stay small, and make enough money to support yourself, your family and maybe even have a small business asset to hand off in your will. Or you can work like the dickens for a decade and sell your baby for millions of dollars to a company that will fold it into their own group of brands. And there are a thousand options in between. Partner with someone else. License your brand. Franchise it. Only the length of your life limits the possibilities.

So, again, if you ever worry about whether there are enough people to buy your "indie" product when so many are buying the mega-company brands, use the time you spend worrying about that to take actions to move your business forward -- step by step, day by day.

Now, stop worrying!! And get to work!!

Simple Steps To Make Your Cash Register Ring

2006-06-12T15:57:16Z

How many times have you sat down in front of your computer or in your office and just stared at the walls because you didn't know what to do next. If you're a mom like me, it probably wasn't long before someone in the house found something for you to do. But let's say the young ones are out for a while and it's just you trying to figure out how to get your business from where it is now to where you want it to be -- generating more cash flow! Sound familiar? If so, then these Simple Steps To Make Your Cash Register Ring are for you.

]]> 1. Pursue Ideal Opportunities ONLY. No one can be all things to all people, and yet the most common mistake I see mom business owners make is trying to straddle over too many fences as they say "yes" to everyone who calls. If you are a home gardening expert, stick to that and do it well. Heck, you may actually have more than one area of expertise, and if so, stick to them. But don't try to pursue every single opportunity that comes along. Doing so diffuses your impact and marginalizes your circle of influence. Stick to serving people who fit your idea of a model customer. That will keep you busy enough without trying to say "yes" to everyone that comes along.

2. Identify Your Foundation and Build Around It. Take the time to actually hone in on the foundation of your business. What is it that you do? What is it that you sell? Once you identify that, structure your business and your strategy around that. If you are a professional organizer, build your business structure and activities around that. Write articles for local publications -- everyone can use some help getting more organized. Start your own blog on the topic, contribute your expertise to discussion groups organized around the topic, speak for free at your local public library, start writing your book. As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Do what homebuilders do: lay the foundation and build up and out from there.

3. Institutionalize Your Activities. How many different ways do you go about accomplishing the same routine activities week after week? If it's more than a few ways, you need to cut some things out. For example, if you accept credit cards as payment in full for a product and someone asks you if they can pay in installments, it may be tempting to allow that. After all, it's a sale and you get the money eventually. But in reality, adjusting the structure of your business to accommodate such a request will usually be more trouble than it's worth, especially if you are not set up to track payments over time. The idea is to operate your business so that it can all but run itself. It may not be automated, but the way you do things should be. Make routine business activities as predictable, non-variable and automated as possible.

4. Delegate. What freedom! What exhilaration! There is great joy in delegating tasks that someone else can do more efficiently than you can. I know, I know -- you're a do-it-yourselfer and this is your business. That may be true, but unless you learn to delegate, it won't be a business for long because you won't be able to do everything yourself. If you try to, the business will plateau. Yes, it will simply stop growing because you can't be effective at doing everything and still grow profitably.

I once heard someone say, "I'm too busy running my business to actually make any money!" Don't let this happen to you. Delegate some of the tasks that others can do more effectively than you can. You don't have to delegate everything all at once. Remember that small drops of water make a mighty ocean, so start by getting people to do small things for you. Maybe start with having someone else update your website or edit the articles you write. Perhaps you sell products you make yourself and could use a "helper" to assist you in the manufacturing, packing and/or shipping process. Whatever the case, start by finding small things that someone else can do for a small fee or trade. You'll be glad you did.

If these tips have been helpful to you, you will love my interview with Jim McCaffrey, who provided these tips and more on a recent edition of the Lifestyle CEO Show. To enjoy the show, click here.

The "Buzz" on a Budget

2006-06-05T18:56:56Z

A few years ago I met Marla Russo through a member of the Handmade Beauty Network. At the time, I didn't know much about public relations and since meeting Marla, I still don't know everything, but I know a whole lot more than I did then. Marla is the founder and president of Bella PR where for the past five years, she has represented women-owned businesses to the most influential editors in the magazine publishing industry. If you want to generate buzz about your products but don't know where to start, here's Marla's advice.

]]> 1. Get Organized. You have to know your product inside and out, and present it well. No crooked or smudged labels or leaky bottles. Make sure graphics are neat and coorindated. Labels can be printed on a home computer, but they still have to be nicely done. If you are not organized, you can't look organized. If a magazine or newspaper editor sees "unorganized," they will sense the risk associated with touting your product to their readers, and when that happens, your product ends up in the nearest trash pile.

2. Know Your Target. Everybody wants to be in a magazine, but which one? Oprah's would be great, but is it really the best one for you? This is where knowing your target comes in. Read several publications for a few months and identify the ones you think are the best fit for your product or service. If you don't sell organic products, don't waste your time sending them to the editor of a magazine focusing on organic living. Read publications to get a feel for what their style is. If a magazine only features products with a celebrity testimonial angle, and you don't have any celebrity customers, that magazine may not be worth your time.

3. Think Locally. Don't forget about the regional press. Your backyard newspaper is not the New York Times, but as they say, there's no such thing as bad publicity. Even a feature in a small neighborhood publication gives your products credibility so don't forget about the media in your own back yard.

4. Tell Your Story. Everyone loves a good story. Make sure your press release and other media "pitches" tell your story. What's interesting about the way your products came into being? What's the personal side of your business? Editors are "influencers," who like to present their readers with stories that resonate and create excitement. Tell a good story and the buzz will follow.

If these tips have stimulated your apetite for more, enjoy my entire interview with Marla (and tons of other great interviews) on my Lifestyle CEO Show radio page!

Be For Real!

2006-05-01T10:52:36Z

I am the Business columnist for District Chronicles, a Washington, DC neighborhood weekly newspaper. My columns provide helpful information and tips to encourage and inspire small business owners to new heights. A few months ago, I received an email from someone who saw my column. "Karla" invited me to "speak briefly" at a breakfast event with a recognized "sports celebrity". Her email stated the event date and time, and asked me to RSVP soon since seating was limited. Karla did not say how long I was expected to speak, who the audience was, how many people to expect, who the sponsor of the event was or any other helpful information. The invitation ended with her name and phone number, but no business information. Don't you just hate that?!

]]>
Since I don't usually receive invitations to events that will be attended by sports celebrities, I wrote Karla back and requested her business details and clarification of what she expected of me. Her verbatim response was:

"There is mingling and getting to know each other for about 20 minutes and then I begin with a short introduction and give everyone about five minutes to briefly inform other business owners of their businesses. Around 8 a.m., I'll call [sports celebrity] and conference him in where he'll talk about important business techniques. After the call, usually more folks show up where I'll give them the opportunity to speak. This is where everyone answers questions because five minutes is just enough time to spark the interest and you can elaborate more on your business."

The note concluded with a notation of her business as a multi-level marketing program where the celebrity was a professional sports figure who played his last game in 1971 and who now had a profitable business relationship with the MLM program. Armed with Karla's clarification, I could see that the celebrity would not be there in person, I was not really invited to "speak," but to share a little bit about my business and I was going to be attending an event designed to help Karla identify new people to invite into her MLM program. Aha! The old bait and switch! Finding out these details got me to thinking about how many small businesses try to look bigger or more sophisticated than they are because they think doing so will make them more attractive or earn them more business. I disagree.

Have you ever called a small business and gotten a voice mail message with 4 or 5 options -- push "1" for our sales department, "2" for our customer service department, etc., yet you knew that it really is a one person operation? I have, and I can only imagine that if such companies grow to the point where they might really need sophisticated telephone options, they will be searching high and low for a way to provide more personalized customer service.

If you have a quality product or service and you are confident about what you offer, you can be who you really are without all the bells and whistles and do just fine. In our personal lives, being for real is always better than putting up a front or pretending to be someone you are not. It's the same in business. Whether it's trying to display a personal connection to a celebrity or trying to make your business sound "official" by using lots of voice mail options, anything that minimizes who and what you really are can be confusing at best and offensive and annoying at worse.

Be for real! Who you are is always more attractive than who you think you have to be!

What's Your Hustle?

2006-04-24T17:02:51Z

I recently enjoyed a talk radio show where the guest discussed the future of unions in this country. One of the things he recounted was the air traffic controller strike that occurred in the 1980's. President Reagan ordered the striking workers back to their jobs under threat of termination. Those who did not heed his order were fired. Those who stayed on are now headed for handsome retirement packages.

The workers replacing them today are being offered jobs that pay only 70% of the outgoing workers' salary. Mind you, inflation is rising far faster than wages, even when wages are headed in a positive direction! The handwriting is on the wall, and it's not in pencil or subtle black ink. It's in bold fluorescent colors and blinking wildly to get our attention. No matter where you work, who you work for or what you do, now is the time to start your own business.

I used to date a guy who had trouble holding a job. When I expressed my concern about this, he told me, "Don't worry about me. I'll always have a hustle." I had visions of him pimping and selling drugs on street corners. I don't know what he's doing today, but I think at least part of what he was trying to say was that he would never rely on other people to meet his needs.

It's great to have a job, but these days, you also need a hustle.

What's your hustle?

Hitting Your Sweet Spot

2006-04-22T03:06:48Z

When I was in high school, I played a lot of tennis. In fact, I was so obsessed that my parents used to bring my dinner to the tennis court. My tennis coach told me that the secret to hitting a winning shot every time was hitting the ball when it was in the center of the racket where the "sweet spot" is. When a tennis ball hits the sweet spot, it makes a specific noise -- a kind of solid "pop," and you know even without looking that you have made a good shot.

In business, everything you do must be designed to hit your sweet spot, the place where your passion, your knowledge and your action intersect to create a solid "pop," letting you know that you have hit a homerun. You can't have a sweet spot without passion, knowledge and action. Lack of any of the three will create a chasm in your business that will be difficult to overcome. You can have endless passion and unquestionable knowledge, but if you don't take action, you won't be successful. You can have knowledge and take action, but if you don't have a passion for what you are doing, you will become bored and burned out. If you have passion and action, but are without knowledge of your capabilities, your market or your product, you will be shooting in the dark.

Passion. Knowledge. Action. Combine the three and you'll hit your sweet spot every time.

The Business Mantra

2006-04-20T17:24:36Z

Sometimes, it's hard to continue to move a business forward simply because of the sheer number of things we have to do to keep it afloat. As chief cooks and bottle washers, we wear most (if not all) of the hats, and we can become so buried in daily tasks and details that we forget what we're doing it all for in the first place.

When that happens, repeat this mantra:
I am in business to help you while I pursue my passion, and also make money.

It's simple, but it works. When you become bogged down in a particular task or detail, repeat this mantra. If in doing the task at hand you are not helping someone, not pursuing your passion or not making money, then do something else.

What You Don't Say Can Hurt You

2006-04-19T20:31:28Z

I recently attended a meeting of women business owners. Each of us was asked to stand and tell the group a little about our businesses. One woman said in a very soft voice, that her business provided products and services to mothers. Someone asked her to be more specific, and she said she was just getting it off the ground and didn't want to share details yet. Hey, I'm all for keeping secrets secret, but if your business is a secret in a hotel conference room, it will also be a secret in a trade show filled with potential buyers. And then, you won't have much of a business at all.

You don't have to give away commercial trade secrets to share a bit about your business with a group, and you should always be ready to do so because you never know where the next business opportunity will come from. Always have a 3-4 sentence summary of your business stored away in your head and be prepared to share it when asked.

In business, what you don't say can hurt you. So get your 30-second "elevator speech" together and practice it until you can say it like a yoga mantra. Use active words and practice saying it with gusto and ease. Here's mine.

Lifestyle CEO Media Corporation helps women combine home management and business ownership. We do this through an annual conference, radio show, television show, books, articles and other branded materials that provide nuts and bolts business advice. If you are a woman in business, we can inspire, encourage and equip you for success, so check us out at lifestyleceo.com!

Your elevator speech should hit all the high points of your business:

1. the name of the business
2. who you serve
3. your mission
4. where to go for more information

What's your elevator speech?

Hey Look! It's Mommy's Office!"

2006-03-20T19:01:35Z

As Bill Cosby said, "Kids say the darndest things."

Along with the Talented Two (a fun name I collectively use to refer to my kids now and then), I was running errands yesterday. As we drove past the local shopping mall, my 4-year old daughter said, "Hey look! It's mommy's office!" It took me a second or two to realize that she was pointing at the coffee shop on the corner. I asked her to tell me more about mommy's office, and she explained how whenever we go there, "Mommy's working on her computer".

Her statement reminded me of how different today's working world is than the one my parents were raised in. There was a time when everyone was chained to a particular work space. Whether it was a manufacturing or service related industry, you had to be in a particular location to do it. Those days are gone, especially if you are a Lifestyle CEO.

]]> On Saturday mornings, my husband takes the kids for 3 or 4 hours so I can head to my "office" and get some work done while chomping on my favorite bagel and sipping a hot drink. How great is that? He and the kids enjoy some uninterrupted bonding time at the gym or outside feeding the ducks and I get to be outside my office immersing myself in the work I love, knowing that my kids are not only safe, but also having fun with daddy.

Today's guest on the Lifestyle CEO Internet Radio Show also works her home-based business outside her home at times. Lisa Druxman, founder of the nationwide Stroller Strides franchise, teaches weekly fitness classes for moms in her San Diego neighborhood. Of course since her classes include both moms and babies, she gets to take her kids with her, but she's still growing her home-based business from a remote location. It's fun to have fun and work your business at the same time.

On today's show, Lisa shared the top 3 things she recommends for success in business:

1. Get an attorney early on so you don't have to spend money down the road cleaning up messes that could have been prevented;
2. Ask questions and network with people who have accomplished what you'd like to accomplish so you can take advantage of their experience and avoid repeting their mistakes; and
3. Use free and low cost advice to grow your business, such as Score and other start-up business recources.

You can enjoy my interview with Lisa, and all my Lifestyle CEO Shows here.

Along with Lisa's great tips, I recommend that you take full advantage of the freedom that today's technology offers you as a business owner. If you're feeling cooped up and limited by your home office, it's time to pack up your laptop and head out the door to one of the locations in your area that provides free drink refills, the local paper and a Wi-Fi connection. If you'd rather be outdoors, you can go to the local park on a sunny afternoon. If you don't have a laptop, grab some paper work that can be done remotely and have at it. Sometimes I get far more work done than when I'm home, plus I meet other women who use the coffee shop's free Wi-Fi connection to grow their businesses. I love having this type of flexibility in my life. Working from home can be terribly isolating and it's great to get out on a Saturday morning and create the life I love from a different location.

The Power of Gratitude

2006-03-14T13:40:41Z

When I was a child, my parents insisted that I display good manners, particularly toward my elders and people who reached out to help me. Of course this "attitude of gratitude" became quite automatic over the years and I find myself saying "thank you" regularly without giving much thought to it. Today, I am drilling the same message into my kids. I take a singsong approach that goes something like this:

Mommy: If you need help what do you do?
Kids: You ask for help!!
Mommy: And if someone helps you, what do you do?
Kids: You say thank you!

We have a lot repetitive "lessons" in my household because I want to make some things automatic in their lives. I don't ever want them to flounder around in need of assistance, and not have the courage to ask for help. And I always want them to express appreciation when someone does help them.

This morning, the January 2006 Lifestyle CEO To Know Denise McMillan of Plush Creations in Colleyville, Texas contacted me. Denise is featured in the current issue of Southern Living Magazine, one of the premier magazines for women. After the feature came out, Denise wrote the editor to thank him for including her company. A short time later, the editor called her to thank her for the thank you note. The two chatted, and the conversation resulted in the editor scheduling a personal meeting with Denise to do a more in-depth story on her and her business, also to include her husband who owns a restaurant in town.

I have read that Southern Living has a rate base of 2.45 million, making it the largest regional magazine in the country. This means that Denise has a lot to be thankful for. She tells me that as soon as the magazine began circulating, she noticed her site statistics start to climb. Of course Denise quickly moved to start filling the new orders, but first she took a moment to email the editor and thank him for including her. That simple act of gratitude not only resulted in a pleasant conversation, but it also opened new doors for Denise, the editor and Denise's husband. Denise may be featured in a more expansive article. Her husband's restaurant may be included. The editor found a new angle for a story that will interest his readers. Denise's hometown of Colleyville will benefit if the feature comes to fruition. And Denise's son will see how his parents' hard work, dedication to craft and good manners results in greater and more exciting opportunities.

Yes, it's still good manners to say "thank you," and we should all do it regardless of whether or not we get anything tangible in return. But as Lifestyle CEOs, it's nice to know that expressing gratitude can also open new and exciting doors, and help us create the life we love as businesswomen, mothers and home managers!