Spotlight Entrepreneur Round Up 2012

Susan Cannella, Gardening Gals

Helen Denny, Gardening Gals

This year we had the pleasure of introducing you to 12 entrepreneurs harnessing success in 2012.  Did you identify with any of their challenges? Did you take any of their inspiration and apply it to your own business?

We look forward to continuing this series in 2013. If you would like to nominate a Entrepreneur for Spotlight- please email us today!  sleeveshirt (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Amanda Haddaway, Author of Destination Real World: Success After Graduation

Shelley Oppedisano, Co-Editor and Co-Publisher of Macaroni Kid

Barbara Goldberg, Back on Track Solutions

Kelly Mistry, MyFairyTaleBooks

Candy Tolentino, Marry Me Already and Earth Cafe Living Foods

Jill Salzman, Founding Moms

Monica Wreede, Connectz

Jody Mahoney, Jody Mahoney Photography

Jenn Furr, Picture That Sound

Tangela Craft, Inventor of GoPillow!

www.sleeveshirtconsulting.com

Spotlight Entrepreneur: Susan Cannella and Helen Denny of Gardening Gals

This month I am so pleased to introduce you to The Gardening Gals.  Meet Susan Cannella and Helen Denny, founders of the Charlotte-based raised bed gardening company.  Whether you're looking to have a little vegetative guidance or want the gals to jump in and get dirty- Susan and Helen are there for you! From rain barrels to compost and all the blooms in between the gals are there to walk you through the process.

How did the two of you decide it would be a good idea to go into business together?

Helen: Susan and I have been friends for almost 10 years.  About three years ago, the two of us worked together as camp counselors for a summer camp at our swim and racquet club.  We found that we really enjoyed working together and that we made a good team.

Susan Cannella

Helen Denny

Do you find the gardening industry to be a male-dominated field, and if so have you had to overcome any obstacles?

Susan: We primarily build raised bed gardens, and deal mostly with men as far as purchasing materials such as lumber through a building supply company and soil through a landscaping company.  On the other hand, our customers have been mainly women from whom we have gotten a lot of positive feedback for owning our own business and offering the service that we do.  We do come across the occasion quizzical look from a customer after having explained that WE would be the ones building the bed and filling it with soil.  I suppose they have a moment of disbelief that two women would be doing the labor.  

With Fall approaching, what are some things that we should think about doing in our gardens? 

Helen: Some plants might still be producing.  I am still getting tomatoes, peppers and egg plant.  I will freeze most of tomatoes I harvest at this point by blanching them in boiling water just until the skin starts to split and peel away. Once they reach that point, remove from the water, let cool, then peel.  The skin will slip right off.  I freeze the tomatoes in zipper lock freezer bags and use them in recipes throughout the year.

If your plants have finished producing, now is a great time to clean up the summer garden by pulling up the old vegetation, work organic plant food into the soil, and plant fall vegetables.  Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are just a few vegetables that can be planted at this time.

You don't have to have a green thumb to have a great garden...
         

I love to garden with my kids, what are some tips you could provide on getting children excited about gardening?

Susan: Most children love the idea of helping with a garden, and they can participate and just about every aspect of tending to a home garden.  The more involved they are, the more rewarding the experience will be and the more dedicated they will be.  Let your child choose some of the types of plants you plan to grow.  Let the garden be a science experiment.  Plant some items by seed and some by plant and make observations.  Children love to water but should have some guidance.  I find my own children are sometimes too eager to pick vegetables.  Remind them to harvest the vegetables when they are truly ripe.

What advice would you give to a friend who was thinking about starting her own business?

Helen: I would certainly encourage anyone to start a business.  In our case, we turned a hobby into a small business where we can make a little money, but more importantly have fun! We truly love working together and helping our customers.  I would encourage any friend to stick with an area of business that they feel passionate about.  Keeping an open mind and knowing that your business might change or offer different services over time is also important. 

Thinking about sprucing up your yard and investing in a raised bed garden? Give the Gals a shout!  

Fan them on Facebook 

Tweet @GardeningGals

Gardening Gals, LLC
web:  www.gardeninggals.com
email:  info@gardeninggals.com

www.sleeveshirtconsulting.com

HSN series: Don't be Cindy Brady

I am such a television junky.  When I heard that my colleague Jenn Furr would be live on the Home Shopping Network all I could think of was Cindy Brady.  Do you remember the episode where the family goes on a game show and Cindy glares into the red light of the camera like a deer in headlights as soon as they go live?  If it were me today, I am sure I would look just like this:

When the red light is on, you’re on the air. Not only do you have to remember talking points about the features and benefits of your product, but you have to concentrate while in your ear piece you are hearing the director give cues about which camera to look at and if the shot is wide or tight. Through all of this chaos you also have to remember to SMILE.

It's something Cindy failed to do, but today Jenn Furr knocked it out of the park! Her messaging was succinct, she interacted with her host all while sharing the features and benefits of Picture That Sound.  And she did all of that while SMILING!

If you missed her debut, check out the exclusive products that PictureThatSound offered to the HSN customers.

I'll be with Jenn in Tampa March 6th when we have 3 more on-air HSN segments.  Thankfully, I'll be in the green room with that silly Cindy Brady expression on my face.


www.sleeveshirtconsulting.com

Spotlight Entrepreneur: Jenn Furr of PictureThatSound

Your family singing "Happy Birthday" at your daughter's first birthday, an imaginative wish list for Santa from your 4-year-old, your baby's ultrasound heartbeat. Have you ever looked back at your photos and tried to remember those sounds?

PictureThatSound was founded to meet an unmet need in the memory-keeping market. The product pairs a creative photo matte with a recordable device for sound. Another reason I love this product is that it was developed by a fellow mom-preneur, Jennifer Furr. Like many busy moms in America-- a wife, mother of two, corporate employee, community volunteer, she decided to leave her corporate job to bring a product to market that she could not find on retail shelves.  She has grown a "customer first" life-experience company that creates, markets and delivers products that help preserve memories pairing picture with sound.

Q: Jenn, it's been a little over 2 years since business inception of PictureThatSound and now you are preparing to take your product LIVE on one of the premiere home shopping channels.  What is the biggest lesson you've learned in the last 2 years?

A: Wow. I have learned so many over these past few years. Persistence is probably the biggest take-away. There were plenty of days where I doubted what I was doing, where I was going and if PictureThatSound was going to truly take-off. But I continued to follow my gut instinct and with the support of friends and my family I have been able to take one step at a time towards this fantastic opportunity.

Q: What is it like preparing to go on-air LIVE to millions of households?

A: I'm not going to lie- it's a little nerve-wracking.  When I met Shivan Sarna, HSN personality, she had some great advice: Smile while you speak!  Smiling is infectious, and it projects energy and warmth.  I only have a few minutes per segment, so I also want to ensure that my customers learn all about our amazing product features like our archival paper, replaceable batteries and high-quality memory chip.

Q: You will be offering exclusive products for the HSN audience- can you tell us a little about what we can expect?

A: Yes, we have developed exclusive product packages for the HSN audience.  Please tune in to see the exceptional offer we have put together. Our first air date is February 28th at 6am and 7am.  We will also be live on March 6th (times are tbd).  If you place an order by 800#, there is a chance you'll be able to speak with me live on-air!  My team will also be live-tweeting from the green room during my on-air appearances. If you don't already, follow us at @PictureThtSound to hear all the ins and outs of the Home Shopping Network experience.

For a demonstration of how PictureThatSound works, check out this YouTube video Jenn put together:

We wish Jenn nothing but the best for her television debut!


www.sleeveshirtconsulting.com

Wedding Buzz

Recently I've had the pleasure of getting to know Antoinette Robinson of After All Is Said And Done By Antoinette.  Antoinette has agreed to participate in our Spotlight Entrepreneur series, so I don't want to give away too much about her before her feature!

What I would like to share today is a great piece that we worked on together. As a wedding and event planner, Antoinette was a great resource for an article published in Vows Magazine, a bimonthly publication for the bridal industry. For over 20 years Vows has provided the information bridal consultants need to deliver top quality products while creating memorable customer service for brides and grooms.  We are honored that they used so much of the information Antoinette provided in their latest edition.


What great buzz for a growing woman-owned business!


Please check out the great tips Antoinette provided to bridal salon owners on how best to service brides!  We think she is spot-on!



www.sleeveshirtconsulting.com

ABC’s of Small Business Success

At SleeveShirt Consulting we’d like to take you on an inspirational journey to reach your career goals.  Are you just starting to think about launching a business?  Or maybe you are looking to build your brand and grow your customer base?  No matter what phase you fall into, together, we will build successful strategies to help you become the fearless entrepreneur you want to be. Here are some tips, from A to Z.

Anthem.  Choose a song that motivates you to focus on your goals.  Listen to it while you’re exercising, make it your ring tone or set your alarm to wake up to it and kick off your day with a smile on your face.

Barter.  There are ways to conduct business that do not include invoicing customers. Find a complimentary business that needs your services and find common ground on a trade agreement.

Communicate. Have you ever heard of anyone being looked down upon for OVER-communicating?  Ranked in order of importance; In person, over phone, via email, via text, and lastly, megaphone.

Drumroll, please!  Celebrate your successes- no matter how small. If you don’t pat yourself on the back, no one else will. 

Elevator Pitch.  A 30 second intro to your brand and your mission.  Don’t have one? SleeveShirt can help.

Freebies.  That’s right, I said the magical word: FREE!  Everyone wants a deal. Together we’ll brainstorm ways to market your product/service to customers and provide them with some valuable extras so they keep coming back for more.

Greed is good.  Be greedy about your time.  Time is money.

Humility.  Make a mistake? Own it.  Don’t hesitate to apologize and make good on the situation. 

Intention.  Setting an intention, different than setting a goal, allows you to focus on “being” in the present moment.  Let go of goal-oriented outcomes and instead look inward and ask yourself, “Where do I want to be (with my business/with my life)?”

Just Do It.  So you’ve been thinking about starting your own business for a few years, but just haven’t had the time…  What’s stopping you?  Fear? Don’t know where to begin?  Call me for a free consultation and we’ll get you on your way.

Kindness. Kill ‘em with it.  

Love thy neighbor.  I recently reached out to a number of local small business owners for advice and I couldn’t have gotten more genuine, helpful responses.  Your community wants you to succeed- reach out!

Mentor.  Don’t have one? Get one. Feel you would be a good one?  Sign up here: http://www.mentoring.org/

Network.  With your facebook fans, with your chamber of commerce, with a local women’s group. You never know where your next customer will come from.

Optimism. Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t… You’re right. 

Pay.  Not a copywriter? Don’t pen your website. There is good value setting aside money to pay for expertise.

Question. Ask it:  “Do I have your business?”  You can’t be shy about this.  You have to close the deal.  Here are some additional tips: http://www.startupnation.com/business-articles/1138/1/AT_5-Tips-For-Closing-Deal.asp

Read.  About your industry, about your competition, about people who inspire you. Then share those good resources with your network.

Stamina.  If you are thinking about launching your own business, or are already self-employed, you know that it takes stamina and endurance to keep going.  Think of yourself like an athlete who is in training for the race of your career.

Travel: Outside of your comfort zone.  Sometimes we have to do things that make us uncomfortable just to break down the door and move past it.  It's good for the soul.

Underminers.  You know those folks in your life who tend to be on the more negative side? If you let them, they’ll just bring you down.  Avoid them at all costs! 

Vision.  Ever created a vision board?  I can walk you through 3 simple steps to achieve your most important goals in business, and in life.

White Board.  Oh how I love my white board calendar.  Thank you Board Dudes!  Organizational tools like this one help me visualize my to-do list and gives me a snap shot of my schedule so that I am able to stay on my game.  Are you on your game?

X factor. What will Simon Cowell be looking for on his new show?  The indefinable “something” that brings unique star power?  What is your businesses Xfactor? Let's define it together.

Yard Sale!  Cleaning out the clutter in your space allows you to focus on the task at hand. If you work from home, ensure you have a quiet, comfortable work-space free of distractions, and full of inspiration. 

Zero-tolerance.  Adopt it for ignorance, hostility, arrogance, wastefulness, dishonesty, and the complacent.

Ready to get started?  Call me to set up a free consultation.

www.sleeveshirtconsulting.com

No Guts, No Glory

After last nights championship games I was looking for a football analogy to kick off my week but I just kept coming back to “No Guts, No Glory”.  

Life is a series of cause and effect situations. Every decision you make has consequences and puts you on a path towards your next crossroad.  What was the last big decision that you made that shifted your life’s course?  Did it entail taking much risk?

I’m proud to accompany my good friend Jennifer Furr to her next convention this week. We will be featuring PictureThatSound at the Craft &Hobby Association Winter Retail Show in Los Angeles.  (Come see us!)  Jenn is a risk taker. PictureThatSound is not her first venture, but it’s her biggest.  Taking a concept from infancy and bringing the product to life takes heart, soul and certainly takes guts.  Today, I applaud her for being a strong, independent business woman and a risk-taker.

Congratulations Jenn! See you in LA!

Travel Tribulations

Recently I asked my Facebook Fans to share what their most dreaded part of traveling for business was.  Although I’m pumped for my next trip out of town I can’t help but be a little wary knowing my history.

I seem to give off a vibe when I travel which results in wackiness such as the time:

·         My hotel gave me a key for an already occupied room. (Thankfully no one was inside at the time I entered)

·         My hotel gave me a key for an already occupied room (and a couple was getting cozy- YIKES!)  Total mortification.

·         I went to London amidst a Tube-strike and still had to figure out how to get to and from various client meetings while fighting for a limited number of black cabs.

·         I was getting settled in my quaint London suite when I heard the toilet running. After jiggling the handle a few times to no avail, I lifted the porcelain tank cover and it fell to the floor into a million pieces. Total mortification (again). 

·         I went to Cleveland for a day trip and got stuck overnight unexpectedly. No toothbrush, no contact solution and it was so late when we arrived at the hotel that the hotel store was CLOSED.  Since my hubby was also out of town at the time I had to arrange for my cousin who lived 30+ miles away to check in on my dog 3x! Argh…

o       When we finally did touch back down in DC there was a security breach and our “people mover” bus was held up. When everything was safe and we were finally released, my Creative Director and I were in the Amazing Race to make a client presentation. Those were the longest 2 days of my life, and I really needed a long hot shower.

·         Vendors took a few of us ladies out for a night in New Orleans.  All I can write is that ‘What happens in Nawlins, stays in Nawlins.’ 

Amazingly I can now look back on these events and laugh more than cringe. The lessons they’ve taught me? Flexibility when you travel is key. None of these situations was under my control and despite the challenges; I still had a job to do. 

If I hadn’t been working on little sleep after the Cleveland debacle, my adrenaline for next days client presentation might not have been as high. We hit that presentation out of the park and I was so glad to get home, take the dog for a walk and have a glass of wine.

I also learned that sincerely apologizing diffuses most uncomfortable situations. Whether it be to the nice couple who didn’t expect company in their hotel room, or the hotel concierge who probably could have raked me over the coals for a replacement tank cover, I came out of it unscathed and with good stories to pass on to pals like you.

Wish me luck this week as I head out for my trip. Or don’t, and if you’re lucky I’ll have some funny story to share with you when I get back.

Drumroll Please…

For years I’ve honed my marketing and advertising skills to develop concise and effective creative briefs. Creating a logo for my business was no different than playing Account Manager for one of my clients. I needed to stay focused with singular intent. I needed to ask myself probing questions to get to the heart of what I wanted my logo to convey- emotionally and rationally. I needed to take stock of my company today, and where I want it to be 5 and 10 years in the future. Then I needed to sit back and watch the creative process unfold.

The weeks that followed were exciting and fruitful. Not only was I working with a trusted and talented designer, but for the first time I was taking stock in myself as the “client”. Was I clearly communicating my expectations? Did I respond in the timely manner that I had promised? Was I providing effective feedback? Was I trusting my designer to the design and why I hired him in the first place?

Putting yourself in your client’s shoes is a great exercise to remind you of what you respect about a good working relationship. If you’re in retail, go through the purchase process on your website a few times a year and see what your customers are seeing. Is there anything you would change to make the experience better? If you’re in a service industry, have you ask for feedback from your vendors and clients? Find out if they enjoyed working with you. Did you get the sense that they would work with you again? Ask them if there is anything that you can improve to make the relationship work better for them.

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends, Clients, Potential Future Clients,… I am proud to introduce you to the SleeveShirt Consulting logo!