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Hot Momma’s Project: Nominate a Dynamic Woman Today!

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Hot Mommas Project JPEG Logo

Know any dynamic women (18 or older) with a great life story from which others could learn? Please nominate them to tell their story at www.HotMommasProject.org.

The Enterprising Moms is thrilled to partner with the Hot Mommas Project in encouraging women to share their stories and contribute to the education process for young women everywhere.

The Hot Mommas Project, the world’s largest library of teachable role models, is an award-winning venture housed at the George Washington University School of Business. The Hot Mommas Project takes the stories of the women and makes them teachable in a “case study” format, thus providing scalable, global access to role models and virtual mentors.

To encourage women around the world (18 and over) to nominate one another and write their stories at www.HotMommasProject.org, the project is holding its second annual case study competition through January 31, 2010.

Submissions take anywhere from two to three hours, and winners will be published in a leading Prentice Hall textbook. There is coaching available for story or “case” writers as it’s called in academic circles. While writing is a committment, it’s well worth it.

Learn more …

Tags: Case Studies, Hot Mommas Project, Mentors, Partners, Role Models
Posted in Celebrate, Connecting, Doing Good | No Comments »

The Enterprising Moms Holiday Biz-aar

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Join us for The Enterprising Moms’ first Holiday Biz-aar on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 hosted by Spill the Beans Organic Coffee and Chat House – owned and operated by fellow Enterprising Mom, Donna Memmo.

The event is two-fold opening with a networking and shopping event for mom-business owners from 6-7 pm followed by a public holiday shopping event from 7-9 pm.

All will enjoy light appetizers and a cash bar while indulging in fun and convenient one-stop shopping, just in time for the holidays!

The purpose of this community-focused Holiday Biz-aar is to:

Encourage the patronage of local small businesses
Invest in and give a boost to the local economy
Provide an opportunity for mom-business owners to build relationships while building businesses.

The Biz-aar will feature local entrepreneurial moms selling many unique and eco-friendly products lines, including:

children’s apparel and accessories

organic home organizational solutions

handcrafted jewelry

children’s hand-print keepsakes

artwork preservation solutions

creative stroller covers and more

botanically based skincare products

home goods and accents

Patrons will also be able to book sessions with a professional portrait photographer and a wine consultant.

When:
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
6 – 7 pm The Enterprising Moms Networking and Shopping Hour (Enterprising Moms: Registration Required)
7 – 9 pm Public Holiday Shopping Event

Where:
Spill the Beans Organic Coffee and Chat House
Fort Hunt Centre, 1900 Elkin Street, Alexandria, VA 22308

Spill the Beans, a locally owned coffee house with a loyal following, embraces moms and tots and general community, offering free wireless access, some organic and healthy lunch and dinner options, loose leaf teas and beer & wine. Spill is also a frequent host of parties and community events. If you haven’t been, you simply must – and let Donna know when sent you!

Tags: business-owner moms, Entrepreneurial Mom, Events, Holiday Bazaar, Holiday Biz-aar, Holiday Shopping, the enterprising moms, Women-Owned Businesses
Posted in Collaboration, Connecting, Events, Networking, Small Business | No Comments »

The Enterprising Moms is Coming to Fairfax County – Join Us!

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

What: Meet & Greet – Fairfax County and nearby areas
When: Thursday, October 22nd, 10am – 11:30am
Where: Patriot Park, 12111 Braddock Road, Fairfax, VA 22030

Want to connect with other self-employed, business-owner and entrepreneurial moms in Fairfax County and surrounding areas? Then join us for this newly forming monthly gathering as we lay the groundwork for a future area chapter of The Enterprising Moms.

Business savvy moms from Fairfax, Loudon and Prince William counties and nearby areas are invited to come out and meet moms who are traveling similar paths. Connect and collaborate, share insights and strategies, and participate in the evolution of this growing community of business-owner moms. This ongoing monthly gathering will evolve into a more structured meeting format and setting with featured speakers and presenters (from both within The Enterprising Moms community and beyond) on timely topics of importance to Enterprising Moms.

So, if you’re in the area, plan to join us, and bring a friend or two. And, spread the word!

While the event is free, registration is required. Get details and register.

Tags: business-owner moms, Entrepreneurial Moms, Events, Meet & Greet, Self-Employed Moms, the enterprising moms
Posted in Connecting, Events, Networking | No Comments »

Member Spotlight: Tammy Goddard, Bead on Through

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Learn more about this inspiring Enterprising Mom, who despite four heart surgeries, is growing a business while also growing her family. Her latest venture will direct 50% of it’s profits to heart research through her online bookstore. Meet her at our free Enterprising Playdate on August 26th.

Name: Tammy Goddard

Title: Owner and Artist

Business: Bead On Through

Type of Business: (B2B, B2C, B2G): B2C mostly, but have recently started doing some B2B

Industry: Retail, Jewelry

Product/Service:
Handmade jewelry. I have over 200 pieces I make regularly to sell, which isn’t reflected on my website – yet, and I take custom orders all the time. I often sit down with a customer and help them design a piece, including brides. Usually it is because they want a piece to match an outfit, complete a set (for example, they want a pair of earrings to match a favorite necklace), or find something in a magazine that they want reproduced. I work primarily with beads – from gemstones to Swarovski crystals to everything in between. I also make personalized jewelry with names and birthstones.

Years in Business:
Hung my shingle in 2005. That was the year “Bead on Through” was born, but I had been making jewelry as gifts for a few years prior to this.

Ideal Customers/Best Referrals:
Most of my work comes directly from referrals. I often hear from customers by saying “someone stopped me at a party the other day and asked me where I got my necklace!” The customers love that (who doesn’t love compliments?) And then it is also a huge compliment to me.

Personally speaking…

Home life:
I live in Leesburg, VA with my husband of 10 years (next week!), Josh and my two children. Josh and I have been friends since we were 15 years old, but never dated until our mid-20’s. Our kids are: Ever Grace who is 5 and Trent Adam who is 4. We also have a rescued dog, a Golden named Finn and a little fluffball of a dog named Toto. We feel thrilled to be here and grateful when we all snuggle down together at night. Having had my 4th heart surgery last summer, and now both of my kids having uncertain cardiac futures, every single day is a gift for us.

Childcare situation:
My husband is a cop and has an amazing schedule. He works the day shift. So he is home during the week a few days and even on work days he is home at 5:30 pm. I work from home and schedule appointments when Josh is home, so one of us has always been fortunate enough to stay at home with the kids.

Motivation for starting your business(es):
I have always loved making things. From homemade jam to knitted scarves, I am a terror at places like Joann Fabrics or Michaels. A friend of mine introduced me to jewelry making and I was hooked from that day forward. Once I realized I could make money from selling my jewelry, it became a longterm goal to eventually retire from real estate and just do Bead On Through. By the way, Bead on Through was named after my favorite group, The Doors. Break on Through was one of my favorite songs, so Bead on Through was born! I feel a thrill like no other when I am creating things. It’s not simply something I want to do, its something I have to do.

Greatest benefit of running your own business:
Making it exactly what I want. Let’s say I decide I don’t like something I have been making anymore. Well, I just stop making it! Complete freedom.

Greatest success you had in the past month (personal or biz) and how you celebrated it:
For the first time in BOT’s history – my jewelry is going to be carried in a Hallmark store in Virginia Beach!! I haven’t figured out how to celebrate it yet, I am still so speechless that this is even happening! And also – I have been hired as the Jewelry Instructor at Joann fabrics in Leesburg – this is going to be so fun!

On your nightstand:
Glass of water, whatever book I am reading now (currently obsessed with Young Adult fiction, the Twilight series- my guilty pleasure), medicine and mini Nilla wafers (to wash down the medicine – haha)!

The one tool, resource, or toy you just can’t do without:
My Blackberry. I have one item on my blackberry “memopad” which I use constantly – anytime I have an idea or a brainstorm, I put it in my memopad. I have been using it a lot lately when I think of an idea for my blog. Another item on blackberry – “maps”, like my own handheld GPS, it helps me find places all the time.

Last purchase for self:
A book – Eclipse (by Stephenie Meyer) just came out in paperback this week, and my hardback copy is falling apart so I had to get the paperback.

Favorite way to unwind:
Making jewelry.

Best advise or tip you ever received (personal or biz):
“Fake it ’til you make it.” I used to hate when my mother would say that to me. But I have learned, especially with my own business, that you have to appear confident even if you don’t always feel like it. It’s important to be (or appear to be) very self-possessed in running your own business.

Best thing about being an Enterprising Mom:
The fellowship! I love connecting other people. I get such a thrill out of reading an inquiry, and then thinking of a way I can help connect that person. I mean, what are we doing this for if not to help each other out? And a perfect example is this – I am getting all this support from you all for my bookstore to help raise money for the Americanheart.org for my kids. Its just wonderful!

Connect and learn more:
Web Sites: Bead on Through and Online Bookstore
Blog: Mama Tazz Says …
Facebook: no fan page yet, but I would love to friend you at Tammy McIntyre Goddard
Twitter: tazzygod

Logo: Don’t have one – but my slogan is “Making Chicks Happy Since 2005″

Tags: Artist, Bead on Through, Enterprising Mom, Entrepreneurial Mom, Handmade Jewelry, Online Bookstore
Posted in Business, Connecting, Home-based Businesses, Member Spotlight, Small Business | 1 Comment »

EVENT: Coffee and Connections: Networking 1-2-3

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

What: Coffee and Connections – Networking 1-2-3
Where: Bus Boys and Poets – Arlington, VA
Date: Tuesday, June 9th
Time: 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Networking events, social networking tools, one-on-one networking … What kind of networking makes the most sense for your business? What’s the most effective way to network? How can you leverage your network? What’s the best way to keep track of your contacts?

For Jennifer Folsom, the DC Metropolitan area Director of Momentum Resources, a boutique staffing firm specializing in placing professionals in flexible and reduced hours positions, forming meaningful connections is critical to her business success. Jennifer, a dedicated and highly effective networker, will share her strategies and tools for building and sustaining a powerful network in a fun and interactive format.

At this event you’ll learn how to:

Select the appropriate type of networking events for your business and your goals
Get the most out of social networking tools
Make the most of one-on-one interactions and develop meaningful connections

Jennifer will also share tips and tools for managing your contacts and related information and will demonstrate the system that works for her.

Join us! Registration and details.

Tags: Events, group networking, Networking, one-on-one networking, Social Networking, the enterprising moms
Posted in Business, Connecting, Events, Networking, Small Business, Social Media | No Comments »

Member Spotlight: Angela Hazuda Meyers

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Our member spotlight now shines on Angela Hazuda Meyers, of Meyers Marketing Strategy and Standing Room Only Event Promotion. Angela facilitates our monthly Marketing and Communications Group Meetings and will be featured in the spotlight at our upcoming Coffee and Connections event on May 12th.

Angela Hazuda Meyers
President/Owner
Meyers Marketing Strategy and Standing Room Only Event Promotion

Type of Business: B2B. Conduct B2B, B2C marketing programs

Industries: Marketing and Events

Product/Service: Marketing (Strategic, Executional, Interim & Retainer) and Event Promotion

Years in Business: 6 months

Ideal Customers/Best Referrals:

Small–midsized businesses, non-profits and associations who need help growing their organizations.
Small-mid-sized organizations who don’t have enough funds or work for a full-time marketing director, but realize they need the function filled, or firms who have recently lost their Marketing Director and need a stand-in until they re-hire the position.

Personally speaking …
I am so sad to say that right now I don’t have much to fill in here. I do a little knitting in the winter, I like to plan the kids parties with theme events and lots of fun activities, and I walk in the early AM with a group of women in the neighborhood and thoroughly enjoy my “adult time,” but other than that this is an area I am working on!

Home life:
I have a hubby of 5 years Patrick. We have a romantic story of meeting, falling deeply in love, he quit his job a month after we met so he could be stateside (after knowing each other for only 2 weeks) then moving in directly with me literally after the taxi dropped him off at my house and getting engaged a year later on top of the Eiffel Tower – but sadly not much romance post kiddos! I have 3 wonderful children: Grant (3.5 years old), Rhett (20 months old) and Charlotte (8 months old). They are fun and keep me hopping, most days it’s wonderful and other days it’s a handful!

Childcare situation:
I have full-time, in-home care. I attempted to go it alone without care, but with 3 under 3 at the time and now with them only 6 months older now, there was not enough quite time in the day to get any work done and not a quiet moment to talk to a client.

Motivation for starting your businesses:
A passion for marketing and helping other small businesses grow AND a desire to be more connected and present in my children’s days.

Greatest benefit of running your own businesses:
Flexibility. I try to fit in a few events with the kids during the day each month, we walk to preschool and back and I have lunch with them at least a few times a week.

Greatest success you had in the past month (personal or biz) and how you celebrated it:
I got 2 new clients for my business. I called my hubby.

On your nightstand:
A notebook to jot down late-night thoughts and to-dos and a few children’s book, Oh and 1,000 Places to See Before You Die – But it hasn’t even been cracked open (I got it for Christmas) and I certainly haven’t scheduled a trip yet!

The one tool, resource, or toy you just can’t do without:
Sneakers. I love getting out a taking a walk or jog to energize or blow off steam. I try to walk most days with the kids or at least get outside for a little fun.

Last purchase for self:
Blackberry

Favorite way to unwind:
Wine a little…

Best advise or tip you ever received (personal or biz):
My mom said – You need to start your own business. After positions in various companies I was frustrated with an organization’s lack of vision, inefficiencies and inability to execute. Many companies get in their own way on a regular basis and I want to help them advance.

Best thing about being an Enterprising Mom:
There are more than one BEST to this one…I love working for myself because I get to be involved with so many exciting businesses and work for a number of different clients, which is very fulfilling. It’s an opportunity you don’t have when working for one company. I also love showing my children how mommy works, getting them exposed to alternative work environments and in the future I look forward to them understanding that they can do whatever they want to do as they grow up.

Connect and learn more:
MeyersMarketingStrategy | Standing Room Only Event Promotion

LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Tags: Communications, Enterprising Mom, Event Promotion, Marketing
Posted in Business, Celebrate, Collaboration, Connecting, Cool Tools, Environment, Family, Member Spotlight, Organization & Productivity, Productivity, Social Media, Technology, Work-Life Balance | No Comments »

Marketing and Communications Group Meeting

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Date: Wednesday May 6, 2009
Time: 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Location: Stacy’s Coffee Parlor, 709 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046

If you are a professional in Marketing, Communications, PR, Graphic Design or a related field, join us at our monthly networking meeting. Each month this active and energetic subgroup of The Enterprising Moms meets to discuss issues specific to the marketing and communications field. We also discuss ways to increase new business, trade resources, address challenges faced by start-ups and mature ventures alike, work towards work/life integration, share client leads and more. We’d love to have you.

This Month’s Discussion Topics:

Clients
How much is appropriate to check in with prospective clients about potential work they offered you? When are you being responsive and proactive vs. being a pest? Do you refer clients if you can’t handle the project?
Contracts
How do you handle contracts? Do people have lawyers? Templates? How do they know if contracts are legally sound? How do you afford a lawyer? How do you handle different rates with clients, or do you have 1 set rate? What are your payment terms? Do you enforce them?
Collecting
Has anyone used Paypal to collect fees? Is there any way of enforcing a late charge if clients are late paying? How? What other collection methods do you use? What types of payment to you accept? Do you love your Merchant Services Provider? What do you do when a client just disappears–doesn’t return calls or cancels meetings? If there’s no money owed, do you try to end it formally or just let it go?

No cost to attend, but registration is required: Details at The Enterprising Moms.

Tags: Collaboration, Communications, Editing, Graphic Design, Marketing, Public Relations, Writing
Posted in Business, Collaboration, Connecting | No Comments »

Days Without Email …

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

On Monday, as I prepped for the first full-scale event for The Enterprising Moms, which was taking place on Tuesday (and was a resounding success, by the way!), I ran into a couple of technical glitches, one of which left me without access to email for more than a day and a half. I wasn’t able to send email confirmations to those who registered that afternoon, I wasn’t able to complete my PowerPoint presentation, or to address many other outstanding communications prior to or since the event.

What surprised me about all of this is that I didn’t panic, which I might have done in the past. After all, this was our first big event and I wanted it to go smoothly. In the past, I might have looked at these glitches as signs of what was to come with the event. And truth be told, we did have a couple of technical glitches there as well — but, I didn’t go down that path. I remained calm, considered the worst possible outcome, accepted it, and then did what I could with the resources I had available. And, I trusted that it would all work out — and it did.

One of the things that I believe contributed to my shift in perspective about being ‘cut off’ due to the email failure and other technical glitches was a new appreciation of social media and how it has affected everyday living. In the past, without access to email, I felt everything came to a grinding halt; the way I might feel if I lost access to the internet (yikes!).

But with social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter and technology like my iPhone, I still felt connected. I realized that if I needed to, I had other ways of reaching out and connecting and of keeping tabs on what was going on with my people of interest. For me, it represented a major shift in thinking about communication and just how many options there are. I didn’t end up using these tools and chose to focus on preparation for the event and then fixing the tech issues later, when I could. But just knowing that these options existed gave me peace of mind enough to focus on what I needed to do with clarity and a wave of positive energy. Now, it’s time to catch up!

Tags: email, Social Media, technical issues
Posted in Connecting, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »

Member Spotlight: Stephanie Greenwald

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

The following is the first in our member spotlight series featuring Stephanie Greenwald, of Greenwald Design, who’ll be presenting the new brand she created for The Enterprising Moms at our Coffee and Connections gathering on Tuesday, April 14th. Learn more about Stephanie below and come out on Tuesday to get tips on selecting a graphic designer and developing a successful relationship!

Stephanie Greenwald
Owner and Creative Director, Greenwald Design

Type of Business: (B2B, B2C): mostly B2B
Industry: Graphic Design
Product/Service: Branding and marketing collateral for companies, organizations, products and events.
Location: Arlington, VA
Years in Business: 7

Ideal Customers/Best Referrals: A company or organization that wants to present it’s identity or message with visual impact and clarity. Clients include small businesses, non-profits and corporations.

Personally speaking…

Home life:
Married with one son, 4 years old

Childcare situation:
My son is in his second year of the Arlington County’s Montessori Preschool program. I work while he is in school, which allows me about 25 hours per week. Additional hours are found after bedtime, during playdates, etc.

Motivation for starting a business:
I wanted to work for people who cared about the quality and impact of design and have a strong belief in their company or cause.

Greatest benefit of running your own business:
As a mom, I would say the flexible schedule. If I had a boss or co-workers in an office environment, I think I would feel guilty asking for so much time off for illnesses, field trips, etc. As a career woman, the greatest virtue is being able to say “no” to energy draining or time consuming clients.

Greatest challenge you faced in the past month (personal or biz) and how you dealt with it:
This past month, we had a lot of illness in my family. Both my mother and husband were in the emergency room (for completely different causes) and have since had to make some big lifestyle and diet changes, my son and I suffered from a stomach bug, and just when everyone started recovering, my son developed pink eye. Dealing with the emotional stress and decreased work time was extremely difficult. I had to make quick decisions about what to put on hold, what to say “no” to, and what simply had to get done. I swallowed my usual “make no excuses, just get the work done” attitude, and sent out emails explaining my situation to clients and colleagues. Everyone was completely understanding, and I managed to cut my workload in half. I called on my design partner to help me out with the creative work, while I managed the admin tasks and art directing. I am fortunate to have a supportive mother-in-law, so she helped with a little childcare and much needed emotional support. I vented to my best friend (who also happens to be the aforementioned design partner) daily to ease the tension. Somehow, I made it through the tough part, everyone in my family is doing better, and none of my clients left me. Now, as soon as Spring Break is over, I can get back to work!

Greatest success you had in the past month (personal or biz) and how you celebrated it:
Somehow, amidst all the personal chaos, I landed a new client. Although I was hired for a small, low budget project, I think it will bring in new opportunities. The client is in the business of connecting local businesses with each other for mutual benefit, so I may have found a new cheerleader. How I celebrated? I literally danced a little jig. In my kitchen.

On your nightstand:
The Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman (A light read while life is too much to deal with), The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (My bookclub choice that I need to read by the 18th!), and three fat Twilight books (to feed my love of the vampire genre)

The one tool, resource, or toy you just can’t do without:
My iPhone, hands down. Am I the only one who often feels the need to sleep with it?

Last purchase for self:
Cadbury eggs

Favorite way to unwind:
Simple things. Looking at the trees and sky, cuddling with one of my purring cats, vegging in front of the tv, sleeping

Be advise or tip you ever received (personal or biz):
A well-seasoned mom once told me to remember that nothing ever stays the same when it comes to kid’s habits. If it is a good habit, like sleeping through the night, don’t expect it to last forever. If it is a bad habit, like biting, back-talking, etc, it also won’t last forever. She said it usually lasts until you are just about at a breaking point (after trying all the usual remedies and advice), and then the habit miraculously disappears. She was so spot-on!

Best thing about being an Enterprising Mom:
Finally having peers that understand me!

Connect and learn more:
Web Site | Blog | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Tags: Member Spotlight
Posted in Connecting | No Comments »

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