Ladies Who Launch

Feeling Stuck Ladies? Take Action!

How to jumpstart your energy and creativity in the middle of the winter grays.

By Coach Joelle Prochera, professional life coach and fellow launcher!  To hear more from Coach Joelle subscribe to the Livloud! Newsletter or read the coach joelle blog.   

Hello ladies!

The shorter days, encroaching darkness, and cold invite us to rest, to wrap ourselves in blankets and read books with cats in our lap, to watch tv and to hibernate.   In many ways this can be a welcome reprieve and as with everything, life comes in cycles as much as the seasons, so there is nothing wrong with this quiet time. 

With that being said, for us launchers, being quiet is only fun for so long before we are just itching to see some movement.  A new contract, a new insight, some small success…. Anything!  Sometimes quiet can be too quiet, and life can feel a little stagnant, especially for those of us up here in the north. This is why I wanted to write to you today about how to get an energy and creativity boost when things just don’t seem to be moving the way you are used to.

1) Get out of the house!

Ladies, one of the beautiful things about creating a life and business that you love is that for many of you, you get to choose your environment.  I know for me one of my favorite things about being self employed is that the typical day’s attire is a jogging suite and fuzzy slippers.  The challenge is that when we can run our businesses over the phone and the internet there can sometimes be a distancing from the world. 

Do some work at the local coffee shop or coordinate with a friend to share office space a couple of times a week.  For those of you in cold climates, visit the tropical house at the zoo or a hotel with an indoor garden.  Just getting out and getting a change of scenery and being out in the world can spur renewed motivation and a fresh point of view.

2) Learn something… anything!

I have noticed that when you are feeling stuck, lost or uninspired one of the best things you can do is to expose yourself to something new.  Is there a tele-seminar you can listen to on your lunch…a guest speaker coming to town …a special interest class you could take….or maybe a book that you have been meaning to read? 

The beautiful thing about our well designed minds is that they will take any new information and put it to work in your life.  I find it amazing how attending a riding lesson suddenly spurs an article I need to write or how listening to a speaker about architecture can create new inspiration about the way I want to structure my business.  Don’t think too much about it, just open your email or the local paper and ask yourself, “where can I learn something new today?” and run with it.  You may be surprised by what comes up.

3) Get with your girls!

We have all heard of the emotional and even physical benefits of being with our girlfriends.  I have found that few things get me more inspired than a little wine, some chocolate and good friends.   Invite a girlfriend out to lunch.  Start a mastermind group.  Attend your local Ladies Who Launch monthly meetings.  Creating this space to talk and share company is one of the greatest joys there is and it is always sure to lead you to some new action or inspiration.

4) Take action!

Whether you have the winter blues or a creativity block, inspiration and energy are just moments away.  Action, any action will move you forward.  Get a change of scenery, expose yourself to something new, or share the comfort of friends, it is inevitable that something new will present itself, something new that will lead you to a next step and then another and next thing you know you are well on your way to furthering your dreams and living and working inside a life that you love.

Carpe Diem ladies!

Coach Joelle

SHARE YOUR SELF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: Do you have a special way that you get your juices flowing?  Share your brilliance with the ladies in the comments below.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR COACH JOELLE?:  I am looking for the opportunity to fully serve each of you on your personal adventure.  If you have a life or business challenge that you would like a coaching perspective on, please share your comments below or email me at [email protected].

Make your life a work of art, a joyful dance, a grand adventure!

Attracting The Perfect Partnership: Brooke Emery

From New York Incubator Member and Mom-to-Be Brooke Emery.  Her website is Attraction Boutique.

When thinking about partnership, you might be surprised I am grateful for all the partnerships over the last few years that  haven’t worked out.  Before entering into any partnership, after; discovering what I don’t want, I use my favorite tool, A Strategic  Attraction Plan© (perfect customers, included) that helps you attract any relationship that you want by using a 4 part process which is what I am licensed to teach and coach people. 

After getting clear about  what you don’t want, you can then compile a very clear list about what you do want.  For example, last year I entered into a partnership on a project with a woman who had most of the  characteristics and attributes I would want. However what I didn’t  realize that she didn’t know about the Law of Attraction and had a negative outlook on life that it would get in the way. It felt like I
was rowing the boat one way with my intention, and she was rowing the  boat the other way with her fear and negativity and then we weren’t going anywhere.

As a strategic attraction coach and spiritual mentor with a background in marketing/pr/advertising, this was very frustrating to me and I learned a very valuable lesson and found the gift in the situation.  I realized that it was important to me that my partners believe in the Law of Attraction.  Another really important part in picking a partner is really getting clear about what your strengths are and what you want to provide and what you want your role to be? And also get specific on all the things you don’t want to be responsible for and don’t want to do so that you can be really clear about what your ideal partner’s roles will be.  With my own history in partnership a lot of times we are attracted to people who are like us, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Because chances are you like do the same things and you don’t like doing the same things which means –there will be work that you both want to do and then will resent it when there are people out there who love to do the things you don’t like to do –what a concept!  Also, be willing to have the tough conversations when starting a partnership. My friend and legal advisor, Nance Schick, always recommends reading the book The Partnership Charter by David Gage. It really lays out all the possible issues and it’s also important to know what happens if you want to get out. Once that’s clear chances are you are set up to win.

SEO/Social Networking Tip: Facebook pulls and uses your Meta Description Tag

by Fashionmista aka That IT Girl, Spammy Scammers, and Katie James

SEO (search engine optimization) gurus have been saying that meta description tags aren't worth very much anymore in Google's eyes. Blogger, Google's blogging platform, doesn't even let you put any in. So as a business owner with lots on her plate, one less thing to worry about on the website is almost a blessing. Or is it...

Before I continue, let's review what meta description tags are. You can click here for meta description tags broken down with pictures, but I'll recap. The meta description tag is unique to every page. It describes what is on the page, and definitely uses the keywords you have placed into your content, alt tags in images, linked content, etc. While it might not have very much pull anymore when a search engine is evaluating your page (aka if you don't have one, it won't kill ya), it is used other ways that is important to actual people's eyeballs when they are evaluating your page. You won't see it on the page itself, but it can be displayed in other places, such as in the search engine results (see these pictures for an example).

While the meta description tag might not be a heavy weight on the technical side, it is a heavy weight for a person's eyeballs, which now includes eyeballs in Facebook. When you "Post a Link" in Facebook, or leave a link on someone's "Wall," Facebook will automatically search for and pull available pictures from the webpage. You'll get to choose which image you want displayed. It also grabs the first line of copy from that page and displays it, as a teaser. However, if you have a meta description tag, it displays the content in the meta description tag.

Example: an LWLer Galia Gichon is  giving a financial seminar "Whip Your Finances Into Shape" with the Freelancers Union. I posted it as a link on the Ladies Who Launch Group page in Facebook. The first sentance was pulled: "Baffled by where your money is going? Does retirement seem unreachable? Anxious about uneven income? Tired of living paycheck to paycheck, or just without a realistic financial plan?" After a quick look at web page's source code, as far as I can tell, there is no meta description tag. So Facebook pulled and displayed the first line of the page.

However, when I answered someone in Facebook about where to find my sexy sleep masks (just got in a new batch!), I gave her the direct link, and my meta description tag was pulled: "Perfect for travel, Saturday morning sleep-ins, and afternoon catnaps. This silk sleep mask is reversible with a lining to block out the light, thanks to the black silk dupioni." If you go to this page, you'll notice that you can't see this text on the page. It's under the hood, in the code. Only search engines and other computer robot things can see it, and then spit it back out when called for.

So, it's just a new light shed on your meta description tag, so that as you write it, you'll have a better idea of who and when it might be read.

And, if you have a website based entirely in Flash, this will not work for you! Flash basically acts like a projector, throwing a website on a screen with no way to pull the little elements from it, like pictures and text. If you want to learn more about Flash based websites, I wrote a whole post about it here.

Rocket Launchers: Ladies Who Launch In The News

Atlanta Incubator member Leslie Grant, founder of Chickin Feed, was featured on the Rachael Ray show Friday, January 18. Soon after the show aired, orders for Chickin Feed's nutrition tracking boards skyrocketed. In addition, Leslie participated in the Atlanta Gift Mart with a number of fellow Incubator members and as a result, her product was picked up by stores nationwide.  

New York Incubator member Salome Yilma, co-founder of EthiDolls was interviewed by Forbes regarding her innovative products based on African women leaders from history.  

Los Angeles Incubator member Camille Hoheb, freelance consultant and writer in the health care/wellness industry, was recently featured in Skin, Inc. magazine with her article "California Wildfires." (Magazine distribution 60,000+).

New York City Incubator member Jennifer Ross, Marketing Strategist and Co-Founder of ActivEntrepreneur, is named one of Long Island Newsday's People on the Move.

Atlanta Incubator member Nadine L. Poliard, owner of Nadine Lynn – Weddings, Events, Creations , has a wedding featured in Weddings Unveiled magazine's Winter 2008 issue (page 104). In addition, she was profiled in the publication's Fall 2007 issue as one of the top up-and-coming bridal consultants of  Atlanta. www.weddingsunveiledmagazine.com, go to Real Weddings and find Lauren + Chad 9.29.07.

Governor Spitzer Expected to Cut Vital Funding for Women

This is from my mentor, Sheri Mooney:

As you may know, the Everywoman Opportunity Center has been assisting women in obtaining and maintaining employment in WNY for over 30 years.  Remember - this program returns money to the state via taxes on earnings of individuals helped into viable jobs and it is the ONLY safety net for women in transition in the state. www.everywoman.org

The vast majority of their funding is from NYS and the current budget from the Governor has cut ALL funding for these vital services. 

Consequently, Everywoman and the other displaced homemaker centers across the State are reaching out with their Purple Postcard campaign and asking its supporters to send these cards directly into the Governor.  I have these postcards and will make them available to you.  Just send me an email or call and I will get as many to you as you need.  If you are attending a meeting or any event where you would like to pass these out, please advise so I can get you a bulk amount in advance.

Please feel free to forward this email to anyone that you believe would support Everywoman and would like a postcard. 

Correspondence on this issue may also be sent directly to The Hon. Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York, State Capital, Albany, NY 12224.  Time is essential as we need to get this completed during the 30 day waiting period.

Thanks in advance for all of your support on this critical issue for women in New York.  We can and will make a difference.

Jen Sincero: Upgrade

From Los Angeles Incubator Leader Jen Sincero who is also the author, sex expert and DJ.

I recently moved out of the smallest apartment I’ve ever lived in (and that includes the 7 years I spent in NYC).  It was a hard, uncomfy choice to move in the first place, but it was 4 blocks from the
beach in Venice, a place that, unlike the rest of Los Angeles, makes my little heart sing. 

Venice has always been the Holy Grail of neighborhoods for me, and I was ready to move there long before I actually did, but I put it off because I knew that the only places I’d be able to afford would be so sketchy I’d be scared to walk around in them barefoot.

When I found my beloved little veal pen, it was not only the cleanest place I’d seen, but it was cheap, sunny, on a perfect block and, most importantly, I could hear the waves crashing from my open bedroom
window.  Who cares that it was so small that I could get something out of the fridge and answer the front door without getting up from the toilet?  I was miserable living where I was living.  I was beyond ready to move.  So I took it.

As I write this from my new, spacious and sunny beach house, I’m struck by how important this lesson is to remember in all aspects of life. If there’s something you really want, the important thing is that you make a move towards it, regardless of how uncomfy your landing pad may be. The critical thing is that you take the leap, that you get moving instead of being paralyzed by how much you may end up “downsizing” or putting yourself at risk.  Because the beauty of sacrifice is that it means you’re ready to grow into something else, and if you never make that sacrifice, you’re just stagnant - an object in motion stays in motion, an object stuck at her soul-sucking day job because she’s too scared to lose her benefits and start her dream company dies with huge regrets. Once you take that first, invigorating leap, it inspires you  to keep moving and growing, so don’t be upset if you’ve landed somewhere “beneath” you at first, but rather be glad you’re not where you once stood anymore.

At the end of the day, nothing is as uncomfortable as settling for a life you’re not excited to live, not even an apartment that makes you feel like "Alice in Wonderland" every time you stand up. I was so much happier there than where I came from because I was on my way.  And as far as I’m concerned, there is no upgrade as fancy as going after your dreams.

Keeping Nickels: Issue 1099 Forms to Independent Contractors by January 31st

1099-MISC (Miscellaneous Income) forms need to be issued by your business yearly when you pay independent contractors $600 or more for services . This applies all over the United States, not just New York state.

You can purchase the forms cheaply at Staples.  Make sure to purchase 1099-MISC forms. I was in a rush the other day and picked up 1099-INT forms.  To complete the forms, you need a list of all the independent contractors, their current address and social security number.  If you are using Quickbooks, you can run a 1099 vendor report to get a list of the total amount paid to vendors.  If you don’t use Quickbooks or another accounting system, then just review your check register and add up all payments made to each independent contractors.

The deadline for issuing 1099 forms is in two weeks on January 31, so get the forms now!

On the flip side if you are an independent contractor or freelancer, then follow up with clients to receive the 1099 forms by January 31st to that you can file your tax returns.  Review amount in Box 7 of the 1099 form to make sure that it agrees to the payments you actually received in 2007.  This is important since these payments are part of your taxable income.

From Nichelle Stephens, Small Business Bookkeeper and Founder of Keeping Nickels.

Style Flash From DressZing: Workout Wardrobe

New York Incubator Member Susan Sommers of DressZing offers tips on how to look good while working out.

My Secret Workout Weapon

Happy New Year. Since January is the month when many people resolve to lose weight and tone up, I thought I'd share my secret with you for sticking to a workout plan.

 

Although I like the results of exercise, I hate to do it. For the last six months though, I've been addicted to spinning. The classes I attend mix cardio, flexibility and strength to the best music around. While finding a great class is essential for staying with a plan, it's not my secret.

 

My exercise outfit is. When I like what I wear and in it, look like the athlete I'd like to be, I'm more apt to work out. My favorite brands are Lululemon. Nike, Adidas, Moving Comfort and Champion. But there's a lot of good stuff out there at all price levels.

 

So guys throw out those old gym shorts and ragged top and ladies, that pair of old tights and baggy T-shirt. Get yourself some cool gear and it will make all the difference. Some ideas:

• Go techno: Look for clothes made of high-tech fabrics that wick (keep the moisture off your skin). Nike has a fabric called Dri-FIT: blends of cotton and polyester and polyester and spandex that keep you cool and dry; other brands have different mixes. Avoid pure cotton. It absorbs sweat, becoming a sodden mess when wet.

• Get sleek: Select a look that skims your shape, rather than hiding it. The outfit doesn't have to encase you like a sausage, but it shouldn't be baggy and shapeless.  For women, bootcut tights are chic and flattering, topped with a fitted tank. For men, think Lance Armstrong: sleek bicycle shorts with a tank top.

• Spotlight your assets: Consider cut and proportion when selecting workout wear. If you have great calves, bicycle shorts are the answer; great arms, go sleeveless. (If you don't like your arms and can't find a top with sleeves, buy a long-sleeved exercise T and shorten the sleeves to just below the elbows). Always wear supportive undergarments... they will also visually perfect your body.
  

• Color up: All black is sexy and slimming, however a burst of color can really brighten your mood. Think about black bottoms with a colorful top.

• Pack it in:  Get a good-looking gym bag to carry all your stuff and always stock it with a clean outfit and socks. 

Whoops. Gotta go to spinning class. I have on black cropped bootleg tights with a semi-fitted Lululemon dusty pink tank, which extends over my hips to elongate my torso. Best, I got it on sale.

 

Rocket Launchers: Ladies Who Launch In The News

New York Incubator member and designer Kathlin Argiro,  just received great press of all ... Stacy London is wearing a Kathlin Argiro dress in her ad campaign for her new show, Fashionably Late With Stacy London. http://www.kathlinargiro.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/stacey-billboard-resized-2.jpg It was also featured on the inside cover of the November 26 issue of STAR Magazine.

L.A. Incubator member Peggy Wong, creative director and owner of STUDIO/PW (www.studiopw.com), was selected as a runner-up by Step Inside Design for her VerdePaperie logo design out of nearly 3,000 entries. Fellow member Kimberly Daniels is the owner of VerdePaperie, an online, eco-friendly stationery store.  The design will be featured in the special STEP online Readers Choice contest at www.stepinsidedesign.com/readerschoice.   Entries receiving the most votes will be published in the Readers Choice Award category in the March/April 2008 STEP Design 100 Annual.  You can check out her design and vote at www.stepinsidedesign.com/readerschoice.

Toronto Incubator member Kelly Fallis, staging expert and founder of Organized Outcomes, www.organizedoutcomes.ca, shares nine hot home staging tips in the January/February issue of Wish Magazine.  

L.A. Incubator member Beth Whiffen, founder of Il Primo Passo (the ultimate destination for shoe addicts!), was featured on LuxuryCulture.com alongside such stores as Manolo Blahnik, Jeffrey New York, Pierre Hardy, Christian Louboutin, and Jimmy Choo. www.luxuryculture.com (Click on city guides.)

Discovery Health Challenge

Are you resolving to lose weight and live healthier?

Discovery Health Challenge wants to be your fitness partner! You have no excuses, because it is free.

If you join now, you get will get an 8-week trial membership to Bally Total Fitness, 8 weeks of free audio personal trainer coaching from Podfitness, 1000+ recipes, customized meal plans, progress tracker, health tips from experts Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Pam Peeke, a workout designed by fitness guru Gilad, videos and online community tools.  Deadline for entry is January 15. FREE!