Ladies Who Launch

Goodbye, So Long, Ciao

Hey there! This is Nichelle Stephens. I started this blog for Ladies Who Launch two years ago, and there has been a great response from the community.  However,  Ladies Who Launch has created a social network where members can created their blogs, so this blog is shutting down.  Thanks to all who contributed links and posts here. Thanks to all the commenters as well. Check out Ladies Who Launch!

How to Unleash your Inner Sexpot

Would you like to unleash your inner Sexpot?
Pole dancing is the latest trend in workouts it is true. It is Audacious. It is bold.

And fun.

It makes me feel juicy, bodacious and empowered. It trims my waistline and causes me to think differently about who I am being in the world. All that from 2 hours in a very intense and pleasurable workout?

Yes.

So consider this.
If all matter is energy and the Law of Attraction says that like
energy attracts like energy, then imagine the kind of gorgeous
energy you can create by giving the pole a whirl?

There is much to be said for my pole dancing classes and I have
noticed a change in how I approach everything in my life.

As Sheila Kelly, the founder of SFactor has said, "Soak in the
pure, unadulterated flow of your life. Breathe it in and exhale
everything in your mind until your entire being is just bliss. Let
your body float with soft, languid moves that are simply organic to
your being. When you step outside into your day you will notice
something has shifted."

I think I am (finally!) becoming the exquisite creature I was meant to be.
When you uncover your inner sexpot you also uncover your creative
center, which helps you to think of great new ideas for your
business and gives you the lift-off to actually complete what you
start!

Imagine that?

One of my coaches, Andrea J. Lee of Vancouver, British Columbia often speaks about doing activities that open you to your most sensual and creative self. For me it comes from movement and there is nothing like gathering the courage to dance with a pole...and do it gracefully. And also not be afraid to flop on the floor and try again.

If you are looking for a way to shape up your body, mind and spirit
then the Sfactor may just be the thing for you. They have intro
classes and studios are opening all over the place.

Even Oprah loves it.
You will too.
It's Pure Audacious power.

Go on check it out. You know you want to.

http://www.sfactor.com

Nancy Mindes, Chief Audaciousness Officer
Audacious Ladies Coaching Company
http://www.NancyMindes.com

Please don't give me a fruitcake!

Dear Audacious Ones,

Okay...this is it. The last few days before the big one. You know, it's coming right at you and you still have a few gifts to get. Oh and then there's a few people who want to know what you want. Well, for one thing it's not a fruitcake is it? Or a bright red wooly sweater with a snowman on it?

How about giving a gift that gives and give and gives again.

How about changing the present?
Yes really.

My friend Robert Tolmach has come up with something that is pure genius. A one stop shop for doing good at holiday time and all year through.
Are you still clearing out clutter from last year?
Well here is a good way to avoid more of the same. Avoid long lines and you can really be making a difference.
ChangingThePresent.org, a new nonprofit website, is helping nonprofits capture some of the $250 billion we Americans spend each year buying presents for one another. Instead of buying more stuff, you can choose what you want to accomplish from among thousands of donation opportunities and you can make donations in a friend's name.\

WHO KNEW?

Did you know that every year, Americans spend $250 billion--$100 billion during the holiday season, alone--buying presents for one another.

Imagine, for one delirious moment, what we could accomplish if even a small percentage of that gift money were redirected to nonprofits working to make the world a better place.

Many of us, and many of our friends, don't really need another fruitcake, toaster, wallet, day of the week panties, fuzzy slippers, tin of popcorn, pen & pencil set, or Chia pet. Still, our friends expect a gift don't they?

Don't you? You know you do.

Since most people are passionate about a favorite cause or two or favorite nonprofit, it's no wonder that more and more people are giving donation gifts, that is, a charitable donation made in a friend's name, in lieu of giving store-bought presents. What better way to honor the people we care for than by making the world a better place.

ChangingThePresent.org offers thousands of specific donation gifts from hundreds of leading nonprofits, so visitors can choose exactly what they want to accomplish. You can protect an acre of the rainforest or fund an hour of a cancer researcher's time. You can provide a child with a first book, an AIDS patient with life-saving drugs, refugees with shelter, or a hungry family with a nourishing meal. The site offers something for virtually every cause.

You can browse by cause, search by name to find almost any nonprofit, or peruse friends' wish lists and registries to find exactly what they would find most meaningful. Plus, you can create personalized greeting cards, which will be mailed the next day to announce the donations made in friends' names.

ChangingThePresent.org is not just for gift donations meant as an alternative to traditional presents; a wide range of features also makes it a more attractive channel for some of the $199 billion that us generous folks already donate each year.

Give a gift that matters go here> http://www.changingthepresent.org

You can create your own profile page to show what causes and nonprofits you most care about, allowing you to sharey our passions and interests with others. Those who wish to do so can earn recognition for the donations they make. For those who want to know that your dollars are being used effectively, the site provides extensive information on causes and nonprofits.

Those who keep an eye on their own finances will appreciate that, unlike merchandise, donation gifts are tax-deductible. You can also enjoy the ability to support any number of nonprofits with a single credit card transaction and to find receipts in one place for all your giving.

Every cause needs an enemy to challenge. For ChangingThePresent, it's the preposterous gift that absorbs money that might better be used for more meaningful purposes. You can submit your favorite dumb gift examples to the Stupid Gift Hall of Shame, where voting will determine who wins a sweet prize--
50 pints of Ben & Jerry's.

Just so you know how legit this is...
The Board of Advisors for ImportantGifts, the nonprofit that is launching this website, includes over 150 of the best known and most respected leaders in the nonprofit world. This group includes the heads of Amnesty International, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Ashoka, the Global AIDS Alliance, Grameen Foundation USA, the Rainforest Alliance, Refugees International, Save the Children, Sesame Workshop, Sierra Club, the United States Fund for UNICEF, and others.

And they've done some major outreach to some big time celebs names are going to be announced in the not too distant future. But don't wait for them. Be a star in your own right and get with it.
Isn't this season about the spirit of giving?
Really giving?
I mean come on do you really need another T-shirt?

A big Audacious Kiss and Hug to you,
Nancy

Nancy Mindes, coach
Chief Audaciousness Officer
Audacious Ladies get your Success In Style.
How audacious do you want to be?
516.705.8823
http://www.NancyMindes.com

"Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." `Goethe

Want to really give?

Relief is just a thought away

Dear Audacious Ladies who Launch

Consider this.
Your thoughts and fears are like outdated computer programs that jam up the works
and cause your machine to crash.

But you can always upgrade by getting into action.
Affirmations are a great way to do it.

Try this:
Before you jump out of bed and race off to start your day
take 5 minutes to just close your eyes again and breathe.

First take a moment to say "thank you" for having this wonderful day stretched out before you.
(even if you have a crazy one coming at you, be grateful anyway the universe will notice)
then
Take long slow deep breaths and notice your thoughts;
Avoid making lists or plans just follow the breath and watch your thoughts roll by and let them go.
They will keep coming, keep allowing them to come and go like waves on the shore.

Notice what comes up for you.
What would you like to create for the day?

Now to create a new program to replace your outdated software, create an affirmation that  you can repeat
throughout the day.

Affirmations enable us to let go of negative programming and make space for that which propels you forward.
Here's one to get you started from Louise Hay, from her bestseller, You Can Heal Your Life.

For self criticizing: "I am willing to release the need to be unworthy. I  am worthy of the very best in life, and I now lovingly allow myself to accept it."
Keep it with you.
Post it somewhere and everywhere.
Say it often. SAY IT LOUD.
Step into your Audacious Intention with GUSTO.

A BIG audacious hug to you,
Nancy

Nancy Mindes, coach
Chief Audaciousness Officer
Audacious Ladies get your Success In Style.
How audacious do you want to be?
516.705.8823

Go here to join my Audacious E-Zine http://www.NancyMindes.com

"Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." `Goethe

Giving Thanks: FashionMista

FashionMista is the blog of designer, Katie James. It tracks the progress of the Katie James label, as well as spotlights other designers, quarky products, and includes an occasional boyfriend story.

I had a long car trip to reflect on this (several, actually, in the course of this Thanksgiving which involved Columbus OH and TN with a little bit of DollyWood, pictures of which are to come on FashionMista). Here's what I'm thankful for:

• My job, which has given me Day Job Dollars to partially finance my business.
• My skills and wacky Gemini tendencies to be involved with many things, to combine them into successful things.
• My apartment. Sometimes I forget that I myself and paying for my apartment, its funky colored walls, solid furniture (with extra thanks to my mom who provided strategically placed IKEA, and to a former co-worker who used me as GoodWill to unload beautiful pieces of furniture from her sister-in-law's upper-east-side apartment).
• My boyfriend, who is solid as a rock and always supportive despite times I act a little nuts or find silly causes to roll my eyes.
• My pets of course, who seem to love me despite the fact that I give them the same food for their entire lives (although it is top of the line).
• My family, and specifically my grandmother, who before Alzheimer’s seized her brain, gave me some of the greatest advice. I was tormented with making the decision between writing and graphic design, and she simply stated to do both. Which I now do, happily.

Giving Thanks: Jen Singer

Jen Singer is the creator of www.MommaSaid.net and the author of 14 Hours ‘Til Bedtime.

I’m thankful for technology, because it makes it possible for me to work-from-home around my kids’ schedules. Thanks to the Internet, I can e-mail an editor at midnight or on weekends when I have a moment to work. She won’t hear my kids singing the “Beans… beans..” song in the background, because e-mail doesn’t have a soundtrack. I can create a web site that’s as attractive and content-heavy as a large corporation’s site, and I can take phone calls, forwarded from my Internet phone to my cell, while I’m waiting for the kids to finish their piano lessons. What’s on my Christmas list this year? A smart phone, so I can get that important e-mail while I’m finishing up a sand castle at the beach with my boys.

 

Thankfulness

The blog topic of the week is thankfulness.  What are you most grateful for on this Thanksgiving?  What does launching give you to be thankful for?  Please tell us about that and tell us about yourself! 
Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks: Nichelle Stephens

Lucky Strike Cigarettes Thanksgiving Ad, 1950, originally uploaded by Roadsidepictures.

This year the stars and (dinners) have aligned so that I can attend 3 Thanksgiving dinners on Thursday.  Traveling across 2 boroughs,  I will sup with friends who agree that dinner with people who share some of the genetic make-up as you is  SO 1950's.

Last year, I wrote a piece for The Black List  about Orphan Thanksgivings and I still would love to get a new name for the term. Please leave suggestions in the comments!

ORPHAN THANKSGIVING: Having Thanksgiving dinner with your family is like feeding tacos to a toddler. After a few pleasant moments, there will be a explosion of crap. So this year, I avoided the crap by staying here in New York and having Thanksgiving dinner with friends. It was so nice to eat, drink and swear as much as I want without criticism from family members. Plus, none of my friends asked me why I wasn't married yet. The only problem I have "Orphan Thanksgiving" is the term itself.  It totally blows.  It sounds like my friends and I are bunch of characters from Oliver Twist sitting around the table with cockney accents begging for more porridge.  In fact, we had more food on Thanksgiving than any Orphan Annie could ever imagine. So I suggest a new title like, "Avoid A Meal With Your Family Thanksgiving" or "Thank God, I'm Not At My Folks Thanksgiving."  It's wordy, but oh so true.

Thanksgiving with Friends: A.
The term "Orphan Thanksgiving": D

Giving Thanks: Deb Stanzak

Deb Stanzak is a member of the Atlanta Incubator and a Independent Senior Sales Director forMary Kay Cosmetics

I am thankful for God allowing my mom to be in my life for the last 5 years.  5 years ago, the doctor told us she had 3 months to live; maybe 6 months.  Then, a year later, we were told 3 months.  Then 2 yrs later she went on Hospice for one full year, then taken off this past January 2006, due to her 'doing so well'!  My mom, Mary, just died October 29th, and she lived right up the street from me in assisted living, so I could take her places and do things for her.  She was alert til the end, and I was with her when she died...as I had prayed for.  I thank God for my mom, her extended life, and her Christ-like example she showed us all.  Mom...I love you, and thanks you, God, for picking Mary to be MY special mom!