Featured Expert: Jayne Rios
Topic: Video Basics 101: Learn it, Use it, Love it
Members only call for July 10th, 12:00 CST

Bio:

Jayne Rios is Founder and CEO of Express Yourself eLearning in Dallas, TX.  Jayne is a charismatic visionary with expertise in video, online marketing and eLearning. She is a sought-after speaker, the author of Integrating Video into the Marketing Mix ebook, Interactive Author and Interactive Author Mastermind. Jayne coaches speakers, authors and trainers on turning their message into an empowered online business using video. She is married to a prime time TV news director and the mother of two young boys. In her spare time she is a cub scout den leader and coach of Little League Baseball.

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Ingredient #1 is Awareness

It is important to be aware that connections are all around you.  Most of it is up to you and how you present yourself.  This is about being interested in people, asking questions, and putting yourself “out there” and can lead to many seeds being planted.

I pray each morning that God will introduce me to the people He wants me to meet and that I will be open to meeting with them.  I am a very strong extrovert so people are my passion.  If you are more on the introvert side, you will have to work a bit harder at this.

What is your “connectivity quotient”?

What could you do differently today to be more connected?

Ingredient #2 is Action

Nothing happens if you do not take action.  We have to start attending live and virtual events to make connections.

It is important to recognize that the fortune is in the follow-up and what kind of actions you are willing to take with your connections.

What actions are you taking to connect?  How can you follow up today?

Ingredient #3 is Advantage

We all have an advantage that can be used when connecting.  This is like we discussed with the power of referrals, word of mouth and the power of social media.   Use your connections to increase your advantage.  And be careful of the word USE.  I do not mean it in a harmful way.  We can “use” anything in our life to create something good or to cause harm.

We are called as Christian women entrepreneurs to use our God-given gifts for good in order to create a bridge.  And really, connections are a way to be an example of how Jesus lived.

What is your advantage? How can you use your leverage?

Ingredient #4 is Authenticity

One easy way to increase your connectivity quotient is to be real and tell your story.  The people you meet want to know the real you.  They want to see you.  Be authentic.  Talk about your journey.  Find the common ground, not the differences.

If we do not connect through authentic interaction, our long term business will not thrive.

Are you sharing your real story?  Or putting on a false image in order to “look good”?

Ingredient #5 is Attitude

It is important to connect with the right attitude.  We have to be attractive to attract people and much of the time this comes down to our attitude.

The truth is that if you are connecting out of guilt or responsibility then that will show up in your attitude.  If I am in the wrong frame of mind, I do not want to infect others with that by going to a networking event.  We are called to serve with an attitude of joy, not an attitude of imposition.

What is your attitude?

How might you need to reframe your thinking?

Ingredient #6 is Accountability

In order to create life-long connections, we must be accountable and reliable.  It is about being who you say you are.

The bottom line is that we have to stop being vague and take ownership of our personal connections.  No one else can do the work for us.

Who do you need to be accountable to?

How will you gauge your level of connecting?

Ingredient #7 is Adventure

This is the best part because connecting is an adventure.  Think of it as a research project and you are studying each person that comes in your path. Learn to be a people magnet.   Create joy and have some fun!

Connections are crucial for the journey as a woman of faith.

What are you most excited about related to connecting?

On a personal note:  It is the connections that I have made along the way that have made the difference in my business and my life.  Be a lover of people.  Go where God sends you.  You might be there for the sake of your sister in Christ this week.  Or God might have just the person that you need to meet.  Just show up!

 

Diane Cunningham is the Founder and President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. She is a “business therapist”, plane crash survivor, author, consultant, speaker, marathon runner, and fun friend.

Find out more about NACWE and why 165 women joined in the first year at www.nacwe.org. Connect with Diane at www.facebook.com/DianeCunningham for fun updates, silly videos, and lively conversation.

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Michelle Shaeffer’s entrepreneurial journey began early in life with experiments in sales from Girl Scout cookies and 4H fundraisers to creating websites for her parents’ friends. It nearly came to a tragic end when she discovered her 6th grade teachers really didn’t like her idea of selling super-tactical test taking strategies and coaching services to other students in the classroom prior to a test. She still maintains the entire class grade could have been lifted with a smarter learning approach but the threat of suspension was quite effective in quieting her down–temporarily.

Her first official business ventures as a teen (which came along with a fancy business license, not-so-fancy tax bill and no threats of suspension) included teaching piano lessons and tutoring students in math, history and science, allowing her to explore our many different learning styles and how to work within them to help students retain information and acquire new skills.

As an adult, free to serve others in ways that help them reach their goals faster and get better results with less stress, Michelle helps entrepreneurs and small business owners discover how simple it can be to get real results from their websites, transforming them from ghost towns into ideal client attracting, lead generating, authority building tools.

She’s written 42 blog posts in a single day… mentored more than 5,000 bloggers through the Ultimate Blog Challenge… published 900+ posts on her own blogs… made just about every blogging mistake possible (and shares them), so you don’t have to!

A typical day in Michelle’s life includes a whole lot of coffee, slightly non-traditional homeschooling lessons with her three children, obsessive blogging and content creation, coaching fabulous entrepreneurs through The Marketing Mentors Navigator program, working behind the scenes to support her awesome clients with their blogging and marketing, and sneaking a little bit of sci-fi in there somewhere.
Connect with Michelle for fun, smart training to help you make your online presence work the way you deserve so you can reach the crowd you’re meant to serve.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MichelleShaeffr
Facebook: http://facebook.com/MichelleShaefferFans
YouTube: http://youtube.com/MichelleShaeffer
Blog: http://michelleshaeffer.com

The post Featured Expert June 2013: Michelle Shaeffer – Simple Strategies to Create Your Own Client-Attracting Blog appeared first on NACWE.org.

Since that time, many other things have changed too. I have learned lessons about me, about life, and about art……and really that all of life is ART.

I have learned more about the canvas of life and how it changes.  The background can change how you see the painting, the foundation changes how the outer shows up in the world.

I have experienced the unique differences in the brushes, sponges, and other tools that I have used to paint.  I love the fact that I have never taken a class.  It gives me total freedom to not care if I am doing it wrong or right.  In fact, it gives me great joy to just paint my feelings.  In fact, that is why it is called Heart Art by Diane.  It is about painting from the heart, finding my heart again, and helping others to see their hearts too.  Check out my fanpage here: www.facebook.com/heartartbydiane

I have come to love the smell of paint and be comfortable with it on my hands, fingernails, and sometimes on my clothes. (I have also learned what clothes to wear when I am painting)

I have discovered the beauty of color and how each of us seek out certain ones for a reason.  In fact, when I paint a heart as a gift for someone, I always ask them to tell me the 3 colors that represent them. Then I let God and my inner artist see what comes out.

I have learned that not every painting will be a masterpiece. Sometimes it is just about practice and that is totally fine.

I have embraced the fact that being an artist is a part of me that will go through phases and changes as I go through my life.  I have not painted as much since I moved in March, but that is OK.  The ebbs and flows of life.

I have come to know that being an entrepreneur is very similar to being an artist and that God loves to create.  In fact, the very first sentence of the bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth….”-Genesis 1:1  He is a master at creating. I am thankful that He has given each of us the gift of creativity too.

Happy Anniversary to me and looking forward to the next 207 paintings!

Diane Cunningham is the Founder and President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. She is a “business therapist”, plane crash survivor, author, consultant, speaker, marathon runner, and fun friend.

Find out more about NACWE and why 165 women joined in the first year at www.nacwe.org. Connect with Diane at www.facebook.com/DianeCunningham for fun updates, silly videos, and lively conversation.

The post 207 Hearts in One Year! appeared first on NACWE.org.

Many of the moms I work with are creative types – writers, photographers, caterers, artists, graphic designers, fitness trainers, dieticians, chiropractors, counselors… and the financial aspects of business don’t come naturally. Very few of them are “in the business of money.” Yet, all of them are in business for themselves. And if you’re a mom entrepreneur…if you own a business of any kind…no matter what your company is…no matter what service you provide or product you sell, as a business owner, it’s YOUR JOB to know about the money. And if there’s something you don’t know, your job is to find someone you trust who does know. It’s a challenge for some of us to accept this responsibility, but we can’t have a thriving business unless we do.

Here are five financial fitness tips to help you develop those financial muscles and stay in good financial shape.

Financial Fitness Tips for the Mom Entrepreneur

1. Open a separate checking account for your business. This is the single most important step you can take to turn your hobby into a business. For some reason, this simple task is a huge ordeal for many moms when they are just getting started in business. They put it off until they are making money. Or they convince themselves that it’s going to take a long time and require a ton of paperwork, so it’s not worth the effort. The truth is it takes about 30 minutes to go to the bank and open a business checking account and in most cases all you need is your tax ID number, some identification and an initial deposit. Having that separate account not only makes things cleaner for you at tax time, but it also helps you to take your business seriously.

2. Pay yourself a salary – even if it’s a small amount. Here’s another step that many entrepreneurs tend to skip in start up phase. They pay their vendors, employees and bills and then pray there is enough left over to take a distribution for themselves. I understand that when there is little or no profit and you’re bootstrapping the business you may not feel right about taking a salary. But, hear me on this – you WILL burn out if you don’t have a reasonable steady salary coming in! And you can choose to invest it all back in the company if you want to – but it should still be coming to you on paper. And I know it’s a stretch to think about this now, but if you ever plan to sell the company – or seek investors – you’re going to need an accurate operating budget, which would include your salary.

3. Hire a bookkeeper and CPA. For most entrepreneurs, this is one of the first responsibilities we need to outsource. That’s because we are not experts in finances, taxes and bookkeeping. Yet many of us insist on trying to do it ourselves. I did this for several years before I realized that it caused a strain in my marriage. One day I was working on the books with my husband and we could hear the kids playing in another room with a babysitter we had hired so we could prepare our tax return. We sat in the office for about three hours, getting frustrated and irritated with each other while the kids laughed and played. I decided that we would never again miss out on a day of fun with our children so we could do something we weren’t very good at doing and didn’t enjoy doing at all. I immediately hired a bookkeeper and a CPA and have never regretted it. Remember, when we let go of something we are not called to do in our business, we have an opportunity to bless another business owner who is called to serve others in that capacity. And – we free up our own time to focus on what we are called to do in business and at home!

4. Watch your numbers to determine ROI and manage cash flow. If you are the type of mompreneur who gets wrapped up in the creative side of business and ignores the finances, this is going to be a challenge. But just like a new exercise routine, you start small and make a commitment to be consistent. The idea is to schedule a specific time every day, week or month (depending on your business) to review your financial statements. This is easier to do when you have a bookkeeper setting up your books with you. And it doesn’t have to be a complicated process – you can create a simple spreadsheet or dashboard that allows you to track the numbers you want to monitor, such as sales, expenses, returns, accounts receivable, etc. This dashboard will be different for every business, but keep it simple and focus only on the numbers that will help you make better decisions in your business.

5. Set boundaries around your time and money. This is one that’s difficult for women because we’re people pleasers and we don’t like to say no. But if we want to run a profitable business, we have to set boundaries around our time and our money. When you set boundaries around your time and our money, you are able to:

• Charge what you are worth for your services
• Outsource or delegate tasks
• Stop saying yes to volunteer projects that steal your joy and leave you filled with resentment
• Identify the charitable contributions and in-kind donations (pro-bono work) you can commit to for the year and say no to others
• Stop attending networking meetings that aren’t bringing you an ROI
• Collect on unpaid invoices
• Require payment in advance for your services
• Attract clients and customers who value your time and will pay what you are worth

What am I missing? Share your financial fitness tips with us here!

 

Theresa Ceniccola is The Christian Mompreneur—a mentor to moms who are running a business that supports their values of faith and family. As president and founder of the International Christian Mompreneur Network, she empowers entrepreneurial moms to build profitable businesses with wisdom and grace. Join the International Christian Mompreneur Network for free and receive the Ten Commandments of a Mompreneur toolkit!

The post Financial Fitness Tips for the Mom Entrepreneur appeared first on NACWE.org.

Watch my video about info-products here! One of our first training topics from my coach Silvia Pencak, from Magenetic Look.

 

Diane Cunningham is the Founder and President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. She is a “business therapist”, plane crash survivor, author, consultant, speaker, marathon runner, and fun friend.

Find out more about NACWE and why 165 women joined in the first year at www.nacwe.org. Connect with Diane at www.facebook.com/DianeCunningham for fun updates, silly videos, and lively conversation.

The post Do you need help with info-products? appeared first on NACWE.org.

This is just one of the topics we will be covering this week in our 2013 Business Revolution Virtual Conference hosted by myself and the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. We will be learning about networking, speaking, follow-up, product creation, pricing your programs, and so much more! Plus a very candid discussion with all of our speakers on what happens behind the scenes as I interview them.

Come join us! Use my coupon code CRAZY to save $50. Or better yet, join as a member of NACWE for the entire year and get in for just $247 for the conference and the membership! Yes CRAZY indeed.

What NOT to do when NETWORKING!

Do NOT huddle with your friends that you already know.
Do NOT wear shoes that are uncomfortable or you cannot walk and look normal in.
Do NOT dress like someone you are NOT.
Do NOT go just for the free food and drinks.
Do NOT bombard the new person you meet with a chapter-sized conversation about your business when they are glazed over and not listening.
Do NOT over share.
Do NOT hide in the ladies room.
Do NOT go without bringing your business cards.
Do NOT walk around with spinach in your teeth. (I have done this one.)
Do NOT go hunting to make money.
Do NOT go if you are cranky. We would all rather you just stayed home.

I hope you got a good laugh. But really, come join us at the Business Revolution and network with us in your comfy clothes and shoes!

Click here to get your ticket and remember to be CRAZY and use my coupon code!

http://nacwe.org/2013virtualconference/

 

Diane Cunningham is the Founder and President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. She is a “business therapist”, plane crash survivor, author, consultant, speaker, marathon runner, and fun friend.

Find out more about NACWE and why 165 women joined in the first year at www.nacwe.org. Connect with Diane at www.facebook.com/DianeCunningham for fun updates, silly videos, and lively conversation.

The post Networking No-No’s: What NOT to do when networking as a Christian Woman in Business appeared first on NACWE.org.

I have invited my coach Silvia Pencak from Magnetic Look to teach you about creating your products and programs and also figuring out the right pricing! The 3 p’s that can cause years of distress will be taken care of during this one webinar.

My first info-product was a tiny little ebook that I called Life is A Marathon: Learn How to Run. Then in 2005 I created a fancier info-product as I upgraded and learned more called Dreams and Goals forGrown-Ups. I even got this one spiral bound. I am telling you, I was really cranking things up a notch at that point.

I have learned a lot since then and now have ebooks, video trainings, a DVD, and paperback books. I have taken classes, paid for coaching and learned from my mistakes. It takes time and we need help to figure out how to create these items and then also how to price them.

Join us at the 2013 Business Revolution Virtual Conference this week to learn from a seasoned pro and the woman who has been coaching me over the past year. Silvia is a dynamo to say the least!! Silvia owns Magnetic Look and can be found at her website, http://www.magneticlook.com

Silvia will be sharing her proven formula to turn your idea into an info-product…and how to get on your prospects radar. Plus the only pricing formula you’ll ever need…..the #1 secret all of the top marketers use anddon’t want you to know.

Get your ticket here today and use the coupon code CRAZY to save $50!

http://nacwe.org/2013virtualconference

And we are offering a 100 % money back guarantee that after the first full day of the conference if you are not satisfied, we will refund your money in FULL.

I can’t wait to help you get the information you need to get out of info-product uncertainty and to spend 3 days with you. As sisters in Christ, we are here to support each other. I’ll see you on Thursday for the opening webinar!

 

Diane Cunningham is the Founder and President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. She is a “business therapist”, plane crash survivor, author, consultant, speaker, marathon runner, and fun friend.

Find out more about NACWE and why 165 women joined in the first year at www.nacwe.org. Connect with Diane at www.facebook.com/DianeCunningham for fun updates, silly videos, and lively conversation.

 

The post Info-Product Uncertainty: Do you need to create your first info product? appeared first on NACWE.org.

How does God fit into your business?

Over the past week, I was under attack mentally and spiritually.   Being tested on all sides, feeling overwhelmed and discouraged about different pieces of my business (and my life) NOT looking like I want them to look.  I was getting caught up in comparison.  I was too busy looking out and listening to others.  I was wallowing in the world….instead of trusting God completely.

Then God showed me this verse…..

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father.  He loves to help.  You’ll get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.  Ask boldly, believing without a second thought.  People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves.  Don’t think you are going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all of your options open.    James 1:2-8 The Message

And He didn’t stop there.  He had 3 people tell me to STAND. That was the word that they used with me.  He had me surrounded and uplifted by people that poured love and His message into me.

Being an entrepreneur takes great courage.  It asks you to reach deep down into your core.  It asks me to not get out prematurely and to stop “worrying my prayers”.  I don’t want to be WIND WHIPPED.

So I dive in whole-heartedly and I claim to God’s promises.  I will ASK BOLDLY, believing without a second thought, that I am right where He wants me and needs me.  I will STAND for me and for you.  I will STAND for your sister and your daughter.  I will STAND for my the women who stood for me and the ones that you will STAND for. Will you STAND with me?

 

Diane Cunningham is the Founder and President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. She is a “business therapist”, plane crash survivor, author, consultant, speaker, marathon runner, and fun friend.

Find out more about NACWE and why 165 women joined in the first year at www.nacwe.org. Connect with Diane at www.facebook.com/DianeCunningham for fun updates, silly videos, and lively conversation.

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Guest Expert: Melissa Taylor

About Melissa Taylor

Author of two books, Pinterest Savvy: How I Got 1 Million+ Followers (Strategies, Plans, and Tips to Grow Your Business with Pinterest) and Book Love: Help Your Child Grow from Reluctant to Enthusiastic Reader and award-winning blogger at Imagination Soup, Melissa Taylor is an entrepreneurial writer and Pinterest expert.

Melissa writes about Pinterest, education, learning, children’s literature, technology, and advocacy for publications online and in print, including Imagination Soup, Parenting.com, ALEX Toys, USA Today Health, The Writer, Scholastic Parent and Child, Working Mother.com, Babble.com, Colorado Parent Magazine, Denver Magazine and others. In 2010, she won the coveted Colorado delegate spot for Parenting Magazine’s Education and Learning Mom Congress. In January 2012, Entrepreneur magazine featured Taylor as the “’Trep of the Month.”

Melissa created and writes the highly popular and award-winning learning blog Imagination Soup, a PBS Kids VIP Blog, Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine Best Reading & Book Blog for 2010, and Circle of Moms Top 25 Teacher Mom Blogs and Top 25 Tech Moms.

Melissa served as a panelist for the Cybils 2011 Book Apps and the 2010 Early Readers & Early Chapter Books. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), Education Writers Association and the Denver Woman’s Press Club.

With a Master’s Degree in Global Education, Melissa has expertise in early childhood and elementary education with a focus on writing, literacy, and play. She has taught all subjects for the elementary grades and preschool. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Taylor has taught English as a Second Language, taught Spanish-speaking children in inner-city Denver Public Schools and in the federal migrant program, and served as a literacy trainer in underperforming schools for the Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC). She was a four-time consecutive winner of Outstanding Teacher in Douglas County.

For more information about Melissa, please visit her website or email her at melissa@melissatayloronline.com.

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