Weekend Entrepreneur:

Four moves, two babies and a personal illness didn’t deter this woman from pursuing her dream of being a successful mompreneur. So if she can do it, what’s stopping you?

When Debbie Savage combined her love, heritage, fashion and babies into a jewelry company, the unexpected happened. Her company, Baby Emi Jewelry, which she affectionately named after her oldest daughter, landed on the pages of InTouch Magazine and on the Celebrity Baby Blog. Why? Because her Cambodian Jingle Bells anklet was recently sighted on one of Hollywood’s cutest babies! Photographs featured Heaven Rain, daughter of Brooke Burke and David Charvet, wearing Baby Emi Cambodian Jingle Bells jewelry at her mommy’s baby shower in Beverly Hills. Other sightings include The View’s Celebrity “Bump” Bag, when the producers televised a baby shower for co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck and at the MTV Movie Awards Celebrity Gifting Suite.

Savage has generously shared how she kept going when the going got tough, the turning point for her business and the people and values that inspired her to get started. And although Savage’s tagline is, “Glamour for pint-sized people,” she’s not just another pretty face on the fashion scene. Savage is on a mission to help others by giving back to organizations that help children in need. Words she lives by: ” ‘Pay it forward baby!’ That is our motto here at Baby Emi Jewelry because we sincerely believe that giving back is the best reward in life.”

When did you start your business and what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

Savage: Baby Emi was started well before its online storefront graced the web. It took a few years to create the business and, finally, when the timing was just right, Baby Emi launched in April of 2006. My passion to become an entrepreneur was instilled by my mother. She nurtured an ability and confidence to grasp the impossible and do all in your power to make it happen. My source of inspiration was the birth of my daughter Emi and our rich Cambodian tradition of baby jewelry gifting.

What tips can you give others who want to embrace their dream but don’t feel they have the confidence to move forward?

Savage: You will never “fail” if you try. I do not feel like I have lost when I have given an opportunity a chance. My belief is that if you are scared about doing something, you must do it. To gain confidence and experience you must go through the experience. And allow the stress, mistakes and disappointments in running a business benefit you by providing wisdom and a clear vision of what you are and what you represent. It is overcoming these bumps in the road that empower us to feel confident in making better choices.

What gives you the edge over your competitors?

Savage: Our flagship product is our Cambodian Jingle Bells jewelry. My daughter was given her first set of Jingle Bells anklets at her Cambodian baby blessings. The fact that my family is from Cambodia and I am selling a product that honors a tradition of ours that has been passed down by the generations tells an amazing story that provides Baby Emi a depth and familial connection that sets us apart.

Tell us about your product and what it was like to take an idea from concept to getting it up and running?

Savage: I am a jewelry designer. The concept of Baby Emi in its infancy stages was created in 2002. It took three solid years before my online boutique launched in April 2006. During that time I was researching the craft, jewelry designs, business logistics and competitors. Also, I was making jewelry prototypes and building the site. It was a lot of work between getting pregnant twice and giving birth, going through four moves and personal illness.

Was there a turning point for you when you knew you could succeed with your business idea?

Savage: It was not until I had a breakthrough conversation with one of my dropship account owners. Not only is she a dear friend but also a profound business mentor. I was feeling discouraged and wanted to see Baby Emi grow in leaps and bounds. A suggestion that she made was to find a way to make my business different from my competitors. I realized that I started this business because of my culture’s tradition to gift babies with jewelry. It was then I realized I must sell Cambodian baby jewelry. And since we added our Cambodian Jingle Bells anklets and saw the success of it through press and celebrity gifting, we knew we were on to a business concept that had depth and longevity.

Have you noticed certain advantages to being an entrepreneur versus having a day job?

Savage: At my past day job I often found myself thinking about my family. The things I wanted to do with my family. And as an entrepreneur, I am “home” with my family, and it is wonderful!

How long did it take before your business became profitable?

Savage: Baby Emi will be 2 years old at the end of April. So we are very new. It is my third baby. I have not financed my company. In the beginning we were paying for it personally. And now the business is running on its own. Every “profit” that we do see gets put right back into building the business. However, it wasn’t until a year and a half [after] its launch that I felt happy with the sales it had been generating. All great things take time!

Were there any challenges that you experienced along the way that you had to overcome?

Savage: Oh, my goodness, have there been a lot of challenges–like finances, time, personal illness, etc. The only thing I could do while facing these obstacles is pray and keep moving forward, keeping my eye on the vision of my business.

Did you have a mentor?

Savage: Yes, I do have a mentor. Many actually that have helped me during certain points of my business. But my greatest mentor is the woman who reached out and asked if she could carry my jewelry, and that is Heather Ledeboer of Mom4Life.com.

What’s next?

Savage: This is the fun part! We are currently in the process of launching our Cambodian Jingle Bells anklet on a national wholesale level. This has been a very exciting and stress-inducing project. We are working with international manufacturers, domestic gift box manufacturing companies, web designs, print designers and business colleagues to get this baby ready. My ultimate goal is to have our Cambodian jewelry sold in every trendy baby boutique across the U.S. and in high-end retail shops like Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. I also have a dream to be on “Oprah!” I find her to be amazing and uplifting. I would love to share my story of Baby Emi on her show one day. To just sit next to her would be a dream come true.

Debbie’s jewelry is beautiful. In fact, when I first saw her website, I couldn’t wait to order something for my 3-year-old niece, McKaina. It also occurred to me that I would like to write about how you can get your product in gift bags. So check back to find out more.

Oh, before I forget, my favorite section of the website is Giving, and that is where you can see how Baby Emi is giving back to other organizations. And for more info about Debbie Savage check out her blog: savagebunch.blogspot.com.

Sooooooo, it’s time for YOU to live the lifestyle of your dreams. Let me know your thoughts and what sort of ideas and resources you are looking for. I am here for you.

Peace,

Michelle Anton

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist� is a cliché I’ve recited more times than I care to remember. But I just met Lisa Akers, a real-life rocket scientist. Her Denver-based company, Be Still & Knit, offers classes and clothing for children and the women who love them.

This upclose and personal interview with Lisa Akers reveals what she’s up to… from stumbling blocks (a coach who didn’t work out) to a peek at what’s she’s planning to do next to increase industry awareness. She’s a smart cookie.

When did you start your business and what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
AKERS: I started my company, Be Still & Knit, in the summer of 2005. I left my corporate job as a rocket scientist (yes, really) in late 2003 to birth my daughter. It was a huge shift for me to go from the world of high science, high dollar and high-risk satellite business to the world of diapers, baby food and midnight feedings. To top it all off, we moved from our home in Connecticut to Denver for my husband’s work (in my 35th week of pregnancy). So here I was, a new mom in a new town, with no friends to speak of.

I desperately needed to do something and meet people or I was going to go nuts! So, I went to moms’ groups, I went to churches and I went to the parks to meet other moms. It worked for a while, but my drive as an engineer really made me want to do more–I wanted to have something that I could call my own.

I was wandering through Target, buying diapers, when a learn-to-knit kit caught my eye. It was not completely out of character, since I had been crocheting since I was 6. I brought it home and learned to knit. It wasn’t the most beautiful of shawls (at least in my eyes), but it garnered me compliments every time I wore it. Before long, I was making shawls and teaching classes to my new friends.

What gives you the edge over your competitors?
AKERS: I think that my concept for teaching classes is unique in two ways. First, I come to my students and work on their schedule. Being a mom and not owning a brick-and-mortar store, I have a lot more flexibility in when and where I do my work. Secondly, I believe in giving people a skill and a philosophy. I want all my students to walk away with confidence in their abilities. Often with lessons in stores or at craft events, the instructor only wants to present the material and get it over with. I go one step beyond the skill and talk about the more emotional, spiritual and relationship aspects of knitting/crocheting. I want to create a community of knitters, not just a collection. With my clothing, I create classic designs out of materials that are easy-care, that are high-quality and long-lasting, and are widely appealing to moms and grandmas. What sets me apart is the fact that my designs are easy to wear and easy to care for. Busy moms don’t need fussy clothes.

Was there a turning point for you when you knew you could succeed with your business idea? If so please describe.
AKERS: It came this past January 2nd. I was celebrating the holidays with my family when my business phone rang. I answered it, and on the other end was a high-end local boutique that wanted to start selling my products. It was the confidence booster and energy behind my new success. I was doing OK before, but that moment I realized that I could do so much more!

Have you noticed certain advantages to being an entrepreneur versus having a day job?
AKERS: Well, it is great to have the personal flexibility of working for myself. I can schedule my days, weeks and months to best suit my own demands as a mom and wife. On the other hand, it’s much harder to keep focused when I’m the only one setting the agenda.

When I had a day job as a rocket scientist, I felt much like a firefighter. Some days were incredibly busy with solving problems, explaining concepts and running tests. Other days were just a waiting game. I find that with my own business, every day is incredibly busy. When I am working for myself, my brain is on overdrive coming up with new products, class ideas and marketing concepts. I have a journal that I always carry with me that I use to write down the ideas I have but don’t have time to do right now. Each six months, I sit down with those ideas and see if I should implement some of them and eliminate some of the things I’m currently doing.

How long did it take before your business became profitable?
AKERS: I was profitable in my second year of business. It took about 18 months to comfortably profit from what I do. My business is pretty seasonal, too. I teach a lot more and sell a lot more product in the winter. I’m trying to shift that around, but there’s something about having wool in your lap in August that isn’t very appealing!

Has it been difficult to get financing for your company?
AKERS: I have self-financed. I used my credit card to get started and, fortunately, I have a very low interest rate.

Did you have a mentor? If so, how was it helpful?
AKERS: Well, I did have a coach, and she really wasn’t that helpful. I loved getting her ideas and putting some of them to work. However, I trusted her ideas and concepts without doing any of my own research and without running it through my own filters. Unfortunately, her ideas led me away from my core business and were a big distraction for my first 18 months. Once I refocused on my business of creating a knitting community, then I was more profitable and more successful.
I’ve found that other moms who are in business are far more valuable as mentors. They have made a lot of the mistakes I made and are willing to share. It’s great to have a community of like-minded business owners to reach out to when you have a question or need some advice.

What resources were most helpful to you when you were starting your business?
AKERS: The most valuable thing for me has been two moms’ networking groups. We meet twice a month and we get to talk about how business is going. We share ideas on marketing, websites, events and getting clients. We critique each other’s new products, and we get new ideas on how to best run a business and raise a family.

What’s next for Be Still & Knit?
AKERS: My plan is to start holding weekend retreats for fiber artists. We’ll have classes on fiber projects, meditation, prayer, exercise, nutrition and community building. I want to bring the peaceful aspect of fiber arts to the knitting community and create a stronger community of knitters.

Let us know what’s next for you and how we can help.

Your cheerleader for success,
Michelle Anton

Although you must be a resident of the Central Texas region for this competition, it’s an awesome opportunity to win $5,000 for your business. Online entrees are being sought for the 2008 BiGAUSTIN (Business Investment Growth) BiG idea Day’s Business Plan Competition.

Here are seven things you need to know before entering this exciting competition sponsored by BiGAUSTIN:

1. All business plans for the BiG idea Day Luncheon competition must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2008;

2. To register for the business plan competition, call 512.928.8010 or visit the website at bigaustin.org;

3. Participants must be entrepreneurs of at least six months and generate less than $500,000 revenue;

4. Each contestant will present his or her business plan in a live competition on April 18, 2008, for selection as the best for 2008;

5. The judges will be the audience of corporate, entrepreneur and community leaders. The winner receives a $5,000 cash prize, which he or she can use to further business goals

6. BiGAUSTIN is offering free business plan counseling services and workshops to aid contest participants in preparation. Participation in these classes will not be used to influence judges, but to help the contestants prepare to present their very best business plan; and

7. The Business Plan Lab Session is optional. It allows participants to work on their specific plan with a professional. It will be held Wednesday, March 12, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

For more information on the preparation classes and to register for the business plan competition, call 512.928.8010 or visit the website at bigaustin.org.

BiGAUSTIN is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded in 1995. BiGAUSTIN is the leading self-sustainable small business development organization that provides innovative growth strategies to underserved entrepreneurs in Central Texas. BiGAUSTIN offers entrepreneurial education, tailored business counseling and flexible loans for small business owners.

Come on, dust off that business plan and get in the game! It’s time to start living the life of your dreams. And if you don’t reside in Austin, Texas, then maybe you have a friend, relative or an associate who could benefit by knowing about this competiton. So please, spread the word.

Check back later this month for more details about the 8th Annual BIG idea Day Luncheon on April 18, 2008, at the Austin Hilton Hotel. More than 500 community and corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and government officials will be in attendance. This will be a wonderful opportunity for networking. I’ll be the keynote speaker for the luncheon, and I’ll be conducting a workshop that morning.

Hope to meet you there!

Michelle Anton

When we heard about The Poem Lady, the brainchild of Jill Starishevsky, we were all ears. Besides the fact that she is on a mission, several things got our attention. Starishevsky is a mom, a wife and a prosecutor of sex crime and child abuse in New York City with more than a decade of experience. The other thing, is that we had no idea you could make “good”  money writing poetry.

Starishevsky recently returned to work after maternity leave and, like many of us, she needed a creative outlet. She said, “I had drafted poems and speeches for family and friends for years and decided that this would be a natural segue into a business.” And that’s exactly what happened. She started The Poem Lady in 2005, and its success gave her the funds to launch her new venture, HowsMyNanny.com. With a passion for protecting children, Starishevsky created an easy-to-use service that enables anyone to communicate problems he or she witnesses to parents, keeping nannies on watch and children safe.

HowsMyNanny.com has become a media favorite. Recently Jill Starishevsky shared her story with Donny Deutsch when she appeared on “The Big Idea.” In addition, Hows My Nanny has been endorsed in the New York Daily News and was featured on “Good Morning America,” CNN and Fox. But before the nanny biz took off, The Poem Lady was paving the way to a bigger dream. Here’s the story behind the story.

What was it like to take an idea from concept to getting it up and running?
Starishevsky: My product is personalized poems for birthdays, anniversaries, baby and bridal showers, bar/bat mitzvah candlelighting ceremonies and speeches for all occasions. The only thing I had to do to get up and running was to establish a website and strongly encourage word-of-mouth referrals from my many satisfied clients. Once I developed a name for myself, it just took a bit of networking to keep the momentum going.

How did you use this business to fund your other business?
Starishevsky: I had come up with an idea for a business that would take some capital to start and some time to grow (HowsMyNanny.com). It required the establishment of a sophisticated website, the manufacturing of stroller license plates and other related costs. In the meantime, I needed something that would bring money in while I was getting the other business off the ground. I knew starting a website to write poems would have little overhead. In fact, when I first got started, I didn’t even purchase a domain name. I used a free web hosting service (poemsrus.biz.ly). I still apply the majority of the income from The Poem Lady to HowsMyNanny.com to cover some of the monthly fixed costs.

Have you noticed certain advantages to being an entrepreneur versus having a day job?
Starishevsky: For the first 15 months of my younger daughter’s life, I was a full-time entrepreneur while I was on maternity leave. Besides the advantage of being able to create my own schedule, I found that there were no limits to what I could do next. It spawned a great deal of creativity. As I write this now, I am both an entrepreneur and back at work full time. At times it can be challenging, but anything worthwhile is.

How long did it take before your business became profitable?
Starishevsky: Since I rely heavily on word-of-mouth referrals and post advertisements on numerous free sites, I have few, if any, fixed costs. As a result, the business became profitable as soon as it started. It gets busier around certain times like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and the summer is a busy time for bridal showers. I knew I was on to something big when I started getting the same feedback from my candlelighting ceremony clients–they kept telling me I wasn’t charging enough.

Are there any challenges that you experienced along the way that you had to overcome?
Starishevsky: I really enjoy solving the puzzle of writing a meaningful poem from the personal information provided. So much so that sometimes I would finish a poem quickly and want to immediately send it out to the client for his feedback. My husband had to constantly remind me that I should not send out the poem until I received payment. I was more interested in their reaction than in getting paid. I learned my lesson the hard way, as we often must; I was burned two or three times. One time, I spent five hours writing a best man speech for a man who was leaving for his cousin’s wedding in Italy. I sent him a great speech and he never sent payment. Since that time, I have gotten better about treating the business like a business. However, every once in a while when I write a really sweet poem that I know the person is going to love, I still get so excited that I take a leap of faith and send it out right away.

What resources were most helpful to you when you were starting your business?
Starishevsky: When I first started out, I sought out message boards related to baby and bridal showers. I found that there were quite a few requests for poems that went unanswered. I answered every request I saw with a free poem and signed it “Jill–the poem lady.” After a few weeks, I developed a reputation on the message boards and people started posting messages like “Looking for the poem lady.” That was truly an invaluable source of marketing. I still frequent the message boards on occasion, as I enjoy the feedback.

A few months ago, a woman in a baby shower forum asked if anyone could recommend an inscription for a locket that she planned to give to her 10-year-old daughter from her new baby brother. I wrote back and suggested: “Though a decade apart, you’re always close in my heart.” The woman just adored it and went on to order a poem to accompany the locket.
After I got burned a few times by people who did not send payment, Paypal became a much-appreciated resource. I also learned the marketing value of writing an article. I wrote an article called “Top 10 Tips for Writing a Great Candlelighting Ceremony Poem” for a website that provided information on planning a bar or bat mitzvah (MitzvahChic.com). I have gotten some good referrals from people who have read the article and liked my work.

What’s next?
Starishevsky:I have used my experience as a prosecutor and my writing skills to create a very important book intended to teach children about child sexual abuse prevention. It is called “My Body,” and I hope to have it published this year. It is my hope that the book enables parents to begin a dialogue with their children about a subject that is often considered taboo until it is too late. It is a short-term goal of mine to have Oprah find out about this book and write the foreword in an effort to make the subject more palatable for parents.

Share your dream with us. It doesn’t matter if you are up and running or just thinking about it. We want to know what’s on your mind.

Penny Domschot

When Patrice Meluskey and Penny Domschot put their talent and ingenuity together they whipped up an outstanding formula for success. These two stay-at-home mommy moguls created Baby Celebration L.A. from their kitchen tables. This is the only event where new and expectant mothers can trendset like celebrities and find all the hippest, exclusive baby products on the market. And by the way, this isn’t the first big idea Meluskey and Domschot have launched.

If you have ever considered marketing to mothers it’s a great, hot market. Mothers in the U.S. today are controlling more than $1.6 trillion in household spending annually.

Baby Celebration L.A. expects to draw more than 20,000 attendees. Here are the details:

WHEN:
April 12 and 13, 2008
Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Admission $10; 12 and under Free

WHERE:
Los Angeles Convention Center Hall K
1201 S. Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90015
www.lacclink.com

Meluskey and Domschot own www.seascapeproductions.com, an event production company. After creating the San Diego Interior Design Landscape Expo, a wildly successful event that changed the face of consumer trade shows, they sold it to DMG World Media, an international exhibition and publishing company with revenue of $293 million. This dynamic mommy duo made a name for themselves without sacrificing their stay-at-home mommy status.

HOW THEY GOT STARTED
It all began when they met while planning parties and carnivals at their children’s elementary school. Their friendship and passion were the fuel that got their jointly owned company up and running.

After the sale of the Interior Design Landscape Expo, Meluskey and Domschot began to notice a missing stitch in the mother and baby industry. While there were all kinds of interesting and chic products that catered to this demographic, it was impossible to access all of them in one place. For expectant moms, driving the distance between shops could be time-consuming, making it impractical to venture beyond nearby retailers. So out popped Baby Celebration L.A., a one-stop solution to finding all things hip for baby and mommy in one place.

This do-it-yourself duo has spent the past few years building the Baby Celebration L.A. brand to ensure that only truly unique, innovative products are displayed at the annual two-day event. With clear vision and business savvy, they are building an empire and changing diapers at the same time.

Have you been praying for a miracle or wanted to crawl under a rock at the thought of your holiday credit card bills piling up? I just found a website that wants to change that. This is your chance to purge your shopping demons by confessing your holiday excesses to the world. Make it funny, make it sad, make it pathetic–you can even make it bad. Tell the world. Mint will pay the winning contestants’ credit card bills as of December 31.

While checking out mint.com today, I found a pre-announcement for its blog readers. So I wanted to share it with you ASAP. Mint wants you to submit your own story, in video or text, about your 2007 holiday shopping experiences. The best video and text submissions will each win up to $5,000 (and some free credit counseling). You can thank Aaron Patzer, founder and CEO of Mint, for this brilliant contest, which begins Thursday, January 31, at midnight, Eastern Standard Time. March 15th is the deadline for submitting your story.

Even if you aren’t interested in the contest, I urge you to check out the Mint website. It won’t cost you a cent, and it likely will save you money. It doesn’t matter whether you love or hate dealing with money matters. This site is for anyone wanting or needing to manage funds more effectively.

How Mint.com Works

• Mint.com is designed to make managing personal finances effortless.

• It’s free.

• It takes less than five minutes to get started/

• Users register anonymously using only a valid e-mail address, and then securely connect to their online bank, credit union and credit card accounts.

• Mint.com does the rest; users never need to import or sync any data. Mint.com securely downloads transaction data from more than 3,500 financial institutions on a daily basis.

• It applies patent-pending technology and proprietary algorithms to compile and categorize transactions, providing users with a unified view of all account activity with high degree of accuracy and detail in a single, easy-to-understand interface

• An advanced alerting system proactively lets users know about unusual or potentially suspicious activity, low balances, bank fees and charges, and upcoming bills.

• Beyond showing where your money goes, Mint.com also provides specific, individualized suggestions that can save you money.

Safety and Security
Mint provides the same level of online data security as top U.S. banks through a partnership with Yodlee, which has provided online banking services to major financial institutions for nearly 10 years. Mint’s privacy and security policies and systems have been certified by Hackersafe, RSA, TRUSTe and VeriSign. Mint never asks for a personal identity, requiring only a valid e-mail address.

Your comments and replies, as well as compliments and criticisms, are always appreciated. Let us know what you think of weekend.entrepreneur.com. Our goal is to help you.

When I read my e-mail and found this resource, I started to do the happy dance. Why? Because it’s an option to one of the biggest dilemmas many people are facing: “How can I make money working from home?” It’s a question many stay-at-home moms ask me, and it’s a situation fledgling entrepreneurs often face, too.

Carol Clark

Finally, we can recommend an idea whose time has come. Needlestackjobs.com is the brainchild of two savvy women, Kathleen Wiant and her former employer, Carol Clark. If someone asked me to compare it to another company, Careerbuilders.com and Monster.com are two companies that immediately come to mind. However, Needlestack Jobs has carved out a niche by offering listings of professional, flextime jobs that allow you to perform purposeful work as well as tend to other aspects of your life, such as kids, aging parents or starting a business.

By the way, if this doesn’t apply to you, please forward it to a friend. This isn’t a trend, it’s an epidemic, statistics indicate.

This is what the experts are saying:

1. “92 precent of American workers feel that they don’t have
enough flexibility at work to meet the needs of their children and
families.” Source: Workplace Flexibility 2010

2. “77 percent of workers expect to work for pay after they
retire.” Source: Pew Research Center

3. “74 percent of men rate having a work schedule that allows them
to spend time with their families as very important.” Source:
Workplace Flexibility 2010

4. “66 percent of woman who left their jobs for family reasons want
to return to work.” Source: Center for Work-Life Policy

5. “25 percent of all working moms are dissatisfied with their work/life balance and are actively seeking jobs that will provide them with more flexibility.” Source: Careerbuilders.com

Kathleen Wiant

6. “63 percent of workers between the ages of 50 and 70 say they
will work part-time before full retirement.” Source: Watson Wyatt
Worldwide

7. “55 percent of mothers said they did not have enough time to
spend with their children.” Source: Workplace Flexibility 2010

The good news is that Needlestack Jobs doesn’t charge a fee and has quality jobs in a variety of areas of interest. My curiosity got the best of me today, so I called and spoke with Kathleen Wiant, co-founder of Needlestack Jobs. She was an absolute delight and answered every question I had.

Check out her website and let us know what you think of needlestackjobs.com. It’s a user-friendly website I liked.

Applause to Kathleen Wiant for following her heart and, in doing so, finding a better way for all us to proper in these uncertain times.

If you’re a celebrity, you’re used to red carpets being rolled out for you and being greeted by name and with a smile. Wouldn’t it be great to be admired and complimented by strangers on a daily basis? I sometimes wonder what it would be like if business associates bent over backward to cater to my personal desires and needs. That may sound far-fetched, but in Hollywood it’s the norm.

The good news is that someone has actually taken some of the most coveted secrets from those who serve the Hollywood elite and applied them to real-world business. Meet Donna Cutting, author of The Celebrity Experience, and president of Donna Cutting Presents!

Donna Cutting wasn’t a typical kid. Instead of playing games and watching TV, she was busy putting on talent shows for the neighbors, rehearsing her Oscar speech in the bathroom mirror, and signing autographs for anyone who asked–usually her parents.

But when she grew up, she took a second look at the path she had taken. “I was a frustrated stage actress who had pushed those dreams aside in favor of collecting a regular paycheck. I worked for a while in the field of senior living and, although I loved it, I felt the ‘actress’ and ‘entrepreneur’ in me tugging away.â€?

As soon as she figured out a way to combine her theater experience with her business skills, she was off and running.

What is the most important piece of advice you would give to other weekend entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses?
Cutting: You’ve got to be willing to go the extra mile and do those things that your competition isn’t willing to do.

In my presentations, I will sometimes suggest that employers buy a red carpet to welcome new employees. One of my audience members went back to his workplace excited by this idea, and was met with groans and questions, such as, “Who’s going to be in charge of that, who will store it, who will clean it?” As you can imagine, he was deflated.

When I spoke to the director of wow at High Point University, one of the featured companies in The Celebrity Experience, he told me “that would never happen here. Here we would buy the red carpet and figure out how to seamlessly make it part of our everyday life at HPU.”

It’s that kind of “yes” attitude that has HPU campus visits up 70 percent and enrollment up 63 percent in three years’ time. It’s that kind of “yes” attitude that will quickly put you on the entrepreneurial A-list and move you from just weekends to full time.

You’ve got to be willing to go the extra mile to wow your customer.

Tell us about the early years as a weekend entrepreneur.
Cutting: I did keep my position at a senior living community for about a yearafter I decided to start a speaking business. I spoke here and there on weekends and evenings, for fee and for free. If you wanted me to speak for your organization, I was there, as long as it would fit around my work schedule. To be honest, I probably left my job too early. With a few months’ salary in the bank and high hopes, I took the leap and soon discovered it was not as easy running a business in my 30s as it had been selling Avon when I was 10.

So I took a variety of different positions during those first few years that enabled me to keep my schedule flexible to accept speaking engagements. The jobs were varied. I did a bit of consulting for a former employer, I worked as an “observer” for a company that built museum exhibits, I even waited tables and would pray that no one who was in my audience at the Rotary Club that day would come in for dinner. There were two additional jobs that really contributed to achieving my business goals. I produced and performed interactive theater shows for children, which became another company in and of itself. Since it grew very quickly, I was able to learn some business basics through trial and error. It was through those performances that I developed my interactive speaking style that I am known for today.

If you were to ask me the single position that really helped me get to where I am now in this business, it would be taking on the role of assistant to another speaker. A coach I was working with asked me what I needed to learn to build my speaking business and encouraged me to find a job that would help me learn it. So I offered myself as an assistant to a successful speaker. I was able to learn how to effectively run a speaking business, and that speaker is my mentor and one of my best friends to this day.

What did you learn from those early years that helped you to move your business forward?
Cutting: How much I needed to learn. Like many entrepreneurs, I started my business because I loved my topic and I loved speaking. Instead, I found I needed to learn bookkeeping, marketing, sales, etc. Fortunately, entrepreneurs and other speakers are very generous with their knowledge. Perhaps more important, the more I focused on my audience or my customers and what they needed and wanted, the more business came my way. It’s not about me; it’s about them and how I can make them feel. When I began focusing on making others the stars of my show, whether from the platform or through our customer-service practices, that’s when my business really began to soar.

Who should read your book?
Cutting: My book is perfect for business owners, entrepreneurs, managers or anyone who works in a service industry. The Celebrity Experience shows how to turn customers into lifelong, adoring clients by delivering consistent red-carpet customer service.

If you work in health care, education, association management, hospitality, car repair, PR and marketing, HR, banking and finance, retail, insurance, airline or travel, plumbing, roofing or trades there are examples and information in this book specifically for you.

If you are striving to create bonafide buzz for you and your business, then you should be giving everyone who walks through your doors The Celebrity Experience.

Donna Cutting is living the life of her dreams in St. Petersburg, Florida, with her husband, Jim, and Snowball, their Maltese puppy. You can find out more about her at donnacutting.com.

Like many restless college roommates, Jamee Kunichika and Sherilyn Luke wanted a business to call their own. Instead of just dreaming about it, they took action.

Having endured extreme highs and lows, they are now enjoying the sweet smell of success. Together they have attained their dreams with POOF, a liquid toilet odor eliminator.

After spending a year researching their idea, the pair launched POOF in 2005. As weekend entrepreneurs, Kunichika and Luke lead interesting lives managing full-time jobs and Poofdrops.com in their spare time. Here’s a snapshot of how POOF got its start and the key resource that automated their business.

Why did you decide to start this particular business?
POOF: A Japanese liquid toilet odor deodorizer intrigued us. It was a new concept, and the only product on the market was packaged and written in Japanese. It was not cute, and the smell was not nice. We knew we could do it better! And the cost of living in Hawaii was too high so we knew that we had to supplement our income.

What is your average yearly income for POOF?
POOF: We are making $40,000 to $50,000 from our business. Which is good, since it’s only a part-time gig.

What resources were most helpful to you when you were starting your business?
POOF: Being able to utilize Shipwire, a one-stop warehouse and fulfillment shop, has freed up a lot of time and energy for us. With just a couple of clicks on the Shipwire website, fulfillment to our vendors is processed, and we never have to worry! Shipwire has been such a key resource for us from the moment we started our business to this day.

What ways have you found to be most effective in marketing your product or service to get sales?
POOF: Trade shows, blogs, sales reps, press releases and word of mouth.

How do you juggle your full-time jobs and your business?
POOF: We both see ourselves as part-time entrepreneurs and spend 20 hours each week on our business.

Luke: In addition to my full-time job, I am a mom/wife/entrepreneur/photographer. Finding a work/life balance is key!

Kunichika: I work full-time and I am an entrepreneur/program manager for pro bono program/caretaker of my mother – assisting father. Take it one task at a time! Believe anything is possible!

What is unique about your business that gives it an edge over your competitors?
POOF: Appealing packaging, and it has a unique, fresh scent. Unlike other bathroom deodorizers, Poof gives anonymity to its user because it’s small size fits in a purse or the palm of your hand. We are a small business so we are able to concentrate all of our efforts on our one product.

How long did it take before your business became profitable?
POOF: We both invested $25,000 each and then took a loan of $50,000 from the SBA. We received guidance from the Small Business Development Center and were able to receive our SBA loan after submitting a sound business plan. As of July 2007, we no longer had to pay our SBA loan monthly payments out of pocket.

Has the media picked up on your story?
POOF: We have seen that word of mouth and press releases are a good way to get attention. We had local media feature our business story and one national media picked our product for review, which was great!

Did you need to have a certain mindset to achieve success?
POOF: Definitely! Never giving up! Believing in our product and our partnership! Generally, we are positive people but there were times during our venture when we experienced extra low points. However, we always had one another to lift each other’s spirits to keep moving forward.

Surely you have a dream that you are contemplating. We would love it if you would take a moment to share your idea or business that you have launched with us. There are no small ideas, only small minds.

It’s never too late to get started. In fact, Jamee and Sherilyn were in college about a decade ago when they began brainstorming about businesses they could start. Their dream may have been on the back burner but they never abandoned it. Finally, 3 years ago they figured out what they wanted to do and started the research and development for Poof. So what are you waiting for?

It’s not too late to go from flab to fab for the holidays. If you’re an entrepreneur or dream of being one, then you probably know how important image is. Why not throw out the crash diets, toss that Cabbage Soup recipe and consider getting your swagger back with kettkebells?

Kettlebell expert, and entrepreneur Sarah Lurie has the 411 on why this is a superior workout. She was the first to bring kettlebells and workout DVD’s to retail stores such as Target. And she practices what she preaches. You’ll find her teaching classes daily at her studio, Iron Core in San Diego, California.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the chief couch potato at home, need to ditch the monotony of your current workout, or want to break a plateau. Sarah sums it all up by answering 6 simple questions.

Why Kettlebells?
Sarah Lurie: I started using kettlebells after sustaining an injury on a piece of equipment at the gym. Like most people, I thought machines were a great way to get in shape. But, machines don’t engage or tax a major portion of the bodies musculature and don’t train your body to move and feel better in everyday life. When I found kettlebells as a rehabilitation tool, I knew the regime made sense. Our bodies live in a 3 dimensional world and training the body in isolation with machines just doesn’t make sense. Kettlebells train your body as a unit- how it moves in everyday life.

So what’s the secret to getting in shape?
Sarah Lurie: One secret to getting and staying fit is discipline. There aren’t any short cuts or magic pills. The great thing about kettlebells is that the program is effective and efficient. In other words, you can work out three times a week for 30 minutes each time and get twice the results from spending 8 hours a week in the gym. And the results come quickly, so you will stick with it.

How would you compare Kettlebells to other fitness practices?
Sarah Lurie: Walking, running and Pilates are great, but lack the power movements and strength-training component that our bodies need to be healthy and fit. Women love the workout because their muscles get lean and tone- not bulky (a lot of men like it for this reason too). Each kettlebell exercise engages the bodies major muscle groups and the movements are very dynamic and powerful.

How can we avoid packing on those extra pounds– especially during the holidays?
Sarah Lurie:  Weight gain during the holiday season can be avoided by sticking to a plan. If you know you are going to a party, eat moderately the days before. In other words, save your calories for when you want to splurge.

I actually eat like this on a regular basis. I have one or two “cheat� meals during the week when I eat what ever I want. The rest of the week I eat well and for energy only. Each meal doesn’t have to be some pleasurable experience- I just want to feel energized and good after I eat it. My cheat meals are when I let loose and enjoy myself.

What are some of the health risks for people who are overweight?
Sarah Lurie: USA Today just reported results from one of the largest studies linking cancer and obesity- it concluded that excess body fat increases the risk of cancer of the colon, kidney, pancreas, esophagus and uterus as well as post-menopausal breast cancer www.dietandcancerreport.org/

Any tips for ending the viscious cycle of yoyo dieting?
Sarah Lurie: To end yoyo-dieting find a food plan that you can easily adhere to and keep a food journal. My clients are required to either work with a nutritionist or follow the Jay Robb Fat Burning Diet and keep a food journal for at least 8 weeks. You can’t expect to get any results if you continually deprive your body of the nutrients it needs. Eating healthy is actually pretty simple- eat fresh protein, fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water. Stay away from fast food and processed foods and you will feel good and look good. Take the time to cook for yourself and exercise.

 I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Sarah offers a free class if you take the introductory kettlebell class. Her studio offers kettlebell training for overweight and de-conditioned people, for moms wanting to get their pre-baby bodies back and for active seniors.

Despite the fact that the chocolate business is seasonal, Seattle Chocolates has an annual income of $12-15 million. According to the company’s owner, Jean Thompson, “In the world of chocolate, women are the influencers, adopters and frequent buyers. It’s advantageous to be a woman running the company in an industry like this because you completely understand what women like and want. The chocolate industry is still quite dominated by men owned companies. Our products are all about quality and taste and we believe that women want that in chocolate.�

Seattle Chocolates is a chocolate confection manufacturing company; they make fine, all-natural, European style chocolate. We asked Jean Thompson 7 questions about Seattle Chocolates and Chick Chocolates.

1. What ways have you found to be most effective in marketing your product or service to get sales?
JEAN: Trial. Once people try our chocolates, they are hooked. We use a distribution and broker channel to get our products in the hands of consumers nationally. We have 5 direct sales managers who manage 80–100 broker reps who call on distributors and customers all over the country. Without them, we couldn’t reach all the right decision makers.

2.Has the media picked up on your story?
JEAN: We have had some success in the media – on the Food Network and local papers and radio stations. We haven’t made much of an effort to date to attract the press, but we have a great product line called Chick Chocolates that directly targets women with a fun, fresh, empowerment message and it has gotten us noticed. The “Survivor Chick� profits are donated 100% to female cancer research, so “she� is often noticed by the press, too. I think the media really pulls for women in business.

3. How long did it take before your business became profitable?
JEAN: At the time I joined, the company was showing declining sales (-8%) and within a year, we were able to grow the business 57%. I quickly recognized that we weren’t using our machines to anywhere near their capacity. Within 6 months, I won the Frango’s business for Bon-Macys and increased our production +40%. Other private label customers followed. At the same time, we expanded our own distribution nationally.

4. How do you manage juggling the responsibilities of being a mom/wife/entrepreneur?
JEAN: I follow my gut on maintaining balance in my life. If I feel like my kids are missing me or if I’m out of touch with the office, I shift some time in the appropriate direction. I never miss my kids’ events, if at all possible. They feel like I’m always available to them. I have that luxury as the owner of the company and I cherish that flexibility. The right staff allows this to happen, so I spend time making sure I have great people.

5. What would you tell someone who wants to be an entrepreneur but doesn’t know what they want to do, or where to begin to get their idea up and making money?
JEAN: I think it’s the wrong approach to decide you want to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs happen because they have a great idea and a certain mindset. If you’ve got that, you are one. Getting the idea up and running is extremely difficult and risky, so find a partner or someone to help share the mental and financial burden. I think that makes it more fun, less lonely and a lot easier.

6. Why did you decide to start this particular business?
JEAN: I did not found the company, but was an early investor because we felt it had great potential and great products. When my youngest daughter went off to kindergarten, I joined Seattle Chocolates and I hoped to use my marketing experience from Microsoft, to grow what was then a marginally profitable business into a real moneymaker.

Seattle Chocolates was founded in 1992, and my family bought the majority share in 1998. I’ve been running it since 2002.

7. Have you noticed certain advantages to being an entrepreneur because you are a woman?
JEAN: Definitely. One of the less obvious ones is that women are not afraid to ask questions and admit to not knowing something. That opens us up to the great resources and minds around us. I’ve been running Seattle Chocolates for five years and don’t hesitate to admit that I still have a tremendous amount to learn. Women tend to be more nurturing and more in tune with other people’s feelings than men. People are the most crucial component in the success of a company and keeping them happy and motivated is my most important role as CEO. Women are better at this instinctively, in my opinion.

We would love to hear from you and about your company. Questions, comments, compliments… whatever is on your mind. We are here for you. Gotta run, I’m going to find a place where they sell Seattle Chocolates.

Since we’d never heard of it, we were surprised to learn that National Business Women’s Week was started in 1928 (79 years ago!) by Business & Professional Women (BPW/USA) - an organization dedicated to offering communities, companies and organizations an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of working women.

The objectives of NBWW are:

• To promote full participation and equity for women in the workplace;
• To publicize the achievements of business and professional women on the local, state and national level;
• To publicize the objectives and programs of BPW/USA as they relate to the millions of business and professional women across the country.

According to Deborah Fret, CEO for BPW/USA and BPW Foundation, today women-owned businesses account for 28 percent of all U.S. business, generating an estimated $1.2 trillion in sales. BPW wants to ensure that the public values the role of women in the U.S. economy.

We are ALL about that…

FYI, some of the activities going on across the nation at the 1,100 local organizations include WOMENomics Forums, awards ceremonies, exhibits, dinners, Women Joining Forces (WJF) events and educational programming.

For more information on what might be going on in your own backyard locally and a fascinating lesson on the history of business and professional women in the U.S. from the early 1900’s to now , visit www.bpwusa.org .