MACsWomen Blog

Schedule Time To Worry

2011-05-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I had an opportunity to accompany my sister to visit a friend of hers in the hospital -- initially, I must admit that I thought this was so unfair of her to ask me to go with her when we both knew that it would be hours of me just sitting there, waiting. I could just drive her there and pick her back up!

Obviously, she needed more than that so I geared up for the hours of waiting I knew was ahead of me. Unless I am giving birth or welcoming a new baby into the world, I DO NOT Like Visiting Hospitals!

We loaded up with hot pretzels and cheese, water and mango candy and a book tucked into my tote and headed off to Westchester Medical's Trauma Unit to visit my sister's friend. I went in briefly with my sister to support her and then took my seat in the "family" waiting room. For the next 3
hours I sat with no computer, no kids, no phones ringing off the hook, no interruptions. Sure, I had my smart phone but somehow tweeting did not seem appropriate at that moment. I reached into my tote and pulled out my book "It's About Time, Time Management Tips From the Software Recitalist" by Ellen DePasquale-- this could be a good time to polish off this book. It was a gift from Ellen who was a breakout session presenter at our Celebrate You! Women's Summit back in March.

As I read through the practical and useful tips, I came to a paragraph titled, schedule time to worry, but no more than 10 minutes a day. This was news to me! I had never heard (read) such a time-management tip before, but was pleasantly surprised that I welcomed the idea. I placed my book on my lap and took my 10 minutes to worry. I worried about being able to fulfill all these BIG dreams I have of affecting a positive change in the lives of women like me who have ventured into the world of entrepreneurship and whether I was doing enough! Well, 10 minutes is a long time when you are DELIBERATELY taking those minutes to worry! I wanted to get to finding solutions to my self-imposed worry and I began making notes -- in my book.

My Worry Solutions:

I commit to writing a blog post once per week and sharing whatever I am feeling in that moment - this could be of help to women who are experiencing similar feelings or in need of some new information or whatever I am moved to blog about.
I will ask for help when needed and delegate more - this will broaden my reach and reduce stress
I will list 5 things each week that I am proud of -- my personal pat on the back journal-- Just for me (we can all find things we are proud of)

How are you worrying? Share your comments with us.

The Secret to Creativity

2011-05-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

Written by Editor, Pick The Brain

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. -Einstein

The biggest misconception about creativity is that it involves a moment of magical creation when the incredible appears out of thin air. The truth is less romantic. Everything comes from somewhere. All ideas have been thought before and all artists, especially the most brilliant, have their sources of inspiration. I’m going to break Einstein’s famous rule by revealing some of my sources and explaining how I use the genius of others to further my own ambitions.

Everyone starts somewhere so I might as well come clean from the beginning. Before I started this website my creative credentials were nonexistent. I had no tangible experience as a writer, designer, marketer, or entrepreneur. Aside from this site I still don’t. All I can say for myself is that I read voraciously and draw fairly well. You’d think a chump like me wouldn’t stand a chance in the hyper competitive online world.

So how did I end up with this fine looking site, a readership that’s growing every day, and over 100 original articles, several of which have been featured on the likes of Lifehacker.com, Problogger.net, lifehack.org and all the major social sites?

By observing how others became creatively successful and combining their genius with my own.

A seed was planted the day I read Steve Pavlina’s, 10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job. Through that article I found How to Make Money From Your Blog and ever since I’ve been obsessed with creating a profitable website based on my own original writing. It wasn’t Steve’s monetary success that inspired me, it was his literary style. The wit, the humor, the brutal honesty, and the fact that people were eating it up and begging for more made me believe that I could do it too; that I could build a business around my passion.

From Steve I learned the value of lengthy original articles, serving the reader, writing from personal experience, and choosing topics that apply to everyone. More than through his words, I’ve learned from observation; from the locations of his ads, the frequency of his posts, and a thousand other details the casual reader would never notice.

Sure, I could have ignored everything that worked for Steve, but what would be the point of that? Too many people try to reinvent the wheel when a Ferrari’s roaring past.During the Renaissance apprentice artists learned by replicating the works of the masters. The secret to being creative is recognizing the genius of others and re-purposing it for your own ends.

If you want be more creative, you have to learn from people who are smarter than you are. Unless you can find a mentor this means learning from observation. When you see a piece of work you admire, dissect it scientifically and discover exactly what makes it great. Is it the tone of an article? the subject matter? the author’s personality? its usefulness? The same concept applies to design. What creates that feeling of visual pleasure? What made you click that ad? What made you subscribe? The clues to creativity are everywhere. You need to gather them and apply that understanding to your own creative work. Read More

She Makes More Money Than He Does. So?

2011-04-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Women who outearn their men.

By Hanna Rosin

When my husband and I got married I was making more money than he was. We both had steady journalism jobs but I was also writing a column on the side, which put me ahead. At the time, I didn't gloat, and he didn't care. Mostly we spent the extra money on treats for both of us—fancy meals, weekend trips—and anyway, the gender-role reversal didn't last. Three children and several job switches later, he's edged me out for top family earner. But I wonder: What if our marriage had not gone the traditional route, and I had stayed on top? Would that have changed our dynamic in some way? Would small resentments have built up over time? Or would we have felt perfectly comfortable, even proud to be so progressive?

For many American couples, this is not just a thought experiment. Researchers have recently begun scrutinizing a new kind of family ruled by "breadwinner wives" or "top income wives," defined as women who make more money than their husbands. About 22 percent of American marriages of people over 30 fall into this category, up from 4 percent in 1970. (For men without a college degree, the rate is higher: One-quarter are married to wives who earn more than they do.) And demographers expect the number of such marriages to grow, as women continue to get more college degrees than young men and to outearn them, especially early in their careers.

Already, younger people's relationships look radically different. A recent breakdown of census data showed that in all but three of the 150 biggest cities in the United States, young women age 30 and under are making more money than young men. Even if that changes when the women have children, such a vast shift in earning power suggests that the next generation may make different decisions about whose salary counts more and who should be the family's primary breadwinner. This is all happening despite widespread ambivalence. In a recent Pew Research Center survey, 67 percent of Americans said that in order to be ready for marriage, a man should be able to support his family financially, while only 33 percent said the same for women. A 2007 Pew survey found that working mothers increasingly say they would rather not work full time. And another Pew study out today shows the nation divided over the sweeping changes to family structure that have unfolded over the past half-century, with about one-third of Americans generally accepting these changes, one-third skeptical about them, and one-third opposed to them. Read More

7 Ways to Overcome the Fear of Failure

2011-04-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

The fear of failure is perhaps the strongest force holding people below their potential. In a world full of uncertainty, a delicate economy, and countless misfortunes that could happen to anyone, it’s easy to see why most people are inclined to play it safe.

But playing it safe has risk as well. If you never dare to fail your success will have a low ceiling. Most people underestimate their merit and ability to recover from failure, leading them to pass up valuable opportunities. The ability to fail big and fail often has been a mark of the spectacularly successful throughout history.

The following strategies will help you put risk and reward in perspective so you can overcome the fear of failure.

1. Consider the cost of missed opportunities – The biggest risk that people fail to consider is the benefit they lose by avoiding high risk/high reward opportunities. In his guide to career planning, Netscape founder Marc Andreesen compares a well managed career to a diversified portfolio. The ideal career contains a wide range of job opportunities (some risky, some safe) that combine to form a relatively safe career with a high potential for growth. Taking high risk opportunities is essential because they offer the greatest reward:

The issue is that without taking risk, you can’t exploit any opportunities. You can live a quiet and reasonably happy life, but you are unlikely to create something new, and you are unlikely to make your mark on the world.

2. Research the alternatives – The unknown is a major source of fear. When you don’t know what you’re dealing with, potential consequences seem far worse than they actually are. Take the power out fear by understanding it. Research all the potential outcomes (both good and bad) so you genuinely understand the risk of failure and benefits of success. Analyzing these outcomes will help you see through the fear of failure and make a logical decision.

3. Put the worst-case scenario in perspective – One of the most powerful questions posed by Tim Ferriss in the 4-Hour Workweek is: If you chase your dreams and fall flat on your face, worst-case scenario, how long will it take you to recover? The answer is probably less than you expect. How hard would it really be to find another job? Chances are you could recover completely in a few months. Is the fear of a few rough months strong enough to keep you in a mediocre situation indefinitely?

4. Understand the benefits of failure – As Emerson said, life is a series of experiments, the more you make the better. Each failure is a trial in an experiment and an opportunity for growth. Even if a failure costs you financially, the educational benefits can far outweigh the loss. Working for a startup instead of a big company is considered risky, but according Paul Graham, “Managers at big companies prefer to hire someone who’d tried to start a startup and failed over someone who’d spent the same time working at a big company.” Maybe that experience at a big company isn’t as safe or as valuable as you think?

5. Make a contingency plan – Another way to overcome the fear of failure is to reduce the downside. Hedge your risk by creating a contingency plan. Even if your first option fails, you can maintain the status quo with a solid backup plan. Daring to fail doesn’t mean you have to risk losing it all. If you manage risk intelligently, you can capture the benefits of high risk opportunities while leaving yourself a safety net.

6. Take action – The best way to reduce fear and build confidence is taking action. As soon as you do, you’ll begin accumulating experience and knowledge. Everything is hardest the first time. It’s like jumping off a cliff into a lake — after you do it once, you see that the water is safe and each time afterwards is easy. Start off with small steps and build up your confidence until the fear of failure is manageable.

7. Burn the boats - When ancient Greek armies traveled across the sea to do battle, the first thing they would do after landing was to burn the boats, leaving them stranded. With no way to make it home besides victory, the resolve of the soldiers was strengthened. When success and failure are the only options, you have no choice but to follow through.

If you have a goal, but are afraid to commit, force yourself into action by burning the boats. Register for an exam in advance if you want to go back to school. Set a deadline to move to a new city without signing a lease. Fear of failure disappears when you realize it can’t save you.

Image by tomgrau

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Motivate Yourself In 7 Simple Steps

2011-04-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

1. Put clear and measurable goals

No quantity of motivation will be sufficient when you have indistinct targets. An example of an indistinct goal is, “I require a boyfriend. Instead, try something real like, I wish to go on two dates every week, and outline the little tips required to help it become a reality.

2. Get yourself a buddy/mentor/friend

The old saying”strength in numbers” holds right. There’s nothing superior to having like-minded individuals to offer you a little encouragement. Visit www.macswomen.com

a premiere professional Westchester, NY based organization for women in business.

3. Be optimistic As well as realistic

Having an ambitious target is great, but if it is unachievable, you’re set yourself up for steady failure.

4. No negativity

Negativity just breeds extra negativity all of which will hinder your development in the long run. Encompass yourself with optimistic people.

5. Motivational phrases

Yes, they really work! Saying it is half the battle, believing it, so the next time you end up wanting a pick- me- up, have a deep breath and mean it whenever you say, I can do that! I am successful! I have ALL the tools I need to accomplish my dreams! I am valuable! I highly recommend reading Prosperity Now!

6. Concentrate on what you have and never on what you’re lacking

When we’re pressured, it is easy to forget all the optimistic things we’ve already achieved. When you have a big weight loss aim, for instance, remind yourself frequently of the small weight loss achievements along the way. Stay looking forward to and not back.

7. Picture your long-term goal - Visualize

Take a couple of minutes daily to image yourself once you’ve reached your goal. Use the outcome for an advantage and pay attention to the way you look and feel. By imagining yourself successful in the future, you’ll find a way to concentrate on the large picture instead of little hurdles along the way.

TIME 100: The women of 2011

2011-04-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

TIME magazine released their 100 issue today, a list of the 100 most influential people in the world. This year the list features 33 women, up from 31 in 2010. Progress!

The honorees make for an interesting mix: list-constants Oprah and Hillary Clinton, NASA biologist Felisa Wolfe-Simon, author of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" Heidi Murkoff, actresses Mia Wasikowska and Blake Lively, tennis champion Kim Clijsters, Congresswoman and shooting survivor Gabrielle Giffords, Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards, Brazil's first female president Dilma Rousseff, future princess Kate Middleton, tiger mom Amy Chua, and Afghanistan's only female prosecutor Maria Bashir, just to name a few.

To honor these awesome women, we've compiled a set of videos of some of them doing what they do best: Watch Videos

Lead From Within

2011-04-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

by Lolly Daskal

When you Lead From Within, you step inward to seek the life you yearned for–a life of commitment and fulfillment of your heart’s desires. By listening to your inner self and following your compass within, you will find a life that is aligned with your talents, truth and values.

You probably do not know at this moment what that means or what your life will look like once you have decided to Lead From Within. You may be uncertain of it all means or how to attain it. It does not matter: Leading From Within, will bring you closer to the life you yearn for!

Leading From Within will form the basis and context for all the decisions, big and small, that you will make in all the days to follow. As you take this step inward, you will see the abundance of the universe, the inexhaustible gifts of spirit, flow in to support you.

Leading From Within, will be your map, your compass, your North Star, and your support system as you chart your life course.

Lead From Within, will be the light of your heart that guides you to a life of MORE — more of everything you truly desire.

You can have it.

You don’t need to feel trapped, limited or “stuck in a rut”. You can lead a more passionate, fulfilling life.

How to Lure Potential Customers to Your Site

2011-04-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

By Karen E. Klein

As a white-label daily-deals sales site, I have found it very difficult to get myself placed in search engines and to get the right keywords because I'm so specialized and my business is such a niche. I have tried Google AdWords, posting on Craigslist, Yahoo advertising, and Facebook ads with little response. Any advice would be appreciated. —A.C., Phoenix

It's not uncommon for a disruptive business model or new business service to have a tough time finding the right marketing category off the bat. If you persist—refining both your model and your marketing strategy as you go—it's likely that you'll find the sweet spot for reaching your target market.
Your goal is to define that market. As a provider of "white-label daily deals," it sounds as if you want to set up couponing programs and sell them to online publishers that can rebrand them to offer them as their own.
Read more

2011-04-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

GOD First

By SHAWNA MARIE

Living in spiritual perspective.

What does it mean to “put God first?” I believe it means to

live in complete deference, fully acknowledging and in

accord with our Creator at all times. “Seek ye first the

Kingdom of heaven” is an advisement of how to live in accord

with God/Creator/Holy Spirit/Universe.

I translate ‘kingdom’ to mean ‘consciousness’ so my habitation is in conscious awareness of the Highest Power constantly working in, as and through me and everyone, at all times, everywhere. This is the Altar of Consciousness where I live, no matter what may try to imply otherwise. (Yep, no matter what the Eff is going down.)

To start each day remembering and acknowledging “I AM BLESSED” is an activity I undertake to “put God first.” Walking out my door remembering and acknowledging, “God goes before me and makes perfect my path” is putting God first. When my clients call or come to see me, I remember “God works in, as and through me to heal, uplift and inspire. God knows and heals all. God speak through me. Give me the words. Show me. Let him/her/them feel your Presence, Power and Wisdom NOW!”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP?

2011-03-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

Blame is the oldest game in town. It was invented by Adam who, after eating of the forbidden fruit, told God, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). In other words, it’s Eve’s fault. Dorothy Leeds in “Good Lessons from Bad Women” performed her one- woman show at the inaugural MACs Celebrate You! Women’s Entrepreneur Summit which wrestles with the concept of goodness and dives deep into a world where good is bad and bad is good.

Not much has changed since Adam’s day. Ask almost anyone why something bad happened and they will point to someone or something else. In my experience, it is exceedingly rare for people to stand up and take responsibility. Let’s say for example a company misses their budget for the prior month. The CEO is disappointed as well as the entire Executive Leadership Team. They had worked so hard to hit their numbers. But, they missed. It happens, right?

A few days later, the CEO, Cheryl, was meeting with Karen, one of the company's consultants. She asked, “So, how did February end up?” Cheryl admitted that they had missed their budget. Karen innocently asked, “So why did you miss?”

Like most CEOs do in this situation. Cheryl blamed the current economic environment. “Well, the market is tough right now,” she explained. “Gas prices are up. So are interest rates. This has taken a bite out of discretionary spending. Consumers are just not frequenting bookstores like we had hoped.” Cheryl then went on to cite the U.S. Census Bureau, Publishers Weekly, and other industry publications.

she finished with what she thought was a note of optimism. “We didn’t do what we had hoped, but we’re still ahead of last year.”

Karen then said, “Okay, I get that the environment is tough. But, let’s be honest, it’s always tough, right?”

“Yes,” Cheryl acknowledged, not quite knowing where she was going. Then she dropped a bombshell on her psyche.

“Cheryl, what is it about your leadership that led to this outcome?”

“Excuse me,” Cheryl replied, knowing full well what she had just asked. Nevertheless, she gently repeated the question.

The CEO was speechless for a full two minutes. “Well, I’m not exactly sure,” she stammered. “That’s a great question, but I don’t know quite what to say.”

Thankfully, she gave her a little help. “As long as the problem is ‘out there,’ Cheryl, you can’t fix it. You’re just a victim. I’m not trying to shame you. I am trying to empower you. You can’t change your results until you accept full responsibility for them.” Cheryl nodded in agreement, still not sure if she liked what she was hearing.

She patiently waited for the weight of her observation to sink in. They then spent the next couple of hours examining Cheryl's behavior. As it turns out, she was not only making excuses for herself, she was making excuses for her team. She was too easily letting them off the hook. She slowly began to see a direct link between her leadership and their operating results as a Company.

The bad news about taking responsibility is that you can’t blame someone else. It always comes down to your leadership. There is always something else you could have said or done to produce a different result.

But the good news is that once you accept responsibility, you can change the result. Why? Because your behavior as a leader is 100 percent under your control. Changing the result is as simple—or as hard—as changing your behavior.

Imagine how different your family, church, company, or even country could be if everyone took personal responsibility for their outcomes. Perhaps Gandhi was thinking the same thing when he said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”

I ask myself this question: What is it about my leadership that is producing these results? It’s a powerful—and empowering—question. And, it applies to just about every situation.

So let me ask you, are you happy with the outcomes you are experiencing in your life and work? Where would you like to see change? What have you been blaming on other people or your circumstances? What is it about your leadership that is producing these outcomes?

Until you are willing to ask this question—and face the answers—you will continue to get the same old results.

Motivators and Creators Women's Group

3 Real-Life Lessons from the Social Media Trenches

2011-03-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

by LENA A. WEST on Mar 16, 2011 -

Every so often, I look back on how social media has changed my life and my business. Some lessons I’ve learned the hard way, by experiencing them first-hand. And, I also consider the painful lessons I’ve been spared by witnessing them take place in other people's lives and careers. Below are three of those stories. They are all true and some minor details and names have been changed to protect the innocent – and the not-so-innocent.

Some years ago, I found out that a multi-national management consulting company, that’s led by a very well-known author and businessman, was launching an online community. I sent an e-mail expressing interest in being notified when the community launched. When the community launched, I made sure to comment regularly and communicate my feedback – good and constructive – to the community organizer. After about two months, I noticed that the community rarely covered Internet marketing in its content. I saw this as an opportunity and offered to write a series of articles about Internet marketing for the community. After a few back-and-forth details, I became the community's first external contributor and secured a place as THE Internet marketing expert within the community.

Lesson: People who show up, express an interest, are prepared, and deliver win every time. Successful people do what other people don’t.

About the Author

Lena L. West is an award-winning social media consultant, blogger, speaker, journalist, technologist and the Founder of the Authentic Influencer Braintrust, a high-level, social media marketing membership program for business owners and Real Women Do Social Media, the only social media training initiative created exclusively for women business owners.

Lena will be a Keynote Speaker at the MACs Celebrate You! Women's Entrepreneur Summit on Saturday, March 26th at Lake Isle Country Club, Eastchester, NY

Can Businesses End Racism?

2011-03-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

by LENA WEST on Feb 28, 2011 -

When I was approached about writing this article for

OPEN Forum for Black History Month, I thought to myself, “Whaa? I don’t know what to write! How can I possibly make a connection between social media and Black History Month?”

So, what to do?

After much thought I came upon the question I wanted to explore:

With social media’s expansive, far-reaching messaging capabilities (Egypt, anyone?), why have companies taken a clear stance on supporting the quest for a cure for breast cancer, or being more kind to the environment, or in support of PETA, but relatively few have said a word about racism, outside of the almost obligatory Black History Month Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King nod?

I say relatively few because some business leaders are having progressive conversations about racism; not surprisingly though, most do so under the cloak of “increasing diversity." Or, “cognitive diversity," in the case of Joe Gerstandt, whose website tagline is “illuminating the value of difference."

At the end of one of Gerstandt’s blog posts titled Rubbing Brains Together, he provides tips on how to benefit from different ideas. The first of those tips is on having conversations about diversity in your business: “…if you do not have disagreement you should be very, very concerned because you have a lack of honest communication.”

That statement alone made me realize probably the core reason many businesses don’t dare broach the topic of racism: the “d word”…disagreement. I mean, really, what employer wants to have their employees disagreeing in the workplace about racism? We can get almost anyone to agree that it’s good for all people to be kind to the planet. Most people will agree that we need to protect animals. But, getting people on the same page when it comes to racism? That’s a tall order. Could social media help? Read More

About the Author

Lena will be a Keynote Speaker at the MACs Celebrate You! Women's Entrepreneur Summit on Saturday, March 26th at Lake Isle Country Club, Eastchester, NY

Where Are The Women Billionaires?

2011-03-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

According to Forbes Magazine, only 14 women world-wide have generated wealth in the billions, accounting for 2 percent of all self-made billionaires. There are twice as many women starting businesses compared to men, but only 20 percent of businesses worth over $1 million are women-owned.

Consultant Sharon Hadary argues that women approach business in a fundamentally different way than men, which may explain the statistics. “Men tend to start businesses to grow them to be large and to be the boss while women start them to do something meaningful and to make a difference,” she explains. “Becoming a billionaire isn't their objective,” she adds, “As women, many are less likely to have a goal of generating personal wealth, though we are starting to see more and more of that motivation among the younger generation.”

Women now contribute half of the household income (compared to 20 percent in the 1950s) and they’ve made great strides in the workplace over the past several decades, but they are just beginning their journey in terms of entrepreneurship and amassing impressive wealth.

The list is bound to grow in the coming years, but here’s a list of the current women self-made billionaires…

Wu Yajun ($3.9 billion) – Real Estate Developer in China

Rosalia Mera ($3.5 billion) – Apparel Manufacturer from Spain

Elena Baturina ($2.9 billion) – Constructs Affordable Housing in Russia

Doris Fisher ($2.4 billion) – Founded the Gap Clothing Store in America

Xiu Li Hawken ($2.4 billion) – Runs Shopping Centers in the UK

Oprah Winfrey ($2.4 billion) – Broadcasting Mogul in America

Giuliana Benetton ($2.1 billion) – Clothing Company Owner in Italy

Chu Lam Yiu ($2.1 billion) – Makes Tobacco & Food Flavorings in China

Zhang Xin ($2 billion) – Property Developer in China

Yan Cheung ($1.7 billion) – Chairwoman of Nine Dragons Paper Packager in China

Meg Whitman ($1.3 billion) – Politician & Former Head of eBay in US

Chan Laiwa ($1.1 billion) – Real Estate Investor in China

Lei Jufang ( $1.1 billion) – Runs Medicine Manufacturing Company in China

J.K. Rowling ($1 billion) – Author of Harry Potter Book Series in UK

Enthusiasm is inspirational, it creates flow and success and improves Your Productivity

2011-03-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Enthusiasm is an essential ingredient to success. It changes how you take action, how you deal with challenges, how you open your eyes to new possibilities or leverage the ones you are currently working with.

You can ask anyone you know who is successful in their life or business and ask them if they think enthusiasm is an essential ingredient. They will reply “most definitely” because it has such a powerful impact on our mindset.

Enthusiasm is contagious. People buy from someone they know, like and trust… And enthusiasm just makes that flow to you.

Enthusiasm sets off a whole new wave of energy and it creates new ideas in you and the people you are working or interacting with.

Like everything else there are different levels of enthusiasm and it manifests in many ways in different people. But even if it’s a quiet person who is enthusiastic, its palpable, it really shines on their face, in their body language, when they speak about the topic or idea they are enthusiastic about.

Spend each day this week noticing what you are enthusiastic about, and how does that manifest its self in your daily thoughts and activities.

Look around and notice the people you know or just people you come into contact with what are they enthusiastic about?

Watch people and see what happens between them when one is enthusiastic and how the conversation changes and how the other persons energy level rises and they too seem to be having a swell of enthusiasm because the emotion feels really good and its contagious.

“Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.” ~ Henry Ford

Enjoy

Becoming a Champion4macs

2011-03-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Will Plums Replace Blueberries In The Super-Food Stakes?

2011-03-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

There's an emerging star in the super-food world.

Plums are rolling down the food fashion runway sporting newly discovered high levels of healthy nutrients, say scientists at Texas AgriLife Research.

Plainly, "blueberries have some stiff competition," said Dr. Luis Cisneros, AgriLife Research food scientist."Stone fruits are super fruits with plums as emerging stars."

Far from fruit snobbery, the plum is being ushered in after Cisneros and Dr. David Byrne, AgriLife Research plant breeder, judged more than 100 varieties of plums, peaches and nectarines and found them to match or exceed the much-touted blueberries in antioxidants and phytonutrients associated with disease prevention.

The duo acknowledge that blueberries remain a good nutritional choice. But Byrne said their findings are plum good news, especially in tight economic times, because one relatively inexpensive plum contains about the same amount of antioxidants as a handful of more expensive blueberries.

"People tend to eat just a few blueberries at a time - a few on the cereal or as an ingredient mixed with lots of sugar," Cisneros said. "But people will eat a whole plum at once and get the full benefit."

Discovery of the plum's benefits - along with that of fellow stone fruits, the peach and the nectarine - came after the researchers measured at least five brands of blueberries on the market. Against those numbers, the team measured the content of more than 100 different types of plums, nectarines and peaches.
Read More

Motivators and Creators Women's Group

Are You Holding Back Your Business From Being The Best?

2011-03-07T05:49:00.000-08:00

We all get stuck. You’re busy working in your business. You think you have a clear plan of action that will deliver the results you are striving for. But something’s missing. The results you want don’t materialize. Just like everything else in your business, there’s a system to identify what’s holding you back.

Instead of randomly second guessing yourself, ask the questions that success coaches like Omar Periu asks to help people become financially independent. Here are seven areas where you may be holding yourself back.

1. Fear of Failure

If you are pushing the envelope to break through to play a bigger game, there is always a risk. If you let fear of failure dominate your decisions, you will remain a prisoner. If you learn to ‘eat failure’, ‘get over it’, and ‘move on’, you can focus on the results you do want. Learn from each failure and keep going. It’s part of success. “Feel the fear and do it anyway”.

2. Pain of Change

It’s easy to be held back because the pain of change looks so great. That little voice tells us that we can tolerate how things are because the pain of change will take too much effort, time, upheaval, etc. We ignore it until finally the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. Instead, think from your goals. What will those goals do for you when you do make that change? Let those achievements drive you to make the change.

3. Self-doubt

Self-doubt is a poison all around us. It creeps in very subtly, so subtly we don’t know it’s sabotaging our business. Vigilance is really quite easy, but it’s a system of habits we need to maintain consistently so self-doubt can never get a foothold. It’s using affirmations, journaling, reading, mentors, self-development programs to keep you and your business moving forward.

4. Blaming Others

As children we learned to blame others. As the leader of your business, you can break this habit by becoming accountable for every decision and every result, good or bad. Decide to become ‘excuse-free’. Take responsibility.

5. Justifying/Validating

We are so busy in the business, it’s easy to assume our competitive position, marketing approach, business structure, pricing model, or way of doing things is the only way, the best way for the business; because maybe it worked well in the past or it’s the only way you know. But if you want to break through to reinvent your business or grow it, justifying or defending how you’ve done things up until now, is actually holding you back. Become aware of it, and start brainstorming/mind-mapping alternate possibilities in each area of your business.

6. Complaining

When you complain to friends, family or your team, you are giving them permission to support you in a pity party. That only reinforces that you’re stuck and that you want to stay stuck. Instead, for every complaint you want to voice, turn it into opportunity for you to change, try something new, master something new and ask friends, family and your team for suggestions and solutions.

7. Lack of Skills

There are two parts to the lack of skills challenge. First, you need to recognize that you do not have a particular skill set. That’s really OK. No one can know everything, nor should you try to be the master of every area of your business. Second, decide if it’s a skill set you want to or need to learn, or if it’s a skill set you can hire. If it’s a skill set you need to achieve your goals, follow through to learn those skills. But if the skills needed are outside your expertise, use other people’s skills. I don’t need to be a web designer to have a robust website. I just need to hire someone who can build it for me.

The bottom-line is that you are the leader of your business. It’s your responsibility to recognize when you are stuck and what you are doing to hold you and the business back from being your best. It’s your choice to get unstuck. Until you change, nothing will change for you or your business.

Motivators and Creators Women's Group

March is National Women's History Month

2011-03-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

The public celebration of women's history in this country began in 1978 as "Women's History Week" in Sonoma County, California. The week including March 8, International Women's Day, was selected. In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) co-sponsored a joint Congressional resolution proclaiming a national Women's History Week. In 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a month, and March was declared Women's History Month.

Congressional Resolution Designating the Month of March "Women's History Month"

Whereas American women of every race, class and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our Nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways;

Whereas American women have played and continue to play a critical economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of the life of the Nation by constituting a significant portion of the labor force working inside and outside of the home;

Whereas American women were have played a unique role throughout the history of the Nation by providing the majority of the volunteer labor force of the Nation;

Whereas American women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions in our Nation;

Whereas American women of every race, class, and ethnic background served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement;

Whereas American women have been leaders, not only in securing their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements, especially the peace movement, which create a more fair and just society for all; and

Whereas despite these contributions, the role of American women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued, in the literature, teaching and study of American History;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that March is designated as "Women's History Month." The President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation for each of these months, calling upon the people of the United States to observe those months with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.

Motivators and Creators Women's Group

View our most recent press release

2011-02-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

MACs Women’s Group Announces Inaugural Women’s Summit

Women entrepreneurs from across the metropolitan area will gather to exchange ideas, meet like-minded women, listen to inspiring presentations and mingle with corporate sponsors on Saturday, March 26^th at The Lake Isle County Club in Eastchester, New York.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 2011, New Rochelle, NY – MACs, Motivators and Creators Women’s Group, is pleased to announce our inaugural women’s entrepreneurial summit, MACs Celebrate You. Hundreds of women from across the metropolitan area will gather for a day of networking, learning and inspiration on Saturday, March 26^th at the Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester, NY.

“The “Celebrate You!” Women’s Summit is created with our mission in mind: Educating, Supporting and Celebrating women entrepreneurs,” commented Michelle Christie, MACs founder. “The day is organized to provide networking opportunities, presentations on key topics from successful women entrepreneurs, time to mingle with corporate sponsors and meet women you can relate to,” continued Christie.

Studies show that women emphasize relationship building as well as fact gathering and are more likely to consult with experts, employees and other business owners than their male counterparts. Participation in professional groups is on the rise as women seek to build relationships and exchange ideas with like-minded business women.

“I have seen MACs Women as an organization grow beyond my wildest expectations. The synergy, excitement and exchange of ideas at our events it’s all refreshing. I look forward to new members joining us for MACs Celebrate You and becoming members of our progressive group,” commented Michelle Christie, MACs founder.

Highlights of the program include: the importance of social media, pitching yourself with passion, creating the brand when the brand is YOU, and spiritual keys to business success. Aimmee Kodachian, inspirational speaker and author of “Tears of Hope” will be giving the keynote address, “What is Your Why.”

To learn more about MACs Women’s Group and our “Celebrates You!” Women’s Summit visit our website at www.macswomen.com

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View our most recent press release at
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release-service/198457

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Red Wine

2011-02-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

1.    Over 84 studies confirm that moderate wine consumption (up to 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men) significantly increases levels of "good" cholesterol. Source

2.    People who drink 1-2 glasses of wine per day are 14 to 25 percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who do not drink wine. Source

3.    Red wines like Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel prevent food poisoning by acting as a natural anti-microbial in the intestines, while leaving helpful bacteria untouched. Source

4.    It was recently discovered that the polyphenols in red wine halt prostate cancer growth. Source

5.    In one study, women who drank 15 to 30 grams of wine per day had a 30 percent lower risk of weight gain over a 10-year period than women who drank no wine at all. Source

6.    Red wine is a healthy alternative to other alcoholic beverages, with just 125 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates per five ounce serving, not to mention 4% of your daily Iron and 1% of your daily calcium. Source

7.    Women who drink 1 or 2 glasses of wine exhibit an improved sex drive. Source

8.    Women who drank wine have 5 to 8 percent higher bone density, which prevents arthritis and the possibility of broken bone injuries. Source

9.    Red wine helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease by preventing the formation of toxic aggregates in the brain. Source

10. The antioxidants in red wine have natural anti-aging effects for the skin. Source

Motivators and Creators Women's Group

Lena West, Keynote Speaker at 2011 MACs Women's Summit

2011-02-21T02:55:00.000-08:00

Lena L. West is an award-winning social media consultant, blogger, speaker, journalist, technologist and the Founder of Real Women Do Social Media, the only social media training initiative created exclusively for women business owners.

She is also the Founder, CEO & Chief Social Media Strategist at xynoMedia, a social media consulting, implementation and development firm that helps

women-owned and led companies profit from the power of Social Media and the Internet. West says, “What makes xynoMedia different is we don’t just offer some of the best marketing ideas and strategy in the industry, we can uniquely identify with women CEO’s. We know they need strategies that cut to the chase and produce results not just now, but RIGHT now.”

As a certified technical expert, West learned about the intricate aspects of computers and networking while consulting with Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Pitney Bowes, Philips Magnavox, Hyperion Software and MasterCard International. After cutting her ‘technical teeth’, she founded xynoMedia in 1997.

West’s expertise has been widely acknowledged. She is the winner of several

business awards, among them: The Network Journal’s “40 Under Forty”, AlleyCat

News’ “25 Women of Silicon Alley”, The Women’s Congress’ Entrepreneurial

Champion for Women in Business and was dubbed an “Entrepreneurial Hero” by

NCWIT. West has also been featured as the cover story for publications such as The

Westchester County Business Journal and Black Enterprise.

A sought-after writer and speaker, West writes and speaks regularly about

the merits and potential pitfalls of social media. She communicates

her expertise about social media, web 2.0 and online technologies through Social

Media 360, her expert blog on FastCompany.com; her Seriously Social column and

blog for Entrepreneur Magazine; as well as feature articles for both InfoWorld and

Jupitermedia. She has spoken on Capitol Hill and for organizations such as American

Express, Wharton School of Business, SCORE, National Investor Relations Institute

(NIRI), Syracuse University and The Learning Annex.

A firm believer in the adage, “To whom much is given, much is required”,

West is deeply committed to her pro bono work as well. She sits on the

BlogHer Business Advisory Board, the Center for Women’s Business Research

Advisory Council and the National Advisory Board for The Women’s Congress.

West strongly believes that social media is a catalyst to uniting the world’s

people and will continue to lead businesses and individuals toward greater levels of

environmental accountability, social responsibility and corporate transparency -

hence her passion for the medium.

xynoMedia’s goal is to help make social media easy to use, manageable and

worthwhile for women business leaders

Lena West is a Keynote Speaker at the Inaugural MACs Celebrate You! Women's Entrepreneurs Summit on March 26th in Eastchester, NY.

Life Coaching 101

2011-02-20T01:41:00.000-08:00

Written by Your Joyologist in General, Joy

I have been a life coach for nearly 10 years. I love the whole life coaching experience.

When I meet someone and share - I am a life coach, most become curious and

immediately start asking me questions. I wish to share with you 6 of the most

commonly asked questions and my personal answers, so you can have a better

understanding of the life coaching experience.

1) What is a life coach? A life coach supports and motivates their clients in getting

clear, organized and staying committed to their goals and desires. Much like an athletic

coach, we want the best for our clients and are able to see our clients’ situations

through a different pair of eyes, thus we are better able to see where the changes need

to come from, in order to put our clients on the road to success. Life coaches are not

therapists. We do not fix any one and we are not anyone’s mother. We are someone

you hire to guide and inspire you to stay committed to achieving your success.

2) Who are your clients? Personally, my clients have come from every walk of life

and have had various reasons for employing me. Some need me to support them to

stay focused to accomplish a business goal. I have worked with several small business

owners to stay motivated, organized, and focused. I have worked with mothers who

want to organize their schedule to experience more balance and joy in their lives.

I have even coached a busy workaholic couple so they could find time to have fun.

Yes, we scheduled in fun every week! Many of my clients just want more balance in their

lives. Still, others do not know what they want and I work with them to discover their

desires.

3) Is everyone coachable? My answer is no. I do not work with everyone that wants

to hire me. I have to assess if the person is coachable. I really don’t want to waste my

time or theirs. I give them a short questionnaire to take before I accept them as a client.

They must fill it out and get it back me in a timely manner. I also have them take their

toilet paper roll currently in their bathroom and turn it to roll the other direction and leave

it that way for two days or when the paper runs out. Once we connect again after I have

received the completed questionnaire, I ask them about the toilet paper roll exercise

and if they kept it reversed for the complete time or not? If they answer is yes, I work

with them. If it is no, I walk away. If they could not do this simple exercise, then I feel

they would not be open to follow through with the changes needed to stay committed to

their goal. Over the years, this method has worked well for me.

4) How do you work with the clients? We get together in person or via phone and I

explain what is expected of them and what they can expect of me. I have them sign a

commitment type contract. Here they commit to call me on time for the coach calls and

to check in with me via emails on the days and time agreed on. They also commit to be

honest with me about doing what they said they will do during the week to achieve their

goals. Then we make a plan and create steps to take everyday and week towards their

goals. If a weekly task is not completed, then we work on why it was not completed

and take steps to remedy the matter. My job is to motivate them to stay on their agreed

path to success. Like anything, you will get out of the experience what you put into it.

5) How do you choose a life coach? If you ever decide you would like to hire a life

coach, feel free to shop around. Interview the different coaches. Ask the coaches for

referrals. As much as many of us are alike, we all do our coaching a little bit different.

Some coaches take certifications courses and some don’t. It is up to you to decide if it

is important for your coach to have a certification or not. We also might have different

philosophies. I use my intuition when I am working with my clients which works for me.

I like to work in three month increments whenever possible. I believe it takes at least 90

days for my clients to implement the changes they need to continue to achieve their

goals and desires.

6) What does it cost? That varies from coach to coach. We all have different pricing.

Some charge in the hundreds a month and others charge in the thousands depending

what the coach wants to charge. I create personalized coaching packages and price

them according to the client’s needs. Some coaches do flat rates. I have my clients

pay up front for my services. I feel it encourages them to stay committed to their goals.

I hope this article on Life Coaching 101 has supported you in understanding the life

coaching experience from my point of view. I almost forgot. There is one more question

they love to ask, “Do life coaches have coaches?” Some do and some don’t. In my

opinion, the good ones do!

Vicki Kallman, the Joyologist, is a speaker, an author, facilitator, intuitive life coach, reiki master/teacher and founder of JoyfulZen.com where she intuitively guides her clients and
readers to having greater joy and success in every area of their lives.

Vicki Kallman is a Speaker at the Inaugural MACs Celebrate You! Women's Entrepreneurs
Summit on March 26th in Eastchester, NY.

Motivators and Creators Women's Group

Some Remedies for the Pain When Couples Talk Money

2011-02-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

WEALTH MATTERS

ONE of the most difficult conversations a couple can have is not about love or commitment. It is about money — how it is saved and invested and what it means for their lifestyle.

According to a survey to be released this weekend by PNC Wealth Management, men and women are not any closer in their views about their investments than they were before the recession wreaked havoc on their portfolios.

There is a 10 percentage point difference in how men and women responded when asked whether they were planning their portfolios more carefully, with women being more cautious. And asked how they viewed their portfolio strategy, 51 percent of men said “nothing has changed,” while only 38 percent of women felt the same way. The gap pervaded all the responses.

One upside in the PNC survey, a followup to one it conducted five years ago, was that the recession did not push the sexes further apart in their views about money.

“There was not as much change with the way people think about their money through the recession as we thought,” said R. Bruce Bickel, senior vice president at PNC Wealth Management. “I think that is because there is better communication and they are getting more of their family involved in their finances. It is just a small percentage increase but it was positive.” Continue Reading

Susan Hirshman is president of SHE, a consulting firm focused on financial literacy for women and the author of "Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?" Susan Hirshman is a Speaker at the Inaugural MACs Celebrate You! Women's Entrepreneurs Summit on March 26th in Eastchester, NY.

Contributed by: Susan Hirshman | www.myfatassets.com
Motivators and Creators Women's Group

You CAN Achieve Balance While Working From Home!

2011-02-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

One would think working from home is the perfect dream, but for many women entrepreneurs it can become a nightmare. Being home, surrounded by potential chores all day, can really take its toll on our psyche (and our productivity!) Distractions range from our favorite daytime TV programs just a click away, to the calling of a sunny day, to the arrival of our children and husbands.

Here are some tips for keeping your sanity while working from home:

Cut back on raiding the kitchen for snacks.

Keep the TV off.

Schedule time for chores to avoid distractions during the day.

Know when to step away from the office and spend time with your family.

Take one extra day off a month for “me” time.

Eat lunch away from your workspace to clear your mind.

Schedule dates with your spouse and kids.

Have a bucket list and enjoy yourself every once in a while.

Keep your work space and your fun space separate.

Consider delegating when work becomes too busy.

Learn to say “No”… You don’t need to take every single project.

Eat healthy foods, schedule time for exercise and get your rest!

Madly In Love With Me

2011-02-14T08:53:00.000-08:00