the CRAVE company

A Peek Inside FLIPPED IT! Featuring: A Serial Entrepreneur

CRAVE — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:38 +0000

Jenn Sprinkle, of Jenn Sprinkle Creative, has been in the branding and creative strategy business for 9 years. She has a passion for entrepreneurs and considers herself a serial entrepreneur. So it makes sense that her business offers a wide range of services, everything from social media design to branding to licensing. But Jenn wanted more, five years ago she attended the National Stationery Show as a guest and that sparked inspiration. She dreamed that one day she would return, not as a guest but as a vendor, and sell her custom wedding invitations. This dream eventually became a reality and her products at the show were a hit! This led her to partner with 60 stores across the country where customers can order her custom designed wedding invitations.

To learn exactly how Jenn made this flip in her business and how this change affects her life, take a peek at her spread from our e-book Flipped-It! Inspiring Stories of Successful Reinvention:

“Make choices for your business based on your beliefs, values and what will do the most good.” —CRAVE Crush Laurie Jay, Creative Waste Solutions

CRAVE — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:16 +0000

Laurie Jay is the owner of Creative Waste Solutions, based in Dallas, Texas. Creative Waste Solutions focuses on reducing expenses and increasing recycling through smarter waste management.

Q&A with Laurie Jay

What are your most popular products or services?
Saving our clients money is a winner! They also find value in how we focus on source reduction and methods of simplifying recycling for their company.

What tip would you give women who are starting a business?
Make choices for your business based on your beliefs, values and what will do the most good. Put people and planet before profits, and be confident in that decision.

What is your biggest fear?
I fear losing my sense of humor in a world that often makes little sense.

What is your motto or theme song?
Kindness regardless.

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“Why I created Urban Campfire…” -Melody Biringer

CRAVE — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:05 +0000

Here is the down and dirty scoop on how Urban Campfire came about. I lost my mojo last year. My business model needed a major overhaul (which depressed me), forced reinvention is not my favorite thing. I turned frickin 50 last year and stopped paying attention to my health because other things got in the way.

My friends came to the rescue. They sat me down and said “Melody we need to help you get your mojo back, what do you love?” I said marshmallows, Flashdance, and TED Talks! They said “Okay let’s drill down and put meaning to all of that. What do you love about marshmallows?” I said when you are sitting around a campfire making S’mores with your friends, you let your hair down and are more open with each other.

I have been putting on business events for over ten years now and I wanted to shake things up a bit. Couldn’t we have the same end result of attending a conference by experiencing a day with each other “un-conference” style? Instead of talking about the latest social media apps or how to manage a team effectively and all that business stuff we need to know… what if we gathered together and got inspired by thought leaders of all generations and talked about our lives and careers in an open and honest way and got to know each other on a deeper level?

The end result of attending a business conference is learning something and being inspired and meeting new people. What if we came together in a campfire sort of way, got inspired by cool thought leaders, shared our own life experiences in small circles and got real with each other? Could the end result be a few more meaningful relationships in our lives that we would then go on to explore?

I wanted to top the day off with an actual S’mores fest and dance party in the height of August in Seattle. If I have learned anything in my 30 years of being an entrepreneur, it is you do business with who you like to dance with or hang with. Life is just more fun that way. Anyone relate to me?

-Melody Biringer

The Benefits of a Good Mentor

CRAVE — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:37 +0000

With the slow growing economy, job positions are becoming more competitive. This is when having a good mentor can make a tremendous difference in your continuing success. Mentors can help guide you in your professional endeavors as well as provide great advice for your personal life.

Many people want to be independent and achieve goals by themselves, but there is nothing wrong with having someone help you on your journey. In fact, having someone else who is knowledgeable and has more experience will greatly help you in the long run when it comes to achieving success.

Here are some more reasons why having a mentor can help you grow as a person and as a professional:

They can help reduce mistakes. A mentor should be someone who has been working in your field of expertise for a while. That being said, they had to have made mistakes at one point or another in their career and can help to make sure you don’t do the same.
They can provide constructive feedback. A mentor is only there to help you succeed. They are especially useful in the fact that they can and will give you their honest opinion.
They are great for networking. Knowing someone in your business is good, but having a mentor in your field is even better. A mentor is someone who knows you well and can help connect you to great opportunities.
They can lift you up. A good mentor can see when you’re struggling, and will be there to encourage you when it happens. Sometimes just hearing that you are on the right track can be very inspiring and useful. Even better, you can really trust your mentor’s reassurance because most likely, they have been in that situation before.

The best part of the concept of mentorship is that it goes full circle. Your mentor will help you to grow and succeed and eventually, the tables will turn and you will have the great ability to share your expertise with a new mentee.

Sushi 101

CRAVE Blogger — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:12 +0000

I’m a CRAVE apprentice who was born overseas. I spent the majority of my childhood, and the earliest years of my young adult life, in Japan. During that time I developed a love for the the people, the culture, and the food. I’m always in the mood for Japanese food. Especially sushi. Now, I’ve always been able to differentiate between traditional and Westernized sushi, but I didn’t know that there is a traditional way to eat sushi. A right way. Which means I’ve been eating my sushi the wrong way for years!

If you’re CRAVING sushi, and want the traditional sushi experience, just keep these five things in mind:

Sit at the Sushi bar: This allows you to interact with, and order directly from, the chef. In Japan, most traditional sushi bars don’t have tables, or menus.
Order nigiri: Nigiri is the hand squeezed rectangles of fish and rice. Rolls are an adaptation of traditional sushi.
Use your hands: Sushi is loosely packed so it falls apart in your mouth. Don’t use chopsticks.
Don’t mix wasabi into your soy sauce: If the sushi isn’t preseasoned with wasabi and soy sauce, add just a small amount of wasabi directly to it, and dip only a corner in soy sauce. Don’t add ginger. Ginger is to be a palate cleanser between each piece.
Do use chopsticks with Sashimi: The raw fish, without rice. And again, only use the tiniest amount of wasabi and soy sauce.

There you have it! The whole thing is pretty simple really. But to quote Captain Barbossa from Pirates of the Caribbean, “They’re more like guidelines than actual rules.”

And if it makes you feel any better, I’ve observed plenty of Japanese people eating sushi in a nontraditional manner. After all, who do you think I learned my bad sushi habits from?

Here are a couple places whose sushi we CRAVE:

Sushi Time
Amsterdam
Sushi Time is a unique sushi concept with a restaurant in the World Trade Center in Amsterdam and a takeaway store in Amersfoort. All of their sushi is homemade, using the best and freshest ingredients. They present their sushi on a conveyor belt, which is also portable for events. Sushi Time’s motto: Fresh Sushi, Fair Price

Tiger Sushi
Minneapolis
This tiny, little indie sushi bar has been shaking things up. Their playful, inventive approach to food combines flavors from all over the world, including Mediterranean, French, Thai and Indonesian.

What kind of sushi do you CRAVE? Share in the comments below!

Post by Eleanor Long

“The sky’s the limit” —CRAVE Crush Tracy Klinkroth, ChickChat

CRAVE — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:02 +0000

Tracy Klinkroth is the owner of ChickChat. Women on ChickChat’s Opinionista Panel inform the world’s leading brands on what works, what doesn’t and what really matters to one of the most important consumer demographics in the US and beyond: women!

Q&A with Tracy Klinkroth

Who is your role model or mentor?
My dad. He owned a dry-cleaning business and always told me not to go into business for myself (!). Gandhi, Oprah, Anuradha Koirala, Maya Angelou—the change-makers!

What motivates you on a daily basis?
The thrill of the hunt. Going after business and winning it. Creating an event and selling it out. Success, and the high that comes from it, motivates me.

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Melody CRAVES: Sunglasses

CRAVE — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:47 +0000

“I CRAVE a great pair of sunglasses. Even though I live in Seattle, they are a 365 staple for me. One of my favorite cities to shop for them is Vancouver BC. Sometimes that is all I need for an excuse to cross the border!”

Sunglasses are a must have fashion accessory for summer! They are great because they are so versatile and go with just about every outfit. Even better, they serve the important purpose of protecting your eyes from the sun. Fun, fashionable, and practical – does it get any better than that?

Here is a list of optical boutiques that provide the summer eyewear we CRAVE:

Art of Optiks
Minneapolis
This boutique features top of the line designs as well as a knowledgeable staff of doctors to meet your eyecare needs. Using the latest technology, the Art of Optiks staff will help you look trendy while protecting your eyes.

bruce eyewear inc
Vancouver B.C.
bruce eyewear inc is a trendy shop featuring all the latest hi-tech lenses. They feature fun, durable sunglasses that are “modern, edgy, and timeless”.

Goldstein Boutique
Toronto
Goldstein Boutique is a small, stylish shop featuring a wide variety of fabulous designs. Owned by Sandra Cowan since 1998, Sandra hand picks her frames from designers worldwide for a unique shopping experience.

Occhiali Modern Optics
Dallas
Occhiali Modern Optics strives to help their clients find the perfect eyewear for their personality and lifestyle. Whether you want to look modern, sophisticated or classic, Occhiali Modern Optics has a great trained staff to help you look your best!

Melody Biringer is the start-up junkie behind The CRAVE Company. She has built over 20 companies that range from Biringer Farm, a family-run specialty-food business, to a home furnishings store to a fitness studio. Her current entrepreneurial love-child is The CRAVE Company, inspiring success and connections between savvy, stylish consumers and entreprenesses.

“I like getting to know my clients.” —CRAVE Crush Lisa Ham, Coco Fleur Events

CRAVE — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:46 +0000

Lisa Ham is the owner of Coco Fleur Events, in Dallas, Texas. Coco Fleur is a floral event company that takes great pride in designing floral and decor to reflect their clients’ style.

Q&A with Lisa Ham

What are your most popular products or services?
Beautiful antiques, settees, crystal and silver fixtures such as candelabras, chandeliers and vases.

What tip would you give women who are starting a business?
Never be afraid. Never underestimate yourself. If you believe in and love what you do, others will too. Make friends and talk to others who are in your field.

What motivates you on a daily basis?
Nature inspires me and reminds me of why I do what I do.

How do you relax?
Crazy but true… when I feel stressed I can go out into the studio and arrange flowers!

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“Having a chance to help people is a blessing…” —CRAVE Crush Nourhy, NowStudio

CRAVE — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:03 +0000

Nourhy is the owner of Now Studio in Chicago, Illinois. An intuitive healer, Nourhy uses bodywork as well as a range of other restorative techniques and remedies to help others feel happier, healthier and more balanced in their lives.

Q&A with Nourhy Chiriboga

What makes your business unique?
My clients are looking for treatments that go beyond the spa or salon experience. We help restore a sense of balance through the therapeutic healing power of touch.

What inspired you to start your business?
I transitioned into working in the healing arts after experiencing years of chronic pain following a car accident. I really wanted to teach others what I’ve learned.

What is your motto or theme song?
I always say that your health is the most important thing you can have. As long as you’re healthy, you can always make money; it’s true!

What do you CRAVE?
Health, happiness and prosperity. Letting go of things that don’t serve me, and seeing and taking the opportunities that come my way.

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Successful Reinvention: Flipping It Upside Down

CRAVE Blogger — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:30:29 +0000

“When we started the doing the CRAVE books, featuring women all over the world the, business did not actually work for the first four years. And I was very frustrated…I saw that Seinfeld episode where George did everything in the opposite. Things just weren’t working out for him and he was like, ‘I’m going to say yes instead of no.’ I decided I was going to try that.”
-Melody Biringer

Melody wrote down everything she didn’t like about, or that just wasn’t working for, the business and made a call. A call which people embraced.

CRAVE is now in thirty cities.

And Melody isn’t the only woman who has embraced doing things the opposite way.

CRAVE has collected stories from 40 women, compiling them into CRAVE’s newest eBook, FLIPPED IT! Inspiring Stories of Successful Reinvention.

True stories of how these women didn’t give up on their business when things were going south. Of how they turned things around by doing the opposite, flipping it upside down and going in a new direction to success.

Learn from and be inspired by the likes of, Shasta Nelson, Danielle LaPorte, Jenn Sprinkle, Jovanka Ciares, Mary Bokovoy, Tory Johnson, Sasha Muir….and of course Melody Biringer! Plus many more!

Get five dollars off Flipped It! when you use the coupon code: FLIPPINGIT2013

And when you buy Flipped It! and Melody’s other book, CRAVING SUCCESS, at the same time and you’ll get 50% off of CRAVING SUCCESS.