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.

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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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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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.

One of the things that is most important is to make sure that your customers knows their voice will be heard. When creating your site, make sure that one of your missions is to create a mission statement that let’s the customer know that returns or exchanges are acceptable, with thorough details on how they will be handled. Be kind, yet firm. Your work is incredibly valuable, and your customers satisfaction.. even more so. Reputation is everything. It’s your e-imprint, if you will. Your business should exude clear, to the point information, testimonials (if possible), and sincerity. You want to not only win over the business of that particular customer, but many others. The word of mouth factor is incredibly useful with online businesses. Happy customers will speak highly of you, and inevitably your business grows, plus your name is solid.

Let’s not forget web ads, they’re our friends! Even though one may roll their eyes at an ad for kitty condos that is listed on the same page as a google search for cat toys, if the ad is visually cute/clever/creative/informative, you may very well click on it. Happens everyday. Web ads bring foot traffic that acts as the “window shopping at the mall” factor. Even if a person is unable to take advantage of whatever it is your company offers that day, if it piques their interest, they’ll bookmark the site.. and they’ll be back.

Marci Lundy
Marci C. Lundy is a 30 something Southern California girl that is now based out of Denver, Colorado. She is the owner of 303 Dolls Face + Body Squared, as well as Sexy Earth Chicque Studios. Both product lines boast organic, spa grade, bath and body products. She is also a Photographer, with a greeting card line, Color Me Colorado. Marci resides in Denver with her husband, Stewart, a day trader, as well as council member for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and her adorably spoiled calico, Dutchess.
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JPark Events is where dessert meets design. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, with dessert bars being their specialty, they also offer full production event planning for weddings and corporate events as well as event staffing.

Q&A with Jessica Park

What are your most popular products or services?
We have carved out a specialty niche for ourselves in creating dessert bars. Unusually skilled to work well within budgets of all sizes for groups large or small.

What tip would you give women who are starting a business?
Build up your online presence prior to jumping into business ownership full-time; it takes a lot of time to establish yourself. Therefore, you will be ahead of the game.

Who is your role model or mentor?
My mother is a career entrepreneur and my mentor. Having owned and operated multiple businesses, she is an incredible resource for me to bounce ideas off of.

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That lead her to realize that shame is the fear of disconnection and people are separated into two groups: those afraid of disconnections, and those who embrace theirs and still find themselves worthy of other successes.

Those who have confidence in their imperfections are the people who are taking more risks and making meaningful connections. Brene’s years of research helped her realize that vulnerability is the core of shame and also the birthplace of love, joy, creativity, and belonging. Embracing your vulnerabilities is necessary for you to go out of your comfort zone and take the most from your experiences.

Years later, I still look back and cringe on embarrassing situations I’ve been in. But why does that shame still lurk around in my memory? We focus too much on failures and not enough on strengths. There are still situations I find myself shying away from just because it is out of my comfort zone. Listening to Brene’s speech, everything she says makes sense. It does not take a degree in psychology to understand her findings. Her advice is clear and simple on how to go about with vulnerability in your life.

Here are the takeaway points from her TED talk:

DON’T

• Numb your emotions
• Try to make everything perfect
• Pretend our actions don’t impact others
• Make the uncertain certain

DO

• Believe you are worthy
• Have the courage to be imperfect
• Let yourself be seen
• Connect authentically
• Let go of what you think you should be
• Commit without guarantees
• WE ARE ENOUGH
• Her speech is the most viewed video on TED.com, with over 9 million views
• Watch her TED talk
• Visit Brene Brown’s website

Why did we fight off naps as a kid? These days, any sleep is precious. Not getting a full night’s rest is literally exhausting and takes tolls on your body, mentally and physically. In many cases, sleep deprivation is linked to stress in our daily lives, but there are techniques we can use to help our bodies relax before bedtime.

First, take a look at what you are eating at night. Minor dietary tweaks can help you immensely. There are foods that when ingested promote muscle relaxation, sleepiness and serotonin production. Here is a list of a few foods and how they help.

• Bananas contain potassium, magnesium, which relax muscles, and tryptophan, which turns into serotonin and melatonin in the brain.
• Cherries are a natural source of melatonin (even juice and dried cherries)
• Almonds are high in protein and magnesium and promote muscle relaxation
• Milk has tryptophan and calcium, so it promotes melatonin production and has a sedative effect. It is the suggested treatment for when you wake up in the middle of the night.
• Oatmeal has many sleep promoting nutrients: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, and potassium. Just go easy on sweeteners.

Keep in mind that big portions should not be eaten before sleep; as delicious as these foods are, keep them snack sized and try to eat an hour before sleep.

Besides diet, there are other habits you may not notice that hurt you. Alcohol decreases your ability to deep sleep; even one glass of wine has effects. Make sure you enjoy your drink earlier in the evening, so you have time for its effects to wear off.

Surprisingly, taking a shower or bath at night doesn’t help either. As relaxing as a bath is, when you raise your body temperature before bed it takes longer for your body to cool to preferred sleeping temperatures.

Exercising at night also disrupts sleep patterns. Instead of a late night workout, give yoga a shot. It will steady your breath, stretch your muscles, and put your mind at ease, all without raising your heart rate.

If you are really serious about knowing what works best for you, there is an app that will monitor your sleep movement. With the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app, you place your phone next to you while you sleep and it will monitor when you are in REM sleep or lightly dreaming.

With the Proactive Sleep app you can keep a diary of your hours slept, if you exercised or drank caffeine, and the app also offers ambient music.

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.

Razel Serrano is the owner of Le Petit Spa, in Vancouver, British Columbia. An award-winning neighbourhood day spa, Le Petit Spa is well known for their passionate staff that provide excellent facial treatments, microdermabrasion, relaxation massage, waxing and nail services.

Q&A with Razel Serrano

What are your most popular products or services?
Dermalogica Skincare, Yonka Skincare, Jane Iredale mineral makeup. Our own Le Petit Spa Signature Line.

What tip would you give women who are starting a business?
Be diligent and be patient. Listen carefully, pick the good ones and remember the bad ones. Believe in yourself and keep in mind and heart that you will succeed.

Who is your role model or mentor?
My mom is my role model. Nancy Mudford, Le Petit Spa founder and my mentor: She was my life jacket when I dove into business without knowing anything about it.

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