Support is Sexy

For Annette Davison, CEO of Icon Food Marketing, the turning point when she realized that working for someone else who didn't appreciate her came in the late 1990s after she and her team were belittled by a popular fashion designer at a 7am meeting. In 2001, Annette finally parted ways amicably with the company and never looked back. She was an entrepreneur. But when she woke up that Monday mornin...

This past weekend I spent time with family in Mississippi celebrating the 90th birthday of one of my cousins. And during the celebration, there was a memorable moment when she made her way to the dance floor and did her dance! At 90. She. Did. Her. Dance. As brief as it was, it was wonderful! The moment was so much fun and, for me, such a great reminder of the importance of -- in good times and ba...

Want to shift the energy during those moments when it feel like nothing is going your way? Here's the secret: Focus on what you're grateful for in that moment. Most of us know the healing power of gratitude, how being grateful for what you already have actually fertilizes the ground for more blessings, if you will. But I understand if there are days when  a "parable" is the last thing you want to...

Believe or not, I can get business inspiration (or at least podcast episode inspiration) from nearly anywhere. And today's inspiration comes courtesy of the family dog. Pup (not pictured) shows no shame when going after something he wants, especially if that something is a treat -- he puts it all out there. What if we did the same when it came to our businesses and the things we want to create in...

Shortly after graduating college with a degree in broadcast journalism, Melinda Emerson landed her dream job as a television producer in Philadelphia -- and, she hated it. Mean people and countless hours pushed her to eventually make a move. And that move was to become an entrepreneur. Melinda studied as much as she could about business, going to events and joining organizations that would provide...

When Erin Woodward was ten years old, she had what many may consider the experience of a lifetime: Her parents sent her away from her small town just north of Toronto to live with extended family in Bali. Since then, Erin has loved traveling the world and visited 53 countries, so when she fell in love and considered making the move to London, she didn't hesitate. But once there, she quickly realiz...

Dr. Karen Thomas has never fit in. Blame it on her third eye -- when everyone else sees blue or red, she sees purple. And while this ability may have irked her parents when she was growing up, it is what makes her an effective leader today, the ability to see what's not obvious others. Though Dr. Thomas has a graduate degree in special events and marketing, and held an enviable position that she l...

"Tell me what you need."  I have said it before and I will say it again, these are five of the sexiest words in the English language. There are many, but these rank high on my list. The person making this request of you, to tell them what you need, is creating space for you to fill it with your desire, your needs in the moment, the things that you think will help you to move forward. So, if someon...

Miral Sattar has always been an entrepreneur, launching various businesses since high school -- from creating a successful blog for South Asian women to having a t-shirt line with fun slogans for South Asian women to launching her own iPhone case business (one of the businesses she wishes she held onto). "The hustle has always been in me," the Queens, New York, native says. This passion was passed...

Karen Cahn, a native of Canton, Massachusetts, has always believed in women building their own thing, living on their own terms and having their own money no matter what -- even when working for another company. Karen, who has worked ever since she was 13, took a job very early in her career at Google and spent 10 years at the Internet giant, working with YouTube, leading strategy in video and bec...

Tracy Matthews considers herself a "natural hustler," comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and feels like entrepreneurship has always been in her blood. In fact, the idea of working for someone else kinda makes her cringe. But creating something? She can't get enough! In 1998 -- while still in her twenties -- Tracy created a top jewelry line, Tracy Matthews Designs, that became a beloved brand...

From the time she was a young girl, Jovian Zayne witnessed her parents -- especially her mom -- setting up shop, creating her own consulting business and claiming her own space. As a result, "young Jovi" was the kind of child that dressed as a businesswoman for Halloween, used to sit at her mom's desk and pretend to handle business and was a natural negotiator on the school playground. Today, afte...

Wow! What a week!    In the United States, we had an election that was -- to say the least -- shocking to people within the country and all around the world. And I believe that's true on all sides, no matter who received your vote.   But this episode is not about the election. It's about YOU, and making sure, whether it's feelings about the election or everyday life, that you're okay. A lot of peo...

Like it or not, we live in a world where -- if you own your own business -- you, more than likely, need to have some sort of presence on social media in order to (as they say) establish your digital footprint. But with new platforms and unspoken rules of engagement popping up what feels like every other day, it can be difficult, and at time overwhelming, to not only know where you need to be but h...

Evita Robinson launched Nomadness Travel Tribe on Facebook when she was on unemployment and looking for a way to connect with other world travelers who were having some of the same challenges that she was at that time in her life -- wanting a space to share their experiences and longing to travel to even more far-reaching places. The New York native had no idea that this small group that began wit...

Since she was a young girl in Washington, D.C. -- towering over other kids in her class thanks to her statuesque physique -- Quiana Murray has embraced her bossiness with pride. While many girls may be dissuaded from taking the bossy route, Quiana says her mother made sure to cultivate her leadership qualities.    That propensity to lead carried over into college, where Quiana realized she was som...

Dr. Jen Riday grew up on a farm in Iowa, where family, a strong work ethic and dedication were instilled in her from the beginning. When Jen became a mother of her own children -- six in total -- she dedicated herself to raising them as a full-time mom and held off on putting her Ph. D. in human development and family studies to use, at least professionally. Until she realized being a stay at home...

"This is the number one rule for your set, in order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets..."--Jay Z, "Regrets." Funny how an evening conversation with my dad reminded me of this Jay Z lyric from the song "Regrets" from the 1996 Reasonable Doubt album (one of my favorites). Regrets, I believe, are a part of life, certainly a part of business, but -- if not kept in check -- they can hold us...

The last thing you want to do is be a Jane of all trades and a master of none. When you're thinking about how to differentiate your business and tap into your zone of genius, ask yourself the question: What's my specialty? This is a topic that has come up with several of the women I've interviewed who discussed how they -- in their own ways -- tapped into what their specialty is, how they package...

All day, every day, you make decisions. Still, when you feel like one is weighing on you or that it's a decision that could change everything, there could be some stress, and -- ironically -- some in decision.   I get it. I'm in a phase where I am being very conscious of the decisions I make, and being aware of whether I am making certain decisions out of fear, or if I'm stalling on others just be...

It's time for you to hit the refresh button, to boldly go outside of your comfort zone and to embrace your new beginning. On this episode, I talk about the journey to this phase of life and business, and how getting comfortable at being uncomfortable in this space is one of the best opportunities for you to grow. The adventure awaits.    Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode m...

Out of the mouths of babes: "Life doesn't frighten me at all." That's how this message, these powerful words from the great poet Dr. Maya Angelou, reentered my consciousness -- it was thanks to the recent learnings of my two little boos (the young sons of my best friend) who recited the line, "Life doesn't frighten me at all..." as their parents drove me to the airport for my move from New York to...

The only thing that is constant is change, right? And with change, whether we planned it or not, comes a period of transition. Are you going through a major transition in your business, your career, your life? If so, you know it can sometimes be overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be -- at least not all the time. Here are six must-haves to keep in mind whenever you go through a transition, planne...

Things happen, things throw you off course, things (and life) give you a great excuse to NOT do that thing that you've committed to doing. But you know what? You can't let that stop you. You gotta keep going! Here, I share a few reasons that you have to keep it moving, how it pays off in your business and your life, and the value of being consistent.    Show notes, links, contacts and resources fo...

Everybody can't come.  This is something we all have to realize eventually -- especially if you're up to something, creating something, trying something new and making moves. Everybody ain't gonna get it, so everybody can't come along for the ride. And you know what? We shouldn't expect them to. On this episode, I talk about the big move I have coming up and how I realized that everybody can't com...