d-mars.com Business Journal 67

Business Journal Jan - Feb 2013

Inspire, Inform & Educate

67 th Edition

A New Year, A New Mindset

INSIDE

Women In It To Win It!

Women Who Believe Can Achieve

By Dr. D.L. Jones How often do we hear the expression, “Success is a journey and not a Destination?”

PAGE 8

2013 Rising Star LAMIK

Three Steps to Taking Control of Your Investments

For the growing number of self-directed investors entering the market, here are three steps to take to manage a portfolio.

PAGE 14

Keys To Create An Abundance Mindset

NHFC 25th Annual MLK Breakfast Hosted by Jasmine Guy

Texas State Representative Ronald Reynolds

Easy Ways to Take Your Career to the Next Level Some of us may enjoy the beauty of a corporate expense account to assist with these efforts, while others have to find alternate means of meeting new potential clientele.

PAGE 28

Five Steps to Help You Get What You Want

The Houston Black Real Estate Association hosted the 2013 Awards & Installation Banquet

African-American Representation in our State Captial

By Victoria Munro Knowing what you want in life and putting plans in place to achieve it is rewarding and may allow you look back in the future without regret.

PAGE 29

“Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.”

~ Wayne Dyer

Jan - Feb 2013

Behind The

Journal

3.

Publisher’s Message

Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr. VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Davis

Having a new mindset for the upcoming year is the catalyst for positive change in your business. Be on the lookout for positive change in the d-mars world. We are expanding our reach by celebrating the prominent African-American business men and women in the city of Houston. Join us on February 28 for a d-mars celebration of some of Houston’s finest. We appreciate you and don’t mind letting the world know it!

EDITING CONSULTANT Sharon Jenkins OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Johnny Ray Davis, Jr.

As always again, thank you for your continued support of d-mars.com. When you support d-mars.com, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work.

Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla

CONTENTS

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE C.T. Foster Eric D. Goodwine

Keys to create an abundance mindset ......................................................................................... 4-5 Women Who Believe Can Achieve ................................................................................................ 6 Level 5 Executives ........................................................................................................................ 6 Are You Ready To Win? ..................................................................................................................7 4 Tips for Enhancing Your Entrepreneur Experience in 2013 ...................................................... 7 723 Events ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Solo Zydeco Productions Presents The Crosby Zydeco Festival ................................................ 9 Working From Home? Tips To Succeed Without Distraction ....................................................... 10 How balanced is your life? ........................................................................................................... 12 Our African-American Representation in Austin .......................................................................... 12 Three Steps to Taking Control of Your Investments ..................................................................... 14 To Dress for Work or Play ............................................................................................................. 16 Five Steps to Help You Get What You Want ................................................................................ 19 What Women Business Owners Want ......................................................................................... 20 Seven Tips for Success in 2013! ................................................................................................. 22 Marketing Strategies: Are You Making This Marketing Mistake? ................................................. 22 Making Dreams A Reality ............................................................................................................. 23 Stay Fresh Throughout Your Day ................................................................................................. 27 9 Game Changing Tips for Women Entrepreneurs in 2013 .......................................................... 27 Women Winning in the Super Bowl .............................................................................................. 27 6 Ways Women Can Prepare for Retirement ................................................................................. 28 Easy Ways to Take Your Career to the Next Level ..................................................................... 28 Famous Women Entrepreneurs ..................................................................................................... 29 Single Moms Pay the Price by Sacrificing Their Life to Their Job ............................................... 29 The Houston Black Real Estate Association Hosted the 2013 Awards & Installation Banquet ... 31 Government Procurement Connections Gears Up for 2013 Conference .................................... 32

PHOTOGRAPHY L.C. Poullard Grady Carter Tony Gaines MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ferland D. Antwine DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cynthia Nevels Jean C. Setzfand Joy Chudacoff HelloBeautiful.com Victoria Munro Dr. D. L. Jones Pat Tucker Lois Carter Fay Danette Hibberd Kendall Summer Hawk Family Features Dr. Wendy Bashelia Ward Noel Pinnock Michele DeKinder-Smith Rodney “The Storyteller” White Rose Carter Lana Hawkins

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4.

Jan - Feb 2013

Keys to Creating An Abundance Mindset an adjunct professor at Texas Southern University. He is past President of the Houston Lawyers Association and past President of the Missouri City NAACP branch.

Ron has received numerous achievement awards for his legal and legislative work.

Recently he was voted by his colleagues as “Freshman Legislator of the Year,” “Public Servant of the Year” by Houston Minority Contractors Association, “Best Attorney in Houston” by H Texas magazine.

Some other awards include: Houston’s Top 40 Leaders under 40, Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce “Business Pinnacle Award”, NAACP Drum Major for Justice Award, EEOC Civil Rights All-Star Award, American Red Cross Humanitarian Award, and YMCA Minority Achievers Award.

Ron believes that by investing in the community, he has made a positive impact on the business and economic base in Fort Bend County. Ron is a devout Christian and adheres with the belief, to whom much is given, much is required; Ron has devoted his life to serving the community. Ron is committed to serving his constituent’s in Fort Bend County by advocating for high-quality education, affordable healthcare, and economic empowerment in our community.

Above all his accomplishments, Ron is most proud and grateful for his wife, Dr. Jonita Reynolds and his three (3) children, Lacey, Ronald III and Reagan Reynolds.

For more information please visit: www. ronaldreynolds.com Ron received the Pinnacle business achievement award, EEOC Civil Rights All-Star Award, MLK Drum Major for Justice Award, NAACP ALEX Award for Legal Excellence, American Red Cross Humanitarian Award, Who’s Who in Law, Houston’s 40 under 40 Award and many others.

Reynolds has accolades to last a lifetime, but the Missouri City resident says his most significant accomplishment is all that he has done and continues to do to benefit the community. He is Past President of

R

on Reynolds, is currently State Representative for Fort Bend County’s House District 27. He is the first African-American elected as State Representative in Fort Bend County since Reconstruction. Ron represents parts of Houston, Missouri City, Sugar Land, Stafford, Fresno, Arcola and Meadows Place.

Ron currently serves on the House Environmental Regulation and the House Economic Development & Small Business Committees. Speaker Straus

appointed him to serve on the Energy Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators.

A graduate of Texas Southern University, Ron received his degree in Public Affairs, “magna cum laude.” Ron received a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech Univ. School of Law. Ron is an attorney and certified mediator. He has the distinction of being one of the youngest people appointed to serve as an Associate Municipal Judge for The City of Houston. He was also

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the Fort Bend NAACP. Ron spends the majority of his personal time serving the community by fighting in Austin for a high quality public education, affordable healthcare and economic empowerment for minority business owners. He also enjoys practicing law, being the voice of the voiceless, advocating for people who have been mistreated, and building a coalition of consciousness for human rights. d-mars.com: What makes you stand out and rise above other attorneys in Houston?

Reynolds: Although I am infinitely grateful for the honor of being named “Houston’s Top Attorney,” I humbly acknowledge that receiving this award has more to do with a POWER higher than myself and other than myself. Commensurate with that is the belief, “To whom much is given, much is required.” Much has indeed been given to me, and as a result, I have devoted my life to being deeply rooted, ever-growing, and forever serving. Reaching the apex of success as defined by the Houston community is an accomplishment that I shall forever cherish. Know, however, that as a perpetual servant of the public, my work has just begun. d-mars.com: Why do you remain committed to serving the community?

Reynolds: Gandhi’s profound words inspire me, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” Those who know me know that I embody an inherent fervor for helping others, especially those less fortunate than I. Therefore, as long as I have breath, I vow to give of my time, talents, and treasures to heal the hurts of humanity. Because of personal challenges in my life, I recognize that I did not achieve what others are defining as the pinnacle of success all by myself. Thus, it is incumbent upon me to bridge the chasm that has allowed me to excel beyond heights ever imaginable.

Jan - Feb 2013 d-mars.com: What motivational words would you provide to people hoping to follow in your footsteps?

Reynolds: If excellence is possible, then good is not enough. I encourage all who aspireto reach the pinnacle of life, to always LEAD: Live a Godly life; Educate to elevate your minds; Aim high; and Determine to succeed. Each of you is genetically coded for genius, therefore, you must personify the CASH (competence, attitude, skills, habits) that will propel you into your purpose. Trust me, when you remain steadfastly committed to your purpose, walking confidently knowing who you are and whose you are, you will collide with destiny!

d-mars.com: What is your business philosophy/motto?

Reynolds: As a servant-leader, I embrace the business philosophy that excellence is not the goal, it is the standard. In every personal and professional pursuit, I mark my work with excellence, and when called, I answer. It is because I walk the talk, daily, I can fervently say that there are no circumstances around me more powerful than the power within me. Each day, I plan purposefully, prepare prayerfully, proceed positively, and pursue persistently.

Once I’ve done all that I can to leverage my resources in order to organize, strategize, mobilize, and politicize, I am reassured knowing that there is a Higher Power that will do what I can’t.

Tips for an

Abundance Mindset

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ttorney Ron Reynolds stays focused on reaching the pinnacle of success with these six ways to create the abundance mindset: • Cash Shortage? G i v e s o m e away. Yes, you heard me right. Don’t sell the farm, far from it. But consider giving money to a friend or family member to help them out. Givers gain.

• Are you short on time? You don’t always have to give your money. You can give your time, too. You don’t have to dedicate 90% of your day to serving others - that’s not what I’m saying. Just find that balance between giving and receiving.

• Lacking love? You’ve got to give some before you get some. Go out right now and give 5 people you know a big hug.

I guarantee right after you do this, you’ll feel great. You’ll feel like a million bucks!

You’ll feel loved. Go out right now and hug 5 people!

• Stuck with a Problem? Help others first. Think of someone you know that is having a similar problem. And think of a way that you could help them. You don’t need to know all the answers, but just start helping someone else and I guarantee

help will come to you. Write down what you plan to do to help this person and then go out and do it. I’m telling you this works!

When you help others wholeheartedly, help will always come back to you.

• Lacking Confidence? Yup, you know it. Give it away! Find someone you know who is lacking in self-confidence and give them a boost. Spend some time with this person and tell them how much you believe in them. Put positive ideas in their mind. Instill confidence in others and confidence will come flowing abundantly to you.

• Short on Creative Ideas? Give them away! Give others creative ways to increase profits in their business, find a new stimulating career or improve their health. Freely give away ideas and ideas will always flood right back to you.

You have to start with where you are.

You can’t give what you don’t have. Be willing to give what you got from where you are and I promise you - abundance will flow into your life. You will create the abundance mindset.

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6.

Jan - Feb 2013

Women Who Level 5 Executives Believe Can Achieve

become ingrained within you:

Visualize Your Dream

By Dr. D.L. Jones

Contributing Writer

I

know that women have come a long way toward equality and yet realize they have a long way to go to be equal to men in America. My hope is that all women who read this article will be encouraged to press toward the mark of success and never get wearyin the journey.

How often do we hear the expression, “Success is a journey and not a destination?”

Probably more times than we would like to admit, yet many who are in a hurry to get there forget that success is not an end unto itself, but an ongoing process.

This journey can be extremely tough for women due to the gender and racial stereotypes that are strategically placed in their way. Though some women like Oprah Winfrey or Susan Taylor seem to have the Midas touch of success and can easily turn everything to gold, most women seeking success in America are faced with mountains that seem overwhelmingly impossible to climb. The harsh reality is that the majority of white America doesn’t view women as natural born leaders.

Nevertheless, successful women of the world have shown that hard work and perseverance equals success.

Regardless of your color or where you were born, if you are ‘in it to win it’ there are particular principles and traits that are consistent within exceptional women entrepreneurs of the world. I want to give all inspiring women entrepreneurs 5 particular principle/traits that are common within successful women.

If you are a woman who is serious about making 2013 the best entrepreneurial year you’ve had, take a self analysis of your journey to success. Keeping your goal in mind but never forgetting that the JOURNEY is much more important and should be cherished and valued every moment as you gain ground on achieving your goal.

In your journey to success, incorporate and rehearse these 5 traits until they

Visualize how you see yourself as a successful woman in business. Visualization is a powerful tool. Write your vision down on paper and rehearse it over and over in your mind. If you can’t see yourself being successful, chances are you won’t be.

Believe In Yourself

Successful women believe in what they are doing. Being successful requires persistence, determination and a high level of self-discipline. Being a successful woman in America requires even more persistence, determination and self-discipline. If you have a good work ethic and believe in yourself, then your dream will come to fruition.

Demand Respect

Plain and simple the ‘would-be’ successful woman must believe in her heart that she is equal and can play in a man’s world politics, money, and success.

When women take this bull-dog approach, they gain the respect from everyone they encounter. This attitude builds character, confidence, and determination, which correspondingly make your dreams a reality.

Write Down Your Plan

All successful people have a plan they follow. This doesn’t mean your plan won’t change, but not having a plan you’re sure to fail. It has been said that he who doesn’t plan is planning for failure. A basic business plan acts as the impetus and guide for accomplishing your dream.

Stay in It until You Win It!

Giving up is not an option. Trust me; there will be days when you want to throw in the towel. Disappointments, setbacks, and false promises are sure to come your way, but giving up is not an option. If your dream is meaningful and has purpose in your life, than the traits of being confident and determined will be the keys to your success.

Stay in it until you win it!

I was just born to be doing this.’) Second, you are well paid for what you do. (‘I get paid to do this? Am I dreaming?’) Third,

By Noel Pinnock, CCC you are doing work you are passionate about and absoluetely love to do, enjoying Contributing Writer the actual process for its own sake. (‘I look forward to getting up and throwing myself randing is more than just a into my daily work, and I really believe in business buzzword. It has what I am doing.’)”

In conclusion, building your company’s become the crux of selling in the new economy. If the old paradigm does take work and involves marketing mantra was, “Nothing happens knowing your customers and products/ until somebody sells something,” the new services. However, most of all, you must philosophy could be” Nothing happens ask yourself three underlying questions: until somebody brands something.” In 1. What can your company/organization do better than anyone in the world? its simplest form, a brand is a noun. It is the name attached to a product or service. 2. W h a t d r i v e s y o u r c o m p a n y / organization’s economic engine?

However, upon close inspection, a brand represents many more intangible aspects of 3. What is your company/organization deeply passionate about? a product or service: a collection of feelings When you are able to respond to these and perceptions about quality, image, lifestyle and status. It creates in the mind questions about your organization then of customers and prospects the perception you will have determined where you fit that there is no product/ service on the within the paradigm. The highest level in a hierarchy of leadership capabilities is the market that is quite like yours.

In short, a brand offers the customer Level 5 Executive. Level 5 Executives are: • Leaders at the other four levels a guarantee and then delivers on it. You might infer, then, that if you build a in the hierarchy can produce high levels powerful brand, you will in turn be able of success, but not enough to elevate to create a powerful marketing program. organizations from mediocrity to sustained However, if you cannot convince customers excellence • Good-to-great transformations that your product is worthy of purchasing, no amount of advertising dollars, fancy don’t happen without Level 5 leadership • Other factors include getting the packaging or public relations will help you achieve your sales goals. Therefore, right people on the bus (and Remember, accomplishing anything successful branding paradigms begin with superior products and services, backed by requires discipline, determination, and excellent customer service that permeates definable and deliberate actions with an entire organization. Jim Collins refers to a clear goal in mind. We are what we this as the Three Circles of the Hedgehog repeatedly do and do well. Excellence, Concept. In his book Good to Great, he therefore, is not an act but a habit. #getatit! writes: “To quickly grasp the three circles, Advertise TODAY in consider the following personal analogy. d-mars.com Business Journal Suppose you were able to construct a work life that meets the following three tests.

Call Us TODAY! First, you are doing work which you have 713.272.9511 a genetic or God-given talent, and perhaps you could become one of the best in the world in applying that talent. (‘I feel that

B

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Jan - Feb 2013

7.

Are You Ready To Win!

By Dr. Wendy

Contributing Writer

I

t’s the start of a New Year and people make resolutions, things they vow to do or not do during the coming year.

These resolutions typically range from saving money, losing weight, joining an organization, changing a behavior, getting a job, giving back or some other major achievement.

It is possible to do what you want, but to make it happen; you must create a solid “realistic” measurable plan. This lets you see the positive “results- oriented” fruits of your goal-setting labor. Having direction is a great way to start the year, however are you tired of creating goals that you forget after a few weeks?

Here are five tips to help you:

1.

Be willing to change – To accomplish any goal, you have to change something. This can range from your attitude, the way you talk or respond to people, and maybe even the way you dress.

You have to accept the personal changes that will transform your life to what you want it to be. Remember that you can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. If you’re focused and ready to make a change, you can do it.

2. Create Realistic Goals – “Being Realistic” is what matters. These include old behaviors you are willing to change if you expect to stop doing something you know isn’t good for you. Don’t include the fluff things that just sound good. After you create the goal list, put it where you will see it every day; on your computer, add

4 Tips for Enhancing Your Entrepreneurial Experience in 2013

By Cynthia Nevels Contributing Writer

A

ccording to Harvard Business R e v i e w ’s b o o k e n t i t l e d Entrepreneurship, there are thousands of business ventures that entrepreneurs launch every year, many never get off the ground and others simply fizzle after spectacular startup phases.

Startups come and go with great ideas that are lost due to varying reasons.

Entrepreneurs are classified as risk takers; the few who have the keen sense to see into the future and recognize opportunity when it knocks. Yet, there’s more to entrepreneurship than meets the eye. People like Steve Jobs, Robert L. Johnson, Jonny Earle, Magic Johnson, Dr. Heather Brown and myself know all too well the daily challenges entrepreneurs experience when managing new ventures.

In the book Entrepreneurship Amar Bhide states, “The problems entrepreneurs confront every day would overwhelm most managers.” On any given day of the week entrepreneurs could face legal challenges, customer service challenges, technology failures, sales hurdles, or tax problems.

Sometimes these happen on the same day

– ouch! When you are an entrepreneur you are the problem solver who must confront these challenges with applicable solutions.

Most innovators find they are good at creating their products or delivering their service but they lack certain soft skills to adequately manage the back office and shun the elements that make them uncomfortable. I have found, over the thirteen years in business consulting and working with small to mid-size businesses, great strategies and hot products do not guarantee flawless execution and business success.

There is a formula for success that researchers have shown to help entrepreneurs enhance their skills to meet business challenges and increase the chances for long-term success and it doesn’t include writing a business plan. A recent study showed business plan writing has less to do with entrepreneurial success and more to do with the activities listed below: • Networking • Raising Capital • Developing Human Capital / Education

them to your Smartphone calendar, on the bathroom mirror, etc. The objective is to keep the goals in your face and on your mind. This should keep you focused, empowered and motivated.

3. Find a Buddy – If your goal permits include someone who needs to make the same adjustment. Maybe you like working under pressure and start working on projects right before they are due. If someone else does the same ask him or her to join you in planning timely. Being able to complete a project under pressure is okay, however just imagine how your work will improve if you take your time and properly plan for the project. Having a “goal buddy” is a good thing, as it will help you accomplish your goal.

4. Track your Progress – If you

make several resolutions, keep a record of your goals and successes. That way you can see your success—and where you need to improve.

5. Stick with it – Don’t get discouraged and give up if things don’t move as quickly as you’d like them to.

Change takes time and patience. You can reach every goal if you are willing to work at it. Be encouraged and focused and ask for help if you need it.

Be positive, patient and most of all you must set yourself up “To Win”! Old habits are hard to break so don’t beat yourself up. Remember, the first step to recovery is “Admitting it” and you have done that.

Good luck and have a productive New Year!

• Incubation Networking and connecting with industry experts, thought leaders and other innovators is key to helping you connect the dots and find resources and tools when you are in a pinch. I marvel at how some cultures place value on the co-op experience or the sharing of information across companies and groups. Connecting with others to fill gaps you may have in your business helps entrepreneurs further their company’s mission if done properly.

Read Helen Callier’s new e-book on Amazon.com entitled Your Money is in the Follow-up for tips on effective networking.

Raising capital (financial capital) is crucial to any business. At some point in your business lifecycle you will need capital to meet demand, carry you across a cash shortfall or for research and development.

If you have not mastered the art of raising capital – you should. Undercapitalized businesses are doomed to limp along until the big payday hits and that can be costly and stressful for risk takers.

Read this article on raising capital and bootstrapping from Openview Labs http:// labs.openviewpartners.com/raising-capitalor-bootstrapping-whats-the-right-move/.

Education (human capital) is important.

Entrepreneurship education is growing and leading universities now offer bachelors and masters degrees in entrepreneurship.

A growing number of community colleges offer associates and certification in entrepreneurship for a fraction of the cost. Increasingly government agencies and community based organizations are catering to the entrepreneur because research shows a direct relationship between entrepreneurship education, local economic development and positive social impact such as new jobs and increase in taxes revenue for municipalities and the state.

Filling the gaps in your knowledge base

can help you meet the challenges in your business more effectively and efficiently.

What you do not know could hurt your business. Visit National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship to find a local entrepreneurship education program in your area at www.nacce.com.

Business incubation is designed to support the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts. Incubators vary in the way they deliver their services, in their organizational structure, and in the types of clients they serve. Successful completion of a business incubation program increases the likelihood that a startup company will stay in business for the long term: older studies found 87% of incubator graduates stayed in business, in contrast to 44% of all firms.

There are different types of incubator and accelerator programs on the market. Visit National Business Incubator Association for more information and valuable tools at www.nbia.org.

These elements, when combined with a solid business model, help to prepare the entrepreneur with knowledge, tools and resources to mitigate risk and spawn economic development in a meaningful way.

Cynthia E. Nevels has owned and operated her marketing and management consulting firm, CynthiaNevels.com, for 13 years. She’s the host of The C-Radio Show, author of Financial Bailout: A Guide to Creating Your Own Financial Rescue Plan and Navigating Your Way to Financial Security During a Recession and she’s an adjunct business professor at Mountain View. Follow her on Twitter @cynthianevels and Facebook @cynthianevels.com.

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Jan - Feb 2013

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Eve nt s o w ne r Bashelia Ward started in the corporate sector here in Houston in 1996 working full time in other careers and donating her time to planning events for businesses and charitable organizations. After years of pouring her passion into obtaining her MBA and helping others celebrate some of life’s best moments, she worked her way into being a event designer in 2011.

Today, 723 Events, is a full-service event planning company. Bashelia’s team of talented, vibrant event designers brings more than a decade of experience in corporate and private business management and organization.

The cornerstone of 723 Events success lies in the leadership and the ability to consistently incorporate client’s individual style and vision, while drawing from career experience, a master in business administration and industry best practices.

From intimate gatherings to spectacular celebrations, no event is too small or too grand for the 723 Events team. We are dedicated to making each and every event one of a kind. This is the tag line 723 Events is “Where Whimsical Charm Meets Modern Productions”.

Being the owner of the Houston-based event planning company 723 Events, Bashelia is committed to creating lasting memories and executing a stress free event for each individual client. Her project management expertise coupled with her ability to adapt to the needs of a diverse portfolio of clients allows Bashelia to make every client’s event shine.

She creates the difference between good and great, fun and memorable, expected and unexpected… It is more than an event… it’s an experience.

The 723 Events Experience is about the feel, the vision the taste and the sound when a client and their guests are attending a 723 Events creation it is Bashelia’s personal goal to appeal to multiple senses.

She wants to immerse the attendees in the theme by expanding each person’s sense and personal palette.

For example, the “Feel”

this is expressed through creating the tone is the foundation of every event (i.e. 70’s party, black tie affair etc.)

723 Events will construct a vivid scene with carefully selected lighting, textures and patterns that provide depth to the environment. She will for example, prepare a custom photo gallery for your event for future viewing so your memories are never lost.

Taste Catering for every occasion. Fine wines and four course meals or pizza, cake and ice cream, 723 Events has got it covered.

Special moments are made grand by having the right music at the right time.

Let 723 Events provide the sound track to your event or choose your own sounds and have them incorporated by our sound crew. Either way, there will never be a dull moment.

Although often overlooked aromatics bring surprising undertones to your events.

We aim to provide yet rich and vitalizing aromas.

Bashelia is confident that her unique approach to planning events will cause you to always be remembered as a great host and have memories to last you for a long time.

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Jan - Feb 2013

Solo Zydeco Productions Presents

The Crosby Zydeco Festival

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t’s BACK! Troy Barrett of Solo Zydeco Productions is bringing back The Crosby Zydeco Festival to Crosby Texas at the Crosby Fairgrounds.

During spring break, the festival is held on March 15-16, 2013.

I would personally like to extend an invitation to you to come out and enjoy yourself at this culturally diverse music festival. The goal is to bring back the

music, vendor booths and exhibits, as well as entertaining activities for the kids. In addition, festival goers will experience a variety of delicious cuisine and beverages for their appetites. The Crosby Zydeco Festival has become one of the most successful and recognized festivals throughout Texas and Louisiana and in past years attendance has been as much as 10,000...

The Crosby Zydeco Festival always brings the top Zydeco bands together

many memories and traditions that this festival has afforded so many generations of Creoles and Zydeco lovers alike over the years. This event will bring a community of people together for family fun, food, and music.

The Crosby Zydeco Festival will continue the tradition of celebrating and recognizing the rich music culture. All the greats have played at this event such as Beau Jocque, Boo Zoo Chavis, Keith Frank, J. Paul Jr., Step Rideau and many more. The festival features the most popular Zydeco bands performing over 10 hours of non-stop

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9.

under one roof, and this year will be no different. Expect talent like Step Rideau and the Zydeco Outlaws, Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers, Lil Nate and The Zydeco Big Tymers, Leon Chavis and The Zydeco Flames, and many more of the most popular Zydeco bands from Texas and Louisiana. Log onto www. solomusicfest.com or call 281- 860-7654 for more information, vendor information and directions.

10.

Jan - Feb 2013

Working From Home?

Tips To Succeed Without Distraction

By Kendall Summer Hawk

D

o you love the idea of working from home but you’re wondering how to handle distractions such as housework, kids, hubby and friends?

Working from home affords many benefits. Think about it: no traffic, commuting or annoying coworkers. But without the right mix of people contact and structure you can easily fritter away your time without the things you need to show for it, such as new clients and lucrative opportunities.

I’ve run my business from home for nearly ten years - from when I just started to now, as a multi-million dollar business - and would never trade in my home office for a “real” office, no matter how big my business gets.

Here are my favorite secrets for turning your home into what I call, a “success sanctuary.”

Working from Home Tip #1 Keep Your Home Your Sanctuary Even if space is limited, I recommend setting up a separate work area for your business. A private room devoted to running your business is ideal but if you must share space then set up a screen or

some other type of divider to separate your business from the rest of your life. Creating this kind of privacy will help you focus and feel professional.

Working from Home Tip #2 Know When To Close The Door Running a business can consume every waking hour of your life unless you put into place much needed boundaries as to when you work and how much you work.

I get the most done when I follow a daily ritual. That means I don’t answer phone calls, turn on the computer or answer email until I’ve completed my personal, morning routine.

Likewise, at night I have a clear stop time, and an end of day ritual that includes shutting down the computer, neatening my desk and updating my to-do list for the next day. Rituals like these give you a feeling of order, which will help you relax during your off hours so you can start up again the next day feeling refreshed and recharged.

Working from Home Tip #3 Take Daily “Energy” Breaks Some business owners crave company while others (like me) prefer to recharge

by spending time outside or exercising.

Whichever your preference is, make sure you build that into your day. You’re the “boss” so don’t wait until you feel stir-crazy to take action. I recommend taking a daily social or get-back-to-nature break daily to keep you focused and inspired about building your business.

Working from Home Tip #4 Establish Clear Boundaries With Your Family Women entrepreneurs are easily sidetracked with household demands such as making lunches, laundry, playing referee when your kids aren’t playing nice, etc.

Listen, running a business takes focus, concentration and creativity, which you won’t have if you’re constantly interrupted with the demands of others, even if they’re your family.

Tell your family up front that when you’re working you’re not available to handle their disputes or to “play mom.”

Tell them why growing your business is important to you, then ask for their help.

Tell them EXACTLY what the rules are, such as no interruptions unless the house is on fire or someone is bleeding (think I’m kidding? I’m not!).

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Make sure to thank them frequently for helping you grow your business. Above all, do NOT cave in and give up your priorities for the day. Successful businesses are built on creating strong boundaries so now is a great time to practice strengthening yours.

Besides, when your family sees that “mom means business” they’ll respect you and what you’re doing even more, making you an awesome role model for the people you care about the most.

There’s No Place Like Home…

Whether you have a private home office all to yourself, or you’re office is the dining room table, the more you practice these simple tips the more professional and focused you’ll feel. Remember that building a successful home based business is a dream that many aspire to and YOU can achieve!

Kendall SummerHawk, Million Dollar Marketing Coach, delivers smart, savvy ways entrepreneurs can turn their hectic business into a smooth-running, fun, 6-figure moneymaking dream. To learn more about her book, Brilliance Unbridled, and sign up for more free tips like these, visit her site at http:// www.kendallsummerhawk.com

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How Balanced Is Your Life?

By Danette Hibberd

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s a female entrepreneur or solo professional, how balanced is your life? Do you have days when your life seems out of control and you’ve got endless demands pulling at you from all directions? With all the stress and worry placed on people today, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, exhausted - and just plain stressed! Sound familiar? More than likely you have experienced this more than once.

But whether you believe it or not, balancing your life doesn’t require massive changes. It isn’t necessary to throw in the towel, quit your career or business as a female entrepreneur, abandon your family and escape to a remote retreat in order to feel peaceful and happy. In fact, true balance is something that starts WITHIN YOU first and foremost - no matter what else is happening in your outer life circumstances.

As a solo professional or entrepreneur, creating a life of balance is crucial.

Commitments of work, family, friends and others need to be rounded to create the happiness and the success you deserve.

To help you discover more balance in your life, below are three simple steps to begin building a greater sense of inner peace and harmony:

1. Quiet time.

Our personal time is one of the first things we tend to sacrifice when we’re busy. Instead we devote most of our energy and attention to caring for others, multi-tasking, meeting responsibilities and “being productive.” Over time this depletes our energy and we begin to feel more and more burdened by our responsibilities.

To live a life with more balance, quiet time to yourself is crucial. You may believe that you don’t have any time available for yourself, but something amazing happens when you consistently make time; you find yourself feeling happier and more energetic, your focus improves - and you still get so much done! Get outside, go for a walk, enjoy the sights of the birds, the clouds in the sky, smell the flowers.

Alternatively, just a few minutes spent sitting quietly in meditation, reading a book or writing in your favourite journal can do wonders in transforming stress into peace and happiness.

2. Self-care.

The most important person in the world is you so if you want to have balance in your life it is vital that you look after yourself. Beyond making time for things you enjoy, there are other ways to nurture and love yourself on a daily basis. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep (or as much as you personally need) is a great start, as well as following a nutritious diet with fresh foods, partaking in daily exercise, getting lots of fresh air and speaking kindly to yourself.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re really tired or stressed, even the smallest problem can seem like a nightmare? On

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the other hand, when you’re feeling wellrested and centered, you’re much better able to handle upsets. Caring for yourself is one sure way to consistently replenish your energy, inner peace and joy - which means you’ll have the fortitude to handle whatever comes your way.

3. Flexibility.

Are you constantly being too hard on yourself? One of the biggest causes of stress is rigid expectations? We are all guilty of it and experience this from time to time; we have a mental picture of how our lives “should be” - and get really annoyed or frustrated when our outer circumstances don’t cooperate! One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is a flexible state of mind. In other words, learn how to detach from unrealistic expectations and go with the flow.

When you change your attitude and allow yourself to have a flexible mind-set, you’ll be better equipped to deal with crises and problems much more easily because you’re not working against a preconceived notion of how things “should be”. In fact, you’re able to tap into your creative problem-solving skills and move through challenges without all the drama and frustration. Be like the tree that bends with the breeze - and you’re much less likely to break! Wouldn’t that give your life more balance?

To continue moving forward on your journey of success as a female entrepreneur, these inner changes can make a dramatic difference in your state of well-being, but you may also want to examine your outer life circumstances and see if there are other small changes you can make to help support your inner work.

For example, you might choose to let go of certain obligations that are no longer meaningful or enjoyable to you.

Just because you agreed to host weekly meetings for a support group two years ago doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it forever - especially if it’s become a drain on your time and energy!

If you want to create more peace, harmony, happiness and balance in your life, take a few moments and ask yourself these four power questions.

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2.

3.

4.

What do you want more of?

What do you want less of?

What do you want to start doing?

What do you want to stop doing?

Be willing to let go of activities that no longer complement the lifestyle you desire.

This will enable you to create a space for greater fulfillment, joy and peace.

The result will be a happier you. Your role as a woman and as a successful female entrepreneur with more balance in your life will be evident for the world to see.

Success Coach Danette Hibberd gives you the tools to catapult your own personal and professional success at FabulousBeyondFortyClub

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Jan - Feb 2013

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Steps to Taking Control of Your Investments

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nvestor optimism has steadily climbed since 2006, and more investors are managing their own investment portfolios, according to a recent study from investing firm Scottrade, Inc. “Investors and traders are seeing the opportunities in the market, and they are able to take action,” said Kim Wells, Scottrade’s executive director of product development and chief marketing officer.

“More resources and online trading tools are available to help them find openings to build their portfolios and reach financial success.”

For the growing number of self-directed investors entering the market, here are three steps to take to manage a portfolio.

Gauge Accessibility Needs Those who self-direct their investments tend to check their portfolio and log into their accounts more frequently. According to a survey commissioned by investing firm Scottrade, Inc., most investors (59 percent) check their investments at least once a week and a quarter of them log in on a monthly basis.

Every investor and trader has different needs, and it’s important to identify how to interact with the investment company.

Want to be able to walk into a • branch? Not all investment firms operate a branch network, or only have a handful of offices, while others have local offices across the country.

Need to call someone after market • hours? Many investment firms operate call centers to handle customer questions.

• Trading on the go? Investment firms have evolved to meet the needs of investors and traders by expanding their availability to include mobile apps. The majority (60 percent) of investors who own a smartphone report using them for banking and investment transactions and related needs, such as checking account information, according to the Scottrade study.

Want to interact with the firm on • Twitter, Facebook or YouTube? Find a firm that provides the opportunities to connect via social media platforms.

By prioritizing needs and comparing the various offerings at investment firms, selfdirected investors will be better equipped to find the right firm with which to partner.

Research Your Resources Explore an investment firm’s online resources. Whether pre- or post-log in,

most online research tools, such as those at Scottrade, are available free of charge.

More than one-third of investors say they taught themselves how to invest by using online investment education tools.

• Learn what research tools each investment firm offers. Make sure realtime information is available to track a portfolio with charts and news. Learn about customizable features within each account and set up a system to easily see relevant information and take advantage of market momentum.

• Look for market calendars that present expected activity (such as initial public offerings, earnings reports, dividends, etc.) in ways that are easy to understand.

• Check for on-demand webcasts and live webinars to educate investors and traders on a variety of topics that interest them and meet their trading experience levels.

• Engage in an online trading community. These virtual groups bring investors and traders together, allowing them to swap investment strategies and learn from like-minded people. Most communities are also moderated by an investment firm with professionals who can answer investment-related questions and provide customer support.

Set Expectations Many find investing fun with general optimism among investors reaching a three-year high, according to the Scottrade study. Self-directed investors’ confidence has strengthened as the Internet has made information about the markets, rules and guidelines more accessible.

Yet while online trading saves investors and traders time and money, it does not take the homework out of making investment decisions. Before making a trade, investors need to understand the risks of each investment and the goals of their portfolios.

With the right tools at hand and by partnering with a reputable investment firm that meets individual needs, selfdirected investors can take charge of their investments with confidence. To learn more about self-directed investing, visit www. scottrade.com and find more information on the Scottrade 2011 American Investor Study -Family Features

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To Dress for Work or Play

By Pat Tucker

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any professional women fall victim to several fashion faux pas without realizing it. Their fashion statements don’t clearly state whether they’re dressing for business or pleasure. And oftentimes what you wear, says quite a bit about who you are. Whether your office is casual and creative, or buttoned-up and sophisticated, there are some tips that will ensure what you wear inside the cubicle, won’t send the wrong message.

The classic look: Add a one or two-button suit to your work wardrobe. Be sure to always check for fit. If your blazer or jacket doesn’t close all the way or the armholes are strained, you need to go up a size or alter it to create the right silhouette for your figure.

Even your business attire can show your personality. Simple black slacks can help maintain a sleek professional look, but a bright printed, or multi colored top helps show off your personality.

Get your sexy back after work: If you want to get ahead in the workplace, you may want to rethink that low-cut top.

A Lawrence University study indicates that women in high-level positions who dress in what is seen as sexy attire are viewed as less competent--regardless of their skill sets. These women are passed over for promotions more often than their more modestly dresses female colleagues.

In general, there are wardrobe selections women should always avoid in the workplace. The popular maxi dress, clothing that reveals bra or panty lines is inappropriate office attire, as are micromini skirts and sheer clothing without a lining or cover-up. Professional women should also avoid spaghetti-strap tops and gladiator sandals.

Layers that count: A wrap dress is perfect for anyone who wants to go straight from day into evening without the fuss of changing outfits. Paired with a vibrant jacket, this outfit is fitting in

both a professional and social atmosphere.

A dark-washed pair of jeans can look professional and clean. Combined with a solid blazer or cardigan and a patterned shirt, can offer the perfect look for casual Friday. Lose the cover-up and you are ready for happy hour after work.

Accessorize without going overboard: Wearing the proper jewelry with the right attire is a learned art, but you can accessorize for your body type and accentuate your best features. Necklaces should only be worn if they truly add to the neckline of the outfit. Regardless of your hair length, earrings are a must. A bracelet or two, can be appropriate in the workplace, as long as you don’t have a stack of jangling bracelets stacked along your arm. At a minimum, in addition to your watch and wedding rings, you can safely add these jewelry items, a right hand ring, and a scarf, or a pendant or decorative pin.

Size and fit matters: For small-statured women high-waisted slacks and skirts can lengthen your figure without compromising professionalism.

If you’re small-chested, wear a lower-cut shirt under your suit jacket, layered with long necklaces to elongate your neck.

Bulkier figures should focus on solids rather than patterns, jazzing up your look with details like a bright handbag.

Many women wear clothes that are either too big or not tailored properly, a fashion snafu that can be easily avoided if you shop at department stores with on-site tailors or simply utilize your neighborhood tailor.

And finally, remember, details are important, scuffed shoes, wrinkled clothes, or visible stains should always be avoided.

Each office is different, but if you’re unsure about what to wear, look around the office.

Pay attention to what your female superiors wear, and remember, the fashion and social service industries, for instance, ordinarily have much more relaxed dress codes than, law firms. www.authorpattucker.com

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19.

Steps to Help You Get What You Want

By Victoria Munro

L

ike the account of Alice in Alice in Wonderland, many of us haven’t taken time to clearly define what we want and where we want to take our lives and businesses.

Walking along, Alice comes to a fork in the road. The Cheshire Cat is sitting there, and Alice asks him which way she should go. The cat logically asks Alice where she wants to end up, to which she replies, “I don’t much care where as long as it’s somewhere. “Then,” says the Cat, “It doesn’t matter which way you walk.” This seems absurd, yet it’s easy for entrepreneurs to get absorbed in the daily chores of running a business and become like Alice.

We can learn from a recent survey of people over the age of 95. They were asked the question, ‘If you were to live your life over again, what would you do differently?’ Many answers were given, but the following three were shared by most: I would reflect more I would risk more I would do more things that would live on after me.

Knowing what you want in life and putting plans in place to achieve it is rewarding and may allow you look back in the future without regret.

Step 1. Dare to Define Your Dream!

Create a crystal clear picture of the end result you want.

Take time out to reflect on what you really want in life.

Focus on your goal. See it! What will it look like? There’s power in a picture.

Hang a picture of it where you spend the most time.

Consider the cost. Make sure you’re willing to pay the price. When you decide to do something, you’re automatically saying “no” to other things.

Step 2. Keep Your Eyes on Your Carrot Like the donkey with his carrot on a stick, focus on moving towards your goal.

Identify future rewards and keep them in mind. Think about how you will feel when you get there.

Reward yourself along the way— perhaps a weekend away, a massage, a walk in the park or your favorite latté when you reach a milestone along the way.

Regularly review your progress.

Step 3. Avoid Common Pitfalls that Sabotage Success Beware of traps that can trip you up.

Beware of Bright Shiny Objects!

In our information-laden world, we’re barraged daily with a tempting array of possibilities and products—all vying for our time and attention.

Learn to separate the important from the urgent.

Don’t get bogged down with busyness—the number one reason why people fail to move forward in their desired direction.

Procrastination presents a challenge. Having a system in place can help beat this.

Step 4. Set up a System to Get You There Design one that works for you and set goals to get you where you want to go.

Looking at the end result can be overwhelming, so break your big goal down into bite-sized pieces.

Then, start at the end—where you ultimately want to be in life and in your business. In light of that, where do you need to be three years from today? To achieve this, what will you need to have in place in two years, then one year? Then, break that down further into 30-day goals.

Use daily to-do lists. Keep them short and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get everything done. It helps to circle the ONE thing that’s most important to get done that day.

Step 5. Stay the Course Things don’t always go the way you hope they will—life, crises and interruptions happen; projects take longer than planned.

Be accountable to someone else.

It’s all too easy to make excuses when there’s no one to answer to. Ask a friend to help you. Tell them to accept no excuses.

Encourage and thank them, especially when they have to be tough.

Be persistent and refuse to quit if the going gets rough.

Follow these steps to get what you want and look back with satisfaction in the future. Start today!

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Victoria Munro is co-founder (along with husband Dave Block) of Make-it-Fly® LLC, a company dedicated to creating success for small-business owners through creatively designed programs and tools. Victoria has started and run nine different businesses. To receive FREE business success articles with tips to help you with your business, sign up for their award-winning ezine, “In-Flight Refueling,” at: www.Make-it-Fly.com, and receive a free copy of the eBook, Get More Done in Less Time: 101 Quick and Easy Time Tactics & Tips.

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It’s Just That Simple!

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Jan - Feb 2013

What Women

Business Owners Want

By Lois Carter Fay

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elling to women entrepreneurs is not difficult. You just have to follow 6 easy principles.

As of 2004, there are an estimated 10.6 million privately-held firms in the U.S. that are 50% or more women-owned, accounting for nearly half (48%) of all privately-held firms. These firms generate 2.46 trillion in sales and employ 19.1 million people nationwide according to the April 2004 biennial update on women-owned businesses by the Center for Women’s Business Research. The report was based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you to learn that selling goods and products to women (especially women business owners) is different than selling to men. If you’d like to do business with this huge segment of the business world, what do you need to know?

In my business as a marketing consultant for women entrepreneurs, I’ve discovered six easy principles for doing business with women business owners. They are:

Start small.

Women business owners (WBOs) tend to be very cautious. They make very careful decisions that are well-thoughtout. Because of this, WBOs will generally purchase something small or hire a consultant to complete one project before committing to an ongoing relationship and a huge investment. Although this isn’t always cost-effective, it gives us the opportunity to try the product or service before they invest significant dollars.

Sally Falkow, branding strategist with Falkow, Inc. in Pasadena, Calif., agrees.

“Women business owners have a tendency to ‘stick their toes in the water.’ Many of the women business owners I deal with are eager to learn about how the Internet can expand their business. But they do it on a gradient. This way they can cope with the new technologies and get one aspect under their belt at a time.”

Look at the big picture.

Studies show that women-owned businesses have a better success rate than those owned by men. Their businesses generally grow slowly and steadily, and they don’t spend money carelessly.

For instance, when Jo DeMars, president of DeMars & Associates, Ltd., a dispute resolution firm in Waukesha, Wis., began her business, she borrowed office space, purchased used furniture, and only spent money if she absolutely had to do so. She always paid her bills on time and was very careful about who she hired.

“When I got client work, I wouldn’t hire for the position until I had the contract signed,” says DeMars. She now has 25 employees and contracts with Ford

Motor Company nationally and Daimler Chrysler in Calif., among others. Looking at the big picture helped her stay on track.

Sweat the small stuff.

If you get the little stuff right, women will be less concerned about the big stuff.

That’s because women are into details.

They want to know everything about a product or service before they buy it—not only how it works and what it costs, but also what kind of support can be expected and how long it will last.

Gathering information is an ongoing process for women. How are you dressed?

Did you shine your shoes? Were you genuine and honest? Have you done what you said you would do? Do you send professional follow-up notes? Does your office run smooth as silk? All this makes a difference for women.

“As a woman business owner, I not only look for this in my vendors, but at Rowena’s we only hire people who are detail minded.

In a retail and wholesale foods business like ours, focusing on details is absolutely essential,” says Rowena Fullinwider, president of Rowena’s, a gourmet cake and foods company in Norfolk, Va.

providers who help the WBO learn what she needs to know. If you can educate, advise and service her business without patronizing her, you will be a star.

“I’ve learned through life and business that preparation avoids unnecessary risks,” says Krystyna Bublick, owner of Loveabye and Krystyna Virginia Beach Jewelry Creations in Virginia Beach, Va. “Making careful decisions raises my comfort level of success. I’m not afraid of risk, thoughtful risk. Knowledge and expert advice is critical. I know I can not be an expert in all fields, so I build in security by consulting people who are. This minimizes my financial outlay in the long run.”

Stay visible and involved.

Women are loyal creatures. Once you are

Less is more, as long as it’s quality.

Women business owners often have an overflowing plate. They usually work many long hours building their businesses, while also taking care of children, a husband, parents, pets; volunteering for charities; and managing the family’s social calendar.

So they don’t have time to spend lots of time researching and analyzing everything they buy.

As a business owner who sells mostly to women, Sandra Weaver of Fragrant Expressions at Dayton Farmer’s Market in Dayton, Va., agrees wholeheartedly with this idea. “This is true not just for women business owners but for all women. I have spent a lot of time researching what women need so I can help them feel they can give themselves permission to nurture and express themselves in healthy and appropriate ways,” she says. “Women don’t have a lot of time to shop. They want good buys, convenient shopping, and also honesty. So in my shop, if you’re not happy with it for any reason, you bring it back.”

Because women are so busy, offering a smaller selection of quality products and services will appeal to WBOs. They want to make the right choice without having to wade through all of the wrong ones. The way to a woman’s heart and purse strings is through trust.

Build relationships through education.

A consultative sales style works well for women. It’s important for them to have an equal relationship with vendors and service

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successful at selling to a woman business owner, you are very likely to keep selling to her for years to come. Of course, this means that is often takes a long time to make your first sale.

She will need to know you are always there, but not always there to sell. So get involved with business organizations to which she belongs, like the Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Women Business Owners, BNI, and the Working Women’s Forum or your local women’s group. Be an active member and prove that you do what you say you will do. She’ll begin to trust you and look to you for her buying needs. And once you win her over, you can keep putting those checks in the bank.

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Seven Tips for

Success in 2013!

Marketing Strategies: Are You Making This Marketing Mistake?

By Michele DeKinder-Smith

By Rodney White 1. Hire a Coach!

A life coach is a person who advises clients on how to solve problems, overcome obstacles and hold you accountable for reaching your goals in life: A life coach can also help you make the right decisions in your career. Many meet with their coaches once or twice per month and the sessions always surround the choice of the client.

Your coaching sessions will usually last 30 minutes to one hour.

There has been a distinctive shift in the last decade, from people that sought therapy, to those now choosing life coaches. The shift is due in large part to the realization that many of life’s obstacles do not have their roots in some buried emotional issue.

They are finding that most problems and their solutions are not emotional problems at all. They simply need to have further discussion. The “mastermind” atmosphere created during the session spurs new ideas and ways of handling many of life’s situations.

A life coach can “ help get you to your personal finish line!”

2. Positive Self-talk - self-talk is the internal dialogue we use to explain situations, view the world and communicate to ourselves.

Negative self-talk causes stress while positive self-talk relieves stress. Just as we must be careful about what we put into our bodies when we eat, we must be equally careful with the thoughts we put into our minds when we talk to ourselves.

I golf regularly and invariably during the round, one of my friends will hit a bad shot. Moreover, the first thing that they will say is… “I knew that was going to happen!” To which I cannot help but wonder, “If you knew, why did you hit it there in the first place?” My advice; always think positively. Be surprised when things do not work out the way you expected!

3. Avoid Dream Killers – Dare to succeed in the face of any negative criticism that you may receive. Have you ever had great news that you wanted to share with friends and family? You approach them with unbridled enthusiasm, hoping they will

share your excitement.

Before you can finish your description, you realize that your audience does not share your enthusiasm. Many people in this situation simply quit. They give up on what minutes before was the greatest thing since sliced bread! I am here to tell you, do not allow dream killers to infiltrate your dream. Once there, they feel it is their duty to destroy any hope of you achieving your goal. Guard well your “sphere of influence” and surround yourself with supportive people that truly have your best interest at heart.

4. Set Goals – Set realistic goals and do so in multiple areas of your life. Do not just say I will become a better dad…

Instead, as a family goal, you might say I am going to spend more time with my family and declare 1 hour every day as “family time…” You no doubt have heard of the acronym S.M.A.R.T. used to set goals. Specific ~ Measurable ~ Attainable ~ Realistic ~ Timely Goal commitment is imperative!

Publicly declare your goals ~ Track you performance ~ seek feedback ~ Keep your focus on your behaviors ~ believe in and expect the results that you desire!

5. Devise Your Plan – put a deadline on your goal – In order to ensure success of your strategies you must put a specific set of effective action plans in place.

There are four essential elements for an effective plan. Simply answer; who will do what and when? One other important element is to know your why. Knowing and remembering your why can spell the difference between success and failure.

6. Take Action – Start now! In addition, pay heed to the old Chinese proverb, “If a task is once begun, never leave it till it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.”

7. Never, Never Quit! – Your goals, plans and actions may not yield immediate results. Do not give up… it may become necessary to revisit the goals, but do not give up!

I

n order to ensure that the new products and services they launch stand the best possible chance for success, Corporate America employs a variety of marketing research techniques before investing time and resources in development. A little basic smarts and network know-how will allow you to do the same thing for yourself.

In this article, I’ll show you how you use powerful market research tools to save you time, money, frustration and maybe even ultimately your business. So let’s get started.

Once you have a clear idea in mind for your new product or service, you’ll want to do what Corporate America commonly calls a concept test.

First of all, you’ll need to sit down and clearly delineate exactly what your product or service is, including what features and benefits it will offer and how much it will cost. Typically, you’ll write 2-3 paragraphs describing your idea, making sure to clearly explain the benefits to the consumer.

Really invest some time here and have other people read your description to make sure, A) your word choices are clear and, B) you’ve hit all the major highlights.

Congratulations! You now have a concept statement.

Next, develop a survey to gauge the reaction of your target market, covering the basics: - Purchase interest (i.e., How likely are you to buy this product, if it were available to you? A) Definitely will buy, B) Probably will, C) I might, D) Probably will not, E) Definitely will not buy.)

- Overall Likes and Dislikes - Value - Uniqueness

Make sure you include a range of possible responses for each question. From here, you’ll need to determine exactly what the target market is for your new product or service - if your product is a new allnatural diet soda, for example, your target market might be health-conscious women, ages 20-45.

Talk with friends, family, and friends-of-

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friends, as well as those of your employees.

Anywhere from 50-200 people will work.

Giving respondents an anonymous way to return your survey will help to ensure unbiased feedback.

When your surveys have been returned, decide what your minimum requirements will be in order to take the next step. (Do this even before you take a peek at your data.) Large corporations call this an action standard.

As a small business owner, an action standard that makes sense would probably be how many people are likely to buy your product.

The rule of thumb some professional marketing research firms use to gauge true demand is that 80% of the people who answered that they would ‘definitely purchase’ your product actually will while only 20% of those who answered they ‘probably will purchase’ will do the same.

Using this rule of thumb, let’s say your data shows true demand of 20%. Now you have to take into account the role of advertising and exposure.

Let’s say there are 10 million potential customers in your market, but you’re advertising on a shoestring. With the budget you’ve got, how many people can you make aware of your product? Five percent? That means 50,000 people will become aware of your product. With 20% true demand, you might expect 10,000 buyers.

So - is 10,000 buyers enough to make your new product viable?

If not, it’s time to go back to the drawing board, using the feedback you received to strengthen your overall concept.

If so, it’s time to move confidently ahead - knowing the market is with you.

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane Out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the woman’s entrepreneur community.

Discover information, networking and marketing opportunities for women small business owners by joining Jane Out of the Box for free at http://www.

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Jan - Feb 2013

Making Dreams a Reality

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n Monday, January 21, 2013, the North Houston Frontiers Club, Inc., presented the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Breakfast held at the Hilton Americas Houston, in downtown Houston.

The theme this year was “Making Dreams a Reality.” The electrifying Ms. Jasmine Guy was the keynote speaker. You might remember her in her role as Whitney Gilbert in A Different World. She won

six consecutive NAACP Image Awards for her portrayal in that role. Other television performances include: Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Living Single.

This year’s Honorary Co-Chairs were Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Terence and Diedra Fontaine. The 2013 Drum Major Award Recipient was Rev. Leslie Smith, II. Rev. Smith is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Change

Happens! Master of Ceremony was Mr. Len Cannon of KHOU 11 News.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Breakfast was a remarkable success under the leadership of Mrs. Wilma Evans, President of the North Houston Frontiers Club, Inc., and the “Silver Dream Team” Anniversary Committee: Mr. John Fain, Mr. T. C. Feaster and Mrs. Shirley Carter-Williams, along with 14 other dedicated, hard-working members. In making dreams a reality, we had corporate sponsors, media sponsors, community leaders, dedicated volunteers, friends and family who were vital in making the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Breakfast a success.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Memorial Breakfast, which solely funds our scholarship program, is our commitment to the educational advancement of our youth. We have awarded over a million dollars in scholarships over the past 24 years. This year marks the 25th year of awarding scholarships. Students in the Greater Houston area are encouraged to apply for scholarships at www.nhfrontiers. com.

The North Houston Frontiers Club, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c) 3 service organization, dedicated to providing educational and charitable assistance to deserving students.

Your continued support through pledges can be made throughout the year by visiting our website. The North Houston Frontiers Club, Inc., remains convinced that by acting together our community can help play a critical role in the lives of young people in need of financial support for college.

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Stay Fresh Throughout Your Day

By Family Features

W

hen walking into a meeting, after lunch, before a presentation, or making a new acquaintance, the last thing you want to worry about is not looking your best. In a society based on a go-go-go lifestyle, quick mirror checks can give you that extra boost of confidence before important moments in life. Here are some tips to help you look your best throughout the day.

Mid-day Mirror Check

For many people, breaking for lunch often means running to a nearby restaurant for a quick bite before returning to the office. Take a moment to freshen-up prior to heading back to work, because you never know when you’ll need to be at your very best.

Touch-up that makeup. Often in • the course of the morning, makeup can rub off or smear. Do a check in the mirror to reapply concealer or mascara. Using a pre- and post-makeup primer will also help keep your makeup from smearing.

• Post-lunch check. Before you reapply any lip product, freshen up your mouth. On-the-go products such as the Colgate® Wisp® mini-brushes are perfect for a quick brushing that will keep your mouth clean and fresh, with no rinsing required. Plus they are small enough to pack in a purse or keep in your desk drawer. Check out the full line at www.

ColgateWisp.com.

A pply f r a g r a nc e . Per f u me , • cologne and body spray will often fade over the course of the morning. Take an opportunity to re-apply in the afternoon.

Remember to be mindful of those with whom you share office space. Opt for light scents and don’t over-apply.

• Style your ‘do. Combing or brushing your locks can help re-set your hairstyle. Products such as hairspray and dry shampoo can give your style additional body and boost.

• Drink your H20. The benefits of drinking water show in your mood and in your skin. Staying hydrated will help prevent you from running low on energy and will keep your skin looking fresh.

Make sure you have a water bottle at your desk and drink up!

Before the Big Pitch

When preparing for an important meeting, use mirror time to run through your talking points while prepping your look.

• Straighten that tie. Make sure to check your attire. It doesn’t hurt to have a backup suit or outfit in the office in the event of a coffee collision. Having another option will keep you stress-free in those moments following a spill.

• Stash those products. Keep a supply of travel-sized personal care products in a drawer at the office. Store a comb, deodorant with antiperspirant, cologne, contact lens solution or eye drops, a lint roller and pocket mirror. These items are great to have on hand for last-minute meetings or to freshen up after a mid-day walk or trip to the gym.

• Keep those pearly whites fresh.

A clean mouth is important for making a good impression. Post-coffee or following lunch, consider using a Colgate® Wisp® for a convenient brush to refresh your mouth.

These tips will help you feel confident and focus on what’s important, whether you’re presenting during a meeting or heading to a date straight from the office.

-Family Features

Women Winning in the Super Bowl

By Pat Tucker

O

kay Football Widows, you’ve almost made it! You survived some 18 weeks of action on the big screen, the gridiron, and you’ve even taken a back seat to hunky men carrying a ball in tight pants. This is what has had your sports fan’s attention since late summer, and left you to fend for yourself.

While you may not have had any interest in the weekly games, everyone loves a party and even a non football fan can find pleasure in this big year-end bash. Here are some tips to help you gear up for the big game.

The old adage “If you can’t beat ‘em

join ‘em” could be quite effective. But in order to do that and get the most out of the Superbowl, a Football Widow must learn a little about the game. That’s easier than ever, Google football to learn the basics to get you through the game. Familiarize yourself with the two teams and learn some of the basic positions. All football widows should strive to look good at that party.

After all, it is a party and it may be all about football, but looking your best ensures the game won’t be the only thing on display.

This way you’ll be truly ready to watch the game with him. But if joining his team isn’t your idea of fun, you can adjustment your game plan.

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9 Game Changing Tips for Women Entrepreneurs in 2013

By Joy Chudacoff

A

t the end of each year, I take an inventory of my life and business to shine a light on what proved to be most effective.

Here are my top nine timely tips for women entrepreneurs who are ready to make a big leap in 2013: 1. Trust Your Instincts – It’s essential that you hone your intuition and become comfortable making decisions about your life and business. Set a goal to practice being present more often and listen closely to your internal voice.

2. Practice Solitude – In our wired world, if you aren’t careful, you can be “on” all the time. Technology has certainly made our lives a lot easier but it’s essential that you not allow these time saving tools to control your life. Spending time alone is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.

Start small by taking a long walk alone (cell phone off) or set your alarm to wake up for some quiet time before the busyness of your day takes over. I highly recommend taking an overnight trip alone to a favorite spa or hotel at least once a year.

3. Find Your Sweet Spot – Discover where your light shines in your business and set yourself up to live in that space as often as possible. Notice when your energy and enjoyment of the work meets the clients highest good and satisfaction – that’s your sweet spot. When I discovered this a few years ago, it was pure delight.

4. Love Your Numbers – Pay attention to money in and money out.

When I began to treat my income and expenses with respect and honor the process of taking good care of my business financially, I was rewarded with significantly more income and ideal clients.

5. Say No More Often – This can be a challenge for women as we are nurturers by nature. If you want to live a life that feels truly meaningful and encompasses all your big ideas, dreams and goals, the word For instance, game time may be the perfect chance for you to do your own thing without interruption. And one of the best ways to battle loneliness, since you’re on your own, is to create your own special team. Perhaps while your man and his friends are watching the Superbowl, you can hang out with other football widows.

Considering the fact that you have so much in common, the offer may be just what other women are looking for as well.

You can spend time shopping, checking out the latest chick flick movie, or you can schedule a spa visit.

Regardless of whether you want to hear this, more and more women are joining the team. And by team, we’re talking the NFL’s fan base. Statistics indicate 40 percent of the NFL’s fan base is female.

Those same stats show that more women tuned in to the Super Bowl than the

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no needs to easily roll off your tongue.

6. Positive People Please – Embrace happy, positive, success-oriented people. Eliminate toxic negativity from your life. Period.

7. Gratitude is Good – If you’re ready to open your arms wide to having more in your life, practice gratitude daily.

Be grateful for every little thing – a steamy cup of coffee, your local crossing guard and if you’re reading this right now, the fact that you are alive.

8. Exercise Empathy – If you have a dream of making a difference in the world or desire a leadership role, empathy is a valuable tool you’ll need along the way. As the great leader Stephan Covey said, “Seek first to understand.” Understanding and acknowledging someone else’s situation is the foundation to change.

9. Think Bigger- Give yourself permission to create a bigger vision for yourself than you ever thought possible.

Write down a goal that feels challenging (and maybe a little scary) and then design a plan to achieve it by December 31, 2013.

If you implement even one of these nine game changing tips over the next 30 days, I promise you positive change will begin to show up in your life. I’m calling 2013 “The Year of the Woman Entrepreneur” as my instincts tell me next year is going to be a year of abundance for women who are ready to embrace all that life and business have to offer.

Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark. combined number of men and women who watched the Academy Awards. It’s becoming more apparent that women love the NFL just as much, if not more than men. And because of this growing interest in the game, the league is acknowledging the female presence. There are a series of sport themed clothing lines designed with women in mind. Also, one of the highest profile efforts takes place in October each year when NFL players enhance literally change their colors for a worthy cause.

You’ll notice they’re outfitted with pink gloves, pink cleats, and pink chin straps to help raise awareness and funds needed for breast cancer research. So, football widow, show your significant other that you can play with the best of them.

Pat Tucker is the author of Football Widows, a novel that’s being adapted to film.

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Jan - Feb 2013

6 Ways Women Can Easy Ways to Prepare for Retirement

Start Putting Yourself First and Set Goals for Your Savings

By Jean C. Setzfand, AARP

I

n the span of one month late last year, three separate groups invited me to talk to female audiences about the special challenges women face while trying to build secure retirements for themselves.

Studies show that 60 percent of boomerage women say they aren’t confident they’ll have enough money to live comfortably in retirement.

The problem isn’t unique to boomers — it’s a woman thing. Some of our greatest strengths as women also make us more economically vulnerable. For example, our tendency to take care of others first — including taking time out of the workforce to care for children and ailing parents — can compromise our financial futures.

The time away from the workforce not only lowers women’s lifetime earnings and savings, it also lowers their ultimate Social Security and pension benefits. Leaving a job to care for an aging parent costs the average woman more than $324,000 in lifetime wages and benefits, substantially increasing her risk of living in poverty in her own old age.

Many divorced women struggle to raise children without any assistance from a partner, and some compromise their financial security by supporting grandchildren.

With all of those gender-specific challenges, my audiences wanted to know how women can still build a secure retirement, especially if they’re a little late to the game. It boils down to six major action items: 1. Define what retirement means to you. These days, retirement rarely means a condo in Sunny Isles, Fla. For most of us, it means slowing down and scaling back.

Maybe you are spending more time with family or outdoors. For many, it means continuing to work. The important thing is to write your retirement objectives down, listing the most important goals first.

2. Figure out your Social Security benefits and when to claim them. For many of us, Social Security provides the biggest piece of our retirement income.

In fact, it’s the only source of income for half of unmarried African American and Hispanic women over age 65, and for a quarter of unmarried white women in the same age group. Almost universally, working a little longer and delaying your claim will provide a much more secure retirement for life. Your benefit will automatically increase 8 percent for each year you delay claiming. Plus, by adding more working years to your Social Security earnings record, you could increase your benefit. The longer you work, the more opportunity you will have to save for your retirement instead of dipping into your

retirement savings.

3. Calculate how much monthly income your personal retirement savings will generate for you. There are basically two ways you can create income out of the lump sum sitting in your 401(k) or similar account. First, you can try to live off the interest and preserve the principal so that it continues to earn interest for the rest of your life.

As a rule of thumb, financial planners suggest withdrawing no more than 4 percent of your savings each year. But really, you shouldn’t withdraw any more than the interest actually earned. Or, you can use part of the lump sum to build your own “pension” of sorts by buying an income annuity through an insurance company. The annuity will provide you a guaranteed monthly check for life. There are a lot of complicated annuity products out there, but what I’m suggesting is a simple annuity that you pay for in one lump sum and that immediately starts paying you a fixed amount for the rest of your life, no matter how long you live.

4. Set your budgets. You need a current budget — to help you cut costs and pay off debt before you retire — and you need a retirement budget to make sure your monthly expenses don’t exceed your monthly retirement income.

5. Fill the gap. For many of us, there will still be a gap between the money we will need in retirement and the income we will have in retirement. We may need to downsize, work longer or part time or convert our hobbies into money-making enterprises.

6. Consider change. Life Reimagined is an AARP project that aims to help you reflect on your gifts, explore new possibilities and connect you with a community of like-minded people to support you on your journey. You’ll find all kinds of stories of life change, from an exhausted former Broadway performer who became an acupuncturist to a former office worker who started her own petsitting business so she could also take care of her aging mother. Another related AARP initiative is Work Reimagined, which connects older workers with job openings at companies that value mature workers and their experience. There are also plenty of resources for people looking to reenter the workforce. Check out the AARP website for upcoming and archived webinars about Work Reimagined and general workplace issues.

Jean C. Setzfand is vice president of the Financial Security Team in the Education and Outreach group at AARP. She leads AARP’s educational and outreach efforts aimed at helping Americans have financial peace of mind in retirement. She can be reached at jsetzfand@aarp.org or on Twitter at @JShttps://twitter.com/jsetzetz.

Take Your Career to the Next Level

N

etworking still remains a very important mainstay in business development and retention. Some of us may enjoy the beauty of a corporate expense account to assist with these efforts, while others have to find alternate means of meeting new potential clientele. As the “fake it till you make it” stance has never, in my opinion, been fiscally sound, here are five cost friendly suggestions for meeting and networking with potential clients and colleagues when your pockets are low.

1) Use Your Resources: If you represent an artists, company and/or not for profit organization, you should look to invite potential clients to an event your current client is hosting. I often receive invitations to listening parties, concerts and fashion shows as a perk of representing some of my clients. Bringing along potential clientele can not only open the door for new business for you, it can also assist with cross promotion and opportunities for your current clients.

2) Order Lunch To Their Office: You know what your small business account is holding, and if it is not fiscally responsible to spend $200.00 at lunch, heck, even if it is not fiscally responsible to spend $50.00, order a small lunch to the office of the person you would like to meet with. This way you save them time and a trip out of the office.

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3) Meet For Coffee Instead Of Cocktails: The cost of an after work cocktail can sometimes exceed the price of a small meal. An invitation for coffee is an invitation to sip slow and spend sensibly while conversing about upcoming projects and how you and your company may assist.

4) Volunteer: Young entrepreneurs should also look into meeting new people and opening themselves to new opportunities by volunteering with organizations they may able to provide services for in the future. Additionally, volunteering and serving on Boards of non-profits may allow you to network and meet those who may be able to hire you or your company. www.hellobeautiful.com

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Famous Women Single Moms Pay the Entrepreneurs Price By Sacrificing

H

istorically, entrepreneurship has been a male-dominated pursuit, but ma ny of today’s most memorable and inspirational entrepreneurs are women.

Check out some of the most influential and famous female entrepreneurs.

Oprah Winfrey

One of t he most re sp e c te d a nd we l l known female entrepreneurs of our time, Oprah Winfrey has created a multimillion dollar media conglomerate a nd a brand that no one has been able to duplicate.

Madame C.J. Walker

The daughter of former slaves, orphaned at the age of seven, Walker built a t hriving beaut y products business in the early 20th century, eventually employing over 3,000 people.

Her hard work, honest business dealings and quality products led her to become the first self-made female African-American millionaire.

Mary Kay Ash

The founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics created a business that has helped some half a million women fulfill their dreams of business ownership.

A best-selling author and powerful motivational speaker, Lifetime Television named her the Most Outstanding Woman in Business in the 20th Century.

Anita Roddick

A n i t a Roddick is the founder of The Body Shop, a store that purchases outstanding natural ingredients for a line of cosmetics, helping the disadvantaged communities generate income and providing women with superb cosmetics.

Sara Blakely

fa m i l ia r w it h Sa ra Blakely. The budding entrepreneur started her c ompa ny a f ter not being able to find a girdle or pantyhose that was comfortable.

Wit h $5,0 0 0 in savings, a whole lot of Internet research, patent writing, cold-calling, less-than-shy demonstrations for buyers, and a call from Oprah...Spanx was born!

Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel was one of the major innovators of 20th century fashion, introducing element s f rom menswear and sports apparel i n t o w o m e n’s fashion to create a distinctively simple, yet elegant style. Her signature fragrance, Chanel No. 5, was the first perfume to bear the designer’s name. Launched in 1923, it is still one of the best-selling fragrances in the world.

Debbi Fields

At age 20, Debbi Fields, the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies, was a housewife with no business experience, but a great chocolate chip cookie recipe and a dream. Today, Mrs. Fields Cookies is one of the world’s most recognizable dessert franchises, with over 600 stores in the U.S. and ten other countries.

Estée Lauder

The daughter of immigrants, Estee Lauder is the embodiment of the American Dream. She started out selling skin creams created by her uncle, but with persistence a nd persona lit y, she worked her way into the cosmetics counters of department stores.

She developed a personalized selling style that put her brand at the top of the industry, with a 45 percent share of the cosmetics market in U.S. department stores.

Any woman who has had their foundation wearing revolutionized by Spanx is

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It’s Just That Simple!

Their Life to Their Job

By Lana Hawkins

A

s a single mom you are required to go above and beyond the call of the job duty. Raising kids requires significant chunks of time too. What about time for yourself? With the imagination and skills many single moms possess, they should consider creating their own business so they can have more earning power and time flexibility.

Most of us were taught to have a career or job of some kind in order to make money. The most common way is to work for someone else as an employee. As an employee you expect to receive some kind of pay for the work you do, by the hour, week, or month. One challenge for a single mom is to balance to time required for the job and the time needed to take care of our kids and ourselves. This results in single moms who pay the price by sacrificing their life to their job.

Using the term balance must have been coined by employers who wanted you to think that somehow a single parent or any parent employee could have a personal life while working 40 plus hours per week for the company. Any single mom with kids and a day job knows that the term “balance” means taking little or no time for yourself and the bare minimum for your kids if you expect to keep your job and get any kind of raise or promotion.

People who work for a paycheck and bonus think that they are going to be able to become rich if they work for a company long enough and get the promotions and raises they hope for. The pattern is to get some kind of degree or training, get the first job, then a raise, then a better job, then try to get a promotion. When this happens maybe you think you can hire out all the extra work like house cleaning, gardening and laundry, and get more time for yourself.

Doing all the extras for these rewards requires time. This can be very demanding for a single mom since you have to add in all the kid duties to that plan. If you don’t have a good helper or the other parent around it could get stressful.

We think raises and promotions will make our life financially better. What we fail to recognize is that as we earn more, we spend more. Single moms sacrifice their life to the job. They miss getting to know and spend time with their kids. Additionally inflation kills the value of the raise and devaluation of our currency makes matters even worse. You can work a lifetime as an employee and still be in the same or worse financial situation you were in when you started. What do you do when your kids need to go to college? How do you pay for

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that added expense?

If you take away the pay incentives, the bonuses, bigger and better degrees, or a promotion, what is the motivation to press on? You guessed it. There is none.

An employee is in always trading precious time for money, for their entire life until retirement. The only hope is that there is enough money saved so they don’t end up on welfare. No other way exists for the employee.

However, I’ve seen people just say no to that thought process. It is possibly an advantage for some single moms and women. Some are less inclined to put up with the career game and venture out on their own to create highly successful businesses.

Being employed has worked in the past for many people including either our parents or our grandparents. But times are changing and it may not be a viable method today. The problem is that no one is teaching a different approach. It’s up to you to learn more about finances and new ways of generating money so you don’t end up in the poor farm. This is especially so for single mothers, who have dependents to protect, provide and care for.

Sure, you can love the work you do but maybe you don’t want to do that much of it. Maybe you want to choose how to plan your day. Maybe you want to take the summer off and vacation with your children. Maybe you want to go to the after school soccer game without tons of begging and planning. Maybe you want to be able to have more of a say in when and where you get the job done. Maybe you’re not into being there every day to make sure the boss sees you at your desk. Maybe you are tired of waiting to retire. Maybe you don’t want to work at an unfulfilling job until you are 75. Or maybe it suits you just fine. If so, you’re very lucky.

If not, would you consider alternatives?

Single moms don’t have to pay the price by sacrificing their life to their job. There are alternatives and single moms who succeed in their own leveraged businesses can call their own shots. It requires more effort in the short term but in the long term the benefits can far surpass the effort. All single moms and parents that want to have more time with their kids and self owe it to themselves to learn other ways to make a living besides working for a paycheck.

Lana Hawkins is the author of Mom Pays for College blog. If you’re a single mom that needs to finance an education get the free audio and a detailed report covering many ideas on how single moms can earn money for college.

Go to Free Report and Audio - How Single Moms Can Pay for College.

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The Houston Black Real Estate Association hosted the 2013 Awards & Installation Banquet

By Danielle Keys Bess

I

n celebration of 64 years of service, the Houston Black Real Estate Association hosted the 2013 Awards & Installation Banquet on January 25, 2013 at the Power Center, which included the installation of their newlyelected President, Mr. Gerald W. Womack, Owner, Womack Development & Investments, a commercial and residential real estate company located in the heart of Houston’s “Third Ward.”

Mr. John L. Guess, III, served as the Banquet Chair; Honorary Co-Chairs were U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee of the Eighteenth Congressional District and Dr. Elwyn C. Lee; and, Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee. Serving as Mistress and Master of Ceremony will be Ms. Melanie Lawson, Anchor, ABCChannel 13; and Jose Grinan, Anchor, FOX-26, respectively.

The “Passing of the Gavel” Ceremony was performed by Ms. Courtney Johnson Rose, the outgoing president, following her outstanding service to the organization during her two-year tenure, who was also accompanied by former president George Wyche.

A special guest performance and “Motown Review,” themed entertainment was provided by Grammy-Nominated performer, Ms. Mary Griffin, accompanied by a live, 10-piece band. Ms. Griffin is currently touring with George Clinton and Patti LaBelle.

Portions of the proceeds will support the new administration’s focus, “Reaching New Horizons, Ensuring Tomorrow’s Future,” through its community outreach activities which some of the following: • Enhancing economic development; • Improving branding and marketing strategies; • Increasing membership benefits and providing quarterly networking opportunities; • Establishing partnerships with educational institutions, faith-based entities, community, corporations,

and affiliate organizations; Providing training through educational advancements of HBREA members and community; • Upgrading technologies to streamline processes; • Continuing support of Annual Houston Housing Fair; and, • Awarding scholarships to deserving students.

In addition, the 2013 HBREA Award recipients were: Alyna Brown Lewis - Nina B. Kemp; Zelda Cain – Louis C. Ray Salesperson of the Year; Felicia Guidry Newcomer of the Year; Kimberly BarnesHenson - Judson W. Robinson, Sr. Realtist of the Year; Viola Solomon – Lender of Year; Bill Price, Chandra Ware, Sheila Collette and Andrea Cooksey received the 2013 President’s Special Awards.

The event’s major underwriter was Wells Fargo Bank; along with, in part, the following major sponsors: J. P. Morgan Chase Bank, O’Connor & Associates, Prime Lending, Amegy Bank, ComcastHouston Voice, Liberty Bank, American Title, Bank of Houston, Citi Bank, Frost Bank, Houston Association of Realtors, Houston Housing Finance Corporation, Across the Track PAC, Infinity Title, Stewart Cadillac, and The Guess Group, Inc. Additionally, HBREA has received other means of support through in-kind donations from D-MARS, The Power Center, and United Airlines.

The Houston Real Estate Association, Inc., founded in 1949, dba The Houston Black Real Estate Association is the local chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), and is the oldest and largest minority trade association in America. Its mission is to bring together minority professionals in the real estate industry to promote the meaningful exchange of ideas about our business and how to best serve our clientele. Since 1949, HBREA has played a major role in improving the quality of life for those in the Houston and surrounding communities, by ensuring “democracy in housing.”

•

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Jan - Feb 2013

Government Procurement Connections Gears Up for 2013 Conference

By Sandy Lawrence HOUSTON- December 2012 Helen Callier, Chair of the Government Procurement Connections Planning Committee, announced the upcoming 2013 conference, March 27 and 28, “Make the Right Connections” at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

GPC is the premier conference, shining brightly from Houston to the United States and world, that brings together, under-one-roof, government agencies – federal, state, local – and large primes to introduce and make connections that are important to the success of small, minority, women and Veteran-owned businesses. GPC Make the Right Connections features mustattend workshops and forums, face-toface meetings, an information packed expo, and opportunities to introduce products or services to over 200 local, state, federal agencies and large prime exhibitors.

Local Houston business owner, Dick Keller of Reliant Business Products, a Native American owned business and a one stop office supply depot in Houston, is one of GPC 2012’s success stories.

Following up on a connection made at GPC, Mr. Keller met with METRO’s Office of Small Business (http://www. ridemetro.org/) and learned about METRO’s procurement process in an effort to pursue a specific Supplier bid opportunity. He then submitted a bid proposal and was selected by METRO to supply their office products. Mr. Keller is very excited that he made the choice to attend GPC, where he made the right connections, then followed up on those connections to win this huge opportunity. Mr. Keller recommends that all small businesses put GPC in their strategy for 2013 to make the right connections to grow their small business.

From the GPC Chair – Helen Callier, President Bradlink LLC As we approach the end of 2012 and the beginning a new year, most small businesses are eager to find new opportunities to grow, excited about tackling customer challenges and have plans to develop their business through conferences and trade shows.

As Chair of GPC 2013 and on

behalf of Government Procurement Connections, Inc. (GPC), it is my hope that small businesses, along with minority, women and Veteran owned (SMWDVBE) businesses choose to participate in GPC on March 27 and 28, 2013 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. For over 20 years, GPC is a proven way to generate leads, obtain contract information, and position small businesses for success in the government marketplace with over billions of dollars in project opportunities. GPC’s theme for 2013 is Make the Right Connections! And we are planning the ideal experience to maximize the opportunities for small businesses to make the right connections.

About the Government Procurement Connection (GPC) S t a r t e d i n 19 9 4 , G o v e r n m e n t Procurement Connections is a business development vehicle, which offers small, women, veteran-owned, minority and emerging businesses a one-stop shop for information regarding government agency contracting opportunities. GPC

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also offers firms the opportunity to establish valuable relationships with Large Prime and government agencies – Federal, state, local. GPC’s 2013 theme is Make the Right Connections and is a collaborative effort of the City of Houston, Authority, Metropolitan Transit Authority, State of Texas, NASA, HISD, Women Business Enterprise Alliance, Port of Houston, Department of Veterans Affairs, SBA, Large Primes, local chambers of commerce and small, women, minority and Veteran-owned businesses in the Houston and surrounding areas.

For more information and to register for the conference go to www. houstongpc.org or connect with GPC on Facebook and Twitter. h t t p s : // w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / houstongpc1 https://twitter.com/HoustonGPC ht t p: //w w w.y out u b e .c om / houstongpc

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