today's innovative woman may/june 2012

TodaysInnovativeWoman.com

All About YouAll About You How to Look Fabulous In Your Photos

All About SuccessAll About Success Spotlight on Jennifer Bourn

All About BusinessAll About Business 3 Secrets to Succeeding Online

Vol I, Issue 6 May/June 2012

www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com

2 Today’s Innovative Woman May/June 2012

TodaysInnovativeWoman.com 3


Another whole school year comes to an end! And it’s another big year for us! My middle child graduates from high school! For those of you with kids, you know how the end of the school year always gets crazy, right? Graduation parties, last minute school projects… but it also leaves me asking the question…”where did it

go?”.

With Lyn graduating from high school, I’ve had to dig out some old photos for her various banquet slide shows. And I came across a couple that made me want to cry! Back then I thought it was so hard— all the homework and the carpools and driving and friends over between working and meetings. And in an instant, the house is quiet and you have 1 or no children left. It’s going to be an interesting adjustment for me the next few months. Not only is one going to college, the other is already in college and heading to study abroad in the Fall! I’m not sure my son is ready to be the only one left in the house either!

Some of you may have little ones and you’re thinking, “yeah right Cathy, you don’t have a clue!” . Night feedings, naps, preschool drama, juggling it all while juggling a business. But I do—I remember it well. It only seems like yesterday—and yet it’s not. So during your next total complete mommy meltdown (yes, I remember having those as well. In fact, I still have them from time to time!), just remember it goes too quickly and soon enough you’ll be helping to make the college decision and packing up the car! One plus in all this….. As they have grown and watched me grow my

business, I hope I have instilled in them not only the work ethic, but following your passions and doing what you love. And, doing whatever it takes to get there! Here’s to your SUCCESS!

From The Publisher


Contents

All About Business 10 3 Secrets to Succeeding Online With Your Business

12 Stop the Marketing Madness, Final/Part 4 7 Essentials for Complete Marketing Success

17 Sometime You’ve Got To Pay to Play

24 Expect Success to Achieve Your Goals

26 The Basics of Beneficiary Designations

27 How to Overcome Your

Home-Based Business Fears

All About Fashion & Fitness 22 How to Look Fabulous in Your Photos 28 Sexual Fitness

All About Food & Family 8 Walnut Pesto

18 Unplugged Time Together

All About Success 14 Success Spotlight: Jennifer Bourn


Founder/President/Publisher Cathy Alessandra

P.O. Box 3893 Palos Verdes, CA 90274 (888) 544-1042

Web Design: Jennifer Bourn, BournCreative.com

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Disclaimer: Today’s Innovative

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All About Business. All About Success.

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All About Food

Walnut Pesto

By Nancy Newcomer You may have heard me talk about my sister’s walnut ranch in Chico, California? Every time I see her, I come home with boxes of walnuts, so I am always trying to think of new ways to use them in my cooking. She makes a wonderful walnut pesto, so I decided to have at it and make up my own recipe. By the way, this recipe is FAR superior with fresh walnuts–take the time to crack your own.

Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic 2 cups basil 1/2 cup walnut halves 3 TB grated Pecorino cheese 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/3 cup high quality olive oil 1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt Place garlic cloves in food processor and pulse until garlic is chopped finely, about 30 seconds. Add basil, walnuts and Pecorino cheese and pulse until chopped. Add lemon juice, then with the food processor run-ning on low, slowly pour olive oil in. Add salt to taste. Fabulous over roasted veggies, pasta, or wonderful for dipping. Makes a great spread for Panini as well. You may prefer to toast your walnut before making them into pesto. If so, please spread halves over a baking sheet and pop in the oven at 300 for about 5 minutes–watch ‘em so they don’t burn.

Longtime Santa Barbara radio personality, Nancy New-comer is a food blogger and an accomplished cook & creator of simple, healthy meals made from fresh, organic ingredients. With an emphasis on gluten free fare and local farmer’s market bounty, her Facebook food blog, “Back to the Kitchen: Healthy Living with Real Food” is followed by people in over 22 countries. Check out Nancy’s new website, www.NancyNewcomer.com where she shares recipes & shopping tips and continues to advocate cooking “real food “ recipes and having sit down family dinners.


3 Secrets to Succeeding Online with your Business! By Michele Pariza Wacek Succeeding online is easy, right? Just throw up a sales page, drop in some “buy now” links, and sit back and watch your bank account grow! Well, if you’ve been in business any length of time, you already know it doesn’t work like that. It’s never that easy. But there’s no question it IS possible. So how DO you succeed online? Let me share 3 secrets to get you started. 1. Know what you're highest payoff activities are. The successful entrepreneurs I've worked with know exactly what they should be focusing on each day, what their strengths are, and what's going to bring in the most money.

So how do you figure out what your highest pay-off activi-ties are? Start by making a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Now look at your strengths. Out of those skills, what brings you the most money in the shortest amount of time possible? Evaluate how much money you make versus time spent on each activity. 2. Focus on your highest pay-off activities. Ah, yes. It's not enough to know them; you need to actually DO them. And, better yet, you should organize your day around these activities, so you know you're spending as

much time as possible on your highest pay-off activities. 3. Delegate out or delete your weaknesses. Without a doubt, the successful en-trepreneurs I know spend little to no time trying to "strengthen weaknesses." What they typically spend their time doing is strengthening their strengths and outsourcing (or just plain dumping) their weaknesses. Why do they do that? Because they make more money when they spend most of their time doing their highest pay-off ac-tivities. We all only have 24 hours a day, so you need to know how best to use that time to become the biggest suc-cess possible! Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Mar-keting strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copy-writing LLC, a premiere direct response copywriting and mar-keting company that helps entrepreneurs attract more cli-ents, sell more products and services and boost their busi-ness. To grab your FREE "Ka-Ching! Business Kit" with a FREE CD visit http://www.MichelePW.com/freecd

All About Business


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STOP THE MARKETING MADNESS! 7 Essentials for Complete Marketing Success! Final—Part 4 By Cathy Alessandra Last issue we covered essentials # 5 and 6, video and PR. We are now on to the final essential and the wrap up! The 7th business essential – live events. This includes attending live events, speak-ing at live events and producing live events. Live events give you the opportunity to get in front of your target market and interact directly in person, creating that relationship. In your marketing plan, you need to sched-ule time to attend them – things like our SUCCESS Summit events (www.SuccessSummitandExpo.com) or something as simple as a local business women’s group chapter meeting. Keep in mind though, I don’t advocate showing up and shoving business cards into everyone’s hands! Attend the event as an opportu-nity to network with other like-minded women business owners – talking to them about their needs, how you can connect with them and what you can do to support them. Commit to how many you are going to attend each month and do it. Speaking at events depends upon what your business is but there is almost always a “speaker’s angle”. For example, I am not a marketing company or a pr agency – I won’t plan or implement your whole marketing strategy – yet all these things I’m sharing here, I do for my clients – incorporated into their advertising package with me. I offer them print advertising, an online presence, I’ll post and tweet about them, I’ve created videos with them, I will post their blog article on my website and I produce live events for them to participate in. I know these are the multiple ways my clients need to get exposure and I’ve packaged that together with my magazine. With my years of experience doing this for myself and my 100’s of clients over the years, it made perfect sense for me to take these to the “stage” and share my knowl-edge and expertise. Speaking provides great exposure in your marketing plan. If you aren’t already speaking, commit to creating your signature talk in the area of your expertise and get booked for the next quarter. Think about how something you do every day in your business can be shared with others who have that problem. The last item in live events is producing one –and that is not something I recom-mend running out and doing right away. It takes a lot of time, usually a hefty invest-ment and it really depends upon what your end goal is as to whether producing your own event is for you. And I’m happy to discuss that with you personally.

(Continued on page 29)

All About Marketing


Jennifer Bourn— Freelancer to CEO In 2005 I was pregnant with my second child and working a corporate job that was running me ragged, and due to an hour-long commute, I hardly ever saw my family and friends. I wanted and needed a change – for myself and my family. At the time I knew a few freelancers in my industry, and I desperately wanted their freedom (and their income) for myself. One month later, I quit my job and started my adventure as a freelance designer with my childhood desk, a 6-foot plastic table from Costco, and a laptop with software I pirated from friends in college. Once I was out on my own, I envisioned a life where I was in control of my time and where I would have more time to pursue my hobbies and spend time with my family and friends. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. It turns out that freelancing wasn't exactly what I expected it to be. I didn't love my clients, I wasn't making the income I wanted, and I was working all the time. I was on an out-of-control income rollercoaster and I didn't know how to get off! It was then that I decided I needed to take action. I didn't want to be a free-lancer, I wanted to be a business owner. I knew I had to start doing things differently, or I would keep getting the same results. I began to research and learn everything I could about owning and growing a business, about marketing and getting the kind of clients I wanted, and I started networking with other successful business owners. As I learned, I implemented. I quickly realized that design had to be more than just pretty, it had to WORK. When I shifted Bourn Creative's focus to be on results-driven design that incorporates key sales and marketing principles, everything changed. Soon I was working with better clients, I was working on projects that I en-


All About SUCCESS


joyed, and new clients were knocking down my door! Within one year my business over doubled and I had more business than I could handle. I was making a ton of money and on the outside I was the perfect picture of suc-cess. But on the inside, I was quietly drowning in quicksand that I couldn't seem to escape. I was working 16 hour days, 7 days a week. My business owned me and I had absolutely no freedom. It was then that I began making the key changes that have brought Bourn Creative to where it is today – and international, award-winning design com-


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Are You Missing The Boat?


Sometimes You’ve Got To Pay to Play! By Katrina Sawa

Have you ever had one of those days where a really important opportunity comes across your desk or smacks you right in the face? What do you do? Take action on it immediately, turn it down or think about it? If you want to design the business and life of your dreams and be more successful and profitable, you want to try to go with your intuition more plus possibly pay-to-play. If you think you’ll squeak by without investing much in your business, you may be sorely disappointed. Profitable entrepreneurs say similar things: 1. You've got to recognize a great opportunity when it smacks you in the face (or

even if it gently nudges you too) 2. You've got to have complete faith that there is an abundance and you do de-

serve it (whatever that 'it' is for you) 3. You've got to have complete faith that it will all work out in the end 4. You've got to TAKE consistent ACTION and make swift decisions to move to-

wards what your vision is without hesitation or fear (we all have fear, but you must figure out how to step through it)

To pay-to-play could look like any or all of the following:

� Working with a business, marketing and/or life coach to help you lay out a plan and to keep you on track

� Investing in effective marketing materials and website to bring you an abun-dance of prospects and referrals

� Investing in workshops, conferences or trainings to continue learning

� Spending your time reaching out and meeting new people, more referral part-ners or network, volunteer and speak

� Hiring assistants to delegate much of the non-money-generating tasks to Don’t try to recreate the wheel or do it all yourself…ask for help, invest in resources and build yourself a successful, profitable business you love!

Katrina Sawa is an Award-Winning, International JumpStart Your Biz Coach, Author of the book Love Yourself Successful, and a Dynamic Speaker who’s helped thousands of small business owners take dramatic steps in their businesses to get them to the next level in business, revenues and their personal life. She of-fers one-on-one coaching, group coaching programs, live events and do-it-yourself business-building products. She’s been fea-tured on various news talk shows and radio shows including Oprah and Friends XM Radio and she has her own radio show on Blog Talk entitled, JumpStart Your Business NOW. Go online now and get started by grabbing her Free Entrepreneur’s Suc-cess Kit plus two other free gifts now at http://www.JumpStartYourMarketing.com/gifts!

All About Business


All About Family Unplugged Time Together By Nicole Beurkens, PhD

In a culture where our lives have become inundated with electronics, it is important for parents to teach children the value of spending “unplugged” time together. Whether your children are toddler or teens, here are some simple electronics-free ideas you can implement to encourage the development of relationships, communi-cation, and thinking skills: 1. Play a game – Good old-fashioned board and card games provide excellent op-portunities for building relationships, social skills, and problem solving abilities. Dust off the checkers, deck of cards, or whatever other games you have at home, and have a blast playing together! 2. Go for a walk – Taking a family walk together is a great way to reconnect with each other, and get some physical exercise at the same time. It’s a low-key way to explore nature, engage in stimulat-ing conversation, or simply enjoy some quiet time with each other. 3. Sit down to eat together – Family mealtimes are often the first thing to go in a busy family’s schedule. Research has shown that sit-ting down together to enjoy a meal supports child development and family health. Turn off the television, leave the video games in the other room, and come together to eat, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. 4. Reading ritual – Create a daily reading routine for your family. Choose a book to read silently in the same room, read a book out loud for everyone to enjoy, read and discuss a quote for the day, or any other reading-related activity. Sharing this activ-ity together on a consistent basis will enhance your child’s development and sense of family connectedness. There are so many things families can do together without electronics. Be inten-tional about making “unplugged” time together part of your regular family routine. You, your children, and your family will be better for it!

Nicole is the founder and director of the Horizons Develop-mental Resource Center in Caledonia, Michigan, is a li-censed clinical psychologist with a doctorate in Clinical Psy-chology and a master’s degree in special education. She holds a professional teaching certificate and has been certi-fied in many specialized therapies for Autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Beurkens has au-thored numerous articles and books, and writes a popular newsletter for thousands of subscribers each week.You can find more of her strategies for parents and professionals, and sign up to receive her newsletter at www.HorizonsDRC.com.


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pany with new clients clamoring to get a chance to work with us! So what changed? I know you want all the details – so here's an overview: 1. I stopped doing everything that I don't love. I had to relinquish control

and let others support me and my business in the areas where they shine and I don't.

2. I sought out help. During my transition from sole proprietor to LLC, I hired my husband (Bourn Creative CEO, Brian Bourn) to manage my business, my team, my workflow, and our growth … and "I" become "we."

3. We increased prices (multiple times). Each time we felt "too busy," we raised our prices. This change allows us to work with fewer clients at the same (or higher) income level.

4. We defined our brand. We got completely clear on exactly who we are, what we do, what results we can create, how we're different, and who we serve. We nailed down a clear marketing message and we made sure our brand was presented consistently across the board in all types of media.

5. We streamlined our systems and processes. By examining how we do what we do and looking at how we can do it better in less time, we were able to cut our time per project in half and better manage new inquiries.

6. We added value. With each price increase, it became more important to communicate how we are different and why we are the best choice, one of the ways we chose to do that was to add more value and unique experiences to our packages.

7. We sought out event our ideal clients attend. Conferences and events have been and continue to be a huge lead generation source for us. You've got to get out from behind your computer and meet people. Also, don't be afraid to travel! The most lucrative events I have ever at-tended all required a plane ride and a hotel stay!

Needless to say, it's been a bumpy road, but today Bourn Creative is an inter-nationally-recognized success story! By offering a combination of WordPress website design, private design services, consulting, and training, we now work less than ever before, we have more freedom than ever before, our income is higher than ever before, and every day we wake up excited and energized to do what we love. With clients spread out across the globe, Brian and I work with the best and the brightest entrepreneurs and business owners to transform businesses into extraordinary brands with websites that work when you're not working and brands that propel you to the forefront of your industry.

(Continued from page 15 All About SUCCESS—Jennifer Bourn)


Meet Our Writers

Joy Chudacoff Jessica Eaves Mathews Jennifer Bourn Caterina Rando

Marla Dennis Lisa Manyon Katrina Sawa Lisa Kanarek

Get more details and read about each one of our

Featured Writers’ area of expertise!

Connect with them at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com

Kirin Christianson Lisa Cole Nancy Newcomer Nancy Drew

Bibi Goldstein JJ Flizanes

Michele

Deborah Genovesi

Elizabeth Bernay & Kara None Erin Kurt

Linda Cotter

Michelle Scism Nicole Beurkens


How to Look Fabulous in Your Photos! How to Look Fabulous in Your Photos! How to Look Fabulous in Your Photos! How to Look Fabulous in Your Photos! By Kirin Christianson Do you dream of having your photo look amazing? Do you wish you could take a really fantastic shot - especially in a photo everyone is going to see (think about your profile picture or your photo on your business cards)? If so, here are a few quick and easy tip on how you can look amazing in EVERY photo! 1. Hire a professional photographer. Seriously, make sure they are great! How do you find a great photographer? You can do a couple of things. Modeling agencies, tend to have the best of the best photographers since they make money off how beautiful their models look. Going straight to an agency (usually, you can search their website to find links of photographers they like to work with) - will save you tons of time on researching who you'd like to work with. Another place to look is wedding photographers. Go to one of the big bridal shows in your community to find the best one for your photos. Or you can visit wedding web-sites and find links of photographers in your area. Then check out their online port-folios and see which photographer really resonates with you. See who has the best look based upon what you want to look like and then hire them. Don't be afraid to go with a photographer that is more glamorous than you feel you are. If they are good, then they can make you still look like you, but at your best. 2. Hire a professional makeup artist. A professional makeup artist will make a world of difference in your photos. Don't go for the cheapest. Go for the best! (And the best can still be affordable). The easiest way to find one is to ask your new photographer who they like to work with. They will always suggest someone who makes their work look good....which makes YOU look good. Ask to see their portfolio. You can even check out some makeup artists work on one of the social media sites and see what their clients are saying about them. It's a smart way for you to view real-time testimonials. 3. Pose like a pro. It's easier than you think. For headshots, start by sitting side-ways then twist the upper half of your body towards the camera. Roll your shoulders back and down. And that's it! Practice makes perfect. Spending just 5 minutes in front of the mirror practicing your smile, head tilts, and posture will make a world of difference in how your photos look. There are only three things that you need to make a really successful photo shoot; the model (that's you!), the makeup artist and the photographer. Remember, the makeup artist and the photographer are professionals. They make a living on help-


All About Fashion


Get Your Copy of this

Amazon.com Bestseller!

Hit #1 in Hot New Releases For Women in Business in 2011!

ing you look your best. Trust them! And the last thing to remember is that you're going to shoot hundreds of photos, but you only need one; just that one beautiful photo of you. Because a photo captures one second, one moment of your life; that one moment will provide a lifetime memories for you....and represent you and your business for years to come. Good luck! Red Haute Mama, Kirin Christianson, lifts women from the doldrums of everyday and back into the ‘va va va voom.’ She helps them uncover their discover their inner bombshell. From toes to tresses, no nook goes uncovered without examination. Providing expertise in all things glam, she steers women toward the holy grail of glamour. Advice, workshops, tutorials and haute deals, taking them straight to the best glam tips. FEEL amorous, glamorous, and flat out fabulous - www.RedHauteMama.com

Read the stories of Cathy Alessandra, Gina Bell, Jennifer Bourn, Joy Chudacoff, Lesley Bohm, Michele DeKinder-Smith, Tina Forsythe, Cindy

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All About Business Expect Success to Achieve Your Goals By Caterina Rando, MA, MCC

To get what you want, your attitude is key. Enjoy every call you place, every trip you take, every accomplishment you make. Revel in the process of being a success today— do not wait till you get to your ultimate goal. To easily expect more success follow these steps:

� Acknowledge all the small victories. Count your “wins” daily. Wins are all those things that go your way in a given day—the letter you wrote, the VIP you finally got hold of, the parking ticket you eluded, the compliment you received.

� Smile. Both psychologically and physiologically this simple, easy action im-proves our well-being, which improves our outlook, which prepares us for all the great things we are expecting to happen to us. To become fit and healthy from a success standpoint, give your smile muscles a workout just like the rest of your body.

� Hold your success attitude in your body. Stand up straight, raise your chin up, keep your shoulders back and feet firmly planted. Feel the power of personal success in every cell in your body.

� Create a compelling success image in your mind. Once you expect your suc-cess, see it. Imagine it vividly and in color—what are you doing, where are you, what are you wearing, how does it feel like in your body? Make your success as real as possible in your mind, so your expectancy is even stronger and, as a result, your actions even bigger.

� Be bold. Do all those things today that you know you will do when you are more successful. That is how you will create the success you strive for in your busi-ness and life.

You will never be more successful than you expect you can be. Greet every day with the belief that good things are going to happen to you. Caterina Rando’s shows women entrepreneurs how to be loud and proud about who they are and the value they bring through speaking, publishing and building their expert plat-form. Find out about all she offers at www.caterinarando.com


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The Basics of Beneficiary Designations By Elizabeth Bernay and Kara Noone

When you first set up a retirement account, whether it is an IRA or held under a company-sponsored plan, you are usually requested to name beneficiaries who will receive the assets in your account when you die. The primary beneficiary is first in line. You should also name a contingent beneficiary, who would receive the assets only if the primary beneficiary is not living at the time of your death. Saving for retire-ment is, by definition, a long-term endeavor, so it’s easy to lose track of who your beneficiaries are. You may, for example, have named your husband or wife a dec-ade or two ago. If you have since remarried, it’s time to change your beneficiary — unless you want the assets to potentially go to your former spouse.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of a regular review of your beneficiary informa-tion. If no beneficiary is properly designated — or your primary beneficiary dies be-fore you with no contingent beneficiary named — your assets will be distributed in accordance with the default provisions of the plan. You would have no direct control over what goes to whom. Here are some practical suggestions to keep your desig-nations current. To start with, it’s a good idea to have a master list of all your ac-counts. Retirement-related holdings may include

the following:

• Employer-sponsored plans (e.g., 401(k), profit-sharing, defined benefit)

• Individual retirement accounts

• Annuities

• Life insurance policies

You can add to your list the beneficiaries for each account — as well as their

relationship to you, contact information and Social Security numbers.

By reviewing the list every year or two, you can help to ensure that your beneficiary (Continued on page 30)

All About Finance


All About The Office

How To Overcome Your Home-Based Business Fears

By Lisa Kanarek Working from home is hard work, but at the same time it’s scary. When you first start working from home and you’re spending time growing your busi-ness, it’s normal to face a few worries along with fear. Aside from figuring out how you’re going to grow your business, you have to worry about how to pay the bills, where your next client will come from and how to keep your family from turning on you because of your crazy hours. For some people, fear is a motivator. For others it’s the first step to feeling discour-aged. While being motivated is a good thing, being paralyzed with fear and weighted with worry can dampen your spirits and possibly keep you from growing your busi-ness. You can’t get rid of all of your fears but there are a few ways to tame them. • Don’t quit your day job. Lately I’ve been reading about business owners I thought were doing well but it turns out that they work full time during the day and work on their business at night. When they make enough money, they’re going to quit their job and focus on their business full time. Take the pressure off yourself and work on your new business when you’re not at your corporate job. You’ll be able to focus more clearly and get your ducks in a row before you quit your job. • Go for the low-hanging fruit. If you left a corporate job to work from home, turn to your old employer as your first client. Your old employer won’t have to train you, pay your health insurance, or give you two weeks off each year. They’re already familiar with the way you work and the quality of work you can produce, so they should they continue to use your services. If you left your last job on bad terms, skip to the next tip. • Use skills not related to your business to make money. If you’re handy with a hammer, have an eye for design, or can landscape like nobody’s business, get to work. There’s nothing wrong with taking odd jobs to sup-plement your income or in some cases to serve as income until your business takes off. Fear is part of everyday life, whether or not you own your own business. When you take the time to recognize and face those fears, you can enjoy being your own boss even more.

Lisa Kanarek is one of the nation’s leading home office experts and the author of five books. Lisa is also the founder of HomeOfficeLife, a consulting firm that advises home-based business owners on all aspects of working from home and is founder of WorkingNaked.com.


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Sexual Fitness “One is not born a woman, one becomes one.” Simone de Beauvoir One of the biggest road blocks I see in career women when it comes to their rela-tionships or finding the right man is how they use their sexual essence. There are four areas of sexual fitness outlined in Fit 2 Love, but I wanted to feature the one I thought was most important for the modern working woman. Your Sexual Essence Being sexually fit also means activating ecstasy, passion, and sensuality on a regu-lar basis. This kind of energy is a magnet, not only for men, but for everyone around you. Every person is some part masculine and some part feminine. I have fallen into the trap of activating my masculine energy more often because my career requires me to be productive, efficient, and goal oriented. These are masculine traits. This became a problem when I was dating and looking for my man. I would treat it as a job, so I would go out on the town with focus and determination! Since I was activating my masculine energy, I would attract more feminine men, and that was not what I wanted. It became really clear to me how my use of masculine energy was not inviting men to me, but repelling them. In order for me to attract a masculine man, I needed to live in my feminine more often. This takes some practice in today’s fast-paced, work-driven world, and it is not talked about openly. Women have strived to be like men for so long in the work envi-ronment that we don’t recognize the damage it has done to our relationships. Unfor-


All About Fitness


tunately too often, we blame it on the men, when in reality, we have made the shift. Visit fit2love.info for the free Fit 2 Love 4 Week Plan that will help you adjust your energy in your business and per-sonal life. JJ Flizanes, Director of Invisible Fitness, was named best personal trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine and was also one of the six featured trainers in Shape Magazine in 2003. She is the Author of the Ama-zon.com Best Seller Fit 2 Love: How to Get Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Fit to Attract the Love of Your Life and Knack Absolute Abs: Routines for a Fit and Firm Core. She has appeared on NBC, KTLA, CBS and Fox 11 as well as numerous local and national magazines. JJ’s mission is to help women feel gorgeous and confident without starving or killing themselves in the gym

(Continued from page 28)

Those are the 7 essentials for complete marketing success! Now you may be thinking she’s given me more to do! Ugh! I have given you a few free ideas too – social media, video, press releases and stories, attending events – but there are two major elements to consider that will lessen any headaches. First, create a marking plan on a BIG wall calendar. Know when you plan to roll out a project, launch a book or program, sell an event. Calendar out when it’s time to announce open enrollment, when is the crunch time and what you must do! Are you going to offer specials around different holidays or is spring your big marketing time. Calendar it! Then, back into these marketing essentials we’ve just covered. Some of the essen-tials are daily, like social media; some are weekly like an ezine or email communica-tion; and some are less frequent like updating your website or sending out a direct mail piece a few times per year. But I know I am going post on Facebook every morning, that Wednesday mornings is my time to proof and approve my ezines and

write any articles, that my live event is 3 months away and scheduling my email, my videos, etc ahead keep me on track – so that I know what must be done and that I’m not forgetting anything until it’s too late! Some of this will take a little extra effort on your part right now, but the end goal is to have it all automated and systematized for the future. Second is you need to delegate. I do a lot myself, but if I didn’t have systems in place for automating some of this, I’d been crazed all the time. If I didn’t’ have team mem-bers in place to delegate some of this to, and know it would be done, I’d go crazy. There are many resources now available to help you with the delegation. I use Buy-

(Continued from page 12 - 7 Marketing Essentials)



designations are still correct for your current circumstances and that the contact information is up-to-date. In addition to regular reviews, you should look over your list when you change jobs, marry or divorce. Designations also might need to be changed when you have or adopt a child, or when your child becomes financially independent. You will generally need to have a designation form for each account you hold, even if you have more than one account with the same provider. Note that if you are married and want to designate someone other than your spouse as your primary beneficiary, federal and/or state law may require signed and notarized con-sent from your spouse.

Elizabeth Bernay and Kara Noone are Financial Advisors with the Global Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Irvine, CA. The information contained in this article is not a solicitation to purchase or sell investments. Any information presented is gen-eral in nature and not intended to provide indi-vidually tailored investment advice. The strate-gies and/or investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will de-pend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Investing involves risks and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest. The views expressed herein are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, Member SIPC,

or its affiliates.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC

(Continued from page 26 - The Basics of Beneficiary Designation)

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A Final Thought…..

Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you

gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots

and lots of time with them. “unknown”

ing Time LLC, a company that handles my virtual work (computer work they can do and then email me) and is also locally available to do any errands or work at my events. You can even have a company like this help you automate systems once, so that it’s done and ready to use over and over again! Here is the bottom line: Marketing needs to be a continuous flow of “touches” to a prospect and existing clients. An email marketing piece will be read by someone who will never read a social media post. A video is going to “talk” to someone who wouldn’t even open an email. And my website might not interest someone who will read my Facebook posts. Social media is free, video is free, email marketing has minimal costs, and attending events can be free. I recently conducted a survey of some of my readers and it confirmed my theory! I found that some who read my print magazine and ezine blast, don’t visit my website. And that there are many who read the electronic email but don’t ever use Facebook or other social media. This just confirms that we need to be in multiple places (print, email, mail, video, social media, events, etc) and only putting one marketing tech-nique into use will reach a very small portion of our potential clients! Finally, you need to have the right mindset. Marketing isn’t all about Whats in if for me. It’s about what’s in it for them – your potential clients. It’s about how we can serve our clients – and letting them know how we can sup-port them and fix their pain - that is how you are going to attract the clients that are right for you. Cathy is the CEO of What’s Up For Kids and Today’s Innovative Woman. Cathy became an entrepreneur mom in 1995 when she launched What’s Up For Kids, a maga-zine and event company serving local families in Los An-geles. In working with entrepreneur moms through the National Association of Entrepreneur Moms, she realized a need for a publication serving smart, savvy entrepreneur women. In 2011, Cathy published the first issue of Today’s Innovative Woman filled with articles from business tips and resources to food, fashion, and fun! Cathy was awarded the 2011 Top 50 Mompreneur of the Year award by Babble.com and has been featured on cbs.com and KFWB news radio in Los Angeles.

(Continued from page 29 - Stop the Marketing Madness)


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today's innovative woman may/june 2012

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