CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE

CRAVE Phoenix on TV

May 31, 2011 by Lilla | Comments (2)

Check out this great segment featuring our CRAVE Phoenix leader Shawna introducing CRAVE to the world:

Read more here.

5 Easy Steps To Make Your Next Painting Project Fail Proof

May 27, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

Having a home that you love takes time and energy, which are two things most people want more of! That is why it is important to do your homework when you are ready to start on your next painting project. Here are my easy and fail proof steps to take to ensure you select the right paint colors for your home today!

1. Feel First. Determine how you want to feel in the space prior to looking at paint chips or fan decks. This will help you stay focused on your end result which is your desired feeling.
2. Be a stranger in your own home. Stand at your front door and close your eyes. Then open your eyes and experience what you see. This exercise will help you select colors that are complementary since you will see several spaces.
3. Review and determine the undertone color of the existing hard surfaces, elements such as the floor, countertop, and cabinet colors and furnishings, furniture, lighting and accessory colors, when selecting for the walls, ceilings, door and trim paint colors.
4. Always test your paint color before you purchase. How many of us, yes me included, have more than 1 quart of “oops” paint in your basement, colors you thought would work and didn’t! Most paint companies have inexpensive sample cans that are perfect for testing.
5. Apply 2 coats of the paint color on both the walls and ceilings in different parts of your space. It is important to see both the wall and ceiling colors next to each other to get a clear visual of how the color will look throughout the entire space. Review the colors over a few days to experience the color shifts from the changes in the natural light.

As a color consultant for over 9 years, I have experienced a lot of frustration and stress from people trying to select paint colors. My advice to you is to take your time, feel first and sample your paint colors. This is the first step in transforming your home and yourself, so enjoy the process!

Kathy Banak is an interior designer, color consultant, and founder of  Authentic Home, interior design.  Over the past 9 years I have owned and operated several paint stores and know first hand the frustration and stress many people experience when selecting paint colors.  And for many it could take months and sometimes years to make the decision. There simply are just too many paint color choices available on the market today that people just get overwhelmed.

Check out my Authentic Home Blog and connect with me on Facebook and Twitter!

4 Ways To Get the “F” Word Out Of Your Vocab

May 25, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (1)

Ladies, enough with the “F” word! The only way that you can fail, is if you give up! The only way that you can fail is if you don’t even try!

Ladies, get that non-progressive, self-defeating “F word” out of your head and out of your vocabulary ASAP.

The right question to be asking your self and acting upon is; how will I set myself up for business success?

My belief is that the “F word” all starts with a mindset. If you choose to focus on failing and why things won’t work – I can promise you that you will have a long road ahead of you to attain business success. The right mindset, a positive mindset is what’s required to get the “F word” out of your vocabulary permanently.

When your mind is consumed with why it won’t work, then you have already taken 5 step backwards before you have taken even one step forward. If you don’t believe in yourself, your product, or your service, neither will your customers.
Here are some tips to get you setting yourself up for business success and deleting the “F word” from your vocab.

Tip #1

Choose to focus on progressive thoughts and how you will make it work and how you will be successful. But don’t be disillusioned, thoughts alone don’t bring about success – positive thought, hard work and progressive action bring about business success.

Tip #2

Choose to not fight change and learn how to embrace it (no matter how difficult it may seem in the moment). Ladies, the reality is this: times change, your clients change, market conditions change – the decision is yours, are you going to submit to the “F word”? Of course not! Make a conscious decision to be willing to embrace change or what will happen is that “change” will manage you – and that is when you lose control. Be intentional about looking for the opportunities in times of change – trust me, they are there.

Tip #3

Nobody likes to make mistakes. However, the simple reality of life is that at some point, all of us are going to be wrong, do something bad, or somehow screw something up. That’s just life.

As a business owner, recognize that you are going to make a lot of mistakes, it’s not the “F word”. Set yourself up to learn from mistakes you make and things that have not gone as planned, use these new “lessons learned” to fuel your success.

Tip #4

At most times we are our biggest fans of our products or services – we know that what we do or sell can help a lot of people. But the real question is – Who else knows? If you truly believe in your product or service, show and tell the world (your target audience). If they don’t know, they can’t benefit from the incredible stuff you have to offer, which equals no sales and no income. Ladies forget about being humble when getting your company name out there – just do it. Put the “F word” to the fire and push full steam ahead.

On a closing note, we should never accept and embrace failing fast as a concept. You can call it failure but I choose to call it – learning “WHAT NOT TO DO”, which is just as important as learning “WHAT TO DO”.

So ladies, let us toast to permanently eliminating the “F word” – Cheers!

Karen Donaldson is a Motivational Speaker, Public Speaking and Presentation skills coach and Founder of Karen Donaldson Inc and Panache Life Inc. She has helped numerous executives, entrepreneurs and sales professionals become panic free presenters, communicate with confidence and clarity, command attention whenever they speak and deliver presentations that close the sale.

Visit Karen at www.karendonaldsoninc.com for free resources, one-on-one coaching programs and upcoming events.

Lessons from The Dailey Method

May 23, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

So, you think you can dance? If you can, I envy you. While some of you may be ready to two-step or salsa with the best of ‘em,  I have  had to find other ways to remain limber.  I now teach what I consider to be the most effective exercise I have ever tried. And I have tried a lot of them. My regimen includes a combination of that constant battle we call core-conditioning, as well as stretching, orthopedic exercises, and ballet barre work. Turns out I have a bit of ballerina in me after all.

My exercise of choice is called The Dailey Method, and I opened up TDM Studio in Scottsdale, Arizona almost two years ago.  It was the first of its kind in Arizona, and a name that very few people in the area knew or recognized. However, with ballet barre studios being the hottest ticket these days in cities like L.A., San Francisco, Chicago and New York, I was excited to introduce Scottsdale to the power of the barre.  Being the first does come hand in hand with risk, and I knew there was a possibility that I could fail.

The Dailey Method, along with other barre workouts,  is especially great for women because it focuses a lot on strengthening the smaller muscles groups in the core and around the spine which can offset, or ward off, Osteoporosis and help improve posture and balance. The method combines elements of Pilates and Yoga with exercises and stretches designed to target each of the major muscle groups of the body, so you first work the muscle then stretch it out, which is why it’s so effective at toning and lengthening the body, and creating flexibility. But again, in Arizona, I heard a lot of, “The Dailey what?”

In business, we hear, “If you make it past the first year, you will probably make it.” I visited other TDM studios, and not one of the other studio owners had gone out of business. There were about 11 Dailey Method studios when I opened, and by the end of this year there will be about 38 nationwide and one in Paris, so the ballet barre method of exercising is growing quickly and showing every sign that we will indeed make it.

Anyone who reads and “likes” this article on Facebook will be offered their first class free at The Dailey Method Exercise Studio in Scottsdale. Visit the TDM Facebook page and ask for your class. You shall receive.

This article was written for CRAVE by Linda Nofer of The Dailey Method.

Introducing: CRAVE Spa

May 20, 2011 by Sarah Clise | Comments (23)

Hello CRAVErs! We are thrilled to announce our newest line of publications: CRAVE Spa. The series includes CRAVE Spa, one highly exclusive guide to destination and resort spas across North America, and seven regional editions of CRAVE Spa, Beauty & Wellness, devoted specifically to women-owned spa, beauty and wellness locales in the United States and Canada.

CRAVE Spa is the only CRAVE publication to span an entire continent. It’s a traveler’s dream book, showing off the best places to relax, indulge, and get pampered across North America. Can’t make a trip this year? Special book features include recipes from some of the most exclusive spas to recreate a crave-worthy experience at home.

Each CRAVE Spa, Beauty & Wellness regional book is broken into the following ten sections: Day Spas & Medical spas; Hair Salons; Skin Care Clinics, Dermatologists, Estheticians; Exclusive Nail Spas; Makeup Artists; Nutritionists and Naturopaths; Massage; Fitness—Personal Training, Yoga or Pilates; Exclusive Wellness Retreats; and Waxing, Sugaring, & Threading Studios. You’ll never have to scour the internet for a top-notch beauty business again!

The CRAVE Spa series continues in the CRAVE tradition of connecting customers with extraordinary places and experiences. After working with and promoting women-owned businesses for the last 10 years in 30 cities all over the world, we’ve gotten to know the spa industry very well. We feel that delving into the beauty business is a win-win for everyone in our fabulous family of entrepreneurs. Extraordinary spas are able to get their names out into the world, and our amazing readers discover the very best places to go for their beauty,

Do you know of any CRAVE-worthy spas that deserve a spot in the CRAVE Spa series? We are looking for businesses across the  Is there an over-the-top awesome beauty biz you think we should know about? Give us the scoop by connecting with the Facebook and/or Twitter account of the CRAVE city nearest you.

Trendsetters, Influencers and Connectors

May 18, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (3)

As a businesswoman, more importantly, an entrepreneur, I have come to learn that there are 3 very important people you must surround yourself with in order to help your business grow and make it successful: trendsetters, influencers and connectors. Why? Because these are the people who are going to believe in you, believe in what you are doing and will want to help you grow your business as ferociously as you do.

Fortunately, this wasn’t something I learned yesterday. Or even 3 years back when I started my first business, the Smart Cookies. I learned this from my parents believe it or not. I watched how they connected with the people around them, how others influenced them both personally and professionally and how they nurtured those relationships to help them get to where they are today. Of course, not without offering the same in return. No, my parents are not celebrities, people in the media or savvy politicians. They are just your average people who have made a difference to others around them, have done the right things all their life and succeeded in doing so. I admired that and I certainly took it to heart as I got older and became a businesswoman.

Throughout my career, I have been able to connect with some amazing people who have helped me get to where I am today (professionally speaking). Now that I am busy running 2 businesses, Smart Cookies and Bratface Marketing, I have come to learn how important these people are to me, my business and how key they are to my success in this fickle world.

In simple terms, here is how I define the difference between all three. You can agree with me or not, but mark my word, you will agree with at least some of what I have to say and I guarantee that you will be able to have 1 if not all 3 of these people in your life to some capacity.

Trendsetters – you probably have heard this term commonly used in the fashion industry. A ‘fashion trendsetter’ can be used to describe Patricia Field, Sarah Jessica Parker and Lady Gaga, but when it comes to business, trendsetters are the ones you want to watch out for, listen carefully to, ‘follow’ if you are an avid Twitter user and trust when it comes to their instincts. These people are the ones who are always on the cutting edge of business, politics, and social media – you name it. They can often be risky and stray from the ‘norm’ (but really, what is classified as normal anymore these days?) but will often take the most risks because they believe in something, and believe in what they are doing and more importantly, don’t care as much about other people’s opinions. Talk about standing by your convictions! Others don’t sway these people easily because they are truly authentic and are not afraid to fail (although, they rarely do). You have to get on the bandwagon early with these folks if you want to be cutting edge and be a part of the trend.

Influencers – these people are who I find to be some of the most important. I have been influenced my many people in my life from parents, grandparents, former employers to good friends. They inspire me and they can often inspire you to do the things you are scared of in life. Taking the leap of faith to quit your high paying job and start your own company; taking a year off to travel and experience the world while leaving behind your security. Whatever it is, influencers will be some of the most amazing people (and best storytellers) you will surround yourself with and if you really want to succeed in life or business, they are the ones that will take you to the next level. If you need a little push in the right direction, start making a list of the best people who can influence you to make that move.

Connectors – from a business perspective, these people will literally rock your world. Okay, well they did for me anyway! This is one lesson I learned fairly early on in life: the people, who are good at connecting you with people you should know, are the people you should befriend and get to know really well. Don’t be afraid to get out there and introduce yourself. Doesn’t matter if you know them or not. One of the best ways you can succeed in business and connect yourself with others is to put yourself out there. Plain and simple. It’s very important in business because as you grow and succeed (whether it be as an entrepreneur or not) these are the people who will connect you with other influencers or people they believe will help you get to that next level. They are the ones who believe in you and have confidence in introducing you to others. One important note I want to mention is to make sure you connect with people who are worth connecting with. Don’t waste your time meeting people just for the sake of meeting people and getting out there. You want to make an effort in finding the right people who have your best interest at heart and will have some sort of a positive influence to your bottom line.

A final note, I wanted to leave you with this interesting point of view. A close friend of mine sent this to me when I asked her opinion on this topic. I agree with her 100% because it nicely sums up what this whole article is about. What do you think? Email me at andrea@bratfacemarketing.com and share your thoughts.

“The most important thing is to be seriously interested and curious about other people, believe that everyone has something of value to offer and that each one of us has qualities and/or talents that can assist someone else. Once you realize this it is easy to bring people together.” – Karen P.

Follow Andrea @BratfaceMrktg & @andreabaxter

‘Like’ Bratface Marketing on Facebook

Fail-Proof Your Health Routine in Minutes

May 13, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (1)

Busy. Busy. Busy.

Our drive to be successful, deliver the goods and support others can overshadow some of life’s fundamentals.

This weekend, do something for yourself; do something for your health.

Sunday marks the conclusion of National Women’s Health Week. According to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, one in eight American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Statistics are similar in other western countries.

The good news is that with early detection chances for survival are excellent.

Get In Touch – Talk with family members about history of disease. If possible, learn about health conditions of your relatives living and deceased.

Get Familiar – If you have not looked at your breasts in the mirror recently, do it before your next shower. Repeat this visual inspection once a week. Establishing a habit of looking at your breasts will help you identify any changes in size, shape and color, which can be indicators of a problem.

At least once a month give yourself a breast self-exam. This will help you notice any changes in your breasts. For a free guide to self-examination click here.

Get Checked – Skipping annual health checkups can be dangerous. If it has been a while since you had a gynecological exam or physical, call your doctor’s office and schedule one. Gaining valuable information about your current state of health will empower you to make smart choices.

Get Going – Just 1.5 to 2 hours of brisk walking each week can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 20%. Most of us can do this by walking to the grocery store and carrying our bags home rather than driving, once per week.

Get Social – Need encouragement? Find and exercise partner and set a common goal. In Seattle, many are prepping for the 5K Race for the Cure on June 5th. It’s great encouragement to stay active and engaged in something meaningful. Click here to learn more and sign up with friends.

If you have failed to care for yourself and your breasts in the past, change your habits today. Set aside a few minutes each month for your health. You will be amazed by how much it contributes to better performance in all you do.

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This blog post was provided for CRAVE courtesy of Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Tic Toc What Are You Waiting For?

May 10, 2011 by Lilla | Comments (8)

Fail Fast-

It may sound like strange business advice, but I’ve invested a lot of money and years to learn this valuable lesson – so trust me.

If it seems harsh to propose failing fast, imagine the alternative of failing slowly – with the small heart attacks that never end year after year. Dare to fail fast.

Isn’t it true that everything we learn and know in life come from trial and error? From learning to walk, to starting a business, we fail in order to master. Sure, you should read all the “how to” business books and give thought to the business plan, but it will still be like learning how to swim by reading a book. It’s just not enough.

There’s been really fast (Wow Cookies-weekend) and really slow (Pike Place Market cafe-15 years) business failures in my life. My shelf life for ideas is now six months maximum. Whether I’m starting something new, or a project inside a current business, I get in, prototype, get it out there. Is it going to fly or not? The faster I know, the better.

I have no patience for perfectionists. When people tell me they are working on a business idea but waiting for the perfect time, location, or partner, my experience is that they will never launch. I don’t live in that world. You can have a Facebook page, twitter handle, and business card up today. You can design your book cover and put it out for comment before you even write the book. You can prototype a product/service and pretend you are in business before you actually take the real leaps. You can’t know what will happen (and I hope you succeed), but at the very worst your failure will be fast and you can take that idea back to the drawing board or simply pursue the next.

My two highest profit businesses as of today, were at one time certified failures. They later got reinvented, rethought, even “flipped” in an entirely new direction. They were fast failures of great value.

If you want to read more about the above businesses (and how I eventually made them work), check out my new book CRAVING SUCCESS.

Don’t Fear Switching Gears

May 9, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (3)

When I launched my business two years ago, I was just an Outside the Box Career Coach. I did JAM sessions, and helped people discover their creative THING. I quickly discovered that it took great effort to get clients, who soon whizzed out the door as soon as they discovered their ‘thing’. How to keep ‘em coming back?

I was pretty hung up on ‘sticking things out’ in the only business model I knew until I spent an hour on a walk with a fabulous entrepreneurial woman who has successfully run a model agency as well as an event firm and a fine arts business. She told me to switch gears often, and fast, especially if something wasn’t working. “But I want hate to be the one who doesn’t see things through!” I wailed. I was preoccupied with the old mindset, which taught me to keep at it until the beachhead was made.

Well yes, and NO! You can’t do that when you’re an entrepreneur. When something works, do more of it. If something isn’t working, pull back and switch gears – try something new. After speaking with my supportive friend, I shifted and added business coaching to my model so I could help women who were already launched, and needed long-term support. I quickly signed on a few ongoing clients.

I was getting a stunning response to workshops I offered at colleges, so I started offering more. People kept commenting how much they loved my writing, so I wrote and have been editing an eBOOK on doing the work you love. None of this was part of my original plan.

My business model has shifted with every success, and failure. Get wise to your clients, your strengths, and where the market is sniffing for a solution. Tailor your core services, then offer ‘em something TO DIE FOR.

Your clients deserve it. And So Do YOU!

Jillian J. Davis helps people define their life’s work and live it. You can find her blog and more about who she helps at www.jillianjdavis.com.

Test Early, Test Often

May 6, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

We’ve all heard it: fail early, fail often. Its a mantra in the land of coding and has become perennial advice to entrepreneurs. We’ve all heard the stories: Michael Jordan misses 51% of his shots, Thomas Edison tried and failed over 1000 times trying to invent the light bulb.

So how does all that translate to you and your business? One word: TEST. Test your ideas. Forget about failure. Test early, test often.

Every entrepreneur, especially in creative fields, is terrified they will launch and hear crickets. No one wants to hold a launch party for one. Boost your chances for success by testing your ideas before you launch. Ask your market what they want before you invest time and money into creating a product.

You don’t have to pay for expensive marketing services to do a focus group. Activate your network instead.
Who makes a good test market?

Your mastermind group- It’s what they are there for. At your next meeting ask if they are willing to focus group your ideas. This is the place you can be completely honest and get open feedback. I am part of a group in which we all share parts of our projects before they go live: web copy, products, videos and concepts. Their feedback kept me from making a big mistake with a product last year. Test early!

Your family, friends and neighbors- A colleague wanted to create a product aimed at teens. He used his niece and her friends as a focus group. In his market research he found that teens don’t have a way to make purchases online. He could have wasted months trying to market on the internet. Instead, he saved tons of time by testing early and understanding his market’s distribution needs.

Your inner circle networking group or mail list- I know a coach who does free programs to a select group before she launches a paid course or product. She uses feedback from the freebie to perfect the final product. You can also offer a discount to a small beta group. The beta group’s feedback will help you refine your final offer.

Search online- There are coaches, counselors and service providers who will do free consultations or advice sessions. Sales and marketing professionals in particular often have free offers you can take advantage of. If you approach the session with very specific questions in mind you can make the most of your time.

Test your ideas before you invest time and money in a new project. Get feedback from whatever sources are available to you. Using your network to test your ideas can save you time and money.

__________________

Deanna Lohnes is the owner of Parlance, a copywriting company aimed at small businesses. Connect with Deanna online, Facebook, and Twitter.

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