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CRAVE BlogCheck out this great segment featuring our CRAVE Phoenix leader Shawna introducing CRAVE to the world:
Check out this great segment featuring our CRAVE Phoenix leader Shawna introducing CRAVE to the world:
time's a tickin' / fail fast
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.
CRAVE made the news! Watch this special segment all about the power of women entrepreneurs, straight off the heels of the CRAVE Denver guide launch!
Continuing our monthly theme of risk taking in life and business we would like to share with you this great post from Chris Guillebeau:
The Bravest Thing – I asked this question last week and was flooded with hundreds of great responses. Here are many of them, with links to the people who were brave enough to share.
ferolea: Quiting my job go around the world was easy. Coming back… that’s the bravest I’ve been.
avalonmel: Agreed to teach uni computer science course to 130+ students when I was 22… and afraid of public speaking.
TylerLClark: I moved halfway across the country for an unpaid internship. At the end, they offered me a job. Glad I took the risk!
opheliaswebb: Called off my wedding. And killed a spider in the shower. Equally terrifying.
“My belief about fear and courage is that all of us are scared of all kinds of things, so the wrong approach is to pretend to be fearless. Instead, acknowledge your fears, but proceed anyway” (Chris Guillebeau).
Read more here and get started with taking your own life changing risks!
Image by NickNguyen
We were happy to learn that Social Media U is officially up and running and will start classes in the South End throughout the month of October, called “Social Media for the Tech Challenged.” This is a beginners class for anyone who has ever wanted to get started on Twitter or Facebook but isn’t really sure how. Check out what Tomeeka Farrington (spotlightcommunications.net) has to say about these classes on her blog:
Social Media is HOT. It’s only getting hotter! In today’s age, social networking is becoming the leading and most effective way to communicate on a personal level and to market your company, on a business level. Yet, there are still many people who do not know how to use it. The idea for Social Media U came to me one day when I was speaking on a social media marketing expert panel recently, discussing social media strategies that could be employed to enhance business branding and marketing . I was all prepared with my notes and “cheat sheets” when a woman in the audience asked, “What is social media?” A light-bulb went off and I realized the need for us to back-up and define social media before we could actually move forward with the social media marketing strategies part of my lecture.
Tickets are just $20 “Early Twitter Bird Special” if you and/or a guest registers now. Also, if YOU sign-up a friend or colleague Social Media U will offer you a 50% discount on any future Social Media U class of your choice. Just have your friend/colleague reference your name. Social Media U is gearing up for its kick-off of personal and business track classes covering all things social media, that are sure to be amazing!! Even if you are on social media networks now there is always something new to learn to help make it work for your individual needs!
MOD Boston was founded in 2005 and quickly established itself as a place to find the latest one-of-a-kind items in the Boston area. It truly is a boutique that offers you the “UNEXPECTED”!
MOD offers designer garments and accessories that capture and maintain a great sense of fashion. MOD provides unique and exclusive items coupled with unparalleled presentation in an intimate setting.
The “UNEXPECTED” will showcase MOD Boston’s interpretation of how a women should truly express herself. This event will define individuality and growth through fashion.
Prepare to gasp in excitement as you experience MOD’s trends for Fall and Winter 2010 (click here to learn more).
Modern Pilates invites you and your friends to their Pilatini Parties, a celebration of Fall with a little swish of the skirt and some great conversation. They have teamed with the Regal Beagle in Coolidge Corner and Tomasso’s in Southborough to offer up a tasty, eco-friendly, and healthy cocktail party. Besides great food and great conversation, their instructors will be demonstrating exercises on the equipment and answering any questions you might have. It’s a great chance to interact with the staff, fellow clients and Pilates aficionados, and celebrate Fall and fitness with a tasty Pilatini.
Pertinent Details:
When: Friday, September 24, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (ET)
Where:
Please RSVP! Please click the appropriate town to sign up and please share this invitation with friends.
Over the past few months, the number of people quitting their jobs was greater than the number of people losing their jobs. Savvy quitters build a support network before they take the plunge, and brilliant quitters enlist professional help. Enter: the Certified Career Coach. One part therapist. One part cheerleader. Two parts butt-kicking taskmaster.
Need a solid coach in your corner of the ring? Michelle Ward, Dyana Valentine and Chrissy Scivicque are at the top of their game.
Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up
whenigrowupcoach.com
I’ll admit it — I’m a tad biased in Michelle’s favor. She coached me out of my cubicle doldrums and into freelance bliss, so I owe her my firstborn child. A graduate of NYU / Tisch’s musical theater program and a certified life coach, Michelle brings theatrical flair and a “wagon full of enthusiasm” to every session. She recently raised her rates and is poised to explode, so book a free 30-minute consultation call while you still can.
For a weekly dose of self-exploration, bookmark Michelle’s ongoing blog feature: Tough Question Tuesday.
Dyana Valentine
dyanavalentine.com
Generous. Ambitious. A master of personal marketing. Dyana leads by example, and her clients feel the heat. By her own admission, Ms. Valentine’s coaching style is “not for the weak of heart.” She prides herself on helping self-starters finish what they started, using Community Psychology principles to light the way. As one client put it, “if I had to be shipwrecked on a desert island, I’d want Dyana with me.”
For a no-holds-barred explanation of the power of “no,” check out Dyana’s article on “No-gotiation.”
Chrissy Scivicque of Eat Your Career
eatyourcareer.com
Chrissy serves up a powerhouse combo platter — she’s a certified nutritionist AND an experienced career coach. Yum. As the creator of Office Arrow — a popular resource for administrative professionals — Chrissy has a firsthand grasp on the challenges of running an online business. She’s a clear communicator with a nourishing perspective on life, love and work — and all the snacks in between.
For a trio of tasty coaching treats, download Chrissy Scivicque’s free workbooks on stress management, time management and career reinvention.
ALEXANDRA FRANZEN is a writer + editor + organization freak. She designs rockstar resumes, leads personal branding jam sessions, writes marketing copy and teaches wallflowers how to hustle like a gangsta’. You can find her blogging up a storm at Unicorns for Socialism and tweeting away @alex_franzen.
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Just in time for Mother’s Day, our CRAVE guides were featured on Twin Cities Live as the perfect gift for stylish moms everywhere! Watch the clip here and see our lovely books take center-stage!