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CRAVE Phoenix on TV
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011Introducing: CRAVE Spa
Friday, May 20th, 2011
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
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
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
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Fail-Proof Your Health Routine in Minutes
Friday, May 13th, 2011
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
Jumping for Joy Juice!
Thursday, May 5th, 2011
Molly Mahar is a Life Coach, Speaker, and Community Builder for Gen Y Women and founder of Stratejoy. Her new program, Joy Juice, goes live today and we think it is over the top awesome. Below is Molly’s inside scoop on what Joy Juice is and how it will help you discover just how awesome YOU are.
1. Who can benefit from Joy Juice?
Obviously, I have an idea in my mind who I created Joy Juice for–women who want to access to their inner wisdom and desires and need a long-term, upbeat tool to help them tune into themselves. It’s funny you ask though, because I just asked this question to the ladies who beta-tested the Joy Juice program for me!
Here are my favorite answers…
“Oh, this is a tough one! I see so many people enjoying this for different reasons. First of all, someone who enjoys “working on herself” but really appreciates reminders and guidance will love this program (that’s me!). But then, I have a friend who’s in a HUGE transition in her life this year, and I think they’d really focus her inward, which is going to be so, so important to moving forward, healing, and re-building her life. But then my Mom, might really appreciate them, too. Working on herself is a totally foreign concept, but one she so wants to learn. In short, I think this program is A GEM!”
“I think anyone who is spinning themselves in circles of self-doubt or unnecessary angst would benefit from Joy Juice. Belief is a powerful tonic. “You can do it!” goes a long way for women of all ages. While some are lucky to just be born with oodles of self-confidence, for many of us it’s an over time trial-and-error, coming-into-your-own process. I think Joy Juice can help them get there.”
“Anyone who wants to learn more about themselves or spend more time on their personal growth/mental health/well-being is going to enjoy getting these prompts. And definitely those who are craving direction, both in life and in how to go about spending that quality time with themselves, because I really loved the prompts and know that I would never have thought of those kinds of topics on my own.”
2. What should people expect to get out of this new program?
Joy Juice is a yearlong program of positive prompts delivered every 3 days to your inbox. 12 months x 10 prompts= 120 inspiring, yet practical Love Bombs! Each month has a theme to inspire honest reflection, true growth, and the chance to listen to the wisest woman in your world– yourself.
Most of the women taking part are using the prompts to journal, but some are doing art work, blogging about the prompts, or letting them inspire deep conversations with partners or gal pals.
My warning? Expect breakthroughs, increased self-love, and this odd glowing feeling of being really connected and grateful for your world. 
3. What’s your theme song these days?
Is it cheating to say the one I had written? I LOVE music. I totally have a soundtrack to my life– all the big moments have songs that bring me right back… So, it was only natural that I wanted to have theme song written for me and for Stratejoy, right? An amazing local musician, Abi Grace, wrote and recorded something that I absolutely love for my Tribe. I listen to it every morning before diving into work! You can download if you like! http://www.stratejoy.com/theme-song/.
4. What makes YOU so awesome?
Right now I am reveling in the awesomeness that is my dedication and ability to keep innovating! Entreprenuership can be so hard on the self-esteem and I’m really proud of myself for believing in (and continuing to work at) my big dreams. I’m also awesome these days because I’m taking time to really connect with my family, drinking loads of green smoothies, and finding more excuses to be silly and whimsical.
5. What’s your #1 tip for CRAVE entreprenesses who don’t know how awesome they are?
Well, they are awesome. So, I’d yell this from the rooftops if I could, “You need to believe in yourself and your unique contribution to this world first. Before you ask anyone else to, before you figure out how to package and sell, before you create your brand or name your company. Get on board with your awesomeness.”
This doesn’t mean you need to be showy, or stuck up, or fake it til you make it. It means you need to tap into fierce self love and inner confidence. You don’t know how to do that? First step: Practice really listening to yourself. What makes you go “Oh, hell YES!”? What instantly turns you off? Respect those desires and you’ll get used to validating your own worth and individual awesomeness.
6. When you crave happiness, what do you do/where do you go?
When I’m craving general happiness or pleasure, I love taking long walks outside (preferably in the sunshine), dancing my heart out, exploring new neighborhoods (aka puttering), long champagne-fueled conversations with girfriends and snuggling with my husband.
If I’m craving happiness in my work, shutting down the Internet often helps! Reading my “love notes” email file always gives me a surge–it reminds me why I’m doing what I’m doing. If I’m really feeling out of sorts, I meditate on my mission- “To celebrate life authentically and inspire others to do the same.” This can help shift me from a place of contraction or comparison or feeling small to that spacious, creative, and happy space.
8. Where did the idea for Joy Juice come from?
Journaling is the process I use to engage in conversation with myself, to act as my own analyst, friend and coach. It’s also the birthplace of all my big ideas. Back in 2007, journaling made me realize that I was truly miserable in my sales manager job and that I needed to do something drastic to shake my life up. And then I traveled around the world journaling all the while. From that round of intensive self-connection, I realized I wanted to start a company that worked directly with women! I got back to Seattle and started Stratejoy…
I thought the ability to journal just came naturally to people—that everyone pours their heart out, examines their dreams, dissects their moments of shame, knows how to grow from their stream of consciousness writing. Apparently, I was wrong.
I had clients who asked for more journal prompts, for more “love to hate ‘em” questions, more juicy techniques to dig deeper, more ways to biggify their life through writing… Joy Juice was the answer to those requests!
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Find Stratejoy on the web, Facebook, and Twitter. Learn all about and sign up for Joy Juice here!
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
Brooke Davis, real estate guru, is one CRAVE entrepreness who knows her niche very well. With a savvy blog, in depth neighborhood guide coming to her site soon, and a distinguished career, she’s our go-to gal for all things real estate. Her website brookedavisrealestate.com is a fabulous resource for buyers and sellers alike. Learn more about Brooke and how she became the successful entrepreneur she is today:
What drew you to the career?
While buying my first home I became a little obsessed with the process. I loved working with our realtor and enjoyed the hunt of tracking down the perfect home to fit our needs.
After going through the home buying process I thought about being a realtor. I made lots of excuses about why I should not dive into self employment. I thought there were too many real estate agents out there, the market would maybe eventually ctrash or that I would have to save up money for too long before getting started. Finally, I got up the courage and quit my job at the time and decided I was going to be a real estate agent.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be in politics- I even doubled majored in Political Science and Communications in college. I had the idea that I always wanted to help people bring about positive change.
What is the most rewarding part?
Nothing is more rewarding than having a happy client. I feel great satisfaction when I get a referral from a past client.
There are so many different parts of home buying that through the process you really get to know a lot about a person. It is really rewarding to be able to develop a relationship with each client and then see how happy they are when they finally get the home they have been saving up for.
Where do you do most of your work?
I work most often from my laptop which follows me everywhere I go- coffee shops are one of my favorite places to settle in.
What is it like to be a woman in your industry?
Safety is always at the forefront of my mind when meeting new clients or holding an open house. As a woman I always take precautions to make sure I am protecting myself.
A Budget-Friendly “Outsourcing” Trick
Friday, March 25th, 2011
When we talk about embracing our strengths and outsourcing weaknesses, we understandably think of hiring web designers, bookkeepers and virtual assistants to help keep us focused on the meat of what we do best.
We know this. But it’s easier said than done, especially in the beginning.
How else might we *outsource* weaknesses, without actually outsourcing and paying a fee?
I do it through something I call ‘autopilot’. I gather together the things I hate to do, keep the list right of center on my peg board over my desk, and when I have to do these dreaded things that draw on my weakest abilities, I systemically action my way through them by boiling down the time I do them in, and using a timer. I try to do *outsourced* tasks in an hour or less.
In other words, I’ll make up whatever story or corner-cutting method I have to, to trick myself into getting through something I don’t like, without doing something far worse, which is to postpone a task, or hope it goes away magically.
It helps if I chunk the task down into bite size pieces.
Updating your Web site, a potentially time-consuming task, is definitely something to tackle in chunks. I really don’t want to outsource all things to a Virtual Assistant, especially WordPress updates. Yet I really hate figuring out which widget I need to install, and altering Pages, which I have to do on a fairly regular basis. It’s not a strength of mine to figure out mechanical or technical things. Not only do I have little interest or patience for it, but it bores me a bit. I’d rather be working on a class proposal or coming up with content for a workshop.
I *outsource* this task to myself and do it at intervals, using a timer, and never attemp to bite off more than one technical project at a time.
A ‘project’ is something that could be, for some, as simple as installing a Facebook Fan Page widget on my Web site.
In fact, I auto-piloted a project just yesterday. True to form, installing the widget took longer than usual, because after installing a text box and cribbing the code from FB, it still didn’t fit in my sidebars. I had to call someone who maneuvered with me over the phone to adjust the ‘width’ of the widget to fit my page dimensions.
If we don’t figure out a way to spend the majority of time on stuff we are good at, we slowly drain our feelings of effectiveness and confidence. Our source energy lights people up AND keeps us strongly motivated, so we can’t afford to let anything take up residence in our vital spaces that isn’t predominantly a strength.
Once upon a time, some would encourage you to master your weaknesses. I’ve only ever found the opposite: Embrace strengths and *outsource* weaknesses.
Jillian J. Davis helps people define their life’s work and live it. You can find her blog and more about who she helps atwww.jillianjdavis.com.
How To Create the Wedding Day of Your Dreams
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
One of the key takeaways from our research and interviews with brides is to plan your wedding with your own authenticity in mind. Wedding trends and traditions are fantastic to reference; however, during the wedding planning process brides can quickly get swept away in the idea of creating the “perfect” wedding and in the end feel stressed as well as overwhelmed.
From what we’ve noted, the best wedding experiences are those that are planned with the bride and groom’s priorities at the center. Family, friends and even some wedding vendors may want to paint a picture for your wedding that fits what they have in mind for a picturesque day, but it’s the bride and groom’s vision of their own personal wedding day that matters.
One of our favorite stories from “Unveiling Weddings” shares this idea. We call it the “Lemon Cake Story”. The bride, Lauren, was in her residency at a prestigious hospital and did not have time to plan her wedding so she let her mom plan the whole thing – huge white dress, tent, large guest list, fancy… everything. Lauren’s mom had been dreaming of her wedding day since she was a little girl. Lauren’s only request was to have a lemon cake and she was totally disappointed when her mother chose a white cake with raspberry filling instead. Here, the bride was able to navigate difficult situations at the hospital every day and she could not even get her favorite cake at her own wedding. A few weeks before her wedding her friends through her a mini shower and surprised her with a lemon cake. We love this story because it demonstrates the complexities of the wedding process. Even the most capable of women struggle to get what they want in the midst of family dynamics.
Typically, an engagement lasts up to 16 months and can create a time for a bride and groom to develop a solid platform for their future marriage. A terrific tip is for the bride and groom to figure out your priorities. Create a list and figure out your top three. For example, your list may include:
a.) stay on budget,
B.) invite as many of my friends and family as I can, and
c.) create a meaningful ceremony.
Post the list on a place where you can see it, and visit when need be (such as when all your single friends assume it’s okay to bring a date to your wedding). Keep these big-picture conceptual priorities at your fingertips will not only keep you on track but will diffuse any stress or anger that gets triggered by the mundane (and the ridiculous!) Remind yourself of the real reasons you are getting married and create the wedding of your dreams.
Rebecca Sacerdoti, PhD and Tasha Jackson Fitzgerald, MA are co-authors of Unveiling Weddings, a book that support today’s bride with emotional and spiritual guidance during her engagement. Filled with entertaining stories, professional insight and tips to demystify this important rite of passage, stories in “Unveiling Weddings” unveil the emotional hurdles, family dramas and personal breakthroughs that are typically hidden from the public eye. It’s a warm-hearted, inspiring and relevant read that will put even the most stressed out bride-to-be at ease. To read a few pages or buy the book, visit www.unveilingweddings.com.
CRAVE on TV!
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011CRAVE made the news! Watch this special segment all about the power of women entrepreneurs, straight off the heels of the CRAVE Denver guide launch!
Must-Read: Carol Roth’s The Entrepreneur Equation
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
If you don’t know the name Carol Roth, CRAVE is hoping that this post will help you love her as much as we do. Carol has written a new book, The Entrepreneur Equation, to help reverse the failure rates and increase the success rates of entrepreneurs and small business owners like you.
Carol has an impressive background helping entrepreneurs, and she’s also helped companies raise over $1 billion in capital. She knows her stuff, which is why MSNBC, FOX Business and many other business outlets consistently feature Carol’s advice.
Over 90% of new businesses fail (or fail to succeed) within five years, a statistic that would not be acceptable in other arenas of life. And many business owners waste their precious time, money and energy because they don’t know how to evaluate the risks and rewards of being an entrepreneur – and how to stack the odds of business success in their favor. Carol’s book hopes to change that.
In The Entrepreneur Equation, she teaches you how to stack the odds of success in your favor and ultimately decide if business ownership is the best possible path for you, now or ever. Carol helps you understand what it takes to build a valuable business as well as how to assess the risks and rewards of business ownership based on your personal circum¬stances. As a result, you’ll be able to do the math before you set down the entrepreneurial path and answer two important questions: “Could I be an entrepreneur?” and “Should I be an entrepreneur?”.
Through illustrative examples and personalized exercises, tell-it-like-it-is Carol Roth helps you create and evaluate your own personal Entrepreneur Equation as you:
- Learn what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in today’s competitive environment
- Save money, time, and effort by avoiding business ownership when the time isn’t right for you
- Identify and evaluate the risks and rewards of a new business—or even reconsider a current business—based on your goals and circumstances.
- Evaluate whether your dreams are best served by a hobby, job, or business
- Gain the tools that you need to maximize your business success
This week marks the pre-launch week of The Entrepreneur Equation. For every book you pre-order through Carol’s website, she will donate a book to the national business non-profit SCORE.org.