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CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE
Design*Sponge at Home
Last night, we had the pleasure of meeting Grace Bonney from the design blog Design*Sponge at the Seattle book launch for her new book, Design*Sponge at Home.
On a daily basis, Design*Sponge demonstrates the importance of visual design in all aspects of life. From interior design and flower arrangements to web and packaging design, Grace’s blog has been a guiding light for thousands all over the world. She also has a popular column called Biz Ladies, which addresses just about every topic you can imagine that has to do with running any kind of business!
Design*Sponge at Home, includes 70 home tours, 50 DIY projects, step-by-step DIY basics tutorials, 50 before & after makeovers submitted by readers of Design*Sponge, and essential tips on modern flower arranging, with 20 arrangements.
Throughout the years, Grace has been a huge inspiration for many members of the CRAVE team. Not only is she stylish, thrifty, imaginative and smart, she is humble about her successes and extremely down to earth. Meeting Grace—if only for a minute!—was an absolute dream.
Buy the book on Amazon, or click here for a full list of stores.
Interview with Business Strategist Carol Roth
Carol Roth is a New York Times Best Selling Author, her book The Entrepreneur Equation has taken the business world by storm. CRAVE had a chance to visit with Carol when she was visiting Seattle. Since September is all about visual design and what not to wear for your business we talked with Carol a little bit about the design behind her book cover and her Carol Roth doll!
Designing a Website: What to do Beforehand
For those who have never worked with a web designer, knowing the proper steps to take before meeting with one can be difficult to decipher.
When starting any project, you must first define the scope. Knowing how and what to plan will ensure a good working relationship with your future designer and help produce a high-quality product. It all starts with defining your preferences. By doing so, you will better understand your needs and assist your future designer in better serving you. In short, you need a business plan that addresses what you’d like your site to be. Here are several suggestions to aid you in developing and defining the scope of your website.
What is my business all about? Use descriptive words to capture your business’s personality and objective. Reflect on your mission statement (if applicable) and how you would like to portray your business.
What will be the purpose of my website? Creating an informational site versus creating a social networking site are two very different things. Your website’s purpose is one of your first decisions.
Who am I trying to reach? Outline your target audience. Are they professionals? What is their age range, demographics, interests, technical ability, etc?
What specific features do I want? This question goes hand in hand with the last two. For more informational sites, a blog could be a very useful tool. But if you sell items online, you will need to direct people to a purchasing page, not a blog.
Will the information on my website need to be frequently updated after it is built? Think about the information you are giving to your users. For example, if you have a product whose specifications change weekly, consider whether you want to edit the website yourself (i.e. via a content management system) or if you would rather pay someone else to manage it (contract with a maintenance service).
What is my budget? Be reasonable. Remember that a website is a passive marketing tool, working for you when you are not working. Think of it as an expansion of your company’s services and hours. Many people misperceive the cost of a website. It is important to keep this in mind: the price can vary anywhere from $1,000 to more than $50,000. Features such as blogs, content management, Flash animation and slideshows, as well as labor time and creativity, determine the price you will eventually pay.
What other sites do I like? List five or more sites that you have seen, either in your industry or in general, which you believe are well-designed. Provide the URL and a description as to why you like the site and specifically, which elements on the site you feel are working well. Examples are always very helpful for designers to get a better idea of what you are looking for.
How do I want to organize what I want to say? Create a site map by outlining every major section and subsection with the items you would like to include on those pages.
A simple example would be:
-Home (+ photo slideshow)
-About Us
-History
-Mission Statement
-Team
-Services & Pricing
-Blog
-Contact (with online form)
When referring back to these questions, take notes. In the end, your goal is to minimize the chance of miscommunication and optimize the quality of the end product. Put together a Word document that clearly answers each item. From this you will have a strong starting point for meeting with a web designer.
Erin Pierce is the owner of pixology, an interactive design boutique. To learn more about Erin and her work please visit her website here.
Beauty and the Brand (Part 2 of 2)
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Part two of a two-part series on building your business’s brand from Bridget Perez, branding expert, designer, creative consultant and co-founder of TRAY Creative. Read part one of the series here.
Once you define a clear mission and identity for your company, and gain a deeper understanding of your customers, you can move on to the fun stuff: identity design and packaging.
Design and packaging is the vehicle for translating your company’s identity and image into form. Through color, imagery, and graphic design, you can integrate messages and meaning with aesthetic and concept.
How a brand is packaged will determine whether or not your customers understand your business at first glance, feel engaged with you, and want to get to know more about your business. It could be the difference between someone throwing your business card in the trash or using it to check out your website.
Keep these things in mind when packaging your brand:
Successful packaging will leave a lasting impression.
People make decisions every day based on perception and emotion, particularly buying decisions. When a potential customer is introduced to your brand, it’s just like they are meeting a new person. First impressions are significantly based on appearance, so our packaging needs to succinctly communicate with our audience and get them interested in knowing us better.
A one-sided conversation isn’t going to create a relationship.
Your brand is not simply a reflection of your company, but it is also the way in which customers engage, interact, and connect with it. Listening to our customers and understanding their goals, desires, and values will help you determine their expectations and perceptions. This is important information to consider in creating packaging that will be pleasing and relatable to them.
Consistency is key.
Just because you have a logo doesn’t mean you’ve successfully branded your business. Your brand must be communicated in very interaction, every piece of literature, and in every medium—from your business card to your email signature, and from your website to your signage. Over time, this consistency will create brand recognition and build trust with your customers.
An Interview with Gabrielle Bernstein
CRAVE entrepreness Gabrielle Bernstein is an author and motivational speaker in New York City. Gabrielle took time to visit with CRAVE about her new book Spirit Junkie!
CRAVE: Did you have any inkling that you’d ever be a motivational speaker?
Gabrielle: It’s funny. I was always very theatrical. I went to theater school in a conservatory program. So it was very comfortable being on a stage and presenting ideas. I was uncomfortable acting, because I didn’t like being something that I wasn’t, but I knew that there was this need to present. Even when I was adolescent, I was a natural leader and it was very, very thrilling for me to rally people around an inspired idea. When I was in my 20s, I was running a public relations business. I would still have this intuition that I was going to be a motivational speaker, a coach and an author. I had this psychic hit that that was the case. I would be at after hours partying, doing God knows what drugs and drinking and be just a mess, telling strangers I was going to be a motivational speaker. It was this voice inside of me that was like, ‘You’re going to do this,’ but I didn’t know how.
CRAVE: In your new book Spirit Junkie you talk about how you hit a bottom and had to shut down your Sex in the City lifestyle. Why was that lifestyle no longer fulfilling to you?
Gabrielle: By the time I was 23 or 24, that world was no longer glossy anymore. I was really, really disenchanted with the nightlife scene in New York. I had spent years looking for happiness “out there” – in a pair of shoes, a boyfriend, getting past the velvet rope at some fancy nightclub. I learned the hard way that none of that worked. By the time I turned 25 I hit a huge bottom and had to surrender to the fact that true happiness had to come from within. This was when I shut down my outward search, turned inward and surrendered to a life as a full-on Spirit Junkie.
CRAVE: Your first book was called Add More ~ing to your Life has served many people seeking happiness. Can you tell us more about what ~ing actually is?
Gabrielle: ~ing stands for inner guidance. It is the voice of our intuition and our inspiration. The loving voice that guides us to forgive, release resentment and choose loving thoughts and actions. We all have ~ing – we just forget to call on it. My book Add More ~ing To Your Life is designed to help readers bulldoze negative thoughts and reconnect with their inner guidance system.
CRAVE: What is different about Spirit Junkie as compared to Add More ~ing To Your Life?
Gabrielle: I often say that Add More ~ing To Your Life is like an appetizer. It makes you hungry to be even more spiritually fed. Spirit Junkie is the big meal that will totally fill you up! (fyi: I have chills as I respond to this question…) I love this book so much! Spirit Junkie is a memoir style guidebook. This book is based on my story of how spirit has been intervening in my life from adolescence the present. I share how I spiritually recovered from drug addiction, love addiction, food addiction, work addiction … you name it. Through my own personal recovery story I teach the reader how to do the same. This book offers a spiritual solution for all problems. My hope for this book is that it will be the conduit through which I share the beautiful lessons I’ve learned as a student and a teacher of spirituality.
CRAVE: Tell us the most important lesson you’ve learned throughout your spiritual journey?
Gabrielle: The most important lesson I’ve learned throughout my spiritual journey is that true happiness comes from a connection to spirit. This connection is unique for everyone. It’s our job to be willing and surrender so that we can cultivate a spiritual relationship of our own understanding. When you have spirit in your life you feel complete, whole and inspired. You know the Universe has your back.
CRAVE: We often hear you tweet and post that you’re “the happiest person you know.” This is a bold statement. How do you maintain this happiness?
Gabrielle: As you’ll read in Spirit Junkie, I wasn’t always a self-proclaimed happy person. I was quite the opposite. But because of my steadfast journey inward I’ve connected to true inner peace. I maintain this peace and happiness through a daily spiritual practice. I often say that there isn’t a spiritual part of my life – it’s just MY SPIRITUAL LIFE. My happiness maintanance comes in the form of daily prayer and meditation – a moment-to-moment practice of forgiveness and a daily inventory of my actions. I have also chosen a life of sobriety, which truly keeps me straight and connected to spirit. I no longer need drugs or alcohol to make me feel good. I just feel it…
CRAVE: Your work focuses on expanding the spiritual lexicon for the next generation. How do you do that?
Gabrielle: As a teacher of A Course in Miracles I’ve been guided to teach metaphysics in a way that my student can jive with it. When the teacher is ready the students will bang down your door, this was the case for me. My students came in the form of people much like myself – a new generation of seekers looking for true happiness – knowing there had to be a better way. Therefore I must speak to them in a language that they’ll dig. And most importantly a language that is authentic to me. This new spiritual lexicon uses words like ~ing to refer to inner guidance or Holy Spirit — and Spirit Junkie to refer to oneself as a spiritual person. Making this work hip and relevant is a huge part of the gig…
CRAVE: How do we find out more about you and your work?
Gabrielle: For my weekly vlogs and free meditations you can click here and I’m in the CRAVE NYC Guide. Get Gabrielle’s book here!
The Importance of Visual Aesthetics
You and your girlfriends are walking downtown searching for a place to enjoy sushi and drinks after work. Conveniently, you run into two sushi restaurants within a few feet from one another! Tough choice? Not really. The answer is obvious; your girls choose the restaurant with appealing décor that just so happens to be playing “your song,” rather than the uninviting restaurant just a few shops away. Whether we care to admit it or not, we have all been guilty of choosing one thing or another based on aesthetics and presentation. When it comes to your business, you want people to CRAVE your business and make you the obvious choice.
I had the pleasure of interviewing co-owner of the very successful Swink Style Bar, Natalie Angelillo. In a business of making clients feel beautiful and welcome, Natalie explains why investing in the visual aspects and presentation of your business from head to toe is so important.
Put aside the product and the service, would you say you invest in the visual aspects of your business?
Yes
What is your target demographic?
Our target demographic is anyone who wants to look like themselves – only better! Our customers have ranged from 6 – 86.. There are so many reasons to come to Swink – hair, makeup, lashes, waxing, and our boutique full of the latest beauty products and tools…
How do you want new clients to feel when they walk into Swink? What vibe are you trying to generate?
We want people to feel very comfortable and welcome when they come to Swink. We were the first blow dry bar to open on the West Coast of the US and we knew many people would be experiencing the concept for the first time. Therefore it has always been important to us to be a place where people feel comfortable trying something new.
What would you say is your approach when talking to followers and potential clients via Facebook/ Twitter?
We want people to know that we are not a big chain or franchise and that we are local owners who are creating this business because we want a place like this to exist. We care very much about our customers and are grateful for each and every one of them. We look at ourselves and our friends, daughters, and moms as clients and try to speak through the various social media channels accordingly. Our communication on FB and twitter has a lot to do with respect: we respect people’s time so we try to post things that are useful and relevant. We are grateful when people post their photos or comments so we try to respond and say thank you… Social Media can be a wonderful tool – but as much as it allows us to extend our reach, we also see it as a very personal tool, allowing us to speak directly and personally to lots of “friends.” …For the first year, I did all of the FB and twitter communication personally and still write all of the emails to customers myself. People should know that there are real people running the business behind those posts and comments and emails.
On your website, you offer an easy to navigate site along with a fun feminine flair. Do you think the colors and style play a big role in clients choosing you over any other salon?
Thank you! We definitely think that each “place”, be it virtual or real, (our salon, our website, Facebook, Twitter, or an email newsletter) is an extension of our brand. The visual aesthetic of the actual salon is strategically important and we spent a lot of time working with our architect to create the environment we wanted within the budget we had to work with. Again, using ourselves as models, we created a place we would like to visit. We wanted it to be clean and modern with a feminine flair.
Do you play a certain type of music at Swink that might appeal to your target demographic?
We play a wide range of music to appeal to the wide demographic. Its funny you mention music – we have been working on our music lately; creating sets and playlists that coincide with the time of day or type of group that might be at Swink.
Do you advise a certain look for team members to keep in mind when showing up for work?
We do have a dress code but not a “uniform.” Our stylists are all very creative and as a whole have a great sense of style. We are trying to enforce a professional and appropriate appearance while giving our stylists some freedom to express their individual fashion flair.
Is presentation important at Swink?
Presentation is VERY important. Let’s face it, we are in the business of presentation – we are part of each woman’s personal presentation process! Hair, makeup, lashes – we know that when you look good, you feel good and we love being an essential part a Seattle woman’s beauty tool box!
Is there anything you think entrepreneurs and readers should know about the importance of visual aesthetics when modeling a business plan?
Definitely – visual aesthetics in any business are the physical manifestations of your company’s “voice”. I have coached startups for years and having a clear voice comes from having a clear mission and vision. There are some great exercises that I encourage entrepreneurs to explore when starting to create a vision or a voice for their company – it can be very clarifying and help people get to the core of who they are.. one of my favorites is the …if we were an animal.. what kind would we be?… and why? test…it may sound corny – but try it. It can generate all kinds of questions and discussion and is especially helpful when their are several partners involved in the business…at Swink we’d be a Swan..:-)
Thank you for you time, Natalie!
Tiffany Southworth is a Seattle based wardrobe stylist having worked on music videos, photo shoots, and personal styling with clients. She is also the editor-in-chief of the Seattle fashion webzine, The Vestis. Find her on Twitter at @tiffsouthworth or at tiffany (at) thevestis (dot) com.
What Not to Wear to Work
CRAVE had a chance to visit with sports broadcaster and owner of the company Talk Sporty To Me about our September theme, “What Not to Wear for Your Business”. Jen provided some insight on appropriate attire in the work place.
Jen Mueller, America’s Expert Talker, is the Founder and CEO of Talk Sporty to Me. Jen is committed to helping you boost your interpersonal skills, engage in more effective communication and reap the rewards of productive conversations. She’s available to speak for keynotes, presentations and workshops. Contact jen (at) talksportytome (dot) com for more information and read more at http://talksportytome.com.
What Not to Wear to Work
CRAVE had a chance to visit with sports broadcaster and owner of the company Talk Sporty To Me about our September theme, “What Not to Wear for Your Business”. Jen provided some insight on appropriate attire in the work place.
Jen Mueller, America’s Expert Talker, is the Founder and CEO of Talk Sporty to Me. Jen is committed to helping you boost your interpersonal skills, engage in more effective communication and reap the rewards of productive conversations. She’s available to speak for keynotes, presentations and workshops. Contact jen (at) talksportytome (dot) com for more information and read more at http://talksportytome.com.
The #1 Reason Why Your Fabulous Business Body Still Eludes You!
Hey there my CRAVE-able business lady!
OK, take a deep breath because this is what you’ve been waiting for! September is all about visual design and what not to wear for your business, but what about what not to put into your body? Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is just as important!
Last week while talking to one of my favorite entrepreneur clients, I said to her, “You know, it’s all about the food…until it isn’t.” We had just gone over what kind of fats and oils to buy, how to stock her pantry and how to avoid her office’s dangerous candy bowl. Very helpful stuff, I know. And while the “what to eat” part of eating well is huge, the HOW to eat question is really the big ticket item. Honestly, you can eat all the brown rice and broccoli you want but if you are over eating, emotionally eating or berating yourself with food, no amount of “healthy” eating is going to give you the desired food results.
Whether your food goals are more energy, eating less sugar, drinking less caffeine or simply knowing what to eat for your unique body, every single one is tied to how you treat yourself with food, how you engage with your food and the self-image “truths” you repeat to yourself everyday. Yup, we are getting deep here. The #1 mistake I see my business-owner clients make is thinking that if they just change what they eat, all will be well and perfect in their life. Well, yes and no. You will certainly have more energy, clearer skin, and reduced sugar cravings by devouring less junk and eating whole, real foods. However, if you still inhale your food, binge eat on “healthier” stuff and berate your body for not being perfect, what you put into your mouth can only do so much. Oh and P.S., it can be doubly hard to be nice to yourself as an entrepreneur because you are running around doing a million and half things, none of which are about self care. As business owners we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to lead by example and get everything perfect. The problem is that perfection is unbelievable draining, which in turn makes us tired and feel like we don’t have enough time for anything. Sound familiar? In fact, I recently had one client say, “I don’t have time for self care!” That my dear, is exactly why your fabulous business body still eludes you!
Both eating well and treating yourself well can be a tall order, gargantuan in fact, if you don’t know where to start. The negative loop we play in our head about not being thin enough, good enough, or hot enough, keeps us stuck in a compulsively munching, gnawing state (think deranged squirrel) where even when physically full, we continue to reach for food to stuff the emotions that bubble too close to the surface. Now don’t get me wrong, good food definitely helps get you on the path to clearing these unhelpful feelings. In fact, it is quite difficult to have a zen body image, I love myself moment when buzzing around on a Venti Mocha Frappuccino!
Here are my four simple steps to making the breakthrough you’ve been looking for in your food goals….get excited!
#1- Cut the crap. We’ve got to start somewhere and though it is not always all about the food, it is the easiest place to start. Remove all boxed foods from your diet and see how you feel. Do you feel lighter, cleaner, more grounded? Are you surprised to find yourself being nicer in what you say and how you treat yourself and others?
#2- Curb the caffeine. As over-booked, busy and sometimes burnt-out ladies, it is easy to use coffee as a reason to get up in the morning. I agree, it is a beautiful ritual but not so lovely if your latte is gifting you headaches, sugar cravings and low energy in the afternoon that requires another espresso shot. Yes, coffee does have antioxidants and has been shown to improve exercise however I find with most women, it does more harm than good. If you cannot live without caffeine, I say cut back 2 (small) cups a day. That can be coffee, green tea, yerba mate, whatever. From there, it’s time to get your herbal tea and water on!
#3- Breathe deep. Do you hold your breath while checking email, writing a memo, or on the internet? If you are on the computer all day like some people I know (yes, that’s me!) you may go 8 hours without taking a deep, lung expanding, cell rejuvenating breath. So, stop what you are doing right now and BREATHE. That’s right, breathe into the deepest part of your lungs and notice as your nervous system slows, the stress in your shoulders reduces and your need to chomp on almonds, cashews or the M&Ms in your desk drawer melts away.
#4- Get help. Seriously my dear, now is the time. I know you have been patiently waiting for the perfect time to invest in your food and wellness, hoping that the right place and time will appear and the whole body, eating, food thing will just magically come together and make sense. All you want is a healthy, fun and fabulous mind and soul to go with a matching body, right? I completely understand what you are feeling. I know you are a seriously stressed, high-achieving smartie who just can’t seem to find the time for yourself…until now. Whether you’ve hit a wall or simply can’t take it anymore, you are ready to make some serious shifts in your diet, your self-care and your life! Do not let this moment pass you by!
Now, after you cut the crap, curb your caffeine, take a deep breath and get some support, I want you to go to the Jamie Living Facebook fanpage (whoot whoot!) or send some tweeting love and let me know how you feel. Once we take clear and decisive action to change, the effects are immediate. Don’t you already feel lighter, clearer, and happier in your day? I know, magic right?
Jamie G. Dougherty is the owner and founder of Jamie Living, Health and Lifestyle Coaching. She is a certified Holistic Nutrition Coach with a private and corporate practice that offers assistance nationwide. She is the author of the wildly popular e-cookbook, Spring Forward to the New You: 30 Delicious and Cleansing Recipes for your Fabulous Figure and is the food guru for busy, frustrated women ready to let that s**t go and become healthy, fun and fabulous! Get your free 5-STEP GUIDE TO FABULOUS at JAMIELIVING.
Does This Brand Make My Butt Look Bad?
3 Rules of What Not to Wear in Brand Campaigns
Just when you thought it was safe to surf the Internet or open a magazine, a brand campaign shocks your senses. Sometimes, business owners commit web design misdemeanors; they place contact information in the nether regions of websites. Other businesses fashion full-on brand felonies by relying on gender-specific marketing stereotypes to lure women consumers. Whatever their violations, these brands are worthy candidates for What Not to Wear: Brand Campaign Division (BCD).
What are these business owners’ real crimes: Failing to ask, “Does this brand make my butt look bad?”
Every business owner shepherds a brand campaign that raises the ire of the What Not to Wear: BCD. Advertising trends change at the rate of boot cut meets skinny jeans. Even the rule of optimizing web design for single-browsing length is now being challenged by responsive web design. Some rules of brand campaign never go out of style.
1)   Take a good, honest look at your brand. – She steps into the room of mirrors looking at her reflection as others see it. Mirrors never lie and neither do consumers. Undress your brand of your opinions and examine it. Check it out from the backside. Look at every nook, cranny and fault you may have overlooked. Women consumers can see them clearly. Conduct a focus group with female shoppers. If shoppers’ opinions of your brand campaign do not reflect yours, chances are you have fashioned a spot in the What Not to Wear: BCD files.
2)   Take Inventory of Your Website – Somewhere on your homepage—under the clutter of design acrobatics and copy fluff—is a message that will convince women consumers to become your customers. If only they did not have to stumble over web clutter to get to it. An inventory of your homepage can free your website of extraneous elements that do not encourage conversions. What should remain are your brand’s best features, products and services. Although responsive web design challenges the notion of above-the fold design, your website should free consumers from the pains of too much clicking and scrolling. “Think of your homepage in terms of cities: It should be an Oahu, not a Las Vegas,” says Stephanie Buck in American Express OPEN Forum.
3)   Keep the focus on your brand. – When design fits a brand campaign, it doesn’t call attention to itself. The design melts into the groove of a brand and tells the story of a business that consumers want to hear. Design is a reflection of your brand. Every element of your business should mirror consumers’ desires and ideals.
The public is brutally honest. Before you present your brand campaign to the world, strut it before the most important members of your team, your consumers. Ask them, “Does this brand make my butt look bad?” Mirrors never lie. Neither do consumers.
Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa is chief pixel bender of PixInk, a design microagency serving a macro niche: businesses marketing to women, who make or influence an impressive 83 percent of purchasing decisions. PixInk nurtures emerging brands and strengthens iconic ones through powerful design, unique insight, and a deep understanding of the female consumer.
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