pinkMOXIE

Bringing Innovative Ideas to Life

If you have recently launched a new business or are thinking of turning your idea that you've been so passionate about into a business, but you're not sure exactly what steps to take, then you should seriously consider attending the Ladies Who Launch Live event in Los Angeles next Saturday. It's going to be a day of networking, learning and inspiration to fuel your vision and take it to the next level.

Ladies Who Launch LIVE is a series of events that are taking place around the U.S. and Canada, so if you can't make it to LA next weekend then definitely attend one of the other events taking place later this year in the following cities: Atlanta, Detroit, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Toronto.

For those of you who know me, I'm a big proponent of women entrepreneurs and turning your passions into profitable businesses. The reason I'm excited about the LA event is because it’s featuring two women who I highly respect and am very inspired by. And they are Jane Wurwand and Patricia Handschiegel.

Pursuing your passion into a fulltime gig

Words of advice from the original PopSugar, Lisa Sugar, "If you have something that you're really passionate about, but you have to have the other job going to pay the bills... it's finding the time to do (what you love) on the side so that you know if it really does take off, then you can put your all behind it."

With the help of her husband, Brian Sugar, Lisa took her passion and turned it into a viable and successful business. Lisa started PopSugar, a celebrity gossip blog, as something she did for fun on the side. But her passion for blogging about celebrity gossip was something others were passionate about reading. PopSugar grew in popularity and Lisa soon had a large following of regular readers. Brian suggested monetizing it, and together they created Sugar Inc.

According to their corporate site, the Sugar Network comprises of 15 distinct lifestyle and entertainment sites covering topics that include celebrity, fashion, shopping, beauty, entertainment, food, health and more. The site names range from GeekSugar and PetSugar (two of my favorites) to CasaSugar and BellaSugar, as well as the popular social networking site TeamSugar. Brian is the CEO and publisher, and Lisa is editor in chief.

Lisa and Brian's entrepreneurial spirit and inspiring story of how PopSugar and Sugar Inc. came into existence and then evolved into what it is today is a great example of how to grow something your passionate about into a fulltime gig.

I'm a big believer in discovering and pursuing your passions in life, which is why I find Lisa and Brian's story so inspirational, not to mention I love what they've created. The Sugar sites, including TeamSugar, are all insanely addictive and I personally have enjoyed being a part of it as a TeamSugar member.

Sowing the Seeds of Passion

One element that fuels and drives me everyday is having the entrepreneurial spirit pulsing through my veins, being surrounded by it in my clients, at networking events, and in my friends.

There is something unique and inspiring about people who thrive on risk, who will forgo the security of a regular paycheck that corporate life provides to live on the fringe, work well into the night on a daily basis (including weekends) to make their crazy idea and dream get off the ground in hopes that it becomes the next big thing.

I like how Michael Arrington, founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, put it in a recent post about tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley:

If you want a well balanced life, Silicon Valley is not for you. But if you want to change the world and are willing to do absolutely anything to achieve your dreams, there is no better place to be than here…And if you aren’t willing to take advantage of every possible advantage to make your crazy startup idea work, perhaps you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur.

He is 100 percent correct! And I couldn’t agree more that it truly takes that kind of drive, commitment and passion.

Coming from the performing arts world, passion has always been a driver for me, which is why when I left the dance world and ventured into communications I didn’t go work for a big established corporate company. I chose to work with startups. I love startup life because passion abounds. The energy is contagious. And the brilliant minds and ideas that flow from them are inspiring.

However, if I could change one thing, it would be having more women entrepreneurs in technology. I am a big believer in encouraging, supporting and fostering women entrepreneurs and the next generation of women entrepreneurs, so when I came across Golden Seeds, I knew I had to blog about them.

Radical Transparency

As more people dive into the social networking fray and fall deep into its time sinkhole (and we're all doing it no matter how much we resist) it leaves me to ponder this "radical transparency" that we are all faced with (sorry for using that awful term "radical transparency" which is just another annoying buzzword).

A decade ago we were all worried about online privacy and now we are just putting it all out there with no regard for privacy so it seems.

Over the past few months, I've been pondering whether or not I should have separate professional and personal online profiles because you never know when your personal life, whether it is a blog posting or a comment you write or a picture you post, is going to intersect with your professional life and damage your career or professional reputation.

Something that I may find funny and blog or comment on could be offensive to someone else, and that person just might be a potential client or colleague. I would like to think that never happens, but in reality, it does happen and it happens everyday to somebody somewhere.

As of now, my Facebook profile contains all personal content, but I've intersected it with my professional life by allowing colleagues and clients to be on my friends list with full access to my profile. Is this wise or foolish? I guess time will tell.

Others, such as Forrester Research Analyst Charlene Li, have two profiles, one for everyone and the other for close friends and family. Another option is changing your privacy settings and limiting access to certain people on your friends list. Frankly, I haven't done this. If you're on my friends list, you have full access to my profile.

It's all about the PINK

At the end of 2006 I decided that 2007 would be the year of change, balance and career transformation, and three months into my transformation, I’m loving the journey.

Both career women and stay-at-home moms find it challenging to carve out “me time” for themselves. I am no different, and I knew that it was one element, among others, that I needed to address and implement immediately. Because taking time to yourself on a daily basis is critical to your overall well-being.   

“Me time” can be going to the gym (or not), lunch with your girlfriends, meditation, getting a relaxing facial and massage, or reading a good book or your favorite magazine. For me, it’s all those things and more, and I’ve been able to touch on almost all of them in the past three months.

Yesterday, I went out with friends for lunch and shopping, and had a great time. While at Barnes & Noble, I perused the magazine section as I always do when I’m there, but instead of reading work-related publications, I spent time looking at a variety of magazines I normally wouldn’t have time for. I ended up leaving with a few beauty and spa magazines that I’ll enjoy reading in the days ahead, but there was one magazine in particular that caught my eye and after looking through it, I added it to the stack of others and have already started reading it.

What caught my eye was its name: PINK. It jumped out at me for the obvious reason that this blog is called  pinkMOXIE . Since starting this blog I’m acutely attuned to the word and color pink. The name may have caught my eye, but its content is what grabbed and kept my attention. On its cover under the title PINK it reads: a beautiful career, a beautiful life.

Women Entrepreneur's Small Business Boot Camp

I enjoy conferences and networking events that bring women together to share knowledge and gain new contacts that ultimately grow ourselves personally and professionally. So over the weekend I attended the third annual Women Entrepreneur's Small Business Boot Camp in Scottsdale, AZ.

What I loved about this event is that there were so many women who had left corporate America and ventured out on their own and are now doing what they love and living life on their own terms, which is something that I encourage every woman to do. Life is much too short to stay in a job that you hate or live a life that you're not in love with.

If you have already stepped out on your own, events such as this one are great for connecting with other women to help you further grow your business. But if you're still trapped in cubicle life and want out, these events are an excellent way to find mentors and gather information that will help you explore your options and ultimately lead to developing your Corporate America-exit strategy and a game plan for your new venture.

I want to highlight a few great women from the conference and hope you check them out, because I think they have words of wisdom for us all...