resources

websites, communities, books, tools, services and more

ltdLIVE 2012: the event in photos

2.15.12

 

The stage was beautifully set…

 

The audience was ready…

 

I took the stage eager to see the sea of faces that will be transformed by the experts and stories that will fill the two-day conference!

 

Bestselling author and award-winning talk show host, Lian Dolan was our fearless MC and kept ltdLIVE attendees informed and laughing!

 

Jennifer Siebel Newsom shares her vision of writing, producing and directing Miss Representation with ltdLIVE attendees

 

Leah Busque of Task Rabbit and Megan Gardner of Plum District share their experiences of raising capital, launching a digital platform and thriving while doing it.

 

Marla Vasquez of Wells Fargo sharing opening remarks

 

Dr. Pamel Ebstyne King informs us about the importance of “thriving” and flourishing.

 

Kate Somerville shares her personal story and moves us to tears.

 

Entrepreneur Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year, Lee Rhodes relates her vision for making a difference in the lives of those undergoing cancer treatment through her entrepreneurial baby–glassybaby

 

Ricki Lake speaks about what it means to her to live the dream.

 

Stay tuned for more highlights and advice from the 60 experts that joined us, informed us and inspired us at ltdLIVE!

 



 

A little bird told you

12.31.11

So sorry to be bombarding you with emails and messages about EARLY BIRD TICKET PRICES to ltdLIVE ENDING TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. We just want you to get the best deal possible–it’s our way of saying HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ltdLIVE 2012

Wednesday, February 1st & Thursday, February 2nd, 2012, Pasadena Convention Center

Get connected to all the resources and experts that will help launch or grow your dream venture.

Join us for ltdLIVE 2012 because it’s your time to THRIVE!

We are thrilled to once again be bringing you ltdLIVE 2012!  We have put together two-days of the most inspiring speakers, experts panelists, substantive seminars and resources to ensure that 2012 is the year you launch or grow your dreams!

Whether you’re launching your entrepreneurial business, starting a charity you’re passionate about, finally writing that book or taking your existing venture to the next level, we’ve got you covered.

Join us on Feburary 1st for a full day of speakers, breakout sessions, our famous ltdResource Lounge and ltdMarketplace. And if you’re really serious about seeing your venture grow, be sure to come back February 2nd for our series of seminars taught by the most sought-after consultants and coaches around.

We look forward to seeing you February 1st and 2nd, 2012 at the Pasadena Convention Center for ltdLIVE 2012!

In case you’re new to all things ltd, our mission is to help women actualize their life’s passion through entrepreneurship and make the process

inspirational • accessible • achievable

connections

11.9.11

So I promised I would try to keep up the blog posting even though I’ve been nuts-o gearing up for ltdLIVE.  Much of my time is spent researching and connecting with women who have professional services to offer you to move your venture forward.  These women make up some of the resources and experts we offer you at ltdLIVE. So instead of letting my work get in the way of posting, I will view it as an opportunity to connect you with some of these amazing women and their services.  So here are a few that came across my desk this week.

Both of these ladies are coaches and offer several platforms to engage clients.  Danielle LaPorte has been on my radar for some time, but it wasn’t until a friend called her “a soul sister and one of the best women writers out there” that I decided I had to check out her work.  She has a very nurturing way about her, and so it’s no surprise she is a hot ticket–or should I say a White Hot Truth ticket–if you don’t get it, check this out!  She’s also got a digital tool kit called the Spark Kit that might be just what you need to get your engine running.

 

I was also referred to Marie Forleo, another name that has been orbiting my world.  What a firecracker–wanna have lunch with this one!  Her great sense of humor will make you forget your working and her savvy and smart advice will keep you coming back for more!  Check out her Q&A Tuesday video’s–savvy, smart and freeee!

So there you go–a few more experts to add to your list of resources. And for the record, these ladies don’t know I am writing about them and I don’t get a kick-back for sending you there way–it’s just not the way we do things around here.

Brand candy

10.26.11

Often times we are overwhelmed by advice and walk away doing nothing because we may have bitten off more than we can chew, or the advice giver showered us with too much info too soon.

If you’re saying “Amen sistah” then you will love these byte-size, sweet branding treats offered up by the Willy Wonka of branding.  Liz Dennery Sanders is a branding maven and has a gift of bringing out the authentic voice of those she works with. Through her newly launched SheBrand Candy you now have access to her genius with a free weekly actionable tip in one of five major categories: Mind Candy, Brand Candy, Biz Candy, Style Candy & Social Candy. It will take you less than an hour a week to implement her tips and all you have to do is sign up for it!

And for the record, these delicious treats are 100% organic, 0 calories and 0 fat–now whose your sugar momma?!?!

 

Signature please

10.24.11

 

Last year when we were getting sponsors and speakers to join us for the ltd365 Expo (now called ltd365 LIVE) we were trying to find an efficient and organized way to get contracts signed. Faxing and scanning were so 10 years ago and we were looking for a 2011 answer to our dilemma.  We turned to technology for the answer and to our delight we found Echosign.  They were the perfect tool for 1) sending out a contract that needed to be signed, 2) tracking which contracts had yet to be signed, and 3) storing signed contract for easy reference.  We purchased the $14.95 package and were able to get an unlimited number of contracts signed every month. There are different pricing levels depending on your needs (multiple users, editing ability, logo inclusion, etc.), and if you’re only in the market for a handful of signatures it’s FREE.

image from Kate’s Paperie

 

Call me!

10.19.11

Make sure you leave your future clients with a little piece of you. Your business card is the easiest, and least awkward, way to accomplish this. Business cards communicate more than just where to reach you and the correct spelling of your name, they are chapter one in telling your story–they communicate who you are.

When your starting out and you don’t yet have a logo or haven’t flushed out all your ideas you still need to keep up the meeting, greeting and good impressions so  so don’t go anywhere without your printed digits. While a mega print company may seem like a money saving option, I say forego the pre-designed template and spend a little extra to tell your story!

Check out these little numbers I found from Made by Girl.

 

 

 

You’re big enough!

10.18.11

The title caught my eye, and content kept me interested.  I love how many people, women in particular, are stepping up to help re-define what it means to be an entrepreneur.  It’s not about a 100 page business plan. It’s not about raising venture capital and it’s not about an MBA.  This redefinition, along with the leaps and bounds in technology, have made being your boss and crafting your life a real possibility.

So why do so many fail or hold back from even trying?  Perhaps it’s because all entrepreneurs start their companies thinking it will give them freedom-freedom to work on their own terms, be their own bosses, and create a company that meets their needs. The problem is most end up working for the company they created, rather than the company working for them.

Enter The Big Enough Company which explores how to grow your enterprise in a way that sustains your own personal goals and needs. The authors, Lancaster and Abrams, share their best principles empowering entrepreneurs to “ignore popular “wisdom” and peer pressure to take charge of their businesses in a way that will help them succeed on their own terms.”

Thanks to Lancaster and Abrams for lending their expertise and their hand to women ready to take the plunge into their new, big enough, entrepreneurial life.

 

Cheers!

10.14.11

Hydrate with water. Celebrate with bubbly!

Here’s to a week of progress made and lessons learned.

PR 101

10.12.11

We know how it is, you’re low on cash and desperate to get the word out that you’re open and ready for business.  While sitting in a book store going through the mastheads creating a database of Market Editors may seem like a great way to save cash, it’s a waste of your precious time.  By the time you send that release many of those editors have moved on to another department, title or magazine.

Instead, check out Savor the Success, a network for women entrepreneurs that focuses on helping you get your public relations game on. I joined a few years ago when they launched their network and I paid the premium fee just so I could access their media lists immediately. In addition to the lists, premium members have access to the Savor the Success PR Academy video series created to educate you on the world of public relations.  And while you’re visiting the site, check out the free video tips from founder, Angela Jia Kim (that’s her pretty mug up top)–great advice from someone who is savoring her own success.

 

Need a kick start?

10.3.11

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me how they could raise money for their venture I would be…well I guess only a thousand-aire, but you get the point.

It’s common for great ideas to end up as nothing more than potential because the mastermind doesn’t have the financial means to get things off the ground.  And getting a small business loan or finding investors among family and friends can get tricky, so what’s  girl with a bight-idea to do? Before you hang it up, take a look at this popular alternative–crowdfunding (noun: use of the web to get a group of people to finance a particular project).  There are several options out there, and depending on your needs one may be more appropriate than another.  Our crowdfunding pick for smaller ventures looking to raise around $10,000 is Kickstarter.  Don’t worry, you can raise lots more or a bit less, this is just their average amount.

Kickstarter is a large funding platform for creative projects.  Every week, tens of thousands of people like you submit their projects for funding and each month tons of people (over a million according to KS) visit the site to discover great projects. Once they like a project they see, they give money in return for something from the project raising the funds (not cashola).  I’ve seen money raisers give everything from signed art to the very product they are launching.

What’s your cost you ask? Nothing up front! When, and only when, your project is fully funded, Kickstarter collects a 5% fee.  Amazon (their payments processor) also charges credit card processing fees that generally work out to 3-5%.

Not only is the crowdfunding platform brilliant.  Even our Commander in Chief, President Obama, indulged in a little crowdfunding to get his campaign off to a running start!

And there you have it, how your project can get a kick start!

Above are a few of our favorite ideas that got funded.  Makes you wonder what you could do–huh?!?!