What motivates you?

February 15, 2010 – 3:14 am

This morning I ran like Forrest Gump. Not because I wanted to but because I had my running partner, and resident “bad dog” Marshall, with me. Every morning Marshall is up promptly at 7am sitting by my bed, looking at me and wagging his tail. Does he want to go out to the “little doggies room”? Of course! But then he’s promptly back inside and under my feet until we go for our morning walk or run (depending on how tired I am that morning).

It never fails, every day Marshall wakes up with a huge “doggie smile” on his face ready for his walk. And every morning we walk the same path around our neighborhood. Yet, his motivation to go on our walks never diminishes. What’s his incentive? That fact that we might encounter a random dog on our walk? Or maybe he’s looking for that one squirrel that isn’t so quick to run away? I may never know the answer to that question, but it got me thinking; as a business owners, what motivates us to get up every morning?

There are a million reasons why I love owning my own business (that could be a blog entry within itself), but working from home and setting my own schedule can be a dangerous perk. I could sleep until noon, run some errands, have lunch with friends, then take the rest of the night off… sounds fantastic right? Unfortunately, that won’t pay the bills. So what’s my motivation?

I think what it boils down to is the challenge of thriving and surviving doing something I truly love. The day I turned in my notice at my “corporate” job in 2005, my boss looked at me and said “You know, freelancing is hard, are you sure quitting is a good decision? Can you really make this work?”  That statement hit me like a ton of bricks. Is he doubting me? Why can’t I make this work? So there lies my motivation –  being successful when others questioned my ability. Those words sit in the back of my head every morning when I rise, and when I feel down and defeated, they pull me back to reality. It’s been four years since I started my business and each year has been better than the previous. It’s the best decision I ever made and I thank my former boss for giving me the motivation to become a successful entrepreneur.

What’s your motivation? Do you own your own business? What made you take the leap? Do you want to own your own business one day? What’s your motivation to make it happen? We’d love to hear from you! Please share your thoughts below and if there’s anything biz-e-chicks can do to help you get, or stay, motivated, please let us know!

By Summer T. | Posted in Articles/Comments? | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

What Will You Give Up?

February 1, 2010 – 9:33 pm

Recently, during a business coaching session I was telling my coach all the things I had on my agenda: recent projects, upcoming projects, networking events I was going to attend, exercising, reading, oh and in between all the day-to-day activities and chores I was going to find time to implement my new marketing strategy! After I finished, she took a moment to soak everything in and responded: “It sounds like you have a lot of great things going on but what are you planning on giving up in order to take on your new responsibilities?” Her question hit me like a ton of bricks. Give up? Why must I give something up? Can’t I just add hours to the day? Obviously it was something I hadn’t thought of.

Her question was valid. Why did I think I could fit something else into my already hectic schedule? So, I sat down and thought long and hard about what I was going to do. I can’t give up charity work – I enjoy it too much. I can’t give up some of my long-term clients – they’ve been so great to me. Stop exercising? Not good for my health and it’s pretty much the only de-stressor I have right now. What’s a girl to do? Hummm…

The “what will you give up” principal is a great one that you don’t need to only apply in your business life. For example, this weekend I was cleaning out my closet – a task WAYYY over due. I had recently bought a few t-shirts and when I went to place them in my designated “t-shirt drawer” I noticed I could barely open it. (Anyone feel my pain?). It’s not that I loved all the t-shirts in the drawer, I just couldn’t bring myself to get rid of anything because I “might wear it one day” or “so and so gave it to me, I can’t possibly get rid of it.” Thinking back to my coaching session I decided to apply the “what will you give up” principle to my closet cleaning. If there was something I needed – a new suit, a new pair of black heels, or a casual weekend dress – I was going to have to give up at least one or two pieces in order to make room for it. As hard as it was to get started, I realized the more I thought about the concept, the easier it became. Suddenly that pair of red shoes that I only had because they were “comfortable” was put in the “give away” pile and the pretty pink shirt that’s just a little too short was tossed along with them. It was liberating! Heck, if I missed really missed them after they left the house, I could always go out and buy something similar right?

So, now if I can only apply my closet cleaning concept to my business life I’d be on cloud 9. I’m not sure why it’s more difficult to clean up my business tasks (maybe that’s another topic for discussion) but it’s something I’m going to work on. So, my question to you peeps is: Do you follow this concept? If so, do you have any tips or advice you might be able to pass along? Is it liberating to let something go or does it make you feel guilty? Should I/we take baby steps or just start tossing and not look back?

Any advice would be appreciated! I’m sure there are many of us in the same boat. So comment below! We are looking forward to hearing from you.

PS: Not only did cleaning out my closet help me “give something up,” it also allowed me to help out a good cause. If you decide you need to clean out your closet, we encourage you to donate all your old business clothes and accessories to Dress for Success. Please also consider donating your casual clothes and accessories to The Alpha House. These are a couple of charities that biz-e-chicks has supported in the past but we know there are more out there that are in need. If you know a charity that could use donations, please feel free to comment below.

By Summer T. | Posted in Articles/Comments? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (4)

Best Tampa Bay Business Lunch Spots?

January 25, 2010 – 2:25 pm

I was reading a “Little Pink Book” email the other day (sent by Pink Magazine) and the subject of the email was about the “best places for business lunches”. In a nutshell, the article talked about how picking the perfect spot for lunch can make or break business deals – what pressure! So, it got me thinking – where do you do “lunch”? As someone who LOVES to eat, I’m always looking for somewhere new to check out. Plus, trying to put together biz-e-chicks meetings every month constantly challenges us to find places with good food, and a quiet (or semi-quiet) spot to chat.

With that in mind, I wanted to share a place I went recently with my friend/client, and fellow biz-e-chick, Carol Malzone. Located in a tiny storefront in downtown Tampa,  Pizzaiolo Bavaro is a real gem. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s a must! They specialize in authentic Italian cuisine and I’m not talking authentic like Olive Garden or Carrabas. The chef recently moved to Tampa from Italy, and the food reflects his passion for his homeland. In fact, some of the ingredients he uses are imported directly from Italy!

Since Carol travels to Rome frequently and is an Italian food connoisseur (Author of Flavors of Rome – the Rules of Eating in Italy), I let her pick what we were going to eat. We split Rigatoni alla Bolognese and a Margherita pizza. All I can say is Bravo, Bavaro! The flavors were authentic, bold, and absolutely delicious. The restaurant is small and can get a little loud at lunch, but if you’re looking for a unique spot where you can share some good food and good conversation, I highly recommend this place.

So where are your favorite places to eat? Not only in Tampa but anywhere in the Tampa Bay area. Many of our subscribers live in various parts of the Bay so I’m sure they would appreciate some suggestions! Please comment below with your suggestions. We look forward to eating our way through Tampa Bay!

By Admin blog | Posted in Articles/Comments? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

My 2009 Reflections… Part TWO

January 20, 2010 – 12:00 am

Hi Peeps! Last week I posted a blog sharing the first five things I learned in 2009. If you didn’t read the first post, please click here. This week, I want to share my last five reflections. Enjoy!

6)   I CAN be organized! Earlier this year we held a biz-e-chicks meeting lead by organizing diva, Tina Fischer (www.yourbusinesseditor.com). She asked us to send in ONE organizing question we had ahead of time, to which I quickly responded – with 5 things (I follow directions well huh?). Needless to say my disorganized chaos dominated the conversation that night and I remember feeling “I’m such a mess. I will NEVER get my life in order!” The meeting was in March and although things are not, and never will be, perfect I’m happy to say I’ve put some items in place to slowly help me on track and it feels great! Baby steps… One thing I learned last year is I have to make “mission organization” a daily task. If I fall behind one week, it takes that much more effort to get back on track. If only I’d take a few minutes each day to write out my “to do” list, update my financial spreadsheet, or organize one small portion of my house, things would be more manageable. Tina, and her counterpart Heather Lambie, are such great resources to have in our biz-e-chicks family. They’re not only organized but are some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. If you’re ever run into them at one of our biz-e-chicks meetings, be sure to introduce yourself.

7)   I’ve accomplished a lot in five months! I started business coaching back in August and I remember in my first session I came across as one hot mess. I was frazzled and frustrated. I’m sure my coach thought I was a lunatic. However, she stuck with me. We first created three major goals, then created action steps for those goals. If we needed to, we could break those action steps into smaller, more manageable tasks if I was still feeling overwhelmed. Seems simple right? It really is. Maybe this is something you can do yourself, or maybe you’re like me and need someone to hold you accountable for the action steps you need to take – maybe you’re so organized you don’t need to do this at all. Everyone is different. However, for me I’m proud to report that in the last five months I’ve put myself on a path to financial independence, have a plan and goals set for 2010, and have found a way to carve out more time for myself. Not bad for five months of work. It’s more than I’ve done four years in business! Sometimes I focus so much on the items I still have left to do that I forget to pat myself on the back for the things I’ve recently accomplished. What have you done this year that you’re proud of?

8)   The importance of taking care of yourself. July/August/September were difficult months for me health wise. Nothing major – I just went from being extremely active, to extremely NOT active. The stress of work/life caused me to lose weight in an unhealthy way, I wasn’t sleeping well and I definitely wasn’t exercising. Although I was happy to fit into some of my “skinny” clothes again, I felt run down, tired and completely unhealthy. I remember trying to take a run with some friends one day and had the absolute worst run I could remember. I was tired and cramping constantly. That day, I made the commitment to snap out this funk I was in and put myself back on track. We all get stressed and there’s things in our lives we can’t control. However, we can control how we deal with them. For me, being unhealthy does nothing but make me depressed, discouraged and negative. Lord knows I don’t need that! There’s many ways to deal with stress including yoga, meditation, walking or just sitting outside for a few moments. Do you need to change how you deal with stress in 2010?

9)   It’s ok to be selfish sometimes. Like most women, I have a tendency to put others first more often than not. While is a sweet gesture, I’ve realized that’s probably not how I want to live the rest of my life. If there’s something that isn’t going to benefit me, why can’t I say no? What’s the big deal? Honestly it’s not a big deal so I’ve decided 2010 is the year of ME. I’m going to do things that I want to do. Things that make me happy, help me further my career, help me gain new experiences and if it pisses someone off along the way – so be it. I realize this is not an attitude that comes natural to me so it will be an interesting journey this year but I’d love to look back on 2010 and say that the decisions I made and the actions I took are ones that I wanted to make and not because I was afraid to say “no” or I’d hurt someone’s feelings, or I was afraid to take a risk (grrr that word again!). Wish me luck!

10)    Tomorrow is another day and it’s not the end of the world if I don’t accomplish everything in one day. This has been the hardest challenge of 2009. I’m a perfectionist, and as I said in #9, in 2009 I was afraid to tell people “no.” However, late this year when I started putting my new schedule in place it slowly made me realize I’m not superwoman and I can’t accomplish everything on my never ending “to-do” list. So slowly I made a more manageable list and when it was time to go to bed or spend time with family, or friends – I did just that. Or, if I wanted to devote all day on Friday to working on GDBD items and turned my phone/email off for the day – so be it. So I tried it. And you know what? I haven’t heard one complaint. The work was still there the next day, the deadlines have still been met and I’m still here – in one piece. More importantly it saved me from becoming a burnt out business owner. So, I encourage and challenge all of you to find a schedule in 2010 that works for you. You might not get it right the first time, but I can guarantee once you do you’ll feel much better.

Whew! This was a long entry and I thank all of you who have read my posts. I’m not much of a writer (as all of you can probably tell) but as I journaled these thoughts I felt it was important to share them with my fellow peeps. I realize we all share similar frustrations so if anything I’ve discussed above can strike a nerve with any of you in order to help start 2010 out on the right foot, I’m happy to have been of service.

I hope all of you have a successful and prosperous 2010!

PS: Please feel free to share any comments, suggestions or additional tips you might have. We look forward to hearing from you!

By Summer T. | Posted in Articles/Comments? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

My 2009 Reflections…

January 12, 2010 – 7:12 pm

Hello 2010! A new year. A new decade. Where in the world did 2009 go?

I spent some time this weekend reflecting on last year. For me, 2009 was a year of ups and downs and in particular I can describe the last five months as challenging, emotional, frustrating, liberating, encouraging, interesting and educational. (You know the normal life of a woman entrepreneur trying to balance it all!) Despite all the challenges there has actually been quite a bit of good that’s come out of the last quarter of 2009. So in order to start out 2010 on a positive note, I decided to sit down and come up with the top 10 positive things I learned in 2009. It’s a bit long, so I’ve decided to break this into a special 2-part blog entry. Here’s part one:

1)   It’s good to be alone sometimes. I’m a Leo and typically Leo’s do not like to be alone. I’m no exception. However, the past five months have taught me that being alone sometimes isn’t that bad. It can actually allow us to focus on the most important aspect of our life – ourselves. And like most women, or women business owners, that’s not something we take advantage of enough. Time away from friends, family, and the stress of everyday life should be something on our daily “to do” list. Sit outside for a few minutes, go for a walk, treat yourself to a manicure, spend the day (or weekend) at the beach by yourself. Whatever it is – escape it all. What’s the worst that can happen? A clear head? Some much needed pampering? A new found appreciation for what you have around you? Sounds good to me!

2)   The importance of being financially independent. Maybe this is something all of you already know and have in place but for me I never took finances seriously – and it’s a serious matter. Here I am in my 30’s and if something were to happen to my husband could I support myself alone? I realized five months ago that wasn’t the case. Even worse, I thought ignoring the fact that my finances were so out of wack would somehow make everything ok. Wrong. So I finally woke up and decided to do something about it. I started by reading a book highly recommended by Liz Bollinger called “Debt Proof Living” by Mary Hunt. I also hired a financial planner. Two small changes that have affected my life in a major way. I encourage all of you if you don’t have your financial plan in place for 2010, to start looking into it. In these tough economic times, you’ll be glad you did.

3)   I work way too much. Being a business owner is tough – especially when you’re the only one juggling all the hats of running a business. In August I received a wake up call the made me step back and look at the amount of time I devote to my business and the important aspects of my life I’ve been neglecting. What I discovered was the lack of “quality time” I spent with others, my health wasn’t to par, and I was beginning to get burnt out doing something that I love. So, with the help of my business coach we decided to put a better schedule in place. I thought it might be a difficult process, but I’ve learned to manage my guilt of putting myself first for the sake of my sanity. Some weeks the schedule doesn’t work (i.e. over the holidays, sleepless nights, or if there’s numerous networking events that week), but I try to keep it in place as much as possible and I’ve seen very positive results so far. Is your schedule affecting your life positively or negatively? Are there changes you might need to make? Recognize the signs now.

4)   Risky Business. I love owning my own business. Unfortunately, I could probably have figured out ways to do things more efficiently a lot sooner if I didn’t have that little voice in my head saying “are you sure you want to do this?” or “Is this really the right move? What if you can’t afford it?” I can’t understand why I have such a fear of taking risks but in 2009 I realized it’s something I need to confront. If I don’t it’s going to be something that stands in the way of my success. So, what’s positive about me telling you this? The fact that I realized, and have admitted to, having a problem. Now, the challenge in 2010 is finding ways to overcome this fear. I guess it’s time to hold my nose and take a leap.

5)   I have a fantastic support system. My family, friends, dogs – are such an important aspect of my life and without them I would not be where I am now. They give advice, listen to me gripe, wipe my tears and help me celebrate. They improve my well being (and my self esteem) and I’m very lucky to have each and every one of them in my life. I hope you all have a similar support system you can rely on.

Thank you for reading! Part two will launch on Monday – stay tuned! In the meantime, for any questions, comments or suggestions on how to make our blog better, please email us at info@bizechicks.com or for more information on biz-e-chicks please visit www.bizechicks.com.

By Summer T. | Posted in Articles/Comments? | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Happy New Year Peeps!

January 9, 2010 – 1:42 am

We’ve missed you guys! We took a bit of a social media vacation to try and get ready for the holidays and now that we’re refreshed, broke and full we’re back to start out 2010 with a bang! We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and are ready to kick some butt this year. We just sent out our January newsletter complete with meeting details, so if you’re not on our mailing list – what are you waiting for? Visit www.bizechicks.com and click on “Receive biz-e-blast” in order to stay up-to-date with meeting information, news, etc.

To save you a little bit of time here are a few important details about our next meeting:

Both Hillsborough and Pinellas meetings are on Thursday, January 21st.

Hillsborough Biz-e-meeting details
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: The Lime, 915 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606, phone: (813) 868-5463

Pinellas Biz-e-meeting details
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bella Brava, 515 Central Ave, Saint Petersburg, FL, phone: 727.895.5515

To register for either meeting, please visit: http://www.bizechicks.com/events.php.

Also, make sure you check out this month’s “One Hot Chick” Chris Kuhn. A great writer, blogger and overall sweeeet chick – you’ll want to get to know her. You can find her bio at http://www.bizechicks.com/hotchick.php or in our current newsletter.

Well, that’s about it for now! We hope to see you at our next meeting – January 21st! In the meantime keep checking our blog. We’re starting a new 2-part blog entry on Monday and we’d love your feedback.

Hope to hear from you soon but in the meantime – peep out!
Summer & Liz

Happy New Year Peeps!
We’ve missed you guys! We took a bit of a social media vacation to try and get ready for the holidays and now that we’re refreshed, broke and full we’re back to start out 2010 with a bang! We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and are ready to kick some butt this year. We just sent out our January newsletter complete with meeting details, so if you’re not on our mailing list – what are you waiting for? Visit www.bizechicks.com and click on “Receive biz-e-blast” in order to stay up-to-date with meeting information, news, etc. To save you a couple of steps (and a little bit of time) here are a few details about our next meeting:
Both Hillsborough and Pinellas meetings are on Thursday, January 21st. Here are further details:
Hillsborough Biz-e-meeting details
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: The Lime, 915 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606, phone: (813) 868-5463
Pinellas Biz-e-meeting details
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bella Brava, 515 Central Ave, Saint Petersburg, FL, phone: 727.895.5515
To register for either meeting, please visit: http://www.bizechicks.com/events.php.
Also, make sure you check out this month’s “One Hot Chick” Chris Kuhn. A great writer, blogger and overall sweeeet chick – you’ll want to get to know her. You can find her bio at http://www.bizechicks.com/hotchick.php or in our current newsletter.
Well, that’s about it for now! We hope to see you at our next meeting – January 21st at the Lime! In the meantime keep checking our blog. We’re starting a new 2-part blog entry on Monday and we’d love your feedback!
Hope to hear from you soon but in the meantime – pee
By Admin blog | Posted in Upcoming Events | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

biz-e-chicks Participating in Holiday Glamour at Mangroves This Wednesday!

December 15, 2009 – 3:22 am

Looking for something to do this Wednesday night?

Come out and support biz-e-chicks as we participate in the Holiday Glamour event at Mangroves, SoHo. Join us for an evening of fashion, food and cocktails! A live fashion show will show off local fashions including our very own biz-e-chicks t-shirts! There will be a raffle with fabulous prizes as well. Raffle tickets are $5/piece and all proceeds benefit Metropolitan Ministries.

If you RSVP to the event you’ll receive a complimentary glass of wine or holiday sangria!

To RSVP, please call 813-391-6784 or email mangrovesoho@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there!
biz-e-chicks

By Summer T. | Posted in Upcoming Events | Comments (0)

biz-e-chicks and High Hopes in High Heels Team Up for Holiday Party

November 30, 2009 – 8:21 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Liz Bollinger
813-244-4743
info@bizechicks.com

BIZ-E-CHICKS AND HIGH HOPES IN HIGH HEELS TEAM UP FOR HOLIDAY PARTY

Tampa, Fla. – Two of Tampa’s fastest-growing organizations for women, biz-e-chicks and High Hopes in High Heels, will celebrate the holiday season at Mangroves (208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 33606) on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. The event will feature a wine tasting, heavy hors d’oeuvres and, most importantly, a collection of new toys for the kids at the Children’s Cancer Center of Tampa.

Biz-e-chicks is a dynamic group dedicated to supporting women as they start their own businesses and providing guidance and advice to these chicks as their businesses grow and thrive. “We’re not a typical networking group. We’re part advisory board and part cheerleading squad. Our priority is supporting our girls, not selling products or services, and the chicks in our group embrace that idea,” said Liz Bollinger, one of biz-e-chicks’ founding chicks.

In addition to supporting its own “chicks,” biz-e-chicks is committed to assisting community members in need. This is why the group has chosen to partner with High Hopes in High Heels, a distinctive women’s group that supports a different charity each month by educating its members about that organization and providing hands-on, volunteer opportunities for charity involvement.

To RSVP for the holiday party or to get more information on biz-e-chicks and/or High Hopes in High Heels, please visit bizechicks.com and/or highhopesinhighheels.org.

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By Lizzy B. | Posted in Meeting Details/Comments | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

biz-e-chick in Tampa Bay Skirt!

November 10, 2009 – 3:10 am

Hey everyone! I’m making my biz-e-chicks blog debut with a little shameless self promotion. I am featured in November’s edition of Tampa Bay Skirt! – the 24-7 column. It was a fun survey to fill out and I appreciate fellow seasoned chick, Chris Kuhn, for asking me to participate. A link to the article is below. I hope all of you check it out!

Check out the article here.

I also want to thank Zekeshem Parsons/Blue Lane Photography for the beautiful photo she took of me and my “kids.”

I promise my next blog entry will be longer and more interesting. I just needed a quick topic in order to get my blog writing feet wet – ha! Peep out chicks!

By Summer T. | Posted in Articles/Comments? | Comments (0)

Bothered in the Bathroom

July 20, 2009 – 1:33 am

Something that’s making me mad …

Jim and I went to Hula Bay last weekend for some afternoon cocktails.  Everything was fantastic (much better than the previous week, that is, when a glass broke and a blue margarita soaked my white tank top, but that’s another story).  Anyhow, I had to make a stop in the little chicks’ room before we left and that’s when I encountered the problem: the bathroom attendant.  Ugh!  I can not stand a bathroom attendant!

Does this drive you chicks crazy, too?  That you go in to use a restaurant bathroom and you find someone there waiting to assault you with paper towels, perfumes and peppermints?  I’m not sure what it is about this “service” that irks me the most.  Maybe it’s the fact that the attendant forces the towel into my hands so I have no choice but to take it.  Or, maybe it’s the feeling of discontent that I get when I’m expected to tip someone for doing something that I could easily do myself.  Or, perhaps it’s that this particular attendant didn’t even crack a smile when I joked that I was cash-poor and asked if she took debit.

Now, Hula Bay is not a fine-dining restaurant; and, even if it was, the nicer places around town don’t even have attendants.  So, what gives?  From a business standpoint, I can’t figure out why restaurants do this.  Do they think it makes them appear to be nicer eating establishments?  Do they feel like an attendant needs to be in there to restrict paper towel usage?  I don’t know.  What I do know is that it makes me not want to go to this place again – no matter how good the blue margaritas are! – or any other place* that’s pretty much forcing me to pay to use the bathroom.

I understand that the attendants are “just doing their job” and that it’s not their fault the restaurants have hired them for this wacky practice, but, really, it’s so irritating!

What do you think, chicks?  Any insight on why restaurants do this?

* Summer and I went to Carmine’s in Ybor on Friday and found an attendant there, too!

By Lizzy B. | Posted in Articles/Comments? | Comments (0)