In my absence, my amazing co-host and producer, Kelly St. Clair will be taking this show with a not-to-be-missed guest. I'll be back the following week. Be good! xo, Ally We're All in This Thing Together In the year 2000, my husband and I were blindsided by a home invasion. This shocking event would change us as the people we once were. Or should I say…. thought we were! We were instantly transformed into irrational human beings. It distorted our view of the world around us. How would we be altered because of this? Would we be able to stay sane in an insane world? My beliefs before this home invasion were that everything was going to be story–book perfection. I had already had my … [Read more...]
The Business of Being YOU, with Jess Weiner
Being you. Nobody can do it better. Oh sure, you might think you'd be better in business if you were someone else. With someone else's education, someone else's money, or someone else's connections. But that is not necessarily true. You are right where you are today because you are ...you. Learning to embrace our best attributes (and forgiving some of our worst) allows us to be fully present in our business experiences, offers us more authentic relationships and stops the dreaded "If I was someone else..." head trip that can sabotage our success. There is no one better to help us with this lesson than the amazing Jess Weiner. A friend and colleague, Jess is dynamic at giving us the … [Read more...]
Find your grown-up voice with Robyn Hatcher
Break out of the kid talk and find your grown-up voice. You might be an ideal employee, or a rock star business owner. You may be creative, innovative, organized and skilled, but there is no way around it. If you are going to venture into business for yourself, you are going to have to talk to other people. If you are shy, lack confidence in your communication skills, or seem to have forgotten how to speak "grown-up" since becoming a mom, then this is the show for you! Lets brush up on those conversation skills and get comfortable talking again. For this show, I am bringing on a dynamic guest, Robyn Hatcher, the founder of SpeakEtc., a communication and presentation-skills training … [Read more...]
Working with Your Spouse
Business just got personal. A good old fashioned Mom and Pop business is a neat idea in theory but how does it really work out? You want to start a home-based business, and you'd like to work with a partner. How about your life partner? You've managed everything else together - your house, your kids, your vacations... why not share the same career? When you're confronted constantly by someone who knows you so well, you're going to have an extraordinary opportunity to work on your flaws and develop as a person. When it does work, it can be glorious. So, how can you make it work? Plan no-business weekends. Go on actual dates. Make rules. Sounds like the … [Read more...]
Kid Entrepreneurs
These kids went from ABC to CEO. Have we been so consumed with our own home-based businesses that will allow us to take care of our kids, that we might have overlooked the notion of raising them to take care of themselves? We can play a large role in the kind of future our children have by exposing them to our own careers and engaging them in the freedoms that comes along with being financially independent. As an added bonus, if you are in need of some help funding your family's active lifestyle, perhaps you don't need to look past the little tenants residing in your home. Putting your tween on your payroll will not only provide you with outstanding tax benefits, it will also … [Read more...]
Communication and Collaboration!
This generation of small business owners has a new selling style. Its called "recession selling" and it refers to the way consumers have responded to the unsteadiness in the economy. What kind of seller are you? Does it match the way you think as a consumer? Do you upsell yourself on a product or service with lots of options or do you pass on the extras simply because times appear to be tough, and instead purchase a new product only out of sheer need? Join me as I introduce you to our guest, Kelly McCormick, author of the new book, OutSell Yourself: Go from Hello to Sold with Ethical Business & Sales Techniques. READ MORE ABOUT KELLY McCORMICK HERE--> Also … [Read more...]
I am not a Bully, I am just a Mom
If you know a child bully, look closer at where they maybe learning their behavior. The apple never falls far from the tree, which is why moms and kids alike are tormented. It's bad enough that kids bully other kids. But look out for another rascal on the playground. Do you know her? THE BULLY MOM aka The Monster in The Minivan. Either you've seen her terrorize others, or she's come after you personally. She's always got a juicy rumor to share about another mom, or worse: a child. She's the one who made you feel bad because you couldn't breast-feed.... or labeled you the "boob Nazi" because you dared to nurse in public. You may have a regular group of moms in your play-date, … [Read more...]
Need a little Va Va Voom in Your Veins?
Wouldn't it be nice to wake up every day with boundless energy and vitality? Its a common problem among hard working moms. We give the best of ourselves to our children, our marriages, our homes, our businesses and maybe...just maybe... if there is time... we'll give something back to ourselves. We know its backwards. We know its not healthy. We know this behavior will eventually come back to haunt us, but its a trap we fall into time and time again. Stop the madness and recapture your magnificence! Its time to practice new habits and take preventative measures. Learn to put yourself first and as a result create optimum health and well-being for yourself as well as your … [Read more...]
The storm was treacherous, but the rainbow is worth it
The storm was treacherous, but the rainbow is worth it. Greetings from my new home! I am a bit late in getting this message out to you because I have been busy moving my family into my dream house. For years we have been busting at the seams of the little condo that my husband and I bought when we were first married. Since becoming a growing family of four we have been striving to afford a bigger place. Job losses for both of us as well as the declining real estate market meant that we were destined to stay trapped for years in that tiny condo box for years. At times it felt hopeless, but we didn't give up. We have finally arrived. As laborious and demanding as the journey was, I now feel … [Read more...]
Strategize. Succeed. SPARKLE
What is the SPARKLE EFFECT? Much like the butterfly that has the ability to alter the weather with a simple flap of its wings, we have the power to create change...within ourselves, in the children we raise, in the businesses we build, and in the world we live in. It all starts with a simple mindshift. The Sparkle Effect is a lot like the Butterfly Effect... only fancier. Last week I talked about a profound experience I'd gotten fully engrossed in, and how amidst a busy schedule I'd found myself reaching out to a complete stranger who was in the process of breaking out of a voilent and abusive marriage and rebuilding a new life for herself and her 3 children. Learning about … [Read more...]
