Ally Loprete

It’s Back to School Week! (How are you holding up there, Mom?

By

We are Moms. It's our job to be emotional.   Let's take off our business hats and focus on the kids this week. Since we are our own bosses,  we can absolutely make that decision if we want to ...and commit to it....guilt free!  (Its one of the many perks to being self-employed). Now that we've established that, lets get back to the kids. For many, its back to school week! Whether you send your kids to public school, private school, or home school- we have each chosen what we believe is the best method for educating our children and helping them to find their place in this world. As their caretakers we have made ourselves responsible in virtually everything: Language, manners, … [Read more...]

Meet Film and TV Celebrity Mom, Kaitlin Olson!

By

A Mom is a Mom is a Mom... But my favorite kind of mom is one with a sense of humor. Which is why I am over the moon about having a good laugh with my dear friend, Kaitlin Olson on the show. You know her from her hit television comedy series, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX, or from her recurring roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Meet the Marks, The Drew Carey Show, Miss Match and countless others. Yep, she's a celebrity, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud to know her although not for the reason you might think. If there is one person who has stayed completely grounded despite her fame in Hollywoodland, Kaitlin is the girl.  Its not often you meet someone who has it all- … [Read more...]

Tough Love

By

Don't Kid Yourself   If you feel like you are always working...but never reallyaccomplishing anything... it may be because you arePROCRASTINATING... which is usually masqueraded by something that SEEMS like work, but is really just a facade for self-sabotage. Don't Freak Out, Just Fix it.   Whether in a corporate office, or a home office, there is always a mess to clean up --something unexpected that might temporarily throw you off of your perfectly planned schedule. This is inevitable... this is life. Take a good look at HOW YOU handle these detours. Spilled milk can take 15 seconds to clean up --or-- it could lead to a complete mopping of the downstairs, a … [Read more...]

The New Age of Equality

By

How do you measure FULFILLMENT?   The feminine revolution has allowed us to be eitherbreadwinners --OR-- caregivers... or even some combination of both. When we first made the decision to work at home, we were willing to make sacrifices... but are we still committed to living a simpler life? Maybe its time we change our definition of success. A Reassessment of the Family Narrative   The "new equality" is no longer exclusive to gender roles. RealEQUALITY means valuing FAMILY just as much as Career.The truth is that career and family reinforce one another. In fact, caretakers who ARE ALSO breadwinners have a proven track record in this decade... perhaps it's because we've … [Read more...]

The Power of Paradigms

By

Dream + Action = Results That --right there-- is the formula to innovation. THAT'S IT! Funnel everything through that puppy and you will reach your destination EVERY TIME. It is a mathematical certainty. If you are missing ANY PART of the equation above, you WILL NOT REACH your desired outcome. Period. DREAM: Without a clear vision, you will not know where you are going. You may be working hard, performing a lot of ACTIONS (while becoming exhausted in the process) but if your DREAM has holes in it, you WILL NOT reach your desired results. ACTION: You may be able to imagine all of the wonderful little details of your fantasy life, but unless you take SPECIFIC ACTIONS to get there, … [Read more...]

Risky Business

By

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. If the most successful people really are risk-takers, then our mission is clear. Risky THINKING should become a habitual process for us as entrepreneurs and thought leaders. We all know the importance of creating a workable game plan that will bring you the greatest return of desirable results. -- This may MINIMIZE your risk in business-- but without a "no guts, no glory" outlook, you may never officially launch. The most dangerous risk of all... is NOT taking one. Complacency is not your friend as it leads to stagnation, and if you find yourself with a lack of enthusiasm for your business, your message or your approach to life in general... … [Read more...]

Turn Adversity into an Advantage

By

  Obstacles or... Opportunities? When faced with a set of unfortunate circumstances, we are presented with a choice to either ADAPT, or deteriorate. Either way, your journey will escalate into something new. Change is inevitable. If you want to know what I look for in a guest expert, it's how one meets adversity and turns it into an advantage... for career, family, personal fulfillment, financial abundance and quality of life. Linda and Brian Kaminski-- like so many other successful business leaders, birthed a successful global business as a result of an unfortunate accident which scorched Brian with life-threatening 3rd degree burns. After many ineffective medical treatments and … [Read more...]

A Champion for Yourself AND Your Children

By

When in doubt, blame the kids... We thought that leaving our corporate jobs and building a new career at home would give us FREEDOM. Freedom from the time clock... freedom from a long commute...freedom from overbearing and inflexible employers...and freedom to travel way beyond that ceiling made of glass. The biggest freedom of all? To be a parent without apology. There is a new boss in town and she needs a diaper change. The FREEDOM that was promised by an at-home career now brings about a new set of circumstances that seems almost counter-intuitive to the original plan. Therein lies the ultimate paradox. Somewhere along the way that freedom that we worked so hard to achieve became … [Read more...]

Before We Were Parents…

By

Ah, yes. Good times. When the kids are tucked in on a Saturday night, my husband and I like to have a "date night"-- which means something very different than it did ten years ago. Back then, we might have been burning the midnight oil at a concert, a party, or perhaps we'd be performing in a theatrical production in the city. Oh, yeah. We were crazy that way. CRAZY, I tell ya! We enjoy our date nights just as much now as we did then. Now that we are parents our typical Saturday night looks a bit different. We wait until the kiddos fall asleep, turn on some music, sit on the couch with a bottle of wine to reminisce about the days before we became parents... It was a time when we had... … [Read more...]

How to be a Profitable Stay-at-Home Parent

By

Tighten the belt? Ugh. A job is ONE WAY to create income...but it isn't the only way. On This Little Parent Stayed Home Radio, we teach you how to prioritize kids and home...without losing that second income. Investments? If you are over 30, time becomes an issue. A business of your own? Yes! Your own business could make the difference between sinking or swimming in today's economy. It could be a part-time, home-based venture. And more money means more options, more freedom, and more FUN! Case studies of other mom business leaders who solved problems capitalizing on their interests: Going Big! Sarah Blakey of Spanx, Debbie Fields of Mrs. Fields, Anita Roddick of the Body … [Read more...]