July 2011 Blog Posts (41)

We are insane for ALL things Shark Week at our house!  How do YOU Celebrate?

We are making these Shark Cupcakes! Here’s how to make them.

We are making Shark Bite drinks, Sharktini’s and of course Bloody Marys.  Recipes are here:…

I enjoyed watching The Secret World of Ants this morning on CBS. Watch this fascinating video trailer from the show. (Sorry for the commercials before and after the video — but it is worth watching.)

It is interesting to see what ants can teach us about the benefits of cooperation and collaboration. Here are three things ants can teach us about how cooperation and collaboration make us all better.…

On July 4, 2011, I informed you that HR 2359: The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 had been introduced. You can read the text of the bill here. This month, I hosted two exclusive IBN member calls to discuss the bill. The first was July 6, to review the substance of the bill. If you are a member and you missed that call, you can…

One of my members, Dawn Shaffer of French Hill Country in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, designs and creates non-stick candle and soap silicone molds that candle and soap making. Among other shapes, Dawn makes molds in the shape of fruit, hearts, tin cans, pretzels, jelly beans, sunflowers, alphabets and even hot dogs! Today, she shared this short video about why she loves her business.…

Hello!  My name is Katie Friedland and I am from Norwich, Vermont, a wee little town on the Connecticut River.  I have recently opened my online business, www.frankincenseandrose.com, dedicated to formulating high class skin care products and perfumes from botanical sources.  I have had a life-long love of natural skin care products and aromatherapy and have dabbled for years in creating my own blends.  After much consternation over moldy jars…

This is a very quick note for members of IBN. On July 6, I hosted a call to discuss with Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale her position on the newly released HR 2359: Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011. If you are a member and you missed it, you can log in and get it …

When I read articles promoting the value of multiple streams of income, I get excited in a good way, or I get excited in a not-so-good way. I get excited in a good way because everyone is capable of multiplying their income by managing a business (or businesses). I get excited in a not-so-good way because some of articles make it seem like creating…

Hello everyone!

I'm excited to introduce our first INDIE Local Groups!

INDIE Business: Newark - led by …

I started a group on Linkedin.com Called Natural Nails.  It is a group dedicated to educating other nail technicians on the benefits of "Natural Nails."  If you want to become a member, just go there and ask so I can approve you.  We don't do product promotions (although you can reply to one of the group members and do a private promotion).  Hope to see you there.

Chere.

If you’re in the Charlotte area and you have a family business (or are in the process of starting one), join us for an evening of networking, learning and family encouragement as my husband an I share powerful ways to use branded media on FaceBook to expand your influence and increase opportunities to sell your products and services. Here are the details:…

Well, it’s actually Episode 2 (see Episode 1 here), but my husband wants to start fresh since he is using a different technology for the show now. In this episode, we talk about using a blog to achieve your personal and professional goals. We…

Have you heard of Visual.ly? It’s a cool new program that allows you to create infographics by plugging in data and then choosing graphic options to display information in a way that’s easy for people to digest. I love infographics but I am not a designer so it’s always been a challenge to create them. Well, those days may be gone now that there’s Visual.ly. Here’s an information graphic I created today displaying Twitter date for me and Oprah…

Last month, my husband, Darryl, served as the official videographer for the with the Young Black Men’s Leadership Alliance leadership retreat in Midland, North Carolina. He was asked to create a short video capturing a few of the fun moments and showcasing how much the young men enjoyed the experience.

YBM’s…

For my kids, summer is all about water and more water. My daughter is like a little fish, and I love splashing around with her. This week, my husband and I surprised our kids with an unplanned trip to Great Wolf Lodge. Everyone had a blast and came home pretty much exhausted, but thrilled for the experience.…