Tag Archive for 'women entrepreneurs'

Kathy Ireland on The Ms. CEO Show - Top 10 Takeaways

Published
by
Felicia Joy
on July 28, 2009
in Ms. CEO Blog
. 0 Comments

Today on The Ms. CEO Show, I chatted with fellow Ms. CEO Kathy Ireland, CEO of Kathy Ireland Worldwide (KIWW), a billion dollar corporation.  This former model and actress is not only a billion dollar business woman, she’s also a mother, wife and author has just published a new book: REAL SOLUTONS FOR BUSY MOMS: Your Guide to Success and Sanity.  She shared great insights and inspiration for women entrepreneurs, and the funniest stories from her childhood on today’s show, so check out the full interview; and check out these Top 10 Takeaways for women entrepreneurs from what Kathy Ireland had to say.

  1. Life comes in seasons.  We can have it all but not all at the same time.  Kathy said her 20s were about learning.  Her 30s were about motherhood.  And currently life for her is about growth as a businesswoman.
  2. Crisis is a time for teaching and learning. Kathy says the economic crisis has been an opportunity to teach our children about what matters most and about the value of a dollar.
  3. Rejection is noise; just turn it off.  Kathy says she experienced a lot of rejection and plain ol’ rudeness when she was a model and struggling entrepreneur (she even once had to re-organize her company through bankruptcy).  To her this is all “noise”.  It’s really no big deal when you learn to turn it down, tune it out, and move on with a better strategy.
  4. A sacrifice for your dream isn’t really a sacrifice.  Kathy says be willing to give up material things in the short term to really live your dreams.  This is not a sacrifice—it’s a bold investment in your future.  Also, realize that most stuff that we think is a big deal, really isn’t.  Kathy once slept in an airport on a trip to save money—this was just a small act to her to achieve the BIG results that she was on the way to:  A company that does more than $1.4 billion a year in revenue.
  5. Put everything to the mission statement test. Kathy says that all new products considered and eventually developed by her company must be in alignment with Kathy Ireland Worldwide’s mission statement: Finding solutions for families; especially busy moms.
  6. Every woman is a brand. Kathy says we are all a brand—every individual. What’s your brand?  Know it, change it (if necessary) and live it.
  7. Don’t lose your “real” self in your press kit.  Kathy says to know and be okay with our ”real” versus our “retouched” selves (she said this in reference to a photo) and to know when it’s time to get control of our real self, and make some adjustments for our health and well being.
  8. Good old sound business advice still applies (and works). Kathy says to build a billion dollar corporation you’ve got to have a plan, strategy and timetable—then work your plan and honor your priorities.
  9. Your customers are the boss.  Kathy says that her complete success is tied up in her relationship with the moms who buy her products.  She is in contact with her customers all the time and they are her boss—and she says she works everyday with this in mind.
  10. How you start your day greatly predicts how your day will be.  Kathy says getting to bed earlier and getting up earlier gives her the time to read the Bible, pray and reflect on what she is grateful for—and that makes all the difference in her day.

Ms.CEO of the Week - Kaira Akita

Published
by
Felicia Joy
on December 17, 2008
in Ms. CEO Blog
. 3 Comments

Kaira Akita - KairaAkita.comMeet our Ms.CEO of the Week, Kaira Akita, a professional actor and founder of A Clothes Encounter, the new way to shop!

Interview by Linda Day
Editor-in-Chief, Ms.CEO

Linda: You have an impressive list of credits in business and in the entertainment world; how do you balance being a business woman and a creative professional at the same time?
Kaira: I try to make it a point to seek out business ventures that compliment my work as an entertainer, so that my two worlds can build on each other.

Linda: What do you find is your biggest challenge as a woman in business?
Kaira: Maintaining balance between my personal responsibilities and relationships while trying to build my business.

Linda: What are the most effective time management skills you’ve developed?
Kaira: Write it down! I find I don’t get so overwhelmed when I write down a realistic daily agenda and stick to it.

Linda: How important is it to make time for you?
Kaira: It’s extremely important to make time for myself.  But since I enjoy being on the go, sometimes it can be difficult to know what that entails!

Linda: Does your business affect your personal life? If so, how and if not, how do you juggle your two worlds?
Kaira: Absolutely! Running your own business takes an enormous amount of time and energy, which cuts into your personal time.  I have friends who never call me or invite me out anymore because they assume I am busy. My family often worries that I am “doing too much” or not getting enough rest. So it can be difficult to juggle the two worlds but it is definitely worth it once you hit your stride and can find that balance for a happy, successful life.

Linda: What is the most gratifying “thing” about being an accomplished professional woman?
Kaira: Seeing your small idea turn into something of substance, something that others respect and value. That’s extremely rewarding.

Linda: What are your thoughts on the way women are perceived in the corporate world and do you believe women are becoming more respected as CEOs and business leaders?
Kaira: I think women in corporate America are finally being viewed as valuable, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Women are still daunted by the expectation of having it all — career, family, children — while their male counterparts are immune to such expectations.

Linda: Do you consider yourself to be an “every woman?”
Kaira: Absolutely! There’s nothing that I’ve done that is particularly special or unique. I’m not the best or the smartest…but not many can outwork me!

Linda: Tell me about A Clothes Encounter and how it came about.
Kaira: A Clothes Encounter is an upscale consignment shopping event held once a season at different Atlanta hot spots, complete with savings up to 75% off retail, signature cocktails, music, and more. Select proceeds from each event benefit charity.

ACE came about after I had a closet sale during a move to a new place.  Women kept saying that it would be great if I could do the same with their old clothes.  So, after sitting on the idea a while, I decided that I could make a viable business out of doing just that.  I then combined my event experience and created the concept of a shopping party.  To keep overhead low and demand high, I decided to hold the parties at various chic venues around town (as opposed to renting a traditional store front) just once a season.

Linda: What made you choose these two particular fields of work?
Kaira: They chose me!

Linda: Did you grow up with strong business women around you?
Kaira: Yes. My mom introduced me to the idea of entrepreunership when I was in high school. She owns a financial/debt management home-based business.

Linda: Tell me about your work with the Alliance Theatre. What did you take from that experience?
Kaira: The Alliance was a great place for me to submerge myself in marketing, promotions, event planning, advertising, and PR.  As the Advertising and Promotions Coordinator, I planned opening night events for major productions such as The Color Purple, helped develop marketing and promotion strategies for each production, and served as the editor of the playbills.  This experience taught me how to juggle a lot of responsibilities at once without sacrificing the details.

Linda: What are your long term goals?
Kaira: To expand my brand as a successful actress, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

Linda: What would be Kaira Akita’s “Golden Rule” in business?
Kaira: It’s all in the details.  If you have an amazing concept and solid strategy, it could be lost if you don’t pay attention to the small details that make a big difference to your customers.

Linda: What do you think every woman should know when preparing for her own business?
Kaira: You have to learn that you can’t do it all yourself.  It’s hard to give up control, but at some point you have to do so in order to keep your sanity and to get the results you want.

Linda: What do you want your fans to know about you?
Kaira: I’m so grateful to be able to get up everyday and have the freedom to do what I love.  It hasn’t always been that way, so I cherish every minute of it!

—–
The Ms. CEO of the Week feature appears every Wednesday.  If you know of a woman entrepreneur who has an innovative product or service, an inspirational background, a unique lifestyle or a phenomenal success story, tell us about her!

The Economic Crisis and the Definition of Fear

Published
by
Felicia Joy
on December 16, 2008
in Ms. CEO Blog
. 0 Comments

I talked to Tim Grizzle today on The Ms. CEO Show about what entrepreneurs and small businesses should be doing to survive, and perhaps thrive, during this economic downturn.

Mr. Grizzle is a CFP, CPA and MBA and has been a financial advisor and business owner for two decades serving clients who have net worths of anywhere from $2 million to $20 million.  He’s also an author—he’ll be releasing a book in March 2009 that will tell the stories of those who have come out on top and on bottom during economic crises.  Mr. Grizzle has lived and prospered through four of these busted bubbles.

But of everything Mr. Grizzle shared today, his definition of fear stuck out to me the most.

Fear, anxiety, downtroddeness and depression is gripping, or beginning to grip, more than a few people.  As an entrepreneur, that’s an emotional state that just won’t work.

I’ve heard fear defined as an acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real.  And I’ve heard fear defined as the thing that makes you wet your pants!  I even know the formal definition:  A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, or loss—whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

Real or imagined in the formal definition is food for thought.

But get a load of Mr. Grizzle’s definition: Fear is nothing more than respect for the project (or action) you’re about to undertake. Wow!  That’s one way I’ve never heard fear defined and it’s quite apropros for these times.

Think about it: Respect causes you to pay attention.  Act with careful urgency.  Anticipate the next need or demand.  Basically, those are all the actions we should be taking in business today.  I always proudly claim to be courageous; feeling fear and moving forward anyway.  I’m usually quick to kick fear in the face.  But with this new definition and a new found appreciation and respect for fear, well, I’ll still be moving forward courageously—but I might take just a little more time to stare fear in the face!

Be Encouraged,
Felicia Joy
A Business Woman’s Best Friend

P.S. If you missed the show, check it out on the player to your right (Bump the Slump!) and check out the blog tomorrow.  We’ll be featuring our first “Ms.CEO of the Week”.  None other than the fabulous Kaira Akita—actor extraordinaire and CEO of A Clothes Encounter, the new way to shop!

Women Entrepreneurs - 10.1 Million Strong

Published
by
Felicia Joy
on December 15, 2008
in Ms. CEO Blog
. 0 Comments

Women entrepreneurs are a force to be reckoned with.  At 10.1 million strong we employ more than 13 million Americans and our businesses generate $1.9 trillion dollars in annual sales.

That’s heavy duty economic impact but you wouldn’t know it from the lamenting, doom and gloom we are hearing from every news source during these tough times.  I challenge you—as I challenge myself—to look for the opportunity in all of this.

Everything that is happening is simply the Universe’s way of managing natural resources and reflecting back to humankind what we have sewn for the last few years.  There’s nothing like a crisis to help you get focused and look for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Women entrepreneurs are a beacon of light in good times and bad.  When a woman is empowered a family is empowered.  Communities are empowered.  Nations are empowered and the world is empowered.  We, women entrepreneurs, are 10.1 million brilliant beams of light shining in the direction of economic rejuvenation.

If you have a business, Ms. CEO wants to help your light shine brighter.  If you’ve always dreamed of launching a business and haven’t been sure how, or have been just plain fearful, we understand and we’d like to help you flip the switch.

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, December 16th, on The Ms. CEO Radio Show we will do just that.  The show starts live right here at 2pm ET.  And every week thereafter, the show will air live on Tuesdays, 2-3pm ET, and I’ll be discussing topics and interviewing experts that will help you move your business and life forward.

This is my passion and I’d love to hear from you anytime about yours.  As we used to sing in church when I was growing up, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.”

Drop me a line and mark your calendar to tune into the show every Tuesday, 2-3pm ET.  It’s going to be a blast—and I can’t wait!

xoxo,
Felicia Joy

P.S. Have you heard about the Make Mine a Million Business Race?  Challenge yourself now to be an active participant in America’s economic recovery.  If not you, who?  If not now, when?  Let’s go!  Enter the race now and tune into The Ms. CEO Show every Tuesday for special features and more details.