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Does Your Elevator Speech Need a Lift?
I live in an area (Washington, DC) where the first question you often hear is, “What do you do?” While it may not always be the first question, at some point it usually comes up. And, I’m sure...
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Thank You for Your Business!
When was the last time you sent a letter via the US Postal Service to thank someone? When was the last time you received one? I know that today we are all about digital. However, I think you are...
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Have you entered the CABS Scholarship contest?
I believe that anyone who is serious about starting and building a creative arts business should have the chance to learn the best success and business strategies. The place to do that is the Creative...
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Give Up Time Management!
Do you ever feel like you are so caught up in the everyday, ongoing activity in your business that you can’t actually find time to make decisions about your business? Do you take on tasks that you...
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Are you just a …?
A couple years ago, I was at a gallery opening with some creative women, and they were each sharing what they did. After hearing one woman say she was a mixed-media artist and another say she was a...
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Exercise Your “Done” Muscle
Recently I chatted with my client Bethany about her problems getting things done. She seemed to make little progress on what she said her goals were. She would start a project then get distracted by...
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Save Money With Tax Tips for Creatives
Yes, it’s tax time again. As a self-employed business owner, it’s important for you to have a handle on your business and know what is deductible and what isn’t. Invariably when I talk about taxes...
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What’s Your Definition of Success?
I was recently chatting with a long-time client, Beth, about what success meant to her. She told me that her definition of success was quite unlike that of our mutual friend Priscilla. From the...
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Is your smartphone stealing your creativity?
Do you have a love/hate relationship with your smart phone? I know I do. I love how convenient it makes everything. Google is at your fingertips; so is Instagram, Facebook and Words With Friends. Your...
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The Certainties of Life
Benjamin Franklin said, “… in this world nothing can be said to be certain but death and taxes.” This is tax week, with federal taxes due, or an extension filed, by yesterday. While no one enjoys...
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Focus on the Three S’s in Success
You might know that I’m a word person. I love good writing, I worked as a journalist, and I love word games. I looked at the word “success” recently and thought about what the parts meant. Success has...
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What Message Does Your Environment Send?
Have you given much thought to the message that your environment sends? This could be the space that you invite the public to enter, whether that’s a storefront or your website. It could even be your...
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Know your customer to ignite your business
Over the weekend I met my friend Jamie at a local coffee shop. We hadn’t seen each other for a while and had a great time catching up. After about half an hour, we were joined by Caitlin, one of...
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Do Your Survival Skills Still Work?
Recently I was talking with a long-time friend about some changes we had each made in our lives, both personally and professionally. During the conversation I noted that I was giving up some of my...
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Impressions from Spring Quilt Market 2017
The Spring 2017 edition of International Quilt Market took place in St. Louis this year. As always I’m inspired and energized by what I see. Overall, I thought the colors looked clear and fresh,...
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Lessons from The Magnolia Story
I’m an unabashed fan of the HGTV show Fixer Upper and its hosts, Joanna and Chip Gaines. I’ve been know to watch marathon style more than once, and I’ve even got my husband to watch with me. What is...
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Slay the Social Media Dragon
Do you ever get overwhelmed with social media? So many different platforms to choose from. And, regardless of the platform, they each seems to change all the time. And, when you are on social media,...
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Are your “real” priorities in your calendar?
Do you ever struggle with aligning your priorities with your actions? Beth, one of my clients, was recently struggling with this. She told me that her family was her priority, yet she was barely...
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Craft a powerful tagline
What’s in a tagline? The purpose of a tagline is to express your brand differentiation. It’s to say who you are compared to your competition. It’s to get people to want to know more about your...
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What are your “pinch-me” moments?
Last week I was honored to be a special presenter at the Handi Quilter Retailer Academy. The first day I gave a talk on Capturing the Creative Customer and on Social Media. The second day I offered...
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