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Chic Perspectives

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ProWin Special featuring Sandy Jones, Lorna Rasmussen & Lorikay Stone

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In this special ProWIN edition of Chic Perspectives, Host Dana Barrett interviewed Sandy Jones, Lorna Rasmussen and Lorikay Stone.

Sandy talked about her business, Pearlworks, and talked about the importance of developing your jewelry style and having a great jewelry wardrobe.  To learn more about Sandy and Pearlworks go to www.PearlWorks.net.

Lorna Ramussen, an independent associate for LegalShield discussed the advantage of having a team of lawyers at your disposal for as low as $17/month!  To learn more about LegalSheild, go to http://www.More4SmallBiz.com.

And last but not least, Lorikay Stone talked about her photography business and how developing your professional image on websites and social media with a snapshot of you on your vacation or cropped from a family photo is NOT the way to go.  Professional headshots are affordable and critical in today’s marketplace and Lorikay works with her clients to get the best look to market themselves and their business.  To learn more about Lorikay Photography go to http://LorikayPhotography.com

And of course, you’ll want to listen to the interview for some additional insights into online dating, jewelry for a cause and the easiest way to get out of a traffic ticket!

Sue Sullivan of Hot Squeeze and Evin Galang Down South Swing

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Chic Perspectives features Atlanta entrepreneurs Sue Sullivan, President of Hot Squeeze, and Evin Galang, Owner of Down South Swing.

Evin Galang was enjoying working in her passion as a dance instructor when the opportunity to takeover the Down South Swing studio arose.  She decided to step up to the challenge of turning around the business and get it back on its feet.  Top dance instructors offer a variety of classes and workshops appealing to everyone from beginners to award winning professionals.

Find out more about classes and dance offerings at Down South Swing at

www.downsouthswing.com

 

Sue Sullivan, was running her own catering business when the concept for Hot Squeeze (delicious all natural sauces you can put on -everything) took her focus front and center, consumer taste buds loved what she had created, demand surged and The Hot Squeeze blossomed into a thriving business, with a distribution deal with Whole Foods and other major grocery retailers fueling expansion.

Learn more about Hot Squeeze at

www.thehotsqueeze.com

 

Stephanie Jolluck CEO and President of Coleccion Luna Shares Advice

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After I completed my degree in Latin American Literature and Anthropology and my Honor’s Thesis, I traveled to Guatemala to volunteer on a Mayan Indian women’s cooperative and to explore the country backpacking alone for two months.  The 36 year Civil War, which resulted in genocide, rape, and other unimaginable atrocities had just ended.  The indigenous women I met and worked with on the cooperative had experienced the bloody violence and where there to empower themselves after the war so they could return to their villages.  I will never forget their strength, resilience, and courage as they told us stories of the violence they experienced and their determination to rebuild their villages.  After 3 weeks of volunteering I traveled around Guatemala became enchanted with the rich, intricate, and gorgeous textiles the women were is weaving and wearing.  As I studied these stunning textiles and learned it was a 2000 year old tradition, I couldn’t help but think what pure geniuses these women were.   They were also some of the poorest people in Guatemala.  This contradiction made no sense to me.  Between the women I met volunteering and the fascinating textiles woven by those in deep poverty, this trip became the inspiration for Coleccion Luna.  I travel to Guatemala 4-6xs a year to work directly in partnership with the Mayan Indians on a line of textiles (handbags, pillows, table runners) that are created from their reclaimed traditional clothing, as well as a line of beaded jewelry and woodcarvings using Fair Trade practices. I wholesale the goods all over the US.  My artisans have become my family & their communities my home…

NAWBO Atlanta on Women’s Business Growth, Mentoring, Camaraderie

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Elizabeth Gordon interviews NAWBO Atlanta Board Members, Corporate Partners, and prominent members.

Andrea G. Borden is Managing Partner, Borden Schmidt Consulting and President, NAWBO Atlanta (National Association of Women Business Owners).   Borden Schmidt helps companies increase revenue through sales consulting and financial consulting services.

Andrea has a proven track record of increasing sales rapidly within a wide range of companies from small private companies to global public corporations such as Robert Half International, Spherion Staffing, Compaq Computer/HP and Ziff-Davis Media.

Founded in 1975, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is the voice of America’s 10.6 million women-owned businesses and is the only dues-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries.

http://www.nawboatlanta.org/

www.bordenschmidt.com

 

Laura Stevenson is on the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, NAWBO Atlanta and an Attorney at the Law Office of Laura Stevenson.  She is also a prominent member of Georgia Association for Women Lawyers.

Her practice handles:

Commercial Disputes: debt collection

Employment: non-compete agreements, wage/hour

ERISA: welfare benefit plan and pension plan claims, COBRA

Consumer Credit: Truth-In-Lending, Fair Credit Reporting, Fair Debt Collection Practices

Civil Rights: race, age, sex and disability discrimination

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/laura-stevenson/8/316/364

 

Deb Carr is the corporate partner liaison for UPS with NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) and an International Account Manager for UPS.   Deb provides supply chain management and global logistics solutions for medium and large multi-national organizations.

With more than 15 years of comprehensive experience in supply chain and logistics complemented by a marketing background, Deb is sought after for her business knowledge regarding international shipping and technology efficiencies.

She is known for her exceptional customer relations and logistics skills and works with key decision makers to link UPS solutions to drive strategic corporate goals.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Deb is a contributing volunteer at a number of professional organizations and was recently voted into Alpha Team Search & Rescue where she works with a team of volunteers and canines to support law enforcement in finding the lost and missing.

www.ups.com

 

Dianne Ogle is a highly skilled leader and consultant and Founder of Business Momentum Group (BMG) helping companies grow their businesses by offering a consortium of services:

• Strategic Business Planning

• Marketing / Sales/ Public Relations

• Executive Coaching

• Business Development/ Project Management

• Leadership Development

• Organizational Excellence

• Launch and Sustainability Expertise

• Execution Specialist

• Non Profit Excellence

She also has been growing professional women CEO and C‐Level women peer group organizations, to assist companies in growing and developing their organizations from the inside out.

http://www.businessmomentumgroup.com

 

Amanda, Cindy, Michelle of Georgia Association for Women Lawyers

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Board Members from the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers joined us this month for our spotlight on member organizations for Atlanta women in business.  The ladies discuss what it’s like to be a member of GAWL, recent programs and event, the Foundation, Sponsors, mentors and career advancement.

Amanda Wick, Cindy Manning, Michelle West

Amanda Wick, VP of Strategic Partnerships at GAWL.  As a member of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, she started the Augusta Chapter of the organization, one of the largest initial GAWL chapters ever started, and was honored as a GAWL Committee Star in 2010. As Vice President of the Strategic Partnerships Committee, her committee won the “Best Committee Award” for 2010-2011. As an active member of the Junior League of Atlanta, she was awarded their 2009-2010 R.O.S.E. Bud (Recognition Of Service Excellence) Award and currently volunteers with the Georgia Radio Reading Service (GaRRS). She is most proud of being a Big Sister to Destinee, the greatest seven year old in the world, through Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta.

 

Cindy Manning is a founding partner of Manning, Levine and Marlow, LLP.  Cindy spends half of her time practicing criminal defense, capitalizing on her prior prosecution experience to represent clients facing charges ranging from traffic offenses to felonies in both state and federal court.  Cindy spends the rest of her time helping individuals and businesses resolve disputes through negotiation, mediation and litigation.  In 2005 and 2010, Cindy was recognized by Law & Politics as a Georgia Super Lawyer Rising Star.

Cindy earned her B.A., cum laude¸ from Florida State University in 1999 and her J. D., magna cum laude, from Boston University in 2002. While at Boston University, she served as an editor of the Boston University Law Review.

 

Michelle West has been an active member of GAWL since 2006 and a board member since 2009.  Ms. West was the second President of the GAWL Gwinnett Chapter formed in 2009.

Michelle is the Founder and Owner of M West Legal, LLC, where she focuses her practice mainly on immigration, estate planning, and family law matters, including international adoption and international child abduction.  Michelle has offices in Atlanta and Gwinnett County, and has been practicing law in Georgia since 2002.

Ms. West graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service where she studied International Law, Relations and Organization.  She also received a certificate in Latin American studies and received proficiency status/credit in the Spanish language.  Ms. West attended Emory University School of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate degree.  While in law school, Ms. West clerked for a varied group of firms, governmental organizations, private business legal departments, and not for profit organizations working in areas of family law, estate planning, immigration, business organization and international law.  Throughout her studies, Ms. West attended academic programs in Ecuador, Italy, Spain, and Costa Rica.

 

For more on Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, visit http://gawl.org

Pursuing Your Passion and Becoming Successful

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So many people have had to redefine their careers and look for other income streams to make it through the recession, now is a good time to explore a passion business that can help you feel and be more successful.

Joining us in the studio today, Celest Turner, an expert who facilitates authentic and sustainable success through personal coaching, writing, and training. She has been featured on NBC Philadelphia, GalTime TV Orlando, Examiner.com, and The Daily Buzz national morning show. She is also a columnist for Headdrama.com.

When it comes to growth and success strategies, Celest is definitely a renaissance practitioner. She has worked with aspiring entrepreneurs, ambitious individuals, and businesses to help them refine their vision and design a path to achieve success.

International powerhouse Lisa Nichols of The Secret and Chicken Soup for the African American Woman’s Soul calls Celest one of her “ambassadors of fortitude” and has featured her story of overcoming bullying and shyness in the book Unbreakable Spirit.

To learn more about Celest Turner, visit www.growthbycelest.com. To connect with her:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/growthbycelest

Twitter: www.twitter.com/growthbycelest

Youtube: www.youtube.com/growthcoachcelest

Celest Turner & Elizabeth Gordon


 

Laura Scholz Interviews Consumer Products Expert Melanie Stewart

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Meet Melanie Stewart, serial entrepreneur.  Not satisfied with owning a successful medical billing company, Melanie joined forces with her best friend to start M&M Consumer Products, a company dedicated to developing comfortable, convenient and creative solutions to  every day health and beauty needs.
Melanie chats about the inspiration behind her products, using family members as guinea pigs and her favorite “Pink Ladies” (hint: their successful entrepreneurs) in this exclusive interview.

Elizabeth Gordon interviews Dave Savage, Inventors Association of GA President, Sue Watson, IP attorney, from SC Watson Law Firm and Inventor Donna Difloe, a Furniture Industry veteran and book author of How to buy furniture on The Chic Perspectives Show

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Today on the Chic Perspectives  show I had on the Inventors Association of Georgia

Joining me in the studio to talk about all things inventive were:

Dave Savage, Inventors Association of GA President (dave@davesavage.com & http://gainventors.org/)

Sue Watson, IP attorney, from SC Watson Law Firm (Scwatsonlawfirm.com )

and Inventor Donna Difloe, a Furniture Industry veteran and book author of How to buy furniture.

Dave Savage is the president of Pres. of the Inventors Assoc. of GA, an organization that’s been in existence for 30 years.  In addition Dave also provides Inventors Advisory Service, family history & story video recording, Microsoft Word shortcuts trainer

45+ singles parties producer, Pre-paid Legal Attorney HMO plans & ID theft restoration, CLEAR 4G Mobile Internet sales, Direct TV satellite program sales, 4G wireless closed circuit TV sales, Alternative Bar & Bat Mitzvah preparation and ceremonies, Asian woodland landscape design, inexpensive home storage solutions, Home Party Support Services, Bartering & connections, resources.

Dave talked about how he teaches inventors to talk about their ideas without disclosing material details and how to get feedback, advice and find the best plan of action to move forward.  There is a lot to learn and be aware of as an inventor and surrounding yourself with those who can give advice, feedback and suggestions is very important in minimizing your losses and maximizing your returns.

Sue Watson of SC Watson Law Firm shared her expertise on Patents, Trademarks, Service Marks and Trade Dress as well as Copyrights, Patent Clearance Analysis, Patent Portfolio Evaluations, Patent Intelligence.

Sue’s firm has extensive experience assisting start-up companies, universities, research foundations, and large, global corporations in achieving significant intellectual property protection.

We discussed the strategic reasons why having a patent portfolio is more powerful and puts you in a better negotiating position than just a single patent.

Sue talked about business model entrepreneurs can use to capitalize on their idea, what to do first and how to avoid rookie mistakes.

Sue shared about the importance of intellectual property protection in order to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced world.   It’s crucial to rapidly protect your intellectual property in order to enhance  your business growth and secure your business success.

She explained how a step-by-step, cost-effective plan in critical for a company to achieve optimum intellectual property protection of their technology.

Donna Difloe shared her success story or how she turned an idea for an innovative and versatile furniture into a flourishing business.

Donna started her own company, Design Dynamic, which became the “umbrella” for product design and development, intellectual property, marketing and speaking and training engagements.


Before going out on her own Donna was the first Exec. Dir. of the Interior Design Society, and also in Chicago, the Product Manager for Kroehler Furniture.

Donna wanted the comfort and fashion of living room furniture for her outdoor patio. So she created and patented drainable, upholstered seating – an industry first.The furniture wears and washes well. It is mildew resistant and it looks as if it would fit in perfectly with a well-decorated living room.

Lane/Venture of Conover, N.C., incorporated Difloe’s drain system into the cushions of a group of wicker furniture called WeatherMaster. Donna’s patented furniture system has been licensed to Laneventure for 20 years.  Love seats and soft wing chairs as well as wicker with cushions in various patterns are available.

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Got Ideas??

Check out the Inventors Association of Georgia, sign up for the free newsletter and find out more about upcoming meetings and the resources offered – membership privledges provide lot’s of value all for a very affordable price.  http://gainventors.org/

Thanks so much to my fabulous guests Donna Difloe of Design Dynamic, Sue Watson of SC Watson Law Firm and Dave Savage of Inventors Association of Georgia.

Until next time… wishing you all Chic Success,

Elizabeth


Elizabeth Gordon interviews Karen Hughes of Image Assets on the Chic Perspectives Show

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Wondering what’s in style this season?  Well you’ve come to the right show.  Today I talked with Karen Hughes who is a Certified Image Professional and the President of Owner of Image Assets.

www.ImageAssets.net

Early in her life, Karen knew she loved clothes, having learned how to sew at the tender age of 10, but she had a passion for teaching.   Spending a decade in corporate America honing her presentation skills she found herself again drawn back to fashion and clothing – she has a degree in fashion merchandising. Taking time off to raise her 3 children she began to formulate her vision for a new role as an entrepreneur.

It was with a passion for education and love of fashion that Image Assets was created. With a mantra to help women “look good, feel great and have FUN doing it”, Karen creates workshops and events that teach you how to build a wardrobe for the lifestyle that YOU lead, whatever your stage of life!

By enhancing your image through better style and dress, you can enhance your career progression whether its up the ladder or out on your own as an entrepreneur.

On the show today we talked about the 3 F’s of Fashion (Fit, Flatter, Feel-Good),

as well as the 3-Keys to Building a Wardrobe (Core-Accent-Accessories).

Karen revealed the biggest mistakes women make in purchasing clothes and she also explained why alterations matter.


For more about turning your image into an asset, keep in touch with Karen @

Check out Image Assets’ Trends with Friends Event on Tuesday the 2nd of March and the StyleCAMP at the end of the month.


Twitter: www.twitter.com/imageassets

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/karenhughes

Facebook Fanpage: www.facebook.com/pages/Style-YOUniversity/188572746337?ref=sgm

and of course check out her site as well @ www.ImageAssets.net

Thanks Karen for all the great ideas and advice for a creating a winning look that speaks our style.