Marsha Blackburn was elected to the state senate in 1998 and 4 years later, elected to serve in Congress. Â She is a wife, mother, small business owner and volunteer.
Listen to Marsha’s Chic Tip here.
In this episode of the Chic Perspectives Show, I interview Marsha Blackburn, the first woman ever elected a state Senator for the 23rd District of Tennessee, and currently serving in the US House of Representatives.
Blackburn talked about her new book, Life Equity: Realize your true value and pursue your passions at any stage in life.
She encourages women to step up, step out and use their natural skills and experiences to ultimately achieve their goals and dreams.
Marsh talks about how it is important for women reappraise their lives and recognize their real value and dig deeper into untapped assets.
I love how Marsha busts some of the most common myths facing women each day. Â It is so important to remove misguided shoulds from you life path that no longer serve you.
Having female mentors and reading and learning about those who blazed the trail for us challenges us all to step forward and lead.
Marsha thanks for inspiring woman to remove their self-doubt and become confident to take the risks necessary to change the world around them.
It was a pleasure getting to know you.
Check out Marsha’s book Life Equity Life Equity: Realize Your True Value and Pursue Your Passions at Any Stage in Life
In today’s Wellness Minute Dr Fitness and the Fat Guy explain how eating Japanese food can help you lose weight. The healthy Japanese diet consists of mainly vegetables, tofu and fish. It is a great place to start when you are trying to lose weight. Stir fry in a light oil and enjoy veggie rich meals with some miso soup. Listen right now to hear Dr Fitness’ tips. Dr Fitness and the Fat Guy’s Wellness Minutes improve your health in 3 minutes a day or less. iTunes Follow me on Twitter @FatGuy
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Q: What defines a Chic Entrepreneur?
A: A Chic Entrepreneur is defined by her eloquent combination of style and industriousness. Being chic is about how you carry yourself and the choices you make. It is not about the clothes you wear or the way you cut your hair; it’s about your attitude and your actions. Chic Entrepreneurs balance optimism with realism; they know who they are, and they know where they are going. Being a Chic Entrepreneur is not about being perfect; it’s about being you at your best. It is about being professional, having integrity, never burning bridges, and working hard, but more importantly, working smart. For these reasons, Chic Entrepreneurs tend to be in the ten percent of startup businesses that actually succeed, but they don’t just succeed, they succeed with style.
Q: Why is it so important to decide and convey the value your business can provide?
A: If you can’t decide what value your business provides to the marketplace and clearly and concisely express it to potential or existing clients and partners, who can? You are the best salesperson for your business because it’s yours; you created it. So you need to have a one to three sentence summation of what your business is and what important value it provides that others need. You should be able to jot it down on a piece of paper at a moments notice, without getting a hand cramp. This is so important because you will be asked to talk about your business countless times as an owner. Wishy-washy doesn’t gain you any respect in the business world and it’s not chic. You need to have a unique value and nail the pitch.
Q: How can women business owners work to develop their own niche?
A: Choosing and developing a niche is all about research. Women business owners need to ask questions about who exactly their target niche market is that will buy their unique product or service: Are they businesses or individuals? What is their income? Where do they live/have offices? How old are they? Are they men, women, families or committees? What do they buy often? What do they lack? These and many more questions will give your chosen niche a name, a face and a personality. As a woman business owner, you know how to develop relationships. Finding out exactly what kind of people are in your target will allow you to better cultivate relationships with your niche.
Q: What do women entrepreneurs need to know about cash flow?
A: I’ve found in my own consulting practice that women often ignore the numbers when it comes to their business. Whether it’s because it’s boring to them or because it’s not something they’ve dealt with before. However, cash flow is crucial to the success of a business. Women entrepreneurs need to know that by plugging in reasonable numbers, understanding your business model, and learning to read your financials and do predictive analysis, you can keep your cash flow in check so you don’t get into a cash crunch. Businesses that fail run out of money. In order to succeed you need to know how to keep cash flowing through your business. It is your lifeblood. Women need to get comfortable with working with, thinking, and talking about money. If you know you need an bookkeeper and can afford it, get one, and use the time you free up for cash producing activities. If you know you can’t, do the legwork necessary and make sure you’ve got a handle on what’s coming in and going out and have a bit tucked away for a rainy day, or a perfect opportunity – they come along in business when you least expect it.
Q: How can a woman business owner in the middle stages of growth determine if she’s on the right track to achieve greater profitability?
A: Put your current and desired future states into numbers. Choose five key metrics to watch. Key metrics will allow you to monitor your company’s performance. You must identify a way to measure performance so that you can determine at a glance what you are doing well and what you are doing poorly and adjust accordingly. Your metrics will give you an indication of where you or your managers need to focus attention. Think of this as your executive dashboard, similar to your car’s dashboard, that you can look at as you drive your company forward. This will give you an overall view of how your organization is running and alert you to any issues that require attention. Your dashboard will consist of a handful of key metrics that act as a constant health check, a way for you to check the business’s pulse and other vital signs. Metrics are great and powerful tools, and as you get more comfortable with them you will learn to use them to spot opportunities and more effectively manage your business.
Ever wonder how millionaire men think? Or what their day-to-day lives look like, what they do that makes them so successful?
A key best practice of rich and successful people is to surround yourself with other successful people who can act as mentors, advice givers and guides to your along your journey from where you are to where you want to be.
Goal Digger: Lessons Learned From The Rich Men I Dated
Author Alicia Dunams took a most unusual approach in doing this which and ultimately led to this page-turner of a success guide that I thoroughly enjoyed. Alicia’s eventful admirable life journey has had many twists and turns from which she openly shares stories and draws insightful positive lessons.
Circumstances that would have stopped a lesser person, have driven this diva to creating true wealth and independence for herself and security and time for her daughter.
The wisdom she imparts on building a investment, real estate and business portfolio of diverse assets to “get your money working for you†is the essence of smart business.
Her stories of her rich men and their secrets to success are entertaining, intriguing and enlightening. I think Alicia’s message of “Why marry a millionaire when you could just think like one?†is an extremely important one for women to hear, as we are living in a day and age in which we have all the capabilities to create our own financial security rather than relying on a mate to provide it for us.
With the tools in this book, you’ll learn how other went from zero to millionaire status using these lessons to take advantage of proven wealth building opportunities.
I loved the chapter on the Abracadabra Principle that teaches you how to create as you speak, and equally as important are the chapters on Fear and Risk, which I see holding so many people back. I also love the “Don’t Work, Think Your Way to Riches†chapter, as it is very in keeping with the Chic Entrepreneur philosophy as well.
Understanding how the rich deal with the elements of business is a big eye opener. This book will give you insight into the inner mental game of millionaire men, info you can’t find anywhere else. Thank Alicia for sharing the inside scoop with us!
In a great show of how powerful the female perspective is in explaining business and money success principles, this motivational self-help mixes juicy stories, with practical business and wealth enhancing strategies.
You will be inspired by Alicia’s personal journey and awed by the power of the lessons she’s uncovered.
Alicia’s message of -Why marry a millionaire when you could just become one yourself- is an extremely important one for women to hear. I caught myself underlining key points throughout this entertaining and enjoyable read. Full of great content and advice in an easy to read format.
In this Chic Perspective Show I talked with Christopher Flett – the author of What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business: Opening Up the Heavily Guarded Alpha Male Playbook
Chris Flett is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully built eleven companies from scratch and sold them to major corporations. He is a popular guest in the media, including: The Today Show, Fox Business Network, and CNBC. His work has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and USA Today. BusinessWeek called him the “Shock Jock of Business Management.” His company, Ghost CEO, is the world’s leader in development for professional women.
In this Chic Perspective, Chris talks about behaviors that hold women back in the workplace, how men and women approach business differently, and the psychological roots of these behavior patterns. He talks about the unique strengths women bring to the the business world, and how to capitalize on them. Chris genuinely wants to see more women succeed in the workplace, and his advice, while sometimes irreverent, will open your eyes to a new way of looking at things. You’ll enjoy hearing Chris’s advice on how to handle maternity leave, what you should and should not be doing from 9 to 5, and why he won’t be the one buying the group birthday card at the office.
In this Chic Perspective episode, I talk with Virginia Hughes Means – Executive Coach and former Director of HR for Deloitte Consulting and Managing Director of Randstad North America
Virginia Means brings 20 years of high-level corporate HR experience in developing people, both on a macro and micro level, to the coaching profession. With Wharton-training and SPHR certification, she has served as a Director of HR for Deloitte Consulting. As a Managing Director of Randstad North America, Virginia was responsible for the development, succession planning and placement of up to 475,000 employees.
Virginia talks about her unique combination of high-level corporate responsibility in the service and professional industries, how she rose to the top and best practices of those who get there. Virginia discusses how her background created an ideal platform for effectively developing both the substance and style of corporate executives and professionals. Virginia reveals what types of challenges do many executives face, and how can they overcome them.
In this Chic Perspective episode, I talk with Indigo Johnson, CEO of Careers in Transition and the author of Playing by the Unwritten Rules: Moving from the Middle to the Top
Indigo is a career and workforce expert and her company specializes in helping organizations to attract, develop and retain employees through performance and productivity initiatives and programs.
She coaches and speaks on employability, diversity, career development, mentoring, workplace relationships, communicating, job search and a variety of other issues affecting careers and the work environment.
Indigo reveals what the unwritten rules in business are, why women sometimes don’t get them, and how this can hold them back. Most importantly, Indigo shares what you can do to abide by them and move ahead.
In this Chic Perspective I talk with Maria Marsala – Founder of Elevating your Business and former Wall Street executive.
Maria Marsala entered the business world at 14 and hit Wall Street 3 years later.
Maria is a business consultant, coach, speaker and author.
Maria has been featured in national and international publications such as Money magazine, Women’s Day, and The Bottom Line.
In this Chic Perspective Maria talks about how she climbed the corporate ladder without hitting the glass ceiling, exhibiting fierce determination and keen insights when she became a bond trader and department manager at a time when women executives were a rare commodity.
Maria reveals how entrepreneurs can double their income, work smarter and enjoy a higher quality of life by using smart planning.
She discusses how a mindset shift is the most powerful thing you can do to expand the potential of your business while also reducing your workload.
