Tinygami is coming to Home 2 Home in Greenville, MI

I've often said my creative-process is that I see pictures in my head. For instance when I think of something I'd like to create I can see the finished whatever in my head and can, for reasons I can't explain, see how to construct it to reach the end result. The other day it happened with this display case...

I'd been doing a ton of research on Pinterest about how to create the booth for the Made in Michigan Pop-up Markets I signed up for in May and July. Knowing me I'd wait until mid-May to finally put everything together. The things I wanted most were:

1. Portability: I need to be able to lift and move all of the display fixtures myself.
2. Wind resistance: It can get VERY windy in MI. So I want to create a booth that has the option of placing glass doors or some type of see-through barrier around my items just in case I need to.
3. The option to lock it if needed.
4. Cute: It has to be cute! And fun, and beautiful, and elegant. That's all :)

And just like that I stumbled upon the perfect one at Kaleidoscope of Times (a local antique mall). It's a mere 9.5"(d)x 24"(w)x48"(h). It's an old rifle/gun display case that had already been converted into a more generic display case. As soon as I saw it I knew I could remove the top two shelves and replace them with glass shelves. I could see it in my head. And it came with two sliding glass doors! Hopefully it will turn out something close to the illustration above.

The drawer at the bottom will come in handy on windy days because I can put bricks in there to help weigh it down as well as come up with some type of additional support system so that it won't ever blow over.

But guess what? It turns out I'll be using it even before the May Pop-up Marketplace! I was perusing Facebook and saw this post by a brand new store opening in Downtown Greenville, MI next Wednesday. I dropped by the next day even though they aren't officially opened and guess who's renting a Tinygami sized bit of space at Home 2 Home? Yup, ME!

So this little display case along with the table I use each year at ArtPrize will be the official retail launch of my business in Greenville. I have to have it ready to set up there by Tuesday so I've been busy. Since purchasing the case two days ago I have:

• Purchased metal tracks and shelf pegs so the shelving can be adjustable
• Cut the metal tracks to length
• Removed the wood shelving. I did repair the bottom shelf as the trim was falling off and it was quite uneven in places so I sanded and sanded until I'd leveled everything off.
• Filled all of the nail holes and the routing along the inside where the rifle stock rest/divider used to be.
• Ordered 5 glass shelves.
• Looked for new drawer pulls but didn't find any that I liked that fit the existing holes.
• Sanded everything with 60 grit sandpaper along with the tips of my fingers :(
• Located a locksmith that sells a ratchet keyed lock that fits to the glass display case doors.
• Sanded everything with 150 grit sandpaper wearing gloves so my fingers are better :) But then I accidentally dropped two big clamps on my head (don't ask) so was still a bit worse for the wear today.
• Nailed the bottom wood shelf back to the bottom of the case to hide the indentations where the rifle's butt plates rested.
• Applied the first coat of primer.
• Whew!

Still left to do:

• Apply the second coat of primer.
• Buy blue paint.
• Paint the interior of the case aqua blue.
• Go pick up ratchet lock.
• Pick up glass shelves.
• Find prettier drawer pulls.

I will post a new picture when it's done and delivered on Tuesday and show you how it turned out. For now I'm leaving the exterior white just because I'm short on time but do plan to paint the exterior in the future... I just haven't decided exactly how I want it to look. I have a few pictures in my head I'm contemplating ;)

---

Opening: March 1, 2017

Home 2 Home
310 Lafayette St
Greenville, MI 48838
(616) 835-9595

"Enchantment" Can Transform You Into an Irresistible Entrepreneur

There are many wrong ways to teach someone how to be a salesperson. The worst of which are deceptive sales techniques that lure trusting buyers into one-sided relationships that, by their very nature, are meant to mislead and take advantage of them. There's also the hard sell, that can leave us feeling pressured and uncomfortable if we walk away and regretful if we make the purchase.

As managers go, perhaps the worst experiences are the hostile, resentful interactions we suffer through with people who are so burnt out they genuinely hate what they do. There's also the ego maniac who relishes their power and uses it to intimidate their minions on a daily basis. Less offensive but no more inspiring are the apathetic, I'm-here-but-don't-care managers who are so passionless they diminish our own passion as they lead by example.

But now, like a butterfly riding a breath of fresh air out of the clear blue sky, comes Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions by author Guy Kawasaki.

This is an entrepreneurial book unlike any I've ever read before. If you're a business owner it's a refreshing approach to increasing your sales by captivating your customers. As I read an early release copy of Enchantment, it resonated so deeply I could feel it in the soles of my feet.

At its core Enchantment embraces a fairly straightforward concept: Be likable and people will support your idea.

While the premise to be likable is straightforward, It's not a simple formula to achieve likability. Enchantment asks us to:

• Have faith in others
• Understand how ethics create trustworthiness
• Think about the way we present ourselves to the world (both physically and through technology)
• Give consideration to the way we interact with others
• Let go or our egos because equal is more effective than holding oneself above
• Practice altruism, paying it forward 
• Understand how reciprocation plays a vital role in how others respond to us
• Prepare to fail by using a pre-mortem to define areas of vulnerability

The book is a common sense, entrepreneurial guide that shows how being likable and treating people with respect and appreciation can make you irresistibly enchanting to those whose paths you cross. It will make people want to champion your product, company or cause. They will want to become your client, employee or friend. When you're enchanting, their initial rush of interest will grow, deepen and endure over time. And all of this is accomplished not through money, manipulation or deception, but by being authentic, helpful, trusting and kind.

Wow. What a concept.

Fortunately, for me, most of the principles Guy talks about are exactly how I've interacted with my clients and colleagues over the years. In fact reading Enchantment was a little creepy at times. It kind of felt like Guy had been following me around for the past decade or so, taking notes about my day to day life without my knowledge. LOL!

Companies that have enchanted me: Chipotle, Apple Inc., Dogster, The People of Burning Man, Miette Bakery and Narayanan Krishnan founder of Akshya Trust

How did I learn how to be enchanting? First, from my parents who taught me to think about how my actions effect the people around me. I also spent almost 7 years working for one of the most enchanting companies of all time: Nordstrom.

While working at Nordstrom I learned just how much customer service matters. It isn't that the customer is always right, but rather that Nordstrom wanted their customers to always be happy and allowed us (their employees) the latitude to ensure it was possible to create that happiness using our best judgement. Where most companies had policies, Nordstrom focused on their goal to offer the best customer service, at all times. To me, the fact that Nordstrom was for decades the only retail chain whose name was synonymous with something as intangible as customer service illustrates how successful they were at being enchanting. Working there was an exceptional experience I didn't fully appreciate, until I became self employed and was able to segue what I learned there to my own company.

Fortunately my natural desire to please fit with Nordstrom's business model perfectly and over time (as I became older and wiser) I realized there was a way, using empathy and communication skills, to make people happy while not allowing myself to be bullied or taken advantage of. For instance, shortly after I offered a less than enchanting client their money back to go away for being too entitled and verbally abusive towards me, we became friends. They apologized, I finished the order and we came to an understanding. It was wonderful. What could have been the end became the beginning of a more authentic relationship. To me, the fact that they didn't walk away, that was achieving enchantment.

The butterfly on the book's jacket is by Origamido.

Beyond business, I think if you allow yourself to be enchanted by life, you'll be enchanting whenever you talk to anyone about anything.

Guy asks: "Want to change the world? Change caterpillars into butterflies? This takes more than run of the mill relationships. You need to convince people to dream the same dream that you do."

This book will show you how to launch an "Enchantment" campaign to help guide others to dream the dream you dream and support you in it while you help them reach their dreams too.

The Flirty Guide is my dream. It's a positive and uplifting experience that embraces and supports creativity, ethics, compassion and diversity. My hope is you'll find The Flirty Guide and Blog so enchanting and irresistible that you'll drop back by again and again to meet the people, places, causes and companies that have enchanted me :)

---

Want to learn more?

CLICK HERE to Order "Enchantment" the Book
(ETA: My friend let me know that the book is also on iBooks for $12.99)

CLICK HERE to Visit the Enchantment Website

CLICK HERE to Visit Enchantment on Facebook

Or watch this very informative and entertaining, hour long video of Guy, talking to a standing room only audience at Stanford University about public speaking, how he began his career and his new book Enchantment (beginning at 10:45) .

Disclosure: I was lucky enough to qualify for an early release copy of Enchantment, responding to an application I received as a member of the online, blog aggregation website "Alltop," a company in which Guy is a co-founder. The fact that I received the book for free has no bearing on my owning or reviewing Enchantment. Either way, I would have purchased a copy when it was released :)

Attending TEDx San Jose, CA 2010

Are you someone with an idea who wants to change the world? If you embrace people, passion and possibilities, believe that ideas can change attitudes and that one person can make a difference, you should be attending a TEDx event. They happen all over the world, not just in California.

What is TED?

TED is a small nonprofit devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading." I first heard about the TED conference a couple of years ago and had no idea what it was. Basically TED began bringing people together from three industries: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Since then its scope has become more broad and sounds more intriguing every time I hear people talk about it. The annual conference costs thousands of dollars to attend and guess what? The 2011 conference is already sold out! But if you want to be a part of TED registration is open for TED Women, TED Global 2011 and TED Active. I'm attending TEDx San Jose, CA which may best be described as an independently organized, mini, local version of the annual, original conference. The cost to attend is $100 but here's the thing, you have to apply to purchase a ticket. Yup, you can't just buy one. At first I thought "what the heck?" The more I thought about it the more cool I thought it was that TED qualifies their attendees.

LOL It was with some trepidation that I filled out the application form. Would I be worthy? Turns out yes! I received an invite!

In brief these are the idea thinker uppers who were going to present at TEDxSanJoseCA and still may come March 2011:

Phil Cousineau (Writer and Filmmaker)
Adam Gazzaley, M.D., Ph.D. (Neuroscientist)
Jeff Greason (Rocket Scientist)
Jason Halpern (Product Engineer, Green Entrepreneur)
Dewitt Jones (National Geographic Photographer)
Margo McAuliffe (Founder of Girl's School in Africa)
Keith Raffel(Mystery Writer)
Kim Silverman Ph.D. (Principal Research Scientist at Apple)
Kevin Surace (Entrepreneur of the Year)
Jonathan Trent, Ph.D. (NASA Nanotechnology Scientist)
Karen Trilevsky (People Magazine "Hero Among Us")
Chris Waugh (IDEO "Human-Centered" Designer)



About TEDx (From their website)
x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

Aarti Sequeira, Winner of "The Next Food Network Star"

To be honest I don't watch the show. But I saw this interview yesterday with Aarti Sequeira, winner of the 2010 reality tv cooking competition, who will now have her own cooking show on the Food Network.

Her story is so inspiring to me that I wanted to share it with all of you who have a passion or a dream but you've been waiting for the "right" time to begin. Aarti started blogging and that led to her greatness and the opportunity to live a more fulfilled life. If you would like to find a way to follow your passion her story is a great blueprint.

Take a peek at this 3.5 minute video that outlines the steps she took to land her own tv show:

"Life on Your Terms" includes an interview with me, Stacie Tamaki!

If you hate your job and have been dreaming about starting your own company because you would like to live life on your own terms (fearless, expressing yourself, doing what you love, surrounded by people you admire and respect) "Life on Your Terms" could be all of the inspiration you need to take your first steps in moving towards a more contented life.

In January 2009 I read (in a Ladies who Launch email update) that Shann Vander Leek (an inspirational leader who, after eighteen years of serving the television broadcast model of Corporate America, reinvented herself as the founder of True Balance Life Coaching) was searching for inspiring stories by entrepreneurs:

Greetings!

"I am writing a book about extraordinary entrepreneurs and "solo"preneurs who live on their own terms. They likely have achieved extraordinary results... leading to the creation of personal freedom. They are interesting, eccentric, bold, creative, unfiltered creatures of the universe who want to share their story with others to inspire them to follow their dreams..."

I thought to myself, "Hey that kind of sounds like me!" So I sent Shann a short bio and links to my websites.

When she messaged me that I had made the cut and would be one of 40 inspired entrepreneurs she would be interviewing for her book I was thrilled! We spoke on the phone for the interview and Shann decided my story would fit best in the chapter titled "Letting Go of Fear."

And now here we are, a year and a half later and 5 pages of "Life on Your Terms" shares the story of how I became an entrepreneur. But my experience is just a very small part of a very large story about Shann's own experiences and the 39 other entrepreneurs who have also sought life on their terms.

That would be author Shann Vander Leeks autograph, not mine LOL

The one thing I'd like anyone reading this post to understand is that it's never too late to change! Even if your dream isn't to become an entrepreneur it's never too late to pursue trying something new or being a different way.

Recently I attended a bridal showcase event. At the end of the evening I was chatting with my friends Amy and Andrew explaining to them how particularly in junior high, high school and part of college, I became an excruciatingly, painfully, shy art nerd. Thanks to some new friends in college (that two of my girlfriends had made) point blank telling me they wanted me to talk more (or at all) I finally overcame my shyness. Having people tell me they wanted to hear what I was thinking was an incredible gift. It created an opportunity and I changed. It was pretty much instantaneous. Just like that I overcame my fear of speaking my mind, making new friends and sharing my thoughts and feelings with others. Within weeks they were laughing at me that they couldn't shut me up. LOL. The point is, it's never too late to reinvent yourself.

You can live in fear and still experience moments of happiness, success at your job, make friends and achieve great monetary wealth. But living with fear while working at a job you despise will hold you back and deprive you of ever experiencing true contentment. If you decide to tackle your fears just remember that with each step you are moving further away from fear and closer towards contentment. Contentment isn't wholly created by the success of your endeavor, it's also created by leaving the fear behind :)

TMI on Facebook & Twitter - Can Professionalism Survive Social Media?

Lately I can't help but feel that we are slowly but surely witnessing the death of professionalism on social media websites. More and more often the comments I'm reading in status updates, tweets, forums and blogs leave me to wonder: Can professionalism survive social media?

Are you aware that everything you post online is just a copy and paste or screenshot away from going public no matter how private the place you posted it is supposed to be?

We all need to vent but here's the thing: Is a semi-private forum like Facebook (assuming you've set your privacy settings correctly) the best place to do this? Is it just me or does anyone else think that a lot of what professionals post online these days would be more appropriate to share in a private group message with a few discreet and empathetic industry colleagues or with personal friends who don't work in the same industry?

Social media sites like Facebook (because they offer a layer of perceived privacy) can lull you into feeling like you're sitting in your living room in a t-shirt and shorts chatting with friends instead of being onstage in front of thousands of colleagues and potential clients with a microphone in your hand. You can do both on Facebook, the problem is that you can never be 100% certain which audience you're talking to at any given moment

Why does this matter? Because if you're an entrepreneur your professional reputation and the reputation of your company could be at stake. If you're "sharing" TMI all over the internet you could lose potential clients or give your competition something to use against you to damage your credibility.

Professionalism is defined as the positive way you conduct yourself in business. It's how people perceive your competence to do your job with integrity following a code of conduct that sets you apart, elevating you, above the rest of your industry. IMO one of its main components is discretion. Seriously, what you say online matters. Words either reinforce your professional image or can damage or destroy it.

My personal rule of thumb is this: Would I add what I'm about to post (on Facebook or Twitter) to the home page of my company website or say it to a client during our first consultation? (Those of you who have synced your RSS feed to republish your Tweets or status updates on your website are doing exactly that.) If the answer is no, don't do it.

Who are your "friends, friends?" Unless you and your 500 Facebook friends have ALL set your Facebook wall settings to "Friends Only" AND actually "know" the people you have friended, anything you post, both status updates and comments, can be read and shared by people you don't know.

Some of you may be surprised to learn that your colleagues have friended some of their current clients on Facebook. Are you comfortable with them reading your venting and off color humor? If you are, post away. If you aren't, just tone it down a bit.

Publicly isn't the best place to sort out conflicts: When you're frustrated with a client, colleague or family member do you head online to vent? When you're in the midst of trying to resolve an issue (personal or professional) and don't know how, yet feel compelled to post about it on online, why not ask for suggestions that might help you to find a constructive solution? IMO it's a far better approach than venting your frustrations amidst a flurry of WTF's or worse...

Take the recent case of a bakery that went over the proverbial line. When a woman was offended by their intentionally provocative tagline she commented her displeasure on their blog threatening to start a Facebook group to boycott them and contact local news outlets until they changed or removed said tagline. Their public reply:

"We offend everybody equally. You are the one with hate in your heart not us. Since we are fortunate enough to live in America you can do whatever you want."

The bakery didn't get that exercising their freedom of speech wasn't a good marketing strategy or conducive to selling, among other things, $8 cupcakes. After more readers agreed the tagline was offensive the bakery posted again saying they had removed the tagline. The woman thanked them for their sensitivity... End of story? Should have been. Instead, one of the two bakery owners took to a personal (but set to public) Twitter account and called the woman a "F@# C%&#."

Whoa. Seriously.

When the woman's friend saw the tweet all hell broke loose.

When they realized the tweet was seen by others, the company removed it and made a public apology in their blog. But the damage had been done. As word spread their Yelp reviews and brand took a beating in multiple, national, highly trafficked blogs that detailed the saga, many times word for unconscionable word.

Things continued to blow up for several days until the woman the insult was about, finally put an end to it by publicly accepting the bakers apology. She didn't want their business to suffer. In the end the bakery chalked it up to a learning experience.

"Things we learned on Tuesday: Apparently we do not have private Twitter accounts anymore. Everything is business. Lesson learned."

That's an extreme case I wanted to share with you as a cautionary tale. The truth is you don't have to be nearly that offensive to do serious damage to your own reputation and brand.

Self Sabotage: Can the things you post damage your relationship with other professionals? Can they cause a colleague to become reluctant to recommend you because gauging by what you're saying on Facebook, they're not sure if you know where "the line" is? Will you say inappropriate things to a client they recommend to you and embarrass them?

It's Already Out There: Keep in mind, once you post, publish, submit information onto the internet it is impossible to ever take it back 100% so you need to be sure that you're not just comfortable posting that comment today, will you be comfortable seeing that same comment months, years or decades from now? Even if you remove a comment, post, web page, or photo it can be indexed in an archive website or a single screenshot can go viral within minutes and the next thing you know it's everywhere, forever.

You may think you don't care if something you say or do goes viral, until it does. Then all you can do is apologize, deal with the fallout and try to earn back the respect and trust you once had: The reputation you probably invested years or decades earning the first time around.

As Pee Wee Herman said in Pee Wee's Big Adventure:

"There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand."

Do you really want Dottie, or in this case strangers who could become potential customers (if you don't frightened them away) and your colleagues (who you hope will recommend you to their clients), to know about your bowel movements, the last time you threw up and that you gossip and bash people (clients, family, friends and colleagues alike) behind (what you mistakenly believe are) closed doors?

So I post this in the hopes that at least some of you may be less public with information that can scare away potential clients or damage your professional reputations. If you see a friend update, comment or tweet something that you think could be damaging and they may not have realized it, why not send the person a private message and share your concern? I've done it a handful of times on Facebook and so far nobody has told me to mind my own business. Some have taken comments down and even when one chose to leave a comment up, they told me they appreciated that I was concerned for them. If you ever see me do it, PLEASE let me know! It's always nice to know someone has your back :)

Suggested Topics to Avoid:

BM’s, Vomit and other Body Secretions 
(kid and pet poop included)
Bashing Clients
Bashing Competitors
Bashing Family Members
Making Fun of the Homeless, Mentally Ill and Handicapped
Avoid Controversial Topics: Religion, Politics, etc.
Road Rage Incidents
Financial Problems

Reading: The E Myth, The Speed of Trust and Salty Sweets

I love to read. I always have ever since I was a little kid. In elementary school I was a voracious reader taking home several books at at time. The past few years I've had precious little time to read books at all. I do read on my computer morning noon and night but there's something about holding a book and turning the pages that I enjoy so much it's doubtful I will ever own a Kindle or similar device.

This year I'm happy to say I've made the time to read a few books about entrepreneurship. My colleague Jewel Savadelis had recommended The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell to me years ago. I even bought it years ago and started reading it last year but didn't finish it until this year. This year I've also read The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki and most recently finished The E Myth Revisited.

I can't tell you how important I think it is for anyone who is self employed to continue learning about how to be an effective entrepreneur. Even if your business is great now, as technology evolves it's important to stay on the cutting edge of information. If your business is struggling it's especially important to learn more about entrepreneurship so that you can modify your business model and find solutions to your existing issues or problems. Now I'm about to start reading this book...

The Speed of Trust

Wedding Pro Andy Ebon had recommended it on his Facebook wall a few months back so I ordered it. Next on my list to purchase is Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. Leslie Wong recommended it to me when I met her at Nancy Liu Chin's cocktail party the night before the Wedding Floral Academy kicked off.

And now onto something fun... Today I popped into Barnes and Noble and found this book... Salty Sweets. Can you say yummmmmmmm? The first recipe I'm going to try is for sweet and salty peanut butter cookies. The recipe description promises a rich and peanutty flavor which sounds great to me!

I also want to try making these salted caramels. I buy something similar every now and then from Miette up in San Francisco but if I'm not planning on being in the city that's a long drive just to buy some caramels. I'm hoping I love these so much that I prefer them to the Miette caramels and can whip them up whenever I'm in the mood. I'll let you know how it goes once I make them.

And last but not least is a recipe for salted caramel ice cream. Summertime here we come!

Women's Initiative 2009 Woman-Owned Business Winners

Wow! To say I was stunned when I found out that I am one of the Women's Initiatives' Silicon Valley award recipients would be an understatement. I knew I'd been nominated but after receiving notification of my nomination I didn't publicize it or ask anyone to vote for me. So I didn't think I had a chance.

You might be wondering exactly what is the Women's Initiative for Self Employment. It's a Bay Area non-profit that provides high-potential, lower-income women the training, resources and on-going support they need to start or improve their own companies. Their goal is: "To build the entrepreneurial capacity of women to overcome economic and social barriers and achieve self-sufficiency."

The following is their description of the criteria winners were selected from:

"Throughout the Bay Area, women business leaders are making a real difference in their communities – mentoring others, leading by example, innovating within their industries and stimulating the local economy. At Women’s Initiative, we celebrate all women in business, and have created an award to showcase those who are going above and beyond."

Other Silicon Valley wedding industry nominees included Christine Morrissey of National Gown Cleaners who was one of my first mentors when I started my bridal accessory company 12 years ago. Also nominated were event designer Nicole Lisanne, wedding consultant Liz Guthrie and Natti Pierce-Thomson owner of North American Theatre Technology, an event lighting company. All are women I have had the pleasure of working with at one time or another over the years. All are standouts and it is always an honor to be held in the same group with any and all of them for any reason or occasion.

I wish I had known about the Women's Initiative back in 1997 when I basically stumbled into my first company, making plenty of mistakes along the way. I could have been a poster girl for their "high-potential, lower-income" criteria. I'm certain they could have helped me to become a better business person. They offer business management training, technical assistance, and financial services in both English and Spanish.

If you have a dream of being self employed this may be just the right starting point for you to create your own career.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Women's Initiative in English

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Women's Initiative in Español

Nominate the Best Woman-Owned Business of the Year

This is from a cool email I received last week. If you know any great Bay Area business women you can nominate them to be recognized for doing what they do best:

Women’s Initiative for Self Employment announces the Woman-Owned Business of the Year awards, recognizing women business owners throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for their contributions to their community and the local economy, and who are examples and mentors to aspiring female entrepreneurs.

Nominate your favorite women entrepreneurs in the Bay Area!

To nominate a Bay Area business woman just CLICK HERE

Inspiration for Entrepreneurs

Watch this video. It blew me away. What I loved most about it is that it's the kind of idea that really changes the way people think. The video will make entrepreneurs feel appreciated and hopefully inspire them to take their company to another level. It may also inspire those thinking of following their passion or dream to take the next big step towards making it a reality by starting a business of their own.

The other day I spotted This Post on Mashable.com. It was all about a creative marketing concept utilizing chocolate covered grasshoppers, the video you just watched and 5000 of the most influential bloggers, journalists, celebrities, TV anchors, and CEOs around.

If you're wondering who made the video, that would be Grasshopper.com a communications company that allows small business owners to look like big businesses but at a small business price. IMO the coolest thing about them is that when you subscribe to for a set number of phone minutes per month (10,000, 2,000 or 100) among other features you also receive one to three 800 numbers that tie into your monthly quota at no additional charge. How many of us would love to have an 800 number to offer to our prospective clients?

The Pro: This campaign got people talking. It spread virally via Youtube, Twitter, blogs, social websites and word of mouth. 

The Con: By touting that they sent them to who they recognized as the 5000 most influential people they risked offending those who weren't included in the, um, giveaway.

The Most Brilliant Part: The giveaway item was so unique, and by unique I mean gross, that those who may have initially felt slighted were probably actually relieved not to have received the chocolate covered crispy critters. It was a win/win. If you received them you were recognized as being influential. If you didn't make the list and are a bug lover or vegetarian you were spared the traumatic decision of what to do with them.

Honestly, if someone sent me chocolate covered bugs I'd go out in the back yard to dig a hole and bury the poor things. I'd plant a flower over their grave and give them a proper send off. Perhaps a short eulogy (no headstone, that would be weird) and allow them to rest in peace. Instead of resting in pieces. In my stomach.

Entrepreneurs: Looking for Inspiration?

A lot of times people ask me how I know what I know about a lot of stuff. LOL

So I've decided to start sharing with all of you some of the online resources where I feel I gain valuable knowledge.

Seriously, if you want to learn more about being a revolutionary web entrepreneur? Or how to be a really good regular web entrepreneur? Check out Mixergy.com.

Host Andrew Warner posts small video clips with extended audio podcasts interviewing online entrepreneurs who generously share their stories about both how their companies began and how they've made their companies successful. If free thinking, wanting to work smarter not harder, learning from other people's mistakes, optimism and focusing on possibilities are the ways you enjoy learning? I really think you're going to love Andrew's interviews.

I only recently discovered Mixergy after listening to an interview with Ted Rheingold, founder of Dogster.com. Listening to Ted led to listening to several more interviews. I was hooked and am now subscribed to Andrew's RSS feed.

Their educational events and mixers seem to be based down in Southern California but I hope to attend one someday.

If you're looking for inspiration about how to be a better online business person... Check it out. I seriously believe you won't be disappointed.