Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category

October11

Why I Love What I Do ~ Matt Heinz

By: bizlife

There are three things that, if I had waited until I was completely ready, I never would have done.  Get married, have kids, and start a business. And yet, when I think where I get the most enjoyment and satisfaction in my life right now, it’s those exact three things – my wife, my kids and my business.

I’d wanted to start my own business for a long time, but always had excuses.  Finally, three years ago, conditions were “perfect”.  And by perfect, I mean the market had just tanked into the beginning of a recession, and my wife was pregnant with our first child.  So what better time to quit my job, forego regular paychecks and health coverage, and jump off the deep end?

Matt HeinzIn retrospect, I’m not completely sure what I was thinking.  But I can’t imagine doing anything else.  In fact, I might be downright unemployable now.  I absolutely love what I do, not only because I love the work but because it enables the life I want to lead for myself and my family.

For a long time, I hated the term “lifestyle business.”  I didn’t want any part of it.  Lifestyle businesses, I thought, meant you were trying to work as little as possible.  Definitely did not define me.  But what I’ve come to accept and embrace now, is that a lifestyle business can be something you work incredibly hard at, but that’s purpose is to enable the lifestyle you want.

For me, that means not working to please a set of shareholders or executive team.  It means not worrying about growing by XX% next year if I don’t have to, or if the market doesn’t allow for it, or if it means pushing my sales pipeline faster than it’s ready to convert.

For me, a lifestyle business means doing what I know is right, putting my team and my customers first, growing at a pace that’s comfortable, and enabling the life (inside and outside of business) that I want.

There are three things that, if I had waited until I was completely ready, I never would have done.  Get married, have kids, and start a business.

I’m a sales and marketing consultant (Heinz Marketing helps companies build, manage and close sales pipelines), but I really don’t like selling.  Ironic.  But we’ve experienced amazing growth in our first three years, and I attribute most of it to giving away what we otherwise could be selling.

I write a lot, do a ton of 15-20 minute phone calls with companies and executives and entrepreneurs that just want help thinking through something.  I get to spend more of my day thinking about how to help other people sell more.  I love that. I have no problem spending time with someone with no expectation in return.  Either they’ll be a client someday, or they know someone else who might be.  My biggest source of referrals are people in my network who have never been direct clients.

I get to do something I love, help people with critical business problems that unlock their own personal and professional success, and I get to do it in an environment that I control, that operates and grows at a pace I determine, and that supports the security, health and future well-being of my family (as well as those who work here). That is so awesome.  I am so blessed.

Matt Heinz, is president of Heinz Marketing, a Redmond-based sales & marketing firm. They help our clients
achieve sustained sales success by growing revenue from existing customers and cost effectively identifying
and winning new customers.  You can connect with Matt via email, Twitter, LinkedIn or his blog.

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October5

Why I Love What I Do ~ Nellie Akalp

By: bizlife

Earlier last month I turned 40…which once seemed like a pretty big milestone. But there were no tears, no dread, and no attempts to forget the day. I realized I’m not just at peace with myself and my age, but I’m actually happy. And granted I have my health and a fabulous family (including a newborn!), but another key thing is I absolutely love what I do. And that’s a good thing, because I’ve now done it twice.
Let me explain. Shortly after law school, I launched a business with my husband. We provided online legal filing services to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. Basically that means we helped companies incorporate, form LLCs, and start their businesses the right way without having to pay an arm and a leg in attorney fees.
In 2005, we had the good fortune to sell the company to Intuit. We now had plenty of capital. We had the freedom to travel, spend time with our children, and dream up other business ideas. I had a great time during this interim, don’t get be wrong. But, the other ventures just didn’t carry the same spark for me. So, in 2009, we started all over again with CorpNet, our latest (and last?) document filing service. And every day since, I’ve been so grateful we made that decision.
First and foremost, I love helping other entrepreneurs. I love the concept of the small business. And I love giving small business owners access to resources they might not be able to afford otherwise. Because every business, no matter how small, should have the right legal protection to help them thrive. Over the course of my career, I’ve helped form more than 100,000 corporations and LLCs across the U.S.
Running our own business has proved to be more challenging today than our first time around, but it’s this tough economic climate that makes what I do all the more rewarding. In today’s economy, I want to give everyone a shot. I want to help as many Americans as I can start their own business and feed this economy. For full disclosure, I can get a little teary eyed when I hear the president talk about the power and potential of the small business and American entrepreneur.
Every day, aspiring entrepreneurs call our office. We talk to brilliant workers who have been laid off, can’t find other work, and have decided to take matters into their own hands by launching a business. We see busy moms who want to supplement their family’s income and make their own mark on the world. We see career professionals who are finally ready to put the 9-5 way of life aside and follow their dreams.
Each and every story touches and inspires me. And this entrepreneurial passion is contagious. I might be CEO of the company, but I will never stop fielding customer calls. Talking to business owners and potential business owners is why I started this company, and it’s what keeps me going.
Yes, the economy is difficult, the jobs numbers aren’t improving, and the stock market is pretty shaky at best. But in these tough times, people are doing some incredibly remarkable things. They’re showing just how determined, creative, and courageous human beings can be. And if I can help these individuals get the ball rolling on their ideas, I can’t imagine anything better.
_____
Nellie Akalp is the CEO & Co-Founder of CorpNet, Incorporated, her second incorporation filing service company based on the simple philosophy of truth in business and her strong passion to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs. As CEO of CorpNet, she is a strong advocate in educating small business owners and entrepreneurs about the importance of protecting their assets and is responsible for overseeing and managing the daily operations of the business. Mrs. Akalp also frequently authors much of the content published at www.CorpNet.com and her work frequently appears in a variety of publications.

Earlier last month I turned 40… which once seemed like a pretty big milestone.

But there were no tears, no dread, and no attempts to forget the day. I realized I’m not just at peace with myself and my age, but I’m actually happy. And granted I have my health and a fabulous family (including a newborn!), but another key thing is I absolutely love what I do. And that’s a good thing, because I’ve now done it twice.

Let me explain. Shortly after law school, I launched a business with my husband. We provided online legal filing services to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. Basically that means we helped companies incorporate, form LLCs, and start their businesses the right way without having to pay an arm and a leg in attorney fees.

Nellie Akalp HeadshotIn 2005, we had the good fortune to sell the company to Intuit. We now had plenty of capital. We had the freedom to travel, spend time with our children, and dream up other business ideas. I had a great time during this interim, don’t get be wrong. But, the other ventures just didn’t carry the same spark for me. So, in 2009, we started all over again with CorpNet, our latest (and last?) document filing service. And every day since, I’ve been so grateful we made that decision.

First and foremost, I love helping other entrepreneurs. I love the concept of the small business. And I love giving small business owners access to resources they might not be able to afford otherwise. Because every business, no matter how small, should have the right legal protection to help them thrive. Over the course of my career, I’ve helped form more than 100,000 corporations and LLCs across the U.S.

Running our own business has proved to be more challenging today than our first time around, but it’s this tough economic climate that makes what I do all the more rewarding. In today’s economy, I want to give everyone a shot. I want to help as many Americans as I can start their own business and feed this economy. For full disclosure, I can get a little teary eyed when I hear the president talk about the power and potential of the small business and American entrepreneur.

First and foremost, I love helping other entrepreneurs. I love the concept of the small business. And I love giving small business owners access to resources they might not be able to afford otherwise.

Every day, aspiring entrepreneurs call our office. We talk to brilliant workers who have been laid off, can’t find other work, and have decided to take matters into their own hands by launching a business. We see busy moms who want to supplement their family’s income and make their own mark on the world. We see career professionals who are finally ready to put the 9-5 way of life aside and follow their dreams.

Each and every story touches and inspires me. And this entrepreneurial passion is contagious. I might be CEO of the company, but I will never stop fielding customer calls. Talking to business owners and potential business owners is why I started this company, and it’s what keeps me going.

Yes, the economy is difficult, the jobs numbers aren’t improving, and the stock market is pretty shaky at best. But in these tough times, people are doing some incredibly remarkable things. They’re showing just how determined, creative, and courageous human beings can be. And if I can help these individuals get the ball rolling on their ideas, I can’t imagine anything better.

Nellie Akalp is the CEO & Co-Founder of CorpNet, Incorporated.  Her second incorporation-filing-service
company based on the simple philosophy of truth in business and her strong passion to assist small
business owners and entrepreneurs.   Mrs. Akalp also frequently authors much of the content published
at www.CorpNet.com and her work frequently appears in a variety of publications.

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August9

Why I Love What I Do ~ Alain Thériault

By: bizlife

Part 1: The building blocks, I was raised helping.
There was a big age gap between my dad and I. He was not the playing type. So, spending time with him meant helping. My mom was a 3rd grade teacher and since I was fairly bright, she too had me helping to correct papers and exams.

So this is the baseline…

Part 2: Quitting school for the school of Life.
As music and girls came into my life, the perfect little boy took the back seat, I began “exploring”. Changing topics of study at school at a rapid pace, scores began to fall and I had to quit. If I had known then what I know now…But I understand what it feels like to not live up to your potential!!!

After a few years of this, I found myself sweeping floor in a big industrial company…not exactly related to my childhood dreams. Then my parents left town, moving 700 miles away. Without that security-net I soon realized that I was going nowhere, totally out of focus.

I had to take a cold hard look at my life. Had to stop fooling myself. I had to swallow my pride and make a deal with my dad. I would go back to school, live with my brother, finish college and get a degree, if he would help me financially. I was lucky enough that he could afford it.

Part 3: Been there, done that and all that crap…
So it was a second chance. I didn’t miss it. This time around, being older than my classmates, it put me in a situation where I could really help. Making sure no one would waste talent or years, like I did, became an obsession. In class, an uncanny ability to explain complicated matters in a simpler way became my trademark.

But I didn’t stop the fun. I kept making music, took dance lessons and acting lessons. I was part of the college rock band, doing shows and musicals, even co-wrote a musical in the process. The singers, and actors, would come to me naturally. I was the “big brother”, in a good way. Even after leaving college, I was a regular visitor, helping the stage performers.

I decide to leave a secure and well paid job, and take the risk of losing my girlfriend who couldn’t follow me, by seeing what opportunity existed abroad…

Alain Theriault

Part 4: Coaching without knowing it…
That led me to become a guidance counselor. Working mainly with adults. I was more about “what they REALLY wanted” more than using the results of tests. I can honestly say that the “life coaching” part of my coaching started there. After a few years I started working more and more with adults coming back to University and foreign students. In both cases, even having more “maturity” didn’t prevent them from having issues to deal with, as far as careers were concerned.

Then something big happened….An opportunity of a lifetime

Part 5: The turning point
I had helped a visiting professor from France with a research he had to do for a student magazine in France: L’Étudiant. To make a long story short, that led to an upper management job in Paris. I decide to leave a secure and well paid job, and take the risk of losing my girlfriend who couldn’t follow me, by seeing what opportunity existed abroad…

I can’t say that I was exactly welcomed there. With just a few MBA classes, and no knowledge of the French culture (Quebecers speak french but are more closely related in their way of life to North Americans), I faced an uphill battle …

But being kind of a business “mercenary” gave me a taste for entrepreneurship. I had to make people talk, reveal their motives as to why they were sabotaging what we were trying to build. I discovered the art of Leadership the hard way. Sharing the reward but paying the price…alone. I wish I would have known about coaches then because I would have asked The Company to give me access to one…

The seed of coaching was well planted. Listening, asking tough question, helping people come up with their own answers….but I didn’t do the job fast enough. They were asking me to do in a year what I had set to do in three…so I came back to Montreal and to finish my MBA.

Very early after my return, My girlfriend left and I had to sell the house we had bought. I went from a house in Montreal and an apartment in Paris to living in a basement room at one of my aunt’s house. Now, in times like these you learn to focus on the bright side of things. You learn to focus on DOING when it would be so easy and understandable to SULK….

Having an MBA, some international experience and being bilingual, I thought everything would come back to normal fairly fast. They didn’t. Those weren’t good years. And I had no referrals…My MBA or my lack of professional experience would scare most employers…got me thinking about wasting potential (again), that’s for sure…

That had to be one of my biggest lesson in ASKING. Asking is so hard to do for most people. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Of course there is a way to do it, but basically people are afraid to ask. In the case of freelancers, it is often about asking for the right amount of money.  For entrepreneurs, it is asking for help.

So I went around and asked. The break came. “Such luck” people said. Well, apart from the lottery, I don’t believe much in luck. You make it, you stack the odds in your favor… so I did, so I won…

I was asked to build the Entrepreneurship Center of the University of Montreal. All the University had was an agreement from the engineering school and the business school. I jad to convince levels of government to invest, as well as faculties. Challenges, struggles, rejection, pressure, time limits, conflicting interests… I had to deal with them all. But it worked…

For 8 years, would-be entrepreneurs were my life. Teaching, workshops, conferences, one-to-one, business plan competitions, business partners, v.c.s and angels were everyday surroundings. But, my pride and joy was when former “would-be entrepreneurs” came back for advice after being in business for a few months/ a year or two. Working with them, the hours flew by. The problems were real so were the results!

Those conversations were so stimulating, the impact powerful and the results always emotional. Those men and women were better entrepreneurs than I was, but they kept coming. For ideas, for a sounding board, to open up, for motivation to keep on going, to rant, to tell the whole truth– Startup entrepreneurs will mostly tell the truth but not all of it, the only affinity they have with politicians.

So there you go. It may sound self-serving, but coaches play an important part in the economy. Entrepreneurs are job creators and as insane as they have to be to choose such a “career”, they sometimes need a little help from their friend, the coaches, to keep it all together…. We help them keep their heads in the clouds while having their feet on the ground. Sounds like a stretch? It is, but my time is really worth while, I make a difference, and that, is priceless..

Alain Theriault, B.Ed., M.B.A is a speaker, trainer, entrepreneur and a business coach specializing
in Startups and Entrepreneurship.
You can connect with Alain On twitter: @startupcoach or on Google+
Read Alain's blog posts on Startup Coaching

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July22

Why I Love What I Do ~ Terri Cole

By: bizlife

I am a transformation expert and a thought innovator. I love what I do because, on any given day or year, I witness miracles. My work is always interesting, fulfilling, thought provoking, engaging, satisfying and at times awe inspiring. But in miracle moments I see clearly the profound value of what I do.

I am a licensed Psychotherapist and Holistic Life Style Coach in NYC. I came to this profession about 15 years ago after a very successful decade as a talent agent in NY and LA. I was at the top of my game running agencies and negotiating TV and endorsement deals for the Super Models of the world. The more successful I became the less I liked what I was doing. I cared more about getting models into rehab and therapy than I did if they booked a film or the Pantene Campaign. This inspired me to get my Master’s at NYU and open a therapy practice with Broadway and Film actors as the main population I was uniquely skilled to help.

I have had a booming practice for almost 15 years, with 2 offices in NYC and a tremendous Skype practice that reaches all over the States, Europe, Australia, Mexico and beyond. Currently, I am transitioning out of my private practice and focusing on my company, Live Fearless and Free. I am finishing my first solo book, Flip Over and Float-Your 8 Steps to Sustainable Change, traveling the country and internationally with motivational talks and seminars, empowering people of all walks and social status to live their best lives now. The book is an instructional guide of HOW TO actually create sustainable change in all areas of life. It is based on what I learned during my fifteen-year fact gathering adventure as a licensed psychotherapist. I know what works because it worked over and over again. Conversely many interventions I was SURE would inspire change, did not.

Terri ColeI am so excited that my dream of Transformational Television is becoming a reality (only took fifteen years! Whoo hooo!) I am one of the Transformation/Empowerment experts being featured on a new show for Lifetime called The Conversation. The show features famous women (Jane Fonda, Donna Karan and many others) sharing their real life struggles and experts laying out resources and actions that non- famous women can take to find solutions NOW.

I love what I do because being a catalyst for people transforming their lives is absolutely thrilling.

Holding space and witnessing clients becoming happier, more illuminated, authentic, lit up and fully self-expressed is so amazing, I would do it for FREE, and have for years.

Anyone can change his or her lot in life. It does not matter what hand you were dealt. It starts with being brave enough to believe you can have what you want. There are a zillion limiting beliefs we are taught in this life that get in the way of having happy, fulfilled, fully self-expressed, well lived lives…and each one can be unlearned. And that is an amazing fact.

I got into the business of teaching clients what they need to do on a daily basis to create and maintain a life that lights them up. Now I am taking I to the world stage.
Look Out World!

“When you feel like you are swimming up stream just Flip Over and Float!”

Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist and life coach, published author and a motivational speaker.
Over the past 13 years, she has helped thousands of clients to Live Fearless and Free.
Terri continues to inspire and educate through coaching programs, live events and blog with her
wicked “tell it like it is” sense of humor, deep empathy and understanding, and razor sharp insight.
Website: www.TerriCole.com

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May17

Why I Love What I Do ~ Jack Surrette

By: bizlife

Creating has always been my passion. I find it not only stimulating, but fun. A career that’s “fun” sounds frivolous and lacking puritan work ethic, but I believe everyone’s best at what they enjoy. In fact, they’re likely to put more time and energy in it.Whether it’s product development, corporate planning, or organizational design, my fun lies with taking a concept and making it material and successful.

Dr. Jeffrey Parks, Jack Surrette & Dennis LottI have found creativity in most of my career activities. Even my first job of bagging groceries allowed the strategic layering in the shopping bag. The right weight and the right order make a difference when shoppers carry and unload groceries. Yes, it’s simple enough, but to me there was always a bit of art in that packing.

As I grew up in the corporate world, I feared I would forget the invigoration I felt from the creative process. For over 10 years, I kept a small drafting table in my office. I may have used it once or twice, but drawing wasn’t its purpose. It was there to remind me that creativity and innovation was important to me (and all businesses). You’d think that if it was important you would not need a reminder, but it’s easy to get caught up in the day (and the next day) and lose perspective.

Managing a company requires far more imagination than most professionals imagine. What I lost in directly developing products, or sales programs, I attained by motivating associates to feel that same passion in their daily activities and career. Actually, the relationships built on that foundation are some of my most rewarding memories.

My current career stage is pure entrepreneurial process – a new skin care company with enough diversity in projects and activities to easily challenge the innovation fun-factor. Proper time management, and a light focus on priorities, keeps the creativity flowing. I get to build a business and see pure imagination first hand. There’s no need for a dusty drafting table to remind me.

Ideas are easy. It’s making them a material success that’s the trick. This process from concept to reality is gratifying and why I like what I do.

Jack Surrette is the Executive Director of SkinHealth Technology, a skincare development company
based in Ormond Beach, Florida. He served as the Executive Vice President of Hawaiian Tropic suncare
for 17 years before the company’s acquisition in 2007.

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January22

Why I Love What I Do ~ “Chantified”

By: bizlife

A guest post by Chanty Lang-Vermaas (aka @Chantified on twitter)

Motivational Keynote Speaker, Mindset Coach, Team Builder, Performance Leadership, Workshop Facilitator, Counselor

From an early age I was asked to lead, to contribute in some way to others. I always wondered why, and as the years passed and I gained more self confidence I found the courage to ask. I was always told ‘because you can; because people will listen to you’.

I wasn’t really aware that I could actually affect profound change until, freshly separated and needing to feed my two children, I was asked to lead a failing sales team, to which I would later be head-hunted in two countries because that sales team excelled at what I had taught them. That was the beginning of a career in motivational speaking and training on “Mindset Awareness” for me.

It is best to describe why I love what I do by first stating what I believe and know for sure in the journey I have undertaken to understand and deliver excellence.  Firstly: Success is never about you; it’s about what you do to empower others. Secondly: Leadership doesn’t just happen; it’s a deliberate act of will.

Chanty Lang-Vermaas

Chanty Lang-Vermaas

Any success achieved in life starts out with a ‘can do’ mindset, therefore the fear is a betrayal of that. And so, that’s where I start.

You can’t play the whole game at once; you play it one step at a time.

I absolutely know these two things about business:

1) You won’t know if you are qualified to do something until you’re doing what it is you wish to qualify in and,

2) there are two kinds of players in life, those who strive to play their game with skill, focus, control, desire and strive for excellence with the nerve and audacity to win; and those who do not. I work and play with those who do.

I learned long ago that if you wish to win, you must first start by knowing the rules of the game and then go out and play it.  Playing it safe doesn’t always deliver the best possible game plan; you must be prepared to take some risks to win.  Sitting back doesn’t get you in the game, playing does!  This is where I come in.

I am paid to push, prod and produce results, to develop changes within the company and to encourage and deepen the ‘step up mentality’.  I get the job done and so do those I work with.  I truly believe you can achieve your goals well before you arrive at the envisaged destination.  With a ‘can do‘ mindset anything is possible in life.

Business is like a game of golf; you need to know the rules of the game before you can play well.  You need a team who are on the same green, knowing all the rules and focused, armed with a great tee off and direction to deliver their best shot.  This is foremost on my mind when working with clients.  I am both the coach and the caddy, allowing them to play the game to their ultimate ability, supporting their vision, looking for the best moves and getting them all aiming in the right direction.

Business is like a game of golf; you need to know the rules of the game before you can play well. ~ Chanty Lang-Vermaas

I enjoy working with professionals whose aim is usually further then their reach; these are the hungry ones, the forward thinkers and players.  I love leaving my clients with motivated executives/teams with a more profoundly aware mindset in their tool bag.  Watching others step up to their potential is what keeps me excited and still stepping up in my own game.  When I’m bringing out the best in others I know I’m really bringing out the best in me too.

Just like golf, to succeed you must be flexible, do what it takes to change and get the results you want.  I play with my right hand and putt with my left.  I found it hard to putt with my right so I changed hands.  Business is like that; sometimes you must adjust to unorthodox methods to get your best shot played.  I observe my clients, how they approach their game, their mindset, how they focus, their skills, and, their motivation; from there I can see what their potential is and how to assist them in obtaining excellence.  When you step up, others will step up too.

There’s a defining moment in everyone’s life when fear takes a step backwards and self-belief steps forward. This is called courage, and it arrives when you hear yourself say I’m unsure; but you step up anyway. Those moments empower us all. I am privileged enough to induce and witness courage daily.

Chanty Lang-Vermaas: "Chantified"

Chanty Lang-Vermaas: "Chantified"

I will bend, coheres, unleash, confront and encourage companies, teams and individuals to lead, embrace and achieve their greatest version of themselves.  Whilst everyone is fearful of the unknown and change, everyone is equally empowered by the known and embraced.  When I see that light go on in the eyes of my clients knowing they ‘get it’, it engulfs me with great satisfaction.  I know things will never be the same for them.  They have awakened the master within.

Winning is also about loosing. Loosing shifts your focus and allows you to let go of what holds you back or no longer serves you or your business.  Knowing when to let go allows you the right to claim future successes.  If something no longer serves you, it will no longer nourish, enrich or create growth, therefore why cling to it?  I assist companies in knowing its ok to change and create fresher newer opportunities and to widen their field.  You don’t necessarily need to stay with the tried and true to succeed; in fact it can be a hindrance.

My company, Business-Spirit does not use nor endorse the generic program mentality. I know that “one size DOES NOT fit all!”   None of my clients’ problems are off the shelf, so why expect the solutions to be!  All my clients are individually accessed for their unique requirements to enable, enrich and empower positive change and progress.  My business focus is on the client’s direction and is the main emphasis in individualizing every program.  I have made sure these programs are built around structures best suited to encourage optimum outcomes; and are best ‘tailor made‘ to the uniqueness of the individuals and are therefore NOT ‘off the shelf‘ products.

My training program Finite Visioning Strategic Management Program (or Finite Visioning for short), was the flagship program I created for my first sales team over 30 yrs ago now and the one that had them producing those earlier excellent results.  I still use that format today, the only difference being the needs of my clients.  This 4-day program incorporates presentation skills, listening techniques, sales mentality and leadership awareness, each person leaving with the skills needed to communicate clearly, concisely and with a lot of fun to get deals done.

My business has led me in helping companies and individuals worldwide to reach their highest potential, thus boosting performance leadership and inspiring team spirit. I enjoy applying my ability to intuitively know what lies within others and to draw it out. I call it casting shadows into light.

My clients tell me I leave them Chantified with ‘hot teams‘ who are more motivated and focused and hungry to play at the top of their game.  That’s a nice compliment, however, it helps to have great clients to begin with to produce those results.

It is said that to win you only need to show up.  That may be true if you only wish to be a spectator.  However to win; you must play.

And play I do….. and that is why I love what I do.  I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Chanty's Website: Business‐Spirit.com.au | Blog: Chantified.com | on Twitter: @Chantified

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January18

Why I Love What I Do ~ Connie Rice

By: bizlife

a guest blog post by Connie Rice, Daytona Food Examiner

I have held one job or another since I turned fifteen and got my eager hands on a work permit.  Since then every position I have had, every boss I have worked for, every task I have undertaken, every company I have represented – ultimately they have helped me grow and led me to where I am today.  In true 21st century fashion, I am a netizen wearing many hats on any given day.

I am the internet marketing arm of an established web design firm (www.creativepages.net) as well as a writer of fiction, visual artist, mother, and my most recent venture:  writing for Examiner.com as the designated Daytona Food Examiner.  My position as Daytona Food Examiner is a new adventure in creativity and marketing that I have found to be extremely interesting and rewarding.

Why do I love writing for Examiner.com?  I post articles according to my topic while incorporating a local slant.  We are paid according to page views, based on a formula which takes into account subscriptions and session length.  It is an outlet for some of my established pleasures (writing, cooking) as well as a way to educate myself in my current career (social media, search engine optimization).

Connie Rice

Connie Rice

On top of this I am able to incorporate my latest artistic pursuit: macro photography.  My previous affinity for painting has given way to a fascination with taking pictures of objects as close up and magnified as possible – and what other subject matter has the intricacy and mystery of food.  I believe that the unification of so many of my skills, interests, and strengths into one job is why I like Examiner.com.

Other reasons I enjoy working as an Examiner:  as a writer for the Food and Drink Channel,  I am given very little restrictions and no micromanagement.  This is heaven for an indepedent self-starter.  That being said, if help is needed it is not difficult to obtain.  There is a sense of community with the other writers and I have made at least one friend that I think will be with me for the long term.

As a whole I feel I am part of a fresh, dynamic, evolving segment of the Internet that promises to teach me more and take me into who knows what direction in the future.  It is reminiscient of having been swept up into the wild days of the dot com boom.   I like the feeling of embracing the unknown and of being part of what’s next.

I would like thank the Office Divvy Team for being so gracious as to let me pen a guest post for Business Life Stories.  I would also like to thank them for tweeting one of my favorite articles,  Top 10 Reasons Why Bacon is the New Black, on their phenomenally successful Twitter feed.

Connie Rice can be found on Twitter as @DaytonaFood
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December24

“Why I Do What I Do” by Joan Koerber-Walker

By: bizlife

A Guest Post by Joan Koerber-Walker, Founder of CorePurpose, Inc.

Joan-Koerber-Walker -- Founder, CorePurpose, Inc.

Joan-Koerber-Walker -- Founder, CorePurpose, Inc.

When my friends at Office Divvy offered me the opportunity to share ideas here on the Business Life Stories Blog, I thought “How great!”  When I actually sat down to write it, I learned that sharing why you do what you do is not as easy as it sounds.

You see, I get to do a lot of different things across a wide spectrum of activities.  The more involved and engaged I am, the happier I am.  And since I like to be happy – I have many projects all running at once.  You can see some on the things I am or have been involved in on my Google and LinkedIn Profiles.

At that root of it all, the best way I can describe myself is as an innovator.  Everything I do is tied to my own personal definition of innovation which is:

Innovation is doing something in a new way to make life better for the PEOPLE who matter.” – Joan Koerber-Walker

At Home, the people who matter to me are my family.  Making life better means listening to them, being interested and involved in what is important to them, and trying to make our lives better by encouraging and supporting them in realizing their goals and dreams. Making their life better, makes my life better.

At Work, whether it is at CorePurpose, the company I founded in 2002,  at RiboMed Biotechnologies where I serve as Treasurer and on the Board of Directors, or at Callaman Ventures, where I serve as an Executive in Residence, my driving need to innovate helps me to look at both challenges and opportunities in a new way to find solutions that enable growth, create return on investment, and make life better for the people who matter in the business world – our employees, our partners, our customers, and our investors.

Some days you’ll find me at the computer, tweeting or writing articles and blog posts that share ideas on how we can make our business or personal lives better.  Other days, I climb in my car or board a plane and travel to a different place.  It may be to meet privately with the executive team of a client or partner to explore solutions to the challenges and opportunities facing their company or it may be to take to the stage and share ideas with a larger audience.  But either way, I get to apply what I have learned along the journey – what worked and what didn’t – to new solutions that create new opportunities.

All Smiles - making a difference makes me smile - Celebrating with the OTEF team at the close of a successful AZEC09. (Left to Right: Merlin Ward, JKW, Francine Hardaway, Steven Groves. (Photo by Mark Goldstein)
All Smiles – making a difference makes me smile – Celebrating with the OTEF team at the close of a successful AZEC09. (Left to Right: Merlin Ward, Joan Koerber-Walker, Francine Hardaway, Steven Groves.    (Photo by Mark Goldstein)

In My Community, I love to do what I do. That means rolling up my sleeves and getting involved as a volunteer on many different projects.  It might be working on solutions for small business health care, garnering support for OTEF’s work in helping at-risk populations find economic self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship, spreading the word as an Ambassador for SCORE® on how small businesses can access expert resources that help them grow their businesses, or simply meeting with local business owners to exchange ideas or share contacts while I sip my Diet Coke. (I never did acquire a taste for coffee.)

All of these activities let me put my inner innovator to work PLUS the added benefit of getting to meet and work with really great people.  Who wouldn’t want to do that!

So – Why Do I Do What I Do? Probably the simplest answer is “Because I can – and I love to do it.”  But in whatever I do – be it at home, at work, or in my community – I hope I make life a little bit better than it was before.  After all – that’s what innovation is all about.

Thanks to Ky, Lisa and all of the Office Divvy Team for challenging me to answer the question – Why do you do what you do? – and for allowing me to share my musings with you.

Joan Koerber-Walker

Joan's Blog is a recommended/featured blog by Business Life Stories.

Posted in: Entrepreneur, Featured, Why I Love What I Do2 comments

December19

Why I Love What I Do > Business Match-Maker

By: Lisa Ekinci

My life as a “business match-maker” started well before I formally understood the concepts of brokering, or networking.  I believe I started to understand core business ideas as early as my first paper route.  But I couldn’t put words to what I was learning at the time.

I am a Digital Media Professional.  In this role, I’ve lead or contributed to many teams in the production of numerous media projects, that have ranged from Rich Media Applications; Web Development; Video; Print; Database Integration; Content Management; Multi-Channel Marketing Programs; Scent Marketing, Immersive Spaces, and now Social Media. Within those projects are rich stories about the people, the technology, the creative, the conditions, the outcomes, and then of course, when all is said and done the ongoing relationships.

My partners (Sim Taing and Ky Ekinci) and I were all working from our home offices and traveling to clients, and our client’s client locations, when we thought there would be value to a co-working space, where we lived in Palm Coast (in North-East Florida).  Recognizing that this business idea may be wrong or right, we decided to forge on and start Office Divvy.  We found ourselves meeting business people that for a variety of reasons did not want to carry the overhead of a full-time office.  We started our venture out of the kinship we were feeling with entrepreneurs and business owners like us.  We gained from being with each other and appreciated the periodic reprieve from our independent focused tasks, which seemed to bring a fresh perspective with it.

As we would meet prospective Office Divvy Members, they would see us as peers and quite naturally tell us their Business Life Story.  There was a lot of common ground and many areas to relate on.  Ideas, referrals and other forms of valuable input were welcome.  Member stories would include how they started, what matters to them, and often times accidental paths and self discovery at the most unexpected times that lead them one way or another in business. But the most common thread was why people love what they do.

In my consulting life, in digital media, I’ve had terrific success matching people and businesses.  It has always been a strong suit and an area I take great pride in.  As people tell us about their businesses, we cannot help but organically match them to a prospective buyers, like professionals or potential partners. It is sometimes something seemingly simple, like an extra ticket to a luncheon; something completely new like a member considering markets outside of the US;  or perhaps the birth of an entirely new product, whatever it may be, we’ve earned the role of trusted partner and advisor.

An example of a basic routine goal within our organization:  Introduce 2 people in our network who may benefit from knowing each other.  As we grow and add new members to our Office Divvy Team, we’ve had to create goals that are shareable and easy for people to make their own.

I love what I do.  I’ve had the most unbelievable good fortune, family and friends, business and life experience.  Working with diverse clients from Fortune 500 companies to sole practitioners has given me a truly well rounded view that aids me every day.  Because I am learning about new people, places, products, and ideas constantly, it forces me to have to look at things differently. I love what I do because I am in the world drawing connections constantly. Social media and the wave of what’s coming, positions me to be able to leverage the collective and share it, making the possibilities of who can be connected, through what ideas, over what time period – endless.  Just Fantastic. What’s not to love?

follow Lisa on twitter: @LisaFLA | @OfficeDivvy
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Routinely introduce people in your network who may benefit from knowing each other

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