Interview with Founder All That It Seams, Caitlin Childs

Caitlin Childs started sewing when she was just eight years old. At age fifteen, Caitlin learned to knit. From that point on, she began making all of her own accessories. When she got married, Caitlin took a job as a seamstress and perfected her sewing skills. From that point, she took another job as a boutique manager and learned the ins and outs of the fashion industry. Once Caitlin felt like she had enough skills and knowledge to pursue her dreams, she took the plunge and opened her own business in 2016. Since then, Caitlin have received a celebrity endorsement with each product launch and have been able to partner with multiple animal shelters.

It's my pleasure to introduce Caitlin.


Faten Abdallah (FA): Why did you become an entrepreneur?
Caitlin Childs (CC):  I don’t think that becoming an entrepreneur was ever something that I “decided” to do. It was more like a calling for me. I was being drawn to the career that allowed me to showcase my talents and pursue my passions.

FA: What have you learned about yourself as an entrepreneur?
CC:  I’m definitely more resilient than I thought I was. Before owning my own business, when problems would arise, I would let them get me down for days at a time. Now, I’ve learned that when faced with a challenge, I just have to put my head down and figure out a way around it. 

FA:  How do you find the latest fashion classics and trends?
CC:  I spend a lot of time on Pinterest. As crazy as it sounds, pinterest is a great resource for the newest upcoming fashion trends.

FA: What makes your clothing business different than other clothing businesses? 
CC: Whenever I was working as a boutique manager, I noticed that in the world of women’s fashion accessories, you can either choose between fashionable or functional. It’s nearly impossible to find products that meet both criteria. I wanted to bridge that gap and create accessories that are not only functional for everyday life, but that have their own classic sense of style as well. 

FA: You have some partnerships. Please tell us about them. 
CC: We have the privilege of partnering with several animal shelters in an attempt to make sure that every shelter animal is provided with the emotional and physical care they deserve. A portion of our proceeds each month are donated to this cause.

We’re very excited to announce our new fall/winter product line launching in October. We will be offering a wide variety of bags and accessories designed specifically for cooler weather.  

 Our website is www.allthatitseams.com. We can also be found on Facebook (facebook.com/allthatitseams) and Instagram (@allthatitseams).

GUEST POST: Entrepreneur tips - Overcoming business challenges: 5 Ways to Get Back Your Business

by

Diana Ennen

Running your business definitely has its challenges.  It’s how you deal with them that makes the difference.

Here are a few tips to overcome your business challenges:

·         Letting others know your value.  So many business owners just don’t understand fully what all you do because they aren’t doing the work.  You need to let them know.  It’s not bragging, it’s good business sense.  For example, with PR and marketing, it’s important to be able to explain to clients exactly what they are getting.  Let’s say you land them in major media.  Not only should you let them know that it happened, but also provide the stats on that site so they see how great it is and what they can expect.  Also, to get more out of each media mention, provide additional information on how they can utilize their social media (people they already know them) to showcase this media attention.  So whatever your business, find ways to do the follow-up showing all you accomplish for your clients and why it benefits them.

·         Keeping consistent income.  Here again, many business owners suffer from this and the feast or famine of their business.  One month you are rock’n and can barely keep up, and then the next month crickets.  You often crave the stability of a regular paycheck.  Well, you can make that happen. One way is to offer retainer services whereby every month clients will retain your services.  Even though it’s at a slight lower rate, depending on how many hours they secure, it’s beneficial as it provides regular income.  Another method might be to offer programs that are set up on a monthly basis.  This differs for so many businesses and how they can set it up, but the bottom line remains the same – keep income coming in regularly.

·         Overcoming a Bad Experience.  Have you ever had something happen in your business that well didn’t go according to plan?  Say you spoke and no one ended up buying your book or becoming clients.  Your new program that you spent months on, didn’t fly. Perhaps a client wasn’t 100% satisfied with your services.  Believe it or not, this happens to most of us at one time or another.  Yes, you could sit back and never speak again, or mope and settle for less income by not going after new clients, or you can reboot and start fresh.  That’s the one to go with.  We know that loss of confidence can really hurt.  However, the real pros know to move on.  First, take a few minutes and examine your role.  Could you have done something different?  If so, next time do it.  (That was easy!).  Next build your confidence back.  Read your client testimonials or talk with associates. Do anything and everything to rebuild your confidence because honestly even saying it doesn’t bother you, more than likely it does.  Then get back on the horse again only this time with renewed confidence and perhaps a few changes in how you do things.  Will you fall again?  Of course you will at some time.  But will you always grow learning from your experiences, absolutely!

·         Not Pricing Correctly.  If I had a nickel for every time that I did this, well I could make up for my pricing mistakes.  Seriously though, this happens.  You underbid on a project finding out it takes five times longer than you anticipated.  You price a course and then realize that you are giving away the farm.  Or you simply discover your hourly rate is way below what it should be.  Not to fear.  It’s fixable. The most important thing you can do is to learn from this and correct the situation.  You might not be able to up your rate with the current client, just you can learn from your mistake and never do it again.  Also, don’t disregard talking with your client about it.  Sometimes they understand.  However, know that if its your mistake, you shouldn’t make them pay unless they are willing to. 

·         Time Management – Pricing mistakes often are made because you didn’t realize the time involvement.  So get used to timing yourself.  Yes, get the timer out and work for a specific amount of time on that task and see how long it takes.  Simple!  Also, get a day planner and write down your day for a week or two (or forever!) or get used to using some of the many valuable time management programs available today.  Time is money and if you are not keeping track of it and utilizing your time in the best possible way, well there it goes, clunk clunk … down the drain.

Business challenges are a part of business.  So get used to dealing with them and also get used to learning methods of rising above them.  Be great at what you do, do what you are passionate about, and finally seek help when needed.  Your business thrives when you do.

Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com offers PR and Marketing services and PR and Virtual Assistant Coaching. She’s the co-author of Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA. Follow her on social media at https://www.facebook.com/VirtualWordPublishing/ and https://twitter.com/DianaEnnen

Friday Feature: Meet Tina Aldatz

According to the Small Business Administration, about half of all new establishments survive five years or more and only one-third survives 10 years or more. One success story is the business of Foot Petals, founded by successful Latina entrepreneur Tina Aldatz. Sharing her success secrets, Aldatz announced the nationwide release of her new autobiography, “From Stilettos to the Stock Exchange,” a compelling and heartwarming story of success against all odds.

Aldatz made her mark on the world as a self-starting entrepreneur and founder of Foot Petals, the revolutionary line of designer insole cushions for women’s high heels. Derived from a severe burn injury on both her feet as a child, Tina created Foot Petals to help fill a gap in the market for women’s high-heeled foot support. Through her strength and tenacity, Foot Petals became a successful multi-million dollar company recognized by Inc. 500 as one of the “500 fastest growing companies in America.” She has also been featured in Forbes Magazine as an “entrepreneur to watch” and was honored to become the 2011 National Latina Business Women Association’s (NLBWA) “Business Woman of the Year.”

Meet Tina Aldatz, a sucessful Latina Entrepreneur.

Faten Abdallah (FA): What was your life like growing up?

Tina Aldatz (TA):  My childhood was full of socio-economical challenges, including being a pediatric burn survivor and a victim of domestic and child abuse.  My past experiences taught me to chose to be opportunistic rather than a victim. I do not let me circumstances define me, I believe in the American Dream. 

FA: As a minority in the US, what kinds of challenges have you faced? 

TA: I have faced challenges being a minority as both a woman and Hispanic. As a half-Mexican and half-Irish descendant, I witnessed racial discrimination from both sides – but it also allowed me to conveniently “blend in” to whichever culture I was immersed in. I have always related more to my Mexican roots, being a Republican has helped me to navigate political and social activism – I like being a voice for immigrants, like my grandmother from Mexico, who sought new opportunities in the United States. 

FA: What made you want to be an entrepreneur? 

TA: I am a creative person by nature and I was disenchanted by the traditional love, marriage, family at a young age…so I dreamed of a world where I could be a “business woman,” perhaps seeking to control my environment and the impact it has on others.

FA: What advice do you have for females of color who to become entrepreneurs?

TA:  I advise joining groups and organizations with like-minded people – it has been a long time tried and true business strategy formerly known as the “good ol’ boys’ club.” 

FA: You run a business with your best friend.  How do you keep the professional and personal boundaries separate?

TA: We don’t – we crack each other up so much – sometimes we are like two laughing hyenas while the younger associates keep it buttoned up – but really it comes from a place of total respect. Her qualities are very different from mine. We know what we are good at, but more importantly, we know what we are not good at and that simple equation allows us to sit back and let expert drive.  

FA: Anything else you would like to add? 

TA:  Dedicated to overall travel wellness while offering lifestyle components for both personal and surface use. Savvy Travelers high performance products are individually packed in a disposable sheet form that remove 99% of surface contamination. Proudly made in California, Savvy Travelers' line of convenient, single-use, eco-friendly, disposable products help consumers carry all of their must-haves while they travel for a healthy, easy, on-the-go experience. Keeping travelers healthy for all their destinations! Follow @Savvy_Travelers on social media and like us on Facebook.

Guest Post: Entrepreneurs - Surviving Burnout and Achieving Success Year after Year

by

Diana Ennen

Having your own business for the most part totally rocks! You’re the boss. You get to decide what goes on in the day-to-day operations, and most importantly you have a big influence in how fat that bank account looks. Life is good! But as many entrepreneurs will admit, it’s not always as easy as it sounds. And especially for those that have been in business for years, it can be challenging to keep excited about their biz. Not too worry, we are here to help.

Here are tips on Building and Maintaining a Successful Business:

·         You need to remain passionate about what you are doing. That’s the only way to keep going and face those odds, exhaustion and temptation to throw in the towel. You aren’t going to love what you do every day, but on the whole you have to believe in it and want to continue doing it.

·         Day to Day Business – You have to work your business right. And when you’ve been in business a while, let’s admit it, we can get just a tad bit lazy or bored. You don’t have the same jump and down ambition that you had in the early days, and that’s AOK. But you do need to once in a while give yourself a jumpstart. When you notice that you are getting tired and cranky of doing the same thing day in and day out and things take you three times longer because your heart just isn’t into it, that can be a sign a change is needed.

The good news is as an entrepreneur you can easily change. You don’t have to give up your business or your awesome clients. Figure out ways to get the passion and fun back. It can be as simple as adding new specialties or it can mean a complete reboot is necessary. Just be willing to evaluate it, know you need to do something, and then commit to doing it. Just do whatever it takes to get the energy and excitement back. And one more thing, don’t feel guilty at all because of this. It happens to the best of us. The smart entrepreneurs are those that recognize it and make the necessary changes.

·         Marketing can be Fun Too – We know marketing your own business almost always gets put on the back burner, especially when you aren’t as into your business as you once were. Now this can be a critical mistake. What you need to do is get back your marketing mojo. You do this by first doing something you really enjoy. The goal is to get you back into the marketing mode. When you do something fun, that can help and not feel like such a chore. Now add to it. Slowly add in more marketing that you know has been successful in the past. Before long, you’d be back at it and not even realizing you are doing it. Then the marketing magic happens.

·         Boundaries – Keep Them - We all know about boundaries. And we all know that they are hard to keep. Let clients know as a business owner and a valuable resource to them, you work best within those boundaries you have set. Reassure them that this enables you to always give 100%. Now, there might be times that a client really needs you and if it works out for you, then you can be a little flexible. Just let them know this needs to be an exception, not be the norm. If you do have to work an evening or weekend, take Friday afternoon off. Just remember to do what works best for you and your business.

·         Take Time for you -  I know everyone tells you to do this and next week when you have more time and this project is over you will. Stop it already! Take out your planner right now. Turn to next week and schedule in some “me” time. Now next week it might be a little difficult because you might already be booked, but do this for the upcoming month. Consider doing it at the same time each week so it becomes more of a habit. Now stick to it as much as you can. Consider getting an accountability partner who you love to talk with who can motivate you and inspire you to keep doing this. Just getting to talk with someone else, and truly be honest helps!

See how easy it is to keep your business going. The last thing to remember is sometimes you just need to take a break. It’s AOK to take a few days off and really think about what you want in your business. Go to the beach or get a change of scenery to get out of the office. It works. And of course, if you need help, consider hiring it. You don’t have to do your business alone and most businesses thrive because they realize this.

Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com offers PR and Marketing services and PR and Virtual Assistant Coaching. She’s the co-author of Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and So You Want to be a Work-at-Home Mom.

Free Download: Happiness: Empowerment and Freedom through Entrepreneurship

Cover of Robert T. Kiyosaki

The Rich Dad Company has made Happiness: Empowerment and Freedom through Entrepreneurship available for free eBook download  at www.richdad.com.

Happiness was written by co-founder of The Rich Dad Company and author of Rich Woman and It’s Rising Time! Kim Kiyosaki as an exploration of the many ways women can benefit from entrepreneurship.

Download Happiness and learn:

-  How entrepreneurship brings both financial rewards and personal fulfillment

-  Why both wins and failures in business cultivate personal growth

-  Why women must “Take Charge” of their money

-  How a change in mindset can change your whole life

-  The importance of surrounding yourself with positive mentors

-  Real steps to turn an idea into a real business

“Women have the ability to take control of their financial future and their lives – I am proof of that!” said Kim Kiyosaki, co-founder, The Rich Dad Company and author, Happiness. “In this book, I share valuable tools for how women can approach becoming entrepreneurs, as well as personal anecdotes about the many, surprising benefits I found on my journey through entrepreneurship – benefits including personal growth, freedom, and ultimate fulfillment.”   

Happiness is available for free download now through July 28, 2014 here. 

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Business Resource: Wicked Start

Ask any female entrepreneur about the inception of her business, and she’s likely to tell you that the initial excitement was often tempered by uncertainty and concerns, about anything from balancing work and family to knowing the right steps to take to build a business plan.  No more…as of today, there is now a one-stop resource to help new and aspiring female entrepreneurs navigate the unfamiliar waters of starting a business. 

Wicked Start is a new business application designed to provide step-by-step guidance and support to aspiring entrepreneurs or anyone who is thinking about starting a business.  Founded by Bryan Janeczko, whose last venture, Nu-Kitchen, sold to Nutrisystem in a multimillion-dollar deal, Wicked Start offers a personalized suite of tools and a robust community designed to support entrepreneurs in every step of their business journey.  For the first time, women starting businesses have full access to roadmaps, resources, success stories and support – all in one place online.

For more information, click here.  

M3 1000 competition of 2011

More women entrepreneurs from across the country will now have the opportunity to grow their businesses into million dollar enterprises through M3 1000, the latest evolution of its groundbreaking Make Mine a Million $ Business (M3) program. 

Similar to the original format and built on the lessons learned over the past five years, M3 1000 is designed to help women entrepreneurs strengthen their vision, build their strategy and take their business to a million dollars in revenue.  Under the new program version, a larger group of 250 event participants will compete for prize packages of coaching, financing, marketing tools and more during Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and American Express OPEN’s M3 1000 competitions.

At the M3 1000 event, each participant will deliver a two-minute elevator pitch about their business, qualifications, and how they would benefit from the program.  The elevator pitch is given in front of a live audience and a panel of qualified judges.  The judges will select which of the participants will be named as pitch winners, who will receive prizes and then move on to the final round, to collect additional resources.  Pitch winners will submit full applications and company financial information for final consideration as M3 1000 awardees. 

The first M3 1000 competition of 2011 is April 4 at the Denver Marriott City Center in Denver, CO.  Women entrepreneurs nationwide have until March 28^th to apply to compete in this national program.  Women entrepreneurs can apply for the elevator pitch competition or join the M3 1000 community by visiting: www.makemineamillion.org.  

M3 1000 targets enterprises organized and doing business in the United States with the following characteristics:

•           The business should be at least 50% owned by a woman who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident

•           The company should be at least two years old and have annual revenues between $85,000 - $700,000

•           The entrepreneur should be ready to grow her business to a million dollars within the next 18-36 months