Thursday, December 22, 2011

Holiday Romance at Jane's in Chicago

Known as a vanguard in the revitalization of Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, Jane's restaurant (now owned by Julie Greenwalt) has been serving contemporary comfort foods in a unique and romantic (considered one of the most romantic restaurants in Chicago!) setting since 1994. I recently had the pleasure of dining there for a holiday affair and it was wonderful.
Situated near the city of Chicago’s original northern-most boundary, the Bucktown block which Jane’s calls home maintains the quaint, “main street” appeal that was reintroduced in 1891, as the area was revitalized, following the Great Chicago Fire.
Find out more here.  Sign up for newsletter here to be kept up to date and learn about special events.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Are You a Rare Bird?

A rare bird can be an entrepreneur or in this instance, Rare Bird Preserves is Elizabeth Madden's company and she is in fact an entrepreneur.
Every jar of Rare Bird Preserves is handmade in small batches in our quiet kitchen. Our artisanal preserves are thoughtfully crafted in the French tradition, with only the freshest seasonal fruit and our own naturally extracted pectin.

My love affair with preserving fruit began as a student at the French Pastry School in Chicago, where I was moved by the beauty and simplicity of the process. It is this passion, combined with a close attention to detail, that ensures the quality and richness of our products.
Learn more about Elizabeth's company here.  Shop at Rare Bird Preserves.

Illustration credit (top):  Rare Bird Preserves 6 Jar Sampler

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Calling All Entrepreneurs: Let's Spark An Economic Recovery!

A word from Charles R. Schwab, founder and chairman of the Charles Schwab Corporation, on how every job requires an entrepreneur:
The simple fact is that every business in America was started by an entrepreneur, whether it is Ford Motor Co., Google or your local dry cleaner (pictured). Every single job that entrepreneur creates requires an investment. And at its core, investing requires confidence that despite the risks, despite the hard work that will certainly ensue, the basic rules of the game are clear and stable.
Read the entire commentary here.

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Going It Alone and Making It Work

You can graduate from college and get a "real job." But after a couple of years, are you really happy?

Have you thought about pursuing your passion? That's what Emiko Abe did when she went after her love of music.
But going it alone as a self-employed DJ and music consultant was a bit more difficult than she expected.

Not the business end of it. Abe made fast connections and was soon able to leave her old job to undertake her new venture full-time. She now compiles and manages music for places such as spas and upwards of 700 hotels, along with traditional DJ duties at weddings, fashion shows, hockey games and other events.
Read more about Abe's story and how she became comfortable being by herself.

Going in business for yourself, and making it work

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Early Days of Trish McEvoy's Business

Oh how I try to imagine this:
Working as a make-up artist in the 1970s, Trish McEvoy says she used to struggle to find quality cosmetic brushes. So she would buy brushes from art-supply stores and cut them into the shape she needed to apply eye liners, lipsticks and blushes (as shown).
Trish now has her beauty products in more than 250 stores in the United States and Europe with annual revenue just under U.S. $100 million.  She has 500+ employees.

So don't 'brush off' (pardon the pun) business ownership just yet this year. You never know when you are on to something!  The trick is to keep persevering!

Read: For Makeup Artist Trish McEvoy, Custom Brushes Led to Fortune

Visit: Trish McEvoy's NEW Arrivals

Monday, November 21, 2011

Starting a Business? Better Have a Fantastic Sense of Self-Confidence

A U.K. perspective but I find the article below fascinating nonetheless due to the comments about America.
If we look to America, where women tend to have more self confidence and a greater willingness to push themselves forward, levels of female entrepreneurship are nearly twice as high as they are in the UK. Rates of male and female entrepreneurship are almost equal, with 7% of females involved in early-stage entrepreneurship compared to 8% of men. Indeed, if the UK had the same level of female entrepreneurship as the US, there would be approximately 600,000 more women-owned businesses.
Take a good look at how confidence factors into the equation when you are thinking about starting a business.
American business people (men and women) have a fantastic sense of confidence in what they can do, which I think women in the UK could learn a lot from. In America there is a relentless work ethic and entrepreneurs have to have complete confidence in who they are, their abilities and what they bring to the table, as well as the ability to be able to self-promote. Being able to stand up and be counted is one of the things, I think, that make American women more likely to start up a business and make it a success.
Read the entire article:  Smashing Your Way Out of the Glass Ceiling

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Why Would Four Women Lie About Cain?

Whether you are a homemaker, female entrepreneur or an executive at a big company, why do you think four different women would elect to fabricate a story about Herman Cain?

I would welcome hearing your thoughts on this!

Photo credit here.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Meet the Woman in Charge of Cheese: Jeanne Carpenter

Meet cheese geek Jeanne Carpenter (pictured below).
Jeanne Carpenter
Raised on Velveeta on a family farm in Wisconsin, after college she worked as a journalist, a corporate project manager, and finally as a communications specialist for state government. In 2007, she started her own public relations company to promote artisan cheese. In 2009, Jeanne launched Wisconsin Cheese Originals, a member-based organization dedicated to discovering, tasting, and learning more about Wisconsin artisan cheeses through a myriad of events, including an annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival in November. She is also the author of Cheese Underground, giving cheese-starved readers everywhere the inside scoop on America’s Dairyland since 2006.
Enough said but I am sure you want to know more.  Go hereCongrats to Jeanne for moving from corporate project manager to woman in charge of cheese!

Illustration credit:  Cheese Underground

Thursday, October 20, 2011

For Randi Zuckerberg: Goodbye Facebook and Hello RtoZ Media

Mark Zuckerberg's eldest sister Randi starts her own business:  RtoZ Media - a social media company.
In August, Randi Zuckerberg, 29, quit her job at Facebook, where she had been among the first two dozen people hired. Most recently, she was the director of marketing. In its early days, Zuckerberg was a buoyant presence, representing her reticent brother to an eager press. Later, she earned attention (not always favorable) singing at company functions with a band composed of colleagues. And she came up with the idea for Facebook Live, the social network's video channel, which has featured interviews conducted by Facebook executives with Oprah Winfrey and President Barack Obama.
Learn more here.  Illustration credit:  RtoZ Media homepage.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

FAQ: Frequently Avoided Questions Related to Starting a Business

I was researching away on a project for a client and accidentally stumbled upon a PDF file I had downloaded to my MacBook in 2004.  It's called "The Art of the Start" and is based on Guy Kawasaki's book by the same title.

The FAQ:  Frequently Avoided Questions is a Kawasaki idea that is referenced in his PDF on Pages 29-31 -- don't miss it because, for example, here's one question he addresses that will definitely soothe your soul if you are frightened out of your mind at the thought leaving your current job to start a business:
Q.  I admit it:  I'm scared.  I can't afford to quit my current job.  Is this a sign that I don't have what it takes to succeed?  Am I not truly committed?

A.  You should be scared.  If you aren't scared, something is wrong with you.  Your fears are not a sign that you don't have the right stuff.  In the beginning, every entrepreneur ...
Download the report here (best part about it - it's complimentary!)

Thursday, October 06, 2011

The Perfect American Entrepreneur

Photo credit:  ©Laurel Delaney 2011, "Apple store, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, U.S.A."
Steve Jobs
We salute the greatest American entrepreneur in our time:  Steven Paul Jobs (1955-2011).  Read what others have to say about the man who changed the world for the best and inspired us all to soar to great heights. 

If messages can be received in happy heaven:

Thank you Steve for making our lives a whole heck of lot more interesting and fun. Rest in peace. We will miss you!

Saturday, October 01, 2011

United States Secret Weapon For Achieving Sustained Economic Growth: More Women Entrepreneurs

Take that Corporate America! Yes, according to a new paper authored by Lesa Mitchell (V.P., Advancing Innovation) for the Ewing Kauffman Foundation titled, "Overcoming the Gender Gap: Women Entrepreneurs as Economic Drivers," the United States needs more women entrepreneurs.
Women who are capable of starting growth companies that serve global markets may be the nation's secret weapon for achieving sustained economic growth.
Three steps to boost female entrepreneurship in the United States:
  1. Not-for-profit initiatives that advance opportunities for high-growth women entrepreneurs need greater funding and support from women executives, philanthropy leaders and industry. Networking and collaborative events between startup founders and big companies are critical to provide women entrepreneurs access to networks that can produce potential customers.
  2. Successful women entrepreneurs and inventors should make themselves visible and available. Role models are critical to young women considering entrepreneurship.
  3. Women must be invited at a much higher rate to join science advisory boards of high-tech companies.
Read the study: "Overcoming the Gender Gap: Women Entrepreneurs as Economic Drivers"(PDF file)

Illustration credit here.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

New Crop of Power Accelerators: Women Entrepreneurs

Take a good look at some new accelerator and incubator programs that focus specifically on women entrepreneurs.  Yes - that's YOU (and me too)!

Read:  Programs Increasing Number of Entrepreneurs - Forbes

Shortcut to some of the resources mentioned in the article:

Y Combinator (awful lot of guys in the photos!)

Founder Institute

Female Founder Fellowship (as shown).

Women 2.0

They are calling us to action!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

When You Start A Business, Don't Forget the "Good Heart" Theory

My friend and colleague, Steve Strauss, writes a terrific article for USA Today, "Winning businesses think about more than profit."  He covers the recent 3rd Annual SCORE Awards.  And what a wonderful story he tells.
All the winners seem to share one trait -- a secret I will share in a moment -- but all were a dynamic, visionary, difference-making group who are changing their lives and those in the communities they serve.
Get your day's dose of inspiration here.  You'll discover what I mean by the "good heart" theory. 

Shhhhhhhh ... School House, run by Rachel Weeks (pictured), is the SCORE "Outstanding Woman-Owned Small Business" winner!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Never Surrender

I finished reading Lauren Manning's book, "Unmeasured Strength," and instead of being sad or depressed, considering what had happened to her, I was empowered to become a better human being and to accomplish more in life.  My biggest takeaway, which came from a direct quote from Lauren in the book on Page 4:  "I would never surrender."

Whether facing a divorce, death of a loved one, bankruptcy, health issue, the risk of starting a business or - as in Lauren's case, a catastrophic moment of burning alive - each requires the commitment to never surrender.  You must keep going.

Thank goodness Lauren discovered that early on after she was engulfed by the fires that brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center.  Her long, painful (she suffered second and third-degree burns across about 85 percent of her body) yet inspiring journey imparts on each of us a new look at life, one that most certainly is worth fighting for.

This book should be read not once but several times (and passed along to others) to fully appreciate steely determination under literal fire and how even at one's darkest hours - as in the case with Lauren facing death day after day for more than three months during her recovery - she shows us the surprising strength and courage in us all.

Buy the book here.

Pay a visit to:  LaurenManning.com

Sunday, September 11, 2011

How to Turn a Negative Challenge Into a Positive Outcome

Kathrine Switzer, first woman in 1967 to run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entrant, has a thing or two to tell us about persistence.  Most of what she (now 65 years young) has to say will be helpful if you are considering starting a business. After all, when you begin, you need a whole heck of a lot of persistence to become a success.

A snippet of what took place at Switzer's first marathon:
But while many men running the event welcomed her into the pack, the race director had another idea. He chased after her, grabbed at the bib number pinned to her shirt and yelled for her to get out of the way and give him her numbers, Switzer recalled in her 2007 memoir, “Marathon Woman.”
Switzer was unbreakable (as shown).  She proved that women could endure a 26.2 mile race.  Fortunately, we have already proven we can run successful businesses.

Read more here.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Tale of the Unromantic Business Plan

Once upon a time, there was an unromantic business plan that included 12 pages of cash flow analysis.  Twelve months later, Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Forty Winks, a lingerie boutique (as shown above) was born.
Forty Winks carries a range of sizes and styles, starting at 30A specialty bras and ending at an H cup size. “Sizes can go as high as M, but that’s not our customer,’’ said co-owner Rachel Wentworth.
Find out how Rachel and her business partner (co-owner) Meredith Donaldson create stories to sell their intimate wear and also offer a wide range of sizes and shapes - not to mention the heavy duty therapy that is required to satisfy the demands of their selective customers.

A serious plan to make a go of lingerie sales

Monday, August 22, 2011

How to Extend a Brand to Become the Coolest Small Company in America

Today we turn you on to Zingerman's.  What brought me here in the first place?  Zzang Handmade Candy Bars (pictured above and the real deal on ingredients:  dark chocolate, milk chocolate, corn syrup, organic muscovado brown sugar, milk, heavy cream, real butter, malted milk powder, real vanilla, salt, baking soda) -- as featured in Oprah Magazine September 2011.

But to Zingerman's Community of Businesses (ZCoB), it is a family of small food-related companies and entrepreneurial ventures.  Each is located in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A. area. They are operated by one or more partners who share ownership and manage the business.  Here is a list of the community ventures.
And yes, a few of the above are run by women.  Explore.  I am sure there is something of interest (indulgence) for everyone.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Actively Seek the Accidental Discovery

Actively seek the accidental discovery.  That's what creativity, start-ups and new business ideas are about.

Read:  Think Like a Genius

My favorite part:
GENIUSES PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR CHANCE.

Too many fail to answer opportunity's knock at the door because they have to finish some preconceived plan. Creative geniuses do not wait for the gifts of chance; instead, they actively seek the accidental discovery.
I like to think that business owners prepare themselves for chance too!  Agree?

Photo credit:  Marie Curie



Saturday, August 06, 2011

Tutus Turn Profits for Little Dreamer

Jessica Beamgard (center) has BIG dreams for her six-month old Northville, Michigan-based Little Dreams. She makes custom-ordered women's and children's clothing and accessories.
Little Dreams was named by the older daughter of Jessica and husband Douglas, who grew up in Northville. Jessica sews tutus, ruffled pettiskirts, ruffled leg warmers, bloomers, onesies and hair accessories.
Learn more here.

Find Little Dreams on Facebook (Little-DreamsMichigan)

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Ice House Entrepreneurship Program

Ice House Entrepreneurship is a powerful new online learning program that enables participants to learn from today’s most successful entrepreneurs.  It is designed to inspire and engage the next generation in the unlimited opportunities that an entrepreneurial mindset can provide.

To learn more, visit:

The Ice House Entrepreneurship Program
powered by Kauffman, the Foundation of Entrepreneurship

Are you ready to take your own destiny into your hands?

Friday, July 22, 2011

Older Women Becoming Entrepreneurs

If you are thinking about starting a business, is your age a consideration?  I hope not.  For more women -- young and old(er) -- are starting businesses at record rates.  According to Barclays (UK), older entrepreneurs are responsible for 50 percent more start-ups than they were ten years ago and account for 15 percent of all new businesses (in England and Wales).  I am sure the United States has an even higher rate of women starting businesses at a later age.

The article below highlights Professor Diana Anderson (pictured) who set up her first business, OncaScan, with the notion of marketing her new invention, a blood test that predicts an individual's genetic predisposition to cancer.  No small time goal.  She says:
"I'm not proud to have started my first business so late in life for the simple reason that my age never occurs to me," she says. "Until I am no longer able to contribute, I only think of staying at the coalface of my profession. My future plans are to make my business a success, win more grants for my university and guide more of my students towards their PhDs."
Learn more:  Not the retiring kind

Does this article speak to you?

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Establish and Sustain Your Startup

Wisconsin Women Entrepreneurs (WWE), a nonprofit business association, helps improve and enhance the economic climate for female entrepreneurs who are looking to grow their business and foster new relationships.

Learn more about how they might assist you as you establish and sustain your startup.

Photo credit:  WWE.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Best News I've Heard This Month: CNN Dumps Spitzer

I just want everyone inside and outside of Corporate America to know how happy I am about this.  CNN dumps Eliot Spitzer from its lineup.  Ever since Spitzer's involvement as a client in a high-priced prostitution ring (2008) and CNN's subsequent hiring of him, I stopped watching CNN.  What were they thinking?

Applause to the folks at CNN for finally getting their act together.  Now I can continue to watch one of my favorites -- Anderson Cooper -- without guilt.

There's my two cents for the week!  What's yours?

Photo credit:  New York Times, "Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring."

Posted by:  The official Escape From Corporate America blog

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Women Entrepreneurs Drive U.S. Economy

Hush, hush ... new news is that women entrepreneurs are a significant force in driving the U.S. economy.  Did you know?  Of course you did!

Read all about it here.  You may have missed the roundtables they speak of but you can still learn about the five mistakes female business owners tend to make so that you don't make them yourself!

Monday, July 04, 2011

Happy Birthday No. 235 to the United States and No. 7 to the Official Escape From Corporate America Blog!

Happy Independence Day United States.  Whatever you are doing at this moment, stop and count your blessings for the privilege to live in a country where opportunity abounds.  Freedom is something one should never take for granted - only used to do what you wish.

And while you are celebrating, raise a glass in our honor to toast Birthday No. 7 for Escape For Corporate America!  Yes, it's been that long since we started this blog (click here to see how an article I authored planted the seed for this blog) and since then, you have been following us religiously.  So thanks for that  -- we appreciate your readership very much -- and we hope you continue to stay with us year after year as we feature stories relating to women who embark on the challenging journey of breaking away from Corporate America to start a business.

The picture (shown above)?  I took it over the weekend while running along the Chicago lakefront.  It symbolizes much of what I think this blog is about:  power, equality and starting a business!

Note:  Last year we gave you a free gift in honor of our double celebration.  If you haven't already opened it, do so now to get the inspiration you need to start a business:  Entrepreneurial Obsession:  13 Ways to Create a Brighter Future For Your Business.

Best wishes for continued success!  Back with you soon.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Net-A-This, Net-A-That

First there was Net-A-Porter.com, now there's the sister site:  The Outnet.com.

And there's the female Director behind The Outnet.com:  Stephanie Phair (pictured).
Each month, The Outnet receives over one million unique visitors, less than ten percent of which overlap with the existing Net-a-Porter customer base. The United States, where The Outnet has experienced year on year growth of over 90 percent, now constitutes its biggest market. And, 70 percent of the product on The Outnet does not come from Net-a-Porter, so The Outnet has its own buying teams and relationships with brand partners. All of this seems to be working wonders, leading to an estimated annual turnover of more than $50 million, something that took more than 5 years for Net-a-Porter to achieve.
Visit The Outnet.com

Friday, June 17, 2011

Love To Sell, Or Else

If you are contemplating starting a business, you better love to sell, or else.  Or else ... for those who hate to sell, you will have a much more challenging path ahead to achieve business success.

Over at the Entrepreneur blog, creative writer Carol Tice offers eight tips (five from author Julie Steelman and three of her own) on how to overcome a reluctance to sell.

How Entrepreneurs Can Conquer Fear of Selling

Illustration credit here.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Does Your New Business Idea Have Momentum?

Whether you are launching a new career, product or business, one has to look at whether the idea is sustainable, or has momentum.

Jeff DeGraff (pictured), clinical professor of management and organizations at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, has created a series for PBS that launches at 8 p.m. Thursday on WTVS-TV (Channel 56). In case you've never heard of DeGraff, he is known as an innovation guru.
Individuals who want to re-create their lives or careers, DeGraff said, need to realize that you sometimes need to think of several ways to innovate.

Once you test something out, he said, you are better able to figure out what has more momentum.
Learn more about DeGraff and his new program here.  It might be just the jolt you need to get your business off the ground.

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Before Starting a Business, Discover Your Strengths

What can a single mother of five do to provide a stable future for her kids?  You guessed it.  Start a business.

An expert provides three steps to move forward.  Go here to find out what they are.

Illustration credit:  Ms. CEO

Sunday, June 05, 2011

Work For Yourself

Be your own boss.  Why not?
Adults do it. Kids can do it, too. What they ‘do’ is run their own business. If you are interested in becoming a ‘Chief Executive Officer,’ get started with a business plan. There are many excellent resources to get you on your way to your dream.
 Learn more here.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Overcoming Challenges to Launch and Grow a Business

GE Capital (as illustrated above) helps women to jump-start their own businesses by providing specialized training, business mentorship and access to micro-financing loans. In addition to 15 weeks of intensive course work and training, the program, Banking on Women, offers ongoing assistance for all participants.

This particular program takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah.  GE Capital is working with Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund and The Institute for New Enterprise at Westminster College.

Learn more here.  Direct link:  Banking on Women

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Extreme Sport: Entrepreneurship

MTV applauds women entrepreneurs in technology and media.  And one in particular is Alexandra Wilkis Wilson of Gilt Groupe Inc.
Gilt Groupe started out in 2007 as an online sample sale destination for the fashion savvy shopper. The website’s original three founders Kevin Ryan, Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson (at left) have recently realized huge success after the valuation of Gilt Groupe doubled from one year ago to $1 Billion. Not so bad after just four years as an e-commerce merchant!
Read the entire article here.

Related: NCWIT Entrepreneurial Heroes is a series of magazine-style audio interviews highlighting fabulous women entrepreneurs in information technology (IT) careers.  Listen in here.

Top photo credit here.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Don't Reinvent the Wheel

Starting a business is easier than you think and thanks to the Internet, more doable than ever these days.

Here are seven steps to get you moving!

First one:
Ordinary is just fine, so don't reinvent the wheel. The best ideas are often the tried and true ones that are already successful now.
Let's hope Maria follows this same advice.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Quench Your Thirst: Waialua Soda Works

Karen Campbell and her husband Jason know how to fizz things up a bit.  They run Hawaii-based Waialua Soda Works, Inc., an old-fashioned soda company founded in 2003, inspired by the elements familiar to the Hawaiian Islands.

The company uses only clear glass bottles (as shown), pure cane sugar, and natural flavors to make its mango, root beer, pineapple and vanilla cream sodas.

Learn more about Waialua Soda WorksCost Plus World Market and Whole Foods carry it.   Also visit their Facebook page.

Friday, May 06, 2011

The Scent For a Strange Woman

Are you seeking a one of a kind experience when it comes to perfume?  Then you're at the right place, at the right time!

Strange Women is a collection of 100% natural artisan perfume, bath salts, lip balm, candles and other eccentricities fragranced with essential oils and plant absolutes.  The net result is a much safer and more satisfying to the senses fragrance.

These wonderful concoctions are produced by Jill McKeever (pictured).  Go shopping here.

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

To Succeed in Business, Change Must Be Constant

If Kim Garrity hadn’t made more changes than a young woman trying on shoes with her business -- Sole Sisters -- then it wouldn’t exist today.

Learn what she means here.

Posted by: The original Escape From Corporate America blog

Monday, April 25, 2011

She Wants Freedom; She Got it Through Business Ownership

For those who don't already know this:  The number of women-owned businesses is on the rise!  Learn more about this trend and about women business owners who have found success (including Tina Fey, pictured, who seems to do her own thing and do it exceptionally well).

First though:
The latest U.S. Census data shows that women start businesses at one-and-a-half times the national rate and are estimated to own just over 8.1 million enterprises. Those businesses generate nearly $1.3 trillion in revenue and employ 7.7 million Americans, according to the recently released American Express OPEN State of Women-Owned Business Report.
"She's the boss:  More women are starting their own businesses"

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Take a Deep Breath and Follow Your Dreams

Three women follow their dreams ...  are you?

1.  Nora Jewett
From lawyer to fashion designer

2.  Becky Bartsch
From Radio City Rockette to fourth-grade teacher (yes, you read that right!)

3.  Dr. Laura Michaelis
From reporter for Congressional Weekly and City News Bureau to hermatologist/oncologist

Find out how they mustered up the courage to follow their dreams -- here.

Photography shots for article by Saverio Truglia.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Creating New Opportunities Means Taking the Route of Entrepreneurship

Today (4/11/11), The Wall Street Journal has a special feature:  Women in the Economy

Here are the links to some of the articles which focus on what's holding women back in the workplace:

Where Are All the Senior Level Women?

Tales From the Frontline

The Global View

It's Partly Your Head

You can talk until you drop about women in the workplace -- what's holding them back or how to create an action plan to support new opportunities -- but the real route to freedom, flexibility and being who you are is through entrepreneurship.

Photo credit here (L-R:  Robert Zoellick, Sandra Day O'Connor and Wei Sun Christianson)

Posted by:  The Official Escape From Corporate America Blog, chronicling why more and more women are abandoning big companies to strike out on their own.

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Flexibility Matters to Women in the Workforce

And that includes women entrepreneurs.  In fact, when companies do not offer flexible work hours to women who need it for family reasons, the women leave and oftentimes start their own businesses.

Read: 'Mommy Track' Without Shame by Virginia Postrel for The Wall Street Journal

Snippet:
Many strike out on their own, establishing consulting practices that permit flexible, project-based work. "MBA mothers," the economists write, "seem to actively choose jobs that are family-friendly, and avoid jobs with long hours and greater career-advancement possibilities."
Brings back a lot of very old and dated memories. Thank goodness women have wised up and have taken control of their professional destinies!

Posted by: The Official Escape From Corporate America Blog

Sunday, April 03, 2011

For the Love of Making Things, Meet Alicia Paulson

I've been following Alicia Paulson's blog, "Posie Gets Cozy," for years.  It's one of my best kept secrets.  She (visit her site here) loves to make things, shows you how to do it with great passion and takes fabulous pictures in the process.  Her readers comment like crazy which is wonderful.

Pour yourself a cup of tea and explore her site. You have to wonder how she does it.  Check out her books too.

Photo credit:  Posie Gets Cozy

Monday, March 28, 2011

Are You Jam'n With Blue Chair Fruit?

Oakland, California-based Blue Chair Fruit Company is an artisanal jam and marmalade company which has redefined preserving through its distinctive brand of modern nostalgia and their exacting approach to fruit and flavors.

Founded by Rachel Saunders (pictured) in February 2008, Blue Chair Fruit is the product of nearly ten years of intensive research on fruit and fruit preserving techniques.

Her company claims:
In all aspects of our company, from the contents of each jar to packaging to our online presence to the definitive Blue Chair Jam Cookbook, Blue Chair Fruit emphasizes a modern spin on this traditional art.
If you're not jam'n with and buying products from Blue Chair Fruit, you ought to be.  All products are made by hand.

Give them a look and a try:  Blue Chair FruitAnd our kudos to Rachel for finally striking out on her own!

Photo credit here (Kat Brett)