Bethenny In Your Business

have any of you been watching "bethenny"? i'm loving that she's featuring entrepreneurs on her show weekly, giving them exposure and offering advice so they can take their business to the next level. and in some cases, she's making business dreams come true. on her halloween episode, she needed candy jewelry for her costume. the task was left to an assistant in the wardrobe department. bethenny loved her items so much that she called the ceo of it's sugar and they're planning to sell and distribute her candy jewelry line. amazing!

in her quest to help other entrepreneurs, bethenny recently launched a contest where the grand prize winner will receive $20,000 to fund their business idea. it's a long shot, but i've decided to submit an entry about my drinkware. surprisingly, they'll be choosing a winner within a week after the contest closes this month.

i've been needing some motivation to work on my drinkware line, and this is just what i needed. even if my idea isn't selected, just knowing that i'm pitching the idea is enough to put a much-needed fire under me. i'm really exited to start working on my product idea again, will let you know who ultimately ends up with the grand prize. wish me luck!

image credit: bethenny.com

Getting Some Mojo

i hope you all had a great memorial day weekend! here in nyc, it started off with horribly cold, grey, rainy weather. but monday was a sunny and glorious 72 degrees. Z and i decided to pack a picnic and head to central park for some much-needed sun and relaxation. definitely a wonderful way to kick start the week as i recently mentioned that i was struggling to find motivation, but i'm finally getting out of my funk.

on saturday, i caught up with my friend who recently launched a roasted chickpea business. i love when we can get together and offer each other tips and solutions and just bounce ideas off each other. our get-together was just what i needed to remind me of what i can still achieve if i just buckle down and re-focus.

and that's exactly what i'm doing. in fact, i'm going to an event this wednesday sponsored by glamour magazine at the 92Y called "secrets of start-up queens." the panel is moderated by glamour editor cindi leive and features iman, dylan lauren, coco rocha and more. tickets are still on sale if you're interested, check it out!

Hitting the Wall

motivation. it can be a challenge, especially when you're self-employed and deeming yourself to be an entrepreneur. when you work alone, you are responsible for your accounts. for your daily pay. for doing all the work, whether it's creative and brainstorming out-of-the-box ideas for clients, or administrative and having to file paperwork, draft contracts and pay taxes. but don't get me wrong, there are certainly perks to working for myself. i can determine my own hours. have lunch dates with friends. but this all comes at a compromise. some days, i might start work at 9am and wrap by 3pm only to put in a few more hours later in the night. but after taking this leap of no longer being in the corporate world, i can't imagine myself going back. to be an entrepreneur, you have to be a hustler (or according to beyonce ladies, a diva!). i haven't worked for a company in more than a year, and while it's been challenging at times, it's been extremely fulfilling knowing i'm making my own way.

but back to that word, motivation. i've been lacking it for several weeks lately. i can't explain why i've hit this slump, but i've been looking for a catalyst to re-ignite my fire. i mostly find a way to get over the hump by watching entrepreneur stories on bloomberg tv, or watching an episode of shark tank on abc. and since i got my first nyc library card, i've been borrowing tons of books, and one of my current reads is "the brand within" by daymond john (oh yeah, he's an investor on shark tank, one of my favorite shows!).

plus with the recent move, i've been extremely distracted, but i feel like i'm finally getting back on track. and another project i had to put on the side that i need to move back to the top of my list is my drinkware line. i was lucky enough to get some pro bono advice from a legal team, and as i needed some updates from them before i could proceed, i was distracted for a few weeks with work, travel planning and apartment hunting. i'm seeking out the motivation, and writing this blog is also helping. i want to share my experiences, and let you know that you may not wake up every day singing and skipping along just because you're calling the shots.

we would all be so lucky to have a job that we love (or as many of us have heard, a job you'd love so much, you'd do it for free!). i'm hoping that my drinkware will help me achieve that goal, and sure, i can continue putting it off more, but then i remember that the sooner i work to achieve my goals, the sooner i can actually obtain them and really start living the life i've always envisioned for myself.

are you living the life you want? if not, are you doing anything to change that? it's never too late to change your fate!

Haven't Even Begun

i'm beyond stoked to have started this blog, and more than anything, i really wanted to have a tag line that i felt encompassed my perspective on life. it's actually taken from a quote from one of my all-time favorite tv shows, buffy, the vampire slayer. the full quote goes as follows:

"you think you know. what you are, what's to come ... you haven't even begun."

i remember hearing this quote years ago and it has stuck with me ever since. i think anyone and everyone can relate to this phrase. it's impossible to really know who we are or what's in store for our future. even if you discover your dream job, you never know how far it might take you. in fact, dream job #1 could always lead you to dream job #2. take rachel zoe for example. she loves fashion and made a career of being a celebrity stylist from her passion. but she didn't stop there. she's gone on to build a career as a clothing designer. you see what i'm saying?

image credit: rachel zoe

don't pigeon hole yourself, or think just because you scored that sweet office job that your journey has ended. i always knew i wanted to live in nyc, and at the age of 23, i moved to the city with dreams of working in publishing. i had no idea that i would achieve my goal and more. during the course of my 7.5 years here, i've held great positions at hearst magazines, bauer publishing, harpercollins publishers and some major pr agencies (my last "desk job" consisted of working events for victoria's secret and heidi klum's halloween party).

sure, i could have continued on my path of job-hopping, but i also had dreams of being self-employed. in february 2012, i did just that, and am now working to launch another business. so keep coming back to see what else is in the works, because as much as i've done so far, in many ways, i haven't even begun.

Fab.com is Indeed Fab

as noted in my first post, i'm on a serial entrepreneur journey. a bonus to living in nyc is that i regularly meet other entrepreneurs making their way as well. my one friend has a roasted chickpea business, and has successfully sold her line of products on fab.com. last week she was invited to attend a networking event at their office, and she brought me along as her +1. let's just say that fab.com has found a new fan in me. i enjoyed a nice glass of wine and met some really awesome people, like one guy who brews cold coffee in brooklyn. but the major bonus was that i got a chance to speak with the tabletop team. i discussed the concept of my glasses and showed them early pics of my samples. overall, feedback was very positive! i'm very much looking forward to staying in touch and working with them once my collection launches this year. oh, and i forgot to mention how cool the fab.com office is. i've included some images below. who wouldn't be excited to come to work everyday with decor like this?