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Post by Joy Chudacoff:
Smart Women Serve It Up The Right Way
Written on April 6th, 2010 | 0 CommentsHave you ever heard the phrase opposites attract? This can be true of my husband Greg and I when we go out for dinner together. I like fine dining with beautiful menus, fine wine and those heavy linen napkins. Greg prefers more casual dining where someone takes your order or you place your order at the counter and sit wherever you can find a spot. We both enjoy two different kinds of experiences. This got me thinking about how Smart Women need to offer their ideal client what they want and prefer if they have a desire to grow their business. Full Article
Smart Women Entrepreneurs Can Learn a Lot from the Olympics
Written on March 19th, 2010 | 0 CommentsOver the past few weeks, I’ve enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics with my family. I find the Winter Olympic Sports exciting and I’m in awe of the skill and determination of the athletes. As I watched the closing ceremonies and listened to interviews with those athletes who were taking home the “gold,” I was reminded how Smart Women entrepreneurs could learn a lot from Olympic athletes. Full Article
Smart Women Have a Marketing Mantra
Written on March 12th, 2010 | 0 CommentsI recently attended a conference for women business owners and ran into a woman I had not seen for some time. She looked a little unhappy when I approached her. I asked her if everything was going well and she shared with me that she had just lost a big client. In fact, this big client was more than 50% of her business. Wow! I’d be upset too. She was in the process of figuring out what to do next to rebuild her business back to a successful place. As we talked, I started thinking about the “golden” rule in business for Smart Women: Always have a marketing “mantra.” Full Article
Smart Women and the Race Against Time
Written on March 5th, 2010 | 0 CommentsOver the last few days, I’ve spent some time with women entrepreneurs who are all having the same challenge—the race against time or “time management.” Whether you are an attorney, a fitness professional or a business coach, time is the like the elusive lover—you can never get enough! Here are a few comments I heard over the last few days: Full Article
Smart Women Entrepreneurs, Solids, and Fluids
Written on February 26th, 2010 | 0 CommentsA few weeks ago, our family took a trip to the California Science Center for their “family lab day.” It was a fun and educational experience. There was one experiment that had to do with the difference between solids and fluids, and it got me thinking about Smart Women entrepreneurs and their businesses. Does your business need to be solid or fluid? Actually, both. Full Article
Smart Women Give Their Clients an Experience
Written on February 5th, 2010 | 0 CommentsLast week, my husband Greg and I went mobile phone shopping. I had one of those flip phones that allows you to make phone calls and that’s about it. I couldn’t email anyone or look up anything on the web. I really needed a better way to stay connected! Full Article
Smart Women Share Their Pearls….
Written on January 26th, 2010 | 0 CommentsOne of the birthday “traditions” in our family is when a member gets to a certain age, they share one “pearl of wisdom” for each decade they have lived. Full Article
What Smart Women Learn in the Recovery Room
Written on January 8th, 2010 | 0 CommentsA few weeks ago, I had surgery to remove one of my healthy kidneys in order to donate that kidney to my husband Greg, whose kidney was failing, so that he would enjoy a more vital, healthy life. On December 1, we both were admitted to UCLA Medical Center. Everything went well regarding the surgery, however, when I woke up in the recovery room later that day and became aware of my surroundings, I felt restrained and an overall feeling of loss of control. As the hours went by (and the pain meds began to wear off!) I realized there were 4 “obstacles” that I needed to overcome in my journey to again feel in control of my life. The 4 “obstacles” were: forced oxygen, a catheter, an IV in my arm, and being strong enough to stand up and walk without assistance. This got me thinking about how Smart Women need to overcome the “obstacles” in their lives in order for them to be in control of their destiny. Full Article
Smart Women Can Learn a Lot About Business from a 3rd Grader
Written on December 21st, 2009 | 0 CommentsRecently my son Jack, who’s in 3rd grade, had to do a book report and I spent some time guiding him through the process. His teacher had asked the report to consist of 6 elements: Title, Setting, Main Characters, Plot, Problem, and Solution. This got me thinking about how Smart Women could use this exercise to create a clear and focused plan for their business and entrepreneurial dreams. Full Article
Smart Women Trim the Layers of Their Lives
Written on December 11th, 2009 | 0 CommentsYesterday, we had tree-trimmers here at our house to clean up the trees that were overgrown and also to make room for new growth in the future. We live in a house that is very light and bright, however I was surprised this morning when I discovered how much more light and clarity of vision we have now that we’ve peeled back the layers of debris and overgrowth. Today, I have views of nature and blue sky that were not visible to me yesterday. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know the importance of trimming back the layers of their lives so that they can keep their vision clear and focused on what’s most important. Full Article
Smart Women Love, Give……and Have Fears
Written on November 30th, 2009 | 0 CommentsThis morning, as I sit here at my desk looking out the window at a beautiful, sunny fall day, I’m a bit at a loss on how to begin this article. This article isn’t any different from the others I share with you each week. As usual, it’s about my own life and the reflections that I believe are helpful to other Smart Women. This article is about loving deeply, giving gifts and feeling fear along the way. Sounds like something all women deal with—yes? Full Article
Smart Women, Halloween and Attracting Your Ideal Client
Written on November 17th, 2009 | 0 CommentsLast weekend, we took our kids trick or treating in our neighborhood and it was exciting. I enjoyed watching Jack and Jenna’s faces light up when they saw a friend from school or someone dressed as their favorite character. One observation from the evening that intrigued me was watching which houses the children gravitated to most often. The houses that were adorned with lights, decorations and an irresistible “come visit me” feeling were the ones the children ran to first. They would actually skip over homes that had little or no “invitation.” They would stand in long lines at homes that had that welcome feeling, waiting for one piece of candy rather than use that time to visit two or three homes that had less of a welcome presence. This got me thinking about how Smart Women entrepreneurs could learn a lot from Halloween when it comes to attracting their ideal client. Full Article
Smart Women and the Movie Up
Written on November 3rd, 2009 | 0 CommentsA few days ago, our family went to see the movie “Up.” We laughed at a lot–especially at how silly we all looked in our 3D glasses! In the movie, the character Ellie was both adventurous and feisty. Ellie had a wild imagination and Carl (her young friend who later became her husband) found her enchanting and fell in love with her. After their marriage, Ellie created a very special “Adventure Book” and inside she had written, “Stuff I’m going to do.” This got me thinking about why Smart Women should have their own special adventure books and make plans and set goals around the “stuff they are going to do.” Full Article
Smart Women, Dorothy, and the Yellow Brick Road
Written on November 3rd, 2009 | 0 CommentsA few days ago, I was watching “The Wizard of Oz” with my 7-year-old daughter Jenna, and at one point she asked a question; “Mommy do you think that Dorothy and her friends will ever get to the Wizard of Oz”? My reply? “Yes, Jenna, I think they will get there. They have a lot of challenges along the way, but I feel certain they will make it.” Smart Women know that sometimes the road (whether it’s Yellow, brick, or a path less traveled) to getting what you truly want in life is not paved in an easy to follow straight line. Full Article
Smart Women Find Their Flow
Written on November 3rd, 2009 | 0 CommentsYesterday, when I picked my daughter Jenna up from tennis camp, she rushed over and handed me her uneaten snack and her nearly full water bottle, with a big smile on her face. I was surprised she hadn’t eaten her snack (after all, Goldfish is her favorite) and I couldn’t imagine her not drinking a gallon of water on this hot summer day! When I asked her about it, she exclaimed, “Mommy, I was having so much fun playing tennis I forgot to eat or drink!” Jenna was doing something that energized her. She found an activity that caused her to forget about everything. She was in her “flow.” This got me thinking about how Smart Women find their “flow” and live energetic, passionate lives. Full Article
Smart Women Live A Proactive Life
Written on October 26th, 2009 | 0 CommentsYesterday, as I was on my way to pick up my kids from school, it occurred to me that I was feeling exhausted—I mean really tired. As I made a mental scan of my day, I realized that I had been in a “reactive” mode most of the day rather than a “proactive” mode. We do need to react to situations that occur in our lives as best we can at that moment, however, Smart Women know that living a “proactive” life where you plan, prepare, and practice conscious living is clearly more rewarding. Full Article
Smart Women Have “Personal” Power
Written on October 13th, 2009 | 0 CommentsDo you have “personal” power? I’m not referring to the power that comes from material wealth or the ability to control people and situations. I’m referring to the kind of power that comes from within—the power that is authentic only to you. Women with “personal” power are secure in their own self-confidence and self-esteem. They are at peace with who they are at their core and they encourage others to be more of who they are. Women with “personal” power encourage others to show up in the world exactly as they are. Full Article
Smart Women, Subways and Asking
Written on September 18th, 2009 | 0 CommentsRecently, our family took a trip to the “Big Apple” where we met up with my parents for a special vacation. It was lots of fun and we created a memorable experience. When traveling to a new city, it’s exciting to think about all of the sights and adventures that you will experience. Knowing what you want to do is never a problem. The challenge is getting to where you want to go without getting lost. On our trip, we found ourselves making sure that we left the hotel with not one but two maps–one for the subway and one for the city. I laughed one afternoon as I looked around our hotel room. We had several maps lying around. It’s clear that we were afraid of getting lost! One of the great benefits of the trip was the people of NY. The locals were happy to help us when we lost our way. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know the value of getting good direction in their lives. Full Article
Smart Women Celebrate Their Independence
Written on September 4th, 2009 | 0 CommentsA few days each week I exercise with a few Smart Women in a park near my home that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It’s a beautiful setting that lends itself to taking your mind off the muscle pain and exhaustion from the workout! We are surrounded by magnificent sycamore and oak trees that stand strong and tall. The trees were planted and spaced apart in a very methodical way; however over time, they grew into their own independent and unique natural form with branches and limbs flowing in many different directions. This got me thinking about how Smart Women have the opportunity to stand tall and strong. You are independently unique from every other living thing on the planet; but are you making decisions and choices that reflect the independent you? Full Article
Smart Women Need a “Lighthouse”
Written on August 22nd, 2009 | 0 CommentsA few weeks ago, my sister Rene and I had the opportunity to visit our Mom in Florida. It was a “girl’s getaway” filled with shopping, going to the beach, tasty food, wine and great conversation. Every morning we had a ritual of getting up, grabbing our coffee and heading out to the beach for a walk. On the first morning, I noticed a large, magnificent lighthouse that stood in the distance. Whether it was a bright sunny day or one surrounded by dark, gloomy clouds, the lighthouse was performing its job. In the top of the tower, you could see the bright light on a continuous turning cycle, reminding those at sea that a safe harbor and guiding light is close by if you need one. If you look the word lighthouse up in the dictionary, it’s a “tower or structure displaying a very bright light for the guidance of ships to help avoid dangerous areas.” This got me thinking about how Smart Women always need a lighthouse in their lives. Full Article
