How Fundraising Can All Come Down to Lemonade
I wrote today’s blog post for 261Fearless New York City Marathoners and San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon Team 261 Fearless Runners about fundraising ideas to fund their charity bibs (we still have some if you want to join our team) Besides sharing it with them, I hope it inspires any viewers of this blog to get an idea for their own fundraising needs just substitute “261Fearless” with your name. It’s still Wednesday and that means “Wisdom” sharing.
I was driving down a country road and all of a sudden I see two nine year old girls sitting in a driveway with a card table and sign about Lemonade and Brownies. Never being a woman to pass up supporting young girls the way older women supported me when I was their age; I stopped and approached their table. I said, “How exciting you are here today because I was just driving by really thirsty and saw your great lemonade for sale. Can I buy some?” Their smiles lit up as they said, “Sure, let us pour you a cup.”
In my typically girl and women empowerment fashion I said to them, “Wow this is really great. I have been selling things like lemonade since I was your age and now I own my own business. Maybe one day you will own your own business,” they looked at me in bewilderment and said, “Okay?” As if that wasn’t enough to confuse them I said one last thing with a fist pump in the air, “Support your girlfriends by buying from them too. Let’s Go Girls!”
So what does my wild female spirit and this story about trying to inspire two innocent girls just trying to make some money have to do with you? Well it’s about convincing you of your own festive fundraising abilities and using it to motivate others to fund your New York City Marathon dreams.
Here are the lessons from the lemonade stand to inspire your fundraising the ‘old fashion’ way:
Secure Your Own Table – Does your community have an upcoming running event where you could sit and take the same risk as these girls and sell something for a donation to your marathon cause? There are countless fall sporting events, perhaps you are close to a local school, community organization or “holiday” showcase where you could promote your event and collect money. Ask around!
Become a Hostess and Create Your Own Neighborhood Event – Women who sell Tupperware, Pampered Chef and Princess House host house parties where they invite their friends and family to stop by for a drink, snacks and listen to a presentation about what the hostess is selling. Why can’t you do that for your own 261 Fearless sales efforts? Invite 5-15 girlfriends, relatives and business associates to your house for a “Fearless Fall Soiree” and theme it up with purple, maroon and white (261 Fearless brand colors), share stories about Kathrine, show a globe of where 261 Fearless has clubs, have 261 signs around the room, be as creative as you want to get and then grab their attention by talking about why you are running and how you need their support. I am positive you will get financial commitments just like hostesses at these other parties get gifts.
Ask for Sponsorship Support of Your Neighborhood Event – If the lemonade girls were my next door neighbors and asked me to “sponsor” their lemonade soiree, I would have! I would have given them $50+ to pay for the lemonade, brownies and sign. I would ask they put my pink Women TIES business card at their table to hand out (hey you never know if their mom owns a business!).
How do you find a sponsor for your party? Think about other women you know who are in business and sell something – insurance, Pampered Chef, Avon – and ask them to sponsor your party. You promote their company when you promote yours and then give them a table at your house party and a chance to address the audience. Their monetary investment in your house party goes towards your 261 Fearless New York City Marathon totals.
You might think these are silly ideas to consider but if I know two things for sure, women love events and women love supporting other women. Put your creative running cap or headband on and start dreaming up some simple, cool, creative “adult lemonade” event and invite women (and men if you want) to your house party. Wow them with your fearless, fun, and festive spirit and then collect those fundraising dollars.
Working Towards A Common Goal
Wednesday Wisdom, inspiration and advice for women entrepreneurs and small business owners
Working together towards a common goal is not often the declaration seen posted at the top of someone’s New Year’s resolution. We tend to be individuals moving down our own lane to the beat of our own drum towards a personal objective. In fact, you don’t think of the phrase unless it arises from an elementary school memory when a teacher said, “let’s work together” or a coach of a sports team said, “if we work together we can win this game!” I’m pretty sure we would hear it if we were volunteers in Houston this week working on rescuing families from the flood waters.
For the most part we were taught to work towards a common goal as a well-mannered cooperative individual, but life “happens” and common goals fall apart in times of distress, divorce, death and illness. As seem in the Houston crisis, not only did the water rise to immeasurable counts , but really good people rose up to assist others. Why then when the flood waters recede and the turmoil dissipates do we forget working together is a beautiful goal?
When women consider creating a business they are instructed to conduct market research to discover all they can about their competition. From the beginning the word competition produces a feeling of antagonism and sets us in turmoil with others in our industry. As the new business owner matures, she discovers not all competitors are stingy or ruthless; and finding the right competitors with a similar personality and perspective in business creates productive relationships.
When Onondaga Community College‘s eighth president Dr. Casey Crabill took over the reins of the higher institution in Syracuse, she immediately sought collaboration with education and business partners proving that higher education institutions must collaborate to be successful in their region. Dr. Crabill was invited to take our “P.O.W.E.R.” event theme of collaboration between women owned businesses and inspire women to work together more often to be successful individually and collectively.
Today’s Wednesday Wisdom should inspire you to construct a list of top business competitors in your local area, regionally and statewide. Write down as much information as you can about each one, recall what others have said doing business with them, and the similarities and differences between your entities. Also mull over ways to partner with certain competitors to make your industry more influential, bigger, broader or innovative so your businesses are working towards a common goal. If that seems hard to perceive, come and listen to Dr. Crabill yourself and be inspired by what made her successful in these areas.
It shouldn’t take a crisis, new calendar year or unexpected occurrence to think about working with others towards a common goal that benefits everyone. Imagine what Houston would be like at this moment and how many people’s lives would have been lost if people weren’t working there towards a common goal? We can also make our business community stronger by working together towards a common goal.
Marketing Monday: Signs, Signs, Signs
Business and marketing tips for Women Entrepreneurs, Marketing Motivation, Monday Motivation
The lights were blinking and bubbles were floating over my head. The twirling ice cream cone on the corner of another building caught my eye. The chalk drawn food specials listing alligator bites and lobster macaroni-n-cheese were at my feet. Signs, signs, signs where everywhere. I probably missed a thousand of them. No I was not in a middle of a deep dream with a hungry stomach; I was at the New York State Fair.
I am not writing this Marketing Monday post to activate your saliva glands but to highlight, without bubbles popping out of your computer screen, that signs are a cool way to let people know what you are selling, doing or offering. I’m not sure what type of marketing signs you use to promote your business at an event or in public, but think about the opportunity you are missing if you aren’t “advertising” your company in the place your customers might be.
During the 2017 Boston Marathon Weekend, I had the duty of carrying an exact replica of 261 Fearless Founder Kathrine Switzer , an icon in the running world, with me to a couple venues. Since Kathrine garners a lot of attention in real life, I can attest to Kathrine garnering attention as a cardboard image too. I was stopped many times to have Kathrine’s photo taken (not mine) for people who recognized her. I jokingly said, “People love flat Kathrine more than they like, fat Tracy carrying her!” It was the truth I had to walk away from the image so others could get their photo taken with her or I had to hand over flat Kathrine so I could take a photo of Kathrine with the admirer.
So imagine what a life size cardboard cutout of YOU to garner attention for your business while you are talking or selling to others? I know in Staples can produce large cut out signs for little money. Signs can be ordered online too quite inexpensively. Why not host a creative meeting with your team to dream up a perfect sign, if you don’t want a life size image of yourself, to get printed to bring to upcoming events?
All I’m saying is sometimes businesses, people, and opportunities need some help with promotion so why not spend money and get yourself a really cool sign Leave a signup sheet or have a place to collect business cards or names?
P.S. Bubble machines aren’t that expensive (a tip from a 30 year event planner!)
Wednesday Wisdom: What is Power?
Inspiration and wisdom for women entrepreneurs
The Syracuse Post Standard sports section had its typical headlines about local teams getting ready for their upcoming season and scores from Major League baseball games. You would have thought it was the same ole sports section until the corporate headshot of a beautiful woman with long blonde hair struck your attention. I knew the face. It was someone my oldest son had come to love because she was the mother of one of his best basketball buddies since junior high school. The article spoke about this woman’s kindness which was reminiscent of the characteristics my son often spoke of about her.
The headlines of the article next to her photo said, “Heart of men’s program dies at 53.” The article spoke about Kelly Seubert, Syracuse University Basketball Head Coach Jim Boeheim’s administrative assistant for 13 years who passed away Friday from cancer. My son told me she was home on hospice in May. I worried about her four sons, the oldest one being my son’s friend. All the article spoke about was how caring and kind she was to the basketball team and the staff. She was adored by many.
When I was thinking about the Women TIES upcoming event called “POWER,” I wanted to write about the power women entrepreneurs have to create a successful business thinking it would be the typical reasons like money, connections, etc. but then I stopped when I remembered Kelly’s funeral is today. I thought of the type of power she displayed which was a gentle, warm, giving power.
We all have that same power within us. It is the power of allowing a customer to pay a late bill. The power of giving our staff time off because they have a personal crisis or giving more time to a client than their contract allows. It is the power of opening a door for someone and sharing a compliment. Power is making time for people who deserve it. Power is really how we handle ourselves in times of hardship and triumph with grace.
We don’t have to be nose-to-the-grindstone, workaholics to be seen as powerful. It isn’t who we know or what awards we receive. It comes down to how we treat the people around us who matter a lot or even a little in our daily personal and professional lives. Power can move people not with bank rolls or fancy cars but by simple gestures of kindness and respect combined with a beautiful smile.
Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is meant to have you think about what makes you “powerful” in a unique way in business. Is it your character, charm, talents, or skills? Is it the way you take care of people, treat others and act kindly whenever you can? Have you ever stopped to think about the influence that kind of power really has over your professional and personal destiny?
Today I am positive the church holding Kelly’s services will be full of an array of “powerful” people but they will be there to give thanks for knowing the kind of power this woman’s had. Remember to be powerful today in the way that counts most to others.
Solar Eclipse Marketing Ideas for the Average Entrepreneur
Eclipsing (and equipping) You with Marketing Tips on This Solar Eclipse Day
If you are waking up today in the USA anywhere along the solar eclipse line from Madras, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina, you probably have many new viewers in your area awaiting the special 2 minutes of this century moment. You might also be asking yourself, “What is a marketing girl to do with this extraordinary event to help my business?”
You know the basics, don’t look at the sun unless you have on special glasses, realize the temperature might drop when the sun is totally eclipsed, turn on your headlights if you are driving and don’t take a photo of it either. But as marketing professional, I hope you are “looking” at this special occasion as a way to market your organization since everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and searching for cool “Solar Eclipse” ideas and events.
Here is what I suggest you do today:
1. Jump on the marketing bandwagon for sure and use popular trending hashtags in Twitter or posts on your Facebook page to promote your business, services or products. Don’t be shy. The moon isn’t going to be shy about hiding the sun for a couple minutes of our viewing time today. Create a “Join Now Solar Eclipse Special” for example.
2. If there was ever a day to be brazen about asking for something out-of-the-ordinary that will change your business or life, today is the day to do it. The “sun and moon” are lined up perfectly for you to take a chance at something big. Don’t let this once in a century day pass you by. Think of someone or a company you want involved in your business or career and ask them today!
3. Tweet! I checked out Twitter for you to find #SolarEclipse2017 and #EclipseDay are trending as popular twitter handles and that’s important to know because you can create some cool statements about how the Solar Eclipse will affect your business, services or products today and share it with the globe. Everyone interested in these hashtags will be viewing the lists of tweets all day long. Shouldn’t your organization with a website listed in it be in a tweet? I think so.
Here are examples of some possible tweets:
Women entrepreneurs got their early morning runs in not knowing what will happen if they run during the #EclipseDay.
I’m not afraid of my part of the country going dark, we always shine a light on women business owners. www.womenties.com
Join Women TIES today and mention the #SolarEclipse2017 – win 3 months free membership. womenties.com/join.cfm
You get the point. You want to use the hashtags in your short statements to get your message and website listed so others might click on your tweet and like it, share it or start following you. Make sure you limit your tweets to the right length. If you have the character space to do it, mention your city with a hashtag too.
I will be in my office all day long – even during eclipse hours – making sure I’m tweeting and hash tagging away. Reach out to me if you need some creative help with your marketing today. Remember you can be fun in business. People will notice. I promise you won’t be “eclipsed” by any humor you use too!
See Pink. Live Pink. Buy Pink.
Inspiration, wisdom and advice for women, females, young college female graduates, women entrepreneurs
Many people who follow my writing know that I speak on many subjects but all of them related to women in one way or the other. My reaction to any news story, confidential personal conversations, sports coverage, political narratives or business affairs have everything to do with taking the stance of what is happening to the women in the midst of the story. People comment on my need to wear pink glasses but it is because I only can and do see the world in pink with a female perspective, view or opinion in my heart, mind and lips.
A couple women I love shared a few poignant stories with me this week I want to share with you because of my view of these two scenarios with my “pink” glasses on:
* My sister who is pushing for legislation for fair rent in a major city in the Northeast, since most of the community members can’t afford housing in the city now that economic development has taken over their city improving it while raising rents, is now a single mother searching for affordable housing in the city and can’t find it. One reason is because she has children. If she was a man with two young kids would this happen to him? Would he be able to afford nicer housing because he gets paid more than she does due to pay inequality?
* One of my childhood friends is struggling with a boss who drops the “F-Bomb” frequently because of disappointment of her sales numbers although she is doing all she can to sell in a down economy. When she finally secures a good account, he takes it away from her and gives it to someone else. She is being tenacious at trying to keep her job because her husband is out of work and she has two sons in college. She “has” to put up with the abuse in work because she can’t lose the insurance or income. Would this male boss drop the “F-Bomb” to a male employee? Would he threaten a male employee the way he is threatening her? In a world of he-says-she-says, she feels she will be fired and without recourse to take this problem higher up in the company because her boss has been there for 10 years. Do you see inequality in this scenario?
When I was preparing to take 110 women to the Women’s March on Washington in January 2017, I had 50 random phone calls from women all over the country, like my sister and friend, sharing the same stories of inequality in their life. Besides giving advice, all I can do is remain a feminist and activist for positive change for women today….. and my sisters and nieces to follow.
I ask you to “See Pink. Live Pink. Buy Pink.” and do what you can to help with equality for women in all aspects of life today and tomorrow.
The POWER of Collaboration
Inspiration, advice and Wednesday Wisdom for women entrepreneurs, female business owners, small businesses
After a beautiful event in the Mohawk Valley two Women TIES members sat down with me asking me when I was hosting the 8th Annual “Inspiring Success: The Women TIES Retreat.” I told them I was not sure if I could host it this year because my Boston Marathon training had taken me away from my business when I needed to be raising sponsorship funds for the event. With heavy hearts, they said they understood but wished I would reconsider.
Serendipity struck a couple weeks after that event when two of my local business friends approached me about their interest in hosting a meeting with all the female leaders of Syracuse’s women’s entrepreneurial groups to discuss the mission of each organization and to work on collaboration between the organizations. Because I have been a local pioneer supporting female entrepreneurs since 1995, I told them I would think about their intent and try to come up with some ideas for a gathering.
As I reminisced the pleas of my members to continue producing the Retreat and the desire of these two women to bring together CNY women in a more collaborative nature, I proposed the idea of P.O.W.E.R.” as a twist off the Retreat for one year to aid the women who had spoken to me.
P.O.W.E.R. stands for “Powerful. Optimistic. Women. Entrepreneurs. Retreat.” Together my two event partners Gwen Webber-McLeod and Laura Serway and I would bring together the women in leadership roles in the Central New York business market and their members to this event so we could all really get to know each other and be inspired together to making our region the most collaborative one for women entrepreneurs.
Since Women TIES is unique in its New York State and regional mission, I reminded my girlfriends any woman in any region around New York would be invited to join us. I have members from Albany to Rochester, Oswego to Binghamton and the Mohawk Valley to the Finger Lakes. I want them to know they were invited to attend because I believe regional women should be doing business together.
Serendipity struck again when the business card of someone in Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul‘s office and Juanita Perez Williams, who is a democratic woman running for Syracuse Mayor, both offered to ask Lt. Governor Hochul to speak at the event for me. How fortunate was I to be blessed with two new contacts to make that connection happen?
Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to remind you that women are collaborative in nature. Just when you might not know where to turn to get an answer to a problem, sponsor for an event, special guest appearance, partners, and marketing exposure, you get it. You get it because you are use to doing the same for other women. Women love collaboration.
We also need women to rise up and continue to make this world – and our business world – a better place to live and work in. I think the best place to start is on September 27th in beautiful Skaneateles, New York. Will you be there with us?
Business wisdom and success strategies for women entrepreneurs, female business owners, small businesses
Success strategies can linger in one’s mind no matter who shares the information with you. Last week I obtained some valuable business advice from a small group of women entrepreneurs from around New York State who attended a special speed networking event. The event was not just focused on a short strong pitch but sharing insight, wisdom and information to others. On this Monday Motivation day, I thought I’d share some of the advice with you.
* Make follow-up phone calls within 7 days of meeting someone new to discuss collaborative projects, cross promotion or to buy and sell to each other. Follow-up is key to successful outcomes in sales.
* Research “HootSuite” to set up your social media marketing posts to go out during prime viewer time.
* Thank written notes with lottery tickets inside them are a great way to thank customers.
* Know your brand so well you can communicate it anytime you meet someone. If we don’t understand our brand, no one else will.
* Always, always ask happy customers for referrals. Set up a system to follow-up with content clients to seek the referrals.
* For service businesses, ask for a $500 retainer before you start work on any projects.
* To communicate well with clients, ask them the best way to stay in touch – text? Email? Phone?
* Give some of your corporate free services to your best customers to thank them once a year.
* You must talk “pricing” to make a decision if customers are right for you, and you for them.
I hope these pieces of advice motivate you on this new Monday morning. Feel free to share some of your best ideas with me on this post.
Setting Increments in Hitting Big Business or Running Goals
Inspiration and wisdom for women entrepreneurs and female runners
Yesterday as I spoke to a room full of women entrepreneurs at business events produced by Women TIES, someone asked me how I was able to run in the 2017 Boston Marathon having only been a 2 to 3 mile for the past two decades. It was a great question and one I asked myself as I contemplated running in Boston with Team 261 Fearless and Kathrine Switzer. It wasn’t possible to just believe I could do it, I had to “put in the miles” as past marathoners told me.
Just like a female business owner can’t go from bringing in $20,000 in sales one year to $1,000,000 the next without plans, setting goals and putting in the work, either can women attempting to run their first long race like a marathon. Running a business can be like running in a big race because you need these elements:
* A training plan (aka business plan)
* Dedication to putting in long hours and hard work
* Belief in yourself and desire to achieve the big goal
* Support from others (a running coach or business coach)
* Family support
Before you know it, you’ll be crossing your own “finish line” whatever that is for you. Believe me – you can do it! Today I created a video to share my answers to yesterday’s event questions. I hope it helps you in business or running today!
P.S. If by chance you are a female, why not come run with me and female running icon Kathrine Switzer and Team 261Fearless in Humana RocknRoll San Antonio Marathon on December 2-3, 2017 as a charity bib runner! We want a BIG team in San Antonio! Here’s the link to apply for a bib: http://www.261fearless.org/news/l/261-fearless-named-official-charity-of-humana-rock-n-roll-chicago-half-marathon-humana-rock-n/.
Business wisdom and inspiration for women entrepreneurs and female business owners
Sitting sipping coffee as the morning rays touched my skin flashed me back to a summer memory in Sylvan Beach during my high school years. My Aunt who loved investing in real estate would purchase homes along Oneida Lake and use the man power of my cousin and his friends to fix up the houses so they could be flipped. I remember having coffee with my Aunt during that summer as we spoke about her business.
My aunt was a true entrepreneur in the sense she took risks in business. She began her career without a college education because she was a daughter of an Italian man who arrived from Italy in his youth. Women in his mind did not work; they stayed home and took care of the extended family. My aunt married a man who became a doctor and started finding ways to invest their extra income into real estate deals while living in half of my grandparent’s large house.
Soon her interests moved into owning restaurants which became the places I started my food service career bartending, hostessing and waitressing. She flipped restaurants too. An investment was an opportunity to make money not a business to hold onto forever. Many women entrepreneurs consider their businesses like children or an extension of themselves never being able to see it with clarity when the time is right to part with it or jump into another venture.
There are many ways to make money in business. There are also many opportunities in life to make money and have professional careers. As I sipped my coffee in the sunlight, I wondered how many women stick with the same enterprise forever because they can’t part with the extension of themselves. I always appreciated my aunt’s ability to challenge herself, be successful and then move on to the next adventure.
Today’s wisdom is for you to contemplate your “business style” during this beautiful summer, peaceful day. Here are a few questions to ask, “Am I excited about my business now as I was when I started it. If not, why?” “Am I making enough money to make this one venture my only venture or do I have room to add secondary income or a second business?” “What moves me now that 5, 10 or 20 years have passed since becoming an entrepreneur?” and finally “How else can I make money and still follow my passion?”
Women TIES 