Mommy Monday:: Early Lingo, Inc. and Certified Tax Coach

Because of some mis-communication, we have two wonderful Mommy Monday businesses to share with you today!

Caryn Antonini is the mom-founder of Early Lingo, Inc. The company offers animated and live-action videos to teach a child (ages 6 months to 6 years) the basic foundation of a foreign language. The company launched in January, 2011.

The first six DVDs of the series are available in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Mandarin Chinese, with more languages and titles to follow in 2012. This past holiday season, a six DVD box set in all languages was released and has proven very popular.

When businesses are new, they require a lot of time and energy. “Given that I have a new start-up, balancing work and family can often be a challenge!” Antonini said. “I feel like I’m always “working” though I do create balance by making time for myself and sticking to it. I do the same for the time I spend with my two-year-old and my husband. When I’m with them I’m completely present. With another baby on the way, this is very important!”

She encourages other mom entrepreneurs to ask for help when they need it.  “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and make sure you get what you need, whether it be free time, help, or even emotional support,” she said.

Marketing strategies used for Early Lingo, Inc. include social media, advertising, PR and tradeshows. You can find Antonini’s business online at her website, and on Facebook and Twitter.

We’re also featuring Dominique Molina, mom and owner of Certified Tax Coach, today. She started her business in February, 2009 and since then, the business has grown to 200 members across the country.

Certified Tax Coach provides professional designation for tax planning specialists including education and support services and connecting small business owners with this network so they can pay less tax through proactive planning!

Molina admits that balancing work with family is a juggling act! “I use as much “found time” as possible ie: folding laundry while I’m waiting at sports practice, taking conference calls in the parking lot waiting for school pickup, and meticulous scheduling,” she said.

Her advice to other mom business owners is to be present. “It doesn’t matter if you are physically there with your child, if your mind is thinking of all the million things you need to get done between work and home, the time is not quality,” Molina said. “I use meditation to “reset” my day when my brain has taken off and I need to be present with my family.”

To market her business, Molina most often uses media and PR along with strategic partnerships with accounting professional organizations and networking to grow her business.

 

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Mother’s Day Tribute & Giveaway

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to highlight some awesome mom entrepreneurs! Check out these fabulous women and their great businesses, then be sure to enter our giveaway below! We’ll be giving one lucky momma a $100 Amazon card! AND, Mimi and Moi has graciously donated a beautiful 3-photo charm bracelet, valued at $115! Two awesome prizes and plenty of ways to enter!

Moms must have great tools and techniques to effectively manage a household and, as a Clever Container Consultant, Lisa Taylor is making it happen! Lisa dons scrubs by day and loads up Clever Containers by night, all while keeping her faith, her kids, and her husband her top priorities.

Home is where the heart is! If you must work, work from home.
Work with a Team of Moms. No Selling, No Inventory, No Parties, NO RISK!
Safe, Simple, and Solid Home Business. Have more time freedom and create financial security.

You can have the best of both worlds!

A gift that will keep on giving Mother’s Day and beyond!  Photo charm jewelry is very special due to the personalizing process. I get to know my customers a bit more, and the recipient forever has a cherished keepsake designed especially for her.

Good Luck!

The giveaway will end at midnight on May 14 and the winner will be chosen via random.org.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Judging the S.T.A.R. Mom Entrepreneur Awards

By Mindee Doney

Yes, it was an honor. 

Yes, it was fun.

Yes, I learned about some uber cool, fun products and services Moms had created.

And, Yes, I picked up some insight I can apply to my own business.

All good stuff but none of those things were the true reason I really enjoyed judging the Mommy Market S.T.A.R Entrepreneur awards.  Honestly, what inspired me above all else was the obvious, out loud passion driving hundreds of everyday Moms to say NO to housework and wiping butts all day and YES to living a full, beautiful life.  Life as an educated woman, business owner, wife, daughter, friend, sister and Mom. 

All 65 Mompreneur stories I read and websites I visited clearly came from a Mom who made a distinct choice  to make motherhood a part of her story but never the place where her life’s purpose starts or ends. Every woman was committed to her family and her children and also very committed to herself too.  It was remarkable and life changing for me to see story after story of courage, empowerment and confidence for these Moms who wanted to do more, be better and truly grab life by the tail.

In 1987 they made a box office hit movie about a Mom who dared to work!!!  My how things have changed!   Mompreneurs, Mommy Inventors, Mom-Owned….whatever it’s called,  the truth that us moms can do more and be more, is catching on like fire.  I will cheer and cheer for every moment a mom realizes she can be a present, awesome Mom and still pursue her desires in relationships, businesses, writing, creating, dreaming or just LIVING as the woman she was before her baby BOOM!

Congratulations again to Jessica at HopeFull for winning the competition with such a big heart, a solid business model and a fantastic brand.  Cheers to every Mom out there who does not settle for Motherhood alone when her heart and spirit craves for more.

Be Well, Peace Mamas…

Mindee Doney: Author, Inventor (Boogie Wipes®), Idea Consultant.Tired of chasing her kids runny noses, Mindee herself ran with an idea she had for a saline infused nose wipe she called a Boogie Wipe ®. In 2007, she partnered with Julie Pickens and by 2011 grew her concept, to $12 million in sales, with distribution to 50,000 retail locations in 8 countries. She managed all PR, marketing and branding herself and landed Boogie Wipes® on the Today Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutch, Good Morning America, in People Magazine, The NY Times and countless others. She is the author of Get your Own Juicebox – Confident Moms raising Capable Kids (May, 2012) and consults an exclusive group of start-ups through her company Juice Box Consulting.

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We’re Sponsoring a $250 Cash Giveaway with A Family Village!

Here at Market Mommy, we are excited to collaborate with A Family Village, to celebrate you or your Mom. We have teamed up with our closest 25 friends to bring you a fun cash giveaway!

One lucky winner will win $250 to be deposited directly into their PayPal account!! Awesome right?

This giveaway is sponsored by 25 incredible businesses and blogs – and you will love getting the chance to check them out.

To enter, you are required to simply follow each of the steps using the Rafflecopter form below! Also, go check out the fabulous business owners and bloggers involved in this event. Giveaway starts 4/22 at 12:01 am EST and ends 5/13/12 at 12:01am EST. Good Luck!

We Love our Readers, You deserve to win $250!

The cash giveaway is open to all worldwide (paid in US dollars) and will be paid directly into your PayPal account.

This giveaway is brought to you by:

Austin Couponing

Family Volley

Embracing Life, Love & Art

Danielle Elwood Dot Com

FoodieGems

Mentor Leadership Team

Sadie: The Paper Crown Princess

Keep it Complicated

R We There Yet Mom?

A String of Pearls

Kids Kitchen

Domestic Disturbia

365 Things To Do in Bastrop, TX.

A Star in My Own Universe

Little Boo Creations

TrackerSphere

Whit’s World

Pagette Callender Photography

Food Good, Laundry Bad

With Just a Bit of Magic

cafe mocha reflections

Young Work At Home Moms

Market Mommy

Non Mom

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

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Why Working on Your Phone May Not Improve Your Business

By Jill Salzman

Just how mobile are you during your workday?

You’ve seamlessly moved a lot of your work to your phone through apps. You can check and create notes in Evernote there. You can respond to business emails there.  You can interact on Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn using their apps. But I’ve started to realize this isn’t such a good idea for everyone in business.

We have kids to take places. We have mouths to feed. We are women on the go! So you feel obligated to turn your attention away from your home office and onto your mobile device. Big brands have been investing more and more into making our lives easier on the go. There’s an app for that, right? There’s an app of every kind now available to you to accomplish what you’d normally do at your desk. But at the end of the day, is it improving your work?

I ask because I recently talked to a social media guru who mentioned that he never, ever tweets on the go. I then heard from a marketing director that she refuses to use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on her phone because of the mistakes she’s made (been to DamnYouAutocorrect.com yet? It’s hilarious.) I’ve had the same experiences that they have.

When I reply to people via my iPhone, I tend to be much more blunt or brusque than I ever would from my desk chair. If I check my email at the gym, I tend to read people’s emails quicker and read emotion into their messages that’s just not there when I’m in my comfortable, familiar workspace. Every contribution I make on the go is ever so slightly more aggressive; it’s as though I’m trying to tell people, “Hurry it up! I’m on the go. Let’s get through this so that I don’t have to bother, people.” And honestly, I don’t mean that at all. 

For moms in business, it’s incredibly hard to stay on top of an inbox when you have to be in five places at once. And what with social media and those streams updating on a constant basis, there’s a desire to keep up with those streams while you’re at the playground or in the car waiting for your kid to get out of class. What’s not working, though, is the ability to think clearly without any external stress and interact with people to accomplish what you really need to accomplish: good, solid, and positive work. Just because we now have the ability to do everything via phone apps does not mean that it will improve work product. You can’t interact in the same way and as the recipient of many a harried email, I can tell you: we all know you’re in a rush. Slow it down.

While the Twitter addict in me may very well keep Hootsuite on my iPhone, I have recently stopped doing any other work on my phone. It’s too counterproductive. And I’m pretty sure that recipients of my communications are all the better for it.

How much time are you spending doing work on your phone?

Jill Salzman is currently growing her third entrepreneurial venture, The Founding Moms, the world’s first and only kid-friendly collective of monthly meetups for mom entrepreneurs.  A graduate of Brown University and law school, she started a music management firm and then a baby jewelry company before her current venture. Jill has been featured in national media outlets including People Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Daily Candy Kids, and WGN TV.  In her spare time, Jill enjoys kloofing, baking, and erasing her daughters’ crayon artwork from the kitchen walls.

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Business of the Week:: A New You is Waiting

By Pamela Howard

Are you a busy mom who focuses on everyone and everything but yourself?  Do you feel worn out? Overwhelmed?  Feel like life is passing you by and there HAS to be more to it?  Trust me, I know how you feel – I’ve been there and so have most of my clients!  Today’s culture expects women to be everything to everyone and since that’s just not possible, we end up feeling stressed out and unhappy which leads to unhealthy habits.

Let me help you make simple, meaningful changes that will improve your life!  As a Holistic Health Coach, I look at the whole picture of health and nutrition and work with each client individually to help them create the vibrant, healthy and happy life they deserve to live.   Right now, I’m offering a free one on one health consultation where we’ll spend almost an hour talking about your health, your life and your struggles, and how we can work together to make positive changes that will last!  Get ready to increase your energy, lose a little weight and feel fantastic about your life!

When was the last time you talked with someone about your health and received the personal attention you deserve? 

It’s rare for anyone to get an hour to work on their nutrition and goals with a trained professional. As a Health Coach, I create a supportive environment that will enable you to achieve all of your health goals. I have studied all the major dietary theories and use practical lifestyle coaching methods to guide you in discovering which approach works best for you.

Most approaches to nutrition dwell on calories, carbs, fats, proteins. Instead of creating lists of restrictions and good and bad foods, I coach my clients to create a happy, healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun and free of denial and discipline.

No one diet works for everyone. I will guide you to find the food and lifestyle choices that best support you. I will also help you to make gradual, lifelong changes that enable you to reach your current and future health goals.

Could one conversation change your life? We can work by phone, Skype or in person.  Schedule a free initial consultation with me today!

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Twitter Party This Thursday!

Pre-Release Twitter Party for new book “TheRoad to Redemption: Overcoming Life’s Roadblocks, Obstacles and Challenges”

Join us this Thursday, April 19th at 1pm ET for a #BeRedeemed pre-release book twitterparty focused on the new book “The Road to Redemption” set to be released May21st. We all have areas of our lifewhere we just need a little nudge in the right direction to get unstuck. We may feel like we hit the “sleep” button on our clock. Now is the time totake control of the life you really want to live. Come chat with us about how the Road to Redemption will show you how to get out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals.

Let’s get our tweet on!

§  Opportunityto chat with other bloggers to gain added inspiration.

§  Yourchance to ask your burning questions & discuss hot topics based aroundovercoming life’s roadblocks, detours and challenges.

§  Put atwist on your boring lunch & have lunch with yourtwitter-girlfriends…virtually!

Here are the details:

§  When: Thursday, 4/11/12, 1:00pm ET

§  What: Roadto Redemption Pre-Book Launch Twitter Party – {a virtual lunch date}

§  Where: OnTwitter!

§  Topic: Get out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals

§  Follow: @lucindaspeaks @heloenterprises @marketmommy #BeRedeemed

Give-a-ways:

§  3 random participants will receive the Roadto Redemption ebook versions

§  2 runner ups will receive a pre-order of theRoad to Redemption

§  1 grand-prize winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card

§  All you have to do to participate in the party and be eligble to win one of these Fabulous prizes is:

§  Must be on Twitter at 1pm or 8pm ET on April 19th

§  Must use the hashtag #BeRedeemed

We encourage everyone to join us, even if you are not a member of Activate. It’s agreat way to break up your day, find new friends and hopefully walk away with anew idea or two!

Join us, and spread the word:

[email protected] “I’m Coming Out…the Comfort Zone” Twitter Partyon April 19th @ 1pm or 8pm ET! #BeRedeemed

More details? Go here.

 

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Mommy Monday:: StormSister

Becky Sturm launched StormSister Spatique in 2005. The spatique offers hair, skin, nail, body lotions, potions and serums. She followed by launching her own multi-use beauty and grooming product brand in 2011, 3waybeauty.

Although she admits it doesn’t work for everyone, Sturm has her office at home. This, she said, helps her to balance business with family. “I have a teenager left at home and if he is home when I’m working I drag him with me wherever I go. I did this with both of my sons, even when they were little. It’s a great way to stay up on what they are doing and expose them to business culture and people.”

That is the advice she gives to other mom entrepreneurs most often, have the kids help you as much as possible. “Even if they don’t like it,” she said, “it is great experience for them.”

Sturm’s marketing tactics include her website, Facebook, Twitter, other social media and some magazine ads. You can find her online at StormSister and at 3waybeauty.

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And the Winner Is ……….

Jessica Ann WelschWe are SO excited to announce the winner of our S.T.A.R. {successful, tenacious, accomplished, remarkable} Mom Entrepreneur Award! Market Mommy wanted to honor an awesome mom for her continued dedication to her business and her family! Our judges did not have an easy task; we had a ton of exceptional nominees!

Our goal was to honor a leader; someone who is balancing her business and family in a creative way. We asked moms to tell us what sets them apart from the thousands of other mom entrepreneurs, why they are determined to succeed, how they’re helping others and what they’ve done to show the world that they’re confident, remarkable and steadfast!

Here is a snippet from the winner’s nomination form::

Jessica Welsch is a proud hockey mom, volunteer, artist and passionate entrepreneur. She’s driven to excel and make a positive impact in the world. Jessica’s a leader in her children’s school serving on the board and chairing school events. When asked why she’s so happy and successful she’ll give an answer you might not expect, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without my 7+ years of sobriety. I would not be the mother, business partner, friend or colleague I am today without it. I am truly grateful for all the blessings in my life!”

We are overjoyed to announce that Jessica Ann Welsch of The HopeFULL Company is the first-ever Market Mommy S.T.A.R. Mom Entrepreneur! Visit her at the following channels and see why we think she’s such a strong example of entrepreneurship.

The HopeFULL Company

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

And, here’s a little more about her company from the nomination process::

The HopeFULL Company offers kits used to make nutritious and delicious frozen whole food pops at home. Our award winning recipes and products have been developed to help children and adults who are having trouble eating, particularly due to illness, cancer and sensory issues. Our kits come with our patented silicone mold, 20 unique nutritious recipes, 100 birch wood spoon sticks as well as a cooler tote or chef’s hat for little kiddos.

As the winner of the S.T.A.R. Mom Entrepreneur Award, Welsch recieves all of the wonderful prizes supplied by our sponsors listed here.

Honorable Mentions

We had a feeling that there would be a large number of excellent nominees and we were right. So, we are glad that we reserved the right to name up to 5 Honorable Mentions. Our judges have chosen::

Tiffany Krumins:: Elephant Lady LLC 

Desiree Vargas Wrigley:: Give Forward  

Kris Wegener:: Business Observations 

Chrissy Freeman:: Consignment Mommies 

Amanda Lassiter:: Sweet Bella Bakery

We do want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their nominations and offer a sincere congratulations to every nominee. You all are amazing women and doing amazing things in this world! Kudos to you! {You can view all the nominees on our Facebook page}

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The Ultimate Party Post:: 2012

*This giveaway is now closed. The winning comments were: #10 – Market Mommy advertising, #21 Kidzies gift certificate and #3 LaBarrie Littles shirt.

Hello! A big, warm welcome to everyone who is joining us from the awesome 2012 UBP at 5 Minutes for Mom!! We’re SO glad you’re here!

First, if you haven’t yet, register for the humungous prize pool! There are thousands of dollars worth of prizes up for grabs! And, we’re happy to be offering a great ad package valued at $370! Don’t miss your chance to win! And, be sure to read the rest of this post because we have more prizes to give away!

Please bear with me, this post may get a little long ….. but I want to tell you as much as I can about Market Mommy while you’re here …. and give you the chance to win some great party swag :}

Here’s a little about our site and what we have to offer mom business owners::

Founded in June of 2009, Market Mommy® is an online marketing resource for mom business owners that shows them how and where to market their businesses.  Market Mommy® offers a variety of low-cost {and free!} services to help moms on a budget.

Market Mommy® provides links to great advertising opportunities, offers free marketing advice and tips via this blog and the e-newsletter, advertises mom-owned businesses for free on the blog and in their directory and much more.

This is me, Dawn, and my beautiful daughter!Some of the site’s servicesinclude marketing consultation, copywriting, graphic design, printing of marketing materials and much more. They also offer affordable advertising opportunities, which start as low as $5 per month. Everything that we provide to our customers is low-cost and practical.

There is also a free business directory and interactive forum where mom business owners can advertise for free.  Market Mommy® can be found online asand on well as on Facebook and Twitter!

That’s us in a nutshell 😉 Be sure to visit our current specials page. We have some great deals on custom Facebook Timeline images going on and we’re looking for a few great moms to help us expand and grow Market Mommy. More info here.

Now, on to the party :}

This post and the giveaways we’ve provided are made possible by these awesome mom business owner sponsors. Please visit them, show them some love, and tell them that we sent you!

LaBarrie Littles: Personalized embroidery & applique tees!

 

 

 

 

Kidzies:: Chic, Clever & Affordable!

 

 

 

 

It Works! Cecilia Fleischer Independent Distributor

 

 

 

Beads-N-Style:: Save 15% on anything in the store with code BLOGHOP15 until May 15!

 

 

 

Mama Mahoney Creations:: Simple Beautiful You!

 

 

 

 

 

            Rock Paper Scissors:: Personalized Paper & Gifts!

And, what you’re all here for, some free stuff!

We’re providing 3 {three} prizes during the UBP that ends on the 20th. These prizes are different than those listed on 5 Minutes for Mom. To register for these, simply follow the rules below!

1. Winner’s choice of one onesie or shirt from LaBarrie Littles {Value:: $22-$28}

2. A $25 Gift Certificate from Kidzies

3. One month web button ad {125×125 pixel} on ALL pages of MarketMommy.com {Value:: $50}

Good luck, here are the official rules::

There will be 3 {three} winners of this giveaway, one for each prize. The giveaway will officially end on Friday, April 20, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post and tell us a couple of things! First, tell us which prize{s} you’d like to win and why. And then introduce yourself! Tell us about your blog, business, family, whatever! After you comment here, you can earn extra entries! {Please leave a separate comment for each, including contact information!}

1. Like Market Mommy on Facebook

2. Follow Market Mommy on Twitter

3. Sign up for the Market Mommy rss feed

4. Sign up for the Market Mommy free e-newsletter

5. Tweet about the giveaway & be sure to tag @MarketMommy and use #UBP12

Good luck & nice to meet you! I hope you stick around!

 

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