Word of Mom - Mompreneurs at our BEST!

I don't know about you - but I was told that is was a "man's world" and that a woman's place is in the home! Well - our place is in the home, and the board room and the senate, and someday - the White House! Women are out there in full force, and a force to be reckoned with.

More and more, mompreneurs are becoming the norm. We are NOT women who dabble in business between bake sales, we are smart, savvy businesswomen who have found the balance between raising a family and building a business. I don't know about you - but I am proud to be called a Mompreneur - because it shows that Mom has always been my most important role in life and being an entrepreneur has evolved from that role.

I wanted to build a business and not sacrifice my children doing it. For a time I was in the corporate world, and making great money I might add. Then one day my daughter became ill at school and my "boss" told me that he paid me x amount of money and that I couldn't go. Well - that was the turning point for me! I decided his money wasn't worth it and walked away. Fortunately I became involved in a MLM - which I know most people are afraid of. For me, it gave me flexible hours and a way to make good money. As I spent time in the company I began to attend different training sessions and one theme was constantly repeated as I built my "businesses" and that was, "Why word this hard to build someone's business when you can build your own!" Did that ever make sense.

I eventually left that company, but that theme kept playing on...and I have never looked back. I worked with 2 marketing company's - both times as an owner and the VP of Marketing and then finally branched out on my own. Then an event happened that changed the course of things for me. One day in Columbine two students went to school and decided to take out their rage on their classmates and teachers and a call to action happened in my heart. As a mom of three I could not imagine kissing one of my children goodbye and not having them return from school because someone brought a gun into the classroom in their backpack. Thus the "birth" of S1 - Safety First.

With four of the best people I know I set out to design and develop a line of clear bags and backpacks to assist with the safety issues being implemented in our school. More and more of them were requiring students carry clear bags or no bags - and as a mom - I know where the bags break. My children were instrumental in their design and S1 has grown from four bags to nineteen in five years. The latest addition is our checkpoint friendly laptop bags and backpacks developed with the TSA guidelines so travelers no longer need to remove their laptops at airport security checkpoints. This is why we are S1 - The CLEAR Advantage!

Well - as the years have gone on, my need to continue to give back has grown. That is why I am beginning a MomTV segment of Word of Mom that debuts January 20, 2011 at 4pmEST/1pmPST. This is an extension of Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio which airs on Thursdays at 2pmEST/11amPST. Mom's support mom's and I wanted to continue to brand my show that celebrates the Mompreneur while sharing tips on how to grow your business, create viral marketing and still be able to stop and play with your kids when they get home. I hope that you will follow along and share as I share so we may learn from each other! Please connect with me on Twitter, join the Word of Mom fan page on Facebook, become a member of the Word of Mom website or email me directly at dori.s1bags@gmail.com and lets see how we can support each other in the coming new year.

MOMbo Media

The last Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio for 2010 is Thursday, December 16th at 2pmET/11amPT - and I am talking with Kemi Ingram from MOMboTV. Kemi is the President of MOMbo Media, a company that provides social media support services to humanitarian agencies, faith-based organizations and ’responsibly produced’ consumer products. MOMbo Media works to connect moms to ‘brands and causes they can believe in.’ As a new media producer since 2006, Kemi Ingram has become a leading voice in the social media space–representing a broad audience of mindful parents and socially responsible consumers. An author, activist and ’armchair theologian,’ Ingram holds a BS in Public Policy, Management and Planning from the University of Southern California, an MA in Theology from Fuller Seminary and an MTh in Applied Theology from Oxford University in England. Kemi Ingram is a frequent conference speaker and workshop presenter (in the areas of social media/emerging technology and social entrepreneurship). Her advocacy work on behalf of women and children around the world has resulted in meaningful relationships with US policy makers and global thought leaders. Her work at MOMbo Media allows her to support relief and development projects around the world.

Kemi is a ‘home-preschooling’ mother of three and a committed social entrepreneur. Her entrepreneurial work has been featured in several leading women’s magazines in the US as well as abroad.

Joining us is my guest co-host for the day - Karen Bierdeman - The Guilt Free Mom. You can follow her on Twitter and visit her website www.theguiltfreemom.com.

You can follow Kemi on Twitter and find out more about MomboTV by visiting www.mombotv.com.

For information please email me at dori.s1bags@gmail.com - follow me on Twitter - join Word of Mom on the Ning Network and follow me on Facebook and join the Word of Mom Fan page on Facebook

Bonnie Gortler - The Option Girl

On Thursday, December 9th at 2pmET/11amPT Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio is sharing a mom who isn't a mompreneur - but an amazing entrepreneur. Bonnie Gortler, married for 28 years, mother of a daughter in college, entered into the world of finance, when she accepted, in 1982, a position in the marketing department of a growing investment management corporation. Bonnie’s interests broadened from marketing to include the direct provision of investment services. Her knowledge and capabilities expanded as she completed an evening MBA program in finance at the Roth Graduate Business School of Long Island University while handling rapidly growing responsibilities at her firm.In due course, Bonnie advanced to associate and then to full portfolio manager, ultimately to the position of head portfolio manager within the firm. At this time, Bonnie directly leads a team of portfolio managers responsible for the investment of client assets in excess of $250 million. Bonnie closely identifies with her firm’s belief that its mission lies with serving people, rather than simply handling money and investments. Bonnie is multi-faceted, loyal, a proven leader, a compassionate woman who is a hard working stock market guru in the corporate world for 28 years. Bonnie enjoys the world of entrepreneurship through home based businesses. She has the innate ability to take the stress out of investing and she helps others while establishing strong professional relationships both online and offline. Bonnie’s mission lies with serving people, sharing her expertise and experience helping others to achieve their dreams, rather than simply handling money and investments. She has built many contacts within social media channels as she continues to expand her professional, entrepreneurial and personal life as she strives to be her best and turn her vision into a reality inspiring others to reach their goals & dreams. Follow Bonnie on Twitter and download her free E-Book Twitter Magic
Join us on BlogTalkRadio or give us a call at 347 850 8994 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              347 850 8994      end_of_the_skype_highlighting with your questions and comments. You may reach me at dori.s1bags@gmail.com, on Facebook, on Twitter and on LinkedIn

Amy and the Award Winning Balance MAP!

On Thursday, November 18 11amPT/2pmET Amy Hilbrich Davis comes back on Word of Mom on Blog Talk Radio to share her now award winning Balance MAP with all of us. Amy was one of my guests on the debut of Word of Mom and she shared the Balance MAP with all who tuned in to the show and listened to the archives. Above is a family picture of Amy, her husband and partner Randy and their 7 - yes - 7 children. Well - plenty has happened since. Maria Bailey came on the 2nd Word of Mom show to share the Huggies MomInspired Grant program for innovative ideas to make the life of parents easier - and Ame was awarded one of the $15,000.00 grants!!! Talk about making a difference! It is so exciting to feel like I had a very small part in sharing this amazing grant program - and now Ame is here to share with us the difference being a Huggies "Inspired Mom" has made in her life and that of bringing the Balance MAP to the forefront of revolutionary products for the "Job of Mom". Along with the Balance MAP, Amy also offers her Recipe for Success - which include personal wellness, partner relationships, parenting skills, support networks and home and family management. Visit her site at http://www.inspiringmoms.com and see ways to create the balance, success and happiness that you look for as a parent. Amy and I are joined my guest co-host Heather Hetchler - who created a support system for the step-parent that can be found at http://www.cafeSmom.com. All of us look forward to chatting with each other this Thursday and look forward to you joining us. You can call us at 347 850 8994, email me at dori.s1bags@gmail.com, visit http://www.wordofmom.ning.com, follow me on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/Dori_S1_Bags and join the Facebook Word of Mom Fan Page!

Living My MoMent on Blog Talk Radio

On November 11 at 11amPT/2pmET I am chatting with Abbey Fatica on BlogTalkRadio. She is the creator of Living My MoMent. Living My MoMent was started in April 2009 when Abbey was trying to figure out a way to make some extra cash. A Stay at Home Mom to her daughter at the time she really wanted to contribute somehow to their income. After searching online for many months, trying to come up products to sell and not being able to find anything that spoke to me, she had an AHA MoMent!
While watching Oprah, Abbey was intrigued by the segment on MoM bloggers and although she had never really thought about Blogging as an profession, Heather Armstrong from Dooce.com changed her mind. Seeing how a mom just like herself could make a living out of blogging about her life then Abbey could do it, too!
On top of just blogging, Abbey wanted to offer some kind of service to
family run business owners. These types of businesses are usually hit the hardest when the economy is bad and she didn't want to see all of their efforts go to waste. So why not offer FREE ADVERTISING. And that's where we started!
Living My MoMent has grown quite a bit over the last year and an half. Through this growth, we have incorporated many other options for the small business owner to advertise with us on our site: Ad Spaces, Product Reviews, Giveaways, Blogrolls, Dedicated Articles, Promotions on Facebook and Twitter and much more. To find out how you can get the most bang for your buck, and if you have any suggestions, questions, ideas, comments or are a MoM or DaD with a business wanting space on Living My MoMent, tune in to BlogTalkRadio and find out how to get in touch with Abbey or call us at 347 850 8994.

Gagagougou and All Things Baby

Remember the old stereotype of people feigning baby-talk saying "Gagagougou..." well - Iris Wu took that playful moment and turned it into a great store where moms can buy good products, essential products, at a price they can afford. How did Gagagougou begin? As a WAHM of 2 small children, Iris was one of the first moms in her family to stay at home and create a home-based business. Deciding to work from home while pregnant with her second child, she started a mommy group and, with all the new products on the market every day, she began testing out new items and gadgets. Friends began asking her what she liked and didn't and eventually, they began suggesting that she share her experiences with other moms so they didn't waste their time and money on useless products. Thus began Gagagougou! So - now Iris started an internet based business - but just how do you go about funding, marketing and building your business when you have a 4 and 2 year old at home?!? With a little help from your friends, thats how. Mompreneurs know that moms support moms and Iris turned to past Word of Mom guest Shara from Mommy Perks to advertise Gagagougou and really get the word out. She also began Gaga-Blog to bridge the gap between Gagagougou, parents, WAHMs and the companies of the products she shares and reviews. Her story is so interesting and she will be sharing this and more with me on Thursday October 28th at 2pm EST. Follow Iris on Twitter and connect with her on Facebook. Kasey Lian will be my guest co-host so join us on Word of Mom or give us a call at 347 850 8994 and join the chat as Iris shares her passion with all of us!

Big Blend Magazine on Word of Mom's BTR Show!

How exciting for Word of Mom to return to the airwaves with a show like this! On Thursday, September 9th at 2pm on Blog Talk Radio I welcome the 2 amazing women behindBig Blend Magazine, which has been published since 1997. Passionate and dedicated to educating the public about the various and diverse facets of the USA and the rest of the world, Big Blend Magazine is operated by mother and daughter team Nancy J. Reid - Editor and Production Director, and Lisa D. Smith - Editor and Marketing Director. Together they offer over 40 years of marketing, photography, and editorial experience in the travel, lifestyle, leisure, special interest, hospitality, business and retail industries.

Online for over 13 years, http://www.BigBlendMagazine.com has an average of 2.6 million unique visitors who enjoy articles, recipes and radio interviews. Hosted by Nancy and Lisa for almost 4 years, Big Blend Radio features 10 different radio shows, which air live Friday-Monday on BlogTalkRadio.com

This is the info for the professional face that Big Blend Magazine prides itself on. It is top-notch every step of the way and shows the depth of the background of its editors. On Word of Mom I want you to know the story behind the magazine and the powerhouse tag-team that Nancy and Lisa are, because that is the real story. It all began when Nancy, a successful wildlife artist, writer and photographer led tours from LA to Kenya, East Africa with Lisa - who was 1 1/2 at the time. Their travels have taken them all over the world and led them to the amazing work they do now. As Lisa and I were chatting about our upcoming interview I was sharing why Word of Mom is so special to me and my pride at being a Mompreneur! Too often people turn their nose up at that title -as if Mompreneurs dabble in business between bake sales. Well, as I said to Lisa, if Nancy hadn't been a pioneering Mompreneur, Lisa wouldn't have been in Kenya with her mom, she would have been home with a nanny!

I am so happy to share these women with you, and hope that my daughter tunes in and gets some ideas for the future...(wink, wink!) Tune in on Thursday September 9th at 2pm EST as my guest host Heather Hetchler @cafeSmom and I chat with Nancy and Lisa about the journey that led them to the magazine and the airwaves. Follow them on twitter at @BigBlendMag and, to find out more about their travels and experiences.

Not Helpless Anymore

On Thursday, September 16 at 2pm EST on Word of Mom on Blog Talk Radio, I am introducing a very powerful story with all of you. I'm here to share with you a little bit about a woman that fell in love with this handsome, athletic guy… The man of her dreams!! They fell in love and got married, she had everything a young woman could ever want, a husband, a career, children in other words her own fairytale come true. Few years into the marriage, shortly after they had their second child, her husband ask her to stop working and take care of the children full-time; she agrees since he was in the military and they were comfortable economically. Shortly after that, he decided to sell her car, because there was no need to have multiple vehicles he said. Then he started timing her and checking the odometer in his car; if she was on the phone he will sit next to her and listen to her conversations.

Later his attentions with her started changing, everything she did appears to be wrong the more she tried to make everything to his standards the worse he treated her. Suddenly one morning without warnings, he grabs her by the ankle pulls her off the bed and starts punching her repeatedly. His excuse, he had a bad report from his commander. Once he calmed down he apologizes and he said it wasn’t going to happen again he said he will seek help and everything will go back to what it was. A week later he got home from work and he didn’t agree with what she cooked for him so he push her against the counter and start beating. This time she woke up in the hospital, no signs of her kids, or him; just few broken ribs and bruises everywhere but even then her physical pain wasn’t as great as the pain of not knowing the fate of her kids; Did he hurt them? Are they safe? Nobody, seems to have an answer.

Finally a familiar face an MP (Military Police) that works with him walks in the door ask her for a statement and, in closing, he said its not as bad as it looks. You should try to work things out! Your kids are safe they will be in the room in a little bit. Sighs of relief were heard from the hospital bed. Once she had some privacy she called the state police and ask them to come to the hospital where they took a statement and arrested him. The Military Police didn’t think it was necessary to press charges, but she took manners into her own hands.

Once he was arrested she called her mother who clearly stated over the phone “You must have done something, and you deserve what he did to you”. Hurt by her mothers words she realizes she was alone; the woman that brought her into this world thinks she deserve it - who is out there that would want to help her out of this situation?

According to the state there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute him plus, since the incident happened on the military premises the military police were to be the ones that needed to press charges. They let him go and the the military let him return to the house again. At this point she didn’t care about herself. She had no family and no money. All she cared about was her children and making sure that they were safe, which is a hard thing to do since she was unable to use the phone because he walked around the house with the cordless in his pocket and will put it in the car while he was at work so she couldn’t call for help. She had no money because he had all the checks, ATM cards, credit cards; everyday she woke up it was a blessing because she was able to see another day.

The Military order him to go to anger management classes and he leaves work to “attend” but (he never make it to the sessions). He said he wanted to change and for a period of few months he did, things were no punches, no bruises, they started to attend church, and spend family time together. She got pregnant (on the pill), he received a phone call from Puerto Rico where they were originally from with bad news his nephew/godson was going to be taken away from his mother and placed in foster care if no one from the family wanted to be responsible for him. They talk and agree to bring the child to live with them. He goes to pick him up, it was really exciting for their kids, and while he went and picked him up the rest of the family went shopping for winter cloth for him and a bedroom set so he had his own things when he arrived. Angel went to up-state NY to live with his new family, the 3 kids were happy but soon the screaming and yelling started all over, only now was there was one more child in the house but she was pregnant again. Angel grows very close to his new family, so close he call his godfather's wife Mom and the kids brother and sister…Angel never had a brother or a sister and he sits with his new mom and tells her "I'm going to be the man of the house and I'm going to take care of all of you". (He was the older among the children) He use to rub his moms belly and say “It will be okay baby”.

One day his “dad” started yelling and he took the rest of the kids into the room and close the door. Dad had mom by the neck and had the water in the tub running and he kept screaming "I should’ve have done this a long time ago". Angel started screaming to leave his mommy alone and he lets go of mom to push Angel out of the bathroom. Mom is afraid that he was going to hurt him and runs out of the bathroom, tired of all the abuse, and reaches for dads gun. When he reached for he,r Angel jumped in the way and dad gave him a deadly blow to his head. Mom grabbed the gun and pointed at him and said “Self defense its not murder” and made him give her the phone. She called the police while pointing at him - his own gun! Mom runs to Angel just to find out that he was not breathing. When police and paramedics arrive at the house they pronounce him dead.

The Military Police remove the man, the woman, the kids and the body of Angel from the house. Kids were put in foster care while they conducted investigations, because according to the Military Police, they didn’t had any records of previous disturbances. Thankfully she had copy of all the paperwork and records from hospital or God knows what would’ve happened. Her father, the kids grandfather, requested custody of the children while they clear moms name. A new baby is born 4 months later healthy and okay, just like Angel said, but her dad had to pick him up from the hospital before social services took him too.

Mom fought tirelessly the military, the department of children and families, and all the people that wanted to make it impossible for her to get on her feet. Wanting to give up many times, tempted to start using alcohol and drugs, with suicidal thoughts because she didn’t only loose Angel, she lost her other kids to the state. Her home that was impounded for evidence; for her there was nothing else she could loose. She stayed strong! Eventually she got custody back of the 2 oldest but by the time they were able to clear her name, the baby was almost a year old and the only mom and dad he knew were his grandparents, so for the childs well being they decided that it was best for them to adopt him.

Her Prince charming was found guilty of murder, 2 counts of aggravated assault, 1 attempted homicide against mom, and he is serving 25 years in Ft. Leavenworth (Military Prison). She knows the pain of losing a child; she knows that the physical pain is nothing compared to the emotional pain that domestic violence cause and how it can scar you for life if you allow it to. Angel’s death is the reason why she and her kids are alive today and she has a testimony to share.

This is the story of Edca, a survivor of domestic violence. She is 33 years old, owns couple clothing stores, and is a talent manager with a company that meets the needs for the entertainment business. The reason why she is sharing part of her story with us is because you, your sister, your mother, your friend, your co-worker, your neighbor can be dealing with domestic violence.

Domestic Violence is not an addiction, it is not contagious but it is embarrassing and full of shame and can be deadly for the person that is in the situation. You can save a life today by letting someone know that no matter how bad it is or how much they love the person they are with, it is not safe for them and for their children.

Domestic violence don’t discriminate. It happens to rich people as well as poor, white, black, asian, latino it doesn’t matter, it affect us all. There is help, and there is hope. Edna has seen abusers that change, but they need to recognize first that they have a problem and they need to seek help. It is a process that can be lengthy and frustrating. Victims, Edna has been there; saw death closer than a lot of you hopefully never have to. Its not easy but there is help, but you have to give the first step and want to fix the situation.

Unfortunately she had to go though tragedy to be offered help. She has met thousands of women with stories similar to hers and worse, and they have come out of that situation and have started over and today they are successful. She has also met women that have said, "Its not that bad, and it will get better". that are no longer with us. She is here today because a seven year old, Angel, her Angel is no longer with her. Domestic Violence took him from her. She didn’t know anyone that could help, anyone that wanted to help. She wasn’t aware of all the programs and help available to help the domestic violence victims nationwide, but now she is and is sharing them here. If you need help, she here as well as thousands of women nationwide that are willing to help, that are willing to walk by your side during those difficult times, and be there for you after the storm has passed….Thank you for taking the time and allowing me to share my story. God Bless and keep you safe!!!

Tune into Blog Talk Radio's Word of Mom Show Thursday September 16 at 2pm EST to hear from Edca - and find out that you are not alone...
Please feel free to contact Edna anytime, she is available to support any programs or individuals, she is a guest speaker, there for interviews, and most importantly, to help and wants the help…
Edca Quinones
Nycconnexion@gmail.com
www.twitter.com/nycconnexion

KIBOOMU - Music Making our Kids Smarter!

I am a singing mom! All my life, singing has been a large part of who I am and as a mom - I brought that to my children. Walking down the street and breaking into song was never unusual for me and they would join right in. Well, I am not alone! On Thursday July 29 at 2pm EST Wendy and Sherry, the founders of KIBOOMU join me on Blog Talk Radio to share their mission of making children smarter through music. KIBOOMU stands for Kids, Books & Multimedia, is their brainchild.



Wendy was the founder and owner of KIDZUP, an award winning children's music and media publishing company based in Montreal, Canada. In 2004 was named one of Canada's top 100 woman entrepreneurs! Wanting to expand, Wendy bought Tormont Publications and met Sherry in 2006. Sherry was the Children's Book Publisher at Readers Digest Canada and had been the Marketing Director at Pearson Education, the biggest educational publisher in the world. Can you see the writing on the wall! They were destined to collaborate. Sherry joined Wendy at Tormont and they quickly became known as the "New Tormont". Then, as life does, things changed rapidly!

In 2007 the CD market crashed, 2008 the biggest recession since the Great Depression hit and in 2009 Wendy moved to CA for her daughter Sara. Sherry became the President of KIDZUP/Tormont and then they sold the print side of the companies. Retaining the digital side of the company they wanted to use the years of experience they have to create fun educational products for children and in December of 2009 KIBOOMU Inc - their very own edu-tainment company began! There's is a story of new beginnings, hope, commitment and bold decisions and they are here to share them with us.

Join us and find out more about these fascinating women! Again - we will be on Blog Talk Radio on July 29, 2010 at 2pm EST and would love to hear from you so call us at 347 850 8994. Please feel free to email me at dori.s1bags@gmail.com, join my fan page on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

Life is a Learning Curve!

Each day life brings us new challenges, new adventures, new disappointments and new discoveries, for life is a learning curve. Days come and go when all seems to go smoothly and we have a moment to forget the times when things were tough. Other days melt into weeks and nothing seems to go right. Friends die, friendships end, partners prove to be untrustworthy, and life's learning curve seems too hard to bear. Then how do we always seem able to weather the storm?

For me, I trust that God puts you where you are for a reason and I know that this too shall pass. If I learn the lesson, then what I went through is worth the strife. If I keep making the same mistakes, then I am turning a blind eye to the lesson and it defeats the purpose. All of us need to take the good and the bad and accept that nothing is ever easy and that sometimes, it is the struggle that makes it all worth while.

The biggest lessons I have learned with the events of the past month are - life is short so don't squander it! Friendship in business works - but be sure to have all your ducks in a row. Contracts exist for a reason and don't let your personal connection cloud your business judgement - get things in writing! When things go bad, you can feel sorry for yourself you a moment or two and then you have to let things go and move on with your head held high. Learn the lesson and move on - because if you stay trapped in the moment of realization and don't move forward - you are doomed to never learn.

I had a dear friend die at the beginning of the month and a partnership that I cherished end the middle of the month. On the other hand, my son came home after being away for a long time, my baby graduated from High School, I love and am loved, and the sun came out after the storm. No matter what we go through, we do manage to come out stronger and wiser in the end. Life is a learning curve - enjoy the lesson!

Thrive as a Parent - Don't Just Survive!

Have you ever wondered why you need a license to drive a car, or catch a fish - but they just hand you this newborn baby and say "good luck!" All of us know that drive to perfection when it comes to parenting our children - well guess what - nobody is perfect and we need to accept that about ourselves. Personally I think this can be very difficult, especially when we have created and run successful businesses - where do we find the balance to make it all work. How, you may ask, do we do this? Enter Jacqueline Green, BA, who has been in parenting education for over 10 years. She began when was overwhelmed with parenting her two-year old son and new baby girl. One of her strengths as a parenting educator is that she knows what it is like to be able to manage a boardroom and yet be reduced to her knees by two little kids! Her main area of specialty is perfectionism and parenting, including related areas such as mood issues (anxiety and depression), anger issues and workaholism (not just for working moms!). Drawing from her personal experience as a recovering perfectionist, Jacqueline can help you thrive as a parent, instead of just survive. Jacqueline's website is http://GreatParentingPractices.com and her Facebook page is http://Facebook.com/GreatParentingPractices. We hope you will join us on Blog Talk Radio's Word of Mom show June 24 at 2pm EST. You can follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Dori_S1_Bags and on Facebook's Fan Pages -. If you would like to share with us - you may call us at 347 850 8994. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you.

Enter the World of the Virtual Assistant

You have a small business and now you've become a big fish in that small pond. The next step is becoming a small fish in a bigger pond without looking like one. So the question arises - how does a small business make itself look Big in the marketplace? Enter the world of the Virtual Assistant!

VA's are the new way that small businesses can begin to expand their staff on a smaller budget and look as if they have a full time group of savvy professionals in their office! My guest are Kasey Lian from KL Virtual Office Solutions and Janice Clark from Biz M Solutions. These two mompreneurs have created their VA companies and work with other mompreneurs to grow their businesses because they have first - hand understanding of the special needs the mompreneur faces - as well as the business background to make their business grow.

Join us on Blog Talk Radio this Thursday, May 27 at 2pm EST and find out how they can make your small business look BIG! The place is Blog Talk Radio - or you can call us at 347 850 8994 and email me at dori.s1bags@gmail.com.

Please become a fan of WoM on Facebook - follow me on Twitter because I would love to know what is on your mind and what you want to hear about!

Huggies MomInspired Grant Program

---Moms always have the best ideas! Now, through the Huggies MomInspired Program, those ideas can come to life!

The Huggies MomInspired Grant Program is awarding up to $15,000 to further the development of innovative products inspired by motherhood. Take your ideas to the next level with the Huggies brand.

Word of Mom Blog Talk Radio Show on May 13th at 2pm EST is proud to have Maria Bailey as my guest to share this wonderful program.

Maria Bailey is CEO of BSM Media and mother of four children, if you don’t count MomTV.com, newbaby.com, her books and many mom engagement entities.

Maria speaks to over 8 million moms a month in print,online and on radio through many channels, including her popular parenting talk show, Mom Talk Radio, websites (momtalkradio.com, bluesuitmom.com and momselect.com), Facebook, You Tube and numerous media and social channels. Follow Maria on Twitter @momtalkradio.

Maria’s goal is to inform and empower Moms through programs and opportunities. One such program Maria has worked on for over 2 years is the Huggies Mom Inspired program. Mom Inspired is designed to further the development of innovative ideas inspired by motherhood. Moms can submit their ideas or inventions for consideration for a $15,000 grant. Go to http://www.huggiesmominspired.com for more information and to sign up to see your ideas come to life!

Word of Mom - Mompreneurs at our Best!

Well - here I am - the co-host of The Three Wise Girls Blog Talk Radio show along with Debbie Barth and Linda Alexander. We are as different as different can be and, as things often happen, our differences make us a perfect blend. We have each developed our own unique personalities on the show - Debbie brings very serious topics to light, Linda adds the theatrical, comedic, author aspect to our show and I have embraced the business/personal aspect of our conversations. I wanted to do a show on Mompreneurs - because I am one - and it is a near and dear subject to my heart. As I was interviewing some amazing mompreneurs I met on twitter I realized I would need to do two different segments - and did.

Well - as Debbie and Linda and I were having our weekly planning call - they encouraged me to step out on my own and do a BTR show for mompreneurs to give us a forum to share our gifts and talents and commitment to raising our families as we build our businesses. Thanks to them - I am taking on this new task - and have created Word of Mom - Mompreneurs at our Best!

You see - the mompreneur is much different from the businesswoman that goes to work at their office day after day. They are focused on their career and then their home-life and have assistance in finding that balance. Whether it is a nanny or daycare or after-school programs - or other support systems - they have outside help with their families. The Mompreneur, on the other hand, balances family and business - putting the family first. It is a balancing act, for sure, and we lean on other mompreneurs to give us ideas and checks and balances to make it all work.

My debut show will share some of the wonderful mompreneurs that I have met along the way. Join me as we chat about the balance we have been able to achieve in raising our families and building our businesses. For my first show I welcome Amy Davis - www.inspiringMoms.com and Karen Bierdman - www.theguiltfreemom.com. These are two amazing women who are taking time to share the work they do with Mompreneurs.

Please contact me directly at dori.s1bags@gmail.com, visit my website www.s1bags.com - follow me on Twitter and Facebook. Please join us, share your gifts with us, and take the journey on Blog Talk Radio as we empower Mompreneurs everywhere!!!

Be Wise When Choosing a Gateway for Your Business

When you develop an on-line store - your Gateway can make or break you - as I am discovering right now! We decided to change banks as Webster Bank here in New England is probably the least friendly bank for small business that there is. Well - in closing that account and moving to a new bank - I never considered just how inept our Gateway is when it comes to changing banking information.

Do yourself a favor and don't ever do business with First Date - LinkPoint - they are the most unprofessional group of people I have ever worked with - bar NONE!!! It is amazing to me that none of the departments can work with each other - they have no way of knowing what each department is doing at any given time. More than a week has gone by and our account is still not active - so I have no idea how much money S1 has lost at this point - but I can imagine!

As soon as we have the funds that they are holding for us - oh - that took almost 2 hours before we could find someone that could hold the charges that had come in until a new account was established - we are closing this account and using People's Bank - where are new account is - and their merchant services department.

As a business owner - customer service has always been our strong suit. We do all that we can to keep each and every one of our customers happy so that the word of mouth advertising will always be wonderful. It amazes me how few companies pride themselves on their customer service anymore - and First Data is a perfect example of that!

I don't usually use this blog to blast people or another company - but I do use it to give assistance to other small business owners from time to time - so I felt compelled to do this today.

Just be aware that not all gateway's are the same and that if your bank offers these services it is your best bet to use them to avoid these pitfalls.

Happy Business Building to all...

Reinventing Yourself!

WELL - as our economy continues to be an uncertainty - what is a business owner to do? Reinvent yourself - it is the only way to survive in this business climate. Find new ways to market yourself and do it with a smile. Humor is a great way to get people to notice you and your products and shows that you don't take yourself too seriously.

We are getting ready to move into the airport advertising arena and in trying to design our billboard it occurred to us that humor will always grab people's attention. So - with that in mind - we are incorporating the amazing cartoon that Mike Samuel did as a joke regarding our Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags.

The last time I was traveling, standing there at security with my travel clothes on - no buttons, under-wire, zippers or anything that could possibly set off the alarm - I was watching people stripping off layers of clothes, jewelry, shoes - not to mention the ever dreaded laptop removal - and I wanted to start singing the stripper song, "Da na na na..." I can't believe people still haven't figured out that less is more when you are flying and that S1 Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags and Backpacks make the removal of your laptop unnecessary. Why hassle at security - use a checkpoint friendly bag or backpack from S1 and make it simpler to go through security.

Take a look at our commercial and let me know what you think and remember - keep reinventing yourself and your business.

Happy New Year!?!?!

Okay - I don't know about you - but how are we 18 days into the new year already!!!!!
Not only are we 18 days into the new year - we are a decade into a new century! I am continuously amazed at how fast time passes, especially when you are blessed to see it through the eyes of your children.

As I continue to grow my business while balancing being a mom, I feel the pull from both ends on a daily basis. Some days are easier than others, but then one of them gets sick, and it is mom to the rescue! As my oldest child says (and he is 21) the best medicine is just being with me. All you mom's and dad's out there that walk the tightrope of business-owner and parent know the joy that something so small like that can bring. As you look back on the path you have walked with your children, these are the little things that make the hard work and dedication worth every bit of sacrifice and heart-ache.

Well - here it is - a new decade and things in the business-world are as tough as they can be. Left and right people are hanging on by a thread - and yet remain positive as they follow their dream and make their businesses grow and thrive - or sometime even holding the status-quo is a success.

To all of us out there struggling to keep that dream alive - you are NOT ALONE! We are all in the trenches together and we will emerge victorious. Believe in yourself and in your dream and make it happen. Each day holds a new challenge and reward and opportunity to share what you do. Making a difference has always been the driving force behind S1 - Safety First - and will continue to be as we charter new waters - here and abroad.

So - to all those entrepreneurs out there that are struggling and surviving and thriving and growing - kudos to us all as we have had the guts to follow our dreams and hold the course, no matter how rough the waters can be. Hang in there and make it happen!!!