This Week on Word of Mom

Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio




On March 31st on BlogTalkRadio Word of Mom is talking with Beth Butler - better known as Boca Beth - who has made it fun for our children to learn Spanish as a second language. Beth began her journey when her daughter was 14 months old and enrolled in a pre-school to encourage interaction. Beth would visit the school and would write songs to melodies of familiar children’s music. For instance, she used the tune to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and wrote new words to match the beat while introducing a brand new concept of how to say “Hi” and “Bye” in English as well as “Hola” and “Adiós” in Spanish. Little children (being the sponges that they are between the ages of birth to five) soaked up the new songs quickly, asking for “More Boca Beth / Más Boca Beth” with each visit made to their preschool. Thus the Boca Beth program was born!!! Her goal is to create better communication within our increasingly diverse society by providing a fun and easy introduction to Spanish and English with music, movement and creativity. The program now features 4 bilingual CD's. 3 bilingual educational movies, color/activity books, puppets and more. Join us on BlogTalkRadio at 2pmEST/11amPST on the 31st and find out more about the Boca Beth way! Follow Word of Mom on Twitter @Dori_WordofMom, join the Word of Mom Facebook Fan Page or email me at dori.wordofmom@gmail.com for more information. You can join the conversation by calling Word of Mom at 347 850 8994 during the live broadcast.

Word 0f Mom on MomTV



Word of Mom on MomTV this Thursday 4pmET/1pmPT is taking a proactive turn and sharing Jill Starishevsky an Assistant District Attorney in New York City, where she has prosecuted hundreds of sex offenders and dedicated her career to seeking justice for victims of child abuse and sex crimes. Outside the courtroom, Jill's fondness for writing led her to create thepoemlady.com, where she pens personalized pieces for all occasions. Her mission to protect children, along with her penchant for poetry, inspired My Body Belongs to Me, a book intended to prevent child sexual abuse by teaching 3-8 year olds their bodies are private. A mother of three, Jill is also founder of HowsMyNanny.com, a service that enables parents to purchase a license plate for their child's stroller so the public can report positive or negative nanny observations. Join us for this serious conversation and find out ways to protect your children on Word of Mom 3/31 on MomTV.

The Total Woman Conference on Word of Mom

On February 17 at 2pmEST/11amPST on Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio I will be conversing with Princess Bola Adelani - owner of Royal Proclamations Total Life Success - and creator of the Total Women Conference. 

The Total Woman Conference (TWC) is a one-day, multi-generational conference designed to provide “Total C.A.R.E. for Women in ALL Spheres of their Lives. TWC exists to Celebrate, Applaud, Refresh and Equip the Whole Woman”™. The Total Woman Conference will celebrate the uniqueness of womanhood, applaud the often overlooked achievements of women in Family, Community Development and Business. Three Women of Distinction will be recognized and applauded via our Woman of Distinction Awards. 

This conference is designed to refresh, de-stress, rejuvenate and pamper the women in attendance with spa treatments, massage therapists, and cosmetologists. Equip with informational seminars from dynamic speakers who will inspire and empower you for excellence and distinction personally, professionally and spiritually, the Total Women Conference is going to be an event worth attending. 

The 3rd annual conference is scheduled for April 2, 2011 8:00 am - 5:00 pm + so it is a full day of information, relaxation and rejuvenation for your business and your body. Word of Mom is one of the Event Partner of the TWC and will be broadcasting live from the event. For more information please visit http://www.totalwomanconference.com and take advantage of early registration discounts.  

Tune in for Word of Mom on Thursday February 17th at 2pmEST/11amPST as Princess Bola and other guests share this unique conference with us all.  You can call in and be part of the conversation at 347 850 8994, email me at Dori.wordofmom@gmail.com, follow me on Twitter @Dori_WordofMom, join the Facebook WoM fan page and become a member on our website - Wordofmom.ning.com.

A Conversation with Andrea Patten on Word of Mom

What do land sales, addiction treatment and workshops for women have in common?  Not much – unless you’re talking to author, trainer, women’s advocate and dot-connector Andrea Patten.  That's what I am doing on February 10 at 2pm EST - 11am PST on Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio.  

Andrea has been inspiring women all over the world and is now taking the time to inspire here on Word of Mom.  Andrea's accomplishments are many...Her Success Parent blog and her book What Kids Need to Succeed: Four Foundations of Adult Achievement offers parents useful insights from high-achieving adults.  A lifelong advocate for children and families, she currently volunteers as an Area Coordinator for the Direct Selling Women’s Alliance .  Whether working with life-threatening issues or creating custom change-your-life workshops, Andrea creates profoundly honest experiences that deliver enthusiasm, joy and new perspective. 

Join us as we chat on Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio February 10, 2pm EST - 11am PST or be part of the conversation by calling in at 347 850 8994.  For more information on Word of Mom - or to be a guest - email me at dori.wordofmom@gmail.com.  Take a look at the Word of Mom Website,   follow me on Twitter @Dori_WordofMom and join the Word of Mom Facebook fan page.

Big Blend Magazing Back on Word of Mom

On Thursday January 27th 2pmET/11amPT BigBlendMagazine is back on Word of Mom. BigBlendMagazine.com, has been owned and operated since 1997, by mother-and-daughter team Nancy J. Reid - Editor and Production Director, and Lisa D. Smith - Editor and Marketing Director. Together Nancy and Lisa offer over 40 years of marketing, photography, and editorial experience in the travel, lifestyle, leisure, special interest, hospitality, business and retail industries.

BigBlendMagazine.com got its start as a San Diego based print and online publication called The Blend Magazine. A few years later, it expanded to becoming SouthwestBlend.com covering the southwestern US states. In 2006, boasting over 1 million unique visitors per month, it became a completely online publication and expanded to being national and international in coverage. In 2008, BigBlendMagazine.com added 10 online radio shows to the mix, as well as Big Blend TV.

Now, in 2011, in celebration of 14 years in being published with over 2.7 million monthly unique visitors, and 4 years of online radio broadcasting with over 800,000 listeners, BigBlendMagazine.com is proud to announce its expansion into becoming ten online magazines, each with their own online radio show on Big Blend TV channel. Featuring articles, interviews, games and giveaways, and Big Blend Radio show schedules, BigBlendMagazines.com also publishes the The Daily Blend eNews, which is sent to over 270,000 subscribers every day.

The 10 New Radio Magazines include:
- www.ChampagneSundaysMagazine.com art, books, music and entertainment radio magazine

- www.CreativeCelebrationsMagazine.com wedding and event planning radio magazine

- www.EatDrinkBeMerryMagazine.com food and drink radio magazine

- www.GardenGossipMagazine.com home & garden radio magazine

- www.QualityofLifeMagazine.com health, spirit, family and style radio magazine

- www.RantsRavesRockMagazine.com politics, issues and rock radio magazine

- www.NatureConnectionMagazine.com nature, science and environment radio magazine

- www.SuccessExpressMagazine.com business, career and finance radio magazine

- www.VacationStationMagazine.com travel and leisure radio magazine

- www.WayBackWhenMagazine.com history and heritage radio magazine

Join us on Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio Thursday January 27, 2pm ET/11am Pt or give us a call in at 347 850 8994 and hear all about the new publications and more. For info on Word of Mom visit the Word of Mom website, follow me on Twitter Dori_S1_Bags, join the Facebook fan page DoriS1Bags or email me dori.s1bags@gmail.com.

Empowering our Youth with Dr. Linette Daniels on Word of Mom

On Thursday January 20th at 2pmEST/11amPST I will be speaking with Dr. Linette Daniels on the Word of Mom show on BlogTalkRadio. Linette is a national speaker, author and coach who, for the past 20 years, has worked with youth from the cradle through college in a variety of arenas which include public school, child care, foster care, juvenile court, social services, and youth-serving organizations.

As a single parent, Linette used her vision to see infants’ progress into developmentally strong toddlers, academically prepared preschoolers, empowered youth and successful adults. This vision enabled her to raise 12 therapeutic foster care and 2 biological children.Dr. Daniels’ believes that given the right space, tools, and training, ALL youth can succeed and her favorite activity is showing youth “how” to start a business and create the life they want to live! For more information you can visit Linette at empoweringyouthforsuccess.com.

Please join us on Word of Mom on the 20th at 2pmET/11amPT or call us at 347 850 8994 as we talk about how you have a business - and your kids need one too! For more on Word of Mom, email me at dori.s1bags.com, follow me on Twitter at Dori_S1_Bags, on the Word of Mom Facebook fan page and on the web at Word of Mom.

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

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.

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!

Another Elevator Pitch Contest!

Well - I went to an event at The Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium sponsored by WCBS 880 News Radio - and low and behold - the evening included an Elevator Pitch Contest!

Let me back up - I have been invited to different networking events that WCBS has had in the past, and this was the first one I was able to attend. Couple that with it being at the new Yankee Stadium and my car practically drove itself to the event. There was an excellent turn-out and great contacts to make, so I smiled and started working the room!

About an hour into the event, I hear a voice that sounded like "The Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz" meaning a voice over the microphone and no one in sight!! Well, I worked my way down into the lower part of the room and there was Chad Lopez doing his thing. He welcomed everyone, acknowledged different companies that has tables there and announced the Elevator Pitch Contest. Needless to say, I was very excited about having a chance to pitch S1 at this event.

Happily, I was one of the people selected - and I won the contest! The prize - a free round of a 60 second commercial on WCBS 880 News Radio! How amazing is that!?! Not only does S1 get this very costly advertising for free - they want me to do the voice over for the commercial.

In deciding the best route to go, we are going to modify the voice over for our TV commercial and focus on the Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags and Backpack - adding that corporate branding is available for custom orders.

This is why it is so very important to have your Elevator Pitch down cold no matter where you are. You never know when you will have a chance to pitch the who, what, where, why, when and how of your company - and when the chance arises, you want to always be on top of your game.

I will keep you posted as to when we will be on the air! So remember - we are S1 - The CLEAR Advantage!

The Power of Twitter and On-Line Marketing!

I am completely amazed at the power of Twitter. The spectrum of people that you find tweeting back and forth is remarkable. Believe me, when Theresa - S1's Director of Finance - asked me if I was on twitter - I knew what a powerful tool this really is. If you knew Theresa and her lack of web-based marketing knowledge, you would understand. Needless to say, she was very happy to see that I am happily tweeting away.

As we launched our Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags I was checking on Google to see where we were ranking on the search engines imagine my surprise that all my blogging regarding the launch landed S1 fourth on the list! My blog - not our website - but my blog.

The power of On-Line marketing is literally right at your fingertips and there are great people out there to connect with that will be happy to walk you through things as you get started.

I was sharing information with a class at Gateway Community College in March and was amazed that to so many they don't realize that the www is for world wide web! The saying, "It's a small world" has never been more true than now.

The most important thing to realize is that we don't need to know it all - there are plenty of people out there that can share their knowledge with us - and believe me - they are happy to help.

So those of you on Twitter - my name is Dori_S1_Bags - follow along as we travel the online road together!!!

To Blog or Not To Blog...That is the Question!

To blog or not to blog...the ruling is still out on this one. Some people you speak to will say that blogging is an integral part of your online presence, others will say that blogging is becoming passe and that it is better to use twitter to get yourself out there.

Well - as someone who is finally getting the hang of blogging I just can't jump ship - I want to build this end of my social network, too.

The real question is - why can't you do both? Why can't we blog, tweet, tweem, post, be linkedin, facebook and the list goes on and on and on and on...I'm sure you get the point!

Ultimately, it seems to me that the more of a presence you have online, no matter what the forum, you are getting yourself out there and creating a splinter effect in the online community. Sooner or later something you are doing will be effective.

As someone who is striving to learn as much as possible to make my office as productive as it can be - even with gas going back to 2006 prices - I am going to continue with what I know, learn what I don't and defer to the experts and devote 2-3 hours per week to building an online presence.

Last week, I created our first holiday sale campaign for S1 bags! We are offering 25% off your entire order when you add the code - HH123 at checkout time. Happily, people are responding - please do so if you haven't already - you can do this by visiting www.s1bags.com.

No matter how you decide to promote yourself online, the most important thing is to be consistent. You can't create a presence if you are not present on a continuous basis - so blog, tweet, post, comment and share all that you are doing with your fellow networkers. It is the only way to make networking really work!

NFIB

Hello to all - I can't believe how much time has gone by and how much has happened since my last posting!

Since appearing on MSNBC I have been promoting not only S1 but other businesses and it is true - when you step out of your own way and work on building something for someone else - things just seem to fall into place. It is the whole abundance of the universe coming full circle.

The Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz invited me on her monthly cable show which will air for the month of September on each local access station in CT! The other guest on the show was Andrew Markowski from NFIB - the National Federation of Independent Business. What an amazing organization and one that I must encourage each and every independent business owner to join.

NFIB is the nation's leading small business association with offices in all 50 states. They are a very powerful network of grassroots activists who fight every day for the last 60 years to promote and protect free enterprise in America. NFIB is the leading force in the ongoing battle to safeguard the interests of independent business owners and again, I urge each of you to join so your voice is heard.

After taping the show I spoke with Andy to see what the NFIB could do for my small business. Well, long story to short, he invited me to become part of the Leadership Council Board of Directors and become one of the advocates fighting to make sure the voice of small business is heard. I'll keep you posted as to when this all takes place - so keep your fingers crossed.

I have to tell you - my political involvement has always been being informed enough to make an intelligent decision when I stepped into the voting booth - and that is it. The prospect of going up to Capital Hill - both here in CT and in DC is daunting and exciting at the same time - and I am going to give it my best shot.

For whatever it is worth - take a look at this organization that will not only make sure that your voice it heard but will promote you in their national publication which is printed 6 times a year.

Let me know what you think and I hope that your voice rings out loud and clear as a new member of NFIB. Tell them Dori sent you!!!

And The Pitch Goes On...

Well - the Elevator Pitch is one that just keeps on pitching!

Taking the advise of a colleague I emailed MSNBC about their Elevator Pitch Segment that airs on Sunday am on their Your Business show at 7:30. Long story short, they didn't even wait till they received a video copy of the pitch! Their producer went to our site and found our product "extremely compelling" and had a cancellation - so I am filming on Oct 2nd.

It is amazing to me that this one minute pitch has opened up so many doors for S1. I can't stress enough how much you owe it to your business to define the who, what, where, when, why and how of your company. Crystallizing your vision so others see its potential can bring you to clients you only dreamed of.

Once I have the air date I will post it here and hope you all tune in to hear my pitch! Together, we can make a difference!

The Elevator Pitch Finals!

Well - this is my first post in a while as I have been traveling. I returned from 10 days Rome, Sicily, Greece, Turkey and Crete - and then 2 days later flew to San Francisco for business - and came back with 3 days to prepare for exhibiting at the Small and Minority Business Showcase and to compete in the finals of the Elevator Pitch Contest sponsored by Microsoft and Instant Imprints on the 11th of Sept. Believe me - I had no idea what time zone I was even in - but was determined to put my best pitch forward.

For those of you who don't know what an elevator pitch is - it is a 30-60 second blurb about the who, what, why, where and how of your company. Who you are, what you do, why you are doing it, where your target marketplace is and how to reach you.

There were 3 finalists and they randomly drew names for presenting order and I was 2nd - the middle child - so a colleague leaned in and said - I'm the middle child, so you'll have to be the overachiever! The actual pitch is in the blog that preceeds this one - so I won't publish it again; I'd hate to be redundant.

Well - when all was said and done - I won the finals!!!!! It felt great and validating to be recognized by my peers as having the best pitch of the initial 28 companies that were cut to the top 3 - and I'll brag a bit and say that I won both of the contests.

So - that is my share for the day. A wonderful friend of mine, Maria says on her business voice mail for the Entrepreneurs Circle that they like to add something of value and will share a book or a quote of a Keiserism each day - so I hope I have added something of value to this blog by sharing how to put together a pitch for your company. You never know when you might be riding to the 40th floor with the CEO who could put your company on the map!

The Elevator Pitch

Hello fellow bloggers...
Here is the actual pitch that I used to win the contest. Hopefully it will encourage you to create a pitch that will excite people about your company and make them want to learn more - cause lets face it - that's what it is all about!

Hi I’m Dori DeCarlo, Founder and President of S1 – for Safety First.

S1 has a full line of clear bags and backpacks designed to assist with the safety measures being implemented in schools, offices, airports, sports arenas and other public venues.

After Columbine as a mom, I wanted to find a way to keep our schools safe and began S1with our Standard and Mini Backpack, Messenger Bag and Wheelchair Bag because I didn’t want to say to a child in a wheelchair, “Oh maybe someday we’ll make a bag for you.”

Our manufacturer uses the thickest materials available, offers a 3 year warranty and I worked with Chiropractors on the ergonomic design of our products all to ensure that S1 bags are CLEARLY the finest see through bags available worldwide.

We began with 4 bags and this fall numbers 15 and 16 hit the market - our Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag and Backpack that meet TSA requirements so travelers don’t need to remove their laptop when going through security.

Visit S1Bags.com or call me at 203 924 6577. We’re S1 – the CLEAR advantage!

Elevator Pitch Contest

Well - usually I am sharing information I have gleaned in my Internet travels but today I am doing just a bit of self-promotion - so bear with me. I am so excited to share that the CT Small and Minority Business Association had an Elevator Pitch Contest this morning and I won!

You had 60 seconds to give your pitch about your company - the who, what, why, when, and where and the top 3 aggregate scores won a free booth, sponsored by Microsoft, at the fall Small Business Showcase and I was the first place winner!!!! Check out our site www.s1bags.com and see what we are about and why our mission was compelling!

The contest was part of the Small and Minority Business Association out of the Secretary of State's Office and Harland Henry and his staff, Ashley Mala, Terra Jasper and Alex did an amazing job as always! Leslie Mara, Deputy Secretary of State was there to welcome all of us and learn more about of collective companies. I have said it before - I hope that other states are as lucky with their public officials and their staff as we are here in CT.

It was so cool and I was so proud that they understood the message and mission of S1 and that I had the highest score. #3 was a motivational speaker and #2 was a corporate story teller - so I was in very good company. Almost 30 different businesses were represented and it was amazing to see the diverse companies in CT.

The Host from Microsoft also chose me, before the winners were announced, as his favorite pitch and gave me the new split wireless keyboard and mouse as a prize. This is one of my first communications using it and it takes a bit of getting use to - but the ergonomic design is suppose to offer better support for your wrists and once you get the hang of it - it really is a great keyboard - with more launch buttons than a NASA board!!!

Anyway - I wanted to share the news with my new network of friends! Have a great day - and don't forget to develop that Elevator Pitch for your company - you never know when you might need it!

Making New Connections

Networking is such a powerful tool and you never know who is going to lead you to someone that is going to make a real difference in your business and your outlook. As a woman in business I sometimes find it surprising how reticent other women are in working together and sharing resources. I am not sure if it goes back to the dating competition or what - but it is sometimes disheartening to me to see women almost jockeying for space rather than gaining strength in alliances. This is not always the case, and hopefully it is getting better, but it still comes up.

Well - yesterday was NOT one of those days! I urge you all to take a look at the Entrepreneur Circle and their blog - http://resourceforbusiness.blogspot.com/ developed by an incredibly dynamic woman, Maria Keiser; she is a force to be reckoned with. We were suppose to meet for about an hour and four hours later had a hard time leaving! It is so uplifting to meet someone so focused in assisting others grow their businesses. As a person who is committed to making a difference we connected even before we met.

Again I am continuously amazed at how a mom like me who just wanted to keep our kids safe has gone on to meet the amazing people that I am connecting with. I've worked with my partners to take www.s1bags.com from 4 products to 16 in 4 short years! It just goes to show you that if you have a dream and make a commitment to make it a reality it can happen. Time is what it is and anything worth having must be worth working for - so don't focus on how long the journey is - focus on learning while on the journey - then the time won't matter.

I hope that this blog is working to make it easier to find resources to build your business and strengthen your networking connection - so join me on the journey. Together, we can make a difference.