1. Wear lipstick every day.

Yep, that is step one. Lipstick! We all have it, but we forget how impactful it can be. It immediately brightens your face, whites your teeth, and makes you look younger. If all you have on is lipstick and no other cosmetics you will easily pull off a more chic polished look.

2. No matter what you have on, it must create shape through the waist.

Studies in the laws of attraction and social power have shown that women who have a greater ratio between their waist and hips naturally appear more attractive and powerful…especially in business. This means that if you are hiding under shapeless jackets and boxy blouses you are giving all of your feminine power away. Your tops and jackets must contain either shape creating seams or a percentage of Lycra or Spandex that helps the fabric skim the body.

3. You must wear cute shoes!

Clunky shoes are a fashion albatross. With all of the adorable comfy options stacked high on the sale racks, there is no excuse for sporting basic business clod-hoppers. A feminine, colorful, even playful shoe speaks volumes about your style and puts a spring in your step.

4. Your handbag is your social barometer – choose wisely!

The days of matching shoes and handbags are over. This single accessory can change the entire mood of your outfit and offers a style boost like none other. Go for a modern bag that celebrates what you like and not necessarily what you have on. Don’t squander this ripe opportunity to make a big style statement. Push yourself into something bold and you are sure to seem saucier.

5. Every day, you need to incorporate something unexpected into your outfit.

Work the juxtaposition of textures, colors, patterns, and the tones of your garments. Building a little intrigue into your outfit is how you start to build style muscles. Going against the grain of things and having the courage to do the opposite of what would match or be expected can be both youthful and sophisticated. For example, choosing beautiful yellow accessories with a cobalt blue dress, instead of just wearing silver accessories, adds visual interest.

With her international best-selling book, STYLE ON A SHOESTRING, and more than 100 “fabulously frugal” makeovers on over 200 episodes of television airing in 14 countries, Andy Paige has earned the title “The Budget Bombshell” honestly. Andy’s extensive work on NBC’s Starting Over, TLC’s Ten Years Younger, STYLE Network’s How Do I Look, SOAP NET’s Soap Talk, and countless local network style segments have all made Andy the charming and sassy go-to gal for “thrifty-chic” fashion fixes and budget beauty help.

A celebrated, funny, interactive speaker, Andy recently completed a 50-city speaking tour reaching over 30,000 women, helping frugal girls “find their foxy” from coast to coast. Her dynamic message is clear and feeds the hungry ears of fashionistas worldwide, “You do NOT have to spend a fortune to look like a million!”

For more information about Andy Paige, visit her website at andypaige.com.

Animated virtual cards have been around for years, but in my opinion they are usually pretty cheesy with cartoon like graphics and corny music.

This card was nothing like that. Stunning, tasteful, and elegant are all words that come to mind when I think about this card. The website: Paperless Post.

When you receive the invitation in your email it looks like an envelope, personalized and addressed to you. Click the envelope to view the invitation and you are taken to a website where the envelope is animated to flip over, open up, and pop out your invitation. In the case of the invite we were sent, there was also a virtual RSVP card that we could fill out to easily announce to the host whether or not we could attend (which was very convenient!).

Paperless Post has cards for all occasions from parties, notes, bridal, save the date, thank you, holiday, love notes, plus other endless ideas not listed here.  They could even be great for your next promotion or announcement to your business e-mail list.

Some of the features we particularly enjoy are the ability to customize your invite, post your invite on your social media accounts, and track your stats (yes!) including open rates, bounces, rsvp’s, and comments, the ability to schedule automatic reminders and updates, and (our personal favorite) the ability to link your invitation to Eventbrite and sell tickets to events online.

Many of the cards are free, but there are also paid options as well. You can also upgrade your cards with additional bells and whistles for an additional fee.

Today’s communication is electronic, and Paperless Post’s invitations and announcements have the beauty and thoughtfulness of traditional cardstock, with the convenience and accessibility of today (not to mention they are eco friendly!).

Go to www.paperlesspost.com to create your first announcement. We know you will love it as much as we do!

Because of all of the cool tracking features we have been brainstorming how we could use these e-cards in our business to generate sales.  What are your ideas as to how you could use them in yours?  Let us know in the comments below.

You may have lost a parent, had a miscarriage, gone through a divorce, lost your job, sent your last child to college, find yourself crying over the death a beloved pet, and the list goes on.

And yet, you still have your life to live, work to do, and family to take care of. How to do that when you are hurting so?

Here are 5 strategies for comfort:

• Establish your own support team – While we most often grieve alone; we heal in community. Share what you are experiencing with people who are compassionate, caring, non-judgmental and care about you. If you are struggling to get through the day, consider a therapist with expertise in grief. Even a few sessions can make a world of difference.
• Double, triple your self-care – You may look fine on the outside, but grieving is like an internal accident. If your arms and legs were broken and everyone could see, you’d be in the hospital resting. So know that you may need to cut back activities. Listen to your body. Gentle exercise, rest, and healthy food is key.
• Express yourself – Dancing, painting, cooking, writing, journaling – anything creative that you love can be incredibly healing.  It’s no surprise that Monet’s best works, those amazing gigantic canvases of water lilies from Giverny, came after the deaths of his wife and son.
• Explore your spirituality – The very nature of suffering is to develop compassion. This is an excellent time to lean into your grief; rely on your faith; and to explore the depths of life.
• Go gently and know you will get through this on your own timetable – To lean into your grief recovery, here is an inspired “recipe” from psychologist Mark Goulston:

1. Cry
2. Scream
3. Shriek
4. Reach out to others
5. Reach into yourself
6. Sob
7. Take a deep breath
8. Whimper
9. Rest
10. Repeat as often as needed and until you know you will be OK.

Pioneering life and executive coach, Debbie Phillips, started Women on Fire in 2003 after working with hundreds of clients to successfully achieve rewarding and fulfilling lives and careers.  Her dream was to connect her phenomenal clients to each other so they could share what they were “on fire” about. The “blaze” took wind and the circle of women has expanded into a national and soon-to-become international organization.

For more information, and to learn about becoming a member of Women on Fire, please click here.

Feature photo provided by: Rob Berkley

What failures have you overcome? What disappointments have you had? How can your negative experiences help other people? What kind of effective systems have you developed for solving problems?

After going through a particularly difficult period of my life, I decided to help women similar to me overcome the same issues. I would share what I learned about re-empowerment. I started a community group at a social networking site (before anyone knew what social networking even was). But it was different than most groups. I positioned myself as the “expert”.

I found a free community room to use for my meetings. There are lots of places in your local area that will allow you to use free community rooms, or you can rent them for a low fee. Sometimes they’ll even have flipcharts, markers, and audio visual stuff to use. There are so many resources out there, it’s crazy. Just look.

At my first event, five people showed up. It doesn’t matter how many people show up at first. This is about consistency and building your tribe. Week after week, more people came. After a couple of months, some of the women asked to purchase audio meditations, visualizations, and my Journal of Appreciation. This is when I realized this could be a business. I created my own products and began coaching. I’d effectively turned the darkest points of my life and what are my solutions into a blessing in the lives of other women…and I got paid for it!

Maritza Parra is an author, speaker, and trainer who’s passionate about helping people empower themselves and take their ideas out of their heads to turn them into profits. After being featured on “Oprah & Friends: The Soul Series”, Maritza became an expert at creating products quickly via TeleSeminars, eBooks, Video, and other Easy Product Creation Strategies. Known as the Product Creation Queen, Maritza now teaches her students how to create products from their gifts, knowledge, and talents.

For more information about Maritza Parra, visit her website at maritzaparra.com.

Why is saying no so hard? Celeste Chua of The Personal Excellence Blog suggests that fear has a lot to do with it: We fear seeming rude, we fear conflict, disappointment, and burning bridges, or we may fear that it may limit future opportunities. But the biggest reason it’s hard to say no may be our kind hearts, as most of us want to help others even at our own expense. We feel guilty for saying no. Yet over commitment leads to stress, burn-out, and even illness, so it’s important to figure this out.

The bottom line is saying no more often is healthy. Time is a finite, precious resource and by saying no more often, we have the time we need for ourselves and our own priorities. Saying no allows us to honor existing obligations and devote energy and focus to them. Saying no also opens the door for someone else to step up and say yes to the opportunity.

Dr. Susan Mathison strives to be a loving mother, successful business owner, gentle teacher, empowering speaker, passionate artist, insightful writer, caring philanthropist, part-time farm wife, and aspiring self-care junkie. As a seeker and lifelong learner, Dr. Mathison shares her journey and opinions with you.

Additionally, Dr. Mathison created PositivelyBeautiful.com to empower women to build a life-style that supports them in a multi-faceted way. She feels that healthcare starts from within, and that health is our greatest natural resource. Dr. Mathison feels that true beauty is health made visible, and radiates from within.

For more information about Dr. Susan Mathison, visit her website at PositivelyBeautiful.com.

My name is Holli Rovenger and I am the creator and founder of Enthroned Empress, Inc. and Empowering Women Monthly. I strive to empower women to become the best they can be, especially in the area of being proactive with their finances.

What ONE THING do you think gives a woman the “BUZZ” worthy factor?

Challenging oneself and taking ACTION.

What three female celebrities do you think we could learn from – and what ONE sentence lesson do they teach us?

Barbara Streisand – Always stand up for what you believe in.
Barbara Walters – Share the information you learn from others with the world.
Carrie Underwood – Never give up on your talent.

To date, what has been the biggest obstacle that you have had to
overcome in order to succeed?

Starting over at 54 physically, emotionally and financially.

What do you enjoy the most about being a woman entrepreneur?

Meeting new people, connecting, networking, and helping others.

What ONE success tip or strategy can you leave us with?

Expand your vision and stretch your comfort zone as often as possible AND always have a positive mindset so you can live healthier, wealthier, and happier with passion!

What is the last book you read and what was your #1 takeaway?

Hmmm…for pleasure I just finished The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. Even that has a strong message. Key Takeaway: Never underestimate the power of focus and determination; also, never judge a book by its cover.

Timeline Image Tool lets you create your own image, add text, then upload it automatically to your Facebook page for free!

In the Timeline Image Tool there is a library of images you can use to create beautiful custom timeline images, or you can upload your own image for a more personalized look. With all of the image, font, and color options, there are endless possibilities to create great Facbook app images that match your brand.

It doesn’t need to be hard to change those little images on your Facebook Timeline Page. Check out www.TimeLineImageTool.com, a FREE tool to help you design and create Facebook Timeline Images in a Snap!

Mara Glazer is a marketing and social media strategist, public speaker, and like many of her fans, followers, and friends, highly successful woman entrepreneur.

Mara is the creator and founder of thebizzybuzz.com, the #1 online community for bizzy women entrepreneurs who want to grow their business and live their best life.

To truly experience compassion it requires the hollowing out of the SELF to be filled with the sense, the implication, and the acceptance of what motivates others.

Compassion is the greatest trait of a successful business leader. Having total understanding for the depth of someone else’s feelings, and recognizing his or her strengths is a key component to leading.

Are you a compassionate leader? Have you been too busy lately to stop and think how your actions are affecting others? Here are three areas in which your business could benefit from compassion:

1. Compassion for…Change.

Perhaps what once worked no longer works? Accepting that change is inevitable, and embracing a willingness to be flexible will make for better business relationships. Every industry is changing due to countless external factors. Today you must be quick and nimble.

2. Compassion for…Your Client.

Have you climbed inside the mind of your client lately? What is keeping them up at night? Choose ONE issue that many of your clients struggle with. How could you combine your great talents, technology and their need for a novel solution?

3. Compassion for…Yourself.

Most of all, remember yourself in all you do and have compassion for the person you are and the person you are becoming. In this community of healers, artists, spiritual teachers, and service-minded entrepreneurs, we are notorious (and not in a good way) for putting everyone – our partner, kids, friends, clients – in front of our own needs.

Baeth Davis is Founder and CEO of The Hand Analyst, Inc., a company devoted to helping you, the spirit-rich™ entrepreneur, unleash your Life Purpose and get paid for your passions so that you can BE the change you want to see in the world!

Baeth is devoted to helping you unleash your life purpose and uncover the #1 thing that has been holding you back from achieving it.

For more information about Baeth Davis, please visit her website at www.YourPurpose.com.