INDIE Business Podcast

No matter who you are or where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, you can give back even if you don't have a lot of money. Today's guest will share how she created a non-profit project to do just that. Along with some fellow artisan soapmakers, Amanda Gail launched the "Lovin' Soap Project" in 2013 to empower women in Haiti to learn how to make soap so they could start their own businesses. The project has been a huge success, and Amanda and her team are a supreme example of how you can collaborate with others to help others be successful as you also grow your own business. Amanda shares the Lovin' Soap story and her tips for getting started with your own ideas, along with mistakes you'll want to avoid as you build something wonderful!

It's no secret that the way we are working is changing. More people than ever work remotely even if they have a traditional job. For creative entrepreneurs, the flexibility of being able to work anywhere is irreplaceable. It's even better when you consider that we can hire people to work for us from anywhere, and all they need is a Wi-Fi connection. Scott Berkus, author of The Future of Work, joins us to share what he learned from working at the flexible work enviroinment of Automattic, Inc., home of Wordpress. We'll discuss how he adapted to a non-traditional work environment and what you can do in your business to make all this workplace flexibility work for you as you hire people who value freedom and flexibility as part of their work lifestyle.

Buyers have changed the way they buy, but are you paying attention? Do you know how to map out your target market's buying process so you can position your products and services to make them more appealing to potential buyers? If the answer is not a definitive, "yes," then don't miss this show where dM and her guest, Kristin Zhivago, will reveal tips for selling methods that really work, so you can stop wasting your time and money on ones that don't work. About Kristin Zhivago Kristin Zhivago is a "revenue coach" whose clients range from thriving young start-ups to those in the Fortune 500, including Dow Jones, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson, and the fastest-growing companies, including Bazaarvoice and Eloqua. Kristin Zhivago is a leading expert on the customer’s buying process.

Today's podcast with Carrie Wilkerson has been postponed due to a scheduling error (on my part). A new date will be announced shortly!  I am sorry for any inconvenience. Thanks! These days, everyone wants to own a business. And you know me -- everyone can and should! But wanting and doing are two different things. On today's show, Donna Maria and her guest Carrie Wilkerson, will discuss the difference between the two and also, how to avoid the most common mistakes people make when starting a business from home. About Carrie Wilkerson Carrie Wilkerson is a coach and advisor to people who want to achieve extrta income and career goals while working from home and keeping their priorities intact. She is the author of "The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide To Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom." Her passion is teaching others how to "fill their stadium" with fans to that marketing is easy and business is abundant.

Welcome to the social media age! The social web is spreading across all business sizes and functions, impacting the way they communicate, operate, organize, and create value. A comprehensive digital strategy is essential for businesses hoping to build this new form of competitive advantage, and our guest today, Larry Weber, is going to share tips to help us develop and refine ours. About Larry Weber Larry Weber is founder and chairman of W2 Group, a next-generation marketing services ecosystem organized to help marketing officers in their new roles of online community builders and content aggregators. W2 Group companies Digital Influence Group, Racepoint Group and Two Martinis are leaders in social media marketing in paid and unpaid media. For the past thirty years, Larry has advised hundreds of companies of all different sizes and industries, helping them to navigate a wide spectrum of business challenges and marketing opportunities. Along the way, he founded Weber Shandwick, one of the largest public relations agency in the world. His experience has afforded him a crow's nest view of the evolution of marketing, reputation management, influence and brand that inspires his vision today. Larry lives with his wife and three children in Massachusetts

Have you noticed that some small business owners are far more profitable than others -- even when they sell pretty much the exact same product? Why is that? What do the more profibable businesses do that the less profitable ones don't? What can you learn (and apply) about their habits to make your business more profitable? We answer those questions and more on this show, with guest Patricia Sigmon, author of "Six Steps To Creating Profit." About Patricia Sigmon Patricia Sigmon is founder and president of LPS Consulting, a 30-year-old technology firm that specializes in creating technology solutions for small to midsize businesses, with profit generation and return on investment as the focus. She is a successful entrepreneur, a sought-after speaker, and a leading expert in the field of profit management.

It's the start of a New Year, a super time reassess your marketing habits and make sure you take full advantage of what our guest calls the "new relationship" marketing! If you're wondering how to best position yourself and your business to ride this exciting wave of new marketing opportunities, then don't miss this interview with the one and only Mari Smith, author of In The New Relationship Marketing: How to Build a Large, Loyal, Profitable Network Using the Social Web. About Mari Smith Mari Smith is a passionate social media leader, specializing in relationship marketing and Facebook mastery. Fast Company describes her as "a veritable engine of personal branding, a relationship marketing whiz and the Pied Piper of the Online World." Mari travels extensively nationally and internationally as an accomplished social media speaker and trainer, and is considered one of the top resources and thought leaders in the world of new media marketing.

While the holiday season can be an especially stressful time, small business owners manage an extraordinary amount of pressure all year long. But you don't need to live in a constant state of overwhelm and anxiety in order to thrive in your life and your business.   About Gina Rafkind I like to call Gina the "Anxiety-Busting Guru." She helps women establish new paths of "being" so they can enjoy their lives more. Through guided meditations, e-books, workshops, and transformational life coaching, Gina's work helps women transform stress and anxiety into positive forces for good in their live, so they can have more fun and experience more success in buisness and in life.

How To Eat Clean During The Holidays OK, so it's December, and that means cakes, cookies, pies and all kinds of scrumptious goodies. But does watching your weight mean you cannot indulge during the holidays? Tiffany McCauley says, NO, and she's here to share her best tips for enjoying the festive food of the season without ruining your figure. About Tiffany McCauley Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Tiffany McCauley is a soon-to-be published cookbook author (January 8, 2012), and is in school to become a registered dietitian. She publishes TheGraciousPantry.com and SkinnyCrockPot.com (which she co-authors with Gale Compton). Both blogs offer clean eating recipes, tips, weight loss support and encouragement.

The holidays are here, and soon, we'll all be talking about making 2012 a more fit year than 2011. But how do you do that? What changes to you need to make, and how do you make them? Well, we're not waiting until 2012 -- we're starting today with a fitness expert who can help us amp up our fitness levels starting right now! About Teri Lang Patterson Teri is the founder of Body Systems Skin Care Company and the Body Systems Fit Club. As a certified fitness instructor for over a decade, Her passion is helping people look and feel better through fitness and quality skin and body care products. She enjoys yoga, kick boxing, goft, P90X and ice hockey. (Yes, ice hockey.)

Donna Maria interviews Phil Simon, author of The Age Of The Platform about how to set up a platform for your business, and use it to create future opportunities to grow and have more fun! About Phil Simon Phil Simon consults with companies on how to optimize their use of technology. He also speaks about emerging trends and technologies and writes for several technology-oriented media outlets. He holds degrees from Cornell University and Carnegie Mellon University. More at www.theageoftheplatform.com.

Donna Maria interviews Adelaide Lancaster, co-author of  The Big Enough Company about having a "big enough company." Bigger is not always better. Growth does not mean the same thing for every small business owner. If you need some encouragement to grow your busines according to your definition, not someone else's, be sure to join us for this discussion!

Donna Maria interviews Jim Beach, co-author of School for Startups: The Breakthrough Course for Guaranteeing Small Business Success in 90 Days or Less. Jim says you can have a business and a life, and you don't have to sacrifice one for the other. Even more, he says you can learn everything you need to be successful in any business in about 90 days. OK, I'll bite. Join me!

This show is sponsored by BellaLucce.com, globally inspired skincare. Donna Maria interviews Laurie Beth Jones, author of The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life and other books, about how you can achieve your highest goals and potential in business and in life, including the three key elements of a successful mission statement.

Donna Maria interviews Dr. Linda Henman, author of Landing in the Executive Chair: How to Excel in the Hot Seat, about how small business CEOs can lead their companies with excellence and intention.

Donna Maria interviews Stephen D. Rappaport, author of Listen First!: Turning Social Media Conversations Into Business Advantage, a playbook for marketing and advertising successfully in our conversational era. About Stephen Rappaport Stephen Rappaport , Advertising Research Foundation Knowledge Solutions Director, is responsible for creating the knowledge resources, tools and services which help members build brands. Steve is the lead author of the best-selling The Online Advertising Playbook: Proven Strategies and Tested Tactics from the Advertising Research Foundation.  Why You Should Tune In Tune in to learn more about the tools, winning plays, and proven tactics for listening and to hear more about Steve's decades of experience in listening, through harvesting online content, media content analysis, issues analysis, text analytics and unstructured data management.

Donna Maria interviews Social Media Minute host, author of The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths and 8 Monumental Truths, and IronMan to sieze some of his social media success tips. Don't miss this amazing show where we'll explore the mind of someone who has used social media to highlight his accomplishments and help others be healthier and more successful in life and in business.

Donna Maria interviews Susan Gunelius, author of "The Complete Idiots Guide to Wordpress" providing users of both its hosted blogging service (WordPress.com) and its self-hosted application (WordPress.org) with everything they need to know to create (or switch from another blog application), customize, manage, and share their WordPress blogs with the world.

Donna Maria and Julie Steelman, author of "The Effortless Yes!", discuss a relationship-based approach to the sales process. Julie Steelman is the go-to guru for entrepreneurs who want to master the art of selling and maximize their bankability. If the sales process scares you, join us for tips on streamlining your process and conquering your fear.

All Times are EST! Donna Maria interviews Dave Kerpen, author of "Likeable Social Media," a small business's guide to leveraging social media to win new customers, gather valuable feedback, and increase the bottom line. About Dave Kerpen Dave Kerpen is the cofounder and CEO of Likeable Media, an award-winning social media and word-of-mouth marketing firm. Dave and his wife and COO Carrie have transformed theKBuzz (founded in 2006) into Likeable, 1 of Facebookís Top 65 Preferred Developer Consultants as well as the only 3-time WOMMY Award winner for excellence from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA). Dave has been featured on CNBCís ìOn the Moneyî, ABC World News Tonight, the CBS Early Show, the New York Times, and countless blogs. Dave is backed by a team of social media thought leaders who collectively have managed over 250 accounts on Facebook and other social networks, for brands such as Verizon FiOS, 1-800 Flowers.com, Neutrogena, Uno Chicago Grill, The Pampered Chef, and Heineken. Why You Should Tune In Tune in to learn more about the secret to successful word-of-mouth marketing on the social web by being likeable.