Cemone Glinton

March Feature: Latoya Nicole Mason

· We've been gone for a few months, in the kitchen thinking of new ways we can share and work with you. I'm so happy to introduce to you this amazing mompreneur. Meet Latoya Nicole Mason and be inspired by her tips, experience and advice on how she manages life, family, school and business. It's my pleasure to introduce to you Latoya Mason.

Name of Company: Nikki Noelle Events and Design

· Years in Business: 5 years

WHY: Tell us why you started your business/blog – etc: My first project was a diaper cake I made for a friend. I enjoyed making it so much that I started doing more and posting them. Then people started requesting them and it just started as a thing. It has now grown into event planning and shoe embellishments.
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher, not sure why
What was your first business idea? Diaper cakes. That was what I was good at.
What do you wish you knew before starting your business? It will take a long time to refine your skills.
What did you learn from your worse boss? Always stand up for yourself or else you will get ran over!
What’s your highest level of education? High School, currently pursuing Bachelor’s degree
Who inspires you and why? Michelle Obama. I love her fashion style, just so classy. More importantly, I love the type of woman she is, how she loves Barack and the girls, how elegant she is, how poised she is, and just how real she is. I just love her.
Top 3 books to reading? It seems right now all I have been reading are school related books or 3^rd grade related books so I’ll get back to you on this one. Lol
What are you currently reading? Second Chances by Pat Smith
Let’s Talk About Business:
What was your strangest marketing experiment? Walking around placing flyers on cars in the parking lot of a Babies R Us
How do you maximize social media? I post as often as I can. But not an annoying amount even if it’s nothing to do with a product people just like to see you doing you they can relate to that.
What did you learn from your biggest failure? PLAN! Plan before you purchase I have wasted so much money on unnecessary purchases.
How important is it for you to do your best? Very! My name and reputation is on the line. If it’s not my best work, I’ll start over. I’ve been up overnight working on products before.
How do you feel about failures? What does it mean to fail? To fail only means you haven’t figured out a way. I can accept failure; I will never accept defeat.
Any money saving tips? Again, plan and write down before you make purchases.
How do you do it? Write everything down and keep receipts!
Where do you find inspiration? My daughter. I do it for her. She deserves a beautiful life and a mother who inspires her to do her best with class and poise. My business is named after her (Noelle). She inspires me every day. I also find inspiration from other mompreneurs and women who have gone through what I am.
As an entrepreneur/ mompreneur how do you balance? It’s hard! Scheduling and a planner helps. If I know today is my day to work of something specific, stick to that and minimize distractions. Also, prioritize. Work on what needs to be finished first. I also pray, meditate, do yoga, and run.
How is it being an entrepreneur/ mompreneur running a business, working, or going to school? Overwhelming at times. I do all three. But you must want it! You just must.
What advice would you give other entrepreneur/ mompreneur? It’s not going to happen overnight. If you want to be an entrepreneur to make some quick money, good luck. It must be your passion!
With the kids and other things happening in your life, where and when do you find the time to work on your craft/business/ study? My daughter comes first. Whatever she needs is first. You must multi-task. I can be cooking dinner and calling out spelling words to her. Or reading a homework assignment between working on a shoe. You must get it in where you can fit it in. Be creative.

LOVE:
What’s it like dating and being an entrepreneur/ mompreneur? It helps in a way. Because I’m so busy, I don’t have time for anything that isn’t worth my time. So, it kind of naturally weeds out the ones who aren’t serious. However, because I’m always on the go, I never have time to look up and see anyone. Lol. I’m dating now and he is very understanding.
Other:
· Sometimes you have to make tough decisions whether it’s personal, family, relationships or business. Do you ever feel misunderstood? Give examples or details. All the time. When God gives you a purpose, it’s not for everyone to understand. Everybody is not going to get you or like you. But faith in what you are called to do is the key. Keep focus on your purpose.
· How important would you say is having a support system? Who’s a part of your circle? You got to have at least one person to bounce ideas off and receive encouragement from. My sister. I run a lot of ideas by her. Also, my best friend and boyfriend.
· Have you ever felt judged being a entrepreneur/ mompreneur? How? When? People will judge you for simply not having a 9 – 5. We’ve been so conditioned to think that a career is the only way to earn a living. And when people see that you aren’t balling after the first month or year, they think you have failed. But perseverance is required for entrepreneurship. It’s not an overnight success story always. It takes years. But the freedom gain is priceless.
· What’s one thing you’d like all of us entrepreneur/ mompreneur to know? Don’t quit because it’s hard. It’s going to be hard. Cry, pray, scream, shout, slow down, take a break, do whatever you must do. But if it is your passion, don’t quit!

Finally:

Tell us how to find you:

· FB Nikki Noelle Events and Design

· IG @nikkinoelledeisngs

· Email: nikkinoelle@hotmail.com

· Hastags you live by: #prettywithapurpose

Nominate: Know of another entrepreneur/ mompreneur who has a great story – Nominate her –

I hereby nominate ___@tstrib29_______________________

Mentoring & Guidance Opportunities

Three Things Every Mom Should Know When Starting Her Business

So many mistakes, so many things I wish I knew. If I could do it all over again I would but I cannot. Even in the information age where everything can be found on Google it's still possible to screw up and do it royally. I remember when I started my business I purchased so many subscriptions; I was paying for this and that and not making any money. I tried a little bit of everything, I remember paying for a fax number every month for about 6 months when I rarely sent faxes much less received them. I had to learn quickly that it wasn't about how much you spent but how much I kept. This week I'm sharing with you my top three lessons I had to learn when I started my business.

#1 Cash is king - I just said it, it's about how much money you can keep. Cut back on all of the UN -necessary services that you know you don't need.

#2 Build relationships and partnerships - It's all about who you know. People do business with individuals they trust and are familiar with.

#3 Keep good records - Come up with a record keeping system and use it! You never know when you may have to locate something from 3-4 years ago. Services such as Google Drive and Dropbox are great for this.

As moms it's natural for us to be overly prepared. In business I think it's a little different you have to really weigh the pros and cons of details especially when it comes to money. Overspending can hurt and cripple your business. If you haven't already create a business plan and use it as your guide, have your financial planner or someone with experience review it. Implementing these small details can save you time and wasted dollars. Take it from someone who has wasted hundreds.

October Feature: Honey Shea Sulich

She made me cry! Such a powerful and empowering story. She is the owner and operator of Honey Shea Studios. What I loved the most about my interview with Honey was her openness to share her story and journey as an entrepreneur. I'm so excited to share my interview with you. She is an amazing woman, and mompernuer. It's my pleasure to introduce you to Octobers' mompernuer Honey Shea Sulich.

· Name: Honey Shea Sulich

· Name of Company: Honey Shea Studios

· Years in Business: 2yrs

· WHY: Tell us why you started your business/blog – etc: There came a point in my life where my skills and talents weren’t being used to there fullest potential. I knew I had a lot to offer so I started putting them to good use for myself. By the encouragement of my husband, who was deployed in Kuwait, asked me what do you like to do? My answer was I enjoy being creative.

Listen To The Audio Interview

The Easy Questions:

· When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher

· What was your first business idea? Social Media Manager

· What do you wish you knew before starting your business? Being my own personal accountant

· What did you learn from your worse boss? How not to treat your employees. Everyone should be treated equally

· What’s your highest level of education? I left high school after the 10^th grade. I have tried at least 5 attempts to obtain my GED. Scored higher every time but never met the passing score. It was so heartbreaking. My ex husband for years told me I was dumb and I would never amount to anything. When I couldn’t pass my GED I started to believe he was right. But friends, as much as I felt defeated I have never given up on achieving it. I have recently learned I’m dyslexic, which explains why school was so hard, and why reading comprehension is the toughest for me.

· Who inspires you and why? I have so many wonderful people around me that inspire me everyday. The storms they weather. The mountains they climb. With my heavenly Father carring me through every trial and test.

· Top 3 books to read this summer? Chatter Box, Girl Boss and Perfect over perfection. ( all audible books ) >> what a brilliant invention for someone like me

· What are you currently reading? Wild and Free

Let’s Talk About Business:

· How do you maximize social media? Instagram is my jam right now. But I use them all. Currently working on a google ad. But I use all forms of social media available.

· What did you learn from your biggest failure? Payment first before starting a custom project.

· How important is it for you to do your best? Very important

· How do you feel about failures? They used to get the best of me but not anymore. What does it mean to fail? I’m not perfect we all make mistakes but you have to take a step back and try to learn form those mistakes and failures.

· Any money saving tips? I have currently managed to do this business on cash with NO loans.

How do you do it?

· Where do you find inspiration? God

· As a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) how do you balance? Prayer, Meditation and devotions.

· How is it being a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) running a business, working, or going to school? You have to create structure and balance

· What advice would you give other (single mompreneurs / mompreneurs)? Pursue your dreams!

· With the kids and other things happening in your life, where and when do you find the time to work on your craft/business/ study?

Tell us how to find you:

· FB >> Honey Shea Studios

· IG >> @honeysheastudios

· Website: honeysheastudios.com

· Email: honey@honeysheastudios.com

Hastags you live by: #communityovercompetition

It's All A Learning Experience

If you're anything like me when you make a mistake you're pretty hard on yourself. As I grow in my business I'm learning to embrace my failures, learn from them and move forward. If I cannot become better from my mistakes then I have not learned anything. This week blog post is short and sweet I want you to remember this: When you learned to ride a bike, you probably fell a few times BUT you got right back up and kept going until you were able to ride without falling, help from others or training wheels. Well it's the same thing with life and business, when you make a mistake you learn from it! You don't quit, hide or blame someone else you learn from your mistake(s) and you keep going. CG

September Feature: Tonya Parker

Name: Tonya Parker
Name of Company: Singlemomchiclife.com
Years in Business: 1
Hashtags you live by: #singlemomchiclife #truth #goals

Listen To The Audio Interview:

WHY: Tell us why you started your business/blog – etc: I started my blog after publishing my book Single Mom Chic about my experiences as a former single mom. I received so much feedback from readers about how they were inspired by the book and I wanted another way to connect with readers on a more personal level.

The Easy Questions:

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? A counselor. I am a school counselor and I love it.
What was your first business idea? My daughter and I had an online designer consignment business.
What do you wish you knew before starting your business? That it takes time to really build your business and clientele. We had an okay first year but I was very impatient.
What did you learn from your worse boss? How not to treat people. I always want anyone who works with or for me to feel valued and feel a connection with what we’re presenting to to the world.
What’s your highest level of education? Master's Degree
Who inspires you and why? Oprah, Steve Jobs and my daughters. I love Oprah’s story of survival and success and I admire Steve Jobs’ dedication and laser like focus. I admire both of my daughters for their creativity and authenticity. They aren’t afraid to think differently.
Top 3 books to read this summer? Here’s to Us, Grit, and The Mindfulness Key
What are you currently reading? All 3 listed above.

Let’s Talk About Business:

What was your strangest marketing experiment? A giveaway. I didn’t know that people actually make a living entering giveaways. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I thought it was more organic. I was a little disappointed when a man won my first Single Mom Chic giveaway. I was hoping it would go to a single mom.
How do you maximize social media? I am a little late to the Instagram party but I am loving it. I am still growing a following but I love connecting with other moms and bloggers. I know there are ways to increase your following but I love that mine has grown organically. I am all about authenticity. I use Facebook a lot as well.
What did you learn from your biggest failure? Don’t give up, find another way.
How important is it for you to do your best? Very important. I pride myself on always giving my all.
How do you feel about failures? What does it mean to fail? I think that failure is really a route to success. You can’t fail if you don’t try and you can’t succeed without trying which will inevitably lead to some failure.
Any money saving tips? Be minimalist but invest in quality. You aren’t really saving money if you are constantly replacing things. Spend more time doing and less time buying. I am working on that second tip myself.

How do you do it?

Where do you find inspiration? Everywhere! News, social media, print, friends, coworkers, etc.
As a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) how do you balance? Organization and scheduling. I plan out my days and keep myself on a pretty structured schedule.
How is it being a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) running a business, working, or going to school? I was a single mom for 13 years and it was tough to balance it all but I did. I got two kids through school and into college and finished three degrees myself.
What advice would you give other (single mompreneurs / mompreneurs)? Build your team. I talk about that in my book Single Mom Chic. I couldn’t have made it through my single mom journey without support from my friends and family. You don’t have to do it alone!
With the kids and other things happening in your life, where and when do you find the time to work on your craft/business/ study? I make it a priority and post to social media daily and write blog posts on the weekends. I have a full time job but I used to teach part time at the local community college. When I moved I decided to let that go and make blogging a priority so now I have hung up my professor hat and blogging is my other job.

LOVE:

What’s it like dating and being a single mom? I wrote a whole chapter on it in my book. It’s probably one of my favorites. It was definitely interesting and I have 13 years worth of stories. I think it is a little more difficult because you have more to consider. It isn't “is this person good for me” it’s “is this person good for us”.
Challenges? I was definitely less forgiving in what I would accept in a long term mate because I had to make sure my daughters had the best person in their liv

es too.

Other:

Sometimes you have to make tough decisions whether it’s personal, family, relationships or business. Do you ever feel misunderstood? Give examples or details. Not really, I am pretty straightforward and very decisive. I am kind of the go to person when someone else needs to make a tough decision.
How important would you say is having a support system? Who’s a part of your circle? Again, building your team is a chapter in my book. I think it is essential. My parents, my brothers, my best friend and her husband, coworkers and other single mom friends were all a part of my team.
Have you ever felt judged being a single mother? How? When? Sure, It is one of the reasons I wrote the book. I wanted to show other single moms that you didn’t have to listen to the naysayers and your children aren't doomed to be statistics.
What’s one thing you’d like all of us non single moms to know about single motherhood? Sisterhood is essential. If you have a circle of friends don’t exclude single moms. They have as much to give as anyone else. My relationship with my married best friend was reciprocal. We did a lot of family activities together but I had their daughter over for play-dates and sleepovers as often as they had mine. It was a give and give relationship. Oh, and don’t worry they don’t want your husbands. Single moms want single guys!

Finally:

Tell us how to find you:

FB Single Mom Chic
IG @Singlemomchic
Website: singlemomchiclife.com
Email:latonyam.parker@gmail.com
My book Single Mom Chic is available on Amazon

Steps To Reaching A Goal

We’re mid -way through the year, it’s amazing how time flies. Are you on track for accomplishing your goals? Have you added new goals? Or Have you forgotten the goals written on the notepad from earlier in the year? As a single mom running a business having goals is a part of everything I do. I have goals for myself, family and business. Sometimes I’m on point and other times I’m not; but I keep at it. There is a strategy to reaching and accomplishing goals, as I go through my entrepreneurial journey i’m learning and applying these strategies. This week i’ll share with you my top three strategies I've learned so far.

Be realistic with yourself: Let’s say your goal is to sell 100K by the end of the year; however, you’ve never even sold 10K. That’s not realistic, you can sell 100K however; you have to build to this nothing happens overnight.

Set small goals: Set small goals that lead to the big goal. Little accomplishments will boost and keep you excited. Small wins will help to reach the big goal, don’t forget to celebrate your wins, it’s important to do this, it helps to keep you focused and excited.

Tracking: You want to make sure you’re tracking everything you do, keep a log or journal. It’s important to log your wins and losses. Go back to your log and see what you can pull out of it, what lessons you can learn and reapply.

5 to Dos’ For Every Mompreneur”

All businesses have their challenges. Running a business and being a single mom is a circus and a juggle. With back to school shopping at my doorstep I find myself being pulled multiple ways every day! Like any responsible parent I’m making sure my son is set and ready for his new venture into middle school. I still can't believe it, he's in middle school! Meanwhile, I have to maintain my family, myself, clients,weddings, and everything else in between. Most days, I'm so happy to finally sit down, put my feet up and have a full glass of wine. My personal key to saying balance and focused is: finding what works and working the hell out of it! This week I want to give you my “Five to Dos’ For Every Mompreneur”

Delegate: Know the difference between non – income and income producing activities. You don’t have to do everything. Don’t be afraid to ask and accept help.

A Good Accountant -- Someone who will help you make decisions to prepare for the growth of your company. There will come a time when you won’t be able to handle your taxes on your own. Get in the habit of visiting and meeting with you CPA.

A Smart Phone –I have a love and hate for my smart phone. My smart phone helps me stay on track, gives access to my calendar, and clients. It’s great for the on the go and busy mom.

Set aside 10-15 minutes just for you. You're no good to anyone if you're not well rested and focused. Make it a priority to take a little time for you. A simple pedicure goes a long way.

Be 100% Present: I recently learned this lesson, our kids will not always tell us but they want our attention. They want us to listen to them, play with them and even hug them. Take a day or two and just hang out. It’s worth it!

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