I have been fortunate enough in my journey to have connected with some wonderful people and resources who have helped guide my way.  I encourage you to visit the websites below to find an abundance of good reading and a wealth of supportive communities, brimming with women who are taking the leap right alongside you.

Start Up Nation is one of the nation's largest online communities dedicated to small business. Join their forums to chat with other entrepreneurs or browse their extensive collection of resources and articles.

Ladies Who Launch is a nationwide network of groovy women that are blazing new trails in the business world. They offer local, short-term incubators to help you get your ideas off the ground, plus a series of nationwide "Ladies Who Launch Live!" events to get you motivated. With this group, it's all about the networking...

The LifeStyle CEO empire includes a book, website, magazine, conference series and a weekly radio show dedicated to helping women pursue the life they've always wanted. The archives of the radio show may be particularly helpful...see below for a link to the show where I discuss the beginnings of Bella Luccè.

Craft Revolution is a hip group of indie women who are deadset on revolutionizing the way people shop. Membership is free and includes everyone from shoe designers, to independent stationary producers to talented jewelry artisans. While at their website, be sure to browse their generous scollection of indie-authored business and marketing articles.

SCORE is dedicated to providing free local business counseling (yes free!) from seasoned business veterans. Visit their website for details about that counseling and to cruise an array of great articles.

The Indie Beauty Network is the leading trade organization for small beauty businesses, including soaps, cosmetics, candles, fragrances and other beautiful "indie" made products. Members enjoy a weekly newsletter, magazine, generous industry discounts (including a fantastic products liability insurance program) and an astounding number of national promotional opportunities. I'm a card-carrying member and it's some of the best money I've ever spent.

Ryan Design Studio offers, hand-down, the best website design and implementation on the planet. They're the clever folks behind our website and chances are they can build you something beautiful, too. They are masters of e-commerce and premium functionality and really nice people to boot.

Bella Luccè as featured in The State newspaper, September 2006, with a discussion on juggling family and work, and some of the obstacles my particular company has overcome.

The question I hear more often than any other is: "How does one become successful?" In the end, there’s no magic bullet- no one “thing” we’ve ever done that’s made all the difference in the world.  In my experience, any success Bella Luccè has enjoyed is the result of dogged determination and an enormous amount of hard work over the course of several years. And that is truly what it all boils down to: You have to find your inspiration and then pursue it with a relentless passion and absolute zeal. I wish I had a magic wand or some succint piece of advice that I could offer to guarantee success, but I'm certainly no wizard.

If you’re a fellow beauty startup in search of more tailored information, I highly recommend Donna Maria Coles Johnson. An accomplished businesswoman herself, "dM" is president of the Indie Beauty Network, a seasoned attorney and the definitive authority on small beauty businesses. As a mom business owner with two small children, dM's passion is encouraging women who are managing both home and business. We have worked together extensively and I have always found her to be an invaluable source of support and guidance. Please contact dM at 704.291.7280 to request more information about individual and group coaching services.

If you’re launching a non-beauty venture, I am available on a very limited basis for one-on-one telecounseling. Please contact our offices at 803.749.0809 to inquire about availability. I’ll be happy to assist in any way that I can; potential topics include discussions on everything from getting yourself noticed, designing and promoting a website and protecting your intellectual property to how to balance it all while still managing a family and maintaining your sanity.

Whatever direction you take, I wish you all the best. Nothing on earth is as exciting as giving birth to your dream and the journey is often entertaining, always exhilarating and certainly worthwhile!

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