Are You a Woman of influence in Tacoma? Apply for This Award by July 11, 2008

Did you know that the Business Examiner, a South Sound newspaper, is seeking nominees for its 2008 Women of Influence Awards? This award program recognizes outstanding women leaders in the South Sound. A panel of judges comprised of past honorees will review nominee information and select a group that has made the greatest impact in business, industry, and the communities. Nominations are due July 11, 2008, and you can complete the application online at this link. Recognition programs such as this one are great vehicles to earn media recognition for your winning ways. If you live and work in the South South and meet the criteria, put your hat in the ring.

Speaking of women in business in Tacoma, have you read South Sound Woman magazine? This magazine is dedicated to women who make the South Sound their home and enjoys circulation of 15,000 readers — and growing. The magazine enjoys very loyal readership among its readers, and the magazine wants to know about organizations or people who are making a difference in the community. If you’ve got a story to tell, connect by email at info@southsoundwoman.com. You can also nominate a South South woman to be considered for the magazine’s “Down to Business” feature, which profiles women in the South Sound. Send an email to publisher@catalystpublishing.com to earn consideration for such a profile.

I’ll be highlighting South Sound media tips and information as the August 15 Publici-Tea™ date for my first Tacoma event draws near. Stay tuned to learn more about how to earn the “ink” in the Sound Sound.

Powerful Lessons Learned in Business Celebrated in Business Women 2008 Special Section

If you haven’t yet seen the “Business Women 2008″ special supplement that debuted this month within the Snohomish County Business Journal, here are links to make it easy and convenient to benefit from the wisdom of a number of leading Puget Sound business women with powerful lessons to share.

Among them include Alice Cunningham, co-owner of Olympic Hot Tub Company and Jean Thompson, CEO and owner of Seattle Chocolate Company. These are women I am proud to call my clients. Both offer lessons learned while creating lasting and very successful companies. I know you’ll benefit from their sage advice, and I invite you to pass it on to others who can benefit. And, if you have comments to share about your own most telling lessons, please share so the readers of this blog can benefit.

I love this special section that comes up every year around this time. If you would like YOUR expertise to be seen, heard, and celebrated in the 2009 Business Women special section, declare that as a goal. Then, anticipate the editorial opportunity by suggesting a timely, useful, relevant, and compelling article to showcase your expertise about six weeks prior to the May publication date. Assistant Editor Kimberly Hilden is the decision maker at the newspaper, and you can find her contact information in the “contact us” section of the website.

Oh, by the way, I have an article in this special section, too. Here is the link so you can why building your reputation as an expert makes great sense in the best and the worst of times. I’ll be speaking on this topic on Tuesday, May 6 at the Museum of Flight at a lunch-and-learn session taking place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. If you’d like to attend AND receive the Media-Savvy-to-Go Publicity Tips Booklets as part of your event registration, here is the link to sign up now.

Besty Talbot Shares BIG News to Empower Women’s Success in Business

I love it when Publici-Tea™ guests connect with me to share their amazing do-it-yourself publicity success. Today, Betsy Talbot wrote to share some pretty exciting news. Here, in her own words, is the latest development.

Hey, I’m getting popular these days! Examiner.com, one of the fastest-growing websites for local news and content, has appointed me the Seattle Women & Business blogger. I’ll be posting once or twice a week on business news for women in the Seattle area and trying to grab a portion of those 2 million monthly visitors as customers. I made the connection to get this job through one of my eWomen contacts, the amazing Elizabeth Rightor. Thank you! Any doubts remaining on how blogging and networking can improve your business? I’m slightly delirious right now with excitement over this great news for my company, and I hope you will join me in the celebration by going over to the site and subscribing to the blog. You can even sign up to receive email updates when I post new articles, just like my regular blog. ‘ll continue to encourage you all to explore social media and online networking to make your small business small in operational size only. Your impact can be HUGE, and the first step in doing that is to start thinking big. Every success we have individually benefits us all as a networking group, and I love sharing this great news with all of you. (and yes, you may hear about this in a few places - I shared this on Ning and my regular blog and it will be in my ezine later this week – Nancy Juetten would scold me for not making the most of this great news!)

Thanks Betsy. Way to set a winning example. You rock!

Check Out www.WomenforHire.com to See if Your Expertise Can Add Value to 250,000 Unique Visitors

I just stumbled upon a site called www.womenforhire.com that caught my attention. The site features videos of dynamic women with tips and suggestions to empower others’ success. In just ten minutes, I watched a number of sassy videos that showcased successful business women and their useful tips for success.

If you’ve been thinking about sharing your expertise and inspiring business success story with the world to a site that boasts 250,000 unique visitors each month, this could be a great place to start. Before you do anything more, visit www.womenforhire.com and watch some of the videos posted to the site to get a clear picture of the quality of the information each expert shares. Then, if you are convinced you have value to add, connect with Peter@womenforhire.com to share a brief email about your story and tips.

I just sent him a brief email to recommend a number of my best clients, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Are you going to follow this tip and see what happens next for YOUR business? If so, keep me posted about your success, and it will be my pleasure to blog about it!

Mompreneur Profile Brings New Readers to the Blog. Want to Enjoy Similar Results for Your Business?

I don’t just offer free publicity tips. I follow my own advice.

One of the things I want to do is bring more small business owners to this blog to benefit from the information, tips, and resources I share. A few months ago, I submitted my “Mompreneur” story to MomtobeDepot.com for editorial consideration, and the editors featured it earlier this month.

If you are a “mompreneur” with a sassy story to share about how and why you started your business, why not submit your story for consideration? It could take a few months for your story to rise to the top of the stack, but the wait is well worth it when you consider the new people who will flock to your website or blog to learn more about you and how you serve others.

Besides, this is a fun site, especially for those with moms-to-be in their lives. In fact, one of my clients — Seattle Chocolate Company — is featured within the Mother’s Day Gift Guide. Hurray to ProfNet.com for alerting me to this media opportunity that has delivered ink to my client and will likely be responsible for the delivery of premium Seattle Chocolates to appreciative moms everywhere.

Save March 26 for the Bellevue Chamber Women in Business Forum

If you are looking for inspiration and insights to propel your business forward and you are going to be in Bellevue, WA on March 26, make plans now to attend the Women in Business Forum sponsored by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. I am among the breakout session leaders, and I’ll be talking about how to become an expert in your field through the power of free publicity. To follow is a press release that was issued by the Bellevue Chamber today with all the other event details. Read on and register so you can benefit from a great day of connection with other women business owners and walk away with useful tips and tools to propel your business forward. I look forward to seeing you there. Read the rest…

Here’s My Mompreneur Profile from Which You Can “R&D”

Henry DeVries, founder of the New Client Marketing Institute, made me grin when he first made reference to the term “R&D.” The definition? Rob and duplicate. He said, “Why reinvent the wheel. Follow a format that works.” Makes sense to me. So, here is my Momprenuer profile that I submitted to www.themomtobedepot.com for editorial consideration. I just answered the questions in a compelling way. Now, I am waiting to learn if my story will be selected for feature. Read on and learn a bit more about how my business took root, and then put pen to paper to craft your own story for consideration.

a. What is your name? Nancy S. Juetten

b. What is your age? 46

c. What is the name of your company? Nancy S. Juetten Marketing Inc.

URL of web site? www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com

d. When was your company founded? February of 2001

e. How was your company funded? (If you want to share start-up costs, feel free, but not required). I funded my company start-up with personal savings to purchase a computer, fax machine, and business cards.

f. What does your company do? I help small business owners get seen, heard, and celebrated in their own backyards and beyond through the power and impact of free publicity. Some businesses retain my services, and quite a few purchase the Media-Savvy-to-Go line of do-it-yourself information products ( www.localprforme.com ) so they can learn how to earn the “ink and the air” without spending a fortune or spinning their wheels. Still others participate in my half-day Publici-Tea™ ( www.publici-tea.com ) training events during which I share insider secrets to help others unlock the power of free publicity to advance their own businesses.

g. How/Why did you come up with this idea?

I started my business with the goal to earn enough money to buy better groceries. Soon, I was working with top companies including Fran’s Chocolates Ltd., TalkingRain Beverage Company, and Oberto Sausage Company, and I was too busy to cook. I have always felt a passion for helping small business owners, and it occurred to me that they didn’t have many affordable, accessible ways to get their stories told. In July of 2006, I created the Media-Savvy-to-Go line of information products to help others enjoy more local publicity success with greater ease. In November of 2007, I created and launched the Publici-Tea™ half-day training events to be of service in deeper ways in a group setting. It is rewarding to help others help themselves, and the comments people share about my products and training events are glowing. I know moving in this direction has been the right decision for me, my business, and my family. You can read more about me at this link: http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/about

h. Where is your product/service sold? (list brick and mortar stores, web sites, etc.)

My products are sold at the DIY Publicity Store at my blog, which can be found at www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com .

i. What is the best piece of advice someone gave you about starting your own business?

Have fun. Make money. One without the other isn’t good enough. This sound advice came from my CPA.

Another piece of stellar advice came from a treasured client, Bill Fritsch, a 30-year veteran of the advertising business. He said to decide if I wanted to be a big or small company, and that every decision I would need to make after that would flow from that decision. I was driving down the highway one day and heard a promotional announcement for a Broadway show called “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” It was an ‘aha’ moment for me. I decided then and there that I would be the best little PR and PR information products company in Bellevue, WA. I have kept my focus on that intention since then, and it has served me and my clients very well.

j. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned or advice you would like to give others that might want to start their own business?

Oprah Winfrey said, “Surround yourself with only those who are going to lift you higher.” This is sage advice that has also served me very well. I would also offer that the best way to network with others is to lead with how you can be of contribution to others’ success. See, hear, and celebrate the intentions and aspirations of others, and people will always remember you well and be happy to recommend you and your services to others.

k. Does your company support any causes? If so, what are they? My company provides pro bono publicity services to causes that speak to my heart. For example, when a neighbor suffered a tragic accident that left him a quadriplegic, I worked with the local media to draw attention to a benefit to raise money to remodel his home to accommodate his very special needs. I give time and funds to the Bellevue Schools Foundation so my 10-year-old son Kyle and all his classmates can benefit from the extraordinary resources and tools this organization makes possible to advance their education.

Are You a Mompreneur? Here’s a Free Publicity Tip That Could Propel Your Business Forward

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. I know from personal experience that becoming a mom can provide plenty of motivation to reinvent your life. When my son Kyle was born 10 years ago, I knew I had to find a way to “Escape from Cubicle Nation” and launch a business of my own. In February of 2001, I started my public relations agency, and I haven’t looked back. I am grateful to my son for giving me a good enough reason to blaze a trail of my own. My life and our family is all the better for taking the leap.

If you have followed a similar path, check out this link and submit the story about how you launched your business for consideration. Your photo and story could soon appear within this well visited site for moms-to-be. That could lend powerful momentum to lead generation for your business. You’ll find all the questions you need to answer to tell your story on the site. Good luck.

Have You Launched a Fabulous Second Act in Your Career or Business?

More magazine is a nationally circulated women’s magazine that targets women age 40 and beyond and inspires them to enjoy the richest years of their lives. The online media kit boasts circulation of 1.1 million readers. The magazine has a feature that highlights a woman who launched a fabulous “Second Act” in her business or career on or around her 40th birthday. Are you a candidate for a story like this? If so, craft a few brief paragraphs about how you made your transition, what inspired you to do it, and how it is going — along with your email and telephone contact information — and send them my way at nancy@nsjmktg.com. If you do a stellar and complete job of telling your story in a brief, compelling, and amazing way, I’ll forward your pitch to a reporter I know who is actively seeking stories like this.

Tomorrow, one of my clients is being interviewed in consideration for just such a profile, and I submitted a pitch on my own behalf, too. Wish both of us luck!

And, if you need help crafting a powerful pitch, the Media-Savvy-to-Go Publicity Toolkit can show how. Check it out.

Doing Business and Doing Good - Here’s a Media Lead You’ll Love

I subscribe to Joan Stewart’s Publicity Hound ezine, and I recommend that you do, too. Joan always has great tips and resources to share to empower your quest for free publicity. While visiting her blog this week, I found a post about a new feature called Doing Business and Doing Good that JJ Ramberg is writing for Entrepreneur magazine. Visit www.publicityhound.net and read the 10-21-07 post entitled, “Entrepreneur columnist focuses on do-gooders.” All the contact information is included to make it easy for you to make your pitch.

Speaking of which, I took the opportunity to submit a pitch on behalf of Affirmagy, which is working around the clock to fill orders for its book/blanket bundles that include fleece Courage blankets that are covered with affirmations, along with the Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Soul books. Founder Kristen Marie Schuerlein intends for the blanket/book bundle to raise $400,000 for breast cancer research this month. The “Pay It Forward” component of this program makes it easy for you to donate bundles to women you have never met who are facing breast cancer treatment. As I quipped to Kristen the other day, I am grateful to have two breasts, especially since I had surgery a few years ago for abnormal cells. That is another reason I was even happier to “Pay It Forward” with two bundles I donated to women I’ve never met. Think about it, and get into action. Visit www.affirmagy.com to place your order today, and spread the word about this inspired business woman who is definitely doing business and doing good. It’s a beautiful thing.