Welcome to the May issue of Be Inkandescent Magazine: The ezine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.
In this issue you’ll meet microfinance guru Dr. Muhammad Yunus. We are honored to feature him, for anyone who understands the importance of micro-lending as a means to end global poverty considers him to be one of the great entrepreneurs of our day.
The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Yunus is the founder of Grameen Bank, which provides poor people — mainly women — with small loans that they use to launch businesses that lift their families out of poverty. He is also the director emeritis of the Grameen Foundation, which was founded in 1997 by friends of Grameen Bank to help microfinance practitioners and spread the Grameen philosophy worldwide.
Read on to learn about his newest idea, Building Social Business, which is the title of his 2010 book. If you like what you read, meet him in person — for throughout May he’ll be touring the country promoting his ideas. (Scroll down for a list of dates and cities where he’ll be speaking.)
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Are you happy? It’s a question I’ve been pondering since hearing Ted Leonsis speak in February about his new book, “The Business of Happiness: 6 Secrets to Extraordinary Success in Work and Life.”
After I read his insightful 305-page tome, I was intrigued – and slightly bemused. Sure, happiness is something we all aspire to, but is it really possible when you are trying to grow a business in a troubled economy, and (oftentimes) grow a family in an era when enough is never enough?
Happiness according to Ted Leonsis: “It took me a quarter century to connect these dots and understand how they amount to a formula for achieving happiness,” Leonsis states. He then gives us a road map, explaining that to him, the Business of Happiness relies on three concepts:
1. “You should treat the attainment of happiness in the same way an entrepreneur would approach building a business – with a vision, plan, goals, and a systematic approach and metrics to measure your progress.”
2. “Enterprises – like companies, businesses, charities, sports teams, and political campaigns – that consider themselves in the ‘business of happiness’ will do better than those that pay no attention to the tenets outlined [which include goal-setting, having communities of interest, personal expression, gratitude, empathy expressed in giving back, and having a higher calling].”
3. “Happiness is a driver of success, not the other way around.”
Sounds pretty good. But I wanted to know more. Since I like to go right to the source, I invited Ted Leonsis to be our April Entrepreneur of the Month. He said yes. I also asked his co-author, John Buckley, to answer a few questions. See those interviews below, and also read Leonsis’ Tips for Entrepreneurs.
I also asked our 20 columnists this month to tackle the topic of happiness. Each interpreted the topic for their own industries, and I think you’ll enjoy their insights.
Until next month, here’s to your happiness – and your success!
– Hope Katz Gibbs, editor and publisher
Be Inkandescent magazine
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Happy International Women’s Day! Since the early 1900s, March 8 has been the official day that the economic, political and social achievements of women are honored. In China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, it is a national holiday.
How it all began: In 1908, oppression and inequality spurred women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. In March of that year, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. By 1910, women around the world had joined the movement. An International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, and an activist named Clara Zetkin proposed that every year in every country, there should be a celebration on the same day — a Women’s Day — to press for their demands. International Women’s Day was born. A century later we congratulate Kathryn Bigelow, who last night became the first woman to be named Best Director at the Oscars for her work on the Iraq War drama, “The Hurt Locker.” It also won the Best Picture prize, along with four other awards. Way to go!
Let the celebration begin! Today, we are officially launching the Web site for our new book 100 Truly Amazing Women Who Are Changing the World and How You Can, Too! It will be published later this year to honor 100 women from around the world who are making strides and changing lives.
How are you amazing? Although the published book is limited to 100 women, the Web site has broader shoulders. On it, hundreds of savvy, innovative, courageous women from around the world will be profiled. Meet some of them here. If you, or someone you know, should be included, please submit a proposal. There’s a movie project in the works as well, so stay tuned for that.
To get the party started, this issue of Be Inkandescent magazine is dedicated to women. Each of the 20 articles you see framing the Web site has been written by women entrepreneurs on topics they feel passionate about.
Articles include: A Q&A with Lisa McLeod, author of “Forget Perfect”; tips on event planning at the National Museum for Women in the Arts; thoughts on what makes women’s management skills keen; and discussions on the importance of joy in the workplace, the meaning of health, and whether there really is such a thing as work-life balance. And much more!
Think girls can’t use power tools? Then you haven’t met our Entrepreneur of the Month Gina Schaefer. The 39-year-old dynamo behind an $11 million hardware empire is opening her seventh ACE Hardware store this spring. How did a girl from northeast Ohio with a poli sci degree and no hardware experience get into this male-dominated industry? Scroll down to find out.
As always, we thank you for your continued support. And we remind you of the wisdom of author Anna Quindlen, who said: Recently a young mother asked me what she was to do with her 7-year-old daughter who was obstreperous, outspoken, and inconveniently willful. “Keep her,” I replied. The suffragettes refused to be polite in demanding what they wanted, or grateful for getting what they deserved. Works for me.
It works for us, too! Here’s to your success!
— Hope Katz Gibbs, editor and publisher, Be Inkandescent magazine / hope@inkandescentpr.com
Book design and illustration by Michael Gibbs
Web site programming by Max Kukoy
Copyediting by Patricia Gray
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Welcome to the new issue of Be Inkandescent magazine. Because February is the month of amour, in this issue we focus on the power and importance of truly loving what you do.
After all, having passion for your business is mission critical, according to Suzy Welch, former editor of the Harvard Business Review and the wife of GE guru Jack Welch. Suzy says: “We are hungry to work all the time. We are entertained by every aspect of business and we never want to stop working.” And Oprah Winfrey believes: “If you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come.” We couldn’t agree more.
February’s Entrepreneurs of the Month, Jim Bognet and Jeff Kaiser are indeed passionate about their firm, Bognet Construction. Their hard work and strong business skills enabled them to build their 1998 start-up into a $50 million company that employs 45 and competes with the biggest construction firms in the region. Don’t miss their inspiring Tips for Entrepreneurs.
And there’s more! In the 14 articles in this issue, our experts provide tips and insights to help foster passion for your business. Our new columnist Paige Rhodes, CEO of the recruiting firm Rhodes and Weinstock, shares the value of getting personal with clients to build lasting relationships. Another new columnist, Roxanne Rukowicz of Behind the Scenes Events, tells us about one of the most romantic museum spaces in DC to host a business bash. Fine artist Philip Brooker uses his talent to create a poster that will inspire people to donate money to earthquake victims in Haiti. And HR expert Sharon Armstrong teaches us ways to conduct stress-free performance appraisals.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Valentine’s Day. In this issue, our Inkandescent staff gives a special nod to Bob Dylan’s ballad “Tangled Up In Blue”, the inspiration behind our featured illustration (at top). It’s from the new book by our Inkandescent art director Michael Gibbs, which is entitled Blue Moons:
But all the while I was alone, the past was close behind, I seen a lot of women, but she never escaped my mind, and I just grew, tangled up in blue.
Here’s to your passion, and your success!
Hope Katz Gibbs
owner, The Inkandescent Group, LLC
publisher, Be Inkandescent magazine
president & founder, Inkandescent Public Relations
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Be Inkandescent, January 2010 — Welcome to the inaugural issue of Be Inkandescent: The magazine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs. Each month, our online publication will bring insights and observations from entrepreneurs in a variety of industries ranging from health care and human resources to books, education, finance, leadership skills, management tools, real estate, restaurants, wine, and more.
We’ll also be spotlighting an Entrepreneur of the Month, a business owner who earns at least $10 million a year, has been in business for 5 years, and is still running the company they created. They’ll offer Tips for Entrepreneurs, as will Our Team of creative professionals from Inkandescent Public Relations.
In this issue, we’re featuring the “queen of putting people’s lives in order” Julie Morgenstern, an organizational and time management expert, business productivity consultant, and nationally renowned speaker who in 1989 founded Julie Morgenstern Enterprises. She’s also a New York Times bestselling author, having published five books that are reference guides featuring techniques and observations culled from her 20 years of experience as a consultant to individuals and companies. Check out our profile on this incredible Entrepreneur of the Month, and read her insightful five Tips for Entrepreneurs.
We invite every entrepreneur to come up with stories that might be of interest to our audience and contact us with your ideas. After all, the goal of any company is to have more people know about their products and services. We’d love to help you spread the word.
Here’s to your success! — Hope Katz Gibbs
publisher, Be Inkandescent
president & founder, Inkandescent Public Relations
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