Sure, you love your career – or at least you think you do. Right now you are so tired from rocking a colicky baby all night and trying to get your toddler to eat his Cheerios before rushing him off to preschool, that you can’t remember what you were so passionate about in the first place.

If you are reading this blog entry, I’m going to assume that you are highly skilled and talented in your industry and have the drive it takes to successfully start your own consulting practice in your field.

In all fairness, many parents with steady jobs consider the idea of branching out and starting their own business irresponsible, scary, and more stressful than their current work situation.  These same working parents admit to finding the structure and consistency of working for someone else easier than trying to branch out on their own. However for these working parents, their time will never be there own. And when you are not in control of your own time and work pace, that is when you can be most easily thrown off balance.

On the flip side, if you are used to a fast paced corporate lifestyle, you may be tempted to bring that same pace of work to your consulting practice. When you first start working for yourself, it is easy to over work. Now that you are in charge of your own pay checks, marketing, sales, business development, accounting and everything else that comes with business ownership, there is always more that can be done.  There will always be more business to be won, networking events to attend or marketing materials to update.

However, if your American Dream includes being able to spend more quality time with your family and to be able to set your own flexible schedule then starting your own consulting business may be the right choice for you.

Another good indicator that its time to leave the fast-paced corporate job is to take a good look at the people holding positions ahead of you. After all, if you keep up the pace of work, I assume your goal is to have a higher position with more pay. Are those people in those higher paid positions happy? Are those the shoes you really want to fill? Do they have the same American Dream you have?

Before I started my own business,  I worked for a high-end interactive agency in downtown San Diego. Fortunately, this was before I had children, as the work pace and expectations put on the employees were almost impossible to maintain at a long term level. I remember coming to office before 7am, eating lunch at my desk, and leaving well after 7pm only to see all of those who held positions above me putting in many more hours per day than that. I thought I wanted to be just like them–the corner office, the fancy title on my business card, the respect of the industry—until I realized the cost it took to have those positions. I looked up and realized that all of the people above me in the company were either divorced, never been married or never had children. Even at that time, I knew part of my American Dream included having and enjoying a family, and I knew I wouldn’t’ be able to have that if I continued up the career ladder at that particular company.

What does your upper-management look like? Is it family friendly? Do you have on-site daycare or flex days? As more women become CEOs, we have seen a shift to more family friendly work environments. However for the most part, trying to maintain the fast-paced corporate lifestyle you had before children is an impossibility – unless of course you truly are “superwoman”.

In my next few blog posts, I will be outlining tips and steps to starting your own consulting business. And how to set up a business that is both profitable and will work around your family schedule.  Stay tuned for my next post. And in the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts and comments. I’d love to hear from you!

Commit to Growing in 2011: Creativity, Persistence, Passion and these Six Tips are sure to help your business blossom in 2011

Its today’s American Dream… having an income generating business that gives you flexibility to enjoy family, friends and life outside the cubicle.  Today’s success isn’t determined by the title on your business card or how many long hours you spend at the office to fill up your bank account. For me, and many American’s today,  success is defined by how much time your business or career affords you to actually enjoy and live your life.

As a working mother and business owner myself, I know time is precious. Every moment counts. That’s why I’ve made it even easier for the CEO, shoestring entrepreneur, marketing executive, local business owner or anyone else responsible for growing their business in 2011, to sort through the chatter of Internet Marketing ideas and zero in on the primary strategies you need to market your business online. I’ve compiled a list of six important action items you need to implement now to grow your business in the new year.

Take a look at my latest article on “Six Low Budget Ways to Grow your Business in 2011“

Is it really possible to succesfully balance a six-figure income generating business with family? I've met a women who's found the answer - listen to her story on the November 16 free seminar.

It’s the question all working moms ask themselves. “How can I possibly balance it all” You want to be present for your family, find time for yourself,  while still able to run a successful, income generating business. Sound too good to be true?

I’d like to introduce you to Catriona Welsby, an inspirational friend of mine who overcame some amazing odds to turn an online business into a part-time, six figure success story.

As my guest, you can attend her upcoming teleseminar FREE as she talks about her story and shares how you can create a flexible, income-generating business online.

FREE Seminar is Tuesday, November 16, 2010
2pm Central, 3pm Eastern, 12noon Pacific

To reserve your spot and receive call in information and more details, click here http://bit.ly/dxSg9t

I hope you’ll join us!

Holly Berkley's newest book, "Low Budget Online Marketing for Small Business" shows businesses how to thrive in today's online world.

With the Internet boom of the mid-1990’s came the end of corporate controlled media. The Internet revolution gave everyone a voice despite income, status or political views. It quickly took the small business beyond the boundaries of the neighborhood and allowed entrepreneurs with limited budgets to compete on a global level.

However, it didn’t take long before deep pockets and major corporations starting taking back a bigger and bigger piece of the Internet space.   In early 2000 big businesses used their budgets to develop massive online co-branding campaigns and to push out flashy high tech ads across major web portals. They hired SEO agencies to optimize their web sites to show up at the top of Google, and the once cost effective Pay-Per-Click ad buys got too expensive for the small entrepreneur with a limited marketing budget. It seemed that the small businesses could no longer afford to keep up.

Fortunately, today, with the massive growth of the social web (Blogs, FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter), the playing field is leveled once again. The social web allows even business owners and marketers with limited technical experience to post business updates fast and to communicate with customers efficiently – sometimes without ever picking up the phone or even opening up a storefront.

And today, small businesses have a few other important advantages over the major corporations: speed, flexibility, passion and personality. In fact, these very traits that make small businesses special are what will help them thrive in today’s online world.

Share your stories or comments about how small businesses can thrive in today’s social media space.

For ideas and case studies on how other small businesses are succeeding online, pick up a copy of the latest edition of Low Budget Online Marketing for Small Business

Whether it’s in the real or virtual world, raising a family takes a community. Marketers need to find honest ways to connect with the online communities now, more than ever.

Whenever I consider a new product, service or even health supplement, I turn to Google. I skip right past the manufacturer’s web site and even first few listings that show up and jump straight to the blogosphere and online communities where the real, honest conversations are happening. And if, during my research, I encounter honest feedback from a fellow working mom, I tend to trust her feedback even more.

The number of US mothers who write blogs is now estimated at 4 million strong  (October 2010, eMarketer). Although they all share the common bond of motherhood, they are an extremely diverse group, bringing insight and background from a variety of experiences, education levels, and cultures.

The blogs they write cover subjects from parenting, health, spiritual, travel, technology, and fashion – although, like my own blog, they tend to mix it up.  A single blog can focus on many different topics, rather than just one core idea. And mixing up the topics helps make the blog appear more real, and less like a corporate, goal-oriented blog contrived to simply push a product or brand.

Although a small percentage compared to the 32 million moms who are estimated to be online now, these 4 million bloggers are the core “influencers” online.  Small in numbers, loud in voice. In other words, the women researching new products or  services from cosmetic surgery to local contractors, are listening and reacting to comments, reviews and blog entries posted by other moms like them.

For more information on how LeapFrog and other companies are leveraging online communities, check out the 3rd Edition of Low Budget Online Marketing for Small Business, due out in November 201

LeapFrog, an educational software company, found success when they started paying mothers, fathers, and teachers to blog for them. LeapFrog depends on its users to be the voice of its brand and as a result launched a formalized program where they pay bloggers and set weekly schedules and topics.  They leverage these posts by pushing them out to Facebook and Twitter. The company is very transparent about this, and allows the bloggers  to choose topics they are passionate about.

The company also has 300+ free bloggers which they send promotional /product samples to. In the blog posts, their customers hardly ever mention the LeapFrog brand or products directly. However by aligning their online reputation with the voice of real parents and teachers, LeapFrog was named the “best parenting brand”. Trust and loyalty have been woven into this campaign very naturally. (For more information on how LeapFrog and other companies are leveraging online communities, check out the 3rd Edition of Low Budget Online Marketing for Small Business, due out in November 2010)

Reaching out to the mommy bloggers requires regular, honest interaction laced with real information rather than simply pushing coupons and contests.  Making it easy for moms to review your product is key. Time is precious and limited, especially to the working mom.

What blogs or communities do you turn to for advice?

Do you have ideas on how marketers can encourage bloggers to promote their products in an honest, genuine way on those sites?

Do you have your own blog where you review products?

Share your thoughts and web links below.

FaceBook photo of my new nephew. His parents recently joined the fastest growing group of mobile users – new parents

It all starts when they snap that first picture of their perfect little new born at the hospital and post the news to all of their friends and family – directly from their smart phone.  That’s when they enter the fastest growing group of mobile users – new parents.

According to a study released today by eMarketers, “Marketers looking to convince mobile subscribers to opt in to SMS marketing campaigns should look to target parents, especially those with young children, based on research conducted by Harris Interactive”

Parents of children under 6 are more likely than couples with no children to opt-in to mobile alerts and coupons to help simplify their busy lives. After all, who can keep track of a paper coupon with everything else they already have to lug around in that diaper bag.

New parents are at the park, uploading photos to FaceBook, Tweeting and even using location based applications like FourSquare. They use their smart phones to stay in touch with the office as well as friends and family while chasing toddlers. Texting becomes the communication of choice for most new parents when finishing a normal voice phone conversation becomes routinely interrupted. With smart phones in the hands of almost 70% of US adults, mobile coupons become an added convenience – assuming of course marketers respect mobile opt-in regulations.

Although the techno-male has always been the earliest adopter of technology trends, new families are making up a desirable audience for the mobile industry to offer opt-in, useful, text-based alerts.

What do you think about this? Are you a new parent who uses your smart phone to keep in touch? What kinds of mobile alerts or coupons do you subscribe to? What kind of alerts would be useful to you as a new parent? I’d like to hear about it…share you comments.

A cool walk through a plush park outside Seattle

I quit my corporate consulting job last Friday and jumped on a plane with my family to the Pacific Northwest. The minute I logged off the corporate email server, SameTime and VPN for the last time I felt an enormous weight lift off my chest and my head started to clear.  I’ve chosen to go back to consulting for small businesses and step away from the constrictive daily routine of corporate culture.

During the transition, I took a a whole week off from my computer – something I don’t think I’ve done since I graduated from College. I also stopped checking my cell phone, txt messages, LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter and every other thing that makes my phone beep nonstop while away from my computer.

A real family vacation. A real focus on each savory moment in front of us.

We stayed in a beautiful cabin in a small town outside Seattle called Allyn. From the bedroom window I could see my two boys exploring low tide to discover the creatures the Sound washed ashore. Perfect, un-cracked sandollars, spunky crabs, and smooth clams.

We spent our afternoons hiking along plush green trails and clamming in soft squishy mud. We spent the evening hours preparing gorgeous seafood dinners and playing old board games we found in the cabin.

Slowing down at our cabin in Allyn, overlooking the Sound

I’m hoping that truly unplugging from technology and savoring every moment during this time, will help this new contentment and acceptance stay around long past our flight home, back to the “real world”.

When was the last time you unplugged and  took a true vacation?
What steps have you taken to live a more creative, slower and thoughtful life? Post your comments here.  I’d like to hear about it.

My husband and two boys taking time to get to know the local sea life.

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” – Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Recently, many of us have left the corporate world to start our own consulting businesses.  But when you get the opportunity to set your own work schedule, will you balance? Will you simplify your to-do list? Or will you use starting your own business as another excuse to build massive “to do” lists in addition to the family ones you already have.

Aila Accad, RN, Mother and author of “34 Instant Stress-Busters” found herself  with a daily “to do” list that continued to expand. She was overwhelmed, exhausted, and wanted to literally disappear. Crying, under a blanket, she wondered, what would happen if she had a heart attack and died right then? Who would do everything on her to do list?

“The answers with life changing!” she wrote in her book. “My mind pictured how others would pick up the essential jobs. My organized ten-year-old, who enjoys cooking, would prepare dinner. My twelve-year old son would help with laundry…my husband would grocery shop and deal with school issues, but probably not bake brownies and cupcakes.  No one else would do many of the tasks I was doing. I had to ask myself, “Why am I doing them?”. The answers to this question were quite revealing.”

For Ailia, the to-do list stemmed partially from her mother’s “to do” list. Take a moment and think about where your “to do” list comes from? Is it truly your own, or is it influenced by another person. Perhaps you are trying to mimic your own mother’s duties (who probably wasn’t working full time while she was chauffeuring you from soccer practice to ballet) or perhaps you are trying to keep up with a group of mom’s at your child’s school, (who again, may not be trying  to keep a foot hold in her career, so has a bit more time on her hands to sew the perfect Halloween costume and make cupcakes for the bake sale).
According to Timothy Ferris in “The 4 hour Work Week”, your daily to-do list should fit neatly on a post-it. Keeping long to do lists will make you feel like you never get anything done, and will add more stress to your life as it is unrealistic. At the end of each day, think about all that you accomplished, rather than everything you did not get to.

“Compared to 1969, American parents on average have twenty-two fewer hours per week to spend with their families.” — President’s Council of Economic Advisors, 1999

“Stop loading a bunch of stress on yourself. “ advises Gina Robison-Billups, mother of two and President/Founder of The National Association For Moms In Business. “Unless you are in the business of saving lives or negotiating arms agreements with North Korea, the world can live without you 24/7.  Clean out the clutter in your expenses, your time, your space…everywhere you can.  Spend time with your family, your dog, your friends.  Manage your time better to where you only work 4-6 hours a day.”

Vertical Time: it can only be found when you stop surrounding yourself with busyness and find the NOW.

When Peggy Noonan told 20/20 that “mature people will be allowed to look mature, elderly people will be allowed to be elderly….There will be fewer facelifts and browlifts, less Botox, less dyed hair…”  I believe she was speaking beyond the fact that in the face of recession, people have less money to spend on things like facelifts, hair dye and Botox. I believe she was referencing the new mind set of people that were forced to take pause due to income loss, due to the recession.

When you take pause, and really think about your life goals, it forces you to look deeper into who you really are and what will truly make you happy. When you are living life with the primary purpose of finding acceptance by others, that’s when those new wrinkles and grays will really start to bother you.

I love what Eckart Tolle said about the concept of time.  In his book, “A New Earth” he explains there are two forms of time: horizontal and vertical. The horizontal is the time you see when you look in the mirror. The time that includes aging, years on the calendar and time on the clock. Things out of your control.

But there is another type of time Tolle explains and I think Noonan may have been alluding to in her comment. That’s vertical time. This is the time that is independent of the horizontal time. It is the time that allows you to dive deeper into yourself, to know your true self and what will make you happy in this life. It is the vertical growth you can only find when you stop surrounding yourself with busyness and truly pause. Truly start to “live in the now”.

Look around. I am sure we have all seen the 50 year old who  still demands attention or makes decisions like a child. Or the 20 year old who seems as if he’s been on this earth much longer than his years.

Once you accept the idea of two forms of time, vertical and horizontal, it makes the one you have less control over easier to accept. Try to focus on the time you do have control over…the vertical.  Spending more time vertically, will start to soften the natural side effects of the horizontal timeline.

What do you think about the concept of two forms of time? I’d like to hear your comments.

After watching the movie Food, Inc, how could we not make an effort to raise our own organic chicken eggs?

Spending your time, energy and money just trying to keep up with the Joneses is so 2008.  You know what I am talking about — the people who spend money on the outer appearances, yet neglect the core issues.  Take the woman who spends a fortune on a designer china cabinet to distract her guests from the water damage in her walls.  That water damage being one of the core issues, that if she doesn’t take care of, there won’t be much left to house that beautiful china.

I’ve seen a lot of changes in my friends, neighbors and work colleges since the recession hit. Here’s my list of What’s In and What’s Out for 2010

What’s Out

Gold watches & working 40 years at the same job

What’s In

Moonlighting and having your own consulting business on the side (or better yet, turn it into your primary source of income!)

What’s Out

After school Nacho sales and candy fundraisers (sorry GoldenHill Elementary!)

What’s In

Organic, whole foods, community gardens, and serving fresh, organic school lunches (kudos to Albert Einstein Elementary and the recent changes they made to their school kitchen!)

What’s Out

Commuting 30+ minutes to drive your kid to the best school

What’s In

Working to improve the community schools in your own neighborhood

What’s Out

Living to earn money

What’s In

Earning money to live

What’s Out

Rushing through life

What’s In

Slowing down and living life

Give me your feedback…
What are some other things you hope we’ll see more of in 2010? Share your comments!