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Woman 2 Watch-Steffany Boldrini

Dec 302010

Steffany Boldrini, Founder EcoBold.com

Steffany Boldrini is the founder of EcoBold.com where she conducts video reviews on the world of green products. From recycled candy wrap purses, to organic make up Ecobold’s goal is for everyone to make a shift towards sustainable and safe products that are not only great for our planet, but also for our health. Read below on how this woman plans to help you heal the planet.

FG: How did the idea for EcoBold begin?

SB: It started out of my desire to teach people how to live healthier while being more sustainable. Today there are too many synthetic ingredients on our products and even our food and we just don’t know the consequences of using them. Too many people are dying of cancer, too many kids are being born with ADD, autism, down syndrome, and even cancer and I just think that the things we are surrounding ourselves with are the cause of it. Not to mention our planet being depleted by such terrible chemicals and even our animals and oceans suffering from it.

FG: Why did you feel starting Ecobold.com was so important?

SB: Because it’s not only showing people alternatives to conventional products, it’s also helping small green companies that are making amazing products while helping our environment. It’s a win-win-win situation!

FG: How do you go about choosing the products that you feature on your site?

SB: I do a lot of research. If it’s something with an “ingredients” list, I make sure it’s natural and that it has a safe range on cosmeticsdatabase.com.

FG: How much preparation time goes into each video?

SB: The preparation time for a review is about 2-3 hours. I do have to know what I’m talking about and I do have to know about the company and what they’re making. I also love to throw in some numbers to compare it to a conventional product (how many water bottles are thrown in landfills, how many sunscreens have a carcinogenic ingredient, etc). The preparation time for an interview is about an hour.

FG: What are the common misconceptions people have about green products?

SB: That they’re more expensive than other products. Some of them might be but most of them are at the same price range than other products. At EcoBold our goal is to make them affordable for everyone and we send our subscribers weekly coupons of 25% OFF products we’ve reviewed.

FG: Can people who live in the city and not in surban or rural areas fully live a green lifestyle?

SB: Absolutely. Living green can be part of anyone’s life because there are so many things you can do to go green. Here are a few ideas for the city dweller:
- Recycle
- Use a reusable water bottle
- Shop at your famers’ market
- Eat less meat
- Exercise outdoors
- Get an organic mattress
- Shop with a reusable bag
- Paint your home with VOC free paint
- Use natural cleaning products on your home
- Have a composting bin (if you’ve a backyard)
- Shut down your computer when you leave work
- Bring your own food, utensils and coffee mug to work

FG: What were some of the obstacles you faced when first starting Ecobold?

SB: Not finding a good partner! My initial idea was to have the “amazon.com of green products” and after looking everywhere, I could not find a good engineer partner, so I had to restrategize and decided to do video reviews or green products, which turned out to be a much better idea!

FG: How many of your business decisions are based on know how vs. your intuition?

SB: 50% is know how, 20% is intuition and 30% is just being bold

FG: What do you consider to be some of the major highlights of your career thus far?

SB: How popular our videos and website has become. The manufacturers and our viewers love the reviews and they usually post in their own network, which helps to spread the word even faster!

FG: What is a spiritual mantra or philosophy that you live by?

SB: If there’s a will there’s a way.

FG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

SB: Don’t give up and don’t take “no’s” personal, it’s part of the game.

FG: What would you tell your younger-self if you knew then what you know now?

SB: Don’t worry, everything will be alright!

Finish this sentence….
FG: Women should stop_____________________________ and ____________________________
SB: Women should stop complaining about the economy and start doing their work passionately.

FG: If your life had a soundtrack what would be your top three songs?
SB: Haha I’m really bad with songs and singer names! But a song that relates a lot to our work is Michael Jackson’s “They don’t care about us” and that’s what we’re trying to change with EcoBold.

FG: What project(s) do you have coming up?
SB: We’ll start a non-profit for our One Million Trees Project. Our goal is to plant one million trees in the next year and we’ll have to make it happen!

For more information on Ecobold email them at admin@ecobold.com or please visit www.EcoBold.com

Woman 2 Watch-Jill Tietjen

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Dec 102010

Jill Tietjen is president and CEO of Colorado-based Technically Speaking, Inc. She regularly speaks on women in engineering, historical women in engineering, science and on leadership topics. She co-authored the locally best-selling book “Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America (HarperCollins, 2008). She has written or co-authored five books and 75 articles, and has been featured in over 150 articles. Read below to find out about Herstory’s Woman 2 Watch.

FG: How did the idea for our book, Her Story begin?

JT: My co-author Charlotte Waisman was teaching a class of women managers for the Women’s Vision Leadership Institute (a program of the Women’s Vision Foundation) and talking about the women who came before us and on whose shoulders the women of today stand. The women in her class didn’t know the women who came before us. Being a former university professor, she went out to find a book to recommend to them. The book she was looking for, that highlighted women’s accomplishments in a timeline format and gave an idea of the socioeconomic and historical context of those accomplishments, wasn’t available. She began a paper timeline that, when I met her, had about 300 women and their accomplishments on it. Her conviction about the need for the book was solidified when she went to a tea party at a friend’s house. The 15 highly education women there played a parlor game – matching 10 women to their accomplishments. Only Charlotte got them all right. And, only Charlotte knew who Margaret Sanger was.

FG: Why do you feel writing Her Story was important?

JT: Young women of today need to know about the amazing women on whose shoulders we stand and who are role models for us. We all need to understand how hard fought the battles for women’s rights were. It took 72 years for women to get the right to vote in this country! I will ALWAYS vote. These women fought hard for us to have the right to an education, for us to be able to own and control property, for us to have custody of our children in the case of a divorce – and for us to be able to work in any profession. We need to remember and honor them. It took so much work from so many people for women to have the standard of living and quality of life that we have today. We can get through anything life throws at us and we can do it!

FG: What are you hoping readers will get from reading your book?

JT: I hope that they will recognize “Women Like Me”. They will come to understand that women have contributed to so many different fields and areas of endeavor. A woman invented Kevlar. A woman founded the Red Cross. A woman developed the first effective childhood leukemia drug. A woman developed the first computer compiler. Women have much “Her Story” to be proud of. Women can do (and have done) everything!

FG: While doing your research for the book did you notice a common thread among the women?

JT: Passion. Determination. Persistence. The women who changed America kept on keeping on when they were told that they couldn’t or shouldn’t or that women just didn’t do these things. Each woman had a passion and she did the things that she knew and felt needed to be done.

FG: What are some of the common misconceptions people have about women’s history?

JT: I love what Patricia Schroeder says on the back cover of our book in her endorsement “Too many Americans think men fought their way to this country on dangerous sailing ships while women arrived on cruise ships. Her Story sets the record straight. Men and women came on the same ships and, shoulder-to-shoulder, built this great country together. Her Story is a must-read. We have had 400 years of sexagrated history—it’s time for the holistic view!” A somewhat similar sentiment is voiced about Ginger Rogers: She did everything that Fred Astaire did but backwards and in high heels! Women ARE steel magnolias. We undersell ourselves and our accomplishments – and we undervalue and don’t know how much women have accomplished throughout history (or Her Story!).

FG: While touring for the book, do you find that women are very well versed on the history of women in America?

JT: Although Charlotte and I had each researched many women before we started our work on Her Story, we learned about hundreds and hundreds of women we had never heard of. Most of the women across the U.S. are similarly stunned to find out how few of the historical women they are familiar with and how much we do not learn in school about women in history.

FG: How many of your business decisions regarding the book are based on know how vs. your intuition?

JT: My business decisions are certainly a blend of know how and intuition – probably half and half.

FG: What do you consider to be some of the major highlights of your career thus far?

JT: One of the biggest thrills of my entire life was being inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2010. Being in the Rose Garden in 1991 to accept Admiral Grace Murray Hopper’s National Medal of Technology from the first President Bush (at her request). Accepting her medallion when she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994 (at the request of her family). Being at the launching of the destroyer Hopper in 1996. Serving as National President of the Society of Women Engineers (1991-1992). Being elected a Fellow of that organization (1994) and receiving its Distinguished Service Award (2002). Being elected to the Board of Directors of Georgia Transmission Corporation (1997). Being elected to the Board of Directors of Merrick & Company (2010).

FG: What is a spiritual mantra or philosophy that you live by?

JT: “Everything happens as it is supposed to happen when it is supposed to happen.”
“Most people don’t recognize opportunity because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.” (Thomas Edison)

FG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

JT: “Your must write your own book. Every word that will be used in your book has already been used elsewhere. Every note ever used in a song has already been used in a song. No one has written the words the way that you will.” “Learn a different way of defining success. Every person that you reach is a success. Every event that you do is a success. Each book that is sold is a success.”

FG: What would you tell your younger-self if you knew then what you know now?

JT: Keep your eyes open – many opportunities will come your way and you need to be able to recognize them as opportunities. There will be pain and sorrow – but everything always works out for the best. You need to find the relationship and space where you can be yourself – to be the best person that you can be – fully utilizing your talents and abilities for good things in the world.

Finish this sentence….

FG: Women should stop complaining about__________________ and ___________________________
JT: the glass ceiling and start their own companies to offer opportunities for other women.

FG: If your life had a soundtrack what would be your top three songs?
JT: “I’m Gonna Be An Engineer,” Peggy Seeger, “I am Woman,” Helen Reddy “I Hope You Dance,” Lee Ann Womack

FG: What project(s) do you have coming up?
JT: I think that marketing and promotion of Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America will continue to occupy my life for a VERY LONG time. We’re in our second printing. We’re planning for a second edition – I have the names of over 550 women in a spreadsheet on my computer that need to be considered for inclusion in a second edition. Women are still accomplishing wonderful things!

For more information on Jill and Herstory please visit www.herstoryatimeline.com; jill@herstoryatimeline.com
303-796-8204 (office) or 303-910-2101 (cell). You can also watch the video on our web site. Sign up for our monthly ENewsletter. Invite them to speak at your meetings and conventions. Jill can also call into your book clubs to discuss Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America. You can download our education resources at http://www.herstoryatimeline.com/hs_education_resources.htm. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/herstoryus

Woman 2 Watch-Sandy Salle

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Sep 292010

Sandy Salle, CEO of Hills of Africa Travel

Sandy Salle is a native of Zimbabwe and was born and raised in Southern Africa. The Chief Executive Officer of Hills of Africa travel, Sally is passionate about using her first-hand knowledge of Africa to create the trip of a lifetime for her clients. Currently based state-side in North Carolina, she resides with her husband and two small children. Sandy travels home to Africa several times a year and believes that the next best thing to living in Africa is sharing it with others. Read more about this Woman 2 Watch below.

FG: Why did you feel it was important to start the Hills of Africa tours?

SS: Once you’ve been to Africa and experienced the soul of Africa, it lives with you forever. It changes you, and you have a feeling of completeness with yourself. In starting Hills of Africa, we wanted to share this beauty—which is derived from the landscapes, animals, cities, and people of Africa—with the world.

FG: What types of trips and travel packages do you offer?

SS: We mainly specialize in luxury family, group, and honeymoon trips to Africa, but we offer all kinds of trips and packages. All of our trips are completely customized to fit our client’s individual needs and preferences—there are no pre-made or generic itineraries. From wildlife encounters to wine and oil tastings to sunset river cruises, we are dedicated to making our client’s dreams come true, and we’ll go to great lengths to ensure our clients receive everything they desire on their trip to Africa.

FG: Why is Africa a great place for a vacation or romantic getaway?

SS: Whether you’re celebrating your honeymoon or your 50th wedding anniversary, Africa is the ultimate romantic escape. Many honeymooners to Africa are looking to experience a rich mixture of adventure and relaxation—two elements that Africa offers in great quantities. Therefore, many romance-based itineraries include everything from the beaches of Zanzibar to Botswana walking safari tours. Romantic activities abound, from horseback wine tastings to side-by-side bush baths beneath the African night sky to champagne picnics on the beach.

Visiting Africa as a family is one of the most rewarding and unforgettable ways to share the experiences of new cultures, fascinating history, and exciting adventures, as an entire family. Whether you have younger children or late teens, everyone can enjoy experiences that range from adventurous safaris to Cape Town city tours, horse riding tours on the beach to cultural expeditions with the native Bushmen, and a trip to Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary to elephant back rides. Children-friendly camps offer a variety of activities for the young ones who aren’t yet of age to participate on a game drive or safari tour. While the children are enjoying bush treasure hunts, bead-making classes, and bedtime stories from traditional African storytellers, parents can relax or partake in an adventurous safari tour.

FG: What are some of the common misconceptions people have about vacationing in Africa?

SS: There are many safety misconceptions about Africa; for example, many people think the food and water are inedible, mosquitoes and disease are rampant, and safaris are inherently unsafe. In reality, trusted accommodations have access to filtered water at all times and offer only the freshest food that is absolutely delectable and completely safe to consume.

When it comes to mosquitoes and insect-carrying diseases, you will stay healthy as long as you follow suggested precautions to ensure complete safety, such as taking anti-malaria pills during your trip. Also, accommodations that are prone to mosquitoes always offer mosquito nets to guests. You can rest assured you are safe when embarking on safari with a qualified and professional safari provider. Guides are armed with weapons, equipped with handheld communication devices, and have undergone extensive training in proper safety procedures and animal behavior. In fact, professional guides require a minimum of four years of training in the field before they can accompany safari goers on an outing!

FG: What is the most rewarding experience you’ve had in creating the Hills of Africa tours?

SS: It would have to be seeing how Hills of Africa has changed lives—both the lives of the African people and our clients. Hills of Africa practices sustainable tourism and only partners with eco-friendly and Fair Trade companies, which ensures that the communities our clients visit receive the direct economic benefits of tourism, such as job creation. The locals who work in tourism at Fair Trade companies are guaranteed safe working conditions and just wages. It’s thrilling to see the money that tourism brings to these local communities used to boost the standard of living through education programs and wildlife initiatives. Often Africa touches our clients’ lives in small, yet profound ways. A couple of instances come to mind: For a family of twenty visiting Africa, we organized a tour to a small village, where they played a soccer match against the villagers. Despite it pouring rain, the game was filled with much camaraderie and laughing and the day become one that no one in the family will soon forget. Another was a client who loved elephants. All she wanted to do on her safari was to be around them, so we arranged for her to work with elephants at a sanctuary – It was a dream come true for her.

FG: How do you balance family life and the work you do for the foundation?

SS: It is very important to close shop at the end of the workday and spend time with family. For me, it’s a blessing that I am able to work with clients and on the foundation doing something that I truly love and that I feel changes lives, but it’s my family who empowers me to be able to do what I love. Family time gives me the energy to be able to go out and help people.

FG: How many of your business decisions are based on know how vs. your intuition?

SS: I am a thinker, so every idea is usually a know how, which is then clearly put together through our proven formulas. I have each member of our team work through our Procedures Manual.

FG: What do you consider to be some of the major highlights of your career thus far?

SS: Working with clients whose lives have been touched and changed by the magic of Africa, being in a position to help the people of Africa, for example by teaching them how to plant vegetable gardens that will feed their family for a year or painting a school classroom.

FG: What is a spiritual mantra or philosophy that you live by?

SS: I live by a mantra that I made up “live big, love big, dream big and travel big”. It means a lot to me in so many ways, but it’s essentially a reminder that it is so important to live your life to its fullest.

FG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

SS: Don’t play small, and stop treating your business as a hobby and treat it as the corporation that it should be.

FG: What would you tell your younger-self if you knew then what you know now?
SS: We are all here for a reason, and we are here to be of service to others.

Finish this sentence….

FG: Women should stop complaining about _______________ and start _________________

SS: Women should stop complaining about how much they are responsible for in family life and start enjoying the family they have created.

FG: If your life came with a soundtrack, what would be the top three songs (and please indicate the singer or band)

SS: “Unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfield, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo`ole, and “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” by Shakira (the official 2010 World Cup Song)

FG: What project(s) do you have coming up?

SS: We have some exciting group safari tours coming up! Soul Safari Transformation, led by Oprah Soul Series author Ainslie MacLeod, is a 9-day African Safari from April 29-May 7, 2011 through South Africa and Zimbabwe that combines MacLeod’s life-changing teachings, daily spiritual workshops, and the energetic boost of the African bush. Participants are guided by MacLeod to discover the path their souls intended while enjoying leisure activities—such as game-viewing, canoeing, and elephant-back riding—all within the safe haven of an intimate environment of 24 people there for the same purpose. To learn more, visit: and website: http://www.hillsofafrica.com/Soul_Safari/Soul_Safari.html.

We are in the final stages of developing several more group tours, including the Awakening Inspiration Safari with renowned holistic healer and author Jonathan Ellerby commencing September 19, 2011. Please check the Hills of Africa website (www.hillsofafrica.com) over the next few weeks for the latest info all our upcoming group safari tours.

For more information on Sandy Salle or the Hills of Africa visit www.hillsofafrica.com and blog: www.livethemagicofafrica.com or on Twitter: @hillsofafrica. You can also call Hills of Africa by phone 1.800.940.9344 or email: hoainfo@hillsofafrica.com.

Woman 2 Watch-Beth Meixner

Women 2 Watch 1 Response »

Aug 252010

Beth Meixner, Moxxie Network

With a successful career spanning more than 20 years, Beth Meixner is the Director of Sales & Marketing for Target Media Group, a creative full-service multi-media design firm and founder of The Moxxie Network. The Moxxie Network, is an elite group comprised of high level professional women who are naturally inclined to a balanced exchange. The group embraces diversity and is committed to developing the careers of the younger generation of women as well as those women whose careers are starting later in life. Read below to find out why this Long Island lady is a Woman 2 Watch…

FG: How did The Moxxie Network get started? And why did you feel developing the site was important?

BM: As the Director of Sales & Marketing for Target Group Media, a small graphic design firm, I was completely enmeshed in the Long Island networking arena. Although I thoroughly enjoyed networking, I was getting increasing disenchanted by the groups and felt that there was a better way for women to network. We think, interact and communicate differently from men so why not concentrate on that and design a group that embraces those differences. This feeling is depicted in our logo. The correct spelling of moxie is with one X but we use two X’s because women have two X chromosomes – men have one X and one Y. If you look closely at the logo, you’ll see a woman’s leg on a Y chromosome.

FG: What programs and services does the Moxxie Network provide?

BM: Moxxie Network is a women’s business community made up of 4 Legs:

Moxxie – for senior level executive & professional women to network in order to expand their business and social circles. We also provide an opportunity for members to mentor younger women – either formally or informally.
Ms. Moxxie – for young professional women in their 20’s and 30’s. Our goal is to develop young women into well-rounded business professionals who are better positioned to represent themselves and their employers in the networking world. I have selected 10 young women to act as the Ms Moxxie Advisory Board. The Board is responsible for planning events, recruiting members and handling the marketing – all under the guidance and supervision of myself and some Moxxie Network Advisors. The goal is to not only provide a forum for young women but to give these 10 Advisors the experience of starting an organization from the ground floor.

Jr. Moxxie – a formal one year mentoring program for college women whereby Moxxie members volunteer to be matched up with a mentee in college. Our Jr Moxxie mentees are expected to accompany their mentors to business and networking events and to shadow them for a day. They are also required to work alongside our Moxxie Girls (Girl Scouts) and assist them when the scouts are working on patches and badges. This is accomplished through joint events with the Girl Scouts.

Moxxie Girl – our partnership with the Girl Scouts whereby Moxxie Network provides age-appropriate, business-minded role models to girls. Our Jr Moxxies and Ms Moxxies help the Girl Scouts when they are working on their patches and badges. This interaction also helps Moxxie Network to develop our Jr and Ms Moxxie into role models themselves – just as we are role models to them.

FG: How do you see the Moxxie Network growing in the next couple of years?

BM: I would like to start a Jr Moxxie Program on every campus on Long Island and also open new chapters across the country.

FG: What are common mistakes young women make when transitioning from college into the business world?

BM: I have seen two types of young women – those with too much confidence and those with too little confidence. A happy medium and one based in reality is the best. Moxxie Network encourages our Jr Moxxies in college to dream big but have realistic and attainable goals that will ultimately get them where they want to go.

FG: How do you balance family life and the work you do?

BM: I have an adult daughter who lives in Miami and a very supportive husband who doesn’t mind cooking for himself. This gives me a lot of freedom to attend business meetings and events in the morning, afternoon and evening. I am at a stage in my life where I am able to pursue my passion and have the ability to do it. I consider myself very fortunate – most people do not have this luxury.

FG: How many of your business decisions are based on know how vs. your intuition?

BM: Almost all are based on intuition. I have never started or run an entire company so this is all new to me. I am just following my gut instincts – of course, I also have a business background, an MBA and lots of experience in sales, marketing and office management.

If I had to wait to get all the information I needed to make decisions or try new ideas I would never have started Moxxie Network or any of its innovative programs. Sometimes, you just have to take the leap of faith and build your parachute on the way down. It’s a real learning experience but an organization like Moxxie Network has never existed so all of us involved are real life guinea pigs.

FG: What do you consider to be some of the major highlights of your career thus far?

BM: When I was working full-time with Target Group Media, our company was chosen to present website design ideas to Donald Trump, who was building a new facility on Jones Beach in Long Island. We had 20 minutes in the Boardroom with Donald Trump and his advisors on the project – and we got the contract to design www.TrumpOnTheOcean.com. Now that was exciting.

I reached a point in my life when I said to myself “If not now, when?” I decided to stop being afraid and to experience new things. So – I went sky-diving (tandem), trained as a boxer for 4 months and fought in the LI Fight For Charity fund-raising event in front of 1000 business people and started Moxxie Network. It was a real life-changing time in my life.

FG: What is a spiritual mantra or philosophy that you live by?

BM: I do not consider myself to be a particularly religious or spiritual person. I live by a common sense approach to life and also by the Golden Rule of Do unto others …

FG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

BM: Don’t sweat the small stuff. I remember a time when my daughter was a teenager and we use to have arguments about her messy room. One day my girlfriend (who has 3 daughters) advised me not to get upset about the situation – that my relationship with my daughter was far more important than a tidy room. She was absolutely right and from that day on, I never got upset over it.

FG: What would you tell your younger-self if you knew then what you know now?

BM: Get more involved and meet as many people as possible. Venture outside your circle of fear and experience what the world has to offer. We can re-invent ourselves whenever we want so you don’t have to settle for any situation where you are not happy or fulfilled. And, of course, never burn bridges.

Finish this sentence….

FG: Women should stop complaining about________ and start_____________________

BM: Women should stop complaining about NOT GETTING WHAT THEY WANT and start LEARNING HOW TO NEGOTIATE FOR WHAT THEY WANT.

FG: If your life came with a soundtrack, what would be the top three songs (and please indicate the singer or band)

BM: From the movie, The Sound of Music – Climb Every Mountain, Country song by Garth Brooks – Unanswered Prayers, Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli – The Prayer

FG: What project(s) do you have coming up?

BM: I am meeting with a major women’s magazine to discuss doing a joint convention on Long Island next year for business and professional women. Moxxie is also planning the first Long Island Business Women’s Diversity Dinner in October. There are many ethnic-based networking groups for women and I thought we should all get together for an evening. The idea is to celebrate our cultural differences and realize that we all share that extra X chromosome.

For more information on Beth and the Moxxie Network please visit, www.moxxienetwork.com or email Beth at beth@MoxxieNetwork.com. You can also call the Moxxie Network at (631) 328-4545.

Woman 2 Watch, Ingrid Owens

Women 2 Watch 1 Response »

Aug 102010

Ingrid Owens, Photographer

Ingrid Owens, Camera Shy & Beginners Photography Blog

Ingrid Owens is a native of Monaghan, Ireland where she managed her own photography store for 6 years. Now in Atlanta, Ingrid runs two successful websites, Camera Shy and Beginners Photography Blog. Married to her Smyrna, Georgia-native husband whom she met when he walked into her photography store in Ireland, Ingrid is a Women 2 Watch teaching Atlantans to capture life one picture at a time..

FG: What was the inspiration for starting CameraShy?

IO: I’ve been teaching photography since 2000 but that was mostly in Ireland and through my family business which is a photographic retail shop. I moved here to Atlanta in 2006 to marry my husband, and after a brief spell in the corporate world, I realized I just had to get back to doing what I loved and to work for myself. Teaching photography was the natural thing for me to do: I love it, I can work on my terms, be at home with my daughter during the day and people love my service. CameraShy was born!

FG: How did you first get into photography and what did you do before you got into the field?

IO: Well I’ve been in the photographic industry all my life in the family business in Ireland selling camera equipment and doing photo processing. So I’ve always been around cameras and photos. But I think like everyone who comes from a background in family business, you have a desire to move away and distance yourself from it. I attended university at Trinity College, in Dublin and attained a business degree. I worked in finance for a few years, traveled the world for a year and then found myself back in my hometown running the family business by my own choice. Its funny how we try and deny what we are meant to do, but it keeps coming back to us eventually. That was me and photography – we’re destined to be together!

FG: What were some of the challenges you faced when getting your business of the ground in the States?

IO: I never closed the business back home. My dad still oversees it and we have put other staff in place to do the day to day running of things. I thought it would be so difficult to start a business over here from scratch and there’s no doubt that it’s a lot of hard work but not impossible. The main challenges were the lack of network and contacts over here. I had to develop new relationships with all the various people who I would have to work with in my business dealings – from my bank to my printers. Back home [in Ireland], I had a network of associates whom I’d been doing business with for years. Here I had to research everyone and everything and make myself known to people- both vendors and prospective customers. But I’ve really enjoyed a lot of this side of the business. Networking is the only way to go in a big city like Atlanta! My advice to anyone starting out is to start with the network you already have – your friends and family. You’d be surprised how many people you know through them.

FG: In the U.S. there are many opportunities for female entrepreneurs; what is the entrepreneurial climate like for women in Ireland?

IO: At the moment we’re going through a very tough recession in Ireland, much worse than here in the US. Staying in business right now is difficult never mind starting a new one. But that being said, I think that it is during these times that the entrepreneurial spirit thrives. If you can catch the economy on the upswing then you’re shooting for the stars! Irish women have always been entrepreneurial and there are lots of government run programs [in Ireland] in place to help entrepreneurs of all kinds. If you have a good business idea and are willing to put in the hard work, then there is definitely the support there to help you – free or low priced business courses, advice, mentorship programs and small business loans. Even though I had my business degree I took advantage of everything I could when I was there and what I learned has stuck with me to this day.

FG: What are some tips you can give women that are contemplating leaving their job to start you’re their own business?

IO: I guess the first thing is be absolutely sure you are willing and able to give the time and the hard work required to make your business a success. A lot of people think that when you run your own business you can work when you want to leaving behind the drudge of the 9 to 5. That’s true once you’re well established but until then you have to know that you will eat, sleep and breathe your new venture. Be prepared to pull long hours. You also really need to have a good savings fund in place to support you through the start-up phase. Cash-flow problems are one of the main reasons why small businesses fail early on.Thirdly, make sure you’ve got the full support of your nearest and dearest. You will need their support to carry you through the tough times.Lastly, do as much groundwork that you can while you still have your job. Do your market research, think about branding, and put a business plan in place. All this can be done after office hours before you quit.

FG: What are some of the tips you have for business women who are struggling to keep their business thriving during the recession?

IO: I think in order to survive in the recession we’ve got to be really creative with our budgets. Carefully analyze your accounts and really cut back on any extra spending you might be doing. We have to be frugal in our businesses as well as in the home so always be on the lookout for coupons and deals and learn how to do certain tasks you would have previously outsourced e.g book-keeping, do-it-yourself product photography, internet marketing. Google is your friend! Everything is learnable!

FG: You met your husband after he stumbled into your photography storefront while he was visiting Ireland. It almost sounds like plot to a romantic movie. How do you now balance work and family?

IO: Sam [my husband] is very supportive of me and my business so that is really important. He understands and takes care of the baby when I’m teaching students on the weekends and some evenings. During the day though it’s tough, especially now my baby is in the toddler stage and running all over the place. But I always remember why I’m doing this and the main reason is so that I can be at home to raise my daughter and create a flexible lifestyle for my family. Right now I work early in the morning before she wakes up and late in the evenings. I catch up on emails, make quick calls and do smaller tasks during her nap-time. It’s all about organization and also realizing you cannot live in a perfectly tidy house! Somethings gotta give and for me it’s usually the ironing.

FG: What is a spiritual mantra or philosophy that you live by?

IO: “You’ve only failed when you’ve failed to try.” You’ve definitely got to be prepared to fail in business – you’ll never know if somethings going to work unless you put it out there. If it’s not a success, it’s been valuable research.

FG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

IO: My dad always told me that “there is no money at the end of no.” He meant never refuse to do something just because you think you can’t or that it’s not worth your while. You never know where it might lead you; a new venture, a new contact or a new product. But if you say no, then that’s the end of that!

FG: What would you tell your younger-self if you knew then what you know now?

IO: Be careful when you’re working retail – you never know when your future husband is going to walk into the shop!

Finish this sentence….

FG: Women should stop complaining about_______________and start______________________.

IO: Not knowing how to do something and start Googling everything. We live in this wonderful age where EVERYTHING is learnable online. Google it!

For more information on Ingrid please visit www.camerashy.info or call 404-247-8079 for more information. You can also check out Ingrid’s blog at www.BeginnersPhotographyBlog.com where you’ll find loads of photography tips, techniques, tutorials and her new online photography courses.

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