Let's get to know each other a little bit. If we could share a bit about ourselves here, just enough to intrigue the others so that we start clicking through our photos to view our profiles and start to connect...

Please share:

What is your business?
How long have you been in business?
How many kids do you have? How old?
What do you need in your business to take it to the next level?

Here's to our success!

OK, I will go first:

What is your business? I am a marketing strategist who has turned to teaching others how to use social networking to create long-lasting, profitable relationships!

How long have you been in business? As an entrepreneur: 20 years. With Strategic REsults Marketing: 9 years. Focusing on relationships: subconsciously for 20 years, proactively for 3 years.

How many kids do you have? How old? 4 daughters: Jackie (17), Liz (15), Michaela (10) and Carissa (5)

What do you need in your business to take it to the next level? I need to connect with other success-driven moms like myself so that I don't feel so alone in my community. I also need to know tips about how moms get through the days that get turned upside-down because the family needed them.

What is your business? I am a Virtual Assistant who specializes in multimedia, eLearning, eBooks and Social Media Marketing.
How long have you been in business? Since April 2008; Althought I have been working in the area for 15 years in academia.
How many kids do you have? How old? I have 3 kids and a dog Jasmine - 16; Timber - 10 and Jaden - 5. Max our Lab is 4 months
What do you need in your business to take it to the next level? A focused marketing strategy and some business coaching - which I currently getting.

My turn!! :-)

What is your business? I am the President of S.M.A.R.T. Enterprises which creates local online business directories specifically for women and moms and the businesses that want to be in front of that target audience. Check out http://www.RoanokeforWomen.com and http://www.RoanokeforKids.com. I will be launching sites in multiple cities before the end of the year and in 2009!

How long have you been in business? I have been in this business for about 2 1/2 years but I have been an entrepreneur for 15 years - I owned the largest private learn to swim program in the Fraser Valley (British Columbia, Canada) until I moved to Virginia in 2001.

How many kids do you have? How old? 1 daughter Bryden (almost 7) 2 sons Hayden (5 next week) and Landen (just turned 3).

What do you need in your business to take it to the next level? I need to connect with business owners who understand the importance of marketing their business online, can help connect me to business owners in their community who feel the same so that I can launch websites in those cities. Every city needs a www.____________forWomen.com website and I want to bring it to them. I also need to connect with people who want to work for a great company in the capacity of Advertising Associates and Regional Sales Directors as I obviously can't be in all these cities at the same time!! :-)

When we launch a site it is with 50 businesses that "pre-list". I need 50 business owners in YOUR city who want to be a part of this awesome, cost effective and target audience driven marketing tool.

I also need a full time chef and house cleaner :-) Haha!!

Monique: I have a golden retriever named Max! :-)

Dayna: Wow! I love your enthusiasm and purpose!

Hi....I'm Ann
I own a business called Let Your Life Speak. I mostly do LifeVision coaching and accountability coaching.
I've been in this business for about 3 years. Prior to that, I owned a gourmet food business on the East coast for 20 years. I just sold it about 10 months ago.
I have 5 children. My oldest 2 are married and I have one new grandbaby! Melissa (25) Krista (21) Rachelle (17) Joe (15) Matt (11)

My current needs are getting better "connected". I need opportunities to share what I do. When I have the opportunity to speak or share my story, I usually attract people who are looking for clarity and balance. My unique approach of a RECORDED Lifevision (minutely detailed, covering all areas with the motivation, emotions and actions plans) just needs more exposure.

I'm also very much into personal development right now and am trying to improve my speaking and writing skills by doing presentations and blogging and writing articles.

Connections & Exposure...that's what I need help with! :)

What is your business?
I am the President of Signature of Success Consulting, Inc. Corporate Headquarters for:
The Networking Masters http://www.thenetworkingmasters.com,
JV Mavens http://www.JVmavens.ning.com and
Get More and Better Clients Now http://www.getmoreandbetterclientsnow.com

How long have you been in business?
I've been an entrepreneur for 16 years and wouldn't change it for anything!!

How many kids do you have? How old?
I have one daughter... Cara. She is 16 (ACK!!) and eligible for her drivers license this coming January!!

What do you need in your business to take it to the next level?
I need to invest in a high level mastermind, surround myself with success-driven people and attend more live events/conferences – at least 3 each year. To create the additional cash flow needed to up-level in this way my goal is to create 3 new joint venture and/or referral partnerships each month.

I am a Life Coach who has been in business for a year and am now in the process of launching a practice geared to stressed out teachers called The Whole Teacher - Inspiration and Strategies for Balance Before Burnout (www.wholeteacher.com). I am so passionate about this topic as I too was a stressed out teacher who felt isolated.

I have 2 boys - Benjamin 8 and Curtis 11 and a feisty Italian Greyhound named Enzo.

In order to take my business to the next level I need some clear goals in regards to marketing and the steps to achieve them. I do have some great coaching in place, but am considering how to go about hiring a virtual assistant as I am still working in the school system as a counselor and at home as a mom of 2 busy boys. I want to keep my vision big,yet realize that if I don't delegate - I'll burnout!

And here comes an international addition to the Mompreneurs: My name is Sandra, I am from Germany and in the process of joining my husband and business partner Ted in the US. We founded Incantato Tours and Concert Management (www.incantatotours.com) after a sad change of management and direction by my previous employer and thanks to the amazing support of friends and clients who said: Yes, Sandra, you can do it. I have been crazily busy, but also happy ever since. Just shortly after incorporating Incantato both in NY and Germany, I got pregnant and we welcomed Thea Stephanie into our lives on April 2, 2008. Our baby girl has been to 11 countries and 13 US States by the age of 6 months and while I loved having her with me as much as possible, it is now time to let go as she seems happier at home with Dad than being on the road with Mom. So my first Thea-less business trip is coming up tomorrow and while I will miss her terribly, it is the right decision not to take her.

Incantato is a specialized tour operator, our clients are not just tourists, but travelers. We provide essential travel experiences - for choirs, orchestras, church groups, educational groups, people that love great food, fantastic wnes, chocolates, cars etc and through in-depth knowledge, passion and a wonderful team of colleagues and friends, we can show a group way more than most other companies out there. We also believe in keeping overhead low and can provide lots of bang for the buck (do I sound American here or what?). Most important, we love what we do and we truly care that everyone on our tours has a great time and unforgettable positive exprience. This summer, three of our groups gave private concerts in the Sistine Chapel - I still get goosebumps thinking about it.

How can we take Incantato to the next level? By spreading the word about it which is tough with a very limited marketing budget. And last not least, by continuing to improve, study and work hard.

As a European and new New Yorker, I very much appreciate the opportunity to connect with other Mompreneurs and hope to make some more friends as I strongly believe in working together and joining forces whenever possible.

Oh, how long have I been in business? It is going to 10 years in the travel industry with the last five in an executive position, 13+ in journalism and marketing back in Europe (obviously some of that was parallel, who doesn't love to work multiple jobs, smile)

MaryPat, this is great, thanks for the invite!

My Business:

Interpersonal Excellence with Crystal Hernandez, a coaching firm that provides coaching services and products to assist professional and business women who want to enrich or transform the quality of their marriage and/or family life.

Years in Business:

16 plus in behavioral health industry, counseling much of that time, marriage and family therapy background--began coaching clients as well-became greatest joy, so I transitioned into coaching on full time basis 3 yrs ago and have never looked back. What wonderful second career!

My Children:

I'm the proud mom of two daughters, 14 & 2.5, and an eight-year old son. All are 6yrs apart!

What I need:

I need a virtual assistant -- still doing way too much myself!

I'm a writer and marketer who fell down the rabbit hole of online marketing when my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT came out in April. I was lucky enough to find MaryPat right when my online adventure began, and she has been invaluable in helping me learn about the effective use of social media.

I've now started an online info business (www.millermosaic.com) and I'm about to launch a book marketing site to share all the info I had to learn the hard way in the last few months.

I have two daughters in their 20s -- both on Facebook. One works for my company and one has her own company, although we do projects together.

It's always been important to me to help others, so I'm thrilled with the Web 2.0 model of sharing info with others and doing joint ventures.

I'm looking for women whose businesses might connect with my book marketing site.

And, oh yes, I'm sponsoring an event right now on Facebook for Veterans Day -- Honor a Veteran -- at http://snipurl.com/mrslieutenant . Hope you'll participate.

Diana Sterling here joining this group. Been on facebook for a while, mostly to communicate with my 20-somethings. I am a ready student of this venue and will be learning more. I have a thought to post to the group - should we as parents be on MySpace or give them ThierSpace. I am learning, so dig in. If the kids are using all this social media - how do we as parents use it to stay up to speed.....
Diana Sterling, CEO, New Generations Interational
www.parentascoach.com
www.familycoachtraining.com

Hi, I'm Annette Pieper and I am a Harmonic Success Strategies Expert. I help entrepreneurs and small business owners eliminate self-sabotaging habits and create specific action steps to create greater income, manage time more effectively and have more fun. Visit http://www.annettepieper.com for more info.

I am also an owner of a successful Telecom company which provides services for individuals and small business such as local/long distance, wireless, internet service, cutting edge digital phone service and video phone and satilite television services and serves as an outstanding residual income source. Visit http://www.yourworldtelecom.com for more info on our services and the opportunity to earn residual income.

How long have you been in business? I have been in business for over 6 years and have helped thousands create their dream business.

How many kids do you have? What are their ages? I have two sons. Shane just turned 18 (yikes) and Colt is 15. They are both in High School and keep me on my toes.

What do you need to take your business to the next level? First of all, I need action-oriented entrepreneurs who are ready to take their business to the next level. I need a virutal assistant to help with the things that I am not the best at. I also need to connect with a Master Mind group and spend time with successful people.

Hi there...my name is Michelle Flores.

I'm married and the mother of two very handsome boys, Michael (15) and Matthew (10) - (okay so I'm a little biased). I'm also a full-time web designer, working for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, in Boulder, CO for the past 13 years.

My husband, Mike, and I are also interested in real estate investing. We belong to the Colorado Association of Real Estate Investors (CAREI), an association of over 900 members of the real estate investors community (I've created a Facegroup group for this association).

Most recently, we were introduced to the Money Merge Account
software program! We still had 24 years left on our mortgage, and we're now scheduled to pay it down in 9 years! This will then give us the capital we need to use our assets for real estate investing!

Go here to find out more about the Money Merge Account program:
http://www.u1stfinancial.com/moneymergepage.html

And here to run your own analysis:
http://www.u1stfinancial.net/debt-freedom

I am jumping on the "full-speed ahead" bandwagon of social networking and marketing, and I looking to networking with like-minded, success-oriented moms like you!

Michelle

Hi - my name is Cathy Alessandra. I am the Publisher/Event Producer of What's Up For Kids, LLC. Since 1995, I have connected parents with resources through our quarterly magazine, our annual expos all over Southern California, and our website and specialty publications. My business is growning and I am now licensing the magazine to women (or men) who want to run their own company and publish and magazine. I am very excited to be moving to the next level!

My husband Greg and I have 3 kids - Ana 16, Lyn 14 and Chris 12, and a golden retriever named Dixie. I began the business shortly after my 2nd daughter was born, out of the necessity of looking for things to do in my community with my kids.

To take my business to the next level, I need to network with other mothers who are fired up and motivated to own their own business. I have joined a mastermind group, I have joined the Ultimate Wealth and Success Circle, I am on fire and excited to help other moms jumpstart a new business while still being able to be MOM! Check us out at www.whatsupforkids.com!

I am so impressed with the quality women joining this group! Please connect with each other as we do need each other's support to stand strong!

I am a Virtual Assistant who specializes in 2 areas:

1. I am the "glue" for the creative entrepreneur. I am the behind-the-scenes gal that handles the organizational details of your business so that you can focus on the things that you are truly passionate about.

2. Priority Identification & Accountability Management. I work together WITH entrepreneurs to establish a clear focus, convert that focus into specific action steps, determine which of those steps could/should be done by someone else, and lay out milestones to track success.

I have been in business since 2002. I have found that limiting my services to 20 hours per week and working with only 2-3 individuals at a time helps me to stay sharp in business yet still fun at home with family.

My kids are great and definitely keep life interesting. Dallin is 4 1/2 and refers to himself as "Big Dallin: the fastest boy in the world." Olivia just turned 3. I have to know where she's at all the time or she sneaks up on me and starts putting ribbons and clips in my hair. Beck is 4 months old and laughs more than any baby I've ever met.

I would love advice on how to keep young children entertained while still getting work done. I have a few tricks up my sleeve, but am always up for new ideas, as are the kids.

I am so excited to be part of this group and look forward to meet lots of you.

Hi!

I'm Bev Coggins - a professional organizer, speaker, and author of the 1-2-3...Get Organized series - books and workbooks for the overwhelmed!

The name of my business is 1-2-3...Get Organized (www.1-2-3GetOrganized.com). I have been in business since 1995.

I have been married to my wonderful husband for 33 years. We have two grown daughters and are foster parents for teenage girls.

I would like to have more exposure to my books and workbooks.

I'm looking forward to gleaning some great info from this group!

Hello this is Simone Mitjans!

What is your business? I am the founder and director of www.purewomenshealth.com where we help women with their health and well-being so that they can balance and manage a successful life, family and business.

How long have you been in business? I have been in business for almost 5yrs

How many kids do you have?I have Melissa How old? she is 4yrs old

What do you need in your business to take it to the next level? I am looking for online exposure, join ventures and to connect with high level success-driven women who want to have it all.

You are all welcome to get your FREE special report "Top 5 Mistakes "Health conscious" Women make Everyday .....And How To Avoid Them" at www.purewomenshealth.com

Looking forward to connecting with you all,

Simone Mitjans

Hi everyone, I'm so enjoying reading about you all!

I'm Tiffiny Appelbaum and I'm a designer and seamstress. In the 90s I worked as a graphic designer and did fashion design/sewing as a hobby, but transitioned to that fully about 5 years ago. I love it! When I first started my business my primary work was interior design related, working for/with interior designers. But the economy has effected that market and I'm working on smaller things now, unique handmade doll clothes, tea cozies and other things.

I've been in business for just over 3 yrs. I've sewn since I was a little girl and have 2 design degrees and many years of design background.

I have a 5-year-old son, Ryan. He just started kindergarten this year.

I hesitated to join this group because I don't have any grand goals for my business. I love to design and sew and bring in a little extra money while being a stay-at-home-mom. Having my business is often just gives me an excuse to work in my studio. = ) I'll be launching a website this month (that's the plan anyway). Other than that, I'm not sure...

Looking forward to getting to know you all better.
Tiffiny

Since 2004, I have been The Law School Expert (www.lawschoolexpert.com) - a law school admission consultant. I started the corresponding blog in 2007 (http://lawschoolexpert.blogspot.com) and have more than 10,000 readers each month.

I recently started a new blog to inspire other moms to Make More, Be More and Do More: http://momwithmoney.wordpress.com
I'd love the thoughts and comments of other mompreneurs!

I have 2 daughters - Haley is 4.5 and Nicole will be two next month.

What do you need in your business to take it to the next level? - I'm absolutely thrilled with the success of law school expert, and am excited to launch Mom With Money. To do so, I need the support and feedback of other moms. I am also on twitter at momwithmoney.

Hi Renee,
Can you tell me exactly what a Virtual Assistant does? I am always looking for help!
My business is www.lawschoolexpert.com

Hope you're having a great weekend.
Ann

What is your business? I am the owner of a multi-VA team that specializes in social marketing and social networking. I'm also in the process of launching a marketing company that does training seminars for offline businesses to learn to effectively market themselves online.

How long have you been in business? I have been in business for about a year and a half.

How many kids do you have? Two - Connor, 3 and Brianna, 1

What do you need in your business to take it to the next level? Someone to help me with time management! Seriously!! And if my business continues to grow, then I'll probably need an effective Project Management VA. Finally, someone to work with in coaching to streamline and guide my biz growth.

Hi Ann. Good to hear from you.

I must say, I LOVE your business! I checked out you website and think it is very cool. I remember so many of my college friends being SO freaked out about the different entrance exams (mostly the MCAT and GRE). I can see how what you are offering could be so valuable to students preparing for law school!

Just curious to know how you came up with idea?

As far as what a Virtual Assistant (VA) does, that depends on the particular person. The commonality among VA's is that we work from a remote office. This benefits business owners because it lowers costs for things such as office rent, equipment, supplies, etc.

Most VA's tend to be specialized in the services they perform. This, too, saves the business owner money AND time because the learning curve is eliminated.

I have come up with a flier that describes the services I provide:

www.tinyurl.com/ReneeVA

If I could help you out with either of your businesses, I would love to do so. Let's keep in touch.

Renee

Hi everyone!
Glad to be here with like minded mom's who wear many hats.

My name is Patti Handy. I'm a single mom, with one wonderful 12 year old boy. He was 18 months old when I got divorced, so it's been 'us two' for awhile.

Prior to my divorce, I worked in the banking/financial world. Rather than bore you with all my life details, I'll fast forward to today. I'm a money coach that works with women and kids, educating and empowering them with their money skills. I am launching a new video series for kids, called "The Money Minute". It's a free service to reach as many kids, ages 12 and older, as I possibly can. My site is www.kidscashcoach.com (coming soon) and www.wisdomwithinyou.com for women.

My struggle has always been the balancing act of mommyhood (my priority) and building a business. Sometimes the guilt can be tough when my son wants to play and I'm in the middle of work.

I look forward to getting to know all of you and hearing about your life lessons. I love learning, especially from those who walk the same path as I.

Best,
Patti Handy

Hello all,

My name is Sandi Pond. I am a mother of 3 boys. Rick is 38, oh wait - he is my husband. My other two boys are 4 and 19 months.

I am involved in a lot of different businesses. I am a real estate agent (2 years), network marketer (6 years), and involved with e-commerce (2 weeks).

As you can imagine I get overwhelmed with a lot on my plate. My family is first but my businesses help keep my family going so how do I find the right balance. I look forward to learning from all you great moms out there!

Thanks,

Sandi Pond

I just started a new business called CereusWomen at http://www.cereuswomen.com.

For over 13 years I've been working from home as a computer consultant while raising 3 children aged 14, 10 and 8. I was getting tired of programming all day and needed a change. About a year ago, I decided to come up with a business where I could help other mothers get where I am today.

CereusWomen teaches moms to turn their skills and talents into successful home-based service businesses and to find balance among their work and their family.

I need to create some new products to bring my business to the next level. I am currently in the process of building my email list for my ezine.

Kimberly

Tiffany,

Maybe joining the group will give you inspiration and ideas on where to take your business.
Kim

I'm hoping so, Kim. I did get my website launched last week - wahoo!
Tiffiny