Note: Articles and postings are for informational purposes only. Please email us at blog@jillsconsultantlist.com with suggestions of stories for this page.

2008-05-19 - Random thoughts - world record ? 2008-05-18 - use a blog to work from home 2008-05-17 - Don't get straight A's 2008-05-16 - The most interesting News site you will EVER find 2008-05-15 - About Face 2008-05-14 - Volunteer Match website 2008-05-13 - Really creative Business Ideas.... 2008-05-11 - Forget Mars and Venus.... 2008-05-10 - Marriage counseling with humor 2008-05-09 - Volleyball 2008-05-08 - Recession (?) Consulting 2008-05-07 - Networking for more than fun 2008-05-07 - crafty business idea 2008-04-19 - I love my dog - all stuff for her 2008-03-20 - Networking on LinkedIn 2008-03-04 - Girl Scouts giving it all !! 2008-03-04 - How to know if your kids (or you) washed your hands well enough 2008-02-20 - Viagra for women and Metamucil in one drink 2008-02-15 - Domain names for the whole family 2008-01-29 - Article - Keeping a Work Journal by Laura Smith Dunaief 2008-01-24 - cancel catalogs 2008-01-02 - New Years ideas.... 2007-10-02 - sick kids at home ? 2007-09-25 - Article - Career Networking: Mind your Manners by Laura Smith Dunaief 2007-09-16 - Hot new things ---- 2007-09-13 - website development 2007-09-10 - Keeping children's movies innocent 2007-08-30 - The best support is all around you 2007-08-19 - Life Changes every September 2007-07-31 - the right work in the wrong place - freedom !!! 2007-07-09 - Blue Chip Expert 2007-06-20 - Knee Replacements 2007-06-20 - Fran Drescher 2007-06-19 - Orthodontics 2007-06-19 - Jim Cramer 2007-06-19 - My competitors 2007-06-17 - Father's rights 2007-06-13 - List of Jills 2007-06-12 - Nice people make it all worthwhile 2007-06-11 - Article - 5 Things Salespeople Really Need from Marketing by Jill Konrath 2007-06-11 - Article - Are You Asking Provocative Questions ? by Jill Konrath 2007-05-28 - Addictions - work and coffee 2007-05-28 - Money Savvy Pig 2007-05-27 - Lucinda Yates 2007-05-27 - Mark L Warner - Alzheimer's Products 2007-05-27 - Waste not...recycle 2007-05-26 - Duchenne syndrome 2007-05-26 - www.thinkkids.org 2007-05-26 - Article - Vampire Meetings and How to Slay Them by Peg Kelly 2007-05-01 - The people who inspire me 2007-04-30 - Michigan 2007-04-29 - Planet Moms 2007-04-26 - Copywriting as a career 2007-04-26 - Village Earth 2007-04-26 - Farhana Huq, C.E.O Women 2007-04-20 - Tivo, Tv and exercise 2007-04-18 - Phase II programming 2007-04-10 - Jet Blue 2007-03-27 - 1st newspaper article 2007-03-26 - Muhammad Yunus 2007-03-22 - New consultant 2007-03-20 - Lessons learned this week - confidence, ask for help, give before we receive. 2007-03-20 - Internet surfing is fun and educational 2007-03-10 - Surround yourself with people who will encourage you 2007-02-20 - the next 6 months..... 2007-02-10 - Hoping to change a little part of the world 2007-02-10 - Our web traffic stats 2007-02-02 - The Greatest Generation --- ???? 2007-01-30 - Somedays everything goes wrong 2007-01-29 - Thank you everyone 2007-01-20 - the next step - designing the site 2007-01-17 - Girls on the Go 2007-01-15 - The Dictionary Lady 2007-01-14 - Saving Horses one Rescue at a time 2007-01-12 - Treats for Troops 2007-01-11 - The Heifer Project 2007-01-10 - My 1st blog - how the site idea started 2007-01-02 -  < 2007-01-01 - all about this site

2008-08-29 -  MBA Moms Opting out Recently Business Week did a story on MBA Moms Opting Out of the workforce.  I commented on the story and this weekend (Labor Day) they are highlighting my comments on the home page.  Here is the comment I made and one of the other comments on www.businessweek.com to read the article:  http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/aug2008/bs20080821_739321.htm ajj Aug 23, 2008 2:53 AM GMT What about the benefits to society that these highly educated, hardworking, and experienced parents bring to the community when they are "staying home"? I am an MBA mom who left a very successful career when ... more 2008-07-09 -  The keys to self employment   It is difficult to be self employed. It is more challenging to find out answers about taxes, payroll, insurance etc. Since most self employed people got that way through a passion for a product or service, their strengths need a little boost in the technical side of self employment. Check here for help :                       http://www.usaselfemployed.com/... more 2008-06-19 -  Taking it on the road Today there was a great article in the LA Times about a dentist who retired and now is on the road making housecalls to nursing homes to provide dental care. It is an inspiring article both from the human kindness point of view but the need to be creative to offer what we need to those who need us.  Check it out: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-encore19-2008jun19,0,6838928.story?page=1 If the link gets disabled, look in the LA Times archives for A new wave of people take joy in switching to public-service work. By Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer June 19, 2008 ... more 2008-06-17 -  all those little shampoo bottles I just had to share this comment from a recent networking event that I was invited to: COMMUNITY KARMA As always, we'll be collecting hotel toiletries from your travels for Community Karma, run by AWM member Celia Cattani. Community Karma redistributes the toiletries to Bay Area non-profits such as Casa de las Madres, a battered women's shelter in SF.  http://www.communitykarma.org/ How cool is THAT !!! ... more 2008-05-29 -  Team building activites The best part of any corporate meeting, to me, is the team building activity where you have fun with your co-workers and develop relationships that will assist you later when dealing with interdepartmental projects.  Here is a nice spot to start looking for ideas that will make the team building event at your meeting fun for all.   Title: Team Building Corporate Entertainment Events URL: http://www.spy-games.com Description: Spy themed corporate events, ideal for team building, client entertainment, conference breaks or to boost the morale of your employees. Develops lateral thinking and communication skills. ... more 2008-05-28 -  clothes, clothes and more clothes..... I am tall (6'1") so I really have to be careful when I buy shirts so they cover my belly even when I raise my arms.... The Sharon blouse from Tianello, http://www.twosistersofparadise.com/store/tianellorsharonblouseshadow.html does it great and I can special order in about 2 dozen colors. There is this cool top I got that is a shawl with sleeves one way but then you literally turn it upside down (put your arms in opposite holes) and it becomes a duster. It can also be a cowl neck, poncho or some other stuff. Doesnt wrinkle either.http://www.twosistersofparadise.com/store/newarrivals.html I also wear Ray Sun for the big, comfortable but still stylish summer dress. more 2008-05-19 -  Webmonkey If you are on the techy side of website work, you are already aware of WebMonkey... but, if you are just starting out, this site will help you realize how little you know, how hard website business is and enough vocabulary to talk to your designer. If you want to go down that road more seriously (not me, I hire it out) then this site is REALLY great for you.  http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Welcome_to_the_All_New_Webmonkey... more 2007-12-20 -  day 3 - no customers yet Well, it is lonely in the store.... But, the ad in the paper comes out tonight so things should pick up.  There is a picture in the ad from the wedding. It has my mom, stepdad, all 3 kids, Jim and everyones full name. If people see the pic and read the name, hopefully they will come in.  This is such a small town that probably 20% of the residents know someone in the picture ! Also, last night was the kid's school holiday singing program and I wore a Spencer Alexis jacket and handed out cards.. problem - lost the cell phone again... We decided to put the store number on a cell phone so I could answer it even when we are closed. Downside - store is open and I cant find the phone.... will get a new one today if I still can't find it by noon....... more 2007-12-20 -  eons.com and the Consultant Corner group... On Amy Zuckerman's recommendation, I just joined Eons.com. Did everyone see her CNN interview ? Anyway, I am helping people who want to become consultants but want to run their businesses Virtually to eliminate the requisite travel that consulting is known for. In this group I would love to explore the challenges and rewards of a Virtual consulting career. My opinion is that as people finish 20+ years in an industry, they are well suited to consult to that industry. This gives them the self employment that they might be ready for while not throwing away years of industry specific information. I used to have a 'Gold' level membership that allowed discussion but I am a firm believer in not reinventing the wheel and eliminating overlap. Eons.com has such a great group set up that I have taken down that level of membership on this site. Coming soon is something totally exciting and new to the networking profile system - 5 minute podcasts on eac... more 2007-12-18 -  New Store - day 2 Well, today it rained. In Carmel that means nobody goes out unless they have to. It only rains 20 or so days a year and this is our 'wet' season which means it rained twice this month. The ad in the paper may or may not be color and/or big. This was my fault.  I changed my mind over the weekend and then emailed the sales person. When she went to call me, I didnt answer the store phone. Why ? Well, since our hours are just 12-4 I decided to put the store phone on a cell. Only since Jim and I are rotating in and out of the store and havent gotten used to the phone scene yet, the phone is lost...ugh... so I missed the call from the newspaper. Since it was raining our temporary signs fell off... We havent had any customers yet...but my mom came in. She cheered us up. more tomorrow....still waiting for the 1st sale...... more 2007-12-15 -  My New Store I can't believe it but I am opening a women's clothing store on Monday in Carmel CA.  www.JillsofCarmel.com is the site and it is soooo cute.  It is easier than it would be for most people because my husband just closed his shop in August and he is doing all of the back office stuff.  My job will be to pick the clothes, do the marketing and be there when the store is open. It should be fun. It is small and comfortable in a beautiful courtyard. It is off the beaten path so we do not expect casual walk-ins. Most people coming to the store will be coming specifically to see us. If you are in Carmel, check us out. If you are not, our inventory is available online at www.twosistersofparadise.com.  I will keep this blog updated on the challenges and rewards of this new venture !... more 2007-12-13 -  So Many Networks, So little Time Too many choices - there are networks everywhere. In some ways I think it is great - like if they are clearly identified with specific goals - and in other ways it is really a pain in the neck - like if they are just to say hi and post social notes. I signed up for LinkedIn, Facebook, classmates and others at first. Now I am also on MyGenius.com, Jumpup.com, and a dozen others.  The first challenge is to use every site to it's fullest potential without leaving any stone unturned. The second challenge, let's face it, is remembering all the passwords and user ids.  I hear there is a software program that remembers your passwords. Now, what is the point of passwords if you are going to store them all on one program.  Sorry, I digress.  Anyway, yesterday someone told me about a new networking site for fitness people by fitness people.  I like that.  I also like my site, of course, which is just for consultants. I like Match.com w... more 2007-12-09 -  podcast Check out a new podcast featuring ...... ME  :  http://www.small-business-guru.com/ My husband says it sounds great ! ... more 2007-12-01 -  The real life version of LinkedIn I am opening a women's clothing store soon (based on the inventory at www.twosistersofparadise.com and I had the very real 3rd degree of separation experience that I always am amused by. My friend Kathy told me she was giving up her space, so I got ahold of her landlord and leased the space. I asked Kathy for a mailing list of locals. She gave me Tina's name. In a conversation with Tina, we discovered that a personal trainer I used in the past is her best friend. We had a home showing the other day with the woman who organized our wedding. At the showing, one of the 5 women told me her son lives above our new store (out of 10 apartments up there) and she lives nearby and can walk over. I was reminded of how important this is when I re-read Steve Friedl's article posted on the Become a Consultan... more 2007-12-01 -  keeping track of suppliers When I started this site I searched high and low for the right suppliers and then, just to make sure I didnt lose their name, and to help you out, I blog about them.  I havent done this in awhile but here goes: www.pioneercolor.com - these guys printed up some very nice sticker labels for us. They were great about proofs, changing colors etc, and making sure it was perfect before they printed and we bought.  They were very patient with my changes and they showed their artistic ability when I called them to say "it's just not right. www.vistaprint.com  - I have ordered twice lately. The thing I love on this site is the oversized postcards, the templates are good, the price is right and the quality when I got them is terrific. www.magneticsignsontime.com... more 2007-12-01 -  Finding problems by watching traffic This morning I was checking my traffic monitoring software.  This can be motivating, frustrating, useful and a huge waste of time - well, I guess that could be a lot of website activities. This morning I noticed someone who kept coming back to the same page. I checked the page and realized that there was an article there that had gotten cut off mid-stream.  This happens sometimes with .php programming where it picks up a code and changes a bunch of stuff you never intended to touch. Oh well. Double check your work. Anyway, the article was Steve Friedl's incredibly helpful and very long analysis of what it takes to become a consultant.  I went in and divided his article into many entries so that you can get right to the part that you want more easily.  The point is, as your site, or your business gets bigger it is hard to keep an eye of every single thing to make sure it is all working correctly. How many CEOs have be... more 2007-11-30 -  Try anything Yes, I am at the point on this site that I will try a lot of things to get the word out. I will click on almost anything that will help me get more consultants on the list and get more customers for all the consultants.  Sometimes these work well - getting free articles that are appropriate to this site and posting them for you, contacting good consultants and marketers who help me in large and small ways, joining the Thirty Day Challenge - Sometimes, they don't work so well. Stumbleupon is a huge time waster but really funny. It hurts my productivity but has replaced Computer solitaire when I need a brain thawing activity.  Twitter - ok, I admit that I have not testing this much yet but it has a lot of bl... more 2007-11-09 -  Article: Developing reciprocal business relationships by Andrew Brown Developing reciprocal business relationships  by Andrew Brown,  www.small-business-guru.com The world is a collection of communities and the business world is no different. But many times when we hear the term “community” and business mentioned together, it is reference to the area where the business is located more than the individuals and companies that keep the world running. Your “community” at its core, is your specific niche in your industry. Beyond this direct relationship, is that of your suppliers and customers. Business to business sales offer you an opportunity to develop reciprocal relationships that can have far reaching benefits for your own company as well as your customers. Developing constructive partnerships with other businesses can help you manage your company more efficiently and provide ways to reduce your ... more 2007-11-05 -  Good business building sites Ok, some of these compete with me and some offer complimentary services. But, they are all worth checking out. Check back often because I will keep adding them as I find them...:  Good luck with your business and join our site if you need marketing help. http://www.womenatworknetwork.com/ http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/index.jspa https://www.gotomeeting.com/?Portal=gotomeeting.com http://www.sales-lead-experts.com/about/clients.cfm http://www.authorhouse.com/ContactUs/Publish.aspx more 2007-11-03 -  SBTV.com SBTV.com  This is a great site. Lots of give and take by experts that really know what they are talking about.  Check it out. The membership is free.  There are TONS of videos of interviews of experts.  Really - check this site out !!!  ... more 2007-11-02 -  Competition - embrace them At the recent conference I attended, I was able to hear many great speakers. I will tell you about them over time but today I want to tell you about Gayle Davis, also known as the Spunky Old Broad.  No, seriously, that is one of her websites.  One of the many valuable things she said was to embrace your competition. That by each competitor reaching higher, all parties benefit.  As you know, we are a relatively new list but I believe and others have validated that there is a genuine need for our service "out there."   In future blogs, I will highlight great sites that you can use to meet one of our 3 core goals:  Become a consultant, grow your consulting career, or find the right consultant for you.  Keep checking back !!... more 2007-10-30 -  Random Thoughts I just got married 3 weeks ago. One of the things that I love about my husband is that he never starts a sentence with "you need to...."  and he is a perfect example of unconditional love and total acceptance.  Why do I tell you this ?  Because this blog used to be called "Jill's random thoughts" until some web programmer who I used awhile back changed it and I didn't notice.  So, tomorrow my wonderful new husband will go into the site and correct it to be just the way I wanted it. I listened to Delilah on the radio tonight  and I heard a caller who said the most important thing to her was that her mother always accepted her as she was and loved her no matter how badly she screwed up.  That is what my husband does for me.  And, when the web programmer wanted this blog to have a more normal name, like Jills Blog rather than Jills Random Thoughts Blog, he took a little of ME out of it...after all, those who know me ... more 2007-10-30 -  Getting energy from groups I just got back from an amazing meeting.  I went to a convention of consultants.  WOW !!!  All those energized, educated and generous minds with tons of questions, tons of answers and every word out of everyone sparked new ideas.  There will be lots of good stuff coming in this blog that I scratched down in my binder during the two days, but, my point tonight - or actually this morning since it is 2:23 am and I just walked in the door from my 5 hour drive - is to find a group of people THIS WEEK and go to their meeting. Chamber of Commerce, Trade organization, Volunteer organization or even just an academic lecture or round table lunch...just go. Meet some new people. Get a new perspective and you will find enormous energy to take back to your business.  Good luck !... more 2007-10-24 -  Article - Volunteering as a Career Development Strategy by Laura Smith Dunaief Volunteering as a Career Development Strategy by Laura Smith Dunaief,  LASD Resource Development This column was previously published in the Times Beacon Record Newspapers, August 30, 2007.    Recently, a former colleague notified me that he is taking a new job as an event planner for a major lobbying organization in DC.  I cheered for him, not just because it is a great opportunity, but because I know he worked very hard to get it. more

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