Lynne Beverly Strang's Blog, page 8
July 8, 2016
Five Places to Look for Your Tribe
When I left my job six years ago, I freed myself from a daily commute that could take several hours. Today, I’m a solopreneur with a lot more control over my schedule. I rarely wear suits and often sport t-shirts and sweat pants while typing away at my computer.
But there’s a flip side to this new entrepreneurial lifestyle. After decades spent working in a traditional office environment, I now work in a home office. It’s a great arrangement — but I do miss the brainstorming sessions, feedback...
June 20, 2016
How a Late Bloomer Built a Coaching Business to Help Others Like Himself
By Lynne Strang, Late-Blooming Entrepreneurs
Jeff Williams
If you’re a late bloomer who’s struggled to get traction with your business idea, here’s good news: the selection of companies and individuals providing startup coaching includes a growing number that specialize in helping older entrepreneurs.
One of them is Chicago-based Bizstarters.com, which focuses on fledgling business owners who are age 50 and older. Bizstarters program is virtual – a format that appeals to older entrepreneurs w...
May 13, 2016
How Jon Bon Jovi’s Restaurants Are Making a Big Difference
Jon Bon Jovi is a world-famous rock star with numerous albums that have sold millions of copies. But there’s another side to him that some fans may not know.
He’s also a social entrepreneur who is dedicated to fighting hunger.
The 54-year-old Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea Bongiovi, just opened a second location of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen, whose mission is to feed people in need and make them feel empowered. Soul Kitchen’s newest location is in Toms River, New Jersey (Bon Jovi’s home s...
April 7, 2016
Life is Sweet for this 60-Something Entrepreneur
When Carolyn Hartz of Perth, Australia started her business 14 years ago, she didn’t exactly fit the mold of an entrepreneur. She had no business experience. She had been out of the workforce for 25 years raising a family. She had no idea how to send an email or turn on a computer.
On top of everything else, she was 55 years old.
What she did have, however, was confidence, optimism, drive and a strong work ethic. Ultimately, those personality traits and her passion trumped her initial lack of...
March 14, 2016
Nine Business Book Takeaways That Can Help Your Startup
Whether you’re new to entrepreneurship or been at it for a while, these ideas from noted business books can help you reach your goals:
1) Don’t try to win by competing in an already crowded market space. Create an uncontested new market space that makes the competition irrelevant. — Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim
2) An effective advertisement depends upon using the right appeal. The wrong advertising can actually reduce the sales of a product. – Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
3) A...
February 12, 2016
From Secretary to Handywoman
Jo Ellen Soesbee used to spend her days answering phones and filing papers. Now she sports a hard hat and wields a power drill.
Soesbee, 58, is the owner of the ToolBox TomGirl, which offers home and business repair services as well as facility maintenance services. She opened her Pasadena, Maryland-based business in 2013.
As reported in this Costco Connection article, Soesbee was a secretary for over 20 years. She stumbled upon her passion for home improvement while taking a college class wi...
January 25, 2016
Professional Football Players Who Became Entrepreneurs
Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner — which got me thinking about National Football League players who start businesses later in life. Here’s a look at some of them:
Mike Lodish, Pat’s Gourmet – Lodish, who played in six Super Bowls (four with the Buffalo Bills, two with Denver Broncos), launched his candy business in 2011. The 48-year-old’s company makes peanut brittle from his mother’s recipe.
Dan Marino and Damon Huard, Passing Time winery – The two quarterbacks were Miami Dolphins...
January 5, 2016
Eight Notable Quotes from 2015
Here are eight quotes from posts that appeared on this blog last year. I hope they provide a useful perspective as you set goals for 2016.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year —
Lynne
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1) “I’m no longer afraid to put myself out there as the worst thing that can happen is I get told ‘no.’ I’ve learned not to take that as a personal rejection, which I would have in my younger years. Now, ‘no’ just means to try again.” — Samantha Judd, founder, Flip Lid Lunchbox
2) “The...
December 28, 2015
A Men’s Clothing CEO Gets Fired – And Starts Two Businesses
At age 66, George Zimmer, the founder of Men’s Wearhouse, has two new businesses.
One is zTailors where customers can rent tuxedos online and get them delivered to their homes. On its website, the company says it “gives everyone an opportunity to look their best with just a tap of their smartphone.”
The other business is Generation Tux, an online rental service for tuxedos and suits. Customers shop online via the GenTux Studio, enter measurements and receive their items. After the event, ever...
November 4, 2015
How One Entrepreneur’s Health Scare Created a New Business
By Lynne Strang, Late Blooming Entrepreneurs
YadaBags Inventor Janet Goodman with her husband, Fred
Sometimes a life-changing event leads people to start a new mission. That’s what happened to Janet Goodman five years ago.
Goodman woke up one morning with blurry vision and unquenchable thirst. Her doctor ran some tests. The results showed she had type 1 diabetes.
The news came as a shock. Type 1, previously known as juvenile diabetes, is usually associated with children and young adults. Good...
