Archive for September, 2008
September 27, 2008
I co-write articles for university alumni magazines with my fabulous writing partner Pam Losefsky. You can also see more of our write-ups on the article page of this blog. The last article that we did for the Self Starter series for The University of Texas at Austin’s alumni magazine, The Alcalde, is on Kirby Allison (gif). Kirby is a recent graduate and the founder of The Hanger Project. He built the business nights and weekends in school and even after graduating while he held a day job!
Sadly, interviewing these interesting entrepreneurs and writing about them with Pam was one of the things I had to remove from my very full plate of things to do. Both Pam and I took on other commitments ranging from my day job and her additional writing work, that we decided we couldn’t continue to do it and do it well. We’ve been doing articles for The Alcalde for over 3 years now and we really enjoyed working with each other and the editor, Avrel Seale. Life is full of hard decisions and this was one of them. Who knows, we might write for them again when it works for all of our schedules…
I’ll do full posts on past articles we’ve written that I haven’t done one for yet…so keep an eye out for those. An image of Kirby’s article is below and an interesting highlight from his article follows.
“Last fall a confluence of opportunities – a complimentary product review in the Wall Street Journal and a major order from a luxury men’s store in Guatemala – propelled the popularity of Allison’s hangers. He found himself scrambling to air-freight new inventory to meet the Christmas demand. His little side project had become The Hanger Project, a recognized leader in premium hangers.”
September 24, 2008
Well, they might not liven up your living room but I didn’t want to write the overused term “Link Love” in the title of this post. I’ve been meaning to share some links to interesting posts I have read/perused recently and here they are:
Best Mommy Blogs for Parents – Vanessa Van Petten writes a couple of blogs targeted at teens and tweens and she felt my blog was a good one for teenagers. I’m still far from the teenage years with my kids, but I’m flattered to know my topics are appropriate for teenagers to read!
Massive R2-D2 Cake – Featured on Parents Magazine’s blog called goodyblog. Wow, what a cake! I tried to get a PokeMon cake for our son’s recent birthday and couldn’t find one. We had to settle for Speed Racer.
Boutique Up – A site I recently discovered that sends out queries from people looking for products to represent in boutique shops! Kind of like HARO but for boutiques.
What will Barack Obama do for small businesses and entrepreneurs as president and What Will John McCain do for small businesses and entrepreneurs as president – Wendy at Sparkplugging went out a limb to discuss politics on her blog but did so by focusing on what the issues were for small business owners…specifically ones who work from their home and/or have less than 5 employees. Both articles are interesting reads. The one on Obama had many more comments than the one on McCain…go figure!
Carnival of Healing – Many links to many posts about healing, self empowerment and spirituality. This one was hosted by my online friend Pearl.
Leave Wall Street, Join A Startup – by Fred Wilson, a New York VC. Good advice since there will be many leaving Wall Street…
Happy Birthday to the reason IttyBiz exists – by Naomi at IttyBiz. I’ve followed Naomi’s blog off and on since she started it. She has got some freaking amazing writing talent! Not everyone can write such humorous, harsh, and informative blog posts. Can’t wait until she figures out how to weave in a romance novel into her writing style. I even tried to hire her a couple of times but my emails got lost in her waterfall of emails so I chalked it up to fate and bad timing. This post will make you laugh and cry at the same time!
Posted by Aruni
8:04 pm •
blogging •
September 21, 2008
Photo by Sandy Blanchard
Yes, the title of this post is another fortune from a fortune cookie I got a few weeks back at PF Changs, and I’ve found it true in many respects in my life and career. [As an aside, I started this post while listening to Chiquitita by ABBA and after a glass of red wine! I'm usually not able to write or think while music is on because I'm easily distracted so take that into consideration as you read.]
The title of this post is also in a well known Christian Bible verse in the book of Luke Chapter 11 verse 9 (“And I say to you, ask and it shall be given to you: seek, and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.“). I believe when you set your intention on something, if it’s with pure intentions, and if it’s meant to be something will happen. It may not be what you envision but something happens. I guess it’s sort of a cross between the belief that many people hold like Edward Mills, who writes about the Law of Attraction, and taking destiny in your hands. You seek but you also pay attention to what people are saying and doing.
I’ve had people tell me I’m lucky to a) start a company before, b) to get the education I’ve gotten, c) to find the amazing childcare for our kids, for d) having the friends I have, d) to have the things we do, e) etc., etc., etc. What most people haven’t seen is the hard, dark times in between that I’ve been through. I’d venture to say that most people who the world perceives as doing something beyond “normal” have struggled through many things.
I’ve always felt there is a healthy portion of luck involved but also a good portion of seeking, asking questions, and listening involved. Finding good childcare (gosh we are so lucky with the people we had take care of our kids part time and full time when they were little and where they go to school and pres-school now — knock on wood!) didn’t just happen because I sat on my couch all day. Finding good jobs or opportunities didn’t happen because I was watching TV or drowning my sorrows (which is tempting!). Plus, I think I like to see the good in people and expect great things from them so when I do get disappointed, it is pretty deep.
So just over a month ago, I finally let the realization that I could not continue with Babble Soft with a day job and no funding, and I needed to do something different hit me. There are many options out there including a) moving on to something else, b) finding a business partner, c) finding a large baby-related company to take the risk early on and buy us. Given the economy and the hard realization that we are in fact creating a market with Babble Soft, option c) is unlikely. And I’m not ready to just give up. So now I’m seeking a business partner (so I’m not just a lone pumpkin by a tree). Hopefully, the right person will happen across my path…maybe she or he already has!
I’m wrapping up this post listening to 70s music…for some reason I enjoy listening to 70s music. I also enjoy 80s music but there is just a deepness to 70s music that resonates with me sometimes. The song currently on is Piano Man written by Billy Joel. I was fortunate enough to hear Billy Joel in Concert when I lived in Dallas several years ago and I remember thinking to myself “What a feeling it must be to hear hundreds, nay thousands, of people singing along word for word to a song you’ve written.” It must be so energizing yet so surreal at the same time. I wonder if I’ll ever experience that kind of feeling…
September 16, 2008
A friend of mine, Robb Lanum, recently sent me a link to an article on The Onion called Day Job Officially Becomes Job. For those of you who haven’t heard of The Onion, it’s a hilarious publication that makes fun of everything and everyone. Most of the articles I’ve read from them make me laugh or say repeatedly “eww, that’s gross!“ Take for instance a recent, funny article called Woman Always Really Excited To Be In Whatever Relationship Status She’s Currently In.
Robb did an impromptu guest post on my blog a while back about the writer’s strike. He blogs at The Robblog and has been trying for years (probably over a decade) to make it big in the California screen writing scene. He’s made progress and slowly but surely moves his writing career forward or at least makes it more visible by blogging about his experiences.
Robb sent me the link to the article on The Onion because he himself took a day job over four years ago, and he knows the plusses and minuses of having a day job and trying to build your business, your brand, your writing career, etc. He knew I could relate. I’ve been at my day job for not yet 3 ½ months (seems longer) and so far overall it has been a good decision for a variety of reasons, one of which being my husband struck it out on his own to consult and someone had to have the stable job with benefits in the family. 
But this day job article by the Onion is not funny. It was written back in February 2004 and begins with “Another human dream was crushed by the uncompromising forces of reality Monday, when the restaurant day job of 29-year-old former aspiring cartoonist Mark Seversen officially became his actual job.“
It then goes on to say “When I was younger, my attitude was ‘Never give in,’” Seversen said. “Nowadays, my attitude is ‘Get real, dumbass.’ If I have any advice for all the young aspiring painters, novelists, and rock musicians out there, it’s probably that they should quit following their dreams before they rack up a lot of credit-card debt. The sooner you accept your real job, the sooner you can start to build up seniority and get on board with the pension plan.”
I expected to be laughing at the end of the article, but found myself frowning instead. Then I thought, “Phew, I’m sure glad being an entrepreneur trying to build a web business after hours is not like trying to be a writer, painter, rock musician, or actor on the side! And working for The University of Texas at Austin isn’t like working in a restaurant.”
Or is it?
September 14, 2008
All of us managing households during these challenging economic times, should read Mechel Glass’ guest post below. Mechel is Household CFO’s Director of Education.
On top of the other things I do, I manage the finances in our household, and I can appreciate the time and thought it takes to make sure your finances are in order. It’s even more important when you have a family and kids to plan for. I can’t say that I’m an expert at it and I’m sure I could do better if I had more time sit down with my husband to think about it, but we do the best we can. Thankfully, I had a mother, who like Mechele, taught me the value of saving, budgeting, and not overspending when I was young. I also had the inner drive to work hard, be independent, and support myself. So it wasn’t so hard to live within my means as I got older. Thanks Mom!
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My daughter, Sarah Amirah, has had a piggy bank since the day she was born. Of course, it took a few years before she was aware that it was filling up with coins and bills. But now that she’s four, she’s on her second piggy bank and is somewhat aware that she is accumulating some serious coinage with the change I let her have from trips to the grocery store.
Her first piggy bank is one of those old-fashioned ceramic ones that you can’t sneak into. I think the only way to get at the cash is to smash it. Smash the pretty gift from her grandmother to get the cash? That won’t be an easy decision!
Although it may seem like I started financial education very early with Sarah, I think there is no reason to postpone teaching children little lessons about saving. Truth is, many adults these days are putting themselves at risk because they never developed savings habits.
Through my position at Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta, I talk to people everyday who are so overwhelmed with handling day-to-day finances like paying bills and managing bank accounts and credit cards that they can’t make plans for unexpected emergencies or long-term needs. Adding even more stress is the increased cost of groceries and gas, which has led many of these families to the verge of financial crisis.
The reality is two in three “Household CFOs” – those primarily responsible for the household finances – do not have an emergency savings account, putting them at financial risk in the event of a crisis. Our recent national survey also found that nearly one in three households has not prepared a will, purchased insurance of any kind or made other preparations for a significant life-changing event. Yet, almost half of those surveyed have already experienced some sort of financial setback within their household in the past year.
In response to our survey findings and the current economic conditions, we are launching a national financial awareness campaign, “Household CFO” and enhancing our CredAbilityU online education program to offer free on-demand courses, interactive webinars and financial management tools. Through this program, we hope to provide tangible solutions that real Household CFOs can use in today’s economically challenging times.
At CredAbilityU.org, online classes are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on a variety of topics – from homeownership to money management to dealing with bankruptcy. Live webinars on special topics are also scheduled throughout each month. You can also sign up to receive the Household CFO Report, our free newsletter, which offers monthly tips and advice on how to take control of family finances.
But don’t stop at CredAbilityU.org; there are a host of free resources available that offer practical information and helpful tools, including:
- Consumer advocate Ilyce Glink’s site, www.ThinkGlink.com
- Credit score-reporting site, www.MyFico.com
- Free credit report site, www.AnnualCreditReport.com
And, don’t get discouraged – it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but there is help out there and it won’t take long before you feel more capable and confident in your role as the chief financial officer of your household.
September 11, 2008
Photo by Sandy Blanchard
There’s a little hurricane heading our way here in Texas called Ike. Many places along the coast have been issued mandatory evacuation notices, including Houston, one of the largest and sadly also one of the fattest cities in the country. Houston has also still been working on integrating all the permanent victims of hurricane Katrina (2005) that evacuated to their city since then.
The schools here in Austin are closing early tomorrow, airports are in a muddle, and far more importantly for all of you college football fans out there, they have actually rescheduled the UT Austin vs. Arkansas football game that was going to be held this Saturday! Of all the things that have been happening, I think rescheduling a college football game in a college town that’s not directly in the landing path of the hurricane speaks volumes about the fears and concerns of the people around here as well as the anticipated amounts of rain.
So shifting to HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and it’s relation to hurricanes, it might be a stretch but Peter Shankman (the founder) seemed to bring it out from nowhere a few months ago and now he has tons and tons of subscribers – both reporters and sources. He’s managed to make ProfNet/PR Newswire nervous because he’s giving all his leads out for free and us resource and money constrained entrepreneurs are loving it. He even got on the radar screen of Seth Godin who mentioned Peter and linked to HARO on a recent Getting reporters to call you post.
I can quickly scan the queries and make a decision as to whether to try to pitch based on my company and my personal background. Because of HARO, I don’t have to pay tons of money to get access to these great queries from reputable sources. I have had couple of people interested in learning more about Babble Soft (mostly bloggers) and am crossing my fingers that I’ll soon have the opportunity to share with national/international reporters my ideas on how the world of parenting is changing and how technology can support that transition! I guess I’m hoping that by using HARO I can eventually create a hurricane of activity around my company. 
So may you all be safe and avoid the disastrous effects of Hurricane Ike but also take advantage of HARO (tell your friends). I, for one, am glad the last two big hurricane’s have male names instead of female ones like Katrina. I was getting a bit tired of all the jokes/innuendos surrounding the big hurricanes being referred to as feminine and destructive.
Posted by Aruni
8:32 pm •
FYI,
babble soft,
rain •
September 9, 2008
I’m sure many of you have noticed that I haven’t been blogging as much recently. It’s not due to lack of desire, but due to lack of time and mental energy. I have a full list of topic ideas I want to blog about, but by the end of the day after interesting and bureaucratically taxing events, kids, dinner, husband, baths, teeth brushing, catching up on Babble Soft stuff and personal emails, I feel pretty dazed.
I have blog posts floating around in my head with rarely enough thoughtful time to get them down in a post. Fortunately, I have had some timely guest posters who have filled in some of the gaps.
I can’t say I’ll be able to get to a blogging pace (in the near future) that can keep up with my blogging ideas given my current schedule and life situation, but so far I’ve done a better job at posting than Marc Andreessen, founder of Ning and formerly Netscape, who hasn’t consistently blogged since May 2008! But he’s running a heavily venture backed company so I’m guessing he has just a few more people breathing down his neck than I do.
I’m glad I’m not in his shoes right now in this economy, with the news constantly talking about the questionable results of social networks from a business model perspective, and with some of the widget partner issues his company is facing. But Marc’s a tried and true entrepreneur so I’m sure he and his team will figure something out. If not, he is a millionaire and married to a millionaire so chances are they won’t be out on the streets any time soon.
Yep, it’s all relative and I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given and the opportunities yet to come. Thank you to all of you loyal readers for sticking around!
UPDATE: On an interesting note, Seth Godin, the famous author and blogger on marketing tips & ideas, did a post on September 10 called How often should you publish? and in it he says: “Key assertion: you don’t publish it unless it’s good. You don’t write more blog posts than you can support, don’t ship more variations of that software than your engineers can make marvelous.” So I guess my haphazard blogging is OK because it fits what I can support!
September 7, 2008
A couple of friends of mine recently released a book called Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women
and for some bizarre reason, they actually included me in their book! I guess that means I’m a good example of how to network.
I’ve known the authors, Thom Singer and Marny Lifshen, for probably close to 8 or 9 years now. I met them somewhere along the journey of my first high-tech startup and we’ve remained in touch off and on since then. In fact, Marny was one of the very first beta testers of Baby Insights when her daughter was born!
For long time readers of my blog, you may remember that Thom Singer did a great guest post called Networking and the Stay at Home Parent that continues to get a lot of eyeballs. If my 2009 SXSW interactive panel idea is selected, then Thom will serve on the panel with me because he is building his speaking and writing career after hours just like I’m trying to do with Babble Soft.
The book is easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, and a great reference guide for those looking for some tips on how to network. Although it’s written for women in mind, much of the advice they share is great for men too!
I attended an informal book party they held this weekend at Marny’s house and gladly paid for my autographed copy. Check it out and look for my name in the Acknowledgements and in a nice little vignette on page 172. See below for a link to buy their book at Amazon:
September 1, 2008
And now for a fabulous guest post from the ex-general counsel at Expedia, Mark Britton. I wish I had known about his site, Avvo, before I experienced my Traffic Court Tribulations!
Being the ex-general counsel at Expedia and now running Avvo and its free legal advice Q&A forum, I get a lot of questions about travel-particularly travelers’ rights and responsibilities. As a parent of three rambunctious little boys, I offer this post to help traveling parents everywhere. On that note, I am reminded of one of Expedia’s great early ads which said something like, “Whoever said getting there is half the fun has never gotten there with a screaming two year old.”
So, in that spirit, here are some nuggets of knowledge for your next child-laden trip:
1. Traveling with kids doesn’t give you special legal rights. A lot of people assume that because they are traveling with kids they have special rights and preferences granted by the Federal Aviation Administration or some higher authority. The reality is that your rights-with or without children-are largely whatever the airline chooses to give you. Don’t think you can be involuntarily bumped with children? Oh yes, you can. Outraged that the airline denied you early boarding with your pokey young children? Tough beans. Not able to avoid your child’s tantrums by letting her run up and down the airline aisle? It’s the flight staff’s call.
2. Add 30-60 minutes to get to your gate. Let’s face it, kids take their time. That dead cockroach en route to your gate may be disgusting to you, but it absolutely requires closer inspection by a five-year-old. I learned long ago that rather than trying to whip your kids into an adult pace, allowing more time to get to your gate preserves family harmony. Just going through security is stressful for a kid-take it slow and make it fun.
3. Reserve the allowed seats for your kids. One place that the feds do get involved is where your children may sit on a plane. They may not sit in an exit row, and if they are in a car seat, they must sit by the window. So don’t think you will book your young child in an exit row and the airline will have to live with it-they won’t. The flight attendants will move you-I see it happen all the time. Also, don’t book two aisle seats-one for you and your car-seated kid. Just take it for granted that your child will be sitting by the window and you will be sitting in the middle by the big hairy guy who hogs the armrest.
4. No need to smuggle your baby food. Keep in mind that while you are not allowed to take liquids on a plane, you may take liquid-based baby food. Many people don’t know this, and so they attempt to come up with creative ways to smuggle on formula or the always-popular peas and carrots. Stow your criminal tendencies, and simply declare the baby food. You can take up to one-day’s supply on board, but I have found that TSA personnel are always very sympathetic and accommodating when it comes to food for your infant.
5. Kids can get the boot too. Finally, keep in mind that an airline can deny you boarding-or even ask you to deplane-if your kids are disorderly, abusive or violent. This goes for adults too, but people are always surprised that it pertains to kids.
I could go on and on (bring a DVD player with headphones, seat your child behind a parent, etc.). However, I think I have already exceeded my word limit. Of course, if you have any more legally related travel questions, we are always here to answer all of your questions. You can go directly to our free legal advice Q&A forum to ask your personal legal questions- anonymously if desired-and real attorneys will answer them.
Travel sanely.
Mark Britton
Founder & CEO
Avvo, Inc.
Accredited Online
If you are interested in the law and your rights and want to interrupt the status quo, consider earning a law degree online. Taking courses online allows you to set your pace and live your life as you choose.
