working working

Lately I have been putting so much time into Terra Verde, which is exhaustingly exhilerating. I am setting up a CafePress store, which is going to be sweet. Also, I have been networking a lot. I found a group of stock investors that meets monthly. Considering that I know little to nothing about investing and will be checking it out in the near future, I decided to attend. I met some great folks who gave me great small business pointers!

Also, my husband and I went to the Rennaissance Faire in Harveysburg today. At first I didn't want to go when Michael suggested it because it took me away from Terra work, but I realized that I needed to get out and take a break. I have to have a life in addition to work or my family will suffer. (After all, Terra Verde's whole premise is based on the market need for multitasking women. Entrepreneurs need to balance work and life, and I need to practice that if I'm going to preach it!) I didn't realize what a great networking opportunity the Ren Faire would turn out to be. I collected dozens of business cards from arts-and-craftsmen while shopping, and I intend to follow up with them. I also had great photo opportunities, so I got a lot of my weekly photo shoot in while I was there. Multitasking at its finest-- so fine that you forget that you're not out just having fun. :-)

And speaking of practicing what I preach: I have a list of things I need to accomplish by the end of the week. "Buy recipe card box" is on the list. I thought one of those little boxes would come in handy for collecting business cards. I told Michael I was going to buy one, and he raised an eyebrow and said, "Isn't one of Terra Verde's core values resourcefulness?" Ha, he got me on that one! So I started digging in my closet and found the cutest abandoned silk-covered sage green box that was intended to be used for jewelry but looks much cooler than that. I didn't even know I had it. So it saved me time and a buck or two. Thanks, Michael, for reminding me what my core values are. :-) Now it sits on my desk with about 30 business cards in it, collected over the past week.

I could go on about networking. I had more experiences this week and potential customers coming out my ears. The funny thing is, opportunities come up when my salesman hat is left at home. Sometimes I am not looking for customers; they just show up. This is a great feeling.

I'm not sure how to close this blog, but the only phrase that comes to mind is "Te quiero, Taco Bell." Must be hungry. :-)

Angela

1st anniversary

Michael and I went to Chicago for our first anniversary last weekend. The actual anniversary was on Tuesday, so we celebrated over the weekend and ate greasy Chinese carryout on the actual day. Michael is amazing. I am so fortunate to be with him. I still pinch myself from time to time, wondering if it's real. It's one of those too-good-to-be-true things.

We stayed at a Country Inn & Suites, which I half expected to be the hotel version of a Bob Evans-- nice, clean, but not exciting. I was totally wrong. I don't know if all Country Inns are this nice, but this one was fabulous. It was like a turn of the century hotel. They had a lovely veranda outside with wicker furniture and served tea with petit fours every day! I was beyond thrilled. At one point I sat on the veranda with my magazine while Michael slept. It was the most relaxing, enjoyable time. (The tea was served on real china. I dig anything if it involves real tea cups!)

And in the evening, we visited Medieval Times at the Schaumburg Castle. That was amazing as well. We had an authentic 15th century meal (a big chicken leg, soup, garlic bread, and ribs with no silverware) and watched the incredible period sportsmanship. Of course Michael enjoyed the jousts best. (He really is about 7 years old at heart.) Honestly, although the jousting was cool, my favorite aspect was the horsemanship. These horses were INCREDIBLE. They were not just some dude's horse that pranced around in the arena; they were bred, trained, and primed to perform. They are beautiful, muscular animals with the most agile, fluid performing abilities. There was only part about Medieval Times that I wished was different. I wish they would have kept the horses on the property so we could see them in the pastures, too. Apparently the horses live elsewhere, though, and only visit the castle on their scheduled performance dates.

That reminds me, I *so* want to learn how to ride. I think it would be amazing, but my experience with horses has been little to none.
Ah well, there will come a day if I make it a priority!

Business friends

The past 2-3 weeks have been pretty eventful for Terra Verde. I am excited about the plethora of opportunities available. I need to keep focused, though, because I start thinking big and lose sight of what needs to be done right now.

Terra Verde is encompassing a larger theme of supporting do-it-all women. We are entrepreneurs. We are grad students. We are moms. We are jugglers. Terra Verde Marketing & Communications exists to help women in their entrepreneurial efforts-- we lighten the load, so to speak. But that is the foundational aspect of Terra Verde. We are going to expand our horizons to include health & wellness as well as home & organization. This will give our customers a way to balance their lives holistically. Hopefully we will make it more fun, too.

So here's a little bit of what's happening this week:
-You can improve your marketing with our new eBook entitled, "Big Ideas and Little Cash." It should be released within the next month. I'll post a link when it's up.
-My business coach and I have started a mutually beneficial partnership.
-I have been working with April Welch of http://www.simplyorganizedonline/. We are in the process of designing products of form & function. The brand includes cool stuff that multitasks as well as you do, because they will be chic and highly practical simultaneously. I can't wait.
-I have been working with Signature Soirees (http://www.signaturesoirees.com/) to plan some networking events in the Dayton area. Look out for these events. I think they will be very beneficial to do-it-all women, especially entrepreneurs.
-And of course, new customers and prospects.

And believe it or not, this is the tip of the iceberg. Terra Verde is poised for success if I remain focused. I am one of those do-it-all women, so maybe my market need is closer to home than I thought. :-)

Aux Champs Elysees

As I mentioned in my "pilot" blog, one of my long term goals is to learn French. The culture and language have always fascinated me, and I definitely want to pursue it when I can. Until I have the extra time to take French classes, I am trying to gain exposure to the language. Thanks to a friend, I found a sweet French ditty called Aux Champs Elysees. I can only pick out pieces that I can understand without a French-English dictionary, but the song itself is so beautiful. The Champs-Elysees is a major road in Paris. The lyrics in French and English are written below.

Je m'baladais sur l'avenue le coeur ouvert à l'inconnu
J'avais envie de dire bonjour à n'importe qui
N'importe qui et ce fut toi
je t'ai dit n'importe quoiIl suffisait de te parler pour t'apprivoiser
Aux Champs-Elysées, aux Champs-Elysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées
Tu m'as dit "J'ai rendez-vous dans un sous-sol avec des fous
Qui vivent la guitare à la main, du soir au matin
"Alors je t'ai accompagnée, on a chanté, on a dansé
Et l'on n'a même pas pensé à s'embrasser
Hier soir deux inconnus et ce matin sur l'avenue
Deux amoureux tout étourdis par la longue nuit
Et de l'Étoile à la Concorde, un orchestre à mille cordes
Tous les oiseaux du point du jour chantent l'amour

I trotted on the avenue my heart opened to the unknowns
I wanted to say hello to no matter whom
No matter whom, it could be you, I'd said anything to you
It was enough to speak to you, just to calm down.
You said to me "I was pinned in a basement with fools
Who live guitar-in-hand from dusk till dawn
"Then I accompanied you, one sang, one danced
Any one who did not even think of embracing oneself
Yesterday evening two unknowns and this morning on the avenue
Two in love all dazed by the long night
And to the Star of Concord, form an orchestra with thousand cords
All the birds at day-break singing for the love