I brought my baby to work w/ me!

At age 20, I graduated with my B.A. in English. At age 22, I graduated with my M.A. in Educational Counseling. Within a few months of graduating, I landed a position as a high school guidance counselor in a 2600-student school in inner-city Phoenix.

When we moved to Tucson, I was hired on as the lead and sole counselor at a brand new high school in a suburban district. Along with the administration and faculty, I helped to shape the program there.

After having my first baby, I resigned…but the principal invited me to stay on and bring my baby to work! I did so until my baby was eight months old and resigned again. This time, the Superintendent invited me to work from home in communications/PR. I agreed without hesitation.

Little did I know that I had just walked into a position working with one of the strongest leaders I have ever encountered. Superintendent Cal Baker’s humility, integrity, and innovation set him apart. He is courageous without being cocky, persuasive without being pushy, and straightforward while also being sincere.

Although there are many other lessons I have learned from observing and interacting with Cal, these 6 traits stick out to me as ones he excels at…and ones that I am aspiring to.

1. Ask questions. Cal is always asking questions. In fact, I would venture to say that he asks more questions than he says statements. He’s always dreaming above-and-beyond – thinking of new possibilities and solutions, pondering them aloud, wondering.

2. Be comfortable with uncomfortable silence. In leadership meetings, Cal doesn’t fill the air with chatter. He lingers in the quiet, thoughtful…coaxing others to do the same by example. If there isn’t anything to say, he doesn’t say anything. [Isn't that a novel concept?]

3. Listen to learn. It is cliche to say that leaders should listen. In fact, most leaders probably say that they do it quite well. Unfortunately, most leaders listen to talk, meaning they take in the conversation…all the while, waiting for a chance to say the message that they are intending to say no matter what the speaker has to say. Calvin Baker is the opposite of that kind of leader. He wants to hear what people say. He waits for people to collect their thoughts. He is not too proud to change his mind.

4. Be less formal. Although highly intelligent and equipped with a killer vocabulary, Cal is casual in e-mail. He goes without fancy signatures and ostentatious titles. He sends concise messages that are to-the-point, signing with a simple dash and his initials. This unpretentiousness leads to approachability.

5. Be more formal. In dress. Cal’s signature style is slacks and a button-down shirt (plus a tie). His professional clothing sends a clear message of competence (all clothing sends messages, after all). I’m still figuring out what my wardrobe should be like in this freelance world of blogging.

6. Read frequently & Run frequently. Maybe both at the same time? Cal runs often, daily even. As he pounds the pavement, he listens to audio books – keeping tabs on the latest business, education, and sociological trends. His commitment to keep his mind and body active is nothing short of inspiring to all those in his company. In fact, I think almost his entire leadership time has followed suit – making mental & physical fitness a priority.

Have you worked for or with any particularly outstanding leaders? What set them apart?

Fact:

That business? You’re looking at it. Metropolitan Mama.

Every once in awhile, I get the message from other bloggers that if you’re trying to make money or review products or sell advertising or any combination of those activities, then you’re a sell-out. I disagree adamantly.

Business is not a bad word. On the contrary, businesses can be run with integrity. Businesses can do good in the world. Businesses can turn out excellent products. Businesses can be the foundation for strong relationships. And – yes – businesses can help put food on the table.

Just because I am seeking a profit as a blogger does not mean that I sell out my voice or compromise my content. In fact, I protect both things unwaveringly (my husband would say I protect them a little too much sometimes). Example: a notable popsicle brand recently invited me to be a part of a paid campaign. I declined because they have “high fructose corn syrup” in them (an ingredient my family tries to stay away from).

That being said, I eagerly enter into partnerships with brands that coincide with my family’s lifestyle and philosophies. I sell advertising spots and have sponsorship campaign packages (feel free to contact me if you’re interested). I enjoy public speaking, being an ambassador for products I believe in, and attending conferences. I have tens of thousands of readers from all over the United States, Canada, and beyond.

I certainly respect that blogs exist for many different reasons. Some are journals; some are photo-logs. Some are meant for family & friends. Some have tens of readers; some have thousands. Some bloggers don’t want to maintain a business; some do. And all those reasons for blogging are good.

My particular blog exists as a business. I’m in the business of encouraging, inspiring, and challenging mothers. I’m in the business of writing, publishing, and creating relationships. I’m in the business of changing the world in the best way that I know how.

I am *also* bringing in an income for my family…and I’m cool with that. I hope you are too.

Do you blog? If so, do you consider it to be a business or would you like it to be?

If you are an entrepreneur of any kind, what are your favorite books, websites, and/or conferences?

• staying up really, really, REALLY late.
• having a to-do list that is a mile long and an ocean deep.
• returning e-mails instead of watching TV.
• having laundry on the couch, unfolded.
• doodles and sketches and ideas on notebooks all over the house.
• dreaming about building my business, about being a better person.
• BEING HERE with my kids – every day (all day).
• not always easy.
• totally worth it.

Do you work from home? If not, have you considered it?

ALSO – Do you have any questions for me about working-from-home? I may answer yours in an upcoming post.

I see the green grass. I hear the lovely pitter-patter of spring showers.

Every spare moment, I seek new adventures with my family. Hiking. Running. Picking Wildflowers. Playing at the Park. Dilly-dallying in the backyard.

Anything but my e-mail inbox (forgive me if you’re waiting for a response). Anything but my little white laptop screen (so uninspiring compared to the potential for April Adventures).

I’m not normally like this, but I’m telling you: spring fever is real.

Want to know the cool thing about blogging and working from home? I can drop everything and take a last-minute road trip. I can put off money and make memories. I can linger outdoors and bask in the sun. Entrepreneurship is exactly my cup of tea.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have spring fever? (Tell me I’m not the only one).

Here are 8 things that I love about working from home:

I don’t have to pack or buy lunches. It’s healthier, cheaper, and easier to eat right here at home.

I don’t have to drive anywhere. No gas. No car seats. No long commutes (this coming from a girl that had a 1.5 hour one-way commute in the Phoenix metropolitan area pre-kids).

I can wear my pajamas or my Aerpostale sweats or my favorite jeans…with a messy updo and lipstick (I like wearing lipstick).

I can change my schedule at-will. If I want to go out-of-town or volunteer somewhere or take my girls to the park, then…I do.

I can “take time off” if my girls are sick or need snuggles...or if I’m sick or need snuggles. Of course, I’ll come back to 1,000 e-mails afterwards, but still…

I can be home whenever he’s home…and if I haven’t mentioned it before, he is amazing and we’re the best of friends.

I can play games, read books, ride bikes, and “pretend that we’re going to Disneyland” (That’s her newest imaginary game…and we play it all of the time. I’ve been on Pirates of the Caribbean, Dumbo, and Peter Pan almost every day for the past two weeks!) with my favorite 3-year-old in the whole wide world.

I can hold the sweetest, smiliest, snuggliest 10-month-old ever…and nurse her any ol’ time throughout the day.

YOUR TURN: What do YOU like about working from home/staying at home? If you work outside of the home, what do you like about that?

Owning a small business is no cakewalk. It requires risk-taking, hard work, long hours, creativity, and organization. Tim and I actually make the perfect team when it comes to entrepreneurship because I am all about the big ideas and he keeps me grounded in reality. I am all about the relationships…and he reminds me that we actually should think about making money from time to time (Oh, right, money…and here I was just having fun and trying to save the world). Actually, the truth is that Tim is like a business genius. I think he’s eventually going to be a millionaire..oh, sweet! I’m married to him…lucky me.

With QuickBooks ($199.95), small business owners can “create invoices, pay bills, manage expenses, and gain insight” into their business. You can personalize forms with your logo (your business will be professionally regarded when you send out company correspondence), synch your contacts with Address Book (an insanely helpful feature), or run over 100 reports to check in on the status of your business. It’s thorough and versatile and can expand with you as your business grows. It’s a powerhouse of a program, equally well-suited for individual entrepreneurs or small business owners with a group of employees working under them.

If you’re a one-woman show, you might want to also consider Quicken Home & Business ($99.99). It’s a scaled down version of QuickBooks and not quite as intimidating to use. Unfortunately, they don’t currently have a Mac version available…

YOUR TURN: If you have a small business, how do you manage your finances?

WIN IT! One winner will receive a copy of QuickBooks for Mac or Windows ($199.95) by Intuit. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Tuesday, January 19th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).

* I received a product sample for review purposes.

*UPDATE* The winner is #156 R Hicks. Congratulations!

Quick Question for you:

• Do you use an online calendar to manage your schedule…?
• Or do you use an old-fashioned planner with pen and ink?

I use a “hybrid” organization strategy. I keep track of birthdays via Facebook and an Excel spreadsheet, but I like to jot down my daily to-dos, short and long-term goals, and other notes on paper.

If you’re looking for a super-cool product to help you stay organized this year, you need to check out Erin Condren’s Life Planner ($48). Available in an assortment of modern and lovely designs, the week-at-a-glance planner features a birthday planner, 264 colorful circle stickers, blank pages for notes, and much, much more. It’s a sophisticated, comprehensive planner that is sure to help you stay-on-top of your busy schedule in 2010. Best of all, you can personalize it with your favorite family photo and corresponding text. It will make you smile every time you look at it.

The Weekly Schedule Pad ($30) is equally impressive. Cheerful and cosmopolitan, the personalized desk pad is well-suited for any kind of person…whether you’re an A-type personality or a more creative type. The delightful color palate will energize you…and you’re bound to think all kinds of good thoughts about the upcoming week as you sit down to make your plans.

WIN IT! One winner will receive a Life Planner ($48) and Weekly Schedule Pad ($30) by Erin Condren. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Tuesday, January 19th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).

* I received product samples for review purposes.

*UPDATE* The winner is #58 Brandy. Congratulations!

I may be a Tech-Savvy Girl, but I’m also a very visual person…and I like having bulletin boards handy for posting clippings from magazines, party invitations, and pretty pictures that our 3-year-old paints. We have one in our makeshift office space in our master bedroom and one in the laundry room. Right now, the one in our “office” just has two things on it…my “Dream House” sketch (I’m a wanna-be architect) and my Life Goals.

Board Dudes sells a HUGE variety of dry erase boards, bulletin boards, and chalkboards…at great prices. You can find them at Michaels, Target, Fred Meyer, JoAnn’s, and a long list of other merchants.

YOUR TURN: How do you use bulletin boards in your house?

WIN IT! One winner will receive 1 bulletin board and 1 dry erase calendar by Board Dudes. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Tuesday, January 19th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.). ***NOTE: The Board Dudes products can only be awarded to a Southern Arizona winner.

* I received product samples for review purposes.

*UPDATE* The winner is #17 Donita. Congratulations!

As a result of those practice sessions, our 3-year-old took to saying, “MetropolitanMama.net” out of the blue…which is pretty much the cutest thing ever.

In fact, I joked to Tim that she should just stand out in front of my trade show booth and say it…and we’d be the talk of the show!

Since that isn’t exactly a realistic way to attract attention, we opted for a retractable banner from DPS Banners. Take a look – It’s the tall, impressive-looking sign to your left. Catches your eye, doesn’t it?

The banner that I reviewed retails for $299 (but is on-sale right now for $229). It is 35″ x 82.5″ and it retracts into that tiny stand for easy storage and portability. It’s the perfect tool for an entrepreneur or work-from-home parent because it won’t take up much space in your home/garage.

There are a variety of banners available from DPS Banners with prices ranging from $160 to over $1000 – depending on the size and features. Entrepreneurs may be tempted to scoff at the price, but if you consider that the stand can be used again-and-again for years to come, it’s a worthy investment. It can be used at trade shows, conventions, conferences, speaking engagements, or as a prop for photo shoots. The banners are equally ideal for small businesses, bloggers, schools, and non-profit organizations.

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Because I like dressing up and because I *know* you want to see “real life” pictures of a person standing next to the banner, here you go…

Exhibit A. My Favorite Plum-Colored Business Suit, paired with boots by Sofft (It’s the Tyla boot…no longer sold). When I walked out from the closet, my 3-year-old said, “I like that.“

Exhibit B: A new Little Black Dress that I bought at Target last week for $29.99 for a wedding that I was attending.

Exhibit C. Same Dress. Same Shoes. Sand-Colored Coat from Old Navy. I’ve had it forever and I like it, but I *never* wear it because it gets wrinkly so fast…and I’m not one to iron.

Okay. Enough of that.

Here’s what I’m *REALLY* wearing today. Blue Jeans. Boots. A Black Sweater. And…the best accessory of all – my blue-eyed baby!

WIN IT! One winner will receive a discount code for 70% OFF a deluxe retractable roll-up banner stand (currently on sale for $229) by DPS Banners! To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, January 18th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).

* I received a product sample for review purposes.

*UPDATE* The winner is #17 Chris. Congratulations!

For example, if you plan to exhibit or speak on a local or national level, it would behoove you to purchase a few promotional pieces that you can use again and again.

One item worth investing in is a classy and professional table throw. You can check out mine above. It’s from Post-Up Stand, an Ohio-based company that “provides banner stand displays and mobile presentation solutions to trade shows, retail stores, restaurants, hotel lobbies and any advertising displays users.” Their focus is on “high quality, low prices.”

The picture above doesn’t do the runner justice. It is absolutely beautiful and utterly eye-catching – printed professionally and elegantly with modern colors. The accompanying throw is equally sturdy, stain-resistant, and made to last. I love that the throw is blank, which makes it truly multifunctional. You can purchase separate runners for multiple businesses…or even use it as a tablecloth if you’re in a pinch. Best of all, it’s an investment that will last you for years. As you use it again-and-again, you’ll realize that it will pay for itself in no time.

What’s that on the table, you ask. Well, I have a promotional flyer on the left that tells a little more about my site and I have a sign-up sheet for my e-newsletter on the right (speaking of my e-newsletter…the one that I haven’t sent out in months…cough…that’s a topic for another post, but you should still sign up in that little box along my right sidebar…good surprises coming…K?). And then there are two chocolate towers on either side. I passed out those yummy Chocolate Business Card Gift Boxes to people who stopped by my booth…and they were a huge hit! Sold by Ghirardelli, you can choose either a gold or silver box. Each box comes with one square of milk chocolate and one square of dark chocolate. Tim designed the corresponding insert and – voila! – WAY better than a traditional business card!

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Post-Up Stand also sells super cool Removable Custom Wall Decor posters at great prices! Submit any photo and they’ll send you a great piece of art in just days…but bear in mind that this isn’t your average-joe poster. It sticks right to the wall and you can move it around as you redecorate and reorganize. It’s great for entrepreneurs, but it’s also great for parents. What better way to dress-up your child or teen’s room?

WIN IT! There will be two winners. Each winner will receive a 24″ x 36″ custom wall decor poster by Post-Up Stand. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Sunday, January 17th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).

* I received product samples for review purposes.

*UPDATE* The winners are #23 Susan and #45 Michelle. Congratulations!