Melinda Emerson “Smallbizlady” is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach. Her areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media strategy. Melinda publishes a blog about running a successful small business www.succeedasyourownboss.com. She also hosts #Smallbizchat, a weekly talk show on Twitter for emerging business owners. She has been featured on NBC Nightly News and in the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report and Black Enterprise. Her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business That Works was published in March 2010.