HAYVN Hubcast

Have you considered telling your story, sharing your lessons, or putting your knowledge into a book that will give you even more recognition? These days there are so many options to publishing a book.

"The good news is that with growth and technological breakthroughs, not only can we publish our own books, but we can make all the decisions…" -Amanda Miller

However, the journey to becoming a published author can be anything but straightforward. Enter Amanda Miller, a self-publishing consultant with My Word Publishing. She helps people get the confidence, strategy, and roadmap they need to publish their book.

Unpacking the complicated world of publishing:

• Amanda explains the differences between self-publishing versus traditional publishing
• How the oversimplification of the self-publishing process works against authors
• Differences between self-publishing versus hybrid publishing versus subsidy publishing
• Why book marketing is more complicated than most writers think
• Amanda reveals red flags of publishers you might want to steer clear of
• Learn the vital parts of publishing and key players every author will want to get published

The key to setting yourself up for success is being aware of all the people involved and the traps you need to watch out for. If you are interested in self-publishing, Amanda offers free 30-minute consultations if you'd like more information.

And she is not helping authors, she helps organize and lead a wonderful HAYVN group of young professionals called HYPE (HAYVN Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs).

Connect with Amanda Miller:

Website

Linkedin

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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Small business owners suffer many of the same pains and fail for many of the same reasons. Poor marketing, unfocused business strategy and planning, lack of research and lack of direction on what to prioritize are just a few reasons why.

"Set the right goals at the right time, and set them in the right priority" -Lisa Corrado

One of the most effective ways to increase your chances of success is to have the right goals that inform what you execute on and when. Coach Lisa Corrado is a friend of HAYVN who works with entrepreneurs and small business owners to help implement the strategies and systems they need to achieve the bigger vision.

"Better Than Ever" Goal Setting Strategies & Considerations from Lisa Corrado:

• Ask yourself the right questions and don't let yourself off the hook.
• Planning for pitfalls is the secret weapon everyone needs.
• Know that your end result may not be what you truly want and it's okay to pivot.
• Set the right priorities and focus on fewer priorities to 10x your effectiveness.
• Know who you want to be in the vision of what you want to achieve.

"It's a lot easier to do successful and effective goal setting, if there's a process to follow" -Lisa Corrado

Doing less to achieve more is something we all may struggle with, but Lisa makes it very clear that it is critical to your success. When you start to feel overwhelmed and overcome by the size of the projects ahead of you, Lisa's mantra "What am I doing now and what am I doing next?" can certainly keep you grounded and save your sanity.

Connect with Lisa Corrado:

Website

Instagram

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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Taking an idea and creating a concept that you think can solve problems for others is an exciting and honorable dream to go after. Developing a product to take to market can be overwhelming for even the most seasoned entrepreneurs and businesses.

"It takes a wise man to learn from his mistakes, but an even wiser man to learn from others" -Zen Proverb

In this episode, Hayley Segar, founder and creator of onewith swimwear, reveals the experiences, the lessons, and skills it took for her to create comfortable swimwear that "fits just like your favorite seamless undergarments."

Key points Hayley shares from idea to product development and launch:

• Exposure to the market you desire is important to your success
• Seek others with complementary skills to speed up the process
• Building a company while creating a product gets really intense
• Optimize support and resources along the way
• Sometimes your high points can quickly become the biggest stress point

"I cannot convey enough how launching a product, and a brand is the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life." -Hayley Segar

Hayley is an active member of the HAYVN community that brings so much to the table and contributes in multiple ways. She discovered HAYVN through her interest in the HAYVN Hatch while seeking opportunities to practice her product pitch and became a natural fit into the culture. She is now a part of the Launch Accelerator Cohort and is continuing to grow her swimwear brand, onewith.

Connect with Hayley Segar:

Website

Instagram

TikTok

Pinterest

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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In the entrepreneurial journey to building a business, there are always more challenges than you ever anticipate. Seeing the overall picture, and having an effective route mapped out that will take you from idea to success is difficult when you've never built a business before.

Business mentors may be the entrepreneur's most valuable ally. Successful business owners like Pat Duncan have proven success, and have experienced building and solving problems, are the kind of mentors you'd be lucky to have.

Pat built her company from nothing and sold it for a profit, as many business owners hope to do. She is now a SCORE Volunteer helping other business owners and startups grow the business they dream of.

A few lessons Pat shares about growing a successful business:

• When it doesn't work the way you want, be flexible

• Talk to a lot of people
• Don't quit your job
• Don't hire friends
• Review the numbers weekly

"Whatever we can learn, we have learned in our careers, we can help other people start or grow their own small businesses. " -Pat Duncan

Pat explains the benefits offered by working with a SCORE Volunteer. Face-to-face meetings are part of mentorship that cannot be replaced. Whether on Zoom, in a cafe, or in a library, working with a mentor has benefits that will propel your business and success in ways you cannot imagine.

Connect with Pat Duncan:

Website

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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Managing personal finances is crucial and when not handled properly can lead to debt, unexpected expenses, and overspending. For people who don't have time or are overwhelmed they can get help. Becca Feeley is the Business Development Manager for Financial Sense, a daily money management company that helps with everything financial from cash flow tracking to paying bills. Becca reveals the history of how her mother came to start her their financial business.

Whether you've been looking for household finance strategy and help because you're short on time or because it's boring you to pieces, daily money management professionals like Becca and her mom are the ideal solutions.

If you're looking to gain confidence around how you are handling your personal finances, then Becca Feeley and Financial Sense offer free resources.

Key points discussed with Becca:

• The type of clients Financial Sense attracts
• What is daily money management
• How to get started with a financial services company
• Ways she was able to thrive as a small business

Becca is super approachable and is also a valued part of the HAYVN community. Like many, she is a mom who wanted more time for her family. Leaving an unfulfilling corporate life for a service-based small business is the entrepreneurial path that started with her mother and now continues with her. Financial Sense is their labor of love together.

Connect with Becca Feeley:

Website

Email

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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The phrase, "find a need, fill a need" is a common staple in the entrepreneurial world for those looking to make a difference.

When founder and serial entrepreneur, Sarah Spear, found out how isolating her world became being the mother of a child with special needs, she discovered the need for parents to have support and a better way to share knowledge with one another. Empowered Together is the community she created to solve issues that she herself was experiencing.

1 in 5 households are caring for children with special needs (source)

Sarah's online community is about providing support to parents experiencing the same struggles and telling them what she wishes she knew early on.

"Research demonstrates that kids with special needs have superior outcomes when the parents are receiving services at the same time." - Sarah Spear

Key Points Discussed with Sarah:

• Parents need a psychologically safe space to feel supported
• Experimenting with iterative business models leads to success
• Introducing conversation around hard topics is necessary
• HAYVN'S community of female entrepreneurs has been powerful

Sarah is looking for relationships and introductions to centers that serve special needs populations and would love to hear from you.

Connect with Sarah Spear:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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Storytelling has always been a powerful tool for communication - whether it's for entertainment, sharing news, or selling products and services. With video - storytelling can truly and more easily come to life.

Emmy award winning journalist Kendra Farn has been telling stories on for nearly 25 years. From her days as a news reporter to her current role as the owner of P Garyn Productions, a video production company she knows the value that video brings to making an impact.

Key insights from Kendra on video production:

• What makes a good story to begin with
• Video production process from messaging to production
• How she started her own company and found career/home balance

Kendra is enthusiastic about the current technology that simplifies video production and the social media platforms that allow everyone access to share a message and story with the world.

"Social media is free, F-R-E-E! [...] it is free advertising, and you're reaching countless eyeballs!" - Kendra Farn

The current social media trends serving up the perfect bite-size video vehicle now delivers not just a story, but an effective message that encourages engagement and action.

Kendra's HAYVN Journey:

Kendra's journey with HAYVN started from speaking with Felicia back when HAYVN was just a concept. She came on board to help with HAYVN's GoFundMe video that helped bring the HAYVN community to life. Kendra plays a huge part as the MC of the HAYVN Hatch and loves to witness, support, and be a fan of the amazing people in the community.

Connect with Kendra Farn:

Website

P Garyn Productions

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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Feeling stressed, angry, frustrated, or anxious nearly every day doesn't have to be the standard of living for most people. But that means practicing a self-care routine shouldn't be viewed as a luxury, but rather a necessity for you to be at your best self.

Over 75% of healthcare visits in the U.S. are connected to stress

Maria Allen, LMT know this all too well. She struggled with a high stress acting career as well as a running injury that eventually led her to her first yoga class. Fast forward years later, and Maria is now a massage therapist and the founder of Real & Powerful, where she helps people live with more ease and joy through movement, calm, relaxation, and breathing techniques.

Key Highlights to Connecting Mind and Body:

• Releasing your physical body can have a profound impact on your mind
• Connection is powerful with breathing, meditation, and movement
• Living in the present connects you to joy and inner peace
• Following cues from the universe can lead to a Real & Powerful life

"As I practiced yoga and received massages, I discovered that making time for releasing built-up tightness in my physical body almost always caused a similar letting go of persistent, exhausting mental tension. " - Maria Allen

Releasing pinned up tension within our body is not just a physical relief, but it's also a mental relief, something much needed for those dealing with high levels of stress. Maria shares how she went from seeking physical relief to finding an inner peace, joy, and a level of self-awareness that she's been able to share with others.

It's important to remember that stress affects us in so many way and managing that stress takes on many forms between mind, body, and spirit. Maria's been able to find more creative ways to help people connect with themselves and with nature. Her practices have allowed her to bring mental health awareness, visualization and meditation, breathing techniques into one existence. Follow her and discover more ways to a path of joyful living.

Connect with Maria Allen:

Website

Instagram

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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Getting your innovative ideas to market is tricky and overwhelming when you don't have a solid strategy or connections with the right people. While more than 95% of product innovations likely fail, 92% of startups also fail. So how do you successfully get products to market?

Rache Brand is a woman of many hats, but more importantly, she is an innovative brand expert when it comes to commercializing big ideas and getting products to market. She is also a self-proclaimed 'human collector' and has honed in on the value of promoting a robust community.

Not only is Rache's resume impressive from her vital role with Chobani seeing the company revenue grow from $23 million to $880 million in four years to running her own business as well as being the Innovation Lead as part of CT Next in Hartford, CT. Rache has also lived in several amazing places with unique experiences leading to her specialty in connecting with people and creating communities.

Key Highlights to Help You Rethink Getting Your Ideas to Market:

• Building an ecosystem around innovation
• Creating a robust community

• Commercializing big ideas
• Consulting to solve big problems for a path forward

"I really try hard not to just make assumptions or share my specific ideas, right out of the gate without knowing all the information, because the reality is, there are many ways to slice and dice the opportunity to get you where you want to go." - Rache Brand

Rache also takes the high-level approach to seemingly complex problems. She takes several steps back to see the bigger community picture first. Once she knows what is being done well and the options available, then she determines the best path forward. Regardless of your product or service, thinking with an eye on innovation is a great way to implement as you grow your business.

Connect with Rache Brand:

Website

Instagram

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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As we are all completely reliant on computers and technology to operate and grow our business, tech guru Linda Kuppersmith is back for the fourth episode in the "All Things IT" series to discuss everything you need to know about purchasing computers for your business and personal needs. Linda is not only the President and Chief Technology Advisor of CMIT Solutions, but she is also on the HAYVN board of advisors.

Whether you are business owner or an employee, in this post-covid era, you are likely working remotely and have needed to set up your computers, online access points and all its related technology in a different fashion. Making these computer decisions can be overwhelming, confusing and tedious – and frustrating given supply chain challenges in our post covid world.

In 2021, roughly 340 million PCs and 277 million laptops were shipped around the world.

What you should know to be safe, be smart, and be productive when buying business computers:

• Commit to invest in computer best for your business needs
• Decide if a laptop is best for you versus a desktop computer

• Go with a minimum of 8 gigabytes of memory
• Consider a strategy for business tech upgrades and new computers

Linda takes the complication out of technology so you can have a clear understanding and vision of how all technologies work for you and against you.

3 Takeaway Tips from Linda

TIP #1 Buy directly from the manufacturer for the best quality

TIP #2 A business-class computer will last longer

TIP #3 Cloud programs push code through browsers back to your hard drive affecting processing and storage

"If you're spending six-plus hours a day on your computer, you're going to benefit by having a second monitor…" - Linda Kuppersmith

Deciding on the right computer to build your business on is not easy. With Linda breaking down these industry terms you are able to access where you are, what you have, and strategize when and how to upgrade the technology for your business.

Connect with Linda Kuppersmith:

Website

Linda's Tech Tips

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Nancy:

NancySheed.com

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