entrepreneurs | Kaira Rouda

26 01, 2009

Planning Your Future Business Now

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:09:56+00:00January 26, 2009|business plan, company culture, entrepreneurs, find mentor, future business, Kaira Rouda, Real You, target audience|Comments Off on Planning Your Future Business Now

Is entrepreneurship in your future? Start preparing yourself and your business while working for another company. While at your current job, you can hone your entrepreneurial skills. Start by observing your surroundings, what works and what doesn’t. What aspects of your current job would you like to incorporate into your future company? And while you’re sitting through all those corporate meetings, think about what you like and dislike about them. Make some mental notes about what’s good and bad so you can take that knowledge with you. Start thinking about how you will define your personal brand and your company’s brand. What does the Real You look like? Developing a business plan, researching your target audience and creating a vision for your business are easy ways to start preparing for what’s ahead—your business and life as an entrepreneur! Also, while you’re still in the corporate [...]

21 10, 2008

Change the world for other women.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:14:11+00:00October 21, 2008|entrepreneurs, Kaira Rouda, Marsha Firestone, peers, philanthropy, Real You Incorporated, speaker, volunteer, women in business, Women Presidents' Organization|Comments Off on Change the world for other women.

You don’t need to be an entrepreneur to make this happen. It’s as simple as reaching out and empowering another woman with a kind word—or a reference. Perhaps you’d consider taking a mentee to lunch. Maybe you could find time in your schedule to volunteer with a professional woman’s organization in your community. Or, it may be time to start your own. And if you’ve attained a level of success that allows you to give your money—do it. Time and money combined are unstoppable. Throughout the last century and continuing today, women everywhere are making a difference for women of the future. Think Gloria Steinem, Hilary Clinton and local women in your community. You, too, can be one of these change-makers. Get involved now. Once you’ve reached a certain level in your career, it makes sense that you’ll learn the most from your peers. The [...]

14 10, 2008

Don’t Forget to Dream

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:14:31+00:00October 14, 2008|business, dreams, entrepreneurs, Gloria Steinem, Real You Incorporated, Rouda, speaker, women, women in business|Comments Off on Don’t Forget to Dream

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. Begin by asking yourself this question: If you could be anyone else for a day, who would it be? What is your dream? Start defining it. What are you passionate about? What business activities feel most like fun and least like work? Of course, this requires some soul-searching. Take it to the next level. Write down the names of three people you admire. It doesn’t matter if they are family members, friends or business acquaintances. Then, determine what characteristics you admire in each of them. The attributes you list should be closely aligned with the heart of your passions! When you define your passions and dreams, you begin the planning process, and that in turn opens the door to exciting possibilities. This tip, from Gloria [...]

30 09, 2008

Find clarity about what it is you are seeking, and go after it.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:16:19+00:00September 30, 2008|Betty's Fine Food and Spirits, business, dreams, Elizabeth Lessner, entrepreneurs, Real You Incorporated, Rouda, The Surly Girl Saloon, vision, women, women in business|Comments Off on Find clarity about what it is you are seeking, and go after it.

If you don’t have a clear picture about what you want, you will never get it. Clarity of vision is so important. But to do it right takes time and effort. Begin by choosing three words to describe your business, even if that business is not yet off the ground. Then put your operating principles in writing. This will likely be the precursor to your company vision or mission statement, so take the time to get it right. Next, list some additional adjectives that you want to associate with your vision. Play around with it; be creative. This is the fun part. Remember, the clearer the picture, the easier it will be to transform your vision into reality. This tip comes from Elizabeth Lessner, owner of Betty’s Family of Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, which includes Betty’s Fine Food and Spirits, The Surly Girl Saloon, Tip [...]

10 09, 2008

The real world is online

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:17:21+00:00September 10, 2008|entrepreneurs, forum, online consumers, quizzes, Real Living, women|Comments Off on The real world is online

Your goal should be to grow closer to your female customer, to know what she likes and what product or service you can offer her to make her life easier. Now take that a step further and determine how you can delight her online. So, imagine a day in her life. From start to finish, what does she do, and what does she need to accomplish her daily tasks? Find out where she’s going online—and be there. What does she read online? Where does she spend her time? But perhaps most important, subscribe to blogs and e-newsletters within your industry, and keep current with what’s out there. Things are moving fast, and you and your business need to be a part of it in order to meet her needs. At Real Living, we developed a series of quizzes for customers to discover their decorating style, [...]

10 06, 2008

Get your life priorities straight first.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:30:55+00:00June 10, 2008|career, entrepreneurs, goals, HelmsBriscoe, priorities, Real You Incorporated, Tanya Baker, work-life balance|Comments Off on Get your life priorities straight first.

Deciding on the balance that you want to have between business success, family success and leisure time is the difference between judging your own success and failure. In Real You Incorporated, I suggest spending some time alone—a night, a weekend or even a few hours. Then, with pen and paper in hand, establish your goals and write down your top priorities. Your number-one priority should be where you spend most of your conscious time, and so on. Remember, it’s never really been about work-life balance. It’s more about integrating work and family with your personal goals. Meet Tanya Baker, an independent contractor with HelmsBriscoe. In her continuing effort to meet the needs of busy meeting planners, she keeps this tip top of mind. With a husband, two small children—and a challenging career—she constantly strives for work-life balance. But it’s not easy, and frankly, she admits [...]

20 05, 2008

Love who you are, and what you do. Do it all as a proudly passionate real female entrepreneur.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:31:39+00:00May 20, 2008|Denver, entrepreneurs, Linda Alvarado, women|Comments Off on Love who you are, and what you do. Do it all as a proudly passionate real female entrepreneur.

Make a list of the characteristics people most admire about you. You’ll need to solicit the help of your family and friends for this one. The process will help define who you are—and what you do. Remember, these are the characteristics that make you real. Let them shine in a real way. Linda Alvarado is an American entrepreneur who started her own construction company in 1976 with a $2,500 loan from her parents. Alvarado Construction, based in Denver, has become one of the fastest growing commercial general contracting firms in the country. In fact, it was one of three firms that built the new stadium for the Denver Broncos, and it was also part of the construction of the Denver International Airport and the Colorado Convention Center. Still, people really noticed Alvarado in 1991. That’s the year she became the first Hispanic to own a [...]

6 05, 2008

Do what you love.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:33:17+00:00May 6, 2008|branding, entrepreneurs, Kim Ades, love, Opening doors, smile, women|Comments Off on Do what you love.

Find out what makes you wake up in the morning and smile. Start by listing the activities that you are most passionate about during a typical day at work or home. These are probably the daily tasks that you look forward to—the items on your to-do list that get checked off first. Once you’ve uncovered your passions, it’s easier to make them come to life in your real brand. I think that Kim Ades, president of Opening Doors and Frame of Mind Coaching , chose this as one of her favorite tips for women entrepreneurs because it has made such a difference in her life. As a business owner, she specializes in thought management, and her goal is to help people attain the opportunities they are seeking in life. She “opens doors” to people, to thoughts, to greatness—and to self-actualization. And she “opens the doors” [...]

25 04, 2008

Women need to stop competing…

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:33:54+00:00April 25, 2008|business, Carrie Runnals, entrepreneurs, networking, TheDivaCast, women|Comments Off on Women need to stop competing…

And start helping each other. It’s a topic I’m very passionate about, and I discuss it in my recent interview with Carrie Runnals, author of Words-To-Mouth blog and co-host of TheDivaCast. We also talked about women as natural networkers and the gifts we bring to the business world. Click here to listen to the podcast.

13 04, 2008

The new Miss USA is an entrepreneur!

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T13:34:21+00:00April 13, 2008|beauty, entrepreneurs, miss usa|Comments Off on The new Miss USA is an entrepreneur!

Don't you love that! Miss USA, Crystle Stewart, not only is beautiful, she's also a smart business woman who's business helps empower women and girls. Times they are a changing! Also exciting, for those of us from Ohio, was that our own Monica Day, Miss Ohio USA, won Miss Congeniality. Ohio has the friendliest folks, don't you know?