DISCLAIMER to readers: Darth Vader was not harmed in this recording.

She just gave a great speech on the benefits and stress from having so many available choices.

She has resolve, success, and a great depth of reflection.

She’s got one heck of a sense of humor, is a Women Grow Business blogger — and she’s a clear winner too.

This ‘she’ is Ann Bevans, a business owner and prize winner of this year’s case study competition for the Hot Mommas Project.

The Hot Mommas Project is an online mentorship library for women and girls, comprised of case studies accessible for free. People from across the globe submit case studies reflecting their life experience about entrepreneurship and different professional industries.

What challenges did they face?

What decisions or fears or obstacles helped to crystalize their success?

These questions are often framed and answered in the most personal and triumphant ways in these case studies.

Ann’s case study won top honors this year, revealing her sense of purpose for her business and resolve to look at specific choices.

In this video talk: Darth Vader talks shop.

And Ann shares more on what compelled her to write her case study. Her potent acceptance speech was a hot topic too, looking at the trials of choice in & beyond business — all this from the Hot Momma’s Awards Ceremony earlier this week.

Congratulations to Ann (and also Liz Scherer, a Women Grow Biz blogger who received Hot Mommas honors this year and was unable to attend the ceremony).

More from Women Grow Business:

• May, Memorial Day, Military: lessons for now, by Patricia Frame
• Life doesn’t stop, and neither does business, by Thursday Bram

Cited by ForbesWoman as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter, Jill Foster is principal of Live Your Talk and founding editor of Women Grow Business. Believing strong communities come from strong conversations (and thus public speaking skill), she specializes in speech coaching for women in technology. A social tech enthusiast, she co-founded DC Media Makers – a peer learning community that teaches digital technology. Jill won the Apps for Democracy Social Citizen Award for a co-produced project on how technology could help Washington, DC neighborhoods. During the 2008 presidential election, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by serving as a “Big Tent” credentialed blogger for the Democratic National Convention.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Hot Mommas Project Winner Ann Bevans Talks Business & Darth Vader

A colleague recently shared her pre-game angst for giving a product demonstration. She felt less confident about this particular demo, especially when envisioning questions from attendees that could favor her competition vs her product.

Here are 3 tips that helped her increase her sense of ease, confidence, and control.

1. Set the tone and cultivate an open dynamic early on.

She opened her remarks by overtly declaring her demo a full-on conversation zone; she distinctly invited curiosity about her work (and what they, the attendees, were looking for).

Leading the tone in this way was a simple, empowering move.

Cultivating this type of conversational environment head-on made my colleague feel like she was guiding the exchange (vs hiding nervously from potential questions).

2. Establish a clear, big-picture message and use that as a mental home base.

The nature of our products and services can be so carved out in our minds that a vivid, concise way to describe its meaning can get obscured.

Before the demo, clearly define and articulate a key message that captures the value of your product. Linking mini-stories to the key message can help make it all the more humanized, personal, and distinct.

As example: “My #1 interest is providing fantastic, fashionable footware that’s reasonably priced. Faculty at my alma mater are my best customers for this reason….”

3. Acknowledge competitor features, briefly, if prospects bring them up…

… but promptly re-direct attention to your product’s benefit. It can be natural to defensively respond when people affirm competition in the face of your product.

To diffuse your own anxiety and cultivate a sense of confidence, prepare ways beforehand to gracefully acknowledge competitor features should they come up i.e. “Yes Sallie’s Lime Cupcakes are tasty…”

And practice how to immediately re-focus attention on your product’s distinction.

For example, “I’ve found the bulk of my customers may try fruit cupcakes once or twice in the short term. But my customer community as a whole craves chocolate and vanilla. And we provide that in 85 creative recipes.”

(I’m now craving a cupcake—vanilla, not lime—in the most urgent way!)

Before signing off though, have you ever experienced anxiety before giving a product demo? What were ways you prepared when anticipating criticism from attendees?

More from Women Grow Business:

• Jill shares the welcome surprises of storyboarding a speech
• Francie Dalton gives you 5 tips to help you solidify business prospects
• Growing into the title of CEO: it starts today, says Marissa Levin

Cited by ForbesWoman as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter, Jill Foster is principal of Live Your Talk and founding editor of Women Grow Business. Believing strong communities come from strong conversations (and thus public speaking skill), she specializes in speech coaching for women in technology. A social tech enthusiast, she co-founded DC Media Makers – a peer learning community that teaches digital technology. Jill won the Apps for Democracy Social Citizen Award for a co-produced project on how technology could help Washington, DC neighborhoods. During the 2008 presidential election, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by serving as a “Big Tent” credentialed blogger for the Democratic National Convention.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: 3 Presentation Tips From a Product Demo

On International Women’s Day, here’s a thought-provoking message from Jill Foster…

on how reliving a family story has given her renewed respect for a woman ahead of her time.

Cited by ForbesWoman as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter, Jill Foster is principal of Live Your Talk and founding editor of Women Grow Business. Believing strong communities come from strong conversations (and thus public speaking skill), she specializes in speech coaching for women in technology. A social tech enthusiast, she co-founded DC Media Makers – a peer learning community that teaches digital technology. Jill won the Apps for Democracy Social Citizen Award for a co-produced project on how technology could help Washington, DC neighborhoods. During the 2008 presidential election, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by serving as a “Big Tent” credentialed blogger for the Democratic National Convention.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: On International Women’s Day, A Recovered Respect For Grandma

[Ed: we hope you enjoy this post either by watching the video, or by reading the written summary below... or both!]

What is going on?

What am I going to learn?

How is this relevant to me?

These are driving questions an audience immediately wants answered when you or any speaker takes the stage to give a speech.

The first question is the biggie and represents the audience’s natural craving for orientation to the speaker’s purpose.

Lead ‘em to clarity

An audience wants a sense of partnership with us, trust that we the speaker will lead them to some level of understanding. This was really crystallized for me when collaborating with a colleague this week on her speech. She was exuberant about her story; her content was great too.

She was in the initial storyboarding and brainstorming phase. And she wanted to inspire specific reactions in her audience. We were writing ideas on a whiteboard together when…

She stopped, looked me in the face, and said:

“But I really love this particular story. I think the real thrust of my message is right here.”

That’s when I asked we stop for a minute and said: “You just answered the driving question for the audience of ‘what is going on with this speech!’ ”

It was the needed gravity and purpose that the audience would seek.

It caught us both off guard.

When we first started storyboarding, both of us assumed other stories and anecdotes would be priority for her content.

But the storyboarding process led to a certain memory, a professional experience that was more conducive to her audience’s expectations. She became more alive when focusing on this perspective; and her clarity of mind heightened too.

That was a welcome surprise (pay dirt!) in preparing the rest of her content.

It was the driving momentum for this speech; in light of her expertise and her specific audience, it’s definitely the story her audience needs to hear.

What about you and your approach to speech prep? Does storyboarding ever produce unexpected surprises regarding content?

More from Women Grow Business:

• Jill tells you how to prepare for a rapid-fire Q&A with any audience
• Five public speaking tips from Toastmasters International’s Pat Johnson

Cited by ForbesWoman as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter, Jill Foster is principal of Live Your Talk and founding editor of Women Grow Business. Believing strong communities come from strong conversations (and thus public speaking skill), she specializes in speech coaching for women in technology. A social tech enthusiast, she co-founded DC Media Makers – a peer learning community that teaches digital technology. Jill won the Apps for Democracy Social Citizen Award for a co-produced project on how technology could help Washington, DC neighborhoods. During the 2008 presidential election, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by serving as a “Big Tent” credentialed blogger for the Democratic National Convention.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: The Welcome Surprises of Storyboarding A Speech

…rich in examples and relevance with even insight from Dr. Suess(!)

Thus describes what it’s been like reading Karen Friedman‘s new book Shut Up and Say Something (Praeger). For full disclosure, her team invited Women Grow Business to review her book and offered a complimentary copy for this purpose.

It continues to be a resourceful read, focusing on diverse business communication strategies like:

• Public speaking “no-no’s” – with a favorite tip as:
  No matter how strong your expertise, avoid winging it before a presentation.

• Trust with stakeholders and the power of perception – with a favorite tip as:
  Communicate problems quickly. Friedman cites Toyota’s dramatic recall of faulty vehicles last year and the media’s perception the company potentially knew of the malfunction for two years before deciding a recall had merit.

-Which leads into one of my favorite sections of the book: handling Q&A from audiences and the press.

Image Question Mark by Segozyme, Creative Commons

Frankly, there have been instances in watching speakers engage audiences during Q&A where my first perception would sometimes be: “C’mon! That’s a nutty question that’s a waste of time.” But dismissing questions, especially as the person fielding them in this type of dynamic, isn’t the name of the game.

What is the name of the game, according to Friedman:

Perceiving all questions during question/answer sessions as relevant. And after reading her stories and anecdote-heavy chapter on the topic, she converted me to the same belief.

These insights below stood out on how to prepare as a public speaker or company representative leading a Q&A session:

#1. View each question as a chance to expand conversation with key audiences.

Consider each question as a viable opportunity to disclose information and create benefit to relevant publics. Even when questions inspire a bit of dread in you or the company spokesperson handling the Q&A, avoid the limited “yes” or “no” responses. Friedman offers dialogue examples throughout this chapter.

#2. Know key messages and how to speak from the heart, especially unexpected questions.

Should an immediate answer not come to mind, use that moment to simply lead into the core message you most wish to impart. But bottom line, at least know – emphatically – what that core message is.

A stellar example:

Friedman underscores the value of being absolutely clear on key messages and being prepared to articulate them in the face of surprise lines of questioning. She cited the famous (…infamous) interview between U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy and CBS correspondent Roger Mudd. In the late 1970s, Mudd posed an unanticipated yet basic question to the senator: “Why do you want to be president?”

The senator – normally a swift, precise communicator – replied with legendary abstraction and offered an unlyrical ramble. That interview occurred a few days before Senator Kennedy planned to officially announce his bid for the presidency against President Jimmy Carter.

Watch the critical interview and wealth of pundit commentary on it.

Clarity is king.

#3. Prepare lists of questions beforehand and develop answers to shape clarity of mind.

What stood out here are the types of lists she suggested (the book includes hearty examples too): prepare and be able to answer a list of questions the audience will most likely ask — the easy schmeezy ones. Yet expand preparation to include a second list that reflects emotionally-centric questions related to your audience’s interest.

Friedman’s communications experience comes across as well informed and pretty resourceful. She includes steady examples throughout the book especially for the C-suite. I’d be interested in her offering more examples from a small business vantage point yet I’m still progressing through the book; so possibly that craving will be satiated.

More from Women Grow Business:

• Patricia Frame’s interview with Sharon Armstrong on performance management and authorship
• A guest post from Toastmasters International’s Pat Johnson with five public speaking tips

Cited by ForbesWoman as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter, Jill Foster is principal of Live Your Talk and founding editor of Women Grow Business.  Believing strong communities come from strong conversations (and thus public speaking skill), she specializes in speech coaching for women in technology.  A social tech enthusiast, she co-founded DC Media Makers – a peer learning community that teaches digital technology. Jill won the Apps for Democracy Social Citizen Award for a co-produced project on how technology could help Washington, DC neighborhoods.  During the 2008 presidential election, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by serving as a “Big Tent” credentialed blogger for the Democratic National Convention.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: How To Prepare For Rapid-Fire Q&A With Any Audience

I think I’m a decent networker. I can go to an event and talk to every person in the room. I can leave with more than just a stack of business cards in hand — I can get a good idea of how I can help my new contacts and build a strong relationship.

But not everyone I want to connect with is going to be at any networking event in my neighborhood, or even in the nearest big city. There are plenty of people out there who I could create a mutually beneficial relationship with, if only I could meet them. I know I’m not the only one in this situation, either.

Luckily, “meeting” someone really can be a matter of emailing that person, as long as you do it correctly.

Get in touch for a reason

At a networking event, you meet people and then discover how you can connect beyond the standard business card exchange. It’s the exact opposite online, at least if you want to make more than the most casual of connections.

It’s important to check out a prospective contact: look at her social networking profiles, read a couple of blog posts she’s written and generally figure out not only why you want to introduce yourself, but why your new connection will want to know you.

Walk in her shoes: what can you do to help?

When you send your prospective contact an introductory email, you want to focus on what you can do with her, without sounding egotistical. There’s a balance of offering a little help and sounding like you think you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. It’s important to be on the helpful yet humble end of that spectrum in order to get a response.

Carefully build upon that initial email

At least at first, one of the best goals you can have for networking online is to create a conversation. Simply introducing yourself isn’t enough to make sure that you stick in some people’s minds — if they’re busy, they may bang out a response to your email and forget your name by the time they’re on to the next message.

This isn’t the electronic version of cold-calling, either — or, at least, it shouldn’t be. An online introduction or conversation that comes on like a strong sales pitch tends to wind up in the spam folder.

Instead, take things slow and build a real relationship. Just because you don’t see your new contact in person doesn’t mean that you can’t have a friendship or working relationship.

We live more and more of our lives online. That doesn’t mean our connections aren’t (or can’t be) “real.” It’s up to us to make them so.

More from:

• Chris Brogan on social networking
• RSS Ray on introducing yourself online
• The Huffington Post on marketing yourself online

Image: Michael O’Donnell, Creative Commons

Guest post by Thursday Bram. Thursday offers content marketing through Hyper Modern Consulting, as well as more traditional writing services. She blogs about the shift between freelancing and business through her personal blog Thursday Bram and can be reached at www.twitter.com/thursdayb.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: The Value of Online Connections

I have a love for knowing what is going on in technology, whether it’s the latest Internet start-ups or the next generation gadgets. So, when I had an opportunity to go to Las Vegas for the 2010 International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) I couldn’t pass it up.

I knew going into the 4-day event that it would be a major challenge trying to juggle the daily needs of my new ventures with the morning, noon, night and pre-dawn activities around CES. With a couple of weeks of recovery now under my belt, here’s some perspective on how to make the most of time away at such events.

Pre-event prep.

My partner and I were both attending this event so we actually took time to ask ourselves how we could use this event to help our businesses and what we wanted to accomplish. It’s helpful to do your homework first.

Who will be there? Whom do you want to talk to? Why? What would make you feel like you accomplished something when it’s all said and done?

And so we lined up as much as we could before we set foot on the CES floor.

Carve out time for work.

We took advantage of various blogger lounges at CES throughout the day and also left some time between the show and dinner activities for some hard core focus back at the hotel. We also scheduled meetings with West Coast colleagues who were in town for the show and had one of our best strategy sessions to date, leveraging an Intel meeting area that they let us use. Intel is, after all, a sponsor of tomorrow!

Carve out time for fun.

I don’t get to Las Vegas very often and would be sorely disappointed if I didn’t have at least a little fun. The event happy hours and parties were fine but we did take one night for “off campus” dinner and drinks with friends – it was definitely the most memorable night for me.

Take advantage of every moment.

Founders need to strike that balance where they evangelize their businesses everywhere yet can still have a non-business conversation.

CES was great for this because it was filled with industry people who liked to talk about technology, new websites & businesses and brainstorm ideas. Whether I was talking to a company at their booth on the CES floor or mingling with people at a cocktail party, there was plenty of time to talk about Thankfulfor, get input and new ideas and even forge some potential partnerships.

Absorb it all.

Going to an event like CES is an opportunity to step outside your daily environment and find inspiration. Don’t force it – just take it all in. Talk to everyone. Ask questions. Get lost in the glow of the show. Then get lots of sleep and don’t be surprised when the next shower you take rains down a flood of ideas. Julia Cameron called it “filling the well.”

Whatever you want to call it, as an entrepreneur or business leader you need to take the occasional break and refill your well or else eventually, you may hit some pretty bad dry-spells on your day-to-day creative energy.

I’m finally feeling rested and (almost) caught up and I think my night time dreams that were filled with neon signs, flashing LED’s, 3D images and brand after brand after brand are starting to subside. It feels good to turn my focus back to my business with renewed invigoration. My well has been duly filled.

More from:

• Alexis Rodich and lessons for the emerging entrepreneur.

Guest contributor Jen Consalvo writes the Women Grow Business series on all things related to launching product (pre and post launch). She is co-founder of Shiny Heart Ventures, a new technology startup focused on building community driven products that remind people of the joys of life. For almost 14 years, Jen has led teams in a range of product areas such as digital imaging, social platforms and personalization. The majority of her career was at AOL, planning and building products used by millions of people globally. Also find Jen at jenconsalvo.com, bodysoulconnect.com and twitter.com/noreaster.

Image used with permission from, and by, photographer and blogger Jen Consalvo.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Dazed, Confused, Focused: 5 Tips From the CES Floor

With an incredible track record in the world of integrated communications – plus a great attitude to match – Shonali Burke knows how to grow business and strong partnerships.

And from the start, she’s been a Women Grow Business guest blogger and enthusiast. She’s demonstrated leadership and impact through a range of business communities.

To celebrate a few
She was named in PR Week’s inaugural Top 40 Under 40 List. In 2008, she was one of three recipients of the acclaimed Golden Ruler Award from the Institute of Public Relations for excellence in research and measurement. And now in addition to serving her expanding client portfolio, Shonali teaches communications as Adjunct Faculty for Johns Hopkins University’s M.A. in Communications program.

She now serves as IABC/DC Metro‘s current President. And just last week, savvy CEO Lee Odden of Top Rank Online Marketing named Shonali one of 25 Women Who Rock Social Media.

Great partnership in the works
In light of Forbes recently naming Women Grow Business in its top blogs by women for marketing and social media, she’s an apt and wonderful steward for the blog community.

As I dive into a new phase of business ownership myself, I reflect on how much I’ve learned from WGB – on tenacity and what it means to ‘do good business.’ Shonali has been one of those teachers this year for sure. It is a thrill to see the strengths of this community combine with hers as a new decade takes flight.

She takes the helm officially tomorrow.
And she is regularly out and about on Twitter (@shonali) or at her blog Waxing Unlyrical. Her community involvement is found throughout the blogosphere like her Grow Smart Biz coverage or her support for the recent BlogPotomac Unconference. So look out 2010, a new awesome partnership is underway! I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Congrats Shonali! Congrats to bloggers and readers alike! And hey, when should we take these celebrations offline?!

Founding editor of Women Grow Business, Jill Foster was named by Forbes Magazine as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She teaches communications through social media tools and community engagement in the Washington, DC area. Co-founder of DC Media Makers, she’s addicted to learning digital tech and helping professional women put their most authentic self forward both online and onstage. Her work has been in conversation at The Washington Post, Guardian UK, Huffington Post, and a range online outlets.

She looks forward to talking more on Twitter or at her brand new online home, Live Your Talk.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Award-Winning Shonali Burke Becomes New Editor for WomenGrowBusiness.com

Professor Kathy Korman Frey at the George Washington University School of Business has kicked off the 2009-2010 HotMommas Case Study Competition.

Share your experience
It’s a unique project that takes the stories of the women and makes them teachable in a “case study” format, thus providing scalable, global access to role models and virtual mentors.

Need a refresher on Kathy’s great work?
Read this interview with Chief Hot Momma, Kathy Korman Frey, that we published a few months ago.

You have until January 31st:
If you want to nominate someone (yourself included) for the 2009-2010 competition, go to the HotMommas Facebook page or send an email with their information.

Links you may find useful/interesting:

The HotMommas Project

Nomination Form

Why Role Models Matter for Women and Girls

Hot Mommas Project Everyday Revolutionaties

Washington Post article

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Deadline January 31st: Calling All Hot Mommas

Bring it on 2010!
Congrats Women Grow Business – the volunteer blogger team and readers alike – for being named last week by Forbes as one of the 20 best social media and marketing blogs by women! As the new year takes flight, this honor brings excitement for sure.

And it further strengthens our Women Grow Business commitment: to listen to you. And then discuss what you most want to talk about here as you propel your businesses forward.

WGB’s influence on the ‘Just do it’ factor
The stories and resources shared on WGB have taught me plenty during this past year, with a reminder that it takes one key decision to become an entrepreneur: asserting the decision itself…as in just do it.

There’s realizing clearly your business mission and the passion that drives it. But how does that serve a customer? You pose all types of critical questions and answered them throughout 2009 and this year too.

Folks at Women Grow Business “make the ask” head on. More questions that stand out in memory that countless WGB bloggers (and readers) address:

• Do you continually revisit your business plan?
• How do you find, recognize, listen, and relate to your customer?
• When and how do you cultivate your pipeline?
• Is your online presence engaging, current, social?
• Are you a healthy entrepreneur (as in getting rest and not taking it all so seriously?)?

And there’s more on differentiation, benchmarks, listening, engaging, and putting one’s agility to the test. But what the Women Grow Business bloggers and community taught too is before all that – there’s making the decision to go for it.

So after years of wanting to start a particular biz, I’m movin’ ahead with Live Your Talk. We’re progressing through pre-launch phases now (and the blog will be conversant soon this month!).

I can’t wait to engage more on all of it as a WGB contributor! And congrats again to you who inspired last week’s acknowledgement from Forbes.

Next Women Grow Business editor and paperwork
The Network Solutions team is wrapping up paperwork for the next editor (hint: whole lot of awesomeness is involved with this transition). And I look forward to making that introduction soon.

What’s going on with you? What ‘just do it’ decisions have you embarked upon in your business so far? How does your business plan envision the end of 2010?

Jill Foster is founding editor of Women Grow Business. Named by Forbes Magazine as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter, she teaches communications through social media tools and community engagement in the Washington, DC area. Co-founder of DC Media Makers, she’s addicted to learning digital tech and helping professional women put their most authentic self forward both online and onstage. She looks forward to talking more on Twitter or at her brand new online home, Live Your Talk.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Forbes Names 'Women Grow Business' in Top 20 Blogs by Women for Social Media and Marketing