When I formally started my business January 2011, I was

• working all hours of the day and night,
• serving on the board for a performing arts organization,
• cooking meals at women’s shelters
• and making time for my parents and large extended family.

I was going from one thing to the next without taking a minute to catch my breath…it was grueling.

Within the first three months, the crazy pace had taken its toll: my creativity was shot, I began missing important deadlines and couldn’t shake a nasty cough. I vowed to work chill time back into her life.

Since then, even with starting new fulltime job and continuing with my business, I have booked weekly dates with myself, whether it’s lunch at my favorite diner or an art gallery opening.

During these outings I try to block out worries about work, due dates or the laundry piling up, I concentrate instead on the brushstrokes of a painting or the people walking by. When I return to either of my offices, I’m less stressed and ready to focus. Taking these nano-vacations allow me to rejuvenate, if only for a little while.

Consider these nano-vacation tips to keep you going:

• Write it down.

I schedule my nano-vacation during my Monday morning planning hour. I add it to my Google calendar just as I would an appointment with a client. If I don’t, it’s too easy to put off and forget.

• Be creative.

During super-hectic weeks, I schedule 30 minutes when I turn off all of my buzzing, beeping and ringing gadgets and I read a favorite magazine cover to cover. If I have an appointment out of the office, I’ll block out extra time to drive the long way home through my favorite park, pull over and breathe in the fresh air.

• Protect it.

If I have to respond to a client, I will cancel my nano-vacation, but I always reschedule it right away.

It’s not just okay to give yourself a break, it might just improve your productivity overall, helping you get more done in less time.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr User: Mohammadali f.

Shannon Mouton is a marketing strategist with 20 years of relationship marketing, community building, event management and outreach experience. Her professional blog, Shannon’s blog about marketing, public relations, social technology, entrepreneurship and other things, explores the business world, and her personal blog, Shannon Sez So, examines life’s joys, pains and idiosyncrasies.

She also contributes to Gridiron Gals, as a die-hard fan of the Washington Redskins. Shannon serves on the boards of directors for The George Washington University Alumni Association and the In Series, a performing arts organization in Washington, DC. She also regularly volunteers at Calvary Women’s Services.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: A Nano-Vacation can do the Trick

When I was asked to write a second article for Women Grow Business, I should have said NO. But I was so flattered by the response to my first contribution and to be asked to contribute again, that I immediately responded with a big loud yes.

It really should have been NO.

The timing was terrible: I had just finished an exhausting 10-th anniversary campaign for my business and was going into what turned into the busiest holiday season in the history of our business. So writing an article was something I had no time to do, especially not well. Possibly because I’m a woman, definitely because I am an entrepreneur, I find it next to impossible to say no to anything. My default position is always yes.

Saying no is something every entrepreneur must learn to do. The truth is, the one-in-a-million, strike-while-the-iron-is-hot opportunities are very few and far between. Almost every offer you will get, from a supplier, customer, partner, etc, will come around again.

When presented with an opportunity, before you let ‘yes’ jump out of your mouth (or, most likely, your keyboard) ask yourself: Is this really what I need to be doing? The answer, more often than not, will be no.

I was reminded of this during a recent conversation with someone who had just visited a local ski resort and thought my store was exactly what was missing there. I had to laugh, because 8 years ago, we were approached to open a location there.

At the time, still green behind the ears and not really knowing what direction to take our small business in, we went to a few meetings but ended up saying no, it just wasn’t right for us. Another local business, very similar to ours, was also approached and ended up saying yes. Not only did it not work out for them, it ended up killing their original business. They bit off much more than they could chew. I am very glad we said no to that.

We have said no plenty of times. We have been offered so many products guaranteed to be the next big thing. We almost always say no. And most of those products make a big splash and then fizzle. The few times that they do well, we jump in a little late, and order a few months post splash. It’s ok to not always be first to the punch. Sometimes, wait-and-see is the better approach.

The same goes for clients.

We tend to bend over backwards to say yes to clients. Sometimes, it’s better to say no and stay true to your business goals. In my business, a gift store, I am often asked to make special orders, to bend our return policies, etc.

My default position is always yes, because we want to please our customers, but sometimes, no is the right answer. If you change the policy for one person, will you need to change it for everyone? Will pleasing this customer this one time bring repeat business, or is it just more work for me with no long term benefits?

Learning to say No is hard. After 10 years, it’s gotten a lot easier. When I get asked something, I ask myself:

• Can I really do this, and can I do it well?
• Does this fit in the plan that I have set out, and if not, will it take me far off course?
• Will there truly be a benefit for the company? If so, will it be short term or long term?

Saying no outright takes some getting used to. Start by saying ‘Maybe, but not right now’. That probably would have been a better answer when I was asked to write this article (but I am glad I ended up saying yes in this case)!

Photo Courtesy of Flickr user Amancay Maahs 

Virginia Champoux-Sokoloff is co-owner (with her husband Jay Sokoloff) of Mortimer Snodgrass, a funky and unique gift store in Montreal Canada that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Virginia’s dog, the real Mortimer Snodgrass, is now an 11 y.o. mutt who roams the house looking for shoes to steal, having retired from the daily grind of greeting customers behind the counter. Married for 9 years to Jay, they are raising 2 daughters.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: How to Learn When to Say No

On Monday, April 30th, I want you to join me in giving what you have to give in the biggest way possible.

It’s called #GiveBig and was launched earlier this year.

(There’s another organized effort happening in the Seattle, Washington area on May 2nd as well that coincidentally uses the same hashtag, but we’re talking about a personal, ongoing effort to give.)

So far, I’ve given $1,000 - man, did I love writing that big check – and given a full day of my time that included 15-minute pep talks, texts of moral support and calling my mom to tell her, “I love you.”

That last one is always a good idea, by the way.

This time I want company.

What could your #GiveBig look like?

• If you’re a good listener, call five people with the express purpose of listening.
• If there is a cause you believe in, give twice what you’d normally give in time or money.
• If you normally hug one person each day, hug 10. (Personal favorite.)

Still not sure? Try one of these:

• Deliberately say something nice to every person in your office.
• Buy the coffees of three people in line at Starbucks, then do it again.
• Give someone a chance who needs the help. I hear from A-SPAN that it costs $1,000 to furnish a new home. Hint hint.

You may feel out of your comfort zone. That’s OK. Give a little extra and see what happens. See how it feels for you and how others respond.

I want to hear your #GiveBig ideas, your trepidation, your excitement, and most of all, I want to hear from you on Monday, April 30th.

How will you #GiveBig? 

Photo by Flickr user Joits.

Lauree Ostrofsky helps you to imagine what’s possible in your life, career and relationships. Identify what you want, get passed what’s holding you back, and make a plan for moving forward. (Hint: It almost always involves hugs.)

Lauree has served more than 12 years as a speaker, author, coach, PR strategist and marketer for high tech companies, start-ups and women-owned businesses. Find her online at http://SimplyLeap.com and @SimplyLeap.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Lauree Ostrofsky (@SimplyLeap) Asks #WgBiz Community to #GiveBig

There is a new social network worth checking out… and it’s for women entrepreneurs and business owners.

Project Eve, launched just a month ago by two recovering investment bankers, is dedicated to furthering women’s understanding about business and overcoming hindrances to action.

Sorry, guys. Of the nearly 1,000 members only a couple are men (who I’m convinced are trolling for dates). Co-founder Kim Oksenberg says the reason for this is to allow women to communicate, collaborate,and share actionable solutions minus the “sharp elbows.”

She says, “The male-dominated start-up community can be intimidating; it seems to thrive on competition and bravado. Meridith (co-founder Meridith Dennes) and I wanted to create a safe, positive, constructive forum for women to discuss and fully develop their ideas before having to defend them.”

In addition to relieving some of the fear and uncertainty tied to starting a business, Project Eve provides its members access to hard to find business resources, the ability to develop relationships with people previously thought out of reach, and a receptive platform to demonstrate their expertise, market, and grow their business.

Having spent some time on the social network (I am, after all, a woman entrepreneur), I’d describe it as LinkedIn Groups on steroids. While you can create lists of other women who work in similar industries, I think the real value is in having access to other business owners where you need to outsource or partner. LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to do that without joining a myriad of groups and digging through all of its members.

The site also features members in order to help grow and build your following and sends a daily email with those asking for help, which you can answer easily and quickly if you have the expertise they need.

Complete with videos, discussion forums, and Q&A sections, you can find information on VC funding, growth, accounts receivables, and even juggling everything.

Project Eve launched just three weeks ago and already has 630 members, which shows there clearly is a need for women business leaders to have an outlet for discussion, resources, and community.

I recommend joining the site. It won’t be a huge suck of your time; rather you’ll easily find things of value.

If you’d rather dip your toe in the water and learn more about it first, you can find them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and (my favorite) Pinterest.

This article was initially posted to Spin Sucks under the title “Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Have Social Network“.

Photo Credit:Flickr user Álvaro Canivell 

Gini Dietrich is the founder and chief executive officer of Arment Dietrich, author of Spin Sucks, and founder of Spin Sucks Pro. In addition to Twitter, she can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: New Social Network for Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

We recently started featuring a periodic  summary of resources for and about women in business. We’re looking to make this a weekly feature in the near future, including both articles of note from around the web and an on-going collection of resources by or for women in business.

Women In Business Discuss the Women at Work Infographic

Our most recent former editor, Shonali Burke has an intriguing post on her site about a Women at Work infographic created by Harrison Kratz. There have been mixed reviews about it, and I believe Shonali sums it up best when she says:

I love seeing how much women have advanced in the workplace, but part of me also thinks we are having the same conversation over and over again.

Her post sparked a lively discussion that anyone wanting to move the conversation around this topic forward will want to read.

Women in Business – The Technology Business, That Is

You may already be familiar with the National Center for Women & Information Technology. I’ve heard of the organization, but for whatever reason had never been to their website. Here’s a little about what they do from their fact sheet:

NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology, a 501(c)(3)* coalition that works to increase diversity in IT and computing. NCWIT believes that greater diversity will create a larger and more competitive workforce, and promote the design of technology that is as broad and innovative as the population it serves. NCWIT focuses on improving diversity across the entire spectrum: K-12 through college education, and on to academic, corporate and entrepreneurial careers.

The site will come in handy for organizations looking to help the tech sector get more gender-diverse. It also came in handy to me personally when I was recently having problems finding research to back up the connection between women being in IT and the overall benefit to society.

Women Who Tech, Mean Business

When I came back to the DC area from Vegas, one of the groups that embraced me right away was Women Who Tech. I spend productive time in the forum each day, lurking, having meaningful discussions, asking questions or answering them when I can. Now they’re having their 4th Annual Telesummit on May 23rd. I consider it a must-attend.

Something they’re doing that I think is really neat, is giving attendees the chance to sponsor another ticket for another woman on Women Who Tech Scholarship. Seems like an absolutely genius idea to me- what creates community faster than actively helping one another?

Maryland’s Top 100 Women In Business, Community and Mentorship

Maryland’s Top 100 Women have been selected from nominees all across the state, and are being recognized on May 7, 2012. Out of the  nominees, the judges narrowed the group down to 100 based on professionalism, community dedication, and mentoring contributions. The event will take place at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. On their site you can buy tickets, see a list of the 2011 winners being honored, or find out more about next year’s nomination process.

Wall Street Journal (WSJ)  Gathers Business Women with a Plan

From the Women in the Economy WSJ site:

TheWall StreetJournal’s Task Force for Women in the Economy – a select group of nearly 200 influential CEOs , luminaries and subject-matter experts, both men and women – will convene for a second time in the spring of 2012 to create a business-based, data-driven action plan to address an important economic issue: making better use of female talent to promote economic growth and competitiveness in the U.S. and worldwide.

This is the event’s second year, and participation is by invitation only. However, you can apply for an invitation on the website.

Awesome Allies Seeking Women Mentors and Mentees

One of our newest community members, Jessica Smith is launching an endeavor called Awesome Allies. When I asked her about it, she said:

There’s no doubt about it, having a mentor is important. But how do you find one and how do you get the most out of the relationship?

She went on to explain that after spending years mentoring  and playing mentor matchmaker for other entrepreneurial women and those she managed in the corporate workplace, she had the idea formalize the process.

When the program she’s starting in May opens up, she’ll hand-match you with both a mentor and mentee and then provide a framework for the mentorships with a weekly email. Her program is being designed for the busy entrepreneur who is short on time but wants the empowerment that having a mentor and being a mentor can provide.

While it’s not live yet, you can be first in line to participate by signing-up on the site.

Working Mothers? Re-Treat Yourselves

Another one of our community members, Stacey Ferguson, was featured on Fox News in DC. See the video below or click through to the broadcast to hear more about the event that took place on April 13. There’s more information on the ReTreat Yourself website.

‘Re-Treat Yourself’ event for working mothers comes to D.C.: MyFoxDC.com

Flickr Image by: Mo Riza 

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Women in Business Round-Up

The Women Grow Business community is pleased to be once again having a contributor lead our monthly chat series at the guest expert.

On May 14th, at noon Eastern, we will be welcoming Shannon Mouton, Director of Marketing and Digital Media for McKinney & Associates. She’s also been the lead at Topaz Consulting since it was founded, and a regular contributor to Women Grow Business for years.  She also serves on the board of directors for the In Series and has been a regular volunteer at Calvary Women’s Services.

Shannon will be joining us to discuss some of her controversial but quite logical views on branding. Specifically this time around the focus will be around what she calls “The Myth of the Personal Brand“. It’s sure to inspire a lively debate – all sides will be heard following our interview with her, and I’ll definitely be playing devil’s advocate from time to time. So please feel welcome to join us regardless of where you stand on the issue.

With this installment of the Women Grow Business chat with Women in Business, we’re bringing back our calendaring features so you can either save the date or sign up to be reminded of the event. More about that in a few – first let’s learn more about Shannon for those of you who may not be familiar with her.

More About Shannon Mouton

The first few times I encountered Shannon at various Washington DC tech community networking events, she was so busy helping me get connected to other people that I missed the opportunity to find out what she did professionally.

Pretty soon I caught on to the fact that Shannon was one of those people who doesn’t need to talk about what she does – by the time you figure it out, she’s already shown you in action. Whether it’s a product, service, person or event, Shannon is skilled at marketing in a way that feels like assistance rather than advertising.

You’ll also see her expertise and advice sought by other professionals across the web. She was recently featured in articles on the American Express resource OPEN Forum, The Examiner, and Social Media Haven just to name a few. You can hear an interview with her about goal setting on Blog Talk Radio as well.

Personally though, my favorite thing about her is how authentic she is in her presentation. Whether in a casual conversation or professional advice, you can always count on her getting to the heart of the matter with a minimum of spin. Though she may find a gentle way to tell you a hard truth, you know you’ll get s clear expression of what the reality of a situation is.

And it’s that directness that will make this Twitter chat both enlightening and entertaining.

How do you follow The #WgBiz Twitter chats?

1. Log into Twitter, Tweetchat, Tweetgrid, Tweetdeck, or any other Twitter tool that lets you isolate a hashtag.
2. Follow our Twitter hashtag #wgbiz. (In Twitter you can use the search at the top of the screen, in Tweetchat or Tweetgrid, once you’re logged in, you’ll see an area for you to enter the hashtag at the top of the screen. In Tweetdeck, you can create a column that searches for that hashtag)
3. Arrive as early as 11:45 a.m. to introduce yourself, send us a link to your site, and share your latest project, as well as to meet the other chatters.
4. Make sure you’re following the host, in this case me (@wbgiz is the official channel,@Tinu is my personal handle), and featured guest(s) if any, this time around, Shannon Mouton @shannonrenee). This way, you can easily follow the conversation, send questions during the chat, or follow up  later.
5. Have fun!  Our twitter chats are meant to be educational, sure, but also lighter fare than a teleconference or webinar.

Save the Date or Sign Up for Reminders

Our monthly chats are always the second Monday of the month, but we realize this is an awkward day of the month to remember. So we’re bringing back our reminder tools.

Here’s a link to the Facebook event if you’d simply like to save the date. You can sign up via Plancast if you’d like to be reminded via Twitter private message (or email if you don’t have Twitter) as the date gets closer. And of course, there’s the Google calendar button below, which you can use to set your own reminders.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Coming May 14th, #WGBIZ Chat with Shannon Mouton (@shannonrenee)

As usual, our Women Grow Business Chat was packed with a community of wonderful people, from those who helped promote it and watched from the sidelines, to those who actively participated.

And we were happy to welcome a wonderful guest expert, Jennifer Stauss Windrum  (@jenniferwindrum), who talked about her journey from lung cancer patient activist to social entrepreneur, educated us about the reality of lung cancer, introduced us to NoMo and invited us to become a part of the Sock Monkeys Against Cancer (SMAC) campagn.

At the end of our chat, regular Women Grow Business community member and  supporter Diane Court (@dc2fla) won our contest by being the first to tweet out the link to the WTF Lung Cancer Facebook community. My company Leveraged Promotion sponsored the prizes, which were a $25 Amazon gift certificate, and a $25 donation to Sock Monkeys Against Cancer . Diane graciously donated her prize money to SMAC as well.

So if you see her online, give her the Twitter equivalent of a hug for being so kind and gracious.

For a full summary of the chat, you can view the #WGBIZ chat transcript online. However, likely due to the problems with Twitter that I mentioned, her tweets didn’t make it into the transcript, and some of the other community members who used the hashtag aren’t represented either. I added the main questions and answers at the end of this post.

You can also download the chronological transcript [pdf], where you’ll find other Women Grow Business community members.

One of the wonderful perks of using social media tools to gather is that it allows those of us who participate to find each other online. Reach out to someone else in the community and expand your network! You never know where it will lead. Maybe you’ll meet in person at a Women Grow Business event.

Join us at next month’s chat, on Monday, May 14, 2012, at 12 pm Eastern/New York time, when we’ll be featuring community member Shannon Mouton.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Summary of #Wgbiz Chat with Jennifer Stauss Windrum (@jenniferwindrum)

Internet Sign © by RambergMediaImages

While sending some of the posts that would have been published through the approval process, I thought it would be fun and helpful to do a quick round-up of some resources I’ve seen around the web written by or of interest to women in business. Once we’re back on a regular publication schedule, this will be a re-occuring feature.

#1-How to Solve the Tech Hiring Problem: Ask Women

The Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology recently released a report advising companies how to close the hiring gap between men and women in science and technology fields. This article is a collection of thoughts from the women of Tech Ladymafia community about how they see the prroblems being solved.

#2 – Thomas Reuter’s Women in the Workplace Study on Gender Equality

In the form of online ebook, this study gives an update on the progress made in gender equality, including the observation that companies seem to be more willing to disclose these details. Also of interest is chapter four, which discusses what the potential payoff of gender equality is from the perspective of a hiring company.

#3 – Women In Technology International

Upon observing that community member Pemo Theodore is speaking at one of their San Diego conferences on April 19th in San Diego, I realized this site has much to offer women in technology. I’d been following their Twitter account for some time but hadn’t taken the time to really explore their site.

Even if you’re not a member, you can:

• explore their job database,
• take an eclass
• attend local events, or
• read business news

Should you become a member, you can expect discounts on eclasses, teleclasses and events, as well as access to members-only section of the site.

#4 – Kathy Korman Frey writes about Repressed STEM Lady Syndrome

I don’t want to spoil the surprise – but if you or a woman you know has ever shied away from being involved in the world of technology or science due to a fear of math or other insecurities, you want to read this article.

#5 – Women in Wireless

This relatively new field has a support network that converges on this site, as well as their social media accounts. They have quite a notable Job Board as well.

#6 – The Rockville Women’s Business Center‘s StartRight Business Plan Competition

First shocker for me was that Rockville, MD has a Women’s Business Center. That’s relatively local for me – I feel like I’ve been missing connections to people in that area. Next was this interesting event they’re having – the Rockville Women’s Business Center is holding the StartRight! Business Plan Competition for Women Entrepreneurs. They have a workshop you can take to prepare yourself – the first deadline isn’t until June 6th, so there’s still time to enter.

Giving away $20,000 in cash and prizes seems like such a great idea to  raise awareness and spread education about why creating a business plan is necessary. (More details in this pdf file. Rockville’s Women Business Center is a part of the non-profit Rockville Economic Development, Inc.

#7 – Women in Leadership BusinessWise conference

The sound you hear is me kicking myself. Month ago some friends and I planned a getaway for my birthday in New England. The same weekend, there’ sa Women in Leadership conference, very close to where we all live.

We may be missing out but you don’t have to – the Women in Leadership BusinessWise conference will feature many dynamic women, including Essence magazine editor in chief Mikki Taylor, Washington DC Chief of Police Cathy Lanier, and is keynoted by…. wait for it….

Martha Stewart.

Even if you’re not into the items she sells, how often do you get a chance to learn from a female billionaire?

Dozens of other notable names will be guest speaking too. The conference is being held at a resort called The Greenbrier in West Virginia. If you go, I’d love to hear all about it.

Those are all our resources for today, but this is going to become a weekly feature, so feel free to respond to this post with your suggestions for next week. In the meantime, we have three great places to look for more related news on Twitter, our Women in Business Watch list, our Women Grow Business Contributors list, and the #wgbiz hashtag, which you’re welcome to contribute your submissions to each week.

Flickr image Internet Sign © by RambergMediaImages

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: 7 Women in Business Resources (Weekly Round-Up)

It’s good to be back from haitus! I’ve been dealing with a few personal issues so we haven’t had an update in over a week! But we’re charging full steam ahead with both our regular articles and events, and a couple of upcoming new features.

Speaking of regular events, our monthly Women Grow Business Twitter chat will be happening a week from today, Monday, April 9th, at noon Eastern time.

We’re happy to be welcoming a guest expert this month, a woman named Jennifer Stauss Windrum, who has an incredibly inspiring story. But she’s as much about perspiration as she is about inspiration, and will be offering us practical tips that show us how we can work together to make headway in situations others may deem as hopeless.

But I’m getting ahead of the story. Let me tell you about Jennifer.

More About Jennifer Windrum

This has been one of the hardest bios I’ve ever had to write. Circumstances and luck have conspired to allow me to observe the growth of her WTF Campaign, from a close vantage point. WTF in this case refers to the question Where’s the Funding for Lung Cancer, as well as its more politically incorrect incarnation. I keep using various forms of the word “inspiring” because it’s the perfect word – and yet in this situation, it seems like there should be a new, exclusive word. You may feel the same after hearing her story.

Jennifer’s mother, Leslie Lehrman has Stage IV, inoperable, incurable lung cancer, and was diagnosed in 2005. Of course most would agree that cancer is horrible however it comes out, but you may be shocked to learn that 80% of new cases of lung cancer are found in people who have never smoked, or people who haven’t smoked for decades, as is the case with Leslie. It’s the most terminal cancer for both men and women, and makes up 30% of all cases. As Jennifer shared in a recent Huffington Post article she was featured in, it is also the LEAST funded of the four major cancers.

Where many would (understandably) become overwhelmed and immobilized by this information, Jennifer Windrum took action. It’s hard to look at her accomplishments and listen to the idea that social media, particularly when used for social good, doesn’t work.

As previously mentioned, she was featured in the Huffington Post, in part because she was a finalist in the Mashable Awards this time last year.

In February 2011, she was among those selected by the Lung Cancer Alliance to attend their Fourth Annual Capitol Forum, where citizens gather with those who represent them in Congress with the intention of getting support for the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act. One of her articles was also featured on the Livestrong blog (yes, THAT Livestrong).

Jennifer’s achievements are notable, extensive and impressive – I could go on for days about how far she’s been able to expand her reach, especially given her resources. Any of the strides she’s made would be enough reason to have her for a Twitter chat.

What’s especially notable about her, and of particular use to you, is that on her journey, she is leaving us a blueprint for how anyone can gather like-minded people together, using their voices and passion as tools, then leverage the small actions of a group into a powerful instrument for change.

She describes several case studies of community collaboration towards a set goal on her WTF Lung Cancer site, some she orchestrated, others in honor of her and her mother, including her latest project, Sock Monkeys Against Cancer.

Her experience, surprising sense of humor, and the lessons she has to share  are sure to make this an unforgettable Twitter chat, whether you want to learn how to give your voice more impact, or rally a cause around you. If you want a reminder via Twitter, reply in the comments with your Twitter handle to get one the day before or the morning of the chat.

How do you follow The #WgBiz Twitter chats?

1. Log into Twitter, Tweetchat, Tweetgrid, Tweetdeck, or any other Twitter tool that lets you isolate a hashtag.
2. Follow our Twitter hashtag #wgbiz. (In Twitter you can use the search at the top of the screen, in Tweetchat or Tweetgrid, once you’re logged in, you’ll see an area for you to enter the hashtag at the top of the screen. In Tweetdeck, you can create a column that searches for that hashtag)
3. Arrive as early as 11:45 a.m. to introduce yourself, send us a link to your site, and share your latest project, as well as to meet the other chatters.
4. Make sure you’re following the host, in this case me (@wbgiz is the official channel, @Tinu is my personal handle), and featured guest(s) if any, this time around, Jennifer Stauss Windrum (@jenniferwindrum). This way, you can easily follow the conversation, send questions during the chat, or follow up  later.
5. Have fun! Our twitter chats are meant to be educational, sure, but also lighter fare than a teleconference or webinar.

Where to Read More About Jennifer

• Follow Jennifer on Twitter as @jenniferwindrum, and on Pinterest (great sock monkey boards among others)
• Visit WTF Lung Cancer, read more about Jennifer and about Leslie’s story.
• Support the Sock Monkeys Against Cancer project
• Join over 6000 other people in the WTF Cancer Facebook community

See you at the chat next Monday!

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Coming April 9, #WGBIZ Chat with Jennifer Stauss Windrum (@jenniferwindrum)

Last Monday, March 12, 2012 we did something a little different with our Twitter chat in honor of Women’s History Month.

Instead of looking back at the incredible women who have helped paved the way to our current status, we collectively honored the wonderful women business leaders in our lives now, who are making a difference today, in our various communities, online and off.

94 people used the #wgbiz hashtag to participate at some point, sharing profiles of women they admire or articles about them.

Be sure to have a look at the full transcript, where you’ll find other Women Grow Business community members. One of the great things about using social media tools to gather is that it allows those of us who participate to find each other online. Reach out to someone else in the community and make a new friend!

The friendship in itself is reward enough, but you never know where else it might lead.

You can download the full PDF transcript here, or read it online. And there’s also a copy of the chronological version – click on the embed below, or the corner arrow, to download. It’s not as pretty or user-friendly, but can be useful if you want to read from start to finish.

Our Twitter chats always take place on the second Monday of each month at noon Eastern. Hope to see you there!

Image courtesy of Flickr user

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Re-Cap of #WGBIZ Women in Business Mini-Tweetathon