Theresa Wing Hines is our Featured Guest 6/10/09

Theresa Wing Hines is our featured guest on June 10, 2009.  Theresa founded One Pearl in 2004, after her son entered wilderness therapy for behavioral problems. She explains how the core concept of One Pearl came to her in this excerpt from a blog post:

“the analogy of the pearl and my son popped into my head. An epiphany. The perfect metaphor. The pearl. An object placed in a foreign environment, nurtured and coated with nacre, emerging a beautiful and unique gem. My son, placed in a foreign environment, cut off from the rest of the world, nurtured and coated with therapy, emerging a beautiful and unique gem. Perfect. My Pearl.

After that idea came to me, I had to figure out how to market it, how to make people notice it. It was then that I decided to put one contrasting pearl on every piece of jewelry to symbolize the transformation of someone, if only given the chance.

A black or white pearl, on every piece, with the hope that someone will ask why is that one pearl there? To then be given the chance to say, this pearl represents a child who has been transformed with my help, through the purchase of this necklace/bracelet. BAM! One Pearl was born.”

Wow…it’s not often that we hear stories like this. It’s incredibly admirable what Theresa did in creating One Pearl, and what she has continued to do  with her company since then. One Pearl has its origins in a rise-from-the-ashes story worthy of a Lifetime Original Movie, as well as supporting several charities via “retail philanthropy”.

What this means is that One Pearl is a for-profit company, but consistently donates over fifty percent of its profits to the various charities it supports. I’ve rarely heard of a for-profit business voluntarily giving up some of its profits for any reason, and I was absolutely excited when I heard about the great things One Pearl is doing.

Theresa Wing Hines is the mother of two sons, ages 17 and 20. She says that “Of my life experiences, travel has probably had the biggest impact on me.” At a very young age, Theresa’s family moved to Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) and stayed for two and a half years.

The family traveled extensively in Asia and Africa during this time, forming the basis for Theresa’s lifelong wanderlust. When her son (then sixteen, now 20) attended wilderness therapy camp followed immediately by therapeutic boarding school, Theresa fought off her depression, guilt, and grief by starting One Pearl. Five years later Theresa, her son, and her company are all going strong.

This seems like it’s going to be an incredible show. Divas, tune in to hear about Theresa’s amazing story.

Be sure to visit Theresa’s site at OnePearl.com

You can listen live and interact with us by going to DivaTalkRadio.com/live.

That’s it for now.  Until next time, wear your heels well and we’ll see YOU at the show!

P.S. You’ve gotta check out Theresa’s gorgeous jewelry. I’m so jones’in for the pearl bracelet. Okay…I want EVERYTHING on the site.  Yep, I’m making a wishlist!!

Jenica McKenzie is our Featured Guest 6/3/09

Jenica McKenzie is one of the four founders of ShuAddikt.com, a Dallas-based boutique shoe store that caters to clients who want high fashion shoes at reasonable prices. ShuAddikt is built around personal relationships with its customers and offers many innovative and complimentary services that cater to specific client needs, such as their concierge service.

The Additk’shun Begins

Jenica started ShuAddikt and ShuAddikt.com in late 2008 with three of her friends and fellow Texas Tech alums. The boutique has been innovative, caring for its customer base in a new and different way with many complimentary services not offered by competing businesses.

Jenica has utilized her education and years of experience to formulate marketing strategies that allow her company to turn a profit and grow their local customer base even in these tough economic times.

From Tupperware Parties to Trunk Shows

Marketing strategies are ever-shifting by nature, but some things remain constant. One of these marketing constants is that consumers appreciate it when businesses cater to them, especially if it’s free. This strategy is at the heart of Shu Addikt’s success. Their stated objective is for Shu Addikt to be a company that “strives to create a culture of individual women united by
their passion for trendsetting style.”

Towards this end, they offer a number of complimentary special services that are expressly designed to encourage relationship-building between the boutique and its clients. The concierge service is a prime example of this marketing philosophy.

Shu Addikt explains the concierge concept this way: “A personal stylist will get to know a client’s personality, style and the qualities she looks for when purchasing shoes. The same stylist will always be the point of contact to offer advice, help stay current on trends and offer selections that match her fashion profile.

Additionally, the stylist can be utilized for major events or special occasions to assist in pairing the appropriate shoes with an outfit or to compliment a client’s accessories.” This philosophy of personal relationships will help keep Shu Addikt going even in difficult economic times, due to the loyalty of the customer base.

About Jenica

Jenica McKenzie is in charge of general management at Shu Addikt, but that’s not all she does. She also owns BluePrint Marketing Group, a business development firm, and serves as Director of Marketing for a leading consumer packaged goods company based in Dallas, TX.

With 13 years of experience in marketing and strategic business planning, a bachelor’s in business administration from Texas Tech, and a Masters in Business Administration, this Diva has what it takes to succeed!

Be sure to check out Jenica’s website, and leave some of those fabulous heels for me!

Be sure to tune in to DivaTalkRadio on Wednesday, June 3rd at 2:00 p.m. EST to hear about Shu Addikt and all its great services!

You can listen live and interact with us by going to http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live.

Well, that’s it for now.  Until next time, wear your heels well and we’ll see YOU at the show!

Michele Rosenthal is our Featured Guest on 5/20/09

Michele Rosenthal is the owner of the The Paris House Designs, an interior design firm that specializes in unique interiors and one-of-kind design pieces. For 2o years, she has been creating unique and beautiful designs, running her company out of her family’s gorgeous 200-year old stone and clapboard home in Long Valley, NJ. The house itself is an award-winning (2001 Historical Preservation Award) work of art and historic preservation, which  exemplifies the mentality and personality of the woman who built the The Paris House.

All About Michele

Michele does a great job discussing a little background on herself and The Paris House on her website. Here’s some of what she has to say:

Prior to opening her own business she was in charge of special events and community relations where she helped launch a multi-million dollar healthcare organization. (Her education consists of a degree in business marketing and a degree in interior design. She has also studied French in Paris, France where she fell in love with antiques and all aspects of art and design.) The designer also credits her two grandmothers Margaret and Carmella with exposing her to the craft of cooking and antiques at a very young age. “My grandmother Margaret would spend hours telling me about all the wonderful English and American furniture that she grew up with in her home in rural upstate New York when she was a child. “I was fascinated with antique hoosiers by the time I was 8 and purchased my own in my 20’s.” “My grandmother Carmella cooked and baked the most delicious food her entire life.” “Just seeing how happy she made other people by created meals with her own hands made realize at a very young age that cooking for your loved ones is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.”

Wow! With that childhood, going into design and party planning must have been a natural step for Michele.

Be sure to tune in on 5/20/09 at 2:oo P.M. EST to hear from an amazing and elegant woman!

You can listen live and interact with us by going to http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live.

Well, that’s it for now.  Until next time, wear your heels well and we’ll see YOU at the show!

Disco Trivia on Twitter is Now Including 80s Music

As many of you know, I am a lover of Disco music. Even though I have no coordination, I enjoy dancing to the music.  My favorite, however, is belting out songs like Funky Town or Brick House while shopping just to embarrass my kids! (It’s called ‘Mommy paybacks’!)

Because I’m a huge fan of Disco music, a few months back I started Disco Trivia on Twitter (#FriNightFever) every Friday night starting at 11:00 p.m. EST.  So for two hours I list various questions relating to Disco music and everyone who plays receives a point for each correct answer.  At the end of the night, the guy & gal with the most points wins a badge to proudly post on their website.

Over the last several weeks, Disco Trivia has gained in popularity to the point that I have exceeded my rate limit on TweetDeck and had to sign on using one of my business accounts to continue with the game.  The response has been incredible!

New players are coming on board each week, friendships are being created, and we’re having a lot of fun.  The game also gets a little competitive at times.

Due to multiple requests to add 8Os music to the mix, last night I did! And what a blast we had.  So from now on it will be 7Os & 8Os Music Trivia every Friday Night starting at 11:00 p.m. EST.

I sure hope you’ll join us next Friday night for a time of fun, friendship, and reminiscing of the good ole’ days.

That’s it for now…until next time, wear your heels well!

P.S. Follow me on Twitter (@krclaypool & @DivaTalkRadio)

Tina McAllister is our Featured Guest 5/27/09

Tina McAllister is the founder of Beyond the Pen, LLC., a writing service that specializes in government and business writing needs. Tina says on her site, TinaMcAllister.com, that “I’m a writer, an ebook coach, a mommy, a friend…and a bunch more and not necessarily placed in order of importance…but you get the idea!” She maintains several other websites and is an avid blogger.

Writing=Life

Tina was juggling a day job, freelance writing projects, and her family. The time seemed right in April 2008, and she delved into writing full time when she started Beyond The Pen. After years of ghostwriting books and business materials, Tina had all the know-how, experience, and contacts she needed to turn a profit almost immediately.

Going Beyond the Pen

Beyond The Pen specializes in government and business writing, and offers an impressively wide variety of services, which really demonstrates just how talented this Truly Outstanding Woman is. If it’s anything from books to business plans, proposals to press releases, she’s got it covered. Tina even writes Strategic Marketing Plans, a specialty that requires writing talents, a generalist’s grasp of business, and a specialist’s market knowledge. Can you say “business-savvy”?

All About Tina

Tina has not let her passion for writing or her professionalism stop her from being a great mother, wife, pet owner, or anything else. Just listen to what she had to say in a brief bio she wrote for her Truly Outstanding Woman interview: “I am married to a military officer and have one son who will be headed off to Kindergarten this Fall. We have two dogs, one a Border Collie mix and the other an Australian Shepherd puppy. “ She is truly amazing! I hope you’ll join me in wishing her and her family (which of course includes the puppies) success and happiness!

Please visit Tina’s websites and learn a little more about her! Here they are:

www.TinaMcAllister.com
www.BeyondThePen.com
www.WAHMBizTips.com
www.72HourBrainstorm.com

www.Twitter.com/TinaMc (be sure to follow her…you’ll love her Tweets!)

Be sure to tune in to DivaTalkRadio on Wednesday, May 27th at 2:00 p.m. EST to hear from this Truly Outstanding Woman!

You can listen live and interact with us by going to http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live.

Well, that’s it for now.  Until next time, wear your heels well and we’ll see YOU at the show!

Divas, Meet My New Writing Intern

Hi there, Divas! My name is Stephen Johnson, and I’m Kelli Claypool’s new intern. She’s asked me to write a brief bio, so here goes:

I’m a 20-year-old college student from Greenville, South Carolina. I’m from a family of five, and I was raised in a fairly close and semi-traditional family that’s probably pretty typical of the South. I’m a rising Senior at Clemson University, and I love college! I don’t have any kids and and I don’t run my own businesses or websites. I’m not married either, although I’ve been dating a wonderful girl for a little over six months. You’re probably wondering why I’m working for Kelli at this point, so I’ll let you know.

The working world is probably not going to compare well with college, unless I’m working for someone like Kelli (fingers crossed). Right now I’m doing writing, editing, and general web stuff for DivaTalkRadio and BriefcaseDiva, and that’s probably all I’m going to cover unless Kelli thinks I can handle more. However, experience, knowledge, and contacts aren’t the main reason why I chose to work with Kelli. I wanted to work with her so I could learn how to empower and encourage the women in my life. As of right now, my mom, my sisters, my girlfriend, and many other women in my life are some of the most intelligent and talented people I know. But they don’t know it, and they don’t have access to their full abilities because they find it difficult to believe in themselves. I’ve been noticing this my whole life, and because I am in some ways a fairly stereotypical guy, I want to solve the problem and make everything ok. I know that just listening helps a lot sometimes, but I also know that it’s not enough. I want to actively encourage and support them. So, I’ve become part of the DivaTalkRadio/BriefcaseDiva team so that I can learn from women who’ve overcome the obstacles, found faith in themselves, and achieved their dreams.

So, that’s basically me and what I’m about. I look forward to learning from you and spreading the word about women who’ve been a success in business and life.

If you want to contact me, I’m @SJJohnson88 on Twitter. You can also Facebook me or shoot me an email at stephen@divatalkradio.com. I’m still working on my blog, so it’s not up yet, but it will be soon.

Until then, wear your heels well, and know that I can’t stand up in those things. (I don’t balance very well)

P.S. I almost forgot to thank Lauren Berger and the team and quarterlife.com. They’re the ones responsible for getting me in touch with Kelli and they are some great people.

Quote for today:

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
Mahatma Gandhi

Frances Barkley of Tennessee T-Cakes is our Featured Guest on 5/13/09

A self-taught baker and businesswoman, Frances Barkley knows all about doing whatever it takes to guide a business to success. After using half of her divorce settlement to launch Tennessee T-cakes in 1993, Barkley now sells over one million Tennessee T-cakes per year to customers around the world. She has gone from pawning her diamond earrings (multiple times!) in order to afford extra ingredients and employee wages and from driving a cargo van across the South for four months selling T-cakes at Christmas fairs to being featured on Oprah when Tennessee T-cakes were lauded as one of the four best cakes in the country.

The Legend of the T-Cake

It was an age like no other. From the Creole townhouses of New Orleans to the grand mansions of Virginia, every southern belle knew the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Any young woman who did not possess a closely-guarded arsenal of secret recipes was at a distinct disadvantage.

In the polite society of ante-bellum Tennessee, one young woman was renowned for both her beauty and her culinary ability. Though only seventeen, she had perfected recipes that had been in her family for generations. Tea cakes were one of her most sought-after specialties.

The Civil War changed everything. Chronic food shortages meant crucial ingredients were rarely available, and the young lady packed away her recipes. Until her brother, a confederate major, returned home with a certain young captain in tow.

It was love at first sight. The captain’s birthday arrived, and the moonstruck belle longed to bake him a cake, but did not have enough ingredients. She decided to make a small batch of her tea cakes instead.

When her captain remained in Alabama with other officers after the war, the young lady sent along a batch of her delicious tea cakes. They must have made quite an impression, because the captain returned and married the young woman shortly thereafter.

Today, over 100 years later, we still follow her recipe to make Tennessee T-Cakes!!!

I have had the opportunity of enjoying these T-Cakes and they are delicious! I really like the Truffles and the Lime…they are my favorite.  But best of all is having the opportunity to talk with Frances and getting to know her.  She is such a delightful lady and I’m proud to call her a fellow Diva!

Be sure to tune in to DivaTalkRadio on Wednesday, May 13th at 2:00 p.m. EST to hear from this Truly Outstanding Woman!

You can listen live and interact with us by going to http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live.

Well, that’s it for now.  Until next time, wear your heels well and we’ll see YOU at the show!

Kim Liebling is our Featured Guest on 05/05/09

Kim Liebling is the founder of My Infinite Possibilities, a website that helps others reach their greatest potential. Founded in 2002, the company assists individuals in realizing that their greatest limitations to their goals lie inside their minds. The company has a health and wellness focus, but Kim coaches people on their health and business habits. She is an experienced practitioner of alternative medicine and will gladly address any problem.
From Kim’s website, MyInfinitePossibilities.com:

“To achieve what we want and open up to new possibilities, we must do something different than what we’ve been doing. Change needs to occur in the mind, body and/or spirit. However, sometimes we need a little help in either seeing, hearing or feeling differently to create a change. Kim makes it easy to experience the new, change your old behaviors, and create what you want in your life.”

This quote sums up the attitude that is an integral part of Kim’s amazing treatment plan and her impressive coaching abilities. She also helps people start their own home-based Seabiotics businesses, selling health-related products such as shark liver oil (a great source of vitamin E and an immune booster).

With a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics, certification as a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a Complementary Medicine Specialist, a Reiki Practitioner, and 13 years of experience in alternative and holistic medicine, this Diva will fix you up no matter what the trouble is! She lives with her husband of eleven years, Larry, and their two dogs, Golda and Koa. Kim can help either your body or your bank account, and she’d love to do both!

For more information, visit MyInfinitePossibilities.com or Seabiotics.com

When: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live
That’s it for now! Until next time…wear your heels well & I’ll see YOU at the show!