Donna Maria's Handmade Beauty Connection
May 31, 2004
Happy Memorial Day! And remember in the midst of barbeques and beverages, we honor those who gave their lives fighting because they believed what they were doing was making the world a better place. We honor them today and always.

 -->This Week's Sponsor <--

Lisa founded Carol's Daughter with $100 in cash and the boldness to believe she could turn her cosmetics making hobby into a thriving enterprise. At my Beauty Brunch, Lisa will share 3 Secrets Of Sweet Success and inspire us with her amazing journey to female entrepreneur extraordinaire!! * includes your free autographed copy of Lisa's freshly published book, "Success Never Smelled So Sweet"! * learn Lisa's 3 Secrets Of Sweet Success! * develop new business relationships * strengthen existing ones | network! network! network! HBN Members Enjoy 10% discount!! For Directions, Information & To Register, download our PDF registration form here. (If Adobe Acrobat is not installed on your computer, download it free here.)

1. HBN Update: Welcome Renewing HBN Members!
2. Handmade Beauty Recipe Of The Week: Citrus Surface Cleanser
3. Beauty & The Business Trivia Question: win a 1/2 hour Lifestyle CEO consultation with me!
4. The Lifestyle CEO™: The Balance Myth: Family Is Not Always First
5. The Handmade Beauty Cookbook: Join the handmade beauty revolution!

Acordia Mountain West | Kathy Francis | Colorado
* renewing member; get a quote for your products liability insurance policy by calling Kathy Francis at (800) 332-9256m, ext. 135. (Remember: anyone can obtain a quote but policies are written for HBN members only!)

Lynden House International Inc. | Lil Zielke | Canada
* renewing member; wide selection of soapmaking supplies including melt and pour glycerin soapbases, perfume fragrance oils, free instructions and recipes and more

Boozelle Botanicals | Michele Beachman | California
* renewing member; an incredible line of aromatherapy, botanical and herbal based products

HBN Members On The Move!

HBN member Maggie Hanus of A Wild Texas Soapbar, and this year's TSA Convention Theme Coordinator, would like to remind everyone to register early for the upcoming Texas Soapmakers Association Convention "Austin Soapy Limits" on July 16 -18.  Last year they had to turn away many last minute registrants so don't delay! To learn more and to register online visit here!!

Last Week's Question: Again, in keeping with our anticipation and excitement about the upcoming Handmade Beauty Brunch, we have another question about Lisa! Lisa's first marriage took place when she was a part of a pan-African religion that focuses its attention the practice of the Khamitians -- the ancient name for Egyptians. To win this week, state: (1) the name of the religion; (2) the first name of the man Lisa married; and (3) Lisa's age when she married him.

Be the first to correctly answer this week's questions and win a 1/2 hour Lifestyle CEO consultation with me!

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner's name will be announced in the next newsletter!

\Life.Style CEO\n.  A person who owns and manages a business, not solely for financial gain, but also to enjoy the personal rewards of entrepreneurship, independence, flexibility and fun.

You may recall a few weeks ago, I introduced what I call The Balance Myth. If you missed that introductory article, you can enjoy it here. This article is the first in The Balance Myth series. For Lifestyle CEOs, family is not always first.

All together now -- I hear you! "How can a mother say that her family is not always first and foremost at all times?" Well, before you throw your mouse at me in disgust, let me explain what I mean . . . and what I don't mean. I don't mean that, if a child is sick, a parent can ignore that in favor of finishing up a customer order. If both can be done by making the day into a "back and forth marathon," that's great. But if both can't be done, obviously a child needs to be taken care of immediately if he is ill. So, I don't mean that illness and other important and unforeseen circumstances can be ignored so a customer can be tended to.

What I do mean is that, in the overall scheme of things, while family is paramount (and in fact a main reason we have our own businesses is because of our families!!), on a day to day practical basis, family is not always first. Rather, moment by moment, decisions need to be made about whether at a given point in time, family takes priority over business. To illustrate this point, let's consider Cami who has a successful practice as a certified life coach. She works about 30 hours per week for an average of 20 clients total. Her tasks involve everything from email and phone consultations, to in person coaching for those who live in her area. She also spends time reviewing answers to clients' questions so she can help them meet their goals. Cami has two daughters, ages 3 and 4, and they spend 3 of 5 days a week with "Miss Karen," Cami's in-home care provider. One day when Cami had a pre-scheduled client consultation, both girls were running fevers. The only doctor's appointment that day was smack in the middle of the consult (which she may have had to postpone even if she could not get a doctor's appointment). So Cami postponed the client meeting and took her children to the pediatrician. In that case, both issues were important. One had even been scheduled in advance. But the children were more important at that time, so Cami put them ahead of the client appointment, which was rescheduled for another time.

In another example, once Cami's child care provider was unexpectedly away due to a death in the family. The kids were especially disappointed because Miss Karen was supposed to take them to a petting zoo that day. Cami told her girls that they would not be going to the petting zoo because Miss Karen had an emergency. The girls begged Cami to take them to the zoo herself, but Cami knew she could not because she had an important client meeting that morning -- one that she had postponed twice already -- and she was not going to postpone it again. So 15 minutes before the meeting (for which she had prepared the night before), Cami explained to her girls that she had a very important work project that had to get done, and promised that afterward, they would go to the park to feed the ducks. She then put her girls in the family room in front of a favorite children's video (48 minutes running time), and went into the next room to have her call. Before getting started, she explained to her client that her girls were unexpectedly with her that morning and that she was committed to having the meeting but would keep an ear and eye out for any emergency. The client appreciated Cami's dedication and the meeting started on time. On this occasion, the girls were fine and Cami finished her meeting in 30 minutes without interruption. Cami organized for fun and fulfillment. Had an urgent situation arisen, Cami would have had to decide whether it needed immediate attention, and then act accordingly. But in that case, Cami put her client before her girls. She was able to reschedule the afternoon tasks so she could spend most of it with her girls having ice cream and feeding the ducks at a local park.

The next time unexpected circumstances keep you from keeping a promise to your kids AND a promise to a customer, don't ask yourself about balance. It would be pointless to do so, for if there was balance before the scheduling conflict, there is none after it, so why waste the time? Instead, ask yourself instead whether the various competing interests allow you to satisfy everyone's needs. If they don't, make a decision about what you'll do so that you can organize the day as best as possible under the circumstances, keeping in mind the goals of both fun and professional fulfillment.

This is a perfect segue to my second point: where possible, help yourself by letting others help you. Check out that topic in a few weeks!

*The Lifestyle CEO column was formerly known as "Create The Life You Love."

"Delicious" ... "Scrumptious" ... "ideal reference guide"

These are just some of the praises for the Handmade Beauty Cookbook!! Don't miss this sneak preview of our book, which will be made available for purchase exclusively from Handmade Beauty Network members soon!!

Enjoy recipes like Citrus Spa Salt Glow by DK Mind & Body, Eczema & Dry Patch Balm by Essential Wholesale, Cocoa-Castile Soap The Scent Shack and Island Blossom Cream by Fallen Muse WebWorks and so many more!