Action strategies for beating the odds and successfully starting a new venture
Every sixty seconds, five women in America launch new ventures. If you’re one of them, grab the new book, Birthing the Elephant by Karin Abarbanel and Bruce Freeman.

 Launching is daunting! One-third of all new ventures don’t make it through year two and more than half won’t make it through year four. Beating the odds takes more than deep pockets or a great idea – it takes resiliency and staying power.

The biggest obstacle women entrepreneurs face isn’t economic – it’s emotional. It’s winning the small-business mind game. It’s learning to think and act like an entrepreneur. It’s letting go of a “paycheck player” mentality.  It’s substituting brains for bucks.

Most women’s start-up guides focus on 3Ms: money, marketing, and management. But there’s a 3rd M that’s at the heart of small-business survival: motivation. That’s where Birthing the Elephant breaks new ground. It’s the What to Expect When You’re Expecting of small-business books.

Part portable success coach, part step-by-step action guide to the life cycle of a small-business launch, this one-of-a-kind book will arm you mentally by giving you a road map to the rocky emotional terrain you’ll face in the first critical 24 months of your launch, when every decision counts and every mistake is magnified. This book takes you by the hand and shows you how to:   make the shift from employee to entrepreneur;  anticipate problems and push past barriers to success;  renegotiate their relationship to money; and  avoid 10 costly pitfalls.
A delight to read with easy to digest quick tips, action steps and even a list of pitfalls to watch out for!  We are proud to have author Abarbanel on our Virtual Advisory Board-her work will help countless women in their transition and we highly recommend you pick up her book today!

InstiGating true change in your life happens right now- in the present moment!

What is your relationship to the present moment? Do you even think about the present moment, or are you worried about the future or obsessed with the past? The only way to find your path in life is to become aligned with the present moment. This state of consciousness will awaken you to your life’s purpose. Eckhart Tolle, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Now, outlines this shift in awareness in his new book: A New Earth-Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.

Who among us has not ever wondered what our purpose in life is? Is it to make the most money, have the most shoes, be the most famous in our field or drive the best SUV on the block? Don’t think so! A true indication that none of these goals is truly a purpose is the simple fact that once they are attained, dissatisfaction still lurks in the heart.
A New Earth will not fill you with new information or give you the outlines of a new religion. It is much more valuable than that--it will change your state of consciousness forever. We know that a new point of view can put life in perspective and a change of consciousness can transform a life.
 
The way to obtain this shift in consciousness is living in the present moment. There is nothing else in this life. There is never anything else but the present moment. Yet most people live in a constant state of waiting, wondering and worrying about the past or future. In order to align yourself with the present moment and with the creative power of the universe there are three attitudes to strive for in facing each moment: acceptance, enjoyment, enthusiasm. A New Earth will explain how to adopt these attitudes every minute of your life so that your life’s purpose will come to light. Inner purpose is primary and once realized, your outer purpose will be apparent.
A New Earth is an essential component in designing your life.

This is a must read for every woman!  Read it, share it, buy it as a gift for all the women you know.  Elizabeth Gilbert was blessed with the opportunity to live the dream that we all have (if only we took the time to realize that dream): time for soul searching and self-discovery.

There is nothing selfish in discovering one’s genius and true purpose in life.  There is something sacred in being able to share this process and discovery with others.  Gilbert has managed to write the book that covers all bases in a fun, intriguing and helpful way. 

After a nasty divorce, the author embarks on a journey to Italy (eat), India (pray) and Indonesia (love).  Her adventures are a perfect way to illustrate that we don’t “find ourselves” we “create ourselves.”  All of Gilbert’s ‘discoveries’ about herself demonstrate that these traits and blessings are not external, but internal.  While Gilbert was lucky enough to be able to eat pasta in Italy, meditate in an ashram in India and find love in Indonesia, her message is for everyone; even if travel is not in your picture. While her path was through trekking the globe, it is clear that self-discovery can happen right in your own backyard. 

Gilbert’s easy writing style and humorous observations make this a very enjoyable read.  If nothing else, Eat, Pray, Love will get you thinking about what your life means and how balance is so very important.