The Chic Entrepreneur:: Put Your Business In Higher Heels

Michelle Roark - World Cup Champion, Olympian, Entrepreneur, founder of Phi-nomenal

Champion skier Michelle Roark got the inspiration for her business idea from a conversation with her coach about the importance of being able to utilize all five senses when visualizing the perfect performance. Roark used her Chemical Engineering background and her mathematical knowledge of Phi to develop a unique and well-balanced product line designed to empower the human spirit. Phi-nomenal's Confidence Natural Perfume Oil and Custom Crystal bottle sold out within a week of being introduced at Eve Boutique in Denver. Michelle talks about how she balances competing on the World Cup circuit while running her growing company, her recent trip to the White House and her company's goal of being the scent of the first woman President of the United States. Michelle has been featured in Business Week, Self Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today and Forbes. Chic Tip

Heidi Richards - CEO of the Women's ECommerce Association International (WECAI)

Heidi Richards is an author, business coach and entrepreneur. She is the Founder and CEO of the Women's ECommerce Association International (WECAI). A writer and professional speaker, Heidi enjoys traveling to new countries, learning new cultures and sharing a woman's perspective on marketing, leadership and running a business. She has written eight books and co-authored two, published and edited four ebooks, and publishes a quarterly international magazine WE Magazine for Women. In January 2005, Heidi was named one of the Top 50 Virtual Women Shaping the Internet for 2005. And she even has a day named after her! Heidi Richards Day is June 26th.

In this Chic Perspective, Heidi discusses the advantages in being a woman in business today, how the worldwide economic slowdown has affected her growth, and how important the internet and social media are to her business. She also highlights some of the various techniques she uses to market her company. Chic Tip

Amy Leavell Bransford - Owner of New Moon Skin Care

Amy Leavell Bransford is a licensed esthetician who owns and operates New Moon Skin Care, an Atlanta-based microdermabrasian, skin care and hair removal business. Prior to acquiring her license in esthetics, she worked as a publicist in the record industry for bands and artists such as 311, CAKE, Widespread Panic, Galactic, Vic Chesnutt and Precious Bryant. She also worked for two Atlanta-based record labels, Terminus Records and Capricorn Records. Amy's passion for music stemmed from her father, keyboardist and environmentalist Chuck Leavell.

In this Chic Perspective, Amy shares how music led her to skin care, and how she then turned an interest into a business reality. After studying at the Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics and becoming certified in CPR and microdermabrasion, she opened her business, "New Moon Skin Care," named because healthy skin cells regenerate approximately every 28 days - the same cycle as the moon. She explains how she turned a passing interest into a successful business idea. Amy also reveals how she spread the word to market and promote her business by leveraging the media, how she overcame her own limiting beliefs to achieve more of her full potential. Chic Tip

Elisa Gambino Owner of Via Elisa, Fresh Pasta Perfection from Atlanta

Elisa Gambino is the Owner of Via Elisa, fresh authentic pasta. Elisa was an Emmy Award-winning producer for CNN before she decided to venture into entrepreneurship and share her passion for pasta by filling a untapped niche. Via Elisa is a one-of-a-kind operation and supplies pasta to many of Atlanta's finest restaurants. Elisa has expanded her business beyond her own initial vision of a lifestyle business into exactly what she really wanted it to be. The company now sells to Whole Foods and operates a popular retail shop. Elisa has been the recipient of the NAWBO Atlanta Chapter WE Shine Award for Rising Star of the Year and was named SBDC GWEN Georgia Women Entrepreneur of 2006. She's also graced the cover of Atlanta Woman magazine.

In this Chic Perspective, Elizabeth interviews Elisa about her entrepreneurial journey. Elisa will share how she got her entrepreneurial education and explain what was so important about the planning process and how it helped her to achieve her business goals. She will also talk about doing research before getting started, and how learning her craft from a famed Italian family whose legacy is served in Rome's finest restaurants allowed her to position herself appropriately in the marketplace. In this session, Elisa will talk about the key success factors in her business growth, as well as how to hire, manage and motivate people. Elisa will instill the importance of knowing how to read your numbers from the beginning and how to handle external market forces that no business plan can predict. Lastly you will hear advice on mistakes for business owners to lookout for and the one most important thing that all business owners should be sure to do every single day. Listen to Elisa's Chic Tip.