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Photo and book courtesy of Lark Books

I’m excited to announce another signed book giveaway. The book is Creative Native American Beading – Contemporary Interpretations of Traditional Motifs by Theresa Flores Geary, Ph.D. It’s from Lark Books and is a beautiful book that teaches traditional Native American beadwork using contemporary materials and tools. There are beautiful and fun projects for all skill levels, ranging from beginner to advanced. The projects include jewelry and decorative items for the home.

One of the projects in the book is Huichol-Lace Sun Catchers. They are very pretty, could be made with beads in whatever size you are comfortable working with, and then hung in a window or used as ornaments. I made a pair of earrings using this technique. I modified the project a little bit by adding a dangle at the bottom and a loop up top for the earwires. To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this blog post sometime before Tuesday 11/24/09 at 7:00 p.m. EST (GMT-5) and leave a valid e-mail address. Good luck to everyone, I think this is a book you’ll enjoy.

This week’s Indie Business Radio, show features Michael McLaughlin, author of Winning the Professional Services Sale: Unconventional Strategies to Reach More Clients, Land Profitable Work, and Maintain Your Sanity. Michael is a management consultant and speaker with more than twenty years in the professional services industry. He is the founder and a principle of MindShare Consulting, LLC, which helps professional services organizations design winning sales and marketing approaches.

Michael offered some great tips on this week’s show. One of my favorite takeaways is his response to my question about whether new technologies make it easier for professional consultants to market their services. His reply: “Absolutely! Today, there’s no excuse for being invisible!” Here are some other insights Michael shared on the show.

1. “Idea Merchants” Lead The Way. Michael believes that experts with leading ideas make the most desirable consultants. Michael calls them “idea merchants,” and says that those who use technology to lead the way with ideas, especially about what the future holds for a particular industry, are the most successful consultants.The service providers with the best ideas win. Expressing different ways to think about the same issues distinguishes you from everyone else. Put your ideas and innovative thoughts on display, and you will easily rise to the top of everyone’s list for service providers in your niche.
2. Don’t Take On Every Project. Michael recognizes the temptation many new consultants experience to take on the work of every client who comes along. He says to avoid doing so at all costs. Before taking on a client, be sure you know exactly what is expected of you. Make sure you can and want to do the work required. A project you hate doing is just as bad as one that you don’t have the expertise for.
3. On Proposals. Michael said that a lot of consultants misuse the proposal process by drafting proposals that “propose” the work that is to be done for the client. The better practice, says Michael, is to use the proposal to actually “confirm” the work that’s to be done. By the time you get to the point where you are actually proposing terms to a client, you should already know the work they want you to do to for them. In that case, your proposal should confirm — point by point — what the work you will perform, along with objectives, solutions, time frames, prices.

Listen to the Show

Get more of Michael’s tips wherever it’s convenient for you. You can download the entire show on iTunes (search on Indie Business). You can also stream it or download it at my radio show website, where you can also pick up a copy of Michael’s book. If you like where you are right now, simply click on the link at the bottom of this post to listen right now! It’s a great way to digest useful information while you work.

This week’s newsletter and radio show sponsor is:

Companion Newsletter

Click here to enjoy the companion newsletter for this week’s show. The newsletter features the story of how IBN member Charlene Sevier owns and manages The Bead Dreamer in Virginia, where she handcrafts beautiful necklaces, ear rings, bracelets and more.

Top of Amicalola Falls

Georgia Mountains

Picture perfect sunset

That was our first time visiting, but definitely not the last. If you need a place to reflect, connect with Mother Nature, or just a moment of peace, Amicalola tops my list!

I had the opportunity to walk through the Hampton University Museum in Hampton, VA this week and oh my goodness. The museum which was founded in 1868 has extensive holdings in African American fine arts, traditional African, Native American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Island, and Asian art; and objects relating to the history of the University. It is an awe inspiring place to visit. I need to remember to go more often.

One of the first pieces of art to greet me was the much beloved painting The Banjo Lesson by Henry O. Tanner. It is a work of art I have always loved. Then I passed through galleries filled with Kuba beadwork, garments, and textiles – each item so breathtaking. Another gallery held Native American treasures including beadwork and three pairs of beaded shoes by artist Teri Greeves. How wonderful to see her work in person.

Everything I saw there felt so soulful. I left inspired.

In case you haven’t heard, Oprah Winfrey will host the final episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show sometime in 2011 when her contract with CBS Corp. (which syndicates her show) expires. At that time, she will turn her attention to a 50-50 joint venture, announced last year, with Discovery Communications called, “OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.” Oprah’s ability to draw sponsors could have resulted in a lucrative renegotiation of her CBS contract. She could have played network against network for the best deals. But no. After 25 years, Oprah has won the right to own not only the water, but also the pipe. And that is the very essence of power where your brand is concerned.

Your product is like water in a pipe. You can produce it until the cows come home, but if you can’t channel it to the people who need it, then you end up with too much water and not enough drinkers. But when you own the pipe through which you channel your water directly to the drinkers, you are in the driver’s seat and the sky is the limit.

In times past, as a small and independent business owner, you’ve had little access to the pipes, the traditional media outlets who commanded the attention of your target customers. Publicists are expensive and you don’t have your own personal relationships with editorial staffers.

Today, with the decrease in the number of traditional newspapers and magazines, and the increase in the number of available pipes, you no longer have to wait on a traditional magazine or newspaper to spread your ideas!

Today, just like Ms. Winfrey, you can own the products you make; you can own the services you offer, you can own the brand that goes with them and you can also own the pipes that share them all with the world!

You can own the products, the services, the brand and the pipes.

Unlike Oprah, you will probably never have an audience of 70 million people. On the other hand, you don’t need that.

All you need is great products and/or services and the pipes that reach your target audience. Your blog, your FaceBook page, your Twitter page and any others you’d like to add. With careful attention and focus, you can start with one pipe just like Oprah did 25 years ago in Chicago when her show first aired. You can then expand from there.

By creating focused media outlets of your own, and targeting them squarely at the people who are interested in you and what you do, you won’t need 70 million people to be successful. You won’t even even need 1 million people. All you’ll need is pipes, which you own, and the ability to use those pipes to share your message with the world.

Proportionately speaking, Oprah has nothing that you don’t have. She’s using the same technology you can use, if you put your mind to it. That’s what The Media Is You is all about! Empowering you to not only own the water, but also the pipe!

I hope to see you at one of my workshops in Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco or New York! Let’s create some pipes together!

Question: What pipes are you using to channel your message to the world?

Sweet Divina has just returned from the spa and feels totally rejuvenated!

Well, maybe it took a bit more than a few spa treatments to get these results!

I felt it was time for an update. I love Divina but I’ve wanted her to evolve into a bit more of a glamorous look.

As you know, I went to Fashion Design school in New York. When I first came up with the Diva concept, I thought the fashion illustration look would be too unapproachable.

I drew the Diva head in the style I had developed from my years at school. When it came to the rest, I worked with an artist to create a more casual, free-spirited Diva.

As it turns out, I was always itching to glam her up.

Last summer I met up with my friend Patrick from F.I.T. (Fashion Institute of Technology), who I hadn’t seen in 20 years. After filling each other in on our lives, we shared our work. When I showed him the Diva, he asked, why didn’t you draw the body? She needs to be more Va-Va-Va-Voom! He was right. All my design school exuberance came back and I knew I had to do something.

So, I sat down and drew the new Diva. My skills were a bit rusty and it took several tries, but I finally came up with a new Diva that I think is savvy, sexy and full of savoir FLARE! I know it’s “faire” –but I’m trying to make a point.

I love her and really feel like she suits the brand. Thanks for the push Patrick!

There will be some more changes in the coming months….but just like Divina, it will be the same – only better!

If you’d like to see the before and after….

We are excited to announce the launch of two new holiday products: Sugar Cookie Organic Perfume and Sugar Cookie Body Butter! Guaranteed to make your mouth water!

Sugar Cookie Organic Perfume:

Indulge this holiday season without the guilt! Imagine the wonderful smell of melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies and you’ll know this aromatherapy scent. This sweet treat contains the perfect combination of organic grape seed oil and pure essential oils including cardamom, vanilla, and ylang ylang. The perfume arrives nestled in an organza pouch and makes a great stocking stuffer.

Our Price: $19.95

Shop Now

Sugar Cookie Body Butter:

Our delicious blend of pure natural essential oils is reminiscent of sugar cookies baking. Use it anywhere you want to seal in moisture and soften skin. Our organic ingredients, including shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and rose hip oil, help severely dry or cracked skin become radiantly healthy.

Regular Price: $20

Sale Price: $16

Shop Now

My sister, Christine, recently started a handcrafted jewelry line called Heartisan ~ Unique Bijoux Creations.

She is dipping her toes into the retail world by exhibiting at specialty craft fairs.

Being the proud older sister, I had to tell you about it. Unfortunately, “proud” does not translate into brilliant cinematographer…so please bear with me in the below video. I’m sure our dazzling personalities will overshadow my less that stellar camera operating skills.

To get a closer look at her beautiful pendants….

Each handcrafted artisan heart pendant is created with a thoughtfully selected assortment of crystals, beads, and gems.

All pendants include Swarovski crystals, Czech glass, and freshwater pearls.

Other treasures that you may notice on your heart are abalone and other shell beads, lapis lazuli, garnet, onyx, amethyst, moonstone, hematite, peridot, rose quartz, and turquoise.

Your sparkling one-of-a-kind bauble is suspended from a Greek leather cord, and fastened with an effortless copper hook-and-eye.

I will be sure to let you know when her online boutique is up! She has already enjoyed fabulous feedback and initial success with her product launch!

I know you join me in wishing her Good Luck!

This is a guest post by Luci Weston of Here We Are With Luci.

Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook offer new ways to socialize that are simple, fast and faceless. Interaction is immediate, and hitting the “send” button equals contact. As we increase our online connections, it is more important than ever to maximize the decreasing number of face-to-face encounters we have. The keys to successful in-person meetings are to validate, connect and be remembered.

Like the dying art of a hand-written note, Internet socialization affects our basic human interactions. It is true that the strength of a handshake influences a first impression. What about the crucial component of eye contact? There is a moment in every introduction when the handshake and the eye contact happen between the parties. The handshake occurs, and then ends; however, eye contact must continue. This is your opportunity to take the basic “How do you do?” and create a memorable “I to Eye connection.”

Eye Contact Is Personal

The proper application of eye contact is personal; and yet, the goal to connect is universal. Goldilocks tested each bear’s porridge, discovering, “…this one is too hot, this one is too cold, this one is just right.” In real life, determining the correct amount of eye contact and technique requires awareness, conscious effort, and practice to foster a memorable connection.

While this may seem obvious, the lack of eye contact is more predominant as of late. Look back on your last in-person meeting. What do you remember about the other person? How did they respond to you? Did you leave with a better sense of who they are, and share a bit of yourself, too? If you are struggling with these questions, perhaps it is time to brush up on your eye contact technique.

Think of learning proper eye contact as an exercise akin to breathing. We all do it everyday, but not every breath utilizes the oxygen’s benefits. For the best results, one makes a conscious choice to combine proper posture, deep inhalation, and purposeful exhalation. After much practice, the technique becomes an unconscious habit.

Please note that crazy eyes need not apply! Do not turn on the “stalker” stare. Do look into the other person’s eyes and let them look into yours. Be open, confident, and comfortable. Speak directly to someone when they are looking at you. Look back at them, even in quiet moments.

Similarly, reserve the “once over” for the menu. Resist the urge to do an up and down analysis. Remember, the recipient can see you! Unless there is a valid reason to scan their body, the message sent is often one of envy, judgment, or lechery. Stay “head and shoulders” above the rest.

Ditch Distractions

Distractions interrupt the connection. Do not check your Blackberry, accept a cell phone call, or return a text unless it is pertinent to the meeting. Emergencies aside, using these wireless devices drains the flow of energy between the parties. It is the modern day equivalent of repeatedly checking your watch during a first date – quite likely to be construed as inattentive, and worst of all, rude.

In a perpetually distracted society, simply paying undivided attention to another person speaks volumes about your level of interest in them. It is as effortless as looking directly at them and listening. Whether the meeting lasts for minutes or hours, doing these things helps expand its potential for a positive experience.

You can exchange looks with someone, but to be remembered, you must become a skilled connector. Validate the other person by giving them your full attention. Take the time to see them and let them see you. You will instantly see the benefits of meaningful eye contact by applying the I to eye connection. The eyes are the conduit, and like the lungs, efficient use produces optimal results.

Question: Have you noticed that the technological distractions and gadgets of the 21st century are interfering with your ability to connect with others with confidence, grace and style? What do you think of Luci’s approaches for maximizing “I To Eye” connections?

Question 1: Favorite Body Care Product Scent

1. 1. Lavender 23%
   2. Citrus 13%
   3. Floral 12%
   4. Vanilla 11%

Least picked on my options listed was Spicy. Popular write-ins mentioned were Patchouli and Fruity. Just a note here: we don’t offer scents like pear, apple, peach, melon because there are not essential oils for these scents. Generally if you find these scents available they are a synthetic blend, not a natural scent.

Question 2: Do you prefer smooth or textured soaps?

• 58% preferred smooth
• 42% preferred textured

Comments mentioned people liking both or only slightly textured.

Question 3: Do you prefer bar or liquid soaps for bathing?

• 66.3% preferred bars
• 33.7% preferred liquid

Now we do offer both!

Question 4: What is your favorite type of body scrub?

1. 79.3% preferred a blended sugar scrub
2. 60.0% preferred a blended salt scrub
3. 40.0% preferred an unblended salt scrub
4. 20,7% preferred an unblended sugar scrub

Looks like maybe we need to research offering a blended sugar scrub!

Question 5: Do you give bath and body care products as gifts?

• 89.8% said YES
• 10.2% said NO

There were many comments on this particular question. Those who do give body care as gifts have reasons that vary widely. Many cited that this is a product people will actually use or that they love this type of thing themselves so know the recipient will also. Some mentioned that their friends and family have used our products before and enjoy getting them. The few who said they don’t give body care as gifts; the reason usually given was because they don’t know which scent is preferred.

Question 6: What are the most important factors when purchasing bath and body care products?

• Most Important
  • Scent 53.1%
• Important
  • Price 58.2%
  • Product to meet a need 47.9%
  • Natural or Organic 43.2%
  • Available Online 42.7%
• Somewhat Important
  • Available in stores 37.5%
  • Brand 34.8%
• Not Important
  • Coordinated Sets 51.6%
  • Brand 34.8%

I hope you enjoyed seeing the responses we received. Don’t be surprised if you see some of this feedback reflected in our product offerings in the future.

One way to involve children in jewelry is to teach them to make jewelry. Another way is to honor something that is meaningful to them by making it into jewelry. These pendants were made out of items my nieces and nephew found while we were on a family vacation.

The coin is an arcade coin found on the streets of San Juan. The pirate symbol is from a beer cap from the US Virgin Islands. My nephew picked it up and liked it. I told him I would make a pendant for him to put on a piece of leather or something. He said “Aunt Charlene it’s going to hurt me!” I assured him that I would remove any sharp edges. The Presidente charm is from a beer cap from the Dominican Republic. I hope to see them over Thanksgiving and give them these mementos from our vacation.

Another thing I did for them in the past was to have them write their names in bubble letters – you know, the kind of letters that are fat and touch each other. I then cut their names out of metal and made necklaces for them. They loved that they were in their own handwriting. I’ve seen a jewelry artisan who translated children’s artwork into jewelry. It was just so charming and I think would mean the world to the parents for a long time to come.

So, if you are good with making things, look for opportunities to involve children. If you’re not, maybe you know or can find someone to help you turn one of your children’s treasures into a keepsake.

In his new book, What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures, Malcolm Gladwell says that psychologist Daniel Willingham conducted a set of experiments designed to test how quickly people become efficient at a task. For the experiment, he told people in Group A in what specific sequence a pattern of x’s would appear on a screen.

Each time an x appeared, they were to push a key that corresponded to the x they saw on the screen. The people in Group B were not told the sequence in which the x’s would appear, and they were instructed to perform the exact same task as the people in Group A.

Although the people in Group A knew the pattern in advance, as the experiment progressed, the people in Group B also picked up on the pattern and began performing well. Both Groups eventually began performing the task without thinking at all. The repetitive nature of the activity over a prolonged period of time created the perfect environment both group participants needed for proficiency.

What this demonstrates is that, regardless of whether you learn how to perform a task via explicit instruction or via implicit “learn as you go” performance, if you stick with it long enough, you will become successful at it.

As small and independent business owners, our access to explicit learning tools is often limited. We either don’t have the time or the money to receive a full set of explicit instructions about how to successfully manage all of the aspects of a business before we dive in and simply start learning by doing.

While this can be a frustrating and agonizingly slow process, the good news is that we don’t need explicit instructions to be successful. If we roll up our sleeves and apply ourselves to learning by doing, a certain “learning by doing” process takes over and we begin to perform the task as efficiently as people who had explicit instructions at the outset.

In each case, instinct takes over anyway. We begin to perform a business owners without having to think about it. It becomes rote, natural — a part of who we are.

Question: As a small business owner, what have you become proficient at without the benefit of explicit instructions? Are you glad you learned certain things by doing them rather than by having someone tell you how to do them?

1. Married 2 of her brothers.
2. Spoke 9 languages.
3. Believed she was the daughter of of the goddess Isis.

Click the coin for the answer..

Modern Mouse is our newiest store – just opened last week – in ALAMEDA, my hoods! ^__^ Eleen, the owner, also an indie herself, has gathered bunch of awesome indie goodies at her store. I’m so thrilled to be a part of it. Her openning party last Sat was a big hit. I heard our soaps & goodies were flying out the door. I’ll have to stopped by her store tommorrow to drop off some more holiday yummies (will be posting those soon as well). Stop by and say hi to Eleen if you are in the BAY AREA!

From now thru Jan, if you are local, you can order thru our site and pick up your order at modern mouse. Just leave a comment during checkout and I will refund the shipping cost and email you to arrange for a pick up. And you’ll get to visit this awesome shop to SHOP FOR MORE!! How wonderful!!

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is a favorite herb of mine, easy to grow and useful for food, medicine, and skin care. (Yes, even food! The petals are beautiful sprinkled onto a salad, and can also be used to give a saffron color and tangy flavor to rice, amongst other things.)

You'll find it often in products for skin because of its cleansing, healing, and softening abilities. It's so gentle and safe, it's even used for baby skin care.

To me, it seems such a happy flower, radiating a golden glow just like the Sun. Just looking at it brings a smile to my heart, so it's a real joy to see it still blooming in my brown, gone-by garden.

A historical claim-to-fame is that Calendula was used on the battlefield during the Civil War to treat open wounds. It's still used for wound healing today, and interestingly, its flower essence is used to encourage healing warmth and receptivity for people who are experiencing difficulty with communication, are argumentative, and use sharp or cutting words.

If you don’t already think The Media Is You, this will change your mind. YouTube recently announced YouTube Direct, a service that allows news organizations to customize YouTube’s uploader to receive video from people who want to share items of interest with the news organization’s audience. The potential of this new format is massive, both for small business owners and for news organizations. Here’s a video overview of the new service.

(If you are reading this post via email or in an RSS reader and cannot see the video, click here.)

Look for traditional news organizations that are starved for human resources and weary of having to “compete” with you and me for the attention of their readers, to implement this new technology quickly. The power of this new platform to marry the interests of small business owners and traditional media outlets is very promising.

As a small business owner, you will be able to target traditional media outlets that have audiences that you want to reach using video in a whole new way. For example, if your business participates in a fundariser in your hometown to collect money and personal care product donations to send to troops overseas, you might videotape the event and your participation in it. If your local newspaper participates in YouTube Direct, you’ll be able to upload your video to their page so their editorial staff can consider including your story on their website. If your local television station participates, you might even end up on the evening news!

The potential for collaboration between traditional media outlets who are cutting back on staff, and small business owners, is immense. Now, you and your video will have a direct line into the editorial offices at the news outlets of your choosing, so long as they are using YouTube Direct, and they’d have to be crazy not to! In fact, several media outlets are already using YouTube Direct, including ABC’s Good Morning America (”what are you thankful for?” videos), The Washington Post (traffic videos) and ABC’s Boston television affiliate (requesting feedback on New England Patriots coaches decision).

Who knows? This new initiative and others like it (surely soon to come) may actually help save traditional media outlets! Let’s hope it plays a positive role in this regard.

I’m keeping a close eye on the development of this new platform and how it can best be used by small and independent business owners like you, and will share the details at The Media Is You in 2010, starting with Atlanta on January 21! Get more information about YouTube Direct at this link.

Question: Can you think of a better illustration of the fact that The Media Is You??!

If you are feeling stressed, you might want to take a whiff of lavender, lemon, mango, basil and other fragrant plants that contain linalool. Japanese researchers recently discovered that when animals under stress were exposed to linalool, levels of inflammatory chemicals in their blood were reduced, compared to another group that did not smell linalool. Smelling linalool also reduced the activity of more than 100 genes activated during times of high stress.

What is Linalool? It is a colorless, unsaturated terpene liquid alcohol obtained from essential oils and used in perfumery. Linalool (a.k.a. linalol) is recognized by smell as the ’sweetness’ of many oils; almost any essential oil that has a sweet aspect to its aroma, or is commonly used as an anti-stress agent, will contain linalool. Lavender is perhaps the most popular linalool-containing essential oil, although it is also found in bergamot, rosewood, ylang ylang, geranium, neroli, melissa, lime, litsea cubeba, and coriander, just to name a few.

Numerous studies have investigated linalool’s anxiolytic (anti-stress) effects. According to these studies, inhalation of linalool (from natural essential oils), leads to decreased aggressive behavior, lessens stress response, and improves sleep.

Most lavender species produce an essential oil that contains between 30 and 40% linalool, therefore 25 drops of Lavender essential oil delivers somewhere around .3 grams of linalool.

Essential oils containing linalool can be found in the following Hothouse Botanicals aromatherapy products:

Bourbon Geranium

Bergamot/Ylang Ylang

Lavandin/Litsea Cubeba

Vanilla/Lime

Sources:

1. Powers, Kate. “When Life Gives You Lemons.” Prevention Dec. 2009.
2. American Psychological Association’s Stress in America Survey
3. “Linalool, A Common Essential Oil Constituent, Shown to Have Anti-Cancer Effects.” 2009. The Ananda Apothecary Weblog. www.anandaapothecary.com

On December 1 and 2, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will hold two days of workshops on how the Internet has affected journalism. The workshops come in the wake of the release last month of the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, which become effective on the first day of the workshops.

If you are a small and independent business owner who uses technology to share your ideas, it is in your best interests to attend the hearings live or via webcast, or at least track progress, because the topics discussed will light on how you will use technology in the coming decade. Remember, The Media Is Y-O-U! And as the boundaries between you and traditional journalism continue to collide, it’s important to own your power in this regard, and to live up to certain responsibilities as well.

In particular, the hearings will address the fact that individuals, bloggers and small business owners using the Internet as their own media outlets are attracting readers and advertising dollars. This increased competition for the attention of the American consumer is literally forcing many traditional media outlets out of business. This creates more opportunities, as well as more responsibilities for you, as a business owner.

While it is unlikely that I will attend the hearings in person, I plan to attend via live webcast.

I will of course Tweet updates and collect relevant information, which I will share with you at The Media Is You workshops in Atlanta, Chicago, New-York and San-Francisco in 2010.

For FTC workshop agenda and registration information, click here.

Question: Do you plan to attend the hearings? How do you think FTC activities in this area will affect your business?

On December 1 and 2, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will hold two days of workshops on how the Internet has affected journalism. The workshops come in the wake of the release last month of the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, which become effective on the first day of the workshops.

If you are a small and independent business owner who uses technology to share your ideas, it is in your best interests to attend the hearings live or via webcast, or at least track progress, because the topics discussed will light on how you will use technology in the coming decade. Remember, The Media Is Y-O-U! And as the boundaries between you and traditional journalism continue to collide, it’s important to own your power in this regard, and to live up to certain responsibilities as well.

In particular, the hearings will address the fact that individuals, bloggers and small business owners using the Internet as their own media outlets are attracting readers and advertising dollars. This increased competition for the attention of the American consumer is literally forcing many traditional media outlets out of business. This creates more opportunities, as well as more responsibilities for you, as a business owner.

While it is unlikely that I will attend the hearings in person, I plan to attend via live webcast.

I will of course Tweet updates and collect relevant information, which I will share with you at The Media Is You workshops in Atlanta, Chicago, New-York and San-Francisco in 2010.

For FTC workshop agenda and registration information, click here.

Question: Do you plan to attend the hearings? How do you think FTC activities in this area will affect your business?

I have always been drawn to iconic items; Hermes scarf, Cartier watch, Chanel No. 5….some would say it’s because of the status. They’d be wrong. I love timeless beauty.

I am lucky enough to have been gifted with a few items on my Bucket List already. My sisters, have given me Elsa Peretti’s Bone Cuff for my 40th birthday and an Hermes scarf for a Christmas present. I cherish both.

Yes, they are just “things” but I admire them each time a I wear them.

Today’s Bucket List entry: Diamonds By The Yard. Have you ever heard a more fabulous sentence?

Diamonds – By – The – Yard!! *sigh*

Designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany’s, it comes in several lengths, diamond increments and 3 precious metals; silver, gold and platinum.

I’m not greedy. I like the 16″ version in either silver or gold. One day…..

What’s on your Bucket List?

Photo courtesy of Monsoon Accessorize

Jewelry that is made of ribbon or has ribbon incorporated into it is very popular right now. And it’s no wonder why – so much of it is just plain pretty. But, ribbon is fabric and fabric can soil, tear, and fray. So, how to keep those ribbon treasures perky and crisp and not limp, dingy, and sad? Here’s a few tips.

First, consider your intent with the jewelry. Is it an inexpensive piece you plan to wear this year and trash when next season’s trends come out? If so, you may not want to spend much time and energy into caring for the piece. However, if it’s a piece you love and want to wear for some time to come, you may want to treat it with a little TLC.

Store your ribbon jewelry in a box so it is not crushed or snagged by other jewelry pieces. You may want to pre-treat it with a spray-on fabric protector to help the ribbon resist dirt and stains. Be sure to test it on a small piece first. Sometimes the ribbon is loosely woven into a few links of chain. In this case, you can remove the ribbon, hand-wash it in cold water with a gentle detergent, hang to dry, iron and weave back into the piece. Again, test a small piece for color-fastness. You can also change the ribbon with this type of ribbon jewelry to create different looks for yourself. If the ribbon can’t be detached easily, you may have to gently spot-clean it in areas that get soiled. Do not immerse the entire piece in water if you do not know how the other components that make up the piece will react to being submerged. It takes a little care to keep ribbon jewelry looking fabulous, but it’s oh so worth it.

The adorable ribbon ring necklace pictured above is from Monsoon Accessorize. I just love the bright colors and mix of patterns and solids. The soft silver and white ribbon necklace below is by Lee Angel Jewelry. It’s so quietly and softly beautiful.

Photo courtesy of Shopbop.com

Some of the most successful package introductions have come from people who knew nothing about package design. How can that make sense? Designers are creative. They get paid to design packaging, which may or may not necessarily be what the customer wants or needs. Good designers keep up with the latest design trends and technologies. What’s hot and what is not in might be the perfect answer to a package design. But what if it is not?

We all get caught up in established rules and parameters. You can’t do this because of the way it needs to be manufactured or if it’s this product it has to be packaged this way or in this particular material. Or the concept the designer has in mind is the latest rage in package innovation so it will work for this product and any product too. But let’s think laterally about design for a minute.

Do you continually challenge stereotypes? Why does a particular product need to be a certain shape? Is the product in a particular package because it’s always been done that way before? In my recent survey about packaging products for female buyers there were dramatic differences between what packaging designers and packaging professionals perceived as important and what the perception of its importance to female consumer or the ultimate end user.

One package design characteristic I asked about particularly was shape. Designers were drawn to it. They believed, as do most packaging professionals, that shape was an important component of package design. Designers see a dramatic new shape and are immediately impressed with the creativity of it.

However, women aren’t as intrigued by the shape as by the functionality of the package. They believe, “Make it work for me first, then worry about how pretty it looks.” So don’t think shape like a package designer think shape like a female consumer.

Consider this during the design process: who do you expect to use the product and how? If it’s women, the 80% purchaser or influencer of purchasing decisions, what is really going to impress them? Hint: its not necessarily design. If its not women then it better be a very targeted niche.

My survey results demonstrate that convenience and ease of use and storage were particularly important to women. After all, the woman does most of the shopping and in most cases put the products away. Isn’t this a logical conclusion to designing what women want in their packaged goods? Think about what makes it easy to use the product.

Consider the age factor too. Ergonomics and ease of opening were rated highly by both women and seniors. Products designed for specific age groups need to work for that group and not just look pretty on the shelf. Spend time scouring the isles when working on new products. Don’t just focus on the category in which you are designing.

Look for features and innovations that can cross boundaries. Look at emerging trends. Don’t just look at products in your category either. Go to multiple types of shopping outlets and don’t forget to use the Internet. A recent example is the complete reworking of power tools or other typically male oriented products. They are now produced in female friendly colors with comparable packaging. It has created a whole new brand category of marketing for traditionally male DIY products.

Put yourself in the buyer’s position. It helps if you can get different perspectives too. Not everyone will view the same packaging attributes with the same opinions. Cross a spectrum of potential buyers with a few targeted questions. Don’t be surprised by the answers.

One last point, just because it’s highly publicized or advertised doesn’t mean it works. Consider all the celebrity endorsements and money spent courting high profiles figures. It is designer this or designer that. The most surprising outcome of my survey was that a staggering 89% of women would not be induced to buy a product because of a celebrity endorsement unless it was some type of cause marketing such as breast cancer.

So put on your thinking caps designers and start thinking like a woman the 80% influencer or purchase maker. Need more insights on “If You Package It Will She Buy?” Order my special report at http://www.packaginguniversity.com

Ancient cultures believed chocolate to be “the food of the gods,” which certainly makes it good enough for La Dolce Diva!

With that said….trumpets blare: GOURMET MALT BALLS ARE BACK!

Before you even ask…YES- They are completely edible!

Deliciously, delightfully, delectably edible!

We have 2 scrumptious gourmet flavors for you to choose from:

Cappuccino: A white chocolate lover? This crunchy malt center is drenched with layers of cappuccino-infused white chocolate.

Mint Chocolate: Like milk chocolate? A crunchy malt center is lavishly covered with layers of peppermint-infused milk chocolate.

For that PERFECT gift, you may personalize these fabulous confections with a choice of 6 special occasions and a deserving Diva’s name.

These Dolce Delights are the perfect gift for any occasion.. What a great hostess gift for the holidays. A great addition to a box of La Dolce Diva’s extravagant Bath & Body products. Think ahead for Valentine’s Day!

Whatever the Occasion, these Gourmet Malt Balls will make it even more special. Trust us. After all, at La DOLCE Diva, Chocolate is our middle name!

Want to order now….click here.

I love art and was in a hotel in Charlotte, NC that had absolutely stunning artwork throughout the lobbies and hallways. One piece that caught my eye in particular was a large abstract painting in striking red, orange, and gold tones with dashes of turquoise and moss. I realize it cannot interpret an entire painting in 66 beads, but I think I captured enough to bring back the feelings I had when looking at the painting and my appreciation of the artist’s mastery of color. I added larger orange crystals and smaller pale aqua ones to symbolize the joining of both warm and cool color families in the painting and the beadwork.

The beaded part of the earrings are made using two layers of 66 beads each that are tightly woven together using square stitch – my favorite of the off-loom bead weaving stitches.

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These are my prepared remarks for tonight’s event. I wish everyone reading this could be here, but since that’s not possible, I wanted to give you a flavor for what fun we are going to have and let you know that I hope to see you at a future event when I come to a town near you! The headings are used here to break up the text and make it easier for you to skip directly to what you might be interested in.

Good evening! I am so excited that you joined me here this evening. I’m Donna Maria Coles Johnson, the founder and CEO of IBN and I am here to have a good time with you! Thank you for joining me here tonight at the lovely Bay 13 Restaurant in the Pearl District of Portland. This is a beautiful setting and I want to acknowledge Ginger who helped me put everything together.

Sponsors

I want to thank our sponsors this evening first of all. Essential Wholesale is the world’s largest supplier of naturally derived cosmetics bases. Led by husband and wife team Dennis and Kayla Fioravanti, the company has set a new standard for innovation and service to small business owners that is simply unsurpassed. Essential Wholesale is headquartered right here in Portland, and Kayla is of course one of our speakers this evening.

Also, Stratus Insurance Services in American Fork, Utah, brokers the only products liability insurance in the nation that is specifically designed to serve small and independent cosmetics businesses. At my urging, Stratus last week expanded coverage for IBN members who make cakes, cookies, candies and similar confectionery items. (Learn more about the program at this link.) It is expected that they will expand the programs into parts of Canada over the course of the next several months.

Kayla Fioravanti is the co-owner of Essential Wholesale and a remarkable cosmetics formulator and entrepreneur as well. She is known for her unique style of encouraging women and inspiring them to pursue their dreams. I am also delighted that Monique Hayward, author of “Divas Doing Business: What the Guidebooks Don’t Tell You About Being a Woman Entrepreneur,” is here. From January 2005 to July 2009, Monique company owned and operated the award-winning Dessert Noir Café & Bar in Beaverton.

I will share more about our speakers a little bit later.

Spread The Love

As you know, I am a firm believer in sharing information. That’s why I carry my camera, an audio recorder and a video recorder everywhere I go, and tonight is no exception. I like to spread the good news about women like you who are pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams and offering products and services that make the world a better place.

As you mix, mingle and enjoy the food, I hope you don’t mind it I snap a few photos and maybe even get a video or two from you about what you do and why you are here.

You can Tweet while you’re here as well, and I’d like to encourage that. Share photos and insightful resources and tips that you receive.

Schedule For the Evening

Now to 7:00 – meet, eat, greet, open networking, introductions
7:00 to 7:20 – opening remarks and introduction of speakers
7:20 to 8:30 – Q&A and discussion
8:30 to 9:00 – more networking, closing, sharing of “burning questions and answers”

Ice Breaker

You all received a small colored note cards when you arrived. Some are blank and some have a name. If you got one with a name, it’s your job during our open networking time to find that person and make her acquaintance.

I will ask you to introduce each other later, sharing each other’s business names, what you do, and also one burning question each you would like someone to shed some light on tonight. This will allow the speakers to focus their remarks and also make it easy for you to share what you know with others. Use the card to write down your short introduction.

You also received large white cards. These are for taking notes and recording the resources shared with you tonight. At the end of the evening, I will collect them, make copies and forward them to everyone here. This way, everyone will have everyone else’s notes. It’s a great way to share information and live out the belief that “a rising tide lifts all ships!”

So, let’s meet, eat and enjoy a time of open networking! Don’t forget to use your small cards so you can introduce the person you find and vice versa. We’ll pick up with introductory remarks and speakers at 7:00!

Donna Maria’s Introductory Remarks

I know that there are a million other things you could be doing right now, but I know that you prioritized this event for a reason. Oh yes, you want some good food and you want to connect with other women — nice people who are pleasant and get you out of the house for a while.

But I also know that you are here because you want to build a better business, a more profitable business. One that allows you to plan for your future and the future of your family as you also pursue your passion of providing products and services that help other people be successful.

I want to make sure that you don’t leave this place tonight without collecting information that moves you definitively toward that goal. And we have two extraordinary women here today who I know can will deliver the goods to make that happen.

I’m going to introduce them to you in a moment but first, I want to share with you 3 reasons why this time in our history, as we progress toward a new year of en economy that for all practical purposes has been in recession for at least two years, presents an incredible business opportunity for everyone in this room.

1. Uncertainty Creates Opportunity. In times of uncertainty, everything is up for grabs. Our economy has been shaken to its core. The fantastic decline of the housing market, rising unemployment rates and the downfall of greedy corporate executives has forced each of us to question and reevaluate not only how we perceive of the world, but also how we respond to it. This process is ongoing, as are the economic changes we are now experiencing.

   When you change because you must change, and not only because you want to change, your change is that much more profound. Your senses are heightened and your awareness of the truth and consequences of everything you do propels you to push forward toward opportunities that create the kinds of positive and lasting consequences you want to experience.

   Uncertainty creates opportunity.

2. Opportunity Leads To Innovation. Never before has there been time when so many people want to start a business at the same time as they need to start a business at the same time as they actually have a real opportunity — thanks to new and digital technologies — start a business.

   In a sense, this perfect storm, if you will, of need, possibility and desire forms the platform for the success and profitability of every business that starts today. What they create is a mindset that simply will not take “no” for an answer. A mindset that views every obstacle as a challenge to rise to the occasion. To simultaneously live and compete with your neighbor. To use each other. To sharpen each other.

   A few hungry and determined women on a mission, even if those missions overlap and share similar characteristics, force every person to rise above mediocrity. To take the bull by the horns. To build a better mousetrap if you will.

   In a a word, to innovate beyond what seems possible at first glance.

   Opportunity leads to innovation.

3. Innovation leads to profitability. To innovate means to create the next new thing ahead of it’s time. Steve Jobs does it with digital lifestyle products. Lush does it with cosmetics. Ugg does it with boots. Wal-mart does it with low prices.

   In each case, the companies not only take the present wants of its customers into account, but actually defines their future needs.

   Apple knew that information was more important than computers and processors, so he responded to customer needs for computers in a way that also literally created the demand that information be transportable. In so doing, he not only filled a need, but created one.

   Likewise, Lush began making cosmetics that contain pretty much the same ingredients as all other cosmetics. But they make them by hand and package them in containers that tell buyers who made each product and when. Not only does this satisfy consumers’ desire for cosmetics that enhance personal appearance and build confidence, but it also actually helps create the demand for similar products.

   How many of you know first hand that your customers buy your products in large part because they know you actually make them?

   When you listen to the whispers of your customers, follow their conversations, meet and talk with them on a regular basis, then you can innovate naturally. Why? Because the literally tell you what to do!!

   Kayla at Essential Wholesale manages an innovative product testing program she runs through her blog. Customers (or anyone) gets free products in exchange for providing honest feedback about those products. The company uses this feedback to innovate and make the product better. When the product launches, the chances of it being profitable have improved exponentially simply because Kayla and her team listened. They used information to make changes that made the products more appealing. They took things to the next level, and in so doing, actually created the next level.

   Innovation leads to profitability.

Conclusion

So there you have it: uncertainty, innovation, profitability.

We are all experiencing the first of those.

Let’s use our time together tonight to inspire and encourage one another to experience the other two as well.

At the end of the evening, I will invite you to share your impressions about how well this event delivered on the promise I made to host an event that would help you make your business more profitable.

Introduction of Speakers

Monique Hayward is President and CEO of Nouveau Connoisseurs Corporation, which she founded in April 2004. From January 2005 to July 2009, Monique’s company owned and operated the award-winning Dessert Noir Café and Bar in Beaverton, Oregon. Monique was selected as a winner in the 2008 Make Mine a Million $ Business program, a collaboration between Count Me In For Women’s Economic Independence and Open from American Express. A native of New York City who also spent part of her childhood in Columbia, S.C., Monique has an MBA in marketing from Case Western Reserve University and a BA (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) in journalism from the University of Maryland College Park.

Kayla Fioravanti is the co-founder and co-owner of Essential Wholesale, the world’s largest supplier of naturally derived cosmetics bases. Kayla is an aromatherapist and the companies chief cosmetics formulator. She has single-handedly created literally thousands of cosmetics, from the most delicate of facial creams to the heartiest of scrubs for calluses and dry skin. Kayla and her husband supervise dozens of employees and contractors and serve small businesses all over the world. Three times named one of America’s 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies by Inc. Magazine, Essential Wholesale’s innovative employee sabbatical and benefit programs, not to mention an employee break room that is the envy of the corporate world, make them a stand out company.

Welcome Monique and Kayla. Now, let’s roll up our sleeves and get started with the juicy stuff!

(For the rest of the evening, Monique and Kayla answered questions, shared their best business tips and strategies, and everyone went home with hundreds of resources to grow their companies. I will post photos next week!

Question: What do you think of the ideas shared here? What do you think small and independent business owners must focus on to be successful and profitable?

We have a winner! MW of Suffolk, VA is the winner of a signed copy of Beading with World Beads, published by Lark Books. MW says she is new at jewelry making. I know this book will provide so much inspiration as she goes about her journey of learning to make jewelry. I’d love to see what she creates. I’ll ask her to send me a photo and will post it to the blog if she does. Congratulations to MW and thank you to everyone who participated.

My next book giveaway will be announced on Saturday, 11/21/09.

We closed our survey as we had reached our maximum number of allowed respondents. I want to thank everyone who participated. We will be publishing the results next week in our newsletter and also in the blog. If you haven’t yet had a chance to use your coupon I urge you to do so before the expiration on Nov. 18th.

Putting Yourself Out There . . .

Wednesday I received an email from the folks at Schmap. They informed me that one of my photos I shot at Fair Park during the State Fair had made it onto their short list. This is their short list to decide which photos they will actually include in their online visitor’s guide to Dallas. This will be their ninth edition. Here is a link to their eighth edition – Schmap Guides – Dallas . And here’s the photo that they are considering -

The-Womens-Museum by susansoaps

I think this is pretty cool for several reasons:

1. I am completely an amateur photographer and that they liked one of my photos well enough to consider it was very gratifying.
2. It is proof positive that if you put yourself out there in whatever way you are comfortable with it can help get you noticed.
3. I originally posted my photos on Flickr so that I wouldn’t have to store all of the photos I wanted to use for my blog on my own server. Since then, I have read different debates on the wisdom of putting your photos on Flickr but as I am not a professional and main goal is convenience for my blog as well as gaining more exposure, my vote is solidly in favor of Flickr.

Made a trek into Dallas for . . .

• A get together of fellow soapers for brunch over in Grapevine. ( Grapevine is just west of Dallas, I on the other hand am out a ways on the east side of Dallas.)
• Wending my way back home I first stopped at Uline for shipping supplies.
• Then Northhaven Nursery where I bought a chocolate mint plant. Ummm – it smells just like my soap!
• Next was over in Garland where I get my lye.
• And then the Sam’s in Garland where I get the soybean oil I use.
• I made it all the way back to Kaufman before my last stop – the bank.

So all in all a very busy, productive day.

Weekend Note . . .

I am going to be at Cliff Fest held in the Bishop Arts District on Sunday doing sort of a trunk show for Indigo 1745. I will be demonstrating salt glows and will be bringing some of our Christmas items for Denise to sell. If you’re in the area stop by. It promises to be a lot of fun and hopefully the weather will cooperate.

Have you ever come upon a painting or a statue that immediately strikes your core? That embodies an essence that you can’t put into words but seems to lay bare your entire soul that you look around to see if everyone is staring at you?

I have. The Nike of Samothrace.

I don’t for one minute imagine myself that powerful, that beautiful, that majestic – on the outside. On the inside? Maybe I do.

The Nike (nee-kee) is the Goddess of Victory. She’s not some cool name that a clever running shoe company came up with – although that was their inspiration. It was renamed from The Blue Ribbon Running Company to Nike. Good choice?

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, is a third century B.C. marble sculpture. Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed at top of the grand staircase in the Louvre Museum in Paris. She’s an excellent example of the expressive Hellenistic style and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world.

The winged goddess Nike (victory) was the daughter of the Titans, Pallas and Styx; her siblings included Zelos (rivalry), Kratos (strength), and Bia (force). After helping Zeus banish the Titans from Mt. Olympus, the supreme god honored Nike, and she then earned her title as the goddess of victory.

The image of Nike is prominent throughout Greek art and was traditionally associated with victory in war, athletics, and even poetry contests. Her presence invoked a spirit of celebration and commemorated the arête (physical and moral excellence) of gods and men.

The Nike of Samothrace originally stood on the marble bow of a sculpted warship, a monument that commemorated a naval victory.

The Nike is designed to seem as if she is just landing in a fierce headwind, her great wings still aloft. The body twists slightly as if to maintain its balance, while the sheer chiton, heavy with sea spray, both clings and billows dramatically.

Pictures do not do her justice. As you are coming out of Greek Antiquities, you arrive at the landing of the Grand Staircase and there she is. Alighting on the prow of a ship. Even though her head and arms are missing, the drama is no less powerful.

Going to Paris often on business, I would sometime pay admission just to “visit” her.

Seeing her person was not the first time I was aware of Nike. As a child and even today, one of my favorite movies was Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn. In it, she plays a book clerk, Jo Stockton, discovered and thrust into the fashion scene as a model. One of my favorite scenes is when Jo is running down the staircase with the Nike in the background. I had no idea it was such a famous statue. I also had no clue I would ever see it in person.

The first time I saw the statue at the Louvre, I thought of the movie and how subconsciously the image was always at the back my mind.

Was the Universe guiding me to it? Maybe. I’m kinda flakey that way.

Throughout my life I’ve been attracted to winged-beings and I never really realized it. I say “winged-beings” because I’m not really an “angel” kind of girl.

I like the powerful imagery of Goddesses and Archangels. I think it has more to do with the style/period of art than the actual “rank” of angel. I’m sure there are everyday angels doing very nice things.

So, why am I telling you all of this now? Well, I went to Shecky’s Girl’s Night Out (when will you ever see a reference to Shecky’s and a famous Hellinestic sculpture mentioned in the same article again? Never), and I purchased a piece of jewelry from a friend I met in a business group called Savor The Success. Her name is Jana of Janaration; Yoga Inspired Jewelry.

Well, her jewelry may be yoga inspired but it has a beauty and simplistic aesthetic that is so appealing that it has a farther reach that just those who practice yoga.

My eyes fell on this Angel Wing necklace and I knew I had to have it.

To most, wings represent freedom. In fact, to Jana, the wing represents, freedom, purity and hope.

But, that’s not why I bought it. I liked it because my first thought was of the Nike. All angels or winged objects don’t bring her to mind. This one did.

Perhaps the most prescient symbolism of the Nike Goddess is the very thing I love most about her. Nike is seen with wings, in most statues and paintings, to remind people that victory is fleeting.

Simple and delicate. Yet, to me, it meant I could carry the essence of the Nike with me. Her power, beauty, triumph, endurance and majesty. A lot for a little necklace to handle.

Objects only have the meaning WE attach to them, but isn’t that one of the sweetest parts of life?

UPDATE: See the Video of Jana at Shecky’s being interviewed by our local station.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Today, I attended via webcast the FDA’s hearings on the use of social media to promote medical devices and drugs. The hearings started at 8:00 this morning and I listened uninterrupted until around 3:00, and then off and on after that. The speakers included drug companies (including some that also make cosmetics, such as Johnson & Johnson), medical device manufacturers and suppliers, physicians groups, health-focused websites and bloggers (all sponsored by drugs and medical device companies), industry and advertising trade organizations, public interest and consumer groups, attorneys and social media strategists.

An “individual consumer” is listed as a speaker, and I presume she will speak tomorrow. Each speaker spoke for an allotted period of time (some were allotted a lot more time than others), and the FDA officials present were given a chance to ask questions after each presentation. The FDA representative were fully engaged and asked a lot of good questions on all sides of the issues presented. The hearings will conclude tomorrow but I will not be able to attend. The FDA has promised to make a full transcript publicly available (though it’s not clear whether there will be a charge for them). When it does, I will share the link with you, along with more of my impressions.

While this 2-day round of hearings concerns drugs and medical devices, it is my belief that whatever the FDA does in these areas will form at least some of the basis for what they eventually do where food and cosmetics are concerned. I want to make sure that small and independent businesses are positioned to positively impact the process, and informing ourselves at the hearing stage is the first step in that process. Note that I am not an expert in the drug and medical device field so I am sort of learning as I go. If anything published here is incorrect or requires clarification, I will make sure that happens in a way that fully and fairly informs you in future blog posts.

While a variety of views were expressed today, and there are numerous differences of opinion, there we some consistent themes. Here is a quick wrap-up of my initial impressions.

1. Levels of Corporate Responsibility. Everyone seems to agree that full and complete disclosure and transparency must exist with respect to any promotional content that is created or sponsored (directly or indirectly) by drug and medical device companies (I’ll call them “pharma” for short). From there, the suggested levels of corporate disclosure responsibility differ greatly.

   Some speakers (in particular Diana Zuckerman of National Research Center For Women & Families) suggested that companies should be responsible for content whether or not they actually sponsor it, and whether or not they even actually know about it. Ms. Zuckerman suggested some sort of social media user fee in order to fund FDA regulation in this area. (This was a very scary proposition and I’m keeping a close eye on such suggestions.)

   Other speakers, predictably pharma companies, were less willing to embrace the notion that they should be responsible for third party content over which they have no real control. Non-manufacturer companies like health-focused websites were very concerned that whatever action is taken should not affect their ability to maintain the pharma sponsors that form the backbone of their business models.

2. Wikis. Wikis, online portals that can be edited by anyone, regardless of expertise, were the subject of much discussion. Everyone agreed on the power of wikis, including Google Side Wikis, and most seemed to agree that they present potential problems where drugs and medical devices are concerned because anyone can modify wiki content at any time, and no special expertise is required in order to do so.

   There was also discussion of Wikipedia’s policy to delete promotional material, and how, in practice, that does not always happen. It was clear that the sort of “crowdsourcing” through wikis presents significant concerns as data continues to indicate that consumers rely largely on the Internet to collect health-related information.

   The obvious issues revolve around corporate responsibility for third party content on wikis — what responsibility do companies have to monitor the content? What responsibility do they have to actually force the removal of content that is incorrect? No one had good answers to these questions, but they are issues for pharma, just like they are issues for all businesses large and small.

3. 3 C’s. Rohit Bhargava, Senior Vice President, Digital, Strategy & Planning Group, Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence (who also maintains his own blog here), offered an interesting approach. He suggested a “3 C’s” approach to determine a company’s responsibility for online promotional content.

   (1) Creation: If the company created the content and the content has not been altered by third parties in any way, but instead exists in its original form, the the company is fully responsible for the content.

   (2) Collaboration: If the company worked directly or indirectly with the creator of the content to create the message, the company is responsible for the content and full disclosure and transparency must apply. The question is, of course, what constitutes this “full disclosure.” There is discussion of a “one-click” mechanism that allows people to view the content, and then with “one click,” be taken to an authoritative site with all of the disclosures and risks fully addressed. (Some people like this idea. Consumer groups tend to think it does not go far enough.)

   (3) Compensation: If the company funded creation of the content or somehow compensated the creator of the content, the company is responsible for the message and full disclosure is required. (Again, “what is full disclosure” is the issue.)

   Unless the promotional content fits one of those categories, Bhargava urged, then that company cannot be responsible for that content. While it benefits everyone for companies to correct or even remove misinformation, one cannot expect a business to police the entire Internet, and/or be held responsible for content that business cannot remove or modify themselves. You can read Bhargava’s post about today’s hearings at his Ogilvy 360 blog.

Challenging Issues

These issues are challenging indeed, and this post barely scratches the surface. The hearings this week concern drug and medical device companies specifically, and even though companies participating in those industries are regulated very differently than companies in the food and cosmetics industries, the core questions are very similar. What if third parties publish content about your products or the ingredients used in them, and that information is incorrect or somehow causes harm to someone else? Are you responsible for that under all circumstances?

What if you are? What if you ask the third party to remove the content, but they refuse? Are you still responsible for the content? are you responsible at all if you did not have direct involvement in the creation of the content? Or are you only responsible if you participated or somehow sponsored or supported the creation of the content? same. What disclosure rules should apply?

Is your head spinning? Mine is.

What About Small Businesses?

One thing that bothered me about the hearing today is the the phrase “small business” was never uttered. I know that most drug and medical device firms are not small and independent business owners. But like all federal agencies, the FDA is under Congressional mandate through the Regulatory Flexibility Act to specifically analyze the impact of their actions on small businesses and to seeks the least burdensome means of regulation so that small businesses are no unnecessarily adversely impacted.

It seems to me that the FDA cannot do that on this issue unless it actually hears from small businesses. I think that a small business or an entity representing small business interests would have been a positive addition to today’s hearings. I’m not sure what can or should be done about that where the drug and medical device issues are concerned, but since the food and cosmetics industries are composed of a very large number of tiny businesses, we will have to see what can be done to get a seat at the table when the FDA turns its attention to food and cosmetics.

Remember, if you want to tune in tomorrow morning, you can do so at this link.

Oh! By the way, if you want to purchase a DVD of the proceedings, the price is only $140 at this link. I bet you know what I’ll have to say about that when I get the chance, don’t you?

Question: What do you thing of all of this? Do you have any opinions one way or another? If you tuned in to the hearings, please feel free to fill in what I might have left out.

I just put up some new Christmas items on our website. You can find them all on the new Holiday Category which is under the general Gift Category.

The new item shown is the Christmas Gift Basket. It has a 9,5 oz. liquid soap, a bar of soap and a soap dish, a small bottle of our organic lotion and a lotion bar. It is available in two scent combinations – Grapefruit Tangerine and Lavender Rosemary. AND – we have it priced at just $35 for the set while the products if purchased individually would total over $40.00

Next I am showing a picture of our large body scrubs (Salt Glows and Sugar Scrubs) that are all dressed up for Christmas. These have long been popular Christmas Gifts. We have a nice assortment of scents available but don’t wait too long as the supply is limited and as we are discontinuing this size jar – when they’re gone – they are gone. Here’s a link to the Christmas Wrapped Scrubs .

The last picture is a shot of the wide variety we are now offering in our Faveurs. We have a LOT of new scent combinations available in our little Faveurs – these make great stocking stuffers, Secret Santa gifts, teachers gifts, employee gifts and more. Each Faveur is a 2 oz. bar of soap and a lip balm in a coordinating scent. These are $8.00 each which makes them perfect for any of those gift swaps where the value has to be under $10.00.

View the entire Holiday Gift Category.