Wealthy Bag Lady Blog

Is Chris Brown Sorry for Beating Rihanna?

Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault on pop star Rihanna.

There was a tremendous backlash against Chris Brown after the news about his domestic violence and photos of a beaten Rihanna came out.

Sponsors and radio stations dropped him, and the singer had to cancel several high-profile appearances, including a performance at the Grammys.

Chris Brown's Sentence

Judge Patricia Schnegg imposed a stay-away order that requires that Brown and Rihanna stay at least 50 yards from each, except at industry events when the distance is reduced to 10 yards.

Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, said the plea deal includes five years of supervised probation and six months of community labor.

Chris Brown will also be required to attend domestic violence classes.

Brown spoke softly throughout the hearing as he waived his rights and told the judge he understood the gravity of his plea.

"I think it's commendable you took responsibility for your conduct," Schnegg told Brown. She said she hoped "the terms and conditions of your probation will have some meaning."

Is Chris Brown Really Sorry?

But is Chris Brown really sorry or is he just putting on a show for the camera? Once you've crossed the line and beat a woman, can you control your violent impulses? Will he learn more appropriate ways to handle his anger?

I would love to know your thoughts. Please feel free to comment.

Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, Daniel Radcliffe top the Forbes Celebrity 100

It is the year of the tween. Coming off a massive concert tour, a hit 3-D movie--and a risqué picture in Vanity Fair--pop star Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) leads a slew of young stars onto Forbes' annual Celebrity 100 ranking of the world's ultra-famous.

Also building buzz, and drawing dollars, from the under-18 crowd were Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, teen crooners the Jonas Brothers and High School Musical stars Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale.

Apparently you're never too young or too old to be wildly successful as an entertainer or a business owner.

5 Summer Tips for Your Business

When people find out that I'm from California, they ask, "Where's your tan?"

I don't go to the beach, even though it's only a few miles away. If my pale skin is exposed to the sun, it burns. My skin turns bright red instead of a golden tan, hardly the look of a California girl.
 
I'm getting ready for summer by dusting off my patio furniture, taking out the barbeque grill and doing my workouts to get my body in shape.
 
Since summer may be a slower time for some businesses, I wanted to give you my top 5 summer tips.

1. Announce Holiday Themed Specials
   
   Independence is so precious to us as Americans that "Liberty" is written on all of our coins. Have a Fourth of July Special. Yeah, I know, we see Independence Day Sales all the time. It's because they work.
   
   You might want to go for the less-celebrated holidays to make your promotions stand out. Everyone knows about the 4th of July, but not everyone knows about Flag Day on June 14. For holiday calendars, go to www.holidays.net and www.chases.com. 
2. Do Birthday and Life Event Marketing
   
   Is your birthday coming up soon? Are your family members, friends or staff having a birthday? Then it's time to celebrate. The "It's my birthday, but you get the gifts" promotion always takes the cake (Sorry, I couldn't help myself).
   
   I recently saw a brilliant post card from a business owner who just had a baby. His special offer was in honor of his new son, who he was holding in the photo. Do you have a new baby, new pet, summer house guests, new marriages in the family, or kids who are graduating? Business is getting more personal, so announce these life-changing events to your customers and reap the rewards.
3. Hire Extra Help
   
   In summer, there are plenty of students and young people who want to learn business and would make great additions to your team. Tap into this great pool of talent.
4. Revolutionize Your Business Plan
   
   Chart the course of your business for the next half of the year. Analyze what has worked for you and what you need to change to pump up your business success.
5. Have a Party
   
   You can have a networking mixer or an educational seminar. Even though it's a business event, make it fun. Decorate the space, play games and give away prizes. Encourage people to network and learn more about your company.
   
   

Go with these proven strategies and add some fireworks to your business.

Should Elizabeth Edwards Tell All about John's Affair?

I was mesmerized as I watched Oprah Winfrey interviewing Elizabeth Edwards about her husband John's affair, her terminal cancer and whether John is the father of the other woman's child.

My heart went out to Elizabeth Edwards who is obviously in physical and emotional pain trying to keep her sanity and her family together.

But as I watched her, I wondered why she was exposing her deepest family secrets to millions of people on the Oprah show and in her new book, Resilience.

I couldn't help thinking about her kids, who are truly the innocent bystanders in this atrocity. They have access to television, computers and friends at school who will be asking them about their parents' private life.

I think Elizabeth Edwards is a remarkable woman, but in this case, she showed a remarkable lapse in judgment. Protect your family first.

Grandma on the Internet?

The other night I was eating dinner at a restaurant with my best friend, Sheryl. At the table next to us, there was a group of 4 older women in their 70s.

After they were finished, one of these lovely ladies came over to our table. She said, "I have a coupon for a free dinner if you ladies want to use it".
 
I thanked her, and asked, "Where did you get this coupon?" To my surprise, she said, "I printed it from the Internet."

This made me think about how today's seniors are really active on the Internet. It's not just the under 55 crowd that's online.

Here are some great statistics from Focalyst and Pew Research:

• There are 17 million Internet users over 62 years old.

• They spend an average of 44 minutes per day online.
• Seniors online are better educated, have higher incomes, and are much more likely to be married and working.
• Connected Matures also spend 70% more each month than those offline.
• The fastest growing segment of the population on Facebook is over 55.

These active matures who could be a business owner's dream.

Many of the women who came to my Women's Small Business Expo on April 29 are grandmothers. They have re-invented themselves at least 5 times. They're growing their businesses and have great purchasing power.

Do you have a story of a favorite older person? I'd love to hear from you.

Showing Up and Italy

Here’s a great showing up story:

I attended an event Palm Springs California. At this event, some of the women from the For You Network, a local affiliate of the National Assn. of Female Entrepreneurs started talking about Italy.

One thing led to another, and someone decided to rent a villa and put together an Italian travel package.

I just returned from a week in Tuscany, where I got to experience the bonds of sisterhood, great food, breathtaking art and the beauty of Italy. 

Check out the photo of me and Ronni, one of the dogs at the villa and with my friends, Susie and Sarah in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

I have memories that will last me a lifetime. All because I decided to show up.

3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Showing Up

1. Wear something that people can comment about.
   
   Many of you have met me at live events and know that I wear a shopping cart lapel pin. Everyone said, “Wealthy Bag Lady, where’s your shopping cart”, so I bought a shopping cart refrigerator magnet, put my logo on it and turned it into a lapel pin. This is great because when people ask about it, I tell them about my business. I’ve seen a woman who fixes computers show up wearing a white lab coat. One of my favorite speakers, Mimi Donaldson, always wears pink. That way, when she does her follow-up, she says, “Remember me, I was the one in the pink outfit?” Get creative and don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd.
   
   
2. Make your own badge.
   
   Instead of those cheesy little badges they give you at the event, make your own at the local copy or office supply store. You can get creative and put a photo, logo or business tag line along with your name on your own custom name badge.
   
   
3. Have a networking plan.
   
   Many of you have a business plan and marketing plan, but what about a networking plan? Most people attend events without clear goals for why they’re showing up. Your plan could include meeting at least 3 potential clients or referral sources. If so, don’t just leave the business cards you collect on your desk collecting dust. Follow up on those connections with a phone call or quick email.

Advice for Rihanna

Rihanna and Chris Brown are bringing the ugly specter of domestic abuse into the spotlight. They show us that domestic violence happens no matter how rich, young or talented you are.

As a survivor of domestic abuse, I want to tell Rihanna to leave him after the first violent incident. I know that he is sorry and feels terrible about himself, but some distance and therapy are needed here if Rihanna and Chris Brown are ever going to repair their relationship and their careers.

How to Fight for Your Dreams

I finally did my vision board!
Thank you so much for all of your great suggestions.

While I was putting it together, I saw a photo in a magazine of a woman with boxing gloves and I was immediately drawn to it.

This summarized my theme for this year:
Fight for Your Dreams

To fight for your dreams doesn't mean constant struggle. It means that if you stay on your path, you'll skyrocket the trajectory of your success.

This does not contradict the Law of Attraction. John Assaraf, one of the teachers in The Secret movie, was on the verge of being a street thug. He had to fight for his dreams every day.

How to Fight for Your Dreams

1. Use the Parking Lot of Ideas. Focus single-mindedly on one goal at a time and put the other ideas in the the "Parking Lot". The Parking Lot is a list of other projects that you'll get to in order of priority.
2. Know that business isn't always romantic. Just because you love your business, doesn't mean that you love everything about it. From time to time, you'll need to do something that doesn't inspire your passion, but it's a necessary action to fight for your dreams.
3. Do at least 3 things every day toward your dreams. It could be contacting people on your success team, updating your web site, attending seminars or reading articles. Remember to do your feared thing first. Then you'll have a great feeling of accomplishment all day.

How are you fighting for your dreams?

Please give me your comments.

Ideas in the Shower?

I get some of my best ideas in the shower. The Women's Small Business Expo was one of those ideas. In fact, I often find myself blow-drying my hair quickly, so that I can run to the computer and research my new inspiration.

Here are some common ways to create your light bulb moments:

• While you're falling asleep at night
• While your dreaming
• When you wake up in the morning
• While you're meditating
• Exercising
• Commuting from one place to another
• Listening to music, radio or watching television
• While reading or surfing the Internet
• Brainstorming with other people

Remember that Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on the back of an envelope while he was riding the train. Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse after he saw a mouse when he was on a train. Apparently trains are fertile places for great ideas.

Where do you get your business ideas?

Please let me know.