Collective-Me

Dear Readers,

Last night I attended a wonderful entrepreneur panel hosted by Collective-E. I've blogged a little bit about how Ladies Who Launch was one of the ways that I connected with other women entrepreneurs when I first thought of the idea for SavvyAuntie.com. Well Beth Schoenfeldt, co-founder of that company (and frankly my most favorite half), recently launched Collective-E - a collective of women entrepreneurs, along with my other friends, Katie Helmuth and Sabina Ptacin. And last night was one of their first events - and boy did it draw a crowd! I am so proud of these amazing women. SO proud!!

Now to be honest, I wasn't planning on attending. The panel of successful women entrepreneurs were moms - and the businesses they were discussing: Kidville, Skip*Hop, Patem Pads and Big City Moms, were all very mom-focused. Not being a mom, it wasn't as interesting to me as I would have preferred, but Beth is a good friend and told me I would meet great people if I attended - and I did. Beth is always right about these things and I thank her for persuading me.

But the panel was still very mom focused. There was lots of talk about how the women on the panel were stay-at-home moms looking for something to do and ended up with a very (very!) successful business. Or they were working moms that found a mommy product/service need-gap and wanted to fill it - and have! Each panel member explained how she had to balance being a mom and an entrepreneur - which I am confident is no easy task.

The other thing that these moms had in common was that they are married. One told of how she went to her husband for funding to seed the project (he was still working while she was home with the kids). Another mentioned that her husband was between jobs and starting this company together was the perfect opportunity for him. I've actually met her husband - a couple of months before I launched SavvyAuntie.com I interviewed with him for a marketing job at Skip*Hop. He's an incredibly successful serial entrepreneur, so I am sure he was welcome support and is a valuable partner. In fact, had it not been for the fact that the company's main products are diaper bags, for which I have little passion, I would have loved to work with him.

So here we had five incredible women entrepreneurs (Big City Moms is a sister team) who started their own companies, with children. But they also have husbands that support and contribute to their success. And I wonder: How many of these mompreneurs would have started these businesses without the (emotional, financial and skill) support of being married to their husbands?

I have often said that mompreneurs start businesses because they have children and auntrepreneurs start businesses because we don't. Still, even I delayed becoming an entrepreneur for years because I was hoping to have the support of marriage - which I still do not have - before I did. But in my late 30's - I realized it was time to take control of my destiny and start a company of my dreams anyway.

The good news is that I've never dated more. I guess happy people are attractive. The bad news is that I don't have the support (emotional, financial and skill) that comes with marriage. And boy could I use a hand (to hold).

So there's no one to hug when a great thing comes about. Or when I am stressed. There's no one to bounce ideas off of. Or learn from. Or get help from. Or share experiences with. Or to be proud of me.

The mom entrepreneurs at the Collective-E event last night joked that finding ways to work with one's husband is a panel discussion all in of itself. And I don't believe having a spouse as a partner is always easy. I am sure it comes with its own set of issues.

But having a partner to share life with makes having success that much more fruitful. I heard repeated again and again last night: "My husband and I...." "So I said to my husband..." "Our biggest mistake was that my husband and I thought..." Just having the luxury of sharing the entrepreneurial experience with a partner is something I am envious of.

At first, I wondered if these women would have started their businesses if there were single?

And then I wondered... would I have ever started my company if I had actually been married? Would I have been satisfied in just finding my love? Would I have needed to manifest this destiny if I were a wife?

And I wondered if my company would be more successful if I did have the support of a husband. What would he contribute? How would he be my other half?

But then I realized that the truth was, I never needed a Collective-Me. I just needed Me. And while I am working my tail off and have risked my life's savings on starting a business on my own, I have all the support (emotional, financial and skill) I need. I know that because I've done it. And am doing it. I seem to be all I *needed.

Which isn't everything I've always wanted.

But it's enough for now.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

PS - Please use the comments section to tell me if marriage or non-marriage is a help or hindrance to your entrepreneurial ventures and aspirations. Men - this is for you too!

Please vote for SavvyAuntie.com in the Niche and Misc. Social Media category in the Mashable Open Web Awards! http://mashable.com/2008/11/05/open-web-awards-2/ Thanks!

*Notwithstanding all the friends, acquaintances and business colleagues who have and continue to support me. Thank you!)

Making Community Work

Dear Savvy Aunties,

I love the Savvy Auntie Community. I read the members' profiles and see the passion they have for their nephews and nieces and it feels great to be able to provide a platform for Aunts around the country - and the world. There are many active members on the site, but many are inactive. And while Aunties need to gauge their own Community participation, if we're all going to become Savvy Aunties, we need to connect, inspire and teach each other through making Friends, creating Groups and participating in Forums. This is not happening at the pace I was hoping for. So we're in the process of creating new tools to inspire more Community participation.

On the SavvyAuntie.com Homepage, members who are logged in, will see a number of Savvy Things They Can Do Right Now. They'll also find those same tools in the Community section. And in other places on the site. But I encourage all members to begin new Forum discussions, or reply to those already posted.

Right now there are a couple of Forum posts that should really get a response from the Community. I really hope the Community responds. Once we show how warm the Savvy Auntie community is, we can really start to benefit from the support, advice and information we get from each other.

I am always looking for new ways to make Community more effective. Savvy Aunties have so much to share and we finally have a voice! If you have ideas on how to Make Community Work, please leave a comment here. I would love to see them.

I am so excited about the new opportunities for Community on SavvyAuntie.com!

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

Community. Remember That Point.

Dear Readers,

On the same day that I decided to start my company, which I knew would serve the modern, cosmopolitan aunt, I made lists. Lists are a good thing to create when you know you need to do something, but aren't sure what.

First, I created a list of things the company would do. Or be. Gosh it was so amorphous at this point. It would be a Website. There would be tips for being the best Auntie possible. There would be things to do - Aunties need ideas for what she could do with kids. And of course, there would be products and gift ideas. And community. In my very first day as an entrepreneur, on the list of things I wrote down of what needed to be included in my company, I included: Community. Aunties need to be able to connect with each other in order to learn from each other. Community. Remember that point. It's important.

The second list I made were of men and women, friends and acquaintances, I knew who were entrepreneurs. Right off the bat, I had a list of ten people. Without blinking, I knew ten people who could give me advice on entrepreneurship. Wow. That seemed like a lot at the time.

I spoke with them all in the two weeks following my list making. We met for coffee. At the gym. For lunch. For dinner. On the phone. On a street corner. At the bookstore. At their office. No matter where, what or how, each one made time for me. And they all had great advice. I learned something from each one of them. One thing I have learned is that entrepreneurs believe deeply in karma. They know that by sharing what they have learned from others - and on their own - with a newbie, something good will come back to them. These entrepreneurs should expect a lot of great things coming back to them.

I have all the notes. I kept them all in one book. They include brainstorms for names of the company (I went with another name in the end). Names of attorneys. Accountants. Graphic designers. Names of people these people were connected with. Lots of fantastic ideas. And not one negative word. Not one hint that I might have a challenge I could not overcome.

I not only got great advice and qualitative information, I also got tremendous support. Each smile, hug, "tell me more!," "let me know how else I can help," "I'll put you in touch with...," all of that meant I could wake up the next day feeling like I would one day be like them. One day, I would be a successful entrepreneur.

On both lists I made that day, I had listed Community. One was to serve Aunts. The other was a list of ten people in my life who became my community of entrepreneurs. Less than a year later, that list has grown to dozens more. Entrepreneurs introduced me to entrepreneurs. I found entrepreneurs on Facebook. On Twitter. Through networks like Ladies Who Launch and the Jeff Pulver Social Media Breakfasts. Sometimes I "met" entrepreneurs in books and magazines. And a few I just stumbled upon along the way.

What I have learned from these people is invaluable. I will try to repeat their lessons in this Blog as the posts move forward. And I'll add a few tips of my own.

I am much smarter and will be more successful because of the community of entrepreneurs who have helped and continue to help me every day. If you want to be an entrepreneur, ask another one for help. Some of you have even begun emailing me for advice (I laugh in humble irony). I am here to help. We are all part of a community. And that's what community does.

Remember that point. It's important.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie