Personal freedom and entrepreneurship appeal to a similar and somewhat bold lot. Entrepreneurs are independent, adventurous, strong-willed and intolerant of ‘cages’ of all kinds. We are driven to chart our own course knowing we have a better idea and a better way of doing it. Simply put, we’re willing to go for it, no matter the cost, and this kind of intensity fuels our confidence.
Here are the entrepreneurs featured in Life on Your Terms:
Askew, Nic
Nic is many things: filmmaker, storyteller, poet, musician, composer, and commentator on our experience of life. In his most recent film series, Soul Biographies, he captures the experience of being human, and offers viewers the opportunity to be moved to tears, laughter, and a deeper experience of themselves.
Leo is the creator and writer of Zen Habits, a blog dedicated to simple productivity. He lives in Guam with his wife and six children. He also created mnmlist.com (on minimalism) and Write To Done (for writers and bloggers). He is the author of a best-selling book, The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential, in Business and in Life.
Don’t ever tell Arlene something isn’t possible: she will take that as her cue to insist that it is, and set about proving it! Arlene is determined to live on her own terms and spends a lot of time encouraging other people to do the same. She sees people trapped in their lives and tries to show, through example, that anything is possible. She hopes that her own story will be an inspiration for others to reach for whatever it is that inspires them. You only get to live each day once, so go and be fabulous!
During her many life experiences, Susie discovered that one of her greatest strengths and deepest desires was to be of service to people. Following that trail, she enrolled in the training program for co-active coaching offered by The Coaches Training Institute. As a result of this journey, she developed her niche: “Designing the next act of your life.”
Title: Susie Bedsow Horgan, CPCC, Personal Life Coach
After twenty-five years of climbing the corporate ladder at Westinghouse, Jim woke up one day and asked himself the question, “Who am I, and what do I want to do with the rest of my life?” With a wife to support and three boys in college, he answered his own question, and made the change that led him to become an investment banker and business valuation expert with an entrepreneurial state of mind.
Arleen Boyd understands that we each must take responsibility for the condition of our personal economy, and recognizes that individuals and companies must come together to excel. “Aloha Arleen” podcasts feature education, experiences, and interviews with experts in the different aspects of online marketing, and help businesses apply marketing strategies.
Alicia Castillo Holley is an expert in creating wealth. She is passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation and venture capital. Her views about prosperity inspire and motivate individuals to be actors rather than spectators in their own lives. She worked as a scientist and professor before becoming involved in product development, and eventually turning into an entrepreneur and angel investor.
Tom Clynes is a freelance journalist and photographer who covers environmental issues, science, and adventure travel. As a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and Popular Science, he has reported on Ebola outbreaks and eco-mercenaries in central Africa, retraced Edmund Hillary’s climbs in New Zealand, and learned to fly in the Australian outback. He is also the author of the book Wild Planet.
Melinda Cohan is a woman of vision who believes that spirit and business go hand in hand – or as she would say, heart in heart. As Visionary, President, and co-founder of The Coaches ConsoleTM Melinda combines spirit and business in a unique manner that allows her to share her knowledge with other coaches as the coaching industry as a whole.
As a spiritual minister, life coach, hypnotherapist, counselor, published writer, inspirational speaker, and radio broadcaster, Lorraine’s great joy is helping people awaken to who they are, who they are meant to be, and what they here to do. For more than twenty years, she has helped thousands of spiritually-minded business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches, professionals, and leaders from a wide range of industries create prosperous businesses, meaningful careers, and fulfilling lives aligned with Spirit.
Lynette has played an integral role in many start-up companies’ multi-product market expansion. For more than a decade, she has been responsible for corporate infrastructure which she designed to support excellence in client management and clinic operations. Her natural problem-solving ability has played a key role in companies’ productivity, and her vision has allowed them to achieve unprecedented growth and expansion.
Dwain M. DeVille is the author of The Biker’s Guide to Business, and CEO of WaterMark International, Inc., a consultancy that serves entrepreneurial business leaders. As much as Dwain loves the challenges of business, he loves to ride his motorcycle even more, and after decades of enjoying both, he’s equally at home in the boardroom and in the saddle. He now spends his time helping entrepreneurs regain balance between their business and personal lives.
Title: Author of The Bikers Guide to Business and CEO, WaterMark International
As a therapist, Lorraine was aware of how her patients struggled with money management and financial decisions. After transitioning into coaching, she saw the same money issues running rampant among her clients. Lorraine’s desire was to provide a plan for clients to reach their financial goals; now, as a Money and Relationship Coach, Lorraine offers full support with her “Extreme Money MakeoverTM.”
As a successful executive, and now as a successful leader and business coach, Ann not only knows how to coach success, she knows how to create it! Using her trademarked tools and programs, Ann supports her clients and their teams and organizations to help them step up into breakthrough results. Her clients include more than twenty Fortune 500 Companies, and over twenty-five licensed Corporate Coaching firms now use Ann’s coaching engagement models as their standard for excellence.
Contact Ann to learn more about her company, Quantum Endeavors®, Inc. and her member-based executive coaching program, Your Corporate Success.
Jonathan Fields is a writer, entrepreneur, marketing and small-biz strategist, and author of Career Renegade: How To Make a Great Living Doing What You Love (Broadway Books, 2009). He has been featured extensively in the media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, USA Today, People, Fast Company, NBC, CNBC, CBS Radio, Entrepreneur, Self, Vogue, and Fitness, plus thousands of web sites. Jonathan speaks regularly on lifestyle, entrepreneurship, marketing, and the book business, and shares his thoughts online at TribalAuthor.com and through his popular blog at JonathanFields.com.
When he’s not working, you can find Jonathan dancing around his living room with his wife and daughter; occasionally, he also sleeps.
John Foote, a twenty-year veteran of the film and entertainment industry, owner of Land Mind Productions, and lifelong punk rocker, founded Mental Records in 1995. John established the label after returning to Southern Oregon from L.A. fueled by a passion to create and direct music videos.
Title: Owner of Land Mind Productions and Mental Records
Akemi Gaines has the uncanny ability to read people’s soul records (called Akashic Records). While she assists personal development enthusiasts with her reading and coaching, she intends to innovate new spiritual services, so that this industry can gain public recognition and respect. She is the author of the Real Life Spirituality blog, where she shares insights on various aspects of life.
Dava Guthmiller is the founder & Creative Director of Noise 13 Design, Inc., the founder of Pow.wow Network, and the leader of Slow Food San Francisco. Her background and passion lies in lifestyle branding, including food & beverage, hospitality, beauty and leisure. Being involved in Slow Food, and creating events like the Localize Dinner Series, speaks to her passion for all things good for the environment and for the body.
Diane is an internationally recognized author, business and leadership development coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. As a certified professional Coach, and president of Seize This Day Coaching, Diane helps businesses and organizations operate more constructively and profitably. She is also co-founder of Seize True Success, a coaching practice dedicated to helping franchisees grow and prosper. She offers workshops, speeches, and seminars on the subjects of sales, business development, and leadership. Diane is the author of Lemonade Stand Selling, a sales book for small business owners, and is also a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms.
Tony originally got involved with Zappos as an advisor and investor in 1999, two months after the company was founded. He joined Zappos full-time in 2000. Under his leadership, Zappos has increased its gross merchandise sales from $1.6 million in 2000 to over $1 billion in 2008 by focusing relentlessly on customer service. Prior to joining Zappos, Tony cofounded Venture Frogs and LinkExchange.
Title: CEO, Zappos
Web site: www.zappos.com
E-mail: pr@zappos.com
Janes, Aprille
Aprille Janes is a certified Life Coach and a champion of women who long to claim the bigger life they know is waiting! She teaches that the best way for women to reclaim that “Bolder Chick” inside is to connect to their irresistible core of passion, and helps her clients make that connection through her writing classes, workshops and private coaching. Start your journey by downloading her free e-book Passion, Purpose and Values from her web site.
Title: Founder of Bolder Woman
Telephone: (905) 985-6454
Web sites: www.AprilleJanes.com and www.BolderWoman.com
E-mail: Aprille@inbox.com
Joy, Linda
Living her soul’s purpose, “conscious entrepreneur” Linda Joy is dedicated to inspiring women to live deeper, more authentic, inspired lives. She is the Publisher of Aspire Magazine, the premiere inspirational magazine for women; and the founder of Inspired Living Publishing, publisher of a series of inspirational anthologies for women and by women, including A Juicy, Joyful Life: Inspiration From Women Who Have Found The Sweetness In Every Day.
Title: President and Founder, Aspire Media, Inc. Founder and Publisher, Inspired Living Publishing Telephone: (508) 265-7929
Web sites: www.AspireMag.net and www.InspiredLivingPublishing.com
E-mail: Linda@Aspiremag.net
Kanbar, Jeff
Jeff Kanbar is a native New Yorker and entrepreneur with a background in spirits, restaurants, real estate, design, and manufacturing. He got his first taste of the liquor business when his uncle, Maurice Kanbar, started SKYY Vodka out of his San Francisco apartment in 1992. When SKYY was launched in New York City in 1994,
Jeff came on board as the sole sales, marketing, and promotions director. After four years with SKYY, Jeff embarked on various endeavors on his own, but always missed the excitement of the liquor business. “My appetite for traveling the world, experiencing new spirits and nightlife culture only got stronger as I got older.” Jeff then decided the time was ripe to go on his own and produce the spirit he had been craving.
Title: Founder of Jett Spirits, LLC
Telephone: (310) 273-JETT (5388)
Web site: www.drinkjett.com
E-mail: jeff@drinkjett.com
Lamphere, Matt
Matt Lamphere is an independent filmmaker & martial artist. His mission is simple: to tell the highest quality visual stories that he can, while continuing to refine his craft. Visit his web site for further information on projects in development and the services his video production company offers.
Title: Owner, Visual Media Tactics and VMT Films
Telephone: (231) 342-4230
Web site: www.visualmediatactics.com and www.vmtfilms.com
E-mail: matt@visualmediatactics.com
Hsieh, Tony
Tony originally got involved with Zappos as an advisor and investor in 1999, two months after the company was founded. He joined Zappos full-time in 2000. Under his leadership, Zappos has increased its gross merchandise sales from $1.6 million in 2000 to over $1 billion in 2008 by focusing relentlessly on customer service. Prior to joining Zappos, Tony cofounded Venture Frogs and LinkExchange.
Aprille Janes is a certified Life Coach and a champion of women who long to claim the bigger life they know is waiting! She teaches that the best way for women to reclaim that “Bolder Chick” inside is to connect to their irresistible core of passion, and helps her clients make that connection through her writing classes, workshops and private coaching. Start your journey by downloading her free e-book Passion, Purpose and Values from her web site.
Living her soul’s purpose, “conscious entrepreneur” Linda Joy is dedicated to inspiring women to live deeper, more authentic, inspired lives. She is the Publisher of Aspire Magazine, the premiere inspirational magazine for women; and the founder of Inspired Living Publishing, publisher of a series of inspirational anthologies for women and by women, including A Juicy, Joyful Life: Inspiration From Women Who Have Found The Sweetness In Every Day.
Title: President and Founder, Aspire Media, Inc. Founder and Publisher, Inspired Living Publishing
Jeff Kanbar is a native New Yorker and entrepreneur with a background in spirits, restaurants, real estate, design, and manufacturing. He got his first taste of the liquor business when his uncle, Maurice Kanbar, started SKYY Vodka out of his San Francisco apartment in 1992. When SKYY was launched in New York City in 1994,
Jeff came on board as the sole sales, marketing, and promotions director. After four years with SKYY, Jeff embarked on various endeavors on his own, but always missed the excitement of the liquor business. “My appetite for traveling the world, experiencing new spirits and nightlife culture only got stronger as I got older.” Jeff then decided the time was ripe to go on his own and produce the spirit he had been craving.
Matt Lamphere is an independent filmmaker & martial artist. His mission is simple: to tell the highest quality visual stories that he can, while continuing to refine his craft. Visit his web site for further information on projects in development and the services his video production company offers.
Recently featured on The Today Show, Laura Lopez has been leading teams and achieving results for major Fortune 100 Companies since the early 1980s. Most recently, Laura was a highly successful Vice President for The Coca-Cola Company. As a speaker, award-winning author, and Birkman certified coach, Laura helps clients build more sustainable personal and professional results to achieve greater levels of success.
Title: Award-winning Author, Motivational Speaker, and Birkman Method Coach
Joe MacQuarrie is a world traveler, lover of life, and advertising media specialist. Joe removes the stress and frustration of planning, managing, and implementing advertising plans, and provides a highly professional advertising placement service with more than twenty years experience in sales, marketing and advertising.
Title: Owner, Advertising Advantage
Telephone: (231) 883-3563
E-mail: joemacquarrie@me.com
Martin, Deborah
Deborah Martin is a Master Certified Coach, Professional Mentor Coach, writer, outdoor adventurer, fisherwoman, avid canoeist, and lover of nature. Deb is extraordinarily intuitive, and passionate about all things wild. She spends much of her time getting to know herself better and testing her limits in the wilderness, and gives Mother Nature credit for being her first coach. In addition to her regular one-on-one coaching sessions, Deb combines her intuitive abilities and her passion for nature to offer what she calls Wilderness Adventure Coaching.
Dr. Anne Merkel is The Corporate Alchemist, and takes her title from the energetic shifts she has facilitated in individuals, projects, teams, and organizations worldwide over the last thirty years. Like an Alchemist of old, changing lead into gold, Anne inspires, energizes, and transforms individual and corporate clients. Wherever she goes, conscious transformation follows. Anne is a leader, coach, change agent, intuitive, Reiki master, energy therapist, and writer who has successfully guided individuals, projects, teams, and organizations from all over the U.S. and Canada, and over seventy-six countries.
Mike Michalowicz (pronounced mi-CAL-o-witz) started his first business at the age of twenty-four, after moving his young family to the only safe place he could afford – a retirement village. With limited resources and no experience, he systematically bootstrapped a multi-million dollar technology business, sleeping in conference rooms to avoid hotel costs. After selling his first company, Mike launched a new business the very next day, and in less than three years, sold it to a Fortune 500. With his newest multi-million dollar venture, Obsidian Launch, he fosters startup businesses with his “get rich right” approach. He is author of the wildly popular book for entrepreneurs, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.
Title: Founder of Obsidian Launch and Author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur
Perry Niehaus is the president and owner of Laser Valley Technologies Corporation. Perry enjoys the study of human psychology, spirituality, motivation, leadership, and personal and group achievement. He loves to play golf, and embraces life coaching and mentorship. Perry dreams of one day providing public service through speaking, teaching, and writing.
Title: General Manager, Laser Valley Technologies Corp.
Bea Rigsby-Kunz is a retired classroom educator who has taken her new career as an educator in the fields literally. She is the owner of Sage Hill Farms, a sustainable farm project. Both Sage Hill and Bea are works in progress.
Ilham Shebani supports and motivates women in business to network, collaborate, and create greater opportunities through mentoring partnerships, social media, and local networking events. She creates a platform for women to engage in local and cross-border projects such as International Women’s Day, International Fashion Shows, multicultural festivals, interfaith initiatives, and community based events in the UK and MENA region.
Title: Founder and Project Leader of BUILD SELF GROUP
Felicia J. Slattery lives her life with energy, passion and enthusiasm because she realizes each moment is precious. After nearly losing her life in childbirth in 2004, she began to put her communication and public speaking talents to use to create a positive impact on the world through teaching, writing, consulting and coaching. With two Master’s Degrees – one in Adult Education and Training and another in Communication – Felicia specializes in training busy professionals to succeed through effective communication and by delivering results-driven presentations. Her enthusiastic passion for communication is contagious because she knows that one important message delivered with power can transform a life.
Title: Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed., Communication Consultant, Speaker and Coach
Scott Stratten is the President of UnMarketing, a company that helps companies stop marketing and start engaging with their customers. As a leader in the fields of viral marketing, social media, and customer relations, he’s taught clients how to create lifelong fans instead of one-off customers. He’s been mentioned in publications like Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, to name a few. That plus $5 gets him a free cup of coffee wherever he goes. His book UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging is due to be released in September 2010 by Wiley & Sons.
John P. Strelecky is the #1 Bestselling inspirational author of The Why Cafe, Life Safari, The Big Five for Life: Leadership’s Greatest Secret, and How to be Rich and Happy. His works have been translated into nineteen languages. John was honored alongside Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, and Deepak Chopra as one of the 100 Most Influential Thought Leaders in the field of leadership and personal development. He has been invited to speak alongside Nobel Peace Prize nominees and award winning philanthropists to share his learning with audiences around the world.
Julie Swatek is the founder of www.ScrapYourTrip.com, the most popular e-commerce web site specializing in travel and theme-specific scrapbook supplies. She founded the company in 2002 out of the spare bedroom of her house and has guided it to almost $3 million in revenue. She is a fourth-generation entrepreneur and single mom to two elementary school children. She is governed by the philosophy that when you take care of your employees and customers, the profits will take care of themselves.
Whether she’s teaching brides and grooms how to plan fun and flirty weddings, advocating for shelter dogs or the National Marrow Donor Program, or just kicking back and eating a cupcake, Stacie lives each moment to its fullest, and always has fun doing it. She’s discovered that the key to happiness in life and business is a simple formula: Be kind, be patient, ask for and embrace constructive criticism, embrace change, and always be willing to take chances.
Lisa Vinton is President/CEO and founder of Services for Success, Inc., a Southern California business management consulting firm, and co-host of Only 2 Degrees, which has fun connecting people from all over the world to promote business. Her latest book, How to Get Poor Quick: 10 Myths That Can Cause Your Business to Fail, is a practical confidence builder for displaced workers in this deep economic recession.
Marianne is a facilitator, mentor, and author, with expertise in self-mastery, peak performance, relationship, intentional manifestation, and self-employment. She brings 40+ years of experience in business, human potential development, and awakening spiritual awareness to help people achieve peace, success, and freedom on all levels. Her books are Empowering Vision for Dreamers, Visionaries & Other Entrepreneurs, and The Passage to Freedom (due out in 2010).
Will Wilkinson has earned a living with his imagination since childhood. A television entertainer, interview host, author, life coach, designer, and workshop presenter, Will empowers all who know him to become “imagineers,” to create the life they want, heal wounds, and provide themselves with the most timely personal growth.
Title: Founder and CIO of Imagifi Productions Unlimited
Gabe Zichermann developed the concept for rmbrME after realizing that tracking and connecting with new contacts had become unmanageable. Rather than starting a 12-step program for social hunters, Gabe helped develop rmbrME, the first mobile solution for exchanging social contact and lead information that works with any device. Now residing in New York City, Gabe frequently muses about the opportunities to use game design in broader applications on his blog, funwareblog.com. He is the co-author of the upcoming book, WebPlay (Manning, 2009).
