Being an expert on online shopping, why do you think so many consumers lack value in the items they are purchasing and how it affects their lives?

People are buying a lot of valuable items this season. I think that they are looking for things that they are going to love and that is what value really is. Being able to use things that you already have is also important, I’ve become kind of obsessed with extending the life of things that I currently have in my closet.

The majority of our readers are young professionals with tight budgets. What are some tips or tricks that you can offer to spruce up their wardrobe?

A couple of things. A belt is a great thing to own. It can be used over a dress or a sweater and can change the whole look of an outfit. I especially love accessories like scarves, especially when I travel. For those of you who may do corporate travel, try not to pack a lot of clothes, instead, pack accessories that can change one outfit into many looks. I also think it is important to have a good tailor. There maybe some things in your closet that just don’t fit right or it’s not the right trend that can be altered.

As an entrepreneur, do you have any advice to people looking to get into the fashion industry or starting their own business?

Well I think it definitely is something that you have to love, because you will be working all the time. I started in 2004 and I am never off the clock. I wouldn’t trade it or work for anyone else, so my advice is to not give up.

What are some items that we can add around the house to make it more calm and relaxing after a long day’s work?

I love having my clothes and linens smell really amazing, so I buy a detergent like Gain that comes in a variety different scents. Since you only have to use a cap full, you get more product out of the bottle. Whatever mood you are in, they have a scent that would work for you.

When our surroundings are organized we tend to lead less stressful lives. What are some organizational tools that we can use both at home and the office?

When you have a cleared out closet or desk drawer, it sort of clears your mind. Sometimes when I am stuck in my business, I do a “clean-out” around the office and at home. It’s good to clear the clutter, which I think is great for people to try when they are stressed.

Can you give our readers a few fashion tips for the winter season?

If you have a pair of rain boots buy fleece liners or sheep-skin liners and put them inside the boots. This makes them into winter boots, which is great because it’s getting colder. You can do the same thing with tights, especially plush tights. Which you can wear with a summer dress and put a sweater under or over the dress. Then you have a long-sleeve winter dress, which you can wear all season round.

As young professionals living on a tight budget and constantly running, I am sure that we can each find value in the advice that Michelle provided. To learn more about the women’s online content pioneer log on to www.shefinds.com or about her “Find Value and Get More Out of the Things You Have” campaign log on to www.ilovegain.com.

Is it fab or just a fad? Will you be joining in? Sound off below and let us know.

Very few actors are able to seamlessly transition between the acting and singing arenas. Check out the video below and leave comments whether you think Keith has what it takes to live in both worlds.

2nd Quarter: “When Big Dreams Meet Grownup Reality” – Episode 1: All Sex Aint Good Sex

For some reason I think the most while I am traveling, so I definitely needed a good book on hand. I was reading Mark Faust’s “Growth or Bust” while traveling on the plane back to NYC and loved the way he capitalizes on providing his readers on proven turnaround strategies that can be used to strengthen the growth of their businesses. The section called, 7 Rules for a Productive Informative Session, really stuck out to me.

Here he broke down all key essentials that can create the ideal brainstorming session with our team members. I immediately folded the corner of the page to return to so I would be able to share this information with you. I’m going to layout the rules as I interpreted them, but be sure to go to your local library or bookstore to read the book for yourself.

Embrace Change

Change is good! That must be emphasized to your team, as a company grows try not to be in stuck in your ways.

Understand That There Are No Bad Ideas

This is an important rule that should be mentioned prior to every brainstorming session you hold. Accept everyone’s contribution to the team’s ideas and avoid harsh judgments against any idea.

Set Aside Status, Titles and Positions

Ensure that all employees feel equal when holding a brainstorming meeting.

Postpone Discernment

As the facilitator you must postpone any judgment of any ideas that are brought to the table. Avoid participants to have immediate responses when a new idea is discussed until after everything has been proposed.

Kill Idea Killers

Don’t allow Idea Killers to ruin your creative thought process. If you know there is a person that normally bashes ideas, don’t hesitate to call them out. This can take place in private or aloud without actually addressing that specific person.

Require Participation

Be sure to welcome everyone’s input. Often the most quiet person in the room is the one that has the brightest ideas or has a unique perspective.

Say “Yes” and…

Get your team in the habit of not saying “no” or any harsh comments when an idea is proposed. Instead replace it with a “yes and” so that they can further describe their idea or someone else can comment on it.

Should you decide to utilize these tools at your next brainstorming session, I am pretty sure that it will go a whole lot smoother than the way you have done it before.  Rule #2 will definitely eliminate the small debates or bickering that usually prolongs the meeting.

TI thanked everyone for coming out and joined the audience to watch the first and second episodes of his new show which captures his daily life as a father, husband, actor and entertainer. “Tameka and I have a strong, loving family,” said T.I. “In this family documentary, you will see the challenges of raising children while balancing a career. It’s like a lot of families, only our home is in the spotlight.”

The show is set to air on VH1 at 9p on Monday, Dec. 5th. Will you be watching?

Glamour Interview Excerpt:

Kim: …I think I’ll always be a hopeless romantic.

GLAMOUR: What do you mean by that?

Kim: It means that I believe in love and the dream of having a perfect relationship, but my idea of it has changed. I think I need to not live in a fairy tale like that. I think I maybe need to just snap out of it and be a little more realistic.

Khloé: I love Kim’s belief in love and the fact that she feels so strongly about it. She has that dream every girl has.

Kim: Well, I don’t think I have it right now.

Khloé: Which is fine, but I’m your sister and I know why you don’t have it right now. But I know you will get it again.

Kim: I hope I do. But by then I hope maybe I’m a little bit more realistic.

GLAMOUR: Realistic about what?

Kim: The fact that what I want isn’t possible.

Khloé: What, a guy on a white horse coming to get you? That doesn’t happen!

Kim: I don’t know. I always wanted what Mom and Dad had. And at first I was like, I want six kids. Then I went down to four, then I was down to three.and now I’m like, maybe I won’t have any. Maybe I’ll just be a good aunt.

Khloé: But Mom and Dad got a divorce, and she met Bruce. And you were a child; you don’t know what Mom and Dad had. As an outsider looking in, it probably looked like paradise.

Kim: At this moment in my life, I feel like maybe I’m not supposed to have kids and all that.

Khloé: Oh my God. Don’t be dramatic all of a sudden!

Kim: That’s how I feel. Maybe my fairy tale has a different ending than I dreamed it would. But that’s OK.

Photographed by Ben Watts in New York City, Kim, Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian appear on Glamour’s January cover wearing cardigans by L’Wren Scott and Malia Mills bottoms; Kourtney wears a ring and bracelets by Cartier.

Fair Isaac, creator of the FICO score, has rolled out to all three credit bureaus its newest general-purpose FICO score, dubbed FICO 08. With this new version of the credit score, FICO says its will disregard collection accounts and other dings on your credit file when the original balance owed was under $100.

The logic there,” says FICO’s Tom Quinn, “is that for small dollar amounts, like a collection notice from a public library system, the (credit scoring) model will now bypass those and not consider those to be negative. Any kind of derogatory public information that’s less than $100” will be excluded, Quinn adds.

This certainly has the potential to help boost your FICO score if it was impacted by such a blemish. But beware: amid the credit crunch, every single account you have, and every single financial transaction you engage in is being analyzed to determine your credit worthiness.

Originally posted here.

Some things that you might consider…  turn your hobby into an interest or possibly a paying job, utilized your resources, network or move to another city. Here are some cities that you might want to check out:

No. 1: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas

2010 rank: 1 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 6 Nonfarm employment change: 1.5%

No. 2: New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La.

2010 rank: 46 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 7 Nonfarm employment change: 0.8%

No. 3: Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas

2010 rank: 3 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 14 Nonfarm employment change: 1.9%

No. 4: San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas

2010 rank: 2 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 17 Nonfarm employment change: 0.8%

No. 5: Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas

2010 rank: 5 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 18 Nonfarm employment change: 2.3%

 

Being a successful business owner requires investing your own money in addition to a ton of time and effort. Despite the appeal of being your own boss, the reality is that not everyone is cut out to be a successful business owner.

Here are five quick personality assessments to evaluate before taking the entrepreneurial plunge:

Are you Santa or an elf?
Entrepreneurship requires managing a wide variety of tasks as part of the business, from marketing and accounting to training, customer service and more. Can you wear multiple hats, as Santa does with Christmas, or do you prefer to be the elf that loves to execute specific tasks? Do you take initiative or do you want clear instructions? Santas make better entrepreneurs than elves do.

What’s your relationship with money?
Starting a business requires money to start, to operate and for you to live on while it scales. If you are a big spender and aren’t great at managing money, those bad habits are likely to follow you into a business. And if you are usually unable to make worthwhile investments in the future of your business for fear of ending up living in a cardboard box if things go wrong then you may end up penny wise and pound foolish, as they say. Having a solid, non-emotional money relationship will help you make wise business decisions.

Are you comfortable flying blind?
The only thing that is certain in business is that nothing is certain. Are you comfortable with being uncomfortable? Can you handle taking educated risks and surviving the constant ups and downs of owning a business? If you are looking for the certainty or a drama-free zone, you may find yourself terrified of the entrepreneurial roller coaster.

Are you ready to commit?
Running a successful business is not just about having great ideas. It’s more about strong execution. So, if you have a hard time staying focused, you are lousy with commitments and you’re averse to the idea of working day in and day out on the same thing, then entrepreneurship may just be a passing fancy for you.

Were you born for business?
Were you interested in business as a child? Did you seek out entrepreneurial roles in school, in social organizations or even in your previous job? A natural inclination of past interest in entrepreneurship seems to be a good potential indicator of future success.

Think you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur? Or are you still unsure? Take this informal quiz to see how your answers compare with the popular profile of today’s successful entrepreneurs.

Click here for the quiz.