Ladies Who Launch Blog

A few weeks ago, my husband, Josh, went to Lake Placid and completed the Ironman -- a race that involves a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and essentially a marathon, a 26.2 mile run. Regardless of the unbelievable fact that he came in 5th in his age group and did it in under 10 hours (yeah, it's hot, no question), I found an interesting lesson in watching him get the idea to do it, train for it, complete it, and recover (currently.) Within Ladies Who Launch, I see women launch great ideas and businesses every day. They have brilliant minds, backgrounds, product or service ideas, philanthropic hopes and dreams - all of it. As an organization our job is to provide the tools, community and resources for them to meet their goals and be as successful as they want to be. But, you know what we can't do? We can't focus them. It's each of our jobs to focus our own distracted, ambitious (and lazy) selves...and not only innovate with ideas but actually do something about them. I watched my guy train for up to six hours a day, chart his progress, follow a rigorous sleep and eating schedule and cancel or amend plans in order to prioritize his goal; qualify for Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in October. Nothing, literally, nothing, not even the car that hit him 2 months ago and sent him to the ER or the recurring knee spasms or subsequent thumb surgery would get in his way.

Here's what I learned about goal-getting from my uber-focused bedmate: Read More »

I remember leaving my full-time job with a well-known supermodel (a very cushy, cool, hard-to-leave situation) and wondering ... what am I going to do with myself? I knew my expiration date had come on that gig but just didn't know where the next stop would be. Many people are facing that same situation now, only not by choice. Layoffs are rampant. The economy is in a fragile place. The 9 to 5, once the dutiful headquarters of health insurance and job security, isn't what it used to be since many employers aren't even offering insurance -- much less stability -- as they once were. At Ladies Who Launch, we see women leaving corporate America in droves. Some of them are being forced to go and others just can't stand it anymore. They want to own some thing. They want control over their lives. They want to pursue a passion. They want to make money doing it, and without a ceiling on how much. As contrary as it might seem, now is a pretty good time to explore your true calling. It may feel crazy to jump on the ledge into the great unknown, but with the right planning and mindset, it might be the best thing you ever do for yourself. Read More »

Why can't success look like doing one thing really and truly well? Why can't the attention to detail, deep knowledge and shameless passion for one thing or industry to be enough? Does EVERYONE have to have their own fragrance, line of housewares, TV show and magazine? Why are we consumed by this idea that one specialty is not enough? Read More »

Tips from Ladies Who Launch to help you balance your business and your home life.

Trying to launch a business, but wondering if you’ll be able to do it all and keep your sanity in check?

It can definitely feel like a balancing act, especially when you’re supposed to drive the kids to soccer right in the middle of your first power meeting with potential clients. But don’t worry, the best part of launching your own business is YOU create the rules that work best for YOU. So get ready to take control of your launch, and most importantly, have fun doing it. Here are some tips to help you stay sane while launching. Read More »

Some words of wisdom from Ladies Who Launch member, Elizabeth Cassidy.

Did you ever just know something and not know how you knew it? Did you ever get that strange feeling that had nothing to do with recalled hamburger meat?

Did you ever get a ”mental memo” without benefit of email, blackberry or an actual phone call?

Did you just ignore the message only to discover that somehow the communiqué was correct?

Did you ever get offered a job and just know that it could wind up as one of the worse mistake in your life and did you just go, “I can start on Monday?”

I did. I did! The scars are healing nicely, but I did not listen to that sweet inner voice that kept saying, “Walk out of the room, do not turn around, and just keep moving. Run for your life!!!”
Read More »