Misstropolis

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Launch into Action

by Robin Hauck

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Entrepreneurship and Creativity as a Lifestyle. Read that again and this time, really think about it. They are exhilarating words for some, terrifying for others. What about you? Have you dreamed of starting something on your own but held back because of doubt or fear, or not having the right people to talk to?

If you’ve thought about starting a business – big or small - you’re not alone. Just ask the women of Ladies Who Launch, the company built on the idea that entrepreneurship can be a lifestyle choice with benefits of freedom and flexibility. According to LWL, women in America are launching businesses at twice the rate of men, and one of the main incentives is the desire for more control over their time.

Started by Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt, Ladies Who Launch now has 14 people on staff in New York City and satellite offices all over the United States and Canada. The support net includes online networking, live events, a magazine and books. Beth and Victoria created, tested and ultimately patented a unique curriculum for Incubators, the intensive workshops which are the cornerstones of the LWL approach. Learn all about it at a special panel discussion on May 7. Successful graduates of the program, all of whom have launched growing businesses will share their experiences. Yours truly has been invited to moderate the discussion. Read all about it here.

The Boston branch of Ladies Who Launch is run by Paola Abello and Brenda Stanton. Paola started the Boston chapter in 2005 and has since seen many women graduate from the program and go on to establish very successful businesses. Brenda, a coach who specializes in entrepreneurship, runs many of the Boston area Incubators.

Paola compares the Incubator to a think-tank. “Everyone puts their ideas in the Incubator,” she says, and the brainstorming begins. LWL creates an environment that is safe and supportive for the participants. Rather than addressing the nuts and bolts of launching a business, she explains, they address the inherent obstacles, challenges and fears. “Each person must come ready to open up and share,” says Brenda. Networking is key.

Not all participants decide to undertake a launch. One woman Brenda worked with realized that she really wanted to be a CMO and work for a big company. “The incubators help you figure out who you really are.” she says, and women can join at all different stages of business development.

Anna Ivey, founder of Anna Ivey Consulting, for example, joined an Incubator seven years after her launch while her business was thriving. “I wasn’t really a start-up in the traditional sense,” she says, “but I saw great value in connecting with and learning from other entrepreneurs in the area… It’s also very isolating - most people don’t work for themselves and they have no idea what you’re dealing with - that’s one of the reasons the Incubator is so great.”

Incubators are two hours/week for four weeks. But Brenda warns, there is lots of homework. To look for an Incubator near you check out the map.

Nash Yacoub, founder of the celebrity placement and PR company Succarra, says she took the Incubator to meet like-minded people with the same energy and drive. Nash describes some remarkable take-aways from her involvement with Ladies Who Launch. She says she learned “There are no regrets, only lessons. And that you must persevere if you want to reach your desired goal. No means nothing, it’s just the beginning.”

On May 7, 2008 Ladies Who Launch Boston is hosting Spring Into Action, a panel discussion of Female Entrepreneurship in Boston, with some shopping and spa action (with LWL launched companies) to reward all the hard work!
SPRING INTO ACTION
May 7, 2008, from 5:30 – 9:00 PM
Venu, 100 Warrenton St., Boston, MA 02116 directions
Shopping with Gracie J’s Boutique, Spa Services from Spoil Me Spa.