Name: Ana Ottman
Company Name: Red Dress Studios
Website: www.RedDressStudios.com
Twitter: @anaottman

A note from Jenn: Stylish, savvy, and sweet are just some of the yummy words I’d use to describe the amazing Ana Ottman of Red Dress Studios. She is all about helping entrepreneurial women build their confidence muscles. I really love that she offers lots of valuable freebies like the Advice on Building Your Confidence Muscles e-Book or her Risk Autobiography. And I consider myself very fortunate to have had the pleasure of hanging out with Ana in person when I visited DC at the end of last year.

Thanks, Ana, for sharing your Right-Brain Business Plan and process with us and for being an inspiration to women everywhere!

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

Red Dress Studios is a one-stop shop for new entrepreneurs to help with the practical and emotional aspects of entrepreneurship. Through my customized consulting program, I help you simplify, energize, re-frame, and rocket-launch.

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

Ohh, where do I begin? Knowing Jennifer and trusting her process with right-brain business planning led me to be okay with starting my business plan with a vision board. Inside, I’m thinking to myself, “This is too much fun, it can’t possibly help me create and grow my business.” And it totally did. Not to mention, it was an image on my vision board that gave me the idea for my business name, Red Dress Studios (how cool is that?).

What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?

Through my RBBP, I set marketing benchmarks (in a really fun way) that I’ve already made progress on. I have a worksheet that says “Ana Ottman, Marketing Ninja” at the top that I use to track my weekly marketing goals, such as connecting with people on Twitter and building my newsletter list.

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

For starters, I used my creative intuition to create Red Dress Studios by following my gut with the kind of clients that I help best and with branding decisions. I use my intuition every day in my business to help figure out what blog posts to write, what to say during client sessions, what business owners to partner with, and what kind of clients I want to work with. That said, I’m still working on being able to tune out the “outside” voices and listen deeply to my internal voice instead.

Is there anything you’d like to share about your Right-Brain Business Plan in terms of what it’s made out of or how you made it?

It was created with materials that I already had in my office-recycled paper and images from magazines. It was important for me to keep it simple so that I didn’t follow the need to seek out or find the “perfect” materials.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

I’m a huge advocate of taking risks. They help you build your confidence to care for and grow your business. The risks don’t have to be anything to do with your business. It’s the practice of doing something you never thought was possible that will grow your business in leaps and bounds.

Resources for Creative Entrepreneurs

Ana is getting ready to launch some cool new resources for women entrepreneurs, so sign-up to have Ana notify you when they’re available.

And if you’re interested in the Right-Brain Business Plan, my next e-Course is starting next Monday, May 17th.  This eight-week interactive program will help you finally get your business plan done and you’ll actually have fun doing it! Find out more about the Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course and register here.

Name: Kristina Ender
Company Name: EndWell Coaching
Website: www.endwellcoaching.com
Blog: www.endwellcoaching.com/blog
Twitter: @kristinaender

Note from Jenn: Kristina Ender of EndWell Coaching exudes adventure, creativity, passion, and intelligence. When I opened up Kristina’s Right-Brain Business Plan, all I could say was, “Wowzers!” As you’ll see below, it’s huge, colorful, energetic, and bursting at the seams with inspiring goodies along with practical plans and information. I love how she consolidated all of her research and work into a format that she could easily look at and share with others. She even set a launch party to unveil her exciting plan to her group of creative cohorts.

One of her creative cohorts includes Rebecca Badger from last week’s spotlight. This powerful pair took my last e-Course together and show how helpful it can be to have a partner to brainstorm, plan, and play with. Read on to find out more about the fabulous Kristina and also about how you can get a buddy discount on the upcoming Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course.

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

EndWell Coaching is a coaching based business dedicated to helping clients discover their passion for living adventurous and creative lives.

I offer a unique blend of programs designed to aid clients in deepening their understanding of themselves, learning how to manage their mind, improving their mind body connection, and accessing creativity to enhance their results.

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

In addition to being a joyful process, the RBBP allowed me to take various threads of my business and weave them into a lush vibrant yarn. Prior to the process commonalities and overlapping areas of my work were not as clear to me.

This tighter weave is allowing me to refine my messaging and marketing to more accurately target my ideal customers. I’m also better able to cross promote to my exiting customers.

My excitement and joy about my work is at an all time high and it’s grounded in a realistic look at my business not some wishy washy fluffy process, (although the process was great fun!). I have a renewed commitment to taking my business to the next level and know it’s justified based on the work I did in the RBBP process.

What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?

I have begun the process of refining my brand and marketing with the support of an expert. A key learning for me was getting clear on where I needed to access support and which hired experts would garner me the biggest bang for my buck, and a branding/marketing specialist is clearly one of those areas.

Another goal is to actively engage in conversations with potential strategic partners. I clearly see the value of developing mutually beneficial partnerships and my cohesive RBBP view of my work is making finding partners much easier. I’m currently exploring two potential partnerships, (yippee!!).

(A third partnership has been explored and not pursued. My RBBP helped me quickly determine the partnership was not in line with my long range vision.)

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

It’s starts with my daily “creative practice” which is a corner stone for my life and filters into my work in various ways from how I coach to what I blog about to promotional ideas. My creative practice is anchored to my vision board and includes a mix of contemplation, vision board activation exercises, journaling, movement, visioning, and meditation. My RBBP has been added to this mix. (It’s also every present in my office and I continue to marvel at how it inspires and creates clarity for me.)

With respect to services, I host vision board play shops around various themes such as ‘Your Vision for the New Year,’ ‘Create Your Vision of Happy Holiday,’ ‘Vision Your Ideal Life.’ These are typically half day play shops and are a blend of guided visualization, creative play, movement breaks, music, and sharing.

During my “Train Your Mind for Success” program I consciously avoid providing words, outlines, or slides. Instead I use mind maps with a predominance of images not words. My goal is to get clients out of the analytical and into the possibility. Just the process of participating in a presentation that isn’t the ‘norm’ seems to result in deeper engagement from the listener.

Thanks to the RBBP process, as “Train Your Mind for Success” evolves I see their homework becoming more visual and creating a visual workbook.

Is there anything you’d like to share about your Right-Brain Business Plan in terms of what it’s made out of or how you made it?

It’s uses the classic found image approach. What I found curious is I had planned to create a small, portable plan yet as my full pages came to life I wanted to use them, not recreate them or trim them down. The final phase of ‘pulling it all together’ was my favorite. I added an opening executive summary and all the elements created during the workshop. The end result is big, glorious, and not to be ignored! Which I love!

A bonus of it’s size and construction is that it works great as a presentation tool for introducing my work to others. I’ve done this twice and the responses have been engaging leading to productive conversations and decisions.

It’s also inspired a partner and me to create vision kites for an upcoming retreat we’ll be leading on the Oregon coast. We plan to use the kites at the retreat as well!

What is your business vision?

My business vision is to continue to grow this fun, fulfilling, and profitable practice while inspiring people to live adventurous and creative lives grounded in their unique values, hopes, and dreams.

Special Buddy Discount for e-Course

How about doubling your planning pleasure, by signing up for the upcoming Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course with one of your creative cohorts? You can meet in-person like Kristina and Rebecca do, or you can meet virtually via phone and/or e-mail, like other past participants have. Either way, you’re sure to accelerate your progress big time! When you register for two participants, you’ll get an extra $50 off (each person will save $25). See instructions on the registration page.

The early-bird special ends tomorrow, Tuesday May 4th, so sign-up now!

Name: Rebecca Badger
Company Name: Rebecca Badger Marketing
Website: www.workwithrebecca.com
Twitter: @RebeccaBadger

Note from Jenn: When I saw Rebecca Badger’s Right-Brain Business Plan, it was truly like a ray of sunshine. Her fun visionary and detailed scrapbook came inside of a matching beautiful yellow cloth box tied with ribbon. The whole package perfectly embodies Rebecca’s brand and bright personality. Seeing her plan in-person really gave me a sense of the impeccability, thoughtfulness, and quality she provides to her clients.

Rebecca took the Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course with her friend and local creative cohort, Kristina Ender. This dynamic duo really demonstrate the power of having an accountability buddy. They support each other by holding brainstorming sessions together, challenging and encouraging each other, and helping to keep each other on track with their goals. I’ve seen the buddy system work so well that I’m offering a special discount for my upcoming e-Course.

Read on to get to know Rebecca, drool over a few colorful pages from her Right-Brain Business Plan, and find out more about the special buddy discount.

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

I provide marketing and public relations services for women entrepreneurs in the lifestyle industry. I also work with established businesses that need to flex out their marketing department for projects on a contract basis. What makes me unique? I’d say my hybrid background in marketing communications, project management and graphic design, the education and custom templates I provide for businesses empowering them to understand and embrace their marketing, and my network.

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

I was initially attracted to the RBBP because, as a new business owner and a business school graduate, I know the importance of having a plan, but have found myself intimidated by the process when it came to my own venture. I also had been craving time to focus on my business and seeking ways to incorporate more creative playtime into my day, so this was the perfect fit. The RBBP has provided all of this and more. I have also connected with a fabulous group of creative women who I know will be a wonderful resource going forward, which is invaluable.

After approaching planning in a creative, visual way I feel energized and inspired by what is possible and creating a plan around it. This process has made business planning fun. My vision for my business has been expanded and re-energized because of my participation in the RBBP process.

What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?
Identify opportunities to collaborate with other women entrepreneurs on projects.

• In the initial phase of kicking off a new product offering with two other women who totally rock.

Expand public relations knowledge base.

• Joined a couple online communities with good PR resources and saavy networks.
• Made contact with two PR professionals.

Refine pricing and consider offering more concrete service packages.

• Some initial work completed on putting together service packages. Allowing myself to get creative and not be limited by what I know others offer. Looking for ways to differentiate myself through the way that I simply present them services and process for approaching marketing for entrepreneurs.

Is there anything you’d like to share about your Right-Brain Business Plan in terms of what it’s made out of or how you made it?

I wanted to make sure that my RBBP would be easy to update as my business progresses, so I chose a format that would allow for that. I found this bright yellow scrapbook hidden in my craft closet and its perfect for me! It has plastic sleeves that hold pages and are also good for just slipping miscellaneous cut outs, notes, etc into. I left quite a bit of white space throughout so that I can fill in as I become more clear on different areas of my business. At first the white space made me uncomfortable, but my accountability partner Kristina (pictured below with me at one of our work sessions) encouraged me to embrace it. And I have!

Special Buddy Discount for e-Course

How about doubling your planning pleasure, by signing up for the upcoming Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course with one of your creative cohorts? You can meet in-person like Rebecca and Kristina do, or you can meet virtually via phone and/or e-mail, like other past participants have. Either way, you’re sure to accelerate your progress big time! When you register for two participants, you’ll get an extra $50 off (each person will save $25). See instructions on the registration page.

With the rise of the handmade movement, it’s exciting to see so many resources for crafters, makers, and creatives. This resource roundup is all about crafty, creative business, including some upcoming events/conferences and a couple of sites chock full of great information.

• CraftyCon – A conference created by crafters, for crafters. Come join the fun in Chicago this October! I’ll be speaking about the Right-Brain Business Plan.
• Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs – This gathering is taking place in Seattle in August. The schedule looks awesome and they even have time blocked out for cupcakes!
• The Creative Connection event in September was created by Nancy Soriano, former editor-in-chief of Country Living and Jo Packham of Where Women Create.
• unanimouscraft has tons of fun, helpful resources for indie business.
• Crafting an MBA is an informative site with business resources for crafters and makers.
• My latest Musepreneur column on the wishstudio is all about hiring help for your creative business.

Twelve-year-old Adora Svitak asks “When was the last time you were called childish?” at the start of her brilliant and charming TED Talk about what adults can learn from kids. Believe me, you’ll get a kick out of her valuable insights into the importance of childlike-wonder and wild creativity.

Here’s a great post by Michelle James about what the self-organizing principles of improv theater can teach us about business creativity.

This post from Entrepreneur the Arts offers some great tips into how artists can apply the same principles of imagination that they use in their creative process to their real world business challenges.

More right-brain resource goodness:

• Some silly fun from the Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course: “The Left-Brain Chill Pill” (see photo above) for calming the judging mind and enhancing right-brain creative intuition. Take with two deep breaths.
• An interesting post that asks is the traditional business world at war with creativity?
• A graphical look at the value of creativity in business
• An oldie but goody with a cool photo: Storyboards as a business plan.