Dear

Another Birthday Celebration! Yes, that is four this month, two dinners with friends, and two full out parties. I gotta say if I'd known 48 was going to be this much fun, I'd have turned it a long time ago! This party was Saturday evening at my escape in Highlands, NC. Everyone had a grand time and my only regret is that I never got out of the kitchen. I've decided no more soirees without a friend or handsome S.O. to help out. (P.S. I did have a fun blind date last week; you never know where it might lead ... )

High Point Market Rocked! I had a great time catching up with vendors and colleagues alike. I attended seminars with such industry greats as Alexander Julien, Thom Filicia, Vladimir Kagan, and Karim Rashid. My own presentation on Social Media was very well received - in fact the audience just stayed on for an extra half hour and then a couple of delighted participants held me another hour. What fun!

Need some Creative Inspiration for your marketing? Take a look at what Tobi Fairley is up to on her site and blog. She has truly leveraged the power of Social Media and you can too. Beyond a designer, Tobi is a true Creativepreneur and is growing her business by leaps and bounds in a very creative way.

Together we all go farther,

Melissa

"Whatever you think, be sure it is what you think; whatever you want, be sure that is what you want; whatever you feel, be sure that is what you feel."

~ T.S. Eliot, Critic, Dramatist, Poet (1888-1965)

Early Holiday Giving - Angel Tree

IFDA, the International Furnishings and Design Association, is hosting its 24th annual Angel Tree event this year. The Angel Tree event every year provides holiday gifts to children who would otherwise have none. We partner with the Department of Family and Children's Services (DFACS); case workers hand select children for our program who are living with families without resources for luxuries such as holiday gifts and who are not covered by other programs such as Toys for Tots or Empty Stocking Fund.

We are working again with a special program within DFACS for children whose grandparents have stepped up and taken them in rather than have those children placed in foster or group homes. Again, without our help, these children will wake up on Christmas morning (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa) without a single present.

For Details Email Sharron Zimmerman
or Call Sharon at 770.641.7393

If you would like to support Angel Tree but cannot attend the gala and shop, wrap and deliver for your "angel," we at IFDA are happy to accept your check and take care of the labor for you. $100 covers a child for the minimum three gifts (more are always better) and a small gift of appreciation for the primary caregiver. We support children ranging in age from mere weeks to 18 years old. All teenagers are still in school and actively pursuing their degrees, or they would not qualify for the program.

Thank you very much to anyone who chooses to participate. We all know the economic challenges this country has faced this year. Those challenges are only more difficult for the families who need our help. Thank you for helping add depth to your own holiday season by bringing joy to a deserving "angel."

For Details Email Sharron Zimmerman
or Call Sharon at 770.641.7393

Buzz with the Bees

One of the keys to effective marketing today is a great hook and at Fall Market in Highpoint, there were some great ones! The first I saw was featured by Ellen Gefen of www.thehome.com when she shared what custom upholstery manufacturer C.R. Laine has done to support the honey bees. In case you've no clue what I'm talking about, let me share a short snippet from their recent press release.

"The number of managed honey bee colonies has dropped from 5.9 million in the 1940's to 4.3 million in 1985 to only 2.5 million today.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the name given to the alarming die-off of honey bee colonies across the country, was first reported in the Fall of 2006. Since then beekeepers around the US have reported the death of hundreds of thousands of honey bees without cause. Otherwise strong colonies are being devastated with the loss of their entire workforce in a matter of a few weeks or even a few days. Should this trend continue, honey bees could cease to exist in the US by 2035 forever changing our circle of life.

Not only are honey bees the only insect that produces food for humans, the honey bee pollination is responsible for more than $15 billion in value to about 130 crops, particularly specialty crops like berries, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. One mouthful in three of our diet directly or indirectly benefits from honey bee pollination."

This is incredibly sad and will have a profound impact on our diet in years to come. And with so many news stories hitting us every day it is easy to forget this one, or at least let it get buried by many others. C. R. Laine is out to make sure that doesn't happen by keeping the honey bees at the forefront of home decorating and design in a well thought out campaign of awareness and beautiful design.

By tying one of their top trends to a cause, they create a unique buzz (yes, pun intended!) And they developed a truly memorable promotion that can be leveraged by their retailers nationwide. Take a look at some of the original designs they feature from honeycomb fabric patterns to graphic bee images on pillows, from displays including familiar bee hive, honey bee, and honey products to tree branches fashioned with wire and fabric crafted bees.

This is fun, interesting, and supports our environment and the creatures in it. In October 2008, C.R. Laine became the first company to achieve Sustainable by Design certification from the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA).

For FAQs about CCD, visit: www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/ccd.

Want to use this article? You can, just include the text here: For your Free strategy session to move your business and your life forward quickly go to www.sixfigureprofessionals.com. When you want more tips and proven techniques for growing your business, be sure to subscribe to www.todaybydesign.com.

How to Stay Safe & Be Secure Online

I've realized lately that what is stopping or at least slowing down many women particularly, from climbing on the social networks and jumping aboard the social media bandwagon is fear of remaining secure. It is wise to note that anything you say online is permanent and forever out there in the universe. Essentially when you wouldn't share it from a bullhorn in Times Square, don't share it there.

There is a wonderful bit in a brilliant video by Eric Qualman of Socialnomics that turns that old phrase "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" on its ear. What happens in Vegas today stays on Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, Digg, Jaiku, Plurk and many more.

Keeping yourself and your family safe, while still taking advantage of the many benefits that social media and the social networks offer, isn't rocket science. Here are 5 simple tips:

1. Don't share your home address ever! Get a suite numbered box at a private mailbox facility like a UPS location or a post office box from your local Post Office.

2. Control your profile viewing with settings. Every site has a settings tab you have total control of what you let others see. (Personally I let them see it all, because I am careful about the all that I show.)

Read the Rest of the Article Here!

LIVE Sheep as Art

http://gimundo.com/videos/view/extreme-sheep-art/

Hi! I'm Melissa Galt and as a successful business creativepreneur and business owner of the last 15+ years I learned that the key to a profitable business is all in the marketing. I was spoiled at the start because corporate America had done it for me so when I jumped into the wild blue yonder of owning my own business I had a lot to learn, and learn it I did! And I've gone from wasting thousands on advertising, direct response mail, expos and more to creating a finally honed marketing machine that regularly delivers perfect prospects whom I convert to ideal clients for lifetime demand. Can I show you how to do the same?

As entrepreneurs we all have the dream of designing a business that is both profitable, passionate, purposeful, and gives us the lifestyle we deserve and want. That means:

But too often that dream gets buried in 15 hour days, 6 days a week, years without vacation and missing friends and family. Marketing makes the difference and from mindset to strategy, Twitter to Facebook, blogging to article marketing, passive revenue products to your own teleseminars I've got the solutions.

Please consider me your marketing success resource to move your business forward and become the thriving profitable opportunity you dreamed of! I welcome and invite your emails, Tweets, Facebook posts, LinkedIN connections, and even phone calls. I'm old fashioned but learned how to harness today's marketing tools for real success. You can too!