Spring and Summer are right around the corner and it’s time to change up your makeup regime and get back that gorgeous Summer glow! If you are looking to make some changes in the makeup you are currently using you will definitely want to check out Makeup Coupons.

They have incredible savings on the top name brand cosmetics on the market. You will be able to have that gorgeous flawless face you desire without having to pay full price for any of it!

Stay tuned for my Summer must-haves!

Personal grooming is a huge part of many peoples lives. So much in fact that people will spend tons of money to look good. A huge cost for many people, especially women, is that of good hair care. Women typically have extravagant things done to their hair for special occasions, but it’s not just limited to them. Men also spend money to get a good haircut. Why should you spend extra money? You shouldn’t. When you have savings tools like Great Clips coupons, you can save a pretty penny and still get the good haircut that you like.

But the savings aren’t just limited there. You can get Supercuts coupons to help you save big if you want to head over and get a nice cut done. These great haircut coupons are great to use for the whole family if you want. It’s not just limited to one person; share the great haircut coupons wealth!

The great things about these coupons is how easy it is to get them. If you want a Great Clips coupons, all you have to do is find the link on the site and submit the information required. Then all the coupons that you could possibly want will be at your fingertips. It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort on your part. And it shows that you are ahead of the game.

Many people think that Supercuts coupons are an outdated way to save money. This just isn’t true! The online printable coupons is a fantastic vehicle to help you save money. The great savings that you can obtain using haircut coupons is a tool that should be used as often as you can. And since we all have to get our haircuts so frequently anyway, it’s a great value to you.

It really comes down to just using common sense. If you want some fantastic Great Clips coupons, you can find them all in an easy to use package. It’s so easy and affordable. Don’t be a skeptic and think that you don’t need to save big. The Supercuts coupons are just awaiting you click. Then you can have all of the coupons that you want.

Take advantage of the huge amount of potential savings that you can get with haircut coupons. There isn’t anymore time to wait. Act now and save big. You’ll be glad that you did.

Hello ladies! It’s been almost two years since I’ve blogged on Beauty Secrets 101 and a lot has happened in that time! I wanted to send out a quick note to everyone to say ‘hi’ and to let you know what I’m up to these days. I actually went back to school and am getting my masters degree in business. It’s been a great experience and I’m excited to graduate this spring. I’d highly recommend business school to anyone who is trying to decide what to do with her life. Also, I’ve just started a new blog, which I’d like to invite you to take a look at. The story behind the blog is actually quite fascinating. While I was blogging on Beauty Secrets 101, I was working for a man named Rich Christiansen. Rich is a successful businessman who left distinguished careers in corporate America and began founding his own companies. Rich has started 27 businesses in total, 8 of which have gone on to become multi-million dollar ventures. The most recent success was founded as the proof of a book Rich and his partner, Ron Porter, were writing. Basically, as they wrote the book, detailing Rich’s ‘recipe’ for creating million-dollar companies from $5,000 in one year, Ron wasn’t convinced that it was possible. (If I hadn’t seem him do it several times, I probably wouldn’t believe it either!) So they started the new business based on the principles in the book, and one year later (just a few weeks ago), they had reached and passed the $1 million goal. This is obviously a very condensed version of the story, but I just wanted to give you an idea. It’s been an exciting time! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be blogging the whole story from its beginning through the present in preparation for the official launch of the book. If you have any questions, let me know – I think you’ll really enjoy this story. Feel free to share the website with any friends or family who either own their own business, are interesting in starting a company, or who just like a good story! Hope to see you on the new site!

After having read the final Harry Potter book, you may be wondering what’s left to do this summer.  I have compiled 10 styling things to do this summer before it’s gone. 10. Make a pitcher of lemonade or ice tea and sit outside to watch the sun set or enjoy the stars while it is still warm enough. 9. Pack a picnic to your nearest park and do a little people watching. It’s relaxing and you never know whom you might run into.  You’ll also see a lot of fashion do’s and don’ts. 8. Go on a hike.  It doesn’t have to be an all-day event.  Find a spot where you can take in some beautiful vistas and gain some new perspectives. 7. Ice-skating.  Most people think about ice-skating during the winter, but there are few more refreshing activities than skating on the ice on a hot summer day. 6. Go dancing.  Ballroom dancing is on the rise and more and more couples are taking up the soft shoe for fitness and relaxation. 5. If you’re like me, you can’t keep the same hours all year long as you did during the summer. Time to start going to bed at a reasonable hour. Personally, school starts way too early. 4. Pitch a tent in your back yard and sleep under the stars.  Barbeque dinner, pack your dessert and be ready to rise with the sun. 3. Go to a hospital or senior center and read Dr. Seuss.  Try to change the inflection in your voice and really have fun with your facial expressions as you read the story. 2. Get a massage.  Need I say more? 1. Check out the latest makeup colors for fall. Department stores are beginning to change their inventory and you will be one of the first to take in all the exciting new colors and hues.

Since this week in the United States we will be celebrating Thanksgiving, I have decided to put together a list of the Top 10 Things I Am Thankful For (with regards to beauty, makeup, hair, etc.). So don’t think that I am a shallow or vain person – this isn’t a list of the things I am most thankful for overall (like family, friends, health, life, etc.); rather, this is really a list of the simple things that often get overlooked, but that I am thankful for as a woman.

1. Hot water. I can’t imagine having to wash my hair, shave, or take any kind of a shower in cold water every day. I’ve had to do it a few times when the water heater has malfunctioned and it is not pleasant. And what would any woman do without an occasional bubble bath?
2. My hair dryer. I don’t know about anyone else, but my hair is a mess if I can’t use a hair dryer on it. It ends up strangely wavy and yet somehow very flat if I don’t dry it. I can do without it for a few days, but if I had to give up drying my hair altogether, I don’t know what I’d do!
3. Nail files. Such a simple little tool, but how much trauma does it cause when you break a nail? I know people make jokes about it, but it is horrible to have your nail jagged and catching on everything when it breaks. So I’m thankful for nail files that keep our nails looking well-manicured and beautiful!
4. Toner. I’m obviously also thankful for my whole skin care routine, but especially for toner. My skin gets so dry and flaky without it and nothing is worse than running out of toner and having to go without until to you can get to the store to buy more (I am getting really close to that point…)
5. Mascara. Just a touch of mascara can change your whole look. If you have no time for any other makeup, mascara can somehow save the day and make it look as if you’ve gotten ready.
6. Mirrors. How could I forget mirrors? We wouldn’t be able to do anything without mirrors. While they may not always be our best friend, can you imagine trying to do your hair without a mirror? Or what about your makeup? And how would you check to make sure that your outfit matches? Yes, I am very thankful for mirrors.
7. Cotton balls. I shudder to think what my life would be like without cotton balls. They are so versatile; I use them for toner, moisturizer, finger nail polish remover, and so many other things!
8. Handbags. Every woman needs to have at least one great handbag. They are both fun and practical. We need something to carry around our money, cosmetics, and phones in anyways, so they might as well be cute and match our outfit!
9. Almost there! Number 9 has to go to toothpaste. I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation where we couldn’t brush our teeth and were dying not being able to. Imagine never being able to achieve that minty fresh feeling. I don’t even like to think about it!
10. And last, but certainly not least, tampons. I don’t think I need to say anything to explain or justify myself on that one, right ladies?

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! If you can think of anything I’ve left off this list that you are especially thankful for, let me know!

The biggest celebrity wedding of the year is all set for this weekend in Rome. Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise will finally tie the knot in a Scientology ceremony in a medieval castle in Italy. About 500 guests are expected and many famous names have already arrived including Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, and Brooke Shields.

I guess I am still cynical about the whole situation, but I am excited to see Katie Holmes’ wedding dress. It was designed by Giorgio Armani and will no doubt be exquisite. In tow for the wedding is Tom and Katie’s baby daughter, Suri Cruise, now 7 months old.

It should be a spectacular wedding, and I can’t wait to see pictures. I am especially curious about Katie’s hair and makeup. I haven’t heard who is doing her hair, or how it will be done, but I’ll post pictures as soon as I find out.

I suppose that like the rest of the world, we will have to wait until Saturday to see how things turn out. This is Tom and Katie, though, so you never know if something unexpected will happen!

Having shapely and attractive eyebrows is one easy way to draw attention to your eyes and is an easy makeup trick. But between under-plucking and over-plucking, waxing and eyebrow liners, it can be difficult to know where to start, or even how to start! Even celebrities have eyebrow trauma from time to time. Of course, not Jennifer Aniston, who has been voted in the top 4 best eyebrows because of her natural-looking brows. So it is possible! Here are some quick tips to help you have beautiful eyebrows in no time!

1. The quickest way to care for your eyebrows is to run an eyebrow brush through them quickly to add shape and to get rid of any specs of foundation or powder. Always comb up and out to open up the eyes.
2. The most elegant brow is elongated, simple, and clean.
3. Don’t tweeze above your eyebrows, as it may become fuzzy. If your brows are messy on top, you can see a professional to have it waxed.
4. If you’ve messed up waxing or plucking your eyebrows and need the hair to grow back fast, here are a couple of tricks you can try. Put olive oil on your eyebrows at night (lot of olive oil) and don’t wash it off. You can also use vitamin E tablets to help the hair grow faster. Just split the capsule open and spread the gooey insides on your eyebrows. You can also stimulate growth by massaging your brow with a toothbrush.
5. If your eyebrows are too dark when compared to your hair (maybe you’ve colored or highlighted your hair), you can get your eyebrows colored too. Eyebrows should normally be one or two shades darker than your hair color. Keep in mind that the FDA warns against lightening your eyebrows, but it is generally safe if you have a professional do the work.
6. Remember as you tweeze that the space between your eyebrows should be about the same length as your eyes.
7. If your brows are sparse or spotty, you can fill them in with a brow powder or eyebrow pencil.

After two years of marriage to Kevin Federline, Britney Spears has decided to call it quits. She finally filed for divorce yesterday in Las Angeles. I can’t say I’m surprised – I doubt if anyone is. Not that I have a high opinion of Britney Spears, because I definitely don’t, but I’ve always wondered why she was married to Kevin. I can understand why he would want to marry her – she’s got all the money! But maybe that’s just my cynical side coming out.

But reports do say that Britney is happy since filing the papers. She went ice skating at Rockefeller Center just hours later and seemed ‘upbeat’. I must admit that I do feel kind of bad for Kevin Federline. His album won’t sell, his concerts won’t fill up, and now he is getting divorced from his one source of steady income. Rough week.

Britney is seeking custody of her two sons, Sean and Jayden. Sean is just over 1 year old and Jayden is only a couple of months old. Britney made a surprise appearance on Letterman the other night. I would have thought that she would announce her upcoming divorce then. Wasn’t that where she announced she was pregnant the second time around? Or was that on Jay Leno? I can’t remember!

I suppose that it just goes to show that you should never put your faith in celebrity couples.

Bangs are in right now and sometimes it’s just too much work to go all the way to the salon for bang upkeep and trims. Keep in mind, though, that many salons will do free bang trimming if you are regular customer. But if you would like to be able to trim your bangs at home, and just don’t know how, I have the step-by-step instructions you’ll need to get great bangs in no time!

1. Start with quality scissors. The best kind to use is sharp, pointed scissors no longer than 5 inches long. You can buy great scissors at any local beauty store.
2. Always cut your bangs dry. If you cut them wet, they will shrink when they dry and end up too short.
3. Pull all your hair back that you won’t be trimming, either in a ponytail or with bobby pins. Only your bangs should be loose.
4. Divide your bangs in half with a styling comb. Styling combs are combs with very fine teeth. Comb half of the bangs downward with the comb’s teeth facing outward. Rest the comb on the brow bone and don’t cut your bangs any shorter than where the comb hits your face.
5. Start ‘point-cutting’ or snipping the hair at a 45-degree angle. Go slowly, only doing a bit at a time. Don’t ever cut your bangs straight across since it’s impossible to keep a perfectly straight line.
6. If you want shaggy, face-framing bangs, use a razor instead of the scissors. Use only a single-blade razor, since double or triple-blades will cause split ends. Use your index and middle finger to hold the bangs, instead of the scissors in step 5.
7. Repeat either the scissor or razor cutting (whichever you have chosen) to the other half of your bangs.
8. If you want to add layers to your bangs, you can pull some of the bangs vertically above your head with your index and middle fingers. Slide your fingers right to the edge of the hair, letting some hair fall. Back your fingers up about an inch and point or razor cut no more than ½ inch away from your fingers.
9. When you’re done, check to make sure each half of your bangs is even. To test this, pull a section of bangs from each side of your face towards the center of your face. They should be equidistance from the bridge of your nose.

Congratulations! Now you’re done and I’m sure your bangs look great! This whole process should only take about 10 minutes from start to finish, so you can squeeze it in whenever!

Dry skin can be such a problem in fall and winter and is no fun! One great way to relax and to give your skin a treat is with a mask. Even better, there are masks that are designed specifically for dry skin that can help to rejuvenate and moisturize your skin. Here’s an example of a great and easy mask for dry skin.

Ingredients

6 oz plain yogurt
¼ finely crushed almonds
2 tsp Beeswax or honey
2 tsp wheat germ oil

Mix all the ingredients until smooth. Steam your face for 5 minutes before applying the mask to help open your pores. Apply the mask evenly over your face and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

The crushed almonds help by exfoliating your skin and eliminating dead skin. The honey helps the mask adhere to your face. And the wheat germ oil contains Vitamin E and fights free radicals.

If you don’t have these ingredients, or would like to try a store product, I would recommend either Zia Natural Fresh Papaya Enzyme Mask or Lancome Hydra-Intense Masque.

Krocha.jpg

Caricatura by Andrea Maria Dusl
Sources: Vienna Online / Wikipedia

Among the major business headlines of last month was the promotion of James Murdoch, the 38-year-old son of News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, to the newly created position of deputy COO and head of international operations at the media conglomerate. Although News Corp. spokespersons declined comment on succession plans at the company, analysts believe the move signals that James Murdoch will one day succeed his 80-year-old father as CEO of the giant global corporation.

Earlier in March, News Corp. shareholders filed suit against the company and Rupert Murdoch over its agreement to buy Shine Group, a London TV production company owned by Rupert's daughter Elisabeth, for $675 million. The suit alleged that the deal was an act of nepotism because "the transaction makes little or no sense for News Corp." and "is far above a price any independent, disinterested party would pay for Shine." Meanwhile, Rupert's eldest son, Lachlan, who was once News Corp.'s heir apparent, is reportedly preparing to resume a role in the business.

The Financial Times' "Lex" column on March 30 had an interesting take on James Murdoch's elevation. The column noted that there are two ways of looking at the promotion. On one hand, the shareholders who sued over the Shine acquisition would argue that "such practices make a mockery of public companies."

On the other hand, the FT column pointed out, "... News Corp. has always been completely open about the role of family in its business (the creation of non-voting shares for outsiders is a fairly big hint). If you don't like the set-up, don't buy the shares."

A week later, another FT writer, Michael Skapinker, penned an op-ed piece postulating that family business succession is falling out of vogue (although you and I can cite numerous examples to the contrary). The author compared family business successors such as the young Murdochs to royal family members. Indeed, Skapinker went even further than that, harrumphing:

All parents want the best for their offspring and, in ancient societies, it was the norm for leaders' children to succeed them. But democracy generally puts paid to that. The uprisings in the Middle East -- in Egypt, Libya and Syria -- are, in large part, revolts against dictators handing power to their sons.

So family business successors -- whose employees, shareholders, customers, lenders and suppliers are free to cut ties to their companies -- are akin to a new generation of dictators? Give me a break. Even the most passionate left-wing detractors of Murdoch's Fox News must admit that Skapinker's portrayal of family business succession is hyperbole at its worst.

True, sometimes family businesses name the wrong person as the successor (usually for the wrong reasons) -- but that doesn't mean all family business successors are destined to fail.

James E. Barrett, a family business adviser and frequent contributor to Family Business Magazine, addressed the issue of nepotism in family-controlled companies in our Autumn 2007 issue. In an article titled "The war against family control" (which, by the way, won an APEX Award for Publication Excellence), Barrett wrote:

... The assumption is that family successors ... lack the competence, motivation, common sense and business judgment to run a company, especially a huge one. 

Most of society's biases have been addressed: Race, religion, gender, ethnic origin, disabilities, etc. are recognized as areas in which unfair negative bias existed and created damage and loss. It will be quite a while before much sympathy is mustered for executives who began with silver spoons and have had every advantage for their entire lives. Still, it is unfair to assume automatically that they're not up to the job. My experience, after three decades in management succession, is that most rise to the occasion when given the top job. Those who can't, or won't, generally have gone into another career track either voluntarily or with assistance. 

The FT's "Lex" column noted that News Corp. shareholders might do better to focus their scrutiny on Rupert Murdoch rather than on any of his kids:

Rupert's undeniable passion for media is sometimes at odds with maximizing shareholder return. Over the past 15 years, News Corp. has lagged behind the S&P 500 index by a third.

The fact that James Murdoch is the CEO's son, by itself, is no reason to think he won't -- or shouldn't -- succeed.

In its current issue, Family Business's sister publication, Directors & Boards, features an article by a pair of executives from search firm Heidrick & Struggles on including independent directors on the board of a family-controlled business.

Most of D&B's readers are directors of public companies or executives at those companies, so the article focused on directors of family-controlled firms that are publicly traded. But many of the points raised are applicable to privately held family firms as well -- even the smaller ones.

The authors -- John Wood, vice chairman and global managing partner of Heidrick's Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors Practice, and Thames Fulton, a principal with the firm's Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors Practice -- noted:

Longstanding agendas of different sides of the family -- some that may go back for decades -- can complicate board service, creating the need for a "voice of reason" to counterweight family factionalism and historical bias.

Wood and Fulton point out that, compared with non-family firms, family businesses need independent directors who have "a more nuanced set of behavior and people skills." They recommend two qualities that family companies should look for when interviewing prospective outside directors:

• "Deft candor": In addition to empathy and patience in the face of family drama, outside directors should be "super-independent"; they should be unafraid to offer candid opinions about board and management decisions.
• Diplomacy: Independent directors should be skilled at bringing together people who have divergent interests (such as factions within the family). These directors should advocate for the company as a whole rather than for any one faction.

The authors note that independent directors in family companies must tread the find line "between being empathetic to a family's long-held beliefs and values and being able to see when they are getting in the way of the company's growth and profitability."

If your company has not yet engaged any independent directors, consider whether two or three individuals with these skills could help your board work its way out of deadlocks.

Wal-Mart may be the world's largest family business, but it's not immune to missteps. A recent Page One headline in the Wall Street Journal proclaimed, "Wal-Mart Tries to Recapture Mr. Sam's Winning Formula."

"Mr. Sam" refers to the company's late founder, Sam Walton, who built his empire on the philosophy of selling utilitarian goods to working-class customers at cut-rate prices.

The company -- whose current chairman is S. Robson Walton, Sam's son -- tried to compete with "cheap chic" retailer Target by stocking organic food and trendier clothes, raising prices on some items and changing store layouts to reduce clutter, the Journal article said. The strategy bombed, and Wal-Mart's U.S. same-store sales declined for two years in a row. A former Wal-Mart executive told the Journal:

"The basic Wal-Mart customer didn't leave Wal-Mart. What happened is that Wal-Mart left the customer."

Of course, you needn't feel too sorry for Wal-Mart. The company is still the world's largest retailer as well as the largest family business. Yet the behemoth's recent woes serve as a larger-than-life example of what happens when a family firm strays too far from its legacy.

This is not to say that every family business must blindly follow its founder's original vision. Indeed, doing so will often get a company into trouble. Consider, for example, the case of Fidelitone Logistics of Wauconda, Ill., a company profiled in Family Business Magazine's Autumn 2010 issue.

Fidelitone was founded in 1929 as a maker of phonograph needles. If the company had stuck with that business model, there's little chance that it would still be around in the 21st century.

Fidelitone's owners -- the Hudson family -- came to that conclusion way back in the early 1970s, when cassette tapes first became popular and threatened to replace phonograph records. The family opted to transform the company, building on its legacy of innovation and its expertise in distributing its product around the world rather than on its original mission. Under their leadership, Fidelitone evolved from a phonograph maker to a provider of supply-chain management and logistics services. The company now offers global support services to some of the world's largest brand names. It has grown through acquisition and generates $360 million in annual revenues -- a far cry from how it would have fared if it still produced parts for record players.

The challenge for next-generation leaders is to understand the difference between a business model that should be maintained (like Wal-Mart's) and one that must be changed (like Fidelitone's in its original incarnation). This is not always easy, especially in families who honor the founder and revere their legacy. (The Hudsons acknowledged their company's history by retaining the Fidelitone name after ditching the original mission.)

A board of directors that includes members not affiliated with the family or the company can help family members view the situation from an objective, market-based perspective. Even at a giant corporation like Wal-Mart, it can be tricky to manage the tension between tradition and innovation.

The Journal report noted this observation from a Wal-Mart executive at an investor meeting:

"You might say, in short, that we were trying to be something that maybe we're not."

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Vineet Nayar -- CEO of HCL Technologies, a global information technology services company based in India -- speculated on what would happen if members of Generation Y were permitted to reinvent companies.

Members of this generation -- who were born in between the late 1970s and the early 1990s -- have a tendency "to question how things are done, rather than following instructions," Nayar wrote.

[K]eep in mind how alien most organizational environments must seem to them. Used to the web's meritocracy, they face rigid hierarchies. Comfortable with the transparency of social networking sites, they bump up against information silos and knowledge hoarding.

Nayar noted some of the entries in a business-school competition his firm sponsors, which asks students to imagine the organization of the future. Themes that have emerged from submissions from this year's crop of young people, he wrote, include "increasing democratic influence on the appointment of leaders," "giving people the chance to shape their work and organizations" and "creating ways to bypass the filters that impede direct communications." He observed:

This new generation is driven by the unwillingness to inherit some of the negative features of traditional management; indeed, by a sense of indignation that corporate citizens haven't already demanded better for themselves.

Many family business leaders are now in the process of welcoming Gen Y family members into their companies -- and are shocked to find that the young family employees expect to remake the company on their first day of work.

In the Autumn 2010 issue of Family Business Magazine, Stetson University professor Greg McCann and a former student, Gen Yer Leah Sullivan, wrote that members of this generation "have high potential yet are challenging to manage."

They have the highest education, the largest social networks and the best support system of any generation in history. Sine they were young, they've been told that they could do anything and be anyone.... Delayed gratification is a struggle for them. They want it all, they want it soon, and they want your support in getting it.... Gen Yers' unrealistic expectations and sense of entitlement can leave a less than positive impression.

These idealistic yet exasperating people are the future of your company. "If you can understand and engage Gen Y," McCann and Sullivan wrote, "you will have greater access to this talent pool, retain those workers more effectively and even better understand your clients, customers and other stakeholders who are Gen Yers."

At the upcoming Family Business/Stetson University "Transitions" conference, a group of Gen Yers will meet to discuss their concerns and expectations about their future roles in their family companies, and then report on these issues to the older conference participants. I'm looking forward to hearing their thoughts on how their family businesses could be reinvented.

If you're struggling to rein in younger-generation members who think their status as the founder's descendants means they needn't pull their weight in the family firm, take comfort in the fact that you're not alone. Even in war-torn Afghanistan, business owners are facing the same issues.

Last month, the Wharton School blog Knowledge@Wharton reported that Afghan participants in Goldman Sachs' "10,000 Women" program -- a philanthropic effort to promote social change through economic empowerment of women -- are learning the hard way that trouble ensues when family employees aren't held to the same standards as non-family workers.

The article cited the experience of business owner Fatema Akbari, whose company makes wooden furniture and toys. Akbari has hired 82 women whose husbands have been killed or wounded in the war. At one time, she also employed her daughter and her son. That didn't work out so well, she told Knowledge@Wharton with the help of a translator:

"My daughter was fine but my son wasn't doing what I expected of him. Even if your employees are family members, they have to have responsibilities and be accountable for what they are doing."

Mahbouba Seraj, an instructor for the 10,000 Women program from the American University of Afghanistan, trains the business owners to hold family members to the same standards as their non-family co-workers. Seraj told Knowledge@Wharton:

"I tell women entrepreneurs that they shouldn't treat family members any differently than other employees. They should clearly spell out the expectations in the beginning, give them a trial period and keep up on their progress.... Otherwise, family members will take advantage of the situation, especially the boys."

As for Akbari, she did what she had to do. Her son has left her woodworking business ad is now serving in the military. "I told hem to go where he needed to go," she told Knowledge@Wharton. Her daughter has also left the company; she's started her own venture, a shoe business.

If an entrepreneur in an impoverished country besieged by war can ease out an underperforming relative, so can you.

(Click image to view video)

The auto industry took a huge and well-publicized hit in the recent recession, yet Dallas-based Chacon Autos generated year-over-year profit growth. The third-generation company -- profiled in Family Business Magazine's current (Winter 2011) issue -- operates two Suzuki dealerships and six used-car stores in Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio.

As reporter Dave Donelson noted, used cars represent 90% of Chacon's sales, which total about $80 million annually. The company, which has about 160 employees, primarily sells low-mileage used cars to customers with damaged credit. It also finances nearly all of them itself. Although this strategy is risky, it contributed to the company's success during the downturn. The company's rigorous but informal credit approval process might not be viable under non-family corporate ownership, family members say.

Second-generation brothers Darrell and Gary Cheney run the business along with a group of third-generation relatives. Many of Chacon's customers have bought three, four or even five cars from the Cheneys over the years, and some car buyers are third-generation clients.

In 2010, Baylor University's Texas Family Business of the Year program presented Chacon Autos with the Founders Award, given to "the successful family business that has grown and adapted to present and future markets while maintaining the identity and original concept of the founder." The accompanying video was prepared for the award ceremony. You can find our Winter 2011 profile of the company here.

At the magazine where I worked before I came to Family Business, a group of colleagues would lunch together in the cafeteria each day. As we ate our sandwiches and salads, we'd discuss our families, our weekend plans and the books we'd read. Often, the conversation would turn to politics. That's when things got interesting.

Our group included passionate liberals as well as ardent conservatives. We came from a variety of faith traditions. Several of these lunch buddies had firmly held beliefs and did not hesitate to express them. As could be expected of a group of well-informed professional communicators, there were heated debates that involved pointed criticism of the other side's views. And, also not surprisingly, no one ever succeeded in changing anyone else's mind. Inevitably, the conversation would wind its way back to movies we'd seen or places we'd visited or what we were planning to have for dinner.

Though we didn't vote as a bloc, we worked as a team. At deadline time, it didn't matter who was a Republican and who was a Democrat -- we bonded around our shared mission. We've since scattered to the four winds, but we've kept in touch. We occasionally reunite for lunch, but these days we're more interested in catching up with each other's news than in advocating for our preferred politicians.

As I read the horrifying accounts of the shootings at an Arizona "Congress on Your Corner" event on Jan. 8 -- in which a Jewish Democratic congresswoman was among 14 people wounded and a Christian Republican judge who had come to say hello to her was one of six people killed -- I reflected on my ideologically diverse group of former colleagues. While lunching together never resulted in any political conversions, it did something more important -- it strengthened our respect for each other.

As President Obama said in Tucson on Jan. 12 at a memorial for the shooting victims:

"[L]et's use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together."

Many family business owners, especially those whose enterprises are small, tend to surround themselves with people whose views are similar to theirs. But we must get to know each other in order for our country to get past its present destructive divisiveness. Moving beyond partisanship will help us bring about economic progress -- and will make our society safer.

The suicide of Mark Madoff, the eldest son of convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff, on the second anniversary of his father's arrest calls attention to the devastation the elder Madoff wrought not only on his unwitting clients, but also on his family.

As the New York Times reported, Mark Madoff, 46, hanged himself in his Manhattan apartment on December 11, with his two-year-old son in an adjoining bedroom. The Times account cited a person close to the family who said

Mr. Madoff had expressed both continuing bitterness toward his father and anxiety about a series of lawsuits that were filed against him, his brother Andrew and other family members.... Mr. Madoff was particularly upset that [bankruptcy trustee Irving Picard, working on behalf of victims of the scheme,] had named his young children as defendants in a lawsuit filed in late November seeking the recovery of money Bernard Madoff had paid out to his extended family over the years....

According to the Wall Street Journal, a friend of Mark Madoff's said he "worried about his children, whether they'd face a life of harassment because they were Madoffs."

A post on the Times' "DealBook" blog noted that Mark Madoff's wife, Stephanie, had applied to the court this year to have her surname and that of her two children with Madoff changed to "Morgan." The blog quoted a friend of Mark Madoff's, who said:

"He had always been so proud of his name and being the guy who was Bernie Madoff's son. And then afterwards all anyone ever saw in him was that he was Bernie Madoff's son."

Mark and Andrew Madoff were the ones who first confronted their father and then reported his confession to authorities. The Times article noted that "on the advice of his lawyer, Mark Madoff ... had no contact with his parents since the day before his father's arrest two years ago."

The "DealBook" report quoted another person close to Mark Madoff, who said:

"He was deeply, deeply angry at what his father had done to him -- to everybody. That anger just seemed to feed on itself."

Another family friend and business associate told "DealBook" he found it unlikely Mark Madoff knew about his father's fraud because Mark "was always a nervous wreck. He never could have stood it -- keeping a secret like that would have torn him apart."

By all accounts, the Madoffs had been a close family. That closeness, combined with Mark Madoff's role as head of trading at his father's firm, led Picard and others to question whether Mark really was unaware of the fraudulent scheme.

"Contrarian's Notebook" columnist Dan Rottenberg wrote in Family Business Magazine in Summer 2009 that Bernard Madoff's guilty plea and refusal to cooperate with authorities against other individuals

implies that Madoff is covering up for others. It points a finger of suspicion at his closest relatives even though they may indeed have been unaware of his criminal activity. And by confessing to his family before he confessed to the feds, Bernie effectively made his loved ones accessories to his crime, forcing them to turn him in, lest they be arrested as well.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Andrew Madoff "has had moments of intense grief" since his brother's death. "[T]he loss of his childhood family is complete," the article noted.

According to news reports, Mark Madoff was cremated, and no funeral service was held. A private memorial service took place at an undisclosed location.

His children, the youngest of whom are two and four, are now fatherless. News accounts have reported that Picard's lawsuits will continue despite Mark's death.

Whether or not Mark Madoff played a role in his father's grand swindle, the sins are being visited on a third generation.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've heard that President Obama has signed into law a bill that extends the expiring Bush tax cuts for all Americans for two years, extends unemployment insurance benefits for 13 months and cuts payroll taxes by 2% in 2011. The bill -- the result of a compromise between the president and congressional Republicans -- also resurrects the estate tax, which had been temporarily repealed in 2010, but at a lower rate than scheduled under the Bush law.

For the next two years, the estate tax rate will be 35% for inheritances above $5 million for individuals ($10 million for couples). Before the new bill was enacted, the estate tax had been scheduled to return in 2011 to its 2000 levels: a 55% rate on inheritances above $1 million for individuals ($2 million for couples).

For business families and families of wealth, the bill alleviates uncertainty about the future of the tax -- but only until 2012. A Wall Street Journal article published before the bill was passed lamented that a temporary solution requires owners of small family businesses to pay significant fees to lawyers, accountants, appraisers and other advisers to help them with strategic planning and "to keep up with the shifting code." The Journal cited the case of John E. Anthony, patriarch of Anthony Timberlands Inc. in Bearden, Ark.

Each time the tax code changes, Mr. Anthony re-evaluates his succession plan and analyzes his exposure to the tax. Because it is uncertain what the tax rate will be when he dies, he and his hired advisers develop several "what-if" scenarios.

Under the newly enacted bill, the heirs of any wealthy American who survives past December 31 will forgo a windfall (the Wall Street Journal estimated that the family of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who died July 13, 2010, saved up to $600 million in estate taxes), but they will pay less than they would have paid if the new law had not been passed.

Estate tax opponents plan to continue their advocacy for lower rates. According to some reports, they will push to have the rate lowered to 15% and the exemption level for couples raised to a level as high as $14 million for couples when the current compromise expires in two years.

But tax avoidance isn't necessarily what these families should be most concerned about. Consider this advice, offered by attorney Joe Goodman in Family Business Agenda 2009:

Do not be preoccupied with minimizing taxes. Family dynamics, asset protection and raising good kids are three examples of objectives that should be considered in the financial and estate plan for people of wealth. This is not the place to cut corners, minimize time or save a few thousand dollars.

In the same issue, attorneys Henry C. Krasnow and Karin C. Prangley warned:

Successful businesses all need some of the same things: cash, leadership that can implement forward-looking plans to keep up with competition, and owners who understand the need to sacrifice short-term satisfaction for long-term goals.... Denying these to a business in order to save taxes is a very shortsighted tradeoff. Unfortunately, business owners often ask their advisers only for tax-saving techniques.... Think long and hard about several "what-if" scenarios and come up with a solution that will best ensure the continued success of the business..... [R]emember that the manner in which the stock of the business is distributed can have a profound impact on how the company is managed.

A recent article in the Financial Times noted that more organizations are practicing the art of scenario planning in response to the world's multiplying uncertainties and the escalating stakes in the current economy.

According to the FT report, Royal Dutch Shell introduced scenario planning in the 1970s, when it began to anticipate conditions in the energy industry.

Since [the 1980s], the practice has gone in and out of fashion, generally becoming more popular at times of greater uncertainty. In 2000, it was used regularly by about 35 per cent of companies, according to the Management Tools and Trends survey, published every two years by Bain & Company, the consultancy. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this figure rose sharply to reach 70 per cent by 2002, before falling back again. Today, it stands at about 42 per cent, and rising....

Family Business Magazine has long been an advocate of scenario planning. In an article in The Family Business Conflict Resolution Handbook, author J. Peter Duncan presented templates to help family business owners identify changes that might occur in their company's market segment, and separate facts from assumptions.

Scenario planning is also extremely useful in preparing to address family crises. Way back in Family Business Magazine's Autumn 1997 issue, family business adviser Bonnie Brown (now Bonnie B. Hartley) identified a number of scenario-planning strategies -- she called them "fire drills" -- to "teach individuals to build skills that help family management and ownership systems not only to survive major transitions, but thrive on the challenges that surface in the process."

The most common family business "fire drill" involves pretending that the business leader is dead. Who should be informed, and what do they do next?

Hartley's 1997 article suggested other drills, as well. In one of them, for example, senior-generation members devise a plan for achieving economic and emotional independence from the business. In another, business owners pore over the shareholders' agreement to check for potential landmines.

If you're not convinced that it's worth taking time from daily operations to conduct these drills, consider this anecdote that Luc de Brabandere, a partner and managing director at Boston Consulting Group's Paris office, related to the FT. A client of Brabandere's was having trouble choosing among three potential candidates for a senior position. The organization, which had recently conducted a scenario-planning exercise, discussed the scenarios with the candidates. Brabandere told the FT:

"Putting each of them into the scenarios revealed quickly that one of the three was much more robust, and could deal much better with turbulence, than the others."

Do you find yourself looking back on younger years when you were fit and wishing you still had that body? The funny thing is, even with that killer body, you probably wished you could get a better body. Many Americans struggle with weight loss because of our own personal demons. We let our laziness get in the way of helping us actually get off our rears and exercise. We opt for unhealthier food choices because they are convenient and quick. It seems like many of us use lack of time as an excuse for many things; however the only excuse we really have is our own personal issues that make us steer clear of getting a better body.

Many of us fall out of the exercise and healthy eating routine because we have had things interrupt our schedule like illness, injuries, scheduling conflicts, etc. Once we get into a slump of missing daily exercise, it's hard to get back on track. To get over this, set up some goals for yourself. Use these goals to help motivate yourself to get healthy again. Perhaps you can try adjusting your schedule so you can find time to exercise. If you cant devote 30 minutes at one time, try breaking it up into 3, 10 minute sessions. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to exercise daily, just go at your own pace. Start out slow, maybe with 2-3 exercises a week and then work your way up to daily exercise.

Find something that will inspire you to exercise. For some people, the fear of not being around to watch their children grow up is enough to motivate them to exercise. Look for something that will inspire you, maybe your inspiration could be fitting back into an old pair of jeans or finally wearing a smaller bathing suit. Whatever it is, remind yourself of it often.

For most people, exercising just doesn't sound fun. Of course we can think of 100 different things to do with 30 minutes, but your health should be important to you. Walking for just 30 minutes will increase your life expectancy. It's really not that hard to find ways to exercise. Get yourself excited about it by participating in unique exercises. Instead of going to the gym to sweat in step class, go to a water aerobics class instead. This is a fun way to exercise and you get to try a different type of exercising. Look forward to your daily exercises. To have this attitude, you need to find things that interest you like hiking, rock climbing, swimming, bike riding, etc.

Exercising and dieting isn't easy to do. It can take months or years to actually lose the weight and get in shape. Don't set high expectations on yourself; this is just setting yourself up for failure. Set smaller goals that are realistic like losing 5 pounds a month or giving up soda. Once you achieve some of the smaller goals, reward yourself so you will keep going. Use little rewards like a day off work or a shopping trip and then set a big reward if you reach your ultimate goal like spending a week in Las Vegas or going on a cruise.

Many of us lose the desire to get fit because we don't have support. If you live with people that don't exercise and eat right, you are most likely going to be the same way. If you want to live a healthier lifestyle, talk to everyone around you about it. Ask them for their support and help. Online discussion boards are a great way to get the support you need if you can't find it elsewhere.

Each of us has personal motivation, it is that inward power that pushes us to become a better person, work harder, and enjoy life. Motivation doesn't always happen on a daily basis, it takes the combination of desire and ambition to make it truly work. Highly motivated people often set personal goals for themselves that they must achieve in order to have a feeling of self worth. Many people have a desire to do something, but they lack the imitative to do it. They are held back by fear, doubt, and anxiety. Having motivation means you have a willingness to take action and do something, despite the consequences.

To improve our brain power, we need to strengthen our motivation. Motivation helps the brain to stay focused, achieve certain goals, and take action. When we strengthen our motivation, we have the energy, courage, and inner drive we need to find self-worth in our daily lives. Motivation helps us have a direction in life and we are not afraid of failure because we know the successes that will follow it someday.

Write down some of your life goals. Your motivation will strengthen if you have a vision of where you want to be in 1 year, 6 years, 30 years, etc. When you have a vision of where you want to be, you will have a stronger desire to work towards achieving it. This helps us to continue pushing ourselves to move forward and to see this vision someday become a reality.

As you write out your goals, you can apply motivation to each one of them. Some of your goals may include things like "I want to lose 10 pounds" or "I want to go back to school and finish my degree." Whatever your goals may be, motivation is already there. It is the reason why you wrote down the goals, now you just need to trust in your ability to achieve those goals and push yourself to achieve them.

There will be roadblocks along the way; this is a natural part of life. The important thing to remember is how you plan to deal with those roadblocks. If you let them overtake you, it will be hard to work towards your goals. Our brains work best if we can accomplish several little goals before a large goal. This is why it is important to use small daily and weekly goals before you reach the large goal. As you keep reaching the smaller goals, you will become more motivated to work harder to someday reach the bigger goals.

Having a lack of motivation comes from setting large expectations on ourselves. We cannot achieve the bigger goals because we don't believe in our ability and inner drive to become successful. Having motivation comes from pushing yourself to have it. For example, if there are 2 students in a class and one spends 15-30 minutes on their homework each day and the other does it right before class, which student will be successful on the test? The student that had the motivation to work hard each day or the student that procrastinated the material until the last second? Usually it's the student that took the time to motivate themselves to actually work hard each day, they were able to learn the material easily because they looked it daily and actually took the time to understand it.

When a person is lacking motivation, they have no enthusiasm to learn and grow. They do not have a zest for life and for ambition. Having motivation encourages us to live happier, healthier lives. Typically a person with motivation is happier, has more energy, and thinks of things in a positive manner.

Getting healthy and staying healthy is up to our own individual desires and needs. Motivation won't always be there; it comes and goes so it's up to us to work hard when we have it and to have the inner strength to push ourselves to do it when we don't have the motivation to get healthy. Sure a box of doughnuts may look tastier than a bag of celery, but you need to think about your health, not your taste buds.

Overcoming the challenges we face with weight loss and eating right all come down to our mental strength. Some of us will be doing just fine until we see a can of Mtn. Dew and we suddenly crave it and have to have it. This is a mental game, you don't need to soda, you just want the soda. Training your brain to think healthy thoughts is hard but it can be done. To help yourself through the hard times, write down a few of your goals. When you are starting to struggle, look back on these goals and decide if that powdered doughnut is really worth it.

Improving your health must be a priority. Don't put it off till the end of the day, try to incorporate it into every aspect of your day. Exercise when you get up in the morning, pick healthier snacks to take to work, don't go out to fast food restaurants for lunch, etc. Whatever you do, don't get discouraged and give up. This is the worst thing you can do. Improving your health is a long-term commitment. This isn't just something you can do when you feel like it; you need to do it daily just like brushing your teeth or showering. If you make a commitment to improve your health, it will be much easier to find the motivation to actually do it.

Perhaps it's easy for you to give up soda and other bad eating habits, but you struggle with the exercising. To help yourself find the time, start with some small goals. Try simple things like parking further away from the building or walking for 5 minutes a day. Once you have accomplished the little goals, you can establish some bigger ones like running a 5K in 6 months.

Keep an exercise journal and track your weight loss progress. This is a great way to help yourself actually see your progress. If possible, take some pictures and include them in the journal. Use the same clothing for each picture so you can see how it looks on your body once you start losing weight and toning up.

It's easy to get caught up in a bunch of different excuses as to why we just can't exercise or eat right, but the fact of the matter is, we can! We just need to make it a priority in our daily schedule. Use a schedule to help you set aside time for exercise and pre-plan all your meals for the lunch. This will help you out when you make the weekly or monthly grocery shopping trips and it will help you save money because you won't be purchasing unnecessary foods.

Try to keep a positive attitude about getting healthy. If you are constantly thinking about how hard it is to exercise and diet, you won't last too long in your new healthy lifestyle choices. When you start to think negative thoughts about getting healthy, replace them with a positive one. Remind yourself of the good you are doing your body by making this commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Staying positive really will help you become successful with your weight loss and exercise program and it will also help you become more productive too.

When it comes to improving our health, many of us establish health goals that are just too far out of reach so we give up quickly. Improving your health will not come easy; it can take months or years before you actually start to see some results. Here are some tips on how you can set realistic health goals to stay motivated about improving your health:

• Write down a few reasons why you want to improve your health. Do you have a history of family health problems that are tied to obesity? Has your doctor told you to lose weight? Do you want to improve your health to improve your confidence and self-esteem? Whatever your reasons are, make a long list of them and then write down some dates when you want to see these reasons become reality. For example, if you wrote down that you would like to fit into a bikini by summer, write down exactly how much time you have to do this and if it is a reasonable amount of time.
• Set short term and long term goals. You should have some daily goals for yourself like doing 5 minutes of push-ups and sit-ups. Once you complete the simple goals, start to expand on them. Have a weekly goal like "My goal is to exercise for 30 minutes, 7 days a week." Once you reach your goal, reward yourself. You can reward yourself by doing something you have always wanted to do. Maybe this is rock climbing or asking out that beautiful woman in the accounting department.
• The long term goals you establish must provide you with plenty of time to achieve them. If you are trying to drop some baby weight, keep in mind that it took you 9 months to put on all the weight and it will take at least 9 months to get it back off. Healthy weight loss is 2 pounds per week so don't try to push yourself to go above this number. If you do, you will be putting your body in a dangerous position.
• A great way to establish some realistic goals is to take photographs of yourself. Post the "before" image on your fridge or in the bathroom so you will see it daily. Post a list of why you want to get in shape and how you plan to do this next to the picture. After 6 weeks, take another picture and post it next to the first picture. Write down some of the differences you can see and feel. Do you find that you have more energy? Are your pants a little looser? Once you reach your target date, take another picture to see how you look compared to the other pictures. This is a great way to decide if you need to create more exercise and diet goals if you were able to achieve your ultimate goal by the deadline.
• Meet with a doctor and a personal trainer to develop some healthy goals. They will be able to help you exercise in a way that avoids injury and helps you reach your ultimate goal. Just be sure to do your part if they create the workout routine for you. It won't do either of you any good if you only exercise when they are around.
• Ask your friends and family members for support. This is a great way to help you evaluate your health goals as they can look them over and decide if they can assist you in any way. Perhaps they already have a gym membership so they will be willing to go to yoga or spinning class with you. Getting support is one of the best things you can do to actually achieve your goals.

Only 56% percent of teenagers actually like the way they look. Many of them have been on diets or turn to other things like cigarettes to help them lose weight. By the age of 8, most youth will start facing self-esteem challenges. Without proper motivational help, this will continue to get worse. By the time a teenage girl reaches college, 1 in 5 will become anorexic.

Why do youth and adults need self-motivation? There are many reasons why, here are a few of the most popular:

• We won't always have people around us that help encourage us to become better individuals. Maybe you won't suffer from self-esteem at age 13, but it hits you at age 16. If you don't have a good support group around you and you don't have self-motivation to accept yourself for who you are, you may find yourself becoming another statistic. Having a nice support group around you actually is rare and places you in the minority. Most people must rely on their own motivation to get through hard times.


• Without self motivation, the chances of having depression will increase.


• If you do not have self motivation, how will you challenge yourself to become better? How will you get the desire to complete homework assignments? How will you get over the fear to start your own business?


• Self-motivation helps us to find a vision and a path to follow in life.


• Having self-motivation also helps us to try new things like learning music, rock climbing, etc.


• People that have self-motivation are happier, live healthier lives, and are pleasant to be around.


• Self-motivation helps us to overcome roadblocks and challenges in life. We will view negative comments from others will a grain of salt and let it roll off our shoulders rather than taking offense to everything.

To gain self-esteem motivation, follow some of these tips:

• Exercise on a daily basis. Exercise helps to increase self-esteem because you are improving your health. Exercise also helps to improve self-esteem because it releases endorphins into the body, which improve your mood.


• • Work on focusing on your daily tasks. Set up small goals that you can easily achieve each day. As you achieve these goals, you will begin to have a feeling of self-worth.


• Write down some of the things you want to improve. Maybe you want to become a better parent and spouse. Write down a few ways to accomplish this goal.


• Review some of the successes you have had in life like graduating from high school or college, getting a good job, finding someone to share your life with, etc. Each time you face other challenges, look at these as a way to motivate you to get through the hard times. You will see that you have been successful at something in life and this can really help you improve the way you work and live your life.


• Stop caring what everyone else thinks. The only person you need to worry about is yourself and your loved ones. Don't lose weight to make your boss happy, do it to make yourself happy.


• Surround yourself with positive people. Being around positive individuals can help you maintain focus and improve your self-esteem. These individuals can help to encourage you to become a better person and challenge you to work harder.


• Read inspiring books and attend motivational seminars. This is a great way to improve your outlook on life and improve the way you interact with others.


• Make time for yourself each day. Although it may be hard to be pulled in 10 different directions, you will do yourself a huge favor if you can spend at least 10 minutes with yourself and focus on your personal needs.

There are times when we lose our ability to maintain high levels of energy. Many people turn to caffeine and other stimulants to give them energy to get through their work day. Sadly, caffeine usually stimulates the brain for a short period of time and we are left in the same position. How can you re-charge your work energy? One of the best ways to improve your work motivation is to start exercising. Exercise is one of the best ways to improve your focus and increase your memory. This can help you become a productive employee and work harder at your job.

Many people lose their energy at work because their bodies are lacking in B vitamins. Without B vitamins, our bodies may become sluggish. Start taking B vitamin supplements to have increased energy at work. If you can take the vitamins in the morning, you will feel the energy throughout the entire day because they help the brain to stay relaxes and this helps you to handle stress easier and deal with difficult situations better.

Another way to get motivated about working is to start setting small goals for yourself at the office. Take 10-15 minutes to stretch before you start your job, even if you are going to be sitting all day. It helps to stretch out so you can properly perform your job. Set another goal to walk during your lunch break or to do more stretching in the afternoon. Having small goals set up will give you motivation to make it through the work day, especially when your energy starts to deteriorate.

Use good desk ergonomics. Improperly sitting at your desk can cause you to use more energy and burn up calories that help you perform your job. You may find yourself squinting to see the computer screen or you will experience muscle tightness, headaches, and joint pain. This can all be caused from improper desk ergonomics. Adjust your computer monitor so you don't need to look up or down to see it, it should be strait ahead of you. Your elbows should rest comfortably on your chair and support your arms as you type. Make sure you stretch out your wrists good as many people develop carpal tunnel syndrome from typing all day.

Take 5 minutes to practice deep breathing exercises. Taking a break will help you focus on your job and it will help you gain extra energy to work harder. Take a minute to clear out all the stress from your body and your mind and just focus on your ability to properly perform your job duties.

Another way to improve your work energy is to get plenty of sunlight and fresh air. Open up the windows to your office and let the warm summer breeze come in. Try to go outside to eat your lunch or go for a brisk walk outside. Sunlight helps us to get the necessary amount of Vitamin D we need and it can increase our energy.

Drink plenty of water. As we are working, many of us tend to grab for coffee and soda and we neglect the one beverage our bodies really need, water. If you drink too many other liquids, you are starving your body of water that is used in a number of systems. The liquid your body drinks actually comes from the colon and this can become toxic if you don't have enough water to flush it out regularly. Make it a priority to drink at least 6 cups of water at work and then drink more water at home. When your body is drinking the right liquid, the toxins that cause us to become sluggish will be removed.

Everyday we each face different challenges and roadblocks. Some of us can handle them just fine while others need the wisdom of their loved ones to help them get through challenging times. Motivating our minds is a big part of living healthy. There are some easy ways we can motivate our minds and there are ways that involve some planning and constant work. This article will provide a guide to help you find ways to motivate your mind and overcome challenges.

Our minds need to be challenged. Once you graduate from high school, the learning doesn't stop. It doesn't stop when you finish up college either; constant studying will help the mind stay active and healthy. If you struggle learning certain types of topics, consider taking courses you can handle better. Maybe you are into anthropology instead of math or you prefer to read literature classics over the new books on the market. Find ways to make your mind stay active through learning. If you can do this up until the end of your mortality, you will reduce the chance of dementia and Alzheimer's.

A great way to motivate our mind is to read. Reading allows the mind to think outside the box and explore a different world. You are in charge of making the story come to life in your mind. Another benefit of reading is that it helps to enhance knowledge and many people find it an uplifting and rewarding experience.

Participate in games that challenge your mind like Sudoku. Try to get a group of people together and play challenging board games instead of playing video games or watching television. Your brain needs to continue to work itself and this is possible if you dedicate some time to challenging it.

If you are struggling to get focused or you can't seem to find the motivation to read and to challenge your mind, try attending a motivational seminar. You don't even need to attend a motivational one, listen to one that is on a particular subject you like. This will provide you with the learning experience you need and it can help your mind get the challenges it needs to stay active and healthy.

Write down what some of your personal roadblocks are and look for ways to overcome them. Why do you struggle with learning? Why is it hard for you to get motivated to exercise? If you can figure out what your personal roadblocks are, it will be easier to develop an action plan to overcome them.

Daily goals are a great way to keep yourself motivated. If you struggle with reading, set a goal to read for at least 5 minutes a day. Once you reach your goal for a week, move up the amount of time for the next week. Small simple goals like this will help you stay focused and on target.
A great way to keep yourself motivated about life, work, and family challenges you may endure is to print out some of your favorite quotes and post them around your home. Change the quote each day so you can have a different insight to your own life and help yourself find meaning and purpose in your life. You can purchase daily calendars that come with different inspirational quotes you can use to boost your brain power.

Remember that while quotes and other things may help to motivate you, you need to be in charge of acting upon what you read. Simply reading a quote each day won't do you any good if you don't act upon it. Think about the quote throughout the day and look for ways in which you can make your life better and the lives of everyone else around you better.

Everyone knows that exercise is good for you. It will increase your lifespan, improve your quality of live, and make you more productive. However, the excuses for not exercising tend to add up. Finding the motivation to exercise is hard. Only one in 4 adults actually exercises on a moderate basis for about 30 minutes. We can all find an excuse why we just can't exercise so the next time you look at your walking shoes with drudgery, consider some of the following motivational tools to help you exercise:

"I am too busy"
The biggest excuse people use is saying they are just too busy or they just don't have the time to exercise. All of us have obligations, its just a matter of prioritizing those obligations. Work, family, and other obligations can quickly get in the way and cause us to get out of the routine of exercising on a daily basis. To overcome this excuse, come up with a daily schedule for exercise. Instead of putting off exercise to the evening, do it when you wake up in the morning, this way you can get it over with. Make exercise a part of your daily routine and it will be much easier to commit to it. You don't have to spend an hour in the gym daily, find ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Perhaps you can try the stairs over the elevator or you can park further away from the building. Do things that will force you to walk and get moving.

"I'm too tired"
Another big excuse we use is being too tired to exercise. If anything, this should let you know that you need to get off your rear and hit the gym! Instead of sitting on the couch after a long day of work and snacking on potato chips, sit on the exercise bike or watch television while walking on the treadmill. Try doing just 5 minutes of exercise when you feel too tired to do strenuous exercise.

"I hate exercising"
Let's face it, not too many people out there actually love to exercise, you just need to suck it up and do it! If you can't stand walking on the treadmill and lifting weights, do some different types of exercising that you actually enjoy. Do you like to go hiking? How about snow skiing or waterskiing? Try doing more active activities in place of "traditional" types of exercise. This is a great way to get your body moving and to get the activity you need. If you have children, go outside and play with them. Remember what it's like to be a kid and just run around and play. This is a fun way to bond with your children and to get the physical activity you need to stay healthy.

Try using music or television to help you pass the time as you exercise. Catch up on your DVR or create a playlist of all your favorite upbeat songs that can help you stay focused about exercising.

"I don't have anyone to exercise with"
Since it helps to have a workout buddy, find one. Form a walking group with some of your neighbors or co-workers. Create your own exercise group instead of joining the gym and working out alone. Having a group of people to support you and encourage you to exercise will make it 100 times easier to find the motivation to actually do it.

"I don't know where to begin"
We are all on different activity levels. Some of us can jump right back into exercise while it take a few weeks for other people to even get the motivation to do it. Help yourself by setting daily goals for yourself. To force yourself to actually do it, withhold some of your "rewards" like Jell-O after dinner or popcorn during a movie. Tell yourself that you can only get the reward if you actually put in the time to burn off the calories. Plus, when you are done exercising, you normally aren't as hungry so you will snack less.

It doesn't matter what age you are, it's important to set daily goals to keep your mind healthy. When a person has a healthy mind, they live happier, fuller lives. Many of them tend to live healthier lives and they often do not encounter dementia in their old age. Here is a list of simple things you can do to keep your mind healthy:

• Never stop learning. The mind must be challenged and it needs to have goals. Continue to take college courses or create your own daily homework to do. Your mind must continue to learn new things to stay active and continue to grow.
• Use your brain as often as possible. Even though it's probably easier to use a calculator, consider doing it in your head or on paper. This will encourage the mind to push itself to work harder.
• Play games that challenge your mind like scrabble, crosswords, and Sudoku. Usually these games will become more challenging as you continue to move onto the harder levels. This s a great way to get your brain to think and to encourage it to learn.
• Watch the news, read the paper, and go online to learn more about current events. It is important to keep up with local, national, and international news. Keeping up with the news will continue to stimulate your mind and keep it active.
• Spend time learning new hobbies and physically challenge yourself. Your brain needs physical exercise too. This helps it to grow and learn new things. Exercise helps the brain become stronger because the overall health of your body is better. If you hate running and traditional exercise, try some new ones like swimming, trampoline jumping, biking, and yoga. Yoga is a great way to eliminate stress and truly let your mind relax.
• Playing some video games is actually a great way to reduce your risk of dementia. Play games that encourage the mind to think. Some of these games also make you become active while doing them. Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, and Wii Fit games all encourage your brain to think about what it is doing while it responds to the video game.
• Start taking music lessons. Learning music is a great way to motivate your brain and continue to make it stronger. By the end of your life, the only thing you may be able to remember is how to play the piano. Learning a musical instrument forces the body to use its hands and mind while you read the music. This helps to keep the brain stimulated through the entire activity and this is a great way to keep your brain fit.
• A great way to keep your brain healthy is to change careers or move. Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need to stay motivated and to keep your mind healthy and active. You will force yourself to meet new people and branch out of your comfort zone.
• Take a vacation to a new place. When you get away from your traditional vacation destinations, you will force the brain to explore new places and cultures. This helps the brain to stay sharp. If you need to learn a foreign language to survive the trip, do so. This also helps the brain to stay healthy because you are encouraging growth and development.
• Eat healthier food choices. There are certain foods that help to improve your brain power like antioxidants for focus and memory or whole grains for stroke reduction. Avocados help to increase the amount of blood to the brain, which can help you with your problem-solving skills.

If you have that feeling that you are in a dead-end job and you dread waking up in the morning because you have to go there, you are no doubt stuck in the motivation rut. Many people will experience dissatisfaction with their jobs because they aren't being challenged enough or because they are being pushed past their limit. Finding the proper balance is difficult for employers to achieve. Instead of just letting yourself get bored with your job, work on improving your work motivation.

You can improve your work motivation by setting up some work goals for yourself. If you are bored at your current level, look for promotions within the company or consider switching to a different department. Changing jobs can do wonders for a person as it helps to increase their learning potential.

Start volunteering for more work or special projects. Most employers don't even realize that their employees are bored because they never talk to them about it. Employees are usually scared to say anything because they fear their employers will pile on the work. If you are able to volunteer for special projects, you will have the ability to work with new people. This can help to expand your knowledge and boost your learning potential within the company. Being part of a special project will boost your motivation to become a better employee because you will learn more about the company and hopefully gain respect for it and value it.

Talk to your co-workers. Quit eating alone and start inviting your co-workers to go out to lunch with your or to go for a brisk walk. You don't need to become best friends with all your co-workers but you will do yourself a huge favor if you can talk to them and share some common interests. Establishing friendships at work will motivate you to come to work because you want to be with your friends and share personal information with them/

When you leave the office for the day, truly leave the office. Don't take your stress and frustrations home with you, leave them at work so you can balance your home life from your work life. It's important to leave it at work and focus on your home life and things that make you happy. Start doing some after-work activities like walking the dog, rock climbing, hiking, etc. Getting involved with after-work activities can help you get motivated about your job because it gives you something to look forward to for tomorrow.

If you continue to struggle with your job, ask your manager for support and advice. Many of them are willing to help you find the motivation you need to properly perform your job duties if you ask them. Asking someone with more experience is a great way to increase your knowledge of the company and of your particular job duties and this can really help you become a better employee because you will find yourself striving to be like your manager.

Quit complaining about your job and the stress you are under, everyone around you is tired of hearing about it. Instead of complaining, look for positive things about your job. When you can look on the bright side, it will be easier to stay positive about your job and build long-lasting friendships there.

Look for creative ways to get motivated about your job. Try re-arranging your office to see if that helps. Set some goals on how you want to associate with your co-workers and with your customers. This is a great way to get motivated about your job because you will be looking forward to the daily goals. Once you accomplish them, you will have a great joy from being successful at your job.

Greg sent me the link to scottevest.com because he loved the way form follows function with their travel clothing. He always travels with several gadgets and the ability to store them in nifty places and secret pockets in his clothing was very appealing. So I browsed through the site and also liked a few of the items, like the women’s trench coat and the men’s tropical jacket. If those particular items fit properly, they’ll make nice traveling clothes, keeping your goodies safe and easily accessible. You could wear them in an urban ensemble and look quite hip.

Many of the SeV products are sporty and gear-like, and definitely have their place on adventurous, outdoorsy vacations, or in casual sporty settings. These items are a little wasted on me, but they might work for you, or for the man in your life. We all know how difficult it can be to buy a nice gift for a bloke.

Related posts:

1. Missing Your Wardrobe When You Travel
2. An expiration date for clothing
3. Store it in a zip-lock bag

I’ve mentioned in recent trend reports that pleated skirts, specifically “sunray” pleated skirts, are back on the fashion scene. The photos below are examples of sunray pleated skirts, a very narrow, even width style of pleat. Sunray pleating is not to be confused with broomstick pleating, where the pleats are also narrow, but uneven and crushed. Sunray pleats tend to look cleaner, crisper and more symmetrical.

Sunray pleated skirts come in solids and patterns, and all hem lengths: mini, knee-length, midi and maxi. So take your pick. Both winter weight fabrics and lightweight summery fabrics look great in sunray pleats.

Personally, I prefer sunray pleats in dressy fabrications because the pleats hold their shape exceptionally well. Sunray pleats in casual cotton, viscose and linen fabrications don’t look as crisp to my eye because the pleats unfold half way down the skirt. This creates a much more relaxed look, which can work to your advantage if you lead a very casual lifestyle.

I like sunrays best with a tucked-in top, or a very cropped cardigan or jacket. Retro, glam and dressy. Sunray pleated skirts with elasticated waistbands aren’t bad, but those with broader waistbands and zipper closures are better because the pleats glide comfortably over the tummy and hip area. Elasticated waistbands can cause the pleats to pouf in an unflattering way and create bulges in the wrong places.

I’m a huge fan of sunray pleated skirts and will absolutely add a knee- or midi-length to my skirt collection. I just love the way they move and flounce as you stride!  Sunrays make a lovely addition to a classic business casual wardrobe, but of course, they can also be spunked up with the right edgy or arty wardrobe pieces. Versatile and fab at any age. What’s your verdict?

This post contains affiliate links.

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1. How to Wear Midi Skirts and Dresses
2. Welcome Back, Midi Skirts and Dresses
3. Casual Maxi Skirts: Yay or Nay

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The fashion industry is often criticized for showcasing women’s clothes on one body type — tall, slim, long-limbed, hourglass-y and about a US size 4. For many reasons this is not ideal. For one thing, it sends the message that there is only one ideal body type. And clearly the world is made up of many body types.

We’ve talked about this before, but today I’m interested in another angle: age.

Most models are in their teens or early 20′s. This works well when the clothing is targeted at that age group. But a teenage model showcase clothing, footwear and accessories that are obviously targeted at a different age group is a strange marketing strategy. We know that very few teens and college age gals can afford a Chanel or Prada handbag, yet it’s a young gal who showcases the product to a much older target market. The worst part of it is, we have grown accustomed to this age discrepancy.

The beauty of youth is undeniable. And it is true that the sight of a young model once again fills our hearts and minds with the magic that is associated with youth, and fond memories of the past. But I’m sure that the overwhelming youthfulness of fashion advertising is also having a negative effect.

In our society very few people are happy to look their age, let alone older. The aim is to look younger, which is why we now have a thriving botox and cosmetic surgery industry. The rarity of older women (and men) showcasing a line of clothing just reinforces this desire. Although we know better, on some level it encourages the feeling that growing older, while inevitable, is a bad thing. Something to be avoided.

Well, I think we need to break out of this vicious cycle. Shopping for wardrobe items, having fun with fashion and getting dressed each day is NOT reserved for a certain age group. I’d like to see a fashion media where all ages are represented. Help us to celebrate the meaningful marks of a life well lived — our wrinkles, changing bodies and less sculptured faces — by surrounding us with examples of stylish older models as well as young ladies.

Youth will always be aspirational, and I would understand if model ages continue to skew younger. I’m just arguing for more balance. And it will be good for business! Older models will allow more people to identify with the merchandise, helping us to visualize ourselves in the items.

Among my own clientele there are many women between the ages of 35 and 70 who have the look and the sass to make exceptional fashion models. I would absolutely LOVE to see them showcase fashion alongside younger gals – and even in runway shows.

My passion for this topic makes me want to start my own modeling agency, just so that I can book women of all ages for fashion shoots. J. Crew recently showedcased 67 year old Lauren Hutton in their online catalogue and it doesn’t look like photoshop was used to iron out her wrinkles. I’m not wild about the photo shoot because I don’t fancy the clothing choices and outfits. But thank you J. Crew for at least showing us a model in her 60′s. To me this is a step in the right direction.

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1. Can fashion models be too thin?
2. On models as clothes hangers
3. Skinny models and the CFDA health initiative

It’s not easy dressing for Spring here in Seattle where it’s still cold, wet and very grey. The sunny days are few and far between, and for some reason the weather right now is particularly dismal. That’s why we have to create our own sunshine with warmer layers and colours that make us smile.

Still true to my recent style epiphany, I want to make clean, simple, modern and bold fashion statements. This is what I wore to see a client yesterday and I am shiny from head to toe: sateen trench coat, silk blouse, brocade skirt, pearls and patent boots. (Clearly I have the magpie gene). But my handbag and hose are matte, and I stuck to dull silver accessories instead of sporting yellow gold.

While this outfit might be too bold, dressy and shiny for some, it makes me happy because I enjoy wearing bright acidic colours and shades of white. For several years now I’ve been besotted with this colour combination for Spring: white, citron and silver grey. I find it fresh and a nice change from my Winter colour palette, which is heavy on the black, grey and cream.

This is my new Bellatrix silk shirt in silver grey, layered over a white camisole for extra warmth. I couldn’t be happier with it because its structured and boxy in all the right places. I tucked it into a cream and silver brocade pencil skirt that I’ve owned for several seasons. The cream, low heeled go-go boots with nude fishnet hose add warmth and drama, as does the citron trench coat. I did not remove my trench coat while out and about with my client. I just kept it open so that it looked more relaxed and appropriate for indoors.

I didn’t want my huge gumball pearl necklace to overpower the outfit. So by adjusting the length, I wore them a little lower down my chest to make them less visible. There was just a hint of the white of the pearl against the silver grey of the shirt, which I think looks pretty. The outfit would have looked just fine without the pearls, but I really wanted to wear these oversized darlings again. And besides, glitzing up a grey day is never a bad idea.

We have uploaded these and a few additional photos to the YLF Facebook page.

Related posts:

1. Another season of grey is too much of a good thing
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3. Preparing your wardrobe for cold Spring weather

There are countless ways to store scarves and you can be quite creative about their display. As far as possible, make them visible to the eye and in close proximity to your clothing. Storing scarves in a closed drawer is not ideal because one tends to forget about them that way.

I suggest the following scarf storage methods to my clients who are after quick, inexpensive and easy solutions:

• Scarf Spinner: Hang the spinner in a coat closet, clothes cupboard, or walk in wardrobe. It’s a little bulky but works like a charm for all types of scarves (number 1 below).
• Scarf Organizer: Great for small scarves and spaces. It doesn’t work well for large thick scarves (2).
• Scarf Hanger: Also great for small spaces and successfully holds heavier weight scarves. (3).
• Scarf basket, box or bin: Roll up scarves are keep them in an uncovered bin close to your clothes.

You can go to town with scarf storage if you have the time and space. Hang towel holders in your walk-in wardrobe and knot the scarves onto the holders. Display them on a tray close to your clothes. Hang scarves on separate hooks with the rest of your accessories. Design your own solution with a custom made closet. One of my clients hangs her scarves on a bar that’s part of the foot of her bed. It’s attractive in a fun and bohemian way and becomes part of the decor.

I have two piles of scarves that I display on an open shelf in our walk in wardrobe. I neatly fold up the scarves into rectangles so that I can see the colour and design. It’s more laborious to store scarves like this because I have to fold them up in a particular way to keep the piles looking neat. But it makes shopping in my closet more fun because I like the look of the display, AND I remember to add scarves to my outfits as an accessory option.

How do you store your scarves?

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1. How to store and organize your footwear
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3. How to organize your knitwear

“White out” means wearing an outfit that is virtually white from head to toe, which includes footwear and accessories. So think of outfits with very low colour contrast, combining colours like white, off-white, bone, cream, very light tones of beige, nude, blush pink and silver grey. Metallic jewelry and footwear are key. Nude and light grey footwear are another option.

I vote yay, especially when the outfits are shades of texture-rich white and cream mixed with silver grey and pearls. The effect is soft, clean, pretty and Summery. I also love white dresses worn with metallic shoes and cream handbags. And I like the white out look both on pale and dark complexions.

I don’t wear the white out look often because I’m on Team High Colour Contrast. But when I do I keep things fairly bright by matching optical white and shimmery fabrics with metals. That way the outfit is still interesting and texture rich against my pale skin tone. I also wear a little more blush.

Over to you. Do you vote yay or nay. If you vote nay for yourself, do you like the white out look on others?

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1. Team High or Team Low Colour Contrast
2. Nude Shoes: yay or still nay
3. Can cork shoes be considered nude?

We are often encouraged to alter clothing in order to achieve “perfect fit”, and for the most part I agree with that thinking. But clothing alterations are not risk-free and they can also cost a pretty penny. It’s best to weigh up the options with each item before investing money and effort.

I’m in favour of the following clothing alterations because they are relatively simple, inexpensive, and make a huge difference to the overall fit of the garment:

• Hem shortening and lengthening
• Sleeve length shortening and lengthening
• Tapering waistband adjustment
• Button repositioning
• Shoulder strap shortening
• Sewing closed side entry pockets and removing pocket lining

I also encourage the alteration of formal attire like gowns and cocktail dresses, because a nip or a tuck in the right place can make all the difference. Anything beyond that requires a little more thought, especially when garments are fully lined.

I usually advise against shoulder width and coat narrowing alterations because they are costly and can turn out all wrong. Tapering items at the side seams is also a gamble, but can turn out quite well if the tailor is skilled. The same goes for leg width, sleeve and seat narrowing alterations. Go for it if you trust your tailor and you feel that the garment is worth the expense.

Twice I have paid for alterations that cost almost as much as the original price of the item. I was prepared to do this because the items are extremely difficult to find in the cut, size, colour and quality I was after. So I bit the bullet and luckily the alterations turned out fabulously and were worth it a million times over. However, I have also paid the earth to have a fancy button down shirt altered and the results were disastrous. I never wore the shirt again and ultimately passed it on.

Of course, the first prize is that you have a fairy godmother who magically sees to your alteration needs. Second prize is that you sew and are able alter anything yourself. The rest of us have to find a reliable tailor. Some stores in the US and in Hong Kong will hem for free with a full price purchase. Brilliant!

Related posts:

1. Alterations: the path to perfect fit
2. Knitwear alterations
3. Tailor made in Hong Kong: part 2

Although I’m generally disappointed with the current assortment of Spring and Summer blouses, Nordstrom recently brought in some new stock that looks much better. I saw all of these styles over the weekend, fitted them on a body or two, and we have some winners. In some cases the photo doesn’t do the blouse justice, so it’s best to see them in person. And be sure to look at all the colour options.

1. Bellatrix Silk Shirt: Clean, crisp, silky and sweet. A versatile silhouette that takes on multiple personalities depending on how it’s styled. Think of pairing it with anything from dressy trousers, jeans, and a pencil skirt to short shorts, cargo capris or tuck it into a flared skirt. I bought the silver, which looks delicious with white and gold. It’s not roomy around the bust so you might need to size up.
2. Hinge Handkerchief Hem Silk Shirt: It’s an exciting style if you like to wear voluminous blouses like I do.  I can’t adequately describe the arty integrity of this style with words so you’ll just have to try it on to feel its magic. It looks interesting from all angles. Soft, drapey and different (and also