Women With Know How May 2012

7/31/2019 Women With Know How May 2012

1/58

Celebrating

Legal services for people facing difcult family challenges

May 2012

Krusch & SellersAtorneys, P.A.

Say Sito 5 de Mayo!

and

Building YourBusiness

on RelationshipMarketing

Top Stories

Planning for

Retirement as aSmall Business Owner

Exercise YouCan Do AbsolutelyAnywhere


2/58Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community2

Mimi ZelmanPublisher

Dear Readers,May brings many celebrations. It has Cinco de Mayo, Moth-

ers Day, and Memorial Day. Here is some history on Mother

Day. Many o us dont actually know how it began.Mothers Day began: In 1858, when Anna Jarvis, a young Ap-

palachian homemaker, organized Mothers Work Days to im-

prove the sanitation and avert deaths rom disease-bearing

insects and seepage o polluted water.

In 1872, when Boston poet, pacist and womens su-

ragist Julia Ward Howe established a special day

or mothers --and or peace-- not long ater the bloody Franco-

Prussian War. In 1905, when Anna Jarvis died. Her daughter,

also named Anna, decided to memorialize her mothers lie-

long activism, and began a campaign that culminated in 1914

when Congress passed a Mothers Day resolution.

Also lets honor women on Memorial Day!

Beginning with the American Revolution and continuing to

the present, women have always volunteered in deense o

our nation. Many o their contributions have been orgotten

and are not recorded in todays history books

The Womens Memorial at Arlington Cemetery is chang-ing this omission through a massive oral history and research

project. Foundation Ofce o History & Collections collect

ofcial and personal records, oral histories, photographs, and

other memorabilia to help portray womens record o service

and citizenship. Growing collections include a library o nearly

1,000 books by and about military women, photograph and

document archives, personal and military-issue artiacts, mem-

oirs and oral histories. These considerable resources serve as a

leading educational resource on Women in US Military History.

The team at Women With Know wishes all mothers a

wonderul Mothers Day and thanks all the women

serving our country and protecting us. Enjoy thiss months is-

sue and be sure to share it with co-workers, amily and riends!!

Mimi


3/58www.womanwithknowhow.com MAY 2012 3

C o n t e n t sPublisher/President

Mimi L. Zelman

[email protected]

Vice President Marketing

Wendy Whitehurst

[email protected]

Account Executive

Kim Hu

Creative Director

Juliana Lievano

www.JulianaCreativeDesigns.com

Contributing Writers

Terri BennettSabrina Winters

Robyn Crigger

Cover Photography

by Cover Photoghraphy by Benny

Dawkins o New Day Productions

For more advertising inormation

call Mimi at 704-491-1207

or email her at:

[email protected]

Copyright 2012

52

4

30

10Building YourBusiness onRelationship Marketing

14Planning orRetirement as a SmallBusiness Owner

18 Increasing Loyaltyby Enhancing EmployeeBenet Oerings, Not Costs

20FutureEmployment Trends

24Prepare orthe Unexpected!

26Technology Tips -7 Tips or Successul SEO

42Exercise You Can DoAbsolutely Anywhere (Part 1)

46 Top 5 easiestoods to grow at home

48Are Little WhiteLies Really Harmul toYour Business?

On thecoverKrusch& Sellers

Attorneys,P.A.



profe

ssionalspotlig

ht

How did you get

started in this business?

Health and Wellness have alwaysbeenconcerns in our amily, like Im

sure they are in most amilies. We

have allergies, physical and mental

stress o type A personalities and

stresses rom the changes that lie

always brings nothing o major

concern, but things that interere with

our amily members perorming at

their best.

When my husband was in a job transi-

tion, it seemed like the perect time to

ocus on a business that could not only

have a positive impact on our amily

heath but also on the health o those

in our community. Massage had been

therapeutic in the past and would cer-

tainly be benecial in the uture.

What is your background

-what were you doing beore

this business?I have enjoyed positions rom man-

aging a Customer Service Dept. and

a Computer Programming Dept. to

Group Lie and Health Insurance Sales

- wonderul experiences and learn-

ing processes. But the love o my lie

has always been music. There has

never been a time in my lie when I

was not involved in music playing,

directing and teaching at churches

and schools. I am still currently the

DonnaPetersonBy Mimi ZelmanOWNER LA VIDA MASSAGE



Director o Music Ministries at Messiah

Lutheran Church in Charlotte.

What is a good early

story about your business?When you jump in with both eet, as

my husband and I did, you expect to

be able to swim. We have so many

wonderul stories o the people who

have helped keep us buoyant. Unex-

pected and wonderul relationships

have ormed in the making o LaVida.

Our very rst receptionist was actu-

ally watching our acility build-out in

anticipation o seeking a position. So

over qualied, we would have never

thought to bring her into the

team, she has become one o our

most valuable assets and a dear, dear

riend. She immediately became in-

volved helping to hang pictures and

introducing us to her dear riend who

has been an incredible marketing

guru. Its incredible to see how

connections are made and how they

lead to so many more connections.

It has been like living in a real-lie

Facebook with the connection pro-

Far from ordinary, yet close to everything.Located in one of Charlottes mostprestigious and historic neighborhoods,

The Duke Mansion offers you

exceptional hospitality with all the

conveniences of a modern hotel. With

our Four Diamond service and the

beauty of our 4.5 acre historic estate,

your stay at The Duke Mansion will be

unlike any other.

with private baths and wireless

delicious continental breakfasts to go

theatre and stores

For Reservations, call 704-714-4400

400 Hermitage Road | Charlotte, North Carolina704.714-4400 or 1-800-202-1009 | www.dukemansion.org

The Duke Mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places,is a nonprofit supported by its patrons, donors and neighbors.

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cess in overdrive. We have been very

ortunate to have such a collection o

wonderul riends in our sta, in our

clients and in our business relation-

ships. By accident, I was sending

pictures and news o upcoming am-

ily trips to jpeterson@_______, in-

tending them to go to my son. Well I

didnt have the email quite right and it

wasnt my son at all, but because

o the alse connection that was

made, a real connection was estab-lished. We email on a airly regular

basis and keep each other inormed

o how our amilies are doing,

exchanging pictures intentionally.

And because o that unexpected

relationship, I have been more open

to possibility thinking. Guess who

my Google rep is! J Peterson! No, not

the same one as the other J Peterson

who is not my son, but we also have

shared un amily stories and it does

make work so much easier.

What is unusual or unique

about your business, in

comparison to your competitors

or similar businesses?Although our treatments are therapeu-

tic, you wont eel like youre coming

into a clinic when you enter LaVida

Massage o Foxcrot/Southpark or

LaVida Massage o Toringdon Circle/

Ballantyne. Step across the threshold

into a totally relaxing environment

the sights, the sounds, the smells, the

touch, the taste all designed to begin

the process o total relaxation which is

to take place in the massage session.

Our therapists are the nest, chosen

because o their knowledge, their

skill and their passion or healing the

body. At LaVida, it is our goal to pro-

vide relie rom muscle pain, improvedcirculation, increased exibility and all

the other benets o massage. But it

is also our goal to educate our clients

in ways that they can improve their

conditions at home, through exercise

or stretches or avoidance o misuse.

Education is really a big deal with us, somuch so, that we want our clients to

be the people who want to learn how

to help themselves. Its the old adage

o Give a man a sh and hell eat or a

day but teach a man to sh and hell

eat or a lietime. We want to take care

o you but we also want to give you

the wisdom to manage certain aspects

o your health on your own.

Is there a customer experience

you are most proud o?Yes, absolutely! A woman brought

her ather in, an older veteran, seek-

ing any relie possible or his ongoing



2nd Annual Power Walk to benefit Dress for Success

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pain. He was stooped, shufed with a

cane, and was visibly uncomortable

with head down. He needed help

getting on the massage table and

was unable to lay on his ront or back

only on his side. One o our miracle

working therapists was able to work

with this man on a regular basis or

several months gradually working

out the muscle tension and knots,

improving his circulation, decreas-

ing his chronic pain and providing anincredible boost in his emotional and

physical wellbeing and his sel-

esteem as he transitioned rom barely

mobile to walking around the block

with head held high. One o the piec-

es o art in our Toringdon oce shows

a man breaking ree rom a stone into

a dance. That is similar to the transor-

mation that took place with this man.

It takes my breath away.

Do you do any charity

or non prot work?We do. We are privileged to be in-

volved with several charity organiza-tions as they provide events to raise

money. As massage therapists, we are

able to take our portable massage
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chairs to events, indoors and out-

doors, and provide ree chair massage

to the participants o the events.

We were at the inaugural Stiletto Sprint

or Ovarian Cancer Research in South-

park and returned or the 2nd Annual

Stiletto Sprint in April. We provide mas-

sage to golers who are in tournaments

raising money or the Lupus Foundation,

UMAR a oundation which provides

assistance and housing to adult dis-abled members o our society, and other

similar organizations. We have provided

services or the Charlotte Mecklenburg

Police Thin Blue Line Ride, Kinder Mourn,

the KristenFoundation or Missing Adults,

the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, Susan

G Komen Breast Cancer Research, and

several other non-prots.

Our sta requested the opportunity to

provide healing touch to the women in

the Battered Womens Shelter. Its when

your work is so appreciated that you

eel like youre getting so much more

than youre giving. Each o the events

we participate in allows us to better

understand the world around us and tocontribute, i only in a small way, to the

betterment o our world.

Who are some o your

most notable clients?We cant name any names but we

certainly do have people rom all walks

o lie. Movie and Television Stars, Physical

Laborers, Proessional and College Ath-

letes, Nurses, Politicians, Teachers, Doc-

tors, Retirees, Lawyers, Disabled Veterans,

Psychologists and Counselors, Ministers,

People like You and Me. We have clients

with names you would recognize and

clients with names you wouldnt recog-

nize, but once they come through our

doors, they are all notable.

What is an interesting

story about a client

interaction you had?Its not very oten you have a business

like ours where the client response

is so emotional, so heart-elt and so

passionate. You can tell by the way

conversation goes prior to the

massage which are the persons who

really need that session. And to see

the change in posture, the change in

attitude, the smile that was not there

beore it makes our work so reward-

ing. Although I dont have stories or

each o these, I believe we have saved

projects, jobs, relationships and may-

be even lives. You can see words ogratitude rom our clients in the

books we keep at the ront desk.

What are some o your greatest

challenges in your business?Live and learn is awully time con-



suming. As a new business, I cant

really aord to buy all the inormation

thats out there, so making proession-

al contacts with people who will

share their expertise is key. Since its

pretty much all new, the learning

curve has been a long one. Knowing

when to seek help and discerning

whose advice will actually help also

takes some eort.

What would you most likethe reader to know aboutyour journey in business?It has been incredible! Like the rst

time I ew a plane or the rst (only)

time I bungee jumped or the rst

time I walked on the ocean oor or

the rst time I (you know what I want

to say but Im not going to). All o

those experiences take you some-

where youve never been nor even

dreamed o experiencing because

you cant imagine it. Its like that. You

never know what the next day will

hold, what you will learn, who you will

meet, because you cant even imag-

ine something so wonderul. And

moving through this journey with my

husband and my daughter makes it ajourney o a lietime!

Donna Peterson/ La Vida [email protected]

CLICKONADTOVIEWO

URVIDEO
http://www.kaiskookies.com/



by Terri Bennett

m

arketi

ng

Building Your Businesson Relaionship Markeing

W

hen growing a busi-

ness it takes a lot o

time and dedication

to commit to yourdream. A business cannot grow nor

sustain without clients or customers

who like, love and know about your

product. Thereore, building a business

based on relationships is key to the

survival these days with all o the social

media and the premise that it is based

on RELATIONSHIPS. As a business

owner Relationship Marketing mustbe a part o your marketing strategy in

order to maintain customer retention.

Relationship Marketing is the organi-

zational commitment to developing

and enhancing long-term mutually

benecial relationships with prot-

able or potentially protable custom-ers. As in the past businesses were

determining the value o their cus-

tomers based on their most recent

transaction or purchase. This transac-

tion could be one time or it could be

multiple times but the relationship

was not cultivated and the exchange

was the ocus. Today, it has become

more important or companies to

ocus their eorts on building long-term relationships that are mutually

benecial and potentially protable

or protable customers. The primary

goal or creating customer relation-

ships is to increase your customer

loyalty and retention. It is a long-term

thinking process that should be un-

derstood and not limited.

As statistics show:

A company could lose up to 50% of

its customers over a ve year period.

Just a small increase in customer

retention rates can have a proound

impact on a businesss bottom line.

It costs 6-7 times more to recruit or

obtain a new customer than it does

to retain your existing customers.

It has been stated that to dierenti-

ate yoursel rom the crowd there are

three major things: (1) your core busi-

by Elysha Brooks



ness model, (2) price, (3) your total

relationship and customer experi-

ence. These three things are unique to

you and you have to know what that

looks like or you and your business.

As the business environment and

the competition gets more competi-

tive, the importance becomes how

strong is your relationships with your

customers and what does it require

to maintain that relationship. As I saidrelationships are so important to busi-

nesss bottom line prot.

When you begin to look at relation-

ship marketing there must be a com-

mitted eort on your part that is on-

going and consistent. A relationship

requires authenticity, dedication and

a commitment to getting to know

your customer including their wants,

needs, desires, likes and dislikes to say

the least. It is more about investing

time and energy to cultivating a long

lasting relationship that will create

brand loyalty and satisaction.

We all seek to establish a businesscommunity with loyal customers,

brand awareness and prot. This re-

quires a long-term plan and the prop-

er investment to build a strong brand

that potential clients can recognize

and keep aithul to.

As you grow your business based

on relationships, it is important that

(1) your customers understand the

benets that you oer; (2) the advan-

tages o working with you and (3) the

construction o building brand loyalty

program. Loyalty is the ultimate goal

o relationship marketing and can be

comparable to inuence o satisac-

tion o customers who are not only

loyal, but also would not mind posi-

tive word-o-mouth advertising.

With deepened relationships and

greater eorts o retention custom-

ers will stay with the company longer

and creates an opportunity or a better

basis o providing quality and value.

Begin, i you are not implementing

relationship marketing into your mar-

keting strategy because with how

social media is the new normal, you

are missing out on a great deal o

business. Stay tuned to next months

article on ROI o Social Media.

About Elyshia Brooks-CarrElyshia Brooks International, Inc. and KreativeGroup, Inc. is a consulting, coaching and trainingcompany that works with heart-elt, consciousentrepreneurs and service-based [email protected] / 800.511.5410www.ElyshiaBrooks.comwww.KreativeGroupInc.com


12/58

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14/5814 Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

nan

ce

Planning or Reiremenas a Small Business Owner

I

youre a small business owner,

protecting yoursel and your

business goes beyond secur-

ing proper insurance agree-ments and building an emergency

nancial cushion it also means

ensuring that your savings will sustain

you throughout retirement.

Most o those anticipating retirement

have savings plans sponsored by their

company, and though you are likely

expecting to retire at some point, theprocess may be more complex in the

absence o such a plan. You must

determine how to keep your income

owing ater retirement or how to

capitalize by selling your business and

creating a nest egg.

Its never too early to begin planningor retirement and there are several

things you can do as a small business

owner to prepare. Make saving a prior-

ity. As other nancial goals arise, saving

or retirement may get overlooked. Its

tempting to re-invest a large portion

o your prot into your business, but

you may regret not socking away more

savings or your personal nancial se-

curity especially i retirement comesalong aster than you expected. I you

dont have an established retirement

savings plan, consider contributing to

an IRA or other qualied investment

plan. Its less tempting to pull money

rom accounts that are earmarked or a

specic goal.

Develop a succession plan. Its im-portant to think about the uture o

the business that youve put so many

resources into. Research the legal

procedures or transerring ownership

(to a amily member or employee) and

document in writing who you intend

to take over your business ater youve

retired. There may be tax ramicationswhen you sell or transer your business,

so be aware o these so you can pre-

pare or the nancial impact.

Prepare to sell. I you intend to sell your

business, be realistic about its value.

Its dicult to consider accepting less

by Diane Davis



than you believe its worth, but i you

retire in a down market or sooner

than youd planned, you may need

to compromise on an oer. Keep in

mind that selling your business may

be emotional. Having knowledge

about the process beore you con-

sider oers may make it less stressul

and ensure the decisions you make

are nancially sound.

Retirement can be especially conus-ing and complicated or small business

owners, so consider working with a

proessional nancial advisor who can

help you balance your business needs

with your personal ones. Everyone has

dierent priorities and values, but it is

up to each individual to prepare or her

own retirement. The earlier you begin

planning, the easier it will be to ulll

your long-term nancial goals and

avoid dicult trade-os.

Diane S. Davis, CFP, CLUCERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERAmeriprise Financial5200 Park Rd, Ste 117, Charlotte, NC [email protected]/diane.s.davis704.522.6565

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insura

ncean

dnan

ce

T

odays small business

owner aces a number ochallenges including a

slow economic recovery

and volatile investment markets. In ad-

dition to those, according to MetLies

9th Annual Study o Employee Benet

Trends, many may also be acing em-

ployee retention issues as employee

loyalty has signicantly declined in the

last few years. Only 44% of employeesreported a strong sense o loyalty to

their current employer a sharp con-

trast from 2008 where 62% of those

surveyed elt a great sense o loyalty.

Though small businesses may be ac-

ing some hurdles, todays environment

may present opportunities or employ-ers to help retain and recruit employ-

ees by improving benet oerings

while maintaining the line on costs.

Voluntary BeneftsThough benets such as medical, pre-

scription drugs, dental, lie, disability,

and vision coverage, are considered bymany employees important to have,

about one-third o small business do

not oer one or all o these. Among

employees, however, interest is still very

strong. The study shows that approxi-

mately hal o employees nd it impor-

tant to have benets like lie, dental, and

disability insurance available to them

through the workplace even i theyhave to pay all o the cost themselves.

Thereore, voluntary benets are an-

other option or small business em-

ployers seeking a cost-eective way to

increase their benets oerings while

improving employee retention. When

aced with a choice o either paying orsome benets or losing them entirely,

many employees indicated that they

would choose to pay or them.

Retirement SolutionsFor individuals today, saving or retire-

Increasing Loyaly byEnhancing EmployeeBene Oferings, No Coss

by Andrea J. Buschur



ment has become a daunting task. It

is sae to say that a majority o indi-

viduals today eel that they have not

saved enough or retirement, and the

anemic economic recovery has not

assuaged those ears and concerns.

One way small businesses may be

able to help employees with their

retirement savings goals is to oer

educational programs. 75% of small

business employees (those who work

or employers with ewer than 500

workers) who report taking time o to

deal with, or spend more time at work

thinking about personal nancial is-

sues than they think they should, said

they would be interested in receiving

advice and guidance through their

employer. Employers are somewhatreluctant to do so, understandable

giving these challenging times. But

there are clearly some productivity

and loyalty implications or an em-

ployers decision not to address the -

nancial worries o employees. Overall,

many nancial advice and guidance

programs and tools can be imple-

mented with minimal cost and eort.

OpportunitiesTo the small business owner, the

question o whether or not to oer

employee benets is more a question

o how to spend more eectively versus

spending more. Many employee ben-

et solutions can be implemented by a

small business owner at a minimal cost,

and the rewards can be quite substan-

tial as these benets oster a sense o

loyalty among employees. Company

loyalty, in turn, may lead to a more posi-

tive work environment, a place where

employees eel they have a network o

support and greater job satisaction.

Thereore, to help prevent small busi-

nesses suer employee productivity

losses rom losing talented sta or rom

having dissatised employees, they

should be encouraged to work with

their brokers to ensure that their ben-

ets program is meeting the needs o

employees and that the benet oer-

ings remain relevant and competitive.

A well-designed, cost-eective benets

program can help small business em-

ployers attract, retain, reward and moti-

vate those who make the business run

eectively and eciently.

Andrea J. BuschurFinancial Services Representative,Investment Adviser RepresentativeRegistered Representative. MetLie4410 Mint Hill Village Lane,Suite 201, Mint Hill, NC 28227Direct: 704-248-9620 Fax: 704-248-9621

email: [email protected]



business

M

any employees in past

generations worked

or one company/

organization or theirentire working lietime. In more recent

years many Baby Boomers worked or

one company or 10-20 years, but then

transitioned into another position or

career. The younger and current gener-

ations o employees are changing their

employers an average o 4 times in their

work lives. So what other changes are

in the uture o employment?

As children o the Baby Boomers saw

their parents downsized, many be-

came disheartened or disillusioned

about the lack o loyalty rom em-

ployers. O course, what was hard or

many to understand was that most o

these employers regretted having todownsize, but only did it to keep their

businesses alive. Still, the impact on

the younger generation occurred.

The economy has also caused other

changes to employment practices

as well. As businesses activities de-

creased, a large number o employers

have chosen to outsource some as-

pects o their work, which could causemore to lose their employee status.

However, many employers just turned

around and hired that person as a

consultant. O course, that means the

consultant no longer receives health

benets, a steady paycheck, etc.

For some people, their desires to work

rom home is not only important or pre-

erred, but is being accomplished. Em-

ployers are establishing more positions

with exible hours and arrangements.

Though these people may not be go-

ing into the oce every day, they may

nd themselves working longer hours

via email, skype, etc. Plus working rom

home can also include more interrup-tions than in a business oce setting.

When working rom home, one might

eel that they are always at work.

In a recent survey o 20s, and 30-year

olds, many have indicated that these

Fuure Employmen Trends

by Robyn Crigger


http://www.signaturewellness.org/


22/5822

people expect to change jobs about

every 18-24 months. Many also dont

want to be tied to a job in an oce andplan to seek more project-type work.

However, all o these people value

growth opportunities and want to

continue learning new skills and talents.

Another priority or this group is having

more ree time to be with amily.

How will employers manage this chang-

ing workorce? With our changing anddiverse workorce, as the aging leader-

ship retires and younger decision makers

step up, we will probably see even more

changes. One big challenge currently is

or employers to make immediate eorts

at retaining their best employees. As

indicated in the previous paragraph, all

employees today seek to receive moretraining and development opportunities.

A survey o the Social Media noted that

over 53% of working employees are cur-

rently seeking new job opportunities. As

these people leave, who will employers

be let with? Could it be their mediocre

and low achieving employees?

Future Employment TrendsThe Baby Boomer employees will

gradually leave the workorce, and

this is beginning to happen but will

take about two more years to see the

bulk exiting. This will leave a void in

many companies, who havent been

providing ongoing skill and leadership

development. Many companies havent

even begun selecting their uture lead-ership successors. This lack o strategic

planning could hurt those companies/

organizations, who keep putting this o.

Continuing actors that will impact

the employment trend includes the

economy and changes in technol-

ogy and energy. The idea or a shorter

work week has been discussed oryears, but the time may be coming to

help with energy consumption to have

a 4-day work week (with longer days).

The energy industry is changing, too,

so there are lots o unknowns: i.e. Tech-

nology is always changing.

The question is how many employersare taking steps to research and plan

or this changing business world, and

how many are actually putting ideas

into action? It is important to be

investigating possible ideas/options

and coming up with a possible plan.

Change is inevitable. Other transi-

tions will be coming. How many o

our employers are being proactive?

Compass Career ManagementSolutions OI Partners Inc.8509 Crown Crescent Court, Charlotte, NC 28227704-849-2500Fax 704-845-2420www.compasscareer.com

Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community


23/58
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spiritu

alforcast

I

have mentioned beore and

will continue on the theme that

there is much change aoot. I

encourage you to allow yourselto really examine your eelings and

then intentionally move rom ear to

love. Love heals everything!

As I pulled the cards or the month o

May my sense is that there will be many

events happening around the globe

that may seem or eel rightening andother events that will warm your heart.

Please know that everything that we

are experiencing is clearing the way or

a beautiul and peaceul world. That in-

cludes things you may be clearing and

changing on a personal level.

Each month I pull three divination cards

and share their meaning with you. Myintention when I pull these cards is that

they will have a loving and peaceul

message or each person that reads this

article. This months cards are rom Do-

reen Virtues Archangel Michael deck be-

cause it is time to call in the movers and

shakers. KNOW that each one o you

does have a voice and that our Creator

hears your voice and knows your heart.

The First Card is Be

Gentle With YourselOne o the happenings that I have

noticed in every part o my world is

that people all around me are opening

up to their own intuition and spiritual

sensitivity. It is very important that you

honor this in yoursel and an excellentway to do that is to allow this git o

awakening to happen gently and at a

pace that you are comortable with.

As you look at your lie and world

begin to ask yoursel how each item,

event or person makes you eel?

What about your diet, sleep patterns

and especially how to talk to yoursel?Are each o the things in your lie and

world bringing you joy and love? I

not, what can you do to change that?

The Second Card is

Shield Yoursel

Prepare or he Unexpeced!

by Rev. Marcie Williams-Browning



It looks like the theme o sensitivity

and awakening is continued. This

card asks you to use wise judgment in

your dealings with others and in thecircumstances that you expose your-

sel to. This includes television, ood,

drink, conversations with others and

any other stimuli.

The second part is to ask or divine

protection in all o your dealings with

others and any where you may go that

may not eel sae or protected. This isnot exclusive to danger and is more in-

clusive o your emotional, mental and

spiritual awareness and awakening.

The Third Card is Pay

Attention to your DreamsOne o the ew times that you are

ully relaxed and not using your con-scious mind is when you sleep. This

is the perect time or your spiritual

guidance to communicate with you

and one o the ways they do that is

through your dreams.

I you do not keep a dream journal by

your bedside, now would be a great

time to start that practice. Because

your dreams generally only stay in the

conscious mind or a short time ater

waking, jotting down your dreams

right away helps you to recall them

later when you have more time to

process them.

Final Thoughts and MessagesIn the midst o all o the changes hap-

pening around us, this month says to

ocus on your own journey and spiritu-al evolution. It is time to increase your

own awareness o your intuition and to

act on the messages that you receive.

In the process o awakening intuitive-

ly, you can eel vulnerable and unpro-

tected. The message this month re-

minds you to ask or divine protection

and accept it when it is given. You

are the master creator o your lie and

destiny. The most divine creations

also include your spiritual guidance as

your co-creator. That guidance is only

a thought or prayer away. Yours with

much love and joy.

The Spiritual CoachChrysalis Hypnosis Center5200 Park Road, Suite 111, Charlotte, NC 28209704-631-9540 Voice Mail803-493-0332 Cellhttp://the-spiritual-coach.inowww.MindBodySpiritBiz.com

http://dsldogtraining.com/



te

chnolo

gy

I

am thrilled to be able to bring

some Technology Tips to you rom

MiSyte.com. We strive to make

sure our clients are able to under-stand and get the most out o technol-

ogy. We are going to start with inorma-

tion about SEO and how to make it work

or you. For questions or uture tips youd

like us to write about, please email me

at [email protected]. I want to thank

Jacquie Gonzalez, CDMC/PIM, and SEO

Specialist MiSyte.com or putting these

tips together or this month.

S.E.O... As a business owner, you may

have heard those three little letters as

you delve into the vast world o digi-

tal marketing. SEO, or Search Engine

Optimization, is basically taking the

necessary steps to ensure that your

website is visible to the search engineslike Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, and AOL.

The ultimate goal is to be at the top o

those rankings, and in most circum-

stances, with the right cultivation local

businesses can actually accomplish

that goal.

In the month o February, Google made

over 40 changes to their algorithms (as

they normally do to keep the playing

eld air or all). One o those changesinvolved making searches by subject

and city more relevant to local busi-

nesses. The majority o people search

terms using the subject and the city

name. Google knows that. But did

you? Here are some tips and services

that can get your SEO in order and help

you garner more market share in your

local area. Ater all, with most o thepopulation using laptops, tablets, and

mobile devices to search businesses,

being at the top o your local searches

should be a priority.

1. SEO is about doing the right thingsconsistently over time. Trying to get to

the top o a search engine overnight isan unrealistic goal. It can take weeks

and months-- even when you are do-

ing all the right things. So, the rst tip

is being consistent. When you plant a

crop, you dont dig it up ater a couple

o weeks and plant it somewhere else

Technology Tips -7 Tips or Successul SEO

by Jamie Gilleland



just because you do not see plants

above the soil. You water it. You er-

tilize it, All the while; germination istaking place underneath that soil.

Giving it your best consistent eorts

will eventually reap a ne crop! So, be

consistent, and dont expect immedi-

ate results rom an SEO campaign.

2.Make sure your website is well- op-

timized. This basically means that youneed to get your website visible in the

eyes o the search engines. Search

engine bots will crawl your site con-

tent looking or keywords, themes, and

inbound links, not only in the visible

content, but also in areas that we do notsee, such as those techy areas like title

tags and ALT image attributes. A well-

structured SEO campaign should include

optimization o your current website.

3. Blog oten. Consider adding a blogto your website or at least creating one

and linking it to your website. Blogrequently, at least weekly, using as

much compelling, keyword-rich con-

tent as possible throughout the blog

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article. Blogs are easily and quickly

picked up by the search engines, and by

blogging, you are creating the oppor-

tunity to build more organic in-bound

links to your website over time. What

does THAT mean? Basically, people

love to read and share interesting blog

articles, and as they share and post your

blogs, they are creating inbound links to

your website rom other websites.

4.This brings us to In-Bound Linking.Build your Inbound Links GRADUALLY

over time. Building links too ast can get

you kicked o a search engine, as search

engines pick up on suspicious behavior.

I your site has not had any inbound

links or months or years, and all o a

sudden, you add 20 in one month that

might be suspicious! Rather, building

links to your website rom other more

popular websites is more o a relation-

ship building thing.

Contact the webmasters o various busi-

ness aliations, civic organizations, tradeassociations or organizations, and busi-

ness partner companies that you belong

to or work with, and gradually have them

add a link rom their site to yours (and

reciprocate). Over time, building strong

link partners helps your rankings. Con-

sider it popularity by association.

5. Get going on your social mediamarketing! Your business doesnt have

a business acebook an page? Well, it

should. Use social media as a platorm

to get people talking about your busi-

ness in a positive way.

Social media is not a sales platorm, but

rather an opportunity to get your busi-ness in someones personal conversation.

Social media is also a great place to oer

loyal customer incentives and giveaways.

What does this have to do with your SEO

eorts? A lot. Search engines weigh

heavily on your social media presence

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these days. Get your business linked in

to social media or better rankings!

6. Make sure your domain name ornames contain keywords. Remem-

ber: a keyword is not just one word.

A keyword can consist o up to 5

words and 50 characters in a domain

without being considered suspicious.

Your keywords should consist o your

main prot centers and your main

cities. It should consist o the exactwords that you think people would

type into Google to nd your type o

business. For example, i you own an

HVAC company in Neverland, USA,

your domain should be

www.hvaccompaniesneverland.com.

7. Submission is a big part o SEO.Your proessional SEO consultant

should get you listed with several

directories, such as the open directory

project, DMOZ.org. Human submis-

sion o your website to directories and

to search engines consistently will help

you rank higher over time.

These are just some o the strategies

you should be employing in a well-

planned SEO campaign. Beware that

there are many companies that prom-

ise a certain level o results with your

SEO campaign, and those companies

are usually using black hat techniques

that could get you black-listed rom

the search engines. Good SEO comes

rom doing the right things consistent-

ly, and the results will come in time.

Jamie GillelandMisyte.com President/[email protected] - 843-263-5478Toll Free - 855 Misyte1 (647-9831) ext. 1

For More inormation or to receivea Media Kit contact us at:

[email protected]

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30/5830

This months article is a little dierent than

our usual eatured one. I wanted to ocus

on the 3 emales at Krusch and Sellers or

a ew reasons. The biggest reason is or

our readers who may be going through a

dicult time, either by a dicult divorce

or child custody; this article will help

make them aware that women need to

protect themselves legally. Also Claire

Krusch the practice client advocate is a

remarkable woman who does so much

help homeless children in our city!


31/58www.womanwithknowhow.com MAY 2012

Krusch& Sellers

Atorneys, P.A.Featuring Claire Krusch Client Advocate,

Leigh Ballenger Sellers Attorney, & Re-becca Kathleen Watts Attorney

By Mimi Zelman



A little background on the rmKrusch & Sellers, P.A., is committed to pro-

viding experienced, knowledgeable, and

compassionate legal services or people

acing dicult amily challenges. Based

in Charlotte, North Carolina. They oer a

ull-service amily law practice or clients

throughout the Charlotte metro area.

Some o the amily law matters han-

dled include divorce, collaborative

divorce, child custody and visitation,child support, prenuptial agreements,

legal separations, property distribu-

tion and stepparent adoption.

Claire Krusch Client AdvocateClaire serves as a liaison between you

and your attorney.

The client advocate is

a support service that

is available to you.

She is not an attorney

and thereore cannot

answer any legal questions It has been

an honor or me to know Claire!

Her heart is so huge and she is mak-

ing such a dierence helping homeless

children!Claire is also a MecklenburgTimes 50 Most Inuential Women honor-

ee by the Mecklenburg Times 2011-2012.

How did you get

started in the business?In 2000, the law rm o Alan R. Krusch,

C

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Attorney at Law, became a reality. Alan

Krusch, the senior and ounding part-

ner o Krusch & Sellers, P.A., Attorneys

at Family Law, is not only a colleague,

by also my spouse of almost 36 years.

In the rms inancy, I played a minor

role o assisting the sta with client

support and meeting with vendors.

The vision or expansion o not only

oce space, but or additional amily

law attorneys and support sta cameto ruition a ew years later. Thus, my

role as the rms ull-time Director o

Marketing, Human Resources and Cli-

ent Advocacy was established.

What is your background and

what were you doing beore this?

Without even realizing it, my prior em-ployment opportunities prepared me or

where I am today. Ive worked or two

major airlines; headed two non-prots;

worked in public relations at a small col-

lege and also at a 450-bed hospital.

Later, I was promoted to the position as

patient advocate at the same hospital.

Do you do any charityor non-prot work?As a law rm, we give back to our

community by delivering Friendship

Trays to homebound individuals

on at least a monthly basis. Our law

rm ounded and hosted the rst an-

nual Sharing With Shoes event and

shoe drive in 2010. The Sharing With

Shoes event, which is invitation only,

helps collect new shoes or young

homeless students currently attend-

ing Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.

We partner with the local non-prot

organization A Childs Place, who then

distributes the new sneakers to the

over 4,711 homeless children living in

our community.

Our organization is now called Queen

City Soles, and the annual event will

continue to be known as SharingWith Shoes. This year, our goal is col-

lect over 500 pairs o new sneakers

or Charlottes homeless children, and

help ease the impact that homeless-

ness has on this vulnerable and inno-

cent portion o our community.

33



What are some o the greatest

challenges in your business?Our job is to help you get through

one o the most dicult and chal-

lenging periods o your lie. A mar-

riage is ending or has come to an end.

Helping a client ease some o the pain

is tough. Even though I am not an

attorney, it is my mission to give sup-

port and to provide a sense o calm

when someone walks through our

oce door.

What would you like

the reader to know about

your journey in business?I continue to enrich my lie with learn-

ing as much as I can.

I you could stand up and de-end anything, what would it be?I believe it is my calling to put new

sneakers on homeless childrens pre-

cious eet in our town. Imagine what

it must be like not to have the basic

necessities to simply go to school

every day while lacking basic human

essentials, like having warm clothesand shoes. Thats why my work with

Queen City Soles is such a large part

o my heart and soul.

Leigh Ballanger Sellers AttorneyLeigh Ballenger Sellers has been a

student o divorce

her entire lie. She

experienced di-

vorce as a child and

later watched as high

school riends en-

dured their parents divorces.

As an adult, Leigh listened to her adult

riends and some close amily mem-

bers as they went through separa-

tions and divorces. She understandshow the process o separation and

divorce can consume and eat away

at the lives o the participants. She

also knows that the decisions made

by parents during their divorce have

a tremendous eect on the children,

and can shape their relationships with

their parents or the rest o their lie.

Leigh is a trained Mediator who is

certied by the North Carolina Bar.

She also joined the Mecklenburg Col-

laborative Law Practice Group in 2003.

She makes it a point to work with

you to determine the best method o

resolving the specic issues that are

relevant to your personal situation, inaddition to assisting you resolve the

matter in a manner that works or you

Why did you choose to

become an attorney?I argued a lot. I loved history and poli-



tics and being a lawyer seemed to com-

bine my interests and my strengths.

What is your background

-what were you doing

beore this proession?I grew up in South Carolina, and

started practicing law right ater law

school. Since I went straight rom col-

lege to law school, I didnt really have

another proession other than tend-

ing bar and waiting tables. But I wasortunate enough to travel extensively

while in college.

What is a good early story

about your practice?I was a member o the sta attorneys

oce o the SC Supreme Court right

ater law school. I joined a rm whenthat job ended originally to handle

appellate matters. The amily law at-

torney there let a post it note on his

chair one night that said I quit. Since

I was the newest hire and had the

least to do, I inherited a le cabinet

ull o cases and a amily law practice.

That is how I got started.

What are some interesting sta-

tistics about your business?We dont keep statistics in this busi-

ness. Every marriage is unique which

makes every divorce or separation

unique. As similar as general issues

are, it is the details that make each

case dierent rom all o the others.

What is unusual or

unique about your practice, in


or similar businesses?Our rm is strictly a amily law rm.

We are about the people, not just

their cases, and we try to stay in touch

with them throughout illness, deaths

in their amily, a work crisis and any-thing else that aects them during

an already stressul period o time. I

am proud that we take the time to

engage with our clients about some-

thing other than their case. Also, we

try to be a resource or whatever they

may need during this time and we

keep an extensive list o counselors,tax experts, realtors, and nancial ad-

visors or our clients.

Is there a client experience you

are most proud o?Most clients are happy to be done

with attorneys when their case is com-

pleted. So I am always pleased when

someone take the time to send a note

or ollow up with me about something

positive in their lives post-divorce.

Do you do any

charity or nonprot work?I stay active in my church community

35



at Sardis Presbyterian through vari-

ous committees and with the PTSO

boards o my childrens middle and

high school. I am a ormer member o

the Junior League o Charlotte. I nd

working through other organizations

is a great way to connect to commu-

nity needs in a variety o areas ranging

rom eeding and clothing the home-

less to tutoring and gathering sup-

plies or local schools in need.


challenges in your business?Our clients are always in pain and

scared no matter their circumstances.

Educating people about the legal pro-

cedures and processes during such

an emotional time is always a chal-

lenge. What seems air to our clientsis not always represented in the law

concerning divorce or what we can

achieve within the law.

What would you most

like the reader to know

about your journey in business?There is great satisaction in operating

your own business and it is worth theeort that you put into building your

own rm where you can put your per-

sonal philosophy and stamp on the

way things are handled. Considering

how much time we all spend working,

which is a very positive thing.

I you could stand up

and deend anything,

what would it be?Funding or our Family Court systemin North Carolina. This is being cut

rom the proposed budget and unless

we can have this reversed beore the

Budget is approved and nal, all liti-

gants in amily court districts, includ-

ing Mecklenburg and Union counties

will ace diculties in having their

case resolved in a timely and orga-nized ashion. It will denitely impact

my clients. For more inormation,

click: http://www.justiceinitiatives.org/

courtactsheets.php

Rebecca Kathleen Watts AttorneyRebecca Kathleen

Watts wanted to bea lawyer beore she

even knew what it

really meant to be

a lawyer. With only

the knowledge she had gleaned rom

watching television shows and mov-

ies about lawyers, Rebecca entered

law school without an idea o what

type o law she wanted to practice.In her second year o law school Re-

becca took her rst amily law course,

and rom that moment orward she

knew that amily law was the area

o practice she wanted to ocus on.

Since she began practicing, Rebecca



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has made a commitment to high stan-

dards, and in that pursuit she was certied

as a Family Law Specialist in 2005 and as a

Family Financial Mediator in 2007.

Why did you choose

to become an attorney?I do not remember making the choice

to become an attorney; it is just some-

thing that I always knew I was going to

do. When I went to law school, I did not

know in which area o the law I was go-ing to practice, but I gravitated toward

the amily law classes and so practicing

amily law sort o chose me.

What is your background-

what were you doing

beore this proession?

Ater I graduated rom College in 1992, Itook a 3 year break rom school to move

to Texas with my husband who was in

the military at that time and I worked

as a substitute high school teacher until

we moved to North Carolina in 1995 or

me to attend law school. I graduated

rom law school on 1998 and have been

practicing since that time.

What is a good early s

tory about your practice?I remember one conversation on the

phone with an older, much more ex-

perienced attorney who I had not met

ace-to-ace beore. It happened that

I knew something about the acts o

the case that he did not know and the

position I presented to him about the

case was inormed in part by the acts

that I knew that he did not know. He

listened to my oer and said he would

talk with his client. Well, it got back to

me through my client that this attorney

had gone to his client and talked about

how I did not know what I was doing

and that I was a green, young, woman

attorney or thinking that things weregoing to go a certain way and that ater

he told his client how wrong I was, his

client disclosed the acts to him that he

did not know and the attorney then had

to admit that I was correct.

That attorney was very polite and re-

spectul to me rom that point on even

though I never disclosed to him that I

had heard what he told his client about

me. That was when I learned that other

attorneys, especially male attorneys who

had been in practice or a long time,

might tend to underestimate me due to

my age and gender.

What is unusual or uniqueabout your practice, in


or similar businesses?I am a very hands-on attorney. Many

attorneys will delegate day-to-day ac-

tivities to junior attorneys or paralegals



and then will jump in or the big

things like trials or depositions. I pre-

er to keep a smaller caseload so that I

have the time to be involved with my

clients throughout the case and not

just or the big events.

I am also very involved with the pro-

ession at the State level. I was elect-

ed to serve a three year term on the

North Carolina Bar Associations Fam-

ily Law Section Council where I alsoserve as the Chair o the Domestic

Violence Committee. I am a requent

speaker at continuing legal education

seminars and I write reviews o Ap-

pellate Court decisions or the Family

Law Sections newsletter.

Is there a client experience

you are most proud o?I have been involved in one clients

case or 10 years now. It is a custody

case and early on it was apparent that

the ather had been abusive toward

the children, although he denied it.

Mother had limited income and was

not able to pay my regular hourly rateor working on her case, but I believed

so strongly in her case that I agreed to

represent her pro bono. Through a lot

o time and attention and advocacy in

the courtroom, we were able to dem-

onstrate to the court that ather had

abused the children and that it was

best or them to not have any contact

with him unless he sought help or his

abusive tendencies.

Every 2 years or so, ather would at-

tempt through the court to reinstate

visitation with the children, but we

were able to keep that rom happen-

ing. These children have grown up to

be healthy, happy children who have

done well in school and I am proudthat I was able to help mother deend

athers motions so that the children

would have the opportunity to grow

up without his abuse.

Do you do any charity

or nonprot work?

For several years, I worked with VictimAssistance in Mecklenburg County to

represent women in court when they

were trying to obtain domestic vio-

lence protective orders against abu-

sive spouses or boyriends.


challenges in your business?

Early on, it was dicult or me to betaken seriously as a young woman

who was new to practice. Now the

greatest challenge is balancing my

work lie with my home lie so that

I make sure that I get to spend time

with my husband and my son.

39



What would you most

like the reader to know about

your journey in business?I have learned that it is OK to practiceamily law without being a complete

jerk. A lot o attorneys who practice in

this area will approach this as a war, but

over the years I have realized that when

I take that approach, I eel bad about

mysel and it does nothing or my cli-

ents. You catch more ies with honey

than you do with vinegar may be aclich, but that does not mean it is not

true. I can be an advocate or my client

and get them good results while also

being true to mysel.

I you could stand up and deend

anything, what would it be?Children. Children do not have a choice

in their parents break-up and so oten

the parents will get so caught up in what

they want or how angry they are at their

spouse, that they lose sight o what is

best or the children or how the divorce is

aecting the children. In any case I have

where children are involved; I work hard

to remind everyone that the children are

what really matter and that we need toapproach the case with that in mind.

Ofce Location Krusch & Sellers, P.A.5950 Fairview Rd., Suite 808, Charlotte, NC 28210Toll-free: 866-267-6809/ Local: 704-315-2452Fax: 704-553-7824
http://www.fitnessinstructiontoday.com/http://www.cavinesslaw.com/


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42/5842 Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

health

I

always have clients asking me i

they really have to do their ull

45 minute workout to get the

best results. They hear peoplesay that doing little things through-

out the day is just as good. My answer

disappoints, as I have to honestly

reply - or best results, you need to do

your ull workout all at one time. See,

getting the heart rate up and keeping

it up, or raising and dropping it such

as in interval training over a period o

time is going to give them the bestat burning results. However, muscle

conditioning gets a little more leeway.

So, Ive developed a series o muscle

conditioning exercises that can be

done practically anywhere, anytime.

Remember that beore a strength

training program, it is vital to warmup, in order to prevent injury and get

the body ready or weight bearing

loads. However, this Travel Pack rou-

tine can be done without any warm-

ing up, due to the lack o load on the

participating muscles.

Muscles need to contract in order to

become tight. The more practice they

get contracting, the tighter they be-

come. So, why not practice contractingdierent muscles all day long? Good

question. Its super easy to contract

and release your major muscle groups,

and the best part is, you dont need a

single thread o equipment. First start

with the glutes, because who doesnt

need tighter buns? This one can be

done sitting or standing, but is proba-

bly best to reserve or those times youdont have a spying audience.

Glutes: When sitting on any surace,

simply tighten both cheeks, hold or

one second and release. Repeat as

many times as you are able. You will

notice a rising and alling o your

torso as you do this, which makes itmore obvious than kegels. This is a

good one to do at stop lights, watch-

ing TV, or in your cube or oce at

work. You can do this multiple times

daily, it just takes seconds, and you

will see results quicker than you think!

Exercise You Can DoAbsoluely Anywhere (Par 1)

by Sunny Ayala



Legs: While sitting with your eet at

on the oor, simply squeeze your legs

as tightly as you can - contracting the

top part o your leg (quadriceps) and

the back part o your leg (hamstrings).

You will notice a little a little move-

ment, but could still be something

you could do in a doctors oce chair.

Do as many tightening/releasing

repetitions as you can beore they

atigue. Rest and repeat. This will tone

up the tops o your legs and again,you can do this anytime.

Hips and Inner Thighs: Ater your

glute and leg exercises, stay sitting

and put one hand on the outside

o each knee, as i youre trying to

sandwich your legs together with

your hands. Then push your hands

together while you try to pull your

legs away rom each other. This works

to strengthen the outer part o your

legs (saddle bags). There are not re-

ally repetitions; so much as a constant

tension you are trying to create withyour knees and your hands.

Licensed in NC & SC

704-556-0707(Located in Southpark) kruschlaw.com

5950 Fairview Road, Suite 808 Charlotte, North Carolina 28210

(licensed in NC/SC)

[email protected]

N.C. Bar Certified Specialist

Certified Superior Court Mediator

Mediation Certified Financial Mediator Post-Separation Support

C A N I S U R V I V ED I V O R C E ?

A B S O L U T E L Y !


44/58

Then, move your hands to the inside o

your knees as i you were pushing your

legs apart with your hands, but resist

it by trying to push your legs together.

This works the inner thigh. Again, you

are not really tightening and releasing

as much as keeping a good tension

going. You can do it until you cant

hold it any longer. Rest and repeat.

Calves: This one you can do sitting or

standing. Simple cal raises are a greatway to tighten up the lower legs! I

youre standing, all you have to do

is move up onto your toes as i you

were reaching or something almost

out o reach above your head. Come

back down to at eet, and repeat. Try

it while youre brushing your teeth.

Caution: you may not eel like they

are working while youre doing these,

but your calves will be the loudest

screamer o all the lower body mus-

cles a couple days later ater this one.

I you are sitting, just do the same

movement, by raising your knees up

and squeezing your cal muscles and

dropping back down again. Some-

times I do this while sitting reading. I

people are around, you can just raise

them and hold the squeeze - it makes

it less noticeable and still gives them a

nice conditioning.

Next time youre in the grocery store

line, waiting in your vehicle or car pool,

sitting in the doctors oce wonder-ing why they tell you to be there teen

minutes early when they are thirty ve

minutes late, you can whip out your little

list and make up or lost time. Be watch-

ing in the next issue or Exercise You Can

Do Absolutely Anywhere (Part 2) where

we will learn some similar things to do

or your upper body - including abs!

When Im standing in line at Harris

Teeter buying my organic peanut but-

ter and see a woman in line squeez-

ing her glutes, I will smile and know

that I am not alone, and someone out

there is joining me!

Sunny AyalaOwner o Fitness Instruction Today8041 Corporate Center Drive Suite 100Charlotte, North Carolina [email protected]: (704) 763-5662

44 Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community
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goinggre

en by Terri Bennett

W

ant to join the grow-

your-own ood move-

ment but just dont

know where to start?Dont ear. Spring is here and its the

perect time to start growing deli-

cious oods right where you live. Why

not begin with oods that are nearly

ail-proo? Here are my top 5 oods

to grow at home whether you have a

lot o space or just a sunny window.

A spot with six hours or more o sun-

light is all you need to Do Your Part orresher oods.

1) Tomatoes

Did you know that tomatoes are the

most popular piece o produce to grow

at home? Besides being delicious, to-

matoes are airly simple to grow. There

are thousands o varieties to chooserom. You can grow tomatoes in con-

tainers, raised garden bed, upside

down, or in a traditional garden.

2) Herbs

Talk about instant gratication! Herbs

are ast growing so you can experience

their avors in no time. Herbs such as

parsley, mint, basil, chives, and more

can be grown in a sunny windowindoors. They also thrive outdoors in

containers and are attractive when

mixed with potted owers.

3) Lettuce

Lettuce will get you the biggest bang

or your buck plus its super simple to

grow. Think about it. I you spend a

couple bucks to plant lettuce, youllmake that money back the rst time

you make a salad rom your garden.

Lettuce is a cool season crop and

needs just six inches o soil to grow.

4) Strawberries

Strawberries are the perect ruit to

grow at home and will return yearater year without a whole lot o work.

Just remember a ew things with

strawberries. They need regular wa-

tering and resh ertilizer every ew

weeks. Strawberries grow best in the

spring or late all.

Top 5 easies oods o grow a home



4) Peas & Beans

There are many options when it comes

to peas and beans. Think green beans,

snow peas, sugar peas, wax beans, and

so many more. Peas are a cool season

crop and most bean varieties are warm

season crops but both grow on vines.

This makes them perect or a small

space because you can train them to

grow up a trellis, stakes and string, or a

ence. There are many reasons to grow

oods at home. Youll know exactly what

went into growing them and youll be

saving money - all at the same time. But

best o all are the tasty rewards enjoyed

with amily and riends.

Terri BennettA veteran TV meteorologist, eco-expert and authoro Do Your Part: A practical guide or everydaygreen living available at DoYourPart.com.Send questions to [email protected]

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C

ristina

sCorn

er

by H. Cristina Cassidy

M

ost o us have prob-

ably told a little white

lie or two rom time

to time. The phrasewhite lies reers to those lies we tell

that are not intended to be evil. Some

dictionaries reer to them as benign

alsehoods. They all into the category

o harmless. But are they really? Lets

take a look at how a little white lie

could turn into a big ugly one in a

matter o minutes.

Suppose you have a business lun-

cheon to attend, but really dont eel

like going. When a colleague who is

expecting you to be there calls, you

cough a bit dramatically and say, Oh,

Im so sorry! I seem to have come

down with a cold. Im going to have to

raincheck. Later you post on Facebookthat you had a great time having co-

ee with a riend...at the same time the

luncheon was taking place. Oops!

Or you tell a client that a project is

arther along than it actually is. Theres

no problem until you discover that a

particular material you need to com-

plete the project is not available. You

have already told the client that youare beyond that point in the process.

You either have to make up a new

white lie to cover the one youre al-

ready told, or ace your client with the

truth. The hot water youve gotten

yoursel into is getting hotter!

Maybe you havent been 100 percentaccurate in determining the deduc-

tions you should be taking or, say,

your home oce. You udge a little

about some o the items youve pur-

chased to decorate it. Out o the blue

you get a notice rom the IRS saying

that you are going to be audited. That

little white lie just got very expensive!

These are just a ew examples o how

white lies can get you into trouble.

Not only do you end up embarrassed

i you happen to get caught in your

lie, but rst and oremost, you also

are being untrue to yoursel. Truth be

Are Litle Whie Lies ReallyHarmul o Your Business?


49/58

If you or a loved one needs help

or you want to help save lives,

contact us today at 704.705.1850

or visit www.lls.org/nc

Photoby

NigelParry/CPi

Dessa G.non-Hodgkinlymphoma survivor

Since 1949, the survival rate for many blood

cancer patients has tripled. In some cases

quadrupled. Whats one more survivor?

Beautiful.
http://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nchttp://www.lls.org/nc


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told, a business that isnt established

on honesty, trust, and your good

name, may not last very long.

I you nd yoursel slipping into the

habit o this sel-deeating behavior,

start thinking o way

Women With Know How May 2012

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Transcript of Women With Know How May 2012