Ali Brown

See you in April? [New Workshop]

BY ALI BROWN | February 15, 2018 Leave A Comment

I’m writing you from the lush private backyard of our lovely beach rental in Sydney, trying to focus among the squawking of about eight rainbow lorikeets that have landed in our trees. (They are lovely, but so loud!)

The twins are doing very well. This is their fourth trip to Australia, and they seem to be born travelers. We’re not quite over our jetlag yet, but getting there.

Being an international family isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. The experiences our four-and-a-half year olds are having here—and the accompanying view of the world they are gaining—are priceless.

Every time I go on a long trip, especially overseas, I get excited myself. It reorients me back to a place of discovery and opportunity, and out of any “business as usual” mindset that I fall into when I’m in the same place too long.

And often that discovery and opportunity is the feeling we lose in our business as we get to certain levels.

When is the last time you…

felt the excitement of exciting new things on the horizon?
enjoyed a fresh environment and colleagues who are at a high level of business purpose and empowerment?
gained new skillsets to navigate through to your next level of success?
stepped into new levels of joyful impact and opportunity with ease?
experienced a huge creative BURST of ideas, insights, and motivation?

I can promise that to you, if you join me April 10+11 in Phoenix, Arizona, for my new Creative Strategy Workshop.

And you can register in two easy payments if you register by the end of day TODAY, February 15.

We are already over 50% SOLD OUT, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this.

Have a look at the details here, and you can decide if it’s a fit for you.

But don’t delay, as this is an intimate, high-level workshop (50-60 seats max), and seats have been filling steadily.

P.S. Aren’t you ready for something different?

Katia Beauchamp, CEO + Co-Founder of Birchbox — Glambition Radio Episode 134 with Ali Brown

BY ALI BROWN | February 14, 2018 Leave A Comment

The 500 billion dollar beauty industry was begging for disruption, as products had been sold the same way for decades. Cue Katia Beauchamp with her revolutionary beauty box subscription idea: Birchbox. This gal was ready to make waves. And she did. The company grew rapidly, hitting its five-year plan in just seven months. Today Birchbox has more than 1 million subscribers, 4 million customers, 800 beauty and grooming brand partners, operations in six countries, and stores in New York City and Paris. Katia walks us through how she did it on this episode of Glambition Radio.

In 2010 when Katia learned that less than 2% of sales in beauty were on the Internet, it took her only 24 hours to see an opportunity and turn it into a business idea. She realized two things right away — people needed to be able to try product easily and they needed an easy way to navigate the vast range of options. Boom. Birchbox was born — a monthly box of beauty products to try and choose from straight to your door.

On this week’s episode of Glambition Radio, Katia tells us how she cold-emailed every CEO in the beauty industry she could think of (and it worked!). I loved learning the specific steps she took to get this thing going.

On the show, we discuss:

* how Katia came up with the “try and buy” model (the amount of product that she included in each box was key to their success— you’ll hear why on the show)

* the first steps she took once she realized she had a real business (this is key)

* how she once cold-emailed Steve Jobs and actually got through (I love this)

* when she first pitched the idea to leaders in the industry they didn’t think it would work

* how 75% of women aren’t obsessed with beauty and that’s why Birchbox actually works (it takes the time, confusion, and frustration out of shopping for beauty products)

* her best marketing methods to spread the word quickly (digital content and social media are key)

* how she handled people copying her idea just 6-months after she started Birchbox (it drove Katia to even further clarify her mission and who she’s here to serve)

* the big changes she made to her business in 2016 — layoffs and cutting costs wherever possible — to become self-sustaining (she made all the right moves here but their “restructuring” was made very public)

On this episode of Glambition Radio, Katia and I also talk about how nobody is ever fully ready to start a business (you just have to go for it and be okay with the unknown), the importance of seeking advice to broaden and deepen your perspective, and we have a laugh about our twins and how we are forever getting over colds (she has 3 ½-year-old twins and a 6-month old baby — whew!).

I know you’ll get a lot out of this episode. So head over to iTunes and listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now (or download for later).

P.S. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, please leave a review and comment on iTunes. I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Liz Dennery Sanders, Branding Expert + Founder of SheBrand — Glambition Radio Episode 133 with Ali Brown

BY ALI BROWN | January 31, 2018 Leave A Comment

Real expert. Real deal. Real cool. So rare to find these days. After years of running a Hollywood PR agency that got designer brands into celebrity hands, today Liz Dennery Sanders builds her clients strong, compelling brands that resonate. And she’s sharing her story and tips on this week’s Glambition Radio.

Liz was one of the first publicists out there to build relationships between brands and high-profile women, working with icons like Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Cindy Crawford, Heidi Klum, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Sarah Jessica Parker called her up asking her to dress her for the ballet. This was Liz’s life, and she garnered tens of millions of dollars in press value for her clients. She walks us through exactly how she started and grew the business on this episode of Glambition Radio.

After years of great success with the PR company, Liz started feeling unchallenged and unfulfilled. Using her 20+ years of branding and PR experience, she created SheBrand to help women rise higher – using their voices, building their businesses, growing their influence and shattering glass ceilings and old perceptions about what a woman is capable of being and doing. And this gal really walks her talk.

Liz is a member of the Vogue 125 (a hand-selected group by Vogue Magazine of 125 influential women decision makers and opinion leaders across the country
known for their distinctive taste in fashion, design, and culture). She’s also been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, Advertising Age, The Coveteur, and on Good Morning America and Access Hollywood.

But what I really love about Liz is the wisdom she shares with all of us, and it’s in her new book “Style & Substance: How to Create a Compelling Brand”. It truly is one of the best succinct guides I’ve seen that walks you through how to create a brand that resonates with your audience and is congruent with the power of your individual mission and style. We all need this.

On the show, we also discuss:

* how big life changes like adopting her son and then going through a divorce led to Liz getting clear on what she stood for

* how the 2016 election lit a fire within her and led to her writing her new book (and how she used her anger to create)

* how having a strong brand relates to having power (this is really profound)

* what your brand truly is (it’s so much more than we think)

* how to have a brand that doesn’t add to the online noise (this is key)

* how she built her PR agency from the ground up (Liz knows how to work her connections)

* the biggest branding mistakes she sees in the coaching industry (you have to hear this)

* why stepping into your TRUE personal brand can be intimating (and how to tap into your power)

* how she batches her days to get the most out of her business, social life, health, and motherhood (the key is extreme presence)

* why it’s important to speak up (take the time to learn how to connect to your voice)

* how we have the ability to choose our thoughts (choose wisely — don’t let negative thoughts guide you)

On this episode of Glambition Radio, we also talk about the fear that I had attached to letting go of my old brand, how when you gain clarity on your brand things get easier, and why it’s just as important to know who you are NOT going to serve as it is to know who you ARE going to serve.

I know you’ll get a lot out of this episode. So head over to iTunes and listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now (or download for later).

P.S. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, please leave a review and comment on iTunes. I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Different ways of getting creative…

BY ALI BROWN | January 22, 2018 Leave A Comment

Years ago, my husband Brett worked for an innovative ideation startup based in Northern California.

When the creative heads wanted to cook up a few new ideas, they all locked up in the conference room and proceeded to get well baked.

(Brett said he did partake on a few occasions, but of course did not inhale.)

While the ceremony resulted in some unique ideas, they regretted never recording their sessions, because they couldn’t remember what they talked about!

When you use the word “creative”, it can connote many different perspectives.

Alas, we won’t be partaking in such indulgence at my upcoming Creative Strategy Workshop, happening April 10+11 in Phoenix, AZ.

However, I can guarantee we will have some powerful creative breakthroughs.

Won’t you come join us?

We are already HALFWAY FULL from my pre-lists, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss out.

The UPSIDE to all the forced disruption, devaluation, and intense market saturation we’re experiencing within our own industries is we are getting FORCED to become very CREATIVE in what we are doing. And how we do it.

IF you remember how to think creatively.

I use the word “remember”, because creative thinking is something we’re born with, but we soon forget as we are immersed in schools and institutions that drive it out of us, then workplaces and entire industries that do the same.

The biggest realization I had at my last workshop—ICONIC—was seeing brilliant women try to solve or evolve their business challenges with the same thinking that created them.

You can make moderate progress with the same thought processes, but not true breakthroughs.

When I left that event in LA, I knew that my next workshop would be focused on helping established women entrepreneurs regain their creative thinking skills.

And it’s here.

Have a look at the details, and you can decide if it’s a fit for you.

But don’t delay, as this is an intimate workshop, and seats are filling steadily.

P.S. Aren’t you ready for something different?

Abby Lou Walker, CEO of Vivian Lou — Glambition Radio Episode 132 with Ali Brown

BY ALI BROWN | January 17, 2018 Leave A Comment

One phone call CAN change your life. And Abby Lou Walker’s passion for high heels paid off in a big way. After years of success in the corporate world feeling empty and unsatisfied, she set out on a quest for something to make her feel alive again. And what started as a “hobby” business (while being a full-time working mom), turned into a single-product company with multi-million dollar annual sales.

Abby’s ingenious product helps women wear the heels they love up to 4x longer without pain. After Google-searching “how to prevent high heel pain”, Abby stumbled across a forum where women were discussing a hard-to-find insole product called Insolia. She immediately picked up the phone to call the chairman of the company and asked why she had never heard of the product. To her surprise, she discovered the product was created by MIT engineers who had no idea how to market to women. Boom! Abby steps into her calling — she offered to help them market the product, which turned into her being their exclusive distributor in the U.S. and Canada.

Abby had no idea how to do what she had just agreed to, but from her gut she responded YES. From there she took step after step until she could finally walk away from corporate America and focus full time on her dream. You have to hear the whole story on this episode of Glambition Radio.

What I really love about this story is that Abby had the guts to ask a question no one had thought to ask, and then she had the heart to follow it through. As soon as she stepped out of her comfort zone and decided to go for it, the universe handed her golden opportunities, including the chance to sell her insoles on the Home Shopping Network (she sold out her first three times on air — you go girl!). She tells all on the show, and believe me, you don’t want to miss this one.

On the show, we also cover:

*how she made the shift to stop, as she calls it, “quarter-assing” her way through life

*how writing a shoe blog led to her creating an all-natural foot spray (but this was only the beginning!)

*how she pulled herself out of debt (it all stemmed from a shift in energy)

*why it’s important to NOT compare yourself to others (this is key)

*why simplicity beats complications — every time

*the danger of NOT taking your business seriously (it’s time to stop calling it a hobby, gals)

*new products she’s launching this year including a new line for flats (Did you know flip-flops are just as bad for your feet as high-heels?)

*why it’s important to be comfortable with being uncomfortable to grow as a person and to grow your business

*why women need to remind ourselves of our achievements (this one is important)

*all about Abby’s new book, ”Strap On a Pair”. In it, she gives us a raw look at entrepreneurship — how to navigate it as a mother, move past your failures, and put in the work to achieve your dreams.

This episode is a must listen — you’ll also hear all about what is in Abby’s “Read This When You Get Insecure” file (I call it my WIN file — we all need one of these!). Head over to iTunes to listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now.

xo –

Jo Piazza, Best-Selling Author of “How to Be Married” — Glambition Radio Episode 131 with Ali Brown

BY ALI BROWN | January 3, 2018 Leave A Comment

She’s an award-winning journalist and bestselling author of seven books, but it was Jo Piazza’s most recent nonfiction “How to Be Married” that got my attention. And I have to say this was one of the most entertaining conversations we’ve had on Glambition Radio. (Including my 4-year-old son busting in on us, but I digress…)

After years of “dating everyone in New York City” without finding husband material, Jo made peace with never getting married. Then, when she wasn’t looking, it happened: While on assignment in the Galapagos Islands, she met her now husband, Nick, and was head over heels.

But after their wedding (just nine months later), Jo realized… She had no idea how to actually be married, and she started to panic. At the time she was working as a travel editor for Yahoo!, so she decided she was globetrotting to ask people from different countries their best how-to-be-married tips. It wasn’t long before she realized this was a book.

Jo interviewed polygamous tribes in Kenya and Tanzania, sophisticated French women in Paris, Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem, women with arranged marriages in India, and more. And the answers were far from what she expected. (She tells all on the show.)

In the book, Jo also weaves in her own personal story and talks about how the first year of marriage is “really f-ing hard”, contrary to the rosy images we see all the time on social media.

But what REALLY made this a great show was hearing about all of Jo’s combined careers and adventures over the years! For those of you who have always felt your way into new things, you’re going to love how this gal rolls.

On the show, we also cover:

* the wake-up moment she had when she was a celebrity columnist covering Britney Spears’ infamous 2007 breakdown

* the sexy advice she got from women in France about marriage!

* the best writing tip she learned while working for the fast-paced and raucous New York Daily News

* how her first book—Celebrity, Inc.: How Famous People Make Money—published, even though she didn’t know anything about the publishing world

* her secret to writing a book a year – from nonfiction to novels

* why she and the women she interviewed think Americans get marriage wrong (this was really interesting)

* AND, for the first time EVER, you get to hear one of my kids bust in on an interview. (It was so cute I had to leave it in!)

I also asked Jo about her forthcoming book “Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win”, and we discuss how it’s VERY timely with today’s events. (Its heroine runs for office in a state where a woman has never won a Senate seat, and has to endure a lot on the way to the top.)

This episode is fast paced and jam-packed — you don’t want to wait to hear it. Head over to iTunes and listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now.

Love and Success,

P.S. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, please leave a review and comment on iTunes. I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

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Adda Birnir, CEO + Founder of Skillcrush — Glambition Radio Episode 130 with Ali Brown

BY ALI BROWN | December 12, 2017 Leave A Comment

After the agency she worked for cut dozens of jobs in 2008—including hers—Adda Birnir noticed something important: The tech team was left untouched. She decided then and there to get into coding, and help other women do the same. Today she runs Skillcrush — an online education company teaching tech skills such as coding, web development, and web design.

Adda has been named one of the “20 Women to Watch in Media” by the Columbia Journalism Review, one of the “30 Most Important Women in Tech” by Business Insider, and has been featured on BBC, PBS, Fast Company, and Mashable. I’m honored to have this recent client of mine on this episode of Glambition Radio.

Skillcrush focuses on helping women ramp up to a full-time income as fast as possible from the coding skills they learn. On our show Adda dives into some powerful success stories from women who have increased their income and made career transitions from taking the Skillcrush courses.

(Did you know web development is one of the highest paying jobs that does not require a college degree?)

Adda also shares her fascinating story of immigrating with her family when she was just 10 months old. She says her parents just didn’t understand U.S. culture, and that led to her having to figure things out on her own and become self-sufficient.

You have to hear the big a-ha moment that led to her teaching herself code with one of those big, heavy books from the computer science section of Barnes & Noble. She tells the whole story during our interview.

On the show, we also cover:

* the hardest part for Adda when she first started Skillcrush

* how we both built our confidence in our early days of freelancing (you should do this too)

* her natural lean toward pessimism, and how it serves her (I called her on this one)

* how it took having to hear from her mentor that Skillcrush was a REAL business before she could believe it

* the culture of the tech industry for women (gals, don’t get hung up on gender inequality — focus on the upside)

* the importance of learning tech skills (it’s time to demystify technology we don’t understand)

* how the only opinion you should listen to is that of the customer that you are trying to sell to

* why it’s not only okay to make money number one, but it’s vital to your success

* what Adda sees as the secret answer to wealth and happiness (very true)

On the show Adda and I also discuss how passion can often times lead to fear, our secret alternate careers (mine might surprise you, or maybe not ;)), and how gender inequality has pushed some women to break out from corporate and start the company they’ve wanted to work for all along.

Don’t wait – this is a good one. Head over to iTunes and listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now (or download for later).

Love and Success,

P.S. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, please leave a review and comment on iTunes. I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

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“The Danger of Doing ‘Business as Usual’” — Glambition Radio Episode 129 with Ali Brown

BY ALI BROWN | November 29, 2017 Leave A Comment

This is a wakeup call: If you’re having challenges in your business right now, or if you’re hitting up against something again and again, it’s likely from the fact that you are trying to do business as usual. And I’m covering this topic today on this episode of www.GlambitionRadio.com

This is not a time for being “normal” in any industry. And this show walks you through several reasons why this is actually pretty dangerous right now. The UPSIDE to all this is, we’re getting forced to become very CREATIVE in what we are doing in all of our careers and companies. And that naturally forces innovation.

The ones who try to keep following their “tried and true formulas” are going to fail fast. (For big examples, listen to the companies I mention on the show.)

Plus, do you really want “normal” results anyhow? If you’re reading this post and one of my followers, you’re destined for more than normal. Something extraordinary and special is waiting for you. The problem is when we get stuck doing “business as usual” in our industries, which we learn as we start out.

On this special solo episode of Glambition Radio, I cover:

* Why you have to stop aiming for “normal” as soon as possible, for not only your own success, but your survival. Things are changing too quickly.

* Insight into breaking the rules and norms of your field (and it’s actually a lot of fun!)

* How “smaller” businesses like ours have a huge advantage over the big, dumb companies who don’t see obvious opportunities (and even if they do, can’t act on them as quickly as we can)

* The association I joined (and then left) that refused to discuss how to make money within the industry they were focused on! (It was quite bizarre, but a great example of why it’s important to get advisory outside of your own field, for your own sake.)

* What the disappearing “middle” consumer means for our own personal economies of our businesses (I think you’ll find this fascinating, even if your business is B2B).

* Why it’s time to be more CREATIVE than ever, and a sneak preview of a brand new workshop I have coming up this spring to help you do that.

I know you’ll get a lot out of this episode. So head over to iTunes and listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now (or download for later).

Love and Success,

P.S. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, please leave a review and comment on iTunes. I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

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Lisa Robertson, Designer & Former QVC Host — Glambition Radio Episode 128 with Ali Brown

BY ALI BROWN | November 15, 2017 Leave A Comment

If you ever watched the shopping channel QVC over the years, you likely caught a glimpse of this gorgeous, well-spoken woman introducing you to a new clothing staple or beauty product you couldn’t live without. Lisa Robertson was arguably the network’s most popular and best performing host of all time, generating a huge fan base and generating billions of dollars in revenue. In 2012 she launched her own Lisa Robertson Collection to create and feature her own designs as well as more of her favorite things, and she moved on from QVC in 2014.

But why did she really leave, and how has the transition been for her?

During this episode of Glambition Radio I was happily surprised at how open and forthright Lisa was in talking about the transition. You’ll also hear about her entire journey of her 20-year career in hosting and sales. (Did you know she first got started doing night shifts at another shopping channel, talking to herself (and the occasional inebriated caller) for hours a night? She tells the story during our interview.)

She gives us a sneak peek into her life now, and her new online business, after leaving her cable career. Her stunning Pennsylvania home is now the ultimate décor showroom, and she live-streams frequently to show off her wares and give decorating tips.

(I found myself entranced in the middle of a workday… watching a full 10-minute demonstration on how to make the perfect Christmas bow. And I suddenly felt I had to up my holiday decorating game. That’s her magic. I was sold.)

You’ll hear how she runs her business, works with a team she loves, and uses social media to serve her fans — it’s all on this episode of Glambition Radio.

On the show, we also cover:

* how she found the blessing in being overworked (at one point 20 hour workdays when she was on TV)

* how she keeps out the haters and negative people from her Facebook page

* the biggest change in Lisa’s life since leaving QVC

* how she came to the realization that she was a control freak and how it changed her leadership style

* the importance of looking at the big picture and not getting hung up on the little things when owning a business

* why Lisa thinks everyone should own their own business for at least a year

* why thinking like an entrepreneur will often NOT serve you well when working for a corporation (love this insight!)

On the show Lisa and I also discuss the importance of trusting your gut, why you need to remember why you started your own business in the first place, and what we love about Christmas decor.

You’re not going to want to miss this. So head over to iTunes and listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now (or download for later).

Love and Success,

P.S. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, please leave a review and comment on iTunes. I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Laura Roeder, Founder and CEO of MeetEdgar — Glambition Radio Episode 127 with Ali Brown

BY ALI BROWN | November 2, 2017 Leave A Comment

Her social media software MeetEdgar is changing the game of how we publish and recycle content, she’s grown her company to annual revenues of $4 million, and she’s leading the social media industry to a whole new level of cred. Meet the legendary Laura Roeder on this week’s Glambition Radio.

I actually briefly met Laura in late 2008 when she attended my Online Success Blueprint Workshop. She took what she learned there and switched gears from web design to the world of social media marketing and info products. Laura’s online courses have taught tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to harness the power of social media. She has given talks at conferences like BlogHer and South by Southwest, and even President Obama asked her to speak at the White House. This gal is the real deal. But what I REALLY love about Laura is the “sharp right turn” she took when she founded MeetEdgar. Hear the whole story on this week’s episode.

On the show, we discuss:

* what she put on the front page of her site to build her list during the initial launch stage

* why simplicity is key (she agrees you don’t need a 14-step funnel)

* how she leads her team — it stems from the human condition and the culture that she’s created

* the communication rule she has with her team of 30 virtual employees (we come from different schools of thought, but this was fascinating)

* who Edgar is — I love her method of naming projects!

* why it’s important to connect with your customers regularly (don’t assume they want the same thing they wanted five years ago)

* how Laura met her husband (who just so happened to be a software developer!) and how they travel with a toddler all while growing their business

On the show Laura and I also discuss sexism in the tech industry and how it showed up in an interview at MeetEdgar. She’s created a whole new interview process to combat the issue!

On this episode of Glambition Radio, Laura and I also talk about why you shouldn’t wait until it’s perfect to make it live, the one thing you have to remember when you’re traveling with small kids, and why working in a clean house is a must for us — it’s okay to hire help (Laura even pays for cleaners for her remote team).

You’re not going to want to miss this. So head over to iTunes and listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now (or download for later).

Love and Success,

P.S. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, please leave a review and comment on iTunes. I would really appreciate it. Thanks!