Raising Money: A Headache and Motivation!?!?

Raising money is a seriously frustrating process and when I get frustrated I get a little “aggressive”. I’m at the point where I want to hit people over the head and slap some sense into them. Remember, I spent ten years in the Marine Corps; I have little tolerance for game playing, stupidity and ignorance.

Fund raising takes time and it’s definitely a pain staking process. Getting the introduction, getting past the red tape and working through all the scams and foolishness that’s out there is enough to drive you a little “postal”. Filling out online application after online application…you want me to describe the team, the concept, and the market in 250 words or less? Not, going to happen. We’ve submitted our business plan into so many different abyss, I’ve lost count. No one contacts you back, and most of the systems don’t even have confirmation emails that let you know your plan was received.

We’ve expanded and grown Why Go Solo so much now, that the business plan is actually completely outdated and I don’t have the slightest desire to update it. What’s the point. I’ve also grown paranoid about sharing Why Go Solo with investors…we’ve got too much to offer and by that I mean…actually having a business model. I need to worry as much about someone stealing our idea, as someone stealing our business model. Scratch that, I’m more worried about someone stealing the business model than the idea…not too many people could pull off the idea, without having a front man, that can bring a community together.

My Chief Technical Officer keeps reminding me that things will be very different once we have the beta…and I know that. It doesn’t hurt that we’re also planning on winning the Amazon Web Service Start-up Contest.

I guess I just need to let out some steam…

Bottom line is, I don’t understand investors and I hate it when I don’t understand something or someone. To understand them , I would have to talk to some, and to talk to some; they would need to show themselves. I realize I said I was ready to slap people around, but I promise to be nice. I’m particularly looking for Angel Investors. We need a couple hundred thousand dollars, to may be, a million. So VCs, are not who we’re looking for…and we’re definitely not looking for a six month due diligence period.

We’re on fire and we need some backing (btw, this isn’t an open solicitation, these are facts). We can move at a bootstrap pace…or we can turn up the heat a few notches. Anyone whose been reading this blog, should know I don’t mess around. This isn’t a start-up that might see the light of day…this is a start-up that’s going to turn into an Empire. We’re not just building a company here. Hence my frustrations…I read about all of these 'mom and pop' web 2.0 company getting funded, and it increases my WTF is up with investors factor. (I'm probably not helping my cause!!)

Someone basically came out and told me I need to move to NYC. I replied that we’re making being in DC work for us...However, I can’t help but have his comment feel like a thorn in my side. Is being in DC really holding us back? I know I never would have thought about or created Why Go Solo had I not been here, so who knows...

I need the right words and the right compelling way to get investors to give me 5 minutes of their time. I’ve always been turned off by cocky and arrogant claims. It used to really tick me off when I was in the Marine Corps, too. Some folks would make outrageous claims about what they (with their platoon) could do…and they never delivered. I never made claims and we always over delivered. I’ve never had anything to prove to anyone. We always did what we had to do for own gratification and to beat our own personal best. It’s about internal drive and motivation; vice outside sourced (fake) drive and motivation. It's about empowering people, and empowering an organization.

It’s the same with Why Go Solo. We have a kick ass team, that has nothing to prove…but everything to give to seeing what they’re made of and what they can accomplish. The drive is the vision and seeing it happen. The hunger and ambition is alive in each member of the team. Those who achieve greatness, are those who challenge, and push themselves, beyond who they are now, today. The gratification and satisfaction is about results and accomplishment, not praise or money. Don’t get me wrong…they’ll be plenty of that to go around at the end of the rainbow, but it’s that “We Did It” moment, that will be the ultimate moment of sweet success. That "We Did It" moment will only be truly known in those who have been there from the beginning...who took the risks, who bleed together, who wrote history.

Those who dream big, and embark on accomplishing things that are bigger than themselves, never wonder what life is all about.

When you have a team like that behind you…you know what you’ve got, and what you will achieve…there’s no need to get to the highest tree top to announce it. We’ll deliver. We’ll make it happen. Now, who is smart enough to take us on?!!?

My purpose in life this week is to get on the calendar of investors. November is our beta launch…I’m not waiting till then to get to talk to investors or get on their calendars. This is about being ahead of the game and keeping/building more momentum.

Beta Testers: Who Are They and How Do You Benefit??

If you are launching a Web 2.0 company…beta testers are your best friends for the first few weeks (may be months) of your official private beta (or alpha) launch.

Here are a few things (according to Ann) about beta testers.

They are very knowledgeable about the web, technology, social communities, bookmarking, blogging, tagging…and all that is the Web 2.0 and the latest happenings.

They seek and keep looking for the next best thing.

They DO NOT represent your target market

They all have Web ADD. I say this with kindness…I’m guilty of it too. Plus, it's what makes them good at what they do and who they are. They explore and test many sites.

The majority are very technically inclined (programmers and developers)

Some are business development types, marketing/PR types and some are just Web 2.0 users

They are all Web 2.0 fanatics. They all have lots of opinions, and for the most part; they all have some sort of platform (blog), from which, they share their opinions and input.

Many travel in pacts. You can increase the interaction and feedback you will get, if you allow them to invite the pack to come in with them.

I want to reiterate two points: Beta testers are NOT typical web users and they are NOT your target market. They are part of your market and some will stick around, but by the time your target market gets to your site…the beta testers will have moved on to something new. In their wake, the beta testers will leave you the following:

Honest and thorough feedback. It will probably vary from one extreme to the next. But, they will openly share their thoughts, so ensure you give them an easy platform to give you feedback. Be sure to interact with your beta testers…particularly if you are working on building any type of community.

They will thoroughly test your site. They will click through everything and find everything there is to know about your site and the features you offer.

Recommendations. Recommendations and Recommendations. They will tell you how to improve your site and features. (When considering the recommendations from beta testers, remember the level of skills and web knowledge they possess. Ask yourself if the recommendation makes sense for a basic web user.)

Your beta testers are your initial evangelists. Treat them well, welcome them and connect to them. They love what they do…they love getting first looks at new sites, communities or new features. They love to talk about and report what they find.

They’ll even write code…if you’re too slow to implement a feature that makes sense; they might simply do it for you.

Like I said, some beta testers will stick around and they might become your most powerful and loyal users. It all depends on what type of site you’re running.

A lot of sites are now starting out as private betas, which require invitations to get in. I know that on Pownce, private beta invites are exchanged in the pack of folks that are beta testers. You can also find your beta testers on Inviteshares.com

Sites like Mashable, Techcrunch, Webware and the few other good ones that report on the newest Web 2.0 company, site, application or widget are the source of choice for news for the beta testers. They follow what’s happening, and then; they work on getting in. They are not the front line of reporting, but they are a very close and knowledgeable second.

I know I’ll be brining on quite a few beta testers unto Why Go Solo once we have the private beta up, and I’m really happy to say that many of those beta testers have become friends; we’re already jumping unto the latest things together. It will be awesome to open the door to them to my own home, welcome them in and receive their assistance in strengthening our offerings.

I can’t emphasize this enough about developing and starting a Web 2.0 site/company…you MUST become part of what you are building in order to ensure greater success. If you don’t participate in or understand the web…how to you expect to be successful in it?

If you don’t belong to the web, respect the web, and understand it…don’t expect that to change over night. At least be smart enough to seek the people who can help you: The Beta Testers.

...More on the DC Web Start-up Situation

Back in mid-August (August 14) I wrote a blog entry about uniting the DC, MD and VA Technology Community, Entrepreneurs and Investors. It was called The Wheels are Turning Watch Out. Wrong title, since thus far, there’s been nothing to watch out for…granted, I’ve been a little busy with moving things along with Why Go Solo.

I immediately talked about the idea with quite a few people: Two of which, have blogged about is since then, and have said much of the exact same thing: Nick O’Neil on Webentrepreneur: Bringing the Valley to DC on September 8th, and Will Kern on 15 Meanings: Irons in the Fire on September 12, 2007.

I’m an action person. Talk is cheap, blogging works, but you have to take active steps. Personally I now think, we can't say that it’s because the press isn’t involved or it’s because the VCs and investors don’t participate in the community that DC is the way it is. It’s more along the lines that the entrepreneurs aren't quite yet, really aggressively seeking each other out, getting to know one another and joining to help/support each other. Who are all the DC, VA and MD web start-up entrepreneurs?!!?

I know I need to become more active with the related meetup.com events, so I can find who my counterparts are…

One person who has taken some action forward is Justin Thorp by establishing DCTechnology.ning.com as a place for everyone to become and stay informed. Ross Karchner has been very good at keeping a list of all the DC Tech events on his blog and the RSS feed is included on the Ning community. And Ralph Sklarew has been a big evangelist for the same thing. I started the DC Entrepreneur (Web 2.0) group on Ning to hopefully really get things moving in the right direction.

I want to thank Rebecca Carpenter at Razoo for leaving a comment on my previous blog post and I look forward to meeting her and the team at their Brewing Good Happy Hour event on the Sept. 27^th and I’m sure many other folks would love to come out. This is part of supporting, encouraging and learning from each other. I have a passion for entrepreneurship, web 2.0 and making a difference in the world...shouldn’t be that hard to share and fulfill those passions!?!?

87 Million to May be Turn a Profit!?!?

Are you kidding me?? I’m about to rant and rave…this is hands down the worst stuff I can come across in the blogs I read. This post came courtesy of Venture Beat: Zillow gets $30M more for online real estate — despite credit crunch. That will be a grand total of 87 Million Dollars…and they are NOT a profitable company. To add insult to injury the article reports that Trulia and Terabitz both basically identical to Zillow.com pulled in 10 million dollars a piece in funding.

Someone, will you PLEASE explain the logic behind this insanity, to me?!? How can investors see a upcoming profit anytime soon!?!? Is another 30 million dollars really going to make a difference…they already have 100 programmers on staff and 155 employees. They’ve only been around for less than two years. What are they doing?? And why invest in identical companies?

The folks at Zillow.com have also proudly announced receiving a third round of funding on their blog. Personally, I would have kept it nice and quiet. I wouldn’t announce needing even more money and becoming “the most richly backed of the new era of “Web 2.0″ Internet companies.” I would rather become the Largest and Most Profitable Web 2.0 Internet company, Who Received the Least Funding in the History of Web 2.0 Companies…

Keep that headline handy…you’ll see it again, in less than two years.

I’m all fired up!!

Moments of Reflection Make the Vision Stronger

In the mist of everything that needs to get done, I’ve been finding myself in a time of deep reflection. It has been a few months since I’ve really stopped to think, reflect, meditate and make sense of all that has happened, what is happening and what the future holds. This type of reflecting extends pass the ToDo lists and necessary steps that are part of the start-up process.

This type of reflecting requires time to stop and observe. It requires a lot of quiet time, journaling, catching up on reading and peeking into where the world is and what it’s doing. It’s about plugging in to the vision, the passion and the purpose of our actions.

I haven’t talked much about this in the blog except for a few posts at the beginning, back in May and June…but, the fact is, I am a very spiritual person, and I trust and believe that; what we do in life, what we are passionate about and what we are gifted with, are all keys to lead us on our proper paths and purposes.

I never plan on these moments of reflection…they come and find me. It’s a beautiful time when I can easily weave a thread through everything that has happened, all the people I’ve met, and then with confidence, I can make predictions about the future. Many people have commented on how confidently and passionately I speak about Why Go Solo—It comes from these moments of refection, which allow me to get recharged and clear about the hows and whys. The hows and whys of the Vision. (Not to be confused with the business processes)

Visions are the fuel of all greatness in the world. However, some visions never get to see the light of day. I think the causes for a vision dying vary. But, I would venture to say, that the main reason a vision dies is because it hasn’t been fully developed and the real hows and whys haven’t been identified and tested. (A vision rooted in making a difference, creating a positive change in the world, and improving the human condition are the most powerful and easiest to continue to develop.)

A vision will eventually take on a life of it’s own and when it does, it guides you, it shows you the way and it opens doors for you. It fuels your desires and provides you with all the incentives you need to keep moving. However, we (the human race) have a funny way of getting lost even when we are on a set path. We put our heads down, get to work and we start focusing on meeting goals and milestones and this often causes us to lose focus and allows the vision to become secondary…and this causes the vision to slowly lose it’s strength.

On the other hand, if you spend some constant amount of time in continuing to develop and grow a vision it will continue to provide you with more splendid insights, opportunities and options. Sharing your vision is part of developing it. People will rally and get behind your vision. Your vision becomes this grand all powerful key to moving mountains and creating amazing synergy.

Truth of the matter is—not everyone is met to have the massive, huge visions. But, we all possess the ability to have our own visions for ourselves, and often times, those smaller visions end up fitting very nicely into the bigger visions of the people we meet.

So…I’m at the tail end of my moments of reflection. I have come to realize just how much the “failure”, or learning experiences, from the Coaching Agency have impacted me; how the struggles to date, with Why Go Solo, have had nothing to do with the struggles themselves, but have had everything to do with establishing a strong solid foundation for Why Go Solo, and I have come to see how certain things are destined to start interacting together. (A new HUGE piece might soon be added to Why Go Solo)

It’s so much easier to put one foot in front of the other when you truly trust and believe it’s all exactly as it needs to be. When you can see each events as a series of perfectly planned happenings.

Turned 30...and Visit from Dad

My last blog entry was on Wednesday…and that’s because on Thursday I was freakin’ out getting ready for a visit from my dad, who arrived on Friday for my birthday.

I spent a good eight hours on Thursday cleaning while jamming to excellent music recommended by my Pownce friends, who also provided much support and encouragement. Friday morning, I felt like a rock star after receiving some serious love on Pownce in celebration of my birthday. I headed out to the hairdresser’s for a 10:30am appointment, and unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to respond to all of the wonderful birthday wishes I received or to the birthday stories posted. I do want to take this opportunity to say Thank you…and I read each story!

By the time I returned from the hairdresser’s, my dad was waiting for me. It was wonderful to see him and the best birthday present…it was the first time in my life (that I can remember) that I had this kind of quality time with my father. There have been times when I’ve felt my dad hasn’t been involved enough in my life, so having a few days with him was very important to me.

I had the opportunity to thoroughly explain Why Go Solo to him and give him a crash course in: “What is the Web 2.0”. He met my roommate, my friends and my business partners. I got to hear him say he was proud of me, he believes in me and he knows my big break is right around the corner. He might not understand the web 2.0 or really use the internet, but he understands passion, the strength of a good solid plan and hard work, and the impact the right team of people can make. And since I happen to be his daughter…he also knows how determined, tenacious, driven and capable I am.

I’ve never been one for seeking approval, support or encouragement…however, it sure is nice to get it!!

I had all these huge expectations of what I would have accomplished and be doing by the time I was 30…financial wealth I wanted to have incurred, and I wanted to have reached a certain level of “fame”, that included being able to make a positive impact in the world around me. I haven’t reached those goals (yet), but I am, none the less, very happy and satisfied with my life. I think I was beaming this weekend from happiness and ‘in the now’ satisfaction. I’m following my dreams and I’m surrounded by fabulous people who believe in me and people who I believe in…I couldn’t ask for anything more. Everything is unfolding on its own timeline.

Although I always pictured turning 30 by having a huge birthday bash, my low-key…more intimate dinner with my dad and friends was perfect and more appropriate. However, there IS a big bash somewhere in my near future…the official launch of Why Go Solo will definitely be celebrated amongst lots of friends and free flowing champagne!

Speaking of Why Go Solo, everything is set-up for the development team to begin. The switch in hosting this weekend went rather smoothly and we had a new and splendid addition to the team. I actually need to wrap up this blog entry because I’m behind in posting the user stories to the wiki and I refuse to go to bed tonight until that’s done.

Who is Your Front Man??

…and by front man, I’m obviously being gender inclusive. Here are a few expressions that I most definitely always consider gender inclusive and/or gender neutral.

“You’re the Man” and “You’ve Got Balls” I’m always a fan of hearing “Ann, you have bigger balls than me” (Just making sure if not being politically correct, I’m at least explaining myself)

So, who is your front man? If you are in the process of starting a web 2.0 start-up that’s a question you best be asking yourself and answering. And P.S., I’m not just talking about who is presenting to investors, running the team and talking to corporate partners. I’m referring to—Who is your public front man.

Web 2.0 companies are filled with user generated features and information, and packed with user interactivity and collaboration, but what’s your glue, idea generator/mixer, the key to spreading your message (assuming you have a message) and source of commonality (for or against…if everyone hates you, they are uniting around that!). This is particularly important for social and online community type of companies…this is how and why many communities are developing around a cause and/or a niche.

Ideally, your front man is the founder and CEO…because he or she are the breath, heart and soul of the company. The founders and CEOs are normally who people, consumers and followers will want to know and learn about and hear from.

Your front man needs to have personality (for good or for bad…preferably an extrovert and very outgoing), passion, possess some likeability factors; be presentable in public, and respectable. Extra bonus point if your front man can easily transcend across genders, age groups, ethnicities, all backgrounds etc.

Case in point, Kevin Rose…awesome front man. People pay attention to what he’s doing and what he has to say. Some girls have a crush on him, some guys want to be him, some people dislike him, a handful hate him, and some don’t care…but, everyone pretty much knows about him.

Kevin was never in the shadows…he played up his role as the front man to Digg, before Digg became what it is today and therefore played a big part in getting Digg to what it is today.

On the other hand, Mark Zuckerberg, never took an active role in being the front man of Facebook. The media coverage is what exposed Mark as the front man of Facebook and he is a passive and boring front man…others have stepped up and have become sub-front man via their Facebook blogs for Mark.

So on that point…your front man needs to be active in their role as the front man from day one or really pre-day one. Don’t wait for the media to uncover you or for your PR team to get you an audience. Go find and create your audience…set yourself up. They are plenty of ways to do that…if you don’t know how, then frankly, you probably need to rethink your chosen path or find a real good front man to partner up with.

Chirping in My Basement

There is a cricket chirping away in my basement…this was annoying me a great deal since I enjoy working in absolute silence, so I shared my frustrations on Pownce and Jeffrey replied “a cricket in your house is a sign of good luck. she/he will leave when it's time.”

Truth is, I am having some amazing luck these last couple of days…the kind of luck that is bringing together a stellar programming team for Why Go Solo. I couldn’t dream this stuff up even if I tried; the experience, the diversity, and the excitement each member possesses is right on mark. This will take us into a whole new category when it comes to raising money and getting off the ground. We will not simply be going into the development stage, we will go into the development stage with our own development team. Why Go Solo will have a fully experienced and dedicated Development Team. I can’t stop saying it…there’s something to take to the bank!!

I realize you shouldn’t count your chicken till they’ve hatched…so I won’t, not just yet, but I am going to be one diligent and thorough mother hen to make sure each of those eggs properly hatch.

Let the chirping continue…I’m apparently in good company!

I consider the post from below to be a good omen and a sign. Someone told me a few nights ago I would become the next Kevin Rose...perhaps, it’s all coming together.

If you read my blog and you aren’t part of the family on Pownce, let me know and leave me your email address. I’ll send you an invite. We’re having quite a fun time over there.

Tutting My Own Horn

I shouldn't, but I can't help it...what can I say, I'm having a good day. (Not even sure tutting is a word...)

Carlos A. just joined Pownce...he was fan of two people and guess who they were? Of course, Carlos is now my friend, Kevin is just going to leave him hanging like the rest of us!!

For the Sake of the Story...

That’s the conclusion I have drawn…it’s for the sake of the story. I mean really, how boring is this story—entrepreneur has brilliant idea, writes business plan, pitches to first investor she meets, receives funding, launches product and makes it big. BORING…right?!!??

Exactly, you have to spice it up…add struggles, tragedies, disappointments, short lived victories that turn into set backs, and make it a story of perseverance, serendipities and hope.

So on that note…off we go into the next chapter. Since posting my post on Sorry…But, I’ve Been Burned Before, I have started to get closer to finding the team of programmers and developers I’m looking for.

First, there are a few programmers on Pownce that I’ve been “Powcing” with for the last few weeks who are interested in hearing more. I’ve already had a long chat with one of them, and he is absolutely excited and ready to get started. This obviously makes me very happy. He loved the concept (Why Go Solo) and was amazed by it.

Second, I have just received an email from GoBig Network. They are getting more involved and hands-on with helping start-up succeed. We found the company, who is assisting us raise funds, through GoBig Network and they have been tracking our progress pretty closely ever since. I’m very impress with GoBig Network’s level of involvement.

Anyway, the email related to helping us find the killer team of programmers we need who would be willing to work for equity. Need I say more…obviously, I responded to let them know I’m very interested and what do we do next.

Martin and I had a long heart to heart today about our situation and our options. We’re both pretty exhausted…because honestly, it takes a lot of energy, passion and determination to keep a dream alive and every time we explain Why Go Solo we pass on that energy and passion to someone else, whether or not they will do anything with it. Every time something doesn’t pan out, we have to dig deeper to keep going and keep the faith and hope alive. It’s draining. We need some progress.

Neither of us wants to give up; we both believe so much in what we want to build and create. Hopefully, the tide is about to turn in our favor. Let this be the beginning of the chapter of how we created a killer development team that will release the future of online and social communities…the team that will shake things up and create a whole new type of buzz. Lets grow the team that will believe in the possibilities and the dream that is, Why Go Solo!!

To be continued…the story keeps unfolding.

Sorry...,But, I've Been Burned Before

One solution, to having a lack of funds, for a web 2.0 company made up on non-developer/programmer types trying to develop their concept, is to work on expanding the team and grow partnerships with the other key personnel needed…however, this is proving to be just as difficult as raising funding itself.

I have narrowed it down to four main reasons why enticing developers into accepting a partnership/equity into the company for work is next to impossible:

1) The individual has been burned before by another entrepreneur or company. Many of the programmers I have been talking to have all had some sort of bad prior experience, which is making them very hesitant about trusting someone again, and accepting equity into a company as payment.

2) Developers are in very high demand. Lets face it…many start-up entrepreneurs are approaching developers with the same offer and for the most part all developers (particularly the very good ones, we would want in the first place) are securely employed and making high salaries. This makes them a little more hesitant about taking a huge risk like working for a start-up that is not funded. They could just easily join a start-up that has been funded and still have stock/share options.

3) They are already working on their own start-up part time or a buddy’s start-up. So even though one idea might have a better chance of actually making it big and/or make money; they rather stick with what they are currently involved in. (Can't blame someone for having loyalty!!)

4) Development companies who have teams of developers have a business owner mentality. They seek payment for services because they have to cover their overhead and many are no longer, or were never real risk takers in the first place. Although, they have a team they employ and could use to develop the requirements of a start-up they are the least interested….they have many expenses to consider.

This is all of course just my point of view and what I’ve encountered. I have met amazing and fabulous programmers and developers who have been very helpful in countless ways. I just wish I knew how to convince them to take a chance with us…

Random and Much Needed Update

Ahhhh, yes…what’s going on with Why Go Solo!?!? I realize I haven’t been blogging has much these last couple of weeks and there are two good reasons for that:

1) The unbelievably slow progression is down right killing me and I haven’t wanted to talk about it. And

2) We will soon be moving the blog over to our whygosolo.com domain, and therefore, I want to have some fresh and wonderful material to start the blog in the new location.

Yesterday we received some designs that I was very happy with…the problem we have now is which one to go with—if it’s not one thing, it’s another right? I really wish I could just post the designs here and have everyone take a vote on it, but of course, we can’t. The decision we have to make is between very fun, exciting, colorful and playful and a more professional, business-like, but still hip design.

One of the designs just makes me happy…looking at it makes me smile. On the other hand, Martin kinda thinks that design would be best suited for Crayola. We have sent the designs to be vented out to friends, family, our handful of investors thus far, and our board of advisors. This is going to be a tough call. We need to decide soon so we can move into the design for the blogs…and the backend screen shots.

The funding raising efforts are going much slower than I had ever anticipated. I’m hoping August is just overall a slow month for getting in touch with people…it’s what I’m telling myself.

I’ve been aggressively looking into other options and for the most part coming up short. I was thoroughly let down by one investor who had promised to help. People will say anything to get your help, but when it’s time to return the favor…only a few rare and special people return the favor. There’s no point in harboring a grudge. I just keep a good list of who has been there to help and who hasn’t. I also try to remember to simply help while not expecting anything in return. See there’s that word expectation…wish I never had expected this gentleman to help.

Meanwhile, I’m keeping busy networking. I’ve met some really interesting people these last few days. I will talk more as things develop…lots of great potential collaboration, but no expectations!!

Tough Love and Forever Overcoming Fears

I'm in a bind...with what to write about, so I decided to share a little piece of background and information about myself. It's the story of how I learned about fear; the power of fears and the need to face them:

When I was about eight or nine years old I had a tremendous fear of spiders, than one day, I was cleaning the bathroom as part of my weekly chores, when I saw a spider nested behind the toilet. I screamed and ran out of the bathroom.

My step mom came down to see what the ruckus was all about. I was almost in tears and told her about the spider. Now, what you’re about to read might shock you…

She didn’t go into the bathroom to kill the spider—instead, she locked me into the bathroom with the spider. I panicked. I screamed, yelled, cried, begged and pleaded to be left out. She told me the only way out was to kill the spider.

I remember sitting down in the opposite corner and talking to myself to calm myself down. I came to realize I had to address my fear. The only way out of this situation was to face my fear. I dug deep, decided I wasn’t afraid and found the courage to kill the spider.

When I was finally let out of the bathroom that day, I had learned an extremely valuable lesson, at the tender age or eight or nine…Don’t let your fears corner you and lock you up. Have the courage to face them. The only thing between you and freedom is facing and surmounting your fear. I'm grateful to have learn such a valuable lesson so young.

What might sound like a traumatizing experience, made me face my fears and from that day onward to today…there’s nothing I won’t take on. I don’t hesitate or blink in the face of fear or adversity.

I don't recommend going to extremes to overcome a fear, but I say seek out what makes you fearful and do something about it...it's the only way the fear will vanish.

Anal Retentive About Design

Presentation is everything…from fashion, to food, gardens, to homes and yes, websites. Or may be, it’s just me—particularly about websites. I am very picky when it comes to selecting and having the right website design. (I also happen to be judgmental of every site I visit…for the good, bad or the ugly. I’m not proud of this…it’s just so happens to be my little pet peeve in life).

For over a week now, we’ve been working on getting the design for the Why Go Solo homepage and thus far, they have been off for one reason or another. I’m not the easiest person for a web designer to work with—I’ll certainly admit that. I want for them to exercise their creative design skills to produce a certain feel and emotion from the website and more often then not, that is simply not descriptive enough. Unfortunately, all I know is how I want to feel and be moved. Just like when you see and look at a piece of art.

Here is some of the guidance (not all) that was provided:

Key Words

• Trendy (colorful, appealing, teasing to the senses, attention to details)
• Fun
• Clean
  

Functionality

• Easy to navigate
• Easy to understand
• Makes good use of space
• Makes good use of the branding

Targets

• Active and professional adults
• Professional business travelers (for leisure time)
• Singles and married alike

Think the place you want to go to as a professional, educated, mature, financially stable, active, fun individual. For example, the Why Go Solo logo reminded me right away of the logo for a trendy New York martini bar. This is where our target market goes to unwind…perhaps, while still wearing their suits.

If you are a rift raft, immature, a thug, only looking to hook-up etc…then you will be intimidated by our brand/look and feel.

I also provided websites that I like and don't like and website elements that I like and don't like. Is it too much to want to be blown away?

Martin and Ruth kinda liked the last design (given some minor changes), but it wasn’t “It” for me. Chasing the “It” factor is a dangerous game…but I feel, it’s well worth it.

When people visit us, I want them to feel captivated, energized and uplifted by the site and the possibilities.

I really want to nail down the design soon. As soon as we have the design, we’ll have a new temporary homepage and people will be able to sign-up for invites for the beta. We will also be moving this blog to our own domain and branded template…PLUS, we’ll be starting a new and exciting blog.

Lets hope this all happens next week!!

Ann's Answers to this Unlikely Scenario

I’m gonna have some fun here. I was reading my Entrepreneur magazine and there’s a quick one page article Women 2.0: Where Do Women Really Stand in the Tech Industry? I’ll let you read the article. My thoughts on this is that obviously women stand in the same exact position men stand…however, stay tune for another post from me on this point.

But here’s where I’m going to have some fun. They quote Elaine Wherry, the co-founder of IM website Meebo, saying, “I’ve heard horror stories from other [women], like venture capitalists asking if they’re planning to become pregnant”

Here are a few of my replies if I were asked the question:

VC: So, we are wondering if you are planning on becoming pregnant?

Me: Hmmm…are you planning on becoming pregnant?

VC: No, that’s a silly question

Me: My thoughts exactly

VC: So, we are wondering if you are planning on becoming pregnant?

Me: Are you asking me if I’m practicing safe sex?

VC: (Blank Stare)

VC: So, we are wondering if you are planning on becoming pregnant?

Me: You mean besides this pregnancy?

VC: (No answer)

Me: (Pause for effect)

VC: (No comment)

Me: I mean, isn’t the birth of Why Go Solo enough?

Two Worlds Collide Around Two Keys to Success

Growing up in my former world, as an Enlisted Marine and later as an Officer I was first embedded with a notion that I later taught my Marines. A notion that is now in my world as an entrepreneur just as important to my success, as it was back then. The notion is wrapped up in three words: Adapt And Overcome.

Adapt :The ability to adapt to all environments, situations, personalities, problems or anything else that might be ‘a moving target’…therefore, susceptible to change is a critical skill to develop for success. The ability to adapt creates chameleons who never find themselves out of place or uncomfortable in uncertainty.

Obviously, this is important in military settings, particularly in the Marine Corps. At a moment’s notice, everything can change and uncertainty is a constant. There’s another saying in the Marine Corps that ties into this—most people have heard Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) but not many people, unless current or former Marines and military, know about Semper Gumbi (Always Flexible)!!

Not all that different in the world of an entrepreneur. There is always uncertainty, a need to take risks, walk into the unknown and be prepared to face all sorts of situations, people and unforeseen circumstances.

Failure to adapt has costs in both worlds.

Overcome: Having the flexibility to adapt to any and all situations and circumstances is not enough for mission accomplishment or in the world of an entrepreneur, real and continuous success. It’s important to not be or remain passive, you must overcome the change and aim to excel in the new environment, under the new circumstances.

Creativity and innovation, in both worlds, are pretty significant in getting this done. When the going gets tough…get creative. Whether surrounded by the enemy or the competition released the same new item a day before you did—get creative and find a way to overcome the situation.

I have an idea…every business plan should end with Adapt and Overcome so when things totally don’t go according to the business plan entrepreneurs will always know what to do!!

Of course, there is also another saying in the Marine Corps if you can’t adapt and overcome…SUCK IT UP!!

I'm applying all of them repeatedly, accordingly and appropriately!!

I'm on Pownce!!

Yep!! I'm one happy gal...thanks to two people. My man Trik read my post today and left me a note in MBL about quite a smart young lady named Jessica. I went ahead and visited Jessica's blog, left her a comment, asking if she would share one of her invites with me...and she did!! We also had a splendid chat on Skype. Jessica is a 17 year old sophomore in college and entrepreneur, you can check out her company's blog: Startupism.com I remember being on my own at 17 and already being an adult. It's not easy, but it holds great rewards and experiences!!

Oh and by the way, I have SIX invites now. One of them has Trik's name on it, if he wants it, but the other five are available...

Went Solo to the Movies

Last night, I decided I needed to unwind and relax after doing so much driving and visiting of family in such a short time, so I went to the movies. I debated between going to see Live Free or Die Hard and The Transformers. I'm a big Bruce Willis fan—I think he's very sexy in a confident and rugged way.

I watched both previews, and after watching The Transformers’ preview I knew that was the movie I wanted to see. When I was a kid, I was a huge Transformers fan. I watched the cartoons all the time and I also actually had my own Transformer toys. (I think I still have them stored away at my dad’s house…wonder if they would be worth anything on eBay). My childhood fondness of The Transformers won over my adult crush on Bruce Willis. I’m glad it did…I thought The Transformer Movie was AWESOME!! I loved it. What a great flick, even if you are not a Transformer lover. I realize I’m a little late writing about this but, I don’t go to the movies very often.

I’m very accustomed to going to the movies alone. It’s really no wonder I thought of Why Go Solo. It normally doesn’t bother me to go places alone…it’s just that after the movie and having taken a trip down memory lane; I really wanted to share some of my stories with someone. Since I was alone—I didn’t get to. You get tired of doing things alone. I can’t wait for Why Go Solo to be operational…even in the spare of the moment, I’ll have the ability to find someone to go do things with.

Radio Surfing

I covered 1400 miles in the last six days driving from Lakeridge, Virginia to St-Georges, Canada with stops in Palmer, Massachusetts and during my travels, I found myself doing a lot of radio surfing. Since all my favorite stations are pre-programmed I rarely radio surf in my neck of the woods...and I obviously don't have XM Radio or HD Radio which is why, I get the pleasure of radio surfing the old fashion way and sometimes painful way, while I'm on the road. It's painful in places where there are very few radio stations to select from, places like Vermont.

However, I forgot how fun it can be—instead of going directly to the stations you like, you have to 'scroll' through the stations and you find some hidden treasures. I got to listen to some old tunes I hadn't heard in a long time, music from: Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, The Beatles, Steve Miller Band, Phil Collins, Whitesnake, Bob Seger, Aerosmith and even Garth Brooks' Friends in Low Places. I'd like to note, that in the Northeastern part of country, there are a lot more classic rock radio stations!! I normally listen more to classical music, R&B and Hip Hop. The latter stations are a little hard to find...especially (once again) in Vermont.

I was a little surprised to hear "Live in the Den" with Big Tiger on a Hartford Radio Station, since Big Tiger is on Washington's WPGC. I guess in Radio Land, you don't really need to be in the actual city...you just need to be LIVE!?!?

I got on the road early this morning and the weather was pretty crappy. Every station was covering the Micheal Vick Indictment. I haven't read the 19 page indictment report myself...not yet anyway, but, it's some serious accusations and disturbing stuff (animal cruelty and gambling) he was apparently involved with. I'm sure it will make headlines and be a source of discussion for morning shows, and sport talk shows for a while to come.


The bad weather persisted and the morning shows went off the air. I wasn't in the mood to radio surf anymore and I needed something to occupy my mind and my time. Thankfully, my older brother gave me some CDs last night, he wanted me to listen to. Initially, I was a little hesitant to accept them from him and I was hesitant again to play them. Why, would that be!?!? Well, my brother (and I love him dearly) is definitely a Conservative Republican and we don't see eye-to-eye on a few (like many) topics. However, I figured, since I still had 6 hours of driving ahead of me it wouldn't hurt to try out the CDs. The CDs are released by Trends Magazine and they turned out to be very educational and interesting.

The Trends editorial staff is backed by a network of business experts who share tips, inside information, privately distributed reports, speeches, and their own developed sources. These inputs are filtered through a time-tested content analysis process coupled with Trends' own proprietary methodology.

Trends is a solid source, an informed source, that will tell you what trends to expect -- and how you can profit from them. It will give you "inside "information so you'll have a terrific jump on others who don't have red-hot trend-developments.

Think of the monthly Trends listening experience as a brainstorming session designed to get your creative juices flowing. Many firms have purchased Trends subscriptions for their whole executive team. As such, the monthly issue forms the agenda for a meeting at which the team discusses the possible implications of the latest trends for their specific business. And it’s not just the current issue that’s discussed but the implications of trends from prior issues in the context of new issues.

I'm actually considering getting my own subscription.

Well, I'm back home now and probably won't be radio surfing again for a while. It was fun, but it's nice to hear the familiar voices and to know what stations to jump to when commercials come on!!

Springfields and the Simpson Movie

I went out to dinner with my older brother and my niece tonight in Springfield, Massachusetts, which came in fourth in the Simpsons Movie Springfield Challenge. Fourteen Springfields across the U.S. participated and Springfield, Vermont won. (On a side note, I drove by on my way to Canada...I passed 3 Sprinfields on my trip)

What did they win?? The honors to host the Simpsons' Movie Premier on July 21st.

That's FOURTEEN Springfields!! That's a lot and not even all the Springfields. Springfield, Virginia which is located on I-95, about 15 minutes from where I live did not participate. Each town had to submit a video, to prove why they believed they are the Springfield from the Simpsons. Check out the videos...too bad it's too late to cast our votes.

Springfield, Massachusetts does have some interesting history. The city is one of the largest (and also historically the first) city called Springfield in the United States. It has a notable history as the home to Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, and as the birthplace of basketball and home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, invented by James Naismith at Springfield College. It is also home to the western world's largest collection of Chinese cloisonné at the G.W. Vincent Smith Art Museum.

It's also where I enlisted back in 1994 and from where I left in August of 1995 to start my ten years in the Marine Corps...

The building where I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1994