The Official Escape From Corporate America Blog Turns 5

Celebrating birthday No. 5 for the official Escape From Corporate America Blog and No. 233 birthday for America.

Here's a reminder of where it all started. In 2003, I wrote a wildly popular article, "Escape From Corporate America," that was published by The Conference Board. It caused such a stir that the following year I decided to start a blog about it. Here's the lead paragraph to the article:

Divorce, dumping, or abandonment: Call it what you like, but many women are trading in Corporate America for entrepreneurship. According to Cheskin Research, they are starting businesses at twice the rate of men and have become a major force in both the traditional and the e-business marketplace. The Center for Women's Business Research estimates that, as of 2002, there are 6.2 million women-owned businesses, employing 9.2 million workers and generating $1.15 trillion in annual revenue.

In the interest of security, women used to be willing to channel their time, energy, and effort to the corporation's needs at the expense of fulfilling their own professional goals -- but no more. In starting their own businesses, they're seeking freedom, flexibility, recognition, more money, and opportunities to leave a legacy -- all of the things they once thought they would find within corporations.

Still sounds all too familiar, doesn't it? Since then, even more women are breaking away from what is considered "corporate prison" to start their own businesses.

So today is your day. Enjoy. Have fun. And thank you ever so much for your readership.

Go out -- escape -- to celebrate your freedom and independence!

P.S. Here are the first three posts to the official Escape From Corporate America Blog in 2004:

Post 1
Post 2
Post 3

Turn Unemployment Into a Lifelong Dream

If you can dream it, you can do it. Kim Leslie is living proof.

Today, Leslie, 38, is the owner of Kokopelli Cafe, a business she opened in May on Woodland Square Loop that is surrounded by state office buildings and looks across Huntamer Park. Her fledgling cafe has two employees and business is off to a good start, she said.

Among her customers are at least 250 who return on a regular basis to use their punch cards for future discounts, Leslie said.

“I couldn’t be happier,” she said Tuesday. “I enjoy getting up at 4:30 a.m., but I never used to.”

Read her story: No job? Create your own work.

It's Not Just About The Money

“Being wealthy isn’t just about money,” says Elizabeth Potts Weinstein (pictured), founder of The Wealth Spa (holistic wealth for women entrepreneurs). She adds, “We hear many stories about wealthy people who are miserable.

What I like to teach people is to learn how to make money in such a way that they maintain balance in their lives. It’s about health; it’s about mindset; it’s about spirituality and fulfillment.”

An attorney and licensed financial planner, Weinstein left a “Big Law” law firm to start her own business in 2003. She began her home-based venture as a personal financial and estate planner but found clients were asking her questions pertaining to their small businesses. “At first I would help them out pro bono but then I realized that this kind of advising and coaching could turn into a business,” she says. Soon she began focusing her work on the micro small business owners (defined as businesses with 1 to 9 employees) and mompreneurs. “I teach people how to turn their fun hobby into a real business that makes money,” she states.

Read more about Weinstein and her company here.

May I give you a HINT?

Good pitch by a PR representative:

In a time when it seems like all we hear about are small businesses failing, there are a few out there that seem to find the right combination of business smarts and determination to create a successful business.

I would like to offer you founder of HINT Essence Water (www.drinkhint.com), Kara Goldin, a mompreneur (of four!) who found success in an industry she did not have experience in.

As a former AOL exec, Kara has an extraordinary track record of business success, transforming concepts into reality. As VP of Shopping and E-commerce, Kara grew AOL’s shopping business from startup to more than $1 billion in revenue in less than seven years.

While drinking a glass of water with a slice of lime, Kara was surprised to see that instead of a bottle of juice, her daughter wanted to drink what Kara had in her hand -- simple, no calories and no junk -- just ice cold refreshing water with a HINT of lime flavor. Thus, the concept for HINT was born.

Now HINT, which started as a small start up is a multi-million dollar international success with distribution in Whole Foods, Stop & Shop and www.drinkhint.com.

What a story and right in line with this blog about how women escape successfully from Corporate America into entrepreneurship. Kara made the leap just fine. Congratulations!

The Do-It-All-Yourself Trap

"Yes, I can do that. Tomorrow you say? No problem. I just have to drop my son off at daycare, take my mom to her doctor appointment, pickup a couple of groceries on the way home and finish the client project I've been working on for two weeks by the close of business today."

Sound familiar? Despite we do it all by juggling a million things at once, there's still a dream we are living when we take on running our own business.

Here's a great little article that reminds us why we do what we do and how we might do it even better by following the advice of these women entrepreneurs. For example, find out how to get out of the do-it-all-yourself trap and make sleep a priority.

Read the entire article here: "In Quest For Family Time, Women Start Businesses."

I Enjoy Working For Me!

You may enjoy being a girl but running your own show is probably even more fun! Take Ms. Gill's story, for example:

Her own franchise Maxine Gill, 46, of Laurel, Md., took her career in a new direction after she was laid off last year from her job as sales and marketing director for Comcast.

“I enjoyed what I did, but I knew I was not going to retire from that job,” she said. It was the second time she had been laid off.

“Marketing always seems to be first to go,” she said.

Earlier this year, she struck out on her own, investing $50,000 to $60,000 in a franchise, College Nannies & Tutors. Her company hires people (taking care of the tax and paperwork headaches) and places them with families for temporary or long-term duty.

“Everything is on my shoulders, but I enjoy working for me,” Gill said.

Read more here.

Pictured: Nancy Kwan, star in Flower Drum Song

Are You Thinking Big Enough?

During these tough economic times, are you thinking BIG enough to keep your your business thriving?

Running out of ideas? Well pay a visit here to get your BIG thought juices flowing!

Note: Above poster can be found here.