Stinkybomb Soap is the only soap that will bomb the dirt right off your body. Taking irony to its sudsiest, Stinkybomb Soap offers soap that resembles WWII hand grenades, baby doll heads, and cassette tapes. The soaps are handmade from only the highest quality ingredients and have been hand designed, molded, and poured to offer a bathing experiencing that is unforgettable. . .and, well, will blow the stinkies away.

What I’ve Been Up To:

We raised almost $7000 for the Ingold Family to pay for their little boy Kyle’s funeral.  (Yes, in the middle of the summer in a terrible economy – generosity still exists!)

I got to meet up with some great Mom Masterminds members  a couple of weekends ago in London, Ontario.  (From left to right:  Tishia Lee, Me, Angel Williams, Lexi Rodrigo, Sharon McMillan, Imie Belanger, Mary Lutz & Angela Wills)

If you’d like to join Mom Masterminds, we’re offering a special one time payment option through the end of the month.  Pay just $250 and enjoy lifetime membership.

I’m working on a BIG foal for the next two months, I’m trying to reach 500 RSS subscribers on my new blog at KellyMcCausey.com. Will you help me out and subscribe?

Follow Us!

• @kellymccausey


• @tishialee


• @stinkybombsoap


• Like WAHM Talk Radio on Facebook!

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See Below for an Update!

“Melissa Ingold’s baby passed away last night.”

Melissa Ingold, you know her as the Internet Marketing Sweetie.  She has been a friend of mine for several years.  I have watched her start with nothing and build up an excellent reputation on the web.

Melissa’s youngest child, Kyle was diagnosed with Gaucher Disease and as a group (we her online friends) have been so touched and impressed by her determination to fight for her son and pursue treatment.  She has shared bits and pieces of their journey as a family on a website, A Cherished Angel.

Kyle’s passing was sudden and unexpected.  While children with Gaucher Disease do face early death, there was no reason to think that he was in imminent danger. Melissa put a smiling baby boy to bed and woke up to find that he was in the arms of God forever.

Losing a child, what a devastation… and of course we can all offer our love and support to help the family deal with their loss.

That, and something more.

In this area, we can do more than offer kind words – we can step up and offer to help pay this bill.  (In fact, WE DID!)

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Offer includes advertisingmoms.com and advertisingmoms.net and all site content.

Income Info:

It has been used as a ‘advertise to WAHMs’ resource.  It contains a dozen or so pages of completely original content and earns a small but steady monthly stream of Google Adsense income.  ($448 over 12 months = $37 per month)

There has also been a small stream of income from orders for ad graphic creation. (We currently outsource this to a designer who pays us a referral commission.)  Other than during special promotions that earned $250 or so in a week’s time, it usually generates less than $100 per month in orders.

For many years we used it to market our ads on various WAHM and Mom related websites.  We have recently moved our ad network sales over to another domain so we won’t be using it for that reason any longer.  The income we generated in that way won’t transfer so we’re not mentioning it.

It is currently managed via Microsoft FrontPage.

You can see stats for the last six months here: (We didn’t use Analytics before that.)

You can view Adsense Income for the last 12 months here: (Click to Enlarge)

Our Thoughts:

We believe this site would be best suited for someone who wants to provide graphic design and/or copywriting services to home business advertisers. It would be great to see a variety of advertising support services offered here.   Since Kelly already owns and operates a seperate design company, she never wanted to focus too much on providing these services via this domain.  We consider it under-developed and a great deal for someone with time and passion to grow the site.

Price:

We are asking $650 for the domain, site and content. We base this price on the fact that it will be easy to earn that back in less than 12 months. That said, we will consider any reasonable offer.  Send inquiries to support@momstalknetwork.com

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We’re talking about Mamavation, Alaina has thrown her hat in the ring again to be a Mamavation Mom and participate in a seven week bootcamp.

Alaina and I get vulnerable about our weight loss goals and participation in the Plus Size Bloggers Summer 15 Tracking Challenge.

Tishia Lee interviews Karen Klemens. Karen works from home for Student of Fortune, an online homework help site. Karen shares her love of being able to have this opportunity to work for company out of the comforts of her home. Karen shares what it’s like working for such young innovative leaders, her boss is only 25! While she loves working from home she shares what she finds herself struggling with most.

Follow Us On Twitter:

• @kellymccausey


• @tishialee


• @alainafrederick

In Other Areas:

• Hot Seminar Series continues this week with Traci Knoppe of Genesis Blogging!

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If you’d like to see the print out about the sites included in the network, click here:  About Mom’s Talk Network of Blogs

Listen in as she experiences angst and indecision and finally comes to a conclusion… maybe! LOL!

(yeah… she changed her mind and decided not to sell!)

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• @kellymccausey


• @tishialee

In Other Areas:

• Hot Seminar Series continues this week with Susan and Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom!

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Kelly

LikeWear also offers a flexible, fun money-making opportunity for moms who can have their own clothing business or “store” without all the inventory!

Prior to her experience as a mother and home-based business operator, Lisa spent 3 years as a stockbroker at leading Manhattan based brokerages where she acquired her Series 7 license and opened more than 500 accounts. Lisa began her professional career in advertising account management and spent 4 years working on the Pepsi and Visa accounts at one of the world’s leading advertising agencies, BBDO New York.

Ask Kelly Segment: “What tools do you wish you had at your disposal that you don’t have right now?”

Follow Us On Twitter:

• @kellymccausey


• @tishialee


• @likewear

In Other Areas:

• Plus Size Bloggers NEW Tracking Contest that starts June 15th.


• Hot Seminar Series kicks off this week!

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Tishia Lee interviews Kayla Fay of Go Ask Mom. Kayla and Tishia talk about the pros and cons of working at home as well as Kayla’s eBook Focus Pocus 100 Ways to Help Your Child Pay Attention. Listen in as Tishia shares something she learned in Kayla’s Focus Pocus eBook that she took and applied to her business.

Kayla Fay is the mother of four sons, three of whom have been formally diagnosed with ADHD-Inattentive. She is the creator of “Who Put the Ketchup in the Medicine Cabinet”, a website offering advice, wisdom, and practical strategies for other parents of ADHD-I children. Kayla is also the author of several publications, including “Focus Pocus, 100 Ways to Help Your Child Pay Attention”, “Waking Up From the Homework Nightmare”, and several science project guides. Kayla and her family live in North Carolina, where they are currently celebrating their first son’s college graduation!

Resources Mentioned In Interview

Ask Kelly Segment: “Do Christians really need different resources than other people?” Listen for her answer!

Follow Us On Twitter:

• @kellymccausey


• @tishialee


• @goaskmom

In Other Areas:

• Kelly ‘almost’ made it to her $10,000 goal in May! Read all about it.


• Don’t forget to check out the deals at Mom Deal of the Day!  Subscribe to the mailing list or RSS feed so you don’t miss out on anything awesome!


• Plus Size Bloggers announced the winners of their first Tracking Contest and shared details about the NEW Tracking Contest that starts June 15th.


• Hot Seminar Series kicks off next week!

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Please tell me a little bit about your company and what led you to start your work at home business.

The Work At Home Mafia actually came about through a level of frustration that I had with finding sites that truly catered to both the novice and the experienced freelancer.  There was a definite need for sites  that not only featured open opportunities for potential telecommuters but also built in the tools, tips and resources to enable success.

What do you feel is the most challenging thing about telecommuting?

Without a doubt, the biggest challenge for a telecommuter is dealing with frustration.  It takes a specific personality to be able to work independently from others.  You must be your own best cheerleader and not allow yourself to deviate off set tasks, routines and deadlines.  As with any profession, you will have to work for what you achieve whether it is finding that first position up to landing that promotion.  I’ve learned from experience that in the virtual world that feedback, rewards and incentives are not as immediate and so many quit without really ever trying their best.

What do you think are important qualities to have as a telecommuter?

Every telecommuter must have a few inherent qualities if they want to be truly successful. Self-discipline is key to working from home.  Without it, you have no direction and little chance for success.  Flexibility, whether it be in scheduling or the ability to adapt to changes will make you indispensable.  Thirdly and by all means not last- professionalism.  Never forget despite your location that you are still held to standards of behavior.

Do you have a favorite tool or resource that helps you in your business?

My favorite tool that makes my life so much easier is Microsoft Outlook.  I am not only a business owner but also an independent contractor so my day is consumed with tasks, goals and deadlines.   I would be crippled without my schedule, notes, calendar and emails.  They are what keep me in contact with the world at large.

Do you have a special thought or quote that helps you stay motivated on those days you just want to quit?

“Be the change you want to see in the world” has been my mantra for years.   Just remember that you can make a difference in your families’ lives.

What is your favorite thing about working from home?

By and large, my favorite benefit from working from home is flexibility.  As a parent of a child with  special needs, it was key during his school years to be able to adapt my schedule to his needs.   With the advent of technology, I can now work from virtually anywhere making me even more flexible  so I can still live my life and fulfill my obligations.

Do you have any important tips for someone who wants to start a virtual assistant business or any work at home business?

Research, research, research!  This is not going to happen overnight so be diligent in researching companies, businesses and other opportunities.  Don’t try to shortcut your way into business by grabbing onto scams that promise instant success.  I always tell people that if it sounds too good to be true then it is.  It is going to take work, perseverance and time.  But if you take the time to develop a plan and you build upon that then you will see results.

What key quality is critical especially for working with clients?

To be successful working with clients you must master the art of listening.  You must hear/understand through conversations, documents, emails and instant messages what the client wants and expects.  It is not about what you want to give the client as much as it is about what the clients desires.  Your clients are your bread and butter and lifeline.  As the saying goes, it only takes one bad apple to ruin the bushel and the same is true with clients.  You must understand their needs.

What do you think the biggest mistake people make when starting their work at home business or when looking for work to do at home?

Too often you will see individuals approach working from home with the wrong mindset.   They have bought into the myth that they will find a job where they can work very little and make great money.  There really is no job like that.  Any endeavor you attempt is going to take time, dedication and hard work.   It won’t happen over night and you will work for what you achieve.  You really do reap what you sow – therefore the more you put into it, the more return you will see on your efforts.

What is one word of advice you would give someone looking to work at home or to start their own work at home business?

Perseverance will get you anywhere you want to be in life.   If you learn from your mistakes and adapt then you will find success in your work at home career.  Just keep working toward that goal and keep educating yourself on technology, software, marketing, etc.

What are some other tips that you might give to someone who wants to start working from home?

• Seek employment based on your skills and experience, not on pay level alone.   Too often, I see moms looking for a pay range and haphazardly applying to anything and everything without being qualified.  You will find more success applying to positions where you meet their qualifications and expectations.


• Never exaggerate on your resume.  I see too many times that people become overly creative and try to create skills on their resume that they do not possess.


• Always use a professionally crafted resume and cover letter. Never ever put personal information in your application such as family issues, marital issues or slang.  A cover letter is not the place for smiley faces, “chat speak” or inappropriate grammar.


• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  That is purpose of work at home websites and forums.  However, do not expect to have everything handed to you on a silver platter.  Read, search, research and educate yourself first.


• Always behave in a professional manner.  Communicate professionally and treat people in the manner in which you would like to be treated yourself.  Keep your employer informed.  And if you must leave a position, do it in a polite respectful manner.  Give notice in writing and above all, do not bash or criticize on message boards.  Today’s rant could be the reason you are passed over for tomorrow’s opportunity.

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Am I glad I’ve done this?  Yes and no.  The scale has done a lot of up and down reporting so I’m not proud of my progress and not thrilled that my lack of success has been so public… but at the same time it could have been so much worse.

There were plenty of times when I felt like eating crap but stopped myself by just thinking about what the scale would say about it later.

Anyways, I’ve got one more week to go – hopefully I’ll be able to report an overall loss despite the yo-yo nonsense.

Report:  I lost 3.4 this week.

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Kelly & Tishia

We’re also excited to announce that Tishia’s recently been recognized for her work at a VA!  She is the 2010 winner of the Janet Jordan Virtual Assistant Achievement award!

Wouldn’t you love to hang out with us for a few days?  Join Kelly & Tishia at NAMS in August!

Tishia Lee interviews Crissy Herron of Indie Biz Chicks. Tishia and Crissy chat a bit about working from home and how Crissy started her work at home career in 2003 marketing for other people. The main focus of their interview was to talk about Crissy’s upcoming Tuesday night Summer Biz Sessions. They begin on June 1st and go until August 31st.

The cost is $15 to join and for 14 weeks Crissy has speakers lined up to talk about different topics such as running a craft blog and managing inventory, telecommuting topics (such as how to find a real work at home job),  how to use Google’s keyword tool, how to stand out from the crowd, how to market yourself with videos, personality branding, and more.

Ask Tishia: “What one thing have you done this year that has helped you grow your Virtual Assistant business?”

Follow Us On Twitter:

@kellymccausey
@tishialee
@indiebizchicks

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