The Care and Feeding of the Muse

The Care and Feeding of the Muse

How do you care and feed your muse? Better yet, when your muse needs pampering, what do you do? How do you unsilence your muse? What do those silences tell you?

For the most part, to get to a sense of serenity and creativity our muse needs to be well fed and well supported. We need to be able to turn inward and connect with our emotions so our creative lives can be expressive, authentic, and genuine. Our art is profoundly affected by the mood of our muse and what the muse needs to be in that place of serenity where creativity can flourish. So how do we get there?

Well first of all, a silent muse is the sign that something is not right in our world. That there is too much stress, too much negative energy, too much wearing us down, too much mind chatter and not enough lifting us up. At times we may just need some extra sleep, a relaxing evening with a caring loved one, a night out with our friends, or some time alone. Sometimes our muse is calling out for physical activity and we need to go on a series of walks, take a hike, go on a bike ride, go swimming, or join a Zumba class.
But, there are other times when wine and chocolate won’t do the trick and these are the most trying times. These are the times when we need to do something more drastic and creative to get the muse going. This is we feel we are dry and empty and need to fill up. This is when we have to break free of our editor and monitor and just get back to our craft—be it writing, singing, composing, conducting, sculpting, painting, or imagining. This is when we need to get a reality check and imagine the possibilities and create without a monitor, create for the sake of creating and honoring that within us that needs a place for self-expression. This is when we need to reach for our morning pages and write what is eating us, what is blocking us, what is keeping our muse silent and trapped. Or this is when we need a trip to the Bahamas!!!

May your muse be cared for, today and everyday!!!

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Zulmara

Humming...Singing...Dancing

Keeping your muse humming and singing and dancing like no one is watching.

When our muse is in a happy place, it opens a new window of opportunity for us by offering valuable insight, articulate advice and expert examples. Our muse can be a reference, a road map and a romp, all rolled into one. When our muse is on it, we can find our way through all sorts of mazes that we encounter. A happy muse helps to make our quests for creative development much easier and much happier. We are truly in a place of peace, when our muse is singing, humming, and dancing like no one is looking.

And how do we get there? With a discipline, focus, and dedication to our creative self that feeds our creativity and keeps our muse singing and humming in tune with your projects and creative works. We have to create a life that includes our craft at every turn of the spectrum, we have to create a life that allows us to be happily engaged in what we do and how we do it, we have to create a life that allows us to discover our talents and find our voice through our art allowing us to create something substantial, inspirational, and personally gratifying. It is what uniquely motivates us to complete a project.

What keeps your muse humming and singing and dancing like no one is watching? What fuels your creative endeavors?

ME, I took a trip to the Bahamas to pamper my muse and deflect burn out!!!


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Zulmara

Live in the Sunshine, Swim in the Sea, and Drink in the Wild Air

Live in the Sunshine, Swim in the Sea, and Drink in the Wild Air…Bahamas…

Pampering Your Muse-on Island Time

Having just returned from the Bahamas with this magnet a few weeks ago,

I was reflecting on why this particular quote resonated with me while I was down there and I knew right away it was because the Bahamas have a way of invigorating the soul and infusing the spirit with love, warmth, and motivation. I know it must be the joy of being able to live in the sunshine that make the Bahamians such a fun loving, kind and caring people. All that Vitamin D being soaked up in the skin make for a wonderful disposition on life and living. I was struck by the friendliness of everyone we met and by the love and good wished being showered on us.

That's my daughter!!! Love her!!!

The next explanation must be the swimming in the sea. The clear blue/green two tone waters are beautiful. Even in the coldest month of January, the waters were warm on the toes and tantalizing on the feet. We walked about 2 miles down the beach and even with an errant wave, we had a great time splashing the in the surf and just loving life.

And I cannot forget drinking in the wild air. Out there on mountain time you are truly in a world of your own and you are truly having the time of your life. You can get drunk on so much clean air when you come from LA and the it is invigorating.

I am thinking everyone should live on island at least once in their lives…just for the sunshine, sea, and air that are just a part of the everyday living experience. (Of course I don’t think I would be very productive, but my muse would certainly be very happy).

Yes, this quote did resonate with me for it captured all of the wonders of island life and living.

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Zulmara

PS...My Island Birthday Cake...Chocolate Rum Cake...yummers!!!

Live by the Sun, Love by the Moon

Live by the Sun, Love by the Moon

Pampering your muse--with Island Time

When you are leading a creative life, guided by your inner muse, there are times you need to pamper your muse to rejuvenate your creative spirit, and inspire your wandering soul.

Recently, I was in the Bahamas to celebrate my 52nd birthday and it was the perfect time to pampering my muse the Bahamian way. The Bahamanians know how to live by the sun and lover thy the moon. They live life to the fullest when the sun is shining. Island time is living by the sun and loving by the moon time. A sunrise means a new day is born, but there is no hurry to speed up time. The morning unfolds slowly with the sun rising slowly and daylight breaking in its own time. Breakfast in the morning is a slow affair, living by the sun means you are in no hurry because the sun comes and goes everyday. The Bahamians are not in a hurry to get things done, be somewhere, or completer a task, or finish a to do list. Life is slow and the pace is reflective and contemplative. There is always time for a greeting, a smiles, a dance, and a song.

Loving by the moon means life if for loving—a moon-rise is synonymous with a smile, a laugh, a greeting, and a shared friendship, even with strangers. The Bahamians are an extremely happy and friendly people they are always ready with a smile and a greeting as they meander around the island, eager to help and please. They tell jokes, laugh with you and make you feel welcome.

Yes, anyone who visits will tell you that island time is magical time. It is like time stands still on the island it is living by the sun and loving by the moon…it is what pampering your muse is all about.

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Zulmara

Sugar Yourself with Sand

Sugar Yourself with Sand

Pampering your Muse with Island Time

Going to the Bahamas as a way to pamper my muse, renew my spirit, and nourish my soul has been so invigorating and inspiring. Island time is reflective time. In the Bahamas, no one beginnings the day before 10:00 am and they it by around 5:00 pm only to come out and play again around 7:00 in the evening.

The people are super friendly. The food is unique, but familiar enough to enrich the body. The tropical drinks: Mojitos, Bahama Mamas, and Miami Vice are cool, refreshing with a nice tropical twist.

Sugaring yourself with sand is a perfect way to describe a vacation in the Bahamas. You are surrounding yourself with warmth, hospitality, good food, nice weather, and sticky sand. The Sticky sand gives you the feeling that you are being enveloped in a warmth of island hospitality and island fun and charm. You feel like you are a part of something real, something bigger than life, something extraordinary, something that will pamper your muse and help you get invigorated and inspired.

Bahamian time is island time at its best!!

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 Zulmara

Journaling for New Latina Renewal Challenge

Journal your way to success...the New Latina Renewal Challenge

I was sooo excited when I got the first packet from the New Latina Challenge. I was celebrating my birthday in the Bahamas when the first one was emailed to us and I quickly opened it and got excited. It reinforced so much of what I had just been doing. I loved it. I loved the idea of shedding and out with the old and in with the new. I had just hosted our annual White Elephant gift exchange and put together two sister boxes and was working on a third, so I knew I was making room for the new and shedding the old and the feeling was good.

But what really excited me was the opportunity to use my special journal. You see, I collect journals and I have many of them lying around and I look for an opportunity to use my very special journals for special occasions.

Last year, I was blessed to have been specially made, three beautiful journals by the very talented Mia…(artsbymia.com)

One was for my son and two were for me and I was waiting for a special writing opportunity to use these very beautiful journals and what better occasion than the New Latina Renewal Challenge. I chose the EMPOWER journal and I am very excited about filling it with my thoughts, and quotes, and anything notes. Thank you, New Latina for the opportunity and mil gracias to Mia for the beautiful journal that inspires me to write and fill the pages with feeling of love, challenge, renewal, and taking the next step. And mil gracias to New Latina for the inspiration!!!

If you have not found the time or the wherewithal to start your journaling to a new you, maybe you need to go SHOPPING for that very special place where you can write and feel inspired to put pen to paper!!!!

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Zulmara

The Sister Box

A caixa de irmãs/The Sister Box

Yesterday, I posted how I shedded with White Elephant Gifts...I also do a Sister Box with my sisters on a regular basis, which is a shedding, cleansing, renewal, and keeping in touch tradition all in one. This is something we started after the holidays, after saying our good-byes and missing each other. Parting is such sweet sorrow. It is always a bitter sweet parting, we love those who live far and have a hard time being away from them, but life and living get in the way of us being together regularly.


Our sister box became a way of staying in touch and sharing a part of our lives with each other. Our Sister Box Tradition helps us keep in touch during those times in between the holidays. We start by having one of us fill a box with lots of goodies. They can be new, old, for someone special, or just 'cositias' to put in the box. And we mail it to one sister with cards in it for all the other sisters. Then we go around and when each person receives the box, they take out anything that is for them, anything else they want from the box, and then they fill it with their treasures and send onto the next sister. And the box makes it way around. It is a fun way to stay connected and stay in touch--and do a cleansing where you know your treasures are being shared. We have so much fun with our caixa de irmãs, that we are always looking forward to getting the next box. It does not always work as planned and sometimes, we have a sister who hangs on to long, but in the end, we just start the fun all over again.


We have recently started including our daughters and they are having so much fun and we are teaching the cousins how to stay in touch, no matter what.


This fits in really well with cleansing and shedding...you can fill a box with the treasures you are ready to part with and send it to a few friends, family members, and others who may like to play and keep in touch.


Adds a nice tradition for shedding, so you are making way for the new on a regular basis, having a lot of fun, and keeping in touch...all with one activity!!!!

What fun and interesting ways do you have for staying in touch with your family?

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Zulmara


New Latina Renewal Challenge

New Latina Cleanings

New Latina Cleansings

Serrendipitously, the first week of the Latina Challenge is about shedding as a way of cleansing the old to make room for the new. I have a tradition with my family that is just about this topic that we have been practicing for years.

At this time of year, it is very nice to do a cleansing. A way of taking old things out of your life to make room for the new. However, it can be hard to part with treasures and it can be hard to let go sometimes. One of my New Year’s traditions if I am hosting the dinner at at my home is to do a White Elephant Gift exchange, where I provide all the White Elephant gifts. It is a nice way to part with some items I no longer want and so much fun to see family and friends bargaining and exchanging for the items they would like to treasure for a few more years. I always make sure to add in some goodies for the kids.

So after we eat on New Year’s day, we all sit around and I pass out numbers and we just start choosing gifts, exchanging gifts and having a good time.

Other cleansings is to play Bingo and be the one who wraps and provides the gifts. Again a chance to part with the old to make way for the new, but to make sure the old goes to a good home. As an added bonus, I collect the bags used for Christmas wrappings and use them to wrap the White Elephant gifts and it is such fun. (PS, if you are not hosting a New Year’s Dinner, this makes a great party activity for any time you are hosting...a gift of treasures--for Dia de los Reyes Magos, Valentines Day, Easter...etc...anytime you have la familia over, you can cleanse...and make room for the new.

How do you let go of the old to make way for the new in your life.

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Zulmara

New Latina Renewal Challenge, Week I

McCormick Foundation 11

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

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Zulmara

11) Any additional thoughts: (1500 characters)

Latinas are up and coming in the business world. We are the Entrepreneurs to watch for in the next 20 years. We start businesses from our homes to help our families and we are motivated by deep cultural roots to be the matriarchs that hold our families together. We want to have it all and then some. We don’t want to sacrifice, make choices, or deny ourselves a fulfilling career, children, a loving extended family life, or a life of abundance.

We have seen our parents work hard to provide us with opportunities and we are big on paying back and paying forward. We want success, but we want it on our terms. We want to share, give back, pay it forward, and pay it now.  We want to ensure that what we have to offer adds value to the lives of others and we want to know that we are making a difference: a difference in the world, in our communities, and in our families. We do not want to leave anyone behind.

I offer coaching—both personal and professional—to help Latinas achieve their dreams by realizing how their Latina Roots can give them the wings they need to soar. The coaching can be one-on-one, to a group, online, or with an e-course. I love what I do and I do what I love. This allows me to connect with people no matter where I am at. I give freely of my time, advice, and products. As a matter of fact, I gave away my responses to these questions and encouraged other bloggers to apply as well. I do not believe in a zero sum game, there is enough for all of us and we come from a culture of abundance.

As I honor my cultural roots, I am motivated to develop the tools needed to help mi gente soar with the eagles. I want to be able to “ride the thermals,” as Dewitt Jones says and bring along mis comadres, mis amigas, y mis companeras.

McCormick Foundation 10

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

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Zulmara

10) Why I know I can make this happen: (2500 characters)

I know I can make this happen because it has been in the making for the past 20 years. I have already tried and failed at launching a website and a blog, I have already tried and failed at selling items online, and I have already created materials that are wonderfully received by the people that have had access to them and I am ready to give more people access to my material. Overall, I am sure that I can make this happen because of the experiences I have had and what I have learned along the way. This is not my first time out. Now I know that you have to build trust, be part of a trusted network and work with others who are doing similar things. I have also learned that I need to follow my passion, ask for help, and not try to do it all on my own. I know I need to have a team behind me and I need to put my creative energies into what I am good at, which is coming up with the content and not trying to do the technology aspect on my own.

I have vision, clarity, and focus. I know what I want and I know how to go for it. In the past month, after attending the Coca-Cola Tour: Adelante, I have more than 10 times the amount of traffic on my blog site, I have been posting regularly, and I have been learning how to use the technology to my best advantage. Latinas need self-help, personal development, and professional development materials that are unique to us and our way of being and knowing. We want there to be a place for La familia in our professional lives, we want there to be a place for la cultura in our business ventures.

I possess the organizational, developmental, and executive skills to be a success. I know that my content resonates with Latinas and I am ready to reach a wider audience and make it happen para mi gente. I know that a program to help Latinas achieve their dreams, celebrate what is right with their lives, and take themselves to the next level—no matter where they are at—in their personal or professional lives, is going to be a success. I am excited about this grant because it offers me an opportunity to focus on what I know is important in reaching a wider audience...getting visible and getting my work out there. I truly believe in networking and collaboration and I am excited about all that we are able to accomplish when we put our resources together and create great content to be shared. Latinas are a force to be reckoned with and my dream is to pave the way and lay the foundation for high levels of success within la comunidad.

My passion for education and what I want to accomplish is overflowing. I love what I do and I do what I love. My curriculum is awesome and gets people involved and hooked in right away. It allows me to see what needs to be done and how to do it, the path becomes clear as I am working on the various aspects of what needs to be done. I have a lot of material, it is just a matter of organizing and putting it into a format that others can use and access. My years of training as an educator have served me well. I am truly blessed to have so many of you on this journey with me. Yes, si se puede. We are awesome.

McCormick Foundation 9

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante,
Zulmara

9) Here is how I will get the word out about my project: (1500 characters)

First of all, I have been using my extensive network on Facebook to start connecting with other Latinas and to start building a network of support. I am already building an infrastructure for success as I work to build networks and connect with others in the same business. I have already strated working my blog to see what I can do to drive traffic to my page and to engage others. I have schooled myself in how to be an online marketer and have studied with the best, Joe Vitale on how to make things happen.

Next, I will tap into the networks of my partners and collaborators. This is a very important part of my marketing strategy; I will be working with Latinas entrepreneurs who want to see me succeed as much as I want to see them succeed. This is a win/win project where we will all be promoting each other. I am planning on my partners and collaborators to be promoting my works and projects as much as I am promoting theirs.

Next, I will offer to contribute articles to ezines that deal specifically with Latinas and Latina success in education, business, and professional endeavors. My goal at the beginning is not to focus so much on earning a lot of money, but to lay a deep foundation for success, sort of like a bamboo plant, knowing that if I lay the roots and nurture them, they will grow and prosper.

And lastly, I have schooled myself in the best and most effective ways to get people to my site and to get people interested. I will use those strategies of giving away ebooks with my contact information, providing services for free, as well as services for a fee. Allowing people to opt into an enewsletter, but also allowing them to download items off of my site that do not require them to leave information, knowing that when they are ready, they will come.

McCormick Foundation 8

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante,
Zulmara

8) My timeline for this project over the next year: (1750 characters)

Over the next year, I plan to be ready to launch my website, start my newsletter, get my ebooks on line, and expand my blog page. My blog page is currently being updated, I am creating materials as I write this. I have already hired a graphic artist to help me with my designs and branding. My plan is to hire a webdesigner as soon as I have the funds. Assuming I get this grant in mid February, I will have my chosen webmaster hired within two weeks. I already have the contents of my website ready to go, so I will have the webmaster start building it right away.

In the meantime, I will start looking for an ecourse developer to help me get my class online. I anticipate that with my website and blog generating a buzz, I will have a few ebooks to give away and start building my email list. When I am ready to launch the first ecourse, by midyear, I will already have my infrastructure in place.

Simultaneously, I will be looking for the greatest opportunities to attend conferences, meet-ups, and other social networking events to get and stay connected with my ideal customers. I will be looking to do presentations, workshops, and seminars at every opportunity that presents itself.

Timeline:

Jan-Dec	Start posting original articles and other Latino news related information on my blog and facebook page
January-March	Secure funds, work with graphic artist on branding design, continue building social media group
January-March	Continue building my social network, get sites such as Linked-In, Twitter, and Google Groups going
March-June	Work with webmaster to design and build my website
March-June	Work with ebook developer and start selling my ebooks online
June-August	Launch my website—start working with ecourse developer
June-August	Launch 1st ecourse and start making plans for the next one
August-December	Start working on second ecourse and continue marketing and branding in earnest

McCormick Foundation 7

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante,
Zulmara

7) Here are my specific plans for continuing this project after NMWE funding runs out: (2000 characters)

This is my life and the NMWE funds are just a starting point to help me launch and get going at a great velocity. The grant funds will allow me to get my print media done, my website launched, my speaking engagements in place, and my ecourses completed. (I still have my day job to pay the bills). Once I am up and running, I plan to work this as my business and in 2 years be at $250,000 revenue mark and in 5 years be at the million dollar mark. My plans are big and I am ready to launch and achieve. I feel that the past 20 years have been coalescing to get me to the place where I am today. My plans to grow are huge. I plan on hosting seminars and weeklong workshops at Easlen, I plan on adding video to upcoming ecourses, and I plan on expanding my materials once I have launched.  

I will continue to offer my products and services and use the money generated from this first round to expand to the next level and then to the next. I will be reinvesting all of my revenue for the next 3 to 5 years to ensure that Roots and Wings reaches the million dollar mark and employs at least 10 people. Social advocacy and activism are totally integrated into my products and product lines. It is my hope to build a cadre of Latinas who are moving forward in the world and making it a kinder and gentler place with our collective positive energy as we achieve our goals, take care of our families, and nurture our uniqueness.

Once I have the funds to launch, I will continue to market in earnest with social networking groups, in person, and online. I have a good sense of offering products for free so individuals will see the quality of my work before committing their funds. I understand that I need to do a number of promotional products to get the word out and connect with others. I understand how to drive readers to a site, giving away free quality materials to pique someone’s interest, and how to grow a list of subscribers by giving them something that catches their eye. I also understand how to collaborate

In all that I do and all that I write, there is a sense of understanding social responsibility and social justice and how do we leave this world and kinder and gentler place. I am narrowly focused on the Latina market, because that is my niche and that is where I find there is a lack of products like the ones that envision and develop. I know there is a market for my products and I will work to create, develop, and nurture that market.

McCormick Foundation 6

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante,
Zulmara

6) This is how I will raise the $2,000 in matching funds: (2500 characters)

I will raise the $2,000 in matching funds by a) giving presentations, workshops, and seminars, b) selling my online materials, c) offering professional coaching, d) monetizing my blog, and e) being a part of relevant and pertinent affiliate programs.

The Guided Journals will be ebooks that will sell for 2.99 each that individuals will be able to download to their computers and electronic devices. My goal is to have apps for tablets created as well to help boost sales.

The three ecourses will be self-contained and come with a series of free offers. They will sell for $29.99 and students will be able to download the course and move through them at their own pace. I plan on making the courses exciting and interactive to increase participation.

There will be guided support and personal coaching for the ecourses at an extra fee. The fee schedule is $100 for email review and comment and $500 for a one hour phone consultation that includes email review and comment.

My blog is monetized and therefore, I will be generating funds by driving traffic to my blog and encouraging individuals to look at what I have to offer. I know this does not offer a lot of money, but every little bit counts and I feel that it is one way to get started.

I am also part of a number of Affiliate programs that are generating some funds for my business venture. These affiliate programs include Abundance Abounds and MasterPeace. I have just started with these group and I chose them specifically because they offer products that compliment my products and are of the highest quality. Again, I realize that Affiliate programs do not always work to generate a lot of funds, but they do help with generating some funds and reaching a wider audience.

McCormick Foundation 5

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante,
Zulmara

5) Here is my budget for the $12,000 in funding (Be specific): (2500 characters)

The $12,000 will allow me to grow my business and get it launched. There are a few things I need to do to get the next level and I have reached the end of my own ability to do it on my own and am now ready to ask for help. I need to hire some people to help me with the technology parts that are beyond the time and skills that I currently have. I have the know how and energy to create the content, give the classes, and monitor the online environment, but I need help with creating it. Specifically, I need the following:

·         $5,000 for a graphic artist and web designer—I am planning on using MGS Designz. She is a Latina entrepreneur, co-author in Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul, and is doing very well. As part of my business, I want to make sure I am helping my fellow Latinas.

·         $2,000 for ebook development of my 6 Guided Journals. I plan on using Create Space for this service. The books are ready to be uploaded into the ebook environment so others can download as a PDF.

·         $4000 for a webcourse developer-I am still looking for a webcourse developer—I am hoping to find a Latina with the skills to put courses online. I have begun sending out inquiries and getting quotes from various individuals. The price for one course will be close to $4000, so this money will allow for one course to be developed. I have content and curriculum developed for 3 webcourses. From the funds I generate from that one course, I will then have the other 2 courses developed.

·         $4000 for travel to conferences, workshops, seminars, and presentations. Although, I will operate in a electronic environment, I have found that face-to-face connections are crucial to both personal and professional success.

McCormick Foundation 4

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante,
Zulmara

4) Detail how you will generate content. How frequently will you update? (2000 characters)

I have a threefold process that I am following to generate content. First I will generate original content by interviewing and surveying the women that I meet in the workshops and seminars I will be conducting and in my online groups. I have authored numerous articles and I plan on continuing to write articles of interest to Latinas, especially in the area of bilingual education, activism, immigration, college access, preschool, and professional growth.  I generate content by using the articles that I have read or written, books and articles I review, and encounters that I have around certain topics. At times, the articles I develop come from surveys and interviews around a particular topic. An important part of my program for Latina success is that they are well versed in the news and issues of the day.

Second is to generate content from articles and news that is already out there and bring it to a Latina audience in a timely, interactive way. I plan on posting articles about immigration, women’s issues, politics, life style, personal and professional growth and engage my readers in discussions about these very pertinent issues. I firmly believe that part of our success, as Latina, is to be socially responsible and I want to encourage activism among Latinas, especially activism that resonates with them.

Third, I plan on publishing my curriculum for self-help, personal and professional growth. I will hire a graphic artist, web designer, and ebook developer to help me to put the content from my workshops and presentations on the web in a more usable fashion. Currently I have 10 workshops and 6 ebooks that are ready to go, I just need the funding to get them web ready.

I plan on updating daily, and I will post on Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, and Google Circles daily using Haute Suite. I plan on posting original articles at least once a week and connecting to ezines to give my work a wider audience. I will also be putting out an enewsletter with links to my blogs and posts to ensure a wide audience for my work. I have just started a blog on Latina authors that I will expand to Latino authors within the next year, to make yet another connection.

A review of my Facebook Fanpage will show that I am connecting well to the online Latina community in a variety of ways. I will reach those who are not online in various ways, including conferences, workshops, and presentations.

McCormick Foundation-3

I have decided to apply for the McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs Grant for Entrepreneurs. The Application is AWESOME because it encourages you to focus and have clarity in your life about what it is that you want to accomplish and how you are going to move your business forward. For me, the questions are spot on and the character limits, mean I have to think very carefully about what I want to write and be succinct. If you are looking for funds for a particular project, even if you do not think you are a good match for Fredrickson Grant, then fill out the application fields. This will help you gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, how you want to accomplish it, and why you are the best person for the job. The application is due on January 27, 2011. I am planning on posting my responses to the 10 questions, one a day for the next ten days. I will welcome any feedback or ideas you’d like to offer. If you want to join me on this journey, please feel share your journey. I am very excited about this. Soon, I will be looking for Latina artists, graphic designers, web-developers, and ebook developers to help me get LAUNCHED...may the journey begin.

Con un pan y cafecito, seguimos adelante,
Zulmara

3) This is what I've been doing with my life and my proudest accomplishment to date: (3000 characters)

My proudest moment to date has to be when I walked across the stage at my doctorate graduation from the University of California in Santa Barbara in 1994. I earned my doctorate, in Education, Policy, Organizations, and Leadership, as a Latina working full time as a kindergarten teacher, supporting my family and raising 3 children, ages 1, 3 and 6 at the time I entered the program. My kids were 5, 8, and 11 when I finished. It was a proud moment not only for me and my nuclear family, but for my extended family as well. Having come from Brazil with nothing when I was 2 years old, it was a great accomplishment and I am still the only one in my family to graduate with a Doctoral degree.

My second proudest moment was when I purchased my first house, for my mom. My mom had sacrificed so much for her children to have a better life. She came to this country with nothing but the clothes on her back and she managed to instill in all of us a sense of pride, ownership, and duality in both our heritage and adopted cultures. She was an amazing woman who held her family together from sheer will. My third proudest moment was having our story published in Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul. It is my heartfelt story that inspires me to this day, knowing that she gave me roots to stay grounded and wings to soar.

Other proud moments include my first professional publication, my first job as an administrator, my first job as a professor, and my first job as an administrator within the University System. I have accomplished a lot with my life and I am now ready to pay it forward.

I have been an educator all of my life. I started off as a Kindergarten Teacher in a multi-lingual class and working with Latinos has been my passion all my life. Next, I moved into a leadership position and became Director of the Migrant Program at the School District where I worked. Later, I wrote and was awarded an Even Start Grant and I became the Director of a Family Literacy program. When I finished my doctorate, I began working at a University as a professor and now I work in higher education administration.

Throughout my career, my avocation has been my vocation. I love what I do and I do what I love. And in the process, I have developed many tools to help others succeed. I have been an inspirational speaker to many Latino groups, I have written numerous articles about Latinos in education, and conducted more workshops, presentations, and seminars than I can count on motivating Latinos to go to school, get an education, start a business, give back to their families and give forward to their communities.

I have started my own consulting company, Roots and Wings. Roots and Wings will allow me to focus my work for a uniquely Latina market. I have been working on blogging on a regular basis and building an infrastructure for taking my ideas to the next level. My blog is just now getting started, but I am planning on reaching a wide audience within the next year. On my blog, I have personal and professional growth ideas for individuals that will help them with what they want to accomplish. This is where all that I have learned in the past 20 years comes to fruition. I have developed curriculum and written manuals on personal and professional development. I am now ready to soar to the next level by developing ebooks and ecourses with a focus on Latina success.

I have achieved most of the goals I have set for myself. Currently, as I enter into the next phase of my journey, my goal is to build a million dollar business to help Latinas to experience the euphoria and jubilation that I feel everyday as I pursue my dreams and make my passion my reality.