Series: Inspiring Women

Does what you’re doing with your life really matter?

Debra Wallace — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 18:04:00 +0000

Does what you’re doing with your life really matter? It can be a question that burns our souls and it’s the question that got Amy Kauffman started on CrowdCause – an incredible organization that funds local non-profits. “I realized that it wouldn’t matter if I stopped doing my job. No one’s life was being changed.” That’s when Amy‘s husband, Nathan, encouraged her to quit her job because she didn’t need to work just for the sake of working.

Amy outside the Coffee Connection which is “a not-for-profit business that sells fair trade, organic coffee to retail and wholesale customers while providing a site for employment training for women in recovery from addiction.” You can learn more about the Coffee Connection at www.ourcoffeeconnection.org.

Amy grew up with what she calls a stable, fantastic life. She was born and raised in the same town and she had a great relationship with her parents who have been happily married for more than 30 years. She said that generally speaking if she wanted to do something, she did it and was successful. “My life was way rosier than the way most people live. Then I realized to whom much is given, much is required.”

Her journey to finding her dream job took several twists and turns. She got her undergraduate degree in communications because she figured she could use that anywhere. She worked in nutrition, home building and was a nanny. That was when she asked the question, “Does what I’m doing really matter?”

She quit her job and wrote the book Organize Schmorganize which she self published. Then she thought, “If Oprah picks up this book, I’ll be the organization lady.” It was a great muse, but not what she wanted to do with her life.

She had been mentoring girls at her church, enjoyed it, and wanted to mentor girls coming from less stable homes. She did a Google search and found Women Helping Girls and started mentoring through them. She eventually became their event coordinator, which gave her connections all over Rochester and was her entry point into the non-profit world.

“These organizations need money and we wanted to give them money, but how do you become a philanthropist without being independently wealthy? I wanted to be a catalyst – I wanted to make things happen on a bigger scale.”

Nathan works in marketing and when Groupon first came on the scene he began researching the company to see what could be learned from its dynamic business model. He learned that the company was receiving 50% of the profits from their sales, which adds up quickly. Together Nathan and Amy realized that if they could start something like that, it could be a great source of income for non-profits in Rochester.

The concept for CrowdCause was born. Amy incorporated the company and developed contracts. Early on Golisano Children’s Hospital and Special Olympics signed on. Right now there are 20 non-profit partners and 50 more in the works.

Currently CrowdCause hosts one deal per week. When you purchase the local deal, you can choose which affiliated non-profit you want to support. But there are big plans on the horizon. Soon Amy will be bowing out of the deal business in order to create a discount card program. Members will pay a monthly fee to join, which will go directly to the non-profit of their choice, and local businesses will offer card holders special discounts. Amy is looking forward to the change because everyone will win.

When I asked her what the challenges have been she listed several. “The hardest thing has been that nothing is familiar and I hate that.” She admitted that she’s a “boot strapper” so she prefers to do things herself. Learning how to manage her time wisely and make meaningful connections has been key so far.

She’s also struggled with priorities. “I love to work on something I love to do. I want to focus on this but some friends aren’t going to wait around for me, so I need to make time for relationships.”

The other thing that’s been tough is hitting roadblocks and not having the answers. “When you don’t have the answers you need to sit down and be okay with not having the answers.” The answers are coming though, and Amy has found her passion in life.

Amy outside NeighborWorks Rochester – a non-profit organization that has “a commitment to a shared vision that all individuals deserve decent, healthy homes they can afford – and safe communities in which their children can grow and thrive.” You can learn more about them at www.nwrochester.org.

CrowdCause offers half hour meetings every other month for interested organizations. You can contact Amy here or by e-mailing amy@crowdcause.org. “We want to encourage the non-profits. CrowdCause is about generosity and winning for everyone.”

How to Have Children and Follow Your Dreams at the Same Time

Debra Wallace — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Julia Reffner is a homeschooling friend of mine and recently she and I worked together to create a very unique business card for a writing conference she’s attending. She wrote the book A Lily Among Brambles in nine months whenever she had a free second and is hoping to publish next year. The excerpt was here, but has been removed for a little while so Julia can pursue her dreams.)

~~~

About This Story:

My Christian faith is an essential part of who I am and how I view the world. After reading a biography of a former Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS) member who narrowly escaped and found fulfillment and new life through Jesus Christ on the outside, I wondered what would a life of freedom look like after coming from such a background of abuse and oppression. Through my research, I connected with a woman who was a member of a cult very similar to FLDS. She left the cult just shy of her wedding day as a sister wife. Twenty some years later she is helping women in abusive cult situations to find freedom and normalcy in the outside world. Her words shaped the emotions of my main character, Rachel.

~~~

Julia M. Reffner writes “Women’s fiction to mirror Truth.” She lives in Fairport, NY with her husband and two children. Julia is a homeschool mom and a lover of words, tea, and antiques. A picture of Longfellow glares at her from above her writing desk, taunting her with the dreaded writer’s block. She is currently working on her second women’s fiction novel. Also Julia is an avid book reviewer for The Title Trakk (http://www.titletrakk.com/) and Christian Library Journal (http://www.christianlibraryj.org). You can find her blogging about the writing craft every other Tuesday at The Writer’s Alley (http://www.thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/).

Email: julesreffner@gmail.com

Twitter: @julesreffner

~~~

~ Book a session ~ Subscribe to the Blog ~ Follow on Facebook ~

How to Get Free Clothes : Kerry Stitch of Indigo Tones

Debra Wallace — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 11:03:00 +0000

“It seems silly, but it really changed my life,” my friend Husna Lapidus was giving me a bag of J. Jill clothes and telling me about her recent consultation with Kerry Stitch of Indigo Tones. “These clothes aren’t my colors,” she explained. Husna went on to tell me about her color analysis and how Kerry taught her what colors make her look awesome based on her complexion.

I was intrigued. I had never heard of color analysis and e-mailed Kerry to learn more. She agreed to meet with me at her space in Pittsford. I had a hard time getting dressed because I didn’t want to wear the “wrong” color and I was behind on laundry so I had three shirts to pick from. When I mentioned it Kerry said, “People always say that but I don’t think like that at all! I’m not the color police,” she laughed.

Kerry with her own color palette – warm autumn.

In actuality, it’s not as simple as looking at someone and “knowing” their color. Kerry is a certified SciArt Color Analyst and spends an hour and a half working with each client in order to determine which color palettes best compliment their complexion. She works in a neutral grey room and during the session she and her clients don neutral grey robes. If your hair is colored you even get to wear a neutral grey cafeteria lady cap. She uses color cards and drapes to determine which color palette best complements your complexion. She then customizes the analysis to your own personal style and tastes, giving you advice on how to wear your colors, what types of cosmetics to use, and even what color to dye your hair.

Kerry next to the color drapes used to determine a client’s color palette.

I have to admit I was a bit of a skeptic until I looked at the before and after pictures on her website. Even my husband, who doesn’t have much of a sense of these things and genuinely thinks I look great in frump, was amazed.

Color may not be something you give a lot of thought to but your eye can perceive over 2,000 different variances in color and while humans have been around for a while, color was not well understood until the turn of the 19th century. A college art professor by the name of Albert Munsell thought that color names were “foolish” and wanted a more scientific way to teach color to his students. He was the first to rigorously and systematically test human visual perception of changes in color based on the three traits of value, hue and chroma. He then created a mathematical color mapping model that is the foundation of modern color mapping systems used today. (Wikipedia retrieved 6/10/2012). His legacy continues, of all places, at RIT’s Munsell Color Lab.

The color system that Kerry uses is based on Munsell’s work and the work of Impressionist painters. They observed that certain color palettes are seasonally found in nature. In spring colors are bold and bright, in autumn they are warm and muted. “Every person can wear every color, just in different versions,” she explained. What makes one person look great can make another person look washed out. “It’s all about balance and harmony.” If you’re wearing colors that complement your complexion, you look fantastic. If you’re wearing colors that don’t, then your clothes will draw attention to themselves.

Kerry uses this model of seasonal tones to help people look their best. Many color analysts use a model of four seasons but Kerry refines that and breaks it into twelve.

You might envision an attached shopping mall encouraging women to spend money and acquire more stuff, but Kerry’s aim is actually the opposite. It’s about using what you have and having less. My friend Husna said it saved her quite a bit of money by taking one more variable out of clothes shopping. Now when she’s buys something, she’s confident she’ll wear it. A few months out from her consultation she continues to believe it was an excellent investment.

Kerry feels a connection to what is simple and natural and sees her work as a way to help people look and feel better in a natural healthy way. “I don’t make my clients over. I help them understand who they are. I would never dress you like me for example, it’s not your style.” I had been thinking about that too and feeling maybe a touch self conscious in my mommy wear (jeans and a t-shirt that may not have been clean) sitting across from Kerry who was dressed to give a toast at a wedding. She’ll go over your style and what you feel comfortable wearing. Her goal is not fashion, but having confidence and being comfortable with yourself.

Indigo Tones is full of color. As you’re analyzing your style, you can try different accessories to see if they fit your tastes.

Kerry also carries a full line of all natural cosmetics. Learning which cosmetics look best on you is also part of the consultation.

How does a person launch a business seeking to help people through color? Kerry spent 15 years in human resources and thoroughly enjoyed it but when her children were born she “locked up” at the thought of going back to a corporate environment. She also had her colors analyzed around that time. “You know the quote, ‘when you’re on the right path, the universe conspires to help you,’? Everything fell into place.” She went on to say that no one else in Rochester was doing color analysis and she liked helping people. The combination of art, science, business and people was a perfect match. She got her space in Pittsford and launched her business. “I feel good about my space. I feel really lucky to be here.”

Of course there have been roadblocks. Initially no one knew what color analysis was, so the first obstacle was selling the idea. There have also been collaborations that haven’t worked out, which have been difficult but have led her in new directions.

But the most challenging setback revolved around swatchbooks. If you have a color analysis done, you’ll walk away with a book of colors that make you look stunning. It’s an integral part of the process. When Kerry’s mentor who supplied her with swatchbooks tragically died, she was left with a tremendous amount of grief and a major business problem.

The traditional books were paint on canvas but the process of color matching and printing on a small scale is prohbitively expensive. “I looked everywhere to find someone who sold them and there was no one.” After a lot of frustration and soul searching, Kerry realized she was on her own.

“The endeavor of swatch books was where I took the risks. Starting a small business wasn’t hard, opening the store wasn’t hard. The swatch books were hard. This felt like risk taking. Am I good enough? Do I know enough? Can I do that?”

Fortunately, the answer was yes. She had an epiphany that fibers (thread) hold color better than paint and last longer. This was the birth of the proprietary Indigo Tones swatch book – color pallettes composed of embroidered thread on cloth produced exclusively right here in Rochester. Every client that passes through her doors goes home with one and even though she doesn’t market them specifically, she ships them all over the world. She has also had clients fly in from as far away as Atlanta.

The proprietary Indigo Tones swatch books.

“There are some days I think, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this! I’m doing something I love, I’m good at, and that’s unique!”

If you don’t think color analysis is right for you, you may want to consider referring your friends. If you’re lucky maybe you’ll get some free clothes out of it.

How to Improve Your Life With Potions and Magical Powers

Debra Wallace — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:21:00 +0000

“There’s something to be said for putting your best face forward when you’re marketing yourself, but when we’re just together we need to show each other our soft underbellies.” Melissa Boyack was answering a question that has been on my mind a lot, which is basically why people pursue difficult goals. Why do I pursue photography even though it makes me feel deeply, and sometimes painfully vulnerable? Why is Melissa spending her time and resources sacrificially in order to launch an exceptionally unique product? Is the payoff worth the risk?

Opal & Twig’s potions and enchantments.

The question, as Melissa pointed out, is a very, very big one. But she’s a deep thinker, and even though she described herself as in a headache induced fog that day, she emanated quotable wisdom in every other other sentence.

Melissa has been on a somewhat unusual adventure that has involved magical powers, potions, and a supportive family, and it started because she gets bored easily. The quality of being easily bored doesn’t come in handy if you are going for a 9-5 job and the first thing Melissa talked about was how she didn’t fit into that mold. After earning a degree in fine art, she took a job as a part time receptionist, ended up in marketing, and eventually into freelance graphic design.

The last cycle of boredom hit right around the time she was doing graphic design for a start up company for some women entrepreneurs. She always thought of business as a yawn inducing endeavor but this company caught her attention. For the first time in her life she was intrigued by business and began to do some research.

The two formative books that she mentioned were “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle and “The Mom Inventor’s Handbook” by Tamara Monosoff The former transformed her thinking about what success really is. “It’s artifical. The hierarchical model of success only exists to the extent that we buy into it.” The CEO of Dell and the guy picking up the garbage are on the same level. The latter made her realize that the people who make this work are the people who decide to make it work (within reason).

When her daughter, Casey, was approaching five and asked for magical powers and potions for her birthday, Melissa inadvertently created a prototype for a business that would completely renovate her life into something without even a remote resemblance to boring.

Opal & Twig is a set of “potions” made from natural, water based materials intended for children for imaginative play but equally fun for adults. The products include Goblin Snot, Mermaid’s Tears, Blackbeard’s Brine, Veil of Secrets, Troll Sweat, Enchanted Forest Thicket, Moonlight Mist and Miracle Listening Serum. Each potion has a story behind it and a very appealing special ability, including but not limited to chasing away the grumpies, posessing the power of a pirate and having sweet dreams (to see the whole list check out the website).

Casey explaining how Moonlight Mist gives you sweet dreams.

Casey reading the original list of magical potions and their abilities.

The original set of magical potions.

How does a birthday present go from being just a birthday present to a business? For Melissa it involved a paradigm shift away from the perception that other people’s success is personally unattainable.

Successful people look like they have it all together. The blood, sweat and tears aren’t visible, which makes sense from a marketing perspective but not interpersonally. “When we’re just together, we need to show more of our soft underbellies.”

What does Melissa’s soft underbelly look like? Before I finished asking what the most difficult thing was, she said, “When I feel out of balance, that’s the hardest thing.” When I asked about the point of no return she said, “When I went into debt there was no backing out,” but she accepted that as beneficial. “It’s scary to go into debt but if you don’t then it’s harder to stay committed. Things are really about risk and reward – the rewards should not come easily.” If they did, they wouldn’t be rewards.

Melissa working in her office space at the Village Gate.

Melissa and her business partner, Sara Bumby, are slaving away preparing for meetings with investors to launch Opal & Twig into a national market. She wants her story to inspire other women to pursue business ideas that are outside the box. She envisions herself speaking to local business groups and helping other women who don’t have access to the same resources to start their own businesses. And when those women attain their goals, they can share their soft underbellies too.

Goblin snot is awesome. My 5 year old is in love.

To learn more about Opal & Twig visit www.opalandtwig.com.

~~~

This article will be a series about awesome women. It was inspired by Chase Jarvis who said that photographers and other creatives need to have their own personal projects that are above and beyond their usual workload. Like Opal & Twig, the project was birthed out of boredom, only I was bored with the typical photography blog that delves no deeper than “this family was great to work with.” It made me introspect about what I would find interesting. So I’m traveling back to my photojournalism roots and writing some stories about people. Because honestly, that is something that is never boring at all.

This project is in its early stages. If you know someone interesting who you would like to see featured here e-mail debra@debrawallacephotography.com.