Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Toni Hacker

TONI-headshotToni Hacker, is the creative director behind two of the hottest handbag brands on the market, Hayden Harnett and Campos Bags. She started Hayden Harnett in 2006 with her now husband, Ben Harnett and the brand quickly developed a cult following.

Earlier this year she launched Campos Bags with legendary handbag pattern maker, Roy Campos, fulfilling a dream of creating handbags that are made in NY with leather and

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Overcoming Writer’s Block

Maintaining a blog isn’t all fun and games. While I love doing it and consider it a hobby of mine, coming up with content is definitely hard work. I try to plan everything out, but there are still times when I sit down to write these posts and feel like I have nothing left to say.

Each month I spend a Saturday afternoon writing these career advice tip sheets. To be honest, this month I had a pretty fierce case of writer’s block; it wasn’t fun. However, I have a trick or two up my sleeve when it comes to

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Career Confidential: Liz Anne Hill

IGNITE photo 1

Full Name?: Liz Anne Hill

Position / Job title?: Starling Glow‘s singer

1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A pop star veterinarian. I wanted to tour the country healing animals in my mobile vet-clinic aka tour bus, while selling out arenas at night. Then I took a biology class in college and decided I had better just stick

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Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Mary Kaiser

MaryKaiserGood morning from a very chilly Austin, TX. I am pretty excited that it finally feels like Fall!

We are starting off the morning with “3 Things” by Mary Kaiser, founder of Start with Strengths.

She has over 25 years of consulting and coaching expertise working with entrepreneurs, business leaders and individuals to help identify their strengths and apply those talents successfully in the workplace. She has worked across all

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Dealing with stressful moments

What have I done!?image courtesy of flickr user, Miguel Angel

There can be a lot of stressful moments when you’re working for yourself. A bad e-mail from a client, not getting the new client you thought was a shoo-in, a client contract ending early or things just generally not going your way. And what makes it more of a challenge is not being able to rely on anyone but yourself. It can

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Finding Your Confidence for Interviews

2642233705_712bcb0779_zcourtesy of Flickr user, Son of Groucho

I am a big believer of the phrase, “fake it until you make it,” especially when it comes to interview for a job or meeting a potential new client. Chances are, the interviewer will notice if you are full of self-doubt and begin to doubt you as well. When you’re trying to sell yourself to a potential employer, even when you have no

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Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Emily Stinchcomb

EmilyStinchcombFullEmily Stinchcomb is the founder of The Simplified Bedding concept.

Her goal was to introduce a convenient bedding solution to the retail marketplace that eliminates tangles and streamlines the bedding make-up and laundering process. The patented system keeps the top sheet securely in place via a seamlessly zippered-in flat sheet attached directly to the underside of the duvet cover.

Now that she has surpassed her goal on Kickstarter, she tells

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Career Confidential: Jen Appel

JenAppelHeadshotFull name?: Jen Appel

Position / Job title?: CEO & Publicity Director of The Catalyst Publicity Group

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a kid I wanted to be an Interior Designer just like my mom. I had a passion for art from a very early age. Watching my mom pick out color samples to new furniture it really made me want

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Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Ashley Tyrner

image004From living the dream in Malibu to being a single mother on food stamps to starting her own company in Manhattan, Ashley Tyrner is the true definition of a comeback story.

At age 27, with a newborn baby girl, Ashley became a food stamp recipient after a nasty divorce. She moved to New York City in 2011 for a new beginning and worked as a business manager in the fashion industry.

As a busy, working mother, Ashley had little time

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Career Confidential: Shayna Leigh

Shayna Leigh, DUMBO

Full name?: Shayna Leigh

Position / Job title?: Singer-songwriter

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be an entertainer. At a point I thought I would be an actor. There was a minute where I thought I might be a scientist. And I minute I thought about becoming a lawyer. But those minutes never lasted too

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