Most readers of Lipsticking know I have moved on to a new idea, a new venture, a not so new focus.

My world is all about women starting something new in their lives. This month, for May, I'm talking disruption. You can read more about it over on Nurturing Big Ideas where my blog post encourages radical change in your life.

My focus throughout the 15 years of entrepreneurship has always been on women. I don't ignore men, but men get plenty of assistance. They don't need me. Women need me.

What is it about Women that Creates this Need?

My entrance into the world of the gig economy, where I started back in 2002, didn't focus on women. My focus was on earning that almighty dollar, in order to pay bills. Do you relate? When you are dependent upon clients, customers, people who are willing to buy what you're selling, you always seems to have your eye on the bottom line. How much did I make today? This week? This month?

Experts in business coaching will tell you not to do that. The bottom line will take care of itself, they say. You go out and create, and connect. 

Easier said than done, wouldn't you agree?

Most women, especially, struggle with this wonderful creativity in their soul. I am fairly certain more women than men turn away from entrepreneurship out of fear. 

• Fear of failure (Katie Myers has a book about that! Watch this interview, over on Old Dog Learning)
• Fear of rejection 
• Fear of not being 'smart' enough
• Fear of time (we women are so much in charge of not only our lives, but the lives of our family, it's hard to figure out where you would find the time to start a new business based on your innate talent and magic)
• Fear of other people (we're great connectors, but we are often extremely shy and worried about fitting in)

Yes, Susan B. Anthony said, 

Failure is NOT an option.

But, she wasn't talking about becoming an entrepreneur. I hear that quote so much it makes me cringe these days. We should all revere Susan B. Anthony and embrace her quote, but she was talking about something much bigger, and she was shouting it to the world, not to a limited group of women who might understand your desire to finally embrace the girl you once were, who wanted to do bigger things, be better at something, start a business someday.

Today, the phrase or quote might be more in tune with Anita Rodderick, Founder of The Body Shop

If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.

I love that quote. It says more in one small sentence than I can come up with in a 1500 word blog post. 

Getting Smart and Smarter 

Lipsticking was a direct result of my desire to help women on the web. Originally, the goal was to help small businesses market to women who shop online.

That quickly changed to helping women online improve their businesses, because they needed to understand and learn how to be online with a business.

I realized that women were smart, but smart primarily in the things they already knew; how to create the product or service they were selling; how to find groups in their local community to network at; how to turn their dining room into an office, or their backyard shed into a workroom. 

They didn't know how to create or write website content. 

They didn't know how to be online - the virtual world confused them.

They certainly didn't know anything about social networking, which we now call social media.

I knew those things. I was ready, willing, and able, to help women get smarter and smarter, as they worked to turn their big idea into a success.

Along Came a Spider

Sometimes you fall into success. Mind you, it's never an overnight thing. It's never a quick, gee, look what I made, successful thing. Ask anyone who is being touted as an overnight success. They'll share how many years of toil they spent getting there.

For me, I was working one one thing, when another thing popped up.

I wasn't frightened away like Miss Muffet. I was lured away. My book publishing/coaching company was successful, but a new excitement beckoned me and I went off.

BlogPaws was the biggest success of my life, to date. I worked with so many talented people, mostly women, I could never thank them in a list here - it would go on forever.

But, as with every wonderful thing in our lives, at some point, I had to step away from the pet influencer world and become myself again. I  had to take up where I'd left off. I had to look at smart women, smart talk, and smart conversations.

Nurturing Big Ideas with Smart Women

This blog continues to exist to support women everywhere.

I thrive on the successes of women I know.

I cannot turn my focus to anything else - except books. I am a bookaholic. Oh yeah. I love books. Lots of books. Books of all kinds. Books, book, books. Reading, reading, reading... (more on this coming soon, from Old Dog Learning)

Where was I?

Oh yes, back to Nurturing Big Ideas. That's where my brain and my work is now. Helping women with their big ideas. 

One way I do that is by having short, purposeful conversations with really smart women I know. These are women who have jumped the hurdles, stepped into and come out of the potholes, gone off the beaten track to create a new path forward.

My Smart Conversations with Smart Women on Nurturing Big Ideas Today are phenomenal insights into entrepreneurship and how to be in business in the world today, if you are a woman.

And there you have it.

Smart Women Smart Talk Smart Conversations

This year we're talking things like:

• Reinvention
• Pivoting
• Disruption
• Blissapline (look it up)
• Serendipity
• Thriving
• Changemaker
• And so much more.

I'm focused on productivity, myself. Being productive and helping others be productive.

That reminds me, Robbi Hess is along for the ride, also. I have to give her a great big SHOUT OUT because she's been with me in all of my ventures, for about 15 years now. 

Robbi is someone who can help with productivity in a big way. She writes at All Words Matter and is working with a number of folks on social media, as well as improving time management. Connect with her - you'll be glad you did.

I truly believe the Universe brought me back to Lipsticking, for monthly posts, to write about my new site, my new desire, my deep passion for working with smart women.

• Smart women reach out to other women for help or to give help.
• Smart women invest in themselves.
• Smart women move mountains.
• Smart women disrupt their lives by  being who they are. Finally being who they really are.

And, they get their  copy of What's Love Got To Do with It, by joining our mailing list. The Nurturing Big Ideas News is starting something new - a feature paragraph about smart women we know. 

Want to get in on that? Email me. My first name at my full name dot com.