Mocha Moms Are More Than Just Mothers ... Feel Me?

I recently wrote about the Mocha Moms Incorporated for my blog on BlackEnterprise.com and thought you might want to read. Let me know your thoughts - do you agree/disagree?




Mocha Moms Are More Than Just Mothers

Group is dedicated to helping women to re-define their power after leaving careers in corporate America

"Live every day of your life with passion," recommends Mocha Moms President Dee Dee Jackson

Mocha moms of the world unite; we are a movement transforming the home, marketplace and most importantly -- self. A mocha mom is a woman of color who has chosen to make parenting and family a priority. She may alter her career, work schedule, or eliminate working outside the home all together to focus on providing the best care for her children -- mother care.

And while there are many lower-case mocha moms, there is also the upper-case Mocha Moms Inc., an organization for women learning to re-define their power as it relates to family, community, and self through sisterhood upon leaving their successful careers in corporate America. Click here to read more of the article - http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/06/24/mocha-moms-are-more-than-just-mothers/

Written by Karen Taylor Bass on June 10, 2010 | Print Blog
10 Tips for Writing a Winning E-Book




Use these quick and easy steps to get published

When you are ready to write your e-book think about what you do best.

Would you like to solidify your expert status in your respective field, score another stream of income, and promote your business? It’s time to get published and write an e-book.

With the advent of technology—we crave information immediately, passionately and succinctly. An electronic or e-book allows you to become a self-published author and add your innovative approach to a topic within 7 to 10 days.

Please continue to read by clicking here: http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/2010/06/10/ten-tips-for-writing-a-winning-e-book/

Jill Scott Talks Baby, Balance, and Branding

‘Operation Village’ helps singer handle motherhood with success

Jill Scott share tips on balancing motherhood and career.

As you move and groove in life and embark on motherhood in your 30s, the balancing act of family, career and maintaining your personal brand can become a daunting task.

How does one renew and re-define oneself post mommyhood-- at age 37-- and still maintain top status in the entertainment industry? By being authentic and forgiving for not being perfect.

Jill Scott, our favorite homegirl, multiplatinum, Grammy award-winning singer, poet, author, actress-- and now mommy--shares how she balances and enjoys life’s golden moments. “Being a mom is better than I thought because of the way I love it and experience how much my son loves me. I wouldn’t trade it, however, its work and exhausting.” Click here to read the rest of this candid article on Black Enterprise.

How To Score A-List PR On A Shoestring Budget

By: Karen Taylor Bass, The PR Expert

Find success with do-it-yourself marketing

So, how do A-list celebrities and corporations secure that ultimate public relations campaign that has them on everyone’s lips?

First, let’s talk about what public relations entails: fostering public goodwill and creating a favorable opinion for a product, person, or thing. Basically, it attracts consumer attention to a product and is generally a well planned campaign. Public relations is not about creating a one-shot hype campaign, planning a special event, and hosting a party for the media. That’s called publicity.

Lisa Price of the popular and multimillion-selling natural haircare company Carol’s Daughter certainly secures A-list PR now, however, that was not always the case. So what did she do?

She created both short-term and long-term plans, hired top-notch professionals – strategic marketing and brand expert Steve Stoute, along with celebrity endorsers including Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and Mary J. Blige -- to promote her brand and business.

Most burgeoning stars and business owners hire a publicist, which can range from $2,500 to $10,000 a month. It is possible to do it yourself, and as the PR expert, I’m going to show you how.

These strategies will not only get you started; they will empower you to win and standout from the competition:

Click here to read tips and learn more: http://www.blackenterprise.com/blogs/2010/05/20/score-a-list-public-relations-on-a-shoestring-budget/

Let me know what strategies you have implemented to grow your brand.

Brand Sidibe: Confident and Consistent

Follow her example by using bold authenticity to stand out in the marketplace

Gabourey Sidibe is using brand consistency to make the most of her big break.

This game of life requires you to be confident and consistent. If you say you are the best—then bring it. Show your successful projects, letters of recommendations, and praises from your (former) employers and colleagues.

The competition to secure an opportunity can be challenging—entrepreneurs must deliver a consistent and confident brand each time. Branding—as mentioned in earlier posts is—a consistent feeling, image and experience desired from a product conveyed to the general public. Basically, you the entrepreneur are the brand.

Enter brand Gabourey Sidibe, the NAACP Image Award recipient and Academy Award nominee. She is the unlikely next big star, her debut role as Claireece “Precious” Jones in Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire, she has been working consistently in Hollywood. Brand Sidibe has allowed her personality to take center stage and foment demand simply by being herself.

We get it that Sidibe isn’t the “standard beauty” that Hollywood seems to crave, and she isn’t being raved about as much as uber-waif and fellow Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, but Brand Sidibe is a one-woman show oozing with determination, talent, and girl next-door appeal. Her brand is unconventional, confident, consistent, powerful, authentic and well liked. What could have been easily 15-minutes of fame, is still a precious moment developing for the star.

As entrepreneurs and women we must learn from Brand Sidibe to love the skin we are in to attract the big break. How many of us miss the mark because we don’t believe in our gifts? Is it because we are busy worrying about the competition, or is because we lack confidence as it relates to our talent? All you need to succeed is within you.

When shock jock Howard Stern made his crass comment, “…Everyone’s pretending she’s a part of show business and she’s never going to be in another movie. She should have gotten the Best Actress award because she’s never going to have another shot.” Sidibe made Stern eat his words when she recently hosted Saturday Night Live, and announced that she’ll have a recurring role on Showtime’s new comedy “The Big C,” along with the upcoming film “Yelling to the Sky” and co-hosting "The View" next month. Not bad for an actress who had never acted before.

Start your campaign of brand confidence and consistency today. Trusting that you have what it takes to win; showcase your character and knowledge to standout; deliver to your client what you pitch; and display the confidence to make it happen. Here are some tips to get started:

1. Define yourself and love the skin you are in by your standards (warts and all).
2. Do your research as it relates to the marketplace. What can you bring differently to the job/contract?
3. Show up to win, it’s all an attitude and mind-set
4. Have fun and enjoy each moment of life.

What are your strategies for winning? Let me know your thoughts.

Karen Taylor Bass, The PR Expert, provides entrepreneurs, corporations, and mompreneurs with essential branding, marketing, and public relations coaching; www.karentaylorbass.com and www.taylormademediapr.com. Follow Karen's tips and Caviar & Chitlins moments at Twitter, twitter.com/prexpert.

Social Media: The New Currency

Social Media: The New Currency



Why women must be more aggressive about using networks to create business opportunities

Perry: "If we don't master social media now, we'll be left behind."

Social media is the new economy and game changer for getting your message out in cyberspace and beyond. If you have fresh ideas and the desire to try something new—get ready to grow your brand and be discovered.

You can amplify your message and grow your brand instantly by using popular networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Ning, YouTube, and Animoto to name a few.

With social media you don’t have to wait for a client or the media to discover your talent, service or goods—you can create platforms by engaging your friends, family and acquaintances by providing exceptional and creative content and messages via website, blog, Internet radio, and promotional videos all for an opportunity cost of free or close to nothing.

African American women are using social media to influence brand loyalty and to increase popularity, however, many are not using social media to increase bottom-line as it relates to business.

According to Pam Perry, head of Ministry Marketing Solutions, “African American women think social media is a fad and for young kids, and don’t realize people are making money with social media. Social media is a marketing tool and the quickest way to network and increase exposure for a brand. For social media to work you must target people that know and trust you.”

To read more of my article on Black Enterprise.com click here: http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/2010/04/09/social-media-the-new-currency/

Karen Taylor Bass & TaylorMade Media LLC
Press Release For Immediate Release
TaylorMade Media Salutes Our Expert,
Karen Taylor Bass


Valley Stream, New York - April 6, 2010 -

Moguldom Media Group (http://www.moguldom.com/) will honor Karen Taylor Bass, The PR Expert, on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 in the category of Media.


CONFIRMED HONOREES:

Business

* Randal Pinkett, businessman and entrepreneur of "The Apprentice" fame

Personal Finance

* Ryan Mack, popular personal finance expert and frequent commentator on CNN's business segments

Entrepreneurship

* Miko and Titi Branch, founders/CEOs of the well-known "Miss Jessie's" hair line

Media

* Michaela Angela Davis, critic, writer, and former editor-in-chief of Honey Magazine
* Karen Taylor Bass, CEO/President of TaylorMade Media and a national leader in public relations and empowerment

Politics

* Derrick Ashong, a political voice whose YouTube fame earned him his current show on Oprah's Sirius network
* Farai Chideya, award-winning author, journalist, and commentator on politics and media for NPR programs including The Takeaway



Karen Taylor Bass, The PR Expert

Presents

"Meet The Media"

Special Guest: Kendra Lee, Executive Editor, Heart & Soul



Wednesday, April 21, 2010

*Tele-Seminar (You Can Call In From Any Place & Ask Any Question)


You will learn why Heart & Soul is thriving in the marketplace as other Black magazines struggle

Learn how to get featured in the magazine if your subject matter is about being healthy, wealthy & wise

The tele-seminar is 60 minutes, and you will masterfully learn the following:


How To Pitch To Heart & Soul
AND
*Get your story heard

*How to listen to your "voice"
*Be a freelance contributor

*Increase an add a stream of income
*What type of stories do well for the magazine
*How should a query be sent
*What tools (bio, media kit, summary sheet) are needed to send someone an email of interest
*How to partner with Heart & Soul and put your business on front street

*Learn their editorial calendar for 2010 and see how you can shape-shift a story

*What should your press kit (electronic) contain for pitching to a magazine
ETC...

*Ask the editor questions so you can be informed and prepared


ONLY $49.99 (Priceless Value)

Are You Ready To
"Meet The Media?"
Register Today!!!! http://meethemediaheartandsoul1.eventbrite.com
About Karen Taylor Bass, The PR Expert

Karen Taylor Bass, The PR Expert, provides entrepreneurs, corporations, and mompreneurs with essential branding, marketing, and public relations coaching; www.karentaylorbass.com and www.taylormademediapr.com. Follow Karen's tips and Caviar & Chitlins moments at http://twitter.com/prexpert.