and the ‘Style Statement’ Book winner is…

First of all, thank you to all who entered and posted comments in this forum featuring the ’Style Statement’ book giveaway. I for one, have enjoyed reading your comments and felt the excitement for everyone who had a chance to win. I do have to confess though, my personal book is not autographed…so I am maybe a little (OK, a lot!) jealous!

Everyone who commented to reveal their individual style received an entry into the bowl and a winner was drawn. The drawing was held and moderated by the prestigous board of Drei Katzen Media: Keira, Jesus and Susie. This was a very somber affair, no catnip allowed while conducting business!

and the winner is… (insert drum roll here!)

Jennifer Smith of Precisionbluing!

Jennifer’s name was selected and her address given to Karryn, Marketing Director with Carrie & Danielle, the very talented authors of  ’Style Statement’. They will be mailing her personal autographed book to her soon!

Jennifer left the most fabulous comment for her entry into the Style Statement book giveaway:

Wow! Mary – after reading your blog, if I’m not rustic, NO one is! I so thoroughly enjoy my family and all things described in your definition. It felt like someone had just written a few paragraphs about me in particular!

So, I would have to say Rustic would also be my foundation word. My Creative Edge word would have to be persistant (although I have yet to read the book). I am often described as stubborn, but I really like the sound of persistant better! Just try telling me I CAN’T do something!!

Excellent review! You’ve most certainly gotten my attention!

Jennifer Smith
http://www.PrecisionBluingPlus.com

Make sure and visit Jennifer’s website and look at the fantastic items she and her husband have to offer! If you are like me, you’re probably saying to yourself, ‘What in the heck is Bluing?’ Go to her website and find out about this process. Great stuff for collectors!

I would also like to thank the following entries into this giveaway. Everyone submitted great comments:

Pam….her website: http://ComfyCottageCrafts

JanieRuth…her website: http://janieruths.com  Janieruth’s Fabulous to Funky Finds

Brandy Tipton…eBay seller, you can visit her items for sale, ID: bcalbr01

Alice…her website: http://www.aliceinstitches.com  Alice in Stitches

Marlene…her website: http://www.savvyseller.com The Savvy Seller

Jim & Barbara Nelson…their website: http://grandpastradingcompany.com Grandpas Trading Company

Rina…her website: http://www.nichemarketplace.com  Absolutely loved your post!

Thanks to everyone for posting. I wish we had copies for everyone! You can pick your copy up on Amazon by clicking on the photo below. By the way, I have found out this has officially become an Amazon bestseller!!

Congratulations to Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte on their new Best Selling Book!

Mine, Yours and Our Style Statement Revealed!

Make sure and read through the following post for a chance to win your own autographed copy of ‘Style Statement, Living by Your Own Design by Carrie McCarthy & Danielle Laporte’!

I had so much fun introducing everyone to this wonderful book, Style Statement, Living by Your Own Design, that I missed my opportunity to reveal my own style to my readers. The journey to learning your unique style statement is the most intriguing and thought provoking part, even more than the final result!

By following along with the chapters of the book step by step, you learn how to arrive at your two words to describe your style. When you discover these words you are then introduced to how to apply the words to your everyday life and business. The process is about empowering you to lead an empowering life.

First, you learn how to define your style statement, remember it is all about you! The principle is 80/20…80% is your inner self, then 20% is what moves you forward and gets the results. You will then learn how to design your life, See it-Feel it-Be it. Carrie & Danielle then give us 50 ways to express your style statement. Finding your two words is definitely not the end of the journey but the beginning. You learn how to continue to define yourself for life using a Lifestyle Map or checklist of how to apply your style.

In this post, I would like to talk about how to use your Style Statement for success in business. I reveal my two words, Rustic/Dedicated. At first glance, I can hear you say “How in the heck can you use these two words in business?” With just a short walk through, you will see how I can apply these two words for Success!

Foundation Word: Rustic (as defined and copied from the book, Style Statement)

SPIRIT: Rustic is the salt of the earth and as genuine as the day is long. Warmhearted, devoted, and loyal, they place family at the center of their lives. They invest their resources close to home and weave a close-knit circle of friends, relishing the strength and vitality of their own community, as well as others they visit in their travels. With their feet planted firmly on the ground, Rustic is a no-nonsense decision maker who is in it for the long haul. Their bounty is homegrown and handmade. Domesticity and nesting are their forte. Sometimes they can become too settled and need to push themselves to venture beyond familiar territory-both emotionally and physically-to keep learning and truly growing. Incredibly nurturing, and supportive, Rustic is the friend who shows up to help hold down the fort, fix what’s broken, or offer some old-fashioned tender loving care. They adore tradition, holidays, and any reason to bring good people together. Rustic enjoys tranquillity when they find it, but fully embrace the beauty and richness of sometimes chaotic full living.

LOOK & FEEL:Country, rural, small town. Homespun, handmade, craftsmanship. Roughly finished woods, textured appearances: heavy textiles and materials like stone and wrought iron. Earth tones, terra cottas. Natural. Charmingly simple, agrarian, agricultural, austere, bucolic, charming, countrified, homey, honest, natural, pastoral, picturesque, plain, pleasing, primitive, rural, simple, sylvan, unaffected, unpolished, unrefined, unsophisticated, verdant. 

OK, so I’m a great neighbor that is dedicated to nuturing and fixing your stone and wrought iron fence around the holidays…right?! I don’t think so, not by a long shot!

I’ll show you how I have unknowingly already applied these two words to my business and business style.

                                                                                                                                                                      

My eBay store is Drei Katzen Media. That is German for 3 cats. You can read the complete story by going to my ‘About Me’ page on eBay. In short, I have a German  ancestory and two daughters. (tradition, family) We began to make homemade all natural soap together. (handmade, natural) I really wanted to have a venue to sell the soap on eBay and came up with the name, 3 of us and German heritage. I also had the models ready to go for the logo, my 3 cats! (what’s more rustic than 3 cats?)

                                                                                                                                                                       

I’ve worked as a manager for a few companies in the past and my management skills were always based on the golden rule and common sense. First of all, ‘Do unto others…’, ‘Honesty is the best policy’  and the homespun (there’s that word again) motto’s, ‘Don’t sweep your neighbors porch..’ when listening to others talk about someone else, etc. I have found by following these simple, basic rules (are you beginning to see a pattern here?) You can succeed in business.

                                                                                                                                                                       

The items I sell are based on Rustic as well…vintage collectibles. I absolutely love finding items that have been around for awhile and cared for by someone. I often pick it up and wonder about its origins, where did it come from? who used it? where has it been? I am in my element when learning the history of a particular item. All of this ties back to Rustic.

                                                                                                                                                                        

Today with my eBay store, it is exactly the same rules that help me succeed. Whenever I’m faced with a challenge, I go back to the simple, basic rules of life. Even though my Foundation word is Rustic, don’t let it fool you…I absolutely adore a trip into New York City for a Broadway play and a wonderful gourmet dinner at a 5 star restaurant! I get a chance to enjoy myself with the play, taste the good life, be sophisticated…and go home to my comfortable rural setting in the hills!

                                                                                                                                                                   

The Creative Edge word is: Dedicated 

Dedicated: (as defined Dictionary.com)

ded·i·cat·ed –adjective

1. Wholly committed to something, as to an ideal, political cause, or personal goal: a dedicated artist

2. Set apart or reserved for a specific use or purpose

If you were to take a poll of my friends and associates, I am sure this word would be at the top of  everyone’s list in describing me. My life foundation has been dedicated. Whatever I do, I do it to the fullest. I am like a dog with a bone when it comes to my causes, beliefs and whatever I decide I want to accomplish. I won’t be deterred. I set goals for myself and even find I make little challenges for myself on a daily basis. While working, I set my goal in ‘To Do’ lists and try to do one better, just to show myself I can do it.  I have my 2 year, 5 year and 10 year goals set for my business. I am dedicated to doing the best I can. I also have my dream vacation tacked to the wall in front of my desk. I know I will be on my European cruise soon!

Whenever I worked for a company, I often took a lower position to get my foot in the door. Usually, by the 6th month, I would be managing it. I made it my goal to learn everything I could about the operations so that I could run my position and everyone else’s positon if needed in a pinch.

Hopefully, now you can see how my unique style is applied to my business. This was a somewhat short tour, but you can get the idea.

Now its your turn! After writing my first post, I received a wonderful invitation from Karryn Ransom. She is with the authors Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte. They would like to sponser a contest on this blog! The winner will receive from them, an autographed copy of their book: Style Statement, Live by Your Own Design! How could I resist this opportunity for a lucky reader!

                                                                                                                                                         

OK, so down to the rules:

1. Please submit a comment to this blog describing your own business style. Try to come up with a Foundation word and Creative edge word that you would use now to descibeyour business style. Follow those words with a short blurb about why you choose those words. 

 

2. Submit your comments beginning today through 9pm EST, May 15th. The contest will be closed at that time.

 

3. All entries from comment posts will be put into the drawing to receive a copy of this (soon to best selling) book, signed by the authors Carrie & Danielle!

                                                                                                                                                                    

That’s all there is to it! What could be easier, especially to win such a great prize!

 

If you already own the book, you probably have a good start on your Style Statement. You can use it for your comment…then if you win, you have a great gift for someone else!

If you don’t have the book already, it doesn’t matter, in fact it will probably be fun. You just have to sum up what you think your words would be, then if you win the prize…get your book and see how close you were to being right!

 

Remember: Post a comment with your business style statement between now and May 15th, 9pm EST.  If your entry is drawn, you will receive an autographed copy of ‘Style Statement, Live by Your Own Design’!

 

Anyone can win, what are you waiting for?!  Post your comment…

  

 

 

 

What is Your Style Statement?…and Why Do You Need One?!

I was first introduced to Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte on my educational eBay success website, OSI Rock Stars, created by a very successful visionaire and mentor, Janelle Elms. Janelle invited Carrie & Danielle to give a podcast on this subject, What is Your Style Statement? The podcast was so intriguing, I went immendiately to Amazon to order their book that was not yet published, Style Statement, Live by Your Own Design. I pre-ordered it through Amazon and received it the next week.

I received my book and was just amazed! First of all, it was listed as a soft cover book. What I received was so much more than just another book! It has to be one of the best books I have seen in awhile. (I have to say, I looked at my receipt to see how much I paid and was amazed at the low price vs the actual book!) Every aspect of the book was created with such attention to detail. The pages are a semi gloss and almost every page is filled with beautiful works of art or photography. I absolutely fell in love with the book. I know Carrie and Danielle had a lot of input into the design of the book If nothing else, I could just look at photos all day!

Carrie McCarthy & Danielle LaPorte are two friends who discovered this very important concept to help people be successful by following their natural style and applying it to all facets of their daily lives. Once you find your own Style Statement, you can apply it to your personal and professional life. It will help you to brand who you really are…

About the authors: Carrie McCarthy has designed and styled for homes, magazines, and luxury hotels; she has been a wedding dress designer and a competitive track athlete. Carrie’s style is Refined Treasure. Danielle LaPorte has masterminded business and communications strategies to promote social visionaries and causes. She is the former Director of a Washington, DC-based think tank for global futures strategies. Danielle’s Style Statement is Sacred Dramatic.

Your Style Statement consists of two words to live by, it defines your authentic self. This book helps you to find that statement and surround yourself with your true expression of those concepts. This book is laid out like a journey to discover your own style. It starts with a discussion of style, why it is so important to know and how to apply it to your life. It then takes you on a step by step ‘journey’ to organize your thoughts and ideas to arrive at your two words to describe your style.

Your ‘Foundation’ is your 1st word and is 80% of your style. It describes your spirit or inner foundation. It describes your being, what you are, your roots.

Your 2nd word is your ‘Creative Edge’ and accounts for 20% of your style. This word expresses your outer spirit or style. How you express your being, how you do what you do as expressed to the outside world.

To arrive at these two words, you take a series of questions that begin as a series of two words and you select the words you like the best. You continue towards some more challenging thought provoking statements for you to answer. The questions begin with you finishing the statement.

Throughout the book, there are examples of others that have already found their Style Statement and how they have applied it to their lives to enrich and bring them success.

This is such a wonderful concept to explore. If you believe in the positive forces in your life, you will certainly enjoy this book. The concept is so basic, yet so relevant to helping us discover not only ourselves, but a way to brand ourselves for success!

If you would like to learn more about Carrie McCarthy & Danielle LaPorte go to their website www.carrieanddanielle.com

Make sure and sign up for their newsletter, it is sent out on Fridays and is always filled with wonderful tips and information!