Fantashia, Unleashed!

Huge thanks to Camilla for allowing me to guest blog here on Unleashed Imagination.

I want to introduce you to Fantashia Stevens, a young entrepreneur who isn’t afraid to take risks with her business!

Fantashia founded and created Fizzalae Botanical Blends. She creates customized bath and body products for people with sensitive skin and personal hygiene needs. She also sells to local bed and breakfasts in Cleveland, Ohio. With the slogan, “Wash Away Today for a Better Tomorrow,” Fizzalae Botanical Blends produces and sells a unique line of homemade bath and body products including soaps, lotions, bath salts, and more.

She has been in business since November of 2005 and has won over NINE awards, including Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Growing up CEO and more!!

She is part of the E CITY program for five years and has a goal to open up four boutiques on each coast then expand to four stores off each store until the year 2020.

With such amazing aspirations, I’ll simply let Fantashia do the talking …. listen in on our chat!

NH: What’s more important — - trust or knowledge?
FS: Knowledge because if you don’t know what to look for then trust can just fly out the window. All trustworthy people start off learning before they learn to trust people.

NH: What was the scariest thing about launching Fizzalae?
FS: Funding was the scariest thing.

NH: What surprised you the most about starting/running your own business?
FS: The requirements of starting a business, there are so many different reqiurements for running your own business, most of them through the government.

NH: With your time that you’ve been involved with E CITY … what’s the most valuable concept you’ve learned from your time in the program?
FS: To be persistent without pushing them pushing me I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have now

NH: Who is your biggest fan?
FS: My mother but I have family and friends behind me the entire way all across the world.

NH: Who is your #1 hero?
FS: My mother for putting up with me, just kidding, but my mother is my hero I love her for loving me.

NH: What piece of advice would you give a young person wanting to follow their dream?
FS: Never let anyone tell you that its not possible because more and more young people are doing it everyday, just look at the entrepreneurship rate of today’s youth. It’s Working!

NH: What advice are you sure to pass on specifically to other young female entrepreneurs? Something that no one else told you at the beginning of this road for you . . . but that you’ve learned along the way?
FS: Never let anyone tell you that its easy for women because its harder for us to start a business, there’s minimum help for women but its out there.

NH: Your website address for ordering is?
FS: My website is www.freewebs.com/fizzalae

NH: Who would you most like to meet?
FS: I would love to personally meet Kimmora Lee Simmons she is my idol and I would love it if she carried my products.

Support young entrepreneurs! Support the programs that encourage these brave business owners and creative thinkers! Do you know a young person with a great idea?

Naomi Hattaway

Unleashed Imagination Is For Sale

Hi everyone! Yes, I’m still here and I have decided to sell this site. Unleashed Imagination.com is for sale. I consider this site a fixer upper, so if you would like to make an offer go for it. I will get anyone who is interested the subscriber count and analytics information (all pretty poor as I’ve not been working on this site).  Asking price is $250.00 or best offer.  Thanks everyone for your support over all these months and we’ll see what happens!

Missing in Action

(©Photo by Camilla - All Rights Reserved)

Is Camilla missing in action? When will she re-surface? Where has she been?

Okay. I know that everyone’s busy and you probably haven’t noticed that I have not written an article for this site or StartUp Ladies in a while. Well, I have a good excuse. I’ve had my nose to the grindstone creating a Blogging Workbook. It’s 90% complete and this sucker is packed with step by step details and instructions. I am partnering with University of Reno’s Business Development Center to teach a workshop and I will use the Blogging Workbook in conjunction with that workshop.

Not to worry, though, if you are not local to the Reno area. I’ll be selling the workbook as an eBook and if you’d prefer; a real life hold in your hands book. I will include several great bonuses and will offer a 20% pre-sale discount. Stay tuned for more details on the content of the blogging workbook and the pre-sale discount. Please let me know your thoughts and/or suggestions regarding the upcoming Workbook. Thanks!

Reader Contest - Design an Unleashed Imagination Logo

So many of the great entrepreneurs I have been connecting with online and who have been graciously linking to my site have been asking for a logo or button to display on their site that I think it’s time to have one designed. Well, I know online marketing, blogs, email marketing and such; but, I’m no graphic designer or illustrator. So, why don’t you tell me what it should look like.

(©Artwork by Lillian - All Rights Reserved)

Here’s how the logo contest will work:

1. Design a logo/image for use on this site and to put on Unleashed Imagination T-shirts, coffee mugs and tote bags and send me the image.
2. Your submissions are due in a month (June 13, 2008). You can submit it by emailing to logo (at) unleashedimagination (dot) com in jpg or gif format. Keep the emailed image small for now.
3. Submissions will be voted on by the readers of this site and myself.
4. Winners will receive . . . Hmm, what will winners receive??? Everything you have ever wanted and wished for!! Well, that’s a bit much. Since I can’t currently offer straight up cold hard cash; I would offer 5% of the sales until you make double what you would have made if I were a “paying” customer. How’s that sound?
5. Winning images will belong to me, so if you submit your ideas/images, you are consenting to this. I will be using the logo on this site, T-shirts, coffee mugs and tote bags (and whatever other items everyone would like). Please don’t submit an entry if this is not acceptable.

I’m pretty open to whatever ideas get submitted; just as long as you use the words Unleashed Imagination and possibly Ideas, Entrepreneurs & Imagination with the ™ symbol included. Other than that - go for it!

I will be running the same contest for the StartUp Ladies site, also. So, you can choose to enter that one instead (or both).

Need an eMail Newsletter Designed - Visit This Page

Unleashed Imagination Via Retail Therapy

This is a guest article written by Naomi Hattaway of Rock-n-Tot. (Check out the Rock-n-Tot Takes the Parent Boredom Blues Away article.) Naomi has nominated several of the businesses featured on this site and is now stepping in to write some GREAT guest articles. The fun and awesome owner and company she writes about is nominated by ME!

Since my oldest two children are boys and because I’m most comfortable in a pair of nondescript jeans and a tshirt, imagine my learning curve when it comes to my youngest child, a complete “girly girl”! Almost two years old, Little Miss wants her hair in pigtails first thing in the morning, has learned how to put on her tutu herself (and then wears it all day) and owns more pairs of shoes than I do!

I am always on the lookout for quality clothes for her, with unique fabric choices, but that are still comfortable. I quickly tire though of fruitless internet searches, and we definitely don’t live close enough to any great children’s boutiques that I could personally visit. Enter Dragonflies and Ladybugs Boutique!

Owner Robyn Johnson has established herself as an expert when it comes to finding children’s clothing lines that are not only high quality, but embody everything magical! Visiting her online boutique is truly like having your own personal shopping assistant.

From AllyZabba blankets to Danica & Dylan dresses . . . to the darling Baby Emi jewelry and Monkey Toes sneakers . . . Robyn truly has scoured every inch of available clothing and accessory items available for our precious little ones, and has wrapped them all up neatly in her website. Retail therapy doesn’t get any better than this!

Even more impressive is that Robyn writes a children’s fashion blog - featuring writeups and commentary on the clothing lines that she trusts. Through her blog, she provides a glimpse into her expert opinion, great fashion sense and allows her readers and customers to “see and touch” the fabrics and quality in the way she describes each designer.

In addition to all of the amazing choices for girls, Robyn has also features fantastic choices for my little guy. Suffice it to say, Dogwood is my new favorite line for the little man in my life!

Visit Robyn’s boutique and blog today!

Naomi Hattaway

Unleash Your Imagination and Think Happy Stuff

Hey there! Here’s another heartfelt nomination from Jenáe Hester of Mother Earth Greats. Jenáe has nominated Chris Fekete, the owner of Think Happy Stuff. I find it hard to put into words how moving the story of Chris and her company are to me. She has truly unleashed her imagination to create a line of clothing and gift items that help others Think Happy Stuff. I am grateful to those among us who use and share past experiences to teach and help others learn some very simple lessons (yet hard to grasp) about how we choose to think and live our lives.

The two themes of the clothing and gift items are “Think Happy Stuff” and “Change Your Thinking, Change Your World“. The colors and designs of the items are yummy, simple and sweet. I absolutely love all of the items. I’m a coffee drinker; so, the coffee mugs would be first for me - then the t-shirts and tote bags.

The website is beautifully designed and very easy to navigate. I just Think Happy Stuff looking at the website and reading Chris’ story. 10% of the sale of the items go to some very worthy charities (see the website for a listing). Additionally, some of the t-shirts are made with bamboo and organic cotton. Don’t miss out on your chance to Think Happy Stuff or to help someone in your life do the same!

Need Fashionable Clothing for the Kids in Your Life - Visit Dragonflies and Laydbugs

The Alphabet and Entrepreneurship

(©Photo by Camilla - All Rights Reserved)

Hey! Just want to let everyone know about a guest writer on StartUp Ladies. Barb Hranilovich is writing an article series with the letters of the alphabet and what they mean to Entrepreneurs and business owners. Head on over and check out the article P is for Patience. The letter D is up next!

I’ve got some awesome individuals stepping up to write guest articles and I would love to hear from more of you. I have several businesses that have been nominated for Unleashed Imagination and just haven’t been able to write an article about them. If anyone is interested in writing one of the “nominated” articles just let me know!

Need Help Creating an eBook? Visit this Page.

The Fruits of an Unleashed Imagination 36 Years Ago

Hey there! Yesterday I posted an interview with Kim Stare Wallace, Vice-President of Dry Creek Vineyard. Head on over to The Glue that Keeps the Whole Thing Going to find out what happens when you unleash your imagination, stick with it AND keep it in the family.

Need Help With Your Online Marketing? Visit This Page

Where Have All the Articles Gone?

(©Photo by Camilla - All Rights Reserved)

Hey there! Thought I would update everyone on what’s going on with Unleashed Imagination. I am so busy and involved in my “real” business, Corner Your Market Reno (a marketing agency), that I am having a hard time keeping up with entries on this blog. I began the Unleashed blog before CYM Reno; so, I was able to put more time into the articles.

I do enjoy featuring the great businesses I write about; but, think a blog is meant to have at least 2 - 3 entries per week. For that reason, I am asking if anyone would like to write a guest article for Unleashed. I am also considering selling Unleashed Imagination. There are about 15 domain names that would be included in the sale (kitchens unleashed, jewelry unleashed, etc) and Unleashed is an S Corporation. I had big plans for this site and am just too busy with my other blog, StartUp Ladies, another in the works and Corner Your Market Reno.

I do consider this site to be a “Fixer Upper”; so, the asking price would be very reasonable. I don’t want to completely disconnect from the site; so, I would still be available to post guest articles and to share all future plans there were for this site. So, please pass the word around and let’s see if we can find someone to take over this site and make it into all that it can be!

I will continue to feature the great businesses that are nominated; but, the postings will be very infrequent. So, please bear with me. I welcome any and all comments regarding guest posting an article and the selling of this site. Thank you!

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Corner Your Market Reno - Email marketing, Blogs, Social Marketing

Homegrown Research Blossoms Into a Healthy and Natural Business

Hey there! I have another great nomination to feature today. Melissa Moog with Itsa-belly nominated Alicia Voorhies of The Soft Landing. Voorhies is another mom entrepreneur whose motherhood has unleashed her imagination.

The Soft Landing researches and provides information, reviews and the safest products for use in feeding your baby. All products sold at The Soft Landing are Bisphenol-a, Phthalate and PVC Free. My 2 kids are past this stage; but, I remember being overwhelmed with all of the decisions to make with everything related to having a baby. I would have welcomed knowing about her site when I was in that stage with my kids.

Voorhies has made it her responsibility to research and help concerned parents in regards to this issue. She is a retired RN with a specialty in developmental disabilities, as well as the range of illnesses that accompanies this field of nursing.

The Soft Landing website is very well designed and easy to navigate and also has a blog to offer additional information and an opportunity to interact regarding Voorhies‘ research and the products The Soft Landing offers for sale. If you have a family member or friend who has a newly arrived little one or is expecting make sure to let them know about The Soft Landing company.

Thanks for the nomination Melissa and keep them coming my way. I love writing about businesses that have been nominated!

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