Tips on How I Survive Running a Business By Myself!

I don't know! I figure it out every day. So, here are a few of my latest tips:

~ Realize that things will NEVER slow down and accept it.
~ Make things STOP by shutting off everyone related to work and hang out with your loved ones.
~ Inform people in your personal life (when you are not stressed) that running a business as an entrepreneur is like nothing else and unfortunately sometimes plans have to be broken.
~ Take time to yourself in the morning.
~ SAY NO! Don't work with everyone, don't be everything to everyone, and don't feel bad about it.
~ Collaborate! Once you've got your start-up networking out of the way, actually build relationships and scratch backs when you can - yours will be scratched too. But you can't think about it "as I'll do this for you if you do this for me." It has to be a pay-it-forward concept.

Those are my tips.
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Active Travels

There are a ton of travel related websites and more of them than not are hard-to-navigate travel directories with corporate money behind them so they are what show up in even the most creative of searches. This is great if you are looking for budget airfare or hotels, but what if you are a bit more adventurous? Are you the kind of person who equates travel to merely getting away or fully experiencing other cultures? Do you like to do what everyone else does or are you more creative in your endeavors? Perhaps you would prefer to know about how to explore and navigate British Columbia without a car as opposed to staying in a fancy hotel (and trying to find that elusive low cost) in Vancouver. Or maybe you'd like to go to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup instead of watching it on an airplane while traveling to Chicago. How about knowing what trails and huts to hike and stay at in Maine instead of just parking it at a campground. Yoga in Nicaragua? Sea kayaking with whales? A family experience in Costa Rica?

Steve Jermanok, a well traveled, well spoken, and long time friend of many Vermont PR folks has launched ActiveTravels.com - a blog dedicated to giving expert advice to travelers, not tourists, on connecting with nature, people, and wildlife around the world while working up a sweat. The site is for anyone in halfway decent shape who yearns for an authentic and memorable travel experience outdoors, far away from the masses.

Steve's travels span the globe in a fun and adventurist manner very in sync with my own personal travel goals and his writing experience bounces from National Geographic Adventure and Budget Travel to The Boston Globe and Robb Report as well as being the author of 11 books. Steve pulls from this fantastic repertoire to share tips, ideas, and details with readers and also offers a Go Play! Forum where you can create your own adventure with Steve's help - such an innovative tool - I plan to use it for my England exploration active honeymoon (I shudder at an all-inclusive resort honeymoon - ick)!


Please check out www.activetravels.com and share with your friends - Rachel Carter PR approved and highly recommended! And kudos Steve - this is an awesome example of what writers are doing in this shifting media economy and it's inspiring to see!

Classical Music & Hard Cider

I have to do it - I have to take a blog moment to promote two of my clients because what they have going on is definitely newsworthy!!! And, I am so proud and want to thank some folks who are helping make it happen!

Brandon Music - Vermont's Classical Music Haven announced the official opening of the Harmony English Tea Room, the opening of their Vermont art gallery with the first exhibit being by Linda Durkee, and launched their new website - www.brandonmusicvt.com - all in the past two weeks!



Surrounded by gracious countryside just outside of the artistic downtown community of Brandon, Vermont, lies Brandon Music – Vermont’s Classical Music Haven. Brandon Music is the North American headquarters of owner Stephen Sutton’s British classical music record company, Divine Art Recordings Group. Located in Warren Kimble’s former historic red barn studio and gallery, Brandon Music hosts the Divine Art CD Store, Harmony English Tea Room, a Vermont art gallery, and a vintage collector’s corner. The Divine Art CD Store showcases a wide collection of contemporary to rare classical music from the Divine Art, Diversions, Metier, Athene, and Move record labels. Harmony English Tea Room – a chic English-style tearoom and music café – sells specialty British teas and coffees, tablewares, and vintage china and linens, and will schedule live music concerts and recorded music appreciation events as well as special themed events such as “tea-dances.” An art gallery showcases work by local artists and a collector’s corner is planned which will offer the sale of vintage and rare historic records while featuring a growing assortment of vintage collectibles and antiques. Brandon Music is open year round and more information is available at www.brandonmusicvt.com or by calling 802-465-4071.

Thanks to Stephanie and Mike Raccine of Off the Page Creations for creating such a fabulous website! Check them out at www.offthepagecreations.com.

Woodchuck Draft Cider is enhancing their Vermont presence starting by partnering with Vermont organizations and events and the next few weeks are getting quite busy - get a taste of the nation's best hard cider at these great Vermont events:

Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival at Stoweflake Resort, July 10-12, 2009

“Veillée” (French Canadian Dinner) at the Vergennes Opera House, Friday, July 17, 2009

5th Annual Taste of Stowe Arts Festival at Stowe's Topnotch Field, July 24-26, 2009

One Glove: A Michael Jackson Tribute at Higher Ground, July 24, 2009 - Woodchuck is the presenter of this fantastic Seven Days event in remembrance of the nation's king of pop.

Woodchuck Draft Cider is a hard cider handcrafted with apples in Green Mountain Beverage’s state-of-the-art facility in Middlebury, Vermont. The original recipe, known as the popular Woodchuck Amber Cider, was created by current cider make, Greg Failing, in 1991 in Proctorsville, Vermont. The Woodchuck Draft Cider family has grown to include Granny Smith, 802 (Dark & Dry), Pear, and a brand new selection of Limited Releases to which Failing adds his personal touch to ensure exceptional quality and premium taste to Vermont’s award-winning hard cider. A naturally gluten-free beverage, Woodchuck Draft Cider is also a favorite in food pairings and a key ingredient in a variety of recipes. More information is available at www.woodchuck.com and you can follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WoodchuckCider.

On days like this I love what I do!! Thanks to Brandon Music and Woodchuck Draft Cider for being such exceptional clients!