* Hours per week: 

I am usually at my computer by 9:30 a.m. and will check e-mail messages and return phone calls. Mid-morning, I take a walk and get ready for the day. I will work the rest of the afternoon and turn off the computer at 6:00 p.m. After I turn off the computer, I go meditate for 30 minutes. Because my office is in my home, I find it is a nice transition between stopping work and starting the evening with my spouse.  I may check e-mail after dinner but rarely will do any work in the evenings. A work/life balance is important to me. I will work Saturday morning and some Sunday mornings as well.

* Typical working hours: 

See responses above.

* Main current clients: 

Some of my current clients include: Cox Communications, Barnes Group Inc., L-3 Communications, New Horizon Bank, Lockheed Martin, GE Global Research, Waste Management, Lockheed Martin, KeyBank and many more. I tend to work with companies that are in the service industry.

* Earnings (in a good year): 

50% of my business each year is repeat business - clients that have hired me before and use me again for training seminars. That tells me that I should spend a good portion of my marketing dollars on cultivating the relationship with previous clients. It is easier to maintain a relationship with previous clients than find new ones. 

* Favorite business reading: 

I love reading anything about the law of attraction. I have read all of Ether and Jerry Hick’s books, a book by Eva Gregory as well as many other books relating to that topic. I do read business etiquette books as well.

* Favorite non-business reading: 

I enjoy Sandra Brown, Jodi Picoult or Eileen Goudge books when I want to read for fun. I love to read cookbooks from cover to cover. (You learn a lot of cooking tips when you do that.) 

* Best way she gets clients: 

For training seminars, my website is a great tool for me to attract corporate clients from around the U.S. I also spend time networking and do make good contacts with people that eventually become clients. I strive to cultivate relationships first and know that the rest will fall into place. 

I also provide train-the-trainer and business etiquette certification to image and etiquette consultants.  The best way for me to get clients is to offer tele-classes that will help the consultants be successful in their business. I find that once consultants take my tele-class they are interested in working with me either in a one-on-one capacity or by taking my certification programs. I also provide a newsletter for the consultants each month on training tips.

* Worst wage-slave job she ever had: 

In high school and college, I used to clean homes to make extra money. I had one person who was very wealthy and treated me like “dirt.”  Her demeanor and language to me was quite insulting. Because of that experience, I am always very cordial and pleasant to the individuals that clean my house. I engage them in conversation and don’t just ignore them.  I see the wonderful gifts that they bring to me – doing something I don’t have time to do. Incidentally, I ran into that woman who I used to clean for at a fund-raiser event for a private university in Troy, NY. She was shocked that the “little-girl” who used to clean her house, had turned into a very successful businesswoman. (Revenge is sweet!)

* How do you market yourself? 

To keep my name in front of my client base, I do send out a monthly newsletter. I also am on Twitter and have a blog. 

* How do you keep your skills sharp? 

I love to read and I love to learn new things. I will go to seminars to keep my skills sharp. I will attend the Association of Image Consultants International conferences when the opportunity arises. 

* What financial issues do you grapple with and how do you overcome them? 

Being a sole entrepreneur, sometimes I find myself working on things that need to be done but don’t’ necessarily bring in the income. Last year, I hired two virtual assistants. Once does administrative work for me and the other helps with all the writing projects. You reach a point in your business where if you want to grow you need to start delegating. I was at that point and it was a good decision to help me stay focused on the money-making projects.

* Whom do you turn to for advice and empathy? 

I have 5 or 6 image/etiquette consultants throughout the U.S. who are very good friends.  I can call or e-mail anyone of them and share ideas, disappointments or challenges. Sometimes they just listen; other times I ask for advice.  It is great to have someone who is in the industry and really understands this business. 

* What was worst project you ever worked on and why? 

I once had a client go thru my workbook with a fine comb and wanted to make all these changes. The changes were not grammatically incorrect yet he just wanted different wording instead. He also wanted to know what I was going to wear to the presentation and asked that I not wear a v-neck or open-collar blouse for he thought it would send the wrong message to his employees. Luckily, I have the ability to work with all kinds of people and did not let this affect my training seminar. I wowed them with my presentation and all was well!

* What was the best project you ever worked on and why? 

The best projects for me are when clients hire me for multiple seminars (either the same topic for a different group or different topics each time). I love cultivating a long-term relationship with a company and really getting to know the challenges in their industry so that I can customize the material for their needs. 

* What do you say when people ask about "your job"? 

I tell them, “I teach the skills that lead to business savvy and professional success”. Whenever I tell people I am a business etiquette consultant, the response I often get is, “boy is that needed today.” It’s true. Business etiquette training is needed for every company that wants to create positive impressions that last and last.

* What's the best thing about being an Etiquette Professionals? 

The best thing for me is I absolutely love giving training seminars. My seminars are fun, interactive and informative.  I love it when participants come up to me after a training session and say, “the time went by quickly, it was a fun day and I learned so much.” Comments like that are very gratifying to me. I feel like I am really using my gifts.

* What's the worst thing about being an Etiquette Professionals? 

The worst thing is, as a business owner there is always something to do. I complete a bunch of projects and it seems more magically appear.

* Do you have any advice for other Etiquette Professionals?  

Not to think of other image/etiquette consultants as your competition – even if they do exactly what you do.  We will attract the clients that resonate with what we have to offer. If you focus on your unique gifts rather than viewing the other as competition, you will make valuable friendships and find support when you need it.      

* What's your guiding philosophy? Give from the heart, allow people to be who they want to be and to look for the best in others.