When Sheila and I first connected by phone, her fabulous Massachusetts accent brought a smile to my face. As a transplanted east coaster now in the Midwest, I often long for the delicious east coast dialects and Sheila has one I love.

Seeking Adventure

Sheila started our conversation by telling me that her first career goal was to be a Business Education teacher but when she graduated there were no jobs to be had in the field. So she moved to Los Angeles to seek out a new life and adventure but soon realized that California culture was not a fit for her.

She returned to Massachusetts and found a job in the travel business claiming she was “…always on the tail end of the glory.” – since group travel was beginning to pale. Unbeknownst to her at the time, her reference to being on the tail end of the glory was prophetic indeed.

All in the Family

Her dad encouraged her to join him in the family business – a successful restaurant in historical Marblehead called Maddie’s Sail Loft. In Old Town Marblehead, the streets whisper about days gone by when George Washington and his mariners helped win the Revolutionary war. The town harbor is one of the oldest working ports in the country and locals and tourists alike enjoy big drinks and big adventures in this landmark restaurant established in 1946.

When Sheila’s father passed away in 1989 after a battle with cancer, she took over the restaurant. It was a difficult time since the economic climate was tough and the culture of eating out had changed. People were more health conscious so the famous fried clams at Maddie’s were tougher to sell to those concerned about their cholesterol. The alcohol consumption even waned which affected the bottom line in the revenue generated by the business.  The liability of serving liquor was daunting at best; and the days of people looking out for each other at a neighborhood tavern were simply gone.

Walking the Plank

As if the economy and the health food craze were not difficult enough, customers literally had to walk a plank at times to enter the restaurant due to massive construction on the streets for a three year period. Parking became literally non-existent.   Ever tenacious, Sheila endured these set-backs but eventually decided to sell the business in 2001 and forge a new path.

Friends always told Sheila she was a good listener and now it was time for her to listen to her own inner voice to decide what her next career path might entail. She pursued life coaching; and found it somewhat limiting.  Life seemed to get more difficult as time went on since her mother passed in 2004, the same year her beloved dog also died of cancer.  In addition, her niece, Kendra, lost her dad during the same time period.

Divine Intervention

One evening, Sheila was watching the St. Jude telethon with her then 12 year old niece and a video documentary was shown that profiled the St. Jude kids in serious need.  Her niece was visibly moved and jumped up off the couch. She grabbed pen and paper and sketched a dog.

Kendra said “I’ve got to help those kids”.  Her belief was that kids could use some help during difficult times… whether it was an illness, dealing with a bully at school, or simply being afraid.

She then decided to dub this drawing “Trouble” the Dog.

And so Trouble the Dog was created. Working with her niece, Sheila designed a children’s book which tells Trouble’s story of abandonment, rescue, and hope and teaches kids how to be tough when times are hard.

Trouble on a Mission

So when she least expected it, and with the help of young Kendra, a new mission and a new career began for Sheila to spread the inspiration of a brave little stray dog called Trouble. His calling is to help kids and dogs in need by sharing his unconditional love and a little bit of magic.

Sheila became so excited about this new venture that she connected with an artist to develop a coloring book and a medallion necklace for kids. The concept was that kids rubbed their Trouble medallion when times were tough to give them strength and courage to carry on.

Soon after, Sheila met a toy licenser who works with big brands (like Curious George™) but he was dubious about the dog’s name – Trouble. Sheila knew that Trouble’s name was meant to be so she resisted changing it even with the advice of the toy industry expert.  Once he actually saw Trouble however, he said – “You know, I think you’ve got something here.”

She came up with slogans like – Trouble says be tough! And knew the meaning behind this little pooch was much more than branding a new toy for purchase. She did take the expert’s advice about developing a plush toy dog version of Trouble and he advised her through the manufacturing process.

No Safety Net

While some friends thought she was out of her mind, Sheila self financed the production of 1500 plush Trouble dogs. It was a scary proposition with no safety net, but Sheila knew in her bones that this was meant to be.  And so the Trouble tour began and Sheila felt like a gypsy selling dogs everywhere from schools to hospitals to childcare centers. Not a day goes by when Sheila does not hear from a parent who shares a story about how their child cannot sleep without the precious dog.

Scientific research shows that kids respond to certain comfort objects and Trouble has found his niche as a cuddly dog that brings peace, joy, and hope to kids of all ages. The children relate to his name since many of them are struggling with troubles of their own.

Trouble is also on a philanthropic mission. To date, he is in the hands of over 4,000 children located as far away as Mali, Africa, and Iraq. Trouble has donated over $20,000 to charities helping children and dogs in needs such as St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Miracle Network, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, CancerCare New York, SPCA of Tennessee, New England Assistance Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans, just to name a few.

Sheila reports that preliminary anecdotal testing has overwhelmingly shown that Trouble does elicit hope and joy in children and adults.  As a result, there is now a scientific survey underway to capture the magic of Trouble.

Believe it Or Not

One day when Sheila was selling her wares, she met an old world psychic who observed her distributing Trouble to kids in need. The psychic unsolicited shared that Trouble has a soul and that children realize it. She urged Sheila to stay the course and not give up on this mission with Trouble as it would prove to be an adventure beyond her dreams.

Whether you believe in psychics or not, the palpable energy and inspiration that Trouble brings to children in need is visible to all. This is a sustaining force for Sheila who has taken a large financial risk with this venture but feels the emotional rewards to date are priceless.

Here’s Trouble – the book, created by Kendra and written by Sheila was illustrated by Annette Nicolas. The story shows how this little dog learned to be tough and have hope and serves as an inspiration to young and adult readers alike.

Sheila has plans to eventually turn the adventures of Trouble the Dog into a television cartoon and a DVD series to show children all over the world how to be resilient and have hope during difficult times with humor and kindness. She is currently working on a music video to teach kids to be empowered.  A newly released audio CD is now available with a bedtime story called Trouble on the Moon that tackles the challenge of bullying.

Unconditional Doggie Love

While the philanthropic and spiritual mission of Trouble is clear, creating a new business venture from a plush toy was a new challenge for Sheila. She employs guerilla marketing strategies and is now utilizing social media, predominantly Facebook, to get the news out about Trouble.

Sheila says the mission of helping others and making a difference with Trouble is meeting her values for a new career but the financial reality is scary. She has bootstrapped the venture with her own funds and anything she makes goes right back into the business. She knows the creation of the cartoon series and the DVDs will give her financial security so she can continue on her philanthropic mission with Trouble.

Even though she experienced every problem you could imagine with this new opportunity, Sheila remains focused and determined.  This summer, she had a meeting with a business manager who basically advised her to give up on Trouble or at the very least; simply realize the reality that success in this arena was almost impossible.

Since that fateful day, Sheila has connected with people who not only believe in the mission of Trouble and are there to help; but who have observed first-hand the effect that Trouble has had on their own children.  Giving up is simply not an option.

Sheila is doing what she loves and that is priceless. But letting go of the worry (thanks to Trouble) has been liberating and friends have always been at her side to help in times of need.  She knows that Trouble is definitely Divinely Inspired.

Sheila’s mom is even immortalized as a character in the book. Her character encourages others to live a good life and to help others and be tough when times are hard. The book and all of Trouble’s messages are consistent in empowering kids to deal with life’s challenges. These are lessons Sheila’s mother taught her and they live on through Trouble.

Tail End of Glory

Little did Sheila know that her tail end of glory would lead her to an actual canine hero, and a new career! In addition to the plush toy version of Trouble, Sheila has always had real dogs in her family and works with the SPCA of TN and animal shelters to educate people about the importance of spay and neuter programs.   She has also personally rescued 25 dogs that were literally homeless in TN through the SPCA and found them loving forever homes in New England.

Sheila’s own dog, Skye is now a Registered Therapy Dog and will be visiting hospitals and hospice centers to help kids and adults smile and serve the mission of Trouble.

So as Sheila continues to visit schools, hospitals, and various care centers throughout New England and beyond, she is on a mission to share the bravery of a little dog that was inspired by her niece, Kendra.  Ultimately, Trouble will be a universal symbol of hope and resilience. Here comes Trouble…and that’s a very good thing!

Sheila’s Advice and Action Steps:

• You need to find your own journey.
• Connect yourself with a group of people that raise your spirits.
• Get quiet with yourself to really think about your passion.
• Believe in yourself.
• If you feel you’re on the right path; never give up.

Quote:

“Trouble Says … Be Tough.” A quote from the book inspired by Sheila’s wiry Irish mom,

Resources:

Trouble Says Be Tough website: http://www.troublesaysbetough.com

Trouble’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001631614885

But Barbara Ann left her thriving legal career to pursue political office. First, an unsuccessful run for a Senate seat, she is now in the midst of a campaign for Texas Attorney General. This unflappable career woman has a call to serve and is determined to make a difference as part of her Texas career legacy.

Have a Game Plan

Barbara Ann’s decision to pursue public office was very well thought out.  She studied how it could be done by reading and speaking to many, many people. She wrote a business plan and then implemented her plan. After the Senate race and 650 trips with wonderful new friends, she laid the ground work for her political future and formed two Political Action Committees. She kept her key personnel active and waited until polling data determined a state wide race would be winnable. Barbara Ann sat out an election cycle, but thoroughly enjoyed planning for this Attorney General race with her former Communications Director who now serves as her Campaign Manager, in addition to key consultants she enlisted very early.

Networking is just as important in politics as it is in business and Barbara Ann used every contact she could think of to fit into her business plan. The most daunting effort continues to be fundraising.  Having already made more than 14,000 fundraising calls in this campaign, Barbara Ann tapped into every person and resource she thought possible. She was also inspired by her late father, who was an escaped prisoner of war, a tailor, a NASA scientist and a huge believer in public service. Barbara Ann’s mother is the best inspiration for keeping it all in perspective and Barbara Ann considers her the smartest person she’s ever known. Her mother now lives with Barbara Ann’s family and is battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Connected to the Community

Barbara Ann has always valued hard work, honesty, and intelligence and has built her campaign on the platform of serving her community. While she admits there was a learning curve to a political life, most of the challenge came from accepting that which she could not change.

“Some people will oppose you no matter what. The remainder of the challenge is in remaining committed to the everyday hard work of raising money. Maintaining perspective, sense of humor, recognizing the need for others and retaining faith in your own judgment stands anyone in good stead, too.”

She encourages others considering a career change to do it, plan and work hard, and make sure you enjoy the journey!

Know Your Strategy

Barbara Ann’s strength has always come from having a plan and being prepared. She relates to a mantra from Admiral Chester Nimitz that she finds useful in almost any operative analysis. It outlines points to consider before launching an operation: Objective, Offensive, Surprise, Superiority of Force at Point of Contact, Simplicity, Security, Movement, Economy of Force, and Cooperation. In a nutshell, this describes how Barbara Ann operates and why others appreciate her Texas tenacity.

While her most pressing goal is to win the Attorney General race in November, Barbara Ann is taking the time to enjoy the upcoming marriages of two of her children and a family reunion before the election. A pioneering professional woman, Barbara Ann has achieved two important firsts in her career, thus far. At her former law firm, Vinson & Elkins, she was the first woman to have children as an associate and attain partnership. After her 2006 retirement from Vinson & Elkins, she became the first woman in history to serve as the Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee.

After an unsuccessful race for Senator, Barbara Ann refocused her sights on Attorney General – the state’s elected chief legal officer. Utilizing her legal skill set, she aims to reign in the high insurance and electric rates in the state of Texas as well as the franchise margin tax. She has also proposed an $18 billion lawsuit to the current Attorney General to file against the Wall Street Banks that brought down the economy in September 2008.

Taking on the Scoundrels

The lawsuit, supported by law professors, former Governor/Texas Attorney General Mark White, University of California, Irvine Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, former President of the State Bar of Texas, Bill Whitehurst and prominent statewide lawyers, sues to protect the physical and economic interests of Texas under well established Supreme Court law.   Barbara Ann is launching a petition drive at www.SueWallStreet.com today to collect 100,000 signatures urging States Attorneys General to sue, using the materials at SueWallStreet.com.  Barbara Ann offered the lawsuit and her legal services at no fee to work on the case in a letter to the Texas Attorney General.

According to Barbara Ann – “Texas and every other state can obtain justice from the scoundrels of Wall Street and achieve what the federal government has failed to do.” Texas has never had a woman Attorney General and if Barbara Ann wins this fall she will prove that she knows no fear in serving the citizens of her state.

On a Mission

It’s clear that Barbara Ann is passionate about making a difference for the citizens of Texas. She has dedicated her life and her career to helping others. From the law firm to the political stump, Barbara Ann has reinvented her career goals capitalizing on her legal skill set and her commitment to helping others.

A political campaign involves great risk and determination in addition to significant financial support from constituents.  A public servant loses all anonymity, especially during an election cycle so Barbara Ann is “on” 24/7. But her mission is energizing and rewarding and it’s clear that she is determined to make this career move successful. We’ll check in with Barbara Ann in November to see how things play out. For now, her career reinvention is an exciting journey.

BAR’s Advice and Action Steps

• Plan for it and then do it!
• Let go of what you cannot change.
• Fight for what you believe in.
• Find your call to serve.
• Always maintain your sense of humor.

Resources

Barbara Ann Radnofsky   http://www.barbaraann2010.com/suewallstreet

Leap of Faith

As the first and only woman salesperson in a small town South Dakota car dealership, Sue distinguished herself in a male driven market with record sales. When all three of her children moved to Texas, Sue and her husband did some serious self reflection and decided to join them to be near their family.  Sue also has siblings in Texas with whom she is close.  She admits it was extremely difficult to walk away from a successful career and travel across the country to a place that was completely new to her, especially when her husband, Don was not due to arrive in Texas until several months later.

But this leap of faith has turned into a wonderful new opportunity that Sue enjoys very much. Her sons always dabbled in fix & flip property ventures but in Texas they established a new business that focuses on remodeling projects. In the tight economy, customers are more apt to remodel existing homes than purchase a new dwelling so business is quite strong.

Family Affair

While working with family can be a challenge in and of itself, Sue had additional trials like adjusting to a new community, acquiring a brand new skill set and the demands of hard physical labor.

Sue’s new job does not keep her behind a computer all day.  She is right in the thick of things, painting, tiling and demolishing work sites to prepare for the remodeling projects. Sue’s youngest son is the contractor and does the day-to-day job bidding and serves as the main remodeler doing the construction work. Her other son has a day job so he lends his expertise by assisting with the marketing and company website and also helps on the job sites when he can.

The challenge with a family business is communicating effectively and regularly.  The Heltzel’s have a nightly phone conference to talk about the projects in process and in the queue. With multiple job sites, it can happen that they don’t see each other in a given day.

On the Job Training

While Sue’s sales and professional relationship building skills certainly come in handy for the new business, learning to set bathroom tile is a completely new challenge. Sue dove right into this new opportunity with a can-do attitude that is infectious. She admits she is addicted to the TV design and remodeling shows and has taken many classes and workshops to learn the basics from reinforcing walls to setting ceramic tile.

Currently, Sue does a lot of the finishing details while her son and husband handle the larger construction but she has had her fair share of demolition work which is very demanding physically. She commented that often a customer will be surprised to see a woman remodeler show up for the job.  But often they appreciate having her female design perspective so having a woman on the team has been an asset to the business.

Room for Growth

While Sue continues to add skills to her remodeling repertoire, building the business is always a concern for the Heltzel family. Sue attends networking meetings and Chamber of Commerce events and is a member of the Better Business Bureau. The company website has been a great way to expand business complete with a blog that offers remodeling wisdom and tips. The Heltzel’s value their community partnerships with organizations including: Texas Trees Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, A Brush with Kindness and Extreme Makeover Home Edition. They are firm believers in giving back to the community and providing assistance to those in need.

Going Green

Putting on the Fix is committed to green remodeling, an all-encompassing approach that emphasizes making a home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. Consideration is given to indoor air quality, energy conservation, resource conservation, reduced material waste, and the use of products that are better for the environment and for people.

The Heltzel’s believe that implementing eco-friendly practices to the remodeling of your home/business will help to preserve our environment for future generations by conserving natural resources and protecting air and water quality. Green building strategies are good for everyone’s pocketbook by reducing maintenance and replacement requirements, reducing utility bills and lowering the cost of home ownership, and increasing property and resale values.

Future Plans

Sue and her family have a vision for their business and a strategic plan to see it grow. They want to employ some additional remodelers to expand the team and offer insurance and benefits to their employees. The plan is for both Heltzel sons to work full-time in the business as well and to grow their clientele and visibility in Dallas Fort Worth and surrounding communities.

The company’s foundation is based on respect, trust, integrity and communication. The Heltzel’s believe communication is essential to the success of a project. They listen to their client needs and work hand-in-hand with them to ensure detailed craftsmanship and full satisfaction.

Sue has taken on a challenging and exciting new career in her 50’s and working with her family has provided an opportunity for each of them to play to their strengths. In a career field where you rarely see women, Sue has once again distinguished herself and found her new career niche.

Quote:

“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” Sue Heltzel

Sue’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Being a woman in a male dominated career field can be very rewarding.
• Never stop learning new skills.
• If you have a family business, divvy up the strengths and assign job tasks accordingly so everyone plays to their forte.
• Change can be good – don’t be afraid to take a risk.

Resources

Putting on the Fix www.puttingonthefix.com

It Pays to Experiment

Her physician admitted her to the hospital and prescribed a battery of steroids, physical therapy and medications along with the grim prediction that even with the meds, Rebecca would become wheelchair bound, experience deterioration of her motor skills and possibly even blindness in a matter of years as the disease progressed.  Rebecca was a tenacious patient with many questions and the desire to take control of her own health. After intense research, she discovered a connection between MS and other diseases that respond well to dietary change. She figured she had nothing to lose because the best medicine available only offered a 30% efficacy rate so she was determined to find a more holistic approach to healing. Against her Doctor’s wishes, she refused the medications and started the healing process with diet.

In the beginning she eliminated dairy, wheat/gluten, red meat and sugar from her diet and although she still felt weak – she was functional. After viewing an episode of Diet Wars on television, Rebecca learned about the concept of raw foods. She started eating raw foods that same day because of the claims of increased energy, but much to her surprise within 5 days of beginning the “raw experiment” Rebecca regained her energy and her health. All of her MS symptoms had vanished. She was blown away with the results and is now a firm believer that our bodies can heal naturally if cared for properly – they were designed this way.

Be Part of the Solution

Aware that her former “normal” American Diet was filled with refined carbohydrates, sugars, animal protein, caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, sodas, and fats, Rebecca was feeling incredibly energized with her new clean eating regimen with foods such as raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts, grains, healthy oils (olive and coconut) and superfoods like raw chocolate and goji berries. She was also amazed that she was able to lose 38 pounds effortlessly in the process, something she had been previously unable to do.

She found that she was telling anyone who would listen and people were amazed at her story and wanted to know more. So she committed to spreading the word and being a part of the solution rather than adding to the problem. Rebecca used her newfound energy and amazing health turnaround to co-found the business 123Raw.com and is also the publisher of Purely Delicious magazine.  Both are founded on the principle of taking baby steps towards a healthier body, planet and community. Both the online store and magazine feature healthy and gourmet raw food recipes, organic and earth-friendly products for pet, home and body, fitness tips and articles about the growing raw foods movement. Nothing extreme, just regular people looking to live a little better.

It’s Ok to be Afraid

Rebecca had the idea of starting a raw magazine before the online store, but was a little overwhelmed and intimidated by the idea because she wasn’t sure how to get it off the ground by herself. She decided to start out with an online store first because it was something she could do from home and the hope was that it would provide the necessary funds to eventually start the magazine. Since stress exacerbates MS symptoms, she really wanted a low stress work-from-home business plan. The magazine opportunity came quite out of the blue in October of 2008. The previous publisher Anna Tipps was experiencing a medical emergency and contacted her to see if she was interested in taking over the publication.

According to Rebecca:

“The lesson I learned from this is, it’s ok to feel fear (it’s normal) but don’t let it stop you in your tracks. Say yes and keep moving forward. The amazing part is that as soon as I said yes and got off the fence, people started coming out of the woodwork offering to help. Resources came to me – as they were needed.”

Determined to build a business with a conscience, 123Raw.com contributes 5% of its profits to charities including: Habitat for Humanity and The Arbor Day Foundation and offers one page in each magazine to a charity to bring awareness to their cause. Rebecca utilizes her skills from the advertising arena in her new businesses including project management,  hiring freelance talent, organizing photo shoots, designing, negotiations, brainstorming, client relations, writing, meeting tight deadlines, pitching ideas, radio, television, press checks, etc.

Support comes from all sides and so did opportunity. She spoke the desire of starting a raw food magazine and Purely Delicious “…literally fell in her lap.” according to Rebecca, which re-affirmed that this was meant to be.

Set Practical Goals

It all sounds great but what about the challenges of starting a new business venture? Rebecca underestimated the cost and time of starting a business, the state and local fees, the cost of filing for a trademark, web design, advertising, opening a merchant account, etc. She thought she was prepared but in reality knew nothing about the business end of starting a business. It was extremely difficult financially, not so much in the beginning but as months dragged on and money was going out but nothing was coming in. She used up her savings, utilized her credit cards to get 123RAW started and then even dipped into her already dwindling 401K to pay for the first issue of Purely Delicious.

Her main mistake was assuming that as soon as they were open for business that customers would flock to the door. It takes time to build a brand and attract a loyal customer base. She assumed that since she had a large following on chat sites and her blog that those would automatically translate to sales. And for a large part they did, but not in the large consistent volume that was needed. With Purely Delicious, the problem was a little different, because she took over an existing publication and therefore was responsible for fulfilling all of the subscriptions that she didn’t receive payment for, so she was starting out well in the red. Luckily, the magazine has been extremely popular and well-received and sales have increased by 25% since October 2008.

Looking back, Rebecca would make some adjustments in her business launching plan.

“I think I would have searched for a business mentor to help guide me through the start-up process. I would have set more money aside and sought an open line of credit instead of relying on my personal credit. Most importantly I would have trusted my gut instinct more. Each time I have gotten off track has been when I’ve ignored that “I don’t think this is right” feeling. It is a very humbling experience to realize how little you know but exhilarating to be in a constant state of learning and growth. Growth is rarely comfortable, but necessary. I wish I would have understood this earlier.”

I’m happy to report that Rebecca is thriving, feeling fit and healthy and 123Raw and Purely Delicious are gaining momentum and solvency. This little raw food experiment not only provided her a healthier life but a new and exciting career.

Rebecca’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Fear can be good if you realize it’s normal. Move beyond your comfort zone and test your strengths. Have courage acknowledge the fear and then take a small step forward anyway.
• Give yourself practical, attainable, daily goals. Baby steps are important in the long run journey. Try not to let yourself get overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. To climb a mountain you first have to take one step.
• Exercise random acts of kindness and pay-it-forward! Look for ways to give daily, this act also opens you up to receive.
• Consider giving back in some way with your business in your community.

Quotes: “When you are willing to try, amazing things can happen.” Rebecca Carlson

“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.” ~ Erma Bombeck

Resources:

123 Raw and Purely Delicious Magazine  www.123Raw.com

Savor the Success  www.savorthesuccess.com

Organic Consumers Organization www.organicconsumers.org