We interrupt our regular programming to highlight an excellent blog post by Carol Roth titled At the Business Table, Where Are the Ladies?

Roth talks about the dearth of women in high places, from corporate board rooms to the New York Times Best Seller list. Here’s an excerpt from her post:

So, where are the ladies and why are we not represented at the highest level of business?  There are certainly many women who should be at the table, not because they are women, but because they are deserving and are conspicuously still absent.   In a recent discussion with a high profile business publication, I was invited to become a contributor.  The senior editor named all of the other business contributors and absent me, they were all men. Despite the fact that 52% of all businesses are started by women currently, the business advice is being given by men.

The conversation that has ensued in the comments section is familiar. The “women’s issue” issue isn’t new.
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I‘m going to keep a startup diary here to share the ups and downs of a tech startup, old lessons applied, new lessons learned and how things progress. If you’ve got a startup - or a business you’re growing - I’d love to hear what you are up to.

I’ve spent the last week double checking if I really want to go full throttle with a new business this year. Each time I share my business idea with colleagues, they are encouraging, excited even. Some talk about their interest in investing as well which I take as a good sign and vote of confidence.

I’ve never before asked for money from friends and family - the typical “Friends and Family” round that many tech startups go through prior to a more official angel round. Not that I didn’t believe in what I’ve built in the past but usually because I’ve started service businesses that mostly ran - and grew - on revenues.

Thinking about asking for money from people I know does give me a little bit of heartburn. I have every confidence that this business will pay off, but it is still scary to put relationships into the business mix. I’ve thought of using a site like Kickstarter to crowdsource funds (crowdfunding) before I incorporate - while it is still just me and a personal project. I’ve also looked Profounder as another crowdfunding site but one that funds for-profit businesses. Both have an excellent process and system to facilitate soliciting and receiving funds from people you know, including through your social networks.
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I’ve been in a funk lately about my new business. While I think my business idea is solid, the growth potential high, and I’m incredibly excited about mobile, I’m feeling isolated and scattered and have gotten discouraged.

Just at the time when I was feeling like burying my head in the proverbial sand or running away, I received two interesting propositions:

1. Traditional Business Support - A friend of mine contacted me about his client who started a resource called Wicked Start. The site helps new and aspiring entrepreneurs to get their businesses started. While I’m not a new entrepreneur, even a serial entrepreneur can be considered a “new entrepreneur” because every new business is different not to mention the business climate, marketplace and even consumers. For all my business experience - and doling out business advice over the years - I still can find myself paralyzed at the exact moment when I should be hitting the ground running.
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I’m taking a big risk. Again. I’m starting a new business venture.

While this is the 6th business I’ve started, I really don’t consider myself a risk-taker as an entrepreneur because I pick businesses that play to my strengths, experience and skills.

Why am I a serial entrepreneur? I get these ideas, and then get a feeling that I should just go for it and that everything is going to work out. Then I start things rolling and try not to look down as I walk that tightrope of bootstrapping a new business.

I’m not entirely without a safety net. I still have the social media marketing business I co-founded as one safety net although my two business partners are running the day-to-day as I’m pursuing this new venture. Plus my husband has a steady job so I’m not entirely without options in case my new venture doesn’t succeed.

But I know it will succeed.
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I spent my Halloween working. I couldn’t help it. I was on deadline. Multiple deadlines. And I had spent the entire weekend working but couldn’t seem to get everything done.

It wasn’t entirely a bust of a holiday. I did go to a Halloween event in my community with my husband and 4-year-old so she could get her first official taste of Trick or Treating. She’d been before but didn’t remember it, so this was a “not to miss” family event. I didn’t miss it, and when I was away from my computer, I actually didn’t miss it either.

But after less than two hours, I was back in front of it, bleary-eyed and mentally drained. But I made all my deadlines - at least for now.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

I can blame “workaholism” and compulsive perfectionism, but the truth is that I seem to be getting worse and worse at time management instead of better. Plus I’m still plagued with the inability to say “no” to an opportunity that means a little more income or another building-block for my business.

But where does it end?
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There are always debates raging in social media channels about the dearth of women tech entrepreneurs and the lack of women-helmed companies getting funded and even the lack of representation of women as keynoters at top tech, business and venture events.

Some of the comments in the debate point a finger at women as standing in their own ways when it comes to starting high-growth tech businesses, going after venture capital, or putting themselves out there to speak. This line of conversation creates anger and defensiveness, especially among women.

But the truth is women do stand in their own way. Not every woman, not in every situation, but even I find myself doing this despite my business experience and successes.

As I start a new venture, I am battling tidal waves of fear and am practically paralyzed. Writing this post is one way I’m working to shake the negativity and push forward.

What are my fears?
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I’m all about the useful, practical gadgets and gizmos that make things easier for me. When I’m traveling, I’m even more in love with handy products, particularly those that pack well and pack a lot of usefulness into their compactness. Here are a few products I find indispensible when I’m on the road:

1. Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger - This charger turns a single wall outlet into a charger for three devices plus has two USB ports to charge other devices. I’ve found this device particularly handy when I’m at conferences where power outlets are at a premium. I can share a single outlet with several people at once so we all get a charge.

2. Cobra CPI-150 Micro Port 150 Watt Power Inverter (Black) - I use this power inverter above and carry it with me to use in rental cars when I’m traveling on business to charge my inevitably low-on-power laptop. It comes in a small pleather zipped pouch to compactly hold both inverter box and plug. My ony complaint about this device is that it is small, and I often overlook it or forget it on some of my trips. I’ve thought of keeping it in my car but then tend to forget to grab it and put it into my bag when I’m getting on a flight. I need to start keeping it in my computer bag!
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I’ve asked some talented women to help me judge submissions for the Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken book giveaway.

All three of these women are entrepreneurial moms.

Here they are:

Aimee Giese

Aimee Giese is a business owner, graphic designer, web developer and photographer based in Denver. She and her husband Bryan have one son, Declan, who is in third grade and who I’ve met and is a brilliant kid.

Aimee says she is proud to call herself a mommy blogger, but confesses she is probably more of a lifestyle blogger who talks about her kid a lot.

She is a brilliant photographer (I love her work) and also loves music, travel, social media, technology and liberal politics, all of which inform her blog Greeblemonkey.

Danielle Elwood

Danielle Elwood is the mother of two boys, Camden, and Benjamin, and married to a veteran Marine and volunteer fire fighter.

She authors Momotics.com and writes for various other projects including her blog on Being Pregnant at Babble.com.

She is a self described birth activist and feminist, and is expecting her third child in May of 2011.

What she doesn’t mention is she’s also a “Wine Fairy.”

Maya Bisineer

Maya Bisineer is an entrepreneur and the founder of Memetales - a place to share and celebrate children’s stories. I presented with her this past year at Blissdom and really respect her work and vision.

Maya also helps individuals and companies build their brands using social media.

You can read all about her at http://thinkmaya.com/about-Maya

Thanks to these three creative, awesome celebrity mom bloggers for agreeing to help me select the upcoming winner of the book Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken.

I haven’t ever run a contest here before but received an email offering up a copy of the book Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken by Rick Rieser (Author) and Dan Seward (Illustrator) and published at FastPencil.com. Having a four-year-old daughter, I’m always looking for books that teach good lessons. Percy deals with what it’s like to be different and what it means to be “perfect.”

This illustrated book creatively addresses the issues of prejudice and tolerance, two things that I have tried to address with my daughter even though she is only in preschool. I don’t think you can start too young with these kinds of important lessons.

The author has a daughter, too, so I’m sure he thought of this story with her in mind. He’s also a chicken farmer in addition to being a writer, by the way, so has some good experience observing chickens!

Do you have or know a child who would love a free copy of this book?

The giveaway is simple:

1. Must be based in the U.S.

2. Post a comment here on this blog stating why you’d like a copy of this book.

3. Deadline Oct 10.

4. Make sure to include your email address and/or URL in the comment form when you submit your comment but do NOT include your email in the body of the comment. We just need a way to contact you easily if you win. Even your Twitter handle could help us track you down!

I’ll ask 3 of my mommy blogger friends to judge the comments based on:

• creativity (I leave that up to you)
• emotional impact (funny or touching, etc)

So sharpen your pencils…I mean ready your typing fingers!

Why would YOU like to receive a copy of this book for a child you know?

I received a review copy of Simple Wisdom for the Not So Simple Business World by Lynda Barbaccia. The book incorporates the author’s suggestions for infusing the workplace with more positive energy and less stress. She emphasizes rituals, creating a sanctuary, and incorporating more mindfulness into one’s day. Chapters in the book are short but each guides you to a new activity or new way of looking at the old ways of work.

Here are some of her ideas for transforming work and the workplace:

1. 1. Lessen mess to create more harmony.
   2. Use a lamp versus overhead lights to add warmth to your workspace.
   3. Add color to your workspace understanding the energy of colors.
   4. Build a workplace shrine including a bowl to contain written intentions for improving business.
   5. Learn to meditate to bring more mindfulness to your work day.
   6. Let go of power struggles.
   7. Bring laughter and humor to your work.
   8. Smile.

Barbaccia’s book is compact, easy-to-read, and you can enter it at any chapter and receive some advice or guidance to making positive change in your work and work environment. I actually carried it around with me while traveling on business and found I could apply many of the practices in the book to any space and any work.

Buy the Book.

Download the Kindle version.

Also on my reading list:

Taming the Monkey Mind by Thubten Chodron

Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

What’s on YOUR reading list?