We LOVE LaunchHER! Enter to win ONE amazing giveaway!

If you have always been a reader of cupcakeMAG - you are sure to know our love for LaunchHER.

Lucky for you, this Friday will mark LaunchHER's 100th {freshly launched} feature, and they are already celebrating! 

So how are they celebrating? ONE lucky winner will receive an entire {swag} bag with over $700 in products from amazing women owned brands. All you have to do is leave a comment over on LaunchHER.

Pretty awesome right? Happy Monday and lots of love to our ladies at LaunchHER for showing off some of our favorite brands! 

Go ENTER now! 

AND.....

Like LaunchHER on Facebook.

Follow on Twitter.

Check out their blog.

Get launched! 

SHOW THEM SOME LOVE! 

The Scoop on Kelp Designs: Chatting with the designer, Katie Hunt -- plus a giveaway!

Just a few weeks ago we were introduced to the FABulous Katie Hunt of Kelp Designs - thanks to the ladies at LaunchHER. Ever since we have been completely smitten with their stationary goodies. As you may know - we are basically obsessed  with all things paper and Kelp Designs tops our list! So you ask, what's the absolute we-are-so-in-love-with-faves? Kelp Designs flat & folded notecards and bookplates! They make great mother's day gifts too! (wink, wink)

Read on to get to know more about Katie and her amazing biz, Kelp Designs! 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway too! 

{1} Tell us about yourself, the FABulous designer for Kelp Designs and your oh-so-cute biz!

First of all, thanks for featuring Kelp Designs on CupcakeMAG today!  My family and I live in Manhattan Beach, CA - a sleepy beach community in Los Angeles.  I spend my free time chasing my toddler and enjoying her laugh, traveling with my family and spending time with our extended family.

Like a lot of stationery designers, I got my start designing my own wedding invitations; which led to a lot of referral work and inevitably the launch of Kelp Designs in late 2008.  Our wholesale line launched in May 2009 at the Stationery Show and I'm looking forward to attending the National Stationery Show for the 3rd time this coming May!

I've always been drawn to beautiful stationery and sending letters by mail. Think there is nothing better than receiving a surprise or fun news by mail.   Actually, my Hubby and I wrote letters back and forth to each other early in our relationship when I was away at college (this was before email was really around, which is weird to admit) -- I still have and treasure all of the letters he wrote me and remember how fun it was to go check the mailbox everyday.

{2} At what point did you realize you were ready to start your own biz.

In some sense, I think I knew I wanted to start my own business when I was 7 or 8 years old -- when I got excited about selling girl scout cookies, friendship bracelets I had made or setting up lemonade stands during the summer.  Ha!   I knew I was onto something with Kelp when the occasional favor to design something for a friend turned into more referral work than I knew how to handle; and forced me to set some standards for the business to streamline things. 

I'm not sure if you really ever 'know' that you're ready to start a business, but think if you have the mindset that you're willing to take a risk and do something you believe in and enjoy... it is absolutely worth it to try.  I think owning and running a business is a constant learning curve, wherein one should strive to be innovative, to push the status and produce things, services or ideas that make a difference.  I feel that small business owners are constantly being challenged by the many hats we wear.  We're not just the owner, but often the designer, bookkeeper, marketer, sales person, distribution and production arms rolled into one.  It can be tough, but well worth it, in my opinion.

{seriously stylish Luggage Tags}

{3} What is your favorite product from your line?

Our blue diamond flat notes and matching bookplates are my favorites for the moment :)  But, I am in love with some of our new designs that are being released at the National Stationery Show in May.  Can't wait to unveil them.

{cupcakeMAG's TOP fave!} 

{4} Do you find it challenging having a little one while running a biz?

Balancing family and the business (plus all the other responsibilities life throws at you) has been challenging, but thankfully I have a supportive husband and family who believe in me and what I'm doing with Kelp Designs.  While no two days are the same, I do a lot of my work in the evenings, and my Saturday mornings are when I tend to meet with custom clients or have designated 'design time'.   Like all working parents, you find a way to make it work.

{oh-so-pretty magnets}

{5} What are you currently working on & what is up next for Kelp Designs? 

We're putting the finishing touches on our 2011 designs, which will be launched at the National Stationery Show in May.  We'll be adding new flat + folded cards to the line as well as corresponding accessories (bookplates, luggage tags, magnets, etc).  We're also releasing recycled cardboard clipboards this year in two sizes -- which we're thrilled about.

On the custom side, we're also compiling a new collection of personalized products which will be for sale this summer.  This line will included folded and flat notes, address labels, coasters, gift tags and other fun paper goodies.  Really excited about how this new collection is shaping up!

For all things Kelp Designs you can find them online through their Site, Facebook, and Twitter!

Enter below to win a set of folded notecards and matching bookplates. WE LOVE! 

FINALLY....it is SO hard to keep a secret like THIS!!!!

Thank goodness Tracy has finally come out of the LaunchHER closet! We are beyond thrilled to share this FABulous Friday news with our readers!

One of cupcakeMAG's in-real-life besties, Tracy Corcoran (otherwise known as @sweetharper) will be joining the ABSOLUTELY AMAZING LaunchHER team!



Get the scoop here & welcome T to the LaunchHER team!

We can't wait to see what is in store!

LaunchHER Re-Vamps in 2011!

There is only one thing we can truly say about LaunchHER; we LOVE them! Okay, we can say a lot more. How amazing they are, how they are changing the lives of women-owned brands, how the site is just so pretty to look out and filled with hours of browsing. See, we really could go on and on and on.....

As for the {re} vamp - well, it is simply gorgeous. They are no longer a blogspot. As of today they will have a much better site-experience, as everything is linked SO much better, there is a better search function, and through Wordpress, all of their features can be immediately linked to their Twitter and Facebook accounts!  Some of the biggest news... you will now be able to sign up for the LaunchHER newsletter. Feedburner will deliver LaunchHER right to your inbox! To coincide with the {re} launch and New Years' resolutions they are offering incredible opportunities for women to partner with LaunchHER which you can find out more below in our interview with the ladies.

One of our favorite things from the {re} vamp besides a beautiful site? They are sending all {freshly launched} businesses a button that says "they were launched" and everyone who was on the 40 under 40 a button that say they were on 40 under 40! How exciting is that! 

We truly adore them but we will let our chat with LaunchHER leading ladies Kara and Sallisha speak for themselves! Read on to get the scoop from the beautiful blondes of LaunchHER!

1.) Tell us about the HER behind LaunchHER. Who is Sallisha and Kara - the ladies making it all happen? 

Sallisha is a wife and a mom of 3 who always brings her A-game to everything she touches. Drawing on her degree in Finance, to LaunchHER Sallisha brings an impressive background in high-level Wall Street management and internet start-up consulting. Her knack for knocking every single thing she is involved in out of the park is beyond amazing. Ask any LaunchHER client and they will whole-heartedly agree.

Kara is a wife and a mom of 2 boys who cannot imagine doing anything other than working with women entrepreneurs. After nearly 10 years as a litigator, Kara’s decision to hang up her litigator hat and provide legal services to women-owned businesses was a no-brainer. As the proprietor of a few artisan business ventures over the years, Kara knows first-hand the challenges, joys and tough decisions her clients face. 

Kara

Sallisha 

2.) When you acquired LaunchHER, you turned it around so quickly. You have made it beyond amazing and you are some kind of genius - the both of you. How did you know LaunchHER is what you wanted?  

Before LaunchHER was named and the idea for promoting women-owned brands, especially new ventures in the handmade area, was first contemplated, Kara was actually part of the brainstorming process. At the very beginning, the idea was to build a business that would become a resource for women-owned brands by providing free press and promotion, as well as a connection to those all-important services a business needs – branding, web design, PR, marketing and legal. When LaunchHER launched, the ‘resource’ part of the concept seemed to fall by the wayside. While LaunchHER created some buzz those first few weeks, the business seemed to falter and nearly died out within the first 6 months or so.   

So when the opportunity to acquire LaunchHER presented itself to us, the decision to take LaunchHER and get it back to what was Kara’s original idea was an easy decision to make. In the few weeks before the acquisition, we had started becoming very good friends. Just days before the acquisition, we were talking about starting some sort of joint business venture, hoping to provide a service to women-owned brands.  

What is interesting is that, looking back to just about a year ago, when the initial brainstorming that resulted in the formation of LaunchHER took place, we didn’t even know each other, except that we were in the same MOPS group at church. To see where we are now, as friends, as business partners, and as LaunchHER, is thrilling and amazing. 

What exactly does LaunchHER do? for those out there that need some info.  

LaunchHER provides a {boost} to women-owned brands by offering complimentary features to new businesses twice a week, business coaching, branding, marketing, business development and flat-fee legal services. All services are available ala carte or can be combined in a custom package to meet each client’s individual needs. Occasionally we also offer celebrity gifting and other product placement opportunities.  

To kick-off the New Year, we are offering 2 great deals:

• Over the course of 3 months, LaunchHER will partner with you, to make this year the year to start, develop and protect your brand for the future; or,


• For less than the price of a month of lattes, LaunchHER will strategize, weigh-in, research and consult with you on your business and your specific needs/concerns/goals in a 60-minute telephone conversation.

When you freshly launch a company - what exactly are you looking for? 

That is a great question!! We love all of the {freshly}launched submissions we get on LaunchHER, and any new indie brand can submit their shop for consideration. Discovering new brands and giving a complimentary {boost} is one of our favorite parts of LaunchHER! 

While there are no hard-and-fast rules for our picks, we do look for newer brands, who are independent, have a great website (or etsy/big cartel shop), are unique and have started laying the groundwork for a big social media presence.

What tips do you have for those wanting to make their biz FABulous? 

Do what you love.

Make your business a reflection of your own personal style.

Fine-tune your product lines so your product offerings are cohesive.

Offer the best customer service EVER.

Create an engaging and consistent social media presence.

Hire professionals to handle the legal and financial side of your business if those areas aren’t your forte.

Protect your brand by trademarking your name.

How can you get Launched? 

Submit your shop to get {freshly}launched at www.LaunchHER.com

Subscribe to the LaunchHER blog and gain access to the LaunchHER::LAW, LaunchHER::SCOOP and LaunchHER::PRO articles for really great business advice.

Follow us on twitter: Sallisha :: @LaunchHER, Kara :: @LaunchHERLaw

Contact us: Sallisha :: hello@LaunchHER.com,  Kara:: kara@launchHER.com



What is up next for LaunchHER and what can we look forward to? 

We are so excited for 2011!! In early December we trekked through one of the worst blizzards in Minnesota history to meet and map-out the first 6 months of 2011 – it’s going to be amazing!  

In April we are speaking at Creative Estates in the Phoenix area (http://creativeestates.blogspot.com/) – we are literally counting the days!!  

Our lips are sealed, but the LaunchHER::SCOOP posts for January and February are SO GOOD. Working with our exclusive group of LaunchHER::PROs to continually provide our clients with insider knowledge to make their business ventures a huge success and avoid most of the small-business pitfalls.  And, finalizing the chosen locales for LaunchHER::LIVE events!

Sallisha:

1.  I am addicted to using Crest White Strips.

2.  When I'm driving in the car kid-free, I love to turn off the radio, enjoy the silence, and just be alone with my thoughts.  It's like a mini-vacation!

3.  My guilty pleasure is watching Real Housewives re-runs while on the elliptical at the gym.

4.  I've always wanted to learn how to quilt. It's one of my New Years Resolutions for 2011!

5.  Someday, when my children are older, I want to go to culinary school.  Just for fun. 

Kara:

1. I am 5’1” (on a good day, and without heels)

2. I have a shoe addiction and nearly always wear high heels (see #1) 

3. I have been on QVC.

4. I adore coffee

5. In 5^th grade, I decided I wanted to be an attorney.

 If you didn't already LOVE LaunchHER you should now officially be obsessed with their FABness! Head over to the new site now and check it out! Can we say it one last time.....we LOVE LaunchHER! 

Check our MOI on LaunchHER, cupcakeMAG editor - Casi!

As you know we are big fans of launchHER and the two fabulous ladies who run out! And I was even more thrilled when they asked me to do a exclusive guest post  for them and my latest ventures at New York Fashion Week. They are just so FABulous - along with the great site that supports women owned brand by giving them a boost! 

  LaunchHER EXCLUSIVE :: A Weekend in the Life of Casi Densmore-Koon, cupcakeMAG editor: New York Fashion Week EditionMake sure you check it out here!

beyond excited for launchHER

We are just so thrilled to share the best news we received last week - launchHER has a new boss -- the power duo, Kara Jensen Zitnick & Sallisha Armour! 

We are big fans of LaunchHER, an organization with the mission to boost women owner brands by assisting them with start up and spreading the word via online channels -- so this news was HUGE! 

"Kara and I are looking forward to bringing our over 30 combined years of industry experience to LaunchHER. We are excited to not only help women start their businesses on the best possible footing, but also to help them achieve incredible success through the resources and advice that we will be sharing on LaunchHER."

- Sallisha Armour

Photo: LaunchHER.com

The site founded in 2010 has had a very successfull start and received a warm response by independent women business owners nationwide. On a regular basis the Freshly Launched section features women owned businesses large and small from stationers, to potters, to seamstresses in hopes of spreading the word about their company and creating buzz.  Armour and Jensen Zitnick are excited to grow LaunchHER using more social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Feedburner and we excited to watch them grow! 

Stay up-to-date with all things LaunchHER

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If you haven't already heard about LaunchHER make sure you check it out!

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LaunchHER Mission Statement::

LaunchHER provides the boost that women owned brands need by featuring new and fresh companies as well as providing professional public relations, branding, business development and positioning tools to start-ups.

We are happy to be a proud sponsor LaunchHER!