Donna Maria

Design your perfect lifestyle business!

Latest on the Blog

How Often Should You Blog?

How Often Should You Blog? Less Often Than You Think Everyone knows of my strong belief that blogging is a tool that every Lifestyle CEO should use to grow their business and expand their reach. As a result, I am frequently asked how often one should blog in order to achieve positive and consistent results that ultimately lead to sales opportunities. This post answers that question. Before I dive in, if you have not read 5 Reasons Why You Should Blog Consistently, do so now. Unless ... Read the Post

My Favorite Blog of All Time

My Favorite Blog of All Time The Blog of Seth Godin My favorite blog of all time is the The Blog of Seth Godin. I'm not sure why or when the question of what blog I love most popped into my head, but it did. Using criteria that are important to me, I considered several blogs by several awesome bloggers, including Tim Ferriss, Michael Hyatt, Marie Forleo, Leo Babauta, and Gretchen Rubin. Seth's blog won, hands down. Why Seth Godin's Blog is My Favorite Blog of All Time 1. Seth is ... Read the Post

My Current Favorite WordPress Plugins

My Current Favorite Wordpress Plugins These are the Plugins I Cannot Do Without Now that I've shared the importance of consistently blogging, I thought I would take a few moments to quickly post my favorite Wordpress plugins. I use the free versions of the plugins featured here. (Yay!) I use plenty of good plugins that are not mentioned here. This post includes only the plugins I rely on the most to keep this blog interesting and useful to you. My Current Favorite Wordpress ... Read the Post

Why You Should Blog Consistently

5 Reasons Why You Should Blog Consistently Nothing Builds Online Credibility Like Consistent Blogging No matter what you sell, you must establish and maintain credibility in order to sell it. There are many ways to do that, but as an online entrepreneur, blogging consistently is one of the best. A blog is a website that is updated regularly with articles, or "blog posts," designed to benefit your specific target audience. Here are five reasons why you should blog consistently. 5 ... Read the Post

What is a Lifestyle CEO?

What is a Lifestyle CEO™? We Are Different From Traditional Entrepreneurs A Lifestyle CEO™ is a person who owns a business in order to enjoy the entrepreneurial benefits of freedom, flexibility, and fun, usually through a recurring revenue business model. I coined the term Lifestyle CEO on February 25, 2004. I knew immediately, that it perfectly described the kind of integration of life and business that suited me best. Today, as in 2004, most of the businesses featured by ... Read the Post

6 Steps to Hiring a Virtual Assistant

6 Steps to Hiring a Virtual Assistant Start With a Success Recipe I hired my first virtual assistant at the Indie Business Network, over a decade ago. I shared a bit about the experience at Indie Business Blog. Today, I work with a very small team of people who help me manage the day-to-day tasks at IBN. Since I have worked with virtual assistants for so long, and since the bulk of my business is conducted virtually, I am frequently asked how to hire a virtual assistant. Based on my ... Read the Post

Rule No. 1: Don’t Trade Your Integrity

Rule No. 1: Don't Trade Your Integrity Earn Everything The first and most important rule of Lifestyle CEOs is this: do not trade your integrity. For anything. This does not mean you don't make mistakes. It does not mean you don't do things incorrectly at times. But since the brand building actions you take in your business earn you the trust of the people you serve, you should never exchange your integrity for the shiny objects of unearned fame or financial gain. For the last two ... Read the Post

A Membership Site is Not A Business

A Membership Site is Not a Business Do You Know the Difference? In recent years, I have noticed an increasing tendency for people to confuse membership sites with businesses. They are not one and the same. The confusion seems to happen when people think that because a membership site may generate income, it must also be a business. Not true. A Membership Site is Not a Business A membership site is not a business. It's a solution to a business problem. A website is just a ... Read the Post

The Perfect Lifestyle Business

The Perfect Lifestyle Business Follow These Steps to Create Yours I followed 10 specific steps to create the Indie Business Network, the perfect lifestyle business for me. As I look back, I didn't articulate each step clearly as I went along. Instead, I built the plane while I was flying it. In hindsight, however, I can see a clear road map, and I'm going to share it with you here. Before I get to that, I want you to know that there is a bit of irony in my use of the word "perfect." ... Read the Post