Meet Our 2013 She Owns It Featured Contributors!

I have over 17  years of experience in retail management working for organizations such as Hecht’s, Ann Taylor Loft and FootAction USA.  I received a B.A. degree in Fashion Merchandising in 1999 and recently receive a M.B.A in Finance in 2010.  For the last 4.5 years I’ve operated 13 private photography studios from Atlanta, GA to Columbia, MD and have been responsible for managing 60+ employees as a District Manager. During this time I was given the opportunity to open 6 of the 13 stores within  my first two years with the company , which included hiring, staffing and training all employees.

My skills included, but were not limited to fashion merchandising with companies such as Macys and Ann Taylor Loft. Participating in floor sets and marketing responsibilities as both manager and District Manager as well as creating sales projections and action plans for stores across 5 states for more than 3 years.

It was approximately 7 years ago that I participated in a “Spiritual Gifts” class at church and it was there that I realized that God had given me specific talents regarding administration, leadership with a “knack for motivating individuals through faith and wisdom. Although God  had revealed my talents to me, I was not prepared to embrace them. Thus I was the servant who dug a hole and buried his treasure/talent. Matt 25:14

Emily Worden – Entrepreneur, Small Business Strategist, Impossible Optimist

Emily Worden is a Boston-based entrepreneur and small business strategist. She started her custom handbag business eThreads.com in 2008 while pursuing her MBA and working 3 jobs. After a particularly awful shift at her weekend catering gig, Emily threw down the apron and said, “Screw it, I’m going to do something I love!” She graduated and quit her jobs to pursue eThreads full time. Emily believes business can be a powerful catalyst for change. She started eThreads to satisfy the Triple Bottom Line – people, planet and profits – and hopes to inspire other businesses to do the same. She started the cat lifestyle business Ferocious Friends in 2012 with her husband Case to satisfy the needs of their cats Lulu, Smoke and every feline around. Emily started emilyworden.com in 2013 to assist other small businesses with strategic vision and implementation with a focus on marketing, leadership and social media.

Emily is an avid DIYer and loves making things with her hands. Her happy place is the library where she walks once a week; she’s always excited to learn something new. Her extra happy place is a great view of sunset with music pumping in her ears. Emily is grateful everyday for following her dreams and hopes to inspire other people to do the same.

Erica Wiley – Business + Tech Geek of PROFITGEEKS

Erica Wiley is Co-Founder and President of PROFITGEEKS, a unique web development and marketing agency that uses technology, biz savvy and good clean fun to grow businesses.

Erica blends her 10 years in sales & marketing with the unique experiences learned from working from home, homeschooling and managing a blended family of 7! She knows first hand the challenges that entrepreneurs face and teaches her clients how to use technology to streamline business operations, create a profit-generating online presence and have time for their passion.

Her work is her joy as she helps you demystify marketing and technology and create a customized system that will keep you focused, motivated and in action!

An all around geek, Erica is passionate about personal development, LOTR, Star Wars, white boards, productivity & planning apps, software testing, volunteering, tree climbing and currently, indie folk music.

Holly MarshMueller – Branding and Indie Craft Business Advocate

Holly MarshMueller has two–no, three, jobs: 1:: She’s the Owner of MarshMueller, where she designs and sews pretty + practical items for mamas + babies, 2:: She still works for The Man (a national retailer) in their Corporate Brands + Packaging Division, and 3:: She is a mama to one adorable little boy (although she is very biased). How does she juggle it all?

“Five hours of sleep a night, lots of coffee, an amazingly supportive husband, and a drive to make life (and necessities) better for all mamas out there.” Holly lives in a 900-square-foot house with her husband, son, two Pomeranians, and one cat in Portland, Oregon.

Holly’s items have been featured on Disney baby, StyleList, and Baby Plus You Wellness For Two. In addition to selling her items on Etsy, she also sells wholesale to small, independent boutiques, and participates in as many craft shows as she can (barring they don’t conflict with a Portland Timbers match, as she is a proud member of the Timbers Army supporter group). Holly is also one of the Leaders of the PDX Etsy Team.

Holly is on many social media platforms; connect with her below! Fair warning about her Twitter account: she Tweets about the Portland Timbers (soccer) quite a bit, and she is too stubborn to open two Twitter accounts.

Jessica Wolstenholm – Product Development Maven

Before getting her dream job as a stay-at-home mom, Jessica Wolstenholm worked in the music and publishing industries for over 15 years serving major labels and publishers in marketing and brand management. Although her transition from the corporate world to the playground has been quite an adjustment, she’s learning to love the juggle of home life and various entrepreneurial projects that allow her to keep creative juices flowing. With an extensive background in product development in which she helped artists, authors and speakers take their dreams from concept to reality, Jessica could not help but apply her experience to her own ideas. Co-author of The Pregnancy Companion and The Baby Companion books, Jessica also writes to encourage moms at graceformoms.com. She lives just outside Nashville, TN with her husband and two children.

Kalen Ruiz – Vintage Treasure Hunter, Bess & Evie’s Vintage

Kalen Ruiz is a native Texan who discovered the exciting world of vintage clothing during her days as a Fashion Merchandising Major at Texas Christian University. Flea markets, thrift stores, estate sales, and the antique/junk/vintage shop across the street from campus became part of her regular rotation of destinations on the never-ending hunt for vintage treasures. Her trips back home to El Paso would inevitably consist of digging through closets at her parents’ and grandparents’ homes to see what might be found there. Cowboy boots of every color and skin from her dad’s days at the Tony Lama Boot Factory were sadly not in her size, but the array of western belts were quickly snatched up and taken back to Fort Worth. Her grandma Evie’s closets produced a sea of tulle and taffeta that were her aunt’s prom dresses from the 1960s and a collection of coats that sadly Grandma was not ready to part with yet. Grandma Bess, being Scottish had countless handkerchiefs and wool tartans made in to dresses and skirts to add to the treasury. After a career in buying, merchandising, E-commerce and operations with a national home furnishings retailer, Kalen pursued her dream and opened Bess & Evie’s Vintage, a vintage clothing boutique in Fort Worth, Texas in May 2010. Her favorite part of the job is still the thrill of the hunt, but also loves helping people find their own treasures in her boutique.

Kelly McCormick – Business Growth and Marketing Strategist

From her lawn chair in California, Kelly McCormick helps entrepreneurs and companies world-wide to grow their businesses. She loves uncovering opportunities for growth and developing branding, marketing and sales strategies, which make sense and money!

But Kelly doesn’t just talk the talk. She walks the walk. Kelly has owned three successful companies, the first at age 21. Over the years she has shared her wisdom at colleges, and in business and consulting programs. Kelly has also spoken at many national and international conferences, company functions, and on-line events.

Kelly’s to-do list has been big. She is the author of a Top Ten Sales book,OutSell Yourself: Ethical Business and Sales Techniques. Kelly has also written for numerous publications, including writing a monthly on-line column, on Selling to Women, for the former Sales and Marketing Management Magazine.

She’s pretty smart too. Kelly has an education in psychology and sociology. But the icing on the cake is a strong gut sense of what will work to build and market a business.

Kelly has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and companies to grow successful businesses. It’s the cream in her coffee. She’d love to help your business too! You can check her out at www.OutSellYourself.com.

Kiesha Easley – Online strategy and Blogging Expert

Kiesha Easley is a writer, instructor and blog consultant.  Her blog, WeBlogBetter.com provides blogging, writing, social media and other great tips for improving a blog.  Kiesha’s articles have been published on Problogger, DIYThemes, Social Mouths, and in Midlands Live Magazine.  Her most recent blogging guide, 10 Week Gameplan for a Top 100k Blog, has helped many bloggers build successful blogs from scratch.

In addition to teaching others how to blog, Kiesha is also a college instructor who teaches students how to write for mass media.

When she is not writing, teaching or working on freelance projects, she loves ballroom dancing, watching movies (her favorite: The Pursuit of Happyness), spending time at the beach with family and playing The Sims 3 when she can steal some very rare free time.

Melinda Massie – Professional Organizer

Often called a healer, therapist of stuff and the organizing ninja, Melinda Massie is the owner of Organizing with a Side of Fabulous in Fort Worth, TX. If your home is a hot mess then she’ll help you take control over the clutter so you can make your home fabulous. Combining her sensible, no-fuss organizing philosophies with a vivacious personality and healthy dose of “redhead,” she makes getting organized suck less. As a former professional ballroom dancer and event planner, she also brings in some sparkle and entertainment to the process.

Melinda was named Best Personal Organizer 2011 by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine and Most Glamorous Home-Based Business in the 2011 StartupNation Home-Based 100. Her tips have been seen in Woman’s Day, SHAPE and many other local and national publications.

In her free time, Melinda enjoys yoga, cooking and eating indulgent food and believes that champagne is meant for the everyday.

Mella Noir – Entrepreneur Success Stories & Inspirational Profiles

Mella‘s great love of the English language began her adventures in journalism, with a side passion for sales and marketing. She segued into advertising, and her fascination for both people and Champagne propelled her flute first into event and party planning. Many soireés, fêtes, and galas later, she’s still popping corks, clinking and chatting her way through life. She’s an original “Champagne Sister”, and producer of the Bubbly Talk Radio Network, where each Wednesday on  *Clink, Chat & Catch Up!*, she profiles inspiring and passionate entrepreneurs and shares their story of finding and following their dreams.

Michelle Nickolaisen of Bombchelle – Get it Together Guru for Creative Entrepreneurs

Michelle is a project + operations wrangler for creative businesses, who also writes & teaches about productivity, organization, & systems (that don’t suck) for creatives. She lives in Austin, TX with her Shiba Inu & loves Buffy, dark chocolate, and tacos. Find her on the web at Bombchelle.

From Michelle’s site: “My name is Michelle, and I’m an expert at finding out how + why something works (and then putting that knowledge to usually-good use), being grade-A curious, & getting things Done with a capital-D. I work with with creatives who have an established business, who are ready to launch something new or who want to go in a new path, who tend to get stuck going from innovation into action. If you’re working with me, you can expect sass + laughter, fun surprises, and lots of action.”

Pamela McCormick – Creativity Promoter/Inspiration Generator

Pam is a creative consultant, writer and dance teacher/choreographer. In addition to the joys of being a Mom of three (ages 13, 9, and 3) she has first-hand experience in the business of family and the life of a working woman, as well as more than 10 years as a business executive in product development/creative coordination.

Creative development is a specialty. Copywriting, editing, marketing, photo shoot management and sales presentation speaking skills are all in her “dance bag” of tricks. With her wide background of business, leadership, motherhood and teaching, she has learned to “leap” through it all.

Pam is an eternal optimist who is determined to help you transform the chaos of your daily life into an enthusiastic “DANCE.”

Rakhee Ghelani – Customer Experience Specialist

Rakhee Ghelani is an Australian woman who abandoned her successful corporate career to move to India in 2011.  She now works as a freelance consultant, writer and entrepreneur in Mumbai. Her extensive skill set allows her to add value to businesses in industries as varied as travel, manufacturing and publishing.

Prior to leaving Australia, Rakhee was head of Customer Experience for ANZ Bank’s Mortgages division, responsible for over 850,000 customers. Customers don’t generally “like” banks or having a mortgage, so it was a challenging but rewarding role that also sparked her interest in helping other companies wow their customers. She believes customer experience extends far beyond how you speak to a customer in a retail store or on the phone, it is about understanding what they want and need, and getting it right every time.

Rakhee is also a travel writer and photographer, and a co-founder of Gourmet Pop-Up shop in Mumbai called Potluck Me. She has a few other entrepreneurial efforts in the pipeline and is currently writing her autobiography. An extensive traveler, you can follow Rakhee’s adventures across India and the world here:

Ronii Bartles – Marketing & Branding Expert from Bartles & Associates

Ronii is Bartles & Associates’ self-proclaimed Chief Rockstar. She has a whole list of amazing (but slightly boring) credentials like a Bachelor’s Degree from Shepherd University, a MBA from The Citadel, The Lowcountry Business Network Advisory Board Member and is President of the Charleston American Marketing Association, where she was also a 2012 Marketer of the Year Finalist. She loves to go around telling people that she actually is one of the Most Influential Women in Business in Charleston and a 40 Under 40 winner because the Business Journal told her so. Professionally, Ronii grew up in the marketing research industry and has been Director of Operations at ARG and W5. She took all that experience and started Bartles & Associates and roniibartles.com where Ronii and her team work with creative entrepreneurs and small businesses on developing branding and marketing strategies around what they do best, which they lovingly call Operations Marketing. B&A helps businesses uncork their potential by uncovering their WHY and then crafting that message into concise, memorable brand stories and marketing messages. Ronii is an active volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters for over twelve years, and won Big Sister of the Year in 2008. Originally from West Virginia (you can take the girl out of WV but you can’t take the WV out of the girl), she loves beer, college football (Let’s GOOO Mountaineers!), pizza, jeans and a t-shirt, and designer high heels.

Sarah Arrow – Niche blogging and Social Media

Blogging an issue for you? Social media not quite working how it should be? I started out as a transport blogger for a same day courier company, and grew into a kick-ass blog coach as well as creator of Birds on the Blog (listed 3 times by Forbes as a top 100 website for women).

Shelley Webb – Social Influence Expert

Shelley Webb is founder of On The Webb Social Media, an agency devoted to teaching professionals how to position themselves as an expert in their field using the power of social media.

Having worked as a registered nurse for over 30 years, Shelley suddenly found herself as the soul caregiver to her father who suffered from dementia. She began writing a blog in order to support other caregivers and just by using the power of social media, rose from a simple nurse to an award winning blog owner, “social media rockstar”, sought after speaker and expert writer for Dr. Oz.

People began asking her if she had a publicity agent. Her response: “social media is my publicity agent”. Soon, requests for social media assistance came flooding in and so in January of 2012, Shelley founded On The Webb Social Media Services.

Born in Canada, raised in southern California, she currently resides in a small town in northern Idaho with 2 dogs, 2 tortoises and about 35 chickens.

Stephanie McNeil – Freelance Creative, EXPAT, & Create Your Own Luck Advocate

Stephanie L. McNeil is a freelance creative business development and marketing consultant based in Philadelphia. As an MBA Art Business graduate from a French university and with professional experiences in leading auction houses and Parisian art galleries, she is particularly savvy in the international art market. Stephanie’s ambitions lie in combining her professional training in the visual arts with her entrepreneurial spirit. She is also an avid supporter of initiations which seek to promote skilled artisans in developing nations.

A firm believer in creating her own destiny, Stephanie chased her childhood dream of living abroad to France, which she has called home since 2007. It wasn’t luck that allowed her to continue living abroad but rather a clear vision of what she wanted and each small step toward clearly defined goals. Today, she continues to apply her insatiable curiosity, desire to learn, and thirst for experience as she moves back to the US to begin the next chapter of her story.

Stephanie is also the creator of ArtfullyAdored, an art and lifestyle blog launched in 2010, where she shares her inspiration for artful living.

Tiffany Fulcher – Life Purpose Architect

Tiffany Fulcher is an entrepreneur, speaker, and life purpose architect tm boldly encouraging women to live their lives by God’s design. She provides inspiration and motivation through Tiffany Fulcher llc a personal and professional development company. Her practical yet strategic approach helps women to overcome obstacles and pursue limitless possibilities.

She compels others to walk in their authority, embrace their extraordinary, and to own their influence. Through her development and leadership training Tiffany equips her clients with the tools to help them define their purpose, set goals, and confront challenges that keep them from pursuing the enriching life God has planned for them.

Tiffany also owns Education Outsource, which serves to teach and train educators, schools, and organizations on the rising trends in education technology and how to implement these trends in effectively in the school and organizational environment.

Always considering matters of the heart, Education Outsource also provides teachers and administrators with leadership and personal development training encompassed around the educator influence.

As a writer and media personality Tiffany has been featured on ABC’s affiliate Good Morning Texas as an expert and blogger, Essence Magazine online, The Fort Worth Star Telegram and countless other news and media outlets.

Tiffany’s heartbeat and passion is her family. She simply adores her husband of 11 years, Fred and 3 kiddos, Symone 3, Trey 6, and Sydnei 9.

Tochi Eze – Creative Communication Strategies

Hi there, My name is Tochi Eze all the way from Lagos, Nigeria. 

I believe in life, I believe in love and I believe in laughter. I so desperately want to live in a world where everyone can run with fiery passion, robust dreams, revealed purpose and unparalleled influence. This is why I am committed to helping personal and business brands create magical market perceptions that yield higher sales. Groovy right?

The Connection is WORDS!

I see words as instruments of change, factors of global dominance and tools of leverage.

All your dreams can come true…If you have the right words! 

You have got the dream and I’ve got the words. The result? Magic! Plus other amazing strategies on creative communication that help sustain that gripping effect that your brand needs.

Why Yes, I am a also sought after Facilitator, Conference Speaker, Promotional Campaign Advisor and Brand Expert. I would love to connect with you. Feel free to connect with me on

Website: www.tochieze.com