When doing Business turns into a Mission!

I just launched a new Web Community for Women in Business, CremeMagnolia.net and wanted to share our mission with this group.

What does it mean to make a positive impact during our stay on the planet? Is it how many possessions we acquire, how much money we make, the THINGS we leave behind; or more specifically is it ALL the lives we touch over a lifetime that creates our legacy?

As life deals its hand and we endure the inevitable challenges it presents hopefully we acquire wisdom along the way. Wisdom to me means being kinder to myself, forgiveness for all my mistakes; and doing all I can on a daily basis to avoid regret. When I was young I thought wisdom was more complicated but today I know it’s really quite uncomplicated.

When I began the journey of creating CremeMagnolia it was as though an unseen force was guiding my mind, creative self and energy. Clarity seemed to be dolled-out in small measures - when the timing was right and as I was able to conceptualize, completely, the inspiration. And I must admit in retrospect, inspiration has come from unlikely sources and at unexpected times. These events have changed my life to the extent I hardly recognize my former self. It is as though my former self is dissolving from my memory like melting snow flakes and the new me is forming like mist.

The CremeMagnolia project began as any other “career” change – and I would know, as I seem to have reinvented myself every ten-years or so. However, this project from the beginning had a mission that removed the “me” from the equation to be replaced with “we.” My task to use God given talent and experience to help women start and grow their business, while lofty seemed inadequate. It seemed my undertaking was ill-formed, possibly incomplete, or potentially flawed in some way. And one afternoon it occurred to me I could do more than provide a forum – I can provide seed financing for women to start or grow their business! I knew at that very moment that I CAN build a foundation to do MORE.

To date I have personally funded the CremeMagnolia project and will continue to do so. Ultimately CremeMagnolia will comprise six websites, (dot.net, com, info, biz, org, and US), each with its own personality, platform and original content. However, every CremeMagnolia site will have one mission in common; to help women in business.

There comes a time when even the noblest endeavor must address the pragmatic aspects of the objective. For that reason the business model relies on carefully chosen advertisers to reside on our websites. CremeMagnolia will not be paid advertising fees, rather a small percentage of any products purchased by visitors originating from CremeMagnolia. Our community will never be riddled with useless Google ads or outrageous claims from unknown companies. Our advertisers have been hand selected, thoroughly checked-out or specifically chosen from past relationships. My intention from the onset has never been about money – but realistically, it is money that provides the sustenance we all need to survive.

Income from advertiser revenues will be used to fund Magnolia Mission – a Foundation to provide seed-capital or expansion capital for women-owned businesses. We are in discussions with for-profit organizations to “match” our funds to build liquidly as quickly as possible. Magnolia Mission has applied for 501c-3 status and it is our hope we will begin making grants mid 2010. That said, especially in this economy, we cannot stop spending. While we are all watching our budgets, if you are going to spend the dollars anyway - we urge you to support our advertisers and in so doing you are paying it forward!

To meet interesting women in business, or if you are considering starting a business, please visit us at http://www.crememagnolia.net