March 2, 2012
VentureMom to the Rescue! by Michael del Castillo
“When a serial entrepreneur and mother of three sets out to write a book on starting businesses, there’s no telling what may happen. But in this case, what happened is called VentureMom.
To call a mother an entrepreneur is redundant. For all the guidebooks and self-help books, for all the collected wisdom passed down over the generations, every child is different, and in the end there really is no guidebook. If raising a child doesn’t require a bit of that ol’ entrepreneurial spirit, I don’t know what does.
But one entrepreneur turned mother turned entrepreneur (multiple times) has got it down to a science, and she’s sharing what’s she’s learned. Of the 80 million mothers in the United States, 15.6 million own businesses, and if Holly Hurd has her way, that number will be changing in a hurry…”
Click here to view article on portfolio.com where you can share with others.
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February 6, 2012 VentureMom Holly Hurd quoted on International Association of Women Entrepreneurs Online (IAWEO)
Over 100 Women Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets to Keeping Balance Between Work, Life, and Play
“…#99 Make Sure To Compartmentalize
My advice is to compartmentalize. You’ll be happier and so will your kids and family. When you schedule time for work, be at work. Keep all distractions to a minimum. So that means, have a babysitter or work while you’re kids are in school. If you work at home, don’t do the laundry, empty the dishwasher or make the beds. That time should be scheduled as well so that when you sit down at your desk your are focused on only work.
Thanks to Holly Hurd of VentureMom…”
Click here to view article on iaweo.com where you can share with others.
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January 17, 2012 Holly Hurd Featured on ItsRelevant.com
Moms Venture Out in 2012
“For Holly Hurd, 2012 means inspiring more moms to venture out.
Last time Hurd spoke with It’s Relevant, she had close to 70 featured VentureMoms on her site VentureMom.com—telling the success stories of women from Connecticut and across the country. Now with 3,000 followers, Hurd’s ‘big push’ for the year is her ‘venture hour’ —a new method of helping women figure out what they’re ‘good at doing.’
‘A lot of women will say ‘finding a business course equals X amount of dollars,’ said Hurd, ‘but finding out what I want to do is priceless.’
Before the venture hour takes place, Hurd sends the mom a questionnaire to fill out, which will clarify their interests and any limitations such as other jobs, children, or certain time constraints. Hurd will then have an hour over-the-phone consultation with the mom for a $197 fee, to discover interests or hobbies the mom can generate a business with. The venture hour also includes a free copy of Hurd’s 12-step book titled ’12 Week Mom to Venture Mom.’
‘These moms are doing something right now they can charge for, like this one woman who makes homemade ice cream cakes,’ said Hurd. ‘I just love doing this.’”
Click here to view article on ItsRelevant.com where you can share with others.
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November 28, 2011 VentureMom Holly Hurd quoted on Hearpreneur.com
New Entrepreneurs Remember This by Gresham Harkless
“…What are the most important things (maximum 3) that entrepreneurs should remember when starting a new venture?
…(1) Build a venture around something you really enjoy.Your clients will see your enthusiasm for what you are offering. You will never get bored or tired of your venture and every day you will be enthused to wake up and move your new business forward. The most successful businesses have owners who love what they do so much that they don’t care if they make a dime and would do it without making anything. Like in real estate investments where the old saying holds, “Location, Location, Location,” for entrepreneurs, it’s “Do what you love, the money will follow.” (2) Spend as little money as possible in the beginning. There are so many resources now to create your own simple graphics and web sites – do that yourself to start and then put aside money as you grow to bring in the professionals as needed. Find a way that you don’t have to buy inventory and learn to drop/ship from a supplier. Put in your own sweat equity and barter for what you need whether it be painting, a store front, a logo, graphic design – find other start ups that want to barter as well. With a cash outlay of as little as possible you’ll be in the black that much sooner. (3) Build on your family and friends network. So many small businesses get advice and resources from a network they already have. Use email to reach out to everyone you know and tell them what you’re doing. Own your venture and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone likes a start up and wants to be a part of the success. So talk with everyone you know about what you doing, what you need to be successful and how they can help. And don’t forget to say thank-you when they come through or even for just giving you their advice.
Thanks to Holly Hurd of VentureMom…”
Click here to read the complete article including the feature response on Hearpreneur.com.
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November 28, 2011 VentureMom Holly Hurd quoted on DrShannonReese.com
36 Best Business Takeaways for 2011 by Dr. Shannon Reece
“…17. Inspirational Stories That Motivate Moms – Thanks!
We are most thankful for the great stories that we’re able to cover and share on our site. The downswing in the economy has led inventive moms to create their own ventures and build profitable businesses. I’m so thankful to be able to learn about a multitude of business ventures from all over the country, in all sizes, and in all specific areas from food ideas, to creative clothing, to home ventures, to ventures with animals, to service businesses.
And to be able to provide motivation for others by sharing these women’s successful venture stories is what makes me so happy. So thanks to all the moms who have either fallen into a venture by accident or set out to create an entrepreneurial vocation that gives them fulfillment and then sharing them with the world through our website.
Thanks to Holly Hurd of VentureMom…”
Click here to view full article on Dr. Shannon Reece’s Blog.
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October 31, 2011 VentureMom Holly Hurd quoted on DrShannonReese.com
45+ Best Assets Women Bring to Business
“…42. Effective Communication Skills
We believe the single best asset that powerful women have is the ability to communicate effectively for a positive outcome. Even when the message is not good, women know how to frame bad news between a compliment and a thank-you. Further, when powerful women are delivering good news, they can communicate the enormous part the person played in the making the good news happen. Many women garner this skill when raising children.
Overall, women can read their audience and use their communication skills to their advantage in all situations.
Thanks to Holly Hurd of VentureMom…”
Click here to view full article on Dr. Shannon Reece’s Blog.
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October 28, 2011 Mommy Place: Interview with Holly Hurd from VentureMom
Can you tell me about your background and experience in business and how Venture Mom came to be? Why specifically moms?
I spent many years in the world of finance but always working for myself. I created managed futures products and managed significant assets throughout the 1990s. When I had kids, I took a step back from finance and got my real estate license and started several other ventures including creating a line of glass coffee tables. I love reading motivational books and decided to write one for myself for my own ventures. I started interviewing women in my area whose stories motivated me through their successful business ventures. Most of these women were moms. I wanted to share their paths to success with everyone, so I started my website and weekly newsletter, VentureMom.com, to highlight these wonderful entrepreneurs who had found a way to combine a business of their own with motherhood…
Click here to view full article on mommypage.com.
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September 15, 2011 ItsRelevant.com Article: Entrepreneur Helps Moms Venture Out
A mother of three, with two daughters in high school, and a son who has started his first year in college, Holly Hurd also finds the time to be an entrepreneur as the owner and creator of VentureMom.com.
Since the site launched a year and a half ago, it has been providing guidance for moms all across the country and the world on how to start their own businesses with tips and advice from Hurd, and a little help from the Internet. “I’d meet these women,” said Hurd, “and hear these amazing stories of ideas they had and think, ‘you can make a business out of this…’”
Click here to view full article on itsrelevant.com.
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VentureMom in New Canaan-Darien Magazine, May/June 2011
Article part one (pdf)
Article part two (pdf)
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Darien Woman Helps Moms Venture Out
Holly Hurd is, in her own words, a “serial entrepreneur.” She’s the kind of woman who keeps a stack of well-read motivational books on her bedside table. “I even started writing a motivational book to keep myself motivated,” she says. Holly has worked for a hedge fund, deigned coffee table and is now a busy real estate agent in Darien. She’s also the brains behind a new business, VentureMom.com.
VentureMom is an online networking site that connects women who have started their own businesses. The site provides a directory, tips, a newsletter and a blog aimed to help women turn their dreams into a business. And Holly spotlights her “moms” by telling their stories so that other women will be inspired to pursue their own dreams.
“I cover women who have created something unique on their own,” she says. A recent story features Sheryl Myrhe, who fell in love with tea on a trip to Europe. She did her research, wrote a business plan and now runs an online business selling specialty teas. Then there is the mom who began after-school art classes so that she could take her own kids to work with her. And the two friends who set up a website where people could get rid of surplus belongings responsibly.
“Women often tell me they want to do something but they don’t know what,” says Holly. “I tell them to come up with six things they can do in six days.” Her encouragement gets women thinking creatively. If someone likes to cook, they could think about offering to cook meals for other moms who don’t enjoy or have the time to make home-cooked meals, Holly says. Or start a dog-walking business.
Holly herself is a good example of a mom who has reinvented herself. A Darien mom with three busy teenagers, Holly she began selling real estate with Kelly Associates 11 years ago. “I love houses,” she says. What she especially likes is “seeing the diamond in the rough.” “I’m a frustrated interior designer!” she adds. Holly always recommends that sellers “dovecote” their houses before putting them up for sale. “Paint, change the light fixtures, update the millwork and stage your home.”
More: entrepreneurs, Holly Hurd, Kelly Associates, Venture Moms, Real Estate
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For Immediate Release – January 20, 2011
Darien, CT – Do you dream of starting your own business? For most stay-at-home moms, their former careers seem like a lifetime ago. However, the internet has shown a whole generation of women that starting a new venture or business is a real possibility. Local mom, Holly Hurd, an entrepreneur par excellence, has recently launched a website and blog, www.venturemom.com. Her site is the A-Z on what to do to make your dream of creating your own business a reality. Everything from how to name your business to how to get your venture off to a great start. She says the idea came about after she realized she “had many mom friends who wanted to start a venture and find fulfillment outside of family and motherhood. Lots of moms currently work but are looking for a change that allows them more freedom, and the opportunity to be their own boss.”
With that in mind, Hurd set out to find a way to link moms together, and offer practical advice to those seeking to start a business, or to take an existing venture to a new level. Her website through a free e-letter, features a different VentureMom each week, and also offers an opportunity to read about other moms and their successful stories. Hurd has interviewed scores of women, and wants to share their ideas with others so that they can have the tools to take that first step. “What I love most about what I do, is the opportunity to empower women and show them how a hobby or a passion for something can actually evolve into a successful business.”
Tips such as “don’t wait until it’s perfect, just start” is the site’s mantra, and the calling card for “VentureMom”, a mother of three kids, 13, 15, and 17, who has always loved the entrepreneurial side of business. She has had a number of her own ventures over her lifetime. Her passion is starting new things, and this site is her latest.
Contact: info@venturemom.com, 203-434-4201
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Darien Woman Equips Moms for Business Success
Holly Hurd is a resource for other entrepreneurial moms.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Holly Hurd.
Holly Hurd got an early start in the world of business, learning how to trade commodities and futures from her father when she was 12. Starting her own businesses, working in real estate, public speaking and acting followed. Now the Darien resident is helping women start and run their own businesses through Venture Mom.
“A lot of moms don’t know how to start their own venture and need a place to go. My message is that you can start your own venture and still have time for your children,” Hurd says, “and I can show you how to do that.”
The project started when Hurd set out to write a motivational book about moms running their own businesses. Eventually she decided it would be more effective to have a website where she could highlight women who successfully run their own businesses. She also offers advice on how to get started, market and move forward. The site even has a directory where women can list opportunities and jobs or seek partners to help them expand.
Hurd says one woman told her she got her first client for after being featured on the site. The sites success stories range from a woman who makes $160,000 a year selling things on eBay to a mom who created an app that prevents teens from using their phone while driving, to a woman who started selling gluten-free cookies at the farmers’ market and ended up selling her product at Whole Foods.
“A venture should be something you are enthusiastic about, something you love, that you have a passion for. Do what you love and the money will follow,” Hurd said.
Moving forward, Hurd wants to expand the site so she can continue to share stories and knowledge with other moms, as well as speak at events and to women’s groups. She will also be writing a series of articles for The Daily Darien on Thursdays, outlining the 12 most important steps for starting your own venture.
Have you checked out Venture Mom? Would you be interested in starting your own business? Leave a comment below, on Facebook or Twitter.
Tasha Mayberry Add to VM press Page please 9:29 AM
