About Holly
Holly Hurd is a powerful force. She founded VentureMom, a blog and online platform, to empower women to achieve economic freedom through their own businesses. But her impact goes further than business advice. Holly’s story of survival and success shows her courage and strength. She shares her wisdom from her experiences, guiding women to fulfillment and self-sufficiency.
Invite Holly to speak at your next event. She can tailor her talk to your needs. Your group will be enthralled and inspired by her talk.
Topics
Holly shows you how to make money with a blog. Using the experience she’s garnered over the last 15 years, Holly shares personal stories and tips for success. The talk includes how to choose the right topic, get your blog set up and how to start posting. Holly also gives guidance on what to post and how to plan a posting schedule. And most importantly, she shows you how to make money using your blog.
For women who want to reinvent their lives, there is one question that can help them make that transformation. Holly teaches you the secret of how to figure out what the question is and how to answer it to move forward. Whether you are an empty nester, widow, divorcee or recently retired, you need this talk.
Nurturing an idea into a profitable income stream may seem daunting, but it’s wholly possible with Holly’s chronological guide. In 3 months, Holly maps out a clear, actionable path from conceptualization to realization. She breaks down the potentially complex process into easy-to-do steps making it totally possible for any woman to start generating income from her entrepreneurial idea in just 12 weeks.
Holly’s agenda extends to cultivating businesses that aren’t just profitable, but have been structured from the beginning to give back. She shares unique strategies from the businesses she has researched for incorporating charitable elements into a business model, ensuring that success also contributes to society. This might include ethical sourcing, involving the community, or utilizing goods from a small cohort. Her inspiring stories show how easy it is to give back and help another community in need.
Holly shares her deeply personal story, recounting a transformative night when she found herself pushed out of a car by her abusive college boyfriend. She was on the side of the road, sitting on the curb in the dark, with no phone when she made a transformative choice. She shares what she tells her own daughters now about what a good relationship should look and feel like. Ideal talk for high schools, colleges and women’s groups.
Finding your passion can be harder than you think. Holly helps women figure out what they love to do and then she shows them how to make money doing it. She is somewhat of a “Venture Detective.” She has a series of questions that you can ask yourself to determine what you love to do, who you like to be with and where you like to spend you time. The outcome of this self exploration, leads you to what your passion is. Holly then shows you how to make money doing what you love.
Media Publications
Book Review: Venture Mom by Holly Hurd
By Coach’s Casebook
Many women find themselves with a desire to do something new, to start a business, to find what really fulfills them. Holly Hurd is a master detective in helping women come up with an idea for a venture, a hobby that might turn into a business or a full fledged business. In her book VentureMom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks, you’ll learn how to come up with an idea and turn it into a business in just 12 weeks. With exercises and guidance the reader will have help at every step.
You’ll read about women who started with a hobby that created a new life, new friends and a money making business. Some women designed a venture for themselves that has given them such happiness. Some women took a talent and turned it into a service for others. You’ll find the path to the fulfillment you’re looking for in this book. Click here to read more.
By Chit Chat Author
Tell us a little about you. Moms love flexibility. In interviewing over 300 VentureMoms, I’ve been told that the number one perk to having your own business is flexibility. I’m Holly Hurd, founder of the VentureMom platform designed to show every mom in America how they, too, can start a business and find economic freedom and that oh-so-coveted flexibility. Click here to read more.
By Sarah Cody
“The book came-to-be because I met so many women who wanted to start their own business and they said, ‘How do I do it?’ So, I distilled what I had learned from the hundreds of moms that I’ve interviewed into a 12 week process,” explains this mom-of-three. “98 percent of the moms I’ve interviewed didn’t have a business plan, didn’t have start-up capital and didn’t even have a babysitter.” Click here to read more.
By Lisa Stein
“Today, we got the chance to speak with a mom entrepreneur, Holly Hurd – Founder of VentureMom.com. Holly has built a successful online business by highlighting a different VentureMom on her site and giving people an opportunity to learn about them and their products and drive traffic. She has now created an additional feature and platform for women to be able to sell, advertise and grow their business on her website. Learn more about Holly and what she has created. What was your motivation to work from home or start your business? I’ve always worked for myself and I met these fabulous women who had started their own businesses too. I first started to write a book to share their stories and then figured out that through the web I could share faster. So I started VentureMom.com and began to cover a new mom each week. Taking it one step further is my mission to support these moms and their businesses; I just launched the VentureMom Shop where I showcase the mom products and services…” Read entire interview here on Freelance Mom.
By Woombie.com
For many people, the decision to start their own business comes easy. They know they want to be their own boss. They know they want the freedom of working for themselves. They know they want to build something that lasts for their families. But the next question is a lot harder. “What kind of business should I start?”
About her new book Holly Hurd says, “In my book, Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks, I go into detail about picking your business, but here are three basic tips to get you started. You can learn more on this subject and how to turn your idea into a profitable venture in my book.” Click here to read more.
By Megan Davis
Holly Hurd, Darien resident and founder of VentureMom.com, a website that every week profiles a new mom with a business, moderated the panel. Hurd told the audience five commonalities that her successful “venture moms” have had in common. The moms generally start a venture around a passion. The moms use friends and family. “If you tell everyone you know, people will want to help you,” said Hurd. Click here to read more.
By Dr. Reece
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. Click here to read more.
By Christine Chiarellli
“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.
‘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 read more.
By Dr. Reece
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. Click here to read more.
By Rieva Lesonsky
There is so much small business owners need to know to operate at peak performance. Luckily we live in the Information Age with plentiful resources. To help you sift through some of the data, every week we’re going to look at three business books and the lessons you can learn from reading them.
Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks ($17.95)
Holly Hurd is a serial entrepreneur who today runs the online marketplace VentureMom.com. In this excellent book Hurd shares her methods—and those of other entrepreneurial moms—of learning to “do anything you set your mind to.” Of course Hurd says you need to be “authentic, passionate and persistent.”
Venture Mom is so easy to read. It’s filled with tips and success stories that almost all women can relate to. And Hurd provides advice for what she calls “self-starting” moms, whether they want to earn a few extra dollars or build a scalable business. The book takes you step-by-step, week-by-week into the world of startup. For less than 20 bucks, you’re essentially getting a crash course in entrepreneurship. Definitely worth reading. Click here to read more.
By Charles Franklin
Busy Moms Guide to Hacking Small Biz from the Kitchen
“Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks” is a guide to hacking the business owner for the mom who has a profitable talent or skill, but hasn’t unleashed her full potential yet. The book guides prospective “mompreneurs” through the a 12-week program designed to help them plan and market a small business that is centered around their unique abilities, schedule, and personal interests. Click here to read more.
By The Westport Library
Holly Hurd of VentureMom moderated a panel of Westport mothers sharing ideas and strategies for running successful businesses. Panelists included Ruth Frantz of Henri’s Reserve (an e-boutique for champagne lovers), Jill Ciporin of Lovely Manners (encouraging good table manners with colorful instructive placemats), Kathy Monahan of 8 to the Bar (healthy nut and fruit bars) and Karen Ellman of Vintage Virtuosa. Click here to read more.
By Charles Franklin
Busy Moms Guide to Hacking Small Biz from the Kitchen
“Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks” is a guide to hacking the business owner for the mom who has a profitable talent or skill, but hasn’t unleashed her full potential yet. The book guides prospective “mompreneurs” through the a 12-week program designed to help them plan and market a small business that is centered around their unique abilities, schedule, and personal interests. Click here to read more.
Quotes
The Daily Darien
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.”
“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.”
ItsRelevant.com
“My mission is to provide a place where anyone can look at my site and figure out their life now, what they enjoy doing, and create a business around what they like to do.”
“A lot of women will say ‘finding a business course equals X amount of dollars but figuring out what I want to do is priceless.’”
ItsRelevant.com
“My mission is to provide a place where anyone can look at my site and figure out their life now, what they enjoy doing, and create a business around what they like to do.”
“A lot of women will say ‘finding a business course equals X amount of dollars but figuring out what I want to do is priceless.’”
New Canaan News
“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.”
New Canaan Darien and Rowayton Magazine
“Where other women love to shop, I am happiest building businesses and helping moms move forward. And I love to motivate others.”
“My social circle is full of successful women who left the workforce to raise kids but got bored after elementary school. I meet moms everywhere and I always ask them, ‘What’s your business? How’d you get started?’ It’s my cocktail party conversation. And I started writing about their stories.”
International Association of Women Entrepreneurs Online (IAWEO)
“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 your 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 you’re are focused on only work.”
Holly Hurd
“We believe the single best asset that powerful women have is the ability to communicate effectively for a positive outcome.”
Videos
Radio Appearances
The Debbie Nigro Show (Regular Featured Guest)
News Talk AM 1490 WGCH & WGHC.com
Startup Nation Radio
Paul Bologna, Producer, Startup Nation Radio, WJR760 Saturdays 2-3pm
iHeart Radio
This Little Parent Stayed Home with Ally Lopretea
Experience Pros Radio Show
KLZ-AM, Denver, CO and BizTalkRadio nationally. The interview is also streamed live on the Experience Pros website.
Late Afternoons with Mike Schikman
WSVA-AM, Harrisonburg, VA
Anything Goes with Kim Berns (Regular Featured Guest)
News Talk AM 1490 WGCH & WGCH.com
Women’s Watch
WBZ-AM in Boston, MA
Business Insanity
WIND-AM, Chicago, IL
Money for Lunch
BlogTalkRadio
Stu Taylor on Business
WESO-AM, Lexington, MA / Money Matters Radio Network, MA, RI, CT, ME, NH, VT
The Entrepreneurs Club
WINT-AM / Willoughby, OH
Conversations Live
THE LIFE CHANGING POWER OF ONE Question
For women who want to reinvent their lives, there is one question to help them make that transformation. Holly helps women figure out what the question is and how to answer it. Whether you are an empty nester, a widow, a divorcee or recently retired, Holly can help you move forward. NEW BOOK COMING SOON!!!