Mastering the art of a good handshake

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What does your handshake say about you? Image by Jet via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

By Chanda Temple 

Earlier this year, I met a man running for public offie. I don’t remember his name nor the office he wanted. What I do remember is his handshake. It was clammy and sweaty.

After shaking hands, I couldn’t wait to wipe my hand. It was left kinda wet.

As I walked away, I wondered if the man knew what his handshake said about him. He may have been the best man for the job, but all I could focus on was that handshake.

Though it may seem small, a handshake is a big thing in politics and business.

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Motivation Monday: Why it’s important to follow your heart in business

By Chanda Temple

Trust yourself.

Trust yourself.

Traci Ann Moore’s parents had picked what they thought would be the perfect career for their daughter.

She’d attend college, study accounting and work as a CPA. Case closed.

But during Traci Ann’s junior year at the University of Montevallo, she had a change of heart. She wanted to study interior design after taking it as an elective.

Her mother wasn’t having it.

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When faking it is a good thing

By Chanda Temple

Image by Alrunia. Provided by Flickr/Creative Commons.

A trip to get my first pair of fake eyelashes reminded me to appreciate the small things in life:. Image by Alrunia via Flickr/Creative Commons.

When it’s your birthday, you feel like celebrating.

There’s cake, dinner with friends and presents.

But that wasn’t the case for Danyale Pickett, whose love of celebrating birthdays  disappeared in 2009, much like the smoke from blown birthday candles.

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Why Javacia Harris Bowser is good for your blog

By Chanda Temple

Javacia Harris Bowser, founder of See Jane Write

Javacia Harris Bowser, founder of See Jane Write

For more than a year, I talked about starting my own blog. But doubt always prevented me from making it a reality. I wondered: Do I have the time to blog? What would I write about? Would people like it?

Every time I found a reason to stay on stop, Javacia Harris Bowser found a reason for me to start. “You can do it. You’ll be good at it,” she said.

Her comments of support came often. But I always put her encouraging words on a shelf, saying, “I’ll get to it some day.” Well, “some day” finally came in early 2014 when I met Javacia at a local coffee shop and decided to take the plunge. After an afternoon of coffee and cake, I walked away, ready to launch http://www.chandatemplewrites.com.

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Seven Oprah Winfrey quotes that will inspire you

By Chanda Temple 

Oprah Winfrey Image from Webmaster Abril via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

During the last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show in May 2011, Oprah Winfrey encouraged the audience to ask themselves: “What’s your passion?” 
Image from Webmaster Abril via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

When Oprah Winfrey ended The Oprah Winfrey Show in May 2011 after a 25-year run, I set the DVR to record the last episode. Once I played back the recording, I sat in awe of her messages and immediately started taking notes. I wanted a written memory of her quotes so that I could read them whenever I felt like it.

The other day, I ran across my notes and thought they’d be a good share for “Throwback Thursday.” Here they are: (more…)

Reconnect, recharge and refresh to meet remaining goals of 2014

By Chanda Temple

Consultants TaShara King and Kimberly Davis

Dr. TaShara Smith-King, left, and Kimberly Davis of Davis + King Consulting help impact people’s lives through motivational messages. They say it’s not too late to tackle the unfinished goals you set on Jan. 1.

Today is July 1, 2014 –  the halfway mark for the year. Are you still pursuing the goals you set on January 1 or have you given up on them? Don’t lose hope. There’s still time to go after what you want.

Kimberly Davis and Dr. TaShara Smith-King of Davis + King Consulting, a Birmingham, Ala.-based company focused on empowering women and young girls through motivational speaking engagements and conferences, have six tips to help get you back on track.

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Motivation Monday: Do single women need a mate to start a business?

By Chanda Temple

Do single women need a husband to start a business? Absolutely not, says small business expert Melinda Emerson. Image by Michigan BD via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

Do single women need a husband to start a business? Absolutely not, says small business expert Melinda Emerson.
Image by Michigan BD via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

I have a friend interested in leaving her full-time job to start her own business. But what’s stopping her is that she’s single. She says she’d prefer to have a husband as a safety net to help with the mortgage and living expenses in case her business fails or is slow to produce income.

When married, she knows she’d love her husband and care for him, but she’d also love the idea of having a mate as a “cushion” in the event her business flops.

My friend’s comments got me thinking: What do single female entrepreneurs think about this? I posed the question to Melinda Emerson, a divorced, Philadelphia mother of one who’s known as “America’s No. 1 Small Business Expert.” 

Melinda, nicknamed the Small Biz Lady, got real in five seconds flat: A husband is not a back-up plan in business.

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