Customer Reviews

Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship & Creativity as a Lifestyle

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After seeing the authors on TV, I ordered this book, as they were engaging and smart. I wanted to get an idea of what their "incubators" were like, as I was looking for some support for a new business idea. And I was hoping for some inspiration, like hearing real stories about other women who have started businesses and changed their lives. Ahead of time, I will say I don't mean to insult these women, or anyone who liked the book, but it was so off base as far as I was concerned that I wanted women who see things my way to save their time and cash. And I am a legit person-over the course of many years (I am 53) I have been a product and textile designer (for famous designers), a salesperson who ran a division of a corporation, and had my own design column in a newspaper. Plus have traveled around the world countless times for business. So I have some idea of what it takes to earn a living and be successful (and I only have an AAS degree, so I don't think you need to go to Harvard and get and MBA to do good stuff in the world) and if I had followed the airy nonsense these gals talk about, I would probably never have gotten a job.
I understand that this book is meant to encourage and get you revved up about an idea, not tell you how to exactly turn your idea into something concrete, but it was filled with anecdotes about women and their ideas that were uninspiring and offered nothing that seemed real. Not only do I feel like I wasted my money on this book, I feel like I was being talked down to. If you have never examined your own feelings and thoughts, have little or no experience in the real world of work, and want touchy-feely writing with no true info to back it up, this book is for you. It felt like I was reading a long informmercial for the product called "Ladies Who Launch," since this phrase is repeated about ten times per page. This is like a self-help book for women raised in the 50's...
It is fine to advise women to examine their feelings about what they want to do with their lives, but if you have ANY real life business experience, especially in a creative field like writing, design, advertising, TV, you will be insulted. The authors use the word "creative" to describe just about every thought or action a person might experience, and just because you can bake a nice cookie, for example, it is unrealistic to think that you can run a bakery. Some of the little things they suggest you do to pump yourself up and feel good about yourself are almost like parodies of that Saturday Night Live act, where Stuart Smiley looks into the mirror and tells himself, "I am good enough, I am smart enough, and goddamn it, I like myself."
I also stopped short at the suggestion that we read "The Secret," that book promoted by Oprah. So if you like that kind of stuff, I will apologize now for insulting your taste, but I find it just laughable. Yes, I do believe that what you put out there affects what you get back, but I have to say, I do not think that the thoughts we put out create our universe. Otherwise, I bet all of us would not be at our computers right this second, but someplace else we asked the universe to send us. I do not think that by praying or saying affirmations to be wealthy, for example, I will wake up the next day being offered a job at $500K/yr which is the sort of stuff that "The Secret" book and DVD suggest.
AND there are little charts all through "Ladies" that offer statistics about different life issues, broken down by headings like Ladies Who Launch, Gentlemen Who do this or that...the use of the words ladies and gentlemen just annoyed me as it was over and over....who are the people they talked to? Their relatives? How many were there? You can't talk to 6 people and if all of them say yes to an idea, say that 100% of people say yes to something. And all of this is a shame as the incubator idea sounds really interesting but I am am afraid that whomever leads them would sprout all this new age stuff. I would suggest people read the life stories of women who are successful. There is a design magazine that looks kind of too-cute but every issue covers sa few successful artists or creative business women-Mary Englebreight's Home Companion. You can learn a lot from reading about how they all started their business. Almost all are women, almost all started with a small idea at home, they show photos of their studios and how they got their start.
This book would have made an excellent magazine article.
I would also suggest the book by Anne Lamott, "Bird By Bird." It is about the true work of being creative (she is a writer) and how to go step-by-step to attain something. She mixes humor, autobiography, writing advise that can be applied to almost any endeavor....good luck, save your bucks.

This book is a complete re-hash of "you can do it" pop-psychology. It offered absolutely nothing new in terms of real concrete getting things done. The repeated references to "take time for yoga" and have parties to sell your products to friends is annoying.

The surveys and "studies" mentioned in the book are invalid in terms of how they were conducted; no marketing expert or sociologist would give them any credence.

The book appears to be a marketing tool for the author's own business, a franchise of Incubators which cost hundreds of dollars to join. Don't waste your money; the book itself is an advertisement for a poor product.

In Oct 2006 I attended the LIVE event in San Francisco hosted by Alison Covarubias (the San Francisco Incubator Leader). It was at that event that I made the decision to write the book I'd had in my head for years. And so, "Every Single Girl's Guide To Her Future Husband's Last Divorce" was born.

The idea behind Ladies Who Launch is unique and its about enhancing and developing the idea in your heart, not someone elses idea of what you should do. Beth and Victoria have created a sensational structure to take your creative or business ideas and bring them to life. I know that my life will be forever changed for the better because I had this experience.

For me, during the incubator, what I discovered was that women communicate and develop their creative ideas differently than men, and that I needed that hefty dose of estrogen and unconditional support to propell my idea forward and stay the course.

The incubator changed my life for the better in so many ways, not the least of which was showing me that my dreams were always within reach. Add to that the ongoing monthly meetings and personal mentoring by Alison Covarubias and there was no way I could fail.

For any woman thinking about starting her own business, or who has a creative idea, I highly recommend reading this book and signing up for an incubator near you!

As a business and personal coach working primarily with female solopreneurs, creatives, and nonprofit/education professionals, I was familiar and impressed with the Ladies Who Launch incubator concept prior to reading the book. Nevertheless, I was so pleasantly surprised with the authors' synthesis of their own contextualized theories with concrete tips and imaginative stories, I frequently had to put the book down to record the many business building, marketing, and networking ideas it threw up for me. While the book is straightforward and accessible, it also engages with other contemporary books on female business ownership, branding, and women's ways of learning and avoids the traps of many other books in the genre that simply regurgitate information already available.

I love this book! If you've had entrepreneural ideas sitting on the back burner waiting to be realized, this book definitely gives you a motivating and inspiring push to launch them from dreams into realities. It gives great perspective on how woman are different from men in launching their ideas and creating the business and/or lifestyle that they want and deserve. The website is stock full of great resources and overall, the Ladies Who Launch provide access to a network of woman and like-minded people that will help you move forward.

With so many business books out there mostly written by men, it is a relief to find one written by women, for women. I used to think I was crazy in my thought pattern and how I run my business. I actually thought I might be losing my mind as a business owner. After reading Ladies Who Launch, I know the way I run my business is just the feminine way and there is nothing wrong with me at all. As a matter of fact, I am oh so right and normal!

This book is inspiring and really causes me to move forward with my thoughts and ideas. I will truly be sad when I am done reading it as it has helped me tremendously. Thanks Beth and Victoria for helping others to understand how women run a business and why we are so successful.

I love this book! It proves you don't have to do things the "traditional way" in order to be successful launching a business. Case in point, the part about (loosely quoted), "the traditional process of embarking - write the business plan, crunch the numbers, pitch idea the to potential investors, work really hard to make it happen and when you reach your first million gather together your employees for some cake and champagne in paper cups." Compared to "the feminine process of embarking - take your passion and imagine making it come true in the best way possible, test the concept with friends by talking about it and getting feedback, start out doing it, dipping your toe in, taking some actions, feeling it out, have a big ole party to celebrate your first dollar, hundred dollars, or one million (okay, and buy some shoes)." It's so much more fun the feminine way!! Thank you for sharing all of this with the world. I'm going to buy those shoes I saw on my way to my new office. It's time to ce-le-br-ate!

Ladies Who Launch totally "gets it"! Being a leader for LWL in Boston, I've seen first-hand how the principles in this book apply to everyday women launching their dreams. It's true that women do launch businesses differently then men - and also collaborate and support each along the way! What could better! Thank you Beth & Victoria for documenting all the great stories and successes your processes have manifested for other women - I'm so grateful that the word can be passed along book by book :)

At last you don't have to spend tons to get the secrets from the Ladies Who Launch. Buy the book instead!

Very inspiring and these ladies have defined what it is to be a working girl in her own right. Great insights into perceptions of work in today's society.

This book is exactly what I've been waiting for. After having attended an "Incubator" workshop myself, I have not only put into action my plan for opening my business (business plan, research, etc.) but I have been inspired by many others who have already made their businesses successful and still found the "Incubators" to be helpful in taking their businesses to the next level. This book provided me with even more tools and knowledge and really motivates me to keep going. After spending years in the corporate world, I finally realized there is much more to life than working 9-5 doing something I don't feel passionate about. Now that I've officially launched, I'm successful, I make as much money as I want to make and it's only getting better, AND I'm able to make business on my own terms and own time. Get this book, it is a must read!!!