Customer Reviews

Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I liked this book. It's written by a woman for women and explains how women can have it all: kids and a successful career. And a successful career is one where the woman is in the driver's seat owning and/or operating her own company. It's very difficult (or impossible) to have kids, raise kids, and hold down a well-paying job where you collect a W-2. Something has to give in that mix since holding down a well-paying job usually does not allow for child-rearing time.

Women who want to create their own work world so they can earn significant compensation but also be able to rear their children must go the entrepreneur route. They have to start their own company or companies. And the author, who has gone this route and been successful at it, has written the instant book to share rules and lessons she has followed on her journey.

The author says there are 8 essentials women entrepreneurs must concern themselves with if they are to create a successful business where both the woman and her company thrive:

1. You
2. Your passions
3. Your brand
4. Your company name
5. Your positioning
6. Your culture
7. Your customers
8. Your gifts

The book is broken into two parts: (1) Find the company in you, and (2) Make the company successful by developing a competitive advantage within it. The first part is comprised of 3 chapters and nine "Life Lessons." The second part is comprised of 5 chapters and fifteen "Life Lessons." I found the grouping of three life lessons per chapter to be a good way to organize the book. As I read these life lessons I felt like I was re-reading parts of Jack Canfield's "The Success Principles" (ISBN: 0060594896) that I read a few years ago.

Countless times within the book I was presented with the following:

>>Questions to think about
>>Action steps
>>A real story
>>Recommended readings

I loved the real stories. And each one included a diagram of the featured entrepreneur and her company regarding the "8 essentials." Women who read this book would have role models and some sort of mentor in each of these real stories.

But even though I liked the book a lot, I did not love it. There is no mention of the need for doing investigation and research in order to write a business plan. There is no mention of the need for a business plan. The instant book focuses too much on the woman entrepreneur and creating a brand, and not enough on the real world and creating a viable business that has a neat brand. A new business can be innovative, but it still has to fit into the market in which it plans to earn revenues.

If this book had devoted a chapter to business plans and how important they are for success in starting a business, then I would give this book a 5-star rating. But it didn't. The book is really good regarding what it covers. But since I found the book to be a startup guide for women entrepreneurs it came up a little short on the content I felt it should have included. 4 stars!

PS. Look at the Search Inside material Amazon offers for this book in order to examine the Table of Contents. You will be able to see the titles to the 8 chapters and also the 24 Life Lessons mentioned.

A book that truly transformed my business - in fact, our motto comes directly from the work I did while reading your book. Beauty (Find Beauty). Spirit (Nurture Your Spirit). Passion (Live with Passion).

I would recommend (and have recommended many times) this book to gain clarity, focus, and a connection between yourself and your business.

Thank you for such a great book, Kaira!

Shelly Holbrook
President

Plein de Vie
[...]

We all have business brands, but we also have person brands. Author Kaira Sturdivant Rouda does a great job in forming steps on how to have a real, authentic You brand which is part of your business and personal brand.

She offers reflective questions, exercises, suggested readings and also personal stories of not only herself, but other women as well. Although this book written with women in mind, the content of the book can be applied to men as well.

While Kaira's book is given as advice to women entrepreneurs it is equally relevant to men or any group. Her emphasis is to first, identify who you are and then implement the "you" in your business and yourself and then your brand. Truly a great read which shows how we flourish when being ourselves and are surrounded by others who share the vision of the group. Terrific ideas on how to be all you can or want to be - both in business and in the rest of "you". This book is for real.

Great writers don't just tell good stories. Great business writers don't just map new roads to success and hawk their genius. Kaira Rouda knows that. Kaira Rouda is a great writer. She is a great writer because she reveals the reader to herself. I found myself in "Real Your Incorporated, 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs." Kaira Rouda's book revealed me to myself.

Rouda makes a promise in the first few pages:

"After reading `Real You Incorporated' you will better understand your personal brand and be able to deliver a more sincere, sustainable, and richer business concept to the world."

She delivers on that promise.

I was looking for answers in all the wrong places. I looked where other twenty-first century women entrepreneurs look for inspiration and guidance. Like many new media savvy entrepreneurs, I tapped into my microblogging stream, but an uninterrupted salvo of inspiration from the Dalai Llama and Mother Teresa did not move me to action.

I joined law of attraction devotees who hearken to coaches teaching basic precepts, summoning personal abundance with sheer will and desire. Forget it!

Life seems much simpler after reading "Real You Incorporated, 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs " (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2008).

Kaira Rouda is the most vivacious speaker in real estate. Her book embraces a thought design elegant as the woman who wrote it, pure pedigree. She translates her special breed of vim and vigor and optimism into a blueprint for entrepreneurial self discovery. She led the first major brand with a focus on women and lifestyle marketing. She was the first major player in the real estate industry to promote eco-friendly practices.

Rouda meshes her own life experiences with smart, pithy "Real Story" narratives of 24 women business owners. Their stories share common threads - they have a strong sense of purpose, a vision, and they are in tune with their passions, their customers, and their positioning. Hyper focused market prism serves these women well. They are successful. They are working and playing and living their lives and carving success across a broad spectrum of industries, products, and services - autos, bistros, business development, communications, dance fitness, fashion, floral design, hair salons, marketing, publishing, real estate.

Each woman shares her essence in an eight-layer chart that articulates her essence. I created my own chart based on words that articulate my essence - brutally honest, change champion, consumer advocate, engaging, fearless, intense, loyal, passionate, powerful.

"Turn passion into action. You do not have to be in a place that does not make your heart sing, "says Rouda.

She follows her passions in life and business. Rouda is a successful real estate executive with a focus on home buyers and home sellers and agents and sales production. Lifestyle marketing in real estate is about home and hearth ... and heart ... it's about REAL people, wherever they live. Her lifestyle branding shines in passion-based initiative:

"I hadn't given homelessness more than a passing thought. I was captivated by the sadness of the fact there was no homeless shelter for families in our town. Moms and girls went to the women's shelter; men and boys over 12 to the men's shelter ... I became obsessed with helping them, and the results - Make Room Columbus - were the first shelter for homeless families in my community." - Kaira Rouda

The author takes a quantum leap past the heady hyperbole of "The Secret" with a complete primer for business success. She gets it. She walks the talk. She is the real deal. That's because she knows exactly who she is, the REAL Kaira Rouda.

Find the REAL people in your life and stay away from the snarks, she warns. Snarks sap energy. Snarks pop passions. Snarks are culture vultures. Snarks are not REAL. Rouda created a clever Snark Scale to identify six brands of snark. She posted a Snark Guide on her website.

Rouda knows exactly who her customer is. She knows what her business needs are and she knows how to position her brand. She's not worried about how to fit into a man's world because she knows women rule. They make the decisions in the marketplace. They are her customers. Rouda constructs an eight-step plan, a veritable blueprint for success tailored for women. The book's complementary website is conclusive proof the author knows exactly what she is talking about when she discusses her own 360 marketing, blending traditional and new media.

Dreaming of owning your own business? This is a great place to start, plan, and make it happen! Share your passion and commonalities with your target audience. Create your own RYI chart. Articulate your essence, your brand.

The magic of the book is not what you learn about business. The magic of the book lies in what you learn about yourself.

Are you an entrepreneur? What is your essence, your core? Put your passions into action. Be authentic. Be clear. Who a woman is in her heart is the essence of who she is at home, at school, and in the workplace. The passions that make your heart sing are the same passions that will drive your success in business.

Rouda spells it out: "Lesson One: Your future starts now."

Go for it!

I am a real estate professional that considers myself a constant student. I have read many business books and found hers to be exceptionally educational and motivating! It was incredibly helpful in helping me to reshape my ideas on how I should be running my business. She has great concepts and her enthusiasm and passion for what she does is inspiring! I highly recommend this book for anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit!

Real You Incorporated is a must read for anyone starting a business, looking for a better job, or in charge of a marketing effort. Branding is what you stand for, your personality and promise to those who might want to buy your product or services. Rouda gives you a blueprint to help you define your own brand and create the compelling reason why your customers should give you a second look. In today's cluttered world, this advice is invaluable. Rouda has written a lively, practical book that will become the bible for success in the 21st century. Read it now to stay ahead of the pack.

If you dream of starting your own business, you need a unique product or service, dedication, enthusiasm, and lots of passion. But a primer would also be helpful. Kaira Sturdivant Rouda, brand creator of Real Living, has written an inspiring book that fits the bill: Real You Incorporated, 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs. According to Rouda, the key to success is to be real: "Your values and your personality [must be] in sync with your business operations and its people." There are countless business books available to wannabe entrepreneurs, but many are dry and out-of-date. Rouda's book is different because it immediately grabs the reader on page one and holds her interest until the last page. Don't wait another minute...your business idea is waiting for you!

Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs is a great book. It is very easy to read and very inspirational. Furthermore, this book actually accomplishes what many other books attempt; it helps the reader to define their business in actionable and useful steps. From knowing yourself to defining yourself to creating your brand and articulating it and your passions to the world, Real You Incorporated helps the reader establish their foothold in the marketplace.

Although written for women, I found this book to be very helpful to my own business. Over the next 30 days, I will implementing the strategies offered in this book. Kaira's Real You Incorporated is the tool that will help me in an area where I am weakest.

If you have had any thoughts about starting a business or about bettering yourself as a professional, this is to book to read. Buy it, read it once then read it again and follow the steps then keep it as a desk reference.

Lastly, I really like how Kaira mentions to not lose yourself while trying to build your business. Too often, we as entrepreneurs get so wrapped up in building our businesses that we forget how to be ourselves and to enjoy life. Thanks for the reminder Kaira!

This is a must read. As Kaira states be real and be you!

Osiola Henderson
Author of 28 Day Financial Renaissance

"The key to having a rewarding business is having one that speaks to your inner strengths, bolsters your passions, and engages your heart." ~ pg. 7

If you have just started a business or want to redefine your business, reading this book will give you new ideas and help you to pursue a path to success. Throughout the book there are fun case studies to prove that success is possible and real. The inspiring stories guide the way and Kaira Sturdivant Rouda's wisdom gained from experience helps you to formulate a business plan. "Real You Incorporated" could change your life and motivate you in the direction of your dreams. As you read this book you can take notes to record your own ideas about your business.

I liked the handy guide to typical snarks (people that don't have your best interest at heart) and the ideas about avoiding culture vultures. Kaira Sturdivant Rouda explores many possibilities and has some especially wise advice about hiring employees, or letting them go whichever is best for your company. She encourages entrepreneurs to hire people who understand the heart of your business and won't drag the company down with a number of destructive tactics.

Some of the helpful tips in this book include one about setting up a Facebook profile and getting your website name registered early in the game. Each chapter also includes a section on books and magazines you will want to read. This book will also help you to:

Create a vision statement
Follow your instincts
Create a marketing plan
Define your passions
Design your office

Is it time for a change? Are you tired of having to act like a man to get ahead in business? This book shows the way to a new path that will lead to the fulfillment of your dreams. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering a new business venture or to anyone who wants to revamp their business plan in order to be even more successful.

"For your brand to be successful, you've got to have an online presence." ~ pg. 101

~The Rebecca Review