Journey

My awesome journey of entrepreneurship


I am so excited to be back on my personal company blog. Let me tell you I have been very busy building my empire of companies, writing business plans, attending webinars, professional development training, establishing partnerships and it’s been an awesome journey when you are connected to God. Allowing spirit to guide you, direct you, and focus you and birth in you strategies to keep on building nations.

What I am learning on this journey is not to sweat the small stuff - life is too short to give energy to crazy stuff. I love life, I love been happy, and I love others who treat me with respect. Life is awesome and so is my journey, right now in this presence time.

Thank you, God for making me unique.



Sonya





ABOUT SONYA YOUNG & COMPANY

Sonya Young & Company is a public relations, advertising, strategic marketing boutique. The company has established several foundations for women and girls which are the Pearls Foundation for Women & string of pearls foundation for girls. We are public relations companies that communicate awareness and bring solutions to the cause.

The Pearls Foundation for Women mission is to communicate and educate healthcare prevention through advertising, educating campaigns, informational websites, health screenings, women and girl’s conferences and training in raising awareness, providing people or the community with knowledge and skills, and create supportive communities to help people make healthy decisions and healthy lifestyles.

For more information, please visit our website: Sonya Young & Company: https://sites.google.com/site/sonyayoungcompany and my blog: http://sonyayoungcompany.blogspot.com.   Pearls Foundation for Women:  http://pearlsfoundationforwomen.blogspot.com. For more information, you can contact us at (678)801.6088.

MY PORTFOLIO - Men/Women at The MASTERS

My Portfolio

is a collection of articles that motivate me to become that extraordinary individual in the boardroom in business, ministry, classroom, or in the community serving.

Sonya Young

 
Male-Only Golf Enclaves: It's Not Just Augusta

By tradition, the slipping the green jacket onto Bubba Watson at the Masters yesterday marked not only the end of the tournament, but also the end — for a year — of serious discussion of the inescapable discrimination at male-only Augusta National. This year, the rumbling of discontent has focused on Virginia Rometty, the new IBM CEO. Traditionally, the CEO of IBM has been a member of Augusta. But that tradition is nothing compared to the tradition of keeping women out of the club. Rometty did not break the gender barrier this year.

If history is any guide, we’ll have to wait another year before the topic is brought up again in earnest. This is unfortunate, not simply because the Augusta policy is increasingly indefensible, but because what happens at Augusta is not an isolated case. Exclusionary policies are not atypical in the golf world, not just at Augusta or Burning Tree in suburban Washington (the power-broker haven where women continue to be rebuffed), but at smaller outposts throughout the country.

Twice in the last three years, I’ve been approached about joining clubs that have had male-only facilities: areas where men may congregate and women may not enter, even if other areas of the club are integrated. The defenses of these no-ladies-allowed areas has varied, from the legalistic (“it’s a private club, they can do they wish”) to the historical (“it’s tradition here”) to the separate-but-equal (“sometimes, we have women’s-only events”) to the dismissive (“there’s nothing special in there”).

But when I toured the facilities, I had my two daughters with me. And I knew that we if joined, they would regularly walk down a hallway past a door they would never be allowed to open. It would be tempting to call the closed door into the men’s-only lounge a metaphor for the difficulty my daughters may face breaking into an old-boy’s network, except it isn’t a metaphor. The door is real. And the reason they can’t walk in is based purely on their sex.

We declined.

But there is a metaphor in the closed door at the local clubs and in the more famous keep-out signs at famous clubs: where it’s legally permissible, some men are going to try to keep women out, on or away from the links. That has an impact far beyond Augusta — indeed, an impact that reaches into the workplace — and explains why my eldest daughter, after listening to an extended discussion of Augusta’s policies, said she’d consider running away if I ever had the temerity to join such a club. It’s not that she’s horrified at the idea of me playing golf with a bunch of other guys. It’s that she’s already aware that the playing field can be tilted away from women in a thousand subtle ways, and Augusta’s celebration of exclusion is nothing close to subtle.

Pressure on Augusta National has traditionally peaked going into the Masters and all but disappeared thereafter. But it would be nice if the issue were kept alive, not simply in continued public questions about Augusta National, but around those courses that — while they may not be household names — continue to enable a culture where women can be excluded without scrutiny. But this is not about golf. The game, in pop culture, is frequently seen as analogous to business. Refusing to take a hard look at these policies at the country club only makes it more difficult to take them on in the office.

Virginia Rometty

"Ginni" Rometty may lead this 100-year-old tech company into the future. The 30-year Big Blue veteran was promoted in 2010 to head its global sales, marketing and strategy, giving her responsibility for results in 170 markets around the world and annual revenue that climbed to nearly $100 billion. This year speculation mounted over who would be tapped to succeed current CEO Sam Palmisano, 60, and Rometty's name floated to the top of the candidate pool. Her track record should help. She previously led a massive integration of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, creating a team of 100,000 consultants, and led the transformations of global delivery centers in China and India. If chosen, Rometty would be the first female chief of IBM, one of the five largest U.S. companies by market cap.

Forbes’ List of Highest Paid CEOs Is Unveiled

Despite low salaries, their stock options and other incentive packages have these guys (and gals) loving life

It’s that time of year; birds are singing, allergies are kicking, occupiers are occupying and Forbes has released its annual list of the most highly paid CEOs. It will gladden or infuriate, depending on your point of view, as Forbes immediately acknowledges.

“Our report on executive compensation will only fuel the outrage over corporate greed,” it writes. “In 2011 the chief executives of the 500 biggest companies in the U.S. got a collective pay raise of 16% last year, to $5.2 billion. This compares with a 3% pay raise for the average American worker. The total averages out to $10.5 million apiece.”
So much for the “moral suasion” granted to shareholders last year with the first-ever say-on-pay votes for U.S. public companies, the magazine adds. A no vote, already a rare thing, is hardly ever binding.


The top earner in the report is John Hammergren of the medical supply company McKesson, with $131 million in total pay.Seventeen female CEOs made the list, the highest paid being Irene Rosenfeld of Kraft Foods with $25.4 million in total pay last year.
Forbes also points to five executives who take $1 in annual salary. Four are Forbes Billionaires: Larry Ellison of Oracle, Larry Page of Google, Meg Whitman of Hewlett Packard and Richard Kinder of Kinder Morgan. The other executive is John Mackey of Whole Foods.


Here are the top five:

5. David Cote of Honeywell
One-year total compensation: $55.8 million. Cote's bonus ($23.3 million) was tied to 13% sales growth and 19% segment profit growth at Honeywell (HON) in 2011, according to Forbes. Honeywell's stock was up 2% in 20011 and up 15% year-to-date.

4. Richard Kinder of Kinder Morgan
One-year total compensation: $60.9 million. A Forbes Billionaire (net worth $8.2 billion), took Kinder Morgan (KMI) public again in February of 2011. The stock is up 25% since the first trade day. He takes $1 in annual salary with most of his 2011 pay coming from vested shares tied to the offering.

3. Michael Fascitelli of Vornado Realty
One-year total compensation: $64.4 million, prior-year figure. Fascitelli took over as CEO three years ago, replacing Forbes Billionaire Steven Roth. The real estate investment trust Vornado Realty (VNO) owns 100 million square feet of office space in New York and Washington.

2. Ralph Lauren of Ralph Lauren
One-year total compensation: $66.7 million. Lauren, a Forbes Billionaire (net worth $7.5 billion) is a Bronx native and opened his New York City flagship store in the fall of 2010. The magazine reports he started Polo with $50,000 in 1976. The company (RL) now sells clothing, shoes, jewelry, home goods and fragrances.

1. John Hammergren of McKesson
One-year total compensation: $131.2 million. The highest-paid CEO on this year's report has been CEO of McKesson (MCK), a California-based medical supply company, for 13 years, according to Forbes. The bulk of 2011 pay came from cashed-out stock options with his salary and bonus remaining flat from a year ago. McKesson stock rose 20% in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

 

To all entrepreneurs who need some inspiration to never give up on ideas that was birth inside of you. Just want to share the 7 Secrets of Self -Made Millionaires. Always remember to ignore the background noise and keep on marching!

Sonya Y. Young

Sonya Y. Young

ENTREPRENEUR

7 Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires

Learn how to generate multimillion-dollar wealth -- and enjoy the journey on your way to the top.
First, understand that you no longer want to be just a millionaire. You want to become a multimillionaire.
While you may think a million dollars will give you financial security, it will not. Given the volatility in economies, governments and financial markets around the world, it's no longer safe to assume a million dollars will provide you and your family with true security. In fact, a Fidelity Investments' study of millionaires last year found that 42 percent of them don't feel wealthy and they would need $7.5 million of investable assets to start feeling rich.
This isn't a how-to on the accumulation of wealth from a lifetime of saving and pinching pennies. This is about generating multimillion-dollar wealth and enjoying it during the creation process. To get started, consider these seven secrets of multimillionaires.

No. 1: Decide to be a multimillionaire
You first have to decide you want to be a self-made millionaire. I went from nothing — no money, just ideas and a lot of hard work — to create a net worth that probably cannot be destroyed in my lifetime. The first step was making a decision and setting a target. Every day for years, I wrote down this statement: "I am worth over $100,000,000!"

No. 2: Get rid of poverty thinking
There's no shortage of money on planet Earth, only a shortage of people who think correctly about it. To become a millionaire from scratch, you must end the poverty thinking. I know because I had to. I was raised by a single mother who did everything possible to put three boys through school and make ends meet. Many of the lessons she taught me encouraged a sense of scarcity and fear: "Eat all your food; there are people starving," "Don't waste anything," "Money doesn't grow on trees." Real wealth and abundance aren't created from such thinking.


No. 3: Treat it like a duty
Self-made multimillionaires are motivated not just by money, but by a need for the marketplace to validate their contributions. While I have always wanted wealth, I was driven more by my need to contribute consistent with my potential. Multimillionaires don't lower their targets when things get tough. Rather, they raise expectations for themselves because they see the difference they can make with their families, company, community and charities.

No. 4: Surround yourself with multimillionairesI have been studying wealthy people since I was 10 years old. I read their stories and see what they went through. These are my mentors and teachers who inspire me. You can't learn how to make money from someone who doesn't have much. Who says, "Money won't make you happy"? People without money. Who says, "All rich people are greedy"? People who aren't rich. Wealthy people don't talk like that. You need to know what people are doing to create wealth and follow their example: What do they read? How do they invest? What drives them? How do they stay motivated and excited?

No. 5: Work like a millionaire
Rich people treat time differently. They buy it, while poor people sell it. The wealthy know time is more valuable than money itself, so they hire people for things they're not good at or aren't a productive use of their time, such as household chores. But don't kid yourself that those who hit it big don't work hard. Financially successful people are consumed by their hunt for success and work to the point that they feel they are winning and not just working.

No. 6: Shift focus from spending to investing
The rich don't spend money; they invest. They know the U.S. tax laws favor investing over spending. You buy a house and can't write it off. The rich, in contrast, buy an apartment building that produces cash flow, appreciates and offers write-offs year after year. You buy cars for comfort and style. The rich buy cars for their company that are deductible because they are used to produce revenue.

No. 7: Create multiple flows of income The really rich never depend on one flow of income but instead create a number of revenue streams. My first business had been generating a seven-figure income for years when I started investing cash in multifamily real estate. Once my real estate and my consulting business were churning, I went into a third business developing software to help retailers improve the customer experience.

Lastly, you may be surprised to learn that wealthy people wish you were wealthy, too. It's a mystery to them why others don't get rich. They know they aren't special and that wealth is available to anyone who wants to focus and persist. Rich people want others to be rich for two reasons: first, so you can buy their products and services, and second, because they want to hang out with other rich people. Get rich — it's American.

By Grant Cardone

Seven Ways Solopreneurs Can Grow a Home Business

Dear Solopreneurs,

Who just started a business on a great idea with no employees or volunteers, but have passion and believe in the vision and mission of that idea. I just want to share this article by Carol Tice, from her Daily Dose column in Enprepreneur Magazine.

Enjoy,

Sonya Y. Young

Home-based businesses with a sole owner can only grow so much, right? Wrong.
With a little creativity you can keep expanding your home business, without hiring employees or renting an office. Here are seven tips for increasing revenue at your home business while keeping it a one-person show:

1. Use technology. From scheduling newsletters and social-media dispatches to issuing blog-post notifications via email, automate as much as possible. Collaboration tools such as Citrix Systems software can also help you readily pass off or work in the same document with colleagues and consultants without having to send giant email attachments or deal with a courier service. Additionally, video conferencing or call forwarding technology can do wonders for helping your little company appear much bigger -- and more professional.

2. Outsource. These days, freelance marketplaces such as Elance and vWorker.com make it easy -- and relatively inexpensive -- to find contractors for a wide variety of roles, from accountants to virtual secretaries. There's no law that says you have to make official, full-time hires to grow. Increasingly, I'm encountering high-revenue, fast-growing companies that have few, if any, official staffers and are driving growth entirely through contract labor.

3. Watch for opportunities. Entrepreneurs' prime advantage over big companies is the ability to be nimble and shift gears quickly if a new opportunity emerges that might lead to more business. That's what home-based franchisor Patricia Beckman did when she saw a need for a standardized virtual-assistant chain. Now her VA business, Cybertary, has 25 franchisees and is growing.

4. Treat your business like a business. Don't neglect the back-office end of your business. For instance, consider using an online invoice system such as FreshBooks or Intuit's Bill Manager. Being able to systematically track your payments and expenses will not only save you time, it's also more professional in the eyes of customers or clients. Keep regular business hours so clients can rely on you.

5. Invest for growth. Yes, being home based can help reduce overhead, but you still need to put money into the business to keep it thriving. After all, you've got to spend money to make money, remember? And that's true no matter where your business is based.

6. Don't forget your plan. Know your goals for the business and keep your focus on the steps you need to take to achieve those goals. Beckman recommends keeping your business plan nearby and referring to it often. And as plans change, update it.

7. Get out there. Some solopreneurs use being home-based as an excuse to never meet with clients in person. That's a mistake. Get out of that home-office cave -- you can build stronger bonds with clients in face-to-face meetings. Attend networking events to keep growing your rolodex and gain exposure to new ideas.

Sonya Young, CEO & Founder

To All Entrepreneurs,

Just want to  share this  information from one of my mentors who everyday send positive inspiration my way to stay focus and encouraged.

Enjoy and Have a Great Weekend,

Sonya Young

5 Reasons Why You Want to Own a Business

Your five reasons should take you some time to develop. These are really your life goals. Maybe one goal is "greater happiness". How does starting your own business add to this goal, and how does it subtract? Maybe another goal is "more time with family." Does starting your own business meet this goal. Maybe it will not meet it now, but will it in the future? Is this acceptable?

You might want to make your goals even more concrete. "I want to develop a business so that I have lifelong financial stability and don?t need to depend on another person for support." If this is your reason, be sure to choose a business that will have the best chance for market stability and long term growth.

After you make up these 5 reasons, print them out and post them on your bathroom mirror. Look at them over the next month or so every day. At the end of the month, have they changed? Do you still feel positive that your new business will help meet these goals?

WOMEN & BUSINESS : Get Social, Networking That Is, in 2012!

                                                                                                                              Sonya Young, CEO & Founder

To All Entrepreneurs,

I found this article written by Lahle Wolfe, who writes about  Women and Business in several publications. This information is going into my Business/Marketing Plan, and yet some strategies are  already in place! (Smile).  Awesome, this will help you start implementing your company brand for free.

Have a Bless Day,

Sonya Young

5 Must-Try Social Networks for 2012

Boost Your Social Branding Or Risk Lowering Your Standing With Google

If you are not using social networking to promote your business brand 2012 is the year where it will come back to haunt you. In 2011, Bing began using Facebook "likes" in its algorithms, and, anything Bing can do, Google thinks it can do better. Google's Buzz never quite gained the momentum it had hoped, so now there is Google+. Hints that Google+ presence will soon become integrated into Google's algorithms are not so subtle.

Because AOL tends to mimic Google, and Yahoo and Bing often adopt similar strategies in their algorithms, you can be assured that the major search engines most definitely suffer from the lemming effect. Leading the lemming pack is Google, with its late 2011 announcements about changes that will certainly change the face of search engine marketing and optimization. For the past year plus I have been pushing social networking on my readers; the day of reckoning is here. Branding yourself far and wide is no longer an option when it comes to having the best presence in the major search engines.

In 2012 the face of SEO could change dramatically. Read my article and find out why I think Google's new changes for 2012 should be called the OMG This Isn't Really Happening Algorithm Change.

1. Pinterest

• Pinterest may be the new kid on the block, but with $27 million in venture capital to back the image-based social network, we will likely see it grow significantly in 2012.
• Pinterest is not just another image uploading service like Flickr or Photobucket, it offers tools (including pricing images, "repinning" to build links and branding) that could become a great tool for businesses.

2. Facebook

• Facebook has come a long way to attract businesses. No longer a simply water cooler to connect with people, apps, features, ad campaigns, and highly customizable business pages all make Facebook a force that every business owner should be harnessing.

• But wait, Google has their own new social network ... and won't care as much if you are using Facebook as Bing, AOL, and Yahoo, so you better become familiar with Google+.

3. Google+

• Google expected Google+ to catch on like wild fire; but it did not which is not surprising given how confusing it was and there was no really obvious way to use it for business. But now there are improved tools, and business pages. Google has made it pretty clear: in 2012, you'd be wise to start using Google+.

4. Twitter

• Twitter is the easiest of all social networks to set up and master, and yet, a producer of referrals, and website traffic with surprising success. There is no excuse for a business not to "Tweet."

5. LinkedIn

• Free, easy to get started, and oriented towards serving the business community. Network, make connections, create groups, announcements, and so much more.