• click play to hear this episode, or click here to listen to older shows!
• direct download (mp3)

Bonjour! Welcome to the 135th edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat.

Off the Mat: Today’s menu features the final episode of our 4-part series with Kathy Korman Frey from Hot Momma's Project on Wanting it (part one), Getting it (part two), Break in Case of Emergency (part three, last episode) and Setting up a Goals Group (part four, this week). View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Kathy Korman Frey is a life-long student of business and has interviewed an estimated 15,000 executives during her career. She is the founder of the consulting firm Vision Forward (www.VisionForward.com) and its business curriculum initiative, The Hot Mommas (TM) Project (www.HotMommas.org). Since its inception in 2001, Vision Forward has become known for its innovative business model as well as high success rate in helping businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations. Clients such as Discovery Communications, The American Association of Retired Persons, and The Department of Justice have benefited from the company’s unique approach utilizing business education techniques to bring about measurable results in their organizations. The Hot Mommas® Project - the recipient of a 2006 Coleman Foundation Case Award - chronicles the equations for success across a spectrum of highly-successful women leaders. With the backing of partners like The George Washington University's Center For Entrepreneurial Excellence, the first generation of this research will be published in 2008.

As an educator at GW, Mrs. Frey has a specialty in curriculum development. She co-developed the curriculum for the George Washington University’s 2004-2007 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program which won a National Excellence in Education Award, Specialty Model Program, and led to a ranking of GW’s Entrepreneurship Program in Fortune Small Business. Mrs. Frey also developed the entrepreneurship curriculum for Visa's Practical Money Skills site in partnership with the National Federation for Independent Business and its Young Entrepreneur Foundation. During the 2006-2007 year, this curriculum was taught to approximately 30,000 high school students. Currently, the curriculum is Google’s leading “business plan exercises” listing. In 2008, Mrs. Frey's cases will be published in the nation's no. 2 selling entrepreneurship textbook, Essentials of Small Business Management.

Prior to her current activities, Mrs. Frey served as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Council on the Aging Development Corporation where she worked with teams to develop, capitalize, and manage entrepreneurial ventures in the health and aging industries. Mrs. Frey led presentations with the White House, Fortune 500 corporations, and venture capitalists and was part of the planning team for www.BenefitsCheckUp.org which today delivers a 200 to 1 ROI. Mrs. Frey served as an analyst and in management at Markowitz & McNaughton, Incorporated (later acquired by Citigate) performing competitive and merger & acquisition analyses for Fortune 100 clients in order to advise the leaders of multinational corporations on a variety of strategic growth decisions. There, she founded two departments responsible for major increases in operational efficiencies and new business revenues.

Mrs. Frey received her B.A. in English from the University of Virginia and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves on the board of the Alzheimer's Association, National Capital Area. She lives in DC with entrepreneur husband Josh Frey, their two children, Maxwell and Delilah (Lilah), and dog Foxy.



Savvy Sources:
www.HotMommas.org
Effective Small Business Management








Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Join me for workshops and book signings in Lexington in October, Denver in January, Montreal in March.

In addition, we've got a weekend of tranquility and creativity at our 3rd Annual Hip Tranquil Chick retreat in a lovely farmhouse not far from NYC March 27-29, 2009 and another week at Kripalu next August 9-14, 2009.

Our next le chic teleclass chat is on Frolicking Creatively (and Mindfully) into Fall on Monday, September 15 at 9pm ET. If you can't be on the phone at that exact time, don't fret - sign up and we'll send you the mp3!

Fall online creativity circle starts September 8. Details for all special events at kimberlywilson.com. I hope we'll get to connect!

Mentoring: Interested in diving deeper into hip and tranquil topics 1:1 with moi via e-mail, phone or in-person? If so, view all the scoop here.

Chic Community: Mingle with fellow HTCs on our forums. We’re on Facebook, so please connect with the community virtually there, too! Make sure you're getting the hip tranquil times by signing up at the bottom of any page on hiptranquilchick.com. Check out our new YouTube page at youtube.com/hiptranquilchick. More fun stuff coming soon!

Leave your thoughts on hip tranquil chick by writing a review at Amazon.com!

• You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!
• New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast Alley.
• Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.
• Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.

Interested in starting a podcast for yourself, your organization or your business?
Check out nineball media.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 6:35 PM | 1 comments

while writing this season's segment on leadership for tranquil space foundation's (TSF) newsletter, i decided to share a bit about my naropa university program and thought you, too, may enjoy hearing about it (see below) in case you don't subscribe to the TSF newsletter.

please save the date for our 2nd annual TSF gala on thursday, october 16 7-9pm at the josephine butler house on 15th street, nw. if you're willing to donate a product or service to the silent auction, please let moi know. also, if you are a philanthropic photographer willing to donate your time and fabulous photos to this great cause, please contact moi! amanda, the creatress of the creative dc blog, is a long-time member of our steering committe and overseeing this event in the most organized fashion. way to go, amanda!

below is a mini synopsis of authentic leadership. may we all continue to embody this notion of authenticity in all we do!
****************************

Authentic leadership embodies people who take fundamental responsibility for themselves and their lives, are completely in the present situation, and are willing to share our aspirations and dreams with others.

The authentic leadership model consists of three components: authentic presence, skillful communication, and effective action. To establish authentic presence we were encouraged to use contemplative practices such as yoga, meditation, and journal writing to develop self-knowledge and to practice being present and authentic. Thank goodness these were already part of my routine (and are part of the TranquilTeens program) as there was so much new material to learn!

Skillful communication began with the assumption that we are fully responsible for all interactions. Self-awareness of emotions is said to create an environment of care and empathy akin to emotional intelligence. Two important ways to communicate that they emphasized throughout the program was inquiry and advocacy. Inquiry is a powerful way to invite others to be collaborators. Advocacy is a way to use “I” statements to convey views to share how she perceives a situation and to share facts.

Effective action is motivated by service and focuses on using compassionate and strategic approaches to change. This final premise of the authentic leadership model is based on servant leadership where the leader seeks to serve first and lead second.

Overall, an authentic leader is motivated to serve, invites feedback and learns from it, promotes open communication, envisions new possibilities, fosters a culture of appreciations, and is committed to self-knowledge. I loved this four-month program – especially with a contemplative slant and hope that we are able to continue effecting authentic leadership through our efforts with Tranquil Space Foundation. We hope that we are helping to shape a new generation of do-gooding, creative, authentic leaders! Namaste.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:11 PM | 0 comments

Hello from a gorgeous vista in the Kripalu cafe!

The past three sessions with Dharma Mittra have been intoxicating. I adore his yoga - lots of deep crescent lunges and oodles of challenge (exhibit A: DVD cover) coupled with extreme devotion. During this morning's session I was taking notes and wrote "All poses are an offering to your extreme self." He repeated it later and said "All poses are an offering to your supreme self." I giggled. Somehow my mind heard "extreme" and I know if I would have read it later in my journal without hearing him correcting the second time, I would have been confused. But, extreme works for me, too, in a funny way. Just yesterday I was journal writing about how much I adore women who live their flair fully - like Betsey Johnson, Madonna or SARK. Sometimes our mind hears one thing but translates another. I'll surely have an internal chuckle at the beginning of my next practice when I think of offering my practice to my "extreme" self - heaps of flair and all. Namaste.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 4:22 PM | 0 comments

after a long journey we arrived around 3am for some more study time with the lovely dharma mittra. looking forward to doing oodles of writing and reading amidst the heaps of yoga. i have five writing project deadlines to keep me motivated. a friend who is joining me for the weekend brought SARK's latest opus juicy pens thirsty paper so i read through it during our drive up last night. wow - i so *heart* that SARK. great book and highly recommend it for those of you wanting to do some writing for self-expression, publication, or just for fun!

a BIG thanks for all the amazing ideas you all shared on your morning rituals. i'm *terribly* impressed and look forward to carving out my own and sharing it with you! wow, keep 'em coming!

i was disappointed to receive a comment from an anonymous poster last night downplaying the efforts of other commenters, assuming that these great morning rituals cannot be done if you have children, and requesting less "complaining" on the blog regarding lack of time. after much internal debating, i rejected the negative comment as i don't want that type of energy on the blog, much less from "anonymous."

why do people enjoy voicing their opinions in an anonymous fashion, squashing other people's efforts, or feel the need to express negativity towards strangers in such ways as anonymous commenting? i find this to be an interesting phenonmenon in the blog and online world in general. since i've been writing this blog for 4 years and put myself out as a busines owner for 9, i try not to let these comments affect me personally -- although i must confess that that continues to be easier said than done. however, i draw the line when anonymous flies in for a negative comment toward others starting their day in a beautiful, reflective, tranquil way.

a big theme of staying tranquil is encouraging us all to continue removing negativity from our lives. thus, i rejected our anonymous, not-so-positive poster. feel free to share your opinions in a thoughtful way anytime - they are welcomed!

the focus of the month at tranquil space has been on satya (truthfulness). yes, we must all continue to be authentic and true to who we are via our thoughts, words, and actions. however, ahimsa (non-harming) always takes precedent over satya. a good yogic guideline to remember when wondering how best to express ourselves.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 3:37 PM | 7 comments

what a week! do i sound like a broken record? i feel like one! gearing up to head to kripalu again but this time as a student. i leave tomorrow night and this week has been quite a whirlwind (again, broken record). i'm hoping to make some changes this fall that will alleviate these ongoing whirlwinds. one piece that i'd like to put into place is a morning ritual.

we spoke a lot about this at the retreat i lead at kripalu and i've been pondering it ever since. then, as the universe usually does it, i got an e-mail from a podcast listener in japan wanting me to do a podcast about it. thus, i gotta create one that varies from get up at 9, race to computer, and get out the door for the inevitable 10 meeting! sure, i usually add a walk with louis and cup of green tea into the picture but i want more. i want journal writing time, meditation time, a few sun salutes time. reflection and intention setting for the day.

i'm curious if you have a morning ritual. if so, what is it? i plan to ponder this over the holiday weekend and do my best to launch into one when i return from studying with dharma mittra. i promise to share the plan as i'm hopeful we can all continue supporting each other all our very hip and tranquil way.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:24 PM | 18 comments

today beau and i packed up and headed out at 9:45am for the beach. it was incredibly liberating to take a day off and especially a monday. it feels like a long time since i was able to just be and not be running to the next thing. to top it off, cell phone coverage stopped once we got to the beach and i wasn't able to keep checking in my "normal" neurotic way. for almost four full hours i absorbed the sun's rays, read through ode and o magazines, and listened to the sound of the waves. i can't describe how therapeutic this was.

as we drove back into town, beau said "we should try to take a day like this at least once a month." i said, "how about one day off once a week!" we both thought that sounded pretty darn good. now, where to find that day? i'm hopeful that we can find a way to make this down time happen. moving at a fast pace is super-exciting and super-exhausting. i'm wondering how to ensure that a day off gets onto my to-do list.

taking time to go within is critical to an overall state of tranquility. the trick is balancing this with a to-do list that grows longer every day. add the dash of new, creative ideas that i want to pursue and it feels like time is always at a shortage. however, we MUST replenish the well or we're sure to run dry. as anne morrow lindbergh reminded us, "eternally, woman spills herself away in driblets to the thirsty, seldom being allowed the time, the quiet, the peace, to let the pitcher fill to the brim." fill your pitcher. let it overflow.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:45 PM | 2 comments

i'm gleefully gearing up for hip tranquil chick's third online creativity circle that launches monday, september 8. we've added another podcast to ease the burden of reading so much in a condensed time. the journey of creativity begins with small steps and having the support and accountability of others around the globe can be quite rewarding.

here's some feedback i've received from previous online participants:

"Just wanted to send you a quick thank you for facilitating this- one of the greatest things I learned from this is that, while it definitely helps to have the encouragement of a group, ultimately, my journey is just that, MY JOURNEY, and I need to do it myself, without waiting for anyone else to check up on me (one of those lessons that I should have learned in college, but I guess I forgot :)"

"I just wanted to say thank you so much for the tranquility tool kit! I especially adore the leopard print scarf! Oh my god it is so chic! The kit was a great surprise (got a little bashed in the post to the UK though but it made it in one piece!) I'm intrigued by the tea, I've never seen that before. The little bags are adorable and the CD will come in so useful as your 100 and old podcasts are currently taking up a lot of disk space on my computer lol! I am thinking of signing up to your next creativity circle.. hehe, and do it all again :D"

"I wanted to thank you tremendously for the Creativity Circle. It was truly amazing, and worth every cent. You are such a gifted mentor, and this class and my classmates, came at a time when I really needed to reconnect with like-minded women."

the exploration of doing things differently to add some spice into your life is one of my favorite quick and easy ways to add more creativity. please enjoy this piece from the examiner as a reminder on all the small steps we can take everyday to shine!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 2:24 PM | 1 comments

tres exciting - the yummy TranquiliT jumpsuit was featured in today's edition of the washington post. yay for eco-friendly, fabulous style.

here's a delightful poem written by the always-in-style-epitome-of-fashion audrey hepburn and sent by a blog reader:

I believe in pink
i believe that laughing
is the best calorie burner
i believe in kissing, kissing
alot.
i believe in being strong when
everything seems to be going wrong.
i believe that happy girls are the
prettiest girls.
i believe that tomorrow is another day
and i believe in
miracles.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:13 PM | 4 comments

why do the little frustrations feel so powerful? since returning from a blissful week with fellow hip tranquil chicks, my world has been one rush or frustration after another. AND it's started each day this week at 7:30am (not my prime hour) with jack-hammering in the alley behind my cozy condo. yes, i know there is a lesson here but i'm too sleepy and frustrated to hear it at the moment! been there? ah, either way i must confess that i'm in good spirits despite the continual challenges (um, i mean "opportunities").

our new full-time TranquiliT concierge started this week in the showroom. christy is staying on board as my part-time executive assistant and busily training our new TranquiliT gal. we're gleefully gearing up for the next three days of trunk shows and private viewing of the summer closeout and fall collection. i met with my contractor to go over my been-there-for-a-few-months wishlist that includes a roofdeck. finalized the new fall schedule for the dupont and arlington studios. led a follow-up session to the law firm team retreat i did in the spring. taught 5 classes (3 yesterday - whew!). stuffed (with eco-friendly kapok) and sewed some velvet pillows for the showroom. what a week and it's only wednesday.

i wanted to share a cool link that a friend passed along that focuses on vision boards. despite scepticism, most people find that making a vision board during a retreat or workshop is incredibly powerful and uber-fun. if you haven't done one lately, pull out some magazines, glue, and scissors. you'll be impressed with what unfolds. i did one with the ladies last week and love the exercise. always good to reflect and reconnect with your core.

wishing you a week filled with less "growth opportunities" and heaps of tranquility. hope to see you at the trunk shows over the next few days if you're local. if not, you're there in spirit!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:49 PM | 4 comments

• click play to hear this episode, or click here to listen to older shows!
• direct download (mp3)

Bonjour! Welcome to the 134th edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat.

On the Mat:



Off the Mat: Today’s menu features part 3 of a 4-part series with Kathy Korman Frey from Hot Momma's Project on Wanting it (part one), Getting it (part two, last week), Break in Case of Emergency (part three, this week) and Setting up a Goal's Group (part four, next week). View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Kathy Korman Frey is a life-long student of business and has interviewed an estimated 15,000 executives during her career. She is the founder of the consulting firm Vision Forward (www.VisionForward.com) and its business curriculum initiative, The Hot Mommas (TM) Project (www.HotMommas.org). Since its inception in 2001, Vision Forward has become known for its innovative business model as well as high success rate in helping businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations. Clients such as Discovery Communications, The American Association of Retired Persons, and The Department of Justice have benefited from the company’s unique approach utilizing business education techniques to bring about measurable results in their organizations. The Hot Mommas® Project - the recipient of a 2006 Coleman Foundation Case Award - chronicles the equations for success across a spectrum of highly-successful women leaders. With the backing of partners like The George Washington University's Center For Entrepreneurial Excellence, the first generation of this research will be published in 2008.

As an educator at GW, Mrs. Frey has a specialty in curriculum development. She co-developed the curriculum for the George Washington University’s 2004-2007 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program which won a National Excellence in Education Award, Specialty Model Program, and led to a ranking of GW’s Entrepreneurship Program in Fortune Small Business. Mrs. Frey also developed the entrepreneurship curriculum for Visa's Practical Money Skills site in partnership with the National Federation for Independent Business and its Young Entrepreneur Foundation. During the 2006-2007 year, this curriculum was taught to approximately 30,000 high school students. Currently, the curriculum is Google’s leading “business plan exercises” listing. In 2008, Mrs. Frey's cases will be published in the nation's no. 2 selling entrepreneurship textbook, Essentials of Small Business Management.

Prior to her current activities, Mrs. Frey served as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Council on the Aging Development Corporation where she worked with teams to develop, capitalize, and manage entrepreneurial ventures in the health and aging industries. Mrs. Frey led presentations with the White House, Fortune 500 corporations, and venture capitalists and was part of the planning team for www.BenefitsCheckUp.org which today delivers a 200 to 1 ROI. Mrs. Frey served as an analyst and in management at Markowitz & McNaughton, Incorporated (later acquired by Citigate) performing competitive and merger & acquisition analyses for Fortune 100 clients in order to advise the leaders of multinational corporations on a variety of strategic growth decisions. There, she founded two departments responsible for major increases in operational efficiencies and new business revenues.

Mrs. Frey received her B.A. in English from the University of Virginia and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves on the board of the Alzheimer's Association, National Capital Area. She lives in DC with entrepreneur husband Josh Frey, their two children, Maxwell and Delilah (Lilah), and dog Foxy.

Savvy Sources:
www.HotMommas.org
Effective Small Business Management

Omwork: To encourage a sense of diving deeper into today’s podcast, I will post Omwork relating to this segment on our HTC forum. Please connect with fellow HTCs there and play with the following:

1. What has come up for you on "wanting it?"
2. How about "getting it?"
3. What does "break in case of emergency" mean to you?

Signature Style: Check out TranquiliT's BIG summer eco-sale! We're saying goodbye to a few summer staples as we transition our attention to fall (and the designing of spring 2009). Save on some of your favorites: skort, tube top (doubles as a skirt), tube dress (featured in Daily Candy), ruched wrap top, and more! We've just moved TranquiliT into a gorgeous tiny showroom and hope to see you at our special event THIS Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Details here.

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Join me for workshops and book signings in Lexington in October, Denver in January, Montreal in March.

In addition, we've got a weekend of tranquility and creativity at our 3rd Annual Hip Tranquil Chick retreat in a lovely farmhouse not far from NYC March 27-29, 2009 and another week at Kripalu next August 9-14, 2009.

Our next le chic teleclass chat is on Frolicking Creatively (and Mindfully) into Fall on Monday, September 15 at 9pm ET. If you can't be on the phone at that exact time, don't fret - sign up and we'll send you the mp3!

Fall online creativity circle starts September 8. Details for all special events at kimberlywilson.com. I hope we'll get to connect!

Mentoring: Interested in diving deeper into hip and tranquil topics 1:1 with moi via e-mail, phone or in-person? If so, view all the scoop here.

Chic Community: Mingle with fellow HTCs on our forums. We’re on Facebook, so please connect with the community virtually there, too! Make sure you're getting the hip tranquil times by signing up at the bottom of any page on hiptranquilchick.com. Check out our new YouTube page at youtube.com/hiptranquilchick. More fun stuff coming soon!

Au Revoir: To close out the show, we’re playing Sunday Afternoons by Vanessa Daou, courtesy of PromoNet. Thanks for joining me for the 134th edition of the HTC podcast.

• You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!
• New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast Alley.
• Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.
• Do you use another podcatcher? Use this link for the podcast RSS feed.

Interested in starting a podcast for yourself, your organization or your business?
Check out nineball media.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:59 PM | 7 comments

mark your calenders:

(8.21-23) thursday (4-8pm), friday (12-4pm), and saturday (12-4pm), we're having a BIG close-out summer sale (up to 70% off retail) and grand opening party for our showroom. 1724 20th street, nw suite 01 (ground floor) on 20th near s street.

here are a few photos to give you a sneak peak. the space is super-cute, light and airy, and provides a wonderfully tranquil space for TranquiliT to flourish. swing by the soiree for yummy libations, vegetarian treats, and personal shopping.

watch for an update on our events calender at TranquiliT.com where we'll list beading, knitting, purling, collaging, and more classes to help you unleash your creative spirit. happy creating!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 8:29 AM | 6 comments

the week was amazing and the ladies were absolutely lovely. attached are a couple photos for your viewing pleasure. a consistent theme was that of joy - many of us were laughing to the point of tears on an ongoing basis. it got to where the staff or yogis from other programs were like, "oh, you're with the hip tranquil chick group!" apparently we left quite a mark and seemed to spread great energy coupled with laughter everywhere we went. such a blessing to be among such beautiful souls.

sadly i was offline for two days when my computer decided to no longer want to connect with the server. i downloaded hundreds of e-mails when i got to fishkill (what an interesting name, eh?) and am about to head out to grab some sushi but wanted to share these gorgeous photos. i'll be returning to kripalu august 9-14, 2009 so please mark your calendars if you're interested in joining in on the celebration next year.

i didn't have nearly the reading, writing, and alone time that i had planned on. instead i went with the moment and spent a lot of time relishing in the company of others. look at the ladies, can you blame moi?

heading to the delightful nyc in the morning to meet up with our boutique manager at a gift show. gotta shop for tranquil space boutique's green holiday gifts. looking forward to it after a nice bath and good night's sleep. wishing you a fabulous weekend filled with reflection, inspiration, and oodles of laughter!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 8:33 PM | 1 comments

my journey to kripalu on sunday was lovely. very smooth despite the rain and i loved singing along with tori amos, eminem, and donna delory at the top of my lungs for 7 full hours. we have 19 lovely ladies from the states and canada ranging in age from 20s to 60s joining the hip tranquil chick happenings this week - a beautiful group.

despite sleeping 8 hours, i cannot get enough sleep. my poor little eyes are so tired. i feel like i could crawl into bed at 5pm and sleep for days. this is continuing from last week. i'm hopeful that this will pass as i don't like running on empty. no time for that nonsense! although i had called this upcoming sunday a bed day, i found a fabulous class at g street fabrics on restyling sweaters. basically taking old sweaters or tees and turning them into something new. example, arms of a sweater into arm or leg warmers. i'm super-excited and decided i HAD to go, despite declaring bed day. ah, another bed day awaits in november - my next declared bed day!

off to bed as i hope to get up early and go for a walk on this beautiful property. while i've been typing and handling e-mails tonight, the moon is right outside my window with gorgeous clouds passing in front of it. so lovely! it's amazing what beauty surrounds us if only we take the time to notice it.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 8:37 PM | 4 comments

today my schedule got shifted as beau and i headed to ikea for a few studio and showroom pieces. he decided we didn't have enough time before my next appointment and we'd be too rushed. i throw a mini fit. "i told people we'd get these items." "what will i do with the 2 hours i've slated for this?" he offers to handle it. "i can't have you go b/c i'll have the car this week and you don't know what to get." um, wow, am i five years old? it's crazy how addicted i am to my schedule flowing as planned. if it doesn't work as such, i get completely thrown off and feel out of sorts. it's silly! i requested a drive by teaism to drown my disappointment in ginger scones and we returned home where i promptly filled the two hours with laundry, packing, and organizing - all things i have to do before driving off to kripalu at 9am.

i carried on with my appointments of the day and sent beau with a list to ikea. he fulfilled the mission with flying colors and i received an interesting lesson in letting go of attachment to my best-laid plans!

last night we were watching the news when the aspca commercial with sarah mclachlan came on. i immediately went to the website and signed up for the monthly donation. then i remembered the mid-atlantic pug rescue that we donated to for louis' third birthday and i made another donation. i started reading some of the stories, looked at beau and started to cry. he made me stop reading, put the computer away, and was a bit perplexed as don't typically break out into tears. ah, i have SUCH a soft spot for animals and want to do more. donations are great, leading doga is fun, being a good mum to my three furry friends is great, but i want to have more of an impact! what fuels you into tears? in what ways can you make an impact? how can we best speak up or serve others who can't speak up or serve themselves?

tomorrow i head out for a 7-hour drive and an opening circle at the start of my retreat at kripalu. i'm so excited to meet the lovely ladies and bask in a week of yoga and creativity in the mountains. pictures, stories, and insights sure to come. enjoy your sunday!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:44 PM | 6 comments

despite an exhaustion-filled week, i've somehow found energy this evening. maybe it was the green tea or the mani/pedi perk-me-up! either way, i'm delighted to be feeling a jolt of energy. as i finish things up at the studio and prepare for a few hours of date night, i wanted to share a few quick quotes for inspiration:

if your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete. - jack kornfield

my religion is to live and die without regret. - milarepa

life is not about finding yourself. life is about creating yourself. - author unknown

what we think, we become. - buddhist quote

dreams are necessary to live. - anais nin

posted by kimberly wilson @ 8:33 PM | 1 comments

looking for a bit more fluidity in your spine? check out this video (guest starring louis the pug) that walks you through the six movements of the spine. more to come! note my "impressive" use of french!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 2:45 PM | 4 comments

bonjour!

here's a fun dose of interview goodness from blisschick! enjoy your hump day. don some long faux pearls. sip some zen green tea (tazo's - my latest fave). organize your planner pad. jot down some ideas in your ideas book. write in your journal. mark items off your to-do list. note something you are grateful for. live your yoga in your interactions with others. practice satya (the studio's theme of the month).

au revoir!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:24 PM | 3 comments

i had to, really! i broke down in new york and hit two bookstores despite only having 1ish hour of free time. i've been eying lessons of a lipstick queen by poppy king for weeks, picking it up, putting it down. picking it up at the next book store and putting it down again. yesterday - after a severe lack of sleep, i decided i deserved to purchase it at that moment. began reading it on the train home and always enjoy hearing other ladies' entrepreneurial story. sometimes you just have to indulge even if your bookshelves are full of must-read-but-haven't-been-read-yet books! do you recognize the rationalization of a book buyer with a problem? anyone have information on a bibliophile support group?

posted by kimberly wilson @ 10:40 PM | 6 comments

bonjour from the wifi bus to new york! after six hours of sleep i was hoping for some respite on the bus but a crying bebe and many others (full bus) joined us today so i have been able to handle a few pending tasks instead. we're gearing up for the launch of our 500-hour teacher training next month and there is a lot of finalizing to do - all very exciting! despite my exhaustion, i am super-excited (there goes "super" again) to be hiting new york today. this city always gives me an amazing jolt of creative juice - what's not to love about that? by buying for the boutique at tranquil space, i get to review other designer's genius ideas, materials, and displays. this always serves as an amazing inspiration to me. after the tradeshow i plan to do some cupcake-eating, bookstore-browsing, cafe-writing, and yoga practicing before dashing off to the train station (indulgent return to dc). a fully creative day indeed!


i LOVE this manifesto from lululemon and wanted to share it with you (although i'm sure many of you are already familiar with it. Enjoy, reflect, and relish in its inspiration:

• Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.
• A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress.
• Do one thing a day that scares you.
• Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.
• Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.
• Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.
• Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
• That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.
• Stress is related to 99% of all illness.
• Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
• The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!
• Friends are more important than money.
• Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.
• Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.
• Don’t trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.
• Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment.
• The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
• Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, Vancouver will do nicely.
• Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
• Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.
• Dance, sing, floss and travel.
• Children are the orgasm of life. Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them.
• Successful people replace the words “wish”, “should” and “try” with “I will”.
• Creativity is maximized when you’re living in the moment.
• Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.
• lululemon athletica creates components for people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives. If we can produce products to keep people active and stress-free, we believe the world will become a much better place.
• Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.
• SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.
• Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.
• What we do to the earth we do to ourselves.
• The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:48 AM | 8 comments

it's super-late and i'm super-tired (and oddly addicted to the use of "super-" lately). since i've returned from california, my days have been no less than 15 hours and it's catching up with moi. you know you're tired when the backs of your eyes hurt! tomorrow morning i dash to new york for the day to hit a few tradeshows and pick up the latest eco- must-haves for tranquil space. i always love a day in new york but a day in bed would do me even better.

after writing that, i looked to my planner pad longing to find a "bed day" possibility. sunday, august 17 it is! i cancelled what i had scheduled after my return from teaching at kripalu and plan to use that day to recoup in bed with good books, my journal, water with mint, beau, and louis the pug nearby. i'll be counting down the days and plan to go through my planner pad to ensure at least one bed day per month! bed day is a hip tranquil chick's must-have regrouping tool.

have any burning "dear hip tranquil chick" questions? i realized that i haven't featured one on the blog in way too long and wanted to reach out to see what may be lying beneath the surface. a reminder that we do have a section dedicated to it in our forums but i wanted to see if there was something you would like to explore as a community.

finally, i wanted to share a beautiful poem that a yoga + creativity participant from san francisco sent to me:

The Queen by Pablo Neruda, as translated by Donald D. Walsh

I have named you queen
There are taller ones than you, taller.
There are purer ones than you, purer.
There are lovelier ones than you, lovelier.

But you are the queen.

When you go through the streets
no one recognizes you.
No one sees your crystal crown, no one looks
at the carpet of red gold
that you tread as you pass,
the nonexistent carpet

And when you appear
all the river sound
in my body, bells
shake the sky,
and a hymn fills the world.

Only you and I,
only you and I, my love,
listen to it.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 12:29 AM | 3 comments

• click play to hear this episode, or click here to listen to older shows!
• direct download (mp3)

Bonjour! Welcome to the 133rd edition of the Hip Tranquil Chick podcast: a guide to life on and off the yoga mat.

Today’s menu features part 2 of a 4-part series with Kathy Korman Frey from Hot Momma's Project on Wanting it (part one, last podcast), Getting it (part two, this week), Break in Case of Emergency (part three in two weeks)and Setting up a Goal's Group (part four in four weeks). View our shownotes at hiptranquilchick.com/blog.

Kathy Korman Frey is a life-long student of business and has interviewed an estimated 15,000 executives during her career. She is the founder of the consulting firm Vision Forward (www.VisionForward.com) and its business curriculum initiative, The Hot Mommas (TM) Project (www.HotMommas.org). Since its inception in 2001, Vision Forward has become known for its innovative business model as well as high success rate in helping businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations. Clients such as Discovery Communications, The American Association of Retired Persons, and The Department of Justice have benefited from the company’s unique approach utilizing business education techniques to bring about measurable results in their organizations. The Hot Mommas® Project - the recipient of a 2006 Coleman Foundation Case Award - chronicles the equations for success across a spectrum of highly-successful women leaders. With the backing of partners like The George Washington University's Center For Entrepreneurial Excellence, the first generation of this research will be published in 2008.

As an educator at GW, Mrs. Frey has a specialty in curriculum development. She co-developed the curriculum for the George Washington University’s 2004-2007 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program which won a National Excellence in Education Award, Specialty Model Program, and led to a ranking of GW’s Entrepreneurship Program in Fortune Small Business. Mrs. Frey also developed the entrepreneurship curriculum for Visa's Practical Money Skills site in partnership with the National Federation for Independent Business and its Young Entrepreneur Foundation. During the 2006-2007 year, this curriculum was taught to approximately 30,000 high school students. Currently, the curriculum is Google’s leading “business plan exercises” listing. In 2008, Mrs. Frey's cases will be published in the nation's no. 2 selling entrepreneurship textbook, Essentials of Small Business Management.

Prior to her current activities, Mrs. Frey served as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Council on the Aging Development Corporation where she worked with teams to develop, capitalize, and manage entrepreneurial ventures in the health and aging industries. Mrs. Frey led presentations with the White House, Fortune 500 corporations, and venture capitalists and was part of the planning team for www.BenefitsCheckUp.org which today delivers a 200 to 1 ROI. Mrs. Frey served as an analyst and in management at Markowitz & McNaughton, Incorporated (later acquired by Citigate) performing competitive and merger & acquisition analyses for Fortune 100 clients in order to advise the leaders of multinational corporations on a variety of strategic growth decisions. There, she founded two departments responsible for major increases in operational efficiencies and new business revenues.

Mrs. Frey received her B.A. in English from the University of Virginia and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves on the board of the Alzheimer's Association, National Capital Area. She lives in DC with entrepreneur husband Josh Frey, their two children, Maxwell and Delilah (Lilah), and dog Foxy.

Savvy Sources:
www.HotMommas.org
Effective Small Business Management

Omwork: To encourage a sense of diving deeper into today’s podcast, I will post Omwork relating to this segment on our HTC forum. Please connect with fellow HTCs there and play with the following:

1. What are your dreams?
2. What steps can you take now to "get it?"
3. What support do you need to make it happen?

Signature Style: Check out TranquiliT's BIG summer eco-sale! We're saying goodbye to a few summer staples as we transition our attention to fall (and the designing of spring 2009). Save on some of your favorites: skort, tube top (doubles as a skirt), tube dress (featured in daily candy), ruched wrap top, and more! We've just moved TranquiliT into a gorgeous tiny showroom and look forward to sharing it with you in person or via the blog and podcast.

Soirees, Chats, Booksignings & Retreats: Join me for workshops and book signings in Lexington in October, Denver in January, Montreal in March.

In addition, we've got a week of hip and tranquil chickness at Kripalu August 10-15 and our 3rd Annual Hip Tranquil Chick retreat in a lovely farmhouse not far from NYC March 27-29.

Our next le chic teleclass chat is on Frolicking Creatively (and Mindfully) into Fall on Monday, September 15 at 9pm ET. If you can't be on the phone at that exact time, don't fret - sign up and we'll send you the mp3!

Fall online creativity circle starts September 8. Details for all special events at kimberlywilson.com. I hope we'll get to connect!

Mentoring: Interested in diving deeper into hip and tranquil topics 1:1 with moi via e-mail, phone or in-person? If so, view all the scoop here.

Chic Community: Mingle with fellow HTCs on our forums. We’re on Facebook, so please connect with the community virtually there, too! Make sure you're getting the hip tranquil times by signing up at the bottom of any page on hiptranquilchick.com. Check out our new YouTube page at youtube.com/hiptranquilchick. More fun stuff coming soon!

Au Revoir: To close out the show, we’re playing City of Sounds by Viggo Steincke, courtesy of PromoNet. Thanks for joining me for the 133rd edition of the HTC podcast.

• You don't need an iPod to listen to the podcast! Click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes!
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• Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast. You'll automatically get the latest edition as soon as it's available.
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Interested in starting a podcast for yourself, your organization or your business?
Check out nineball media.

posted by kimberly wilson @ 11:59 PM | 4 comments

check out this fabulous page from stitch lounge (a former podcast). god bless DIY projects!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 9:33 PM | 0 comments

NEW TranquiliT Showroom

today is a monumental occasion - sure, a little dramatic - but i became the proud renter of a small space in this gorgeous building (last two photos - our windows are in the bottom behind the skypencil holly) to house TranquiliT eco-luxe lifestyle wear. my fabulous assistant and i spent the afternoon creating a list of what we needed for it and preparing a plan of action. we're both a bit giggly about the whole thing. we found toile-covered mannequins, damask ottomans, rolling racks, and black velvet hangers to order. i plan to use this space for housing the line, designing the line, showing the line to clients interested in a personalized shopping excursion for their store or themselves, and offering crafting classes such as beading, knitting, and more! a true destination for creativity immersion!

TranquiliT began in 2002 out of a desire for fun, chic yoga wear. i transitioned to eco-fabrics in 2005 and have loved the creative evolution of the line. it's been housed at tranquil space, a back closet of another location that housed young designers, my dining room (see photos and note louis the pug and matisse the cat's appearance), and now its very own home. it brings me back to the scary days when i moved the yoga studio from my living room to a rented location in a church parlor. it's an exciting, liberating, and risky step.

TranquiliT has such potential and i'm delighted to watch its upcoming evolution. we'll be having a BIG summer sale and open house mid-august so stay tuned for the scoop on checking out our new TranquiliT home! thanks for your support of this exciting creative adventure!

posted by kimberly wilson @ 8:15 PM | 3 comments