Today on CNN Newsroom
Your Fresh Start for 2011
As the end of the year approaches, many of you may be sitting by the lava lamp and writing down your resolutions for the new year:
Do you plan to get back into your "skinny jeans"?
Be more plugged in to social media... or less?
Quit smoking once and for all?
Manage stress better?
Drink less alcohol?
Make more time for your family, friends, loved ones?
Finally go after that master's degree you've been putting off?
Make a barbeque recipe to rival Uncle Jack's secret sauce?
Hone on your DIY skills to become a "Mister or Miss Fix-it"?
As you reflect on the days that have passed in 2010, and set the bar high for yourself, share your plans with us.
We want to hear not only what your goals are, but what your game plan is for achieving them.
How do you plan to keep the goal in mind, and not have it dissolve at the first whiff of a hot Krispy Kreme donut?
We'd like to help.
Your project could become the focus of a CNN Newsroom segment, complete with expert advice, and planning tips to help you and those inspired by you... to succeed.
So rather than spend the next 12 months ruminating about what you didn't achieve last year... plug-in and prepare for a fresh start and share your plan with CNN Newsroom.
Survival of the Fittest: Soap Success
Tony Harris speaks with a soap entrepreneur on the success of her small business.
Survival of the Fittest: The Little Bakery that Could
Entrepreneur Sonya Jones is one busy woman. She has been baking up tasty treats with her son since 1997 in an historic Atlanta neighborhood, but her small business took a big hit during the rescession. We caught up with her eight months ago when she was struggling. Watch how she is doing now.
Survival of the Fittest: Yummy Spoonfuls
One small businesswoman created her own form of stimulus. Cameroon immigrant Agatha Achindu, the owner of an organic baby food company "Yummy Spoonfuls" joined Tony Harris to talk about her successful enterprise.
Mom's Toy Story: Survival of the Fittest
Denise Garlow was inspired by her daughter to start her own business during this recession making a unique kind of doll to provide inspiration for children to live out their dreams. "The Representatives" were born because she needed to find a way to make money after her husband's consulting business dried up.
Denise designs the dolls, is writing a storybook to go with it and is making prototypes out of her garage. She says she never would've found her passion had the recession not hit: a common theme we're finding in Survival of the Fittest series..
What Would You Do to Survive?
We’re seeing people take some unique measures to make ends meet. A Teaneck, New Jersey woman is hoping a bake sale can help forestall foreclosure of her home, for example. What are some creative things you’ve done to make extra money?
Chime in by commenting. We are going to try to read your comments during the show today.
Survival of the Fittest: African Immigrant Starts Baby Food Business
Agatha Achindu, 42 years old, started her business three years ago when she couldn't find
fresh, organic baby food for her first born. She dropped a six figure salary to follow her passion.
Check out our latest "Survival of the Fittest" story.
Read more about Agatha's business and the pros and cons of starting your own business during a recession.
Couple's Road Less Traveled
ATLANTA - Jennifer and Joe Remling worked for big firms all their lives. She, a corporate recruiter. He, an architect. Not fulfilled by the experience– they charged out on their own to become their own bosses.
The new entrepreneurs were so happy they wanted to spread the love. So the couple hit the road in an Airstream to interview entrepreneurs around the country about how they made it. Their stories are now published in their book "Carve Your Own Road".
Jennifer Remling hits the road in an Airstream to find America's entrepreneurial spirit
Jennifer now holds workshops to help people find their life's work. She says most people she meets say they've never taken the time to sit down and write out in words what they want in their lives. She says it's essential to get "clarity" and focus about what you love to do before you can take action.
Ask yourself key questions: what am i doing when I lose all sense of time? What am i really good at?
As a former corporate recruiter for technology firms, Jennifer met thousands of people who had no passion for their job and felt totally unfulfilled. They didn't realize that *they* were in charge of their life's path. They felt life was "happening" to them– not that they were carving their own path. They were "stuck" in a job they didn't feel like mattered.
Nowadays, Jennifer says she's finding many people graduating from college want to have a job that they feel will impact the world, that will make people's lives better.
Here's a little bit of Jennifer and Joe's story.
You can learn more about Jennifer and Joe's methods for life and work success on their website: www.carveyourownroad.com
Survival of the Fittest
The Little Bakery That Could
Survival of the Fittest
Pasta Lady Rolls Through Recession
Elisa Gambino is a small business owner who lost a third of her business when recession hit.
So she rolled with the punches, got creative and began driving the pasta to the people.
On Friday– we'll bring you the story of the "Sweet Auburn Bread Company". Baker Sonya's sweet potato cheesecake became famous when President Clinton sampled it. But the recession took down a lot of her business. Now she too is rolling with the punches– and getting inventive.
