ambizion magazine january 2013 issue

Premiere

Issue!

Laurie Cheshire

SossaTaking the Bartering Business World By

Storm!

www.ambizionmagazine.com

The Importance of Loving What You Do

AmbizionTable of Contents

2www.ambizionmagazine.com

Ambizion the Brand Pg 3

The Importance of Loving What You Do Pg 4

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship? Pg 6

Ambition- Good or Bad Pg 8

Entertaining on a Budget Pg 11

Cover Story- Laurie Cheshire Sossa Pgs 13-16 Nine Steps to A Successful Business Pg 18 Sports Fun & Fitness Pg 24

What is Passion? Pg 27

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Ambizon Magazine- (Formerly known as Atlanta Ambition Magazine)

Ambizion Television Networks- (on Wisecast Television Channel 519)- (A global cable channel showcasing Independent talent and entertainment)

Ambizion Radio- Hosted by Damitra Stuart (Radio talk show on (Survival Radio Network)where celebrities are interviewed about their life experiences aside from fame) Every Tuesday night 10:00-11:00PM EST

Ambizion Talent- Talent agency for DIVERSE and Independent talent

Ambizion Events- Event planning company catering to Red Carpet and unique events for the Ambizion brand and for clients as well.

Ambizion Graphics- Creating logos, websites and etc.for clients since 2011

Ambizion Films- Damitra Stuart herself has created, produced and directed multiple original series for her cable channel Ambizion Television Networks with more projects in the works!

Ambizion Apparel- Clothing & Accessory line for the Ambitious and Business Minded. This is a unique and diverse brand that signifies Damitra Stuart and her laid back style for women, men, children and dogs.

Ambizion Dollz- Damitra Stuart’s new global organization for professional and ambitious women. First chapter will start in Atlanta Georgia!

The Ambizion Brand

CEO Damitra Stuartwww.ambizionmedia.com


Each morning (or midday, as the case may be) when you rise, you can do one of two things: • Look forward to the day with anticipation and joy •Dread what the day holds in store Hence the importance of loving what you do. If your job or business does not involve do-ing something that brings you joy - then why do you bother getting out of bed? Why is doing something that you love, so dang important? Why, because it sustains you for the long haul, of course. Well (you ask) won’t my love of making money sustain me for the long haul? And (I answer) - No my friend, doing something you are indiffer-ent to, just because it makes you rich, is not a long term success strategy. For example, take a look at the Rolling Stones; do you ever wonder why - with all their money- they don’t just retire and enjoy their lives? I mean after all they are as old as Croesus, and wasn’t this the generation that hoped to die before they got old?

It turns out that having a passion for what you do can renew and rejuvenate - my husband is a mu-sician and I’ll tell you that life on the road isn’t always babes and booze - it’s a grind. If you do not love it with a passion then you hate it with a pas-sion - and hate is such a strong and negative emo-tion, why would you want to carry that around? Therefore, I believe that the Rolling Stones long-term cross-generational success can be attributed to their passion for their work, and not necessarily a love of money. Another reason to love what you do is that your passion fires you up and is evident to others. When you talk to clients, potential business partners, or investors they hear and feel that passion and it is both attractive and seductive. Your passion helps you to grow your business, because your belief in your business is sustained and strengthened by passion and love and this is transparent to all who come in contact with you. What is Martha Stewart but a housewife who re-ally, really, really enjoys her day to day work? She has turned her passion for cooking, gardening, and decorating into a multi-million dollar empire

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The Importance of Loving What you Do


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Could you carry on your regular j-o-b while you get your home business started? A smart indi-vidual wouldn’t burn a bridge before a new one is built. Are you capable of saving money? If not, you’d better face the facts and work for someone else for the rest of your life. Saving your profits is crucial. If you have never saved any money, the chances are you won’t when you start your own business. Do you possess the ability to provide good cus-tomer service? This is something that many entrepreneurs fail at. This is often the one ingredi-ent that makes one business successful, whereas the lack of it could cause a business to fail. Unless you are as genuinely interested in serving your customers’ needs as you are in fattening up your own bank roll, it would be wiser for you to work behind the scenes in someone else’s business. These are some basic questions you must ask yourself before even considering to become an entrepreneur. Many others before you have and many others after you will have to.

Are You Ready For Entrepreneurship?By Andrew M. Warner

It's easy for anyone can go out and get a regular job to put some money in their pockets, but it takes a special individual to venture off and start their own business. That person has to display enthusiasm, inventiveness, and character. More importantly, they have to display ambition. Ambition is the key element for an entrepreneur.

The ambition to start a business. The ambition to succeed. The ambition to carry-on after facing failure. Before deciding on being an entrepreneur and seeking ways to make money, do you possess that type of ambition? Are you willing to work late into the night without first punching a time clock, or are you going into business for yourself on the theory that you will be able to work only when you feel like it? If you choose the the latter, I suggest you stop reading right this moment.

www.ambizionmagazine.com 6

Ambition- Good or Bad?

An anonymous writer said that ambition, fueled by compassion, wisdom and integrity, is a power-ful force for good. It will turn the wheels of industry and open the door of opportunity for you and countless thousands of other people. Fueled by greed and the lust for power, ambition is a destruc-tive force that ultimately does irreparable damage to the individual in its grasp and to the people within its reach.

It is more than just a cliche to say that ambition can either make you or break you. It makes us when we hear the words of Henry Van Dyke who said, “There is a loftier ambition than merely to stand high in the world. It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little higher.” George Matthew Adams said, “He climbs highest who helps another up.” John Lubbock put it this way, “To do something, however small, to make others happier and better is the highest ambition, the most elevating hope, which can inspire a human being.” As a youngster in a small Mississippi town, I frequently heard my mother and the man for whom I worked in the grocery store describe an individual by saying, “He is really a very ambitious young man,” or “She really has a lot of ambition.” The tone of voice indicated that they were very favor-ably identifying one of the traits of that young person. I understood implicitly that they were talking about ambition fueled by compassion, wisdom and integrity. On the other hand, I heard them say on numerous occasions, “He (or she) is a nice person, but he just doesn’t have any ambition.” From my perspective, people who have ability - and that includes anyone reading these words - and who do not use that ability, represent one of the real tragedies of life. The old saying that you either “use it or lose it” is true.

In a nutshell, ambition, fueled with compassion and direction, can be a powerful force for good. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!


By Zig Ziglar

Entertaining on a BudgetThe state of the economy may not be the best these days, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun with parties and get-togethers in your home.

There are many ways that you can have that party and not spend a lot of cash and still make a hit with your friends and neighbors. Here are some tips and suggestions to make your next party special, yet help you to stay on a modest budget. Setting the Scene One way to set the scene and create a luxuri-ous and fancy feel to your social event is to use candles, either scented or unscented. You can get some inexpensive, yet beautiful candles and candle holders at dollar stores, or other inexpensive places. Get some in a variety of colors and styles and you will be ready for any holiday or special event. Plus, they can be used more than once, which also saves money. What about music? You can put out a festive vibe by downloading a music mix to your iPod or to a CD to play on your computer. You could even find a really great radio station or music station on the TV and keep that on low in the background. Mealtime Tips

Who needs fancy china? These days it’s trendy to mix and match your plates and glassware. You can find pretty selections at yard sales, dollar stores or thrift stores.

When it comes to food, why not have a potluck meal? Everyone gets to show off their own favor-ite dish and you can provide the main course and dessert. Talk about it in advance and have people put down what they expect to bring so you won’t have too much of one thing. You can pick a festive theme like Mexican or Italian and everyone bring a food that applies to it. When it comes to drinks, make it a BYOB where guests bring a bottle of wine or their favorite soft drink. That way you satisfy everyone no matter if they enjoy alcoholic beverages or not. You provide some pretty glasses to put it in, and you are good to go. Entertainment Why not bring back fun activities like charades, Pictionary, or other games that require several people to play them. You can be a trend setter and break out these or maybe even Twister. Hey, the 70s are coming back, so why not?

If you aren’t into games, you can always make a movie theme to the party and show a couple of DVDs complete with popcorn. The movie could go along with the theme of your party and make it even more special.

Maybe you could even have a little dance contest if you have the room, it could be fun, plus help you get in some exercise at the same time. Whatever you do, there are plenty of ways to have fun and not spend a lot of money. Take these ideas and add some of your own for use at your next party or getogether.


Cover Story

Laurie Cheshire SossaTaking the Bartering Business World By Storm!


Where are you from? I am from Queens, New York. Born and raised there and lived there until I was 22. How did your parents influence you growing up?My parents have always been a positive force in my life and so I have found that having a positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even more enjoyable. They have always encouraged me to set goals; even from an early age, yet they taught me how to always be greatful and content for what I had. My parents taught me by example the golden rule to treat others as you would want to be treated which is what I strive to live by. They taught me to be balanced in life. I strive every day of my life to be more like them and when I do something the way that I know that they would do it, I have never been more proud of who I am.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a child I wanted to be an anchor woman reporting on news all around the world.

What lead you to the road that you are on now business wise?

I have always incorporated barter in every business I have owned but there is always a challenge with direct bartering. There is the challenge of equal value and the challenge of each party being interested in what each other has to offer. A barter club eleminates those challenges. With a bar-ter club, the party you sell to does not have to supply you with what they have, they will pay you in trade credits or trade dollars which can be used to purchase whatever you need from the barter network. I had been involved with direct barter as well as traded in other barter exchanges over the years, and saw what was lacking and knew that I could take it to another level in so many ways which would make us stand out in the barter industry. In addition. I was in the middle of selling a business I had owned and operated for over 15 years and I was going to be signing a 5 year non-compete so since I needed to go in to a new industry and this was something I was knowledgeable and passionate about, I formed Southern Barter Club and more recently Eco-Trade Global.


Tell me about your business

SBC is a trading organization where members earn and spend trade dollars instead of cash dollars. Our market place is for large and small businesses to earn buying power in the form of trade currency as they offer their professional services, inventory and available resources to other members within the barter network. SBC is an alternative market place for businesses where business members can acquire needed goods and services without using cash. Our trade currency is reportable income to the IRS. You can think of the barter club as a bank. Rather than dealing in cash, SBC which is the “barter bank” deals with the real, fair-market value of goods and services charged and credited to businesses and individuals who participate in this alternative economy.

For example: Business ‘A’ provides dental services to Business ‘B’. The fair-market value of that service is credited to Business ‘A’’s trade account, who then uses all or part of that credited value to acquire new computers from Business ‘C’ and web site design from Business ‘D’. Businesses ‘C’ and ‘D’ can then redeem the value earned from barter-ing with business ‘A’ at any of the other thousands of companies in the global trading network. Bar-ter is simply another way of geting paid and the ability for the business owner to buy at their own wholesale cash cost of doing business. SBC is the third party record keeper and also manages the directory of businesses that buy and sell using this trade currency.

If anyone in business could be your men-tor who would it be?

Definitely Richard Branson who had started his first business at age 16, who went on to build the virgin empire and is now one of the most success-ful people in the world. I’m inspired by his amaz-ing business sense, his adventurous spirit and philanthropy.

What do you love most about your career?I love what I do. I love opening peoples eyes to this old age but very innovative way of doing business. I enjoy getting to know the wide variety of busi-nesses we work with. It’s very rewarding to help business owners find ever-more-creative ways to cut costs and raise assets and leverage new income through SBC. It’s rewarding to help them help themselves as they use their own resources as their very own form of private currency. Its fulfilling to hear the barter triumphs our members boast about which cover many of their business and personal expenditures using revenue we generated from new SBC sales. I love a challenge and coming up with a creative solution and that’s what bartering is all about.

How do you balance family life with your career?

I’m able to balance my family life and career with the support of my family. When you own your own business and have a family to care for, every one in the family just has to pitch in and needs to be flex-ible; understanding that things can just change at a moment’s notice.. So for me it’s all about being flex-ible and balanced. When it comes to home respon-sibilities, my husband and children share in the day to day responsibilities, which not only lightens my load but teaches our girls a valuable lesson about the importance of every one doing their part. I’m also conscious of scaling back and not taking on too many outside activitiites and committments that can keep me away from my family which is the most important thing to me. Daily we strive to have simple quality time together and through-out the year we schedule special weeks for needed vacation time together. Balance is key in life and I believe you can only be good in your business if you lead a balanced life.


Where do you see yourself in the next year?

There is so much uncertainty in the times that we live and so the only thing I can really control and focus on in the next year and years to come is to consistently be the best that I can be . I do hope to expand our newly launched Eco-Trade Global which is the “green barter pages”. This barter network is for businesses that are eco-conscious and wanting to buy and sell environmentally friendly goods and services using eco-dollars.

What is your Ambizion (Legacy)?

That our bartter network of cashless currency will continue to expand and that this monetary system will continue to benefit so many for generations to come.

www.ambizionmagazine.com18

Nine Steps to a Successful BusinessIf you are considering starting your own busi-ness, then you will need to also come up with a good plan for that business. A business plan is necessary for several reasons, including outlining your goals, expected costs, market-ing plans and an exit strategy. It is basically a road map to help your new business know how to operate and how you will measure your success or failure at it. Here are nine steps to a successful business plan: 1. List your goals and objectives in an executive summary plan. This is one of the most important steps in the process of setting up a business, and it’s the one banks and other lenders use to decide if they want to loan you money. If you don’t have a proper executive summary plan put together, then you aren’t likely to be able to get the funds you need to run your company. 2. List how your business got started. Put together a short and concise paragraph or two that clearly explains how and why you started your business.

3. List the business goals. Make a list of the short term and long term goals that you want to complete in the next few years. You need to list things like how fast the business is likely to grow and who is your target audience. 4. Make biographies of your management team. Your plan should include a manage-ment section with the names and backgrounds of the head members of your business’s man-agement team and their respective duties and responsibilities.

5. Talk about your products and services. Put together the reasons why your product or services are better than the rest and why this will help your company to succeed and prosper. 6. What are the market possibilities of your business? A new business has to convince banks, potential employees, and everyone else that the market you’re going for is viable and will keep on growing and prospering. You can put in things like the demand for your product or services in a spe-cific mile radius. If it is an online company, you can get some information on the web on the type of item or service you plan to provide and look for some history on that topic to make your prediction of its success. 7. Have a marketing strategy. Next, you need to add in how you plant to let everyone know you are open for business and ready to provide your services or products. List things like how you will advertise, how much you plan to spend on advertis-ing, where you will list your company, will you also use word of mouth, etc.

8. Have a 3-5 year plan. You must think about both the long and short of things like a summary of the possible financial outcomes with balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow predictions. You also need to list how much money you need to bor-row to get started. This is a very important section as it can make or break you depending on what is listed here.

9. Have an exit strategy. Every great company has a part of their business plan that includes a section that shows exactly what you will do if you decide to close the business. It should list benchmarks such as dollar figures, revenue growth, how your business is received by the world, and what type of consensus your top management agrees on in order to close it.

34 Power Springs StMarietta, GA 30064

(770) 499-9774http://www.alsbarbeque.com

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Sports for Fun and FitnessThese days, most of us are looking for a way to stay in shape, yet still have fun at the same time. Playing sports is one way to get moving that will do both of these things. Here are some sports that will help you get that healthy body and have fun at the same time: Sport # 1 – Basketball Basketball requires you to run around the court and be able to jump up to put the ball into the basket. Be-sides being able to do this, plus know the rules of the game, there really isn’t much else to learn. Once you figure out your own style in doing this, basketball is a great way to help condition your body and you will more than likely even lose weight at the same time.

There are usually leagues in places like the local YMCA, or you can just go to a gym and shoot some hoops on your own. You may even volunteer to couch a youth team and join in to show them how to play.

This is both a fun activity to help you get into shape, and you may even make some friends in the process or help mentor a teen along the way. Sport # 2 – Running Running is a great way to get in shape and it doesn’t require you to buy anything to begin. You can do it either outside or inside on a treadmill. You can do it at a gym or club or just take a stroll around your neighborhood. Running helps you lose weight and gets your heart going, which helps for aerobic exercise. Just be care-ful about injuries such as shin splints, plantar fasci-itis, and knee soreness. You can avoid these by not overdoing it, wearing the proper shoes and stretching before you start your run.

Who knows, you may even like it so much you eventually choose to run in a marathon. Sport #3 – Soccer Soccer has become a very popular sport that many people like to play, both children and adults. There are soccer leagues everywhere for children, women, and men. This is a great way to get into shape, as it requires a lot of running and kicking since you can’t use your hands in soccer.

You just need shin guards, long athletic socks, and soccer shoes with cleats, a field and a soccer ball to get started. So, if you think this is a sport you’d like to try, check out the listings the local YMCA or other gym and see if it is offered. Sport # 4 – Softball Softball is also a very popular sport, and you can usually find local leagues in most areas. It’s much like baseball, except that the ball is larger and softer, thus a bit safer and easier to hit with the bat. The rules are also similar to baseball, but the pitcher throws underhanded.

Sport #5 – Hockey Hockey too is a great way to have fun while still getting your exercise. You have to know how to ice skate, or, if not, check out floor hockey, which has similar rules but is played on a floor indoors instead of on ice.

Always wear the proper safety gear, as it’s pos-sible to be injured in hockey by sticks or flying pucks. Check out the local gyms, schools or YMCAs for opportunities for either kinds of hockey. These and other sports will help you have fun and stay in shape.


Myers Carpet1500 Northside Drive Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30318

Phone:(404) 352-8141

What is Passion?What is passion? Recently after a presentation, I was once again thanked for my passion. The com-pliment was genuinely given, as was my returned thank you. However, as the day progressed, my thoughts kept returning to passion. What really is passion? For the next several days as I attempted to ponder this question, other questions surfaced. What does it mean when one has passion? What separates people with passion and those without passion? Is passion always positive? Could passion be negative? Is there a relationship between passion and purpose? How does this fit me? Sometimes the best place to begin to define a word is with Webster. Webster’s dictionary states that passion is an emotional response. Being an intellectual conceptualizer or more simply stated a heurist, I wrote down 3 words – passion, performance and purpose.

Consider the following: imagine someone standing with out stretched arms and open hands with one hand holding the word passion and the other holding the word purpose.

What I would like you to consider is that passion is the present where others as well as ourselves see our emotions. Purpose is the future, our true north, where we constantly strive towards to reach our vision. And the performance is the individual with the outstretched hands. Performance is the collec-tion of all past experiences and current actions where we continually apply knowledge as we hold true to our passion and purpose.

Passion exists with our purpose and performance as a partner to help achieve the present and the future that we desire for our businesses, our families, our friends, our communities and ourselves. Now envision yourself as that person of performance. Visualize what your hands are holding. What fills the hand holding your passion? What do you see in the other hand holding your purpose? Keep that vision bright in your mind’s eye. Perform each and every day with a clear focus on realizing both your passion and your purpose.

2960 North Druid Hills Road

Atlanta, GA 30329

Tel : (404) 321-5677


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