Thank you

I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to be a member of BusinessWest's 2010 40 Under 40 class. I was very proud and excited to officially receive the honor on June 24 at The Log Cabin.

There are remarkable young professionals in the Western Massachusetts area and they are doing some inspiring work. In addition to their thriving careers, these professionals make it a priority to give back to their community. A service that is so underrated.

The event was beautiful, the flower-trimmed property perfect. I could not have wished for a better evening.

Thank you to Springfield School Volunteers for nominating me. Many blessings to all!

2010 Success Driven Woman

I am very excited to be featured on theceomamma.com. As entrepreneurs and mothers we walk a fine line trying to balance the load on our shoulders. This web site is a fantastic community for mothers to come together to discuss all of the challenges we face on a daily basis.

This week I am proud to be the featured 2010 Success Driven Woman in Business.  Here is the interview below:

Full Name: Natasha Clark

Company: The Lioness Group

Position: Founder

Website: http://www.thelionessgroup.com/
Year Founded: 2009
Tell us about yourself and your business: Natasha Clark founded The Lioness Group in 2009 for the entrepreneur, small business owner and large companies that understand the value of keeping a “small business” mentality. Local business owners expressed a need for quality, low-cost writing and public relations services to help their consumer base expand. As a result, a high percentage of their business is from repeat customers and referrals.

The mission of The Lioness Group is to help small business owners and entrepreneurs get their message and passion to their target audience. They teach their clients the importance of branding, consistency and the benefits of learning to create a first-class press release.

What inspired you to start a business? I’ve always been asked if I do freelance work on the side. I never had the courage to actually step out and establish myself as a separate entity. But like so many other twenty-somethings facing this economic crisis, I realized that my future and talents are best left to be managed by me. The Lioness Group will allow me to do that on my own terms.

Share one business goal: My goal is to eventually hire an entire “pride” of smart, modern, ambitious women to work at The Lioness Group.

What would you say contributes to your success? I’m a people person. I love to meet new people and listen to their stories. Listening will get you a long way.

What advice would you give an aspiring entrepreneur? Even when you are wondering why you were crazy enough to become an entrepreneur, remember why you started it, and you’ll get through the day.

Anything else you want to mention about your business? Never, ever give up on your dreams. Believe you already received it, and the blessings will be yours.

Look who turned 1 years old!

I can hardly believe that today, June 4, marks the one year anniversary of The Lioness Group. On this very day, my colleague at the time, Courtney Llewellyn, gave me a ride to City Hall during lunch, and I got the paperwork filed, out of the way and was off and running.

Those first few months establishing an identity were surreal. I spent most of my days getting business cards, designing flyers, putting together a Web site and marketing materials. I could not ask for a better year. It has been quite the learning experience and I have a long way to go. I am proud of the clients we have served this far and look forward to the ones we will add to the Lioness Group family in the future!

I’ve had my goofs this year as well – distributing an announcement with no mention of its location or time and failing to send a client an invoice. No one is perfect. I use each opportunity to learn a lesson and develop a better system. Some of the strongest skills in my arsenal have been developed by trial and error. It has, however, made me a smarter and better business person.

So I lift my online flute to you in a toast – one blessed year down, one incredible one to come.