Archives for April 2017
The Art of Telling Your Story…
Written By: Tim Murphy
“You have to have an authentic story that’s really true to you, your brand … talk about it and learn to tell that story. “
— Kimberly Senn
This quote from Kimberly Senn is the perfect introduction to why I launched our Podcast called “Edina — SW Mpls Advice Givers”
Each and every one of us has a unique story to tell. Within these stories lie knowledge and guidance we all can use to better ourselves as mothers, fathers, business owners and philanthropists. Each one of us will listen to these stories and gain something different from them. The knowledge you seek will be relative to your state of mind.
- Are you a mother, looking for reassurance you’re not the only one who doesn’t have it all figured out.
- A father, trying to better understand your children. How to get through to them. When all you really want to do is help.
- The entrepreneur looking for ways to grow your business and learn from others who have already walked the path you are on.
- A giver, looking for ways to impact your community but just don’t know how.
All of these are fantastic reasons for listening to our new podcast Edina — SW Mpls Advice Givers
The Edina-SW Mpls Advice Givers Podcast, in a sense, works just like Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, which aired on the Discovery Channel for many years. To book and schedule future guests, in addition to our own efforts to find the best minds, we depend on your recommendation of local experts, inspiring entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders in the community. In other words, who should we Interview? Have a recommendation? If you know of someone who has an important message or story to tell, please introduce us.
Yes, the title is specific to Edina & Southwest Minneapolis. But, the stories… the stories are about people just like you and me. Stories about passion, struggle, victory and defeat. These are the types of stories which have been told for thousands of years. These are building blocks for you.
I believe, magic lies in each and every one of our stories. By hosting a podcast which can bring out these stories for you — it’s my way of giving back to the people and a community who mean so much to me. Without you and your support. Without your willingness to give me your attention. I would be nothing. For this I am truly grateful. For this I strive to give back.
I hope you enjoy each and every one of our guests as the list grows. Your feedback is needed.
- Do you have specific guest you would like on the show?
- Do you have specific problems you want us to get answers for?
Please contact me and let me know what answers you seek. You’ll be amazed at how one person’s story can change a life.
Welcome Kimberly Senn with Senn & Sons as she walks us through her story about going from a world traveling marketing titan to a home town entrepreneur. She admittedly doesn’t have it all figured out… but that’s OK. I don’t think many of us do.
Click her & listen as she tells her story
Kimberly Senn, welcome to our family of Advice Givers(R)
Food & Fitness: Helping You Manage the Best of Both Worlds
Written by: Diana Wallenberg
Never Underestimate the Power of Human Connection
In the world of social media, it is rare to find an entrepreneur that is also a generous spirit. One of those rare souls that care so deeply about others that it radiates in everything they do. Although she would be the last person to admit it, Lee Hersh of FitFoodieFinds.com is one of these people. Her love for the individuals who are inspired to make positive life choices by her blog is the driving force that keeps her inspired and looking to the future.
Passion: The First Ingredient to Success
At 26 years old and a Junior at the University of Minnesota, Hersh was unsure about her future. Although she admits to feeling lost during that time, her passion for good health and great food remained constant. Although Lee often visited the sites of other healthy living bloggers in search of a community of like-minded people, she credits her sister with giving her the confidence to follow her passion and start a blog of her own.
Her first blog, CollegeFoodieFinds.com was created out of this love of healthy living. According to Hersh, “It started as a passion project…to find a community,” She accomplished exactly that; and after college, her passion inspired her to develop FitFoodieFinds.com, Hersh’s prolific healthy living blog that currently has an impressive 2 million subscribers.
Do What You Love, Love What You Do
While her passion for fitness and healthy fare are evident, Hersh’s first love is bringing people together, “Life is better when you are with people. If you do something with someone else, you are going to thrive off each other and reach your goals faster.” Through her blog, Hersh has given millions of people a place to connect with one another and be inspired to nourish their bodies with healthy food and exercise.
It may even be this love of community which inspired Hersh’s attraction to healthy living. “I work out because I love food, and food brings people together,” she states. Her natural affinity for human connection has given many people hope that they can live a healthier and happier life. Hersh obviously loves giving her online followers the tools and support they need to accomplish the goals they set for themselves.
Hersh’s next greatest love is creativity. One only need scroll down her blog to see evidence of her fantastic creative talent. FitFoodieFun.com is vibrant and alive, full of carefully shot images of Hersh’s culinary efforts. Because her blog allows her a creative outlet, she can even develop a skill that she does not enjoy. “I actually do not like writing…I’ve always been creative…and I think that’s what really sucked me into creating content,” she relates. Thankfully this is so because her written and photographic content have come together to form a masterpiece. Her conversational writing style informs without overwhelming and is engaging for new readers and loyal subscribers alike.
Know Your Audience
While Hersh’s blog attracts readers of every background, she knows her primary audience well. Most visits to her blog are from women in the millennial generation looking for versions of classic comfort foods with a healthy twist. The men who visit her site are looking for the same thing. Both enjoy the high-intensity 30-minute workouts she regularly posts.
As her target audience continues to grow, Hersh keeps her content fresh and free for all, making sure newcomers and subscribers keep coming back for more.
Embrace new Opportunities
Always on the lookout for ways to better serve the needs of her subscribers, Hersh collaborated with another Minneapolis-based blogger, Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com to create The Healthy Glow Collective. Both Hersh and Volz recognized a need for something like Healthy Glow when they met and hit it off four years ago. They kept hearing women voice a desire to live a healthier life, but didn’t know how or where to start, hated strict diet rules, or didn’t have the support they needed. The Healthy Glow Collective is the solution to the problems Hersh kept encountering.
Their idea with Healthy Glow is to offer a downloadable fitness program and meal plan that women can follow, and provide an online community for them to support each other through the program. The first program available lasts six weeks and includes three weekly workouts and a daily meal plan with a convenient grocery list for shopping. It has been appreciatively called “a plan for the real girl.” Members of Healthy Glow are passionate about the collective, and it continues to inspire new followers all the time.
Keep Your Eyes on the Future
While Hersh has already experienced significant and unexpected success in both of her current ventures, she continues to plan for the future. She acknowledges the influence social media has had on her progress and appreciates the brands that affiliate with her on her blog and other social media accounts. Along these lines, her ten-year plan is to develop more digital products, to fill the needs of her readers better, and pursue avenues of passive income.
A Generous Spirit
Hersh’s generous spirit is not limited to looking out for her subscribers. Service and charity work is close to her heart, and in cooperation with Lindsey Bomgren or NourishMoveLove.com, she coordinates the Fit for Her Initiative in Minneapolis each year. Her Initiative is an organization that provides clean water and educational resources to women and girls in third world countries, where the primary water carriers are female.
Fit for Her Initiative is a fitness event that includes a workout and breakfast for those who register, and women entrepreneurs are invited to offer their products to attendees for the remainder of the day. All profits from Fit for Her Initiative go directly to the charity itself.
Passion and Service: A Winning Combination
Lee Hersh did not set out to be an internet entrepreneur. She was simply a girl with who enjoyed food, liked exercise, and had a great love of people. Her dedication to serving the people that read her blog motivates her to keep creating excellent resources for fitness and nutrition. Around here, we hope she keeps moving forward because we think the world needs more people in it just like Lee Hersh.
Ep 8: Edina Assisted Living-Like You Never Left Home
Subscribe to the Advice Givers (R) podcast here:
A Legend In The Making
Written By: Tim Murphy
Talk about changing the world!
Sami is an accomplished student athlete doing just that. During my interview with her on Edina — SW Mpls Advice Givers Podcast. We had an opportunity to learn more about Sami’s story and how she became the first coach in Edina hockey history to ever win a High School Girls State Hockey Championship.
Growing up with 2 brothers and a Dad who played hockey… Sami was destined to do the same. My interview with Sami reminded me just how much young people learn about leadership, team work, commitment and work ethic as an athlete. These are all traits you need to be successful in the world.
Weeks after talking with Sami, what I realized is most important of all — You must believe. That is where the real magic lies.
Click here and find out how this Harvard Graduate accomplished what nobody else could.
Sami Reber, welcome to our family of Advice Givers(R)
#AnythingIsPossible
#EdinaHockey
#EdinaMN
Ep 7: A Custom Cabinet Maker-Living The American Dream
- How he got his first job by repeating the only English he knew
- Why building custom furniture is his passion
- Why custom furniture is important
- Where he sees himself in 5 to 7 years
Ep 6 Lee Hersh and FitFoodieFinds
- Lee’s mission with FitFoodieFinds
- Her strengths and weaknesses when it comes to producing content for her blog
- How her website has branched into other ventures
Episode 5: “I’m a Ninja!”