REAL LIFE ROSIE

http://www.usalovelist.com

I’m the founder of USA Love List, a shopping and style site dedicated to celebrating the very best of American-made.

What inspires you?  I love to listen to loud music and I learn a lot from listening to podcasts while exercising and while in the car.

Do you have a favorite quote?  One I am trying to meditate on lately, to help me tackle the big projects first, is from Mark Twain: ““Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

What are the most pressing issues facing women today?  The challenge for women is finding satisfying challenges that are also flexible enough to see them through the many phases of life.

What are the biggest keys to your success?  By far the biggest key to my success has been finding other people, mostly women to work with and connect with. I work at home, by myself, but I spend my days in touch with the most amazing individuals.

What are the biggest keys to the advancement or success of women?  Just finding something we can stick to it without losing momentum.

Where did the inspiration for your business come from?  USA Love List was inspired by a cross-country road trip in our motor-home. As we traveled across the country, I observed that the difference between thriving towns and dying main streets was the presence of some sort of manufacturing or industry. We went on several factory tours on that trip, the most notable being the Winnebago factory in Iowa where our RV was made. it was exciting to talk to the people there and hear their pride in what they were producing.

What advice do you have for a woman who is considering starting a business?  Find a small chunk to bite off and give yourself time to really develop it, using that experience to make connections and build an audience. That will give you a good gauge of the interest in your project and will give you a network to support you in the next phase.

What are the biggest hurdles you’ve faced in starting or growing your business? How did you overcome these?  Oh, the biggest hurdle is that there are only so many hours in the day. If anyone knows how to overcome this, please let me know!