About herself and Mrs Fields Cookies….

I was barely into my 20s when I decided I wanted to sell my cookies to the public. I had no formal business background, no track record, and no start-up money, but I had conviction, drive, and my dream. I knew that I made the best cookie out there and I believed that the worst failure would be not to try. Everyone my family, my friends, the bankers, even my husband thought that the idea of starting a store to sell chocolate chip cookies was ridiculous. But I'm not very good when someone tells me "No" or "You can't." Just hearing those words gives me enough energy to make anything possible. Eventually, I found a financial institution that was willing to give me a chance, and Mrs. Fields Cookies was born.

Facing the problems like anyone else...

From there, it was hardly a smooth ride to my company's success. I encountered many hurdles, and for the most part, the three most significant challenges people face in the marketplace today are much the same as the ones I had to tackle.

While financing has gotten much easier to obtain, it still represents the biggest challenge for people in business. The business climate may be evolving to a point where it can better address the interests of entrepreneurs, but women's mindsets must evolve along with it. Although banks are now much more receptive to loan requests from people entrepreneurs, many people are still reluctant to seek the financial backing they need and deserve to get their fledgling ventures up and running.

The second major challenge for people in business is learning to effectively manage the responsibilities of business and family. Here, too, societal attitudes continue to evolve to make people's jobs easier, yet to be truly successful, I believe that people must set clear priorities from the outset. Somehow, I've always felt that if I take care of my family, I'm in a good place to take care of my business.

Believe in yourself, have faith….

Of the top hurdles facing businesspeople, the last is the one most difficult to neatly define. It's the challenge that comes from inside of yourself: the ability to shut out all of the voices of doubt and channel the power of your own positive attitude. In my work with entrepreneurs, I'm overwhelmed by the immense talent that is out there, the combination of enthusiasm, ideas, and passion that women bring to their business ventures. Where I see most people come up short, however, is in maintaining a strong belief in their goals and abilities in the face of the myriad frustrations and logistical challenges that are connected to any new (or continuing) business venture.

A favorite line…..

I have a favorite line: "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right." Creativity and ingenuity are critical to the success of any business. In the course of realizing a dream, everyone is going to hit the wall, so to speak. There are going to be barriers_barriers to entry, barriers to taking your business to its next level. When you hit the wall, the goal is to come up with the one thing that works, and often it's not the first (or second or third!) thing you'll consider. I hit the wall on the first day my cookie store was open to the public. No one bought a single cookie_until in desperation, I got the idea to walk outside and offer free samples to people passing by. That moment represented a crucial turning point for my business it was the moment I realized I would do anything within my power to climb over any wall that stood between me and the success of my business.

When Mrs. Fields Cookies began, there were far fewer entrepreneurs, and certainly very few visible ones. I didn't have the benefit of learning from the experiences both positive and negative of other business owners. People today are far more fortunate, and I think that many of them still underestimate how much networking can enhance their lives, both personally and professionally. Most people are so busy trying to take care of their businesses and their families that they lose sight of the importance of takaing care of their hearts, minds, and souls by connecting with others in similar positions. I truly believe that when you get a group of people together, it's unbelivable what can be accomplished in terms of bonding, of sharing both the successes and the failings we've all experienced in building a career out of what we love.

Product and Customer service is what it is about

As every entrepreneur knows, there is no magic recipe for success, but there are several key ingredients important to any business. It may seem obvious, but your product or service must be the very best. If you don't take it to the top, to the absolute limit, you can be sure someone else will. Personal conviction in what your business provides is what sells. It not only gives you the power to believe in yourself; it makes other people believe in you.

Self motivation and drive….

When Mrs. Fields was getting off the ground, I had to talk to myself every morning. I'd get out of bed and say, "I'm not giving up! `No' is an unacceptable answer. It doesn't matter how many people laugh at me I know there's someone out there who wants to say `Yes'!" Sending positive messages to yourself is incredibly important, because it's too easy to put yourself down and become discouraged.

...and remember, Good Enough Never Is ~