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Essential Read: Find Your Extraordinary: Dream Bigger, Live Happier, and Achieve Success on Your Own Terms by Jessica DiLullo Herrin

April 17, 2016 Melanie Hawken
Jessica Herrin, entrepreneur and author

Jessica Herrin, entrepreneur and author

What if you could, with a little effort, live an extraordinary life? A life in which you felt deep passion for everything you did, and always had time for what matters most? A life in which you had the power, the daring, and the will to make your boldest dreams come true, all while you happily left feelings of inadequacy or guilt behind? Serial entrepreneur and author, Jessica Herrin, shares her insights and experience on how to find your own extraordinary and live the live you want to.

 

It is possible to take your life from ordinary to extraordinary. The secret? Cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit inside you – the spirit that allows you to embrace your individuality, to look not just at what is but at what could be, to believe in yourself beyond reason and to step up to creating your own definition of happiness and success  - a version of success in which work and family life happily co-exist - instead of chasing a cookie-cutter version. Here, Jessica Herrin, serial entrepreneur and founder and CEO of the Stella & Dot Family Brands, shows how the classic traits of successful entrepreneurs are ones each one of us can develop – and use not only to create a company, but also to create an extraordinary life. Whether we work a corporate job, run a family, or run our own business, Herrin offers realistic, attainable steps each one of us can take to achieve extraordinary success on our own terms. Through candid and inspiring lessons from her life as a successful CEO and working mother of two, as well as stories of many amazing individuals she’s met along the way, Herrin inspires and empowers us to dial up the sound of our own voices and make our authentic dreams a reality. This book isn’t about having it all; it’s about having what matters most to you. It is about how to find your extraordinary – your extraordinary career, your extraordinary happiness, your extraordinary life.

The book starts out by looking at how to say goodbye to the ordinary and instead to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit, examining the Six Ps of the Entrepreneurial Spirit - Passion, Path of Least Regret, Power of the Positive Mind, People, Perseverance, and Productivity. It also focuses on how to increase self confidence and a positive mind-set as you set out on your entrepreneurial journey, not to mention learning the power of perseverance and the ability to pick yourself up and dust yourself off when the going gets tough. 

“An ordinary definition of success is making money, moving up the ladder, and being well regarded by others. Extraordinary success, however, includes doing well at something you love and being well regarded by those who matter most to you, especially yourself. It’s about learning what you want, developing the confidence to admit it, and having the grit to go out there and get it.” - Jessica DiLullo Herrin
“Embracing your entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t necessarily mean becoming an entrepreneur. This book is not a how-to on starting a company in Silicon Valley. In fact, I firmly believe that following that path would not make most people happy. When I talk about the spirit of an entrepreneur, I’m describing not just me but anyone who wants to take charge of his or her own life.” - Jessica DiLullo Herrin

 

About the author

Jessica Herrin, CEO and Founder of the Stella & Dot Family Brands, is a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded WeddingChannel.com, the world's leading wedding site. With a vision to create a new kind of company that would offer today's busy woman a career alternative, Jessica wanted to use her savvy to help solve the modern woman's dilemma: achieving success and balance through a career you love. Never one to go with the status quo, Jessica felt that the typical home based business just didn't deliver. With lackluster product, high pressure sales tactics, and old school marketing methods, inventory was ending up in people's closets with little profit in their pockets.  Jessica's vision called for an entirely new concept that could guarantee women flexibility, reward, style, profit and fun. With an irresistible product and exceedingly personal service, a proven formula for passionate earning and personal success was born. In 2007, Jessica built a world class team including esteemed advisor Mike Lohner, sales guru Danielle Redner and Blythe Harris as partner and Chief Creative Officer. Jessica and Blythe named Stella & Dot after their beloved grandmothers. In 2014, Jessica launched the Stella & Dot Family Brands, broadening the impact and mission to give every woman the means to style their own life. Growing beyond the flagship accessories brand of Stella & Dot, the Family of Brands allows women to follow their personal passion to create a flexible social selling business opportunity just right for them as an Independent Business Owner. Introducing; KEEP Collective, an innovative charm concept on leather wrap bracelets, metallic bangles and necklaces exclusively sold by KEEP "Designers"; and EVER, a revolutionary, high performance skincare regimen based on a proprietary complex from an ancient botanical that delivers measurable results within 30 days, exclusively sold through "Specialists." The Stella & Dot Family Brands expands the company's mission to impact more women while revolutionizing the earnings opportunity for current Stella & Dot's Stylists. Jessica has been recognized for her entrepreneurial accomplishments and her passion in such national outlets as Oprah, Inc. Magazine (Stella & Dot was named one of the fastest growing private companies of the year for 2010 and 2011), Fortune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, InStyle, Glamour magazine and more. Stella & Dot was recently recognized at the 2012 Accessories Council Excellence Awards for Retail Innovation. In 2010, she created the Stella & Dot Foundation, raising over $2 Million to-date towards creating positive change in women's lives through education and economic empowerment and raising awareness for Breast Cancer and Autism. She earned a degree in Economics from Stanford University and attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Winner of the 2011 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Jessica is also an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Additional awards include 2010 Top Ten Female Entrepreneurs from Inc. Magazine, 2012 Top Ten Female CEOs from Inc. Magazine and 2012's 40 Under 40 and Most Admired CEO lists from the San Francisco Business Times. Herrin lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her family. 

Website: www.stelladot.com


Why LoA loves it….

For any woman entrepreneur, life can be a constant challenge, trying to juggle all aspects of life and business, whilst striving for success. This new book by highly successful serial entrepreneur, Jessica DiLullo Herrin, shows how the classic traits of successful entrepreneurs are ones that every woman can develop – and use not only to create a company, but also to create an extraordinary life. A great read for any woman on her entrepreneurial journey. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and CEO of Lionesses of Africa
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Tech FoundHER AFRICA CHALLENGE

Five female founders win over $100,000 in TechFoundHER Africa Challenge. Read more


CELEBRATING 10 YEARS


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Pure chocolate heaven…If you are a chocolate lover, then you need to experience raw chocolate at its finest, and Dana Mroueh, founder of MonChoco an artisan chocolatier in Côte d’Ivoire, has just what y Image of the Day / Rokus London

Sculpted statement jewellery…If you want to make a statement with your accessories, then these uniquely crafted pieces by Rokus London, a fine jewellery brand founded by Marie-Paule Tano, are just for you. Roku Image of the Day / Eva Sonaike

Vibrant interior design…The striking new interior designs by Eva Sonaike caught our eye this morning. Like the rest of the world, we love the African aesthetic which is increasingly finding its way into global i Image of the Day / Kunjina

Statement designer fashion…We are big fans of Kunjina in Ethiopia, the fashion brand founded by the talented Kunjina Tesfaye in 2017. She launched the brand while she was a university student studying construction t Image of the Day / Dathonga Designs

Traditional craft elevated…We love the impact-driven accessories created by Márcia Nangy O’Connell, founder and artistic director of Dathonga Designs in Mozambique. Since 2010, she has establis Image of the Day / FiveStars Africa

African Cycling Style…Who says cycling and style don’t go together? If you are a cycling enthusiast and you want to look and feel good whilst you are are on the road, then take a look at the seriously Image of the Day / Adèle Dejak

Luxury statement accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The Image of the Day / The House of Agness

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Minimalism x artisan craftsmanship…If you are looking for a contemporary women’s ready-to-wear and bespoke fashion brand interweaving minimalism with artisan craftsmanship, then look no further than Abi

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