EntreprAdmire May 2016 Edition

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” With that quote, Socrates provides a great tip for entrepreneurs. Goal-setting and continuous learning are two habits that are imperative to entrepreneurship.  The act of writing down goals has been said to be quite effective in actually accomplishing goals, and the act of learning or improving upon a skill often finds itself on an entrepreneur’s list of goals.  So let's dive into the brands I #EntreprAdmire this month in the hopes that they may inspire you to set your own goals and learn a new skill or two.

#EntreprAdmire: A monthly blog series featuring brands and entrepreneurs that I find, well, admirable.

Alice & Lois

Twin sisters Melissa and Sara named the fabulous lifestyle and DIY blog Alice & Lois for their two inspirational grandmothers. The blog was recently named a Top 10 DIY and Decorating Blog by the editors of Better Homes and Gardens, but Alice & Lois is not a stranger to acclaim (Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, and today.com have shared Alice & Lois’s work). Do your goals include learning a new craft or project? You can find projects such as a DIY garden marker and place setting, DIY fabric-wrapped succulents, or DIY raw stone earrings on Alice & Lois’s website. For those that are habitual (or wannabe habitual) crafters, this enlightening post on the twenty-five best craft supplies may be worth bookmarking. Spear IP is so proud to call Alice & Lois a client and to be able to learn from these crafty ladies!

Skillshare

Choose (and meet) a daily learning goal with Skillshare, an online community full of classes. Skillshare allows a member to watch classes on her own schedule, at her own pace, and create projects that correspond with each class. Topics range from business and technology, to culinary, to photography and film, to calligraphy. (I am currently enrolled in a calligraphy course taught by Bryn Chernoff of Paperfinger, and I love it.) If sharpening your creative skills is not on your radar, consider courses such as “Manage Your Gmail Like a Pro,” “Fundamentals of Project Management,” and “Marketing 101.” Skillshare offers a three-month premium membership for the price of $0.99. Sign up here to treat yourself to continuous learning!

Want to dig deeper into goal setting? Check out these Top 5 Goal Setting Tools for Entrepreneurs (from YSF -- that's Young, Fabulous & Self-Employed -- Magazine), and How to Set Business Goals That Work from Udemy (a site similar to Skillshare).