I was an instant fan of Leslie’s website Crunchy Betty when I came across her blog while navigating my way through the SITS girls web portal. Her site is relatively new but her following is gathering steam like you wouldn’t believe.

As an entrepreneur that never gets to leave the house, a mom of a super busy 3.5 year old I was desperate for some pampering DIY things I could do in my “spare” time. HA! Look, I made a funny. Enter Crunchy Betty.

The Queen of Crunchistry even managed to get me to put food on my face, snap a picture, and let her post it on her site. Super.

1. How did you come up with the idea for Crunchy Betty?

You know those DIY recipes for beauty that are scattered throughout so many women’s magazines? I’ve always been completely addicted to them! And I used to have a little “diary” (before they were called blogs) online way back in the day. One day, as I was pouring something – who knows what – over my hair, I thought, “I wish I still kept my diary. I’d LOVE to share this.” And the idea was born.

Crunchy Betty was named out of a desire to mesh two seemingly contrasting ideas – “crunchy” natural hippie-ish-ness and “betty” as in a beautiful girl. I didn’t feel like the two things were mutually exclusive. And truly, I think that a woman’s ability to make her own beauty supplies, her ability to create a conscious life out of natural products, is one of the sexiest things she can do. It’s in us, y’know? That innate instinct to create. Plus, it’s extremely eco-conscious, frugal, and so ridiculously fun!

2. If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could only have one of your delicious at-home beauty recipes with you, what would it be?

Ha. This is the question that tripped me up the most. There are so many things I would be sad to do without! I guess, if I were on a deserted island, I probably wouldn’t need homemade dishwashing detergent or laundry detergent … or anything household at all. I’d say one of my deodorant recipes, but if there’s no one else around to smell me, then … nah. I think I’d have to go with the Mocha-Frappuccino mask. Not only is it my favorite, but it would mean I had coffee AND cocoa powder on the island. Sounds like a great way to be stranded.
{Dawn’s note: ooh, slick.}

3. What’s the best money you’ve ever spent?

Another toughie! I’m pretty frugal and conscious about my purchases, so when I think about it hard, most of the things I buy are the best money I’ve spent. But last year as Christmas was coming, I wanted to make thoughtful gifts, and I was really starting to solidify the idea for the blog. It made sense to go all out on essential oils. I bought $200 worth of essential oils in a month. It has, by far, been some of the most useful money I’ve spent. Some of the oils, I rarely use, but I’m so happy to have them when I do want them. And would you believe that since November of last year – with as many dang oils as I DO use – I’ve only needed to restock one bottle? Those things last forever!

4. What are your creative habits? What inspires you to be … well, you?

You know those people who would say “yoga” or “being one with nature” or something like that? I’m not one of them. For as crunchy as I am, I’ve hardly touched those sorts of aspects of myself yet, but I fall in and out of meditation practice often. Photography is my new-found love, really. I bought my Canon dSLR about a year and a half ago, and I’m always amazed at how easy it is to slide into that “creative zone” where the entire world falls away while I’m taking pictures. Sadly, that doesn’t apply to when I’m taking pictures for the blog. I’m usually thinking about so many other things, I’m lucky if the pictures are even in focus! So I would say, right now, photography is my biggest inspiration. But music will always be my longest lasting. Sit me down in front of someone’s well-stocked iTunes library, and I’ll be entranced for hours. I’m also really obsessive about finding new indie bands. Once I hear a song I love, I’ll tell everyone about it – five times – until they agree that they listened to it and love it, too. And I challenge you to a rousing round of karaoke. I do a mean All That Jazz. It’s on.

And if photography is my new inspiration, music is my longest lasting, books will forever and always be the rock under all of it. I’m fascinated with the written word and how it fits together so intimately with imagination. If I could be one thing in my life, it would be an accomplished writer. I’m afraid I have a way to go there.

5. Gimmie some of your favourites. Books, people, internet hangouts: whatever comes to mind.

A few of my favorite fiction books: Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins. Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. And the book that probably changed my life the most: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. But the books I turn to most when I’m trying to come up with beauty recipes are Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles and Ageless Natural Beauty by Sally Freeman (just to name two).

My favorite sites online are just so vast and varied! Care2.com is one of the best places to find information about green living, but I just recently found GreenWala, and I LOVE their very human and easy approach to going green. There are so many hilarious “mom” blogs out there, I couldn’t name just one, but I will say that Lori at In Pursuit of Martha Points has me snorting with laughter with almost every one of her posts. And when I’m not laughing, I’m thinking. She’s really good at getting you to do both. I also greatly adore Saving Naturally and Mnmlist and visit them on a daily basis.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention music just a little bit. Here’s the album I bet no one has heard of, but everyone will love: 1972 by Josh Rouse. It just makes you feel sooooo good.

6. Every once in awhile there’s an idea that you slap yourself on the forehead and think: why the hell didn’t I think of that. Where do you wish you had beat someone to the punch?

To be honest, that happens every day in blogging! There’s such a learning curve that goes to it, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve happened upon somebody’s awesome idea or design and thought, “Genius! That should be mine!” But, y’know, I did some ghostwriting for a client that focused on spirituality and inspiration, and he always used to tell me, “Leslie, there’s nothing new under the sun. Everything that can be, has already been. We all draw inspiration from other people’s ideas – and when you do that, you need to make sure you’re doing it authentically, and make it all your own.” I try to keep that in mind, as I go along. But I think the one thing that he didn’t mention was how important it is to credit the people who did inspire you. I try to do that as much as I can, and as much as my scatterbrained memory will allow.

7. Any last thoughts?

After a lot of pondering, I’ve started to believe that what got us into this chemically-filled mess is the idea from way back in the ’40s and ’50s that you can have “Better Living Through Chemistry.” As I was going through the new blog design (which you HAVE to check out … it’s adorable) and thinking about how it’s vintage inspired, which runs a little askance of my message, I realized that where we’re at now is “Better Living Through Crunchistry.” So that’s my new mantra.

And that’s what you’ll find on Crunchy Betty – Better Living Through Crunchistry. Not to mention, a LOT of food on your face.

So, please, stop by. Try a few things out. Let me know how it goes!

You can visit CrunchBetty.com for all the recipes. And I LOVE to give quick tips and helpful links throughout the week on Twitter at @crunchybetty.

Be sure to say hello! And get ready to get crunchy!

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GUIDE SESSIONS: There are buckets of ways to monetize your online presence — from ad placement and affiliate offers, to digital products and virtual workshops. But even the savviest entrepreneurs can struggle with the logistics of a successful launch. Book a guide session now!

Within an hour, she had meticulously (and patiently) walked me through the entire process. I’d recommend Dawn’s training services to anyone who enjoys feeling like a pro, instead of a dolt.”
-Alexandra Franzen | Writer + Editor + Organization Freak

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Each week, I’ll be doing an interview with people who are inspiring. They’re busy doing really cool stuff online and with their business, and each of them will be bringing something new to the table. If there’s anyone YOU think should be interviewed in the series, drop me a line {or better yet – leave a comment}

First up is the lovely Alexandra. She’s a quirky and lovable ass-kicking wordsmith that has a penchant for shining up drab web copy and personal resumes. If you’re in the mood for some random nuggets, be sure to visit the super cool hangout, Unicorns for Socialism. Oh, and she’s helping me create some shimmery copy for the upcoming release of my GUIDE SESSIONS. {more on that Monday!}

So, what’s a typical day-in-the-life of Ms. Franzen?

A couple months ago, I posted my Life Design for 2010 … I modeled it after four of my all-time heroes: Benjamin Franklin, Oscar Wilde, RuPaul and Hedy Lamarr. I try to align my day-to-day activities with that design … some days I hit it on the nail, some days I spend 18 hours poured over my laptop, and other days I refuse to do anything other than cuddle with my girlfriend and eat frozen yogurt with sprinkles. Ha! The life of a freelancer is a mercurial one, eh?

Who (or what) has changed the way you look at the world?

My earliest intellectual influences were Ayn Rand (especially The Fountainhead) and John Steinbeck (particularly The Grapes of Wrath). Did I mention I was an English major? I’m fascinated by the tension between capitalism and socialism. There’s value and truth to both systems … I’m constantly trying to educate myself about the intersection of money, power and social progress.

What’s the best money you’ve ever spent?

Well, the easy answer is my MacBook Pro laptop, cuz I use it every single day. But … I would probably say my trip to Dublin back in 2004. I was 19 years old, and it was my first international solo-adventure. I spent 10 days in Ireland with zero agenda, just meeting locals and riding trains and writing poetry and staring at the rain. It was magical and loose — it really cemented my sense of independence. Someday, I’d love to take a creative writing course at Trinity College — they offer classes inside the building where Oscar Wilde was born!

What are your creative habits?  What inspires you to be … well, you?

It may sound shallow, but I’m incredibly inspired by aesthetics and personal style. When I’m wearing an outfit that makes me feel like a rockstar, I write better, speak better and feel more productive. I love browsing through magazines to hunt for interesting color palettes, gawking at snappily-dressed people on the street, and scouring vintage shops for bowties, scarves and other trinkets.

Gimmie some of your favourites.  Books, people, internet hangouts: whatever comes to mind.

Books: Right now, I’m digging The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine and The Fire Starter Sessions by the venerable Danielle LaPorte. I recently scored I’m Proud of You: My Friendship with Mr. Rogers for $2 at a used bookshop. In terms of fiction, I must admit that the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurel K. Hamilton is pretty amusing.

People: Is it cheesy to say “my family?” I’ll expand that and say…my genetic family, my glorious friends and my virtual tribe.

Web haunts: The blogs that I read every day, without fail, are: When I Grow Up, Nubby Twiglet, Gala Darling, Twelve22 and White Hot Truth. I don’t use social media too aggressively (blasphemy, I know!) but I can be found on Twitter … and of course, my own blog: Unicorns for Socialism.

Music: I feel compelled to note that I am OBSESSED with grungy, throbbing, outrageous hip hop music. Mainstream, indie, old-school, brand-new…it’s all good. Kid Sister,A Tribe Called Quest and Usher are a few all-time favs.

Every once in awhile there’s an idea that you slap yourself on the forehead and think: why the hell didn’t I think of that. Where do you wish you had beat someone to the punch?

Earlier this year, I had a BRILL idea: a mobile gourmet donut delivery truck called … wait for it … “Donut Stop Believin’.” And when it trundled around town, it would blast “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. AMAZING!  I actually researched commercial food preparation laws in my county, and got some donut machine pamphlets. I was pretty possessed by the idea. Ultimately, I don’t think I’m cut out for a career in the food service industry … but I recently learned that someone else is starting a gourmet donut business in my ‘hood, so I’m happy for them. And happy for me, cuz I’ll get to enjoy their treats.

Let’s pretend it’s New Years Eve.  What’s your resolution for the next 365 days?

Do less. And do it better.

New Rule:  leave the world in a better place than you found it.  What’s your plan?

In the not-too-distant-future, my Epic Plan is to launch a program called Resumes for Revolution — bringing high-level resume design and branding resources to people facing severe and unusual job-hunting obstacles. I’ll focus on addiction treatment centers, shelters for victims of abuse, former inmates, political refugees and transgender workers, and lead targeted workshops to empower people to sell their skills … and lock down a meaningful gig. I want to secure corporate funding to make it sustainable, and eventually train other workshop leaders and expand it to a national level. Heck yeah!

What one piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur?

Don’t isolate yourself. Magic happens when people can connect with you.

Any last thoughts? { Read:  promote the crap out of yourself here.  Feel free to include links to websites, social media, or your products. }

I love synthesizing personal branding (resumes, cover letters and bios) with promotions and marketing (webcopy, newsletters and press releases). So, I dig clients who need a broad swath of copywriting, editing and design support. I recently starting tackling grant applications and long-form personal essays, too … that’s a new world for me, but I’m feelin’ it.

My portfolio site has more info on my services and rates. And I offer free 15-minute consultation calls, too…huzzah!

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