I am thrilled to be joined by Laura Geller on this episode Camera Ready & Abel discussing the wise words of her father: Nothing Appears As It Seems.

Translation: There's always more to the story than meets the eye. Don't compare and despair.

Laura is the legendary founder of Laura Geller Beauty. Laura began her career as a makeup artist, often working on TV and with Broadway actors before launching her hugely successful makeup line on QVC in 1997.

Key takeaways:

• Do your homework!
• Know and observe all your competitors
• Identify what is different about you AND/OR your product
• Do a soft launch on social media to gain Proof of Concept
• Mind your own business: Know and understand the financing backend and frontend
• Find a mentor
• Talk to your audience/customer where they are
• Innovate, don't imitate
• Create opportunities by joining professional organizations

Laura is a member of Forbes 50 over 50 and QVC's 50 and Fabulous - a testament to her great success - but as she’ll remind you, her success did not come overnight. Laura's resilience and ability to weather the storms along the way have helped give her profound appreciation for her success.

Laura delivers a masterclass in playing the long game, and most importantly, YOUR long game.

Visit www.laurageller.com for more information about Laura’s products and follow her on Instagram at @lauragellerbeauty and @aurajgeller.

Full disclosure: I wear Laura's products every day <3

Feeling a little stuck? Need to change your energy? My guest for this episode, actor-writer-sought after public speaker-instagram slayer, Franchesca Ramsey, delivers a Master Class in how to reenergize, refocus, get back in alignment to bring back the joy and make your goals happen.

In short, how to be CEO of your own life.

Franchesca is a highly successful creator. But she didn't start there and she generously shares the steps she took to evolve from her career as a graphic designer working for the City of Miami to making YouTube videos to creating and starring in the award-winning MTV series, DeCoded, to being a writer-correspondent for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore to the triple threat, full-on CEO of her own life she is today.

Key takeaways:

• Don't wait for permission - take initiative!
• Be someone people want to work with
• Be a generous connector
• Keep a wins jar
• Focus on goals you can control

Enjoy Franchesca on instagram and Visit www.franchesca.net to get more of Franchesca’s gems. While you're there check out her NAACP-nominated book, Well That Escalated Quickly, one of Amazon’s best books of 2018.

Good news! All of the Camera Ready & Abel episodes + grab-n-go clips of inspiration and actionable insights are now available on YouTube.

This episode of Camera Ready & Abel is brought to you by the phrase How to Find Your Drive because there is great power in finding what ignites you as you develop a life and career you can sustain with joy and excitement.

Here to discuss is Raquel Bruno, founder, president, and CEO of Drive Entertainment Group whose tagline Thrive With Drive gives you a glimpse into her intentional and proactive approach to helping others take their career to new heights. Raquel is a TV, film, and digital producer, talent booking savant, media and creator coach, and a popular DJ on Twitch who has worked with all A-list talent in media & arts from Lady Gaga to RUN DMC, launched TV Land, Co-Produced Emmy-nominated TV Specials & content and booked various film documentaries.

Raquel’s conversation goes beyond how to find your drive, she also opens up about what to do when you’ve misplaced it.

You can learn more about Raquel’s work at driveentertainmentgroup.com and follow her on Instagram at @raquellovesdrive.