Snowden McFall exemplifies the word "entrepreneur". A woman with vision, integrity and boundless energy, she founded Brightwork Advertising and Training in 1983, and Brightwork continues to be a thriving business. Her highest value is service and she continually gives of her time to support and encourage others. In fact, in 1991, the Small Business Administration named her National Women in Business Advocate of the Year for her work in supporting other female entrepreneurs. This led to a White House ceremony and Congressional Luncheon in her honor. In 1993, she was finalist for Inc. magazine's N. E. Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 1995, she founded her second business, Fired Up!, a professional speaking company, and her first book, Fired Up How to Succeed by Making Your Dreams Come True was published in 1998. She serves on the Board of Directors of NE Speakers Association, and has chaired the NE Speakers Conference for the past two years. An expert in business success strategies, Snowden is the author and
co-author of 4 books, has appeared on CNN, the Home Shopping Network and Bloomberg Television, along with 300+ radio stations around the U.S. She runs both businesses, volunteers in the community, loves what's she's doing and adores her husband.

M: Snowden, some people have described you as inexhaustible- that you have so much energy and you give out so much to other people. Don't you ever get tired?

S: Of course I do- just ask my husband. After I've had a particularly crazy week, I'll crash on the weekends, sleep late, go to the movies, do fun play activities just to wind down. Since I'm an expert on how to prevent burn-out, I apply those same techniques to myself.

M: This is a major issue for women- trying to do much for others and not taking care of themselves. How do you maintain balance and do self-care?

S: The first year of my business, I got sick and my doctor told me I had to stop working so hard. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, a low blood sugar condition common to children of alcoholics. It's easily controlled through diet, so I eat protein every few hours to stay strong and clear. Recently, I realized I need to devote more time to myself. I get up earlier to do yoga and exercise and I almost always take time to meditate. My spirituality is very important to me and that meditation time is critical to my sanity. I eat well and try to get plenty of sleep and I am a big believer in vitamins and minerals. I don't have any children, so that makes it easier. Also, my husband is a big help around the house and we share household duties and kitty care.

M. What are the most valuable lessons you have learned?

S: The first one is to share my authenticity and stop trying to be perfect. When I first started my company, whenever anyone asked me how business was, I'd say "great." However, there are times when business is better than others. I should have been saying- "It's great now, but I'm looking for some new accounts. Do you know anyone who needs a good ad agency?" And that's what I do today. I try to be more genuine and to share my life more. Once I heard a trainer who was svelte and elegant share how she had weighed 200 pounds a year ago.Clearly, she had lost over 60 pounds. I immediately adored her for her honesty and vulnerability. When it's appropriate, I share about my background and some of the challenges I have faced, because it makes me more real to others. I've certainly made plenty of mistakes and had several significant life lessons. We all do. I believe in sharing the lessons we learned from those experiences. This is particularly true when I am speaking professionally.

M: What made you go in that direction?

S: I've been teaching most of my life. My first job was teaching Social Studies and English to ninth graders in Mass. I added the training division to Brightwork in 1987. We were getting customers to our clients' doors, but sometimes they didn't retain them. So we trained their staff on relational sales, self-esteem, improved productivity, etc. I began doing speeches a long time ago. Once I won the SBA award, there was media attention and I began to speak to larger and larger audiences. And now it's very much part of my profession.

M: What do you like about the speaking? Most Americans would rather die than speak in front of a group.

S. I love connecting with the audience and sharing stories of real life inspiration and overcoming challenges, along with substantial content about success in business. Helping others laugh and lighten up when they are faced with serious business problems can be very effective. Whether I'm speaking on marketing, time management, presentation skills or burn-out, there's always the opportunity to interact with the audience. I usually have audience members get up and do things so they can immediately apply what they have learned. That's when the work is most exciting.

M: Who have been the biggest influencers in your life?

S: Two women- my maternal grandmother and my mother's nurse and housekeeper- Cinderella. My grandmother was an amazing woman who beat 7 different kinds of cancer before she died of bone cancer. She worked with Eleanor Roosevelt to get the vote for women and she fought for what she believed in. She taught me the value of persistence, strength and determination. Cindy is a wonderful black woman now in her eighties. She really was my second mother while my mother was dying and in and out of the hospital for 15 years. She gave me my hugs, my values, my belief in life and in kindness. She has a huge heart and I love her very much.

M: What is most important in your life?

S: My most important values are love, service, integrity and joy. I always want to be of service to others, if I can, and I do believe in the healing power of love. Forgiveness is very powerful and it has enabled me to overcome some of the worst experiences in my life. Being authentic and doing good business with good people is how I live my life. I really believe in advertising with integrity and I've turned down accounts that did not resonate with me, even though they had big budgets. I'm not into being huge; there was a time when I had a large staff and that was too complicated for management. I believe in quality and in long-term relationships with clients. I love what I do and I enjoy the people I work with. I also believe in celebrating life and work. If it's not fun, I don't want to do it.

M: People often comment on your enthusiasm. Where does that come from?

S: You know, it's been said that the derivation of enthusiasm is "God's love." I'm not sure if that's the actual Greek translation, but I do know that in spite of many challenges, I believe in the essential goodness of people and I believe one person can make a difference. I've seen it and know that's it's true. My basic persona is pretty joyful, in spite of all the death and loss. I thank God for the many blessings in my life and I believe in celebrating life, because you never know what tomorrow will bring. That's what I really learned from my mother's long-term illness and death at 45- to enjoy the present moment.

M: You have a special relationship with your husband Spencer, don't you?

S: Yes, I do. He is unquestionably God's greatest gift to me. It took us a long time to find each other, but we've been together 11 years. He is Associate Branch Executive Director at the Merrimack YMCA and he is one of the most caring, honest and wonderful people I know. We have lots of fun together, but he is also very strong, grounded and generous. Being with him has healed so many wounded parts of me. His parents are also terrific to me. We just renewed our vows in a remarriage ceremony and had a second honeymoon in Venice, Italy. It was glorious!

M: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

S: Doing what I'm doing, with 10 books out and select speaking engagements. Our retirement dream is to buy a charter sailboat and sail around the world in exotic ports like Australia and Fiji. That's about 10-15 years off.

M: What keeps the Fired Up Motivator™ which you call yourself, Fired Up!?
People- I love people. I love meeting new people and learning from them, and sharing ideas. Learning new things keeps me Fired Up!. I take courses often and my husband and I got a Masters in Theology a few years ago, just to deepen our awareness of Spirit in our lives. Sailing is one of my greatest joys; I love to be out on the water. Challenges also keep me going. I have three new books in the works right now and it's stimulating to balance writing them with the rest of my life. And making a difference is the most important thing that Fires Me Up- whether it's a tiny act of kindness
or helping someone restructure their business.

M: What advice do you have for other women?

S: Take care of yourself and do what you absolutely love to do. Don't worry about what others think of you; live life on your own terms. Don't be afraid to be exactly who you are. You are enough just as you are. And enjoy the present moment. Most of all, don't waste your talents and gifts. They are unique to you and if you don't share them, the world will be a poorer place.