2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.

As we approach the September 25 final entry deadline for the 2013 competition we'll look back at some of the women who have won Stevie Awards over the past decade.  We'll catch up with them on their current activities, and learn what their Stevie win meant to them and their careers.

Today's Q&A is with 2004 Stevie winner Madolyn Johnson.  Johnson won the Stevie Award for Women Helping Women in the 2004 Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Now the founder and CEO of Signature HomeStyles (formerly The HomeMaker's Idea Company), Johnson has seen the company grow over the past 10 years.

As one of the first winners in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and subsequently also in The American Business Awards, what has winning a Stevie Award meant to you?

It shone a bright light on Signature HomeStyles’ mission to make a difference … one home at time. The Stevie Awards helped create more awareness about our company with articles appearing in the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Daily Herald, and other news outlets.   

As a successful business owner, what advice do you have for women starting their own businesses?

Do it now! If you wait, it might be too late. You must be passionate about what you do. Believe in yourself and keep at it no matter the challenges or obstacles put in your way.

Signature HomeStyles must be something of a bellweather for the economy in the United States and Canada.  What do you see shaping businesses in the next three years?

Perseverance! I started my company in 1971 when the country was in a recession. You’re going to hit a few bumpy patches, but if you follow your mission and passion, make smart business decisions, and persevere, you can weather any storm.

Do you have a favorite business app?

Yes, SHS Everywhere! We introduced this app to our team of Signature HomeStyles representatives a year ago. This app allows them to do their Signature HomeStyles business on the go. They can access important news and product-training videos, and show their customers our catalogs everywhere they go! 

As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?

The stories of success I hear from our Signature HomeStyles representatives. Whether it is someone who is a more confident person because she presents our products at Signature HomeStyles Shows, or has gotten rid of credit card debt thanks to her Signature HomeStyles business—that’s all the motivation I need to keep going! I love helping women who can then help other women start their own Signature HomeStyles businesses, too.

The final entry deadline for the 2013 edition of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business is September 25.  Complete entry detail are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

About Madolyn Johnson
Madolyn Johnson is the founder and CEO of Signature HomeStyles.  She celebrates more than four decades at the helm of this one-stop home organizing and decorating resource, which has also become a catalyst for thousands of successful female entrepreneurs. Madolyn Johnson is frequently recognized as one of the top woman business owners in the nation.

About Signature HomeStyles
Signature HomeStyles offers an exclusive line of hundreds of versatile and beautiful organizing and decorating essentials including baskets, linens, pottery, wall decor, and holiday decorations. The products are available throughout the U.S. and Canada exclusively through thousands of trusted sales representatives who have built successful businesses.

Next Monday, September 16 we'll stage the second of two 2013 American Business Awards banquets.  The setting will be the gorgeous Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco's historic Merchants Exchange Building.  The occasion will be the announcement of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie® Award winners in the new product awards, website awards, app awards, IT awards, and other technology-related categories in the ABAs, the U.S.A.'s top honors for achievement in the workplace.

We'll also announce the first-ever winners of Grand Stevie Awards, which will go to the winners of the Best of the ABA Awards.

The event will sell out - only 30 tickets remain.  Get your tickets for next Monday's American Business Awards event before they sell out - login to your entry-submission account now!

The 11th annual ABAs attracted more than 3,200 entries from organizations across the U.S.A.  Close to 300 executives nationwide participated in the judging process.  The first part of the 2013 ABA awards presentations took place in Chicago in June.

So who's coming to next Monday's shindig?  Here's the list of confirmed attendees thus far.

Actiontec Electronics Sunnyvale CA
Acxiom Little Rock AR
Adaptive Planning Mountain View CA
Aggregate Knowledge San Mateo CA
Agiliance Sunnyvale CA
Allen Interactions, Inc.  Mendota Heights MN
ARI Mount Laurel NJ
Arkadin Atlanta GA
Articulate New York NY
Assurant  Inc.  New York NY
Avion Pharmaceuticals  Alpharetta GA
Bitcasa  Mountain View CA
Bloomfire Austin TX
BOXLIGHT Belfair WA
Brainshark Inc. Waltham MA
bytes of knowledge Nashville TN
California Insurance Guarantee Association Glendale CA
Cbeyond Atlanta GA
CD2 Learning Overland Park KS
Cigna Hartford CT
Cisco San Jose CA
Citrix Goleta CA
Citrix GoToAssist Santa Barbara CA
CloudAccess Los Angeles CA
Code 42 Software  Minneapolis  MN
Constant Contact  Waltham  MA
Coveo  Quebec Canada
Coverhound  San Francisco CA
Creative Enterprise Solutions LLC  Scottsdale  AZ
Crocs Inc. Niwot CO
Cvent Inc. McLean VA
Decision Lens Arlington VA
Definition 6 San Francisco CA
DRC Reston VA
Dubai Electricity & Water Authority United Arab Emirates
Dynisco Instruments  Plastics Division  Franklin  MA
EffectiveUI  Denver  CO
EMD Millipore  Billerica  MA
EMKAY Inc. Itasca IL
Enterasys Networks Salem NH
Experian Consumer Services   Costa Mesa CA
ExtraHop Networks Seattle WA
Fieldglass  Chicago  IL
FINE Design Group San Francisco CA
Graco Inc. Minneapolis MN
Hewlett-Packard  Palo Alto CA
Internap  Atlanta  GA
IQNavigator Centennial CO
JobApp Plus Denver CO
LawRoom Walnut Creek CA
LifeLock  Tempe AZ
LifeSize Communications Austin TX
Makovsky New York NY
MarketLive Inc.  Petaluma CA
Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. Santa Clara CA
MicroStrategy Inc. Tysons Corner VA
Morrison & Foerster LLP  New York  NY
NetScout Systems, Inc.  Westford, MA
Newlight Technologies LLC Irvine CA
NexTraq, Atlanta, GA
Omnitracs San Diego CA
OnFulfillment  Newark  CA
OpenQ Charlottesville VA
Orbis Technologis, Inc.  Annapolis MD
Overture Networks  Morrisville  NC
PAR Springer-Miller Stowe VT
Paycor  Cincinnati  OH
PerspecSys McLean VA
Pontoon Jacksonville FL
QLess  Inc.  Altadena  CA
Quality Systems, Inc. Irvine CA
Reliv International  St. Louis  MO
RIVS.com  Chicago IL
Roth Staffing Companies  L.P.  Orange  CA
Saba Software Redwood Shores CA
SCRA Charleston SC
SecureAuth Corporation Irvine CA
Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. Malvern PA
Silicon Image Sunnyvale CA
Sita Corp  Franklin Township NJ
Siteworx LLC Reston VA
SoftPro Raleigh NC
SolidFire  Inc.  Boulder  CO
Stage 2 Networks New York NY
Stoneware, Inc. Carmel IN
Strategic Mobility Group Schaumburg IL
Syntellia San Francisco CA
SYSPRO Costa Mesa CA
Tangent Medical  Ann Arbor  MI
Tanis Communications  Inc.  San Jose  CA
TechLeads Online  Redwood City  CA
Telstra Global New York NY
Teradata Corporation  Dayton OH
The International Association of Privacy Professionals Portsmouth NH
Trace One  Boston  MA
Travelport GDS  Atlanta  GA
Travelzoo  New York  NY
TRWD Fort Worth TX
UBM DeusM  New York  NY
Ultra Logistics/UltraShipTMS  Fair Lawn  NJ
UnitedHealthcare  Minnetonka MN
uTest Inc. Southborough MA
VerticalResponse San Francisco CA
ViridiSTOR  Tustin  CA
We Card Program Arlington VA
Webs a subsidiary of Vistaprint Lexington MA
Wheels Inc.  Des Plaines  IL
Workday  Pleasanton CA

On Monday, September 16, the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award placements in The 2013 American Business Awards' new product awards and tech-related categories will be announced during ceremonies at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco.

Now you can download a PDF of the program that will be distributed to attendees that evening. Get it here.

The program is a complete chronicle of the awards, with a list of all of the judges in all of the categories and all of the Finalists who on the 16th will be named Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie winners.

The program lists all 2013 ABA Finalists in the following category groups:

* New product awards
* Website awards
* App awards
* IT awards
* Management, company, and marketing awards in tech-related industries

The program illustrates that The American Business Awards - and Stevie Awards programs in general - have more judges than any other business awards program in the world.  All of the judges are professionals with real-world business and management experience.  The program also demonstrates that The American Business Awards, now in their 11th year, receive more, and a greater variety, of entries than any other business awards program.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie winners in all other ABA categories were announced in Chicago on June 17.

Look for the announcement here on Tuesday, September 17 of the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.

And look for the call for entries for the 2014 ABAs in early October!  Join the mailing list now so that you receive the entry kit as soon as it's available.

We've decided today to extend voting for the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies through September 18.  Vote now for your favorite companies at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com.

The People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies is a feature of The International Business Awards in which the general public worldwide can vote for their favorite companies in 17 industry categories. Voting was originally scheduled to conclude on September 13

The International Business Awards (www.StevieAwards.com/IBA) are the world's premier business awards competition, honoring achievement in every facet of the workplace.  This year's (10th annual) IBAs attracted more than 3,300 entries from organizations in more than 50 nations.

Winners of the crystal People's Choice Stevie Awards will be presented to winners at the 10th annual International Business Awards gala at the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain on October 14.  Winners of Grand, Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Awards in the IBA's many peer-reviewed categories will also be presented that evening.  Nearly 300 executives around the world conducted the peer-review judging this year.

Remember to vote for your favorites in the people's choice voting!

Summer's over, it's back to work, and it's time to open the preliminary round of judging for the 2013 (10th annual) Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for women entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.

You're invited to apply to participate in the judging process, which takes place online.  Interested?  Apply here.

As a judge you'll read and rate nominations submitted to the Women in Business awards by organizations all around the world.  You'll be able to participate online, at your convenience, any time day or night, through October 6.  Being inspired and educated by the stories of high-achieving women around the world is only the best benefit of being a judge.  You'll also receive a certificate of appreciation, suitable for framing, and you'll be acknowledged on the awards website (see last year's judges here) and in the November 8 awards dinner program.

And the two judges who review the most entries in the women awards will be offered two tickets to the awards dinner.

Go ahead, take the leap and apply to be a Stevie Awards for Women in Business judge.  You'll be glad you did!

Questions about the judging process?  Let us know.

2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.

As we approach the September 25 final entry deadline for the 2013 competition we'll look back at some of the women who have won Stevie Awards over the past decade.  We'll catch up with them on their current activities, and learn what their Stevie win meant to them and their careers.

Today's profile is of 2008 Stevie winner Sandy Forster.

As founder and chief executive officer of WildlyWealthy.com, which provided innovative and successful strategies that empower women to take a quantum leap forward in their business and life, Sandy Forster was doing for herself exactly what she was teaching her clients.

About nine years ago, when she was more than $100,000 in debt, she discovered the Law of Attraction and put it into practice for herself. Forster went from being on welfare to being a millionaire. Forster deeply appreciates how she became successful as a life coach by creating a business centered around teaching women just how to find their passion and use practical strategies -- along with mindset techniques -- to create their own success in business and life.  Prior to winning her Stevie Award (she was the first Australian woman to win a Stevie), Forster's business was gaining momentum and successfully growing, but working from her home-office, she sometimes wondered if her efforts were really having an impact.

Since winning her first Stevie for Mentor of the Year, Forster’s business has grown immensely.  Her Stevie win garnered so much press attention and exposure around the world, that many women (and enlightened men) contacted her in the hopes of creating their own successful business.  In 2009 Forster launched the Inspired Spirit Coaching Academy, which has trained more than 600 people in 23 countries worldwide as certified Law of Attraction coaches.

Forster says it is gratifying to know that the training of one person, who then takes their new skills and knowledge into the world to build their own coaching business, is making such a difference in so many lives.  Forster believes she is helping transform the planet -- one person at a time.

“I believe entering awards is hugely rewarding as it forces you to stop and look at what you’ve achieved, which entrepreneurs often forget to do.  Being selected as a finalist in itself was so gratifying, however, winning the coveted Stevie Award was something that is beyond words.  It’s something I’ll have forever, and I believe it has enhanced my credibility, expanded my visibility and allowed me to reach tens of thousands more women across the planet.  The inspiration is has afforded me is allowing me to spread that to so many others,” Forster said.

She went on to comment about her experience at the awards ceremony: “Attending the award ceremony was such a thrill - having the opportunity to be in the room with so many successful business women from around the world was both daunting yet extremely empowering.  I realized right then and there how amazing women can truly be and how much we can achieve. It was a massive honour to be the first Australian women to win a Stevie Award for Women in Business, and I’ve since gone on to win multiple Stevies and other business awards including Business of the Year, here in Australia.  I think back to the night I won my first Stevie and look at how much my business has expanded since, and feel honored to be recognized internationally for my achievements.”

The final entry deadline for the 2013 edition of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business is September 25.  Complete entry detail are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.

As we approach the entry deadlines for the 2013 competition we'll look back at some of the women who have won Stevie Awards over the past decade.  We'll catch up with them on their current activities, and learn what their Stevie win meant to them and their careers.

Today's profile is of 2004 Stevie winner Liz Ryan.

In 2004, Liz Ryan was heading a women’s online community, WorldWIT, which she founded in 1999. Ryan was an early adopter of online community-based platforms. 

A true entrepreneur, Ryan was fanatical about the online community then – and still is now.  She is always seeking ways to maximize the benefits of the Internet. However, as the years passed and the Internet changed, Ryan decided that the format and business model for WorldWIT was not exactly what she wanted to achieve.  In 2012, she launched Human Workplace, a publishing, coaching and consulting firm whose mission is to reinvent work for people. Ryan and her Human Workplace business work with the U.S. Department of Labor, many universities and public and private employers, and with individuals on direction, branding and strategy with a human voice.

As CEO and founder, Ryan has become among the most widely read workplace and career commentators worldwide.  The content her firm produces is broadly published on the web on sites such as BusinessWeek.com, TIME.com, Kiplinger’s Finance, LinkedIn, Yahoo!, the Denver Post, the Huffington Post and many other publications.  The workplace, leadership and career commentary Ryan provides reaches millions of listeners via BBC Radio, NPR, CNN and other broadcast outlets.

Winning the Stevie Award brought Ryan’s message about the importance of creating and working within a human-centric workplace to the national stage. The enormous, positive impacts were felt right away. The Stevie Award experience helped Ryan find the clarity to refine her message, redefine her career path and vastly expand the reach and “megaphone” of her growing web site.

“I encourage every woman in business to explore the Stevie Awards program and consider nominating yourself or another worthy advocate for the awards. The Stevie Awards staff and community are incredibly supportive and insightful. Going through the nomination process is fun and generates powerful self-discovery. Take that step – find your voice!”

The entry deadline for the 2013 edition of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business is today, August 28, and late entries will be accepted through September 25 with payment of a $35/entry fee.  Get complete entry details at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.

As we approach the entry deadlines for the 2013 competition we'll look back at some of the women who have won Stevie Awards over the past decade.  We'll catch up with them on their current activities, and learn what their Stevie win meant to them and their careers.

Today's profile is of 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Valerie Herskowitz.

Valerie Herskowitz is the kind of person who just doesn’t stop giving.  At the time Herskowitz was named recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2004, she was recognized for her relentless dedication to working with individuals with autism.  To this end, she owned and operated Dimensions Therapy Center, a business dedicated to helping those with autism through speech and occupational therapy.  She also has served as president of the National Autism Registry for 14 years. In this volunteer role, she works with the organization to take them closer to their mission of providing community-based opportunities for those with autism. The organization has held numerous outings, offered camp scholarships and hosted other recreational activities, all in an effort to create opportunities for adults with autism.

Herskowitz spent more than 35 years as a speech pathologist, catering to those with autism. She was working in the autism field when she learned in 1993 that her own son was diagnosed with autism.  Her life dramatically changed. Since then, everything Herskowitz developed or has been involved with regarding autism somehow has her son’s imprint on it.

In 2008, Herskowitz sold Dimensions Therapy but remains very involved in supporting those with autism through speech therapy.  She's currently president of the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. 

Now that her son is an adult, she is focused on his future.  Spurred by her son's autism diagnosis, and to provide opportunities to those with autism, Herskowitz founded and owns The Chocolate Spectrum (www.thechocolatespectrum.com), which employs individuals with autism who procure and sell artisan chocolate candy. Her family owned and operated chocolate company offers a range of delicious chocolate confections while supporting individuals with autism.  A portion of each sale is donated to autism-focused charities. Each day the firm acts on its mantha: Creating Sweet Opportunities for Those With Autism.

Herskowitz’ tireless efforts have allowed her and her family to remain committed to their mission of aiding and supporting individuals with autism everywhere, first from her therapy center business, for which she earned her Stevie Award, and now through their chocolate enterprise. She is the author of two books on autism: Autism and Computers: Maximizing Independence Through Technology, published in 2009; and Always Leave Them Laughing, published in 2012. 

“Winning the Stevie Award helped raise overall awareness of autism, further demonstrated the significance of helping those with autism and helped promote my work in this very important field," Herskowitz said.  "The town where I lived at the time I received the award -- Davie, Florida --  was so proud of and impressed with my Stevie Award that they named a day after me!  I never could have anticipated that this type of recognition would elicit such a response from my community, and I am grateful that the judges acknowledged the importance of supporting those with autism.  Winning the Lifetime Achievement Stevie Award was one of the high points of my career. It was wonderful and rewarding to be honored for my efforts within the realm of autism, which is so very crucial to me and my family.”

The entry deadline for the 2013 edition of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business is August 28, and late entries will be accepted through September 25 with payment of a nominal late fee.  Complete entry details are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.

As we approach the entry deadlines for the 2013 competition we'll look back at some of the women who have won Stevie Awards over the past decade.  We'll catch up with them on their current activities, and learn what their Stevie win meant to them and their careers.

Today's profile is of 2009 Stevie winner Niamh Barker of The Travelwrap Company.

When The Travelwrap Company was recognized by the Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2009 as Best New Company, it was a small online business selling about four different Scottish cashmere wraps to a mostly United Kingdom-based audience.

They were selling these distinctive cashmere wraps via a company website.  Niamh Barker, its founder and managing director, managed the business from a spare room in her home, working around her busy family life (she has two children and four stepchildren). Juggling work and family life was highly challenging but Barker still managed to succeed.  In addition to the Stevie she also won the Luxury Gift of the Year Award in the UK for her cashmere travel wraps just prior to earning her Stevie.

Since earning the Stevie, The Travelwrap Company has grown significantly.  Still focused on selling primarily travelwraps along with a few small accessories, The Travelwrap Company now offers about 25 colors and designs and also a travelwrap for babies and children, called My Little Travelwrap.  They continue to sell their products online under their brand and have also introduced websites in several languages to sell in three different currencies to international target markets, offering quick free delivery worldwide.  Since earning the Stevie, the company has expanded and its products can now be found at many retailers worldwide.  The Travelwrap Company has also garnered various corporate gift partners. The export business has become the highest growth area for the business. 

As a new business, participating in and winning the Stevie Award gave Barker a new and enormous sense of confidence in her little luxury British brand and her vision and growth plan for the future.  Barker was honored that an international organization like the Stevie Awards and its expert and impressive judging panel believed in and understood just what she was trying to achieve.  According to Barker, it was and still is an amazing journey.     

“Winning the Stevie award was an enormous achievement for me and my business and continues to prove beneficial to our operations every day," she said.  "I still think and talk about the night I accepted my Stevie, when I had to give a speech to a ballroom full of some of the most high-achieving women at a hotel in New York City.   I had no idea of the impact that winning this award would have on our business until checked my e-mail from my hotel room the next morning and online orders had flooded in from across the USA.  At the time,  our small business could hardly cope with it all…a good problem to have! I think the Stevie has also given us a natural affinity with our American audience, and we now have a growing and loyal customer base in America via online and retail outlets.  The Stevie Awards have definitely helped elevate our U.S. presence.”

The entry deadline for the 2013 edition of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business is August 28, and late entries will be accepted through September 25 with payment of a nominal late fee.  Complete entry details are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.

As we approach the entry deadlines for the 2013 competition we'll look back at some of the women who have won Stevie Awards over the past decade.  We'll catch up with them on their current activities, and learn what their Stevie win meant to them and their careers.

Today's profile is of 2008 Stevie winner Atsuko Matsumura.

As president of Actia Inc., Atsuko Matsumura was the first Japanese women in the history of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business competition to win a Gold Stevie Award.

Matsumura is the creator of a type of bandana cap for use by hospital patients, which received several awards in Japan for its design and utility. The production was done at a plant located in Hiroshima, Japan, and it was marketed only to some very specific medical institutions in the Kansai area.  Since that time, Matsumura added production sites in Osaka and in Sasebo (in Kyushu).  Sales have now expanded to major hospitals and department stores all over Japan.

Since receiving the Stevie Award, Matsumura has appeared in several popular Japanese magazines and on prominent TV shows. This third-party endorsement of her business and success has helped elevate awareness of her and her Actia.

Matsumura lectures at universities in Japan and abroad (in Taiwan last year and in Shanghai later this year). 

As a result of the Best Asian Entrepreneur Stevie Award achievement, Matsumura's business has grown, based on the increased confidence others now see in her company and its operations.  While Actia was recognized as one of the best entrepreneurs in Asia by the Stevie Awards, Matsumura never loses sight of the fact that she started her business not to make profits but simply to try to help patients as she had first done with her mother-in-law when she was suffering from side effects of medications.

"Since earning the Stevie Award, my business has grown. As the first Japanese woman to win, I am humbled and honored to have earned this award. It continues to positively impact the success of my business.  I try not to forget my initial purpose for starting my business -- to give joy and comfort to many people --  so I donate the profits to organization’s such as the Pink Ribbon Project.  I believe the Stevie Award judges recognized and appreciated the good faith efforts and mission of my business. I had never expected that I would win the Stevie Award as there were many prominent executives in the competition, and I was honored to be recognized.”

The entry deadline for the 2013 edition of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business is August 28, and late entries will be accepted through September 25 with payment of a nominal late fee.  Get complete entry details at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.