FORBES LIFESTYLE – LAUREN CONRAD

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find…

- Natasha Bedingfield, “Unwritten”

Hi! My name is Lauren Conrad and I’m an entrepreneur (a French word meaning “a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome of a product”). I’m also a fashion designer, a novelist and a blogger (an English word meaning “writer”). Oh, and you might recognize me from a little something called The Hills :-)

In my Forbes column, I’ll be giving advice on running a business while also staying true to yourself. Girl Power! : -) Here are some of my tips:

1. A can of Red Bull makes a great paperweight

Being an entrepreneur means that sometimes you’ll be bombarded with lots of paper. My desk is often covered with things like gift receipts and thank you cards and business documents. I’ve gotten really into the idea of paperweights, because they keep my papers from flying away when a summer breeze comes in through the window : -) Scented candles make good paperweights even if you don’t light them, and I also like sea glass. In a pinch, though, just plop down that can of Red Bull or Monster and keep your papers on the desk where they belong, instead of out on the streets of Beverly Hills or wherever you work : -)

2. Business attire doesn’t have to mean ties

I like to dress appropriately for my job, but I also like to let my girly side come through :-) Sometimes I’ll wear a pink chiffon top underneath a black blazer. Or, maybe I’ll wear a cream blazer, or even a denim jacket in the spring. It’s also okay to wear a touch of floral to the office, especially if the flowers are roses or sunflowers. Go ahead and let your inner girl out!

3. Whenever I send my assistant to get me a green tea latte from Starbucks, I always tell her to get one for herself

Treat the people around you kindly and they’ll be kind to you in return. That’s something that’s written on a paperweight I have : -) It’s little things like this that make being a businesswoman worthwhile.

4. CEO vs. CFO

CEO stands for “chief executive officer,” and CFO stands for “chief financial officer.” The CFO is in charge of the finances and the CEO is in charge of executing things.

5. Strawberry lemonade for business meetings

I take a lot of meetings with different kinds of people like fashion buyers, TV producers and other entrepreneurs (some of them are actually French!). I like to have a fresh batch of strawberry lemonade out for these meetings. It puts my visitors in a good mood and really shows that I care about them being there. In the warmer months, I like to add a sprig of fresh mint to each beverage. These glasses also make good paperweights.

(Ed. Note: Due to scheduling conflicts, Kristin Cavallari will take over for the remainder of the column.)

I break tradition, sometimes my tries are outside the lines
We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can’t live that way

- Natasha Bedingfield, “Unwritten”

Hey guys. Um, okay, just so you know, I’m not here to make friends with this column. I’m just here to talk about business. I guess I should start by telling you why I’m more qualified for this than Lauren is, but to do that I’d need a webcam. Anyway, I’m an actress and the best business strategy for that is finding an agent. It’s also important to go to the gym and l guess to have a hot boyfriend. And a good body, and make sure your teeth are white. Fuck this, I’m going shopping.

The rest is still unwritten

- Natasha Bedingfield, “Unwritten”

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• Fan Fiction: Prince William and Princess Catherine’s Los Angeles Itinerary

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In order to compile these types of lists, Forbes editors assign a slew of reporters to evaluate each celeb on the list, as well as some new additions who may make it on each year. From my experience, money earned is the biggest consideration for a star to make the top 100, but check out the bottom of the list — someone like Alec Baldwin (number 88), who only reportedly earned $8.5 million in the past year can outrank someone like comedian Juff Dunham (number 93), who earned $22.5 million, because he has better name recognition. And of course Robert Pattinson (number 50) and Kristen Stewart (66) both make it on the list this year, thanks to a little movie called Twilight. Way to finally jump on that bandwagon, Forbes.

All of this is explained in the list’s methodology. If rank was solely based on earnings, billionaires like Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods would consistently top the list year after year (as it is, Oprah is number one this year) but that’s not very much fun, is it? What isn’t really explained is how the editors figure out how much money someone earns each year. Here’s the secret: it’s mostly just educated guessing!

Not surprisingly, people in Hollywood like to stay mum about what they are earning. Sometimes, a reporter will happen upon a particularly chatty source (and if they’re going to talk, they’ll talk to Forbes) but if someone close to a star is going to quote you an earnings number, chances are it’s higher than reality. Forbes figures out earnings from stars by using ballpark figures, trade reports and insight from experts. But, you never really know. Occasionally, someone will call to complain that their number is too low, and maybe the next year they’ll be more helpful in providing earnings info. But, a lot of it is just made up as they go along. Kind of like when Forbes decided to kill off Jabba the Hut.

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Post from: Crushable

The Top 20 Are:

1. Madonna $72 million
2. Barbara Streisand $60 million
3. Celine Dion $45 million
4. Shakira $38 million
5. Beyonce $27 million
6. Gwen Stefani $26 million
7. Christina Aguilera $20 million
8. Faith Hill $19 million
9. Dixie Chicks $18 million
10. Mariah Carey $13 million
11. Hilary Duff $12 million
12. Avril Lavigne $12 million
13. Martina McBride $12 million
14. Britney Spears $8 million
15. Carrie Underwood $7 million
16. Nelly Furtado $7 million
17. Fergie $6 million
18. Jennifer Lopez $6 million
19. Sheryl Crow $6 million
20. Norah Jones $5.5 million

The list looked at concert earnings as well as merchandising, album sales, and other related businesses like clothing and fragrance.

Thanks to cassie for the tip

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