If you are happy to announce your Minti blog to the blogosphere then technorati is the place to submit your blog address to be included in this blog engine. That way people can search for what is being talked about right now from all over the web. I do this for my business blog here but I chose at the moment to not promote my minti blog, yet. Till I feel comfortable with my experiences i have blogged about.

Visit: Technorati

Minti's parent company Vibe Capital (that I am a Co-founder of), has recently acquired a strategic stake in their technology partner, Market United (also a successful digital marketing agency), innovative wizards in open source software applications and their first Web 2.0 project delivery. It was a pleasure pioneering a Web 2.0 Company, however the Co-founder's of Minti/Vibe would not have been able to bring their intellectual property and vision alive if it hadn't been for a technology partner that could execute with precision, innovation and creativity.

What's great is that myself, my business partner and hubby have been providing web-services to the US market for the last ten years, with our other Co-founder Matt extensive M&A experience in Europe in Telecommunications...and Market United already had successful US deployment experience, which makes for a complete fit. If you see that the fundamentals are right, it's a good step to explore and take a look at. Some Family 2.0 sites may encounter this down the track, to make a decision to get a tighter and closer knit team and having a technology partner gives you the results without the hassles of management of technical processes and an expanding wages salary to content with. (ie. keeping a lid on your cash burn rate vs time to market)

This is the second round raising of angel capital and the first shareholder debt facility to funding future capital requirements of Vibe Capital eager to venture into other verticals and markets.

Vibe Capital is very pleased with Minti's growth and search traffic, with the supporting vibeEngine the cornerstone of Minti and upcoming verticals and licence partners. I can hint that we may have two site's due for launch soon on the horizon.

View the press release here... Vibe Capital, Owner of Minti, Completes a Further $1.2m in Funding and Acquires Strategic Shareholding in Technology Partner

I am getting to everyone's emails...thanks for your patience...I am slowly wading through the 200 emails.

Okay we have been here for 5 days now and I have pretty much settled the boys in - lol

For example:
- driving to toysRus and buying a Cars movie tent, carpark garage toy with cars, Cars movie kids table and chairs, cars movie (since ours doesnt play in dvd players over here, arr), Red the fire engine from Cars movie and a soft couch for our little one to watch this Cars movie and no unfortunately I had to settle with a thomas the tank engine kids couch, I couldn't find a cars kids couch - lol...but our little one has found this little couch a great day time sleep place (fantastic for us)...

I have found out that he is growing up, like at daycare they like to nap on the floor on a little mattress... has progressed to wanting to rest on his little couch that folds out flat on the floor. I put on the kids TV, he has taken a fancy to monsters (from the 'Thats Not My Monster') book and thinks Spongebob squarepants is a monster...so lukily he was on the TV. It was about 3pm (perfect time for a quiet nap) and he crashed in about 10mins - so cute!!!

Whats great it that he only slept for 45mins, but I think next time I'll put a light sheet on him, as they do at daycare, to keep him from getting too cold or too hot with anything thicker!

Anyway, now that our little one is all settled (forgot to mention we also bought him a Cars Movie four wheel push a long car, whilst a new red bobbie car is being shipped from amazon) so much to do to keep bubs occupied - just jokes...oh and now he's wanting to be on the computer like mum and dad...so we got him a little computer a a toy version...definitely pick that up from joeyjo's kids!!!

So now I managed to get our little one sorted (as he was going battey in this apartment as he is used to a house) that daddy could be sorted and come out of his grumpiness to be able to go onto his computer...although I did remind him firmly that family needs t be settled in first, so we needed to be parents first then business after...mind you that night we were on our computers and i was saying ever so nicely that it didnt take long at all t get into tech stuff....the wizardry of women!!! hehe...

Well hello there!! The Cooks have arrived in our home away from home. We went for a drive today around the most beautiful tree lined streets today. The entrance of Stanford Uni was very beautiful. It was so funny all of us being jet lagged. We all had uncontrollable giggles throughout the day. Codi has been the funniest. We've been letting him sleep when he needs to (usually in the car) and is slowly getting back into his usual routine. The Bay Area here has such a great vibe, we are also thinking of home and family, but we are enjoying our first few days here and focusing in getting over jet lag.

What a lovely night it was...our engagement party in our then backyard

Codi is going through a growth spurt the last few weeks and now can open the pantry doors for more food!!!..was a fun day today, he loves trying to type on the computer, which reveals me trying to get onto the computer at any spare moment - lol

Looking forward to attending the Web 2.0 expo in April, whilst we are over in San Fran and am excited about meeting up with relatives I haven't seen since I was four!!! We are thinking of flying Mum (Lola) over to be with relatives and mind Codi whilst I am at the conference. I have lots of things to organise, but we will get there one day at a time!!!!

Will take some Minti photos to post here...All Around Town

Hi Everyone,

I am trying to get through my emails which is at about the 100 mark. So I am reading, just not replying as quick...

Progress on the trip to San Francisco is moving along well.

Rachel

I have been thinking about this lately...have you heard been stumped to say something great, when a person asked you, "what do you do?" (especially when you are a mother - we do anything, nothing and everything)

Well, I can say I am proud to be a mother, however, I do get stereotyped daily. It is very easy to look at me and think my hubby and I have a conventional family. My values are traditional, but what I do is very unconventional. I was a business partner in a small start up well before any ideas of entering into a life partnership, which became an amazing ice-ing on the cake. But, it's so easy to assume that I had no part in building the business, but actually I really admired the huge risk my hubby took in coming up with an idea, getting a small business grant, and start perfecting the idea, moving into his first office in Nov 98...I think a great partnership always begins with mutual respect of each others skills, determination and professionalism. I signed on feeling empowered and he was eager for me to go for it and build the business putting in place whatever I felt needed to be put in place. i do feel proud of the fact I took on big challenges and went about reviewing everything, realizing everything needed have something in place from scratch.

I found that there was a great lesson in a start up or small business, do everything in the beginning on a shoe string budget. I was really impressed that the small start up team of 8, did business, using excel, paper orders, manual charging, etc...I could start from scratch now that I had the blueprint and go for my life...I would build the business and let clay continue to perfect the idea, track sales and handle issues with servers. We worked together on whatever needed to be done...he worked very hard getting the idea up and running, he was exhausted and needed some help...then I got exhausted getting to 50 staff, that we both needed to take stock and balance things...together...

So when I get asked what is my experience and background, I am aiming to become more defined and not mumble along some half heart "don't do me justice" answer and instead I say..."my background has been a Director of an Internet Company that exports services to the US, and I took on the building of the business from the ground up. Now I am a Co-founder in a Web 2.0 start up, I popularized and fashioned the space of Family 2.0 (blogging) and i juggle all this being a mom/mum, a business partner and a wife..."

Rather than "I am a mom/mum and have some businesses with my husband", I get lots of stereotypical responses.

I remember once, I was at an important function, where I was introduced to a young guy and his father (a business function), right, okay, this old bloke proceeded to mock me (whilst trying to be nice) that I was "getting in on the boss" so to speak (he continued this banter for a couple of minutes until a poked by his son), talking about nearly punching the guy, and I am quite lady like. I was only 21 when I met Clay, and Clay 22, what the blazer was this old guy (50 yr old) talking about...? I held back, as his son (around 20ish) was extremely embarassed, realizing this ain't the 'chick' to be saying this too. Gees, some people don't know how to be polite...but I certainly 'got the picture' on his view of women!!! I also have been told, 'women belong as a house wife and not in the boardroom', well we'll see about that matey...

I am blessed with an amazing husband that treats this lady with respect and keeps us as an amazing team, he is a King in a wonderful empowering kingdom and I flourish in this environment, being a wizard (get the business analogies hehe)...can't help it, but he is such a an amazing tech entrepreneur with such vision, passion and smarts!!!

Sometimes whatever mothers achieve, it's a really good idea to work out who you are and what you are passionate about, write it down and declare it to the world...it's so easy sometimes, to say great things and achievements others have done and forget yourself...this day and age woman are unique, it's easy to get stereotyped - oh shouldn't you be working, shouldn't you be staying home, oh shouldn't you let your husband do that...shouldn't you be a great cook, shouldn't you be a great mother...we don't know if we are coming or going...

...don't lose who you are and don't accept, but politely correct any assumptions about who you are...you know generally it takes around a year for somone to suss out who you really are...one comment doesn't pass that time and replace anyone but you and your family being an expert on YOU!!!!

Go gals, reach any dream you desire...I did :0)

Woo hoo, just a quick post...and will update later today. But the Cook family is considering seriously on relocating to the Silicon Valley area...so much to do and we had only just moved 6 months ago!!!