Good Morning Lowcountry

Entrepreneurs

Pluffmudder and entrepreneur Leslie Haywood will appear on CNBC's "The Big Idea" with Donny Deutsch on Tuesday night at 10.

GMLc is a fan of Deutsch, whose show answers such questions as "How much gold is there in Fort Knox?" and "How did an 11-year-old start his own business and become a millionaire by age 17?"

Haywood is a businesswoman and mother who had a lightbulb moment over the backyard grill one night with guests. Her husband, who was doing the grilling, mixed up the spicy chicken and the nonspicy chicken on the grill. Oops.

She then invented Grill Charms, dime-sized, stainless steel decorative round markers that can be affixed to meat on the grill so you can, say, recognize your organic steak among the steaks the neighbor brought. Or as Grill Charms' motto says: "No more cutting into 5 steaks to try to find the rare one."

Her company, formed in 2006, is called Charmed Life Products LLC. See more at www.grillcharms.com, or watch the show to find out how she did it ... and maybe how much money she's made.

Have you had your incandescent moment? The Center for Women holds a monthly Entrepreneurial Woman Series of workshops for those kicking off or maintaining a business. This month's topic, by Shari Schleis of Splash Marketing, was on branding.

Next month's topic is human resource issues with lawyer Nancy Bloodgood. It's Feb. 19, 6-9 p.m. and $20 for members of the Center for Women, $25 for others. The Center for Women's new location is 129 Cannon St. Register at 763-7333 or www.c4women.org.

Also, for those who plan ahead, the Center for Women's 2008 Women in Business Conference will be held March 29, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Charleston Area Convention Center.

Workshop topics for the third annual conference include the rules of work, Web marketing, financing your business expansion, growing your business, success stories and the path to leadership. See www.c4women.org/conference.htm to sign up, or call 763-7333.

While we're on the subject of women, in business or otherwise, please allow GMLc to remind pluffmudders that Friday is Women's Heart Day in Charleston.

Friday also is National Go Red for Women Day, sponsored by the American Heart Association (www.goredforwomen.org). The annual Women's Heart Women's Health Symposium will be April 26 at Gaillard Auditorium.

Last, but certainly not least, we come to fisherwomen.

The Charleston Angler Reel Women Fishing Club will hold an oyster roast to benefit Casting for Recovery, an organization that provides fly fishing retreats at locations around the United States for women who have or have had breast cancer.

See www.castingforrecovery.org for information about the retreats.

The oyster roast will be Feb. 23, 5-7, at Salty Mike's at Charleston City Marina. The Bluestone Ramblers will play, plus there will be a raffle, beer, etc.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Buy them at The Charleston Angler stores: 654 St. Andrews Blvd, Towne Centre Mount Pleasant and 823 St. Andrews Blvd.

For more information about Charleston fisherwomen, see www.thecharlestonangler.com or call 225-5248, ext. 206.

Call 937-5564. Write gmlc@postandcourier.com. Find the blog at gmlc.typepad.com.