In 1984, Guy Kawasaki, world-renowned venture capitalist and special advisor at Google, got a life-changing opportunity: His former roommate at Stanford University, Mike Boich, offered him a marketing job at Apple. Kawasaki’s work at Steve Jobs's empire brought him fortune, fame and, perhaps most importantly, the confidence to strike out on his own. 

Since that roaring start, Kawasaki has founded or co-established four successful companies, including Alltop, a news aggregation site, and Garage.com, which raises funds for promising technology businesses. He’s also the author of Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything, a blueprint for business success.

Here, the charismatic Stanford grad (who boasts 1.3 million Twitter followers!) shares four steps every budding entrepreneur must take to actualize her business plan:

Step 1: Just Do It
“The most important step is to create a real manifestation of your idea,” says Kawasaki. “For example, before you start a restaurant, try your menu on friends or at catering parties. [If you’re launching a physical product,] create and ship a prototype. Until you do this, everything else is just a made-up fairytale."

Step 2: Secure Seed Money

Every business needs some funds to get started. Write a business plan to figure out how much money you’ll need and when you can hope to see a profit. “For the vast majority of ideas, crowd funding on Indiegogo.com or Kickstarter.com is the way to go,” says Kawasaki.

Step 3: Get the Word Out
Now that your business is off the ground, how will you get the word out? “The most powerful and accessible way to market your business is to use social media such as Google+, Twitter and Facebook,” says Kawasaki. “Entrepreneurs must build their social media platform as soon as they decide to start a company."

Step 4: Have Faith
“Nobody ever said that entrepreneurship is easy,” says Kawasaki. Your business will face hurdles and challenges, and you need to stay strong and keep at it. “Truly, some things need to be believed to be seen. You must believe in what you're doing."

The results of a shocking survey last year exposed that 54 percent of Hispanos were not at all prepared for retirement. According to ING’s “Retirement Revealed” study, Latinos reported the lowest average balances in their retirement plans of any other ethnic group in the U.S. And a whopping 70 percent have no investment plan to reach their retirement goals.

Why is this the case? A, more importantly, what are we to do?

While Latinos’ love and sense of family is one of our most endearing cultural trademarks, it might be hurting our savings. Studies have shown that instead of building a savings account for our golden years, many Latinos choose to spend money on supporting their children (even when they’re older) and extended families. While we might think we'll get back that support from our children when we're older, in this still-rebounding economy, it’s not something anyone can bank on.

Finances can be like the oxygen masks during the safety videos on airlines: "Place the oxygen mask on yourself first, then on your loved ones." The idea here is you can't give what you don't have. Building financial savings for yourself now will safeguard your entire family down the road.

There are two common types of retirement savings plans:

• 401(k) Plans

• According to the ING study, only about one in four Latinos has a 401(k) and only one in ten Latinos have individual retirement funds. The study shows that Latinos (as well as many, many Americans) don't really understand how these plans work.
  
  In short: 401(k) plans are offered by your company that you invest a percentage of earnings. Depending on your employer, they may match a certain percentage of your contributions to the plan. The money is usually invested in mutual funds or in your company stocks.

• Individual Keogh Plans
  An individual or a Keogh plan is a personal retirement plan for small businesses and for those who are self employed. This tax-deferred plan is overseen by the 401(a) tax code and allows workers to contribute a specific amount of money each year before taxes out of each check: So you get a tax break for the money you put into the plan each year, as well as gain interest tax free until you want to start taking money out of the Keogh account.

Meet With a Financial Planner
If you work for an organization that offers a 401(k), set up a meeting with your human resources department so they can walk you through the process. Similarly, if you own your own business, set up a meeting with a finical planner, which can be done at your bank, to find out the best options for you.

Savings Plan
Commit to saving some of your income every month -- for instance, 10 percent. Also, try and build up your nest egg when you get big chunks of dinero, like a tax refund.  While you may have to forgo that new car or vacation this year, a little money saved now will make a world of difference later.

Sometimes all it takes is having a bad day to trigger a major shopping spree that we later regret. True, purchased items can often be returned. But it’s in our best interest to learn how to protect ourselves and our bottom line at vulnerable moments.

Yesi Morillo-Gual, founder of ProudToBeLatina.com, a professional network that helps Latinas banish self-doubt and break self-imposed barriers, knows how to help women control their spending. Here, the financial services executive shares profound tips on halting dehabilitating spending habits once and for all.

Stop and Think

Are you triste, emotional or stressed? The most common pitfall women make when it comes to unnecessary spending (or splurging) is thinking that somehow buying "this thing will make you feel better," says Morillo-Gual. Check in with yourself before you hit the mall. Or ask yourself, even if it’s on the check-out line, ‘Do I need this, do I love this, can I afford this?’ If any of those answers is no, put it down.

Keep El Control

We also tend to overspend when we see others with "flashy" pricey or designer items. We think we need to keep up, says Morillo-Gual. To avoid losing control (which is what overspending is) check in with a good friend who will tell you, "Hey cute shoes, but don't have a pair at home just like those?" A good amiga can help keep you accountable.

Overcome 

Lastly, when you feel yourself on the verge of going on a spending spree, or feel like you just have to buy something, take a deep breath. Instead, try to find another outlet for that energy, like exercising or taking a walk. That impulse is usually just energy that needs to be expended. Take a stroll and clear your head, and nine times out of 10, you will be able to overcome the urge to splurge.

Milly Almodóvar, founder and editor of Beauty Logic Blog, is passionate about the latest beauty trends and tips from around the world. Here, she shares big and small ways to pamper yourself this spring.

 

Make Time for Yourself

“As a mom, wife and beauty editor, life is busy. But, on Sunday, no matter what, I take time for myself. Whether it's making my own hair mask with coconut oil and honey or watching a Lifetime movie, I make sure that I have those moments alone. They are important for the soul.”

Have Fun with Your Makeup

“A lot of women use the same makeup [in spring] that they use during the winter. Switch it up. You might want to invest in a darker foundation or newer creams. Or switch your dark lips to brighter ones. I'm all about neon oranges this season. They look amazing on warmer skin tones.”

Meditate

“I have a girlfriend who is always so calm and collected. I asked for her secret, and she told me that she meditates every morning. At first I thought she was crazy. But I was so stressed out one day that I decided to try it. I went to a dark room, lit a candle and just did it. Now I'm hooked. I'm finding that life isn't so stressful.”

Find Time to Work Out

“A lot of women I know don't work out because they claim they don't have time or the money. To me, if you really want to work out, you will. I do most of my exercise at home. So when my son goes to sleep, I'll grab some weights and get a workout in. I've learned that working out will not only make you look good, but feel good.”

Make Time for Friends and Family

“I used to think I was too busy to see my family and friends. I was so focused on my career, but when I did find time to spend with them, I noticed that I was much happier afterwards. So now, I see them at least once a week. There are times where I have felt like nothing in the world was going right, or maybe I wasn't where I should be in my life. One visit to my family and friends, and I felt like I could do anything.”

It’s easy to envy Karen Hoyos. The celebrity life coach and author is a red carpet regular, attending such fantastico events as the Grammys and Oscars. She's stunningly gorgeous and travels the globe on humanitarian missions for the U.N. Plus, as a self-help guru, she has reached over 40 million people through her seminars, TV appearances, articles and products.

But life wasn't always shiny for the Colombiana mom of twin boys. Growing up, her family life was unstable with a physically abusive father. Later, she married a violent man who consistently beat and belittled her. He even threatened to kill her. Karen finally got the courage to leave Colombia and start a new beginning when she found out she was pregnant. Arriving in the U.S. with only her growing belly, Karen leaned on her faith in God that things would get better. And they quickly did. 

One fateful day, she attended a seminar by renowned motivational guru Anthony Robbins. Says Karen, “I heard a voice in my heart that said, ‘Karen, this is what you are going to do for the rest of your life. You will carry a message of transformation, starting with your Latino community and then you will spread it across the world.’”

Karen hit the ground running. Today she shares her inspiring story via global seminars, writings and TV appearances, and through Kids for a New Planet, her foundation for abused children in Latin America and Africa.

Her message is one of forgiveness and service: "Forgive others, because they can only give you what they have. Forgive yourself, because it was all part of a perfect plan for your personal evolution. Help others and accept that you are in this world to be happy.”