Our company, PowerDreams, creates science-based recordings. These downloadable MP3s use detailed guided imagery crafted by experts and a sound-wave technology tailor-made to achieve specific challenging goals. Like putting together pieces of a puzzle, we address fundamental components of achieving each goal and design a comprehensive series around those components. The result, for each listener, is increased mental and emotional agility and substantive preparation to achieve that specific goal. Examples of series we currently offer or will be releasing shortly include: "Pass the Bar" (for bar exam candidates), "Key To Create" (for actors and writers), "PD15" (fulfilled living in 15 minutes/day), and "Unique Technique: Fire Up Your Business" (for entrepreneurs and business owners). In addition, we offer custom corporate lines through our Peak Professional Performance Consulting arm. These lines are created based on the unique needs of each company and the members of the targeted team (e.g., sales, customer service, operations, etc.).

EDUCATION | Martina: BFA in Performing Arts and Communications from Gothenburg University, Studied acting in New York and Los Angeles on Rotary Scholarship, Taught Acting for East LA Classic Theater outreach program, Conducted Acting and Motivational Seminars in Europe and Australia and is working on her PhD in Motivational Psychology and her Masters in Hypnotherapy. Dava: BA in Political Science and a BS in Management, both from Boston University; JD from Cornell Law School; LLM (masters) in International and Comparative Law from Cornell Law School; Completed Officers' Basic Course for the US Army; and Studied Acting in New York, Washington, DC and Los Angeles.

HOW TO GET STARTED | Make sure you find something you are passionate about. Since starting a company takes an incredible amount of work and risk, you must really believe in it and find it fun. To build your own company in any field, it's a good idea to have a sizable but focused market to tap into. Have a niche, so you can focus and make sure your product or service truly helps solve a problem for a particular group. And don't try to grow too big, too fast, or you'll spread yourself too thin. It is also very helpful to have a rainy day savings or some other source of income to fall back on in the growth stage. Finally, be sure to surround yourself with like-minded people by joining entrepreneurial networking groups and online communities as they will provide you with support and motivation.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | A lot of passion and a lot of love for what you do, or you'll get worn out: you need that fire to overcome the obstacles you will encounter. You have to be an achiever and a strategic risk taker: someone who is organized, hard-working, courageous, out-going, creative and has a natural knack for thinking outside the box. You need to believe in what you're doing and have integrity.

how I got started | When we were working together at an acting school, we realized we had similar goals and ideas, particularly a vision of creating an actors' tool that would be accessible worldwide through the internet. We began by integrating each of our extensive acting training with Martina's work in hypnotherapy. During our research and development phase, we added in a scientifically proven audio technology designed to heighten the listener's creativity. The actors' series was designed to enable actors to create characters from their right brain, unlike classroom training exercises which often left the actor in "thinking mode" leading to underwhelming, disconnected performances. Meanwhile, Dava, a relative new-comer to California, had worked as an attorney for 11 years in other states. To practice law in California, she needed to take and pass the California Bar, considered by many to be the most difficult bar exam in the nation. When she was unsuccessful with her first attempt at the bar, we realized we could use our method to create a set of recordings for Dava to prepare for her second attempt at passing the California Bar. Needless to say, she passed and we realized we had created a much needed tool that was not available anywhere else on the market - recordings students could use to overcome exam anxiety, increase their focus and concentration and memorize key rules of law. In building our Pass the Bar series, it became apparent that our method has numerous possible applications which provides us exciting growth opportunities.

why this job?| While people often romanticize the life of an actor, we both experienced first hand exactly how much work and struggle is involved in accomplishing even seemingly minor success as an actor. Being a part of this community, we were also deeply aware of how committed many actors are to their profession and how they are driven by a heart felt desire to succeed, in spite of the odds stacked against them. We were surprised to recognize that there is actually a clear parallel with bar exam candidates - they have put so much time, energy, and money into law school but this huge hurdle of passing the bar looms between their graduation and their ability to practice their profession. Knowing how daunting both goals are and how emotionally draining their pursuit can be, we were inspired to find a way to help these people overcome their obstacles, making the process more fun and less stressful so they can achieve their goals. As we have begun to receive thank you letters from our customers, it is truly rewarding to know we are providing people with practical tools to reach their dreams.

why I love this job!| Aside from the gratification of knowing how well the program works and that is has helped people achieve very difficult goals, we love that we can use both our creativity and our logic: our work feeds both our right and left brains. And we love finding the key to what unlocks each person and their potential.

my typical day| It's nonstop from the moment we get up- checking e-mail, providing customer service, attending events, writing scripts, recording the products, attending to operational logistics, keeping up on the latest brain research, working with affiliates, planning next steps for the new series we are developing and just constantly thinking one step ahead.

what they are | Time is certainly a challenge: we can spread ourselves pretty thin and it can be tough to prioritize our tasks when so many are equally pressing. For us, as this is something that really hasn't been done before for these markets, we also face the challenge of educating our audience. And, of course, self-financing our company's growth.

all about growth | The potential for growth is great. Almost every time we talk about it, somebody mentions another population who could benefit from this: med school students, high school students preparing for SATs, accountant exam candidates, firefighter exam candidates, other creative professionals such as graphic designers, filmmakers, quite frankly even those attempting to make huge lifestyle changes ... the possibilities are endless. We are working on developing each of these series but each takes time as it is of pivotal importance to us that we always deliver a high-quality product.

my website| http://www.powerdreams.com