January 19, 2011 - "How Big is YOUR But?"  | Cheri Britton, M.Ed.

I’ve always had a big but. I’m not talking about my backside…rather that internal saboteur who would throw out all kinds of reasons that I should not do something, or that something would not work. My “buts” were huge!

But then I figured out one amazing thing…I could CHOOSE what I thought and how I felt. And you know what? My buts began to shrink. It was the best “diet” I had ever been on.

Let me come and help you learn how to get off their big Buts and make wildly important and amazing things happen. 

Cheri's Bio…  Cheri Britton, M.Ed, is a speaker, author, coach and trainer who has been helping individuals and organizations effectively BOOM Think for over two decades. Through metaphors, anecdotes, and powerful journaling exercises, Cheri challenges executives, employees, entrepreneurs, parents and regular folks to confront limiting beliefs and break out of their “velvet rut,” where they survive, but definitely don’t thrive. The results are literally transformational.

Cheri recently authored her first book, “BOOM Thinking: The Gutsy Guide to Breaking Out of Old Mindsets.” She is also the author of blog and soon-to-be blog radio show “More Happy, Less Crappy.” More can be found about Cheri at www.cheribritton.com.

As a single mom raising two youngsters, Cheri maintains a realistic view of working professionals who juggle careers with family and outside interests. She resides in Asheville, North Carolina with her kids Sawyer and Noah, and her dogs Chance and Moxie.

November 17, 2011 - Sherré Demao; SLD Unlimited Marketing/PR

Sherré is founder and Chief Marketeer of SLD Unlimited Marketing/PR, Inc., a full-service marketing firm.  Since 1984, Sherré has been helping start-up, small to medium, entrepreneurial companies become smarter marketers through providing creative and innovative marketing guidance, solutions and services.  Her marketing expertise has been sought as a resource to business writers and her company has won numerous awards. Her business savvy has also been recognized with recognition as a small business advocate and among the top 50 Enterprising Women Business Owners in the Country by Enterprising Woman Magazine, for which she is now a contributing writer. In addition, Sherré is a monthly columnist in Business Today called Savvy Business Owner starting.  

Sherré has been resourced by local and national media including MSN.com and CBS-affiliate WBTV for perspectives on entrepreneurial business. Frequently sought after as a speaker on marketing and small business topics, her passion is helping business owners become more savvy marketers in order to realize the ultimate success of prospering in life and in business. A published poet, Sherré is currently working on a book based on her nearly 25 years working with entrepreneurs entitled, "Me, Myself & Inc: A Synergized World ... An Energized Business ... Living Your Ultimate Life" Sherré's goal is to make a difference in the lives of as many entrepreneurs as possible.

September 15, 2011 -"The Surefire Formula to Exploding Your Sales", Rochelle Togo-Figa, Sales Business Coach, Trainer and Motivational Speaker.

Rochelle Togo-Figa is a Sales Business Coach, Trainer, and Motivational Speaker with 23 years in the corporate world as a top sales producer, and 15 years as a coach, trainer, and speaker. She successfully coaches and trains business owners, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals to achieve breakthrough sales results.

After surviving breast cancer, Rochelle turned her journey of recovery into a positive life-altering experience that transformed her life forever. Rochelle then left the corporate world to pursue her dreams of helping entrepreneurs follow their dreams and goals. She took the lessons she learned that turned her life around and together with her 24 years sales experience, created a thriving coaching and training business. She combines her life-transforming experience with her sales expertise and shows audiences how they can go beyond what’s predictable to achieve breakthrough results in their businesses and lives. 

To learn more about Rochelle and her coaching, please visit her website at SalesBreakthroughs.com or contact her at Rochelle@SalesBreakthroughs.com.

August 18, 2011 - Tom Hanchett, Historian, The Museum of the New South

Dr. Tom Hanchett is staff historian at Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte, NC. His writings range widely on urban history and Southern culture: a book Charlotte's neighborhoods, Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class & Urban Development in Charlotte (UNC Press); an essay exploring the history of US shopping malls; a monthly newspaper column Food From Home; and more. Educated at Cornell University, University of Chicago, and UNC Chapel Hill, he plays fiddle.

June 16, 2011 - "Lessons Learned: Waiting for Permission",

Christie Taylor, Owner, Hodges Taylor Art Consultancy

Christie Taylor has managed art galleries for over thirty-five years, including Art Gallery Originals in Winston-Salem, McNeal Gallery in Charlotte, and since 1980, Hodges Taylor Gallery in uptown Charlotte. Taylor received her B.A. in Art from Queens University in Charlotte and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia. In 1989, she curated Nine from North Carolina, an exhibition that opened at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D. C. and toured North Carolina for twelve months. A native of Winston-Salem, Taylor currently serves on the boards of St. Peters Chamber Music, the YWCA Women in Transition and on the Advisory Committee for Community School of the Arts.

Past community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Women Executives, Charlotte Junior League, Habitat for Humanity, Central Charlotte Association, YWCA of Central Carolinas and The Light Factory. Taylor was awarded the 2005 Business Woman of the Year sponsored by Wachovia Bank and Queens University of Charlotte. She was also awarded a 1999 Business Journals Women in Business Achievement Award.  www.hodgestaylor.com.

May 19, 2011 - "Your brain drives your business.  Want to improve your business?", Dr. Vicki Parker

Your brain drives your business.  Want to improve your business?  Start by improving your own skills with brain training.  We work on the building blocks for great thinking: attention, memory, auditory and visual processing, processing speed and logic & reasoning.  It works and its fun!

Dr. Vicki Parker is founder and director of The Brain Trainer. She holds a Ph.D. in speech language pathology with a concentration in neuroscience from Michigan State University. For nearly 30 years, she has worked with children and adults who have learning, speech, language, behavior and reading disorders as well as gifted individuals looking to accelerate their skills.

Dr. Parker has been interviewed and featured in major media outlets, including The New York Daily News, WFAE Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins, South Charlotte Weekly, News 14 Carolinas, Fox Charlotte, WBT, and MomsCharlotte.com. She’s been a reoccurring guest on You Aut To Know, a national radio program about autism, and she has written for The Charlotte Observer on brain training.

Dr. Parker is also a leader among her peers. She speaks nationally at professional conferences and is author of the textbook Problem Solving, Planning and Organizational Tasks: Strategies for Retraining. Prior to focusing on cognitive training in her private practice Dr. Parker worked for 24 years in hospital settings.

April 21, 2011 - "Leaning Into Life: Lessons from the Road", Tamela Rich

Did you ever see a motorcycle racer going into a curve with their knee on the tarmac and wonder why they ride this way? Speed skaters do the same thing. Tamela Rich says they're maximizing the laws of physics to minimize friction and win the race. She will talk about how to apply this Leaning-Into-Life philosophy when she joins us at our April meeting. 

Tamela's bankrupt business strained her relationships with family and friends and brought her to the brink of suicide before she learned to "lean in" and accept the many lessons that came in failure's wake.  She'll talk about her personal and professional journey from captain of a failed business to author-ghostwriter-adventurer and share five lessons that anyone can use as they navigate the next phase of their own life.  

Tamela Rich learned to operate a motorcycle at age 48, and now spends summers astride her BMW raising money for breast cancer causes across North America.  

Inspired by the motorcyclists she met during her travels, women who survived cancer or live with it as a chronic condition, she's writing Live Full Throttle: What Everyone Can Learn About Life From Women Who've Faced Cancer. The book gives people hope that, despite their diagnosis or prognosis, their lives can be joyful and productive.   

March 17, 2011 - Dianne Stewart, APR, President of BSA PR & Marketing

Come on over to 'Our Space' and have a "Face to Face(book)".

Dianne will 'Twitter and Tweet' about the relevance, usefulness, per'Plaxo'ties and the general "How To" and the "How Not To" of social networking sites that 'Ping!'

Bring your questions, observations and frustrations and she will get you 'LinkedIn' to the Social Networking world in a great 'MeetUp' at the April CPSE meeting. 

Dianne is a registered APR (Accredited Public Relations Practitioner), a professional status recognized in all English speaking countries worldwide. She has some 25 years experience in the communications, marketing, special event and public relations arenas. She founded her own consultancy business in 1988 in South Africa and continues to practice her PR and marketing skills here in Charlotte. She has embraced the social networking boom as one of the most important trends to impact us for many years and speaks to groups about how this phenomenon will be changing the way we do business and how we communicate with one another in the future. She believes that it is here to stay and will have a dramatic impact on all aspects of our lives and the world in the years to come. To read more about Dianne, www.bsapr.biz.

February 17, 2011 - Loyd Dillon - "How to Improve Your Creativity"

Loyd Dillon, FIDS has been a professional interior designer for more than 40 years, is CQRID certified at the Professional (highest) level, is an elected Fellow of The Interior Design Society (one of only nine people EVER to receive Fellowship, the highest honor IDS can bestow), was twice President of the Carolinas Chapter of IDS, twice President of The Charlotte Chapter and is a past NATIONAL President of IDS. Loyd teaches three semester-long courses in the CPCC Interior Design Department and a 27-week series of courses in interior design at York Tech. He is also a freelance writer (mostly magazine articles), an illustrator (of 14 books so far), a lay minister (officiating at weddings, giving guest-speaker sermons), a rare book collector (he says the books are rare but he's not) and a public speaker (seminars, talks, etc). Loyd was chosen by Charlotte Magazine to be in  in their one-time-only (so far) list of the 50 most interesting people in Charlotte.  He says it must have been a slow news year.  Loyd is married, the father of three sons, and the grandfather of two boys and three girls.

January 20, 2011 - Ira Bass - "LinkedIn: What Can This Do For Me?"

Like many of you until three years ago Ira Bass, President of IB Media LLC would get requests to accept Linkedin invitations and wonder “what can do this do for me?” The answer is plenty!  He has used Linkedin to introduce himself to business partners and prospects in a one on one setting. Today he has over 1400 connections and his marketing/advertising business relies heavily on this tool to cultivate new business relationships. Linkedin is a source for meeting business professionals with similar interests. It is a tool designed to connect individuals with other individuals seeking to grow their network and their business. Simply.  It amounts to meeting new people for the purpose of personal and professional growth.

Ira will be discussing the importance of social media and how Linkedin is the choice for business. Included will be how to set up your profile which will enhance your chances for meeting new people, the importance of groups and joining them (there are over 35,000) and how to actively search for professionals you otherwise would never meet. He’ll spend the initial portion of this workshop describing how to utilize this tool but the majority of the time will be spent live online.

Experienced with consumer and business to business marketing initiatives in the areas of travel, financial products, packaged goods, apparel, electronics, healthcare, home products, sports and retail, Ira Bass has worked for some of the most prestigious advertising agencies in the southeast. They include Rockett, Burkhead & Winslow, Trone Advertising and Loeffler Ketchum Mountjoy. With over 30 years experience, Ira has worked on virtually every type of business. They include North Carolina Travel and Tourism, GlaxoSmithKline, Stouffers, Taster’s Choice, General Electric, McDonalds, BlueCross Blue Shield, Duke University Medical Center, Goodyear, Healthtex and Carolina Hurricanes.

November18, 2010 - Natan Feldman

“Doing Business with Hispanics"

What is in a name?  Latinos, Hispanics, Latin Americans.... Speak to them in English... speak to them in Spanish (Which kind? Castillian... Spanish form Spain... Spanglish...It's a very challenging but very attractive group to sell to. Come and learn tips to understand and cater to this growing ethnic group in Charlotte and the United States.

Natan has more than 20 years of experience in training employees with ability to facilitate and connect with audiences of varied educational and demographic levels. His training classes are always personalized to best impact the learning experience. With his engineering background and strong avocation for psychology, Natan makes the learning experience practical, educational, and entertaining.

Natan has Training Expertise in:

• Leadership Development
• Project Management
• Time Management
• Stress Management
• Conflict Management
• Customer Service (Retail and Call Centers)
• Communication Skills Development
• Team Building
• Introductory Spanish for Associates
• Negotiation Training
• Diversity Training
• Spanish for English speakers for specific industries: Banking, Medical, Manufacturing, Construction, Call Center's Customer Service
• English for Spanish speakers. Basic and advance English classes using Spanish phonetics

He helped in the development of custom-designed programs, both US and Internationally. The multicultural approach that he uses helps individuals understand how diverse cultural backgrounds impact communication, performance and productivity.

October 21, 2010 - Terri Bennett-founder of Do Your Part: for Everyday Green Living

“6 Tips For $aving Green: Eco-friendly information that will help you green your business routine and save money at the same time”

Terri Bennett is the heart and soul of the Do Your Part team. Officially, she’s the co-founder of Do Your Part and its Vice President of Content. But behind the scenes, she is involved in the content we produce, hosts our off-beat and entertaining “Green Dish” daily video, and uses her scientific background to vet the information we produce online and in Terri’s syndicated newspaper column. Before launching Do Your Part, Terri was the Chief Meteorologist at the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, NC. She spent more than 16 years providing weather forecasts in Charlotte and was actually the first (and only) female Chief Meteorologist in the market. Her work only fueled her passion for protecting the planet. While providing nightly weather reports and covering major weather events, Terri branched out into producing television segments about protecting our water supply in a series named “WaterWise” and hosted another segment on natural gardening techniques known as “Terri’s Garden”. Her work on television earned her the title of “Best Weathercaster in the Carolinas” numerous times, two prestigious Emmy awards, and the “Excellence in Science Reporting” from the American Meteorological Society.

After leaving the television business in 2007, Terri’s passion for the environment created the Do Your Part idea and its core mission. Terri wanted the world to know that going green is easy, economical, and important. She and her husband Andy starting producing, shooting, and editing the first Do Your Part videos from their own home. They built a set, bought video cameras, and learned all the ins and outs of running a website. Their small team began to grow as they hired photojournalists and researchers. Now, Terri Bennett Enterprises, resides in a green office building near the heart of Uptown Charlotte, and employs nearly a dozen people. Terri is also a mom who is constantly on the go. When she is not creating carpooling schedules and packing lunches (waste free, of course!), she authors a weekly Do Your Part syndicated newspaper column for the McClatchy-Tribune News Wire. Terri is also in the final stages of writing a book that is packed with practical Do Your Part information for families just as busy as hers. Terri is also a big believer in educating kids early about the benefits of reducing, reusing, and recycling which is why she speaks at dozens of schools each year.

She and her husband have two children at home, a married son and daughter-in-law, one dog, two rabbits, and a backyard pond filled with goldfish.

September 16, 2010 - Susan Roberts, Manager, Sharon Luggage.

 "Smart Packing for Today's Travel"

Susan Roberts:  I've worked for Sharon Luggage for eighteen years, starting off as a part-time salesperson.  I originally took the job to supplement my dismal entry-level salary right after graduating from college.   

Interest in luggage and travel does not magically transform a person into a good traveler.  It seems that every time I went on vacation, I would have a giant suitcase.  Maybe more than one suitcase.  And I never had everything I needed.  The giant mountain of stuff that I traveled with was a regular joke with my friends.   

Several years after starting with Sharon Luggage, one of the people who did packing demonstrations quit unexpectedly and I took the assignment on a temporary basis.  It didn't take long for me to take my own advice and to begin testing out my new system on trips.  You can imagine the surprise of my friends when I began showing up with one small suitcase.   

Thursday, August 19, 2010 - Oliver (Ollie) Chandhok, Charlotte Business Journal

Ollie Chandhok has been with the Charlotte Business Journal for two years as a Circulation Sales Executive.  His primary role with the paper is helping readers use the paper as a tool to generate sales leads, and stay current on issues that are vital to their business and careers. 

In 2009, Ollie spoke to over 90 groups both here at the Charlotte Business Journal and at companies like; Hinrichs Flannigan, The Charlotte School of Law, WSOC, Neiman Marcus, Allen Tate and New York Life.   

He has also developed a seminar series designed for individuals in career transition that he gives regularly at Right Management, the Career Center and Lee Hecht Harrison along with various job support networks throughout Charlotte. 

This particular seminar series earned him the Work Force Readiness Award from GrowCharlotte.org in 2009. 

Ollie is ranked as a top 5 circulation sales executive within American City Business Journals and earned the companies top award; The Eagle, in 2009 for his performance.  He enjoys sharing both his expertise in sales and knowledge of the Charlotte Business Journal to help readers further their careers and business through its content. 

Fun & Fashion

We met at The Dress for Success Charlotte Boutique and Career Transformation Center.

Thursday, July 15, 2010 – Our annual “Fun Lunch” – with a twist!  The CPSE members shared their success with Dress for Success.

Step through the front door at Dress for Success Charlotte and you feel like you are entering a beautiful, upscale boutique that could be located anywhere in Charlotte. Every part of this program is about giving women the empowerment to succeed.  Kerry Barr O’Connor, Executive Director, gave us an overview of their clientele; women who are re-entering the workforce – or, going to work for the first time – and, the seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  At Dress for Success they receive proper business attire along with Career Center Services, a Professional Women’s Group Program and encouragement and love by the staff and a host of volunteers.  This international organization has some of the biggest names in the fashion industry and corporate America on their Board of Directors.  Locally, so many successful women business owners and major corporations contribute their expertise.  To learn more, go to www.dressforsuccess.org/charlotte.

Our delicious lunch was catered by King’s Kitchen owned by renowned restaurateur, Jim Noble.  Chef Noble trains and employs the needy including the formerly homeless and donates the proceeds to hunger relief programs.  For more info regarding the restaurant or how to volunteer:  www.kingskitchen.org.

After a tour of their new award winning facility, one of the Dress for Success clients spoke about her journey.  What an inspirational and emotional time for all of us!

At Carolinas Professional Saleswomen & Entrepreneurs we are grateful for our success in business and for the growth of our organization.  CPSE treasurer, Marianne Linker of Client Linker, expressed our gratitude and presented Kerry with a $500 check.

We are celebrating our new “Rising Star” member status at Dress for Success. But, more importantly, we are celebrating the ability to volunteer our time, talents and resources to service organizations as we all make a difference in our community.

June 17, 2010 - Ramona Holloway - The Value of Women in the Workplace 

Ramona Holloway is one half of the nationally syndicated "Matt and Ramona Show," which originates from WLNK's studios in Charlotte, North Carolina. The "Matt and Ramona Show" has been nominated for a Marconi Award and since 2001 has been a ratings powerhouse in the Carolinas' Queen City. In March of 2007 Ramona set out to develop and co-host a fun, faith-based Sunday morning radio show for WLNK. That program, "The Satisfied Life," hit the airwaves three months later.

Ramona's broadcasting career began at WNKO and WHTH in Newark, Ohio. From there she moved to the Columbus, Ohio market where she eventually became the news and public affairs director for one of the state's largest FM stations, WNCI. She developed and hosted several talk shows there and under her direction the station was nominated for a national community service award.

Her next stop was WTLC in Indianapolis where she served as co-host of the "Guy Black and the Breakfast Club" program. In addition to her responsibilities on the morning show, her talents as a radio journalist and talk show host were put to good use as news and public affairs director as well as director of minority recruitment for Emmis Broadcasting in Indianapolis. During her tenure she founded the Teen Leadership Club. It gave youngsters an opportunity to address the issues and concerns of their generation on the air while exploring careers in radio.

Ramona's career has also included a stop at WNVZ in Virginia Beach as a member of the Morning Zoo. She also lists a term on the Ohio Associated Press Board of Directors among her professional accomplishments. Comfortable in front of the camera as well, she has served as a part time anchor for WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio, co-host of WOSU-TV's "Viewpoint" program and co-host of "Fox News Edge" on WCCB-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A big believer in giving back to the community she volunteers her time for numerous charitable organizations and has been recognized by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Lupus Foundation and National Kidney Foundation. She currently sits on the board of directors of A Child's Place, an agency that provides educational assistance to homeless children. Ramona is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a public service sorority.

Born in Oberlin, Ohio and raised in Somerset, New Jersey, she was educated at Penn State University. She is a fan of the arts and enjoys decorating, traveling, reading and cheering on the Nittany Lions football team in her free time. Most Sundays you will find her in the congregation of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.

She is single and currently resides in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

May 20, 2010 - Maureen Ryan-Griffin, Owner of WordPlay.   

Up to My Elbows - Ingredients for Inviting Success into Your Life and Business. 

MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN has loved words since her “Cat in the Hat” days. She considers sharing her knowledge of and passion for writing and creative expression both a joy and a privilege, believing, as author Julia Cameron says, that “we are meant to midwife dreams for one another.” She has “midwifed” writing, publishing, and many other creative dreams for many people for more than fifteen years through Queens University and Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte; the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina; and a wide variety of other venues including the North Carolina Writers' Network, civic and other organizations, private women’s groups, bookstores, schools, and churches. She offers individual coaching and critique, as well as an expansive selection of retreats, workshops, and classes, through her business, WordPlay. Find out more at www.MaureenRyanGriffin.com.

An award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, Griffin has also been a commentator on Public Radio Station WFAE 90.7. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Texas Review, The Charlotte Observer, St. Anthony Messenger (Ohio), Potato Eyes (Maine), Kalliope (Florida), Chelsea (New York), Cincinnati Poetry Review, Catfish Stew (South Carolina), Catalyst (Georgia), and Calyx (Oregon). She is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. Her essay, "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin," appears in Marlo Thomas's The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2 (Atria Books, 2006) and her poem, “Such Foolishness,” is included in Thirteen (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003).

April 15, 2010 - Tim Hamilton and Ron Wooten, Owners of Paper Skyscraper

They will present a brief history of Paper Skyscraper and discuss how their business has evolved over 20 years.

Paper Skyscraper celebrated their 20^th year in business in 2009.  Paper Skyscraper's modest beginning as a bookstore featuring art, architecture and design has now grown to include a wide range of carefully selected items. 

The book collection now includes fiction, cooking, inspirational, humor, travel and children's titles.  Gift items range from bath and body, home accessories, games, toys, photo albums, purses, travel bags, glassware and pet items. 

They feature stationery, cards, gift wrap, magazines, notebooks, journals and calendars. 

Everything is carefully chosen with an eye for design and appeal.  Ron and Tim carry their sense of humor into all areas of the store.  There will be something to delight, surprise, educate and maybe even raise an eyebrow or cause laughing out loud.

They have won many awards from local newspapers and publications as well as been featured on local TV newscasts as one of, if not the best place to shop in the city.  Come visit and see for yourself.   Find them at 330 East Blvd in the heard to Dilworth. 

Their website www.paperskyscraper.com

Tim Hamilton: 

Graduated Hickory High School, Hickory NC

Bachelor of Science in Architecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN

Following graduation, worked for the Meyer-Greeson Architects in Charlotte NC

Later, employed as a product designer for Pennsylvania House Furniture, Monroe NC

With Partner Ron, founded Paper Skyscraper in 1989

Currently serving on Board of Directors of Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice

Ron Wooten: 

Grew up in Delaware.  Had part-time retail job for 10 years while attending high school and college.

Graduated Seaford Senior High School, Seaford, Delaware

Bachelor of Chemical Engineering

Master Business Administration,  University of Delaware

Worked for Dupont Company for 15 years in Delaware, New York City and Charlotte with engineering, management and marketing positions.

Founded Paper Skyscraper with Tim in 1989.

Took early retirement offer from Dupont when store expanded in 1992.

March 18, 2010 - Moira Quinn, Center City Partners

What's the latest from the urban core of Charlotte? Economic development teams in the city are working hard to move away from our dependence on the financial services. Today, we are moving to expand our job base to capitalize on our strengths in energy and healthcare. There is also new opportunity as the city activates investments in our brand new hospitality assets and in transit. What does this mean to you as a small business and entrepreneur? What can you learn from what's going on in the Center City? Moira Quinn from Charlotte Center City Partners brings us the latest from inside the I-277 loop and South End. Bring your notebooks and your questions.

Moira is Senior Vice President of Communications and Chief Operating Officer for Charlotte Center City Partners. She’s responsible for the daily operations of Center City Partners as well as internal & external communications and media relations. 

Moira’s background revolves primarily around media. Moira started at WBTV (the CBS affiliate in Charlotte) as a college intern, sweeping the studio floors. She became a studio cameraman and was the first woman in Charlotte to work as a full-time TV news photographer. During the ‘80’s Moira co-hosted and co-produced the TV show PM Magazine. 

Moira left TV for a few years to be a full-time mom. She then came back as a specialty reporter in the TV news department, spent a few years at 1110 WBT as an on-air personality and producer, then returned to television as a news anchor then as Executive Producer in the television news department. 

February 18, 2010 - April Gonzalez, Business Development Specialist, Small Business Administration

Real World Solutions to Small Business Questions  

Are you a small business owner? Are you thinking of starting a small business? If so, you are not alone. Did you know that small business employ 52% of private sector workers and provide 51% of the total private sector output in the United States? The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can help. Learn about the different types of loan guarantee programs, counseling and technical assistance available to help you start or expand your business. Learn about flexible financing options available to the entrepreneur. Learn about free government services the Small Business Administration has to help start, grow and run a successful business. 

Major topics discussed: 

• Small Business Administration

• Resource Partners

• Business Planning

• Financing

• Government Contracting           

• Websites

• Contacts

April Gonzalez, a native New Yorker, gained most of her experience through the corporate sector. She brought her experience to the U.S Small Business Administration, where she serves as a Business Development Specialist. April provides valuable tools to clients seeking to start, expand and, grow their business. She is also SBA’s Women’s Business Ownership Representative and has assisted women in developing their entrepreneurial skills for over 12+ years. As a District Office Technical Representative, she monitors the activities of two women’s business centers in the state. 

January 21, 2010 - "Fewer, Better Things"

Carson Tate, CPO® is the founder and president of Working Simply, LLC, a productivity consulting firm that partners with organizations, teams and individuals to improve performance and profitability.  

Working Simply, LLC improves individual and company performance and profitability by analyzing and streamlining organizational work flow processes and enhancing individual productivity. The company offers work flow analysis, information management, individual productivity coaching, and group productivity seminars to individuals and businesses.

Carson is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and an Authorized Consultant for the Paper Tiger Productivity Institute (PTPI). As a Productivity Trainer and Authorized Consultant (PTAC), she is formally trained in the organizing methodology developed by Barbara Hemphill, author of Taming the Paper Tiger at Work, Taming the Paper Tiger at Home, and co-creator of the Taming the Paper Tiger software. 

Carson is the winner of Charlotte Magazine’s 2007 BOB Award, “Best of the Best”, for Best Personal Organizer.  She was also recognized as a top young professional by The Charlotte Business Journal’s 2007 “40 Under 40” list. Carson also penned a weekly Charlotte Observer column, “In Closing,” focusing on sales. 

Carson is an active leader in her community.  She serves on the Girls on the Run Charlotte Board of Directors, Washington and Lee University’s Alumni Board and is a member of Women Executives.  Carson earned her B.A. in Psychology and Religion from Washington and Lee University. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband Andrew and two dogs.
 

Holiday Event - December 10th! at BLACK LION

Come have a 'wonderful' lunch in the 'Winter Wonderland' with LOTS of fun surprises!!

Leigh Coulter will be our special guest speaker!

Leigh Coulter will be sharing information with us about selecting food and beverages for holiday celebrations. She is the wine and food expert for www.wineislandvillage.com, a global wine-tasting party.  A supporter of and participant in the Slow Food movement and Farm to Fork Events, Leigh is a retired catering chef and was formerly a member of the management team at Dean & DeLuca's wine room.

November 19th - Aaron Terry, Attorney at Law

Legal and Eldercare Issues for Family Members and Ourselves – Considerations in preparing for our future years and that of our family members, and avoiding common pitfalls.

• Choice of Entity

• Business Licenses and Zoning

• Taxes

• What Agreements Do You Need?

• Business Succession Planning

Aaron Joseph Terry joined Booth Harrington & Johns in 2008. In his practice, Aaron deals primarily with elder law, estate planning, and estate administration. His experience includes tax planning for high net-worth clients and business succession planning. Before joining Booth Harrington & Johns, Aaron practiced in South Florida in the areas of estate planning and administration. www.nc-law.com

October 15th - Betty Reynolds, Juggling Your Way to Success – Tips to Help Business Women Keep the Balls in the Air!

Are you great at multi-tasking – juggling a million professional and personal things at once?  Most women are!  So the real question is, would you be interested in learning more efficient, empowering ways of managing the demands on your greatest resource - YOU?  Join Money and Life Skills Coach, Betty Reynolds, on October 15^th for tips on how to keep the balls in the air (and maybe let some go)!

Betty A. Reynolds: Money & Life Skills Coach 

Betty is a Certified Life Coach, speaker, writer, and creator of the “Wealth and Well-Being Series” for women.  She helps individuals discover how to be successful and satisfied with work and life, through her unique “Success Story” coaching method. Betty is especially proud of the many women executives and entrepreneurs she has empowered to take control of their lives and launch new careers – even in the depths of this recession. 

Betty brings a wealth of coaching experience to every session, plus draws upon over 20 years of prior business experience and specialized training. As a Certified Life Coach, she has helped people of all ages find direction and life purpose.  As the recipient of a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Duke University and member of numerous non-profit boards, she has advised non-profit executives and boards.  As a former Smith Barney Financial Consultant who pioneered “Women and Money” and “Women in Transition” programs in her community, Betty has continued these vital programs to help women build more secure lives. As a Certified Senior Advisor who has studied aging and working with seniors, she has mentored women faced with the challenges of family caregiving.  Her passion for helping people, especially women, led one client to write, “Thank you for your support, encouragement and expertise – you are amazing!”   [Learn more about Coach Betty at www.TLCCoachBettyR.com]

For over 10 years, Betty has also been a guest lecturer at numerous colleges, professional women’s groups, community events, and private organizations in New York, South Carolina and North Carolina. When she is not coaching clients or playing with her adorable grandchildren, she is busy writing a new blog or working on her e-book.

September 17th

Dawn Leitner, Increase Your Productivity By Maximizing Your Strengths

Too often we spend our days doing “things” we think we should do or taking jobs that pay the bills but offers little reward. When we spend our time doing things we enjoy and have great talent in we are optimal in our performance. Knowing your strengths is essential to productivity, success and personal fulfillment. This session will focus on ways to tap into your strengths and how to include them more in your day to day living, both in your personal and professional life.

Dawn Leitner is founder and president of Coach U2 Lead, a company she formed to help professionals embrace their own charisma to achieve their vision. Clients turn to Dawn to find focus, define priorities, and organize their thoughts into actionable steps tapped with ongoing accountability until they reach their goals.

Prior to starting Coach U2 Lead in 2007, Dawn served in leadership and management roles for Computer Sciences Corporation. Her career with CSC spanned nearly two decades. In 2004, Dawn was asked to provide leadership and process management on a major outsourcing project for the largest bank in Malaysia.

Dawn was named Mecklenburg Times Power Player in 2009, is an instructor for  Efficio School of Business, and is a featured author in the monthly e-magazine, “Women with Know How”.

Dawn is certified by the Coach Training Alliance and is an active member of several organizations, including:

• International Coaches Federation, Charlotte chapter, Vice President/2010 President Elect

• Charlotte Film Festival, Operations Director

• National Association of Women Business Owners, 2009 Extreme Mentoring team member

• Business Leaders of Charlotte

August 20th

Janet Anderson, "Before you hit send….THINK! Best practices for communicating via email."

Janet Anderson comes from an education and technology background. With twenty years experience in computer training on a wide range of software packages and operating systems she has the knowledge and the education to provide the highest quality training to individuals, groups and companies.

Companies she has provided training for include Fortune 500 companies including SNET, Northeast Utilities, Hamilton Standard, Webster Bank, The Hartford, Dow Jones, Aetna and UTC’s Otis Elevator, Pratt & Whitney, CPCC and continues to teach at The Employer’s Association. At The Hartford Insurance Company she was the dedicated instructor for 5 years for their PC desktop training; providing help to over 5,000 employees. 

Over the years she has provided training for over 35,000 students on Windows 3.1 thru Vista, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook, well as a unique look at the use of those products. 

Having a degree in education, she offers individual and group classes using proven learning techniques to transfer knowledge that will stick, and she makes it FUN. Find out more at Anderson PC Training at www.andersonpctraining.com.

July 16th Annual Fun Lunch - Fellowship and Fun.

June 18th

Tamela Rich, Smart Business Communications
"Is Your e-Newsletter Legal?"

Tamela Rich, A Business Person who writes like an English Major

Over a 20-year business career Tamela Rich launched new products, opened new markets, pulled one company out of a ditch and sent another to the bone yard. Along the way she wrote copy, RFPs, business plans, white papers, case studies, presentations and funding proposals, all of which rely on analysis and clear language.  In a moment of midlife clarity she decided to harvest her love for language with her extensive business background, including an MBA from Duke, into a business communications consultancy.

Tamela provides CAN-SPAM-compliant newsletter services from copy and custom templates through turnkey mailing and robust analytics. Turn to her for business plans, white papers, case studies, presentations and funding proposals.

Tamela hones her narrative skills with magazine articles in Charlotte Magazine and is at work on her first novel, a business thriller based on her experience as an industrial and environmental cleaning contractor.

May 21, 2009

Gail Martin - "Reinventing Your Marketing for Reality"

Gail Z. Martin is an author, entrepreneur and educator.  She owns DreamSpinner Communications and is your “Get Results Resource” for marketing strategies that work.  Gail specializes in helping coaches, consultants, authors and solopreneurs get marketing results. Her teleseminars share powerful marketing techniques for growing businesses and her nonfiction articles have been featured in  over 40 regional and national magazines.  She is also the host of the Shared Dreams Marketing Podcast and the Ghost in the Machine Author Podcast. 

Gail is the author of the bestselling Chronicles of the Necromancer fantasy adventure series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven, and Dark Lady’s Chosen (coming in 2010) published by Solaris Books and distributed by Simon & Schuster.  Her newest non-fiction title is “The Thrifty Author’s Guide to Launching Your Book (Without Losing Your Mind)”, coming in 2009 from Comfort Publishing. She is also the author of two e-books (154 Power-Packed PR and Marketing Tips and Passion, Profit and Partnership: Entrepreneur Success Strategies).   Gail takes a very active role with marketing her books that includes podcasts, blogs, a dynamic social media strategy, live and virtual book tours, collaboration with other authors and global PR.

April 16, 2009

Master Coach – Tamara Bunte: "Turning Knowledge into Action"

Tamara advises and consults with Fortune 500 companies, executives, managers, success coaches and sales professionals in the areas of Peak Performance, Leadership, Organizational Behavior, and the Psychology of Achievement and Sales. Over the past 10 years, Tamara has excelled in the world of coaching, working with top peak performers and inspiring people to become the best version of them-self.

Tamara is the founder of The Institute for Advanced Results, LLC, and the foundation Focus on the Good. Master practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) – Certified Master Hypnotist – Time Line Therapy – Peak Performance Coach – Reiki Practitioner – Health Minister – Dale Carnegie Instructor – Trainer for Robbins Research International.

March 19, 2009  

Style 101 - The Untold Truth About Clothes and Business

Nicole Sinclair, Chief Artist, Style Sanctum

February 19, 2009 

It Takes Money to Make Money, Unless You Don't Have It

Sherré Demao; SLD Unlimited Marketing/PR

Sherré is founder and Chief Marketeer of SLD Unlimited Marketing/PR, Inc., a full-service marketing firm.  Since 1984, Sherré has been helping start-up, small to medium, entrepreneurial companies become smarter marketers through providing creative and innovative marketing guidance, solutions and services.  Her marketing expertise has been sought as a resource to business writers and her company has won numerous awards. Her business savvy has also been recognized with recognition as a small business advocate and among the top 50 Enterprising Women Business Owners in the Country by Enterprising Woman Magazine, for which she is now a contributing writer. In addition, Sherré is a monthly columnist in Business Today called Savvy Business Owner starting.  

Sherré has been resourced by local and national media including MSN.com and CBS-affiliate WBTV for perspectives on entrepreneurial business. Frequently sought after as a speaker on marketing and small business topics, her passion is helping business owners become more savvy marketers in order to realize the ultimate success of prospering in life and in business. A published poet, Sherré is currently working on a book based on her nearly 25 years working with entrepreneurs entitled, "Me, Myself & Inc: A Synergized World ... An Energized Business ... Living Your Ultimate Life" Sherré's goal is to make a difference in the lives of as many entrepreneurs as possible.

January 15, 2009 

What is on Your Mind as We Begin This New Year?

Debbie Peterson

President, Personal Cash Flow Specialist and Asset Management, Money Counts, Inc.

Debbie's background in project management and strategic planning, as well as her expertise in cash flow management, greatly enhances clients' potential for financial success. Debbie pioneered the concept of Cash Flow Management as a critical (and missing piece) of traditional financial planning. Her 18 years of experience as the senior manager of Trust Operations and Technology with a major bank in upstate NY provide a unique perspective for our clients in how banks use velocity of money concepts to increase profits and why these same principals will work for individuals.