Monday, December 21, 2009

Happy Holidays!

Thank you to all of the NAWBO Boston Board Members, Advisory Board Members, Chapter Members and Guests! We could not have had such a successful year without you.

I personally wish all of you wonderful holidays with family and friends and all of the best of 2010!

Cheers. Deborah J. Carducci

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thank you Ellen Kaplan!

The NAWBO Boston Chapter spent an evening at the Boston Design Center in the beautiful Ailanthus, Ltd. showroom. Thank you Toni and Maria!

Our special guest, Ellen Kaplan, engaged us in a wonderful discussion around changing your business GPS. Ellen encouraged us to stay informed. 1. Knowledge is a valuable resource: stay connected, attend programs, carefully watch your industry and be aware. 2. Differentiate yourself: find a niche - something that you can specialize in to make yourself different from your competition. 3. Make sure your products and services are all of high value. 4. Have a strategic plan (always) and continually re-adjust your plan. 5. Become proactive rather than reactive.

If you are interested in learning more about Ellen Kaplan, please contact her at www.linkedin.com/in/possibilitesatwork

Thank you Ellen for joining us for this lively discussion.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Holiday Networking Event

We recently sent out an invitation that had the wrong day, but the right date. I'm so glad so many of you were paying attention! Our corrected invitation reads - Tuesday, December 1 at the DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel at 400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston. The event will take place from 6-8pm. Our Programming Elves have come up with a wonderful menu and a cash bar will also be available. There will be no guest speaker for this event. We wanted to make sure you had plenty of time to network with each other and have some holiday fun.

Please join us as we celebrate the holidays! We scheduled this early in the month so you wouldn't have any conflicts with other holiday events.

Wishing you all the best,

Debbi Carducci
President - NAWBO Boston Chapter

Friday, November 13, 2009

Greetings from NAWBO Chicago!

Thank you, Deborah!
It was a pleasure to welcome you to the Boston Chocolate Walking Tour, and I am grateful for your belief and enthusiasm.
Having gone to college and law school in the area, I love Boston and just can't stay away! So it's a dream come true to open my new business there, which is a sister business to my company Chicago Chocolate Tours.
Thank you too for connecting me to NAWBO Boston member Amy Mastrobattista for her outstanding assistance with my local legal needs. NAWBO Boston members are first class.
Best wishes to you and the wonderful NAWBO Boston Chapter, and keep eating chocolate!
Onward and upward,Valerie
Valerie BeckNAWBO Chicago President Electwww.bostonchocolatewalkingtours.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Can it be November already?

Hello Nawbo Boston Members and Guests.

I can't believe that it's already November. This year has been very challenging for all of us. I am happy that the Boston Chapter has continued to grow this year in such a challenging economic time. We have 3 new members since October 1. Please welcome Jocelyn Philbrook, Shelley Weiss and Deborah Grinkley. I personally welcome you all to the Boston Chapter. Please know that one of the wonderful things about being a NAWBO member is that you now have a network of individuals who are there to support you.

I recently went to the Grand Opening of Boston Chocolate Tours, a delectable walking tour of the best chocoloate locations in Boston! Our host, chief executive chocolate lover, Valerie Beck is President Elect of the Chicago Chapter of NAWBO. Valerie and I met at the National Conference in Chicago back in June. We were introduced at a chapter roundtable and shared stories and best practices. She recently called me to tell me that she was expanding her business to the Boston area. I immediately connected her to one of our members, Amy Mastrobattista, an attorney. Amy was able to provide legal counsel for Valerie's new business.

When I went on the Grand Opening Tour this weekend, Valerie was so happy to be in Boston. She commented on how terrific it was to be able to tap into the NAWBO network and find someone who was ready to help her and support her business. NAWBO works on a local level, but also can help you on a national level.

By the way - the chocolate was not only fabulous - it was very educational. My personal favorite: The Cagliola dessert wine I bought at Formaggio Kitchen to go with the chocolate caramel I bought at Aroa Chocolate! Buon appetite!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Thank you to NAWBO Boston Members and Guests!

Thank you to all the attendees of last night's open house. It was a great time to make some new connections and revisit with friends. NAWBO networking really comes from the relationship. It's important for members to learn about other members and their businesses. As I always say, why not buy NAWBO first. Make sure that when you need a product and/or service you look to the NAWBO membership so you can support women business owners.

It was a pleasure to meet some new faces and visit with members who come regularly to events. We are all in this together and have weathered the challenging climate this year.

I wish all you of you continued success and hope to see you again in November.

On another note - please welcome Deborah Grinkley of Send Out Cards as our newest member! Thank you Deborah for joining us in the Boston Chapter.

All the best,
Debbi

Monday, October 26, 2009

Fall Open House

We are really looking forward to the NAWBO Fall Open House on Tuesday, October 27. The location is 201 Jones Road, Waltham - there will be signs at the building to direct you to the event. Please feel free to join us and learn all about what NAWBO has to offer you. We also need you to come with ideas of how you can help fellow NAWBO members with their businesses.

We will have a special promotion going on for new membership and exciting raffles for upcoming events. Hope to see you on Tuesday! If you have any questions, please email us at info@nawboboston.com

Best, Debbi

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

October Open House

Welcome Fall! The Board of Directors and Advisory Board would like to invite NAWBO Boston Members and Guests to an Open House at 201 Jones Road, Waltham, Mass. The event will be on October 27, 2009.

In an effort to give back to our chapter and guests, we are happy to present this wine and cheese event. The evening is all about information sharing - business to business, NAWBO National news, NAWBO benefits and more.

We hope to see you there! Please R.S.V.P. to info@nawboboston.com and let us know you will be joining us!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Thank you to Jody Seivert of One X One Companies

Jody Seivert of One X One Companies did a fantastic job of presenting BE Bold! Managing Challenging Conversations during our September networking event. Thank you Jody for giving us great information to think about as we conduct our day to day business.

Jody presented critical information about constructing conversations. Part of her presentation included a strategy she enjoys teaching called "Contrasting". The three critical pieces to this strategy are as follows:

1. Communicate understanding of the other person's desires or concerns.
2. Acknowledge the concerns but don't get hooked by them.
3. State what you don't want, what you are both committed to, and what you do want.

In using this formula, our conversations can be thoughtful and concise. Thank you Jody for such useful information, the role playing you encouraged and your "take home practice" exercise. I'm sure we all left with the feeling that difficult conversations can be attainable using your tips and strategies.

Stay tuned for more information about Jody Seivert and One x One Companies. www.onexone.com We will be offering a full workshop featuring Jody in the coming months.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Welcome Fall!

After a wonderful summer of rooftop events, NAWBO Boston is geared up for a great fall series. Our first event is Thursday, September 24 from 6:00-8:00pm at the DoubleTree Suites in Boston...

“Communicate Boldly and Effectively”

Are you a business owner who struggles with communicating in negotiations, providing accountability in management situations, talking with customers/clients about overdue accounts receivables, and other interpersonal situations. Enhance your ability to handle collapsed conversations, engage with confidence in difficulty conversations, and understand why compassion and courage change how the outcomes of your toughest conversations. Join NAWBO Boston and Jody Seivert of One x One Companies and leave with at least one action you can take right after her presentation.

Please be sure to register for this event through www.nawboboston.com - click on "More Info" and then scroll down.

We look forward to seeing you on the 24th!

Monday, August 3, 2009

The 2009/2010 NAWBO Boston year is now underway. July's Rooftop Event kicked off our summer series at the DoubleTree Guest Suites in Cambridge. With the backdrop of a beautiful sunset over the Boston skyline, our chapter members and guests enjoyed networking with each other.

Please join us back at the DoubleTree on August 27th from 6-8:00 p.m. for our second summer event

NAWBO Boston is committed to giving you a strong year of support for your businesses by providing you the resources and availability to do so. Your part as a chapter member is to give back to help us fulfill those valuable resources. We welcome guests and look forward to introducing you to all that NAWBO has to offer to you and your business.

We are working on exciting programs and speakers for the upcoming year. Please check the website at the end August to see our calendar of events for the fall.

Wishing you all the best,

Deborah J. Carducci

Monday, July 13, 2009

Welcome to our New President, Deborah Carducci

I would like to take a moment to thank our chapter and all of our supporters throughout the year for making my time as your Chapter President an enjoyable experience.

For those of you who made it to our last June Workshop, you would have had the valuable knowledge of how to change your current business plan into a living document. This workshop was put on by Ellen St.George-Godfrey. Here are some of the suggestions presented: Se a deadline for your goals and have a system in place for accountability of your actions to achieve this goal. Understand your obstacles and what you need to overcome them. Prioritize your goals by putting your income-producing goals first. Review your plan 3-4 times a year so you can recognize how your customers have changed since your last review. Find out which products or services produce the most activity and find a way to incorporate them into your daily activities. And finally, know your specifics, measurements, and deadlines. Thank you Elli for your good advise.

I would now like to welcome our incoming Chapter President, Deborah J. Carducci. I wish her a successful and exciting year with NAWBO Boston. Please support her in any way you can so that we can continue to grow our chapter. We are always looking for new volunteers to help our organization continue to be the place to enhance our opportunities for success!
Sincerely,
Catherine A. Bernard.
NAWBO Boston Past-President

Monday, June 1, 2009


POWER NETWORKING NIGHT!

June 30th, 2009
NAWBO Boston welcomes you to a Power Networking Dessert Reception.

Looking to increase your business revenue? Bring your business cards and be ready for an exchange of business information, ideas and support.
Your Chapter President, Catherine A. Bernard, would not only like to welcome our incoming new board, but also thank those who have supported us throughout the year by inviting all of our Corporate Partners, Sponsors, and past attendees to come network for new business at our Dessert Reception! It will be a great opportunity to connect with all types of businesses!

When: June 30th,2009, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Doubletree Suites, 400 Soldiers Field Rd, Boston, MA
Cost: $30 Members, $40 Non-members
Desserts Reception, Cash Bar
Register and RSVP to www.nawboboston.com

Most Important Change to Protect Your Health UPDATE

We would like to thank Rick Riess for his presentation on the important changes to make to protect your health at our networking event last week. It was informative on the past studies that have been conducted over the years with amazing results! Over the decades, the amount of labor that went into one persons' day of activities has been reduced greatly with the advancement of technology. A simple load of laundry takes little or no energy compared to hand washing the clothes, and hanging them out to dry. Escalators and elevators replace the benefits of stairs throughout shopping malls and tall buildings. SpeedWalks in airports cut out the extra steps that could change the outcome of our good health. Even a TV Remote control takes away the exercise available in changing the channel! An important change one can make is adding 10 minutes of a simple walk to your day. Certainly walking longer is beneficial, but studies show that the first 10 minutes of any walk can reduce your risk of Heart Disease, Stroke, Dementia, Diabetes etc. significantly. Walking on a treadmill can be equal to a stroll outside if you add about a 3% incline to your treadmill. It wasn't just about adding an extra walk to your day. Rick covered some strategies on how to actually take your idea of wanting to live a healthier life and how to put it into action. Set some goals for some healthier choices of foods throughout the week. It is helpful to have a way to track your results of your food choices for the weekend exercise (including walking) for the week and review the results to find ways to improve upon them. Don't be afraid to share your goals with a friend to help with your accountability of reaching them!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

NEXT NAWBO EVENT May 28th, 2009
Please join us for a night of networking and "The Most Powerful Change You Can Make To Protect Your Health"presentation by Rick Riess, Director of Behavioral Medicine. The introduction will be by Cathy Urquhart of Performance Health. This presentation reviews the life-altering impact that physical activity can have on health. There has been an avalanche of research supporting the critical role physical activity plays in the prevention of all chronic disease. Recent research is presented showing how the first increases in physical activity can be the most dramatic in terms of health benefits. This event will be hosted by Healthworks Fitness Center and Personal Trainers and Nutritional Consultants will be available during the networking hour to keep you up to date on the latest Health tips available.
Time: 6:00pm-8:30pm
Location: Healthworks Fitness Center, ChestnutHill Location.
Cost: $30 Members, $40 Non-members
RSVP and Register at www.nawboboston.com

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

NAWBO Boston Social Media Workshop Update

Thank you to Adam Weiss, Steve Garfield, and Jeff Cutler for presenting our Social Media workshop on April 7th. Here are some of the notes and suggestions they were able to provide those in attendance. Blogging helps to build your own brand. It should be 80% helping those who are reading it and only 20% promoting your business. Blogs should allow for comments from those reading it for more participation results. Use DIG.com to DIG your story blog. The more people it is read, the more who dig it, the more successful it will be! Use "Technoradi" which is a ranking site for blogs for people to rank your blog.

Twitter~ You follow people, and people follow you. Put your circle of friends and competitors in your community to start to see what is out there. Use http://search.twitter.com to find the topics of interest to you. 5 things to do with Twitter~ 1. Research your target (who are they, what are they doing, build relationships). 2. Use it to build email data base. 3. Build relationships with people you meet. Tell people what you do. 4. Share your blog post on Twitter once in awhile. 5. Use it to build one to one contact with your target market.

Podcasting: Who podcasts...People with passion about connections. If they download, they are listening. Average income of podcasters in 2008 is $75k or more. 6.5 million people listen to a podcast a day. Visit www.podcastconsultant.net to see how to podcast. Use Blogtalkradio.com to record a conversation over the phone to podcast it. You Tube and Podcasting, anyone can be their own media producer today. Listeners look for great news and choose from many to get something good. Podcast shouldn't be longer than 20minutes with 2 or less topics for success!
These are just a few of the great information shared that night! Don't miss out on our next workshop on May 12th, 2009!

Women's Economic Summit Update




CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST WOMEN'S ECONOMIC SUMMIT!
For those of you who were able to make the Women's Economic Summit, we thank you for you participation! Thank you to all of the sponsors who supported the event! The speakers content was wonderful and we were all given some valuable "take away action steps." If you missed the opportunity for these action steps, we are now taking orders for DVD purchases of the individual speakers. Each DVD will be an hour of your favorite speaker. Maybe you would like to share it with a colleague who couldn't make the event or even keep it for your own inspiration. Please contact info@nawboboston.com to request your purchase options. Cost: $25.00 for one DVD, or Three for $60.00. There are a total of 7 DVD's to choose from! This is an annual summit and we look forward to seeing you at the next one!
Picture from left to right: Elli St.George Godfrey (VP Programs Boston Chapter), Deborah Carducci (President Elect Boston Chapter), Cynthia McClain-Hill (National President NAWBO), Catherine Bernard (President Boston Chapter), JoAnne Lema (Secretary Boston Chapter), Fran Dichner (Past President Boston Chapter

Friday, March 27, 2009

NAWBO Boston Building Alliances Event

We would like to thank those that attended our event last night which brought us new light on the importance of personal attention to our relationships in business last night! Thank you to Janet Powers of DivaToolBox.com for her insight into the many ways we can improve upon our business building opportunities. Here are a few of her suggestions: Take time to get out of the office and go to the events and places that you might find not only potential clients but people who could connect you to those potential clients. Don't be afraid to work with your competition to build these alliances. Don't take your current clients for granted. They can be a great resource of referrals if you take the time to contact them for reasons other than business. This will help set you apart from your competition to show you care. Ask your clients and business resources what you can do for them first. This will keep you and your business in a favorable view. We also want to thank Janet and DivaToolBox for being a great supporter of the Women's Economic Summit. Please visit http://www.divatoolbox.com/ for this and other great resources for your personal and business lives!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Nawbo Boston Power of Emailing Workshop A Success!

Thank you to all who attended our Workshop on the Power of Email Marketing presented by Zak Barron from Constant Contact! For those of you who couldn't make it, here are some of the ideas that were shared.
For those sending emails for business purposes can protect themselves from breaking the law by doing the following:
~Provide a physical address at the bottom of the email
~Must provide a way for people to Opt. out of receiving future emails
~Processing those that request to unsubscribe with in 10 days will protect your branding
A good way to grow your data base, include a link in your email signature for those interested to be added to your mailing list.
Before sending out your emails, set up your objectives. What do you want your email to do?
~Motivate purchase; enhance customer/ brand awareness; interact with customers; increase event attendance; or bring visitors back to your website. This all determines what information to collect, what type of communication you will use, how often you will send the emails and how to measure your success.
For the subject line in you email to be successful and avoid the Spam red flag, avoid words like free, guarantee, and credit card. Never use all capital letters in your subject line. Keep the line short and too the point to grab your readers attention!
Thank you again to our Corporate Partner for presenting us with this valuable information. Please do try to make it to our next event on March 26th and our next workshop on April 7th! We look forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009


Mark your calendars for April 6th, 2009. For a chance to win a free ticket, participate in our raffle at our NAWBO Workshop March 12th, 2009 or attend our NAWBO Networking Event on Building Alliances for Business Opportunities on March 26th, 2009!
Thinking about becoming a member of NAWBO Boston, now is the time to do it! All members get $50 discount on their registration for this Women's Economic Summit.
Email info@nawboboston.com to get the discount code once you are a member! This summit will bring you important topics about the challenges women have over come, the opportunities and challenges we face today and our responsibilities for the future. Please visit the site for the list of speakers and sponsorship opportunities that are still available! We look forward to seeing you there!

Monday, March 2, 2009

VERBAL BRANDING WORKSHOP NOTES

We had a very successful Workshop Series kickoff last month! Our Workshops are a member benefit to help strengthen their businesses. They are designed to provide the tools and resources you need to apply directly to your business strategies.

A thank you goes out to Stephan Melanson from Melanson Consulting for the new ideas on Verbal Branding at our Feb.19th, workshop! His ideas on Verbal Branding were powerful and fresh with a new perspective on how people perceive us in the first 5 seconds of meeting. His suggestions are to change from a boring elevator speech to a concise yet intriguing description in 5 seconds or less of what we do for our business. It should provide the person we meet with what we are passionate about and how we are different from our competition in just a sentence or two! I highly recommend attending one of his workshops in the future if you need a jump start to attracting more quality clients. Please visit his website at www.melansonconsulting.com.

Please mark your calendars for our upcoming NAWBO Networking Event on March 26th, 2009 on Building Business Alliances to strengthen your business opportunities. Janet Powers, Owner of Diva Toolbox, Owner of Expressive Web Solutions will be sharing strategies and benefits of building your own alliances for your business.

Also, our next workshop will be on March 12th, 2009 on Best Practices and Winning Strategies on Email Marketing presented by Constant Contact. We look forward to seeing you there!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Behind The Scenes, Joining A Networking Association


As I walk into a room full of people I have not yet met, I notice the usual. Laughter being heard from those know as old familiar friends. The polite introduction and exchange of business cards occuring between strangers. The smile of the volunteers behind the registration table secretly hoping to recruit me as their newest member. One might ask me why I do it and I tell them what I really see at these events. I see connections rekindled or started for the first time. I see the solution to a problem one has struggled with for months being shared during a conversation providing a sense of relief and a bond that has so much potential. I see the energy and excitement people get from their new sense of belonging and acceptance. I see those who work hard all week have a chance to let their guard down and take in the new opportunities they have discovered.
There are many reasons to join a networking type of association besides the obvious of building one's business connections. Volunteering your time to help out on the board or committee of an association can provide the following benefits. It can enhance your ability to over come challenges; strengthen your creativeness; build your confidence and give people a chance to see you in action which enhances their trust in you as a professional.

I encourage you to step back the next time you are invited to a networking event and think about the value you will be passing up before you politely decline the invitation. Accepting the invitation just might give you the following:



  • the opportunity to learn from other professionals

  • exposure to new concepts and ideas outside your circle of influence

  • the chance to build relationships with those providing the resources you rely on for your business growth

What about the required annual dues to join one of these associations you ask? I see the annual dues required as an investment in your own personal growth individually and professionally. Most dues for Non-profit associations can also give you a tax deduction once you confirm it with your tax accountant. I invite you to take advantage of your next invitation to a networking event and see what opportunities are waiting for you there!