Jessica Dolan, Bringer of Order for Room to Breathe Home Organizing & Staging and Creator of the EWE, is what some might call an anal retentive, neat freak. Jessica completely agrees with those people and has decided to use these attributes to create a business she’s truly passionate about. Life is simply too short to not to do the things you want to do. Living a simple, organized life is the key to getting everything out of life and more!
In addition to creating the EWE, Jessica is Past President and a founding member of WiNGs, founding creator of the Simplicity Seekers (a non-profit support group), a 2008 PA’s Best 50 Women in Business Recipient, 2008 Top 100 Business, 2008 Leadership Centre County Graduate and a 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year nominee.
While she doesn’t have any children, she does have two wild and crazy dogs and an ADD cat to keep her very busy. Thanks to her simple life, she has extra time each day to enjoy long, mountain hikes. Jessica believes that getting back to nature is essential to living a full and happy life.
You Had Me At Hello: How to Stand Out, Get Noticed and Grow Your Business Using the Power of Connection
Every day, you are bombarded with thousands of messages. It seems that everything and everyone is vying for your attention. On the flip side, this means you and your business are constantly competing for people’s attention as well. How can you set yourself apart from the multitude of professionals and companies people encounter daily? Join Cathy in this dynamic program and learn three ways to be a more memorable networker. She’ll also help you to:
- Learn which “little things” make a BIG impact on how people think of you
- Discover which communication skills will set you apart from the crowd
- Learn the key to following up in ways that keep you top of mind with your prospects and contacts.
A self-described “situational extrovert”, Cathy Jennings understands that most folks would rather chew a wad of tin foil than have to “network.” She is pleased to share that effective and enjoyable networking is actually a skill that anyone can learn. Although Cathy’s entrepreneurial journey began when she was five years old and sold rocks to her neighborhood postman, it was in 2004 that she officially fled corporate life to start her own business. Through her workshops, trainings, and growing family of books and training tools, Cathy welcomes invitations to share her No Pressure Networking™ message to guide others to connect with ease so they can enjoy thriving professional and personal lives. Known as a “Business Cupid” by clients who have seen her networking gifts in action, Cathy’s lessons and tips to make the most of everyday conversations are changing lives and businesses for the better, one great conversation at a time. She enjoys hiking, traveling, hosting get-togethers with friends and savoring delicious ethnic foods from around the world. She and her husband live in Central PA with their two crazy, loveable dogs.
Internet marketing is a huge world, and it’s easy to get lost. You have a website, a blog, a Facebook page and you produce an e-newsletter. So, why do you feel like you’re wandering around alone with no idea where to go? And why do you feel like no matter how loud you shout your message, no one is hearing you? First, you should know that you are NOT alone. Every business owner out there faces these same challenges. And second, it’s quite possible that although many people are hearing your message, you’re not reaching your target market. There are a lot of tools in the internet marketing world, and if you use them right, your products, services and all that you have to offer will be put on display right in front of your ideal client.
Come learn how to optimize your website to reach (and engage) your target market. Learn how to use email marketing and social media marketing to be sure your message is heard (and heard again and again). Find out how to make your blog work for you and how to ensure that the effort you put into search engine optimization pays off. Travel through the world of internet marketing with us, and we’ll make sure you don’t get lost.
After working for 11 years in Software Development, Stefanie Kyle was inspired in 2005 to start her own web design business – Stefanie Kyle Web Design. Since then, she has loved the balance of creative and technical challenges that face her as she designs and develops websites. Every website she launches gives someone out there a presence on the web, something she feels every business and organization should have. In 2009, she expanded her business to include Email Marketing and Blog Customization. She also loved the idea of sharing her technical knowledge via her own e-newsletter and blog, so she changed her business name to Stefanie Kyle Design & Knowledge to encompass all she has to offer. Stefanie lives in State College, PA with her husband, daughter, and ridiculous (but much-loved) dogs.
Barb Horne has over 20 years of marketing experience, having worked for Fortune 100 companies such as Hilton Hotel’s, Pfizer, Inc, and Cardinal Health. She started her own agency almost 7 years ago working with various entrepreneurs, as well as small to large businesses nationwide. Ideal Image specializes in the “new” traditional marketing solutions with an emphasis on social media & digital media development. We provide the opportunity for clients to create their own personality and community while making a strong online presence. Ideal Image assists companies with how to use optimize social media whether it is through teaching staff how to use it or becoming a part of their marketing team.
Have you ever felt like you are the best kept secret in your industry? Ever feel the struggles of owning a business and finding the next ideal customer? You are not alone. One of the biggest marketing challenges facing women entrepreneurs today is how to effectively – and genuinely – speak to your ideal customer.
The good news is, you can do something about it NOW! It’s established fact that savvy consumers do not want to feel like they are being ‘sold’. And you probably don’t want to sound “salesy” or phony, right? Instead your customer wants to surround themselves with knowledge and educating themselves about the options available to them. So how do you speak authentically to your key demographic, as humans, not sales targets – in language they respect and a tone that supports your company’s brand? How do you do that with no time and no budget? Come find out how to develop the authentic voice for your company and then how to express that in your marketing and communications – without going broke in the process. And all the while attracting the kind of customers you really want to work with.
Gretchen Pritts has been part of the State College community for over 9 years. Originally from Somerset, PA, where women business owners were few and far between, State College has opened her eyes to possibilities! Throughout Gretchen’s life, she wanted to own a business, but never had the support, or faith to make it happen. After moving to State College, and working in an job that was emotionally draining, she decided to take the plunge. Gretchen became a certified coach and opened her practice over 4 years ago. Since that time, she has found a passion for helping women business owners grow a successful business. Gretchen continues to provide coaching services; however has recently launched her own copywriting business, where she helps businesses connect with their customers through words. She loves finding that magic place that connects her clients to their customers without having the need for a single spoken word. You can find her at gretchenpritts.com. When Gretchen is not running a business she enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, usually somewhere outside!
Dana Marsh has always liked hats so it’s no surprise that she’s prone to wearing many of them. So, in her business life, she wears her marketing and communications hat with aplomb - although sometimes tilted ever so slightly to one side just to be quirky. Then, in her personal life, she goes for a decidedly sportier hat – whether it’s to don a baseball cap emblazoned with a Penn State logo or a cycling helmet (safety first – although you just may catch her wearing a jaunty beret under that helmet!). Like many of you, Dana also wears the hats of volunteer, friend, dog-mom, daughter, blogger, sports fan, do-it-yourselfer, and many, many others. Regardless of the hat she has on, Dana loves spreading the word of the organizations she works with – and sees every client need as an adventure. She loves making tight budgets seem limitless and educating her clients so they can go from saying “I can’t do that!” to saying “I’ve done that! What’s next?”
When choosing to follow their heart in starting a business venture, many entrepreneurs don’t count on the amount of time that can be spent (and lost) keeping financial records. This workshop will look at streamlining your books with a focus on using the best-selling (most misused?) financial software – QuickBooks. The results should be an easier, less stressful tax time in 2012!
Ann Bolser, owner of PaperworkPlus, has over 30 years experience in business management. She is a QuickBooks Pro Advisor and provides help in setting up or cleaning up QuickBooks and Quicken.
PaperworkPlus draws upon Ann’s experience and skills to organize cash flow and reporting so that bills are paid on time, invoices are collected promptly, and reports are meaningful. Through her business, Ann has enjoyed being able to help ease her clients’ stress and help their businesses succeed. Among PaperworkPlus’s clients are retailers, restaurants, non-profit organizations and service providers such as realtors and veterinarians.
Ann has lived in Happy Valley for just over 10 years now with her husband Michael, and a house full of furry friends. Ann enjoys volunteering her time at the local animal shelter, PAWS.
Where are the restrooms? What time is the three o’clock parade?
These are some of the most popular questions that guests ask Disney cast members. It may be the 100th time cast members have heard that question in a single day, and they still give a friendly and cheerful response, adding to the three biggest reasons that guests visit Disney theme parks. The friendly cast members, the cleanliness of the parks, and the variety of rides and attractions. So what makes Disney cast members so friendly? Find out some of the secrets behind how Disney has become a leader in guest satisfaction and what it takes to run a business the way the “house of mouse” does it.
Kimberly Filko (A.K.A. Kimbr) has been working for the Walt Disney World® Resort since 1995. Her background with the company includes various jobs including training and development, guest service, VIP tour services and portraying one of the most notorious bandits at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™, Kate Dorango. Despite her affection with “toting a gun” and “blowing up banks” for a living, Kimbr’s love for the Disney Company has surpassed her days of entertaining guests at the Great Movie Ride. Through seven years of experience with direct customer service along with her thirteen years in training and development, Kimbr has been serving guests and helping new cast members learn the finesse of Disney service. As a member of the prestigious Disney Traditions team, Kimbr has helped introduce hundreds of new cast members to the heritage, the magic and the vision of the Walt Disney Company.
Kimbr now lives in State College with her husband, son Lukas, daughter Sofia, and two of the cuddliest lil’ cats ever!
The role of today’s female entrepreneur is constantly evolving, and it is more evident now than ever before that the only limitations we experience are those that we put upon ourselves. We also know that women grow most effectively and organically through relationships.
Capitalizing on this knowledge and the day of relationship building available at EWE, you will be perfectly poised to challenge your previous assumptions about your limitations and the growth you are ready to create, both for yourself and for your business.
In this interactive keynote closing, you will learn the 7 benchmarks of success and how to experience these for yourself, beginning exactly with where you are today. Primarily, we will focus on the fifth of the seven benchmarks, arguably the master key for success in your life and business – having inspired goals and ideas.
With your goals in focus, you will be asked to challenge yourself to launch your next phase of growth from the interactions you had at EWE. Consider what might be possible for you and your business if you were to give yourself (and your colleagues) full permission to unapologetically follow-up on the sparks of ideas, hunches, intuition, inspiring conversations, or potential collaborations that you felt during the day at EWE.
This talk will encourage you to not only act on what you experienced at EWE, but to do so in a way that waters the seeds of your success and your personal fulfillment.
When you take the time to grow, your business has no choice but to follow your lead.
And, THIS, is good business for everyone.
Stephanie Yost Mentzell is a born and bred Jersey Girl who discovered her own slice of heaven in the wide open, blue sky foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. First introduced to quantum physics and spirituality by her mother, Stephanie went on to earn a BA in Philosophy, develop a professional background in corporate Human Resources, and achieve certifications in both Childbirth Education and Professional Co-Active Coaching – meaning she has actively studied, questioned and practiced the concepts of personal development, women’s empowerment and what makes a happy human for over 20 years. For the last decade she has been reveling in her own passions and channeling them as a successful entrepreneur.
A Master of Inquiry into what motivates and inspires humans in both the professional and personal realms, Stephanie coaches and teaches women to reconnect with their innate power and passion through that zany concept that freedom is inherent in work, money, health and relationships. She lovingly and methodically encourages her clients to return to their bodies as a perpetual source of wisdom in all that matters. Her clients smile often and exude confidence, purpose, ease, contentment, and lightness. Creative, inspired and bright, they all share the ability to say NO to what no longer supports who they are and YES to all that life has to offer.
Currently she can be found working with the horse/human connection – both from the ground and from the horse’s back – learning how to use the horse as co-facilitator for her future equine coaching workshops and exploring the connection all beings share (while being schooled in how much she still has to learn...and being reminded of the deliciousness of discovering something new).
Prior to joining HRDC, Diane was the Director of Admissions for South Hills School of Business & Technology. Her career includes working for Eastern College as the Director of Marketing & Recruitment for the School of Professional Studies and as an Assistant Vice President/Accounting Manager for Marsh & McLennan, Incorporated. Diane has also been an adjunct instructor for Saint Francis University, Eastern College, South Hills School, and Penn State Continuing Education.
Diane is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Centre County, Vice President of Education for the State College Toastmasters Club 1219, a past board member for The Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation, and is a volunteer for many community activities such as her church and the Arts Fest. Diane earned a BA in Organizational Management and an M.B.A. in Management both from Eastern College. Diane is a 2008 graduate of the Sherpa Executive Coaching.
