The Sassy Ladies Blog

Sassy Chic: Fundraiser T-Shirts, now available online!

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:41:30 GMT

Sassy Chic: Fundraiser T-Shirts, now available online!

While we won't reveal "the story behind the saying" until next week's fundraiser party, you can now support the cause with these inspirational, quality t-shirts.

Available in men's and women's sizes, the shirts read,
"Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Live it!"

If love the t-shirts, or can't get to the party, but would like to support the cause, you can buy one today, and we'll ship them right out. Enjoy!

Purchase T-Shirt(s)

Save The Date: July 16th for a Fundraiser Party at Hi Hat, Providence

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:11:49 GMT

Do a Good Deed, Have a Good Time
Join us at the Hi-Hat

3 Davol Square

Providence, RI 02903

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Admission: $15 donation

(Cash menu & cash bar)

Impact: Priceless

DONATE/PRE-REGISTER NOW

Sometimes in life, things happen beyond our control. It seems everyday in the news we hear about another crisis that's unfolded onto our world, and most situations seem too big and terrible for us to make an impact on. But sometimes, in the midst of all the natural disasters and worldwide health epidemics, a major life-changing obstacle comes our way, and the news isn't delivered via network satellites from thousands of miles away.

Recently, our dear friend and colleague, Miriam Perry, suffered her own personal tragedy. Miriam's parents, Bice and Joe Rivera, lost everything they owned to a horrific and devastating fire. The fire burned down their apartment complex in Norwalk, Connecticut and displaced 150 people from their homes. Miraculously, each and every resident survived and none of the responding firemen or police officers were hurt. While nothing is more valuable than all the lives saved, survivors were left with little more than the clothes on their backs when they escaped before the complex burned to the ground in the middle of that night.

Can you imagine yourself standing amidst the blaze as all your belongings, personal treasures and memories disappeared forever? We can't. And if you feel like we do, you'll join us for our special fundraiser to help the Riveras get back what they've lost.

The Hi-Hat in Davol Square in Providence, Rhode Island has generously offered their beautiful (and very sassy) space for the event. Entertainment will be provided by the swinging (and also, very sassy), nine-piece jazz/pop fusion band, The Blackstone Project. It's the perfect excuse for that after-work summer cocktail. Bring your friends, family and coworkers, have a drink, order some baked brie (a favorite Sassy Lady appetizer) for your inclusive booth (think 1940's Brown Derby), and listen to some hot music in a cool setting.

It's not your ordinary charity fundraiser... It's a party, with a cause!

DONATE/PRE-REGISTER NOW

We hope to see you there,

Michelle and Wendy

Denise Barge, Emerging Women in Business Conference, June 12, 2008

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:22:48 GMT

Denise Barge, Giving All Women a Chance to Have Their Own Business

Denise Barge is the Executive Director for the Minority Investment Development Corporation and the Rhode Island Coalition for Minority Investment. Denise works to establish and develop partnerships within the Rhode Island community to help serve disadvantaged urban small businesses by providing alternative financing in promoting economic development.

Listen to Denise's interview now

Emerging Women in Business Conference
Transcript from Wendy's Interview with Denise Barge

Tell us a little bit about the Emerging Women in Business Event.

Well the conference basically was started as a spin-off from the Women’s Summit that’s held annually at Bryant University. It’s held under the direction of Kati Machtley. I’d been to that for a few years. And I sat down with Carol Malysz from the Center of Women and Enterprise as well and Kati and we said we really have to bring this info into the inner city and to the urban community, urban core, for low, lower moderate income women and more specifically women of color as well to be able to access the same information really regarding business opportunities and structuring your business and starting and growing a business. So that’s really the mission of the conference, to actually provide resources for women who otherwise might not know where to go or might not have the opportunity to be able to explore what they need to really strengthen their businesses.

Yes and what a great partnership between you and the Center for Women and Enterprise.

Yes it’s great because they obviously have the clientele and the resources already set up to help women to prepare to go into business as well as to stay in business and so it’s a really nice fit as far as working with the Center for Women and Enterprise and all they have to bring to the table.

Where and when is the event?

Going to be held June 12 at Rhode Island College on Mount Pleasant Ave and it’s going to be held from 3-9—we specifically want to have it later in the day because we know a lot of the women who either want to go into business or are in business really commit their day basically to either full time jobs or running the business and we want them to have an opportunity after that time to be able to come to the conference without really having to really sacrifice time at work.

That’s great, a wonderful model. What can people expect to see and do?

We have a wonderful key note speaker which is also part of this particular model around motivation and really hearing a good story about how you can go from working out of your basement to having a multimillion dollar corporation such as Sandra Ruiz-Desai. She is the founder of Desai Communications which is basically a marketing promotional company that services Fortune 500 companies such as Pepsico.

I’ve heard Sandra speak before and she is fantastic. She’s got a great sense of humor and great stories and I was very excited to see her on the agenda.

Yeah, she’s such a wonderful person the first time we talked we talked for about an hour and everyone says the same thing, “Oh what a dynamic personality she is!” So we’re really excited about having her there. And she’ll bring all of her wisdom and know-how to be able to communicate that to the women who are attending. In addition we’re going to have translation available for those who have Spanish as their first language so if you’ve signed up early we’ll be able to accommodate those women who want to have a translate in Spanish. We also, beyond that, we have 8 workshops going on, 2 of them exclusively in Spanish with regards to the theme which is Seeds for Success. Seeds for Success—as you know in gardening, there are different stages to really growing seeds into full bloom. And so we have the stages of Prepare, Plant, Nourish, Fertilize and Harvest. And so the workshops are around those stages as they relate to business.

What a great metaphor to use. Yes, because it is so true, you have to go through all those stages.

That’s right. Exactly. So we do have 8 of those workshops going on before the plenary session when Sandra will speak. Then afterwards we have some great speed networking that will be going on, and a wrap-up closing ceremony. In addition, after the keynote, we’re going to have a wonderful panel discussion with someone you know very well involved, Michelle Girasole, and she’s going to be again, speaking in reference to one of these particular phases of business development (Prepare, Plant, Nourish, Fertilize and Harvest) and she will be also accompanied by Vanessa Crum from Charlotte which is a jewelry company, and Ilira Steinman from Rag & Bone Bindery, as well as Sandra Ruiz-Desai. So it will be a great panel discussion with a lot of past experiences, best practices—that will be put forth.

Great. Well we’ll look forward to that. If people want to register or get more info how can they find that?

They can go directly online to www.emergingwomen.biz. It’s $30. They can register right online or if they want to mail in a check they can print out the registration form and mail us in a check prior to June 12.

Great, but all that information—if they can just go to www.emergingwomen.biz they can find it all?

Exactly. There’s also contact info if they want to speak with someone we have a telephone number they can also access.

Great. Well the Sassy Ladies are looking forward to being there.

Oh I know! Well we’re looking forward to having you! And you yourself are in a workshop, which is wonderful, concerning visioning and you’ll be leading women to think about what it is they propose to go into and how you take the next step to do that.

Well it sounds like a great day, and very wonderfully organized and orchestrated, and we’re looking forward to it so we’ll get this word out to all the women in Rhode Island.

Thank you so much.

Michelle's Review of the RI Nexus Open Coffee Event

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:18:16 GMT

Michelle's Review of the RI Nexus Open Coffee Event

Wednesday, I went to my first RI Nexus event, The Open Coffee (mistakenly referred to as the Providence Geeks breakfast). Let me tell you something about these people—they are some of the coolest folks I've met in this state.

I have to admit I hesitated to attend a Geek Dinner event in the past year, not because of the name, but since I had the kids, I have had little time for after-hours business events.

Then, my friend Pam O’Hara from Batch Blue Software invited me to an Open Coffee, held every other Wednesday at 729 Hope. She told me she usually goes with Anisa Raoof from kidoinfo.com, whom I just adore. If they can hang with the geeky group, so can I. And I admire Providence Geeks founder Jack Templin for pulling everyone together on a regular basis. So on my calendar it went.

The first person I see at the café counter is tall Paul Lavallee, who has returned from the North to his home-state to, shall I say, “dabble and play”. Paul and I joked that we see each other everywhere—in the last month we bumped into each other at John Speck’s Web 2.0 Workshop at New Commons and at the RiverzEdge charity event downtown. He also lives next door to my best friend’s parents and refurbishes Harleys—not very geeky, to say the least (although he claims to have been a software developer since 1979)! Behind him is Alan Tear, master of creativity and innovation, who was welcoming all geek newbies, like Paul and I.

Iced chai in hand, I turn the corner into the café area and spot a long table of men, aged from 20-ish to 50-ish, engaged in a conversation about a round of venture financing just completed. (This was a far cry from the solopreneur conversations I normally enjoy.) No pocket protectors, but I'm guessing this is them. I see Jack, then also recognize Charlie Kroll from Andera Software and Dana Paul from Shazamm Interactive. I'm in the right place.

However, there are no available seats at the table. I walk up in my sparkly flip-flops, khakis and white tee-shirt and they all (maybe?) assumed I was meeting someone else because no one budged. So I asked, “Is there room for one more? Pam O’Hara told me I should come to balance out the testosterone level at these meetings.” Lucky for me, they laughed and added a table and more seats and turned out to be a very warm and genuine group of guys.

Sidebar: let me say this about businessmen—you can't generalize. I’ve worked with many kinds in many industries. I started my career in the finance world and worked with men who were like mother-mentors. I learned a lot from their guidance counselor-like style early in my career.

In the health insurance world, the male leaders were the command-and-control types. At industry trade shows, I’ve never met a more secretive, tight-lipped bunch. I mean no one wanted to talk about their company. Bizarre!

But what I learned about technology guys over the years is that if you get a bunch of them together, they feed off each other’s creative energy. Sprinkle in a few serial entrepreneurs and you’ve got a room that’s buzzing with excitement, ideas, connections, etc. Add caffeine to the mix and, well, I must say, it got a little crazy in there! This Providence Geek set is a high-energy crowd like none other I’ve seen before in Little Rhody.

I met Medhi Moutahir, a Johnson and Wales University Professor of Change and Innovation who’s working with students to research and develop some cool new ventures. I turned around and bumped into Annette Tonti, who I had seen speak at a CWE (Center for Women in Enterprise) event back when I was an entrepreneurial neophyte. She is like a goddess of the online marketing world. She had raised $27.5 million for Bluestreak’s rich media server application before most people even knew what rich media was. We chatted about her new startup, MoFuse, which I promised to give a try soon and will report back on.

I also bumped into John Zib and found out he’s doing digital art delivery to coffee shops (amongst other things) and the just-graduated Chris Hempel, who has done some neat stuff with Second Life - like re-create the island of Morrocco, for one thing.

In all, I made some interesting connections and I look forward to setting up meetings with these folks again in the near future—not just because they’re nice people but because there’s the strong potential for various forms of collaboration with my company and our clients.

Summary: The 2+ hours I spent with the Providence Geeks was definitely worthwhile. And the fact that you can sip chai in your flip-flops and do real business in Providence is trés chic, don’t you think?

Interview with Helene Gerstle

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:30:23 GMT

Helene Gerstle, an Attorney You Can Trust

Yes, we know it's an oxymoron, but when The Sassy Ladies interviewed attorney Helene Gerstle, she taught us how building trust and nurturing relationships is the most important part of her business.

Listen to Helen's interview now.

Helene Gerstle has been an attorney since 1978 and has had her own practice for the past twenty-five years. Her focus is in real estate, and her litigation background helps settle land battles and contractor disputes. With all the day to day specifics she sorts out in her line of work, Helene knows that trust must be the foundation of her business relationships. Listen to her interview to hear how she balances her personal life and her law practice without compromising any integrity along the way.

Interview with Pam Christy

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:04:23 GMT

Pam Christy Makes a Difference in a Rough Real Estate Market

With twenty-two years in the real estate business, Pam Christy has had her fair share of experience in the ever-fluctuating market. She sat down with The Sassy Ladies to share how her genuine concern for her clients' happiness and continuous love for education has helped her business grow.

Listen to Pam's interview now.

Pam Christy is an independent contractor for RE/MAX with a broad knowlege in sales and appraisals. In an industry that depends heavily on the economy, Pam knows the need to regularly educate herself and explore different avenues to sustain her business. Through appraisals, she develops values in communities, and also helps her clients make some of life's biggest transitions. Whether working with a first-time buyer or empty-nester, Pam has a sincere interest in helping people find their dream home.

Question:

How is your service making a positive impact in your clients' lives?

Interview with Megan Graham

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:08:49 GMT

Into the Wardrobe with Megan Graham

Megan Graham is the owner of the contemporary consignment boutique, Into the Wardrobe, located on Brook Street off of Wickenden Street on the East Side of Providence. Wendy recently interviewed her on her experiences in business.

Listen to interview with Megan now.

Here are some of the lessons Megan shared with The Sassy Ladies:

Megan Graham's business focus isn't on clothing, it's on recycling. She takes in gently worn men's and women's clothing and when the styles resell, it's like recycling energy back into the community. In an eclectic corner of the city surrounded by the hip students from the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, she understands the importance of knowing her neighbors and connecting with the locals. Above all, Megan knows the value of being present in her business and giving back to her community.

Question:

How have you used your skills or business to give back to your community?

Interview with Kyhm Hamilton

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:06:54 GMT

Khym Hamilton Shares her Wisdom Through Experience

Khym Hamilton has been the owner of the Hudson St. Market for almost the past seven years. Khym shares with The Sassy Ladies how she turned an 86-year-old neighborhood market in the Armory District of Providence into one of the hippest joints in town.

Listen to Kyhm's interview now.

Khym Hamilton knew she could no longer work for "the man" and dreamed of spending her days in a small business with tight roots to the community. That's when, on a whim, she stopped into the Hudson St. Market and inquired about any perspective job opportunities. One month later, Khym found herself as the fifth owner of what's known to locals simply as "The Market", a place that has any essentials you may need, as well as the biggest, most delicious sandwiches in town.

As the owner, Khym has had the freedom to integrate her passion for the arts and music into the Market, with art openings and music shows. Now, there's even a piano in the middle of the store that she uses to give lessons during the downtime. She is even in the process of developing an eco-friendly, delivery-by-bicycle lunch service to extend her business out of the store and smack dab into the community.

Question:

In what ways have you extended your sassy service to your community?

Welcome Ashley Lancellotti, our new (and very Sassy) assistant!

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:29:40 GMT

As the book launch draws near, there are millions of details to handle...open projects with our publisher, publicist, the press, the book launch event, book signings, virtual tour, social networks, etc., etc. It's going to get busy! Although we have worked with a team of capable virtual assistants, we knew we would need someone on a more regular basis, someone who was dedicated to helping us introduce the book properly.

Enter the talented and beautiful Ashley Lancellotti.

Ashley comes to us with quite an impressive background. Her experience includes years of customer service at a country club, a retail stint at Nordstrom's, and the college program at Walt Disney World, where she captained a resort shuttle boat from Epcot.

She is currently studying Hospitality and Tourism at Johnson & Wales University, with an eye on becoming an event planner after graduation. She brings the pulse of Generation Y to our company of Baby Boomers/Gen X-ers. She is even rumored to have met Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, at a college party in Cambridge. We think that's pretty cool. Watch out, world, Sassy Ashley has arrived!

May 29th - Don't Miss Event: Michael Gerber, Awakening the Entrepreneur Within

michelle@thesassyladies.com — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:52:08 GMT

After last month's promotion of the Bob Burg "Endless Referrals" workshop, we have gotten lots of inquiries about our next event. We joke that we're not really in the events business, but when our market speaks, we listen.

So, we've lined up another great event for you, but since we're getting a late start in promoting it, we will open it up to our entire audience, not limiting it to just our email subscribers.

Let me introduce the next speaker. I first heard about Michael Gerber way back in the days when my web marketing firm was a party of one (me) - the start-up days. Fresh out of a job, I envisioned creating a company where I was the boss, and all the money I made went to me. This thrilled me - I wasn't working my butt off for someone else's benefit. I set to work defining a service, networking, finding a few clients, and the projects started rolling in. Soon the money followed, and I thought, "Isn't this great? I am making some pretty good money - I am going to be so successful." Well...

My mastermind group at the time, a seasoned group of marketing entrepreneurs that I met with monthly, suggested that before I celebrated too much, that I read "The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It ". The way they described the author, Michael Gerber (as a God in the entrepreneurial world) made me pay attention.

They said, "Michelle, you have to read this book. One example he describes is a pie-making business, whose owner does not succeed because she is so busy working IN the business (making pies), she doesn't make time to work ON the business (finding customers, building partnerships, tracking profitability, etc.)." This hit home, and I read the book.

I quickly realized that I only had so many hours in the day, and since my customers were paying me by the hour, my income was limited. So I set about to form partnerships with other marketing professionals who could handle some of the client work, while I focused on business development. While I was out at networking events and prospect meetings, the client work was getting done, and I was making even more money than I could on my own. Gerber was right, and my business has grown far beyond my original vision.

"The E-Myth" book has done more to shape the small business world than any other I have read since. When Wendy moved recently, she gave me a set of tapes (remember those?) she had of his e-Myth workshop, and I've enjoyed listening to them - Michael is a dynamic speaker. And now, he is on tour with a new book, "Awakening the Entrepreneur Within". As luck would have it, he is coming to Rhode Island on Thursday, May 29th, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

If you have been working hard, but not seeing the kind of money you need to sustain your business, you might want to consider attending this event. From what I hear, he'll present some great tools/solutions to generate sales right away. Plus you'll get three books - Michael's new one, as well as a new book from Sheila Stewart (the author who is coordinating this event) titled, "101 Tips to Help Every Business Owner Survive and Thrive", and, when you forward us your registration confirmation, we'll email you back a downloadable manuscript copy of our new book, tentatively titled, "The Sassy Ladies' Guide to Starting a Business".

Three new books, one great speaker, and you can't beat the price - upon checkout, enter code SASSY - and you'll get in for only $89! (This is $110 off the online purchase price!) Who loves you, baby?!?

Click on the link to reserve your seat today. Wendy and I will be there, along with the Send Out Cards guys, Bob and Bob. We hope you can join us for a fun morning!

http://www.empowermarketingusa.com/home/events/eventList1daypg.php