A Poem Written by Barb Babj

Many thanks for your poem Barb. I am including the link to the latest interview on That Channel with Hugh Reilly – it’s all about the New Entrepreneur – and to my thinking, that just might be you!

I sent you an email out of the blue,

You invited a call, though the contact was new. 

Amidst 400 emails, with no time to natter,

You were able to jump to the heart of the matter. 

In less than five minutes, as we chatted away,

You brainstormed some thoughts, held “yeah, but” at bay. 

Thoughts followed thoughts, with no time for blinking,

You expanded the space with lateral thinking, 

I looked at your website, I tiptoed around,

I learned many things as I covered that ground. 

You live your brand, about people you care,

For creative thinking you have quite a flair. 

Your sense of compassion is honest and true,

Your whimsy and humour are slightly askew. 

I learned about dragons, the power of prayers,

I walked through the forest and read about bears. 

Some of your stories could rival Aesop,

There’s power in giving, you RISE to the top. 

I learned you’ve no time for the “Sorry, not-yetters”,

You give your support to the driven “go-getters”. 

The connections you form are often long-lasting,

You don’t disappoint, there’s no room for “bombasting”. 

Per our conversation, I needed a “WOW”

To elicit “Oh, Boy!” instead of an “ow”. 

You asked for a gift, of person or thing,

I decided to write, cuz I really can’t sing.

In closing, I offer my network, my time,

All that I am, and even this rhyme. 

And one tiny thing more, it may give you a lift,

A small talisman, I’d like to gift.

(a tiny Teddy Bear)
Teddy Bear

thatchanneltv has shared a video with you on YouTube: ThatChannel com Interview 2011 06j 14 Donna Messer The New Entrepreneur

 

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The Little Brown Bag – My Gift to you at Christmas

 The Little Brown Bag – My Gift to you at Christmas

This is the story of a little boy and a little brown bag.

 When my grandson was in junior school he came home with a little brown paper bag.

His eyes were shining and he jumping up and down with excitement, he couldn’t wait to share the contents of that little brown bag with me.

My grandson wasn’t a quiet and shy little guy; he was what teachers may have called “disruptive”. If you asked him for words to describe himself – he would come up with words like “troublemaker; uncooperative; noisy and a problem”. Not a very positive group of words for a young boy. 

Where did he get those words? They came from the people in his life. His teachers; the kids who reflected the teacher’s words; and the people he came in contact with day after day. Imagine how he must have felt.

His teacher must have heard about the “negative image” this little guy had of himself and she was determined to try and “right the wrong”.  She gave the kids the chance to do an interactive writing exercise.  

The class was small and she had everyone sit in a circle. She passed each child a small mirror and asked them to look at themselves and say something positive about their reflection. They had to write that word down, then, she asked each child to write another positive word about each of the children sitting in the circle. They were instructed to drop those words into the little brown paper bags that had each child’s name written on it.

At the end of the day, each child picked up their little brown bag with all the words that described them. My grandson raced home that day to share what his school mates had written on those pieces of paper.

He dumped out the contents of the little brown bag and the words swirled around the table………words like “Happy, Smiley, Helpful, Brave and Nice” The words quickly settled on the table for both of us to consider. My grandson looked at me and with a huge smile on his face he said, “They like me Nanny, they don’t see the bad me, they see the good me!

I hugged him and realized that we all have two parts to who we are. And it’s often the negative part that we dwell on. 

It’s been years, but my grandson still has that little brown paper bag with the words tucked carefully inside, and sometimes when he’s down – he dumps it out and remembers that he is liked and he has the good words prove it!

We all need a mirror and a little brown bag occasionally.  During this holiday season, take time to see the good in all of us.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Donna Messer is an author, speaker and trainer. She brings both the mirror and the little brown bags to many of her workshops!  For more information go to www.connectuscanada.com

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A Project Management Institute Event – Where Project Managers Speak Out!

A Project Management Institute Event Where Project Managers Speak Out!

I often ask my audience to provide me with feedback from an event – the words below are from men and women, all of whom are problem solvers. they work as Project Managers in a wide variety of sectors.

I am honoured to be able to share their words with those of you who read my blog. Got a problem? Chances are the PMI has a solution! I recommend you check out the PMI at www.pmi.org for a local Ontario Chapter – http://search.pmi.org/?q=Ontario+

On November 20^th 2010 Donna Messer facilitated a networking session for a group of project managers at a PMI sponsored continuing education event.  Facilitated barely describes what we experienced.  A few volunteers offered their very positive feedback: 

“It’s not what you know, but who you know. This old adage came to life again for me during an enlightening workshop.  Not only her delivery style was entertaining but also deeply reflective on how we should approach people with the purpose of helping and seeking help.  My key takeaway was that networking is not about exchanging presentation cards.  It is truly about finding common ground where everybody interacts and benefits from others’ experiences and knowledge.”

- Salvaldor Segura Ortega, HR Integrated Services Team at IBM

“I liked the excellent style of delivery including audience interaction, humor and meaningful content.  The entire presentation did not bore us and productively engaged the diverse audience. The list of web site resources Donna provided was fabulous. Overall, Donna hit a home run with her message, ’What goes around comes around!’ We need more Donna’ in today’s world.”

-Shyama Sunderaswara, a Toronto based project manager and entrepreneur

“The process described in the class was very simple and it was great that we had the opportunity to practice it, so we know how it works in real-time.  People were able to realize untapped opportunities that had nothing to do with employment and a lot to do with expanding one’s network.”

-Carla Lewis, IT Project Manager at The College of Family Physicians of Canada

“I found Donna to be a very engaging and effective speaker. She has a very good command of the Networking topic. Her process is simple to understand and follow. In a way it is less about networking and more about relationship building which is natural. The outcome is a network of relationships and hopefully support system in case of need.”

            -Hamza Qazi, an IT Project Manager with the Ministry of Health & Long-term Care

“Donna is known as the Queen of Networking, but in reality she is so much more. Her presentation made me reflect on three key phrases, a) we not me, b) not what we do, but who we are, and c) what can I do to help you?  In a room full of project managers, it’s easy to say, “I’m a project manager.” That doesn’t begin to say who we are or help us to make a connection. Donna is a master at identifying the strengths in individuals and in helping us express what we can contribute. As a group, by spending a Saturday morning with Donna, we opened ourselves to opportunities, abundance, and new relationships.”

            -Kathryn Pottruff, Pottruff Consulting Inc.

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Me to We” – That’s the message “Leads, Needs and Good Deeds” brought to the audience!

“Me to We” – That’s the message “Leads, Needs and Good Deeds” brought to the audience!   The message I received loud and clear at the Leads, Needs and Good Deeds event was all about the Power of Relationships. The people in the room were business owners, entrepreneurs, financial experts, healthcare professionals, recruiters, and not for profit organizations, all people willing to share who they knew. I talked briefly about turning the mindset in the room from “Me to We”, and that is exactly what they did!   The networking and relationship building that began with this event MUST continue! The message was inspiring and motivating. People came from everywhere. John Huard, came from Pembroke. He volunteers on the streets of Toronto each year in December – his main objective is to make sure young kids living on the street, get into a safe house, get food, shelter, perhaps reconnect with their parents, or in some cases find work.   The ConnectUs Career and Business Café that was introduced at the event was very busy, Lee Koren, our resident expert was on hand to answer any relevant questions. The Café is an incubator for anyone in career transition or in start up mode with a new business.     There was a buzz in the room, and it was great to watch as everyone in attendance as they tried to meet as many people as possible. Everyone did their best to find “common ground” and I know they will soon turn that first meeting into a relationship that will result in business development. Below is the best way to measure the results of the event.

Maximize Your Leads, Needs and Good Deeds   Mentorship – Find a mentor – find someone who can help you grow simply by spending time with them.    Boards and Volunteering – Consider donating your time to a good cause. By joining one of these groups you can create new bonds and that could help your business or your personal growth.   Alliances/Partners/collaborations – Relationships mean that both sides benefit. Join forces with others and open yourself to new markets and revenue streams.   Networking – This is the single most important and measurable way to grow. Using ConnectUs and our systematic process works! Networking is about developing relationships, it’s being “We centered, not Me focused”. It’s about taking time to learn about others and sharing what you learn.     “We” Team – Don’t own a business? You still need to be part of team! Share your expertise; it’s great to have a 3rd party referral. I invite you to be part of a “Success Team” – this is a ConnectUs driven, mastermind group – where you network with inspiring people, you create a goal and everyone on your team assists, inspires and motivates you to think and reach beyond your comfort zone. Check out the ConnectUs Career & Business Café – it’s both an incubator and an idea factory!   Donna

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Women in Food Industry Management – When you Network you Get Work!

Today’s Blog is all about Women in Food Industry Management. The Director responsible for marketing the association has asked me to post the details on my Blog. One of the reasons is to encourage you to come out to the Networking event I’m hosting on Sept. 22^nd, 2010 at the Toronto Sheraton Airport Hotel.

If you’re in the industry, please consider joining us, not just on the 22^nd, but for all the events listed below. Remember, when you network, you get work!   

Hello WFIM Members and Friends!

It’s that time of year again!  It’s back to school and all the busy activity it brings, including the signs that signal fall is approaching. It’s been a great summer, but it’s time to focus on what’s going to happen over the next couple of months. www.wfim.on.ca

WFIM has a great line-up of not-to-be-missed events for you this fall. Be sure to mark your calendars for the following:

September 22, Opportunity Knocks! Networking to Get Work, Career 2.0 Donna Messer shares her wisdom and provides tools for taking networking to the next level, incorporating Social Media to achieve your objectives and build your personal brand. Sign up here.

November 18, Academy Leadership Roundtable Get tips for career development and advancement from a fantastic group of high profile, senior women. This is a great opportunity to network while learning from their experiences, wisdom and insights.

December 9, Holiday Gala Join us for fun and festivities as we close the year at our annual WFIM party. Networking and share some cheer in the beautiful, unparalleled setting of The Old Mill.

WFIM News:

• Have your say! In the coming weeks, you will be asked to participate in a Survey. Please take a few moments to complete the survey and share your thoughts so we can make YOUR organization the best it can be.
• Our Membership is growing! 52 new members have joined since January 2010 – that’s a 50% increase. WFIM is about connecting and developing relationships that produce measurable results. Come out and meet someone new at the next event.
• Did you know your WFIM membership allows you to connect with other members on-line? Find people you want to meet in the Membership Directory after you’ve logged in. Other member benefits include our Job Board and a FREE Dinner Event when you sign up 3 new members.
• WFIM Donates 20% of our Golf sponsorship to Second Harvest, plus any raffle money collected each year. WFIM is committed to feeding the hungry, and to that end we put our time and fundraising efforts to support Second Harvest. In addition, WFIM donates to various charities throughout the year on behalf of our event speakers.
• Join the conversation online! Share your thoughts, industry news, questions and comments by joining our WFIM Linkedin group here.
• We have made some updates to the WFIM website. It’s a good idea to change your password frequently, so as a security measure we are requesting that members change their password. To access the Member Login, go to your personal profile and “Edit Your Details.”  Enter your new password under Contact Info. Then select Portrait and select UPDATE to save your information.
• We need volunteers! Get involved in shaping your association by donating your time. It’s an enriching experience and a great way to meet new people. As the saying goes… you get out what you put in. Whether you have a few hours a month or more, we welcome your help in the following areas: Marketing, Membership, Sponsorship, Events, Social Media, or Administration. Please send me an email at Director_Marketing@wfim.ca indicating what area you wish to get involved in. We need you!

I’m looking forward to catching up with you at the next event.

Gina Conte

WFIM Director, Marketing and Sponsorship

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iNetwork: An Invaluable Experience

                                                                           By:  Ima Ituen

Really, how hard is it to talk to another person? Well, depending on who it is, I guess, it could be tough. But most of the time, it isn’t that hard. Talking to strangers? Same difference. We do it all the time! I mean, the check-out girl at the grocery store is a stranger, right? But we can talk to her. “Three bags, please. Oh, and I’ll put that second block of cheese back, please.” Then she notices you’re buying cat food so she asks, “How old is your cat?” And you answer, “Three. A little terror she is.” Check-out girl responds, “Yeah, I know what you mean.  I have a male Cheshire, Taby, and a two-year-old female Siamese, Sam, and she won’t leave Taby alone!” On and on you chat until the groceries are all scanned. You offer her your credit card, heft your bags into your cart, and you say a quick ‘Thanks & Goodbye’ as you forget her and start planning what to make for dinner. Have you just networked? I used to think so. But thanks to Donna’s terrific session at MITACS, I found that I just had a conversation.

I, like many other sceptics, used to think that networking events were dull; a real drag. Oh, the food and cheap (or free!) and drinks were always a great draw, but I have hardly gotten anything out of the events. Therefore, I thought it was either an effort in futility, or possibly a task that needed a tremendous amount of luck to get what you wanted. Oh, how wrong I was! I simply approached it the wrong way.

Donna Messer showed us the value of using the W3 approach to networking. It’s sure to reap wonderful results and leave you fulfilled. The W3 answers 3 questions that could get your foot into just about any door: Who am I? What do I need? What am I willing to share?

The core of the W3 method is realizing that ‘networking’ isn’t just identifying the person in a room whom you want to meet, or finding someone who knows someone that can give you a job; it’s about asking someone what you can offer.

Donna showed us that EVERYONE has something to share, something that will be valuable to another person. For example, “You knit? Great! I was looking for cute booties and stockings for my niece.” And the person you’re speaking with is the wife of a board member of Coca-Cola – the company you’d like to do an internship with. Maybe she can put in a word for you with her husband now that she can buy booties from you…

A lot of the attendees in my session were students on the verge of completing their 2^nd or 3^rd degree, or students who are about to graduate in a few months, so just about everyone came to learn to “Network to get work” (Donna’s phrase). We found that one of the easiest ways to stand out from the other interviewees is to make who we are relevant. After introducing ourselves, telling what we know, and explaining what we need, we can ask how we can help them. By making ourselves interesting and likeable, we’re more likely to be remembered – and hired!

What was the problem with the cat scenario I referred to? Yes, we both had something in common – being cat people – but we did not really establish a link for ourselves. We didn’t offer each other anything that added value to our lives or experiences. That’s the difference. When you truly network, you give something and you get something. And there’s value added on all sides. Win-win, they call it…?

A very generous touch from Donna was a list of over 50 resources from a vast number of fields. This was extremely fitting since we were from diverse disciplines and had different interests. The list featured a club we could use to travel the globe on OPM (other people’s money), a resource to send out free cards (not e-cards!) to people, and even an organisation that offers mentoring to young professionals. I could go on and on about the value of this workshop. But don’t just take my word for it.

Here’s what some other attendees said:

“I am planning to join the work force after 4 years off to raise my 2 babies. I needed the energy and the ideas you imparted to start the journey again. I feel energized, my batteries are recharged and I’m motivated and confident to start that journey again.”

“The session was quite useful to me, it clarified some points I needed clarified and showed me new methods that I can utilize in both my career.”

“I’ve learned it’s not what you want that goes first, it’s what you can offer to the other party that should be uppermost in your mind.”

“I love the idea of “giving a gift” to another person to help build their network. It’s the pay it forward belief. Thanks Donna.”   

Yes, the iPhone, the iPod, iTouch, and Xbox are great. But let me challenge you to try something new: Engage in iNetwork. It won’t only enrich your life, it’ll take you to places you’d only dreamed and wished for.

Want to hear a true story? This is my first published blog – a venture I’d only secretly dreamed of. And it’s all come to fruition because I attended Donna’s teaching, and said ‘Yes’ at the right time.

Try it. You will NOT be disappointed. So when next opportunity knocks…?  iNetwork!

Contact Ima at itueni@univmail.cis.mcmaster.ca

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We, not Me: Networking 101 for Graduate Students

We, not Me: Networking 101 for Graduate Students

Donna Messer’s MITACS workshop, “Effective Networking,” is offered to graduate students who might not realize the value of networking or who might not know how to use networking as a tool. We are two graduate students who attended this workshop on 29 April 2010.  Here we share some of the highlights of what we learned.  

Julie: Jasmine, what is one of the take home messages for you from the workshop?

Jasmine: I think the best thing Donna offered us was a way into the world of networking. As grad students, we’re very familiar with research but we often need our professors to point us in the right direction. When it came to networking, so many of the students in the room had no idea where to start! Because Donna provided us with names of companies, services, and other resources to use as starting points, we could get on the right track. We can do the digging work once we’ve found the location of the buried treasure, but Donna gave us the map.

What about you, Julie?

Julie:  If I have to pick one thing to take action on right away, it’s that I (still!) need to work on my LinkedIn profile.  It’s definitely something I think a lot of us grads need to work on.  Even if it seems like a long time before you graduate, it’s a good idea to create a professional online identity for yourself as soon as possible.  It might yield an unexpected opportunity in the short-term and in the long-term will help ensure you have a large and vibrant network by the time you graduate. 

Related to this, Donna mentioned how Facebook is not a good tool for business or professional networking, which I think most of us realize.  But what about other parts of our online identity?  For example, I have a blog.  It started out as something to support my professional online identity as a researcher who works with Makushi Amerindian communities in Guyana on their “home sown and home grown” form of environmental education.  But during my recent reconnaissance visit, the blog became personal and poetic.  I’m proud of it as a work of art, but I will not put it as a link on my LinkedIn profile.  I’m working on having two distinct online identities: my personal identity, which uses the fun, informal network of friends and family (Facebook and my personal blog); and my professional identity, which will be hosted by the formal network of LinkedIn, and I might create a professional blog about my research.

Jasmine: That’s definitely a good idea. I’ve had my LinkedIn account for a couple of years now, but I’ve never known how to make it work for me. I was always nervous about asking to be connected to people I might learn from out of the fear of being too bold. I think there’s a negative stigma linked to the word ‘networking’ that Donna helped to destroy. Because she focused on what each person can bring to a relationship, networking didn’t seem self-serving. We needed to hear the straightforward truth: there are so many people who are able to help each other who would not be put into contact if not for networking. Connecting people is beneficial to all parties involved. 

Julie: You’re absolutely right, the key thing is to engage in ethical networking.  Donna is very well connected with a large network.  She is a hub, a connector able to make key connections for others.  For her, ethical networking means she only connects people when it will be mutually beneficial and when she trusts both parties will act with integrity.  In contrast, most of us students need to concentrate on building our network rather than on connecting our contacts to each other.  That will come later.  For now, acting with integrity and remembering what we have to offer helps ensure a hub like Donna will want to connect us with her contacts.

Jasmine: Yes. As for finding ways we can help others, I think Donna helped us understand how to make connections best with the “Building Relationships” exercise in her workshop. We were asked to pair up with someone in the room and share some of our skills, hobbies, and interests. After a short conversation we discovered that we had a lot in common and also had some advice to share. We were instructed to share a gift with our partners based on what we had learned from our brief encounter so that we would each benefit from the knowledge of someone else. I had the pleasure of connecting with a lovely woman who loves to cook. I’m not the queen of the kitchen, so maybe I’ll be able to get a recipe or two from her. She’s quite new to the country and hasn’t been a student in years, so I can share some of the resources I know of that are available for students.

The activities were enjoyable but also helped drive Donna’s messages home.

Julie: That’s especially true of the last activity. Our final activity was a group reflective exercise.  First, we each thought of one word to describe the keys to networking that we had learned about in the workshop – but from a different perspective than our own.  Our group came up with: Innovation, Adaptation, Attentiveness, Flexibility, Creativity, Interaction, and Awareness. Then as a group, we had to put our words into a coherent sentence!!!  Here we share a distilled version of our take-home message from the workshop to spare you, gentle reader, from a mammoth run-on sentence:   

 We have learned that to succeed together on our life’s journey, we must become more creative and adaptable. We need to put a plan in place so that we can meet the people we need to know in order to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

 Jasmine:  Not bad!  The other group played on similar themes. They concluded: To solve problems effectively, we should be flexible, learning to accept and adapt to different communication styles. We can become more observant, to analyze and accommodate new ideas. We can learn to solve problems based on ever-changing situations, and understand that there is never just one solution.

 All in all, the workshop helped us get our feet wet in the world of ethical, reciprocal, and effective networking.  That means we must be creative and adaptable when making connections, but even more importantly, we have to remember not to lose the genuine desire to make a human connection.  In the end, as Donna says, “Networking is about people!”

Jasmine Ball is an English M.A. student at Carleton University. Julie Comber is a PhD Candidate in Education at the University of Ottawa.  Connect with us on LinkedIn! 

* Julie and Jasmine are both connected directly to me through LinkedIn. I look forward to working with both of them many times in the future!  Donna

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Entrepreneur + Economics = ENTRENOMICS

Entrepreneur + Economics = ENTRENOMICS

 While the word “Entrenomics” hasn’t yet been entered into the dictionary, I feel confident that it will be soon. So many Entrepreneurs are becoming more economically savvy. Gone are the days of starting a business without a business plan or a break-even figure. Now entrepreneurs recognize the importance of not only planning, but also of measuring the results.

ConnectUs launched a pilot project in May of 2009. The pilot we called “Power Team” was hugely successful. The project introduced ConnectUs to experts at the executive level; experts able to define the operational metrics that are the key to understanding any business in any economic climate.

These experts have formed alliances and now, through Entrenomics they provide the tools needed to help entrepreneurs succeed. Our Experts are in sales, marketing, finance, transportation, information technology, human resources, social media, franchising and more.

We feel that Entrenomics is a unique approach to business for those who have a strong desire to monitor their progress and produce measurable results.

Using the ConnectUs Strategy and our team of experts, we’ve developed an affordable program that is specifically geared toward entrepreneurs who want to understand the “sense” behind making dollars.

According to my research, “a definable, operational methodology is the key to understanding business in any economic climate.”  By using the ConnectUs success strategies, we keep entrepreneurs alert to trends, and connected to the experts that can keep them on track and profitable. 

If you want to know more about Entrenomics watch for updates on our website.  To join a Power Team go to www.connectuscanada.com

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