Article of Interest: A Time to Innovate

The September issue of Entrepreneur magazine has a special focus on the Women Presidents' Organization talking about how some of the business world's most influential women get together to take on the future.

Catch it here!

Blog Post of Interest: Coaching Lessons For Business Owners Inspired by the Olympics

Watching the Olympics, I could not help but think of the similarity between Olympic gold medal winners and business owners who brave it out to grow a business successfully.

This blog post touches on many aspects of my thoughts. See whether you agree.

Photo: Left is Sanya Richards. Her team captured the USA gold in the 4x400 relay.

News of Interest: 5th Annual WPO Chicago Summit Wins Gold Medal For Quality

Our 5th Annual WPO Chicago Summit and No-Host Dinner on August 14th was a huge success thanks to our two key sponsors, Harris and IBM, who generously underwrote our program content and continue to bring us greater insights and connections.

Summit speakers Susan Hed from IBM, Jack Stack from SRC Holdings Corporation and Holly Hunt from HOLLY HUNT, demonstrated how to become an influential leader, inspire employees to think and act like CEOs, and continue to build a business up to a thriving $120 million enterprise.

As we said in our program, everyday we face business challenges head-on and inspire others with a sense of hope and purpose. But on August 14th we asked that all attendees (largest turnout ever) kick back, relax, get to know someone they had never met before and brainstorm about how to use the knowledge they gained to develop themselves, their business, their community, and their world tomorrow. We are proud to say that everyone walked away renewed, refreshed and empowered, because they realize the best is yet to come.

Thank you all for attending. We value your membership and sponsorship. Without it, the Women Presidents’ Organization would not be where it is today.

And special thanks to our national sponsors who help to make the WPO program possible.

See you August 13, 2009 at our 6th Annual WPO Chicago Summit and No Host Dinner!

Article of Interest: In Search of Growth Leaders

How do you find managers who can turbocharge organic growth -- that is, internally generated growth -- for your company? How do you nurture them?

That's the trick and this article, "In Search of Growth Leaders," addresses how to put entrepreneurial skills to work in your company to achieve breakout results.

Have you experienced a similar situation? We'd welcome a chance to hear from you. Please share your ideas to ldelaney(at)globetrade(dot)com and we will blog about your advice here so everyone benefits.

Article of Interest: Hiring a CEO From the Outside Is More Expensive

A new study by Equilar Inc. found that external hires for a CEO position recruited from outside a company earn more in their first year than those promoted from within.

The study looked at CEOs hired during fiscal years ended between April 30, 2007, and March 31, 2008. Its results can be found here. Outside hires tend to be paid more to offset the risks and expenses of leaving one company for another, including lost perks and equity.

Failing to plan for leader succession can be costly all around.

Articles of Interest: Using Innovation To Transform Your Business

Two great articles about small business innovation were featured recently in The Wall Street Journal and we wanted to make sure you saw them:

Tapping the Creativity of Downtime

Productive Brainstorms Take The Right Mix of Elements

If you have a story to share relative to how you use innovation to speed ahead of the curve with your business and are close to a million in annual revenue, we'll take it.

Send us an email (ldelaneyatglobetrade.com) describing what you did and how it has made a difference transforming your business. We'll feature you on this blog as a soon-to-be WPO Chicago member!

News of Interest: Eved Services Wins Stevie Award

Eved Services won a Stevie Award for Best Overall Company under 100 employees in The 2008 American Business Awards.

In accepting the Stevie, WPO Chicago member Talia Mashiach (pictured at microphone) said, "This is for the entire Eved team in Chicago who has worked so hard to make Eved Services the #1 Event Services company.”

Stevie Awards were presented in over 40 categories including Best Overall Company, Best Executive, and Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program. More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration.

This award means an incredible amount to Eved Services. At only four years old, the company has grown 1200% and continues to redefine the event space with new technology and exceptional service quality.

Videoclips of the award presentations are available online here (look for Eved Services under 8 p.m. ceremony -- in order of presentation).

We congratulate Talia and are extremely proud of her!

Article of Interest: Would You Hire Your Husband?

Are you comfortable running your own show and having your "life partner" work for you?

If you are, then you don't need to go any further. If you are not or are seriously considering it, read this interesting article to see if you have what it takes to delineate respective roles that play to each others' strengths and keep a relationship happy over the long haul.

Event of Interest: 5th Annual WPO Chicago Summit and No-Host Dinner

Thursday, August 14, 2008
11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

IBM Innovation Center
71 South Wacker Drive, 6th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606

Sponsored By:








We are in the final stages of planning our Summit -- sponsored by Harris N.A. and IBM -- and are proud to announce our lineup of keynote speakers:

Jack Stack (generously underwritten by Harris N.A.): Jack Stack will talk about what it really takes to build a business of business people by harnessing the most powerful management tool a company has.

He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SRC Holdings Corporation, an award-winning, employee-owned organization based in Springfield, Missouri. Under Jack’s stewardship, SRC has experienced phenomenal growth, spawning more than 40 new business ventures—and creating hundreds of new jobs—in only 22 years. Today SRC employs 1,200 people and generates annual revenue of $230 million.

Jack is the co-author of the best-selling business books The Great Game of Business (Doubleday/Currency, 1992) and A Stake in the Outcome (Doubleday/Currency, 2002). As a regular columnist for Inc. magazine, he writes about the business world, entrepreneurship, authentic leadership, employee ownership, and what it takes to succeed in today’s ever-changing marketplace.

Susan Hed, VP General Business, Oracle Alliance, IBM Corporation: Sue Hed will speak to us about the influence of leadership.

She is currently Vice President, General Business, Global Oracle Alliance. She is responsible for strategic growth of IBM Hardware, Software and Services business associated with Oracle’s application software in General Business. In this role she works closely with our Oracle and IBM Business partners to deliver best of breed solutions to midsize clients.

Sue brings more than twenty years of global leadership expertise in alliances and software solution sales to her current position. Prior to this position she was VP Global ISV Solution Sales in NE EMEA, responsible sales with strategic global ISV partners and IBM technology and services. She joined IBM in 1998, with prior sales experience in business consulting services with a specialization in CRM.

Holly Hunt: Inspiring design entrepreneur Holly Hunt will talk about what it takes to build a successful enterprise.

Holly runs an upscale design house that makes and markets home and office furnishings, fabrics, and lighting fixtures. The company has showrooms in Chicago, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. It also shows its products in other selected furniture stores.

Holly's introduction of French designer, Christian Liaigre, helped to secure the company's position in the furniture-with-flair niche. Other showcased furniture designers include Alison Berger, John Hutton, and Studio H. Holly Hunt founded the design firm as a single store in 1984.

Learn more about her company here.

We have three (3) WPO Chicago members sponsoring our reception immediately following our program and dinner is pre-arranged too.

This is a for-members-only event but it is not too late to join provided you pre-qualify and we have space in a chapter. Contact Laurel Delaney at the email address shown on our blog (right sidebar) or call 773-381-1700 for further information.

Special thanks to Harris N.A. and IBM for helping us make this year's event the best ever.

We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you soon!

P.S. WPO Chicago private wiki members register here.

News of Interest: Shelly Sun Is Living Her Dream

Find out how WPO Chicago member Shelly Sun (pictured), President, BrightStar Healthcare is living and doing her dream here. Be inspired to make a difference.

Congratulations Shelly for such great work and media coverage. We are very proud of you!

News of Interest: Angelika Coghlan Named NAWBO Chicago President

WPO Chicago suburban member Angelika Coghlan, President (pictured), Catwalk Consulting, takes home the additional title of President, NAWBO Chicago.

We wish her continued success in her new role and are very proud of her.

News of Interest: Michelle Hayward Seals S.H.E. Deal

Congratulations to WPO Chicago member Michelle Hayward, President of Bluedog Design (pictured with flowers from her WPO Chicago sisters), for being awarded 2008 Business of the Year through the ATHENA Power Link program at the S.H.E. reception last night.

We are very proud of Michelle who has worked hard to earn this wonderful achievement and wish her continued success growing Bluedog Design.

Learn more about ATHENA Power Link, here.

Note: The executives pictured (excluding Jasmine and Cheryl) all served on Michelle's award winning panel (L-R): Jasmine Moore, Program Director for CEC and manager of the ATHENA Power Link program, Mary Lou Wattman of Brightsocks, Michelle Hayward of Bluedog Design (award winner), David Houle of David Houle & Associates, Karen Hale of National City Bank, Dara Griffith of RSM McGladrey (look closely behind Scott), Scott Issen of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, Bess Gallanis of Bess Gallanis, Inc. and off to the right in the back is guest Cheryl Cryer, Marketing Services Director for RSM McGladrey who manages our WPO chapter meetings in the suburbs. Not shown is Susan Sentell of The Sentell Group.

Event of Interest: S.H.E. Reception 6/5

As a proud partner, join us Thursday, June 5, at the CEC as we celebrate the value that business advisors provide to entrepreneurs. The S.H.E. Reception connects successful women business owners with seasoned entrepreneurs and professionals. Both men and women are encouraged to attend.

Register today and find out who the 2008 Business of the Year and Advisory Panel of the Year awards go to.

Learn more about ATHENA Power Link, here.

See you there!

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

What a great post about our conference here. Many thanks to Athena Schindelheim at Inc.com's blog for covering our event so meticulously!

News of Interest: Enter 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year Award

The UPS Store and Entrepreneur announced Entrepreneur magazine's 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year award. There are two awards: one for an emerging business (less than five years in business with fewer that five employees) and one for an established business owner. Candidates will be judged based on the positive impact they've had on their industries, customers, employees and communities.

Winners will be featured in Entrepreneur magazine and honored at a luncheon in Long Beach, CA, in December 2008.

For more information and to enter (deadline is 6/30/08) go here.

News of Interest: Next Level Learning

More often than not during WPO chapter sessions members claim when running their businesses that they just need to get out of their own way to move the company ahead.

Is that you, too? If it is, you might find the new initiatives offered by the Women's Entrepreneurship Institute (WEI) and the New York Times Knowledge Network of value.

For more information, read the press release here.

Article of Interest: New Breed of Business Gurus Rises

On May 6th, we sent out the following message privately to all WPO Chicago members:

Many of you participated in the WPO annual conference in Chicago 2006 when we had Gary Hamel as our keynote speaker. According to yesterday's WSJ article he continues to be ranked No. 1 as an author, consultant and key influential business thinker.

And for those who had the opportunity to attend this year's conference in Boston with Malcolm Gladwell, he's featured as No. 4 on the list.

The question becomes and the article points this out ... where are the women?

Afterwards, I followed up with the author of the article, Erin White, and mentioned how I had the great privilege of listening to Gary Hamel, Jim Collins and Malcolm Gladwell at WPO annual conferences over the past three years and that I am glad she asked the question, where are the women? I ended my message with "please remember my name" for perhaps some day I might be a part of the list (gutsy, I know).

I think we should all strive to make the A-list of business gurus, don't you?

This morning (5/10), I received an email from the top publicist at Babson College asking me if I care to comment on a professor's post regarding the same article.

Anyone else care to weigh in?

P.S. Rosabeth M. Kanter (pictured) is the only woman who made the list in 2003.

NOTE: Added 5/19/08:
The Dearth of Female "Management Gurus"

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

More, more, more on our fabulous Boston conference.

Pictured is Marc Lautenbach, General Manager of the Americas, IBM, addressing attendees in the America Ballroom at the Westin Copley Place on the changing nature of innovation for a globalized economy. He sees new technologies leading to the connectedness of everything.

My notes from one of his presentation slides indicates:

"Global integration is the new playing field ... and innovation is the way you win the game."

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

Speaker, blogger, author and entrepreneur-extraordinaire Marilynn Mobley, Senior Vice President, Strategic Counsel at Edelman, considered the absolute best public relations firm on the face of the earth, gave a knock'm dead presentation at our conference on how to generate great ideas that drive innovation.

Marilynn continues to achieve standing-room only audiences (this is her third talk for WPO) because she has a way of captivating the audience with her knowledge and presentation skills. People arrive early to ensure they get in and they never seem to get enough of her despite the fact she's usually on for a good hour or two. Even I return to hear her presentations not once but twice (hence the very poor photo I took of her) because I know I will always miss a golden nugget of wisdom from her.

She really WOW'd us. Here's a post from Kristin Chessman at WomenEntrepreneur.com telling all about Marilynn's talk (scan to: Innovative Ideas to Reach Your Audience) and take a glimpse at some of the marvelous things Marilynn had to say (much nicer picture of her here I might add) about her WPO experience.

And rest assure that I am going to do everything in my power to see that Marilynn gets a main stage act at our 2009 conference in San Diego April 23-25th so everyone can be comfortably seated and experience her brilliance. She's worth it.

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

Were it not for our WPO founder, Dr. Marsha Firestone (pictured), none of this would be made possible.

Our thanks to Marsha and her team for putting on an absolutely amazing conference.

Read about the chat WomenEntrepreneur.com blogger Kristen Chessman had with Marsha under the title of Chatting With Marsha Firestone.

Stay tuned ... more still coming on our WPO conference in Boston!