Skillshops and KeyNote Descriptions

Build Your Network BEFORE You Need It!

You’ve heard the phrase, “it’s who you know.” You’ve also heard how important it is to “build your network.” Are you wondering how and where to start building your network? Or are you a good networker and wanting to meet others to expand your current network? In this skill session you will have an opportunity to meet several new people using a structured approach. You have no idea who you’ll meet and who they know. The structured format allows you to “be curious” and provides a way to meet new people throughout the day and throughout your life.

Creating a Culture of Courage™:   The New Leadership Challenge

Cindy Solomon, Key Note Speaker

As companies are demanding that employees take more risks and do more with less, courage is a critical element of every leader’s skill set.  Today success depends almost entirely on the ability to make difficult decisions confidently and quickly.  While many believe that courage is a quality that leaders are born with, Solomon’s extensive research shows that everyone can build “courage skills” to create strong, productive organizations.  Learn how to create an organization that thrives on change—and learns with every decision it makes.  Creating Courage™ enables every employee and organization to meet the demands of an uncertain future.

Entrepreneurship: From Great Idea to a Great Business

Pat Wiklund

If you’re ready to translate what you know and who you are into your own successful business, this interactive session will give you the tools and the perspective you need to be successful right away. You’ll learn the crucial strategies, tactics, and processes for starting your own business, how to know if your business has a profitable market, how to develop products customers want and will buy, the systems and tools you’ll need to keep on track, and how to manage yourself as an entrepreneur. All taught by a long time one-person business owner, who’s been both wildly successful and failed miserably. Jump start your business success by leveraging her experience and tools.

The Inside Scoop to Buying Your First Home

Allison G. Sofnas

Are you wondering how you can get your foot in the door in the expensive Bay Area real estate market?  Do you dream of owning property but think you can’t afford it?  Allison Sofnas has over a decade of experience as a loan officer and can show you ways you can buy property to live in or as an investment.  She will be showing you zero money down options as well as ways to buy rental properties in more affordable areas.  Don’t miss this informative and fun presentation!

Career Transitions - Making Your Dream Career a Reality!

Rebecca Kieler

Are you bored with what you do? Have you fallen into a job that’s not a good fit for you?

Are you frustrated you can’t make more of a difference through your work? The most effective way to shed new light on a frustrating situation is to look outside yourself for new ideas, perspectives, and direction. We will be helping you ask new questions that help you open the door to new thinking about your next career. Our main goal will be to help you shift from seeing limited options to seeing great possibilities! Join us to learn the “Secret Questions!”

Show Me the Money!  Negotiating for More of What You Deserve

Kimberly Wiefling

We all negotiate on a daily basis, however we don't usually call it that. You may be trying to get a coworker to change a behavior that is driving you nuts, or agreeing on deliverable dates for an important project, or simply trying to improve your salary. Without communication, there is no negotiation. Unfortunately, most conversations are like 2 TVs facing one another. Based on “Getting to Yes”, this workshop will equip you with practical tools that will enable you to "get the other guy to have your way" and dramatically increase your chances of achieving your negotiation goals. It's common sense, which continues to be amazingly uncommon. Come find out why "Women Don't Ask", and you’ll leave with negotiation skills that you can apply immediately!

Self-Employed Essentials: Insurance, Legal and Taxes

K. Janelle Lee, Katy Pletter, Angela De La Housaye

Running your own business requires you to understand self-employment taxes, corporate and personal insurance, legal structures and liabilities. Tax, legal and insurance questions are necessary parts of structuring and operating a successful business. You want to do it right the first time as it can be costly and time consuming to correct start up errors (assuming they can be corrected). This workshop is perfect for women who are interested in starting a business or who have already started a business and want to know if they should do something to protect their personal liability or their company’s assets. Join three successful women who are running their own businesses as you learn how to proactively manage these crucial aspects of your business and become prepared for the inevitable legal and tax issues that will come up along the way.

Introduction to Financial Planning: Applying the Basics to Create a Fabulous Life

Rachel Robasciotti

This skillshop is designed to address questions and facilitate a brief dialogue around the four areas of financial planning. Learn how to build a solid financial foundation in order to achieve your financial goals as we cover topics such as cash management and reserves, risk management & retirement planning.

Watching Your Assets: 5 Steps to decreasing debt, caring for your credit

Jenifer Madson

Join us as we forge a clear path to the best way to acquire assets, accelerate debt pay-off, and care for your credit. During this presentation, we will explore:

• Types of assets: real estate, cash and property
• Debt-acceleration: do you need to pay for a program to do it?
• Caring for your credit: understanding your scores and how to improve them

By the time we’re through, you’ll never look at a car or department store credit card the same way again!

Powerful Leadership:  Promoting Yourself with Great Communication, Clarity & Confidence

Maureen Simon

There is great power to be found in expressing ourselves clearly, authentically and effectively.  To be natural and comfortable in our communication is the first step to living an empowered life.  In this seminar, we will discover ways to communicate more strongly in the world, and we will look at ways you can convey greater confidence and leadership in the messages you send in business, your personal life and in general to the world. 

Lessons Learned as an Entrepreneur

Christina (“Christy”) Carlisle Jones, Key Note Speaker

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Extend Fertility, Inc.

Christy Jones is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Extend Fertility, Inc., a company dedicated to helping women preserve their fertility through medical and scientific advances in egg freezing. Jones is a seasoned entrepreneur with a successful track record of bringing new technologies to market. In recognition of her achievements, Jones has been honored as Ernst and Young’s 1999 National Young Entrepreneur of the Year, a “Top 100 Young Innovator” by MIT’s Technology Review, and “Top 20 Leaders Under 30” by Working Woman. Jones received a BA in economics from Stanford University, and MBA from Harvard Business School.

Break-Out #3

Entrepreneurship: From Idea to IPO - Taking Your Business to the Next Level

Sue Malone

What does it take to be a wildly successful entrepreneur? Learn the experience, the skills, the steps and the determination. Get ready for the ride of your life – and IPO. What does it take? What are your options for funding? How does the ride end? All of this and more in an active and lively discussion. Financing: options; debt v. equity; friend, family, foe; alliances; management: team, environment, outsourcing, big name; Outside Help: who? where do you go to find the person? How do you pick them?

Investing – Funding Goals and Retirement with Mutual Funds and the Stock Market

Rachel Robasciotti

Explore how the various retirement vehicles including, but not limited to, 401(k)s, Roth IRAs, SEPs, and Annuities operate. Get information to help you decide which investments are appropriate for you, as well as identify investment pitfalls to avoid while planning for your retirement. Learn how to make decisions according to a time-tested and systematic method of investing. This workshop is ideal for women still saving and investing toward retirement.

Sales Skills: Selling Your Ideas, Services and Your Self with Power and Conviction

Ann Kent

If you have any interest in growing your business – or your future business – then engaging in active selling will need to happen.  And it doesn’t need to be painful.

This session is about understanding the phases of the selling process and the how-to’s of each one. If you have ever said these things or had these thoughts -   “But I hate selling!” or  “Sales people are so obnoxious.” Or maybe, “ I don’t need to sell – I will hire somebody.” And the most honest, “ I have never sold before – I’m afraid.” – then come in for mind shift.  Ann is already looking forward to meeting you.

Budget: From Bad Word to Blessing

Budgets are one of the biggest challenges that people have in putting their financial lives together.  In our session, participants will achieve ‘Money Moxie’ by learning the three keys to effective budgeting:

*  What you think about a budget – finding a mindset that supports your success

*  What you say about a budget – transformational language that supports your success

*  What you do with a budget – alignment & actions to support your success

Participants will gain powerful strategies for forecasting their fabulous futures!

Break-Out #4

Communication Skills - How to Get Out of Your Own Way!

Kimberly Wiefling

Does your work require you to influence rather than direct others in order to achieve results? Would you like to dramatically increase the effectiveness of your speaking and listening? What would be possible if you let go of certain self-limiting beliefs? If you could benefit from increased effectiveness in the areas of influence, communication and self-empowerment, you will be delighted with the results of this highly interactive and engaging workshop. Kimberly has customized this presentation for our group, and you will come away with the tools and motivation needed to make a substantial increase in your professional effectiveness.

What It’s Worth: Negotiate a Winning Rate

Elka Vera

Does the word “negotiate” call to mind contentious boardrooms or shady salespeople? When you think about negotiating, do you shake at the idea of making deal-busting demands? The fact is consultants negotiate all the time. Determining a winning rate can be more of a dance than a math contest. Learn 10 ways to tip the scales in your favor when a client wants a lower rate. Recognize your margin for negotiation. Receive tools for determining your right rate. Practice speaking frankly about dollars and compensation. Walk away with your own negotiation “play book”

9.5 Steps to Unleash Your Economic Power With Investments in Real Estate

Tara-Nicholle Nelson

Over 75% of American millionaires began developing their wealth through real estate.  As if that weren’t enough, in this SkillShop, you will gain clarity as to why real estate investments are necessary to build economic power in this millennium.  Drill down into the role your mindset has played in stopping you from being the real estate mogul you are destined to be, and learn how to shift into the mindset of a thriving real estate investor.  Then, we’ll explore the numerous strategies for growing your financial resources through real estate, and you’ll learn how to craft an investment portfolio consistent with your life vision and your personal values.  Leave with an action plan for starting – or expanding – your real estate holdings.

Understanding Financial Statements – Yours and Your Business

Sheryl McKeown

Sheryl encourages you to take a deep breath and delve into the terrifying world of “Financial Statements 101, what is all this stuff, how do you read it and why is it important anyway?”  Obtain a basic understanding of Financial Statements & How to Read Them Learn Their Importance and How to Use Them. Financial statements don’t have to be a foreign language. Learn How to Package Your Financial Statement for Success