Wednesday, September 27, 2006
RE: Hire a Publicist Instead.
Here's a little known secret. Even if you are writing for the lowest common demoninator, you won't get rich writing a book. According to the New York Times, 81 percent of Americans feel they have a book in them, and think that they should write it. There are more than 5,000 business books published annually in the U.S.
Raintoday.com reports that the average business book sells 5,000 copies (12,000 if you use a book agent), and the average author royalty is $1 a book. Do the math. Woo-hoo. Factor in time/value of money and the number of hours it would take you to write a remarkable, memorable book.
At yesterday's Pattishall McAuliffe meeting, esteemed author Al Lautenslager verified these facts from personal experience. "I make my money speaking," Al quietly confided.
Indeed RainToday.com's published author survey suggests the benefits of publishing include: improving service brands, generating more speaking engagements, generating more clients, generating leads, increasing fees, generating a more desirable clients base, and closing more deals. Yet all of those benefits can be gleaned from good P.R., developing an exceptional speaker's kit and soliciting speaking engagements based on your area of expertise, hosting a blog, doing right by your existing clients to ensure W-O-M, and leveraging your unique perspective.
So I suggest to you...why waste your time writing a business book at all? Unless you really dream of declaring yourself a pedantic pedagogue. Write a fictional book and license the heck out of the property (think: Harry Potter). Or hire a phenomenal publicist instead.
RE: Power HandBags Spell Trouble.
Connecting the dots for women...
According to the Chicago Tribune...
"Handbags are big this fall. Really big. The hottest handbags are close to 2 feet tall and wider than a doorway - power bags large enough to hold a small bureau and topple a passerby with one swing of the shoulder."
Splurging on a handbag after reaching a certain echelon is a common practice for Chicago-based executive women:
"It (a designer handbag) shows you mean business. It doesn't matter if I'm using a Bic pen, as long as I have my Prada bag."
But designer handbags are bags of trouble according to this
poll of 1800 women. More than 60% of women surveyed keep valuable items in their bag and a third are carrying around enough material to have their bank account accessed. Eighty-one percent do not insure their bags and a quarter of them have had their bag stolen at least once.
RE: A Pat on the Head and Pocket Change.
Same old women's story. Women entrepreneurs who aren't socialites, married to wealthy men, set up by sugar daddies, running hobby businesses, or innovating with a clear (fundable!) exit strategy, desperately need capital. Monday's Wall Street Journal puts a positive spin on what we already know. Organizations noted in the article...
the SBA Office of Women's Business OwnershipCount Me In - the organization's loans range from $500 - $10,000, less than the average monthly retainer for a P.R. agencyLadies Who Launch - fun networking events, no funds hereThe National Association of Women Business Owners - advocacy, not assetsGolden Seedsand the Angel Capital Education Foundation.
Of all the organizations listed in the WSJ article, the only ones that are delivering significant operating capital to women are the Angel Capital Education Foundation and Golden Seeds, a woman-focused angel group. There are six women-focused angel groups in the U.S, according to the Kauffman Foundation. In the past year, various women's venture and angel funds have gone bust including McColl Garella and Axxon Capital. The U.S. Small Business Administration's venture capital financing program for women is now defunct.
Companies Amex (OPEN) and Wells Fargo are also highlighted in the WSJ article. Wells Fargo's average loan size to women is still under $40,000, but to the bank's credit, they have extended more than 600,000 loans to women business owners over the last ten years.
In the end, it truly is a class struggle, even more so than a gender struggle. And as with all class struggles, the rich (and the media) sell hope and the American dream!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
RE: Women's Professional Organizations 101: WorldWIT
This is the fourth installment of our Women's Professional Organizations 101 Series. At re:invention, we know it can be time-intensive for corporate marketers and executives to mine through the myriad of women's professional organizations and evaluate women's organization sponsorship opportunities. You want to be sure your sponsorship dollars are reaching the right fit demographic/psychographic target - and that your sponsorships deliver measurable results (ROI). Our goal: a resource library for corporate marketing executives.
We continue our Women's Professional Organizations 101 Series with WorldWIT.
Organization Overview:
WorldWIT is a global online and offline network for women in business and technology. Based in Boulder, Colorado, WorldWIT provides resources to support the advancement of women at the intersection of work and life. The organization's goal is to support and enable women in business to reach their career and personal goals through interactive dialogue and moderated listservs (e-mail discussion groups). The organization hosts events, provides private discussion communities for corporations and associations, connects recruiters and human resources specialists with career seekers on WorldWIT's Hire Ground, and offers consulting and training services. A self-proclaimed multi-media content source, WorldWIT produces WorldWIT Radio; a weekly html newsletter, Thinking Aloud; teleseminars; Web site columns; and blogs. WorldWIT was hailed as the Woman's Business Association of the Year at The 2004 Stevie Awards for Women Entrepreneurs.
Buzz Words:
Professional Women, Insights, Technology, Interactive Dialogue, Listservs
Date Founded:
1999 (launched as CHICWIT, in Chicago)
Website:
www.worldwit.orgMedia Kit
Member Demographics and Psychographics:
The organization has a 40,000 count membership base comprised of entrepreneurs; corporate, government and nonprofit leaders; professionals; tech-sector experts; consultants; educators; journalists; freelancers; venture capitalists; attorneys, and women in media and entertainment. The average member is a degreed, professional woman. Nearly 95% of WorldWIT members are women, equally distributed between 25-50 years old. 71% of WorldWIT members earn over $60,000, 52% earn over $80,000 and 36% earn over $100,000 per year. 95% have completed college and 34% have a masters or doctorate degree.
Organization Stats:
Stats for WorldWIT's e-mail discussion groups are unavailable, but all 40K members are registered to receive email discussion updates. The original chapter, ChicWIT, is currently the organization's largest list, boasting 8,000 members. According to WorldWIT Communications Director, Kristi Hughes, "ChicWIT has twice the traffic of some lists, three times more than others." Website stats are unavailable. The site's Alexa rating: 138,166.80 chapters in 25 countries around the world 40,000 registered members.
Member Benefits and Programs:
Annual membership fees: Zip. Zero. Na-da. WorldWIT has never charged membership dues and has no plans to change that policy, as corporate sponsors support the free membership.Email Discussion Groups and Listservs -- every WorldWIT Chapter has an Email Discussion Group at its core. The organization encourages members to post messages to their chapter lists often.
Local Chapter Events -- WorldWIT hosts high-energy events across the globe year-round.Camp WorldWIT -- two and a half days of world-class keynote presentations, outstanding topical panels and incredible networking and learning, including sunrise yoga, painting, Crabtree and Evelyn spa night, and an Intel Wireless Networking pavilion. WorldWIT's award-winning website -- with a customized page for each of its chapters, an events section for members to learn about upcoming events in their cities, and advertising vehicles for the organization's growing number of sponsors. The site also includes additional content and services from WorldWIT's resident experts, subscribers, partners and sponsors. WorldWIT Radio -- a weekly Internet radio show featuring "industry top brass."Thinking Aloud -- a weekly HTML newsletter designed to provide in-depth information and articles on trends and current events taking place around the world that have an impact on professional women. The Bridge -- a private online community for corporations. The Bridge product provides a powerful communications tool and vehicle for sharing advice, contacts and materials internally across departments and geographies. This powerful community-in-a-box enables webinars, live chats and teleseminars and creates a seamless avenue for conducting surveys, creating white papers and building and distributing content within a corporation.A Blog -- edited by WorldWIT members.
Corporate Sponsors:
Deloitte, Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Intel, BusinessWire, L-Soft Listserv, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Angie's List.
Founders:
WorldWIT was founded by pioneer, Liz Ryan. Liz received a B.S. in Marketing from Loyola University in Chicago in 1986, and an M.S. in Communication Studies from Northwestern University in 1992. Liz, the former VP of H.R. for U.S. Robotics, is also a trained opera singer. In her "spare time," Liz writes a weekly workplace column for BusinessWeek Online and is the resident on-air career expert for her local 9 News-Denver, Colorado's NBC affiliate. She was honored by Enterprising Women magazine with a 2005 Enterprising Women Advocacy Award.
Noteworthy Media Quotes from Liz Ryan, WorldWIT Founder:
"The issue that vexes corporate people in every industry and function, is this: How do I succeed at my job without turning into that spineless character -- a pod person?""I once read that the secret to networking was to enter a crowded room with 50 business cards and get rid of them in an hour. That made my stomach turn. For me, it would just be wasting cards.""It happens every day: a working woman realizes that her male boss or co-worker has substituted her for his mom or daughter. If you're treated with respect, kid gloves, deference and have no influence in decisions - and are "protected" from bad news - then you're Mom. If you're treated graciously and carefully and kept out of difficult or thorny situations, you're somebody's surrogate daughter. Women won't tolerate that. We are just who we are - women that you hired, women who will make your company thrive and flourish, if you let us."
How to Join This Organization:
Visit www.worldwit.org/JoinNow/.
Make sure that your women's professional organization is profiled! Send your information to info@reinventioninc.com.
Do you want to sell more of your company's products and services to women entrepreneurs and executives? Are you curious to learn more about how your company can benefit from sponsoring women's professional organizations? re:invention is here for you. Call us at 312.635.1350.
Additional Reading:
re:invention's How to Court Enterprising Women free report
Sunday, September 24, 2006
RE: Toasting Women CMOs.
Earlier this month, Brandweek announced their first State of Women Working in Marketing Study (2006), in partnership with research firm, Copernicus. The survey of 256 senior marketing executives (162 men, 94 women) in automobiles, sports, financial services, packaged goods, travel and entertainment explored the perceptions of and explanations for women's success in marketing. Brandweek's conclusion:
"If the proverbial corporate glass ceiling does indeed exist, it appears to be lifting in the marketing department."
A snapshot of study findings:- 80% of survey respondents (90% of the men and 71% of the women) said that women are achieving either "greater" or "much greater" success in marketing today than in the past.
- 67% of survey respondents (75% of men, 57% women) said women in marketing are more successful relative to other departments (e.g., operations, sales, R&D, etc.).
- 81% of women aspired to the highest ranks of marketing (versus 68% of men), countering any notion that women may not want to make the necessary sacrifices to climb to the top. Men and women in the survey agreed equally with the statement, "I would only take a job that allows me to balance my needs and those of my family, even if that means settling for a lower position."
- Only about half the study's participants (59% of men, 47% of women) reported that women in marketing were actually more successful within their own companies, raising questions about whether outward perceptions were a true indication of reality.
The study suggested 6 reasons for women's success in marketing: listening skills, collaboration skills, ability to emotionally connect with the brand, socialization as "influencers" rather than "controllers," ability to think outside of the box, and consensus building skills.
Peter Krieg, President and COO of Copernicus, noted:"While the qualities and characteristics that are usually ascribed to women - more collaborative, consensus builders, etc. - are frequently undervalued and underappreciated in other functional areas, it's quite the opposite situation in marketing. The study suggests that women's success in marketing isn't the result of an adjustment to their decision-making styles. If anything, male vs. female styles have become even more entrenched."
Of the 146 companies listed in the 2005 Brandweek Directory, 37 reported having a woman Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Currently, 10 FORTUNE 500 companies are run by women CEOs (up from 9 in 2005).
Saturday, September 23, 2006
RE: Our Saturday Feature - 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM.
Welcome to the re:invention 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM Saturday Feature. Every Saturday we feature a woman entrepreneur or executive and her personal 10 tips for success. We believe that women can be experts. They have valuable knowledge to share. re:invention's site traffic includes corporate executives, VCs, women business owners, and members of the media. We offer media access to women story sources and inspire future story ideas - serving as a public relations, marketing, and distribution channel for enterprising women. We're on a mission to move women from the lifestyle pages to the business section of the News. Our goal: a wisely-stocked toolbox for and about enterprising women. We hope this feature will be a powerful example of "women helping women win."
This week's featured woman entrepreneur or executive is Jessica Duquette, President of In Perfect Order Organizing Solutions (Los Angeles, CA).
about In Perfect Order Organizing Solutions
In Perfect Order offers organizing solutions for your life and home. From telephone decluttering to closet, garage, and whole house organizing, In Perfect Order has a solution custom-fit for your needs. In Perfect Order Founder, Jessica Duquette, is passionate about helping clients and blog visitors get a unique blend of down-to-earth life lessons, "pattern interrupt" strategies for their bad habits and a home or office that flows smoothly. She has found that once people reconnect with their outrageous and fearless True Self they can more easily release the mental and physical clutter that stands in the way of achieving their life purpose. She works in person with clients in the Los Angeles area, as well as by phone all over the world. Jessica has appeared as guest organizing expert on the Emmy Award winning show Starting Over and her blog has been featured in the Wall St. Journal's prestigious Blog Watch column.
CLICK HERE TO READ JESSICA'S 10 TIPS.
Share YOUR knowledge, WISE WOMEN! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.
Click HERE to visit the 10 Tips for 10 Million Women Archives.
Technorati tags: Osolind women entrepreneurs business saturday marketing Jessica Duqette
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
RE: Women's Professional Organizations 101: NAWBO
This is the third installment of our Women's Professional Organizations 101 Series. At re:invention, we know it can be time-intensive for corporate marketers and executives to mine through the myriad of women's professional organizations and evaluate women's organization sponsorship opportunities. You want to be sure your sponsorship dollars are reaching the right fit demographic/psychographic target - and that your sponsorships deliver measurable results (ROI). Our goal: a resource library for corporate marketing executives.
We continue our Women's Professional Organizations 101 Series with NAWBO® (The National Association of Women Business Owners).
Organization Overview:
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is the voice of America's 10.6 million women-owned businesses. Since 1975, NAWBO has helped women evolve their businesses by sharing resources and providing a single voice to shape economic and public policy. The organization features chapters in almost every metropolitan area. It's mission is to propel women entrepreneurs into political, economic, and social spheres of influence worldwide. NAWBO works to: strengthen the wealth creating capacity of its members and promote economic development; create innovative and effective changes in the business culture; build strategic alliances, coalitions, and affiliations; and transform public policy and influence opinion makers. NAWBO notably founded the Center for Women's Business Research (CWBR) in 1989 as the National Foundation for Women Business Owners (NFWBO). CWBR has evolved into the premier source of knowledge about women business owners and their enterprises worldwide.
Buzz Words:
Advocacy, Economic Development, Public Policy, Women Entrepreneurs
Date Founded:
1975
Website:
www.nawbo.orgMedia Kit
Member Demographics and Psychographics:
With 80 NAWBO chapters across the United States and more than 8000 members, NAWBO is the voice of women business entrepreneurs in America. According to a member survey conducted by the Center for Women's Business Research in 2004, nearly 70% of NAWBO members are service businesses. More than 80% of NAWBO members have employees. The majority of members are between 45 and 54 years old. An amazing 21% of NAWBO members gross over $1 million in annual revenues. Health insurance coverage, tax-related issues, and access to capital are overwhelmingly the top three issues important to NAWBO members.
Organization Stats:
NAWBO has 3 e-newsletters - NAWBOtime distributed to 8,000 people, 6 times a year; NAWBO SmartBrief, distributed to 6500 subscribers each Tuesday and Thursday; and eLeaderBulletin, which goes to 750 people each month.800,000 monthly website hits, 27,850 unique visitors a month 80 chapters in 50 states 8,000 active membersAffiliate Partnerships with the Center for Women's Business Research, Women Impacting Public Policy, the Coalition for Affordable Health Care, the National Association of the Self Employed, the Small Business Procurement Council, and the Financial Planning Association.
Member Benefits and Programs:
Annual membership fees average $225 (national + local chapter dues). Membership benefits include: Corporate and Affinity Partner discounts; One Big Planet/NAWBO membership rewards card; access to the online membership directory and online networking; access to online community bulletin boards; free access to all NAWBO e-newsletters; leadership and business development training; opportunities to participate in media interviews and prepare congressional testimony; national advertisement and promotion through RFP's and speaking opportunities; recognition of achievement through national awards and publicity; special member registration rates to NAWBO-sponsored events; access to the NAWBO Speakers Bureau to promote training and speaking services; public policy advocacy/presence in Washington D.C.; and access to an international business network through affiliation with The International Alliance for Women (TIAW).Two annual national events -- Public Policy Days and the Annual Meeting & Women's Business Conference. NAWBO's 2007 Public Policy Days trains women entrepreneurs about lobbying, legislation, and how to seek office. The event will be held February 25-27 in Washington, D.C. The 2007 Women's Business Conference, comprised of keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and various networking events, will be held May 31 - June 2 in Atlanta.The NAWBO PAC -- NAWBO's PAC raises funds to support members of Congress and women entrepreneur political candidates.The NAWBO Institute for Entrepreneurial Development -- established in 2002, this 501c(3) foundation seeks to expand the educational opportunities for emerging and establishing women entrepreneurs.NAWBO Annual Awards -- NAWBO honors outstanding volunteer achievement through its awards program. The awards include National Public Policy Advocate of the Year, Chapter Public Policy Advocate of the Year, Woman Business Owner of the Year, Member of the Year, Corporate Partner of the Year, Best Practices Diversity Award, and Chapter Corporate Partner of the Year.NAWBO's Speaker Bureau -- an opportunity to share your expert knowledge with other NAWBO members from around the country. For $75 per year, you can place your name, topic, contact information, and fees in the online Speakers Bureau Directory as a resource to all members. As a Speakers Bureau member, your name may be sent to NAWBO chapters and will be promoted to meeting planners and other individuals looking for professional speakers.
NAWBO Corporate Sponsors:
Open from American Express, Guardian Life Insurance, Mirassou Winery, Principal Financial Group, U.S. Postal Service, Wachovia, Wal-Mart Stores, Wells Fargo, AT&T, Capital One Small Business Solutions, CNA Insurance, SBTV.com, and UPS. Corporate sponsors can become involved by underwriting national events or by participating in the National Association of Women Business Owners National Affinity Partner Program.
Founders:
Twelve Washington D.C. women business owners started meeting informally in December 1974 to trade information about federal contracts, bank credit and other issues related to their businesses. Every few weeks the number of women increased and it soon became clear that a formal organization was necessary to develop visibility, political impact and sustained growth. NAWBO incorporated on July 7, 1975. Two years later they began recruiting members from across the country, and in 1978 the first chapters were formed. The first NAWBO National President was Susan Hagar.
Noteworthy Media Quotes from NAWBO:
"If women business owners become part of the system, they will understand what our issues are.""It's really important to realize how young the trend for women to become entrepreneurs is. Until 1988, a woman would have needed her husband or father to sign a loan if she needed one.""We have a lot of educating to do with contract officers in seeking out women and other historically underutilized companies. It's always a two-way street."
How to Join This Organization:
Visit http://nawbo.org/join/index.php.
Make sure that your women's professional organization is profiled! Send your information to info@reinventioninc.com.
Do you want to sell more of your company's products and services to women entrepreneurs and executives? Are you curious to learn more about how your company can benefit from sponsoring women's professional organizations? re:invention has the inside scoop. Call us at 312.635.1350.
Additional Reading:
re:invention's How to Court Enterprising Women free report
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
RE: Women's Professional Organizations 101: eWomenNetwork
This is the second installment of our Women's Professional Organizations 101 Series. At re:invention, we know it can be time-intensive for corporate marketers and executives to mine through the myriad of women's professional organizations and evaluate women's organization sponsorship opportunities. You want to be sure your sponsorship dollars are reaching the right fit demographic/psychographic target - and that your sponsorships deliver measurable results (ROI). Our goal: a resource library for corporate marketing executives.
We continue our Women's Professional Organizations 101 Series with eWomenNetwork, Inc.
Organization Overview:
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, eWomenNetwork, Inc. has declared itself the fastest growing membership-based professional women's networking organization in North America. The for-profit organization is "a women's media company providing a comprehensive suite of services to help women market and promote who they are and what they have to offer." eWomenNetwork pioneered and promotes a whole new way for women to build relationships and transact business called "femtoring," in which women provide knowledge, inspiration and practical information to other women. The organization's exclusive trademarked Accelerated Networking events occur in cities all across the United States and Canada. Committed to giving back to the community, the organization recently launched a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the eWomenNetwork Foundation.
Buzz Words:
Accelerated Networking, Femtoring, Business Referrals
Date Founded:
1999
Website:
www.ewomennetwork.comOrganization FAQS
Member Demographics and Psychographics:
eWomenNetwork's 15,000 active members in North America are a loyal, dedicated community of women-owned businesses, corporate professionals, and entrepreneurs who want to support and network with other dynamic women. Members are committed to helping women and their businesses achieve, succeed and thrive in the new economy via referral networking. According to the organization founder, Sandra Yancey, member ages range from 30 - 64 and median household income is $150,000. Membership profiles represent over 1,000 business categories.
Organization Stats:
800,000 e-newsletter subscribers (compared to 20K for Ladies Who Launch's e-newsletter)3 million monthly website hits (compared to 100K/month for Ladies Who Launch)113 chapters in 50 states (vs. 30 Ladies Who Launch chapters) 15,000 active membersAffiliate Alliances with more than 50 associations and organizations, such as Business and Professional Women USA (BPW/USA), Business Women's Network International (BWNI), and Wyndham Hotel's "Women on the Way."
Member Benefits and Programs:
The Accelerated Network Online Member exchange -- Members pay a one-time lifetime initiation fee of $290 (non-refundable) and a monthly membership fee of $16.95 for access to an online community of resources, message boards, workshops and conferences. Members receive 2 free executive coaching sessions from a panel of eWomenNetwork coaches and can post their business profile on the eWomenNetwork web site.Monthly Accelerated Networking Events -- events organized around a trademarked process similar to speed networking with brief business introductions and alliance building. Event fees average $45. Each event is coordinated by one of the organization's Managing Directors, women licensees who are approved to lead local organization chapters. The eWomenNetwork.com Radio Show -- the #1 women's business radio show on the largest ABC radio affiliate in North America, News/Talk 820 WBAP, every Sunday from 8-9 PM CST. Members have a chance to appear on the show, along with show sponsors and guests.Breakthroughs Over Breakfast -- member only breakfasts, held every 2 - 3 months. Each attendee shares with the audience what she does and what she specifically needs. There is always a subject matter expert (speaker) who shares a breakthrough idea or strategy followed by Q & A with the audience. Strategic Business Introductions -- more in-depth events without a speaker. These events attract more established, million dollar business owners.The Annual International Conference & Business Expo -- eWomenNetwork's signature event. The 6th Annual Conference will be held June 7-10, 2007 in Dallas, Texas. The eWomen Publishing Network -- which helps professional women explore traditional and self-publishing opportunities, promote their books and network with other writers.The eWomen Network Speakers Network -- a network that facilitates introductions between corporations, associations, meeting planners, program directors, colleges and universities and the great female speakers of today. The eWomenNetwork Success Institute -- launched in 2006 in collaboration with PBS' Small Business School, the Success Institute is an online learning experience (teleconferencing + live chat) to connect members with exciting role models. Just $8.95 to participate. "Find a Member" -- the largest photographic businesswoman's directory in America. Exclusive members-only "Preferred Offers" and discounts on events and products.The International Femtor Award -- a competition honoring women business role models, funded by the eWomenNetwork Foundation. Four award categories: Business Matchmaker of the Year, Businesswoman of the Year, Emerging Leader of the Year, and Humanitarian of the Year.
eWomenNetwork Corporate Sponsors:
Microsoft, Office Depot, American Airlines, Red Door Spas, Office Depot, AlphaGraphics, Ameriprise Financial, Key Bank, and Open from American Express. Corporate sponsors can become involved by underwriting eWomenNetwork local events or by providing member-only offers and discounts.
Founder:
Sandra Yancey, a networking expert and author of the book, Relationship Networking: The Art of Turning Contacts Into Connections. Sandra received her Master's degree in Organization Development from American University. Like Ladies Who Launch founders, Sandra launched her organization out of her home.
Noteworthy Media Quotes from Founder, Sandra Yancey:
"I know from having been a solo entrepreneur myself that the greatest struggle for women entrepreneurs is marketing and promotion.""When you have women who are networking with women in a variety of business sectors, they stand out, gain more resources and access to a variety of opportunities and are introduced to fresh ideas and perspectives.""Your net worth is dependent upon your network."
How to Join This Organization:
Visit www.ewomennetwork.com/joinUsNow.html.
Make sure that your women's professional organization is profiled! Send your information to info@reinventioninc.com.
Additional Reading:
re:invention's How to Court Enterprising Women free report
Monday, September 18, 2006
RE: Women's Professional Organizations 101: Ladies Who Launch
There are tens of thousands of women's professional organizations in the U.S. catering to the diverse needs of working women -- women entrepreneurs and women executives. It can be time-intensive for corporate marketers and executives to mine through the myriad of women's professional organizations and evaluate women's organization sponsorship opportunities. You want to be sure your sponsorship dollars are reaching the right fit demographic/psychographic target - and that your sponsorships deliver measurable results (ROI). Over the next few weeks, we will be profiling women's professional and business organizations, as part of our Women's Professional Organizations 101 Series. Our goal: a resource library for corporate marketing executives.
We begin our Women's Professional Organizations 101 Series with Ladies Who Launch.
Organization Overview:
Ladies Who Launch is a for profit organization that describes itself as "an innovative platform for women interested in broadening their vision in any capacity." The organization serves as an education model and lifestyle network that combines creativity, style, friendship, and fun. Through its weekly email, online website, virtual network and events in different cities, Ladies Who Launch provides both a virtual and in-person event forum for women to share products and services, resources, fashion-forward ideas, creativity and networking.
Buzzwords:
Creativity, Style, Lifestyle, Mompreneurs
Date Founded:
2002
Website:
www.ladieswholaunch.comonline media kit
Member Demographics and Psychographics:
Ladies Who Launch members are women - primarily smart stay-at-home mompreneurs - launching emerging micro-businesses (many are 1-woman shops or part-time businesses). Median member age is 30 to 49. The organization reports that 75% of their members are entrepreneurs. The rest work in the corporate world or are artists and writers. According to co-founder Beth Schoenfeldt, Ladies Who Launch members "don't aspire to lead Fortune 500 companies. It's the independence most crave. Many would be happy to make between $50,000 to $100,000 a year." The organization's founders also note: you won't often find Ladies Who Launch members joining traditional women's business groups or slogging through business plan how-to classes. Their members want to create companies that allow them to express their creativity yet are flexible enough to fit into their lives.
Organization Stats:
20,000 e-newsletter subscribers 100,000 monthly site visitors (www.ladieswholaunch.com)Local chapters in 30 cities1,000 active members in the Ladies Who Launch VIP network.
Member Benefits and Programs:
Ladies Who Launch Incubator Groups -- a fun, motivational in-person four-week networking program (based on "talking out loud" therapy) which costs $300 and takes place in each of its 30 chapters across the country. For an additional $300, incubator graduates can join the national group. Annual VIP membership includes 8 meetings per year; access to the organization's online virtual membership forum; a package of dedicated e-mail, Launchpad classified listings or banner advertising; discounted admission to Ladies Who Launch events; and access to "case studies." Ladies Who Launch Live Events -- a 1-day forum with creativity, learning, inspiration, shopping, style and trunk shows held in various cities throughout the year. Event registration: $100/event. Guest speakers have included Jennifer Louden (author of "The Women's Comfort book,") Jeanne Fitzmaurice (Founder of Design-Her Gals), and Toby Bloomberg (brilliant Diva Blogger and owner of Bloomberg Marketing). Each grassroot event is coordinated by a local incubator leader -- a woman who has attended a class and paid a fee to become a "licensed" local Ladies Who Launch facilitator. Free weekly email newsletters -- featuring in-depth personal stories from successful women. Complete access to the organization's website -- touted as a tool and resource-based virtual e-magazine, content includes the archive of personal stories from successful women, an infrequently updated business resources reading list, an overview of the incubator groups, a link to their blog, a list of upcoming events, and their "proprietary" Launch Pad (a classified ads section where members can promote their businesses, services, and products to one another).
Ladies Who Launch Corporate Sponsors:
State Farm Insurance, Naturalizer Shoes, American Greetings, Equinox, Avon Salon & Spa in Trump Tower, and Commerce Bank. Corporate sponsors have primarily become involved by underwriting Ladies Who Launch local events. American Greetings and Commerce Bank have provided promotional materials to Ladies Who Launch members at local incubator events.
Founders:
Victoria Colligan (former Director of Business Development for Amsale and the Wedding List, Case Western Reserve MBA) and Beth Schoenfeldt (formerly of Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts).
Noteworthy Media Quotes from Founders:
"When you get caught up in the details and restrictions of having a plan, you get stuck thinking it can be done only one way.""Alot of businesses were born during naptime.""Many women don't want to commit to cashing out...they want the creativity and passion to go on.""Writing a formal business plan too soon can be constricting."
How to Join This Organization:
Visit www.ladieswholaunch.com/incubators.cfm.
Make sure that your women's professional organization is profiled! Send your information to info@reinventioninc.com.
Additional Reading:
re:invention's How to Court Enterprising Women free report
Saturday, September 16, 2006
RE: Our Saturday Feature - 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM.
Welcome to the re:invention 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM Saturday Feature. Every Saturday we feature a woman entrepreneur or executive and her personal 10 tips for success. We believe that women can be experts. They have valuable knowledge to share. re:invention's site traffic includes corporate executives, VCs, women business owners, and members of the media. We offer media access to women story sources and inspire future story ideas - serving as a public relations, marketing, and distribution channel for enterprising women. We're on a mission to move women from the lifestyle pages to the business section of the News. Our goal: a wisely-stocked toolbox for and about enterprising women. We hope this feature will be a powerful example of "women helping women win."
This week's featured woman entrepreneur or executive is Kathy Dimmick, Co-founder and CEO of United Imaging Partners (Austin, TX).
about United Imaging Partners
Kathy Dimmick is the co-founder and CEO of United Imaging Partners, the largest, fastest growing 3D/4D prenatal ultrasound providers in the United States. 
With more than 90 locations nationwide, United Imaging Partners offers expectant parents a way to bring images of their unborn baby to life. United Imaging Partner's network of partners has accounted for more than 80% of the industry's growth in the past year alone. 3D & 4D ultrasound technology represents one of the hottest new business opportunities in the country today and are recognized as a leader in the industry. Under Kathy's leadership, United Imaging Partners has become part of the 3% of all women-led businesses that has grossed over a million dollars in annual revenues.
CLICK HERE TO READ KATHY'S 10 TIPS.
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Technorati tags: Osolind women entrepreneurs business saturday marketing Kathy Dimmick
Friday, September 15, 2006
RE: Winnowing Women's Choices.
"I'm always wary of ghettoization," says David Rosenthal of Simon & Schuster, reacting to word that Hyperion will roll out an imprint exclusively for women of a certain age, as reported by Motoko Rich in The New York Times (8/29/06). The imprint, to be called Voice, "is specifically focusing on women from their mid-30s and older and will have a resolutely anti-chick-lit bent, said its founders," Ellen Archer and Pamela G. Dorman (Hyperion Publisher and former Viking Editor respectively). Pamela says that she sees Voice as "kind of like a book group giving an imprimatur." She adds: "People are overwhelmed by choice, and what they want is someone who is self-selecting for them."
- Cool News
How Voice plans to generate W-O-M? A panel of 10 professional women who will meet twice a year including Subha Barry, a vice president in charge of global diversity for Merrill Lynch; Ellen Levine, editorial director of Hearst Magazines; and Candace Bushnell, a novelist. Voice asked each of these women to provide the names of about 50 friends and colleagues to send copies of the books to help create buzz.
Yes, women buy more books than men, so publishers are stumbling over themselves like rapid dogs to market to us. Here's another attempt by the publishing industry to "dumb things down for us."
Thursday, September 14, 2006
RE: Headlines from Home Plate.
Quick notes in light of my busy work and social schedule.
- Witty, flamboyant former Texas Governor Ann "I learned early on that people like you if you make them laugh" Richards passed on due to esophogeal cancer yesterday. I idolized Ann. She is survived by her daughter, Cecile, who leads Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
- D.C. may be begging women business owners to try their hand as politicians, but politics are simply not women's business in Russia. Nice quotes Deborah, Congresswoman Bean!
- Boardroom Bound launched in L.A. today. In the past 18 months, the organization has placed 26 diversity candidates on corporate boards, including Wyndham International and Holland Mutual Fund.
- Brothels, assisted living facilities, and peach farms be damned. According to a new report from the SBA, Nevada, Florida, and Georgia are the fastest growing states for women-owned businesses.
- A new study concludes most men's IQs are 4 points higher on average than women's. Clearly characterizing himself as an outlier, study author John Rushton suggests the finding "could explain why so few women make it to the top in the workplace."
- Seems women don't merit even 1 mention this week on DIGG, a news filtering site billed as being more influential than the New York Times. Note to the Jupiter Research analyst interviewing me tomorrow: women apparently weren't worthy enough to appear on today's Silicon Valley HBS Panel about blogging and social media either. It's all boys, all the time out there in Palo Alto. Maybe I should move out there and kick some a**. You can't be a prophet in your own land.
- Do you think the new 8GB black-on-black iPod nano will accessorize well with my cocktail dress?
- Gratitude and respects.
RE: Anne Stevens Says Sayonara.
It's official. Ford's COO, Anne Stevens, stepped down today. Noteworthy for being Ford's first female group VP, Stevens serves on numerous boards including the board of directors at Lockheed Martin and the board of trustees at Drexel University. Rumor has it Stevens is considering a CEO role at Carpenter Technology Corp. (CRS), a $2.5 billion market cap steel company in Wyomissing, PA. She leaves Ford shortly after the retirement of her esteemed mentor, James Padilla, and the announcement that auto industry outsider, Alan Mulally, would be appointed to replace Bill Ford as CEO.
According to the New York Times, Mulally was brought in because "there were no logical successors in the company."
For more on Anne's impressive, CEO-caliber credentials, see Judy DeVere's post over at Blogher.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
RE: Women Presidents' Organization Launches Blog.
Just when I'm teetering toward blog burnout - and a full 5 months after the launch of Babson College Women's Businesss Blog - the Women Presidents' Organization has announced they are launching a weekly biz blog.
Says Dr. Marsha Firestone, Women Presidents' Organization founder...
The (Women Presidents' Organization) blog will be an educational resource, featuring breaking business news, best practices and insights from WPO members. The blog will serve as an effective and easy way to interact with women business owners, sponsors, and friends of the WPO.
Congrats on the national blog launch, WPO! WPO Founder Marsha signs her first blog post, "Have FUN!" But the blog isn't busting with frills, thrills, or creative design. Ironically, Chicago's Women Presidents' Organization has hosted a blog with bells and whistles to boot since October 2004. Hope to see the national WPO blog bloom soon. Note to Babson's Michael "Make Me Swoon" Chmura : WPO doesn't blogroll Babson's blog. You might want to drop a line to WPO publicist, Patty Briguglio. Babson's Women Leadership Conference takes place this Friday.
Technorati tags: Osolind women entrepreneurs business Babson Presidents' WPO Marsha Firestone
Monday, September 11, 2006
RE: Get Fired Like A Man.
"Pack your golden parachute and get fired like a man," proffers Forbes reporter Melanie Lasoff Levs. Dang - I couldn't have written a better headline if I tried.
- Carly Fiorina walked away from HP with a $21 million dollar severance package. WSJ reports Patricia Dunn will step down in January, following close on Carly's heels...
- Edna Morris' Red Lobster severance package "allowed her to float for months while she considered her next move..."
- But most women executives are wusses who walk away without a golden parachute. Women don't ask for enough or they don't ask at all.
According to Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide, a book written by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever, women lose nearly $500,000 by age 60 due to fear of salary negotiations.
Levs suggests women fall into one of three categories:
- "I don't knows" - women who unaware of opportunities and their rights
- "I don't asks" - women who think asking will jeopardize getting the job or promotion
- "I don't boasts" - women who feel it is impolite to spotlight their accomplishments
Which one are you? What are you going to do about it?
Levs concludes that the best way to get fired like a man is to get hired like one. That means knowing the market value of the position so that you can position yourself from the start. The best severance packages are negotiated before you even take the job.
Brilliant writing, Levs, as always. Show Levs some love.
RE: Getting to Know Congresswoman Melissa Bean.
I just love photos of powerful women. Congresswoman Melissa Bean (3rd from the left in the pink suit!) is serving on the NAWBO WIPP Panel in D.C. tomorrow. We're so appreciative of her panel participation! This photo is from Congresswoman Bean's Chicago summer women's fundraiser...
Congresswoman Bean serves on the House Financial Services Committee, including the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises and the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology. She serves on the House Committee on Small Business, where she is a member of the Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs; and the Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and Exports. She is also a small business owner, wife and mother. Boy - that's some hill of Bean!
In Congresswoman Bean's own words, "Business leaders expect to be held accountable to their shareholders, their customers, their employees and to their communities."
It's impressive how many Illinois women are running high profile political campaigns in 2006.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
RE: Our Saturday Feature - 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM.
Welcome to the re:invention 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM Saturday Feature. Every Saturday we feature a woman entrepreneur or executive and her personal 10 tips for success. We believe that women can be experts. They have valuable knowledge to share. re:invention's site traffic includes corporate executives, VCs, women business owners, and members of the media. We offer media access to women story sources and inspire future story ideas - serving as a public relations, marketing, and distribution channel for enterprising women. We're on a mission to move women from the lifestyle pages to the business section of the News. Our goal: a wisely-stocked toolbox for and about enterprising women. We hope this feature will be a powerful example of "women helping women win."
This week's featured woman entrepreneur or executive is Jody DeVere is President of AskPatty.com (Sarasota, FL).
about AskPatty.com
Shopping for and buying a car can be a challenge for women. AskPatty.com, Inc. is a safe place for women to get advice on car purchases, maintenance and other automotive related topics. Women can submit their automotive questions online via AskPatty.com's website and blog and get answers from a panel of automotive women experts. AskPatty.com's President, Jody DeVere has more than twenty five years of sales and marketing experience. Her leadership roles include President of the Woman's Automotive Association International, (www.waai.com) the premier women's organization for women automotive professionals, member of the Women's Board of the Car Care Council, and member of the SEMA Businesswomen's Networking Association (www.sema.org/sbn). During Jody's career she has served as National Director of Sales for the Automotive Division of CallSource; National Director of Sales and Marketing for HemaCare; Director of Sales and Marketing for RiverOne, Inc., a subsidiary of I2; founder and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Memory Network, a division of MediaGrif Interactive, Inc.; and National Director of OEM Sales and Marketing for Packard Bell, CalABCO division.
CLICK HERE TO READ JODY'S 10 TIPS.
Share YOUR knowledge, WISE WOMEN! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.
Click HERE to visit the 10 Tips for 10 Million Women Archives.
Technorati tags: Osolind women entrepreneurs business saturday marketing Jody DeVere
Thursday, September 07, 2006
RE: News About Women and Venture Capital.
New research about women and venture capital:
"The Use of Bootstrapping by Women Entrepreneurs in Positioning for Growth" report was recently co-authored by Candida Brush and Patricia Greene, Babson College; Nancy M. Carter, Catalyst Inc.; Elizabeth J. Gatewood, Wake Forest University; and Myra M. Hart, Harvard Business School. The report is based on a relatively small sample size; 88 female technology entrepreneurs in various business lifestyle stages.
The headline: women entrepreneurs who take advantage of every financing opportunity, and who finance creatively, are more likely to reach the rapid growth stage in their businesses.
Additional findings in the report...
- Emergent stage businesses reduce capital outlays by cutting labor costs rather than applying bootstrap activities to speed up product and business development.
- Entrepreneurs in the rapid growth stage reduce cost of operations to trim capital expenditures.
- Rapid growth businesses use both classic financial and bootstrapping strategies to position their ventures for growth.
Good Reading:
- No So Adventurous Venture Capital (Forbes)
- The Bootstrap Report (BusinessWeek)
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
RE: Stevie Awards for Women in Business - The Race is On!
I've just accepted an invitation to judge the national 2006 Stevie Awards for Women in Business competition. The Stevie Awards is known as the "business world's own Oscars." Other judges include Marsha Firestone (President - Women Presidents' Organization), Liz Ryan (WorldWIT's Founder), and Barbara Kasoff (Co-founder of Women Impacting Public Policy).
This year's competition will honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations in 40 diverse categories. re:invention was a finalist in the first Stevie Awards for Women in Business competition back in 2004, in the "women helping women" category.
Awards leverage women's credibility.
The entry deadline is October 29 - and I encourage working women and corporations that are committed to working women's success to apply. To enter: CLICK HERE!
Good luck! Get yer game face on!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
RE: Good News for North Carolina Women.
Men may earn more than women - but not in North Carolina.
Although women in Research Triangle Park, N.C. account for only 11 percent of the senior executives in the area, those women executives earned more than their male executive counterparts. The median pay for the 14 women on the Research Triangle executive list was $1,360,617. The median compensation for male executives in the area: $956,161.
Among the highest-paid female executives in the Research Triangle: Cynthia Merrell (Creechief CFO), Janice Henry (Martin Marietta former treasurer), Christy Shaffer (Inspire CEO), Joanne Rohde (Red Hat EVP), and Carolyn Logan (CEO of Salix).
- SOURCE.
RE: Goad A Gal Into Guilt!
Guilt is a saleswoman's best weapon, reports Jes Alexander in Saturday's San Francisco Chronicle. Goading a gal into guilt is apparently an effective (if morally questionable) marketing technique.
Alexander's San Francisco Chronicle article explores the correlation between gender, guilt, and successful sales techniques, referencing author and psychologist Anne Campbell's 1993 book, "Men, Women, and Aggression":
-Women react to aggressive techniques with a temporary loss of control caused by overwhelming pressure, resulting in guilt.
- Men, conversely, see these sales methods as a means of exerting control, often resulting in their need to reclaim power and self-esteem.
Guess guilt really is a woman's disease. It's fascinating to me that there has been so little research conducted to date about gender and guilt...
Saturday, September 02, 2006
RE: Our Saturday Feature - 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM.
Welcome to the re:invention 10 Tips for 10 Million WomenTM Saturday Feature. Every Saturday we feature a woman entrepreneur or executive and her personal 10 tips for success. We believe that women can be experts. They have valuable knowledge to share. re:invention's site traffic includes corporate executives, VCs, women business owners, and members of the media. We offer media access to women story sources and inspire future story ideas - serving as a public relations, marketing, and distribution channel for enterprising women. We're on a mission to move women from the lifestyle pages to the business section of the News. Our goal: a wisely-stocked toolbox for and about enterprising women. We hope this feature will be a powerful example of "women helping women win."
This week's featured woman entrepreneur or executive is Mary Hunt, former ad agency and business marketing executive turned author.
Mary is re:invention's 40th featured 10 Tips For 10 Million Women Expert! That amounts to 400 success tips for working women available 24/7 in re:invention's toolbox!
about Mary Hunt
Mary Hunt writes to encourage social change through better consumer business. After 30 years experience as an ad agency executive, marketer and consumer, she has seen trust erode under the weight of mass marketing and big box stores. In her book, In Women We Trust, Mary looks at the growing movement of women-helping-women, what bonds those friendships and what can business learn from them (and apply). The book takes 9 intangible traits of friendship and translates them into 90 tangible trust points. As companies struggle to find their footing in a mixed media world, it's going to take a lot of trust from both sides of the buyer/seller equation.
CLICK HERE TO READ MARY'S 10 TIPS.
Share YOUR knowledge, WISE WOMEN! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.
Click HERE to visit the 10 Tips for 10 Million Women Archives.
Technorati tags: Osolind women entrepreneurs business saturday marketing Mary Hunt
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