FINE meeting, 12/15, our speaker is Colin M. Caplan, founder and owner of Taste of New Haven

3 12 2011

Our speaker at the December 15th meeting of FINE, will be Colin M. Caplan, founder and owner of Taste of New Haven food and drink tours.  Colin started this company in September of this year as a way of providing a one-of-a kind event for both Connecticut residents and tourists. For the restaurants and shops the tours provide direct stimulus, new and potential repeat customers and an image of busting activity. Colin also felt that this idea would change people’s perception and image of New Haven, which has been plagued with negative publicity in recent years.

Colin will talk about how he took a traditional education and career like architecture and turned it into non-traditional entrepreneurial ventures with multiple streams of income including leading culinary walking tours, authoring published and non-published books on history and architecture and historic design and research. Colin will explain some of his methods of marketing and the technology he used to do it. He will also talk about the challenges he has faced in getting started and his ideas for growing the business in 2012. 

He was born and raised in New Haven and developed a passion for architecture and history at an early age. Colin received a Masters in Architecture and Minor in Earth Science from Tulane University in New Orleans. He returned to the Elm City where he worked with a non-profit affordable housing development company, multiple architecture firms and became heavily engaged in his community.

Colin is Historic Officer of the Friends of Edgewood Park, Historian for the Broken Umbrella Theater Company, past Chair of the Alliance for Architecture, past board member of the New Haven Preservation Trust and in 2008 Colin was recipient of the Annual Arts Award from the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.  Colin has published four books on New Haven history and architecture. He has written and is continually researching and writing histories about towns, neighborhoods, buildings and families all over Connecticut. His collection of vintage photography is viewable and reprints are available for purchase online at www.magrissoforte.com. Colin’s tour company is also online at www.tasteofnewhaven.com.

The meeting is in the Lucille Lortel Barn at the Westport Country Playhouse from 9 – 11 AM with time for networking before and after Mr. Caplan’s talk. Coffee, tea and a baked good ( prepared by Bette Lynn Paez, co-leader of FINE, financial planner, and former bakery owner) will be provided. In order to cover the expense for the room and coffee when we don’t have a coffee sponsor, there is now a $5 charge which will be collected at the door.


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November 17th meeting … “The Revival of The Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport”

7 11 2011

Our speaker for the November 17th meeting of FINE Business Networking is Lynn Julian, a partner in the revival of The Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport. Ms. Julian will talk about the entrepreneurial challenges of starting the business, which just had its grand opening in September, about their marketing programs, and the role of the theater in the revitalization of Bridgeport.

The Bijou Theatre, dating back to 1909, is located in one of the oldest buildings used as a movie house in the country, and continually run as a movie house. The Bijou Theatre is a luxurious, diverse, multi-use venue, known for its unique mix of independent, documentary and classic films, live comedy, music and theatre.

Ms. Julian (marketing/pr director) and her partners, Christine Brown (program director) and Kathy Reynolds (operations director), have created a synergistic, creative relationship, combining different perspectives, experience, education and talent, that has developed the brand, and fueled the launch of the theatre.

“Our chief goal is to cultivate the personality of The Bijou and tap into its past to bring a newfound energy to Bridgeport.  Both the theatre and the city have seen prosperity and peril over the decades. We couldn’t be more excited to have opened the Bijou’s doors at a time when an artist murmuring is captivating within this urban, industrial setting.  We hope to do our small part to support the kind of fresh exchange, the dynamism that means revitalization for Bridgeport and for its residents and neighbors.”  You will be entertained, as soon as you walk through the doors.

For more information visit www.TheBijouTheatre.com.

Our coffee sponsor for this meeting is Dr. Tom Woodman, BrainCore Therapy Systems, www.norwalkbraincore.com. BrainCore Therapy provides a unique drugless approach to treating Neurological Dysregulation Syndrome (NDS) that may be associated with the symptoms of many neurological based conditions.


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FINE Meeting, 10/20, “How to Use VOC (Voice of the Customer) to Grow Your Business”

6 10 2011

Janet HuettemanJanet Huetteman, President of TouchPoint Experience, LLC, will be the guest speaker at the October 20th meeting of the FINE Business Networking Group, at the Westport Country Playhouse. Ms. Huetteman will speak about VOC and its benefits to growing a business. As the use of social and new media grows, communications about you and your company is increasingly in the hands of your customers; it can be instantaneous and can spread very quickly. It is critical that you understand and harness what your customers are saying about you, both good and bad. The first step is to have a mechanism for collecting VOC or “Voice of the Customer”.

In this interactive presentation, Ms. Huetteman will discuss the importance of collecting actionable VOC and the techniques by which you efficiently and effectively do it. She will demonstrate how VOC can help you manage the experience you deliver to customers; making sure they are happy and the word-of-mouth about your company drives profitable growth.

Janet Huetteman, is the president and founder of TouchPoint Experience, a firm dedicated to helping clients better manager the customer experience. TouchPoint Experience utilizes proprietary tools and methods to identify performance issues against customer expectations and build an organizational roadmap to deliver great customer experiences. Ms. Huetteman’s skills include leadership facilitation and coaching, change management, Six Sigma Quality, global marketing, branding and communications. Ms. Huetteman, has earned an MBA in Marketing, a BA in Psychology, Marketing and Fine Arts, is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society. She is an adjunct Professor of Marketing at Fairfield University and a frequent guest speaker at client forums and organizations.

FINE Business Networking Group provides a forum to meet people, exchange ideas and grow your business. FINE was started more 18 years ago by a group of former IBM executives with the mission of networking to assist each other with consulting and business opportunities. Today our meetings are open to all and are attended by small business owners, independent professionals, consultants and those in transition looking for possible business opportunities. We are still an informal group and there are no dues or membership requirements, but we do ask for a donation to defray our costs.

The October 20th meeting is at the Lucille Lortel Barn at the Westport Country Playhouse from 9 – 11 AM with time for networking before and after Ms. Huetteman’s talk.

Coffee, tea and a baked good ( prepared by Bette Lynn Paez, co-leader of FINE, financial planner, and former bakery owner) will be provided.

Our coffee sponsor is Bill Meredith, owner of Meredith Project Management, providing independent representation throughout the Planning, Design and Construction process for all residential Landscape projects.


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FINE 18th Anniversary Meeting, 9/15, our speaker is State Senator Bob Duff

5 09 2011

State Senator Bob DuffOur speaker for the FINE 18th Anniversary meeting will be State Senator Bob Duff. He will be sharing with us his perspective on the effect of the new state budget on small businesses in Fairfield County and the business climate in general in the state. 

Senator Duff represents the 25th Senatorial District, which includes Norwalk and Darien. He serves as chair of the Banks Committee and as vice chair of the Transportation and Energy & Technology Committees. Bob also chairs two subcommittees as a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Reelected to his fourth term in the state Senate in 2010, he previously represented the people of Norwalk’s 137th Assembly District for three years. Bob is a real estate professional with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.

The meeting takes place on September 15th, from 9 to 11AM, at the Westport Country Playhouse in the Lucille Lortel White Barn Center. The doors open at 9AM with the opportunity to network, followed by a welcome and each attendee giving their “30 second elevator pitch”. This is followed by the presentation and then additional time to network. The meeting concludes by 11AM. Visitors are welcome. A donation ($5) is requested to cover expenses.

Coffee, tea, and a baked good prepared by Bette Lynn Paez (FINE co-leader, financial planner and former baker) will be provided. Sam Wexler, a chart member of FINE, will be our coffee sponsor. Thank you Sam and Bette Lynn!


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FINE is on vacation!

29 07 2011

FINE is taking the rest of the summer off, so there is no August meeting. Hope you are all able to take time off as well.   

We will be back in September! Our 18th anniversary meeting is on the 15th. It’s always a special meeting,  seeing some faces we haven’t seen for awhile, there will be refreshments, sponsored by Sam Wexler, a charter member of FINE, so I’m sure we will be hearing some stories about the “old days”, which is always nice. 

I’ll be posting the September meeting notice with the details on the topic and speaker toward the end of August.

Enjoy the summer!


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The reviews are in – Bette Lynn did a great job at the July meeting

29 07 2011

“A very professional presentation by our baker-in-chief.”

“Was very valuable and I would be telling my clients about it.”

“The meeting ended with a round of applause.”

Here’s a recap of what she talked about …

  • financial planning as project management for your life: group dynamics (family decision making); goals (college, retirement); and gap analysis (what you have and what you need to reach a goal).
  • 6 areas of financial planning: cash flow, investments, retirement, taxes, insurance, and estate planning.
  • the uncertainty of inflation and taxes which we can’t control and procrastination, which we can. That led to a discussion about the effect of emotions on our decision-making.
  • tax diversification – having money in taxable and tax-free accounts, the only way we can protect against likely higher tax rates.
  • lumpy income and smooth expenses and how to synchronize them.

Securities offered through Sammons Securities Company, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.  Fee-based investment advisory services offered through Sigma Planning Corporation, a registered investment advisor.
65 New Street, Shelton, CT 06484 • 203-906-2424 • blpaez@sammonsrep.com

　

　


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FINE Meeting – July 21st – “Financial Planning: Project Management for Your Life.”

12 07 2011

 Bette Lynn Paez, MBA, ChFC, CFP,® joins us to discuss “Financial Planning:  Project Management for Your Life.” 

 If you ever felt like a six-month project would never end, how do you feel about managing your entire financial life?  Goal-setting, gap analysis, group dynamics, team member buy-in, budgets, and deadlines – all critical components of a successful project – are just as important as you work your way through the maze of financial decisions that confront today’s busy families.  Let’s talk about where to start, what to do about competing priorities, and how to use money to reflect your values and support your life goals.

The meeting is at the Westport Country Playhouse in the Lucille Lortel White Barn Center, to the left of the main stairway to the Playhouse. The doors open at 9AM with the opportunity to network, followed by a welcome and each attendee giving their “30 second elevator pitch”. This is followed by the presentation and then additional time to network. The meeting concludes by 11AM. Visitors are welcome. A donation ($5) is requested to cover expenses.

Coffee, tea, and a baked good (Fresh blueberry pie prepared by Bette Lynn, a former baker) will be provided.

Securities offered through Sammons Securities Company, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.  Fee-based investment advisory services offered through Sigma Planning Corporation, a registered investment advisor.

65 New Street, Shelton, CT 06484 • 203-906-2424 • blpaez@sammonsrep.com


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FINE Meeting, June 16th – “Shifting Gears: Realigning Vision, Goals & Priorities”

3 06 2011

Our speaker for the June 16th meeting is Anne Witkavitch, a communications expert, change strategist, published author and speaker. She is principal of Anne W Associates, a consulting practice that helps clients manage successful transitions, and president of  C-Suite Communications, which provides strategic communications advisement and training.

 

 

During her presentation Anne will discuss:

-How to evaluate a need for change: what is working, what isn’t working?

-Creating and articulating a clear and focused vision

-Setting strategic goals

-Establishing a plan and priorities to ensure success

“A strong vision, deep-rooted passion, and a lot of hard work have resulted in the growth and success of many businesses, big and small. Fast-paced entrepreneurial environments that achieve success often reach a point where they need to “press pause” and rethink, refocus, and reenergize for the next level of success. Typically this begins by investing time and effort into revisiting the vision and goals, redefining the priorities, and figuring out what kinds of resources are needed to renew and revitalize growth.”

Anne is a former communications executive with GE and The Hartford and brings valuable working knowledge of change management, work culture, and communications acquired through “front line experience” leading change initiatives. Anne is also the editor of Press Pause Moments: Essays about Life Transitions by Women Writers (Kiwi Publishing 2010) and has edited several books and anthologies. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative & Professional Writing and teaches managerial and professional writing at Western Connecticut State University.

The meeting is at the Westport Country Playhouse in the Lucille Lortel White Barn Center, to the left of the main stairway to the Playhouse. The doors open at 9AM with the opportunity to network, followed by a welcome and each attendee giving their “30 second elevator pitch”. This is followed by the presentation and then additional time to network. The meeting concludes by 11AM. Visitors are welcome. Coffee, tea, and a baked good will be available. A donation ($5) is requested to cover expenses.


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FINE Meeting, 5/19, “Local News Goes Digital on the Huffington Post Media Group/AOL – Westport Patch”

6 05 2011

Our speakers for the May 19th FINE Business Networking meeting are Anthony Karge, local editor of Westport Patch, and Michael Dinan, regional editor for Patch in Fairfield County. Patch is a network of community-specific news and information websites dedicated to providing comprehensive local coverage for individual towns and communities. Patch is part of The Huffington Post Media Group/AOL.  
 
Anthony and Michael will talk about what Patch is, how it came about, the market for online news, the role it plays in the local community and how it can be of value to the business community.
 
Anthony Karge is a lifelong writer who worked as a reporter at the Westport News for two years. Prior to joining Patch, he interned for a film industry website based in Poland and also for a nonprofit organization which provided resources for journalists at community newspapers. Michael Dinan grew up in New Canaan and worked as a news reporter at The Advocate and Greenwich Time for five years prior to heading a group of Web editors at an online B2B that covered technology, eventually settling in at Patch.

The meeting takes place in the Smilow Lounge, second floor, at the Westport Country Playhouse. Doors open at 9AM.


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“Accelerating Business Growth at the University of Bridgeport CTech IncUBator”

2 04 2011

Dr. Gad J. Selig, Associate Dean for Business Development at the University of Bridgeport, will be the guest speaker at the FINE Business Networking Group’s April 21st meeting at the Westport Country Playhouse. Dr. Selig will speak about The CTech IncUBator, a partnership between Connecticut Innovations and the University of Bridgeport. The IncUBator is Fairfield County’s first and only university based incubator for high-tech start-ups. Its mission is to create jobs and improve the economy of the region by developing markets for new technologies.

The IncUBator provides expertise in business, technology and University research and resources to enable the entrepreneur the opportunity to succeed at the very early stages. Additionally, fully furnished offices, shared support can be provided as well as pro-bono or discounted professional services such as legal, accounting, IP and technology are available.

The meeting is in the Lucille Lortel Barn at the Westport Country Playhouse on April 21, 2011 from 9 – 11am with time before and after Dr. Selig’s talk for networking. There is no admission fee, but a donation is requested, and the meeting is open to all those in business or hoping to be.

Dr. Selig has earned degrees in Economics, Business and Engineering and has authored five books and over 70 articles. He is a dynamic and popular speaker at industry conferences and corporate events. Dr. Selig has over 30 years of diversified executive, management and consulting experience with both Fortune 500 and smaller organizations.


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