He will give us some insight into the behind-the-scenes operations of the Playhouse and talk about how they keep in touch with and nurture the relationship with their clients. They have been so creative and successful with the things they have done recently to promote the Playhouse within the community. This will be an opportunity for all of us to get some good ideas to apply to our businesses.

There will also be refreshments and plenty of great networking. Don’t miss this one!

Note: We will be meeting in the Lucille Lortel White Barn Center at the Playhouse at 9AM.

However, be sure to mark your calendars for September 16th, the FINE 17th Anniversary meeting, when our featured speaker will be Michael Ross, Managing Director of the Westport Country Playhouse.

Have a great rest of the summer!

At our next meeting, Thursday, July 15th, 9AM at the Westport Country Playhouse, Richard Frisch will give us some pointers on what we can do to protect valuable information.

Richard Frisch runs RHFtech, providing expert specialist services for digital home entertainment and general technology support to small business and residential clients. He provides knowledge, assistance, support and insight to others and works with Windows, Mac and Linux machines.

Richard is a member of the Microsoft Partner Program and is a blogger and a journalist. He writes a column, The RHFtech Help Desk, which is posted weekly by email and online, and bi-weekly in The Norwalk Hour, Wilton Villager, and the Stamford Times. He is a member and past president of the Fairfield County Computer Users Group and a member of the Connecticut PC Users Group.

Coffee will be available thanks to our coffee sponsor, Elliott Fisher, Business Development Manager at Business Concierge Solutions.

Be sure to follow the schedule of Rosann’s new networking group on MeetUp. I’m signing up for next Monday at Harbor Lights in Norwalk.  

Next month’s topic for FINE is “Business Continuity Planning”, preparing for what to do when your business is interrupted in some way; storm, power outage, computer crash, disaster, etc. I’m sure there are some people in Bridgeport right now, wishing they had a plan. The storm, tornado or whatever it was ripped through this afternoon and a state of emergency was declared. And here in Westport, a few miles away, all is well.    

Thanks to ActionCOACH for supplying the coffee and to Josh Slavitt for staying within the 3 minute allotted time (almost to the second) to talk about their business.

Have you ever thought ….. What makes your business stand out? Why customers should buy from you? Have you created a buzz in the marketplace? Do you have a unique selling point? If you can’t answer yes to these questions, then attending this program is a must.  Rosann’s presentation will give tips on how to create an identity, establish awareness and brand your business for little or no cost. “High Impact Low Cost Promotion” is a marketing strategy that will give you and your company that competitive edge.

Prior to The Roart Group, Rosann worked with her husband and two sons in their boutique accounting firm as Director of Marketing. She was President of the National Association of Women Business Owners and founded and was President of the Family Business Council of Greater New York.  Along with her husband, Arthur, she founded Soho Dance in 2004, one of the hottest Latin ballroom dance studios in Manhattan.

As an author, she wrote a seminal article, “Growing the Firm—and Growing the Marriage,” and was honored by the Connecticut Press Club with a non-fiction award for her memoir, It’s Never Too Late To Dance. 

Rosann has appeared on Fox 5 with Mike & Juliet, Good Day New York and was interviewed by Joan Hamburg.  She was featured in Ebony magazine and has been cited in various business publications including The New York Times and Crain’s New York Business and also had TV appearances on, CNN, CNBC, and numerous others. She is a two-time award winner from the New York Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the New York Society of Association Executives and the American Marketing Association.

She continues to be outspoken in the business community helping small business owners understand the marketing process and how to achieve their goals.

Coffee will be provided, compliments of Geri Sutton, Business Development Manager, ActionCOACH, www.ActionCOACHNow.com.

It was thoughtful and interactive and she kept us involved and interested. The feedback I received was all positive.  For more information about Elizabeth and her work please visit  www.TransformationThroughEmpowerment.com.

We had about 35 attendess which is what we have been averaging for the past few months.

Coffee was available thanks to our “coffee sponsor”  Sara Cornwall, Certified Reverse Mortgage Consultant with Wells Fargo Reverse Mortgage. Sara.Cornwall@wellsfargo.com 866-494-1248 x5014.

Our speaker for next month was at the meeting. Rosann Levy, President of the Roart Group, LLC. , www.theroartgroup.com will be talking about how to save money by doing ”High Impact Low Cost Promotion”. I’ll be posting the details soon.

Geri Sutton, Business Development Manager for ActionCOACH – www.actioncoachnow.com offered to be the coffee provider for June.

According to ActionCoach’s web site, ”GrowthCLUB 90-day Planning is your chance to step out of the business and get focused. We’ll work with you to map out a winning game plan for the next 90 days. Plus with proven strategies and expert training, you and your team will get back to your business with clear direction and new tools to achieve your goals faster. ”

For more information and to register go to GrowthClub. Josh can be reached at joshslavitt@actioncoach.com if you have any questions.

BTW, I will be attending.

Ed

Would you like to feel and be in control of your finances? Enjoy more security and peace of mind? Be empowered to set new goals? Join Elizabeth on a gentle yet powerful journey where you will uncover & understand the unconscious beliefs that drive your decision making with money.  She has mastered the strategies to financial empowerment in her own life and has helped both men and women in all financial walks of life for the past twenty two years.

Combining her 22 years of experience as a CPA, business consultant, successful entrepreneur, and working mother, she now owns and operates a successful personal development business, Transformation Through Empowerment, where she specializes in teaching people who want more out of life, how to create it, with passion, joy, and ease. For more information about Elizabeth and her work please visit  www.TransformationThroughEmpowerment.com.

Coffee will be available thanks to our “coffee sponsor”  Sara Cornwall, Certified Reverse Mortgage Consultant with Wells Fargo Reverse Mortgage. Sara.Cornwall@wellsfargo.com 866-494-1248 x5014.

The networking activity was strong among the 28 people who attended.  We got started a bit late which seemed fine with everyone as they got to know each other better. And people lingered and stayed around after the meeting was over. 

Josh gave me a copy of a two page paper he did on networking to share with the group and I’ve uploaded it here. It offers some good practical pointers on what to do at networking events. 

Geri Sutton, Business Development Manager at ActionCoach, handed out a flyer about their services which range from one-on-one to group sessions and seminars. For more info, visit www.ActionCoachNow.com.