February 2010 Newsletter

The President’s Corner – Debbie Steg
February 17 LUNCHEON Program: Secrets of My Success
Pre Meeting Class – for Members Only: Marketing Round Table
Tough Cookie Awards
International Forum – Celebrate International Women’s Day
FEE Now Accepting Applications for Board Members
NAWBO-NNM Needs Meeting Sponsors
Community Outreach
Influential NAWBO-NNM Women!
Upcoming NAWBO-NNM Meetings
Three NAWBO Satellite Breakfast Meetings
Corporate Sponsors and Platinum Members

The President’s Corner – Debbie Steg

Love What You Do and Do What You Love

February is the month of love. And there are all kinds of love. Love does not have its opposite, it simply is.

When I think of February, I think Valentine’s Day, the mid month love ritual that has become a $14 billion dollar business, where on average 180 million red roses are sold. It is second only to Christmas in the number of cards sold. And yet the history of how St. Valentine’s Day originated appears to be murky, having pieces of both Ancient Roman and Christian tradition. In fact, today the Catholic Church recognizes three different saints named Valentine, all of them martyrs. Interestingly enough, in mid February in ancient Rome there was a festival called Lupercalia, celebrated on the ides of February, February 15. A fertility festival dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus, where members of an order of Roman priests, Luperci, would sacrifice a goat for fertility and a dog for purification. For the love fest that St. Valentine’s has become, its origins, however diverse, seem to all be steeped in martyrdom and sacrifice. And therein may be a lesson.

It’s important to fill your life with the things you love to do. If you take a tally and there are more “have to’s” than “love to’s” on your list of to do’s, then perhaps it’s time to reassess. We’re long past the days of martyrs and yet as women business owners we may find the more we take on, that we accumulate a host of tasks that leave us less than thrilled or fulfilled.

I recently read a blog post about all of the creative and inventive ways concocted to call in sick. And at our last dinner meeting in Santa Fe, in sharing the blog story, those of us who are corporate refugees could relate to the sentiment. In fact, I remember the very first NAWBO meeting I attended in New York; that evening’s speaker talked about how she got to the point of wishing for a NYC cab to hit her just so she could get a day off, before she stepped off the corporate track. Even though a few of us at the table could relate to that feeling of longing for a day off back then, as one table mate said, perhaps not something as extreme as being hit by a NYC cab – that would really hurt! Finding myself in a different place these days, I’m so grateful I’m not in that place of concocting ways to play hooky or sneak a day off. I love to show up for the work I do and the validation I get from my clients and students. That wasn’t always the case, but it served its purpose to inspire me to pave a different path. And yet, as business owners, we sometimes get in the rut of doing what we’ve always done and doing things that we “have to” do. The truth is, if we take a broad view, we always have a choice. We can assess whether what we’ve always done is still relevant and the things that we think we “have to” do – if they truly need to be completed for good reasons – can be delegated and outsourced to free our time for the things we love to do. In the long run, if we fill our lives with more love and love to’s, it opens us up for abundance and prosperity in all aspects of our lives.

This month’s meeting is a luncheon panel, Secrets of My Success, where a group of amazing business women will be sharing the keys to their success, and I suspect one of the elements is doing work that they love. I can’t wait to hear what they have to share!

With love, gratitude and prosperity blessings,

Debbie Steg
President 2009-2010
Northern New Mexico NAWBO
505-920-7141
Email Debbie

February 17 LUNCHEON Program – Secrets of My Success

We have many successful NAWBO-NNM members, some of whom are sole proprietors and others with large staffs. What do they have in common? How do they succeed and continue to prosper? Three of our very own will answer these and many more questions, as they describe how they dream, plan, operate, survive and thrive:

D J Heckes, Exhib-IT!
Yashoda Naidoo, Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Cafe
Brenda Sterling, Omega Resources

Why are they in their chosen business? What challenges did they face in starting and growing their businesses? What are their challenges now, and how will they face them?

Whether you are a sole proprietor just starting out, an established business with a large staff or anywhere in between – this is a program not to be missed!

To register, click here.

Pre-Meeting for members only

Round Table – Marketing Questions Answered!

Roundtable with D J Heckes, owner and CEO of EXHIB-IT!, and author of Whole Brain Marketing. It is no longer a right brain or left brain world; it is the combination for full brain marketing that will work best for businesses in today’s hypercompetitive intelligence environment! Deciding what marketing strategies are best for a company can be overwhelming. Come with your biggest marketing questions/issues for a sit-down, intimate conversation with a marketing expert.

This 45-minute workshop from 10:45 to 11:30 is limited to 15 members. To register, click here.

Are You a Tough Cookie? Tell us about it.
Lynne Marcus
Email Lynne

Tough Cookie Awards
Women have to be tough to survive in business, especially during the past few years. The 2010 NAWBO Northern New Mexico Tough Cookie Awards will recognize women-owned small businesses that have overcome unusual hardships to succeed. These companies have succeeded in spite of obstacles such as illness, finances, employee issues, or other factors.

Categories
Categories include:

Small manufacturer
Wholesale/Retail (storefront or online)
Services
Virtual business (not retail)

For more information, visit the Tough Cookie Page.

We will announce winners at the NAWBO meeting on March 17, 2010.

International Forum – Celebrate International Women’s Day March 4th
Eloise Gift
Email Eloise

In 2009, International Women’s Day celebrations presented A Powerful Noise LIVE by CARE in partnership with friendly organizations including NAWBO. Women gathered in theaters across the country to view the lives of three different women in three different countries highlighted in the movie. The intention was to celebrate, learn and take action to empower women and girls in the fight against global poverty.

This year, to celebrate International Women’s Day, on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 7:30pm CARE will again partner with organizations to present musical performances, celebrity commentary, and the world premiere of Woineshet, a powerful short film directed by Academy Award® Winner Marisa Tomei. Half the Sky LIVE, inspired by the best-selling book from Pulitzer-prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wu Dunn, has been a New York Times bestseller and a critical favorite across the globe.

The production will be broadcast from New York City to theaters across the country and as happened last year, will be a one-night-only, interactive event. NAWBO NNM hopes all of its members, their family and friends will join in seeing the pages of Half the Sky come to life on screen as Woineshet chronicles the struggles of a young Ethiopian woman who ultimately triumphs over sexual violence and discrimination.

Join NAWBO Northern New Mexico in the celebration of International Women’s Day and stand in solidarity with women and girls all over the world in the fight against poverty.
To learn more about the book, Half the Sky, visit the Care Booklist..

FEE Now Accepting Applications for Board Members
Barbara Lemaire
Email Barbara

The Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence is now accepting applications for board members with legal or graphic design experience.
The Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence provides seminars and awards individual grants for education and training to post-start-up businesses striving to manage growth and success. The FEE board meets once a month on the 1st Thursday of the month at 4:00 pm.
Please send your resume and a few words on why you wish to serve on the FEE board to: Barbara Lemaire

NAWBO-NNM Meeting Sponsorship
Janice Moranz
Email Janice

NAWBO-NNM is looking for Meeting Sponsors. It costs $350. Membership isn’t required: this could be a great opportunity for a company that doesn’t want to join, but wants a good audience. Sponsors get a chance to present their unique value proposition to an attentive, friendly audience, and to place any kind of promotional materials at each seat. Do you know anyone who doesn’t know about, but might benefit from, this excellent exposure to a roomful of business owners? Contact Janice Moranz

Community Outreach Upcoming Event
Julie Epling
Email Julie

At the NAWBO evening meeting in March, we will help Roadrunner Food Bank. Please bring your non-perishable food items or cash to help RoadRunner Food Bank feed those in need.

Economic times have been tougher than ever and we realize how much more of a need there is to help others. Clean out your cupboards and pantries and bring non-perishable food items to the NAWBO meeting in March.

If you are able, a cash donation is even better. Roadrunner gets more bang for their buck with cash. For every dollar donated, they can provide well over $9 worth of food to hungry adults and children in the community.

Our Influential NAWBO-NNM Women!

Our Influential NAWBO-NNM members have done it again! Our corporate partner, New Mexico Business Weekly is the host of the Women of Influence awards luncheon. Congratulations to

Jacqueline Baca of Bueno Foods
Denise Baker of DRB Electric
Diane Furie of Diane Furie Meeting & Event Planner

as 2010 Women of Influence. In support of our members and our community partners NAWBO-NNM is planning to have a table at the luncheon; the luncheon is February 18, Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town 11:30a-1:30p and the cost is $45. If you would like to attend please respond by e-mail to Sandy Cody no later than February 5. Your lunch payment will confirm your place at the NAWBO-NNM table.

Please mail your check to Sandy at

PO Box 52018, Albuquerque 87181
and make them payable to the NM Business Weekly, Women of Influence luncheon.

See you on February18th celebrating NAWBO-NNMs Women of Influence.

Upcoming NAWBO-NNM Meetings

Mark your calendars now; don’t miss these meetings.

March 17 – Tough Cookie Awards
April 21 – Speak Out!

Three NAWBO Satellite Breakfast Meetings

Establish relationships, network, share business building tips in an intimate casual NAWBO group, and experience the added benefit of being part of a powerful group of New Mexico business owners.

NAWBO-NNM NORTHWEST Satellite

Breakfast Meeting
the FIRST Wednesday of every month
Where: WESST Corp Facility in Rio Rancho
For information please contact Lorie Guthrie at 892-1238

NAWBO-NNM UPTOWN Satellite

Breakfast Meeting
the SECOND Wednesday of every month
Where: Le Peep Restaurant
For information please contact Roz Dufour by email or phone 880-0400

NAWBO-NNM SANTA FE Satellite

Breakfast Meeting
The SECOND Tuesday of every month
Where: Zia Diner in Santa Fe
For information please contact Christy Martinez by email or call 505-983-2666 ext. 109.

Corporate Sponsors and Platinum Members

We extend special thanks to our chapter Corporate Partners

They look forward to working with our members. Click on a company logo to visit the web site in a new window or click on a name to send an email.

DIAMOND NAWBO-NNM CORPORATE PARTNER:

New Mexico Business Weekly has the right tools to help you grow your business. The Business Weekly is chock full of local business news, in depth information and tons of leads. Stay in touch with New Mexico Businesses by subscribing to the NM Business Weekly! Our contact is Nancy Salem, 505-768-7008.

SILVER NAWBO-NNM CORPORATE PARTNERS:

We are a full service regional financial services company with a strong focus on a superior level of customer service. We provide a range of services for commercial banking, retail and business banking, and consumer finance. Bank of the West is big enough to help and small enough to care. Please contact Leslie Quade, 505-271-9770

Perfectly situated between the University of New Mexico and the downtown business district, the Embassy Suites Albuquerque provides a relaxing guest experience with comfortable accommodations and impeccable service. Our contact is Natalee Hoff, Catering & Sales Manager, 505-275-7100

COPPER NAWBO-NNM CORPORATE PARTNERS: