ABWA Beachwood Ohio

All new prospective members will have one question in common — “WHY should I join ABWA?”  All current members have answered the same question and each member has a unique answer disclosing their own individuality!  Current members pose the follow-up question of “Why do I continue as a member of ABWA?”  Evaluate what has made you grow and has been a source of specific interest to your needs.

• personal and professional friendships
• networking contacts
• lessons learned from guest speakers
• your contribution in serving on a Board and/or committees
• your participation in meetings and special events - making them special
• business skills grants - outright grants, special chapter scholarships and National scholarship opportunities
• special recognition awards - both on a local and a national level
• participation in the community and involvement with others who also want to make a difference
• outreach projects  -  giving you the opportunity to help others
• having great fun with peers
• your association with a national organization rich in history and with so much to offer - if you move take ABWA with you, there are nearly 1,200 chapters nationally
• attendance at Regional and National conferences gives you education AND friends “all over this USA”
• your own special memories
• ABWA’s upcoming National Leadership Conference in  Anaheim, CA, is from September 28 - 30, 2006  (see details at www.abwa.org)  -  The Regional Conference for district V, will be in Louisville, Ky in April, 2007
• you will receive a subscription to the Award Winning National Magazine “Women in Business” (bi-monthly)
• there are many National affiliations and discounts  -  and so much more 

In applying this exercise to my own experiences.  My answer of why do I continue as a member of ABWA after 27 years is :  There are so many untold benefits to be reaped from the associations I have made within ABWA!  My comment is always Why NOT join ABWA? 

My personal benefit details are listed below as services, products, and assistance or information that I have received since I chartered the Women with Vision chapter in June, 2003, just 3 years ago, and directly from members of that chapter. 

*Direct Sales opportunities and information     *Health insurance     *Small business banking accounts     *Payroll service      *Credit card processing   *  Specialized medical equipment and implement     *Continuing education advice     *Tutoring advice     *Professional networking breakfast groups    *Community outreach     *Wellness products     *Local and long distance phone service      *Home computer networking systems     *Professional publication production    *Sales and marketing advice   *Sunshine greetings   (just at the right time)     *Investment education    *Personal Coaching    *Computer software education   *Leadership and Mentoring    *Beauty products

And there is so much more that I could list, but find out for yourself and start to build your own list! 

Let ABWA help ”YOU” with almost anything you would need, all you have to do is just ask.  And now, I will ask ”YOU” to join ABWA and start building your own network of like-minded women.  There is nothing like being surrounded with creative, dedicated women who all want the same thing;  to be a better person, both personally and professionally.

We need an additional 19 members so we can install the Women of Wisdom Chapter by October 17^th.  Think of all the benefits listed above; of being in on the “ground floor”, the opportunity of being a “charter” member” with such a powerful network of women, and you could be one of them.   Right now we are offering a 10% discount on your membership, so for the first year your yearly dues would only be $45.00 - this offer won’t last forever, so please take advantage while you can!

If you would like to visit my website (I am in Broadview Heights and am a Mentor to this chapter), please feel free to peruse my website (listed below), and I will help you with any questions you may have.  I am looking forward to hearing from you and helping you to decide to say “YES I WANT TO JOIN WOMEN OF WISDOM CHAPTER“  

My Women with Vision Website:  www.abwa1.com.

Regards,  


Lucille M. Wingard


Formation Co-Chair and Mentor to Women of Wisdom 


and Founding President of Women with Vision Chapter in Broadview Heights, OH. 

I hope you enjoy the following article, it is all encompassing.

This is a GREAT article and information that I think would benefit anyone

Tips from Dr. Lois Frankel: Get & Keep the Job You Want 

 

1.            Your Resume, Education, and Experience Will Not Get You Your Next Job.  People hire by likeability, emotional intelligence, and company fit.  You can consciously improve in these areas by developing your interpersonal, listening, and social skills. 

2.            Your Strengths Will Come To Fail You.  Never over-rely on your technical expertise.  To be competitive you need to constantly develop complementary skills and expand your repertoire of strengths. 

3.            It’s Not About Best Effort, It’s About Results.  Doing your best may have been the motto in your family, but it’s not in the workplace.  Everyone is expected to do their best all the time, but the real winners are the ones who add-value, not simply complete tasks. 

4.            Hardwork is Not the Prerequisite for Promotions.  Every workplace has a baseline for hardwork.  You have to work up to it to be successful, but you also have to understand that you are a brand that must be defined, honed, and marketed. 

5.            Participative Management Only Goes So Far.  When push comes to shove, your boss wants you to make him/her look good.  Learn to manage-up.

6.            The Playing Field Isn’t Even.  Every workplace is a game with strategies, rules, and boundaries – and those change from person to person and department to department.  Play your game within bounds but at the edge. 

7.            Focus On Your Outside Competitors, Not Your Inside Colleagues.  Too many people see the person in the next cubicle as the competition when nothing is further from the truth.  Keeping your eye on the business down the street, across country, or around the world is a better tactic.  

8.            The Company Isn’t In Business To Manage Your Career.  They may be delighted you’re there, but be prepared to leave by taking advantage of every training and development opportunity available. It’s never too soon to be looking for your next job.   

9.            Don’t Overlook The Importance Of The Look And Sound of Success.  Avoid the Chinese curse, “may you have a wonderful idea but not be able to convince anyone of it,” by developing outstanding written, verbal, and presentation skills as well as dressing for the job you want, not the one you have. 

10.          The World is Abundant – Act Like It.  To do otherwise is to assume there isn’t enough to go around.  Give freely of your time, information, know-how and goodwill.  It will be rewarded in kind. 

 

Mentoring is a big deal with me. This is evident in the letter I wrote to B-W when I got my job at Progressive Insurance. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the official and unofficial mentors that I have met along my path.

Check out this article in Forbes driving the point home about mentoring.

Be a mentor! If you are a B-W student or Alumnus, you can be a mentor by signing up at the B-W Career Network. Make a contribution back to your school. Help a current student with life and career opportunities!

You can also become a member of our chapter of ABWA. Come to meetings and make it known that you are available to be a mentor. It is my mission to have mentors for the student members. This was so vital to me when I graduated with my bachelors, and is still a vital resource for my continued growth, even now as a student of Masters of Business.

Find a mentor! Baldwin-Wallace has a couple ways to get a mentor. If you are a student looking for a job, sign up on the B-W Career Network. This is where I found the mentor that I wrote about to B-W Career Services. This is such a great service!

I was also lucky to find a mentor in my MBA program at B-W. Peter Kelly, Director of the MBA programs, invited MBA students to get together with a small group of mentors. Only a few students were selected due to the limited number of mentors. I met with Debora Lyons, Chief Human Resources Officer of Westfield Group, who was so gracious with her time. She let me conduct an informational interview with her. She showed me around Westfield Insurance, and she even let me take some personality tests to help me discover what I wanted to do with my life. Her time and feedback were and are so important to me.

I also have mentors at ABWA. Lucille Windgard and the other ABWA members of Women with Vision and Women of Wisdom have been such wonderful contributions to my growth.

And I cannot forget the unofficial mentors that I have! My swim coach from high school (thank you Jane Schweitzer!) and the many wonderful members of the local Beachwood Chamber of Commerce! Because of chamber’s “Job Seekers” program and efforts and encouragement of Wendy Schwartz, I was able to join as a temporary member and meet new people, learn networking skills, and create opportunities for myself. Wendy’s Job Seekers program helped me to break out of my shell. She offered creative ways to search and follow up with prospective jobs. And the members of the chamber were also very generous with their advice and contacts! You would be surprised at how wonderful and giving people can be. These are the unofficial mentors that YOU can find too!

Tony Robbins says if you want to be successful, find a person you admire and model after her/him. This is an indirect way to get a mentor, but a direct way to achieve success!

Mentors can be someone you ask, or someone you don’t even know personally. Mentors are helpful in your career path! Find one today, or BE one today! You can do this by joining our ABWA chapter, and many other ways!