Tag Archives: 100 days challenge

Wow! What A Great Event | Speed Networking Chicago Chamber of Commerce

Posted on by

As part of my challenge to make 100 new business contacts in 100 days, I attended a Chicago multi-chamber, speed networking event organized by several chambers of commerce on the far northside of Chicago. Held at The Breakers Senior Living Apartments on Sheridan Road near Foster, the event is organized much like speed dating. In this case you spend a few minutes at a table with about six or seven other individuals. Each person gets a chance to give his or her his or her “elevator pitch” saying who they are and what they do. My current pitch goes like this, “How would you like to succinctly tell your web visitors who you are what you do and why they should do it with you? My name is Reno Lovison and I produce web video.” Each person takes a turn, and in about 5 minutes the whole table has introduced themselves.  This then proceeds with another two rounds of each person commenting on a topic or giving their answer to a few other questions. When the process is completed each person has learned a little about each other and is then assigned a new table where the process is repeated. Then one more time at another table. So in the space of about 30-40 minutes I was able to introduce myself and get introduced to about 20 new contacts and get reacquainted with a few people I already knew. After which each person settles at a table of their choice and enjoys open networking and a buffet lunch.

The criteria for my challenge of meeting 100 new business contacts in 100 days is that I must have some understanding of what business or service my new contact offers and they must understand the same about me and we must trade contact information and do a follow up via LinkedIn or email. So these 20 new contacts definitely count.

Here are some of the people I met.

The first person I spoke with when I arrived was mortgage broker Demos Revelis.

Dorothy Rosen, Health & Wealth Executive is also involved in promoting women in business.

Patrick Honan is an account executive for one of my favorite radio stations WBEZ 91.5 in Chicago.

Andre Vasquez is a community organizer and political commentator based in the 40th Ward looking to expand political discourse.

I had lunch with Evan Wilson who can help you or your organization optimize processes, and unify your team toward a common goal.

John Victor is a business rep for Ignition Switch Productions who also does video production. Whereas I produce video at an affordable price point for small businesses and organizations, Ignition seems geared more toward larger brands and more robust budgets.

David Schellinger of lower case productions provides graphic communications.

I was happy to meet Nicole Hanna, Director of Sales for Hampton Inn at Loyola in Rogers Park because there are so few good branded hotel options on the far northside to recommend to visitors and business travelers.

Marc Hertz of More Than Noise Marketing provides marketing and content creation assistance to small businesses.

Got a business event, wedding or party to organize? Emmanuelle Escandar can help you get it planned.

Laura Bare of Waddle Reed and Alan Rodriguez of American Trust are both available to help with money matters.

Kelvin Udogu, Pharm.D. recently opened a new independent pharmacy at 6237 N. Clark Street. Stop by!

Tony Paolella will get you connected with the right people if you are looking for B2B leads for your business.

Are you a solopreneur or independent service provider looking for feedback and support? Michael Shapiro can help you get involved with a peer group to help you get the insight you need to overcome business issues and grow your business or practice.

Annette Murray of Bethany Retirement Community is looking to connect with anyone who has senior housing needs or interacts with those who do.

Maike’s Marvels creates and sells beautiful handmade personal adornments and object d’art

Contact Jackie Marchand Heller if you have gently used women’s clothing including maternity wear suitable for re-sale at Revive Consignment 1606 W. Pratt.

There were about 75 people in attendance including my friend Donna Smith-Bellinger, the Revenue Accelerator, accountant John Jones, Real Estate experts Ellen Baren of @properties and my good buddy Bernie Small of 4 Sale Realty. Bernie and John have joined me and about 15 others in the 100 Day Challenge.

If you need to contact any of these folks let me know and I’ll get you connected. I hope this quick overview will inspire you to re-connect with some people you have been neglecting or get out of your comfort zone and expand your personal or business network. Hey, and don’t forget your business cards!

FYI this is by business networking blog. To learn more about my video production services visit RenoWeb.net. – Reno Lovison. 

If you enjoyed this be sure to push it along by sharing via one or more of the social media icons below. 

 

Conscious Networking

Posted on by

array of conscious company magazinesToday I attended my second meeting of Conscious Capitalism Chicago. The organization’s mission is to advocate for the power of business to create prosperity, fulfillment and beauty in the world. Program Chair and Board Member Lee Capps kindly took a few minutes to explain some of the finer details such as the four pillars that work together to help businesses practice Conscious Capitalism. The pillars are: a higher purpose, not just making money (which by the way is a good thing); looking out for the benefit of all stakeholders, including workers, vendors and community,not only management and investors; a conscious culture that hires based on shared values and nurtures trust; and conscious leadership that demonstrates a top down commitment to conscious capitalism. The meeting was held at the Farmhouse at 228 W. Chicago Avenue in Chicago which is a business that practices conscious capitalism including the use of sustainable food products.

I met several interesting people the last time I attended a CC group meeting and this event was equally enlightening. I was happy to see my friend and CC advocate Mark Hurwich, who coaches individuals who have become “stuck” and feel as though they are not enjoying the success they should be having, or are just feeling powerless and having trouble getting past a difficult place in their life.  Mark can help you get unstuck. He has an upcoming 3 hour seminar for people who want to reconnect with their core intention. You can learn more about it at Concentrated Coaching.

Here is a lineup and shout out to some of the folks I had a chance to talk with and learn more about.

Brad McCabe of Bridgeport Metals recycles scrap for industry both ferrous and non-ferrous.

Jane McKay and Meg Barnhart are co-creators at “Zen of Slow Cooking” providing spice assortments and plans that will help you create moderately priced, easy to make, delicious meals in your crockpot or slow cooker. The packages they sell are assembled by adults with disabilities in Des Plaines, Illinois. Look for their product online or at area grocers including Whole Foods.

Davy Kusta is a leadership consultant whose family is in the concrete business and owns Franklin Park Building Materials, Inc. Davey likes to connect with people and is looking for speaking and corporate coaching opportunities.

Ken Simon whose business card designates him as CCO – Chief Cheesecake Officer passed around awesome samples of his Simply Simon’s Cheesecake.

Andy Swindler of Astekweb.com provides web services and is in the midst of a book project I will be anxious to learn more about.

Paul Sippil of CommunityDining.com arranges dining events connecting people through shared meals that stimulate substantive dialogue about pressing community and global issues, and strengthen the social bonds in our neighborhoods. Contact him if you would like to host or attend an event.

I wound up the evening talking shop with Mark Skala who, like me, is also in the video production business, under the clever name Skalawag Productions. Always good to speak with others in the same industry and with the same interests whether that be video production, marketing or writing. There are always opportunities to learn from each other or to create alliances or joint ventures.  It’s all about building trust and contributing what you can toward creating beauty in the world as you go about the business of business.

As of this meting I have met 48 people toward my challenge to meet 100 new people in 100 days, and I am only 33 days into it. Of course the great benefit of the challenge is meeting a lot of great people while expanding my network and sprinkling love dust. Check out where I have been and follow my future posts as I continue on this journey.

If you made it down here and enjoyed even a small portion of this post consider clicking one of the icons below to send this scampering out to some others who might also derive a moment or two of diversion.

Reno Lovison provides video production and other marketing services for growing businesses. You can learn more at RenoWeb.net

Day 30 of 100 Day Check-in

Posted on by

Thanks to realtor Bernie Small for hosting the third check-in of our 100 Day Challenge to increase your sphere of influence and grow your business. We had five of our 19 members in attendance which seems meager on one level but on another level it gave us some time to really connect and learn more about each other. Each person will get out of the challenge results proportional to the amount of effort they expend. For myself I have managed to add 39 new contacts to my business network in the last 30 days, putting me nearly 10 people ahead of the goal. John Jones reported numbers in excess of mine while the other three participants who checked in declared they were satisfied with the progress they are making and looking forward to continue to build.

My 39th contact is Mike from Patriot Painting who is plastering and painting our entryway and doing a great job. If you need a referral for a good paint and drywall guy give me a call and I’ll pass along his contact info.

Our check-in took place at a condo that Bernie is in the process of selling near Ainslie and Marine Drive.  Part of the strategy is to meet at venues related to the occupations of our challenge members so that we can learn more about what each of us are doing and give those individuals a chance to be the host. If you know anyone looking for a nice one-bedroom condo priced under 150K just south of Foster Avenue and steps from the lake contact Bernie Small.

We all brainstormed ideas to help Cengiz more effectively connect high school graduates with mentors who can help them gain experience and insight regarded to attaining their life and career goals. Susan gave a short presentation related to creating a business plan that could be used for planning virtually any kind of activity. I hope others will step-up and offer to share ideas and expertise that will help to make us all more effective in what we do.

The next event will take place at the Roots Room February 28, 2017 from 6-8 PM followed by our halfway point check-in at the offices of Dr. Edgardo Vargas Friday March 10th from 11:00 to 1:00. A light lunch will be served. So mark your calendars.

If you want to learn more about successful networking consider taking my self directed online course: From Business Card to Business Success.

Online course from business card to business succcess graphic

Lincoln Bend Chamber Meeting at Sunset Pho Chicago Northside

Posted on by

This is the first meeting I attended as a member of the Lincoln Bend Chamber of Commerce near my home on the far northside of Chicago. The meeting conducted by Executive Director Mimi Acciari was held at Sunset Pho a seafood bar & grill across the street from the new nature center adjacent to Rosehill Cemetery on Western Avenue. The restaurant offers a fusion of delicious Croatian and Vietnamese cuisine.  As a video and digital communications specialist I spoke with owners Zel and Ngoc Stakic about helping them turn one of their many TV screens into a digital display featuring photos and videos of their dishes as well as periodic specials and event information.

The meeting featured remarks by the area Alderman Patrick O’Connor and 20th District Police Commander Sean Loughran who gave a kind of “State of the Neighborhood Address” from a business point-of-view. The good news is that this is perhaps the quietest neighborhood in the city as it relates to police calls and crime. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone. But they both cautioned that the news was not a cause for complacency. “Area businesses are on the front line when it comes to noticing potential issues,” said Commander Loughran. The take-away message was, “If you see something – – say something.” Don’t be shy about reporting situations that look dangerous or out of place.

The meeting gave me the chance to say hello and get reacquainted with a few people I have met before, notably Joe from Hollywood Auto and Ivan from VPT Restaurant.

My lunch companions were Georgina, Byline Bank Branch Manager at Budlong Woods/Bowmanville Branch on Western who introduced me to her compatriot Vicki Bittar, Byline Branch Manager from the 2935 West Peterson Avenue branch. I had a chance to say hello to chiropractic physician, Ifeoma Okorafor and spoke briefly with Laura Roth, Director of Development and Communications at Friedman Place, a Community for Adults Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.  As a former president of the Chicago Uptown Lions Club I have had a lot of experience working with issues related to individuals with visual challenges.  Laura tells me that Friedman Place will be holding an open house and fundraiser very soon and also plans to host an upcoming chamber meeting providing an opportunity for the business community to experience firsthand what the facility has to offer their residents. Others in attendance were the family that operates Latin Bliss located near Friedman Place at “the bend” on Lincoln Avenue.

On my way out I had a chance to speak with Tom Stark, Manager of the Budlong Woods Branch of the Chicago Public Library. He and I initiated plans to offer a panel discussion related to non-fiction book writing presented by members of Midwest Writers Association of which I am outreach chairman. Look for details of that event coming soon.

Thanks to everyone for a warm welcome as I look forward to meeting the other members and learning more about area businesses.

________________

Reno Lovison provides marketing and business video production services at RenoWeb.net

Visit to Chicago Math & Science Academy | 2nd Check-in of 100 Day Networking Challenge

Posted on by
Group photo of 100 Day Challenge members visiting Chicago Math and Science Academy.

Visit to Chicago Math and Science Academy.

What a great meeting and experience we had for our second check-in on the 20th day of the 100 Day Challenge to grow our networks and increase our sphere of influence. Today’s lunch meeting was attended by nine members and took place at the Chicago Math and Science Academy, a charter school on north Clark Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Our host for this check-in was challenge member Cengiz Karatas who is on the staff of Concept Schools, a non-for-profit organization that manages 30 charter schools in seven Midwestern states, including CMSA.  Mr. Karatas is tasked with addressing the success of the school’s graduates by helping to provide mentoring and internship opportunities for the graduates from the schools in the Chicago area. In other words it is the policy of the organization who runs this school that their commitment does not end upon graduation. They make an effort to track the graduates to see how their post graduation plans, college or otherwise are working out, then make an effort to help those who may be faltering or need some assistance making connections that can help them to succeed.

Group photo of visitors in classroom

Photos By Irene Bermudez

By holding some of our check-in meetings at locations associated with our members it gives us a chance to learn more about each other and get a more in-depth look into each other’s business operations. In the case of the Chicago Math & Science Academy we were more than impressed and all of us agreed we were ready to go back to school. CMSA is very up-to-date and includes a robotics lab, 3D printer, ESL teacher for the many immigrant students, a choice of Spanish or Turkish as a second language and an award winning elective music program. Our tour was conducted by three very knowledgeable, courteous and professional high school students who are part of the school’s 17 member ambassador program.

Student demonstrates robot she constructed.

Any business owner who has internship opportunities should contact Cengiz Karatas directly. Our next check-in will be hosted by realtor Bernie Small at one of his condos, members will be contacted by email with time and location information.

The members in attendance all report that they are making good progress toward their goal. I personally have added 18 new contacts to my business network over the past 20 days. More-or-less on target.

Online course from business card to business succcess graphic

100 DAYS Challenge First Check-in 2017

Posted on by
Reply

I am happy to announce that 10 days into the challenge I have 18 people who have joined me in my 100 Day Challenge to Grow Your Network and increase your sphere of influence. Once I get everyone’s permission I will create a post with the names of each of the participants and their weblinks. I will be using this blog to post my personal updates related to the chalenge and give shoutouts to the participants and the people I meet along the way.

This site is dedicated to my interest in face-to-face networking. To learn more about my web video services be sure to visit RenoWeb.net.