Category Archives: General

This is the area where I blog about interesting topics regarding business cards, networking and entrepreneurship.

Lincoln Square Business Networking and Happy Hour | Chicago

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business card arrayOver the past few years I have enjoy attending the Lincoln Square Business Networking and Happy Hour hosted by Dr. Katie Ray at the New Day Spa on Lincoln Avenue.  Dr. Katie a chiropractic physician, offers NETWORK SPINAL ANALYSIS™ (often called NSA or simply Network Care) which utilizes, as I understand it, a light touch which is far less aggressive than the chiropractic approach many people usually imagine. She always gives a short, five minute or less, demonstration at every meeting and graciously shares the spotlight with another service provider who gives a one or two minute introduction of themselves. It’s a well-run meeting in a light and cheerful atmosphere with a comfortable vibe. The BYOB policy means there are a few bottles of wine available to wind down the day as well as some antipasto or light nibbles to keep your tummy from grumbling.

As I walked in this past Wednesday I was happy to see Raquel Soto who I had just become acquainted with the day before at our very own Business Card to Business Meetup. Raquel provides coaching services to help improve your business or personal life.  Some other new contacts included Jake Ennis, Project Coordinator at Robert Half, Kara Buffardi, CEO & Founder of Craveity Marketing & Branding, and Daniel Lona strength coach offering personal fitness training in the River North area. Jeremy Cohn can improve your range of motion and provide relief of lower back pain utilizing the Alexander Technique. Ty Parris just moved here from California, offering commercial real estate financing and Edward Sablan of First Financial Credit Union can help you with your personal financial needs – – but ask him about his podcast.

Katie does a great job of mixing business with pleasure at this event. It’s a fun way to connect with some familiar faces and make some business contacts while getting to know a few new people and learn more about them, not just about what they do. This meeting was Day 41 of my 100 Day Challenge to meet 100 new people. With the people I met here I am ahead of the one per day average at about 56. The thing to keep in mind tough is the challenge is about quality not quantity. The goal is to make some kind of meaningful connection, that’s what makes it valuable and fun. Welcome to my network.

Small Business Networking to Grow Your Business | Podcast

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Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Jeff Williams of Bizstarters who specializes in assisting individuals interested in starting a business over the age of 50. In this episode of Jeff’s podcast “Running a Great Business After 50” we spoke about using face-to-face networking to expand your sphere of influence and grow your business. We touched on the challenges small business face managing resources and using social media to stay top of mind as well as the importance of understanding the overall marketing objective when making a good promotional business video.

Conscious Networking

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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

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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.

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Lincoln Bend Chamber Meeting at Sunset Pho Chicago Northside

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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.

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

Who I met at Life Creative / Thinkubator Chicago Event February 2017

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This week I attended a very interesting and inspiring open house and networking event at Life Creative on Chicago’s near west side. I really had no idea what I had agreed to attend so I was very impressed when I came into the main area which is probably about 20,000 square feet of open space, with a number of interesting gathering environments.  The space is billed as a 70,000 square foot creative campus. Besides being a flexible event space it is a resource center for event planners and creative producers such as photographers and videographers who need access to props, furnishings, backgrounds and other decorative assets via a monthly membership plan. I was delighted to bump into my old friend Bob Shaffer who is the onsite floral designer. I knew Bob when he owned his own floral shop on Armitage Avenue and his kids studied piano with my wife Julie.  Several months ago I ran into him at the new nature center near Western and Peterson. He told me then about this cool creative space where he was working but I had no idea how cool it was until this visit.

If I understand it correctly this particular event was a collaborative venture between Life Creative and Thinkubator. There is a relationship between the two which I do not fully understand at this time but suffice it to say that there is a meaningful synthesis which I hope to learn more about. I am not sure where I learned about the event but I registered online via Eventbrite and was surprised to get a quick follow up welcome email from the Thinkubator host Gerald Haman. Gerald was mention several times over the evening by multiple people as a kind of genius and someone worth knowing. So I’m looking forward to it. We did speak briefly and he was very informative and personable.

After grabbing a glass of wine from the open bar I immediately spotted JD Gershbein, who I have met superficially face-to-face a few times over the years, but have come to “know” much better via LinkedIn where we both gather on a daily basis.  JD is a “Thought Leadership Coach” and LinkedIn guru providing profile writing and other LinkedIn related services.  If anyone wants to know anything about LinkedIn and how to get value from it, JD is the go-to-guy. He was accompanied by his branding designer Debra Kocis of envisionimpact.com who’s work speaks for itself because JD happens to be one of the best branded business people I know – -so if Debra has anything to do with his success I would not hesitate to recommend her.  JD’s brand is largely focused on his distinctive personal persona which includes a shaved head, big smile, distinctive round glasses and crisp shirt and tie.  The glasses are obviously a play on his company name “Owlish Communications.”  J.D. reinforces his brand through artfully done social media memes that share pertinent business information arranged around his face, which is his brand image.  I had a great time hanging out with these two. No surprise to encounter them at an event emphasizing creativity.

I had a brief chat with the CFO of Life Creative who after learning that I produce video, quickly walked me over and introduced me to Laura Kelly, Executive Producer for RevDigital who is apparently the video arm of the Life Creative/Thinkubator alliance. I was intrigued to learn more about their presence on Comcast Channel 392. I understand from Laura that it is a regional channel covering Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin (I believe) on which they are promoting paid placement. In other words you can buy air time. They will be broadcasting coverage of this event on March 1st at 8PM. I will set my DVR for sure.

The inspiration for attending this event was partially part of my quest to increase my sphere of influence and expand my network by meeting more people. I am 25 days into a challenge to meet 100 new people in 100 Days. I am joined by 18 other people who have signed on to share the journey with me, one of whom, John Jones, small business accounting expert was also in attendance.  I also had a chance to visit with  Andrea Nierhoff, anti-aging specialist and hair designer who I know from my buddy Bernie Small’s Logan Square networking group. Andrea introduced me to retired CPD officer Craig Roberts who was on hand to investigate details related to a police/firefighter fundraiser he is involved in putting together.

The passed hors d’oeuvres were delicious and while hanging around one of the food locations I had a nice conversation with “creative thinkologist” (my term not his) James Feldman. His business card/brochure explains “What 3D Thinking Can Do for Your Brain.”  I have to say that just a few minutes with him got me thinking, so I would say he’s on to something.  I also enjoyed speaking with fellow marketeer John Benandi and look forward to continuing our discussion sometime soon at the Nil Tap on west Foster Avenue.

I ended up the evening much where I began, interacting with Debra and JD joined by Bohdan Gernaga of tymedesign who apparently does beautiful interiors and architectural design as evidenced by the few smartphone photos he shared with us.

Maybe it was the two glasses of excellent red wine and excellent tuna sushi, but I had a really good experience and was really inspired by the space and the people I got to spend time with. It takes a bit of doing for each of us to step out of our comfort zone, show up someplace and just start talking with random people. But when I was a kid, some “dime stores” would sell a paper bag with unknown contents for a dime or quarter. You had no idea what you might get, but every now and then it was a small treasure. That’s what makes it fun.

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

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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.

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Shoestring PR Chicago | Vanessa Abron Workshop

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Thanks to Vanessa Abron for presenting and conducting a first class event last night. Her workshop provided information on how to create a public relations campaign on a shoestring budget that attracted about 30 or more entrepreneurs, musicians and freelance service providers. Vanessa describes herself as a “media relations maven” and provided some insight into why it is important to build relationships with media writers and producers, and how she has personally uses her relationships to benefit her clients.

After a short definition of public relations Vanessa gave a description of how advertising and PR differ, which is primarily paid placement versus nonpaid placement. She was quick to point out that PR is not without its own costs which may include professional help such as she provides, as well as costs related to the execution of your campaign like communications materials, imprinted swag, and other products and services. A shoestring budget PR campaign might include social media, special events, personal appearances, as well as traditional media like newspaper, radio and TV.

After the overview, we broke into groups and worked on a provided case study. I was on the Green Team who was tasked to come up with a social media campaign for our fictional Hip-Hop Performer client. Since I personally provide web video production services, I was happy to see that my team felt video – – specifically Youtube – – should be a key component of the social media campaign effort. One member was quick to point out that when using video on Facebook it is essential to upload the video to the FB platform to get further penetration then you would by simply supplying a Youtube link. A good tip. Video from our Hip Hop client might include performance clips but could also be behind the scenes videos with the performer and other personal connection clips. Another element included encouraging fans to pose with the performer at events and share the photos with their friends. After each group reported their ideas, Vanessa asked us to note how each of the categories crossover and support each other to create a full PR campaign.

The event was held at “WeWork” 20 West Kinzie which is a very cool shared office complex with a nice view of the city from the kitchenette gathering area on the 17th floor, complete with cold beer on tap. Vanessa arranged to have delicious salad-in-a-jar and cheescake in-a-cup for snacks and photographer Ven Sherrod was on hand to take head shots which could be purchased for a nominal fee.

This was more of a workshop then a networking event so I did not have a chance to get business cards or contact info from many of the people I met including a very nice woman who is a fine artist currently working at ComEd. There was a guy who was engaged in some sort of student internship program which I wanted to learn more about. Had a nice chat with Kat Rothstein from Digital Pollen Collective who provides  an array of creative services

In my Green group was a nattily dressed real estate musician, another musician who I met in the elevator on the way up and massage therapist, Marcia Cutright, whose cheerful personality makes you feel better just by meeting her. Before the program I chatted with Trudi Gentry an account exec with iHeart Media, and my friend and UX expert Susan Barahia. In the elevator on the way out I met visual artist Joshua Taylor and barber, Brian Coleman of Gold Coast Barbershop at 100 E. Walton.

I want to give a final shoutout to Sandrel “Sanicole” Young who was on hand to video the event. She is also the writer and director of short film, “Side Effects” that can currently be seen on Comcast On-Demand.

Vanessa Abron has demonstrated through this event that she can deliver, when it comes to putting together a classy event on a shoestring budget. She also managed to assemble an interesting group of talented individuals. Visit VanessaAbron.com to learn more about her follow-up workshops and other services.

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100 DAYS Challenge First Check-in 2017

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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.