EWI March 17th - Social Media Presentation

Thank you to all the Lethbridge business women who attended the EWI Membership drive meeting March 17th. For those who are interested, here is the PowerPoint from my presentation on Social Media and over the next few days I will upload a list of many of the online resources I have found valuable.

And watch for more news soon about the Fashion Show April 21st at the Lodge!
Colette

Happy News from March Newsletter

Thank you to Leanna Lomanski of Ducan Industries for putting together our March newsletter!

 

CONGRATULATIONS!  to Angeline and the staff of Bells and Bows Bridal Centre who have been awarded the Sun-Times “Best of the Best” Lethbridge 2010 award!

CONGRATULATIONS!  to Jessie Wester who breezed through her UFE accreditation with flying colours!

BIG NEWS!  Kathy Maier has agreed to accept the Vice-President position.  Thank you, Kathy for stepping up and contributing in such a positive way to our Chapter.

Big Hearts in EWI Lethbridge

Good morning! What an amazing group of women we have in EWI Lethbridge. 

One of my company's (ANCO Business Solutions) recent contracts was to provide marketing, PR, and community relations services for the 2010 International Peace Pow Wow and Miss Blackfoot Canada Pageant. Several of our EWI members came forward  and generously donated some amazing gifts for the Miss Blackfoot Canada winner:

• Only Women's Fitness - spa & fitness package
• Bells & Bows Bridal Centre - crystal necklace and drop earrings
• Leanna Lomanski Photography - studio session
• Wanda Hutton - original designer turquoise necklace

In addition, our board has voted to extend an offer for Miss Blackfoot Canada to attend up to four EWI Lethbridge events as our  guest. The pageant coordinator was thrilled to receive such a generous selection of prizes, along with the networking and mentoring opportunities to attend our EWI group. Thank you to all!

Colette

Spring Is In The Air! And my hat....

I am really looking forward to our March EWI meeting, for a couple of reasons. Programming Chair Kelly Vander Hooft of Urban Studio Interior Design has been doing such an amazing job organizing our meeting venues and Paradise Canyon Country Club is another fabulous find. Having been to many functions there I anticipate the food will be yummy and the scenery is always spectacular.

Another reason our March meeting is so special is that it is our Membership Drive and a great opportunity to show off our organization. With that in mind, here are some of the benefits of EWI as suggested by our members:

• An opportunity to connect with like-minded peers
• Fun and impact-ful (is that a word?) volunteer involvement with local groups
• Exclusivity of business categories
• Being part of (and proud of!) the best fashion show this city has ever seen!
• Tapping into a supportive network of southern Alberta business women who've been there for advice or a listening ear
• Opportunities for networking both inside and outside EWI
• Great speakers
• Free professional development through top level presentations and webinars
• Showcasing your business with a Firm Night
• Opportunities to learn from the collective wisdom of our membership during our roundtable business focus question

These are just a few... what else could you add about what makes EWI such a great organization to be part of? Let's show off our group by each inviting one or more prospective members to join us March 17th, and I will donate a gift certificate to the member who brings the most guests! See you there...

Colette

February News from EWI Lethbridge

Can anyone relate to feeling overwhelmed with the demands of work? As a business owner since 2004, I have gotten used to the never-ending sense that there is always something important falling off the back of the truck; if I have a rare moment of feeling caught up on projects, then surely I am falling behind on sales, or networking, or advertising, or my web content, or....

Right now seems particularly hectic, and I had a couple of days last week that brought me to the brink of giving up in the face of what seems like an endless to-do pile. Perhaps you have had moments like this?

But thankfully, instead of reaching for the Help Wanted section of the Herald I happened to pick up a copy of "Work From the Inside Out" by Nancy O'Hara. In the introduction she suggests three concepts upon which the rest of the exercises are based:

- Keep it simple.

- Be patient.

- Be compassionate toward yourself.

That alone might help, but it wasn't until the chapter on Understanding and Acceptance that I started to feel better. She points out that, no matter how successful/unsuccessful, how busy/unbusy, how lazy or productive we might see ourselves in any given moment, we are not in control. 

I can't control time, my clients and their budgets, endless telephone tag, the part of the Alberta economy that affects my funding, or a million other unseen factors that might be contributing to my feelings of 'not-getting-enough-done'. In the moment of understanding this, I felt the weight lift knowing that all I can control is my choice to make this one phone call, write this one news release, attend one meeting. Ahhhh... these things I can do.

So, for this morning my task is... president's message... :-)

Thank you to Judy Holmes, Leanna Lomanski, Brenda Eaglesham and JoAnn Jurgens for pulling together the EWI display for the Chamber of Commerce Mix & Mingle last night. From all reports, it seems we were well received and generated a few new prospective members. Great job as EWI ambassadors!

And a HUGE thank you to Leanna Lomanski for the fabulous photo shoot which produced this cute picture that makes me feel like I really can take on the world!

Colette

Upcoming EWI Fashion Show

It's that time of year again! April 21st EWI Lethbridge hosts the 10th annual EWI Fashion Show and Silent Auction at the Lethbridge Lodge.

Always a sell-out, this event showcases fashions from several local retailers, and the auction portion allows EWI to provide two major scholarships to University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College students every year.

Watch here for more details, or contact me (Colette) at an.co@shaw.ca or Sue Reeves at Remco Memorials 403-329-9434 to purchase tickets.

Welcome to EWI Corporate!

Drawn from member firms all across North America, the Corporate Board of EWI is going to be in Alberta to support the launch of the Grande Prairie Chapter Charter. Congratulations to Grande Prairie, and to Calgary SpeedPro Signs owner Joanne Ruston for originally inspiring the Grande Prairie satellite chapter.   Our Corporate directors have decided to make the most of this rare opportunity and visit with as many Canadian Chapters as possible.

Our Chapter Board and Member Executives are organizing a luncheon presentation to honour the visiting delagates anticipated to include President Louise Anderson of Maurice H. Joseph Inc, Vice-President, Executive Director, Past President and Expansion Director of EWI.

To this point we have commitments to attend from City of Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck, Cheryl Dyck, CEO of Economic Development Lethbridge, and Alberta MLA Bridget Pastoor. A HUGE thank you to Karen Skirten from Tier One Travel and Corporate Expansion Director of the Calgary Chapter  for her suggestion that we be involved in this Alberta visit.

EWI good news tidbit: In a year when most business membership organizations are dealing with shrinking numbers Executive Women International membership is up up by 12%!!