The lay-off was not a complete surprise since Nicki’s salary was cut by 25% a year before the final job elimination. She worked in the non-profit fundraising arena for 18 years creating special event auctions for organizations. Coaching the non-profits through the entire auction process utilized her excellent training and relationship building skills but the industry was changing and the signs were clear that her long term career in the charity auction field had no future.

Pursuing the Dream

Nicki went through her savings and eventually her retirement account in order to survive. She took even took a “terrible job” that was below her skill level and required crazy hours in a toxic work environment with no potential for career building. For 10 weeks, Nicki stayed the course hoping things would get better until she finally had the courage to admit that she was ready to start her own company.

The dream was always on the back burner in her mind and she had a clear vision of what she wanted to do with her business but lacked the funding she thought she needed to get things rolling.

Her resolve strengthened on the day she resigned the self proclaimed terrible job which gave her a tremendous inner calm even during this time of career uncertainty and seeming chaos. In February of 2010, Nicki officially began the new career chapter in her life and has not looked back since.

The Death of the Cold Call

From the fundraising arena Nicki honed and developed exquisite relationship building skills. She was a natural networker and understood the power of professional relationships in business success. Her transferable skills also included development, goal setting, event planning and marketing but she knew that cold calling strategies were ineffective and a thing of the past.

A member of Executive Women International in her native Philadelphia, Nicki tapped into the resources of this organization for entrepreneurial advice. She had previously tapped EWI to network art auctions across the country so she knew the power of positive relationships and this organization gave her the courage to take her vision and make it a viable business.

Nicki launched We Network 4 You with a unique understanding that not all business owners have the time, resources, or comfort level to build referral relationships. So Nicki’s company provides customized referral-network planning as well as marketing and management strategies. Now an official LLC, We Network 4 You fills a market gap that serves all parties equally.

She Likes to Network!

While some people shutter at the thought of networking, Nicki does it with ease and makes connections for companies to promote clients and services in face-to-face opportunities beyond the standard business networking events. But how did she launch a new business of this magnitude and where did Nicki start?

“Networking and mentoring is a big piece of my belief system and my business-model.  I would have to say that EWI (Executive Women International) is an organization that I engaged in about 4 years ago and I do consider this organization one of those pivotal resources.  I also threw myself into personal development and leadership training while I was in the process of getting the courage up to leave my husband.  My passion for personal development, setting goals, leadership development, staying focused, chanting Law of Attraction has continued to develop and has been instrumental to the success of my business.”

Nicki has a resource team of mentors, many from EWI and established a website to make her business visible and searchable. But this business woman really practices what she preaches, so networking was the key factor in getting her business on the map and connected with paying clients.

Are there still scary times and feelings of apprehension? “Almost daily…” admits Nicki but she keeps her eye on the prize and knows how she wants to grow her business.

Professional Trust

Nicki thrives on the personal dynamics she develops with her clients. She explained that the relationship between two business owners is much different than between an employee and the employer.

According to Nicki – “I find myself wanting to work harder – do a better job for my clients. They support me and trust me and I love the feeling of mutual professional respect.”

The variety of services Nicki provides at We Network 4 You includes:

• Business Plans & Strategies
• Networking & Representation
• Identifying Referral Partners & Client Prospects
• Managing Relationships
• Database Management
• Marketing Card Campaign
• Social Media Marketing

Nicki has embraced the new career change as an opportunity in her life and she is empowered to choose what she wants to do. She evaluated her strengths and is now monetizing her passions doing what she loves.

To be clear, it was not an easy road. The lack of start-up funding was what prevented her from launching the company sooner. She incurred about $25,000 in launch costs which she is working to pay off. With the advice and counsel of professional business coaches, some of whom are also clients, Nicki is able to identify and work towards realistic goals.

Additionally, Nicki is working to refinance since she now has a year of income as proof of a viable business under her belt. The debt is now becoming less of a fear burden and she is able to trust in herself and the value of her business model.

Onwards and Upwards

Nicki is a woman with a plan on a mission to grow her company and be recognized as a top-woman entrepreneur. She has goals to speak and train others on networking and referral marketing. This is her way to pay-it-forward to future generations of business owners who are cutting their professional teeth during this trying economy – and let’s face it – this is a brilliant networking opportunity.

The reviews are in and Nicki’s clients are singing her praises. One satisfied customer even warned prospective clients to hire Nicki before their competitors did – and that says it all! Her business continues to adapt to accommodate the needs of her clients and now she also includes social media marketing on her menu of services. Even in the new normal of the changing business economy, nothing beats networking and Nicki’s business is proof of that reality.

Nicki’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Have a vision – learn what it is you like and what you don’t like.
• Surround yourself with people who motivate and inspire you.
• Get a coach, make goals and understand that you deserve to be happy in your career. Then go for it!
• Ask a ton of questions and follow your instincts.

Quote:

“If you think you can or you think you can’t – you are right.” – Henry Ford

Resources:

We Network 4 You http://www.wenetwork4you.com/Face2Face_Marketing.html

Executive Women International http://www.executivewomen.org/

Employers, headhunters, and recruiters capitalize on hiring and reviewing resumes during the holiday season to meet end of the year goals and fill pressing company needs. Don’t wait until 2012 to ramp up your job search – mobilize now. Take advantage of networking receptions and holiday gatherings and fill your professional dance card with as many outings as you can.

Passing out full size resumes to those you meet at parties and events is not practical or advisable. But Lois Gilbert, The Career Communications WordSmith www.theresumewordsmith.com has a brilliant solution that is easy to produce and will set you apart from the crowd.

Lois believes in the power of pocket resumes – business card sized hand-outs that reflect your professional brand and highlights the skills and qualifications you want others to know you possess. This show-and-tell piece is a great way to briefly articulate your professional story and go a step beyond the basic business card that only includes your contact information. Whether you are looking for a new opportunity or want to grow your business, the pocket resume empowers you to share your message in a professional and portable way.

Here is an example of Lois’ two-sided pocket resume. These can be easily and inexpensively produced at your local copy store. Start thinking about the message you want to leave behind with your pocket resume and may the networking force be with you!

A business or personal card is your ticket to effective follow-up when networking. Learn why everybody should take advantage of this essential career tool.

The Power of a Personal Coach

Debbie utilized the expert resources of a personal and executive coach, Silver Rose, whom she first encountered when she brought in Silver as a consultant on a project while she was still working at the firm. Debbie hired Silver personally and began exploring an exit strategy and new options for her career future.

Her professional reinvention began with weekly 1:1 calls with Silver and detailed homework assignments on self assessment and personal tracking. She conducted informational interviews with business peers and joined a mastermind group that works as an advisory board of sorts to provide motivation and accountability – all under the tutelage of her coach. Debbie also joined Toastmasters and a few networking groups for outreach, education and the personal growth purposes.

Silver gave Debbie permission to explore and she realized that golf – her passion – was also an educational tool and a business opportunity ripe for developing. Her knowledge about how to generate business through golf empowered Debbie as a resource others wanted to learn from. She also saw a tremendous opportunity to build confidence in businesswomen through strategies incorporating golf.

Move Over Boys – Women Are Playing Golf, Too!

According to Debbie:

“It’s a known fact that women, as a group, don’t participate in the game of golf to the extent that men do. For the most part, they see the game of golf as a mystery to which only men hold the key. Yet, the message businesswomen hear today is that golf is a widely accepted playing field for conducting business and they are missing out on opportunities by not participating. The golf community has created women-only golf clinics targeting the female executive. Statistically, women are the largest new group coming to the game of golf today. Yet, often frustrated with their skill-set, they are also the largest group that leaves the game and does not return.”

So Debbie capitalized on demystifying this critical business skill that can be used successfully on the golf course. Her business – Golf for Cause teaches women (and men) how to use golf as business tool, to create opportunities, to forward relationships because it’s more than just about going out and hitting golf balls. Golf for Cause provides the keys and the tools to demystify the game.

In her new role, Debbie enjoys being 100% responsible for the success and failure of each strategic decision in her company. She has control over her schedule and her work product matches her integrity and is a more accurate and rewarding reflection of who she is and what she wants out of a career. Debbie also appreciates the opportunity to set a positive example for her children by doing something that makes a difference and by giving back to her community.

Making Money Playing Golf

While the new career sounds too good to be true, Debbie has learned a lot over the years. Her initial business plan was not realistic and included programming that does not fit her business model today. That took some tweaking and adjusting over time. With a small staff of only two (including Debbie) she doesn’t have a large team to rely on as she did back at the firm. Debbie has learned that she can only control so much and that delegation is not always an option. A perfectionist by nature, Debbie also learned that delivering the perfect program was unrealistic. “At some point you need to step up to the ball and hit it off the tee!”

Since golf is now her livelihood, another important lesson learned was to identify which programs work well and which generate meaningful revenue. The economy has also been a challenge and the meeting & events industry has taken a particularly hard hit. Many companies have cut training and professional development budgets entirely. Debbie learned quickly that she needed to stay flexible and open to new ideas and partnerships in order to grow her business.

A personal goal for Debbie was to keep her schedule free enough to travel with her daughter, a student athlete to national tournaments and college recruiting trips. This was a liberty she gave herself with the new business that would not have been possible at the firm. She also set up administrative systems to enable the business to run smoothly in her absence.

“I set up systems such that I have an assistant who works remotely and maintains my database, follows up on various tasks as needed, brings forward ideas, keeps me on task, etc. Finding the right person was an incredible challenge as I spent a lot of time and money getting systems in place and then checking, redoing, and re-educating.  With the right person in place – I’m free to work “on” the business and not “in” the business.”

Mission Accomplished

The mission of Golf for Cause as an organization is to develop and deliver products and services that move others to use golf as a dynamic strategy to achieve their objectives, focusing primarily on business professionals new to the game, especially women.

While Debbie benefited from the expert counsel of her coach, Silver Rose, she also suggests that women seeking a career change develop a support network to help stay properly focused on goals and to provide a level of accountability.

She suggests that new entrepreneurs work with a good accountant from the start to better understand which strategies are effective and meaningful tax-wise for the business.

Birdies, Bogeys, and Business

Debbie’s repertoire of golf educational opportunities provides a myriad of topics such as:

• The secrets even successful business owners and managers don’t know
• Create an even more rewarding business environment
• See how your business success and your golf game are a reflection of who you are
• How to improve both your business and your golf score

Participants usually spend half the day in the classroom using golf as a metaphor to learn what differentiates being an entrepreneur, manager, or technician and the how this applies to the business world. After the classroom session, participants hit the course and play 9 holes of golf in a strategic format. All levels can participate, even never-played-before beginners. The day ends with a facilitated de-brief session, awards, and refreshments. An ideal group size is 6-40 participants and Debbie customizes programs to fit an organization or individual’s needs.

The reviews are in and Debbie consistently scores big with her clients!  The programs are experiential and golf anchors the learning. Debbie’s repertoire of golf educational opportunities provides a myriad of topics such as:

Mental Mulligans: A fun and enlightening team-building workshop for your group that reveals how you show up in and out of the office, on and off the golf course. Learn to understand different behavior styles on the golf course and how they impact your game and your success in business!

Get in the Game – Business Golf with On-Course Mentoring: A great way for business professionals to add golf to their business tool boxes.

Tee Off Program: A half-day outing designed to prepare the newer (or non-golfer) who wants to make a positive impression when playing in a charity or industry golf tournament.

Nine and Wine: A golf mentoring program offering a casual golf experience, designed especially for new golfers (men and women) to help them feel at ease on the tees. Golf up to nine holes with a mentor with facilitated debrief, networking and hosted happy hour after golf (“wine” not “whine!”)

Birdies, Bogeys & Business – Success On & Off the Course: a program that Debbie co-created and delivers with Joyce Friel from Peak Performance Consulting (www.peakperformancecorp.com).  This half-day program uses golf as a metaphor to learn what differentiates being an entrepreneur, manager and technician – and the implications for you and your business.  Explore your ownership mentality and create an even more successful business environment.

All Golf for Cause programs are designed so that participants at any golf skill level can participate, even never-played-before beginners.  Ideal group sizes range from 6 to 40 participants and Debbie customizes programs to fit an organization’s or individual’s needs.

By discovering new fairways and approach shots for defining business objectives, relationship development, and marketing strategies, Debbie Waitkus has turned golf into gold.

Favorite Quote:

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is that you’re the pilot.”

Michael Althsuler

Advice and Action Steps:

• For all the perfectionists – let go already and just do it!
• Consider a professional career coach and/or a resource team to assist you.
• Find a good accountant early on if you begin a new business.
• Really think about what you are passionate about doing – your next career may be right under your nose.

Resources:

Golf for Cause www.golfforcause.com

Silver Rose, Coach  www.silverspeaks.com

Learn to demystify networking and use it to your best advantage in your job search or career management. Check out my new video and consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel for regular new video posts. http://www.youtube.com/user/cdowdhig?feature=mhee#p/u

Breath Mint Maven

Working as in-house counsel for an event an interior design company, Jacqui found herself longing to be her own boss, to take charge of her own career destiny and start her own company. Her idea was unique, an all-natural breath freshener that would really eliminate your garlic laden lunch breath and not simply mask it temporarily like so many other products on the market.

Jacqui enjoyed a similar breath mint product she found in Australia (and could never find state side) and used that as a point of departure for her new and improved breathalicious concoction. To distinguish herself and her mint, she was on a mission to make her product, fun, cute, and trendy. And so, eatwhatever breath fresheners were born.

Her vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free product is filled with organic oils. Jacqui’s two steps to kissable breath regimen is very simple. First, you swallow a vegan gel cap which freshens your breath from the inside, filled with organic parsley and peppermint oil. Step two – suck on one of the little white mints for a bit of instant freshness. Bring on the garlic, onions, and all your favorite stinky foods since this product really eliminates odors for hours. The spine of her packaged mints reads: Suck and Swallow – a glimpse of the sexy marketing that helped identify her brand.

Learn the Ropes

So how does a first time entrepreneur make her breath-of-fresh-air product a reality? Jacqui started going to trade shows looking for vegan gel caps to fill with her organic essential oils. Learning the ropes was tough since she didn’t have the vocabulary to describe what she wanted and feared that people would find her crazy and inexperienced. She mustered her courage to ask questions and eventually found a company that would do a small run of her recipe so she could test the market and see if her product filled a niche.

Financially it’s been tough. After investing her own money to make this dream a reality, Jacqui is at a point where she is looking for investors to take her business to the next level. But, Jacqui and her husband, Dean Bialek are the quintessential cosmopolitan, intellectual dream team. Both lawyers with a creative and international edge, they share a passion for food, wine, the arts and fashion that serves them well into their new business venture.

Being in Control

While Jacqui admits that she was terrible with numbers, taxes, and financial statements she had to learn enough to be a well informed consumer when she hired an accountant to help with these tasks. “You must be in control with distributors, brokers and the business people who will help you with all aspects of your business so you are not taken advantage of.”

Jacqui also shared that the food industry is still very male driven so as a woman entrepreneur she has to be on her toes to get the attention of her male counterparts and to keep it! Self motivation is also a must for this breath freshener queen. She loves having control over her own schedule but also knows the realities of having to do it all yourself, at least in the early stages of the business. If the mail has to be taken to the post office, Jacqui does it since she is the staff, the CEO and Co-Founder.

Fake it Till You Make It!

Clearly some of the transferable skills from her legal career and performing arts background have helped her run the business, but Jacqui says she learns a lot just by doing. From the law she learned how to read the fine print and knows why it is crucial for her business. She suggests that you do your homework on potential business contacts before you meet them because as an attorney, she knows how expensive litigation is and warns to avoid it at all costs.

As a former performing artist, Jacqui knows the importance of exuding confidence in front of her audience. She says that eloquence and professionalism are essential and her private tip is “Fake it until you make it – they’ll never know!” In the beginning, she devoured a myriad of books and magazines on entrepreneurship and relied on friends in the beverage and packaging industry to learn the ropes from the inside out. Learning the lingo was essential to be recognized and respected by the professionals in the industry with whom she would be working with to market and distribute eatwhatever.

The Value of a Strong Brand

Each day brings valuable lessons and Jacqui says that it is always a learning experience. She now realizes the importance of making her branding message clear, clean, and strong. While she originally loved the idea of the sexy factor with a kissable breath product, she now understands that in certain markets the sex appeal needs to be toned down to a flirt factor. She continues to tinker with packaging and now realizes the importance of investing money in PR during a product’s launch.

At the end of the day eatwhatever is about confidence. Everyone needs fresh breath. Whether we are kissing a loved one or interviewing for a new position, fresh breath empowers you with the confidence to feel good about yourself. Jacqui never leaves home without packs of her amazing product.  A walking and talking billboard for her product, her samples are sure to make a believer out of you.

I can now add my name to her list of positive testimonials. The product is fantastic – it really works and for a breath freshener to empower us with that kind of self confidence is a beautiful thing!

Jacqui’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Really take the time to think through your ideas and plan your strategy.
• Be realistic about how much time (24/7) is takes to launch a new business.
• Avoid negativity and develop a thick skin; everyone has an opinion – sift through those you really want to consider.
• Trust yourself – you are your best asset.
• Great things happen through networking.

Quote: “Failure is not an option!” Jacqui Rosshandler

Resources:

eatwhatever  www.eat-whatever.com

Savor the Success www.savorthesuccess.com

Ladies Who Launch  http://www.ladieswholaunch.com

Lynne has built her business on helping people put the tools of networking to work by reaching business and career goals. She is the co-author of the book Make Your Contacts Count and pointed me towards her site to share the 8 Competencies of Professional Networking with my readers.

Courtesy of Lynne, here is a quick glance at the competencies. Check out the website for full definitions and action steps.

1. Capitalize on Style – appreciate how personality, mindset, and attitudes affect the ability to build relationships.
2. Take a Strategic Approach – target specific organization and career outcomes and agenda build for networking events and outcomes.
3. Envision the Ideal Network – identify WorkNet, OrgNet, ProNet and LifeNet contacts and leverage opportunities with each.
4. Develop Relationships – see relationship building in stages and manage the trust building process by building character and competence.
5. Increase Social Acumen – become more comfortable, confident, and professional by mastering relationship rituals.
6. Assess Opportunities – choose optimum networking opportunities and make participation pay off.
7. Deliver Value – contribute to the organization’s networking culture and capitalize on networking to affect the bottom line.

You can even test your own networking skills by taking the Networking Competency Assessment on the bottom of the Contacts Count homepage. As you start the New Year with a focus on relationship building, you can learn a great deal from Contacts Count and Lynne Waymon’s expertise. Thank you for sharing, Lynne!

More and more companies are using social networks to recruit and every now and again, a recruiter will find you from an online search. But how do you attract a headhunter to your profile?

In a Pink Magazine article, Jill Smart, Chief Human Resources Officer at Accenture shared that you must “…actively leverage networks you have on social media channels. Don’t just post a profile on Facebook or LinkedIn – update your profile regularly and reach out to your network consistently. Keep active and respond to other people’s requests for information.”

My recruiter friends shared that your online profile makes a significant first impression in the job placement world. Be sure to present a profile that showcases your professional best and this includes your photo!

Another way to gain online validation is to subscribe to blogs in your industry. Keep up with trends and advertize what you do well by tweeting or composing new articles in your area of expertise.

Since 80% of jobs are still found in the hidden market and by word of mouth, use LinkedIn Groups to communicate in cyber conversations. Seek out job advice, position openings, and the inside scoop from current employees by requesting informational interviews and job shadow opportunities.

Make sure you are also registered on the top job sites that include Jobster, CareerBuilder and Plaxo With Simply Hired. Don’t forget to capitalize on former classmates and their connections in the work world. Reach out to fellow alumni and former faculty members to re-engage in conversations and showcase your strengths. Those that know you are more apt to recommend you for opportunities that cross their path for which you are a good fit.

While conducting 100% of your job search using social media would be unwise, it’s certainly worth at least 20% of your time in self promotion, industry research, and expanding your network!

But Barbara Ann left her thriving legal career to pursue political office. First, an unsuccessful run for a Senate seat, she is now in the midst of a campaign for Texas Attorney General. This unflappable career woman has a call to serve and is determined to make a difference as part of her Texas career legacy.

Have a Game Plan

Barbara Ann’s decision to pursue public office was very well thought out.  She studied how it could be done by reading and speaking to many, many people. She wrote a business plan and then implemented her plan. After the Senate race and 650 trips with wonderful new friends, she laid the ground work for her political future and formed two Political Action Committees. She kept her key personnel active and waited until polling data determined a state wide race would be winnable. Barbara Ann sat out an election cycle, but thoroughly enjoyed planning for this Attorney General race with her former Communications Director who now serves as her Campaign Manager, in addition to key consultants she enlisted very early.

Networking is just as important in politics as it is in business and Barbara Ann used every contact she could think of to fit into her business plan. The most daunting effort continues to be fundraising.  Having already made more than 14,000 fundraising calls in this campaign, Barbara Ann tapped into every person and resource she thought possible. She was also inspired by her late father, who was an escaped prisoner of war, a tailor, a NASA scientist and a huge believer in public service. Barbara Ann’s mother is the best inspiration for keeping it all in perspective and Barbara Ann considers her the smartest person she’s ever known. Her mother now lives with Barbara Ann’s family and is battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Connected to the Community

Barbara Ann has always valued hard work, honesty, and intelligence and has built her campaign on the platform of serving her community. While she admits there was a learning curve to a political life, most of the challenge came from accepting that which she could not change.

“Some people will oppose you no matter what. The remainder of the challenge is in remaining committed to the everyday hard work of raising money. Maintaining perspective, sense of humor, recognizing the need for others and retaining faith in your own judgment stands anyone in good stead, too.”

She encourages others considering a career change to do it, plan and work hard, and make sure you enjoy the journey!

Know Your Strategy

Barbara Ann’s strength has always come from having a plan and being prepared. She relates to a mantra from Admiral Chester Nimitz that she finds useful in almost any operative analysis. It outlines points to consider before launching an operation: Objective, Offensive, Surprise, Superiority of Force at Point of Contact, Simplicity, Security, Movement, Economy of Force, and Cooperation. In a nutshell, this describes how Barbara Ann operates and why others appreciate her Texas tenacity.

While her most pressing goal is to win the Attorney General race in November, Barbara Ann is taking the time to enjoy the upcoming marriages of two of her children and a family reunion before the election. A pioneering professional woman, Barbara Ann has achieved two important firsts in her career, thus far. At her former law firm, Vinson & Elkins, she was the first woman to have children as an associate and attain partnership. After her 2006 retirement from Vinson & Elkins, she became the first woman in history to serve as the Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee.

After an unsuccessful race for Senator, Barbara Ann refocused her sights on Attorney General – the state’s elected chief legal officer. Utilizing her legal skill set, she aims to reign in the high insurance and electric rates in the state of Texas as well as the franchise margin tax. She has also proposed an $18 billion lawsuit to the current Attorney General to file against the Wall Street Banks that brought down the economy in September 2008.

Taking on the Scoundrels

The lawsuit, supported by law professors, former Governor/Texas Attorney General Mark White, University of California, Irvine Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, former President of the State Bar of Texas, Bill Whitehurst and prominent statewide lawyers, sues to protect the physical and economic interests of Texas under well established Supreme Court law.   Barbara Ann is launching a petition drive at www.SueWallStreet.com today to collect 100,000 signatures urging States Attorneys General to sue, using the materials at SueWallStreet.com.  Barbara Ann offered the lawsuit and her legal services at no fee to work on the case in a letter to the Texas Attorney General.

According to Barbara Ann – “Texas and every other state can obtain justice from the scoundrels of Wall Street and achieve what the federal government has failed to do.” Texas has never had a woman Attorney General and if Barbara Ann wins this fall she will prove that she knows no fear in serving the citizens of her state.

On a Mission

It’s clear that Barbara Ann is passionate about making a difference for the citizens of Texas. She has dedicated her life and her career to helping others. From the law firm to the political stump, Barbara Ann has reinvented her career goals capitalizing on her legal skill set and her commitment to helping others.

A political campaign involves great risk and determination in addition to significant financial support from constituents.  A public servant loses all anonymity, especially during an election cycle so Barbara Ann is “on” 24/7. But her mission is energizing and rewarding and it’s clear that she is determined to make this career move successful. We’ll check in with Barbara Ann in November to see how things play out. For now, her career reinvention is an exciting journey.

BAR’s Advice and Action Steps

• Plan for it and then do it!
• Let go of what you cannot change.
• Fight for what you believe in.
• Find your call to serve.
• Always maintain your sense of humor.

Resources

Barbara Ann Radnofsky   http://www.barbaraann2010.com/suewallstreet

A Shift in Fortune

Her reinvention started with listening. It occurred to Debra that before she lost the weight she wasn’t listening to herself and succumbed to all the naysayers in her life. With a new clarity of purpose, Debra was motivated to earn money to provide for her kids who were three and five at the time. She happened upon a job posting for Colorado Free University, an adult continuing education annex in Denver that was looking for a teacher to facilitate a course on small talk.

The formerly shy and tongue-tied “enginerd” was now going to teach others how to communicate effectively in a variety of situations from the board room to the office holiday party. Her first class enrolled 6 students and the next class attracted 20 students. Word spread and soon there was a waiting list to get into Debra’s small talk class. An enthusiastic student asked if she could condense the course into a 60 minute talk and present it at a conference she was organizing and Debra’s shift in fortune began.

Doing It All

That first public speaking engagement led to others and Debra also worked as a trainer to build her brand and make ends meet. Her scrappy nature and willingness to make face-to-face connections, as well as cold calls was the key to her success early on and still today. “If you are not willing to sell you, then you will not be successful.” according to Debra.

Even though her career as a public speaker and trainer was gaining momentum, Debra still had to juggle the realities of raising two small children on her own.  She worked nights and weekends when she could have babysitters watch her kids and she made phone calls during their nap times to secure future engagements during the day.

After dealing with the reality of no income and a mere pittance for child support after the divorce, Debra learned valuable lessons about how to invest her earnings in her future. The kids were the number one priority and she was diligent about finding opportunities to promote her business for free.

A New Meaning to Boot Strapping

Subscribing to her philosophy of not spending money until you earn it, Debra was creative in finding ways to grow her business. She joined the Rotary Club 18 years ago and became very involved in the organization. She had passion, an interest, and the energy to serve the organization which empowered her to spread the word about her business. Debra has spoken at Rotary meetings nationwide and is currently the President Elect of her Rotary Chapter in Denver. By getting involved with an organization like Rotary, Debra became connected to decision makers who helped her move forward with her business plans.

Do What You Know

Debra learned early on that it’s best to start cultivating relationships with people and organizations you know. Today, her bread and butter engagements come from engineering companies, law and accounting firms as well as connections from analytical minded individuals she worked with during her tenure as an engineer.

Debra has credibility with this audience as an engineer and most analytical types are in serious need of small talk coaching so it makes for a perfect union. Developing this media hook and special sauce gave Debra a unique niche market in the industry that has served her very well. She established her Denver based company, The FINE Art of Small Talk to teach professionals of all stripes the knack of conversation.

She Speaks and She Writes

Soon people who heard Debra speak began asking if they could buy her book and in typical Fine fashion, she taught herself the ropes of self publishing. She learned the valuable lesson early on that if you know you can do something yourself – do it yourself! And so the writing journey began.

Self publishing is becoming very main stream today but when Debra first launched The Fine Art of Small Talk, she earned her way over the self publishing hurdles with grit and determination. Distribution was paramount for sales and Debra learned so much by doing it herself that her future plans include authoring a book on self publishing.

Ever tenacious, Debra published the book on her own after multiple rejections from national literary agents. She turned her negative responses into a positive by once again taking control and doing it herself.  She began selling books at her speaking engagements and eventually through Amazon and steadily sales spiked. Soon the traditional publishing houses were calling with offers to reprint the book under their name for a lucrative contract. But Debra also learned the fine art of negotiation and did not take the first offer. She later secured a sizeable contract from Hyperion who remains her publisher to this day.

Results from a Risk Taker

Debra’s motivation in the beginning came from being broke and the absolute necessity to provide for her children. She got herself out there and made things happen and she did so by taking risks. The hunger to do something is a great motivator and Debra still finds that she has the passion to pursue her business because she really enjoys what she is doing even though she is financially solvent.

She has designed a career that is very flexible and targets speaking engagements to coincide with adventures she wants to pursue. When we spoke by phone, she had just returned from an Asian speaking tour and was able to coordinate a week of vacation as part of the trip to take advantage of the exotic locale.

A member of the National Speakers Association and the Colorado Chapter of the National Speakers Association, Debra receives high accolades from her clients, which include Cisco Systems, Wells Fargo Bank, Vail Associates, The US Treasury Department, Toyota, Lockheed Martin, and hundreds of associations including insurance, real estate, legal, financial, engineering, health care, and chambers of commerce and civic organizations across the country. In addition, she is a past member of the Advisory Council of the University of Colorado – School of Engineering.

Her risky self publishing venture led to a very successful career as a bestselling author. Debra’s books The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Rapport and Leave a Positive Impression and her newest book in the Fine Art series: The Fine Art of Big Talk: How to Win Clients, Deliver Great Presentations, and Solve Conflicts at Work released in 2008. Debra’s recent media appearances include The Today Show, CNN, The Early Show, and NPR Morning Edition.

Are You Hungry?

Debra’s hunger for reinvention created a new person from the inside out as well as a new career. She is the epitome of self motivation and turned a very difficult situation into a thriving new career and unlocked her self confidence in the process.

The Denver Post calls her presentation style “A mixture of stand-up comic, therapist and teacher.” This savvy former engineer has turned the art of conversation into a career and that is indeed a Fine thing.

Debra’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Use what is free to promote your business or service.
• Become very involved in some organization where you can spend time and showcase your strengths.
• Get in front of decision makers who can help you move forward.
• Do it yourself, if you can.
• Don’t get yourself into debt.

Quote:

“Every no is one step closer to a yes.” Tom Hopkins

Resources:

Debra Fine www.debrafine.com

The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Rapport and Leave a Positive Impression by Debra Fine (book or CD available)

The Fine Art of Big Talk: How to Win Clients, Deliver Great Presentations, and Solve Conflicts at Work by Debra Fine

Colorado Free University http://www.freeu.com/