The Women Ignite Idaho team is made up of women just like you…
Passionate. Committed. Seeking. Experienced. Hard Working. Influential. Magical.
Are you in?
Our vision asked an important question as we talked about this year’s conference… What can WII do together?
WII; the Speakers, the Vendors, the Sponsors. WE are all a key component. We are all the heart of this show. As individuals, we know hundreds, even thousands of women who deserve to join us. That’s really big, but….
Together, we know hundreds of thousands of women in the Treasure Valley, and beyond. Live events, email lists and social media connects us all in more ways than we realize. WOW!
Together we are like a typhoon of energy, drawing in the women who are seekers of their greatest moments to come. Together, we cannot be stopped. We achieve our audacious goals, together.
Are you in?
What part do you play? As a Vendor, a Speaker or Sponsor?
We all play a special, key role. Invite your friends, teams, co-workers, and family.
I have been in some shows. I have always offered a service, not a glitzy product.
That is NOT a sexy booth, at least not automatically. How can I compete with flirty Jewelry, silky Chocolate Fondu, cute clothing and women getting their hair done?…..THOSE are pretty fun, interactive and fabulous! Paparazi, V3 Hair Studio, Velata…oh my!
Now step in the: Insurance Agent, Realtor, Financial Planner, or myself… Speaker and Master Certified Business and Life Coach. We are amazing too! But- without all the bling…
At the Empowering Women’s Conference last year, I was in a corner booth by draw, then I walked past the fun and fabulous Premier Designs Jewelry Booth, with sweet as apple pie: Natalie Boerner. Who doesn’t love Natalie? AND her amazing jewels.
And then- the booth right next to me. This was amazingly designed to pristine polished perfection with Pink and Gold and Pearls on steroids, and Denise Nygard with Mary Kay…one of the coolest people. Ever.
I had a little booth intimidation going on at this point.
I was the last speaker of the two day event, which meant I could not WOW anyone to come and connect with me that way. TOO easy. I would have to simply step out in front of my booth, and authentically talk and listen to women. So I did.
And we connected.
What a neat group of women! Women who make it happen. Women with dreams, goals, and fiery ambition. Women growing, learning, challenging the ceiling. Women raising the bar- their own, and helping others go to their next paradigm too.
I met Dr. Janice Lung, Health and Wellness Coach of b.Well. And I met Karen Hughes, now of Mommy’s Club with organic and toxic free products. I met Carolyn Casey, author of “He’s Not Your Girlfriend”, Danae Valle of V3, Karleen Andresen of the stellar IWJ, 2014 Sponsor and Power Partner this year with our conference, Amy Hope Bonar of Origami Owl, and the list goes on and on. Lisa Adams of 107.9 Lite FM, our sponsor and MC in 2013 was a hoot, and she is back again this year! Meeting just ONE of these amazing women was well worth my weekend.
And the Conference. WOW… now there is a chance to collaborate.
Sit next to incredible women that maybe you don’t know. Mingle on breaks and networking spots during the speakers. Laugh, learn and make the kind of business and personal connections we come to make. It was fabulous. It wasn’t thousands of connections that were mostly superficial, then forgotten next week. I made dozens of real connections that can last- forever.
SIZZLING Trade Show Tips
Set up an absolutely amazing Booth. Even if you are a service industry, you can make your back drop fabulous, spend the money and have it look sharp and professional. It will be worth it and pay for itself over and over again.
Have dynamic materials to give out. Not just your cards. Give interesting information on your services, classes, and products. Actual Samples are great.
Do something Interactive! For some this is easy as their products are interactive. But again, be creative. We can all do something that engages people, and gets them moving. Be memorable. Be amazing.
Give something valuable away. Not a paperclip. Skip those. But either a COOL unique gift, OR valuable information that you can provide. If all you have is pens, consider skipping that and just do one giveaway via a drawing that is a nicer gift.
Have sign ups for whatever you do. Make them look professional and engaging. What do YOU sign up for? Engage your contacts and let them see your passion. People don’t buy products and services in the end- they buy YOU. Are you someone they want to buy into? Spend time with? Trust? See again?
Come out from behind the booth. Don’t hide. Be seen. Be real.
Be intentional. You will have a great event, no matter what, if you set yourself up for optimum success, and take every step and measure to ensure you do. What or who can get in the way of that woman? Who would dare to try? 😉
Which Booth would you like to visit of these two?
Many Blessings,
sheli G
CILC | CMC | CEBC www.shelig.com CEO Women Ignite Idaho Conference and Trade Show
International Speaker
Master Certified Business Coach
World Changer Leadership & Life Mastery Coach
“It’s time to ignite the World Changer in YOU!” ~sheli G
I absolutely love to speak. And I, like most speakers, have my own ” Pre-game rituals ” if you will. You know, all those things that especially when you give a presentation you make sure that you do, to be on your “A” game, to feel really grounded and well prepared. So I did what all good speakers do: I kicked my family out of the house so I could study. 🙂 I made a fabulous cup of Joe. I hunkered down at the computer to hang out with Google and my stuff.
I took a big drink of my organic coffee with Coconut Vanilla creamer…YUM…..and then, it happened.
I got a little tickle in my throat.
A seemingly harmless, normally no big deal tickle. But, my throat decided the tickle was a terrorist, and chose to cough it out, HARD! So I knew what I had to do…I held it in.
I had to hold it in.
I had my computer, keyboard, papers, iPhone… all in my line of fire and at high risk at this point. I had to soldier up, and hold that bad boy down….regardless. But this cough, it was relentless. Oh I held it down…BUT, I somehow snorted the coffee that was in my mouth, up my nasal passage the back way. Yes, yes it did come out my nose. Interesting sensation much.
After the initial nasal caffeinated shock…it was funny. Very funny. I started to laugh, which made me snort again, because I am a snorter. (I just had never reverse snorted before.) I was like, “If they could only see me now; no makeup, sitting in my BSU pajamas, reverse snorting coffee…what a classy lady!!!”
It was actually a fabulous start to my morning. Laughter…it’s so incredibly important!
“There are a lot of performers who make people laugh. There are a lot of speakers who give solid principles for living. I want to do both.” ~Mark Gungor
Statistics show that little kids laugh 400 times a day. One study showed that adults laugh only eleven, or less.
What does Laughter do for us?
Boost the immune system and circulatory system
Enhance oxygen intake
Stimulate the heart and lungs
Relax muscles throughout the body
Trigger the release of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers)
I was at the Les Brown Speakers boot-camp. Les Brown is considered the Best Inspirational Speaker in the world, now that the great Zig Ziglar has passed on. He laughs so hard, SO often. You get your monies worth out of every event he puts on, just because you laugh so much and feel so good! I noticed, as a speaker, I was holding back my laughter much of the time. I believe it was a subconscious reaction, because my laugh is often really loud, and I snort! So when using a microphone, this is all amplified. But I realized after watching him just let it rip, that I was ripping off myself and my audience. Laughter is one of the best things ever, to relax your audience, and prepare them. Right after someone laughs, their defenses are down but for a moment in time, and you can deliver that deep thought seamlessly.
So laugh.
Don’t take yourself so seriously. Have fun. MAKE some fun. And try snorting coffee. You and your sinuses will never be so clear.
sheli G
CILC | CMC | CEBC www.shelig.com International Speaker
Master Certified Business Coach
World Changer Leadership & Life Mastery Coach
“It’s time to unleash the World Changer in YOU!” ~sheli G
I meet a cool guy. He is very personable, but not over the top. He seems self confident, but not an ego-maniac. We talked about the event, the now over recession, and how it truly offered most Americans a great opportunity to re-calibrate ourselves in our businesses and our lives. I was enjoying this very down to earth connection, and he had me genuinely curious about what business he was in….and then it happened.
He gave me two business cards. Two cards from two totally different businesses. “HOLY CATFISH!” I thought. “That did NOT just happen….” But alas, it had.
Business networking/marketing yourself 101…. FAIL.
Then, it got worse. Not only did he give me two cards, the kiss of networking death, but they were not even remotely connected to one another! I won’t say what two businesses they were, in order to protect this poor guy from more tragedy. But two similar businesses would be: 1) I mow Lawns. 2) I also Custom Design Landscaping.
NOT similar businesses might be: 1) I am a Realtor by day and 2) a Tattoo Artist by night.
Why two business cards IS The Kiss of Networking Death
1) I just met you.
Listen- in that moment, I am trying to wrap my brain around all that I am learning about you, and what you do, and why I MIGHT possibly be interested. Your one business is as much as I can hope to metabolize. After all, I am surrounded with way interesting people, (Oh Shiny!) and I only have time to network with so many people before Cinderella’s ride turns all pumpkin- and I need to go. Two businesses??… and there it went. My head just exploded.
2) I don’t have time for your why.
You may have the absolute best reason in the world (or not) for the 2 or more businesses that you do, whether they are related or not. But I don’t have enough time to get your why, or be enrolled into all of that. That said, I personally have more than one stream of income, and more importantly, more than one tool in my tool-belt that I pull out to strategically help various companies and clients. But I only have one card. IF for some reason there is a great reason for two, only give one out at any given event, and pick your primary one, for the target market you are wanting to connect with at that event.
3) Most people will think you just cannot make one business successful.
It’s true, isn’t it? They will assume you have your irons in too many fires, and that you are the master of none. Again- this may not be true, but it’s an easy assumption to make when you don’t know someone.
People have short attention spans. People are quick to judge. (you have between 3-7 seconds before they make a judgement about you) And they need to resonate with your message, so they can identify why they need to align with you. The message needs to be crystal, pin-point clear. Don’t have a split personality business. Have a passion, and a clear intention. THAT is what will interest them to take and keep your ONE card, and hopefully YOU.
PS- If you are not super stoked about your cards when you are handing them out, get new ones. 🙂
sheli G
CILC | CMC | CEBC www.shelig.com International Speaker
Master Certified Business Coach
World Changer Leadership & Life Mastery Coach
“It’s time to unleash the World Changer in YOU!” ~sheli G
I had lunch with a very good friend this week, but one that I had not seen in far too long. Larry Locklear and I met years ago, when I was 26, at a dynamic community personal development class called Spectrum Trainings. Larry is one of the hardest working, most honest guys I have ever met. We were fast friends. I didn’t know Larry was Lion, or I just wasn’t paying attention.
(Larry is on the Left)
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization. They have 1.35+ million members in more than 46,000 clubs worldwide. Lions are everywhere. They’re men and women who are active in community projects in more than 207 countries and geographic areas. Lions have a dynamic history. Founded in 1917, they are best known for fighting blindness – it’s part of their history as well as their work today. But they also perform volunteer work for many different kinds of community projects – including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry, and aiding seniors and the disabled.
So Larry and I are eating at Chili’s, having a great time, and he asks me about speaking at an upcoming Lions meeting. As I ask him questions to better understand the Lions, Larry is sharing stories, about the blind who now can see because of this group. About a family with kids who had NOTHING, and the Lion’s brought Christmas to their door. The tree, food, presents, and the love…the Lion’s delivered all of this. I don’t know every Lion, but I can speak for Larry. He doesn’t do it for the applause, and they rarely receive that. He doesn’t do it for an ego boost, or the networking that the Lions are also widely known for. (after all, where big hearts and big wallets meet, there are some incredible connections to be made)
With tears in his eyes, Larry chokes out, that those service experiences forever change him, each and every time. He does it with all joy, knowing that he is giving back what he can. He is giving back what he deeply feels is his responsibility, since he has been blessed.
He isn’t a millionaire. He isn’t so different than you and I, really. He works full time and has a family. But Larry is one stand up guy. He intentionally blocks out time to help the ones in the most need, one situation at a time, as often as possible.
That’s it, I thought. No one I know “has the time” anymore, for anything else, do they? Right now, we probably have more money available than time, if we really think about our jam-packed days. There is no more time left over. It is then truly a choice; to designate some of our time and talents, to give back to the needy, since we are blessed.
If you choose, consider blocking out an hour to visit a local Lion’s Club group for lunch. Or go to lunch with a friend who is a member, and see what they are really about. Maybe you will find, like Larry, that in the giving of yourself to one in need, that you are forever changed, immeasurably.
Many Blessings,
sheli G
CILC | CMC | CEBC www.shelig.com Speaker
Master Certified Business Coach
World Changer Leadership & Success Coach
“It’s time to Level UP, and harness the World Changer in YOU!” ~sheli G
What opportunities should I take? AND What do I pass on?
It’s the toughest question since the recession. People still spend their money and time. Opportunities are bombarding us from every angle more than ever. From the people around us, to our online activity, to our cell phones bringing all our contacts and options to us 24/7… it’s endless. (until you shut it DOWN) 🙂
Business owners DO still need to invest in themselves, and their businesses to adapt, and move forward at the speed of the culture and their own dreams. This will never change.
SO- where do the people you want to be like when you “grow up”, or go to your next LEVEL UP hang out? What are they doing? What is working for them? What challenges you about your business and your life right now, and who knows how to navigate that? Who has been there and has some keys?
Forget about the places that we used to network at. (at least re-think them. ALL of them.)
Forget about business and activity that doesn’t result in either a direct deposit to your bottom line, or you truly developing as a leader and a person. Forget about the things you have always done in the past, or were committed to, or served on the board of (or committee of, yikes) … if they are not serving you anymore, or you just know it’s time for the new. Forget about places, people and events, if you leave them unmoved, unchanged, and drained.
Go where inspiration, innovation and collaboration COLLIDE… at sometimes even an alarming rate! Have some adrenaline charged fun expanding, challenging yourself and others, and hanging out with the passionate, driven people making their visions a tangible reality today. Life is urgent and precious. What legacy are you leaving behind if you drifted away in your sleep tonight?
Start living the bucket list NOW. You were given your visions and dreams because God thought YOU were the one to set them free and see them through. Prove him right.
Many Blessings,
sheli G
CILC | CMC | CEBC www.shelig.com International Speaker
Master Certified Business Coach
World Changer Leadership & Life Mastery Coach
“It’s time to unleash the World Changer in YOU!” ~sheli G
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Written
on January 27, 2014