Category Archives: Connectivity & Business Friendships

Top Three Tips for Getting Your Happy On – Improve Yourself

1 Reply

If you’ve got a successful career, a family and/or a life, chances are the pace of modern existence has you spinning.  Here are some great suggestions from the ladies of the Triple W Forum on how-to stop the madness and unleash your happy by making some simple, yet important decisions.  

 

1. Write down three activities you really REALLY enjoy doing.  Analyze where you spend your time and if any of these activities are on your to-do list. If they aren’t, it tells you that you haven’t actually honored what you love to do.

 

2. Next, put one of those things on your schedule for REAL.

 

3. Reflect on how happy it makes you. Keep the date with yourself.  Then DO the thing you love to do and Voila! You’ve just made a small but significant positive change.

 

Got a taste for even more improvements?  Then by all means give yourself permission to explore the Triple W Forum- A Working Women’s Workshop.  Speakers will present on a variety of topics in the categories of Wellness, Leadership, Organization, Planning, Strategy, Communications and Technology.

  

Thanks Nancy Johnston and Big Oogan we love, for the info! We support your efforts!

  

Here is the link to learn more about the Triple W Forum Sept. 10th and 11th  http://triplewforum.com/event.html

Chicago Entrepreneur Network Rockets Collectively

2 Replies

There are 27,000 current members in Linked n Chicago, thousands of members & friends of Big Ooga, Local First, BNC, Evanston Chamber, West Suburban Chamber, the Naperville LinkedIn Business Group and the Evanston / North Shore Business Group.

Among them, the owners, founders, leaders, volunteers and members share a common vision, to create a working, generous, authentic community where contributions and people are honored.  Where prosperity, appreciation. respect and concern drives evolution.

Big Ooga has been invited to manage the Linked n Chicago Entrepreneur Network and to help bring out our common best. At first, when Founder and Owner, Mary McFarlin and Community Thought Leader, Bob Tricarico invited me into the position, I wanted to say yes with a marching band, a few shameless blimps and chilled martinis for all! Instead, I sought the consult of respected business people and friends.

Their advice was to put one foot in front of the other.  So here are the first steps.

My news is our news. My journey is our journey. My work is our work.

Big Ooga will remain a “preferred vendor” network where a Big Ooga designation is synonymous with excellence.  Our events will remain free with a listed membership and we will continue to showcase and connect you to companies that need your services.  Big Ooga will begin entertaining other groups so that we’ll be able to expand your business relationships exponentially.

April 6th at the Victor Hotel we’ll be entertaining the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, The Evanston / North Shore LinkedIn Business Group and Naperville LinkedIn Business Group.  The effort is led by Greg Maddox, a bright, strategic, businessman devoted to encouraging and embracing the talents and contributions of everyone in his lexicon. You will love him.  Barry Moltz of Crain’s and the Trib is our special guest host! Imagine Digital Entertainment Media will be conducting video interviews.

In June we have a joint event planned with BNC – Business Networking Chicago – and there is nobody in town as well known and well loved in this space like the magnificent Jean Pickering.  Leading BNC is David Carmen – who made the decision to say yes, and to whom I’m eternally grateful.

In July we will be working with Local First and the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce. Both groups share our passion for driving local business and keeping our community vibrant.

And then I must circle back to Mary McFarlin and Bob Tricarico – who have quietly and effectively built the largest LinkedIn business network in Chicago, which is growing everyday. Thank you for this honor!

To the Chicago Entrepreneurial community, the Entrepreneur Network – of Linked n Chicago will have specific Entrepreneur Subgroups. Entrepreneurs who serve large companies will have a special group, entrepreneurs who serve small companies & consumers will have their own group, and entrepreneurs that serve women – or non-profits – or technology or need VC will all have specialty groups to convene, converse and connect.  If more than one subgroup works for you, join several!

These groups are open to everyone from emerging entrepreneurs to the most polished and successful.

We are also going to begin having informal coffees to bring ideas and people to the table. (Greg has been doing this for months in Evanston, Naperville and the North Shore and it is working beautifully)

On a personal note, this has been my dream.

Now all we have to do is work our heads off, be good to each other and bring our brains and energy to the table.

CALL TO ACTION- We are looking for very smart, very skilled business strategists to help us build a structure that benefits all of us. If you know of someone who shares our values and mission, is Chicagoland-based and would be willing to join the evolution and contribute to the thought leadership – please get in touch with me – Lennie@BigOoga.com or via phone 708-524-4562.

CALL TO ACTION 2 – Join us on April 6th! Meet people, get business, join the evolution! The first step is just walking through the door! Click the link below for your ticket.

http://www.bigooga.com/community.html

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

The Ironies of Social Media – Entrepreneur Style

Leave a reply

If I blog, the comments come from Facebook or email. If I email, I might get Tweeted.  If I Tweet, I might get ReTweeted and if I call, I might get emailed.  I’m your typical entrepreneur on Social Media without advanced social media skills.  In my defense, the entrepreneurs with whom I communicate can’t be THAT far ahead of me judging by their responses.  The entrepreneurs that ARE that far ahead of me, are already ignoring me.  Which is good…for them.  The learning curve is steep, the loop is fun and by the time I learn it, it will have changed!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Chicago Business Community – Biz Family of Choice

3 Replies

You don’t pick your family but you do pick your business community – and they are a second family of choice.  Surround yourself with good people and they will up your game, watch your back and genuinely help you succeed.  Good people will talk about what is tough and noodle how to get through it.  Good people have one face – not two – and they are, who they are, when you meet them.

Good people are good at what they do and at knowing what they don’t do and admitting it. Good people are the people you want to collaborate with, the ones you genuinely like and respect – the ones that follow your lead as readily as offer their own.

Good people will cut their best deal and teach you how to do it too. They have clear boundaries they allow you to bend – as long as they know you recognize it.

Good people send you good new connections not long shots – because they value your time like their own.

A good business family will literally raise you and in return you will reciprocate.

You can use the words love, trust, friendship, support, respect and authenticity in a family and a business family.  One family may put you through college – the other will help you repay the loans.

One family will hug and embrace you – the other will nudge you up and out the door.

I love my Chicago business community. Their contributions to my life and to the Big Ooga have been immeasurable.  Minda, Kate, Jan, Gary, Steven, Eric, Emily, Glenn, Greg, Leah, Avery, Jean, Dante, Carter, Derek, Rebbecca, Melissa, Rich, Elene, Bobbie, Dahlia, Larry, Karen, Will, Carol, Phil, Paul, Dianne, Nancy, Stephanie, Sam, Craig, Shannon and so many others, Thank you!

A Vision For Chicago Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners

4 Replies
girls who wear glassesImage by Francesca Tronchin via Flickr

I can see not wanting to keep meeting overhead – but lowering overhead to meet the future.

I can see my current business tools are not sharp enough and that sharpening them means finding new ones.

I can see that the power and depth of my relationships are as meaningful yesterday as they will be tomorrow.

I can see that those resistant to adopting new methods of communication will struggle more than those who embrace them.

I can see that fear and courage can live in the same conversation,  but strength must guide decisions.

I can see that forging impossible new alliances are now possible and that requesting new requests are now feasible.

I can see that economic stress makes some people more generous.

I can see that although honesty is freeing, good editing is critical – and that it is harder to say what has to be said than not.  But it makes you new.

Happy New You, Happy New Year and may you take the best of yesterday with you into tomorrow!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]