You are browsing the archives of Chicago entrepreneurs networking.

Fresh out of Suzanne Ross’s Communication Class – juiced with the skills to precisely define my company – I went home to write. At a certain point, I thought – “This is tough! Let’s get to know Suzanne better and see what she says about HERSELF.” So I hopped over to her website. Check point [...]

Moving into new digs I had a list of basics to get and have ended up with the crock pot instead of the alarm clock. This is going to be a problem tomorrow when I need to be up at five. This got me thinking about how I’ve consciously avoided certain necessities.  How I’ve prioritized [...]

I emailed Les Brown and asked him to speak at Big Ooga. I was shocked when the phone rang a few minutes later. “Hello, this is Big Ooga.” “Hello, this is Les Brown.” I must have been drinking the motivational Kool Aid when I reached out in the first place. “Why not give it a [...]

In recessionary economics lack of demand drives companies downward. Yet we have such an enormous demand in the entrepreneur sector it’s nothing short of a boom. Entrepreneurs demand their own survival. Not kinda sorta… we HAVE to have it. We don’t just want success, we need it, can’t live without out and will work insane [...]

We are challenging the social construction of entrepreneurialism - a system that is minting chaos.  Going it alone as small business owners has given rise to enormous personal tolls. Doesn’t it make sense if we want better results, to build a better system?  Isn’t that what entrepreneurship is all about? Seeing a problem and fixing or improving it? ( I hear the coaches whispering, NO! Don’t call it [...]

Yes, it’s going to take a village to raise happy, healthy companies, but being out there on your own isn’t the only way.  Ask yourself,  “If I don’t have to do everything myself, why would I want to?”  By putting a community behind you, you’ll have more resources, less stress, and more time to focus on [...]

A Big Ooga member who would like to remain nameless came up with an excellent idea this morning – give out monthly awards to outstanding Big Ooga businesses and call it The BOOB Award (Big Ooga Outstanding Business) “Or for short,” he said, call them BOOBIEs.” Geez, I thought, what do you do with that [...]

Ok – so I’ll let the cat out of the bag. I’ve been out here behind the scenes improving things. Meeting with people, developing concepts and setting the framework for future development.  The search has centered on adding value to your entrepreneurial journey, improving your Big Ooga experience and joining forces with the Linked N [...]

Image by Ioan Sameli via Flickr After reading countless stories about deals that fell through -  I want to share with you a famous story that I resented reading, but in retrospect have found comforting. Ping – A Frog in Search of a New Pond by Stuart Avery – tells of a frog who needs [...]

Image via Wikipedia Mark Carter is launching a global brand TweetNetworking (for a cause) that kicks off at the Catalyst Ranch June 17th.  He is looking for corporate sponsors to get in on the ground floor – and he will promote your company like a maniac.  In Chicago, this man is the networking Pied Piper [...]