Enterprising Moms Network Inc

Meeting Location

Our chapter meetings are held at 163 West Hastings St, Vancouver (3rd floor Hollyhock Room).   Join your fellow Vancouver mompreneurs for an evening of learning and networking!

Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs

by Karin Mizgala and Sheila Walkington, Co-founders of Women's Financial Learning Centre

September 21, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

In this session, Karin and Sheila explores the world of entrepreneurship and the related opportunities and considerations for personal finances. It provides the knowledge, skills and tools needed to ensure a woman’s personal finances thrive alongside her business.  Learn:

Karin Mizgala and Sheila Walkington are certified financial planners, both with over 20 years experience in the financial industry. Each brings her own style and story, but together they share a passion and skill for strengthening women’s relationship with money. Their unique approaches to financial planning and coaching have attracted national media attention, including the Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Vancouver Sun, MoneySense, National Post and Canadian Living, with Karin now a contributing editor for the Financial Post Magazine.

Hiring:  A Necessary Evil or the Opportunity to Build Your “Force” for Good!

by Maureen McKinnon, C3 Mentors

Tuesday October 19, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

What is your hiring strategy?  Do you have one?  Where do you start?  Maureen will explain the When-Who & How to Hire.  She will help to increase your confidence and comfort zone while building your team for success.  This hands on session includes  exercises to help you get started and is intended to be interactive - sharing the worst and best hiring experiences.  Maureen will provide a strategy for developing a hiring plan and move into more tactical elements of job descriptions, skills, attributes, resumes, cover letters, interviewing, reference checks and more.  More importantly she will share with us the purpose and core reason behind all the tactics -  with her stories, explanations and tips things will look so much more doable for all.    May the “Force” be with you!

Maureen McKinnon is a business entrepreneur and coach who specializes in connecting people for results, working with small business owners to grow their revenue. A certified business coach with a diverse professional career spanning business development, real estate, insurance and recruitment, Maureen’s accomplishments and experience bring comprehensive and well rounded expertise to her clients. Well connected within the Vancouver business community, Maureen draws upon her extensive network across industries to bring people together to advance business.

Experts Panel - Building a Website that brings positive ROI

Panel Members: 

Rob Stock, ideaLever

Christine Pilkington, Crisp Media

Helen Stepchuk, Cucumber Marketing

Tuesday November 16, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Panel Bios:

Rob Stocks founded ideaLEVER in 1995 to provide web design services from his home at the start of the Internet era. Since then the company has grown into a leading provider of hosted eCommerce and content management systems with customers and Resellers across North America. Rob has worked with many leading online merchants including Sport Mart, Roger's Video, Purdy's Chocolates, and Robeez Footwear as well as the next wave of manufacturers and retailers who hope to run the household names of the future.

ideaLEVER Solutions Inc. specializes in software as a service (SaaS) Content and eCommerce Management Systems for small to medium enterprises. ideaLEVER has both the experience and the technologies to help your business use the web effectively whether your empire has 1 person or 100 people.

Christine Pilkington, owner of Crisp Media, works with businesses to figure out how to make their sites better: Better at getting new customers; better at engaging them; better at converting them; and better at keeping them - all with the intent of improving your bottom line.

Christine is a specialist in all things web – from determining your site’s business strategy to building and marketing your site. Hiring Crisp Media is like having your own web department that includes social media, business analysis, project management, SEO and other areas of expertise and a vice president with over 13 years of digital and interactive experience at its helm.

Christine’s client list includes AOL, BMW, Chapters/Indigo and some of the top media brands in Canada like LOULOU, Sportsnet, CityTV, Maclean’s and Today’s Parent – to name a few. Christine has appeared on Breakfast Television, CBC Radio and TalkTV, been quoted in the National Post and The Metro, and written for Microsoft@Home and MochaSofa.com.

Christine Pilkington is also the Publisher and Editor of VancouverMom.ca, a hyper-local online magazine for moms living in Metro Vancouver.

Helen Stepchuck, owner of Cucumber Marketing Inc., has been involved in the Internet Marketing business for the past 7 years. Her expertise encompasses Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing and general Web usability. Helen is a positive and highly motivated person who enjoys reading, writing blogs and practicing hot yoga to de-stress and stay energized throughout the day.

Helen is the owner and Managing Director of an Internet Marketing Company Cucumber Marketing Inc.

At Cucumber Marketing we focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Pay Per Click Management – Google AdWords (PPC), Web Analytics, Email Marketing, Logo Design and other Online Promotional Strategies.

Branding For Businesses

by Angela Bains, CA Design Group Inc.

Tuesday December 7, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Many companies do not make branding a part of their business development plan and therefore, they fail to get any traction in the marketplace. If you don't take control of your brand how will know how to market it successfully?  Come learn strategies on how to do branding so that your business stands out.

Saying No

by Sarah Juliusson, Co-founder of Mama Renew

Tuesday June 15, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Are you good at saying "no"?   Many of us are good at setting limits for our children, but struggle to do so for ourselves.  Too often we are over-committed and engaged in projects that we should have turned away in the first place. As enterprising moms striving to balance work, family and personal needs it is more important than ever to cultivate our ability to say "no."
 
Sarah Juliusson, co-founder of Mama Renew, will explore the myriad of ways that we can approach saying no, and how, despite our best judgment, our "no" sometimes unwittingly becomes a "yes."  You will learn practical tips to set limits in a way that is both respectful of your own needs and the person asking.  She will challenge you to take a closer look at your current commitments and begin to integrate the power of "no" into your busy life.
 
Mama Renew seeks to support mothers to reconnect, reclaim and rebalance as women.  Mama Renew groups are offered around the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island, and their popular blog supports mothers around North America with reflections on identity, self-care and life balance in motherhood.  Sarah serves as an expert on motherhood and self-care for Mothering Magazine and Urban Mommies.

Stepping Away to Move Forward

by Jennifer Hood, founder and Director of Jump! Gymnastics

Tuesday May 18, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

When the day-to-day operations of your business consume all your time how do you grow? For Jennifer Hood, founder and Director of Jump! Gymnastics this question came early on as her first location quickly became a destination for parents from across Vancouver and classes are now running at capacity each session.  She will discuss what she’s learned about balancing your time between running operations and taking yourself out of day-to-day operations in order to develop systems that can lead to expansion. For early-stage businesses, investing in the future can feel risky. Jennifer will talk about how her clear vision of why she was in business and where she wanted to get to is helping her step away to move forward.

Jennifer Hood opened Jump! Gymanstics in the fall of 2008. Jump! provides pay-for-service, once a week gymnastics classes for children in Vancouver between the ages of 6 months and 8 years. The curriculum is designed to help children become active for life by teaching them foundational movement skills. The first Jump! location is in Yaletown.  Jennifer has recently returned from a three-month “maternity leave” following the birth of her third child, which provided a wonderful opportunity to test how her business worked without her driving operations. Jennifer was one of only thirteen women accepted to BC's Forum for Women Entrepreneurs 2010 E-series which started in January. The FWE's highly competitive E-series is a six-month program for women entrepreneurs of early-stage high-growth leverageable businesses.

An evening with Melanie Osmack

by Melanie Osmack, founder of Fit4Two

Tuesday April 20, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Do you have a product or service that you are passionate about bringing to market?  Do you own a business that is ready to grow?  Join Fit 4 Two founder, Melanie Osmack, as she shares how she turned her zest for exercise during pregnancy into a small local business and then into a national franchise.  A strong believer in learning through experience, Melanie’s session will include her ‘if I could do it all over again’ advice as well as her ‘I’m so glad I did that’ tips.  As the mom of two with a husband that works in the film industry, she understands what it is like to balance family and career.  Her story is informative, entertaining and inspiring.

Melanie Osmack is the founder of Fit 4 Two Pre and Postnatal Fitness.  She is one of many mom-entrepreneurs who began with more passion then business experience but soon beat the odds by upgrading her skills and seeking out expert advice.  Melanie has always been driven to support other women so when it came time to expand, she chose a growth model that empowered other women to start their own pre and postnatal fitness business.  After three years in operation, she franchised Fit 4 Two and there are now fifteen locations in Western Canada.  Melanie balances her time between supporting her franchisees, presenting, writing, teach classes in her community and raising her two young children. Learn more about Melanie and Fit 4 Two at www.fit4two.ca

Pricing Strategies for Your Business

by Michelle Tice, Savvy Mom Media

Tuesday March 9, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Is pricing an art or a science?  A key element in most businesses, pricing is often overlooked.  Michelle will address some key principles of pricing more effectively as well as discuss the pros and costs of various pricing strategies and tactics.

Finally, we will preview the 2010 Savvy Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award details.  Maybe this is your year to win!

Michelle Tice is the Social Media Manager and Vancouver Writer for Savvy Mom Media and she also has her own marketing consulting business.  As a seasoned Marketing Executive, with over 15 years of experience in the Travel and Tourism, Financial Services and Digital Media industries, Michelle has successfully led numerous organizations to create results-oriented strategies and tactics for customer segmentation, social media, marketing communications, pricing, product development and overall business strategy.

Prior to starting her own business, Michelle spent 13 years with Intrawest Corporation, both in the head office and at three different resort locations. Her most recent role with the company was Vice President, Revenue Management and Distribution.  Michelle holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business in London, ON, and a BA in International Relations from the University of British Columbia.

Michelle volunteers in her community in many different capacities, and is currently a Committee Member for the Telus 2010 Walk to Cure Diabetes.   She is an avid runner, having completed numerous half-marathons, as well as a marathon and triathlon. In February 2010, Michelle had the honour of being an Olympic Torchbearer.   She also enjoys skiing and spending as much time as possible outdoors with her young twin boys and Labrador Retriever. 

The Trouble with "Balance"

by Lara Galloway, MomBizCoach via tele-conference

Tuesday February 9, 2010 6:00pm - 8:00pm Teleconference

The single biggest challenge for mompreneurs is managing our time effectively. After all, we've signed up for two full-time (with overtime) jobs of running a business while running a family. How can we possibly "get it all done," and is there any possibility of ditching the guilt that comes with trying to have our cake and eat it, too?

In this talk, I'll explain:

• why "balance" is the wrong goal for this job
• how striving for balance gets us caught up shooting for perfection
• when to opt for the "rhythm method" instead
• how values and priorities fit into the picture
• why it makes sense to give your energy to the things you love and do best
• how to automate, delegate or ditch the rest

My intention is that our listeners will come away with a healthy dose of self-acceptance, a focus on their strengths, skills and priorities, and the ability to let go of some of the things they think they "should" be doing. Let's make 2010 a fantastic, successful and fun year for mompreneurs!

Lara Galloway, The Mom Biz Coach, is a sought-after business coach, speaker, writer and Blog Talk Radio show host in the mom entrepreneur world. Her work has helped countless mompreneurs define success on their own terms and achieve it. Her signature training program, The Mom Biz Makeover, teaches mompreneurs how to create a sustainable business that fits into their family life and still allows them to achieve success on their own terms. Known for her pay-it-forward attitude and love of helping others, Lara's Engagement Marketing Strategy allows her to take a passive approach to earning income and an aggressive approach to spending quality time with family. Join her on Thursdays for her Audio Blog on BlogTalkRadio.com/MomBizCoach and on Tuesdays for her WoMEN: What Mom Entrepreneurs Need Teleseminar Series (a free series, but you must register for the calls by signing up at www.whatmomentrepreneursneed.com).

The 6 Deadly Sins of Business Development

by Fiona Walsh, CEO and Founder of FM Walsh & Associates Inc

Tuesday January 19, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Most women go into business passionate about their product or service - they know they really want to build a successful business. They figure out how to do things as they go along, but often find themselves unconsciously slipping into actions that don't support growing their business to the level they want. They get bogged down in the daily stuff and get frustrated that they are not making the kind of revenues they dream of. In this session, we will discuss the 6 most common sins entrepreneurs and professionals commit when it comes to business development, and how to avoid them.

Fiona Walsh has developed systems and tools that take the guesswork out of business development and sales success. Fiona is also one of only 3 business coaches in North America approved to provide the highly successful and popular Ghost CEO Coaching Program.  Fiona is passionate about helping women succeed in business by teaching them effective tools for building profitable businesses.  Fiona is also a member of Enterprising Moms Network Board of Directors.

Let's Get Engaged

by Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit, yoyomama

Tuesday December 8, 2009 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Social Media is a great way for small businesses to engage with a large audience, but there are a dizzying array of tools and mediums, how do you know which are right for your business? And how do you find the time to implement them? Annemarie will share her tips and strategies for using social media effectively – including the basics you need covered before you even think of jumping into social media. She’ll also talk about how to engage people with your brand when you can’t see them. Find out how you can use your email newsletters, Twitter and Facebook to take your business to the next level.

Energy vs. Time Management

by Isabelle Clements, Associate of Tekara Organizational Effectiveness Inc.

Tuesday November 17, 2009 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Every one of our thoughts, emotions and behaviours has an energy consequence, for better or for worse. The ultimate measure of our lives is not how much time we spend on the planet, but rather how much energy we invest in the time that we have. Business leaders and entrepreneurs must inspire others first by how effectively they manage their own energy and then by how well they mobilize, focus, invest and renew the collective energy of those they lead.

Based on the ground-breaking research of Jim Loehr in his best-selling book, “The Power of Full Engagement”, this session provides an introduction to the principles and process used by business leaders in Fortune 100 companies to increase personal capacity - and sustain high performance in the face of increasing demands.

Isabelle Clements is a creative, energetic and fluently bilingual (French/English) professional with over twenty years of diverse and global HR experience. Prior to external consulting work, she most recently spent four years leading the North American Learning and Development Team for a global Technology Company, and was previously the Global HR Director of their Customer Support Division.  Isabelle has also significant experience in the utility and airline industries. 

Isabelle’s career has taken her across the globe and she has developed a passion for helping organizations tap the engagement of their employees through the concepts of energy management to produce bottom line results for businesses. 

Isabelle is driven by values and results. She has international work experience and thrives in various cultural environments. She is a natural, high-energy trainer and group facilitator and has experience in the areas of change management, organizational culture, leadership, and high performance teams.

Besides being a mother of two young active boys, she is a passionate runner and has competed in several marathons.

Knock Your Socks Off Customer Service

by Sue Sinclair, Chief Executive Mom of Raspberry Kids

Tuesday October 20, 2009 7:00pm - 9:00pm

I am a bit of a customer service fanatic, both an advocate and a critic.  Having worked in customer service for over 20 years, starting as a waitress and a customer service representative to being the National Director of call centres for a large travel firm to my present day gig as the Chief Executive Mom at Raspberry Kids, I have always tried to pick up tips and tricks that promoted customer service excellence.  As a result of these learnings, I have also tried to avoid the unfriendly policies and the "are you kidding me?" customer service moments and eliminate them from the Raspberry Kids online lifestyle store's shopping experience for our customers.

I have been known to black list businesses and no longer support them (but occasionally give them an opportunity to redeem themselves) but more importantly and what I really want to focus on is that I will go out of my way to patronize & work with businesses and companies that I love.  The best (or worst) part is that I tell other people about how great (or not so great) my experience with a particular organization is/was and promote their product or service (or tell people to avoid the product or service like the plague).

PR That Gets Moms Buzzing

by Jeanette Miller, Principal of limelitePR

Wednesday September 16, 2009 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Moms trust what they read and see and are the best influencers to drive conversations about your brand. But when it comes to reaching today's moms, it's essential to take a multi-faceted approach to PR. Learn how to get the most exposure for your budget by conducting traditional media relations, blogger outreach and influencer activities.

In this session, Jeanette Miller, Principal of limelitePR, will focus on PR activities that will get you results and generate brand awareness at a consumer level. She will also challenge you to take your current PR and marketing plan to the next level.

eCommerce: Going Beyond the Basket

by Rob Stocks, President of ideaLEVER

Tuesday Aug 18, 2009 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Drawing on more than 12 years of eCommerce experience, Rob will share some of the lessons he has learned working with leading brands and fast growth companies.  Starting from what you need to have in place to successfully get your eCommerce site up and running, Rob will look at what you can do after launch to strategically grow your traffic, sales, and profits.

Rob founded ideaLEVER in 1995 to provide web design services from his home at the start of the Internet era.  Since then the company has grown into a leading provider of hosted eCommerce and content management systems with customers and Resellers across North America.  Rob has worked with many leading online merchants including Sport Mart, Roger’s Video, Purdy’s Chocolates, and Robeez Footwear as well as the next wave of manufacturers and retailers who hope to run the household names of the future.

ideaLEVER Solutions Inc. specializes in software as a service (SaaS) Content and eCommerce Management Systems for small to medium enterprises.  ideaLEVER has both the experience and the technologies to help your business use the web effectively whether your empire has 1 person or 100 people.