Connect Club - Connecting Women in Business - Colorado

Gourmet Cookies/Printing – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:53:38 +0000

Our first speaker today was Faye Luther from Farthest Star Cookies in Denver, Colorado. She spoke today about how she got started in the gourmet cookie business, Faye started her professional life in the computer industry at the time it was called computer information systems because they really did know what the value of the computer yet. Faye looked around the room and commented “you are probably wondering what this has to do with cookies…” Back in the day computer techs were not paid very well, they were the weirdoes in the corner, not necessarily socially acceptable and did not play well with others, the running joke in their department was that they will work for food. We all saw were this was heading now, Faye worked for cookies, also would work for chocolate. After seeing the same cookies over and over again she thought that there was opportunity out there. Is there anyone in this group who doesn’t go to a new restaurant and look at the desert menu first? You look at that in determining whether you are going to have the 8 oz. prime rib or the 16oz. prime rib – because if they offer your favorite desert. Or when going to a potluck you look at the deserts and there are brownies, cupcakes and cookies – the cookies are always the same! Chocolate chip, sugar cookie, peanut butter, snicker doodles and if they want to be different they will have M & M cookies. If you are going through the trouble to make cookies to take to a party or event (unless it is for kids – that’s just different) make the cookies special. Faye saw that there was an opportunity to make cookies that were special. Now keep in mind she is an IT person at heart and IT people tend to be responsible and lazy, they only want to do the job once. So being an IT person, this was the inspiration for her first cookie – Irish Cream Chocolate Chip – her thought was this way she had everything in one place, she can drive and enjoy the flavor of Irish Cream and cocoa. Adults have different things that appeals to them unlike children, so Faye has designed her cookies toward the adult market, and a cookie that you don’t want to share with your kids. Faye brought one of her cookies into taste test today which was the Northface, a lovely soft cookie inspired by the mountain or the drink: the velvet chocolate slowly morphs into a wonderful refreshing peppermint aftertaste. Close your eyes and dream of hot chocolate with DeKuyper’s Peppermint Schnapps by a warm fireplace on a cold rainy day. Faye is also working on a line of sugar free cookie and has been working hard to find the perfect sugar substitute and thinks she has found it – on her website she now has a sugar free tab if you are going sugar free and want to enjoy a cookie fix occasionally. Her next venture will be working on a gluten free line so everyone can know the pleasure of an adult cookie. The Farthest Star Cookies offers two sizes cookie shots which are 2 inches round and roughly 2 ounces each and the mini cookie shots which are 1 inch round and roughly 1 ounce in size. If you need a specialty cookie that will delight the palate and wow the crowd give Faye Luther a call or just go to her website www.farthest-star.com and order a bag!

Faye Luther * Farthest Star Cookies * 720.393.0757 * salesfarthest-starcom (salesfarthest-starcom) * www.farthest-star.com

Our second speaker was Cindi Thordarson from EcoGraphics Printing in Lakewood, Colorado. Cindi took her time speaking today about several of the projects that they have done recently. The first item she wanted to show us today however, was a piece of mail they received today, a letter from Google on website advertising and ratings. So even in this internet age – one of the major internet providers sends junk mail. On to projects that EcoGraphics Printing has recently worked on – the first being for Dr. Erin Foley – a table top sign for events, this is a process that they do have to farm out to a local wholesale sign maker. It is a four color process that they print onto Coroplast (corrugated plastic) and add the stand to the back. The cost on these signs runs right around 75.00 plus design charges. Cindi added that her old graphic designer last week who set this up for Erin and sent it over – Erin called back and ask if there was any way that it could match her business card, well what had happened was that the graphic designer was aware that Erin had changed her color so Cindi did a quick PMS color change and resent the proof. The next couple items that Cindi showed us were calendars that they did for this year – this first was for the Children’s Hospital Colorado Prescription Pet Program – with pictures of the dogs with patients of the hospital. The second calendar that she had was from a client that on the side does his own artwork; he did a calendar with his paintings as well as his notecards that he sells up in a shop in Golden. The last calendar that Cindi sent around was from Dry Bones, a group that works with the street kids of Denver, the calendar is a simple black and white design that shows that you can be dramatic without using color. The next item she sent around had a little story behind it, this was a piece for Cooking Matters, a program to help feed the kids of low income households. This piece was for a fund raising event and was sent to EcoGraphics via their own graphic designer and last Friday after Scott had delivered the job – they called on Monday and they had noticed they that the most important information was missing. The design was a solid background with white lettering and so when we went to print it the white lettering dropped back to the last layer – or disappeared. So on Monday, Cindi had to figure out exactly what happened and get it reprinted with the information showing and get it to them so they could finish the mailing! The next project was a postcard for The Auto Shop a small local repair shop – he wanted to have a postcard to mail out to his repeat clients that looked really sharp. So Scott took his photo of the shop and straightened it out, added a little color to the sky and corrected the asphalt in the front – making the postcard look wonderful. In fact it looked so wonderful that the owner’s website hosting company wanted the photo to replace the crappy photo that they currently had running on his website. The next item Cindi had with her were hard hat sticker for an local oil drilling company – they had a group of visiting geologist that they needed to be able to identify while tour their facilities here in Colorado, so they design labels that were created with reflective material to allow for easy identification. Cindi also shared Rotary programs and schedules that they do every year. Cindi loves working with the graphic designer from the Rotary – she has been in the business for a long time and understands everything that a printing company needs to produce really nice printed pieces. The last item that Cindi passed around was a program for the Colorado Environmental Film Festival, which happened last weekend. EcoGraphics did many posters, save the date cards and informational pieces for this event. The planner Danette was a lot of fun to work with – although many of the project were last minute and something that the office had to stay on top of. If you need anything from a sign for an event to a program to hand out keep EcoGraphics Printing in mind – they are there to take care of any of your printing needs!
Cindi Thordarson * EcoGraphics Printing * 303.238.7791 * cindiecographicsprintingcom (cindiecographicsprintingcom) * www.ecographicsprinting.com

Massage Therapy/Interior Design – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:02:38 +0000

Our first speaker today was Karen Lee of Karen Lee Massage Center in Lakewood, Colorado. Karen wanted to take her time today and show us how to give the perfect chair massage to relieve the stress of loved ones in your life. So when someone you love says “Boy I could really use a back rub you will know what to do!” Karen used Laura Kilty from Shaklee as her test subject and so the rest of us could follow along. Karen does an energy release starting at the back of the skull once she feels a pulse and then moves down each side of the spine so that the body will start release that tension. This is giving the body the idea that it is okay to let go. Karen then starts at the trapezius working out to the end of the shoulder bone, where there is a muscle that Karen likes to pay extra attention to – as this will help to relax the arm and hand. She then takes the arm and shakes it back forth to further the release – once she feels the arm release she then pulls it back (like putting on hand cuffs) which allows her to work further under the trapezius. She then takes her fingers and rubs in circles on the shoulder blade also working into the muscle. Karen took the rest of her time by having everyone pair up and give each other the same massage she just did to Laura. Karen walked around the table helping the group with the massage technique, assisting each pair in how to do the massage correctly.

If you need a real massage and want to have your whole body release give Karen Lee at the Karen Lee Massage Center a call!!!

Karen Lee * Karen Lee Massage Center * 303.995.2117 * goteamqcom (goteamqcom)

Today’s second speaker was Joan Brown of JB Decorating and The Design Coach in Denver, CO. Joan took her time today to speak about the 2012 interior colors for you home. Joan had a board with the new colors on it. The colors that we use in our homes actually start in being used in Europe and on the East coast first and slowly move across the country. The new colors for 2012 – Plum Point (a deep pink), Turmeric (a muted gold), Lagoon (a bright teal), Twilight Magenta (a taupe), Masada (a burnt orange) and Moby Dick (a deep navy blue). Joan, then went on to show us combinations of fabrics that would work well with these new colors and give your room a dramaticpunch.

Some tips from Joan for different preferences. If you prefer white wall and neutral furnishings – opt for just a touch of color. Decorator Sonu Mathew suggests painting the inside of cabinets and bookshelves or niches – so you get a peek of color. Another option is to go bold in a smaller pace like a powder room or foyer. This will give you the punch of color while the rest of your home has the light feel of the white or neutral color. If you like splashes of color throughout your home-create colorful vignettes display some of your favorite accessories in a grouping that reflects the ways that colors are being combined. Try painting a piece of furniture like a chair in your office or a period piece that can be brought up to date with an unconventional hue. If you are ready to go big with color-paint the ceiling. Color doesn’t have to be on the walls – by keeping the room neutral and then putting color on the ceiling you can create a dramatic effect. You can also redo the kids room, this gives you a place to experiment with bold and trendy colors – the kids will enjoy the updated trendy colors! If you need a designer to walk you through you the design process or just some one that can give you a new perspective on your space, give Joan Brown of JB Decorating and The Design Coach a call! For imaginations that hove no limits and budgets that do.

Joan Brown * JB Decorating and The Design Coach * 303.399.6208 * joancbrownqcom (joancbrownqcom)

Website Development/Galvanic Spa – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:44:51 +0000

Our first speaker today was Maki DeLaet of EduCyber in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. EduCyber works with their clients to create the best websites, designed with their client’s needs in mind. They have used the tagline “Your Technology Partner” – with the New Year they are changing that to Partner * Engage * Convert, which resonates more on what they have been doing as of late. Many people contact them saying they want a website – what do they want on it – well they don’t really know, everyone has one, so they want one. EduCyber can work with that but they need to partner with them to find out what the website needs to do. The word Partner – working with their client to figure exactly what they need for their website – to determine their goals and how to measure their success. They can put up as much information as you want, but how is that going to help you. A website should drive your clients to you – on your website how do the potential clients contact you? Do you want it to link to your email or do you need an appointment center where your clients can set an appointment for the next day? One of Maki’s clients is a plumbing company and they wanted to include a scheduler to their website so their clients can just go to the website and set up an appointment for the next week for a non-emergency request and also have an emergency number just in case. The other option is just an information page – that offers just information to your cliental. The word Engage – refers to the fact that EduCyber doesn’t create a website that is just pretty but as well engages your cliental to take action while visiting your site. Maki can go through your current plan for your website and locate those things that may not make sense or clients may find confusing. Is your website easy to navigate and locate contact information, ordering information and stock or inventory information? If not you may be losing customers that you never knew you had! The last word Convert – EduCyber offers custom databases and applications that increase your conversion from clicker to customer, there are actually conversion specialists that will come in and look at your website to find all the kinks and confusing areas for clients. Apparently about 45-45% of people who visit websites just click around until they find what they are looking for and if they find it quickly and easily they use that site again. EduCyber works on the conversion issue from the moment they start building your site –so that when it is complete it is ready to go and won’t need to be worked on later to get out the kinks. EduCyber has been in business for 13 + years and over the last few years Maki has noticed a shift in their cliental – whereas it started with a lot of small businesses they are now working with more and more tourism and outdoor adventure sites, not for profit sites and a few private schools. Maki went on to tell about a few websites they have created lately that use all of the new technologies out there. One such site for The Lariat Loop site that actually works with Google maps so that the visitor can create and 2 hour driving tour or a half day tour and gives them not only the businesses on the loop but as well the historic and points of interest sites along the way and allows you to print out a map. EduCyber has also built an e-commerce store for the Down River Equipment Company in Wheat Ridge, Colorado – they are an outfitter for river rafting companies. The site was designed not only for sales of their many product lines – it also offers the location of retailers around the United States and also has a link to the river flow for the best rafting experience. Since the new site was completed they have had a 22% increase in sales – that shows that they have made it easier for companies to purchase and ship through the website. EduCyber also worked with a not for profit MaxFund, a no kill shelter – making their site easier to navigate and now you can search for dogs, cats or other pets right there including those that are in foster care and not in the shelter. So if you need a website that will make your life easier, not harder, give Maki DeLaet and EduCyber a call and they will partner with you to create the perfect website that is not just pretty!

Maki DeLeat* EduCyber * 303.268.2245 * mdelaeteducybercom (mdelaeteducybercom) * www.educyber.com

Today’s second speaker was Angela Wihelmi of NuSkin Galvanic Spa in Thornton, Colorado. Today Angela wanted to talk about goals – inspired by what Linda Schafer and Cindi Thordarson about being busy during the time of year when they traditionally are not busy. Why is this happening – Angela thinks that it is because we are changing the way we do business, offering products or services that we haven’t before and marketing our companies differently. With that Angela wanted to appeal to our business side and think of ways that we could all be power partners for each other. First of all she wanted to speak to the vanity side of us as women. She showed us a pictures of a woman that she sat next to at a NuSkin Conference after discussing the weather she ask Angela “You don’t recognize me do you?” going on to explain, “I never thought I would be popular for being the ugliest woman in the world.” A light bulb went on over Angela’s head – this woman was one of NuSkin’s testimonies and was on posters all over the convention. Angela passed around the poster with three photos side by side of the same woman on her first day using the Galvanic Skin Spa then at 90 days and 5 months – the before and after are amazing! With consistent use and a maintenance program the Galvanic Spa can do amazing things. Angela is now working with massage therapists and hair salons – they are adding the Galvanic Spa to their services. One of the hair salons that she sold a body spa to had a woman come in for a pedicure with a bone spur and after 10 minutes of treatment with the spa the client was experiencing less pain and swelling – these types of claims are common such as reduced swelling and bruising of a minor sprain. The service added to a massage therapist office allows them to work on clients and reduce cellulite and work on shaping certain areas, one clinic is an added the service uses the Galvanic Body Spa for 100.00 a session for 2 areas and they are sent home with the lotion and a loufa for a little maintenance. She went to a modeling event at the Fluff Bar and she thought that she was going to an actual bar but what the Fluff Bar is, is a hair salon with liquor service while getting your hair and nails done. This is a new concept in salons and a great place for Angela to offer the services. Her other reach out is to dermatologists and estheticians – as the spa is an excellent in working on people with rosacea and acne scarring – this is a product that can add to their service and truly help people. Angela really wants to reach out to our circle for referrals for her – please get their phone number and get their card. For her it is easier for her contact them via our referral than to wait for them to call her. Now Angela wanted to appeal to the vanity side and those with conditions such as Bell’s palsy, Rosacea, acne scarring, stretch marks from child birth and, yes, just the simple cellulite. The first picture Angela displayed was a young woman that had Bell’s palsy and one side of her face drooped after one session with the NuSkin Galvanic Spa had made improvement. She displayed pictures of clients that have used the NuSkin Body Spa on their tummy, butt, thighs and arm wings – the difference was amazing. If you need to switch it up this year and are looking to improve you own self-image give Angela Whelmi for NuSkin a call and let her transform you!!
Angela Whelmi * NuSkin Galvanic Spa * 303.875.7440 * angelacreationsbyangelacom (angelacreationsbyangelacom) * www.creationsbyangelawilhelmi.nsedreams.com

Floral Designer/Gift Baskets – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:05:02 +0000

Today’s first speaker was Ginger Kaiser – owner of Willows Floral in Golden, CO. She wants us to all think about ordering for Valentine’s Day now. Also for Valentine’s Day Ginger doesn’t recommend roses as the quality is not as good as it is at other times of the year and the prices can be atrocious. If you want roses let Ginger know now so she can get the freshest roses for you. You can get more bang for your buck with a nice arrangement in specific colors that will last longer. Ginger brought a sample of a forty dollar arrangement in a very nice vase that was a combination of colorful fresh flowers. Ginger brought in several samples of live gardens that she loves to create this time of year, with everything outside being so drab she loves to create these unique pieces to brighten up your indoor environment. The bulb gardens and hyacinths are very popular this time of year, and Ginger brought in examples of both in a variety of sizes. The best way to care for the bulb gardens is to keep them out of direct sunlight, in direct sun they will grow to quickly and die off sooner. These bulbs can be planted outdoors after Mother’s Day and will bloom again next spring. Her other option is the European Gardens – this is a combination mix greens plants and flowering plants – these are nice for any occasion! They are not meant to stay in the basket that Ginger places them in for long, enjoy them for a while and then moved to another pot and have several wonderful potted plants for years to come. In each European Garden – each plant needs to be watered separately since they are not planted into the basket. These are a great gift for men and office. Living plants do so much to enhance the atmosphere of any home or office and bring the outdoors in. They can as well soften the look and feel of a room by adding the warm ambience with shapes and textures. Ginger tells us that not only do they soften your room there are health benefits from having plants in the home. They can clean the air, reducing the toxic chemicals in rooms with poor ventilation, your carpets, drapery and building components like insulation and particle board also contain chemical that are irritants to humans. However you can overdo it with plants, if you feel overwhelmed with the added work and the feeling that the plants are crowding you then you know that you have to many. Ginger states that about three to eight plants in a room (depending on size) is plenty. So if you have a table or bookcase that needs something, instead of making it look cluttered with knick knacks – just try a green plant or flowering plant. This is the perfect time of year to buy plants, after all the holiday decorations are put away and your house is looking empty and the trees and bushes outside are gray and leafless. Think of Ginger not only for Valentine’s Day but year round for all your floral needs!
Ginger Kaiser * Willows Floral * 303.989.6446 * flower_queencomcastnet (flower_queencomcastnet)

Our second speaker today was Leailia Bartleson with Mrs. B’s Baskets in Golden, CO. Today Leailia did not bring in any examples of her work, but reminded us that she does her baskets personalized to your wants and they always live up to that expectation. The gift basket ideas go from grilling baskets for the man in your life to a pedicure basket for women and everything in between. You can always check out her website www.mrsbeesbaskets.com for ideas if you are having trouble coming up with one on your own. She also wanted to remind us about the Sweetheart Dinner for Two – which includes dinner, flowers, candles and you just have to show up with your sweetheart! She is working with Suzanne from Food for Thought Catering for the dinner this year. Leailia also operates a concierge service in which she wanted to share her latest project and had planned on bringing in before and after pictures but camera issues prevented that – Suzanne’s backroom – the before was that room that you are scared to walk in – to a room that it so organized Suzanne can walk into that room and find a menu for Valentine’s Day in seconds!! It was quite the accomplishment!!
Then, Leailia wanted to introduce her Mom, Odele – who came with her today – and Leailia told us that her Mom was her inspiration for life. Leailia, first off, wanted to explain that not only was Odele her mom, she was also her Grandmother – in 1962 as a single woman she adopted her youngest son’s child – Leailia. When Leailia was little, her Mom owned and ran Percilla Cleaners in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a business she started the cleaners in 1955, as a single woman. Her first week in business, she told Leailia, she ran a whole .75 through the register. She knew that she had to figure out a way to build her business – with Durango about an hour away so many of the people in town would just make the drive and get things done there. With no one in her family understanding how to run the dry cleaning equipment and it all fell on to her shoulders, and she took it on and worked hard every day to support her family. So she had to find a way to make her service easy for the residences in and around Pagosa Springs. Odele took a look at her car and figured that it was big enough to do pickup and delivery – so she started driving down to the Apache Reservation and Chama, NM and began a door to door service for dry cleaning. When she saw that this new service was paying off she started driving as far away as Farmington, NM – lots and lots of driving. Originally she offered only dry cleaning, but then after an experience with some very unprepared Boy Scouts, who had their jamboree outside of Pagosa Springs and only had one change of clothes, so she did laundry for the campers so they would have clean clothes each day. In the sixties the movie “The Cowboys” was being filmed in Pagosa Springs – the crew would bring in the clothes used on the set each day and have them cleaned so that they would be ready the next day for filming. Leailia’s first job was working at the dry cleaners in hanger assembly – putting the paper around the wire for shirts. Her Mom is also a professional seamstress and that as well was incorporated into the business, and she began providing that to the people of Pagosa Springs. She has always worked very hard to support her family and that included raising around 30 children – whether it be nieces, nephews or grandchildren. Odele began her life traveling from Arkansas to Texas in a covered wagon at three years old – lived through the Great Depression and then creating a life for her children and family. Odele should be an inspiration to all of us – she created a life for her family and ran a business in a time when it was not as easy for a single woman to do things that we don’t even think about today! Keep Leailia in mind for all of your gift basket and concierge needs – you know that this is a woman who can get it done!!!
Leailia Bartleson * Mrs. B’s Baskets and Concierge Service * 303.278.6433 * Leaililiamrsbeesbasketscom (flower_queencomcastnet) * www.mrsbeesbaskets.com

Chiropractic/Acupuncture – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:31:13 +0000

Today’s only speaker was Dr. Erin Foley of Mountain Lifestyle Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center in Golden, Colorado. This February will be Erin’s 15^th year in business here in Colorado, Her ex-husband and she started their business the first of February 1998 and just a couple months later she joined Connect Club for the first time. She will be working on something special to celebrate this milestone. Her ex-husband and she started their business the first of February 1998 and just a couple months later she joined Connect Club for the first time. Erin quit Connect Club after four years with the demands of her business and life – when she wanted to rejoin 4 years later there was another chiropractor in the group so she had to wait until 2008 to rejoin. Her talk today centered around success stories of her patients. Erin’s chiropractic is fairly main stream and she can work on every member of your family from children to grownups – her table drops down and with the use of an activator she can adjust with minimal effort. She is also a board certified acupuncturist and offers that service as part of her practice along with physical therapy. In the physical therapy area Erin is trained in the use of an electrical muscle stimulator and the ultrasound machine to get in deep with each treatment. Dr. Foley’s first success story was 36 year old female when she first came to Erin’s office in 2004. She had lived for 4 years with daily headaches that required daily pain medication. Erin used a combination of chiropractic and acupuncture and within 6 weeks she was 50% better and had been able to reduce her daily use of pain medication – after 10 weeks she was 75% better and off her pain medication. She came back for 1-2 times a month for about a year and is now coming in once every six months and is pain free. Her next success story involves sinus and allergies – a large part of her business – as we are so dry here in Colorado – your allergies can react year round. In 2002, a 40 year old woman came to see her with seasonal allergies that were worse in the fall, she was taking clariten and allergra and was being recommended for allergy shots, which she didn’t want to do. They started working together with acupuncture and chiropractic, and then added in some Chinese Herbs. Dr. Foley is not a Chinese herbalist but has found them useful in her in working with her patients and has an herbalist that she trusts. They worked for 4 months 2 sessions a week and then for 1 session a week for about six months and now she only sees her a couple times a year for chiropractic work and her last allergy treatment was in 2010 – so the combination has become a permanent treatment for her. The last patient Erin wanted to discuss was a 49 year old man, who came in for lower back pain with leg pain and numbness. His pain came on after sitting for a long time, then going out to hit golf balls and over swung and had immediate lower back pain and numbness traveling down his right leg to his big toe. He came into Erin’s office with shooting pains and limping with a pain level around 7 out of 10. She knew that she was working with a bulged disk and sciatica which Dr. Foley treated with a combination of chiropractic and physical therapy, after the second session his pain level was down to 2 out of 10. He came back in for a third session with no pain and minimal numbness. She still sees him outside the office around town– and he tells her “I just feel so great that I haven’t needed to see you!” Although her main client base for maintenance work is female, women are naturally just more proactive with maintaining what positive changes they have experienced, men generally come in when they can’t walk upright and are gone until the next injury – she however does have a few male clients that do come in for maintenance!
The benefit to what Erin does is that when working with chronic pain – she can do so without using the pain medications that your medical doctor is so willing to prescribe – that will not treat the problem. Your medical doctor is great for injury and major health issues however they do not deal with long term pain without pharmaceuticals. Erin can work through the area and diagnose the symptoms of your pain rather than just treat it with cortisone shots or pain medications. Erin can help out with plantar fasciitis by using chiropractic techniques, acupuncture and orthotics, not only will this help your foot pain it will also help to straighten out the rest of your body. Erin can treat all varieties of pain from headaches to your toes – if your need a Chiropractor/Acupuncturist that you can trust to listen to your issues and work with you ~ give Dr. Erin Foley a call!
Dr. Erin Foley * Mountain Lifestyles Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center * 303.271.1701 * elfoleydcgmailcom * www.betterhealthcolorado.com

Realtor/Travel Agent – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:19:45 +0000

Today’s first speaker was Genie Reynolds of Magic Genie Realty & Property Management in Denver, CO. Genie talked to us today about how she uses negotiation in her business. Genie is a certified negotiation expert – she took a class about three years ago to learn how to do this. First Genie gave us an over view on selling versus and negotiating.

Selling:
* Selling – this is the process of inducing the buyer to buy exactly what is offered
* Features – the characteristics of products/service
* Benefits – what buyer will gain from product/service
* Closing – using techniques to get the buyer to say yes

Negotiation:
* Negotiation – process of satisfying each party’s needs and desires
* Interests/Priorities/Constraints – understanding what you and the other party need and desire to get out of the relationship or transaction, the order of importance and what constraints may prevent either side from accepting a given offer
* Options – exploring combinations of value elements that might satisfy each party
* Value – creating a value package that will satisfy both parties
* Agreement – reaching the final agreement on the value package that satisfies both parties

Genie gave an example of buying a cell phone using “Selling” and “Negotiation” to keep it simple for us.
Selling a cell phone:
You walk in and tell the salesperson that you need a cell phone for your daughter. The salesperson shows you a phone and says it is their best seller – tells you a variety of features and that the kids love it. Which color should he get for you?
Negotiating for a cell phone:
You walk in and tell the salesperson that you need a cell phone for your daughter. The salesperson asks you specific questions like how is she going to use it – just with family, or family and friends, or perhaps for her job. Your response – she’s 14 and will probably talk to the whole world. The salesperson will then ask more pointed questions like price range, do you need extra features or should it be durable. So you give him/her your needs – inexpensive, easy to use and durable. The salesperson will then give your options and lets you chose – along with a phone case to protect the phone so durability isn’t a problem.

Genie then transferred this idea into the housing market:
Selling a home for your seller:
“Your buyer should by this home because it has all these really neat features and upgrades, is in a great location, with great schools and is priced really low given everything it offers. It is a really great deal for your buyer.”
Negotiating for your seller:
“In our previous conversations you stated that your buyer was looking for a home in the Brainy School District, close to the high school, with a certain floor plan and upgrades necessary for your whole family to enjoy the home. You further said your buyer needs to be under $xxx,000 and they need to close by this date. My seller’s home and his latest offer can satisfy all of your buyer’s needs, plus there are some other ways that my seller might be able to offer additional value to your buyer if you are interested.”

Genie told a story of a recent home purchase that she worked on where there were a couple minor things wrong with the property and one major thing. Genie worked with the seller broker to get carbon monoxide detectors (a state requirement), GFI receptacles for the kitchen and bathrooms and the major one a sinking a patio. When sending the offer after the inspection Genie worked really hard on wording it to make the seller give in – she worded it so that the seller felt that this was the best way to go to get the property sold. The way you speak in negotiating a sale can directly relate with the outcome that makes all parties feel like they won. In the end Genie got the patio half paid for and the carbon monoxide detectors (although she had to install them) and a tree trimmed in the yard that was a 600.00 deal. She worked for her buyer to get the best deal possible and finalize the sale.
So if you need a realtor who will work for you and negotiate the best deal for you give Genie Reynolds from Magic Genie Realty & Property Management a call!
Genie Reynolds * Magic Genie Realty & Property Management * 303.622.6449 * GenieMagicGenieRealtycom (GenieMagicGenieRealtycom) * www.MagicGenieRealty.com

The second speaker we had today was Juli Parrott of Table Mountain Travel in Lakewood, CO. Juli wanted to cover a couple of changes coming up this year with airline ticketing and advertising restrictions – such as when they are advertising a round trip ticket they have to give you the price for round trip and not the one way fare, the other thing that is required including travel agents will have to tell you is the true cost of your ticket – including taxes and baggage fees. This becomes federal law on January 24^th. The next item that Juli wanted to discuss with us was online check-in, airlines are getting tighter on their seat assignment – such as the premier club or frequent flyer. If you belong to neither of these groups you may not get a seat assignment until the day of your flight. To get the opportunity for better seats, you can use the online check-in option and do it the night before your flight – this is when the airlines release these “upgraded seats” to the general public. This option also allows you to pre-pay for your baggage and get up to a 3.00 discount, which is assuming that your bags meet the requirements of weight and size. You cannot do online check-in for international flights. There is a special line for those that check-in online and you just give them your luggage and go to security. The last item Juli covered was passports – since 2009 you are required to have a passport to go to Mexico, Canada and anywhere in the Caribbean. However, technically, when you are going on a closed loop cruise such as Miami to Miami you don’t need a passport. But keep in mind that if you take any excursions of the ship and miss your boat – you will have to fly to either return home or the next port of call – and without a passport it will be almost impossible. Juli has had a couple of experiences where clients just figured out that their passports were expired just days before their trip and has had to refer them to the local passport office. The passport office is in Aurora, where you can get a passport with short notice – you have to set up an appointment and pay a lot of money. If you need the information for that office just give Juli a call and she can get that information for you. On last quick note about the Continental and United merger – they are changing their airline mileage accounts and you have to get online and merge your accounts into your new account. They seem to be trying to re-invent the wheel with the new program. It has been very confusing for members who have mileage with both airlines. If you need a travel agent who knows all the ropes and can help plan the perfect vacation give Juli Parrott a call!!
Juli Parrott * Travel Mountain Travel * 303.277.1580 * julitablemountaintravelcom * www.tablemountaintravel.com

Marketing/Shaklee – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:47:22 +0000

Today’s first speaker was Helen Masterson of Masterson & Friends in Arvada, CO. Helen wanted to discuss Lessons from Santa Claus now that we have passed the holiday season.
Make a list, and check it twice – Check your customer list. Is it up-to-date? Identify customers and what they buy. Profile them in detail. What’s important to them? Break it down by generations and target audiences. It’s a tedious task but it will pay off in the future.
Make a list of 10 of your products or services that you will promote over the next year. Why 10? If you make a list of just one or two, you will certainly never get to three, four, five, six, etc. If the man in the red suit can do it, so can you.
Plan, prepare – and deliver. Santa gears up months in advance for his gift-giving. You should outline a year-long marketing plan. What are you going to promote now, in January. . . in February, March and so on.
Prepare by making sure your website is up-to-date. Next – determine how you are going to deliver your information: e-newsletter, Facebook, twitter, even direct mail. (If Goggle uses direct mail, so can you.)
In marketing there is the 45 day paper rule. Make contact with your customers at least every 45 days. Or they ask: Are you still in business?
What you use is determined by your customer base. Are they following you on Twitter, Facebook or your blog? Still the best way to deliver is face to face by getting out and going to Business after Hours or Business Expo’s and meet people. Schedule it out. Plan on it. Make sure you have something to hand-out! This doesn’t have to be fancy, just something to remember you by.
Ho Ho Ho. Update or reinvent. Remember, Santa didn’t start off with Rudolph.
Do you have a product or service that you can reinvent or re-name? Like with Joan and The Design Coach – a service she already offered but now has given it a name; Suzanne coming up with Desktop Catering for those that can’t leave their desk. A word about naming – since the late 90s and the surge in tech products, we have had a spat of non-names or made-up-names for companies. This violates the first rule of business: your name should never have to be explained. The Hair Place, Food for Thought, but Dixon Paper to Xpedex??? The closing of their Boulder store did the strange new name have anything to do with that?
Show You Care – Santa is associated with gifts and children. Show you care by doing something special. Offer special Flag Day promotion like a flag disposal day, or a shred-a-thon after tax season, etc.
Marketing is not rocket science. It is a mind-set.
You are either going to have a good year or a so-so-year. What will you find under the tree next Christmas? A profit-making year or a lump of coal?
Helen Masterson * Masterson & Friends Communications * 303.467.9680 * helenguestguidepublicationscom

Our second speaker was Laura Kilty of Shaklee in Golden, CO. Laura took her time today to discuss why we need to supplement our diets. She shared with us some startling health statistics since 1999:
* heart disease is up 9.3%
* cancer is up 19.6%
* diabetes is up 34.5%
Research is saying that these diseases are 60-90% preventable, but with our food declining in natural nutrients and fast food sales are up 2000%, roughly 2% of Americans get the recommended daily fruits and fiber.
Now we are seeing many children developing adult diseases:
* 70% have elevated cholesterol
* 60% are overweight, which then feeds into our adult obesity problems
* an increase of 33% of boys and 147% of girls with type 2 diabetes – this used to be known as adult onset diabetes
* 25% are on prescription medication with 7% being on 2 or more
* in 1996 1 million children were diagnosed with ADHD in 2009 that number jumped to 5.3 million
This may be the first generation in the history of mankind to have a shorter lifespan that their parents. It is a lifestyle choice – what you ARE eating but also what you ARE NOT eating.
We know that supplementation is no longer an option. So what supplement do you choose? Let’s take a look at one of the top selling multi-vitamin ingredients:
* Calcium carbonate, Magnesium oxide, Potassium chloride, Ascorbic acid (vitamin c), Dibasic calcium phosphate, Microcrystalline cellulose, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Pregelatinized Corn Starch, Contains < 2% of: Acacia, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Carotene, BHT, Biotin, Boric Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Calcium Stearate, Cholecalciferol (vitamin d3), Chromium Picolinate, Citric Acid, Corn Starch, Crospovidone, Cupric Sulfate, Cyanocobalamin (vitamin b12), FD &C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake, FD & C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake, Ferrous Fumarate, Folic Acid, Gelatin, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Hypromellose, Lecithin, Lycopene, Magnesium Stearate, Manganese Sulfate, Medium Chain Triglyerides, Modified Food Starch, Niacinamide, Nickelous Sulfate, Phytonadione (vitamin k), Polyethylene Glycol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (vitamin b6), Riboflavin (vitamin b2), Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Metavanadate, Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenate, Sorbic Acid, Stannous Chloride, Sucrose, Talc, Thiamine, Mononitrate (vitamin b1), Titanium Dioxide, Tocopherols, Vitamin A Acetate (vitamin a), Zinc Oxide. May also contain <2%: Maltodextrin, Sodium Aluminosilicate, Sunflower Oil, Tribasic Calcium Phosphate. Contains: Soy. The bolded item are good for you or things your body needs the items bolded in red are fillers and can be bad for you – however the polyethylene glycol really surprised me.
Laura also wanted to let us know the things that we need to look for in our supplements like Biotin. This is an essential B vitamin and very expensive – most companies will scrimp and only give you 10% of the expensive one and more of the less expensive B vitamins. Also look at the vitamin E – you want d alpha not dl alpha – which is synthetic.
So where do you start… Shaklee’s Vitalizer is the best if you can and are willing, if not, give the Vita-Lea Gold for those over 50. Add a Shaklee Cinch Protein Shake and a Meal in a Bar to help optimize your health.
Laura wanted to cover the Shaklee Cinch products, because in this time of new year’s resolutions the Shaklee Cinch program has added Leucine to the shakes, snack bars and meal bars, that will allow your body to hold on to precious muscle while you are dieting. When you lose muscle during a typical diet – your metabolism goes in the tank. So when you go off that typical diet you will need to eat less calories than before you started or you will gain the fat back.
The Cinch program is also a great breakfast or meal on the go for busy people… even if you are not looking to lose weight – as we age we lose muscle, drinking a Cinch shake can keep you keep that muscle. There are so many reasons to drink the right protein shake everyday – just make sure that you are choosing the right one.
For those of you that know someone who is looking to get to a healthy weight – in a healthy way – and have it be the last time they have to lose weight on their New Year’s Resolution list, tell them about Cinch. Right now Shaklee has a special that when you buy 3 months of the Cinch Transformation Pack and receive the 4^th month free – a savings of 300.00. Keep Laura Kilty and Shaklee in mind when looking into supplements or weight loss she can evaluate your current program and design one that will work with you lifestyle and budget.
Laura Kilty * Shaklee * 303.420.3359 * KiltyCoaolcom * LauraKilty.MyShaklee.com

CPA/Printing – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:46:03 +0000

Today’s first speaker was Anna Kay Roche, CPA in Wheat Ridge, CO. Anna
wanted to go over yearend tax strategies and some of
the over looked tax deductions. The yearend tax strategies she covered were
accelerating your expenses – although you cannot prepay some reoccurring
expenses such as interest, rent and lease payments, think about stocking up on
office supplies, postage and other office necessities. Buy or upgrade your
equipment or automobile to claim your Section179 deduction, the rules
surrounding automobiles can be complicated so don’t just assume this deduction
make sure by checking with you tax professional. You can also delay receipt of
income – the law states that if you have the money in your hands – even if you
have not deposited it – it is still income. Hoarding your December collections
and then running it to the bank on the first business day in January is a dead
giveaway to an auditor that you are reporting income in the wrong year. Other
things that Anna wants you to consider – be careful about trying to save income
taxes, you may pay a little one year but then have a major payment the next.
You are better off reporting your income evenly over the years. If you have a
large income bubble you may need for tax planning to minimize the tax burden
for that period. A few of those tax deductions that we all may over look from
tax year to tax are – state sales taxes. There are IRS tax tables that show how
much residents can deduct based on their income and the sales tax rates. If you
purchased an automobile or boat you can add that sales tax you paid to the
amount shown on the IRS table. Another sales tax that often goes unused is for
home building materials – this can be a big ticket item and can make the sales
tax deduction a better deal for you than the income deduction. If you spent
time this year looking for a job – you may be able to itemize some of those
expenses – however only 2% of your adjusted gross income. Some of those
expenses are employment agency fees, cab fare, food, lodging and transportation
if your search takes you away from home overnight, and the costs of printing
your resume or business cards and postage. If that new job forces you to move
you can deduct your moving expenses if you have to move over 50 miles. The last
deduction that Anna spoke to us about was out of pocket charitable deductions –
remember whenever doing something for a charitable organization such as baking
a casserole for an event-all the ingredients are deductible, or if you do a
mailing for your favorite organization-the stamps you purchase are deductible, and
if you give clothing to that local homeless shelter those are deductible as
well. Keep all of your receipts –if your donations are more than 250.00 you
will need to document the receiving agency and document the services you
provided. Keeping all of these items in mind Anna wants us all to be prepared
for the upcoming tax season and if you need help getting a handle on your taxes
give Anna Kay Roche a call!!
Anna Kay Roche, P.C. * Certified Public Accountant * 303.403.0775

Today’s second speaker was Cindi Thordarson of EcoGraphics Printing in
Lakewood, CO. Although EcoGraphics is in the middle of the Children’s
Hospital Colorado Christmas Card Project, which
keeps their office very busy this time of year. There are other clients that
they are trying very hard to keep up with all of the requests. One request,
Cindi brought with her today to explain the complications of printing three
color envelopes. EcoGraphics is a small commercial shop and have two digital
presses along with two small format single color traditional presses and one –
two color Itek 3985 – which will run 2 color tight registration jobs. The issue
with running multiple colored envelopes is that no two envelopes (kind of like
snowflakes) are not created alike. The machine that creates envelopes moves at
amazing speeds which cuts, folds and glues each envelope – so as each envelope
is folded and glued it may be in the machine crooked or just a slightly
different angle creating a slightly different shape. So, as a printer, Cindi
should know that when trying to run three colors – exact registration on
pre-made envelopes will not work. For this job – well – she forgot… So they are
printing the envelopes the correct way, which is running the envelope unfolded
on an 11 x 17 inch sheet of paper where they can get an exact cut and guarantee
that the sheet will hit in the same spot for the third color. They then send
those sheets to an envelope manufacture here in Denver that will convert
envelopes in small quantities. Not the least expensive way to go but it will
get the exact look the customer is looking for. The rest of her talk Cindi
discussed the design of your logo – in these days you can design just about
anything with the aid of computers. Depending on the needs for your business –
whether you will be using letterhead, envelopes and business cards or just
business cards and a couple advertising pieces – you can get as creative as you
want. Just remember that although digital printing has brought the cost of printing
4 color pieces down, it can still be expensive. Cindi doesn’t want to deter us
from doing 4 color projects just take into consideration the cost and use 4
color for a piece that is going to have the most impact with your clients or potential
clients. If you need a piece that creates impact with your clients give Cindi
at EcoGraphics Printing a call and she will work with you and your budget.

Cindi Thordarson * EcoGraphics Printing
* 303.238.7791 * cindiecographicsprintingcom * www.ecographicsprinting.com

In Home Care/Mary Kay – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:19:00 +0000

Today’s first speaker was Ann Allen of Home Instead Senior Care in Arvada,
CO. Ann started her talk today by telling us about another lead group she is in
and how you cannot assume that people truly understand exactly what services
your company provides. She was speaking about one of the services that her
company provides and another member spoke up and said “I can have your company
do just that?” Yes was her answer. The service was transportation. At this
moment, Ann realized that in some situations people just don’t hear the message
you are sharing. So she wanted to remind us that when we are speaking, we need
to be direct and concise about our services and products. Ann has now been with
our group for a year and thought it would be a good idea to share her journey
that brought her to Colorado from California. The rest of Ann’s talk was about
her and how she came to Colorado to open up the Home Instead Senior Care in
Arvada. If you need someone to help out with a senior in your life – give Ann
Allen and her group of caregivers a call. They will help you and your parent or
family member with dignity and respect.

Ann Allen * Home Instead Senior Care * 303.463.1900
* aallendenverhisccom * www.homeinstead.com

Our second speaker today was Ruthie Williams of Mary Kay Cosmetics in
Golden, Colorado. Ruthie wanted to talk to us today about the quarter and all
the new products that Mary Kay is bringing out. The first product is the Mary
Kay Nourishine Plus Lip Gloss – there are 14 colors of sheer cover – they have
added 11 colors this quarter for more choices. This is no ordinary lip gloss,
with the Nourishine Plus Lip Gloss you will get an ultra-glossy shine, a
non-sticky, superlight formula and a load of anti-oxidant rich vitamins and
minerals designed to condition and protect your lips. Ruthie’s next item was
the new Mary Kay Lip Liner, a new velvety formula that is chock full of age
fighting ingredients that will help protect and smooth the appearance of the
lip line while preventing the bleeding and feathering. They have added four new
colors to bring the total of nine shades and one that is actually clear. Why clear,
you ask, well for those that don’t have a lot of experience with lip liner this
liner allows you to prevent the color from bleeding without having to be
perfect, also if you are using bright colors the clear will not change your lip
color. The other new feature that Mary Kay added to the Lip Liner is a sharpener
in the cap, so you can keep the perfect line. Another new product is a new line
of Mary Kay Eyeliner – this new ultra creamy formula glides on easily and is
long wearing, water and smudge proof and fade resistant. Mary Kay Eyeliners now
comes in seven vibrant colors – including rich jade, dark denim and violet ink
for a rich, deep look. The next new item that Ruthie talked about was the Mary
Kay Timewise Moisture Renewing Gel Mask. This new mask is instantly hydrating
and locks in vital moisture making your skin feel firm and healthy. It only takes
ten minutes and washes off with water leaving you with a more youthful look.
Ruthie also handed out a conversion chart for those items that have been discontinued
this fall and the colors that will be the closest in the new products. I have included this
list so you can check out all of the conversions yourself.
Call Ruthie Williams it you need a new look for the holidays or just need to update
your skin care regimen, she will take care of you!
Ruthie Williams * Mary Kay Cosmetics * 303.278.3520
* RuthieWilliamsmarykaycom (RuthieWilliamsmarykaycom) * www.marykay.com/ruthiewilliams

Mary Kay Conversion

Financial Representative/Gift Baskets – Colorado

connectclub — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:03:30 +0000

Our first speaker today was Lori Bush-Engel of Modern Woodmen Fraternal
Financial in Golden, CO. Today Lori talked to us about the Modern Woodmen’s
Fixed Annuity – something we should all look into. If you are looking into
changing your financial planner give Lori Bush-Engel a call – she will take the
time to look over your current plan and help you make the best decision for
you!

Lori Bush-Engel * Modern Woodmen Fraternal
Financial * 303.880.4084 * Lori.Bush-Engel@mwarep.org
* www.modernwoodmen.org

Our second speaker today was Leailia Bartleson of Mrs. B’s Baskets in
Golden, CO. Leailia had a lot for us to look at today as she so thoughtfully
reminded us that Christmas is only 6 weeks away. She had 6 baskets that gave us
a variety of ideas that she can put together whether for a child, family or a couple.
For a child – Leailia displayed a basket that had a Melissa and Doug puzzle and
stuffed animals or for a family she had a couple that had a set of dominos,
cookies and cocoa. For that couple that you just don’t know what to get Leailia
had a cool wooden box with wine, cheeses, salami and glasses with a winter
scene. If you need the perfect client gift she can do “the Colorado Basket” –
this has a Colorado scene puzzle, calendar, chocolate and cocoa. Remember that
Leailia will build the basket that you want – whether it be with your products
that you bring to her, or just give her a direction and price, she will also
shop for items that you request and create the perfect basket for you. If that
perfect basket includes a bottle of wine Leailia can also add a personalized
label that can include a special date or celebration! She also had several
items that she can use as fillers in baskets to show us – a few of the items
included Christmas ball bottle stoppers and a new thing – high heel cell phone
holder – I can honestly say – never seen anything quite like that! A few of the
other things were a nativity scene that lights up or themed notepads and of ‘course
a lump of coal. Keep in mind that Leailia has 76 designs for the upcoming
holiday season on her website that you can just click and order! If you need a
unique gift that will be remember long after the wrapping is gone give Leailia
Bartleson of Mrs. B’s Baskets a call and she will create something very special
just for you!!

Leailia Bartleson * Mrs. B’s Baskets * 303.278.6433
* Leailiamrsbeesbasketscom (Leailiamrsbeesbasketscom) * www.mrsbeesbasket.com