Women2Women

2009-09-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

The time to say goodbye...

In March of 2008, I decided to invite a few ladies to come to a start up meeting and form a business networking group for women. I worked on the idea, mailed about 50 invitations and expected 6-8 people to show up. I was shocked when we had over 20 attendees at our first meeting!

We hosted political candidates, financial consultants, identity theft specialists, natural health specialists and more. Every meeting was exciting and informative. We met new people and grew our businesses. Our meetings were featured in the local papers every month, and I was privileged to win the Chamber spotlight to bring even more attention to our group.

Women2Women meetings were a place where we could relax, feel synergy, share our joys and sorrows, offer and recieve help, give and receive encouragement, and win a prize or two from time to time.

Every month, the numbers grew and every month we had new members. By the fall, we invited Martha Lanier, famous and fabulous motivational speaker to come speak for us. Together, we raised over $800 for her 2 Day Walk for the Cure in Atlanta and we filled the house!

For several reasons, this spring we decided to temporarily stop meetings for the summer months with the intentions of starting up again in the fall. Many of you have emailed me and asked when the meetings will resume, and where. I apologize for letting it drag on, but there was much uncertainty in my own life and I could not make the decision.

Finally, the decision has been made. It is with much regret that I must tell you that I will be leaving Dawson County. Economic forces have decided that we must move to Douglasville. It was our every intention to stay here for good. We expected that my real estate business would experience a real 'comeback' from the previous year or two and we could make a good life here. Unfortunately, there has been no 'comeback' in the real estate business and it will probably be years before it gets anywhere close to that.

I am excited that I was able to meet so many wonderful women in Dawson County. Many of you have become close personal friends, and it has brought many blessings to my life. Thank you for letting me share from my heart with you. Thank you for appreciating my attempts to bring encouragement and joy to you. Thank you all for making me feel so welcomed, accepted, and loved.

I will remember all of you for the blessing you have been in my life. You are the most special group of women I have ever met in my life. I wish you all much happiness and success in all your endeavors.

Please feel free to post your comments here at the bottom of this post. Emails are welcome as well.

God Bless You All...

Sincerely and from my heart....

Kimberly

2009-04-22T15:38:00.001-07:00

What was it all about?

At the meeting on Tuesday, June Lewis with Cabi Fashions showed us how to Dress for Success, and how much First Impressions really count. It was amazing how the smallest thing can make the biggest difference in your appearance. Kelley Crane, Linda Rule and Paula Pride were our fabulous models. Kelley looked stunning in her linen slacks and versatile top. Linda was 'Petite and Sophisticate' and Paula showed how the little black dress can go from day to evening in a flash!

Everyone was having a great time and then the time was gone. June suggested a longer version and a chance for everyone to get their own personal 'dress for success' tips. So we will be having another event at Kelley's office on May 11 at 5:30pm. Watch for an 'evite' in your email! If you don't receive it, please let me know and I will send you the details. Wine and hor'dourves will be served, so don't miss it and bring someone with you too!

Attendance has been down a little over the past couple of months due to scheduling conflicts. Being that we are all independant business women, the economy demands that we put our work first. Our meetings are just a little bonus that we squeeze in if we can to inspire and motivate us. Of course we don't want you to lose a sale or deal by attending our meetings. However, I do urge you to make it a priority to attend.

Networking works... if you work it!

At almost every meeting, a show of hands proves that the ones who are faithful have received business from attending.

On a very positive note, since the first meeting in May of last year, there has been one or more new attendees at every single meeting, which means that there's always a new opportunity at every meeting.

We also discussed several other networking venues and all are encouraged to attend as many events as possible. Annette Walden, who I consider the guru of networking has a list on her website that has the latest information on networking events for Hall, Forsyth, Lumpkin, and Dawson Counties. You can find that list at: http://www.paintedladyenterprises.com/ It's the best way to increase your business without the heavy costs of advertising. And there's nothing like the face to face, one on one encounter to build a relationship.

Speaking of meetings, at our next meeting Dr. Kara of Nature's Way Chiropractic will be speaking to us about Stress. Perfect timing, right when the kids will be getting out of school! Make sure to mark the date in your planner.

and lastly.....

Ryan's has a new general manager, Scott Talbot. Scott is very nice and is doing all he can to make us welcome and comfortable. Unfortunately, recent events have prompted the Ryans corporation to require that the front doors must remain locked until just before opening time. At future meetings, we will have a representative near the front door to let you in. If the door is locked, please wait and someone will be there to open it for you shortly.

2009-03-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today at Women2Women...

Katie Buice with Capstone Financial spoke to us about:

"Five Things You Must Do Today to Navigate These Financial Waters"

1. Manage your cash flow. You should be on a budget and if you're too lazy to do quicken or the like, there's a free website called www.mint.com that you can use to manage your money. (Katie encouraged everyone to read the privacy and security FAQs to determine for themselves if it is appropriate for them.) You must know where your money is going!
2. Stash your Cash. You must build an emergency fund. Find the money and just do it. Look for money in unconventional places such as old insurance policies. Hoard every dollar and put it into savings. You may need it!
3. Don't stop investing. If you have to reduce your contributions, that's ok. But don't stop investing. If you do , you will get used to spending that extra money and when things are better you won't be able to live without it.
4. Look at your protection. You need lots and lots of life insurance. Update your will. Don't let your insurance policies lapse for any reason.
5. Find other ways to make money. Take on extra jobs. Have a yard sale. Sell on craigslist.com, it's free. You don't have to think high level right now. Any extra cash is good and you should be putting it into your savings account.

Katie did a wonderful job of presenting these ideas and helping us understand them. Don't let her young appearance fool you, Katie is a very professional and capable young lady! Thank you Katie for taking the time to do this for us, and for being a huge support for Women2Women. You can contact Katie at 770-377-9834 or ebuice@finsvcs.com .

I look forward to seeing all of you again, next month!

Kimberly

2009-03-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

BIG HUGE NEWS coming to Women2Women

on Tuesday, March 17th!

Women2Women is ever changing. This Tuesday (17th) we will be making a few adjustments, and in the words of Martha Stewart "It's a Good Thing".

-We have developed a bad habit of not starting on time (my fault-not yours), which cuts down on the time that most of you have to spend with us. So from now on we will start the meeting PROMPTLY at 10:30am. ( Of course we still want you to come if you are running a little late- just slip on in and join us! )

-If you feel you need a bit more time for networking and can't stay for lunch, come at 10:00am and be first to greet ladies as they arrive. That extra half hour may be just what you need to collect a few more cards and make some new acquaintances. This should be especially helpful to our newest members.

-We will continue to have a 'featured speaker'. However, we will strictly limit these promos to 15 minutes. I will be bringing a timer! Once the 15 minutes is up, you will have to wait until the meeting ends to make the personal contact with the speaker. We must do this to allow enough time for the actual 'networking' part of the meeting.

There will be a couple of other interesting changes that I think you will enjoy as well.

This Tuesday, Katie Buice with Capstone Financial will be talking to us about "Navigating the waters during the recession – what to do to make sure your financial house is in order." This will be a very informative and interesting reason to be there.

And last but not least...the Founders Committee has met twice over the last couple of weeks, and we are ready to announce a HUGE endeavor for Women2Women that I think will excite you all and introduce you to a great opportunity to promote yourself and your business. We are about to do something in Dawson County that no one has ever done before...and you are going to love it!

Looking forward to seeing you all!

Kimberly

2009-02-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

SYNERGY

Tuesday was a great day at Women2Women. The word for the day was Synergy. What is synergy?

"The term used to describe a situation where different entities cooperate advantageously for a final outcome."

"The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects."

We talked about the What if's? What if.... The business women in our community pulled together and worked as a team to ensure that all of us not only make it in these economic difficulties, but even prosper and exceed our goals and expectations? I encouraged everyone to pull together, and find new friendships in the group. One person can make a difference. But a group of people, working together can accomplish unbelievable tasks.

We had a very nice table top discussion on current issues, and some were able to share some recent blessings. There's just something so moving and inspirational when a group of women get together to share their concerns or joys with each other, un-inhibited and free to express themselves. Many new attendees recognize this and say that they feel so comfortable and warm with our group.

Women2Women Business Networking Group is truly a place where you can find warmth, laughter, support, and encouragement. It is an invaluable resource to build your network of associates for your business. You never know who you will meet, and what benefit will come from attending our meetings.

Next month, Katie Buice will be giving us a 15 minute presentation on some important things women can do to survive the economy. It will be encouraging and informative. Katie has been attending Women2Women for several months. One thing I have learned about Katie is to not let her young age fool you. I think you will be surprised and happy that you didn't miss it.

In April, we have lined up another exciting event. More to come on that later!

Thank you all for your support. Together, we accomplish much!

Sincerely and from my heart....

Kimberly

2009-01-22T04:41:00.000-08:00

What Was It All About?

Our meeting on Tuesday was a huge success. We were so thankful to have one of our members, Paula Pride, share with us things we can do in our everyday lives to reduce stress. It was amazing how quickly the result came. Paula operates “Sense of Pride” right here in Dawsonville. It’s an interactive online fitness program to help you become nutritionally, physically, and energetically fit. Paula will begin a 4 part program beginning Monday January 26th at the Dawson County Library. Call the Library to register at 706-344-3690. It will be very informational, and best of all..it’s FREE!

I spoke briefly about what I believe is the difference between dreams and goals. I believe that we should have both, but should separate the two. In reference to planning your business for 2009, goals are appropriate and you should write them down and give yourself deadlines for achieving them. Goals are more “short term” and do-able in the next few months, or up to a year or two.

Dreams are more of a distant vision. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't have them. As a matter of fact, I think you should dream and dream BIG. If you have no dreams, you have no vision for your life and where you'd like to be, or see, or do.

But if your dream is to retire and live in Florida on the beach and you are 30 years old and starting a fantastic career, you have many many years to go to achieve that dream. Concentrate more on the short term goals that will eventually lead you to the bigger dream. If you’re 30, retiring in Florida should not be your primary focus. If you keep waiting for that big day when you retire and move to Florida so that THEN you can be happy and fulfilled, you may live a wasted life. You should enjoy every day and be happy in every small victory. Remember that life is a journey, not a destination! You will not someday ARRIVE. You have already arrived! Today you live, today is all that you have. Make today the best day of your life.

Anthony Robbins says, "The purpose of setting the goal or achieving your dreams is not to get things. The purpose of the goal is what it will make of you as a person. Making a million dollars can only inspire you so much, but becoming a person of abundance will last you the rest of your life."

On Tuesday I gave each attendee a report that I wrote called “ 7 Steps to Success in 2009”. This can apply to your personal or business life. This plan will show you how to identify the most important goals that you would like to achieve for 2009, and how to plan for the victory. If you would like a copy, email me and I’ll be happy to send one to you.

In a show of hands, there were 4 ladies who said they got new business in the last 60 days as a result of attending our networking meeting. And in the last 6 months, more than half of the attendees reported new business.

Networking works if you work it!

Thank you all for coming and supporting me, and Women2Women! I look forward to seeing all of you again soon!

Sincerely and from my heart....Kimberly

2009-01-12T04:42:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

Ok, so I'm a little late on that one, but the sentiment is the same. I'm not sure about all of you, but I am excited that the holidays are over, and life can resume some sense of normalcy. As a business woman, you probably work better and get more done when your life has a schedule or routine.

Most of you have probably gotten back to 'the old grind' by now, and the stress and pressure of the holidays is over. But for some, you may be feeling more stress as the new year begins. Women tend to worry and 'stress out' over many things that seemingly do not affect men. Did you know that worry and doubt are a useless human emotion? It has no affect on the outcome, and the only thing it does is cause you pain, and affect your health.

At our next meeting, Paula Pride is going to share with you some tips on dealing with stress in your life. I asked Paula to give me a hint about what she plans to share with us, and this is what she had to say:

My goal as a fitness trainer is to educate people how to improve their health naturally. By reducing stress on your body physically, physiologically and psychologically, you allow your body to function as it was designed to.
I will be speaking about stress and examining how different stressors affect your body physically.
I will show people how to increase their body awareness by measuring how your body responds to different stimuli.
I will also show some simple techniques to begin to reduce stress mentally and physically and rebalance yourself through the body's electrical system.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready! Paula will relieve all of our stress in about 15-20 minutes, and then we will have plenty of time to network and share with each other our business goals and needs for 2009.

It's hard to believe but the next Meeting is but a week away! Write the date in your calendars and don't miss it! Bring a friend!

I look forward to seeing you all there!

Sincerely,

Kimberly

2008-12-17T03:59:00.000-08:00

It was the last meeting for the year for Women2Women, and a very enjoyable time it has been. Since our first meeting in May we have averaged an attendance of 30-40, with the exception of our Martha Lanier event. There were many familiar faces, and some new ones as well. I understand that it isn't possible for everyone to attend every meeting and thankfully we have continually attracted new women every month. Some come out of curiosity, some come as a guest, but we are always excited to see them come!

Yesterday, I spoke about the ending of the Brian Nichols trial and the effect his mistakes had on his life. On Saturday, the sentencing for Brian Nichols was completed. I'm not even going to get into the aspects of the trial or the who's or why's of the entire ordeal or why he should or should not have gotten the death penalty. My attention to the outcome and the reason I became glued to the TV to watch as the sentences were read was to see Brian Nichols reaction to it all. I watched his facial movements, expressions, hand gestures, and where he was staring with his cold, dark eyes.
Of course I wondered what he was thinking. Was he sorry? Was he remorseful? It was hard to tell. So I let my mind wonder back many years ago and saw a little boy named Brian Nichols. He was about 5-6 years old. He loved his mom, riding his bike, and school. He was as excited about life and growing up as any 5-6 year old boy could be. Even as a teenager, he could never in his wildest imagination dream that one day he would be sitting in a court room with hundreds of people and thousands more watching him on television to see if he would live or die by the hand of the law. Sitting there, he must have felt like the most hated person in the world. He sat straight and upright. I wondered if he was wishing he could crawl under the table and hide like the little boy he once was. As I sat there watching, I began to feel empathy for Brian Nichols and wondered "where did it all go wrong?" He made a mistake, then another, and another. Does he wish he could go back in time and change things? My thoughts turned to my own life, and I realized how many hundreds of mistakes I have made. No, I never killed anyone or committed heinous crimes. But I have made many mistakes that could have resulted in much different outcomes in my life. I began to be thankful that if given the chance to have a "do over", I believe I would end up pretty much where I am right now in my life. Maybe a little more successful and healthy, but no real dramatic changes.
In the end, they led him away from the courtroom in cuffs and chains. And I'm not saying he didn't deserve to lose his, but there was just something about watching someone else lose their freedom that made me SO PROUD that I still have mine! I spent the rest of the weekend feeling grateful for my opportunity to live, work, and be free in spite of my mistakes!

We had an enjoyable 'roundabout' with everyone having a chance to introduce themselves and at my encouragement, share with us what they really need for 2009. Asking for what we need for ourselves is not always easy for independent women. It's easier to ask for help for someone else, and we should accept that it is OK to ask for help sometimes.

At the suggestion of Paula Pride, I have set up a Women2Women Business Networking Group on Facebook. Paula and I will be available to assist everyone who wishes to join the group. I have sent email invitations to each of you. If you already have a facebook profile, please join the group. If you do not have a facebook profile, and need assistance please contact me or Paula at 706-461-9029.

Courtney Roberson suggested a Self Defense Class for Women, and offered to help organize the time and place for that. Watch for more information regarding the date and time for this event. There will be no charge to attend. This sounds like an exciting and fun event and I am looking forward to it.

The women who attend our meetings are survivors, overcomers, driven, and do not accept failure and despair. I am so blessed to have met you all, and I thank you so much for your support and friendship. My goal for Women2Women is to continue to grow to be a resource for all women in Dawson County. You are the lifeforce of our community. Individually, we may not make a tremendous impact on our community. But together as a team of strong women helping each other we will grow and not only survive the economic downturn, but become even more successful than we ever have been before. The new year will present itself with many new challenges, but if we are eager to find them there will be new opportunities for all of us.

I wish for you a Wonderful Holiday with your family and friends. Again, thank you for believing in me, supporting me and sharing your time and friendship with me. I support YOU!

God Bless You All...

Sincerely & from my heart,

Kimberly Wilson

2008-11-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

If you missed the meeting today, you missed some terrific stuff! Patty Powers, a certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, talked with us about identity theft. It was very informative and she is very knowledgeable about the subject. Personally, I always thought of identity theft as being a credit issue. I never thought about the risks of people using my drivers license or my medical history. I realized how important it is to protect yourself from being a victim. Thank you Patty for doing an outstanding job!

I shared some thoughts about our 2008 and 2009 Success:

If your life in 2008 were to be made into a movie, what type of a movie would it be and what might it be titled?

What role did you play and who was in your supporting cast?

Would this movie be want you’d want anyone else to see?
When you think of the past year as if it were on the big screen, what lessons can be learned and how can it motivate you for 2009?
What would you like this next year to be like? Pick out a title for 2009 and set upon achieving an Oscar-worthy performance!
(mine is Rise and Shine in 2009! )

Kids are in schools across the country learning to do all sorts of things they believe they can’t succeed in. Kids don’t have much of a choice but to dive in whether it’s the next level of math, a new activity in gym class or writing papers that assert their opinions. "Everything you face cannot be changed. But everything that changes must be faced."

As adults, it’s easy to put off our more challenging goals and hold them as distant dreams.

This year, let’s allow ourselves to settle in, knuckle down and get to work. Whatever we’ve been yearning to learn or experience, let’s do it!

To help you prepare, remember what we did as children to gear up for the school year. A fresh notebook or journal is an easy way to start. In it, we can write out what we want to experience and a game plan to make it happen. We can journal about our fears and counter them with affirmations on how we’ll forge ahead. An adjustment to your schedule may be in order. Clearing your desk or other workspaces also helps to clear your mind to take in new information.

What have you been longing to do but have felt it impossible? How about making this the time for it to happen!

We collected lots of gifts for NOA for the Adopt a Family for Christmas project. For those of you who committed to bringing your gift, please don't forget to drop those off by December 12th to Christy Kahler at Edwards Jones (behind Ryans) or to Courtney Roberson at Regions (beside Burger King). On behalf of Nicole at NOA, thanks for everyone's support!

It was a great day, and I enjoyed seeing you all again. Remember, networking works if you work it! I look forward to seeing you again in December!

Watch for information about our December meeting which is not yet decided. You won't want to miss the last meeting of the year!

Sincerely and from my heart...

Kimberly

2008-10-31T04:34:00.001-07:00

The following is an excerpt from a letter I received from Martha Lanier.........

I thoroughly loved speaking and sharing the time with all of you. I will always remember the warmth and love each of you extended to me. I am still blown away by the generous donation for the Atlanta 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer. So many women will benefit from this. Another member also gave me a check before she left which brought the grand total to $808! I am still in shock! Since posting your donation, I am currently in first place for receiving the highest amount in total contributions!

Those adorable little pink and white running shoes are hanging on my whiteboard as a daily reminder to keep walking. I have not taken off the Courage/Strength bracelet since I put it on Tuesday night. What a beautiful and special reminder of my new Women2Women friends! In addition to the gorgeous flowers, the surprises kept coming as I discovered the gift card. You can be assured I will use it to buy something special to remember the day.

Please share my appreciation with everyone who gave so generously and let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you. I feel blessed that our paths have crossed and I look forward to growing our friendship!

Your new friend,

Martha Lanier

2008-10-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

WHAT A TERRIFIC DAY!!!

We were so blessed to have Martha Lanier come to speak to us yesterday. It was a much anticipated event that turned out to be even better than our expectations! Martha spoke to us from her heart about facing her fears, having a plan, and how to make lemonade when life throws you lemons.

Attendance was high- as I expected we had a crowd of about 60! What an accomplishment for us for only our sixth meeting! I was so proud to see all of the new faces, as well as the familiar ones. Thank you for everyone who came to make today such a success. It isn't MY meeting..it's YOUR meeting! Together...we help each other grow.

I was proud to introduce our Founders Committee Members. These ladies have helped me grow the group into the success we are experiencing. Please get to know these ladies and feel free to contact them with questions or ideas you may have concerning the group.

We were so proud to present Martha with a check for our fundraising efforts in the amount of $783.00! This money was to kickstart her 2009 "2 Day Walk" Campaign. Martha was not expecting this, and was clearly in awe and total suprise. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this effort.

I heard nothing but praise from everyone about how wonderful Martha was, and although I can speak for the group I thought it would be so much more inspiring if some of you would send her a card personally. Her address is:

Martha Lanier

4990 Magnolia Creek Drive

Cumming, GA 30040

Let’s let her know how much we appreciate her gift to us, and hope to be able to have her back again sometime next year.

Again, thank you to everyone who took time out from your busy day to come and be with us. And thank you to the ones who brought guests with you as well. Congratulations to Sandra Glass on her win for the beach condo in Destin! Sandra, you have earned this one!

I hope that we all came away with a new outlook, a new perspective, and a renewed hope in our souls that we are going to Rise and Shine in 2009! Networking works if you work it! I look forward to seeing you all in November!

Please post your comments here, and I will forward this site to Martha!

Sincerely and from my heart…

Kimberly

2008-09-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

What A Great Meeting!

Thank you Christy Kahler & Rod Bishoff of Edward Jones for speaking to us yesterday and helping us to understand economic confusion. Thanks for answering all of our questions and availing some of our fears and concerns. It was a great meeting, and everyone had great things to say about your presentation. And thank you very much for the little goodie bags and the door prize! Congratulations to Julie Hughes Nix who was thrilled to win the chair!

MARTHA LANIER IS COMING!!!

Our next meeting is going to be the most fantastic event we have ever experienced at Women2Women! As you know, I have been so excited to tell you that Martha Lanier, a keynote speaker, will be coming to speak to us in October. In anticipation of this "blow out the doors event", I have booked the meeting room at Appalachian Community Bank for this meeting. The room is very large with a sound system and patio with tables in case we have overflow.

I cannot say enough good things about Martha. And rather than try to tell you how wonderful she is, and how lucky we are to have her- please click this link and visit her website to see for yourself!

http://www.marthalanier.com/

Martha will be speaking at the opening ceremonies of the Atlanta 2 Day Walk which takes place this Saturday. Martha is very close to the cause, having been diagnosed herself last year. We support her courage and will continue to support her in this cause. You can visit her team page by clicking here:

http://2daywalk.kintera.org/2008atlanta2daywalker/marthalanier

I cannot stress to you enough the importance of attending this meeting in October. Martha will bring such inspiration, motivation, and hope to your lives. What a way to gear up for our 2009 success! Please do whatever it takes to make sure you do not miss this event.

PLEASE NOTE that we are NOT meeting at our normal meeting place. Please call if you have questions, or need directions!

There is No Charge to Attend!

DOOR PRIZES will include a fabulous prize to the person who brings the most first time attendees.

Please call if you have questions or need directions.

Sincerely,

2008-09-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

"Labor Day" Weekend....

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing holiday weekend. I think I discovered why it's called Labor Day. I moved over the weekend, and I did a lot of "laboring". Actually, I'm still not completely sure where all my clothes are, shoes, makeup, etc. You would think that after moving as many times as I have I would have a better system and be more organized. But you know, no matter how organized you think you are, and no matter if you hire movers or do it yourself, there's still TONS of little things you must do once you arrive. From hooking up your washer and dryer, hanging curtains, or deciding how to arrange your kitchen...some things you just have to do yourself!

It occurs to me that it's like running your business. On a day to day basis there are things you must do to continue your momentum and keep business rolling in. And no matter how many people you have working for you, there's just some things you must do yourself. Things such as:

Setting Your Business Goals
Keeping Yourself Current With Trends In Your Business
Making Sure Your Customers Get Personal Attention

My mother always said, "If you want something done right, you better just do it yourself". Sometimes it seems that's the only thing that works. Another motto might be, " If it's to be, it's up to me!"

And while I'm on the subject of "doing it yourself", I'd like to tell you about our next meeting on September 16th. We're going to have a special guest of the male persuasion. Christy Kahler of Edward Jones in Dawsonville attends our meetings on a regular basis will be presenting Rod Bishoff, Financial Advisor to speak to us about "Money, Current Financial Options, and Planning Better For Our Futures". Don't miss this very informative chat from someone who is "in the know" and can share current and local information with us concerning our finances.

I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday, September 16th 10:30am at Ryan's!

Sincerely,

Kimberly Wilson

2008-08-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

Full Steam Ahead!

"Being fully powered. Knowing where you're going and moving ahead full force. Being so clear about your purpose, so committed to it, and so sure in your ability to accomplish it that you move ahead decisively despite any obstacles."

What an awesome day we had! Thank you to all who attended today to help us celebrate our Ribbon Cutting with the Chamber of Commerce!

We also celebrated the ribbon cutting for Sara Reed, one of our own, for her business "Accent Travel". Congratulations Sara!

We had TWELVE new attendees today! Thanks to all of you for spreading the word and bringing them in! We enjoyed meeting the new people, and getting a chance to "regroup" after a long summer.

I talked today about propelling our businesses into 2009. We are about to enter the last quarter of 2008, and it's time to start planning and setting goals for the new year. Goal setting comes from Vision, and our Vision comes from finding our Purpose. Your Purpose is the key! Whatever you are selling or whatever your service is, there is a definite purpose. You have to look beyond the obvious and find it.

Ask yourself, "What Business Am I In?". Then ask again! "What business am I REALLY in?"

For Example: If you sell insurance, are you "selling paper insurance certificates? " or are you "selling Peace of Mind" ?

If you can get into the minds of your customers and clients and find out what they really need you will know the best way to help them. Suddenly you realize that it's not about YOU, it's about THEM! This realization will lead you to your True Purpose, which will lead you to your Vision!

I would love some comments from you about this. Tell me what your purpose is and how you plan to implement this idea into your 2009 Vision for your business!

I enjoyed seeing all of you again and missed all of you who could not join us today. Thanks again to all who attended, and mark your calenders to join us again next month on the 16th!

Sincerely & from my heart,

Kimberly Wilson

2008-07-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Newspapers, Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies & Coming Together

We made the paper! Our July meeting of Women2Women was featured on the reverse side of the front page of the Dawson News & Advertiser on Wednesday the 23rd! Thank you to Amy Reeves, one of ours, for getting the news out there for us! What an honor for us to be worthy of the newspaper already, when we are still in our infancy. Be sure to get a copy for yourself!

At our next meeting on August 19th, we are going to have a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Women2Women with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, with whom we joined last month. We are going to share that ceremony with another new chamber member who is one of our own- Sara Reed with Accent Travel.

The main agenda for our August meeting will be " Coming Together ". We have grown so fast, I feel that we need to spend our time together getting to know all the newest attendees and doing alot more networking. The networking is the purpose for the group. Our goal is to create relationships with other business professionals to build a strong referral base so that we can all grow our businesses together!

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be a short and sweet "Hooray" for us!! After only a few months, we are becoming quite a force in our community. Everywhere I go lately I hear comments from Women about our group, and they are all good ones! So I know you won't want to miss this happy occasion. I have such dreams and goals for our group. Some of which I will be sharing with you at the next meeting. Speaking of which, I have the biggest announcement to make at the meeting! This is HUGE!! It will suprise you, inspire you, and motivate you to invite others.

I'm like a child who knows someones birthday present and can hardly stop myself from spilling the beans. But I'm going to try very hard to hold onto it until the meeting on the 19th. I think the news has been leaked to a couple of you already... so "sssshhhhhhhhhhh" if you know and don't tell anyone else yet!

I look forward to seeing all of you again very soon!

Kimberly

2008-07-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

What a Fantastic Meeting Today!

Today we were honored to have our local candidates Terri Tragesser, Marsha Freeman Waller, and Julie Hughes Nix come and speak to us. It was great to hear from their hearts their desire to represent Dawson County in government. What a privilege for us to have these women be a part of us, and represent our voices in government.

The room was packed with familiar faces, and lots of new ones. When I started this group, I never imagined it would get so large that I wouldn't have a chance to get around to everyone to shake their hands and give them a personal welcome. Today that did happen, so I want everyone to know how much I sincerely appreciate you for coming. I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you on a more personal level.

Today I said that I was honored to be in a room with the most inspiring, successful, and motivated women in this county. You are the "movers and the shakers" of the community. You are my inspiration. You motivate me and encourage me to be more, and do more. And it is my passion to be able to inspire you as much as you have inspired me.

Please know that you can call on me anytime! Thank you again for attending, and for your friendship! I look forward to seeing you all again very soon!

Sincerely and from my heart,

Kimberly Wilson

Special Thanks Today for Door Prizes!

-Annette Walden (http://www.paintedladyenterprises.com/)

-DeDe Edmundson (Regional Broker -Power Realty Partners)

Door Prizes are a great way to promote your business!

2008-06-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Such Fantastic News!

Did you know that July 15th is election day in Dawson County? I want to URGE you to do 2 things!

1. DON'T VOTE! (Not really, just don't vote until AFTER you come to the meeting at 10:30! )

2. DON'T MISS the meeting at 10:30!

We have a commitment from at least three* of the candidates running for office in Dawson to come and speak to us!
Julie Nix- Re-Election to District 4 Dawson County Board of Commissioners
Marsha Freeman Waller- Chief Magistrate Judge
Terri Tragesser - Re-election to District 2 Dawson County Board of Commissioners

Here's your chance to get one on one with some local candidates and find out what their platform is, get answers to questions you may have that affect you, and just simply "GET TO KNOW" some powerful women that are making a positive difference in our community.

Our Women2Women group consists of the most inspiring and successful women in our community. It only seems logical that we would include, yet even support, the women in our community who run for an elected office. They represent us all! Their voice is our voice! How comforting to know that we, as a group, will have a voice in government in Dawson County!

Don't miss this meeting! I challenge you to bring as many women with you as you can, so that we can show our support for these outstanding women.

IN OTHER NEWS: We have a donation from Susan Metcalf & Southern Southeastern for the Membership Fee for the Chamber of Commerce.

We are going to be an official member of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce registered as a non-profit organization!

WIIFM? (what's in it for me?)

It means that all of our events and meetings will be posted as a Chamber event on mailings, emails, and newspaper advertisements.

It means more traffic to this website! It means that if you win the "Spotlight Member of the Month" placement you get a month of FREE advertisement on the web! It means more recognition for you in the community. It means more business!

I will be sending an email shortly with an attached flyer to advertise the meeting on the 15th. Please print and distribute as many as you can and let's get as many women to the meeting as we can to show our support of our "voices in government" !

If you need more information, please contact me at w2wbng@yahoo.com or call me at 404-543-5384 - Kimberly Wilson

2008-06-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

Back to this Goals Thing....

At our meeting this week, I talked a little about goal setting and shared with everyone some of my own goals that I have written and achieved over the years. There was so much more I really wanted to share with you on the subject, but I didn't want to take too much time away from the networking part which is why you came in the first place. So, I thought I would share with you this way and you can read it at your leisure.

It is a proven fact that having specific, written goals with a plan for achieving them has tremendous power to help you achieve them. Yale University conducted a study with the graduating class of 1953. One of the questions posed to the students was whether or not they had written specific goals for their lives and a plan to achieve them. They discovered that only 3% of the entire graduating class said yes. 30 years later, they went back and interviewed these same students. They discovered that the 3% that had set goals were happier, and more adjusted in life as a whole. In addition, that 3% were worth more than the other 97% of the class COMBINED.

Now that I have persuaded you to at least consider that goal setting is imperative to your success, I would like to share with you what my idea of goal setting is. As I told you on Tuesday, I used to think about goal setting as a way to get "things". I looked at my list as my future happiness. It was as if I lived every day to achieve my goal of getting _____, so that THEN, I could be happy! For years, I mistakenly lived my life thinking that way.

Then, over the past few years and a few challenging life experiences my ideas about it started to change. I discovered that happiness is not in things, events, or people. Happiness only comes from inside yourself. You must live this day and this moment in sheer joy and happiness that comes from inside you. If you can be grateful for today and everything about today and find happiness in it, then you can remain happy when the circumstances of your life change. Do you realize that YOU and you alone have the power to decide how you feel? No matter what is going on around you, you can make the choice to be happy and no one can take that away from you!

Last year I very dear friend of mine called me to tell me that his wife, Tina had passed away. Tina was 44 years old, and they had 2 teenage girls. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, and never recovered. Her death was relatively quick and unexpected. At Tina's "Celebration of Life" service, I noticed that there was probably more than 200 people there. Then one by one, they came. They talked about how wonderful she was. They talked about how thoughtful, giving, and caring she was. They offered experiences and shared stories of their lives together. They talked about her life at work, and what an extraordinary employee she was. I learned that she was a wonderful woman, mother, wife and daughter. I regret that I didn't take the time to get to know her better.

I drove away that day and started really thinking my life and I wondered what people would be saying about me, if it had been my funeral. I realized that not one person got up there and said " wow, she sure had a nice car! " or " she only wore the latest fashions" or even, " her house was the most gorgeous house on the block!" (and she did, she did, and it was)
I realized then and there that my goal setting needed some attention. I realized that the reason for setting the goal is not to achieve the goal. The reason for setting the goal is the person that it makes you become to achieve the goal. It's ok to have nice things. I still want my Corvette! But I don't work every day thinking that I am one day closer to my corvette. The most important goal that I have for my life is to make sure that every single day I make a positive influence on someones life. Maybe it's this blog. Maybe, it's a card. Maybe it's just a smile to a tired cashier in a grocery store. It doesn't take much to smile and offer an encouraging word to someone. It costs you nothing. But the rewards are the inner joy and happiness that you create inside yourself.

This group and this blog is helping me to achieve one of my goals. I want to do my part to support, inspire, encourage, and motivate women in my community to be all they can be. Making a million dollars can only inspire you so much. But becoming a person of abundance will last you the rest of your life! Have you set some goals today? Have you reviewed your goals lately? What's your action plan?

- Kimberly

"You can have everything you want, if you help enough other people get what they want." -Zig Ziglar

2008-06-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

Speed Networking??

Today I surprised everyone by announcing that we were going to be Speed Networking! Patterned after the newest phenomenon in the dating world called Speed Dating, I decided to create an atmosphere of pure energy, excitement, and joy by having everyone sit across from another and in only 2 minutes talk about their needs and what they have to offer. Every 2 minutes, they had to move down one chair and start all over again!

Great Fun was had by all, and I look forward to seeing all of you again next month! Thank you to all the ladies who came today and brought a friend!

Congratulations to our Door Prize Winners!

(L to R) Sara Reed, Victoria Hope Bozec & Patty Powers

Special thanks to Annette Walden of Painted Lady Enterprises and Kelle'Castelberry - Image Salon and Day Spa for the donation of the door prizes! Please let me know if your company would like to provide the door prize and promote your business!

2008-05-30T12:43:00.001-07:00

Get Ready, Get Set, Go!

I am so excited to tell you that I have booked the banquet room at Ryan's in Dawsonville for the next meeting! The meeting will be on Tuesday, June 17th at 10:30am. (note time change! )
The manager made us a special offer to stay and enjoy lunch for $6.00 per person, and that includes $1.00 towards the tip! The room holds 55-60 people, and I look forward to filling it in the next few meetings! Ladies, mark your calenders and get ready to network!

If you cannot stay for lunch after the meeting, you do NOT have to pay to attend the meeting! Please don't let that stop you from attending. The manager would rather everyone pay and enjoy lunch, but it is not required.

Update!
Annette Walden w/Painted Lady Enterprises, will be donating a door prize to one lucky winner! Don't forget your business cards!

2008-05-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Having a Good Day?

I just wanted to write a note and say Thank You again for all who attended the meeting last Tuesday. I keep getting positive feedback, and I look forward to seeing all of you again next month, and meet new friends as well.
I wanted to share with you a real "treasure" that I have discovered. It's a 3 book series called, "Inspiration To Realization". In short, it's a compilation of short stories featuring women in business and how they started, what obstacles they encountered, and how they made it! Full of advice and wisdom, I know you will enjoy them and they will motivate and inspire you too. If you have read these already, please share a comment with us about the books.

These are the most inspiring books I have engrossed myself in for a long while. When I discovered them on the internet, I ordered all three volumes. I received Volume 2 first, and decided to go ahead and dig in. Now that I have read the other two, the first book (volume 2) is still my favorite. So, I suggest you start with volume 2 if you want to try them out. You can order these from amazon.com. Click here
I look forward to seeing you all again next month, June 17th! Mark your calendars and plan to bring a friend!

2008-05-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

What A Terrific Start!

I am so excited that we had such a terrific turnout for the first meeting! What a fantastic group of women who are making such a positive impact on our community. We had 22 attendees, and everyone got a chance to introduce themselves and tell about their businesses.

It was exciting to hear women talk about what they do with such enthusiasm.

I believe that you can have everything you want, if you help enough other people get what they want. It was evident today that these women are already practicing that principle in their own lives.

Congratulations to our Door Prize Winners!

Cindy Drake with BancPlus Mortgage!

Pamela Martin with Jarvis Street Mortgage!

Dr. Kathy Howell with ACCARES !

And one more thanks to Julie Elzey with Power Realty for providing the delicious food! I look forward to seeing all of you again next month. (Time & Place to be posted shortly! )

Ladies, please post your comments about today's event!

2008-04-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

We've Set The Date!

Ok Ladies, mark your calenders and get ready!

When? Tuesday May 20, 2008 at 10:00am

Where? It will be held at Power Realty Partners 121 Old Dawson Village Unit 220-Bldg 200 in Dawsonville. It is located behind Sonic (next to Chestatee Bank) at Hwy 400& 53.

WHY? I believe that you can have everything you want, if you help enough people get what they want. Networking pays off! It has been proven that actively participating in a networking group will increase your business.

Fabulous Door Prizes!

Refreshments!

Please RSVP to Kimberly at w2wbng@yahoo.com

Email for directions or more information!

2008-04-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Let's Get Together!

This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship!

The women in business in the Dawsonville area are about to embark upon a brand new phase of business. By meeting each other, exchanging ideas and information, our businesses are about to explode with growth!
Be sure to email us with your contact information so that we can add you to the list. You will receive an email notification of the next meeting.
The motto for the first meeting will be: 2008 - It's Gonna Be Great!!