Volume 1, Issue 12 November 1, 2006

Empowering
Women
To succeed in business personally &
professionally through Networking &
education while building key relationships &
having fun!

Press Release:
Women’s Leadership
Network Receives
Crystal Award
By Anne Ward

The local Women’s Leader-

ship Network, a chapter of
I N S I D E TH I S
I S S U E : the American Business

WLN Success Story 2 Women’s Association

(ABWA), was honored with the elite Crystal Award in recognition of the outstanding for-
ABWA History 2
mation of a new chapter. In order to be considered for the award, the forming chapter

October’s Photo Collage 3

must meet stringent criteria with at least 50 new members within 6 months of inception
and have created and submitted business and recruitment plans.
Member Spotlight
4
Alana McKinney

ABWA National Convention

Photo Collage
5 Kathy Hardtke, President and founder of the local chapter, was named for her out-

October Presentation standing leadership in forming the group. Kathy says, “There were 17 other chapters na-
6
Bonnie Richter tionwide in the running for this coveted award. Our winning is the result of a lot of work
Meet the Board 7 on the part of our enthusiastic members and our very capable board of directors.”

Ambassadors 7
WLN Board members Ginger Imes, of DS&P Insurance Services in Palatine, and Sandra
Larkin, of Lost and Found Life Coach in Crystal Lake, accepted the award on behalf of
the local chapter in September at the WLN National Conference held in Anaheim. Imes
said, “As a charter member I’ve gained a lot from my WLN experience. It’s a dynamic
and supportive organization of women all helping each other to succeed.” Sandra Larkin
added, “It was an honor to receive this award on behalf of our group. I met hundreds of
successful women at the National Conference and am more excited than ever to be part of
both WLN and the ABWA.”
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W L N S u c c e s s S t o r y
“I met with WLN member Lisa Krupp to discuss the prospect
of working together on a fundraising idea she had for her
charity "Island Relief". After our meeting she mentioned that
she had been doing some work with a local chiropractor and
that I should meet her and see her new offices.

As it turned out, I already was acquainted with Dr. Jennifer

Loose. I was referred to her some time ago by another WLN member, Lisa Stamos (McHenry
County Woman Newspaper), however, our schedules just didn't mesh at that time. As fate
would have it, we became reacquainted at the right time. As she showed me her beautiful new
offices, we discussed a variety of possibilities. We met again a few days later and I
treated Dr. Jenn to a Swiss Reflex Treatment. As result, I will now be offering Aromather-
apy Services, including Swiss Reflex Therapy, at Life Force Chiropractic in Crystal Lake.

Many thanks to both Lisa Krupp and Lisa Stamos for the referral! I look
forward to working with all of these ladies in a variety of ways.”

Enhancements Aromatherapy
Lora Cantele, R.A.
815-814-1444

A b o u t t h e A B W A
A L i t t l e H i s t o r y
H o w d i d t h e A B W A
s t a r t 5 0 y e a r s
a g o ?

1949 was part of the post-war era and the Ameri-

can boys had come home from World War II, eager
to exchange their soldier’s garb for the busi-
ness attire and workman’s clothing they had left
behind.

When the men initially had answered the call to

arms, an immense gap was created in the American
workforce, and the women remaining behind were
expected to fill it. When that war whistle blew,
women left their homes in droves to serve their
country, taking the places of the men who had
gone to fight.

World War II was the first time that American
women were recognized as a viable factor in the
workforce. But the end of the war meant that
women were expected to leave their newfound ca-
reers and return to their homes. However, their
desire to seek fulfillment as part of the work-
ing world was not easily suppressed.
Kansas City, Mo., businessman Hilary A.
Bufton Jr. recognized the positive impact
women had been having upon the economy. He
also realized what a widespread loss it
would be to let women fade quietly out of
the workforce. But given the times, he
knew that they couldn’t go it alone.
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 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1 2
M e m b e r S p o t L i g h t
A l a n a M c K i n n e y , E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r
B N I M a r k e t i n g , L L C
I was ‘networking’ for business and personal growth long before
the word became popular. This powerful concept led me to a
level of success in both places that I never thought possible. The
wonderful thing about networking is that it’s a skill anyone can
learn and one of my passions is to train businesspeople on this
marketing technique through Business Network International.
In 1997, I was a founding member of one of the first chapters of
BNI in Chicago.
As a member, I was a wardrobe consultant that accelerated my
business to the point of seeing my membership fees paid many
times over by the qualified referrals I received within six months
of launching the chapter.
These results and my enthusiasm for BNI led me to become an
Executive Director-a partner in BNI Marketing, LLC. I have
been responsible for opening and supporting chapters across
Chicago and Northern Illinois. From January 2003 through No-
vember 2006, I have been along with my partners, instrumental in
helping our region grow from 14 chapters to 89 chapters. I have
received international training in using networking as a part of a
successful marketing program, and have a wealth of experience in
training this technique to others.
My success story with WLN comes from a phone call I received
from our wonderful President Kathy Hardtke. Kathy had learned
about BNI and wanted more information. As we talked she in-
vited me to come to a WLN meeting. I usually do not do evening
meetings because I have early mornings, however, one meeting is
all it took to see the dedication, structure and relationships the
members had for one another. All things being equal, people
want to do business with people they know and trust. All things
not being equal, people prefer to do business with someone they
know and trust.
My best clients are Mortgage Brokers, Financial Planners, and
Real Estate Professionals. Since BNI is a closed contact organiza-
tion, that means one business professional per chapter,it is very
difficult to find a chapter opening for these professionals. In or-
der for this group to belong to a BNI chapter, they must consider
being part of a core group who is willing to starting a chapter.
What keeps me ahead of my competition? First, I have set myself
up as a “hub” business. That means that my clients think of me
not only when they want to be apart of a networking organization
but also when they are looking for other business professionals
that they want or need to be introduced to. If I am a “go to”
person even when the client does not need my service, I am
Page 4
building social capital that will pay dividends later. Second,
Dr. Ivan Misner, founder and C.E.O. of BNI has literally
written the book on this type of word-of-mouth marketing.
When a new book is released and hits the New York Times
best selling list we see a substantial increase in membership
(November release Truth or Delusion, by Dr. Ivan Misner).
Who is my perfect power partner? One of my best power
partners would be Directors of a Chamber of Commerce. A
chamber is an open networking organization which means
that there are a lot of business professionals in the same cate-
gory within the chamber. Being a member of a chamber al-
lows members to introduce themselves and their products or
services to the business community. Also, if there is a new
product or a product needing to be promoted, a Chamber is
an excellent venue to get the word out. BNI on the other
hand, is a closed contact group. This means that we meet
regularly, only one business professional per group, and our
goal is to pass qualified referrals. BNI working hand in hand
with Chambers of Commerce is a powerful tool for business
professionals to use.
What tip can I give to a business looking for my service?
There are several websites that will help. BNI.com is the
international website. When on this site visitors can sign on
to receive a free newsletter called SuccessNet. BNImarket-
ing.com is the northern Illinois site. Local chapters are dis-
played as well as members through our trade categories.
How do I deal with stress? I started several years ago doing
High Tea with close friends and my daughter. Long Grove
and several venues in the city of Chicago are some of my
more favorite spots. Because of the relationships I have built
through networking I have had tea with Mrs. Hillary Clinton,
former First Lady and Senator from New York and also,
with First Lady Laura Bush while the President was being
interviewed by Oprah.
For more information and
questions please contact
Alana directly:
Alana McKinney
BNI Marketing
847-224-5659
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O c t o b e r ’ s P r e s e n t a t i o n
A d d i t i o n a l A d v i c e
f r o m B o n n i e R i c h t e r

TACTICS TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS (and PERSONAL) SUCCESS!

“Shine Up” Your Life
Achieving success in business takes a lot of management skill, a clear vision, creativity, and lots of perseverance. It is also uniquely inter-
twined with the state of our personal lives “outside of work.” I would like to share with you some tactics you can use to boost your
business (and personal) success. Some of these concepts you may already know. So let them be a gentle reminder that paying attention
to fundamentals really does help build a strong foundation for business success.
What’s your “success environment” like? We all want to talk about how to achieve business success, while many times forgetting that
success begins in our heads. Think about where you live, you work, and who you associate with. These are the environments that you
live in and live with.
Is your work environment conducive to success?
Is your home environment conducive to success?
Is it time to “shine up” your life?
What this means is we have to evaluate our personal environments in terms of:
1. Health and Emotional Balance
Do you take enough time for rest and relaxation?
Do you take vacations?
Have you had a medical checkup in the last year?
Do you need to take better care of your diet?
Do you participate in activities you enjoy?
Do you exercise at least three times a week?
If we are mentally drained, or uninspired because of lack of free time, it will be difficult to be mentally sharp and productive.
2. Physical Environment
Is it attractive? Is it the way you like it?
Is your bedroom conducive for sleeping well?
Is your home and office organized?
Do you have all of the productivity tools you need to be efficient?
Are your living spaces comfortable, and clean?
Is there enough lighting?
Are there repairs that need to be done that you keep putting off?
If our physical spaces are unorganized and uncomfortable to be in, how can we be at our best in business; they must be in order for us
to be productive.
3. Relationships
Do you have healthy emotional relationships
Do you have supportive, positive people in our lives?
Are there any relationships you need to end?
Are there negative people in you life that you may need to distance yourself from?
Do you spend time alone?
Do you have friends you can confide in?
Do you spend enough alone time with your significant other, away from the children?
We must nurture our relationships because they provide us emotional support and companionship. Unless we are a hermit, we need this
in order to thrive.
4. Money
Do you have a savings plan?
Do you have a monthly budget?
Do you live below your means?
Do you have a will?
Are your earnings commensurate with the effort you put into your work?
Having money and financial freedom is much better than the alternative. So, if you have been neglecting your money matters, now may
be the time to get them organized so you can focus on growing your business.

All of these elements will influence your vitality, and determine the quality of your life before you even step into your offices to run your
business. Focus on improving the quality of your personal life, and things will improve in your business life, as well.
 President: Kathy Hardtke
American Home Mortgage
847-489-5053

President Elect: Anne Ward

Monthly meetings are located at: Creative Core
847-854-1111
Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiono
1524 South Randall Road
Algonquin, IL 60102
VP of Membership: Pat Kolodziej
2nd Wednesday of each month PK Tax Services
5:30 pm — 7:30 pm 847-608-6451

If you should have any questions please

contact one of the board members listed or
visit us on the web.
VP of Finance: Sandra Larkin
Lost & Found Life Coach
815-301-5802

New Members—October:
Michelle Wood—Wood Writes VP of Programs: Kris Freeman
Body Talk Practitioner
Patricia Frederick—Global Travel Partners/
847-975-9406
Cruise Club International
Pam Huffman—Shaklee
Wendy French—Winestyles

VP of Marketing: Ginger Imes

DS&P Insurance Services
Ambassadors: 847-485-2408

Ambassador of Membership: Siree Sandberg

Ambassador for Visitor Welcoming: Norine Wiebmer
Ambassador of Events: Carol Palframan
Ambassador of Programs: Terri Williams VP of Administration: Robin Braga
Ambassador of Marketing: Mary Anne Muscat Silpada Designs
Ambassador of Events: Kathy Glink 847-961-5526
Ambassador of Membership: Lisa Davidson
Ambassador of Visitor Welcoming: Gwynne Knutson
Ambassador of Membership: Susan Skawinski

*Are you interested in becoming an Ambassador? If so, VP of Events: Kim Gaxiola

AG Edwards
815-338-2550