networking

So long time no write, I guess I haven't updated in a while. Anyway in the last few months we threw our first Breakfast Blastoff Conference in January. We had a great showing, including the local program director for the Knight Foundation (who we're having another meeting with next week). …read more

Penelope Trunk, a columnist for the Boston Globe, has a very well written and insightful career planning/career coaching blog that is just outstanding (http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/). I only bring it up because it has helped me a great deal in putting my ongoing AmeriCorps experience in proper perspective. I read it daily and I find her views on happiness, success, networking, and other topics exceptionally helpful. It makes me feel good about what Im doing, inspires me to be a better worker, and gives me hope that my hard work will pay off in the long run. Ive gotten a lot out of it, and I think y'all can too.

hello from san francisco.   it has been almost 3 weeks since my boss left and there is still no permanent new hire in sight.  currently, my ex-boss's niece is filling her position but i think it is only until the end of the year.  it is strange to automatically fill such a huge role in the organization.  i am now teaching a technology class to the community health workers on staff and going full speed ahead on website reworking.  everything is finally settling back down and the only huge obstacle is my lack of proficiency in spanish.  when i am the only person in the lab (which does happen often now) and a spanish speaker comes in i feel so useless.  my spanish skills, however, are rapidly improving.  …read more

The recent (2006) announcement that the Nobel Peace prize has been won by Dr. Muhammad Yunus has caught my attention. Part of the prize is shared by a banking system called Grameen bank. The bank is supposedly working on the principles of community effort, mutual trust, accountability, and micro credit. It is designed to offer small loans to poor people in groups of 5, who are otherwise not credit worthy. The primary requirement for loan eligibility seems to be collective accountability of groups to repay. Because there is no requirement to back their loans with collateral, the poor have been able to invest in some trade for their livelihood. The conditions for loan have helped improve social and economic awareness. This system appears to have uplifted and improved the lives of many poor communities in Bangladesh, among whom a big percentage is said to be women. This indeed is a system of community, networking and collective effort that has not only made a success story but also has received a distinguished recognition. Follow the links for more of this story. …read more

I had the opportunity to attend a workshop in Springfield, MA. yesterday (october 18) and was very impressed by the speaker.  The subject was guerrila marketing, and he was so fast and able to communicate key items in a very limited amount of time that before I knew it 2 hrs. had flown by.  I have to get sponsors for our newly launched website and I have never been "trained" in how to do that.  The workshop entitled "Intro to guerrilla marketing" was offered to the Massachusetts small business development center network by The Steady Sales Group/J. Sheldon Snodgrass of 89 South St. , Williamsburg MA 01096  and he was impressive in that he was so on point about the info given. There was hardly time for in depth interaction, but we came away with a workbook that we could do our own study with.  So glad to have been able to attend.  I've been a wee bit nervous about the cold calling I need to do, but my background of 40 yrs. as a hairdresser alllows me a certain amount of comfort because I've been dealing with the public for so long.  It's always GOOD to get some further training anyway. …read more

Hi, I hope everyone had a safe trip back and is enjoying their work thus far.  I just wanted to drop a quick-line to let all of you know about this awesome web-site and list-serve, called Young Non-profit Professionals Network.  The link below will take you to a local area network for Chicago, Boston and NYC among others.  If there is not a list-serve in your area, they give you the tools to start one.   http://www.ynpn.org/national/chapters.asp   All the best, LM