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MACs Women’s Group Announces Inaugural Women’s Summit

Women entrepreneurs from across the metropolitan area will gather to exchange ideas, meet like-minded women, listen to inspiring presentations and mingle with corporate sponsors on Saturday, March 26^th at The Lake Isle County Club in Eastchester, New York. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 2011, New Rochelle, NY – MACs, Motivators and Creators Women’s Group, is pleased to announce our inaugural women’s entrepreneurial summit, MACs Celebrate You.  Hundreds of women from across the metropolitan area will gather for a day of networking, learning and inspiration on Saturday, March 26^th at the Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester, NY.

 “The “Celebrate You!” Women’s Summit is created with our mission in mind: Educating, Supporting and Celebrating women entrepreneurs,” commented Michelle Christie, MACs founder.  “The day is organized to provide networking opportunities, presentations on key topics from successful women entrepreneurs, time to mingle with corporate sponsors and meet women you can relate to,” continued Christie. 

Studies show that women emphasize relationship building as well as fact gathering and are more likely to consult with experts, employees and other business owners than their male counterparts.  Participation in professional groups is on the rise as women seek to build relationships and exchange ideas with like-minded business women. 

“I have seen MACs Women as an organization grow beyond my wildest expectations.  The synergy, excitement and exchange of ideas at our events it’s all refreshing.  I look forward to new members joining us for MACs Celebrate You and becoming members of our progressive group,” commented Michelle Christie, MACs founder.

Highlights of the program include:  the importance of social media, pitching yourself with passion, creating the brand when the brand is YOU, and spiritual keys to business success.  Aimmee Kodachian, inspirational speaker and author of “Tears of Hope” will be giving the keynote address, “What is Your Why.”

To learn more about MACs Women’s Group and our “Celebrates You!” Women’s Summit visit our website at www.macswomen.com   

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10 Surprising Health Benefits of Red Wine

• 1.    Over 84 studies confirm that moderate wine consumption (up to 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men) significantly increases levels of "good" cholesterol. Source
  
  
  2.    People who drink 1-2 glasses of wine per day are 14 to 25 percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who do not drink wine. Source
  
  
  3.    Red wines like Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel prevent food poisoning by acting as a natural anti-microbial in the intestines, while leaving helpful bacteria untouched. Source
  
  
  4.    It was recently discovered that the polyphenols in red wine halt prostate cancer growth. Source
  
  
  5.    In one study, women who drank 15 to 30 grams of wine per day had a 30 percent lower risk of weight gain over a 10-year period than women who drank no wine at all. Source
  
  
  6.    Red wine is a healthy alternative to other alcoholic beverages, with just 125 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates per five ounce serving, not to mention 4% of your daily Iron and 1% of your daily calcium. Source
  
  
  7.    Women who drink 1 or 2 glasses of wine exhibit an improved sex drive. Source
  
  
  8.    Women who drank wine have 5 to 8 percent higher bone density, which prevents arthritis and the possibility of broken bone injuries. Source
  
  
  9.    Red wine helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease by preventing the formation of toxic aggregates in the brain. Source
  
  
  10.  The antioxidants in red wine have natural anti-aging effects for the skin. Source
  
  
  Motivators and Creators Women's Group
  
  

Lena West, Keynote Speaker at 2011 MACs Women's Summit

Lena L. West is an award-winning social media consultant, blogger, speaker, journalist, technologist and the Founder of Real Women Do Social Media, the only social media training initiative created exclusively for women business owners.

She is also the Founder, CEO & Chief Social Media Strategist at xynoMedia, a social media consulting, implementation and development firm that helps women-owned and led companies profit from the power of Social Media and the Internet. West says, “What makes xynoMedia different is we don’t just offer some of the best marketing ideas and strategy in the industry, we can uniquely identify with women CEO’s. We know they need strategies that cut to the chase and produce results not just now, but RIGHT now.”

As a certified technical expert, West learned about the intricate aspects of computers and networking while consulting with Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Pitney Bowes, Philips Magnavox, Hyperion Software and MasterCard International. After cutting her ‘technical teeth’, she founded xynoMedia in 1997.

West’s expertise has been widely acknowledged. She is the winner of several

business awards, among them: The Network Journal’s “40 Under Forty”, AlleyCat

News’ “25 Women of Silicon Alley”, The Women’s Congress’ Entrepreneurial

Champion for Women in Business and was dubbed an “Entrepreneurial Hero” by

NCWIT. West has also been featured as the cover story for publications such as The

Westchester County Business Journal and Black Enterprise.

A sought-after writer and speaker, West writes and speaks regularly about

the merits and potential pitfalls of social media. She communicates

her expertise about social media, web 2.0 and online technologies through Social

Media 360, her expert blog on FastCompany.com; her Seriously Social column and

blog for Entrepreneur Magazine; as well as feature articles for both InfoWorld and

Jupitermedia. She has spoken on Capitol Hill and for organizations such as American

Express, Wharton School of Business, SCORE, National Investor Relations Institute

(NIRI), Syracuse University and The Learning Annex.

A firm believer in the adage, “To whom much is given, much is required”,

West is deeply committed to her pro bono work as well. She sits on the

BlogHer Business Advisory Board, the Center for Women’s Business Research

Advisory Council and the National Advisory Board for The Women’s Congress.

West strongly believes that social media is a catalyst to uniting the world’s

people and will continue to lead businesses and individuals toward greater levels of

environmental accountability, social responsibility and corporate transparency -

hence her passion for the medium.

xynoMedia’s goal is to help make social media easy to use, manageable and

worthwhile for women business leaders

Lena West is a Keynote Speaker at the Inaugural MACs Celebrate You! Women's Entrepreneurs Summit in Westchester, NY. 

Life Coaching 101

Written by Your Joyologist in General, Joy

I have been a life coach for nearly 10 years. I love the whole life coaching experience.

When I meet someone and share - I am a life coach, most become curious and

immediately start asking me questions. I wish to share with you 6 of the most

commonly asked questions and my personal answers, so you can have a better

understanding of the life coaching experience.

1) What is a life coach? A life coach supports and motivates their clients in getting

clear, organized and staying committed to their goals and desires. Much like an athletic

coach, we want the best for our clients and are able to see our clients’ situations

through a different pair of eyes, thus we are better able to see where the changes need

to come from, in order to put our clients on the road to success. Life coaches are not

therapists. We do not fix any one and we are not anyone’s mother. We are someone

you hire to guide and inspire you to stay committed to achieving your success.

2) Who are your clients? Personally, my clients have come from every walk of life

and have had various reasons for employing me. Some need me to support them to

stay focused to accomplish a business goal. I have worked with several small business

owners to stay motivated, organized, and focused. I have worked with mothers who

want to organize their schedule to experience more balance and joy in their lives.

I have even coached a busy workaholic couple so they could find time to have fun.

Yes, we scheduled in fun every week! Many of my clients just want more balance in their

lives. Still, others do not know what they want and I work with them to discover their

desires.

3) Is everyone coachable? My answer is no. I do not work with everyone that wants

to hire me. I have to assess if the person is coachable. I really don’t want to waste my

time or theirs. I give them a short questionnaire to take before I accept them as a client.

They must fill it out and get it back me in a timely manner. I also have them take their

toilet paper roll currently in their bathroom and turn it to roll the other direction and leave

it that way for two days or when the paper runs out. Once we connect again after I have

received the completed questionnaire, I ask them about the toilet paper roll exercise

and if they kept it reversed for the complete time or not? If they answer is yes, I work

with them. If it is no, I walk away. If they could not do this simple exercise, then I feel

they would not be open to follow through with the changes needed to stay committed to

their goal. Over the years, this method has worked well for me.

4) How do you work with the clients? We get together in person or via phone and I

explain what is expected of them and what they can expect of me. I have them sign a

commitment type contract. Here they commit to call me on time for the coach calls and

to check in with me via emails on the days and time agreed on. They also commit to be

honest with me about doing what they said they will do during the week to achieve their

goals. Then we make a plan and create steps to take everyday and week towards their

goals. If a weekly task is not completed, then we work on why it was not completed

and take steps to remedy the matter. My job is to motivate them to stay on their agreed

path to success. Like anything, you will get out of the experience what you put into it.

5) How do you choose a life coach? If you ever decide you would like to hire a life

coach, feel free to shop around. Interview the different coaches. Ask the coaches for

referrals. As much as many of us are alike, we all do our coaching a little bit different.

Some coaches take certifications courses and some don’t. It is up to you to decide if it

is important for your coach to have a certification or not. We also might have different

philosophies. I use my intuition when I am working with my clients which works for me.

I like to work in three month increments whenever possible. I believe it takes at least 90

days for my clients to implement the changes they need to continue to achieve their

goals and desires.

6) What does it cost? That varies from coach to coach. We all have different pricing.

Some charge in the hundreds a month and others charge in the thousands depending

what the coach wants to charge. I create personalized coaching packages and price

them according to the client’s needs. Some coaches do flat rates. I have my clients

pay up front for my services. I feel it encourages them to stay committed to their goals.

I hope this article on Life Coaching 101 has supported you in understanding the life

coaching experience from my point of view. I almost forgot. There is one more question

they love to ask, “Do life coaches have coaches?” Some do and some don’t. In my

opinion, the good ones do!

Vicki Kallman, the Joyologist, is a speaker, an author, facilitator, intuitive life coach, reiki master/teacher and founder of JoyfulZen.com  where she intuitively guides her clients and 
readers to having greater joy and success in every area of their lives.

Vicki Kallman is a Speaker at the Inaugural MACs Celebrate You! Women's Entrepreneurs
Summit  in White Plains, NY. 

Motivators and Creators Women's Group

Some Remedies for the Pain When Couples Talk Money

WEALTH MATTERS

ONE of the most difficult conversations a couple can have is not about love or commitment. It is about money — how it is saved and invested and what it means for their lifestyle.

According to a survey to be released this weekend by PNC Wealth Management, men and women are not any closer in their views about their investments than they were before the recession wreaked havoc on their portfolios.

There is a 10 percentage point difference in how men and women responded when asked whether they were planning their portfolios more carefully, with women being more cautious. And asked how they viewed their portfolio strategy, 51 percent of men said “nothing has changed,” while only 38 percent of women felt the same way. The gap pervaded all the responses.

One upside in the PNC survey, a followup to one it conducted five years ago, was that the recession did not push the sexes further apart in their views about money.

“There was not as much change with the way people think about their money through the recession as we thought,” said R. Bruce Bickel, senior vice president at PNC Wealth Management. “I think that is because there is better communication and they are getting more of their family involved in their finances. It is just a small percentage increase but it was positive.” Continue Reading

Susan Hirshman is president of SHE, a consulting firm focused on financial literacy for women and the author of "Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?" Susan Hirshman is a Speaker at the Inaugural MACsWomen Success Summit! Women's Entrepreneurs Summit on the first Saturday in October in White Plains, NY. 

Contributed by: Susan Hirshman | www.myfatassets.com
Motivators and Creators Women's Group

You CAN Achieve Balance While Working From Home!

One would think working from home is the perfect dream, but for many women entrepreneurs it can become a nightmare. Being home, surrounded by potential chores all day, can really take its toll on our psyche (and our productivity!) Distractions range from our favorite daytime TV programs just a click away, to the calling of a sunny day, to the arrival of our children and husbands.

Here are some tips for keeping your sanity while working from home:

• Cut back on raiding the kitchen for snacks.

• Keep the TV off.

• Schedule time for chores to avoid distractions during the day.

• Know when to step away from the office and spend time with your family.

• Take one extra day off a month for “me” time.

• Eat lunch away from your workspace to clear your mind.

• Schedule dates with your spouse and kids.

• Have a bucket list and enjoy yourself every once in a while.

• Keep your work space and your fun space separate.

• Consider delegating when work becomes too busy.

• Learn to say “No”… You don’t need to take every single project.

• Eat healthy foods, schedule time for exercise and get your rest!

You Are An Entrepreneur...Now What?

Starting a successful business is challenging and stressful. That's why 80% of small businesses don't last for more than 5 years. Of the 20% that do survive-only 20% of those will last another 5 years. So, what can you do in order to avoid going extinct like the rest of the small business owners?

1. Be Prepared To Sell


"Selling" has developed a negative stigma. If you want to run a successful company, recognize that sales and business development are critical. You'll need to fight tooth and nail to earn and keep every piece of business. You'll be competing with companies that have more resources, experience and better branding. Your customers will be buying YOU and the connection they make with you.

2. Remove Your "Expert" Hat And Become A Leader And Businessperson (Sometimes)


If you are designer, and love to design, be prepared to sacrifice a significant amount of your design time to manage employees, find new customers, manage your books, fix the phones, take out the garbage, manage vendors and the list goes on. If in your heart, you only want to "design"- then I recommend you work for another company, or do freelance work. However, your expertise in a specific field will still play a very important role in ensuring that your employees meet your standards. Don't ever sacrifice your high standards.

3. Outsource


One of the smartest moves our business made was to outsource our accounting and bookkeeping. Instead of spending hours each week tracking our books, I currently stick everything in an envelope and hand it to our accounting partner, who provides outstanding accurate monthly reports. I now have more time to grow our business, and better information to make informed decisions. Some additional areas to consider outsourcing include networking/computer support, janitorial, payroll and design. I highly recommend hiring a company that will charge a flat monthly fee rather than an hourly fee. This will incentivize them to do the job correctly up front, and allow you to budget for their services.

4. Hire Good People


Get ready, your highest expense is going to be payroll. Take your time to find the RIGHT person. The wrong employee can make your life miserable, and sink your company. The right individual(s) can make your company fun, productive and very profitable.

5. Start Small, Think Big


Now, I stated, "think big", but what I should propose is, "think of your end result". If your goal is to run one small café, then work towards that objective. If you want to own 50 café's then, make critical decisions based on that goal. That may include investing more capital in scalable equipment and more experienced employees, so that in 1-2 years you are better prepared for rapid growth. But most importantly, be prepared to sweat, suffer, and never be happier as you pursue your dream.

Contributed by: Joe Witte and Gail Lewis | www.gailandco.com
Motivators and Creators Women's Group