A few weeks ago, I was approached by the dynamic Nellie Chowbay (an investment advisor) to speak to her networking group, Leading Ladies. As I learned more about Leading Ladies, I was even more impressed with what Nellie and Soojin (the co-founders of Leading Ladies) have accomplished. LL offers a free monthly seminar for women with a view to help women in business learn and grow. Each breakfast event features two speakers and it is my honour to share my thoughts on ‘Business from a woman’s perspective” with the group of May 9. See details below: May 9th - 7:30am – 8:30am Venue: 1st Canadian place 48th floor: reached by the elevator on the street level. 100 King Street West, [...]
Every once in a while you’ll screw up, make mistakes and do or omit to do something which will cause you some remorse and regret. As a business owner, I have often found myself in situations where I messed up. It happens. To err is human. What you do with that error and how you respond to it is what is really key in whether you will salvage and strengthen relationships or damage them. In coaching my clients, I have observed that so many of them still don’t know how to offer a good (and sincere) apology. More recently, one of my friends did something to upset me and made what seemed like a good enough apology to her (but [...]
This Saturday (January 28), I will be speaking to a group of NGO’s and non-profits at the “Take Action” summit in Toronto, on how they can use social media to influence change. Social media, if utilized correctly, can be a very powerful tool for charities to get the word out, connect with constituents, rally support, and even raise money. However, that does not mean you can create a Twitter account, a Facebook Fan Page and then expect the donations roll in. We all know, it doesn’t work like that. At this seminar, I will review various features of Facebook and Twitter and demonstrate how, with hard work and diligence, charities can get the most out of social media when promoting [...]
It is said some of the best business ideas came about on a kitchen counter or in a pub/restaurant over drinks and conversation. I could not agree more. My Entrepreneurs’ Dinner Series was launched in Toronto in 2010 and I’ve decided to introduce it to this Meetup group and will be hosting the first session in Burlington. This is how it works: A small group of entrepreneurs (between 4 and 10) enjoy a 3 course meal and over dinner and drinks (selection of beer/house red and white) I lead the discussion on one or two topics. For our first (hopefully not the last) Dinner Circle in Burlington, we will be discussing this topic: Social Media Marketing – What is it? [...]
It’s that time of year when we find ourselves contemplating our shortcomings and using the New Year as an excuse to change our ways and better our lives. When it comes to personal resolutions, it is said that finding love, losing weight, living healthy and traveling usually top the list. Why not also use this time of year wisely and make resolutions for your Business? Be sure to include action items for each goal so that you are able to “chunk it down” to manageable and measurable tasks. Here is my list of 5 things that every business should be doing. If you’re not already doing them, use 2012 as the year when you will launch these initiatives and make [...]
On November 11, 2011, I was invited by the Treehouse Group, to speak at the Toronto Reference Library, as part of the Treehouse Talk series where I shared insights on “The Personal Brand” and its importance for entrepreneurs. The time allocated to me was just 20 minutes and there’s a lot of material to cover. So instead of rushing into the techniques and tips on how to develop your personal brand, I chose to focus on its importance. Hope you enjoy the video. I am a big fan of The Treehouse Group – a collective of Toronto-area thinkers who promote the exchange of ideas by bringing together people from diverse backgrounds. Their sessions are free to attend and they bring [...]
This Thursday (October 6), join me as I speak about “Business Plans that actually work”. The session will be streamed live as well. My presentation is part of a larger discussion on Business Plans which will focus on the development and maintenance of business plans. While other speakers will be discussing the merits of the Financial business plan, my seminar will review the importance of a dynamic operational business plan – one that comes from your heart and not just your head. I will share the importance of knowing your purpose, your market, your vision and how to cast and communicate this vision. As always, I will offer some concrete action items and suggestions on processes and strategies that will [...]
Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow is the title of an article written by Kelly Putter for the March Edition of CHILL magazine. Kelly attended one of my coaching sessions and enjoyed the session enough to want to quote me in her article. I have reproduced the article in its entirety below. It’s a bit of a no brainer that money can’t buy love, but how about the other way around? Educators, business coaches and even big businesses give a resounding yes to that question. The thinking goes that to summon the large quantities of time, energy and sweat required to launch and grow a profitable business, you need to love what you do, otherwise you won’t [...]
I just came back from seeing “The Social Network”. This is not a review of the film but some observations abut the film’s content that may assist entrepreneurs as they build their own enterprises! As this post contains many spoilers about the film’s content, I would recommend that you read more only after you have seen the film. Besides, that will also help you understand the context in which I make my observations. 1. The Winklevoss Brothers: I have no sympathy for the Winklevoss brothers. You cannot copyright an idea. I think, ultimately, the settlement they received was not so much about Facebook ste…aling their “idea” but perhaps because there must have been some importation of intellectual property! The movie [...]
This June I will be featured in FUSIA magazine. For those that may not get a chance to see my interview in print, I have reproduced it below. Any person can buy a business, it takes an entrepreneur to create a business. No one knows this better than Syerah Virani, Editor-in-Chief & CEO of MyBindi.com. When Virani acquired MyBindi.com from its founders in late 2005, it was just another website and one that was in decline. Since then, Syerah Virani quit her bay street law practice and she has transformed MyBindi.com from a website to a thriving online community which is now a go-to destination for everything from event listings, wedding planning, parenting tips to recipes! In this issue, Syerah [...]
