Welcome new members to Fresno Women's Network

Welcome to our newest members who joined Fresno Women's Network in September 2013: Dora Arreguin with Fresno Memorial Gardens, Michelle Duarte with U GOT IT FLAUNT IT, Tatiana Holland with European Wax Center, Heather Ruggles with Property ID, and Stephane Russo with Bella Vista Memory Care Community. 

Are you interested in joining Fresno Women's Network? Click HERE for information.

Welcome new members to Fresno Women's Network!

Welcome to our newest members who joined Fresno Women's Network in August 2013: Ginny Burdick with A Sense of Place fine art, Monrae English with Wild, Carter & Tipton, Dawn Golik with U.S. Small Business Administration, Pam Hutton with Clovis Community Medical Center, and Sheree Willhoite with Central Valley Self-Help Legal Services

Are you interested in joining Fresno Women's Network? Click HERE for information.

Outstanding Success for Net@Noon Mini Trade Show

Yesterday, August 13th the Fresno Women's Network held its annual Mini Trade Show which was attended by members and their guests. This event was organized by the Membership Committee under the leadership of the Committee Chair, Sandra Rodriguez. Congratulations to a job well done to Sandra and her Committee on organizing such a great event. 

Members and guests were welcomed by the smiling faces of two of our Executive Board Members, Cindy Merzon who is the Parliamentarian and Connie Smith who is 2nd Vice President.

There were lots of great vendor tables ranging from education, senior care, travel, jewelry, promotional items to medical and health. All the displays came from our membership and what an array of services our members offer each other. Have you checked out our Member Directory where you can find people who can offer you a great service? If you missed out on the event check out our photo gallery on Facebook.

The luncheon part of the event was a great success as we also had Members who sponsored and hosted tables. The table I was at was sponsored by Alison Haugan who has several businesses. I learned that it was OK to eat chocolate which I love because it is good for the brain and heart so guess I just have to change the brand of chocolate to the healthy product. I also found out that she has some great skin care for someone like me with a wrinkle here and there as she has products for the aging skin. 

We had some great people at our table, some I knew and some I met for the first time. We had two doctors, one a dentist (Dr Treva Lee) and one a naturopath (Dr Mikell Suzanne Parsons), Joyce from Evangel Home (our Community Connection), Ann Marie from AAA, Gail is a banker and Linda who had a display table and she writes and publishes children's books. Did you meet all the people at your table and find out what they do?

Following the eating part of lunch is where the real fun began with some of the best networking I have attended in a long time. An usual "scavenger hunt" was organized and we were all handed a paper with 20 questions and we had to find the answers! It was match a name to the questions which meant that everyone started talking to each other and moving around the room to fill in the sheet and in doing so met people they probably may not have known in the past. The sheet started out as "Find a member or guest who....." and some of the people you had to find were: 

• Has a Doctorate Degree ...........
• Was a cheerleader ....................
• Played a musical instrument .......
• Was in a swim team ..................
• Was in a debate team ...............

How did you go, did you get all the answers and fill in the blanks? I got stuck on number 17 and that was "Who went to an Ivy League School". I did hear some discussing the fact that Fresno State could be classed as Ivy League because they had ivy growing there but not sure that would pass for an answer. What do you think?

We ended the event with a presentation to the winners of all the great prizes offered by the vendors and we thank you all for your great contribution and enabling the Net@Noon Mini Trade Show to be such a success and hope you will return next year. For those who were not in attendance we missed you and hope you can come in August 2014!

(Don't forget to leave us a comment below as we love to hear what you have to say about FWN events.)

Welcome to our newest members who joined Fresno Women's Network in July 2013: HandsOn Central Claifornia, Lisa Bundy with Chloe + Isabel Jewelry, Andra Christenson with Gypsy Garden Arts (referred by Debbie Milla), Andrea Gaitan with Olam Spices and Vegetable Ingredients, Patricia Galvin with Foster Industries, Inc., Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons with The Natural Path Health Center (referred by Richelle Jarrell), Barbara Schlueter with AngeliCare Inhome Companion Care (referred by Karen Sorensen), Kathy Sisk with Restoration Life Foundation, Victoria Smith with VMS Family Counseling Services, and Jerrie Snyder with Girl Scouts Central California South (referred by Cathy Ferguson).

Are you interested in joining Fresno Women's Network? Click HERE for information.

July's President's Message

So much more to come!

Can you believe we are already halfway through 2013? It's been a busy year so far, and our committees have more events planned for the rest of the year for our members to enjoy. It's amazing how many people are involved in making this organization run, and how exciting it is to experience how hard everyone works together to make things happen.

June was a very special luncheon as we celebrated our scholarship recipients.  Special thanks to Jennifer Wojtas, Scholarship Chair, and her committee, for making it a very special day. A sincere thanks to all of you that have generously donated gifts for the scholarship raffle at monthly luncheons. The following people or organizations donated in June and July. We need these monthly donations to keep our scholarship program thriving.

July Donations

Sandra Rodriguez-Lucero, The Perfect 10 Nails by Sandra

Kelly Fitzpatrick, Sequoia Sandwich Shop

Debbie Milla, Milla Vineyards

Carolyn Pierce, Facelogic

Jayne McAlister, London Properties

Hind’s Hospice

Kitty McManus, Jack Nadel International

June Donations

Alicia Hinton, Lavender's Light

Carolyn Pierce, Facelogic

Nykole Sullivan, Starving Artist Bistro

Judy Strickler, Juice Plus

Katrina Tongkogolosuk, Marketing Plus

Sandra Rodriguez-Lucero, The Perfect 10 Nails by Sandra

Jayne McCalister, London Properties

Valerie Houseworth, W.J. Bradley Mortgage

Pamela Alexander, Stephens and Bean

Karen Bowser, Creative Memories

Kitty McManus, Jack Nadel International

Our mixer at Metalmark was fantastic. Thanks to the Fresno Chamber of Commerce for letting us partner at this event. I really enjoyed seeing my fellow FWN members and making new friends. If you set a goal to become more involved in the network this year, have you accomplished it? If not, why not? Take the time now to find out about our activities and committees.

Save the Date!! Join us for our fun Net at Noon Mini-Trade Show on August 13th from 11am to 1pm at TorNino’s. This year’s theme is: “Back to School - Shaping the Future”. Join us as we “SHOP” the network and get to know our members. “Sponsorship” opportunities are available to Network Members with either a display table to showcase your business or sponsorship of a lunch table. Both give you an opportunity to get in the spirit of “Back to School” and “Shape the Future” of kids at Evangel Home going back to school.  Sport your favorite college team colors, or dress up as a nerd, but don’t forget to bring some school supplies for Evangel Home while sharing your business/products/services with Network Members and guests. Check out our website for details or email.

The possibilities for networking and connecting are endless. You’d be surprised at how you can promote your business and expand your market – from donating a scholarship gift to attending a mixer to participating in the mini-trade show. Becoming involved in one way or another is the key to your successful investment of membership.

Check out our online calendar and LIKE us on Facebook, there are so many exciting networking opportunities coming up that you won’t want to miss! Do you have a story about how your FWN has benefited you? Please contact me at (559) 307-9981 or email, I would love to hear from you.

Jayne McCallister

FWN President

June's President Message

We are thankful...we are listening

The heat is on and summer is finally here! I hope you are staying cool and your summer includes vacation plans.

June is the month when we honor those chosen to receive scholarships from our organization. Thanks to our scholarship committee (chaired by Jennifer Wojtas) that reviewed the applicants.  As it is every year, they had a hard decision selecting the recipients and we are excited to get to know the students at the luncheon.

A big thank you goes to all of the generous donations of raffle prizes and to all of you who bought tickets!  Tuesday, you will be able to see how your generosity benefits others.  Please join us in celebrating our 2013 scholarship honorees; they are amazing ladies and an inspiration to all of us.

The Fresno Women’s Network has been conducting a telephone survey of our current members to see how we are doing and how we can improve. We have a committed group of board members and committee chairs who are working hard for you and want to hear what you have to say. Thanks to all who have participated in this survey.  I challenge you to take the steps you can to make your membership and this organization a better one.

Be sure to check out our online calendar. There are so many exciting networking opportunities coming up that you don’t want to miss!Do you have a story about how your FWN membership has benefited you? Please contact me at president@fresnowomensnetwork.org or call me at 559-307-9981. I would love to share your story.

Be sure to register for the June luncheon on our website - you are running out of time!  Registration #25 wins a Starbucks card and #68 receives raffle tickets.

New members who joined in May 2013

Welcome to our newest members who joined Fresno Women's Network in May 2013:  Laura Anderson with Guarantee Real Estate, Stephanie Copner with Retirement Plan Consultants, Terri L. Downs with Action Insurance Agency, Kara Enos with Shaklee Health & Wellness (referred by Rebecca Light) and Karen Franz with 93.7 Kiss Country.  Are you interested in joining Fresno Women's Network? Click HERE for information.

President's Message for May

April Showers Bring May Flowers.  How is your Network Garden Growing?

Before the flowers can grow, they need to be planted, nurtured, and watered. Building relationships is like growing a beautiful flower garden. It is remarkable to see your relationships grow into lasting friendships.

The Fresno Women’s Network has provided me this opportunity. Awhile ago, I realized that just showing up and handing out my business card was not true networking. I learned that it was really about building relationships.  My involvement in a committee provided me with even many more opportunities. Working with so many talented, creative ladies is an honor.

Your involvement on a committee is an opportunity to develop new, positive relationships in your life and business. You can make a positive difference in another member’s life. And, most importantly, you can have some FUN!!

My network garden is so beautiful, not only in the spring but all year long. There is still a lot more room to plant.

Remember this is your Network and we want to provide you with a positive and memorable experience and your input is very important and we welcome your suggestions for improvement. Please fill out the evaluation slips at the luncheon. They are on every table.  If you want to get involved and don’t know where to start, or have any suggestions for improvement or programs you can always contact me by email president@fresnowomensnetwork.org or by phone at 559- 307-9981

All of our committees have been hard at work planning some very exciting luncheon speakers, mixers, and other events that you don’t want to miss. Check out the calendar on our website and plan ahead.

Remember to register for the luncheon online at our website.  Registration # 39 wins a Starbucks card and # 57 receives 5 free raffle tickets!

Can’t wait to see you at lunch!

FWN New Members who joined in April 2013

Welcome to Karen Nishimura with Premier Valley Bank, who joined Fresno Women's Network in April 2013.  Also welcome Wendy Niles with Radisson Hotel (referred by Karen Sorensen) and Jill Parker with Heald College. Are you interested in joining Fresno Women's Network? Click HERE for information.

FWN New Members who joined in March 2013

Welcome to our newest members who joined Fresno Women's Network in March 2013.

Therese Lynn Corchado with Norton Chiropractic Wellness Center, Alison Haugan (referred by Richelle Jarrell), Shelly Keyser with Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, Barbara Krikorian with Mystique Medical Spa & Wellness Center, Toni MacDonald with Automatic Body, Lauren Nickerson with Hinds Hospice K(referred by Karen Bowser), Keirsten Quest with MaxPotentials, Cindy Lea Sambueso with Simply Inspired Healing, Nina Sensenbaugh with Guarantee (referred by Karen Brown), Wendy Yribarren with Yribarren Family Family Vineyards.

Are you interested in joining Fresno Women's Network? Click HERE for information.

Net@Night Meet & Greet

Last night the sponsors and exhibitors that will be participating in the upcoming Fresno Women's Network Network @ Night Business Trade Show were invited to join the FWN Special Events Committee to meet with each other and learn more about their role in the event on March 21st to be held at the Fresno Comvention Centre, Valdez Hall.

The meet and greet was held at the Piccadilly Inn,  who is a Gold sponsor for the event and they supplied a great venue and wonderful food for all the guests. Lots of great information was presented by the Special Events Committee that will enable the sponsors and exhibitors to setup their booths and wonderful displays for all the visitors. 

If you are thinking about a booth at the event there are still a limited number available and you can find further information on the FWN website and download the registration form.

The FWN Net @ Night is one of the largest networking events in Fresno and a fabulous occasion to share the latest and greatest news, information and offers related to businesses within our community. Attend and enjoy wine tasting, food samples and visit the booths of local businesses in this positive setting.

Tickets for Network @ Night are FREE to the public and you can pick them up from any of the sponsors or exhibitors or contact the FWN office and they will be mailed to you.

New Members - February 2013

Welcome to our newest members who joined Fresno Women's Network in February 2013.

Dede J. Agrava with Law Office of Dede J. Agrava, Leslie Beninga with University Square Hotel, Deborah K. Boyett with Walter & Willhelm Law Group, Lisa Cazares with Angels of Grace (referred by Gloria Canales), Jenna Dobson with Aerotech, Lee Ann Eager with Economic Development Corporation Serving Fresno County, Michelle Mastro with Valley Caregiver Resource Center (referred by Renee Rager), Kathleen Price with EPU Childrens Center, Arleen Roberts with University Square Hotel, Lori Ryan with Melaleuca (referred by Debbie Milla), and Joyce Williams, Evangel Home, Inc. (referred by Gerre Grenneman),  Janet Ypma with Paylocity Inc. (referred by Cathy Ferguson). 

Are you interested in joining Fresno Women's Network? Click HERE for information.

New Members joined January 2013

New Members joined January 2013

Welcome to our newest members who joined Fresno Women's Network in January 2013. Kathryn Ancona with Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital, Vivan Del Toro with Willow Creek Healthcare Center, Cheryl Hansen-Abshere with New Spirit Charter Academy, Keiko Hatakeda with Travel Express an ALTOUR company, Misty Hicks with Piccadilly Inn - Shaw, Frances Moore with Piccadilly Inn - Shaw, Shawna Petrushkin, CFP with Ameriprise Financial, Christine Phillis with Heald College (referred by Michelle Peacock), Lindsey Reese with Heald College (referred by Michelle Peacock), and Sheri Schmidt, It Works! (weight loss wraps) Are you interested in joining Fresno Women's Network? Click HERE for information.

Let's be a Valentine to the Women of Evangel Home!

Check out Community Connection - Evangel House!

Connecting with Evangel Home - "Heart Sisters" connecting with coffee... Yes, the commodity of common coffee can be a real need; how we brew, serve and relate to one another is over the coffee cup!

Our opportunity: Bring to the luncheon any and all items related to COFFEE! Cans of ground coffee, creamers, sugar and other sweeteners, coffee cake mixes, cookie and bar mixes... Yes, even chocolates! Coffee mugs, spoons, cocktail napkins- anything you might use in your home to make coffee for your friends. New and gently used items are always welcome with that can of Folgers!

Let's be a Valentine to the women of Evangel Home!

Message from the FWN President for February

Before you build a bridge you need Support and a Strong Foundation.

Plan now how you want to build your support system and foundation for your Networking Bridge. 

Plan now to take advantage of all that the FWN has to offer. It is an amazing organization with something for everyone, Make it yours.

Plan now to get more involved in the FWN. It is your network and the more you put into it, the more you will benefit from being a member.

Plan now to join a committee or volunteer at one of our many functions, it is a great way to get that foundation started. Getting involved is a wonderful way to stay visible and give back to the organization. Networking is not about showing up and collecting cards, it is about being involved. Networking is about building trust and relationships and seeing how you can help others.

Getting involved offers a great opportunity to explore new people, and some new interests. Take the time to get to know each other and make a friend. Friend’s build relationships and relationships build business. Your bridge will be stronger if you build your relationships. 

Plan ahead and mark you calendars for our annual Business trade show “NET @ Night” on March 21st. We need your help to make this a big success. There are many projects large and small that need volunteers. Please contact the Special Events Chair, Vanessa Carpenter, the Network Office or myself if you would like to participate. There are also booth spaces available if you would like to promote your business.

Plan now to join in and have fun, it is good for you!

A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A DREAM

If you have a story about how your Network membership has benefited you, please email it to me I would love to share your story! 

Jayne McCallister
President
Fresno Women's Network