Message from FWN President for April

Happy Spring to you all!! 

We just completed our 21st Network at Night Trade show “Imagine the Possibilities”.  I hope you were able to find the “Possibilities to Network”. A trade show is one of the best networking venues of them all - it is a time to make new friends, connect with old friends,  and to develop new business relationships.

Congratulations to Vanessia Carpenter and her Special Events Committee, plus all of you who helped make this years’ Network @ Night such a huge success. There was something for everyone! We had a great mixture of exhibitors and many different foods and beverages to taste and enjoy. We even had a Race car driver signing autographs. Many people commented on how beautifully decorated the Valdez Hall was and how glad they were that they attended this year.

What a great Team effort!  Because of you and all of our Exhibitors and Guests, we were able to allocate increased proceeds to our Scholarship Fund. This year was truly over the top!

A very special thank you to our Platinum Sponsors: Economic Development Corporation Services, Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital, and Massage Envy. And our Gold Sponsors and Media Sponsors also deserve a thank you : Best Party Rental, Dumont Printing, Fresno Women’s Network, Piccadilly Inn, and Saint Agnes Medical Center, Peak Broadcasting,  and Univision. We appreciate all the exhibitors and the companies that provided food sampling and wine and beer tasting. The 21st Networking at Night success can only be attributed to the many fine sponsors and supporters of the Fresno Women’s Network.

Do you have a story about how your FWN Membership has benefited you, please email me. I would love to share your story. 

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.

Message from the FWN President for March

“Women Inspired Innovation Through Imagination” is the 2013 theme for the National Women’s History Month that is celebrated in March. As women we have a great deal to celebrate and the Fresno Women’s Network is a great place to start. Making a new friend, connecting with old friends and building relationships is always a celebration. The Fresno Women’s Network is working to provide those opportunities. There are so many wonderful things happening this month, no wonder they call it “March Madness”.

Our March 12th Luncheon is a right around the corner and is going to be terrific! The Programs Committee, chaired by Katie Avila, has a great speaker planned. You don’t want to miss hearing about “The Must Have Accessory for Success”. We will also have plenty of time for Networking. Make sure you register early and ask a friend or coworker to join you.

March 21st is our Annual Net@Night. We will be celebrating our 21st year. The theme this year is “Imagine the Possibilities”. Mark you calendars now for this fantastic evening trade show. Get out and mingle with other members of the Network. Enjoy all of our vendors, great food and wine tasting from our local wineries. Thanks to the hard work of Vanessia Carpenter, Chair of the Special Events Committee and all of her team for working so hard to make this a spectacular don’t miss event. If you would like to get involved and volunteer for the evening,  email Vanessia Carpenter.

Have you met a new person at a FWN luncheon, Mixer or Connect 4? Are you a member of a committee? The opportunities to make new friends and expand your professional and personal development can be found by getting involved.

Plan now to join in and have some fun - it’s’ good for you.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you this month!

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

Jayne McCallister
President
Fresno Women's Network

SBO February Meeting

You may have seen the buttons that our forum members wear at the luncheons and wondered what they were all about. SBO stands for Small Business Owners. The SBO is a group of Fresno Women's Network members who are small business owners and they get together once a month to discuss ideas, share information and learn more about each other. The only criteria for joining this group is that you must be a member of the FWN and own or a partner in a small business.

Last month we met at Zen Wok Fusion and the dinner meeting was attended by a number of our members including one guest who will becoming a member. Our discussion was lead by Betty Goertzen of Develop, Design, Do It and the topic was "Marketing Strategies". Betty gave us some very valuable tips about the tried and true basics that may have been forgotten in our fast paced world of today. Everyone present asked questions and added ideas to the conversation bringing their strategies to the table on what is currently working and what doesn't.

Another great aspect of this group is that the dinner meetings are not overly structured so it gives plenty of opportunity for everyone to be involved in the discussion and the result is we all get to know each other better and learn more about each of the businesses and the services that are offered.

If you are a small business owner and have not joined this group and would like to participate, please contact Suzanne Moles who is that facilitator at (559) 392-1786. Our next meeting will be on Thursday March 28th at 5.30 PM so save the date and the event is posted on Facebook. Here is a link to register! The discussion will be revolving around "The Differences between Social Media & Social Business".

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.

February Luncheon - Dr. Golden on Obesity

The Fresno women at February's luncheon were probably wondering how a doctor talking about obesity would apply to their lives. Our February speaker, *Dr. Patrick Golden, didn't waste time showing us how obesity isn't something we can ignore.

Many of us were shocked to hear that obesity in the United States has now become a national security threat because of the rise in obesity among the youth of our nation and our ability to fill an army. It was also alarming to hear that a woman who is 20-30% overweight has an 83% increase in endometrium cancer.

Some of the information was simply helpful like guiding us towards the healthy fats like nuts, fish, olives, and, thankfully, dark chocolate. Then there was the information we didn't want to hear like how a healthy portion of cheese  is about the size of a dice - yes, that little square with dots on it that you toss in the air.

Dr. Golden took questions after his presentation and the majority of the questions were concerning women's weight gain in regards to hormone changes and menopause. Of course, that would be expected in a room full of women.

We want to give a thank you to Dr. Golden for taking time out of his busy practice to speak to our network and thank our wonderful sponsors and all the other people that gave to make this luncheon great.

Luncheon Sponsor:

Connie Smith, Smith Financial & Insurance Solutions

Buddy Bag Sponsor:

Joan Meyers, Guarantee Real Estate

Scholarship Raffle Prize Donors:

Joanie Joy, Fresno Pacific University

Karen Bowser, Creative Memories

Nykole Sullivan, Dinner My Way

Keiko Hatakeda, Travel Express, An Altour Company

Alicia Hinton, Lavender’s Light

Sandra Rodriguez-Lucero, The Perfect 10

Debbie Milla, Milla Vineyards

Michelle Peacock, Heald College

Jayne MacAlister, London Properties

Judy Strickler, Juice Plus  

*Dr. Golden received his medical degree from the University of Colorado in 1982. Following his graduation from medical school he moved to Fresno and completed his internship and a fellowship in cardiology. He is currently Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Bariatrics and Obesity Medicine. His sub-specialty is cardiology.

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.