MABC Blog

May Program Presentation: May 9th 8am-10am

Nurturing Black Entrepreneurship for a Thriving Ecosystem

with Jazmynn Appleton, Progress Center for Black Women

Register Here 

During this workshop, you will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to actively support and empower Black entrepreneurs on their path to success. From the experience Jazmynn has gained over the last two years of doing groundwork to help Black entrepreneurs in our community succeed, grow and elevate, you'll gain a deep understanding of the critical roles community support, access to capital, and resource connections play in their entrepreneurial journey. Learn how to become an advocate and ally, leveraging your network and resources to uplift Black entrepreneurs. Jazmynn will guide you through practical strategies and best practices, ensuring that you can make a positive impact in the quest for equity and prosperity in the business world and fostering a more inclusive and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

About the presenter:

Jazmynn Appleton, a Chicago native who grew up in Madison, WI, is a multifaceted entrepreneur, career woman, and devoted mother to her son, Jaedyn.

Jazmynn serves as the Chief Director of Entrepreneurial Growth and Innovation at the Progress Center for Black Women. This organization is dedicated to uplifting Black women and families through entrepreneurial and professional development training, financial education, and comprehensive support.

She is the co-founder of FOCUS, an entrepreneurial training accelerator that has gained recognition from media outlets like the Wisconsin State Journal and Cap Times. Through FOCUS, Jazmynn has been instrumental in guiding entrepreneurs across diverse sectors, facilitating their growth, securing storefronts, boosting media visibility, and expanding their businesses successfully.

She was a panelist for the 2022 Annual Upstart Celebration, a speaker at the 5th Annual Black History Education Conference, hosted a networking for introverts workshop at Marquette University and was a part of Forward Fest's panel discussion, "Fempreneurs: Bold Narratives and What It Takes To Make Your Break." She was also named one of 2024’s Brava Women to Watch.

Hope to see you there!

May 9, 2024      8:00am - 10:00am CST

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Agenda

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8:00-8:30 a.m. CST  - Open Zoom Networking

8:30-9:00 a.m. CST - Meeting opening remarks

9:00-9:45 a.m. CST - Program

9:45-10:00 a.m. CST - Questions & Answers

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Program Logistics

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Who. For all B2B consultants craving collegiality, collaboration, and real conversation. Guests welcome!

What. Monthly program providing networking, relevant education, and personal and professional growth opportunities. 

When. Thursday, May 9 • 8:00 AM–10:00 AM CST

Where. Zoom Meeting ID will be in your registration confirmation email

Cost. Free for Members & Guests

RSVP. Register Today!

Guests always welcome!

Register Here to Attend

Hollie H. Hollister 

Founder and Principal - H Cubed Group, LLC

http://www.hcubedgroup.com

H Cubed Group specializes in helping heart-based small business owners and solo entrepreneurs grow their businesses and themselves (all without stifling who they are or selling their souls).

You'll find us collaborating shoulder to shoulder with our clients to help them overcome barriers by creating authentic solutions to their needs. Each of our clients experiences a very customized process working with us.

Our success is patterned on a high amount of commitment and collaboration from each party. Have no doubt about it -- the nature of our processes require each of the parties to roll up their sleeves and dig in from beginning to end. Whether that means helping our clients:

- Get clear on their passion(s) and talents;

- Identify their highest value customers (current and prospective); or

- Capitalize on what makes their organizations, services and/or products so special.

It's personal AND it's business (tm). We invite you to contact us to learn how you can realize exponential results by best fitting the Heart (passion), Head (planning), and Hands (doing) of your organization.

Services

Support services for heart-based small business owners to (re)discover and put into practice their own Personal Leadership Practice include:

1) Kick-start strategic thinking sessions to identify and activate their core values.

2) Customized coaching and mentoring packages.

Because we specialize in coaching and leadership development for heart-based small business owners and solo entrepreneurs, you’ll find that we aspire to transfer as much knowledge and skills as our clients and partners want to assume.

Background Info

Hollie H. Hollister is a pragmatic visionary who aspires to combine the personal with the professional to bring fresh thinking, unique insights and holistic solutions that help heart-based small business owners grow their businesses and themselves (all without stifling who they are or selling their souls).

She has a talent for blending wisdom with “constructive joy” and creatively distilling it into guiding principles and simple, workable steps to help her clients, colleagues and friends reach their goals.

Specializing within the area of coaching and leadership development, Hollie has over 18 years’ experience working with organizational groups across diverse industries within the private, government and social sectors, including Fortune 500 companies.

Consulting Specialties

• Coaching & Personal Development
• Leadership
• Business Strategy
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Woman Owned

Hollie Hollister is a shoulder-to-shoulder guide who aspires to combine the personal with the professional to bring fresh thinking, unique insights and holistic solutions that help heart-based small business owners and solo entrepreneurs grow their businesses and themselves (all without stifling who they are or selling their souls).

She has a talent for blending wisdom with "constructive joy" and creatively distilling it into guiding principles and simple, workable steps to help her clients, colleagues and friends reach their goals.

Specializing within the area of coaching and leadership development, Hollie has over 18 years experience working with organizational groups across diverse industries within the private, government and social sectors, including Fortune 500 companies.

Capabilities:

~ Small business and entrepreneurial #coaching

~ #Leadership development and #mentoring

~ Strategic marketing and operations coaching

~ Interactive presentations and workshops

~ Strategic thinking, meeting facilitation, and community engagement

+++++++++++++

Connect with Hollie at hollie@hcubedgroup.com

MABC Member Profile - Mathew Ziemke – Partner SX Wisconsin Sales Management And Training

ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH…

·        Growth: Experiencing stagnant/declining sales, or are you growing too quickly and can’t scale?

·        Stress: Doing too many things (and none as well as you could), and frustrated by the lack of control you feel?

·        Balance: Are you inundated with day-to-day decisions, instead of focusing time on new ideas and ways to drive the business forward?

·        Plan: Do you have a clear roadmap outlining how to build a solid sales infrastructure?

If you find yourself facing uncertainty about the road ahead, you are not alone. Business leaders of all sizes face this. As a Certified Sales Operating and Management System™ implementer, I will help you reclaim control of your sales organization.

Introduction

Matthew is one of the Founding Partners of SX Wisconsin. Matthew helps small to mid-sized businesses achieve profitable and sustainable revenue growth. As an executive with over 25+ years of experience in leading highly successful sales teams, Matthew has executed the vision and strategies that built industry leading financial and insurance organizations. Matthew has seamlessly worked with cross-functional teams to remedy complex situations.

Matthew partners with your company as an Outsourced Chief Sales Officer to assist sales teams in reaching exceptional levels of performance, profit and increase revenue while building winning strategies to help you reach business objectives.

Services

My goal is to drive sales growth. I do this with Sales Xceleration’s proven system that focuses on creating record-breaking sales for your company, defined in these 3 steps:

* Create a Sales Plan
* Find Your Best Customers
* Grow Your Sales

Management Consulting

Growth Management

Marketing & Sales

MABC Member Profile - Mike Schuster - Owner Fiddle Smart Marketing

Many entrepreneurs spend countless hours and waste a lot of money marketing their business ... only to feel frustrated and ready to "throw in the towel" when their efforts don't attract new customers or build more sales. Maybe you can relate.

With 30 years of experience in marketing, I can tell you it doesn't have to be that way. To attract more customers (without relying on hype or manipulation) and sustainable grow sales, most businesses need to focus their marketing so it leads with strategy, uses data to help shape decisions, and focuses on the customer (not the company).

As a small business marketing consultant, I help my clients combine these factors in a way that attracts ideal customers, builds deeper connections, and amplifies their impact.

Before founding FiddleSmart Marketing, Mike spent more than two decades developing a data-driven, customer-focused approach to marketing while leading teams for family-owned businesses in specialty, niche markets. I became passionate about building shareworthy customer experiences during a summer at Disney. I discovered the sales power of storytelling and data-driven marketing during my time at The Franklin Mint. And, for nearly 15 years, I combined them to establish, focus, and facilitate strategies for the profitable growth of one of the sewing industry’s most iconic retailers, Nancy’s Notions.

When I'm not working with clients to create marketing that inspires action, I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, camping and playing around with photography. From time to time, I also spend time on stage acting in community theatre productions. An avid swimmer and devoted dad, I live in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, with my wife, three kids and our dog.

Most business owners work hard marketing their business only to feel deflated when they barely get results. At FiddleSmart Marketing, Mike works side by side with them to develop marketing that actually works so they can reach more of the people they are called to serve.

Services for Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

Marketing strategy, planning and execution

Strategic analysis: get insights into customer and product dynamics, what's driving results, clarity on where to focus to revitalize sales, and opportunities for quick wins.

Marketing audits: identify small tweaks that can be made to existing product offers, creative presentations and campaigns to get more customers and increase sales without increasing the marketing budget.

Marketing Renovations: upgrade and expand marketing programs where it counts. Process is designed to review current results, expand what's working, eliminate what's not, focus on what's going to make the biggest difference and build a plan.

Marketing program management: work with the existing internal team or an external network of providers to execute the plan, get projects off the ground and grow the business.

Marketing Coaching: help teams become more effective marketers through customized training, facilitator-led workshops or regular check-in meetings.

Background Info

Always a consultant at heart, Mike’s quarter-century of experience includes working in specialty, niche-focused markets including crafts, collectibles, gifts and the performing arts.

He’s led the development of multi-million-dollar, multi-title catalog businesses; conceived and implemented new product development strategies and created multichannel direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns.

A trained facilitator, Mike’s also led multi-day workshop sessions in the U.S. and China to solve cross-functional business issues. These sessions led to a savings of over $2 million in annual expenses and cut long-established process lead times by 50%.

For nearly 15 years before founding FiddleSmart Marketing, Mike established and facilitated strategies for the profitable growth of one of the sewing industry’s most iconic retailers, Nancy’s Notions.

Under his leadership, the company expanded product lines, increased the number of active customers, launched digital marketing programs, improved operational efficiencies, and renovated long-standing marketing practices.

During his tenure, the company experienced the longest period of sustained profitability in its 35-year history.

A believer we make better decisions when focused on the customer, Mike iproudly holds a Ducktorate Degree in Management, Disney Style, from Disney University. After all, how cool is it to have a degree signed by Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck?

He earned his MBA in marketing from Villanova University. And, he holds a degree in Public Relations from Western Michigan University.

Marketing Areas of Expertise

Marketing & Sales

Business Strategy

Brand and Product Management

Direct-to-Consumer Marketing

Online Marketing

Judy Whalen - Madison Area Business Consultants Member Profile

Business owners and nonprofit leaders hire Judy to exponentially grow their business or nonprofit.

As a strategy expert, Judy works with both business and nonprofit leaders in the areas of strategy, market research and communications. As a strategic change consultant, I also work with individuals and families.

When I am working with business and nonprofit leaders, I am:

1. Guiding CEOs, boards of directors, senior managers through strategic thinking exercises to help them think their way through complex issues and develop clarity and focus;

2. Facilitating strategic planning projects to assist leaders in identifying key strategic directions and developing action plans to reach their goals;

3. Providing "MasterMinding" for CEOs;

4. Conducting Board of Directors Development Training;

5. Offering market research services to help leadership teams understand the environment in which they operate

6. Offering communication services to help leadership teams implement their strategies.

I also work with individuals, employees and families implement strategic change in their lives through:
1. "Strengthen the Harmony" webinars and workshops
2. Coaching activities

The "Strengthen the Harmony between Your Life, Family and Work" webinars and workshops are designed to help individuals understand their strengths, get clarity about their core values, assess the key areas of their life, identify root causes of conflict and stress, and develop a game plan to address the areas causing the stress. "Strengthen the Harmony" is ideal for anyone of any age - individuals, employees, moms, dads, grandparents, working parents, etc.

Specialties: * Strategy
* Strategic Change
* Strategic thinking
* Strategic planning
* Facilitation
* CEO consulting
* Strategic alliances
* Board of Directors development
* Non-profit management
* Association management
* Focus group facilitation
* Goal setting
* Action plan development and implementation
* Outcome measurement
* Coaching

The Center for Strategic Change specializes in:

Guiding strategic change efforts by facilitating strategic thinking sessions and working with the Board/CEO/Senior Leadership Team/Business Owner/Individuals to help them achieve clarity about the change they desire and create and implement the plan to achieve it.


COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Founded in 1992 by Judy Whalen, the Center for Strategic Change:

~ Services organizations and individuals who desire to create strategic change in their business, organization or life

~ Challenges leaders to think and act strategically

~ Encourages organizations to become more innovative, effective and competitive

~ Helps clients gather the information they need to understand their marketplace

~ Guides clients through a strategic thinking process that urges them to think outside their comfort zone

~ Pushes clients to set their priorities and implement a realistic plan that can be monitored and measured

~ Assists clients with follow-through action and outcome measurement.

TYPES of CLIENTS SERVED:

~ Private sector companies

~ Nonprofit organizations

~ Public sector entities such as municipalities and government agencies

~ Entrepreneurs and small business owners

INDUSTRIES SERVED:

~ Healthcare

~ Engineering

~ Economic development

~ Manufacturing

~ Education - K-12, higher education, virtual schools

~ Association management - state and national associations and foundations

~ Workforce development

~ Law enforcement

~ Information technology

Services

The Center for Strategic Change specializes in guiding strategic change efforts by:

~ Facilitating strategic thinking sessions to clarify the change that is desired

~ Strategic planning

~ Market research - focus groups, surveys, interviews, market analysis, etc.

~ Board of Directors’ development - governance, training sessions

~ CEO Masterminding/Executive Coaching - one-on-one brainstorming/coaching with CEO

~ Senior leadership team coaching (Individual or team)

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS:

Nonprofit Mergers: Five successful mergers. Designed the process, facilitated a series of strategic thinking sessions for the boards, executives directors and merger team to explore the feasibility of a merger, coordinated the financial and legal due diligence, designed a series of information sessions to keep staff updated, coordinated the governance transition and facilitated a series of staff integration sessions after the mergers were approved.

Healthcare Growth Strategy: Guided a community health center from its inception through growth cycles resulting in an increase from one site to three and from startup to $7.5 million healthcare enterprise.

Economic Development: facilitated municipality through a process resulting in the development of an economic development plan. Included focus groups, online survey, Economic Development Summit, task forces and reports to the Economic Development Committee.

Grant Process Redesign: Facilitated statewide nonprofit organization through a process resulting in the redesign of their grant awarding process. Included focus groups, key stakeholder interviews, online surveys, and facilitated sessions.

Web Portal Strategy: Facilitated a global healthcare product/service company through a strategic thinking process resulting in the development of a corporate web portal strategy for its six worldwide business units.

Strategic Plan: Facilitated a process to help an international trade association understand the changing environment affecting its members and the association’s membership retention Included focus groups with chapters, survey of members, special interest group interviews, intercept interviews as trade show, key stakeholder interviews, development of the strategic plan and presentations to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

WORKSHOPS OFFERED:

~ Building the High-Performance Team

~ Integrating Leadership Styles

~ Nurturing Your Relationship with ‘The Board‘

~ Strategic Planning - Making It Work for Your Organization

~ Strengthen the Harmony Between Your Life, Family, and Work

~ Volunteerism: The Backbone of American Society

~ Collaboration: Building Effective Collaborative Relationships

Background Info

EXPERIENCE

Judy Whalen, a 30-year veteran of association management and board service, has served as executive director of state and national associations and foundations. Her experience includes organizational development and management, marketing, communications, public relations, and government relations. She has served nonprofits as an executive director, staff member, board member, volunteer, trainer, and consultant. Judy is a past-president of MABC, Inc.

AFFILIATIONS

Madison Area Business Consultants

BoardSource

SuccessNet.org

Coachville.com

EDUCATION

UW-Whitewater, Bachelor of Science degree

Institute for Organization Management - certification for completion of the six-year program, sponsored by US Chamber of Commerce at Notre Dame University

Graduate credits - University of Wisconsin - Madison

CONSULTING SPECIALTIES

Organizational Development & Planning

Strategic Planning

Business Strategy

Nonprofits

In this thought-provoking and interactive presentation, you will discover how to accelerate trust quickly and maintain trust over time:

** Secret to building trust fast

** Trust equation

** Show up trustworthy every time

Amy L. Riley is an internationally renowned speaker, author and leadership development consultant. She’s worked with organizations such as Deloitte, Cisco Systems and Aon Hewitt and has over 20 years of experience working with leaders at all levels.

Amy earned a Masters of Science in Training and Development (MSTD), with an emphasis in Organization Development (OD), from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. She is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA), a certified Tiara International LLC Coach and certified in the Meyers-Briggs Type Instrument.

Amy’s second book, The Courage of a Leader: How To Inspire, Engage and Get Extraordinary Results, was released on March 3, 2021 and immediately reached #1 international best-selling status.

 

Hope to see you there!

April 11, 2024      8:00am - 10:00am CST

8:00-8:30 a.m. CST  - Open Zoom Networking

8:30-9:00 a.m. CST - Meeting opening remarks

9:00-9:45 a.m. CST - Program

9:45-10:00 a.m. CST - Questions & Answers

Who. For all B2B consultants craving collegiality, collaboration, and real conversation. Guests welcome!

What. Monthly program providing networking, relevant education, and personal and professional growth opportunities. 

When. Thursday, April 11 • 8:00 AM–10:00 AM CST

Where. Zoom Meeting ID will be in your registration confirmation email

Cost. Free for Members & Guests

RSVP. Register Today!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the ever-changing landscape of marketing? Are you struggling to attract new clients, engage your audience, or achieve consistent growth? If so, you're not alone.

Join us for MABC Live! Event: Demystifying Marketing Panel Discussion https://lnkd.in/gF4uKQgZ, where you'll have the opportunity to get your burning questions answered by seasoned marketing professionals. Whether it's branding, copywriting, email marketing, data analysis, social media, or video content, our expert panelists are here to help.

Here's what you can expect:
A panel of seasoned marketing professionals covering various aspects of marketing.
--An interactive format where you can actively participate in the discussion and share your challenges.
--Actionable tips and tricks that you can implement immediately to enhance your marketing strategy.
--Networking opportunities with like-minded individuals to build valuable connections.

Meet our esteemed panelists:
Laura Beck Paisley Beck, Wa’am Writes, LLC
MaryJane Connor, SupraNet Communications, Inc.
Jamie Perez, Beyond Words Productions
Mike Schuster, FiddleSmart Marketing
Eric Townley, Think In Prompts & Flamingo Theory Marketing

Event Details:
What: MABC Live! Event | Demystifying Marketing Panel Discussion
Date: Thursday, April 18
Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: Serendipity Labs, 525 Junction Rd, Suite 6500, Madison, WI

This event is completely free, but registration is required. https://lnkd.in/gF4uKQgZ

Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and improve your marketing. All guests are welcome!

That's a loaded question.  There are dozens of ways to attract and acquire new customers.  Too many to mention. And by what criteria would you determine whether or not to pursue a specific company to do business with?  Pre-qualifying a business to learn whether or not they would be a good fit for your product or service is an essential first step.  As I work through this process again for the millionth time, I find it invigorating to apply the process and follow the process through to determine the actual outcome.  If I prospect 25 potential customers, how many will I actually develop a long-term contract relationship with?

It's a numbers game.  Once you've applied this process several times, a trend will emerge and you'll be able to use what you've learned to project the results of your next prospecting effort.  Each step is critical to the next.  

Let's establish a pre-qualifying set of criteria that we'll use to make sure the prospect is a good fit for the type of solutions you provide.

Can I work directly with the owner?  In today's Monday Morning Memo, written by Roy H. Williams he highlights several other criteria to help him determine if he thinks the prospect will be a good fit.  Here's additional questions to ask.

"Do I believe in the business owner? And do I like them enough to give them a place in my life?

Has their company been flat, or declining, for the past 3 years?Do I see a clear path to grow them a minimum of 4x in 4 years or less?

If we focus 80% of their ad budget on a single media, will that number of dollars allow us to reach enough people with enough repetition to see significant growth in the second half of the first year?"

In asking these questions he's stacking the odds of success in his favor.  Potentially entering into a relationship that will most likely lead to success.  Win-win for both parties.  

Today we've touched on prospecting and qualifying potential customers to determine if they're a good fit and to ensure the chance of a win-win success is stated from the beginning.

More to follow next week.

Business owners may choose to hire a consultant for various reasons, depending on their specific needs and circumstances. Here are some of the most important reasons why business owners often seek the expertise of consultants:

1. Specialized Knowledge and Expertise:

   • Consultants often bring specialized skills and knowledge to the table, which may not be readily available within the business. This expertise can help address specific challenges or capitalize on opportunities.

2. Objective Perspective:

   • External consultants can offer an unbiased and objective viewpoint. They are not emotionally invested in the organization, allowing them to assess situations and make recommendations without being influenced by internal politics or personal relationships.

3. Cost Efficiency:

   • Hiring a consultant can be more cost-effective than bringing on a full-time employee, especially for short-term projects or specialized tasks. This allows businesses to access expertise without the long-term commitment and overhead costs associated with permanent staff.

4. Efficiency and Time Savings:

   • Consultants are often hired to complete projects within a specific timeframe. Their focused expertise can lead to quicker problem-solving and implementation, saving the business time and enabling it to adapt more rapidly to changing circumstances.

5. Strategic Planning:

   • Consultants can assist in strategic planning by analyzing market trends, identifying growth opportunities, and helping businesses develop and implement effective strategies for long-term success.

6. Risk Mitigation:

   • Consultants can help businesses navigate risks by providing insights and recommendations based on their experience. This proactive approach can prevent potential issues and enhance the company's ability to adapt to changes in the business environment.

7. Training and Development:

   • Consultants can train existing staff or management in new skills and best practices. This knowledge transfer can contribute to the ongoing improvement of the organization even after the consultant's engagement has concluded.

8. Flexibility and Adaptability:

   • Consultants often bring a diverse range of experiences from working with various clients and industries. This enables them to adapt quickly to different business environments, bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to the organization.

9. Project Management:

   • Consultants are experienced in project management and can take the lead on specific initiatives. Their skills in planning, organizing, and executing projects can ensure that goals are achieved efficiently.

10. Market Insight:

    • Consultants stay informed about industry trends, market conditions, and best practices. This knowledge allows them to provide businesses with valuable insights into their competitive landscape, customer behaviors, and emerging opportunities.

In summary, hiring a consultant can offer businesses a strategic advantage by providing specialized knowledge, an external perspective, cost-effective solutions, and the ability to address specific challenges or opportunities.