eWomenNetwork's Marilyn Kleinberg Talks Interpersonal Relationships, Common Networking Mistakes Business Professionals Make and the Power of "The Trust Factor"

Marilyn Kleinberg, 2012 Executive Managing Director of the Year, eWomenNetwork, is one executive who knows the value and opportunity in professional networking.

Marilyn, you are so famous in our region! Yes, you are...2012 executive managing director of the year for eWomenNetwork and a leading professional with more contacts than most, you deliver expertise in event planning, social media, advertising, networking and so much more. What do you feel is your superpower? 

Connecting with people, being able to recognize their special gifts and to make them feel appreciated. I strive to be my authentic self wherever I go. My mom used to say I wear my heart on my sleeve, while I think she was close…I truly live my life on my sleeve…

What is the latest news and activities at eWomenNetwork?

Marilyn Kleinberg

Just learned that I/we won and award from the Philadelphia Business Journal! On June 27th at Merion Caterers, I will accept the SJ Entrepreneur Award for Economic Outlook…for helping businesswomen in our community connect, build relationships, transact and build business with each other and our extended networks. Upcoming events include our 4th Annual healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Healthy Business Workshop and Expo on June, 27th at the Jersey Shore (yup, same day as the award ceremony…working on the cloning gene as I write.)

Why is it important to actually NETWORK with PEOPLE, not just social media, emails, texts? How important is the people connection to business? To opportunities? Is it still important at all? 

So glad you asked, because this was a tremendous learning curve when eWomenNetwork first started. You see, the “e” stood for electronic. When eWomenNetwork launched in 2000, it was created as an online forum for business women. Within a year women were connecting with other women in their area online and offline. What Sandra Yancey, our Founder and CEO realized at that moment was that “High tech, without high touch” doesn’t work. We (women and men) need to connect in person, find commonalities, create bonds that foster personal and business relationships. We are not selling a product, we are selling ourselves and interpersonal relationships are an important part of the “know, like and trust factor” that strengthens that relationship.

What is the most common mistakes businesses make, and business professionals too, when it comes to maximizing their presence at industry or association event? 

Everybody has their own style of networking…some more successful than others. A few common mistakes that I see, break into three different personality categories:

The Achiever: Quick to shake your hand and give you their business card. Has the “he/she who collects the most business cards wins” mentality. While this might be a great way to hand out cards and collect cards, it is based on a short term connection. I’ve noticed this type of networker keys in on the “what can you do for me” aspect. More often than not, this type of person is seen as irritating to others. (sorry if I offended anyone)

The Helper: He/she who embodies the eWomenNetwork motto “Give First/Share Always” will start a conversation with you to learn how they can be of service. Begins building the “know, like, trust factor” immediately. This is a great person to know and network with because they are other focused. The downside, if any, would be the tendency to spend so much time helping others, that they can become a victim of their own desire to help. I fall into this category!

The Observer: Feels threatened in a group setting and tends to react by becoming the observer as opposed to the networker. Tend to be thinkers, philosophers, engineers….”if I can figure how this works, then I can do it myself.” Often referred to as “the wallflower”

What is your favorite time of the year? And why? 

Spring and summer. I am a sun bunny, not a snow bunny! I drive a convertible, need I say more?

What are your views on social media and emerging trends in online marketing for businesses today?

It is not a fad..it is not going away…so you better learn how to integrate it into your total marketing and sales plan along with traditional marketing concepts. Social media and internet marketing has the ability to market to your power niches. You can flood the market with traditional media, but you can zero in demographically, geographically, and socio-economically with social media in a way that touches individuals.

What is the role of the "corporate diva" today, in terms of creating opportunities for women? 

We’ve come a long way baby, but we still have ladders to climb! The statistics speak for themselves…we are still a minority in the boardroom and in the CEO space. We talk a lot about “lift as we climb” but I don’t know how reality based that is…if women in leadership positions are insecure and looking over their shoulder for the “next best me”, then we will continue to be the minority.

What is one of your best memories from an eWomenNetwork event, meeting a person that inspired you, or the realization of how much you inspire others...or maybe just an awesome cheesecake? 

When I hear how the women I have introduced have found ways to not only transact business together, but partner in a way that expands both their businesses. I am humbled by the kind words others share about me. I just do what I do…and I love the women that I support and that support me. We are family.

Marilyn, Please share one of your favorite quotes with us.

“Whether you think you can, or that you can’t…you’re usually right”

Henry Ford 

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship”

Louisa May Alcott

(I’ve had this poster by my desk since I was in the printing business in the 90’s)

Lynn Bardowski: The Million$ Party Girl Talks on Succeeding In Business, Lighting Candles & Empowering Your Inner Visionista

There is only one Million$ Party Girl...and it's Lynn Bardowski! You can meet Lynn, if you do not know her already (shocking!) at her site, www.milliondollarpartygirl.com. Lynn is an energized person who literally shines! One of Lynn's sayings that she adores is, "A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle" and, in Lynn's case, she is certainly the embodiment of that expression. Lynn motivates. She inspires. She leads by example - with no excuses or exceptions! Who is Lynn Bardowski? Lynn is a mother. Lynn is a friend. Lynn is an award-winning author. Lynn is a motivational and inspirational speakers at scores of business events and networking galas. Lynn is a mentor. Lynn is one of the South Jersey Biz Magazine Top Women To Watch! Lynn is an entrepreneur...And she is the Million$ Party Girl!

How would you describe yourself, if you had one minute?

I describe myself as a Visionista. (Visionista is defined in my book is “A woman who knows who she is, where she’s going, and guides her tribe of leading ladies to the top.) By the way, I’m a Maxxinista too.

What is your philosophy for marketing and branding...yourself?

My philosophy is you can’t build a million dollar brand with a $10 Vision. Start with your vision, create a brand that communicates your vision and “show up” as your brand. Then, market the crap out of it.

What mistakes do you feel most people make when it comes to telling the world about their superpowers?


Ego is our kryptonite. Men are very good at telling the world about their superpowers, but make big mistakes when they use their superpowers to feed their ego. Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong come to mind. For women, our egos work in reverse, feeding our limiting beliefs. We tend to feel pushy and see sharing our superpowers as bragging, and feel guilty about tooting our own horn. The biggest mistake women make is not letting the world know what their superpowers are. I’m on a mission to change that.

Now what do you feel are the biggest mistakes most BUSINESS make when telling the world about their superpowers?
Not delivering on what is promised. If your superpower is leaping tall buildings in a single bound, you better be able to leap really high, and look good doing it. If you don’t, say you’re sorry and work hard to make it right. As a result of social media, consumers want brands to speak directly to them in “social-speak” vs. salesy marketing lingo. Domino's Pizza is a great example of this. They built a brand on fast pizza delivery. It turns out their superpower tasted pretty bad. After listening to customer feedback Dominos basically said, “My bad. Our pizza stinks.” To fix it they created an ad campaign called Pizza Turnaround that was a huge success. Consumers love it when brands share their faults and keep it real.

What is your greatest achievement as an entrepreneur?
I’m thankful and grateful I had the courage to act on my passion, follow my dreams, and more importantly, help others build theirs. That feels really great.

What is the biggest mistake you ever made as an entrepreneur?
My biggest mistake was letting my ego get in the way. When I failed, I took it personally, and let failure define my value and self-worth. It was as if failing was something that happened to me. It took me a long time to learn failing doesn’t make you a failure. Now I embrace failing as part of the success process. You can’t have one without the other.

What are the marketing and branding tips you feel are most important for entrepreneurs today, in terms of defining who they are and what they do - and making sure potential clients realize all they have to offer?

I could write a book about this. Here’s a thumbnail version. It starts with creating and communicating your vision. Vision inspires you, and others, to act. Find your niche and start to build your tribe by launching with a live event. Not everyone will “get you” or want/need what you have to offer. That’s ok. You can’t be all things, to all people. Branding is not about getting potential customers to pick you over the competition, it’s about being perceived as the only one that can solve your clients problem. Avoid the logo-in-a-box trap (no free biz cards from vistaprint please) and hire experts that will help you get your message out. When I created the Million Dollar Party Girl brand I hired a branding expert to create my logo, a lawyer to trademark it, a web designer to create my website, a PR rep to send out a press release, an editor for my book and a professional photog for a branding photo shoot.  Within a year of that process I became a #1 best-selling author, radio host, blogger, created LynnTV and Visionista U, won 3 entrepreneurship awards and I’m a sought-after speaker. If you’re the best kept secret in your field, you’re playing too small. If you need help, class is in session at Visionista U.

What is one of your favorite quotes by someone that inspired you in some way?

Amelia Earhart is one of my role models. Did you know that in addition to being an Aviator she was a professor, author and clothing designer? Amelia Earhart said, “The only way to do it, is to do it.”

What is one of your quotes that you hope inspires others?
I have to go with the title of the first chapter of my book: “You’re not who everyone thinks you are.” I hope that inspires women to connect to their passion and purpose, and step into their power.

Contact Lynn at 856-404-4343 or lynnbardowski@gmail.com for sales/marketing consultations or to book her as an inspirational motivational speaker at your next event.

Author Lorraine Agnew: Writing Novels, Challenging Yourself, Pouring Over Passages...and Deepak Chopra

Consumption Conversations speaks with New Jersey's own Lorraine Agnew, author of books for children and adults.

What is the most challenging aspect of writing a book? Or two? Or three? Or 10 or more...like you?

The most challenging aspect of writing a book is time. It is a long, laborious process. Writers pour over the same passages again and again, rewriting them until they are perfected, at least to their own satisfaction. It can takes months to write a first draft, followed by several months of the editing process. Needless to say, multiply that by several books and the investment in time multiplies.


Did you ever think you would be a published author?

When I first began writing novels, I had dreams of being published in conventional houses. However, as time went on, I realized how difficult it is to get published. It is a vicious cycle because you cannot get published unless you are represented by an agent. However, no agent will represent you until you get published. That was why I finally decided to self-publish.

What is the mistake most people make when they begin to write a book?

The most common mistake new authors make is not investigating what is required to complete a manuscript. I have friends and relatives who began books and stopped abruptly in the middle. These people believe they have a unique story or interesting twist. However, when it comes down to doing the work, they realize they don’t have the time and, maybe, the stamina to complete the project. While I encourage people who want to write a book, I remind them they should be prepared for the long haul.

Who are some of your favorite authors? And why?
I am a huge fan of Deepak Chopra. He has written several self-help books and I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. However, he has also written a novel that proved he is, indeed, a great storyteller. I enjoy books by Dan Brown because they are exciting and force me to open my mind and consider other possibilities. I love the imagination and cleverness of R.K. Rowling. Writers like Patricia Cornwell and John Grisham keep me on the edge of my seat. There are many more, however this is a sampling of current writers. I’ve always enjoyed books by Agatha Christie, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.

Is there a quote that you live by, kind of a personal motto?

There are many quotes by which I live. Some are inspirational, some common sense. However, when it comes to writing, I like, “If, at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” (First written record of this proverb is found in Thomas H. Palmer's 1840 publication,
Teacher's Manual).) I believe we shouldn’t be afraid of failure; we should be afraid of not even trying.

Do you feel all people are creative - or can be creative?

I believe everyone has the ability to be creative. Some people haven’t discovered their talent yet. I think if people let go of their fears of failure, they will discover their creative fires that burn inside.

For more information on Lorraine Agnew, LIKE! Lorraine Agnew on Facebook or contact Consumption Marketing at www.asterismgroup.com. 

SJ Magazine Camera God David Michael Howarth: My Best Photo Shoot, My Worst Photo Shoot & Why Crushing Tomatoes Is Messy

David, how long have you been shooting business professionals and how do you approach a corporate shoot, as opposed to a more whimsical shoot?

I have been photographing business professionals for over 14 years. I try to bring some of my editorial skills into my professional photography. I do this by using complex lighting schemes that best reflect each individual subject, while still creating some depth and emotion in the photograph. To make the session a bit more relaxed and enjoyable I ask a few quick questions about subjects; what they like to do or fun things about their family. This keeps their mind on positive things that we touch on throughout the shoot.  The session is relaxed and personal for the subject, yet professional.

Why is photography so important for today's business owners? 

Photography now is more important than ever. With all the social media we have access to, it is important to make a good first impression with a great photo. Instead of a business card or a firm handshake, it now starts with an Internet search of you or your business.

What is the biggest mistake professionals make when getting corporate headshots done? 

Not taking the session seriously enough. Some subjects arrive disheveled and without a good idea of how they want to be perceived. A photo session does take a little work on the subject’s part. It is a good idea to put some time into yourself before you are photographed. Think about whom you want to connect with and the best possible way to do that. This will impact what you wear, how you smile, and your body language. I’m always happy to give pointers before a shoot and have prep sheets I often send clients.

What trends are you noticing today, David, in the world of corporate photography? 

I see a trend towards Environmental Portraits as headshots instead of the typical headshot with a blank background. These shots tend to be a bit more casual, showing people in their work environment, being themselves. Expressions are more fun and creative. Another big one. Stock photography. It is everywhere. Don’t let yourself be the business that uses these generic photos. You settle for someone else’s ideas. You have the option to hire a photographer to take photos of you and your staff, your own building, in your own environment. You get exactly what you want without settling. And customers notice. Why not show you and your partner doing what you do best, instead of two “models” shaking hands with a canned smile?

What are the three biggest mistakes that drive you crazy when it comes to corporate photography?

Muslin backgrounds for headshots, Flat lighting schemes, and over-doing it on the postproduction and digital retouching.

What is your favorite kind of picture to shoot? 

I love to shoot environmental portraits on location. These shoots are often more challenging which leads to more creativity. People also tend to be more themselves in their own office, for example, which leads to a better photograph.

What makes for a better picture - babies or puppies? 

I have a one-year-old so I would have to say babies. Although both are equally difficult to photograph.

What are you tips for ANYONE planning to have a portrait taken - for work or pleasure?

Practice your smile in the mirror before the shoot. Take some extra time on your grooming that day. Visualize the photo shoot as being a positive experience and it will be. I cannot tell you how many of my subjects come in dreading the shoot and leaving saying, “That was really fun”.

What are your three best, most memorable, photo shoot experiences? And why? 

Photographing Mitch Williams (former Phillies pitcher) promoting his South Paw Salsa. I convinced him to crush a tomato in his hand to emphasize his power.

This guy is humongous and has these massive hands. He literally destroyed 2 tomatoes that exploded everywhere (except on him). We nailed the shot in 2 frames. I photographed an executive from Lockheed Martin. We were drawing the correlation between business and art in the community. I found a suit, tie and shirt at the Salvation Army and convinced him to wear it. Then I splatter painted the background and him with several colors of paint. This guy was a real trooper, which made for an amazing portrait.  Each shoot is really memorable in its own way. That is the thing about this profession that I am drawn to… Each day is an entirely different, unique, memorable experience.

Now, David...how about your three WORST, yet memorable, photo shoot experiences? And how did you survive?

The worst photo shoot I can think of was for a Casino in Atlantic City. I was a very skilled, yet young photographer at the time. I lacked experience and maybe a little confidence too. This was a big deal shoot in AC where creative directors were flying in from Vegas for the shoot. I had to get about 50 shots done in one day. I was so nervous going in. All I could do was just apply what I knew to get the job done. In the end, I got the shots needed and all was well.

Another time, while I was still a photography student, I was contracted to photograph Angelo Cataldi for the Hard Hat Games. At the time I had very little experience with big location shoots, so I hired my teacher, Mimi Janosy from the Art Institue of Phladelphia as my assistant and she helped me set up the lighting scheme. Another teacher at the time, Phil Drucker taught me never to get scared off a job because it was too big. Figure out a way to get it done. That has always stuck with me.

Finally, we had a corporate shoot last summer where a CEO was being featured in Forbes Magazine and they needed shots yesterday. The day we shot was over 100 degrees and we were shooting on Broad Street in Philly. We had subjects in the hot, hot heat, with dark suits, cameras overheating, sweat everywhere, cars whizzing by… it was crazy. To get us through, I picked a spot by a hotel so the subjects could stay cool in the lobby between shots and quench their thirst with ice cold lemon water the hotel provided. That was a tough one on everyone. But again, we got a great shot in the end.

Share a quote you love...can be from anyone? And why do you love this quote? 

Just Do It. It is self-explanatory. That’s one of the things I love about it.

If you could share ONE final tip when it comes to corporate photography, one final jewel of expertise to help get an entrepreneur or business owner thinking creatively, what would it be? 

Just try to have fun and have an open mind. Sometimes things feel strange and awkward in concept but look incredible in the end. Trust the guy behind the camera.

ABOUT DAVID MICHAEL HOWARTH

David graduated from Monmouth University with a degree in Business Marketing.  After graduation, he worked in sales and marketing.  This job gave David the opportunity to travel for business and pleasure, learning a lot about himself and the world along the way.  David picked up a camera to capture what he saw on his travels. He was hooked as soon as the camera hit my hands.  David picked up photography classes, which ultimately led to a photography degree from The Art Institute of Philadelphia.  After graduation, David was immediately signed on as Staff Photographer at SJ Magazine where I began working camera shutters until they broke. David has fun dragging his wife Dale with him on many adventures. David is also enjoying being a father to his one-year-old daughter, Brynn. Visit David, Dale and Brynn at www.dmhphotographer.com. 

Images shared with permission of David Michael Howarth Photography.

Howard Yermish: Google AdWords, Maximizing The Internet, Big Mistakes Businesses Make & Cherishing What Matters Most...Like Your Dad's Old Camera

So Howard... 

Web development. Where are we today? What are companies doing today that is emerging?

Businesses are now looking beyond simple brochure-ware sites. Many are looking beyond gimmicky animations and focusing on showing the character of their organization. Further still, businesses are finding ways to service customers, deliver product, as well as improve internal workflow with their websites. It is different for each business, but the smart ones look for process efficiency, something that software does well.

Mobile use of the Internet is a big deal, but it isn't simply making a website mobile friendly. If there isn't a reason that people would go to a website on a mobile phone, then they probably won't. Even smartphones with large screen still have small screens compared to a tablet, laptop or desktop machine. You cannot ignore mobile, but rather have a real business reason to create a mobile interface.



What are the biggest mistakes businesses make in web development?

I'll give you two: First, businesses don't clearly define the desired  audience. It doesn't have to be a single person, but rarely is it the owner or CEO of the company itself. Your potential audience clearly wants an answer, and that audience makes the rules. These audiences have particular tasks that they want to do. The website to reduce the friction of those tasks.

Second, businesses don't understand how collaborative a web project should be. It's a collaboration within the organization and with the web development company. And I mean the whole organization, not just sales and marketing. Get product development, customer service, and even accounting into the mix. Healthy collaboration will enable inexpensive projects to really blossom beyond the dollars and time spent. Sure it slows the process down a little bit, but it is a trade-off for creating something truly unique for the business.


How important is social media to a business...really? 


How important was the phone when it was a novel invention? 20 years ago businesses didn't care about email. Humans want to communicate and our evolution has been about making communication richer and more real time. Social networks are an evolutionary step in communication. So whether you choose to listen or not doesn't matter. Communication will continue to evolve.

What surprises me is how so many businesses aren't learning to listen to conversations on the Internet as part of their ongoing efforts. Ideas can come from everywhere. I've gotten some of my best ideas from looking at support forums for some random product that I use. I see people talking about a situation and I realize that our business has a similar challenge, and now a new approach is obvious. Learning to actively listen is key.

Why should every company - almost - know Google AdWords?


Get rid of the almost. Google AdWords are predictable and measurable. You bid on a keyword, and you only pay when someone clicks. You set your own budget. Facebook's ads are similar: you only pay when someone clicks. I'm not saying that every business should or needs to do pay-per-click advertising, but it is a much simpler and more reliable way that customers can show up at your website. I don't think that "experts" will do significantly better managing Google AdWords than you can do yourself. It takes a little bit of training and understanding of the system, but once you have that, your money goes to the clicks directly, rather than through a middleman.


What are the questions you get most from business professional today, in terms of their website and social media activities? 

I often get asked about what is the next big wave. It's the crystal ball question and it is impossible to answer, but fun to make interesting guesses. The other big question is about how Google works; everyone wants an edge and they want it to be free. Rather than looking to the SEO "experts," I look at what problems the Google engineers are trying to solve. What I recommend has more to do with creating the most comprehensive yet efficient representation of your business on the Internet. It's what creates lasting results, but it is really hard and demands patience.


Where you always such a techy guy? 


Yep, definitely. My father was a computer scientist. As a kid, technology was everywhere. It wasn't special, it was abundant. So I never developed any fear toward technology. Instead, it was always about how I could use technology to be more creative. I've always thought that if Mozart or Leonardo DaVinci or Ansel Adams had access to the tools that we have now, the results would have been even more amazing that we could imagine. Mozart would have loved using Garageband on the iPad.


If you could take a digital picture of any tree, what kind of digital camera would you use?



I'd grab my trusty Canon 5D mkII. It was my father's camera, and I feel a connection with him every time I pick it up. I've never even had to adjust the strap on the hand grip.

What is your favorite Apple product or service? 


(Great question since I have practically all of them, heh heh.) I get the most pleasure from using my iMac workstation. Everything creative happens on that machine. My iPhone and iPad are great, as are the other Apple products that I have. But whether I'm working in Photoshop, or writing code, or writing music, my souped up iMac workstation makes it easy to get the ideas from my head and into something real.

What shocks you most about businesses, when it comes to their websites and social media practices today? 


It shocks me when businesses treat the Internet as a 1-way communication tool. It's not a TV commercial or an ad in a newspaper or a brochure. The very existence of the Internet started as 2-way communication. So when a business talks about "controlling the message," I know that they don't understand how the Internet works. The only way to get your message to spread is to have a message worth spreading and a great understanding of the natural operations of your prospective customer community. Repeating the same message "Hey, click my link because I'm awesome" every hour or minute doesn't work, but I see people do that every day.


If you could save three words about social media, imagine you have to yell up to a fleet of business professionals taking off in a helicopter, and you have to get one fast message to them to advise them on their social media strategy, would would you scream out?

Four words and I'll shout quickly: Operate Openly, Listen Carefully.

Special thanks to Howard Yermish for being absolutely fantastic! 

Visit howard@howardyermish.com and LIKE! Howard Yermish on FACEBOOK.

Howard has been involved with computers since the age of 4 and professionally involved in Internet development since 1993. Before starting his own company in 1996, he worked at w3-design of Culver City, CA, a web development company with clients such as AOL, Disney, Mattel, and Microsoft. His company 7 Pixels Interactive, which specialized in website strategy, design and development, focused on the small to medium sized businesses and included a wide range of clients. In early 2004, Howard merged his company with World Wide Web Communications and was appointed Vice President of Strategic Development.

In late 2008, Howard stepped away from World Wide Web Communications to go back to work closely with small and medium enterprises as a consultant. In addition, he has taught courses and seminars in web development for the executive MBA program and undergraduate level students at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. Howard’s company was named the 2011 “New Voice Award” winner for the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce’s Voice of Business Awards. Howard is an active speaker and writer on topics relating to online strategy and marketing, productivity and information technology. Howard is also on the board of directors for the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce.