Business Owner, Communication Is Everything

September 2021 Newsletter

A Message From Our President

Elizabeth Colón

NAWBO Chicago Board President

Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions, LLC

Over the summer, NAWBO Chicago hosted two in-person events. We all expressed how happy we were to finally come together, but something that multiple members had mentioned was how much they were struggling with Zoom fatigue on top of having to pivot their businesses. Now, as the pandemic comes back with a vengeance with the Delta variant, many of us will be forced to continue using Zoom.

The theme for September is “Communication Is Everything.” Regardless of the state of the world, communicating internally with employees and externally with customers and vendors has always been important, but it rose to a new level of significance during the height of the pandemic because face-to-face interactions were off the table.

Membership Insights: Communication for Success

During your time in business, what has been your biggest lesson about the importance of communication for success?

Communication is queen. The ability to communicate ones’ thoughts, ideas and opinions are keys to the throne. As President and Chief Love Officer of ShanitaSpeaks, LLC, a media enterprise that provides women and young adults with customized tools to open doors to complex dialogue, I am qualified to wear the hegemonic crown.

Shanita Baraka Akintonde, President

ShanitaSpeaks, LLC

I have a physical products business and my accessories are manufactured overseas, so good communication is critical when working with my sourcing agent. 100% of our work is handled via email, which can make it even more challenging to get it right. I quickly learned the hard way that if I’m not clear in the direction and feedback I provide, it can lead to unnecessary costs and delays.

Tracey McGhee, Founder

Ms. Jetsetter, LLC

I have learned two great communication lessons: first, that we communicate with our actions as much as we do with our words, and second, to listen before we speak! When asking our team to embrace and live our company values or our corporate strategy, the first step is for our Executive Leadership Team to walk the walk as the first and best adopters!

Laurette Rondenet, President

Edlong

I’ve always made decisions that I believed were in the best interest of my employees. To validate those decisions, we distributed an employee survey to garner feedback. Questions such as: What do you like most about working here? What do you like least? What is one change we can make to be a better place to work?

Tracy Smith, Owner

SERVPRO of Downers Grove/Oak Brook

Meet the Board: Vanessa M. Jackson

Director at Large, NAWBO Chicago

Vice-President of Sweetness, Marketing & Communications, The Lemon Ad Stand

What do you hope to contribute to NAWBO during your term as a board member? What are your top priorities?

I hope to meet with women who are interested in being personally enriched. I enjoy reminding members of the reasons they are amazing. As a member of the Diversity Committee, I’m vested in ensuring that as an organization we are enriched by the diversity of our members.

Vanessa shares why the work of NAWBO Chicago matters.

NAWBO Talks: ¡Dale! Leveraging Perseverance to Drive Our Success

NAWBO Chicago is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a dynamic panel of successful Latina women. Together, we'll discuss how our amazing panelists have approached business ownership, work/life balance and Latinidad. Join us to laugh, learn and remember that we're in this together.

The evening will kick off with drinks and appetizers at our host facility, Right Bee Cider. Our featured panel will begin at 6:00 pm.

Panelists:

Iris Martinez, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
Neli Vazquez Rowland, A Safe Haven
Alicia Ponce, APMonarch

Emcees:

Vanessa Jackson, The Lemon Ad Stand
Candace Washington, Pivotal Impact LLC

NAWBO Wisconsin Powered by NAWBO Chicago

NAWBO Chicago is thrilled to announce the formation of their new satellite chapter: NAWBO Wisconsin! Please join a dynamic group of women entrepreneurs for a virtual information session on September 14 from 9:00 to 10:00 am. All members are encouraged to participate. We will discuss details related to this new development and what it will offer female business owners in Wisconsin.

NAWBO Fall Membership Drive

NAWBO was founded 45 years ago when there were no other organizations representing women business owners. They built their own table and have since given women business owners of all sizes and sectors from across the U.S. a seat—and a voice—to make a difference for themselves and others.

We hope you’ll consider how joining NAWBO can empower you with

A sisterhood of support
Member benefit savings
Education and awards programs
A voice through advocacy
Visibility within your community and nationwide
Circle program for $1 million and up business owners
Communications that connect you

Between now and October 31, NAWBO is holding its Fall Membership Drive that includes the following incentives to join:

$45 off new member initiation fee
Each new member will be entered into a raffle to win a Member Spotlight on the NAWBO national website

Join Now

Apply for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Today!

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses provides business education, support services and access to capital for growth-oriented entrepreneurs. Participants gain practical skills to take their business to the next level with topics such as financial statements, negotiations and marketing. Participants develop an actionable growth plan with the help of business advisors and like-minded entrepreneurs.

The program is free for participants and delivered in partnership with academic institutions across the country. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses has served over 10,000 businesses in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Is Your Business Ready?

We look for applicants who are passionate about growing their business and creating jobs in their communities, and generally meet these criteria:

Owner or co-owner of a business
Business in operation for at least two years
Business revenues of at least $75,000 in the most recent fiscal year
Minimum of 2 full-time employee equivalents (including the owner, part-time and 1099 contractors)

Apply Here

Nominations Open for Influential Women in Businss 2021

The Daily Herald Business Ledger is now accepting nominations for the Class of 2021 Influential Women in Business. The award is given to suburban businesswomen who share a commitment to professional excellence and their communities. The judges will base their selections on the nominee’s business and professional achievements and the challenges they have met in building their careers. The selection committee will also consider how the nominees “give back” to their communities and/or employees.

Influential Women in Business recipients will be honored during an awards recognition event held in November and featured in a supplement published in the December 20 issue of the Business Ledger.

Nominations close September 27, 2021.

More Information

New Mastermind Groups are Forming

A Mastermind group is the same small group of women that meets on a regular, peer-to-peer basis to confidentially discuss business matters in a more in-depth, supportive and consultative manner. Over time, as familiarity builds, these groups often serve in an advisory manner for members.

Benefits of a Mastermind Group include:

Mutual support
Differing perspectives
Resources
Accountability

"During my first year at NAWBO (Chicago), I joined a Mastermind group of like-minded entrepreneurs who mentored, supported and held me accountable to take my business to the next level. Due to the amazing information I learned from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program along with the mentoring I received and the connections I made with the amazing women at NAWBO (Chicago), our Baby Nurse agency, Sweet Dreams Infant Care, doubled its revenue in just one year and we won the 2015 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses & City of Chicago Small Business award for both revenue growth and job creation," explains Pat Porrey.

We will be launching new Mastermind groups. This is a FREE benefit to our Premier Members.

If you are interested in joining or leading a Mastermind, please contact Melissa at [email protected]. We are looking for input from members on dates and times that work best for you.

Members in the News

Check out the first season of Bake Squad on Netflix. Maya-Camille Broussard, owner of Justice of the Pies, is one of the expert bakers selected to compete on this new Netflix series.

Maximize Your Membership

Whether a solopreneur or a million-dollar business, NAWBO Chicago gives women-owned businesses of all levels the resources and support needed to help them grow and thrive. A NAWBO Chicago membership offers the power and benefits of an established community of women entrepreneurs.

Join a Mastermind

Premier Members are eligible to participate in one Mastermind as a Member Benefit. A Mastermind group is the same small group of women that meet on a regular basis to provide peer-to-peer discussions. Email to learn more.

Update Your Profile

Your profile is how you are represented to other members. By including details about your business, your interests and yourself, you have a better opportunity to be seen. Click here to update.

Get Involved with a Committee

NAWBO Chicago hosts five active committees: Advocacy, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Marketing, Membership and Celebration of Achievement Conference. Please find the descriptions and committee leaders here.

Attend a Monthly Event

Connects are monthly small-group meetings that allow our members to come together regularly throughout the Chicagoland region. Find future events here.