EGG Local New York

Bootstrap Business is ready to ship!

September 3, 2009 SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE — In the summer of 2008, Chicke Fitzgerald, consultant, keynote speaker and author, was selected from a nationwide search to be featured in Bootstrap Business; a highly successful book series from Tennessee based Insight Publishing. The book is now available for sale (http://www.solutionz.com/publications.asp).

The book features best-selling authors Tom Hopkins (How to Master the Art of Selling), Jack Canfield (One Minute Manager), and John Christensen (FISH!). Chicke Fitzgerald, Hopkins, Canfield, and Christensen are joined by other well known authors and speakers, each offering time-tested strategies for success in frank and intimate interviews.

As the founder and CEO of Tampa-based Solutionz Group, Chicke Fitzgerald has spent the last 13 years solving business growth challenges for corporations, nurturing early-stage companies and coaching top executives and entrepreneurs around the globe.

With 30+ years in the travel industry, Chicke is a recognized authority on distributions models, whose expert perspective is frequently sought by the investment community and media. Fitzgerald is currently affiliated with the Gerson Lehman Group and has been among the top investment advisors for the internationally renowned GLG Expert Network™.

She is also passionate about helping others master the use of technology and social media to foster growth through her Solutionz Media division. Since January of 2009 she has interviewed more than 150 authors and experts on her Solutionz Live! show on BlogTalkRadio.com and on the Executive Girlfriends' Group (http://www.executivegirlfriendsgroup.com).

When she is not coaching, speaking or consulting, Chicke enjoys spending time with her family in Tampa, Florida. She also dedicates time, energy and resources to a local organization known as Real Estate Lives, mentoring displaced employees hard hit by the mortgage banking crisis and working with the organization’s leadership to build a similar model for other industries and communities to replicate.

To discuss speaking opportunities with Chicke Fitzgerald and to order your copy of Bootstrap Business, contact:

Chicke Fitzgerald | 813-925-0789 | chicke@solutionz.com or visit www.solutionz.com

The Noticer - Quietly changing lives with a little "perspective", July 26, 2009

Every once in awhile, you come across a book so special that you can't help but buy them in quantity to give away to friends and colleagues. The Noticer is one of those books.

Andy Andrews has crafted a story about an enigmatic man named Jones [just Jones] who appears in a beach town and touches a number of lives, in a very unusual way.

Jones uses history and literature and even the Bible to show various people why it is important to notice what is around you and especially to notice those things that others often overlook.

I found myself making a "reading" list as I was reading the book, wanting to take in Jones' wisdom by first hand experience with the characters that he would talk about. I have always loved biographies, but I tend to forget how powerful a force they can be.

Andy's writing style in this allegorical treat is easy and engaging. He pulls you into the lives of his characters and as it says on the fly of the book, gives you through the Noticer "your chance to regroup, take a breath, and begin your life again".

I loved the use of analogy in the story telling throughout the book and the obvious parallel to the Holy Spirit's influence on our lives, planting seed after seed and ensuring that it gets watered along the way, even in unexpected ways.

Bravo Andy Andrews for this masterful and highly impactful work. This isn't just fun reading. It will change lives.

EGG Engagement Contest Winners announced

Thank you so much to our first place winner Carolyn Cauceglia for the amazing number of nominations to the Executive Girlfriends Group, plus her efforts to get the Miami group organized for our first event, which will be Monday night. Carolyn won a new Amazon Kindle for her efforts!

The next 4 winners were all very, very close to one another. Rebecca McGoye was 2nd, Joni Newkirk was 3rd, Tiffany Topcik was 4th and Chris Bradshaw was 5th. They will each receive an American Express gift certificate and an autographed copy of a book from one of our Vignette speakers.

The balance of the top 10 include Flo Lugli, Christine DeZarn, Cheryl Weldon, Marcia Gipson and George Ann Dingus. They will each receive an autographed copy of a book from one of our Vignette speakers.

We have grown from just 100 members in January to over 420! Thanks to all who contributed to this growth and for your participation in the Executive Girlfriends Group, both on our calls and in EGG Local.

Chicke Fitzgerald | founder

Establishing yourself on the social graph - Word of Mouth Media Relationship Ladder

If you are interested in how to get not only on the social graph, but to get to the top, it is all about relationships. Check out the Word of Mouth Media relationship ladder.

For more information, see www.wordofmouthmedia.blogspot.com.

EGG Training Videos now available

The Executive Girlfriends' Group platform (http://egg.cubeless.com) is a very rich community system. To best understand its capabilities, EGG has put together a series of videos that we have posted to YouTube. We also have a site set up at http://eggtraining.blogspot.com.

If you have any questions, please contact us at chicke@solutionz.com

EGG Engagement - Let the games begin!

In August of 2008, a small group of us started the Executive Girlfriends’ Group, a weekly 90-minute call to “connect, share, care and grow”. That group has now grown to over 300 and we have added a wide range of benefits for Charter Members.

In March of 2009, we launched the EGG community site, using Sabre’s Cubeless platform. Sabre became our first Corporate Charter Member of EGG. We now have 3 additional Corporate members, the US Travel Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Mondial Assistance. As a result of this membership, EGG extends its Charter Member benefits to the female executives of these organizations.

Now, we are launching a contest to increase ENGAGEMENT. Here’s what you can do between now and May 31st to win great prizes, American Express gift cards and books from our EGG Vignette Speakers.

First, to be eligible for the contest, load a picture and update both the top part of your profile and answer ALL the profile questions below the corkboard on http://egg.cubeless.com

You will also receive points automatically for asking and answering questions on the site, leveraging the knowledge base of the membership.

• Participate in May EGG calls (started last week) – 10 points
• Participate in a 15 minute info session on use of the community platform - 50 points
• Join as a Charter member – 100 points
• Refer new members – 10 points each
• Refer new members in your home city – 20 points each
• If a new member that you referred becomes a charter member – 100 points
• Refer a paid corporate Charter member (all female execs are granted Charter membership) – 250 points
• Create a personal BLOG – 50 points
• Update it at least once a week – 10 points for each blog entry
• Become the moderator of your local group – 50 points
• Host a get together with other members in your area – 50 points
• Write a BLOG entry on one of the existing groups – 20 points

The first wave of prizes will be awarded on May 15th for the early adopters and those that are highly competitive! The final wave will be awarded on May 31st. Your points (and those of your competitors in the contest) are visible on your profile as Karma points.

Let the games begin!

Growth Coaching and Online Reputation Management now available

EGG founder Chicke Fitzgerald now offers growth coaching by phone both to companies and both executive and entrepreneurial mentoring to individuals. She also offers online "reputation management", which includes an audit of your current reputation status and a plan for enhancing your online presence.

If you need to grow your business or to fine tune your personal goals and/or you need to get a handle on how to use all facets of social media to best position yourself or your firm, please contact Chicke at 813-925-0789 for more information.

May EGG Vignette Speakers Announced

We have confirmed the lineup for the MAY Executive Girlfriends' Group Vignette Speakers. Join us on Fridays at 4pm ET.



1MAY Svetlana Kim - Author of White Pearl and I. Lana left Russia in 1991 with one dollar in her pocket and arrived at JFK to start a new life. Come and hear her amazing story.










8MAY Deborah Stephens - Author of This Is Not The Life I Ordered. The book outlines 50 ways to keep your head above water when life keeps dragging you down. Deborah is a compelling keynote speaker, bestselling author and experienced executive and consultant.










15MAY Renie Cavallari - Founder of Wings to Fly, a charity focused on young girls to help them build lifelong self esteem. EGG has adopted Wings to Fly as one of our ways that as a group, we will leave a legacy.











22MAY Debra Dinnocenzo - Author of How to Lead from a Distance. Debra is the president of VirtualWorks!, a provider of learning resources for people in the virtual workplace.










We will be off on May 29th for Memorial Day weekend, as for many of our members, this is also their kids first day off for the summer or the last day of school.

Audio available for those EGG vignette speakers you have missed

The following audio recordings are now available.

If you missed the calls, please send an email to egg@solutionz.com indicating which audio you are interested in (Date/Speaker). The audio recordings are complementary if you are a Charter or Corporate Charter member of EGG. There is a $10 charge for Basic EGG members. Basic EGG members can pay under Vignette Recording for the recording on the Solutionz web site.

You can also order the books for the various authors by visiting the EGG Book Club site.

Upcoming speakers for the balance of April

Here is our promotional video for April.



Upcoming guests include:

Were you asleep today? http://ping.fm/y19z7 His grace is there. Sunday's coming.

In case you missed the significance of today's passion. It was indeed Good Friday. Don't forget that Sunday's Coming http://ping.fm/y19z7

Catch some of the passion this Good Friday - Sunday's Coming http://ping.fm/y19z7

Join us today for Susan Steinbrecher - Heart Centered Leadership

Susan Steinbrecher, an internationally acclaimed businesswoman, executive coach, speaker and author, is president and CEO of Steinbrecher And Associates, Inc. a management consulting firm that provides professional development services in the areas of executive coaching, group facilitation, and leadership training.

Prior to founding Steinbrecher And Associates in 1992, Susan was a rising star with one of the country's best known hotel chains for fourteen years. She went from entry level to the chain's youngest General Manager in history to leading the strategic training and development initiatives. Susan earned her Bachelor's degree in Applied Arts and Sciences from Southwest Texas State University, and an Honorary Doctorate in Hospitality Management. S

Her first book, Heart-Centered Leadership: An Invitation to Lead from the Inside Out was published in 2004. Susan's most recent book is a collaborative effort with NY Times Bestsellers Ken Blanchard and Stephen Covey entitled, Roadmap to Success, which discusses successful business and leadership strategies and how to effectively deal with adversity.

Susan has focused on leading authentically through out her career and has had the honor of working with many successful leaders and executives worldwide. We are certain her expertise and input would add value to the group. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we’d like to suggest it would be the perfect time to discuss Heart Centered Leadership principles (which would address several of the Feb/March proposed speaking topics). To learn more about Heart Centered Leadership, please visit www.instituteofhcl.com

www.steinbrecherassociates.com

EGG friends, don't forget today's call at 4pm and our vignette speaker Susan Steinbrecher, author of Heart Centered Leadership. www.solutionz-egg.blogspot.com

Great week of shows on Solutionz Live. I had a great time. Don't forget they are all available on demand, free.

Chris Bradshaw and I are doing our weekly wrapup, which is one of my favorite parts of the week. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

We are interviewing the Director of the country of Jordan for the Intl Medical Corp program about Gaza crisis. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

Join us on Solutionz Live to hear an amazing story about teens raising money for Gaza. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

If you miss Solutionz Live this am, it is always available On Demand as well. www.solutionzlive.blogspot.com

and at 1130am spice up your day with Intellectual Gumbo with my co-host Chris Bradshaw and I.

At 11am, hear the rest of the story from Jordan country director from IMC about how Fordson's contributions were used. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

Then at 1030am join us for special segment on Kids for Humanity with teens that raised $40k for Gaza relief. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

Struggling to get fit? Listen in to Real Life Renovations at 10am with NBC Biggest Loser finalists from last season, Phil and Amy Parham. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

Now, time for bed. G'nite Gracie.

10am Thursday - Real Life Renovations with my cohosts Phil and Amy Parham. http://ping.fm/jCFLz

Two part series on Kids for Humanity 1030a and 11a on Thursday http://ping.fm/f3quv http://ping.fm/AHfJb

Thursday at 1130 join us for Intellectual Gumbo - a wrap up of the week http://ping.fm/I8XlR

Tomorrow's Solutionz Live lineup posted http://ping.fm/CZ2Kl Join us!

Most don't know that #Delaware North (#DNC) runs the concessions for #Kennedy Space Center

#Cape Canaveral broke all records today. Over 11k visitors and people from all over the world. Bravo operations VP Marcelle Nance!!!

Off to Cape Canaveral for a meeting. I've never been there, so looking forward to seeing it up close and personal!

Any would be entrepreneurs out there?, join us live now for Corporate Escape Artists http://ping.fm/USe64

For those that need to grow, join us now for The Blitz Experience with Andrea Sittig-Rolf http://ping.fm/USe64

Join me LIVE on my Solutionz Live - http://ping.fm/USe64 or call (646) 727-2840 for the story of Victory Point

Whatever you are doing, clear the decks and join us for Ed Darack and JJ Konstant for their story "Victory Point" http://ping.fm/USe64

We're talking live to Camille Landau of ReferQuest.com on Innovation http://ping.fm/USe64

Join me LIVE on my Solutionz Live - Business Edition show on BlogTalkRadio at http://ping.fm/USe64 or call (646) 727-2840

For those who are Corporate Escape Artists at heart, join us at 1130a http://ping.fm/USe64

And at 11am back by popular demand to Solutionz Live Andrea Sittig Rolf the Blitz Master on Growth http://ping.fm/USe64

Don't miss Solutionz Live on BlogTalkRadio - http://ping.fm/USe64 at 1030am Ed Darack and JJ Konstant LEADERSHIP under Fire

oops now from PingFM Don't miss Solutionz Live on BlogTalkRadio - http://ping.fm/USe64 at 10am Camille Landau on bartering

If you can't listen live from 10-noon ET, shows are all available On Demand for download.

We're back tomorrow. Solutionz Live - Business Edition show on BlogTalkRadio - http://ping.fm/USe64

April Executive Girlfriends' Group speakers http://ping.fm/k8y1W

Lots of breakins in the surrounding neighbohoods. The new security - leave on the pool lights. Most breakins from back of houses.

Our EGG Vignette speaker for today is Debbie Mandel, Author of Addicted to Stress.

Change in today's EGG speaker http://ping.fm/GSj8b

Change in today's EGG speaker -Debbie Mandel, Author of Addicted to Stress

Due to a scheduling conflict with our previous speaker, I have secured Debbie Mandel, the author of Addicted to Stress in her place. I know there are more than one EGG members who need to hear Debbie’s 7 steps to reclaim joy and spontaneity in our lives! Join us today at 4pm.

Sorry to those of you who were looking forward to Tierza Davis and hearing about surfing and Costa Rica from a corporate escape artist. She won’t be able to be with us today. You can hear/download my 30 minute interview with Tierza on my Transition Soluitonz show at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/transitionsolutionz/2009/01/28/Transition-Solutionz

NEW EGG Charter Member Benefit - Libby Gill offering COMPLEMENTARY coaching session

This week at the TravelCom Women's Forum we were fortunate to have Libby Gill as the keynote at lunch, as well as having her as our guest at the private EGG Charter Member dinner Tuesday night. We had 23 women at the dinner, of which 4 were brand new EGG Charter members. An "eggcelent" time was had by all and the evening provided a foundation for new relationships, friendships and certainly a broader network for all who were there.

I am plesed to announce that Libby has agreed to provide the EGG Charter members a special offer on her coaching services:

• First coaching session is Complementary - this is a $250 value
• Ongoing coaching is 10% off her normal rate of $250 per hour

To arrange for your complementary coaching session you will have to be a current Charter Member (see member info) and then send your request to egg@solutionz.com. I will put you in touch with Libby.

Enjoy this new benefit!

Rob from Google is about to speak. They are serving cocktails, which is very Googlesque. #travelcom

Herb Kelleher is a real gentleman, a real card and quite entertaining! He is giving Henry of #Forrester a run for his money!

Herb said "If it is conventional, it is not wisdom and if it is wisdom, it is not conventional". This was a quote from an analyst.

Herb Kelleher won Steve Fosset innovator award at #TravelCom for #Southwest's accomplishments

Next up at #Travelcom CEOs of Orbitz and Trvelocity. Should be interesting. Both are new.

Executive Women's Forum at #TravelCom had a record 100 women yesterday.

"A girl's just gotta have friends" article by #Huffington Post writer Karen Leland is worth a read http://ping.fm/ur7bW

Brad's topic is "the New Normal". We are not going back.....

Brad Gerstner is talking about the economy at #Travelcom. Brad heads up #Altimeter Capital.

#GDS is Global Distribution System technology - the tech that powers booking and pricing systems

The fact that #Travelcom is talking about Twitter more than the GDS technology is a sign of the times.

Travel Industry losses are not an April fools joke (unfortunately). Cancelled meetings and conventions results in lost jobs.

Henry Harteveldt of Forrester described at #Travelcom by cochair Krista Pappa as a Tweetheart

Hotels have lost nearly $1b in the last two months from meeting/convention cancellations

We had an amazing turnout at the #Executive Girlfriends' Group (lovingly called EGG) dinner last night. What fun!

It is clearly a new era at #TravelCom

At #Travelcom in Atlanta. Dreary day but is interesting to hear Roger Dow talking about Twitter.

Headed to Atlanta this week for TravelCom09. Radio show on hiatus for the week, back 07APR.

Our speaker Liz Goodgold was great today on EGG call. Get her book at http://ping.fm/UGNsE

27MAR Vignette Speaker Liz Goodgold

The audio of today's call is available. It is free for all Charter members and $10 for all others. Please send an email request to egg@solutionz.com. Payment can be made on the Solutionz site under Vignette Recording.

You can order Liz's book by clicking on the book image

Liz Goodgold is the author, senior media correspondent, and feisty red head you have seen on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and in The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Many recognize her from her columns in Entrepreneur magazine reaching over 1 million each month.

Liz is a true American success story. Her own humble beginnings, unstoppable perseverance, and potent professional content make her a charming, funny and motivating force.

Despite early challenges, Liz started working for Arco Oil as a lobbyist and by the time she was 18, she was taking such luminaries as Bob Dole and Henry Waxman to lunch!

She now boasts 25 years of experience in every area of marketing, naming, branding, advertising and new media.

Liz’s early successes came when she had a chance to prove herself with the industry giants Quaker Oats, Macmillan Publishing and Times Mirror.

She took her first campaign for Times Mirror from infancy to a $9 million revenue stream.

In less than six months at Quaker Oats, she turned what was at the time, their little known Natural Cereal into the exclusive granola in more than 1500 Baskin-Robbins and TCBY stores.

Liz Goodgold has a world renowned reputation for developing winning names, taglines, and branding strategies, with guaranteed flawless recall, for companies such as Univision, AMN HealthCare, and Proflowers.com.

Liz even caught the eye of Simon Cowell ….Liz was hoping it was for her killer legs……. but no, he was interested in capturing her smart wit and on camera acumen for one of his shows, American Inventor.

Getting ready for Exec Girlfriends' Group call - today is Liz Goodgold, author Redfire Branding

Tuesday am taking a hiatus from the show to travel to Atlanta for TravelCom.

Also looking for other kid/teen philanthropists for the Giving Show on Thursdays at 11am ET. 30 minutes live interview on blogtalkradio.

Decided today that we need to have someone on SolutionzLive to talk about practice of bartering. Any experts?

Just wrapped up Solutionz Live Personal Edition. It is available for download www.solutionzlive.blogspot.com

Monica was so poised on her interview. It was her first radio interview ever. She is 14. Listen to it http://ping.fm/phd9q download to your iPod

www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive at 11am Mark Healy author of Monica and the Zamboni

If you have a heart for giving, join us for young philanthropist Monica Healy.

Thanks for our sponsor the Barbados Tourism Authority. www.visitbarbados.org

Remember that if you miss listening to Solutionz Live today, you can download at http://ping.fm/phd9q

At 1130am ET join my co-host Chris Bradshaw and I for "Intellectual Gumbo", a recap of all 7 SolutionzLive shows this week.

http://ping.fm/phd9q Monica's dad joins us to talk about his book Monica and the Zamboni

At 11am ET on our Giving segment, 14 yr old Monica Healy joins us to talk about her big plans to raise $1m for 2 charities.

She is on right now. You can call in to 646-727-2840 to ask Pamela questions.

If you are struggling financially, tune in to http://ping.fm/phd9q to hear Pamela Yellen talk about her Bank on Yourself methodology

Join us on SolutionzLive! now. http://ping.fm/DvI6T At 1030am Pamela Yellen, author of Bank on Yourself

March 26th Solutionz Live Personal Edition

At 1130am ET, Chris Bradshaw and I co-host "Intellectual Gumbo", a recap of the week and discussion of our favorite authors.

At 11am our Giving segment will feature Monica Healy, 14 year old raising $1m for kids. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

At 1030am Thursday our guest is Pamela Yellen, author of Bank on Yourself for our Financial Health segment. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

Solutionz Live! show tomorrow starts at 10am ET with Phil and Amy Parham and Real Life Renovations. Our guest is Trainer DJ Jordan. www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive

March 27th Vignette Speaker, Author Liz Goodgold

See YouTube for the promotion for the full March lineup:

Please join us on the 27th to hear Liz.

Liz Goodgold is the author, senior media correspondent, and feisty red head you have seen on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and in The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Many recognize her from her columns in Entrepreneur magazine reaching over 1 million each month.

Liz is a true American success story. Her own humble beginnings, unstoppable perseverance, and potent professional content make her a charming, funny and motivating force.

Despite early challenges, Liz started working for Arco Oil as a lobbyist and by the time she was 18, she was taking such luminaries as Bob Dole and Henry Waxman to lunch!

She now boasts 25 years of experience in every area of marketing, naming, branding, advertising and new media.

Liz’s early successes came when she had a chance to prove herself with the industry giants Quaker Oats, Macmillan Publishing and Times Mirror.

She took her first campaign for Times Mirror from infancy to a $9 million revenue stream.

In less than six months at Quaker Oats, she turned what was at the time, their little known Natural Cereal into the exclusive granola in more than 1500 Baskin-Robbins and TCBY stores.

Liz Goodgold has a world renowned reputation for developing winning names, taglines, and branding strategies, with guaranteed flawless recall, for companies such as Univision, AMN HealthCare, and Proflowers.com.

Liz even caught the eye of Simon Cowell ….Liz was hoping it was for her killer legs……. but no, he was interested in capturing her smart wit and on camera acumen for one of his shows, American Inventor.

Friday March 20th Michelle Bersell, author Emotional Abundance

EGG members join us on Friday at 4pm ET for vignette speaker, Michelle Bersell, author and life coach. Michelle is a licensed psychotherapist, life coach, speaker and author of Emotional Abundance: Become Empowered. Her main goal is to teach others how the current masculine viewpoint on our emotional well-being has led women to continue to face challenges at work, in relationships and with their own sense of self. Through having a feminine insight that allows women to feel emotionally empowered, they are able to create the life balance that they desire.

Due to the current financial crisis, she has also been working with the media on how to “Emotionally Weather These Financial Times.” With this topic, she shares with people how to best handle their stress and then tap into empowered choices in order that they do not stay stuck in a rut of fear and worry.

If you would like to know more about her work, please visit her website. Her book is available in the EGG Book Club Store.

Solutionz Publications offers 50% discount to EGG Charter Members

Today the Executive Girlfriends' Group announced an offer for all EGG Charter Members to receive a 50% discount on all Solutionz Publications. Select EGG PUB from the discount drop down list for any of our publications.

Don't miss the white paper on the Drive Market. Over 85% of all Americans drive when they travel, yet our industry has totally missed this mass market opportunity.

March 13th EGG Vignette Recording Available - Marcia Brixley, Author The Money Therapist

EGG Members, the audio recording for Marcia Brixey, the author of the Money Therapist is now available. Her book is available on the EGG Book Club Store site.

Please send an email to live@solutionz.com with Marcia Brixey in the subject line. The recordings are free for Charter members of EGG and $10 for all others.

Executive Womens' Forum and Special EGG Dinner with Libby Gill

If you can only attend one event this year, it should be the TravelCom Women's Forum in Atlanta, sponsored by American Express.

The event has been characterized since its inception (when it was a part of eTravel World) as a 4 hour event where 70+ executive women from our industry connect and where no one wants to go to the bathroom because they don't want to miss anything!

If you are not able to attend the full TravelCom conference this year due to budget cuts, there is a separate, lower fee for the Executive Women's Forum. Our keynote speaker at lunch this year will be Libby Gill, talking about the importance of personal branding. Libby was the branding brains behind the launch of the Dr. Phil Show.

EGG is also hosting a special private dinner for Charter Members with Libby, following the TravelCom launch reception. For those that would also like to attend the Google bash that evening, we're working to have the dinner in close proximity to that party. Please RSVP to chicke@solutionz.com. If you are not yet a Charter Member, it is not too late to join. Click HERE for more information and to pay online.

Hope to see you in Atlanta!

TravelCom Atlanta

If you have not yet registered for TravelCom'09, please click on the logo above to see the schedule. You can sign up online.

The butterfly to the left is part of the branding for this year's TravelCom Conference, coming up on March 31-Apr 2nd in Atlanta. This year's conference is being held at the Omni, near CNN's world headquarters.

The butterfly is a very interesting symbol and in and of itself is a symbol of struggle and indeed a miracle. The process of going from chrysalis to butterfly is one that cannot be rushed and it cannot be helped.

If the butterfly doesn't struggle within the chrysalis, it's wings would not strengthen enough to let it fly when it emerges from the cocoon. Just try cutting it off and see what happens to the butterfly. Second thought, don't. Let nature's work be done.

How often, in pursuit of the symbol on the upper right hand corner of the butterfly (money, profitability) do we ignore what is in the upper left (inspiration, innovation)? And we forget that communication between each of us is key to keep the flow going.

And yes, the struggle to get out of the cumbersome chrysalis and emerge strong as the beautiful butterfly is what we are all hoping for in these times of economic challenge.

If you aren't signed up for TravelCom because budgets are tight and travel has been all but cancelled, think again. Innovation is essential to life and hard times are essential to flight. You can touch more prospects at TravelCom than you will be able to touch in a full quarter and you will get more inspiration and ideas along the way. Networking and support are vital to growth.

I hope to see you there.

Chicke Fitzgerald

March 13th - Marcia Brixley, Author The Money Therapist: A Woman's Guide to Creating a Healthy Financial Life

Please join us on the 13th to hear Marcia.

During her 26 years working for the Social Security Administration, Marcia Brixey met thousands of women who experienced financial difficulties resulting from a personal crisis - husband's death, divorce, illness or loss of a job. Five years ago she founded Money Wise Women™ Educational Services to ensure that every woman be financially articulate, confident, secure and independent. Today she hosts Money Wi$e Women™ conferences throughout the Western United States.

Marcia is the author of Money Therapist: A Woman's Guide to Creating a Healthy Financial Life (Seal Press). Her enthusiasm, passion and down-to-earth approach inspire her audiences to take action. Marcia has been the featured speaker at numerous conferences, workshops and organizational meetings (Click here to learn more). Marcia is a member of the National Speaker's Association.

Marcia is a columnist for the Glow Project magazine and a former columnist for The Kitsap Sun newspaper, which serves the Kitsap Peninsula in Western Washington. Her media appearances include both television and radio (Click here to learn more). Marcia is a mentor for the Department of Labor Women's Bureau Wi$e Up Women program. In 2006 Marcia received the YWCA Woman of Achievement award.

She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from California State University, Hayward.

SPECIAL EGG WORKSHOP March 11th - Andrea Sittig-Rolf The Blitz Master

This Wednesday afternoon from 4-5pm ET, Andrea Sittig-Rolf of Sittig Inc. will be conducting a special workshop on her BLITZ Experience™ for sales and marketing professionals.

The workshop is free for Charter EGG members and is $25 for those that are not members.

RSVP to Chicke Fitzgerald egg@solutionz.com

Job Posting - AOL Product Manager

EGG member Beth Caufield asked that we post this position. AOL is growing and is in need of good people!


Senior Product Manager, AOL Travel


Position Description:
Drives product strategy for AOL Travel which includes defining the consumer, business and platform requirements to create best-of-class offerings. Assesses industry developments to keep ahead of the competition and build innovative and differentiating experiences that synthesize user and business requirements. Position is based in Dulles, VA.

Duties/Responsibilities:
• Works closely with business owners to originate and develop product strategies and user experiences that achieve business goals
• Prioritizes product initiatives into an executable roadmap and sequences initiatives based on channel strategy, business impact and user experience
• Interacts with the business, sales and marketing to define product requirements
• Documents and defines product requirements and interactions
• Collaborates with teams across the organization and directs interaction with Development, QA and Operations teams to ensure smooth execution against product plans
• Monitors competitive trends and tracks feature/functionality of competitive set
• Uses analytical tools, consumer feedback and iterative optimization testing to refine offerings and drive new features/functionality
• Drives improvements in the product development process
• Manages relationships with data and content partners

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• Minimum 8-10 years experience in bringing new products to market
• 5+ years of travel industry experience and strong knowledge of online travel consumer trends and buying habits
• Detailed understanding of how to execute best of breed consumer experience for AOL Travel to establish a competitive market position
• Ability to drive product strategy based on consumer needs and business goals
• Ability to document user requirements and interactions
• Strong technical background and deep understanding of Web technologies
• Previous experience working in a fast-paced iterative development cycle with global development teams
• Previous experience working with publishing and reporting tools/analytics
• Previous experience working in organizations where matrix inter-dependence is required, navigating cross-functional relationships collaboratively and efficiently
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
• MBA a plus

Audio now available for Joan Walsh - author Blazing your own trail

Audio recordings are free for Charter members and $10 for all others. Please pay online by selecting the Vignette Recording item under Executive Girlfriends' Group section.

JOB Opportunity - AOL Programming Director

Programming Director, AOL Travel

Position Description:
Develop and manage the strategic vision and editorial voice for AOL Travel original content. Enhance consumer experience via original features and serial programming. Manage and cultivate freelance writing staff to perform day-to-day editorial and programming activities. Manage and identify partner content sources and negotiate agreements. Monitor effectiveness and optimize content to meet core business goals of experience and revenue.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop yearly editorial calendar responsible for driving advertising and performance revenue
• Create assignments and manage freelance staff in the creation of regular travel content
• Work with 6-8 content partners to license content and integrate into site
• Key category interface with Network, Marketing, Publishing and Development
• Provide programming and content requirements for design and UI for all new products or enhancements
• Develop special travel content packages with sales and advertising manager to drive new revenue opportunities
• Continually optimize content & experience through new editorial and products
• Primary user and expert on publishing platforms for data, editorial and video
• Stay up to date on latest Content Management System upgrades and tools and develops best practices to increase efficiencies and productivity within CMS environment
• Monitor traffic patterns and provide insights related to programming and network promotion
• Cultivate & foster an online community of users, developing an experience that encourages & allows them to produce user submitted content as well as engage in Commerce/Marketplace channels

Please contact Beth Caulfield (beth.caulfield@corp.aol.com ) if you know of anyone who may be a fit for this opportunity!

Vicki Donlan vignette recording now available

For those of you who missed the call Friday, Vicki Donlan provided us with an outline of her book and gave us some astounding statistics about women in the marketplace. She also talked about:

• What is holding women back from true leadership across the board?
• What can women do to be proactive in making the change?
• What's in it for men for more women to take the lead?
• What industries seem to be moving in the right direction?
• Where or what are the biggest obstacles to women taking a larger role in leadership?

For Charter members, the recording for our vignette speakers is free. You will receive the login to the intranet when your Charter Membership has been processed. The audio file is on the Intranet site available for download.

For Complementary EGG members, the recording is available for $10. You can order by sending an email to Live@Solutionz.com and then paying with a credit card on the Solutionz Web Site. The item is Vignette Recording under the EGG section of the payment page.

Chicke Fitzgerald

Wanna work for Richard???

Today, I saw a post from Richard Branson on Twitter. It linked to this page on the web.

Check it out! Live a little!

Boston EGG Social Night - Tuesday February 24th

Calling all Boston Executive Girlfriends' Group members. Valyn and Cecilia are organizing an EGG Social Night!

Watch City Brewing Company, 256 Moody Street, Waltham (www.watchcitybrew.com)
Tuesday February 24 (this coming Tuesday)
6:30pm

RSVP to valyn.perini@opentravel.org

NOTE: Each individual will be responsible for their own check. Thanks!

Anne Loehr Vignette recording now available

Anne Loehr

Coach, Entrepreneur, Author

A Manager's Guide to Coaching

Ann shared her 12 years of experience in Kenya, following graduation from Cornell.

• What led her to Africa
• What did she learn about herself as an American entrepreneur in Kenya
• The obstacles she had to overcome when working in Kenya, including wild animals in the safari camp
• Her biggest accomplishments in Kenya
• Cultural differences that she had to overcome?
• What she would you have done differently
  
• What inspired her to write an award-winning book

If you would like to order the recording of this call, the fee is $10 for non-members.

CLICK HERE to order and select Executive Girlfriend's Group Vignette Recording

Captain Karen Kahn offers to autograph her book for EGG members

If you would like to have Karen Kahn autograph a copy of her book, you can order it directly from her website, instead of from Amazon. Karen was our EGG vignette speaker on January 9th.

Fireproof the Movie DVD is out and breaking bookstore sales records

If you missed the movie at the theatre, it is now out on DVD. In October we had Erin Bethea on as one of our first EGG Vignette speakers.

Bob Rubin, executive vice president for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, which distributed the DVD at mass-market retail, said, "We are thrilled with the response both at Christian retail and mass-market retailers. This strong sales performance is especially impressive in light of today's economic climate and clearly indicates a broad market for faith-based entertainment. We are delighted that FIREPROOF resonates so well with its audience."

FIREPROOF, marketed by Provident Films and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Affirm Films, is the story of a fireman, Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron), who can save strangers but not his own marriage. The Love Dare, a book/plot device in the movie, also a book by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, topped the New York Times Advice Paperback list for 14 weeks at nos. 1 or 2. After 18 weeks, it still ranks no. 5.

Now in time for Valentine’s Day and National Marriage Month, Christian bookstores across the nation are selling the exclusive Christian retail version of the FIREPROOF DVD—The Special Collector’s Edition— which contains all the bonus material sold outside the Christian market plus 32 minutes of CBA-only material: a movie-production video blog, bringing behind-the-scenes to life; “Fun with Mr. Rudolph” (film fans know Caleb Holt’s next door neighbor); additional firehouse commentary from Wayne (Caleb’s fellow fire fighter), and the Casting Crowns video of the movie’s hit song, Slow Fade.

Show lineup for Solutionz Live for Thursday is on You Tube

Don't forget to listen to the Transition Solutionz Series aired last week on BlogTalkRadio.com

On Thursday of last week, the third and final day of the Transition Solutionz series featured:

• Mark Wayman with the Godfather's Career Guide - what to do when you get whacked.
• Anne Fry - the author of Sixty, Sexy, Sassy and Free talking about reinventing yourself
• Lynne Waymon - the author of Make Your Contacts Count gave practical advice about all kinds of networking
• Lauren Milligan of ResuMAYDAY talked about the importance of the resume and how to get over any bumps in the road in preparing that all important document for your career search

ALL SHOWS FROM THE SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DEMAND. SIMPLY CLICK SELECT THE SHOW ON THE BLOGTALKRADIO WIDGET ON THE SIDE BAR

Great lineup for Wednesday's Transition Solutionz series

Thank you to Wednesday's sponsor of the Transition Solutionz series:









We have a great lineup on Wednesday morning. Join us live if you can, either online at www.blogtalkradio.com/cfitzgerald
or by phone 1-646-727-3553



10am Tierza Davis - owner Pura Vida Adventures in Costa Rica - from a dot com bomb in the late 90s to surfing coach for executive women, Tierza has a story you won't want to miss.

1030am Michelle Bersell - psychotherapist and life coach talks about "Weathering the Financial Storm". Whether you are unemployed, self-employed or afraid that you may not be employed for long, you need to hear what Michelle has to say.

11am Eli Davidson - author of Funky to Fabulous - If you are tired of all of the discouraging news in the marketplace, you should put aside whatever you are doing from 11am to noon tomorrow and tune in to Eli. She will make you laugh, make you think and will inspire you to reinvent yourself.

For more information, see www.solutionzlive.blogspot.com