Newsletter -- February 2009
Faughnan Award Presented to Barbara Bird
Board Member & Recipient of Faughnan Award, Barbara Bird with Treasurer Bill Polk
At the February 13th meeting, the Consulting Alliance presented Barbara Bird, RNC, NP, the Faughnan award for outstanding leadership and service. As president of Bird Consulting Group, Barbara helps health care professionals identify and solve the problems of practice management. The firm consults to federal, state, and county governments as well as the private sector. Barbara holds a BSN from the University of Michigan and is a certified nurse practitioner in Women’s Health.
Barbara Bird has given back to our community in many ways. For more years than we can remember, Barb has served as our indefatigable membership chair welcoming new members into CA. Her alter-ego is “Sparky” the clown who entertains frequently at nursing homes and fund raisers for charitable causes. Barbara is president of the Red Nose Response and past president of the Electric City Clowns.
Barbara truly represents the spirit of the Faughnan award.
James P. Faughnan, Jr., (1933-2004) founded Confirm, Inc. in 1989 after 24 years employment at Austin & Co., including 12 years as Executive Vice President. He offered insurance experience and expertise to non-profit educational and health-related organizations as well as private firms. He was awarded the Third Age Award in 2002. In 2004, the Ebbie Pattison Award cited James P. Faughnan, Jr., as “a true driving force in establishing and improving healthcare and human services in our region. His vision and leadership has helped chart the course for The Eddy’s growth.”
About the Faughnan Award
By Bob Warsh
Jim Faughnan had an idea – How can people who have time on their hands, energy in their bodies, expertise in their fields of endeavor and the desire to do so, collaborate to help others advance? Together with Bob Pasciullo, Geof Bullard and this writer, we met over several lunches, coffee breaks and a few drinks to develop Jim’s concept. Many changes have occurred since those days, some fifteen-odd years ago, but the focus remains the same. Not an employment agency but rather a way to provide mutual help in furthering skills. Cooperation has been a key to our success. Yes, we have had differences of opinion within the membership as we mature and our membership has changed but we are still here to help each other do a better job and to full in the blanks where needed. Our duration proves we have a place in the Capital Region’s business environment and thanks to one idea and members who have put that idea into practice, the Consulting Alliance is here today.
Response from Barbara Bird
Receiving the Founders' Award from my colleagues in the Consulting Alliance is a treasured honor. I want to thank one and all. I have gotten to know you in my tenure as membership chair and it has been very rewarding to see you step up to the plate to volunteer for the CA and at the same time see your businesses grow and thrive. We are a vital organization with a commitment to the ideals of our founders.
I was brought into the Consulting Alliance by Steve Appel and I will always appreciate that support and sponsorship. The CA helps its members develop in ways that result in doing business better and smarter. Never overlook the opportunity to introduce a consultant to our organization.
Thank you again.
Barbara C. Bird RNC
Bird Consulting Group, Inc.
New Members
The Consulting Alliance welcomes Robert Braathe, MBA. Robert Braathe is a member of the Apple Consultants Network, assisting businesses with business, technology and human resource processes and innovation. In addition, Robert is a full-time business and technology instructor and advisor for SUNY Delhi at Schenectady County Community College, where he teaches courses that include Human Resources I and II, Designing and Managing Organizational Training, Project Management, Strategic Management, Organizational Communications and Individual Behavior in Organizations.
Robert has held leadership positions with Walt Disney World, Gap and Apple Computers. He has worked on projects with companies such as Club Gateway Resort, Scholastic Library Publishing and North River Ventures. As an undergraduate, he participated in the Walt Disney College program and Management Internship program.
He was named Distinguished Alumni at Western Connecticut State University, where he received his Master's in Business Administration. He holds a B.S. in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts. In 2004, the Robert Braathe Leader's Award scholarship was named in his honor at University of Massachusetts. Robert is pursuing his PhD in Management from North Central University.
His website is www.galaconcierge.com.
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Welcome to Denise F. Horan, the founder and principal of Integrated Management & Sales Consulting. Her firm provides results oriented solutions to help organizations grow revenues, find new marketing opportunities and develop effective sales and management leaders. Recent engagements include: strategic marketing plans, executive coaching, comprehensive sales and marketing upgrades, interim sales management, as well as sales, management and customer service training.
Clients include: Transfinder Transportation Management Systems, HSBC, Time Warner, Harvard Clinical Research Institute, Aflac, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, O’Connell and Aronowitz Law Firm and Barr Laboratories, ConvaTec / Bristol Meyers and Stryker Biotech in conjunction with Total Learning Concepts.
Prior to establishing Integrated Management & Sales Consulting, Ms. Horan was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Eastern Connection, a regional parcel express service, where she led a twenty-eight-member team across thirteen states. Under her leadership, Eastern Connection generated record sales growth while reducing sales costs to produce unprecedented earnings.
In addition to having articles published in Office World News, Parcel Shipping and Distribution, and The Capital District Business Review, Ms. Horan has been quoted in various news publications and trade journals. Recent seminars include: Marketing Yourself, Successful Sales Strategies, Strategic Planning Made Easy, Marketing and Ethics for the legal industry, Leading and Managing for Success and Trade Show Strategies.
Ms. Horan is a graduate of Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology; she also earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University at Albany. Ms Horan is an adjunct professor at The Sage Colleges, trains entrepreneurs for the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program at The Albany Colonie Chamber of Commerce and is an instructor for The Smart Up Program at The Rensselaer Development Center of the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Denise Horan serves on the board of the Capital Region Chapter of The Executive Women's Golf Association.
Member News -- Milestones and Celebrations
Ray & Martha Patterson recently visited their new Granddaughter, Lillian Riu Patterson, born Dec 24 to their son and daughter-in-law (Russell and Thuy Patterson) in North Charleston, SC.
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William "BJ" Johnson, Executive Director, U-Start Business Incubator, reports. “It is hard to believe but I’m beginning my third year as Executive Director of U-Start. The successes that have been realized by the member companies have occurred in no small part because of the willing participation of the members of the Consulting Alliance. A heart felt thanks to all of you.” – BJ
Member News
Jim Harrison, principal of Business Capital Connections, participated in the panel discussion "Show Me the Money" presented by the Small Business Council of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce on February 10th.
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Steven M. Egna, Director of Business Advisory Services with Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte CPAs, P.C., reports that the company was accepted for membership in the American Business Appraisers, a nation-wide network of credentialed business valuation professionals.
Steven Egna was a course instructor for the Institute of Business Appraisers. Egna taught two classes about business valuations in an educational seminar series in Florida. He is a Certified Business Appraiser and a Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor. His focus is on business valuations and mergers and acquisitions as well as CFO advisory work. Please visit www.tbccpa.com for additional information.
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Ray Patterson of Capital Consulting Group announces the debut of a white paper titled "Leading From an Emerging Future: A Process for Creating and Leading." The document explains Capital Consulting Group's facilitated strategic planning process and shows the changes experienced by clients who have completed the process. Ray hired Pauline Bartel of Bartel Communications to research, write and edit the white paper, which Ray will use for marketing purposes. "Thanks for a great job, Pauline," Ray says.
You can read the paper in the new White Paper page of the CA web site.
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Pauline Bartel, president and chief creative officer of Bartel Communications, Inc., has been elected to serve a two-year term on the Board of Directors of The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County. Pauline has been appointed to serve as chair of the Chamber's Marketing Committee.
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Dr. Thomas Denham, Managing Partner & Career Counselor, of Careers In Transition LLC, recently addressed the annual conference of the Professional Insurance Agents Association (PIA). PIA represents independent insurance agencies and brokerages and their employees in Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York. His topic was “Hiring and Retaining Good Talent.” He also recently appeared on WMHT Channel 17 as the local career expert commenting about employment strategies in uncertain economic times, goal setting and Barbara Sher’s new book It’s Only Too Late, If You Don’t Start Now.
Committee Reports
Marketing Committee
CA Marketing Tools for Members
White Papers
Since the January breakfast meeting, the Marketing Committee has quickly moved to implement a new marketing tool on the Alliance web site: a White Papers section where regular members can post, edit, & delete articles that anyone may read and comment on. Currently three papers are on the site, one under Leadership, and two under Marketing & Sales. If you need another category, send your request to Jim Harrison.
Posting an article is intuitive, especially if you've ever posted to or commented on a blog. To add a paper, press the ADD POST button. That opens the New Entry form. Type your title in the SUBJECT entry box. If you think you're going to run out of room, just keep typing. The title wraps when displayed. Type or cut & paste your article. When you're done, press the gray POST button and your article is available for viewing. You can always go back to edit or to delete your paper. If you want links within your paper activated, let Jim Harrison know.
When you post an article, Wild Apricot automatically displays a posting time/date stamp and an active link to your profile page. If you opt to let Cindy Herrmann or Jim Harrison post your article, their names are displayed instead. Jim can put in a byline and link it to your profile. Look at the articles by Pauline Bartel and Cindy Herrmann posted to the Marketing & Sales page to see the difference.
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Case Studies/Client Success Stories – Coming Soon
Within a few weeks, the CA website will open a new section for members to post short case studies. The procedure for adding categories will the same as for white papers. There is a suggested format in the member forum under case studies.
Case studies are a powerful tool for showing how you achieve results as a consultant. Posting a one-page case study on the CA website will give you maximum exposure when potential clients Google a specific business issue.
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Volunteers Needed for Consultant Boot Camp
The Marketing Committee seeks energetic volunteers to plan and deliver a “boot camp” for new consultants. Please contact Marketing Committee chair Cindy Herrmann cindy@mogulmarketing.com if you are interested. We need someone to lead this effort.
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Use your Consulting Alliance Profile for Marketing
Be sure to fill in any blanks on your CA Profile. The marketing committee is going to be driving more traffic to our website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for exposure to potential clients.
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Membership Committee
Membership Committee Needs Two Volunteers
Barbara Bird reports: I need some help. I would like to recruit two members to serve with me on the membership committee. I currently have four and six is a better number. This is an excellent way to get involved and also get to know our guests and applicants a bit better. It is an easy job that requires about one to two hours of your time, on your schedule, every 3-4 months. The membership committee interviews applicants for membership and does a follow up on that individual’s references. The membership chair handles the rest of the process. Send Barbara Bird an email bbird2@nycap.rr.com.
Retention Committee: This sub-committee of membership was created to contact those members we have not seen or heard from for a while as well as find out from members who might resign about what their satisfaction or dissatisfaction may have been with the organization. It really is a feel-good activity. We are going to have pre-addressed post cards at the breakfast meetings for anyone to sign a note to one of our “missing” members. This is just a trial. Currently the retention committee is made up of Will Ryan and Bob Furlong. If you have any other suggestions please let them know.
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Program Committee Announcements
February 27th Breakfast – Ruth S. Walters, managing director of The Walters Group will discuss retainer based fees including the rationale behind retainers, various types of retainers, and how to negotiate these with your clients.
March 13th Lunch – Rocco Ferraro, Executive Director, Capital District Regional Planning Commission will discuss how accessing and understanding regional planning data can provide opportunities for consultants. He will provide some information about trends in the Capital Region and a recent study that evaluated possible fiscal impacts of alternative growth futures. Information is power, so come get some useful information and power!
March 27th – Breakfast – Peter Coombs will lead an interactive program on negotiation.
April 3rd – the first Friday in April instead of our usual 2nd Friday lunch program – We are pleased to have Ken Adams, the President of the Business Council of New York State joining us to talk about current events in the state capital and in Washington and how that will be affecting businesses in NYS.
April 24th Breakfast – Nancy Schultz will facilitate a round table discussion on strategies for handling these tough economic times.
Resources
Thanks to Cindy Herrmann for the following thoughts reported in
Avoid the Brain Drain from Hired Guns Marketing Consulting Group, LLC January 11, 2009
"What a terrible thing to have lost one's mind. Or not to have a mind at all." – Vice President Dan Quayle
“-- in this economic climate, it would be a terrible thing to lose your mind. You’re gonna need it. As a Hired Gun, your brain is your ammo, and it can't fire right if it's focused on fear, or shut down altogether . . . Here's what we know: with every recession, Corporate America outsources yet another function, never to return again . . .
My advice? Do what you do best -- swim in the other direction. With everyone around you pulling a Chicken Little, . . ., we're betting on the fact that shrinking corporations mean more opportunity for entrepreneurial individuals -- both inside and outside of organizations -- who are ready to step up to the challenges. . . .
Getting [your brain] healthy and happy is step one to building a solid foundation for the future... Here are a couple of recommended readings from nytimes.com to help you clear your head.
Coping Skills and Horrible Imaginings
By ALINA TUGEND
Published: January 2, 2009
Tugend gives lots of reasons why the chronically stressed out must work double-time to chill; even better, she tells you how.
In Hard Times, Fear Can Impair Decision-Making
By GREGORY BERNS
Published: December 6, 2008
This is one of those articles that stays on the brain long after you read it. Berns explains why you innovators -- now more than ever -- need to keep the exploratory part of your brain open.
Newsletter Submission Schedule and Tips
The newsletter is published every other month. Copy is due to Nancy Reilly the Friday of the breakfast meeting in March, May, July, September, and December. Newsletter editor is Carol Day Young.
Please send recommendations of good resources, books, websites of interest to members, especially SHORT member news/announcements such as:
· Events/Presentations- big public events of interest to members
· Awards and honors
· Publications
· BIG contracts
· Appearances on TV or radio
· Launch of a new website
· Business anniversary/milestones
· Births, deaths, marriages
· Updates on member to member service exchanges
· Launch of a new project/enterprise outside the scope of the member’s usual business
· Unusual experiences