®

Make
Celebration
an Everyday
Way of
Business
Sheree Demao

December is
the time for
Optimism and
Peace of Mind
Marcie Williams-Browing

Sowell
Beth Jenkins
Steady as She Goes
From the publisher Mimi Zelman

Dear Readers,

I can’t believe 2010 is now coming to an end!

For me this year has just flown by!

I’d like to take the time to thank all of my advertisers,

without you, there would be no magazine, and
our readers who have given me such wonderful
encouragement to keep going forward! Without our
readers there would be no magazine as well!

Readers please support the wonderful women owned

businesses that advertise in our magazine and tell

“
them you saw them in Women With Know How.

As 2011 comes to a start, remember to celebrate all

the good things in your life, the people and places that
have helped you along the way. Make decisions that
Remember to you are comfortable with, let nobody put you down,
celebrate all the

”
and if you have a dream, don’t be afraid to act on it, it
good things in can come true!!

your life Wishing you a very happy holiday season,

Mimi

2
®
 COntents

Features

16 24 28 32
Cover Story Professional Family Food
Beth Jenkins Sowell Spotlight Tips for the Holidays Italian Meatballs
Jerilyn Mcdonald

Departments
Management
6 News 14

Robyn Crigger Fabi Preslar Wins
Stevie® Award
Communication 8

Janet Anderson Personal FOrecast 22


motivational 12
Marcie Williams-Browing

Sheree Demao relationships 30

Mary Elizabeth Murphy

3
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 ® ®

Visit Our New

Online Store Serving Charlotte
You know your stuff, and Charleston
now show the world! Publisher/President
Mimi L. Zelman
Whether you’re heading to your company’s mimi@womenwithknowhow.com
board meeting or your daughter’s soccer
design and page production
practice, you’ll be stylin’ when you show the SPARK Publications
world that you are a Woman With Know-how. info@SPARKpublications.com
Feature Writer/Copy Editor
We’ve handpicked a select group of items Cristina Cassidy
all in rich black, to showase the gorgeous
Director of wwkh elite
fuchsia pink and silver metallic embroidered
Margo Lord
message that tells everyone you are truly a Margo@womenwithknowhow.com
woman to be reckoned with. aCCOUNT eXECUTIVE
Leslie Wilson Pearce
Great holiday gifts for your
Contributing Writers
Women With Know How. Mary Cantando
Mary Elizabeth Murphy
www.womenwithknowhow.com Marcie Williams- Browning
Robyn Crigger
Janet Anderson
of Anderson PC Training
Kim Hughes
of 704events.com
Charleston
Contact Mimi Zelman
704-491-1207
mimi@womenwithknowhow.com
For more advertising information call
Mimi at 704-491-1207 or email her at:
mimi@womenwithknowhow.com
Copyright ©2010

Cover photography: Dustin Shores

4
®
Management Robyn Crigger, CEO Compass Career Management Solutions–OI Partners Inc.

Are You Using This

Holiday Season Wisely?
It’s a Great Time to Search for
a Job or Strengthen Your Business

D
on’t allow the whole target and then who do you know, who
holiday season to slip by can connect you with that person?
without utilizing this time
frame to take strategic steps for a Building relationships is key
job search or implementing some Job seekers should continue to fine
proactive measures to strengthen tune their list of targeted employers,
your firm. researching them further, and making
efforts to build relationships with key
Too many see this as a time when management personnel. Become
businesses are neither hiring nor well informed on their challenges and
making decisions on business evaluate how you and your skills/
efforts. However, experience can help them. Small
this just isn’t true. ways to grow a working relationship
MORE INFO
OI Partners Inc. – Compass
Those progressive include a letter of introduction, attend
Career Management job seekers and organizations where these people
Solutions
www.compasscareer.com employers are using go, make a follow-up call and invite
(704) 849-2500
rcrigger@compasscareer.com this time to take subtle them to lunch to “get acquainted”.
and strategic steps to You should always listen very carefully
move forward. Review to all that this company’s rep shares
what you have been doing with you and think about how this
and ask yourself what is really might apply to you and/or your skills
working. Do you need to locate better and experience. Don’t wait until the
venues for networking? Who is your holidays are over to begin this! By
6
®
 Job seekers should
continue to fine tune constructive measures, it could make the
their list of targeted difference in success verses second or
third place. Look around and open your
employers, researching mind to other efforts and yet be focused
them further. on how to reach your goal. By the time
you are into January, you may already be
seeing the fruits of your labor. Go for it!

then, the decision maker may have

very possibly made a decision on a
new staff member.

Getting a jump
on your competitors
Similarly, business owners and
management will very likely use this
time frame over the holidays to make
decisions on how to move the company
forward. Many may not contact a
vendor until after the holidays, but why
wait? If businesses will take this time to
research and evaluate credible resources
and vendors, they could really benefit
by implementing a plan right away.
What efforts have you been using to
strengthen your company? Is it working?
Get a jump on your competitors and
be taking measures now to strengthen
and grow all your assets and potential.
Experiment with new and creative
measures. Involve “fresh blood” in your
circle of resources. Not all new ideas will
work, but others will! Then by the first
of the year, your company has already
gotten a “running start”.

Of course, we all want to enjoy the

holidays, but if you can use this period
before the first of the year to begin your
7
®
Communication Janet Anderson, Anderson PC Training

Ly or not to Ly?
Good or Well? Me or I?
How to Avoid Miscommunication
Over the Holidays and All the Time

I
t’s December and many of us
are scurrying around to get
things done. The last thing
you need is miscommunication
between you and your family,
you and the clerk at the grocery
store, or you and the help desk at
work. Miscommunication begins
with poor grammar. As
we get sloppier with
our speech and
our written word,
MORE INFO
Anderson PC Traini
ng our language
ing .co m
www.anderso np ctrain may become
980.428.2066
very difficult to
understand.
Ok. I admit I am getting
older. I don’t know about you, but
I am missing our good grammar and
English rules of grammar. Where did
8
®
they go? I know in this age of texting,
emailing, and short cryptic voice mail
messages we probably feel that we just
don’t have the time to spend on saying
things correctly. But isn’t that what
communication is ALL about?
Bad grammar becoming the norm
Let me begin by saying I am NOT
an English major and I am NOT the
grammar police, but I do know how I
am affected by poor grammar.
It didn’t bother me when occasionally I
would see in writing or hear a teenager
say something incorrectly, such as “Me
and my sister went to the mall” , but
when it became the NORM, I began to
get worried. By the way, that should
be “My sister and I went to the mall”
where the pronoun I is the subject. Me
is the object of a sentence. “She went
with ME”.
Good and well are other words that are
often used incorrectly. When someone
asks you “How are you?”, many of us
answer “I’m good”. It really should be
“I’m well”. Another example is “I did
that job well”. But the word good is an
adjective. “You did a good job”, “That
was good ice cream”. If it answers
the question ‘how?’, you need to use
an adverb such as good, importantly,
highly, badly, and prominently.
Even announcers do it
The latest ‘nail in the coffin’ was
that an announcer for NPR (National
Public Radio), during a news report
said “And more important, he was
….” Importantly is the proper word
to use. Important is an adjective
and should be used as a descriptive
term. For example, “This was an
important election”, or “The president
is important to our country”. But
importantly should be used in
situations such as “More importantly,
we should all vote”.
Then there is the word LIKE. Like has
many meanings, but it is not the word
you should use to ‘fill in’ a gap. “Like
my son, like went to the store, like
yesterday”. No one would type that,
so why is it an everyday occurrence
9
®
 to hear it? One day, I was walking
behind two adult females talking to one
another. In the span of less than five
minutes, I counted 30 times they said
‘like’ to each other. This was no longer
a form of communication, but a bad
habit. I’m sure they didn’t realize their
overuse of this word.
Poor grammar can affect an interview
Poor grammar is damaging in all sorts
of situations. If I were on the other side
of a desk interviewing an applicant for a
job, the way they communicated using
the English language would influence me
tremendously. Of course it would matter
what the job was, but ANY job where you
need to communicate with others, would
be affected.
If a salesperson used incorrect grammar,
I am not sure I could believe what they
were telling me. If a professional – doctor,
lawyer, etc, used too many incorrect
words, I would probably not respect them
as professional.
Maybe that is not fair, but we as humans
tend to judge a person within the first
30 seconds of meeting them. Your
first meeting might just be via email or
Skype, so grammar is judged there, too.

To err is human
Having said all of this, some of you are
Develop a Strong Organization - probably going through this article and
Invest in Your Talent underlining mistakes. I’m sure there are
Compass Offers:
a few, but on the whole, I try very hard
TALENT MANAGEMENT to be precise. When training, I need to
 Assess your workforce & determine potential leaders.
 Provide training for growth & leadership opportunities. be very clear and precise in what I say
 Clarify company expectations for leaders.
EXECUTIVE COACHING
so that the students can be clear on the


One-on-One support for future leaders
Enhance performance, productivity & effectiveness
instruction or direction. Their learning


Strengthen & expand talent
Improve communication skills hinges on my message.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
 Perform SWOT analysis on management team
 Select members of your “A-Team” & recruit others When communicating it is always a good
 Customize programs for all to reach full potential
idea to ask if you are being understood,
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
 Confirm core preferences (values) of workforce especially if the discussion is important.
 Identify and address major conflicts of workforce
 Stress importance of mutual respect and communication You want to be sure that the other person
RETIREMENT WORKSHOPS ‘heard’ what you said. The best way to
 Provides ERISA 404C requirements
 Unbiased financial education, valued by employees. ensure this happens is to brush up on
OUTPLACEMENT: We remain Experts in this
your grammar skills.
industry of Change Management.
(704) 849-2500
The winds of change bring opportunity.TM info@CompassCareer.com Now, like go out there, like and enjoy like
www.CompassCareer.com
your holidays!
10
®
 Life is full of foggy roads.
We help you find your way
to where you want to go.

TM

Clarity ♦ Organization ♦ Accountability ♦ Support

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11
®
 MOTIVATIONAL Sheree Demao, Me, Myself & Inc.

Make Celebration an
Everyday Way of Business

T
oo many business owners relationship with a client through special
get so caught up in their recognition and a token of appreciation.
business, they forget to You can use the traditional anniversary
celebrate and recognize the big themes as your inspiration. For example,
and small achievements along the with paper as the designated theme
way. Growth companies know how for year one, you could present them
to make celebration a way of doing with an inspirational paperback book
business internally and externally. or a meaningful origami. Wikipedia
has a great list if you search wedding
If you make celebrating a year-round anniversary gifts. Get creative!
way of doing business, it will help
turn your company into one Celebrate a Beginning:
everyone wants to be Many businesses celebrate a
associated with. It will customer’s birthday as a way to cement
MORE INFO set you apart from your a relationship. While this is a good
Me, Myself & Inc.
www.memyselfandinc
.com competitors. Growth practice and can be meaningful, it
83 .29 41 EX T.1 3
70 4.4 companies know that can sometimes appear transparent,
these celebrations are especially in a business-to-business
not only good for morale, environment. Instead, find out when
but also good for business. customers joined their firm or began
their current positions. Then send a
Celebrate Your Relationship: special note each year recognizing the
Celebrate the yearly anniversary of your milestone and show you pay attention.
12
®
Celebrate When Least Expected: a congratulatory note acknowledging
Sometimes the smallest gestures can be accomplishments of those you do
the most memorable. One year, a raffle business with. While e-mails get deleted,
was occurring at a nearby church for I guarantee a card with a clipping of the
a trip to the Bahamas for their building announcement you read will get kept as
campaign. We decided to buy a two-dollar a memento because it is so unusual. So
ticket for each client that year, and we don’t hesitate to acknowledge the old-
were amazed at the response. Because fashioned way.
it was totally unexpected, it was valued
for both its uniqueness and the fact Make your own style of celebration a
that it was for a worthy cause. None of part of your business inside and outside
our clients won the raffle, but some still its walls. Not only does it reinforce that
mention it to this day. Imagine what might you take nothing for granted, it also gives
have happened if someone had won! others even more reason to want to be a
part of the fun.
Celebrate With Purpose:
Have you noticed how busy everyone
seems to be? That won’t change, so
when planning a celebratory event, the
way to get someone’s attention and
interest in attending is twofold. Give it a
purpose and make it something out of
the norm. A holiday celebration at a firm
that specialized in green design made
the event memorable by encouraging
everyone to bring an item that they did
not want, but thought someone else
would want. In essence, they were
encouraging people to recycle or re-gift
the item. The exchange was the highlight
of the party, proving that one man’s junk
is another man’s treasure.

Celebrate Through Recognition:

The news media is filled with information
about people who have been promoted,
achieved professional certifications or
won awards. You’ll be amazed by the
positive vibes you create when you send
13
®

Fabi Preslar, President Of
SPARK Publications Wins Stevie® Award
in 7th AnnualStevie Awards for Women in Business on November 12th in NYC
F
abi Preslar, president of SPARK
Publications, won an International
Stevie Award for Best Entrepreneur
with under 100 employees in the Stevie
Awards for Women in Business. She
was the only winner representing the
Carolinas in this year’s competition.
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business
is an international competition recognizing
the accomplishments of outstanding women
executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations
they run. The awards are produced by the creators
14
®
Photo Courtesy of Stevie® Awards
of the prestigious American Business AwardsSM.
Stevie Awards were handed out in categories
including Best Entrepreneur, Best Executive,
Lifetime Achievement, and Women Helping Women
at the gala event at New York’s Marriott Marquis
Hotel on November 12. More than 1,200 entries
from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every
industry were submitted for consideration.
Preslar founded SPARK Publications thirteen years
ago as a home-based business and built it into a
thriving publication-design powerhouse. Her award-
winning publication design firm specializes in the
design and production of custom magazines, self-
published books, catalogs and marketing design.
Enterprising Women Magazine named Preslar an
honoree for the 2010 Enterprising Women of the
Year Award. She was also the 2009 recipient of
the prestigious Richard H. Hagemeyer Educational
Advancement Award, which recognized her valuable
contributions to the community. Her company
received the 2009 International Stevie® Award for
Best Business Turnaround of the Year.
Finalists in the competition were chosen by
business professionals worldwide during preliminary
judging in September and October. Final judging
was conducted by members of the awards’ Board
of Distinguished Judges & Advisors in late October
to select Stevie Award winners from among
the Finalists.
Details about the Stevie Awards for Women in
Business and the list of honorees are available at
www.stevieawards.com/women.
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About SPARK Publications
Founded in 1998, SPARK Publications is a
publications design firm based in Matthews,
NC specializing in the design and production of
custom magazines, self-published books, custom
catalogs and brochures.
About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs:
The American Business Awards, The International
Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women
in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales &
Customer Service. Honoring companies of all
types and sizes and the people behind them, the
Stevies recognize outstanding performances in
the workplace worldwide. Learn more about The
Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.
Sponsors of the 7th annual Stevie Awards
for Women in Business include the Business
TalkRadio Network and KeyBank. Localization
partner of the 2010 Stevie Awards is Lionbridge.
Local Business Profiles
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15
®
 Sowell
Beth Jenkins
Steady as She Goes
16
by Cristina Cassidy
This Accomplished
Woman Brings Creativity
and Balance to Her Work
B
eth Jenkins Sowell is the
first person to tell you that
she would rather be in the
background than in the spotlight.
In fact, when she was in first
grade and was cast as the lead in
the school play she was, as she
puts it, “mortified.” These days,
she may be behind the scenes,
but this Woman With Know
How is the person who brings
organization to the mix, along
with a big dose of talent.
Sowell and her business partner,
Randy Davis, run Episode XI Studios,
a successful Charlotte based video
production company that also offers
photography services. This dynamic
company has produced video for
Extreme Home Makeover, A&E and
many companies throughout the
Charlotte area. Their clients include
Goodwill Industries, Winthrop
University and Blum, to name a few.
Sowell is the company’s chief video
editor and operations VP, two positions
that require her extensive organizational
skills. Her background was primarily in
meeting and event planning, so when
Davis and she started the company they
included meeting and event planning as
part of their services. But as time went
on, they decided to put more of their
energy into video production.
She found her passion
“In order to keep things running,” says
Sowell, “I started learning the video
editing. I fell in love with the planning
required to make a great finished
product.” She also enjoys the creative
side of editing. “I love telling a story
with video for a client and giving them a
winning edge over their competition.”
Born and raised in Mount Holly, North
Carolina, Sowell has been teased by
friends for having what she calls “my
Walton perfect childhood.” She has two
17
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 early years. Her father died from heart
Sowell believes that growing up with disease when Sowell was only 15 years
old. She had always been a daddy’s girl,
brothers has helped her work well and suddenly being in a single parent
with a male business partner. family was difficult for her. Her mother
had to work long hours to support the
family, and her little brother, who was
brothers-- she’s the middle child--and only eight at the time, required a lot of
there’s a seven-year difference between attention. Sowell not only had to attend
each of the siblings. Sowell believes that school, but she also had to do the
growing up with brothers has helped her housework and babysit.
work well with a male business partner.
Despite the family struggles, Sowell
According to Sowell, “I learned that did well academically in high school,
there is no one in this world who can and worked on the yearbook staff her
get away with mistreating you when last two years. She also discovered
you have two brothers. There is always a talent for drawing, but her family
a brother handy to defend you whether discouraged her from pursuing art as a
you want it or not.” She goes on to say, career. Says Sowell, “I guess we didn’t
“I can’t get away from the testosterone know as much about graphic design
though. I have a husband and a son and web design and video editing back
at home, so the men have always then, or things might have turned out
outnumbered the women in my life.” differently earlier.”

A strong role model Out in the working world

Her bonds with women have been
equally as important to Sowell. She
considers her grandmother her greatest
role model. What impressed her most
about this strong woman was that “she
could laugh out loud whenever she felt
like it, tell you exactly what she was
thinking--you never knew what she was
going to say next--and yet she could
make the best banana pudding you’d
ever eaten!”
Although her family was close, life was
not completely idyllic for Sowell in her
18
®
Her first professional job was at
Cox Technologies, a company that
manufactured temperature recorders
for refrigerated trucks. Her attention
to detail helped gain her a promotion
as a traffic manager, a highly detailed-
oriented job.
After that she worked as an
administrative assistant for a web
design/software development company
where she learned the basics of
database building, another skill that
required attention to detail.
Her next job was as an assistant to
the sales administrative department
at Baker and Taylor, a wholesale book,
music, and video distribution company.
One year later, she was promoted and
became one of the company’s three
meeting and event planners; once again
her highly detailed-oriented skills were
an important factor in her promotion.
A change in direction
and a new life
It was around this time that Sowell
met Davis, who was working in the
printing industry. They became friends
and stayed in touch over the years.
Sowell left Baker and Taylor after eight
years to work for PlayPower, a national
manufacturer of playground equipment.
Davis was unemployed at the time,
and was making plans to start his own
meeting planning and video production
company. When Davis asked Sowell to
go into business with him, she decided
to take a risk and said “yes.” Sowell
says, “We formed the company together,
sitting side by side writing up business
plans, signing paperwork and putting
together our website.” Sowell and Davis
have been working together ever since.

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19
®

Sowell is often asked what the name
of the company, Episode XI Studios,
signifies. She explains, “The night we
were coming up with a name was a lot
of fun. Randy loves the sitcom ‘Home
Improvement’ and I wanted to use the
word ‘episode’ in the name. So Randy
came up with Episode 11, because the
11th episode of Home Improvement was
his favorite.”
While Sowell’s work is highly gratifying,
she admits it’s hard to balance family life
and running a business. Her husband is
a member of the Army National Guard
and sometimes he is away for months
at a time doing training, which leaves
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20
®
“Don’t let anyone else
discourage you so
that you find yourself
giving up.”
Sowell at home to care for their five-year
old son. She feels fortunate that she can
sometimes work from home and can
bring her son to work with her when she
has to. For Sowell, this kind of flexibility
has been a godsend. “I wouldn’t have
had that in the corporate world.”
The going gets rough
Recently, life got even more challenging
for Sowell and her family. Her husband,
who they thought was going to be
deployed to Afghanistan, was diagnosed
with stage IV cancer in his right tonsil,
neck and lymph nodes. Thankfully, after
surgery, chemotherapy and radiation,
he is completely cancer free. Now that
he’s beaten the cancer, he is once again
looking at a possible deployment to
Afghanistan. Regarding her concerns
about this, Sowell takes a calm approach.
“We’ll take it one day at a time, just like all
the other Army spouses.”
Sowell admits that her greatest
challenge in life, something she
is working on to this very day, is
“learning that I can’t make everyone
happy and neglect my own needs
and wants.” Her greatest triumph
continues to be running Episode XI
Studios with Davis. “I would say I’m a
corporate world survivor. I made it out
of the cubicle and found something I
love instead, and I’m really proud at
how far we’ve come.”
Her advice to businesswomen is
practical. “I think if I had to advise
another woman starting a business, is
not to let anyone else discourage you so
that you find yourself giving up. It’s not
easy, no matter what others might try to
tell you. You have to wear many hats and
there will be days when you just want
to go back to bed, but mostly you keep
going because it’s yours, and you know
that makes all the extra hours and hard
do it no matter what! Even if it means
he’ll never be rich or famous, but he will
be happy. I’m trying my best to lead
by example.”
It looks as if Sowell is doing just that,
through her positive attitude and her
passion for her work.
“I get up every day excited about
what we’re doing now,” says MORE INFO
Sowell. “Who’s going to call and Beth Jenkins Sowell
what sort of challenge we will Episode XI Studios
www.episodexistudios.com
get to work on next? It’s like a 704.998.3711

work okay.” wrapped present on a regular

business day. You never know
Steadiness is her strong point what’s in store!”
When Davis and Sowell started their
business they both took the DISC profile
assessment as part of personality
training. Sowell scored high as an
“S”, which stands for “steadiness.”
People with this score are known for
being patient and measured in the way
they approach life. Sowell thinks this
description fits her to a tee.

“I try really hard to step outside of

myself,” says Sowell, “and consider
what other people need. Sometimes I do
this to my own detriment, but I think it’s Debbie Winchester Designs
important to help make other’s dreams
earth e le me nts j ewe lr y
come true.”

In terms of her own life, something

www.dwinchesterdesigns.com
important to her is what kind of legacy dwinchester@carolina.rr.com
she leaves for her son. She says, “I want
to teach my son to be kind to people, 704-607-0678
and find his purpose, his passion, and
21
®
 Personal Forecast Marcie Williams-Browning

December is the time for

Optimism and Peace of Mind

O
ver the coming year I will green and the theme is “I approach the
share with you areas of year end with faith and peace of mind.”
focus for each month. As It is the time to look to the future with
you create your plan for success and positive thoughts and objective eyes.
work that plan these suggestions will Some of the areas to consider are listed
give you a clear focus for the month. below. The best day in December to write
Write down your goals, dreams and down your desires and wishes is the 5th.
aspirations and look at them often. This is the day of the new moon which is
Writing them down brings them into considered the magical day for wishes
the physical world and makes them to be expressed.
tangible and real.
Truth
As you consider areas to December is the time to enlist the help
focus your attention this of your higher power and seek guidance
MORE INFO month be sure to look and communication for your greatest
is Center
Chrysalis Hypnos
iritBiz.co
www.MindBodySp 32
m at each area from your and highest good. You may want to
803.493.03
mental and emotional explore a new place of worship that feeds
state, your physical you spiritually. Incorporate frankness
well-being, your spiritual and honesty in all of your dealings and
needs as well as your communications of every type.
financial ones.
Our World
The color for the month of December is Renew your connection and responsibility
22
®
to our world this month as you connect
to and explore nature and its beauty. Use
December affirmation:
your intuition, which is your God given
gift, in all things this month. Find and
I choose to live in faith and joy.
maintain peace of mind as you close out
the year with joy and thanksgiving. mentors or enroll in higher education.
Philosophy will be a feature of this
Freedom month in light of the energy of
This is the month for spontaneity in all education. This is the month to seek
things especially in celebrations. Discover answers and find solutions.
your sense of adventure and explore your
world in new and innovative ways. This is Carelessness
a wonderful time for international travel Avoid shortcuts and approaches that may
to really explore our world. Maintain seem over-board. Keep tight control over
positive expectations in all things and extravagance and excess this month.
that is what you will receive. Be very aware of feeling self-righteous
or making assumptions without further
The Law study. Be diplomatic and caring in your
The energy this month is focused communication with others.
on the law of our country including As you create and work your plan this
attorneys and court proceedings. Make month take a look at yourself with
a conscious effort to honor and obey our objective eyes and include those areas
laws and your own ethics and values. where you need some work and celebrate
Allow your own conscience to guide you the areas where you have done well. Life is
in every choice this month. a journey and one we are meant to learn
and teach from. Every single experience
Optimism we have we are learning through and
It isn’t just the season that brings out our teaching from. Learn well and live in joy!
generous spirit this month but it is the
energy of the month. Go with the flow
when feeling generous and giving. Have
faith in yourself and others. Keep that
feeling of friendliness and gallantry alive
as you move through the month. Find
and hang on to good luck as you feel the
joyful feeling of optimism.

Higher Education
This is the month to seek and retain
23
®
 Professional Spotlight by Kim Hughes

Jerilyn Mcdonald

T
ell us about your
business background,
and how you got involved
in working with Send Out Cards.
I have a degree in Accounting
and an MBA, plus a CPA. After 20
years of working in governmental/
bank auditing and financial services
sales and compliance, I wanted the
experience owning my own business.
Through networking roles and
opportunities with eWomenNetwork
and the Heart Link, I discovered that I
enjoyed and was successful in helping
small business owners, entrepreneurs
and sales professionals promote and
market their products and services.
Since SendOutCards is a tool that
lends itself to accomplishing that
goal for business using greeting
cards and gifts, it was a natural fit.
As an independent manager with
the company, I not only assist
established businesses with their
marketing efforts, but consult with
those desiring to start their own
greeting card business.
24
®
What do you like the most about was over 25 years ago and we now
running your own business? Charlotte “home”.
I enjoy the freedom to take risks and
relying on my abilities, knowledge and What is the most challenging
skills to make things work. part of running your business?
It is most challenging to be responsible
Do you think that being for “doing it all” and balancing the time
a woman is an advantage or required to get it “all” done!
a disadvantage in running
your own business, or does
that even matter?
I have experienced both the benefit
of being a woman in business and
its limitations. In the end, it is how
well you run your business or do your
job, regardless of your gender, that
determines your success or failure.

Is Charlotte your home town?

If not, where are you from
originally and how did you
end up in Charlotte?
I am originally from Texas, moved to
Washington DC a few years after college
and met my husband, Roger, while we
worked as auditors for the government.
We relocated to Charlotte after deciding
to leave government and DC for a
more relaxed living environment and to
pursue private industry careers. That

I discovered that
I enjoyed and was
successful in helping
small business owners,
entrepreneurs and sales
professionals
25
®

The economy is tough right
now; would you encourage
women to start a business
during such uncertain times?
I would encourage a woman to start
a business after considering all the
necessary factors and research
involved. The economy would certainly
be a one factor in any decision to start
any business.
What advice do you have for
women who are just starting
out in business?
Do not be afraid to follow your intuition,
26
®
Do not be afraid to
follow your intuition,
do your homework
and keep one to two
years of resources in
reserve for backup
do your homework and keep one to two
years of resources in reserve for backup,
if and when needed to fall back on.
I notice you are quite visible
out there in the world of
social media. What is your
opinion of using social media
as a marketing tool?
I am a technology junky but have only
scratched the surface of social media
and its impact on business. I do think
social media has its place in marketing
and it has quickly become an acceptable,
effective business marketing tool. But I
also believe that we must be cautious of
the many expert recommendations for
various platforms coming on the horizon
versus determining our own needs based
upon the type of industry we work in and
the time and resources we have available
to commit to it.
When you aren’t working, where
would we most likely find you?
I love to travel anywhere! In the winter
you might find me on the ski slopes
somewhere in NC, VA or WV if I am
lucky because it is my favorite personal
sport and there is nothing better that
experiencing the peace and beauty of the
top of a snow capped mountain.
If you could choose any other
profession for yourself besides
the one you are in, what would
that be, and why?
I would be an actor! I wanted to major
in music and dance in college but was
convinced that a business career would
provide me a better means for support as
a woman. I am grateful for my business
career opportunities but over the past
few years, I have been able to pursue my
acting dream, performing in several local
community theatres of Charlotte and
take acting and dance classes when my
schedule permits. I do believe that “the
entire world IS a stage” and how we act
out life, determines our ability to survive,
live, love and give back to others!
Where do you see you
and your business five
years from now?
Predicting five years out MORE INFO
is challenging in our ever- Jerilyn Mcdonald
Jerilynmcdonald@gmail.com
d
changing, technical world, www.socreferral.com/jerilynmcdonal
704.650.3995
but if I could foresee the
future, I would want to
continue helping others
by tripling the number of people
I serve in business as well as devote a
larger percentage of time to volunteering
and traveling.
27
®
 Tips Happy
for a
Holiday
Season
28
®
T
he holidays are meant to be a happy,
enjoyable season. Yet the stress of shopping,
decorating and entertaining can sometimes
dampen the spirit. Here are some easy tips to help
you make this a great, stress-free holiday season:
• Before heading to the mall, make a list of
everyone you want to give a gift to and some
ideas of gifts they may like. This will help
you organize a budget and streamline your
experience once you hit the stores.
• Start early so you’ll have more time to find that
perfect gift for everyone on your list. After all,
you’re less apt to select a great gift if you are
rushing through a store before they close on
Christmas Eve.
• Try to shop during the week to avoid long check-
out lines.
• To help keep the holiday budget in check,
consider making handmade gifts or personalized
coupons. These gifts are sometimes the most
remembered and most valuable to receive.
• Enlist the kids to help you decorate. It’s a
great way to spend time together as a family
and lets everyone feel more a part of the
holiday celebrations.
• Wrap gifts as you go rather than leaving
everything until Christmas Eve. And don’t forget
the stockings. Pouring out the contents of a
stocking is a big part of the Christmas morning
tradition. While the stockings will always have
candy and fruit, the small stocking stuffer gifts
are what make stockings most memorable.
• To make bath time more fun for all the kids,
stuff their stockings with a selection
of inexpensive bath art items.
You can find bath paints,
markers and crayons that let
the little ones unleash their
inner Picassos. Bathtub clings
and foam letters, shapes and
numbers let them create a new masterpiece
every time they get clean.
• Need a last minute stocking stuffer idea for your
spouse? Pick up the Arm & Hammer Spinbrush
Proclean, which provides practicality in a
sleekpackage. This toothbrush removes up to
70% of plaque in hard-to-reach places and will
leave their mouth feeling clean and refreshed.
And after all, fresh breath is necessary when
you’re standing under the mistletoe!
• Combine functional with fun by adding kid-
favorite Arm & Hammer Spinbrush battery-
powered toothbrushes to your children’s stocking
this year. For the girl who loves decorating
everything from her notebook to her bedroom,
the Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Kids My Way!™
battery-powered toothbrush is the perfect
stocking stuffer. With more than 140 water safe
stickers that can be applied to the #10322_AR
Source: Arm & Hammer Spinbrush toothbrush
handle, she can create her own custom one-of-a-
kind toothbrush, making brushing time more fun.
• For little boys who have been good this year,
Santa can include an Arm & Hammer Spinbrush
Kids Thomas & Friends™ toothbrush to their
stocking. Featuring the much-loved Thomas the
Tank Engine, the toothbrush will help place kids
on the express track to the bathroom sink to
brush after a full day of holiday sweets. For more
information, visit www.spinbrush.com.
29
®
 Relationships Mary Elizabeth Murphy, Managing Director of S.T.A.R. Resources
Gratitude Button
D
ear Mary Elizabeth, With
Thanksgiving behind us and
Christmas fast approaching,
I have to say I’m feeling a little
guilty. I just don’t find that much to
be grateful for or thankful about.
The economy seems to be getting
better for everyone but me, and
the demands that my workmates,
friends and family make upon
me are quite taxing. I know that
I should be thankful, but at this
time of year I find myself less so
than ever. How do I reset my
gratitude button?
MORE INFO Signed,
S.T.A.R. Resources
Begging Not
704.535.5610
info@starresources.biz to be Bitter
Dear BNTBB,
In the words of President Bill
Clinton, “I feel your pain.” Believe it or
not, you are not the only person who
has expressed this exact guilt to me
30
®
during the holiday season. They feel
like they’ve been scraping by all year
with the promise that things would get
better, and here it is December and
they don’t notice much improvement.
That same bitter question keeps
bubbling up: “What do I have to be
thankful for?”
The first thing you should do to RESET
that gratitude button within yourself is to
take a look at the calendar again. Sure,
it’s December already. But you’ve made
it to December. Think of that! With all
of the difficulties you’ve faced, you’ve
overcome your obstacles; you’ve at least
overcome enough of them to make it
this far. Be thankful to yourself for the
resourcefulness, the perseverance and
the patience to come this far.
As you look at the calendar, think about
the goals you set at the beginning
of the year. How many of them have
you reached? Of those you have
not reached, how close are you to
 Think about the
goals you set at
the beginning of the
year. How many
of them have
you reached?

reaching them? Quit Quickbooks and

MS Money for a second; what have you
accomplished? What are you far along
your way to accomplishing? Again,
be thankful to yourself for setting and
meeting those goals. Be thankful to
those around you who’ve helped you to
attain them.

Finally, take a look around at those

people. How many of them have reason
Let me help you find
to be grateful to you? Sometimes that’s
your dream home
a difficult question to answer honestly
or without disclaimer. Nevertheless, it’s
an important question to ask yourself:
how many people have I helped along
their path this year? How many of them
are thanking me this holiday season?
If the number you reach is lower than
you’d like – or even if it’s higher! – then
set new goals for yourself. Those goals
should include giving friends, neighbors,
co-workers and family reasons to be
thankful throughout the year. It sounds
like a cliché at this time of year, but Maggie Redmond is your
when you do good for others, when you Real Estate Professional
help those around you, you truly learn
Call Maggie Today!
what you have to be thankful for. 704.779.2992 cell
maggie.redmond@allentate.com
Enjoy your holiday season! Until next Go to www.MaggieRedmond.com
time I remain … to View My Featured Properties

31
®
 Add More
Flavor
to
YourHolidays

32
®
 W
hen you want to bring the
family together for a great meal
this holiday season but don’t
have a lot of time to cook, stock up on
flavorful ingredients to make your job easy
and your whole family happy.

Whether you’re serving a hearty breakfast,

fun party appetizers or a casual dinner, using
Johnsonville Sausage is a simple way to make
your recipes taste more delicious than ever.
With all the spices and seasonings you need
included right in the sausage, you’ll save time
and have a flavorful meal sure to bring your
family together this holiday season.
For more ways to add great taste to your
holidays, visit www.johnsonville.com.

Old-Fashioned
Italian Meatballs
Yield: approximately 12 meatballs
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 16-ounce package Johnsonville Italian All
Natural Ground Sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil

•In large bowl, combine egg, milk and bread-

crumbs. Let stand for 3 to 4 minutes or until
liquid is absorbed. Add sausage; mix well.
•Shape into meatballs. In a large skillet, sauté
meatballs in olive oil until golden brown and no
longer pink.
•Serve with your favorite pasta sauce and noodles.

33
®
 Create Your Legacy
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OF IT ALL
Best-Selling Author and
Award-Winning
Roy Willis and Kroghie Andresen making a TV Host
Have you ever given up on your dreams? Kroghie, with Maggie, after a successful duck
presentation at an association meeting in 2005.
hunt at Lake Mattamuskeet, N.C. in 2004.
Allowed others to put limits on you? Reached
Ryan is in it for the adventure. “Corporate Coffee mixes memoir with pep talk, yielding a lively chronicle filled with
All: It’s Embedded in My Heritage home-truths. As the first African American woman to reach the rank of Senior Vice a plateau in your career? Maybe you’ve had to
edible collection of hunting President at AB Volvo, Stephanie DawkinsAbout
provides a glimpse
the of what it takes to About the Author
and a priceless keepsake for CArolinA
kick open the doors of opportunity. For deCoy
Dawkins, adversity offers insight, every dummy-down your abilities in order to get along. Kroghie Andresen has enjoyed hunting
GuNNIN’ BIrDs

milies. With fervor, excitement ColleCtors

negative encounter has an upside and being true to oneself is the key to success.” and the outdoors since his early teens in
AssoCiAtion If any of this sounds familiar, it’s time to pour

SUCCESS
es readers that life is truly Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney eastern North Carolina. His waterfowl
ometimes it’s best to just enjoy The Carolina Decoy Collectorsfor District 14, New York
U.S. Representative hunting experiences began when he shot
Featuring The Collection of Kroghie Andresen

yourself a cup of Corporate Coffee.

ll. STEPHANIE R. DAWKINS is the former Association is a private non-profit two lesser scaup from a stake blind in the
Global Senior Vice President for AB Volvo, the first
and only African American to hold this position in the
80-plus year history of this Scandinavian company. From
organization established to promote and
“I feel moved by this emotionally
enhance the
childhood, and the corporate beginnings
charged
for its members.andThe
account of
decoy collecting
rise. She
goal
Stephanie’s
environment
hasassociation
of the created a most
NEVER Corporate Coffee: Success Never Tasted So Good

is the inspiring story of Stephanie R. Dawkins,

mouth of Bath Creek at the age of fifteen.
since then his passion for hunting has
grown and flourished.

TASTED
SUCCESS NEVER TASTED SO GOOD

her offices in Goteborg, Sweden, and Greensboro, North meaningful guide and encouragement
is to educate itsto both women
members and men.”
and promote Kroghie worked as a banker for First
Carolina, she led an international team in 19 different interest in decoy collecting. Eva Haller a woman who rose from poverty to power as a union National Bank, now Wachovia, for

SO GOOD
Founder & President,
countries and 180 markets and oversaw more than The Campaign
association usually has meetingsInstitute of America
Communications thirty three years before retiring in 2004.
100,000 employees worldwide. Stephanie is one twice each year which include buy-sell-Philanthropist and activist Senior Vice President for one of the world’s most Though his work had no connection with
of the top African American labor negotiators around swap sessions, educational programs, decoy hunting, he continued to pursue his hobby
the world. displays, and social events. These meetings recognizable international corporations. Part during spare time away from work. While
Prior to her position with Volvo, Stephanie worked “If you truly want to be inspired, then
are aCorporate
great place forCoffee is a must-read.
new collectors to learn Stephanie living in raleigh in 1979, his wife ross,
memoir, part mentorship, Corporate Coffee reveals
in other Fortune 500 companies in both operational knows how to succeed and takes us onmorea vividaboutjourney of emotionally
decoy collecting and meetheart-wrenching,
the bought him his first decoy to decorate
and strategic positioning capacities. She is a certified dealers
true-to-life experiences and struggles toand
thefellow collectors.
top. Her lessons learned and shared the hard-won lessons that enabled Stephanie R. their new den. This started a collection
speaker on an international level. Her specialties include The association
will help women become a champion andcareer
in their its members
and in life!” that has grown into over 1,100 North

It’s Embedded global expertise in negotiations, strategies, mergers &

acquisitions, human resources, industrial relations and
organizational effectiveness.
maintain relationships with all decoy
collecting related entities,International
such as auction
Roslyn Ridgeway
Speaker and Author
Chair, Board of Trustees
Dawkins to beat the odds. Carolina decoys. An early decision to
limit his collection to Back Bay, Virginia,

in my Heritage
companies, other decoy
Business collecting
and Professional Women’s Foundation Raised in a family that was rich in love, and North Carolina decoys led to a very
Recognized in 2010 by the United States House of associations, carvers guides, waterfowl specialized collection. Kroghie always tried
Representatives and inducted into the Congressional museums and waterfowl festivals. Stephanie built a strong personal and professional to document the history and provenance of
Record for her outstanding work in global business, Buy a copy of Stephanie Dawkins’ book Information
for every about
girlthese entitieswoman
or young is (and, boy and his decoys. The lack of information on many
community service and her affiliations with foundation on the principles of survival she
young man) you know and care about.available for newtheir
It will touch collectors.
lives in a deeply significant way. North Carolina decoys led him to research
BY

international women’s organizations, Stephanie holds a The association established a decoy many previously unidentified carvers as well
by Stephanie R. Dawkins

After reading this book they’ll know if they truly want to achieve greatness, they can!” witnessed while growing up in Kansas City,
seat on board for the Euro-American Woman’s Council collectors “Code of Conduct” which sets as those that are well known. This research
Bob Burg
BILL RYAN

(EWAC), whose mission is to strengthen the status of guidelines for selling or trading decoys
National bestselling author
women around the world. She is also a Board of Trustee among its members.
Co-author of TheNew members
Go-Giver
member for the Business and Professional Woman’s be assigned an experienced member as a
Stiletto Publishing
Foundation. She is a member of the Swedish-American mentor to help them make their initial
Chamber of Commerce, National Association of purchases. Decoys may be brought to the
African-Americans in Human Resources Management, meetings by the interested public to be
Kansas. She shares those principles in Corporate
andcanGo-Givers Sell More
Coffee with humor and down-to-earth wisdom.
She also offers practical steps for people in all
and thirty years of collecting decoys have
culminated with this book.
Kroghie received a B.s. degree in Civil
Engineering from The Citadel in 1966 and
an MBA from East Carolina university
in 1971. He and his wife currently reside

BILL RYAN walks of life who are ready to re-evaluate their

and is a recent recipient of the North American appraised or sold. in Charlotte, N.C. They have two grown
BY children, Clark and Hailey.

Stephanie R. Dawkins
Leadership Award from the World Igbo Congress of
Nigeria. She has been awarded an honorary doctorate lives and take charge of their futures.
for her global initiatives. Published by Andresen Advisory, LLC
Stephanie is married and has two beautiful children.

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