Free Business Topics in Chicago

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  • The Power of “Both/And” in an “Either/Or” World (Employer Focus)

    Anthony Bolden and Charles Cammack, Co-founders, BridgeWork LLC

    As a society we are in the midst of a workforce crisis that often posits that you can either prioritize your company's fiscal success or the development and subsequent happiness of your employees. At BridgeWork we believe that both can be true simultaneously. MORE >

    We believe that the key to a thriving organizational culture lies in the balanced development of its members. Through this interactive and thought provoking talk, Anthony and Charles will provide practical tools on how to maximize your employees experience through focusing on four areas of your organization: hiring, onboarding, professional development, and off-boarding.

    By the end of this talk, your group will understand that seemingly competing goals (the prioritization of company vs. employee) cannot only coexist when feeling the pressure to choose an either/or, but your organization will be better for it in the long run.

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  • Enriching Your Nonprofit Through Planned Giving

    Robert J. Varak, Law Offices of Robert J. Varak

    Learn how to establish a system whereby your organization can systematically improve its funding via the estate plans of potential donors. Most nonprofits receive periodic and inconsistent donations via this revenue stream, but I will explain how to utilize planned giving programs to improve fundraising across the board, not only via bequests. MORE >

    A small investment of time and resources on behalf of your nonprofit can result in a significant return, as well as improved branding and standing in your field. It's an overlooked aspect of development, and my presentation will draw on my experience advising nonprofits to give you all the tools necessary to leverage this opportunity to the fullest.
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  • Optimize Your Customer Journey! Rebuild Your Marketing & Sales Infrastructure For Revenue

    Troy Sandidge, Keynote Speaker • Emcee • Fractional CMO • Podcaster • Author, Strategy Hackers

    Are sales nonexistent? Marketing not working? Have you evaluated your customer journey through the eyes of your customer? Are you optimized to give the right value at every stage? Are your marketing and selling initiatives aligned with revenue-generating activities? Is your business stuck on awareness mode desperately needing to switch to sales, acquisition, and conversions mode? Let's break down how to stop marketing for fans and start marketing and selling to drive revenue! MORE >

    Takeaways:
    • Learn a 5-point customer journey blueprint that you can modify to fit your current situation.
    • Discover how to expand your marketing and sales tactics and effectiveness using your actual customers as advocates.
    • Debunk myths and old "best practices" many businesses still use that's costing sales and repeatable buyers.

    Best For:
    • New Entrepreneurs & Startups Looking To Improve Marketing & Sales ROI
    • Businesses With Small Or No Marketing Team Or An Army-Of-One Marketing Leader
    • New Marketing & Sales Managers for Small Businesses

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  • Building Trust to Enhance Excellence in Your Organization

    Laura Lewis-Barr, Founder, Training 4 Breakthroughs

    In decades of research across all industries, the presence or absence of trust is the most important ingredient in an organization’s performance. High trust teams collaborate more effectively, operate faster, and achieve sustainable results. The number one job of any leader is to inspire trust. Trust releases the creativity and capacities of individuals to do their best work. The great news is that trust can be repaired and high trust cultures can be created and sustained. MORE >

    Participants will:
    • Examine two dimensions of trust
    • Explore the costs of low cost and the benefits of high cost cultures.
    • Use EI to increase congruence and trust at work.
    • Understand the power of stories communicate positive intent and build a trusting culture.
    • Analyze organizational structures that build or decrease trust.
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  • Millenial Onboarding

    Bette Lawrence-Water, Founder and Principal Consultant, Spectrum Strategic Solutions

    Onboarding new employees is a secure investment that will assist newly hired employees in developing their skills, knowledge, and value within the company. It will help match the technically skilled Millennial workforce with new and emerging needs of your company, which gives your company an advantage within the market. MORE >

    Millennial Onboarding is a specialized type of employee onboarding. With Millennials we are seeing a need to tweak the onboarding process to better suit the needs of the company and new hires. It will increase productivity and produce a happier and more skilled workforce. The new hire phase is a critical time for the employee and company and having a structured set of procedures will make this time run smoother and produce a greater chance of success.

    Presentation Objectives:
    • Define onboarding
    • Discuss the characteristics of Millennials
    • Create an onboarding process for Millennials
    • Start action plans for working with Millennials
    • Learn from introspection

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  • 21st Century Leadership

    Scott Hansen, CEO, Scott Hansen Consulting

    In this high energy presentation, High Performance Coach, Scott Hansen, shares the importance of "21st Century Leadership Rules" that you must know. If you don't adapt these, your business might get left behind

    In 21st Century Leadership, you and your organization will walk away with the following: MORE >

    - Learn the importance of becoming a better leader
    - The (3) Income Producing Activities all business owners need to know
    - How to be more efficient and productive in your day
    - The importance of saying "NO" in your business
    - The One productivity strategy that Warren Buffet uses

     

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  • Get a Grip on Your Business

    John McMahon, President, TractionLeadership, LLC

    Even the most successful entrepreneurs occasionally find running a business a challenge. They grapple with lack of control, profit, growth and people who don’t follow through. Hear John’s solutions.

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  • Unified Leadership Mindset: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities

    Margaret van Steenderen, Founder / Lead Development Coach, SLGM LLC

    The "Unified Leadership Mindset: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities" talk introduces a new way of thinking about leadership. This mindset focuses on long-term success, ethical decision-making, and continuous improvement. You'll learn how to plan for the future, take care of your team's well-being, use resources wisely, and make fair decisions that benefit everyone. MORE >

    This talk also covers how to think and act like a leader. You’ll explore self-reflection, setting clear goals, and building strong relationships with your team. Additionally, you'll discover the importance of a growth mindset, which is all about embracing challenges, learning from setbacks, and constantly improving. By combining these ideas, you'll develop a leadership mindset that helps you lead effectively and make a positive impact on your team and organization.
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  • Women in Leadership

    Bette Lawrence-Water, Founder and Principal Consultant, Spectrum Strategic Solutions

    In the United States today, women make up half of the workforce. Unfortunately for women, their male colleagues are promoted at a much higher rate. Women offer great work ethnics, and bring something different from men to the workforce, but many times it goes unnoticed. In this workshop, you will learn about how organizations can develop women leaders, about the benefits of women in organizations, as well as advancements for the future of women. You will learn how women in the workplace cannot only benefit the women themselves, but also the organization. MORE >

    Through this engaging, enlightening, and empowering discussion of Women in Leadership, the audience will learn how women are changing the workforce. The discussion helps participants gain a new perspective on the workforce, and uncover the benefits that come from hiring and promoting women to higher positions.

    Presentation Objectives:
    • Discuss the leadership gap between men and women
    • Learn about women in various powerful positions
    • Discuss different traits associated with women in management
    • Understand the different barriers facing women in leadership positions
    • Learn about the benefits of having women in the workforce

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  • Using Emotional Intelligence Skills to Survive and Thrive During Tough Conversations

    Laura Lewis-Barr, Founder, Training 4 Breakthroughs

    Prepare yourself to face difficult conversations with courage and confidence. Discover best practices in preparation and delivery of challenging content. During this interactive workshop participants will: MORE >

    > Explore how basic Emotional Intelligence concepts of self-awareness, empathy, triggers, and hijacking can help or hinder us during emotional conversations.
    > Recognize the many benefits of not avoiding, but instead “leaning into” challenging conversations.
    > Understand and practice a proven 3-part method for conducting difficult conversations to produce good outcomes.
    > Explore different delivery habits that help and hinder communication including observation vs. evaluation, and owning vs. projecting a message.
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