Free Business Topics in Chicago

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  • Keys to High Performing Finance Teams

    Diane Davidson, Finance Transformation Leader, Clever Fox, LLC

    If I asked what your finance department does for your business, most would say: Taxes, Pay Bills, and Reports. These answers are all accurate, but this is only one aspect of a high-performing finance team. High-performing finance teams guide businesses in their decision-making. MORE >

    High-performing finance teams are viewed as thought leaders and analyze deal/strategies to make sure the company achieves their goals. In my 12 years of consulting, I have worked on transforming finance departments that are underperforming to high-performing teams that help jump start the company. I want to share how to identify underperformance and the path to a cohesive, high-performing team.
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  • Your Superpower Advantage: The Mindset Shift That Built a 7-Figure Business

    Amanda Wittenborn, Owner, Amanda Creation Inc.

    What if the key to your next level of success isn’t outside of you—but already inside?
    In this energetic, interactive talk, 7-figure entrepreneur Amanda Wittenborn helps audiences uncover the hidden strengths that make them magnetic to success. She reveals how she built her multi-million-dollar brand not by following trends or strategies—but by amplifying her natural gifts and trusting her own creative power. MORE >

    Attendees will walk away knowing how to:

    Identify their unique “superpower” that no competitor can replicate

    Reframe self-doubt into confidence and clarity

    Use authenticity as a growth strategy in business and life

    Perfect for entrepreneurs, women in business, or creative professionals ready to stop blending in and start standing out.

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  • Extreme Time Management – 5 Keys to Creating an Abundance of Time

    Tom Kelly, Business Coach, Potential In Motion

    In our fast paced world, it seems that we are expected to do more and more with less and less. If you are finding that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get things done, then this presentation is for you. In this presentation, Master Certified Business Coach Tom Kelly discusses the 5 shifts that you need to make to create an abundance of time in your life and business. MORE >

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  • Rearchitecting Work: POSSIBILITY PARTNERS UNLEASHING POTENTIAL

    Dianne M. Michels, HR Possibility Partner, Author, Rearchitecting Work Speaker, possibilitypartners.org

    A Blueprint for "Unlocking the Power of Human Resources to Unleash the Potential of Human Beings" . . . enabling organizations to set bold goals that can be achieved with more PREDICTABILITY, INNOVATION, and EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT! MORE >

    Learn about the key paradigm shifts that provide the foundation for the changes in conditions, relationships, cultural norms, and leadership approaches that can transform people's relationship to work from a burden to survive to a possibility to thrive . . . while producing results that meet or exceed revenue, profitability, and growth goals of the enterprise.

    You will be introduced to the 10 design principles that support the paradigm shifting changes in assumptions, beliefs, and behavioral practices that enable people to go beyond learning new skills to expanding their adaptability, flexibility, resiliency, and self-directedness in a world that is increasingly more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.

    The 10 design principles include:
    Ch. 1 Alignment between HR and the CEO
    Ch. 2 Unlocking the Power of HR to Unleash the Potential Within Your Workplace
    Ch. 3 The Power of Possibility - "There are no mistakes; only possibilities" Tina Fey
    Ch. 4 Leadership Beliefs and Behaviors that model mutual respect, trust, transparency . . .
    Ch. 5 Inspiring Ownership for Results vs. Holding People Accountable
    Ch. 6 Igniting Results: Expressing Our Value vs. Proving Our Worth
    Ch. 7 Participating, Contributing, Self-Expressing vs. Checking Off Our To Do Lists - "Only do what your heart tells you." Princess Diana
    Ch. 8 Celebrating Diversity as a Competitive Edge!
    Ch. 9 Recruiting: Creating Raving Fans - "Transforming often dreaded interview interrogations into life-affirming conversations.
    Ch. 10 Communications: Creating Psychological Safety so People can Speak Candidly With One Another Regardless of the Hierarchy -
    "Relationships determine the quality of our lives, and conversations determine the quality of our relationships."

    Can be presented virtually via ZOOM.

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  • When The Well Runs Dry – Turning Your Sales Up When The Market Is Down

    Tom Kelly, Business Coach, Potential In Motion

    Are you a real estate agent that has been struggling with your sales since the real estate boom has ended? Are you wondering how you can turn your business around and have just as much, if not more success during a market downturn? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Master Certified Business Coach Tom Kelly will teach you the 5 key shifts that you need to make to turn your sales up when the market is down! MORE >

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  • How to Turn Social Media into Face to Face Meetings

    Franklin D. Rivera II, Founder/CEO, The V2M2 Group, Inc.

    Franklin Rivera built his entire business off of Twitter. In 2011 no one online knew who he was. In 2015 he was ranked in the top 10% of Twitter accounts worldwide for most senior level management connections and followed by most of the Forbes top 10 digital marketers worldwide. Today his connections on social media number over 10,000 quality followers! MORE >

    His company, V2M2, has consistently utilized social media for lead generation for both V2M2 and its clients with great success. Franklin will help you understand how to make the right social connections and get the face to face meeting.
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  • Six Sigma and Finance Intersections

    Diane Davidson, Finance Transformation Leader, Clever Fox, LLC

    As a practitioner with a Six Sigma Green Belt, I am seeing demand for Six Sigma principles being used in the Finance industry. Six Sigma is typically viewed as a tool only used for Supply Chain, Logistics or Operations. Finance organizations are using Six Sigma principles such as Value Stream Mapping and Kaizen Events to bring standardization and efficiencies to their business processes. MORE >

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  • The Carrot and Stick are Obsolete – How to Deploy the Right Employee Incentives in Today’s Business Environment

    Mark James, Founder & President, Performance Advisors Group, Inc.

    Are your incentive programs delivering desired results? Incentives work, but you must get them right to positively impact performance and avoid wasting time and money. MORE >

    The traditional approach to improving workplace behavior was often characterized by a “lady-or-the-tiger” experience which ignored that employees are motivated in different ways and underestimated the importance of connecting personal meaning to what they do.

    This VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON presentation will reveal best practices any business can and should do to ensure employee incentive programs are working properly. Attendees will come away with knowledge and tips concerning:
    • Why incentives are a tactic, not the strategy
    • Commitment and support of leaders
    • Choosing right incentive structure
    • Audience selection
    • Goal setting
    • Communicating what, who, how, and why
    • Avoiding element of chance
    • Choosing the right recognition and rewards
    • Keeping it fresh and appealing

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  • LinkedIn For Business

    Brian Basilico, Author, Speaker, Coach, B2B Interactive Marketing

    Brian Basilico was one of the first 1000 people on LinkedIn back in 2004. He specializes in teaching entrepreneurs and corporate sales teams how to navigate and optimize LinkedIn for their business. MORE >

    In this presentation... You will learn some of the basics of using LinkedIn to promote and grow your business. More importantly, you will learn some “Whyʼs” and “How Toʼs” that will help you better understand the biz behind the buzz!

    Sometimes itʼs easier to know what questions to ask, than to try to find answers to questions you donʼt have... but at least you will know what questions to ask?

    'Who is on LinkedIn and how can I capitalize on it?ʼ
    ʻAre people really making money?ʼ
    ʻNone of my customers are using this! Are you sure who is and who is not?ʼ
    ʻI canʼt afford to spend more time or money on marketing?'

    In this fast-moving digital economy - now is the time to market harder and smarter than your competition.

    You will learn some actionable techniques (Brian likes to call $100 ideas) that are sustainable, repeatable, and profitable for your business. This presentation will help you get noticed, become memorable and top of mind, and grow your brand and business through tested and proven face-to-face and social networking techniques.

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  • Civility in the Workplace During Turbulent Times

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

    While a discussion on workplace manners and courtesy may seem like overkill, the reality is: rudeness is an epidemic costing industry millions a year. Indeed, what society seems to be gaining in terms of both knowledge and technological advancement, it’s losing out on basic social values that directly impact the bottom line. MORE >

    This discussion introduces the concept of civility, its importance to an organization, as well as its typical causes and effects. Audience leaves with skills needed to effectively practice civil behavior, as well knowledge of different ways organizations can systematize civility in the workplace.
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