Free Business Topics in Chicago

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  The Culture Shift Starts Within: Tackling the Hidden Barriers to Collaboration

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

  Dr. Shirzad Chamine’s groundbreaking research introduces the concept of “Saboteurs”—internal voices that once helped us navigate real and perceived threats in childhood. While these mental patterns originally served as protection, they often persist into adulthood, operating as unseen forces that shape how we think, feel, and respond. MORE >

  Over time, these Saboteurs become embedded in our neural pathways, creating automatic reactions that can “hijack” our behavior in moments of stress or challenge.

  In this session, your team will learn to recognize and understand these patterns, identify their own Saboteurs, and develop practical strategies to build greater self-awareness. The goal is simple but powerful: to help individuals show up as assets rather than obstacles to their teams and the broader mission.

  By equipping your people with this insight, your organization takes a meaningful step toward becoming more people-centered—grounded in self-awareness, stronger collaboration, and more intentional impact.

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  Brand Succession: The Marketing Playbook for Family Businesses in Transition

  Jennifer Fortney, Founder, Cascade Communications

  Your family business survived the hard part — building something worth passing down or selling. But when leadership transitions to the next generation or new owner, most companies keep the old brand out of loyalty to the founder. That loyalty can quietly work against the new leadership's vision, credibility, and growth as well as the direction of the company. MORE >

  Jennifer Fortney draws on 25+ years of brand and PR strategy to walk family business owners and next-generation leaders through the marketing blind spots that emerge during generational transition — and what to do about them.

  You'll learn:

  • the five warning signs your legacy brand is holding new leadership and the company back
  • a practical framework for honoring your history while building the future
  • and how to reposition your story for the customers, markets and key stakeholders

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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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  Empowering the Multi-Generational Workforce

  Mary Erlain, President, Peak Development Strategies

  Much has changed since 2020, and our workforce has undergone a dramatic shift. One entire generation has retired, while another has entered in greater numbers, reshaping the dynamics of our workplaces. MORE >

  We work in a diverse environment where embracing differences can drive business growth—if organizations empower their workforce to leverage their unique gifts and values. The real challenge lies in finding effective ways to do just that: fostering inclusion and enabling employees to thrive.

  Explore strategies to bridge generational gaps among staff and recognize how, often unintentionally, we might be contributing to the problem rather than being part of the solution.

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  Leading with Emotional Intelligence

  Nicole Caley, MBA, APM, ARM, APSC, President & Founder, Payables Solutions Partners, LLC

  If you have made the critical decision to take on the role of a leader, and you want to be great at it – it requires an in-depth look at yourself and a practice of self-awareness on all levels, personally and professionally. This is the starting point of emotional intelligence. While the definition might seem simple, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is understanding and managing yourself and also understanding and managing others, the application of emotional intelligence continues to be a challenge. MORE >

  Join me as we learn why EQ is critical to your success and take away the tools that will teach you that leading from the heart might just be the best thing you can do!

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  The 60-minute Strategic Plan

  Matt Kinnich, CEO, Roland, Ruth & Mitchell

  Technically, there is no such thing as a 60-minute strategic plan, but this session will provide the foundation, framework and next steps of building out your personal, team or organization’s strategies and plan. Participants will engage in the following: MORE >

  • Overview of Strategic Framework
  • What are your goals?
  • What is your purpose?
  • What does your environment look like?
  • What are my options?
  • What options are best?
  • Individual/Group questions
  • What actions am I willing to do next?

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  How to Focus on the Business of Profits

  John Y. Lafferty, Founder, CFO-Pro

  John will provide information that will help CEOs and entrepreneurs to discover and understand financial issues in their businesses. When leaders gain this knowledge, profits improve and the business has a much longer life.

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  “Establishing Your Professional Persona: 5 Steps to Crafting a Compelling Brand Identity”

  Tammy Cook, Productivity Coach, Tammy Cook Coaching

  Are you a small business owner trying to build your following and your list?
  Are you ready to create a clear, compelling voice for your business, that magnetically draws ideal prospects to you? MORE >

  If you are struggling to find followers and build your presence, no matter the amount of marketing and outreach you do, it could simply be because this key foundational piece is missing.

  This foundational piece is most often skipped over when beginning a business - crafting a compelling brand identity that connects with your target audience. Once you get this step right, you will be positioned as the go-to expert in your niche, and you will attract ideal clients with much less effort.

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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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  Optimizing Your Job Search with AI

  Rosie Zilinskas, Keynote Speaker | Certified High-Performance Coach, No Woman Left Behind

  AI can speed up your job search when you know how to use it strategically. This session goes beyond the resume and covers how to use free AI tools across every stage of the job search process, from applications to networking to interview preparation. You will learn prompts that save time while keeping your unique voice, and how to build a system that creates momentum without burning you out. MORE >

  What attendees will walk away with:
  ~ How to strengthen a LinkedIn profile, headline, and job descriptions with AI-generated improvements
  ~ How to write authentic outreach and networking messages that start real conversations
  ~ How to use AI to research companies, identify roles, and explore new career paths
  ~ How to build a Story Vault of accomplishments using the Problem-Action-Solution format
  ~ A simple weekly checklist and workflow to stay consistent and organized throughout the search
  ~ Ready-to-use ChatGPT prompts for every step

  Ideal for:
  ~ Active job seekers who want to work smarter, not harder
  ~ Professionals navigating a career transition or unexpected layoff
  ~ Anyone overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of a modern job search
  ~ People curious about AI who want a practical, hands-on introduction
  ~ Libraries, workforce development programs, community organizations, and professional associations

  Presented by Rosie Zilinskas, a Certified High Performance Coach, keynote speaker, and former Executive Vice President with over 30 years of corporate leadership experience.

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