Free Business Topics in Chicago

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  • Own the Interview: Preparation That Reduces Anxiety

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

    Interviews do not have to feel overwhelming. This hands-on session gives you a practical system to prepare for any interview and show up feeling calmer, clearer, and more in control. The session also introduces free AI tools like ChatGPT for ongoing interview practice. No tech experience needed. Whether you are changing careers, preparing for a promotion, or navigating an unexpected job search, you will leave with a clear plan and renewed self-assurance. MORE >

    What attendees will walk away with:
    ~ How to build a Story Vault of accomplishments so you have clear, structured examples ready for any question
    ~ Confidence-building opening phrases to start strong and command attention
    ~ Three strategies for responding when you are unsure how to answer a question, so you never freeze or go blank
    ~ How to create a 90-Day Plan that signals readiness and forward thinking to a hiring manager
    ~ A simple pre-interview routine to manage nerves and stay grounded on interview day
    ~ Access to a custom AI interview practice coach for continued preparation after the session

    Ideal for:
    ~ Job seekers at any career stage
    ~ Career changers and professionals reentering the workforce
    ~ Mid-career professionals preparing for internal interviews or promotions
    ~ Anyone who feels anxious or underprepared walking into interviews
    ~ Libraries, workforce development programs, community organizations, and corporate learning events

    Presented by Rosie Zilinskas, a Certified High Performance Coach and former Executive Vice President who has sat on both sides of the interview table during 30+ years of corporate leadership at AIG Private Client Group.

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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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  • 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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  • Off High Alert: Practical Nervous System Tools for High-Pressure Work Environments

    Ron Martin, Principal, Founder, Executive Coach, Ocean Park Strategic Advisors

    Many capable, high-performing professionals experience stress in their body even when things are going well at work.

    - A tight chest before meetings.
    - A jolt when emails come in.
    - A constant background sense of being “on edge.” MORE >

    This free talk introduces Off High Alert, a practical, body-first approach to understanding and reducing work-related stress that doesn’t rely on mindset shifts, positive thinking, or therapy.

    Participants will learn why the nervous system often stays on high alert in modern work environments and why “just relaxing” rarely works, even for highly competent, prepared professionals.

    This session is especially relevant for people who:

    - Feel physically reactive to emails, meetings, or work interactions before their brain has time to catch up
    - Stay functional and productive while feeling tense or exhausted underneath
    - Don’t want therapy, oversharing, or long emotional processing
    - Want practical tools that can be used during the workday, discreetly and effectively

    During this talk, attendees will:

    - Understand how and why stress shows up physically at work
    - Learn simple, in-the-moment nervous system regulation tools
    - Reframe stress responses without self-blame or pathologizing
    - Leave with a clear, repeatable way to help their body stand down in high-pressure situations

    This is a grounded, practical, work-safe talk designed to meet professionals where they are, without asking them to lower their standards, change who they are, or step away from their careers.

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  • Non-Profit Business Strategies

    Lea Ann Skogsberg, Founder, Dollars and Sense

    With 30 years experience, Lea Ann offers customized talks on using social media, blogging, endowment, creating access for middle income donors, fundraising, new business models, grantwriting and trends across sectors.

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  • Navigating Disruptive Change: Communicating you Care in the Moments that Matter

    Linda Carlisle, Founder, Fractional Comms & Culture Advisor, COMM-ext, LLC

    Navigating change is a high risk in the best of times. In a world where 2/3 of the American Workforce is Disengaged, disruptive organizational change can be catastrophic. But what if there were a way to navigate change while simultaneously re-engaging and re-energizing your people and building a high-performing culture? The secret to navigating disruptive change while building the high-performance culture of tomorrow is effectively communicating that you care in the moments that matter. MORE >

    In this talk, we will explore the many people-related risks that organizations face when navigating the inevitable change they will face in today's fast-paced business environment and a handful of earnest, high-integrity communication techniques that will help your people navigate change while maintaining high psychological safety and rebuilding their engagement, alignment, and excitement about your company and their work.
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  • Millennials Are Uniquely Designed for Innovation. Now If I Could Just Understand Them!

    Pamela Bozeman-Evans, Founder & Senior Consultant, ProPlanProject

    Our 21st century problems are very complex and require our best and brightest to solve them. Millennials are uniquely prepared for the challenge. Their parents have positioned them for success and they will boldly transform our world. MORE >

    While this should be exciting news for the corporate and nonprofit community, today's multi-generational workplace struggles to find the sweet spot between Gen X experience and Gen Y exploration. Pamela Bozeman-Evans describes the myths and realities of multi-generational workplaces, and offers best management practices for the "new norm".
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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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  • Mastering Modern Resumes with AI

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

    Hiring managers spend 6 to 10 seconds scanning your resume. That is all the time you have to make an impression. This session covers what a modern resume looks like, what has changed in the current marketplace, and how to position your accomplishments around measurable results instead of task descriptions. You will also learn how to use AI to pull strategic keywords from job descriptions and tailor your resume for each role without starting from scratch. MORE >

    What attendees will walk away with:
    ~ A clear understanding of the five essential sections of a modern resume (header, summary, experience, education, skills) and when to include additional sections
    ~ How to write a professional summary that works like an elevator pitch
    ~ How to rewrite experience bullet points using measurable, results-oriented language
    ~ Practical tips for optimizing a resume for Applicant Tracking Systems so it does not get filtered out before a human sees it
    ~ A reusable resume structure and a simple system to keep it current

    Ideal for:
    ~ Job seekers who have not updated their resume in years
    ~ Mid-career professionals preparing for a new role or promotion
    ~ Career changers who need to reposition their experience
    ~ Anyone whose resume lists tasks instead of results
    ~ Libraries, workforce development programs, professional associations, and corporate learning events

    Presented by Rosie Zilinskas, a Certified High Performance Coach and former Executive Vice President with over 30 years of corporate leadership experience, including hiring, talent development, and learning and development at AIG Private Client Group.

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  • Masterful Networking – How To Create Massive Amounts of Business From Your Networking Efforts

    Tom Kelly, Business Coach, Potential In Motion

    Are you a small business owner or professional that struggles with networking? Are you tired of attending networking events, and walking away empty handed? Are you starting to think that networking events are a complete waste of your time? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this presentation is for you! MORE >

    In this presentation, Master Certified Coach Tom Kelly will teach you the shifts that you need to make with respect to networking that will enable you to easily turn networking events into the #1 way you generate business!
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