Schoffner

Leadership on February 23

It's been ages since I've written anything that didn't involve work for a client or a volunteer cause that I'm passionate about. Sorry to be so absent, but let me just tell you about one thing that's been keeping me hopping. Because it's about to take place.

I'm on the planning committee for the fourth Women Mean Business® Summit of the National Asscation of Women Business Owners - Central Iowa (NAWBO-CI) on February 23 in West Des Moines, IA. My role is overseeing communications for this event and I've been doing this all four years, plus chairing the Summit's awards component for three. This year we've had quite a promotional campaign, because there's such great Iowa speakers and content for our theme: HEART OF A LEADER.

The Summit appeals to anyone who wants to enhance their leadership abilities within their community or company; you don't have to be a woman business owners to find value in taking one day to focus on building your leadership savvy, skills and soul. Maybe you'd just like to get noticed by your business peers, supervisor or the team of folks who surround you.

GRABBING A SEAT AT THE TABLE is the keynote of Melynda DeCarlo, The Meyvn Group. Mary Andringa, Vermeer Corporation, shares LIFE'S LESSONS ON LEADERSHIP at the luncheon. And Liz Nead is the final keynoter with FINDING YOUR LEADERSHIP GAME. Three keynotes is a lot, but there's more! The Summit also includes eight workshops with 10 presenters to choose from and a panel of women business owners sharing their leadership stories. Panelists include Mary Stier of Mary Stier Connects, Jan Miller Straub of The Straub Corporation, and Gina Blean and Kelly Heysinger of Unified Therapy Services. That's 20 people talking about topics that will improve your success as a leader in just one day. Can you afford not to be there?

Please take a minute to visit the Summit website and look over this event for women in business. Hey, men, you're welcome to attend too!

"Run to Remember" at Des Moines Marathon

One reason my blog writing has been non-existent: I've been in training for the IMT Des Moines Marathon. Not the entire 26.2 miles. Just to do four miles as a member of a "Run to Remember" relay team on October 16. We raised money for HCI Care Services (formerly Hospice of Central Iowa) and the work done around the country by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Central Iowa "Run to Remember" participants have generated more than $4,000 to date during the 2011 Des Moines Marathon (still accepting funds through November 15). 

Since gentle yoga is my idea of exercise, training has been a stretch and an adventure. But as I wrote on my fund-raising page, "running may never be anything I'm passionate about, but for the patients of HCI Care Services, I'm delighted to be doing it." The back of my team shirt showed that I was running in memory of the "Patients at Kavanagh House" (one of HCI's residential hospices, where I volunteer and where my mother died in 1998).

My four teammates—Debbie Kissinger, Terry Terrones, Ellie Du Pre and Donna Boots (all HCI staff or donors)—took pity on me as the non-runner and the oldest. They gave me the shortest and opening leg. I'd never been in a race before, and between my excitement and the upper respiratory ailment I was battling, I slept three hours the night before. 

Sunday a.m. arrived and there I stood, relatively clueless, with 5,500 people and holding our precious cargo: a tube containing the names of everyone our donors had asked us to remember as we traveled the miles. We exchanged it like a relay baton throughout the marathon.

So how was my start? Well, the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners had already completed a mile before I made it from the back of the pack to the actual starting line. In fact, when James Kirwa, the winning marathoner, crossed the finish line at 2:12:54, I probably was still coughing, blowing my nose and trying to catch my breath.  

To my awesome teammates—who brought us in at 4:51:57—I salute you and I love you ladies for letting a real amateur have a shot at saying, "When I ran in the Des Moines Marathon..." The photo below—when we met near the 26 mile mark to travel to the finish line—will link us together forever. To my many generous friends and family who helped me surpass my $2,000 fund-raising goal, I'm forever grateful for your support and your "you go, girl!" messages. And to HCI Care Services, thanks for all you do. It was a privilege to "Run to Remember" what your passionate and loving care means to patients and their families. 

 L to R: me, Terry, Donna, Debbie and Ellie

I'm a Hosta

I've long assumed that I was drawn to these shade-loving, easy-to-care-for herbaceous perennials because our yard is filled with trees. And some variety of hardy hosta will grow wherever grass won't. But today I'm thinking hostas and I have a deeper connection.

Last Monday I had a 30-minute session with Madhu Maron, who helps people get unstuck. Our introduction came via email a couple of years ago when a mutual friend suggested that Madhu, who coaches people in reinventing themselves, check out the Schoffner blog. We've corresponded about business ownership, I helped with a bio for her professional musician husband, and we've been following each other on Facebook. A recent email exchange on a day when I was over-the-top crazed with commitments left Madhu picturing me as a high-energy Tasmania Devil in full-throttle behavior. She simply wrote, "Let's set up a time to talk, and you can't be sitting at your desk when we do."

We connected a week ago as I sat in front of our house beside a flower bed that gets enough sunlight to contain both hostas and other colorful, flowering plants. Madhu asked me about my surroundings, so we talked about the hosta beside me. Before I knew it, her gently probing questions helped me focus on a lot of things about my multi-tasking self. Primarily, I've been forgetting to bring my heart along in all the things I tackle each day. I've been blessed with loving so many things about my life (family, friends, clients, writing tasks, volunteer interests, leadership commitments, etc.). The abundance each provides daily needs to be celebrated and savored. But that doesn't happen when one forgets to pause in the present to be thankful.

After that session with Madhu, the week was indeed one in which I stayed in the moment and worked to put self-care and appreciation into everything I did. Whether during the activities of the day or in the middle of the night, when I felt angst I pictured the heart-shaped leaf of that hosta and calmly massaged my hands (hey, that's self care) as a thank you for all the typing, gardening and other tasks I ask of them each day.

Madhu doesn't see many hostas in the Bronx. I sent her the photo above and she saw a whole lot more than I'd been seeing. She wrote: "I notice how dynamic this plant is. It's low to the ground yet reaches up high. The display of green in its leaves is grounding and of the Earth, while the flowers are airy, light and of the sky. Hostas seem to be good multi-taskers, provided they get the shade they need. Sounds like a great metaphor for you, Pam."

It's not just the heat that's making me step into the shade right now. Thanks, Madhu. 

 

Time Management: One day at a time

You've heard them before: "Time is money. There are only 24 hours in a day. Always set aside time for yourself. If you want time you must make it." Suggestions are everywhere regarding how to better manage that precious finite resource each day.

I've been exploring those tidbits of advice for a NAWBO-CI "happy coffee" I'm hosting on June 6 at 5 p.m. on the Greenbriar patio in Johnston. Women business owners will gather to share our time management strategies or perhaps the lack of them. We'll discuss what's working and what's not. I've downloaded 130 time management tips to see if there's some workable nugget that I haven't yet tried. There's always some idea worthy of consideration, but to insert another known phrase into this blog: Old habits die hard.

Yesterday was a time management gem for me. By 1 p.m. I'd completed all my appointments and the morning tasks that I'd prioritized to be done by 2 p.m. During the rest of the afternoon I was able to work on three projects at my desk; two of those had come up during my morning appointments and I'd labeled them "urgent." Yes, that pushed some "important, but not urgent" tasks to the top of today's list, but yesterday ended great. I quit working by 5:30 p.m. because it was a gorgeous day and I wanted to get out to enjoy it. The evening provided time to sit outside and relax, read, do a Sudoku puzzle or two and have a nice dinner with Chuck. Reminder to self: Savor June 1, 2011.

Because other days my ever-present to-do list is untouched by 10 p.m. When you're a sole proprietor in a service business, some days are spent reacting to pressing requests and living in the dreaded "fire fighter" quadrant Dr. Stephen Covey describes in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. No amount of routine-building and establishing of priorities is going to work on those days. Yet that's one thing I love about being a freelancer: Every day is different. I haven't been bored in 31 years. And some mornings (hey, I've identified mornings as my most productive time) I even "make" time to write a blog! But as you can tell by my sporadic posts, blogging is in an "important, but not urgent" category for me. Hope to see central Iowa WBOs on Monday night to share time management insights.

 

Never say, "I'll never..."

Amy Kolln, Considerate Done Appreciation Marketing, has me eating my social media words. That's because I am sure I once said, "I'll do LinkedIn, I'll try Facebook, but I'll never be on Twitter." But after attending two of Amy's information-packed workshops on social media this week, I'm on Twitter. Amy told of getting her Twitter account and spending months just taking it all in before she ever Tweeted. That sounded like a good first step, as well as a good avenue for practicing my listening skills. Plus, I was sitting right there with someone who could hold my hand every step of the way!

Amy's first career was as a kindergarten teacher, which translates well into one of her current passions: teaching social media as a way to help others build relationships. As a teacher, she is patient, lovingly laughs a lot at the boo-boos of her students and provides superb one-on-one attention when needed (which is often when you're five years old, as well as 60+). She's all about giving and showing others how to master relationship marketing. Amy's a life-long learned who loves to read. So she's connecting professional women in Booked for Lunch. And her faith and love of family comes alive in the "Momentum" group she started for mom entrepreneurs, as well as her commitment locally in Women of Faith. 

She's all about connecting. In addition to teaching me Twitter basics and pledging to make herself available for many of my "how do you do...." questions, she opened my eyes to many social media tips and I'll share just three:

• how to convert your Facebook URL to your name (or your company's name) instead of a mass of numbers, symbols and letters,

• how to link Facebook posts to Twitter, and

• that one needs a clear social media plan or you'll flounder, especially on Twitter. 

This is probably why I've avoided Twitter; my social media plan is hit or miss. In other words, nonexistent at the moment. So for now, I'm "listening" on Twitter. We'll see what I can learn there. Thanks, Amy!

 

Change Your Brain, Change Your...

Life! That's the title on one of many books unearthed during my recent trip to California to ready the home of my aunt for her return. Donna, who came into our family as my grandparents' foster child, battles a lot of demons and always has trouble making good choices. A hoarder with serious financial problems, Donna is now 79 and on medication for Alzheimer's, OCD and bi-polar disorder, among other things. Finding that book, with a bookmark less than a quarter of the way through, told me that Donna still desperately wants things to be different.

In January she fell over clutter in her bedroom at night. When firemen broke in days later to rescue her, one—overcome by the smell and the condition of the inside—said, "That woman will never go back in that house!"  But now, with rehab nearly completed on her broken shoulder, she's soon headed home. A willful and wily fighter, Donna tested well psychologically, and she'll be released by the end of this month. When social services comes to her door to see how she's doing I already know she won't let them in (I've sent them before), and it will be a matter of waiting to see what happens next to rock her independent, defiant soul.

My unbelievable friend, Julie Janss, and I just spent five days making her home livable. It wasn't just the book that told us Donna wanted to live differently. We found things such as a plethora of brand new garden needs (trowels and other tools, a foam kneeling pad, bulbs and seeds) scattered around the floor. But sadly, Donna doesn't execute. I'm not sure how the lone colorful geranium growing in her front yard got there, or how it, like Donna, somehow survives. 

The Band-Aid boxes numbered in the hundreds, as did the plastic water bottles scattered throughout the house, the endless change discovered among the papers on the floor, the containers and newspapers that never made it into recycling, the Post-It Note pads, tablets, pens, greeting cards, books of postage stamps, unfilled prescriptions, empty prescription bottles and canvas bags. The plastic bags tossed through the house had to number more than 500. Donna embodies the consumer concept that buying things will add something to how she sees herself or how others see her, but it just doesn't add anything (but debt) to her shaky sense of self. So for now, I pay what bills I can from her Social Security and small pension, waiting for her release and knowing that I don't know how to protect her from herself.

  

My dear friend Julie at work in the living room of my aunt's home in California. Bless her for being my rock and creating moments of laughter and love during our ordeal of discovery and filling over 100 garbage bags with trash (not to mention all the bags for recycling).

Communities in Bloom

There's snow on the ground, but that isn't stopping one of my very favorite organizations from thinking spring.  The HCI Foundation (formerly Hospice of Central Iowa Foundation) has teamed up with HyVee for a "Communities in Bloom" fundraiser in the 35 counties served by HCI Care Services (formerly Hospice of Central Iowa).

When you use the special "Communities in Bloom" order form to purchase your plants this year, 15% of all sales will benefit quality of life programs for hospice patients and their families. We're talking funds for non-medical needs, such as fixing a faulty shower so a patient can bathe or paying a utility bill to keep the power on for a family without resources. And I have ORDER FORMS, so be in touch!

A fifth generation family-owned greenhouse in Boone is providing the plants. There are herbs, tomatoes, hanging baskets, vines, petunias, impatiens, geraniums, perennials and much more.  Orders are due at your participating HyVee by April 4. You select a May 1 or May 4 delivery date, and pick your order up at your HyVee garden center on that day.

This year, your investment in your garden can grow more than plants. It can do something good for those who are in need.

WBO Summit: Surviving to Thriving in 2011

There's an event that's been getting a lot of my volunteer time. And it's just three weeks away! Each year when it takes place I get to spend an entire day with ready-to-learn-more women business owners. It's a totally energizing and uplifting day that makes me feel like I could work another 30 years if surrounded everyday by such fun, talented and determined folks. I see passion and energy take over as speakers share information, new ideas pop into heads and pens scratch furiously at notepads. All the craziness I've endured in working too early and too late each day to provide donated services just floats away, and I end up smiling and saying, "It was worth it!"

The event is the Women Mean Business® Summit and it's March 3 in West Des Moines. We've scheduled a cast of Iowa all-stars to tell their "surviving to thriving" stories, including three keynote presenters. Clinton-based Emily Starr, CEO of StarrMatica Learning Systems, will share why she was "Terrorized in El Paso" during her entrepreneurial journey of marketing and building her white board software company. Attendees will hear why Connie Wimer, Business Publications Corporation, repurchased her company at a time in life when most women would be thinking of downsizing and checking out retirement facilities. Strategies for success in dealing with challenges on the road from surviving to thriving is the topic of Rowena Crosbie, CEO of research and training company Tero International. And those are just the keynoters! 

A three-member WBO panel will share personal stories and surviving-to-thriving insights. They're Saley Nong, Divine Flowers by Saley; Lois Reichert, Reichert's Dairy Air and Michelle DeClerck, Conference Event Management. But wait, there's more! The day also includes 10 concurrent workshops to choose from, women in business awards and an optional 4 to 5 p.m. networking reception.  Luncheon and light breakfast are included.

For members of the National Association of Women Business Owners it's a $99 day until Feb. 17 when rates increase; non-members have until that day to sign up for $129. I really don't have to wait until March 4 to say the WMB Summit was worth all those planning meetings and hours spent writing press releases, emails, web copy, etc. I already know it will be. Hope to see some of you there.

Des Moines Actress, Playwright and Mom with a Dream

 

When Diandra Lyle was a child in Des Moines she was good at—and loved—so many things, that I wondered how, when the time came, she would ever choose one career path. Well, she hasn't!  Now living in Chicago, she's a model, mom to Tamryn, actress and has an upcoming short film, "Mission: Mom-Possible," on the calendar for early 2011.

Diandra wrote the light-hearted film that's loosely based on herself, Tamryn, the tooth fairy and Mission Impossible. It's about the lengths parents go to preserve special childhood memories and magic for their young ones. She's also producing and starring in the film which will be shot over two days in February. An independent project, "Mission: Mom-Possible" will be festival-bound around the world. 

Energetic and indefatigable Diandra has assembled the donated services of an award-winning director, a cinematographer, and three other producers (plus herself). But production (equipment, insurance, set design, etc.), post-production (editing, sound mixing, dvd production, etc.), marketing and festival submission fees all take money. 

For Christmas Diandra is asking Santa (and maybe the tooth fairy, too) for $4,000 to fund expenses for "Misison: Mom-Possible." For $10 you can be a probationary secret agent (with a handwritten thank you note from the heart) and for $1,000 you'll be the top special agent (which will earn you associate producer credit on the film). 

So if you've ever wanted to tell your friends you're connected to the film industry, visit "Mission: Mom-Possible."  You'll be helping a wonderful young woman from Des Moines make her dream come true for the holidays.

 

 

Wreaths Provide $$$ for Patient Care

Whether you're looking for something new and colorful to spice up your wall for the holiday or searching for a tasteful, long-lasting seasonal gift, here's a chance to "do good" with your purchase. The second Walk of Wreaths to benefit Hospice of Central Iowa is Thursday, December 9, in Valley Junction (downtown West Des Moines). 

Approximately 70 one-of-a-kind, hand-decorated artificial wreaths will be available for silent (beginning at 5 p.m.) and live (beginning at 7 p.m.) auctions at the West Des Moines Community Center, 217 5th Street. The wreaths currently are on display at participating Valley Junction merchants, many of whom created the themed wreaths from a variety of materials. There are wreaths for dog and cat devotees, peace-loving and patriotic folks, Harley riders, and Coca-Cola, nature and toy enthusiasts. Plus, much, much more.

The Historic Valley Junction Foundation spearheaded the event last year in memory of Caren Sturm, founder and owner of The Lagniappe, a Valley Junction business; Caren benefitted from the services of Hospice of Central Iowa in 2009. Proceeds this year go to patient financial assistance, a need that increases every year in the 35 counties served by the state's oldest end-of-life provider of compassionate and effective community-based care. Hope to see you there helping out my favorite non-profit organization.