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New RPCN VP Laurie Enos finds joy in consulting work, partnership model
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By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
 RPCN’s new vice president, Laurie Enos, brings to the organization a wealth of experience in sales and marketing on the national and local levels.
Enos is the co-president/co-owner of Blue Dog Marketing,
a consulting business that she launched in 2012 with Mary Sperr. She
had known Sperr for almost 20 years, having met through a mutual
involvement in local politics. They joined RPCN not even two years ago
and plunged right into active membership, primarily by helping with
organizing and promoting its 25th anniversary events.
Before going into her own consulting business,
Enos learned the ropes as the sales and marketing director of a
national consulting firm that had offices in Houston and San Francisco.
“I spent a lot of time in the airport!”
Blue Dog Marketing offers a full range of
marketing services, Enos said – from logo design to brochures, from
website design to ghostwriting blogs, from event planning to public
relations. She and Sperr work with a wide range of clients – one of the
aspects of consulting that she especially enjoys. “Our clients are in so
many different industries and we enjoy working in diverse areas,” Enos
said. “We look for clients that are struggling to market their small
businesses and need/want our help and expertise.”
To read the rest of the article – including
the advantages of having a business partner, how they started their
business together and what led Enos to be more than a “checkbook member”
of RPCN – visit this page on the RPCN website.
And click here to watch a video of Enos talking about what she likes about consulting.
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Looking ahead as a new president prepares to step up
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By Dave Bassett and David Powe
As
you know, RPCN has been celebrating our 25th anniversary this year.
There is something to be said about an all-volunteer organization that
survives so long by serving its members. We have been capitalizing on
this milestone by holding some special events and doing promotions to
spread the word – and we’re not done yet.
As we reach the end of Dave Bassett’s term as
president and the beginning of David Powe’s, we’d like to bring you up
to speed on where we are and some plans we have for the coming year.
RPCN did some great things this past year,
including presenting the third Consultant’s Boot Camp and the Small
Business Success Conference, and introducing the first annual
Entrepreneur of the Year Gala Awards dinner. We also made improvements
to the website, added features to the newsletter, implemented Surprise
Thursdays, held a holiday party and strengthened existing alliances and
expanded into new ones.
We are not sitting back on our laurels and
basking in these accomplishments, though. The board has been working
hard on refining our strategy for the coming year. RPCN will focus on
the following priorities in the coming year:
1. Update the RPCN website.
2. Focus on creating opportunities for
members to build relationships with clients and other members.
3. Prepare for, and conduct, an RPCN boot
camp and/or conference and TrendTalks on an ongoing basis.
a. Build a calendar that balances our programs throughout the year.
4. Gather objective evidence of our organizational performance vs. our stated vision and mission. Consider:
a. Survey members annually to determine
whether RPCN is contributing to members’ needs and to continue
understanding the current business status and success of members.
b. Survey the business and non‐profit
communities biennially (once every other year) to obtain evidence of
outcomes success.
5. Implement marketing and communication strategies to promote RPCN and its members.
6. Continue to focus on RPCN’s “Learn from
the Best” approach, which teaches RPCN members how to be successful
consultants.
7. Create new alliances in key areas of need:
a. Increasing exposure to the business community.
b. Increasing diversity in the organization.
(To see the entire strategic plan, including
our vision, mission, organizational values, outcomes and strategic
objectives, check it out on the website.)
This is an ambitious plan and, to fully meet
these priorities (and ideally some that didn’t end up in our Top 5 as
well), we’ll need your help.
As we transition from Dave to David, we also want to welcome the new VP, Laurie Enos,
to the team. Dave will become the past president and is committed to
helping us continue to offer value and opportunity to help our members
grow.
Please feel free to contact Dave or David with
your thoughts on how we’re doing, what you think we’re doing well and
what you think we could do better. The members are the lifeblood of RPCN
and we look forward to your enthusiasm and continued participation and
support.
Thank you all for your help in making 2014–15 so successful; we look forward to working with you to make 2015–16 even stronger!
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Surprise Thursday on the Canal
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 Join
your fellow RPCN members for a different kind of “Surprise Thursday” on
Thursday, July 30, as we cruise the Erie Canal. As part of our 25th
anniversary celebration, RPCN is hosting a dinner cruise on the Colonial
Belle.
Where: Colonial Belle, 400 Packett’s Landing, Fairport, NY
Time: 5:30-9:30 PM
Cost: $25 for members and $30 for guests.
The usual cost for a dinner cruise is $35, so
RPCN is picking up a portion of the price for both members and guests.
Click here to register online. If you have dietary concerns, you can note them on your registration form.
Rain or shine, we hope to see you on the Colonial Belle as we enjoy a scenic cruise on the Erie Canal!
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Making your business better
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“The
secret to any interaction is to be genuine and respectful. Try being
interested rather than interesting.” This is just one of seven tips
offered by the Rochester chapter of the American Marketing Association
in a blog on how to improve your in-person networking skills. Click here to read “Keep Your Cool This Summer with These Networking Icebreakers.”
“With 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day,
the face of our organizations will be changing dramatically,” writes Democrat and Chronicle “Nextpert” Beth Sears in her article “Minimize the knowledge gap.”
She explores what this statistic will mean for the workforce and how to
build relationships between the generations through mentoring and
coaching. Click here to read the full article.
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We want you!
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The
RPCN newsletter welcomes news, success stories, tips, resources, events
and other items that would be of broad interest to consultants. Submit a
newsletter item by email to the Communication Committee. RPCN members also may write articles for our website; submit articles here. In the newsletter, we'll highlight submitted articles aimed at helping consultants make their businesses better.
If you have newsletter questions or
suggestions, or ideas for how RPCN could improve communications, contact
the Communication Committee:
Janice Hanson, Chair
Barbara Moore
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal
Sheryl Rhodes
Please send articles for the August newsletter by July 15.
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Upcoming events
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Technical Forum
The Technical Forum for July 3 has been cancelled because of the holiday.
Three Common Myths Consultants Buy into that Keep Them Stuck
Presented by Nancy Roberts and Chris Kenny of Income180
Friday, July 10, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
NeighborWorks, 570 South Avenue, Rochester
While
helping consultants build their businesses for the past six years,
Nancy Roberts & Chris Kenney have seen several common things that
hold many consultants back from growing as fast as they would like. They
will cover topics such as why your marketing may not be bringing you
the number of leads you desire, a simple model that can tell you exactly
what to work on to bring cash in the door, and how networking can be
your greatest source of leads OR your biggest waste of time. Click here for a preview of what’s in store.
Business Forum
Facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, July 17, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library
An
informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of issues regarding
starting or running a consulting business. Wondering what kind of
questions people are asking? For a list from recent forums, click here.
RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, July 17, 2015
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pittsford Community Library
RPCN’s monthly board meeting begins at
approximately 10:00 AM, after the Business Forum. Everyone is welcome to
attend, but only board members may vote.
Networking for Leaders – Building Magical Relationships
Presented by Absolutely Abby
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
NeighborWorks, 570 South Avenue, Rochester
If even thinking about attending a networking
event makes you want to stay home and watch TV or curl up with a good
book, you’re not alone. To advance in your business, you need to network
just as much as, or perhaps even more than, your extroverted
colleagues. Learn how to turn your networking magic into long-term
client relationships, and much more.
Three Keys to Position and Sell a Five-Figure Contract
Presented by Chris Kenny of Income180
Friday, July 24, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
NeighborWorks, 570 South Avenue, Rochester
If consulting can be one of the most lucrative
and freeing businesses to be in, why do so many consultants get stuck
either below six figures or create a six-figure business that holds them
hostage? The secret is to learn to sell higher-level contracts (fewer
clients yet more money), but it takes a special skill set to do so.
Learn a simple yet profound tweak to how you sell that makes the
difference between “I can’t afford that” and “YES!” Click here for a preview of what’s in store.
Colonial Belle Dinner Cruise
Thursday, July 30, 2015
5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Colonial Belle, 400 Packett's Landing, Fairport, NY 14450
Registration is required for this cruise.
Cost: $25 for members and $30 for guests. Dinner will be a buffet with
chicken, pork and pasta. If you have any special dietary needs, please
fill in the appropriate text box when you register for this cruise.
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