The First Story Coffee Break is a casual networking chat – an afternoon break to meet other people and talk about something fun.
I’m excited about our May Coffee Break lineup – all women entrepreneurs I look up to who have great insights on some amazing topics. You’ll meet the other people joining us for a few minutes of down time, and we’ll all toss out some questions for our featured guest.
(I’ve gotten questions about the super-cool illustration of me. Thanks to Jon Silver of Jon Silver Design!)
Networking in Isolation & When Enough Is Enough
Featured Guest: Rachel Cherny, Executive Director, BNI Chicago
Thursday, May 7
2 – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Rachel Cherny is the owner of Rachel Street Press and oversees more than 30 BNI networking chapters in the Chicagoland region. As an entrepreneur and professional people-connector, she also knows the limits each of us has on how much we can really grow our networks. Bring questions about how to maximize your connections during quarantine and ways to make networking more effective and efficient. Register now!
How to Engage Your Audience Online or In-Person
Featured Guest: Marianna Swallow, Public Speaking Coach, mariannaswallow.com
Friday, May 15
2 – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Marianna Swallow is a long-time public speaker, speaking coach and corporate trainer, currently a Loyola University business communication and public speaking professor. She’ll share her great tips and exercises for giving your best presentation – whether you’re speaking in a 1,000-person stadium, a 12-person conference room or a Zoom chat where you’re staring mainly at your own video. Bring questions about everything you ever wanted to know about public speaking. Register now!
A-Z of Social Media Design
Featured Guest: Lidia Varesco Racoma, Art Director & Designer, Lidia Varesco Design
Wednesday, May 20
2 – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Lidia handles all aspects of visual design for nonprofits, associations and small businesses – from logo design to long-term visual campaigns. She runs a popular “A-to-Z of Social Media Marketing” blog series and will take our questions on how to bring our marketing ideas to life. Register now!
How to Get Started on Your Amazing Book Idea
Featured Guest: Danielle Perlin-Good, Book Coach, Good Digital Consulting
Wednesday, May 27
2 – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Danielle helps aspiring authors unleash their powerful stories so they can inspire and transform lives. Danielle gives in-person and virtual talks about how to become a successful author. Bring your questions about the writing process, how to structure a manuscript, self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, editing and marketing strategies. Register now!
