Women’s Independent Press

Business Program Series Calendar
January 2012

Programs are held on Thursdays at 12:15 pm at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Downtown & Business, 612 Smithfield St., Downtown. They are free and open to the public.

January 5. 2012 What’s New in Taxes for 2011 / 2012
Robert J. Henkels, CPA, Senior Manager
R.D. Hoag & Associates, P.C.

Mr. Henkels, adjunct professor at LaRoche College and president of Professional Tax & Accounting Seminars, Inc., will discuss recent changes and updates in personal and business taxation than can save you money when you file your return.

January 12, 2012 A Guide to Public Benefits
Frank J. Pistella, Public Benefits Attorney
Neighborhood Legal Services Association

Mr. Pistella, Public Benefits Attorney with the Neighborhood Legal Services Association, will focus on those programs funded by the government that help individuals and families in need, including Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child care subsidies, as well as help for seniors and women seeking emergency protection from abuse (PFA) orders.

January 19, 2012 Build Your Business Using Every Door Direct Mail – an exciting shipping solution from the U.S. Postal Service
Michelle J. Dugas, Business Development Specialist
United States Postal Service
Every Door Direct Mail can provide your business with an efficient way to promote your services by getting your marketing message directly into the hands of customers while reducing the mail preparation costs associated with lists and printing. Find out how this service can help you build more traffic, find new customers and increase revenue.

January 26, 2012 Getting Started with eBooks and eReaders
Scott Pyle, Reference Librarian
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Downtown & Business

Mr. Pyle will discuss the basics of eBooks and eReaders, the differences between a Nook and a Kindle, and how to use Carnegie Library’s Overdrive service that loans eBooks to its patrons free of charge. He’ll also demonstrate several devices and walk us through the process of finding and checking out an eBook from CLP’s web site

By Patricia Thibault
Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, PA

January 16 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — a national holiday. To some, the day means more than an observance of the birthday of the civil rights leader. It is also a day to be of service to others.

The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems.
A great way to be of service to others is to help someone you know who may need assistance applying for Social Security, Medicare, or Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs. Each of these is easy to do at www.socialsecurity.gov

Some people who need these benefits may not be comfortable with computers or may not even know applying online is an option. But now it’s easier than ever to apply for such benefits from the convenience of a home computer at www.socialsecurity.gov

For example, it’s easy to apply for retirement benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline. It can take as little as 15 minutes from start to finish, and once the application is electronically submitted, in most cases, there is nothing more to do.

It’s even easier to apply for Medicare, for people who do not plan to begin their Social Security retirement payments yet but who do want Medicare coverage. The application takes about 10 minutes and can be found at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly.

People who already have Medicare coverage, but who have trouble meeting prescription drug costs, can apply for Extra Help online at www.socialsecurity.gov/extrahelp.

This holiday, you may want to make a trip to see the new Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington D.C. or listen to a recording of a memorable speech. You can also make your Martin Luther King Day a day of service to someone who can use your help. Lead them to www.socialsecurity.gov. It may be easy for you, but it may be a dream come true for the person you help.

by Mary Grace Musuneggi
www.singlestepsstrategies.com

Sometimes, we all like working alone. That said, I have often seen people find greater success solving problems when they work with a partner.

The Princeton Weekly Bulletin reported in February of 2001 about experiments conducted by two Princeton economists which proved the old maxim that two heads are better than one. Two sets of experiments showed that groups made better decisions on average than individuals.

Some of us are self-motivated, and once we make the decision to go after something, we do. For others there needs to be a person behind us moving us along - a coach. Besides the obvious sports coaches, today there are people to coach us in every area in our life. There are career coaches, life coaches, fitness coaches, business coaches.

Sometimes they are called consultants; people who you can consult to get good input on how to reach your goals. Financial consultants, marketing consultants, investment consultants, make-up consultants.

To reach your personal goals, make a list of people that you think you could use to coach you or consult with you on how to take the right steps to your life goals.

Chances are that what you are trying to accomplish in your life has ben done before. Who do you know that has been down the road you want to follow? What qualities do they have that you need? How did they do what they did? Would they be willing to share their knowledge? Can you follow in their footsteps?

Read the “Richest Man in Babylon.” Learn the value of having mentors - a group of like-minded people who can inspire and fill the gaps in what you can and cannot do on your own.

Build a mastermind group. In Napoleon Hill’s book “Think and Grow Rich,” he demonstrates the value of having his own special group of people who have an interest in his success. If you don’t have all the skills you need, and most people do not, gather together a group of talented people who can complement your talents.

The best people for your group will be those who have a vested interest in you - people who will also benefit if you are successful. For instance, in my business I have people whom we count on to provide us with products and services for our business. The more successful we are, the more of their services we use. That means our success helps their success. So we have asked them to be part of our team. We started a program many years ago called “Friends Helping Friends.” We ask our clients and business associates to introduce us to their friends, family, organization members, and business associates. When they do and these people become our clients, we reward the introducing client with invitations to special events including our “Friends Helping Friends” gala event that is held every October.

Most of us already know many people who can help us, but for some of us we will have to go out and find those people. This is “networking,” a process to get you out in front of the people who have the information and skills to help you reach your goals. Sometimes this means joining a group with similar interest to yours. This can be social or business. Sometimes it just means being out in your community, involved in your church, attending classes at the local community college, or working to raise finds for a charity.

But the fact is, whenever have to go it alone. When we meet a challenge where we know we don’t know what we need to know; we need to find that person who knows what we don’t know and make them a part of our team.

The most successful people are those that know what they know and what they don’t know; and they surround themselves with a T.E.A.M. of people who fill in the blanks.

Mary Grace Musuneggi
Executive Director and Founder
January 2012

Did You Know?

That on Jan 3, 1949 - Margaret Chase Smith (R-Maine)
started her tenure in the Senate, where she remained until 1973.She was the first woman to serve in both the House and Senate as she previously served in the House (R-Maine, 1940-1949)?

That on Jan 5, 1925 - Nellie Tayloe Ross was inaugurated as the first woman governor in U.S. history (governor of Wyoming)?

That on Jan 7, 1896 - Fanny Farmer’s first cookbook was published in which she standardized cooking measurements?

That on Jan 7, 1955 - Marian Anderson was the first African American woman to sing at the Metropolitan Opera?

That on Jan 8, 1977 - Pauli Murray, the first female African American Episcopal priest, was ordained?

That on Jan 11, 1935 - Amelia Earhart made the first solo flight from Hawaii to North America?

That on Jan 12, 1932 - Hattie Wyatt Caraway (D-Arkansas) was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate?
She was the first woman to chair a Senate Committee and the first to serve as the Senate’s presiding officer as well.

That on Jan 16: Martha Cotera, pioneering Chicana Feminist, author of two seminal texts Diosa y Hembra and Chicana Feminist was born?
She was the founding member of the Raza Unida Party in Texas, 1969 and one of the mothers of Chicana Feminism.

That on Jan 25, 1980 - Runner Mary Decker became the first woman to run a mile under 4 1/2 minutes, running it at 4:17.55?

That on Jan 29, 1926 - Violette Neatly Anderson was the first black woman to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court?

Business Exchange Networking Lunch
* Give a 1-2 minute commercial for your business.
* Bring business cards, brochures, and samples.
* Make new business contacts.

Four Dates and Locations:
Jan. 4- Wexford, Atria’s, 12980 Perry Highway, Wexford
RSVP: email Michelle Zmijanac at
Michellezmijanac@bestpracticesdelivered.com

Jan. 11- Mount Lebanon, Atria’s, 110 Beverly Road, Mt. Lebanon
RSVP: email Tina Nobers at TinaNobers@CMNNutritionGroup.com

Jan. 18- Murrysville, Bella Luna Trattoria, 5060 Wm Penn Hwy,
Monroeville, Pa 15146
RSVP BLXMurrysville@gmail.com

Jan. 25- Fox Chapel, Comfort Inn (Old Holiday Inn) RIDC Park,
Ohara Twp
RSVP: 412-781-8773 or PlanBConsultant@comcast.net 

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Cost: $18 (Bring cash; No-shows will be billed for the lunch)
RSVP: By Monday prior to the event
For more information: http://www.blxnetworking.com

Business Women Connect Lunch
Business Women Connect is a free monthly networking group open to any woman in business who is interested networking and sharing information about her business with other professionals. Lunch locations alternate between the Monroeville/Murrysville areas one month and the Greensburg/North Huntingdon areas the other month.
Bring 30- 35 business cards and be prepared to give a 60-second commercial about your business.
Date: Friday, January 6, 2012
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 3:0 p.m.
Place: Rodney’s Restaurant, 557 Wendel Road, Irwin PA 15642
Cost: Cost of your own lunch check
RSVP: Suggested by Wednesday, January 4th
To register contact Donna Cheswick at 724-837-1130 or
dcheswick@bpuinvestments.com

January 9 – Pittsburgh Professional Women Clever Connections Dinner Club -from 6-8pm - at BRAVO! McKnight Road - Speaker: Dr. Shannon Thieroff - “Strong Women, Strong Business” www.pittsburghprofessionalwomen.net

January 12 - Featured Theme:
The Business of Communications - Traditional & Leading Edge
A casual weekly networking event for those interested in what’s
innovative and positive in Pittsburgh. A jazz, soul & blues happy
hour show plus open-mike interviews with local executives.

Time: 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Place: Little E’s, 949 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh
Host: Jessica Lee
Cost: $5 (hors d’ouevres included)
For further info, email smarshall@pghgateways.org

January 13 - Butler Women’s Power Lunch -1:00-3:00 pm - Siba Restaurant - Rt. 228 Cranberry Twp - Cost: $30 - Prepay at www.womenspowerlunch.com - Hosted by Suzanne Froehlich - 412-389-3420 for details

January 11 - Brown Bag Lunch - 12:00 – 2:00pm - Speaker: Suzanne Caplan - Topic: Show Me the Money….What Does my P & L Say? Understand the information needed to generate a profit by increasing revenue and reducing costs.Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania 1650 Main Street Pittsburgh – FREE - RSVP: 412.782.5344 x 209 or volunteersofamerica@voapa.org

January 13- WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS BREAKFAST SERIES - 7:30-9:00A.M. - Venue: James Laughlin Music Hall, Chatham University, Shadyside Campus - Cost: $25.00 (including continental breakfast) - Register Online at www.chatham.edu/cwe- Olga Watkins, Performer, The Olga Watkins Band
Donna Baxter, Founder & Web Mistress - Chris Dilla, Owner, Bocktown Beer - “Social Media Success Stories”-Come join us as a panel of successful women entrepreneurs talk about how they’ve mastered social media, building a customer base and maintaining virtual relationships by engaging, informing, and connecting through social media outlets. Hear firsthand what they’ve tried, what worked, what didn’t, and find out what could work for you!

January 13- BRENTWOOD BALDWIN WHITEHALL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
WOMEN’S NETWORKINGLUNCHEON
 New Venue–
The monthly luncheon meeting of the Women’s Networking of the Brentwood Baldwin Whitehall Chamber of Commerce will meet on Friday, January 13, at
Steel Center Area Vocational Technical School. 
 Since South Hills Country Club is closed for remodeling, this is a perfect opportunity to try something new!
 In addition to lunch, we have the option of having a spa service performed by the cosmetology department. 
If you are interested, you can choose a Manicure and pedicure $15, Manicure with paraffin wax treatment $10, or a Facial with a manicure $15. 
Appointments need to be scheduled. All appointments will be for 10 o’clock.  
 To make an appointment, please email Lori Warabow,  lwarabow@scavts.net or leave a message at 412-469-3200, x2542. 
The Steel Center is located at 565 Lewis Run Road, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025. Directions
To enter the school, drive to the very top of the hill and enter at the back of the building.
Students from both Baldwin and Brentwood attend classes at the school. The food service class will be preparing lunch.
 
Lunch for Chamber Members - $15 - Bring a friend!
Lunch for Non-Members - $18
For Lunch Reservations, please email Mary at secretary@bbwchamber.com.
 Please make your reservations by January 5.

January 14- Small Business Basics Workshop
8:30 am – Noon - Place: Mellon Board Room, Chatham University - Cost: $30.00 -Register online at www.chatham.edu/cwe The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University (CWE) and SCORE® Pittsburgh partner to present a “Small Business Basics” workshop to women interested in starting their own business or expanding their current business. Industry experts will discuss business planning, financing, bookkeeping, marketing, and legal issues pertaining to small business. The workshop is informal, and questions from the participants are solicited and encouraged throughout to help each participant receive the knowledge they need.The Small Business Basics workshop is a great introduction to the 10-week Kauffman FastTrac® NewVenture program. A continental breakfast will be available at 8:30 a.m. and parking is free.

January 18- Pittsburgh Social Exchange
Networking Center Stage at The Byham Theater!
When: Wednesday, January 18th from 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Where: The Byham Theater, 101 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA
What: Make your business shine in the spotlight like never before as we draw back the curtains for one of the most interesting and cultural networking events of the year! Don’t forget to bring travel-sized toiletries for the Light of Life Rescue Mission if you wish to participate in the cause. Esspa Kozmetika is generously donating a bar of soap for every guest that registers!
Info/RSVP: www.PittsburghSocialExchange.com

January 19 - Disability Resource Breakfast - 8:30 – 9:30 AM - Speaker: Becky DeSantis, American Heart Association, Physical Therapist and Stroke Support Group Leader - Topic:Heart Disease and Stroke: What we can and cannot control - Risk factors, signs and symptoms, prevention, limitations and getting back to work are all concerns for employees and employers. Learn what you need to know about these important health issues and how to help yourself and others -Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania - 1650 Main Street Pittsburgh – FREE - RSVP: 412.782.5344 x 209 or volunteersofamerica@voapa.org

January 20 - Pittsburgh Women’s Power Lunch - 1:00-3:00 pm - Tambellini’s Restaurant - 139 Seventh Avenue Pittsburgh - Cost: $30. - Prepay at www.womenspowerlunch.com - Hosted by Suzanne Froehlich
412-389-3420 for details

January 26-Pittsburgh Social Exchange Wine Club, Educational Series Part 3/6
Thursday, January 26th 7:00PM - 9:00PM
Where: Willow, 634 Camp Horne Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
What: “Old World Wines vs. New World Wines.” Why do French and Italian wines tend to be more subtle, and California wines tend to be more bold and fruit-forward? What is the better selection for food choices, how do you explain the different tastes, are the growing conditions a contributor to the difference, or is the traditions that make the wine so unique to each other? Event caps at first 50 registrants!
Info/RSVP: www.PittsburghSocialExchange.com

January 30 - April 9 -Kauffman FastTrac® NewVenture™(no class on March 5th) Session runs 10 weeks: Mondays 6:30 – 9:30 PM - Cost: $375.00 (includes textbook, online materials, and class sessions) Place: Chatham University - Register online at www.chatham.edu/cwe- Kauffman FastTracNewVenture is a nationally renowned, hands-on entrepreneurial training program designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage, and grow successful businesses. Over 300,000 entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs have found success through the proven, practical benefits of FastTrac’s award-winning entrepreneurial learning programs. - This is a 10-week entrepreneurial training program offered on Monday nights from January 30 to April 9. Please submit applications prior to this date. For more information, please go to http://www.chatham.edu/cwe/events/fasttrac/fasttrac.cfm

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The WSBA Network Lunch
A Networking Luncheon for Women Business Owners & Professionals
“Get Heard, Get Noticed, Get Leads”

A networking event open to any business woman who would like
to increase her business contacts/clientele. Our networking
format will be structured to provide participants with high
profile and networking. Bring 20-30 business cards/brochures,
cash for your lunch check, and be prepared to give a 60-second commercial about yourself.
January 5 - 11:30 a.m. - Natrona Heights
January 9 - 1:00 p.m. - Beaver County
January 13 - 1:00 p.m. - Robinson/Airport
January 17 - 5:00 p.m. - After Work Network
January 18 - 1:00 p.m. - South Hills
January 19 - 1:00 p.m. - East End
January 20 - 1:00 p.m. - Monroeville
January 23 - 6:30 p.m. - After Work Network - Washington
January 24 - 1:00 p.m. - North Hills
January 27 - 12:00p.m. - Westmoreland
Host: Women’s Small Business Association
Fee: $2 meeting fee (plus the cost of lunch)
RSVP: Required (Note: Any “Yes” RSVPs who do not show
will be charged a $20 no-show fee.)
http://www.wsba.ws

Key Card Events

January 9th - from 6-8pm
at BRAVO! McKnight Road
Clever Connections Dinner for Members only
Speaker: Dr. Shannon Thieroff
“Strong Women, Strong Business”

February 23rd - from 11am-2pm
at Embassy Suites Hotel, Moon Twp.
Special PPW Workshop with Rhonda Britten
“Fearless Business” Note: This event is NOT available as a Key Card Event

March 8th -from 1-3pm
atAndora Mt. Lebanon/Greentree
Clever Connections Lunch
Speaker: Health Coach and Author Lindsey Smith
“Junk Foods & Junk Moods: Stop Craving and Start Living”

Save the Date
Pittsburgh Social Exchange
Lunch & Learn Series - Featuring Cindy Rack of Social Voice Marketing!
Optimize Your LinkedIn Account!
When: Friday, February 3rd, 12:00PM - 2:30PM
Where: ContactPointe, 1000 Omega Drive, Pittsburgh, PA
What: Want to optimize your LinkedIn account for business and personal growth?
Many people have a LinkedIn account but are uncertain on how it works and how
it can improve your business! Join PSE and the owner of Social Voice Marketing,
Cindy Rack, for this in-depth 2.5 hour training class. Event caps at first 50 registrants!
More Info/RSVP: www.PittsburghSocialExchange.com

February 28 - Pittsburgh Public Schools – Business Opportunity Extravaganza – 1:30-4:30 – Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers – 10 South 19thStreet , Pittsburgh

March 11 - 17th Annual Empty Bowls Dinner, a simple meal of bread and soup, to benefit Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Just Harvest, and raise awareness about the problem of hunger in our communit at Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 5th Ave, Oakland, 2-6 pm. Celebrity soup servers, live entertainment, children’s activities, silent auction of world-class ceramic art and celebrity-autographed bowls*, and ticket holders choose a beautiful hand made bowl to take home. Tkts: $20: call (412) 431-8960 or visit www.pittsburghfoodbank.org. - *Autographed Bowls for 2012 Empty Bowls: Tom Cruise, Bono (U2), Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Joe Manganiello, Bret Michaels, Pittsburgh Penguins, Bob Segar, Meredith Viera, Carlos Mencia - for more information, contact - Iris Valanti, Director of CommunicationsGreater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank - 412-460-3663, ext 208 - Visit www.pittsburghfoodbank.org for information about the Food Bank and all of our events!