Meeting Minutes

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Sep 21, 2015

Alvertis Alexander felicitated with Women's Achievement Award, 2015.

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda – Celebrating Women’s Achievement Month.Forest Hills Chapter celebrated Women’s Achievement Month on Sep 21st to honor women of accomplishment, trail blazers, visionaries and leaders for their extraordinary work. Whether in public service or business, or for simply being a positive role model for others, these women of achievement inspire people to new heights. The purpose of the meeting was to acknowledge their profound impact on communities and the world at large. This year's Women's Achievement Award was presented to Alvertis Alexander.

Topic - What it actually takes to succeed – Essential component of a successful career.

Alvertis Alexander, Vice President of NAPW Forest Hills Chapter, shared her own story of ordeals, failures and successes. Gaining a foothold and then journeying uphill, in one of the most competitive industries, was not easy for Alve. Despite the obstacles, she not only carved a niche for herself in the fashion industry but also managed to evolve as an expert in her field. Being a multi-talented and multifaceted personality, she is truly an inspiration to all those who aspire to live a successful and purposeful life.

Speaker - Alvertis Alexander

Alvertis is a woman of many talents. Her story of struggles and achievements spans over more than two decades. Apart from being the VP of NAPW Forest Hills chapter, she is an author, columnist, actor, model, designer, playwright, director, radio host and much more. Adept with leadership qualities, she is great at strategy, implementation, and more importantly, working with people. Her career path hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses. She’s had her share of ups and downs. She’s forgotten her lines in plays, fallen off the runway and stuck herself with needles while designing clothes (on a lighter side). Her mistakes only made her stronger with each passing day. She now lives her life out loud because she believes in “you only live once -YOLO philosophy”.

Highlights –

Alvertis shared her empowering life experiences with the members. Like most career women, her journey has been a mix of bouquets and brickbats, joy and tribulation, tears and laughter, accolades and reprimand, disappointments and accomplishments. When asked for a take away message for women who try hard to strike a balance between personal and professional lives, here’s what she had to say -
Get out of your own way because you only live once.

Believe in yourself.

Embrace your spirituality.

Speak with conviction. Hold your ground.

Build a positive and like minded circle.

Occasionally, focus on things that make you laugh.

Purchase that conversational sexy black dress.

Write out your bucket list and occasionally add to it when you cross one off.

Donate to a charity.

Do kind deeds for others

Don’t be scared of shedding tears in presence of those who believe in you and support.

Build someone's confidence.

Make others smile.

Wake up with a smile and appreciate another blessed day in life.

Live life with a purpose.

Attendees –
Cassandra Greene, Didi Boyd, Shelly Jadoo, Valerie Masse, Angelica Harris, Carolyn Clement, Anjali Chugh.

Ilene Cohen, Jill Francisco, Didi Boyd, Rosalind Triggs, Ania, Babita Trivedi, Cassandra Greene, Sau Tse, Tamiko Benjamin, Mary L. Diakite, Anjali Chugh, Alvertis Alexander.

Non Members –
Candace Greene, Atiba Nicholas, Anna Anderson, Shawnette Hamilton, William Michael Reid.

================

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - July 13, 2015

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda – Celebrating Entrepreneurship and Personal Passions Month.

Topic - Identifying and using personal passions for creating a successful life.

What are you truly passionate about? What makes you jump out of bed in the morning? Are you making a lasting positive impression? What is your vision for the future? Do you have a mission statement, and a set of goals and action steps to make your dreams a reality? What approaches are you using to express your true self to the world with passion and flair? The guest speaker helped the members in stepping out of the box and explore techniques of expressing their authentic self. Attendees were able to identify their passions and methods for leaving a lasting mark.

Speaker - Joan Axelrod Siegelwax

Joan is the Founder and President of Powerful Possibilities Coaching. Through the creation of Powerful Possibilities Coaching, she has been able to transform her passion for helping women unleash their full potential into a blossoming career. As a collaborative, solutions-focused Coach, she provides support and practical feedback to help clients effectively, address personal and professional challenges while building self-confidence and increasing personal power. Joan has a degree in Marketing and Public Relations from Boston University and certifications from New York University in Personal and Organizational Coaching, and Organizational and Leadership Development. She is also certified in Personal Training, Yoga and Meditation.

Highlights –

- Joan delivered a very interesting presentation, built on some of the most powerful keywords used in the industry, such as, Strength* Desire * Passion* Authenticity *Awesomeness Factor* Vision Statement * Mission Statement* Personal Goals* Powerful Actions* Personal Style * Elevator Speech * Online Presence* Media Platforms * Blogs * Consistent Messaging * Networking * Personal Circles * Personal Boards * Personal Legacy* Impressions* Imprint .

- Joan started off by asking the group, “If someone were to Google your name what would they find? Are you making a lasting positive impression? How would you rate your networking skills? Does the thought of creating an on-line presence, setting up a social media platform or starting a blog frighten you to death!? What is your vision for the future? Do you have a mission statement, and a set of goals and actions steps to make your dreams a reality? What approaches are you using to express your true self to the world?” She further added, “ If you cannot answer affirmatively to the majority of these questions, most likely you are not fully leveraging your Personal Brand.”

In an interactive that followed, Joan helped the members -

- Explore their strengths, desires and passions

- Create personal goals and accompanying action items

- Discover their “Awesomeness Factor” or characteristic that made them stand out in the crowd

- Refine their personal style

- Develop a clearer vision of the future

- Craft a mission statement, devise strategies and establish a game plan to make their dreams a reality

- Create an “Elevator Speech”

- Break through fears and barriers to creating and online presence

- Examine social media platforms, consistent messaging, and advantages to starting a blog

- Discuss best Networking practices for building strong personal and professional circles

- Evaluate personal legacy; how they show up, the impression they make and imprint they leave behind.

Joan helped attendees realize that by following their passion they could discover an exciting new way of presenting themselves to the world. Through the use of powerful questions the members began to dig deeper into their current “Brand” and how they were showing up for the world.

Q/A session between Joan and the members turned out to be very useful because it helped the members to answer questions such as:

o What are you truly passionate about?

o What makes you jump out of bed in the morning?

o What is your vision for the future?

o Are you making a lasting positive impression?

This sparked the conversation around passions and future visions. Attendees were able to understand the difference between vision and mission statement. They were able to –

- examine their discomfort and fears around self-promotion and creating a social media platform. This included looking into the approaches that would be necessary to express ones true self to the world with flair.

- know the importance of setting goals and examining some action steps that would be required to make their dreams a reality!

- share future ideas for creating Plan B and brainstormed ideas for turning their passions into lucrative businesses. They shared their ideas and fears of “asking for the sale”.

- reintroduce themselves to each other again from a place of strength and passions and sharing all that is possible for creating a better life path.

Attendees –

Cassandra Greene, Didi Boyd, Shelly Jadoo, Valerie Masse, Angelica Harris, Carolyn Clement, Anjali Chugh.

================

Forest Hills Chapter Anniversary Celebration - June 15, 2015

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda - Chapter's Third Anniversary Celebration

Highlights -

The meeting was designed as a Roundtable discussion that touched on a variety of issues ranging from networking as a business strategy, and Social Media as one tool to achieve this goal.

President Anjali Chugh welcomed five new members giving them a brief overview of the Chapter's history. Then, she invited all attendees to share their journey to NAPW.

Many of the ladies were gainfully employed, but had dreams of becoming entrepreneurs. Developing effective relationships with women 'in' business was a critical first step. Many opined that NAPW allowed them to meet people with similar interests, learn new things and make business connections.

Several ladies had flirted with other networking organizations in the past. But, none of them was a good 'fit'. Now, with the age of technology the professional landscape was in constant motion of change. As such, it was becoming much more difficult to keep pace. They felt the best option available to them right now was NAPW.

They believed that the openness of the organization attracted women from all walks of life, work environments and experiences. The diversity of knowledge and the possibility of more exposure to like-minded professional women was exciting.

One woman was effusive in her praise for MORE magazine and the innovative programs and special events it creates to keep the readership engaged and coming back for more. "The top-tier events," she said, "offered excellent networking opportunities since they attracted a cross section of dynamic women business owners and corporate executives."

She felt that these events created limitless networking opportunities, because membership is free. There’s a small fee for attending the events though. A large portion of the expense is underwritten by the corporate sponsors.

Social Media as a medium to develop connections was another topic of interest. However, many expressed disappointment with the meager outcomes. Anjali agreed that this medium was useful but reminded the ladies that each social media platform has a specific purpose. Most of them were designed primarily for networking, learn something new, develop connections and share pertinent information.

LinkedIn was recognized as the best choice for business and job opportunities.

Didi Boyd, VP Finance, Valerio 888, was selected as the Showcase member of the month. Read more about her in the Showcase segment.

Attendees:

Didi Boyadjieva, Radka Etropolski, Mona Lisa Chandler, Caroline Clement, Barbara Felton, Deborah Moray, Chermerdene Jordan, Donnatella Horvath, Donna Shill, Wilma McClelland, Florence Robinson, Rosalind Triggs, Babita Trivedi, Anjali Chugh.

Minutes prepared by Chermerdene Jordan, Secretary Forest Hills Chapter.

==================

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - May 11, 2015

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda - Fitness with Zumba

Members enjoyed an intense work out session with Maria Padilla, Certified Zumba Instructor.

===============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Apr 22, 2015

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda - Workshop on Sexual Assault Awareness in Queens College, NY.

Topic - Sexual Assualt Awareness Workshop

What sexual violence is and how common it is, difference between sexual assault , sexual abuse and rape, preventing abuse, far reaching effects of sexual assault, what puts children and adolescents at risk for sexual violence, role parents should play in preventing sexual violence, preventing sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, steps to be taken after the incident.

Speakers -
Andrea Hughes, LMSW.
Andrea is the Supervising Social Worker for Safe Horizon Queens Community Program, providing trauma focused services to children and adults who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and homicide. Prior to joining Safe Horizon, Ms. Hughes served as Research Staff Associate at Columbia University School of Social Work where she managed a research project to help child welfare systems better prepare young adults in foster care to enter the world of work. Ms. Hughes is a graduate of Columbia University School of Social Work and holds a B.A. in English from Hunter College and a B.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Angelia Harris
Human Rights activist Angelica Harris is a successful author, entrepreneur, advocate, and speaker. Angelica is the author of three fantasy novels: The Quest for Excalibur, Excalibur and the Holy Grail, and Excalibur Reclaims Her King. From these books was born the Excalibur Reading Program, a non-profit program that brings the importance of reading, writing, and the arts to all children, as well as to organizations dedicated to children with special needs. The Excalibur Reading Program is the new pilot program in designated public schools in Queens, New York, and Angelica continues to work with community leaders to better her program and community. Living with Rage, is a memoir about her personal struggles through various forms of abuse.

Highlights –
- Most children and young adults are abused by someone they know and trust. Children with no familial support, low family income, and few friends are at higher risk of victimization.

- Children with sexually aggressive friends, who have witnessed or experienced violence, and who abuse drugs or alcohol are at higher risk of perpetration.

- Its is myth that he term sexual violence just means rape and child abuse. It’s a myth that only young and attractive women are raped. Attempted rape, unwanted touching, verbal sexual harassment are all covered under sexual violence.

- 90% of sexual crimes go unreported. Only 2-3% abusers are sentenced. Every victim responds to the assault in his own way. A large number of victims live scared and confused lives after they are attacked or their privacy has been invaded. Most suffer post traumatic syndrome.

- Angelica shared her horrifying personal story of abuse. Growing up under domestic violence in a very normal neighborhood, hiding the pain and becoming a writer at 16, using the arts such as Literature, Theater, and dance to overcome domestic /sexual abuse, rape-losing confidence-abortion and giving up-atempted suicide, after marriage dealing with taking care of a special needs son, and using writing letters to find programs, and hope in helping him. The gift of story telling comes through all the chaos and she began writing books about King Arthur , finding a voice through a fictional character and coming out of hiding, getting published and becoming a public speaker. A reader asks about her true past and through her fictional character Arianna, her true voice was released. Later she started the Excalibur Reading Program, writing blogs about domestic and sexual abuse and when asked by readers to write her memoir she found courage to write Living With Rage.

- Raven’s Hope is devoted to helping those suffering under the issues of domestic and sexual abuse. Angelica continues to work with community leaders for the betterment or her community. She partnered with organizations such as Amnesty International and the Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) and the Center for the Women of New York (CWNY) and Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).

- There are many agencies that can provide assistance in such circumstances. Safe Horizon is one of them. Many agencies provide hotline service for immediate assistance e.g. HOPE has a calling # 800-656-HOPE (4673).

Both speakers had one message to convey - “Refuse to tolerate sexual violence. Speak up. You’re not alone. Sweeping under the rug makes things worse. ”

==================

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Mar 9, 2015

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda - The Chapter celebrated "Women’s Entrepreneurship Month" with guest speaker Monica Shah, Founder of Revenue Breakthrough.

Topic - 4 Steps to Double Your Income in
2015
Learning simple science about your own money beliefs, where they came from and how to shift them so that you can immediately start creating more. Understanding your own value and getting a step by-step approach to raising your prices. Learning how to translate all that networking, speaking and writing into dollars. Making smart decisions about how to spend, save and invest your money in your business, when to use debt in your business to help it grow (and when NOT to), and most importantly, the exact marketing activities you need to be doing weekly, monthly and quarterly to double your income in 2015.

Speaker –
Monica Shah, Founder of Revenue Breakthrough, is dedicated to showing women business owners how to find hidden money in their businesses by shifting their business models, attracting new clients, and finding unique marketing angles. Monica uses her corporate background (brand manager at L’Oreal Paris) as well as her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management to teach clear step-by-step business systems, strategies, and marketing to help her clients move into highly profitable businesses. Monica believes that getting smart about business is essential to creating an amazing lifestyle and sustainable business, but it doesn't have to be confusing, hard or arduous.

Highlights –
President Anjali Chugh welcomed the guest speaker, Monica Shah, Founder, Revenue Breakthrough. Her intent to help women build business and more revenue this year set the tone for a lively and inspired discussion. She shared her failures and triumphs in moving from a corporate career to entrepreneurship. It was when she hit rock bottom as an entrepreneur that she took one year to regroup and figure out why. She wanted to know what 'sustainable income' meant and how to build one. She advised that it was imperative to build a skill set. She did so, creating a seven figure coaching business to change the money conversation for women entrepreneurs so they can build successful businesses while finding balance in their lives.

She shared a tool to assist in changing the mindset on money. It all starts with determining one's money 'type'. It helps us understand why we make the decisions we do. There are four types:

1. the "Avoider" refuses to look at money. She has no idea what she owes. She might know what the numbers are at tax time but by October has no idea. She avoids because of the back story around the topic. This attitude is steeped in shame and worry. She suggested that the 'avoider' spend 20 minutes every week looking at the numbers and build a relationship with them.

2. the "Spender" is the person who buys without looking at the price tag. The dress might cost $200, she knows she can't afford it but her shopping buddies tell her how great she looks and that she deserves it. The credit card balance might be too high, yet, she buys because she craves the approval. Monica advised doing a heart and head check . "Spend from the heart and gut. Give it some time. Pause and let the gut and heart speak. Ask why do I want to buy this? Trust yourself and say ‘No’ for the reason that makes sense."

3. the "Saver" has very little debt. She's regimented and takes responsibility. She has money in savings accounts and is the favorite in the family. But, she has a problem. She works 12 hours a day, has saved so much and, yet is struggling. The reason - burnout! She has this condition because she would not hire support or delegate tasks. This is typical of business owners.

4. the "Martyr" reduces her price rather than say ‘No’. She will barter, or reduce the price. She gives and gives, but never receives what she's worth. Eventually, she suffers burnout because she's not valuing her worth. This attitude can be traced to childhood where, perhaps she saw parents giving money away. The question she should ask is, "what happened around money when I was a child? How is that playing out for me right now?"

She advised that the tighter one is with money, the harder it comes. And, she suggested using positive affirmations around money, such as, "I cause money to flow in my life. The more I put out, the more flows back."

"Savers", she said should reward themselves by opening a bank account for themselves. Then at the end of 30 days, spend it on themselves.

She gave each attendee a Money Magnet tool to get us on track "to doing the right things, in the right order and at the right time". We can work for twelve hours and still be broke. "Revenue Generating Activities such as paying attention to the numbers is everything. You must do anything that gets you closer to selling a product or service."

The Money Magnet was a good place to start," she added. It's an 8 x 11inch laminated board on which one would identify the "3 things they will do before noon today to generate the most money?" In addition, there is space to document the person's "bold money goal in 60/90 days" along with the due date. It concludes with the affirmation: "I focus on what I can do in the present moment to MOVE MY BUSINESS FORWARD". Once completed she instructed the members to mount it on a wall for constant visibility.

In conclusion, Monica brought everyone’s attention to a list of revenue and non-revenue generating activities that must be adhered to:

Revenue generating Activities :

· Sales Conversations

· Speaking engagements

· Events

· Anything that get us in front of people

Non-Revenue Generating Activities :

· Revising websites

· Working on headlines/titles

· Working with clients

· Checking the internet

She suggested that we look at that day's list, pick three revenue generating activities, transfer them from the to-do list onto the Money Magnet Tool. Break down the goals for each day.

Attendees –
Cassandra Greene, Ebonique Milton, Jenny Delaleu, Keshia Britton-Morris, Donatella Horvath, Shelly Jadoo, Safia Sattaur, Leticia Edghill, Candice Lolier, Naseem Bano, Midda Garcia, Wilma McClelland, Ramilla Ibragimova, Jaye Corvino, Anjali Chugh, Chermerdene Jordan.

Minutes of Meeting prepared by Chermerdene Jordan, Secretary, Forest Hills Chapter.

==================

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Feb 9, 2015

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda - The Chapter celebrated "Black History Month" with guest speaker Kimberly Brown, the Assistant Director of Alumni Career Programming and Employee Development at Teachers' College, Columbia University. In her spare time, Kimberly is a freelance writer for "Manifest Yourself, a lifestyle and wellness blog.

Topic - Goal Setting to Achieve MORE!

Kimberly shared her success story that revolved around some of the very valuable experiences from her professional life. She emphasized on setting goals so as to manifest the life one desires. Covering all the important aspects in her presentation, ranging from career, entrepreneurship, wellness to personal pursuits, she helped the attendees to identify, organize and take actionable steps that lead to success. Her personal goal, according to her, is to help people fight the resistance that keeps them from achieving MORE in the areas of life that matter the most.

Speaker - Kimberly Brown

Kimberly Brown is an engaging, enthusiastic, higher education and wellness professional. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Director of Alumni Career Programming and Employer Development at Teachers College, Columbia University and the Founder and Editor of Manifest Yourself, a lifestyle and wellness blog. Through all of her experiences, she has become skilled in goal setting, coaching, developing effective partnerships, personal development, and social media content creation. Kimberly holds a Master of Science in Counseling and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Long Island University.

Highlights –
Kimberly introduced her presentation with a question:
"Have you ever wanted more of anything in your life?"

- Women are always adapting. She shared her personal and professional journey which started to come together in 2013. She was a newlywed and had graduated with a Master's Degree. She even thought of getting a PhD. But, the idea was marriage fell apart and ended in a divorce.

 She embarked on a journey with a coach to find out who she was and what she wanted. She asked herself three questions :
 "What were the 3 great accomplishments in my life?"
 "What were the three greatest moments when I was productive?"
 "When was I least productive?"

From these questions she developed Core Values for her personal life, and career. She recommended this exercise as something we all should do. In addition, we should examine the advice we give ourselves. Whatever we come up with should be quick and easy to remember. In addition, we must be mindful to prioritize our commitments.

- The next step is testing. Where is this value not true? Innovation should be a goal. Is there a disconnect between balance and stability? What should you do and what do you want? In her case, she did the work and found healing and motivation to help others do the same. She is the Founder and Editor of "Manifest Yourself", a health and wellness blog. Here, she encourages and helps people discover their "Core Values" and use them to become healthy, whole and more productive.

- She cautioned that one cannot move forward if one is not motivated. One must know which part of their life is stagnant. Creating "Core Values" helps one create a vision for change. She suggested creating a Vision Board as well as reading books on the topic to learn more. Touching on the need for personal branding she advised us to set up a support system, work with a Coach with a solid manifestation tool-kit. Then, one must work the plan. This means making the commitment to stay the course until change becomes a reality.

- Kimberly invited us to manifest more. The program, centered around identifying Core Values, is flexible and has a curriculum that can last from 90-days to 4-6 months. Everyone received a 5x7 card with Daily Affirmations that are a part of her daily regimen.

Members were greatly inspired by Kimberly's approach to discovery, healing and leading a more productive life.

Announcements by the President –
- W.e.f. Feb 2015, 15 min will be set aside for ‘listening session’ at every monthly meeting during which time members will speak about the challenges they face in career / business and the Chapter will use all its resources to resolve those issues over the next 30 days.
- The leadership team has already finalized the Events Calendar for 2015.
- Vice President Alvertis Alexander was congratulated for displaying her designs at the New York Fashion Week.

Attendees – Members
Wilma McClelland, Shelly Jadoo, Barbara Osborne, Donna Shill, Babita Trivedi, Paulette Woolf, Rosalind Triggs, Lindsay Frankel, Alve Alexander, Chermerdene Jordan, Susan Myers, Karen Gerstman, Kimberly Brown, Anjali Chugh

Non Members - Midda Garcia, Susan Wong.

Minutes prepared by Chermerdene Jordan, Secretary Forest Hills Chapter

=================

Forest Hills Chapter Holiday Celebration &

Coat Drive - Dec 16, 2014

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Topic- Travel - If I gave you a million dollars to spend on anything, BUT it has to be something fun, what would you do?

Most people immediately say travel! It’s a beautiful thing to be able to travel the world and experience different cultures. However, many people do not get the opportunity to experience it many times let alone once in their lifetime. Well that’s where Candace’s Company steps in.

Speaker – Candace Greene
As a representative of The Travel Club, Candace helps people from all financial backgrounds by adding value to their lives and making travel a possibility for them. And if travel is already a part of their lives, she offers them packages and many other savings through the in-built programs, at an alarmingly low rate. Candace brings the Travel Club to the doorstep of interested customers and gives them a chance to enjoy a better lifestyle, in the comfort of their own city, nationally and internationally.

Highlights –
- The last meeting of the year culminated in a high spirited Holiday celebration. Members networked for extended hours while enjoying wine and delicious hors d'oeuvres.

- Since a coat drive was organized the same evening, members brought warm clothes to the meeting to be donated to United Veterans Beach House (UVBH) in Bay Shore. UVBH provides housing, clothes, and counseling to homeless veterans and their families.

- At the meeting, members had an opportunity to learn about some exciting and once in a lifetime travel plans. Speaker, Candace Greene, offered some of the best options to make travel on all financial levels affordable without cutting corners.

- As per Candace, the Company offers two levels of membership:
Level 1 – Gold Membership provides the clients with privileges such as free airport transfers, exclusive travel deals year round, four star hotels, flight accident insurance, and many other perks along the way.
- Level 2 – Platinum Membership provides hotel upgrades and exclusive travel experiences, advance booking of trips, upgraded airport transfers, choice of early or late check-in, 50% discount on room upgrades and much more.
- You accumulate points over the year after you become a member. Once approved for membership, every dollar you spend on monthly membership fees equals the points you have in your account which will mature on your anniversary date and you will be able to spend those points on your next vacation.
- Here is an example of the savings you can achieve on a 7-day/6-night trip to Paris. You stay at the four star Hotel Rochester Champs Elysees; daily breakfast; jump to the head of the line at the Eiffel tower tour, Seine River cruise and admission to the Gourmet Chocolate Museum with delectable tastings (who can resist this stop).

- Each level of membership has a monthly fee and a onetime registration/sign-up fee which will be applied towards your travel points and are redeemable for travel of your choice.
- You choose your vacation destination and travel time. There are no black-out dates!
- You are given access to your own private website where you can plan your vacation, post pictures of your vacation and track all your points and purchases.
- The loyalty program awards points towards travel for signing up new members and purchasing items from their business partners.
- In addition to personal travel, this organization offers Home Based Business opportunities though Home Parties, speaking engagements at organizations, club meetings and networking.
- Another interesting avenue to explore with this organization is their volunteer program and fund raiser opportunities. You combine voluntary service work and travel and help with national and global service. Just a few of the volunteer locations are Cuba, India, China, Costa Rica.
- There are so many exciting travel adventures just waiting for you with this organization! Contact Candace for more information by email or Phone
By email at cgreene92@gmail.com ; By Phone (347) 385-6243

Special Thanks to Susan Myers and Carolyn Clement for arranging refreshments.

Announcements by the President –
- No Chapter meeting will be held in January 2015 because of cold temperatures.

- From Feb 2015, about 15 minutes will be set aside at every meeting for discussing and documenting career related problems of members, and every possible effort will be made to find solutions to those problems.

- All members should connect through Chapter FB page and keep themselves updated with the latest Chapter activities.

- Paulette Woolf will serve as a Board member (Chair, Event planning) w.e.f. Jan 2015.

Attendees –
Candace Greene. Susan Myers, Cassandra Greene, Marie Glennon, Rosalind Triggs, Marsha Newman, Carolyn Clement, Donna Shill, Mimi Borda, Wilma McClelland, Linday Frankel, Shelly Jadoo, Karen Gerstman, …Anjali Chugh

Minutes of Meeting prepared by Susan Myers, Treasurer Forest Hills Chapter

============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Nov 10, 2014

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Topic - Career Transition - Is This the Moment for Me to Make the Move?

Antonia offered some valuable tools to the members in order for them to make much desired career transitions, that are firmly grounded in their realities. She went through the check list that could help anyone answer the question..."Is this the moment for me to make a career transition?...and what exactly would that look like?".

About the Speaker – Antonia Bowring

Antonia has over 20 years experience in corporate America and the nonprofit sector. As management consultant, she has worked with clients such as Federated Department Stores, Xerox and JP Morgan Chase. As a strategy consultant to non profits, she has been the adviser to Acumen, Trace Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation among others. Most recently she led Women’s Initiative for Self Employment in NY City as Executive Director, and previous to that was Chief Operating Officer at the Open Space Institute. Antonia holds an Executive coaching certificate from NYU and specializes in leadership development.

Highlights –

· Stay motivated. Motivated people are capable of abundant learning and development.

· Explore dilemmas and clarify your goals – what road blocks would you experience (less money, time constraints, family responsibilities, how much money you need to maintain a comfortable lifestyle) to achieve your goal. You must determine what you want to accomplish with your transition.

· Define and redefine your skills and values – do you need to go back to school, do an internship, explore outside of the box to see what skills you can tap into. Set up test goals to review your skills and what you need to incorporate them into the work force.

Explore your goals and those of the companies you are interested in. Are you a good fit. Are you comfortable with their corporate culture. Is the location and job tasks something that you can achieve within their guidelines.

· Create a plan for change and explore your goals and options. Once you identify your goal look at the options that are available in that field or company. Once identified you can create a plan of action to make the change you are seeking. How is the best way to get to know the field, what is the long term feasibility of the field you looking at.

· Begin to take action – speak to people in that industry, network, ask for feedback on your resume, practice mock interviews, make yourself comfortable with your skills, learn and exploit your skill and experience value. No one will toot your horn expect for you. So let them know you can do the job. Practice until you are relaxed and comfortable in your verbal thoughts.

· Make your future plan move – strategically plan how you will accomplish your goal. Create a schedule that you can follow to do the necessary and hard work and soul searching to achieve that ultimate position, new business or advance in your current position. Will it be networking, on-line chat forums, training, research. Think how the change will affect you personally as well as your family.

· Once you have determined how you will go about your career transition, make yourself accountable for achieving your goals. If you start and falter, get right back in the game and start again. The only way your transition will work successfully is to set goals that are reasonable and be flexible when you hit a bump in the road.

· The bottom line is, the only one that can make this change successful is you. You hold all the keys to your success. Set reasonable goals, be flexible, creative, and make yourself comfortable with your decisions. Once you are comfortable your confidence will shine through and you will be able to achieve whatever you set out to accomplish.

· Trust yourself and believe in yourself.

Attendees –

Angelica Harris, Donna Shill, Jacqueline R Alston-Gordon, Donatella Horvath, Susan Myers, Paulette Woolf, Joanne Principe, Claudia Anglade, Gem Moriah, Carol Slotkin, Jennifer Petino, Anjali Chugh.

Minutes of Meeting prepared by Susan Myers, Secretary Forest Hills Chapter

==============

NAPW Forest Hills Chapter Charity Gala / Dance Event –

Oct 3, 2014

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Event – Charity Gala / Music & Dance Event for raising funds for SOS Children Villages.
NAPW Forest Hills Chapter hosted its annual Charity Gala on October 3, 2014. Themed as the "ROARING 20s", the event introduced everyone to an exciting era in our country's history - Flapper dresses, feathered headbands, garters wrapped around legs encased in fishnet stockings, long beads and elbow-length gloves gave us a glimpse into a time, long gone but not forgotten! The men were just as dapper in their suits, gaiters (worn over the shoe) and fedoras.

Music played a vital role in the evening's festivities. A group of dancers along with a few NAPW members demonstrated the ballroom dance popular at that time, including the Tango and Waltz. A group of young school students, along with their instructor showed their love for these 'old' dances with spirited, well-executed performances. A 'belly' dancer, Nafisa, brought additional spice to the evening. About a hundred people attended the Gala. Delicious food, excellent wine, sizzling dance performances and above all exciting Raffle prizes were some of the highlights of the evening.

For more photos please click HERE.

The Fundraiser benefitted SOS Children Villages, a non-profit organization, dedicated to the cause of orphaned / abandoned children in more than 136 countries across the globe for the last 60 years. NAPW Forest Hills Chapter was able to raise $2000 for the Charity.

Highlights –

Exhibitors / Vendors who participated –

- RYIS Cosmetics – RYIS was the prime sponsor of the event. The Company distributed $1000 worth goody bags and beauty products. RYIS offers skin, hair and body care products made from herbs and plant extracts. Products are completely Natural and Herbal and are comparable to the best in the industry. Apart from the company website RYIScosmetics.com, the products are available on Amazon and Ebay as well.

- Valerio 888/Ian and Valery, Co - Owner – Ian & Valery was represented by VP Finance Didi Boyd . The Company sells exquisitely beautiful Amber jewelry collection. Products can be bought on their website http://www.valerio888.com/ and as well as on Amazon.

- Lord & Taylor – L&T was represented by Telica Tywang- Kovica. Lord & Taylor has always been a trendsetter in the fashion industry. Since opening in 1826, they've set major trends in the retailing business. The company has a vast range of fashion products ranging from women’s clothing, jewelry, handbags, shoes, accessories to kids and men’s wear to offer.

- Remix Designs – Owned by Leisl Schrader, Remix Design helps entrepreneurs launch and refine their brand online. They are experts at Web and mobile design, development, branding, and online marketing for startups, solo entrepreneurs, and small, growing businesses.

- AgeWell NewYork - AgeWell New York is a New York State authorized managed long term care plan (MLTCP). AgeWell helps people who are chronically ill or those with disabilities needing health and long term care services stay in their homes and communities as long as possible. AgeWell arranges and pays for these services, and provides choices and flexibility in obtaining necessary care.

- Ethereal TuTus LLC – Owned by Jennifer Borzumato, Ethereal creates custom TuTu skirts and dresses for all ages, shapes, & sizes. A customer can select color(s), length, ribbon and embellishments and even add LED lights for the perfect look to the dress.

- Grace Music studio - Owned by Julia Amisano, a singer and private voice coach in Brooklyn, New York. Julia sings and teaches all musical all styles from Opera to R&B and has performed all over the world, including Carnegie Hall.

Singers -

- Julia Amisano – Owner Grace Music studio. She is a singer and private voice coach in Brooklyn, New York. Julia sings and teaches all musical all styles from Opera to R&B and has performed all over the world, including Carnegie Hall.

- Julia’s Student, Amy LaClare -Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter, currently working on her debut EP album.

- Daphnee Fortunate - Daphnee spent many of her early years in the arts as a singer/ actress. She is now currently working on owning her own business in producing children’s educational plays, books and videos.

- Jewlz - A dynamic artist in the music industry today. A natural performer, singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, comedian, model, and entrepreneur. Jewlz has her debut music video on Youtube.com/jewlzvideos, "MISERY GAME" a collaborative work with fellow hip-hop artist KANDYMAN.

- Dawnyelle Butler - An actress, singer and a model, Dawnyelle Butler has worked alongside legends of the music and movie industry - Chris Rock - Jay Z- Madonna and Steven Spielberg.

Sizzling dance performances by -

- Nafissa – (Belly Dancer) is a freelance performing artist, with a background in numerous dance genres, including professional ballet dancer, belly dancer and teacher, and competition-level Argentine Tango dancer.

- Sidney Grant’s Ballroom Basix children with Zoe Xandra - performed a Merengue and Argentine Tango. Zoe is a dancer, choreographer, performer and teacher.

- Zoe Xandra and Sage who danced an Argentine Tango and Argentine Vals

- Glenda & Armand – Partnered for Tango. Glenda is a well-known, long-time professional Salsa dancer, performer and teacher in NYC, having toured and worked with some of the best, including Razz M' Tazz, and the Eddie Torres Latin Dance Company. Armand is a long-time Argentine Tango dancer, best known for his strength, intense dramatic style and interpretation of the music.

- Glenda & John –Partnered for Mambo. John is a long-time accomplished Salsa dancer (NY on 2), accomplished salon-style Argentine Tango dancer, and musician.

- Vija & Carlos – Argentina Tango (Salon Style). Vija is a favorite salon-style dancer among many at the milongas (Argentine Tango dances) for her grace, beauty, generous spirit and musicality. Carlos is accomplished in the salon-style. He is a favorite leader among many, and is known for his grace, musicality and clear lead style.

Raffle -

- Designer Invitations Plus – $20 worth Acrylic Note Card Holder with matching note paper is the perfect accessory for the girl.
- Samsung Speaker – Value $35
- Splitter worth $ 20.
- Pendent worth $ 20
- WEN Cosmetic gift hamper – value $ 35
- CK and DJB Productions – Complimentary 2 tickets to hit stage play ‘A Christmas without him’.
- Ethereal Tutus LLC - 2 Gift Certificates for Custom Handmade TuTu(s) - Value $40 Each.
- Vera Moore - $ 50 Gift hamper
- Alve Couture – $50 Gift hamper from Alve Couture collection.
- RYIS Cosmetics - $ 50 value gift hamper
- Grace Music Studio – Coupon: First Voice or Piano lesson FREE At Grace Music Studio, in Park Slope Brooklyn. A $65 value.
- Valerio888 – A pendant with cherry amber and sterling silver .925 – Retail value $ 100.
- Blake & Co - $ 100 Gift worth Gift hamper
- All Skin Care facials- Two $150 Gift certificates.
- His & Her Watch by Charles Raymond – value $179
- His & Her Watch by Charles Raymond – value $179
- Remix Designs – Gift certificate for "$500 off of your first Sprint - Good for any branding, design, development or marketing services.
- Lord and Taylor – Cosmetic Gift basket worth $ 475 (Bumper Prize)

Goody Bags donated by –

RYIS Cosmetics, Get Poshed, Alve Couture, Body Scrubs, Sabon.

Special Thanks to -

* Donna Shill - Event co-organizer responsible for securing the venue, food, dancers.

* Alve Alexander - Event co-organizer responsible for securing the DJ, singers and some of the Raffle items and goody bags.

* Anjali Chugh - Event organizer responsible for overall event coordination, advertising, online ticket purchases, sponsor selection, funds management, venue setup, goody bags and some of the Raffle Items.

* Susan Myers - Supplied Hand made donation boxes.* Keith - DJ
* Sean Bell - Photographer
* Dawnyelle Butler- MC

Attendees – About 100 NAPW and non-NAPW members.

Minutes prepared by Chermerdene Jordan, Secretary Forest Hills Chapter.

===============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Sep 15, 2014

Celebrating Women’s Achievement Month – Jaye Corvino won the Award.
Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda – To celebrate our Members - their lives and achievements, and to announce the winner of the Women’s Achievement Award.
President Anjali Chugh acknowledged that every woman present, had made, and is making a difference in the lives of their families, careers and communities. This was the perfect time to give them a platform to speak briefly about those things that define and empower them on a daily basis. Following is a brief outline of their stories of empowerment –

Highlights –

- Harriet E. Lehrer, Image Consultant, shared her story of victory over fear of public speaking.

- Paulette Woolf is a Change Management Specialist with the United Nations. She assists the international organization implement changes to their programs to make them more effective and accomplish the attendant goals. She’s the mother of three children.

- Cindy Francis is an Aesthetician. Her career was birthed because of an extreme skin condition. Once she corrected her problem using home remedies she decided to study “Skin Care” with a view to helping others. Now, she has a thriving business and a Radio Show called “Face and Fashion”.

- Juliette Austin noted that the decision to leave her job in Diversity and Inclusion Organizational Development was an empowering moment. She’s a thyroid cancer survivor and now works as a Wellness Coach. Her passion is helping others maintain thyroid health and overall wellness.

- Telica Tywang-Kovics found the job she loves at Lord & Taylor’s department store. Her previous as a Customer Service Manager for a company based in China was excellent preparation for her current responsibilities in Operations Management.

- Coreen-London Mitchell is a Human Resources Executive. She completed her Master’s Degree after losing a job. Her hard work paid off when she was appointed Manager of the Department when her boss left. She looks forward to completing a degree in the field and looks forward to teaching in the future.

- Marsha Newman was a high school teacher of Spanish. She returned to school to become a Registered Nurse. Eventually, she provided full-time nursing care for her mother. Now, she functions as the Property Manager for three buildings in the Bronx. Her passion – writing poetry, some of which has been published.

- Angelica Harris is the founder of “HOPE” – a non-profit educational program for at-risk young people. She’s authored five books that include the experiences of her uncles who worked on the ‘Titanic’. She loves public speaking and acting.

- Wilma McClelland is a part-time employee at Queens College where she prepares college students for the work place. Along with her husband of thirteen years she speaks to inmates at Rikers Prison under a grant obtained by the College. They believe in “reaching back and pulling others up.”

- Jaye Corvino has worked for Toyota USA across a number of platforms for the past 17 years. Her current responsibility is Senior Specialist, Philanthropy. Her husband’s injury three years ago forced her to re-examine her views on life. She went back to school to train as a Life Coach. This pushed her out of her comfort zone and has made her more comfortable expressing her thoughts with her Japanese colleagues.

- Alvertis “Alve” Alexander is a poet, actress and designer extraordinaire, and an all-round “renaissance” woman. Her contribution was a one-line ‘poem’ that celebrated all those present as “Women of Achievement”.

- Shelley Jadoo puts her degree in Psychology to good use as a High School teacher. It’s demanding work but the reward comes when she sees changes in the children. She’s also a certified Yoga teacher and dreams of opening a metaphysical book store.

- Donna Shill worked for 30 years in problem solution technology before the economy collapsed in 2008. She loves helping people and has worked on National Health issues including building healthy relationships and cancer. In addition, she’s a dance coach specializing in the Argentine Tango.

- Susan Myers originally worked in the legal field but left to begin an accounting business. It has not been profitable and she’s decided to return to the workforce. In the meantime, she’ll pursue her work on custom-designed crafts and handmade gift items.

The focus then switched to the Chapter’s Choice for the 2013 Women’s Achievement Award. Nominees included:

Juliet Williams, Jaye Corvino, Wilma McClelland, Marsha Newman, Ruth Milstein, Safia Sattaur, Harriet Lehrer and Angelica Harris.

Jaye Corvino won the Women’s Achievement Award and received a Plaque from President, Anjali Chugh on behalf of the Chapter.

President’s Announcements –
- Members were asked to volunteer at the Oct 3rd fundraiser.
- Ticket sales was announced to be a top priority for making the event successful.
- Members were invited to exhibit their products and services at the upcoming event.

Attendees -
Harriet E. Lehrer, Jaye Corvino, Susan Myers, Shelly Jadoo, Wilma McClelland, Marsha Newman, Chermerden Jordan, Telica Tywang-kovics, Donna Shill, Coreen London-Mitchell, Angelica Harris, Juliette Austin, Karen Gerstman, Cindy Francis, Paulette Woolf, Florence Robinson, Alvertis Alexander, Anjali Chugh.

=============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Aug 11, 2014

Anti- Bullying Awareness Month – “Don’t be a Bully”

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Topic of Presentation – How to Protect Yourself and Your Children from being Bullied.

Angelica Harris shared a spine chilling personal story of domestic abuse to explain the far reaching effects of bullying on the victim. She spoke on Anti Bullying in reference to children and women in schools and professional environment respectively. Being a survivor of domestic & sexual abuse, Angelica had a lot of valuable information to share on this topic e.g. protecting children & women from abuse, cyber bulling, what gives rise to bullies, how to tackle bullies, far reaching effects on the victim, how to educate children, necessary protective measures to be taken, authorities to be contacted etc

About the Speaker –

Angelica Harris is a Human Rights Activist, successful Author, Entrepreneur, Advocate, and a professional Speaker. Angelica is the author of three fantasy novels: The Quest for Excalibur, Excalibur and the Holy Grail, and Excalibur Reclaims Her King. She runs the Excalibur Reading Program and its subsidiary Unicorn Project-Raven’s Hope, a non-profit program that brings the importance of reading, writing, and the arts to all children, as well as to organizations dedicated to children with special needs. Raven’s Hope is devoted to helping those who have lived through the pain of domestic and sexual abuse.

Highlights –

Angelica shared with attendees a horrifying tale of how she had to endure domestic and sexual abuse in her youth, and about being brutally bullied by a friend and date raped. Her experiences are penned down in her memoir Living With Rage-A Quest for Solace. Here are some excerpts from her presentation –

· Angela is the author of three fiction novels about King Arthur. The titles are The Quest for Excalibur, Excalibur and the Holy Grail, Excalibur Reclaims Her King, and a historic work titled Titanic-The Brothers Peracchio-Two Boys and a Dream.

· She read out a story titled Bullying In Schools-A True Tale of Torment, to the members. A factual account of two young ladies from the same neighborhood who grew up as friends and later became enemies. The bullied girl tried to reach out to friends in school, and her parents at home, but was only given a deaf ear. Finally she committed suicide. The other girl who was the bully was remanded for two years on the charges of negligent homicide.

· Another instance was with a boy who suffered badly from ADHD and tics brought on by Tourette Syndrome (a neurobiological involuntary movement disorder). This kid was kicked in the hall everyday at school. He was called vicious names and later when he fought back, he ended up in major trouble with the principal and was suspended.

· It’s happening in our schools, workplaces, and churches, and all over the world. Bullying, domestic and sexual abuse has reached epidemic proportions. Bullying occurs in workplaces very often. It is used as a tool to disempowering and manipulating those who easily succumb to the will of others. Many a times it is the result of jealousy over a promotion, peer pressure, or at times home related, where the bully has self esteem problems at home and feels devalued. Somehow he finds a way to vent by taking out his wrath on others.

· We have to educate everyone, about bullying. It spans over, race, creed, ethnic backgrounds, and much, much more. The best way to help is to advocate. Victims have to be taught to speak up and not to live in shadows.

· Today there are workbooks for children given in schools, with workshops held in the classrooms offered by the police and fire departments. These lessons dig deep in the subject and offer solutions. In the workforce, seminars are conducted by the department supervisors on these issues e.g. instructing employees about proper mannerisms to be followed, offering ways to speak openly on issues where one co-worker is hurt and the other one is let go. A great way to prevent the emotions from being bottled up.

· Once we learn the root cause of bullying we will know how to fight back, but not violently… with compassion and love. Compassionate attitude empowers us all for a better life and a productive future.

Angelica concluded her presentation by inviting members to join her “Heroes Project” a writing workshop and a support group about the issues of bullying, domestic and sexual abuse. She asked, those interested, to e-mail her at info@excaliburreadingprogram.org or call 347-725-4218.

President’s Announcements –

- Email Nominations for Women’s Achievement Award in Sep 2014.

- Participate in the upcoming Oct 2014 fundraiser preparations.

- Follow the Chapter on FB for latest updates.

Attendees – Members -

Angelica Harris, Donna Shill, Rosalind Triggs, Alvertis Alexander, Harriet Ellen Lehrer, Aixa Cruz, Wilma McClelland, Candace Greene, Cassandra Greene, Shelly Jadoo, Cheryl Williams, Marsha Newman, Anjali Chugh.

Non-Members- Lisa Pina, Ayesha Wilkins, La Tanya Martin.

==============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - July 14, 2014

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Topic of Presentation – Your Energy- Is it repelling or attracting success?

Everything is energy. If you believe in this basic principal, then you most likely also believe that energy attracts like energy. Our energy and how we “show up” plays a vital role in our ability to achieve success, happiness and fulfillment in today’s competitive business world. Safia Sattaur, speaker for the evening, acclimatized the members with 7 different levels of energy and how the levels constrict or expand thoughts, feelings and actions. She helped everyone understand how the people (or situations) in their lives may be draining their energy and preventing them from achieving the financial success, freedom and happiness that they so desire.

About the Speaker -

Safia Sattaur is a Certified Professional Coach and an Energy Leadership Master Practitioner. She partners with passionate entrepreneurs to build thriving businesses while maintaining healthy and happy relationships in their personal lives. Through the use of proven techniques and discipline, Safia helps her clients create strategic action plans and road maps for achieving personal and professional goals. She received her B.A from the University Of California Irvine (UCI) and her coaching certification from the acclaimed Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPec) where she also teaches incoming students the core principles and foundations of coaching. More information can be found at www.safiacoaches.com.

Highlights –
“I personally know that many of us women who are either running our own powerful and amazing businesses or work in the corporate world often times struggle with similar challenges both personally and professionally. In fact, more often than not, they bleed into each other and that's especially true for us women because innately we have a harder time detaching the two,” said Safia. Here’s how she explained 7 levels of energy –

- There are two kinds of energy: anabolic and catabolic. Anabolic energy is positive energy that helps you grow, build, and even heal. Catabolic energy on the other hand, is draining, resisting and contracting.

- Energetic Self Perception Chart Explanation – consists of Circle of Self (in this circle it is all about the self), Circle of Self- Mastery (L3-l4 & l5) - Strong ego- about having vs. needing, Circle of self-transcendence - Highest level of consciousness L6 & L7

- Everyone has a mix of these seven energies and at any given point, your level of energy (anabolic or catabolic) is some combination of the seven levels.

- L1- People who have a lot of Level 1 energy take a lot of blame for things, get very down on themselves when things don’t go right in their lives

- L2 - Energy is also catabolic. Many people in the world operate at level 2. L2 is characterized by conflict (internal or external) with the core emotion being anger.

- L3 - At this level people take responsibility for their thoughts, emotions and actions and know that what they think and feel is up to them not others.

- L4 - Moderately anabolic its core thought is concern for others. It is the level of caring, giving, supporting, and helping. L4 looks and feel very selfless, since the focus of these actions is on helping others.

- L 5- Moderate to high anabolic energy- found in the greatest leaders in all walks of life. Think Steve jobs, bill gates etc.

- L 6- This high-to very high anabolic energy is associated with the core thought of synthesis. It pulls in energy from everywhere.

- L7- This is the highest level of anabolic energy, which is characterized by completely objective thinking, non-judgment and fearlessness.

- Understanding the energy levels, and more especially YOUR specific energy levels enables you to co-create your experiences, your relationships, your health and wellness and even your awareness both of yourself and life in general, in a way that it serving, rewarding and supporting to your goals.

Transformation / Results -
· Gain clarity and insight into WHO you are at your core and how your thoughts, feelings & actions may or may not be aligning with your values & your goals.
· Naturally detox your life from “negative” influences.
· Respond to and handle stress more effectively.
· Learn how to blend the demands of your personal and professional life and eliminate the feeling of stress, guilt and overwhelm.
· Manage your task and time more efficiently – increase productivity.
· Start living with a wealth attraction mindset and increase your financial success.
· You’ll become a magnet for the things you’ve always desired.
· Create high energy relationships that are mutually beneficial.
· Strengthen your leadership abilities.
· Live with a greater sense of personal fulfillment.
· Increase satisfaction both personally and professionally.
· Overall sense of fulfillment in life- too many to list.

President’s Announcements –
- Email Nominations for Women’s Achievement Award in Sep 2014.
- Participate in the upcoming Oct 2014 fundraiser preparations.
- Follow the Chapter on FB for latest updates.

Attendees – Members -
Jaye Corvino, Juliet Williams, Susan Myers, Donna Shill, Rosalind Triggs, Lizabeth Rivera, Alvertis Alexander, Angelica Harris, Safia Sattaur, Chermerdene Jordan, Anjali Chugh.

Non-Members- Ann Marie, Sandra Martin.

===============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - June 16, 2014

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Topic of Presentation – Don’t be caught, hat in hand, with no job search plan.

In this time of economic uncertainty, everyone must have a back-up plan & two would be better! If you find yourself characterized as being “in transition” – keep in mind nowadays it is in no way, shape, or form the same as it was 10 years ago. You need to be tech savvy, a networking extraordinaire and self branding guru.

If at all you do find yourself "in transition" or with the need to reinvent yourself, what tactics should you employ and what knowledge base would you need ahead of time.

About the Speaker -
Eileen Eckhardt has worked for over 15 years as a Production & Supply Chain Manager: focusing on Inventory Management with emphasis on Production & Manufacturing. Eileen recently teamed up with Debi Silber, The MOJO Coach, in presenting an all day wellness conference called THE MOJO EVENT. It was an event to give professional women the tools they need to succeed in business while improving their health and lifestyle, as well as maintaining sanity. Her latest endeavor is Sales Associate with Godiva Chocolatier.

Highlights – Networking was the key word in Eileen’s presentation.
· Need of networking arises when you ask yourself questions like - Who are the new network contacts (or re-contacts) you've made over the last two weeks? The emphasis should be on NEW contacts. Did you have any new interview opportunities? Who would you like to meet? What potential company types would you like to be introduced to? Who was the most interesting person you met in the last two weeks? Why new networking events the group may be interested in? What would really help you today? Be as specific as possible.
· Tradeshows and exhibitions may seem pointless now that the majority of business and client interactions are handled through social media. It’s quick, easy, and convenient, but meeting business contacts face-to-face is crucial to building trust and developing strong relationships.
· Don’t assume your job is done after the event. Establishing a relationship is one thing but investing in it for the long-term is another. Make sure you accurately record all contact details so that you can have follow-up conversations and stay connected.
Networking effectively takes time and practice so it is always good to get another opinion if you are unsure. You can even attend a training workshop.
Establish your goals and keep business cards on you so that the contacts you do make have something to remember you by.
Networking and building successful and long-lasting relationships take time so don’t be put out if you don’t get a quick outcome.
· Build Relationships After a networking event and keep these tips in mind - sort through your cards and the people you met, review all the sessions you attended, review all the notes you took, review the handouts and information you got, prioritize and define who to follow up with and why, draft a customized follow-up letter to each group, invite them to follow up on social media, create a 30-day follow-up plan.
· Social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Eventbrite, MeetUp are a valuable resource for finding out networking events in a particular area.
· There is a difference between being confident and being arrogant.
· JOB FAIR SITES- jobexpo.com, nationalcareerfairs.com, choicecareerfairs.com, coasttocoastcareerfairs.com.
· ONLINE SEARCH SITES - ziprecruiter / indeed / simplyhired, the ladders / monster / careerbuilder.
· PROJECT WORK SITES - odesk.com, workshare.com, freelancer.com, elancer.com, guru.com

Announcements by the President –
- Gem Moriah is the Showcase Member of the Month.
- Board has been restructured. Alvertis Alexander has joined as VP, Chermerdene Jordan as Secretary, Susan Myers as Treasurer, Lillian Walker Moss as Chair Event Planning Committee and Rosalind Triggs as Co-Chair Event Planning.
- Activity for Hunger Awareness month – 5 Members agreed to volunteer on June 19th at Jewish Community Council , Kew Gardens. Also, attendees were requested to visit freerice.com website and help in donating rice by answering a few questions.
- Chapter needs a Board member for running media relations committee.
- Members should complete their NAPW profile and upload a head shot.
- Chapter will be celebrating Women Achievement Month in September. Members were asked to email nominations for the award to the President.

Members in Attendance -
Eileen Eckhardt, Juliet B. Williams, Shelly Jadoo, Jeniffer L. Petino, Rosalind Triggs, Cassandra Greene, Donna Shill, Gem Moriah, Susan Myers, Tamanna Yasmin, Safia Sattaur, Laura Grau, Lillian Moss, Angelica Harris, Donatellah Horvath, Cindy Francis, Karen Gerstman, Alve Alexander, Anjali Chugh.

Non- Member - T Valada-Viars

Hunger Awareness Month Activity –

On June 19, 2014, Members of Forest Hills Chapter volunteered in the Food Pantry at Jewish Community Council, Kew Gardens. For 2 hours in the afternoon, volunteers helped in the pantry. The activity involved packing food stuff in crates, helping visitors sign in and facilitate food donation. Photos attached.
Volunteers – Rosalind Triggs, Donna Shill, Alvertis Alexander and Anjali Chugh.

Minutes Prepared by Alvertis Alexander, VP Forest Hills Chapter.

=============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - May 12, 2014

Chapter / President - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Topic of Presentation –

Franchise vs. Start up business. Helping identify franchise / business opportunities that meet personal, professional, financial and lifestyle goals of an individual.

About the Speaker -

Eugenia Chavez, the owner of Franchise Helpers Inc, shared very useful information through her presentation. She talked about how and why she created Franchise Helpers Although the members had a host of questions for her, she was able to answer each one without missing a beat. She explained that it may all seem so easy, but once a person sets his mind to actually owning a franchise and is confronted with the fact that he has to actually run it, that is the time when reality sets in. His mind is suddenly plagued with questions like, “ what am I doing?” , “can I really do this?”, “how will I manage my expenses?” etc. Eugenia was absolutely prepared to answer all questions posed by the attendees. She drew everyone’s attention to basic questions surrounding the world of franchising e.g. Why Franchise ? What is it all about? What are the challenges? What are the advantages?

Highlights –

Upside of owning a franchise -

· Safe, fast way to become a business owner

· Requires less capital because you can finance it

· It provides you with the opportunity to hit the ground running

· Increases your chances of business success because you are associated with proven products and methods

· Benefit of franchise's experience and mistakes

· Protected territory that ensures that population or designated area is not given to another franchisee

· Easier to expand within a geographic area

· A franchise provides confidence, a marketing plan, benchmark and goals, and support for turning the franchisee’s business into a thriving practice.

After explaining the upside of owning of franchise, Eugenia said, “It takes the right personality traits to be a franchise business owner and it's just not for everybody.”

“Franchising brings with it a totally different set of issues. Not only must the person be somewhat of a risk taker, but he must have absolute faith in the system he’s investing in. The person who purchases the franchise should have the type of personality that is OK with rules,” she further stated.

She went on to clarify the rules that the owner must be ready to follow e.g. following the franchisor’s operations manual, using their colors / logos, to pay a certain percentage of gross sales revenues to the franchisor, territorial rights etc. Also, the franchisee may not be allowed to market his products/services outside of his protected territory.

So who shouldn't think of owning a franchise? People who are stubborn or independent-minded, and those who don't like to play by the rules. Also, the people who believe that they can change the system from within.

Think about it: If franchises didn't have rules, they wouldn't be franchises - they'd be independent small businesses.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A session and an informal discussion within the group.

Each monthly meeting is incredibly inspiring, an exhale moment or simply put - a rejuvenator for everyone. The efforts of Chapter Leader Anjali is so much appreciated by all. She makes the meeting so welcoming.

Announcements by the President –

- Re-structuring of board required. Members were asked to nominate themselves for the top tier board, if they felt committed enough to promote the Chapter.

- Preparations for the upcoming fundraiser.

- Promoting social media pages and using those for networking with chapter members

Members in Attendance –

Eugenia Chavez, Eileen Eckhardt, Jennifer Logan, Donna Shill, Beverly Lowe, Ruth Milstein, Susan Myers, Alvertis Alexander, Cindy Francis, Juliet Williams, Karen Gerstman and Anjali Chugh.

Minutes prepared by Alvertis Alexander, Chair Media Relations.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - April 7, 2014

Chapter / President’s Name - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Topic for Presentation:
An interactive session on Healthy Living, Weight Loss, Reversing Ageing process and Superfoods.

About the Speaker:
Ruth Gantman is a Holistic Health Coach who has succeeded in helping people lose weight, look younger, feel energized, increase focus and prevent disease, simply by choosing right type of food, and without paying too much attention to calories. She shares her expertise online at http://www.nurtured-by-nature.com/.

Highlights of the Meeting-
- SUPERfoods are body's primary defense against free radical damage. Free Radicals are the culprits that attack a healthy cell through the normal process of oxygenating body systems. As the body uses oxygen, free radicals are the by-product. Add fried foods, pollution, mold, and smoking and the body is like a car left out in the rain for too long: rusted. Free Radicals become dangerous when they attach themselves to healthy cells and multiply. This can lead to inflammation, aging and cancer.

- 10 incredibly beneficial Superfoods – Low fat plain yogurt, eggs, nuts, Quinoa, Kiwis, beans, fish, broccoli , sweet potato, berries. These foods are excellent antioxidants and are packed with multiple nutrients.

- Compulsive overeaters are people who just can't stop thinking about food whereas Impulsive overeaters don't really think about food all the time, but as soon as they smell it, they feel the urge to eat. A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is very good for impulsive people, because it helps them focus but it's a disaster for compulsive people, because they start to focus on the things that upset them.

- Menopause is a time for action, not submission! At age 40, in case of women, hormones deplete, making it easier to add weight. Women gain about 10 lbs at age 40. When they go through menopause, 90% of them gain weight from 10 to 15 lbs. or more. If in all, weight gained is about 20 lbs., women are at risk for breast cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

- Food fads are actually dangerous for health. In fact, fat is an essential part of cell growth. Humans need cholesterol to live. Foods that provide good fat for the cholesterol are great for cell repair and reproduction.

- Medically proven research dictates the 10 biomarkers of aging that one can control. Successful management of the biomarkers is achieved through healthy eating, a quality lifestyle, and exercise. No one is ever too old to exercise.

- Eat whole foods, mostly plants, and not a lot. Foods that feed and refresh your brain as well as foods that give you power and stamina are essential for the workday palate. Identify ingredients that cause free radical damage.

- Exercise at Work/ Move a Muscle: Stress at the office can be turned into productive energy when you learn to take control of your emotions and move a muscle to change a thought. Short and simple techniques offer an ability to shake off destructive anxiety and help to achieve focused and clear thinking. Breathing techniques help in mitigating anxiety and focusing on the present in addition to increasing problem solving abilities.

Announcement by the President –
- Getting ready for National Conference on April 25.
- Importance of using social media pages to interact with members and remaining updated with latest Chapter news.
- Preparing for physical fitness month in May.

Members in attendance
Ruth Milstein, Joy A. Grey, Eugenia Chavez, Cassandra Greene, Florence Robinson, Susan Myers, Lillian Walker Moss, Karen Gerstman, Donatellah Horvath, Marie J. Santelli, Rosalind Triggs and Anjali Chugh.

============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - March 10, 2014

Chapter / President’s Name - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda:

Better Branding Strategies (Taking Your Business to the Next Level) presented by: Ellen Gottlich-Founder and President, EG Marketing Strategies. (http://egmarketingstrategies.com/)

About the Speaker:

Ellen Gottlich has over 30 years of experience integrating consumer insights from various data sources with the ability to produce the decisions businesses need to succeed. She’s served as a liaison between consumers, agencies and R&D, and management to help consumers’ voices be heard. Having worked with companies such as Sun Products, Unilever Foods and Home Care, Pepsi and Chase Credit Card Services , Ellen has proven ability to use consumer research to help brands grow and companies succeed. EG Marketing Strategies focuses on bringing the voice of the consumer to the boardroom for better informed business decisions.

Highlights of the Meeting-

As everyone nibbled on Hors d'oeuvres, Ellen took the time to breakdown each aspect of her presentation in order for everyone to comprehend and get excited about their own brand, which kept it interesting and fun.

“ Taking your business to the next level requires you to answer several questions. Corporations and MBA programs have fancy names for these questions but you actually consider them every day,” said Ellen.

She prompted the members to ask themselves the following questions:

Where do you see yourself in the future , say the next 5 years? What will you be doing now to help you get there? How do you see yourself and want to be seen by others? Who are you talking to and in what context? What do you offer? How is that different from everyone else? Why should you be believed? What proof do you have that all of this is true?

Ellen assured them that the answers to the questions would help them devise marketing strategies for promoting their product.

Next on the agenda was “What do big businesses do to guide direction for growth?”

On a corporate level Businesses create a Mission and Vision for their organization as a whole.
· Mission statements are the main objectives of an organization.
· Inform customers about core values of your firm.
· They are the business priorities, methods and values of working to be followed to achieve business objectives.
· Vision statements are the long-term goals that the organization has envisioned for the growth of the firm.
· Vision is the future and mission is the present, the organization’s reason for existence.
As the members were reeled into the vision and mission statements, a few of the new business owners requested for examples of such statements in order to have a better understanding of how to write their own.
The pointers given by Ellen were –
· Think about what you want to do in life, what you want to achieve
· Your vision is where you wish to see yourself in a few years
· Your mission is how you see yourself going about achieving your vision – helps you to keep your long term goals in sight.

To become iconic, branding must be allowed to simmer like a good soup following a recipe of consistent communication across all media and given enough time for the intended identity and distinct flavor to become part of the whole gestalt.

“For target market/key consumer, brand name is the frame of reference that delivers benefit/point of difference because only brand name is a reason to believe,” said Ellen. “Large corporations put a lot of effort into branding and the development of positioning statements.”

Wrapping up, Ellen reiterated how she provides all types of businesses in Metro NY with the consumer insight needed to achieve their financial goals, and how she strives to provide clients with practical solutions to their business issues.

Announcement by the President –

- Getting ready for National Conference. Anjali urged the members to register before April 1st.

- - Importance of using social media pages to interact with members and remaining updated with latest Chapter news.
- Preparing for physical fitness month in May.

Members in attendance -

Ellen Gottlich, Ruth Milstein, Gem Moriah, Karen Gerstman, Donatellah Horvath, Delia Nelson, Juliet B. Williams, Marie J. Santelli, Alvertis Alexander, Beverly Love, Rosalind Triggs and Anjali Chugh.

Non-Members: Rhonie Lester, Christine Foster.

Minutes prepared by Alvertis Alexander, Chair Media Relations

=================

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - February 10, 2014

Chapter / President’s Name - NAPW Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda: Social Media and its importance in the business world.

Social Media has captured the attention and interest of established marketers and small business owners alike. As more and more people flock to social networking sites to interact with friends and relatives, shop and share information marketers are close behind. They recognize the potential of connecting with and developing more dynamic relationships with audiences for less capital investment.

Some small businesses and solo entrepreneurs are using this strategy with limited results. Others are keen on getting started but have no idea what to do. It was against this backdrop that Chapter President Anjali Chugh shared her expertise on the topic for a captive audience of twenty members and guests.

Highlights of the Meeting-

First, Anjali determined how much each person knew about social media and used the responses to frame an interactive and informative discussion. She advised that everyone needed to know as much as possible about Social Media and be able to do it for themselves – even if they hired someone to do this task. Other aspects of the presentation included:

- How search engines rank. Google is the prime choice for the internet surfers.

- Setting a goal to have the company’s website ranked on Google’s first page.

- How to pull traffic to the website using Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

- Blog writing and blogging platforms. This is an excellent way to build a list that helps identify the best customers.

- Social Media’s ability to pull traffic using the website and blogs. At this point, the speaker, Ms. Chugh, demonstrated how she used 5 blogs to promote her website through back linking. This approach improved her positioning on Google and other search engines.

- Video blogs, as against simple textual blogs, can be a great source of organic traffic from search engines. Videos help in creating trust and establishing rapport between the viewer and the business owner (in the video), apart from being a great time saver for the visitors to the website.

- the importance of building credibility and trust before expecting anything from online audiences.

- Identifying the target audience, before everything else, helps the business owner in deciding which social media sites to use for promoting business. At present, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, statistically, are the best choices for business campaigns . However, Pinterest and Instagram are widely used for image based campaigns.

- Because Twitter’s scope is limited (140 characters) it can be helpful for the business owner to integrate the Twitter page with Facebook so that the Facebook posts are automatically posted on Twitter profile without having to worry about the constraint of ‘limited characters’ on Twitter site.

Wrapping up, Anjali reminded listeners that despite the usefulness of the social sites, nothing could replace offline interaction wherever possible. “Online selling and promotional pages should only be viewed as excellent tools for business campaigns but offline selling / human interaction is the real deal and trumps everything else.” She said.

Announcement by the President

Showcase Member of the month – Ruth Milstein, Author (http://www.ruthmilstein.com/)

Members in attendance

Ruth Milstein, Susan Spolansky, Carol Slotkin, Gem Moriah, Karen Gerstman, Andrea Ormeno, Ellen Gottlich, Cassandra Greene, Lois A. Skinner, Donatellah Horvath, Jaye Corvino, Juliet B. Williams, Chermerdene Jordan, Yolanda Kohut, Lillian Walker Moss, Alvertis Alexander, Micheline Cadet Duwal, Rosalind Triggs and Anjali Chugh

Non-Members: Cindy Francis, Maria Aroche, Marie Jose

Minutes prepared by Chermerdene Jordan, Chair Communications & Networking Committee (Reliv Distributor).

=============

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - December 18, 2013

Chapter Name/President’s Name: Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

Agenda - Christmas celebration

Members of NAPW Forest Hills Chapter celebrated this year’s Christmas in one of their member’s, (Susan Myers) home office. Members had a wonderful time networking and enjoying the Holiday spirit amidst candles, cake and Christmas cheers. The evening turned out to be a great opportunity for the members to learn, connect and know each other’s area of expertise. Christmas Gifts were sponsored by RYIS Cosmetics (www.ryiscosmetics.com).

Highlights of the Meeting –

The ladies enjoyed a lovely evening celebrating Christmas and knowing more about their fellow members – their strengths, expertise and aspirations. Women who attended, exuberated vibrance, confidence and courage. As the evening progressed, everyone present, felt a sense of being empowered, especially after listening to the achievements of other members and the challenges they had to overcome in their lives. Some of the attendees made it clear that despite having a thriving career, they needed more from life and were constantly working in that direction. They also said that apart from focusing on their career, they never missed an opportunity to give back to the community. That was truly inspirational.

Juliet Williams, one of our members said, “I have been working at Toyota for a long time and am quite happy with my job. However, deep down, I had always wanted to be a business owner. My love for jewelry and fashion accessories turned out to be a stepping stone for establishing my own business in the state of New York. It took me almost 6 months to have the online portal (www.julesjewlz.com) ready for showcasing my products and I’m really happy with the results.” Juliet also helped S.H.A.D Inc (Non profit that works for women in Haiti) in getting a considerable donation from her Company.

Jaye Corvino, has an equally satisfying job at Toyota but still she went ahead and established her business of life coaching. “I love helping people, especially women, who feel stuck and are not able to move on in life,” said Jaye, a young and talented Life Coach. (http://www.jcorvinolifecoaching.com)

“I have been with Winthrop University Hospital for 27+ years. Winthrop has provided for me a wonderful environment that allows me to learn, grow and advance,” said Laura Grau, President of NAPW Nassau County chapter.

“I am a strong advocate for volunteering. I continually volunteer my time and talents for various organizations, charities and fundraisers,” she added. Laura is the Chair of the Supervisory Committee and a liaison for Winthrop University Hospital Employee Federal Credit Union (WUHEFCU). on the Executive Board as Treasurer for Long Island Association of Directors of Volunteer Services (LIADVS). She is also an active member of APVA, AHVRP, Wings of Winthrop, Deer Park School/Industry Advisory Board, ALC Audit Committee and NAPW and their local chapters of Nassau and Suffolk County NY.

Ruth Milstein shared her love of writing cook books with the members. “Cooking, and writing about it, is my passion,” said Ruth. She is a chef and author of the book "Cooking With Love" (ventures into the new Israeli cuisine) and the GOURMAND. She has been the recipient of the world winner author ‘best book’ award and is also the monthly featured guest and contributing writer for "Big Blend Magazine and Radio" which is heard around the country via internet. Ruth is a regular contributor to St. Jude’s charity. (http://ruthmilstein.com/)

Ambitious, powerful and a born leader, Camelia Pruteanu, shared her experiences as a woman entrepreneur in a male dominated arena of real estate. “I am somewhat stubborn but at the same time competent in my area of work and that perhaps helps me fulfill my job responsibilities, efficiently, in an overly competitive market, ruled by men,” said Camelia. She truly inspired the attendees by her life experiences.

“I am passionate about wellness/health on a crusade to help get people healthy world-wide share our message "90 For Life" and staying true to our crusade ‘better health and wealth for all.’ I have been blessed to help build and develop a team of 400 business partners and customers which is still growing,” said Lois Skinner, Sr. Executive Director at Youngevity Essential Life Sciences. She is on her way to becoming Vice Presidential Marketing Director. “As a new member with The National Association of Professional Women, I am truly excited to be in an organization with women who are distinguished, constantly achieving their goals and successful,” said Lois.

Yolanda Kohut, is the founder of AAY Security & Investigations, a company that provides tailored, armed security and investigation services. Yolanda was able to grab everyone’s attention by sharing some interesting details about her business and the way she has to collaborate, often, with law enforcement agencies to complete an assignment at hand. “We provide the right mix of executive leadership, staff professional competence, management and quality control procedures, in-house training programs and safety emphasis that result in the successful execution of tasks and services. We have extensive past and current experience providing Armed Security Officer services for NYC critical infrastructure facilities in Power Generation, Power Distribution and Telecommunications. And we have experience protecting federal agency operations and foreign consulates,” said Yolanda. (www.aayassociates.com)

Some more powerful women who talked about their experiences were Rosalind Triggs, (http://rmttracking.com/) an Executive business strategist who launched an entrepreneurial consulting venture specializing in industry specific software development Mamta Kochar, a media technology expert at HBO, Florence Robinson, who works in legal administrative department at Garden City Group, Carol Slotkin, owner of Youngerby10.com (specializing in Health & Wellness products), Susan Myers (www.designerinvitationsplus.com) a business owner who loves designing invitation cards, doll dresses and gift items, Marie J. Santelli (President S.H.A.D. Inc., www.shadonline.org) and Christine Ottley, registered Nurse at Kings County Hospital.

All the members who attended had one thing in common – they all felt passionate about contributing to charitable organizations and giving back to the community in any way possible. Kudos to all NAPW women!

Announcements by the President -

Showcase Member of the Month - Juliet B. Williams (www.julesjewlz.com)

A brief note for new members on ‘How to make the monthly meetings a great resource for personal and professional growth.’

Importance of social media in networking and business advertising.

A brief note about supporting a Non-profit in 2014.

Members in Attendance -

Lois Skinner, Carol Slotkin, Rosalind Triggs, Camelia Pruteanu, Jaye Corvino, Ruth Milstein, Yolanda Kohut, Juliet Williams, Florence Robinson, Christine Ottley, Marie J. Santelli, Mamta Kochar, Caroline Clement, Cecilia, Laura Grau, Susan Myers, and Anjali Chugh.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - November 12, 2013

Chapter Name/President’s Name:
Forest Hills Chapter / Anjali Chugh

About the Speaker –

Lillian Walker Moss, Owner Rainbow Soul Inc., an educational and training organization that provides training in Expressive Arts Therapy and facilitation.

Lillian Moss, is a PHD candidate 2016 in Expressive Arts Therapy, Coaching, Consulting and Social Change. She is a NYS Certified School Counselor and has been a National Board Certified Mental Health Counselor since 1995. She has also been a professional singer and a performer since 1960.

Title of presentation- Expressive Art Therapy
Introduction :
Lillian Walker offered an insight into Expressive Arts Therapy (EAT) which is a multi-disciplinary art-based therapeutic approach to counseling, coaching and psychotherapy. It incorporates art forms such as: music, drama, dance/movement, visual art, storytelling, poetry, creative writing, mask-making and many other art forms. This phenomenological approach addresses issues of the mind, body and spirit. Not only does it promote health and healing, but also assists in providing insight, clarity, enhanced problem solving skills, decision making and communication/social skills. EAT helps enhance ones imagination and capability of thinking ‘out of the box’ in addition to increasing ones range of play for greater relaxation.

Date & Location -
Nov 12, 2013
Kew Gardens Community Center
80-02, Kew Gardens Rd, Suite # 202
Kew Gardens, NY-11415

Highlights of the Presentation -
Expressive Arts Therapy (EAT) is a multidisciplinary arts-based therapeutic approach to therapy, coaching, education, and social change. EAT involves the use of visual art, music, drama, poetry, dance/movement, storytelling and other art forms to address the participant’s issues. Initially, EAT was more psychotherapeutic and addressed mainly issues of dysfunction, mental, and emotional disturbance but it has evolved to a more arts-based approach, over the years, and is used for problems of daily living, self-improvement, to enhance the quality of life and other issues of health & wellness.

EAT is hands-on and interactive. Verbal communication is kept to a minimum. A person learns by doing. Some excerpts from Lillian’s presentation -

· There is no right way or wrong way to make art in the EAT process, so no experience is required.

· Focus is on Low skill/High sensitivity which means that a greater value is placed on process than product.
EAT helps a participants to expand their imagination, broaden the range of play and eliminate chaos or disturbance to promote relaxation, balance, and peacefulness. Participants are encouraged to “play” in a safe, non-threatening, holding environment, where they can feel free to fight off the inhibitions put upon them by their inner critics.

EAT can benefit an average person (not reportedly dysfunctional, or suffering from an emotional or mental issue) who seeks self-improvement, wants to maintain good health and wellness, enhance the quality of life, maintain balance with life issues, and enhance his sense of creativity or eliminate the feeling of being stuck. EAT gives following benefits -

· Greater clarity and insight
· Improved problem-solving and decision making skills
· Improved social and communication skills
· Greater creativity and improved artistic ideas
· Eliminates mental block and stagnation
· Improved goal-setting and goal achievement
· Improved family and personal relationships
· Conflict resolution
· Career, business, financial, and life coaching
· Greater spirituality
· Improved relaxation skills

Announcements by the President -
A recap of two successfully executed charity events, hosted by Forest Hills Chapter this year (2013).
A brief note for new members on ‘How to make the monthly meetings a great resource for personal and professional growth.’
Alvertis Alexander assumes the role of Chair Person Media Relations w.e.f. Nov 2013.
Upcoming December Meeting will be a mixer / charity event.

Members in Attendance -
Lillian Walker Moss, Ruth Milstein, Werlyne Dorval Saintus, Paulette Romero, Donatellah Horvath, Cindy Francis, Alvertis Alexander, Cassandra Greene, Aixa Cruz, Susan Myers, Juliet B. Williams, Marie J. Santelli, Catherine Arnow, Melanie M. Balousek and Anjali Chugh.

=============

Forest Hills Chapter October 4, 2013 Newsletter – Mega Fashion / Fundraiser Event

Forest Hills Chapter raised $7000 for S.H.A.D. Inc

NAPW Forest Hills Chapter hosted a Mega Fashion Event on Oct 4, 2013 at Hotel Holiday Inn, to benefit S.H.A.D. Inc. S.H.A.D. (www.shadonline.org) is a US based Non Profit organization that caters to the health needs of HIV / AIDS affected poor (NW) Haitian women in the age group of 14-45. NAPW Forest Hills has partnered with S.H.A.D for building a clinic in NW Haiti in order to address the health needs of these young women. S.H.A.D. plans to use the clinic for providing health education, treatment and nutrition to the women who live in deplorable conditions and have absolutely no access to such life saving health programs.

It was an incredibly exciting and riveting evening filled with music, high fashion, beauty, delicious food, excellent wine, and above all, exciting Raffle Prizes. NAPW Forest Hills Chapter was able to raise funds amounting to $7000 (Seven thousand dollars) for S.H.A.D. Inc.
Wilner Kebreau, Consul of Haiti was the esteemed guest of Honor. Also present was Esud Fungcap, a prominent singer / performer from Haiti.

Vivian Gill, the MC for the evening, marked the beginning of the event by welcoming everyone and introducing NAPW and S.H.A.D. to the audience. This was followed by a brief welcome note by Anjali Chugh, President, Forest Hills Chapter and also by Marie J. Santelli, President S.H.A.D. Inc.

The audience was dazzled by three top designers from NY & TX. These talented, vivacious and multifaceted designers walked the ramp with amazingly beautiful models, displaying the latest trends and designs in women’s wear.

Designers who participated –

· Alvertis Alve – “Yawnur collection” & “Alve Couture” by NY Designer Alvertis Alve', the dynamo behind Alve' Couture were the highlights of the Fashion segment. Alve' is a high fashion designer, model, actress, playwright, director, producer, author, published poet (wrote poetry for recording artist, LL Cool J) and a columnist “Miss Gotta Say it” for SGIB Magazine & I-Fashion Magazine.

· GiGi - "Ankara punk it collection" by GiGi , also a NY designer. She displayed her DjeaNYus brand of denim jeans and dresses made for each particular body type. "A great pair of jeans shall never let you go astray,” says GiGi.

· Alice B. – “Stylist Closet collection” by Alice B. A native of Houston, Texas Stylist, has styled many artists and political figures in Houston. She loves shopping and helping her clients choose the right fit for their body types. Although she is not a fan of spotlight she loves to see how her clients look on stage.

Performers who made the audience dance to their tune –

· Dawnyelle Butler - She's worked alongside legends of the music and movies industry... Chris Rock - Jay Z- Modonna and Steven Spielberg. She's also an actress with a track record of an inspirational jaw dropping list of accomplishments.

· Shanalee (with Russ on guitar ) - Shanalee is a singer/songwriter who has been singing since the age of 6. She's steady on her journey to become the next big R&B sensation.

· Super Girl Group - (5 women team) Lillian Walker Moss , Louise Murray, Margaret Ross-Williams, Nanette Licari & Beverly Warren. An incredibly talented female vocal group consisting of original members of female vocal groups of the 60's era. Each group was well known and recorded popular hit recordings in the 60's. Most of the members met, years ago, and performed together with their respective groups on shows back in the 60's. Louise Murray will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement award from The Doo Wop Hall of Fame in Massachusetts, on October 20, 2013. Louise can be reached at her

Vendors / Exhibitors who were major contributors to the fundraiser -

· Jules Jewlz Inc. (Owner – Juliet B. Williams) – (www.julesjewlz.com) High Fashion accessories & Skin / Hair care products.

· Susan Meyers (http://www.designerinvitationsplus.com/)

Display material included a wide variety of Invitations, Gift accessories, Stationery gifts, and Wedding essentials.

· Margaret Thomas (http://mtime-ny.com/)

Margaret displayed her “Ribbons” Gift of Choice Catalogs. There were 14 different catalogs. “Designed for men or women, these are perfect way to give the perfect Gift,” said Margaret. They fit virtually any budget and can be used for any occasion including Corporate Reward and Incentive programs.

· RYIS Cosmetics – (www.RYIScosmetics.com) Herbal & Natural Skin / Hair / Body care products. The product range includes a wide variety of creams, moisturizers, body lotions, massage oils, body fragrances, hand-made soaps, shampoos & conditioners.

· Lillian Walker Moss (www.rainbowsoulvibrations.org and www.rainbowarts.com).

She displayed info about her Company: RAINBOW SOUL VIBRATIONS Inc. under which banner she holds workshops for Expressive Art Therapy.

· Super Girl Group (5 member singer group)

At their table, they displayed autographed pictures and tee shirts.

· Tamar Daniel collection- Bradamant Designer Wear (www.bradamant.com)

BRADAMANT designer Tamar Daniel’s collection of bodysuits was displayed. Janna Meyrowitz Turner, Founder of Stylist House Public relations represented BRADAMANT. Items on display included Bodysuits featuring high-end sartorial details and luxury.

· Andrew & Stanley – (www.all-created-equal.com)

Designers of custom made T-shirts for all walks of life, Skateboarders, Hippies, Entertainers, Wall Street tycoons, Grandparents, to name a few, were displayed. “Whatever your choice in life, you will find something you can relate to. Our goal as a clothing line is simple. We want to connect people from all walks of life. It’s bigger than fashion; it’s a life style,” said Andrew.

· GiGI displayed customs made denim jeans (www.djeanyus.com). She was also one of the designers displaying her denim collection on the runway.

· Jaye Corvino (http://www.jcorvinolifecoaching.com/)

Jaye Corvino is a professionally trained and certified Life Coach and the proud owner of A New Day - A New YOU! She works with Women to find balance, daily achievement and enjoyment in managing every area of their lives.

· Herman Singh, Owner, Omni Mortgage Corp (http://www.omnimortgagecorp.com/)

The Company has been catering to real estate needs of New Yorkers for the last 20 years in the state of NY. They are experts in all real estate transactions including sale – purchase, short sale, foreclosure, refinancing etc.

Raffle was the last segment of the Event. 25 lucky winners walked away with gifts ranging from $10 - $2500 . Raffle prizes included -
· Store Gift cards from GAP, MACYs, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Banana republic, Nike, Footlocker, Old Navy & Lowes.

· Gift Certificates from - Jules Jewlz Inc (Juliet B. Williams), International Marketing Enterprise (Margaret Thomas), CAbi Designer Wear (Cindy Ulrich), Mary & Martha (Michelle G. Newton), Designer Invitations Plus (Susan Myers), All Skin Care (Cindy Francis), BRADAMANT (Tamar Daniel).

· Gift Hampers from - All Created Equal (Andrew & Stanley), DjeanYus (GiGi), Park Lane Jewelry (Judy Picollo), NuSkin Beauty Products (Carol Slotkin), Porcelain Items (Lucia Carciu), American Laser Skin Care (Katie Bobish ).

In the end segment, Anjali Chugh, President Forest Hills Chapter along with her Board members (Chermerdene Jordan, Camelia Pruteanu & Dana Linton) and Kristin Ferreggi (NAPW Local Chapter Manager) presented a check of $ 7000 to Marie J. Santelli, President S.H.A.D Inc. Ms. Santelli accepted the check in presence of other Board members of S.H.A.D Inc.

Special thanks to the team of professionals who made the show a great success -
· MC – Vivian Gill

· Make up & Hair stylists -

Cherrys Unisex Salon out of Brooklyn and Jaida kyi gikofsky (freelancer make up artist)

· DJ - Keith Bryan

· NAPW Photographer Niki Balu (http://www.kdbaluphotography.com/), Videographer Justin Williams Jus.ography@gmail.com

Media Professionals who covered the Event -

Sofia Davis Fashion Ave Magazine, Jackie Love Model Management, Brian Matthews MSKCC, Shani Bynum MSKCC, Dara Bragg Deekysheel Entertainment, Lloyd Crawford I-Fashion Magazine, Gerard McLeod SGIB Magazine, William Michael Reid- Xposure Magazine.

Media Photographers who captured the most riveting moments of the Event -
Theresa Racine & Ramon, Frank Photography, Sofia Davis BTETV/Fashion Ave Magazine, Lloyd Crawford Fashion Ave Magazine, Anthony Anderson Linx Photography, BAP Photography, Joe Gray Photographer, The IE Group Video/Photography, SGIB Magazine.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Sep 16, 2013

Forest Hills chapter members met at Kew Gardens community center on Sep 16, 2013 for their monthly meeting. This was a third interactive session in a row, organized, especially, on the request of chapter members.

The meeting commenced with a welcome note from Anjali Chugh, Chapter president and was followed by a networking session. Anjali made a few announcements about the upcoming event on Oct 4th and gave an update about the ticket sale to the attendees. She requested the members to contribute to Raffle segment and buy tickets to the event. A significant number of attendees offered to volunteer at the event and to give away some attractive items as raffle prizes. Shortly after, Anjali introduced the speaker, Michelle Newton, to the members.
Michelle Gill Newton was the speaker for the evening. Michelle is a wife and mother, home based business coach, speaker, and published author of, "Direct Sellers Secrets to Staying Inspired- Your SSI" and e-book "Sales in the Social Media Age: It Isn’t Just Door to Door Anymore".

Michelle worked as a Marketing Manager for Time Warner Cable of New York City, Time Warner Inc. and then Doubleday Book Clubs. In 2004 she was introduced to the industry that she fell in love with and found her passion: Direct Sales/Network Marketing. After the downsize of corporate job and the abrupt closure of TWO direct sales companies she was a part of, Michelle was inspired to write her first book.

She is now an independent sales consultant for Mary & Martha direct sales company and a public speaker at events throughout NYC on staying motivated in your business. (http://www.mymaryandmartha.com/MGNEWTON/)

She combines her passion for marketing, events and sales in her order to effectively run her business today.
Michelle’s presentation was focused on creating different streams of income and identifying the right customer base for a business. She offered some valuable tips to members for achieving success in the business world, namely, importance of branding a business, identifying the target customers, understanding the need & behavior of the potential customers, importance of creating a niche, writing books, creating CDs or e-books, speaking at the events and joining a networking organization of like minded people.

“ The easiest and fastest source of earning supplemental income is Direct Selling Association (DSA)”, said Michelle. “It’s a National trade association of some of the leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services directly to customers.”
Michelle became a part of DSA after she became a part of Mary & Martha as an independent business consultant. For details please visit her website http://www.mymaryandmartha.com/MGNEWTON/.

Carol Slotkin, an independent distributor for NuSkin Products, was selected as the Showcase member of the Month.

The members loved the presentation and found the interactive session very helpful.

Ladies who attended-

Michelle G. Newton, Alvertis Alexander, Dana Linton, Camelia Pruteanu, Donatellah Horvath, Cheryl Williams-Meggett, Carol Slotkin, Susan Myers, Marie Glennon, Juliet Williams, Cassandra Greene, Florence Robinson, Caroline Clement, Margaret Thomas, Cindy Francis, Anjali Chugh.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - August 19, 2013

Forest Hills Chapter members had a great time networking and participating in a yet another interactive workshop lead by Juliette Austin. Juliette is a certified Wellness Coach and the founder of 'Wellness Muse'. She kept the members engaged in an incredibly interesting interactive workshop. The members learned techniques to stay calm & let go of stress even in the most pressing situations. To know more about her, please visit www.TheWellnessMuse.com

The meeting was held in Kew Gardens community center on August 19, 2013 at 6pm. President Anjali Chugh welcomed everyone and introduced the new members to the group. She reminded the members about the upcoming Fashion event on Oct 4, 2013 and requested the members for their support. She also encouraged the business owners to participate in the event as exhibitors for showcasing their products / services. Anjali, in order for the new members to know, announced the name of the charity for which the fashion show / fundraiser was being organized. She encouraged the attendees to visit www.shadonline.org for getting a better idea about the non-profit organization.

The members enjoyed networking and an awesome presentation by Juliette Austin. Juliette emphasized on the fact that women often neglect their own needs in the process of wearing too many hats at the same time and that they need to make time for themselves if they want to stay sane and healthy while 'doing it all'.

Juliette specializes in thyroid conscious nutrition and wellness focused lifestyle coaching. Her presentation was focused on helping members to achieve following goals-

 Increasing energy  Overcoming depression  Losing weight – and keeping it off!  Controlling food cravings  Reducing medication & their side effects  Feeling more in control of health and life without feeling deprived.

“When all that you know, willed, applied, and have done, doesn’t get you the results you wanted, a health coach is your helping hand. Helping you discover new approaches and the motivation to get to the next level”, said Juliette.

Juliette explained to the members that when a person exceeds his personal threshold of stress tolerance, his body can respond either physically, emotionally or mentally. Everyone’s breakdown is unique. She emphasized the importance of taking a simple assessment test before thinking of making any major changes in the existing lifestyle. Questions like the ones mentioned below could be a part of the assessment process -

“Do I give time to my priorities? Where am I spending too much/too little time? Why did I spend my time that way? Where do I waste time? What do I need to change? Who is controlling my time?”

Juliette impressed upon incorporating the following techniques in the daily regimen –

Practicing meditation, deep breathing, feeling gratitude, staying active, at least 30 minutes of regular physical activity can make a difference, getting a good night’s sleep, laughing, listening to music, meeting with friends, having sex (healthy, trusting, and fulfilling intimacy), following a healthy lifestyle and diet, utilizing key dietary and botanical supplements.

Yvonn Yao, a non member and one of the Distributors of Organo Gold, sponsored tea and coffee at the meeting. Her gesture was greatly appreciated.

Paulette Vabrinskas was selected as a showcase member of the month.

Members who attended :
Juliette Austin, Miyoko Yamakawa, Catherine Arnow, Judy Miller, Aixa Cruz, Desiree Mullins, Kimberly Whitaker, Michelle Newton, Jaye Corvino, Paulette Vabrinskas, Marie Jose Santelli, Ruth Milstein, Carol Slotkin, Alve Alexander, Lillian Moss, Margaret Thomas, Donatellah Horvath, Florence Robinson, Cheryl Williams-Meggett, Sandra Ventura, Sepia J. Owens-Villas, Anjali Chugh.

Non members-
Jane Lang Pathi, Sharia Jones Bey, Yvonn Yao, Michelle.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - July 15, 2013

Forest Hills Chapter members had a great time networking and participating in an interactive workshop lead by Jaye Corvino, an incredibly gifted (certified) Life Coach. Jaye had been showcased in the Chapter newsletter before and, as such, the members were already familiar with her talents and credentials to some extent. Her presentation was focused on changing ‘I can’t’ attitude with ‘I can’. For details please visit her website http://www.jcorvinolifecoaching.com/.

The meeting was held in Kew Gardens community center on July 15, 2013 at 6pm. President Anjali Chugh welcomed everyone and introduced the new members to the group. She reminded the members about the upcoming Fashion / Fundraising event on Oct 4, 2013 and requested the members for their support. She also encouraged the business owners to participate in the event as exhibitors for showcasing their products / services. Anjali, in order for the new members to know, announced the name of the charity for which the fashion show / fundraiser was being organized. She encouraged the attendees to visit www.shadonline.org for getting a better idea about the non-profit organization.

Members enjoyed networking and getting-to-know-each-other session immensely. More than that, they took a keen interest in Jaye’s workshop and gave her their full attention. The way Jaye presented certain life changing techniques to the members and the manner in which she handled all the questions put to her by the participants, was greatly appreciated and applauded by one and all.

Jaye Corvino’s talk was compelling enough to help members reassess their life goals and priorities. She talked about her passion for helping people as a Life Coach, about setting realistic goals, changing ‘negative self talk’ into positive ‘take charge’ attitude and getting rid of mental blocks and self defeating patterns.

She encouraged the members to set simple and achievable targets instead of ‘larger than life’ goals. The simple goals according to her could be as simple as going to a gym, taking a dance class, visit a place that one might have always wanted to, quitting a bad habit, leaving office on time to spend some time with family, organizing a closet, starting a business and so on and so forth.

“It’s ok to push your goals off to another day but It’s NOT ok to push them off the radar,” said Jaye.

Jaye believes that taking care of oneself is as important as taking care of others. “You make an appointment with everyone else, why not make an appointment with yourself?” She further said.

She gave a small exercise to the members wherein everyone was supposed to answer questions like – “What are you willing to change in order to achieve it? What commitment are you making to accomplish this goal? What new skills or knowledge do you need to succeed in this situation? Are you feeling stuck? If so, why and where are you feeling stuck? Who can support you? How will you feel when you reach your goal?”

Some simple questions from Jaye triggered a healthy and eye opening discussion within the group. At the end of the session, everyone felt great about the whole idea of having an honest discussion about personal strengths and weaknesses. Based on an incredible job Jaye did, she was invited by Lyson Basile, Jamaica Chapter President for speaking at Jamaica Chapter upcoming meeting. Kudos to Jaye Corvino!

Those who attended:

Jaye Corvnio, Juliette Austin, Margaret Thomas, Juliet Williams, Carol Slotkin, Alvertis Alexander, Lyson Basile, Maureen McLean, Chinasa Okafor, Delia Nelson, Miyoko Yamakawa, Catherine Arnow, Camelia Pruteanu, Sonya Martirosyan, Florence Robinson and Anjali chugh.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - June 24, 2013
Anniversary Celebration

It’s official! The NAPW Forest Hills Chapter is one year old!!!

The Chapter celebrated its anniversary with a dinner meeting at the Tuscan Hills Restaurant in Forest Hills. Louise Newsome and Lyson Bazile, Presidents of the New York City and Jamaica Chapters respectively, joined the festivity along with thirty five members and non members. Lively conversation, ambience, excellent food and drink made the evening one to remember.

President Anjali Chugh shared that the first meeting of the Forest Hills Chapter was held at Tuscan Hills, making the restaurant a befitting choice for the Chapter to celebrate its one year anniversary. Anjali thanked those who had persevered with her in getting the fledgling Chapter going. She expressed her gratitude to Louise Newsome for taking part in the celebration, and for the support and encouragement that Louise offered to the members during the course of her interaction with the group.

While addressing the members, Louise acknowledged that her first year was difficult but things started to change after she created a team of support. As per Louise, forming a Chapter Board turned out to be a sensible decision as it allowed the gifts and the talents of members to shine through. She complimented Anjali for doing the same and expressed confidence that the Forest Hills Chapter will continue to grow and succeed. She assured the members that she would be most willing to offer any support and assistance as may be required, for the growth of Forest Hills Chapter. Louise was applauded by all for her kindness and graciousness.

Anjali announced the Chapter’s next project – a Fundraiser on October 4, 2013 to benefit Soin Humanité Amour Dévouement (S.H.A.D).

S.H.A.D. is a US based 501 © 3 non-profit organization created to enhance the

quality-of-life, promote HIV/AIDS awareness, and help in decreasing the yearly death rate among poor Haitian women aged 14 – 45 infected with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and their unborn babies. The objective of S.H.A.D. is to build a health clinic in Northwest Haiti, for catering to the health needs of young Haitian women, who have been getting absolutely no support from anywhere.

Marie Jose Santelli, the President of S.H.A.D., gave a brief overview of the organization, its goals and its commitment to making positive change in the lives of the Haitian women and their children. She directed the members to the website for more information: www.shadonline.org.

Anna Marie Francis was selected as the Showcase Member of the month.

Ladies attending included:

Anjali Chugh Alvé Alexander

Catherine Arnow Jaye Corvino

Ana Marie Francis Karen Gertsman

Cassandra J. Greene Chermerdene Jordan

Mamta Kochar Lori Lebedin

Dana Linton Susan Meyers

Lillian Moss Michelle Gill Newton

Louise Newsome Camelia Pruteanu

Florence Robinson Alexis Russ

Marie Jose Santelli Jessica Siet

Margaret Thomas Juliet Williams

Delores Wilson Kathy Zadrozny

Delia Nelson Shuna Saul

Mamta Kochar Asha Wahab

Donatellah Horvath Lyson Basile

Theresa Bookman Elyse Schrage

Minutes prepared by Chermerdene Jordan, Chair Communications & Networking Committee (Reliv Distributor).

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - May 20, 2013

Forest Hills monthly meeting was held at the Kew Gardens community center in Queens, on Monday, May 20, 2013. President Anjali Chugh welcomed the ladies, including the new members and guests.

A brief period was set aside to allow everyone to network, enjoy refreshments, introduce themselves, and explain their purpose for joining the organization. The National Conference was the first official introduction to NAPW for some new members and they shared their experiences. All were positive. In fact, the conference had motivated them to become more connected.

Anjali announced that the Chapter would host a fundraiser in September to benefit “Soin Humanité Amour Dévouement” (SHAD). SHAD is a non-profit organization that cares for young women in Haiti who are suffering with HIV/AIDS. The Founder/President is Registered Nurse and a valued NAPW member. She expressed her desire to share her passion for, and commitment to this much needed service at one of the upcoming meetings.

“Although the venue is not finalized yet, the event would most likely be held in Manhattan to encourage the participation and support of N.A.P.W. members across the New York tri-state area,” said Anjali. She asked for members to volunteer for the event and said, “the goal should be to attract over a 100 enthusiastic supporters.”

Anjali was the designated speaker for the evening. She shared a bit of her life’s journey and the process of transformation to frame the basis of her talk. She tried not to go in to the intricacies of the subject so as to make it easier for the members to assimilate the information. She mainly focused on the necessity of transforming one’s life by breaking existing patterns and setting oneself free from living the same miserable life over and over again. Her talk had the essential components of Zen and Eastern philosophy, primarily based on the concept of reincarnation and the purpose behind being born again and again.

“To break the existing life patterns you need to push your limits and step out of your comfort zone, but for being able to do so, you need to realize your true potential first,” said Anjali. “For knowing your strengths and using them to your advantage, you need to get to a point where you have a true measure of yourself and a deep ‘knowing’ of who you are,” she added.

“Meditation is the only key to unravel the mysteries of the Universe and also the ‘real you’,” she said. At this juncture there was a brief interactive session between her and the members. Anjali shared a simple beginners’ technique of meditation with the members. They seemed to be interested and willing to attend the workshop that she intended to hold in near future. She took time to explain how meditation helps in calming the chaos in the mind, removing the clutter, and strengthening the inner voice which is the ultimate ‘guru’ of every soul.

“Meditation will help you gain clarity of your situation in order for you to make the right choices in pressing situations,” she added.

The message that was relayed to the members by Anjali was that the Meditation, helps in reprogramming and rewiring the mind, and the pre-set patterns and impressions that it carries. Once the rewiring is done, a person starts living in the moment rather than whining over the past or worrying about the future. Meditation not only helps to reprogram one’s mind but also helps in keeping the body healthy and free of diseases, considering that most diseases are manifestations of a troubled mind.

The talk inspired lots of questions and comments. Many of the women expressed a desire to explore meditation further.

Congratulations to Susan Meyers for being selected as our Showcase member of the month. She’s a Paralegal professional and Owner of Designer Invitations Plus.

Members who attended:

Catherine Arnow Susan Meyers

Juliette Austin Christin Ottley

Jaye Corvino Camilla Pruteanu

Daphne Dominik Marie Jose Santelli

Chermerdene Jordan Juliet Williams

Mamta Kochar Anjali Chugh

(Prepared by Chermerdene Jordan (Reliv Distributor) - Chair, Communications & Networking Committee)

Forest Hills Chapter Fundraiser - April 18, 2013

Chapter News Published in Times'

NAPW Forest Hills, NY Local Chapter Raised $1200 for Habitat for Humanity at Fundraiser in April.

April 18th event turned out to be an unforgettable evening in the history of Forest Hills Chapter. The members hosted a fundraiser for rehabilitating Sandy victims. Collections were donated to Habitat for Humanity. Preceding the event, Forest Hills Chapter members, especially the board members, had worked hard for more than two months for selling 65 tickets in the community. It was an open event and invitations were sent out to NAPW members and to non-members as well. The response from the community was incredible and the Chapter was able to raise $1200 through ticket sale in a span of one month before the event.

(For more pics please visit our Facebook page)

The event was hosted in an Italian restaurant, Biu Bella, located in the heart of Forest Hills. The check-in process started at 6pm which is when the guests started coming in. The raffle tickets were handed over to the guests at the door during registration. Within first half hour, the venue was packed with 45 people who busied themselves in networking over a glass of wine. Kurt Borst, singer, guitarist and song writer from NY, entertained the guests with his soothing voice and melodious music. Karen Gerstman (Chair social media and member-volunteer) together with her friend Doreen Lynn Saunders, helped at the wine table.

Anjali Chugh, President, welcomed the guests and gave them a brief introduction about NAPW, the purpose of fundraising and the ‘cause’ that Forest hills chapter had worked for. She thanked everyone for the donations they had made and the support they had offered to the Chapter, both in cash and kind. Anjali also thanked the sponsors and raffle prize providers who had been largely responsible for making the event a successful one.

Soon after the welcome speech, delicious Italian cuisine was served to the guests. Ellen Suazo, owner of Mindshifting International and one of the cosponsors of the event addressed the gathering and a gave a brief promotional speech about her Company and her professional expertise. The audience applauded her when they came to know that she had authored multiple books. One of her books was entered in the raffle prize list.

In the last hour of the event, Anjali Chugh introduced Mirian Conti to the attendees. Anjali introduced her as concert pianist from Juiliard music school. Mirian played piano for the guests and her enthralling tango music turned out to be the highlight of the evening. Her performance was thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated.

Towards the end of an exciting and riveting evening, the attendees immensely enjoyed the gripping moments of Raffle segment facilitated by Anjali Chugh (President), Dana Linton (Chair Media Relations) and Samantha Pokorny (Manager local chapter division NAPW). Raffle prizes were sponsored by several members and non NAPW members as well. 14 attendees won raffle prizes that included 7 retail store gift cards (valued cumulatively $175), 3 Artistry cosmetic gift bags (worth $50), 1 dietary supplement (worth $90), 2 inspirational books (value $40) and 1 designer wear gift voucher (worth $100).

Some of the most captivating and entrancing moments of the evening were captured on camera by Kethonia Balu (non NAPW member) who excels in photography skills. ( Kethonia's personal website)

Anjali thanked everyone, including her board members, for attending and contributing to the success of the event. The last announcement that was made by her at the event was regarding the amount of money raised for the cause. The total funds raised were in the amount of $1200. Habitat for Humanity was declared to be the recipient of the funds collected.

Event sponsored by –

Chinasa Okafor (President NASA Accounting Services), Fradel Barber (SMD World Financial Group), Ellen Suazo (owner Mindshifting International, Herman Singh (owner Omni Mortgage Corp) and Mercedes Cano (Attorney at Law offices of Mercedes S. Cano).

Raffles sponsored by –

Ellen Suazo (owner Mindshifting International), Jane Lang Pathi & Sara Rayavarapu (Independent distributors – ‘Artistry’ skincare products), Chermerdene Jordan (Reliv Distributor), Cindy Ulrich (CABi Designer wear) and Anjali Chugh (retail store gift cards including GAP, Nike, Home Depot, Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, Banana Republic and Victoria’s Secret).

People who attended –

Samantha Pokorny, Mirian Conti, Kurt Borst, Camelia Pruteanu, Dana Linton, Karen Gerstman, Doreen Saunders, Jaye Corvino, Asha Wahab, Lyson Basile, Ellen Suazo, Donatellah Horvath, Diana Scott, Angelique Brown, Cassandra Greene, Alexander Alvertis, Kethonia Balu, Ebony Thomas, Daniela Barbu, Emil Barbu, Rene Brathwaite, Lucia Carciu, Galina Ionescu, Sophie Monereau, Dorotea Negoescu, Simona Nicu, Vasile Nicu, Alex popa, Ribiana Popa, Calin Pruteanu, Sara Rayavarapu, Marie Jose Santelli, Theresa Bookman, Nichol Calderon, Ambrose Calderon, Florence Robinson, Jane Lang Pathi, Jason Ng. Chozi McKenzi, Leah Chase, Yoko, Juliana DeSouza, Margaret Michel and Anjali Chugh.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - March 18, 2013

Forest Hills Chapter held its monthly meeting on March 18, 2013 at the Kew Gardens Community Center. Guest speaker for the evening was Erica Prince, President of “The Professional Speaker’s Bureau, Inc. She engaged the attendees in a spirited discussion on “Getting rid of the fear of public speaking”.

President Anjali Chugh welcomed everyone and gave an update on the upcoming Fundraising event on April 18^th. Briefly put, her initial address to the group included the following pointers:

· The ticket sale proceeds would be donated to Habitat for Humanity.

· Next few weeks should be spent in inviting friends and colleagues to ensure the event’s success.

· Donations could be accepted even from those who do not intend participating in the event.

· Media Relations Chair, Dana Linton, would be using her resources for ensuring media coverage at the event.

· Invitations would be sent to other local NAPW Chapters in New York.

· Some members had shown willingness to give away their products as Raffle prizes at the event and those members need to be reminded.

Anjali commended Camelia Pruteanu for selling 18 tickets to date.

After her initial announcements, Anjali made a brief introduction of the guest speaker Erica Prince, and invited her to elaborate on the suggested topic as much as she saw fit.

Erica shared her journey from a dream to be a speech therapist, to ‘freezing up’ before a speech class and eventually becoming a Page at the National Broadcasting Center. The job presented her with many opportunities to speak in public. She enjoyed it so much that it became a major career for her. As President of a thriving Speaker’s Bureau, she trains people to become effective speakers and encourages them to use this new found strategy to build strong businesses.

“There are no perfect speakers,” she said. “A successful speaker, among all other things, is well versed with his / her material.” She shared with the group one of her success stories concerning a lawyer who wanted to build his practice but was scared to speak in public. He worked hard to conquer his fear of public speaking and later became the owner of a successful small business that employs 8-9 people.

An enthusiastic conversation ensued when Erica asked everyone about their experience with public speaking. Most members expressed fear. But, she offered suggestions on how everyone could overcome the feeling of fear. Some tips that she suggested included:

· Knowing the material / subject

· Practicing at home with friends or family.

· Focusing on one person or an empty chair from time to time. However, one must be careful not to become stuck doing this and forgetting others in the room.

· Joining an interactive group like Toastmasters.

· Getting feedback from people with experience.

· Working with a Coach.

In addition, she emphasized on the importance of public speaking and the impact it could have on ones career. Wrapping up, she offered advice to those who might consider this genre as a strategy to increase visibility and grow their business:

· Choose creative titles for speeches. They sell and open doors.

· Build a database of all those who attend the events

· Publish a Newsletter and mail to those in the database.

This was her strategy that caught the attention of Verizon. Eventually, she developed a training system which the Company offered to their successful business customers for two years.

Announcements:

Camelia Pruteanu took over as Co-Chair Event planning committee.

Jaye Corvino was chosen as Showcase member for the month. She got the opportunity to give a five minute talk about her corporate career at Toyota, and share her recent qualification as a Life & Professional Development Coach.

Attendees included: Karen Booker, Jaye Corvino, Karen Gerstman, Donatella Horvath,

Chermerdene Jordan, Simona Nicu, Camelia Pruteanu and Anjali Chugh

(Prepared by Chermerdene Jordan, Chairperson Communications Committee)

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Feb 19, 2013

On February 19, 2013 members of the Forest Hills chapter met at Kew Gardens community center in Queens. The members had an opportunity to understand the ONE key factor responsible for attracting clients and boosting business. Courtesy to the guest speaker Keith Muller, Founder and President of Muller Video Productions, the attendees learned the concept of video marketing and its importance in building an online presence.

President Anjali Chugh welcomed everyone and introduced the guest speaker to the members. Towards the end of networking session, which lasted for about forty minutes, the new members introduced themselves to the group and briefly talked about their area of expertise.

After the guest speaker took over, he shared with the group, quite a few videos that his company had developed for his clients. The members were impressed to see how a short 2-3 minute video could do wonders for any business. “Google ranks video content higher than images & textual content on the internet. People like to be entertained and text just isn’t entertaining anymore,” explained Muller.

He went on to discuss the importance of carving a niche and being able to separate oneself from the competition. “60 to 90 seconds of good video is all you need to sell your product,” said Muller.

Muller also touched on the benefit of having testimonials as part of a business video. “It allows for potential customers to see the diversity of your clientele in terms of age, race, ethnicity, gender and geographic locations,” he said.

A video veteran, Muller, literally, grew up in the industry, working for his parent’s company on Long Island at the age of thirteen. For the last three years Keith’s company has strived to provide small to medium-sized businesses with cutting edge video marketing and web design services.

Muller left members with some food for thought. “If you want to be a prominent player in the big leagues, you have to get creative with branding yourself and your business,” was Keith’s closing statement.

President Anjali Chugh thanked Keith Muller for his time and an awesome presentation.

She reminded the members of the upcoming fundraiser in April and requested everyone to support the cause.

In the last segment, Camelia Pruteanu, member of FH Chapter, was randomly selected for the ‘Showcase’ segment of the newsletter.

Announcements :

The appointment of two new board members was announced during the chapter meeting. President Anjali Chugh, named Karen Gerstman as Chair of Social Media and Dana Linton as Chair of Media Relations.

Members who attended:

Donatella Horvath (Medicaid service coordinator), Delia Nelson (Accounting manager) Camelia Pruteanu (Property coordinator), Mercedes Cano (Attorney at Law office of Mercedes S. Cano) , Karen Booker (Managing Partner BeBe Group), Karen Gerstman (Voice Actor), Leah Chase (owner Excelsior You), Dana Linton (President Hogland Variety) and Anjali Chugh (Counselor).

Prepared by Dana Linton, Chairperson Media Relations (President Hogland Variety)

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Dec 20, 2012

The Toy Drive

The NAPW Forest Hills Chapter hosted its last meeting of the year with a Holiday get-together and Toy Drive on Thursday, December 20, 2012. The event was held at Jade Eatery and Lounge, a popular Asian Fusion restaurant in Forest Hills. We’re grateful to Manager, Raymond Taylor for all he did to make us welcome, including roping off a specific area that allowed privacy.

Members wanting to bring some cheer to children in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy donated a number of toys. We thank Board Member Janice Rimler for her efforts in obtaining a generous donation of stuffed animals and Star War books from Royal Collectibles. This company is located at 96-01 Metropolitan Avenue.

Board Member, Gwyneth Anderson delivered the toys to the office of Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz for distribution. They indicated that the distribution would be completed by FEMA or a charity specifically working with Hurricane Sandy outreach efforts.

Chapter President Anjali Chugh welcomed guests letting them know that the Board was planning a full slate of meetings and events that would be helpful in helping us reach our professional and life goals. She invited the Committee Chairs to expand on their particular areas of responsibility.

Janice Rimler, Chair – Fundraising Committee thanked everyone for their response to the toy outreach effort. She said this was the preparation for a larger fundraising effort being planned to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy. “It’s Not Over ‘til it’s Over” scheduled for April 2013 is designed to keep the effects of this terrible disaster “top of mind”. Janice encouraged everyone to participate to ensure the effort is a “huge success.”

Gwyneth Anderson, Chair – Mentoring Committee alerted attendees of a Survey they’ll receive early in the New Year. She urged everyone to respond quickly since the Board will use the provided information to craft programs and events that address members’ needs and interests. She added that originally the Mentoring and Communications Committee were linked, and it was decided to separate them. As such, Chermerdene Jordan will assume the role of Communications Chair.

Karen Booker, Chair – Event Committee indicated that a number of speakers are already booked for a number of meetings in the New Year. All are experts in their respective areas of expertise and she encouraged her listeners to attend and bring their colleagues. She reiterated the importance of the Survey because it allows the Board to build a pipeline of interesting topics and speakers that we can confirm in a timely manner. “Our goal is to attract new members build a strong and dynamic Chapter in Forest Hills,” she added. We can only do this if everyone participates.

The ladies gathered around the toy display for photographs. Gwyneth Anderson submitted one of them to a local newspaper, the Queens Chronicle with a view that the Editor will consider it for publication.

Members who attended:

Anjali Chugh, Gwyneth Anderson, Janice Rimler, Karen Booker, Chermerdene Jordan, Cassandra J. Greene, Catherine Arnow, Camelia Pruteanu, Karen Gerstman, Leah Chase, Lyson Basile, Shauna Saul, Katie Kuo Hwa and Asha Wahab.

Prepared by Chermerdene Jordan, Chairperson Communications & Networking committee.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Nov 26, 2012

Forest Hills Chapter members met for a professional networking meeting at an exquisite Italian restaurant at 6pm on November 26^{th .}

While enjoying a delicious array of Italian appetizers, the members embarked on a networking session. President Anjali Chugh welcomed the attendees and introduced the board members to the group. She made a few announcements regarding the upcoming meetings, social media pages and the venue for future meetings. Anjali thanked the members for their participation and significant contribution without which the Chapter would not have shown such impressive growth. She expressed her gratitude to Jamaica & Bayside Chapters for collaborating with Forest Hills Chapter on several occasions.

Addressing the group, Anjali said, “We want to serve our diverse membership as sincerely as we can and for this we need your input and communication. In order for us to best serve our membership, we will be sending out a survey shortly asking you for your opinions, thoughts and suggestions about meeting topics and areas of interest. We look forward to your responses and thoughts.”

It was brought to the notice of the members that Forest Hills Chapter would hold future meetings at Kew Gardens community center w.e.f. January 2013. It was a significant breakthrough as finding an appropriate conference space in the area had been a challenge for the board members. Having a permanent place for meetings would afford an opportunity to the members for participating in mentoring sessions and rewarding discussions.

Shortly after the announcements, Anjali introduced to the group, Ms. Karen Booker, the speaker for the evening.

Ms. Booker is a certified business & executive coach, certified independent ‘color code’ trainer and certified Instructional Technologist.

She has enjoyed an impressive career in city government in several leadership roles with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development where she has been the leader and driving force behind HPD Housing Education Services’ (HES) long-standing history of developing and implementing complex and collaborative programs aimed at improving the housing conditions, health and quality of life for City residents. In 2000, she founded the BeBe Group (www.thebebegroup.com), a full-service business development firm based in New York City. Karen has a Masters in Professional Management and Policy Analysis from New School University and is presently pursuing her Ph.D. in Leadership and Organizational Change.

The subject of Karen’s presentation was ‘Color Code’ (www.colorcode.com), an assessment that helps in identifying ones personality “color” or type, from which “Core Motive” can be deciphered. This awareness helps a person better comprehend his/her strengths and limitations in order to be able to effectively relate to others in one’s life, both at home and at work.

The presentation was in the form of an interactive workshop in which each participant completed a two-page multiple choice survey (each answer representing a color) and then matched the score with the relevant color code. Karen then walked the group through the results and discussed the particular traits / significance of each color. She helped members to identify the areas of strengths and limitations according to their personality type. The discussion was lively and informative for the participants.

At the end of the presentation, Anjali thanked Karen Booker for the time and effort she put in to keep the members engaged.

Those who attended were:

Chinasa Okafor Ezeadichie ( Accountant @ Nasa Accounting Services); Chineze Okafor, (Accountant); Karen Booker (President Bebe Group); Karen Gerstman (Voice Actor); Gwyneth J. Anderson (President Anderson Research); Catherine Arnow (Interior Designer), Cassandra (Retired Assistant Director at SUNY Downstate); Janice Rimler (Owner, All Hands in Motion Professional Sign Language Interpreters LLC), Dana Linton (CEO Hogland Variety LLC), Chermerdene Jordan (Reliv Distributor), Celestina Akbar (Consultant RHI), Gia Cheeks (Special Education Teacher) Camelia Pruteanu ( Property coordinator, Rentar Dev Corp), Tanisha Adjokatcher (Adjokatcher Global LLC), Delia Nelson (Accounting Manager Pivot Inc.), Debra Turner (Paralegal Titan Business Resources) and Anjali Chugh (Counselor).

Prepared by Gwyneth J. Anderson (President Anderson Research) – Chairperson Mentoring committee.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Oct 24, 2012

The NAPW Forest Hills Chapter (along with Jamaica Chapter) met at the restaurant Biu Bella and enjoyed wonderful brick oven pizza, season salad and chicken platter during the networking session. After a brief time of chatting and enjoying appetizers, the Chapter President, Anjali Chugh, welcomed everyone and introduced Leah Chase to the group. Leah is the President and Founder of “Excelsior You”, a personal shopper and coach who has been in business for 20 years. Leah Chase gave the group a really wonderful presentation on ‘how to create a look that is fashionable and comfortable’. The focus of Leah’s presentation was on transforming ourselves (and consequently changing the way we are seen by others) by making small but meaningful changes to our wardrobe and to start learning organizing our wardrobe, In the first place.

Leah’s presentation was engaging and very positive. Leah made it clear that creating our own personal style is important because how we see ourselves is how we present ourselves to the world. She began by asking us all if we know what our personal style is (some of us did, some of us didn’t) and suggested that we identify our “signature style” and then get a little creative with it. She also noted that our “signature” tends to change as we get older.

Some notable fashion tips from Leah included: “Fashion is an attitude.” “Don’t wear that isn’t comfortable because it will quickly ruin your, and your attitude.” “Create balance in what you wear.”

Leah made it a point to highlight the importance of handbags in defining our fashion statement. She said, “Heavy bags are detrimental to your heart and your posture. Large bags take away the glamour from your outfit, so lighten up your bags. Be conscious of where you are putting your bag.” She suggested that women should use a table purse hanger as an alternative to the floor or lap for placing their handbag(s) while they are at the table.

“Shoes! Select your shoes with care.” Leah said. She demonstrated the use of a nifty box and went on to say, “Select shoes that are comfortable. But then make sure you are caring for that investment. When storing your shoes consider shoe socks or nifty shoe boxes that can be stacked in your closet and are accessible and easy to view.”

Leah handed out a flyer highlighting ‘Ten Pocket Tips’ for ‘women on the run’ and encouraged the members to ask questions relating to those tips. Some of the interesting tips were: A signature piece can be a focal point (a scarf paired with a nice broach or pin for instance); Try not to focus too much on size – look for pieces that can be used in different ways or for different occasions; recognize what body shape you have and don’t dress to turn yourself into someone you are not; don’t buy what a salesperson tells you to; Make sure you have a good range of classics in your closet – black dress, herringbone or tweed jackets, etc. These items are “multi-taskers” and can be worn in many ways. Additionally those same pieces can be updated with jewelry, a scarf, etc.

Leah demonstrated some of fashion styles with the help of wonderful women from our group. The members that volunteered were: Chineze Okafor, Cassandra Greene and Karen Gerstman.

The members who attended were:

Wanda Philips - Owner Wanda Philips Signature Events , Chinasa Okafor Ezeadichie - Accountant @ Nasa Accounting Services, Chineze Okafor – Accountant, Dartanya Straughn- Graphic Designer, Karen Booker - President Bebe Group, Ericka Williams - IT Specialist at FDA, Lyson Basile - Business Analyst, Karen Gerstman - Voice Actor, Gwyneth J. Anderson - President Anderson Research, Katherine Arnow - Interior Designer, Cassandra (Retd Asstt Director at SUNY Downstate), Shauna Saul - Program Admin at SUNY Downstate, and Anjali Chugh (Grief Counselor).

Prepared by Gwyneth J Anderson, President Anderson Research (Chairperson Communications & Networking Forest Hills Chapter).

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Sep 20, 2012

Forest Hills Chapter members met at 104-60 Parker Towers, Forest Hills, NY on Sep 20, 2012. It was an event jointly organized by Forest Hills & Jamaica Chapter board members. The members spent a great evening, enjoying the cocktail hour (organized by Janice Rimler, Chairperson fundraising committee FH Chapter) with Fradel Barber who was the guest speaker at the event. Fradel is the Executive Director of World Financial Group. She educated the members about the necessity of managing finances and the ways to make secure investments. Fradel's presentation was so informative and motivational that the members were compelled to present her with an unending list of questions at the end of the presentation.

Highlights of the Presentation by Fradel Barber:

Being in control of her own future was a big draw for Fradel. "I've always been a very independent child," she said. "I'm coachable, but I'm not good at being told what to do. I am very independent by nature and I wanted freedom of time, freedom to go anywhere, and I wanted freedom to have multiple businesses."

Her parents had 12 children and no life insurance and she was using credit cards "like they were going out of style." She took her passion for helping families such as her own and came onboard with the company full-time in 2003. In 2007 she moved back to Brooklyn to open her second WFG office to help families in the neighborhood where she grew up. "Once I made the decision (to go into business), I never really looked back," she said.

Fradel believes that World Financial Group (WFG) is an extraordinary opportunity for people from all walks of life. The Company helps people realize their dreams. WFG is a business platform that empowers people from all walks of life to create lucrative and lasting financial services businesses. Through WFG, our associates provide clients across the United States and Canada with the finest financial strategies and products available today. Right now having a business can be more secure than having a job because you get to decide if you stay there or not. . . . Our opportunity allows people to start part-time, so they can still have their jobs and have a back-up career and eventually make this their full-time career. . . "

She captured everyone’s attention by focusing on ‘independence’ aspect of business. She said, “Today, I can't imagine what it would be like to go to someone to ask for a day off. At the end of the day, that's what having your own business can afford you, if you build it right. You can have that independence and not have to answer to anyone or be limited by how much money you can earn. You're only limited by yourself." She further said, “To have a positive impact on the people I come in contact with, I lead and inspire them to do great things and in the future that will go on to affect other people for generations to come.”

As per Fradel, WFG associates have the ability to offer products and services from a broad array of financial services providers which allows the associates to find the very best solution for their clients. These solutions can come in many different forms, including insurance protection, retirement strategies, college planning, estate planning, business solutions, financial planning and more.

World Financial Group offers people an uncommon opportunity to change careers and be in business for themselves but not by themselves. The Company offers a variety of support functions through its Executive Headquarters, located in Duluth, Ga., as well as powerful industry relationships, innovative training programs and hands-on field mentoring, as well as a business model that can put a willing individual on the path to a brighter future.

Those who attended were: Fradel Barber (guest speaker), Janice Rimler (Owner All Hands in Motion Professional Sign Language Interpreters LLC), Karron Franklin (Pvt Investigator), Dana Linton (CEO Hogland Variety LLC), Lyson Basile (Project Mgr & Business Analyst), Cassandra J. Greene (Contd Medical Education Expert), Karen Gerstman (Voice Actor), Karen L. Booker (Sr. Consultant BeBe Group LLC) and Anjali Chugh (Grief Counselor).

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - Aug 21, 2012

The Forest Hills NAPW Chapter met at the offices of All Hands In Motion Professional Sign Language Interpreters LLC, located in Parker Towers on Tuesday, August 21, 2012. The comfortable office and meeting space provided our members a relaxed environment to speak and converse. Janice Rimler’s hospitality was greatly appreciated!!

After a brief time of chatting and enjoying appetizers and wine, the Chapter President, Anjali Chugh, welcomed everyone and introduced Janice Rimler. Janice is the President of All Hands In Motion, a communication services provider for the deaf community throughout the NY metropolitan area. Janice shared with the audience the challenges she’s faced and successes she’s enjoyed since establishing her business in 2006. Janice made it clear that following ones passion is the key, to not only being successful, but enjoying ones work as well. Prior to establishing her firm (which today represents 65 interpreters), she was the coordinator of Interpreter Services for NY City College of Technology. Currently, Janice is very active in the deaf community and is constantly creating events and opportunities for the deaf community to come together and get all the help they need.

Janice’s presentation reinforced the idea that having the knowledge in the first place, and the skills to implement that ‘know-how’ in the work that one loves to do, is critical to establishing a successful and thriving business. These are the components that ultimately become the driving force for doing and enjoying the work one does every day.

Towards the end of the meeting, President Anjali Chugh spoke about several issues that are critical to the successful development of the Forest Hills Chapter. Chief among the concerns expressed was, the need for proper meeting space that 1) provides an ample space for members to attend comfortably and 2) is conducive to a professional meeting. Second, there was a discussion about future meeting topics and the expectations that the chapter members have from NAPW, and the help they need as they continue to strive for achieving their professional goals. Anjali also brought to the attention of the attending members, the areas of support available for the members within the group. She made the attendees understand that NAPW, apart from being a professional networking organization, can also be a resource for personal support for those who need it. Anjali also announced that the next meeting would be held in collaboration with Jamaica Chapter and the members could look forward to interacting with a larger networking group. The idea was greatly appreciated by all.

Attendees: Janice Rimler (Owner -All Hands in Motion Professional Sign Language Interpreters LLC), Shauna Saul (Program Admin Suny Downstate, Silvia D'Avila (Owner- Iza by Silvia D'Avila), Angelique E Brown (Math Teacher PS 164), Catherine Arnow (Interior decorator), Karen Gerstman (Voice Actor), Lyson Basile (Project Mgr & Business Analyst), Kaleena Ma (Co-owner MK Vision Center), Gwyneth J. Anderson (President Anderson Research) and Anjali Chugh (Grief Counselor & Energy Healer).

Prepared by Gwyneth J. Anderson (President Anderson Research), Co-Chair Communications & Networking - Forest Hills Chapter.

Forest Hills Chapter Meeting - July 11, 2012

The Forest Hills NAPW Chapter met at Dee’s restaurant (Metropolitan Avenue) on Wednesday, July 11, 2012. The family-style bistro provided an intimate atmosphere for the members – some of whom were attending Chapter meeting for the first time.

In the first segment, the members connected with each other while enjoying Dee’s special Italian cuisine. The Chapter President, Anjali Chugh, welcomed the ladies and outlined the agenda for the evening. She introduced Chermerdene Jordan, a new Chapter member, as the guest speaker for the evening. The presentation was designed to showcase her business of marketing nutritional products, in addition to providing a business opportunity for other members.

Chermerdene Jordan brought everyone’s attention to issues that many of us struggle with, in our daily lives e.g. our concerns about retirement, health and financial security, the ability to spend quality time with our families, and the need to take control of our lives. Ms. Jordan’s presentation was compelling enough to arouse the interest of the attendees in Reliv nutritional products and they could see Reliv as a tremendous business opportunity that had the potential to change peoples’ lives in US and around the world.

Towards the end of the meeting, President Anjali Chugh verbalized her vision for the Chapter and asked the members to assist the Chairpersons of various Committees that were previously announced during the launch meeting on June 13, 2012. The Board now constitutes of the following committees and Chairpersons:

Chair Communications & Networking – Chremedene Jordan
Co-Chair Communiactions & Networking - Gwyneth J. Anderson

Chair Social Media – Silvia D’Avila

Chair Event Planning – Aixa Cruz

Chair Fundraising – Janice Rimler

In the end, there was a brief discussion about finding more convenient locations for upcoming meetings and the Expo / Event proposed to be held in the month of August 2012.

Those attending were: Gwyneth J. Anderson, President Anderson Research; Cassandra Greene, Assistant Director Continuing Medical Education at SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Sylvia D’Avila, owner of IZA By Silvia D’Avila jewelry; Karen Gerstman, Voice-Over Artist; Janice B. Rimler, CEO/Interpreter at Professional Sign Language Interpreters, LLC; Aixa Cruz, Secretary at New York City Housing Authority; Chermerdene Jordan and Sarah Smiklee, Independent Distributors, Reliv International; Linda Villa Passione, Violence Prevention Facilitator at United Federation of Teachers and Anjali Chugh, Grief counselor & Reiki Therapist.

Forest Hills Chapter - Launch Meeting on June 13, 2012

Forest Hills Chapter celebrated the 'launch' in Tuscan Hills, a quaint little Italian restaurant on Queens Blvd. It turned out to be a fun evening for the members who were attending the meeting for the first time. Everyone enjoyed the Italian platter consisting of Pizza margherita, Pizza 4 stagioni, Rustico bruschetta &Tomato bruschetta. One of our members, Monica Rossi, sponsored the wine tasting event the same evening. She offered the members incredibly valuable information regarding different types of wines, techniques to identify them by their aroma, process involved in manufacturing, the reason behind difference in wine colors, and major differences between white and red wines. The members immensely enjoyed the wine tasting session along with the Italian cuisine.

Post networking session, the members briefly introduced themselves to the group. The President, Anjali Chugh, announced the objectives of the Chapter and the agenda for the upcoming monthly meetings. She asked the members to volunteer for different committees in order for the Chapter to meet the preset agenda. The committees that were proposed to be set up were for -- Communications, Fundraising, Event Planning & Social Media. The members were requested to email their consent to the President if they wished to volunteer their time & expertise for the growth & success of the Chapter.

Towards the closing, each member was offered a small token of appreciation (NAPW diaries, pins, writing pads & brochures). Those who attended were: Anjali Chugh, Monica Rossi, Janice Rimler, Maxine Seemungal, Shauna Saul-Morian, Lyson Basile, Tamiko Benjamin, Aixa Cruz, Catherine Arnow, Celestina Akbar and Silvia D'Avila.

Welcome to NAPW - Forest Hills Chapter

Meeting Minutes

No comments:

Post a Comment