Article from the Daily News Sun on recent Power Luncheon Event!

Find your passion and merge it with or develop it into a business, and you will find success.


That was the basic message delivered in a luncheon presentation Thursday by Margaret Merrill, the keynote speaker for the first Power Women in Business luncheon of 2009. In its fourth year, the series, presented by the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce, at Skye Restaurant in Peoria, brings West Valley business women - and men - together for lunch and a lecture relating in some way to business success. How to recognize it, how to develop it and how to achieve it.

Elizabeth Hartigan, from Sterling Expectations, Inc., is the chairwoman for this year's series. She said 70 people signed up for Thursday's luncheon, and 13 businesses purchased table space for the pre-luncheon meet and greet event.

Merrill, who is a life coach, author and business owner, taught on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico for 23 years. In that time, she said, she realized she had a passion for experiencing culture. She put that passion to work in the development and launching of Oso Vista Ranch, where a sacred hogan was built and is used to continue the traditions and culture of the Navajo people in Ramah, N.M. Merrill showed a video of the hogan's construction and use.

She had copies of her second book, "Creating Purposeful Living," available for sale, and used handouts with illustrations and exercises to demonstrate discovering one's purpose in life and living it with intention. "Know who you are and live it out loud," she said.

Magnetism was an illustration Merrill used, comparing a block of unmagnetized items to the disordered confusion some people experience in trying to find their purpose. Far from being a disaster, she said, such confusion must precede clarity as values, passions, strengths, talents and service align to help define purpose.

Once your purpose is clear, goal setting becomes easier. Goals, Merrill said, ought to stretch you, to be just far enough out of reach that you must take your first step on faith. And once a goal becomes clear, she said, "Don't question it! Pray, and move your feet!"

Following the presentation, David Lewis, president and CEO of Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce, presented a check to Heard Museum West, received by Kate Cox. Cox announced her retirement from the Heard effective April 15, having spent nearly 16 years with the organization. She and her husband plan to move east to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

The next luncheon in the series will be June 25, and the speaker will be Carla Reeves, CEO of Sanity Journals, speaking on "Journaling for Your Business. Registration for chamber members is $35, non-members, $40. To register, or to become an exhibitor or sponsor, call 623- 583-0692 or visit www.surpriseregionalchamber.com.


Link to article:http://www.yourwestvalley.com/news/business_5652___article.html/merrill_luncheon.html

I wanted to share a great tip by a local author, and speaker Marsha Petrie Sue she has a fabulous group on Facebook called Personal Responsibility for Success Club....
Business Success and Recognition

To members of Personal Responsibility for Success Club


Marsha Petrie Sue
Today at 7:42am

Take time today to send a special letter of gratefulness, gratitude and thanks to someone special that has helped your career and business. Don't send an email, I mean a real, on paper, letter. Tell them how they have helped and encouraged your success. This should take no more than 10 minutes so stop what you are doing right now, and get started. Business success starts with taking personal responsibility for your actions.

Here's an idea. Find someone that you had issues with and didn't agree; what you learned from that interaction. How did that tenuous situation help you grow your communication, relationship building skills and emotional intelligence.

Have you thought of throwing a party to honor your friends, clients, or loved ones?

Last year I had the privilege of throwing an event to honor the important people
in my life. Celebrating the business colleagues who have become friends and amazing supporters of my business.

It can be something as easy as a spa day at your favorite spa or salon to hosting a formal tea party.
To hosting a day long event at your home, and bringing in special touches!
The possibilities are endless! And I have a ton of ideas, if you are wanting to celebrate the special people in
your life give me a calll, I would love to be creative with you!

What an amazing way to spend time with and enjoy the people you love while celebrating all that they mean to you!

Taking time for you!

While planning your next event make sure you set aside some time for you!
I say schedule that time like you would a meeting block it off in your blackberry or planner.
It is ME TIME!!! Maybe you can call it, Appointment with ME! :-)

Do something you love! You could: Journal, take a nice long walk, or meditate.
When was the last time you read a great book? Maybe spend the morning hanging out at your favorite coffee shop,
spend time with loved ones! Have a girlfriends day out! Schedule a pedicure or a massage!

Just make sure it is something that you love! Not only will this help you to relax it will help you to be more productive!

WIshing you an AMAZING and Peaceful day!
Elizabeth

Great site...

Are you are looking for a way to Inspire yourself throughout the day? A friend and business colleague of mine Dorothy Wolden of Creative Intuition has created a fantastic twitter site to share inspirational and motivational quotes!

I highly recommend it! http://twitter.com/PositiveVibe

Wishing you an amazing weekend!
Elizabeth

Commit to Volunteer and Give Back to your community!

Starbucks has a great offer! Celebrating that each one of us can and do make a difference!

If you sign up to volunteer to do 5 hours of volunteer work in your community, Starbucks will
in return give you a FREE cup of coffee. Dates of the offer are Jan. 21-25!

Count me in!!! :-)

See The link at Starbuck's site: http://pledge5.starbucks.com/

Launch of the Gratitude Girls

I am so very excited to share the news of a Networking Circle I have started with a dear friend Joan Lebigot. It is called Gratitude Girls. Our Vision is to create a Positive environment for women to come together, enjoy an evening out with like minded women, and focus on the Possibilities while creating an Intentional Life!
The Mission is to Live in Gratitude to be Grateful and Thankful for all things and to Inspire one another to live the lives of our dreams!

We launch January 15, 2009. And will meet on a monthly basis to Inspire and focus on Gratitude! For more information please see our site at.

http://gratitude-girls.com/