The Link for Women LLC

2009-06-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer!

Our June workshop with Kami Gray showed us how to keep our weight in check by eating well and using our blue jeans as the litmus test! Sponsored by True Religion Jeans 9gorgeeous jeans!), www.truereligionbrandjeans.com, my big "aha" centered around the idea of monitoring insulin levels. I ran out and bought agave nector the next day! Here are some comments from the evaluations:

Ø She was a delight - As always with these things, there was not enough time to cover all of the topic! Great, relevant, fun topic!!

Ø Topic was just okay for me although I was glad to be reminded to make more healthy food choices on a daily basis. The part of her presentation that intrigued me the most was her journey to becoming a published author.

Ø ...Kami kind of focused on the sweetener issue for too long. She could have covered more topics more succinctly and made people want to buy the book. I did buy it....

Ø Really enjoyed the speaker.

The non profits featured were the OHSU Womens Center for Health and the Nordstrom Designer Showcase on July 9. Don't miss this fab fashion event to benefit the Center. http://www.ohsuwomenshealth.com/news/index.html

Nolita is a denim store in the Pearl. Nolita is offering a 30% discount to anyone bringing in used denim to the store and all denim will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest! http://www.bbbsnorthwest.org/index.html pls support the kids and get a deal at the same time!

Our members only dinner was small and intimate goup of 7 this month with awesome food and drink at Paragon!

We have lots of things in the works! Save October 7 for The Link's 5th Year Anniversary event! it will be splashy and a blast, celebrating our community of people who support women to flourish! We also have contributed to a new book "42 Rules for Creating WE", a collaboration by members of The Creating WE Institute www.creatingweinstitute.com. We have rules 13 and 14! Meet Judith Glaser in October, the editor.

Don't miss Gail McCormick in July...she's smart and funny and had an amazing 3 years in New Zealand where her husband Bill was Ambassador from 2005-2008.

Happy 4th! Enjoy the sunshine!

ct

2009-05-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Last week was an amazing confluence of inspiration and education...here's what happened for The Link!

Janet Lee Johnson (http://www.janetleejohnson.com/; twitter: @janetleejohnson) was our featured speaker this month, discussing the topic of "Social Media". We all need to become savvy to this new approach to marketing as well as connecting! Every business needs to add some aspect of social media to their marketing strategy!! The Link has started to Twitter and Blog to get the word out about what we do and why we do it!

25% of the 75 attendees sent evaluations...reflecting a very interested group!! The comments reminded me of the story of Goldie Locks and the 3 Bears...some thought it was "too light", some "too heavy" but most thought it was "just right"! Here are some comments...

Went right home and linked myself in!
Good speaker, interesting topic.
I loved the evening. Janet's presentation was engaging and informative and without question increased my knowledge base. Additionally, it was a pleasure to share ideas with this group of interesting and talented women.

Janet Lee Johnson's presentation was great, as were the questions and her responses to them. Social media is a hot topic and I thought she did a great job of covering it, especially considering the amount of material and the diversity of audience experience.
I felt less material and more live hands-on on-screen would have been helpful for this audience. People wanted to know what is it like and what's involved, and showing can help a lot with that.
I really enjoyed Janet's presentation - filled with great information and very timely for me. Based on her recommendation, I set up my Twitter account this morning!
This was a great event, it was my first to attend and I am looking forward to coming to the next one! I enjoyed the topic, Janet is an excellent presenter.

Janet was warm, knowledgeable, professional. Great choice and well prepared. Being a heavy social media user/coach myself, I might have structured the content differently for such a newbie audience - or specifically held different beginner/pro sessions. Rather hard to be everything to everyone - a wide gamut represented.

I couldn’t stop yawning. This was much too much information all at once and the level was not catered to anyone brand new to the social media/website game! I thought this was going to be a bit more baby-steps...
I was hoping for more meat, rather than an overview.

There was a bit of a problem with the volume in the adjacent room with Bingo night. We will definitely choose a different location for Tuesday night events!

Don't miss Doug Mendenhall's seminar on May 29 on "Risk Takers vs. Risk Talkers". Click Here for more info!

Had a great meeting with Sandy McDonough and Pam Knowles of the Portland Business Alliance (http://www.portlandalliance.com/). These 2 ladies are leading the charge in the Portland business community and we are exploring ways to create a synergy with The Link. Pam is running for school board and would bring her legal expertise and business savvy to our ailing school system. Sandy has been a mentor for A Seat at the Table and a member of The Link's community for many years. Great Girls!

On the Non Profit front...
A special thank you to Patrick Stickle and the staff at The Oregonian for supporting all girls by sponsoring Girls Inc.'s (http://www.girlsincnworegon.org/) Women of Honor. The ad ran on May 17th listing all of the women that were honored through donations commemorating women that have made a difference in our lives...The Oregonian rocks!

Also spent time at The Casey supporting OHSU Women's Center for Health, another favorite of The Link! Plan to attend the Nordstrom Designer Preview benefit on July 9! Always a blast!!! Click here to learn more!

2009-05-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since you heard from us so let me get you up to speed...

In April, we had some amazing events...

On April 13 we had our members only dinner at Paragon. 18 amazing women came together for great conversation and wonderful food! It was a tight fit in their private dining area but we had a lovely evening! We have realized that with a group that large, we need to split the updates and requests & offers into 2 groups of 9-10. Gourmet Productions in LO will be the location in May...don't miss their amazing risotto!

On April 22, B. Douglas Bouland, the world's master connector, coordinated a night at Bedford Brown in NW Portland. BB opened their doors to us with grace and style! 40 women and men enjoyed grapefruit martinis and incredible nibbles from Gourmet Productions. The Prosciutto Biscuit Sandwiches were TO DIE FOR! Portland Parks Foundation was our featured non profit on Earth Day...how appropriate huh?
Here are some comments from those who attended the evening of "linking" and learning about home decor:
Ø The setting, the people, the openness of the individuals of the group, the product were all very inspiring.
Ø Totally informative, enjoyable evening in a wonderful atmosphere!
Ø Lots of fun! Thanks
Ø I really liked this event. It was low key and it was great to hang out in such a beautiful space.
Ø It was fun to see B&B and the guys and staff are lovely. ...the place is fantastic....:-) Truly a hidden jewel!
Ø This was a fun way to see (and smell) some great home ideas. Easy mingling and beautiful things!

In early April, I stepped in as the Executive Director at Girls Inc. of NW Oregon. Girls Inc inspires girls 8-18 to be strong, smart and bold by providing research based curriculum and events to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, pregnancy, and relational aggression. The Link has supported Girls Inc. since 2004 and I had been a member of the board from 2005-2008. Many members of The Link have attended their events such as Power of the Purse and Heart of a Woman. 2 members of The Link currently hold board seats. I am honored to work with an amazing staff and board who are passionate about "the girls". You can now say that we are in the business of supporting girls of all ages to reach their full potential!

We have great events in May...DO NOT MISS the May 12th event on Social Media! I just signed up to Twitter! What am I getting myself into???? Follow me at http://twitter.com/ctort.

Doug Mendenhall's seminar on "Risk Takers vs Risk Talkers" is amazing!!!!! Take Friday, May 29 as a "support self" day and eliminate your fear of failure!

Happy Spring to all!

March 2009 Members-Only Dinner

2009-03-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

A group of about 18 amazing women met at Serratto Restaurant on March 9 to chat over a delicious meal. Below is some of the great feedback we received:

"Wonderful opportunity to meet and network in a more relaxed setting!"

"Nice to meet new members, food was fabulous."

"The restaurant and food/service were very good. I enjoyed myself--the conversations were excellent."

These members-only dinners have become quite popular and are a great way to get to know other members at a more intimate level. Please let us know if you are interested in joining us next month!
~ Felisa

Making Yourself Memorable: March 6 Workshop

2009-03-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

Cindy led a full-day workshop about how to stand out in a crowd and be "memorable" to others. Participants explored their motivating drivers (their "why") and how to present these in context to create interest, momentum, and energy around a conversation.

"Cindy was a great balance of pushing/pulling/supporting. Substantial content, approachable delivery, etc. This was my first self-development workshop and I felt in such good hands!"

"Wow! What a day...very intense and very long but so worth while. It was a great group that bonded well; we all could see such potential in each other which in turn we could then see in ourselves."

"This was a fabulous workshop that I've already recommended to friends. Thank you for everything!"

We look forward to seeing you at our next invigorating workshop!
~ Felisa

March 2009 Speaker Series event

2009-03-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

It is rare to hear a presentation that is so naturally given, so incredibly thoughtful and profound. Lorrie Vogel, the General Manager of Considered Design at Nike, accomplished this feat in front of a room full of 60 women and men at the most recent Speaker Series event for The Link For Women on March 5th. Lorrie's job title describes exactly what she does. She sets strategy for Nike designers to create sustainable products thoughtfully and intentionally. As a leading expert in design innovation and sustainability, she was able to succinctly explain the concept of sustainability, the current state of the Earth, and how Nike is playing an important role by adopting sustainable practices for a future "green economy". Not only does Nike now use a measuring system to gauge the sustainability of each and every product from inception on, but every product that Nike develops is now recyclable and can be turned into a new type of Nike product. These are not new product lines, as Lorrie explained. They are new “ethos” for Nike. With Earth Day approaching, this was the perfect speaker to highlight the gravity of the situation, the responsibility of the small percentage in the world who understands the idea of sustainability, and the optimism that can and should accompany the vision of and movement toward a sustainable future.

The atmosphere in the room was attentive and enthusiastic during the presentation and the question and answer period following the presentation. We captured some of the great responses from the audience members below:

“It was nice to have a speaker this time who provided educational information on a topic we hear about daily and who also gave us ideas of how we can make more of a contribution on a personal level.”

“Lorrie's presentation provided a great amount of information about Nike's initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint in their products. She showed that she has great and innovative ideas and the talent to implement them successfully. Thank you for sponsoring her presentation.”

“Great presentation and fun location. I'm so glad I came to another Link event. I'm definitely hooked on the group!”

We look forward to seeing you at our next event!
~ Felisa

2009-02-04T11:13:00.001-08:00

As we begin 2009, we are WILL be diligent in our posting to this blog! Check in with us to stay "linked". ~ct

The Link For Women begins it's 6th year (!!) and we are grateful for the amazing community of women and men that support women to flourish by affiliating with The Link. The intention of our 1st event of 2009 was provide ideas on how to leverage this robust community to achieve your goals.

Our vision has remained the same since March 2004...

WHY we exist: To Flourish and reach Full Potential.

HOW we work: Connecting and Mentoring through community.

WHAT we offer:

- A network of smart, respected Experts and Peers in all areas of life as reliable resources.

- Knowledge to make informed Decisions.

- Inspiration to Think beyond.

- A Safe environment.

Cindy Tortorici, Founder and CEO of The Link For Women, lead us in our first workshop of 2009! She helped us develop our roadmap to turn our resolutions into reality! We learned how to Thrive. Flourish. Connect and how to Leverage The Link by identifying our WHYs and sharing our REQUESTS and OFFERS!

Here are some comment's about the evening from our members and guests!

Great, great event! Informative, inspirational and useful, as always! Really impressed by the group of women (and the man!) that attended.

I thought that Cindy's speech was excellent and inspiring. People were so friendly and open to meeting others. The caliber of women was superb. I got a lot out of Cindy's talk and my "Why" has been on my mind. I've recommended The Link to several women already.

This was the first Link event that I've attended, and I very much enjoyed it. It was a fabulous group of women and I got a great deal out of the presentation.

It really helps one to focus. Puts into question some old assumptions one has. Thank you.

Nicole Vogel in Portland

2007-06-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night, June 26, Nicole Vogel, Publisher of Portland Monthly and Seattle Metropolitan Magazines shared her story with 80 women and men at The Governor Hotel. It was a GREAT night! Here are some comment's about the evening!

Enjoyed speaker and subject matter. The Link has a knack for picking interesting and inspiring females to tell their tales. Nicole’s wiliness to share intimate details about her life and how they relate to her current success made the evening all the more powerful.

Nicole did a wonderful job. No doubt, everyone was able to see the many sides of her character and particularly the depth and strength of her familial love. She was warm, witty, snitty, funny, reflective, at times hilarious and at others pensive and moving. It is so fun to see her be able to laugh out loud at the foolhardiness of her naysayers and to celebrate her willingness to trust her gut and abilities to a magnificent outcome.

Nicole mentioned two well-honed adages of "lemons and lemonade" and "necessity and invention" but I was thinking of a more spiritual one as she spoke about the Lord giving and taking away...why that one of all the possible others popped into my head, I don't know, but there it was and in so many ways - here are we all.

Nicole's story of starting Portland Monthly was a great inspiration for those who want to start a business and a reminder of how to prepare to do it. She was a wonderful speaker--poised and insightful.

June 2007

2007-06-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

It must be a generational (is this a word?) thing. I have been so excited to post information about the events and happenings of The Link in Portland and Seattle. It's taken me 3 months though to start posting information. It's really embarrassing! My profound apologies to anyone paying attention.

I'd like to start by sharing a really inspirational story of one of our members in Portland...Elizabeth Aaroe. Elizabeth was an investment banker on the east coast and is now an uber fund raiser for non-profits in Portland. She is really smart, tenacious and a loyal friend. So when she emailed me and asked if I had a banner for her to take on her 1st hike up Mt. Hood, I was thrilled to oblige. At the summit, she took a picture that sparks so many double entendes that she made me censor a few of them. I am thrilled to say that it is clear...women of The Link have gotten to new heights!!!

Nicole Vogel

Last week, Nicole Vogel, Publisher of Portland Monthly and Seattle Metropolitan Magazines, dazzled the audiences in Seattle and Kirkland. At 38, 6 magazines in 3.5 years, Nicole shared the story of how her family rallied around her sister Lorrie after the loss of her husband and birth of her daughter Piper. Making a very conscious decision to stay in Portland as a family, Nicole and her brother Scott, an award winning journalist, started a city magazine after 13 had failed. She was authentic and candid and generous with her time and information. Come see her in Portland on Tuesday, June 27.

Welcome to The Link For Women blog!

2007-02-27T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's an exciting thing to have your own blog! I look forward to opening this up to all members to share thoughts and perspectives about events, future programs and opportunities for our community!

We will also be listing opportunities to support non-profits in the Northwest that mentor girls and women in our back yard and around the world. Check back with us soon to participate!