Sonabank P.O.W.E.R. Plug Podcast for Women in Business

Sonabank POWER Plug: Productive Virtual Networking

Networking in-person over coffee and conferences has been a staple of meeting people and building business relationships. Then suddenly, due to COVID-19, it wasn’t. More than 6-months later, we know that virtual networking is here to stay, even when in-person events resume. Have you truly honed your virtual networking skills? Do you have a strategy to identify and connect with new prospects? What do you need to do differently for productive virtual networking? That’s what today’s podcast is all about! Host Mary Foley speaks with Dawne Brooks Gulla and Shanna Kabatznick, two queens of face-to-face and virtual networking and connecting. Dawn is the Executive Director and Chief Networking Officer of BNI Central Virginia with over 34 chapters. Business Networking International or BNI is the largest and most successful business networking organization in the world. As a top producer in her field, Shanna Kabatznick was the rare Latina in the Million Dollar Round Table, Women's Leader Symposium, and other leadership conferences. She continuously broke records in sales and customer engagements, once she realized effective networking was the key to her success. It led her to be the founder and CEO of FABWOMEN, an international community of over 120 women who laugh, learn, connect, and do a lot of business together. Listen and learn: * The art of staying connected to your existing network * Apps that make your contacting connections simple * What to do when a client or member needs assistance * How to make new virtual connections * Strategies and methods for virtual networking events * How virtual networking saves small businesses money * Transform a social media connection into a personal conversation * Guidelines for communicating with new business connections * How virtual networking can expand your business’s geographic footprint * Trends in the virtual networking space Business Network International — Central Virginia [https://bniva.com/en-US/index] FAB Women [https://fabwomen.me/] Shanna@FABWomen.me [Shanna@FABWomen.me] Dawne@BNIVA.com [Dawne@BNIVA.com]

Sonabank POWER Plug: Pivot to Win During COVID-19

In January 2020, were you excited and ready to implement your business vision for the year? And, when COVID took hold did it force you to reassess your strategies or change the course of your business model? Real women entrepreneurs and small business owners were faced with uncertainty for an undetermined length of time. So, now that we are months into the pandemic, how did you pivot to keep your business afloat? Did some non-traditional areas of your business grow due to your expanded focus? Host Mary Foley speaks with Gwen Hurt and Leah Coleman, two women entrepreneurs who were uncertain what would happen to their small businesses when the pandemic began. During this episode, these inspiring women share details about the inventive ways they shifted and pivoted to keep a steady ship, and in some cases increased brand awareness through non-traditional growth avenues during these uncertain times. Gwen Hurt is the founder and owner of Shoe Crazy Wine and along with her daughter, she works with the best vineyards in California to offer unique wine blends to customers through specialty stores and big-box retailers. Leah Coleman is an entrepreneur who offers residential, commercial, and investment properties to women in Virginia. In addition, she offers encouragement and support through her Boss Babes RVA virtual community. Listen and learn: * Advice on how to respond to change and shift your business * The importance of taking time to assess the new business landscape * Ways to increase social media followers and virtual brand * Tips for non-traditional ways to increase revenue * Recognizing alternative markets for products and services * How checking website analytics offers client insights * Making the best use of any additional time in your schedule * Working to get as much free press as you can * How to strategically use your advertising dollars * Why keeping cash is key during uncertain times Shoe Crazy Wine [http://www.shoecrazywine.com/] Shoe Crazy Wine on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/shoecrazywine/] & @shoecrazywine on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shoecrazywine/?hl=en] Leah Coleman Website [https://leahcoleman.co/] Boss Babes RVA [https://bossbabesrva.com/]

Sonabank POWER Plug: How Virtual Events Can Power Up Your Business

Due to the pandemic, virtual meetings have Zoom-ed into your everyday life. But, have you taken the time to consider how this technology will help you increase revenue, lower costs, and reduce your environmental footprint when face-to-face interactions are back in style? What could if you create your own virtual events? How can virtual events change the game for entrepreneurs and women in business? This is what we explore today! In this episode, host Mary Foley speaks with Amy Garelick, owner of Power Up Video and Virtual Events. Amy and her team are creative video storytellers who conceptualize, write, edit, and deliver social media marketing videos, website videos, or host virtual events. They help organizations and individual business owners create consistent content and host virtual events that are polished, compelling, and authentic. Amy shares tips for making the most of your virtual events. Plus, she shares common virtual meeting mistakes you may not realize you are making, and how you can realize additional revenue by integrating virtual events into your business. Listen and learn: * How to access unrealized revenue streams by utilizing virtual events * Advantages of quick, professional, reliable virtual connections * The measurable data virtual meetings provide * How to avoid common mistakes with virtual events * What needs to work to make your event a success * When it’s time to hire a team of virtual event professionals * How virtual events will evolve Power Up Video & Virtual Events [https://www.powerupvideo.com/virtual-events] Amy@PowerUpVideo.com [Amy@PowerUpVideo.com] Power Up Video on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/PowerUPVideo/]

Sonabank POWER Plug: Figuring Out What Your Customers Want Now

As reopening happens, chances are you are considering what you need to do for customers and clients to hire you or buy from you again. Or, you might be thinking about launching a new product or service or maybe some new positioning or pricing. You truly want to hit the mark, but you are not quite sure what is the best decision. Market research is the key to knowing what your consumers want and what they are willing to pay for it. If an established market research firm seems out of reach to you, this podcast includes important information that is especially relevant as we begin reopening our businesses. In this episode, host Mary Foley speaks with Stacy Thomas, President of Good Run Research of Richmond Virginia. As experienced market researchers, Stacy and her team help new brands build presence, and established brands maintain relevance. Getting to know a clients' customers is their passion. They are seriously good at translating a customer's actions into marketing insights, and those insights help clients make business decisions with confidence. During a run ten years ago, Stacy had the vision to create a marketing firm that maintains the integrity of research science but also embraces the spirit of humanity. That idea is still the central motivation of Good Run Research. Listen and learn: * Market research: What it is and how your business can benefit from it * The shifts in purchasing caused by the pandemic * The risks associated with not adjusting to changing market drivers * How market research helps business owners set business goals * How small businesses can do market research without a big budget * Market research best practices for small business owners * Common mistakes business owners make when it comes to market research Good Run Research [https://www.goodrunresearch.com/] Stacy@goodrunresearch.com [Stacy@goodrunresearch.com]

Sonabank POWER Plug: Slaying Your Self-doubts

Research reveals that self-doubt is the number one emotion we all have in common. When we unconsciously criticize, judge, or talk harshly to ourselves we do more harm than good. So, if beating ourselves up isn’t the answer what is? How do we become aware of our dragons of self-doubt, effectively slay them and keep them from rearing their ugly heads? If you are ready to slay what is holding you back from getting the life you want, this podcast is for you. In this episode for performance-driven women, Host Mary Foley speaks with Katherine Wintsch, CEO and Founder of Mom Complex and author of the life-changing book, Slay Like a Mother: How You Can Destroy What’s Holding You Back So You Can Live the Life You Want. Katherine left a position at a nationally recognized ad agency to do her own thing. Today, she dedicates her life to making the lives of mothers easier by working alongside Fortune 500 companies to help them develop better products and better services for mothers. Katherine has been awarded the ‘Working Mother of the Year Award’ by the Advertising Women of New York and earned the title of "Woman of the Decade' from the Women's Economic Forum in India. Listen and learn: Listen and learn: * How to become aware of what is holding you back * Why it’s important to take time for yourself * Tips on how to be more kind to yourself * How to reassure, not criticize yourself * Ideas about how to reframe self-doubt * How to say no to others who ask too much of your time * Insights on accepting yourself for who you are Mom Complex Website [https://momcomplex.com/] Slay Like a Mother Website [https://www.slaylikeamother.com/] Slay Like a Mother on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SlayLikeaMother] Slay Like a Mother on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/slaylikeamother/]