Catching up

So, I know we've been a bit delinquent in adding to our blog. I could give you a bunch of excuses but it’s just not my style! What I will say is that I am thankful that Google finally let us in!

So I'll be honest...starting in May of 2009, we really noticed a difference in the way people are attending events. In our 7th year, we thought about how to reinvent the intimate, meaningful events that bring smart, interesting women together in a different way. No offense to the hotels in town but we needed to try a few new venues. Our members wanted us to shake it up a bit. So, starting in April, we started using smaller venues, limiting the size and expanding the offering to include a glass of champagne. The reaction has been amazing! The energy is just different! It sort of feels like the early days of The Link!

For members only - We discontinued the members only dinner and will be replacing it with a new format this fall that will be less formal. These events create an opportunity for members to get to know each other on a deeper level.

Here's what's been happening...

We'll start backwards so to be as current as possible.

In June, Lisa Sedler, the COO/President of our local crown jewel, New Seasons Market, was the featured speaker. Lisa is smart, interesting, INTERESTED and speaks from the heart!! Here's a video to share a bit about the evening with a few people who answered the question "Why are you here tonight?” http://www.youtube.com/user/thelinkllc1 (Aren't we getting fancy!)

The evening got rave reviews!!! The food at Chez Joly is amazing and the ambiance is spectacular! As we expected, the room was a bit cramped since we SOLD OUT! We are getting allot of good comments about limiting the number to 40....attendees feel as though they can meet more fabulous people! All comments were exceptional for the speaker. Here's a sample of the remarks:

Really great event - impressive woman who represents a business really representative of this city and which is on the frontline of its industry.

Lisa was a terrific speaker; so honest, authentic and REAL. It was a pleasure to spend an evening listening to her. Not only is she working for a company that seems to hold the same values that I do but was frank about the struggles New Seasons has as well.

I do enjoy a more intimate setting with limited amount of guest. The venue seemed full and comfortable.

Great food. A little too crowded of a room for good conversation. Otherwise fabulous.

In April, an extraordinary entrepreneur, Sunny Kobe Cook, joined us, traveling to Portland from her home in Seattle. If you lived in Portland in the early 90's, you know Sunny! The founder of Sleep Country USA, Sunny ruled the airwaves and the jingle still echoes in my head! She sold it (bigtime!) and is now a motivational speaker and business coach. http://www.sunnykobecook.com/

Her specific words of wisdom:
1. Talk to everyone!
2. Try something NEW everyday!
3. Be Grateful!

This was our 1st event at Chez Joly and we were WOWED by the food and gracious welcome from the owners, Annette and Christian Joly! They also offered each person a glass of champagne as they entered the room! Check them out at http://www.chezjoly.com

As with any new venue, we had a few kinks to work out but overall, it was great! Escargot, Pommes Frites and Champagne...what else does a girl need?

Some comments about the evening:

Tremendously uplifting amazing evening. This was my first time and I will be back and bring others. What perfect timing in my life to join such a great organization.

I like SKC's 3 recommendations...something to walk away with! Super group of women last night...lots of new faces...! Always a treat to see you all!

Hi - this was my first meeting, and I loved it. Sunny was inspirational, with some great "quick tips" for empowering oneself. The members are welcoming, professional and fun - and - yummy - those pommel frites. Thank you for a great evening.

I LOVED the space and the food and the charming owners.... I didn't like the LOUD, ongoing noise of the kitchen appliances....

In March we addressed a serious issue for women, Heart Disease. Did you know that...heart disease and stroke is the #1 killer of women! Dr. Sandra Lewis has been studying the female heart since 1986 and is recognized as one of the best cardiologists in the country! Ambassadors for the Go Red for Women campaign were there to share their story, including Kathy Ryan, who, while running in Hood to Coast, suffered a heart attack. The petite, fit, marathon runner is the last person you would guess to have heart disease. Her story was captivating!

The event was at Hotel DeLuxe and while we love this space, the food was a bit off this time.

Comments on the event:

Dr Lewis was warm & friendly as well as knowledgeable.

The food was lousy this time!

Loved the evening and learned allot!

In January, Bill McCormick, founder and Chairman of McCormick and Schmick's, kicked off the year with lunch at the Hotel DeLuxe.

We loved highlighting this exceptional man and hearing his fascinating story. Bill is the ultimate host and raconteur. Returning last year from a 3 year assignment in New Zealand as the Ambassador, his perspective on world affairs was an unexpected addition to his life story. The lovely Gail McCormick, a 2x speaker for The Link, joined her husband at the event and was acknowledged for the great work she has done around the world as well. What a team!

Comments included:

He and Gail have also had a wonderful partnership/marriage and it was nice to see him speak to her and the things they have endeavored to do as a team.
Interesting story but little take away.

Meeting over lunch was a great idea. Thanks for such an inspiring speaker -- Bill is someone to emulate!

We're caught up...whew! You can check back monthly now!

If you missed our members only event this week...I'm so sorry! It was amazing! I had my eyebrows waxed and tinted, my hair washed and styled, my makeup done AND I finished my Christmas shopping! Then the food...special Turkish delights...and the bubbly made it so fun!Thank you FADA Salon staff for all of your free services and Oya Kara for the opportunity to shop from your jewelry collection. Sharon Korter introduced slimming body garb that really works! And Sharon looks amazing after a really successful weight loss. (my 2010 goal!)

What a great way to spend an evening! as always, the women of The Link made the evening fun and interesting!

Have a wonderful holiday everyone! Be blessed and fulfilled!

cindy

Reflections of 5 years
Our October event celebrated 5 years together as The Link For Women! Who would have ever guessed?? I really had no idea where this would take us. It's been an amazing experience to constantly meet fabulous women (and men) who have the positive intention of helping women to flourish!


The most exciting and interesting aspect about The Link for me is the positive energy each time we gather together! It started with our 1st event in March of 2004 at the Portland Golf Club. Such good Karma...always!! I have learned so much and truly appreciate the opportunity to connect the people of our community to each other, new concepts or inspiration! What a gift you've given to me!


Our 5th anniversary party, Splash! Sass! Salsa!, was a blast! Held at the very cool new space, Urban Studio in the Pearl, is was an evening filled with fun and a wee bit of substance as we discussed the 42 Rules for Creating WE.

In November, Karen Haddy hosted the members only dinner at her home in the Pearl. Devil's Food Catering provided an amazing meal with plenty of leftovers!

Get ready for the holidays at our members only event, Bubbles and Baubles, at FADA Salon on December 8! Pampering, shopping and bubbly! could you ask for anything more?

Wishing you joy and fulfillment in 2010!

~Cindy Tortorici

Some comments from our last event Flourish. Thrive. Connect. Leveraging The Link: Part II

Thank you so much for introducing me to the concept of My Why. I could not have attended at a better time. It actually helped me immediately----a consulting opportunity came to me the following day and by having attended your workshop, I was better prepared to make a proposal.

My guest enjoyed the evening so much I think she will become a member.

It was great to be reminded to think about what is important in one's life. It was a very "centering" experience.

Do you "Move with CONFIDENCE?" At last night's event, we explored how to Leverage The Link so that you may Flourish, Thrive, and Connect. For this promise to be fulfilled, we suggest that you be willing to do the following:

• Be willing to SHARE
• Engage with COURAGE
• Be CURIOUS – Truly
• OWN your Core Strengths
• TRUST your Gut

The Link's WHY is to provide resources for you to flourish and reach your full potential. Ultimately, we want to inspire and help you to move with confidence throughout your life. A fantastic group of women openly shared a bit of their personal journey with each other. Comments to follow!

DON'T MISS our 5th Anniversary Party October 14th!

Move with Confidence!

Happy Fall Everyone! As the trees begin to turn, I wonder...where did my summer go?

Since my last posting, I traveled to Sun Valley for vacation in July and then to NYC to visit my new grand-daughter, Stella (and her parents, of course)! I couldn't resist adding her photo...she is divine!

While in NYC, I also spent time with some of my favorite women. 1st was Judith Glaser, as we worked on the launch of our book, 42 Rules for Creating WE, a by product of the Creating WE Institute. The book launched on Sept 17 and is an Amazon Best Seller! Isn't that cool????? I love this book because it is a collaboration of 18 people who all believe that there is power in the "I". We believe that in order to have a powerful team, we all individually must show up with confidence. I have rules 7 & 9. I am thrilled to be a 1st time author! If you use 1 rule per day, 6 weeks later your team will have a new concept of "WE". Contact me if you'd like a copy!

I also bathed in the graciousness of Carole Hyatt at her summer home in the Bershires. I met the most amazing women when with them, as usual! What a wonderful way to get your juices flowing!

We had amazing events in July and August! I noticed that many people left town this summer which is unusual in Portland. Our summers are usually NOT to be missed! Perhaps the stress of this year precipitated an escape? We cancelled 2 members only dinners due to VERY low response. We usually get GREAT response so I know this was unusual!

In June, Janet Johnson and Gillian Kennedy conducted a fantastic seminar: Implementing Social Media Into Your Marketing Plan. This was a follow up to Janet's event in May. How TIMELY! If you haven't gotten your head around this emerging (has emerged?) trend contact Gillian at gckennedy@gmail.com and Janet at janet@janetleejohnson.com.

If you missed the July Speaker Series: Gail McCormick - Experiences of an Ambassador's Wife...sorry! Amazing presentation! Smart and inventive, Gail never disappoints! She and Bill (who attended, as well as other members of the family to cheer her on!) have contributed so much and have (and can 'tell') the GREATEST stories!

We had a lovely event at Saks in early Sept. with all sorts of tips on makeup, skin care, latest trends (the 80's are back thank heavens!) and home furnishings. You really shouldn't miss those events if you can help it...even if you can't spend $ at this time. We all got great new ideas and lots of goodies to include lunch! Thanks Saks!

Please DON'T miss our 5th Anniversary Party on October 14th!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We really hope to gather as many people from The Link's Community as possible! We promise a fantastic event!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my experience at Girls Inc. On April 2nd, I became the interim Executive Director. I had planned to be there for 2 months, part time. After 5 months and full time, I passed the torch to an amazing woman, Elizabeth Nye. The fall luncheon is Oct. 21. PLEASE BE THERE! www.girlsincnworegon.com I have to make a point of saying that the reason this organization exists today is because of the amazing board of trustees. Please support them to inspire girls 8-18 to be strong, smart and bold through after school programs and curricula about healthy relationships, bodies, futures and fun!

I look forward to seeing you soon and especially on Oct. 14! The Link is about a community that supports women to flourish. If you do that...BE THERE!

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