Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Cambridge Expert Natalie A. Remien

Biography

Natalie A. Remien became a Cambridge Who's Who member in September of 2007. Natalie is a senior level associate at Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, LLP's Intellectual Property Department. Her practice concentrates on intellectual property, intellectual property litigation and trademarks. She aspires to become known as a brand-name in the trademark prosecution, enforcement and litigation arena within the next five years. Natalie graduated with a JD from DePaul University, College of Law in 1999 and a bachelor of science from the University of Colorado, Boulder (cum laude) in 1996. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, National Association of Women Business Owners and Professional Women's Club of Chicago. Natalie has been admitted to the United States District Court: Northern District of Illinois.

Published Articles




For more expert biographies and articles please return to Cambridge Experts.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Cambridge Experts

Many Cambridge Who's Who members have already attained expert status in their field and have been published by and featured in various sources. Cambridge Experts was created to give these members a place to gather their published articles as a resource for others and identify them as experts within the Cambridge community and beyond. Each expert page includes a photo, short biography and links to articles, podcasts, press releases and more that have showcase the member's unique expertise and skill set.

To take advantage of this exclusive benefit, send an email to exposure@cambridgewhoswho.com today!


Learn about the Cambridge Experts and read their articles and testimonials:



Name

Title

Company Name

Industry

Expertise

Member Since

Remien, Natalie A.

Attorney

Bell Boyd & Lloyd

Law

Intellectual Property Law

09/2007

Wish, Dr. LeslieBeth

President

Love Victory

Counseling

Women and Relationships

03/2005

The Best Experts Get Involved

Make the move from entrepreneur to expert by sharing your knowledge with others.

By Cambridge Who's Who Contributing Author and Member, Chi Chi Okezie

As an entrepreneur, your level of industry knowledge and experience can be a prime factor in determining your business success. Your potential clients, vendors and business partners should believe in your abilities as well as the products and services that your company offers. Developing your personal brand can greatly affect how people perceive you and influence their willingness to do business with you. Here are several ways in which you can define yourself as an expert in your field and position yourself and your company for success.

#1: Join an online networking group.
Globalization is becoming increasingly important in almost every industry. Get involved with an online networking group in order to create and expand awareness of your company, products and services. Building an international client base and developing relationships with professionals in other industries and geographical locations will enhance your credibility. It will also improve the appearance of your company or organization as it relates to cultural awareness and diversity.

#2: Write about what you do best.
Whether they will be published in a book, journal, newsletter, e-magazine, website or blog, write and submit articles on your industry or profession as it relates to your skill set and business knowledge. Keep your colleagues, customers and potential clients informed by updating them on recent industry trends and challenges. Offer solutions to problems that they or their companies may face. Help them to make decisions that will improve their business processes and practices.

#3: Teach an online class or teleseminar.
Teaching classes increases your visibility, credibility and professionalism. In particular, offering classes online allows you to reach a wider range of students (and potential clients) and can give you an edge over your competition. If you are more comfortable on the telephone, set up a teleseminar using a conference call service. Once you have selected your preferred method of communication, hold training sessions on your products and services. Lead professional or business development seminars to help others realize success in their endeavors. And offer additional coaching or one-on-one sessions for those who would like to learn more from you. The more value that you offer, the more people who will attend your classes and recommend you to others. Teaching will also strengthen your knowledge and experience in your field, thereby elevating your expert status.

#4: Do interviews with the media.
You can gain exposure and awareness from being interviewed by the media. There are several channels that entrepreneurs can use to soar in their professional and social endeavors. Online magazines, radio, press releases, blogs and newsletter interviews are excellent ways to build your image as an expert in your field. You can include transcripts of your interviews in your corporate media kit. This will build your credibility among your clients, colleagues and business counterparts.



Chi Chi Okezie joined Cambridge Who's Who in June 2007. Using the resources and networking tools available to her via Cambridge Who's Who membership, Chi Chi was able to receive additional exposure for her company on www.cambridgewhoswho.com, including a feature in the Cambridge Business (CamBizTM) Directory, Announcements, Who's Who in the News and Cambridge Events sections. For more information on Chi Chi Okezie and SIMPLEnetworking, LLC, please view her contributing author profile.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Cambridge Who's Who Contributing Author Jo DeMarco

Biography

Jo DeMarco is the president and chief executive officer of Contessa Knows; an online department store for men and women. The store features premium organic skincare products, apparel, jewelry, greeting cards, home accents and more for a sophisticated lifestyle. On the company website, http://www.contessaknows.com/ she showcases her insights, reflections and creative writing through her books, greeting cards, note cards and stationary as well as Contessa's blog page which is not to be missed.

Jo has had several years of experience writing fiction. She has written novels, screenplays and whimsical books that focus on strong women, their roles and their experiences. She has a love for vintage romantic melodramas that, coupled with her passion and talent for writing, provides a platform for her to communicate tales of love, romance and good triumphing over evil. She is also the author of a children’s storybook, “One Little Christmas Tree.”

Her success is due to her strong faith, determination and desire to reach her goals. She views mistakes as an integral part of the learning process and necessary for personal growth and development. Jo studied at the Notre Dame School for Girls in Chicago, Illinois and total quality management under Dr. Donald Rice at Texas A&M University in 1994. She has also completed courses at the American Institute of Banking, American Management Association and Screenwriters Institute of Los Angeles. She is a member of the Writer’s Guild of America West and is the founder and creator of the Louis J. DeMarco Educational Foundation.

Articles by Jo DeMarco

Networking Starts and Ends with You

Follow these tips to become a successful networker and business professional.

By Contributing Author and Cambridge Who’s Who Member Jo DeMarco


Whether you are part of an organization, have your own business or are contemplating starting one, do not discount the value of networking. Sharing effective business strategies and addressing the roller coaster ride that the economy today keeps us on is vital to your success as a business professional. Here are some fundamentals that have proven essential to me and have contributed to both my personal and professional growth and development.

Know thyself – Create a realistic picture of your strengths and weaknesses. Focusing on your areas of improvement will help you to identify when somebody else is dealing with the same issues. You would be surprised to hear how many people admit to having issues with time management, turning good ideas into reality, working with a team, etc. Having a realistic picture of yourself will allow you to network more effectively, as you will know what you need to learn from others and what advice you can offer someone else.

Know what your ambitions are – Where are you now in your professional life and where do you want to go? What are you striving for? Having the answers to these questions will help you to realize which types of networking environments best suit your needs. For example, if you are currently looking to open your own business, you should search for small business owner groups and workshops through local newspapers, libraries or via the internet. If you are employed by an organization that you would like to progress in, speak to your Human Resources Director and inquire about cross training, management courses, after hours groups, off site conferences, etc. Knowing where you want to go is the first crucial step to getting there.

Listen as well as you speak – We all want to be heard. We also want to find out useful information that will set us on the road to the success that we seek. When you have the opportunity to network, it is often more important for you to ask questions and listen well rather than talking a lot about yourself and stating what your goals and ambitions are. Also, do not be afraid to apply what you have learned from others; obviously it worked for someone else, why not for you too?

Be courteous – Once you have had great conversation and exchanged business cards with another professional, make it a priority to reach out to him/her again. If you have received advice from this person or found that your conversation led to improvement in any way in your personal or professional life, be sure to communicate that to them in your follow up email or phone call. Knowing that they have helped someone will inspire them to keep doing so. It will also keep the door open for future exchanges or references.

Be engaging – Never think that you know it all or do not have room to grow. You can learn something from just about everyone, so keep your eyes and ears open and embrace the people who you meet. You might be surprised to find out what you can learn from the most unusual people and in the most random places. Take the initiative to introduce yourself and spark conversation. Make your dialogue as engaging as possible by asking challenging questions and sharing your own experiences and expertise.

Following these strategies will help you to place yourself in more fruitful networking environments and make the most of them while you are there. Also, taking yourself and your goals into consideration before networking with other professionals will prompt you to ask better questions and listen more attentively to the answers you obtain. Networking starts and ends with you; it is filling in the middle that is the tricky part. Hopefully these tips will help you to fill in the gap and become a successful networker and business professional.

For more information on Jo DeMarco and Contessa Knows please veiw her contributing author profile.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Cambridge Who's Who Contributing Author Program - Sign Up Today!

Cambridge Who’s Who invites you to serve as an expert resource and submit articles for publishing on the Cambridge Who’s Who Resource Center. Being featured as a contributing author on the Resource Center will give you the online exposure that you need to advance in your profession and grow your business, as we will provide you with a forum to share your expertise with your fellow members and the general public. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to establish yourself as a valuable resource in your industry and profession.

As a Cambridge Who’s Who Contributing Author you will receive:

  • Biography highlighting your areas of expertise, educational background and professional experience
  • Announcements about your recent accomplishments and endeavors
  • Editing and proofreading of your work
  • Links to every article you contribute
  • Possible feature of your articles in Who’s News, the Cambridge Who’s Who e-newsletter

To take advantage of this exclusive benefit, send an email to exposure@cambridgewhoswho.com today!

Learn about our Cambridge Who’s Who contributing authors and read their articles and testimonials:


Cambridge Who’s Who Contributing Authors

Articles

Networking

Positioning Yourself as an Expert

Entrepreneurship

Financial Planning

Branding

General

Testimonials

"Cambridge Who's Who is an exceptional organization which is extremely instrumental in helping its members enhance their professional goals. I recently published a book and was able to use my resources and connections with CWW to promote the book through the website, newsletter and blog. The blog has provided a lot of positive business exposure, improved my credibility and promoted the sales of my book. The response has been overwhelming in my favor and has catapulted my business to the next level."

Chinonyerem (Chi Chi) Okezie
Owner, Founder
SIMPLEnetworking LLC
Jonesboro, GA
Cambridge Member Since June 2007


"As a new member to Cambridge Who’s Who I was immediately impressed with the caliber and range of people I now had the opportunity to interact with. The Cambridge staff could not be more polite, well versed, dedicated and dependable, it’s easy to see how a person could flourish and grow personally and professionally with them supporting you. When I started looking through the member directory, I was amazed at the expertise and diversity of this prestigious group. I am not only honored to be included, but as one who always welcomes a challenge, I find myself raising the bar of my own standard level to maintain my place among this impressive group. What a phenomenal “club” to belong to in order to share and grow together!"

Jo DeMarco
Contessa Knows
Chicago, IL
Cambridge Member Since May 2007