A sales message designed for one situation will not necessarily work well in another. For example, you may have perfected your 30-second elevator speech (or “30-second commercial,” as it’s often called). This works great if you are actually in an elevator and have someone’s complete attention. But it will get you those glazed looks if you try to work 30 seconds of monologue into a conversation in the buffet line at a networking event. Live, spur-...

Life is all about a healthy balance, the positive force to balance the negative, an equal give and take. In our lifetimes on this earth, we are only given a finite amount of energy in a finite amount of time, and how we use this energy is up to us. In the words of Dr. Maya Angelou, it is our duty to “if we get-give, and if we learn-teach”, and if I may be bold to add - if we imagine-create. We can only do so much in a given period of time-a day, ...

Traditionally, pearls are considered the gemstone for 30th anniversaries, and at WBDCelebrate on November 15 at Chicago’s Wintrust Great Banking Hall, the pearls flowed. Nearly 500 guests broke out their pearls for the 30th anniversary evening reception in honor of the Women’s Business Development Center. Successful business owners smilingly exchanged pearls of wisdom with each other in a festive atmosphere decorated with floral and pearl centerp...