Founders Note – August 26, 2010
Roberta Pollak and Kristina Ericson enjoy the views of both the beautiful Lake Como and their handsome dates.
On Wednesday evening, August 25, 2010 WE enjoyed a fabulous lakeside evening at Kirsch’s Restaurant at the French Country Inn on lovely Lake Como.
40 WE members and friends, including several supportive spouses, enjoyed a nearly perfect evening as we celebrated our Summer Finale dinner, with additional friends joining us on the patio for moonlight and the smooth sounds of Jeff Trudell after dinner. Our compliments to Chef Rick Starr on a delicious dinner, and to Martha Phelps and all the service staff for an excellent dining experience.
WE are happy to welcome two new members – Sheila Reiff and Mary King. Sheila has been the Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court since 1995 and asks for your vote in the September 14 primary election. If you have any questions or would be willing to have a sign on your lawn, please contact her and she will be happy to deliver one or more. (262) 215-0169 is her personal cell phone number. Mary King has recently opened At The Lake House on the shore of Lake Como. It’s a vacation home for the entire family, or just a quiet getaway for two. Learn more about this unique lodging option at: http://www.atthelakehouse.com (click on the VRBO link for details.)
Linda Moritz, owner of Graceful Action LLC, announced that she is seeking professional speakers to present enriching programs for members of Grand Geneva’s Well Spa. Members are encouraged to contact Linda for more information. Kristina Ericson of lia sophia jewelry and Roberta Pollak of Tastefully Simple have new fall catalogs available – be sure to get yours! (Should we mention planning for holiday gift giving yet?) Chris Schulz and Joey Coleson ask for your support of a fundraiser for Richard’s Place (a non-profit organization providing housing and supportive services to people infected and affected by HIV/AIDs) that needs a new home. The September 12 event features a Cajun buffet, live music, an auction and raffles at The Cotton Exchange in Waterford. Contact any of these entrepreneurial women through Facebook or our member directory on: www.wenetworkonline.com
Welcome to our many guests including Dusti Grenus, Eileen Fricke, Jennifer Vavroch, Karen Schinke, Kathy Porth, Kristen Westlake, Margie Brisky, Margo Lantz and Holly Leitner. WE hope you enjoyed the evening, made some valuable connections, and will join us again.
WE did have one rather important order of business. I polled the group present regarding future dinner meetings. Café Calamari and the La Croix family have served us so very well over the past several years that the Tuscan Room overlooking the bay truly feels like “home” for the WE Network. The food and service have been impeccable, and WE always enjoy our evenings there. However, there are other local restaurants who have asked whether WE would consider them for our dinner meetings, and Kathryn Loprino, owner of the Williams Bay Public House is now an active and well respected member of the Network. The majority of members who shared their thoughts at the Summer Finale expressed interest in showing our support to multiple local businesses. WE do receive phenomenal meals and service at an excellent price, and WE reciprocate that support by spreading the word to many others, exactly what WE are about. It was noted that our members have businesses throughout the area and WE should attempt to support several geographic business communities. One option I have been considering is keeping our monthly dinner meetings on the same night and possibly the same location each month, but rotating another casual networking event monthly – on different nights of the week at different locations. I have long believed WE should include men at these types of events; just casual networking with no formal meeting or dinner. I certainly recognize that there are a few people out there unable to participate simply because WE always meet on the same night. When WE are able to include those few, WE will lose a few others. That’s the nature of event planning. It is important to note that I believe strongly the success of our network has been largely due to the simplicity and class of the way WE have structured our meetings. Keeping it simple has been our operating principle for five years, and complicating my life by adding more pro-bono administrative hours is not in my plan. I do, however, want to meet the needs of positive, forward-thinking, entrepreneurial women in our area – and am not only willing but eager to hear the opinions of others. Let’s share thoughts on this topic on the Women Entrepreneurs Network Group Page on Facebook please. Thanks!