Imago Associates and Count Me In...I'M IN!
It's been a little over a month since I received the nod from Count Me In. One of last years' winners said during the award ceremony that we had no idea just how much it would change our lives. Boy and then some!
First I cannot say how much I appreciate the remarkable women I've met through the Make Mine A $Million program. I suppose that is the most tangible piece for me. As a woman in business for over 20 years---not my own until two years ago---how many times have I sat in a room with 15-20 men and felt a bit like I was on the outside looking in? That they had a club that while I was welcome to visit (because they acknowledged I DID add value!) I could not join. Subtle but real. We were all measured on results---it was fair after all---but not a member of the club.
Count Me In has created a club for the rest of us! YEA! And it's populated by women who are smart or creative or energized or driven or entrepreneurial or ALL OF THE ABOVE. Amazing. Thank you, ladies.
Second, I've been overwhelmed by the response of friends, family and business associates. I have felt a resounding "atta girl" from all quarters. My florist hugged me! My therapist cheered!
Even my ex said, "Congratulations. You deserve it."
Really.
So how has it impacted my business you might ask?
Several of us were mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle and I got 5 calls completely out-of-the-blue. Amazing when you think folks had to read my name, understand what I do (buy and sell recycled commercial furniture), go on the Internet, search for me/Imago Associates and then get me on the telephone. As a result I made a sale to a customer I never met and who had never seen my product until the day I delivered it! When I asked him if he needed references he said, "Your name was in the paper. That's good enough for me!" And then he sent me a deposit check. Ka ching! Needless to say that had never happened before...
I was interviewd for Business Week Online. Imago Associates' first national exposure. They had not called before...
Another day, I was talking with my lawyer about Make Mine A $Million, the gracious funding from OPEN from Amercian Express and the additional opportunity for a microloan from Count Me In. He asked me why I had not sought outside funding before---duh!---and I answered that I thought with my credit history (can you spell D-I-V-O-R-C-E) that I was an unlikely candidate. Before I knew it he had called a friend, a V. P. at a very large national bank you will all know the name of (hint: headquartered in North Carolina) and 2 weeks later I had my first busines line of credit through their SBA program.
Ringing in my ears ever since has been one of the things I heard at our Make Mine A $Million orientation:
"Smart women ask for help."
Who knew?
So: I've made a sale to a stranger, been interviewed for a national business publication, received an unsolicited business line of credit and my florist hugged me. He also sent me flowers :)
AND
I had my best sales month this year!
More soon.
First I cannot say how much I appreciate the remarkable women I've met through the Make Mine A $Million program. I suppose that is the most tangible piece for me. As a woman in business for over 20 years---not my own until two years ago---how many times have I sat in a room with 15-20 men and felt a bit like I was on the outside looking in? That they had a club that while I was welcome to visit (because they acknowledged I DID add value!) I could not join. Subtle but real. We were all measured on results---it was fair after all---but not a member of the club.
Count Me In has created a club for the rest of us! YEA! And it's populated by women who are smart or creative or energized or driven or entrepreneurial or ALL OF THE ABOVE. Amazing. Thank you, ladies.
Second, I've been overwhelmed by the response of friends, family and business associates. I have felt a resounding "atta girl" from all quarters. My florist hugged me! My therapist cheered!
Even my ex said, "Congratulations. You deserve it."
Really.
So how has it impacted my business you might ask?
Several of us were mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle and I got 5 calls completely out-of-the-blue. Amazing when you think folks had to read my name, understand what I do (buy and sell recycled commercial furniture), go on the Internet, search for me/Imago Associates and then get me on the telephone. As a result I made a sale to a customer I never met and who had never seen my product until the day I delivered it! When I asked him if he needed references he said, "Your name was in the paper. That's good enough for me!" And then he sent me a deposit check. Ka ching! Needless to say that had never happened before...
I was interviewd for Business Week Online. Imago Associates' first national exposure. They had not called before...
Another day, I was talking with my lawyer about Make Mine A $Million, the gracious funding from OPEN from Amercian Express and the additional opportunity for a microloan from Count Me In. He asked me why I had not sought outside funding before---duh!---and I answered that I thought with my credit history (can you spell D-I-V-O-R-C-E) that I was an unlikely candidate. Before I knew it he had called a friend, a V. P. at a very large national bank you will all know the name of (hint: headquartered in North Carolina) and 2 weeks later I had my first busines line of credit through their SBA program.
Ringing in my ears ever since has been one of the things I heard at our Make Mine A $Million orientation:
"Smart women ask for help."
Who knew?
So: I've made a sale to a stranger, been interviewed for a national business publication, received an unsolicited business line of credit and my florist hugged me. He also sent me flowers :)
AND
I had my best sales month this year!
More soon.
posted by Robin Moorad at 8:18 PM
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