Musings of Sally Boldt-Strebel

SXSW 2008 holds a warm place in my heart. I met and reconnected with many wonderful people, listened to wonderful speakers, and drank more than my weight. Okay, so I didn’t drink that much but you get the point.

During one brisk night in Austin, Mel Kirk (@MelKirk) and I decided that we wanted to give back to SXSW by sharing some of our knowledge. I asked Kristie Wells (@kristiewells) to join the group and the trifecta was complete. We created four panels for SXSW 2009 and in June submitted them into the panel picker.

After sharing our topics with other talented and respected ladies, the interest to participate increased. I can now say that I feel honored and blessed to have the opportunity to share a stage with some bright ladies. The other ladies in alphabetical order include  Justine Ezarik (@iJustine), Laura Fitton (@Pistachio),  Tara Hunt (@MissRogue), Bronwyn Jones (@bronwynjones from San Frantastic), and Aubrey Sabala (@Aubs) .  They are brilliant and offer a vast amount knowledge that anyone can learn from. Even if I decided not to participate in any panels, these are still the ladies I would watch and want to learn from.

So please- SUPPORT THE WOMEN OF TECH!!!   VOTE FOR US!!!!!!!! PASS IT ON!!!

QUICK VOTE- this will take about three minutes.

First- create an account then check your email.                                
Vote by clicking on the stars.

1. 5 Common Misperceptions of Technological Creativity
2. Climbing the Corporate Ladder in a Mini Skirt
3. Clear Your Ears for Instant Success
4. Walking the Tech Runway in Stilettos

The Panels-

1. 5 Common Misperceptions of Technological Creativity-  This topic discusses the pitfalls of drinking the koolaid and how to know if it is koolaid. In other words, how to get ahead by being unique rather than blending into the crowd. Speakers include iJustine, Laura “Pistachio” Fitton, Mel Kirk, Kristie Wells and myself.

2. Climbing the Corporate Ladder in a Mini Skirt- Powerful tech women share their secrets regarding kicking ass, moving up the ladder, dealing with jerks, and helping others reach the top.   Speakers include Aubrey “Aubs” Sabalas, Bronwyn Jones, Mel Kirk, Kristie Wells and myself.

3. Clear Your Ears for Instant Success- This topic focuses on the importance of listening to your consumers, building a customer base, approaching the change in culture in larger companies, etc.. Speakers include Mel Kirk, Aubrey Sabala, Vero Perrerrell, and myself.

4. Walking the Tech Runway in Stilettos- A fun and lighthearted discussion that prepares females for greater success by helping them get comfortable in their own shoes. Speakers include Tara Hunt, Kristie Wells, Aubrey Sabala, Mel Kirk, and myself.

Please vote and I hope to see you at SXSW 2009.

All the best,
Sally Strebel, CEO
BestPartyEver.com

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After several months of development and testing, we opened BestPartyEver.com’s doors to select vendors. On the average, our business members have received 254 views of their listing within 14 days. We look forward to increasing their page views over time and having them utilize the many business membership benefits.

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With the holidays just around the corner, chances are your employees are expecting a shindig. For the small business or start-up owner this can be a very stressful time. Here are 5 tips to making sure your party is a hit.

Tip 1: Set a budget
Sounds obvious, right? You’d be surprised. Without a clear understanding of financial resources, a business owner can easily overspend on their party. Commit to a certain dollar amount and figure out a way to work with it. The last thing you want is to feel guilty about spending too much when you should be celebrating.

Tip 2: What’s the objective?
Figure out what the objective is for throwing a holiday affair. Are you having a party because you want to build a team, have fun, show appreciation, etc.? Understanding your objective will help determine where money is best spent and the activities you plan to host. This takes us to tip 3.

Tip 3: Determine your activities
Will you have a theme party? A theme such as an Ugly Christmas Sweater party. Will your party be formal or informal? Are you going to host your party during the day or at night? Is it going to take place in the office, at a restaurant, ballet, ballroom, etc.? Once you figure out what activities you plan to host, it is important to inform your guests and make the needed reservations.

Tip 4: Show acknowledgment and appreciation through your gift.
Let’s face it, employees measure your appreciation through the gift. They usually want money but for the start-up or small business owners that can be difficult. Consider placing a small check in a card that highlights all the attributes they bring to the business. Tell your employees that the business is growing and sell them on the vision. Also, give personal gifts. If one of your employees likes wine, give her a wine basket.

Tip 5: Remain Cool
This is the most important tip for any party-Remain cool. The host’s attitude sets the mood for the entire party. If the host is stressed out, the guests will try to alleviate some of the stress by helping instead of having fun. If the host is having fun, he allows others to have fun as well.

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