Chapter Leaders Share What They Did to Drive Success
There’s no one way to grow NAWBO, and during the 2019 Spring Membership Drive, the three winning chapters (Large Chapter: Cleveland, Medium Chapter: Southern Nevada and Small Chapter: Inland Empire) definitely did it their own way, from planning an incredible event a year in advance to sharing their personal stories of NAWBO’s value and impact. Here, the chapters’ leaders share the unique things they did to drive success:
Jennifer Hockenberry, Past Vice President of Member Attraction on Board of Directors
NAWBO-Cleveland
“A successful membership drive begins with planning. Approximately 10 months prior to the Spring Member Rally Drive, the Member Attraction Committee Members signed up for specific roles: lead chairperson, supporting chairperson, a graphic designer/marketing role, social media role and venue greeting role. Together, we secured a beautiful winery, at no cost, for our March Spring Membership Rally. We also had great sponsors, including Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program—their $1,000 donation allowed us to have a nice spread at the event (thanks to Rachel Kabb-Effron, our VP of corporate sponsors, for securing this donation). On social media, we shared videos of the winery in addition to clips of the Member Attraction Committee Members—Katie Onders, Dawn McFadden, Deb Venzor, Colleen McArtor, Christina Taylor and Carrie Sechel—speaking about the raffles, silent auction, gift baskets and benefits of membership. Then we sent e-blasts and called guests who attended NAWBO events in the last year and invited them to the Rally. We were also fortunate to have Barbara Daniel, our incoming NAWBO-Cleveland president, as a sponsor who provided a full-page ad in the Women’s Cleveland Journal. And, we had a NAWBO-Cleveland membership booth at our event in October featuring Author Dorie Clark. Not only did we gain additional exposure, we also gained six new members and generated excitement for our upcoming Spring Rally. The day of the rally turned into a frenzy of excitement. We had plenty of applications on-hand at our membership booth, and we rang a bell every time someone joined (that’s 16 dinga-ding-dings)! Plus, we gave extra raffle tickets to attendees who joined and to the NAWBO members who referred them. And lastly, we made new members feel welcomed and appreciated and answered their membership questions. That’s something we do not only during the Spring Membership Drive, but also all year long. And it’s worked. Two years ago, we had 64 members and now we have 129. We doubled our membership and became a large chapter!”
Missy Day, Board Member, and Sonia Petkewich, Board Member
NAWBO-Southern Nevada
Missy: “I promote membership by sharing my personal story with other women entrepreneurs. Honestly, I had never heard of NAWBO until last year when I was invited (as a Certified John C. Maxwell Speaker and Coach) to speak at an event. I was so impressed by the caliber of the women I met, I joined that day. And I continue to gain insight from these women at meetings and panel discussions where I’m presented with valuable information I can immediately apply, not only to my business, but to my life. I’ve gained meaningful relationships with women who have poured value into me, and that never would have happened without NAWBO. When I share that story with my friends and invite them to join me as a guest at NAWBO events, they’re inspired to join and invite their friends too. As an added bonus, I fulfilled my goal this year to sit on a board.”
Sonia: “During the Spring Membership Drive, most of our new members joined at our happy hour meet and greet that was held at a local restaurant and sponsored by Bank of America, my company, Taurean Consulting Group, and NAWBO-Southern Nevada President Ginnie Salazar’s company Logistical Solutions. I tell women that NAWBO is especially welcoming to new business owners. I felt something missing when I started my business. I learned it was that feminine connection. Unlike the male-focused gatherings, these were women who hugged and talked about families and life. We’re supportive friends who attend each other’s events. I was inspired to speak in front of a group of 100 women, and I inspired them to mentor as well. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”
Vikita Poindexter, President
NAWBO-Inland Empire
“When I speak about NAWBO, I tell women that membership is a necessity to move forward, not only as business owners, but as individuals as well. I was propelled into the presidency role when the chapter was experiencing challenges, so I had to restructure my business (Poindexter Consulting Group) by relinquishing duties and responsibilities to my team in order to give the chapter the attention it needed. This allowed me to focus on the Membership Drive and provide the chapter an opportunity to grow and stay afloat in the midst of the crisis. I believe everything happens for a reason, and in this case, I had to delegate. That’s something that can be quite challenging when you’re volunteering and it takes time away from your business. I also tell women that membership can introduce them to new opportunities. For example, I never had an interest in advocacy, but NAWBO changed my perspective by showing me how to confront issues to effect positive change. In fact, I’m currently in the process of applying to sit on three additional boards I learned about through NAWBO. I share this with women business owners to encourage them to join the NAWBO sisterhood and let their voices be heard too. These conversations helped to boost our numbers during the Spring Membership Drive. And while we won the small chapter category, we want to keep up the momentum. I want people to say, ‘Wow! Look at the Inland Empire!’”