WinSpin CIC, Inc. Creative Intelligence Consulting

Marilynn Deane Mendell
President
WinSpin CIC, Inc.

2014 GREAT WINS

National Marketing Awards

Regional Marketing Awards

From Concept...

to Reality...

It takes team work to create great campaigns.

Thank you to former client Hickok Cole and

especially to Noel Carson who did a masterful job

of turning my ideas into award winning graphics.

Thank You to My Guest Speakers

Georgetown University Fall 2014

12 Keys to Successful Business Practice

William I. Magruder, VP

Clark Construction

Jim Dinegar, CEO

Greater Washington Board of Trade

William H. Norton, Regional Director

Northwestern Mutual

Gavin Daniels, Principal

Wingate Hughes Architects

John Simeon, VP Development

The JBG Companies

Robert Helwig, LLC

Department of Defense

Josh Carin, President

Geppetto Catering

Robert Murphy, CEO

MRP Realty

Debra Gilmore, Principal

Gilmore Lighting

Lisa Delplace, CEO

Oehme, van Sweden & Associates

Elbow Grease

Chicken Fat

Business Advice that Sticks to Your Ribs!

ON SALE NOW!

As the once best and largest off-premise caterer in Western New York, I have paired the business advice with my fabulous recipes to help cement the business concepts. My book conveys the American Dream: How anyone in this country can become whatever they want with hard work and a never-give-up attitude. Hence the title:

Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat. It's a cookbook that promises a world of great business strategies! And it's a fun read.

"Trust Marilynn Mendell's creative spirit to serve up valuable business strategies alongside everyone's favorite... food... and make it meaningful and delicious. Bon Appetit!"

- Cindy Allen

Editor in Chief

Interior Design Magazine

"Marilynn Deane Mendell's inspirational book is not only a HOW TO but a WHY NOT? - offering entrepreneurial ingredients for tasty meals, healthy businesses, and fruitful lives. Delicious food for thought!"

- Bill Cunningham

Television Producer,

Los Angeles

"Good story telling wins me over every time. Marilynn Mendell's book title, Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat, promised me a story, many stories in fact. They're about life, food, business, family, and most of all finding one's self. Open the book, anywhere and find yourself in it."

-Susan S. Szenasy,

Publisher/Editor in Chief,

Metropolis Magazine

"Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat is hard to put down. I love the recipes, and Marilynn Deane Mendell has included many that I'd like to try. The accompanying words of wisdom--on growing a business and much more-- are just as valuable. Kudos to Marilynn for implementing a great idea! It was extremely motivational."

- Diana Mosher

Editor in Chief

Multi-Housing News

Thank You for the wonderful book reviews:

PSMJ & ZWEIG WHITE Group & The Free Lance Star

Apple - iPhone 5s - TV Ad - Strength

Signed copies from my web site:

www.winspincic.com/php

$25.00

Thank you to everyone who put reviews on Amazon!

Photo of Marilynn
by Jessica Marcotte

Buy The Ticket

Someone asked me the other day what made me the saddest about my job. It startled me as I always think in positives. I'm the everyone can change kind of thinker. Life learner. However, on reflection the answer appeared -- missed opportunities. Organizations and people who failed to send in a submittals, missed deadlines, didn't follow directions, got confused due to poor time management, or lacked persistence and planning -- who could have done so much more if they had just followed a few easy steps.

We all know that in order to win the lottery we must buy a ticket. Lots of steps go into that simple act. Drive. Desire. Never Give Up Attitude. Belief. Confidence. Risk. Action. All leadership qualities. The key ingredients to success.

The witches' brew of obstacles for missing deadlines rarely has anything to do with a calendar or too much work. Most often it's lack of organization (see book to read below), or emotional issues that stop people taking risks. Fear heads that list. People often say, "I've never spoken to an audience. Every other project stands a better chance of winning. Those juries are rigged. Everything has already been written. I don't have time--too many more important deadlines."

Preparation

We all know that awards and speaking engagement submissions follow yearly cycles. Every year. That's a full year to prepare, to plan, to choose topics, to get ahead, to prepare, to revise, to edit, and to submit. A whole year. Lots of time to scribble a note here and a thought there. Write down wishes (recall goals require action).

Trend Gathering

And submissions today have become Twitter-like in length. Short. Less is more. 250 characters including spaces. Many award submittals today limit text to 1000 characters including spaces. That's often a title, a paragraph, four lessons learned, and a half page bio. Trouble shortening your voice? Join Twitter and practice writing with less. Hint: Use active verbs more often. Examine other speaker's submission titles. Align your talk with conference theme.

Refresh Your Look

Take a good look at your resume. Does it list things like awards won and all of your speaking engagements along with articles you've written? Can you find it in a hurry?

Recognize the Importance of Timing

Develop tracking methods for due dates, set goals where you promise to submit to things that will help you gain better visibility and add to your reputation as an expert. Remember the exposure gleaned from speaking, writing, and winning awards exponentially reaps attention and opportunities. Get help. Commit to being nudged. Embrace a coach or hire a consultant.

Develop a Multi-Pronged Approach

Set realistic expectations and still apply for the seemingly impossible. Never give up. Often the same project needs to be submitted four times for awards. Think: Different juries each time. Maybe better images come along. Perhaps a new graphic designer gets hired with sophisticated talent. Possibly a rewrite of the submission targets the right needs for that particular audience. Volunteer to be on a jury to see how others submit. Locate conferences and periodicals where clients attend or read.

The Only Thing You have to Fear....

If your particular fear stems from stage fright, then hire Sarah Gershman. She will turn anyone into a star. Many people find it easier to begin with Toast Masters. The small groups provide a safe place to start along with the side benefit of networking with possible new clients. Writer's block can be solved by journaling daily and setting time aside for quiet thinking. Buy a journal and just write stream of consciousness or produce a gratitude list of three things you're grateful for at the end of each day. Journaling will help ease your stress and might end your writer's block. Eventually a great idea will pop onto the page. Give yourself a chance. Don't feel you have to write every day and don't allow guilt into the exercise. Creativity likes a relaxed and happy atmosphere -- stress will drive away your innovative thoughts.

Most of all make yourself submit. No more wishing on a star -- buy the ticket -- fill in the forms and win the day. Just do it. Good Luck.

Thank you,

Future Speaking Engagements:

LightFair International 2015

May 6th - New York

"Winning More Work & Gaining Brand Visibility"

Book Your Trip Now...

Recent Articles by Mendell in Zweig White Group

Get with Your Flow (page 7)

and

On The Topic of Surveys (page 8)

READ MORE

Try Listening on the Way to Work

Andrew Carnegie began his legacy in 1881 by presenting his workers in Pittsburgh with a library. "I choose free libraries as the best agencies for improving the masses of the people," said Carnegie. 2,500 libraries were constructed as a result of his philanthropy.