We are re-sending this email with corrected times for some Business Summit sessions. They are in RED in the Business Summit article.
A MESSAGE FROM JIM LARKIN, BOARD CHAIR
November is the month of Thanksgiving and while some will say that there isn’t much to be thankful about in 2020, I prefer to look to the many reasons we can be thankful. As for myself I am always thankful for my family and the many friends my wife Mary and I have here in Fort Myers and in places far away. I am thankful for my work colleagues and many business acquaintance’s whom have all helped one another out this past year and have done such a good job of adopting to our new way of doing business. And I am very thankful for all the first responders and people in the medical profession that have been working tirelessly to take care of the health of our community and that have been on the front lines of dealing with the Corona virus. 
 
I am also thankful for our Chamber staff and board members who have been working hard to help support the businesses in our community with the needed resources to not just survive but hopefully thrive in these challenging times. Now more than ever, we are all in this together and together we can make a positive impact each other’s success.

Hopefully you have already heard of and signed up to be a part of the Chambers latest initiative,
NOV(M)EMBER. This is great way to promote your business and offer an opportunity for other members to get to know your business and/or products. I encourage you to be a part of this effort by submitting a package or offer that can be shared with all our members so that they can get to know who you are. It can be a month or two of a special price for a service that you provide, or value-added offer to a product that you sell or make. And probably most importantly, let’s all remember to BUY LOCAL. “Be a local spender with a Chamber member!” Let’s make an extra effort to support one another and thank each other for that support. Be sure to share that support by posting a picture on social media of your visits to other members by using the hashtag #GFMCCNovMember.

Thanksgiving is likely to be different for most of us this year, but, different can be good depending on what we choose to make of it. I hope that you will choose to be a part of NOV(M)EMBER and be a part of this opportunity and choose to spend locally. I hope that you and your loved ones have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving and thank you for being a part of and supporting the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce. 
TONIGHT: LEADERSHIP NEXT
Join us for tonight's (Nov 10) virtual Leadership NEXT as we hear from Stefanie Edwards, Chief Development & Operating Officer of Community Cooperative. The mission of Community Cooperative is to eliminate hunger and homelessness in Lee County while simultaneously inspiring and supporting sustained positive change in its clients by delivering innovative food, education and social service programs.
 
Stefanie will discuss the organization and their mission, but also the increased need for their services due to COVID and the impact it had on their staff, volunteers, clients and our community. You’ll also learn more about their new Plate It Up! Chef Challenge where local chefs dive into mystery ingredients that were donated to their Community Market or are part of their Food Rescue Program to create a winning dish.
 
Login starts at 5:00pm, with the program beginning at 5:30PM (the first 30 minutes will be dedicated to open networking). This event is free for Chamber members and $5 for future members. Registration is required for access to this online event. 
FGCU Alumni Association is the annual sponsor of Leadership NEXT.
NEXT WEEK: BUSINESS SUMMIT!
Nov 16-Nov 19
The Chamber's Business Summit is taking on a new format this year. We are embarking on a multi-day virtual event with sessions strategically placed at 8:00AM, noon and 4:00PM to limit the effect on your workday. Business Summit attendees get to attend 9 live sessions and will receive the recordings of ALL 20 sessions! $75 per person for Chamber members and $99 for future members. After you register we will contact you for your session choices.

MONDAY, NOV 16, 4PM-5:15PM
Thriving Through Unprecedented Times (Organizational Health starts with YOU)/Christin Collins

TUESDAY, NOV 17, 8AM-9AM
Understanding Financial Statements/Neil Shnider, Florida Small Business Development Center
Cannabis & Its Positive Impacts to Lifestyle & Wellness/Cole Peacock, Terry Tincher, Seed and Bean Market
It’s Not a One-Night Stand, It’s Your Brand/Christopher Spiro, Spiro & Associates

TUESDAY, NOV 17, 12PM-1PM
Pandemics, Racial Justice, and Elections: What Employers Need to Know in 2020 & Beyond/Suzanne Boy, Boy Agnew Potanovic
Resilience & Community Relationships Panel/Will Prather & Melissa Vogt, Broadway Palm; Jim Larkin, Crowne Plaza; Diana Willis & Nicole Nunez, Jason’s Deli. Moderated by Jessica Walker, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co, PA
Video by the Numbers/Mike Haley, M&M Multimedia

TUESDAY, NOV 17, 4PM-5PM
Tax Topics Related to Business/Angela Cooley, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co, PA
Introduction to the Florida Institute for Political Leadership/Andrew Wiggins, Florida Chamber of Commerce
Make Your Mess Your Message/Jason Teeters, SecondMuse

WEDNESDAY, NOV 18, 8AM-9AM
Building the Ultimate Business Plan/Dorothy Browning, Florida Small Business Development Center
Pivoting Your Business During Normal & Unique Times/Cole Peacock, Seed and Bean Market
Powering Up Your Marketing/Teri Hansen, Holly Boldrin, Melissa Mitchell, Priority Marketing

WEDNESDAY, NOV 18, 12PM-1PM
Generating Sales Success in These New Times/Angela Schivinsky, Florida Weekly
Resume & Cover Letter Writing/Janeth Castrejon, CareerSource SWFL
Knowing Your Business Ecosystem, Its Attack Surface & Pragmatic Steps to Defend It/John Schlager, Inceptus

WEDNESDAY, NOV 18, 4PM-5PM
How to Find a Job In a Time of Uncertainty/Rose Fuller, Florida Gulf Coast University
Government Contracting 101/Robert Warner, Florida Small Business Development Center
Physical Therapy-When Its Needed/Joe McIlvery, APEX PT

THURSDAY, NOV 19, 8AM-10AM
Introduction to a Conversation About Structural Racism & Implicit Bias/Tessa LeSage, FutureMakers Coalition

THURSDAY, NOV 19, 12:00-1:15PM
Make 2021 Your BEST Year Ever Through the Power of the 5P’s/Charly Caldwell
CHAMBER MEMBER OF THE WEEK: ContinuumHR
ContinuumHR provides strategic, personalized human resources solutions. They ensure the members of your company are in tune and in tempo, giving you the ability to focus on your bottom line. With ContinuumHR, you’ll enjoy the benefits of human resources professionals working on your behalf, access to state-of-the-art technology and services that, in the past, were only affordable to large companies. We help minimize financial risk, improve employee performance, and contain costs. They offer perfect harmony between needs and expenses. And that should be music to your ears.

ContinuumHR is a longtime member of the Chamber. Randy Santerfeit from ContinuumHR is a member of the Chamber's Ambassador Committee.