December 2023 Newsletter

Greetings and Happy Holidays My NAWBO Chicago Sisters:

As we navigate the bustling landscape of both entrepreneurship AND the holidays, let’s recognize the significance of the pause. In our whirlwind of responsibilities, the power of reflection is a transformative tool for women business owners. I find solace and strength in the moments of contemplation and meditation, realizing the impact they have on my personal and professional journey. I encourage you to stop for a moment and make a list of your accomplishments in 2023 and celebrate those accomplishments with your customers and team members in a LinkedIn article or post. 

November Member Spotlight - Reflect

Life as a woman business owner is incredibly busy, and there’s so much power in “the pause”. It’s an opportunity to identify what went well over the last year and consider how to replicate your successes in the future. It’s also a time to identify where you experienced difficulties and think through what you can do to overcome these and improve. Share your reflections on the past year.

2023 has been a whirlwind! I have been hustling, expanding the business, sorting finances, wearing all the hats—wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend ... you name it. But what I am truly proud of is making the conscious effort to break away from the endless business tasks to spend quality time with my young daughter and husband. I’ve never once regretted the times we took a quick trip or went to the theater or just watched a movie on the couch versus me responding to one more email. The joy, the laughs, the memories—it's the soul fuel I need on this wild entrepreneurial ride. 

Nikki Bravo

Owner

Momentum Coffee

Business owners often talk about finding the balance between working "on" the business and getting caught up in the day-to-day operations. At the start of 2023, I consciously decided to step back and focus more on the big picture, on growing the business itself. After being fully involved in the nitty-gritty details for four years, taking that leap to concentrate on business development felt like a significant shift. It was a mix of fear and excitement, but deep down, I knew it was the right move.

Allison Cummins

Founder & Managing Principal

Blue Outcomes

As a business owner, there’s not much time to take pause and reflect on where we’ve been. So often, we’re so focused on looking forward to new opportunities, new visions and new dreams that we forget to celebrate where we’ve been and the progress we’ve made. As I look back over this past year, there’s so much to be thankful for, but also, so many lessons to be learned. We have the most amazing and dedicated team – every person contributes something valuable and unique to our success. 

Tiffany Hopkins

CEO

Shäctee Engineering

Reflecting on 2023, it's been a transformative journey marked by significant achievements and valuable lessons. One highlight has been the strategic move to fortify our team with the addition of a skilled Business Development Manager. This decision not only streamlined our operations but also opened avenues for new opportunities, contributing to our overall success.

Shian Jno-Lewis

Owner

The Tidy Queens

2023 was another interesting year. I was so anxious to be fully “post-Covid” but our work in the real estate industry seemed to be trailing some other sectors. The upside to the slowdown is that we had some additional time to focus on internal initiatives. We solidified our product offerings and strategic partnerships while we continued to streamline processes and procedures and prepared ourselves for the work to come. And I don’t think there has ever been a time that our team has been more important to me, personally. 

Ginna Ryan

Principal

Mauge, Inc.

Save The Date: NAWBO Talks Scheduled For January

The next NAWBO Talks will be presented by Cultivate Advisors and is scheduled for January 24, 2024 and will be hybrid.

Please save the date. More information is coming soon!

Photo from the October NAWBO Talks about Artificial Intelligence presented by EX3 Labs in Chicago.

Advocacy Committee Continues To Monitor City PTO Ordinance

NAWBO Chicago's Board of Directors approved signing a second letter to the Chicago City Council seeking amendments to the recently passed paid time off ordinance. NAWBO Chicago is one of 28 groups to sign the letter. These proposed changes are intended to protect small businesses from the legislation's potential negative impacts.

To read the full letter and for more information from the Small Business Advocacy Council on this matter, click the button below.

Members In The News

Sugar Bliss owner, Teresa Ging, celebrated 16 years in business at BMO Bank with a cast of supporters including the Women's Business Development Center, Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Goldman Sachs 10KSB program alumni and many fellow business owners including NAWBO Chicago President, Cheryl Vargas. Congratulations, Teresa!

Grants Available To Businesses Starting During Pandemic

The Illinois Back to Business (B2B) New Business Grant Program is accepting applications until January 11, 2024. This program provides financial relief for businesses that opened during the pandemic and industries most impacted by the pandemic.

To view the eligibility requirements and to apply, click the button below.

A Note About The NAWBO Chicago Website & GrowthZone

NAWBO National is in the process of transitioning all the chapter websites to a new host platform. Part of the switch includes a new membership management system called GrowthZone.

All members should have received an email from National with instructions on activating your GrowthZone account. Current members must take this action to maintain their memberships. The email came from delivery@nawbo.org. Please add this new email address to your safe-sender list.

If you are having trouble activating your account, please contact lora@nawbochicago.org.

Register For The Next BACP Workshop With Chapter Members

How To Better Engage And Expand Your Customer Base in 2024

December 15 at 9:30 am

Presented by Faith Hurley and Stacy Callighan, the Co-founders of PinPoint Collective

It’s no longer enough for business owners and leaders to make vital business decisions based on mere assumptions about what we THINK people want. As we gear up for 2024, regardless of your industry or whether you offer products or services, start the year by getting to know your audiences better. Join this City of Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Business Education Webinar, where we will talk about understanding your consumers' 'why,' driven by their authentic and individualized concerns and needs - the things that genuinely matter to them and fuel their purchasing behaviors. Use these insights to mold your branding, services, offerings, and messages to engage and expand your audience base.

Nomination Deadline Approaching: 2024 WBO Of The Year

The nomination deadline is just over a week away now for NAWBO’s 2024 Woman Business Owner of the Year, which recognizes an entrepreneur who excels at overall business excellence, including strategy, operations, finances, problem solving, overcoming adversity and giving back to her community. Nominate yourself or another deserving woman by December 15.

Register Now For The 2024 Leadership Academy And Save

Register for NAWBO's Leadership Academy by December 20 and save $100. This year's event is taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina, from January 28-30.

Book hotel accommodations by January 4.

Maximize Your Membership In 2023

NAWBO Chicago Newsletter Submissions

NAWBO Chicago newsletters are published monthly. Email January submissions to the newsletter editor by December 15, 2023.