March 25, 2004, Vol. II Issue 7
Dear Friends,
One common thread I observe as I talk with meeting planners, as well as the feedback I get from speakers, is the care that planners and committees put into making their audiences feel special, and that makes the event “more than a speech.” That was evident in the event I attended and reported on last time, with beautiful staging, ample refreshments, and lots of giveaways. I sensed love, happiness and hope in the room. Learn more in this issue, about the planning of this series.
And, as promised in the last issue, a little more about singer-songwriter speaker Laura Derocher and, I can’t help myself, an update on Super-Sizing.
Yours truly,
Barbara
KUDOS FOR SELL-OUT SERIES
The women of the Puget Sound area, just south of Seattle, have an advantage when it comes to getting their year off to a healthy start. Franciscan Health System sponsors a three-month series called “Create a Healthy New You!” It’s held once a month on Tuesday evenings, at a conference center near Tacoma, with exhibits, refreshments and national speakers.
“We started the series three years ago,” Joyce Glavish, Marketing Manager, said. “We had been doing several separate large events a year. This consolidation into a series made sense from a financial and communications standpoint.”
This year’s series kicked off with “Fight Fat Over 40 (And Win)” with Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, continued with “The Power of Positive Eating,” with Zonya Foco, RD, (as reported on in our last issue of FOR YOUR WELL BEING), and they’re wrapping up this month with “Living Well After Menopause: Getting Beyond the Myths,” with Yvonne Thornton, MD, MPH.
Franciscan’s colorful marketing pieces carried the banner, “Strong. Dynamic. Inspiring,” over inviting photos of the three speakers with their topics. “Our promotional plan includes direct mail, advertising, media relations and the use of our internal publications. We realize people need to see our message multiple times before they act on it,” Joyce continued.
Act on it they do. Cost is $30 for the series or $13 per program. “The community seems to love it; we normally sell out.” Joyce said. “Our audience is looking both for good information and motivation. By coming to events several months in a row, they get reinforcement for developing better health habits.”
Each evening begins at 6:15 with refreshments and exhibits from various service lines and vendors. “Our goal is to motivate people to take better care of themselves,” Joyce continued. “We have our health care experts there to provide the local knowledge and tools to enable them to do so. It gives the audience an immediate connection to our healthcare organization and the resources they need to improve their health.
“We are happy with the success of the program, although you can’t track it in terms of increase in market share or other tangibles. Rather it supports our community health education efforts and positions us as a caring leader in healthcare in this area. The program’s success comes from a variety of things — timing, good speakers, promotion and, more and more, word of mouth from happy audiences.”
When I asked Joyce what recommendations she would give other planners, she said, “Do thorough reference checks on your speakers. Get people that you are really excited about to talk about things that are top of mind with your audience. Really communicate well with your speakers so they can tailor their presentation to your audience. Zonya Foco was wonderful to work with. Her enthusiasm for this event and her behind-the-scenes help was great!”
And this is my favorite part: “Do the little extras that make the event more than a speech.” Joyce said. “Then promote it as you would a season at the theater…make it sound really wonderful!” That philosophy sings to me of truth, as I saw it reflected in the way this series was staged and promoted. Bravo! Applause! Applause for Franciscan!
Franciscan Health System, a not-for-profit, comprehensive health organization, includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood and St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. Visit the Franciscan website at http://www.fhshealth.org.
Laura Derocher Leads the Way to Following Your Bliss
What do Jana Stanfield, Celine Dion and Laura Derocher have in common? I sing along to all of them in my car! It’s a good thing the windows are usually up!
I am a magnet for motivational music (I guess that could be considered normal for someone who is also a motivational speaker junkie! ) When I first heard Jana Stanfield’s song, IF I WERE BRAVE, my answer was, “I would date,” and now I’m engaged! Yep, that’s powerful stuff.
Music packs an emotional wallop. I think that’s why it’s so powerful as part of a keynote. Yes, you get entertainment, and for those of you who have booked a keynote speaker who sings as well as speaks, you know you and your audience get so much more. I think that emotional link is true whether we’re dealing with changes that happen to us or ones we initiate. Laura’s message and music are all about changes, the scary ones that are about following your bliss.
She’s done the work. In what she calls *outer* Great Work, Laura combines an 18-year career in human resource training and development, an MS in Organization Development, and decades as a musical theatre actress and cabaret performer to model and deliver her message. In what she calls *inner* great work, she’s delved deep into the tough stuff of healing wounds, self discovery, forgiveness and expanding her capacity to love.
Laura’s programs inspire people to follow their bliss in service to their spirit and the world. In her topic, “Our Work, Our Wellness,” people learn how their work affects their overall well being. “Like food, it can be nutritious or toxic,” Laura says. ”And, our work output can be nurturing, neutral or noxious for the world. I help people learn how to make adjustments that will enhance their well being, perhaps even alleviating depression, addiction and other ailments.”
And how about this idea? “Work is A Cabaret,” a mind-shifting program for helping people alter their view of their present work so it brings them more joy and more meaning. Come to the Cabaret! Yes, can you hear the music? Good stuff. To learn more about Laura and her programs, or get her fabulous CD, Song Of My Own, go to http://www.LauraDerocher.com
Super-Sizing Numbers Are Numbing
Two weeks ago, the same day I published FYWB last, I attended OHSU’s monthly talk, held at noon at Nordstrom’s (and I didn’t buy any shoes this time!). The speaker was a dietitian, Victoria Warren-Meares, PhD,RD, LD. Her program was packed with good stuff about brain power and nutrition.
Did you know the brain is 50% fat? I had no idea! Kinda gives new meaning to the idea of cutting out fat! She also included some hard numbers in her presentation regarding Super-Sizing. I thought you all might find this interesting as I did.
The typical meal at McDonalds in the 1950’s of an original burger, small fries, and 12 oz. Coke, was 590 calories. In 2003, a Quarter Pounder, Super-sized fries and Super-sized Coke (42 oz.) was 1440 calories! Today, if we “down-size” that back to a hamburger, with a 16 oz. “small” coke and a Large Fry (allowing that people probably wouldn’t downsize from a super-size fry to a small) we would subtract 320 calories, bringing the total to 1120 calories, still almost double the 1950’s meal.
If you want to check out your personal choices, go to the McDonald’s website, and “Bag a McMeal.” In a shopping cart manner, choose various menu items, put them in your bag, and the calories, etc. will be calculated for you. This could be a fun thing to get your kids involved in. Let them do it themselves and see for themselves! Go to: http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.mcmeal.bagmeal.html
We had great response to our offer last time for Zonya Foco’s FAST FOOD PICKS GUIDE. If you didn’t get yours yet, it’s simply because we ran out and it will be in the mail to you shortly!
Be Well: Whale of an Idea
I’m off to create a little well being for myself this weekend by taking a trip to the Oregon Coast, one of my favorite places in the whole world. I’m on a double mission this weekend, in service to the spring break tourists as a Whale Watch guide on Saturday, and in service to myself and my precious relationship, as a weekend getaway.
If you know anyone who will be in the area, my fiance, Jim and I will be at Cape Meares on Saturday from 10 a.m to 1 p.m., as part of Oregon’s “Whale Watching Spoken Here” program. We are trained to educate people about gray whales and help spot them migrating north from Baja, CA to their home feeding grounds in Alaska. For more info, go to: http://www.whalespoken.org
I hope you’ll take some time for yourself and get out there and get a little R & R, too. Just a little bit will go a long way toward giving you a fresh perspective.
Until next time, be good to yourself, for your well being and those you love.
Barbara
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ABOUT OUR SERVICES
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My vision for The Speak Well Being Group is to be a connector for speakers I know, love and believe in, with the audiences who will be inspired, motivated, and transformed by their perspectives, knowledge, empathy, compassion, information and, most importantly, capacity to enjoy the process, laughing at themselves and with you along the way.
You’ll find many of our speakers on our website.
http://www.SpeakWellBeing.com
Or please call anytime and let us assist you: 503-699-5031
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