Schedule of Seminars and Other Activities

Click here to make your reservations for any of the seminars listed below.

Schedule of Presentations

Eve Ashworth,
Ashworth Creative
12PM
“Make Your Website Work For You” session
Teaching you key online strategies to convert your website visitors into clients.
So, here’s the deal. You can create a website, but is it a quality website? You can create a website with a bunch of information loaded with industry speak that visitors don’t understand, lacks in visitor interaction, and that only focuses on what you believe people want to hear, but that will probably help your bounce rate more than it does your conversion rate. We’ll give you tips that help you develop a quality website.

Eve Ashworth,
Ashworth Creative
2PM
“Search Engine Optimization session”
How to be found using SEO and attract potential clients to your site.
Paid vs organic, which one is for your business? Or is a hybrid approach necessary and how does traditional marketing enhance a Search Engine Plan? What is the glue that sticks your online marketing approach together? This session will help you clear up the confusion and forge a plan that is easy to maintain.

Eve Ashworth,
Ashworth Creative
4PM
“Social Media session”
How to use Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to make new contacts and grow your business.
Not all social media sites are the right fit for you or your audience. Ashworth Creative will educate you about how to use social media to reach out to your communities of interest and engage them in conversations so that when needed they will turn to you.
The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Work Local First Committee has created an entire day of seminars designed to arm job seekers with the tools to survive and thrive in today’s business climate.

Rob Zanfardino and
Gerry Buchman,
Members of Work Local First Membership
12PM
“Work Local First”
An overview of the Work Local First Program.
12:15PM
“Get the Toastmasters Edge: Sharpen your Skills to become a Better Communicator”
Topics include: How can you gain the skills and confidence to effectively express yourself in any situation? A proven, practical, and enjoyable program to improve communication and leadership skills. Toastmasters is a non-profit organization with nearly 250,000 members in more than 12,000 clubs in 106 countries
Branding You: Market Yourself by Building Your Communication Skills, Taking the FEAR Out of Public Speaking, Building Your Thinking Power: Mental Flexibility in Your Communications, Communication Isn’t Optional: Communicate Effectively in Any Situation, and The Making of a Toastmasters Champion.

Kimberly Bishop,
KimberlyBishop.net
1PM
“Finding a Job and Making a Career Change”
CNBC calls her “The Recruiter.” Business Week named her one of “The World’s Most Influential Headhunters.” Newsweek appointed her to its women & Leadership Advisory Board, and the Learning Annex counts her among its distinguished faculty and as a member of its high-profile Dream Team.
Founder and CEO of the career management and leadership services company that bears her name, Kimberly Bishop is in the business of helping organizations and boards with talent - and helping people find jobs and manage their careers. Kim, who herself made a career change and was profiled by The New York Times on that subject, is perfectly suited to help others make a transition regardless of where they are in their careers, their industry, location or culture. A senior executive with over 20 years of business leadership experience, her down-to-earth approach and relationship-building skills are the reason many business leaders and CEOs turn to her for counsel.
Kim appears regularly on CNBC, CNN, NBC, Fox Business, WABC and NY1 News.
She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Post, Crains, Money, Fast Company, American Banker, MSN.com and Pink Magazine. Kim has been a guest on NPR and has also hosted the radio show “Business Style with Kimberly B” on Voice America Network.
Kimberly can be contacted at 646-833-7278 / info@kimberlybishop.net.

Vickie Causa,
Radio Personality
2PM
“What Now?”
A realistic look at what - and how long - it will take to get a job today.
Taking care of yourself during the job search
Proven Tips for resumes, interviews and networking
How can my skills and interest get me hired today?
Vickie Causa, CEO of CausaAssociates, LLC-- a premier Human Resources Consulting firm specializing in all things employment. Previously, Vickie was a senior VP of human resources. In her practice, she counsels on communication, leadership, work-life balance and surviving the ever- present challenges of the corporate world. Her travels in southeast Asia and Europe have allowed Vickie advice on cultural differences both in the business arena and what motivates employees across cultures and generations
Vickie hosts an Internet radio talk show All Things Employment, which airs on ChatAboutIt.com each Tuesday at 2pm (EST).

Rob Zanfardino,
Chairman of Work Local First Membership
3PM
“What Do You Do Around Here?”
How to turn your job-hunting obstacles and manage them like a project manager (For non-techies and techies alike).
Relationships, Requirements and Risks are the three R’s of project management that impact all IT and non IT projects. The impact in not succeeding in all three of these fundamentals components will likely create major pain points to the project and the project managers who drive them. Relating project issues to real life situations, Rob discusses how it is not the lack of technical expertise that destroy projects, rather it is those aspects behind the scenes that have a far larger impact to your success. Utilizing key ingredients of the Black Pen Concept © written by Rob Zanfardino, Rob uses a humorous approach to identify solutions to many of the pitfalls common to all projects and their stakeholders. Rob’s eight articles can be read at www.pmforum.org in the PM Library section, under Featured Papers.
Rob Zanfardino has worked with multi-billion dollar corporations such as IBM, Gentiva Health Services, CompuCom, and McKesson Health Solutions, as well as smaller mid-size companies while managing his own consulting company. This deep range of experiences over the years developed Rob into a Senior Advisor playing pivotal roles by identifying new strategies and methodologies within corporations as they effect the project life cycle.
In addition to this work, eight articles pertaining to enhancing project relationships and managing projects: Don’t Buy Any Green Bananas, The Price is Right, Does Yer Dewg Bite?, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”, A Genie in a Bottle, What Do You Do Around Here?, Maria and the Asp, and The Black Pen Concept C have been published in an internationally recognized project management website (www.pmforum.org ).
Over the last few years, Rob has presented to the various Project Management Organizations in the north east. Rob has recently obtained his Competent Communicator Degree from Toastmasters / Putnam Speaks Chapter.
He has been appointed Chairmen for the Work Local First Program, which is part of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce and he is a committee member of the Westchester (NY) Networking Organization. Join Rob on a weekly internet radio show: All Things Employment which can be found on www.chataboutit.com where he will be discussing issues and topics that affect all of us. Rob can be contacted at: 845-226-6074 or email: zanfardino4@earthlink.net.

Paul Bailo,
Phone Interview Pro
4PM
“Ace your Phone Interview”
Meet the CEO and Founder of Phone Interview Pro Paul Bailo MBA, MSW, Ph.D. (candidate) is the founder and CEO of Phone Interview Pro - a service for job seekers who want to perfect their telephone job interviewing skills. Mr. Bailo recognized that while resume, interview preparation, and target company research assistance are commonly offered by outplacement and career counseling organizations, the importance of the telephone interview is often overlooked. In response to this, Phone Interview Pro has created a 250+ point phone evaluation not seen in the career services industry...until now! This is not only a new company, but also a whole new industry; it’s exciting for us, of course, but the real excitement generated by Phone Interview Pro will come from those who hone their skills using the service.
Today, more than ever, job candidates make initial contact with prospective employers via the telephone. While making a career transition, Mr. Bailo determined that many candidates would welcome an affordably priced phone coaching resource. And Phone Interview Pro is the outgrowth of his experience. You can reach Paul at executive@phoneinterviewpro.com.

Art Leary,
RiverSource Investments
&
David Mazzetti,
Mazzetti and Associates - A financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
12:30PM & 3PM
“Retirement Plans for Small Business Owners”

Brian Maregni,
Hancock Funds
&
David Mazzetti,
Mazzetti and Associates - A financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
1:45PM & 4:15PM
“Where Do We Go From Here”