The Society of Professional Consultants presents a half-day seminar for those who are contemplating or beginning a career in consulting.
Presentation: Is Consulting Right for You?
Presentation: Launching Your Consulting Career – What to Do in Your First Year?
Discussion: Getting Your Questions Answered
Open Q & A session with a panel of seasoned consultants
Networking Reception begins at 5:00 pm.
Complimentary hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer.
Because of the Labor Day holiday, we are extending early registration through September 19th.
Our Presenters
Stephen R. Balzac, the President of the Society of Professional Consultants, and "The Business Sensei," is a consultant and professional speaker.
He is the president of 7 Steps Ahead, LLC, (www.7stepsahead.com) a consulting firm specializing in helping businesses get unstuck and transform problems into revenue generating opportunities.
Steve has over twenty years of experience in the high tech industry and is the former Director of Operations for Silicon Genetics, in Redwood City, CA, where he was responsible for shipping their flagship product. Steve led the development of numerous serious roleplaying simulations, including a Pandemic Flu simulation for the US National Capitol Region. He is a popular speaker on topics ranging from leadership, motivation, team building, innovation, and sport performance to computer game design. His articles have appeared in a number of journals, including The Journal of Interactive Drama, The IBM Systems Journal, Mass High Tech, Enterprise Management Quarterly, The CEO Refresher, The Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership, Analog SF/F and the Worcester Business Journal. Steve is a contributing author to Ethics and Game Design: Teaching Values Through Play and the author of The 36-Hour Course in Organizational Development being published by McGraw-Hill. He is a frequent radio guest, and is often interviewed and quoted.
Steve is a former board member of the New England Society of Applied Psychology (NESAP) and is the president of the Society of Professional Consultants (SPC). No stranger to the challenges of achieving peak performance under competitive and stressful conditions, he holds a fifth degree black belt in jujitsu and is a former nationally ranked competitive fencer. Building effective development organizations, improving team morale, focus, and enthusiasm, developing effective communications between team members, reducing employee turnover, helping businesses identify and attain strategic targets, and applying sport psychology techniques to business have been some of his most successful projects.
Joanne Dustin, M.S., Certified Coach of Leaders, Certified Career Coach
Through her 20+ years’ experience focused on organizational change, Joanne has gained a deep understanding of what it takes for people and organizations to be successful, what can get in the way as they strive to reach their goals, and what can be done to help them move forward.
As a consultant and coach, she has enabled her clients to face their challenges, surmount their obstacles, and implement strategies and plans for greater success.
She is founder and principal of Change Collaborators, a change consulting and coaching practice, Career Lost and Found, a coaching practice for those in transition, and Synergy Consulting Collaborative, an association of independent consultants.
Joanne is the author of the book: Life Beyond I.T. … Open the Door, Your Future is Waiting, and is currently writing her second book: Accidental Careers … Following the Road Not Taken.
Carl Harvey, the founder of Success & Self-Esteem, is an accomplished seminar leader and an award-winning salesman with more than 20 years of selling success to his credit. His company, Success & Self-Esteem, helps business owners develop the practices and processes to hire people who can sell, and then help those capable salespeople develop the skills and psychological competencies they need for continuing success in selling.
Andrew Winig, a lifelong learner and advocate of leadership development, created the Collective Engineering™ Leadership Model based on his 20 years of experience developing high-performing teams as an entrepreneur, software engineering manager, franchisee and community leader.
He shares his unique and effective approach to teamwork with business professionals through email newsletters, webinars, 1-on-1 coaching, and keynote speeches.
As President of ImprovAndy, he empowers business professionals to develop a 4-Sentence Elevator Pitch that Gets the Prospect’s Attention.
Our Panelists
Eric Bloom, President and founder of Manager Mechanics, is a nationally syndicated columnist, entrepreneur, speaker, trainer, and author of the award winning book Manager Mechanics: Tips and Advice for First-Time Managers.
Prior to his role as president of Manager Mechanics, Eric has been the senior technology officer at various companies, controlled multi-million dollar budgets, managed off shore resources, and led teams spread across multiple locations. He has been a senior executive at The Boston Company Asset Management, Monster Worldwide, Independence Investments, and Fidelity Investments.
He has also been an adjunct faculty member at Bentley College and Boston University and is the author of several computer and management books. Eric holds bachelor degrees in Accounting and Computer Information Systems from Bentley University and has an MBA from Babson College.
Eric is also on the board of directors of the Greater Boston Chapter of ASTD and on the board of directors of the Association for Development, Advancement & Productivity through Technology Training (ADAPT).
Shelley E. Griffin, CMM is a well-respected leader in the meetings industry with over twenty years experience.
Shelley founded Griffin Conference Group, which provides site selection, contract negotiation, and comprehensive meeting planning services, in 2005. Prior to that, she served as the Conference Manager for the Archaeological Institute of America and taught “Negotiating Techniques for Meeting Professionals” at Bentley College. Shelley led in the establishment of the New England Chapter of Professional Convention Management Association and served as its first president.
Shelley is a member of Meeting Professionals International, the New England Society of Association Executives, and SPC. Shelley has earned the Certified Meeting Manager (CMM) designation which is the most prestigious designation in the meetings and event industry.
Bryan Sheehan is President of SymbioSus Sustainability Consulting, which focuses on helping small to medium-sized businesses increase their profitability and competitive advantage by integrating environmental sustainability strategies and actions into their core business operations.
Bryan helps companies with all aspects of the sustainability planning process, including assessment, planning and implementation, metrics development and tracking, and sustainability reporting, communication, and promotion, depending on each client’s needs. He combines 20 years of business experience in companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies with 10 years of concurrent involvement and training in the business sustainability arena.
Bryan’s sustainability expertise includes a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Business Management and membership in the International Society of Sustainability Professionals and other business sustainability professional associations, such as New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston, and similar organizations in Maine and Vermont. In addition to his consulting work, Bryan has been published and quoted on sustainability topics in the New Hampshire Business Review, the Boston Business Journal, and Mass High Tech, has been selected to make sustainability educational presentations for organizations such as NHBSR and Green Mountain College, and is one of the hosts of a sustainability radio program called The Long View, on WUML (91.5 FM) in the greater Boston area.
Ruth Walker first came to Boston as a teenager to serve as an intern at The Christian Science Monitor. By the time she left to pursue a career as a freelance writer and editor, she had served as business reporter, deputy editor, and editorial page editor; and then as foreign correspondent, in Germany, covering Europe, and in Toronto, covering Canada and Australia. Her last assignment was as online news editor.
As principal of Charles River Wordsmithing, she has brought her journalistic skills and experience to bear on behalf of clients within the college and university sector as well as custom textbook publishing. Her column on language issues, Verbal Energy, appears regularly in the Christian Science Monitor weekly magazine.
Our Sponsor
Jeff Schwarz is founder and president of Image Software Services. Since 1992, Jeff and his team have gained a combined 80 years of practical experience in print, duplication, design and customer service to help guide their customers in creating successful marketing pieces and quality CD/DVD kits.
Jeff’s passion for technology and printing leads to innovative solutions that help solve customers’ printing and marketing needs. His engineering background and interest in manufacturing have turned into a hands-on, entrepreneurial approach in developing custom products to satisfy the unique needs of each customer.
ISS customers include Fortune 100 through local corner store companies that are seeking quality digital printing and CD/DVD duplication. While they rave about the products and service that Jeff and his team at ISS provide, Jeff’s only wish is that somehow he could combine his life-long sailing addiction with his business pursuits.
