Weekly News 

8 February 2010

From the keyboard of Lee Schearer,

CONGRATULATIONS

The word congratulation is defined as "an expression of pleasure in the success or good fortune of another". That definition best defines the conclusion of the "mail-call" drive in which the members of the Chapel Hill Leads Group participated over the past few weeks.

At last count we collected 24 boxes of requested supplies which are now on their way to our troops stationed in Iraq, as an expression of love and appreciation for their service in the cause of freedom. Our goal was to fill 10 boxes. That is almost a 150% increase. A special thanks goes out to Dave Stoner of "EnviroFix", Cheryl Lee of "Leave It To Lee's Cleaning Service", Steven Ray Miller of "Have Frame Shop Will Travel" and Joe Novara of " Chapel Hill Printing & Graphics", Mark Roth & Kelly of "Extraordinary Ventures" and Gene & Rose Wolf of GreatEarth Vitamins at White Cross" for their efforts in making this event a huge success. A job well done by all.

Respectfully,

Lee Schearer

Calendar:
Weekly Meeting:
Our regularly scheduled weekly meeting will be held Wednesday morning at Extraordinary Ventures, Inc., 200 South Elliott Road, Chapel Hill from 8:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Meeting Dues are $5.00 per week.  Place your business card and $1.00 in the Optional Drawing. One card will be selected and that person will receive the week's kitty. For Express Check-In, please arrive with a $5.00, a $1.00, and a business card and we will check you in. We greatly appreciate your bringing correct change. We cannot change large denomination bills ($10, $20, $50, etc.) and cannot accept checks.
This Week's Speaker:
This Wednesday, we have no speaker scheduled.
Speaker's Schedule for January / February 2010
17 February - Todd Washburn, Todd Washburn Solutions, LLC
24 February - Bill Carraway, Pre-Paid Legal

Keep It Simple - Attend the Leads Group meeting at least 50% of the time for 3 consecutive months. Ask Lou Umscheid to place you on the speakers schedule. Continue to attend at least 50% of the Leads Group meetings until your presentation. Continue to attend the Leads Group meeting to strengthen your new referral network.
Did You Know:
February is Town Planner’s Annual Food Drive
Just Two Cans! That’s all you need to support Town Planner Calendar’s 4th Annual Food Drive!! Did you know that the large quantities of food that are donated to food banks and food pantries during the November & December are mostly depleted by mid-January?! Let's build up their stock so that they can better serve those in need during this part of the year, too! No need to go shopping. If everyone goes to their pantry and takes out two cans of food, imagine the thousands of cans we could collect!! Bring your cans to the Chapel Hill Leads Group, drop off your donation at Extraordinary Ventures or visit http://townplanner.com/fooddrive for additional drop-off locations.
Young Professionals Network at The Siena Hotel - 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Sharon Hill, a certified business etiquette coach, will lead a professionalism training at the Chamber's first Young Professionals Network event of the year. Attendees will be treated to a high energy, interactive presentation focusing on handshakes, eye contact, secrets of small talk, and how to give and receive business cards. Connect with fellow young professionals, enjoy hors d'oeuvres from the Siena's four-star restaurant, Il Palio, and Pump Up Your Professionalism!

To register online, visit www.carolinachamber.org/events, or contact Laura Morrison of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce Program Coordinator at 919.357.9989 for information regarding the Young Professionals Network.

Non-Profit Roundtable - 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 10,2010
The Non-Profit Roundtable is a forum for Executive Directors, managers and staff of Chamber members, non-profit organizations to exchange ideas, discuss common issues and challenges and share experiences.

The Non-Profit Roundtable meets the second Wednesday of each month at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce facility. The Non-Profit Roundtable is open to Chamber members. Contact Laura Morrison of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce Program Coordinator, at 919.357.9989 for information regarding the Non-Profit Roundtable.
Ribbon Cutting: The Villas at Culp Arbor - 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Villas at Culp Arbor are located at 108 Culp Hill Drive in Chapel Hill. From Chapel Hill, take Hwy. 54 east toward Durham. Before reaching I-40, turn left on Farrington Road. Or head north on East Franklin Street/Fordham Boulevard and turn right on Ephesus Church Road. At the traffic circle, take the first exit to stay on Ephesus Church Road, then turn right on Farrington Road. The Villas at Culp Arbor are across the street from Patterson’s Mill Country Store.

Join Chamber staff and Ambassadors for a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration for the Villas at Culp Arbor. The celebration will be held at 4 p.m., with a ribbon cutting to take place at 4:15 p.m.
Member Appreciation Day - 12:00 p.m. to 4 :00 p.m., Friday, February 12, 2010
The Chamber appreciates you! Drop by the Chamber office any time on Member Appreciation Day for a cup of hot chocolate, a free chair massage courtesy of Aveda Institute Chapel Hill and Intrinsic Touch Massage Therapy, and one-on-one time with Chamber staff to discuss how to get the most value from your Chamber membership. No registration required. For more information, contact Laura Morrison at 357.9989.
Retail Roundtable - 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The purpose of the Retail Roundtable is to bring Chamber members together for an exchange of ideas about a shared interests in a non-competitive environment. Members share stories of challenges, successes and day-to-day best practices to assist in the success of every member. The Retail Roundtable meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, 104 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, 27514. The Retail Roundtable is open to Chamber members. Contact Gene Wolf, Great Earth Vitamins at Meadowmont at 919.338.8160 or Meg Branson, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce Programs and Communications Manager at 919.357.9977 for information regarding the Retail Roundtable.
Business After Hours - The ArtsCenter - 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 18, 2010
The ArtsCenter will co-sponsor and host February's evening networking event. The ArtsCenter, located at 300 G East Main Street in Carrboro, is a community gathering place that nourishes the arts, creativity and community through education, performance and exhibition. Fidelity Bank, an independent bank, will co-sponsor this event. February's Non-profit Spotlight is The Boys and Girls Club of Eastern Piedmont (Orange County Unit). No registration required.

Contact Laura Morrison Member Relations Coordinator of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce at 919.357.9989 for information regarding the Business After Hours. Don't forget your business cards!
Networking In Your Neighborhood
Alamance Leads Group
The Alamance Leads Group (www.alamanceleads.com) meets every Monday at Mimi's Cafe, Alamance Crossing off I-40/I-85 at Exit 140, Burlington, 27215. Dick O'Donnell (dickodonnell@clearwire.net) with Cableless Solutions (919-760-5476) is the facilitator. The Alamance Leads Group meet from 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Apex Leads Group
The Apex Leads Group (www.apexleadsgroup.com) meets every Tuesday at Carrabba's Italian Grill, 1201 Haddon Hall Drive, Apex 27502. Barry & Ellen Sherrill (aimgrouptwo@yahoo.com) with AIM Group Two Promotional Products (919-387-7588) are the facilitators. The Apex Leads Group meet from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Breakfast Club
Just a reminder that the breakfast club is still meeting at 7:00am at the Weathervane Restaurant. Everyone is invited to share good conversation and a quick breakfast before our regular Leads Group meeting at our new location. This is one way that we can continue to support the management & staff that supported the Leads Group for such a long time.
Cary Leads Group
The Cary Leads Group (www.caryleadsgroup.com) meets Thursdays at the BNC, 649 Walnut Street, Cary 27511. Andy Siouville (919-363-7010) is the facilitator. The Cary Leads Group meet from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Chapel Hill Leads Group
The Chapel Hill Leads Group (www.chapelhillleads.com) meets every Wednesday at Extraordinary Ventures (www.extraordinaryventures.org), 200 South Elliott Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Lee Schearer (919-490-1922) with American Real Estate and Appraisal Company and Don Bonin (919-542-2446) with Town & Country Trader are the facilitators. The Chapel Hill Leads Group meet from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Chatham County Leads Group
The Chatham County Leads Group meets every Tuesday at Virlies Grill, 58 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Don Bonin (chathamcountylg@gmail.com) (919-542-0376) with Town & Country Trader  is the facilitator. The Chatham County Leads Group meet from 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
Durham Leads Group
The Durham Leads Group meets every Tuesday at Piper's Deli (www.pipersdeli.com), 3219 Old Chapel Hill Road, Durham, NC 27707. Randy Bernstein (Randy@etchNstitch.com) (919-732-3473) with Etch N Stitch and Jane Clark (Jane.A.Clark@EdwardJones.com) (919-419-1761) with Edward Jones Investments are the facilitators. The Durham Leads Group meet from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Hillsborough Leads Group
The Hillsborough Leads Group (www.hillsboroughleads.net) meets every Thursday morning of each month at The Village Diner, 600 West King Street, Hillsborough, NC. Ned Parsons of Parson’s Business Solutions (919-493-0985) and Caryn Byrd of Comfort Assurance Group (919-259-6401) are the facilitators. The Hillsborough Leads Group meet from 8:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Holly Springs Leads Group
Holly Springs Leads Group (hollyspringsleadsgroup.com) meets every Wednesday at Java Divine (www.javadivine.com) in the Bass Lake Shopping Center, 128 Bass Lake Road, Holly Springs, NC. Wendy Harrington with Sidekick Communications (919-208-7484) and Barb Louis with PartyLite Gifts (919-772-9560) are the facilitators. The Holly Springs Leads Group meet from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
North Raleigh Leads Group
The North Raleigh Leads Group (www.northraleighleads.com) meets every Monday morning at the Stone Wolf Coffee, 8300 Health Park, Raleigh, NC. David Stoner with EnviroFix (919-847-5355) and Charlie Edinger with Second Chance Solutions (919-219-5264) are the facilitators. The North Raleigh Leads Group meet from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Northern Wake Leads Group
The Northern Wake Leads Group (www.northernwakeleads.com) meets every Tuesday morning at the Bottle & Bean, 929 Heritage Lake Road, Suite 600, Wake Forest, NC, 27587. Sue Robinson with 4-Minute Fitness/ Genetic Nutrition (919-570-0913) and Lisa Angell with Mary Kay Cosmetics (919-676-0451) are the facilitators. The Northern Wake Leads Group meet from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Western Wake Leads Group
Western Wake Leads Group (westernwakeleads.com) meets every Thursday morning at the BNC, 649 Walnut Street, Cary NC 27511. Bill Carraway with Pre-Paid Legal (919-605-4895) is the facilitator.  The cost will be $5 and includes breakfast. The Western Wake Leads Group meet from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. For further information click here: http://smallbiz.meetup.com/483/calendar/7054450/ or call the BNC at 919-342-5251.