Speaking & Facilitation

I enjoy speaking to groups ranging in size from intimate workshops to gatherings of 100 or more. My presentations are upbeat, interactive and engaging with creative visuals. For most presentations, I offer worksheets so that participants can follow along and apply the information to their own work and lives.

Topics include: “The M Myth: How Marketing & Social Media Derail Small Business Owners”
“No-Fear Networking: Show Up, Speak Up, Follow Up!”
“Ready, Set, Content! Using What You Know to Attract Prospects”
“Why ‘Selling’ is Not a Dirty Word: A Business Owner’s Guide to Loving the Sales Process”
“Express Yourself: Communicating Your Powerful Story”
“Finding Your Spark: Creativity and Intention in Life and Work”

Upcoming speaking engagements: Home-Based Women Entrepreneurs (Nov. 9, 2010); New Hope Employment Ministry (Oct. 7, 2010)

Recent speaking engagements: UHY Young Professionals, Bounceback St. Louis, Society of Women Engineers, Missouri Association of Publications

I’m happy to craft an appropriate presentation for the right audience. My areas of expertise include strategic business planning, creative development, content marketing, effective networking, small business development and management, small business coaching, use of social media for small business, and small business sales and marketing.

If you need a facilitator for a brainstorm or planning session, I’m happy to help. I’ve led hundreds of brainstorms in my career, and I keep the ideas flowing with a variety of creative techniques. But facilitation is more than just brainstorming. It starts with identifying and defining the problem, researching the topic and stating objectives. Once ideas have been generated, we analyze them to determine the best, most practical solutions.

Why use an “outside” facilitator? Someone who isn’t immersed in the problem can bring fresh insight and ask questions to help you think differently about your challenge. I bring a wide of array of techniques to the problem-solving process and help you develop the most effective ideas.

“Sharon was highly effective as facilitator for our one-day strategy session with our staff. We had some great aha moments. Sharon adjusted well to a change in focus later in the day, which allowed for some breakthrough thinking by our staff. This session helped solidify my team and gave them the chance to feel more invested in company marketing plans.”

– Katey Charles, Katey Charles Communications

“Working in a short time constraint, Sharon was able to focus our board into defining what is working for the group, what is not working, and what our long-term goals should be. A big plus was her ability to keep us from straying into making tactical decisions before we had developed the big picture. Out of this session came several concrete objectives that I believe will ensure our organization’s existence in the future, something I could not say with any faith before this session. I would strongly recommend her services to anyone in a similar situation.”

– Jim McCarty, Missouri Association of Publications

For more information, contact Sharon.