2011 Business Women's Forum-BWF in Hartford, CT to Include "Career Re-Invention" Workshop

Sept. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- Life purpose coach, Barb Scala of Westbrook, Connecticut, will host a workshop titled, “Re-invent, Re-brand, Re-design Your Career: Putting Your Authentic Self First”, at the 2011 Business Women's Forum® (BWF®) in Hartford, Connecticut on October 18. The BWF (www.2011bwf.com) is Connecticut’s largest and longest-running full-day annual conference for women and men and will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. “Power, Passion, Purpose” is the theme of the 2011 Business Women's Forum and matches ideally Barb Scala’s life coaching directive of, “Grow an inspired, balanced and healthy life.” The full day of professional development workshops, networking and motivational speakers will feature radio/TV personality and author of “10 Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd”, Connie Podesta, plus TV actress and Special Olympics Advocate, Susan Saint James, with Special Olympics Champion, Loretta Claiborne.

Celebrating 29 years of success in 2011, the Business Women's Forum (BWF) is a program of the Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce Foundation in Waterbury, Connecticut, led by 35 female executives dedicated to the professional and personal growth of working women. The BWF is sponsored annually by the U.S. Small Business Administration and supported by numerous local, regional and national companies. Lynn Ward, a 2011 BWF Director and Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, stated, “During the past 28 years, the BWF has generated in excess of $140,000 in scholarship funds for female Post University students to pursue a business education. “The mission of the non-profit BWF is our continual commitment to equality of opportunity and advancement for women in business.”

The Business Women's Forum executives anticipate more than 800 business people from across Connecticut, New England, and New York State will attend this annual mega-business event. “Participants can attend eight different workshops that will feature acclaimed speakers and trainers who will educate and inspire attendees on professional and personal levels,” stated Bernadette Graziosa, owner of The Grotto & Mrs. G in Waterbury, CT, and chairperson of the 2011 BWF Workshop Committee. “Topics that will be discussed during the workshops include leadership, public speaking, financial fraud, interviewing skills, social media and women’s health.”

An attorney turned life coach, and author of Sanity Savers: Tips for Women to Live a Balanced Life as featured on NBC's Today Show, Barb Scala states she, “knows firsthand that it’s never too late to bloom!” Founder of her Bloom lifestyle brand, Scala runs Bloom Services LLC which offers life purpose and wellness coaching to help individuals develop success life plans. The company also coordinates and facilitates special events and worksite wellness programs. From her own transitions and working with people who are re-designing, re-building and re-inventing their lives and careers,
Scala created the Seeds for Success life design program to inspire people to make profound changes. A resident of Westbrook along the Connecticut shoreline of the Long Island Sound, Scala has been featured on local television programs including Better CT, News 12 and CT Style.

During her October 18th “Re-invent, Re-brand and Re-design Your Career: Putting Your Authentic Self First” workshop at the 2011 BWF, Barb Scala will teach participants how to brand themselves while effectively utilizing their best assets. She stated she will encourage participants to, “Embrace their own unique style, skills and passions instead of following what they believe they should or should not be doing. My ambition will be to help business women to explore how to develop their own distinctive brand and discover the benefits of re-inventing and re-designing themselves and their careers to let their true authentic selves shine through.”

Chairperson of 2011 BWF, Barbara White, a marketing professional with Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut, commented, “Barb Scala’s workshop compliments ideally the overall theme of our 2011 Business Women’s Forum, ‘Power, Passion, Purpose’. A main goal of the BWF each year is to help our attendees discover ways to reach their own highest potential. We’re confident inspiring speakers such as Barb Scala are helping every participant in their workshops. Often times, those participants do not realize all  they learned for weeks, months or years after participating in our Business Women’s Forum. We are confident always that the results are appreciated.” For the past 28 year, the BWF has also featured prominent, high-profile keynote speakers including Paula Abdul, Robin Roberts, Goldie Hawn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Suze Orman, Jane Seymour, Ann Curry, and Faith Popcorn.

In addition to Barb Scala’s workshop, concurrently running morning workshops at the October 18, 2011 BWF will include Dr. Elisa Benzoni of Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury who will speak on “You’re All Woman: Keeping Healthy and Vibrant at Any Age”. Attorney Dan A. Schwartz with Pullman & Comley, LLC, will present, “To Friend or Not to Friend: Latest Trends of Social Media in the Workplace.” Radio talk show host, author and attorney, Lisa Wexler, will present “Are You Laissez-Faire or a Dictator? Exploring Leadership Styles”.

Concurrent afternoon workshops on October 18 will include “The Power to Connect: Use the Temperament Quadrant System to Facilitate the Most Productive Interviews” presented by Polly Merritt Maglio, vice president global accounts, SpeedReading People, LLC. Humorist, professional trainer and entertainer, Michelle Gotay of Watertown, CT, will present “Losing Your ‘P’ – Power, Passion, Purpose – It Happens to the Best of Us”. Susan Lapine, academic program manager for the MBA program at Post University in Waterbury will present “The Engine of Success: Communicating Effectively for the Results You Want”. “Piloting the Perils of Financial Fraud Today” will be the workshop topic presented by Rose Gaidos, Webster Bank Senior Vice President Director of Bank Operations and Security.

Comcast Business Class and the Hartford Business Journal are the event’s presenting partners. Webster Bank and Post University are star sponsors of the 2011 BWF. Official Forum Partners also financially supporting the event include AETNA, Barker Specialty, Corporate Display Specialties, First Niagara Financial Group, Northeast Utilities, Out-Source Communications, Saint Mary’s Health System, Wal-Mart and Wells Fargo. The 2011 BWF’s wine and cheese closing reception will be sponsored by Bank of America, Small Business Development Center and Walker Systems Support.

Tickets for the 2011 BWF are $175/person for workshops, speakers, continental breakfast, lunch, wine and networking cheese reception. Tickets can be obtained by visiting www.2011bwf.com.

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The 2011 Business Women's Forum® (BWF®) (www.2011bwf.com) is Connecticut’s largest and longest-running full-day annual conference for women and men. Celebrating 29 years of success in 2011, the Business Women's Forum (BWF) is a program of the Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce Foundation in Waterbury, Connecticut, led by 35 female executives dedicated to the professional and personal growth of working women.

Celebrating 29 years of success, the BWF is sponsored annually by the U.S. Small Business Administration and supported by numerous local, regional and national companies. During the past 28 years, the BWF has generated in excess of $140,000 in scholarship funds for female Post University students to pursue a business education. The mission of the non-profit BWF is their continual commitment to equality of opportunity and advancement for women in business.

The business development event annually attracts 700 to 1,000 women from CT, RI, MA, and NY.