The next WIN session will take place Friday 18th May 2012 from 10.00am to 12.30pm at the boardroom of Enterprise Ireland in Mervue.

At this weeks session Eileen Lauster of Buster Drive Productions will be presenting, “An Introduction to YouTube for Selling Yourself or Your Business”.

We will be covering the following topics:

•History of YouTube
•Treads in video content uses on the web
•Tips on making your own videos
•Using your video with Social Media

Buster Drive Producitons provides a quality video service. We first anyalze a person or business’ media needs and then produce a live action or graphic based video. We work with people from their initial concept to final edit. For those that want to make their own video content, we can provide training.

Eileen Lauster started Buster Drive Producitons in 2006 after graduating from GMIT with a degree in Film and Television. Since 2011, she has focused on creating video content for the web. To date she has completed projects for a tourist company, third level university and a small business. A full list of past projects can be found on busterdrive.com.  Eileen has also given successful ‘YouTube for Business’presentations for Galway Executive Skillnet and In-Tuition.

WIN sessions are broken down into two parts, the first part consists of the Elevator Pitch where everyone gives a 2 minute synopsis of who they are, what their hard and soft skills are,and what they would like from WIN. So just prepare a few lines about yourself in advance of the session. The second part comprises the training workshop.

We look forward to seeing you there!

I first came in contact with WIN in 2009 after being made redundant as a result of the company re-locating. WIN was just in its infancy, and from the start, it provided excellent support. It gave me the chance to be in an environment where people who were in the same situation could meet to network and discuss possible new employment opportunities. WIN provided me with the motivation to persevere in my job search. I was lucky to find a new position, but unfortunately, in November last year I was made redundant for the second time due to company closure. WIN was again my starting point to help me on the road to searching for a new job.

Luckily, the mentoring program was just being put in place and my application to be paired with a mentor that could give me guidance in career development was accepted. The mentoring program is spread over a three month period and you meet with your mentor every second week. Initially, there was a group training session in which we were given information on how to get the best out of the program and how to put an action plan in place to optimise the use of our time and our mentors.

The mentoring program has been a very positive experience for me. I have been given professional advice on some of the following areas:

• how to update and present my CV in a professional and easy to read manner
• how to network efficiently
• how to maximise your job search
• dealing with competency based interviews

Our meetings have been very positive and have given me more focus and drive in my job search. It has also given me more belief in my own abilities and that I have a lot of skills and experience to offer. I would highly recommend WIN to anyone who is unemployed or underemployed.

Our next session on April 20th will include a presentation from P.J. O’Reilly, Regional Manager R&D and Technology Transfer, Licensing and Global Partnerships, Enterprise Ireland.

P.J. has kindly offered to join us and deliver a presentation on licensing which will cover some of the following areas of licensing:
• how to go about licensing a product or service with intellectual
property or property know how
• what should be included in a licensing agreement e.g. terms /
duration / conditions covered

• Issues such as:
o Licensee Vs Licensor
o Marketing
o Distribution
o Production and quality standards
o Who keeps the patent up to date

P.J. will keep the presentation pretty informal and is keen to have open discussions throughout the presentation so please think about any questions or ideas you may want to discuss with him.

Due to popular demand I will run the Elevator Pitch session on Friday the 13th of April. This will be a chance for you to learn how to develop, perfect and practice your pitch in terms of selling yourself, your business idea, product or service. I will also talk about the role of Communication and how we need to understand this when developing our personal elevator pitch.

Please note that we will be starting at 10am and finishing at 12.30pm sharp.

Following a review of 200 applications from social entrepreneurs all over Ireland, Caroline has been selected as one of the top 40 applicants and will be traveling to SE Bootcamp for a full day event to pitch to a panel of judges.

We will keep you posted on things as they happen.

I am…..

In Business

In Community

In Politics

……a Woman of Influence
… takes place in the Helix on Thursday 22nd March 2012

This Spring 2012, the Women’s Innovation Network @ DCU will invite guests to join an interactive forum in examining the essential role of diversity that women in leading positions are influencing in business, in community and in politics. Guests will hear from experienced professionals who recognise the emergence of gender balance in these sectors, however will also frankly review the challenges ever present that continue to impede equal opportunities. Participants will explore areas in business, culture and society where women are still underrepresented and the key reasons for this, before deliberating on courses of action to encourage women to enter and advance in these sectors.

The 2012 WIN@DCU objective will be to encourage women of all ages, education and career levels to look within to explore how we as individuals can influence change and specifically how we can bring a woman’s perspective to a goal or purpose. Invited speakers will guide guests to identify personal character attributes and to recognise the many contributions to society that each of us make through our work and our volunteerism. Only by assessing such behaviour and involvement, can we realise the impact an individual can influence within our local communities, workplace and on a national level.For many years, women have fought for equal representation in creating opportunities and a more balanced society.

Today, we live in a society that widely recognises the diverse roles men and women perform across industry, education, culture and politics. Many of us are now familiar with household names of leading women who are influencing the development and shape of commerce and culture in today’s modern world – all of which impacts the way we live our lives and plan our futures as individuals.

Speakers /chairs /co-chairs:

Senator Marie-Louise O’Donnell
Mary Davis, President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe
Eurasia

Kerry O’Keeffe. Director at T-Space, Founder of People and Culture

Julia Carmichael, Chief Compliance Officer, Irish Public Bodies Mutual
Insurances Ltd.

Nicola Horgan Rogers, Owner, NHR Consulting and Board Member for Dress for
Success.

Deirdre Garvey, Chief Executive Officer, The Wheel

Caroline McDonagh, CEO and Founder at WIN – West of Ireland Networking

Michelle O’Donnell Keating, Co-founder Women for Election

Niamh Gallagher, Co-founder, Women for Election

More info on : http://www4.dcu.ie/trust/win2012.shtml

L-R: John Liddy – Sacred Heart Conference, St Vincent De Paul; Gert O’Rourke – Ennis Innovate; Hildegarde Naughton – Mayor of Galway  City; Caroline McDonagh – CEO and Founder of WIN; Breda Fox – CEO of Galway County and City Enterprise Board; Annalisa Murphy – St Vincent De Paul

Caroline McDonagh won the SCCUL Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 Award at a reception in Clayton Hotel.

The SCCUL Entrepreneur of the Year Awards is an initiative run by SCCUL Enterprises Ltd aided by Ballybane Enterprise Centre, St. Columba’s Credit Union and Galway City Council. The aim of this initiative is to encourage local entrepreneurship by identifying high potential entrepreneurs and helping them accelerate their plans.

Caroline is the founder and CEO of WIN – West of Ireland Networking (WIN) which is a training, mentoring and networking forum for unemployed professionals, entrepreneurs and micro/small business owners.

WIN, based in the West, is a unique volunteer organisation that plays a substantial role in getting unemployed participants back into the work place while providing further supports to those seeking to start their own business or is already running a small enterprise.

With unemployment at 14.2%, WIN is bucking current trends, assisting one third of participants reengage in the workforce. WIN’s success is based on its innovative approach to helping the unemployed through consistent and regular supports including: bi-weekly group networking sessions including relevant and flexible training programmes; one to one mentoring, building confidence and self esteem of participants.

Showcasing some of the many Galway-based business people working in the Irish heritage sector, the workshop was held on March 3rd. The workshop helped build an awareness of employment opportunities and capacities for those in the heritage industry. The workshops encouraged open participation among those attending through the use of an Ideas Lab which focused on business enterprise within the heritage sector in Galway.

WIN is delighted to have been involved with this workshop and Ideas Lab.

You can read about the workshop agenda here: http://bit.ly/w8RdSd

The next session will take place on March 9th and the workshop will be hosted by William Corless who established YellowWood to improve the performance of organisations and optimise individual potential.

The outline of the workshop is as follows:

•Discussion on motivation
•Theory on motivation
•What motivates us
•Goal setting
•Group Discussion
•Challenge
YellowWood provides clients with a 360° approach through coaching, training and business solutions. A key benefit of YellowWood’s coaching and training services is the long term value offered to organisations from more effective time management, improved decision making, clarity on strategic direction and improved dealings with staff and stakeholders.

William Corless brings to YellowWood over fifteen years’ experience in general management, technical sales, customer service and marketing. Corless was previously Operations Manager of SpunOut.ie (National Youth Organisation) and a key player in the growth and development of the organisation. Other positions included Operations Manager of Cahergowan Developments (Hotel, Retail and Property) and General Manager Goldfish Electronics (Import and distribution of custom electronic components from Far East)

A lifelong learner, he has a broad education in a variety of disciplines:  Electronic Engineering, Diploma in Business (Specializing in Supply Chain), Counselling, Coaching, Neuro Linguistic Programming, Training and Psychometrics (Leadership, Team and Career   Development).
William is a mentor for the Executive MBA in NUI Galway, Coaching Development and Galway Enterprise Board.

William is currently the Director of Operations and Finance for the National Board of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). He is also a regular  contributor to print and broadcast media and has addressed the National Forum on Resilience in Áras an Uachtaráin.