Events Calendar

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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Hera Hub GURU Valerie Grant has two decades of fundraising experience, helping obtain millions of dollars in funding for organizations across the globe. She is the principal owner of Grant Consulting Services LLC., a fundraising consulting firm, and as President of the Grant Professionals Association, San Diego Chapter, she is recognized in the community as a funding expert. Collectively, her team has 33 years of funding development experience and is committed to positively impacting organizations through funding development work.

Valerie is passionate about helping people and organizations to utilize available resources, including aiding private small and women-owned businesses in searching and applying for government contracts. She also assists nonprofit organizations through project development, comprehensive funding searches, expert grant management, and professional grant proposal writing services. She has secured funding for clients in the youth development, education, and human services fields from government, corporate and foundation funding sources.

Questions you may want to ask Valerie include:
- Is my business or organization eligible for grants or government contracts?
- What is the process to find and obtain grants and/or contracts?
- How do I cut through the red tape and obtain contracts with the government?
- Should my business become certified and why?

Valerie has a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Baker College in Flint, MI, and studied Social Work for two years at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, VA. At Grant Consulting Services, she practices what she preaches by helping others. Some of Valerie’s community involvement and volunteer work includes:
KOCT Board of Directors
Fashionkind Board of Directors
Grant Professionals Association San Diego County Chapter-President
North County Philanthropy Council-Mentor

Website: www.grantconsultingservices.com
Email: Valerie@grantconsultingservices.com  

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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Hera Hub Carlsbad is proud to host Raven O'Neal from Stella Labs every Tuesday from 10am-12pm. The Women’s Business Center has partnered with Stella Labs to offer free on-site one-on-one business consulting to help entrepreneurs plan, launch, manage and grow their businesses.

PLEASE READ!
To confirm your appointment with Raven O'Neal, please schedule a time via this link: https://calendly.com/ravenoneal/hhcarlsbad

Before the meeting, please take a few minutes to complete this short assessment so you can get the most from your time with Raven:
https://sdwbc.ecenterdirect.com/signup

Cancellations: 
PLEASE be considerate of Raven's full schedule when booking your appointment, as time slots are extremely popular and can book up weeks in advance. If you cannot make your appointment, make sure to cancel through Calendly well in advance so Raven can open up your appointment to another entrepreneur. Multiple cancellations will result in disqualification from the program. 

ABOUT RAVEN: 
Raven O'Neal is the Executive Director of Stella Labs, a women’s business accelerator that educates, equips, and propels female founders to successfully plans, launch, and scale their original businesses, thus positively impacting their local, national and global economies. As Marketing Director, Raven uses her entrepreneurial background to manage all branding, marketing, and communication tactics. She helps transform the entrepreneurial landscape by equipping founders with strategic solutions to launch and scale their businesses, and the marketing acumen, resources, and access to capital information needed to present innovative and effective companies to market. 

ABOUT WBC:
The San Diego & Imperial WBC is a partner of the US Small Business Administration (SBA) and is hosted by Southwestern College at the Center for Business Advancement in National City. The WBC provides training, mentoring, business development and financing opportunities for entrepreneurs throughout San Diego and Imperial County.

For more information and a full calendar of WBC’s trainings, events and activities, please visit https://sdwbc.ecenterdirect.com/events

Just because we can't meet in person does not mean that we can't network with other! Let's seize this opportunity to get to know other Hera Hub Carlsbad members and their businesses, and see how we can help each other survive and thrive in this uncertain time. The connections we make now can serve us long after coronavirus is gone.

This weekly meeting is open to any Hera Hub Carlsbad member who is interested in connecting with, learning from, and supporting other members.

Each meeting will have a group leader who will host the meeting in a round-table format with a mix of icebreaker/getting-to-know-you questions (e.g. "Would you rather...?" or "What's your fave...?") and business-related questions (e.g. "What is your ask from the group?" or "What are you looking forward to in your business?"). The meeting will last for one hour. You are welcome to attend weekly or just attend whenever you can!  

- Open to Members and Non-Members -
Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

Dawn DeSantis, founder and CEO of Afflatus Media, is an SEO and inbound marketing specialist who helps businesses thrive online. Afflatus Media provides Search Engine Optimization services, inbound content marketing, social media management and website design and development.

Living in a relationship-driven economy where 90% of research begins with an online search, Afflatus Media equips your business with the marketing, tech and SEO strategies needed to reach your target audience.

Dawn is an ‘early adopter’ and her genuine curiosity combined with her innate ability to learn new software keeps her on the cutting edge, continuously adding new professional skills and tech solutions for growing businesses. A tenacious problem solver, she finds great satisfaction in helping business owners overcome the technical and implementation hurdles that so often stand in the way of growing and succeeding in business.

Questions you might ask Dawn during her GURU hours:
- How to speed up a slow website
- How to improve SEO and get your website to show up on page 1 of Google
- How to install Facebook pixel, Google Analytics, or Google Ads tracking codes
- How to set up Google My Business
- How to take a website backup/how to restore a backup
- Which software and tools best help you achieve your marketing goals

A huge part of Dawn’s work includes sorting through various clients’ business and technical structures, untangling the webs, optimizing their software, website, and other marketing tools for high speed and low drag. Dawn and her team are highly proficient at learning and adapting to any software due to clients’ needs. By providing their own servers, Dawn and her team manage multiple websites with thousands of monthly visitors, launch and manage multiple clients’ podcasts and run and manage ads on various platforms.

Learn more about Dawn or connect with her during her GURU hours, on the first and third Tuesday monthly from 12-1pm. These are open hours, but if you would like to lock in your time with Dawn, please use this optional scheduling link: https://calendly.com/afflatusmedia/seo-guru-hour  

Learn more about Afflatus Media: https://afflatusmedia.com

Email: dawn@afflatusmedia.com  

- Open to Members and Non-Members -
Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

Dawn DeSantis, founder and CEO of Afflatus Media, is an SEO and inbound marketing specialist who helps businesses thrive online. Afflatus Media provides Search Engine Optimization services, inbound content marketing, social media management and website design and development.

Living in a relationship-driven economy where 90% of research begins with an online search, Afflatus Media equips your business with the marketing, tech and SEO strategies needed to reach your target audience.

Dawn is an ‘early adopter’ and her genuine curiosity combined with her innate ability to learn new software keeps her on the cutting edge, continuously adding new professional skills and tech solutions for growing businesses. A tenacious problem solver, she finds great satisfaction in helping business owners overcome the technical and implementation hurdles that so often stand in the way of growing and succeeding in business.

Questions you might ask Dawn during her GURU hours:
- How to speed up a slow website
- How to improve SEO and get your website to show up on page 1 of Google
- How to install Facebook pixel, Google Analytics, or Google Ads tracking codes
- How to set up Google My Business
- How to take a website backup/how to restore a backup
- Which software and tools best help you achieve your marketing goals
-  have a face-to-face business that I need to bring online. What are my next steps?

A huge part of Dawn’s work includes sorting through various clients’ business and technical structures, untangling the webs, optimizing their software, website, and other marketing tools for high speed and low drag. Dawn and her team are highly proficient at learning and adapting to any software due to clients’ needs. By providing their own servers, Dawn and her team manage multiple websites with thousands of monthly visitors, launch and manage multiple clients’ podcasts and run and manage ads on various platforms.

Learn more about Dawn or connect with her during her GURU hours, every Tuesday from 12-1pm. These are open hours, but if you would like to lock in your time with Dawn, please use this optional scheduling link: https://calendly.com/afflatusmedia/seo-guru-hour  

Learn more about Afflatus Media: https://afflatusmedia.com
Email: dawn@afflatusmedia.com  

Virtual SEO GURU hours
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/754234128
Meeting ID: 754 234 128

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emily Gorrie is a Sales Strategist & Trainer who partners with CEOs and entrepreneurs to challenge their current way of thinking around selling and the sales process. She helps them clarify their objectives and intentions as well as develop strategic tools to create successful client interactions and to give their employees a path to success.  

Emily began her career by spending several years successfully achieving annual sales quotas of $2 to $15 million in traditional and digital media channels serving billion dollar CPG, Retail, Technology, and E-Commerce companies and their agency teams.  Some notable accounts include Church & Dwight, Sabra Dipping Co, Edible Arrangements, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

Having spent the last 8 years selling for and to major corporations, she has become intimately familiar with corporate strategies that lead to successful growth and sales achievements. This level of growth is achieved through deep thinking and insights that identify how to properly connect with customers in order to communicate value and foster a relationship that goes beyond the close of a deal.  

You may want to ask Emily questions related to:


- I get flustered when people ask me what I do. How can I simplify my message (or 'pitch') when meeting new people?

- I meet all these great people. How do I get them to buy my services?

- There is really strong initial interest in my work, but I can't seem to get people to make the investment in working with me. Why is that? What can I do to change that?

- I want to hire someone to handle business development and sales. Where do I begin?  

- I keep getting rejected when I finally bring up the costs of my services.  How can I overcome these objections?

- Instead of paying for my services, other business owners are recommending we trade our services.  How can I politely decline, but keep the door open to them paying for my services?

- What is a sales cycle and why do I need to know about it? 

- How can I maximize my reach and sell my products/services efficiently? 

** Emily has graciously volunteered to be available virtually every Tuesday during this challenging period for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Please use this scheduling link: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/appointment-scheduler/5e78eb19880f292dfdae3073/schedule  

Website: www.empvpconsulting.com

Email: emily@emvpconsulting.com

Hera Hub Carlsbad member Corry Lang is hosting a virtual 45-minute Hatha-Vinyasa flow on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/333228722) exclusively for Hera Hub members!

Open to all levels. Corry will guide us through meditation, pranayama (Yogic breathing), and a gentle yet invigorating and strengthening flow.

Yoga mat or beach towel encouraged. Props are optional.

Corry Lang is an emotional health coach, life coach, yoga instructor, nutritional consultant and author. Learn more about her at www.corrylang.com.

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________
With her extensive skill and experience in molecular biology, immunology and virology, registered Patent Attorney Dr. King helps companies protect their intellectual property. Dr. King represents and counsels clients in domestic and international patent and trademark prosecution, negotiation of patent licenses, and trademark coexistence agreements. She also represents clients in opposition and infringement cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and in Inter Partes Reviews in front of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Combining her law degree with her doctorate in Molecular Biology, Dr. King brings her legal expertise to bear on patent application preparation and prosecution, both foreign and domestic, in areas ranging from biotechnology, molecular biology, immunology and virology to diagnostics, medical devices, therapeutics, small molecules, and pharmaceuticals.

Example Questions:

1. What is the most cost-effective way to protect my idea?
2. What do I do if someone has taken my idea?
3. What is the best way to protect my name?
4. Should I get a copyright registration for my material?

I have over 10 years’ experience as a patent attorney. Before becoming an attorney, I obtained a doctorate degree in Molecular Biology, and a bachelor’s of science degree in Microbiology, as well as worked in the biotechnology industry for several years.

https://www.matrix.law/laura.html

Set up an appointment during her hours: laura@matrix.law

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________

As one of the foremost branding photographers and image-based branding strategists in San Diego, Nikkie Achartz has leveraged her background in psychology, marketing, and sales, to help hundreds of entrepreneurs create a visual brand that boosts relationships, referrals, and revenue.

Beyond photography, Nikkie helps clients develop a comprehensive visual marketing and sales strategy that integrates the right mix of psycho-graphic behavioral profiling, impact driven images, and sales model development to build the KNOW ⇨ LIKE ⇨ TRUST ⇨ BUY relationship. She believes sustained profitability is a result of strong brands, strong buying triggers, and a streamlined sales conversion process.

You may want to ask Nikkie questions related to:

- Guidance in helping you identify a target market that will properly value your services – If I “niche” will I be leaving money on the table from other potential sources?
- Identifying the compelling fears, pains, and desires of your ideal client – How are you ideally positioned to meet the needs/wants of your target audience?
- Support matching your brand with the ideal target market – Do you want high end clients, but have a bargain basement brand?
- Understanding how much time you must spend “on” your business vs. “in” your business – How do you get off the feast-famine income roller coaster that often comes with a service-based business?
- Understanding your revenue funnel and how to move potential clients from “hello” to bigger ticket packages – How are you converting inquiries to income in a way that allows prospects to easily “buy in” to your services without causing instant sticker shock?
- Ways to add value so you don’t get caught in the discounting trap – In what ways are you standing out in the crowd of your competitors without engaging in a “race to the bottom” pricing plan?

Website: www.SNAPSavvyStrategies.com

Email: nikkie@SNAPSavvyStrategies.com

What is Writers' Lounge? 2 hours of dedicated time to work on anything you've been putting off via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/333228722

Bring your lunch and come to virtually eat, chat, and work with other Hera Hub members! Writers' Lounge will help you get guidance, feedback, and a sense of accountability not only with your writing projects, but also with any tasks you have been putting off in your business.

Hera Hub Carlsbad's Content Strategy & Ghostwriting GURU Alice Brzovic will be hosting. Members can share what they plan to work on, and Alice will provide an optional writing prompt to get your creative juices flowing.

If you have questions about your writing projects, Alice will be available to consult with you at the beginning of the session, during the breaks, and at the end of the session.

At the end of the session, you are welcome to share your work or the progress you made. (Not a time for critiques or brainstorming, but rather a time to hear how what you wrote sounds out loud to you when you read it to someone else.)

Regardless of WHAT you're working on, take advantage of this opportunity to commit to a set amount of time each week to focus on business and/or writing projects!

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________
Open to Members and Non-Members!

Alice Brzovic conducts her Content Strategy & Ghostwriting GURU Hours every second and fourth Wednesday during Writers' Lounge in Hera Hub Carlsbad's conference room. Come eat, chat, and write any content for your business with Alice!

Example questions you can ask Alice during GURU Hours:
- How can I improve my content?
- Where can I get topic ideas? 
- What do I do now that I finished writing my content? 
- How often should I publish new content?
- What should I do if I have writer’s block?
- How can I produce more content?

Alice Brzovic has been creating web content since the web was “the next big thing.” Her work for her clients has led to an increase in website traffic, appointments, and office visits. Whether her clients have a ton of content or none at all, Alice finds the key to what you want and need to say to start a relationship, grow your business, and stay top of mind with your customers.

Contact Email
  alice@writeforsmallbusiness.com
Website
  writeforsmallbusiness.com

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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Jessica Hornbeck is a seasoned entrepreneur with over twenty years experience navigating corporate, nonprofit and small business organizations with such fervor that she has been able to boil down lessons learned into a thoughtful and easy-to-grasp approach that has created value add for her clients, team, and community. A "big picture thinker," Jessica thrives on working with business owners to build financial systems and workflow foundations to help them do more with less; maximize their limited time; and grow both their income and freedom.  

You may want to ask Jessica questions related to:

Learn more about Jessica and connect with her during her GURU hours, on the second and fourth Thursdays monthly from 12-2pm.

Website: bigpicresults.com

Email: jessica@bigpicturebookkeeping.com

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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After spending the majority of her professional career as an HR Leader in various startup and non-profit organizations, Hera Hub GURU Cheryl St. Cyr embarked on a new journey as an HR Consultant with a few trusted and talented colleagues - and never looked back! In this new direction, Cheryl has had the opportunity to collaborate with accomplished and brilliant professionals, all working towards the same goal of creating the most efficient business processes possible.

Cheryl is obsessed with structure and problem (read: puzzle) solving, and both skills lend themselves well to the world of people culture and human capital compliance. Smart business owners recognize the part their people play in synergistically making them the top choice for their customers. Cheryl partners with leaders to not only take the worry out of managing the complex world of employment, but also to provide insight and strategy for culture definition and improvement. Cheryl is a Thought Leader in the People and Culture movement but understands the paperwork and policies needed to have flawless execution in order to support the vision.

You may want to ask Cheryl questions related to:

* What documentation, posters, practices, and procedures do I need to have in place as a business owner to maintain compliance with state and federal laws?

* Why does my small business need a Company Handbook? Job Descriptions? Mission, vision, and values? Performance management process?

* How do I start a/multiple benefits program(s) for my team members? Medical, dental, vision?401k? Health and wellness? Professional development?

* What are key components to team member retention and acquisition? Sourcing ideas? Non-monetary incentives? Culture and branding opportunities?

* How can I better structure my organization in order to optimize workflow and communication dissemination?

Cheryl has experience in the following areas:

Conflict resolution • Grievance processes • Internal investigations • Management-employee communications • Onboarding and offboarding procedures • Employee paperwork • Handbook creation and updates • Performance management • Professional development and planning • Intranet structures • HRIS implementation and administration • Full-cycle recruiting • Retention strategies • Salary reviews and compensation analysis • Benefits administration • Job descriptions and profiles • Succession planning • Payroll setup and administration • Bonus structures • Company branding strategies • Executive and leadership coaching • Non-monetary rewards and benefits • State and local employment law compliance • Workers’ compensation claims • HR file records and retention policies • HR audits • Interim HR leadership • FMLA/LOA/CFRA/PDL administration • Mission, Vision, Values creation facilitation • Diversity and inclusion strategies • Skills assessments • Wellness programs • Employee engagement and satisfaction surveys and action plans

Learn more about Cheryl or connect with her during her GURU hours, on the second and fourth Thursdays monthly from 1-2pm.

Website: www.linkedin.com/in/cherylstcyr/

Email: cherylmstcyr@gmail.com

Just because we can't meet in person does not mean that we can't network with other! Let's seize this opportunity to get to know other Hera Hub Carlsbad members and their businesses, and see how we can help each other survive and thrive in this uncertain time. The connections we make now can serve us long after coronavirus is gone.

This weekly meeting is open to any Hera Hub Carlsbad member who is interested in connecting with, learning from, and supporting other members.

Each meeting will have a group leader who will host the meeting in a round-table format with a mix of icebreaker/getting-to-know-you questions (e.g. "Would you rather...?" or "What's your fave...?") and business-related questions (e.g. "What is your ask from the group?" or "What are you looking forward to in your business?"). The meeting will last for one hour. You are welcome to attend weekly or just attend whenever you can!  

- Open to Members and Non-Members -
Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

Dawn DeSantis, founder and CEO of Afflatus Media, is an SEO and inbound marketing specialist who helps businesses thrive online. Afflatus Media provides Search Engine Optimization services, inbound content marketing, social media management and website design and development.

Living in a relationship-driven economy where 90% of research begins with an online search, Afflatus Media equips your business with the marketing, tech and SEO strategies needed to reach your target audience.

Dawn is an ‘early adopter’ and her genuine curiosity combined with her innate ability to learn new software keeps her on the cutting edge, continuously adding new professional skills and tech solutions for growing businesses. A tenacious problem solver, she finds great satisfaction in helping business owners overcome the technical and implementation hurdles that so often stand in the way of growing and succeeding in business.

Questions you might ask Dawn during her GURU hours:
- How to speed up a slow website
- How to improve SEO and get your website to show up on page 1 of Google
- How to install Facebook pixel, Google Analytics, or Google Ads tracking codes
- How to set up Google My Business
- How to take a website backup/how to restore a backup
- Which software and tools best help you achieve your marketing goals
-  have a face-to-face business that I need to bring online. What are my next steps?

A huge part of Dawn’s work includes sorting through various clients’ business and technical structures, untangling the webs, optimizing their software, website, and other marketing tools for high speed and low drag. Dawn and her team are highly proficient at learning and adapting to any software due to clients’ needs. By providing their own servers, Dawn and her team manage multiple websites with thousands of monthly visitors, launch and manage multiple clients’ podcasts and run and manage ads on various platforms.

Learn more about Dawn or connect with her during her GURU hours, every Tuesday from 12-1pm. These are open hours, but if you would like to lock in your time with Dawn, please use this optional scheduling link: https://calendly.com/afflatusmedia/seo-guru-hour  

Learn more about Afflatus Media: https://afflatusmedia.com
Email: dawn@afflatusmedia.com  

Virtual SEO GURU hours
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/754234128
Meeting ID: 754 234 128

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emily Gorrie is a Sales Strategist & Trainer who partners with CEOs and entrepreneurs to challenge their current way of thinking around selling and the sales process. She helps them clarify their objectives and intentions as well as develop strategic tools to create successful client interactions and to give their employees a path to success.  

Emily began her career by spending several years successfully achieving annual sales quotas of $2 to $15 million in traditional and digital media channels serving billion dollar CPG, Retail, Technology, and E-Commerce companies and their agency teams.  Some notable accounts include Church & Dwight, Sabra Dipping Co, Edible Arrangements, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

Having spent the last 8 years selling for and to major corporations, she has become intimately familiar with corporate strategies that lead to successful growth and sales achievements. This level of growth is achieved through deep thinking and insights that identify how to properly connect with customers in order to communicate value and foster a relationship that goes beyond the close of a deal.  

You may want to ask Emily questions related to:


- I get flustered when people ask me what I do. How can I simplify my message (or 'pitch') when meeting new people?

- I meet all these great people. How do I get them to buy my services?

- There is really strong initial interest in my work, but I can't seem to get people to make the investment in working with me. Why is that? What can I do to change that?

- I want to hire someone to handle business development and sales. Where do I begin?  

- I keep getting rejected when I finally bring up the costs of my services.  How can I overcome these objections?

- Instead of paying for my services, other business owners are recommending we trade our services.  How can I politely decline, but keep the door open to them paying for my services?

- What is a sales cycle and why do I need to know about it? 

- How can I maximize my reach and sell my products/services efficiently? 

Learn more about Emily or connect with her during her GURU hours, on the second and fourth Tuesday monthly from 12:30-2pm.

Website: www.empvpconsulting.com

Email: emily@emvpconsulting.com

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emily Gorrie is a Sales Strategist & Trainer who partners with CEOs and entrepreneurs to challenge their current way of thinking around selling and the sales process. She helps them clarify their objectives and intentions as well as develop strategic tools to create successful client interactions and to give their employees a path to success.  

Emily began her career by spending several years successfully achieving annual sales quotas of $2 to $15 million in traditional and digital media channels serving billion dollar CPG, Retail, Technology, and E-Commerce companies and their agency teams.  Some notable accounts include Church & Dwight, Sabra Dipping Co, Edible Arrangements, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

Having spent the last 8 years selling for and to major corporations, she has become intimately familiar with corporate strategies that lead to successful growth and sales achievements. This level of growth is achieved through deep thinking and insights that identify how to properly connect with customers in order to communicate value and foster a relationship that goes beyond the close of a deal.  

You may want to ask Emily questions related to:


- I get flustered when people ask me what I do. How can I simplify my message (or 'pitch') when meeting new people?

- I meet all these great people. How do I get them to buy my services?

- There is really strong initial interest in my work, but I can't seem to get people to make the investment in working with me. Why is that? What can I do to change that?

- I want to hire someone to handle business development and sales. Where do I begin?  

- I keep getting rejected when I finally bring up the costs of my services.  How can I overcome these objections?

- Instead of paying for my services, other business owners are recommending we trade our services.  How can I politely decline, but keep the door open to them paying for my services?

- What is a sales cycle and why do I need to know about it? 

- How can I maximize my reach and sell my products/services efficiently? 

** Emily has graciously volunteered to be available virtually every Tuesday during this challenging period for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Please use this scheduling link: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/appointment-scheduler/5e78eb19880f292dfdae3073/schedule  

Website: www.empvpconsulting.com

Email: emily@emvpconsulting.com

Hera Hub Carlsbad member Corry Lang is hosting a virtual 45-minute Hatha-Vinyasa flow on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/333228722) exclusively for Hera Hub members!

Open to all levels. Corry will guide us through meditation, pranayama (Yogic breathing), and a gentle yet invigorating and strengthening flow.

Yoga mat or beach towel encouraged. Props are optional.

Corry Lang is an emotional health coach, life coach, yoga instructor, nutritional consultant and author. Learn more about her at www.corrylang.com.

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________
With her extensive skill and experience in molecular biology, immunology and virology, registered Patent Attorney Dr. King helps companies protect their intellectual property. Dr. King represents and counsels clients in domestic and international patent and trademark prosecution, negotiation of patent licenses, and trademark coexistence agreements. She also represents clients in opposition and infringement cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and in Inter Partes Reviews in front of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Combining her law degree with her doctorate in Molecular Biology, Dr. King brings her legal expertise to bear on patent application preparation and prosecution, both foreign and domestic, in areas ranging from biotechnology, molecular biology, immunology and virology to diagnostics, medical devices, therapeutics, small molecules, and pharmaceuticals.

Example Questions:

1. What is the most cost-effective way to protect my idea?
2. What do I do if someone has taken my idea?
3. What is the best way to protect my name?
4. Should I get a copyright registration for my material?

I have over 10 years’ experience as a patent attorney. Before becoming an attorney, I obtained a doctorate degree in Molecular Biology, and a bachelor’s of science degree in Microbiology, as well as worked in the biotechnology industry for several years.

https://www.matrix.law/laura.html

Set up an appointment during her hours: laura@matrix.law

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________
Lucy Kelleher is the founder of Keep Them Loyal. In her "former" life as a litigation paralegal and elementary school teacher, she quickly learned how important building relationships was to a successful business. When she became a full-time entrepreneur, she realized that her relationships with clients and business partners was even more critical to her success. She no longer saw her contacts daily or even weekly! She had also started networking and needed to connect with potential referral partners and business resources. She began to create systems to ensure that she stayed connected as well as stayed “top of mind” to them.

She assists business owners grow their business by helping them build relationships with their clients and referral partners. We work one-on-one or in small groups to create their own client retention and referral programs by strategizing ways to stay connected.

What is a CRM? There are so many of them out there! How do I decide if I need one and then which one do I choose? Do they all cost money?

I have a stack of business cards from various events I have attended. What do I do with that stack of business cards?

I'm feeling overwhelmed that I am not handling the clients and leads that I have now - I'm hesitating in attending events and meeting new people. If I can't handle what I already have, how can I take on anything new?

What's a follow up process? How do I follow up? I can't meet everyone for coffee or talk to everyone I meet one-on-one. How do I decide who to meet and follow up with?

I network but I'm not getting anything out of it. What should I be doing?

Learn more about Lucy or connect with her during her GURU hours, on the first and third Wednesday monthly from 9:30-11am. These are open hours, but if you would like to lock in your time with Lucy, please use this optional scheduling link: https://calendly.com/lucykelleher/guru20min

Website: http://www.keepthemloyal.com/

Email: lucy@keepthemloyal.com

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________
As a fellow entrepreneur, Renie has the knowledge, understanding and passion required to help and care for the various needs an entrepreneur faces on a daily basis. Throughout her career, she has focused on assisting the small business owner, working with individual entrepreneurs, small businesses, and middle market companies in various industries. Her litigation background gives her an edge as she can draft agreements and negotiate transactions for you with dispute avoidance in mind.

You may want to ask questions related to:
What business form is best for my business?
Is my business ready to grow and what kind of investor would be a good fit for me and my company?
What is my personal liability for actions I take as an entrepreneur and what do I need to do to protect myself?
How can I efficiently and economically handle any business dispute that may arise?
Do I need to take any preventative law measures to protect my business from harm and to allow for growth and profitability?

_________________________________________________________________________

Renie Leakakos, Esq. is a detail oriented and entrepreneurial leader who has worked in various business settings as an attorney, manager, sales and marketing professional. Originally from Chicago, she moved to Southern California to study business management and psychology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She went on to study law at Loyola Law School. Not only does Renie have “traditional” attorney work experience in a law firm setting as an associate and managing partner, she also has extensive hands on experience working in the corporate arena in sales and marketing. Her expertise is in corporate formation and compliance, contract negotiation, investment due diligence, business transactions and real property law.

This will be a virtual Business Booster. Tune in here:

https://zoom.us/j/333228722

Are you confused about marketing? Do you feel overwhelmed? In this Business Booster, digital marketing expert Kendra Williams will help you fine-tune and maximize your marketing in today's climate.

Most business owners are not marketers, and even if they are, it is often difficult to look objectively at your marketing. Have you been challenged with reaching your consumers? Are sales lagging? Do you just need some new creativity to push your business to the next level? This Business Booster will start you thinking about how to maximize your marketing.

Kendra will help you:

- Discover your key consumer and secondary consumer

- Determine their needs

- How you fill those needs

- Why they should choose you

- Start the process to communicating that information to your consumers

Kendra Williams is the founder of Innovate Marketing, a digital marketing and eCommerce consulting firm dedicated to helping companies—in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and other industries—develop and execute retail, eCommerce, and omnichannel strategies. With over 20 years of experience in both brick and mortar and eCommerce, she helps businesses bridge the gap between a traditional retail presence and an online presence. Learn more about her at InnovateMarketing.com

Please join us virtually for Writers’ Lounge every Wednesday!

This event is for members to carve out the time and space to work on their own blog, book, bio... or anything!

Each week one of our professional writers will be on site to help give you input/feedback. Simply write alone or swap writing projects with others.

Be encouraged, inspired, and held accountable by your peers! What else will get you writing regularly?

https://zoom.us/j/8864732140

*This event is open to any member who is making or has made the transition from solopreneur to team leader for her business.*

At Hera Hub Carlsbad, we strive to serve members in all phases of business ownership. We have identified a need in members who have graduated from being the only person working both in and on their business to hiring contractors or employees. Being a team leader whose goal it is to work ON rather than IN the business comes with an entirely new set of challenges and required skills. The From Solo[preneur] to Scaled Sub-Hub is new group of similarly-situated members within our community who meet regularly to share ideas, support, and educate each other on the path to becoming true CEOs of their businesses.

Come to this planning mastermind meeting to set forth what you'd like to gain from this new Sub-Hub and how you think the members in our community who have scaled their businesses can support each other. Lisane Basquiat will lead the meeting and the goal is to hear from YOU about how Hera Hub can support you as you scale, topics for discussion, use of the Facebook group, etc. Any and all members who think they would benefit from the From Solo[preneur] to Scaled Sub-Hub are welcome to attend!

**We also have a From Solo[preneur] to Scaled Sub-Hub Facebook group in which you can ask questions, share resources, and get to know the other members. Please contact Tamina to request access to the Sub-Hub group!**

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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Carmen has been working for over 20 years in Project and Program Management, and is now bringing her goal-setting, planning, and implementation skills to others by teaching the SMART goal methodology. During her years managing strategy consulting and technology projects, she found her greatest rewards came from mentoring and training other staff and peers, and driving action planning and tangible results for her team, and for her clients. She is excited to bring her unique skills and passion to help others easily clarify and define goals to help accomplish great results them quicker and more efficiently.

Carmen Proctor is a certified Project Management Professional who has been decades of experience in Business Consulting, Program and Program Management. She has developed her expertise by providing process improvement for large and small organizations by learning best practices, which gave her a first introduction to SMART goals. More recently, she has worked with small businesses in consulting engagements to help them define streamlined processes with the goal of creating consistency in the delivery of services and improving customer satisfaction, leading to repeat business and growing the team.

Carmen has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Project Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She has also volunteered for the Carlsbad Unified Schools, First Lego League coaching, and Girls Inc. of San Diego, providing guidance and advice on goal setting, workflow processes, and selection of technology for specific business needs.

You may want to ask Carmen questions related to:

- I have goals I want to achieve but I don't know how to get started.

- How do I make sure to keep myself accountable and motivated so I can be excited about making progress?

- I have tried setting goals before and I don't think it's helped. What am I missing?

- I need help figuring out how to prioritize my work to maximize the impact on my business or my personal life.

Learn more about Carmen or connect with her during her GURU hours, on the first and third Thursday monthly from 9am - 11am. You can reserve your time with her using this scheduling link: https://calendly.com/carmen-goals-guru/30min

Website: www.teensmartgoals.com

Email: Carmen@TeenSmartGoals.com

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________
Juju Hook is a brand strategist, author, coach, and speaker dedicated to rebranding middle age for women. Over thirty years, Juju has built brands for businesses from Fortune 500 companies to one-woman shows. She spent her early career as a marketing executive–first in the financial industry and then for Jacuzzi Intl–before owning and operating her own branding agency for nearly 15 years. Today, she has an online branding program designed specifically for entrepreneurs, and coaches women in building Unforgettable brands that lead to bottom line results and lives that make them want to jump out of bed in the morning. She has a branding blog at strategicjuju.com and a blog for midlife women at JujuHook.com, and a following of nearly 50,000. In 2017, Juju published her first book, “Hot Flashes, Carpools, and Dirty Martinis–the Quintessential Guide for Turning Midlife into PrimeTime,” and currently speaks from stage about why midlife, for women, is PrimeTime.

Questions you may want to ask JuJu include:

-How can I differentiate my business and make it stand out?
-How do you write a tagline?
-How can I articulate what I do? (I can’t seem to explain it to people or say it in a few words.)
-How can I develop a values-based brand?

What makes JuJu an expert GURU?

30 years’ experience–13 as an executive, 15 as an agency owner, and 2 as an online course provider and coach. Branding has been her life.

Website: strategicjuju.com

Email: julia@strategicjuju.com

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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Hera Hub GURU Valerie Grant has two decades of fundraising experience, helping obtain millions of dollars in funding for organizations across the globe. She is the principal owner of Grant Consulting Services LLC., a fundraising consulting firm, and as President of the Grant Professionals Association, San Diego Chapter, she is recognized in the community as a funding expert. Collectively, her team has 33 years of funding development experience and is committed to positively impacting organizations through funding development work.

Valerie is passionate about helping people and organizations to utilize available resources, including aiding private small and women-owned businesses in searching and applying for government contracts. She also assists nonprofit organizations through project development, comprehensive funding searches, expert grant management, and professional grant proposal writing services. She has secured funding for clients in the youth development, education, and human services fields from government, corporate and foundation funding sources.

Questions you may want to ask Valerie include:
- Is my business or organization eligible for grants or government contracts?
- What is the process to find and obtain grants and/or contracts?
- How do I cut through the red tape and obtain contracts with the government?
- Should my business become certified and why?

Valerie has a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Baker College in Flint, MI, and studied Social Work for two years at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, VA. At Grant Consulting Services, she practices what she preaches by helping others. Some of Valerie’s community involvement and volunteer work includes:
KOCT Board of Directors
Fashionkind Board of Directors
Grant Professionals Association San Diego County Chapter-President
North County Philanthropy Council-Mentor

Website: www.grantconsultingservices.com
Email: Valerie@grantconsultingservices.com

Just because we can't meet in person does not mean that we can't network with other! Let's seize this opportunity to get to know other Hera Hub Carlsbad members and their businesses, and see how we can help each other survive and thrive in this uncertain time. The connections we make now can serve us long after coronavirus is gone.

This weekly meeting is open to any Hera Hub Carlsbad member who is interested in connecting with, learning from, and supporting other members.

Each meeting will have a group leader who will host the meeting in a round-table format with a mix of icebreaker/getting-to-know-you questions (e.g. "Would you rather...?" or "What's your fave...?") and business-related questions (e.g. "What is your ask from the group?" or "What are you looking forward to in your business?"). The meeting will last for one hour. You are welcome to attend weekly or just attend whenever you can!  

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may want to ask Lindsay questions related to:

- What should my tax position be in the coming year?
- How can I begin to build my bookkeeping and accounting needs for myself and my business?
- Am I compliant with the new AB5 independent contractor tax laws moving forward? If not, how can I become compliant?
- How do I set up a business entity?
- What entity is right for me?  

Learn more about Lindsay or connect with her during her GURU hours, on the third Tuesday monthly from 10:30am - 12:30pm.

Website: wileyfinancialinc.com

- Open to Members and Non-Members -
Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

Dawn DeSantis, founder and CEO of Afflatus Media, is an SEO and inbound marketing specialist who helps businesses thrive online. Afflatus Media provides Search Engine Optimization services, inbound content marketing, social media management and website design and development.

Living in a relationship-driven economy where 90% of research begins with an online search, Afflatus Media equips your business with the marketing, tech and SEO strategies needed to reach your target audience.

Dawn is an ‘early adopter’ and her genuine curiosity combined with her innate ability to learn new software keeps her on the cutting edge, continuously adding new professional skills and tech solutions for growing businesses. A tenacious problem solver, she finds great satisfaction in helping business owners overcome the technical and implementation hurdles that so often stand in the way of growing and succeeding in business.

Questions you might ask Dawn during her GURU hours:
- How to speed up a slow website
- How to improve SEO and get your website to show up on page 1 of Google
- How to install Facebook pixel, Google Analytics, or Google Ads tracking codes
- How to set up Google My Business
- How to take a website backup/how to restore a backup
- Which software and tools best help you achieve your marketing goals
-  have a face-to-face business that I need to bring online. What are my next steps?

A huge part of Dawn’s work includes sorting through various clients’ business and technical structures, untangling the webs, optimizing their software, website, and other marketing tools for high speed and low drag. Dawn and her team are highly proficient at learning and adapting to any software due to clients’ needs. By providing their own servers, Dawn and her team manage multiple websites with thousands of monthly visitors, launch and manage multiple clients’ podcasts and run and manage ads on various platforms.

Learn more about Dawn or connect with her during her GURU hours, every Tuesday from 12-1pm. These are open hours, but if you would like to lock in your time with Dawn, please use this optional scheduling link: https://calendly.com/afflatusmedia/seo-guru-hour  

Learn more about Afflatus Media: https://afflatusmedia.com
Email: dawn@afflatusmedia.com  

Virtual SEO GURU hours
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/754234128
Meeting ID: 754 234 128

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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Emily Gorrie is a Sales Strategist & Trainer who partners with CEOs and entrepreneurs to challenge their current way of thinking around selling and the sales process. She helps them clarify their objectives and intentions as well as develop strategic tools to create successful client interactions and to give their employees a path to success.  

Emily began her career by spending several years successfully achieving annual sales quotas of $2 to $15 million in traditional and digital media channels serving billion dollar CPG, Retail, Technology, and E-Commerce companies and their agency teams.  Some notable accounts include Church & Dwight, Sabra Dipping Co, Edible Arrangements, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

Having spent the last 8 years selling for and to major corporations, she has become intimately familiar with corporate strategies that lead to successful growth and sales achievements. This level of growth is achieved through deep thinking and insights that identify how to properly connect with customers in order to communicate value and foster a relationship that goes beyond the close of a deal.  

You may want to ask Emily questions related to:


- I get flustered when people ask me what I do. How can I simplify my message (or 'pitch') when meeting new people?

- I meet all these great people. How do I get them to buy my services?

- There is really strong initial interest in my work, but I can't seem to get people to make the investment in working with me. Why is that? What can I do to change that?

- I want to hire someone to handle business development and sales. Where do I begin?  

- I keep getting rejected when I finally bring up the costs of my services.  How can I overcome these objections?

- Instead of paying for my services, other business owners are recommending we trade our services.  How can I politely decline, but keep the door open to them paying for my services?

- What is a sales cycle and why do I need to know about it? 

- How can I maximize my reach and sell my products/services efficiently? 

** Emily has graciously volunteered to be available virtually every Tuesday during this challenging period for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Please use this scheduling link: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/appointment-scheduler/5e78eb19880f292dfdae3073/schedule  

Website: www.empvpconsulting.com

Email: emily@emvpconsulting.com

Hera Hub Carlsbad member Corry Lang is hosting a virtual 45-minute Hatha-Vinyasa flow on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/333228722) exclusively for Hera Hub members!

Open to all levels. Corry will guide us through meditation, pranayama (Yogic breathing), and a gentle yet invigorating and strengthening flow.

Yoga mat or beach towel encouraged. Props are optional.

Corry Lang is an emotional health coach, life coach, yoga instructor, nutritional consultant and author. Learn more about her at www.corrylang.com.

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________
With her extensive skill and experience in molecular biology, immunology and virology, registered Patent Attorney Dr. King helps companies protect their intellectual property. Dr. King represents and counsels clients in domestic and international patent and trademark prosecution, negotiation of patent licenses, and trademark coexistence agreements. She also represents clients in opposition and infringement cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and in Inter Partes Reviews in front of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Combining her law degree with her doctorate in Molecular Biology, Dr. King brings her legal expertise to bear on patent application preparation and prosecution, both foreign and domestic, in areas ranging from biotechnology, molecular biology, immunology and virology to diagnostics, medical devices, therapeutics, small molecules, and pharmaceuticals.

Example Questions:

1. What is the most cost-effective way to protect my idea?
2. What do I do if someone has taken my idea?
3. What is the best way to protect my name?
4. Should I get a copyright registration for my material?

I have over 10 years’ experience as a patent attorney. Before becoming an attorney, I obtained a doctorate degree in Molecular Biology, and a bachelor’s of science degree in Microbiology, as well as worked in the biotechnology industry for several years.

https://www.matrix.law/laura.html

Set up an appointment during her hours: laura@matrix.law

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

____________________________________________

As one of the foremost branding photographers and image-based branding strategists in San Diego, Nikkie Achartz has leveraged her background in psychology, marketing, and sales, to help hundreds of entrepreneurs create a visual brand that boosts relationships, referrals, and revenue.

Beyond photography, Nikkie helps clients develop a comprehensive visual marketing and sales strategy that integrates the right mix of psycho-graphic behavioral profiling, impact driven images, and sales model development to build the KNOW ⇨ LIKE ⇨ TRUST ⇨ BUY relationship. She believes sustained profitability is a result of strong brands, strong buying triggers, and a streamlined sales conversion process.

You may want to ask Nikkie questions related to:

- Guidance in helping you identify a target market that will properly value your services – If I “niche” will I be leaving money on the table from other potential sources?
- Identifying the compelling fears, pains, and desires of your ideal client – How are you ideally positioned to meet the needs/wants of your target audience?
- Support matching your brand with the ideal target market – Do you want high end clients, but have a bargain basement brand?
- Understanding how much time you must spend “on” your business vs. “in” your business – How do you get off the feast-famine income roller coaster that often comes with a service-based business?
- Understanding your revenue funnel and how to move potential clients from “hello” to bigger ticket packages – How are you converting inquiries to income in a way that allows prospects to easily “buy in” to your services without causing instant sticker shock?
- Ways to add value so you don’t get caught in the discounting trap – In what ways are you standing out in the crowd of your competitors without engaging in a “race to the bottom” pricing plan?

Website: www.SNAPSavvyStrategies.com

Email: nikkie@SNAPSavvyStrategies.com

Please join us virtually for Writers’ Lounge every Wednesday!

This event is for members to carve out the time and space to work on their own blog, book, bio... or anything!

Each week one of our professional writers will be on site to help give you input/feedback. Simply write alone or swap writing projects with others.

Be encouraged, inspired, and held accountable by your peers! What else will get you writing regularly?

https://zoom.us/j/8864732140

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jessica Hornbeck is a seasoned entrepreneur with over twenty years experience navigating corporate, nonprofit and small business organizations with such fervor that she has been able to boil down lessons learned into a thoughtful and easy-to-grasp approach that has created value add for her clients, team, and community. A "big picture thinker," Jessica thrives on working with business owners to build financial systems and workflow foundations to help them do more with less; maximize their limited time; and grow both their income and freedom.  

You may want to ask Jessica questions related to:

Learn more about Jessica and connect with her during her GURU hours, on the second and fourth Thursdays monthly from 12-2pm.

Website: bigpicresults.com

Email: jessica@bigpicturebookkeeping.com

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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After spending the majority of her professional career as an HR Leader in various startup and non-profit organizations, Hera Hub GURU Cheryl St. Cyr embarked on a new journey as an HR Consultant with a few trusted and talented colleagues - and never looked back! In this new direction, Cheryl has had the opportunity to collaborate with accomplished and brilliant professionals, all working towards the same goal of creating the most efficient business processes possible.

Cheryl is obsessed with structure and problem (read: puzzle) solving, and both skills lend themselves well to the world of people culture and human capital compliance. Smart business owners recognize the part their people play in synergistically making them the top choice for their customers. Cheryl partners with leaders to not only take the worry out of managing the complex world of employment, but also to provide insight and strategy for culture definition and improvement. Cheryl is a Thought Leader in the People and Culture movement but understands the paperwork and policies needed to have flawless execution in order to support the vision.

You may want to ask Cheryl questions related to:

* What documentation, posters, practices, and procedures do I need to have in place as a business owner to maintain compliance with state and federal laws?

* Why does my small business need a Company Handbook? Job Descriptions? Mission, vision, and values? Performance management process?

* How do I start a/multiple benefits program(s) for my team members? Medical, dental, vision?401k? Health and wellness? Professional development?

* What are key components to team member retention and acquisition? Sourcing ideas? Non-monetary incentives? Culture and branding opportunities?

* How can I better structure my organization in order to optimize workflow and communication dissemination?

Cheryl has experience in the following areas:

Conflict resolution • Grievance processes • Internal investigations • Management-employee communications • Onboarding and offboarding procedures • Employee paperwork • Handbook creation and updates • Performance management • Professional development and planning • Intranet structures • HRIS implementation and administration • Full-cycle recruiting • Retention strategies • Salary reviews and compensation analysis • Benefits administration • Job descriptions and profiles • Succession planning • Payroll setup and administration • Bonus structures • Company branding strategies • Executive and leadership coaching • Non-monetary rewards and benefits • State and local employment law compliance • Workers’ compensation claims • HR file records and retention policies • HR audits • Interim HR leadership • FMLA/LOA/CFRA/PDL administration • Mission, Vision, Values creation facilitation • Diversity and inclusion strategies • Skills assessments • Wellness programs • Employee engagement and satisfaction surveys and action plans

Learn more about Cheryl or connect with her during her GURU hours, on the second and fourth Thursdays monthly from 1-2pm.

Website: www.linkedin.com/in/cherylstcyr/

Email: cherylmstcyr@gmail.com

Time to Get $h!t Done!

On the last Friday of every month, the conference room is reserved for the entire day so you can get your $h!t done. No brainstorming or masterminding. Just getting down and dirty with your productivity.

Members are encouraged (but not required) to write their goals for the day on the whiteboard, then share what they were able to accomplish at the close of the day. Drop-ins are welcome too!

We hope to see you there and are excited about what you can accomplish with this special time reserved for your productivity with the contagious energy of women getting their $h!t done!

*Feel free to bring some munchies or brain food to share!*

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Learn more about Mary Ann or connect with her during her GURU hours, on the fourth Tuesday monthly from 10am - 12pm. 

 Website: ConoverPR.com

Just because we can't meet in person does not mean that we can't network with other! Let's seize this opportunity to get to know other Hera Hub Carlsbad members and their businesses, and see how we can help each other survive and thrive in this uncertain time. The connections we make now can serve us long after coronavirus is gone.

This weekly meeting is open to any Hera Hub Carlsbad member who is interested in connecting with, learning from, and supporting other members.

Each meeting will have a group leader who will host the meeting in a round-table format with a mix of icebreaker/getting-to-know-you questions (e.g. "Would you rather...?" or "What's your fave...?") and business-related questions (e.g. "What is your ask from the group?" or "What are you looking forward to in your business?"). The meeting will last for one hour. You are welcome to attend weekly or just attend whenever you can!  

- Open to Members and Non-Members -
Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

Dawn DeSantis, founder and CEO of Afflatus Media, is an SEO and inbound marketing specialist who helps businesses thrive online. Afflatus Media provides Search Engine Optimization services, inbound content marketing, social media management and website design and development.

Living in a relationship-driven economy where 90% of research begins with an online search, Afflatus Media equips your business with the marketing, tech and SEO strategies needed to reach your target audience.

Dawn is an ‘early adopter’ and her genuine curiosity combined with her innate ability to learn new software keeps her on the cutting edge, continuously adding new professional skills and tech solutions for growing businesses. A tenacious problem solver, she finds great satisfaction in helping business owners overcome the technical and implementation hurdles that so often stand in the way of growing and succeeding in business.

Questions you might ask Dawn during her GURU hours:
- How to speed up a slow website
- How to improve SEO and get your website to show up on page 1 of Google
- How to install Facebook pixel, Google Analytics, or Google Ads tracking codes
- How to set up Google My Business
- How to take a website backup/how to restore a backup
- Which software and tools best help you achieve your marketing goals
-  have a face-to-face business that I need to bring online. What are my next steps?

A huge part of Dawn’s work includes sorting through various clients’ business and technical structures, untangling the webs, optimizing their software, website, and other marketing tools for high speed and low drag. Dawn and her team are highly proficient at learning and adapting to any software due to clients’ needs. By providing their own servers, Dawn and her team manage multiple websites with thousands of monthly visitors, launch and manage multiple clients’ podcasts and run and manage ads on various platforms.

Learn more about Dawn or connect with her during her GURU hours, every Tuesday from 12-1pm. These are open hours, but if you would like to lock in your time with Dawn, please use this optional scheduling link: https://calendly.com/afflatusmedia/seo-guru-hour  

Learn more about Afflatus Media: https://afflatusmedia.com
Email: dawn@afflatusmedia.com  

Virtual SEO GURU hours
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/754234128
Meeting ID: 754 234 128

- Open to Members and Non-Members -

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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Emily Gorrie is a Sales Strategist & Trainer who partners with CEOs and entrepreneurs to challenge their current way of thinking around selling and the sales process. She helps them clarify their objectives and intentions as well as develop strategic tools to create successful client interactions and to give their employees a path to success.  

Emily began her career by spending several years successfully achieving annual sales quotas of $2 to $15 million in traditional and digital media channels serving billion dollar CPG, Retail, Technology, and E-Commerce companies and their agency teams.  Some notable accounts include Church & Dwight, Sabra Dipping Co, Edible Arrangements, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

Having spent the last 8 years selling for and to major corporations, she has become intimately familiar with corporate strategies that lead to successful growth and sales achievements. This level of growth is achieved through deep thinking and insights that identify how to properly connect with customers in order to communicate value and foster a relationship that goes beyond the close of a deal.  

You may want to ask Emily questions related to:


- I get flustered when people ask me what I do. How can I simplify my message (or 'pitch') when meeting new people?

- I meet all these great people. How do I get them to buy my services?

- There is really strong initial interest in my work, but I can't seem to get people to make the investment in working with me. Why is that? What can I do to change that?

- I want to hire someone to handle business development and sales. Where do I begin?  

- I keep getting rejected when I finally bring up the costs of my services.  How can I overcome these objections?

- Instead of paying for my services, other business owners are recommending we trade our services.  How can I politely decline, but keep the door open to them paying for my services?

- What is a sales cycle and why do I need to know about it? 

- How can I maximize my reach and sell my products/services efficiently? 

** Emily has graciously volunteered to be available virtually every Tuesday during this challenging period for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Please use this scheduling link: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/appointment-scheduler/5e78eb19880f292dfdae3073/schedule  

Website: www.empvpconsulting.com

Email: emily@emvpconsulting.com

Hera Hub Carlsbad member Corry Lang is hosting a virtual 45-minute Hatha-Vinyasa flow on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/333228722) exclusively for Hera Hub members!

Open to all levels. Corry will guide us through meditation, pranayama (Yogic breathing), and a gentle yet invigorating and strengthening flow.

Yoga mat or beach towel encouraged. Props are optional.

Corry Lang is an emotional health coach, life coach, yoga instructor, nutritional consultant and author. Learn more about her at www.corrylang.com.

Hera Hub GURUs are subject matter experts who donate their time to meet one-on-one with local entrepreneurs (members and non-members welcome) to answer questions they may have on a variety of topics related to their field. Think of it like “office hours” with your professor. It’s a great way to get free mentoring and advice from business experts. Just drop by during GURU hours, no appointment necessary!

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With her extensive skill and experience in molecular biology, immunology and virology, registered Patent Attorney Dr. King helps companies protect their intellectual property. Dr. King represents and counsels clients in domestic and international patent and trademark prosecution, negotiation of patent licenses, and trademark coexistence agreements. She also represents clients in opposition and infringement cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and in Inter Partes Reviews in front of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Combining her law degree with her doctorate in Molecular Biology, Dr. King brings her legal expertise to bear on patent application preparation and prosecution, both foreign and domestic, in areas ranging from biotechnology, molecular biology, immunology and virology to diagnostics, medical devices, therapeutics, small molecules, and pharmaceuticals.

Example Questions:

1. What is the most cost-effective way to protect my idea?
2. What do I do if someone has taken my idea?
3. What is the best way to protect my name?
4. Should I get a copyright registration for my material?

I have over 10 years’ experience as a patent attorney. Before becoming an attorney, I obtained a doctorate degree in Molecular Biology, and a bachelor’s of science degree in Microbiology, as well as worked in the biotechnology industry for several years.

https://www.matrix.law/laura.html

Set up an appointment during her hours: laura@matrix.law

Please join us virtually for Writers’ Lounge every Wednesday!

This event is for members to carve out the time and space to work on their own blog, book, bio... or anything!

Each week one of our professional writers will be on site to help give you input/feedback. Simply write alone or swap writing projects with others.

Be encouraged, inspired, and held accountable by your peers! What else will get you writing regularly?

https://zoom.us/j/8864732140