Members and guests of NAPW Jacksonville, FL Local Chapter gathered on February 11th for a professional networking meeting.
Guest speaker Cindy Glover, Owner of Fireflies Gardens and Flowers, a unique garden and gift shop located in Jacksonville, spoke to the group of professional women about the successful business she established 18 months ago.
Attendees also spent time discussing the Chapters many ongoing charitable endeavors.
Jenni Edwards, Jacksonville Local Chapter President, warmly welcomed the nearly 25 members and guests to the monthly networking meeting.
I just want to remind everyone how far our Chapter has come, and about our Chapters goal to make a difference in the lives of our members, as well as women and children in our community, she told the audience.
The Chapter President then introduced the much anticipated guest speaker, Cindy Glover. Cindy is the owner of a popular local shop, Fireflies Gardens and Flowers, which she opened only a short 18 months ago. Cindy told the crowd that she attributes her success to dedication, hard work, and passion.
I love what I do! she exclaimed to the attendees.
Cindy got her start years ago selling roses to her husbands Harvard Business School classmates. After relocating to Jacksonville, she happened upon a garden shop that needed some TLC.
After securing the space, she opened up the shop and hasnt looked back since. In the past year and a half, Cindy has been asked to provide floral arrangements for numerous high profile events, including, most recently, the St. Vincents Red Rose Ball. She prides herself on service with a smile and doesnt let anyone leave her shop empty handed, whether that means giving them flowers from a recent function, or eggs from the hens she keeps on site.
Cindy wasnt about to let meeting attendees leave empty handed either; some women left with creative centerpieces made of vegetables and flowers, while other left with fresh eggs or arrangements created in a mug! said Jenni.
Cindy was a great inspiration to the group, and she said she would like to join the Jacksonville Chapter as a member!
The group of professional women then began a discussion of the Chapters charitable endeavors for the year. The Chapters Charitable Acts Committee has decided to hold multiple modest-sized events to benefit Girls, Inc., the Chapters focus charity for 2013.
The first event is a fashion show Dress for Success and will be held Thursday April 18th at SUITE at Town Center. The event will coincide with their weekly Ladies Night, and $ 5 of each $ 8 cover charge will go to the NAPW Jacksonville Chapter in support of Girls, Inc.
Additional funds will be raised through raffle items. Each item must be valued at no less than $ 50. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the separate raffle for a Kate Spade Bag, valued at $ 258, will go to Girls, Inc. Raffle tickets are $ 10 each; five for $ 45 or ten for $ 90. The winner does not have to be present to win.
Table sponsorship is available for the event, with two small tables at $ 50 each and two large tables at $ 100 each. The prices include drink tickets and marketing exposure, as well as a guaranteed place to sit.
Multiple local clothing boutiques are being asked to participate, and should bring six outfits (while expecting to show three of them).
Chapter member MaryBeth Murray offered to provide jewelry by Sara Blaine Jewelry for Willow House and member Cheri Jones offered to contact a friend who owns the Olsenhaus shoe company.
Girls, Inc. is always in need of funds and volunteers; their upcoming Daddy Daughter Dance on February 23rd is a great opportunity for Chapter members to get involved with our focus charity and give back to their community, Chapter President Jenni told the crowd.
Two Chapter initiatives, The Gratitude Jar and Change for Change Jar, are both proving to be a success. The Gratitude Jar is filling up with notes of members achievements.
The meeting attendees more than doubled last months donations in the Change for Change Jar.
The funds for January, February, and March meetings will be donated to K9s for Warriors, and the Chapter will select a new charity to support for the second quarter. Several attendees also brought gently used professional clothing to donate to the women of Hubbard House, a local nonprofit that works to support victims of domestic abuse.
Chapter member Kelly Bush mentioned a suggestion for another fundraiser, a No-Bake Bake Sale. The concept is to save the money that would have been spent on time and materials to bake an item, and instead donate that money to the charity.
The idea was well-received by the group and the June meeting was designated as the date of the Sale. The thought of including a picture of the item that the donation represents in their envelope was also well-received.
The Chapter President reminded attendees that Trudy Pascucci, Shades of Pink Magazine, is still offering special pricing for advertising in the magazine to NAPW Jacksonville Chapter members. She will generously donate $ 10 per each advertisement purchased by a Chapter member to charity.
An announcement was made by Jenni that the NAPW Jacksonville Chapter is still in the running for the Buzz Award.
Jenni reminded everyone to make sure their NAPW profiles are complete, and that they interact with the Chapters Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn Social Media Pages frequently.
She also encouraged everyone to share information regarding charitable acts theyre participating in because the Chapter is also in the running for the Charitable Acts Award. Both awards are from NAPW National Headquarters.
Jenni, as well as Chapter members Becky Brothers and Leah Zimmer, have purchased their plane tickets for the 2013 NAPW National Networking Conference in April, where the award recipients will be announced.
I encourage all Chapter members to purchase your tickets to this exciting annual event soon, to take advantage of low prices, she said.
Many members have asked for the contact information of the Chapter Officers, and that information was provided in the evenings handouts. The position of Vice President of Hospitality is now open and needs to be filled quickly.
At the end of the meeting, the Chapter President once again thanked everyone for coming and asked for another round of applause for the guest speaker, Cindy Glover.
The group of professional women gathered for a quick group photo and to share last minute pleasantries with one another.
The Jacksonville Local Chapters next meeting is Monday March 11th at 6:00pm at Coldwell Banker Commercial Offices, 4348 Southpoint Blvd., Suite 310 in Jacksonville.
The National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) is the largest and most recognized network of female professionals. NAPW provides a forum where women can interact, exchange ideas, educate, network, and empower. NAPW Local Chapters allow members to maximize their experience through meetings, networking opportunities, and professional events.
For additional information regarding the NAPW Jacksonville, FL Local Chapter and/or NAPW, please visit http://www.napw.com.
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Orignal From: Professional Women of Jacksonville, FL Got Inspired by Local Business Owner at February NAPW Jacksonville Chapter Event
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