New Retail Sales Associate Program

WithIt is making it easier for retail sales associates to fine-tune their leadership skills, network with professionals, and participate in local home and furnishings events. Under a new Retail Sales Associate Member program, qualified sales associates can join WithIt for a fraction of the full membership price.

By joining at the special $50 level, RSA WithIt members will earn tangible benefits, including free access to WithIt's business webinars in 2011 (each a $35 value); the opportunity to connect with women across North America; a subscription to the monthly e-newsletter and other e-mailings; access to local events; a profile posting at WithIt.org; job opening alerts; and access to the WithIt members-only directory. A sense of belonging, however, may be RSA members' most cherished benefit.

"WithIt membership will open doors for retail sales associates who may long for involvement that reaches beyond their network of colleagues and the perimeter of a store," says WithIt 2011 President Mary Leigh Howell. "By joining WithIt at the RSA level, sales associates earn access to the people and resources they need for leadership development and career advancement."

Retail sales associates can sign up at www.withit.org.

WithIt is providing a way for its members and non-members to invest in their leaders through the Coach² raffle. Here's how it works:

The winning raffle ticket earns individual or group leadership development and coaching sessions with highly regarded business coach Shannon Schultz principal of Schultz Consulting Group and founder of the Affinity Leadership Group, (and the Coach handbag shown sbove!). The winner will choose one of three prize options:

Team coaching for between 5-8 people ($3,500 value) ... this program is designed to re-calibrate an already high-performing team in order to leverage more of members' strengths. This prize is a one-day, on-site team-building session, as well as a pre-session team assessment exercise.

Individual leadership development for up to five people ($9,950 value)... these sessions provide to a team or high-potential managers a personal effectiveness boost. This prize option includes a three-hour experiential leadership workshop, individual coaching sessions, and a pre-workshop assessment exercise. 

Individual leadership development for one person ($3,100 value) ... this format gives one high-potential professional the gift of personalized, leadership development coaching, including the Leadership Circle Profile ^TM assessment and debriefing, and individual coaching sessions.

Nominations
Due Soon

Nominations for the annual WOW Awards are being accepted through April 15. Both WithIt members and non-members are asked to submit a candidate for review for any of the five WOW Awards, including the new Leadership Award. The options are:

LEGACY AWARD-For a woman of achievement who has made significant lifetime contributions to the home furnishings industry.

MENTORING AWARD-For an executive or organization that has fostered advocacy, development or promotion of women in their company.

EDUCATION AWARD-For an executive or company which has developed programs to educate associates, retailers or consumers about home furnishings.

LEADERSHIP AWARD-For a woman 40 or over who has demonstrated successful leadership in her company, in WithIt, and/or in the home furnishings industry.

FUTURE LEADER AWARD-For a woman 40 or under who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and the potential to become an industry leader.

To qualify for an award, nominees must have at least five years of industry experience and demonstrate a significant impact on his/her company and/or the industry. A nomination form is located at WithIt.org. (Nominees must consent to the nomination prior to the submission of a nominating form.)

WOW Awards will be announced Aug. 24 at a dinner during "Wisdom, Work, Wealth: Winning Insights to Reshape Your World," WithIt's annual professional conference. The conference will be held Aug. 23-25 at the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel in Raleigh, NC.

NY Design Tour

The deadline to register to attend WithIt's annual New York Design Tour is April 15. The Tour, May 14-17, will kick off with a cocktail party on Saturday, May 14.

WithIt attendees will enjoy an exclusive tour of the special pavilions at New York's International Contemporary Furniture Fair on Sunday, May 15.

On Monday, May 16, events include a 2012 trends presentation by StyleSight.com, which will address design trends including how new shifts in consumer behavior will impact everything from palettes and shapes to material choices and fine details.

The May 16 festivities continue during the "Inside Design" studio tours, which grant insider access to WithIt tour attendees. The tour will wrap Monday night with a special retail cocktail party and WithIt-hosted dinner for the group.

The cost is $175 for WithIt members; $225 for non-members; and $100 for one-day attendance on the day of your choice. For additional information, visit www.withit.org.

Cotton count? Yarn denier? Thread count? WithIt members are invited to deepen their understanding of fiber, yarn and fabric concepts by attending the Textiles 101 classes being offered at the Textile Technology Center in Belmont, NC, (about 10 minutes west of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport). And two lucky WithIt members will win a gratis pass to attend an upcoming session.

Designers, stylists, marketing, manufacturing and other home and furnishings professionals will gain a good foundation on textile terminology and textile concepts during the Textile Technology Center's four-hour class. Attendees will participate in hands-on fabric analysis and learn about fiber production, spun yarn properties, woven fabric design, dyeing and finishing processes, and more.

Upcoming sessions, which are $95 per person, are scheduled for Friday, April 1; Wednesday, May 4; and Friday, June 3. For more information, visit  www.gaston.edu/textile_center, or call 704-825-3737, ext. 254.

Special offer: Like WithIt's facebook page, by April 15, and post a message on the WithIt wall explaining how WithIt has helped you become a leader. Two randomly selected WithIt members who post to the WithIt wall will win.

 

Trend Curve Discount

Trend Curve™, a newsletter packed with need-to-know details that are guaranteed to keep you a step ahead of the competition, is offering a 25 percent discount for one year to WithIt members.

In addition to updates on the future of color for home furnishings; a discussion of fibers, finishes and materials; forecasts for both established and emerging trends; and photographs of new looks and design directions, subscribers earn up-to-the-minute Trend Flash™ email updates; discounts on color forecast products; and access to the exclusive Member area at www.trendcurve.com.

WithIt members will receive six issues of the newsletter for $149. Send an e-mail to [email protected], subject line: WithIt discount subscription. Or, phone Trend Curve at 800.531.6614 for more details.

Libby Langdon--interior designer, author of Libby Langdon's Small Space Solutions, and makeover guru on The Rachael Ray Show, HGTV's Small Space, Big Style and NBC's Open House--will share her insights during the next WithIt webinar, which is April 14 at 2 p.m. (EST). 

In "Amp Up Your Visibility Factor: How to Be Your Own Best PR Person," Langdon will explain how to use self-promotion and current media trends to create more visible opportunities for individuals and businesses. The dynamic and informative presentation will offer participants specific ideas on how to make positive changes and powerful moves forward, no matter what industry you're in.

Members can listen to the webinar for free; the price for non-members is $35. Register at www.withit.org.