UPCOMING EVENTS
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Virginias/Carolinas
End of Summer Soiree Wednesday, Sept. 12 6pm - 8pm Hosted by Mary Leigh Howell
NY Metro/Northeast
Saturday, Sept. 22nd
6pm - 9pm Pink Sunset Picnic, Cocktails and Water Lily Concert Monet's Giverny at the NY Botanical Garden
Drinks with the Prez Friday, Oct. 12 6pm red egg Showroom
415 W. High Street (one block behind Lee Industries)Join us for a cocktail on the veranda to kick off High Point Market RSVP @ withit.org
WithIt Education Breakfast Sunday, Oct. 14 7:30am-9:00am IHFC Green Wing, 11th Floor, Int'l Ballroom A
"Bootstrapping your Brand" Guests Angelo Surmelis and Kathy Ireland
Competitive Intelligence/Trends Forecast Monday, Oct. 15 6:00pm - 8:15pm Cresent Fine Furniture Hamilton Square, 204
"Why is Old Still New?"
Retailers are showcasing ripped burlap upholstery. High Point, the world headquarters of new furnishings, just added a large antiques center. What gives? Why the resurgence of antiquity? Is it just "comfort food" for the consumers' soul, or is there something more?
Join our panel of esteemed antiques experts including Kathryn Greeley, Kathryn Greeley Designs, for a discussion of why it's here and where it's going.
WithIt International Membership Day
Friday, Nov. 2
Watch the website for more information
WithIt WOW Awards
January 27, 2013
Las Vegas
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
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Jill Abelman Principal Inside Style Las Vegas, NV Jodi Allen Chief Marketing Officer Sealy, Inc. Trinity, NC Rachel Atkinson Student Meredith College Raleigh, NC Pamela Banks National Account Manager Springs Global Plano, TX Dawn Barrett Sales Rep Four Hands Phoenix, AZ Lisa Bernath CEO/Founder Gotcha Covered Burbank, CA Myra Brown President License to Sleep, LLC Atlanta, GA Tina Brumm Student Philadelphia University Bala Cynwyd, PA Alicia Connolly Owner Alicia Connolly Design New York, NY Caroline Cooper Student Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS Kristine Edwards Student High Point University High Point, NC Sara Englehart Student North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC Kristi Griggs President G-Force Marketing Solutions Inc. Greensboro, NC Jack Hicks Attorney Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP Greensboro, NC Jerri Hobdy Student Savannah College of Art & Design Savannah, GA Cindy Hodnett Upholstery/Style Editor Furniture Today Greensboro, NC Hope Hoffman Owner/Designer Perennial Interiors Paoli, PA Carole Hollowell Owner Carole Hollowell Interior Design Chapel Hill, NC Susan Jones Regional Sales Manager Furniture Today Greensboro, NC Denise Keniston President Web4Retail Westford, MA Sarah Gene Kilpatrick Student Mississippi State University Mathiston, MS Amber Knight Student North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC Carolyn Kusse Marketing Manager Sealy, Inc. Trinity, NC Charlotte Lambert Student Auburn University Marietta, GA Erica Lang Student High Point University High Point, NC Stefanie Lugar Sales Home Furnishings Business Roanoke, VA Kimberly Muroff Senior Director of Business Development for Shabby Chic Brands and DwellStudio Brand Sense Partners Culver City, CA Angela Owen Sleep Diva Suite Sleep Boulder, CO Abbey Reynolds Student Appalachian State University Boone, NC Theresa Riley VP Sales - Team Leader Springs Global Fort Mill, SC Lane Risdon Student Kendall College of Art and Design Grand Rapids, MI Julia Ross Student Meredith College Raleigh, NC Kimberly Small Student Winthrop University Kershaw, SC Lindsey Spencer Marketing & PR Assistant Twin-Star International Delray Beach, FL Carmen Waite Sr.VP Marketing and Product Development Perfect Fit Charlotte, NC Elizabeth Warlop Student Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI |
Join Our List
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DEADLINE EXTENDED
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| WOW Awards Nominations It's time to give well-deserved WOW to your most respected peers. Nominations for the 2013 WOW Awards, to be held Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, at World Market Center Las Vegas, are due Thursday, Oct. 18. Both WithIt members and non-members can nominate an industry professional or business for the following awards: 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 that has developed programs to educate associates, retailers or consumers about home furnishings. LEADERSHIP AWARD: For a woman 40 or older who has demonstrated successful leadership in her company, WithIt and/or the home furnishings industry. FUTURE LEADER AWARD: For a woman 40 or younger who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and the potential to become an industry leader. For specifics about the WOW Awards process, including the form you must complete for each nomination, visit www.withit.org.
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HIGH POINT MARKET
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| Angelo Surmelis
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By The Bootstraps
It might be his likeable smile and friendly disposition. It could be his unintimidating, grounded design advice. Or, maybe it's the ubiquitous woven fedora. No matter what attracts you to Angelo Surmelis, the ever-lidded mastermind behind the angelo:HOME™ brand, you'll be taken with his bootstrap brand-building tips.
Surmelis and home furnishings branding whiz Kathy Ireland will be the featured speakers at WithIt's High Point Market Educational Breakfast, which begins at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14, in the IHFC Green Wing, 11th Floor, International Ballroom A. In "Bootstrapping Your Brand in a Challenged Economy," WithIt 2012 President Julia Rosien, SocialNorth.com, will moderate as Surmelis and Ireland discuss how to forecast from the bottom up, focus on each battle instead of the whole war, and forget the proven team and work with start-up minded people.
Surmelis is the mastermind behind the angelo:HOME brand, which spans many product categories and styles, and aims to make decorating one's home effortless, full of style and affordable. It's a pursuit that started when he was five years old.
"Growing up, my family had very little ... and designing our home was not at the top of the grocery list," he explained. "I wanted to get into design to help people realize their own dream home without sacrificing anything else. Making your space the best it can be should never feel overwhelming, or like it's a luxury."
Surmelis' Daily Tips for home, garden and entertaining underscore his easy-going and attainable approach to fulfilling one's decorating dreams:
August 26: Know your lifestyle before your style. How you live informs your design choices.
August 12: Using acrylic tableware is practical and essential in outdoor entertaining.
August 4: A dry, rich, smooth chardonnay is the perfect summer partner to an antipasto pasta salad.
July 22: Changing out your lampshades is a simple way to experiment with color, pattern, or texture. Maybe all three!
July 15: Everything in your kitchen doesn't have to say KITCHEN! Bring in a mirror, photographs or a painting.
June 24: Use cork inside closet door panels and create a simple message center
June 13: For an empty wall, simple hooks and your collection of hats make for your own personal art installation!
For more of Surmelis' Daily Tips, visit http://www.angelohome.com/daily_tips/. To meet the man beneath the fedora, be sure to RSVP to the WithIt breakfast.
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STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
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Top Scholars
The future leaders of home furnishings are an impressive set, and WithIt offered prime polish for several of these gleaming stars. Through the generous sponsorship of Brown Jordan, Sunbrella and Catherine and Richard Frinier, WithIt was able to host 20 students at its recent professional conference in Raleigh, NC. Students were able to learn from keynote speakers, engage in timely roundtable discussions and network with fellow attendees.
"We had a stellar group of young women participate in the conference, all chosen by their university faculty as outstanding students with interest in pursuing careers in the home furnishings industries," said WithIt Professional Conference Chair Jackie Hirschhaut, American Home Furnishings Alliance.
According to Amber Knight, a student at North Carolina State University, being a WithIt Student Scholar was an eye-opening experience. "I met so many amazing members and speakers," she said. "I made connections that I had never thought possible when I was first invited to attend. The women at WithIt shocked me with their power, confidence and inspiration."
WithIt's 2012 Student Scholars represented 13 universities or colleges: Krystin Glass, Abbey Reynolds and Elizabeth Terrell, Appalachian State University; Charlotte Lambert, Auburn University; Kristine Edwards and Erica Lang, High Point University; Liz Moore and Lane Risdon, Kendall College of Art and Design; Rachel Atkinson and Julia Ross, Meredith College; Caroline Cooper and Sarah Gene Kilpatrick, Mississippi University; Sara Englehart and Amber Knight, North Carolina State University; Tina Brumm, Philadelphia University; Elizabeth Warlop, Rhode Island School of Design; Jerri Hobdy, Savannah College of Art & Design; Julia Staley, UNC - Charlotte; Felicia Dean, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; and Kimberly Small, Winthrop University.
Moore of Kendall College of Art & Design and Small from Winthrop University are WithIt's 2012 Jena and Stephen R. Hall Scholarship winners and were recognized during Wednesday evening's Member Appreciation Dinner; Dean of University of North Carolina at Greensboro led a roundtable discussion during the conference.
To support WithIt's mission of recognizing and nurturing the academic endeavors of future home and furnishings leaders, visit www.withit.org to make a donation.
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PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE
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| Grace Killelea |
Top Takeaways and Memorable Moments
WithIt gives good professional conference--just ask attendees from the 2012 event:
One of my most uplifting and lasting takeaways was from the keynote by Grace [Killelea, former senior vice president of talent and leadership initiatives for Comcast Cable]. She offered a great reminder and mantra: Do whatever you need to do to get yourself to the top of the skydiving airplane door (of life), face forward, push off, and tell yourself and the world: "Here. Comes. Something!" Prep it, point it, do it. Pamela Castillo, co-founder of Market Publique, offered a refresher: Don't know how to do everything? Fabulous! Don't know everything about starting a business? Well, who does? Just take your skills, do it, hire smarter people and learn as you go--but be sure to have a good attorney to advise you upfront (and do check his references).
- Stephanie Lowder, WithIt 2012 Chairman Board of Governors, and President and Creative Director of Rare Bird Creative
Besides being blown away by Stephanie Lowder, who asked me, "What is your goal for the conference? I want to help you achieve it," just 15 minutes into the conference, a quote by Grace Killelea is still ringing in my ears: "Stress is what happens when YOUR needs are not met!"
- Lisa Ferguson, Decor Mentor and founder of Lisa Ferguson Interior Design
Just to be able to spend two days with successful, positive and fun women is an incredible experience in itself. -Margi Kyle, WithIt Vice President of Networking, and owner of The Designing Doctor I learned so much, not only from the very educational round tables, but from the great speakers. I also learned a lot about myself and where I am at this time of my life. One of the most important things I learned was that you need to create a network, the friends you can call at 3 o'clock in the morning. I would not miss the professional conference for the world. -Yolanda Obando, International Marketing & Services Manager, International Market Centers I was reminded to: Update My Vision, Evaluate My Defining Moments, Live My Life of Purpose on Purpose. And, oh yes, to find my Power Song! We had some inspiring Business Coach/Speakers this year who really focused on putting words and ideas into actions. -Carol Gregg, WithIt Vice President of Manufacturing, and President of red egg
Check out all the photos from the conference on Facebook at WithitWomen or here. |
DID YOU KNOW?
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Leadership By The Numbers
Fast facts about leadership and the workplace:
$12 billion = The amount U.S. companies spent on leadership development in 2009.
64 = The percentage of executives who left a company on Fortune's Most Admired Companies ranking for a company not on the ranking.
60 = Percentage of companies that face leadership talent shortages.
1,000,000 = The number of copies sold of each of these John C. Maxwell books: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.
14.1 = Percentage of women who held executive officer positions at Fortune 500 companies in 2011, which is down .3 percent from 2010.
56.5 = Percentage of all mothers with children age 1 or younger in the labor force.
36.8, 34.5 = Percentage of MBAs earned by women in the United States and Canada respectively in 2010/2011.
4 = The number of essential components in the 4 Capabilities Leadership Framework developed by MIT Sloan Management. They are: Sensemaking (making sense of the world around us, coming to understand the context in which we are operating); Relating (developing key relationships within and across organizations); Visioning (creating a compelling picture of the future); and Inventing (designing new ways of working together to realize the vision).
2 = The number of female members recently invited to join the exclusive (and previously male-only) Augusta National Golf Club.
Sources: Harvard Business Review; IE Business School; Harvard Business Review; The John Maxwell Co.; 2011 Catalyst Census: Fortune 500 Women Executive Officers and Top Earners; Bureau of Labor Statistics; The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (2011); MIT Sloan Management; August National Golf Club.
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LAS VEGAS GALA
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| Left to right: WithIt co-founder Jena Hall, Jena Hall Designs; Kathi Cunningham, Independent Sales Rep; WithIt co-founder Connie Post, Connie Post Affordable Design Solutions; and Kathy Bovey, AmericasMart Atlanta celebrated WithIt's 15th anniversary at a black-tie affair held at the Parisian Palace in Las Vegas. |
| The inaugural recipients of the Las Vegas Women's Leadership Achievement Awards were presented during the WithIt's 15th Anniversary Gala. Left to right: Beth Schwartz, editor, Luxury Las Vegas magazine; Andrea Thomas, owner of Thomas Design Source and scholarship director for NEWH The Hospitality Industry Network; and Dana Andrew, vice president of marketing, International Market Centers, earned the honors. |
| Lori Dennis (left), Lori Dennis, Inc., and WithIt Regional Vice President Kassie Smith, Kassie Smith Lifestyle Group greeted guests to WithIt's 15th Anniversary Gala, which was held July 28 in Las Vegas |
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Have a story idea for an upcoming e-newsletter? Submit your idea to Julie Smith Vincenti, Vice President-Media.
WithIt, Inc. PO Box 16264, High Point, NC 27261 Office: 2125 Eastchester Drive Suite 103, High Point, NC 27265 www.withit.org |
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