Women Leaders

Wonder Woman in Business, Wendy Merrill

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Wendy Merrill

CEO, StrategyHorse Consulting Group

Wendy Merrill has had a successful business development career spanning over 23 years. Her strategic and methodical approach to cultivating and leveraging relationships has allowed her to construct a rich network of resourceful professionals and help others to do the same. 

Never a fan of traditional selling or outdated management techniques, Wendy decided early on to approach her career with an eye on the impact she wanted to have with her clients, colleagues and community. Her positioning as a Center of Impact led to great success with her personal and professional relationships. 

Wendy is a vocal advocate for creative problem solving, and has worked with both organizations and early to mid-career professionals to engineer strategic growth through an innovative approach to professional development. She is a passionate advocate for Rising Leaders that define success by the impact they want to have in the workplace, community and beyond, and regularly mentors executives, professionals and entrepreneurs who are dedicated to being impactful leaders.

Prior to forming StrategyHorse, Wendy spent 18 years in the financial services space, 12 of which were in her family’s business. She rose up from a sales position to eventually taking the reins from her father as CEO. Inspired by professional lessons learned as both a survivor of and adviser to a multi-generational workforce, Wendy’s practice incorporates common sense, humor and absolute honesty to prepare Rising Leaders to steward their organizations into the future. She also has a knack for igniting an entrepreneurial spirit in people – she’s helped over 50 clients (and counting) to successfully start their own businesses, professional services practices and non-profit organizations!

Wendy lives near Baltimore, Maryland, and has always been an admirer of horses. She enjoys cooking, Italian travel (she’s a fierce Italophile) and being silly with her husband and three children. An avid writer, she published her first book, Path to Impact: The Rising Leader’s Guide to Growing Smart in 2019 and her articles have been featured in national and international publications. Wendy has also enjoyed speaking to audiences that have included global associations, non-profits and local small/mid-size businesses.

Wendy serves as on the Board of Directors for I am MENtality, a Baltimore-based organization that provides personal and professional development support to young men in the city, and also enjoys a position on the Advisory Board for the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Industrial and Organizational Psychology Masters Program. She is a proud winner of the Greater Baltimore Committee’s “Bridging the Gap” award for supporting and empowering women and minorities in business.

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Wendy Merrill

Connect with Wendy:

Helping Rising Leaders To Be More Impactful

Website: www.strategyhorse.com 

Phone: 410.746.8212

Check out her book!

About the Book:

Impact is driven by the consistent delivery of value. For those of us who aspire to generate a positive impact in our personal and professional lives, our biggest obstacle is often ourselves.

Most of us have been conditioned to fulfill others’ expectations of us and are woefully disconnected from our own motivations. This disconnect sabotages our dreams, goals and ability to be impactful.

Path to Impact: The Rising Leader’s Guide to Growing Smart delivers a progressive approach to helping Rising Leaders productively invest in themselves and in those around them.


Wonder Woman in Business, Laura Putnam

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Laura Putnam

Laura Putnam, author of Workplace Wellness That Works (WILEY, 2015), is CEO and founder of Motion Infusion

Laura PutnamMA, author of the #1 Amazon Hot New Release in HR & Personnel Management Workplace Wellness That Works (WILEY, 2015), is CEO and founder of Motion Infusion, a leading well-being and learning provider. Her work has been covered by MSNBC, The New York Times, US News & World Report, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and NPR. She is a former urban public high school teacher, L&D professional, public policy advocate, international community organizer, dancer, gymnast and now a movement-builder in the world of health and well-being. With a mission to get people and organizations “in motion,” Laura is a frequent keynote speaker and has worked with a range of organizations from Fortune 500s to government agencies to academic institutes and nonprofits. She teaches at Stanford University, is the recipient of the American Heart Association's "2020 Impact" award as well as the National Wellness Institute’s “Circle of Leadership” award. A graduate of Brown University and Stanford University, Laura lives in San Francisco with her fiancé. She can be reached at laura@motioninfusion.com

“Workplace Wellness that Works”

Packed with the latest research and brimming with ideas based on real-world case studies and stories, Workplace Wellness That Works takes a fresh approach to workplace wellness. Learn how you can shift the conversation from implementing yet another program to starting a movement. In 10 steps, Laura outlines tangible ways that you can make a difference in your employees’ health and happiness, and how you can promote an overall culture of well-being.

ORDER NOW

Laura Putnam

Every industry could use some wellness…

Frankly, we're all feeling a little stressed out and in need of well-being at work. That's why we've reached out to leaders, managers and professionals across the technology, financial services, education, heath care, manufacturing, government, nonprofit and energy sectors. Here are some of the clients we've worked with.

DOWNLOAD COMPANY OVERVIEW

Contact Laura:

LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/laura-putnam-b3b2555

Website: motioninfusion.com (Company Website)

Phone: 4153105505 (Work)

Email: laura@motioninfusion.com

Twitter: MotionInfusion


Wonder Woman in Business, Amy Nouri

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Amy Nouri

Ellesquire

About Amy

After earning her B.S. from Journalism School at the University Kansas, Amy went to work at Lathrop & Gage (now Lathrop Gage) for Katie Hollar Barnard. While there she managed public relations and advertising tactics in local markets and nationwide; she maintained firm social media accounts and website content; she coordinated production of firm marketing materials; and she handled numerous nominations and submissions for legal awards and rankings.

Amy then moved to Garmin International where she married her work life with her personal love of fitness, leading global public relations campaigns for the company’s fitness (running, cycling, multisport and swim) and wellness (activity trackers) products. She left Garmin and went to work on the brand public relations and social media team at Hallmark.

After about two years at Hallmark, Amy reconnected with Katie, joining her at her agency, Firesign, as vice president. At Firesign, she develops strategic communication plans for legal industry clients and coordinates the agency’s marketing and social media efforts.

Amy also coordinate marketing for their amazing educational program, "Ellesquire," and leads weekly coaching sessions with participants. This is something Amy is particularly proud to work on as it was a true passion project of Katie’s and clients love the program.

Amy feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with women, empowering them in their careers. As a working mom of two very active little boys (ages 3.5 and 1.5), she particularly loves this part of her job.

About Ellesquire

Ellesquire is a six-week business development program designed for the realities of being a working woman attorney. It’s designed for women by women, to give them the tools and confidence to build their book of business their own way. Participants receive three action-oriented lessons, delivered via video so participants can watch it on their own time, and a one-on-one coaching session every week.

For whom is Ellesquire designed?

Ellesquire is best suited for women attorneys at the senior associate, of counsel or junior partner level. Our content is most relevant to lawyers who know their specialty, have a solid footing of legal knowledge and have had some direct exposure to clients (their own or other lawyers’).

Who is behind Ellesquire?

Ellesquire was created by the founder of Firesign | Enlightened Legal Marketing, an agency that specializes in helping law firms and legal technology clients attract, win and retain business. It incorporates battle-tested marketing tips gathered from her experience at two AmLaw 200 firms – and as a boots-on-the-ground entrepreneur. Learn more about the Ellesquire team here.

What is the total time investment?

For six weeks, you will receive three business development lessons to watch online on your time. Each lesson is about 10 minutes; most are less. Some of the lessons include homework assignments. These are straightforward and will feed directly into your business development plan.

You also will have a weekly coaching session with a member of the Ellesquire team. Conducted by video, these sessions are typically 15 to 30 minutes and provide you an opportunity to ask questions, get help or brainstorm.

Where do I take classes?

Courses are delivered online; you can watch from your desk or even your phone 24 hours a day. Coaching sessions are conducted by Zoom, so we can catch up anywhere you have a wireless signal.

Can our firm deploy this for a group?

Group packages are available; contact us for more information.

What can I expect when I graduate?

While every lawyer, like every case, is different, you can expect a more professional profile, a comprehensive business development plan and – with hustle and action – measurable progress toward attracting, winning and retaining the business you want.

How do I start?

Book a call with one of our team members today. We will talk through your business development efforts to date and see how Ellesquire might help you. If you enroll, we will find a weekly coaching spot that works for you, and you will receive your first lesson that day.

Over 6 weeks, the curriculum covers the following:

  • Defining a personal brand and niche

  • Presenting that brand through biography, case studies and social media

  • Getting visibility through PR and a saner approach to networking (when all day golf and happy hours don’t work because you’re the pickup parent)

  • How to pitch and close business more effectively

  • How to keep and grow business through smart client retention tactics 

Ellesquire created a promotional video:

 https://vimeo.com/321803414

Additional Resources:

https://ellesquireworkshop.com/

 https://vimeo.com/321803414

https://firesignmarketing.com/

Contact Amy:

Amy Nouri, Vice President – PR & Programming  

Firesign | Enlightened Legal Marketing

p: 913.225.7707 

w: www.firesignmarketing.com   

e: ahn@firesignmarketing.com 




Wonder Woman in Business — and Politics — Joni Wickham

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Chief of Staff, Kansas City

Joni Wickham

Joni is all about grit, grace, and getting things done. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Joni and her indisputable southern accent arrived in Kansas City almost 10 years ago after leading initiatives within state and federal government as well as advocacy organizations. In her eight years with the mayor’s office—the majority of them spent as Chief of Staff—Joni has proven herself as an accomplished political strategist, communications expert, and organizational leader. She directed public policy initiatives, communications tactics, and administrative decision-making during her tenure, all while promoting women’s leadership and empowerment issues. An artful negotiator, Joni helped steer Sly’s major development projects in Kansas City while raising the city’s profile at the national and international levels. Her front-row seat at City Hall shed light on how local government is still very much a man’s world, and this motivated her to create a first-of-its-kind women’s empowerment initiative, which has been implemented in several major cities.

Prior to her time at city hall, Joni worked with the American Federation of Teachers, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and in the office of Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. While a student at Meredith College, where Joni received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies, she studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia. An accomplished alumnus of University of Missouri where she earned her Masters of Arts in Political Science, Joni was the recipient of the 2019 University of Missouri Truman School of Public Affairs Mel Carnahan Public Service Award.  

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“New study shows lack of women in local government.”


Connect with Joni Wickham:

Email:

joniwickham@gmail.com

Twitter:

@jonismithkcmo

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joni-wickham-5ba08a156/

 


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