What is the value of corporate communication from the CEO’s perspective? How can companies engage employees and use communication to drive business results? On November 8 we will explore these issues with Chief Executive Officer of Smile Brands, Steven Bilt.

Steve is known as a forward-looking, inspirational leader who believes strongly in the power of communication. Over the past several years, he has led his company through significant change and growth. On Tuesday, November 8, he will talk to us about:

• Smile Brands’ communication activities and how they align with the company’s vision
• How Smile Brands influences and measures employee engagement
• What it means to continuously improve and “enjoy the journey”

This is an outstanding opportunity to see communications from an executive’s viewpoint, and understand the broader role our work plays in a company’s success.

We encourage you to attend–and invite your boss as well! This is our final luncheon of 2011, so we hope you can join us!

Click here to register.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Steve Bilt has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Smile Brands Inc. (formerly known as Bright Now! Dental, Inc.) since April 2000, and was recognized this year with the “Excellence in Entrepreneurship” award from the O.C. Business Journal.

Smile Brands is the largest provider of support services to general and multi-specialty dental groups in the United States through nearly 350 affiliated dental offices in 18 states. The company enjoys leading positions (#1 or #2) in 19 out of its 20 markets, including Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston – three of the nation’s top 10 Demographic Market Areas. Revenue has grown steadily over the past several years, and reached $465 million in 2010.

Smile Brands supports partner dentists in the normally time-consuming administrative, financial, marketing, recruiting and information services aspects of their practices. It’s estimated that the average independent dentist spends approximately 40% of his or her time managing various business-related elements of a dental office. Smile Brands relieves doctors of this administrative burden by providing support services that enable affiliated dentists to spend all of their time focusing on patients.

Smile Brands-affiliated dentists benefit from the efficiencies the company creates, as well as the significant patient flow driven by Smile Brands branded, consumer-oriented business model, and therefore earn more income than they otherwise would as an independent practice owner.

As a co-founder of Smile Brands Inc., Steve also served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer from its inception in May 1998 through March 2000. Prior to this, he served as Vice President Finance for Vivra Incorporated, an operator of 250 dialysis clinics in 29 states and specialty physician networks and practices in 15 states. He was with Vivra during its growth from approximately $150 million in annual revenues to over $700 million and through its successful sale.

In 2003 Steve was named Entrepreneur of the Year in an international program honoring business leaders who have created and sustained successful companies. He also became a member of the Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame and Academy and has served on the judges’ committee from 2004 to 2007. Founded by $20 billion professional services firm Ernst & Young, the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year program is co-sponsored nationally by SAP and the Kauffman Foundation.

Steve is also a member of the Young Presidents Organization, an international association for chief executives. In addition to his professional career, Steve enjoys scuba diving, mountain climbing, travel and spending time with his family.

Click here to register.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

If you joined us in September, you got an insider’s look at what’s happening in the big picture of social media. In October, we continue our social media journey by looking at a “road map” for implementing a social media program.

Our speaker, Raleigh Gerber, is a certified social media strategist who helps companies develop best practices, methods, tools, and policies related to social media. On Tuesday, October 11, she will share the “do’s and don’ts” of implementing a social media plan, and walk us through real-life examples from her client, Toshiba.

Come with questions, or submit them ahead of time during the online registration process. This will be a great opportunity to see a real-life case study, find out what companies are doing, and get your social media questions answered. We hope to see you there!

To register, please visit http://www.cvent.com/d/lcqjkr.

About Our Speaker
Raleigh Gerber is a certified social media strategist and executive director of TurnUpTheVolume. She develops and manages social media campaigns for corporations, products, and professional services. Raleigh has proven success with social networking — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Blogs – and most recently has managed programs for companies including D-Link and Toshiba.

A social media trainer, she has developed a full arsenal of materials to educate appropriate individuals from within an organization on social media best practices, methods, tools, and policies, preparing them to maintain a healthy and successful in-house program. At the same time, she serves as a creative and strategic mentor, helping her teams to plan and incrementally roll out their social media initiatives. She provides her clients with the highest level of personal attention and accountability, while achieving measurable results to help them achieve their desired objectives.

Raleigh has more than 25 years of experience in communications, and has maintained a full-service consulting practice since 1995.

More information about Raleigh can be found at www.turnupthevolume.com, where she maintains a blog. She also focuses on social media tips, hints, and observations on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/turnupthevolume.

Yes, You CAN Accelerate Your Career Advancement

In an age of ongoing cost cutting, downsizing and more responsibility for everyone remaining, it can sometimes seem difficult, if not impossible, to advance your career.

This isn’t the case, says our speaker Deb Boelkes, CEO of Business World Rising. On Tuesday, July 12, she will provide tips and insight to help you create the career you envision for yourself. She will discuss:

• How to evolve from individual contributor to leader
• How to build bridges across organizations
• How to successfully follow and lead
• And how to get the results you want

Whether you want to move up in your organization, excel in your freelance/consulting business or make a change in your career, Deb’s insight will help you take the right next steps. We hope you can join us!

About Our Speaker
Deb Boelkes is CEO of Business World Rising, Inc., a leadership development services firm dedicated to building stronger, more inclusive leadership teams. Prior to founding the original Business Women Rising division, dedicated to the advancement of high potential, high achieving business women in 2009, Deb spent over 25 years leading successful sales, marketing and professional services organizations in the male-dominated High Tech industry for global giants like AT&T, IBM, Fujitsu, Arrow Electronics and QLogic.

Deb personally facilitates the Southern CA-based Grande Vista and Alta Vista tracks of the Business Women Rising – Leadership Vistas program, a peer-to-peer mentoring forum for high potential and high achieving business leaders. Deb began her college education as a Math/Computer Science major at UCLA. She earned her BS degree in Business Administration and her MBA in Management Information Systems from the University of Rhode Island, where she graduated top in her class. Deb is a regular keynote speaker, host moderator and expert panelist for corporate functions, university-sponsored programs, industry association meetings and professional networking events.

At our luncheon last week we welcomed a fabulous panel of experts who helped us understand multicultural communications. A big thank you again to:

Sandra Bernardo of Bernardo Public Relations
Follow her on Twitter: @bernardopr

Judy Iannaccone, Director of Communications & Internal Affairs for Rancho Santiago Community College District
Follow her on Twitter:  @judyiannaccone

Corin Ramos, APR, of Walson Communications
Follow her on Twitter: @corinramos

In addition, here are some of the resources mentioned during the luncheon:

Hispanic PR Blog
A guide to Hispanic public relations and social media news & views

Diversity Media iQ
A resource that connects public relations and marketing professionals (as well as anyone who would like to be a source) with journalists and bloggers from ethnic and niche media organizations.

Corin Ramos has a column on Examiner.com, which contains a list of numerous multicultural business and community groups in OC.

The OC Blend
News and events in Orange County’s multicultural and diverse communities. (This is an archive of past issues. An enhanced site is in the works as we speak!)

OC Gente
A great site, mostly for Hispanic news and events.

Have any questions about multicultural communications? Leave a comment!