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December 2015

“Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try.” – Unknown

And that’s what we at the chamber decided to do, just over a year ago, to try a few new things…

I was thinking that for Decembers letter I would recap the year, you know go right down the line and remind you of all the great things we have accomplished…again. But instead I think I will just take a moment to reflect on how I am feeling about the above quote.

Ok… I just LOVE it! It really sums up this past year for the chamber, and, just so happens, to reflect my overall life philosophy as well.

When I look back over the last year it has been full of amazing accomplishments all due to the willingness to try. It hasn’t always been easy. Nor has it always been comfortable. But, laying in the lap of “easy” or “comfort” is not where accomplishment is to be achieved. No. It’s not until we decide to stretch our comfort zone will we hear that knock on the door, which is what? It is the knock of opportunity, that’s what! It is at that moment we must decide to try and open that door, it is only then that we see success has arrived!

This has truly been an exciting year for both the chamber as well as for myself personally. I am thrilled to think of what the coming year has in store for us all.

Before I close I do want to update you on something we have been waiting for. Our new Ribbon Cutting Scissors will be arriving within the next few days, which means we can begin offering our official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony’s for new businesses! I would also like to thank John Richards and Valley Marketing for their generous sponsorship of our new magnificent scissors, thank you so very much!!

Happy Holidays to each one of you, may you have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

Ciao for now!
Moe

November 2015

“Change is hard. We can put on our black hats and imagine why something won't work. Our optimistic approach is to assume things will work, and that we only need to try. If things don't pan out as expected, we'll make an adjustment and try again.
Got a crazy idea? Maybe it's crazy and maybe it's not.
There's only one way to find out. Run the darn experiment.”
Richard Sheridan

Last week we did just that, we “ran the darn experiment” We held our first ever New Member Lunch. And what a delightful surprise it turned out to be!

We had 26 new members, Ambassadors and Board Members join us here at the Chamber. From the moment they arrived the place was just buzzing. I felt like I was in Networking Nirvana! There is something about sharing a meal together that really lifts things to another level. For an hour and a half we sat across the table from each other getting to know each other, while breaking bread (supplied by Big E’s Supermarket). We all had the opportunity to share who we were and what we do in a unique, supportive, enthusiastic way. As I listened to some of the conversations I could hear a genuine desire of our guests of wanting to learn more about their fellow new members. In an effort to see how they might be able to support each other, I found folks leaning in, really listening as opposed to offering sales pitches about themselves. At the risk of sounding goofy, it was just delightful!

That afternoon, to me, really exemplified what I am talking about. What I can so clearly see us embodying. The energy. The “can do” attitude. The “let’s make this thing… our common good… us… the greatest we can!”

WOW! Am I glad we “ran the darn experiment”!

Many, Many thanks to Innovative Business Systems for sponsoring the fabulous chow!!

Ciao for now!
Moe

October 2015

Ladies & gentlemen, your Ambassador delegation!

Nicole Ash, Advanced Restoration
Tom Connor, Florence Bank
Natalie Didonna, Easthampton Savings Bank
Meagan Downey, MassLive
Rick Elmer, Viridian Energy
Billy Henderson, Proven IT Solutions
Janel Jorda, Web-tactics
Kathryn LaRose, Advanced Restoration Group
Greg Malynoski, Look Memorial Park & Garden House
Bill Sharp, Freedom Credit Union
Darren Thomas, Complete Payroll Solutions

The energy is building and I so look forward to all the great things we will be able to accomplish, thank you all again! Remember, we always have room for another Ambassador, so if you are interested, be sure to contact either myself, Denise or one of our current Ambassadors!

So, if that wasn’t amazing enough… we are also gearing up to arrange Ribbon Cutting Ceremony’s as a complementary service through the Chamber! Ceremonies can be standalone events or as part of a Grand Opening. The Chamber will provide the official scissors and the ribbon!

Why hold a Ribbon Cutting? Well… it’s a great way to increase public awareness about you and your business. Ribbon Cuttings provide a great opportunity for you to showcase your behind the scenes operations to future customers and a Ribbon Cutting gives you a chance to thank all those who assisted you in getting you in the door and your business off the ground!

As this new service coalesces I will be sure to share the details, in the meanwhile be well and…

Ciao for now!
Moe

September 2015

I am out of my mind excited to announce the formation the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassador Program!

Having received some feedback and taking a look as to how we introduce our newest members into our community it has become apparent that we could be doing this a little better than we have been. So, with the intention of forming a league of volunteers, specifically organized to be receptive to the needs of all members, new, current or future, we are looking for premier volunteers who are eager to be the face of our chamber, who share my excitement in growing to our fullest potential.

We look to our Ambassadors to attend events, helping those who are new, with introductions, encourage them to get involved, and help them navigate their first year of membership. We also encourage our Ambassadors to be a conduit, helping us to collect feedback, so that we may serve the entire membership the best we can.

By volunteering to be as a Chamber Ambassador you are helping us ensure each member has a positive experience every time they visit us, as well as expanding your relationships within the business community! I invite you to join us as an Ambassador today!

Call today and let’s get started! 527-9414 or [email protected].

Ciao for now!
Moe

August 2015

Yup, it’s August. As I write we are deep in the heat of summer, but what a glorious day we had last Friday for the Chambers 31st Annual Golf Tournament! The weather could not have been more delightful, and a great time was had by all! Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors, Easthampton Savings Bank and A-Z Storage and Properties. Thank you Applied Mortgage for your Gold Sponsorship. Many thanks to Finck & Perras and Cernak Buick for sponsoring the Putting and Hole in One contests. We thank Melissa and Ron Pike for sponsoring the Kim Hackwork Memorial Hole, each of our Tee and Green, Sponsors as well as our gracious host Southampton Country Club! Giant thanks go out to all who donated to this year’s Golfer Gift Bag, it was terrific!

In Addition, we extend many, many thanks to our Golf Committee members as well as the legion of volunteers that took time from their busy lives to lend a hand, without each of you things would NOT run as smoothly as they did! We so look forward to working with each of you next year!

And last but not least thank you to Janel Jorda of Web-tactics for all of the incredible photos of the day. Some are up on the website home page and the gallery has been shared on our Facebook page as well as on the Web-tactics Facebook page… be sure to check them out, I’m pretty sure we got everyone, if not I so apologize it was not intentional!

With vacations in full swing for August we will not be holding this month’s Monday Morning with the Mayor, but we will see you for September 14th hosted by Five Star Building Corp.

We will be getting together for our August Networking by Night Hosted by Freedom Credit Union and Easthampton Wireless, see you there!

I hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as I am…

Ciao for now!
Moe

June 2015

Time is flying and we are already half way through our year. We have been very busy here at the Chamber and here is a little recap.

In the past 6 months we have added 3 new items to our legislative/speaker line up. We partnered with our neighbor the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce to bring the April Legislative Luncheon featuring Speaker of the House Deleo and Senate President Stan Rosenberg. We partnered again with our friends with the Springfield, Holyoke, Westfield and Chicopee Chambers for the Beacon Hill Summit, providing direct access to our State Legislators with a bus trip to Beacon Hill. And most recently we, along with our Host Sponsor Williston Northampton School we held our first Annual Speaker Breakfast featuring keynote speakers Time Brennan (PVPC) and Rick Sullivan (W. MA. EDC). All of these events were well attended and received rave reviews regarding the opportunities and information they provided!

Through the planning and collaboration of these new additions we have been able to build, strengthen and nurture relationships with our regional chamber friends, the City of Easthampton and the community, providing our chamber with greater opportunities and a stronger voice.

To mix things up a bit we introduced the Chamber Beach Ball taking the place of the Wine & Micro Brew Tasting fundraiser. Despite a “few’ rain drops we had a tremendous night. We have learned a few things and will be making some adjustments to ensure that next year is even that much more fabulous!

We also launched our newly refreshed website and have been receiving great feedback. It is really a giant step forward for us and ties directly into our new data management system enabling us to provide many more benefits for our members. Stay tuned as we will be throwing a launch party in the fall to highlight those new additions and how they work for you!

Lastly I am very excited about our newest partnership with Easthampton Media and the production of our “Chamber Momentum” TV show. I get to interview two of our dynamic members each month and it has been a blast. So, don’t be surprised if I give you a call!

All of this change, refreshing and moving forward has resulted in a growing membership. We have grown our membership by 48% over last year in just this first half of the year! As a result we are working on a new Ambassador Program. We invite those who are interested to join us as Ambassadors to help with welcoming our newest members and showing them the ropes. If you would like to know more please give me a call at 527-9414.

Ciao for now!
Moe

May 2015

On April 29th we had the opportunity to partner along with 4 other chambers (Springfield, Holyoke Westfield & Chicopee) to bring to our members the Beacon Hill Summit 2015 trip. This was a day packed full of great information and meetings with our state legislators. The day was arranged and hosted by Senator James Welch, and what a line up there was. Among those we heard from were Sen. Karen Pilka, and Sen. Benjamin Downing. We were also fortunate to hear from Jay Ashe, Secretary of Housing & Economic Development, Suzanne Bump, State Auditor, Senate President Stan Rosenberg and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. Three key themes that have arisen for the new administration are health care, energy and workforce development. They have their work cut out for them, and they stressed often during the day that they appreciate and look to the regions Chambers to help them achieve their goal!

I am delighted to share that we have had our soft launch for our newly refreshed website. If you haven’t yet, please check it out, it is very exciting, and offers many new options and marketing opportunities for our members. We will be having an official Launch Party highlighting all the exciting features so stay tuned!

And last but not least, we have partnered with Easthampton Community Access Television for something very exciting; starting in June we will be hosting a monthly TV talk show featuring two of our members each month. I am thrilled to have the chance to delve a little deeper with our members not only about the “what” of their business but the “who” and “why” of their business passion and vision! So, look for us in June on channel 191!

Ciao for now!
Moe

April 2015

We have just concluded our 21st Annual Table Top Expo. This was my first experience, and all I can say is... WOW! This event is an incredible opportunity for members to showcase their businesses with visitors and fellow exhibitors from four surrounding Chambers--and there is more joining of forces in store!

These partnerships are not only important to each of our members, due the events they provide, but they also strengthen our collective voice. For each event, there are many planning meetings that take place among the area chamber Executive Directors and Presidents. Each time we meet, relationships grow and ideas are exchanged, and your chamber leadership is enriched.

As members, these collaborations are important to you because they help to grow and strengthen your local chamber on a regional level, which in turn empowers your voice as a member. It's important for you to know this: your chamber is working behind the obvious to grow a multidimensional Chamber!

Thank you to all of you who came out and supported this team effort last week. We have many more in the works and encourage you to seize the golden opportunity before you to connect, not only locally, but regionally as well.

Ciao for now!
Moe

March 2015

Now is the time that Mike and I are plotting and planning our vegetable garden. Seed-starting time is always exciting for me. As with spring, those trays are full of potential. Imagine you plant one squash. One plant grows; however, did you know that from that one squash plant, you can get, on average, 40 squash? Then, from each squash, you could get hundreds more seeds. And the cycle continues... this is so amazing to me!

The same is true for your business. One seed, or, idea, creative impulse or action could cascade into success and potential that is simply amazing. So often we find ourselves caught up in either our own self-doubt or the negative spiral of others. It typically falls within these two categories. I have come to realize that I just do not have the time to get bogged down with any of this. I do not want to hear the 10 reasons why it can't be done. I want to hear the one reason why it should, and then we can work on how we can!

I believe that together, through the Chamber, there's a whole lot of why we should and how we can yet to be realized! What seeds are you planting this spring? We'd like to know.

Ciao for now!
Moe

February 2015

Our Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner for 2014 has passed--congratulations to all of our Award winners and Milestone celebrants! What a lovely way to usher in the New Year.

I would also like to welcome our three new Board members; David Boyle, A-Z Storage & Properties; Andrew Shelffo, Williston Northampton School; and Steve Zavisza, Cernak Buick. I so look forward to working with you, as well as the entire Board, moving into 2015. We say good-bye to Pat Brough and Derek Allard, We shall miss you both, but do remember... you can run but you cannot hide! And we say hello to a new member of our Executive Committee, Dave DelVecchio, who moves into the position of Vice President!

I am delighted to share that we launched our very first "Monday Morning with the Mayor, Getting Down to Business about Business." This is a new partnership with Mayor Cadieux and the Chamber, where each month we meet at a different local business, offering the opportunity to gather in a casual setting for questions and honest conversation. Our first host was a most gracious Janel Jorda of Web-tactics. We enjoyed a great turnout and lively, diverse conversation focused around questions and concerns brought forward by our guests. Our next Monday Morning with the Mayor will be February 23, 8:00-9:00 a.m., hosted by Matt Waugh of Waugh Agency, LLC, located at Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St.

As so many of you know, the building of relationships, building trust and rapport, is vital to the building of your business and clientele. Monday Mornings with the Mayor, in addition to all the other events we offer, are an excellent way to become involved, engaged and make the most of your membership! I would encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities, and if you are interested in being a host, just call the Chamber office and we'll get you on the schedule. But don't hesitate-- the available spots are filling up fast, so call today! Speak with either Denise or me at 527-9414!

Ciao for now!
Moe

January 2015

Here we are once again at the beginning of a new year! I always love new beginnings... and this year in particular, is going to be a big one here at the Chamber! As I have been traveling around, I have had so many interesting conversations while getting to know all of you. The Board and I have been chatting too, and a lot of great ideas are percolating up. Here is just a glimpse of what we are looking forward to working on this year!

We are looking to target 2015 with an enhanced Member2Member Program! Each time you shop local for your goods and services, present your new Member Card to participating members. This is all you need to do to take advantage of a myriad of discounts and special offers. These offers are exclusive to Greater Easthampton Chamber Members who present their Member Card only! If you would like to participate in the program with an offer, just give Denise or me a call and we'll get you going!

I am working now with the Board, regional and member partners to beef up our Speaker Series for this year as well... our goal is to bring you quality, pertinent and informative opportunities, so stay tuned for that!

We also will be refreshing our web page this year. Along with a more interesting, engaging and user-friendly site, we will be able offer our members some new and exciting opportunities.

As always, from my perspective, the sky is the limit, and the only way to fly is together! Happy New Year to you and all those you love!

Ciao for now!
Moe

December 2014

Our Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner for 2014 has passed--congratulations to all of our Award winners and Milestone celebrants! What a lovely way to usher in the New Year.

I would also like to welcome our three new Board members; David Boyle, A-Z Storage & Properties; Andrew Shelffo, Williston Northampton School; and Steve Zavisza, Cernak Buick. I so look forward to working with you, as well as the entire Board, moving into 2015. We say good-bye to Pat Brough and Derek Allard, We shall miss you both, but do remember... you can run but you cannot hide! And we say hello to a new member of our Executive Committee, Dave DelVecchio, who moves into the position of Vice President!

I am delighted to share that we launched our very first "Monday Morning with the Mayor, Getting Down to Business about Business." This is a new partnership with Mayor Cadieux and the Chamber, where each month we meet at a different local business, offering the opportunity to gather in a casual setting for questions and honest conversation. Our first host was a most gracious Janel Jorda of Web-tactics. We enjoyed a great turnout and lively, diverse conversation focused around questions and concerns brought forward by our guests. Our next Monday Morning with the Mayor will be February 23, 8:00-9:00 a.m., hosted by Matt Waugh of Waugh Agency, LLC, located at Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St.

As so many of you know, the building of relationships, building trust and rapport, is vital to the building of your business and clientele.   Monday Mornings with the Mayor, in addition to all the other events we offer, are an excellent way to become involved, engaged and make the most of your membership! I would encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities, and if you are interested in being a host, just call the Chamber office and we'll get you on the schedule. But don't hesitate-- the available spots are filling up fast, so call today! Speak with either Denise or me at 527-9414!

Ciao for now!
Moe