BizPics: Headshots for Business shoot at Creative Coworking, Sunday, July 9

If you need a new headshot for your book jacket, press kit, website, for LinkedIn, other social media sites or other purposes, I'd love to make it for you. My next BizPics shoot is at Creative Coworking on Davis next Sunday, July 9, 2017.

If you find the prospect of getting your portrait made daunting, this is the shoot for you. My shoots are fun, a cross between a fashion shoot and a party. Come for some smart pictures and a good time. In fact, consider bringing a friend or loved one. 

Dr. Susan Becker Doroshow

This in from dentist, Dr. Susan Becker Doroshow, about BizPics: The business portrait that Karen made was literally the springboard for a revitalized practice image, new marketing materials, and a clear brand that truly resonates with my patients and staff. I never knew that a photograph could accomplish so much. Karen is an artist and creative genius!

From my non-profit executive Thomas Applegate: I finally took advantage of the opportunity with...BizPics to get new photos for use online at Linkedin, Facebook and all of the rest. A great current photo is essential for my professional and social image online.

Karen and her crew are great to work with at the shoot. Even though I wasn't nervous about having my picture taken, I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was. Karen...made it fun and easy. I met other professionals while we waited for our turn and that casual conversation helped my photos look relaxed and natural. The process from sign up to selection of my favorite shots was quick and easy.

My only regret is that I waited so long to sign up for a shoot.

Registration and details about next Sunday's shoot are up at https://bizpicsjuly9.eventbrite.com.

Evanston's Entrepreneur and Leadership Women’s Conference a hit

Hewn's Julie Matthei and Ellen King

Northwestern's
Dr. Robert C. Wolcott

Marketing Intelligence on Demand's
Tricia M. Spellman

Journalist and author
Maudlyne Ihejirika

 

Enjoyed Evanston's first annual Entrepreneur and Leadership Women’s Conference organized by Evanston Woman Magazine. Kudos to Linda Del Bosque and the conference sponsors.

The intimate conference, held on Monday, April 10 in the Holiday Inn-Evanston's Ridgeville Room, included no more than 35 women, which surely contributed to the feeling of camaraderie among participants.

Julie Matthei and Ellen King, co-owners of Hewn Artisan Bread Co., talked about growing their business from Ellen and her family personally delivering bread to customers to a recently expanded brick-and-mortar shop on Dempster St. with a parklet and a church pew, transparency with their clientele, and brave decisions.


Dr. Robert C. Wolcott, co-founder and executive director of Northwestern University's Kellogg School Innovation Network, discussed growth, innovation and change management.

Tricia M. Spellman, founder and chief of Marketing Intelligence on Demand
talked about smart planning and patience when it comes to marketing.

City of Evanston’s Economic Development Manager Johanna Leonard reminded us about what the city is working on to spur economic success in the city and introduced the final speaker. 


Sun-Times columnist and author Maudlyne Ihejirika closed the conference with a presentation about her family's flight from Nigeria as refugees in the late 1960s, a story recounted in her mother's memoir, Escape from Nigeria: A Memoir of Faith, Love and War. It's good she closed. She inspired tears.

The half-day conference was covered by the Daily Northwestern's Maggie Burakoff.

I covered it with my camera primarily for y'all who could not be there. More pictures are up on Facebook.

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Maudlyne Ihejirika talks to Daniel French and I in January on WCGO's Everyday with French and Friends show.

Dr. Wolcott participated in a TEDx talk at University of Chicago in 2011.

Four good reasons to get a good business portrait made

Nov 20 BizPics shoot offers affordable headshots

Originally post: March 21, 2011, Updated: October 3, 2011

Having a good portrait made of yourself is a good idea no matter what profession you are in or ambitions you have. 

First, you never know when the AP might want to feature you in an article, like the one social media strategist Alecia Dantico was featured in back when she was at Garrett Popcorn. Fast Company's piece on Domino's Ramon DeLeon was very useful to him, but more so because he had a picture of himself to provide the magazine (which I'm pleased to have made for him.)

You're doing yourself a favor, and the media outlet, by having a photo on hand. Because deadlines and budgets are tight, editors and producers don't always have the resources for getting an image made for their stories. And if by chance they are able to assign a photographer to make your picture, there's no guarantee you'll like the image.

Second, to help maintain or enhance your reputation, having a strong, smart online presence is important. If you are using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, you're expected to include a picture of yourself. An up-to-date one is usually best, because you'll want to use one that communicates the qualities you want the public to know about you now.

Third, as the old adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but who's got time to read a thousand words? Reading a picture is faster. Portraits communicate in seconds qualities of a person words can't. They transcend language. Images are more show and less tell, which is what effective communication is about.

And lastly, because getting a portrait that works can be pricey, my firm, Kring Lerner Group, in cooperation with Boocoo Cultural Center and award-winning stylist Edda Coscioni of Salon Lamia, is offering good portraits at a good price on November 20.  Space is limited. For more information and to register, check out register as soon as you can.

Results from past shoots are online on Facebook.

In the portraits above: SymphonyIRI Group’s Nicole Kirkwood (upper left), Portnoy Enterprise’s Ken Portnoy, NPR's Cheryl Corley (lower left) and Catalyst Magazine's Linda Lenz.

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Evanston Mash Up 2011: Dynamism and Innovation for the Taking

by Daniel Schiller

The news of late is enough to lead a thoughtful person to start gathering canned goods and seal windows against the winds of unprecedented challenge. The past three years have forced most of us to re-think the services we expect from our government, our career choices and the way we do business.

What a drag you say? Not necessarily. Each challenge we face individually has potential, and seasoned crisis managers never allow a good crisis to go to waste. That may seem an ersatz panacea, but looking to thrive in the future is required. Evanston business and civic leaders, with other Evanston stakeholders, will be discussing this and other issues at the Evanston Mash Up on Tuesday, September 13.

Since you are taking the time to read this blog, Evanston and its status as a hub of economic innovation and cultural leadership is likely important to you. This is a big role for any city, and few are able to foster this dynamic environment. There are even fewer cities that have a global research and educational institution (Northwestern University) within its borders. Just last week I heard a story on WBEZ about how universities are beginning to coordinate their development with the communities in which they reside. Maybe that’s a new idea in some cities, but it is a fully integrated practice in Evanston.

A second, but crucial element of the body politic is the resident brain trust. The creative class is drawn to Evanston, where they start and grow businesses, thus making for a thriving local start-up community. To address their unique challenges and needs savvy leaders have created infrastructure to build leading edge companies. This fostering of community ranges from the long-established, such as the Technology Innovation Center, aka The Incubator, to newer, but equally crucial, spots such as Creative Coworking and the late Coworking Evanston. Full disclosure, the latter is of particular interest to this guest blogger. Although I was not an official member, I did benefit mightily from association with Coworking Evanston. The entrepreneurs benefiting from the existing infrastructure established in Evanston are the very people who can write their own ticket in an economy starved for a specific kind of knowledge worker. While some of the infrastructure's architects have moved on to other endeavors (@alphabetum), the fact that I’m guest writing this piece and doing more business in Evanston is testament to the power of the connections made there. I’m writing from my first hand experience, and I’ve covered this topic previously.

If you live, work or study in Evanston, you are associating with the resident intelligentsia in one way or another. It may be at the library, at Whole Foods, at Brothers K or even an Evanston Chamber meeting. But Tuesday’s Evanston Mash Up is the chance to meet many of them—an impressive roster of top local business, cultural and civic leaders—in one night, in one place. If you are debating whether to join us, I invite you to consider the potential value of making connections.
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An aside from Daniel...

I'm pleased to be posting my inaugural post on Evanston Live. I love writing, and try to do so on a regular basis and to address an array of topics.

By simply hanging out with the former Coworking Evanston brain trust I was able to meet many of the area's leading entrepreneurs. It is the self-starters and entrepreneurs that drive the dynamism and innovation that is so important to our local economy. Evanston is, after all, a special, dynamic spot.

In my work with a technology start-up (JasperLabs), and as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Communications at Roosevelt University, I emphasize the need to create communication solutions that work, and are tailored to each campaign or project, that are audience-centric.

Please be sure to tweet this, to connect with me (@danielschiller and LinkedIn), and our hosts here at @KRKring or @EvanstonLive.