Expert at leveraging LinkedIn and personal branding for business development and devising effective networking strategies that aren't sleazy. Once a corporate exec turned research analyst in Chicago, I convinced a company to move me to the SF Bay Area in '98 where I lead an account team providing critical biz services to start-ups. I soon pursued a business development track to see if I could make it as a commissioned salesperson. I could and became salesperson of the month by my third month in the role. Today, as a consultant to solo or first-time entrepreneurs, the biz dev and marketing gigs pay the bills, but it was becoming a published author that really changed my professional trajectory and turned me into a paid public/private speaker and trainer. My book, "I'm at a Networking Event--Now What???" has been a #1 pick on an Inc.com business book list, LinkedIn hand-picked me to headline at one of their LinkedIn Live events in Silicon Valley, I keynoted at BlogHer '13 in Chicago and at an Oracle user group conference in Las Vegas in 2012. I'm in the zone when I'm helping others actualize what truly is possible for their business or career. Oh, and I'm a treehugger at heart.
