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LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Catapult Community, I went to an event recently where the following quote by William Butler Yeats was recited to the crowd, "There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't met yet." Certain quotes strike you at different times in your life- this was one of those times- and what I liked about it was that it could be related to nearly every networking scenario. Networking can sometimes take a little bravery. Even the most outgoing, affable people have some trepidation about attending an event where they are not surrounded by their immediate group of friends. Many think the word networking has a sales connotation so they choose to avoid it altogether, and the idea of making small talk or introducing yourself to someone you don't know can be a bit daunting in and of itself. I think if people approach every networking event with the perspective of meeting more friends, they would find it much easier to reap the benefits. Networking is not all about making business contacts. I can say, in fact, that many who have attended Catapult events have made friends, found roommates, found mentors, found knowledge and have found opportunities. This is gratifying to our team as we work to achieve our mission. I realize I am not saying anything here that we all do not already know. However, it never hurts to remind each other of the importance of building community and sharing different perspectives. I mention the topic of building community and would like to draw your attention to a few opportunities coming your way. First, in April, we'll be inviting another philanthropy panel of speakers to come and vocalize their organization's mission and need for volunteers. This second annual event will be held at the Wentworth by the Sea. Additionally, Catapult will also be looking for volunteers for our May team-building United Way Day of Caring event. Finally, we are always looking for volunteers to augment our Board and various committees. We have a great deal planned in the year ahead and welcome member involvement. Please consider these networking events as opportunities to step out and learn more about how to "meet new friends" while making a difference in the community. It is our social responsibility to give back, whether it is monetarily or with our valuable time and services. Happy spring to you all! I look forward to seeing you at upcoming Catapult events and will enjoy the opportunity to become acquainted with the friends I have yet to meet. Very best regards, Helen Donington Chair & Co-Founder, Catapult Seacoast  UPCOMING CATAPULT EVENTS Spring Into Action Build essential relationships with local nonprofits Date: Thursday, April 22nd Time: Registration: 6:30 PM - Event Starts at 7:00 PM Location: Wentworth by the Sea - Grand Ballroom Admission: $5.00 online / $10.00 at the door. Complementary Appetizers & Cash Bar will be provided. Please join Catapult to kick-off spring with an event featuring different aspects of community involvement. We will highlight the importance of volunteerism and why it is such a vital part of the community. You will hear from several Seacoast non-profit organizations on ways you can get involved in helping to make the Greater Seacoast community an even better place. The United Way Day of Caring A chance to get out of the office and help your community Date: Wednesday, May 12th Time: This is an all day event and will be coordinated by Catapult Team Leaders Catapult is actively recruiting volunteers to join a Catapult sponsored team for the 5th Annual United Way Day of Caring on Wednesday May 12th. Get out of the office and do some volunteer work while enjoying a gorgeous spring day! Have some FUN with Catapult members while giving back to the community. The Day of Caring is a community-wide day of hands-on volunteering in which United Way connects volunteers from local businesses and community groups with local non-profit organizations to work on various one-time projects that would not otherwise be completed. The Day of Caring empowers people to work together to address some of the most pressing needs facing our community. For more information about joining our team for The United Way Day of Caring, please email us today at launch@catapultseacoast.org. Project selection begins in late April, so the sooner we know you want to be a part of our team, the better! WHAT'S NEW? StayWorkPlay The StayWorkPlay website is officially launching this summer! Many Catapult members have already contributed to the site by submitting pictures, videos, and testimonials of their favorite things to do in New Hampshire and on the Seacoast. Catapult's new web design team, Lightfin Studios, designed the SWP logo. Now is the time get on board with exposure for your business or organization. Get in-the-know about StayWorkPlay - www.stayworkplay.org The mission of Stay Work Play is to work collaboratively across New Hampshire to support ongoing economic, workforce, and community development by promoting the state as a favorable place for young workers and recent college graduates to stay, work and play, when considering employment and lifestyle opportunities. Get Involved! Catapult is looking for new board and committee members to join our team. Board members would be required to attend quarterly board meetings, monthly conference calls and monthly events. Specifically, we are looking for those who have experience in finance and fundraising, marketing, and event planning. Of course we are always looking for energetic professionals who can take their great ideas through to fruition, so whatever your background, if you're interested, email launch@catapultseacoast.org! Launch yourself into a great opportunity! Catapult Seacoast is currently seeking applicants for its Summer 2010 Internship program. Learn the ins and outs of marketing for a nonprofit, while getting to network with business professionals throughout NH. If you are a good communicator, have writing and social media skills and have a desire for a career in marketing, public relations or business leadership, gain valuable, real work experience while you learn all aspects of running a non-profit as well as board membership. If you would like to be considered, send your resume to launch@catapultseacoast.org SEACOAST BUSINESS BRIEFS
MEMBERS OF THE MONTH  Sean Reusch, DJ Haskins & Sam Giberson, owners of website and visual design company Lightfin Studios! Catapult is thrilled to have Lightfin Studios working with us. Their office is right on Market Street in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. They have already stepped up to the plate and knocked one out of the park with their creation of our new Business Speaker Series event logo. They are also the creative minds behind the Stay.Work.Play. logo and are involved with Seacoast Party for a Purpose. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Catapult's Business Speaker Series - Launch Event: A Night with Paul Holloway Have you ever wanted to ask a successful businessperson how they made it all happen? Find out where they took leaps, made mistakes, had their first big success and what advice they could give to you? Well, Catapult introduced its first event in a series designed to offer members this exact opportunity. 
The new Business Speaker Series (BSS) launched its first of three high-caliber events at the exclusive setting of downtown Portsmouth's 100 Club. In our inaugural debut, Paul Holloway hosted and offered an exclusive and intimate portrait of his path towards professional success.With each BSS event, Catapult will ask its signature question: "What can someone working for you do to catapult themselves to the next level?" Visit the website to watch the footage, view the pictures and hear Paul's answer. Investing & Home Ownership Seminar This event was hosted by young professionals for young professionals. Many Catapult members are at a point in life where they are considering home ownership and it seemed only appropriate to provide some education on the subject. Catapult members, Casey Snyder of Wells Fargo, Amanda Levesque of Franklin American Mortgage and Lauren Kane of Remax, shared their expertise on the process of purchasing a home as well as things to consider when saving for retirement and protecting well-earned assets. The panel was moderated with a flurry of questions ranging from whether buying a property in foreclosure is a good deal to what the difference is between a broker and a financial advisor. Members were engaged and inquisitive and walked away with a better understanding of the overall home purchase process. March 11th- Catapult Goes Bowling, Calling all Kingpins- Let the good times roll! Kicking off its new Activity Series, Catapulters went down to Dover Bowl to mix, mingle and don ugly bowling shoes. STRIKE! On that same day, some other Catapult members attended Pecha Kucha #5 held at the 3rd floor Gaslight lounge. The eight presenters each followed the same format - 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide - and the subject matter couldn't have been more varied. The audience enjoyed learning about everything from the making of a local short film to the making of a dart frog habitat. Catapult's own Liza Dube shared her presentation "Please Don't Feed the Young Professionals: Rules for Young Professionals and the People Who Hire Them". We are so psyched Liza could represent us! Interested in learning more about Pecha Kucha or doing your own presentation at PK #6? Contact us! We'd love to give you tips and show up to cheer you on. SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT Thank you to the following sponsor(s) who have made our events possible.  Dover Bowl Family Fun Center www.doverbowl.com  Members of the 100 Club The 100 Club Private fine dining. A special thank you to owner Hopi Stradling and members Paul & Anna Grace Holloway. www.onehundredclub.com Lightfin Studios Lightfin Studios was founded in the spring of 2006 by a group of experienced visual designers, usability experts, developers and professional service specialists. Backed by years of experience in the industry, they set out to start a company that was truly customer-centric. Since day one, Lightfin has tried to meet that demand in every way possible. "Everything you" means entrenching themselves in your industry, your brand, your messaging and your vision. The magic happens when they take that knowledge and craft it into effective and powerful communication tools. www.lightfin.com  JBC Communications JBC Communications' vision is actually quite simple. To tell our clients' stories in an impactful way so that their strategic goals are achieved. www.jbccom.com Becoming a Sponsor Wondering how your business can reach the over 1,400 young professionals that make up Catapult? Become a sponsor today! Catapult offers a variety of sponsorship opportunities to local businesses who want to partner with one the most successful networking group of young professionals on the Seacoast. For more information, please contact sponsorships@catapultseacoast.org ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVICE FROM 
Brent is the founder of Slim Famous (S.F.), a business specializing in product, brand and business development. Since it was founded in 1999, Slim Famous Original products have captured the attention of national media and retail executives including those at Warner Bros./Disney. Brent also provides clients with holistic, strategic marketing plans that are creative, penetrating, effective, unique and with proven results. - brentbeckett@gmail.comThink Big. Start Small. The most common question aspiring entrepreneurs ask me at the beginning of starting a business or developing an idea is; What separates someone who has succeeded at doing 'it' from someone who hasn't? The answer of course, is within the question - one did it and the other didn't. I have a friend who has been going to start a dog training business for the past 13 years and another who has been planning a cookie business for 5 years. Both are adequately suited for their pursuits and had they taken even a small amount of action, they could now be operating full service businesses. Instead they continue to talk about what they hope to someday be doing. The common denominator for not taking action? Fear- it has a way of paralyzing us. You've heard me say that 'nothing is anything until it is something' and the greatest amount of intention is still not as great as the smallest amount of action. From the simplest idea to the most expansive - the process is the same. Aspiring entrepreneurs are afraid of failure, of not having enough money, not knowing how to operate the business they want, not having enough time, experience, education, etc. the list can be endless. Very often it is that they are afraid that they don't have the initial ability to create the grand scheme from their minds into a reality. Starting a business is not any different than any other pursuit in that you start at the beginning and move forward from there. I remember being frustrated when I first took piano lessons and struggled with 'London Bridges' when I had imagined myself tapping out 'Piano Man' on my first day. People starting businesses are often frustrated by having to start small and in a manageable way because it doesn't align with the fantasy they had created. They want the equipment, the office, the supplies and the notoriety that can go with a successful business. I call this playing house. They want the set up and big picture before they have customers. This is why I think they remain in the fantasy instead of the reality. My friend imagines a big kennel, many dogs, a retail shop and vehicles for transporting dogs and my other friend imagines cookie shop franchises throughout the country. However, the founders of Stonewall Kitchen started at the farmer's market with a few jars of jelly and Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan began by walking one dog. So to start, think big: when I am developing an idea I am "at the drawing board". It is a time for free thinking without censorship and wild imagination. Scaling the idea back will happen naturally, but knowing that an idea has a long life with a lot of potential avenues for variation is important for future growth. I usually write on any legible material I can find, as the ideas come quick and randomly. I sleep very little because my mind is spinning so fast. I then take my big idea and make small active steps forward. In an earlier newsletter I wrote about the essential need for having a written plan. It is the plan that will guide you through each of the steps and keep you on a well-guided course. The creation of a written plan is your active step forward. Whatever your idea for a product or business may be, I encourage you to start small. We are typically not afraid of small. It is manageable and pursuable. You'll have limited risks and investments that eliminate fears of too much too soon. If your idea is to start a cookie business, begin by making cookies. Give a cookie to friends and anyone else that will eat one. Doing this will provide a lot of information for you. Do people like them? How much does it cost to make a batch of cookies? Enter your cookies in a contest and sell them at small venues. A test market process will most likely give you all of the confidence you need to continue pursuing your business. You will also have taken the first active steps from dreaming about a cookie business toward having one. If all goes well with the little steps, your fears will subside and you'll become someone who has actually done 'it' versus someone who hasn't. CAREERALISM WITH J.T. O'DONNELL 4 Steps for Taking Your Networking to the Next Level By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Heather Huhman While being on the job search is a daunting task for most, and it is important to enjoy the process. After all, having a positive attitude can make a world of difference! Instead of spending all your time and energy on mainstream job boards, get off your bottom and meet new people! While I don't recommend giving up on job boards altogether, I definitely feel networking is the best way to use your time wisely during your job search. For example, one great analogy I love to use is the person who goes to the gym for an hour but doesn't even break a sweat. Read More |
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IN THIS ISSUE:  Letter from the ChairUpcoming Catapult EventsWhat's New?Seacoast Business BriefsMembers of the MonthIn Case You Missed ItSponsor SpotlightEntrepreneurial Advicefrom Brent Beckett Careeralism with J.T. O'Donnell CATAPULT RECOMMENDS
FRIENDS OF CATAPULT   Learn More  Networking doesn't stop at Catapult events. Get even more connected by becoming active in the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. For nearly a century, the GPCC has been helping business leaders and citizens get connected. The Chamber's goals are to support and promote local business, influence public policy, develop tourism and improve the quality of life in the Seacoast. Learn More  Learn how Leadership Seacoast has educated and inspired over 500 people in the Seacoast community over the last 20 years. Leadership Seacoast positively impacts the communities of the Seacoast area by developing a base of effective, knowledgeable, and engaged leaders through exploration of community issues, effective leadership practices, and opportunities for personal involvement. Learn More  The LFDA provides a comprehensive, interactive and nonpartisan venue to inform New Hampshire citizens and to stimulate their interest and engagement in the issues facing our state and communities. The Alliance encourages a civil exchange of information, ideas, and trust to forge a new relationship between New Hampshire citizens and their government. Learn More  NHBSR aims to build and support a network of businesses committed to adopting socially responsible business practices, recognizing that people, principles and profits are inseparably linked. Learn More  Catapult endorses NH Businesses for Transportation and Infrastructure's initiative to bring rail to NH. Learn More  Stay Work Play NH, Inc. (SWP NH) was established as a nonprofit organization in April 2009 to further the 55% Initiative, support and advance several recommendations made by the Governor's Task Force on Young Worker Retention in the spring of 2009, and serve as an independent organization to run a website and associated marketing effort geared at providing comprehensive information on what New Hampshire can offer to the 20-30 year old demographic in terms of staying, working, and playing here. Learn More  The UNH Advising and Career center offers academic advising, career and internship advising, and employer services to UNH students and Alumni. Learn More  Are you a UNH Alumni living in the Seacoast? Visit the UNH Alumni site and sign on to Wildcat World. Create your own virtue yearbook page, search for friends, post a class note and learn about future events! Learn More  Special Thanks to All Catapult Sponsors Your sponsorship and encouragement allows Catapult to continue working toward making a positive impact on the Seacoast by providing unique and valuable opportunities to enhance personal and professional development for our next generation of business and community leaders. We sincerely appreciate your continued support. Thank you. - Catapult Board Live in the Seacoast but work in another area of NH? Connect with other YP groups around the State: NASHUA www.iugonashua.com MANCHESTER www.mypn.org CONCORD www.concordypn.org KEENE www.keeneypn.org MOUNT WASHINGTON VALLEY www.mwvyp.org Catapult Wants to Hear from You! Interested in volunteering your time to help Catapult in 2010? Click Here. We welcome your input! Share ideas on what you would like to see from Catapult in 2010. Click Here. Have a great testimonial of how Catapult events have benefited you or your business? We want to hear it! Click Here. Would you like greater visibility for your business while helping to support Seacoast young professionals? Click Here. Found an article you think a friend ought to read? Send him or her to the online version of today's issue of catapult eNews.   Catapult eNews April 2010 Volume 4, Issue 2 We hope you enjoyed reading today's issue of Catapult eNews. Written and designed by Catapult in Portsmouth, Catapult eNews is a free email publication. Event dates are subject to change. |
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