Debra Kasowski

Ann Max

by Leave a Comment


Right click here to download

Ann Max is known for her lively, engaging and performance-driven approach to productivity and performance enhancement. Her information-packed presentations are grounded on solid experience in Organizational Development, Human Resources and Administration, and are guaranteed to deliver skills, techniques and concrete actions that can be directly put to use.

With a strong commitment and deep understanding of her subject, she immediately develops a rapport with staff and management at all levels. As an effective coach, skillful facilitator, inspirational trainer, empowering mentor or motivational speaker, she addresses current challenges with an engaging style that immediately creates trust and rapport. Personal and professional lives benefit from her wise counsel, ability to instill confidence, realistic approach and lively sense of humor.

Ann publishes a monthly e-newsletter, MaxTips! which is distributed free to thousands of subscribers. She is the author of a Time Management Guide for Physicians (through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons), which will be distributed to every physician in Canada and forms the basis of a professional learning program. She is a National member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and the International Federation of Professional Speakers and is currently working on a series of webinars and e-learning strategies soon to be offered on-line.

Good Gossip – Be Known, Be Remembered, and Be Talked About

by Leave a Comment

Do you believe in moments of serendipity? Do you believe in the law of attraction? Do you believe that gestures of kindness go a long way in becoming known, remembered and even talked about? I want to share with you the tale of two purses. A couple months ago I was visiting my sister and her family. We were walking along a rocky beach when my purse strap snapped and my purse dropped to the ground. I looked around for a purse for several weeks and started to get a bit frustrated because I could not find one I liked.

One day a friend of mine handed me a gift bag and there inside it was a beautiful handmade straw woven purse from the Philippines. He and his wife were on vacation and they picked up this purse thinking of me. He did not even know I was looking for a purse. Wow! Talk about timing. I felt very blessed.

Fast forward a couple weeks another gift arrived, when I was at Marcia Wieder’s Become An Inspiring Speaker program, I met the most incredible vibrant woman. She was dressed to the nines and had a pin that said “Irresistible”. I fell in love with her energy and beautiful spirit. This fabulous woman is Lethia Owens of Live Your Brand. She truly lives her brand. She is classy stylish and graceful. I particularly loved her purse and complimented her on it. Lethia stated, “I will send you one.” Perhaps because we talked for only a few minutes here and there, I did not think that this woman I had just met would actually send me the purse.

Stylin' Purse

It was like Christmas! Everywhere I go people are saying,” What a beautiful purse you have!” I go on to tell them about this incredible woman who is true to her word and LIVES her brand. A lady at the pharmacy said, “You know there are very few people who would have followed through when only meeting for a short time.” Now I get to share a piece of her every day in my conversations. She made a difference in my life. I feel like we connected as if we had known each other for years and it was a reunion, however, I sense it is only the beginning.

What lesson is there to be learned about being known and remembered:

  • Be true to your word.
  • Share your energy and spirit in all you do.
  • Be passionate about serving others
  • Set yourself apart by doing something different. (Send someone a gift, give them a book, or do something special.)
  • Be true to yourself – You Are Your Brand so Live It!
  • Be Irresistible

You do not need to spend money to make a difference in a person’s life to make them feel valued and appreciated. All you need to do is pay attention to what resonates in your hear and act on it. An act of kindness ripples to many others in the world and may even change someone’s perspective of the world. “Everything you do matters.” This blog post is dedicated to all of you who make a difference, especially Lethia Owens.

An Awakening of Sorts

by Leave a Comment

Do you ever feel like you are doing things but you are not really sure if people are paying attention? This question sparked a very interesting conversation with several friends and colleagues. When you are posting in social media forums, do you know how many people are viewing or reading your comments. Do people see all of your efforts?

This week was packed with connecting with women changing the world in their businesses and really great conversations. At the Millionaire Woman Club, Lori Raudnask and Gail Martin spoke about The Patterns of the Sales Cycle and 30 Days to Social Media Success. We were working in our networking groups and people were commenting about my posts and videos. They were sharing that they really enjoyed them and how the tips helped them improve something in their businesses and life. Two days later at the FIERCE Woman of the Year Awards, I had several more people come and say the same. Today, the same was true and people wanted to learn more from me. Do you realize the impact that you may be having on others while you do your business?

People are noticing what you do and do not do. What makes you different from others? Think about businesses or programs you work with. Do you miss the phone call from the dentist checking to see how you are after your treatment or the calendar from your financial planner at the beginning of the year? One of my realtor’s gives out pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving to all of her clients – do you think she is making an impact and building relationships? You bet! The way you do things and how you do things can be great learning for others.

I called this an awakening because do not always know how many read my posts whether it be a blog or on social media. Maybe someone LIKED it or made a comment but how do I really know if someone out there is listening and learning. Even if this blog impacts one person it makes a difference.

Be consistent with what you do. Stay true to what matters most and who you are. People are paying attention to what you are doing. Let the ripple you create in the world spread. Continue to give of yourself, you may not know the impact it has in the world but I assure you someone out there needed to hear it.

I want to acknowledge some special people who have a huge heart and have helped raise funds for local Edmonton Schools through The Spirit of Christmas Fundraiser today.

Joanne MacDonald – Sunset Gourmet – The Onion Blossom Horseradish Dip is amazing! Brynda Roche – NuSkin – Increasing Vitality and beauty in the World, Michelle Weisgerber – Stella & Dot – accessorizing today’s modern woman, Maria Pereira – Unique Treasures of the World – the best kept secret to stay at home shopping – what a Christmas Stress Reducer, Jocelyn Adcock – Party Lite Candles – sharing the beautiful scents of Christmas, Rose Sandulescu – Beautiful Skin for Life – for making my hands extra smooth, Dela Doe-Demosse of SheMama Naturals for skin care for the body and sharing your beautiful smile, Andrea Holmstrom – Stampin’ Up for her unique Halloween and Christmas stampin’ crafts, Patty Price – Fifth Avenue Jeweller, for showcasing fine jewellery, Joanna Kissick – Gold Canyon/Tupperware – fulfilling many needs in kitchen and home, Tammy Ayer – Epicure Selections – cooking spices and herbs that make you tastebuds water, Kristy Yarmuch with Mary Kay accebting a woman’s beauty, Alya Goulko of Artistry – for introducing me to a LED light and mirrored lip gloss, Bonnie Haugen introducing the world to Simply You jewelry, Carly Slater for showcasing her photography – thanks for sharing your talents, Linda Hein for her beautiful Christmas wreaths, Jennifer Haas for the playfulness of Discovery Toys, Sheila Krivsky for Organo Gold – the hot choclate was absultely deliciious, Lee Politano – Help 4 You Skin Care, Cheryl Carnegie for Sweet Tweet Sugar & Gluten Free Shop, Tammy Burgardt with Norwex, Mar Robinson for jams, jellies, and quilts, and Mariana Konsolos of Princess Florence Handbags and More – what a genuine spirit and beautiful business owner stylin’ ladies for success, and Lisa Litwinski for her Today, I choose cards for setting a great intention for the day.

I want to especially thank Shannon Berry of Capital Concierge and her family for the unconditional pouring of heart and soul into this project. Thank you to all of the vendors and visitors who are helping local schools, you have big hearts and I so appreciate you!

Know this people are taking notice of what you are doing. Set yourself apart.

As the saying goes, “You get what you give.” Thank you for giving of yourselves and sharing your talents with the world. May you reap much success.

Are You a FIERCE Woman?

by Leave a Comment

Last night I attended MOM Magazine 2011 FIERCE Woman Awards were I was nominated in the Outstanding MEO category. Tamara Plant organized a first class event. The night will forever be imprinted in my mind. The energy of the women in the room was incredible. I will say this – eating potatoes with never be the same. Imagine if you will creamy whipped potatoes in a martini glass with chicken poppers and a bit of gravy, sour cream, green onion and a little sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Melt in your mouth – yummy!
I was surrounded by some of the most incredible women. You see, each of us has a story or testimony, so speak out about how you move through the world. Your story is meant to be shared so that others can learn from it. The FIERCE Women in the room all have such powerful stories. All surviving and thriving in the challenges of life. When things happen in your life, they happen either to teach you a lesson or to use you as a tool to teach others. Nothing is an accident. It is my belief that each woman can make a difference in the life of another woman by listening to her story, comforting her when she feels weak, and celebrating her when she is strong. There are so many moments that define the FIERCE Woman. They are:
* single mother going back to school to set an example for her child
* a mother working more than one job to put food on the table
* the daughter caring for her mother who is fighting a terminal illness
* the woman who stared down breast cancer and beat it!
* The mom who runs a business and is active in her child’s extracurricular activities
* the woman business owner who defies all odds and persists by BELIEVING in her dreams.
* A motherless daughter helping other motherless daughters reach for greater things with love and support
There are so many more….
You may say..I have fears…most of us do BUT it is the decision to keep going and make things happen in your life that makes you FIERCE.
You are not the same person as you were 5 or 10 years ago. You did what you knew to be right at the time. Do not punish yourself from living for today and the woman you have yet to become by living in your past. The world is meant to be enjoyed today…right now.

Your efforts matter. Who you are matters!
Ladies, the honour was mine. I have been truly blessed to be surrounded by:

*Jo-Ann Vacing – eWomen Network, incredible connector
*Lee Horbachewski – SimpleeSerene
*Farhana Dhalla – author of Thank you for Leaving Me
* Kelly Falardeau, author of Self Esteen Doesn’t Come in a Bottle
* Shelley Streit, Guiding Light Financial
*Aimee Hutton – Awakening the GodDess
*Barbielee Hemmings
*Aly Pain
*Sheena Johnson
* Christie Mawer
* Wendy Mueller
* Amanda Babichuk,
* Tamara Plant
and so many more beautiful women who graced the stage. I look forward to connecting with each of you in the future.
There are so many ways in which a woman is FIERCE. Believe in the power of your dreams with your whole heart.
Rise to the top for you are the cream of the crop!

Social Media Lesson with Gail Z. Martin

by Leave a Comment

Gail Z. Martin shares tips from her book, 30 Days to Social Media Success with Debra Kasowski.

Facebook is truly just another form of business networking. Don’t be afraid of it because it is on the internet. If you can go to a networking luncheon or an after hours event and talk to people and get them interested in what you do and the problems you solve. You can do the same thing on Facebook.

Be of service. It is not just about going out and selling. It is about seeing how you can make a personal connection and build a relationship and find out how you can solve their problem.

Do that online and Gail guarantees that if you do this for 30 days you will turn strangers into: warm leads, new clients, and cold hard cash.