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Message from 2019 President Fiona

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Message from 2019 President Fiona
by Fiona Theseira

It has been my absolute honor and pleasure to serve as your 57th and 2019 State President for Women’s Council of REALTORS®, California.  I humbly thank you all for this amazing opportunity. It has been a year of successes for the Council, learning opportunities and embracing change.  It has been a tremendous experience and I have been thrilled to be able to visit and connect with so many of you during the year.

During the 2019 year we have provided several opportunities for training locally and at State meetings.  We started last September in San Diego with the State Leadership Retreat where the 2019 State Leadership team gathered. During this time, we learned facilitation skills from Jim DeLizia, which prepared us for the inaugural Fall Leadership Summit and also received leadership preparation from Otto Catrina.

The Winter meeting started off with the welcome reception at Tommy Bahama’s in Downtown Palm Springs.  Our Governors and District Vice Presidents led best practice presentations on recruitment & retention, events, branding, and protocol.  Our local leadership teams went into position specific breakouts for best practices and leadership education.  Susan Packard, prior C.O.O. of H.G.T.V. provided insights into business principles, branding and culture and how freeing it is that you do not need to master every little thing to add value.  Elizabeth Mendenhall, 2018 N.A.R. President, gave a fabulous presentation on unicorn leadership, and how such leadership strive immediate and solid results and returns.

In 2019, we added a new element to the State installation. For the first time, a V.I.P. pre-event reception was held. This V.I.P. event, held in my suite, allowed us the opportunity to invite State and other Dignitaries along with upper tier Strategic Partners and Installation Sponsors to attend.  This gave the Council added visibility and the opportunity for any State V.I.P.’s to drop by, even if they were not able to stay for the Installation.

Another first for Women’s Council, California was electronic elections during our Spring meeting in Sacramento.  We do consider the election process a success, and one upon which we will make improvements moving forward.  During the Spring meeting in Sacramento, we received an insightful economic update from CAR’s Sara Sutachan.  Our local leadership teams went into position specific breakouts to receive best practices and leadership education.  Amber Barnes, a certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, helped attendees explore the skills of courage-building and the willingness and ability to “rumble with vulnerability”.

Our State elections brought in a good number of applications with multiple applicants running for positions.  We are happy to report that a number of our local Networks also experienced multiple candidates for leadership positions.  This is great news as it means that our networks are creating interest in their members to embark or further their leadership journey and take on leadership roles.

Congratulations to Inland Valley who won the State Second Chance membership contest. Greater Fresno was close on their heels!  Great job to all bringing on new members.  Keep up the good work!

Transitions workshops were reintroduced this year.  We named them 2020 & Beyond; very fitting as we move into a new decade.  We had 28 of the 34 networks and 190 members attend our three events.  Kudos and thanks to all who helped set up and to those who attended.  Major thanks go to all of our Governors and District Vice Presidents who contributed to the success of 2020 and beyond!  To the Networks who contributed “seed money”, thank you, and you will receive your checks next week. Click here for more information

The 2019 Fall Leadership Summit was held in Downtown LA, at the Hotel Indigo.  This location was not where we were originally scheduled to have the event, however, the location was a success. Thirty-one Network leadership teams were in attendance.  The primary function of this meeting was to train the incoming leadership teams; and there was value for all attendees.  For more information click here

Thank you all for the journey you have shared with me.  I have so many people to thank and appreciate.  In the interest of your time, included in the thanks are the 2019 Leadership Team, Governors, District Vice Presidents, Strategic Partners, Sponsors, Local Network Presidents, Past State Presidents, Committee Chairs, Project team leaders and committee/team members, this list is by no means exhaustive.  THANK YOU ALL for your time, your wisdom, your creativity, your mentorship and your feedback! The learning on my journey was beyond anything I ever had imagined.  I have absolutely loved this year’s experiences, each one of them has been invaluable.  Both the joys and challenges will be forever treasured.

You are in great hands in 2020 with the State leadership team led by President Eileen Oldroyd.  They are excited and ready to lead California into a new decade and State Network model.

Dream | Believe | Achieve | Enjoy The Journey!

Fiona Theseira
2019 State President
[email protected]
858-344-2213

Education, Reminders and 2020 State Meeting and Installation

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Education, Reminders and 2020 State Meeting and Installation
By Eileen Oldroyd

Both our 2019 & 2020 District Vice Presidents and Governors have been hard at work organizing and facilitating the 2020 workshops. We’ve received positive feedback regarding the content but we would like to know if you need additional training in any particular area, like budgeting, effective marketing strategies, articulating the value of membership, etc. Because of your feedback, we will have our first Zoom training on December 18th at 8:00AM. The topic will be the Care and Feeding of Strategic Partners. Many networks struggle with securing Strategic Partners as a revenue source and/or delivering value & benefits. Kama Burton, 2020 Chair of Strategic Partner and Sponsorship will be doing the one hour training with dynamic information to help our networks tackle this issue. Anyone can attend, keep an eye out for the registration link.
Don’t forget to report your 2020 Governing Boards to National. The deadline was November 1st but there is still time to submit the names of your team and their positions, or if you had changes. These submissions are very important since National gives the 2020 teams access to your membership roster and the back end of your website the first week in January. Link to report your 2020 Governing Board: https://form.jotform.us/92334711479158
3rd Quarter Network reports are also due to National. These reports are mandatory but very simple to complete. After filling in your position, contact information, network name and type of event, you only have to answer four simple questions. Easy peasy! Link for 3rd Quarter Report:
Registration is almost open for our Winter Meeting, February 3-4, 2020 in Anaheim! We will have a welcome reception on February 2 from 6:00-8:00 at the Anaheim Marriott. If weather permits, the reception will be under the stars on their gorgeous outdoor patio. We are excited to bring you a full schedule of network best practices, inspirational speakers, leadership development and business builders. We will even have a few special guests, too. Bring as many of your team as your budget permits to set your network up for success for the rest of the year.  Don’t forget the 2020 Installation will be February 4th at 6:00pm – 11:00pm. It will be an evening of enchantment, dinner and dancing!
Tentative agenda – click here
XO
Eileen
2020 State President, Women’s Council of REALTORS®, California

Rosanna’s Recap San Francisco National meeting and Installation

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Rosanna’s Recap San Francisco National meeting and Installation
by Rosanna Garcia

This year’s National meeting in San Francisco was stellar.  Not only did we have the usual great education sessions and speakers, but we as California members were proud to welcome our fellow REALTORS® to California to the city by the bay!

The meetings were held at the Hilton Union Square. Women’s Council also had its first ever graduation of the Leadership Institute in which Sabrina Brown and I had the privilege of being chosen to participate in, we both were proud to represent California and receive our certificate of completion and our pin!  The Institute also required us to plan and present an educational session at our National meeting. The experience was wonderful and our members loved the presentations and got many good tips from them.

In addition to graduation of the Leadership Institute we had 47 members receiving their PMN designations, including our President Elect Eileen Oldroyd!

Other sessions included a panel of woman business owners and how they got started and were funded by one of our National partners. We also heard from the always funny and informative Leigh Brown. She kept everyone engaged and laughing with her presentation on Generational marketing.

The installation had a great turnout and a good time was had by all. California represented well and the room was filled with many well wishers and dignitaries. Our 2019 CA State President, Fiona Theseira, was installed as Regional Vice President for Region 8.  There was an after party at the top of the Hilton, which included champagne, wine and dancing. The members danced the night away and the views were spectacular.

The conference, installation and visit to one of California’s finest cities were all wonderful. As usual we spent time networking with our California peers, and other members from across the country.  The relationships you forge at these meetings are priceless. The networking and referrals that result from it are just a bonus.

See you all soon in Anaheim, February 2-4, 2020 for our Winter meeting and our CA leadership team installation! Hope to see you all there!

Rosanna

Renewals and Membership

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Renewals and Membership
by Kay Merg

Have you renewed your Womens Council of Realtors membership for 2020? Your 2020 membership renewal is officially due.  Please follow the following 3 easy steps to renew your 2020 membership.
Dues renewals were sent to all members over the weekend of December 14th/15th.  We are asking members to please double-check their invoices for accuracy and to get in touch with National at [email protected] if they see errors or duplicate charges. We appreciate your patience.
  1. How can members pay?
    • Online: the majority of members pay online via a unique link in their email invoice. For members who have not set up their new password on wcr.org, a “forgot password” link will enable them to set up their password at dues renewal time.
    • By check: checks can be made out to Women’s Council of Realtors® or WCR – the mailing address is 430 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
    • By phone: the dues hotline is 1-800-245-8512. If members call in off-hours, they can leave a message and staff will return the call within 24-hours to collect dues.
    • Renewal Application: A short form-fill PDF is available online.
You will receive an immediate acknowledgment stating your renewal has been processed.  Please let National or State leadership know if there are any billing variations (local, State or P.M.N. dues not included).
Please keep in mind also that your 2020 Membership fee may be prorated if you joined between April- November 2019.
If you have any questions regarding completing your 2020 renewal please contact your Governor or District Vice President immediately. #Leadersmadehere
Kay

2020 Treasurer’s Message

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2020 Treasurer’s Message
By Sabrina Brown

Where did all the time go?  2020 is right around the corner. It is time for all local networks to start preparing and finalizing annual budgets, conducting year end audits and financial check-up reports.

Money Matters to the continued success of each network.

As Treasurers you are the gatekeepers of the network’s financial health. You should be reporting on your network’s financial status  on a monthly basis to your board.  A copy of your monthly report and bank statements should be stored in a central such as Dropbox or Google Drive along with any other financial documents.

You will receive communications from the State and National leadership team on what reports are needed and when. You will be working closely with your designated Governor or District Vice President.  They will be collecting all of your financial documents and reports.
To ensure that network receives the training and mentor ship they need to continue to be successful please send all required reports within the designated time frames.

We have set up a Facebook Page for 2020 Local Treasurers at 2020 Gate Keepers.   We will be posting procedures, tips and tricks on how to complete your duties in an easy and efficient manner.

Important Dates:

December 31- 2020 Budget due 

January 16th- Women’s Council of REALTORS, California Local Network Treasurer Zoom Call is scheduled at 8 a.m.  log in  details will be sent directly to all Treasurers.

January 31st- 2019 Network Financial Audit due

Thank you for your time, talents and commitment to Women’s Council of Realtors!

Sabrina Brown

Fall Leadership Summit

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Fall Leadership Summit

Link to Fall Summit Documents

Fall Leadership Summit, what an awesome third and final Women’s Council, California event of the year!  The location at the Hotel Indigo was a super success. The venue really accommodated Women’s Council, California’s needs and provided us ample space to provide the educational opportunities that we had planned for our 160+ attendees.  We started off the event with an energetic, upbeat and super sized welcome reception.  A BIG thank you to Raymond Eshaghian and Green Box Loans for stepping up with additional partnership money to make this epic evening happen.

Day One

Monday was full of great information and energy.  Attendees received a laptop bag, thanks to Guild Mortgage and Baxter Scruggs who co-sponsored.

State Orientation

Women’s Council, 2019 National President-Elect, Brendalee Szlachta started the Fall Leadership Summit with an energetic and endearing State Orientation address and update.  Brenda gave National statistics and infographics that can be found in wcr.org which can be used by Networks for membership recruitment and retention. Brenda spoke about teamwork, support, definition of a common goal, trust, core values and what it takes to pass the baton in the upcoming transition between 2019 and 2020 teams.  Click here for Brenda’s presentation

Parliamentary Pizza and Developing High Performance Teams

Following Brenda, Bruce Bishop gave a very informative presentation on Parliamentary Procedure.  He was very well received and there was a line after his presentation to ask more questions and to purchase his book, Parliamentary Pizza!  LaNell Silverstein ended the morning session giving fantastic insights and personal experience for developing high performance teams and success.

Awards and Appreciation lunch. 

Congratulations to and highlights include:-

Education Awards – $100 each:-

Adrianna Pardo, Donna Souza, Kama Burton, Sabrina Brown

Joanne McEchern Award – $125 each:-

Kama Burton

Bobbie Nelson Pathway to Leadership Grant:-

Beth Flure

Shining Star Awards:-

Inland Valley – 8 new members between April 1 & July 6th, 2019

National Recruitment & Retention Winners:-

Recruitment

1st Place (small) Greater Fresno

Retention

2nd Place Sacramento (82.69%)

Bonus Retention – Solano (71.11%)

2019 State Awards:-

Founders Award – Judy Myers

Landmark Award – Ventura County

Humanitarian Award – Pamela Storton

Outstanding Leadership Awards:-

Kaye Chapman
Pamela Storton
Sabrina Brown
Kama Burton
Theresa Wilson
Briana Ramirez
Renee Roque White
Donelle DuFault

President’s Award:-

PJ Johnsen

Member of The Year:-

Kaye Chapman

Show Me The Money! Budget and Financials

Linda Lee, Women’s Council, California, 2015 State President,  gave a high energy presentation on budget and financials.  Linda provided excellent information, with tips and tricks. regarding creating a network budget and maintaining a financially healthy network throughout the year. Click here for the direct link to Linda’s presentation.

Leadership Panel

We invited Brendalee Szlachta, Tammy Newland, Linda Lee and Kerri Hartnett on stage at the end of day one to speak as a panel on their leadership journeys and paths.  We heard their whys, where they have been in their volunteer leadership journeys and what is upcoming in their imminent paths in leadership.    Great insights and a fun panel to moderate!

Day Two

Attendees started the day with the opportunity to network together with the 2019 Strategic Partners in attendance  at the Strategic Partner Breakout.  There was a high energy and great conversations.

The Fall Governing Board meeting occurred with a quorum present. 2019 State President, Fiona Theseira gave State of the State Presentation.

Keynote, Marki Lemons Ryhal

Our keynote speaker Marki Lemons Ryhal lead us out in day two and did not disappoint.  Action, sass and information packed throughout the hour and a half we had with her.  We learned many great tips and tricks in taking photos (clean those lenses!), posting Instagram and Facebook stories, re-purposing videos and podcasts and so much more.  Click here for documents Marki shared.

Legislative Update

During lunch, Robyn Spillar, from the California Association of REALTORS addressed attendees of important legislative updates and what can be expected to affect members in the upcoming months.

Position Specific Breakouts 

Breakouts for 2020 positions (link to documents):-

Presidents – Eileen Oldroyd

President-Elects – Rosanna Garcia

First Vice President – Kay Merg

Treasurer – Sabrina Brown

Events Director – Fiona Theseira

Membership Director – Theresa Wilson

Leadership – Jamie Saltman and Cheryl Keller

Skills Building Presentations

Attendees were encouraged to attend two presentations and were offered four choices in two time settings:-

Communication and High Performance Teams – LaNell Silverstein

Get Your Talk Ready to Rock – Leisa Reid

Know How to Find Referrals and Work Them – Julie Fulcher

Insta Size your Instagram and Facebook Story – Sarah Ambrose

Closing Remarks

All attendees and Strategic Partners were thanked for their attendance and support.  2019 President-Elect, Eileen Oldroyd was presented with her gavel in order to be able to start her first meeting in 2020.  The 2019 and 2020 line officer team each gave a very heartfelt thank you to 2019 State President, Fiona with gifts.  They were received with much appreciation.

2020 & Beyond, Transition Workshops

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Travelling and Prepping for 2020 and Beyond Meetings

2020 & Beyond Transition Workshops

We had a super busy September here at Women’s Council, California. We started off the first eleven days of September with three, 2020 and Beyond Transition Workshop meetings. The five 2019 & 2020 State Line Officers traveled to Paso Robles, Mission Viejo and Vallejo.

The Journey

Kay and I  started out the journey, via a six seat mini van, in San Diego. We picked Eileen up in Mission Viejo,  driving up to Paso Robles, where we met Sabrina and Rosanna. (Some of us expected a bigger van, and this is an additional story)! The five of us, plus our Key Note Speaker, Julia Glyde, drove in the mini van, from Paso Robles and Solvang, down to Mission Viejo.  We learned new and valuable skills, including being in small spaces together for an extended period of time, and packing the mini van for 6 women and their luggage (check out that photo)!

The van rides and time together were invaluable to the team. As a result, we were able to bounce ideas off each other and build upon ideas.  We took advantage of our time together, we met several times to strategize for the 2020 and Beyond Workshops, and finalized some outstanding details for the Fall Leadership Summit meeting that occurred September 23rd-24th.

The Workshops

All three meetings had a different vibe and feel.  The five line officers shared tools to use, plus tips and tricks for transitioning between the 2019 and 2020 local Network Governing Boards.  We demonstrated how the State is mirroring what we trained on for the 2019/2020 transition. It was a leadership bonding opportunity, in addition to being able to share our leadership skills, experience and recommendations with attendees. Each of the three workshops were positive and we received rave reviews.

Attendees received very valuable information that they were able to take back to their Networks and have since started implementing.  Julia Glyde, our Video Trainer extraordinaire, trained attendees so that everyone left having made a great video they could use and share.  Our 2019 Presidents were honored by the current governing board. The 2020 Teams were given permission and encouraged to start on their planning and strategizing, without taking over their gavels until January 1, 2020.

It was fantastic to see so many first time attendees at a meeting that had a State influence.  Many “bigger picture” light bulbs turned on with attendees.  We saw the realization that there was more to Women’s Council of REALTORS®, that went beyond the local Network level.  It was very cool to see, and a #LevelUp moment.

Here is the link to access the 2020 and Beyond Documents

Thank You’s

A HUGE thank you to all Networks who attended and came together to make this happen.  We appreciate ALL that you did to make these events a SUCCESS.

We also thank our sponsors.  Thank you for believing in our members and education – #LeadersMadeHere:-
Eco Water, Modern Broker.com,  Greenbox Loans, Pacific Coast Mortgage Group, Inc., Envoy Mortgage, Entourage Real Estate, Old Republic Home Warranty, My NHD,  First American Home Warranty/JCP LGS Hazard Disclosures

Message from President Fiona

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Happy July 4th

And in the blink of an eye, it’s July!  Happy July 4th!  My 29th year of celebrating America’s Independence!  How is your year? 2019 for me has been super-fast, full of joy, growth, feedback and momentum.

Great news, and in keeping with our promise in Sacramento, it looks extremely likely that we can keep Fall Summit registration to $350 early bird pricing. We are putting together the final contract.  Details coming soon!

Your State leadership team and I are busy with the plans for the 2019 Fall Summit.  We have already made great strides in putting together a fantastic educational and leadership building experience for those attending.  We do highly recommend that you bring as many of your 2020 team as you can fiscally manage. 

Thank you to the local governing board members who completed the Jotform questionnaire for us, we will be on track to accommodate your requests.  We will release our speakers soon.

Here’s to your Summer being productive and successful.  

See you soon!

Fiona