Watching Meryl Davis and Charlie White win the first U.S. gold medal in ice dancing was deceiving. They glided across the ice and every movement melded into the next with an ease and grace that made it look easy. Nothing like strapping a couple of sharp blades on your feet and gliding across the ice, right?  For those of you know that know me and my inherent lack of grace, you can stop laughing now.

I bet 17 years ago when Davis and White first started, and their mothers began to carpool them to tournaments, everyone would have thought it crazy to consider that a couple of kids would win gold with the highest score ever recorded. Put a couple of visionaries together, throw in a heaping helping of hard work, and a dash of luck, and voila! You now have a gold medal.

I bet Valerie Freeman, a teacher starting a business, heard the same “you are crazy” when she started.  But Valerie, in essence, strapped those sharp blades on her feet and took off. Decades later, she has forged new trails for business owners through numerous projects including her staffing company, AnserTeam (a project well ahead of its time), and her work with the Texas Women’s Venture Fund.

YES is the place for people who talk about things others don’t understand. We are glad you are here!

Kelly Kunst, Founder of YES

I watched very little of the Super Bowl (yes, I know that surprises many of you knowing my love for football – I like GOOD football!), so I confess I did not see Coke’s controversial commercial. My curious nature led me to watch the commercial.

My father’s family came from Germany. Some left prior to the World War II.  Some ate road kill and slept in trees to get here. Upon becoming American citizens, they were spit on and had their homes vandalized, while living in fear that the Gestapo would kidnap them at night to return them to Germany for extermination. They had good reason to fear; some of my family never did arrive safely on American soil and were killed in concentration camps. Isn’t it sad that in 2014, such atrocities still exist in many parts of the world – especially for women?  

I am like most Americans, I suppose. I have always had freedom. Also, like most Americans, the words “thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears” took on a whole new meaning after 9/11. I found the voices of these young women in the commercial deeply and profoundly inspirational. I can’t even imagine what those simple lyrics written so long ago mean to these young women. America for them, just like my family escaping Nazi persecution, is and was a
land of their dreams. These women are bilingual, just as my family was. They were Americans who loved this country while still retaining the traditions that were close to their hearts from Germany.

I think this is one of the reasons I have such admiration for Valerie Freeman. She is an icon to women in business in the U.S., but also is involved with international projects to empower women all across the globe in business. It is awe-inspiring to consider America with more Valerie Freemans. Join us this month as Valerie returns to YES – you will be glad you did!

America IS Beautiful….with all our problems, America IS Beautiful.

Kelly Kunst, Founder of YES

At the YES January 2014 meeting, attendees had the fortune of hearing Judy Feld, MCC of CoachNet.com, describe SmartMatch Alliances and why they are so important to small business owners.  A SmartMatch Alliance is a strategic alliance that allows both parties to expand their businesses, extend their reach, offer additional services and make more money.  Judy told stories of her SmartMatch Alliances, including one with the co-author of her eponymous book, SmartMatch Alliances, Ernest Oriente.  Judy and Ernest created Coaching Success Teleforums (coachingsuccess.com), a service that provides training via telephone to coaches all over the world.  Their newsletter has well over 12,000 subscribers and is sent to over 73 countries. 

Judy explained the PINS of your business – your Profession, Industry, Niche and Specialty – and how important it is to define both current and desired PINS for your business.  By defining your PINS, you can find strategic partners who can help you expand your reach into that market in a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Thank you to Judy for presenting a great introduction to SmartMatch Alliances! 

Let’s continue the conversation at the YES after-hours book review on February 27. I will be leading a highly interactive and stimulating discussion of Judy’s book while we sip a glass of wine.   Wine and a book discussion – life can’t get much better!

Kristin Robertson
YES Board Member
President, Brio Leadership

SmartMatch Alliances by Judy Feld and Ernest F. Oriente can be purchased for $18 from Kristin Robertson at krisrob@brioleadership.com.