Todays Seminar

Today I gave a seminar that went very well. Not as many women were there as were supposed to be.

I gave my business card to every one. Each woman at the seminar said that they knew another group that could benefit from my presentation.

Every seminar is an opportunity to network and get other seminars scheduled.

Another Seminar

Tomorrow I will be giving another seminar on Women's Self Defense. I will be going to the orgainzation Church Women United.

Church Women United is part of a larger group called Network of Religious Communities

From their web site http://www.religiousnet.org/
"The Network of Religious Communities (NRC) is an interreligious/ecumenical organization of denominations, congregations, and religious organizations located in Western New York State, U.S.A. and the Niagara Peninsula of Southern Ontario, Canada.

Our purpose is to:
*foster interreligious, ecumenical, and interracial understanding, dialogue, and cooperation
*facilitate collaboration in areas of common concern and in response to the needs of the residents our region
*promote justice, peace, and the common good — as expressed in the faith traditions of our members. "

Incredible Seminar

Today I had an incredible seminar. I had the Seminar at the Joan A. Male Family Support Center. Before going I had asked what the main concern would possibly be that I might want to discuss during the seminar on self-defense. The main concern was that most of the workers were needing to go into neighborhoods that weren't always safe.

I will post the comments that I received today on my other blog Seminar Comments

I addressed that concern through 1) being aware of ones environment, 2) listening to the inner voice, 3)de-escalating a situation, 4) planning an alternative means by which they visited their clients, 5) basic physical self defense moves, 6)teaching them that they had the right to defend themselves and never to give up.

Today was a great networking seminar also. One of the participants is going to call me to set up another seminar to give to a group of teen age girls. The director also spoke to me about a larger organization that their organization is a part of. She told me that when I was ready to sell my seminars that I should tell her because that larger organization pays for presenters to give seminars on a number of topics. She told me that I should keep in contact with her about the future seminar topics so she could tell the other organization---she would sell me to them.

This weeks Seminar

This week I will be giving a seminar at Joan A. Male Family Support Center. The seminar is on women's self defense but there will be a couple of men in the group. One of the topics that I will be discussing is abuse in the marriage and what to do.

I'm exited to be going to this particular place, due to all of the great things that they are doing to help families. They have many different services. Below is a discription, and here is the link http://www.joanamale.org/index.html

"The Joan A. Male Family Support Center program combines immediate response with the provision of concrete services for families experiencing issues of child abuse and neglect. Simultaneous, multiple interventions focus on improving coping skills, educating parents on child development, facilitating bonding and communication with children, and increasing parents’ ability to approach helping resources. Family need and individual service plans dictate the combination of services provided."

Things that I have learned

This is what I have learned from each seminar so far

1) Know your audience. This makes the seminar more meaningful to the participants.

• Each seminar needs to be a bit customized, based on the needs of the participants.
• Before presenting ask the organization what their major concerns maybe about the topic. Have they had any major incident or problem that has made them want the seminar?
• Try to learn as much as you can about the organization and the people that are part of it.

2) Always get feedback from your audience. How else will you improve? How else will you know if you gave meaningful information?
These are some helpful questions

• Ask your participants at the end of the seminar to write their comments
• Ask your participants if they would change the seminar in any way
• was the seminar interesting---why?
• was the seminar helpful--why/how?
• will they be using the information that they learned--where/how?
  

3) Have a handout. This will help the participants remember what you presented. This may also give you another seminar some where else---networking

• place your contact information
• summary of information---short one

4) Sell---something that you have written, recorded, items...etc.

• ask the following questions before doing this step

1. does it pertain to the seminar topic
2. is it something that the participants will find a value in

Tuesday is a long day

Tuesday I have an appointment, in the early evening, to go and explain what my seminar is to an organization that helps women. I look forward to learning more about their organization.

Later during the night I will be giving a seminar to a group of women that belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They belong to the Niagara Falls Ward Relief Society and young women