You're Invited to A Connecticut Christmas!! Please join us for a holiday celebration of this wonderful State of Connecticut !

Date: Saturday, December 11, 2010

Time: 1-4pm

Where: High Hopes, 36 Town Woods Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371

Admission: Food or a $5 donation to Connecticut Food Bank. (Did you know a $5 donation can buy 17 meals!!!?) Please bring a food item that are protein rich and shelf stable - i.e. - peanut butter, chunky soups, cans of tuna, etc.



A Connecticut Christmas - for Connecticut Food Bank and Tiffany Farm, is a benefit for those in need of food this holiday season and Tiffany Farms who's lower barn burned to the ground in September 2010.



A time to help our neighbors. According to the Connecticut Food Bank, the need for food in Connecticut is up an incredible 30% over year ago and up a stunning 100% in areas where people never before had to ask for food.



About Tiffany Farms: Tiffany Farms, located in Lyme, CT has been in business since 1841 as a dairy farm in Connecticut. As we all know, the farming industry is in dire need of support all across America. Tiffany Farm is no exception and in addition to this need, Tiffany Farm had an incredibly unfortunate fire in their lower barn in September 2010. The barn held equipment, antiques and well over 1,000 bales of hay that were to feed the animals over the winter. This benefit will help to ease their pain of rebuilding the barn and feeding the animals.



You're invited to come celebrate the holiday season with us. Many people across the State are coming together to be a part of this wonderful event. The indoor Farmer's Market participants are donating 15% of their event proceeds that will go directly to Tiffany Farm. In addition to the Farmer's Market, there will be music, a holiday bell choir performance, coffee provided by Ashlawn Farm Cafe, tours of High Hopes Riding Center and many, many other surprises. Individuals to large Connecticut companies are jumping in. The excitement and participation around this event will continue to grow as we get closer to December 11, 2010. Additionally, a truck will be parked on the side of the event building at High Hopes to collect food donations for Connecticut Food Bank.



Your admission to the event is to bring at least one food item or a $5 dollar donation to Connecticut Food Bank. As an aside, did you know that according to Connecticut Food Bank your $5 donation can feed 17 people! 17 people!!! That is amazing and something we can all afford to give this holiday season.



A Connecticut Christmas - for Connecticut Food Bank and Tiffany Farm event is lovingly produced by Heather Colby, Carol Dahlke, Ann Nyberg and Anna Rubino.



Please join us. If you are interested in being a vendor or would like to be a volunteer for the event, please email Heather Colby at hcolby@colbystrategicmarketing.com with the name of your business, address and contact information including contact phone number for day of the event. For volunteers, a phone number and your location will suffice.



We sincerely appreciate your participation in this event and looking forward to seeing you all on December 11, 2010!



Sincerely,



Heather Colby, Carol Dahlke, Ann Nyberg and Anna Rubino

Shoreline Financial Advisors Tweet Up Prize Winners

Shoreline Financial Advisors of Guilford, CT sponsored a Tweet Up at the 2010 Shoreline Business Conference on October 25, 2010 at the Water's Edge Resort and Spa. The Tweet Up was the perfect ending to a comprehensive day of innovative learning from shoreline experts. Speakers shared their knowledge on topics such as new internet marketing techniques, advertising, organizing your business, networking and legal issues.

Shoreline Financial Advisors worked hand in hand with Colby Strategic Marketing to build an event that was more cutting edge than a regular business after hours or networking event. Leading up to the event, Shoreline Financial Advisors ran contests on Twitter promoting the Shoreline Business Conference and the Tweet Up. Fellow twitterers could follow Shoreline Financial Advisors on Twitter and re-tweet (RT) the message to win free conference tickets. "Networking is what conferences are all about. We were proud to bring an innovative marketing tactic, like Twitter, to the conference via a Tweet Up," said Brendan Smith, Partner at Shoreline Financial Advisors.

NerdsToGo partnered with Shoreline Financial Advisors to bring an email service and Twitter sign up component to the Conference. According to NerdsToGo, over twenty individuals signed up for Twitter at the Conference. Brendan Smith continued, "This proves the need and interest for social networking mediums in business in Connecticut."

Shoreline Financial Advisors enlisted Blue Plate Radio online jazz station to play jazz in the bar during the event and the Water's Edge Resort and Spa offered fruit and cheese platters.

In addition to great networking and music, several shoreline businesses donated prizes for the event! Please check out the winners below:

• Shoreline Financial Advisors Tote Bag: Renee P., Guilford Savings Bank
• CTOutandAbout.com 3 months advertising: NerdsToGo
• Guilford Art Center $100 toward class: Candy D., Peregrine's Landing
• Daydream Massage & Skin Care $100: Mary S. re-think
• Comfort Keepers 3 hours light cleaning: Rose M., Essex Savings Bank
• Colby Strategic Marketing 1/2 hour Twitter Training: Mary Ellen I., Peregrine's Landing
• Blue Plate Radio Concert Tickets: Sue B., Guilford Savings Bank, Dave C., NerdsToGo

Check out the winner and Tweet Up Photos in our news section! -------------->

Look for the next Tweet Up popping up at a location near you!

Exclusive Interview with Mitchell Etess, CEO Mohegan Sun

If you're here, it's probably because you were at the Shoreline Business Conference today at the Water's Edge Resort & Spa in Westbrook, CT and saw this QR Code on my business card or on an oversized postcard in your swag bag!

Or maybe we connected via another social network. Regardless, thanks for coming here! Today, we have an exclusive interview to share with you from Mitchell Etess, CEO of Mohegan Sun.

Mitchell Etess, CEO of Mohegan Sun was the keynote speaker at the Shoreline Business Conference on October 25, 2010. He spoke about everything from Twitter to employee retention. Colby Strategic Marketing secured an EXCLUSIVE interview with Mitchell at the Conference. Check it out here!

In his keynote address, Mitchell offered business tips to the audience. Here are his business tips:

1.) Reward and care about your employees.

2.) Understand your product or service and most importantly your point of differentiation.

3.) Don't be afraid of change and making mistakes.

4.) Everything you do is marketing. From stationary to how your employees speak with customers on the phone and in person.

5.) Know what you don't know.

Featured Photo(LtoR): Heather Colby, President, Colby Strategic Marketing, Mitchell Etess, CEO Mohegan Sun, Ann Nyberg, Anniemame.com and WTNH.

You can follow Mohegan Sun on Twitter at @MoheganSun .

Many more conference photos and exclusive content to be uploaded very soon! Please come back to check it out!

** A very special thank you to Mr. Mitchell Etess for his time in speaking with us. **

Are you attending the 2010 Shoreline Business Conference and Trade Show at the Water's Edge Resort and Spa on October 25, 2010? If so, don't miss the opportunity to network with shoreline professionals at the official Tweet Up Networking Happy Hour at 4:30pm in the Seaview Bistro.

FREE Drinks & Prizes: How to win... Follow @sfadvisors on Twitter.

Sponsored by Shoreline Financial Advisors, this Tweet Up will prove to be a spectacular cross section of business professionals from Old Saybrook to East Haven, Connecticut. Shoreline Financial Advisors is offering free drinks by way of trivia and answering questions on Twitter during the event. So have your Twitter accounts up to date and make sure you're following @sfadvisors to tweet them for free drinks and prizes.

Prizes:

• CToutandabout: 3 months banner advertising. (value $450) (updated 10/20/10) Follow them on Twitter at @ct_shoreline
• Colby Strategic Marketing: 1 hour complimentary social media introduction. Follow them on Twitter at @heathercolby
• Guilford Art Center: $100 toward a class at Guilford Art Center [guilfordartcenter.org]
• Blue Plate Radio: 1 month radio advertising, production included. Concert Ticket Giveaway too! Follow them on Twitter at @blueplateradio
• Comfort Keepers of the CT Shoreline: 3 hours light cleaning service! Follow them on @CKGuilford

As seen on WTNH: Tweets Can Benefit Businesses, Too [video]

----------->>>>>CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS TWEETUP <<<<<----------

Admission for the Tweet Up requires a full day or half day ticket purchase for the Shoreline Conference. Get Shoreline Conference tickets here!

What is a Tweet Up? A tweet up is a meet up of people who exchange correspondence and share information together on Twitter, a social media platform. It's a place to "Meet the people you tweet." This Tweet Up is for Twitter and non-Twitter users alike in Connecticut to network with like-minded business professionals who want to break into the social media scene. Non-Twitter users and all Shoreline Conference attendees are encouraged to attend to learn how social media can help their business.

About the conference:

The 2010 Shoreline Business Conference and Trade Show is a culmination of efforts from Chambers of Commerce on the shoreline between the Q-Bridge and the Baldwin Bridge. The conference and trade show will offer several presentations ranging from marketing and sales to legal and organizational solutions.

Mr. Mitchell Etess, Chief Executive Officer of Mohegan Sun is the keynote speaker for the conference. In addition to Mr. Etess, several shoreline business professionals are speaking on their expertise in specific fields.

Featured speaker topics include:

• Internet Marketing and SEO: Tips on Search Engine Optimization, desirable page views, keyword, behavioral, constant contact, e-blasts, text messages, Facebook & Twitter
• Human Resources and Legal: Get advice on your pressing questions about legal issues, human resources, real estate and finance.
• Creative Juices in Advertising and Media Mix: Producing a cohesive plan where there are so many options. Plus, your image - branding, signage, logos & more.
• Making Connections: Customer service including customer profiles, customer retention/reactivation and building relations.
• Community Presence in Networking: Working with your local chambers, non-profits and community events to boost business and give back to your community.
• Interviewing Tips for the Employee and the Employer: How to dress, focus on strengths and follow up; key questions to ask an interviewee.
• Managing Stress in the Workplace: Tips to manage stress and create a positive work environment.
• The Manager and the Employee: Managing and improving relationships across generations.
• Sales Strategies: Cross-selling and up-selling in a difficult economy.
• Building Morale: What truly motivates your employees? Satisfied employees means stronger financials.
• Get It Together: Organizational and time management skills to help you and your staff stay organized.
• Company Goals: Setting a business plan and achieving realistic goals.

About Shoreline Financial Advisors:

Shoreline Financial Advisors combine over 70 years of experience in the investment advisory, wealth management and insurance service fields. Their mission is simple: help our clients achieve their financial goals and dreams. It is the commitment to excellence which has made the firm one of the premiere financial services providers on the shoreline. Shoreline Financial Advisors: trust and integrity in investment management and total financial planning. www.sfadvisors.com

If you're going to Tweet this post: please use the hashtag ----> #sfatu <---- THANKS!

CONFERENCE UPDATE (10/22/10)

@NerdsToGo is offering email access to all conference attendees who need to check email throughout the day and may not have a smart phone. This access is a convenience to all attendees and in addition, attendees will be able to sign up for Twitter to be able to win free prizes at the Tweet Up!

@blueplateradio is playing jazz music in the Seaview Bistro for the Tweet Up at the Water's Edge Resort & Spa!

Colby Strategic Marketing, Bruce Barber, Marchetti Design & Illustration and Shoreline Out and About bring Forward-Thinking Business Leaders Together

On a beautiful evening in Guilford, CT business leaders got together at Ballou's Wine Bar to network and discuss how to use today's new marketing media. Guest speaker and radio guru, Bruce Barber, of Barber Productions, spoke of this event, "It's a great group of people . . . . getting together in real time with each other. It's not just facebook or twitter it's us." Colby Strategic Marketing was one of the event hosts. Heather Colby, President, Colby Strategic Marketing commented, "As a group we need to work together to forge authentic partnerships that will drive the success of each partners' business. There is a wealth of talented marketers and business people here tonight who will certainly reap the rewards of building their businesses together via networking, partnerships and new inbound marketing strategies."

Ballou's set the stage for the event with appetizers for the group and Marchetti Design & Illustration offered discounted drink tickets for an enjoyable evening. Several prize winners left with free content marketing from Shoreline Out and About, twitter training from Colby Strategic Marketing and gifts from M!X Design Store. Keep an eye out for the next event by this up and coming group of business and marketing leaders.

Email hcolby@colbystrategicmarketing.com to be emailed of details for the next event.

Business Leaders in photo above from left to right: Tom Davis (North Sails), Wendy Walden (M!X Design Store), Andy Stephens (Page-Taft Real Estate), Karen Stephens (Page-Taft Real Estate), Jennifer Cowie (M!X Design Store), Betsy Gribble (M!X Design Store), Ed Bartlett (Shoreline Out and About), Susan Schimler, Nace Schimler (Eli's on the Hill), Mary Stager (ReThinc, LLC), Steve DePino (Stevedepino.com, photography), Frank DePino (mediaBoom), Bruce Barber (Barber Productions), Eric Emamian (Prolific Interactive), Kelly Marchetti Grasso (Marchetti Design & Illustration), Jason Wieringa, Heather Colby (Colby Strategic Marketing), Pat Lore (Headline Productions). Photography by Gary@connecticutwebsites.com (Not featured in photo: Patti Urban (Comfort Keepers), Linda Harvey (Liberty Bank), Nikki Rassmusen (Yolo aesthetic boutique & med spa)).

Welcome . . . . to Colby Strategic Marketing.

Hello. My name is Heather Colby and I am the President of Colby Strategic Marketing. If you don't know me or my company, you will. I've been in the business of marketing products and services for 17 years. Not just any products. Children's products, for Hasbro, Inc., household products like Black & Decker (R) Household products and shavers for your body from BIC Coporation. I've also managed several strategic alliance programs and promotions for Edible Arrangements International. Well, that's enough about my corporate resume.

Colby Strategic Marketing has been in business for 8 years and has experience with New York State tourism agencies, worldwide sailing companies like North Sails, building strategic alliances for Walt Disney Home Studios Home Entertainment and many publishing companies.

I know I'm not supposed to "promote" my services on a blog, but if I don't, how will you know who I am and what I represent?

I represent building honest, custom integrated marketing strategies that will increase brand awareness and revenues for companies. Check out my website for more information about Colby Strategic Marketing. I look forward to catching up with you soon! Stay tuned for a blog post about our latest marketing event.