Driving Force

Feb. 15, 2006

Marigold Productions is giving business women the tools to mine their
richest resources – themselves. The Traverse City based business was
launched recently by Mary Rogers and has already attracted an avid
following.
Using the slogan, “because a woman’s work is never done,” Marigold
offers career building seminars, hands-on workshops and networking
lunches as well as opportunities to play, travel and informally meet
others. It’s marketed as “a women’s business organization that you
don’t join, you just join in.”
“With women, all business is personal,” Rogers says. “We thrive on
networking, flexibility and creativity… and value the quality of life
both personally and professionally.”
“Women have also become so busy that they must schedule everything into
their lives, including personal and professional development... even
leisure time. Marigold tackles both.”
WHAT’S UP
Recent Marigold at Work sessions are a good illustration. During
January, the first Marigold Over Lunch featured TC’s Copper Ridge
developer Connie Denewith who spoke on “Blue Suit Mom Syndrome...
Balancing Career and Family.” The meeting room at Great Wolf Lodge was
packed with an enthusiastic group of over 100 women of all ages,
careers and backgrounds. The following week, Deb Callisan from Certain
Success Inc. led a small group “Business Builder Workshop” on personal
and professional goal setting.
Coming up, Marigold at Play features an evening gathering of cooking
and cameraderie at “Just Prepared” on February 23. Upcoming Marigold at
Work sessions will focus on marketing to baby boomers on February 16,
aging parents, on March 9, and organizational strategies in May. Future
topics promise to be timely, industry diverse and solution oriented.
A self described “business junkie,” Rogers brings a wealth of
experience to her new venture, including over 20 years of hands-on
experience in business ownership and business association management.
Her past positions have included president of the Birmingham-Bloomfield
Chamber of Commerce and president and CEO of the National Association
of Women Business Owners-Greater Detroit. Most recently, she served as
membership director for the TC Area Chamber of Commerce after
relocating to Northern Michigan. She also developed the inaugural Grand
Traverse Woman in Business lunch series in 2005.

POWER OF THE POCKETBOOK
Why women? Consider the power of the pocketbook in this sampling of
recent statistics:
• Women handle 80-90% of household spending. (TrendSight Group)
• Women make 51% of all auto purchases and 85% of all car buying is
influenced by women in the household. (J. D. Power & Associates)
• 66% of all women own their own homes (Milwaukee Sentinal)
• 80% of all checks written in the United States are signed by women.
(Dimensions)
• Women-owned businesses have doubled in just ten years, accounting for
40% of all U.S. companies. (National Foundation of Women Business
Owners)
• In Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, more than 50% of firms are
owned by women. (U.S. Census Bureau)
• In Northern Michigan, females make up 51% of the population. (U.S.
Census Bureau)
• Women-owned businesses generate $1.15-trillion in sales and employ
9.2-million people. (Center for Women’s Business Research)
• Since women account for a full 70% of all new business start-ups over
the past decade, women are creating new accounts to handle their needs
for banking services, telecommunications, office equipment and
supplies, product and package delivery, travel, etc. (TrendSight Group)

DRIVING FORCE
Giving women the skills to successfully create a business and to
navigate their career development is a driving force behind Marigold.
“This is something of a mission for me,” Rogers said. “Unless you have
a solid basis of business skills, you have no business going into
business. We can help develop the skills needed, and help women make
good decisions and avoid making common mistakes.”
Rogers is taking her own advice and growing Marigold carefully. During
the upcoming year, she hopes to continue augmenting Marigold’s
offerings, building up to two business builder sessions per month as
well as a monthly networking lunch and several fun opportunities to
gather and “play.” She welcomes feedback and recommendations for future
speakers, topics and ideas.

For more information about Marigold Productions, visit the website at
www.gomarigold.com for events, registration forms and resources. Phone
231-941-7700 or fax 231-941-7701.