ETP Manhattan

This document was written by Michael Canfora and Joan Platt and edited by Chip Hartman. On November 28, 2007, the Manhattan Networking Group (MNG) held an event at the Heartland Brewery in the Empire State Building. The energy and enthusiasm of the group was focused on information sharing and support. In this post, we want to share the type of information circulated among members.

Our next meeting will be January 30, 2008. We wish all our members a happy holiday season. The location for the next meeting will be posted on this blog shortly. Remember to sign up for the blog.

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Sam Anson is a business development executive for TechnoSphere http://www.technosphere.com, a recruiting/staff augmentation company specializing in IT professionals and accounting. He attends our events and is always ready to help.
Please call Sam (sam.anson@TechnoSphere.com) at 609 882 2998 for your
IT staffing needs, resume review or just to discuss the state of the dynamic market for IT professionals.

Michael Canfora, host of the MNG, is mentored by Rod Colon (http://www.etpnetwork.com/) and is always there to support new and established ETP members. With Carl Reid, he has started the MNG blog. He is President of Vision Business Services and the Murry Bergtraum High School Alumni Association (MBHSAA). His goal for MNG is to increase attendance to 100 people during the monthly MNG meetings by June 2008. He is involved in various charitable organizations.

Rhonda Lamb has been attending the MNG events for several months. She talked about her experience at Toastmasters and how speaking in front of a crowd with confidence is becoming useful for her. Membership in Toastmasters can be a useful tool in developing your presentation skills. (MNG is exploring the possibility of starting an ETP Network chapter of Toastmasters.)

Terry Opalka extolled the virtues of networking and shared her experiences of being in transition. Her first experience lasted 2 years without a support system to help guide her through that period and the situation became quite discouraging. But from that time on she developed her network and support. Her second transition lasted 5 months but to paraphrase Terry’s words, the network may not have led to her present job, but it provided her with the energy and support to continue her efforts. Terry is currently working towards her PMP using http://www.cheetahlearning.com/. This is a highly rated program that guarantees passing in 3 attempts or your money back. It is an expensive program but we hear it is well worth the cost.

Joan Platt is currently in transition and testing her wings in recruiting. She has 20+ years in various IT roles. Her free time includes volunteering at the Lighthouse, Upwardly Global and MNG. She is continually developing her network and appreciates the support and energy the ETP Network provides.

Dessalines Sealy is an entrepreneur with a background in fashion, but is also experienced in the real estate market. He discussed taxes for home businesses and recommended the book: Lower Your Taxes - Big Time!: Wealth-Building, Tax Reduction Secrets from an IRS Insider by Sandy Botkin, available on Amazon.com. One jewel gleaned from this book is that medical expenses are 100% deductible without involving the percentage of your salary that those expenses must exceed. (This prompts us to remind you that in your time of transition, expenses incurred during your job search are deductible! That includes transportation costs to interviews, job fairs and networking events. Periodicals, membership dues, entry fees to events and volunteering should also be included. Please consult your tax advisor for details.)

Phyllis Shelton reminded us of the opportunity to donate to children during this holiday season. For those who may find it easier to donate over the internet, she recommended: http://www.iwannagohome.org/. The organization supports children suffering from HIV/AIDS and other illnesses.

Jason Thigpen is an entrepreneur and has a very successful career in technology at UBS . He owns a full service computer consulting company based in the Bronx , with the goal of turning it into a TriState-wide organization. He is always there to help others with their networking goals.

Congratulations to Ron Rich ards on receiving his PMP certification; we know it was hard work. Ron embodies the key elements of ETP and networking. He is always there to help others and to assist at MNG events. He is also a consultant for a NYC government agency. Ron believes that with the teachings of the ETP network, he was able to reinvent himself.
Carl Reid is an entrepreneur and a friend of the ETP network. Carl is a career coach, entrepreneur and runs several successfully businesses. You can learn more about Carl at http://coachingcompass.blogspot.com
Michael Canfora
President, Vision Business Services
President, MBHS Alumni Association
Host, Manhattan Networking Group http://etpmanhattan.blogspot.com/
"The Manhattan Networking Group we take the work out of the networking"