The Invisible Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Dennie Theodore’

How tuned in are you to what’s going on around you? I have pulled the interview responses from several interviews to give a different perspective because the interviews are rich in content so you may miss key information. I usually allow interviewees to interpret questions which has resulted in a minefield of very rich content. Take a look at the diversity of responses to each question. Which answer would be closest to yours?

What’s the most important business (or other) discovery you’ve made in the past year?

Steve Spalding

My most important business discovery has been that working more does not mean working better. In the last few months I’ve realized that you need to take some time out for yourself and do things completely different than what you spend 50-60 hours a week doing or you’ll start to stagnate.

Go for a hike, learn about Jazz, take a trip to New Zealand, do something entirely different and see how it ties back into your day job. You might not think that your career has anything at all to do with the plot of Pulp Fiction, but the lesson that most entrepreneurs really need to learn is to take lessons from everything they do.

It’s a badge of honor among entrepreneurs to brag about how many hours you work on your business, that’s great and I do it all the time myself but the truth is that success is much more a function of efficient time use rather than raw volume.

Shannon Van Roekel

I have been startled to recognize that God is not at all intimidated by business. That world belongs to Him, too. I am trying to learn to strive less and to depend on His nudges and promptings more. He is the best agent/manager anyone could ever have.

Deborah Koehler

I am good at whatever I set my mind to do.

Dennie Theodore

The best skill to have is the ability to adapt.

Don Martelli

The most important discovery I’ve made is pretty simple — social media is great, but it doesn’t replace the human aspect that’s needed to close business deals. Yes, clients like the fact that we are on the cutting edge of social media, but if we don’t vibe well with the client, we won’t win the business. Relationships and personal, face-to-face interaction is key to bringing in new business and keeping current clients happy.

What’s one of the biggest advances in your industry over the past five years?

Steve Spalding

In the realm of Social Media (where I work most often), the biggest advances are coming as large companies start to care less about the number of people coming to their sites and start to care more about the quality of those people.

Almost every client meeting I have starts with the person wanting to get millions and millions of hits, as if traffic alone was somehow going to drive their business forward. I have to tell them that if that is all they want, that’s not too hard but no matter how many million people show up to see whatever stunt we devise to attract them, none of it matters at all unless those people eventually turn into customers.

I think companies are getting a more sophisticated understanding of how to read their own analytics and this understanding is translating into making discussions about “quality over quantity” a lot easier.

Shannon Van Roekel

I write contemporary Christian fiction; the biggest advance in that field over the past five years has probably been the growing interest in reading about real life issues, including international crises.

Deborah Koehler

Of course the movement of natural and organic products.  Nepal is ideally suited to deliver wonderful products that are non-chemical, utilize wise water usage and zero carbon footprint – all the new buzzwords. My business works to support new business opportunities in these areas.

Dennie Theodore

Women seen as necessary in leadership positions to move projects and business forward.

Don Martelli

That’s simple — social media. It has greatly impacted the way we think about our business and our client’s business. Every program we develop is run through a digital prism. The lines of advertising, marketing, journalism and PR are blurred because of social media.

What are the three threats to your business, your success, and how are you handling them?

Steve Spalding

Unfortunately, when you are in an information or knowledge based business like mine you only really have one threat — obsolescence.

Every day you wake up and your industry has moved forward a step, if you aren’t keeping up then it won’t be long until you have nothing to offer your clients that they can’t just read on the Internet.

I think the hardest thing about working in this field is the fact that not a day goes by where you can be complacent. If you are not constantly improving then you’re dying, and that death will come suddenly and without warning if you aren’t paying attention.

How do I handle that?

Well, mostly, I use the Internet a lot. I also try to avoid the trend lines. I am more apt to observe early adopters rather than be one myself, if you spend your time too deeply tied to the hot new trends you start to lose the forest for the trees and when you make your living off of the trees, that can be a serious problem.

Shannon Van Roekel

Three threats to my business and success would be

1. Not placing God first.
2. Lack of discipline
3. Getting distracted (can you spell f-a-c-e-b-o-o-k?)

I handle these threats, more or less, depending on the day, by starting it with God, keeping a day planner and working through the tasks I set for myself one at a time. Keep on doing the next thing.

Deborah Koehler

Local corruption, unskilled staff, and lack of testing facilities.

1. Local corruption: I face it without a Nepali present.  Usually corrupted officials are unwilling to ask for bribes directly to foreigners.
2. Unskilled staff: I teach in a college, train my own business staff, and offer suggestions where I can.
3. Testing facilities: I find existing documents and then talk to different labs and see if they can create a similar testing program or request that the testing be done in the clients home country.

Dennie Theodore

The usual… Similar Circles is run out of my kitchen with no funding, no time and is too GTA-centric. I’m handling them by asking my community to pitch in and they’ve been giving with both hands.

Don Martelli

There really isn’t three threats. It’s just one — social media. However, it’s also an opportunity. Social media has all but leveled the playing field for agencies. We are all “experts.” We are all going after the same budgets. It’s created a very intense and competitive environment, even more so than it was before. So the key is to stay on top of the trends and develop programs that are so forward thinking that the work you do speaks for itself. Clients hire on experience.

What’s unique about the service that you provide?

Steve Spalding

I think the most unique thing we provide is that we try to avoid stunts. A lot of Social Media tactics can devolve into pet projects that look great in a case study but don’t provide real client value.

At our core, we are educators, I want our clients to leave us, not only able to use the infrastructure we’ve built up for them effectively, but to also use some of the intuition that’s necessary to grow.

Shannon Van Roekel

I like to weave a story around a real issue, not normally in our radar, that will hopefully, not only inform and entertain, but also lead readers to compassion and empathy. Information dumps have caused us to shut down to the need, because we are intimidated by the enormity of the situation—especially in the third world arena. I believe touching hearts through the power of these stories can pull one out of that inertia into a state of true identification and hope.

Deborah Koehler

Traveling to and living in Nepal for 25 years, as well as working outside of my own culture has made be astute to cultural dynamics and my communications skills help me to facilitate new transactions.  I am accepted on both sides of the transactions.

Dennie Theodore

I’m not trying to offer a 10-step “how to” process, but rather open discussion on “why to”. By creating an emotional/mental comfort zone, folks feel better about mentoring and networking.

Don Martelli

Our unique perspective on this business stems from the mashup of the PR world before the web and since eruption of the web 2.0. We have experience that runs the gamut and fusing that experience with the knowledge of the digital space, truly gives our clients a 360 view of their brand and how we can help them move the needle.

What are your thoughts? How would you answer the four questions? Which interviewee do you identify with? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please comment. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here.

Bookmark & Share

I got the idea for this post after I read the headline “10 Reasons You Need a Mentor, Especially Mid-Career.” I decided to approach this post by presenting the responses to mentor questions that I ask accomplished people, and you get to decide if you need a mentor.

How did mentors influence your life?

Dennie Theodore

By believing in me. That’s the thing you need most when the world is feeling dark.

David Gray

Mentors have influenced my life more by their actions and their own ways of conducting themselves rather than by any specific mentoring per se.

Rodger Harding

Mentors have held up the mirror and shown me potential I did not know I had…Oftentimes I only realized the enormity of their contribution years later…

Deborah Koehler

They made all the difference in the world. They believed in me when I doubted myself.

Shannon Van Roekel

I never had a real mentor, unless I can count my mother, but I have had lots of examples of what not to do and a husband who is wise.

Brian Johnson

Interesting that I get to this question after describing the above. I have a complex relationship with mentors.

On the down side, had I followed a couple of “mentors’” advice early in my life, I never would have created my first business, eteamz. When I asked some pretty successful people what they thought of the idea, they thought it was a terrible idea and one actually told me “to take another hit on that pipe if you think you can pull that off.” They told me it would cost at least a million dollars to build the technology (we did it for less than $15,000 + 6 months of hard work and a lot of canned tuna) and reminded me I had no experience or contacts so who was I to get that money and build it (fair points as I had very little business experience and essentially no contacts). Oh, and they said I violated rule #1 of a business: the market has to “need” your product—which was a valid point because, at the time, there were only a few hundred teams and leagues in the world who were using the web so they didn’t think there was a need.

That was just the motivation I needed to rock it. I set the goal of getting 1 million teams in 5 years. (We got there in 4)

On the positive side, I’ve gotten amazing support and wisdom from some extraordinary human beings. Special thanks to Sam Wyly again, plus John Mackey (the CEO of Whole Foods) and Gay Hendricks (author of 30+ books including my favorites: “Five Wishes” and “The Big Leap”).

Being around these guys has totally changed my life. But, I’ve gotta say that it has been less what they *told* me (although they’ve each given me great practical advice) and much more about who they are and how they show up in the world and how that mojo has rubbed off.

For example, the scope of Sam Wyly’s vision is RIDICULOUSly big. He sees the world in terms of THE WORLD. So, when I’d tell him I wanted millions of people in our community at Zaadz, he’d nod his head and smile and say, “How can we do it and how much money do you need to do it?!?” (I remember one day when I met with him (a billionaire) and a nice, well-meaning potential investor (a millionaire) and the difference between how BIG they thought and the resulting advice they gave was *amazing.*)

Additional unsolicited advice: In addition to choosing your mentors wisely, I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is to trust yourself. Ultimately, a great mentor is someone who reflects back your highest potential and helps you tap into the wisdom you already have while sprinkling some tips they’ve picked up along the way. I’d personally run away from anyone who tells me I’m thinking too big or can’t do something or some such other nonsense.

As John Eliot says in his great book, Overachievement: “as soon as anyone starts telling you to be ‘realistic,’ cross that person off your invitation list.”

Steve Spalding

I like to believe that I learn something from everyone I talk to, that’s why I love chatting with different kinds of people.

As for my mentors, I think that all the people I would consider mentors had shared one thing in common — they have given me the opportunity to make mistakes.

What’s one core message you received from your mentors?

Dennie Theodore

To be yourself, ask questions and be an advocate for yourself and others.

David Gray

Establish trust by being principled and doing what you say you will do.

Rodger Harding

That I am a gifted person who has loads of untapped potential…Using this potential will benefit myself and others.

Deborah Koehler

You know what you need to do within yourself, trust yourself and move toward where you are pulled.

Shannon Van Roekel

The best thing I can do to market my book is to learn to write well.

Brian Johnson

Trust yourself.

(I vividly remember a chat with Steve Wynne (the former CEO of Adidas who we brought on as our CEO at eteamz), when he told me the two most important things about business: 1. Trust yourself. 2. Business is simple, keep it that way.)

Steve Spalding

I think that is the core message. To grow as an entrepreneur, you need to have the freedom to make mistakes. If you don’t, you can’t expect to do anything interesting.

People grossly underestimate how complex business can be, they assume that everything will work out exactly as planned. What I will say is that in all cases that I’ve seen, it never does.

One of the few good things a mentor can give you is the room to breathe that you need to learn this for yourself, find a solution (or not) and fail with your head held high.

They need to teach but only after they’ve let you do it yourself for a while.

What are your thoughts after you have read the responses to the two questions? Do you need a mentor?

Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over here The Invisible Mentor (top on the left side) and subscribe by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here. Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please comment.

Skills often transfer well across industries, and the advice that is dispensed for specific positions and industries also transfer very well. In this post I pull together advice from three interviewees. How do the responses compare, and how can you apply their responses?

Tell me a little bit about yourself?

Dennie Theodore

Professional strategic planner, facilitator, writer and business manager, contributing to business and artistic projects across Canada and internationally. A long and successful history in many communities and known as a caring mentor, negotiator, leader and unappreciated parent.

Don Martelli

I am a 14 year-veteran of the communications business. I started out as a reporter for the Boston Globe and worked for six years in the education space in PR and marketing roles. I’ve worked for three top PR agencies, working on technology, corporate, healthcare and consumer accounts. Currently, I’m a VP and Director of Digital Communications with MS&L Boston (www.mslworldwide.com). You can find out more about me at http://www.donmartelli.com.

Shannon Van Roekel

I am married, with five children, two of which are getting married within the next 6 months. Lately I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night “angsting” over table centerpieces, floral arrangements and crash diets.

What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Dennie Theodore

Realized it wasn’t enough to dream but the practical bits needed planning. And that nothing succeeds if you don’t have passion – looked to put that back into my daily life.

Don Martelli

Good education. Staying grounded in my beliefs and vision for my future. Working with smart people that I can learn from. Helping others learn what I know.

Shannon Van Roekel

When I felt the burden on my heart to pursue writing, I did all I could to learn to write well, believing that this was what God was asking of me.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

Dennie Theodore

Have as many cups of coffee/tea as you have time for in a week with people who are willing to sit with you. Don’t make it transactional – simply meet them to enjoy them and see where it leads. By doing so you’re building a personal community that will care with you and for you as you start to put your plans in action or require support to see them through.

Don Martelli

Read, read, read, read and read some more. Make connections in the business.

Shannon Von Roekel

Read about writing; find other writers to talk to; go to a writer’s conference!

What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Dennie Theodore

1. Speak up
2. Ask questions
3. Speak out
4. Forgive
5. Listen

Don Martelli

1. Be yourself
2. Be honest
3. Help people
4. Take care of your family
5. Own up to mistakes

Shannon Van Roekel

1. Ask God for help, the sooner the better.
2. Forgiveness is always easier than resentment—and healthier.
3. I can forgive myself all I want, but unless God has forgiven me, I get no peace.
4. Nobody is free from insecurity or dysfunctions. Some are just better at hiding it.
5. Life doesn’t last forever so speak the truth.

What process do you use to generate ideas?

Dennie Theodore

I read read read. And then I talk about it with friends till I figure out what I’m thinking.  Then I write write write.

Don Martelli

Playing catch. Walking or listening to music. My creativity is fostered when I’m not thinking about something specific.

Shannon Van Roekel

I ask God to give me His ideas, which are better than mine all the time. Then I wait. Eventually something begins that I can only describe as brain percolation. It’s this craziness of ideas and connections that bubble up and spill over into story.

How might you use some of the interview responses? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please comment.

This is the second part of my interview with Dennie Theodore, click here to read Part One. I conduct these interviews so that you may learn from them. Please let me know what you think. How do you keep on going, how do you motivate yourself? Most accomplished people are self motivated because they love what they are doing, do you? How do you distinguish yourself from your colleagues and even competitors? What’s unique about the  service you provide? This is important even if you are working for an organization? What kind of life lessons have you learned so far? How do you integrate your personal and professional life? These are some of the questions that Dennie answered.

Avil Beckford: How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?

Dennie Theodore: I promise myself one day a week to read late in bed and sleep in …. Not necessarily in the same 24 hr period.

Avil Beckford: What’s the most important business (or other) discovery you’ve made in the past year?

Dennie Theodore: The best skill to have is the ability to adapt.

Avil Beckford: What’s one of the biggest advances in your industry over the past five years?

Dennie Theodore: Women seen as necessary in leadership positions to move projects and business forward.

Avil Beckford: What are the three threats to your business, your success, and how are you handling them?

Dennie Theodore: The usual… Similar Circles is run out of my kitchen with no funding, no time and is too GTA-centric. I’m handling them by asking my community to pitch in and they’ve been giving with both hands.

Avil Beckford: What’s unique about the service that you provide?

Dennie Theodore: I’m not trying to offer a 10-step “how to” process, but rather open discussion on “why to”. By creating an emotional/mental comfort zone, folks feel better about mentoring and networking.

Avil Beckford: What do you observe most people in your field doing badly that you think you do well?

Dennie Theodore: It’s easier to point out what others are doing well – because my strength is seeing success in others and helping promote it.

Avil Beckford: Tell me about your big break and who gave you.

Dennie Theodore: I’ve had several careers and many folks to thank in each one. My biggest break was my kid being willing to try anything once with me – from moving around the country to eating cereal for supper if that’s all we had. As one of my top priorities, he could have made my explorations difficult instead of participating as he has.

Avil Beckford: What has been your biggest disappointment in your life – and what are you doing to prevent its re-occurrence?

Dennie Theodore: There isn’t enough time in the day… considering giving up sleep.

Avil Beckford: What’s an accomplishment that you are proudest of?

Dennie Theodore: I learned to speak up, to forgive and to listen more.

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

Dennie Theodore: I try to be the same person in all circumstances. I don’t hide one from the other. I allow myself to have an emotional response every now and then J

Avil Beckford: What’s a major regret that you’ve had in life?

Dennie Theodore: I’ll never win an Oscar. But I suppose first I have to write a screenplay.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Dennie Theodore:

1. Speak up
2. Ask questions
3. Speak out
4. Forgive
5. Listen

When you have some down time, how do you spend it?

Dennie Theodore: Reading, baking, walking/hiking, doing laundry.

What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Dennie Theodore: I read, read, read. And then I talk about it with friends till I figure out what I’m thinking.  Then I write, write, write.

What’s your favourite quotation and why?

Dennie Theodore: It changes. Today it’s “May you live the life you’ve earned” by TO Jazz singer Julie Michels

Avil Beckford: How do you define success?

Dennie Theodore: Success is not measured by how many hours you put in or how many projects went in under your watch. It is measured by the legacy you leave and the value you provided along the way through both your influence and achievements.

Avil Beckford: In your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Dennie Theodore: Walk your talk.

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?

Dennie Theodore: Only 5?? Queen Elizabeth I; Carol Burnett; Katharine Hepburn; Terry Gilliam and Ray Bradbury …  I would ask: “Can I make you dinner?”

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Dennie Theodore: Humour, kindness, whipped cream.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Dennie Theodore: Same but I put the whipped cream on pound cake.

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for? Or, if I gave you a magic wand, what would you use it for?

Dennie Theodore: My selfish wish is funding for a webspace…  my unselfish wish is that all children around the world be given love, food and shelter in that order.

About Dennie Theodore

a professional writer, facilitator, strategic planner and business manager, contributing to artistic and business projects across Canada and internationally. She has a long and successful history in many communities and is known as a caring mentor, negotiator and leader.

A business and artistic chameleon, Dennie offers a range of leadership, communication, strategic planning and change management skills. Dennie has brought her many skills to bear for such places as Atlantis Systems International, TD Bank, AT&T, Nortel, and The Citadel Theatre. She served on the boards of Cahoots Theatre Projects and Mixed Company, produced the Peer-to-Peer Conference with CWC and IBM, and currently runs the Similar Circles blog and events.

Recently named to the TIAW Making a Difference roster for 2009 , Dennie is a recognized leader and speaker in many industries.

Related Post

Interview With Dennie Theodore Part One

I met Dennie Theodore  through the Canadian Women in Communications about seven years ago. Though she is somewhat of an introvert, Dennie is great at networking, and goes out of her way to make others feel welcome. Dennie is using the skills that make her a great artist to excel in her corporate role at TD Bank in Canada.

So that you can get the most out of the interview it is quite extensive. For this blog post,  I will extract the career related and mentoring questions for you and I will post the other part of the interview tomorrow. Soon I will conduct the interviews using video and will have transcripts for people to download if that’s there preferred way to consume information.

In this interview, you’ll hear Dennie’s advice for people just starting out in the industry, the toughest decision she had to make, three events that shaped her life, advice from mentors, the books she’d love to have with her if stranded on a deserted island and so much more. A detailed biography is below and you can later visit her blog Similar Circles.

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself

Dennie Theodore: Professional strategic planner, facilitator, writer and business manager, contributing to business and artistic projects across Canada and internationally. A long and successful history in many communities and known as a caring mentor, negotiator, leader and unappreciated parent.

Avil Beckford: What’s a typical day like for you?

Dennie Theodore: Meetings; phone calls; copious amounts of tea; kind words and one good belly laugh.

Avil Beckford: Describe a major business (or other) challenge you had and how you resolved it

Dennie Theodore: I negotiate and facilitate all day. It’s not the tactic or individual challenge but the overall approach which evolves with the needs of those involved.

Avil Beckford: What lessons did you learn in the process?

Dennie Theodore: That everyone needs to feel like they were heard before a decision is made.

Avil Beckford: If you had to start over from scratch, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?

Dennie Theodore: Pick my battles with more care. Everything isn’t important to solve or soothe.

Avil Beckford: What’s one of the biggest advances in your industry over the past five years?

Dennie Theodore: Women seen as necessary in leadership positions to move projects and business forward.

Avil Beckford: Describe one of your biggest failures. What lessons did you learn, and how did it contribute to a greater success?

Dennie Theodore: I was on a not-for-profit board and I couldn’t make the president or artistic director understand  that my discomfort with a decision wasn’t personal, but that I felt it was going to lead them down a very difficult path. I learned that sometimes you have to let folks make mistakes and then welcome them back without saying “I told you so.” It has made me a better parent, a kind manager and left many bite marks in my tongue.

Avil Beckford: What’s one of the toughest decisions you’ve had to make and how did it impact your life?

Dennie Theodore: To change careers from my heart’s desire to something ‘practical’. I’ve spent the last 10 years learning how to reblend the two and help others do the same.

Avil Beckford: What are three events that helped to shape your life?

Dennie Theodore: I had a kid. I wrote a play. I learned to forgive myself my mistakes (although I still have angst over them).

Avil Beckford: How did mentors influence your life?

Dennie Theodore: By believing in me. That’s the thing you need most when the world is feeling dark.

Avil Beckford: What’s one core message you received from your mentors?

Dennie Theodore: To be yourself, ask questions and be an advocate for yourself and others.

Avil Beckford: As an Invisible Mentor, what is one piece of advice that you would give to readers?

Dennie Theodore: Know yourself. Spend some time understanding your style, your fears, your desires and your skills. We all undersell ourselves.

What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Dennie Theodore: Realized it wasn’t enough to dream but the practical bits needed planning. And that nothing succeeds if you don’t have passion – looked to put that back into my daily life.

Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Dennie Theodore: Have as many cups of coffee/tea as you have time for in a week with people who are willing to sit with you. Don’t make it transactional – simply meet them to enjoy them and see where it leads. By doing so you’re building a personal community that will care with you and for you as you start to put your plans in action or require support to see them through.

Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply? Did you have an emotional or intellectual attachment to this book? Why?

Dennie Theodore: Robert Holdstock – Mythago Wood Because our collective unconscious is our most wondrous way to connect.

Avil Beckford: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are five books that you would like to have with you and why? Summarize the book in two sentences.

Dennie Theodore:

1. Artist’s Way because then I’d have time to do the 7 days with no written word exercise.
2. A thesaurus
3. Andrew Lang’s Red Fairy Book – it will never become old
4. Tolkien’s J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) – do you really need the summary?
5. Women Who Run with the Wolves because I have yet to have a chance to finish it.

Avil Beckford: Have you read any books that inspired you to start a business, service or invent “something”? If yes, which book?

Dennie Theodore: Ray Bradbury’s short story “To the Chicago Abyss” where the power of story and community can save humanity. I wanted to make a difference after reading that.

Avil Beckford: What one music CD and movie would you like to have with you (on the deserted island) and why?

Dennie Theodore:

Ultra Lounge’s Ultra-Lounge Sampler – it’ll never get old and will always be cheesy

The Agents & Frank Pourcel – Get Smart / Casino Royale

If you cannot view the YouTube click here.

The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition) – because magic happens and I might get OFF the darn island

Wizard of Oz

If you cannot view the YouTube video click here.

What can you learn from Dennie? How might your answers to the questions be different from Dennie’s? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please comment.

About Dennie Theodore

a professional writer, facilitator, strategic planner and business manager, contributing to artistic and business projects across Canada and internationally. She has a long and successful history in many communities and is known as a caring mentor, negotiator and leader.

A business and artistic chameleon, Dennie offers a range of leadership, communication, strategic planning and change management skills. Dennie has brought her many skills to bear for such places as Atlantis Systems International, TD Bank, AT&T, Nortel, and The Citadel Theatre. She served on the boards of Cahoots Theatre Projects and Mixed Company, produced the Peer-to-Peer Conference with CWC and IBM, and currently runs the Similar Circles blog and events.

Recently named to the TIAW Making a Difference roster for 2009 , Dennie is a recognized leader and speaker in many industries.

Book links are affiliate links.

YouTube Credit: The Agents & Frank Pourcel – Get Smart / Casino Royale, Uploaded by LittleMissLounge on Apr 14, 2010; Wizard of Oz Uploaded by dreamformore on May 5, 2007

Book List

Mythago Wood

Artist’s Way

Red Fairy Book

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

Women Who Run with the Wolves