1. Challenges or Opportunities: What’s Your Story? Melody Kebe, CMP, CGMP SGMP National Immediate Past President Chair, CMP Board of Directors

2. Learning Outcomes Goal #1 Participate in peer-to-peer interaction on turning challenges into opportunities Goal #2 Learn how to use your opportunities to make something positive happen Goal #3 Develop an action plan for following up with new contacts & those who have influenced you in the past.

3. “Forging Connections and Building Relationships” Who influenced you to become who you are today? Are you still in touch with that person? Where would you be today if that person had not been a part of your life?

4. Challenge: A general term referring to things that are imbued with a sense of difficulty and victory.

5. Opportunity: Characterized as an advantageous chance or favorable condition to make something happen. Also known as a combination of favorable circumstances or situations, a chance, especially one that offers some kind of advantage.

6. Peer-to-Peer Interaction

7. Gatherings (e.g., meetings/conferences, sporting events, standing in line to buy groceries, etc.) Networking Events (exchange of business cards, social media sites, etc.) Airplane (passenger in the middle seat or passenger that talks the entire trip) Office co-worker (staff meetings, lunch or potluck)

8. Opportunities for Positive Impact

9. Value of building and maintaining relationships Interested versus committed Invest in yourself -- career growth / personal achievement Without challenges you can’t have opportunities

10. Action Plan to Follow-up

11. Make a personal phone call vs. sending an email Send a hand written note of thanks Keep in touch – make regular contact

12. Today is your opportunity…. Meet someone new -- exchange contact information Make a note of what’s interesting about the person you met? How can you build upon that relationship? Is their an opportunity to work together for professional or personal growth? If yes, why? If no, why not? How did you personally connect with that person? What is my plan to follow up with this person?

13. Today’s Accomplishments Goal #1 Peer-to-peer interaction Goal #2 Use opportunities for positive impact Goal #3 Action plan for following up

14. “Forging Connections and Building Relationships” Who influenced you to become who you are today? Are you still in touch with that person? Where would you be today if that person had not been a part of your life?

15. Challenges or Opportunities: What’s Your Story? “Live your life like it’s golden”

16. Author: Melody Kebe, CMP, CGMP Date Prepared: October 2013