Networking - Portfolio Creative

Networking Like a Shark

July 23, 2018

By Catherine Lang-Cline People think that you need to be very aggressive to properly network. What networking really is, is building relationships, but there are some characteristics we could adopt from one of the most aggressive creatures on the planet to produce some very effective networking, I am talking about the great white shark. In honor of “Shark Week,” here is what we can learn from these bold creatures: Sharks work alone. This is almost always true, but sometimes they work in teams. Networking works the same way, you throw yourself

Change Your Life By Helping Other Lives

November 21, 2017

By Catherine Lang-Cline Let’s be honest. Sometimes after doing everything that you need to do to keep your own life on the rails, it seems that you are too tired to help another individual, or there’s simply, not enough time left in the day. But that’s not true, you’re just thinking too big. You can start helping others and in return, start to reap more happiness in your own life. When I was growing up, my family didn’t have much. My parents stretched their one income to cover themselves and

Networking: Don’t Shake Hands, Build a Network

June 6, 2017

By Kristen Harris Do you cringe when you hear the word “networking”? Get invited to a “networking event” and suddenly have an unavoidable conflict? Often say “I hate networking”? If all you can think of when you hear that word is a room full of fast-talking people handing out business cards and shaking hands, I challenge you to think differently about what networking really is. Consider these definitions of network, as a noun: a group or a system of interconnected people or things an association of individuals having a common

Scholar to Graduate: My 10KSB Experience

May 25, 2017

By Kristen Harris Apparently people in Boston like to hide valuables under a mattress. Earlier this year I found a treasure in Boston too, although it wasn’t $20M in cash (and thankfully doesn’t require federal investigation). For the past twelve weeks I was a scholar in National Cohort 7 of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program (10KSB). Funded by Goldman Sachs, with curriculum developed by Babson College, 10KSB is a program with the goal of helping 10,000 small business owners grow their business. I participated in the blended learning

Place: Be Everywhere Without Being Everywhere

February 28, 2017

The 4 P’s of Marketing Yourself: Place, Part 2 By Catherine Lang-Cline There are many ways that people can advertise their services. Think about product placement in movies, commercials and magazines. The company needs to be very strategic to make sure their product is seen. Sometimes it needs to be seen in seconds and sometimes it needs to be seen in the time it takes for the consumer to flip the page. Yet products get found and purchased all of the time without having to advertise everywhere. You can do

Appreciation: A Little Thanks Goes a Long Way

November 21, 2016

By Kristen Harris Quick, what are two words you can never overuse? Thank. You. My parents called thank you the “magic words”, and I still think they’re magical today. Showing a little appreciation goes a long way. It makes the world a nicer place, and never makes things worse. Show gratitude by thanking people in a way that reflects the level of what they did for you. If it was a simple favor, a sincere thank you will suffice and is always appreciated. You can thank them in-person, via email,

Mentoring — Getting Help and Giving Back

November 4, 2016

By Catherine Lang-Cline If you are an entrepreneur, I am guessing that you started your business with a great idea for a good or service that you really believed in. You may or may not have gained some business knowledge along the way before creating your own business but regardless, there is no way you could have been prepared for all of the nuances involved with running a business. So what can you do? You can get help. The first thing you need to do is admit that you

Mentorship: Ten Tips for a Successful Relationship

November 4, 2016

By Kristen Harris Recently I participated in a Business First panel discussion about mentorship. Here are Ten Tips for a successful mentor/mentee relationship: Take charge. If you’re the mentee (the person being mentored), you need to take charge of the relationship. Your mentor has agreed to share their time, experience and ideas with you–it’s your job to coordinate meetings and do all of the follow up. Be flexible. While it’s your job to coordinate, be as flexible as possible. Meet at the best time and location for your mentor, even

You Online: Ten Tips for a Better Profile Photo

April 26, 2016

By Kristen Harris When we first started Portfolio Creative, one of my advisers told me I really needed to add a picture of myself to my LinkedIn profile. “No, I hate pictures of myself! I’m not photogenic, no one wants to see a picture of me.” She didn’t care about my hangups. “Get over it. People like to know who they’re doing business with. Get a headshot taken and put it up there.” She was right. In this digital world we ‘connect’ with people long before we meet them, and

PORTFOLIO CREATIVE BLOG