For Your Well Being 
Barbara Christenson, Speaker Services, Publisher 
mailto:barbarac@easystreet.com
http://SpeakingForYourWellBeing.com 
Published every other Thursday
January 1, 2004 Vol. 2 Issue 1 

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        This Issue: The Well Healed Woman: A Sunday Event
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Dear Friends,

Just two things in this issue as many of you are just coming back to 
work and a pile of email, etc. Please read on about the Sunday event, A 
Well Healed Woman and then some “word play” fun I had with our wishes 
for the new year, using Jana Stanfield’s new album, LET THE CHANGE 
BEGIN – a VERY appropriate title for the new year, don’t you think?

Please, let me hear from you. What would you like to read about in FOR 
YOUR WELL BEING? mailto:barbarac@easystreet.com. Thank you very much to 
all those we worked with this year and we look forward to getting to 
know many more of you in 2004. We appreciate you! 

Yours truly,
Barbara

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 FROM THE MEETING PLANNER FRONT: Sunday Event: A Well Healed Woman
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It seems we’re all up against the time challenge, not only our own time 
constraints but the challenge of planning events so that our targeted 
audience will want to take the time to come! I’ve seen all-day Saturday 
events scaled down to half day, and Saturday events moved to a weekday 
evening. It seems like Saturday, once a popular day for special events 
for women, has some competition (like kids’ soccer practice!)

Enter the Sunday event. I’ve booked speakers for just a few Sundays so 
far, so I’m not ready to declare it a national trend. There are plenty 
of my clients, you know who you are, holding very successful Saturday 
and weekday events! However, I think the Sunday event is a noticeable 
and fascinating idea. I thought it would be fun to learn about the 
background of a very successful Sunday event in Groton, Connecticut and 
share it with all of you. 

I interviewed Rose Baker, Director, Women & Children’s Services, 
Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, co-chair of the event. It’s held on a 
Sunday early in November, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it’s called “The 
Well Healed Woman.” Is that a great name, or what?

2003 was their fourth year with attendance starting at 326, leaping to 
700 for years two and three and now peaked at 750 (capacity), with a 
waiting list this year! They’ve always held the event on Sunday, and 
when I asked her how they came up with the idea, she said one of their 
speakers suggested it (!). The speaker noted that with a target 
audience of working women, most of them are very busy on Saturdays with 
kids and soccer, errands, etc. and that generally, women were more 
“free” on Sundays. 

Rose said there was some resistance in their original committee 
particularly from those who felt strongly that Sundays are still family 
and church services days. “We’ve surveyed attendees through an 
evaluation form and specifically asked from the first year and all 
years thereafter whether Sunday works for people and so far we have 
better than 90% of all attendees who are telling us to stay with the 
Sunday format,” Rose said. “We know that Sunday does not work for 
everyone, but neither would any other day or time be universally 
ideal.” 

Their day starts with continental breakfast and the format includes 
three main speakers. Their goal is to provide a women’s wellness 
educational forum that focuses on being well physically, emotionally 
and spiritually - and does not provide information on specific diseases 
or treatment options which they feel can be heard through many other 
forums. This past year’s line-up included Gloria Steinem, Jana 
Stanfield and Dr. Silvia Jimenez, MD. Jana emceed the entire day as 
well as presenting her inspirational program, “We Can Become What We 
Dream Of If Fat Furry Worms Can Fly.”

Rose said she thinks the program’s success is due to a combination of 
factors. Part of it is the format. She said they listen to what the 
attendees want to hear/experience and plan accordingly, and that they 
have worked hard to make it a very affordable program (early 
registration tickets are $55, including continental breakfast and 
lunch).

When I asked Rose what recommendations she would give other event 
planners, she said, “Start with your vision for the program. What would 
you like to see as an outcome? Then build on that. Get people's input 
and expertise in planning, make the day special (through various 
touches such as great healthy food, atmosphere, etc.) and do not be 
afraid to be somewhat controversial and non-conventional. Women are 
hungry for programs where they feel taken care of while they are 
learning through laughter and interaction. Be sure to include speakers 
who can represent various minorities within your community. Finally, 
have FUN with the program!” 

Wow, is that great advice, or what?

If you’d like to know the hospital’s goals for the program, and/or like 
to connect with Rose, just email me your wishes and I’ll connect you: 
mailto:barbarac@easystreet.com

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             NEW YEAR’S WISHES: LET THE CHANGE BEGIN 
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As this new year offers a clean slate, I am inspired to play with the 
song titles of Jana Stanfield’s new double CD album, LET THE CHANGE 
BEGIN. For info, go to: http://www.JanaStanfield.com.
AOL users  click here  
With the song titles in caps, here are my New Year’s reflections and 
wishes. 

LET THE CHANGE BEGIN
New Year’s Day 2004, it feels like we are BETWEEN THE NO LONGER AND THE 
NOT YET. And yet the truth is always, that every moment counts, and the 
joy is now, in the HERE AND NOW, in every moment. It’s time to do 
AMAZING THINGS.

DARE TO BE, calls out to me. It’s time to let my light shine bright as 
can be, because THAT’S WHAT MY HEART’S TELLING ME. It’s time to do ALL 
THE GOOD that I can do because, as the song says, “the world needs all 
the good that I can do.” And, I live in Portland, Oregon, so, mid-
winter, I’m READY FOR THE SUN! “Ready, ready, ready for the sun!”

For the bumbled voice mail messages I may have left, there’s NOTHING I 
CAN DO ABOUT IT NOW, and for anyone I might have crossed, I am ASKING 
FOR GRACE.

We are here for you, to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to help your dreams come 
true. THANK YOU, thank you, thank you very much, to those of you who 
have worked with us and for those who will put their trust in us in the 
future. STEP BY STEP, word by word, meeting by meeting, LET THE CHANGE 
BEGIN. In the end, YOU DECIDE your NEXT RIGHT STEP. You can trust 
yourself.

The truth is, I BELIEVE IN YOU, both my speakers and our collaborative 
meeting planner partners. There is great STRENGTH in our common goals, 
helping people to help themselves be happier and healthier, to live 
life fully and SING, LOVE, DANCE. Yes, you are all so BEAUTIFUL to me. 
I know in my heart, I AM ONE with all of you. 

Happy New Year, 2004! LET THE CHANGE BEGIN

Until next time, be good to yourself, for your well being and those you 
love.

Yours truly,
Barbara

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                        ABOUT OUR SERVICES 
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My vision for Speaker Services is to be a connector for selected 
speakers I know, love and believe in, with the audiences who will be 
inspired, motivated, maybe even, transformed by their perspectives, 
knowledge, empathy, compassion, information and, most importantly,
capacity to enjoy the process, laughing at themselves and with you.

You’ll find many of our speakers on our website. 
http://www.SpeakingForYourWellBeing.com
AOL users  click here 
Or please call anytime and let us assist you.
503-699-5031
Speaker Services, 16491 SW Lake Forest Blvd, Lake Oswego, OR 97035
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