With Giving Tuesday coming up, members might consider giving supporting the Irish Business Organization of New York (IBO), by supporting us in one or more of the following ways:

• Make a donation
• Sign up or renew your membership
• Buy your ticket to one or both of two upcoming IBO events in December. 

The IBO is an entirely voluntary organization, and we have considerable operating expenses - everything from the hosting of our membership platform, to storage fees, to the professional services that all organizations need. We've been in existence since 1973 and we're gearing up for our 50th anniversary celebrations next year.

Ireland-based member Kathleen Fanning is giving us a special deal for Thanksgiving: a great offer on the "Female Leaders Burnout Survival Kit : Tools to Help You Support Your Team (and Family) Without the Stress and Overwhelm". Kathleen was a great guest speaker at one of our Networking Breakfasts in the spring.

Here's the scoop from Kathleen:

In honor of Thanksgiving, I decided to do something special to thank you for being part of my Irish American community... that also gives back to those in need.

If you dream of finding more balance in your life and to know how to stop reacting to the many stress triggers life doles out to us, I've put together something special for you... 

Check it out here: 

Thanks + Giving = 93% OFF

Female Leaders Burnout Survival Kit: Tools to Help You Support Your Team (and Family) Without the Stress and Overwhelm. It features 5 of my best trainings, worksheets, books  and more that will help you pull back from Overwhelm and Burnout to find the calm and balance you desire.

• AND $15 from each purchase goes to Médecins Sans Frontières- Doctors Without Borders.

The Female Leaders Burnout Survival Kit : Tools to Help You Support Your Team (and Family) Without the Stress and Overwhelm 

The Survival Kit is valued at over $1,319 but your investment is only $97... which means you save 93%...!

PLUS... $15 of your investment will go directly to Médecins Sans Frontières - Doctors Without Borders, and their courageous work supporting those in greatest need in famine and war torn regions.

This special ends MONDAY 28^th November at midnight, so don’t wait: Get Your Female Leaders Burnout Survival Kit now and SAVE 93%

Here’s everything you get and how you’ll benefit when you get my Thanks + Giving offer the Female Leaders Burnout Survival Kit TODAY...

• LIVE Virtual Workshop (Value: $497)
• 4 Step Guide to Move from Overwhelm and a Feeling of Never Being Finished to a Sense of Calm, Focus and Appreciation ($100)
• Fill Your Well: 30 Days of Resilience Journal posted directly to you ($25)
• The Wheel of Personal & Professional Life: A Powerful Tool to Help you Visualise all areas of your life  (Value: $197)
• 1 Hour Private Strategy Session: How to amplify your natural strengths and develop the critical skills to succeed as a leader Professionally and Personal and Life. (Value: $500)

Value of all the above is $1319

Your Total Investment: $97 of which $15 goes to Médecins Sans Frontières - Doctors Without Borders to support their amazing work! 

Book here now! 

Member Brian Moran is offering a great discount for members to join his Bricks or Sticks class, which he is conducting with colleague Jocelyn Ring. Here is a link to the registration page - www.bricksorsticks.com.

IBO members interested in joining should use the code word FAMILY (in all CAPS) in the promo code box. That will make the class $250 instead of $497. Classes start December 5^th. In January, the workshop price will go up to $997.

A testimonial from Paul Finnegan, IBO President 2022/23:

Having recently committed to a new business venture of my own in recent weeks,  I have found the Bricks or Sticks course to be extremely foundational to my thinking, and that is what the course is all about, building a solid foundation.  IBO member Brian Moran and his associate Jocelyn Ring cover everything from determining what kind of business person you are, to various mindsets, to GPS planning, to 'what-ifs', to branding, and much more.  The course can be taken in the stride of your busy life (and it also discusses time management at length).  I highly recommend it to our members, especially at the discounted rate Brian is offering IBO members.

More details on the workshop from Brian: 

During the workshops, we will:

• Examine three types of business ownership to see which one makes the most sense for each participant and how they should structure their business and avoid pitfalls

• Discuss the differences between a reactive mindset and a proactive one (and how to be more proactive in business)
  
  
• Put together “GPS Plans” that help business owners navigate uncertain and uncharted territory to achieve their strategic goals

• Play a game called “What If…” and put together contingency plans, so they know how to get around obstacles before they reach them (this means more peace and better sleep)

• Review internal and external brand messaging to better engage with customers, prospects, and employees so they don’t chase marketing “shiny objects” that promise to hook customers and talent. 

• Lastly, Jocelyn and I will share our “secret sauce” for success. It’s something we call DCA—Discipline, Commitment, and Accountability. This is what we’ve found to be the missing link for 99% of business owners. 

Each week, we will release new content which will include a series of videos and a PDF workbook. 

We will have a one-hour live discussion with everyone in the workshop on Thursdays at 11:00 am ET.

There will be a private Facebook group where participants can network with one another and ask us questions. We’ll be very active in the discussions there. 

Our November evening meeting on November 9 at the Bank of Ireland NYC Hub was another great success, with members gathering to live out our motto and "Network, Communicate, Reciprocate!" The highlight of the evening was our featured speaker, Andrea Haughian, the Executive Vice President and Head of Americas at Invest NI, Northern Ireland’s Economic Development Agency, who was interviewed in a fireside chat by Alison Metcalfe, Executive Vice President, North America & Australia, Tourism Ireland.

There were introductory remarks from Paul Finnegan, who spoke about our upcoming 50th-anniversary celebrations and the board that has started planning for it. He thanked our sponsors, the Bank of Ireland NYC Hub, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, Integrated Printing and Graphics, and the Emigrant Support Programme of Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs.  There was business to attend to: the vote on the three proposed changes to the bylaws. Past president John Lee announced the 2023 board: President Paul Finnegan, First Vice President Sean O'Dowd, Second Vice President Maura Clare, Treasurer Maria Smith, Secretary Colleen Berry Conway, Communications Director Noreen Bowden, and Membership Director Peter O'Neill. Jane McCooey spent a few minutes speaking about Women with Ambition, a network for Irish- and Irish-American women to come together to learn skills for success in business. Among the guests was Denis Brownlee, the founder and president of the African American Irish Diaspora Network. 

The members were treated to a fascinating discussion between two of the most prominent women working for the island of Ireland in America, and afterward mingled and enjoyed refreshments and some lively interaction. 

If you missed it, catch up with the video on our Facebook page!

A member has passed along news to us of the Irish government's new registry for birth information, which may be of interest. Here are a few notes from the government's press release: 

A new law provides a right of access to birth certificates, birth and early life information for all persons who were adopted, boarded out, the subject of an illegal birth registration or resided as a child in a mother and baby home or county home institution. Additionally, it allows for access to information by a child of a relevant person where their parent has died, and for access by the next of kin of a child who died in an institution.

For the first time these people will have a clear right of access to their full birth certificates, and birth, early life, care, and medical information.

The law also established a new tracing service, enabling affected persons and those connected to them to actively seek contact or share information. The Act also introduced a wide range of new measures to address issues arising for people affected by illegal birth registration. A broad spectrum of counselling and support is available, on request, to persons affected. All of these services will be free of charge. 

Information and Tracing services are now open to applications. Applications can be made through www.birthinfo.ie.

The Tracing service will enable affected persons and their relatives to actively search for each other, either for contact, or to request or share information, including vital medical information.

For more information, see the government press release and visit www.birthinfo.ie.

Ogham Art, a unique specialty gift business celebrating the Celtic alphabet of Ogham, is celebrating their 12th anniversary!  On October 25, 2010, IBO Member Colleen Berry Conway and her husband Chris launched OghamArt.com which has also included hundreds of appearances at Irish festivals and artisan marketplaces across the Northeast. 

Ogham Art was built out of a love of Ireland and the hidden corners of its history.  At Ogham Art, you can find art, jewelry, home decor and custom work featuring Ogham - the first written form of the Primitive Irish language. Colleen and Chris continue to expand their offerings through a deeper appreciation and knowledge of Celtic culture. 

Colleen also lectures about the history of Ogham and a brief outline of the Celts and their languages.  She will be sharing her entrepreneurial journey as guest speaker at the November 29, 2022 IBO Breakfast Meeting on Zoom.

IBO Members save 20% at OghamArt.com with coupon code IBO20. Follow Ogham Art on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and connect with Colleen on LinkedIn! 

 

Member Brian Moran sends along this note about his upcoming workshop - and a special deal he's offering to IBO members:

Hi Fellow IBO Members,

I’m writing to let you know about a monthly workshop I am launching in October with Jocelyn Ring, a branding and leadership expert. 

It’s called Bricks or Sticks: Build a Foundation For Your Business That Lasts. It’s a play on the three little pigs and the big bad wolf.

In the past two years, business owners who built their companies with hay or sticks witnessed firsthand what happens when calamities strike.

On the other hand, business owners who built their foundations with bricks may have gotten knocked down, but they didn’t get knocked out.

Today, those companies are back on their feet; some doing even better than before the pandemic.

Our four-week workshop will show business owners how to properly build their companies on strong foundations that provide solid platforms so they can set and achieve growth goals, focus on work that moves the needle and handle external circumstances in a calm and purposeful manner.

During the workshops, we will:

• Examine three types of business ownership to see which one makes the most sense for each participant and how they should structure their business and avoid pitfalls

• Discuss the differences between a reactive mindset and a proactive one (and how to be more proactive in business)
  
  
• Put together “GPS Plans” that help business owners navigate uncertain and uncharted territory to achieve their strategic goals

• Play a game called “What If…” and put together contingency plans, so they know how to get around obstacles before they reach them (this means more peace and better sleep)

• Review internal and external brand messaging to better engage with customers, prospects, and employees so they don’t chase marketing “shiny objects” that promise to hook customers and talent. 

• Lastly, Jocelyn and I will share our “secret sauce” for success. It’s something we call DCA—Discipline, Commitment, and Accountability. This is what we’ve found to be the missing link for 99% of business owners. 

Each week, we will release new content which will include a series of videos and a PDF workbook. 

We will have a one-hour live discussion with everyone in the workshop on Thursdays at 11:00 am ET.

There will be a private Facebook group where participants can network with one another and ask us questions. We’ll be very active in the discussions there. 

The price for the inaugural workshop in October is $497. After that, future workshops will cost $997.

Through the IBO, we are offering a special discount for either the October or November workshop. Your rate is $250! In order to get it, you have to type FAMILY (all caps) into the coupon code box

Go to BricksOrSticks.com to register TODAY!

We will have 20 business owners for the October workshop. Please feel free to email or call me with any questions.

I hope you can join us for our workshop!

Brian Moran

We've gotten notice of an event that may be of interest: it's a FREE WEBINAR Event called the World Hope Forum - Ireland

The World Hope Forum is an organisation founded by Lidewij Edelkoort and Philip Fimmano in spring 2020, as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Hope Forum’s main goal is to create a holistic global platform for the exchange and expansion of knowledge, innovation of business practices, resetting of making methods, invention of alternative models, and the rethinking of rituals for selling, sharing and bartering – as well as other initiatives yet to be discovered.

Ireland has a deep tradition of sustainable textile making, from its crisp linens to its wooly tweeds. As part of this year’s NYTM (New York Textile Month), World Hope Forum ambassador for Ireland, Antonia Reilly-Parker, has curated a special lineup of inspiring speakers. The webinar spans fashion, home, craft, folklore and national identity.

The speakers will be presenting from both Ireland and New York. 

The program begins via ZOOM at 9AM EST in New York. Registration is FREE. 

See all the details at www.edelkoort.us/world-hope-forum-ireland.

'I'll do it myself': a live Irish Comedy Special Taping

Irish stand up comedian and host of The Shift podcast Katie Boyle will be taping her debut comedy special and recording her album at New York Comedy Club. Boyle will be the first Irish comedian to film a full-length special in NYC. She performs daily all over NYC and has toured America. She has been featured in festivals all over the country: Laughing Skull Atlanta, The Women in Comedy Festival, Asheville, Cape Fear, Kansas City Irish fest, New York City Festival and tours with the Real Irish Comedy tour. She has been heard on Sirius Xm. She has opened for Des Bishop in Vicar St Ireland. 

Ticket link: https://newyorkcomedyclub.com/tags/katie-boyle-album-recording

Date: 18th of September 7pm and 9:30pm

Location: New York Comedy Club 241 East 24th St. New York, NY 10010 (Gramercy location) (212) 696-5233

Email: info@newyorkcomedyclub.com

Instagram, tiktok and twitter: @katieboylecomic 

www.katieboylecomic.com

IBO Member Malachy Fallon is the subject of a lovely profile in the Fordham Alumni magazine, highlighting his transition to leading the Xavier Society for the Blind after a 30-plus-year career at Standard & Poors. 

An excerpt: 

When MALACHY FALLON, BS ’83, MBA ’89, MS ’15, attended a mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 2016 a few months after he became the executive director of the Xavier Society for the Blind, its mission took on an even deeper meaning. The annual mass, celebrated on the feast day of St. Lucy, the patron saint of the blind, is the highlight of the year for patrons of the nonprofit. All of the Mass Propers are in Braille, created by the Xavier Society, and the celebrant, lecturers, and most attendees are sight impaired.

“It hit me immediately,” Fallon said. “This is why we do it and why it’s so very important. It’s that type of work; you’re touching individuals deeply and directly. Our tagline is, ‘We provide faith and inspiration in Braille and audio,’ but it’s our patrons who are the inspiration.”

Fallon’s move to the Xavier Society followed a 30-plus-year career at Standard & Poors where he started out after earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA at Fordham. He spent most of his time in the public finance group doing bond ratings on state and local governments and larger nonprofits. After several years in New York, he moved to Texas to open S&P’s Dallas office. At the time, he and his wife Maureen were busy raising four children. Fallon kept close ties with his alma mater, and his daughter Emily, FCRH ’13, is an alumna of Fordham College at Rose Hill.

“I had a wonderful career at S&P,” he said. “It was finance, but it was also government and public policy. I met so many wonderful people working in the nonprofit sector that I thought at some point I’d like to work in it rather than peripherally around it.”

Read the whole article on the Fordham Alumni Magazine website.