On Thursday, we had an EXCELLENT Active Rain Meetup, It was so great meeting so many new faces. One of the things I was most impressed with was the diversity of our gang. (scroll over pictures for names)
- We had both old and new members - Ruthmarie Hicks wrote her first blog post in Sept 2007 and Thomas Santore wrote his first blog in Dec 2007...then a whole bunch of us tweeners...all the way to newbie Anthony Cioppa who just started in 2013
- We had members from 5 counties! - Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Nassau
- We had a broad variety of professions: - real estate agent/broker, mortgage broker, decorator, professional business coach, inspector, contractor
- And, of course a wide range of personalities.
I was so glad that this time I got to really meet and spend time w/ some new faces. I finally got to meet Thomas Santore - someone who started before me and then "disappeared" before I got to meet him. But, now he's back and we've been commenting on each others' blogs and it was so nice to finally meet him. He's a funny guy and has a creative way of doing things.
I was glad to have some more time w/ Anthony Cioppa, a home inspector who is new to Active Rain. He got to meet several people here and I think he's starting to see what a wonderful place Active Rain is and how it can really help his business.
I was also thrilled to finally meet Vanessa Saunders from Rockland. She's the one with a profile picture w/ her on the phone, and of course her phone kept ringing so I had to get a shot of that. She has a beautiful British accent. She was super smart and invited one of her clients who joined us at the end and then they had dinner to discuss her upcoming purchase.
I was glad to have some time w/ Mark Boyland who is a top producer in our county and specializes in short sales. A lot of agents look up to him, and you can see why. He is one class act. He is friends w/ Phil Faranda and he has seen how much blogging has helped Phil and he has just started to dip his toes in the water.
And, I absolutely loved loved loved catching up with my good Active Rain buddies. We are just like family and I feel that I've known them for years. Debra Walsh and Janis Borgueta made the trip down from Orange County and I was so happy to see them. Debra was one of the first people I met in the Rain and she provided a lot of encouragement. If it wasn't for her and her wonderful comments, I don't know if I would have stuck it out. Janis is always lovely, and I've seen her at several meet ups now, and have added her to my speed dial.
Ruthmarie Hicks came as well. Many did not recognize her as her profile picture has 2 huskies. It was great talking to her as well. She has given me such great advice and I always love talking about marketing ideas with her. She's been doing a lot of professional photography for real estate, so that was exciting.
And, of course my great buddy, Joanna Cohlan. I've known Joanna for a few years (before she joined Active Rain) and she has become such a great friend. We have worked many projects together, and it is an absolute pleasure to work with her and her clients. I love spending time with her. And, she was absolutely radiant! Her business is on fire. She is so incredibly busy from the combo of her website and Angie's List and she seems to have so many wonderful clients lately. I'm so happy for her!
Grant Schneider came as well, but he could only stay for 15 minutes as he had a conference call/webinar that he had to attend. But, the fact that he showed up shows how dedicated he is to the Rain. He recently surpassed the 100,000 pt mark and I'm so thrilled for him. He is getting found on the internet, too!
Barry Goldenberg, a mortgage broker from Long Island also attended. He does a lot of loans in Westchester. While I didn't get to spend much time with him, I know that Thomas Santore made a great connection and he may be able to provide him w/ the ability to get some specialized types of loans he was looking to find for some of his clients.
We gathered at Uno's. Last year, we were able to eat outside, but this year, it was a bit chilly and rainy. But, the company was amazing, the food was good and the staff was very accomodating. They sat us down right away (even though only a few of us were there). And, by accident, one of the staff took my left over "doggie" bag, so they made me a fresh new dish to take home for left overs.
I'm sorry that we didn't have a chance to get a group shot. We were too busy chatting and having fun.
I'm constantly amazed at the community we have on Active Rain and how we are all willing to help each other out. I'm looking forward to the next one!
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