Seminars:
The Eat, Drink and Succeed Signature Seminars
Laura’s Signature Keynote
The University Series
The White House Presentations
The Eat, Drink and Succeed Signature Seminars
“Eat, Drink and Succeed! The Power of Partnership”
The Seminar
This seminar is based on Laura’s core belief that “Although Our Jobs May Seem 9-5, Our Careers Are 24/7! Professionals have been taught for years that “networking” happens at meetings and professional organizations, but now it’s time to identify keys to other doors. Using our overlooked “social” scenes and events when prepared as a powerful guest can change our lives.
Laura sets the stage for a positive social adventure, one that will empower your corporation, encourage your organization and its members, incorporate your team and expand your opportunities as an individual both professionally and personally.
The Motivation
The word “networking” gets a bad rap. Most people perceive networking as a “What can you do for me?” situation, but Laura believes it should be “What can I do for you?” That it’s in helping others achieve that we achieve ourselves. With this in mind, Laura shows how you can find such partnerships at social events in your overlooked social scenes: your gym, your church, even your child’s baseball league and happy hours. As social as any event may appear, it is business and it is up to the guest to realize an event’s profitability in his/her own professional and personal life.
The Focus
How a “guest” can get more out of an event than just good food and drink and how “seemingly” social occasions can be tremendous business opportunities. Using inside secrets, tips and techniques that will provide the participants with an instant entrée into the elite circles of our communities, Laura will share with the participants such powers of preparation, research, introductions, conversation, appearance, dates, alcohol, the business card, the checklist, listening and following up (to highlight a few) to create professional and personal opportunities that may have been overlooked in the past.
Powerful partnerships know no divide in business and it takes partnerships to grow a career and a path to success. Laura will discuss partnerships in the context of their professional and personal worth to the participants, how to spot and turn a chance meeting into a life changing partnership and lastly, how to sustain those dynamic relationships for the long term.
This is the ultimate seminar that can stand on its own or be designed in conjunction with a convention, guest speaking opportunity or incorporated into a multiple day retreat such as at a resort as a part of a spa and golf package coupled with a series of social events to create one incredible learning experience.
The Goal
To introduce the participants to the power that lies within their untapped social scenes of today, which with the right tools will become the ticket to their professional and personal successes of tomorrow! By harnessing their social power and increasing productivity “after hours” whether it’s client dinner, ball game, poker night, wine tasting, book club, happy hour, craft night, candle party or charity gala etc. this empowers participants with the tools needed to successfully navigate their social scenes.
The Duration
This seminar can be done as an opening session to a conference at 30minutes; an overview at 1.5 hours or it can be done in two segments in-depth at 1.5 hours each segment. This seminar serves as a great opening motivation session to any conference, team-building event or orientation to kick the guest’s participation into high gear as well as for all industry associations, non-profit organizations and sales teams! It can also take place over the course of a day at an annual meeting or retreat. This seminar can be packaged and experienced in the home city of the participants, designed in a creative setting with various planned social events to practice and use their new tools learned during that day. The same package can also be coached one on one, to small groups 50-200 or to a large conference of 500+.
“Eat, Drink, Succeed and Kick Off Your Conference!”
The Seminar
As the White House Director of Events Laura created events that represented a nation and inspired the world. Today, as an international television commentator, professional speaker and author of Eat, Drink & Succeed, Laura shares the networking secrets that skyrocketed her onto the world stage with personal anecdotes from her life & White House years that will change your attendee’s life – at your conference! Laura will empower the audience with the tools that got her from having no political connections at the age of 19 when she volunteered to answer phones in the Press Office to climbing the ranks of the Clinton Administration as the Midwest Press Secretary, Director of Television and ultimately the Director of Events, where she produced the President and country on the world stage.
Laura will share her top tools in a high-energy 45minute presentation to open the conference that your attendees can put to work immediately to learn, build partnerships and excel in the industry at every turn of the conference. Whether approaching registration, attending a class, walking the exhibit hall and crossing the threshold into those fabulous “social events” Laura is convinced that nothing is optional at an industry conference but everything is an opportunity.
Laura believes that any guest can get more out of any event than just the free food and drink; than just going through the motions of an agenda; than just collecting business cards and taking notes – she knows that each one of us has the power to Eat, Drink AND Succeed throughout every minute of any conference. That is exactly what she will communicate as she strives to engage, inspire and energize each attendee to
Eat, Drink & Succeed at your association, industry or annual conference!
“Eat, Drink and Empower! The Power of the Host: How to Create and Host a Powerful Event”
The Seminar
Whether a CEO, aspiring entrepreneur, personal assistant, account executive, financial consultant, socialite, spouse or student this seminar is about how to produce an event and host with confidence; from client dinners, annual meetings, conventions and black-tie galas to the card club, backyard barbecue and a child’s birthday party; you can become a powerful host in both your professional and personal social scenes.
The Motivation
“We Do Not Host Events, We Host Guests”
– The Social Philosophy of Laura Schwartz
Everyone likes being invited but what about hosting? – it is a professional obligation to be a powerful host, whether it’s a simple client lunch or company black tie affair. Experienced hosts need strategies to take their events to the next level of success, while novice hosts need a boost to help them feel comfortable being the glue that holds an event together.
The Focus
It takes more than simply matching your tablecloths to your placemats to make an event powerful. Laura discusses the intrigue and inside secrets of State Visits and powerful White House events and conferences, revealing the components to creating a successful event – be it an annual convention or poker night with the neighbors. Laura emphasizes the power and importance of the “host” and shares advice on how participants can empower their own gatherings and create a personal style on any budget. The participants will be lead on a social adventure in which they will explore new ideas, conquer their fears and empower themselves with the tools they need to become a powerful host.
The Goal
Empower the participant as a host to create an event where the atmosphere is both enjoyable and productive. Laura will direct each participant to approach and execute each event to standout among the rest. The participant will leave this seminar with tips and techniques that will make any event, whether professional or personal, at an outside venue or in your own home with a goal of business or pleasure.
The Duration
1.5-2 hours pending the needs and specific goals of the participants.
“Eat, Drink and Succeed! Creating the Ultimate Power Lunch”
The Seminar
“How to turn a 60 minute meal into a $60million deal”
The Motivation
“Let’s do Lunch!”
It’s not just an excuse to leave the office building for an hour everyday at noon and it’s not necessarily break time either. Nor is a power lunch just about the menu – it’s about the service, your service. How you serve up the menu items (business agenda) and present the specials of the day (your technique) will decide whether you’ll have “recruited” a repeat customer or better yet, a regular!
The Focus
Laura will teach the participants how to prepare an agenda and execute a winning technique to make sure that the bill isn’t the only check that gets signed after dessert! Instructing the participants on how to create a menu and lay out the service to turn any power lunch into a powerful lunch, Laura will discuss the importance of defining the right approach before even extending the invitation, locking in the lunch, choosing the right location, getting the corner booth and even addressing an agenda without mentioning it at all. There are steps to take before even arriving at the restaurant that will ensure success and once the participant enacts Laura’s outline and technique, they will be known for producing more than just an expense report.
The Goal
The participants will leave this seminar or one on one coaching session feeling comfortable to do more than just eat and make small talk over lunch. They will become confident through proper preparation and skilled delivery to be able to approach every lunch with confidence, ease and preparation skills that will translate into the assurance and delivery of their goals. The participants will leave the seminar with a checklist in hand to make their next lunch powerful.
The Duration
One, 1.5-2 hour “luncheon” session, that can even take place in the atmosphere that will become conducive to the goal of a real power lunch.
*Many clients choose to turn this seminar into individual coaching sessions.
*This is a great pairing with “The Power of Partnership” and “The Power of the Host”
Laura’s Signature Keynote
“Empowerment Through Service”
A motivating speech that re-affirms the value of service to others and ourselves as the foundation for success
The Motivation and Focus
Throughout Laura’s history both behind and in front of the scenes, starting at a young age of 19, she showcased both the President and country at the White House on the world stage each day. Following the White House she traveled the world with President Clinton as he laid the foundation for the Clinton Global Initiative. She traveled the country for the 2004 presidential campaign and again in 2008 when she covered the campaign for the CBS Early Show.
She looks upon her travels and experiences as her life’s mini-focus group and recounts that she had witnessed what was noted about the United States of America by the French Social Scientist, Alexis de Tocqueville, over 170 years ago: that one of the defining characteristics of America was its commitment to service. Laura believes it is still that commitment to service that defines all of us today. It is not always that volunteer associations and service organizations pick up where the government leaves off; rather it is that these organizations can do it better. Laura communicates a message of service, commitment, motivation and community through stories and incorporates details of the association she is addressing to make their projects, commitments and progress align with the audience member.
The Goal
To rally, refresh, re-energize and re-involve association and organization members. Empower the participant to give and continue to give back through the sponsoring organization and to see that their service not only affects the lives of those they help directly but themselves and their own personal and professional communities as well.
The Duration
30, 45minutes or 1 hour in length
The Audience
This seminar has been particularly successful among service organizations as a way to inspire their group for their annual conference, when fundraising for their general fund or kicking off development for a new project, highlighting their membership drives and awareness in the community. Corporations also use this keynote as a way to motivate their employees for their internal campaigns and company wide philanthropy. Some organizations that Laura has addressed with this keynote are United Way, YWCA, The American Heart Association, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Junior League of Chicago. Each has had stronger results with this keynote at their galas, community luncheons etc. as Laura has enthused the crowd to become involved or take their involvement to the next level.
Alternate Titles
EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ASSOCIATION
THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP
The University Series
“The Power of Practical Experience”
The Seminar
Laura Schwartz understands the power of seizing the moment better than anyone. As a 19-year-old college student, she turned a volunteer position in the White House into the opportunity of a lifetime. Using her work ethic and networking skills, she went from answering phones to serving as President Bill Clinton’s Midwest Press Secretary, Director of Television and, ultimately, the Director of Events where she oversaw 12 state dinners, America’s Millennium Celebration and countless other high-profile events. Laura believes in the power of practical experience and that you can indeed go from the copy room to the board room…by making the most out of practical experience before even cashing your first paycheck.
The Motivation
Practical experience, whether while still in school or when searching for the next chapter in your life, is as important as book smarts when it comes to the real world. The best way to have one up on the competition in a slender job market is to practice what you hope to preach.
The Focus
How to get the most from pre-professional experience. Whether answering the phones, making copies or getting coffee, how to take any situation and make it count towards the participant’s future success. This seminar will teach the aspiring entrepreneur that while some practical experiences may not pay a dime, it doesn’t mean it won’t be worth its weight in opportunities.
The Goal
Stress the importance of how the combination of practical experience and a strong work ethic can result in amazing life changing opportunities.
The Duration
1 hour pending the needs and specific goals of the participants.
*This seminar is a great pairing with “Eat, Drink and Succeed: The Power of Your Social Foundation” and the “Power of Partnership”
“Eat, Drink and Succeed! The Power of Your Social Foundation”
The Seminar
Blending your personal “social foundation” into your professional life.
The Motivation
Students seldom realize that they are building two valuable foundations through the process of higher learning. There is the obvious academic foundation but just as important is the social foundation that will serve a post-college purpose of its own.
The Focus
The graduate’s social foundation is just as important as their degree when they enter the next phase of their life. Their social life in college will lead them to find out things like who’s hanging out with whom, which dorm is the best and which professors are going to make their lives miserable. In post college life, participants will need to adapt their social skills and use similar social settings to gather information to determine what client is signing with what company, what colleagues are up for which accounts, what boss is going where and who’s moving up.
The Goal
Optimize the participant’s social skills to create an advantage in the workplace while avoiding awkward situations and making the most out of every opportunity from the client dinner to the water cooler and the office birthday party.
The Duration
1.5 hours pending the needs and specific goals of the participants.
*This seminar is a great pairing with “The Power of Practical Experience”
The White House Presentations
“Holidays at The White House”
Laura takes the guests on a holiday adventure through her detailed descriptions and visuals of the incredible White House Holiday Celebrations. Laura gives the participant a complete look behind the scenes at the evolution of the Holidays from the first planning session in January to the first holiday reception in December. Starting with the spring tradition of choosing the holiday theme and card, leaving not a sprig of holly unturned as every possibility of décor is explored, Laura even talks about the thousands of artists and craftsmen and choirs from around the country that get involved in this great White House tradition. She also unveils the summer hunt for the official White House Christmas tree and the secret sketching of the Gingerbread House by the White House pastry chef. Laura sets the scene in late November as the tree arrives along with the volunteers from around the country to join forces with the White House florists to work tirelessly on the last minute preparations. The press preview starts the season, the parties, tours, receptions, dinners and special events follow only to end on January 2nd when the decorations disappear and the planning starts all over again. This seminar is for participants of all ages and one of Laura’s most intriguing, the visuals are stunning and the stories are amazing, experience a bit of the White House in your home this Holiday!
*This seminar not only makes the participant feel as if they are a part of The White House holidays but also highlights ideas that can be used to make their own holiday celebrations resemble those of The White House.
“Tea Traditions”
Laura highlights and brings the traditions of White House Teas into the participant’s own home. Jacqueline Kennedy was known for her teas with reporters in the East Garden of the White House, which was her own power setting for tea. By looking at the history of tea and the powerful women that have partaken in the tradition, Laura will take the participant into the new millennium to share new and innovative ways for all of us at all ages to enjoy an afternoon tea. It may be an age-old tradition but you can be any age to enjoy and realize the potential “subtle” power of a tea!
*This seminar will not only delight the participants but also demonstrate the power tea can have in their own lives by bringing the White House to their house!
“Rose Garden Rendezvous”
The White House Gardens: Their Beauty And Purpose
Did you know that the 18 acres The White House sits upon is actually considered a National Park? Laura will take the participant on a journey through the history and development of the White House Gardens and their evolving uses through the decades from bill signings, press conferences and the traditional pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey to the weddings, teas, dinners, concerts and millennium celebrations. The gardens of the White House have long been known as a place of respite and reflection for the most powerful man in the world. Now, their beauty will amaze you, their practicality will interest you and their versatility will perhaps inspire you to grow a rose garden of your own!
*This seminar will not only bring enjoyment but also highlight ideas to make each participant’s garden unique
“The Art of A State Dinner”
Laura discusses the intrigue and inside secrets of a state visit and unveils the foundation on which a successful state dinner is created. From the social traditions started by Jacqueline Kennedy that are still observed today to the calligraphy, seating, menus and entertainment, Laura will emphasize the power and importance of the “host” and share advice on how the participants can empower their own gatherings while creating a personal style. Whether the parties they host are large or small, business or personal, on a budget of $50 or $5,000,000, the potential of the host as well as the gathering is limitless. Most of all, Laura believes that the most powerful of all roles in a social gathering is the host, and when carried out effectively, produces a dinner that results in more than just great food and drink.
*This seminar is not only visually stunning but also introduces the participant to how ordinary dinners can become “state dinners” of their own.
“The Power of An Inaugural Ball”
Laura grants a sneak peak into one of the most coveted invitations in Washington. Laura discusses the power of an Inaugural Ball from vying for the ticket, who the hosts are and who the guests want to be, to who they want to meet as well as the traditional and sometimes unique locations, planning, and participation of the First Family. After all, Inaugural Balls are so powerful they only happen every four years!
*This seminar will not only make the participant feel a part of the Inauguration but also brings new ideas to galas and receptions of their own, that can make any participant’s event resemble the level of an Inaugural Ball!
