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Breakfast Speakers

Each month at the WBE Breakfast we have an inspirational speaker. Thank you to all of our speakers! Our speaker for June 2009 was:

Patricia Graf-Hoke

"What's Around the Corner? The Journey of a Life-Long Entrepreneur”

When, as a teenager, Patricia Graf-Hoke announced that she wanted to start a newspaper the responses she received from family and friends were consistent. “You can’t do that! You don’t know anything about it!” they said. Unswayed, Patricia opted to embrace a “can do ” attitude and pursued her dream anyway. Patricia’s first effort back in 1971 resulted in a successful venture - and a new entrepreneur was born.

Thirty-eight years, several businesses, a 20-acre farm and a few children later, Patricia still loves being an entrepreneur and using her enthusiasm, spirit and know-how to mentor start up and women owned businesses, artists and small community-based nonprofits. Most recently, Patricia and her husband and business partner Bill have been using their 90 Minute Marketing Workshop program to teach hundreds of small business owners and their teams the tools, rules and “must dos” of marketing. Today she’ll share her perspective on what makes an entrepreneur tick, and how the lessons she learned influence the advice she gives to others.

At the top of Patricia’s list of “must haves” is an ever-present curiosity which she believes brings entrepreneurs face to face with unplanned opportunities and encounters. In Patricia’s own life, that kind of opportunity changed the focus of her business and led her to a life altering encounter with a Swami in Kathmandu.

For others, it could mean almost anything, because Patricia believes that the possibilities for growth are endless when we trust ourselves to go around the corner with an open mind and heart to uncover new strengths and talents that we never knew we had.

We invite you to join us on June 11th as the effervescent Patricia Graf-Hoke takes on the heart of entrepreneurship and shares her insights on how to face fears, use business and life experience to weave your own unique style, and how curiosity, courage, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone can provide surprisingly good things for you and your business.

Biographical Information for Patricia Graf-Hoke

Patricia Graf-Hoke is a consultant, trainer, and active community member. Formerly the CEO of her own ad agency, over the past 25 years Patricia has worked with hundreds of businesses, numerous non-profit organizations and government entities. As a veteran entrepreneur and expert in marketing, advertising, public relations and business development, she and her husband Bill developed the 40-Minute and 90-Minute Marketing Workshops. Today Patricia and Bill travel the country to educate and advocate for small businesses within local communities.

From 2002 to 2006, Patricia worked with the City of Bremerton and Mayor Cary Bozeman on a wide range of award winning communication and public relations strategies that generated regional and national recognition for the city’s highly successful revitalization efforts. In 2005, she was named a “Women of Achievement” by the Kitsap YWCA for her contributions and tireless efforts to create and promote outreach programs to support the arts district and farmer’s market and to mentor small businesses.

Patricia is a member of numerous organization including business, political and women’s groups, and past member of several boards including the Kitsap Community Foundation, Bremerton Schools Foundation, and Kitsap Regional Library Advisory Board. She is currently involved in job development for those with special needs, active in non-partisan political organizations, and works to help women get elected to political office. In her free time, she enjoys photography, hiking, gardening, reading and spending time with family and friends.

August Breakfast

Our August breakfast is an annual, invitation only special event dedicated to recognizing and celebrating our volunteers. We will be back to our regular breakfast schedule on September 9th with Janis Avery, CEO of Treehouse, who will speak on the topic of: Challenge, Change and Creativity - How To Turn Life's Obstacles into Business Opportunities (or Opportunities for Growth). Online registration for our September event will begin on August 13th. We hope you will join us then.

Breakfast Sponsor

Click here to learn more about our breakfast sponsor Marilyn Schoeman

Click here To learn more about breakfast location and schedule.

Click here to hear an excerpt of one of WBE’s recent breakfast speakers, Leta Hamilton, speaking about "The Energy of Transaction: Giving and Receiving in Business and in Life”.