Shirley Patterson’s Biography

Cambridge Who's Who Contributing Author Shirley Patterson

Cambridge Who’s Who member Shirley Patterson is a writer who uses her personal experiences to inspire the creation of fiction and non-fiction works. Ms. Patterson is currently studying journalism at The Writers Bureau . She is also nearing the completion of her first novel, titled “Canadaville: The Beginning.”

Shirley Patterson is open to sharing her life story with others, which centers on the devastation she witnessed due to Hurricane Katrina. Forced out of New Orleans by the engulfing flood waters, she relocated to an unfamiliar location in search of shelter and safety. “The looting was getting very dangerous for anyone to hang around,” she remembers, “and it became all about survival.” Once she was ready to leave the Big Easy behind, she ended up at the Baton Rouge River Center, a facility used to house 5,000 displaced hurricane victims. Packed in like sardines, she faced several obstacles before finally ending up in Canadaville – a self-sustaining community on 900 acres of land in Simmesport, Louisiana, designed specifically for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita evacuees.

After six months had passed, Ms. Patterson settled into Canadaville, but she began to feel restless and depressed. “There were no jobs here, and I had no transportation,” she recalls. “I asked God, what am I going to do here?” The next morning, she awoke, walked to the front door and opened it. She marveled at the beautiful setting before her. She stared at the trees and, without hesitation, picked up a pen and pad. She began writing nonstop until she had completed six pages. The next day, she repeated her steps and wrote 10 pages.

Ms. Patterson had found the answer to her important, burning question. “The trees sparked my imagination to put pen to paper and write,” she remembers. “I love Canadaville and I will never forget this place for as long as God gives me this will to live.” Aptly titled, “Canadaville: The Beginning” should be completed by the end of June. Additionally, Ms. Patterson is penning a short story called “Living Among the Trees.”

Since discovering her newfound talents and abilities, Shirley Patterson acknowledges that she has found her true calling in life. She feels very enthusiastic about writing and does so in abundance. When she is not authoring her new book, she composes monthly newsletters for Canadaville, contributes to the local newspaper and writes gardening articles. While on her path to becoming a skillful wordsmith, she has learned the importance of meeting assignment deadlines. Her secret to success: “I devote all of my free time to the craft.” In five years, Shirley Patterson hopes to publish more novels and develop a career writing for newspapers and magazines.

In order to remain abreast of trends and new developments in the writing industry, Shirley Patterson reads a lot, subscribes to writers’ websites and reviews industry-related newsletters. She is a member of the Writers Guild of Acadiana. Aside from writing, Ms. Patterson loves gardening plants and flowers and is a member of her local garden club.

Cambridge Who’s Who Resource Center Article(s) by Shirley Patterson

• The Benefits of Freelance Writing New!
  

By Cambridge Who’s Who Contributing Author Chi Chi Okezie

Online networking is a valuable marketing tool that professionals can use to increase their business. The internet is a great way to attract your target market and maintain customer loyalty. Online networking can also help you to achieve business success by building your company’s credibility. It is an effective way to market every aspect of your company to potential clients, customers, partners and employees in a professional manner. Listed below are a few tips on how you can generate business through online networking.

Use online networking to attract your target audience, partners and employees.
Create an individual and/or company profile on a networking website. Your online profile should outline your education, experience and background in a particular field, your company history and a description of your ideal client or target audience. This will better illustrate the work or services that you offer, and thus attract the right customers for your business. If possible, include testimonials from past or present clients and customers to enhance your profile and credentials. Also consider listing the types of professionals and companies that you are seeking for strategic partnerships or projects. This will make your profile more appealing to people or organizations that would be interested in working with you or for you. If you operate on a referral fee service, online networking is a great opportunity for you to gain new clients; a detailed description of your company will give others a better sense of who you are, what you do and who would be most interested in doing business with you.

Use online networking to market your products and services to existing and potential clients.
All business professionals should network online to sustain business relationships with their customers and clients. Stay in contact with your customers and clients via email to announce new products, share important company news and inform them of recent industry trends. And remember: clients and customers respond well to incentives and discounts. Running an online promotion can help to increase your sales and get more buzz about your products and services.

Use online networking to promote a professional image for your business.
Online networking can increase your company’s professionalism. When your organization is linked to a credible professional group with a diverse membership base it shows that your company is well connected and active in the business community. Becoming a member of an online networking organization can help you to present yourself as an expert in a particular industry or field; you can use your profile to display your designations and certifications and highlight your professional involvement within your industry or business sector.

Chi Chi Okezie joined Cambridge Who’s Who in June 2007. Using the resources and networking tools available to her via Cambridge Who’s Who membership, Chi Chi was able to receive additional exposure for her company on www.cambridgewhoswho.com, including a feature in the Cambridge Business (CamBizTM) Directory, Announcements, Who’s Who in the News and Cambridge Events sections. SIMPLEnetworking LLC will also be spotlighted in the Featured Business section of the upcoming Cambridge Who’s Who e-newsletter, “Who’s News.”

Cambridge Who’s Who applauds Ms. Okezie for taking full advantage of her Cambridge Who’s Who member benefits and thanks her for the kind words about our services and staff that she submitted for the Cambridge Who’s Who Success Stories website.

For more information on Chi Chi Okezie and SIMPLEnetworking, LLC, please view her contributing author profile.

Networking is the ability to maximize and expand your current relationships while discovering new ones to further develop your growth. Networking creates new business and career opportunities; it is a means to evaluate, assess and approach potential clients and business associates. To be successful, you must invest time in learning specific techniques and methods that will help you to develop your networking skill set. In particular, research, interaction and self-presentation are essential to effective networking. Anyone is able to hone their skills by utilizing the tools available on professional networking websites such as www.cambridgewhoswho.com.

It is not just the exchange of contact information that is important. It is also crucial to create follow-up strategies to develop relationships with those whose information you have collected. Joining an organization like Cambridge Who’s Who that offers an online networking platform will generate more results than cold calling or mass emailing. Many contacts and jobs are found through the internet, as each person you interact with online has his/her own set of contacts who would be valuable additions to your personal or professional network. So while you should make it a priority to keep the lines of communication open with your confirmed contacts, focus also on tapping into their network and requesting introductions to contacts with whom they have established relationships. The success you have in business greatly depends on making your network channels lucrative. Consider what benefits can be derived from successful networking: you are able to gather information to produce positive results; it is an avenue to share leads, ideas and expertise; it is a path to accomplish goals through synergy and teamwork; it is a means of feedback to validate the accuracy of your own ideas; it is also a channel to promote your ideas or products.

Today with the advancement in technology and accessibility to worldwide markets, effectiveness in networking is essential. Efficient networking benefits you by reducing the low yield odds of working alone. Leveraging your relationships with fellow members in professional societies such as Cambridge Who’s Who increases your productivity by expanding your resources and creating greater results in less time. Learn to capitalize on your interactions and convers ations with others. Learn how to use the tools provided through membership. At Cambridge Who’s Who, creating a robust profile, advertising in Events, Marketplace and CamBiz and activating your CWW Email account will make you more available to those seeking to network. Updating your settings so that Cambridge brings the events, Marketplace ads, CamBizlistings and member profiles of interest right to you will save you time and energy.

Expanding your network takes a conscious effort. Start by searching through a registry or networking database like the one provided to Cambridge Who’s Who members. Create a list of those members you find of interest. Include their name, title, company name, industry, major skills and achievements and contact information and specify why you are interested in networking with them. Then make a list of your skills, professional accomplishments and short-term and long-term goals. Be clear about what you have to offer others and what you are seeking from others. This will help you tremendously when you are ready to reach out to potential contacts via telephone or email.

Conversation is the key tool to networking. Simply contacting a person is not enough. The interaction that you have with them is what unites you or separates you. A very good contact may well be lost due to poor communication skills. A person who is overbearing or self-promoting will always be avoided. Prepare yourself beforehand. Research your members, read up on their industry and profession and become informed. Be natural; it is easy to pick up on someone who is trying too hard. Be a good listener; let others talk about their business and interests and take your cue when it is your time to chime in. The way that you present yourself will have a lasting impact on how you are received by others.

Collecting and exchanging email addresses can build your network rather quickly. The addresses you accumulate can be the beginning of new friendships, professional relationships and business opportunities. To be successful, you must present yourself as a professional. Keep in mind that you need to build a rapport with others before they will consider you as a valuable and trustworthy contact. Use a professional email address and send personalized emails instead of form letters. A person’s online biographical profile will say a lot about them. When storing their information into your email account, write notes about them in the section provided. This will help you to recall how you obtained their contact information, what existing affiliations you may have to them and why you would like them to be part of your network. A personal CWW Email account allows you to add additional information such as alternate email addresses, phone numbers, websites, screen names, photos and much more. These notes will help you to remember the people in your online address book and provide additional ways to contact them should they relocate or change jobs in the future.

When you are networking, do not use the people you meet strictly for gain. Ambition without consideration and gratitude does not promote lasting relationships. An ideal networking relationship is one in which both parties benefit from the connection. You will get out of your professional relationships as much time and effort as you put into them. Keep the attitude of giving first and receiving later. Successful networkers provide resources and initiate opportunities for others. Integrity is important; keep your word and do not promise what you cannot deliver.

If you have not done so already, begin actively networking immediately. Today we have access to professionals from around the world through online business networks. Online networking is an exciting channel to use because it helps you to find new contacts easily and puts your name, skills and accomplishments on the map, so others will reach out to you. As the center of your network, you determine how much or little you will benefit from networking. Take advantage of the resources available to you, and you will make the contacts you need to be successful in your profession and in life. Cambridge Who’s Who provides you with the tools to build relationships, advance in your career and expand your business. Use Cambridge to open the door to a world of opportunities.

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