FINE's 14th Anniversary & Celebration occurred on September 20, 2007. FINE was formed in 1993 by a small group of people who left the corporate world and wanted a place to network and provide support to each other as they ventured out in the world of entrepreneurship. As has become tradition, at the anniversary meeting, we host a panel of speakers who have made the transition successfully -- some more than once. We found out how they did it, the ups and downs along the way, what/who helped them and what advice they had for someone who is about to do the same thing.

Panel of Speakers: Dr. Cynthia Barnett, Retirement Lifestyle Expert; John Sarra, Owner of CM Information Technology Solutions; Jon Sinish, Marketing and Advertising; Ed Fitzgerald, Real Estate Agent and Internet Marketing Specialist, KMS Partners, Coldwell Banker.

Dr. Cynthia Barnett
Dr. Barnett is a Retirement Lifestyle Expert. Through her keynotes, workshops, seminars and coaching, she inspires people to "re-fire" their lives to live happier, satisfying and more meaningful lives. She is the author of two books titled, Stop Singing the Blues and Re-Fire. Don't Retire: 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Refirees.

A life coach and educator with over 30 years experience in education, she has taught at all levels of schooling from kindergarten to post-graduate. Cynthia has honed her skills for her new role over the past 25 years. Today, she focuses on helping individuals create a road map for the second phase of life.

In 2005, Time magazine featured her along with a number of other women across the country who have successfully started new careers in mid-life. She is "…part of this generation of women who are seizing that stressful, pivotal moment in their lives to reinvent themselves," says Time's reporter, Nancy Gibbs.

In June 2007, she sponsored and held her own Expo called Life After Teaching to help teachers and retired teachers expand their horizons. The event showcased everything you need to know to have an extraordinary retirement. Over 200 participants attended seminars and discussions as well as visited with exhibitors and community leaders about their industries, products and services.

For more information, call Dr. Barnett at 203-855-9714.

John Sarra
Having spent over twenty-five years in the computer industry, John Sarra has one goal -- and that is to take the pain out of operating and understanding your computer. He has seen first-hand the frustration people experience when confronted with computing problems, and much of his career has been devoted to helping people use technology to assist them with their goals and job objectives.

John is the owner of CM IT Solutions, part of a national franchise system where skilled mentors provide business and home-based computer users with training, maintenance and technical support services.

After receiving his Bachelors in Business from Central Connecticut State University and an MBA in Management Information Systems and Marketing from Clark University, John got his IT start as a systems analyst for Pitney Bowes and eventually advanced to the position of training manager for the entire information technology division. After ten years with the company, he left and moved on to consulting, where he experienced the full spectrum of computer training, as instructional designer, course developer, and instructor for organizations such as Warner-Lambert, Corning, Met Life, and Digital.

John is also a proficient technical writer, authoring several software publications and computer guides. For more information, call 203.268.8513 or visit his website at www.cmitsolutions.com/jsarra

Jon Sinish
Nowadays, Jon Sinish is a Leprechaun, Tom Thumb, and Santa's elf "Jingles" for various promotions, events and private parties. And this summer in the new independent film "Bobby Dogs" he plays a judge in a hot dog tasting contest. But that's not where it all started.

Jon began his career over 30 years ago as a news photographer and reporter for the former Bridgeport Post-Telegram. Based in Westport, his State Police and general photography assignments gave Jon a front row seat to years of exciting news events including fires, catastrophes, politics and celebrities with former President Richard Nixon, Sandy Dennis, Paul Newman and others.

Jon's photos have appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek and Sepia magazine. Early in his career, he was one of 52 worldwide winners of the prestigious Photokina Obelisk at the World Show of Youth Photography exhibit in Cologne, Germany.

While working for the Bridgeport Post, Jon got his creative juices flowing and his marketing instincts tuned up. Afterwards, he went on to found and operate his own advertising and marketing firm, Sinish Marketing, serving small businesses and offering creative marketing solutions.

His career in marketing has spanned over 25 years and he continues to consult for a select group of clients. Jon graduated from Boston University with a B.S. degree in journalism with a concentration on photojournalism and went on to earn his M.A. in Human Communication at Fairfield University.

During his three careers, he has worked for a variety of companies in the industrial, consumer, non profit and entertainment industries including Alimak Elevator, Robohand, Independent Jewelers Organization, Westport Travel, Sam Sloat Coins, The Center for Independent Living, American Institute of Banking, and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

More recently, Jon has written over 40 marketing articles that are featured on his website www.advertising-for-small-businesses.com. The site also offers a mini-guide to creating your own advertising program. To contact Jon, please call 203-375-1919.

Ed Fitzgerald
Ed is a licensed real estate agent with Coldwell Banker and a specialist in marketing properties on the Internet. He has over twenty five years of information technology experience that he now applies to customer service as the role of technology in the real estate business continues to grow.

When he joined Coldwell Banker, he recognized the need other agents had for help with the computers and he started a business supporting other agents. He was then asked to join KMS Partners, an exclusive partnership in the Westport Riverside office to provide web marketing and technology support to in addition to servicing his own clients. With an annual listing and sales volume of 80 million dollars, KMS in the top 1% of Coldwell Banker agents nationally.

Ed began his career with IBM where he held various technical, marketing, business strategy and management positions. He then worked for a small technology company where he was a principal in a start-up company developing web and cd-rom based multimedia multilingual continuing medical education for physicians.

Ed is located in Westport and can be reached at ed.fitzgerald@cbmoves.com or 203-803-0714.

If you have any questions or comments, please send an e-mail to fine@ariesmart.com.

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