It's hard to believe that Spring officially has started. Our unseasonable weather has made me yearn for warmer days. I'm anticipating summer-like weather and events soon.

Steve Branter entertained us with "Observations on Wedding and Life". The vast majority of those attending enjoyed Steve's insights. There were quite a few chuckles coming from the audience.

In February we also collected $182.00 in donations for the Cancer Kids Fund. This will help provide support to children and their families involved with the Children's Hospitals and Clinics. Thank you for your generous donations.

The all-day Spring Seminar is just around the corner. It's being held at the Earle Browne Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. We have some great speakers and topics lined up. Look inside for more exciting details.

We were amazingly luck with a lottery number of only 14 while our board member Terry Teske was waiting in line early Saturday morning in her quest for Group Saints Tickets! Make sure to attend the Spring Seminar for your chance to buy tickets for you and your family. More information inside the Fellowtalk, and in the next update on the Web Site.

At the Spring Seminar we will be collecting clothing donations for Ready For Success. This is a non-profit organization that assists low-income women with professional clothing for the workplace. This improves not only one's outer appearance but it also boosts self-esteem.

You can help by doing some spring cleaning and bringing spring and summer clothing donations to the May seminar. Needed items include professional and casual clothing ranging from suits, skirts, and blouses to khakis, Dockers and sweaters. Shoes, scarves, and accessories are also welcomed. Men, bring your clothing donations and we'll find a good home for them too. Get an early start on your spring cleaning and help others at the same time!

Volunteers are needed at Ready for Success. If you are interested in volunteering as a personal shopper or wardrobe assistant for 2-3 hours on an evening or Saturday, call 612-938-2333 and mention FLMI.

More details will be forthcoming at the Spring Seminar.

Barb Prinz

President, FLMI Society of the Twin Cities

Our featured speaker at the February 8, 2000 FLMI Meeting was Steve Branter, author of the book A Man and Her Wedding. Steve expressed a humorous interpretation of both weddings and life from a man's perspective. He shared with us some wedding do's and don'ts, as well as dispensing good advice on relationships in general, based upon how men and women often interact with each other.

One suggestion Steve had for men included replacement of the standard male reply "I don't care," responding more effectively with "I don't know, what do YOU think?" This answer of a question with a question can help men avoid the impossible answer trap, while generating discussion on what truly matters.

For women, Steve emphasized, given men's imperfections, it may be impossible to have the "perfect wedding." Therefore, he offered some practical advice on simplifying weddings for both partners while still keeping the day special. For after all, weddings (and life) is not really about being either male or female, but accomplishing a TEAM effort!

Success! We managed to obtain Group Saints Tickets for members of the Twin Cities FLMI Society! Choose your date! Two game time options

Sunday, May 28, 2000 -- Game time at 1:05

Or

Sunday, June, 25, 2000 -- Game time at 1:05

Your first chance to purchase tickets will be at the Spring Seminar. Make sure to choose a date and purchase your tickets then! Saints tickets are almost impossible to come by, and this is one more way your Twin Cities FLMI membership can help you!

May 9, 2000

Earle Brown Heritage Center

Brooklyn Center

Fee: Member: $40

Non Members: $50

8:00 Registration/Continental Breakfast

9:00 Keynote Speaker - Maggie Hughes

10:00 Morning Break

10:15 Break-out sessions*

11:15 Break

12:15 Business Meeting/Ready for Success

12:30 Luncheon -- Speaker Gareth Heibert

1:45 Break-out sessions*

2:45 Afternoon Break

3:00 Closing Speaker -- Kathy Brown

Continental Breakfast:

*Assorted Muffins, bagels, breakfast pastries, served with fresh fruit, coffee and freshly squeezed Orange and Grapefruit Juice

Lunch (Sandwich Buffet)

*Roast Beef and Brie Cheese, or

*Smoked Turkey Breast with Honey Mustard, or

*Italian Cold Cuts with Roasted Peppers, or

*Balsamic Glazed Grilled Vegetables and Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

*Grilled Chicken Caesar and Dilled Tuna Salad

*Includes Rolls, Breads, Cookies

*Freshly Baked Cookies, Brownies and Lemon Bars

Joan has a BS degree in Accounting and has also earned a Master's degree in Business Administration.

Joan spent 18 years with Hartford Financial Services and Hartford Life Insurance Company, most recently as Vice President of Individual Life Operations. Joan is currently with Edward Jones Investments as an investment representative in Chanhassen, MN.

What are the obstacles that prevent you from achieving outstanding results on the telephone? Maybe it's call reluctance, gate keepers, voice mail, or difficult callers.

Maybe you are not confident in what to say or how to say it. Or maybe the call goes on and on and you don't know how to bring closure to the conversation. Whether you are receiving an inbound call or making an outbound call, or are speaking with a client or a potential client, you won't want to miss this session. We will discuss powerful strategies that will teach you how to accomplish the purpose of your calls and give you the confidence you need to produce life-changing results.

Change seems to be the one consistent factor in our lives, whether in our personal lives or at our workplace. Two representatives from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Paul Hanson and Al Long, will inform us about some issues the Industry is facing. This includes the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, privacy, and electronic commerce.

Margery G. "Maggie" Hughes is the president and Chief administrative officer of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life) and Life USA Holding, Inc., a national financial services and marketing holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She will be speaking on her beliefs in personal business. She believes that good business is personal business. The old clich, "Don't take it personally, it's business" is out of date. Today, individuals need to take their business personally and have a genuine passion for what they are doing.. She believes in investing in employees and helping them find the position in the company in which they can add the most value based on their talents

Mr. Hiebert ran a column in the St. Paul Dispatch, which began on November 1, 1954, and ran for 34 years. It was called "Oliver Towne". He was even known as Oliver Town and sometimes cashed checks with the name. In this column, and in his life as a Minnesotan and an author, he has shared his joy with our twin cities. He will impart some of that joy and history with us!

"The Future Starts with You"

Kathy has been motivating and inspiring audiences to new levels of personal and professional achievement for over 15 years. With her background as a communications coordinator, development and training specialist, RN, corporate recruiter, author and business owner, Kathy offers a dynamic presentation, coupled with healthy humor and creative strategies that work. Kathy has achieved the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation, and is also the author of "Living Happily Ever Laughter: A Guide to Thinking Funny in a Fast Paced World.

In her presentation, "The Future Starts with YOU," Kathy will offer a wealth of information turned into practical steps relating to how you prepare yourself to better fit within the rapidly changing industry of financial services

Here are Job Lines, web sites, and some specific current job openings:

For more information about these jobs, including the contact persons, call the Job Posting Warehouse committee chair, Mary Smythe (Hartford Life 612-595-4533). If your company has personnel needs, please encourage your Human Resource Manager to contact us about publishing openings in our newsletter. It Works!! We also encourage any comments or ideas about how we can improve this service.