Hi all,
I just wanted to say a quick "hi" to everyone here. What great potential this space has as a networking and educational tool. Woo hoo!
I own my own business (qbabe, which stands for "*** Bay Area and Beyond Events for women"). qbabe provides fun, affordable activities for the lesbian community--camping, dance lessons, my ShortDate events (I also run singles events), kayaking, wine tasting, nights out at the movies or dinner etc. I've been running women's events for YEARS but officially started Qbabe probably 5 or 6 years ago now. (The Web site, www.qbabe.com, got deleted accidentally by the host--long story--so a 'restored' version with outdated events is up there until my new designer and I get together. Luckily the approximately 1K e-mail list of lesbians/*** women in the SF Bay Area and Northern/Central CA survived. Whew!) .
I also work at a company that produces conferences. I'm a director. I love it because I get to do all kinds of braniac work (research, writing/editing, marketing) and about once a month I travel onsite to really nice venues. I'm surrounded by smart, fun people, most of whom have JDs, PhDs, MAs or some other kind of brain candy degree. The hours are great-- 7 AM to 3 PM --and I telecommute. (That's actually a bonus for them as I tend to work lots of extra hours when I work from home.)
I'm online a ton, as I do a lot of marketing and research via the Internet, and I also love connecting with lesbians online.
What else?
I've got a few projects going on, one of which is starting an organization/association for lesbians in marketing and advertising. (Conveniently nicknamed "LIMA" for "Lesbians in Marketing and Advertising" LOL). I'll be ready to recruit the board in another couple of months. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in either joining or being on the board, please let me know.
I'm also embarking on one of my LezPref surveys. Since oh, a long time ago, I've been doing marketing research relevant to the lesbian community. So many of the glbt market firms out there don't make a clear distinction between "gay" and "lesbian." I'm sure you, as business owners, know that these are distinct markets with particular preferences and buying habits. I have several of these surveys dating back to the early 1990s and ending, most recently, in 2004. It's time for the 2007 update! I'll make them available through my site (lesbian-marketing.com) once that launches in a few months. The results of the new survey probably won't be ready to release until August.
My talents and skills are marketing/advertising, writing/edting, teaching (yep, I taught at the college level when I was doing my doctorate). I'd be happy to help the folks on this board with marketing/advertising questions, or with things like Web content or materials editing, depending on how much time I have. (I truly believe those who make a good living and have certain skills should give back to the community.)
If you are in the SF Bay Area, I've got a FABULOUS list of places where the lesbians are online (and people know me there--I've been involved for over a decade). I'd be happy to help you out if you are trying to get a handle on this market.
A few weird facts about me: I get teased for being a "professional lesbian" (and one of my friends went so far as to make me business cards that said that) because of all the work I've done within the lesbian community; I have a PhD from a well-known interdisciplinary program, I am a competitive ballroom dancer; I helped start the Ventana Chapter of Gay and Lesbian Sierrans...
Okay, who is next? Tell us about yourself! What do you want from this board? What do you bring to it?
wen