Letter From The President

For Immediate Release

For additional information, contact
Dixie Gillaspie at 636-256-6706

Letter From The President

ST. LOUIS (December 20, 2007) ... Yellow ... The color of sunshine, the color of big buses, the color of sticky notes ... the color of ties? That's right, the color of one tie in particular anyway -- the one often worn by our founder and favorite ball of fire, Gill Wagner. For Gill, yellow isn't just a color, it's a philosophy: Give first with no expectation of return; give people enough structure to be successful and enough freedom to succeed in their own ways; and leverage the power of the group. Gill calls that "Thinking Yellow," and it is the philosophy that has brought Yellow-Tie to where we are now.

Where we are now is quite a testament to the concept Gill sketched on a napkin only three years ago. When I joined the board of directors two years ago, no one I knew had heard of Yellow-Tie. But a few brave souls, who believed that "leveraging the power of the group" could make a difference for them and their businesses, were willing to hop aboard while the people driving the bus figured out how the association would take shape.

Today people recognize my face and my name largely because of my affiliation with Yellow-Tie. Our networking, or Handshakes, event hosts rave about the quality of the crowd we bring and happily pay for refreshments for upwards of 100 businesspeople every month. Our membership has more than doubled in the last year, and I believe it will double again in 2008. And our sphere of influence in the St. Louis business community has expanded exponentially, due to creative events, alliances with groups like the St. Louis Ambassadors, and the creation of new Referral Networks and Special Interest Groups.

As the incoming president of the board for Yellow-Tie International, I have been charged with helping to solidify the foundation on which Yellow-Tie will grow in St. Louis and across the U.S. and Canada. Want to know how I'm going to do it? I'm not ... we are.

After Gill convinced me that turning over the "driver's seat" to me was the best strategy for him and for Yellow-Tie, he asked me why I agreed to take on the challenge. Without hesitation, I said, "Because I believe in the power of business to change the world, the power of the individual to change business, and the power of a group of people to do it faster and better."

The outpouring of support and offers of assistance I have already received make me confident that we are going to do it faster and better than even I could have imagined.

To everyone who climbed on board while Gill was driving the bus, I know he appreciates your trust and support. You are exactly the kind of people we want to attract to every Yellow-Tie chapter we form. And to Gill, I know how close to your heart this "big yellow bus" really is, and I am honored by the trust you've shown in putting me in the driver's seat. I'm counting on Gill and all of you to keep me headed in the right direction.

So in the words of our founder: "Onward ho!"

Dixie

P.S. Calls to Action:

- Within St. Louis
In true "Think Yellow" fashion, Patty Cook and Steve Smith continue to work hard to turn the St. Louis chapter into a successful test kitchen. If you'd like to be involved in growing the St. Louis chapter, please contact them (Patty at patty@lifebydesign.biz and Steve at ssmith@mis-corp.com). I guarantee you'll be in great company.

- Outside St. Louis:
If you'd like to get involved in the Yellow-Tie "expansion plan" into areas outside St. Louis, I definitely want to hear from you (president@yellow-tie.org).

- Everywhere:
If you can spare a little time to share any suggestions for how Yellow-Tie can better serve its members, please send your comments and suggestions to me directly at president@yellow-tie.org. This is your association; help us give first.