Blog
Meet The Member: Jeannie Twomey
Meet the Member! This blog is one in a series of posts dedicated to learning a little more about one of our PWBC members.
Jeannie Twomey is a real estate investor who has been a member of the PWBC for nearly ten years. She is passionate about sharing her investment experiences with others and explore a wide variety of real estate investment opportunities, from residential rentals to mobile home parks.
Jeannie grew up on her family’s farm in the Central Valley of California where her parents and other family members still live today. She graduated from California State University, Sacramento with an accounting-focused business degree. After earning her CPA with Deloitte, she spent her early career in banking. This eventually led her to the bay area, working for Wells Fargo at their headquarters in San Francisco. Although there was a big contrast between her farm roots and her city life, she felt equally at home in both places and enjoyed the diversity and cultural events offered in the San Francisco bay area. In addition to working at banks, she and a group of leaders started a finance company and then she was recruited away to be part of a team to spin off a division of Nomura Securities in New York. Afterwards, she found herself back in banking, this time on the peninsula. Deciding the commute was taking up too much of her time, she decided to call Redwood City home.
After a layoff, and because she was raised by entrepreneurs, she launched her own consulting business in 2003, focused primarily on helping public companies with their regulatory filings. About this same time, she started exploring network marketing in the health and wellness area. While her network marketing business did not lead to big wealth, it did give her a great education in personal development and a taught her the importance of focusing on purpose and resilience. It also led to travels and friendships around the country. The motivational speakers who spoke at conferences she attended gave her a refreshed open mindedness to possibility, opportunity and learning new skills.
When she and her husband decided to rent out their second home in 2015, she realized there was much to learn and know about operating a real estate business to do it successfully. They chose Elite Legacy’s program with multiple courses in everything from Foreclosures to Creative Financing. The network of other real estate investors and program affiliates she met in this program resulted in a variety of investments, including single-family home rentals outside of California, flip investments in Florida, an airbnb in Arizona and financing of mobile homes.
When not working on real estate, Jeannie can be found out in her garden or spending time with family and friends. She loves to read, travel, meet new people and enjoy a glass of wine while teaching herself to paint with watercolors.
Essential Oils by doTerra are Clean, Green, Pure, and Powerful
Adrienne Fink is an essential oils Wellness Advocate with doTerra Essential Oils. She started her journey with essential oils in December 2014. She is certified in “Aromatouch Technique” and “Symphony of the Cells” topical essential oil applications. Adrienne is a strong advocate for using certified pure therapeutic grade oils to change your life.
DoTerra emphasizes purity in its products. The Essential Oil industry is not officially regulated so other brands that profess to sell essential oils can include all manner of nonessential additives. In contrast, doTerra IS 100% pure and the company believes purity is the most important factor. At doTerra the product lines are tested and sampled for purity and effectiveness. DoTerra searches worldwide for the best ingredients and conducts over 50 tests on a single batch of oils to prove they are pure, potent, and effective. The bottle even reveals all the testing that is conducted. DoTerra also cares about the sources from which it gets the ingredients for its essential oils. DoTerra does not own any of the farms but buys from selected sources and invests in the infrastructure of the locations and in the people where good sources are located. Do Terra does “co-source impacting” which means, for example, doTerra will go in and build a well or a school or finance better education but leave the property ownership to the people who live at the location. DoTerra is all about heart and helping others.
DoTerra is changing the world one drop at a time. DoTerra’s mission is to “change the world one drop at a time.” You don’t need more than one drop of doTerra oils to realize an effect. DoTerra’s mission of change extends to its own carbon footprint. DoTerra no longer uses bubblewrap in its packaging, and only uses sustainable packaging, which will significantly reduce its carbon footprint over the next 2-5 years. “DoTerra” means the gift of the earth and it lives its mission!
DoTerra Abode product line. DoTerra has a new product line called Abode. Abode represents a new formula with new scents using eleven different essential oils , known for their cleaning qualities. Abode features multi-use products including a surface cleaner, dishwashing liquid (machine and hand), laundry soap, handwashing liquid, and hand lotion. Of course, like all other doTerra products, Abode does not include any harsh chemical ingredients, only essential oils. You do not need harsh chemicals to clean your environment. More people are realizing that harsh chemicals that are included in a lot of cleaning solutions can have negative health effects over time! The Abode product line uses clean, green ingredients and sustainable packaging and is just as effective at cleaning as the products with harsh additives. The Abode product line comes in recyclable aluminum bottles that can be decanted into the glass dispenser bottles. As with all DoTerra products, responsibility and sustainability are important.
DoTerra Holiday Products. Some new and holiday doTerra products are available starting November 1, 2021.
For more information about how doTerra natural oils and products can change your life, reach out to Adrienne at 650-302-3899. She is more than happy to share her personal experiences and knowledge about how essential oils can improve your life. She can also be reached by emailing her at adriennefink@sbcglobal.net.
Meet the Member: Gloria Guzman
Meet the Member! This blog is one in a series of posts dedicated to learning a little more about one of our PWBC members.
I am currently a member of the Rotary Club of Brentwood and Past President of the Rotary Club of San Mateo Sunrise 2017 – 2018 and currently a member of Delta Networking Partners (DNP) served as President of DNP (2019-2020) in East Contra Costa. I am most passionate about seeing the world and sharing new experiences with my family and friends. At times my family travels together and at times we travel with our individual families. However, I do believe time alone with my hubby is very important which is why we plan our own escapes as well. We take at least one FAMILY trip per year which includes my children and their families. These are memories that last a lifetime!
As, a native San Franciscan, from the beginning I have been immersed in experiencing a multitude of cultures in one of the world’s finest melting pots. I am the second youngest of eight. We did not grow up with much, however, we never were without lots of LOVE, a home, and mom’s delicious wholesome Tex-Mex cuisine. Mom’s flautas were my favorites! As a young girl, I was always admiring the glamorous flight attendants and their fashion. I dreamed of becoming one and traveling the world. My mom was a homemaker and dad was a roofer raising three sons and five daughters. My parents never seemed to have a break when it came to caring for their family. At an early age, my mom has been my source of inspiration and love, always encouraging me to follow what was in my heart and dreams. She was the most loving person when it came to her family leaving us too soon to Leukemia at the young age of 67. I fell in love at a very young age with my middle school sweetheart. We were married in 1980 and will soon be celebrating our 41st wedding anniversary! We have 3 amazing children. I am a happy grandma of 3 beautiful young ladies and 3 adorable little boys. As young parents, we made many sacrifices to provide the best life we could give to our family. I finished high school and worked in the Credit Union industry for nearly 30 years. My husband worked for the San Francisco Giants for nearly 20 years before starting his own business. We were busy to say the least!
Even then, we made it a priority to spend time together and plan small getaways. We did what we could at the time and planned a trip every other year with the children, and a trip every other year with just the two of us. As time went on, we were able to do more and see more. Although I was unable to fulfill my childhood dream as a flight attendant, I have been so fortunate to have traveled to more places than I could have ever imagined with my loved ones, friends and new friends.
I am now living my dream and remember “strangers are just friends waiting to happen!”….
Dress For Success
For a recent presentation to our Connections group, PWBC Member Catherine Miller offered her savvy advice for dressing ourselves this season, and beyond.
Catherine reminds us: Clothes can change lives. How we dress affects the way that we act and interact with others. Our dress and outward appearance affects how others respond to us and most importantly, how we feel about ourselves. As a Cabi clothing consultant she has seen how lives can change with a new look. She loves working with women as they work to feel and look their very best. And she guarantees that it doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch or spending a fortune.
A few of her most valuable tips include:
Steering clear of things in our wardrobe that can only be worn one way or in one location. She tells us “No One Hit Wonders!” If an item is not versatile and you can’t see wearing it beyond the one event that you have purchased it for, don’t buy it. It does not enhance your wardrobe to have a collection of pieces that are nice but isolated. Being able to mix and match for all areas of your life and sorts of occasions and events is the key to a functional wardrobe.
When it comes to Zoom looks – stand out! Don’t wash yourself out in your background by wearing muted colors or no color at all. Brighter colors pop and make your presence known, ensuring you will be seen and heard. V-necks are universally attractive and flattering for all sizes and shapes. Accessorise and be sure to keep a tube of lipstick or gloss at your desk so that you can complete your look before you turn your camera on. It is quite easy to take your look from average to extraordinary with a little color – in your clothing and on your face.
Focus on layering, which is a great way to add interest to your look and be prepared to take it from day to evening without a fuss. Consider layering with 2 different colors, which is pretty standard. If you are interested in using a print, be sure to have something more basic with which to pair it so it doesn’t draw attention in the wrong way. Watch your fabrics and mix them thoughtfully so as not to have too heavy a look. And always be mindful of your proportions, balancing out the top and the bottom. Remember that everything you throw on can’t be bulky and loose and still look great.
As for fall trends, printed leggings are a great addition to your wardrobe. Have fun with them. Items in this year’s Cabi collection, as always, go easily from day to night without taking a break. Catherine talked about fabrics to enjoy this season that include parachute polyester and soft corduroy, just to name a few. And accessories that are trendy now include heavy, gun-metal menswear inspired items that are bold and unique.
Catherine Miller is a cabi stylist and a style and fashion expert. Find out more about her and what cabi can do for your wardrobe at http://www.catherinemiller.cabionline.com/. Catherine’s Closet Confidential service is for those looking to update and upgrade their closet with her individualized support and expertise.
Meet the Member
Our insurance specialist – Caron Soenen
Meet the Member! This blog is one in a series of posts dedicated to learning a little more about one of our PWBC members.
Caron Soenen is a Commercial Insurance agent for Farmers helping small business owners protect their assets and their employees with Workers Comp policies specific to their needs. She enjoys sharing what she knows about the workings of insurance policies and recognizes that insurance has its own special kind of language that is important to know.
Languages and teaching have been a large part of who she is. She learned many programming languages in her education and career as a software engineer, and spent several years traveling and teaching military members how to use the software that her team developed for the Space and Defense sector at TRW.
Caron is a native of the Bay Area having earned her first degree at College of San Mateo and, after attending San Diego State University for her junior year, returned to San Jose State University to complete her Computer Science degree while working full time.
Computers and traveling were great fun but she learned that motherhood opened a new and wonderful part of her life and she retired after 20 years to become a full time mom. Cherishing every moment and every day, volunteering in the library and classrooms from kindergarten until they kicked her out in 4th grade, being a softball, basketball, and soccer mom and even an AYSO referee made life full of fun memories. She began volunteering in other aspects of life too, including with PSI, Personal Success Institute and a personal growth leader since the 70’s, where she learned about expanding personal responsibility, happiness is a choice, and overcoming fears to live the life she chooses. She is grateful for her family, friends, and wonderful extended family as well, and looks forward to each and every day with a smile!
Building Customer Support
PWBC Member Julie Parker offered some helpful ideas for building customer support and trust during these times when direct contact is not always possible.
As someone very accustomed to having customers touch and feel her products, growing her business at a distance has been challenging. Julie believes that our path to success is to learn how to portray ourselves in an understandable way, which will in turn build trust. We know that people tend to gravitate to well-known brands because they know and trust it, and they don’t have the opportunity to get to know something new.
We need to understand the customer in order to allow the customer to understand our product or service. Body language and presence are a big part of communication and marketing so it is important, in the absence of direct presence, to build trust with the customer in new ways. One of the most critical ways is “seeing” the customer, which is really working to understand them, and how our product or service might work for them personally.
In person we can be more expressive. People want to see your hands. Moving closer and being more intentional so that expressions and feelings convey is key. Reflect what they are saying and build a rapport because we know that sharing emotions builds trust. Also, try to be more expressive physically – use your hands, move in closer, be intentional about how you come across. And voicing agreement and showing emotions goes a long way to helping new customers, especially, feel good working with you. If we are mindful, we can do this over video chat.
On Zoom you can also do what Julie calls a forensic chit chat – just a few minutes to initially listen to what is going on. Our natural position tends to be to give them a lot of information but we want to listen and hear what they are saying. It is important to dedicate your time to this. With email and Zoom, it is possible to spend more time with the customer. It’s important to improve your Zoom skills and background to present yourself in the best light (figuratively and literally!).
Showing our expertise is another way to work through these unusual times for selling and marketing to new clients. For example, Julie is a certified green business for San Mateo and that happened to be a huge area of concern once the virus lockdown happened. The larger changes we saw as a community allowed people to be more connected to the green aspect of their lives and, as a result, her business. She incorporates that green certification into her marketing as it attracts a new set of more aware clientele. Julie encourages us all to think about what we are doing in our own businesses to be more socially responsible, and make sure we do not overlook the opportunity to promote that moving forward.
Julie Parker is the creative mind behind Blue Okra, a company that is committed to delivering their customers ethically made, environmentally conscious, perfectly cozy baby blankets and more. Visit www.blueokra.com for more information.
Meet the Member
Meet the Member! This blog is one in a series of posts dedicated to learning a little more about one of our PWBC members.
Adrienne Fink is a wellness advocate with “doTerra” essential oils. doTerra translates to “the gift of the earth”. She is seriously committed to finding the perfect essential oil that can bring relief to many ailments from which we suffer, one drop at a time. Adrienne understands first-hand that in order to reduce the toxic load in our environment, we must move away from the pharmaceutical overload that we so often rely on. The enormous variety of essential oils and products that doTerra provides means that we can find precisely the right formula for short and long-term relief.
Adrienne also enjoys providing the topical applications of AromaTouch Technique, (which help relieve stress, supports your immune system, reduces inflammation and brings the body to a homeostasis balance), as well as the Symphony of the Cells protocols (the application of 10 various oils to create a synergistic effect to the various body systems). These services are provided by appointment only to clients that reach out to her directly.
Adrienne is a proud California native. She is kind and energetic, and her favorite companion is her loyal dog, who goes anywhere and everywhere with her. Her commitment to health and wellness extends into her own life, as she is herself a consistent consumer of doTerra products, and a true believer in overall fitness and physical health. She is a proud mom to two grown sons.
For more information about how doTerra natural oils and products can change your life, reach out to Adrienne at 650-302-3899. She is more than happy to share her personal experiences and knowledge about how essential oils can improve your life. She can also be reached by emailing her at adriennefink@sbcglobal.net
Know Your Liability
In a recent presentation to our Connections group, PWBC member Caron Soenen talked about the protections provided for premises liability by renters policies, homeowners policies and commercial general liability policies.
It is important for homeowners to protect themselves, their family and their pets not only in the home but away from the home as well. Not many people realize that homeowners insurance does not protect you in the car, which would need to be covered under a separate auto liability policy.
Caron highly recommends that you increase your personal liability on your home to at least $300K, maybe $500K. For the cost of about $20 a month, it is totally worth it. Definitely do it if you own property that you don’t occupy. Have your renters get their own renters policy as well.
Generally, we should all be very clear about what we are financially worth. Take a look at your equity, savings and other assets. Consider an umbrella policy to protect you. The best insurance deal out there is $1M, which only costs about $300/yr. Add it to your auto and your homeowners coverage for complete peace of mind.
Premises liability is another type of coverage, for someone who owns a commercial or rental property. It covers hazards, repairs, and more, but documentation is required so that everything is on the record. As a landlord, you should have extra protection (up to $1 million) and also have your renters get their own policy. Check your assets to determine the amount of coverage that you need including an umbrella. A $1 million umbrella policy usually costs about $300/year.
Commercial/general liability coverage is for businesses, and will cover business, inventory, and the results of your business (products and completed operations). Anyone who buys that product is protected for the projected life of the product. Typically commercial leases have a provision in the lease which requires the renter to cover the first $100K because the owner does not control the property.
Pandemics are not considered a loss of business income on most policies. There are a few private insurers out there that may allow for it, but as a general rule, these types of things are just not covered. It is a good idea to know your policy and to speak to someone who knows the ins and outs of what is covered.
Caron Soenen is a Commercial Insurance agent for Farmers, helping small business owners protect their assets and their employees with workers comp policies specific to their needs. To find out more about premises liability and any other insurance needs, reach out to Caron Soenen directly at 650-876-9600.
Meet the Member
Meet the Member! This blog is one in a series of posts dedicated to learning a little more about one of our PWBC members.
Virginia Trowbridge is a Licensed Real Estate Professional and a member of the GI Joe Homes team, helping Military Members and their families buy and sell their homes by using their VA Benefits.
After graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Fashion Merchandising Virginia embarked on a career in the fashion industry. Her love of leadership and passion for management led organizations to rapid success. While Vice President of Byer California her team experienced a 50 percent sales increase in two years, followed by another two years of 100 percent growth. Prior to this, as a buyer for Target Minneapolis, she increased sales volume by almost 50 percent—from $62 million to $91 million.
After 25 plus years in the fashion industry Virginia became a licensed agent for Farmers Insurance. Property and Casualty was her main focus, working with customers and Real Estate Agents, educating many on insurance strategies for more efficient coverage. When the Federal Government did not approve a budget, FEMA stopped issuing flood insurance. Virginia helped many to navigate their coverage options by providing access to the private flood insurance market. This attention to customer service brought success to the agency which was recognized consistently year over year. Business increased 15-20% annually over the 10 year tenure in the business.
Through this work she became involved in the San Mateo Association of Realtors and the Women’s Council of Realtors, where she served as membership vice chair, secretary and ways & means chair, and she was awarded Affiliate of the Year. These experiences inspired Virginia to join a real estate start up company where she helped build and manage teams and contributed to over 500 real estate transactions.
In her spare time, Virginia takes advantage of everything the Bay Area has to offer and spends much of her time with her husband and daughter hiking, taking road trips, and enjoying the California sunshine.
Virginia is a Licensed Real Estate Professional and a member of the GI Joe Homes team, helping Military Members and their families buy and sell their homes by using their VA Benefits.
After graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Fashion Merchandising Virginia embarked on a career in the fashion industry. Her love of leadership and passion for management led organizations to rapid success. While Vice President of Byer California her team experienced a 50 percent sales increase in two years, followed by another two years of 100 percent growth. Prior to this, as a buyer for Target Minneapolis, she increased sales volume by almost 50 percent—from $62 million to $91 million.
After 25 plus years in the fashion industry Virginia became a licensed agent for Farmers Insurance. Property and Casualty was her main focus, working with customers and Real Estate Agents, educating many on insurance strategies for more efficient coverage. When the Federal Government did not approve a budget, FEMA stopped issuing flood insurance. Virginia helped many to navigate their coverage options by providing access to the private flood insurance market. This attention to customer service brought success to the agency which was recognized consistently year over year. Business increased 15-20% annually over the 10 year tenure in the business.
Through this work she became involved in the San Mateo Association of Realtors and the Women’s Council of Realtors, where she served as membership vice chair, secretary and ways & means chair, and she was awarded Affiliate of the Year. These experiences inspired Virginia to join a real estate start up company where she helped build and manage teams and contributed to over 500 real estate transactions.
In her spare time, Virginia takes advantage of everything the Bay Area has to offer and spends much of her time with her husband and daughter hiking, taking road trips, and enjoying the California sunshine.
Virginia Trowbridge is a realtor with GI Joe Homes, a small realty company dedicated to helping veterans with all of their real estate needs. Find out how she can help you or the veterans in your life!
Reading is FUNdamental
PWBC members enjoyed an inspiring presentation from fellow member Jeannie Twomey. Though her professional bonafides are in real estate, she chose to offer a more personal presentation about her connection to reading and how it has changed her life.
Jeannie has always been a reader. She remembers being very young and diving into each and every book that she could find. It has allowed her to broaden her perspective and stay really curious about the world around her. Reading has always served to spark her imagination and keep her thinking about the perspectives of others. Reading is more than learning for her – it is a way of life. Especially during these more isolated times, reading has made a tremendous difference in her general well-being and happiness. Some of her favorite reads include The Happiness Advantage, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Big Magic, and anything by Malcom Gladwell. Fiction or nonfiction, Jeannie finds comfort in the pages of a good, old-fashioned book.
As a real estate investor, Jeannie deeply depends on her business partners nestled in other regions who serve as her watchful eye during the process of selecting, purchasing and rehab-ing properties for sound investments. She speaks fondly of one of her partners in particular, Mr. John Goolcharan, who is a featured author in the book Desire, Discipline and Determination: Lessons From Bold Thought Leaders. His chapter is entitled I Will Persist Until I Succeed. In his chapter, he details the experiences in his life that enabled him to thrive in business and in life. A native of Trinidad, his mother taught him to be resourceful and determined. He never stopped working to get an education, working to get to the United States, working to excel in establishing himself as a businessman able to support his family. He never gives up. He never decides that something is impossible. And his example is one that Jeannie is happy to follow. She encourages all to read John’s story and to just keep reading in general because we will be better for it.
Jeannie Twomey and her husband John decided to turn real estate from a hobby to a business in 2017. Key Real Estate Ventures partners with investors nationwide to capitalize on real estate opportunities in affordable markets that will offer the biggest and most reliable returns.