Mary Jo MJ Wiseman,Certified Meeting Professional and Author

12/05/2023

Check out my blog post "Common Character Traits of a Professional Meeting Planner"

A meeting planner by MY definition is the go-to person and would/should be a key member of the design (or planning) team within an organization – be it corporate, association or otherwise – charged with the responsibility of planning and executing a meeting or special event. Planners utilize the...

12/04/2023

In the words of one reviewer:

"The Meeting Planning Process: .... is an excellent guide to meeting professionals at all levels. Mary Jo Wiseman offers an overview of the entire planning process with many valuable tips in each section. Her 30+ years of meeting planning history offers the reader a 'practical wisdom' with many keen insights and reminders. The focus on a plan and how to develop and work that plan provides the key ingredients for how to manage a successful meeting or event while reducing the stress of multiple details and deadlines. This is a very practical resource and one every planner can benefit from."

See how/where to order in "comment" section below.

11/28/2023

Take the guesswork out of meeting planning with: "The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings." As an extra bonus, you'll find the following handy templates in the book to help you further streamline your planning process and keep you on task and on time:

1) Meeting Time Line
2) Overall Meeting Action Plan
3) Request for Proposal (RFP)
4) Descriptions and diagrams of possible room set-ups

Success comes from experience by learning and doing. Growth comes from facing challenges head on and accepting change. JUST GO FOR IT! Order your copy today to keep or share with someone you feel could benefit from reading what I've written.

Thanks.

11/27/2023

When people acknowledge my work, my days get just a little bit better, a little bit brighter. Such was the case today when I went back to my Amazon book listing and reread the following review. It reminded me of why I wrote the book in the first place.

"Meeting planning is often times a huge part of any assistant role. This book gives detailed steps on the planning process, provides general templates and even describes a fascinating career path to consider.

One of my favorite aspects of the guide is that it presents thorough steps for each aspect of the meeting planning process. There are so many elements involved and the steps are laid out in sequence with clear bullets on exactly how to complete each. In each of the steps there are several invaluable tips, which include examples of the author’s firsthand experiences. All of this insider information sets you up to be able to carry out the entire process at a professional level.

In addition, the templates provided are priceless! They include fine details, which can be customized for all types of meetings being planned. The timeline template is my favorite; it equips you with a comprehensive overview of who is responsible for what and when. The template section ends with a clear overview of different room arrangements and specifies exactly which kind of meeting works best with each type of set up.

The guide also explains what a Certified Meeting Professional is. I had no idea that career existed until now! The characteristics listed overlap with the qualities assistants typically already have, some of which are being solution-oriented, seeing the big picture and being leaders. It’s a possible career path to consider someday!

If you want to expand your meeting planning abilities, I recommend checking this guide out. In a job where anything can happen, it’s never a bad idea to be prepared with a brilliant how-to! Plus, you might even discover an interesting new career path."

I hope you'll give the book a look for either yourself or someone else you feel might benefit from reading what I wrote.

Take care. Be well. Never stop learning.

11/21/2023

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks and I have much to be thankful for again this year.

As a corporate meeting planner, I had a tremendous support system of people helping me deliver successful meetings and events from hotel sales and catering and banquet staff to audio-visual and production crews, florists, entertainers, speakers, transportation providers, graphic artists and so many others.

Each program I worked on was a team effort; I will be eternally grateful for the guidance, support and friendship of the many talented people who I was blessed to connect with and learn from throughout my career.

Paying it forward, I wanted to share with others what I'd learned along the way as a meeting planner which is why I wrote "The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings."

To those who purchased my book -- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I hope you found it a useful resource for your meeting planning toolbox. For those who’ve not yet done so, there’s no time like the present. Hint. Hint.

To family and friends, your friendship and continued support means the world to me. THANK YOU for always being there.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful, safe and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

11/18/2023

Now you're talking. Love this.

Just perfect 😍😍

11/18/2023

I recently saw this chart on my LinkedIn feed and thought it a worthy share. Which statement catches your eye the most and why?

While all have merit, # 2 really caught my attention. Growth in and of itself is important but learning at a slower pace gives you the opportunity to practice AND absorb what you're learning and thus contribute your best self rather doing less than your best as you rush through a new learning opportunity.

If I could give credit to someone for creating this, I would but there was no name attached other than the person who initially posted it (but that was a share also).

11/17/2023

Do you feel like you are lacking in confidence? One way to boost your confidence is to increase your skill level. As you upgrade your skill level, so too will your confidence grow.

Author Jill J. Johnson, MBA offers a practical step-by-step guide to help you "compound your confidence in her book "Compounding Your Confidence: Strategies to Expand Your Opportunities for Success." I recently read the book and found it to be quite inspiring. Here is what I had to say about it on Goodreads.

Compounding Your Strategies to Expand Your Opportuniti…

11/17/2023

"The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings" ...

Whether you are a novice planner or an executive or administrative professional who has been called upon to plan a meeting over and above your normal day-to-day responsibility, this Guide will help:

-- Bring ORDER to the process.

-- ELIMINATE the PANIC, CHAOS or FEAR one might otherwise experience when taking on a new project or process they are unfamiliar with.

-- Make you and your planning team SHINE.

ORDER your copy today. Better yet, gift it to someone you know who could use a little boost to meeting planning expertise.

11/10/2023

As we celebrate Veteran's Day November 11 in honor of soldiers both passed and present who've made sacrifices for our freedom. I leave you with this quote from Peter Marshall to ponder:

"May we think of freedom not as a right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right."

Peter Marshall was a Scottish-American preacher and author, known for his inspirational quotes.

Take care. Be well. Stay safe.

11/07/2023

Thank you Sweatpants & Coffee

11/03/2023

A perfect complement to the unseasonably cold weather. Orecchiette Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sausage.

10/30/2023

No tricks or treats -- just honest to goodness proven strategies and tips for planning successful meetings that worked for me during my career as a corporate meeting professional.

"The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings."

A commonsense approach to the meeting planning process. Available in print and e-book versions on Amazon. Click the START ORDER button today to learn more.

Thanks.

10/26/2023

I updated the website for my book some time back; since then, updated my profile photo -- and now decided it was time to update my FB cover banner to better align with my website's look.

If you or someone you know has been tasked with planning a meeting, I hope you will consider sharing information about my website and my book, "The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings."

Thank you.

10/25/2023

In case you're not following my author page ...

10/24/2023

Talk about perfect planning ... The perfect complement to this cool, rainy fall day. Old Fashioned Beef Stew with Dumplings and Wisconsin grown cranberries found at the St.Paul Farmer's Market this past weekend. Pardon me for snapping the picture after smashing the vegetables but I've done that since I was a kid. Wasn't thinking about taking a picture when I was smashing.

10/23/2023

Our fall day-tripping continues …

What a beautiful day it turned out to be Saturday for a visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, MN!

We started the day with a stop at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market – not necessarily because we needed anything in particular -- but more for the experience of just being there and stopping now and then to chat with the vendors. We saw some of the biggest, strangest shaped squashes to some very delicious looking pastries and fine chocolates to locally produced honeys and maple syrups. And, oh yes, I did come home with an item or two.

Onward.

What I didn’t realize when we decided to extend our day to include a trip to the Arboretum was that advance reservations were required. Oops! So much for my planning expertise.

Not to fear. Had I checked the website before we left home and drove all the way out to Chaska, I would have known we needed advanced reservations. However, the gate attendant told us when the next opening was and gave us a slip of paper with instructions for making reservations online which we did. We had time for a quick stop for lunch and back we went.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a 1200-acre horticultural garden and arboretum located four miles west of Chanhassen. It is Minnesota’s largest public garden. Amazingly, it’s open 363 days a year and closed only for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The hills and ravines this weekend were a profusion of golds and yellows and oranges with some red thrown in for good measure, mixed in with a multitude of greens displayed by the pines and spruces -- and it was glorious.

At the entrance to the visitor’s center and throughout the grounds, you’ll find scarecrows of various sizes and designs, and patches of pumpkins, squashes and gourds. A trio of scarecrows caught my attention, but I, unfortunately, didn’t take time to snap a picture. Each was made up of three appropriately sized topsy-turvy tree stumps (think snowmen), painted-on fall colors and patterns and topped with hats. (I want one.)

There are 12 miles of wooden trails and stone pathways for walking through the many specialty gardens, plant and tree collections. (We did the 3-mile walk.)

For those not wishing to walk you have the option to travel by car along the 3-mile drive. Another option is to take a guided tour via either the tram or the Bee-Line Shuttle. However, the last day for the tram was October 22; for the Bee-Line it’s October 29.

The Arboretum has a beautiful indoor facility with a café, gift shop, rest rooms and event space. There was a wedding in progress outside during our walk-around.

There is an entrance fee to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, plus an additional fee for the tram and shuttle.

We are surely blessed to have this outstanding venue in our midst. Come spring, I look forward to seeing the magnolias in bloom.

ENJOY!

10/22/2023

James J. Hill House, 240 Summit Avenue, St. Paul

As a follow up to my raining day Plan B activities during my brother and sister-in-law’s visit before their return trip to Thailand, after touring the Raptor Center at the U of M’s St. Paul Campus and a short stop at the Rosedale Mall for a walk around and a bite to eat, we headed over to the James J. Hill House at 240 Summit Avenue, St. Paul for a tour.

The mansion was the home of railroad titan James J. Hill, his wife Mary and 8 of their 10 children – and it is massive. At 36,000 square feet and once the largest private residence in the state, the red sandstone mansion sits on a 3-acre parcel of land almost directly across the street from the St. Paul Cathedral. It has 13 bathrooms, 22 fireplaces, a huge kitchen and pantry area complete with a dumb waiter, and an expansive, way before it’s time heating, cooling and electrical system, a massive laundry area with a separate room with huge (and I mean huge) drying racks, and servants’ quarters for the 10-12 live-in female staff they employed.

Construction was completed in 1891 at a cost of $931,000 and is registered as a National Historic Landmark. It has beautifully maintained carved oak and mahogany woodwork throughout, gold-filled ceilings in some of the first floor rooms, many custom-made furniture and fixtures and a 3-story pipe organ (that still works).

What I found quite remarkable was that neither Hill nor his wife Mary came from “money.”

Hill was born in 1838 to a Scottish-Irish family in Ontario, Canada. At age 17, he came to St. Paul aboard a steamship in search of work. He found work as a shipping clerk and from there was recognized for his talents and continued to climb up the ladder and prosper.

Mary was working as a waitress at a restaurant in a hotel nearby the shipping office when they met in 1864, became acquainted and soon began to date, married in 1867. She recognized early on the potential Hill had to do great things and knew that as his partner, much would be expected of her in terms of managing home and family, entertaining business associates many whom did come from “money, etc.

Before they married, she enrolled in a “finishing” school (at her request) to gain the knowledge she would need to prepare her for this new role. As their financial means and status grew and while he managed the business side, she managed their philanthropic side.

Hill and four other businessmen took control of a bankrupt railroad company in 1878, which would eventually become known as the Great Northern Railroad.

Hill died at the age of 77 in 1916. Mary continued to live in the house until her death in 1921. None of the children were interested in living in or owning the home as they already had homes of their own. Instead, they donated the home to the Catholic Church which the Church kept for 53 years. The Minnesota Historical Society acquired the home in 1978.

Tours are available Thursday-Sunday by advance reservation and last approximately 60 minutes after which you are welcome to browse at your leisure. The week before Thanksgiving starts their holiday preview season which should be a magical time to visit. I'm already planning a return visit. They also host private events which I know full well because as a former planner I had the distinct pleasure of doing just that for some prettty prestigious guests.

10/17/2023

So what do you do when you have family or friends or business associates visiting and you've planned mainly outside activites during their stay and then it rains? If you're like me you included some inside activitiy options into your pre-planning/contingency planning phase and smoothly moved on to Plan B.

Such was the case when my brother and sister-in-law visited with us for a few days before heading back home in Thailand.

The all-day rain on Friday may have put a damper on our outside plans but our Plan B choices brighened our spirits AND provided us with some new found knowledge.

Our first stop of the day was to the U of M Raptor Center, located on the St. Paul Campus and just west of the State Fairgrounds where they treat and care for injured raptors until they can be returned to the wild, or in some cases are unable to be returned to the wild and need a place to stay and live in a protected environment for the rest of their lives.

Raptors are meat-eating birds like owls, hawks, falcons and eagles and have the following distinctive characteristics: keen eyesight; sharp talons and hooked beaks.

Guided tours at the Center are available by advance reservation and last about 45 minutes. During our tour we saw two eagles, a number of different species of owls (which I have yet to see in the wild but have always wanted to see) and the American Kestral that appears in the picture attached along with one of the handlers. If you live in the area but haven't yet put this on your some day to-do list or you have guests coming in and are looking for tour ideas and this is something that would be of interest to you/them, I'd go for it.

From there we did a brief stop at the Rosedale Mall and then it was on to the James J. Hill House which I will post about next.

10/16/2023

Hello Everyone! 😊

As much as I don't want to admit it, summer has come to an end here in Minnesota and fall has made its intensions known. While there's a sadness that comes with this change for me because I know what's coming next (winter and snow and ....), there's still many pluses.

With the cooler temps there's a freshness in the air that's hard to beat and the changing leave colors are undeniably a thing of beauty. I try to enjoy every outdoor moment I can. And, let us not forget those wonderfully delicious aromatic smells coming from the kitchen like cinnamon and nutmeg, freshly baked apple pies and pumpkin bars. Who could resist!

Fall is also the perfect time to pick up a good book and learn something new or refresh a tired skill.

If you are a novice planner or administrative professional who has been called upon to plan a meeting over and above your normal day-to-day responsibilities, I have just the book for YOU! “The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings" will help bring ORDER to the planning process, keep you on task and on time and make you and your company SHINE.

It was designed and written by me based on my experience as a corporate meeting professional to walk people through the proper steps and sequence of tasks involved in planning a meeting; thereby, eliminating (or minimizing) the PANIC, CHAOS and/or FEAR one might otherwise experience when taking on a project and/or a process they are unfamiliar with -- one where failure is not an option and one that can greatly affect your company’s bottom line.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO VISIT MY AUTHOR'S PAGE!

To learn more about me and/or “The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings,” visit my website at www.maryjo-wiseman.net. Or, if you're ready to BUY my book, simply click the "START ORDER" button above to move the process forward. Oh, and those things we call reviews? They're always welcome. They help get our book's message out to more people and your positive feedback keeps us going and helps us grow as writers.

Plan well. Be well. Be safe. And, never stop learning.

10/04/2023

Yes indeed!

10/04/2023

A quote from 20th-Century motivational speaker and author, Willia Arthur Ward ....

10/02/2023

What a nice surprise I had last week when I checked my September report of book sales and found ONE person (or entity) had purchased 15 (yes, 15) books.

While this may not seem like a lot of books to some, to me it was enough to make me jump up and do a happy dance. The downside is that I have no idea who purchased the books; therefore, cannot personally thank them. SO -- I'm taking this opportunity to say THANK YOU to whomever it was hoping that just maybe they'll see this. I do wholeheartedly appreciate any and everyone who has previously purchased my book.

Thanks. Take care. Be well. Stay safe.

P.S. If you've not yet purchased my book, there's no time like the present. It's perfect reading/learning/growing weather. (See START ORDER button above.)

10/01/2023

Now, doesn't this sound like fun?

First Friday is back this week! We can’t wait to see you…can’t wait for the apple whiskey wings and shrimp scampi!

09/27/2023

Bed Bugs --ewe! A subject none too pleasant to think about for sure but this article in a recent SMARTMeetings publication by Gary Diedrichs, sheds some light on the nasty critters and what to look for when you're traveling.

Daily housekeeping at hotels has pretty much gone the way of the dinosaur, and some brands have made permanent the shift from once-a-day cleaning. Surging travel + housekeeping gap + bedbugs = scary news headlines and more.

09/25/2023

Oh my but doesn't this look delightful?

Booking us should be the easiest part of your wedding planning. Tasting plate: Braised Beef with Onion Jus, Bruschetta Chicken, Cherry Port Wine Pork Tenderloin over Yukon mashed potatoes and blistered garlic green beans. Schedule your wedding tasting today!

09/25/2023

My new favorite Minnesota grown apple variety -- Stella. Small, crisp white flesh, not too sweet, not too tart. Fun to eat on their own plus they make a darn good apple crisp.

Found these first at the farmer's market in White Bear Lake and then today on a short drive to the Applecrest Orchards located in Hugo.

The orchard was a nice surprise. There was a foodie truck, a musician playing a great saxophone and lots of lawn games for the young and young at heart. So glad we took the time to stop. It was uplifting to see so many young families enjoying the experience.

09/24/2023

This is absolutely precious and a must read must share from author Leanne M. Benson. The message is too important to miss.

Poker Game of Life Wishing he could be as invisible as dry leaves beneath a blanket of snow, Noah sat avoiding eye contact with his teacher. It was the last day of school before winter break. And as much as Noah had hoped it to be so, Ms. Ames wasn’t going to let the class start vacation early. Sh...

09/20/2023

Who says you can't take a short road trip in the afternoon and then come home and prepare a nice romantic dinner for two on your own patio? Easy, peasy. Not looking for a medal here but it took only 30 minutes to prepare this dinner of boneless chicken breast wrapped in bacon and topped with a slice of cheese with a side of sweet potato hash. We are going to milk this beautiful fall weather as long as we can.

09/16/2023

There are many components (or elements) to the meeting planning process which I discuss in detail in my book, “The Meeting Planning Process: A Guide to Planning Successful Meetings.”

Of these elements, there are FIVE core competencies I believe meeting professionals must possess or strive for in order to be successful. In addition, my +1 core competency ( #6: Life/Work Balance is a must-have, must-do in order to maintain a healthy mind and body. Maintaining this balance will in turn help give you the strength and mobility required to under stressful, ever-changing conditions and situations you will undoubtedly be faced with throughout your career.

Read more about my thoughts on the FIVE (+1) CORE COMPETENCY MUST-HAVES .... in the link below.

Thanks. Take care. Be well. And never stop LEARNING.

NOTE: I wrote this blog and then published each core competency must-haves individually on the website but also wanted to have the blog published and out there in full. So, here it is -- the longer, complete version. Whether you read this version or piece by piece, I hope you find value in what I ha...

09/15/2023

What's this you might ask. You'll be surprised to learn that it once was part of a "pergola"ceiling fixture of Dale Chihuly glass above the dining room table in the home of former businessman and philanthropist, Gerard Cafesijian. It is now on display in a private room within the Cafesijian Art Trust in Shoreview, MN. Believe it or not I shot this from the floor looking up. The display was installed from crawl space above with someone below looking up giving the installer directions on placement of each piece.

I had the good fortune to tour the 5,000 square foot exhibit space yesterday with a group of women I met last winter and was so excited when I got home I told Jim we had to go -- like now -- well at least soon anyway. Visit is by reservation only so I immediately went to their website and requested a visit for today (what was I thinking?) or tomorrow. I was waiting listed but cleared this morning. How lucky was that!?

The Cafesjian Art Trust opened October 2022 and contains 3000+ pieces of art collected by Cafesjian throughout his life. It features glass work from international artists like Dale Chuhily (creator of the pieces on display in the photo here), Mary Anne "T***s" Zynsky and contemporary works of art from the likes of Arshile Gorky, Victor Vasarely, Lynn Chadwick and Picasso. It also houses a pretty extensive and nicely displayed library.

The building is located at 4600 Churchill St (off Hwy 96) and is contemporary in design with glossy panels in various shades of blue and gray. It sits next door to Churchill Hill St, the restaurant. How convenient is that!

09/15/2023

Hmm, hmm, good. A spur of the moment stop at Churchill St in Shoreview after touring the Cafesijian Art Trust collection (next door to the restaurant -- more about this later). Sharing is a thing we do when dining out. Here we shared Churchill's fabulous Crispy Chicken Sandwich (buttermilk-soaked chicken thighs, crunchy GF breading, pickles, chipotle mayo, honey vinegar mop -- am I making you hungry yet?) and a refreshing Steel Toe 7 IPA to wash it all down. Great contemporary designed space with seating for about 100 in the main dining area, private dining space for up to 30 and a comfortable outdoor patio seating area. Good service. Friendly, competent staff. A nice addition to our Friday.

09/14/2023

YES!

09/14/2023

Happy Friday ✨Courtesy of Angela M Smith - Author 💖 Be sure to give her a follow for taking this epic pic 😉🙌🏾

09/11/2023

Any questions?

Gratitude to the artists.