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7"SKIRT™ has given me the opportunity to align myself with some of the most dynamic, powerful, and motivating women in my community. SKIRT™ has helped me grow both personally and professionally, and I feel fortunate to work with such fabulous women!"

-Samantha Strickler, Strickler Insurance.

skirt 4"SKIRT Network™ member referrals resulted in over $100K in my annual gross sales. My active involvement in SKIRT Network™ San Francisco has significantly increased my client base, and has helped me rank as a top-10 producer company-wide for the last two years."

-Stacey Fleece, Senior Loan Consultant, San Francisco Mortgage Broker

About the book

Want to get more out of networking? Unlock the natural abilities you already possess with SKIRTworking! Whether you are an entrepreneur, a business mogul, or just someone with a great idea, SKIRTworking takes you, your business, and your ideas to the next level.

Whether your dream is to unleash unlimited referrals or connect with other get-it-done gals to bounce ideas off - let SKIRTworking show you the way!

Are you frustrated by those boring networking events, having business cards thrust into your hands resulting in money spent and nothing to show for it? Get the connections that make a difference. Stacey Fleece, a Senior Loan Consultant and San Francisco Mortgage Broker, says "SKIRT Network member referrals resulted in over $100k in my annual gross sales. My active involvement in SKIRT Network San Francisco has significantly increased my client base, and has helped me rank as a top-10 producer company-wide for the last two year."

Join Stacey Fleece, Michelle Balog, and Michelle Alberda as they teach you:

  • Why women are natural networkers.
  • How to get what you want out of business and your personal life.
  • How to unleash unlimited referrals in only 4 hours each month, with little or no money and effort.
  • How to start your own SKIRT Network.
  • How to manage your SKIRT Network once you've started.

Stacey Fleece, Michelle Balog, and Michelle Alberda all began their careers at different times, but when they finally met each other, the networking magic began. First, Stacey and her husband became clients of Michelle Alberda's financial planning practice over seven years ago. Shortly thereafter, Stacey met Michelle Balog as they were both building their real estate related practices. The three talents met over lunch when Stacey introduced Michelle Alberda to Michelle Balog, and by the end of lunch their "dream team" was formed. Not only were they each other's clients, they also regularly referred business to each other.

The three women agreed that typical marketing and business building techniques were ineffective and expensive. They knew there had to be another way. They wanted to build their businesses entirely by referrals; they knew the power of referral between the three of them and wanted to capitalize on this power exponentially for themselves. They also wanted to teach other small businesswomen the power of accelerating their business growth. The idea for SKIRTworking was born out of this collective desire – women helping women build businesses for the collective success of all!

Stacey, Michelle B., and Michelle A. all reside in the San Francisco Bay Area and are award-winning, recognized leaders in their chosen fields for both overall production and client acquisition. In addition to their professional successes and SKIRT, all three women are active leaders in philanthropic organizations in the Bay Area. Along with many leadership positions and board of director roles, Michelle Alberda is a past President of the Financial Women's Association of San Francisco, Stacey Fleece is a past President of The Junior League of San Francisco and Michelle Balog is a member of the Real Estate Auxiliary Leadership Council for EARN.

Together, these impressive businesswomen have nearly 40 years of combined experience in the financial services and real estate industries, specifically financial planning, real estate financing, and real estate sales. They founded their women's networking group, SKIRT, in June of 2005 and the inaugural meeting had only seven members in attendance. Since then, the group has grown to over 20 members and there is a waiting list of interested prospective members. The rewards of membership are numerous and referrals from this group account for upwards of 35% of new business annually for some members. SKIRTworking has proven to be the most cost-effective and efficient way of growing a book of business, and there's no better way of tapping into the skills you already have to make your business expand along with your lifelong networking connections.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of "SKIRTworking, How To Network Using SKIRT" on our launch date (September 10, 2008) will be donated to the International Museum of Women. For more information about the museum, please visit their website.

About the Authors


The AuthorsWith more than 20 years in the financial industry, Stacey Fleece has positioned herself as one of the premier mortgage bankers in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and prior to earning her mortgage license, she worked over 13 years in the hedge fund industry being one of only a handful of women to be General Partner of her own fund. She earned a B.S. in Business with a finance and marketing emphasis from the University of Southern California and a M.A. in Sports Management from the University of San Francisco. She is also a member of the Security Analysts of San Francisco and a licensed sales agent with the California Department of Real Estate.

Michelle Balog is a top producing real estate agent at Vanguard Properties, one of San Francisco's most innovative and successful real estate offices. She has been in the real estate business for seven years and her rapid success is a testament to her networking abilities. Also a talented and accomplished photographer, Michelle ran her own photography business in New York City prior to moving to the Bay Area. She has a degree in film production and photography from the University of Southern California, School of Cinema Television and is a licensed sales agent with the California Department of Real Estate.

Michelle Alberda has worked in the financial planning industry for over nine years. She founded a solo financial advisory practice in 2007 after earning her CFP© certificant status in 2004. Prior to this, Ms. Alberda worked in South East Asia where she co-founded a consulting firm specializing in government infrastructure projects. She has a degree in Marketing and Asian Studies from Western Michigan University and is a Chartered Life Underwriter.


September 10 Only

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Interested in starting your own SKIRTnetwork?

  • "The 'good ol' girl network is alive and well! The authors celebrate the fact that women ARE different than men and can build powerful businesses based on those differences. Women are creative, nurturing, and collaborative beings - these innate qualities can and must be leveraged to grow our businesses and to help other women do the same."

    - Sandra Sellani, Author of "What's Your BQ?(Brand Quotient)" and Brand Consultant
  • "Women are rock stars in business! For so long, we've heard what we "are not" versus men. Our time has come. Women are being recognized as a force in business. We make businesses stronger and we are starting our own successful businesses in droves. SKIRT™ and the messages in the book SKIRTworking, How to Network Using SKIRT, helps us recognize how to leverage our strengths as individuals and as a community. In starting my own business, tapping into a community of great women proved to be an invaluable ingredient in my team's successful creation of a strong business that nurtures people and the planet."

    - Sheryl O'Loughlin, CEO/Co-Founder, Nest Naturals and Former CEO, Clif Bar and Company
  • "Alberda, Balog and Fleece guide you to think outside the box and find new and innovative ways to build your business without breaking the bank. The ideas taught in this book are a home run!"

    - Alexis Martin Neely, best-selling author of "Wear Clean Underwear! A Fast, Fun, Friendly - and Essential - Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents"
  • "This is a great way for all professional women to put their female strengths to work and build a substantial book of business! SKIRTworking will teach you how to use talents and skills you already possess to build your business in the most cost-effective manner. You'll not only enjoy using the SKIRTworking system, it will give you a financial leg-up on your competition."

    - Elizabeth Gordon, President of Flourishing Business, author of "The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business in Higher Heels"
  • "Every woman running a business, or thinking of starting one, should apply these innovative SKIRTworking techniques if they want to be successful."

    - Adryenn Ashley, Award-Winning Author of "Every Single Girl's Guide to Her Future Husband's Last Divorce", and "Spotting The Kooks"
  • Finally - a book that teaches women how to achieve success in business by empowering themselves with their innate female qualities, rather than asking women to conform to a man's world. Bravo!

    -Alicia Dunams, Founder of Wealthy Girl Summit and top-selling author of "Goal Digger"
  • "I believe women have demonstrated, and businesses have recognized, that women are good communicators and they know when to compromise and when to stand firm. They know how to connect with each other and how to help each other. SKIRTworking ™ is helping other women to be the best they can be."

    -Mary-Anne Lovato, Chief Contract Administrator
  • "SKIRT™ has given me the opportunity to align myself with some of the most dynamic, powerful, and motivating women in my community. SKIRT™ has helped me grow both personally and professionally, and I feel fortunate to work with such fabulous women!"

    -Samantha Strickler, Strickler Insurance and SKIRT™ member

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