EGP's Director of Marketing continues to make great community strides
Image: Holly Fish, EGP Director of Marekting
Each month, chapters of Women in Networking (WIN) meet in Northwest Arkansas, Little Rock, Benton/Bryant, and Hot Springs. WIN has deservedly earned awards from area Chambers of Commerce as well as The Arkansas Small Business Association. WIN owes much of its success to Holly Fish, a mover and shaker whose true love is implementing community change.
Fish joined a NW Arkansas WIN chapter in 2002. After moving to Little Rock, she created the Central Arkansas WIN Chapters. She continues to build on that foundation with key women business leaders in each county. "WIN helps women become better leaders and mentors," explains Fish, "to not only help each other see our potential, but to also pass on leadership skills and confidence, so that women make a larger collective impact in the business place and in the world." There are no dues; the price of lunch provides an opportunity to meet and greet, learn and earn.
Empowering Innovation through Motivation
Fish credits WIN's Saline County director, Diane Jester as well as Kathy Pannell, both of Bank of the Ozarks, with birthing a partnership with Goodwill Career Services Center. The Center helps women who are re-entering the job market or acquiring skills to seek work. The chapter partnered with Goodwill Industries' Bryant location to create the WIN Dress Up Career Closet, offering an upscale boutique experience for women gaining confidence on their new path of employment.
Fish has used her work for EGP, a public accounting and consulting firm, to forge relationships that support her vision. Her strong background in client services has helped her develop a savvy eye for business development and public relations. Fish recognizes a community need and assembles the right consortium of talent to get the job done. From her work on the Argenta Downtown Development Council (a revitalization effort in North Little Rock) to her work with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Fish's contribution to community has yielded numerous accolades.
Forging the Gap between Non-Profits and Business
A Louisiana native, Fish's career has taken her to Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Fayetteville, and now Little Rock, where this girl-on-the-go continues her philanthropic endeavors. Fish recently partnered with Stephanie Clouser of PC Assistance to create Communities4Cause (C4C), an organization that seeks to connect the talents and assets of change-makers in our communities from corporate entities to non-profits—bringing together supporters that together create real change.
Image: Women In Networking Group
"Many of our state's communities are disconnected. Three fundraisers might be run simultaneously with the same theme tapping into the same potential donors repeatedly," says Fish. "There has to be a better way to unite and leverage resources and we are taking action to do just that. As companies tighten their belts, the non-profits suffer. C4C hosts educational panels and forums that bring together non-profits, volunteers, and the business sector. We work with our media sponsors connecting communities and helping non-profits promote their cause and event."
Walking the Talk: Creating a Lasting Footprint
Fish finds a healthy lifestyle is key to her success and allows her to stay focused. She inherited the wisdom of her mom's vegetarianism and somehow creates time to keep a healthy productive garden prospering. Recently, she and her boyfriend have developed Killer Bee Wholy Healin' Cream, a skin product that uses natural beeswax and essential oils from his farm and beehives.
Due to her women's leadership efforts, Fish has been invited to chair the first Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame. This statewide effort is calendaring the induction of noteworthy female Arkansans on August 1, 2014. No doubt the future holds a place where Holly herself will be recognized for the community outreach programs she fosters and the goodwill she inspires.
WIN meets at Noon: 1st Wednesday at US Pizza in Bryant; 2nd Thursday in Hot Springs at Trejo's on Albert Pike; 4th Thursday at Cellar 220, formerly called Lulav, in Little Rock. Visit Facebook.com/ WIN — Women in Networking of Central Arkansas.
Visit Communities4Cause.org
Julie Zimmermann is a writer, yoga professional and performing artist.
