Intrepid Innovations Networking Club Newsletter – April/May 2009 – Page 1

Welcome to the Intrepid Networking Club Newsletter!

In this newsletter, you'll find:

Introductory Letter Page 1

“Tips for Surviving College” by Aaron Robertson Page 2
“20 Success Tips You Can Use Today” by Dan Kenitz Page 4
News and Updates Page 5

April/May Introductory Letter

Hey everyone,

Some more time passed, some drinks shared, some more contacts made! That must mean
it’s time for another issue of the Intrepid Networking Club newsletter.

Intrepid Innovations, Inc. is always up to something, but you’ll be very interested in our
latest ventures: we’re now offering some great, high-value benefits to encourage people
to join our networking club. We’ve been working hard to pack more value into the
$10/month, $100/year subscription – we know that these days, money isn’t exactly easy
to come by.

Be sure to check out our News and Updates on Page 5 to find out how you can get up to
a maximum value of $280.00 worth of legal consultation and services. We’re also
working on some great packages to help people find jobs, and are in talks with a resume
expert to offer Club members discounted resume writing services.

The core philosophy of the Intrepid Networking Club is to bring both businesses and
professionals together, and that’s what we’ve been doing. Some friends of ours have
been helping us to provide these services, and we’re grateful that they can help you get
more than your money’s worth.

We also had a great time at the latest Intrepid Networking event – make sure to stay
tuned to our Facebook group page to keep up with the latest postings for events in the
southeastern Wisconsin area.

Keep on networking,
The Intrepid Team: Aaron, Phil, and Dan
Intrepid Innovations Networking Club Newsletter – April/May 2009 – Page 2

Tips for Surviving College

by Aaron Robertson, President

Recent issues of both the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Milwaukee Business
Journal have featured insightful articles on the growing pressures faced by today’s
college students.

Across the country, the stressors are mounting. More and more students find themselves
battling depression, anxiety over job and financial security, and dealing with issues
revolving around relationships, among a score of other obstacles to their general health
and well-being. Formal studies are linking much of this onslaught of problems to the
current economic climate.

Following are some tips and strategies for helping to overcome these difficult times:

Only you can determine the right balance for you.

Try to find an evening in your busy schedule when you have a little down time. Sit down
and truly reflect on what you hope to get out of your college experience. Take out a pen
and paper to jot down notes and ideas.

How many co-curricular activities do you want to be involved in? How many hours per
week must you (or, are willing) to devote to paid work? How many credits must you (or,
are willing) to take each semester? How many programs (majors, minors, certificates,
etc.) do you want to pursue? Begin hammering out at least somewhat solid answers to
these and other questions, which only you can do, and you now have a framework in
which you can live, work, and play fairly comfortably.

Have a support network.

Don’t be afraid to turn to a number of select, trusted friends when you find yourself
dealing with tough times, and let them know they can depend on you to be there for them.

For the most part, all students are in the same boat in the sense that they are all trying to
juggle jobs, studies, relationships, campus clubs and organizations, internships, and, oh
yeah--trying to find their path in life, as if all the aforementioned wasn’t enough.

With that said, chances are high that one or more of these close friends has been through
or is going through whatever it is you are, and may be able to help you with a new idea or
direction you can take to help alleviate your situation.

If you still find yourself in a rut, be open to the idea of seeking out professional
counseling services and related groups on campus. And ignore the "stigma" that goes
along with doing so. In the end, it’s your own life, well-being, and future at stake.
Intrepid Innovations Networking Club Newsletter – April/May 2009 – Page 3

Anyone who makes fun of you for seeking out any kind of help from others must not be
living in reality, because some of the best and brightest in sports, business, and other
fields have coaches, mentors, and other close confidants they turn to on a regular basis.
Tiger Woods has a coach, and so do the country’s top CEOs.

Don’t stress the grades!

As college graduates with a couple years of solid professional experience under our belts
now, my partners at Intrepid and I now find ourselves in the privileged position of being
able to speak with authority when we say that getting an A- as opposed to an A isn't the
end of the world. Neither is getting a B or even, quite frankly, a C. We knew this dirty
little secret even before we graduated; but again, it comes down to the perception of
being able to say it with authority. Then, we were still students. Now, we’re heading up a
company and achieving many individual successes, as well, and all this within a couple
years of graduating!

The truth is that most employers don’t ask for grades and are far more concerned with
verifying the overall degree you tell them you earned and the experience you bring to the
table that separates you from all the other employees or applicants.

The only way grades may come back to haunt you would be if you’re applying to
graduate or law school, or you’re entering a company or industry in which grades really
are treated as king. Aside from maybe the medical and scientific fields, I really can’t
think of any at the moment. But then again, chances are if your grades weren’t great
when you were majoring in these fields, you would have been cut from the major a while
back and you would not be finding yourself applying for a job in them.

Don’t be a resume builder!

That’s right, don’t be a resume builder, at least in the sense where you want to try out
anything and everything simply because you heard all the hype that it looks great. Choose
to become active with campus clubs, organizations, internships, and volunteer
opportunities because you genuinely find them to be interesting and meaningful.

If you get involved in everything, you will be spreading yourself too thin and will not be
able to devote the time and energy to the things that truly catch your fancy. And who
wants to be involved in things they don’t enjoy? That’s no fun. Besides, many
prospective employers can easily tell you did things just to try to impress them. A mile-
long list of achievements looks too obvious. And in the end, after all that hard work on
your part, you learn that your attempt failed anyway.
Intrepid Innovations Networking Club Newsletter – April/May 2009 – Page 4

20 Success Tips You Can Use Today

by Dan Kenitz, Director of Content Development

Sometimes, when lecturing on and on about different ways you can improve both your
professional and business life, we forget about focusing on two things: tips should be
both practical and actionable. Here are 20 success tips you can use today. Feel free to
pick one or two – you don’t have to do them all today.

1. Develop the habit of persistence by choosing one productive task you don’t have to
do – and not stopping until it’s completed. Choose something realistic but be willing
to challenge yourself.
2. Come up with a goal you’d like to accomplish in the next six months – write it down
and then post it somewhere you’ll see it all the time.
3. Any time you feel like you’re stagnating, stop yourself and ask “am I just inventing
work for the sake of work, or is there something I can actually produce right now?”
4. Come up with a to-do list: five things you want to accomplish today, the most
important ranked highest. Then, start accomplishing the most important one, and
don’t stop until your list is done.
5. Say hello to someone you haven’t met.
6. If you’re feeling ambitious, approach a stranger and give them one genuine
compliment.
7. Buy a copy of Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich.”
8. Ask yourself where you’d like to be this time next year.
9. Make a list of the priorities in your life, and make sure you rank them in order of
importance. This can include the big things, like God, family, work, and friends.
10. Find an old high school or grade school friend and send them a friendly letter or e-
mail asking them how they’re doing.
11. Take today to start smiling, even if you don’t feel happy.
12. Wake up early and try some moderate exercise – walking, biking, jogging – for a half
an hour before work. See how it impacts the rest of your day.
13. Resolve to drink only water all day.
14. If you have a bad habit like smoking, see if you can shake it just for today.
15. Take the first step in taking up that hobby you’ve wanted to take up.
16. If you’re feeling a little blue, don’t try to logically convince yourself to feel better.
Instead, change your mood: do something exciting. Exercise can help, but if you can
ride a roller coaster this weekend, try that.
17. If you feel really blue, talk to someone about it and ask for advice.
18. Take one day and tell yourself that everything you try, you’ll do your best at. This
can include cleaning your kitchen and your performance at work.
19. Instead of giving orders, phrase your orders as a question.
20. Post a message on the Intrepid Networking Facebook group page!
Intrepid Innovations Networking Club Newsletter – April/May 2009 – Page 5

News and Updates

 Discounted Legal Services for Members in Good Standing

Muskego Legal Center, LLP (“MLC”), a general practice law firm serving southeastern
Wisconsin, offers current members in good standing of “Intrepid Networking Club” an
exclusive and limited discount of up to fifteen percent (15%) on all initial legal services,
as determined solely by MLC (up to a maximum value of $280.00).

Legal services include a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: business, civil
litigation, contracts, employment contracts, estate planning, personal injury, powers of
attorney, real estate, traffic and other areas of law. For more information about MLC or
its legal services offered, contact Attorney Michael Pierski at (262) 679-5395 or go to
www.muskegolegalcenter.com.

 OnCampus Creations Becomes Perpetual

Sponsor of Intrepid's Networking Events

We are pleased to announce the beginning of a great

working relationship with OnCampus Creations, a
unique online business that helps collegiate artists find
buyers for their one-of-a-kind masterpieces and donates a portion of each sale to that
student's art department. OnCampus Creations will be a continual sponsor of our Intrepid
Networking Events. Visit its Web site at: www.oncampuscreations.com.

 In Need of a Particular Service Provider or Product?

Don't hesitate to contact us to see if we can help you find what you're looking for. Our
network of trusted providers in an array of products and services is growing at an
alarmingly fast pace!

From attorneys to financial advisors and insurance agents, from photographers and life
coaches to printers and health care providers, we have you covered! And if you ever find
yourself in need of our services, don't forget that you AND your immediate family are
entitled to 20% off as part of your Intrepid Networking Club membership!

That wraps it up for this issue of the Intrepid Networking Club newsletter.

Wishing you the best of success,

The Intrepid Team

Aaron S. Robertson, President
Phillip Burghgraef, Creative Director
Daniel Kenitz, Director of Content Development