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Community Corner

Group Helps Warren Women Think B.I.G.

Believe, Inspire, Grow (B.I.G.) creates a support system for women to help them succeed professionally.

Attend a local Believe, Inspire Grow (B.I.G.) meeting and you could be sitting next to a successful lawyer, an aspiring photographer or a stay-at-home mom looking for some adult conversation.  Working women, those trying to establish a new business or ones considering re-entering the work force can connect with other women of various backgrounds and interests as B.I.G. members.

However, B.I.G. goes beyond networking to offer women a supportive community, said Tracy Mazure-Lefkowitz, who manages B.I.G.'s Warren "pod."  

"There's an environment out there for anything you want to do or need, " she said. "There's someone out there that has the answer for you. There's someone that's there who's willing to help you."

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She stumbled upon B.I.G. when she was looking to promote her fledgling business, Beadalicious Designs, which had begun as a hobby while she was a recruiter for companies including Toys R Us and Johnson & Johnson. After adopting her daughter, Mazure-Lefkowitz sought a part-time job or something she could do from home and decided to turn her pastime into a business in August 2008. With some encouragement from her husband to promote Beadalicious Designs, she signed up with B.I.G. so she could present her products at a local showcase and has been a member ever since. Her business also has expanded with beading parties and conducting community classes at the Warren and Watchung libraries.

Mazure-Lefkowitz  enjoyed attending meetings in Bernardsville and Basking Ridge "to have an environment where you can bounce ideas off one another." Last fall, she founded the Warren pod and hosts her own gatherings.

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Warren's B.I.G. meeting at 9:30 a.m. March 9 provides a chance for women to hear ideas and gain inspiration with the subject of goal setting. The topic will be presented by Chris Curran, author of Leap Beyond Your Limits and the Founder/President of GOAL ABILITY, LLC. The meeting will be held at Nuray's Gourmet Food and Cafe, 41 Mountain Blvd., Warren.

A B.I.G. membership has flexibility in cost and benefits, depending on one's preference. Become a pod member and attend community meetings in any location for a 3-month membership costing $24.95 a month or they can opt for a 6- or 12-month commitment. There also is an online-only membership where women can attend virtual pod meetings for $15 a month or $80 for 6 months. Anyone can attend one meeting for free, said Mazure-Lefkowitz,  to see whether B.I.G. is right for them. Occasionally, there are events that are also open to the public.

In addition to Warren, there are pods throughout New Jersey including several in Bergen, Mercer, Morris and Somerset counties. Mazure-Lefkowitz  is hoping to see new faces at her pod meetings, especially women with their own business or stay-at-home moms who might not be sure whether they want to resume or create a new career. She believes meeting other women with similar goals can be inspirational.

"It's amazing to learn that there are so many people out there like you," she said. "You're not alone."

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