Business leaders converge, connect in new Chamber of Commerce group

On Tuesday morning, Penelope’s Café Books & Gallery transformed from serene oasis into a hub of activity as local business leaders networked in a monthly confab sponsored by the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce.

Organized through the chamber’s Business Support and Development Committee, Let’s Connect is a way for local businesses operators to find more about what’s happening in town and how they can better promote their goods and services in the community.

“To help our businesses on a more personal level, the chamber wanted to reach out in a more specialized way,” said Pat Anderson, chief executive and president of the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce. “It’s about networking and sharing experiences.”

Brandon Tak, general manager of Hello Pizza in the 2200 block of Foothill Boulevard, came to Let’s Connect to talk to others in the community and find out how to spread the word about his pizzeria in and around the city’s center.

Carol Noe, an independent distributor of Enagic brand Kangen water units, wanted to learn more about opportunities to engage the public in important conversations about health and the benefits of an alkaline diet.

Noe was able to meet Raya Shanazarian, a Glendale-based naturopath who serves clients in La Cañada. Together, the two brainstormed in the group ways they and others like them might educate locals about their health.

“Being in the health and wellness industry, as you know, especially with the medical industry being so big, can be tough because there’s a lot of false information out there,” Noe shared with the group.

Educational seminars, Shanazarian added, might be a good way to help people learn some health and nutrition fundamentals. They could even be introduced to Hello Pizza’s health-centered menu items, she said.

Creating that kind of synergy among business owners is exactly the point of Let’s Connect, says organizer Caroline Craven, the chamber’s vice president of business programs and owner of Caroline Craven and Associates, a local business solutions and marketing company.

“This is not another party, it’s about actually networking and educating people about what’s happening in the community,” Craven said.

All told, about 12 business owners and operators participated in Tuesday’s event.

Among them, Jennifer Hronek started a home business called Joie! centered around personalized wedding gifts and jewelry and wanted to meet other people in La Cañada’s rich small business community.

“I like to help people treat themselves to something special with my gifts,” Hronek said in her introduction to the group. “That’s what ‘joie’ is — it means joy.”

Afterward, conversations continued as participants exchanged business cards and promised to keep in touch.

“I’m really excited to be a part of this group,” Noe said. “You all are so awesome.”

“It really is the best party in town,” Craven replied.