Margie McCartney, originally from NY, has called Chicago home for 35 years. She recently won First place at the MOTH competition in Chicago at the DEN THEATER on the subject of Hospitality, which she holds near and dear to her heart. Margie has worked on property at hotels, in Global Sales Capacities, represented DMC's all over the world for 20 years and is now the VP Of Business Development with Jems Hospitality Group.

During COVID she wrote a book on networking called AND THEN...networking lessons from an extraordinary life still in progress which is available on Amazon. During the SITE Global Conference in Dublin in 2022, she spoke on various chapters of her book including: Making People Feel Worthy, The Lottery of Life, Golf and the People We Meet on the Course of Life and Customer Service. 

"Experience a life woven with connections from stories about the importance of networking and making connections, whether with an Ethiopian cab driver in Chicago or an Armenian stranger in a Moscow restaurant. Margie McCartney emboldens you to meet people, trust strangers, and never forget the contacts and relationships you create on your way to a positive life. Through her stories, you will learn her methods for engaging others by striking up a conversation, or meeting others in unconventional ways."

Margie has over three decades as an international hospitality ambassador, connecting people from different backgrounds and building beneficial networks on three continents.

She has spoken on almost every aspect of the Hospitality industry having also sold training for the National Restaurant Association in Food Safety and Customer Service for their Educational Foundation. Margie, and her dear friend and old boss, Kathleen Wood, won a BRONZE Medal in a Global Scavenger Hunt around the world in 2023 visiting 15 countries in 23 days from Seoul, South Korea to Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Tiblisis, Georgia; and Istanbul, Turkey to name a few. Team Name was "The Cubs Fans".

 The youngest of five in a loving Irish Catholic Family from Westchester, she lives with her husband Gary and their cats Cubbie Bear and Harry Caray near their beloved Wrigley Field.

And Then... Networking Lessons from an Extraordinary Life Still in Progress

Experience a life woven with connections from stories about the importance of networking and making friends whether with an Ethiopian cab driver or an Armenian stranger in a Moscow restaurant. Margie McCartney encourages you to meet people, trust strangers, and never forget the contacts and relationships you create on your way to a positive life. Through her stories, you will learn her methods for engaging others by striking up a conversation, or meeting others in unconventional ways that will benefit you both personally and professionally. McCartney immerses you in her childhood memories from Pelham, NY, and her summer camp exploits in the Catskills. The connections created in her early days expanded and remain with her today, embodied by life-long friendships. Her circle expanded when she attended Bethany College and her love of attending sporting events grew even bigger. And Then... allows you to involve yourself in the fun she initiated with her high-energy and friendly spirit. You will also follow the trajectory of her successful career as a travel and hospitality executive. As her life in Chicago develops, you may find yourself becoming a bigger sports fan as you share her enthusiasm for the many teams she supports. McCartney's love of adventure and travel eventually cast her into Europe, Australia, and Asia with links to Africa, as her web of connections expanded. The results are often unexpected twists and turns, along with lessons learned, bonding, and savoring life's many celebrations. Follow along with the life of an active social networking maven as McCartney, while learning her methods for engaging others by striking up a conversation or meeting others in unconventional ways. What you will discover inside the pages of this book will provide entertaining and thought provoking reading.