Articles

Want to get the word out about your company to a larger audience than you’ve been able to reach in the past? Due our experience as reporters, we know how to write and edit articles so they can land on the pages of publications their clients read. We start with a great idea and our client’s expertise. What do you want the world to know?

Are You a Victim of Credit Fraud or Identity Theft? Sadly, It Could Be Your Fault!

February 1, 2014. Do you love Black Friday? You aren’t alone. Since the start of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season.

The “black” harks back to days when accounting records were kept by hand—red ink indicated a loss, black a profit.

Due to the sluggish economy in recent years, this shopping day has become increasingly important to the retail industry.

While this year’s massive hacking scandal at Target, which compromised more than 40 million customers, may not have resulted in us shopping less on Nov. 29 and in the weeks that followed—it has increased our awareness about credit protection. In fact, experts believe Target experienced one of about 600 publicly disclosed data breaches in 2013.

The good news is that there are several things you can do to protect against a breach.

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Relaxation Is the Recipe at Arlington's New House of Steep

December 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — How did Lyndsey DePalma come up with concept for the House of Steep? “I wanted something for myself—a place to relax, and just be, for a while each day,” she explains. “I wast satisfied with any of the existing retail outlets.”

Armed with some entrepreneurial hard-wiring and a respect for natural healing, Lyndsey left her corporate career in human resources to bridge the gap.

Click inside to read our Q&A with Lyndsey, and click here to listen to our podcast interview on The Inkandescent Radio Show.

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Incubating Earth-Friendly Companies at Bethesda Green

December 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — Our mission at the Inkandescent Group is to promote, educate, and inspire entrepreneurs, so we are excited to shine a spotlight on Dave Feldman, the executive director of cutting-edge environmental nonprofit, Bethesda Green.

His organization is one of the projects started in 2008 by our December Entrepreneur of the Month, Seth Goldman. With other forward-thinking business leaders, Goldman sits on the board of directors to help oversee Bethesda Green’s mission: to make a positive difference for the environment by promoting a strong local economy that supports green business initiatives.

“We strive to be the local model for sustainable living,” notes Feldman. “Our purpose and mission at Bethesda Green is to bring business, government, and community together through programs and services to promote a healthy economy and sustainable living practices.”

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Hope Gibbs article about Charles Best's DonorsChoose.org Featured in Costco's magazine

August 2012, Costco Connection — Journalist, PR specialist, and entrepreneur Hope Katz Gibbs article on Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org, was featured in the August 2012 issue of the Costco Connection.

Read about how this former teacher, with a Yale education, turned an idea sparked during lunch 12 years ago into a multi-million-dollar nonprofit organization that funds classroom projects.

“The average project costs about $500 to fund,” Best shares, noting that many projects cost as little as $150, but requests for bigger ticket items—such as playground equipment or trips to study abroad—can hit $30,000.

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August 2012: The Future of Social Security—It's Better Than You Think

By Michael Egan, CFP®
Certified Financial Planner™
Partner, Egan, Berger & Weiner

Since Social Security is a complicated system, it requires a significant amount of planning before you file for benefits. I have spent years studying how it works so that I can best help my clients plan and prepare a proper strategy.

Click inside for some key points to remember when you are planning your own Social Security strategy. Keep in mind that you should always integrate your Social Security strategy into your overall financial plan. Do not assume that the Social Security office will have all the answers to your questions;, be sure to educate yourself.

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Bryan Beatty on David Borchard's "Joy of Retirement"

Review by Bryan Beatty
Partner, Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC
Columnist, Be Inkandescent Magazine

They say 50 is the new 40, and odds are good that if you are now in this second half of life, you feel as vital, energetic, and passionate as ever. As a result, Baby Boomers reaching their 50s and 60s are redefining what it means to retire.

That’s why I thoroughly enjoyed psychologist David Borchard’s book, “The Joy of Retirement: Finding Happiness, Freedom, and the Life You’ve Always Wanted.”

For the last three decades, Borchard has helped adults rejuvenate their careers and lives, and find fulfillment and meaning as older adults. And although the financial side of retirement and aging is different from the physiological side, it is clearly equally as important.

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Crews Control On: How to Balance Your Dream Job + Your Day Job

By Andrea Keating
Founder and CEO, Crews Control
June 2012

When it comes to having a healthy business, I know the key to success is to surrounded myself with creative people. Not only do I have more fun, but the more creative they are, the more I learn from them.

I then find ways to take their best ideas and incorporate them into my business, so that my employees and clients all benefit from the creativity that is generated. Click here to learn more about Crews Control’s Four Creativity Secrets.

In my quest to understand even more about the power of creativity, I picked up a copy of “Imagine,” by Jonah Lehrer. In it, he points to research that shows entrepreneurs with expansive social networks are three times more innovative than people with only small networks of close friends.

“Instead of getting stuck in the rut of conformity—thinking the same tired thoughts as everyone else—they are able to invent profitable new concepts, thanks to their wide social circles and collections of acquaintances who inspire novel thoughts,” he writes in Chapter 7.

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Crews Control On: The Art of Creativity

By Andrea Keating
Founder and CEO, Crews Control
May 2012

Hey all you entrepreneurs out there: Whether you know it or not, you are engaged in highly creative activities.

Indeed, every successful entrepreneur I know is creative with messaging, visual arts, negotiating relationships, and—without doubt—managing budgets in a highly creative way.

So how can you maximize creativity at your office?

Click inside to read few of our Crews Control Creativity Secrets.

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When It Comes to Hiring Well, Aim to Make a Dream Come True

April 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — When it comes to hiring the right person for the job, keep in mind the fact that most applicants are hoping to find their dream job.

Sure, they’ll settle for less, but wouldn’t it be great if your firm could help make those dreams come true?

Keep this in mind, though. However great it sounds to make someone’s dream come true, you are running a business. So their dream job has to be doing something that will either make money for your organization, or bring in new customers or members.

Still, it is possible to balance their dreams with your needs.

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Crews Control On: Finding Inspiration in "The Cloud"

By Andrea Keating
Founder and CEO, Crews Control
April 2012

Like many other companies that are working with cutting-edge technology, Crews Control is excited about “the cloud.”

Many of us are already working in the cloud when we use Google docs, Twitter, Facebook, and our video favorite, YouTube.

That’s why we’re very pleased to announce that Scenios, a cloud-based software provider and a company on whose board I sit, has unveiled an enterprise edition of its cloud-based video production platform—the ideal place for corporate customers to manage their in-house video productions.

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Crews Control On: Dispelling the E-Myth

By Andrea Keating
Founder and CEO, Crews Control
February 2012

I have been a fan of Michael Gerber’s “E-Myth” since reading it in 1995, a few years after starting my company.

It was a dream of mine to found a corporate video company that provides camera crews for video shoots and production at locations around the world. Since 1988, my team has successfully been fulfilling that dream.

It hasn’t always been easy. That’s why Gerber’s book resonates with me. In talking about “the myth of the entrepreneur,” his bestseller dispels the commonplace assumptions surrounding starting and running a successful small business. In fact, Gerber practically tells the story of the challenges I faced as an new business owner.

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Crews Control Interviews Author Herta von Stiegel On: "The Mountain Within" [Be Inkandescent Magazine, Dec. 2011]

By Andrea Keating
Founder and CEO, Crews Control
January 2012

When I first met Herta von Stiegel (pictured right), I knew instantly that she was special.

The founder and CEO of the Ariya Capital Group, a Gaborone- and UK-based fund management firm focusing on sustainable investments in Africa, is an international executive who has held senior positions at Citibank and JP Morgan.

She is also the woman who in July 2008 spearheaded a trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro with 28 climbers—seven of them disabled. Against incredible odds, 60 percent of the group made it to the summit—remarkable, considering that only 35 percent of climbers typically achieve that goal.

The Mountain Within is the book that came from the experience. It bears the name of Herta’s award-winning documentary, which vividly tells the emotionally charged story of the climb that changed her life.

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Hope Gibbs Dorks Out with "Dork Diaries" author Rachel Russell for Costco's magazine

November 1, 2011, The Costco Connection — Inkandescent PR and journalist Hope Katz Gibbs’ article on “Dork Diaries” author Rachel Russell hit 10 million mailboxes today.

The article, featured on page 45, explains how Russell’s dreams of being a writer were dashed in college.

“I signed up for a writing class with a professor who had published a popular children’s book, because I thought I’d learn a lot and that he’d help set me on a great path,” she recalls. “But after handing in a few assignments, he assured me that I was the worst writer on the planet and that he was doing me a favor by giving me a C.”

Russell took the criticism to heart, and set her sights on a law career. A husband, two kids, and a successful practice later—her life took another turn when he left her for another woman. That set Russell on a new path—one that has led her to the New York Times bestseller list.

Click here to read the entire article in the online version of the Costco Connection.

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Practical Magic: A glimpse inside author Alice Hoffman's enchanting career [Costco Connection, September 2011]

By Hope Katz Gibbs
The Costco Connection
September 2011

Love. Loss. Survivorship. These are the themes that are at the heart of the 18 novels, eight young adult books and three books of short fiction that the prolific Alice Hoffman has crafted since the beginning of her career in 1973.

Her novel, Here on Earth, was an Oprah Book Club choice in 1998. That same year, her book, Practical Magic, was made into a Warner Brothers film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Her young adult novel, Aquamarine, made it to the silver screen in 2006, starring teen queens Joanna “JoJo” Levesque, Emma Roberts and Sara Paxton.

Hoffman says that while it’s thrilling to watch her books make a splash in theaters, her goal is to understand life’s biggest questions. Her novel, At Risk, for instance, concerns a family dealing with AIDS, and can be found on the reading lists of many universities, colleges and secondary schools.

“I have a deep desire to find the answers to questions about love, death, and how to cope with disappointment,” the 50something writer tells The Connection from her home outside of Boston. “I work to find those answers through writing, because it’s not really something you can do in every day life.”

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Laura Berger Helps Us Overcome "The Troll"

July 2011, Be Inkandescent magazine — You aspire for positive changes in your business and personal life. You’re thinking big and looking forward to achieving your aspirations with great excitement. In spite of that, at some point, too many of us give up on our dreams. Why?

The harsh truth is that although our conscious mind wants great things for us, we have a terrible troll—our subconscious—that does not.

In fact, this troll hates change of any type. Focused on self-preservation, it basks in the status quo and above all cannot tolerate one thing: fear.

*Where is your conscious mind in this process?

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Why Content Is King

By Hope Katz Gibbs
founder and president
Inkandescent Public Relations

Screenwriter Leo Rosten once said, “I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.”

That thoughtful philosophy has long guided my life. It is also a core belief for my PR firm, Inkandescent Public Relations. I tell my clients, most of whom are entrepreneurs: “If we are going to write something, it must matter to the reader.”

That is especially true when it comes to writing content for websites. Here’s why—and how.

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12 Inkandescent Tips for PR Success

By Hope Katz Gibbs
Founder & President
Inkandescent Public Relations

Greater visibility. That’s the goal of any public relations and marketing campaign. So what does it take to get out the good word about your company so you can build your business? Whether you are just starting out, are looking to increase sales, or need to rebrand your firm, click inside to read a dozen tips that will help you accomplish your communications goals.

1. Pick good PR partners. The first step in any strong communications campaign is to partner with the right creative team. Their track record for creating successful campaigns is important, but they must also share your vision, and have a style that dovetails with yours—or you’ll drive each other mad.

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BE INKANDESDCENT MAGAZINE: Want to learn more about wine? Here's a primer by John Peters, wine director, Culinaria Cooking School

By John Peters
Wine Director
Culinaria Cooking School
Opening in the fall of 2010 in Vienna, VA

Be Inkandescent Magazine • June 2010

Having grown up in the wine industry, it is hard to figure out where I should begin talking about this vast subject of wine.

I toyed with starting with the history of this grand industry, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Or, perhaps a better place to begin would be to discuss the culture and food that seamlessly bring it all together — from the farmer who works the land, to the scientist who works wine magic in the lab.

However, that’s not really the best way to learn about this passionate, powerful topic. Rather, to fully understand wine, all you need to do is pour yourself a glass and begin to discover all of its delicious nuances.

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BE INKANDESDCENT MAGAZINE: Finance expert John Hasenberg asks, "Why Rebalance Your Portfolio?"

By John Hasenberg
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Be Inkandescent Magazine • June 2010

Simply stated, staying the course doesn’t mean driving with blinders. Investors should monitor their portfolios regularly to determine if they support and respond to their financial goals.

For years, investors have heard the mantra of investing for the long term. That is, to create a portfolio based on your goals and stick with it despite the rumblings of a fickle market or the allure of popular trends.

In theory, this is a suitable strategy for many investors, but staying the course wisely should also acknowledge the need for the occasional mandatory detour, taking on additional passengers, having fender benders and making complete about-faces. The better prepared a portfolio is to respond to these unforeseeable life events, the more likely it will be able to help you reach your desired financial destination.

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BE INKANDESDCENT MAGAZINE: Immigration attorney Linda Rahal provides insight into the new Arizona law

By Linda Rahal
Chief Operating Officer
Trow & Rahal, PC
Be Inkandescent Magazine • June 2010

This past week, immigration has been in the news a lot, primarily for issues raised by the recently passed Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070.

Almost everyone, it seems, has an opinion about the law.

In the Miss America Pageant, a judge asked the runner up contender from Oklahoma a question about the law in Arizona that focused on whether it allowed ethnic profiling.

She said, “I’m a huge believer in States’ Rights. I think that’s what is so wonderful about America, and think it’s perfectly legal for Arizona to create that law. But I’m against illegal immigration, but I’m also against racial profiling, so I see both sides of this issue.”

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BE INKANDESDCENT MAGAZINE: What is the impact of an "Invisible Fence" around America's borders? Immigration attorney Linda Rahal explains.

A Q&A with Immigration Attorney Linda Rahal and Be Inkandescent Magazine’s Editor Hope Katz Gibbs
Be Inkandescent Magazine • May 2010

Linda Rahal is the Chief Operating Officer of the prominent immigration law firm Trow & Rahal in Washington, DC. Since opening its doors in 1993, her firm has been hired to help obtain visas for hundreds of employers who are bringing educated international professionals to work in America.

Linda believes the U.S. government is building an “invisible fence” around our borders. And in her opinion, this is not healthy for the fiscal future of the country.

“If you build a tangible fence with gates, people know there is a barrier to entry and they can plan accordingly if they want to come through,” Linda says. “But if you build an invisible fence, people can’t see it until they crash into it. There’s no way for them to plan or prepare, and so they plan to go elsewhere. That’s the unfortunate situation we are finding ourselves in today.”

The result, she worries, is that a lot of creative and innovative people are being driven away, or are giving up on trying to come to the US, because of a lack of transparency regarding the rules.

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BE INKANDESDCENT MAGAZINE: "Do you have a Roth IRA? If so, the question is: To convert or not to convert," says financial advisor Nancy Hartsock

By Nancy A. Hartsock
Financial Advisor and Financial Planning Specialist
The Hasenberg Hartsock Group at MorganStanley SmithBarney

Be Inkandescent Magazine • May 2010

You may have read that tax law changes went into effect in January that made everyone eligible for a Roth IRA conversion, regardless of income level or tax filing status.

What’s so special about a Roth IRA?

The assets you are working hard to build now will become tax-free income in retirement. Rather than paying taxes when you withdraw the funds in retirement, you pay taxes on the assets when you invest in a Roth IRA.

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Inkandescent PR founder interviews Beverly Cleary for the Costco Connection

April 2010, The Costco Connection — In this month’s Costco Connection, Inkandescent PR founder Hope Katz Gibbs had the privilege of interviewing and writing about beloved children’s book author Beverly Cleary.

Hope writes:

“RAMONA QUIMBY WAS nine years old. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and no cavities,” writes beloved children’s book author Beverly Cleary in the first chapter of her bestseller, Ramona’s World. It chronicles the day our heroine meets her new baby sister, Roberta.

This is one of more than three dozen books penned by Cleary in the more than five decades (her first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950; her last was Ramona’s World in 1999) that she has been drawing kids into the adventures of her characters. Klickitat Street, where several of them live, is based on her own childhood neighborhood.

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BE INKANDESDCENT MAGAZINE: John Hasenberg asks, "Do you know where your retirement savings are?"

By John Hasenberg
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Be Inkandescent Magazine • April 2010

A traditional IRA here. A rollover IRA there. Four job changes (so far!) and three retirement plan account balances left in the plans of former employers.

Over the years, you may have accumulated a significant sum in various retirement accounts. While keeping those assets in various accounts at different financial institutions isn’t necessarily a bad thing, there is a strong case for consolidating them into one account with the same financial institution.

Why Consolidate? Consolidating your retirement savings, where appropriate, offers several benefits.

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BE INKANDESDCENT MAGAZINE: Financial Advisor Nancy Hartsock on the pitfalls of behavioral finance

By Nancy A. Hartsock
Financial Advisor and Financial Planning Specialist
The Hasenberg Hartsock Group at MorganStanley SmithBarney

Be Inkandescent Magazine • March 2010

The severe downturn of the financial markets that began in 2007 has led many investors to question their investment strategies and the choices they made in the past. Investment decisions are among the most important life choices a person can make. They may determine where your children will be able to go to college, when you’ll be able to retire, and the type of lifestyle you’ll enjoy in retirement.

For these reasons, many investors are now re-evaluating strategies, reassessing their tolerance for risk, revisiting asset allocations, and rethinking long-term financial plans.

To make sound decisions in this environment, investors should be aware of their own psychological blind spots. These can lead to persistently poor financial choices — errors that over time, can do significant damage to portfolios.

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Planning a wedding or big party? Go for the National Museum for Women in the Arts

By Roxanne Rukowicz
Founder and Principal
Behind the Scenes Events

One of the most splendid affairs I have helped to plan was a wedding at the National Museum for Women in the Arts. It wasn’t just because the bride was a stunner in her Vera Wang gown, or because the museum is one of the most opulent venues in the area. It was because the museum itself is a celebration of the power of women.

Everywhere that you look in this museum, you’ll find artwork that is a testimony to the joys and heartbreak, trials and tribulations of real women throughout history.

So to host a wedding in this grand building, located at H Street and New York Avenue, is more than an event. It becomes a work of art in itself. Click “Read More” to learn why.

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How can you attain wellness, achieve greater creativity, and tap into our intuition?

When we rang in 2010 at midnight on January 1, I was excited because we were beginning a new decade filled with the opportunity to create a new reality for our work life, love life, and goals for the future. It may sound trite, but just as I always loved the start of a new school year — I love the freshness of a new year for it also gives us the chance to shed our old ideas, pains and failures.

Of course, such a shedding is never easy because it’s far too comfortable to rely on our old habits. But many people come to realize that bettering themselves and living more fully the life they want is not just a nice idea — it is critical to their happiness.

I’ve watched as hundreds of clients struggle with this idea, and as soon as they begin to trust the creative force inside they have new insights into themselves. They realize what is frustrating them, what old memories or beliefs are holding them back. And with this knowledge and understanding, they begin to reshape their world.

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Dr. Celia Im teaches us how to achieve wellness by moving from stress to relaxation.

Before we begin our discussion about how we can find wellness in our lives, I’d like to talk about how music helps us break through blocks that keep us from feeling happy and calm.

Students of music know that the sounds created by instruments and the human voice not only serve to impact our mood — they can be a bridge between the tangible and the intangible. For centuries, music has inspired humanity and the reason is simple.

In its purest form, music is an array of sound waves that form patterns of high and low vibrations that interact with our mind and body. In fact, the music of composers such as Bach and Bela Bartok has long been mathematically analyzed.

Not unlike radio waves or heat waves, sound waves penetrate and impact our physical bodies as well as stirring our mind and soul.

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What's one of DC's most romantic museum spaces to host a party? Roxanne Rukowicz of Behind the Scenes Events shares her secret.

Ask any event planner in DC to name a museum that offers amazing space flexibility and most will point you toward The Corcoran Gallery of Art. Why? We love a blank canvas. The grand marble foyer lends itself to endless possibilities with decor and lighting and the space can seemingly be cut to be as big or as small as you need it — perfect for an elegant and romantic wedding, beautiful luncheon or black tie affair.

Plus there are other things on its side like location, location, location. “The Corcoran sits across from the South Lawn of the White House at 500 17th St., NW,” says Roxanne. “Its spectacular beaux-arts design holds a prestigious permanent collection of American art and the museum also hosts notable exhibits, which makes it a favorite venue for many of Washington, DC’s corporate and social events.”

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The value of getting personal with your clients

You’ve heard it said a thousand times: “This is business, not personal.” That infamous mantra from “The Godfather” has always rankled me. Maybe it’s because I’m a believer that if something matters to you, it has to be personal.

Sure, we all strive to increase our revenues and profits, but especially in this sluggish economy it’s not always just about who sells the widget at a lower price. Business is about two people helping each other to solve a problem.

Another lesson I’ve learned from my 15 years in the recruiting business is that people do business with those they like and trust. So short of having a mafia boss to contend with, that requires a deft touch, a little creativity, and the desire to build long-lasting, personal relationships with your clients.

As we near Valentine’s Day, here are a few tips on how you can master the art of getting personal in the professional realm.

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HOPE GIBBS REPORTS: NTSB Chairman Warns 'First Impessions Can Be Wrong'

By Hope Katz Gibbs
The National Press Club
The Wire
Photo by Terry Hill

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Debbie Hersman criticized the way some members of the press cover the aviation and transportation accidents at a Luncheon Nov. 16.

“We understand the need to solve the puzzle in the early hours of an accident, and we know your editors and producers want you to be the first to get the ‘cause’ of the accident, but what is the cost to your credibility if you are the first to get the cause wrong? We have learned from experience that first impressions can be wrong,” she said.

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AGENT'S SALES JOURNAL asks Scott Golden to give the "Top 5 Reasons People Don’t Buy Health Insurance — And What You Can Say to Help Them Reconsider"

By Scott Golden, CFO
Golden & Cohen
November 2009
“View the entire article here”: http://www.agentssalesjournal.com/content/view/1523/?asj1

Why should individuals rely on a professional to assemble comparisons of various plans only after a fact-finding conversation with the agent? That’s a question that has been raised regularly in my office, especially since the discussion has heated up on health care reform. The reality is that agents like yourself — good ones, at least — are essential and continue to be relevant, for you can bring viable options to the table that the individual may not have otherwise considered.

Why do people need an agent to help find the right policy?

Truth be told, there are some sophisticated, high-tech services out there, and more effective online tools seem to pop up regularly.

However, I have found that using the Web alone usually does not give the individual all the information needed to select the best plan. There is more to the issue than which plan is cheapest. And sometimes, you have to not just read the fine print, but also read between the lines to determine what the plan truly offers.

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HOPE GIBBS REPORTS: U.S. Postal Service in acute financial crisis, Postmaster General says [National Press Club]

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, October 8, 2009 — On today’s National Press Club Wire, Inkandesent PR founder and president Hope Gibbs wrote the featured story about a speech given yesterday at the Club by John Potter, Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service.

She wrote: The 234-year-old U.S. Postal Service is in acute financial crisis, John Potter, the 72nd Postmaster General said Thursday during a National Press Club luncheon. After losing a projected $7 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Potter said he is working to help the USPS reinvent itself. It won’t be an easy task, as 28 billion fewer pieces of mail were sent last year compared to fiscal year 2008, he said. Potter said that holiday mail, one of the traditionally highest volume periods of the year, was flat last year — and he expects it to be flat this December, as well. In addition to more people using email rather than snail mail, and the lagging economy that is causing fewer people to mail printed ads pieces and other promotional materials, Potter believes the USPS’ deficit also grew out of a three-year-old law that added more than $5 billion to annual costs for prefunding retiree health benefits.

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Placed Article: Sharon Armstrong featured in new book: "42 Rules™ for Driving Success With Books"

PLACED ARTICLE

WASHINGTON, DC, January 1, 2009 — Insight into how her three books have helped HR expert Sharon Armstrong’s business is featured in a new book released this month entitled, “42 Rules™ for Driving Success With Books,” by Mitchell Levy, publisher of Happy About, a quick2publish book publisher based in Southern California.

“The authors in this book wrote content that allowed them to demonstrate innovation, share their marketing strategy, improve client retention, and share tricks and techniques on using a tool or service,” Levy explains. “The fact that they put this content in a book gave their ideas weight and increased their credibility and reputation. Having the books show up on Amazon, BN.com and other bookstores as well as personally delivering their books to clients/prospects really helped to drive the impact of their message.”

Armstrong is the author of three books: The Essential HR Handbook, 2007, Stress-Free Performance Appraisals, and Healing the Canine Within. For Levy’s book, she contributed the text for Chapter 25: Get Immediate Credibilty.

She writes: “I hadn’t planned on writing ‘Stress-Free Performance Appraisals’ back in 2002. But when an agent at Career Press read my first book … she liked it, and thought I could write another one for her. The next one was for HR professionals, and right up my alley … “

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Placed Article: Steven B. Wiley offers insights into business leadership for chapter in new book: "42 Rules™ for Driving Success With Books"

WASHINGTON, DC, January 1, 2009 — Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg president Steven B. Wiley is featured in a new book released this month, “42 Rules™ for Driving Success With Books,” by Mitchell Levy, publisher of Happy About, a quick2print publishing company based in Southern California.

Wiley writes: “I have had the great honor of being invited to speak at some of the biggest organizations and Fortune 500 companies in the world to make presentations based on a book I wrote during the toughest period in my life. It is called ‘The Human Side of High Performance,’ and I am thrilled to say that its message has resonated with some of the most famous, and infamous, leaders of our time who have hired me to speak to their sales teams and managers.”

“I didn’t just wake up one morning and decide I wanted to be a celebrated author and speaker who helps people be more productive and effective as sales and business professionals. I began by trying to help myself.”

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Placed Article: Alice Waagen Writes Featured Post for Employment Crossing

EMPLOYMENT CROSSING, Nov. 1, 2008 — “Know when — and how — to hire the right staff,” is a placed article by Alice Waagen, PhD, president of Workforce Learning. It appeared as the featured HR article on the website Employment Crossing, one of the leading job-opening research companies in the world and the go-to website for executives, administrators, managers, assistants and entry-level workers, providing access to thousands of lucrative job openings in the human resources field.

Alice’s article describes the three steps to hiring success: Know when it’s time, determine what type of help you need, and decide if you should go the full-time-employee or contractor route.

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Placed Article: Great Handmade Gifts Writes Cover Story, Washington Woman

WASHINGTON WOMAN, December 2007 — In placed article by Hope Katz Gibbs, the president and founder Great Handmade Gifts, described the challenges and thrill of starting a new business. Entitled, “Gifts to grow on,” she likens forming her online art / sales company to having a child.

“The idea for Great Handmade Gifts came to me shortly after my husband Mike and I had moved our family from Old Town, Alexandria to western Fairfax County in the summer of 2000,” she recalls. “We came in search of good schools and a house big enough to hold our two children and our two businesses (I have been a freelance writer since 1993, Mike has been a freelance illustrator since 1980). We got all that plus three community pools, two tennis courts, tons of tall trees and lots of nice neighbors. By Christmas I was miserable. I missed the energy and excitement of being near a city. I missed being able to plop my kids in the stroller and walk to a nearby coffee shop or bike down to the river. I wanted to go home. Only, I was home.”

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