Press Releases
What makes a good press release? A great story. That’s how we write press releases about our clients’ new books and events, interesting projects, new services, and original ideas. Using our experience as journalists, we pull out the information we know will appeal to other reporters — then pick the important details and write up the press release as we would an article. It’s not a magic formula. It’s simply an authentic, newsworthy approach.
Washington, DC, June 11, 2015 — Does being a dad make you a better entrepreneur? That’s one of the questions tackled in the special Father’s Day issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.
For inspiration, we turn to our newest client, entrepreneur and futurist Michael Vidikan, who runs the Dallas-based futurist think tank www.FutureInFocus.com.
We celebrate the launch of his revamped website this month, which features more than 1,400 briefs on international, corporate, and consumer trends — including business, emerging, generational, and geographic reports.
In this issue, we share three articles on the topic of fatherhood based on Future in Focus briefs:
In our Tips for Entrepreneurs this month, we share two more research studies:
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Contact: Hope Katz Gibbs, founder
Inkandescent Public Relations,
www.inkandescentpr.com
email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Signed copies of the “Meat Free Monday Cookbook” by Paul, Mary, and Stella McCartney will go to the two people who donate the most money to the “No More Bull” crowdfunding campaign
Washington, DC — In celebration of Earth Day, ChompingClimateChange.org is launching a No More Bull campaign today.
Designed to slow climate change — before it’s irreversible — No More Bull includes a crowdfunding component created in partnership with the nonprofit organization A Well-Fed World.
The goal is to raise a minimum of $500,000 to develop activities that inspire people through music to accompany events including Live Earth on June 18 — created by Al Gore, Kevin Wall, and Pharrell Williams. If enough funds are raised, No More Bull will also help develop activities for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
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Washington, DC, June 22, 2015 — With more than 35 years of financial planning experience, financial advisor Sheldon Weiner has seen clients make literally hundreds of mistakes regarding their retirement planning.
However, the founding partner at Egan, Berger & Weiner LLC, based in Northern VA, has made a point of learning from his clients mistakes.
“As a husband for more than four decades, I do not want to have to explain to my wife, Sharon, why we do not have the quality of life in retirement that she has been looking forward to,” explains Weiner, who offers 10 simple steps to consider when planning for a comfortable retirement.
1. Save enough money! Yes, this should be obvious. And I am amazed that this very basic fact eludes so may people. Write this down: Save early and save often. I don’t care if it’s $5 a week. The sooner you start saving, and the more you can save, the better off you will be financially when you retire.
2. Make sure you put the plan in writing. So many people do not write down their plan for retirement. As a result, it is harder to stick to — and you are liable to sway from the proper path that can take you where you want to go. To keep this from happening to you, make sure your plan is realistic, complete, and gets you to your ultimate financial goals. Also, make sure you communicate these long-term goals to your spouse and your financial planner to ensure you are all on the same page.
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Washington, DC, June 15, 2015 —The past decade has seen the emergence of a new twist on the traditional nuclear family: mothers who work full-time (like their fathers did), while fathers stay at home and take care of the day-to-day responsibilities of parenting.
“Although the Great Recession may have accelerated this trend, studies have shown that the majority of men who engage in full-time parenting have not been forced to do so by difficult economic circumstances, but, rather, have chosen to do so,” explains futurist Michael Vidikan, president of FutureInFocus.com.
His popular subscription-based strategic foresight and consulting firm that helps companies see years — or even decades — into the future to make better long-term decisions today.
Following are findings, drivers, and business implications for the trend.
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Washington, DC, June 10, 2015 — Future in Focus celebrates the launch of its revamped website this month, which features more than 1,400 briefs on international, corporate, and consumer trends — including business, emerging, generational, and geographic reports.
A popular subscription-based strategic foresight and consulting firm, Future in Focus helps companies see years or even decades into the future to make better long-term decisions today.
“As the name of our company suggests, we want to put the future in focus and provide clarity and direction for organizations as they work to plan for what’s coming next,” said entrepreneur and futurist Michael Vidikan, who runs the Dallas-based futurist think tank.
Vidikan founded the firm in 2014, and clients range from small start-ups to international Fortune 500 companies, including ConAgra Foods, GM, The Hershey Company, Nissan, and more.
“Our coverage is mostly focused on trends that are consumer-centric and will impact the business community 2-10 years out,” noted Vidikan. “We cover a very broad spectrum of consumer and technology trends across many industries and geographies, from research about Millennials’ food preferences to the future of 3D printing in China.”
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Washington, DC, June 10, 2015 — When it comes to having a deep knowledge and understanding of the history of the United States, how much do you really know?
“It might be less than you think,” writes Saba Naseem on Smithsonian.com, which asked Grateful American™ Foundation founder David Bruce Smith what he believes can be done to fix this problem. Click here to learn what he has to say.
Smith explains: “I was born loving history. When I was a little boy, my grandfather said I should read biographies—especially about the great people like Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin; he believed that knowledge would flow into my young mind, and pool into a reservoir of wisdom that I would be able to tap in the future.
“It was good advice. My mother was also a bibliophile, and kept my shelves filled with classics, including biographies on Madame Curie and Winston Churchill to Catherine the Great and Joseph Lister.”
That’s why he created the Grateful American™ Foundation.
“The Grateful American Foundation honors my grandfather — and my father, Robert H. Smith, who always referred to himself as a Grateful American,” shares Smith. “We are a fortunate family, and because of that, he felt very strongly about giving back. During the last 20 years of his life, he devoted himself to education, and nothing excited him more than to see a child excited about learning—particularly history. So, I have taken his sentiment and converted it to a noun.
“Hopefully, the Foundation will move kids—and adults—to become more enthusiastic about it via videos, games, and interactive activities,” adds Smith, who in the June issue of his monthly history magazine features interviews with the four finalists — and the winner — the 2015 Washington Book Prize.
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Washington, DC, May 27, 2015 — “Based on the principle of supply and demand, a student of economics would likely believe that with the aging American population, long-term care insurance packages should be flying off the shelf,” explains Dave Beck, a partner and insurance expert at the financial services firm Egan, Berger and Weiner LLC, based in Northern Virginia.
However, Beck notes, that according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, only 10 percent of the elderly have private long-term care insurance.
“The harsh reality is that there exists a two in three chance of at least one member of a couple going to a nursing home,” Beck insists. “Based on these statistics, you might think that demand for insurance to cover this risk would be strong, but you would be wrong.”
Consumer reluctance to purchase long-term care insurance can stem from a variety of reasons. High-premium rates, perceived cost-to-benefit analysis and the belief that the long-term care insurance policy will go unused are just a few of the arguments individuals.
“Maybe they don’t fully understand the consequences — yet, for a couple, there is a 91 percent probability that one of them will need some form of long-term care services and a 64 percent chance that one of them will enter a nursing home.”
However, there is hope.
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Washington, DC, May 22, 2015 — What will our biggest cities look like in three years? In five years? In 50 years?
That’s the topic we tackle in the May 2015 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine, and we shine a light on one of the cities that is busy planning ahead for the future.
Our featured entrepreneur is Jane Ferrara, the chief operating officer of the City of Richmond’s Economic Development Authority. Her expertise in commercial real estate transactions, honed over 30 years in the private sector, allows Ferrara to anticipate the real estate needs of prospects and negotiate deals.
Case in point: Making a deal with one of the hottest companies in the country, Stone Brewing Co. Find out how she, and 200 of her colleagues, got Stone to bring its operations to the River City.
And be sure to check out Ferrara’s Tips for Entrepreneurs on how to make your company attractive to a large economic development authority.
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Washington, DC, May 21, 2015 — What would America have been like if Abraham Lincoln had lived?
Allida Black, a research professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University, sat down with the Grateful American™ Radio Show to discuss how Lincoln’s assassination shaped our post-Civil War nation to the parallels in leadership and persona that exist between Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt, Black detailed how these events forever changed America.
“I can only say this: It would have been different,” said Black of Lincoln’s death. “We know that within a week before John Wilkes Booth murdered Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln was in fact talking publicly about voting rights for African-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Some historians of great note argue that that was the tipping point that pushed the assassin to murder.”
_In this podcast interview, David Bruce Smith, founder of Grateful American™ TV, and co-host Hope Katz Gibbs had a fascinating conversation with Ms. Black, delving into a variety of historical and hot-button issues,
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email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, April 17, 2015 — What grabs your interest in the National Museum of American History? Is it Dorothy’s ruby slippers, an actual 199-ton locomotive, Julia Child’s kitchen, or the first ladies’ gowns? John Gray presides over it all, and seeks even more ways to connect Americans with their history.
This month, David Bruce Smith, founder of Grateful American™ TV, and co-host Hope Katz Gibbs had a stimulating conversation with John Gray in his corner office atop the museum.
“When you walk through the doors of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, you need to make a decision. Where should I look first?” says Gray.
The museum has in its collection more than three million artifacts, including Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” sheet music written by local legend Duke Ellington, and an authentic 199-ton, 92-foot-long Southern Railway locomotive.
In this episode Gray also explains:
- What he hopes people learn by the time they leave the museum.
- How he determines what people, especially kids, want to see in the Smithsonian.
- And, why he thinks it is important to mix the past with the present when it comes to history education.
What is the Smithsonian doing to help people, especially kids, become more interested in American history? Watch here, then read all about it at GratefulAmericanFoundation.com.
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Inkandescent Public Relations, www.inkandescentpr.com
email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, April 17, 2015 — “The virtual currency Bitcoin is a mere speculative bubble, or it’s a force set to transform the financial world, depending on whom one asks,” says Michael Vidikan, president of the research organization Future in Focus. “Bitcoin is clearly in its early stages and its future is still unclear.”
How does Bitcoin work? Created in 2009 as a decentralized, peer-to-peer currency system, the anonymous programmer of the currency designed it so that no banks or governments were involved in transactions, which could be anonymous.
Will We All Be Using Bitcoin in the Future?
Vidikan believes there are three potential scenarios for Bitcoin:
- The status quo — meaning its current marginal existence continues.
- Outright suppression by governments.
- Success as a mainstream currency.
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Inkandescent Public Relations, www.inkandescentpr.com
email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, April 17, 2015 — Yes, April 15 has come and gone, with most of us closing the books on 2014 for good. But savvy small-business owners will use this milestone to identify what needs to be fixed or changed — before April 15 next year.
Sure, filing taxes can be stressful, even emotionally painful. But as any business strategist knows, the ability to manage money is the key to small-business success.
So in the April 2015 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine. we offer some financial food for thought.
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Email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
Cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, April 17, 2015 — “Much has been written about the cost of a college education and the debt burden being placed on our children,” says Pressman, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner with Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
“According to the Wall Street Journal, today’s grads are saddled with, on average, $33,000 in student loans — nearly twice the amount of just 20 years ago. Start factoring in advanced degrees or more expensive schools, and you can see how the cost can quickly spiral out of control,” he explains.
Pressman notes that 2014 college graduates have the dubious distinction of carrying the highest student loan debt in history.
What can you do to keep this from happening to your kids?
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Inkandescent Public Relations, www.inkandescentpr.com
Email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
Cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, March 6, 2015 — “When it comes to taking control of your financial future, having a handle on a few basic rules of thumb is the key to success,” believes CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Michael Egan, a partner at Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
Last year was a great year for large-cap US stocks (the S&P 500) — the index was up 13.7 percent — yet many individuals are wondering why their portfolios did not come close to that rate of return.
“My clients want to know whether they should be more aggressive, and whether they should get rid of bonds or international stocks,” says Egan.
Before doing anything, keep in mind these 3 Financial Planning Rules of Thumb:
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Email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
Cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, March 6, 2015 — “Are you confused about the concept of giving someone a Power of Attorney (POA)?” asks Lisa Hughes, an attorney and partner at Yates Campbell & Hoeg LLP.
In fact, it has nothing to do with delegating power to a lawyer or an attorney-at-law, she explains.
What it is: A POA is a legal document in which we name another person to make legally binding financial decisions for us.
How it works: The person delegating authority using the POA is known as the principal, and the person chosen to make decisions on behalf of the principal is the agent. The principal dictates the scope of the authority that is granted as well as the time when the authority becomes effective. The principal can later withdraw the grant of authority. As with any legally binding relationship, each party has duties as well as rights. In sum, the POA is a special type of contract.
What you need to know: There are a number of concepts to keep in mind when considering the type of authority you would include — and sometimes, choose not to include — in a POA.
Follow these 6 tips from Hughes to empower yourself with a Power of Attorney:
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Inkandescent Public Relations, www.inkandescentpr.com
email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, March 6, 2015 — More than half of American women are the breadwinners in their households, but women still earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.
Does that frustrate you? You aren’t alone.
What can you do about it?
For starters, pick up Sheryl Sandberg’s best-seller, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. In this easy-to-read primer on how to lean in, the Facebook COO provides additional data and research into why women have a hard time making more money, getting promotions, and seizing opportunities — along with 10 tips on how to reverse the trend.
Sandberg can’t make all these changes alone, knows Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine. So in the March 2015 issue, she shines a light on dozens of women who are leaning in.
Click here to read about how 12 professional business women are leaning in.
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Email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
Cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, March 6, 2015 — When the sun would set along the Potomac River, George and Martha Washington could sometimes be found sipping cocktails on the veranda of their Virginia home.
What would it have been like to sit there with them, considering the politics, challenges, and issues of the day?
This month, David Bruce Smith, founder of Grateful American™ TV, and co-host Hope Katz Gibbs sit out on the porch where the Washingtons spent so many evenings — thanks to Curt Viebranz, president and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
“When the home was originally built in the early 1730s, it was called Little Huntington Creek,” Viebranz explains. “Washington’s half-brother, Lawrence, renamed the estate Mount Vernon, in recognition of the incredible view here by the promontory, and also in tribute to Admiral Vernon, whom he served under in the US Navy.”
Did you know that Lawrence died in his early 30s of tuberculosis? “And because none of his and his wife’s four children survived childhood, when his widow died, George Washington ultimately inherited the house from her. It was Washington who built the home we see here now.”
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email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, February 10, 2015 — Have you had the pleasure of visiting the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library? This month, David Bruce Smith, founder of Grateful American™ TV and co-host Hope Katz Gibbs traveled to New York City to interview Louise Mirrer, the president and CEO of the museum, which is the oldest in New York City and predates the founding of the Metropolitan Museum of Art by nearly 70 years. Its art holdings comprise more than 1.6 million works.
In this episode, Mirrer tells us about:
- The genesis of the New-York Historical Society: The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library (NYHS) was founded at a time when artifacts were considered to be treasures, and the public was considered to consist of people who would ruin them if allowed to come near them. Built in 1904 by architects who built banks all over New York, it was designed as a vault, with the goal of keeping the treasures locked inside where they would be safe from the public.
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email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, February 10, 2015 — “When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, don’t just think about going to the gym to get your body in shape — make sure your IRA, insurance, and portfolios are in tip-top form as well,” says CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Bryan Beatty, a partner at Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
Here are his “5 Tips for Ringing in the New Year Right”:
- Take advantage of the increased contribution limits in 2015. Contributions to 401k and 403B plans have been increased to $18,000 (from $17,500) — and catch-up contributions have been increased to $6,000 for participants 50 and older, for a total of $24,000.
Note: This is the year to sign up to have your contribution bumped automatically by 1 percent per year until it reaches the maximum. And remember, many employer plans offer matching contributions, so any amount up to a certain percentage that you contribute will be matched by the company you work for. Many plans offer automatic increase options on your contributions.
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Washington, DC, February 10, 2015 — “If you own your own business, you can be sure that preparing a Last Will & Testament or an estate plan will be challenging — but don’t let that discourage you from doing it anyway,” insists Lisa Hughes, an attorney and partner at Yates Campbell & Hoeg LLP.
“Business owners, especially those who started a business themselves and then made it successful, generally want to provide for the smooth transition of control of the business at their death, disability, or retirement,” she explains. “At the same time, they also want to provide benefits to themselves, their families, their charities, their employees, and their customers.”
With so much at stake, the best strategy is to start the transition process at the time the business is started as opposed to when the hearse is pulling up to the curb. Begin with the basics, Hughes insists.
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Contact: Hope Katz Gibbs, founder
Inkandescent Public Relations, www.inkandescentpr.com
email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, February 10, 2015 — How powerful and important is love when it comes to operating a powerful, successful business?
This month’s issue of Be Inkandescent magazine features a scientist who focuses not just on our professional lives, but also on our personal ones.
That doesn’t mean the research that Andrea Kuszewski does has no connection to our companies. Rather, the science she studies has turned up some fascinating facts that cross the line between work and play.
Intrigued? Click here to listen to our podcast interview on the Inkandescent Radio Network, and read our Q & A with Kuszewski in our February 2015 Tips for Entrepreneurs.
That’s not the only way we’re turning up the heat this month.
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email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, February 10, 2015 —“The time has come to return to traditional values of fiduciary duty,” Vanguard founder John C. (Jack) Bogle said recently.
To meet that goal, on Thursday, Jan. 29, the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard issued 11 Best Practices that propose to address the standards fiduciaries should meet to serve the best interest of their clients.
“These Best Practice standards would go a long way toward protecting the public and cleaning up the industry of ‘bad actors’ and bad practices,” says Bryan D. Beatty, CFP®, AIF,® a partner of Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC. Beatty (pictured here) is one of five advisers on the Institute’s Best Practices board, which has been crafting the standards for the past 10 months.
“Putting clients’ interests first is paramount to a fiduciary standard. Advisers and practitioners must lead the way and not wait for regulators,” Beatty said. “I believe that by adopting these Best Practices, we can change the industry to better benefit the investing public.”
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Contact: Hope Katz Gibbs, founder
Inkandescent Public Relations, www.inkandescentpr.com
email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, January 15, 2015 — This month, CFP® Howard Pressman was named the 2015 Planner of the Year by the Financial Planning Association’s National Capital Area chapter.
The Financial Planning Association (FPA) award recognizes the achievement of a financial planner who:
- Promotes the financial planning profession,
- Does a considerable amount of community and charitable work,
- Has gained media recognition,
- Is a strong mentor,
- Is innovative with financial planning techniques and practice management,
- Has received individual or firm recognition, and
- Is a current FPA member.
“I am incredibly honored by this award,” says Pressman, who had been at a Fortune 500 firm for 12 years when he decided to reinvent his practice at an independent firm that made financial planning the centerpiece of the client relationship.
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email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, January 15, 2015 — Do you believe in the power of intuition?
“Five years ago I had a feeling that what I needed to do to expand my PR firm was to create a monthly business magazine that would enable entrepreneurs to educate other entrepreneurs about best practices in small business,” explains Hope Katz Gibbs, founder of Inkandescent Public Relations, and publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine.
Her gut instinct panned out.
With the January 2015 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine, she embarks on her sixth year of publishing.
“The magazine gets a million visits each month,” she shares. And on our Search page you’ll find more than 2,000 articles we’ve published to date, which we hope stimulate you to think about your business in new and exciting ways.
Gibbs believes the best is yet to come.
Case in point: the January feature on world-renowned intuitive guide Laura Day. Her fans include Nicole Kidman, Chris Rock, and Brad Pitt. In addition to celebrities, her clients include executives at some of the world’s largest corporations, as well as other professionals who hire her to help them achieve their goals and dreams.
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hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703.346.6975
Washington, DC, January 19, 2015 — “Once you embark on the estate planning journey, the question of whether to include a Revocable Living Trust in your plan is inevitable,” insists estate planning attorney Lisa Hughes, a long-time partner at the Fairfax, Virginia, law firm Yates Campbell & Hoeg LLP.
“Begin by learning the purpose of this tool and then determine if it makes sense for your plan,” suggests Hughes in the Estate Planning column of this month’s issue of BeInkandescent magazine.
Scroll down for our Q&A.
Question: What is a Revocable Living Trust?
Lisa Hughes: In a nutshell, a Revocable Living Trust (RLT) is a stand-alone document (separate from the Will and the Power of Attorney) that creates a trust entity in which the Settlor (the person creating the RLT) benefits during the Settlor’s lifetime,” Hughes explains. “And, the trust continues after the Settlor’s death for the benefit of the Settlor’s other beneficiaries.”
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email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, January 19, 2015 — “George Washington has been the subject of thousands of books and articles, and yet he still remains a distant figure to many of us,” knows Douglas Bradburn, PhD, Founding Director of Mount Vernon’s Fred W. Smith National Library, located adjacent to Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.
So, how can he help demystify the mythology around this Founding Father?
That was the focus of a recent interview with Dr. Bradburn on Grateful American™ TV. Co-hosts David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs visited Dr. Bradburn at the Library to talk about the man who led the nation in its earliest days and whose image graces the $1 bill.
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Inkandescent Public Relations, www.inkandescentpr.com
email: hope@inkandescentpr.com
cell: 703-346–6975
Washington, DC, January 15, 2015 — If you have a child with special needs, planning ahead for his or her financial future — especially in terms of insurance — is complex, knows insurance agent Dave Beck, a partner and insurance expert at Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
“The reason is that every situation presents itself with a different set of circumstances,” he explains.
To help more families plan ahead, Beck has outlined a three-part process.
Note: The assumptions are that you are married and that as long as either you or your spouse is alive, you can continue to support the child.
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Washington, DC, November 21, 2014 — Washingtonian magazine has named Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC one of the 376 top financial advisers, estate attorneys, insurance agents, and financial planning firms in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
Editors compiled the list based on a survey sent to the top financial professionals in the DC area asking: Who would you trust with your own money? (See more below.)
“If you want financial advice and have a fairly simple life—if you’re single or rent, for example—it’s usually enough to pay an adviser by the hour, once every year or two, to map out a plan,” explain Washingtonian editors. “But if your financial situation is more complex, it may make sense to pay an adviser a flat fee, or a percentage of assets, and be able to call with questions anytime.”
Charging flat fees for some services, such as mutual funds, is what landed two of the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals at Egan, Berger & Weiner on the list.
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Washington, DC, December 5, 2014 — Are you happy? That’s the question asked in the December 2014 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine, featuring Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project: Or, why I spent a year trying to sing in the morning, clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle, and generally have more fun.
“Rubin’s ‘Happiness Project’ is a powerful process. It has given millions of people permission — and a guide — to boost their energy, make time for friends, and stay calmer and more organized by making small changes, including simply making the bed every day,” says Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine. “It was a pleasure to interview her, and share her ideas with our audience of small business owners.”
Also in this issue, you’ll learn …
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Washington, DC, December 5, 2014 — Cate Magennis Wyatt is on a mission. Since 2005, the founder and president of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground has been shining a spotlight on the National Heritage Area, which runs from Gettysburg, PA, through Maryland and West Virginia, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA.
Why is honoring and preserving this area so important?
“It’s not just teaching more people about the lives and accomplishments of the Founding Fathers and Mothers that I am interested in,” Wyatt insists. “My goal is to have millions of people visit the historical swath that stretches 180 miles long and 75 miles wide — and includes nine presidential homes and birthplaces, more than 10,000 sites on the National Register of Historic Places, and sites from the Revolutionary War, French and Indian War, War of 1812, and the Civil War.”
That’s why Grateful American™ Foundation founder David Bruce Smith wanted to interview Wyatt about her project in the newest episode of the Grateful American™ TV Show.
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Washington, DC, December 4, 2014 — American women face a complex challenge when it comes to securing retirement income that will last a lifetime, says Carmen Wu, a financial adviser at Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
“For a 65-year-old couple, there is a 47% chance that one of them will live to age 90, and that is up 2% from last year,” she explains.
But longevity is only a portion of the story when it comes to achieving retirement security.
Wu points to statistics that show:
- Women make up 57% of all Social Security beneficiaries age 62 and older, and 68% of all beneficiaries age 85 and older.
- In 2012, only 45% of women age 65 or older were married — compared to 75% of men.
- 67% of women spend a portion of their adult lives as unpaid caregivers.
“As a result, a large percentage of women rely on Social Security as a main source of retirement income,” Wu knows. “Making an informed decision about when to claim Social Security benefits must be carefully considered.”
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Washington, DC, December 2, 2014 — “A trust is a contract that’s on steroids,” insists Estate Planning attorney Lisa Hughes, a long-time partner at the Washington, DC law firm Yates Campbell & Hoeg LLP.
“While contracts are between buyers and sellers, every trust involves three parties,” explains Hughes in the primer she offers in the current issue of Be Inkandescent magazine
- Settlor: The party that creates the trust.
- Trustee: The party responsible for carrying out the settlor’s desires and intentions regarding the trust property.
- Beneficiary: Those who benefit from the trust.
Just as the consumption of steroids can create serious side effects, it’s important to consider the side effects of “trust use” or “trust abuse” before you ask your attorney to prescribe a trust for you.
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Richmond, VA, December 1, 2014 — Inkandescent Public Relations officially opened its second office today—this one in Richmond, VA, announced Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president of the PR, marketing, web development, and publishing firm based in Arlington, VA, InkandescentPR.com.
Why Richmond?
“When I was looking for a spot to open a new office, I was drawn to Richmond for its affordability, walkability, and sense that anything is possible in terms of business growth,” says Gibbs, whose office is located at 1719 W. Main Street. “What I also love about Richmond is its art, music, and food scene. This is a place where you aren’t just working, working, working to make your business a success—you can enjoy your life while you build your business. What a relief!”
What initially attracted Gibbs to the River City is her daughter, Anna, whose first choice for college was VCUarts.
“Anna had won several awards for her photos in high school and set her sights for college on the photo/video program at VCU,” explains Gibbs. “While my husband (illustrator Michael Glenwood Gibbs) and I didn’t want our daughter to put all of her eggs in one basket, we knew that this would be the perfect school for her. So we came for a tour in the spring of 2013, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Holy Moly, this city is vibrant, easy to navigate, and filled with endless possibilities. I want to live here.’”
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Washington, DC, November 10, 2014 — What are the top three blessings in your life? Your children and family? Your business? Your health? How about your human rights? Many of us feel our freedom is an inalienable right. But for so many around the world, that is not the case.
So in the November 2014 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine,, the cover story features Karen Hanrahan, an Obama administration appointee who serves in the State Department as the deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
What exactly are human rights? Don’t miss this issue.
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Washington, DC, October 14, 2014 — Harnessing the true potential of yourself, and your business, can be difficult. That’s especially true if you are struggling with any of the conditions that plague millions—such as alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Who doesn’t want to tap into their innate gifts and bring to life all the characteristics and capabilities that make their contribution to the world unique and important? This is especially true for the small-business owner,” says Hope Katz Gibbs, president of Inkandescent Public Relations, and publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine.
But how do you unlock your potential?
That’s the question Gibbs tackles in the October 2014 issue of BeInkandescent.com, which features “Acid Test: LSD, Ecstasy, and the Power to Heal.” This new book, by former Washington Post Magazine editor and best-selling author Tom Shroder, reveals the therapeutic powers of psychedelic drugs.
“When taken in controlled, medical settings, LSD and Ecstasy may have the power to heal,” Shroder has found. Click here to read more about it.
How else can you unlock your potential?
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Washington, DC, October 17, 2014 — Howard Pressman used to enjoy a good scare. In fact, he was a big fan of horror movies.
“I say ‘used to’ because I think the genre has become cheesy and silly, rather than scary, “ says Pressman, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner with Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC. “Current films rely on special effects instead of on plot and acting. Gratuitous blood and gore has replaced spine-chilling stories, masterfully brought to life. Think ‘Psycho,’ ‘The Shining,’ and ‘The Exorcist.’ Those were classics.”
What are the five scariest financial mistakes that Pressman sees many people make? Unfortunately, those are classics, too.
Here’s Pressman’s list, starting at the bottom, and working his way up to the most terrifying.
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Washington, DC, October 17, 2014 — When embarking on the estate planning adventure, many people want to focus on ways to protect and grow their investments or create a “golden” retirement for themselves.
But the best place to start is actually at the end, insists estate planning attorney Lisa Hughes.
“I recommend that you start by asking yourself one important question: What do I want to happen to my assets after I die? Then answer it in writing,” says Hughes. (Spoiler alert: The answer should be your Will, aka: Last Will and Testament.)
“This document delegates control over property once the person creating the Will (the “testator”) dies,” Hughes says. “Since Wills are the cornerstones of all estate planning, your Will should be the first document you prepare when doing your estate planning.
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Washington, DC, October 8, 2014 — Do opposites really attract? The life-long love story of our nation’s fourth president, James Madison, and his wife, Dolley, just may prove that theory.
The new issue of the newsletter from the Grateful American™ Foundation profiles the private and public partnership of this intriguing couple and takes viewers inside Montpelier, Madison’s Virginia plantation home, where the couple spent many happy years after retiring from public life in 1817.
Kat Imhoff, Montpelier Foundation president and CEO, shares her insights into the Madisons’ relationship in this issue of the newsletter. (You can also watch the interview with Imhoff on the Grateful American™ TV Show.)
“People tend to think that Dolley was the ultimate party girl and fashion plate, but there was method to her merriment,” explains Imhoff. “Using her adept social savvy, Dolley was able to forge connections and loyalties with important and influential people. In many ways, she complemented Madison’s reserved nature.”
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Washington, DC, Sept. 25, 2014 — Keeping on top of continuing education is critical for most professionals. But how many people stay current with their financial planning education?
Northern VA-based financial services firm Egan, Berger & Weiner LLC is dedicated to educating its clients about changes and trends in retirement planning. To make this learning experience as interesting and fun as possible, the partners annually host a Back to School Night.
“It’s our way of showing our appreciation to our valued clients, and keeping them on top of updates and changes that they need to be aware of in regard to their financial future,” says CFP® Bryan Beatty, a partner at EBW who has been a financial advisor for more than two decades.
Founding EBW partner Michael Egan agrees. He says the key to making sound financial decisions is knowing what questions to ask. “We have been doing educational seminars in Fairfax County for more than a decade, and we know from experience that teaching new and existing clients what to be on the lookout for is the only way that they will stay in control of their financial futures. It’s what I want for myself, and those I love. And it’s what I want for my clients.”
The free event for EBW clients and their guests averages more than 350 attendees, and has been growing every year. More than three quarters of EBW’s clients attend—even some out-of-state ones, says Idelis Favole, EBW office manager.
The event will feature speakers and presenters in the field of retirement planning who have been quoted on CNBC and “Fox Business News,” and in Kiplinger Personal Finance and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications.
Click here to watch highlights from EBW’s 10th annual Back to School Night! in October 2013.
Click here to register for the event.
Click “read more” for details about EBW’s Oct. 2, 2014 Back to School Night.
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Washington, DC, September 16, 2014 — For most people in their 20s and 30s, saving for retirement is not an immediate priority, knows Michael Egan, a founding partner at the Northern Virginia financial services firm Egan, Berger & Weiner LLC.
“They would rather buy a new house or car, start a college fund for their children, or plan a nice vacation,” he says. In comparison, retirement is way off in the distance. But, “like it or not, retirement saving should be their number-one goal.”
Here’s why: “Most young people today will not have a pension,” Egan explains. “They will likely have reduced Social Security benefits. That means they are the only ones saving for their retirement.”
Case in point: “As the father of two daughters now in their 20s, I have firsthand experience with this issue. When I advised my recent college graduate to put 20 percent of her gross income from her new job into her 401(k), her friends all told her that her dad was crazy. But it’s smart to plan for your future. And the best time to start is when you’re young.”
Don’t miss Egan’s Three Savings Priorities: A Checklist for Millennials.
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Washington, DC, September 8, 2014 — If you’re a successful business owner, writing a book not only offers a platform to share your experience, it also is a great way to promote your business and open up a potential new revenue stream through the sale of your books and services, explains Hope Katz Gibbs, president of Inkandescent Public Relations.
“And who doesn’t want to write a book?” asks the founder of the newly launched Inkandescent Publishing Group. “Business owners, especially, are interested in penning their thoughts and ideas and sharing them with the world.”
Gibbs has firsthand knowledge of the challenges and rewards of writing and publishing books that benefit fellow entrepreneurs. The Inkandescent Publishing Group recently released its latest book, “PR Rules: The Playbook — The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Supersizing Your Small Business with the 8 Steps to PR Success,” available now on amazon.com.
In fact, Step 7 provides extensive details and exercises on how to write a book.
“I have a couple of new authors ask me every day, ‘How do I get my book out into the marketplace?’ and now I have the perfect tool to recommend,” shares Jim Barnes, editor and Book Awards director, Independent Publisher. “This book is filled with great advice, well organized and concise, with a lively design that makes it fun and easy to read. Anyone who wants to improve the way they promote their products, their businesses, or themselves should read this book.”
For insights from a celebrity bestselling author, see the September 2014 Back to School issue of of Be Inkandescent magazine, featuring Kate DiCamillo.
A woman who is a wizard when it comes to writing books that warm hearts, touch souls—and sell millions, DiCamillo’s newest book is “Flora & Ulysses,” which won the 2014 Newbery Medal.
DiCamillo is also the recipient of the National Book Award (2001), the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (2006), and the (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award (2007, 2011). And she is the 2014-2015 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature—which means this celebrity author is making the rounds to meet kids across the country. Click here to read the Q&A.
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Washington, DC, September 3, 2014 — Estate planning can be complicated, but following attorney Lisa Hughes’ four straightforward steps will make it easier for you and your heirs.
“When I explain estate planning to my clients, I compare it to how I decide upon a new hairstyle,” says Hughes, a partner at Yates Campbell & Hoeg LLP. “I talk to my friends, do my research, ask a lot of questions, and pick the professional that will give me the result I want. In the end, I am an informed consumer—and, most importantly, I understand my role in the process.”
Of course, a new haircut is temporary; how you provide for your heirs can affect lives for years to come.
Here are four simple steps that will make it easier to conceptualize and work through creating an estate plan that will protect your family if you die or become disabled.
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Washington, DC, August 27, 2014 — Presidential vacations may be controversial today, but taking time away from the White House is nothing new. In an e-newsletter debuting this month from the Grateful American™ Foundation, readers visit Lincoln’s Cottage, where the 16th president spent more than a quarter of the time while he was in office.
“Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home is where President Lincoln made some of his most important decisions during the Civil War, and also where he found time to play checkers with soldiers and his son Tad,” explains Lincoln’s Cottage Executive Director Erin Carlson Mast, who shares insights in the newsletter, and in the first episode of the Grateful American™ TV Show.
“Scholars have called Lincoln’s Cottage ‘the Cradle of the Emancipation Proclamation’ because he created that document during his first summer living here,” shares Mast. “This place is steeped in history, but we have only been open to the public since 2008. We’re old, but we’re new.”
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Washington, DC, August 19, 2014 — What will “work” look like in 2020? That’s the question two futurists tackle in the August 2014 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.
“As business owners, most of us wish we had a crystal ball to look into the future,” says Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher of the online business magazine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs. “Fortunately, people like futurists Dr. Andy Hines and Chris Carbone track and analyze business and consumer trends and can give us a glimpse of what might lie ahead.”
According to Hines, who runs the Graduate Program in Foresight at the University of Houston: “Things will get really interesting in the decade ahead.” Many of the things that are changing “will have a reinforcing influence on one another, which could result in a fairly sweeping transformation.” Click here to read more.
Carbone, who tracks Jobs to 2020 and beyond, says: “There will be careers that don’t even exist today—just as there were no ‘social media strategists’ or ‘mobile app developers’ a few short years ago.” He also points out that employment projections available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics contain clues that can help educators, counselors, and policymakers plan for the needs of the future workforce. “These projections can also offer insight to parents, students, and career-changers,” Carbone adds.
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Washington, DC, Aug. 11, 2014 — Like many 50somethings, Dave Beck is a member of the sandwich generation. “That means I am caring for my aging parents while supporting my own children—a situation lots of us are in now, or will be one day,” says the partner and insurance agent at the financial services firm Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
From his vantage point, Beck sees up-close the importance of planning ahead for the inevitability of aging. In fact, Beck says, when he talks with his clients about planning for the future, their number one concern—almost unanimously—is to avoid being a burden on their loved ones as they age.
“What they don’t often realize is that by not taking the proper precautions, there is a real possibility that they will be a burden to all of the above,” insists Beck, who offers the following suggestions.
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Washington, DC, July 21, 2014 — Inkandescent PR art director and illustrator Michael Glenwood Gibbs has won a coveted honorable mention award from 3×3 Illustration Annual for the cover of PR Rules: The Playbook.
The colorful cover shows eight steps, to reflect the book’s emphasis on the 8 Steps to PR Success, which are called out in the book’s subtitle: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Supersizing Your Small Business With the 8 Steps to PR Success. Atop the eight steps is a silhouetted figure raising a megaphone, out of which pours a riotous cascade of brightly colored flowers—each one unique.
“The cover wonderfully conveys that when entrepreneurs use the 8 Steps to PR Success, their business will be seen and heard,” says Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president of Inkandescent Public Relations, and author of the book.
“We also love the cover design because it’s playful, and we created “PR Rules: The Playbook” to show small-business owners that promoting their business can be fun!”
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Washington, DC, July 17, 2014 — An inherited IRA does not have the same protection from creditors as an IRA originally saved for the purpose of retirement. That’s a result of a recent Supreme Court ruling, says CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional Bryan Beatty.
Why does this matter? “Because it could make an impact on your retirement savings,” explains Beatty, a partner with Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
IRAs and Roth IRAs receive what is known as a “retirement funds” exemption under Section 522 of the Bankruptcy Code. This exempts tax-exempt retirement funds from a bankruptcy estate.
Except when it doesn’t. Here’s why.
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Washington, DC, July 3, 2014 — In what ways do you consider yourself to be a Grateful American?
That’s the question that author and publisher David Bruce Smith is investigating in his new Foundation through The Grateful American™ Series.
With the goal of restoring enthusiasm for American history in kids and adults, Smith’s new website, which launched on July 3, is a portal for parents to learn more about the nation’s Founding Fathers, its presidential and historic homes, and its ideals.
“Quite simply, our goal is to make it fun to learn about American history,” says Smith, who borrowed the title for The Grateful American™ Series from his father, developer and philanthropist Robert H. Smith. “My father always referred to himself as a grateful American. He realized that the community and this country have been good to our family, and he wanted to give back. The Grateful American™ Foundation is my way of doing the same.”
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703.346.6975 / hope@inkandescentpr.com
Washington, DC, June 12, 2014 — Saving for retirement is challenging for most people—but studies show it’s even tougher for women, who all too often live in poverty during retirement, says Carmen Wu, a financial adviser at Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC..
Wu notes that on average, women who are 65 years and older rely on a median income of around $16,000 a year, and they rely almost exclusively on Social Security benefits, according to the recent congressional analysis of 2012 Census data. That’s $11,000 less than men the same age, whose annual income is about $27,612, she points out.
Why are women challenged in this way? Wu cites five main reasons:
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Washington, DC, June 30, 2014 — What does retirement look like to you? For many, the ideal imagery of this phase of life is exemplified by a distinguished gray-haired man and an attractive silver-haired woman walking hand in hand down a magnificent beach, enjoying the sunset while gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. They don’t have a care in the world, and why should they? They are retired.
But is there a dark side of retirement that no one talks about? Howard R. Pressman, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner with Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC, says there is, and he’s willing to spill the beans about it.
“Leaving the workforce can provoke a profound sense of loss,” Pressman says. Despite the availability of safe and effective treatments, late-life mood disorders remain a large problem. Older adults make up 12 percent of the US population, but account for 18 percent of all suicide deaths, according to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. This is an alarming statistic, as the elderly are the fastest growing segment of the population, making the issue of later-life suicide a major public-health priority.
Pressman cites disturbing trends from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as well:
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hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703.346.6975
THE GRATEFUL AMERICAN™ SERIES INTERVIEWS HISTORIAN THOMAS FLEMING, AUTHOR OF, “The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers”
Washington, DC, May 16, 2014 — “Novelists focus on the intimate side of life,” insists best-selling author Thomas Fleming, who has penned dozens of historic books including his recent novel, The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers.
“This is the first time anyone has looked at the intimate side of the lives of these famous Americans with an historian’s eyes,” Fleming told David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs, co-hosts of the The Grateful American™ TV Show.
The video interview with Fleming was shot in the beautiful formal dining room of Alexander Hamilton’s home, The Grange, in New York City, where Fleming shared anecdotes about the men and women who shaped the founding of the United States.
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703.346.6975 / hope@inkandescentpr.com
Washington DC, May 1, 2014 — When do you know when you are rich enough? “That’s the million-dollar question,” says Sheldon Weiner, a founding partner at the Northern VA financial services firm Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
Weiner explains: The Oxford Club, a private, international network of investors and entrepreneurs, has a singular mission: To grow and protect the wealth of its members. So I love that its chief investment strategist, Alexander Green, is famous for asking the question that I often hear my clients ask: When are you rich enough?”
Stop reading this press release for a minute and ponder this question for yourself. Pull out a pad and pen, or type on your favorite electronic device the three things that would make you feel rich enough. For Weiner, the three responses are:
- When you are in good health,
- When you have a great family and close friends, and
- When you enjoy many interests.
“While some are convinced that a person’s wealth can be determined only by their income, I would argue that you determine your level of wealth by looking at a balance sheet of your life—not just an income statement,” he insists. “And if having a lot of money is important to you, then pay attention to you net worth. I believe that it is a far better measure of how rich you are than annual income, though a high income certainly helps.”
How can you assess your situation?
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THE GRATEFUL AMERICAN™ SERIES INTERVIEWS ERIN CARLSON MAST, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LINCOLN’s COTTAGE AT THE SOLDIERS’ HOME
Washington, DC, April 1, 2014 — For American history buffs, there’s nothing quite like visiting the home of a former president. And when that president is one of the nation’s most revered and beloved, as is Abraham Lincoln, it’s both stimulating and enjoyable to meander through his summer home in Washington, DC.
David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs were thrilled to sit down for an interview with Erin Carlson Mast, executive director of President Lincoln’s Cottage at The Soldiers’ Home, which stands just 3.5 miles from the White House.
In this interview, you’ll learn how Lincoln travelled to and from the Cottage, why he once met visitors in his bed slippers, and how Mary Todd Lincoln recovered from the loss of her son inside the walls of this special summer home.
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THE GRATEFUL AMERICAN™ SERIES INTERVIEWS CIVIL WAR EXPERT, “1861” AUTHOR ADAM GOODHEART
Washington, DC, April 1, 2014 — Civil War expert Adam Goodheart brings the history of the civil war to life this latest interview on David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American™ Radio Show on the Inkandescent Radio Network.
Tthe author of “1861” and the upcoming “1865,” Goodheart has penned two books that capture the essence of the battles and the time. A historian, essayist and journalist, Goodheart’s articles have appeared in National Geographic, Outside, Smithsonian, The Atlantic, and he is a regular columnist for The New York Times’ acclaimed Civil War series, “Disunion.”
Goodheart is also the director of Washington College’s C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He splits his time living there, and in Washington, DC.
Co-hosts David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs were thrilled to sit down with the popular author to talk about 1861: The Civil War Awakening.
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hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703.346.6975
THE GRATEFUL AMERICAN™ SERIES VISITS MOUNT VERNON, GEORGE WASHINGTON’S HOME
Washington, DC, March 27, 2014 — What made George Washington the icon that he became? That’s the question that David Bruce Smith, creator of the Grateful American™ Series, asked this month of Doug Bradburg, PhD, executive director of the new presidential library at Mount Vernon, Washington’s home, in Alexandria, VA.
“The nation’s first president wasn’t perfect,” Bradburn shares. “In fact, Washington had adversity and failures; what makes him stand out is that “he just overcomes them.”
Knowing about Washington’s successes and his failures are part of what make him admirable, and what makes learning about him interesting. And learning about him, and history in general, is a mission of publisher David Bruce Smith.
“You have to know where you came from to know where you are going,” Smith says. That philosophy explains why he launched the The Grateful American™ Series in January 2014.
The interactive, multi-media program is designed to restore enthusiasm in American history in children—and grown-ups, too. Throughout the year, Smith will be recording interviews for the Inkandescent Radio Network with the executives who run the nation’s presidential homes, as well as historians, authors, and educators who know the importance of keeping our nation’s history alive.
Smith visited Mount Vernon to interview Bradburn, founding director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. Their conversation took place in the new presidential library, which includes Martha Washington’s papers and books owned by George Washington himself.
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hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703.346.6975
Washington DC, March 1, 2014 — When it comes to planning ahead for the financial future of the Millennials in your family, the key is for parents—and their offspring—to know their goals and understand the options, says Certified Financial Planner Bryan Beatty, a partner at the Northern VA financial services firm Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC.
Here are three ways to get started.
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Inkandescent Public Relations, InkandescentPR.com
hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703.346.6975
EILEEN TAKES GLAMPING TO A CRAFTY PLACE WITH HER 2014 #PAPERTRAIL TEACHING TOUR
Glamorous, luxury camping—aka: glamping—has a friend in Eileen Hull, an innovator in the craft industry, who is embarking on a nationwide tour in her vintage Serro Scotty camper to teach crafts in cities across America
Washington, DC, March 12, 2014 — Anyone who loves camping and crafts will be intrigued by artist Eileen Hull’s 2014 #PaperTrail Teaching Tour.
The Northern Virginia mother of four and grandma to three is loading up her Serro Scotty camper with art supplies—many that she has created for the craft company Sizzix—and embarking on a series of trips across America to teach and connect with other “glampers.”
“I’ll be promoting my branded craft products in independent stores, chain stores, art centers, and other venues,” says the woman who colleagues and customers call the Queen of Crafts. “My goal is to share my love of crafting along with the belief that it does your soul good to take time to create every day.”
The #PaperTrail Teaching Tour has three phases.
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hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703 346-6975
Edinger Associates Assists Emmis with $131 Million Purchase of Two NYC Radio Stations
February 21, 2014, Washington, DC — Edinger Associates PLLC served as transactional and FCC counsel to Emmis Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: EMMS) in its purchase of urban, adult, contemporary radio station WBLS 107.5, and its sister station WLIB 1190, for $131 million in cash from YMF Media. WBLS is the No. 2 radio station in New York, and WLIB is New York’s first African-American targeted station offering an urban gospel format.
The transaction involves a Local Programming and Marketing Agreement pursuant to which Emmis will begin to program the stations on March 1, 2014, assuming Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance has been received. In addition, there will be two closings, one following initial grant of FCC consent to assignment of the stations’ FCC licenses, and the second to follow in February 2015.
The Edinger Associates team was led by Brook Edinger with the assistance of Partners Ladd Johnson and Scott Woodworth, and Senior Counsel Dag Wilkinson, as well as Attorney Kristen Basie, and Legal Assistant Mikki Stuart.
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Inkandescent Public Relations, www.InkandescentPR.com
hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703.346.6975
IN CELEBRATION OF PRESIDENTS’ DAY (Feb. 17), DAVID BRUCE SMITH PUBLICATONS LAUNCHES THE GRATEFUL AMERICAN™ SERIES
This interactive multimedia program is focused on restoring enthusiasm for American history in children — and grown-ups, too!
Washington, DC, February 17, 2014 — In celebration of Presidents’ Day, David Bruce Smith launched today his new interactive multimedia program, designed to restore enthusiasm for American history in children—and grown-ups, too.
“You have to know where you came from to know where you are going,” insists Smith, a Washington, DC-based author and publisher who recently penned, “American Hero: John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States.”
“Kids are often asked to memorize a bunch of dates that don’t mean anything to them, so history seems boring,” he says. “Then they are given standardized tests, which don’t measure what they don’t know—they measure what they haven’t been taught. It’s not the teachers’ fault. The system is dysfunctional.”
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Sebastopol CA, September 23, 2013 — Join us for the Living Ayurveda Symposium & Marketplace in downtown Sebastopol on Nov. 9-10, where you’ll get a first hand taste of Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science.
Considered the ancient remedy for healthy, modern living, you’ll get a heaping helping of some of the best insights into this healing practice including:
- Having the opportunity to take two days of classes with world-renowned Ayurveda teachers,
- Learning how to care for yourselves, your loved ones, and your clients with this timeless tradition,
- Exploring the marketplace where you will find essential items for a healthy lifestyle, as well as meet local artists and healers.
That’s not all! You’ll also have the opportunity to:
- Rejuvenate in Sonoma County’s newest self-care studio,
- Unwind in the steam room, sauna, and baths,
- Enjoy a farm-to-table organic vegetarian lunch prepared by top local chefs.
- And, in the evening of Nov. 9, celebrate with Ananda Rasa , a reggae style Kirtan Band and an enchanting Odissi Dance performance by ShaktiBhakt.
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Contact: Hope Katz Gibbs
Inkandescent Public Relations
hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703 346-6975
Tell a great story in a concise and clever manner, add in pithy subheads and easy-to-remember bullet points, and call readers to action
Washington DC, Today’s Date — “Grabbing the reader’s attention, encouraging them to attend an event or learn more about a product or service, and intriguing reporters so they want to learn more is the goal for any good press release,” says Inkandesent Public Relations founder Hope Katz Gibbs, a veteran journalist who for more than a decade has been happily writing interesting press releases that get picked up by the media.
“Whenever I’m writing a release, my purpose is to tell a story—albeit briefly—that makes readers want to learn more about the topic I’m discussing,” she says. “Of course, it’s also rewarding to write a press release in a way so that it reads like a mini-article, since this gives it a greater chance of being picked up by newspapers, magazines, and blogs.”
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How Competitive Are You?
Washington DC, July 1, 2013 — “If you are like most business owners, competition drives you,” understands Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine. “That’s why we tackle the topic in the July issue.”
Featuring interviews with Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman’s new book, Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing, the entire issue features insight into their in-depth research.
“For a decade, it’s been a constant drumbeat, issued by leaders of our nation and corporations, to employees and even to our youngest students: we must all be more competitive,” explains Merryman, who with Bronson shares insights into:
- When Worriers beat Warriors—and when they don’t.
- Why Michelangelo needed an agent.
- The power of the home-field advantage.
Merryman and Bronson also provide 7 Tips for Entrepreneurs, including:
- Find a Contest
- Think About What Went Wrong the Right Way
- In General, Beware of Following “The General Rule”
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If you have read anything about long–term-care insurance, you know that rates are increasing, and more insurance companies are withdrawing from the marketplace. Here are the questions you should be asking.
Washington DC, July 1, 2013 — “If you have read anything about long–term-care insurance, you know that rates are increasing, and more insurance companies are withdrawing from the marketplace,” writes insurance expert Dave Beck in the July 2013 issue of “Be Inkandescent magazine.
A partner at Egan, Berger & Weiner LLC, Beck says there are three questions worth asking:
- Why are rate increases occurring? Will they continue to go up?
- What will The Affordable Care Act mean to long-term-care plans?
- What is the future of the long-term-care insurance industry?
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Ten female leaders offer insight into how they lean in—and how you can, too
Washington DC, June 1, 2013 — “Thirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry—which means that women’s voices are still not heard equally in the decisions that most affect our lives,” explains Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in her bestseller, Lean In.
An extension of her wildly popular December 2010 TedTalk, Sandberg has turned her initial 15-minute-and-28-second snapshot of the issue into a 187-page showstopper that not only examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled—it has galvanized us in ways perhaps more profound than the Atlantic Monthly article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” by Anne-Marie Slaughter.
Why has Sandberg’s movement struck such a chord with so many women?
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hope Katz Gibbs
Inkandescent Public Relations, www.inkandescentpr.com
hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703 346-6975
May 13, 2013, Washington, DC — Edinger Associates PLLC served as counsel for Franchise Services of North America Inc. (“FSNA”) in its acquisition of Advantage Rent A Car (“Advantage”) from Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (“Hertz”) and the sublease of Advantage’s nationwide rental car fleet from Hertz. The acquisition of Advantage was consummated on December 12, 2012, and FSNA has been managing Advantage since that date.
Edinger Associates also served as counsel for FSNA in its transaction with Macquarie Capital (“Macquarie”) to provide equity financing for the Advantage acquisition. The final phase of the equity financing was consummated on May 3, 2013 in connection with the re-domestication of FSNA from Canada to Delaware and the issuance of a newly created class of FSNA preferred shares to Macquarie.
The Edinger Associates team advising FSNA was led by Principal Brook Edinger with the assistance of Partners Ladd Johnson and Scott Woodworth, and Senior Counsel Dag Wilkinson, as well as the Firm’s Associate and Legal Assistant staff.
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Gaithersburg MD, November 1, 2012 — “I love making something out of nothing, and I love art,” says Curry’s Auto Service co-founder and CMO Judy Curry. So when Curry’s Auto opens a new location, she is in her glory because often the site’s exterior walls are dull and drab.
“I view these walls as simply canvases on which to create beautiful murals,” Curry believes, which is exactly what the creative exec has done at the company’s Gaithersburg, MD, location.
This is the second mural project we have finished in the last year, and it’s a great opportunity to connect with our neighbors through what is depicted in the mural.
“Plus, everyone who drives by can appreciate the art,” she says. “There is no reason that art needs to live inside a museum or gallery. A mural is art that can be appreciated by everyone.”
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Vienna, VA, September 10, 2012 — ING Financial Partners has honored longtime Financial Planner Michael Egan with the prestigious Advisory Elite distinction, earned by fewer than 1% of investment adviser representatives who work with the firm.
Egan has achieved this status for attaining notably high levels of assets under management and because of his investment planning success.
“The Advisory Elite status marks an important career milestone,” said Karl Lindberg, President of ING Financial Partners. “This is an opportunity for ING Financial Partners to acknowledge Egan’s hard work, sustained success, and dedication to client satisfaction over time.”
Designed for investment adviser representatives, The Advisory Elite honors advisers who have grown and sustained their business to an impressive level. To be recognized as an Advisory Elite member, Egan exceeded an assets-under-management milestone that sets him apart as a top performer.
Egan is co-founder and partner at Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC. He has more than 21 years of experience in the financial services industry and holds the CFP® certification.
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Arlington, VA, August 21, 2012 — “Currently, social entrepreneurship is as much a field as it is a movement,” explains Beverly Schwartz in the introduction to her new book, Rippling: How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World, which is the featured Book of the Month in the August issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.
“A whole new generation of ethical change agents—whether in business or academia or the media—is building a new sensibility about the way we live and interact,” Schwartz says, noting that these social entrepreneurs “begin by having a clear picture of the end in mind—the end being the creation of an emerging social phenomenon that cannot be reversed. They do what I always hoped I could do—confront difficult issues and actively pursue a more just, secure, and sustainable world.”
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Arlington, VA, August 20, 2012 — With quarterly taxes due in less than a month, on Sept. 15, conflict resolution expert and author Lisa McLeod asks Do you like paying taxes?
The issue: “I own my own business, which means I write quarterly checks to the IRS,” McLeod explains. “And I confess, in the past I didn’t enjoy paying them. We have a meeting every Friday afternoon to go over the cash flow, the receivables, and the projected revenues. At the top right corner of the report was an account labeled: Taxes.”
The old solution: “I set aside a chunk of every check for taxes so that she won’t come up short at the end of the month. After several years of business ups and downs, this has been our best year ever. I’m grateful. Yet as we made more money, the number in the Taxes account grew bigger, too, and I found myself getting more and more frustrated.”
Try this new solution.
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Vienna VA, August 13, 2012 — “Since Social Security is a complicated system, it requires a significant amount of planning before you file for benefits,” says Michael Egan, co-founder and partner of the Northern Virginia financial planning firm Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC. “I have spent years studying how it works so that I can best help my clients plan and prepare a proper strategy.”
He notes that savvy planners should keep in mind ways to integrate their Social Security strategy into their overall financial plan.
“Do not assume that the Social Security office will have all the answers to your questions; be sure to educate yourself,” Egan insists.
Click inside for key points to remember when you are planning your own Social Security strategy.
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Arlington, VA, August 10, 2012 — While working with multiple generations in the workforce is challenging, it isn’t impossible, says HR and hiring expert Barbara Mitchell, author of “The Big Book of HR.” The key is to take time to look for the common ground, she says.
“It’s also critical to honor and respect differences instead of letting them drive wedges between co-workers” she adds, noting that the best strategy is to realize that not everyone who is part of a certain generation behaves the same way.
Note, too, that in the coming years Millennials (born 1982-2003) will make up the largest segment of the US population, and, therefore, the workforce.
“Those of us who have been working for decades often find it hard to be patient with the younger employees on staff,” she has observed. “That’s why it is critical to understand where these folks are coming from.”
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Washington, DC, August 9, 2012 — “Getting a good education and having success throughout school are clearly critical goals,” says Andrea Keating, founder of the international video-staffing firm Crews Control. “But to be truly successful, I believe the key to being educated is to be a lifelong learner.”
That’s why she established Crews Control University (CCU) in 2010.
“Not only do I want my entire team here at Crews Control be be up-to-date on the latest equipment and technology and production trends in our industry, I want to create an environment where all of our crews and clients have the opportunity to share in that learning opportunity as well,” Keating insists.
Click here to learn why Crews Control University has been such a hit.
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Understanding the “Me” Versus “We” Approach to Work to Prosper in the Era Ahead
Arlington, VA, August 27, 2012 — “Since at least the time of Socrates, older generations have criticized younger ones for not being as smart, hardworking, polite, selfless, or strong as they themselves were when they were young, explain generational experts Michael Hais and Morley Winograd.
“For that reason, it’s hardly surprising that a cottage industry has arisen devoted to attacking the nation’s youngest generation, Millennials (born 1982-2003), as a lazy, soft, self-centered, and narcissistic ‘me’ generation,” they note. Click inside to learn why.
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Arlington VA, August 8, 2012 — Playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
“By this definition, some of today’s leading entrepreneurs are decidedly unreasonable—and a fair few have even been dubbed crazy,” insists Pamela Hartigan, the August 2012 Entrepreneur of the Month in the monthly business magazine, BeInkandescent.com.
A frequent lecturer on social entrepreneurship and innovation at graduate schools of business in the USA, Europe, and Asia, and an adjunct professor at the Columbia Business School, Hartigan explains exactly what is social entrepreneurism, how social entrepreneurs are changing the world, and some of the new businesses that are emerging.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hope Katz Gibbs
Inkandescent Public Relations
703 346-6975 / hope@inkandescentpr.com
CREWS CONTROL FORECASTS THE FUTURE OF THE VIDEO INDUSTRY
When it comes to tracking trends in the corporate video world, it’s time to go beyond what’s new, bigger, and better, says Andrea Keating, founder of the international video-staffing firm Crews Control. Following are some of the industry trends that her company is tracking.
Washington, DC, July 2, 2012 — The video production world, like most other industries, is moving forward at lightning speed thanks to new technologies, realizes Andrea Keating, founder of the international video-staffing firm Crews Control.
“But think back—it wasn’t always this way,” she insists. “Just a few years ago, for instance, our clients were using tape, and standard definition at that.”
What started the flurry of innovation? In the June issue of her monthly publication, Crews Control News, Keating’s trend analyst Rebekah Toth provides interesting statistics (such as those listed below), as well as a thoughtful analysis of the trends in video production that may interest your readers.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hope Katz Gibbs
Inkandescent Public Relations
hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703 346-6975
5 TIPS FOR RETIRMENT SUCCESS
Everyone knows they should plan for retirement-but too many people never get around to doing it. Following are five simple ways to make the process easier, courtesy of the financial planning firm Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC
Washington, DC, July 2, 2012 – Although many people are concerned about the economy, planning ahead for a secure financial future isn’t something that most people have mastered. And that can be a big mistake, especially during turbulent financial times.
“Planning for retirement is the equivalent of deciding to go on a trip to a place that’s far away and unfamiliar,” says Bryan Beatty, a partner at Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC, who has been a financial planner for more than two decades. “You need to figure out how much gas and food you’ll need, and which transportation methods you will use. Then you have to chart a route or series of paths you must take to get to your destination without getting stuck at an impassable bridge or diving into a ravine or missing your target entirely and getting lost in a desert. You get the picture.” Following are some of the tips that Beatty shares with his clients.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hope Katz Gibbs
Inkandescent Public Relations
hope@inkandescentpr.com / 703 346-6975
A NEW GENERATION DEBUTS: MEET ‘THE PLURALS’
Futurists and authors of “Millennial Momentum,” Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais, Welcome the ‘Pluralist Generation’
Washington DC, June 6, 2012 — “Evidence of the arrival of America’s newest Adaptive generation has surfaced, which is beginning to define how and why this latest Adaptive generation differs from the older Millennial Generation,” researchers Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais announced today.
In a groundbreaking release, they point to the market research firm Frank N. Magid Associates, which name the emerging, Adaptive generation the “Pluralist Generation.”
“Its members, known as ‘Plurals,’ reflect the overwhelmingly distinguishing demographic of America’s newest generation: its ethnic, racial, and religious diversity.”
Somewhere among the nation’s current crop of grade-schoolers is a charismatic charmer who will become this century’s rebel. It remains to be seen if he or she will enlist fellow Plurals in a cause that will remake the country, or simply signal the beginning of yet another generational shift in the nation’s attitudes and beliefs.
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After feeling he had no choice but to close the doors of the school his parents founded in 1992, ACT College president Jeffrey S. Moore fights for change and for rights for all students in the nation’s career colleges
April 10, 2012, Arlington, VA —Jeffrey S. Moore explained today why the for-profit vocational school his parents founded in 1992, ACT College, was required to close its doors on April 3.
“We feel terrible for the 361 students who were enrolled, and the 54 employees on our payroll,” says Moore, who been president of ACT College since 2002. “We have always been focused on the students. We tried desperately to keep the school open, but could not overcome the Department of Education’s refusal to reimburse the school for money it had earned for teaching the students since December 2011.”
Moore’s attorney, Gerald Ritzert of Ritzert & Leyton in Fairfax, VA, indicates that the total being withheld is $1,444,974.
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October 1. 2011, Annapolis MD — Inkandescent Public Relations is thrilled to have partnered with Art at Large, Inc., a graphics and public art company based in Annapolis, MD, on the fall 2011 Get Your Joy On Annapolis marketing campaign.
In addition to helping with project management, hiring photographers and videographers, and assisting Art at Large’s president Sally Wern Comport, Inkandescent PR’s Hope Gibbs helped write the text that appears on the Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference & Visitors Bureau website, www.visitannapolis.org/get-your-joy-on.
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September 1, 2011, Washington DC — Bring your creativity. Bring your optimism.
And join us Sunday afternoon, September 18, 2011, for the Life is Good Kids Rock & Art Festival to raise funds for The Life is Good Playmakers Kids Foundation, which helps kids overcome life-threatening challenges.
“I have been raising funds all summer to support this important organization, and even got to interview Bert Jacobs, the founder of The Life is good Company, to talk about more ways to help kids who aren’t as lucky as me and my friends,” says Dylan Gibbs, 12, who is hosting the backyard event. “He suggested that we host a festival with backyard games, art contests, and music, and I thought that would be a fantastic idea. See the photo of me and Bert, below.”
When: The festivities begin at 1 p.m. and go until 5 p.m.
Where: At Dylan’s house (Send us an email for directions.)
Donations: We ask that each attendee make a minimum of a $5 donation to the Life is Good Kids Foundation at the door. (Credit card donations will be uploaded directly to the website upon entry, and your name will be posted on the fundraising website. Cash and checks are accepted. Please make all checks out to the Life is good Playmakers.)
What: Music, arts & crafts, backyard games, treats, and a wine tasting for the adults. We are thrilled to featuring the following:
Music: The day will be filled with music by kid musicians, including teenage phenom Cecelia Jeffrey, 11th grade violinist Anna Gibbs, middle schoolers rockers Muchos Muchos Tacos, and 7th grade guitarist Evie Priestman (see those bios below).
Arts & Crafts: Each participant will be given a large sheet of construction paper and with the provided pens, markers, and crayons will have the opportunity to create their own Life is good artwork. We’ll then tack all of the creations to the front and back of our house to build a giant mural. A panel of artists will then choose their favorite 25 pieces of artwork, which Dylan will deliver to the Chief Playmaker, Steve Gross, at Life is good headquarters in Boston.
Backyard Games by the Boy Scouts: Members of Dylan’s local Boy Scout Troop 106 will be creating and moderating the backyard games, which include sack races, obstacle course, a football toss, hula hoop contest, face painting, and more.
Cookies and Lemonade Stand: Girls who the neighborhood will be raising even more funds at the cookie & lemonade stand they are setting up.
Wine Tasting for the Grown-Ups: Several local wine shops have agreed to donate bottles of wine so the adults can learn about wine. An additional donation of $5 is requested.
Thanks to our Sponsors! We are truly grateful to our sponsors, Arlington’s Arrowine & Cheese, whose owner Doug Rosen graciously donated two cases of wine for our tasting. And Barston’s Child’s Play,”:http://www.barstonschildsplay.com which donated a very special toy for our grand prize.
For details, contact us at by email hope@inkandescentpr.com, and cell at 703 346-6975.
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Don’t miss this Board of Trade Speaker Series featuring Tom Gardner, Co-Founder, The Motley Fool and LouAnn Lofton, Author, “Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl, and Why You Should Too.”
When: Friday, July 8, 2011
8:00 am Registration and Networking
8:30 – 10:15 am Program and Book Signing
Where: Key Bridge Marriott, Arlington VA, Capital View Ballroom
Register Now: $75 Members / $100 Non-Members
What will you learn? Warren Buffett and all of the women of the world have one thing in common: They are better investors than the average man, a fact proven by psychologists, scientists, and the value of their portfolios. While men tend to be too confident, compulsive, and overly daring, women tend to be more studious, skeptical, and reasonable — traits that have led them to consistently outperform their male counterparts as investors.
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March 29, 2011, Washington, DC — Edinger Associates founder and principal Brook Edinger announced today that he and his partner, J. Ladd Johnson, welcome Scott W. Woodworth as their new associate.
“Scott brings to Edinger Associates years of experience on communications issues, having represented clients before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other federal agencies,” Edinger explains. “In his impressive law career, he has represented broadcast, media, and other communications clients in all types of FCC rulemaking, application, and enforcement proceedings.”
Johnson adds, “We were also impressed that Scott had advised clients on media transactions, with an emphasis on FCC rules and policies, which is one of our key practice areas. We know he will be a valuable addition to our team.”
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March 29, 2011, Washington, DC — Brook Edinger and J. Ladd Johnson, of the Washington DC law firm Edinger Associates, are pleased to announce that Dag Wilksonson has joined their firm as senior counsel.
“With more than 25 years of experience as a large law firm partner and general counsel, Mr. Wilkinson brings to Edinger Associates a wealth of corporate finance, securities, transactional and executive expertise,” Edinger explains. “He has a proven track record of forging long-term working relationships with executive management teams.”
Mr. Wilkinson was previously Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Capital Pacific Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded $600 million real-estate company based in Newport Beach, California, with operations in multiple states.
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March 28, 2011, Washington, DC — Having spent 25 years working as an educator and marketing executive, entrepreneur Robin McDougal married her understanding of education with her flair for fashion in 2001 when she founded e-GLAM, a company that manufactures fashionable business products and sells them to the wholesale market. Her mantra: “Pursue your dreams in style.”
Beginning April 1, she will take her skills and knowledge to a new level when she becomes the Leadership columnist for Be Inkandescent Magazine, an online business and lifestyle publication with 15,000 subscribers and more than 75,000 readers.
“I am very excited to be branching out into this area,” says McDougal, whose company creates beautiful and functional organizational laptop bags and briefcases that help business people move more easily through their busy days. “Business people are my customers. I have had the privilege of meeting some spectacular leaders who have taught me tremendous lessons about success, empowerment, and balancing work and life. I’ll be interviewing these savvy leaders for my column, and will also be interviewing them on my new blog radio show. My goal is inspire others and help propel them toward greatness.”
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March 1, 2011 — Inkandescent Public Relations new client, artisan Stephanie Ponder of Seattle, WA says she has always liked to keep her hands busy.
“I’ve cycled through latch hook rugs, bubble gum wrapper chains, cross stitch, knitting and finally the pendants and other pieces made with resin,” she shares. “But when I saw examples of resin on Scrabble tiles, I knew it was something I had to try making. In the last couple of years, I’ve battled with errant bubbles, resin that doesn’t cure, and paper that isn’t sealed properly. Nonetheless, each imperfect piece was a learning opportunity.”
Today, she has mastered the art of adhering art to Scrabble tiles. “It’s amazing to see how an image will read when it’s reproduced in such a small format. It doesn’t hurt that the resin helps images pop. It’s also fun to see the effects of a little well-placed glitter.”
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Arlington, VA, January 20, 2011 — Imagine a neighborhood urgent-care office that is open nights and weekends, and accepts major insurance. That’s Simplicity Urgent Care, located at 3263 Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA.
The founders, Dr. John Jones and Dr. John Maguire, were joined by Arlington County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman, and Arlington Chamber President Richard V. Doud, Jr., for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“The Chamber is very excited to have a new urgent-care center in Arlington,” says Arlington Chamber President Rich Doud. “The facility is huge, incredibly clean, and very efficient. Those who choose Simplicity can rest assured that they’ll get the finest care.”
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January 13, 2011, Washington, DC — Ladd Johnson, a partner at the Washington, DC-based law practice Edinger Associates, learned today that he was named one of Utah’s Legal Elite for 2011 by Utah Business Magazine.
“This is a prestigious list, and I am very pleased to have been recognized,” says Johnson, who has a wealth of experience representing public and private companies of all sizes in business and finance matters.
For nearly 10 years, Utah Business has published the Legal Elite list showcasing the state’s best-of-the-best lawyers, the editors explain. Each lawyer on the list received votes from numerous peers.
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Washington, DC, November 18, 2010 — Join Robin Strongin and her Disruptive Women bloggers on December 1 at The Kreeger Museum for a night of art and music when she hosts the 2010 Disruptive Women holiday event, “Music & Art Therapy: A Demonstration in Healing.”
“I designed this special holiday event with a singular purpose in mind: to help people understand the enormous evidence-based power of the arts to heal — mentally, physically, and spiritually,” says Strongin, the creator of the Disruptive Women in Health Care Blog (www.disruptivewomen.net) and the president and CEO of the Washington, DC, firm Amplify Public Affairs (www.amplifypublicaffairs.net.)
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Arlington VA, December 7, 2010 — Veteran emergency room doctors John Jones and John Maguire have opened Simplicity Urgent Care, a neighborhood medical center located at 3263 Columbia Pike that allows patients with or without insurance to see a doctor without an appointment.
“Urgent care is for accidents and illnesses that require a doctor’s attention, but not a trip to the emergency room,” explains Dr. Jones, an emergency department physician at INOVA Fair Oaks Hospital, who is certified in both pediatric and adult emergency care. “From colds and flu to minor injuries and urinary tract infections, our physicians will specialize in fast, friendly care. That also includes immunizations, x-rays, drug screenings, travel medicine, and more.”
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Washington DC, May 27, 2010 — “It’s not supposed to be this way,” writes HR specialist Sharon Armstrong in the introduction to her new book, “The Essential Performance Review Handbook: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional,” published in May 2010 by Career Press (www.theessentialperformancereviewhandbook.com).
Although performance reviews are actually less popular than a trip to the dentist for most supervisors (see that study below), the good news is that Sharon Armstrong — the woman who began her career in Human Resources in 1985 as a recruiter/trainer in a large Manhattan law firm and launched her own HR consulting business in the year 2000 — has found a way to take the pain out of the process.
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Washington, DC, April 26, 2010 — On Wednesday, April 28, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (www.NFTE.com) will honor Bethesda businesswoman and philanthropist Patty Alper at its 13th annual Dare to Dream DC Gala, which is being held from 6-10 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in DC (www.daretodreamdc.org).
In 1998, Alper gave $10,000 as seed capital for 200 students in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship-Greater Washington to launch their companies. More importantly, she has given her time.
“My work with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship-Greater Washington began with my giving seed money to low-income students in the program that would launch them into business,” says Alper who, in addition to running her real estate and marketing firm in Bethesda, is the vice president and secretary of the Alper Family Foundation.
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Washington DC, April 12, 2010 — Inspired by philosopher John Rawls A Theory of Justice, Vienna, VA fine artist Judith Peck has taken a legal concept and translated it into a powerful series of paintings that will be shown throughout June 2010 at the Hillyer Art Space in downtown Washington, DC.
Peck, who is sister to two lawyers, and mother to an aspiring law student, explains that Rawls ideas spoke to her long-time devotion to painting about social justice issues.
“John Rawls’ thought experiment, using a veil to cloak our knowledge of individual’s attributes, renders us able to effectively consider the interests of all people especially the least advantaged members of society,” Peck shares. “Basically, he asks us to imagine what would happen if societal roles were completely re-fashioned and redistributed, and that from behind your veil of ignorance you do not know what role you will be reassigned. Only then, he believes, can you truly consider the morality of an issue. The metaphor of the veil is a powerful one, and what I use to enable the viewer’s experience in this collection of work.”
Pictured right: Unveiling, 18×24 oil on linen
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Washington, DC, April 26, 2010 — Tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 28, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (dc.nfte.com) will host its 13th annual Dare to Dream DC Gala, which is being held from 6-10 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in DC (www.daretodreamdc.org).
“It is truly my pleasure to have been the chairman of the 2010 Dare to Dream DC event,” says Cynthia de Lorenzi, founder and CEO of the women’s networking group Success in the City, who notes that since 1987, NFTE has provided entrepreneurial education programs to more than 280,000 youths in 21 states and 12 countries.
“This year alone, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship-Greater Washington is working with 700 students in 17 low-income schools in the region. Since 1994, it has served more than 22,000 students in the area,” she says. “Now that’s an accomplishment — not just because NFTE helps young people explore new opportunities and build toward a successful future. To me, this organization is incredible because NFTE’s leaders, from staff to teachers to the students it touches, learn the skills needed to live the American dream.”
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WASHINGTON, DC / MINNEAPOLIS, MN, April 27, 2010 — Join Artspace Projects, Inc. on Friday, April 30 from 12:00 noon to 1 p.m. to break ground at the Brookland Artspace Lofts, 3225 8th Street, NE in Washington, DC.
The four-story, 57,000-square-foot arts campus in Washington, D.C.’s Brookland neighborhood is a $13.1 million project that will include 41 affordable apartment units for artists. It will also house a dance and music rehearsal studio with gallery for Dance Place, a modern dance and arts education organization.
Arlington, Va.-based Bognet Construction (www.bognet.com) is the general contractor for the project, and the architect is D.C.-based Hickok Cole. The project is expected to be finished in July 2011.
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Washington, DC, April 23, 2010 — Anyone who has been following the fast-moving education technology company Blackboard Inc., knows of its savvy president and CEO Michael Chasen (www.blackboard.com). He took Blackboard from a start-up company with just one product and a handful of clients to a publicly held company, with thousands of clients, offering software and services used by millions of people around the world.
On April 28, the national nonprofit organization the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (www.NFTE.com) will honor Chasen at its 13th annual Dare to Dream DC Gala, being held from 6-10 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in DC (www.daretodreamdc.org.)
Together with Blackboard Chairman Matthew Pittinsky, Chasen founded the company in 1997. Chasen brings a solid mixture of business development and Internet engineering skills that have been critical to Blackboard’s success. During his tenure, he has provided both strategic and tactical direction for every department in the company. Chasen oversees the day-to-day business in addition to developing and implementing Blackboard’s vision and business strategy.
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Washington, DC, April 2010 — If you had the privilege of seeing the 2006 blockbuster film, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” starring Will Smith, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to meet the man behind the movie Chris Gardner, who will be the keynote speaker at the April 28 Dare to Dream DC Gala (http://www.daretodreamdc.com) for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.
“Chris Gardner is indeed an inspiration to every entrepreneur,” says Julie Kantor, executive director of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship-Greater Washington. “His story speaks volumes about the human spirit. It’s incredible to think what one determined person could do to change his or her life — and that of others.”
This year’s gala chairwoman, Cynthia de Lorenzi, CEO of the networking group Success in the City, says Gardner will be one of the highlights of what is expected to be an incredible evening.
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Washington, DC, April 15, 2010 — Mark your calendar for April 28 when the Washington, DC office of the national nonprofit organization the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (dc.nfte.com) hosts its annual Dare to Dream Gala at 6-10 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in DC (www.daretodreamdc.org).
This year’s event will honor several well-known entrepreneurs and philanthropists including Blackboard Inc. President and CEO Michael Chasen, Alper Family Foundation’s Vice President Patty Alper, and the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
The keynote speaker will be Chris Gardner, the self-made millionaire, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and philanthropist who, during the early 1980s, struggled with homelessness while raising his toddler son, Christopher, Jr. Gardner’s book of memoirs, The Pursuit of Happyness, was published in May 2006 and later that year became an internationally acclaimed motion picture starring Will Smith.
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OTJ Architects, Inc. will design the project that is scheduled to be complete in June 2010, says Fernando Murias, founder of the GWSA
Washington DC, April 8, 2010 — Bognet Construction (www.bognet.com) has sealed a deal with the Greater Washington Sports Alliance (GWSA, www.gwsportsalliance.com) to rebuild its new offices at 2300 14th St. in Washington, DC.
GWSA chairman Fernando Murias, who is also the global compliance services leader for Latin America for Price Waterhouse Coopers, said that the contract was also awarded to OTJ Architects, Inc (www.otj.com), and us because both companies truly understood the mission and vision for the organization.
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New York, NY April 9, 2010 — Inkandescent Public Relations was recently contacted to help promote the April 20 and 21st DC show of the all-star, all-author rock group Rock Bottom Remainders—featuring writers and authors Dave Barry, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Scott Turow, Roy Blount, Jr., Greg Iles, James McBride, Ridley Pearson and Kathi Kamen Goldmark.
The Rock Bottom Remainders 2010 Wordstock Tour kicks off in Washington, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 with a special event “Besides the Music: a Conversation with the Rock Bottom Remainders,” hosted by veteran newsman Sam Donaldson. The band will travel by train to bring their own brand of classic rock to Washington D.C. on April 21st, Philadelphia on April 22nd, New York City on April 23rd, and in Boston on April 24th. Proceeds from the tour, which is being presented by the Pearson Foundation, will support Haitian relief and local non-profit organizations at work in each community.
Read more about band founder Kathi Kamen Goldmark here!
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March 2010 — NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” TV series contacted Inkandescent PR to help spread the word about auditions this Saturday, March 6 in Washington, DC.
Here’s what they are looking for:
NBC’s popular reality series “The Biggest Loser” is launching a 15-city cross-country search to find new contestants for the next edition of the hit show. Individuals and teams of two who have at least 100 lbs. to lose are encouraged to apply for the new season, which will air in the fall of 2010.
Casting producers are looking for outgoing and charismatic individuals and teams of two who have the personality, desire and competitive edge to vie for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose weight, change their lives forever and compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age and legal residents of the United States.
While they will try to see everyone, “The Biggest Loser” casting teams will do their best to see the first 500 people in line. People will not be allowed to line up prior to three hours before the start of the open call. Candidates should bring a non-returnable photo of themselves (and their partners if applying as a team).
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