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Parisian Art
Digital Print by Anna Paige Gibbs Photography © www.AnnaGibbs.com
11 × 17 inches
framed in glass with black mat
$100
Join Inkandescent Public Relations in the Social Media Sphere
Cindy Seip, Director of Book Design
Born with a crayon in one hand and a camera in the other, Cindy Seip has never ventured far from her creative instincts. Through the years, her creative side took hairpin turns but always finished with a checkered flag.
As an “A+” student in art, it was her 12th-grade art teacher, Mr. Popovitch, that set her on a professional course in design, introducing her to the Ft. Lauderdale Art Institute. There, she would earn her degree in Advertising Design.
She began her career at the Miami Herald Tropic Magazine and later started her own design + underwater portrait photography business. Over the years, Seip has amassed an impressive client list with some high-profile names like Sony, Nasdaq, Ericsson, Blue Cross Blue Shield, AvMed, Miami International Book Fair, Breakthrough Miami, and many more. Her accolades reflect her keen eye for design.
Seip resides in sunny Miami with her husband, Miami Herald Photojournalist, Al Diaz, two great kids, and a cute Wheaten Terrier named Amanda Bubbles.
Serenade of the Seas
Digital Print by Anna Paige Gibbs Photography © www.AnnaGibbs.com
11 × 17 inches
framed in glass with black mat
$100
Homeless in Paris
Digital Print by Anna Paige Gibbs Photography © www.AnnaGibbs.com
11 × 17 inches
framed in glass with black mat
$100
Dinner for Two
Digital Print by Anna Paige Gibbs Photography © www.AnnaGibbs.com
11 × 17 inches
framed in glass with black mat
$100
Fly
Digital Print by Anna Paige Gibbs Photography © www.AnnaGibbs.com
11 × 17 inches
framed in glass with black mat
$100
Followed
Digital Print by Anna Paige Gibbs Photography © www.AnnaGibbs.com
11 × 17 inches
framed in glass with black mat
$100
Life in New York
Digital Print by Anna Paige Gibbs Photography © www.AnnaGibbs.com
11 × 17 inches
framed in glass with black mat
$100
Enlightened
Digital Print by Anna Paige Gibbs Photography © www.AnnaGibbs.com
11 × 17 inches
framed in glass with black mat
$100
PR IN A BOX — Inkandescent Menu of Services: Packages + Prices 2013
Inkandescent Public Relations is a full-service PR, marketing, publishing, and website design firm that helps entrepreneurs get more visibility.
Our mission: Since 2001, we have been promoting entrepreneurs, educators, futurists, thought leaders, authors, artists, artisans, chefs, restauranteurs, doctors, attorneys, financial planners, and other successful professionals who are ready to take their businesses to the next level. We help them come up with successful strategies to grow their businesses using PR, marketing, advertising, and publishing tools.
Our philosophy: Creating fireworks is the key to spreading the work, but unless you catch the embers, your moments in the limelight will just be a pretty memory. So, our goal is capture and promote the qualities and characteristics that make your company stand out from the competition.
Our approach: Our team follows our trademarked “8 Steps to PR Success,” from our Inkandescent Rulebook, PR Rules: The Playbook.
Are you ready to be unforgettable? Click inside for our Menu of Services.
Investigating the Future of Creativity with Yvette Montero Salvatico on Inkandescent Radio
Futurist Yvette Salvatico is an experienced speaker, addressing large audiences on topics such as business policy, diversity, and foresight. “In the 21st Century world of complex ideas and practices, successful leaders, businesses, and entrepreneurs must learn to adapt, be resilient and flexible, and create transformational strategy,” she says.
In this episode of the Inkandescent Radio Show, Yvette shares insights into:
- How corporate leaders can better tap into their creativity.
- The future of talent and learning in the workplace.
- Her keynote speeches, and what she hopes audiences will take away.
- Her experience at Disney included creating and leading its “Workforce of the Future initiative.”
- How and why she became a futurist.
Click here to download our podcast interview with Yvette.
Jan. 7: What Makes An Author Tick? We Asked Publisher David Bruce Smith
JANUARY 7, 2013
Our radio show spotlight today is on: David Bruce Smith and Faye Moskowitz, creators of the George Washington University class, Jewish Literature Live
Our hot topic: What inspired Smith and Moskowitz to create a program for undergrads that brings famous Jewish authors to George Washington University’s campus? And what makes them, as authors, tick?
Your host: Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine, and founder & president of The Inkandescent Group
Click here to LISTEN to our podcast interview.
A FLYER On: How to Write a Great Flyer
WHAT IT IS: A flyer is a quick and easy way to tell customers about what you do, how it can help them, and how much your products or services cost so they can make an informed decision about whether or not they want to do business with you.
WHAT IT ISN’T: This ad isn’t a place for you to explain your entire business plan. It’s a quick and dirty way to move customers to action.
WHEN TO USE IT: If you are having a special, promoting a new product, or hosting an event—use a flyer to spread the word.
THE ROI: Flyers are affordable to print — whether you are creating an 8.5 × 11 sheet of printer paper, or smaller more sophisticated door hangers. As with most print jobs, the more you print, the cheaper the per page price. Flyers also don’t take a ton of time to create, so long as you are focused on promoting a single product or service, or an event.
WANT TO SEE AN EXAMPLE? Click inside for more.
IN THE NEWS: Sharon Armstrong on "HR should know: 3 things to always share"
MoneyWatch, Jan. 4, 2013 — In today’s issue of CBS News’ MoneyWatch, our client Sharon Armstrong, an HR expert and co-author of The Essential HR Handbook, offers advice on the topic, “HR should know: 3 things to always share.”
Sheldon Weiner Asks: Will You Run Out of Money Before You Run Out of Life?
January 4, 2013 — Egan, Berger & Weiner founding partner Sheldon Weiner knows that since 2008, it has been tough for people to feel confident about their retirement savings. To make matters more complicated, many people are behind in their retirement planning. So what can you do?
In this episode of “Let’s Talk Live!,” Weiner explains:
- Why statistics show that it truly has gotten tougher to save for retirement.
- Why so many people are behind in their retirement planning.
- Tips to help us reach retirement with peace of mind.
Click here to view Weiner’s interview.
The Power of Colorful Thinking
January 2013, Be Inkandescent magazine — What color is your thinking? “Six Thinking Hats,” a book by Edward de Bono, provides a colorful structure to guide children as they discuss a topic or issue from six different perspectives.
There are six colored hats and each color represents a different type of thinking: The white hat is used for facts and evidence, the red hat elicits feelings or emotions that are associated with the topic, the yellow hat focuses on the positive aspects, and the purple hat focuses on the negative aspects.
The green hat is reserved for creative ideas, and the blue hat takes all ideas into consideration in order to formulate a plan. The colors provide an important visual that children learn to associate with each type of thinking.
Children may draw, color, and cut out the hats from paper, cut out different color hats from a magazine, collect hats of the different colors, or create the hats out of colored construction paper.
Tea Rules at Lyndsey DePalma's House of Steep
January 2013, Be Inkandescent magazine — Got a hangover? Forget the Tylenol, and reach for a steaming cup of healthy, herbal tea. Why? Because tea is nature’s ancient remedy for soothing what ails you.
Here are four blends to ensure you are tip top in 2013. Chin up!
Curry's Auto Service Ad: A Regular Oil Change Makes A Lot of Cents
January 2013: Engine oil is the lifeblood of your car engine, affecting its reliability and performance. Treat yourelf and your care to some TLC from Curry’s Auto Service. Come in today for a transfusion.
The Future Is Not a Footnote
By Yvette Montero Salvatico
Futurist, Principal
Kedge
The Current State: Good Intentions, Poor Results
Having spent the majority of my career as a finance professional for large, multinational firms, I know intimately the Herculean (and often fruitless) task of strategic and financial planning.
By the end of my 13-year tenure within Disney, for example, the various planning processes (annual, five-year, capital, etc.) continued year-round, overlapping and creating a cacophony of competing models, templates, and deliverables that, ultimately, had little to do with the future.
In fact, the only discernible mention of a true futures forecast came in the form of a footnote on the final page of the five-year plan that briefly highlighted potential “risks and opportunities” over the plan horizon.
None of the dozens of five-year plan reviews I participated in ever even acknowledged those risks and opportunities—I guess that’s what you get for being just a footnote.
Here’s the sad truth.
From Disney to Kedge: Inside the Creative Mind of Yvette Montero Salvatico
Futurist Yvette Montero Salvatico is the former head of the Future Workforce Insights division at The Walt Disney Company.
There, she led the effort to establish an internal area of strategic foresight expertise, dedicated to identifying future workforce trends and assessing their potential impact on human capital strategies.
In 2011, she joined futurist Frank Spencer as a principal at Kedge, a foresight and futures, innovation, creativity, and strategic design consultancy.
Salvatico is an experienced speaker, addressing large audiences on topics such as business policy, diversity, and foresight. “In the 21st Century world of complex ideas and practices, successful leaders, businesses, and entrepreneurs must learn to adapt, be resilient and flexible, and create transformational strategy,” she says.
Don’t miss our Q&A with the futurist focused on helping corporate leaders tap into their creativity.
Beyond Benefits: How HR Professionals Can Add Value
January 2013, Be Inkandescent magazine — In The Big Book of HR, the tome that I co-wrote with my fellow HR expert Cornelia Gamlem, our goal is to provide a complete guide to selecting, engaging, and retaining the best talent; developing attractive and fair compensation packages; and resolving conflict and maintaining good communication.
As we start 2013, it seems appropriate to reflect on the ideas we share in the first part of the book, “Selecting and Assimilating New Employees.”
Whether you are an HR professional just starting out in your career, or a manager or business owner who needs to gather information, the book is intended for anyone who works with people and who wants to maximize the impact his or her employees have to ensure the success of the organization.
You can count on business getting more complicated—it doesn’t ever seem to go the other way.
Cheers to the UN's Resolution on Entrepreneurship for Development
January 2013, Be Inkandescent magazine — Break out the bubbly—any bubbly—in every country, in any language.
Here comes a New Year’s resolution that will resonate with entrepreneurs near and far. We can collectively raise our glasses and toast! By a vote of 129 to 31, on December 7, the United Nations adopted a resolution on “Entrepreneurship for Development,” which will encourage all member states to increase support for entrepreneurial endeavors by reducing financial, policy, and regulatory barriers that inhibit the growth of small and mid-size businesses worldwide.
For entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs everywhere, this is great news.
Okay. Maybe you’re scratching your head and thinking that this isn’t really a big deal to you and it really won’t affect your life at all. Well, you’re probably right. But step back for a moment and consider the larger picture.
It’s nice to be acknowledged for something most of you already know. Small and medium-sized businesses like the ones you run are getting the attention they—and you—deserve.
Author Faye Moskowitz and David Bruce Smith: Taking "Jewish Literature Live"
By Hope Katz Gibbs, Author
Truly Amazing Women Who Are Changing the World
Jewish Literature Live is a popular class at the George Washington University, and the brainchild of world-renowned author Faye Moskowitz (pictured above)—and DC entrepreneur David Bruce Smith (pictured below), a GW alumni who is the author of 11 books and the former editor of Crystal City Magazine.
What inspired the two writers to create a class for Moskowitz’s students at GWU, where she teaches and is a former chairman of the English Department?
How Invested Are Local Politicians in the Green Movement?
January 2013, Be Inkandescent magazine — Since he was 32, politician Ken Ulman (shown right) has been an active political and community leader in Maryland’s green and sustainability efforts—and he has received high praise for making Howard County a great place to live.
During his term, Howard County has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Live in America by Money magazine, and Columbia-Ellicott City was recognized as the #8 Best Place to Live for its strong local economy, excellent public schools, thriving arts community, and enviable quality of life.
Dave Feldman reports.
Kiva Connects People, Alleviates Poverty. How Can You Help?
By Premal Shah
President
Kiva.org
The last five years of slow economic recovery have proven that the course of the economy affects each of us in profound ways.
It has the power to create or eliminate opportunities for jobs, homes, retirement, education, and even personal pride. Every person reading this has experienced the fear or reality of losing what it took years to create.
It is difficult to know how any one of us can make a difference in any of our nation’s most troubling problems. But what if the money stored in our wallets had a new purpose, even just for a short amount of time?
If each of us lent as little as $25 to be a part of “crowdfunding” a loan to a small business owner, the funding gap that stunts job growth and economic recovery would begin to be filled. If just one in three of our country’s smallest of small businesses could hire a single new employee, the United States would be at full employment, according to the Association for Enterprise Opportunity.
Harness Your Financial Power in the Year of the Snake
January 2013, Be Inkandescent magazine — As you begin 2013, and shift your focus from a season of giving and sharing to thoughts of the new year, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on your accomplishments and lessons from 2012.
As an Asian American, I often think back to my childhood days when I studied the Chinese Zodiac. There are 12 creatures represented in the Chinese calendar, with a different animal celebrated each year.
2013 is the Year of the Snake, and in Eastern philosophy, snakes symbolize good fortune and intense power. In Chinese astrology, the snake is an enigmatic creature that not only represents danger and venom, but also symbolizes beauty and wisdom. Having a snake in the family home is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve.
January 2013: Deciding When to Retire: Timing Is Critical
By Bryan Beatty, CFP®
Certified Financial Planner™
Partner, Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC
Deciding when to retire may not be one decision, but a series of decisions and calculations.
For example, you’ll need to estimate not only your anticipated expenses, but also what sources of retirement income you’ll have and how long you’ll need your retirement savings to last.
You’ll need to take into account your life expectancy and health as well as when you want to start receiving Social Security or pension benefits, and when you’ll start to tap your retirement savings.
Each of these factors may affect the others as part of an overall retirement income plan.
WEBSITE — Northern Virginia Regional Literacy Coordinating Committee
Click image for larger viewWriting / Concept by Hope Katz Gibbs
Website design by Michael Gibbs
Website coding / database by Max Kukoy
About the Northern Virginia Regional Literacy Coordinating Committee
We are a coalition of adult education services in six Northern Virginia cities and counties: Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Loudoun, and Prince William.
This website has been developed to make it easy for adult learners, adult education professionals, and other organizations to find the educational resources they need.
Search by city or county (at left) to find the resources available in your area. Each service is also outlined across the top navigation of the site:
- Adult English Language Learning (ESOL, ESL)
- Adult Basic Literacy
- Adult Basic Education and Skill Development
- GED/ Adult High School (Adult Secondary Education)
- Career and Vocational Education
We hope this website helps you find the right program for your needs.
Curry's Auto Service Ad: Regular Car Maintenance Makes Cents
December 2012: Come warm your toes and have a hot chocolate or coffee while you keep your car running in the cold weather with this HOT winter discount from Curry’s Auto Service.
Ad 1 in a 6-part ad series from Curry’s.
What Do Consumers Want? Futurist Andy Hines Explains in "ConsumerShift"
By Andy Hines
Futurist and Author of “ConsumerShift”
Founder, Hinesight
Values refer to an individual’s views about what is most important in life that in turn guide decision-making and behavior. Values are the ultimate decision-making criteria—what an individual falls back on when making important life decisions.
And in America, values are changing in a consistent direction over time.
Understanding these changes will provide critical insight for understanding the future consumer landscape and designing products, services, and offerings that “fit.”
In my new book, ConsumerShift, I translate the values changes into seven emerging-need states, brought to life in the form of seven future personas.
The book then provides personal customization kits for those who want to tailor them to their specific needs. It will help you and your team make sense of rapidly changing consumer behavior—where they are coming from, where they are going, and what they are looking for.
What Does a Futurist Do? Derek Woodgate Explains
By Derek Woodgate
Founder and President
The Futures Lab
In the 16 years since I founded The Futures Lab, Inc., I have been frequently quoted as saying: “My role is not about knowing the future, but creating it.” I am sure I am not the first person to articulate this concept, but it has proved to be the guiding premise on which my practice, expertise, and development as a futurist have been based.
From Data to Imagination: Every futurist needs a flexible, tightly integrated, deep-layered, multi-stage, robust future studies process, which from the outset explores, structures, magnifies, and contextualizes data and insights. So we use a process that provides a loose framework in the early stages, in which to develop avenues of exploration, scan, hunt clues, recognize patterns—leading to what I call opportunity-hacking—in order to future-map disconnects into organizing platforms/future landscapes that provide the context from which to create the future.
However, throughout the process, and especially once these future knowledge bases and springboards are in place, the critical way of creating revolutionary rather than evolutionary futures is to apply progressive thinking techniques to the task. In recent years, the concept of relying on hunches or gut feeling is fast becoming a common practice.
The Importance of Having a Good Point of View
December 2013, Be Inkandescent magazine — Everyone has a viewpoint. Kids, adults, writers, politicians, and teachers, too.
Learning the role of viewpoint—and understanding that each person has a unique point of view—is one of the most important thinking skills that a child can acquire.
It is not only important for children to become comfortable sharing their own viewpoint, they must also be willing to listen to and learn from the viewpoints of others. They will also learn that their own viewpoint is stronger when there is evidence to support their thinking.
The Inkandescent Radio Show Gets Honest With Author Sam Barry
December 2012, Inkandescent Radio — On the Inkandescent Radio Show, we give voice to entrepreneurs, and always ask: “What’s your story?”
That will be easy to answer in this episode, thanks to our guest is Sam Barry. He is the author of the humorously inspirational book, “Write That Book Already: The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now,” which he co-wrote with his wife, author and literary provocateur Kathi Kamen Goldmark.
Barry also wrote, “How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons,” and currently is a contributing editor at Zyzzyva, the West Coast’s premier literary magazine. For the last 12 years, he was a marketing manager for HarperOne, a division of HarperCollins.
If that’s not enough, Barry is equally creative on stage, and plays in and around San Francisco in the band Los Train Wreck. He also tours with the all-author rock band, The Rock Bottom Remainders, with whom he appeared on Good Morning America, and The Craig Ferguson Show. He has also been a regular performer on the national radio show West Coast Live.
A gifted music teacher, Barry has helped thousands of people discover the joy of making music on the harmonica and piano (not at the same time). In a previous life he was the co-founder of a nonprofit art gallery and performance space in San Francisco’s Mission District, and a Presbyterian minister in Omaha and Boston.
Relaxation Is the Recipe at Arlington's New House of Steep
December 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — How did Lyndsey DePalma come up with concept for the House of Steep? “I wanted something for myself—a place to relax, and just be, for a while each day,” she explains. “I wast satisfied with any of the existing retail outlets.”
Armed with some entrepreneurial hard-wiring and a respect for natural healing, Lyndsey left her corporate career in human resources to bridge the gap.
Click inside to read our Q&A with Lyndsey, and click here to listen to our podcast interview on The Inkandescent Radio Show.
Honesty at Work
December 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — We live in a world where it is sometimes difficult to determine what the truth is, and what it is not.
Teaching our kids to be honest is a cardinal rule for many parents. Employers put a premium on honesty, too. Yet, we’ve just finished an election cycle where both sides were in the news for distorting the truth. And, of course, this carries over into society in general. Consider how honesty plays out in the workplace.
Here are three situations where lying may seem like it can help advance your career and will be easy to get away with starting with: Resumes Shouldn’t Lie. Here’s why.
Incubating Earth-Friendly Companies at Bethesda Green
December 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — Our mission at the Inkandescent Group is to promote, educate, and inspire entrepreneurs, so we are excited to shine a spotlight on Dave Feldman, the executive director of cutting-edge environmental nonprofit, Bethesda Green.
His organization is one of the projects started in 2008 by our December Entrepreneur of the Month, Seth Goldman. With other forward-thinking business leaders, Goldman sits on the board of directors to help oversee Bethesda Green’s mission: to make a positive difference for the environment by promoting a strong local economy that supports green business initiatives.
“We strive to be the local model for sustainable living,” notes Feldman. “Our purpose and mission at Bethesda Green is to bring business, government, and community together through programs and services to promote a healthy economy and sustainable living practices.”
IN THE NEWS: Hope Gibbs interviewed on "The Resilient Brain"
How can you get in front of reporters, and talk to them so they care about your story?
On the Dec. 1 episode of “The Resilient Brain,” the Blog Talk Radio show hosted Kathy Kitts, Inkandescent PR founder Hope Katz Gibbs participated in a strategy session to help the audience learn to think like a reporter, and get your company in the news.
Hope also discussed whether getting in the news is the best use of your PR energy and budget—and what it really takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
Click here to listen to the show.
Discovering the Meaning of Honesty
December 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — In my November Wealth column, I discussed the importance of the four “E’s”: Education, Expertise, Experience, and Empathy when selecting a wealth manager.
I’d like to add an “H” to the list: Honesty, for it is mission-critical when it comes to choosing the right advisor to handle your finances.
First, let’s make a distinction: Truth and honesty are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. While truth holds a universal or objective meaning, honesty conveys a more subjective feeling and depends on the integrity and intention of the speaker.
Like empathy, honesty is an attribute or virtue, while truth is considered the outcome of that attribute. This means not only disclosing the truth, but imparting the right impression. In business, it is possible to deliver the truth—but leave the wrong impression.
Regardless of the intent, this communication gaffe demonstrates a discrepancy between intent and actions.
December 2012: How Not to Be Your Own Worst Enemy
Review by Bryan Beatty
Partner
Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC
How Not to Be Your Own Worst Enemy
A book by James Montier
Publisher: Wiley
In this insightful book by behavioral finance expert James Montier, we learn that bias, emotion, and overconfidence are just three of the behavioral traits that can lead investors to potentially lose money, or achieve lower returns.
Instead, he encourages readers to focus on “behavioral finance,” which recognizes that there is a psychological element to all investor decision-making—and it can help you overcome obstacles.
This academic, psychological approach to investing is what drew me to this book—a gift from a friend that I read in earnest earlier this month. Montier’s “Little Book of Behavioral Investing” takes us through some of the most important behavioral challenges faced by investors.
Michael Egan Answers the Question: Is Social Security Going Broke?
November 30, 2012 — Certified Financial Planner™ professional Michael Egan is an expert in traversing the Social Security system in helping his clients plan ahead for retirement.
In this episode of “Let’s Talk Live!,” Egan explains:
- Social Security is not going bankrupt. Here’s why.
- You can actually be eligible for up to three different benefits during your lifetime. What are these?
- You know that most people think Social Security checks really do not mean that much. But Egan insists that’s not true. In fact, they have two big benefits. What are they?
- Since Social Security is a complicated system, it requires a significant amount of planning before you file for benefits. What are some filing tips?
Click here to view Egan’s interview.
Ashley Freund, summer intern 2012; editorial assistant fall 2013-spring 2014
Ashley Freund is the new editorial assistant at the Inkandescent Group, a promotion she received in September 2012 after successfully completing the company’s eight-week summer intern program.
In addition to managing and maintaining the company’s comprehensive networking website, www.InkandescentNetworking.com, she assists with writing press releases, transcribing interviews, and working on the company’s monthly business magazine, www.BeInkandescent.com.
A 2013 graduate of Virginia Tech, Freund earned a Communications degree with a focus on Public Relations. She minored in English minor, with an emphasis on Creative Writing.
Laura Gomez, summer intern 2012
In the summer of 2012, Laura Gomez successfully completed the Inkandescent Group’s eight-week summer intern program. In addition to doing extensive research on the speakers bureau that the company launched in the fall of 2012, InkandescentSpeakers.com, she learned to manage and maintain our databases, and participated in weekly planning meetings.
A fourth-year college student, Laura Gomez is pursuing a double bachelor’s degree in Administration and Business Management, and in Advertising and Public Relations, at the Rey Juan Carlos University in Spain. She also is currently participating in an online investments simulator program.
IN THE NEWS: Bryan Beatty Featured in the Wall Street Journal
November 8, 2012, Wall Street Journal — In today’s Wall Street Journal, financial advisor Bryan Beatty talks about the Dangers of High-Yield Investments.
“The Federal Reserve is keeping short-term interest rates at near zero levels and very few foreign central banks have interest rates much above 1%,” he explains. “Finding themselves in a challenging environment in which to derive income from their stocks and bonds, many retirees think they’ve found a solution in the form of high-yield investments such as real-estate investment trusts. But they’ve actually taken on a lot more risk than they realize.”
Click here to read the entire article in the Wall Street Journal.
Logo: Lockheed Martin's Go Green Program
For Lockheed Martin, our art director Michael Gibbs created logo for its 2013 Go Green program.
“We’ve already surpassed our goal for reducing waste sent to landfills,” executives explain. “We have also implemented a rigorous and systematic approach to improve energy efficiency and resource conservation.”
Bryan Beatty Explains: If You Are Self-Employed, How Much Should You Be Saving for Retirement?
November 21, 2012 — Certified Financial Planner™ professional Bryan Beatty, CFP®, a partner at the Northern Virginia firm Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC, stars in this segment on News Channel 8’s “Let’s Talk Live” show.
In this episode, Bryan Beatty explains:
- If you are self-employed, is there something special you need to do to save for retirement—especially in a way that offers tax advantages?
- Whether you are self-employed or not, exactly how easy or difficult is it to set up or maintain a retirement plan?
- What is the difference between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA? And are there any other retirement plans that self-employed people should be aware of?
- Exactly how much does the average person really need to save for retirement?
Click here to view Beatty’s interview.
Karen Hanrahan Talks About the Reality of Human Rights on Inkandescent Radio
karen Hanrahan was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor in August 2012. Hanrahan began her work under the Obama Administration working with Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as the U.S. Coordinator for International Assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan. She went on to design and run the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (the QDDR) for Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Ms. Hanrahan recently served as the Chief Innovation Officer for the UK Department for International Development (DFID), on detail assignment in London.
We met her back in the spring of 2008—before she had stepped into these top jobs. What has life been like in the last four years?
In this podcast, you’ll learn:
- These positions are but many high-level jobs she has held in her illustrious career, which began after graduating with a Political Science and Journalism degree at Indiana University in 1992.
- While in college, Hanrahan took the first steps along her path to work internationally when she spent a year abroad in Morocco, studying at the King Fahd Arabic Language School in Tangier, and the School of International Training in Rabat.
- Hanrahan then got her MA in International Politics at American University in 1995; and in 2000 finished her Law degree—with honors and at the top 5 percent of her class—at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. While there, she was the Law Review editor and a research assistant for Professor Joan Fitzpatrick, a federal public defender who has written habeas corpus petitions for indefinitely detained immigrants, and an assistant mediator at the US Court of Appeals.
- If that’s not impressive enough, Hanrahan capped her education with a degree from the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2008.
PRESS RELEASE: Curry's Auto Service Unveils Mural in Gaithersburg
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.”
NEWSLETTER — November 2012: Curry's Auto Service Thanks Its Customers With Great Giveaways
November is always a great month to give thanks for all we have in our lives. So we’re taking this opportunity to give back to our clients with some great promotions—and most importantly, Fall Safety Tips.
Tops on the list is keeping children safe in the car: The first in a series of Car Safety articles, we answer the question: “What’s the best child safety seat I can buy?” Click here to find the answer. And be sure to buckle your own seat belt once you’ve properly secured your child.
Click here to read the entire issue.
Insights from the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Human Rights
When it comes to defining what it means to be a Truly Amazing Woman, sometimes it’s the work a woman does—from running a multimillion-dollar business, and founding a philanthropic organization, to being a bestselling author or an internationally renowned artist.
Sometimes it’s just who she is, what she has overcome, and the fact that she is willing and able to share those life lessons with the rest of us.
When it comes to Karen Hanrahan, it’s a powerful combination of all of the above.
We met Deputy Assistant Secretary of Human Rights and Democracy Karen Hanrahan in 2008—before she had this top job in the Obama administration at the US Department of State.
At the time, she was a senior advisor to the Iraqi minister of human rights.
And soon after, she became the director and COO of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, where she led a comprehensive project for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to redefine how the US government practices international development and diplomacy.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions—and Outcomes
November 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” is an age-old adage that lies at the heart of this first decision-making strategy that will give parents insight into how they can help their children succeed in the classroom.
In fact, the next time you browse through a bookstore, take a look at the creativity and color that goes into designing a book cover as publishers compete to capture the reader’s attention and sell their product.
We have all selected books at one time or another based on superficial reasoning. Sometimes we are lucky and it truly is a great book, and other times we are disappointed. Book selection is just one of many choices children make each school day as they practice making decisions and dealing with the outcomes.
Creating an Empathy Movement
November 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — How we relate to others has a lot to do with behaviors we see, what we experience, and how we perceive and interpret the environment that surrounds us.
As the world is forced to open its eyes to increased violence and aggressive behavior from the youngest children to the oldest nations, two questions cry out for attention.
What is fueling this closed-minded and aggressive (both physical and psychological) behavior? How can we deactivate the anger, the hatred, and the violence and instill, develop, and build tolerance in each person that carries forth over generations?
Lack of acceptance and understanding for the lives and emotions of others, and unwillingness to accept the differences between ourselves and our neighbors, are sadly becoming commonplace, whether fueled by religious intolerance, governmental aggression, extreme poverty, or other incendiary conditions. Anyone can name a million causes, but how many can name even one solution?
Mary Gordon, shown above, is one of those rare people who can name a solution.
Does Empathy Belong in the Workplace?
November 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — Does empathy belong in the workplace? Absolutely!
Empathy is a key component of emotional intelligence and is a critical skill for any good leader or manager to possess and use. Strong leaders know that to move their organizations forward, they need to understand the people who make it happen.
A recent study on empathy by the Center for Creative Leadership showed that empathy is positively related to job performance, and what leader doesn’t want to encourage productivity?
Is empathy one of those qualities we either have or don’t have? No, empathy can be learned. While some leaders naturally exude empathy and have an advantage over their peers who don’t have it, those without it can be coached in how to increase their empathic skills.
Organizations can encourage empathy and help managers by letting them know that empathy makes a difference in the workplace. Empathy is exhibited through spending time with employees—giving them your time and attention.
Choosing a Wealth Manager: Education, Expertise, Experience + Empathy
November 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — Clearly, education, expertise, and experience are important, but empathy—the ability to mutually experience the thoughts, emotions, and direct experience of others—is key because it facilitates mutual understanding.
Empathetic wealth managers can inspire their clients to adopt the positive changes necessary for them to reach their life financial goals.
According to the writings of 8th-century Buddhist scholar Shantideva, the key to cultivating more empathy is to learn to see the complexity of a situation. Even if empathy does not come naturally to us, it’s a virtue that we can develop over time.
Identify an empathetic wealth manager by considering the following.
November 2012: Retirement with Love—How Investment Returns Affect Your Retirement
By Howard Pressman, CFP®
Certified Financial Planner™
Egan, Berger & Weiner
Picture this: James Bond, aided by a drop-dead-gorgeous nuclear physicist with a name that doesn’t even vaguely hide its sexual innuendo, is trying to disarm a bomb hidden under the Queen’s throne.
The bomb has a digital display, and James must enter the disarming code exactly as he read it when it was left unattended on the villain’s desk during the “I’m Gonna Blow-Up the World” masquerade ball.
If he gets the sequence wrong, he’s going to blow the Queen (and himself) to kingdom come.
If he gets it right, he hops a little dingy and spends six blissful days on the ocean with Ms. Nuclear Physicist. Drawing down your retirement savings is very similar—if the sequence doesn’t go just right, it’s possible that the whole thing could blow up in your face.
NEWSLETTER — October 2012: Welcome Fall with Auto Care Check-Ups at Curry's
Keeping your car in top shape with regular maintenance checks and periodic repairs is always the goal at Curry’s Auto Service.
As we support Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, we remind you of the importance of physical check-ups, as well. In our newly designed newsletter, you’ll find tips on how you can keep your car in top shape, learn about companies that have created useful products that support breast cancer research, and get great coupons and giveaways to show our appreciation for your business.
Click here to read the entire issue.
IN THE NEWS: Sharon Armstrong Tells Entrepreneur magazine: "How to Make a Poor Performance Review More Effective"
October 12, 2012, Entrepreneur magazine — Sharon Armstrong, author of “The Essential Performance Review Handbook,” shared her wisdom today with Entrepreneur.com reporter Gwen Moran on the topic, “How to Make a Poor Performance Review More Effective.”
Armstrong says: “Being consistent in giving performance reviews can be tough when you’re delivering a not-so-great review,” and offers four tips to make the process less painful.
WEBSITE — The Inkandescent Radio Network
Click image for larger viewWriting / Concept by Hope Katz Gibbs
Website design by Michael Gibbs
Website coding / database by Max Kukoy
The Inkandescent Radio Network: The Voice of Entrepreneurs
Bringing the wisdom of small-business owners to the radio waves is the goal of The Inkandescent Radio Network, which launched in January 2013.
Created by journalist, publicist, author, and entrepreneur Hope Katz Gibbs, the network features a series of business-focused radio shows that provide inspiration, motivation, and education about best practices in small business.
The Shows: The Inkandescent Radio Shows shine feature business and thought leaders, industry experts, futurists, authors, artists, chefs, and more.
Throughout 2013, the company will be spinning these industry-focused interviews off into radio shows of their own, including “The Parent Diaries,” a show focused on best practices in parenting, hosted by Be Inkandescent magazine’s Parenting columnist Kathleen McCarthy — and “From Soup to Nuts,” which will the nation’s top entrepreneurial chefs, restaurateurs, chefs, foodies, and hoteliers.
Learn more about the upcoming shows here.
The Mission: Promoting, educating, and inspiring entrepreneurs is the mission of The Inkandescent Group, LLC, a PR, marketing, publishing and website and design company that helps small businesses get the visibility they need to glow so they can grow.
Are you ready to raise your voice? If you’d like to be interviewed on The Inkandescent Radio Show, www.theinkandescentradioshow.com, or if you’d like to host your own show — send Hope Katz Gibbs an email.
And be sure to listen regularly to our new episodes for insight into best practices in small business. Grab a cup of coffee, and sit back and enjoy!
Visit web site: inkandescentradio.com
IN THE NEWS: Bryan Beatty Featured on Video News Show, Business Battery Pack
October 5, 2012, BusinessBatteryPack.com — “When you run your own business, you are a master juggler,” financial advisor Bryan Beatty told the hosts of BusinessBatteryPack.com today.
He advised listeners how proper retirement planning can enhance your business,
how to become more confident and manage the daily risks that are essential to your growth, how a sound financial plan can attract more quality employees.
“The keys to creating a retirement plan without depending on Social Security,” Beatty insisted.
For more tips from Beatty on “How to Free Yourself from the Social (in)Security Trap and Secure Your Retirement,” click here.
For more information about this video news show for entrepreneurs, visit businessbatterypack.com.
IN THE NEWS: Hope Katz Gibbs featured on Business Battery Pack TV
September 28, 2012, BusinessBatteryPack.com — “The first thing you should do when you start a business is get a client,” public relations expert Hope Katz Gibbs of Inknadescent PR told the hosts of BusinessBatteryPack.com today.
“A lot of times when people want to take the leap into entreprenuership they tend to lean towards something that they do as a hobby or are really passionate about,” Gibbs added. “But if in the end you don’t have a legitimate client or person trading you money for your services then is it really a business?”
Host Frank Do noted: “This is one of my favorite quotes from the Business Battery Pack hangout session with Public Relations expert Hope Katz Gibbs,
Click here to watch the broadcast.
Re-Thinking Work, the Workplace—and Juggling Acts of All Sorts
October 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — Being divorced with no children, I read Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article, Why Women Still Can’t Have It All, with much compassion.
However, I come from a totally different life perspective.
Many things in her article rang true for me. It made me review my own journey down a similar, but equally frustrating path—as a single professional who often had to accommodate my schedules, workload, and a host of other things for my colleagues with children.
Earlier in my career, as a non-parent, no-spouse professional, I sometimes felt oppositely harassed when I was expected to sub-in for colleagues who had to attend to their children.
I rarely felt that they were taking advantage of me, though, to be honest, I occasionally resented it. But then I realized how much I value my colleagues, and it seemed like much less of a sacrifice.
I knew they were doing the best they could, and I respected the way they juggled their personal and professional lives. I wasn’t too sure I would have been able to do as well.
Women and Work—What Will It Take to Land More Key Positions?
October 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — Women have long been making an impact on the world of work. The number of women in the workplace surged during World War II, of course, when companies had signed contracts with the government to produce war equipment for the Allies—and the men were deployed overseas.
Women came to the rescue, and in the decades since have been taking the employment world by storm.
Our numbers continue to increase each year. In 1984, 44 million women were in the workforce. By 2009, there were 72 million. And with this increase have come more opportunities for women to assume managerial positions. While we still aren’t equally represented in every C-suite, or in government, our numbers are growing.
Three Tips for Choosing the Best Wealth Manager for Your Business and Family
October 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — In my August 2012 article, I defined wealth management, and offered six tips to get you started on the path toward solid financial planning for your future.
My top recommendations included:
- Take charge: Remember, it’s your money. You are in complete control of the engagement with your financial planner. You need to feel heard and understood, as opposed to being lectured to or talked down to.
- Look at the big picture: Financial planning is more than just retirement planning or tax planning, so it’s important to keep both your long- and short-term goals in mind when developing a strategy.
- Don’t confuse financial planning with investing: There is a difference, and you need to distinguish between them. The financial planning process helps you understand the impact that one decision may have on other areas of your financial life.
- Don’t expect unrealistic returns on investments: The market fluctuates daily, so take a long-term view, especially with your retirement funds. It is not uncommon for clients to adopt a 30-year time horizon for retirement.
- Don’t wait until a money crisis to begin financial planning: It is never too early to plan, nor is it ever too late to start planning. You may not be able to control stock market volatility, interest rate fluctuations, or the value of your home, but you can still be in control of your future. Planning provides direction and guidance, which can ultimately increase your financial confidence.
To assist you further, here are three tips on how to pick a financial planner.
October 2012: Do Women Really Invest Differently Than Men?
By Carmen Martinez
Financial Adviser
Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC
Do men and women invest differently?
Books, research, and independent studies have concluded—yes, women do invest differently than their male counterparts. And, in many cases, it leads to greater earnings, especially in the long-term.
As a financial adviser, having observed the investment behavior on Wall Street for more than 25 years, I must say that I concur.
So, what exactly is the difference in the male and female approach?
The reasons are varied, as you’ll see below. But, studies show:
- Women tend to have conservative attitudes toward risk-taking and demonstrate a steady temperament to their investment strategy.
- Men, on the other hand, typically are overconfident and demonstrate unsteady temperament to their investment strategy.
Let’s take a look at how these differences have developed.
A Press Release on How to Write a Great Press Release
Arlington VA, Today — In this press release on press releases, by PR guru Hope Katz Gibbs, you’ll learn how to structure, execute, and artfully craft a press release that gets attention.
“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 Gibbs, the founder of Inkandesent Public Relations, and 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 so that it reads like a mini-article, since this gives it a greater chance of being picked up by newspapers, magazines, and blogs.”
Hope Katz Gibbs to Speaks at Webster University: Sept. 5, 2012
Hope Katz Gibbs was proud to speak on the “The Woman Manager” panel at Webster University’s DC Campus on September 5, 2012, 5:30 pm at Bolling Air Force Base.
The Woman Manager is a course where Webster University students examine the role of women in modern industrial society. Emphasis is placed on the particular difficulty women experience in assuming managerial roles in a predominantly male enterprise. Course content focuses on the managerial tools women managers may use to control their organizations.
Congratulations to Michael Egan: A 2012 Recipient of Advisory Elite Status from ING Financial Partners
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.
The Future of Youth Happiness: What Makes 12 to 24-Year-Olds Happy?
By Andy Hines
Futurist
Hinesight, www.andyhinesight.com
What makes 12 to 24-year-olds happy? That’s the question that MTV Research wanted to know when they approached me and my team at the futurist research and consulting firm Social Technologies (now Innovaro).
We had some basic ideas.
We figured that friends and technology would be important to this group. But how did they feel about religion, their parents, fame, and money? We began reading everything we could on the topic, and then the real research started.
MTV also enlisted the Associated Press to add a quantitative component to our qualitative findings. Their researchers polled 1,280 youths in the 12-to-24 age-range, and published a series of press releases based on this data.
In the end, the results surprised me a bit, for ultimately we discovered that youth will continue to perplex adults in their pursuit of happiness. They will exhibit a careful mixture of idealism and aspirations, tempered with a grasp of realities and practicalities. The biggest thing we learned was never to judge a book by its cover. Scroll down to find out why.
A New Generation Needs a New Way to Learn. Just Ask Aleta Margolis
September 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — Ever think about how you became an entrepreneur? Where did you learn to take risks? Who taught you to think out of the box, and to solve problems on your own?
It’s a fair guess to say that creative thinking and taking calculated risks was not on the teaching priority list of your elementary school, junior, or even senior high school.
More than likely, you learned how to sit still, be quiet, color between the lines, and not be a disruptor.
Sound familiar? Well, not a whole lot has changed over the past 20 years. Teachers teach to the test, kids learn for the tests, and reading and math are still king.
But there are those who know that things can be different.
The Art of Educating Employees
September 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — In Chapter 23 of The Big Book of HR, my co-author Cornelia Gamlem and I quote organizational consultant and author Warren Bennis, who said: “You need people who can walk their companies into the future rather than back them into the future.”
Bennis’ comment highlights the need for organizations to make a real effort to constantly provide opportunities for employees to learn and grow—otherwise, organizations won’t be positioned for growth.
Not only that, but they will not produce the value required to succeed in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace.
Why is professional development, and employee education, so important?
Financial Planning for a Diverse Population
September 2012, Be Inkandescent magazine — “Statistics show that the number of unmarried couples who share the same residence is on the rise,” says FPA Diversity Committee Co-Chair Rita Cheng, CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth “Just two years ago, the number of opposite-sex couples living together jumped 13 percent, to 7.5 million, according to the US Census Bureau. The number of same-sex couples living together in 2010 also increased over the previous year—up 30 percent—from 476,000 in 2009 to about 620,000 in 2010.”
Additional research confirms that the trend is continuing to grow, which presents unique financial planning concerns to the couples, as well as challenges for their financial planners.
Members of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) have created the FPA Diversity Initiative in an effort to raise awareness and promote an environment that embraces diverse communities of consumers and professionals.
Who is included in this demographic?
Hope Gibbs article about Charles Best's DonorsChoose.org Featured in Costco's magazine
August 2012, Costco Connection — Journalist, PR specialist, and entrepreneur Hope Katz Gibbs article on Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org, was featured in the August 2012 issue of the Costco Connection.
Read about how this former teacher, with a Yale education, turned an idea sparked during lunch 12 years ago into a multi-million-dollar nonprofit organization that funds classroom projects.
“The average project costs about $500 to fund,” Best shares, noting that many projects cost as little as $150, but requests for bigger ticket items—such as playground equipment or trips to study abroad—can hit $30,000.
September 2012: Will You Run Out of Money Before You Run Out of Life?
By Sheldon Weiner
Financial Advisor/Partner
Egan, Berger & Weiner, LLC
If you are concerned that during your retirement years your money will run out, you are not alone.
Surveys suggest that more than 67 percent of Americans are worried about not having enough money for retirement, according to seniorsite.com, and of those, 61 percent fear outliving their money more than they fear death.1
Here’s why:
1. Pensions and Social Security checks used to be the main funding for retirement. Now, people have to rely more on their personal assets to fund retirement to ensure that their income lasts as long as they do. With an average life expectancy of 78 ½ years, we now live more than a decade longer than we did in 1950, yet retirement age has increased just two years—to age 67.2
2. The US Census Bureau reports that more than 50 percent of Americans anticipate working through retirement due to financial and healthcare needs. In 2008 roughly 33 million Americans were between the ages 55 and 64, and that number is expected to reach 43 million by 2020.
3. Asked about expected sources of income in retirement, 94 percent of Baby Boomers say they expect Social Security to be a major part of their income. They also thought pension plans (46%) and 401K-type plans (43%) would also pay a major part in their retirement income.6 However, 30 percent indicated they expect some of their retirement income to come from part-time work. Respondents expected only 9 percent to come from inheritances, and 11 percent from other sources.3
WEBSITE — Inkandescent Speakers
Click image for larger viewWriting / Concept by Hope Katz Gibbs
Website design by Michael Gibbs
Website coding / database by Max Kukoy
About The Inkandescent Speakers Bureau
Inkandescent Speakers include some of the top business experts, entrepreneurs, corporate and government leaders, futurists and inspirational visionaries, who offer best practices on the hottest trends in business, and personal/organizational development.
Our experienced speakers bring decades of real-world, corporate, and entrepreneurial know-how to your workshops, seminars, keynote speeches, lunch-and-learns, and networking events.
We invite you to click around the website, Meet our Speakers, check out our Upcoming Speaking Gigs, and review all of the Topics we can talk about. For fun, check out our Speaking Tips. Perhaps you’d like to become an Inkandescent Speaker, too.
We look forward to inspiring you and your team! For more information, and to book our speakers, contact Hope Katz Gibbs, founder of the Inkandescent Speakers Bureau, at 703 346-6975, hope@inkandescentpr.com.
Visit web site: inkandescentspeakers.com
PRESS RELEASE: Be Inkandescent magazine's August Book of the Month—"Rippling: How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World"
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.”
PRESS RELEASE: Conflict Resolution Expert Lisa McLeod Explains "How I Reframed Paying My Taxes: Why Self-Talk Matters" in the August issue of Be Inandescent Magazine
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.
IN THE NEWS: Sharon Armstrong featured in MoneyWatch Article, "How to tell what a company can afford to pay"
August 15, 2012, MoneyWatch — “Given the tight labor market, it’s tempting to immediately accept any job offer you might get,” writes CBS News reporter Amy Levin-Epstein. “But how can you tell if a prospective employer is making the best financial offer for the position in question?”
To figure out if a company is low-balling you, she interviewed Sharon Armstrong, author of The Essential HR Handbook, and owner of Sharon Armstrong & Associates, who says, “Do your due diligence.”
Click here to read the entire article.
IN THE NEWS: Sharon Armstrong featured in AmericanExpress OPEN Forum article: "4 Tips to an Effective Employee Review"
August 15, 2012, American Express OPEN Forum — An article on “4 Tips to an Effective Employee Review,” in today’s edition of American Express OPEN featured Sharon Armstrong, author of The Essential HR Handbook.
Her advice: Schedule frequent discussions. “Reviews can be stressful when employees don’t know what to expect and employers aren’t sure how to break news,” Armstrong says. “Take the edge off by scheduling frequent performance chats with your employee.”
Click here to read the entire article.
PRESS RELEASE: Financial Planner Michael Egan Explains "The Future of Social Security"
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.
PRESS RELEASE: Be Inkandescent magazine features Barbara Mitchell on "The Challenge of Managing Multiple Generations At Work"
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.”
IN THE NEWS: Hope Katz Gibbs featured on MO.com
August 9, 2012, MO.com — Entrepreneur and PR specialist Hope Katz Gibbs was featured today on MO.com, a website that interviews entrepreneurs from all walks, across all industries, and from around the world.
“We focus on their habits and methods; what makes them tick,” says founder Brian Null, noting M.O. is the abbreviation for Modus Operandi or Method of Operating and we interview entrepreneurs to learn about their methods and to share their strategies and business philosophies with our readers.
“We’re entrepreneurs ourselves and we get energized talking with others that have traveled down the same path of launching a new business or folks that are just about to embark on the adventure of starting a business,” he says.
© 2014 Inkandescent PR, The Inkandescent Group, LLC