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.
Today it’s difficult for marketers to reach and impact consumers. The consumer seems ever more elusive and ever more savvy to the daily barrage of marketing messages and campaigns. It’s not just enough to reach consumers and businesses on the mass level; they must be touched utilizing creative one-on-one marketing techniques.
Smith Fairfield, Inc. (SFI) has a solid reputation for successfully launching and branding new products, driving sales, and increasing market share. We have achieved this by using proprietary tools, creative thinking and a compliment of marketing disciplines for business–to–business (B2B) and business–to–consumer (B2C) transactions. We have been able to deliver powerful programs that reach target audiences, building long-term brand loyalty with an eye squarely focused on achieving measurable results.
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October 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — I’ve enjoyed many a late night following an event with my hospitality colleagues, relaxing over a glass of wine and regaling each other with stories of events we have hosted.
Sometimes hilarious, often horrific, they never cease to inspire — and teach me how to do my job better.
Following are some of my favorites.
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This month, Steve Trow traveled to Switzerland to speak at the Association of Foreign Banks in Switzerland Conference in Geneva (on Sept. 8) and in Zurich (on Sept. 9). The topic of the conference was “FATCA: first set of guidance for implementation.”
He addressed U.S. immigration rules that determine whether an individual is a U.S. citizen or has U.S. permanent resident (green card) status. This is not always clear, as a person may be unaware that he is a U.S. citizen or may mistakenly think that he has lost U.S. citizenship by acquiring another nationality or lost permanent resident status by residing abroad. Click here to view the agenda for the conference.
Steve’s next speaking engagement is October 26: He will travel to Calgary to conduct a four-hour presentation for Moodys Tax Seminars. The topic is “U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Planning for High Net Worth Clients.” Learn more about that here.
In this issue: You’ll learn about the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which allows foreign investors and their families to obtain U.S. permanent resident status (green cards) to reside permanently in the United States. Read all about that by clicking inside. Don’t miss the insights we share in our immigration news briefs. Specifically, take a look at the higher filing fees that will be required for companies with a large H-1B/L-1 workforce.
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October 1, 2010, US News & World Report — Hot off the presses is the 2010 Best Lawyers issue of US News & World Report, which lists Trow & Rahal as one of the top immigration law firms in the country.
“Guiding the firm with their winning attitudes and capabilities, Steve Trow and Linda Rahal have a solid reputation within the legal community.” Click here to read the entire article.
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Welcome to the first issue of our monthly newsletter, Cooking with Culinaria. Each month, our chefs will bring you new and exciting cooking tips and recipes. And our wine director John Peters will provide insights and ideas about wine.
Click “Read More” below to find a list of our fall classes, including individual sessions on cooking regional Italian dishes, tapas from Spain, and crepes. Teen classes include learning to make Chinese food, cookies and quick breads, and summer camp. There will be classes for couples, team building opportunities for businesses, and more. Also below, you will meet our team of professionally trained chefs who have years of experience in teaching the fundamentals of cooking.
We look forward to welcoming you into our kitchen at our grand opening in October. Look for details on the date and time in our next newsletter.
From all of us here at Culinaria Cooking School, Salud! — Chef Robyn Alexander, Chef and Co-owner Stephen Sands, Chef and VP Pete Snaith, Wine Director John Peters (pictured above), Chef Bonita Woods, Chef Brian Batsel, and Office Manager Stefanie Sacripante
Visit us online: www.culinariacookingschool.com • Send us an email: info@culinariacookingschool.com
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By Janice Miller
Chairman, City of Fairfax School Board
As we welcome students and staff back to school this September, we are thrilled to invite you to celebrate the 75th anniversary of our beloved Fairfax High.
Festivities will begin with a Homecoming Parade on Friday, September 24, at 4:15 and continue through the evening. (See the entire list of events, at right.)
A new school year brings some other changes, including the redesign of our City School Close-Up newsletter. We’ll be publishing six issues this year, and in each one you’ll learn about something new and exciting in the field of education.
In upcoming issues, we’ll be interviewing local and national experts and writing about:
- The Importance of Diversity in Our Schools (November-December)
- The Value of Cultivating Creativity (January-February)
- How to Prepare Your Kids for College (March-April)
- The Power of Resilience (May-June)
- Graduation 2011 (July-August)
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As school starts this month, entrepreneurs who are also parents are breathing a sigh of relief. It’s not easy managing a growing company while keeping your growing kids safe and entertained all summer. Read more about that here.
Because keeping all the apples in the air can be a potentially explosive situation, we focus this month on the topic of education. We agree it is mission critical to give our children the best education possible, but it is equally important for business leaders to continue their own quest for knowledge and growth.
Our columnists share their insights on how they use education to stay ahead of the curve, and offer advice on how you can, too.
Our September Entrepreneur of the Month, Blackboard Inc. CEO Michael Chasen, tells us how he got to the head of the class developing educational software applications. His DC-based firm, which develops and licenses educational software applications to more than 7,500 schools and universities around the world, projects revenues of $445.4 million in 2010.
And consider this thought from poet Robert Frost. “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
Here’s to your great education. — Hope Katz Gibbs
Editor & Publisher, Be Inkandescent Magazine
Founder, Inkandescent Public Relations
Illustration (above) by Michael Gibbs, www.mglenwood.com
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Sept. 15, 2010, The Wall Street Journal — In an article about “second-to-die” insurance, Golden & Cohen founder Scott Golden was interviewed by reporter Joe Mullich who wrote: “In addition to paying the estate tax, second-to-die insurance can also be used to build an estate and guarantee that a specific amount is available for heirs. Because of this, it is often suggested for families who have children with special needs or disabilities.”
Scott Golden explained: “The overall internal rates of return (IRR) can vary based on age, health condition at time of underwriting and death of both of the insured, but on average, the IRR is a tax free 6 percent which looks very attractive in the current financial environment. he insurance isn’t that complicated, but you should consider several variables which might affect how you fund the insurance and the cost of it.”
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CAN YOU MANAGE MANGERS?
Can you explain how to write meaningful and measurable performance goals? Can you show us how to tell someone their work is not up to expectations?
I am asked these questions frequently as I interact with business leaders. Immediately, my brain opens the big mental file folder labeled “Managing Performance.”
Whether I am coaching individual leaders, working with a management team, or teaching a class on management skills, nearly everything I communicate falls into this huge knowledge area called performance management.
Why is the job of directing the work of others so difficult? Read on to find out. You’ll also learn about a wonderful new book by Sharon Armstrong, a human resources expert and the author of The Essential HR Handbook.
ALICE WAAGEN IN THE NEWS: Speaking of managing managers, Inc. magazine reporter Darrell Dahl quoted me in his article published on Aug. 23. “Your company’s managers are smart, committed, and passionate. How can you make sure they perform to their potential?” Read the entire article here: www.inc.com.
Enjoy the rest of your summer! I’ll talk to you again in October.
Alice Waagen, President
Workforce Learning
alice@workforcelearning.com.
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September 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I found what made my heart sing very early on in my career—by sheer accident.
Right out of college, I got a temp gig working for a local business association. The job was to help plan the annual meeting. I arrived in my smart blue suit and sensible heels and was allotted an empty cubicle. Someone handed me an antiquated registration system: a shoebox full of postmarked RSVP cards.
I sat for hours inputting data and logging checks, registering individual guests into an Excel spreadsheet. Eventually, the fruits of my labor were compiled into a database that would yield alphabetized name badges and registration lists. These lists would, of course, also become the basic elements behind so many aspects of that event. From room sets to catering to the program, the individual names and organizations I came to know so well would drive the scope of the entire production.
I was hooked.
It has been quite a few years since that first event, and I have been fortunate to have learned from some of the best planners and business minds in the business.
In the spirit of education by fellow planner, here are seven tips to guide you to event-planning success.
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Aug. 23, 2010, Inc. magazine — “When you work for yourself, as most entrepreneurs do, the notion of ‘managing’ those you have hired to do just that may seem quaint in light of all the work you need to catch up on,” writes Darren Dahl in this week’s issue of Inc. magazine.
“But as the company you started begins to grow, and you hire more and more people to fuel that growth, it is a good idea to take a step back from the day-to-day grind and consider what it might mean to both you and your company if you devoted some of your time to thinking about how best to manage your managers. After all, the more people you empower to make decisions, and that free you up to think more strategically, the faster, at least in theory, your company can grow.”
In the section entitled, “Managing Managers: Measure Tasks,” he interviewed Dr. Alice Waagen who said: “For managers to succeed, they need time to learn to manage” she says. “And then, once they do, they need to be held accountable for their results.”
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By Scott Golden
Co-Owner and CFO
Scott@Golden-Cohen.com
On August 3, Agent’s Sales Journal reporter Heather Trese published an article featuring my comments about the future of Medicare.
She wrote: Some people, including Scott Golden, chief financial officer of the health benefits consulting company Golden & Cohen, predict that Medicare plans — such as original Medicare with a Part D or Med supp addition — will start to become more attractive as Medicare Advantage loses its luster.
I said: “Whenever you make one product less attractive, you’ll make the other product more attractive. So it does work to an advantage for those who work in the indemnity market.” Click here to read Heather’s entire article.
This issue is incredibly timely. In fact, back in March our monthly newsletter focused on Medicare — an important topic, especially if you or a loved one is nearing age 65. The process is complicated, and try as you might, don’t be surprised if you can’t get all the information you need to understand how to apply, what benefits you will receive, and a myriad of other questions you are likely to have. Click here for details.
Also in this issue:
• You’ll find an article by our accountant Eric Cohen, who asks, “Is it time for a Roth conversion?”
• And check out the 10th chapter in our upcoming book, “You Gotta Laugh: Life in the Trenches of the Health Insurance Business.” In this month’s insurance issue, my wife and business partner Stephanie Cohen and I explain why you need to carefully track and pay your premiums at the same time each month.
From all of us at Golden & Cohen, here’s to your good health!
Stephanie Cohen, CEO, stephanie@golden-cohen.com
Scott Golden, CFO, scott@golden-cohen.com
Jack Cohen, COO, jack@golden-cohen.com
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RISK is the topic we tackle in the August issue of Be Inkandescent Magazine.
As a PR, marketing, and publishing company that focuses on helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, the Inkandescent PR team was curious to learn the answers to these questions about risk:
Are all entrepreneurs natural risk-takers? Does success in business equate to taking calculated risks? Or are most risk-takers simply daredevils who are willing to risk it all? Do entrepreneurs have a predisposition to being willing to take a risk? Is it a personality type? Can a willingness to take risks be learned? Click on the articles below, which will take you to this months articles on Be Inkandescent Magazine where you can read what our 18 columnists have to say about taking risks in their industries.
Below, you’ll find the introduction to our interview with our August Entrepreneur of the Month: Dr. Ben Carson. The world famous Johns Hopkins Children’s Center neurosurgeon, who separates conjoined twins for a living, is also the author of “Take the Risk.” *Don’t miss his Tips for Entrepreneurs, where he teaches us to use his best / worst analysis to decide which risks to take.
Click here to read the entire August issue of the magazine! www.beinkandescent.com
Here’s to your success!
“Hope Katz Gibbs, editor & publisher
Founder, Inkandescent Public Relations
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August 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — I’ve met a lot of people who get lost in day-dreams full of black-tie gowns and tuxedos — a car service dropping them off at the entrance to a stunning museum, the beginning of a long night of heavy hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dancing and fun in sequins or a flashy bow-tie.
It’s easy to imagine just how enjoyable it would be if your organization was the one hosting the bash. But the truth is, just because you can throw an event, doesn’t mean that you should.
Hosting an event of any kind for event planning’s sake is simply not a practical idea. The cost to produce such functions is more than you might imagine and, in this economy, the sponsorship dollars are not as strong as they used to be.
Couple that with a decrease in overall attendance and an increase in pressure to show ROI from your constituents, and you can tell why organizations are taking a step back and re-evaluating how their time and dollars will be invested. So should you, or shouldn’t you?
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August 1, 2010, Agent’s Sales Journal — Scott Golden talks about the future of Medicare in the new issue of Agent’s Sales Journal. Reporter Heather Trese wrote:
Some people, including Scott Golden, chief financial officer of the health benefits consulting company Golden & Cohen, predict that other Medicare plans — such as original Medicare with a Part D or Med supp addition — will start to become more attractive as Medicare Advantage loses its luster.
“Whenever you make one product less attractive, you’ll make the other product more attractive,” Golden said. “So it does work to an advantage for those who work in the indemnity market.”
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July 28, 2010, Philadelphia Magazine — We are thrilled to announce that this week Avenida Restaurant was awarded the 2010 Best Kids Menu by Philadelphia Magazine.
At Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly 2010” celebration last week, owners and chefs Kim and Edgar Alverez celebrated the incredible honor with Philadelphia dignitaries such as Mayor Michael Nutter (click Read More to see that photo), and the other Best of Philly winners.
Click here to see the dishes that kids all over Philadelphia have been raving about.
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July 28, 2010, Legal Bisnow — Immigration attorney Steve Trow, CEO and co-owner of the DC law firm Trow & Rahal, was quoted in the “Sound Bites” column of the July 28 issue of Legal Bisnow.
Sponsored by Hellerman Baretz Communications, Steve and three other attorneys were asked: What are your thoughts about the DOJ’s lawsuit this month challenging Arizona’s immigration law?
Steve said: “Congress dropped the ball on immigration reform, but that doesn’t give Arizona the right to run onto the field and pick it up. DOJ needs to get Arizona off the field, then Congress needs to fix our broken immigration system.”
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July 25, 2010, The Philadelphia Inquirer — “When the economy came crashing down in 2009, it brought Kim and Edgar Alvarez’s crab cakes with them – at least for a moment,” writes Inquirer Restaurant Critic Craig LaBan in today’s Philly.com Food.
He continues: Those cakes were among the signature items at the couple’s former prepared foods store, the Delaware Market House in Gladwyne. But once the recession prompted enough Main Liners to start cooking more for themselves, the Alvarez’ business, which thrived on small pleasures like fresh chicken salad and sirloin broil, suddenly went “completely off the deep end,” says Kim.
It was a sorry moment for Gladwyne take-out addicts, perhaps, but has turned into a boon for Mount Airy, where the resilient Alvarezes have resurfaced with Avenida, a Latin-inspired neighborhood restaurant well-cast for a neighborhood that can use all the good flavors it can muster.
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John Hasenberg is a senior vice president for wealth management with MorganStanley SmithBarney in Washington, D.C. He works with individuals, families, business owners, corporations and non-profits. Featured services range from selecting investments to retirement planning to sophisticated estate planning. Prior to joining Smith Barney, he spent six years with A.G. Edwards, where he was a member of the firm’s President’s Council in 2005 and 2006.
Nancy Hartsock is a Financial Advisor and Financial Planning Specialist with The Hasenberg Hartsock Group at MorganStanley SmithBarney, and specializes in wealth management, financial planning, and multi-generational family work. During her years in the financial services industry, she has helped her clients reach their wealth goals through hard work and a common sense approach to successful investing. Nancy began her career in the financial services industry with AXA Advisors, LLC in 2001 prior to joining Smith Barney in 2005.
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By Scott Golden, CFO
Scott@Golden-Cohen.com
Over the course of a lifetime, there are certain events that can change someone forever. For me, that moment occurred when I found out that my cousin, Steven Seiden, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. He lived with that disease for 12 years, but finally succumbed in 2002.
I watched him deteriorate, slowly at first and then rapidly. I, like everyone who knew and loved him, felt helpless. But I wanted to be helpful in any way that I could. I visited Steven many times in his final days, and was there for his funeral alongside my entire family.
On that day, I made a decision to become active in the fight against ALS.
I had made a promise to Steven — not verbally, but emotionally. After his death, I got involved with the ALS Association — DC/MD/VA Chapter, and hosted a gala to raise money to help those stricken by this deadly disease. From that point on, I viewed philanthropy in a whole different way. I made it a priority to give both time and money to this cause, and to other good causes, many that are health-related. I feel that I am a better person for it — and that was the gift my cousin gave me.
Every year in October, I now gather as many friends, colleagues, clients, and family members as possible to participate in the DC Walk to Defeat ALS. It is my way of honoring someone who impacted my life so greatly. I invite you to join me! Mark your calendar now for October 17. I’ll meet you at the Old Folklife Festival Area in downtown DC. Sign up here.
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As we sweat our way through the heat of July here in Washington, DC, we are reminded of the performing artists who all too often sweat their way through the immigration process.
In this issue of our newsletter: You’ll find insights and guidance from Trow & Rahal attorney and shareholder Cynthia Hemphill about how performing artists and organizations can minimize their chances of a denial and/or inherent delays if the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues a request for evidence.
Also in this issue: You’ll find an interview by Attorney Linda Rahal with Human Resources expert Sharon Armstrong, author of The Essential Performance Review Handbook. And don’t miss this month’s Immigration Update, which shares details about the forward movement in the availability of immigrant visa numbers and future projections, cut-off dates, best hiring practices set forth by the Department of Homeland Security, and more.
We appreciate your comments and feedback. We are looking forward to helping you with all of your immigration-related needs.
With warm regards from all of us at Trow & Rahal,
Steve Trow, Attorney / Owner / Founder, strow@trowlaw.com
Linda Rahal, Attorney / Owner / Founder, lrahal@trowlaw.com
Cynthia Hemphill, Attorney / Owner, chemphill@trowlaw.com
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POWER is the theme for the July issue of Be Inkandescent Magazine. As an entrepreneur, we ask you to consider these questions: How do you define power? How do you harness it? Wield it? And how do you help others to be powerful in your organization?
Equally essential is this question: As a leader, how do you cope with the limits of power? Indeed, this is the situation that President Obama struggled with during his first term in office. For an analysis of the situation, we turn to July’s Entrepreneur of the Month Jonathan Alter.
The national affairs columnist at Newsweek, and a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC, Alter is the author of a new book, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, which hit bookstores last month. Within weeks, it climbed to number four on The New York Times Bestseller List.
Alter explains: “My goal was ambitious: to cover the important and compelling dimensions of the Obama story across a broad front, not snip off a piece; to push my sources for information that had not been published before; and to write in real time about a moving target — history on the fly.”
Click inside to read the interview we did with Jonathan.
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By Janice Miller, Chairman
City of Fairfax School Board
This school year ended with much celebration at each of our four City Schools. Many of our students achieved at high levels this year in academics, activities, athletics and the arts. We are proud to be able to share some of these accomplishments in this issue of Close-Up Online.
The graduation at Fairfax High School was once again a very special event. I am always happy to sit on the stage and look out at the senior class, ready to go on to the next phase of their lives — so different from the children they were just a few years before.
Scott Mattock, the student graduation speaker selected by his peers, spoke of how much he, his classmates, and the world had changed in the four years that they had attended Fairfax High School (read his speech by clicking inside).
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TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT: 20 Years Later
By Dr. Alice Waagen, president and founder
Workforce Learning
The 1990’s love affair with Total Quality Management (TQM) empowered work teams, process improvement, and other business buzzwords killed the professional manager.
Organizations flattened themselves, removing layers of managers, while distributing their responsibilities to key individual contributors.
This new breed of manager retained its full individual contributor duties while picking up the job of overseeing the work of staff. This concept of “working managers” permeates organizations today and has resulted, in my humble opinion, in a poorly run, overly stressed mess.
Nearly two decades later, we are still reaping the fruits of this flawed logic.
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July 18, 2010, The Wall Street Journal — “If you’ve been marking time at work and hoping to get a new job, you’re not alone,” writes reporter Dennis Nishi in today’s issue of The Wall Street Journal. “But employment experts caution restless job seekers from jumping ship too soon. If you move too quickly you might end up in a new job that you dislike even more. Still, you can improve your odds of finding something worthwhile by planning ahead and doing some research.”
Nishi quotes Sharon Armstrong, owner of Sharon Armstrong & Associates and author of The Essential Performance Review Handbook, who says:
“When you land an interview, use the opportunity to learn about the company. You should get as much from them as they will try to get from you, says Sharon Armstrong, a human-resources consultant in Washington. Salary and benefits are important, but you also want to make sure you’re compatible. It’s difficult to tell what the workplace culture is like from casual visits. Don’t be shy about calling for more information and contact current and former employees, if possible, to get a feel for the company and opportunities.”
“If you get an offer, before you accept, consider doing more in-depth financial research on the company; try the Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR Public Dissemination Service (www.edgarcompany.sec.gov).”
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June 25, 2010, Tip Jar at the Washington Business Journal — “Vacations can be blessing or bane, depending on whether you’re in the midst of one yet,” writes Tip Jar at the Washington Business Journal in an article entitled, Vacation skeds no day at beach.
“The curse comes at both ends of the time off — hurriedly finishing tasks so you’re not still pounding on your BlackBerry during the painfully long drive to the beach or tiredly returning to a messy desk, logjammed inbox, full voice mail, overworked colleagues and cross-examining boss.”
HR expert Sharon Armstrong, author of “The Essential Performance Review Handbook,” and co-author of “The Essential HR Handbook,” says the key to sanity amid a landscape of empty offices is lassoing more short-term help — calling all temp agencies! — or doing more with the lucky folks left in the office.
“Just make sure there’s enough cross-training that’s happened so it isn’t so desperate when someone wants to take off,” says Sharon Armstrong, who founded a D.C. human resources consulting and training business. “There should be some coverage.”
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Money. It drives us, inspires us, blinds us, excites us and frustrates us.
After the May employment figures were released in early June, concerns were raised about the strength of the economic recovery and the stock market dropped. Again. So whereas things were looking up, many business leaders are back to feeling frustrated.
Of course, anyone who has been in business for decades has seen the markets rise and fall and rise again. Those who have been through these fluctuations know the wise thing to do is to stay calm. These are the leaders we gravitate to, the ones we want on our side. In fact, this is another example of how leadership, management, success — and money — are intrinsically linked.
That is why money is the theme of the June issue of Be Inkandescent Magazine. Each of our 20 columnists examines the topic from a different angle: how to make your dollar go farther, how to stay the course, how to enjoy what you’ve got — and how you can make yours a million-dollar business.
Meet our June Entrepreneur of the Month: Nell Merlino, who helps us focus on the million-dollar question.
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By Janice Miller, Chairman
City of Fairfax School Board
jmiller@fairfaxva.gov
Each year, we take time to thank the community members who work with the schools because their hard work and dedication not only make what we do easier — it makes it possible.
Volunteers assist in classrooms, chaperone field trips, help improve the school grounds, mentor and coach children, raise money to fund student activities — and the list goes on and on.
Let me take a moment to publicly thank four community members.
Each of these individuals took on the responsibility of representing the City on Fairfax County Public Schools advisory committees. They attended many meetings, participated in the important work of each committee, and reported on the committee’s work to the City School Board.
They include: Joan Rizak, who represented us on the Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities; Laura Welke, who was the City’s representative on the Advanced Academic Programs Advisory Committee; Pam Jones, who sat on the School Health Advisory Committee; Mitch Sutterfield, former Fairfax High School teacher and the City’s delegate to the Superintendent’s Advisory Council.
Here’s to a great summer! We’ll talk to you again in July.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, send me an email: jmiller@fairfaxva.gov
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By Scott Golden, CFO
Scott@Golden-Cohen.com
Needless to say, when it comes to the changing world of health care benefits, we are in very interesting times. The economy continues to teeter and unemployment is still high. We are seeing those factors tie directly to health insurance benefits.
I am speaking, specifically, about COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 that was amended as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) signed by President Obama in February 2009.
How it works: “Assistance Eligible Individuals” pay only 35 percent of their COBRA premiums; the remaining 65 percent is reimbursed to the coverage provider through a tax credit. The premium reduction applies to periods of health coverage that began on or after February 17, 2009 and lasts for up to 15 months.
A new trend: Although the COBRA subsidy has been around for 25 years, until recently few people opted for it when they left a job. Today, almost everyone who is terminated takes the benefit. It makes sense for the employee, especially in tough economic times when an employee doesn’t know when, or if, they’ll find a new job.
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July 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — I’m embarrassed to admit that early in my career, I fell prey to repeating one of the ultimate cop-outs: “We are doing this event this way because this is the way things have always been done.”
Chalk it up to any number of reasons: lack of time or energy to offer a broader explanation, lack of interest in truly delving into the issue, or, simply, having heard the same response myself when I had asked, Why?
The reality is that a decade ago, when the economy was humming along, and business seemed to come easy, this status-quo approach was acceptable.
But it doesn’t work today. Organizations, nonprofits, and associations alike must constantly strive to adjust and grow to meet the needs of their constituents to remain relevant, interesting—and in business.
So step outside your comfort zone, and take some risks. Here’s how.
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Prior to co-founding Rhodes & Weinstock in 2009, Paige Rhodes spent more than 15 years in staffing, human resources, and law firm management.
Throughout her career, she gained an intricate knowledge of the temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct placement services. In addition to her staffing industry experience, Paige also spent several years in human resources, and as an HR Manager at two large law firms in the DC Metropolitan area.
The combination of in-house and outplacement recruiting experience gives her a unique understanding of the hiring needs and concerns of her clients, from large multinational corporations to small start-ups.
Paige prides herself on developing long-term relationships with her candidates and clients. She believes superior customer service and honesty are the cornerstones of a successful business relationship. Paige is a member of the American Staffing Association and the National Association of Women Business Owners. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and a proud Gator!
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Welcome to our newly designed monthly newsletter. Our aim is to provide you with more in-depth articles on hot topics in immigration law.
What you’ll find below: Scroll down to find two feature articles — one by Steve Trow, who offers insightful information on the intersection of immigration and tax planning for high net worth clients; the other, by Linda Rahal, who delves into the controversial Arizona immigration law. As always, we continue to provide you with important Immigration Updates on the law each month (see the column to the right for that information).
About our new website: We are also excited to announce the launch of our new website, www.trowrahal.com, which contains more comprehensive information about our services, as well as visa options and immigration regulations. You’ll find updated content on our key practice areas including: visas for hiring foreign nationals, visas for athletes and entertainers, visas for high net worth clients, avenues for obtaining permanent resident (green card) status, copies of our recent newsletters, and testimonials from our clients.
We appreciate your comments and feedback. We are looking forward to helping you with all of your immigration-related needs. _With warm regards from all of us at Trow & Rahal
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By John Peters
Wine Director
Culinaria Cooking School
Opening in the fall of 2010 in Vienna, VA
Be Inkandescent Magazine • June 2010
Having grown up in the wine industry, it is hard to figure out where I should begin talking about this vast subject of wine.
I toyed with starting with the history of this grand industry, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Or, perhaps a better place to begin would be to discuss the culture and food that seamlessly bring it all together — from the farmer who works the land, to the scientist who works wine magic in the lab.
However, that’s not really the best way to learn about this passionate, powerful topic. Rather, to fully understand wine, all you need to do is pour yourself a glass and begin to discover all of its delicious nuances.
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By John Hasenberg
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Be Inkandescent Magazine • June 2010
Simply stated, staying the course doesn’t mean driving with blinders. Investors should monitor their portfolios regularly to determine if they support and respond to their financial goals.
For years, investors have heard the mantra of investing for the long term. That is, to create a portfolio based on your goals and stick with it despite the rumblings of a fickle market or the allure of popular trends.
In theory, this is a suitable strategy for many investors, but staying the course wisely should also acknowledge the need for the occasional mandatory detour, taking on additional passengers, having fender benders and making complete about-faces. The better prepared a portfolio is to respond to these unforeseeable life events, the more likely it will be able to help you reach your desired financial destination.
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By Linda Rahal
Chief Operating Officer
Trow & Rahal, PC
Be Inkandescent Magazine • June 2010
This past week, immigration has been in the news a lot, primarily for issues raised by the recently passed Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070.
Almost everyone, it seems, has an opinion about the law.
In the Miss America Pageant, a judge asked the runner up contender from Oklahoma a question about the law in Arizona that focused on whether it allowed ethnic profiling.
She said, “I’m a huge believer in States’ Rights. I think that’s what is so wonderful about America, and think it’s perfectly legal for Arizona to create that law. But I’m against illegal immigration, but I’m also against racial profiling, so I see both sides of this issue.”
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A Q&A with Immigration Attorney Linda Rahal and Be Inkandescent Magazine’s Editor Hope Katz Gibbs
Be Inkandescent Magazine • May 2010
Linda Rahal is the Chief Operating Officer of the prominent immigration law firm Trow & Rahal in Washington, DC. Since opening its doors in 1993, her firm has been hired to help obtain visas for hundreds of employers who are bringing educated international professionals to work in America.
Linda believes the U.S. government is building an “invisible fence” around our borders. And in her opinion, this is not healthy for the fiscal future of the country.
“If you build a tangible fence with gates, people know there is a barrier to entry and they can plan accordingly if they want to come through,” Linda says. “But if you build an invisible fence, people can’t see it until they crash into it. There’s no way for them to plan or prepare, and so they plan to go elsewhere. That’s the unfortunate situation we are finding ourselves in today.”
The result, she worries, is that a lot of creative and innovative people are being driven away, or are giving up on trying to come to the US, because of a lack of transparency regarding the rules.
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WEBSITE — Trow & Rahal, P.C.
Click image for larger view Website coding / database by Max Kukoy
Writing / Concept by Hope Katz Gibbs
About the immigration law firm Trow & Rahal
Steve Trow and Linda Rahal joined forces in 1993 to build a firm devoted exclusively to the practice of U.S. immigration and citizenship law. Their shared values—including a strong commitment to exceptional client service—provide the foundation from which the firm operates.
Located in the nation’s capital, Trow & Rahal’s primary focus is on solving immigration issues for employers and individuals in the U.S. and around the world.
The goal of their new website was to reflect the array of services and personal attention they give to their clients to help them navigate the immigration process for visas, green cards, citizenship, and other immigration related matters.
WEBSITE — Potomac Basin Group Associates
Click image for larger view Logo and design by Michael Gibbs
Website coding / database by Max Kukoy
Writing / Concept by Hope Katz Gibbs
About Potomac Basin Group Associates
Based in Beltsville, MD, Potomac Basin Group Associates provides brokers, employers, and individuals with insurance solutions and services. For its new website, which was launched in June 2010, the organized needed to explain all of its offerings in an organized, attractive manner.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the website,” says Kahle Perez, Vice President of Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions. “It exceeded our expectations. Working with the Inkandescent Public Relations team was a pleasure.”
By Dan Rafter
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, November 21, 2009
When Michael Gibbs and Hope Katz Gibbs moved this August, one house in Arlington rose to the top of their wish list: a remodeled and expanded ranch home. The big selling point? The house had enough flexible space that both of them could both set up their own home offices.
Both Hope, owner of the District-based Inkandescent Public Relations, and Michael, an illustrator, work from home. And they needed a house that would allow them to create two home offices. The ranch house in Arlington fit.
The couple have since turned their new home’s large basement into two separate offices. The space also includes a dance studio for their 14-year-old daughter, Anna.
“This is nothing new for us. We’ve each worked from home since we got married,” Hope said. “It enables us to both work as much as we do and still take care of our children the way we want. I remember when the kids were babies: I’d work, and he’d hold a baby. Or I’d be nursing one of the kids and be interviewing people on the phone. We couldn’t have done it without both of us working from home. I think that working moms have a tough time when their husbands work incredible hours and are out of the home all the time.”
Click here to read the article on www.WashingtonPost.com
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June 3, 2010, Federal News Radio — At 3 p.m. today, Federal News Radio reporter Christopher J. Dorobek interviewed Sharon Armstrong, author of new The Essential Performance Review Handbook, about how to make performance reviews a less painful process.
He explains:
“If you hate your annual performance review, don’t worry. You’re not alone,” he said. “Some employees dread that yearly meeting with their boss, where intangible topics, such as ‘future goals’ are often discussed. And we’ve heard tales that bosses don’t like them much, either.”
“But the performance review doesn’t have to be a chore . . . or torturous. They can actually be productive conversations that not only benefit the office, but the organization as a whole.”
“Sharon Armstrong is author of the Essential Performance Review Handbook, and has served as director of human resources at several organizations in the D.C. metro area. She says progress is being made when it comes to performance reviews, and successful organizations are making them really work.”
Click here to download the mp3 file, and read the article.
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May 29, 2010, Small Home Business magazine — Reporter Katelyn Thomas posted an article today about illustrator Michael Gibbs, that discussed how he earns a living as an artist.
“Technically, by doodling in school when I wasn’t supposed to. But my real interest in art began when I went to art school (Pratt Institute) as a photography major, got introduced to drawing, and gravitated toward it. I’d wanted to work for myself for as long as I grasped the concept of having to earn a living, so after art school and three years of working in a graphics department, I decided to jump into freelance illustration with both feet.”
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December 31, 2009 — “Small-business owners aren’t just putting together budgets and sales projections as 2010 approaches,” wrote Associated Press reporter Joyce M. Rosenberg in an article that published in dozens of newspapers around the country on New Year’s Eve. “Like the rest of us, they’re making some New Year’s resolutions but their goals aren’t about losing weight or exercising more. Business owners are resolving to fix problems in their companies or come up with ideas for working smarter in the new year.” Here’s a sampling.
Working on work/life balance
Hope Katz Gibbs wanted to spend less time at work in the new year and more time with her two children. But “instead of dialing things back for a work/life balance, ramping it up seems to be the best strategy at this point,” said Gibbs, president of Inkandescent Public Relations. Her Washington-based company, which targets entrepreneurs, expects to have more work as more people start businesses.
So she looked at her family life and realized that overbooking her 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son with after-school activities wasn’t the answer. “The trend is to overextend them, give them a million activities, make them competitive,” Gibbs said. “I’m trying to have more fun with them rather than micromanage them.”
So Gibbs and her husband, illustrator Michael Gibbs plan to involve her children more in her work, taking them to child-appropriate work events when possible. She likes the idea of exposing them to the business world so they can find out how it works. “It’s balancing in a different way,” she said.
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June 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — My father has been selling me on the idea of eloping since I was four. Daddy and his little girl plotting a ladder gently placed against the siding of our Cape Cod so my groom could whisk me off my feet late in the night. I guess he figured that planting the seed early would pay off to his benefit in the end.
Having found myself working in the wedding and special event industry, it’s no longer a wonder why he tried to sell me on brief court house nuptials similar to his own. According to The Wedding Report, the average cost for a wedding in 2009 was between $21,000 and $25,000.
Add an additional $10,000 if you live in a metropolitan area. Couple that with a down economy, and the sticker shock of a Cinderella-inspired dream wedding is enough to send any father reeling.
These days, I am planning my own wedding (scheduled for the fall) and am aided by a few savvy insider tricks I’ve learned along the way. Below are some ideas that may help others walk down the aisle with a few extra dollars left in their (father’s) pocket — no ladder required.
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Micaela Barrett, summer intern 2010 — editorial assistant thru 2011
Micaela Barrett trained with the Inkandescent Group LLC through the summer of 2010 before being hired to be the company’s assistant editor at Inkandescent Public Relations, and its flagship monthly business magazine, Be Inkandescent, through 2011.
With a BFA in Scenic Design from SUNY Purchase, Micaela is proud to provide an unorthodox yet discerning eye and a perpetually broadening understanding of data entry and office management. Her educational background fostered and nourished her talent for conquering any task, no matter how daunting or random.
WEBSITE — Truly Amazing Women: The Book
Click image for larger view Illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Website coding / database by Max Kukoy
Writing / Concept by Hope Katz Gibbs
About Truly Amazing Women
This website serves as online home for the book journalist Hope Katz Gibbs is publishing, “100 Truly Amazing Women Who Are Changing the World — and how you can, too.”
The book will honor 100 successful women who are making strides and changing lives. The women work in dozens of industries, but all have one thing in common: They have a dream and each day work to make it come to fruition. In this book, you’ll find the secret to their success.
How are you amazing? Click here to submit a proposal to be included in this exciting book.
WEBSITE — The Inkandescent Group, LLC
Click image for larger view Illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Website coding / database by Max Kukoy
Writing / Concept by Hope Katz Gibbs
About The Inkandescent Group, LLC
The Inkandescent Group, LLC, is the parent company of Inkandescent Public Relations, Be Inkandescent Magazine, and Inkandescent TV.
Established in January 2010 by president and founder Hope Katz Gibbs, the company is also in the process of publishing two books: Truly Amazing Women and The Parent Diaries.
For more information contact Hope at hope@inkandescentpr.com.
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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By Scott Golden, CFO
Scott@Golden-Cohen.com
On behalf of Golden & Cohen, I was invited to attend a recent invitation-only Health Care Reform Summit hosted by The Atlantic magazine. Featured speakers included Congressman Henry Waxman, Henry Aaron of the Brookings Institution, Christopher Dawes of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals, Henry Fineberg of the Institute of Health, and Ambassador Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
The event was broken into three panel discussions, which included conversations about “the system,” “the patient,” and finally Congressman Waxman (pictured below) was interviewed by The Atlantic’s senior editor Joshua Green about health care reform.
While I found all of the discussions interesting and insightful, the conversation about the monetary ramifications intrigued me most. Read the entire newsletter to learn why.
Here’s to your good health!
Stephanie Cohen, CEO, stephanie@golden-cohen.com
Scott Golden, CFO, scott@golden-cohen.com
Jack Cohen, COO, jack@golden-cohen.com
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What Do Our Students Really Think About School?
By Ann Monday, Superintendent
City of Fairfax Schools
amonday@fairfaxva.gov
It was my honor to be at the April School Board Work Session where we heard from more than 20 middle and high school students about their perceptions of school.
This annual event is always enlightening, for as administrators we work hard to do the right thing for our students. Listening to their perspective is a welcome experience.
Click inside to hear what the students have to say.
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May 13, 2010, The Arlington Connection — In today’s newspaper, Dr. Alice Waagen of Workforce Learning put on her philanthropist hat — quite literally — as a participant in National Women Build Week (May 1-9) on behalf of her nonprofit Habitat Women Who Build, a fundraising chapter of Habitat for Humanity Northern Virginia.
Arlington Connection reporter Dalia Sava wrote:
Alice Waagen is wearing a hard hat and a tool belt and she’s covered in dust from the demolition work she is doing at the Perry Hall Condominium, the Habitat for Humanity 12-unit building on South 17th Street in Arlington. The construction project is an existing apartment building that will be converted to condominiums.
Waagen is taking part in National Women Build Week (May 1-9), an initiative by Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity which challenges women to devote at least one day to efforts to eliminate poverty housing. This is the first Women Build event for Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia.
“My female friends who knew of my work with Habitat would tell me, ‘Oh, I’d love to do that but I can’t hammer, I can’t saw, I can’t give back’ and this drove me crazy because the way that the program works — the volunteer house leaders break down every task so that it’s suitable for anybody’s size, anybody’s level of skill,” Waagen said.
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NBC News, April 29, 2010 — The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship-DC Region was profiled on NBC News today.
Kate Michael writes:
Chris Gardner, whose story as an on-and-off homeless salesman turned stockbroker was portrayed in the 2006 film “The Pursuit of Happyness,” joined a group of local high-powered business leaders last night to honor hundreds of ambitious youth who have started their own businesses.
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By Nancy A. Hartsock
Financial Advisor and Financial Planning Specialist
The Hasenberg Hartsock Group at MorganStanley SmithBarney
Be Inkandescent Magazine • May 2010
You may have read that tax law changes went into effect in January that made everyone eligible for a Roth IRA conversion, regardless of income level or tax filing status.
What’s so special about a Roth IRA?
The assets you are working hard to build now will become tax-free income in retirement. Rather than paying taxes when you withdraw the funds in retirement, you pay taxes on the assets when you invest in a Roth IRA.
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Welcome to the May issue of Be Inkandescent Magazine: The ezine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.
In this issue you’ll meet microfinance guru Dr. Muhammad Yunus. We are honored to feature him, for anyone who understands the importance of micro-lending as a means to end global poverty considers him to be one of the great entrepreneurs of our day.
The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Yunus is the founder of Grameen Bank, which provides poor people — mainly women — with small loans that they use to launch businesses that lift their families out of poverty. He is also the director emeritis of the Grameen Foundation, which was founded in 1997 by friends of Grameen Bank to help microfinance practitioners and spread the Grameen philosophy worldwide.
Read on to learn about his newest idea, Building Social Business, which is the title of his 2010 book. If you like what you read, meet him in person — for throughout May he’ll be touring the country promoting his ideas. (Scroll down for a list of dates and cities where he’ll be speaking.)
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May 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — The events industry is slowly trending away from a social calendar full of “meet-and-greet” networking affairs that have long anchored the business community. Today’s event attendee, and the accompanying all-important sponsors, are backing more socially conscious events, garnering a larger, more community-based audience and placing their names behind a noteworthy cause.
Socially conscious events are the new paradigm – a values-driven proposition that places an emphasis on improving the quality of life for the community and the environment, often while improving your bottom line. How can you produce an Event with a Purpose?
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Hello, Powerhouse!
Women business leaders bring a powerful difference to the world of work because they tend to view life as an ongoing matrix of interconnected relationships — one that can be leveraged to achieve results.
In my experience, this constant outward focus is unique to women and their approach results in a rich environment that focuses on much more than the financial side of the business.
Yet this constant outward focus can be overplayed and become a liability.
Here’s why: For women business leaders to succeed, they need to focus inward on what brings them success. They also need to ask themselves what causes them to stumble.
In my work and in life I am a huge proponent of strategically planning personal development.
By planning, I mean more than just attending a sporadic conference or seminar. I advocate writing a clear and succinct development goal, which should be future oriented and closely linked with your business goals.
Read the entire April newsletter for useful tips on how to accomplish your goals — and stay sane.
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By Janice Miller, chairman
City of Fairfax School Board
The fundamental responsibility of any school is to provide a safe and secure environment for learning. This month’s Close-Up Online will focus on how our schools maintain positive environments and promote good citizenship.
Below, you’ll find information from City of Fairfax Police Chief Rick Rappoport, who at our March School Board Work Session shared information from the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force, which showed that community efforts to prevent gang activity are working.
Linda Burke, the Fairfax County Cluster Superintendent who supervises our schools, talked with us about how the County assesses school climate and what is in place in each of our schools to ensure student safety and positive behavior.
Scroll down for a recap of their presentations from Superintendent Ann Monday.
Read the entire issue here.
As always, the City School Board welcomes your feedback. If you have any questions or comments for us, email me at jmiller@fairfaxva.gov.
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Now that spring has sprung, we invite you to come in and celebrate by enjoying a refreshing Avenida Margarita. They are just $5 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Our Secret Recipe: Avenida Margaritas
Our bartenders Kevin and Kylie have a passion for Margaritas and mix up the meanest version we’ve tasted, starring fresh lime juice. Stop by to try this incredible concoction, but before you do try it yourself at home so you can compare. Cheers!
What you’ll need:
• 4 oz. tequila
• 1 oz. Triple Sec
• 2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 1 cup crushed ice
Here’s how: Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Dance around the kitchen. Pour. Makes 2 servings.
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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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We are excited to announce that our first Sunday Brunch was incredibly successful. We invite you to come in and try some of our savory, original dishes that are sure to make the whole family happy.
For starters: There is a delicious Caesar Salad with masa croutons and fried capers, Fruit Salad, Gazpacho, Papusas with tomato sauce and curtido, Queso Fondido (vegetarian style, too), Spring mix salad _with queso fresco, jicima, strawberries, mango vinaigrette, and Tequila lime cured salmon with cilantro potato cakes — each $10, or less.
Our selection of brunch dishes includes: Capirotada Mexican Bread Pudding with honey butter and Zacapa syrup, Chilaquiles with green mole, fried eggs, queso fresco, crema, Frittata Del Dia with home fried potatoes, Grilled Chicken Torta with fried green tomatoes, avocado, bacon and salsa, Huevos Rancheros Tostadas with warm potatoes and refried black beans, and Zucchini Cheese Pastel with Spring Mixed Salad — each $12, or less.
For the kids: Scrambled Eggs with bacon, home fries and tortillas, for $7.
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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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April 2010, The Costco Connection — In this month’s Costco Connection, Inkandescent PR founder Hope Katz Gibbs had the privilege of interviewing and writing about beloved children’s book author Beverly Cleary.
Hope writes:
“RAMONA QUIMBY WAS nine years old. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and no cavities,” writes beloved children’s book author Beverly Cleary in the first chapter of her bestseller, Ramona’s World. It chronicles the day our heroine meets her new baby sister, Roberta.
This is one of more than three dozen books penned by Cleary in the more than five decades (her first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950; her last was Ramona’s World in 1999) that she has been drawing kids into the adventures of her characters. Klickitat Street, where several of them live, is based on her own childhood neighborhood.
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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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April 17, ABC News — On April 17, ABC News Channel 6 did a 5-minute segment on the hot new businesses in town: Avenida Restaurant.
The cameras went inside Avenida’s kitchen and watched as Chefs Kim and Edgar prepared some of their signature appetizers: Grilled Baby Octopus with Tequila Roasted Tomato Sauce, Garlic and Avocado and Queso Fondito.
“I was trained at the Culinary Institute of America, so I tend to cook by the book,” explains Chef Kim. “And I went to cooking school every day of my life as I watched my mother, aunts and grandmother prepare a meal for our entire family — dozens of people who ate three times a day in our home in Guatemala,” shares Chef Edgar.
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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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In an effort to help the medical provider community better understand how insurance companies work with providers, Golden & Cohen CEO Stephanie Cohen has embarked on a program to bring the relevant parties together to have a meaningful and productive discussion on how to work more effectively together.
“Lack of communication between carrier and provider is one of the major issues in the health care delivery system,” Cohen believes.
On March 24, she kicked off the program with a presentation featuring Debra Carter, Director of Provider Relations for Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia of United Healthcare at the Inova Practice Administration in Alexandria.
“More than 45 people were in attendance for this useful presentation which outlined the tools that are available to each provider — and ways to use them best so we can make the filing process easier for everyone involved,” Cohen explains, noting that much of the presentation addressed how to navigate through United’s system. “Most of the information offered was actually applicable to all insurance carriers. I found it very helpful.”
Cohen adds that what was most interesting was that the goals of both United and the providers seemed to be aligned. “Obviously, the primary goal is to enhance the performance of the health and well-being of the people they serve in each community. United is committed to getting claims paid, and the providers are committed to getting paid for their services. During the group discussion, it was clear to all who attended that communication and teamwork are the key to a successful relationship.”
Alberta Seith, the Physician Liaison at Inova Alexandria Hospital, says: “The meeting drew a large audience that included practice administrators, billing managers and physicians,” Seith says. “Stephanie Cohen gave a detailed presentation that was easy to follow and generated active participation from the group. Participants agreed it was valuable information and they appreciated receiving contact information for additional questions.”
Cohen says she was honored to be able to get these parties together in a very constructive dialogue that can help everyone in the health care system. “I am looking forward to hosting more of these events with additional doctors and hospitals this year.”
Read all about it in this month’s newsletter
From all of us at Golden & Cohen, here’s to your good health!
Stephanie Cohen, CEO, stephanie@golden-cohen.com
Scott Golden, CFO, scott@golden-cohen.com
Jack Cohen, COO, jack@golden-cohen.com
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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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Opening Night: June 4, 2010
A cocktail reception and performance by a local DC band will be held on Friday, June 4, to celebrate the opening of the show at the Hillyer Art Space — 9 Hillyer Court, NW, Washington DC 20008 (phone) 202-338-0680 (email) info@artsandartists.org.
Special viewing and talk by the artist: Saturday, June 5, 5-7 p.m.
On Saturday, June 5 from 5-7 pm, Judith will host a wine and cheese party, which will include a talk by the painter and curator. To attend, contact Judith Peck directly at judithpeck@prodigy.net.
Pictured right: Veiled Theory, 16×20 oil on linen
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How the artists makes her magic
When she starts a new painting, Peck applies all of the selected colors and then saturates them with layers of glaze to achieve a luminous vibrancy.
“With jeweled tones and dramatic lighting, I create a presence that can be seen in the figure,” she says. “Captured in their gaze is the knowledge that the person has experienced life fully and has moved beyond life’s challenges. I’ve painted my models to have a glow distinct from the background that might otherwise envelop them.”
Pictured right: Thickest Veil, 18×24 oil on linen
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The meaning of veils
“Original Position,” uses the imagery of veils pull viewers in so they can investigate their own ideas about fairness.
“The warmly resonant face on the canvas moves viewers out of complacency and evokes social urgency,” she notes. “The paintings are intimate, and viewed up close create the sense of looking into a mirror to meet eyes that ask inescapable questions. Beauty and pain, life and death, they all come into balance.”
Pictured right: Veiled Identity, 18×24 oil on linen
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The mission of “Original Position
The goal of this collection, artist Judith Peck says, is to have the viewer become the philosopher.
“My hope is that they will be drawn into introspection on the meaning and preciousness of life,” she adds. “Art becomes poetry, and poetry stirs into philosophy, leaving the viewer subtly changed.”
Pictured right: Veiled Conscience, 18×24 oil on linen
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What people are saying about Judith Peck’s new collection
Judith Peck’s strong, cerebral paintings, are beautifully rendered,” says the show’s curator Roxana Martin.
“The luminous, jeweled colors arrest the eye. The paintings explore issues of fairness and justice and are inspired by John Rawls’ thought experiment. There is a palpable tension in the dialogue between the images and the viewer. This is a worthwhile exhibition.”
Pictured right: Veiled Judgement, 18×24 oil on linen
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About Hillyer Art Space
Established in April 2006 as the International Art & Artists’ on-site gallery, Hillyer Art Space serves to better accommodate the local Washington DC arts community. HAS showcases both regional and international exhibitions that feature emerging artists working in a wide array of media. Hillyer Art Space gives their exhibitors extensive creative autonomy in the development of their exhibitions, which results in a diverse display of visions and disciplines. Additionally, the space serves as an open forum for artistic discussions, events, and activities catered to the public. For more information, visit www.artsandartists.org.
For directions, visit http://www.artsandartists.org/about/contact.html
Pictured right: Veiled Gender, 16×24 oil on linen
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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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By John Hasenberg
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Be Inkandescent Magazine • April 2010
A traditional IRA here. A rollover IRA there. Four job changes (so far!) and three retirement plan account balances left in the plans of former employers.
Over the years, you may have accumulated a significant sum in various retirement accounts. While keeping those assets in various accounts at different financial institutions isn’t necessarily a bad thing, there is a strong case for consolidating them into one account with the same financial institution.
Why Consolidate? Consolidating your retirement savings, where appropriate, offers several benefits.
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Because it’s never easy for a novice to navigate the home remodeling and renovation process, Northern Virginia entrepreneur Mina Fies has developed a company to choreograph all aspects of the project — from concept to completion. Her Reston VA-based firm, Synergy Design & Consulting, acts as a liaison between the designer and construction team.
“In previous jobs in the real estate industry I saw firsthand how tough it was for homeowners to remodel their homes,” Mina says. “They simply didn’t have the experience or expertise to know the right questions to ask, which designers and contractors to hire, and what a reasonable budget and timeline should be.”
So in 2008, Mina and her husband Mark — who has decades of experience in retail sales and operations management — created a company to remedy the problem.
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April 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — As anyone who has ever hosted a big party or event knows, it’s a huge responsibility to keep your guests well attended and happy.
With a little planning, though, it’s not as overwhelming as you might think.
Here are my Top 10 suggestions for ways to keep your guests happy.
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Are you happy? It’s a question I’ve been pondering since hearing Ted Leonsis speak in February about his new book, “The Business of Happiness: 6 Secrets to Extraordinary Success in Work and Life.”
After I read his insightful 305-page tome, I was intrigued – and slightly bemused. Sure, happiness is something we all aspire to, but is it really possible when you are trying to grow a business in a troubled economy, and (oftentimes) grow a family in an era when enough is never enough?
Happiness according to Ted Leonsis: “It took me a quarter century to connect these dots and understand how they amount to a formula for achieving happiness,” Leonsis states. He then gives us a road map, explaining that to him, the Business of Happiness relies on three concepts:
1. “You should treat the attainment of happiness in the same way an entrepreneur would approach building a business – with a vision, plan, goals, and a systematic approach and metrics to measure your progress.”
2. “Enterprises – like companies, businesses, charities, sports teams, and political campaigns – that consider themselves in the ‘business of happiness’ will do better than those that pay no attention to the tenets outlined [which include goal-setting, having communities of interest, personal expression, gratitude, empathy expressed in giving back, and having a higher calling].”
3. “Happiness is a driver of success, not the other way around.”
Sounds pretty good. But I wanted to know more. Since I like to go right to the source, I invited Ted Leonsis to be our April Entrepreneur of the Month. He said yes. I also asked his co-author, John Buckley, to answer a few questions. See those interviews below, and also read Leonsis’ Tips for Entrepreneurs.
I also asked our 20 columnists this month to tackle the topic of happiness. Each interpreted the topic for their own industries, and I think you’ll enjoy their insights.
Until next month, here’s to your happiness – and your success!
– Hope Katz Gibbs, editor and publisher
Be Inkandescent magazine
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Washington DC, March 29, 2010 — Stephanie Cohen, CEO of the health and retirement benefits firm Golden & Cohen (www.golden-cohen.com), will offer insight into what insurance customers can expect from the health reform tomorrow morning, Tuesday March 30 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Hotel Liaison Capitol Hill.
Cohen will be a panelist at the first monthly breakfast series on health reform, which is hosted by Amplify Public Affairs’ Disruptive Women in Health Care Blog (www.disruptivewomen.net) and its media partner, The Hill (http://thehill.com).
The topic: Health Reform: US Patience (not a typo) Pay the Price.
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By Janice Miller, chairman
City of Fairfax School Board
jmiller@fairfaxva.gov
At our last School Board Work Session on February 22, we were privileged to hear a presentation about “Best Practices for Teaching and Learning,” by Fairfax County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Peter Noonan and his colleague, Kim Dockery, the FCPS Assistant Superintendent for Special Services.
In this issue of Close-Up Online, we begin with an interesting Q&A between Mr. Noonan and Superintendent Ann Monday as they discuss how teachers can best build relationships and engage students.
As part of the discussion, Mrs. Monday also talks with Marcy Miller, the former Director of Student Services at Fairfax High, who shares information from the American School Counselor Association on the framework used by our school counseling programs.
Further below you’ll find information from our four City School principals who explain how school counselors and other support staff at their schools are an essential part of the academic team.
Enjoy this issue! It’s filled with insightful information about what makes schools work best. The School Board agrees this approach is critical for student success.
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If you are turning 65, don’t be surprised if you can’t get all the information you need to understand how to apply, what benefits you will receive, and a myriad of other questions you are likely to have. It’s a complicated process, and one that we spend much time explaining to our clients. Here’s a primer to get you started.
Medicare Part A — Most people will be eligible for Medicare Part A on the day that they turn 65. This is the program you have been paying Medicare tax on over the years. It covers hospitalization, which is now a free service for you, and you should receive notification about the benefit three months prior to your 65th birthday.
Medicare Part B — Another benefit, which covers physician fees, is part of the Medicare plan called Part B. There is a fee associated with this benefit, and depending on your income level and the date you enroll, this will range between $110 to $353 per month. The challenge with Medicare is that there are gaps in coverage leaving the insured with deductibles, significant out-of-pocket expenses and no prescription drug coverage.
Medigap Policies — Luckily, there is private insurance to address the shortcomings of Medicare A and B. These are called Medigap policies, and the cost ranges from about $170 to $250 per month. These plans will cover medical fees only.
Medicare Part D — This covers the cost of prescription drugs. Again there is a fee to be paid, which ranges from $30 to $80 per month. Because Medigap coverage provides different plans, it is important to sit down and talk about medical needs before selecting a plan.
Have more questions? Don’t hesitate to call or send us an email: scott@golden-cohen.com.
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Happy International Women’s Day! Since the early 1900s, March 8 has been the official day that the economic, political and social achievements of women are honored. In China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, it is a national holiday.
How it all began: In 1908, oppression and inequality spurred women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. In March of that year, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. By 1910, women around the world had joined the movement. An International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, and an activist named Clara Zetkin proposed that every year in every country, there should be a celebration on the same day — a Women’s Day — to press for their demands. International Women’s Day was born. A century later we congratulate Kathryn Bigelow, who last night became the first woman to be named Best Director at the Oscars for her work on the Iraq War drama, “The Hurt Locker.” It also won the Best Picture prize, along with four other awards. Way to go!
Let the celebration begin! Today, we are officially launching the Web site for our new book 100 Truly Amazing Women Who Are Changing the World and How You Can, Too! It will be published later this year to honor 100 women from around the world who are making strides and changing lives.
How are you amazing? Although the published book is limited to 100 women, the Web site has broader shoulders. On it, hundreds of savvy, innovative, courageous women from around the world will be profiled. Meet some of them here. If you, or someone you know, should be included, please submit a proposal. There’s a movie project in the works as well, so stay tuned for that.
To get the party started, this issue of Be Inkandescent magazine is dedicated to women. Each of the 20 articles you see framing the Web site has been written by women entrepreneurs on topics they feel passionate about.
Articles include: A Q&A with Lisa McLeod, author of “Forget Perfect”; tips on event planning at the National Museum for Women in the Arts; thoughts on what makes women’s management skills keen; and discussions on the importance of joy in the workplace, the meaning of health, and whether there really is such a thing as work-life balance. And much more!
Think girls can’t use power tools? Then you haven’t met our Entrepreneur of the Month Gina Schaefer. The 39-year-old dynamo behind an $11 million hardware empire is opening her seventh ACE Hardware store this spring. How did a girl from northeast Ohio with a poli sci degree and no hardware experience get into this male-dominated industry? Scroll down to find out.
As always, we thank you for your continued support. And we remind you of the wisdom of author Anna Quindlen, who said: Recently a young mother asked me what she was to do with her 7-year-old daughter who was obstreperous, outspoken, and inconveniently willful. “Keep her,” I replied. The suffragettes refused to be polite in demanding what they wanted, or grateful for getting what they deserved. Works for me.
It works for us, too! Here’s to your success!
— Hope Katz Gibbs, editor and publisher, Be Inkandescent magazine / hope@inkandescentpr.com
Book design and illustration by Michael Gibbs
Web site programming by Max Kukoy
Copyediting by Patricia Gray
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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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March 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — Gina Schaefer was the manager of intangible assets (which meant she arranged great beer parties and spoiled the staff) at a high-tech firm in Bethesda back in 2002. That was before the tech bubble burst, and Gina had an inkling it was coming.
One day she came home from work and told Marc Friedman, her husband of just a few months, that she wanted to quit and open a hardware store in Logan Circle. She’d worked in a hardware store as a teen, but never got to handle the hardware because girls could only run the register. That didn’t stop her.
And neither did Marc. “She was so adamant that even if I wanted to I knew that I couldn’t stop her.” He sent emails to ACE Hardware and True Value.
After all, he understood why Gina saw that a D.C. hardware store was needed in the neighborhood.
She explains: “We had just moved into a fixer-upper, and so had all of our friends. The only place to get tools and nails and toilets and wood was at Home Depot in D.C. Or, you had to get into a car and trek out to the suburbs. I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t even want to own a car, and actually sold it years ago. But I did want to fix up our new condo. I figured if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.”
ACE apparently agreed with her reasoning, and within a week a representative responded to Marc’s query.
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March 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — One of the most splendid affairs I have helped to plan was a wedding at the National Museum for Women in the Arts. It wasn’t just because the bride was a stunner in her Vera Wang gown, or because the museum is one of the most opulent venues in the area. It was because the museum itself is a celebration of the power of women.
Everywhere that you look in this museum, you’ll find artwork that is a testimony to the joys and heartbreak, trials and tribulations of real women throughout history.
So to host a wedding in this grand building, located at H Street and New York Avenue, is more than an event. It becomes a work of art in itself. Here’s why.
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By Nancy A. Hartsock
Financial Advisor and Financial Planning Specialist
The Hasenberg Hartsock Group at MorganStanley SmithBarney
Be Inkandescent Magazine • March 2010
The severe downturn of the financial markets that began in 2007 has led many investors to question their investment strategies and the choices they made in the past. Investment decisions are among the most important life choices a person can make. They may determine where your children will be able to go to college, when you’ll be able to retire, and the type of lifestyle you’ll enjoy in retirement.
For these reasons, many investors are now re-evaluating strategies, reassessing their tolerance for risk, revisiting asset allocations, and rethinking long-term financial plans.
To make sound decisions in this environment, investors should be aware of their own psychological blind spots. These can lead to persistently poor financial choices — errors that over time, can do significant damage to portfolios.
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By Roxanne Rukowicz
Founder and Principal
Behind the Scenes Events
One of the most splendid affairs I have helped to plan was a wedding at the National Museum for Women in the Arts. It wasn’t just because the bride was a stunner in her Vera Wang gown, or because the museum is one of the most opulent venues in the area. It was because the museum itself is a celebration of the power of women.
Everywhere that you look in this museum, you’ll find artwork that is a testimony to the joys and heartbreak, trials and tribulations of real women throughout history.
So to host a wedding in this grand building, located at H Street and New York Avenue, is more than an event. It becomes a work of art in itself. Click “Read More” to learn why.
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February 2010, Toastmaster magazine — In this month’s issue of Toastmaster magazine, reporter Lin Grensing-Pophal writes:
“Some people seem to have a knack for automatically connecting with others in any setting. For those who don’t, learning how to interact quickly and comfortably with others is critical.”
She interviewed Dr. Alice Waagen, president of Workforce Learning, who said it is critical to have a goal in mind.
Networking should be considered a professional activity and not a casual event, says Waagen, adding that it’s important to start with the end in mind. “The most important lesson I learned early on is to establish for yourself your goal or objective before you go to the event,” she notes. “That way you keep focused and don’t get distracted by the hors d’oeuvres, the drinks or your best buddy across the room.”
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Are you feeling productive? If not, you aren’t alone. As we begin 2010, more and more of my clients are reporting that they are overworked, stressed, and they fear that soon their productivity will suffer.
But consider this: Just last November, in a Wall Street Journal article entitled, “Productivity Soared in Third Quarter,” reporters John Hilsenrath and Luca Di Leo wrote:
The Labor Department said the output per hour of nonfarm workers rose at an annual rate of 9.5% in the quarter, more than four times the average productivity growth rate of the past quarter-century. When taken together with the second quarter’s 6.9% rise, it was the strongest productivity growth rate over a six-month period since 1961. Click here to read the entire article.
Amazing, right? Statistically speaking, the US workforce is actually more productive than it has been in years — despite the rash of layoffs and workforce reductions we saw in 2009.
So here’s my question: Can fewer workers produce more output, and sustain it? If so, what toll will it take on their health, their lives, and ultimately their companies — not just today, but in the future?
Click here to view this month’s Anti-Burnout Guide!
And click here to buy a copy of this great Burnout poster.
Wishing you much warmth and calm.
Best regards, Alice
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Feb. 24, 2010, Washington Business Journal — Arlington, VA-based Bognet Construction (www.bognet.com) has signed a deal to build the Brookland Artspace Lofts.
In today’s issue of the
Washington Business Journal, reporter Tierney Plumb wrote: “Arlington-based Bognet Construction will build an affordable apartment complex where artists and their families can live and work. The four-story, 57,000-square-foot arts campus, located in D.C.’s Brookland neighborhood, will break ground April 9 and deliver in July 2011.”
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ARLINGTON VA, February 24, 2010 — Arlington, VA-based Bognet Construction (www.bognet.com) has signed a deal to build the Brookland Artspace Lofts, a four-story, 57,000-square-foot arts campus in Washington, D.C.’s Brookland neighborhood.
The $13.1 million project will include 41 affordable apartment units for artists, and a dance and music rehearsal studio with gallery for Dance Place, a modern dance and arts education organization. The architecture firm is D.C.-based Hickok Cole, which has worked with Bognet Construction on prior projects.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for April 9; the project is expected to be completed by July 2011.
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Why Some Small Businesses Are Surviving the Recession
Thanks to being snowed in by the Blizzard of February 2010, we’ve had time to think back on our business and plan ahead for the rest of the year. Taking this long-term perspective is important for any small business, and it’s something we have done since founding our firm in 1992.
In looking back, we realized that the root of our business was in doing what no one else wanted to do — working with small businesses to implement their health insurance plans. The competition was not intense, at least not initially, and it enabled us to build a substantial business servicing the under-served.
This turned out to be a very good business model for us, as no single client could impact our bottom line in a meaningful way. And it provided great stability — something that every business needs.
As we look around at other firms faltering in the current recession, we realize that other factors have also fed our success: we aggressively look for new clients, we advocate for all of our clients’ rights, and we do not overspend.
Over the years we have also run “fire drills” to simulate what we would do if certain events occurred. And some tough decisions were made early in the game. We could have established a business that spent money on things that do not help our clients, such as a sexier office with a fancy DC address and other big ticket purchases — but we did not. As a result, we are profitable and continue to recalculate and position ourselves for success.
Being prepared, and running a lean and mean business, is our simple secret to success. It’s also how we live our personal lives. And we take pride and joy in sharing those secrets with our colleagues and other small business owners.
From all of us at Golden & Cohen, here’s to your good health!
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Feb. 21, 2010, New Jersey Star-Ledger — Are cover letters important when you are applying for a job? Career experts have very strong points of view when it comes to this question. Unfortunately their opinions are all over the lot.
Sharon Armstrong, author of “The Essential HR Handbook,” suggests a two-column cover letter as a way to demonstrate that fit. The first column heading is “Your Requirements,” which lists each requirement set forth in the job posting.
The corresponding column is “My Qualifications,” which lists how the candidate satisfies each requirement. This format works, according to Armstrong, because:
1. You never know who is screening interviews and you’ve done all their work for them;
2. If the company is scanning, you’ve used all their key words
3. You already have started to prepare yourself for the interview by reviewing your background and how it applies to the needs of that position and the company.
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February 19, 2010, The Washington Post — In today’s issue of The Washington Post, health insurance broker Stephanie Cohen was quoted in an article by Alec MacGillis and Amy Goldstein entitled, “HHS secretary decries higher rates for health insurance. Separately, Washington area residents holding individual health insurance policies said they have received notices that their premiums are increasing by as much as 40 percent.”
They wrote, “The Obama administration stepped up its criticism Thursday of health insurers’ efforts to raise their rates, an attempt to harness public aggravation with the industry and rebuild momentum for broad changes to the nation’s health-care system.”
“Stephanie Cohen, an insurance broker with the District firm of Golden and Cohen, said she is seeing many similar rate increases, including some that are even larger for small-business policies,” they explained. “She said the increases had been approved by regulators in the District and surrounding states. Insurance regulators in the District and Maryland were not able to provide details about the rate increases on Thursday.”
Read the article online at www.washingtonpost.com.
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Feb. 17, 2010, AOL.com — In an article in today’s issue of AOL’s Walletpop,- reporter Steven Kent talked about how college students can find, and afford, health insurance.
He interviewed Golden & Cohen co-founder Scott Golden, who said, “Know your policy, and pay attention to the fine print.”
“We’ll always get a call from someone who was penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Golden said. “A student gets in a car accident somewhere off-campus, and then they go into their inexpensive student plan and find out it only covers accidents on their campus. There’s just not much we can do for them at that point.”
Students can use online resources like the health insurance FAQs at about.com to help decipher the complex (and occasionally daunting) language of health care.
“View the decision to purchase health insurance as a research project,” Golden added. “Don’t just rubber-stamp it; it’s a huge decision that can have life-altering consequences.”
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Feb. 17, 2010, AOL.com — In an article in today’s issue of AOL’s Walletpop,- reporter Steven Kent talked about how college students can find, and afford, health insurance.
He interviewed Golden & Cohen co-founder Scott Golden, who said, “Know your policy, and pay attention to the fine print.”
“We’ll always get a call from someone who was penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Golden said. “A student gets in a car accident somewhere off-campus, and then they go into their inexpensive student plan and find out it only covers accidents on their campus. There’s just not much we can do for them at that point.”
Students can use online resources like the health insurance FAQs at about.com to help decipher the complex (and occasionally daunting) language of health care.
“View the decision to purchase health insurance as a research project,” Golden added. “Don’t just rubber-stamp it; it’s a huge decision that can have life-altering consequences.”
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By Janice Miller, chairman
City of Fairfax School Board
jmiller@fairfaxva.gov
In the February issue of Close-Up Online, we focus on the development of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in the City Schools, and the impact that this program has on student achievement.
At the City School Board’s January Work Session, Dr. Terri Breeden, FCPS Assistant Superintendent for Professional Learning and Accountability, explained: “A professional learning community is when people work together collaboratively to continuously improve student and adult learning. The fundamental purpose is to focus on learning rather than teaching”.
I found that definition particularly interesting, because it summed up what we’ve known for years: PLCs help teachers do their jobs better.
Click here to read the entire issue.
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ARLINGTON VA, February 14, 2010 — The Inkandescent Group, LLC, is proud to announce the launch of its new online magazine: Be Inkandescent: the ezine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs (www.beinkandescent.com).
Publisher Hope Katz Gibbs, president of Inkandescent Public Relations and a veteran journalist who has written for dozens of newspapers and magazines including The Washington Post and USA Today, created the publication as a way to share the expertise of her clients and other entrepreneurs who are making strides in their industries.
“At Inkandescent Public Relations, we focus on helping entrepreneurs get the visibility they need, frequent interviews by the nation’s top publications and also reach out with monthly newsletters to their own customers,” Gibbs notes. “Our goal for the magazine is to give a bigger voice to our clients and other entrepreneurs who have an important message for their fellow business owners.”
In this Issue:
• Entrepreneurs of the Month: Jim Bognet and Jeff Kaiser, Bognet Construction
• Book Review: Alpha Male Syndrome
• Careers: Get Personal with your clients
• Education: Impact of the economy on schools
• Events: DC’s most romantic party place
And much more! Click here to view.
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