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.
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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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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When we rang in 2010 at midnight on January 1, I was excited because we were beginning a new decade filled with the opportunity to create a new reality for our work life, love life, and goals for the future. It may sound trite, but just as I always loved the start of a new school year — I love the freshness of a new year for it also gives us the chance to shed our old ideas, pains and failures.
Of course, such a shedding is never easy because it’s far too comfortable to rely on our old habits. But many people come to realize that bettering themselves and living more fully the life they want is not just a nice idea — it is critical to their happiness.
I’ve watched as hundreds of clients struggle with this idea, and as soon as they begin to trust the creative force inside they have new insights into themselves. They realize what is frustrating them, what old memories or beliefs are holding them back. And with this knowledge and understanding, they begin to reshape their world.
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Before we begin our discussion about how we can find wellness in our lives, I’d like to talk about how music helps us break through blocks that keep us from feeling happy and calm.
Students of music know that the sounds created by instruments and the human voice not only serve to impact our mood — they can be a bridge between the tangible and the intangible. For centuries, music has inspired humanity and the reason is simple.
In its purest form, music is an array of sound waves that form patterns of high and low vibrations that interact with our mind and body. In fact, the music of composers such as Bach and Bela Bartok has long been mathematically analyzed.
Not unlike radio waves or heat waves, sound waves penetrate and impact our physical bodies as well as stirring our mind and soul.
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Ask any event planner in DC to name a museum that offers amazing space flexibility and most will point you toward The Corcoran Gallery of Art. Why? We love a blank canvas. The grand marble foyer lends itself to endless possibilities with decor and lighting and the space can seemingly be cut to be as big or as small as you need it — perfect for an elegant and romantic wedding, beautiful luncheon or black tie affair.
Plus there are other things on its side like location, location, location. “The Corcoran sits across from the South Lawn of the White House at 500 17th St., NW,” says Roxanne. “Its spectacular beaux-arts design holds a prestigious permanent collection of American art and the museum also hosts notable exhibits, which makes it a favorite venue for many of Washington, DC’s corporate and social events.”
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You’ve heard it said a thousand times: “This is business, not personal.” That infamous mantra from “The Godfather” has always rankled me. Maybe it’s because I’m a believer that if something matters to you, it has to be personal.
Sure, we all strive to increase our revenues and profits, but especially in this sluggish economy it’s not always just about who sells the widget at a lower price. Business is about two people helping each other to solve a problem.
Another lesson I’ve learned from my 15 years in the recruiting business is that people do business with those they like and trust. So short of having a mafia boss to contend with, that requires a deft touch, a little creativity, and the desire to build long-lasting, personal relationships with your clients.
As we near Valentine’s Day, here are a few tips on how you can master the art of getting personal in the professional realm.
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Jim Bognet’s father thought maybe his son would become a doctor. The lad was so good in math and science, it seemed a natural fit. The young Bognet thought differently. The family business was construction, and since he was 7 he’d snap on his little tool belt and head out on jobs with his dad, Rocco, owner of the general and mechanical contracting firm Bognet, Inc.
As he grew, Jim spent his summers as a laborer and estimator, and operated heavy equipment until he graduated from Penn State University in 1988 with a degree in mechanical engineering. One of his professors was a vice president from the George Hyman Construction Company and helped him land a job with Tiber Construction. By 1991, he was working for Oliver Carr and by 1996, was the director of the DC office for The Leapley Company. That’s where Jim met Jeff Kaiser.
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On the office door of Jim Bognet’s office is a sign that reads: “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
William Foster said that. He was a 28-year-old United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty” during the World War II Battle of Okinawa, where he died on May 2, 1945.
Such a sentiment is part of what Jim, his business partner Jeff Kaiser, and their vice president Jennifer Bognet call “The Bognet Way.”
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MyFoxPhilly Morning Show, February 1 — Latin food was celebrated on the Fox Morning Show this week when anchor John Anderson welcomed Avenida’s Chef Edgar Alverez.
“They are chefs, restaurateurs and husband and wife! Edgar and Kim Alvarez opened Avenida Restaurant in Mount Airy last fall and were gracious enough to stop by Good Day to share some favorite recipes,” Anderson said.
Chef Edgar then prepared Pan Seared Red Snapper with Tomatillo Salsa, Sautéed Vegetables and Spanish rice. Yum!
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February 2010, Be Inkandescent magazine — Ask any event planner in town to name a museum that offers amazing space flexibility and most will point you toward The Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Why? We love a blank canvas. The grand marble foyer lends itself to endless possibilities with decor and lighting and the space can seemingly be cut to be as big or as small as you need it — perfect for an elegant and romantic wedding, beautiful luncheon or black tie affair.
And there’s more.
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Welcome to the new issue of Be Inkandescent magazine. Because February is the month of amour, in this issue we focus on the power and importance of truly loving what you do.
After all, having passion for your business is mission critical, according to Suzy Welch, former editor of the Harvard Business Review and the wife of GE guru Jack Welch. Suzy says: “We are hungry to work all the time. We are entertained by every aspect of business and we never want to stop working.” And Oprah Winfrey believes: “If you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come.” We couldn’t agree more.
February’s Entrepreneurs of the Month, Jim Bognet and Jeff Kaiser are indeed passionate about their firm, Bognet Construction. Their hard work and strong business skills enabled them to build their 1998 start-up into a $50 million company that employs 45 and competes with the biggest construction firms in the region. Don’t miss their inspiring Tips for Entrepreneurs.
And there’s more! In the 14 articles in this issue, our experts provide tips and insights to help foster passion for your business. Our new columnist Paige Rhodes, CEO of the recruiting firm Rhodes and Weinstock, shares the value of getting personal with clients to build lasting relationships. Another new columnist, Roxanne Rukowicz of Behind the Scenes Events, tells us about one of the most romantic museum spaces in DC to host a business bash. Fine artist Philip Brooker uses his talent to create a poster that will inspire people to donate money to earthquake victims in Haiti. And HR expert Sharon Armstrong teaches us ways to conduct stress-free performance appraisals.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Valentine’s Day. In this issue, our Inkandescent staff gives a special nod to Bob Dylan’s ballad “Tangled Up In Blue”, the inspiration behind our featured illustration (at top). It’s from the new book by our Inkandescent art director Michael Gibbs, which is entitled Blue Moons:
But all the while I was alone, the past was close behind, I seen a lot of women, but she never escaped my mind, and I just grew, tangled up in blue.
Here’s to your passion, and your success!
Hope Katz Gibbs
owner, The Inkandescent Group, LLC
publisher, Be Inkandescent magazine
president & founder, Inkandescent Public Relations
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By Janice Miller, chairman
jmiller@fairfaxva.gov
When Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jack Dale presented the FY 2011 budget earlier this month, few were surprised to see the dramatic cuts. We have been hearing for months that next year’s budget will be worse than this year’s – and it looks like this prediction was right.
So in our newsletter this month, our City Schools Superintendent Ann Monday will provide us with an overview of the cuts we’ll likely see next year. You’ll also read about the impact of the potential cuts from the four principals who run the City of Fairfax schools. Simply scroll down for that information.
Before you do, I’d like to share some of the thoughts that FCPS’ Dr. Dale wants the community to know:
- The proposed budget of $2.3 billion includes $104.8 million in program cuts and cost avoidances and $3.4 million in increased and new fees. The cuts and fees reflected community and employee feedback, as well as School Board priorities.
These cuts will have a long-term and far-reaching impact on maintaining our high student achievement and excellence for which FCPS is widely known and respected.
- This is not a budget based on FCPS’ actual needs. That budget would require a $248.4 million transfer from the county. It is a budget based on the fiscal realities of dismal local and state economic conditions.
- Without a needs-based budget, we face: decreasing student achievement, diminishing academic excellence, losing high caliber teachers, eliminating innovative programs, not meeting individual student needs, tarnishing FCPS’ reputation, and negatively impacting business relocations.
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JANUARY 4, 2010, CNN Money — In a CNN Money article posted today entitled, 100-year-old businesses we lost, reporter Elizabeth Montalbano writes, “More than 45,000 businesses closed their doors for good in 2009, including some that survived for longer than a century.”
One of the six U.S. businesses she profiled was the Delaware Market House, which chefs Kim and Edgar Alvarez closed last March. Click READ MORE to view what Montalbano wrote.
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DECEMBER 10, 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer — Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant columnist Michael Kline reported today: “Dec. 17 will mark the debut of the long-delayed Avenida (7402 Germantown Ave., 267-385-6857), a family friendly, budget-conscious Latin concept from husband-and-wife chef team Edgar and Kim Alvarez, who most recently ran Gladwyne’s Delaware Market House, a gourmet takeout and catering operation. The building was last home to Cresheim Cottage Cafe. They’re opening without the liquor license, whose paperwork has been held up. Their partner here is Wayne Zukin, a real estate developer and Mount Airy-ite.”
Read the entire article here
CHECK OUT AVENIDA’S NEW WEBSITE, www.avenidarestaurant.com!
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If you are feeling stressed at this very moment, raise your hand. I’m guessing that if you are a “Type A” personality, as many leaders are, your hand — at least metaphorically — is up.
Now take a deep breath and relax because a new study published in the January issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests “One Type A Characteristic Lowers Stress.” — Read that article here.
Here’s how: Taina Hintsa and her colleagues at the University of Helsinki analyzed the relationship between Type A behavior and work stress in 752 Finnish workers. They broke Type A behavior into four areas — leadership, aggression, being “hard-driving,” and eagerness-energy.
Although these characteristics were linked to “effort-reward imbalance” — a key contributor to work stress—executives who scored high in terms of their leadership skills actually had lower work stress. And the reason seems obvious once you hear it. Researchers found that leaders have both high work effort and high work reward. They also believe that leaders have high job control and that that may help alleviate work stress.
So I encourage you to embrace your leadership skills and lower your stress level. My bet is that when you do, it’ll not only lower your own stress — but will improve the work environment for everyone in your office.
Read on in this month’s newsletter to learn about our work with the Lincoln Leadership Academy, how President Lincoln has become a fan of Twitter, and mark your calendar for some upcoming important dates.
Here’s to a great 2010!
Steven B. Wiley, president & founder
The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg, www.lincolnleadershipinstitute.com
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Happy New Year! Three weeks into 2010, we find the health care debate in a new, but still unclear, place – especially with the win on Tuesday of Republican candidate Scott Brown in Massachusetts, who beat Democrat Martha Coakley in Tuesday’s special election for the former Senate seat of longtime statesman, Edward M. Kennedy.
We have to agree with the pundits. This marks a critical turning point in the year-long debate about health care reform.
Of course, no one knows exactly what will happen next because the issues are so complex and volatile – including the public option, how to pay for the reform, who pays for the reform, the question of abortion, exchanges, “big” personalities and potential backlash from voters.
From our point of view, it seems that the Democrats have isolated themselves from the Republicans in order to craft a compromise bill between the House and Senate. The hope was to have a bill to the President before the State of the Union address, but with the election of Scott Brown that seems highly unlikely.
What is likely is that the process will be delayed even more and eventually presented as a scaled down version of either bill that has been presented thus far. We will keep you posted as the debate continues.
For now, we invite you to read the interesting articles in this issue of our monthly newsletter:
- Four Ways to Slash Health Care Costs in 2010 by Scott Golden
- ARRA COBRA Subsidy Has Been Extended by Jack Cohen
- Keep those New Year’s Resolutions Injury-Free by Dr. Greg Swistak
- How to Successfully Manage Conflict in the Workplace by Anne Lee
- And in the second chapter of their new book, “You Gotta Laugh: Life in the Trenches of the Health Care Business,” Stephanie Cohen and Scott Golden discuss The Importance of Continuity of Care
From all of us at Golden & Cohen, here’s to your health in 2010!
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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Logo, illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Client: Avenida, www.avenidarestaurant.com, a new Latin American restaurant in Mt. Airy, PA
Assignment: When chefs Kim and Edgar Alvarez were still in the planning phase of opening their new Latin American restaurant, Avenida,” they knew they needed an eye-popping logo that would get the attention of future customers. They turned to illustrator Michael Gibbs”:http://www.mglenwood.com to create a logo that would incorporate the essence of Chef Edgar’s Aztek roots and the Germantown Avenue address of Avenida — which translates to “on the avenue.”
Solution: Michael accomplished his mission with flying colors. “We love our logo,” says Chef Edgar, who with Kim worked hard to match the colors of the interior of the restaurant to the colors on the logo and business card. “Everyone comments on how fun and beautiful the whole marketing package is. That was our goal: To create a restaurant that is fun, light, and beautiful.”
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Design by Michael Gibbs
Client: Chef Kim Katz Alvarez, owner, Delaware Market House, Gladwyne, PA
Assignment: Create a business card that was classic, yet original, to reflect the tradition of the Delaware Market House, which was founded in the early 1900s. Chef Kim and her husband and business partner Chef Edgar Alvarez bought the market in 2002.
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Logo, illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Client: Inkandescent Public Relations
Assignment: Create a logo that would be used on a website and other promotional materials.
Solution: The illustrated lightbulb worked as a focal point to illuminate the card, and also get across the message of being Inkandescent. The design was then translated into a website, which launched in September 2008 and a variation on the theme was integrated into a spin-off for the company, Be Inkandescent magazine.
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Illustration and design by by Michael Gibbs
Client: Hooks Book Events
Assignment: Create a sophisticated corporate identity that reflected the passion of owners Perry Pidgeon Hooks and Loretta Yenson for bringing authors and ideas to government agencies and corporations. The logo was subsequently used on business cards, posters, postcards, and other promotional materials, which served to successfully brand the company.
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Illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Client: Hope Katz Gibbs, freelance writer
Assignment: Since launching her freelance business in 1993, journalist Hope Katz Gibbs worked by phone and word-of-mouth to land assignments with publications ranging from The Washington Post and USA Today to Global Business magazine and Costco’s business magazine, The Costco Connection.
But 15 years into a successful run, the economy began to teeter in 2008 and she decided it was time to ramp up her marketing efforts. “Being married to an illustrator has its benefits,” says Hope, who commissioned her husband Michael Gibbs to design a business card and website to promote her work.
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Illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Michael Gibbs has been a freelance illustrator since the early ’80s. After majoring in architecture for a year at the University of Maryland, he attended Pratt Institute as a photography major, switching to illustration in his final year.
Michael’s style has evolved from traditional painting to a unique blend of traditional and digital techniques, with frequent forays into purely digital illustration. He was an early devotee of the Macintosh, Photoshop and digital illustration, and has been using the Mac and Photoshop since shortly after they were introduced in 1984. His work has been featured in books on illustration and design skills, including Information Graphics and Visual Clues [Rockport Press] and Step-by-Step Graphics.
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Design by by Michael Gibbs
Client: The Writing’s on the Wall
Hope Katz, founder and president
Assignment: Create a fun, but elegant logo that could be used on business cards, letterhead, and other promotional materials to brand this non-profit founded in 1991 by Hope Katz. Based on her master’s thesis at The George Washington University where she studied Educational Leadership, Hope took the project to San Francisco where she conducted several “Wall” projects with poverty-stricken after-school programs. The project then traveled to the Capitol Children’s Museum, where it was a permanent exhibit.
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Illustrated logo and design by Michael Gibbs
Concept and writing by Hope Katz Gibbs
Client: Hooks Book Events
Assignment: Create a promotional product to highlight the article about Hooks Book Events (HBE) that ran in The Washington Post magazine in January 2009, and also to feature the authors and high-profile corporations that hire HBE to bring those writers into their companies to inspire employees. Click here to view the back of the card.
Solution: By featuring the beautiful logo created by Michael Gibbs on the front of the card, and quotes from the authors and companies on the back, this card got people’s attention. Since it was designed as a postcard, it worked as a self-mailer, thank you note, and bookmark that the owners — Perry Pidgeon Hooks and Loretta Yenson — could tuck into all the books they sell.
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Photo illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Concept and writing by Hope Katz Gibbs, Inkandescent Public Relations
Client: The City of Fairfax School Board
Assignment: Create a postcard to mail to the 14,000 residents and business owners in the City of Fairfax, VA to inform them that the newsletter the School Board had been publishing since 2001 was going online.
Solution: By using an image of the homepage of the new website, and text that explained the reason for the shift from a printed newsletter to an online version, the School Board was able to inform its constituents of the change in an affordable, timely manner. In turn, the City residents responded by signing up to receive the electronic version of the newsletter. This enhanced the School Board’s reputation, and maintained the reach of Close-Up Online — a publication with important information about what is happening in the four City of Fairfax Schools. “Click here to read the back of the postcard”:
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Photo illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Concept and writing by Hope Katz Gibbs, Inkandescent Public Relations
Client: The City of Fairfax School Board
Assignment: Create a postcard to mail to the 14,000 residents and business owners in the City of Fairfax, VA to inform them that the newsletter the School Board had been publishing since 2001 was going online.
Solution: By using an image of the homepage of the new website, and text that explained the reason for the shift from a printed newsletter to an online version, the School Board was able to inform its constituents of the change in an affordable, timely manner. In turn, the City residents responded by signing up to receive the electronic version of the newsletter. This enhanced the School Board’s reputation, and maintained the reach of Close-Up Online — a publication with important information about what is happening in the four City of Fairfax Schools. “Click here to read the back of the postcard”:
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Illustrated logo and design by Michael Gibbs
Concept and writing by Hope Katz Gibbs
Client: Hooks Book Events
Assignment: Create a promotional product to highlight the article about Hooks Book Events (HBE) that ran in The Washington Post magazine in January 2009, and also to feature the authors and high-profile corporations that hire HBE to bring those writers into their companies to inspire employees. Click here to view the back of the card.
Solution: By featuring the beautiful logo created by Michael Gibbs on the front of the card, and quotes from the authors and companies on the back, this card got people’s attention. Since it was designed as a postcard, it worked as a self-mailer, thank you note, and bookmark that the owners — Perry Pidgeon Hooks and Loretta Yenson — could tuck into all the books they sell.
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Photo by Steve Barrett, www.stevebarrettphotography.com
Washington DC, January 15, 2008 — Just days before Barack Obama’s Inauguration, luxury handbag designer Laura Lee Williams, owner of Laura Lee Designs, was featured on the noon broadcast of Washington DC’s ABC Affiliate News Channel 8 about the best accessories to carry for the big event.
Options, said the Northern Virginia-based designer, include her collection of styles, ranging from the M Bag, which measures 8×3 inches and has 3,500 beads — perfect for carrying make up, money and a cell phone — to the Positively Pink bag, which is like the M Bag and created to support breast cancer research. She also brought along her higher-end Sitting Pretty bag, a signature purse that’s big enough to handle all the goodies a woman might need to carry.
“It was a thrill to talk with Let’s Talk Live co-host Natasha Barrett about my handbags,” says Williams, who herself attended the Inauguration — and carried one of her favorite cocktail dress accessories, the midnight black M Bag.
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With a master’s degree in international studies from Harvard University, Laura Lee Williams is a businesswoman with a flair for numbers and fashion. She’s worked for Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, American Express and Apple Computer. But when she was the vp of global business with Hong Kong’s Pacific Century CyberWorks (PCCW), she was inspired to create a company of her own.
In 2003, she launched the luxury handbag firm Laura Lee Designs, and ever since her stylishly appealing, fabulously chic handbags have adorned the arms and outfits of celebs including Desperate Housewives’ Eva Longoria, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino, and Touched by an Angel actress Roma Downey.
“Each bag is handmade with Nepalese fabrics, high quality satins and swirling patterns of Japanese beads,” Laura Lee explains. “Colorful snakeskin accentuates each bag and adds functional elegance to each piece. The bags are less an accessory and more a piece of wearable art. A Laura Lee Designs handbag captures individuality and verve. You definitely can’t be a wallflower and wear one of these bags!”
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Since April 2006, Noonan has served as assistant superintendent for Cluster VII schools, including the Centreville, Chantilly, and Fairfax High School pyramids. In this position, he initiated instructional and organizational change using professional learning communities, increased accessibility to educational technology resources for students and staff members, and school leadership development to support diverse learners.
Noonan served as principal of Centreville High School from July 2004 until April 2006, where he developed a principal’s round table for aspiring student leaders, initiated a freshman transition team for rising ninth grade students, and secured funding for an Honors and Advanced Placement Summer Institute. Prior to that, he served as principal of Lanier Middle School. Noonan came to FCPS in 2001 to serve as assistant principal at Langley High School.
Prior to joining FCPS, Noonan served as dean of students, assistant principal, and principal of several schools in Albuquerque. He began his career as a special education teacher at Roosevelt Middle School in Albuquerque, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 1993.
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Photo by Steve Barrett Photography
Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Before the City of Fairfax became an independent city, it was a town in Fairfax County and the schools were part of the Fairfax County (FCPS) system. When the town moved to city status in 1961, state law required that a local school board be organized to govern the schools.
A School Services Agreement was entered into with FCPS to continue to manage and operate the schools; the City School Board and Superintendent oversee this Agreement and are responsible for the management of the school buildings owned by the City. Key Elements of the Schools Services Agreement can be found here: City-County Connection.
Today, the City of Fairfax School Board consists of five elected officials who help guide the City Schools in legislative and other school business. Pictured here they include (from left): Chairman Janice Miller, Vice Chairman Jon Buttram, Toby Sorensen, Julie Knight, and Elisa Lueck. Each year, a senior from Fairfax High is chosen to be the Student Representative. This year that is Jonathan Earley.
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Photo by Steve Barrett Photography
Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Educational leader and City of Fairfax resident Ann Monday became Superintendent of the City of Fairfax Schools on July 1, 2007.
“We are pleased and excited that Mrs. Monday has agreed to become our new Superintendent,” said City School Board Chairman Janice Miller. “Her background and experience are unparalleled, and we know she will be a wonderful leader of our four schools and will continue to work with Fairfax County Public Schools to enrich academic programs for our students.”
Monday retired on June 30 as the Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), a district she has worked in since 1973 when she became a teacher at Kilmer Intermediate School in Vienna. She then served as chairperson of the English department at Chantilly High School from 1976-1980, when she became an administrative aide at Marshall High and subsequently a subschool principal at Lake Braddock High School.
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Photo by Steve Barrett Photography
Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Alice Waagen, PhD, is president and founder of Workforce Learning, LLC, a leadership development company which since 1997 has provided managers and C-level executives with the skills and knowledge they need to build a more productive work environment.
Since earning a BS in Art Education from New York State College at Buffalo, and MS and PhD degrees in Art Education from Pennsylvania State University, Alice has conducted hundreds of workshops and training classes at many of the country’s Fortune 500 companies and top nonprofit organizations, as well as at government agencies in the Washington DC area. In just the last three years, more than 55 leaders from 20 regional organizations have graduated from her unique leadership development workshop series.
Giving back to the community is also important to Alice, who currently serves on the District Training Committee for Boy Scouts of America as well as on the Boards of Directors for the Human Resources Leadership Forum and for Habitat for Humanity, Northern VA.
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What do Apple, Pfizer, Kellogg, ExxonMobil, Chase, Wells Fargo, Homeland Security, USA Today and ABC News have in common? When it comes to training, developing and motivating their greatest asset, their people, they turn to Steven B. Wiley and the The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg.
“We are dedicated to serving as a resource for individuals, teams and organizations who find themselves having to perform or produce in a stressful and rapidly changing environment with limited resources and limited information,” explains Steven B. Wiley, president and founder of The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg.
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Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Steven B. Wiley is an entrepreneur, author, and highly acclaimed speaker who has influenced and entertained tens of thousands of top executives from around the world. Without exception, he receives the highest ratings possible from his audiences. His business experience includes the founding of three companies: two international franchise organizations and a national chain of fleet management centers.
He has successfully negotiated multi-million dollar funding agreements for his own companies with some of the top venture capital organizations in the world. His strong leadership ability has earned him recognition in top publications including Venture Magazine, USA Today, and Entrepreneur magazine.
Steve’s speaking experience includes three years as National Spokesperson for the Quaker Oats/Pritikin Longevity Centers for whom he has been featured in television commercials and advertisements in the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and New York Times. Over the past ten years he has conducted thousands of seminars on negotiation, sales leadership and wellness for numerous public and private sector organizations.
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Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Angela Sontheimer is the Managing Director of the Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg. She has a background in institutional advancement and has worked extensively in events management, and is a graduate of Gettysburg College. In 2009, Angela finished her Masters degree in Leadership and Liberal Studies at Duquesne University.
Along with Steve, Angela developed and created A Transformational Journey from Gettysburg.
“This intimate, small group program explores several customized case studies of your choosing while providing participants with a unique team-building opportunity,” Sontheimer says. “The Journey actually begins long before setting foot in the Gettysburg area. Participants prepare for their experience through compelling pre-session readings and an optional battery of assessment tools.”
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Photo by Steve Barrett Photography
Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
The Essential HR Handbook: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional is a 250-page reference guide, published in the fall of 2008 by Career Press.
It is a must-have for everyone who deals with employees on a daily basis, believe Mitchell and Armstrong. They wrote the book because, as human resource professionals with decades of experience, they wanted to shed light on the issues that keep managers up at night.
“Human resource professionals are not only charged with resolving labor issues,” explains Mitchell, who worked for Marriott Corporation and several technology firms in the Washington DC area before launching her own company‚ The Millennium Group International‚ in 1998. “We also help acquire, train, appraise, and make sure employees are fairly compensated, while attending to their concerns about labor relations, health and safety, and fairness.”
“It’s a big job, but we make it easier by outlining guidelines and best practice recommendations in the 12 chapters of our book,” adds Armstrong, who began her career in human resources in 1985 as a recruiter/trainer in a large Manhattan law firm before launching Sharon Armstrong and Associates in 2000. “Whether you are a newly promoted manager, a seasoned business owner, or a human resources professional, knowing the ins and outs of dealing with HR issues is critical to your success.”
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Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Sharon Armstrong began her career in human resources in 1985 as a recruiter/trainer in a large Manhattan law firm. She took over as Director of HR at the DC firm Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge in 1991, and in 1994 became the Director of HR and Administration at the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
In 2000, she opened her own firm, Sharon Armstrong & Associates, and since has consulted with many large corporations and small businesses. She has facilitated training, completed HR projects and provided career transition services for a wide variety of clients in the profit and non-profit sectors. Her firm also serves as a brokerage house for other HR professionals.
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Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Barbara Mitchell is a human resources and organization development consultant who is widely known as an expert in the areas of recruitment and retention. She has experience in both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors and has consulted to a variety of organizations around the world.
She served in senior human resources leadership positions with Marriott International and several technology firms in the Washington DC area before co-founding the Millennium Group International, LLC (TMG) in 1998, which she sold in 2008.
She recently served on the Society of Human Resource Management as a Special Expert Panel on Consulting and Outsourcing in recognition of her expertise and long service to the HR profession. Barbara is a graduate of North Park University, Chicago, IL, with a degree in history and political science and has taken graduate level courses at UCLA. Contact Barbara by email: barbaramitchell@comcast.net.
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With a doctorate in Musical Arts under her belt, international award-winning pianist Celia Im decided to use music to help others and in 2003 founded Lighting the Creative Spark, LLC, an innovative company dedicated to helping clients develop their own intuition to enhance their relationships, career and life.
The music (often her own original work) is a tool she uses to engage the active imagination, explains Celia, who has been on the faculty and taught aspiring musicians at George Mason University, University of Maryland and Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University.
“In my work, I combine an intuitive process called Music-Evoked Imagery (MEI) with my experience as a performing artist and teacher. It’s very effective because I use my own experiences as a creative person to help others find their creativity. It seems to work as well for artists and musicians as it does for lawyers and bankers.”
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Photo by Steve Barrett
Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs, Inkandescent PR
Michael Gibbs has been a freelance illustrator since the early ’80s. After majoring in architecture for a year at the University of Maryland, he attended Pratt Institute as a photography major, switching to illustration in his final year.
Michael’s style has evolved from traditional painting to a unique blend of traditional and digital techniques, with frequent forays into purely digital illustration. He was an early devotee of the Macintosh, Photoshop and digital illustration, and has been using the Mac and Photoshop since shortly after they were introduced in 1984. His work has been featured in books on illustration and design skills, including Information Graphics and Visual Clues [Rockport Press] and Step-by-Step Graphics.
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Chef Kim Katz Alvarez is the co-owner of the hot new Latin American restaurant Avenida, www.avenidarestaurant.com in Mt. Airy, PA.
A graduate of Syracuse University’s restaurant management program and the two-year chef program at the Culinary Institute of America, cooking has been her passion since she was 7.
Kim says: “I clearly remember the day my mom enrolled me in a cooking class at Bloomingdales in Jenkintown, PA. It was Thanksgiving time, and our first assignment was to make homemade stuffing. My cousin Brandi was also in the class, and she also liked all the tearing of the bread and combining it with the wet ingredients using her fingers. But I loved it.”
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I grew up on a ranch in Guatemala, and the one thing that is etched in my memory is the scene of my grandmother, aunts and mother preparing a meal in the kitchen. It was an all-day affair, for we were a giant family and when breakfast ended all the women in the family would go off to the market to buy the freshest produce, meat and fish for lunch and dinner. They did not have much to spend, but la comida was always full of love and flavor.
I remember my mother plucking fresh chickens in the yard. She would cut up tons of vegetables and then toss everything in a giant pot. It would simmer just long enough to bring out the most mouthwatering flavors. She was truly an amazing chef, although she would never consider herself one, she taught me everything I know. I watched closely the way she would add some of this and not too much of that. She gave me a love for good, healthy, hearty food just the kind I prepare today.
When I came to this country, I worked as a sous chef at some of the best restaurants in Philadelphia, including the original Dock Street, the four-star restaurant, The Striped Bass and the gourmet Chinese restaurant Susanna Foo. I had the opportunity to work under the excellent chefs who cooked there, as well as Phillippe Chin and Keong Bahn, when I worked at Phillippe.
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Photo by Steve Barrett
www.stevebarrett photography.com
Barbara Mitchell (left) and Sharon Armstrong are the co-authors of The Essential HR Handbook, a quick and handy resource for any manager or HR professional. Before launching their website to promote their book, the authors hired Steve Barrett to take their pics.
“Steve was a joy to work with,” says Barbara. “He made us feel so comfortable.” Sharon notes: “We laughed the whole time he was with us. It was a pleasure to work with him.”
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Photo by Steve Barrett
www.stevebarrett photography.com photography.com
When Stephanie Cohen, CEO of the health benefits firm Golden & Cohen, decided it was time to launch a PR campaign, she hired Inkandescent PR to help. The first step was to get great new pictures of herself and her partners: husband and COO Scott Golden (left) and her brother CFO Jack Cohen.
“Steve was a real professional,” said Stephanie of the photo shoot. “He made us feel relaxed, but kept us in line. That’s not always easy, but he managed it. Scott, Jack and I are thrilled with the results.”
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Photo by Steve Barrett Photography
Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Since co-founding the Gaithersburg, MD health care benefits firm Golden & Cohen in 1992, Stephanie Cohen has helped it grow into one of the largest female-owned companies in the Washington metropolitan region.
With more than two decades of experience in small group health insurance, disability programs and life insurance, she was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, serves on the prestigious United HealthCare, Coventry, Aetna and Kaiser Broker Council and is a member of the Womens’ President Organization, the District of Columbia Insurance Commissioner Advisory Council and The Greater Washington Health Underwriters.
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January 2010, Yahoo! HotJobs — “Whether the economy roars back in 2010 or slowly climbs out of the hole, HR professionals are anticipating fewer layoffs, more hiring, and, in some cases, a rush to the exits,” writes Yahoo! HotJobs reporter Larry Buhl, who interviewed DC human resources expert Sharon Armstrong.
Armstrong said: Conduct “stay” interviews. Too many companies only learn about employee gripes at exit interviews. Sharon Armstrong, an HR consultant in Washington, D.C., and author of The Essential HR Handbook, recommends surveying employees now. “But employees shouldn’t feel like there will be a ‘gotcha’ when they have complaints. These ‘stay interviews’ should be conducted by a third party, not the manager, or HR could hold focus groups in a safe setting.”
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Jack Cohen graduated from the University of Maryland in 1991 with a degree in consumer economics. Soon after, he founded Nu Image construction, which quickly grew into a 50-employee firm that generated $3 million in annual sales.
Jack joined Golden & Cohen in 1997 as its Chief Financial Officer, and has instituted new technologies and efficiencies that have helped the company increase revenue by more than 20 percent a year. Jack is married and has 3 children.
For more information about the insurance brokerage firm Golden & Cohen, visit www.golden-cohen.com contact Jack Cohen by email at jack@golden-cohen.com.
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Photo by Steve Barrett Photography
Bio by Hope Katz Gibbs
Scott Golden is recognized as an industry leader in the small to mid-size insurance market, and ranks among the area’s top producers according to the Washington Business Journal’s Annual List.
He received a BS in Marketing from the University of Maryland in 1985, an MBA from George Washington University in 1990, and later a JD and LLM in taxation from the University of Baltimore. His advanced academic and legal degrees enable him to evaluate local and national mandates in conjunction with helping his clients prepare and implement the proper strategy.
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Be Inkandescent, January 2010 — Welcome to the inaugural issue of Be Inkandescent: The magazine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs. Each month, our online publication will bring insights and observations from entrepreneurs in a variety of industries ranging from health care and human resources to books, education, finance, leadership skills, management tools, real estate, restaurants, wine, and more.
We’ll also be spotlighting an Entrepreneur of the Month, a business owner who earns at least $10 million a year, has been in business for 5 years, and is still running the company they created. They’ll offer Tips for Entrepreneurs, as will Our Team of creative professionals from Inkandescent Public Relations.
In this issue, we’re featuring the “queen of putting people’s lives in order” Julie Morgenstern, an organizational and time management expert, business productivity consultant, and nationally renowned speaker who in 1989 founded Julie Morgenstern Enterprises. She’s also a New York Times bestselling author, having published five books that are reference guides featuring techniques and observations culled from her 20 years of experience as a consultant to individuals and companies. Check out our profile on this incredible Entrepreneur of the Month, and read her insightful five Tips for Entrepreneurs.
We invite every entrepreneur to come up with stories that might be of interest to our audience and contact us with your ideas. After all, the goal of any company is to have more people know about their products and services. We’d love to help you spread the word.
Here’s to your success! — Hope Katz Gibbs
publisher, Be Inkandescent
president & founder, Inkandescent Public Relations
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WEBSITE — Be Inkandescent Magazine: the online magazine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs
Click image for larger view Illustration and design by Michael Gibbs
Website coding / database by Max Kukoy
Writing / Concept by Hope Katz Gibbs
About Be Inkandescent Magazine
In January 2010, the Inkandescent Group, LLC launched 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.”
January 13, 2010, Examiner.com — In Monday’s Washington Examiner, Kansas City Leadership Columnist Eric Jacobson featured The Essential HR Handbook as One of top 235 recommended leadership books from various LinkedIn members.
In today’s newspaper, he reviewed the book and its authors, noting:
It’s unfortunately too common for an employee to be promoted into a management position with little to no Human Resources (HR) training. Similarly, many small business owners don’t have a dedicated human resources person so they end up muddling their way through critical human resources issues while wearing the HR hat.
These are some of the reasons authors Sharon Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell wrote the book “The Essential HR Handbook,” described by them as “a quick and handy resource for any manager or HR professional.”
If you don’t have the time or funds to attend HR training at a nearby educational institution or if there is not within your workplace a qualified and seasoned mentor to teach you HR skills, this book provides the novice manager important basics, accompanied by real-world examples and templates that you can readily use as you lead your team of one or more employees. It’s also an excellent refresher for managers who need to hone their hiring, onboarding, and performance evaluating capabilities.
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Washington Examiner, January 10, 2010 — In today’s Washington Examiner, reporter Eric Jacobson featured The Essential HR Handbook as one of the top recommended leadership books from various LinkedIn members.
“Within the list of favorites you’ll find titles published decades ago and ones published last month,” Jacobson explained. “All the books are available on Amazon and through a variety of other sources, including via author web sites. Nearly 70 of the books on the list are linked here to Amazon. All will be in this list format within the next few weeks.”
Here is the list of all 235 books, in alphabetical order. It represents many of the vast approaches to leadership in practice today throughout the world. Take a look to see how many you’ve read. Perhaps you’ll find one of your favorites. Then, select a few to further research and to add your reading list for 2010.”
What’s Your Favorite?
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Jan. 8, 2010, The Calgary Sun — In an article today that focused on helping desperate job seekers, reporter Dawn Klingensmith interviewed Alice Waagen, president of Workforce Learning about warning signs that will alert them to the fact that they are coming on too strong.
“Some applicants send flowers or candy. This is not a date — it’s a job,” says human resources consultant Alice Waagen.
And if you don’t hear back, take the hint, Waagen advises.
“If you’ve left messages and e-mails and don’t get a response, that’s either a strong indication you’ve been rejected or that the hiring manager is a poor manager lacking basic skills,” she says. “It’s time to move on.”
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October 2013 — “I want my children to understand the world, but not just because the world is fascinating and the human mind curious. I want them to understand it so they will make it a better place,” Gardner said in 1999.
It is with such a goal in mind that Gardner, a Harvard University professor, devised the theory of Multiple Intelligences. His 1993 landmark book, Frames of Mind, turned on its head the belief that human beings are blank slates that can be trained to learn anything — providing the information is presented in an appropriate way.
On the contrary, Gardner’s research suggests there are at least eight intelligences, each with its own strengths and constraints. “We have found that the mind is far from encumbered at birth, and it is unexpectedly difficult to teach things that challenge these natural lines,” he explains. “The theory [of multiple intelligences] is an account of human cognition in its fullness. It provides a new definition of human nature.”
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December 30, Life@Home magazine, Century 21 — In today’s issue of the Century 21 newsletter, reporter Robyn Friedman writes:
Hope Gibbs thought her move from Clifton, Va. to Arlington, Va.-a mere 45 minutes away-would be easy. And it was for daughter Anna, 14, who found new friends on Facebook even before she moved.
But Gibbs’ 10-year-old son Dylan found it more difficult. “You’d have thought we moved to Mars,” says Gibbs. “He still wants to go home despite having made tons of friends.”
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By Alice Waagen, president and founder
www.workforcelearning.com
In the last issue of Workforce Learning, I focused on how organizations can prepare for the growth cycle ahead in our recovering economy and offered three scenarios for how the recovery may play out. In the weeks since, I’ve done a more analytic survey and asked nearly 150 professionals from more than a dozen different DC-based organizations: “What will you do differently once the economic recovery seems to stabilize?”
A number of themes emerged in the conversations. Clearly, the dependent relationship people have had with their employers has been severely challenged during the last 12 months. In fact, large, seemingly stable organizations like county governments have been implementing forced furloughs and reductions in workforce. The old belief that large organizations offer stable future economic growth is all but gone.
But here is what raised an eyebrow. The number of people who expressed a desire to go out on their own and start their own business was staggering. This may seem counterintuitive, especially after months of economic strife. But the impetus to start ones own business is not economic – it is to gain a better control of their future. Certainly, when you are an entrepreneur, your success and failure resides on your own actions and tactics, not the actions of management far removed from your sphere of influence.
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Gaithersburg MD, December 4, 2009 — Stephanie Cohen, CEO of the health benefits firm Golden & Cohen, was named one of SmartCEO Magazine’s 2010 Smart100 CEOs this week.
“After another competitive year of nominations, the selection committee has chosen Stephanie Cohen to join an elite group of 100 of Greater Washington’s leading CEOs and their organizations,” announced SmartCEO magazine’s Makenna Coyne on December 1. “Combined, this group employs more than 150,000 people, boasts revenues in excess of $9 billion, and has won almost 1,500 business awards. In addition, the group shares a philanthropic spirit by donating time, energy and money to local Washington area charities.”
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Happy holidays from all of us here at the Lincoln Leadership Institute! Gettysburg is looking very festive these days—especially when it’s iced with our first snowfalls of the year.
The holiday season is truly one of joy. In fact, this idea of “what is joy,” has been on my mind lately—not only as we get ready to celebrate the holidays, but also as it correlates to the workplace.
What does joy have to do with the workplace—especially this year, when so many organizations have struggled with our challenging economy? According to a recent Gallup Healthways survey of 100,000 Americans, joy has everything to do with happiness in the workplace for business owners out-rank 10 other occupations in overall wellbeing. Leaders, in fact, say they have lower stress levels and better physical health than those in other occupations.
One possible explanation, according to Harvard professor and blogger Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is that “autonomy, influence and a sense of meaning” are all key ingredients in helping us to find joy at work. She writes “supervisors are better–off than the supervised, and entrepreneurs are the best-off of all.” While we can’t all be entrepreneurs, she suggests we can all act as leaders and project “autonomy, influence and a sense of meaning.”
I couldn’t agree more! I’m a big believer in the idea that exhibiting leadership skills is the surest route to joy at work. What a concept: Leadership can bring joy to the workplace.
Kanter offers a David Letterman style Top 10 list to find joy at work. Why not give it a try? Incorporate joy into your leadership practice. I’d love to hear the results – drop us a line at info@lincolnleadershipinstitue.com and let us know how you have shared the joy!
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!
Steven B. Wiley, president and founder
Lincoln Leadership Institute
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December 18, 2009 — The City of Fairfax Schools launched its December newsletter today, featuring an introduction by Janice Miller, Chairman of the City of Fairfax School Board. She wrote:
When the City School Board first began working on the Road Map to Academic Success in 2005, our mission was to develop a document that provided information to parents regarding the curriculum students need to take from kindergarten to 12th grade to succeed not only in school — but to be prepared for life.
Spearheaded by former City Schools Superintendent George Stepp, he designed the Road Map over the course of a year with the assistance of Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jan Mulvaney, former Fairfax High Student Services Director Carole Kihm, and other educators from Fairfax County Public Schools.
“The key to student success lies in parents knowing what all the options are for their children,” explains Dr. Mulvaney. “We aren’t advocating pushing students beyond what they can handle — emotionally or academically — but it is amazing to see what they can do given the chance.”
Click here to more about the Roadmap and what the four City of Fairfax Schools are doing to ensure all students are on a path to success.
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Gaithersburg MD, December 18, 2009 — Stephanie Cohen, CEO of the health benefits firm Golden & Cohen, will appear tomorrow on Executive Leadership Radio, www.bigtalker1580.com. The show will air from 10-11 a.m. on WHFS 1580.
Stephanie will talk about her company, the health and retirement benefits firm Golden & Cohen, and her life in the trenches of the insurance industry.
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