WORKMAGAZINE #20

FIVE TIPS FOR SECURING A LOAN | MOB MARKETING: PR & SOCIAL NETWORKS

STRANGE’S PRESIDENT & CEO BILL GOULDIN

& OTHER BIZ-SAVVY INSIDERS OFFERPOINTERS AND PERSPECTIVE FOR

YOUR ECONOMICEVOLUTION.

CHANGE?YES YOU CAN.

THINK LIKE AN ENTREPRENEUR,

THRIVE WITH SMART CHOICES.

MY LITTLE CUPCAKE

SPARK ENGINEERING

CARE ADVANTAGE

SMARTER INTERIORS

RICHMOND ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTCORPORATION

WFOFR MEDIA

+

ShopTalk PAGE 4Forbes.com Ranks Richmond #4 Best City to Find a Job

Union & First Market Banks to MergeUK Machinery Company Opens Operations

Southern Design Chooses ChesterfieldSmartBox Acquires California Company

Hanover County Rated AAATwo Awards Name CarMax ‘Top Place to Work’Jefferson Hotel Wins Five Stars for Ninth Year

The Virginia Business Opportunity Fair Returns University of Richmond & VMSDC

to Provide Leadership Training for Minority ExecutivesUniversity of Richmond

Continues ‘Best Value’ StreakBon Secours Richmond

Is Nationally Recognized for Advancing Women

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber Visits Richmond

VCU’s ‘CreateAthon onCampus’VCU Schools of Medicine & Nursing

Move Up in NIH RankingsMichael Rao Named VCU’s Fifth President

British Auto Insurer Locating New U.S. Operation in Henrico

Hanover’s Tyson’s Foods Creates 180 JobsVerizon to Hire 60 in Henrico

Business First Team Reviews Program Trends – Ramps Up to Assist Existing Business

Table of ContentsC a r e e r L i f e i n t h e G r e a t e r R i c h m o n d R e g i o n V o l . 5 / I s s u e 4

From the Partnership .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 ShopTalk .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Momentum ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Innovators .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Arts / Culture .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Music & Food .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Sports .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Shopping .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Movers & Shakers .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Partnership News ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Partnership Investor Profile .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 MediaWorks .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Travel & Leisure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 See & Do .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

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WORKMAGAZINE

WORKMAGAZINE PROFILE

Cultivating Your Economic Evolution ‘It was the best of times it was the worst of...’ Oh, forget it!Has the crisis economy tossed you a curveball? Not liking thestate of business today? It’s time to focus. President and CEOof Strange’s Florists, Greenhouses, and Garden Centers, BillGouldin knows something about growing plants—and growinga business in all types of economic situations. He—along withother entrepreneurial experts—offers ideas and resources toapply to your changing world.

Dominion to Celebrate 100 Years of ServiceThe business began as the Upper Appomattox Company in1795 to improve navigation and commercial development onthe James River and its tributaries, including canal operation tosecure water rights to the river. Today, Dominion is one of thenation’s largest producers of energy, with an energy portfolio ofabout 26,500 megawatts of generation and 7,800 miles of nat-ural gas transmission pipeline.

Mob MarketingMorphing Your Web Promotions from User-Friendly toUser-Generated: Evolving your outreach to your con-sumers can be effectively generated through social net-works. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are fast becomingthe darlings of the PR circuit. Not only will you connectwith your customers, it’s also just plain fun.

TransitionsUpbeat about her new position as President/CEO of the as-sociation, Nancy Thomas looks to the year ahead as an op-portunity to build new relationships and alliances. Thomasassumed her position as president in February. While shemay be new to the presidency, she certainly isn’t a strangerto the RMA. She has worked in retail since 1981 and hasserved on the board of the RMA since 1999, most recentlyas immediate past chairman.

ChangeNo, you’re not alone. Change is a fact of business and im-pacts everyone sooner or later. Three Richmond companiesdemonstrate that the ability to respond positively in the faceof shifting market demands, new technology and other unex-pected developments is the key to survival. Though theirproducts and services are diverse, their proactive approachbrought similar success in satisfied customers and expansioninto unforeseen markets.

COVER STORY

W O R K M A G A Z I N Ew w w . w o r k m a g a z i n e . b i zS p r i n g 2 0 0 9 1

InnovatorsPAGE 23

My Little Cupcake

SPARK Engineering

Care Advantage

Smarter Interiors

Richmond Economic

Development Corporation

WFofR Media

CREATIVE WORK SPACEVENTURE RICHMOND

SPECIAL SECTION AFTER PAGE 22

business innovation / career strategy / creative living

Palari Publishing LLP was established in1998 in Richmond, Virginia. Palari is a for-ward-thinking, independent, royalty-basedpublisher committed to producing innova-tive periodicals, fiction and nonfictionbooks. Through our hardcover and tradepaperback originals, Palari provides au-

thoritative, well-written non-fiction that addresses topicalconsumer needs and fictionwith an emphasis on intelli-gence and quality.

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SPRING2 0 0 9 WORKMAGAZINE

WORKMAGAZINE: Career Life in the GreaterRichmond Region is a quarterly publicationowned and operated by Palari PublishingLLP (The Work Factory, 1113 West MainStreet, Richmond, VA, 23220 Toll-free:866-570-6724) in association with theGreater Richmond Partnership Inc. Allrights reserved. Reproduction in whole orin part of any text, photograph or illustra-tion without written permission from thepublisher is prohibited.

General comments, story suggestions andletters to the editor for publication consid-eration should be directed to Ted Randler [email protected].

Publisher/Executive EditorTed Randler

Publisher/Senior EditorDavid Smitherman

Managing EditorRebecca Jones

Senior WritersChristina Couch

Donna C. Gregory

Department EditorsDevorah Ben-David

Jan DanielPaul Spicer

Contributing WritersDana Callahan

Gina Cavallo CollinsSheri Doyle

Mike FonsecaChris Gatewood

Megan MarconyakMark MatthewsJulie McGuireJoan Tupponce

Mike WardJennifer Yeager

Maggie Diane Yoder

PhotographyMichael CreasyStephanie Garr

Ben MaddenChris Owens

InternAtosa Dabney

The Greater Richmond Partnership Inc. is anot-for-profit economic development teamrepresenting the City of Richmond and thecounties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Hen-rico. The Partnership’s office is located at

901 E. Byrd St., Suite 801 Richmond, VA 23219-4070 phone 804-643-3227 or toll-free at 1-800-229-6332 fax 804-343-7167

W O R K M A G A Z I N E w w w . w o r k m a g a z i n e . b i z 2 0 0 9 S p r i n g2

Open for Business: Leila & Mel Bailey̶Move It Now

Leadership: Sharing Wisdom ................Page 10

The Loan Zone: Five tips for securing a loan

Caller, Youʼre On the Air: Itʼs Your Job! Dr.David D. Schein says the business radio showoffers “something a little different, somethingthat is universal.” ..........................................Page 11

Clutter to Couture: Designers Angela Greeneand Ken Kobrick spend their days literally turn-ing trash into treasure.

3 Guerilla Promos: Increase sales withoutspending a fortune? Thatʼs exactly what theseCEOs did. ..........................................................Page 12

Legal Brief: Is the Obama “Hope” PosterCopyright Infringement?

Marketing Maven: Your advice may be yourbest marketing tool. ....................................Page 13

WebChatter: Itʼs like we dipped into your souland found the perfect mindless diversionsfrom the stress of your workday. ............Page 14

For Your Desk: Thereʼs a new woman who an-swers our phones. Iʼm not sure of her name, Icall her Sylvia. I find her to be unnerving withher officious greeting and perfect suggestions.

Trade Secrets: Hit the Ground Running: A Manual for New Leaders by Jason JenningsPLUS: How do I keep my Windows OS runningsmoothly? ........................................................Page 15

MOMENTUMCONCEPTS • TRENDS • TRAILBLAZERS

Unforeseen Success WI

NG

FI

EL

D

For the past nineteen issues of this publication, we’ve reported the seemingly endless streamof innovation that has come from the region. We have documented how our local economyhas morphed over the years from mainly an agriculture-based state capital to a multi-indus-try community supporting growth in areas such as finance, logistics, bioscience, advancedmaterials and specialty chemicals. We have endeavored to track the wealth of new productsgenerated in Greater Richmond along with the growth in the array of local organizations andresources that assist business development.

Throughout this editorial coverage the one concept that is shared in most all of the region’seconomic development in the adaptation of new ideas, the refinement of production and theevolution in our workforce to remain competitive is change.

It would seem as of late that change has become an integral component in not only our re-gion, but throughout the world. If there has been one thing we have learned regarding suc-cess in business it is that—for whatever the circumstance—change in commerce is inevitableand adaptation to the new marketplace is where innovation occurs. We’ve seen that while un-

expected change isn’t always welcome, depending on how you resolve your circumstance, itcan lead to unforeseen success.

What is novel in today’s economy is that usually the inspiration to develop ideas into previ-ously untried business models springs naturally from those with entrepreneurial natures. En-trepreneurs thrive on change. Currently though, economic change has been foisted uponeveryone, with several industries undergoing paradigm shifts. For a large number of peoplein today’s workforce, the sudden adaptation to a new way of earning income is daunting.Many of us wouldn’t dream of starting a business as a possibility.

You need only to walk into any bookstore and peruse the business section to see that nu-merous volumes have been spent noting the personality traits of successful entrepreneurs.This may lead you to think that there are those who may be more genetically incline towardthe risk-and-reward orientation—and perhaps this is true. Whether you consider yourselfbusiness-savvy or not, just as we are inspired by those who have talents and accomplishmentsthat we don’t share, there is much we can learn from entrepreneurs and how they harnessopportunity in a changing economy.

So we dedicate this issue to the ways and means you can parlay the thinking of those whohave successfully ridden the turbulence of economic crisis; of companies that have adaptedto evolutions in the marketplace; and of those individuals who have adjusted his or her ca-reer path to a better situation. We discovered that while impetus for change may differ, thesteps to smart business and career decisions are similar. Tapping into the correct mindset; ac-knowledging the emotional aspect while not allowing it to overwhelm; and most importantly,accessing the region’s business community and its resources—through research and net-working—can assist in an optimum transition.

Greg WingfieldPresident, CEO

Greater Richmond Partnership Inc.There is much we can learn from entrepreneurs

and how they harness opportunity in a changing economy.



Hanover County Rated AAAStandard & Poor’s has rated Hanover

County as AAA for general obligation

bonds. The county is also rated AAA by

Fitch Ratings and AA by Moody’s In-

vestors Service.

Standard & Poor's upgraded the

county to the triple-A status, the highest

rating possible. That lets the county bor-

row money for construction projects or

issue bonds at a lower interest rate.

Standard and Poor’s, one of the three

major municipal bond ratings agencies in

the United States, has upgraded Hanover

County to a ‘AAA’ rating, the highest possi-

ble. Fitch Ratings has also reaffirmed the

‘AAA’ bond rating it gave Hanover County

in 2006.

There are only about 24 county gov-

ernments nationwide that both S&P and

Fitch have rated ‘AAA’, and only six coun-

ties in Virginia, with Hanover being the

smallest. There are about 3,100 counties

in the U.S.

“This is great news for Hanover tax-

payers,” said John E. Gordon Jr., Chairman

of the Board of Supervisors. “It means that

Hanover County will be able to borrow

money at lower interest rates as we con-

tinue to finance needed capital improve-

ment projects.”

Forbes.com Ranks Richmond#4 Best City to Find a JobRichmond, Virginia was recently ranked by

Forbes.com among the top 10 cities for hiring

in 2009. Reasons cited included the region’s

healthy mix of businesses. According to

Forbes.com, “The area doesn’t rely on one or

two huge companies to employ most of its

residents. Public accounting, manufacturing

and service remain strong fields, and with the

nation’s capital just three hours away, there

are plenty of jobs in government contracting

and defense.” The article also noted that the

region’s military bases “contribute to a strong

showing in government-related jobs.”

Southern Design Chooses ChesterfieldSouthern Design and Mechanical, Inc., a supplier

of products and consulting services to industrial

process industries, has located in the BizWorks

Enterprise Center on Jefferson Davis Highway.

The company supplies pump, seal and

valve applications to a variety of industries in-

cluding chemical processors, power generation,

pulp and paper, water and wasterwater, steel

manufacturing, bio-energy and pharmaceutical.

They occupy 1,250 square feet in the center

and plan to invest $75,000. They currently have

3 employees.

BizWorks is a non-profit small business in-

cubator offering office and warehouse space to

new businesses and those transitioning from a

home office.

Henrico County-based SmartBox, recognized

by its red, portable-storage units, has acquired

San Diego’s Big Box Storage Inc., giving the

Richmond area company a larger presence on

the West Coast. The acquisition will enable pri-

vately owned Smart-

Box to create up to 20

new jobs in central Vir-

ginia, increasing its

local workforce by

two-thirds.

Founded in 2003,

SmartBox will now op-

erate in 43 markets na-

tionwide through 26

franchises. The acquisition will add franchises

in California, Oregon, Arizona and New York. It

will also make it possible for SmartBox to pro-

vide long-distance moving services between its

markets, which will serve some 65 percent of

the U.S. population, according to Michael Lowe,

SmartBox president.

A subsidiary of ProSeal Holdings Limited of Cheshire, England, ProS-eal America, Inc. opened a Richmond sales facility in February. Thecompany plans to have a full manufacturing base in Richmond within5 years creating a full range of servicing and engineering jobs. ProS-eal America, Inc. manufactures heat‐sealing machinery and tools.ProSeal is currently the United Kingdom’s number one supplier for allmajor food producers and one of Europe’s largest. Established 10years ago, the $30 million company employs nearly 100 people intheir UK and Australian locations. Gari Wyatt, CEO of ProSeal Amer-ica, said “We are very excited about expanding into the U.S. market and establishing a presence inthe Richmond region. We have existing UK food processor clients already in America to service and wesee tremendous opportunity for further growth. Our plan is to replicate our UK model here in the U.S.”Wyatt added, “Several factors played into our decision to locate in Greater Richmond versus other re-gions, particularly VCU’s School of Engineering and the Greater Richmond Partnership’s ability to con-nect us to key resources. Their service has been essential to our expansion which has enabled us tomove swiftly in launching our presence here.”

SmartBox Acquires California Company

The acquisitionwill add

franchises in California,

Oregon, Arizonaand New York.

Lowe

UK Machinery Company Opens Operations

Union & First Market Banks to MergeUnion Bankshares Corporation and First Market

Bank announced the signing of an agreement to

merge First Market with Union in an all stock

transaction valued at approximately $105.4 mil-

lion. A privately held banking company with

over $1.3 billion in assets, First Market operates 39

branches throughout central Virginia with 31 in

the greater Richmond metropolitan area.

With the merge, Union will become the

largest Virginia based community banking or-

ganization with a combined 97 branch locations

and total assets of over $3.9 billion.

G. William Beale, President and CEO of

Union, continues as CEO of the new entity and

David J. Fairchild—currently CEO of First Mar-

ket—will be President.

The Board of Union Bankshares will be

expanded by three members to include

James E. Ukrop, Steven A. Markel and David

J. Fairchild.

“We are excited about the opportunity to

bring these two strong organizations together.

First Market and Union share a common culture

of exceptional customer service,” said Beale.

“This combination is transformational for our

organizations and for banking in Virginia.”

The Virginia Minority Supplier Development

Council (VMSDC)has designed, along with the

University of Richmond’s Robins School of

Business, an innovative leadership develop-

ment program exclusively for chief executive

officers of certified minority businesses to as-

sist as these business leaders grow their

businesses and stave off the effects of the fi-

nancial markets. Leadership skills, business

expansion and customer service will be at

the forefront of the offerings. This initiative

has secured founding sponsors that include

three major Central Virginia-based corpora-

tions, Altria Group, Dominion Resources

and MeadWestvaco.

This spring, after a rigorous application

process, VMSDC will select the first 20 execu-

tives. In June, the selected executives will ar-

rive on the University of Richmond campus

for a three-day intensive session, followed by

a second three-day session scheduled for

mid-September.

“As always we’re committed to education

and training,” said Connie Smith, VMSDC chair

and who also heads supplier diversity devel-

opment for the Altria family of companies.

“This program will provide the right informa-

tion at the right time to suppliers that are

ready to evolve to the next level. We’re excited

to provide this program through the University

of Richmond.”

Robins School faculty with expertise in

strategic management, finance, marketing and

entrepreneurship will collaborate with staff

from the school’s Executive Education division

to design a curriculum tailored specifically to

VMSDC’s membership.

“The Robins School is honored to have

been chosen for this important work,” said

Dean Jorge Haddock.


For the fifth consecutive year, Richmond-based

CarMax has been named one of Fortune mag-

azine’s 100 best companies to work for, with a

rank of 31. CarMax also received the 2009

Gallup Great Workplace Award, which honors

companies that have demonstrated they are

among the most productive workforces in the

world. This is the second consecutive year Car-

Max has been honored with this award by the

Gallup Organization.

“We are honored once again to receive

the Gallup Great Workplace Award,” said Tom

Folliard, president and chief executive officer

of CarMax. “Building a world class company

begins with investing in our associates and

striving for continuous

improvement.”

“The winners of

this award have estab-

lished a new standard

for engaging people,” said Tom Rath, who leads

Gallup’s Workplace and Leadership Consulting

practice. “When compared to the millions of

workgroups we have studied around the world,

the awardees have worked tirelessly to create

an environment that values people.”

The Gallup Great Workplace Award rec-

ognizes the best-performing workforces in the

world. Applicants' results are compared across

a workplace research database composed of

millions of work teams in more than 150

countries. A panel of workplace experts re-

views each organization's portfolio to select

the winners.

USA Today/Princeton Review, and SmartMoney haveadded to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s praise of theUniversity of Richmond [see news WORKMAGAZINEwinter ’09]—ranking it as one of the nation’s best val-ues in higher education.

“Of all the positive attention the University ofRichmond receives, recognition of our affordability isespecially welcome,” said President Edward L. Ayers.“We are eager for students and their families to dis-cover what a great value we offer, particularly con-sidering our small class size, close interaction withfaculty, and personal attention to students.”

The USA Today-Princeton Review article in-cluded the University of Richmond on its list of 100“best value” colleges based on 30 statistical criteriaof academics, costs and financial aid. To identify“best value,” it also utilized surveys of administratorsand students at more than 650 public and private col-lege campuses about professors’ accessibility, classsizes, student-faculty ratios and percent of classestaught by teaching assistants.

University of Richmond Continues ‘Best Value’ Streak

University of Richmond & VMSDCto Provide Leadership Training for Minority Executives

Richmond’s Jefferson Hotel was one of only 44 ho-tels in North America rated five stars in the 2009Mobile Travel Guide.

“This award is a testament to the outstand-ing service our talented team provides to ourguests,” says Joseph Longo, The Jefferson’s Man-aging Director. “We will continue to consistentlyprovide one of the best hotel values available.”

The Jefferson was built in 1895 and has 262rooms and suites, 26,000 square feet of functionspace and is home to TJ’s Restaurant. It is a mem-ber of Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide andHistoric Hotels of America.

Presented by the Vir-

ginia Minority Supplier

Development Council

(VMSDC), on May 4-5,

the Virginia Business

Opportunity Fair will

offer two days of busi-

ness opportunities in-

cluding the annual

Diversity Golf Tourney

to be held at the Do-

minion Club. The con-

ference kick-off—the Minority Business

Enterprise Input Committee (MBEIC) Recep-

tion—sponsored by Altria will be held at Altria’s

Research and Technology Center in Richmond.

Best selling author of Without Excuses

and national speaker Joe Watson will provide

the keynote of the conference. The confer-

ence offers networking, workshops and an af-

ternoon tradeshow with Fortune 500

corporations, higher education institutions,

federal, state and local government agencies

and financial institutions.

The Virginia Business Opportunity Fair Returns Best selling

author of Without Excuses

and national speaker

Joe Watson will provide

the keynote.

Jefferson Hotel Wins Five Stars for Ninth Year

Two Awards Name CarMax ‘Top Place to Work’

The Virginia Commonwealth University

Schools of Medicine and Nursing have

achieved significantly higher rankings in

medical research funding over the past

year—medicine moved up six positions and

nursing into the top 20—according to data

recently released by the National Institutes

of Health.

The NIH data show that the VCU School

of Medicine moved from No. 59 in 2007 to

No. 53 for 2008, out of 126 ranked schools of

medicine, and the VCU School of Nursing

moved from 23 in 2007, to No. 19, out of 82

ranked schools of nursing—higher than any

nursing schools in Virginia.

The VCU School of Medicine in 2008

was awarded nearly $63 million from the

NIH for medical research, with signifi-

cant funding in neurosurgery, pharma-

cology and toxicology, human and

molecular genetics, anatomy and inter-

nal medicine research.

VCU Schools of Medicine & Nursing Move Up in NIH Rankings

NAWBO to Celebrate Successful Women in BizRichmond National Association of Women Busi-

ness Owners (NAWBO) will highlight the region’s

women-business owners during the June 9, 2009

Enterprising Women of Excellence luncheon and

annual meeting at the Jefferson Hotel. Three

categories: Woman Entrepreneur of the Year;

Rising Star; and NAWBO Member of the Year will

be featured. NAWBO is the only dues-based na-

tional organization representing the interests of

all women entrepreneurs in all types of busi-

nesses. Based in McLean, NAWBO has more

than 8,000 members in nearly 80 chapters in

the U.S. and is represented in 35 countries. The

Richmond chapter was founded 1982.

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber Visits RichmondOn March 22 the Baton Rouge Area Chamber

(BRAC) along with about 150 Louisiana re-

gional leaders toured the Greater Richmond

Region. In addition to neighborhood and

downtown development, regional branding

and identity efforts, and global commerce op-

portunities, the BRAC group heard from an ex-

ecutive of shipbuilder Northrop Grumman

Corp. about its work-force strategies.

The trip served to stimulate ideas and

reinvigorate the greater Baton Rouge region’s

approach to development. Citing Richmond’s

recent accolades as Forbes.com fourth-best

city for jobseekers [see related article, page 4],

BRAC also chose to tour the region because

Greater Richmond has similar economic ad-

vantages as Baton Rouge in a stable state gov-

ernment and higher education payrolls.

BRAC’s was also interested Greater Richmond’s

ability to attract young professionals and mem-

bers of the creative class.

Bon Secours Rich-

mond Health Sys-

tem has been cited

as one of the top

employers in the na-

tion for recruiting,

developing and ad-

vancing women by

the National Associ-

ation for Female Ex-

ecutives (NAFE).

This is the

fourth year that

NAFE has recog-

nized Bon Secours

Richmond in its Top

Companies for Exec-

utive Women awards

program. About

eighty-five percent of Bon Secours Richmond’s

more than 7,000 employees are women. Bon

Secours Richmond is one of only five non-

profits throughout the country to receive this

honor, and this year each nonprofit is in the

healthcare industry. In addition, NAFE annu-

ally names for-profit companies to its list of Top

50 Companies for Executive Women.

The health system was recognized as a

Top Nonprofit for Female Executives at an

awards luncheon on March 18 in New York

City along with representatives from the other

54 award-winning organizations.

“Our success as a healthcare organiza-

tion depends every day on decisions made by

thousands of women who work throughout

Bon Secours Richmond,” said Bonnie Shelor,

senior vice president of human resources for

Bon Secours Richmond Health System. “This

award is the strongest affirmation of the values

and the many contributions that women bring

to Bon Secours.”

In naming Bon Secours Richmond as one

of the nation’s leading innovators, NAFE eval-

uated the organization on having a high per-

centage of women executives; embracing

diversity; developing and supporting toward

female advancement; and assisting not only fe-

male executives, but all employees, particu-

larly in the development of work-life balance

programs. In the nonprofit category, Bon Sec-

ours Richmond was found to have the highest

percentage of women serving on an organiza-

tion’s board.


Bon Secours Richmond Is Nationally Recognized for Advancing Women

More than 40 students at Virginia Common-wealth University spent 24 consecutive hourscompleting marketing and advertising projectsfor free for a dozen area nonprofits beginning onMarch 12th-13th.

This was the second year for CreateAthononCampus, promoted as “a caffeinatedmarathon of creative work designed to help non-profit organizations with little or no resources foradvertising and marketing initiatives.”

Students began work at VCU on Thursday at8:30 a.m., laboring through the day and night ontheir assignments. They presented their com-pleted projects to their clients on Friday morning.Student team leaders helped guide the work

through production, partnering with local vendorsto eliminate production costs for the nonprofits.

Last year VCU became the first university tolaunch a CreateAthon program, which has beenused by professional advertising agencies aroundthe country.

“CreateAthon onCampus last year was anamazing experience for the students,” said Pey-ton Rowe, associate professor of advertising atVCU and director of the project. “They worked ex-tremely hard, but they also had fun, learned agreat deal and their clients were extremely ap-preciative of their efforts.” Blow-by-blow docu-mentation of the event can be found at the event’sblog http://vcucoc.blogspot.com.

VCU’s ‘CreateAthon onCampus’N E W S F R O M V I R G I N I A C O M M O N W E A L T H U N I V E R S I T Y


(804)897-8292www.TheESource.com/Rsmith

Admiral Americas LLC, a sub-

sidiary of British automobile in-

surer Admiral Group plc, will

locate a new U.S. headquarters

operation in Henrico County.

The company plans to lease

26,000 of pre-existing vacant

space and initially create be-

tween 40 and 50 new jobs, with

a goal of increasing employ-

ment at the facility to 200 by the

end of 2010.

“The Richmond region has

so much to offer, including cost-

effective real estate, high-quality

labor force, and a welcoming

business environment,” said An-

drew Rose, president and CEO of

Admiral Americas.

The Greater Richmond

region was selected after a

six month competition with

cities including Dallas,

Chicago and Charlotte.

“The Richmond region has

a great story to tell: cost‐effective

real estate, quality labor force,

and a welcoming business envi-

ronment,” Rose said, “Another

differentiating factor among the

cities was the Greater Richmond

Partnership’s service. They

streamlined the process for us.

We’re a cost‐efficient business

and this free consultative service

was invaluable to us.”

British Auto Insurer LocatingNew U.S. Operation in Henrico Hanover’s Tyson Foods

Creates 180 JobsTyson Foods Inc. is adding about 180 jobs for a new production line

at its plant on U.S. 33 in Hanover County.

50 of the new positions were filled this quarter, the re-

mainder of the production line employees will be phased in

over several months to produce food for fast-food and deli cus-

tomers, according to Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for the com-

pany at its headquarters in Springdale, Ark.

Verizon to Hire 60 in HenricoVerizon Communications Inc. plans to fill 60 customer service

representatives to handle requests from new and existing cus-

tomers n its service center on Hungary Springs Road in Hen-

rico County. The Henrico center currently employs 200

full-time worker. Companywide, the communications com-

pany employs 224,000.

The Virginia Common-

wealth University

Board of Visitors

has announced that

Michael Rao, Ph.D.,

president of Central

Michigan University,

will be VCU’s next pres-

ident and president

of the VCU Health

System. He also will be a

tenured professor in the

School of Education.

Rao, 42, comes to VCU with

the experience of three success-

ful presidencies at universities of

increasing size and complexity.

“Michael Rao’s accom-

plishments are remarkable,”

said VCU Rector Tom Rosen-

thal. “Members of the board,

the Presidential Search Com-

mittee and others representing

university groups who have

met Mike are excited about the

energy, enthusiasm and intelli-

gence he will bring to VCU as

its fifth president.”

Rosenthal said the board’s

decision was unanimous and

comes after an exten-

sive process that

sought input from the

entire university com-

munity about VCU’s

future and the type

of person who

should be its next

president. A 17-

member, university-

wide presidential search

committee used that infor-

mation as it conducted a na-

tional search and forwarded

recommendations to the VCU

Board of Visitors.

“Mike and VCU are about

the same age, and they both are

just now hitting their strides,”

said Ed Bersoff, Ph.D., chair of

the Presidential Search Commit-

tee and former VCU rector. “Our

expectations and standards are

high for each of them and I am

confident that those expecta-

tions and standards are likely to

be exceeded.”

Rao will succeed 69-year-

old President Eugene P. Trani

who is leaving in June.

Michael Rao Named VCU’s Fifth President

MORE NEW JOBS

8 2 0 0 9 S p r i n gw w w . w o r k m a g a z i n e . b i zW O R K M A G A Z I N E

Business First Greater Richmond is a collaborativeeffort that includes Chesterfield County, HenricoCounty, Hanover County and the City of Richmond.It is supported by the Greater Richmond Partner-ship, Inc. and the Greater Richmond Chamber.

www.businessfirstrichmond.com

The Business First Greater Richmond team

has interviewed more than 100 businesses

since January 1 and is currently working to

support dozens of area companies in a wide

variety of areas. The information gathered dur-

ing initial face-to-face meetings with business

owners and CEOs reveals a number of trends

that are influencing how we organize our re-

sources to support existing business.

As mentioned in the Partnership’s 90 Day

Action Plan, we are focusing outreach and re-

sources in two key areas—those companies

with a defined growth strategy and businesses

at risk who may need assistance in areas such

as business planning, process improvement,

or financing.

Despite the troubling regional economic

news, ninety-five percent of Richmond area

businesses report a positive attitude toward

the community. Even more encouraging is a

continued commitment to invest and create

new jobs in the region. 21% of the respon-

dents have plans to expand in the coming

eighteen months and one in four intend to

add new positions in the coming year, collec-

tively planning to invest more than $12 million

and pledging to create more than 400 new

jobs in the region.

The goal of the Business First program is

to help make those plans a reality for these

growing firms and be a catalyst for other area

businesses, introducing them to resources to

help them take their businesses to the next

level. Working with a network of service

providers, partners have interviewed more

than 1300 businesses and responded to more

than 280 requests for assistance since the pro-

gram’s inception. Assisted firms have invested

more than $43 million in the region and cre-

ated or retained more than 650 jobs.

Work continues to connect with even

more businesses in the region. Watch in April

for more information as we launch an aware-

ness campaign highlighting Business First suc-

cess stories, partner spotlights and profiles on

the volunteers who support our efforts. If you

would like to learn more or if your business

would like to be interviewed by a Business

First partner please contact Sara Dunnigan at

[email protected] or 343-6968.

Business First Team Reviews Program Trends – Ramps Up to Assist Existing BusinessWorking with

a network of serviceproviders, partners have

interviewed more than 1300businesses and responded to more than 280 requests

for assistance since the program’s inception.

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801 E. Main Street, Post Office Box 1998, Richmond, Virginia 23218-1998(804) 648-1636, Fax: (804) 783-7291

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www.SandsAnderson.comtrust our Bankruptcy and Creditors’Rights lawyers to make your point

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Organizations that believe that talentedpeople are their greatest resource havevarious ways to set conditions for theiremployeesʼ success. One alternative is aformal program for pairing up junioremployees with more senior employ-ees, with the expectation that the senioremployee will provide guidance, advice,and assistance with matters outside thejunior employeeʼs normal chain of com-mand. This is usually referred to as a“mentoring” program.

The word “mentor” comes to us fromGreek literature. In Homerʼs Odyssey,Mentor was the man into whose careOdysseus placed his son when Odysseusdeparted for the Trojan War. Mentor wasexpected to share his wisdom and expe-rience with the son during his fatherʼsabsence. Similarly today, a mentor is ex-pected to share his or her experiencewith the person being mentored (re-ferred to as a protégé or mentoree).

There are several ways a formalmentoring program can be of value foran organization:

• Distributing knowledge withinthe organization. There is no way anytraining program could teach every-thing a new employee needs to knowabout the organization. Mentors pro-vide an avenue for disseminating insti-tutional knowledge to new employeesas various issues arise. This also reducesthe cost of training new employees byplacing part of the training requirementon the mentor.

• Building relationships within theorganization. The mentoring relation-ship outside the normal chain of com-mand provide the mentoree with theopportunity to learn about the people,programs, and offices outside his or hernormal sphere of operations. This cre-ates pre-existing relationships to sup-port future collaborative efforts acrossbusiness units.

• Providing an additional source offeedback. If your mentoring programand personnel evaluation programallow feedback on mentorees as part ofthe evaluation process, then the men-tor becomes another source of feed-back for those evaluations. However,the organization must consider thisbenefit in balance with the possible de-

sire to retain informal confidentialitywithin the mentoring program, as men-torees might not be as open with theirmentors if they know there is no guar-antee of confidentiality.

• Providing a source for answers toawkward questions the mentoree doesnot feel comfortable bringing to his orher chain of command. Not everyonefeels comfortable bringing the awkwardquestions to his or her supervisor, andnot every supervisor responds appropri-ately to those questions. A mentor alsocan provide an additional perspectivefor the mentoree to consider.

Unfortunately, mentoring pro-grams do not always meet these expec-tations. Although there are a great manyreasons why a mentoring program canbe ineffective, failed programs usuallystem from a failure by the organizationʼsleadership to communicate the pro-gramʼs mission and importance. Theconsequences of such a failure to com-municate can include the following:

• Improperly matching mentorsand mentorees. A severe personalityclash between mentor and mentoreemakes the relationship fruitless. Simi-larly, a mentor whose time does notallow proper attention to the mentor-ing relationship can frustrate the pro-gramʼs purposes.

• Inattention to the mentoring re-lationship. A mentoring program re-quires regular meetings to enable thelevel of interaction necessary for a suc-cessful relationship.

• Mentor sessions misunderstoodby both mentor and mentoree. A men-toring program requires meaningful in-teraction. Mentoring meetings are notmeant to be a monthly gripe sessionover lunch. It should be a purpose-dri-ven session of listening and discussionbetween both persons, with the mentorcoaching and instructing as necessary.

A solid mentoring program will pro-vide new or junior employees with a life-line to reach out to, and will make themfeel included within the organization. Aweak or failing mentoring program isworse than no program, because men-torees will feel like outcasts and will getthe message that the organizationpays mere lip service to its goals.

Mark Matthews is the owner of The Matthews Law Group, P.L.L.C. He has over 15 years of lead-ership and management experience in both the military and the private sector. Mark is alsoa Managing Attorney of the Veterans Benefits Clinic at the William & Mary Law School.

Leadership: by Mark MatthewsSHARING WISDOMWelcome to my premier article. Ineach issue, I will be sharing storiesof Greater Richmond residents whohave started a business of theirown. While each of their stories isunique, they all have one thing incommon, they share the passionand drive that it takes to open theirvery own business. In these storiesyou will learn what motivates them,why they made certain choices, andwhat their hopes are for the future.

Leila & Mel Bailey - Move It NowMel & Leila Bailey were referred to me by a previous client.Mel was being downsized and they had decided that theywanted to investigate business ownership. As we began ourdiscussions, I learned that they were both planning onworking in the business. They wanted a business with workflexibility for Leila and growth potential for both of them.When I asked what appealed to them about the food fran-chise they had previously researched, they explained thatthey were big fans of the product.

I find this to be a fairly common response. As they didmore homework, they learned that there were things aboutthe business that were less attractive. (For example, longwork hours, high sales volume required, etc.) Since thebusiness required a retail location, the initial investmentand the monthly overhead would also be very high.

They learned that liking the product did not nec-essarily mean it was the right business for them toown; perhaps they would be better suited being dedi-cated customers!

In the meantime, we had begun researching other al-ternatives. I had told them before we started that we weregoing to be exploring businesses that would help them toachieve their goals. I also tried to prepare them to under-stand that these would likely be very different from whatthey had been considering on their own.

I find that so often people only look at businesseswhere they love the product; instead of at businesses wherethey love the business model.

After considering a host of options and learning moreabout what worked for them and didn’t work for them, wefound Move It Now, a residential and commercial movingcompany. Since it’s a newer franchise, they found that theywould have a little more independence and plenty of op-portunity for growth. The initial costs and monthly over-head were more in alignment with their needs.

Mel & Leila also found through their research that thehours were more reasonable for them. Finally, since theyhad an interest in a painting company as well, they feltthat background would help them with getting the movingbusiness started.

They are now well on their way to establishing a busi-ness of their own. I will stay in touch with them, as I dowith all my clients, and answer any questions they have.And if I ever have to go through a move of my own, I knowwho to call. [Read more on Smith see page 18]

Robin Smith is the owner of The Entrepreneur's Source. Visit her at www.e-sourceva.com.

Open for Business by Robin Smith

BY CHRISTINA COUCH

The L oan ZoneFive tips for securing a loan: Think businessloans have gone the way of the fanny pack? Not according to these loan experts.

Christina Couch is the author of Virginia Colleges101: The Ultimate Guide for Students of All Ages.


Itʼs Your Job! first aired in August of 2008 onWLEE, Newstalk 990 AM, and simulcast on the

Internet. Program host,Dr. David D. Scheinsays the business radioshow offers “some-thing a little different,something that is uni-versal.” Recently ex-tending the reach tosatellite radio cover-

age, Itʼs Your Job! now airs on TalkStarRadio.Through interviews with experts, training

sessions, and a variety of other formats for en-gaging the listener, Schein focuses on topicsrelevant to both an employer and an em-

ployee. He has even hosted mock debates onhis program between managers and a subor-dinate. Known as the “employment guru,”Schein along with his on-air guests explore is-sues such as: workplace disputes, pay andbenefits, equal employment opportunity,safety, and contracts, as well as more personalissues such as employee attire, poor hygiene,and gender concerns.

A corporate attorney, licensed in Virginiaand Texas, and a qualified mediator who holdsall five available mediator certifications fromthe Supreme Court of Virginia, Schein com-pleted an ABA training program for disputemediation for the EEOC, the US Postal ServiceAdvanced Mediation Training for the REDRESSProgram, and a World Bank Employment Me-diation training. He is also trained in mediationfor the AAA regarding automobile “LemonLaw” cases. Twenty-five years after law school,

Schein returned to the University of Virginiaand earned his Ph.D. in education.

For Schein Itʼs Your Job offers him apodium to “understanding the human side ofbusiness.” As for the inevitible questions re-garding the crisis economy, Schein believesstrongly that companies should not “overre-act.” If layoffs are necessary, companiesshould “do everything they can to keep theirbest employees.” When weighing resources,and how to allocate them effectively in toughfinancial times, the most important resourceconsideration, Schein feels, “should be thehuman resource.”

As commutes get longer, you want yourdriving time to be productive, Scheinʼs Its YourJob may be an option for advice and fun.Julie McGuire is a paralegal, and the fiction editor forThe Internet Review of Books. Her essays, articles,and book reviews have appeared in the Christian Sci-ence Monitor and other periodicals.

Caller, You’re On the AirAdvice for Cubicleland

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5

While credit has tightened in the past twelvemonths, lending to both start-ups and alreadyestablished small businesses is still in full ef-fect. Here are five tips to help you land a sliceof the lending pie.

Know Thy BusinessWhen it comes to wooing lenders into believingin your cause, the best thing you can bring tothe table is a clear vision of their company saysScott Dailey, Assistant District Director forLender Relations for the Virginia Small Busi-ness Association.

“Don’t just bring a summary of how muchmoney you need and what you’re going to useit for,” advises Dailey. “You need to clearly ex-plain why you’re going to go into this business,how you plan on making money in this econ-omy, what you’re going to put up as collateral.”

While those looking for a start-up loanwill need to bring a concise, well-researchedbusiness plan, seasoned entrepreneurs lookingto expand their companies can pique a lender’sinterest by providing a written report thatoutlines exactly where loaned funds will beused and projections on how long it will taketo pay back.

Know Thy Competitors“One thing that’s weak in a lot of the businessplans is that [entrepreneurs] haven’t researchedtheir competition,” says Patty Thorne, Senior

Project Finance Manager for the Virginia SmallBusiness Financing Authority. “They really needto make a compelling case as to why someonewould change their buying pattern.”

In addition to figuring out the best way torun your business, Thorne says entrepreneurscan win lender confidence by researching com-peting firms and figuring out a concrete way toout-price, out-produce, or out-service the com-pany that was there first.

Use Free ResourcesNeed help? No problem. The Greater RichmondChamber of Commerce (804-648-1234,www.grcc.com), the Office of Minority BusinessDevelopment (804-646-5947, www.richmond-gov.com/departments/mbd) and the VirginiaDepartment of Business Assistance (866-248-8814, www.dba.state.va.us) all offer free orlow-cost help for those looking to launch a newbusiness or improve upon an existing one.Those looking for business mentoring can alsofind free counseling from business veteransthrough Richmond SCORE (804-771-2400,www.richmondscore.org).

Check Your Credit ScoreWhile you’re creating a thorough business re-port, Scott Dailey also recommends trying toboost your personal credit score.

“If a lender required a credit score of650 two years ago, now they’re going to re-quire one of 700,” Dailey says. “It helps to

improve your credit score and the best wayto do that is to first pull your credit reportand check for errors.”

After pulling your report at Freecreditre-port.com, entrepreneurs should first check tomake sure the report is completely accurate,then work on paying off any judgments thatmay be dragging the credit score down.

Comparison ShopFrank Bell, CEO of Bank of Virginia, remindsthose looking for loans that not all lenders arethe same.

“Large institutions do things a littledifferently than community banks,” saysBell. “Whereas a large institution might justsay no, a community bank might be able toget a little more creative. We tend to say‘we’re having trouble lending to you underthese circumstances, but here’s how we canchange that.’”

Bell recommends hitting up your personalbank first, especially if you’ve been a clientfor years.

“It’s a very relationship-driven busi-ness,” Bell explains. “If someone walks in offof the street but they don’t have their check-ing or savings with us, it’s hard to get excitedabout that. If they’re a loyal customer, we’regoing to make sure we work with them asmuch as possible.”

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Clutter to Couture

Available at a handful of local boutiques as wellas online at www.passchal.com, Greene and Ko-brick’s designs have worked their way into thehands of Hollywood elite including clients BlairUnderwood and AnnaLynne McCord of 90210fame as well as onto the pages of Rolling Stone,Glamour and The Wall Street Journal despitethe fact that both designers boast “absolutelyno fashion sense or retail experience.”

“It was such a fluke that we ended updoing this,” explains Greene. “Back in the late90’s, I carried a backpack that was made out ofinner tubes and everywhere I went peoplewould comment on it. After I met Ken, I justlooked at him one day and said ‘We need to dothis.’ Then we started calling Firestones andasking to dig through their trash.”

After meeting through a personals ad in1995, Greene, a serial entrepreneur, and Ko-brick, a former welder and then kitchen man-

ager, began working together on a productGreene invented to help cancer victims regrowhair. That fell through just as the backpackthat started it all came into their lives.

“She bought that backpack home and said‘I bet we could design bags like these,’” re-counts Kobrick. “I said ‘That’s nice, I’m going towork’ and when I got back she had five hugeinner tubes on the floor of my apartment.”

The first Passchal bags were a fashionabomination. Heavy, awkward and smelling ofrubbery cleaning agents, it took Kobrick andGreene a full three years to perfect the seven-step preparation process that turns rubber intopliable material and another few years to securethe stable of manufacturers, hardware stores and

suppliers to make the company run smoothly. “In the beginning, the work was just a

mess,” says Kobrick. “We had to throw awayour couch because we had machines in everypart of our house. We had industrial sewingmachines in the bedroom…I had to cash in my401k for this, learn how to sew, take out sev-enteen credit cards [Greene took out eleven]and refinance the house three times.”

Today the work and fiscal risk are begin-ning to pay off. Smooth, light and featuringsubtle accents like hand-polished zippers fromJapan, Passchal’s current inner tube-leatherhybrid bags are a far cry from the clunky,stinky contraptions that once filled Kobrick’ssolo apartment. In its fourth official year of op-eration, the Passchal line was recently featuredat the Access Hollywood lounge at the GoldenGlobes and will be showcased in Neimann Mar-cus’ upcoming April rewards catalogue. Thecity’s most unlikely DIY designers expect torake in anywhere from half a million to$675,000, all thanks to Greene’s ability to spypotential in other people’s refuse.

“All of this is astounding consideringthat these bags used to be made in our bed-room,” says Kobrick. “At this point, there’snobody holding up their hand, telling us wecan’t do it.”

BY CHRISTINA COUCHDesigner couple keeps fashion eco-friendly

You probably won’t find Louis Vuitton scouring landfillsfor inspiration, but you might find Angela Greene diggingthrough one. The co-owner and one of two designerswith Passchal – a Southside-based company that pro-duces high-end handbags from used tractor inner tubes– Greene and her partner Ken Kobrick spend their daysliterally turning trash into treasure.

Kobrick: “I had to cash in my 401k for this, learnhow to sew, take out seventeen credit cards andrefinance the house three times.”

Increase sales without spending a fortune?Thatʼs exactly what these CEOs did. Fromusing free social networking tools to launch-ing low-cost mobile media campaigns, thesecompanies boosted their bottom lines (orsomeone elseʼs) without blowing the bank.

Give It AwayWant to make money? Unload your productfor free says Ed Lawrence, owner of the Mid-lothian-based eco-accessories supplier, Ca-lypso Studios. To get his product name outthere, Lawrence provided 200 free reusableS.H.O.P. Tote shopping bags as well as 200 jew-elry pieces to celebrity gifting lounges at the2009 Academy Awards. The merchandise,worth about $6,000 if sold in retail stores,wound up in the hands of A-listers includingAnne Hathaway and Mario Lopez and wonLawrence a boatload of free radio, television,and print press. The stunt, he says, paid offonly because of the high level of exposure theAcademy Awards brings.

“It cost us about $2,000 to $3,000 whole-

sale to do it and it was worth it,” Lawrencesays. “It brings credibility, recognition, brandawareness, and helps wholesalers get excitedabout our product.”

Invest in TextsHow to reach millions of clients instanta-neously? The answer could be in right there inthe palm of your hand̶communicating viacell phone. At OTAir Mobile Marketing Solu-tions, clients from across the globe can per-sonally reach their demographic through cellphone text messaging at any time of day.

Jim Washok, OTAir CEO, says, “90 to 95percent of incoming text messages are readand the majority of them are read within fif-teen minutes. People are also more likely to re-spond to a text message. Studies show thatpeople respond to text messages about 45percent of the time.”

For $150 a month, companies gain theability to send text message promotions di-rectly to consumers as well as a call-in numberthat can be added to visual or print ads thatallow consumers to text back. While the con-cept is simple, the impact of being able toreach a target demographic at any time of day

can be astounding says Washok.“One of the Florida branches of Funny

Bone comedy clubs had a comic come in last-minute and they only had three hours to pro-mote the show,” says Washok. “They sentmessages to their VIP club members andwithin three hours, they had sold over 90 per-cent of their seats for that night.”

Make Personal ContactHunter Haglund knows that the best way tobring customers in is to get them excitedabout who you are and what you do. To gen-erate buzz around his restaurant, Sushi Ninja(204 N Robinson Street), Haglund used thefree social networking platform, Twitter, to in-form customers not only about upcomingrestaurant promotions, but also about whatexactly goes into making their sushi.

“We wanted to educate and really involvepotential customers on what it is we do for aliving, what weʼre passionate about,” Haglundsays. The tactic has worked. Since launchingthe Twitter stream a few months ago, SushiNinja has generated over 115 online followers,many of which take advantage of the restau-rantʼs online-only coupons.

by Christina Couch3 Guerilla Promos


BY CHRIS GATEWOODChris Gatewood is a lawyer with the firm of Hirschler Fleischer, P.C., in Richmond.

Chris tweets @gatewood5000

BY JENNIFER YEAGERJennifer Yeager is the Marketing Communications

Manager for the Greater Richmond Partnership Inc.

Whether you’ve already started your ownbusiness, are considering starting one,looking to market yourself for a new ca-

reer, marketing your special talent or skill isgoing to be key to making you stand out fromthe crowd. The following is an illustration ofunderstanding this concept.

A friend of mine is an amazingly talentedartist, mostly self-taught. She can work in anymedium (paint, clay, fabric, yarn) and createsomething beautiful. In fact, she decided topaint a jungle mural for her son’s room and theoutcome was jaw-dropping. Then she was in-spired to paint a mural of a scene from PeterPan in the hallway leading to her children'sroom. It resulted in another jaw-dropping cre-ation. We chatted about it one night, trying tofigure out how she could get paid for doingwhat she loves. What I learned from the con-versation was she had a low level of confidencein her artistic skills because it came so easilyto her, and she assumed most anyone could dowhat she does. This was a profound concept forme because she appears to be very a self-confi-dent person.

Knowledge is PowerThis revelation about talent and skill can easilybe applied to how you can market yourself andyour business. For example, say you own apainting company and have a client that haswatched one too many episodes of TradingSpaces on TLC. They may think they know whatit takes to paint a red dining room, but theydon’t understand that you shouldn’t use a neu-tral base paint if you don’t want to apply sevencoats of it, even with a coat of red primer ap-plied to it. This is an expensive and time-con-suming lesson to learn that you, the expert,

could have told them. People will pay for yourexpertise because it will save them time andmoney. (In this example, I am unashamed toadmit that I was the person applying sevencoats of paint.)

Increased ValueIt’s a simple example, but think about it in thecontext of your own business or your resume.You can market your expertise by sharing tidbitsof your valuable knowledge either by doingspeaking engagements or writing an article, col-umn, newsletter; or updating on Twitter,LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. By demonstrating yourknowledge and giving away some of it for free,you increase your value and your credibility.Knowing your target market and the associationsthey are involved with allows you to focus yourmarketing energy on those people who will thenbegin to perceive you as the expert. The end re-sult? More business and opportunities for you.

My friend took photos of her mural paint-ing skills to the local schools and was PAID toadd fun to their student halls. She also nowowns and runs a highly successful craft store.Don’t underestimate or undervalue your knowl-edge base—what comes easily to you may beyour target’s Achilles’ heel.

It became an iconic image in a hurry. Los An-geles artist Shepard Fairey started with aphoto of Barack Obama. He colored his ver-

sion in tones of red, white, and blue, with astyle like an old propaganda poster. Faireyplaced the word “PROGRESS” under it, and thenmore famously, the word “HOPE.” AssociatedPress photographer Mannie Garcia took thephotograph of Obama at a press conference in2006. Garcia was quoted recently as saying thatif he spoke to Fairey about it, he would tell him“Your poster’s way cool, man.”

Way cool or not, the AP did not appreciatethat Garcia’s photograph was the basis forFairey’s poster. The AP believes that Fairey’scopying amounts to infringement of the AP’scopyright. After a series of demands that re-portedly began shortly after Obama’s inaugura-tion, the case is now in court. Interestingly, itwas Fairey who brought it there, filing an ac-tion to determine whether he has a copyrightproblem, and seeking a judge’s determinationthat he does not.

Fairey has asked the court to find that he

has not infringedany of the exclu-sive rights the APhas in the photo,and if not that,then to find thathis copying is “fairuse” under copy-right law. (Perhapsto avoid losing onthe first questionof the AP’s exclu-

sive rights, Fairey’s court papers admit that heused the AP photo as a “visual reference” forhis works, but do not say that he “copied” it.)

So are you allowed to copy a photo if whatyou do with it is “way cool”? In the Fairey case,it is shaping up to be a close question. If youask exactly what fair use is and whether it jus-tifies any particular copying, you will probablyget that familiar lawyer’s answer—“it depends.”So here is what it depends on: (1) Whether thecopying use is commercial or not; (2) whetherthe work being copied is purely creative as op-posed to more factual; (3) how much of thework is used; and (4) the effect of the use uponthe potential market for the work.

The interesting thing about the Fairey caseis that while Fairey has said in media reportsthat he should have at least credited Garcia fortaking the photo, Fairey has something to sayabout all four of the fair use factors. On thecommercial question, he sold several thousandposters, but has said that he used the moneyto give away even more of them for free. Thework being copied was a news photo, whichmay seem to a judge to be more factual thansome other works would be. Garcia’s wholephoto was not used, as the whole photo also in-cluded actor George Clooney, who was besideObama at the 2006 press conference. Finally,the extent to which the use by Fairey has im-pacted the AP’s market for the photo is an openquestion.

It is very early in the case, and the partieshave yet to develop whatever evidence they canmuster for or against the fair use question. Butthe PROGRESS of this case, we HOPE, will be in-teresting to watch.

(Full disclosure: Columnist Chris Gate-wood worked for the Richmond office of theAssociated Press as a reporter and editor inthe 1990s. He did not take any photos ofBarack Obama.)

Is the “Hope” Poster Copyright Infringement?

Legal Brief

By demonstrating your knowledge and giving away

some of it for free, you increase your value and your credibility.

Mr. Gatewood’sself-portrait,Obamatized.

You’re An Expert and You Didn’t Even Know It(Nor Do Your Prospects...)

Marketing Maven

Your advicemay be your

best marketingtool.

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We all know thatweb addressescan be so cum-bersome and longthat when youpaste them in anemail, they gethyphenated. Thenthe recipient hasto figure out if

that's part of the address. Or someone will send you a weblink (or worse yet, write it down for you) and it’s so longthat it’s practically indecipherable. Maybe it’s time to putthat big web address into a more manageable size. Just goto www.tinyurl.com. Copy that huge web address andpaste it in the text field provided. In seconds, you are givena tiny URL that will not break in an email posting and willnever expire. Now you have no excuses for not visitingthose jokes sites your relatives send.

w w w . w o r k m a g a z i n e . b i z

We b C h a t t e r BY DAVID SMITHERMAN

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You alreadyknow that theVirginia FilmOffice works tobring filmedprojects liketelevisionshows, featurefilms, videos,documen-taries, andcommercialsto the state. But did you know they also help filmmakers findextras for their projects? That’s where you come in. If you'vebeen looking for some big-break opportunities, check out theVFO's Hotline section (www.film.virginia.org/hotline/Hot-line.aspx) for a list of upcoming projects. In no time, you'll beready for your close-up.

It’s like we dipped into your soul and found the perfect mindless diversions from the stress of your workday.

Looking for answers? The meaning of life?Well, you might not find that here, but thenagain, who knows? Visit www.answerbag.comto ask questions and share your knowledgewith the world. Or you can choose a categoryand search previously asked questions andread the answers provided. The site claimsthat you’ll get the best answers and no duplicatequestions. Granted itcan be overwhelm-ing when all topics are covered, but think how much you couldlearn about,well, everything!

Wanna Be in Pictures?

Twitter Twitter Little StarOk, so you joinedthe Twitter band-wagon, and nowyou want more.How about doinga little cyber starwatching? Go to this site:

for a list ofcelebrities whouse Twitter. You can sign upto follow themand find out exactly what Russell Brand orDane Cook has tosay in 140 char-acters or less.

Check out the live links to WebChatter at www.WORKMAGAZINE.BIZ

W O R K M A G A Z I N E 2 0 0 9 S p r i n g14

All Dolled Up

Want to make an avatar of yourself? Of course you do, why wouldn't you? Who doesn't want their own virtual mini-me? Go towww.zwinky.com to do just that. Pick the body style, facial expres-sions and clothing to suit your taste. Or go radical and maybe createyour hidden personae! At any rate, you'll soon have a cartoon version

of yourself to keep you amused duringthose long staff meetings.

But What’s the Question?

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Smaller Package

Want to spice up the office atmosphere? Maybe add some ofthe quirkiness of the actual TV show The Office to your own?Go to www.area51newmexico.com/work.php, for a list ofweird things to do at your office, for no reason whatsoever. For example, carry your keyboard over to your colleague, and

ask, “do you want to trade?” Or maybe for an hour, refer toeveryone you speak with as “Barbara.” Sure these things are

silly, but couldn’t you see Dwight doing them?

Hey Barbara!Look at me!I’m so crazy!

You love it whenI’m Mr. Wacky,

don’t cha, Barbie?

Random Acts of Strangeness

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From: Frustrated UserSent: : Monday, May 11, 2009 4:18 PMTo: Fonseca, MikeSubject: Are My Windows Clean?Mike, help! How do I keep my Windows OS running smoothly?From: Mike FonsecaSent: Monday, May 11, 2009 4:30 PMTo: Frustrated UserSubject: Re: Are My Windows Clean?

Sounds like it is time for somespring cleaning and your computeris no exception.

Whether your computer is afew years old or brand new, youmay notice that it’s not as fast as itonce used to be. This can be due toany number of factors, but it helpsto clean up your system every oncein awhile. I’m not talking aboutspraying it with 409, but cleaning out the “junk” that ac-cumulates the more you use your computer.

The biggest villain of the software world is Tempfiles. These files are created when installing programs,creating new documents, etc. Most of these files shouldhave the decency to clean up after themselves, but like ateenage boy they seem to leave junk all over the place. Sothere is nothing left to do but clean them up yourself.You’re thinking, “I don’t know anything about software,how am I gonna do that?”

The easiest way is to go into My Computer andchoose the drive you want to clean up. Right click on C:,for example, and choose Properties. Click on the buttonthat says Disk Cleanup. It will spend a couple minutescalculating and then it will suggest what you cancleanup. In most cases you can safely have it deleteeverything it finds. This will help, but probably didn’t getall your temp files.

The next thing to do is run a Search for files andfolders and type in “*.tmp”, without the quotation marks.You should be able to safely delete everything it finds.Anything with the extension .tmp is a file you wouldn’t beable to open anyway. Now you will want to check and seeif there are any remnants in your Temp folders. What?More Temp files? Well, yes.

Typically there is at least one Temp folder in Win-dows. The first place to check is on the root of C:. Inother words, when you open up C: in My Computer,look for a folder called Temp. Delete everything in it,unless you specifically saved something there yourself.The last place to look for a Temp folder is under theWindows folder, also on C:. Once again anything inhere can be deleted.

Remember to empty out your Recycle Bin. Youwon’t reclaim the extra space you made until you do this.After all this I would reboot your PC for good measure.

So you see, cleaning out the junk isn’t just necessaryat you house, but on your PC as well.

Trade Secrets

For all those who have unfortunately spent alifetime of hitting the ground tripping, stag-gering or lurching, author Jason Jennings’ newbook, Hit the Ground Running: a Manual forNew Leaders (Penguin Group USA), offers chap-ter-and-verse wisdom to help turn stumblesinto sprints.

In preparation for this book, the CEO re-viewed resumes of America’s top thousand pub-licly-held companies through an intensivevetting process. The result is a compilation ofthe top 9 front-men who put new ideas into ac-tion and lead their companies to being un-equivocal forces within their industries.According to the author, “the promise of this

book is that you’ll learnthe tactics, strategies,values, and guidingprinciples of the bestCEOs,” the idea being toprovide the reader withthe “front-row seats”necessary to observenot only what successlooks like, but moreimportantly how itwas achieved.

Told in first-person, Jennings intertwinesboth the personal and professional experiencesof each figure-head from as early on as child-hood, with his own. This gives the reader theopportunity to, in a way, bond with figuresthat appear to be somewhat immortal to“everyday folks” which could be the first stepin realizing how attainable that success can befor just about anyone.

Described by the author as, “the mani-festo for doing things the right way,” Hit theGround Running is organized in ten chapters,each representing one of ten rules identifiedby the sages as being key in becoming a suc-cessful “New Leader.” Could this soon be THEmanual found in the offices and cubicles ofcurrent and aspiring leaders? Possibly, espe-cially since the “flip to” ability allows ease ofaccess to on-topic modus operandi which couldprove invaluable to business leaders who findthemselves in tight spots with a short time toget answers.

This intimate presentation of dialogue,story-telling and proven leadership tacticsalong with the structuring of the book, in theend, provide for not yet another “business how-to” bedtime story, but rather the possibility ofan enlightening, attention retaining read.

by Jason Jennings

TEXT TECH

Mike Fonseca is a Network Engineer with Entec Systems, acomputer consulting business based out of Richmond, VA.

For Your Desk by Ted RandlerReview by Atosa Dabney

Hit the Ground Running: A Manual for New Leaders


There’s a new woman who answers our phones. I’m notsure of her name, I call her Sylvia. Is that wrong? Not mak-ing an effort to learn someone’s name with whom you’reforced to interact by your profession. Childish? Well, it’s justthat she’s so removed. It’s a little difficult to cozy up to her.

All business with her admin duties of gate-keepingour calls, Sylvia is. I hate the way she mispronounces myname. She does it on purpose. No, really, I think she does.

With this snooty accent, she kind of bites off the ‘A’ inRandler and snarls it more into an ENT-sound. I make fun ofher. I impersonate her mangling the vowels to relieve stressand because I find her to be unnerving with her officiousgreeting and perfect suggestions. I’m always immaturewhen I’m intimidated by others. Sylvia of course isn’t child-ish. On the contrary she is the epitome of office etiquette.

She never veers from the script, as she spouts thecompany protocol: do you wish to speak with so-and-so?

Should I put so-and-so in your voicemail?Never a jovial, “Hey there, Ted. So-and-so’scalling you again. Wow, that makes threecalls this morning, they must have you onspeed dial!” Perhaps she could give a little

giggle when I indicate she should put a call right throughto voicemail—as if we’re in cahoots on some office folly.

But no. Not old Sylvia. She’s all, “Please hold, while Ilocate Mr. Reentler.” But on the upside, Sylvia—to thosefrom the outside world who call in— is perfect at her du-ties. She doesn’t get stressed. She doesn’t drop acall—even when an archaic yet still-used fax comesthrough. I’ve never seen her take a lunch break. She’s neverlate. And because of this, we put up with her stony, yet pro-fessional, demeanor. After all, it’s up to me to correct her re-garding how to say my name. Her funny accent aside, I’mthe one who has the problem with it when I hear it. Sylviacouldn’t care less. It’s not her vowels being mangled.

Now before you get all huffy and tell me to grow upand simply approach her with the correct pronunciation.Let me assure you that I have. But it’s simply not an optionwith her. Sylvia, or whoever she is, is the automated voiceof our RingCentral answering service. It’s an online appli-cation that bundles all the typical admin phone duties andthen some. Your voicemail appears in a queue much likeemail and you may save it for however long that you wish.

As it is a web app, that means I don’t need my phoneto access my messages. Instead, I merely log onto my webpage for the roster of recorded calls. The automation evenallows me to answer the call on my computer with the aidof a headset and microphone. In essence RingCenteral re-places the need for a receptionist, fax machine, phone logand phone. It will also call out from your contact data.

Remember in horror films during high points of ten-sion how the terrified ingenue would stare at the phone asit rang ominously? I find I do that now with my computerscreen when Sylvia tells me I have a call—though less interror and more to see who is calling—well, mostly. Oneday I hit a button on the web application by mistake and re-alized that you can hear the voicemail as the caller is mak-ing it. I don’t know why, but that seemed a little creepy.

Oh wait, got to stop. A call is coming in. Second ringand—bada-bing—she’s got it. Sylvia’s amazing. Now, ifonly I could get her to practice her vowels.


Gouldin hopes the next generation of businesspeople will see the value of long-range strategy over short-term profits.


business is like aplant,” says WilliamJ. “Bill” Gouldin. “Ifit grows too fast, thestem gets thin. Butgrow it slowly, andthe base and root

system strengthen. The health of any plantstarts before you see any flowers.”

As President and CEO of Strange’sFlorists, Greenhouses, and Garden Centers,Bill Gouldin knows something about growingplants—and growing a business. Strange’s,which he owns with his brothers Cary andCraig, is one of the largest florists in the U.S.Its metamorphosis from neighborhood flowershop to industry leader is a study in controlledgrowth. It’s also a study in using economiccycles and seasons to keep a businessgrounded and make it flourish.

The company’s roots go back to the1930’s, when post office worker GideonStrange began raising flowers at his home inHighland Park. His hobby developed into abusiness when Strange acquired the salvagefrom dismantled Hollywood Cemetery green-houses rebuilt in his backyard. “Strange’sFlorists” first appears in the Richmond direc-tory in 1935.

Gideon Strange died in 1948. WilliamGouldin Sr. and Frederick Kidd bought thebusiness from Mrs. Strange. The partners ranthe greenhouses together until 1960, whenGouldin Sr. became sole proprietor. In 1970,he incorporated Strange’s. Throughout, healso worked as a railroad engineer and his fivechildren grew up working in the business.

Bill Gouldin, Jr, the oldest of the five, be-came Strange’s first fulltime manager in 1971.He began expanding the company whilestudying business at the University of Rich-mond. On December 15, 1974, Strange’sopened its florist headquarters at 3313 Me-chanicsville Turnpike.

Counter-Intuitive Expansion“Throughout the history of Strange’s, every ex-pansion has taken place during an economicdownturn,” says Gouldin of the timing of thatstore’s opening. “[A slow economy] is a goodtime for growth because you can acquire long-term assets at suppressed prices.”

Gouldin and his brothers assumed own-ership of Strange’s in the mid-’70s (“WhenCary graduated from Virginia Tech, his pres-ent was a greenhouse range—and a lot ofwork,” says Bill Gouldin.) Today, Cary runsthe greenhouse division and Craig is in charge

of the 3313 Mechanicsville Pike location. When expanding, Strange’s favors leas-

ing, with the option to purchase. This iswhat they did with their Creighton Roadgreenhouses, which they leased in 1975 andbought in 1976. The following year theyleased 1207 East Main Street. In a departurefrom their usual process, they leased thisstore for 20 years.

Strange’s next growth cycle began in asomewhat improbable place.

“I was eating lunch at a new Jack in theBox one day. I didn’t think the food was thatgood, but the building was perfect,” saysGouldin. “I liked the size (2000 square feet).It was a free-standing, visible, brick and glassbuilding, with terrazzo tiles and refrigeration.”Thus the idea to add the 8010 Midlothian Turn-pike and 6710 Hull Street Road locations in1982 and ’83 was born. Both buildings hadoriginally been Jack in the Box restaurants andwere sold at competitive prices when thechain closed.

Next came a 32.5 acre property on Mid-lothian Turnpike at Tuxford in 1991 thatStrange’s acquired for a major greenhouse,florist shop, and garden center.

“We saw that we needed to clear and fillthe property. The first goal is always to im-

CULTIVATING YOURECONOMICEVOLUTION‘It was the best of times it was the worst of...’ Oh, forget it! Has the crisis economy tossed youa curveball? Not liking the state of business today? Remember you’re only as successful as yourcurrent situation—peaks and valleys occur in everyone’s career—so leave waxing over ‘whatcould have been’ to literary minds. It’s time to focus. How or why you are where you are nowisn’t nearly as vital as what YOU can do to evolve to where you want to be. Uncertainty in lifeis a constant, change is inevitable. But change can be an invaluable asset for your business ex-perience, if you muscle-up, get creative and harness it as an opportunity...

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Article by Rebecca Jones with additional reporting by Mike Ward, a Richmond-based writer, film critic and editor.


prove the real estate. Then we watch the mar-ket,” says Gouldin. “We’ve brought in 535thousand cubic yards of soil and are stilladding more. That’s a lot of dirt.” With thatunderway, they turned to the task of expand-ing the W. Broad Street store in 2003, a projecttimed to coincide with the opening of ShortPump Town Center and Route 288.

Today, Strange’s is one of the topflorists in the country and has been rankedas high as 9th by Florist Transworld Deliv-ery (FTD). Gouldin is a graduate of Long-wood University and a member of theCorporate Advisory Board of Longwood’sCollege of Business & Economics and enjoysspeaking to future entrepreneurs.

Avoid the Needy & Greedy“I tell students that a lot of what has beentaught in business schools is based on lever-age: invest the minimum, with an expectationof maximum profits.” Gouldin’s philosophy isdifferent. It is not surprising that a companybased on cultivation of the land, sees land—inthe form of real estate ownership—as a key togrowing a strong business.

“A lot of people don’t see the value ofownership; they lease everything. I stress thelink between the income statement and thebalance sheet. Make profits; give the govern-ment its share, then put the balance into theequity line of the business. Now you can buymore assets to be used to attract more sales.”Gouldin hopes the next generation of busi-nesspeople will see the value of long-rangestrategy over short-term profits.

“We’ll probably return to a 1970s lend-ing style—real down payments and realbusiness plans. That means looking for bar-gains, paying a fair price, buying quality,and de-leveraging.”

Despite—or perhaps because of—his longexperience, Gouldin is fascinated by the busi-ness of business and actively seeks opportu-nities to learn more.

“I just finished a mini-MBA course at Uni-versity of Richmond and I recommend ithighly. I wanted an executive review—a sortof CliffsNotes version of business. Any kindof business review like that is good for all busi-nesspeople,” says Gouldin, who tells studentsthat “your undergraduate education is yourfoundation. You can build on it, but you can’tlive on it.”

What should they add to that foundation?Many things, according to Gouldin, who be-lieves that businesspeople have to be general-ists who are well-versed in multiple disciplines

by constantly reading and learning. “Many universities train people to

work in public corporations, but 70% ofjobs are created by closely-held and familybusinesses,” says Gouldin. And for him,“family business” does not mean a smallervision. On the contrary; he thinks it is thosebusinesses that are often aligned with some-thing bigger.

“You can’t be ‘needy and greedy’ andsucceed in the long run. A lot of people thinkbusiness is only about making money, but it’snot. It’s about commitment to your con-stituencies: your partners, your customers,your employees, your neighborhood—and thecompany as an entity. You have to focus onsomething bigger than yourself.”

Partner With Your PassionsSpeaking of yourself, just what is it that youwant from your career? What are your pas-sions? It’s a basic question that is often leftunanswered in lieu of the what you percieve

as more pressing practical career circum-stances like security and advancement eventhough your actual work may be far fromwhat you want, or worse, something thatyou don’t enjoy. But oddly enough, doingwhat makes you happy is the ultimate pathto success in business.

As managing partner of The Entrepre-neur’s Source, business coach Robin Smithguides clients’ first steps into business owner-ship. Like Gouldin, Smith believes entrepre-neurs tend to be people with multiple interestsand competencies, one of which is a passionfor running a business.

“[Successful entrepreneurs] work in thebusiness, doing the day-to-day work . . . butthey also work on the business,” says Smith.“They are thinking about marketing, cus-tomer retention, operations and how to con-

Malik: “I always emphasizebuilding a network with

other entrepreneurs, especially those that have been in business

for a few years.”

19S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 w w w . w o r k m a g a z i n e . b i z W O R K M A G A Z I N E

tinuously evolve those things. I tell them tomake time every week to look at num-bers—and not just dollars, but customers,time efficiency, and so on. Too many peopleonly do this at tax time.”

Smith pushes clients to refine their think-ing on the front end, sometimes about themost fundamental distinctions.

“I would break business ownershipinto three categories based on how you getstarted,” says Smith. These range fromstarting a business from scratch, buying anexisting business, and buying a franchise.Smith notes that some people shy awayfrom it because of their misconceptionsabout franchising and the financial com-mitment. The actual investment is lowerthan many people think and it can saveyou from making lots of costly mistakes.“Anice thing about franchises is that you aregetting risk-reduction and infrastructure [aproven business model and marketing sup-port, for example] in exchange for the money

you put up on the front end,” says Smith.She believes that those dollars buy some-thing else, too. “Dollar commitment canmake people successful,” says Smith. “Whydo home-based businesses fail? Becausethey can,” she adds.

Harpal Malik, Assistant Vice Presidentand Director of Training for the RichmondEconomic Development Corporation [see re-lated story on page 27], agrees. Malik teachesCreating Winning Entrepreneurs, REDC’s in-tensive five-week course for prospective andemergent entrepreneurs.

“One central message is, ‘Be aware of themany skills that are needed to make a busi-ness work. Self-assess honestly and fre-quently, and develop the skills in which youare initially weak. Otherwise, down the road,the problems that arise will invariably be inthose weak skill areas,’” says Malik.

Subcontracting can help, but it’s no sub-stitute for knowledge, says Malik, noting that“blind outsourcing” only puts the entrepre-

CULTIVATING YOURECONOMICEVOLUTION

NEW ONLINE OPTIONSOn February 6th, the Greater Richmond Part-nership, Inc., launched RichmondJobNet.com, a comprehensive career resource site. Devel-oped to support individuals who are in themidst of a career transition and those inter-ested in seeking new career opportunities inthe region, the site offers job search tools, ca-reer event information, links to more than two-dozen area, online job boards, and onlinesocial networking.

The Partnershipʼs Vice President of ExistingBusiness Services Sara Dunnigan walkedWORKMAGAZINE through the process of thesiteʼs development and its reception in thebusiness community.

WORKMAGAZINE: How did the concept forthe site come about?Dunnigan: The idea for RichmondJobNet.commorphed with the times. A year ago, wewanted to develop a resource that would at-tract job seekers from outside the region.Then there was a surplus locally, so the pur-pose of the site changed and its mission is to retain the regionʼs talent pool.

WORKMAGAZINE: The content comes frommultiple sources, correct?Dunnigan: We wanted to leverage networkingoptions, so there are links to job clubs, associa-tions, and meetups. There is a forum on thespace where you can find out where profes-sionals from most industries are hanging out.

WORKMAGAZINE: The site is also tapping intoTwitter?Dunnigan: Yes, we now have 450+ followerson Twitter, with the number growing as wordgets out. We are using RSS feeds. As soon as ajob is posted, we send it out on Twitter. Twit-ter is great for us because it is two-directionaland we can learn a lot about our audience.

WORKMAGAZINE: Besides networking whatdoes the site offer?Dunnigan: When you register on Richmond-JobNet.com, you get access to Career Con-course, which is developed locally. You get acareer assessment, there are search and saveoptions, you can post resumes. We can usethe site to promote new businesses that maybe hiring. We have 600 new businesses on theConcourse.

WORKMAGAZINE: What perspective can youoffer from developing this site?Dunnigan: One thing we learned in puttingthis site together is that there are a lot of jobsin Greater Richmond. The region has lots ofsmall and medium employers. The site is aclearinghouse for people to learn about them.

WORKMAGAZINE: But the site isnʼt limited tojust job seekers. Dunnigan: There is also a new business start-up site enhancement with a comprehensivetutorial for new entrepreneurs.

CONTINUED

Malik’s class [from left]:Shani Holmes, Christina LaFemina, Kathleen Richardson, & Bishop G. H. Gohanna


CULTIVATING YOURECONOMICEVOLUTION

Smith: “Take the emotionout and see if your ideamakes sense. Then plan,

have a vision, and take action.”

Smith [right] with herclient Leila Bailey.

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neur at the mercy of the subcontractor. Thisis especially common in the financial side ofbusiness ownership.

“Too often, the first conversation with theaccountant goes something like, ‘Oh, beauti-ful job, Jack. You got us a refund!’” saysMalik. “But it is much more effective to com-municate from the beginning and ask ques-tions. That way, the accountant can advisealong the way and do more for you thangather receipts and enter them into a taxform,” says Malik.

Smith urges entrepreneurs to be equallyengaged and realistic when outsourcing mar-keting and PR.

“If you plan to get marketing for free,please remember that you get what you payfor. I sometimes hear new business ownerssay, ‘My cousin’s daughter is a graphic de-signer,’ or ‘My son’s roommate is a websitebuilder. . .’ Well, you can build a website fora hundred dollars, but it might bring you ahundred dollars worth of business,” saysSmith, adding that, “word of mouth is not,in and of itself, a plan; you’ve got to createan entire strategy to get word of mouth towork and its going to require lots of effort,not just sitting back and having customersstart talking about you.”

Seek Those in the KnowBut in the no-free-lunch world of business,there is at least one source of no-cost expertisethat Smith and Malik urge people to draw onregularly: other businesspeople.

“I always emphasize building a networkwith other entrepreneurs, especially those thathave been in business for a few years,” saysMalik. “The networking can be social, but itshould not only be social—there should becontent as well as contact.” Early in the game,key contacts should be assembled into a boardof advisors that includes a legal advisor, a fi-nancial advisor experienced in fiscal strategy,and a risk advisor such as a commercial in-surance agent.

Courses and seminars are excellent forproactive relationship building. So are or-ganizations such as local Chambers of Com-merce, the Virginia Economic DevelopmentPartnership, and the Small Business Ad-ministration (“the granddaddy of them all,”says Malik).

Smith also encourages clients not to for-get Greater Richmond’s business incubators.“The list is really endless in terms of resourcesin the region. There is help out there; you justneed to look for it,” says Smith.

Put it in WritingThe written framework for entrepreneurialstrategy and research is the business plan.How do you write one that works?

“The key to a real, working businessplan is realizing that it’s not a document forsomeone else. It’s for you and has every-thing to do with your chance of success. Icall it a ‘Heartache Reduction Device’ and‘Probability Enhancing Tool,’” says Malik.He is leery of software programs and pre-packaged templates. “The key is your ownresearch and due diligence. The template ina software package may be for a restaurantthat opened in Midtown Manhattan fiveyears ago. It’s not going to be right for a newrestaurant in Shockoe Bottom.”

The plan should address approriatequantitative data including a detailed list ofstart-up costs with actual quotes and prices.It should also analyze a working capital re-quirement that covers projected monthly in-come and expenses over a period of 12 to 24months. Independent feedback is crucial;have your business plan evaluated by a sea-soned lender and don’t be discouraged byhonest critique. Most business plans un-dergo two or three substantial revisions.Malik sees this kind of strategic commitmentas an investment.

“The fundamental concept is that, interms of planning ‘there is no free lunch.’ Peo-ple still look for it. Believe me, the ads for theVirginia Lottery don’t make my life any eas-ier,” he says with a laugh. “But the truth is thatyou can pay now or pay later.”

But combine an idea with a thoughtfulplan and realistic self-assessment, and the re-wards are great.

For Better or Worse, You’re Not AloneWorldwide, more than 50 million new busi-nesses launch each year. And while Bureau ofLabor Statistics data reveals that self-employ-ment only minutely ticked up to 6.3 percent ofthe total workforce in January, many suggestthat the number of wannabe entrepreneursgreatly increases if, and when, the traditionaljob market tightens.

Caroline Nowery, director of the Women'sBusiness Center for New Visions, New Ven-tures, helps provide women with the resourcesto achieve economic success and financial se-curity through entrepreneurship.

“Typically we see a 10 percent increase inclients every year,” Nowery said.

Nowery's group also partners with

FastTrac's NewVenture, an national edu-cation program created by entrepreneursfor entrepreneurs, for which she is a cer-tified facilitator.

Take Advantage of a Downturn SituationThe upshot of all of this is that a greaterpool of burgeoning businesspeople will bevying for the same allotment of everythingfrom financing and funding to consumerdollars and media attention. So what canyou do to make sure you position yourselffor success?

“Just assume that it’s going to take youtwo to three times longer and two to threetimes the capital to get to where you want togo,” said Shawn Boyer, founder and presidentof Glen Allen-based SnagAJob.com, an hourlyjob search website that was named the No. 2Small Company to Work for in America lastyear. “That’s generally the principle whenstarting a new venture and even more so whenfacing a headwind like we are right now.”

But therein lies the silver lining. Boyersays, “there will be fewer companies startedand funded and not as many new initiativesundertaken by current companies, thus po-tentially providing you with even more run-way for your idea to get traction.”

After Sean McCloskey graduated from theUniversity of Richmond in 2003, he workedgigs as a copier salesman, bartender and evenworked on an MTV reality show before found-ing Worthy Fashion (worthyfashion.com) in2005. Now the social entrepreneur has a grow-ing online retail business with a micro-lendingfocus and tiered donation structure; customerschoose from 14 charities to direct a percentageof their sale toward upon checkout.

McClosky’s advice is reflected in thisbusiness model: “Find purpose in what you doand give your work meaning. Not only willthis give you personal satisfaction, but it willalso create a positive work environment.”

Smith points out: “You won’t find the per-fect opportunity, just like you never find theperfect house. It’s a matter of finding some-thing that you think can help you achieve yourgoals, and then working to make it be so. Ifyou wait for the fear to subside, you’ll never doanything because there is always an element offear simply because you’ve probably neverdone it before. Take the emotion out and see ifyour idea makes sense. Then plan, have a vi-sion, and take action. This is as good a timeas any for the right idea. And Richmond is agreat town for entrepreneurs.”


Each company faced a different circumstance—one saw its customers experiencing newchallenges, another anticipated an increasinglycompetitive environment, and still a thirdcompany found itself with a surplus of assetsdue to an internal strategy shift.

All three had a few things in common:their willingness to change resulted inprofit, they were guided by their company’svisions and values and they sought inputfrom stakeholders.

“It’s vital that companies listen to cus-tomers, employees and even critics when theyare adjusting their tactics in response tochange,” says Jeffery Harrison, of the Univer-sity of Richmond’s Robins School of Business.“In fact, doing so can help managers spot op-portunities they might not otherwise see.”

Richmond’s First Market Bank has asubstantial non-profit client base. It also hasdeep roots in community giving, a heritage itshares with partner organization Ukrop’sSuper Markets.

Last year when First Market bankers sawsome non-profit clients facing challenges, theyasked how they could help.

“They needed specialized customer serv-ice plans, and some specific banking products,but they also said they wanted to know moreabout how to run their non-profits more ef-fectively,” said product manager Rick Arthur.

First Market Bank quickly realized itcould help fill those needs, and began de-veloping its Non-Profit Partnership Pro-gram, which launched in January, saidKatie Gilstrap, Senior Vice President, Direc-tor of Marketing.

The program offers customized servicesand products, but also has a unique educa-tional component offering workshops througha partnership with the University of Rich-mond’s Institute on Philanthropy. About 150participants attended the first sold-out semi-nar in January.

“We are really excited about this. It’s away for us to help community organizations

in Richmond,” she says. “And we have definitely

seen an increase in our non-profit customer base,” saysGilstrap. “In fact, somefolks signed up right afterthe seminar.”

Customers’ chang-ing expectations sparkeda more gradual evolutionin how local technologyservices company EntecSystems operates, says presi-dent Anthony Ennas.

“In the late 1990s there wasa huge need for technology services.Anyone who would show up and saythey could fix a computer was welcome,”says Ennas.

“But today’s more educated customer de-mands that technology firms budget, forecastand show a return on investment.”

Entec Systems, which is built on provid-ing value to the client, met that demand byshifting from a reactive service model to aproactive model.

Many technology shops wait until clientsbreak down before making a service call. ButEntec System’s staffers anticipate and addresspotential issues through regular maintenanceand system updates.

Customer and employee insights helpedguide the shift, which mitigates emergen-cies—keeping clients happy and profits grow-ing, says Ennas.

MeadWestvaco found a new way to growits profits when its need for timber changed.MWV, which owned about three million acresof timber land, needed fewer trees after shift-ing its business away from paper and boardand into packaging.

It sold some of the land, but kept themost strategic pieces.

“MeadWestvaco has for years been aleader in sustainable forestry, and we havelong had partnerships with environmental or-

ganizations,” said Kenneth T. Seeger, presidentof MWV's Community Development and LandManagement Group. “With that legacy, and aheavy focus on conservation and sustainabil-ity, we are approaching land development.”

MWV’s approach has not only resultedin revenue the company can reinvest in itscore business, but has also won praise fromenvironmentalists. In fact, the South CarolinaAquarium, which promotes education andconservation, will give MWV an environ-mental leadership award in April. The awardis, in part, due to the company’s efforts topreserve some land it is developing in coastalSouth Carolina.

The University of Richmond’s Harrisonsays that companies can use change as an op-portunity to build trust with their stakehold-ers if they remain anchored by their values.

“Leaders who keep their values intact andcommunicate openly while they are fine-tun-ing their tactics can often strengthen impor-tant relationships,” he says, “And buildingrelationships is one of the most valuable skillsin any industry.”

Many business leaders know that with change comes opportunity.But three Richmond companies have demonstrated that the abil-ity to respond positively in the face of change is more than justcorporate jargon. It is possible—and it is profitable.

Article by Dana Callahan


INNOVATORS

My Little Cupcake

The newest coffee shop in Ashland, My Lit-tle Cupcake, has been in business for a lit-tle over six months and is developing a

steady and largely local clientele. Looking for achange from corporate life, owners Chris andHarriet Owens are undergoing on-the-jobtraining at their new venture. “We wanted totry something that was just us,” says Harriet.

The owners of My Little Cupcake say thebenefits of having a small business are personal-ization and creative influence. “Here, you get tosee the CEO, Harriet, at the counter,” says Chris.

Small businesses often have fewer mar-keting avenues, especially when starting out.My Little Cupcake gets customers by provid-ing something Starbucks doesn’t offer, a wide

range of fresh baked cupcakes that come in dif-ferent sizes, flavors, and icings.

My Little Cupcake’s owners say they’vecreated a community atmosphere where cus-tomers won’t be rushed out. Themany com-fortable chairs in a local coffee shop, comparedto a chain (were most business goes through adrive-through) adds to the welcoming atmos-phere. While national chains often emphasizespeed and efficiency, My Little Cupcake worksto provide their customers a destination andsafe haven.

At this time, My Little Cupcake is com-mitting to controlled growth, with no imme-diate plans to open a second store or franchisetheir cupcakes. “Not only are you dividing your

customer base between the two stores, andfinding new markets, but you also have to di-vide your individual time between the twostores, and so the chances of the quality of theproduct dropping is larger,” says Chris.

My Little Cupcake’s owners are planningto expand their kitchen and add a larger vari-ety of baked goods to their menu. Thetimetable for this is dependent on an expan-sion in their customer base and an increase incapital. In the meantime, My Little Cupcake’sHarriet Owens hopes that her business will in-spire others. “I think about other people whohave thought about starting something, andhope that maybe they will go ahead and do itfor themselves,” she says.

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ARTICLE BY MAGGIE DIANE YODER


INNOVATORS

SPARK Engineering

Bruce Ferris already knows what your nextmust-have product will look like—andhow it will work.

Ferris is project manager and principal ofSPARK Engineering. An engineer-led productdevelopment firm, SPARK integrates design,engineering, and manufacturing to help clientstake inventions from concept to production.Sean Anderson and Bill Riley founded SPARKin 1997 and recruited Ferris in 2001.

He and his colleagues take pride in beingeasy to work with and cost-effective. “We striveto tailor our process around the clients needs,not the other way around,” says Ferris.

When Richmond-based Tridium createdsoftware that integrates multiple HVAC con-trols into a single platform that can be man-

aged over the Internet, they turned to SPARKfor user-friendly enclosures and hardwarethat could withstand factory and mechanical-room conditions.

When National Optronics created the 5T,a state-of-the-art lens design and frame tracingsystem, they needed expertise in industrial andplastic part design. SPARK developed a mod-ern aesthetic and visual design language for the5T and gave it a small footprint, user-friendlyfeatures, and a cost-effective DFM&A (designfor manufacturing and assembly).

About half of SPARK’s clients are from theindustrial and medical sectors. SPARK is alsoa sponsor of the Virginia Biosciences Develop-ment Center. But that doesn’t mean all of theirprojects are big.

SPARK produced Barbara Bennett’s Min-eral Case, a sleek organizer and travel case formineral make up jars. And inventor Mike Buccihired SPARK to implement his Painter’s Pyra-mid, a set of plastic triangles that allow you topaint all sides of an object without waiting forthe paint to dry.

Ferris sees brainstorming and face-to-face collaboration as key to SPARK’seffectiveness.

“We can’t be the company we want to beby just talking to clients on the phone. Some-times the best ideas grow out of the wackyones. A simple gesture gives you a clue aboutthe shape or function of the client’s product.Ideas build on each other, but you have to be inthe same room for that to happen.”

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[Left to right , standing]: Company founders Sean Anderson and Bill Riley with Ferris [seated].

INNOVATORS

Care Advantage

Everything I Know about Business ILearned from Nursing. That’s one work-ing title for the business memoir that

Deborah Johnston, RN would like to write. It’salso what sets her company apart.

“The fact that I’m a nurse allows me tolook at things from a field perspective,” saysJohnston, who is founder and CEO of homehealth staffing agency Care Advantage. “Iunderstand the needs of the patients andthe nurses.”

Seeing those needs go unmet was whatinspired Johnston in the first place. As a hos-pital nurse, she saw patients being releasedsooner and sicker and wondered what washappening to them when they got home.Later, as a marketing professional for a homehealthcare firm, she was dismayed by the lackof regard that the industry sometimes has fortemporary healthcare workers.

“It shaped the way I did business fromthe very beginning, especially with employ-ees. It made me kinder.”

Johnston’s people-centered approachproduces results. Care Advantage has 3 of-fices in Richmond and offices in ColonialHeights, Charlottesville, Newport News,Staunton, Emporia, and Franklin. Most ofCare Advantage’s corporate team has beenwith company since its founding.

“I could go out and build the best officespace, but the key to everything is who is run-ning the show,” says Johnston, who annuallyrecognizes the most productive offices withtrips – this past year to New York and Cancun.

Their range of services is growing, too.In addition to 24-hour RN, LPN, and CNA’s,physical therapy, and occupational therapy,Care Advantage also places private-dutynurses with clients in hospitals and other in-stitutions. All About Care is the company’sMedicare Certified program specializing inskilled care home needs.

Along the way, Johnston has had manyhonors, including the Ernst & Young Entre-preneur of the Year for Virginia Award. Inrecognition of her gift to establish the Debo-rah J. Johnston Chair of Nursing at J. SargeantReynolds Community College, she was namedRichmond’s (Spring of Giving) Philanthropistof the Year in 2008.

“I wanted to give back, because this fieldhas been very good to me” says Johnston.

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Smarter Interiors

Greg Campbell and Randy Aldersonhave a mission: to furnish your officewithout taxing the ecosystem. Camp-

bell and Alderson are the principals ofSmarter Interiors, a full-service com-mercial interiors firm with an eye fordesign and commitment to environ-mental sustainability.

In the ’80s, Campbell and Aldersonworked for competing furniture companies.They became colleagues in the 1990s atOpen Plan Systems, a furniture-industry pi-oneer specializing in remodeling and re-manufacturing Herman Miller workstations(Campbell was a founding principal ofOpen Plan). Campbell left in 2000 to startSmarter Interiors, and Alderson joined thecompany as Campbell’s partner in 2002.

What makes Smarter Interiors differ-ent? According to Campbell, it’s the factthat the owners are also sales reps and,thus, regularly engaged with customersand their priorities.

In assessing priorities, Alderson urgesclients to think carefully about budget andcorporate culture. Furnishing Owens &Minor’s new 160,000 foot Richmond head-quarters was an exercise in the latter.O&M's employees voted for their favoriteworkstation and Smarter Interiors with All-steel Reach won. Throughout, Smarter In-teriors worked closely with EvolveArchitecture and O&M to craft solutionsthat facilitate Owens & Minor’s teamwork-based culture. Reach workstations allowcolleagues to communicate without leavingtheir desks. Conference rooms wereequipped with user-friendly Get Set confer-ence tables that can nest or be rolled away,depending on the purpose and meetingstyle of the participants. Smarter Interiorscontinues to furnish O&M distribution fa-cilities throughout the U.S.

They have options for tighter budgets,as well. Years of experience showed Camp-bell and Alderson that the panel or cubicleoffice systems of the 1970s were durable.“They didn’t wear out, they just ‘uglied’ out,”says Campbell. To keep outdated worksta-tions out of landfills—and clients’ jobsunder-budget—Smarter Interiors also of-fers a wide range of recycled workstationsfinished to order in hundreds of colors, fab-rics, finishes, sizes and shapes.

At the heart of Smarter Interiors’ ap-proach is collaboration and precision.

“I see us as sort of a SWAT team. We’renot the largest company, but everybodyhere is cross-trained and hands-on and ontop of their game.”

INNOVATORS

[Left to right] Greg Campbell and Randy Anderson

INNOVATORS

Richmond Economic Development Corporation

S tephen J. Schley is the in the business ofhelping businesses succeed. As Presidentand CEO of Richmond Economic Develop-

ment Corporation, Schley presides over what hecalls a “one-stop shop” that has provided fi-nancing to 671 small businesses. This supporthas aggregated in excess of $26 million and cre-ated or retained more than 4,688 jobs. REDCalso provides entrepreneurial training andtechnical assistance to startups and newly-formed companies.

“I was attracted to [REDC’s] mission of fos-tering the formation and expansion of small anddisadvantaged businesses,” says Schley, who wasPresident and Managing Director of Nations-Bank [now Bank of America] Small Business In-vestment Company (SBIC) prior to joiningREDC in 1998.

REDC is a licensed financial intermediaryof the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA)microenterprise development loan program.

Under Schley’s leadership, REDC receivedseed capital for its Business Enterprise ZoneLoan (BEZL) pool in 2003. Through BEZL,REDC provides as much as $250,000 in financ-ing (up from a previous cap of $100,000) for de-veloping owner-occupied commercial ormixed-use properties.

That same year, REDC became the under-writer for the City of Richmond’s Neighbor-hoods in Bloom (NIB) revolving loan fund,which provides up to $50,000 to small busi-nesses for acquiring commercial buildings, ma-chinery and equipment and working capital indesignated NIB areas.

REDC has seen significant expansion of

services in the last 5 years. In July 2006, REDCreceived its license to operate as a 504 CertifiedDevelopment Company, which allows them tolend up $4 million to manufacturers and lesseramounts to other types of businesses.

Schley has worked with many entrepre-neurs over the years. He believes that the suc-cessful ones have at least two things incommon: a strategic plan that they can articu-late and execute, and the ability to attract cap-ital for long-term success. Schley and hiscolleagues strive to help their clients do both,by offering a dynamic range of financial prod-ucts, services, and training.

“Although, a shooting star is a wonder tobehold, it is better in our opinion to be a starthat remains high in the sky and casts a steadyand consistent glow,” says Schley.

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INNOVATORS

WFofR Media

How do you get your message across acrowded mediascape? At WFofR Mediathe answer is to buy locally—on a re-

gional and national basis. WFofR was originally co-founded in 1980

by Jim Willis, who directed advertising for A.H.Robins, a Richmond-based company with na-tional brands that required national media. Hetook that national expertise, which employed adifferent approach to media buying and startedWFofR with Barbara Felton.

“We have been able to retain this core com-petency, which is most effective for regional andnational companies. [WFofR] has been suc-cessful in staying in our historical ‘niche,’ theability to provide effective, low cost media thatis more relevant and significant to advertisersconcerned about covering multiple markets,”

says President and COO Steve Thompson. In the early days, the company worked pri-

marily in television. Today WFofR is a full serv-ice media company purchasing all mediums.Thompson cites audience fragmentation as thebiggest shift in media in the last 30 years andthinks WFofR succeeds because of its flexibil-ity and sensitivity to media changes.

Matt Smyers is President of WFofR Online.He recently spearheaded WFofR’s work withCRT/tanaka to implement an online componentin the hugely successful rebranding of Long-wood University. More recently, WFofR Onlineworked with McCain Foods USA to place topi-cal online ads that capitalized on another Mc-Cain who was often in the news during the 2008Presidential election. The pace of change on-line is a source of inspiration to Smyers.

“The client I haven’t met yet is the thingthat gets me excited,” says Smyers. “This busi-ness shifts every 6 months, and I find thatvery exciting.”

Smyers and Thompson urge companies tofocus on measurable deliverables in theirmedia campaigns.

“Media support can be much more effi-cient and affordable than you expected ifyou think strategically and consider somenon-traditional venues,” says Thompson.Smyers agrees.

“Be smart about your media dollars.’Spend and hope’ is not a strategy. You haveto understand your company’s core messageand have defined benchmarks. Do that, andevery day is a new challenge, but one that youcan meet.”

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[Left to right] Steve Thompson& Matt Smyers


“A really big goal is that we need to educateour consumers to buy local and shop local,”she says. “We want to keep the shopping dol-lars here in our region. Those are the peoplewe need to support.”

Thomas assumed her position as presi-dent in February. While she may be new tothe presidency, she certainly isn’t a strangerto the RMA. She has worked in retail since1981 and has served on the board of theRMA since 1999, most recently as immedi-ate past chairman.

Tall and lanky, Thomas initially came toRichmond to attend Virginia CommonwealthUniversity on a volleyball scholarship. “We hada pretty good team in the day,” she says witha wide grin. “It was a great experience.”

After graduating from VCU with a busi-ness degree and a concentration in human re-sources, Thomas started working as a temp forKelly Girls. One of her first assignments waswith This End Up furniture, founded by Stew-art and Libby Brown.

She considers herself fortunate for land-ing an assignment with a company that wasinterested in hiring a young staff. “It was atremendous growth period for This End Up,”she says. “We had a lot of responsibility. Weworked hard and we played hard. It was a real

Nancy Thomas smiles as shestrides into her office at the

Retail Merchants Association. Upbeat about her new position asPresident/CEO of the association,Thomas looks to the year ahead

as an opportunity to build new relationships and alliances.

WORKMAGAZINE PROFILE

TRANSITIONSBY JOAN TUPPONCE

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rags-to-riches success story.”Thomas credits that period in her life

with giving her the essentials she needed toapply for her current position. “The Brownsgave us a lot of life lessons,” she explains.“They set out to grow us professionally andpersonally and they did just that.”

Thomas started in the position of recep-tionist and “did a little bit of everything.” Bythe end of her 12-year tenure with the com-pany she had worked her way up to director oftraining. At the time, the company had morethan 200 stores, coast to coast.

“We had a huge training facility in ourhome office,” explains Doug McElhinney, whoserved as president of This End Up. “People

came from all over the country and trained.”McElhinney saw Thomas as a real asset

to the company. “She’s hard working and hasnatural leadership ability,” he says. “Nancy isone of the most likeable and affable peopleyou will ever meet. I don’t think there is a per-son that doesn’t like Nancy Thomas.”

Thomas’ job as director of training kepther out of the office 70 percent of the time.When she was pregnant with her first child in1992, Libby Brown approached her aboutopening another retail venture, The Arcade onGrove. “Timing is everything,” Thomas says.“It was an opportunity to stay home and starta new company from the ground up.”

Thomas and Brown opened the Arcade in

1993. Thomas became sole owner of the com-pany in 1996 and eventually closed it in 2006.“I was ready to move on,” she explains.

A couple of months later, Thomas andASID-trained designer Betsy Moore teamed upto open the design firm, Turn Key Interiors.Many of their customers, at the time, werebuying and building second homes. Beforeopening the company, Thomas and Moore hadboth helped with the design of the Brown’shome in the Bahamas. “We were in tune withdealing with far away places, getting stuffthere and dealing in a turnkey fashion,”Thomas says. “We did everything, from furni-ture to window treatments.”

Turn Key worked on several large proj-


ects, including a home in Costa Rica. “We didthe entire house, from soup to nuts,” Thomassays. “We also oversaw the construction ofsome projects. I worked with operations, busi-ness and logistics. Betsy did the design work.”

Thomas has been transitioning out TurnKey since accepting her position with theRMA. “It’s been very emotional for me be-cause I really liked Turn Key,” she says. “Betsyand I are friends as well as business partners.”

Albeit a difficult decision, Thomas is con-tent with her choice to join the staff of theRMA. Sarah Paxton, owner of LaDifference, re-members when she first met Thomas back in1999 when Paxton joined the RMA board.“Nancy came up and made me feel at home,”she says.

Paxton believes that Thomas’ experi-ence in retail in addition to her RMA boardexperience made her the perfect candidatefor president of the Association. “She bringsher history with the organization with her,”Paxton says. “Nancy understands small re-tailers, their perspectives and challenges. Shehas worn all the different hats that small re-tailers wear.”

Thomas has never been one to shrinkfrom hard work and responsibility, she adds.“She wants the RMA to be the experts in retail.She has a great background in human re-sources and she will help take the staff of theRMA to the next level.”

When RMA President Bill Baxter resignedin June 2008, Thomas stepped in as the asso-

ciation’s interim president, working on a vol-unteer basis. She began thinking about apply-ing for the position on a permanent basis afterbeing approached by several people in the re-tail industry who saw it as a good fit. “My hus-band and I agreed it was a nice opportunity soI threw my name in the hat,” she says. “Whenopportunity knocks you go with it.”

Pat Patrick, owner of Patrick Chevroletand a past board member of the RMA, saysthat Thomas earned her stripes coming upthrough the RMA organization. “She was thefirst woman to chair RMA,” he says. “Sheknew what she was doing and people likedher vision.”

He sees Thomas as a high-energy personthat will slip into her presidential role with

ease. “She’s always talking about the directionof the association and she has a value systemthat most of us can easily buy into,” he says.

One of Thomas’ new initiatives was tocreate an open house event for the Associa-tion’s members. “We never had anything likethat before. All the staff was engaged and hav-ing fun meeting people,” Patrick says. “That’sthe type of professional newness Nancy willbring to the association.”

Thomas knows that there will be changesfacing the organization as well as future chal-lenges such as retaining current members andengaging new members. “In this ever chang-ing economy and world, we can’t do the samething we’ve been doing,” she says. “We needto be change agents. We want to help our

members and show them how they can runtheir businesses more efficiently.”

Thomas believes in providing value to as-sociation members. The organization does thatin the form of seminars and programs such asFirst Friday forums, a series that presents top-ics and speakers of interest, and Smart Mar-keting To Make Money, an executive dialogueseries moderated by Tom Blue. The RMA alsopresents SCORE, a mini workshop series forsmall businesses. “We ask our members whatthey need and we are there to put that in placefor you,” Thomas says.

The RMA’s new mentoring programcalled the Retail Authority Mentoring Round-table gives members the chance to interactwith board members who have volunteeredtheir time in a roundtable format. “It’s an un-believable opportunity for a one-on-one meet-ing and exchange of business cards,” Thomassays. “People are looking for that voice of ex-perience to help navigate them through theever-changing economy.”

The association also holds an annual Re-tail Marketing Expo in August with up to 100exhibitors. “It’s free to our members,” Thomassays. “We have free seminars all day long aswell as a keynote speaker.”

An extrovert by nature, Thomas is adiehard fan of the retail industry. “I enjoybeing in a different situation every day,”she says. “I like to roll up my sleeves andget involved.”

She believes that everyone should workin retail at least once in their lives. “It developsyou as a person,” she says. “It forces you todeal with situations that you might not dealwith otherwise.”

Whether she’s working in a store or head-ing an association, Thomas stays busy.When’s she is not at work or spending timewith her family, she serves as a Eucharist min-ister at St. Bridget Catholic Church and volun-teers for Meals on Wheels. “I try and spreadmyself into different areas,” she says. “A lot ofpeople think I don’t take down time for my-self, but I do.”

Much of that downtime is spent at her Va-rina home where she enjoys container gar-dening and baking. “I don’t cook,” she sayswith a laugh. “I bake.”

Right now, Thomas is spending a greatdeal of time planning for her future at theRMA. “There’s so much I want to dive intohere,” she says. “I am constantly thinkingabout what our members need and makingsure we do put value in the decal of the RetailMerchants Association.”

Thomas believes that everyone should work in

retail at least once in their lives. “It develops you as a person,”

she says. “It forces you to deal with situations that you might not deal with otherwise.”


ARTS

CULTURE

In the Hopi culture, like most Native Ameri-

can cultures, there is no translatable word

for “art.” It is not viewed as an entity unto it-

self, but, rather, an inherent part of every aspect

of life. Art is found in the food, the materials

used around the house, religious worship, and

a multitude of other informal expressions of

the creative spirit.

Western cultures had, for many centuries,

a less segregated view of art as well. In the

Renaissance, art taught the lessons of the

church to those who could not read them.

Furniture was crafted with an artist’s hand

rather than mass-produced.

In the modern age, and cer-

tainly today, art is often viewed

as a separate product. With

some exceptions, most artists

are unknown to the public at

large. And the public at large is

generally less artistically in-

clined or at least less likely to in-

corporate art within its everyday

life. But it’s that everyday life

that is often an artist’s most pro-

lific source for inspiration.

The Henrico Center for the

Humanities, a specialty center

based at Hermitage High School, is a unique

program that addresses topics of art and cul-

ture within a larger context. Within a rigorous

college-preparatory program, the instructors at

the Center immerse art within a sea of inter-

disciplinary subjects. The students learn about

a painting within its context of creation, in-

cluding literature, history, philosophy, theater,

film, religious and folk traditions of the time.

By doing this, the students learn to see art as a

part of culture, as an integral part of life, rather

than an isolated activity.

“Each grade level focuses on a differ-

ent area and context,” says the Center’s di-

rector, Clare Sisisky. “For example, 9th

graders study Egyptian art within the larger

theme of myth and the global tradition. The

12th graders use contemporary Chinese art

and political history to explore censorship

and the role of the artist as truth-teller.

There is a lot of student-led discussion and

it is truly a team environment.”

Working their way through early modern

history, the Americas, and into modernity and

global cultures, students at the Center are

eventually able to better understand what so

many are baffled by: contemporary and ab-

stract art. “We give them the tools to under-

stand contemporary art and culture,” says

Sisisky, “and the ability to discuss the issues.”

The orientation of the students’ mindsets

to the real world can be seen in an-

other topic covered in their senior

year: Hurricane Katrina. They dis-

cuss the concepts of place and

home and the role of the artist in

the reflection on such a tragedy,

the process of healing, and the

challenges of inexpressible feel-

ings and loss. It is within the scope

of a topic so fresh in our minds

that art helps us navigate the com-

plex paths of humanity.

Many artists work within the

aura of their cultural environment.

Some incorporate that environment in a very

direct way while others inference it in subtle

innuendos that may not be recognizable to

the viewer at all.

Melissa Martinez, a sculptor from

Phoenix, Arizona, explains, “I am consciously

and subconsciously affected by literature, film,

political events, larger social issues, music,

theater. I remember when I discovered John

Cage and Merce Cunningham in college. I

thought they were absolute geniuses.”

Yet there are other artists who try to work

without cultural influences. “I make it a point

not to let my contemporary surroundings dic-

tate what I paint,” says former Richmond artist,

Steven Walker. “For years my work focused

only on current events and after a while the

work was unsatisfying. I wanted to create an

escape from life's hustle and bustle, if for noth-

ing but my own piece of mind.”

But despite those conscious efforts and

the fact that most of Walker’s impressionistic

landscapes do seem to be from another time

and place, what he creates is a direct discus-

sion with his time and place. He grew up in

the technological and pop culture-obsessed

late 20th century. And it is that very thing that

he is reacting against. Every time he hangs a

painting in a gallery, he raises the viewer’s

awareness of his or her own frenzied environ-

ment as reflected in our need to visit a quieter,

more peaceful, idealized locale.

The curriculum at the Henrico Center for

the Humanities allows students to explore how

artists such as these maneuver through mod-

ern life to create works that speak to their cul-

tural experience. Its broad, interdisciplinary

approach nurtures future creative minds to in-

clude art within their own life context.

BY GINA CAVALLO COLLINS


INTEGRATING CONTEMPORARYISSUES IN ART:

“In my opinion, an artist cannot help but be influenced by the culture they live in. Art is not created in a vacuum. Film, literature,

political events, other artists work all influence an artist’s vision.” Mary E. Holland, The Thomas C. Gordon, Jr. Director of the Studio School, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Sisisky: “We give them the tools to understand contemporary art and culture.”

Ninth grade student art.

The Henrico Centerfor the Humanities

TimesThe , they are a-changin’!

Real Estate· Restaurants· Business· NewsCalendar of Events· Local Directory· Performing Arts

Jobs and more!

MUSIC

&

FOOD MIKE GALES

AND THE WARRIORZ“...my guitar is a vehicle taking you on a journey...” Mike Gales

A ll it took for Mike Gales was a thirty sec-

ond interview with George Clinton to

land a decade of touring with the Par-

liament Funkadelic All Stars.

“It was crazy, ” reminisced Gales of play-

ing in a regional hotel in 1997 where George

Clinton’s P-Funk All Stars were staying. “That

night I’m playing a bar gig in Richmond and

the next thing I know I’m upstairs auditioning

for George Clinton!” Gales says that Clinton lis-

tened to him briefly “like thirty seconds briefly,”

and then left. Thinking “Oh well, that’s that,”

Gales was ready to head out when the P-Funk

tour manager stopped him and started going

over the band’s itinerary with him, instructing

him to meet them in the morning, he was

going on tour.

“Dazed,” Gales says, “I went home, packed

a bag, grabbed guitars and left a note for my

wife.” With him being a new father, his wife,

Alisa was not at all impressed or in belief that

he was performing with Clinton. “Until she saw

the bank account and realized I was where I

said I was,” Gales says and laughs.

After years of touring with Clinton and

the P-Funk All Stars, Gales decided it was time

to come back to the region. “I’ve been writing

music for over twenty years and knew it was

time to see what I could do myself.” Being on

the road and performing worldwide with Clin-

ton gave Gales the tools he needed to be a

savvy musician in all aspects.

“I learned so much,” says Gales, “I got an

education on dealing with people.” Honing his

talent afforded him the opportunity to form

the Warriorz. With Gales on guitar, Chris

Lawyer on bass, Steve Bider on drums and En-

rique Rodriguez on percussion they are as

electric as Hendrix and as colorful as the God-

father of Funk’s hair.

The Warriorz have a sound that is infinite,

an infectious fusion of jazz, rock and blues for-

tified with funk. “I try to capture spontaneity,

that free feeling,” Gales says. “It’s all original, it

has to be, I seem to Gales-ize everything I play.”

Knowing he made the right move by estab-

lishing the Warriorz is evident. “Water finds its

own level, I’ve found mine, it’s what I can

equate this to.”

With his cd, Feel the Funk and the release

of his second, Live Sushi, Gales finds solace

and success back in the region with Alisa,

daughters Bria and Myka, writing, playing his

music and touring.

“Making people move, get them jam-

ming” is the ultimate high energy perform-

ance goal of the Warriorz,” Gales says. “We take

the chance to put it out there giving people an

opportunity to like us.”

BY JAN DANIEL


Being on the road and performing worldwide

with Clinton gave Galesthe tools he needed to

be a savvy musician in all aspects.

Gales performs with Bider and Lawyer.

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W hen we decided to locate here we just started calling it

the brick house diner—referring to the building—and it

stuck,” says Nick Routsis. Steaks, seafood and poultry head-

line this family collaborated menu. Signature dishes include the

Brick House Diner One N Only Romanian Steak, a marinated flank

steak, and Smothered Chicken with mushrooms, bacon, ranch

dressing, cheddar and mozza-rella cheeses.

Offering homemade soups, sauces, marinades and dressings

keeps the diner busy.

“We have the freshest ingredients, we trim and grind our meat

and cut our own potatoes for fries,” says Routsis. Mainstays are not

the only menu items with a personal touch—the Kataifi, a delicate

pastry of syrup, walnuts, phyllo, vanilla custard and whipped

cream—is made exclusively by Agape Skartsiounis, Godmother to

Nick. “She is the only one who can really make it. I’ve tried, but we

leave it to her,” says Routsis, smiling.

Skartsiounis also makes the featured entrees on Tuesdays for

Greek Night. Featuring Greek cuisine such as Moussaka, the diner

offers the region an opportunity to experience authentic Greek cui-

sine beyond the Mediterranean and Souvlaki gyros on the menu.

“We are a very family-friendly dining experience,” Routsis says

proudly. “We—my family and staff—know what we need to have a

great experience at a restaurant; great food and service, and we

want that for all of customers here.”

Offering daily specials, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Monday thru Saturday, 7am -9pm, brunch and all day breakfast on

Sundays, 7am-2pm, the Brick House Diner is lo-cated at 13520 Mid-

lothian Turnpike.

In July this mecca of

mastication in Mid-

lothian celebrates

five years of serving

distinctive cuisine. In 2004 brothers

Nick, Vic, Bill and John Routsis,

opened the diner naming it from its

obvious appearance.

BY JAN DANIEL

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BrickHouseDiner

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SPORTS


A thletes from Hanover and beyond have

been quietly rolling into Ashland Skate-

land for pick-up games of inline hockey,

otherwise known as roller hockey, for a little

over a year. In fact, a typical Wednesday

evening draws a cadre of hockey enthusiasts

ranging from 25 to 55 years of age.

“I typically spend ten to twelve hours a

day working in a fast paced, high stress job,” ex-

plains Don Koszelak, an executive at Qimonda

who turns to the rink come midweek. “At 9 pm

on Wednesdays, I get to go and sweat for a few

hours playing my favorite sport…we spend the

last hour of the day winding down over a cold

one rehashing the game and complaining

about the first part of the day.”

Koszelak and other local skate fans rep-

resent a sport that has existed professionally

only since 1993. Taking its cues from the In-

ternational Roller Sports Federation and the

International Ice Hockey Federation, the ob-

jective is to score by driving a puck into the op-

ponent’s goal net at the opposite side of an

inline hockey rink.

“Checking is not allowed so players can

get a little fancier with the puck,” explains Dar-

ryl Talman, an IT Director by day who morphs

into chief organizer of hockey pickup games

by night. “You don’t have to worry about

someone coming up and cleaning your clock.”

Grab your helmet and pads Hanoverians, it’s time suit up. This picturesque locale, once knownfor its rolling horse country, has a new favorite pastime—and it’s on skates. by PAUL SPICER

HANOVER INLINE HOCKEY

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Talman manages an email list of inline

hockey enthusiasts, alerting them to upcom-

ing games and post event festivities. “We have

guys of all ages and from all types of profes-

sions….they get to put on their hockey gear

and just blow off some steam,” he says and

grins. “It’s just good clean hockey…we don’t

even keep score. Sure, if someone scores a

goal there might be a little trash talking, but

you don’t leave that evening with an appreci-

ation of who won or lost, it’s about getting out

there and doing something you like.”

Starting out as the parent of a child

with a hankering for inline hockey, Talman

was first convinced to coach a local traveling

team for youth. He didn’t suit up and start

playing the sport himself until he was 41 years

old. “It’s truly a sport that you can pick up at

any age. We have guys who grew up playing

hockey and then we have guys who started

playing later in life. The first few times you fall

may hurt, but then after that it’s not so bad.”

Seeding the younger generation with fu-

ture roller fans, Talman also finds time to

coach the Central Virginia Youth Roller

Hockey League (CVYRHL), a feisty grouping

of the area’s up and coming hockey players.

Teaming with the Hanover County Parks and

Recreation Department, the youth league reg-

ularly hosts events such as the Roller Hockey

Classic to support the Richmond Hockey

Fights Cancer fund.

For adults looking for a chance to take a

crack at the puck, seasoned roller hockey

players and newbies alike can pay $60 for

twelve weeks of pickup games with Talman

and crew. Armed with a light or dark jersey, in-

line hockey players of all levels can participate

in the Wednesday night romp.

“It’s truly a sport thatyou can pick up at anyage. We have guys who

grew up playinghockey and then we

have guys who startedplaying later in life.”

SHOPPING


Today, Tigerlilly has expanded into a com-

pany that offers both jewelry and hair ac-

cessories for brides, as well as

fashion-forward pieces that can be worn for

cocktail events and every day. In order to build

more of a retail presence in Richmond, Greenan

decided to open a store at 321 Brook Road.

The new space features cheerful teal

walls, modern lantern lights, and of course,

racks of tiaras and jewelry. Styles range from

vintage-inspired feather-adorned tiaras to

smaller, more everyday-appropriate hair

combs resembling gold grape leaves bedaz-

zled with Swarovski crystals. In addition to pro-

viding a spot for ladies to try on in person by

appointment, the store also provides a spot for

meetings for the numerous custom designs

that are created for brides. All Tigerlilly de-

signs are created right here in Richmond by

Greenan and VCU graduate Andi Marriman.

“We’re really excited about getting involved in

Richmond,” PR director Catrina Gunter says.

“Mandy’s been involved in big cities, but we

haven’t really shown Richmond who we

are...We all have big hopes for this place.”

BY MEGAN MARCONYAK

When Mandy Greenan launched Tigerlilly, a line of inventive hair jewelry forbrides, in 2002, it was a web-based business. She was looking for hair ac-cessories for her own wedding, couldn’t find anything just right and decidedto craft something herself. After some dabbling in tiara designs, she decidedto turn her hobby into a business selling unique, upscale bridal accessories.

FEATHERS & FLOWERSIn today’s economy, wecould all stand to spend alittle less on gas and getmore use out of our cars.Chelsea Lahmers, ownerof Scoot Richmond (217W. 7th St., 230-1000),thinks investing in ascooter is an easy way todo both of these things:“If you’re doing half yourmiles on a scooter, your car will last twice as long,”she says. “If you use your scooter for getting aroundtown and use your car for bigger trips, it also helpsyou use less resources.” No matter your preference,Scoot Richmond has the style for you. Don’t be in-timidated about heading in: “95 percent of our cus-tomers are first-time scooter buyers and first-timetwo-wheeler buyers,” Lahmers says. Styles rangefrom the Geniune Buddy 50 that gets up to 100miles to the gallon, comes with a small enough en-gine that it doesn’t require a motorcycle license andhas a built-in cell phone charger, to the more manlySym Fiddle II 125 that goes fast and has lots of stor-age. Lahmers hopes more people will try scooters:“It’s just a great, affordable, ecological way of get-ting around.”

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New at RMCVBThe Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Vis-itors Bureau (RMCVB) is now fishing

for travelers through its new

Richmond Region Visitor Center

at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in

Hanover County. The center

opened inside the store off In-

terstate 95 in February.

It will serve as a place for vis-

itors to ask questions, get direc-

tions, make hotel reservations

and obtain information about the

historic Richmond region.

RMCVB employees will staff the

center on weekends, and the or-

ganization’s “Who Knew” DVD

about the region will play contin-

uously on a television monitor.

The center was designed

and built by Bass Pro Shops Out-

door World and incorporates the

store’s décor. The entire store is a

tribute to the diversity of Vir-

ginia’s landscape, history and cul-

ture. It is part museum, art gallery,

antique store, aquarium, and ed-

ucation, conservation and enter-

tainment center, featuring more

than 3,500 local artifacts, an-

tiques, mounts and more.

The RMCVB has also

launched a new Web site to sim-

plify travel planning for visitors to

the region. It replaces the bureau’s

previous site, visit.richmond.com.

“VisitRichmondVa.com is a

great resource not just for visitors,

but for everyone who lives and

works in the Richmond region,”

said Jack Berry, RMCVB president and CEO.

“Visitors and residents alike will

gain from the site’s interactive

tools. Area businesses such as ho-

tels, restaurants and attractions

will benefit from exposure to po-

tential visitors.”

Mark your calendarsRead on, small business owners.

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) of

Richmond and the Retail Mer-

chants Association have intro-

duced a new mini-workshop

series just for you, providing ac-

cess to experienced professionals

with no sales pitches involved!

On Wednesday, May 20, at-

torney Marty Rowan from the Law Of-

fice of Marcia A. Rowan will

discuss “Legal Issues and

Tools for Businesses in the

Recession.” Talking points

will include identifying

legal risks during an eco-

nomic downturn, manag-

ing receivables and debt

collection and more. Then

on Wednesday, July 22, the

topic will be “Small Busi-

ness Marketing & Advertis-

ing,” presented by BruceGoldman, owner of Bright Or-

ange Advertising. This de-

tailed workshop will help

small business owners de-

velop a marketing plan to

bring in big sales with lit-

tle money.

The series will con-

tinue in September and

November with workshops

on how to turn a business

around during a recession

and how to retain existing

customers. All workshops

will be held at the Retail Mer-chants Association office, 5101

Monument Avenue, Rich-

mond, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Cost is

$39 per session for members and

$49 for non-members. Register

online at www.retailmerchants.

com or contact Len East, 662-5500

or [email protected].

It’s a catch-22. You need

money to advertise, but you need

to advertise to make money. The

Retail Merchants Association is

addressing this quandary through

its “Smart Marketing to Make

Money” executive dialogue series.

Moderated by Tom Blue, an entre-

preneur, writer, marketing innova-

tor and speaker, the series shares

valuable advice during once-a-

month lunchtime sessions

through November. Topics will in-

clude how to reduce your mar-

keting budget without damaging

business, reallocating marketing

dollars in a down economy and

how to identify marketing waste

through results tracking. Cost is

$79 per session for association

members and $99 for non-

members. Register online at

www.retailmerchants.com or con-

tact Len East, 662-5500 or len@re-

tailmerchants.com.

Duathletes running to RichmondRegistrations for the 2009 USAT DuathlonNational Championships on April 26 have

eclipsed last year’s and are ex-

pected to set all-time records.

“This is looking like a break-

out event,” says USA Triathlon’s

national events director Jeff Dyrek.“We think this will grow into the

largest duathlon ever organized

in the United States.”

“The Sports Backers, the

USAT, the USAT Mid-Atlantic Re-

gion and the Richmond Triathlon

Club have worked hard on this,

and it is paying off with a national

response that will put duathlon

on the map for on-road and off-

road athletes. We are especially

delighted at the number of out-

of-town competitors who will

be visiting Richmond during

these challenging economic

times,” says Jon Lugbill, Sports Backersexecutive director.

Last year, 450 duathletes

from around the country com-

peted in the USAT Duathlon Na-

tional Championships as pros,

age group athletes, sport racers,

juniors and youth racers.

The National Duathlon Fes-

tival, which is organized by

the Sports Backers, will be

in held in Richmond

through next year.

Ukrop’s Monument Avenue10k Breaks Entries Record More good news from

Sports Backers arrived in

the tally of participants for

the March 28th Ukrop’s

Monument Avenue 10K.

With the final two-day burst

of walk-in entries at the An-

them Health and Fitness

Expo that brought the

total number of partici-

pants to 32,745, the event

shattered its previous total

entry record of 31,158 set

last year.

“We estimate that one

out of every 30 people who

lives here in the Richmond

region has signed up to run

or walk in our 10th anniver-

sary Ukrop’s Monument Av-

enue 10k,” said Lugbill. “And with

thousands upon thousands more

gathering along the course to

cheer them on, it is truly a cele-

bration of health and fitness.”

Entries for the First Market

Mile Kids Run had a total of 1,832

entries, just shy of last year’s

record of 1,891.

VCU’s volunteer efforts recognizedVirginia Commonwealth University has been

named to the President’s Higher

Education Community Service

Honor Roll by the Corporation for

National and Community Service.

The honor roll was launched

in 2006 and is the highest federal

recognition colleges and univer-

sities can achieve for service-

learning and civic engagement.

This is the third consecutive year

VCU has been listed on the

Honor Roll.

VCU students contributed an

estimated 282,993 hours of com-

munity service in 2007-08 through

service-learning classes, service

projects of student organizations

and individual volunteering.

M O V E R S & S H A K E R S COMPILED BY DONNA C. GREGORY


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Anne Parker, a mother of four from Mid-lothian, won the $2,500 prize in theAT&T Dash for the Cash by crossing thefinish ahead of the elite runners in theUkrop’s Monument Ave. 10K—thoughwith the benefit of a 2.6-mile head start.

The Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. is the

region’s lead non-profit economic develop-

ment organization that is funded 50 percent

from private organizations in the region and

50 percent from the represented public enti-

ties: the City of Richmond, and Counties of

Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. The ulti-

mate mission of the partnership is to attract

new and expanding businesses and to retain

and grow the businesses that already call

Greater Richmond home. The campaign funds

the Partnership regional economic develop-

ment programs for the next five years, begin-

ning July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2014.

Phase one of its private-sector fundraising

campaign closed at the end of January reach-

ing 74% of its $9 million goal. A total of

$6,619,814 has been raised from over 100 in-

vestors thus far. Phase two of the campaign is

planned to commence in late 2009 or early

2010 which will return to the nearly 70 pend-

ing potential investors who represent an addi-

tional $3 million. The raised funds will be

matched by the Partnership’s four local gov-

ernment partners, the City of Richmond, and

Counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico

for a total budget of $18 million.

“We are grateful to all of the organizations

that have already made a pledge, with 55%

committing to $150,000 or more and another

49% committing up to $25,000,” said Cam-

paign General Co-Chair Robert S. Ukrop,

board member of the Greater Richmond Part-

nership, Inc. and president and CEO of

Ukrop’s Super Markets. He continued, “Not co-

incidentally, our strongest business support

came in spring and summer 2008 during the

‘quiet phase’ of the campaign.”

“While phase one of the campaign has

closed, 74% of goal is not enough. Like many

organizations and groups, the Partnership will

have a difficult year coming up and we need

all of the pending investors to consider com-

mitting sooner rather than later, ” says Gregory

H. Wingfield, CEO and president of the Greater

Richmond Partnership. Wingfield added, “Not

only are we thinking about the next five years,

but we have a private sector funding gap of

nearly $200,000 to fill between now and July

1st in order to successfully continue our cut-

ting-edge economic development work.”

Gail Letts, Campaign General Co-Chair

and President and CEO of SunTrust Bank,

added, “Many organizations recognize the im-

portance of investing in the region’s economic

development activity. We understand it’s a mat-

ter of deferring their decision about the

amount they are willing to invest until eco-

nomic conditions show signs of improvement.

But now is the time to be investing in eco-

nomic development to create the jobs that are

needed along with the capital investment for

the region.”

A 5 Year ProgramThe 2009-2014 five-year programs will: empha-

size the region’s strengths and growth poten-

tial targeting key industry clusters for new

business attraction and regional marketing;

support and assist existing businesses in the

region identifying both at-risk and high growth

businesses; focus on the region’s workforce by

helping connect laid off workers with jobs cre-

ated from existing and new businesses; and as-

sist a greater number of start-up firms and

encourage innovation.

Specific goals for the next five years

include:

• New business attraction and

regional marketing measured by

the creation of 8,500 new jobs

generating $391 million in payroll;

encourage $1.5 billion in new cap-

ital investment; assist 125 new and

expanding domestic firms, in-

cluding 25 new foreign-affiliated

firms to the region; and place 50

positive media messages about

the region in national and/or in-

ternational publications.

• Retain and expand local

business by supporting the cre-

ation of 7,500 new jobs and en-

courage more than $250 million in

new investment by existing firms.

• Develop the workforce by

filling the need for a trained and

available workforce for existing

and new companies to meet their

competitive needs.

• Grow small businesses by

successfully sustaining and grow-

ing the region’s significant small

business sector with the creation

of 1,250 new jobs and $35 million

in new capital investment.

• Make progress in the press-

ing area of infrastructure invest-

ment required to retain and grow

the regional business base.

P A R T N E R S H I P

Five-Year Goals Achieved 2004-2007

% ofGoals

AchievedGRP

10,000 new primary jobs 5,653 57%

$1.5 billion capital investment $1,871,297,274 125%

25 new foreign-affiliatedcompanies 21 84%

125 domestic companies* 56 45%

50 media messages 74 148%GRCC

500 existing companiesprovided with

expansion assistance588 117%

Counsel 2,500 small businesses 2,591 103%

Training for 12,000 business owners 14,381 119%

Information for 33,000 business owners 40,582 123%

Retain 1,500 jobs** 1,696 115%

Create 1,250 jobs** 1,117 89%Notes: *A company may be counted more than once if it has multiple proj-ects in several localities.**Data collected from semi-annual surveys cov-ering Jan-June and Jul-Dec. GRCC Training and Information goals wereincreased for the final two years of the period.

July 1, 2004 Through March 9, 2009Goals and Results

Funding Business Growth in Greater Richmond


Recently Assisted CompaniesThe Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. welcomesthe following exciting companies to the region:

Sabra Dipping Co.A food manufacturer located itsstate-of-the-art plant in Chesterfield County. Theplant will make the award-winning Sabra brandeddips and spreads, including the country’s best-sell-ing Sabra hummus and vegetable dips. Current pro-jections estimate 260 new jobs will result from thefacility, beginning in mid 2010.

ProSeal America, Inc.A manufacturer of heat-sealing machinery and tool-ing, ProSeal is currently the United Kingdom’s num-ber one supplier for all major food producers and oneof Europe’s largest. Established just 10 years ago,the $30 million company employs nearly 100 peoplein their UK and Australian locations.

Admiral Americas(located in Henrico County)A direct-to-consumer auto insurer andsubsidiary of United Kingdom’s thirdlargest insurer, located its operations in HenricoCounty. The company plans to employ 40-50 peopleby the end of the third quarter 2009, with projectionsof 200 jobs by the end of its second year.

A total of $6,619,814 hasbeen raised from over 100 investors thus far.

I N V E S T O R P R O F I L E

Dominion to Celebrate 100 Years of ServiceBY SHERI DOYLE

Every month many in the regionget a utility bill and probablydon’t usually think about the

more than 17,000 people employedat Dominion full-time, or that thecompany has the nation’s largest un-derground natural gas storage facil-ity, with over 975 billion cubic feet ofstorage space or that they serve over5.3 million residents in 12 states.

Dominion Energy, the com-pany's electric power productionand natural gas transportation andstorage unit, includes two busi-nesses: Dominion Generation andDominion Transmission. DominionGeneration, based in Richmond,manages the firm's regulated gener-ating stations.

Also headquartered in Rich-mond, Dominion is a $42.3 billioncompany. Its impact on the area istremendous, not only because ofthe services they offer, but also dueto their efforts at community out-reach as Dominion stays dedicatedto making the region a better placethrough its various programs andinvolvement with regional, civicand nonprofit entities.

As a multi billion-dollar company, theybelieve not only in growing their business,but in making sure the communities theyserve are thriving. To date, they’ve providedover $25 million to different organizationsthrough their foundation. The company pro-motes a corporate culture that encouragestheir employees to volunteer with local phil-anthropic and community organizations intheir neighborhoods.

Local schools also are supported in theform of education grants from Dominionand the Dominion Foundation that provideelementary and secondary educators withthe tools they need to revitalize math and sci-

ence programs through the study of energyand the environment.

Shared VisionOn the economic development front, Domin-ion has been a longtime investor in the GreaterRichmond Partnership, Inc.

It is “Dominion’s overall economic devel-opment mission is to support state, regionaland local efforts to attract jobs and capital in-vestment,” says Jim Evans a Dominion Com-munications Office Fellow. “From a business,perspective, we value the region’s educatedand productive workforce, its moderate cost ofliving, its excellent transportation system withmanageable traffic congestion and its diverseeconomic base.”

InnovationFor some companies, helpingwith community programs andgrowing the economic develop-ment of the region would beenough, but Dominion continuesto work to find ways to improveday-to-day living and the conser-vation of our planet.

“One of the most exciting newtechnology applications we are in-troducing is so-called ‘smart meters’that enable two-way electronic com-munications between Dominion andits customers,” Evans says. “Thesedevices will allow customers to seewhere their energy dollars are beingspent and zero in on cost-savingmeasures, which will be good fortheir pocketbooks and ultimatelygood for the environment throughimproved energy efficiency.”

Growth in New Tech & JobsOn the horizon, Dominion will focuson clean energy development alongwith its associated job growth in theregion. This complements the Part-nership’s efforts to attract clean-tech

and alternative energy companies to GreaterRichmond—two industries that should havesignificant expansion in the future.

This year as Dominion looks towards thenext decade for new growth, adapting its busi-ness and technologies to help consumners re-duce utility costs and increase its efforts toproduce environmentally-friendly energy, thecompany also looks back, celebrating its one-hundredth year providing electrical services toVirginia. As the Upper Appomattox Companyin 1795, their mission was to develop theJames River region. Looking at where they arein 2009, Dominion hasn’t strayed far fromtheir roots and dedication to that original idea.


The business began as the Upper Appomattox Company in 1795 to improve navigation and commercial develop-ment on the James River and its tributaries, including canal operation to secure water rights to the river. Today,Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers of energy, with an energy portfolio of about 26,500 megawattsof generation and 7,800 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline.

Dominion: a century of innovation.

M E D I A W O R K S

Mob MarketingEffectively Morphing Your Web Promotions from User-Friendly to User-Generated

Nestled deep inside Westpark Shopping Cen-ter, Matt Lake strategically lines up a ship-ment of his newest find—an offbeat petite

noir, a Lebanese blend with a decidedly Frenchappeal. Lake’s digs have become a tippler’s lair,a gathering ground for wine and beer fans whoconverge both online and offline to share theirlove for their drink of choice.

“We like to place interesting wines at lowprices right up front,” Lake says, pointing to adisplay of shiny bottles placed on old woodencrates. Lake, the owner of Wine & Beer West-park, has created an online-offline ecosystem,a feat that still challenges most merchantsstriving to stay current in today’s prickly busi-ness environment.

Using social media—an umbrella term forvarious activities that integrate technologyand social interaction—he has created an on-line forum for customers to become friends,receive discounts, and to learn about thewinemaking process. Most importantly, how-ever, he uses sites such as Facebook andYouTube to listen, tap into, and learn from hiscustomers. The result—increased foot trafficand face-to-face conversations that play outon the black-and-white checkered floor of hisoffline storefront.

Lake treats his online and offline interac-tions much the same way as he lays out hiswine shop—with transparency and buckets offun placed front and center. “What I appreci-ate about social media is that you can’t hide,”he grins, “You get to let the mob discuss yourbrand.”

Make It Useful, Make It ActionableShortly after purchasing Wine & Beer Westparkin 2005, the ever sprawling West End had justbegun to spill into Short Pump. Suddenly,Matt Lake’s hot spot for the best elixirs in townwas surrounded by six or more other outlets,including some big box retailers offering simi-lar goods. “I don’t care who you are,” he says,“If you have six satellites orbiting around you,all of a sudden the sun gets a little dimmer.”

One thing that larger retailers could notmatch, however, was Lake’s charm, and hispersonal knowledge of the 700 wine and 400beer labels that sat on his shelf. Lackingthe resources of the larger corporate mar-keting teams, he turned to social media—afree and more personal vehicle that was ca-pable of impacting and measuring the pulseof the community.

Lake, just as many other Greater Rich-mond businesses of late, quickly learned thatunlike traditional media campaigns with a setbeginning and end, tools like Facebook andTwitter, can result in visible and more durablerelationships between customer and brand—often taking on a life of their own.

By encouraging his customers to have anequal voice on the social networks that hecreated, Lake was able to steer clear of thepush-and-tell approach by many marketersand simply allow customers to participate inthe conversation.

Wine & Beer Westpark customers whoopt-in receive weekly email updates, spikedwith good humor and wit, and are encouragedto view and comment on YouTube videos cre-ated by Lake, all featuring tidbits from wine-makers chatting informally about their craft—noticeably absent are wine reps with silvertongues. On Facebook he uses a similar bent;“fans” of Lake’s shop leave comments abouttheir favorite bottles and are treated to“Flash Coupons,” exclusive notification ofpending sales and discounts if you stop intothe store on a certain date and reference theFacebook offer.

Make ‘Fun’ a Brand Anchor Not just reserved for small business owners,social media is equally effective for largerbusinesses throughout Greater Richmondwho are looking to drive word-of-mouth-based evangelism.

Similar to Matt Lake, AnnMarie Grohs,sales and marketing manager at Morton'sThe Steakhouse in Richmond, regularly usesher personal Twitter account to tweet aboutkitchen escapades and fun facts that mostcustomers don’t have an opportunity towitness from the other side of the swing-ing door.

While Morton’s has created an officialpresence on Facebook and Twitter to maintainone central voice, Grohs is still allowed to jazzup the company’s reach by issuing her ownquirky and local brand of updates on her per-sonal Twitter account.

“I post about my day inside and outsideof work,” explains Grohs. “I often talk aboutwhat’s going on in the restaurant, like howmany single cut filets were sold that month orwhat’s the difference between béarnaise andhollandaise sauce.”

Realizing that social media is about what

your community of supporters can do to helpbuild your brand, Grohs offers a unique spotfor carnivores to follow along, create and par-ticipate in the conversations circulating on theweb. As a result, the post-purchase conversa-tions that patrons create can become just asmuch a part of the company’s message as itstagline and formal ad campaigns.

Proving that fun can be a brand anchor,Grohs is not afraid to lace her tweets with therandom and whacky. “I like to write aboutsomething funny that happened in thekitchen that night…like last night when mychef brought in his kid’s synthesizer keyboardto prove to the pastry guys that he reallycould play.”

Make It BalancedWith over 200 videos currently posted onYouTube, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation,which boasts 148,000 members, has tappedinto the viral nature of social media too—of-fering everything from Chef John Maxwell usingVirginia produce to make a tasty apple pie toinformation about fireplace and chimney safety.

By taking a topic as universal as apple pie,for example, the savvy organization was able toquickly generate a buzz far past Virginia byusing popular recipe keywords to attract acrowd, while subtly embedding local produce asthe key ingredient to make their point. As a re-sult, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation wasable to make its video both informational andviral while at the same time delivering an effec-tive pitch for Virginia produce.

“Just as with any branding or marketingtool it’s not something that an organizationneeds to be afraid of, it’s just another way toshare your message with the public,” explainsKeith Langley, advertising and marketing su-pervisor at the Virginia Farm Bureau. “The onlytrue investment at this point has been timeand we have seen that our site visitors fromsocial media stay on the site approximately30% longer than average and as much as a 40%less bounce rate.”

When not populating their social net-works with videos, the organization, which op-erates a non-profit (Virginia Farm BureauFederation) and a for profit (Farm Bureau In-surance), also uses other sites such as LinkedInand Twitter, to create a presence on the inter-net that expands far passed its traditionalstandalone websites. BY PAUL SPICER


T R A V E L & L E I S U R E BY DEVORAH BEN-DAVID

I was sitting in the garden courtyard at the Lin-

den Row Inn, enjoying my morning coffee and

David H. Jones’ latest Civil War novel, Two Broth-

ers: One North, One South. As I began reading, I re-

alized I was facing the Greek Revival-style row

house described in his book. It was here that, on

April 3, 1863, the reigning belles of wartime Rich-

mond were dancing the night away in Mrs. Pe-

gram’s Parlour.

If walls could talk in what’s now room

220…But even before 1847, when the seven row

houses that make up the central part of the Lin-

den Row Inn were built, the beautiful garden was

a magnet for lovers.

“The Linden Row Inn

is a series of 19th-century

houses that were built on

top of an ‘enchanted gar-

den’ where Poe, and his

childhood sweetheart

Sarah Elmira Royster, met

and fell in love,” said Harry

Lee Poe, author of Edgar

Allan Poe, an illustrated bi-

ography about his distant

cousin’s life. “Poe, who just celebrated his 200th

birthday, makes reference to the ‘enchanted gar-

den’ in his famous poem, ‘To Helen.’”

Now a boutique hotel listed on the Na-

tional Registry of Historic Places, Linden Row

has 70 Victorian-inspired guest rooms. The

more intimate and airy Garden Rooms are lo-

cated in one of the original carriage house

buildings and wrap around the famous Gar-

den Terrace. The gemstone-colored Main

House rooms have 12-foot ceilings and access

to a sweeping verandah where guests can

enjoy the fresh morning air or sip a glass of

wine while looking at the moon. But it’s the el-

egantly-appointed Parlour Suite Rooms that

are named after prominent Richmonders. Its

largest (and most magnificent) suite is the re-

cently restored Mary Wingfield Scott Parlour

(Room 208), which made its celebrated debut

in March 2009.

“The Linden Row Inn has a total of seven,

spacious Parlor Suites and they are the most spe-

cial rooms on the property because of their

unique history,” says Vishal Savani, director of Lin-

den Row Inn. “Our Pegram Parlour is a favorite

with honeymooners and history buffs looking for

a unique local experience in Richmond.”

The inn’s namesake, the Linden tree, has al-

ways been a part of the garden and is called the

“tree of lovers” in German folklore. Its heart-

shaped leaves often flicker in the gentle spring-

time breeze, as bridal luncheon guests at the

Linden Row Inn enjoy a sumptuous meal catered

by nearby Chez Foushee.

Local and business travelers also recognize

Linden Row Inn’s charming signature red façade.

Located at the corner of First and Franklin Streets,

near Richmond’s financial district, it’s an easy 15

minutes drive from Richmond International Air-

port. The convenience of valet parking makes ar-

rival and check-in a breeze.

“We offer a free, in-town shuttle service that

takes our guests within a two-mile radius of the

hotel, which covers most of downtown Rich-

mond,” says Savani. The inn provides compli-

mentary continental breakfast, faxes and copies.

“We also have free wireless Internet throughout

the hotel and all our guests get access to the

YMCA, which has a better variety of equipment

than most hotel gyms.”

During the business week, you’ll see people

gathering in the Parlour Lounge before heading

out to lunch or dinner. It’s a comfortable place

and, like all the hotel rooms, is filled with an-

tiques and Empire and Victorian reproductions.

Many are on loan from the Historic Richmond

Foundation, while the mix of modern art on the

walls is from 1708 Gallery, a centerpiece of the

nearby Broad Street gallery district.

“We actually pride ourselves in being a his-

toric property because our intimate inn is able

to make guests feel like they’re being welcomed

into someone’s home,” said Savani, who believe

the customer always comes first. “And that in-

cludes our business clients, who rent out some

of our spacious Parlour Suites for meetings up

to 30 people.”

Whatever the reason or season, the Linden

Row Inn is a place to love. That’s because it offers

an authentic Richmond experience—with a side

of romance.

Devorah Ben-David is a freelance writer based in Rich-mond, Va. Her travel articles are featured in publica-tions across North America, Europe, Australia, and inthe Caribbean.

The Enchanting Linden Row Inn: A Romantic Urban OasisLinden Row Inn 100 East Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 Phone: 1-804-225-5841 www.lindenrowinn.com

IF YOU GO:

Celebrate with Poe’s 200thSegway of Richmond and the historic LindenRow Inn have partnered to offer guests an ex-clusive Edgar Allan Poe Bicentennial Package.It is valid through December 31, 2009 and in-cludes the following:

Two-night stay in one of the Linden Row Inn’sMain House rooms (rate includes valet parkingand Continental breakfast)

Two passes to a special Edgar Allan Poe-themedSegway Tour of Downtown Richmond (segwayofrichmond.biz)

Two passes to the Poe Museum (poemuseum.org)

Two passes to tour St. John’s Church (historic-stjohnschurch.org), an Edgar Allan Poe ToteBag with Poe memorabilia

The full package price is $369 plus tax, basedon double occupancy.

Reservations may be made by visiting www.lin-denrowinn.com and clicking on “Check Avail-ability” or by calling Linden Row InnReservations at (800) 348-7424.


A boutique hotel, listed on the

National Registry of Historic Places,

Linden Row has 70

Victorian-inspired guest rooms.

SEE

&

DO


19Spring Ba-da-BingThe BOSS of All Art Shows!

Bada-BOOM! The 2009Spring Bada-Bing is here!Join the Richmond CraftMafia for the 4th installmentof the largest indie craftshow in the Region. Held atPlant Zero, for a little cha-ching bring home someBada-Bing from artistʼs anddesignerʼs original creations.

Free SWAG bags to the first 200customers. Sunday, 11am-4pm,Plant Zero, 523.7174,www.springbadabing.com.

Don’t Forget About It!

19A Day on Doswell

Thereʼs more to Doswellthan a theme park! Visithistoric homes, an ante-bellum church (complete

with Civil War history etched into itswalls); see miniature gardens,model and real trains, and more.Shop at Squashapenny Junction An-tiques and The Bank. Boxedlunches available. Reservations re-quired. Sponsored by the AshlandGarden Club for Historic GardenWeek in Virginia. Saturday,10am-5pm, www.VAGardenweek.org.

25ExtraordinaryLabors: Trades of Early Virginia1611-1622

See the English workingclass coopers, carpenters,tailors, blacksmiths, ship-wrights and artisans re-cre-ating the work of 1611-1622

Virginia courtesy of Sir Thomas Dale.Gain insight on being a tradesmanwhen a blackberry grew on bushand web developers were spiders.Think youʼve got what it takes? Lendyour hand as an apprentice. Satur-day, 10am-5pm, Henricus HistoricalPark, 748.1613 www.henricus.org.

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho...

9Ettrick’s Celtic Festival

See and hear the St. An-drews Legion Pipes andDrums, vintage fire trucks,cars, Native Americans, CivilWar and WWII re-enactors,civic groups and historical

displays. Piping performances andother musical entertainment. Nopink hearts, yellow moons or orangestars here, just lots of green clovers,a doggie parade and a knobby kneescontest! Magically audacious! Saturday, 10am-5pm, Matoaca Middle School grounds, 526.8367.

Kicks and Kilts!

10Mother’s DayConcert at Lewis Ginter

Thereʼs more to MotherʼsDay than just a card! Enjoya free concert in the Gar-den, capture your memo-ries with a complimentary

family photo. Brunch is available in theRobins Tea House, the Garden Café ora la carte in the Garden. Tea HouseBrunch Reservations re-quired. Sundayconcert 1-4pm, Sunday, 10am-3pm.Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 262.988, www.lewisginter.org.

M Is For Moments, Memories and Music

14 ZZ Top

Give ʻem all your lovinʼ! Those boys with beards areback sporting cheap sun-glasses and spinning guitars.Accessories are everything for a sharp dressed man.Theyʼre bad, theyʼre nationwide... A haw, haw, haw. Thursday, gate time 6pm,Innsbrook After Hours snagajob.com Pavilion,794.6700, www.insbrookafterhours.com.

A Haw, Haw, Haw, A Haw

207th Annual Richmond Vegetarian Festival

Vegetarians and non-vege-tarians alike unite withcrafts, T-shirts, non-stopmusic, cooking demos,speakers, and delicious veg-etarian foods. Vegetarian,animal rescue and environ-mental non-profit organiza-tions will be represented.Donations welcome. Saturday, 12-6pm Bryan Park, Azalea Gardens 672. 1457www.veggiefest.org.

Go Leafy Green!

21Father’s Day at Lewis GinterBotanical Garden

Father's Day with a flour-ish can be found in theGarden! Enjoy entertain-ment and garden-relatedactivities including a con-cert. Grr, grr, grr classiccars, motorcycles andfood. A day that screams“Dad, you so deserve this.

Can I have the keys now?”Sunday,1-4pm, Lewis Ginter BotanicalGarden, 262.9887 www.lewisginter.org.

Father is Dad-tastic!

26-27Indy Car Seriesand USAC OpenWheel Weekend

The ninth annual SunTrust IndyChallenge means drivers hittingspeeds of more than 170 mph atthe shortest track on the circuit.The James River Grounds 100USAC Silver Crown Series race,precede the SunTrust Indy Chal-lenge. Start your Friday motorʼsrunning with IndyCar Series PoleQualifying and the USAC Na-tional Sprint Car Series race. Friday, Saturday, 10am-10pm,RIR, 888.472.2849 www.rir.com.

Wind In Your Hair, Bugs In Your Teeth

More Than Corn Dogs and Coasters!

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

SBQYour premier resource for active living

options in Greater Richmond.

Sports Backers Quarterly is published 6 times a year including the special

editions of the March Ukropʼs Monument Avenue10k and the November SunTrust

Richmond Marathon issues.

Available online, by subscription orat retail and business locations

throughout the the region.

www.SBQnow.com

“This is not only a great place to live,

but a good place to do business.”— Stephen R. Scherger

President of Beverage, Media & Entertainment and

Folding Carton operations, MWV

“Folks are recognizing ... and saying‘Wow, there’s something

big going on here!”— Robert T. Skunda

President, CEO and Executive DirectorVirginia Biotechnology Research Park

“I think the community reallylends itself well to the small,

independent companies.”— Melissa Ball

PresidentBall Office Products

“Richmond, in and of itself,

is perfectly located for us.”— Shannon Walls

Plant Manager, East Coast DivisionAspen Products, Inc.

Speaking of Richmond...

See what other area business and industry leaders are saying about Greater Richmond, Virginia, at SpeakingofRichmond.com or call 1-800-229-6332 to find out how your business can join the discussion.Where America’s Business Began.

WORKMAGAZINE #20

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