Friday, October 9, 2009

October 2009 Update

Well, the time has come to include our own efforts and accomplishments in this BLOG. Recently we unveiled our new company, Profitiviti. This has been a major part of our Master Plan and has been in the works for many, many years. You can image how incredibly excited we are for this to actually be taking place. Last October we launched our consulting business (Part 1 of the Master Plan) and now we are launching the software solution (Part 2). It’s been an amazing, amazing year – we are very blessed.

And Part 3 of our Master Plan is also in place – today we are also launching our non-profit organization (filing in process) – Expand-Abilities. As you know, we are passionate about serving children with special needs. Expand-Abilities’ mission does just that.

Along with all of our hard work, many others are following their dreams and passions. All of these efforts continue to be innovative and exciting. Keep supporting your friends and family members, pass along these leads to others – Tweet about them, put them in your BLOGs, send them to your distribution lists. There is no better time than now to support developing businesses.

Thanks for all your compassion and support. Make today great!

1. PROFITIVITI – (http://www.profitiviti.com) – Basically, we conduct a thorough and detailed analysis of our client's business operations. This assessment results in improved strategy development, enhanced cost control initiatives, better alignment of investments for growth and an optimized product portfolio.

We've used this methodology for a few years with Excel and Access tools, however Profitiviti is our new enterprise solution. Literally, we've made and saved companies millions of dollars over the years. Our clients have ranged from $50 Million to over $3 Billion. Our approach is great for senior executives (COOs, CFOs, SVPs of Strategy, General Managers) along with Venture Capital / Private Equity firms. This approach is a great way to monitor/evaluate a company’s ability to execute over time and provides additional insight not available through Board presentations or financial statements.

Let me know if you have questions, would like a demo, have any referrals you would share (bonuses available!) or just want to chat.

2. EXPAND-ABILITIES – (http://www.expand-abilities.org) – Even before Catherine and I welcomed our daughter Julia into our lives, we truly enjoyed working with children with special needs. The magic that Julia brings our family is wonderful – our entire family learns so much for each other every day and we never take anything for granted. With Expand-Abilities, we’ve team up with several other dedicated friends who share a similar mission – we believe in setting high expectations and fulfilling the rights to unconditional access and opportunity. Profitiviti has chosen Expand-Abilities as its charity of choice. We hope you look to Expand-Abilities as well, since we work every day to fulfill our tagline: Developing Skills. Empowering Families. Strengthening Communities.

3. MATEA DESIGN – (dmatea@me.com) – Dave Matea is my cousin and a very talented. He has produced several incredible logos for my companies along with on-target marketing collateral. He is the sole designer behind our Profitiviti brand and we could not be happier. Matea Design is an independently operated design service that delivers a smart approach to purposed driven graphic design solutions. Specializing in corporate communications, Identity systems, and web design. The end result is to express ideas that inspire, endure and elevate marketplace presence.

4. COOLEY CAREER COACHING – (http://www.cooleycareercoaching.com) – David Cooley is a great career coach. We met when I was finishing up grad school and when I was trying to figure out my next career steps. David has a masterful skill of helping one reflect internally to truly define a “personal brand.” With that “personal brand”, David weaves a story around personal and career accomplishments to create a targeted value proposition for employers, tying together a strong common themed resume, cover letter and interviewing approach. I’ve referred many people to David over the years and believe in his approach. Check him out in a recent story for FOX (http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/job_shop/Job_Shop_Video_Career_Centers_20090826).

5. ARTICLE ONE PARTNERS – (www.articleonepartners.com) – My USC college roommate, Ray Felts, is the Chief Operating Officer of Article One Partners. They are in a new space termed "crowdsourcing", where the wisdom of a crowd is better than a few individuals doing the work. They created a global community of patent researchers that help industry clients discover prior art to resolve patent disputes and get higher confidence in the valuation of IP. In June 2009, they received the Top Award at Startup 2009 Conference.

6. PIVOTAL RESOURCES JOB POSTING – (www.pivotalresources.com) – Pivotal Resources is a leading consulting firm focused on helping their clients drive new levels of financial performance and customer satisfaction. Their suite of training and consulting services revolve around Process Improvement, Performance Management and Leadership Development. They serve a broad range of organizations, with a concentration in service industries such as healthcare, financial services and technology with clients including some of the world’s most respected brands: Starwood Hotels, Charles Schwab, Kaiser Permanente, Cisco Systems and GE. While I was leading the Global Continuous Improvement Program (Lean Six Sigma) at Herbalife and were very happy with Pivotal’s assistance, insight and services. They are looking for a Sales & Business Development Associate. Click on the following link for more information, http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=761693, or let me know and I'll connect you with them directly.

7. AQUENT JOB POSTING – (www.aquent.com) – Aquent is a leading talent agency for marketing and designers. A friend of mine Sharon Strauss is hiring 4 additional sales people in LA, and 4 in the Bay Area. All need to have 5+ years sales experience in either a Marketing, Interactive or Graphic Design organization!! Please reach out to Sharon directly at strauss@aquent.com.

Monday, July 13, 2009

July 2009 Update

So, this update is one with personal interest (see #1 below), but it is also one that continues to show the amazing things our friends are doing around the world. The blood, sweat and tears that all of you are putting forth is awesome and continues to be inspiring. As friends of these friends, keep supporting them and passing along a good word to others – viral marketing begins by first sharing these updates with others. For each of you that have started a business at some point in your life, you know that friends and family members are the first ones you look to for support. Continue to help each other and do good things each and every day! All the best.

1. CATHERINE RAACK PHOTOGRAPHY – (
http://www.catraackphoto.com/) – Catherine, of course, is my beautiful wife…and now, business partner. She has turned a hobby of hers for many years into a business and we are so excited. She has a great way of capturing life’s moments. Her passion as a mother, as a Labor & Delivery Nurse and as a photographer comes out in her work. Take a look at her website and contact her if you have questions or if you are interested in her photography services. Keep checking the “What’s New” page of her website for current promotions!

2. GAEA GEAR – (
http:// www.gaeagear.com/) – we met Paul and Karen Hoffmann during the VIP AYSO soccer season last Fall. They recently launched a new business called, Gaea Gear. Gaea Gear is an amazing new children’s clothing company for children with special needs, with an initial focus on clothing for children with Autism. What does that mean? Well, often children, particularly those with Autism, have trouble with clothing. Many have sensory challenges that make fabrics uncomfortable and irritating. Also, clothes with fasteners such as buttons and snaps can cause lots of frustration. And as kids with special needs get older (i.e. past the age of 2 or 3), there are very few clothing options that address their needs (that aren’t institutional looking). So, the Gaea Gear clothing line looks to overcome these challenges. Check out their website for more information and to order some great stuff.

3. PILATES PLUS PASADENA – (
http://www.pilatespluspasadena.com/) – Amy Sowers is a good friend from grad-school and she has recently opened up her second Pilates studio. Congrats Amy! Her first was, Pilates Plus Montrose (http://www.pilatesplusmontrose.com/) and was one of the original “Friends Doing Good Things” updates. Check out her websites and contact the studios if you are interested in taking some classes.

4. LIZZYS BUSY BABY – (
www.lizzysbusybaby.com) – Joe Almeida is a long-time friend from Sony Pictures. He and his wife, Liz, started a company of organic and eco friendly baby products. For those who are parents (or know people who have kids) this is a great concept. They not only offer quality baby products and organic clothing, but they are famous for their “emergency baby kits" – the exact stuff you need when “problems arise” when you’re out in public (e.g., extra diapers, wipes, etc.) – and it’s environmentally safe! Take a look and put your order in today for yourself or as gifts.

5. MY AMI – (
http://www.amientertainmentsolutions.com/My_Ami_Preview.html) – Louis Fahrberger and I met at USC – when we were Resident Advisors together. He and his wife, Bea, created a pretty interesting portable entertainment device for kids. Kids love (need) to be entertained, especially when they are in line at a supermarket or shopping center. Their product is sure to help! Take a look and connect with them if you are interested in more information.

6. BOOK: LIVING WELL IN A NURSING HOME: EVERYTHING YOU AND YOUR FOLKS NEED TO KNOW – (
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Well-Nursing-Home-Everything/dp/0897934601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244403450&sr=8-1) – Lynn Dickinson has been a friend for many years, since our days at USC. She’s an amazing person, wonderful supporter of “Friends” stuff and a great writer. This book is very well written and something many people must consider at some point in their lives. Check it out and get educated on a very important topic!
“While life in a nursing home is rarely considered a first choice, at times it's the best choice. Still, the decision to put a loved one in a home is incredibly difficult. Nursing homes are a reality that touch many lives, but they are usually associated with negative media and fear-based thinking. This book concentrates on the positive aspects of nursing homes and offers strategies for identifying the best facilities. Among the topics covered are how to recognize signs that a family member needs extra support, determining whether in-home care is a viable option, the different types of long-term care, working and communicating with the staff, and preparing for the end of life – to help make all stages of these life transitions easier for everyone involved.”

7. GROUNDWORK OPPORTUNITIES (GO) – (
http://www.groundworkopportunities.org) – this amazing non-profit was profiled in our October 2008 update. Well, this is one fundraising effort that deserves some mention – the team at GO is currently climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro! Check out this link (http://www.groundworkopportunities.org/kilimanjaro/) and donate to this worthy cause. All the donations raised go to disadvantaged communities in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.

8. GREEN ALLY – (
http://bit.ly/greenally) – George Lu is a friend from Herbalife. He and his cousin have launched an Amazon storefront selling blooming teas and totes. I have to say, from personal experience while in Shanghai, I enjoyed several cups of blooming jasmine tea – how the flower unfolds with the hot water is pretty amazing and a very different experience for those who haven’t tried it before.
“Being green is not easy, but we emphasize progress, not perfection. So we're committed to taking one step at a time to introduce simple, healthy, green changes to your environment and ours. Please browse our product line of jasmine teas and reusable totes, and don't hesitate to let us know what else you'd like to see on these pages. The world needs you to be a fellow green ally.”

Thursday, March 19, 2009

May 2009 Update

Thanks so much for the feedback on this BLOG, but thank you more for supporting the friends highlighted below. In this tough, turbulent economy, it's great to provide some positive news; however, regardless of the highs and lows, it's wonderful to see people helping people. Love it.

There has been a ton of work going on within our “friends network.” Here are some additional friends turning hobbies into businesses and/or pushing forward with long-time dreams and passions. All the best everyone!

1. MARIE TEAGARDIN PHOTOGRAPHY – (
http://www.teagardin.com/) – Marie and husband Mike are good friends, and very talented photographers. We all met in the early 1990's during our days at Andersen Consulting and we've stayed friends ever since. She mainly focuses her business in the South Bay, Brentwood and Palos Verdes, but does venture outside the area as well. She will be opening a studio in Brentwood (Barrington & Sunset) on June 1st. Check out the BLOG on her website for updates and more details. Marie has taken our family photos on a couple occasions and we've always been thrilled with the results.

2. HARPER’S ISLAND (TV SHOW ON CBS) – Karim Zreik, Dan Shotz and Jon Turteltaub from Junction Entertainment have another great show on network TV (Saturday nights at 9 PM on CBS). We’ve been watching each week and things are getting really interesting on the island. For more information, check out their BLOG ->
http://www.tvwithoutpity.com/ then click “blogs” for Karim’s “Notes of an Assassin” episodic breakdown. For episodes go to http://www.cbs.com/ or http://www.youtube.com/. For “webisodes” see http://www.harpersglobe.com/.

3. STORYNAUT PRODUCTIONS – (
http://www.storynaut.com/) – Bill Ellis, a friend from Herbalife, has launched a new company called Storynaut Productions. It's a small start-up focused on cool stories, modest budgets, and leveraging new marketing and distribution channels. They are currently in pre-production for their first two feature-length movies, with targeted completion dates next year. Check out their website, track their progress and get involved.

4. KINDRED – (
http://www.shopkindred.com/) – Nichole and Dave Cortese have been friends for many years and are great supporters of many companies on this BLOG. When I heard of their “Twelvesies” idea I instantly loved it. On their website, they offer several items including a “Twelvesies Deluxe Gift Set” to document baby’s first year with a monthly birthday photo shoot. These unique onesies are screen printed with “1 month” all the way up to “12 months” and make the perfect “wardrobe” to take baby’s photo each month. Watch as baby’s growth unfolds in the Twelvesies accordion album.

5. SOCALTECH.COM – (
http://www.socalTECH.com/) – Benjamin Kuo and I met in our EE program as USC…he was the one that “set the curve” most of the time! This incredible website provides news and information about high tech companies in Southern California, and is used to find new customers, keep updated on industry news, and learn more about what's happening in high tech and venture capital. His firm also runs silicontap.com (Silicon Valley technology news), techrockies.com (Rocky Mountains), nwinnovation.com (Pacific Northwest), and texastechpulse.com (Texas). These sites are really great resources on funding and new company information.

6. TYPE A RESOURCES – (
http://www.typearesources.com/) – JM Bascom and I met a few years ago through mutual friends. She’s a very talented woman who is currently President of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Los Angeles Chapter. Type A Resources is a recruitment agency in Los Angeles, specializing in the placement of Project & Program Managers, working with both individual candidates and corporate clients. JM’s professional experience is across several industries including IT, Web Design, Entertainment (film and television), Mortgage Services, eLearning, Professional Services, and Consulting. She has a large network of available, talented and qualified Project and Program Managers. JM also recently started an online BLOG called Gumptionista (http://www.gumptionista.com/). Her BLOG is for “strong, sassy, authentic, and self-aware women, who fight for what they believe in. Women who speak with conviction, embrace their true self, empower and inspire others.”

7. LA PHOTOGRAPHER – (
http://www.laphotographer.org/) – Gene Avakyan, a friend from Pepperdine grad school and a great supporter of many fundraising events. He’s been a photographer for many years and focuses on portrait, event, fine art, wedding and commercial photography. Check out his website for samples of his pictures and to find out more information about his many talents – video, graphic design, etc.

8. THE DOMAIN RESERVE – (
http://www.thedomainreserve.com/) – Sanford Fitelson, a friend from Pepperdine and Herbalife recently launched a new business. “Thinking about setting up your own website? Look to TheDomainReserve.com for all of your domain and website needs at competitive prices. Get a new domain name for only $1.99 with the purchase of a web hosting package for as little as $3.99/month. You could have your own website up and running for as little as $6.00. Plus we offer more advanced features for businesses such as shopping cart, website analytics, SSL certificates, and dedicated servers. Best of all, we have the most incredible 24/7 customer support group around. Give a call if you have any questions and we're sure you will be floored by our friendly, domestic, and helpful personnel.”

9. EVENTFUL MOMENTS– (http://www.eventful-moments.com/) – Kim Tittle is a long-time friend (Junior High School I think) and a consistent supporter of many "friends" events and businesses. She recently went out on her own to start Eventful Moments - a boutique event production company based in Los Angeles focusing on weddings, mitzvah, corporate dinner and film premiere events. She's very talented, service oriented and an all-around fantastic person.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

February 2009 Update

As you can tell, I'm dipping my toes into "social media".

Several of you have sent e-mails over the past year or so encouraging me to make the move to a BLOG, so here it is!!! I appreciate all of your feedback and comments, but most of all, I enjoy hearing how many of you are supporting the businesses highlighted below. Grassroots marketing and supporting friends with their dreams is AWESOME.

You all inspire me...please continue to help each other out.


1. RESERVOIR RESTAURANT (www.silverlakereservoir.com) – good friends, Anne & Darren Roberts, are opening a new restaurant in the Silver Lake area the first week of March. It’s located at 1700 Silverlake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026. reservoir offers “seasonal California rustic cuisine” and should be amazing.

Gloria Felix, Chef/Owner: Graduated from the prestigious California School of Culinary Arts- Le Cordon Bleu Program in 2001. She has worked at top restaurants in Los Angeles, including Vida, Lucques, AOC, Grace, Jar & Blair's.

Darren Roberts, General Manager/Owner: Darren has been on the opening team of over a dozen restaurants with different concepts and corporate cultures. Early in his 20 year career in the restaurant industry, he came to realize that restaurant patrons don’t frequent restaurants only to be fed, but to have an experience. He has since been mastering customer service.

Check out the following write-ups:
http://www.foodgps.com/review/reservoir-details-and-opening-menu-revealed/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2009/02/reservoir-forme.html


2. IT’S GREAT TO BE DIFFERENT BOOK (
www.itsgreattobedifferent.com) – George Fisher has co-authored a great little book:

“What’s it like growing up and feeling different? Whether you are a tall banana, a little grape or just round all over, we all want to fit in. Sometimes it takes someone a bit wiser to show us why being different is great.”


3. MICHELANGELO THE DIVER BOOK (
www.thedreamdiver.com) – Dana Cammandatore is the mother of a boy named Michelangelo. Our daughter Julia and Michelangelo were in the same pre-K class when we were in LA. Dana wrote this amazing story about her autistic son and his trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. Here is Dana’s dedication:

“When my son, Michelangelo, was diagnosed with autism I was worried that all my dreams would disappear. I was wrong. He constantly inspires and challenges me to help him realize his dreams. He wants to be a scuba diver when he grows up. T his story is dedicated to all the parents who need to remind themselves to keep dreaming and to “Andy the Diver” for giving Michelangelo something to dream about.”


4. PROTOTYPES (
www.prototypes.org) – a friend from the Pepperdine MBA Program, Cassandra Loch, is the CEO of PROTOTYPES. Many of you know my passion for helping people, well Cassandra and her team are doing just that. If you’re looking for a worthwhile organization to donate to or help out, take a few minutes and check out PROTOTYPES.

“PROTOTYPES provides treatment services in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, trauma, health issues, domestic violence, and reentry and prevention, outreach, and education services to women, children and families. PROTOTYPES also provides training, technical assistance, consultation and research. With a 20 million dollar budget and nearly 300 staff members, PROTOTYPES serves over 15,000 high risk women and families each year.”

5. LAYOVER (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001521/) - April Wright, a long time friend has recently completed another film in which she not only wrote, but also the directed. Her film won the Silver Lei Award for Filmmaking Excellence in the Honolulu International Film Festival and is showing at the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills on Thursday, April 2nd at 7:30pm.

6. BUYABARGAIN.COM (www.BuyABargain.com) - a friend from Sony Pictures, Ken Cheney and his friend Ross Jensen, have recently launched their long awaited dream business. Buyabargain.com is an online retailer bringing to you music CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray, computer software, video games, electronics, apparel, beauty products, toys, etc. Buyabargain.com has partnered with Amazon.com, as an authorized Amazon Affiliate to ease your mind about online fraud. Once you have chosen a product you will be able to create or use an existing Amazon.com account to complete your purchase. With the security of Amazon's secure checkout process you can feel confident that your personal information is safe and secure.

7. BURLANE PHOTOGRAPHY (www.burlanephotography.com) - a friend from Sony Pictures, Ginni Burch, has started her own photography company. Ginni is located in Orange County and is "infatuated" with taking pictures. Contact Ginni if you know anyone that is having or has had a baby, is getting married, graduating from high school or may just want to have some family photos taken.

8. COAST CAPITAL GROUP (www.coastcapitalgroup.com) - Todd Fite is a long time friend from back in our Babe Ruth baseball days. We all are commpletely aware that the current economy is tough right now. But if you or someone you know is looking to refinance or purchase a new home, Todd can help. Call him at 310-350-5679.

9. NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL FINANCIAL NETWORK (http://www.todd-tripp.com/) - Todd Trip and I met several months back to discuss some financial planning options, etc. He's a talented and straightforward guy...and he's a Trojan! During our conversation, Todd mentioned that he is hiring...that's right - HE'S HIRING. He's located in Irvine and is looking for highly talented sales representatives with high energy and drive, a self employment mindset, competitive yet coachable, and looking for a long term career. Contact Todd directly if you are interested.

October 2008 Update

Hello everyone...hope this finds you all doing well. It's been a few months since the last update and some "good things" are happening. In this note, we have a cross section of new businesses developing:

1) JUST FRICKIN COOKIN - Phil Giacopelli, a friend from Sony Pictures Entertainment (who is a very good cook) developed two marinades which are definitely tasty. Check out the website (www.justfrickincookin.com) for information on the "Grillin & Chillin Sauce" as well as the "Maui Marinade". I just placed my second order...310-909-8928; sales@justfrickincookin.com.

2) BIODESIGNS - a longtime friend from childhood, Julie Alley and her husband Randall, developed a human performance company focused on improving individual's prosthetic experience. For those of you who utilize prosthetics or know people who do, check out their website (www.biodesigns.com) or contact Julie directly (jalley@biodesigns.com). Julie and Randall are great people that are very knowledgeable and service oriented.

3) FOODDIGGER.COM - a friend of a friend, Thi, recently launched a food review website that is rapidly expanding. The launch was focused first on the Los Angeles market...now growing in New York and San Francisco . Bon Appetit and get those reviews written (www.fooddigger.com).

4) GAINAR CREATIVE MUSIC - a brother-in-law of a friend is developing a music and sound company in Pittsburgh, PA (www.gainarcreativemusic.com). They provide original music composition, sound design and professional audio services for media projects, including: film, video, television, game audio, radio and the web - complete audio production services under one roof.

5) GROUNDWORK OPPORTUNITIES - a friend of a friend, Bart Skorupa, started a charity called Groundwork Opportunities (www.groundworkopportunities.org) to offer travelers the ability to volunteer for worthy causes as a part of their vacation. Groundwork Opportunities (GO!) works to involve a network of donors and volunteers who are interested in a more personal and measurable approach to giving. The idea behind GO! is to mobilize people towards causes that interest them, to offer full transparency explaining exactly where project money is going, and to provide direct and immediate support to individuals on the ground through partnerships with locally established organizations.

6) WISHCRAFT (www.wishcraftworkshop.com) - a friend from Sony Pictures, Candice Blansett, has left the corporate world to develop a great company called Wishcraft in Chicago , IL . The workshop is a colorful and comfortable place for children of all ages to explore their creativity and craftiness in classes and as part of a community. Unlike a traditional art studio, students are encouraged to create without preconceived notions. The workshop provides a quality learning experience, showing that practicing math and spatial reasoning can create something functional and fun. As they learn, students are encouraged to curiously approach projects with abandon, without concern for formality. We encourage creative reuse whenever possible as part of our commitment to protecting the environment.

Previous Update Information

Because I'm just getting started with this Blog and don't have my initial e-mails, here are items that were previously hightlighted:

· IRENT2U.COM (www.iRent2u.com) – Tim McCormack's online rental marketplace

· INDIE WINE MAKERS – (
http://indiewinemakers.com/) - Robin Andersen's featured wines and reviews

· “GOING ATTRACTIONS” DOCUMENTARY
http://www.driveindoc.com/ - April Wright's documentary on Drive-in Theaters

· HANDCLENS
alcohol free sanitizer and lotion in Costco's today - Marwan Zreik is the President of Woodward Labs (
http://www.woodwardlabs.com/Products/handclensA.htm)

· "The Parenting Business: Hindsight is 20/20" (
http://www.amazon.ca/Parenting-Business-Hindsight-20/dp/097254867x) - Carolyn Esparza (author - solutionsforelpaso@juno.com)

· PILATES PLUS MONTROSE – (
www.pilatesplusmontrose.com) - Amy Sowers (owner) - Pasadena location is coming soon

· LIFE OF GRATITUDE – (
www.lifeofgratitude.com) - Rushell Gordon’s company to help get what you want in life by first celebrating what you currently have.

· CAMPSITE DELIVERY – (
www.campsitedelivery.com) - Jennifer Hornstein's (founder) "fun and hassle free camping experience" company

· PHILANTHRO PRODUCTIONS – ( www.philanthroproductions.org) - Philanthro Productions' mission is to get more young adults involved in charity by hosting first-rate parties in partnership with leading non-profits.


· JERICHO – (TV show is now on DVD -
http://www.amazon.com/Jericho-First-Season-Skeet-Ulrich/dp/B000SQFC2C) - Karim Zreik (Executive Producer)